The predicted ice storm actually happened this time complete with freezing rain, sleet and ice fog. The Dallas Fort Worth metroplex has been iced in. I haven't checked in with weatherman, Pete Delkus, today but he has not worn his suit coat since Thursday afternoon....at least not on the air. He never took off those cufflinks and rolled up his sleeves so the weather emergency, while dangerous, was apparently not life threatening.
The highways were iced over and many motorists who did not listen to the warnings were trapped in their cars on I35 between Fort Worth and just north of Denton. Rumor has it that many of these drivers were Oklahoma fans trying to get to the OU/OSU game. (People....a football game is just not that important!) The temperatures that night were in the 20's. Your average Texan is just not prepared for that. The Texas Department of Transportation is asking everyone to stay off the roads until sometime on Monday. Of course, all local school districts were closed on Friday and we are wondering about Monday.
My Facebook feed is full of photos and videos of my friends, their children and grandchildren playing on the ice....riding down the local hills in laundry baskets, playing hockey on the streets, sliding down icy driveways on pieces of cardboard. They are definitely making memories and I am wishing that our boys were home and little again. We actually have a real sled and saucer sleds but they are in storage and it is not worth the trip to go to get them. But being the excellent dad that my DH is, he would have gone to dig them out if the kids had been younger and wanted them.
So what did DH and I do during our self-enforced imprisonment? I sewed (no big surprise there) and he got caught up on the DVR'ed shows that I don't care to watch. (Boardwalk Empire.....yuck!) We cooked and we were both glad that I had made that run to WalMart on Wednesday or Thursday for the essentials of life. But now I know that I misjudged the essentials....bread, chocolate milk, chicken, soup ingredients made the list but I forgot eggs, hamburger, semolina flour and parmesan cheese. This would have been the perfect time to bake some cookies and make the Christmas ravs but I honestly did not think this weather crisis would happen. My bad! The Christmas tree is up and decorated and the house is as festive as it will get...downsizing some this year.
The sun is out this afternoon and the temps are above freezing for the first time in over 3 days. (Yes, I know my northern friends, 3 days is no big deal to you but this is Texas! They don't know how to deal with it. Cowboy boots are for fashion, not function!) DH has scrapped off the driveway. I have my fingers crossed that we might venture out to get some dinner tonight.
The temps will fall again tonight and that will cause all of the melting runoffs to refreeze. And since there are no such things as snowplows in Texas, the streets will just ice over again. DH's district is made up of many smaller towns and they bus in lots of students. I don't think he will have school tomorrow but he is optimistic. AT son's district will probably have school. DIL will most likely return to work too as I do not expect FWISD to cancel classes. TMPG will be back at daycare.
No matter what the weather conditions are tomorrow...I AM GOING OUT! Yes, we need eggs and provisions for the week's menus (maybe some more beer) but more importantly, I am in the middle of big applique project and I don't have the right colors in threads! Let's get those priorities in order! Clear the way to JoAnn's....I'm coming in!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Those darn weathermen.....
I hate to admit that I get most of my news from Yahoo these days. I just don't seem to read the newspaper like I have in the past and it's easy to flip through the local news on TV in favor of something that is clogging up the DVR. But DH is a news junkie. He reads the newspaper daily .... yes, every section. ( He also does all of the crossword puzzles and other brain stimulating activities found in the daily paper.) And he likes the local news....especially the local weather reporters. I'm not sure what his attraction to the weather is....he is not a frustrated meteorologist. I think he is entertained by their prophet of doom persona.
His current favorite weather broadcaster is Pete Delkus. Pete usually wears a very nice suit and tie but you can always tell when there is a potential weather emergency. Once Pete takes off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves, you know that it's time to pay attention to the upcoming weather. (He never takes off the tie. If that ever happens on the air, we can be sure that the end of the world is at hand.)
The week before Thanksgiving, Pete and the other weather forecasters definitely had their jackets off as they warned us about the pending ice storm. Local people were panicked about getting out of town for the holiday week. DH and I were worried about making it to Dallas for the JFK 50th Anniversary Event. Most of the local school districts were off the entire week before Thanksgiving but the ones that were in session Monday and Tuesday were filled with teachers keeping their fingers crossed that school would not be cancelled on Monday....who wants to have the kids for one day before Thanksgiving? They are crazy enough without the addition of one more day off.
