Sugar Report No. 2

Well, I had very little trouble during the week, just as I had predicted.  Most days were no sugar days, other days I followed my plan and drank 16 oz. of water and waited 15 minutes.  Though that didn't pan out quite like I thought it would.

You see, I was driving around with Helena and Megan on Friday afternoon.  We decided to stop at Sonic for drinks because they have this beautiful daily 'Happy Hour' special from 2:00 to 4:00 where all drinks are 1/2 price.  It was 3:45.  I knew that if I waited the 15 minutes before ordering the drink, I'd end up paying full price.

That's no good.

So, I ordered water... and a cherry limeade.  I drank the water and waited 15 minutes, but I was already committed to drinking the sugary treat.  My original thought was that if I drank water and waited 15 minutes I could probably talk myself out of having the sugar all together.

That was a fail.  Still.  Forcing myself to put those extra steps in front of my sugar consumption did stop me from eating something sugary on several occasions this week.  So it wasn't a total fail and I will keep it up!

After church today, Bill had his gluten free sugar cookie with a glass of milk.  Oooh!  That looked good!

So, I made sugar cookies.

Bad bad.

I didn't even drink my water or wait 15 minutes before sampling the dough or eating a couple of cookies.

You have to know how rare it is for me to bake anything, though!  Baking almost always requires flour, which is a major contaminant in our kitchen.  If I am going to use flour and the mixer, I have to be willing to wipe down and decontaminate my entire kitchen afterwards to avoid letting any gluten work its way into Bill's diet.

It was worth it, though.  I think.  I have a plate full of cookies and a Norman Rockwellian sort of image in my brain of my kids coming home from school tomorrow and sitting down to a plate of milk and cookies before tackling homework.

Now, here is my final thought for this September 11th.  I took a picture of the 'Service Flag' and our American Flag as seen through our front window.  The blue field is on the right because the flag is meant to be viewed from the street, where the blue field will show to the left, which is proper.

Tribulation

This was the subject of today's Sunday School lesson.  I thought it was rather appropriate to the day.

One of the basic, fundamental questions that most Christians wrestle with as we strive to come closer to God is, "Why does God let bad things happen to good people?"

Tribulation can be anything from struggling with a personal addiction to the agonizing events that happened 10 years ago today.

I don't pretend to have all the answers.  I don't know the mind of God.  But let me tell you what I believe.

First of all, this discussion requires just a little background in my theological beliefs.

I believe that I have an eternal soul.  I existed before I came here, I will exist still after I die.  This mortal existence is merely one part of my greater purpose in the universe.

I believe God created the Earth.  I have no beef when it comes to evolution vs. creationism.  I personally think they are both right.  God's timeline is probably much grander than our own and his 'days' in the book of Genesis are probably not Earth days.  So, sure.  Dinosaurs roamed the earth, we probably did evolve from amoeba in the primordial swamp, and we probably share a common ancestor with the modern chimp.  I firmly believe in the accuracy of carbon dating, I am a big fan of the Big Bang Theory, and science in general.  To me, this does not cause a rift with Adam being the first human at all.  I think God is infinite in his wisdom and that someday when we return to him, it will all make perfect sense.

I believe that I came here to Earth to learn and to hopefully grow more like God.  More knowledgeable, more compassionate, more wise.  In order to learn, I have to be allowed to make choices for myself.  The ability to choose is fundamental to my beliefs in finding my purpose in life.  If God is our Heavenly Father, then I can use the analogy of teaching my child through choice to help me understand how God deals with us.  To develop an independent mind, we allow our children to make choices and learn from them.  God does the same with us.  With choice, however, comes consequence.  Some consequences are good.  Some are not.

I believe that if I have the right to make choices and face the consequences of those choices, then so does every other human being on the planet.  Unfortunately, the consequences of choices are not always isolated to the person who made the choice.  And that is where the dilemma facing Christians comes into play.  How can a kind and merciful God allow the evil choices of other men to bring suffering to the innocent?

I believe in Jesus.  I believe that he chose to suffer for the sins of all mankind.  I believe he atoned for those sins.  That means that he paid the eternal price, or consequence, for the sins of all who will accept that atonement in their lives.  That doesn't mean that we will be free of the mortal consequences of sin here on earth, however.  But we will be free from the eternal consequences of sin, namely, separation from God.  So, in that sense, although we suffer for a time here on earth, God knows it will only be for a small moment in the grand scheme of things and if we have become disciples of Christ, we will be able to rise above mortal strife.

