Hl/wwsg - 8/3 - 8/16

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hello friends, neighbors, long-time members and newcomers to the Healthful Living and Weekly Workout Support Group, it was grand week last week with most people dropping by to say howdy and tell what’s going on in their lives. It has been a little sparse at times this summer but folks are coming back with a lot of good news and reports of family events, healthful living, and even a workout or two. We’ve finally decided that things will only ever be a little settled around here and never get to full blown peace and quiet with workouts every single day for all. That’s the nature of who we are and how we live together. Sadly, summer is winding down, birthdays are being had, and school looms around the corner - closer for some and farther away for others but still soon. So, in an attempt to catch up with what happened in the last thread I’ll try swing a recap of the last two weeks (or so):

Life successes/Good News include - Kate reported on her visit to Seattle with DBF and said that they were really taken by the area; came back to oppressive heat but recharged for the remainder of the summer; jjsooner dropped by between camps and should be back sometime soon - hopefully with more good reports of fun life events; Karen came back from the Vineyard and still has all the kiddos at camp (and plenty of time off to be relaxed): swimming, kickboxing, ellipticalling, treadmilling, and in general being the workout queen of the thread; and I got through two more weeks at the hospital and I’m loving it - maybe this is where I’m supposed to minister in the future; getting ready for a much needed vacation after all the junk of the past year; and really looking forward to some time to get back into a workout routine.
[b]Stressful living - Kate is staring at the GRE coming up this fall - we bet she’ll do well but it’s still a stress none the less; Karen got the first Bar Mitzvah invitation for DS#1 which means that his is coming too soon and all the planning and preparation that is needed is looming around the corner; and I gave up on getting regular exercise and I’ll just take lots of walking around the hospital and between the hospital and other places in the District, getting rides in as I can but not anywhere close to what I want; getting ready for the last 4 days of my internship (we complete Friday midday) and I’m on call starting Monday morning (afternoon actually but…).

Workouts: Are still going hit and miss for me - a couple runs and a couple rides a week probably won’t change in the coming weeks but I need to do more or revise my plan for the upcoming race (end of August).
Healthful living: Sleeping well most of the time and not letting the emotional things at the hospital get to me, really things are really going well especially with my tooth being fixed and my health is looking up.

I had a great ride today after helping move two new classmates in yesterday over about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. A little beat up and bruises in places I can’t remember getting squashed yesterday. I’m a little achy from that but happy to have an hour’s brisk ride in this evening. I’ve got a bit of work to do in preparation for my last week - not the least of which is a final evaluation of my progress over the summer and how our group worked to help each other grow. So I’ll sign off and see you all when I can. Have a great week!

Peace to all,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Thanks for starting up another week for us. It sounds like you did get quite a bit of activity with all of that moving and a bike ride to boot. I hope the achy muscles don't torment you for too long. And it was a mitzvah, too!!;)

I started off this morning with a nice swim. Went to the store after breakfast for a few items. Gotta love those grocery bills when it is just DH and I!! But reality will return in just under 2 weeks.;) Anyway, went to boxing and it was an excellent class. Seems more people are attending this past week or so which makes class that much more energetic and fun. Hope that continues.

Big events of the weekend were speaking with DD yesterday on the phone. It was her b-day so she got to call us. She's still loving camp. She tried out and is on the camp swim team this session and they travel to other camps for meets. She won 3rd and 4th last meet at a nearby camp in freestyle and breast stroke! Proud mom here as this was my daughter who was afraid of the bathtub for years and used to scream bloody murder if you dared try to get her into a pool!!:cool: In other weekend news. . . I'm minding my own business in the kitchen when out of the corner of my eye, I see a mouse scurry on by!:eek: He ran into our coat closet and what do I do. . . scream for DH!:o He managed to coax it into the garage where I hear 2 big "stomps" after which he pokes his head in the door and asks if I would like "mouse" for dinner. :rolleyes: What a sense of humor, that guy! Anyway, I cringed to hear it being killed, but prefer it that way. I know we have had them in the attic before(and DH traps them up there) but NEVER EVER in the house. That was a first(and hopefully last). So that was enough excitement for me in one day. We ended up going out to eat last night!

Have a good evening everyone,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

It sounds like you had a busy day too Karen. Luckily your DH got the critter out of the house and away from the niceness of the coat closet. Somehow I'm not surprised that your DD is having sucha great time at camp - all kids like camp. I also understand her aversion to the water tjem becoming a fish. :) Someone around here was the same way. Enjoy the last two weeks of peace and quiet.

Hopefully this afternoon isn't a precursor for the remainder of the week. 3 calls in the span of about 15 minutes - luckily I was still in the building for them all and that they had favorable outcomes - just having them hit when they did impacted departure time. Oh well, I pray that tonight is quiet.

Peace to all and I'm hoping for a short ride sometime. I'll check back when I can.

Les

[karen w]

Les-Ahhh, that sounds so familiar and so like a typical hospital...it can be quiet all day and as soon as 5 PM(quitting time) rolls around the (if you'll pardon my expression here, but this goes back to those hospital days) the feces impacts the rotary oscillator(I think you can figure that one out for yourself!:D). Glad the calls all ended favorably.

I had a great swim today and even better run on the treadmill. I did 45 min.; 30 min. of which was running which is really good for me(I never professed to be a runner, but have really begun to enjoy it in my limited doses). Rest of the afternoon was a lot of "stuff" around the house including gardening, cleaning/defrosting freezers and "catch up" on the phone with some friends. Tomorrow I am getting together with one of them for coffee/tea in the afternoon.