I'm certain that you can predict what happened...it rained but there was not one bit of ice in the area. Pete claimed that we missed the disaster by one or two degrees but I think that the weatherpersons just wanted to see how crazy the metroplex could get.
It has now been 10 days since this last weather emergency and Pete is warning us that another winter weather event is on the way. (I haven't seen the weather today so I am not sure if Pete's jacket is off or on.) They say that the temperature will drop all night and through tomorrow. The rain will begin tomorrow at 6 p.m ...how they know the exact time is beyond me. The temperature will continue to drop and we should have a winter weather advisory on Friday morning with possible significant ice accumulation. The bad weather will continue through the weekend.
So what does this mean to me? When we first moved to Kansas in 1982, DH and I laughed when the weather forecasters came on with the blizzard warnings. They would actually advise people to go to the grocery store to stock up on essentials. Intrigued, I had to go to the store to see what the locals considered essentials. Every cart contained milk, bread, chips, beer and in many cases, diapers. Most of the time, these weather forecasters were just as wrong Pete and his buddies were last week. We ignored these blizzard warnings and went on with our lives. But in the winter of 1986-87, I knew it was time to leave Kansas because I actually started going to the store to stock up when the weather advisories were announced....could not risk running out of bread, milk, chips and beer. (No diapers in our cart....the boys were out of diapers and no Depends for us yet.)
And so, what did I do today when faced with an impending weather crisis? I went to WalMart to stock up. But my cart did not have the Kansas essentials....it contained chicken, soup, ingredients for tortilla soup and chocolate milk. (Chocolate milk? But of course....I need it for my hot cocoa and Bailey's Irish Cream.) Once again...no diapers. And we have beer on hand.
So now we wait....will Pete and the other prophets of doom be right or will one or two degrees make all the difference? DH is wondering if he will have school on Friday. I'm worried that my Friday sew day with the Sewing Sisters will be cancelled. Friends are posting photos on Facebook of empty grocery shelves. We have postponed our planned next stop on the Beermuda Triangle trail until January. Will Book Club be able to meet Sunday night? Where is that ice scraper anyway?
I think it's time to leave Texas.
His current favorite weather broadcaster is Pete Delkus. Pete usually wears a very nice suit and tie but you can always tell when there is a potential weather emergency. Once Pete takes off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves, you know that it's time to pay attention to the upcoming weather. (He never takes off the tie. If that ever happens on the air, we can be sure that the end of the world is at hand.)
The week before Thanksgiving, Pete and the other weather forecasters definitely had their jackets off as they warned us about the pending ice storm. Local people were panicked about getting out of town for the holiday week. DH and I were worried about making it to Dallas for the JFK 50th Anniversary Event. Most of the local school districts were off the entire week before Thanksgiving but the ones that were in session Monday and Tuesday were filled with teachers keeping their fingers crossed that school would not be cancelled on Monday....who wants to have the kids for one day before Thanksgiving? They are crazy enough without the addition of one more day off.
I'm certain that you can predict what happened...it rained but there was not one bit of ice in the area. Pete claimed that we missed the disaster by one or two degrees but I think that the weatherpersons just wanted to see how crazy the metroplex could get.
It has now been 10 days since this last weather emergency and Pete is warning us that another winter weather event is on the way. (I haven't seen the weather today so I am not sure if Pete's jacket is off or on.) They say that the temperature will drop all night and through tomorrow. The rain will begin tomorrow at 6 p.m ...how they know the exact time is beyond me. The temperature will continue to drop and we should have a winter weather advisory on Friday morning with possible significant ice accumulation. The bad weather will continue through the weekend.
So what does this mean to me? When we first moved to Kansas in 1982, DH and I laughed when the weather forecasters came on with the blizzard warnings. They would actually advise people to go to the grocery store to stock up on essentials. Intrigued, I had to go to the store to see what the locals considered essentials. Every cart contained milk, bread, chips, beer and in many cases, diapers. Most of the time, these weather forecasters were just as wrong Pete and his buddies were last week. We ignored these blizzard warnings and went on with our lives. But in the winter of 1986-87, I knew it was time to leave Kansas because I actually started going to the store to stock up when the weather advisories were announced....could not risk running out of bread, milk, chips and beer. (No diapers in our cart....the boys were out of diapers and no Depends for us yet.)
