HL/WWSG - 12/21 - 1/3/09 - Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy New Years!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Greetings one and all to the next installment of the Heathful Living/Weekly Workout Support Group as the end comes to a close. It’s the holiday post - three holidays (and at least another - Boxing Day for good measure) all within a couple weeks of each other. Winter kicked off this morning officially and it’s definitely winter-like in more than a few places these days. New England had snow, we’re looking at the teens this evening and more snow across the northern tier I’m afraid. Atill, family time is in the air and things are moving forward but because it was 3 weeks since our last kick off I’ll be dredging back a little but most likely just recapping to start anew. So without any further ado I’ll try swing a recap of the last three weeks (or so):

Life successes/Good News include - Kate had a good trip to the Gulf Coast with DF to see the in-laws (I think), she’s been to the barn and even got Mack a shear for the winter, getting ready for the holidays and having DF be helpful around the house; Karen successfully navigated the end of the term with her kids (except they missed a day of school due to the weather conditions on Friday, made a bunch of plans for Hanukkah that may fall through, and has been keeping up with her exercising; and I finished my semester (the reason that the last thread was three weeks long), got some runs and rides in and hopes to get more runs in over the coming two weeks, and got lots of complements on his funny hats during finals.
Stressful living - Laura and Nelum have been MIA - I hope that they are doing well and keeping out of the snow banks in Colorado; Karen had a little stress from the weather impacting Hanukkah this weekend and family celebrations; Kate seems pretty good these days but I bet there’s some stress hanging in the wings; and I didn’t get a lot of exercise in but think I’ll be okay with that, got news that my father is headed in for a heart catherization tomorrow morning (long story) - the cardiologist isn’t worried but needs to rule out some things about a potential cause of Dad’s chest pains.

Workouts: I’d like to get 3 or 4 solid workouts a week for the next couple weeks and may have to spin a couple times. Likewise I’d like to run a few more times if possible.
Healthful living: on break so I want to get some solid workouts in and get my steam back up for the coming year.

I’m looking forward to another good holiday in Appomattox - this will be the last one since Mom and Dad are moving in the middle of January to Virginia Beach (Dad is “retiring” again). I’m not sure how many of us there will be but it is always a lovely time and intimate too.

That’s enough for now; struggling to stay awake (not that that’s a bad problem). Signing off and hoping everyone has a great week.

Peace to all,
Les

[mackandme]

Les, thanks for starting the thread. Just a drive-by here, as work has been busy tonight. Got in a short ride on Mack today, but was leary of working him too hard as we were a bit short on water - frozen pipes, as it's cold here. Down to the teens tonight, which means it will be in the 50s in the house. Karen, I talked to a friend last night who lives in Ledyard. She says things are pretty rough there weather-wise. Hope you guys are hanging in there.

[karen w]

Kate-Where is Ledyard? Never heard of it?? I guess I'll have to google it? I am in the Southwest corner of CT near Brewster, NY(10 MIN.) Stay warm!

Les-Your family times in Appomattox always sound so peaceful and warm. Enjoy your vacation and get in a few good stress-releiving workouts! O.K.??!!;)

I had an excellent swim this morning, but the pool was pretty quiet between the cold and snow here. Schools were delayed 90 min. this morning(I kinda anticipated that) but fortunately that did not throw too much of a curve ball into the day's errands. I did end up running at home on the treadmill instead of boxing. However, it was a fantabulous run/power walk. Then I hit TJ's and the regular store for a few pre-holiday/pre-vacation items to stock up on since the kids will be home as of tomorrow afternoon. About all I need to get tomorrow afternoon is extra milk! Speaking of which, tomorrow I plan on swimming and doing another home routine. In the afternoon I have to take DS#1 to the dentist. He needs to get his last 2 baby teeth pulled.:eek: Then DS#2 has guitar and then. . . .WINTER VACATION OFFICIALLY BEGINS(for the kids, that is!:rolleyes:)

Enjoy the holidays,
Karen

ETA: Found Ledyard. . . it is the Southeastern side of the state so quite a bit away from me and a bit closer to the coast. I am guessing they had less snow than we did because of that. We probably had ~14 inches!!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Howdy ladies - it's good to hear from both of you. Freezing in your neck of the woods - don't like that sound, and 50 in the house isn't a great thing either. I hope that your frozen pipes don't cause too many problems.
Karen - 14 inches of snow -- way too cool! :D :cool: I wish I could have some of that. Sounds like you had a good workout none the less and too bad about the first night celebrations but still good to have family time together. I hope that things don't get too weird over the break at your house. Family celebrations are always great in my house and this year will be nothing but.

Speaking of which - I'll send out a little request (although this contradicts a previous e-mail a little), dad is in fact going in for open-heart bypass on Friday - has to be at the hospital at 5:30 am. 3 or 4 arteries blocked but it's not that critical because the surgeon was willing to put things off until after the New Year if he couldn't work out schedules with Dad (offered him tomorrow morning - way too early). In the long run Dad's fitness level is very helpful - just another reason to keep in good shape I guess. Still he'll be out of things for 4-6 weeks (no driving, no lifting "more than a gallon of milk"). Biggest issue - he and mom are moving from Appomattox in mid-January. Luckily his church is paying to move him (no lifting of boxes) but still odd getting things from the house to the new house. Luckily all the kids and LW are here in VA and all the folks I know in Va Beach (and Dad's new church etc.).

On the up side, I got a spin in this evening. I had planned to head out for a run, opened the door and felt the rush of wind and cold air (20 with wind chill in the lower teens) and opted for a nice toasty ride in my basement. I feel much better.

Hope all are well and having a good remainder of the week with Christmas/Hanukkah celebrations.