Hope everyone else had an enjoyable day.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

karen - I'm glad you had a good day and I figured you'd understand the fun of the calls. I know that if we work on you long enough we'll turn you into a runner yet. ;) :D I hope that you have a good day tomorrow - how about a workout for me and have a great lunch/get together date.

All I'll say for today - left the hospital at 8:10, got home at 9:45. Dinner done before 10 and now I'm "augering in" for bed. I had a good day but a long one. Oh maybe I'll get a workout in before Friday... oh maybe.

Peace to all and it would be fun to hear from...

Les

[karen w]

Les-I guess the good thing about your arduous work weeks during the internship and the emotional roller coaster you experience from the hospital is that when you return to classes it will seem like a cake walk in comparison. I know that when you are finally finished, your ultimate vocation is filled with alot of the same hard hours and emotions, but at least(and hopefully) it won't happen on a daily basis. Again, hang in there!;)

For me today, some days you just feel right "on" and today seemed just that for both my swim and kickboxing. Although I did go to the cardio. boxing class for a change of pace as well which was good on 2 accounts. One was that I needed the variety and it was a great class. But even more importantly the Wed. Thai instructor called off this morning, so at the last minute the school master ended up teaching that class. Now he gives a great workout and a fabulous class(he really pushes you to your max and creates a unique type of energy in the studio) but he is also very cheap and when he is around, the A/C is usually not on in the studio. Today was not one of those days where you would want to take an intense high powered class without the A/C. It was very humid and hot here. As it was, I sweated alot in my cardio. class without the air on, but Thai would have been that much worse. So call it woman's intuition, but it was a good day to take a break from the "routine.":)

Also had some good fortune at the dairy store when I was shopping for my fruits and veggies for this week. They charged me incorrectly for 2 nice big eggplants, so I got them both for free(along with the two cantaloupes they forgot to charge me for in the first place, but I did not pick up on that until I got home and double checked my receipt again!:o).

This afternoon spent a good 3 hours over coffee/tea with my friend having a nice visit and "catch up" with one another since the kids got out of school. It's not often we can be so leisurely. But with mine at camp and hers are away for a week with their daddy, the timing was perfect.

That's it. Have a good evening.

Karen

P.S. Today is the 14th anniversary of the day that DH and I were engaged. But I am embarrassed to admit my romantic DH(much more so than me) was the one who remembered and snuck my wedding ring out of my jewelry box this morning before I put it on and got down on hands and knees after breakfast to propose!:). What a sweetie!

[mackandme]

Hey all, checking in after slacking for a while! Actually have a good report for last week. Got in two rides on Mack and two workouts at the gym. It's been blazing hot here (up to 107 one day, and we had a streak of about 18 days of 100+ weather) so Mack's workouts have been relatively light. Though today, thanks to the tropical storm, we had cooler weather in the morning (but no rain!!!!) and I got a solid ride in. There won't be many trips to the gym this week, however, b/c i've got some stuff I've just got to get done.

Took yesterday off so DBF and i could have a date. We went to the exhibit of Impressionist paintings that is on loan here from the museum in Chicago. It was really a nice exhibit. Also last night we saw "The Dark Knight" and were the only ones in the theater! But today back to the daily grind at work.

Karen, sorry about your mouse! Would your DH mind helping out with the critters in my shed? I'm so worried they're going to end up in the house....

Les, it's interesting to see you making peace w/not being able to work out regularly while you're doing your internship. DBF has been trying to coax me into a similar peace w/having to cut back on cooking, since i have other things i need to make a priority right now. But it's hard, as looking for/cooking new and relatively time-consuming recipes has been a priority for the past several years.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Drive by... took a lot of time to come to peace about not working out regularly - but I wasn't going to be regular so why fight it? Hope you both have a good day tomorrow.

A good day today and quiet. But for now it's time to sleep. I guess I need it - fading at the keyboard.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Hope you had a good night's sleep!;)

Kate-With that kind of heat, sounds like you had a great week with workouts. Must be such an effort when the mercury is so high. I'll pray for some releif for you in the days to come.

Today was a great day with one minor exception. . . .MY NECK! I must have slept funny or something 'cause boy do I ever have a kink. Funny thing is I did not notice it until after getting home from my swim. I guess that was a good thing as it did not bother me in the pool so I had a great swim. After breakfast went to the DMV to get my license renewed. I'm good to go again until 2014!:D Then it was off to boxing. Small class today but really good. I think yesterday's class with the master scared people off today.:p Anyway, after a shower and lunch, hung out at home dealing with the infamous garden among other stuff around the house.

That's my story. Have a good night.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey Karen, sorry your neck has/had a kink but it's good to get through your swim before you found out. 2014 for your drivers license? I don't think I'm good for that long - maybe 2012 but... How much stuff do you have in the garden these days? I'd imagine you're getting to harvest time pretty soon (if you aren't already there). Hope your Friday is a good day.

Well, it's another 10 hours and I'm officially off call. I got a call in this evening and when I was about 3 minutes from the hospital (having driven from Alexandria to NW DC) I got a call saying "you're not needed now." To which I said, I'm 4 blocks from the hospital so I'm showing up anyway. The family who initially requested me didn't want me anyway but I really wanted to hear that in person (not from them mind you but not from the operator). So I drove home and wrapped up a little - in all I was out of the house for 90 minutes (or so) but didn't have to "work" during this call (at least as much as the hospital knows). Time for another night's good (but probably too short) sleep then off to work for the last 1/2 day (or less).