And so, what did I do today when faced with an impending weather crisis? I went to WalMart to stock up. But my cart did not have the Kansas essentials....it contained chicken, soup, ingredients for tortilla soup and chocolate milk. (Chocolate milk? But of course....I need it for my hot cocoa and Bailey's Irish Cream.) Once again...no diapers. And we have beer on hand.
So now we wait....will Pete and the other prophets of doom be right or will one or two degrees make all the difference? DH is wondering if he will have school on Friday. I'm worried that my Friday sew day with the Sewing Sisters will be cancelled. Friends are posting photos on Facebook of empty grocery shelves. We have postponed our planned next stop on the Beermuda Triangle trail until January. Will Book Club be able to meet Sunday night? Where is that ice scraper anyway?
I think it's time to leave Texas.
Monday, November 25, 2013
The Wheels on the Bus is a toddler sensation
The Most Perfect Grandson in the World (TMPGW)'s current favorite sing-a-long is The Wheels on the Bus. He knows all the verses and the motions and has now started to make his own additions, such as the clouds on the bus (but I don't know what the clouds "do" all through the town). He lines up his duplo blocks, the ones with wheels, in a bus formation and puts his duplo people on before he informs us that this is THE bus. Everyone who loves him sings The Wheels on the Bus endlessly.
I thought he was the only one with this fascination.
I discovered today at the Y that apparently this snappy tune is a toddler sensation. Our Y has several TV monitors mounted on the wall for easy viewing from the treadmills. If you would rather, you can watch from the screen on your treadmill. They have preselected channels on the wall mounted TV's...CNN, ESPN, FoxNews, HGTV and one or two others that rotate so that walkers can watch The Price is Right. The final monitor is a closed circuit feed from the Y nursery where the young parents can leave their children while they work out. I don't pay too much attention to the Nursery Cam...I'm usually trying to guess if the yuppie couple will decide to Love It or List It. (Today's was especially annoying.) I happened to glance at the Nursery Cam and just had to give it my full attention when I noticed two toddler girls arranging all of the chairs in a straight line. Now this took a lot of determination because some other children were actually sitting in the chairs that these junior engineers needed for their project. But they persevered and finally had everything arranged to their satisfaction. They then rounded up other toddlers and their toys to sit in the chairs. (These girls are definitely leaders!) One of the day care workers had been watching them and when they were finally all set, she got up and started singing The Wheels on the Bus. (I could tell from the motions....the Y TV's are all on mute with close captioning...except for the Nursery Cam.) This group was singing merrily along and doing all of the motions when another toddler ran up to the day care worker and insisted that she was not doing the wheels motion correctly. Foot stomping and all! He was right....she was doing more of train motion with her arms circling at her side instead of rolling her hands in front of her. (Hey....I know my TWOTB!) He was absolutely irate! And she was holding her ground, too. He finally convinced her to see the light and the song continued on. And on. And on. Until finally, like the rest of us adults, the day care worker had her fill of TWOTB and wandered away to check on the crying infant in the swing. The toddlers continued on for a while longer and finally, they were finished, too.
Now why share this with you on my retirement blog? I thought it was just TMPGW who had a fascination with this song. How wrong I was! And how many kindergarten library lessons could have been saved by a rousing version of The Wheels on the Bus? I don't need that information any more but on the off chance that I manage to find myself trapped with a number of preschoolers and toddlers, you know what we'll be doing. If you are there, plan on giving up your chair without a fight.