I also believe we will never be given trials greater than our ability to withstand them.  Small comfort though that may be in the midst of pain and anguish.

I believe that the suffering we feel when facing tribulation, or trials, can bring us greater empathy for our fellow men.  I have suffered the sudden and tragic death of a younger brother.  In that sense, I have a greater compassion, or empathy, for others who are currently struggling with the grief over the sudden death of a loved one.  The ability to 'see' through another's eyes... someone else's perspective... is a God like quality that we can develop here on Earth.

Now, if God were only concerned with our happiness, he would take away our ability to choose and would make choices for all mankind in order to prevent any unhappiness.  But, where is the learning in that?  Where is the growth?  How would we become more compassionate and wise?  As a parent, would you want to continue to make EVERY choice for your children all of their lives?  Are you only concerned with their happiness?  Or is there more to being a parent?

I believe that God is concerned with much more than our temporary happiness.  It is our eternal soul that he is concerned with.  So, yes, we will have to face the consequences of not only our own choices, but those of other people as well.  Some will suffer.  Others will die.  But the soul lives on, and grows... hopefully into something beautiful.

So.  The Sunday School lesson today focused on 2 Corinthians, Chapter 1.  In it, the apostle Paul is writing about tribulation to the people of Corinth.  In it he encourages them to comfort one another in their times of trial, as Christ comforts his people.  We are to become the hand of God in other people's lives.  We are to use the wisdom and empathy we have gained from our own trials to lift those around us who are suffering.  In order to do that, we must know our neighbors.  How can you comfort and support a neighbor who just lost a parent if you don't even know it has happened?  We have to reach out to one another in friendship and Christian love.

The lesson ties in beautifully with a blog post I read recently.  Here is a small blurb from it...

He answered his phone…I saw that he was just listening…I could hear that the person’s voice was getting louder and louder and louder………..my husband just listened. He turned his back to me a little so I wouldn’t hear. But I could hear it….It seemed to go on and on and on……..

These were the things I could hear on the other end of the phonecall….

“You are bringing down the value of my property with that ugly sign!”

“What are you doing?”

“That is the most obnoxious sign, do you have a permit to have that out there?”

“Are you starting a used car lot?”

“You have got to get all of that moved and out of here or I am calling the authorities”

I sat there, mortified, embarrassed, humiliated, mad, sad, devastated. I was certain that this would snap my husband back into his dark hellish place.

But, when the man was done ranting, my husband waited a second and then very calmly said something that I will never, ever forget…….

“Sir,” he said, “There was a time in this country, in this community…when if you drove past your neighbor’s house and saw every single thing they own was for sale in front of their house…and that their lawn had not been mowed for weeks….that you would stop and say….WHAT IS GOING ON, SOMETHING MUST BE TERRIBLY WRONG, WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP YOU?”

The man was silent…..and then my husband went on to tell him a few details about what was going on with our family….

The man waited a moment and then his tone changed…..he apologized….I mean, really apologized and then said…

“I am going to call all of my friends and see if any of them need any of this stuff….”

Here is a link to the whole blog post if you'd like to read all of it.  If gives us all a lot to think about.

So, all in all, it was a good lesson.  Sorry for the rambling sermon.  It uplifted me and I hope did the same for you.  This is why I go to church.

Always Remember

From a 'Proud American' to a 'Fierce Patriot'

What Older Generations Have Been Trying to Tell Us All Along, but We Were Forced to Learn from Experience

Publish Date: 09/10/2011

I used to 'roll my eyes' whenever older generations talked about how everyone could remember exactly what they were doing when a national tragedy struck. In my grandparents' generation it was the attack on Pearl Harbor that catapulted us into WWII. In my parents' generation is was the Kennedy assassination.
For my generation is was 9/11/2001.

It was a normal day.

I was getting ready for work. The kids were getting ready for school. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Until my husband called.

He leaves for work quite early in the mornings, so he was already at work when he called. He said, "Turn on the TV. Now."

I asked him what channel? He said, "It doesn't matter."

I walked into the living room and turned it on.

And found the world changed.