Peace to all,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Congratulations! By the time you log on you will have finished your half day and what an accomplishment for the summer. Great job!

As for our garden. . .it has been a mixed bag this year and DH and I are discovering a few new problems which have a solution but they are a number of years down the line. The problem is that the trees that are surrounding the garden have grown so tall since we started it at least 6-7 years or more ago, that it is only getting sun by late afternoon. Certain crops aren't doing as well as they used to because of the lack of afternoon sunshine. We have another spot in the yard where we could plant things, but currently that is where the kids swingset resides. We figure we will rotate things around a bit next year and do the best we can with the current spot. Then in a few years when the kids are a bit older, their swingset area will become a second garden for the plants that want a sunnier home. In the meantime, our tomatoes are doing well, but have not ripened yet. It looks like any day now, though. I have been picking tons of cukes, green beans, some summer squash/zucchini, swiss chard, kale, and tons oh herbs. Our winter squash plants just did not make it this year and still to mature besides the tomatoes are the peppers,eggplants, and spring onions. That's the bulk of it right now. Tomorrow I will likely thin out the basil(again. . . all 25 plants!) and make some more pesto or just puree a bit in EVOO for the winter freezer stash. I've also made several batches of fridge pickles so far among other things. Right now I have a few yellow squash that I need to use. . . I'm thinking maybe that white bean and squash saute from the most recent Eating Well next week with some sort of pasta on the side. We'll see. It is keeping me busy as you can tell.:)

Anyway, as for my day. . . no stroll through the garden today, but I will have to get out there again tomorrow. However, I did have a great swim and a bike ride this morning. For the weekend, I will likely ellipticize. DH's last day of work for a week is today, so we may go bopping around next week "out there." Not sure what we'll do yet. . . maybe a trip into the city. We'll just play it day by day. And at the very end of his vacation week(a week from this Sunday) it is time to pick up the kids already! Yowza! Other than that, DH has officially announced at work that we are going to have the 2nd annual end of summer picnic at our house in about 2 weeks(we had this last year and prior to that it was 9 years ago, but we will call it 2nd annual since not many people remember the one 9 yrs ago!). We provide 6 foot subs and drinks and his associates/co-workers/support staff join us with their families and usually contribute side dishes. I usually bake as well, so I guess I will be stoking up the oven a bit in the next two weeks. It is usually a very nice relaxing Sunday afternoon sitting on the back porch with everyone and visiting outside of the hospital, so everyone can let down their professional demeanor and just be "real." It's very nice.

That's it here. Have a great weekend.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks Karen, it's nice to be done and have the summer done. The last day at the hospital was good, a little/lot bittersweet - saying good bye to the folks there was tough, especially those who I've spent a lot of energy with.

I had forgotten how big your garden was and it's funny how somethign simple like little trees become a problem after 6 or 7 years. :eek: It sounds like you have your work cut out for you for the remainder of the weekend. I hope that you have fun with DH (put him to work) this coming week and have some "us" time just a couple more times before the kiddos come back.

As I said, it was nice to get out of the hospital today and have a chance to breathe without the pager looming on the horizon. I did get out for a nice ride this afternoon - just over an hour. A tad warm but good to get out. As for the remainder of our weekend here - we're off for a little R&R (much needed mind you). Not sure what workouts are in store - tonight though, sleeping without an external care. Tomorrow - on the road again...

For now, to sleep perchance to dream.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Hello everyone,

Hope it was a good weekend for all. I had two good elliptical rides Saturday and Sunday, did a lot of gardening, a bit of baking for our upcoming end of summer picnic, and some general "hanging out" with DH as we only have one more child-free week left. I also picked the first red tomato of the season!! FINALLY!

This morning was a good swim and boxing. Boxing class was really eerie!! There were only three of us there. It has never been that quiet. But it was a great class as we were all under the instructors watchful eyes, so it was definetely a morning to give it your all. Worked up a good sweat. This afternoon went to the dermatologist about my stubborn plantar wart again. He froze it once again and said that if it is not gone to come back once more and what little is left, he will just numb up and excise.:rolleyes: Hope this is it already. Other than that, ran a few errands and made it home in time just to get in our neighborhood. Just before I got there, the police had closed the road on both the near and far side of our street only. There had been a single vehicle car accident and an electrical pole came down with a live wire hanging over the road as you drive into our neighborhood. The police let me sneak on through real quickly, but DH was not so lucky an hour or so later when he had to wait until the electrical Co. came and turned off power to that wire. We had no power here for only about 20 min., so not so bad. I wonder what happened to the people(s) in the car as there was nobody there when I drove by, but it looked like a nasty scene with air bag deployment etc... Anyway, what is even more amazing and I guess so nice about living in a smaller town. . . shortly after I got home, I received a phone call from the police dept. They wanted to notify everyone in the neighborhood to keep pets/kids inside and away from the main road where the live wire was down. Wow!

That's it here.

Have a good evening,
Karen

[mackandme]

Wow, i guess summer really is almost over, with Les finishing up his internship and Karen's kids coming home soon! So when does it cool off?!?

Had an exciting (in a bad way) weekend here. A man was murdered a block from my house - shot in the head. Some kids in the neighborhood have been breaking car windows for months now, but someone who got their window busted somehow got it in their head that their neighbor did it, a fight ensued, and out came the gun. How horrible that kids' pranks (too soft a word, since they broke into my neighbor's house a couple times too) can ultimately lead to someone being killed. The police know who the kids are but don't seem to be able to pin it on them well enough to put them in juvie. Maybe they'll try harder now.