I discovered today at the Y that apparently this snappy tune is a toddler sensation. Our Y has several TV monitors mounted on the wall for easy viewing from the treadmills. If you would rather, you can watch from the screen on your treadmill. They have preselected channels on the wall mounted TV's...CNN, ESPN, FoxNews, HGTV and one or two others that rotate so that walkers can watch The Price is Right. The final monitor is a closed circuit feed from the Y nursery where the young parents can leave their children while they work out. I don't pay too much attention to the Nursery Cam...I'm usually trying to guess if the yuppie couple will decide to Love It or List It. (Today's was especially annoying.) I happened to glance at the Nursery Cam and just had to give it my full attention when I noticed two toddler girls arranging all of the chairs in a straight line. Now this took a lot of determination because some other children were actually sitting in the chairs that these junior engineers needed for their project. But they persevered and finally had everything arranged to their satisfaction. They then rounded up other toddlers and their toys to sit in the chairs. (These girls are definitely leaders!) One of the day care workers had been watching them and when they were finally all set, she got up and started singing The Wheels on the Bus. (I could tell from the motions....the Y TV's are all on mute with close captioning...except for the Nursery Cam.) This group was singing merrily along and doing all of the motions when another toddler ran up to the day care worker and insisted that she was not doing the wheels motion correctly. Foot stomping and all! He was right....she was doing more of train motion with her arms circling at her side instead of rolling her hands in front of her. (Hey....I know my TWOTB!) He was absolutely irate! And she was holding her ground, too. He finally convinced her to see the light and the song continued on. And on. And on. Until finally, like the rest of us adults, the day care worker had her fill of TWOTB and wandered away to check on the crying infant in the swing. The toddlers continued on for a while longer and finally, they were finished, too.
Now why share this with you on my retirement blog? I thought it was just TMPGW who had a fascination with this song. How wrong I was! And how many kindergarten library lessons could have been saved by a rousing version of The Wheels on the Bus? I don't need that information any more but on the off chance that I manage to find myself trapped with a number of preschoolers and toddlers, you know what we'll be doing. If you are there, plan on giving up your chair without a fight.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Not a runner
Several friends (some that I did not realize were reading the blog) have asked me how that running/fitness goal is working out for me. Well........not exactly the way I had planned. I have given up my Couch to 5K class with the realization that some people are just not born to run. If I were a gazelle, I would be the chubby, slow one that is doomed to serve as Thanksgiving dinner for the lion family. Someone has to do it, right? And I saved the other faster members of my family to run another day. (Positive spin on survival of the fittest!) So if you happen to ever see me running, I advise you to run in the same direction as I am because there must be something large and carnivorous chasing me....I'll distract it for you. Just say nice things about me at the memorial service.
I am still working on my fitness...just not running. I work out at the Y several times a week (alone now that Strength Coach Son has become Engineer Canadian Son) and once a week, I time myself on a 5K on the treadmill. I am not a coffee drinker unless it is seriously girly coffee and it is pumpkin spice latte and gingerbread latte season. These hot mugs of deliciousness are loaded with calories so I just cannot let myself enjoy them as often as I would like. So let's tie that craving to my fitness goals. If I am able to beat my time in my weekly 5K from the previous week, I treat myself to Seattle's Best on the way home from the Y. (FYI...the caramel pretzel is not as good as I had hoped...unless you like chunks of soggy pretzels with your coffee.) I faithfully keep track of my time on the note feature of my phone.
Today was my 5K day. It's been two weeks since my last timed session and I was fairly certain that I remembered the time to beat. Picture me walking briskly on the treadmill, silently (I hope silently) singing along with my favorite walking tunes, keeping an eye on the time elapsing. OH NO....I have slipped behind the goal time (as I remembered it)...crank up the speed and walk a little faster. OH NO...my coffee is slipping away....crank up the speed again and find a more peppy tune. OH NO...this will be the worst time ever...crank up the speed and hold onto the hand rails.....Done. Hmmm...I'm not sure. Maybe I did better my time. I'll look after my cool down.
Finally it is over. The 5K is completed along with the 5 minute cool down. I did not collapse but it sure seemed hot in there today. Check the note feature....OMG...my best time ever. I dropped almost 2 minutes!!! And all because I could not remember the time to beat. (Maybe losing those memory skills is a good thing.) I can have my girly coffee!!!
But OH NO...on the downside, I have to beat this new time next week. I think I'd better enjoy this coffee. I might be the last one for a long time.
I am still working on my fitness...just not running. I work out at the Y several times a week (alone now that Strength Coach Son has become Engineer Canadian Son) and once a week, I time myself on a 5K on the treadmill. I am not a coffee drinker unless it is seriously girly coffee and it is pumpkin spice latte and gingerbread latte season. These hot mugs of deliciousness are loaded with calories so I just cannot let myself enjoy them as often as I would like. So let's tie that craving to my fitness goals. If I am able to beat my time in my weekly 5K from the previous week, I treat myself to Seattle's Best on the way home from the Y. (FYI...the caramel pretzel is not as good as I had hoped...unless you like chunks of soggy pretzels with your coffee.) I faithfully keep track of my time on the note feature of my phone.
