My Brain is Weird

There are certain songs that every time I hear them I link it to the book that I am reading at the time – and then it seems the two are forever linked in my brain. For example: I was reading the Sandman comic by Neil Gaiman, and the next morning as I was driving to work I was listening to Empires by VNV Nation – and now every time I hear a song from Empires, one of the story lines from the Sandman will pop into my head. Some of them are pretty intense like the Great Below by Nine Inch Nails will generate images similar to Simon floating out to sea from the Lord of the Flies. No idea how that linked up in my head as I haven’t read that book in ages – like High School? And Pioneer to the Fall’s by Interpol always makes me think of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books.

It is actually sort of nice – when I get stuck in traffic (a daily occurrence in Atlanta) I can just select a song and let my mind wonder its own little story line. And then I’m not cursing a blue steak down I-85 because my mind is nicely occupied.

As and obligatory Paleo/Crossfit update: diet going well and today I did an unassisted Kipping Pull-Up. GO ME! And my clean has gone up 5 pounds from my one rep max so there you go. I can also do 55 sit-ups in 2 minuets, hold plank for 1:14 and I almost did a hand stand! Except that I got dizzy on the way up and went splat. The Challenge ends on our anniversary and I hope that they have the body fat emersion truck dude there on that same Saturday so that we can get our measurement done that day. Then we can enjoy our anniversary dinner without thought to the salt content and so on and so forth of the meal. Because I have a feeling that meal will be a doozey. I know I am planning on some wine and more that a little chocolate. But – oddly – I don’t want to break Paleo (too much) because with so much going well I don’t want to wake up the next morning with full on rosacea flushing and belly issues. What started as a we can go get Italian is slowly morphing into a Mexican feast.

And as for exciting plans for the weekend: Papa Jacks for breakfast (most likely on Sunday) and I’m gonna dye my hair Dark Chocolate Brown. There is also the possibility that we might swing out to watch Fight Gone Bad at the AFB in Smyrna, but I have a feeling that might not happen. As it will be hot as hell Saturday…. but things look like they will be cooling off and there should only be a high of like 75 on Monday.

In wardrobe news: I also got the zipper on a little size 8 brown cord skirt fixed and viola! I have the skirt to go with the sweater I got a couple weeks ago. And I am totally stoked that I can get my no longer such a fat ass in a size 8 skirt. I also scored a lovely gold nylon bag - which will make a lovely tote for weekends till someone is totally potty-trained and it will also be a great travel bag. Between that and our huge NRA backpack we shouldn’t need any other bags when we fly up for Oyster Festival this year. And that will be an oddity – because Freya is going to stay at home with Grandma. Hopefully she will go easy on Grandma! It will mark the second time since she was born that I have been away from her for more than a day. I am really looking forward to not having a bedtime fight and getting to sleep in! I am still looking for a long cardigan/sweater coat in a dark sage or brown (preferably) cashmere… there is on a the T.J. Maxx that I just might have to scoop up! It has a hood – but I can work with that. I think that I have shrunk enough that my fabulous red trench is going to need to be replaced. Sigh. I love that coat – but I can get two of me in there now so I think that it needs replacing….with a sweater coat! Ha!

Sick of the heat

I am so tired of 90+ days. Like pondering a move to the Arctic sick of it. It does have a plus side, I can still wear my flip's and tank tops. And I'm not cold all the time. But dammit! I am ready to wear sweaters, fall dresses, tights and my new kick ass boots! Waaa!
Perhaps - I'll do it anyway... the first day of Autumn is Thursday - I shall celebrate by dressing like it is Autumn and then sweating to death. But! I have gluten free beer now. Silver lining and all that.

Paleo/Crossfit Baby

Freya is doing the Paleo Challenge by default, as both her mother and father are eating Paleo these days. I just found a last lone hold out bag of Cheezits in the cupboard last night, which tossed out (read: stale). So far eating Paleo with the little one has been pretty easy she likes fruit and veggies and is getting a handle on meat. At this point, I am not packing her lunch for school because they make very good food for her at the daycare, but that will probably change come Kindergarten in 3 years. (eek!) Then it's: Hello Bento box! They are cute and interesting and super inexpensive and will hold all the food we eat very well. They also make a little press thingy that when you put a freshly boiled and peeled egg in it it will make it into a little cat face. Nothing says You need me! to a mother of a little girl than the ability to make her boiled eggs into a cat face.

Last week we had a Cross-Fit gym group picture with as many members of No Excuses as could get there. Freya loves to go to the gym because we let her play with the equipment after the folks there are done with their workouts. She was also cheering for the guys that were finishing up a particularly evil WOD. Nothing cuter than a little voice going WOOHOO! We were posed and our pictures taken - Freya was better behaved than some of the adults there. She sat still, and was totally awe struck by John and his freshly worked on tattoo.

After the posed picture we just sort of milled around, and some random candid pictures were taken including one of the Crossfit baby:

Flipping a tire. She actually did better than I did the first time I ever flipped a tire! (The picture in the middle also made it onto the gym web page for today's WOD.) Momma and Daddy are so proud.