Also, i had a pretty scary car accident Saturday night. A cat ran in front of my car on the highway, and though i know you're not supposed to at that speed, my automatic instinct was to hit the brakes. I spun out at 65 mph and ended up facing the wrong way on the highway. luckily on the shoulder, and the car stopped literally a millimeter from hitting the barrier. I'm ok, just a little sore. The only damage to the car is a lost panel in the wheel well.

Took the car in for a checkup today, and have some other fires to put out this week so exercise is going to be on the backburner this week, and I won't make it out to see Mack until Thursday. Hopefully the week will only get better.

[karen w]

Kate-WOW! Not a weekend to repeat at all. I'm just glad that you are OK. I bet you were pretty shaken up after both of those incidents! And probably still are!! {{KATE}} You should take it easy this week!

I had a fantastic swim this morning and was finally able to get a word with the higher powers that be at the YMCA this morning regarding the jacuzzi. I mentioned to her(she's the VP) how all summer long I have wanted to use it since the kids are away so I don't have to rush home to get them off to school or be there before DH leaves for work, but I can barely get my big toe in it is so "frickin" hot. I have talked to some of the other ladies who go into the jacuzzi and while they too think it is too hot, they do not want to complain as it HAS at least been functioning all summer. She explained that those are two totally seperate issues, one having to do with the motor which was finally replaced, and that she would look into the temp. issue right away. So maybe it won't get addressed before the kids get back, but I guess there is hope now that I will eventually be able to use it from time to time. Anyway, after breakfast had a great elliptical and weight workout and then DH and I went shopping for the day. We headed north and hit a few of my favs like Penzey's, Whole Food's etc... Actually did not buy too much except at Penzey's since my spice supply was waning. I just find Whole Foods too pricey for so many things. It is fun to stroll through for a "foodie" though.:p Once home, I picked a few more things from the garden. I think that is now turning to a daily "necessity" as more and more things are ripening including the tomatoes which finally just began. Dh just went out to a temple mtg.(reluctantly) and I'm relaxing. That's it here!

Good evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kate - that is a tough week for you. GLad you weren't hurt in your accident. Yuck with the murder nearby - that must be unnerving to say the least. I hope the remainder of your week is better.

Karen - Glad to hear that you are well and that you're getting ready for the kids to get home.

Besides that I'm kind of on a drive by tonight. I'm having a great vacationan I finally ran this morning for about an hour and rode this evening with a little company for about 80 minutes. Felt great. It's been a good 4 days since I took off and I feel a little more recharged.

I'll try to post more later - glad all are well and right now I'm suffering from fat fingers so I'll sign off.

Peace,
Les

[jjsooner73]

Hi--I'm finally checking back in.
Wow Kate--crazy about that murder. Don't you live around Denton? I'm glad you're OK after your wreck--scary! Hopefully we have seen the last of the 100+ days--I was in TX for some of that and it was brutal! We had it here as well, but the last couple days have been pleasant.

Les--congratulations on finishing your internship. I'd imagine that it would be bittersweet. Enjoy what break you have before you start the next phase!

Karen--enjoy the last week w/o the kids! It seems like the summers go by way too fast.

I ventured to the swimming pool at the Y today for the first time...ever. I haven't swam laps in a few years. I have this wild idea to do a local triathlon in 5 weeks, so I wanted to see how it felt to swim. I remembered how much I like swimming, as well as how much it wears me out! I did 1400 m of mostly freestyle. I didn't go fast, I and can feel that a masters class would be good because my form felt off, especially with my right arm. My shoulder started bothering me towards the end, and I know it's because of form. I'm left handed and with past problems, that's the shoulder that should bother me.
Anyhow, it felt good to get back in the water. I'm going to swim everyday this week (except Friday) and then the pool is closed next week, so I'll hit the bike and run some. The tri is a sprint distance--450 m swim, 12 mile bike, 5K. I did a Team in Training tri in 2004, plus one more, so sort of know what I'm getting in too. I'll make a final decision by week's end. Once I pay that entry fee, I know I'm in.

Tomorrow is my first day back to school for in-service and meetings. Kids start in a week! I did work enrollment last week and spent a little time in my classroom. The big news is I got the job I interviewed for a month ago. It's with the state Department of Education. However, since school is starting and I'm under contract, I can't leave until a replacement is found. I'm sort of in limbo and am very torn. I hate getting new kids (almost my entire class is incoming 6th graders) and then leaving soon, but it's what i need to do. I have my kids for 4 classes (math, science, social studies, language arts) so get to know them pretty well. It will be bittersweet. I guess there is a slight chance I could have a replacement by the time we start, which would be ideal, but spec ed teachers are in low supply here.

Good evening-Jennifer

[karen w]

Les-Glad to hear vacation has been enjoyable and relaxing. Hope the rest is more of the same.

Jennifer-Welcome back! Good luck on the triathalon!! Keep us updated whenever you can. My kids start school Aug. 27th(Wed.). Their schedules all just came in the mail today, but they won't see them until Sunday when they get home from camp. The two boys schedules are fairly straight forward since it is just a matter of what team they are on(A or B) and then they switch teachers for every subject. DD will be in her last year at the elementary school so she actually spends the majority of time in homeroom. I am really excited for her as not only is this the first year since kindergarten that she did not get a teacher that one of the boys had in the past, her teacher has a phenomenal reputation! She'll be psyched!