Peace to all,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Glad you stayed nice and toasty yesterday for an INDOOR ride! BRRRR. . . it's cold outside. I just came home from alot of running around with the kids and crawled into a nice cozy robe before warming up a bowl of potato soup and hot tea. There was a chill in my bones! Not any more!!!;)

FYI-It's lucky your father's blockages were not worse. It is when they are 100% that it is too late! So good thing they were found and it will be taken care of. And yes, if the surgeon were trully concerned that Dad was in dire straits, he would have done him ASAP, so you are right feeling a bit better that he was willing to wait. Your Dad will remain in my prayers along with your whole family during this stressful time.

I had a great swim this morning, but in the last 10 min. pulled a muscle as I was turning in the lane on my left side. That has never happened to me before! OLD AGE???!!! NAHHHH!!:rolleyes: Anyway I finished my swim and decided to stretch out on a towel in the sauna(as the jacuzzi is no more!) after my shower. I think that did the trick because after that, it was 100% gone. PHEW! Also ellipticized later in the morning before braving the parking lot and lines at Costco to make a return and pick up extra fruit and milk since the kids are home for the long haul as of this afternoon. Speaking of which, took DS#1 to get two teeth pulled this afternoon. He was a real trooper and did well. Just got back from taking DS#2 to his guitar lesson(he's doing fantastic) and dropped both boys at the library for teen movie night on the way home. Gotta get them later.

That's it. Tomorrow is officially the first day of winter break. . . for the kids that is!:rolleyes: I'll still swim and stick to my workouts.

Good evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - I doubt old age and it sounds like I'm right. Love the sauna almost more than I like the jacuzzi, something about the dry heat. :cool: My hat's off to DS#1 having 2 tteeth pulled - I've had a single done in the past and it wasn't any fun. Of course, mine was a molar that was quite happy in my jaw (except for the dead root). I hope you survive your first official day of kids home from school. Glad DS#2 is doing so well with his guitar too.

Quiet day on the road from Alexandria to my folks house. Things are ok/better//as to be expected and Mom and Dad are thankful that we are here to help. But it will be a weird holiday to say the least but we're trying not to fret about things.

Maybe tomorrow I'll swing out for a run before Church (Dad celebrates two services tomorrow) and my sister and DBF getting to the house.

I continue to cherish your thoughts and prayers and my family appreciates them. I pray that everyone has a good remainder of the Christmas/Hanukkah -tide.

But for now... to bed (didn't sleep well last night).

Peace,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Happy Christmas Eve and the 4th day of Hanukkah to all - back to backs (which either means that everyone is busy or buried under snow).

I had a good run this afternoon - not sure how far but ran for about 63 minutes. A nice hilly course out and back in the south and western sections of Appomattox. The weirdness continues - Dad's surgery has been postponed until this coming Tuesday (the doctor had more critical bypass surgeries pop up today so Dad got slid - which I figure is good news).

Tryign to get ready for dinner - an new tradition : Chicken and Dumplings - between services.

Peace to all,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Yes, it's been busy here(in a good way) but the computer was also acting up on me the last few nights so getting on-line was near impossible. Keep your chin up, Les. . .speaking from the medical perspective. . .it is VERY good to be bumped when there is somebody even sicker ahead of you. I will keep you and Mike in my prayers. So sorry to hear about your cousin as well. Not exactly what the family needed now(or anytime). He was very young.

Les-Also received a surprise yesterday that lit up my day. Thank you very much for the thoughtful holiday greetings. The calender is hanging on the fridge now and I do love the artwork(also needed a new one for the fridge and it was just the right size!).

That's about it for now. I have been getting in all my usual workouts, the kids have been "tolerating" vacation:D and all else is well here.

Good evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Your welcome for the little gift - the calendar just leapt off the shelf and begged to be sent to a good home. It took a lot to keep LW from snagging it too - but she really wanted the illuminated Psalms calendar so I slipped it out from under her nose. Thank you also for your words and medical perspective. I'm pretty good with things (at least for now). I have a sense that dad will be fine when all is said and done and 50 is definitely young. Glad that you're having a good holiday even if it is busy. I know all about good busy too - sorry that the computer was acting up the past few days also - never fun when there's a lot of business for it. I hope the remainder of your break goes well.

Today was pretty interesting. I did a lot of prep work for the coming weeks trying to get all the volunteer tasks that I'm on the hook for the week of the 5th set up. So far so good - I'm getting bakers to make stuff for the seniors who are taking the equivalent of Comps that week (7, 3 1/2 hour exams on different aspects of ordained ministry called the General Ordination Examinations). Then I tried to get some semblance of a "schedule" for the kids to be with Mom and Dad (they don't need us all there at the same time - they will have more than enough assistance; but they may be able to use a gate keeper).

After that I took off for a run. It was nearly 62 when I headed out and decided I'd try my had at a long run. Also figured that I'd be best served doing run/walk so I set out at 7/1 and ended up running about 1:38. SO far so good - but tomorrow will be the telling tale.

We had a good dinner: Mahi Mahi filets with rice and veggies - yum! Not sure where I'm going to church in the morning but have it down to one of two sites. I'll tell tomorrow.

Peace to all,
Les

[mackandme]

Les, your father will be in my thoughts too. I hope all goes well with the surgery - it sounds like the doctor is confident that it will.

For the first time in months (i think) i made it to the gym friday. boy was i sore afterward! have also gotten in a couple rides on mack. however, i'm starting to feel under the weather. dbf has been under the weather for a good while now. that altered our holiday plans, but at the same time led to a quieter holiday, which isn't all bad.

we got up to 82 degrees or so the other day, which was a nice change from being cold.

karen, don't tell me the kids are bored already! as they say, youth (and vacation!) is wasted on the young!