Autumn?

I think that we might actually be getting closer to Autumn! There is a nice coolness to the morning air, even if the afternoon highs are in the upper 80's!

Autumn is my favorite season and it has been for as far back as I can remember. I love the crisp air and the shorter days and the general feeling of being lighter. The oppressive heat of summer (especially down here in Atlanta) has wained and the mosquito's have died back and it is suddenly pleasant to be outside. And the new sweaters don't hurt either. And (no surprise here) I love my sweaters. I have made acquiring sweaters an art form. I have cardigans in just about every useful color (for me) and even some that aren't so useful (read: pink). I have a pile of "work sweaters" and a smaller pile of "play sweaters" they each need some updating this year. Very exciting, I know. Not as exciting as trying to find a pair of gold heels. Woo!

The other thing I need to update this year is my coat. I have this super fantastic awesome royal blue wool coat from the 1960's and it needs new buttons. Thinking large plastic - in white or purple or kelly green. Hmmmm, now that I think about it, I also need to clean out the dry-rotted liner and do some hem work. Which is the best about living in Atlanta, I don't have to worry about re-lining the damn thing because just the wool will be enough to keep me warm!

Dammit - come on cooler weather! I am tired of all this sweating just walking down to get the mail. I also need to air out the house some more - it still has that funky to much air conditioning smell.


I think that I shall go back to my favorite fantasy for the rest of my afternoon: cocktail party, fabulous dress, gold heels, drinking pink champagne, eating fancy chocolate and having my house EXACTLY the way I like it. The table set with the fancy china, and magically I have all the Kate Spade fancy china odds and ends (the ones with the gold and silver bugs, because the china is a floral). Maybe for Thanksgiving! OOH. Better get to planning! I have gold shoes and hopefully a dress to go and get!

I Love Paleo

Paleo has been this catalyst… and I know that I will probably be eating like this for the rest of my life. There are several things that assist in keeping the decision solid: my skin clearing up, and that the weight is coming off to name the big ones. But, it is also how I feel. Even when I am starving hungry, it is a different hungry than when I was eating all that crap. This is more of a "Hello, this is your stomach, please eat something" rather than the "HARVEY NEED FOOD NOW -GRRRRRR". Harvey being the name I gave that very nasty mood that took over when my blood sugar would drop when I got hungry, usually the shakes and nausea would follow. This usually resulted in my consuming a huge amount of pasta, or french fries. And, as I have been typing this out, it has just occurred to me that I haven't gotten the shakes from being hungry since starting Paleo. Like it wasn't hunger that gave me the shakes, it wasn't having sugar and/or glutton. That is kind of scary, now that I think about it.

There is something infinitely more satisfying about life when I know that what I’m putting into my body is good for it and also that the work-outs I am doing at CrossFit give me a much greater since of accomplishment. I mean – it is so much better for the psyche than the endless hamster wheel that is the elliptical machine at the gym. I also have camaraderie while working out and have made new friends. After a particularly difficult WOD (workout of the day) we talk and joke while regaining the use of our appendages. I have never thought that I would be one of those people that willingly gets up at 5:15 to go work out. But I am, and I love it. Also, my coffee drinking is way down, because after CrossFit - I don't need any caffeine.

And the most interesting thing that has changed, is the Internet searches that I do. It used to be that I would start obsessing about something or the other, and trying to locate it (never mind that I didn't need a new coat, purse, pair of boots, the epic 7 month search for the "perfect white bag") and actually get into a world class bad mood if I couldn't locate it! These days, I hunt down Paleo recipes and read my Nigella Lawson cookbooks for meal ideas, (altering the Nigella to Paleo when needed). And I am having so much fun doing it.

Grouchy

Need more snacks. I can't seem to loose this nagging hungry feeling and it is making me grouchy because, I end up grazing all afternoon.... and craving a block of cheddar cheese.

Fall Clothing - Post of Twee-ness

It is time for the thrilling and exciting time of fall shopping. For the first time in YEARS there are only a couple of things that I "need" for my wardrobe and they are mostly for work. This is because I am shrinking out of all my current fall/winter wardrobe. Boo-Hoo. And I have decided to finally get the damn things that I have been wanting for several years. Like a chocolate brown elbow sleeve cashmere turtleneck. (currently watching one on eBay - bitch will be mine!!!! if all goes well in like 13 hours.) Wait... where was I? Right! So the rest of things I "need" that aren't for work? A pair of yellow corduroy's and a sweater coat. I know. Y'all are just RIVETED. Now... for finding that pair of caramel colored knee-ish high boots. Those bitches are being elusive. Because I need to try them on with my mega-calves - apparently athletic legs don't want boots? I don't get it. I would really rather not have them shipped only to have to send them back. Total bummer. So - DSW better get some this year.

Of course living in Atlanta, I can wear tee-shirts and tank tops almost all year long. And doing CrossFit means that I am going to have to get more work out clothing. Honesty it's about time that I get some nice work out stuff. I might even get a new gym bag. The excitement!

Stay tuned to see if I win the sweater!

ETA: BOO-YA! I won the sweater! WOOOOOO!