Today was my 5K day. It's been two weeks since my last timed session and I was fairly certain that I remembered the time to beat. Picture me walking briskly on the treadmill, silently (I hope silently) singing along with my favorite walking tunes, keeping an eye on the time elapsing. OH NO....I have slipped behind the goal time (as I remembered it)...crank up the speed and walk a little faster. OH NO...my coffee is slipping away....crank up the speed again and find a more peppy tune. OH NO...this will be the worst time ever...crank up the speed and hold onto the hand rails.....Done. Hmmm...I'm not sure. Maybe I did better my time. I'll look after my cool down.
Finally it is over. The 5K is completed along with the 5 minute cool down. I did not collapse but it sure seemed hot in there today. Check the note feature....OMG...my best time ever. I dropped almost 2 minutes!!! And all because I could not remember the time to beat. (Maybe losing those memory skills is a good thing.) I can have my girly coffee!!!
But OH NO...on the downside, I have to beat this new time next week. I think I'd better enjoy this coffee. I might be the last one for a long time.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
They do grow up
We were so blessed tonight to witness the wedding of one of Strength Coach Son's closest friends from his high school swim team to her forever after love.
SCS has been out of high school for 12 years now and keeping in contact with these long ago friends has been difficult but this young lady has always been special to us. While high school students, this group of friends lead by A would regularly check the weekly menus posted on our refrigerator and tell me when to expect them for dinner. And it was not unusual to get a phone call from SCS to see if dinner could stretch for just one or two more guests..."We can stop at the store and pick up more lettuce or dessert, Mom. A & M want to come to dinner." When SCS went off to LSU for college these kiddos knew how much we missed him and would call to schedule dinner at our house so that we could catch up and so that the house would not seem so empty. When they went to visit SCS for the weekend, they would be certain to let me know ahead of time so that they could stop and pick up the cookie delivery for the guys at school and even promised that most of the treats would actually arrive at their destination.
When SCS graduated and started his engineering career in Houston, we had an annual reunion at our house on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. He would cook gumbo and a cornhole/bags tournament would be held in the back yard. Everyone knew the schedule and no one waited for an invitation...they just showed up...hungry and happy to see each other. It wasn't a successful evening until someone lit the fire in chiminea and the grown-ups worried about catching the fence on fire.
Today I listen to my younger friends with teen-age children stressing over dating issues and grade point averages and class rankings and college acceptances and homecoming woes and I just want to tell them to STOP! Enjoy every one of these minutes and dramas and hold them tight. They will be gone in just a few years...minutes really,,, and you will miss this time so much. If I could turn back the clock and relive our sons' high school years, I would do it in a minute. Would I change anything? Maybe...I might hope the ATS (Athletic Trainer Son) would make a few more friends in high school and hold onto the ones from middle school....I might hope that SCS was able to achieve the goals that he set for himself in swimming...I could skip the sleepless night waiting to see who made it home in time for curfew...I would definitely send someone shoe shopping on his own and I might be a little less strict in some areas. Did I do some things wrong...of course. But did our sons turn out to be responsible young men and deserving of our pride and respect...YES. I like to think that we had some thing to do with that but even if we didn't, I'm glad that they turned out to be the adults that they are.
And I am so glad that their friends think enough of us to invite us to their momentous occasions and that they remember us as fondly as we remember them. So, my friends with young and adolescent children, enjoy this time and encourage your children to keep in touch with the parents of the friends that they cherish so much. Those parents love them, too, and want to know what happens to them. It does take a village....or a group of swim parents...to raise a child.
SCS has been out of high school for 12 years now and keeping in contact with these long ago friends has been difficult but this young lady has always been special to us. While high school students, this group of friends lead by A would regularly check the weekly menus posted on our refrigerator and tell me when to expect them for dinner. And it was not unusual to get a phone call from SCS to see if dinner could stretch for just one or two more guests..."We can stop at the store and pick up more lettuce or dessert, Mom. A & M want to come to dinner." When SCS went off to LSU for college these kiddos knew how much we missed him and would call to schedule dinner at our house so that we could catch up and so that the house would not seem so empty. When they went to visit SCS for the weekend, they would be certain to let me know ahead of time so that they could stop and pick up the cookie delivery for the guys at school and even promised that most of the treats would actually arrive at their destination.