I had just barely begun to process what I was seeing, what they were saying, and what it meant when the south tower collapsed.

Live.

It was so surreal. My mind was thinking, 'that can't be real. It looks just like something you'd see in the movies, or on a planned demolition. How can it go straight down like that?' Simultaneously, my heart was twisting and tearing apart because I knew... I KNEW ... I was witnessing the deaths of thousands.

I remember grabbing the doorjamb for support as I cried out and tears coursed down my face. I kept saying aloud, "Oh please, God! Let them all be out of the building!!! Oh! They can't all have gotten out, yet!!!" My young daughter, only 7 at the time, came in and wanted to know why I was crying. "What's wrong, Mommy?" she asked.

I wasn't sure how to tell her what was wrong, or what it would mean to our country. I just knew I didn't want her seeing what I was seeing. She was so young. So innocent. I remember telling her I was sad that a lot of people had died. I also hugged her tight and told her that everything would be alright and she should go finish getting ready for school. Then I sent her firmly out of the room.

But I kept watching.

At some point I forced myself to turn off the TV and get out the door for work. I am an art teacher, working part time. When we got to the school, I walked around in a daze. The surreal feeling intensified for me because the school was just too quiet. Too normal. My mind was screaming and ripping itself apart over the images that were burned into my brain. How could anything be normal again?

Of course, things weren't normal. All of the teachers knew what had happened and were robotically going about their routines in a state of shock. The administration made the quick decision to not allow live news coverage in the elementary school classrooms. I do think that was for the best. We aren't talking about teenaged students here. These were very young children who couldn't possibly process what was going on. The school library was closed down for the day and the TV there was left running so that the adults in the building could stop in as often as possible and stay informed.

I didn't realize until I got home later that day that my husband was spared the trauma of seeing the buildings collapse live. He was listening on the radio when he called me. Of course, we all watched the events of that morning unfold hundreds of times afterwards, in a never ending loop of pain. But that first moment? Of realizing I was witnessing mass murder AS IT WAS HAPPENING? I can't even begin to describe it. It will never leave me.

I will never forget.

Do you remember how silent the skies were that day? When every flight was grounded? You never realize the background noise of planes on approach to the airport until there are no planes on approach.

Do you remember the pride you felt in the heroes of Flight 93? How brave and terrified they must have been! How they made an impossible choice that changed the tone of everything? They were Americans, fighting back!

Do you remember how much we honored firefighters, police men, and even the thousands of construction workers and volunteers who risked their lives in the aftermath?

Do you remember how our country came together? We were so UNITED! It no longer mattered what your religious or political credo was. We were all American. Every American flag was out, lining the streets, hanging from homes, flying from cars.

Do you remember how full the church congregations were? Everyone turning to their faith to see them through those dark times.

In the weeks and months following that horrific day we became the nation we were meant to be. Strong, caring, compassionate...

... united.

My brothers went to war. Jeff, a Naval officer, served several tours of duty to Iraq and Afghanistan. He came back with amazing stories... and bullet holes in his plane. Peder, an Army Special Forces officer, also served several tours ... including a lot of time on the ground in Baghdad. His stories were also incredible, though it was the stories that he didn't tell that made my heart ache for him. Anyone who is ignorant enough to ask a veteran if he killed anyone in the line of duty should be shunned right out of the conversation. I still don't know the answer to that question, and I'll never ask it.

I was blessed that they both came back home. It is enough for me.

Four years ago, my oldest joined the military. He is a Marine. I have never felt so proud as I did on the day I attended his basic training graduation at MCRD, San Diego. I still have the 'Service Flag' hanging proudly in the front window for him. The 'Service Flag', or 'Blue Star Flag', is a symbol of a family's sacrifice when an immediate family member is in active service during a time of war. If that family member should be killed in the line of duty, a gold star would replace the blue star. The practice of hanging a 'Service Flag' dates back to WWI. I am proud to display it, though I will be glad to take it down when we are officially at peace. 

It is 10 years after the tragic events that we commemorate today. Ten years.

Many have forgotten. Or become complacent. They have gone back to their normal lives. There is bickering. There is dissent. There is arguing and back stabbing and doubt even about what this war is really about. Or that it even was a terrorist attack.

Shame on them.

Always remember what we lost that day.

Never forget what your freedom costs.