[karen w]

Kate-The kids did not have enough time to be bored today! DD slept over at a friends house last night in New York and DH took the two boys on a whirlwhind shopping spree today for new suits(good clothes/shoes) as we just realized not only is DS#1's Bar Mitzvah fast approaching, but in Feb. we are all flying out to San Francisco the first weekend for my nephew's Bar Mitzvah. That's going to be quite a dizzy weekend flying across the country and back with 3 kids! OY!:eek: I still need to find a dress for DD but she's pretty easy to fit. . . she can wear stuff right off the rack(tall and lean). DS#1 was the big problem. . . he is short and wide so finding a jacket to fit was a bear, but apparently DH FINALLY hit pay dirt today. He had them all out so treated them for some dinner tonight which made for a quiet evening at home thus far for me. I guess that is a good thing on two accounts. First, I also think I am getting my next sinus infection:( and second. . . I need to store up my energy/patience etc. . .for the remainder of break as DH was supposed to be off all of this week but as of last night, he not only has to work this week but also take call on New Year's(and he just finished taking Christmas call). His partner's wife's father passed away. I think he will still get Friday in addition to today if that's any reconciliation.

Anyway. . . in spite of the sinuses pestering me again, I had a good swim and went to Cardio-boxing this morning. I had not gone in a week between the studio's holiday closings and the snow days we had last week, so it felt good. And I don't think I'll be too sore either. I did keep up with my "home" workouts all last week between the bike, elliptical, treadmill, weights etc... This afternoon with some quiet around the house, I was able to start on a big poster I am making for DS#1's Bar Mitzvah. It's tedious but I hope it turns out OK.

Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and has a happy, HEALTHY New year!

Karen

Les-for you. . . {{LES}};)

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kate - Good seeing you and even though you live in Texas 82 is nearly obscene in December. Sorry that DF has been under the weather but a quiet holiday is a good thing in my book. I hope that your DF gets back in battery soon and that you can get back to the gym more often to keep from getting so sore when you go.

Karen - I hope that you aren't getting a sinus infection, especially if you are going to be flying this week. YUCK. It sounds like it is Bar Mitzvah season these days and that you're quite busy with them. I hope that the remainder of the holidays goes well and please pass my condolences to DH's partner, a bad time to have a loved one die.

Weird day (I've been having a bunch of those lately haven't I?). I had a good spin this morning - about 50 minutes - before heading out and south. I'm at Mom and Dad's house now and need to turn in because it's an early rise to get Dad to the hospital: 5:30 show time and who knows how long in the hospital for the procedure and before we come home. Had the surreal opportunity to cut Dad's hair tonight (he wanted it really short before going to the hospital and his barber refused to cut it as short as he wanted it so I obliged). Still, it felt weird to cut his hair (lots of emotional reasons).

With that, off to bed and praying that you all are well and warm.

Peace to all and thanks for your thoughts and prayers on the 'morrow.
Les

[karen w]

Les-First and most importantly. . .alot of good thoughts/prayers coming your way today. I hope things went smoothly. Update us when you are able. Sorry that things got a bit emotional for you last night, but that is certainly not a surprise given the circumstances. I pray it is something to chuckle at around the table in the weeks to come.

My day was very good. Still not sure what is going on with the sinuses but I have my emergency z-pack in storage just in case. . . My head actually felt better this morning, but by mid day I started getting full again and the headache returned. Not typical of my usual sinus infections where my symptoms don't wax and wane, but remain with me until treated. So for now, I'll hold off on the meds until I know which direction this is going to turn. No worries, however, Les. . .as I mentioned the Bar Mitzvah in San Francisco is in February!;) All that aside, I had a fantastic swim and bike ride this AM. Also worked in some weights and core exercises. The kids were definetely a bit restless today, but managed to stay out of my hair while I got some things accomplished around the house. DS#1 even asked me what the expression "Cabin Fever" meant today!!:p They did get outside and played in the woods a bit in the afternoon, but it was VERY windy here. Tonight DS#2 had guitar and I dropped both boys at the library for teen movie night. DH will pick them up on his way home from work.

Tomorrow may be interesting as the forecast calls for some snow and wind. I hope to get out for my swim and then an elliptical ride. DS#1 is supposed to have a tutoring session for his Bar Mitzvah, but if the roads are bad, I may have to cancel. Time will tell!

Good evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - First off, thank you and I think the hair cut will be something to both laugh at and to cherish as the years pass by. I'm not sure where my mind was regarding the Bar Mitzvah in SFO. But then again my mind is way out there right now. Sorry about your head and the issues it presents, not being consistent or compliant, hopefully it isn't an infection and you can get to and fro without issues. That's too funny about the cabin fever question and your sons not "understanding." Good that they are with it enough to go out when the weather is a little off. I hope that the remainder of your holiday break isn't too wicked regarding weather and that the kids keep out of your hair.

Good news (as expected), Dad came through his surgery (that morphed to 6-way) in about 6 hours. The doctor said he has a 40 y/o heart and 20 y/o arteries now. All he'll have to do is rest so he can recuperate. Thank you all for your prayers and concerns we appreciated them and felt them all day. Tomorrow will probably be a travel day for us since I think Dad is in fine hands and won't really have much to do until he's discharged from the hospital. A wake up call for all of us and we're glad that everything went well.

Maybe tonight will be a sleep of the just. Peace to all and I hope that everyone has a good New Years eve (whatever they do).