Today I swam(great as usual) and went to cardio. boxing(also good class). This afternoon DH helped me at Costco. I needed stuff for the two of us as well as re-stocking a few things in anticipation of the kids coming home in a few days!:eek: I guess the grocery bills will be going back up again. After we came home, DH did a bit of outdoor work(gorgeous low humidity day here) while I gardened. Among other things, I picked a few squash and fresh herbs and made a bean and squash saute from a recent Eating Well issue. I used some of my heirloom beans from the freezer and we had it over TJ's Harvest Grains pilaf with some pesto bread and salad. A very yummy fresh dinner.

Not sure yet what is up for tomorrow. Time will tell. Make it a good one, anyway!

Karen

[jjsooner73]

Hi again!
I got another swim in today, only about 35 minutes. I decided that I probably overdid it yesterday, since both shoulders were sore today and I have a feeling it's from poor form rather than exertion. I decided that when I am really tired to not push myself further as I don't want to develop any more bad habits! I probably will look into the master's class soon.

Karen, you garden sounds wonderful! One of these years I will have a garden.
What kind of swim workout do you do? Do you just do laps? I'm going to try andf find some of the workouts I had from when I did my TNT tri. I feel like I need to do more than just swim laps...but I don't know what. My last tri was my first time to have any "formal" swim training, so I'm at a loss.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Good to see you again jj, I can bet that you'll have a bittersweet time with the change in jobs - it is a bit challenging moving from a place that you've grown accustomed to, especially with spec ed kids. I'll pray that they get a replacement for you so you don't have to go through the start of the year with your incoming class. It's been a long time since I've been swimming but bad form is a big culprit for shoulder aches and pains. Hopefully you get things settled before your race or at least you get your stroke into a form that is useful for you. Best wishes for finding a replacement teacher. The only hing I can imagine you should do besides lap swim (to improve your swimming/form) might be to mix things up with kicking only, arms only, and a variety of strokes. That's all we did when I swam competitively years ago. Maybe a little weights but not much else comes to mind.
Karen - One more week sans kiddos, I hope you enjoy the time. I bet DD will be happy to be in a class without a teacher who knows DS's - luckily I never had that issue because my brother seemed to be in a different school most of the time when we were growing up or at least there were enough teachers in elementary school that I never doubled up with his teacher. I hope that you have a great week - whatever it might entail.

Things are going great up here on vacation (Canada). LW and I had a nice day together seeing a few sights and then having dinner with our hosts (an early Anniversary celebration since school will be going nuts when our anniversary comes along). I ran yesterday afternoon after my doubleon Monday so I think I'm going to rest this morning - LW and I are planning on a little sightseeing and I expect a bunch of walking around Toronto. Depending on the conditions tonight I might take a bit of a spin when we get back, one never knows.

I hope that Kate is well and settling down after her harrowing week this past week. Life is great - no big pressures for a couple more days (and then it's just driving back to VA :( ). I hope everyone has a good downside of the week and I'll be seeing you.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Jennifer-It's funny that you should ask about my swim "workout" as I was just having that conversation with a fellow swimmer this morning. I guess I never considered my swim a "workout" as I have always loved swimming. To me it is how I wake up and start my day. It is relaxing, and meditative for me. Although I know it is decent exercise, I usually do what I consider my "real workout" later in the morning be it boxing, bike, elliptical, or treadmill usually with weights and/or abs. As for the swim part though, I generally just do laps, primarily freestyle, for 45-60 min. depending on my time constraints. I likely do 1 1/4-1 1/2 miles each morning(by my best guess as I am not one of those that can count my laps). At times I do try to alter my speed( a bit of interval training, for lack of a better word here) and I use zoomers(half-flippers) to help with my leg strength and kicking. That's basically it!

Les-I love Toronto. Glad to hear you're getting the R & R you need and deserve. Happy early anniversary! Is it a big one coming up?

DH and I went to the city yesterday hence no posts from me. By the time we got back last night, it was late and I was so exhausted that all I wanted to see was the inside of my eyelids. We spent most of the day at the Natural History Museum and had a nice time. Then it was off to the lower East side to fill the freezer with Bialy's from Kossar's. We got caught in a downpour there and the ride home from there was very slow because of all of the rain and roadway flooding. We stopped on the way home for a bite to eat and finally rolled in near 9PM. By the time I tucked all of the bialy's into the freezer(6 dozen which is less than the 10-12 dozen we bought last summer!), it was too late to do anything but hit the hay!

Today I had a really relaxing swim and finally was able to get into the jacuzzi. I guess maybe the VP listened to me about the water temp.(I hope so anyway). I also realized that I was still very "wrung out" from our day in the city yesterday, but I had a few errands to accomplish this morning so since I was out and about, I went to boxing anyway. While it was a decent class, I think for me it was more of a place holder workout today. But hey. . . .whatever! After lunch, DH and I had our own workout of a different kind anyway!!!!:D NEVER MIND!!:D It's raining again here now, but I did make it out to the garden and get my grilling done before it hit. I think it is time for another cuke salad and perhaps a veggie soup or something that incorporates lots of squash and green beans. That may be in the works later this weekend.

The kids get home on Sunday! Beleive it or not DS#2 was invited to a b-day party late that afternoon. It is a movie and dinner party with 2 of the guests invited to sleep over as well. DS#2 was one of the two invited to spend the night. I know he will want to in spite of exhaustion, so I explained to the mom the situation and told her if he seems like he is just really losing it and can't keep his head up after the movie and dinner, to give us a call to pick him up. Just in case I picked up a gift card from Target figuring that if he does not go, I can use it myself or for another b-day or whatever.