How has 9/11 changed me? I will forever be a fierce patriot. I am an American who knows it is the duty of every citizen to stand and defend our sovereign soil. I was proud of my military family before, but I am honored by them now. I stand with previous generations who have faced the refiner's fire...

... and I will never forget.

Biking, Lacrosse, and Other Saturday Activities

Bill went on an early morning bike ride with Erik and Deanna today.  I really, really wanted to go, too.  However, Bill was leaving the house at 6:15 am and I had stayed up until 1:00 am the previous night.

I did not go with him.

I could have done a 50 miler if I had gone with them.

Durn it!!!

Why didn't I just go to bed earlier, you ask?

Someone has to stay up and wait for the wandering teenager to make it home by curfew.  Then that same someone has to stay up just a little bit longer to hear all about the wandering teenager's adventures.  Curfew is midnight on weekends.  That means a 1:00 am bedtime for me.

Bill went to bed at 9.

I'm not bitter, though, because I went on a bike ride of my own this morning.  After a full night's sleep.  I decided to try riding on the road instead of the trail.  I still headed for the canyon, because that does create a nice uphill/downhill course for me.  Road cycling requires more up-close and personal exposure to cars, but everything went well.  I never felt like any of the cars got too close to me and I didn't feel awkward when stopping at lights, either.  However, I was only about 1/4 of the way through my planned route when my right gear shifter seemed to freeze up.  I couldn't get into my 'granny' gears.  Grrr!  I decided to cut the ride short by hopping onto the trail at the top of the elevation and using it to cut back home more quickly than planned.  I was going to do a rectangular loop, instead the trail let me cut diagonally back to my house and created a triangular loop instead.  Of course, when I got home, the shifter was working fine again.  Phooey!  Bill says it is just time to get me a new bike.  My current bike is now over 15 years old, I think.

Bill also says that maybe we can go on one of the long rides next week... just later in the morning so I can get a good night's sleep, too!

When we both got back from our bike rides, we saw that Will had made himself an Orange Julius and we both suddenly knew we had to have one, too!  Unfortunately, Will had used the last of the frozen orange juice!  Drat!  So, I improvised with some frozen limeade concentrate, and Bill improvised with some orange flavored Emergen C packets.  I threw in some maraschino cherries, and we both added vanilla protein powder.  I think both smoothies turned out pretty tasty!

Will's first lacrosse game for fall league was this afternoon.  Lacrosse is actually a springtime sport, but there are fall leagues that are more casual and meant for skill building and just plain fun!  They played Lone Peak... and got slaughtered!  Will's team has a lot of new players on it.  There was not a lot of ball handling skills to be seen from the Cavemen JV team today.  Will was definitely one of the best players on the team!  There are two teams for the school, Varsity and JV... or the "A" team and the "B" team in casual fall lacrosse.  Will, being a sophomore, is on the "B" team.  There are so many new players this fall that the coaches are planning to create a "Freshmen" team in the spring to accommodate the youngest new players.

In the meantime, the score didn't seem to phase Will much, he just had a great time playing!  I am so glad!  Such a change from when he was beating himself up for not stopping a goal!  He did have some great stand out plays... like the time he knocked an opponent's stick right out of his hands while he was carrying the ball.  Yes!  In lacrosse slang this is called a 'yard sale'.  On a couple of occasions he stopped an opponent from scoring by checking the ball with his own body.  That will leave some bruises.  I am looking forward to next week's game!

After the game, I took Will to Shakey's Pizza for all you can eat buffet.  Buffets are a real waste of money for me, but a great deal for him!  I can barely finish off one plate of food before I am done.  Will goes back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths!  Oh, and dessert!  I really feel like I get my money's worth when ordering buffet for him.

Now I am just sitting around thinking, 'I am REALLY, REALLY tired!'  I want to go to bed, but...

...you guessed it.  The wandering teenager won't be home until midnight, again.

Yawn.

Not All Dreams Have to Stay That Way...

... So.

I know my last post seems, what?

Selfish?  Horribly depressing?  Unattainable?

Therefore, I decided to write today's post about a dream of mine that I am currently turning into a reality!

After all, not all dreams require money!

I have dreams that involve walking confidently into a room, knowing I look GOOD.

Oh, you know!  We all dream of looking sexy.  Deny it all you want, but I don't believe you.