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

Les-I'm so releived that your father's surgery went smoothly. My prayers will continue for a smooth recovery as well as a peaceful start to the new year for you and your family.

My day here was a mixed bag. It started with a great swim, but after I got home and finished my breakfast, the first few snowflakes began to fall. That rapidly became ALOT of snow, so it was obvious that I was not getting DS#1 to his Bar Mitzvah tutoring session. I'm glad I cancelled it anyway. It seems the gentleman who was asked to help the kids(while our cantor is on sabbatical in Jan.) was never given ANY information about anything(where each child is in the process, what to do, for how long etc...) so he had no clue what he was to do today. I basically told him that he could meet with DS#1 next week during regular Hebrew school hours and just pull him out of class for 20 min. just as the cantor has done. As I was not going to start making seperate trips to his house once the frenzy of school begins again(30 min. each way!). He was not thrilled with that at first. . . did not want to take the kids from class. He wanted to meet with him before or after which would require me to make two seperate trips to the temple on those days and that is not an option as far as I am concerned. I told him that this was how the cantor has been doing it and if he needs to get more feedback regarding what he is to be doing, to talk to the education director. While he is a wonderfully nice gentleman, it just is lousy that no one really filled him in as to his role. Fortunately, DS#1 is up to date on his work and a good Hebrew student so this is no big deal whereas a few of the other kids in his class need all the help they can get.:rolleyes:

Anyway, since I stayed at home, I ellipticized(as planned) but also snuck in weights again today as well as some Pilates core exercises. The kids(on my insistence:rolleyes:) finally made thank you notes to the grandparents for their Hanukkah gifts, busied themselves all afternoon making forts in the basement(with half their bedding from their bedrooms and then some!:rolleyes:), and played outside a bit in the cold blowing snow! As a matter of fact, that is where they are now. . . presumably sledding a bit and shoveling the drive for DH:p. I made a big pot of beans(new recipe from the latest EW magazine that looked interesting). I just happened to have everything in the house.

No major plans for this evening except to cuddle close to DH(and likely fall asleep before midnight!:o). DH is working and on call tonight as well as tomorrow for his partner).

Tomorrow I will go for my swim, but a bit later in the morning since the YMCA has holiday hours(7-noon). So after my swim, I may make a quick stop at the grocery store(have not gone all week and tomorrow should be quiet there!;)). The rest of the day should be another quiet one at home.

To all. . . A HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

Karen

Tomorrow

[mackandme]

Les, great to hear your dad came through surgery so well, and that the doc says he now averages out to be 30 years old! I wish him a speedy recovery full of lots of rest (and a speedy recovery to you, too, as i'm sure you're mentally exhausted).

Got a nice ride in on Mack today. The trainer I board with (and took some lessons with years ago, before the house ate my budget!) gave Mack some good compliments today, and she doesn't hand out compliments easily. I'm at work tonight (New Years) and because of a late story may not get home to DBF in time for midnight. He is nursing his cold at home watching football.

My New Year's resolution: to start calling DBF my DF. it's not a term that comes naturally to me! (besides, i have a crappy ex-F who kind of ruined it for me years ago.)

Karen, i hope you have a nice peaceful New Year's Eve!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks Karen and Kate - this whole thing with my father and the rest of the holidays has been a roller coaster. Some good things (remembering what's important) and others... well... A little tired but happy none the less.

Karen - smart to not go out in the storm from what I see. TOo bad about the Cantor stand in and not getting any ideas about what he's supposed to be covering in January. I hope that your day tonight was quiet and cuddly and that the remainder of the week is quiet (for DH).
Kate - I'll keep you remembering that DF is just that and that the ex-F may have tempered the image of a F but he's not all of them. I hope DF is feeling better and that you get home fairly early.

Today was a busy day - not all that productive but helpful and good. Got released from my folks house - Mom is doing really well and Dad is doing great. He looks great, not that he looked sick a couple days ago but he looks fantastic - color is good etc. Even found out from Mom that he's been walking in the Cardiac Recovery Unit with the nurses already (late this afternoon). Tired from the trip back to northern VA and being blown all over creation with 40-60 mph gusts. I plan on running tomorrow (my habit) and then cooking up a storm. The remainder of the week? Don't know but I'm going to relax a little.

Hope you two and the rest of the gang are well and...

Happy New Years to you both!
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

I guess it has been that long since I posted... I did in fact run on New Year's Day (to keep up the tradition). I also had an hour's spin on Friday afternoon. Trying to get myself back into shape for the coming year. I've been cooking and resting in preparation for the coming term and year.

I had a decent day today, news from the home front is that Dad may be discharged tomorrow afternoon but we probably won't know until tomorrow morning. My younger sister will be down helping for the first 48 hours out of the hospital.

Yippee! I got a run in today too. It was nice when I started - about 46 with a little breeze but nothing terrible. I did a tad over 11 miles and felt pretty good. That makes 2 weekends in a row that I've picked off decent runs. Maybe I'll be in shape for a race at the end of the year too.

Happy Saturday evening and peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-I'm so glad to hear that Dad's recovery is going smoothly and you have managed to de-stress with a few good runs. When does your new term begin? Please send my get well wishes to Mike for a speedy recovery.

We had a good weekend here, but as I sit here this evening knowing school begins again tomorrow, I have mixed feelings(as always). Yes, the kids are restless and need to get back to their school routine whether they want to or not. But, of course, that means that the taxi gets charged up again tomorrow AM and is in full throttle once again. Oh well! I guess better busy than idle. Anyway, I had a good weekend of workouts with a treadmill run yesterday and an elliptical ride today on either a slightly possessed machine or more than likely. . . it was just me:o. About 5 min. into my ride, I was wondering why it felt so easy when I looked at the monitor and it was not running on my set program. So either I pressed the button too lightly or too soon after turning the machine on and it never "heard" me. I started over and had a good ride.