When SCS graduated and started his engineering career in Houston, we had an annual reunion at our house on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. He would cook gumbo and a cornhole/bags tournament would be held in the back yard. Everyone knew the schedule and no one waited for an invitation...they just showed up...hungry and happy to see each other. It wasn't a successful evening until someone lit the fire in chiminea and the grown-ups worried about catching the fence on fire.
Today I listen to my younger friends with teen-age children stressing over dating issues and grade point averages and class rankings and college acceptances and homecoming woes and I just want to tell them to STOP! Enjoy every one of these minutes and dramas and hold them tight. They will be gone in just a few years...minutes really,,, and you will miss this time so much. If I could turn back the clock and relive our sons' high school years, I would do it in a minute. Would I change anything? Maybe...I might hope the ATS (Athletic Trainer Son) would make a few more friends in high school and hold onto the ones from middle school....I might hope that SCS was able to achieve the goals that he set for himself in swimming...I could skip the sleepless night waiting to see who made it home in time for curfew...I would definitely send someone shoe shopping on his own and I might be a little less strict in some areas. Did I do some things wrong...of course. But did our sons turn out to be responsible young men and deserving of our pride and respect...YES. I like to think that we had some thing to do with that but even if we didn't, I'm glad that they turned out to be the adults that they are.
And I am so glad that their friends think enough of us to invite us to their momentous occasions and that they remember us as fondly as we remember them. So, my friends with young and adolescent children, enjoy this time and encourage your children to keep in touch with the parents of the friends that they cherish so much. Those parents love them, too, and want to know what happens to them. It does take a village....or a group of swim parents...to raise a child.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
How are those fitness goals going, Mrs. D?
A little update on my fitness quest...my knee has miraculously stopped giving me problems. Seriously....overnight. (I think it heard the threat of a visit to the doctor.) Unfortunately it did not happen before the Rahr 5K and I was not able to join John and Leslye in the walk. John's goal was to NOT finish last. He achieved his goal with a personal best time, was not last overall and was not even last in his age group. So now, I have a new goal...when I do my next (first) 5K, I hope to beat his time. It was a pretty good time so I may fall short but we will see.
My Couch to 5K class members have zoomed away from me so our compromise is that we stretch together, do our 5 minute warm-up walk and then they take off their way and I plod along on mine. Skinny Runner Girl is doing really well and Mr. Mom is no longer worrying about his potential injuries so they are pleased with the class. Am I pleased? Well, I haven't given up. Last week during my 24 minute time on the course, I actually ran 6 minutes out of the 24....not consecutively but hey....it was 6 minutes! Now, my jogging pace is probably slower than most dedicated walkers' walking pace but tell that to my heart! It definitely feels the difference.
I have been able to convince strength trainer son to join me at the Y twice a week to be my personal trainer. We narrowly missed a reprimand the first day because non-Y trainers are not allowed on the floor but my skinny 5K "coach" realized that he was family and called off the Y police. Strength trainer son has been patient with me...for the most part...and my lack of ability to follow directions. Yesterday though I tested the limits of his endurance. We were working on dumbbell bench presses (look it up) and I could not get my arms in the right position. Nevertheless strength trainer son added more weight. The conversation went like this:
Me: This is too hard
STS: Ma, that's why they call them weights!
That makes sense but it doesn't make it any easier! I cannot say that he enjoys these training sessions but he is humoring me....think of it as couch rent.
On the other 2 or 3 days that I go to the Y alone, I use the weight machines (strength trainer son uses only free weights) and walk on the treadmill. I start at 3.0 mph and go up .1/mph at each new song on my playlist. And that is when my own personal concert begins! My ipod is loaded with songs that have a good pace and beat to them...and that I like. (No sense listening to things I don't like no matter what the pace.) I lip-synch along with my music (at least I hope I am lip-synching) and try hard not to add the hand motions that I feel the music needs. So far no one has moved away from my treadmill but I do get some confused looks from the true fitness freaks. (I think those are caused by those aforementioned hand motions!) So what are my current favorite "silent sing alongs"?