I dream of fitting into a slim and trim not-too-revealing-but-still-oh-so-sexy little black dress.  Of every eye in the room turning in admiration of all the hard work it took to get the body that fit into said dress.

I am in the middle of the hard work right now.  And don't kid yourself... it is hard work.  It takes dedication to force yourself to work out every single day.  Yes, I do enjoy the workouts... once I am doing them.  But I still have to force myself to get started each and every time.  It is just so much easier to stay sitting on the couch.

But that won't get me my dream.  So, I get up and I go.

I have muscles again!

Muscles are sexy.  I will admit that when I am alone I flex my muscles just for the joy of having them!

My face has thinned out some.  My neck looks thinner, too!  And the 'double chin' look is disappearing.  Some of my clothes are too big, now.  Other stuff from the back of the closet is fitting again, when I thought it never would again.  When I walk past a mirror, I like what I see!  It motivates me to get to my next workout.

I have dropped a dress size.  I am on my way towards that little black dress! 

Dreams are only waiting for you to take the initiative.  Work to make them realities!

"If I Were A Rich Man"

Have you ever wished you owned a money tree?  I think all of us wished this at one point as a child.  I don't wish for one anymore, because a money tree would come with all sorts of problems.  You'd have to water it and PROTECT it from people who would sneak onto your property at night and steal from you!

I do have wishes and dreams about financial freedom.

No.  Not dreams of getting out of debt.  We have a couple of small debts, but compared to many in this country, we aren't buried in it.

I dream (OK, daydream) about money not existing.  About simply being able to have whatever I want without having to come up with the money for it.  Like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof when he sings "If I Were A Rich Man"...

I bet I'm not the only one.  I am willing to bet that most people have a list of the things they'd do and/or buy if there was no limit to their budgets.  So, here is my list of the things I would do and/or buy if I had a never ending cash flow (or money wasn't a requirement for having the list fulfilled).  The list is organized in timeline order.  That means that I'd do number one first, then march on down the list until everything on it is accomplished!

1. Get my varicose vein removed.  While my blessed youngest child was in utero, he 'sat' predominantly on the right side, cutting off the blood flow to my right leg and creating this oh-so-attractive varicose vein going down my inner thigh and knee.  It can get painful if I stand too long.  I know I should have it removed since it is a medical issue, but I keep putting it off because other medical concerns always take precedence, like Helena's braces, or Will's heart murmur... or Bill's bike-injury-of-the-year.  There is always something else more important.  But, if money were not an object, this is the first thing I'd deal with.
2. Remove every mole on my body!  I am one of those unfortunate people who could play connect the dots with the moles all over my body.  I have had over 20 moles removed so far, but I could easily have that many more removed again and still have enough left over to connect the dots indefinitely.  Grr!  I hate most of my moles... with the exception of the one just below my right eye.  That one is in a perfect 'beauty' spot.  That one can stay.  The rest are gonna go!
3. Get my teeth whitened.  Most of you might puzzle over this one on the list.  Yes, I know there are over the counter whitening products that do a fabulous job... on everyone else.  My teeth... and, I think, every bone in my body... were stained through and through when I was a small child and had my tonsils removed.  At the time, Tetracycline was the most common antibiotic treatment.  Now the medical community knows not to use tetracycline in small children because of the way it stains teeth.  Every dentist I have ever had has gone nuts over trying to remove the stain.  No go.  The stain goes all the way through.  The only solution I know of is to remove the fronts of the teeth and install veneers.  A very pricey procedure that my dental insurance won't cover.  Ohhh!  I have always hated my teeth.
4. Pay for my kids' college.  I do believe that paying your own way through school makes it more meaningful. I had several friends and room-mates in college who wasted their time and their parents' money because, "Hey!  Who cares!  I'm not paying for it!"  But, man!  Working your way through college is HARD!  I know because I did.  And I did it without student loans or scholarships.  Still, I am a mom.  I would do anything to make my children's lives better/easier, even if it isn't the best thing for them.
5. Finish the remodel to my house.  And add the attic addition I recently designed.  If I had my way, my house would have 4 bedrooms, three baths, a library, a small office, an epic kitchen, a mud room, an exercise room (with sauna)... and a separate one bedroom 'in-law apartment' over the garage.  You should really see the plans!  The house would be beautiful and still true to its 1920 craftsman bungalow heritage! It's funny.  I know most people would ditch their current house and upgrade to some bigger, fancier abode if there was no limit to the finances.  Not me.  I love the character of this house and I'd just love to see it turn into what I see in my head!  The finished square footage would be hovering somewhere in the 3,000 sq. ft. range.  Not too big, not too little... just right!
6. Finish the landscaping for our yard.  Actually, I'd hire someone to make it look fantastic!
7. Buy a place for my folks.  It doesn't have to be big or fancy.  Just the perfect place for them.  Where ever they want to live.  No bills for them.  And maid service.  Yup.  Just comfort and beauty!  Ahhhh!
8. Make sure my MIL, Doril, is all taken care of, too!  That would probably include remodeling her hundred year old house.
9. Build my hot tub/pool patio behind the garage.  There would be a resistance current pool for exercising, a party sized hot tub, a deck for lounge chairs and tables, and an outdoor kitchen!  It would have access to the exercise room and sauna, too.  That space is currently 'the garden', aka 'the weed patch'.
10. Hire a maid.  Enough said.
11. Hire a gardener.  Need I say more?
12. Buy my convertible sports car.  Red.  With a white stripe down the middle.  Manual transmission.  8 cylinders to make Bill happy.  :D
13. Buy a boat for my son.  A sailboat so he can be a sailor like his grandpa.
14. Buy property for my kids to inherit.  You know, land.  So they can have a good start in a beautiful place.  Just a little spot for each of them.  It doesn't have to be big, or even very expensive.  Just a place of their own.  They'd pick the locale.
15. Travel the world!  Alternate stateside trips with globe trotting trips.  I don't want to buy property in all sorts of random spots.  I just want to visit.  I daydream about meeting locals and getting to be friendly enough to see the 'real' locale, not the touristy stuff.  Staying with families.  Of course, I daydream about luxurious hotels and cruise ships, too!