Yesterday, DH took the boys to the city to do the "Christmas walk" and a bit of shopping/sightseeing. They love the Sony museum and, of course, FAO Schwarz. They brought DD and I back a few nice surprises!:D:cool: DD and I spent the day shopping for dresses for the upcoming bar mitzvahs. It took a few stores but we were quite successful. And tonight DH and I went out for a bit of dinner and dessert by ourselves for a change. It was a nice night!;)

Tomorrow I get back into my swim/box etc... routine. I will potentially add a new spin(literally!) to the mix this week. Our YMCA just got a bunch of spin bikes and they are offering free sessions for the next two weeks to orient people to the bikes. Since I have never done this and as always. . . curious, I am going to try one of these sessions. I will probably go to the Friday morning class to check it out. We'll see if it is one of "my things" or not.

Anyway. . . HAVE A GOOD FIRST FULL WEEK OF THE NEW YEAR!

Karen

[mackandme]

Les, glad to hear your father continues to recover well and may be coming home soon!

I've had a pretty successful week. Three trips out to the barn, one to the gym and spent some time doing the Tai Chi DVD I had asked DF for for Christmas. I think that's going to be a good workout for me.

DF is still pretty sick and didn't make it into work today. I'm so bummed for him that he's been sick most of his winter break. He heads back to school in a little over a week. Hopefully he'll be better by then.

Our work shedules came out for January and i'm relieved to see that i'm back to having consistant days off. for the past two months my days off have changed almost every week, and were sometimes split. i still come in at a different time every day, but at least i'll be able to remember what day of the week it is.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thank you both. It's been a good weekend and quick answers (I've been sending notes for Dad to his mailing lists and trying to pare out the duplicates). I've got a one-week (intense) class that meets 3 hours a day for a week Jan 12-16 then I'm off until the first week in February. However, this week I'm gonig to be the cheering squad for the seniors who are taking comps.

The good news of the night is that Dad is in fact home from the hospital - now the long row to hoe. Recovery which will be hard (I think he'll overdo it a couple times before he paces himself).

Need to go, it's been a long night and I need some sleep for tomorrow.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Drive by tonight as DS#1 is going to be home any minute now(and will be hungry for dinner!:p), but I just had to say, "Yippee! for Mike(Les's dad) for being home." May the rest of his recovery go smoothly as well.

Great day here and back to the school routine. Schools north of us had delays due to ice and our roads were also a bit slippery this morning, but knock wood there were no delays. Now Wed. may be a different story with what the weather forecasters are predicting. UGH!:eek: I had a great swim and a really good boxing class for a change. Tomorrow I will swim and I may try out the spin class at the YMCA or do something else? I'll decide in the AM.;)

Good evening(DS#1 just walked in the door!:eek:)

Karen

[karen w]

Back to backs here, but I know Les is juggling a full load with his father's recovery and his "cheerleading/school" duties;).

I had a great swim this morning and then it just felt like it was in the cards after breakfast to stir things up a bit. . . .SO. . . I took the plunge and tried out one of the new spinning classes at the YMCA. It was a 45 minute class and . . .WOW. . .what a great workout! I really liked it alot, but don't think I could do that daily. I do see it as something that I might begin to incorporate once or twice a week into my routine when the YMCA gets up a schedule of classses. Anyway, I ran around the rest of the day doing errands and just sat down tonight for dinner. It's amazing how much hungrier you end up in the evening after an intense workout day. . .and I think it tasted better than usual, too!!!!:p(It was just leftover oven fried fish sticks/homemade tartar, roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts and a tossed salad, but tonight it hit the spot. Topped off with my nightly ice cream and cookie, of course.:o).

Tomorrow all bets are off for my swim and/or school. Our weather is supposed to me a mess, so neither may happen. Even DS#1 admitted that it is too soon after vacation to have another snow day. We'll see what happens in the AM??!!

Until tomorrow. . . good evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Sorry to leave you in a lurch Karen, it's been a busy week this week for all the reasons you mentioned. But first, it looks like you're hooked on another exercise - spinning. :D Isn't it funny how food tastes different when we're really hungry? I hope that the kids aren't snowed in tomorrow (today) but I'm sure that you can shoo them off and probably even get to the Y too. ;)

Like I said, it's been a busy week and I've even been home the whole time. :rolleyes: But it's probably harder trying to get the inside skinny on Dad second hand. My sister is at home and doing great things there. She even sends out a daily update (at least for now) on how Mom and Dad are doing. Dad is making progress but isn't always good at pacing himself - he wants to get well soon (he's only been out of surgery for a week today.

It's been fun on campus this week and lots of tired faces of the seniors who are taking their comps this week. In the past two days they've had 14 hours of testing. Tomorrow is a day off for them (which makes it a day off for me too) to recuperate a little. But I've got some business to take care of outside of campus work - state inspection on a car etc. And I've still got to figure out what I've got to do the rest of the week in preparation for class next week.

But for now I'm beat - LW didn't sleep well last night (which impacted me). She has an infection in two teeth and needs to have root canal on both of them. The infection is bad enough that she can't have the root canal until after the infection clears - which will be Monday.

I'm off to the land of the sleeping so have a wonderful night and peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-I hope you had an enjoyable day off today. Get well wishes also coming in your direction for LW. OUCH!