Anyway, tomorrow will be the last quiet day around here for DH and I. Planning on sleeping in and hanging out at home. I will ellipticize tomorrow;treadmill Sunday. DH will go alone to get the kids in the morning and likely be back ~1 PM at which point I stoke up the washer and dryer. . . for the next few days!!!!!:rolleyes: I'm sending him alone so there is plenty of room for all of their cr*p as I know they don't pack quite as efficiently as I did on the way there and then there was not alot of space in the "taxi." DD had to sit with her feet up on a duffel going there.

So that's all for now. Have a good weekend and see you all next week!

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - I'm glad that you had a good day in the city and don't blame you for not posting when you got back. I have to laugh about your not counting a 1.25-1.5 mile swim as a workout - most people wouldn't be able to swim that far in a workout let alone when they aren't. I hope that you enjoy your last day of peace and solitude tomorrow. Hard to believe that the kids have been gone that long and that we're looking at the end of the summer (although I know my summer is coming to an end). This year is an "official" milestone - 25 years (it's hard to believe that I've been married that long). I know that every anniversary after some point in time is a milestone but this one is definitely one for the books. I hope that DS#2 has a good party on Sunday. LW waves and says hi too.

I'm liking Toronto more and more each visit. It's a great place to come and be for a while. Having good friends makes it all the better too. Sadly, the vacation comes to an end all too soon (Sunday we head for home). I had another opportunity to go out for a hilly ride with our hostess today then spent about 30-45 minutes this afternoon adjusting my road bike. The seat and the handlebars were grossly misset. Now I might actually be able to really scoot the scooter around and zorch on the streets (and go faster than I ever want to fall).

Lots of rain and thunder and lightening around here tonight - nice to stay home for a while and just chill. With that, I think that will do it - the olympics are on and it's getting intersting.

Peace all,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Quick check in all. Safely home and getting ready to sleep the sleep of the just after the trip from Toronto to Alexandria with road work and a backup over the Peace Bridge getting from Canada to the US. Way too short and lots of great things done and plenty of time spent being (I'll explain the reference if necessary).

Bed calls so until tomorrow - a run or ride (on my newly adjusted bike) is due.

Peace until I can get the next week started,
Les

[karen w]

Les-No need to explain. . . I have a feeling that I understand the 'being" reference.;) Glad you made it back home safe and sound after a successful trip.

And speaking of safe and sound. . . all three of my kiddoes are home safe and sound after what sounds like a fantastically fun summer. Two of the three already have announced that they are going back again next summer for both sessions; the other says likely he will as well, but needs some down time(understandable!) before saying for sure for one or both sessions. I'll chalk that up to a successful busy summer for the kids. Meanwhile. . .back at the ranch and 12++++ loads of laundry later, we are finally to the bottom of the heap. And when I say heap. . . I mean it!!! The good(and maybe not so good) news was that there would have been more laundry to do except, of course, some things never even made it home(not too much this year. . .I think??) and many of DD's things were so filthy that they went straight into the garbage can. Fortunately, most of those items were very old and inexpensive stuff that she really had for the most part grown out of anyway. So on the docket for later this week will be a trip to Target for school clothing and shoes.

As for today, besides tackling the rest of my laundry mountain, I had a great swim and biked at home after breakfast along with my abs and weights. Later in the morning, I picked up DS#2 since he did end up going to his friends b-day party last night and spending the night. They went to see a movie, out for dinner, and then just 2 of the boys were invited to spend the night. He did fine. As a matter of fact, apparently stayed up until 3 AM!! But was well behaved!:cool: I think tonight will be an earlier night for him. I also took DS#1 to the eye doctor this afternoon as our pediatrician referred us again this year at his well check up, but I wanted to wait until after camp. Turns out my son is part of a select 5% of children who outgrow a problem only to grown back into it during a growth spurt. When he was younger he wore glasses with a prism correction for reading only(work close up) because of a weak eye muscle(superior oblique). It was something he would grow out of and he did in about 1-2 years. Well, apparently 5% of kids have this reoccur when they go through another growth spurt as there head grows and their eyes(muscles) haven't "caught up" with the rest of their growth. So he needs another prism correction for reading, but I imagine he will grow out of this one just as quick if not quicker as this is a weaker correction than last time. The good news aside from the fact that he will grow out of this is that his distance vision was superb(20-15!). So also on the docket tomorrow is a trip to Costco to pick out glasses. I decided not to take him today since his eyes were dilated and he was a bit uncomfortable. He helped me at the grocery store on the way home instead. Meanwhile, DD is still acting as if she is at camp. She has been playing with her friend from next door all day and over all they have been pretty good. She was campaigning for a sleep over, which I initially said yes to for tonight. However as the day wore on, I realized that she needed to get back to reality, manners, respect, and "at home" behavior. We decided a sleep over would be in order later this week if she can display a bit more control. I think she got the picture!;)

So tomorrow swim and ??? in the morning. Likely Costco in the PM.

Have a good one,
Karen

[mackandme]

Karen, 12 loads of laundry!?! Yikes!

Les, glad to hear you had a nice vacation. I've got one coming up in a month, but we're visiting my parents so i'm not sure that counts!

Jennifer, i actually live in Fort Worth. My neighborhood is an area "in transition," so it has its goods and its bads. But it's transitioning in the right direction.

We're having the most marvelous weather for TX in the summer: rainy, dreary, and highs only in the 80s! It's been a nice change from the 100's.

My exciting news is about DBF. He's been accepted into the master's program he was interested in, and with a FULL SCHOLARSHIP! which was a necessity, b/c it's a private school and he couldn't have gone otherwise. he scored a perfect 800 on the verbal of the GRE, so the school is pretty much drooling all over him. He starts classes Monday.