You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon
Call Me Maybe (The Glee version)
Marry You by Bruno Mars
Done by The Band Perry
The Longest Time by Billy Joel
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
Telephone by Lady Gaga
Turn on the Radio by Reba McIntire
Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland
Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5
Pretty varied playlist but it works for me. I try to spend about 30 minutes on the treadmill.
So what's your favorite background workout music? Are you also guilty of a lip-synch concert on the treadmill? I need more encouragement, friends.
The next time you see me, you won't notice any change in my appearance (except for looking more and more like my Dad) but I am not giving up on this goal. Slow and steady wins the race....and a reward of Seattle's Best Pumpkin Pie Latte helps, too.
My Couch to 5K class members have zoomed away from me so our compromise is that we stretch together, do our 5 minute warm-up walk and then they take off their way and I plod along on mine. Skinny Runner Girl is doing really well and Mr. Mom is no longer worrying about his potential injuries so they are pleased with the class. Am I pleased? Well, I haven't given up. Last week during my 24 minute time on the course, I actually ran 6 minutes out of the 24....not consecutively but hey....it was 6 minutes! Now, my jogging pace is probably slower than most dedicated walkers' walking pace but tell that to my heart! It definitely feels the difference.
I have been able to convince strength trainer son to join me at the Y twice a week to be my personal trainer. We narrowly missed a reprimand the first day because non-Y trainers are not allowed on the floor but my skinny 5K "coach" realized that he was family and called off the Y police. Strength trainer son has been patient with me...for the most part...and my lack of ability to follow directions. Yesterday though I tested the limits of his endurance. We were working on dumbbell bench presses (look it up) and I could not get my arms in the right position. Nevertheless strength trainer son added more weight. The conversation went like this:
Me: This is too hard
STS: Ma, that's why they call them weights!
That makes sense but it doesn't make it any easier! I cannot say that he enjoys these training sessions but he is humoring me....think of it as couch rent.
On the other 2 or 3 days that I go to the Y alone, I use the weight machines (strength trainer son uses only free weights) and walk on the treadmill. I start at 3.0 mph and go up .1/mph at each new song on my playlist. And that is when my own personal concert begins! My ipod is loaded with songs that have a good pace and beat to them...and that I like. (No sense listening to things I don't like no matter what the pace.) I lip-synch along with my music (at least I hope I am lip-synching) and try hard not to add the hand motions that I feel the music needs. So far no one has moved away from my treadmill but I do get some confused looks from the true fitness freaks. (I think those are caused by those aforementioned hand motions!) So what are my current favorite "silent sing alongs"?
You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon
Call Me Maybe (The Glee version)
Marry You by Bruno Mars
Done by The Band Perry
The Longest Time by Billy Joel
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
Telephone by Lady Gaga
Turn on the Radio by Reba McIntire
Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland
Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5
Pretty varied playlist but it works for me. I try to spend about 30 minutes on the treadmill.
So what's your favorite background workout music? Are you also guilty of a lip-synch concert on the treadmill? I need more encouragement, friends.
The next time you see me, you won't notice any change in my appearance (except for looking more and more like my Dad) but I am not giving up on this goal. Slow and steady wins the race....and a reward of Seattle's Best Pumpkin Pie Latte helps, too.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Small steps have turned in to small hobbles
I thought you all deserved an update on the couch to 5k program I started a couple of weeks ago. My participation in the class with Mr. Mom (who got new insoles for his shoes and feels to much better and more confident) and Runner Girl (who regularly runs with her father for a couple of miles BEFORE she comes to class) has come to a temporary halt. I have somehow managed to injure myself. I don't recall any sharp pains and no, Jeri, I did not fall down but my knee is killing me and has been for over a week now. It's not my kneecap but rather that fatty muscle on the inside of my right knee. I have a suspicion that the blood cannot push its way through the fat at the point but Strength Coach Son tells me that is not possible. I haven't asked Athletic Trainer Son for his advice because I am sure that he would claim it to be tendonitis.
I pushed through the pain and actually ran for four minutes (not consecutive....but hey, it was four minutes!) on Sunday. That may not have been the best idea but it isn't any worse so I probably did not do any additional harm.
If I take Tylenol the pain diminishes but Strength Coach Son says that will just prolong the injury and that the body can heal itself quicker if I just live with the discomfort. Skinny Trainer Girl says to keep walking and ice it 3 or 4 times a day. Strength Coach Son says that ice is not the way to go and if I am going to ice it, I should just take the Tylenol and know that it will hurt longer. He recommends heat.