Well, it is beautiful outside today, but not too conducive to all sorts of things including the YMCA and school! We are just lucky there is no wind or else there would be ice covered branches ALL over the place!:eek: We did have one pretty big one in the middle of the driveway, but the kids went outside in the afternoon and shoved it off to the side. I guess it was a good thing that I got a chance to sleep in today too as I had a lousy night sleep and woke up several times last night including at 4 AM and 5 AM to see if school was canceled. IT WAS! Anyway, DH also did not need to go into work until noon so we both got to sleep in and lounge about this morning!;) After we did get up, I had a really awesome ride on the elliptical with no soreness from yesterday's spinning. I also did my weights and cores this morning. DH left for work in the afternoon(1/2 day) and the kids played in and out(DD at the neighbors). I made some muffins and also "hung out" (in my PJ's all day!!!!:D).

In other news, DS#1's Bar Mitzvah invitations arrived today and they look very nice. Now gotta get going on the address labels.:rolleyes:

Stay safe, stay warm!

Karen

[mackandme]

Les, sounds like your dad has a terrific attitude toward getting better, even if he's not pacing himself. I'm sure the pacing is something he'll learn.

Karen, glad to hear you guys survived/enjoyed your snow day.

I am a bit ticked off today. I went out to the barn to find out that for the second time this week, someone has ridden my horse without my permission. The first was Saturday, when i showed up to ride and Mack was standing in his stall sweaty instead of out in the pasture. Today, someone told me that a girl had ridden him and jumped him a lot yesterday. Considering that the horse has been jumped lightly at most 10 times in the past 3.5 years, i was not at all happy. But hopefully enough people now know how ticked off i am that they'll stop riding him. Because of his health problems, and because there's a limit to how often i have time to get out to the barn, i really just don't want him being ridden randomly by someone who hasn't asked me if it's ok. grrrrrr.

anyhow, tomorrow is my new year's day holiday, so DF and i will get to spend a day together before school starts monday.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kate - OH! That wouldn't make me happy to find my horse rideen without my permission. :mad: I hope the person who decides to do the right thing and not ride any more. I hope you have a good day of with DF. I think Dad will be great as long as he doesn't let himself get over tired.

Karen - Darn the bad luck that DH didn't have to go to work until noon. ;) It sounds like a good, lazy day for you.. Working out, baking, and lounging around are all great things in my book. I'll pass your thoughts on to LW too.

It was a great spin this evening considering it wasn't a night fit for man nor beast out there. Picked off just over an hour which felt good considering I haven't done much over the first part of the week except be there for folks taking comps. Tomorrow may be another wild day and I know the weekend will be pretty much a bust - I'm driving to my folks house on Friday to spend the weekend helping with Dad. Needed break for my sister who's been there all week.

LW is doing better but still not lovin' life. That won't happen until after her root canal(s). Hard to believe that she's actually looking forward to root canal(s).

Peace to all and see you on the 'morrow.
Les

[karen w]

Kate-WOW! That would make me angry, too! As Les said, hopefully your feelings have been permeated through the appropriate channels at the barn and it won't happen anymore. Enjoy your day with DF. Is he over his "crud" yet?

Les-Yep! What bad luck yesterday! Lounging around all day and half of it with DH!!:D I suffered through it all with a stiff upper lip!!!!!:D;) Glad you had a good spin. I'm sure it helps to keep your stressors of late at bay.

Today was not a lounging day but I did have another "at home" workout as we had a 90 minute school delay. I did get out for my swim and it was a great one. The roads were not too bad. The trees however, as beautiful as they were, were all ice covered and dangerous!! Lots of branches down and lots of people without power, but fortunately we were not one of them. There was a woman in CT that died yesterday(early 20's) from an ice laden pole that fell on her.:eek: I don't anticipate much of this will melt anytime soon either as the next week's temps. are all predicted to be below freezing. Anyway, the kids did get off to school and I was able to get a few errands accomplished after my swim and run on the treadmill.

Looking forward to the weekend. Have a good evening.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kate - I'm glad that Karen said what I was tryign to say yesterday. I'm not sure what (if) I was thinking when I posted last night. I hope DF/DBF is better soon.
Karen - What a story about the lady being killed by a ice encrusted pole - YUCK! At least it was only 90 minutes delay as opposed to a day off today. Good for you to get your workouts in today (but that's never an issues it seems). I hope you ahve a great Friday.

Productive day on a few fronts. I was hospitible for the comp takersa again - it's good for me too to see the test and how they "take" the questions for the test. It will be different next year but the fact that the comp questions are fair this year is a good omen. Spent a good portion of the day on campus (8:30 to 6:40) but was productive and even got to see my spiritual director - a good check in after all the stuff that has gone on over the past 3 weeks. Also put the finishing touches on getting ready to go south tomorrow until Sunday. I'll be helping around the house until I have to come back for class next week. Missed my workout but had a satisfying day today. Beddy-bye time for me so until tomorrow...

Peace to all,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Not sure you'll be checking in with your travels this weekend, but I am glad you had a productive day and got to spend some time with your spiritual director. That has to help right now.