I've been busy dealing with a whole bunch of problems that have cropped up, but am getting a handle on them. Have also been studying for the gre's myself (i won't get anything close to an 800 on anything tho!) and been really busy at work. We're so short-staffed now that whenever anyone goes on vacation or calls in sick, we end up doubling up on jobs.

Got a couple rides in on Mack. Am hoping to make it to the gym Tuesday unless something unexpected pops up.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kate - That's great news about DBF and his scholarship. Best of luck/grace to him when he starts classes. I bet you'll do fine on the GRE as long as standardized tests don't make you wig out. I'm not sure visiting parents is a vacation - but time away is time away. Just try to not schedule too much for the time away.
Karen - I knew you'd understand. I'm with Kate -- 12++++++ loads of laundry :eek: :eek: Too much in my book but considering they've been gone... I hope you have a great week - things are going swimmingly here and it sounds like you'll have plenty to do between now and school starting.

I have a great ride to report with the exception of the city bus that swerved a little (I think the driver didin't realize I was next to him). Scared me a lot. Love the new set up on my bike but it will take a lot of getting used to - for instance the seat is a full 2 (maybe almost 3) inches higher and the stem is 1/2 the angle so there are some radical changes. But I'll say that when it comes to speed things are wicked on the bike with the new setup.

Besides that - spent time running around campus and getting reacquainted with classmates. Classes start 9/2 but some folks are in intense classes (15 hours a week in biblical language) right now. Not me but there are some... Oh and how did I forget trying to decide if I needed to have LW's finger taken care of at the ER. It seems she rolled a rolling cutter (razor) over the edge of her index finger. We'd probably still be in the ER if we had stayed and I think it will be fine - I'll really take a gander at it tomorrow and see if she should go to the real doctor (on her schedule and not the ER schedule).

Time for bed but until tomorrow...

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Gotta be careful of those big bad buses!! Yowza! And take care of LW. If she does need to be stitched, they can't do that if you wait to take her somewhere. Typically they will not stitch up an "old" wound. Enjoy the rest of your time off.

Kate-Congratulations to DBF!! Such great news! And it sounds like you have been busy in a good way as well plus getting to ride Mack. Good luck with your studying as well.

I had a great swim again this morning and so far the jacuzzi(temp.) has been behaving for me since I said something to the YMCA VP.:) After breakfast I did my typical interval workout of run/power walk on the treadmill and abs. Then took DS#1 to Costco to pick out a pair of glasses and shop a bit. His specs should be ready in 10 days. After lunch all the kids and I went to Target for attempts at some shopping. We had some successes, but still need to do a bit more hunting for clothes/shoes. DS#1 and DD found tennies; DD also found nice shoes. DS#1 still needs nice shoes and DS#2 could not find any shoes in his size that met his satisfaction!:rolleyes: He did find 2 T-shirts so did not come home empty handed. DD also got a few new clothes for fall, but I may have to fill in a few more things for her since she lost a bit at camp. She is also between sizes which makes things a bit more challenging. Finally all three got new watches, so they better not be late. . . for anything!!;) A quick stop at the library on the way home to look for books or movies. Unfortunately, DS#1 did not find the book he wanted in his series, and the movies they wanted I vetoed as they had seen them already. I figured "repeat" movies are more appropriate for rainy or snowy "indoor" days; not when we are having gorgeous weather and it is the last days of their summer break(mean mom!!:cool:). That's about it!

Tomorrow I do plan on swimming and boxing. Also have to get out to the garden.

Have a good evening.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Les-Gotta be careful of those big bad buses!! Yowza! And take care of LW. If she does need to be stitched, they can't do that if you wait to take her somewhere. Typically they will not stitch up an "old" wound. Enjoy the rest of your time off.
I'm not a big fan of busses and I avoid them at all costs. Hard to control the inattentive drivers. :mad: But in the long run I think I made an impression on him. Thanks for the advice about LW's finger, and I think she was better last night. Thank goodness I've cut myself more than once and know a lot about first aid and proper wound closure. Once the blood was cleaned away last night things looked better. Still I put a butterfly on it all day today and a bandage after last night and the cut us healing up nicely. In the long run I think it was okay to not have the doctor put stitches in because her finger really looks a lot better.
I had a great swim again this morning and so far the jacuzzi(temp.) has been behaving for me since I said something to the YMCA VP.:) ... Finally all three got new watches, so they better not be late. . . for anything!!;) ... I figured "repeat" movies are more appropriate for rainy or snowy "indoor" days; not when we are having gorgeous weather and it is the last days of their summer break (mean mom!!:cool:). That's about it!

Tomorrow I do plan on swimming and boxing. Also have to get out to the garden.
It sounds like you had a good day for the most part and it pays off to talk to the VP doesn't it? ;) Repeats are acceptable for rainy days but not for days like today. Too funny about the watches too. I hope you have a good day tomorrow - before the fun of the school year really sets in.

I rode this afternoon and was over 5 minutes faster over a 15.8 mile loop including a bunch of very slow sections waiting for lights and cars in intersections. No busses today and no car issues so I'll count it as a good ride and a great evening.

Need to turn in too, I'm on the hook to greet at morning worship services tomorrow and Thursday so I need to be bright-eyed and bushy tailed and in chapel by 7:45. Still, I'm really looking forward to being back in the swing of things tomorrow.