And there you go!  I know I will probably fulfill at least some of this list slowly, over time... after budgeting and saving and just plain working hard for it.  That doesn't mean I can't dream just the same.  I also know you have one of these lists in your head, too.  It is good to get it out of my head, even just for a little while.  So thanks for your patience while I indulge in a little printed daydreaming.  Now, go off and entertain your own list!

........... the random post

I really don't have anything inspired or uplifting to say tonight.

Had a good day at work today.

Went to spin cycle class tonight.

Mostly avoided sugar.  My yogurt has some sugar in it, but I don't count that in the overall scheme of things.  I had one Girl Scout Thin Mint after lunch today.  That's it.  Gah!  Afternoon cravings are hard.  I made it just by being stubborn.

Wasn't my best self with my kids tonight.  Especially my daughter.  She had a 'bad' day today though she couldn't pinpoint the cause.  Her 'bad' mood rubbed off on me and I wasn't the better person I should have been.  Darn it.

Discovered that my son has been struggling to understand his math alone because he thought I wouldn't be able to help him due to a miscommunication.  I had made the comment that he'd soon be at a math level that I wouldn't be able to help with... meaning that in future years, when he is in calculus and statistics, he will have moved beyond my level of math education.  He mistook me to mean that I wouldn't be able to help him this year in Algebra 2.  He seemed rather relieved to find out that I CAN help with it after all.  Though, I also recommended he stop in at the school's math lab after school tomorrow for help from tutors and teachers.

Found out that my daughter currently has straight As, even in her AP classes.  Her dad promised he'd buy her a car at the end of the year if she pulls straight As for the entire year.

Hmmm.  Here's hoping for that 4.0 and a great auto deal!

The Sugar Report

So, last week I made the comment that I needed to drastically cut down on my sugar consumption as a means of helping myself lose weight.  I am writing to report on my progress so far.

I am an abysmal failure!  At least, for this week.

I was probably setting myself up for failure thinking that I could try to cut back on sugar right before Labor Day weekend.  I ate a full theater sized box of Hot Tamales, half a box of Gobstoppers, two chocolate shakes, a bowl of ice cream, and several sodas over the past four days.

YIKES!

Sugar is a powerfully addictive thing.  It is all around us constantly.  I think the only thing keeping me from a diabetic coma is my level of exercise (and, no, I am in no danger of developing diabetes).  Why oh WHY does it have to taste so much better than vegetables?!?