I had a lousy night sleep, but it did not seem to affect my day today.(Phew!) Not sure why I slept so poorly, but I'll chalk it up to the phase of the moon for whatever that is worth. Anyway, I had a good swim(busy pool this AM, too) and a decent boxing class(after a quick trip to Target). This afternoon did a bit of cooking. I had one frustrating mishap, but I came up with a solution. I boiled a package of shells to make stuffed shells and the noodles all fell apart. Threw out the whole batch and did not have another box. Instead I will make lasagna rolls! Maybe it was an omen. . . I never did like shells much. . . always liked lasagna noodles much better!:D

Tonight DS#1 has a big gang here(from his Odyssey of the Mind team). They are working on their project(and goofing around, too!:rolleyes:). They are all leaving at 7 PM and then we should have a quiet weekend. . .especially with another storm headed our way. Forecast is for potentially up to 8" between tomorrow and Sunday morning. I have alot of stuff to do around the house/kitchen so I will be busy as usual after my morning exercise routine. The kids. . . well that is a different story. DS#1 wants to go to temple in the morning which may still be able to happen, but DS#2 needs to get together with a few classmates to work on a science project. I hope they can get together!:confused::eek:

Anyway. . . Have a good weekend.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey Karen sorry about the phases of the moon affecting your sleep. It's been one of those days down here too. It's been good to be with Mom and Dad and not much time futzing around on the computer - at least on line. Still doing my part to prepare the house to move whenever and I've been playing Information Technology guy - backed up two computers and streamlined a third. Also trying to plan out the next three weeks (OY VEY!). And then tomorrow evening I'm home. :rolleyes: And I'm looking at at least one more trip down here and to Norfolk in the next 10 days. Oh, and did I forget that I'm in class all next week? How did I forget that? ;)

Time for bed - didn't sleep well last night and hope to sleep the sleep of the just tonight.

Peace,
Les

Also, may start a new thread when I get home tomorrow if it's early enough... yeah right.

[mackandme]

Hey all, checking in to report another successful week: Friday night did tai chi video, and today went to the gym. I tried to go the barn today, but the interstate was a parking lot so i didn't make it too far before i turned around and switched gears to the gym. I'll make it out to the barn Sunday.

I finally got around to calling my contractor about the roof on my garage (we had 40 mph winds overnight, and it was just peeling back. i was afraid it was going to go flying off!) and he's going to not only repair the roof over the next couple days, but also the exterior where the wood is all rotted and pulling away with lots of gaps. Yay! My eyesore will be gone! Definitely worth the money, because when it does come time to sell the house, i don't want someone crossing my house off the list because it looks like the garage needs to be torn down or will be a big project to fix. (remember, garage is a generous term for this structure. i would never keep my car in it!)

Karen, i'll cross my fingers for you that the ice doesn't pull your power lines down. lots of folks around the country are getting lots of winter this year, aren't they?

Les, hang in there for your busy week/s ahead.

[nhonnold]

Hi all and Happy New Year!

That was a really strenuous month for me. More than usual!

I've never hosted Christmas dinner for ten people before!! We had enough food to feed an army!!! :eek: (And I'm really, really sick of turkey) We had a tur-duc-en and a turkey (in case people didn't like the tur-duc-en). What's left of the turkey we froze - I just couldn't have anymore!

Well, my husband has gotten me into one of those online RPGs - (not WOW). So, we've been partying up online and playing. And our conversations have become "well, if you're that char class then you need x." or "No! Not that monster! D'oh!" :rolleyes:

The trainer at the gym at work has talked me into doing a race the end of Feb and, well, it's 52+ flights of stairs! :eek: So, I'm training for that. Between a battle online - I'll run up and down the stairs at the house. :D (Needless to say walking has become an issue!).

(I've perused the posts - no time to read everything that I've missed. :( )

Les, is LW feeling better? The root canals and everything done?

Karen, would you mind passing on some of your stamina this direction? :D I'm going to need some to do the stairs.

Welp, I need to vacuum the house before church. Have a great and blessed day!!

Nelum

[Leslie Ferguson]

Well, good seeing both Nelum and Kate. As expected, I didn't get anything written again tonight. Maybe I'll start something tomorrow so we can have a single page thread again. It was a good weekend and Dad is looking very good.

Time for bed - class in the morning.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-don't sweat it. . . 2 pages is not such a horrible thing. I remember when we more active posters with a bigger group and 2 pages was the norm. And do I have to remind you that you are one busy little boy and this does not exactly fall at the top of the priority list IMHO!;)

Kate & Nelum-Hi!!! Always nice to hear from both of you whenever we can!:) Nelum, you sound like you are just full of energy. . . I think I will keep what I have, thank you very much!!!:D Kate-Good news about that old roof.

Today was a beast of different sorts, but with a fun twist. I had a good swim as usual. DH was off today and we decided to go take one of the spin classes together after all the kids got off to school. So me and Mr. Sweat-monkey aka DH grabbed side by side bikes and pedaled to the music together for a good drenching 45 min. class. This was a first for him and my second class and he agreed that it is really a great workout. He will likely not do it weekly because of his work schedule, but I may vary my "rut" with a once a week class. Rest of the afternoon I worked on some stuff for DS#1's bar Mitzvah. OY!! What a job!

That's it here for now. Tomorrow I will swim and do my cardio-boxing class. I have to get DD to school very early for her first official band practice(she plays the trumpet), and the afternoon religious school shuffle as I like to refer to it!:p

Have a good night,
Karen

[nhonnold]

Hello everyone!!!

Well, today was an insane day. I'm not quite sure how but I think I pulled my oblique muscle - didn't really realize that was possible. So, sitting and doing regular work hasn't been good. Top that off with the usual work insanity. I'm starting to believe that any time you take vacation you are required to make up for the time you spent off ...

I'm really too tired to do much of anything. I'm hoping after this week things will die down a bit - they've got too since the personal trainer at the gym signed me up for a fitness contest.... :eek:

N

[Leslie Ferguson]

Coming up for air... Sorry you've tweaked something Nelum - I hope that you come back quickly. I also hope that you don't overdo it with the fitness competition.
Thanks Karen, I knew you'd say that and yes I've been busy recently. Glad your day was productive on many accounts. ;) I hope the day isn't too weird tomorrow either.