Peace friends and see you tomorrow,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Glad to hear LW is doing better and no run ins for you with 4(or more) legged metal animals on your bike ride! Yep, I'd agree. . . that is a good day.

I had another one here too with a good swim, jacuzzi, and a great boxing class. Plus it was a positively gorgeous day here with highs in the 70's, a sunny blue sky and no humidity. DD played with the neighbor all day again, DS#2 just "hung out" but he is pretty good at entertaining himself, and DS#1 was the really lucky one who got invited to Lake Compounce theme/water park for the day with his friend. He will be back sometime later tonight.

Short and sweet today. Have a good evening.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

It sounds like you had a good day today again. I'm glad that DS#2 is good at entertaining himself - it would be tough if he couldn't. I'm with you too, missing vehicles is always a good day in my book. I hope that you have a great day tomorrow again.

I ran this afternoon. It wasn't too bad weatherwise - only 82 but the humidity was really low (at least for DC) at ~40%. That and a little breeze and some shade made things reasonably pleasant. That is until my legs got a little talkative. But in all I can't complain about an hour + of run - including a little new ground (saw a trail that I'd never seen before, went exploring and had a blast).

Back for another day at Chapel in the morning (8:10) so I'm off to bed. Be good and have a great day tomorrow.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Sounds like a good day all around yesterday on your end, too, Les.

Great swim for me and a longer than planned jacuzzi session as another fellow swimmer joined me and we got to chatting.:rolleyes: But hey, no school yet, so no pressures to get home "on time" which means I might as well take advantage. Back at the ranch, it was breakfast for myself and the gang followed by some kitchen detail(clean up) and then elliptical/weights/core exercises. Later in the morning, I finished labeling/gathering up the kids school supplies for next week. DS#1 and 2 won't get lists until they see their teachers, but you still have to send them off with the minimum i.e. pencils, pens, paper etc... Also completed some mending of a pillow seat cushion which I just bought about a month ago.:mad: I would have returned it, but DH already ditched the receipt. Fortunately, it was easily fixed and looks just fine. This afternoon finished some more "odd jobs" around the house as well as baked a batch of muffins and got some mini elephant ear dough prepared and in the freezer to bake for Sunday's end of summer picnic at our house. Also proofread and helped finish off both DS's summer reading assignments. DS#2 helped me make dinner this evening for he and his sibs. They requested "breakfast for dinner" tonight so we made breakfast burritoes with scrambled eggs, cheese, salsa etc... in whole wheat tortillas with some watermelon and corn on the side. Top it off with a popsicle and they were good to go playing outside until dark!;)

Have a good evening,
Karen

[mackandme]

Hey all, after the good news of the last post about DBF, now i've got the bad news. We're having our 3rd round of layoffs this year, and he'll be at risk again. There's a chance that he'll be saved again by people taking buyouts, but the pool of people who want to take a buyout is pretty small these days. We will be left in suspense until mid-September, though.

We're so short-staffed these days that if anyone takes a day off, we end up doubling up on jobs. Which can be a challenge when you have a completely inflexible deadline every night and therefore a finite amount of time to get your work done. The atmosphere around here is just poisonous.

The good news is i got to the gym today, will go riding hopefully Friday night and maybe make it to the gym again Saturday.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey Karen and Kate. It's good to hear from you both.

Kate - I'm sorry that the next set of layoffs is looming and things are wicked crazy at work. I'll pray for calm and collected times for you and DBF as the middle of September approaches. Great work getting to the gym and working out, I'm sure that helps things for you in a stressful period.

Karen - It sounds like a fine morning and a respectable remainder of the day. Hopefully the rest go smoothly until school starts.

I had a good day at school and chapel. No classes but catching up with friends is always fun. For this evening, I decided against resting and did something a little different - I rode to school, played about 1:15 of Ultimate Frisbee, and rode home. In all, a grand evening.

To bed for me - not sleeping well and I need some beauty sleep. Take care and I'll see you on the 'morrow.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Kate-I'll add my positive thoughts and energy to a good outcome in September. For now, I guess just take it one day at a time.

Les-Love it. . . recreational exercise! "Ultimate" is such a great game, too. Hope the sleep is more restful, too.

Another fine day but it will be my last swim for a week. The YMCA is closed for their yearly "shut down" next week as they do repairs/improvements to the facility. They re-open Labor Day for holiday hours which I typically take advantage of after a long week off. I will continue my other exercising next week and perhaps a walk outside in the mornings very early as I sometimes have done in the past during 'shut down." Otherwise, also did a nice power walk on the treadmill and abs this morning. Not to much else to report for now. Getting ready for our picnic on Sunday.

Have a great weekend.:)

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

I really do like to play Ultimate and for the most part it's not bad exercise and I stay reasonably healthy while playing (don't look at the bruise on my wrist either). It's nice because when we play this early in the school year most of the 90 minutes is pretty lax then we play "best of 3" but still we're pretty tired by that point in time so things aren't too wild. Sorry that the Y will be closed this coming week and I hope that they keep things working like they are (jacuzzi working correctly) and update things that need to be updated. I have no doubt that you'll find something to do to keep your workouts in. ;)

I rested today - needed it considering I ran or rode 4 days straight and rode in the car for 11+ hours on Sunday (a workout in itself). That and I have a race in a week and I'll be running a little in the morning so I need fresher legs.

Besides that, it's been a fun week doing things with my classmates - included leading folks on a mass transit trip into Alexandria. Nothing too involved but still helpful for about 12 of my classmates (the incoming class).

Now to bed - hopefully I sleep as well as I did last night (which was pretty good).

Peace,
Les