Thinking that possibly my favored choice of footwear might be to blame, I actually laced up my good, supportive walking shoes today instead of slipping on my hot pink flip flops. That was an emotional hurdle for me! But apparently it is not the fault of my "ship shops" because it still hurts.
John and I are signed up to do a 5k on Saturday sponsored by our favorite brewery, Rahr and Sons. We've been signed up for months now and did several of the social, warm-up walks in preparation. I really wanted to do this event...not running of course...well maybe just a little...but that looks doubtful now.
Friends think I should give in and go to the doctor. I like my doctor (sort of....my chart claims that I am "chronically non-complient") but I know that she will just order tests which will show nothing but a pulled muscle. And she will order anti-inflammatory meds which Strength Coach Son will point out to only prolong the problem.
So here I sit...or limp. Getting into the car from the driver's side is a challenge but I cannot drive from the passenger seat. Crawling around on the floor working on the borders of quilt is painful. I don't sit still very well with no handwork to keep me occupied and curling up in my chair (just cannot sit like a grownup) results in more discomfort.
What is my plan....at the moment, I intend to work through the pain to get the borders on the Hard Rock quilt and then cut the fabric that I will need for my sew day project for tomorrow. I'll break out the heating pad again tonight and see what tomorrow brings. If I really want to do the Rahr run, I will defy Strength Coach Son and start on the tylenol tomorrow afternoon and see what Saturday brings.
And if it still hurts on Monday, I will break down and call the doctor....there...are you happy, Leslye?
Is my couch to 5k class over? No, just derailed slightly. This injury cannot last forever and since I have mastered the couch part of the couch to 5k, I am determined to at least make an effort at the running part. My goal was never to run an entire 5k....I will just need to find another charity run later in the fall and see if I can actually run a portion of it. Small steps....hobbles....small steps.
I pushed through the pain and actually ran for four minutes (not consecutive....but hey, it was four minutes!) on Sunday. That may not have been the best idea but it isn't any worse so I probably did not do any additional harm.
If I take Tylenol the pain diminishes but Strength Coach Son says that will just prolong the injury and that the body can heal itself quicker if I just live with the discomfort. Skinny Trainer Girl says to keep walking and ice it 3 or 4 times a day. Strength Coach Son says that ice is not the way to go and if I am going to ice it, I should just take the Tylenol and know that it will hurt longer. He recommends heat.
Thinking that possibly my favored choice of footwear might be to blame, I actually laced up my good, supportive walking shoes today instead of slipping on my hot pink flip flops. That was an emotional hurdle for me! But apparently it is not the fault of my "ship shops" because it still hurts.
John and I are signed up to do a 5k on Saturday sponsored by our favorite brewery, Rahr and Sons. We've been signed up for months now and did several of the social, warm-up walks in preparation. I really wanted to do this event...not running of course...well maybe just a little...but that looks doubtful now.
Friends think I should give in and go to the doctor. I like my doctor (sort of....my chart claims that I am "chronically non-complient") but I know that she will just order tests which will show nothing but a pulled muscle. And she will order anti-inflammatory meds which Strength Coach Son will point out to only prolong the problem.
So here I sit...or limp. Getting into the car from the driver's side is a challenge but I cannot drive from the passenger seat. Crawling around on the floor working on the borders of quilt is painful. I don't sit still very well with no handwork to keep me occupied and curling up in my chair (just cannot sit like a grownup) results in more discomfort.
What is my plan....at the moment, I intend to work through the pain to get the borders on the Hard Rock quilt and then cut the fabric that I will need for my sew day project for tomorrow. I'll break out the heating pad again tonight and see what tomorrow brings. If I really want to do the Rahr run, I will defy Strength Coach Son and start on the tylenol tomorrow afternoon and see what Saturday brings.
And if it still hurts on Monday, I will break down and call the doctor....there...are you happy, Leslye?
Is my couch to 5k class over? No, just derailed slightly. This injury cannot last forever and since I have mastered the couch part of the couch to 5k, I am determined to at least make an effort at the running part. My goal was never to run an entire 5k....I will just need to find another charity run later in the fall and see if I can actually run a portion of it. Small steps....hobbles....small steps.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)