I am going to make a new rule.

If I am going to eat something obscenely sugary (yogurt and stuff like that doesn't count), I have to first consume 16 oz. of water and wait 15 minutes.  If I still want it after that, I can have it and NOT feel guilty about it!

This rule will be easy during the week.  The weekends are my 'Achilles heel'.

Wish me luck.  I'll report back on this in a week.

Laundry Room Window

Here is what the laundry room window sill has looked like for the past 3 years.  For some reason, it became the catch all space while we were painting all the rest of the basement and it never got its own turn to be finished.  I decided that this fall I should work on finishing all those unfinished tasks around the house and this window was one of them.

Here is the window sill finished.  Man, what a difference!  I can't believe I left it to look so bad for so long!  Now I can start looking for some pretty plants to grow in the rocks outside the window next spring.

The object d'art in the window is some of my travel souvenirs.  The brown bear is from Steamboat Springs.  Whenever I go somewhere, I try to find an object I can display in the house that brings back a memory of that place.  This wooden statue reminds me of the baby bear we saw in the meadow below the gondola we rode to the top of the mountain.  I found the statue in one of the touristy shops lining the main street in town.  It had been carved by a Native American.  It is actually pretty heavy for its size.  I have no idea what kind of wood it is, but it must be hardwood based on its density.

The other object is sandstone from Zion National Park.  I bought it in the gift shop on our last trip there.  I think it is rather self explanatory.  It is a piece of the park and you can see rock formations like that there.

Every time we travel, I am always trying to keep to a tight budget.  But I always make myself buy one item worthy of display.  I have never been disappointed that I DID buy a piece.  I have only been disappointed when I did NOT bring home a memento.

Saturday

Saturdays are usually pretty busy for just about everyone.  Most people work all week, so Saturday becomes the catch all day for trying to get home projects and chores done, as well as a day to try to suck as much fun out of life as possible.

This Saturday, I started my day by going on a bike ride with Bill.  He is supposed to ease his way back into biking, and what better way than to go with me on a paved trail?  We took my standard 13 mile ride, though I ended up riding home alone, since he wanted to do the loop section of the trail a few more times without me to slow him down.  He didn't say that, of course, but that is the truth of it, nonetheless.

When I got home, I took our youngest, Will, out for some practice driving time.  He has his permit and needs to clock some time behind the wheel.  That might sound stressful, but actually we had a fun time!  He is early in his training, so we stuck to country roads with little or no traffic.  The view was fantastic and the weather was perfect for rolling down the windows and letting my arm rest out of the window.  And it was great to have some one on one time with Will!

When we decided we were done driving around for the day, I took Will to Shakey's Pizza for lunch.  This place is a throwback to the old pizza parlors I remember as a kid.  Actually, it is probably the same chain!  This restaurant chain has been around since 1954.  With all-you-can-eat pizza buffet and a game room complete with air hockey table.  The only difference are the big screen TVs that were playing college football.  When I was a kid the technology didn't exist to plaster the walls with flat screens.

As soon as we got home from our mom/son adventure, we all suited up and headed to the pool.  The rec center will be closing down the pool in just a week or two in order to install the bubble over it.  When it reopens, it will be enclosed for the winter.  That will be great for my swim training, but not for the simple luxury of basking poolside.  So we have to try to soak in as much last minute summer as we can!

After the pool, we did a quick grocery shopping run before Bill and I went to a family reunion of relatives on his mother's side.  We couldn't stay long, however, because Will was expecting friends over for s'mores and such.  It was good to see some of Bill's cousins that we hadn't seen since his grandmother's funeral.  It is always better to be able to visit and catch up with each other at a back yard gathering than over a gravestone.  Neither of the kids wanted to come, and I can't really blame them.  While it was good for Bill and I to visit, the kids would not have enjoyed it.  There weren't any kids their age there and they didn't know any of the ones that were there.

Once we were home, I spent the rest of the night playing taxi service to Will and his friends.  There is a local gym called 'Gymcats' that opens its doors for open gym from 8:30-10:30 pm.  This isn't a gym like the rec center or Gold's Gym.  This is a gymnastics gym with all the spring boards and soft landing places that are just perfect for a group of young men who like to practice parkour skills.

Parkour is ... well, it is easiest if I just cut and paste the Wikipedia definition here...

Parkour (sometimes abbreviated PK) is a method of movement focused on moving around obstacles with speed and efficiency. Originally developed in France, the main purpose of the discipline is to teach participants how to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping. Traceurs (parkour practitioners) train to be able to identify and utilize alternate or the more efficient paths. Parkour can be practiced anywhere, but areas dense with obstacles offer many different training opportunities. 

There you go.  That's parkour.  Will and his friends have been into is for a couple of years now.  As I said, a gymnastics gym is the perfect place for these boys to go practice throwing themselves over obstacles in a safer way, since there are soft landing places ... just in case.

In between running the boys there a back again, Bill and I watched a movie called Ondine.  It was strange and interesting.  I liked the ending.

And there you have it.  My Saturday.  I didn't get the laundry done.  Or any other house chores for that matter.  That's OK.  I still have Sunday and Monday to deal with the house.

Night Swimming

If I had written this post two weeks earlier, it would have been titled, 'Sunset Swimming'.

Two weeks ago, when I arrived at the pool at 8 pm, the sun would start its glorious sunset colors about 10 minutes into my swim.  The water would suddenly be illuminated with bright shafts of light and my arms glowed as they sliced through the water.  Everything was golden.

Now, when I arrive at the pool at 8 pm, the sunset has already happened and is now fading away into twilight.  For the first 10 minutes of my swim, everything is dark and murky.  Then, suddenly, the underwater lights switch on.  From then on, my world is separated into two distinct realms, glowing turquoise and velvet black.  My breath cycles become quick glimpses of blackness, while the time my face is in the water is a flickering and beautiful blue.  I love it when the lights kick on, because they highlight the vortexes of bubbles being formed by my hands as they push the water under my body to propel me across my lane.  Those spiraling bubbles can be very distracting!  Tonight, I got so bewitched by them that I forgot to turn my head during my breathing cycle and sucked in a lungful of pool water instead of air!  I came up short, gasping and choking.  How embarrassing!  I was a very conscientious breather after that.

When I stop for a rest after finishing a set of laps, I rest my head back on the pool deck and gaze up into the night sky while I regulate my breathing.  There is one little twinkling star that is always directly above me.  It is so pleasant to see it there, almost as if it was waiting for me.

I will be sad when they install the bubble over the pool in a few weeks.  Then the night sky will be shut out and my workouts in the pool will be a lot less beautiful.  But still fulfilling, I am sure.

When Life Gets in the Way

Over summer vacation, I have no troubles getting to the gym.  There is no problem making time for me.

During the school year, it just seems like the fates conspire against me.  Tuesday I wasn't able to exercise because of the lacrosse get together.  We got home too late for me to get a good workout done before bedtime.  Today, I will be at work until 7:30 pm because of a scheduled back to school night.  By the time I get home it will be 8:00... time for my lap swim.  If I am going to make time for my workout, I will literally need to go straight to the gym before eating or checking in with my kids.  I will try.  Often, however, the extra things that crowd my schedule sap my motivation to exercise.  I will be tired.  I will just want to crash on the couch and vegetate.

I know some of you work wicked long hours and still manage to get to the gym despite it all.  I know.  I am pathetic and weak sometimes.  I could certainly make myself get up early and hit the gym before work.

Well, no, I can't.  I know my limitations.  I have tried that route on several occasions.  I am simply NOT a morning person.  My husband  insists that you can become a morning person if you simply choose to be.  I'm not sure I believe him.  At least, not while there are teenagers in the house!  Maybe someday I'll be able to go to bed at 9 pm so I can be well rested enough to get up early.  When the kids have moved out.

You see, I am a FIRM believer in a good night's sleep!  I need a solid 8 hours every day.  Nothing less will do for my health.  So, if I am getting to bed at 11 pm (I can usually manage that on school nights with the kids), I will get up at 7 am.  That is a great time to make sure the kids are up and moving and to get ready for my work day to begin at 8:45 am.  (I am part time, remember)

On weekends, I get to bed sometime between 12:30 and 1:30 am... depending on how much sharing gets done when the kids return home from their adventures.

So, anyways, let's hope I have what it takes to MAKE myself hit the pool tonight!

***

Update:  I DID MAKE IT TO THE POOL!  I shortened my swim time so I could sit in the hot tub and still make it home by 9 pm.  But I went!