I had a packed day - worked at the community worship after 3 hours of class; went to the dentist and it looks like I may not have to have significant dental work (praying that cleocin knocks out the infection in my lower gum); got a good update on Dad from my brother who has taken on the parental assistance duties; spun for an hour; and wrote a 4 page (single space) project and a 1/2 page reflection for tomorrow morning.

Time for bed - I'm beat. Have a great day on Wednesday and I'll try to be more conversational tomorrow.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Fly be tonight. . . It is just me and the kids. DH is at a late night temple board meeting. I had a good swim today and went to cardio. class(good as well). Tomorrow I swim and do a home routine as I need to take care of some household jobs(laundry/linens etc...:() I also need to pick up DD mid-morning for an orthodontist appt. She gets fitted for her retainer tomorrow. Then in two weeks she gets her top braces off and she may not need Phase 2. It will be a wait and see as she gets more permanent teeth in whether or not she may need her braces back on again in the future for a phase 2 treatment like DS#1. I'm crossing my fingers for her. Things look good so far. DS#2 is having his science partner over after school so that they can finish up their poster for their project due on Friday. And finally DS#1 has an Odyssey of the Mind meeting after school and then in the evening his group is going to a Odyssey scrimage tournament. That will go late so they will all grab pizza as a group together before the meet.

Les-I pray that the antibiotics do their magic for you.

Have a good night all,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Slink by here too... it's late and time for bed. Day three of a five day course covering 8 weeks of class work and I'm getting beaten. I ended up writing a 5 page (double spaced) paper and a 1 page paper this afternoon. Oh how things change in 16 months.

A shout out to ya'll - I pray that you are keeping warm tonight and over the weekend.

Peace and good night,
Les

[karen w]

90 minute school delay here today for a few inches of fluffy white snow early this morning. By mid morning it had stopped but now the temp. is supposed to drop even more. I slid my way to the YMCA this morning after likely waking up the whole neighborhood! You see, I take DH's car to the pool in the mornings and years ago we dis-armed the car alarm as we broke/lost the remote to it and it was not worth replacing based on the cost to replace it/age of car etc... Well, last night DH had to jump someone's battery and in the process of opening the hood of his car accidentally hit the little switch to re-arm the alarm. Fast forward to this morning when I open the car door. . . YOWZA! Not what I was expecting. And, of course, I did not remember where that frickin switch was located and DH is sitting in bed thinking what's going on with the neighbors. Finally, I yell into the house. . . "I need help. It's your car!" We got it taken care of, but not until it had been going off long enough to wake up our house. No phone calls from any neighbors, but I'm sure a few of them heard sirens in their dreams!:p Anyway, I had a great swim after all of that and came home for a good treadmill power walk along with some weights.

Because of our school delay, I did not even send DD to school as she had her orthodontist appt. at 11 am. She had her mold for her retainer done and picked out the color(s). OH MY LORD!! We never had these kind of choices! There was one color and that's it back in "my days." I looked at this board with the gazillion choices and figured we'd be there all day, but she was pretty quick to decide(and only changed her mind once!). she picked a multicolored purple one with a yellow butterfly on one side and a snowflake like star on the other. I was surprised that she did not add the glittler as well. After the appt. I dropped her off at school, went home for lunch, and did the housework today(lots of laundry!).

Stay warm everyone,
Karen

[nhonnold]

Hi all, drive by for me tonight.

I did 3 workouts today and have 2 planned for tomorrow. I walked this morning with DH after kicking him out of bed at 5AM, went to a 30 min core class at the gym, and did 1hr of weights.

Tomorrow I have one class at the gym and a walk planned and hopefully some R&R...

N

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey Karen and Nelum - I had a great post started and my computer froze up so it passed on. Now that I'm back at it I'm fading fast.

1, 3 hour class left and I'm done. I even spun for 45 minutes tonight.

Tired more than I can imagine so off to bed,
Les

[nhonnold]

Drive by again tonight - I'm hoping insanity life stops with today! :eek:

I did the abs and back class at work and somehow got myself into a half marathon towards the end of this year :confused:

On the upside I have a work out buddy - well at least a running buddy. :D

Have a great and blessed night! (and no I have not been staying up late playing the new online game....)

N

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey Nelum, glad you're here even if for a drive by. I'm not sure if you are happy or perplexed about the 1/2 marathon at the end of the year. Have you ever run one before? Don't short sell insanity either - it's a fun place to be. ;) But seriously, I hope that things settle down for you shortly.

Karen - I hope that you aren't freezing up there. It's plenty cold here today and I can only imagine that it's really cold up there. I think it was below zero wind chill this morning and only topped out at 21 or 22 today. It must be driving you crazy. That's kind of a funny story about your DH's car and the alarm. Hopefully you didn't get whacked today too. There's a choice when it comes to a retainer? Never figured that but then I guess everything comes "supersize" these days. Hopefully it's warm enough to let the kids out this weekend and you don't get cabin fever with them inside.

It feels good to be done with class for a couple weeks then it's back to the regular grind for a while. This week was a neat class but 15 hours of contact in 5 days is just a bit much. Next week should be an interesting one for me - I'm planning on escaping to points south again (Appomattox for my next spell in the hopper). I'll be out of town for the Inauguration (darn! ;) ) but will be back by the weekend.

I spun for a short ride tonight, only about 30 minutes. If the wind behaves tomorrow I'll probably run when it gets balmy - the high is supposed to be 22 tomorrow which will be fine running weather.

Grace and peace to all,
Les

[karen w]

Les-gotta ask out of curiousity. . . Do you own a spin bike or do you use one at a gym? And if so, is it worth it for you to own one? As you know DH and I recently tried it out(and liked it) and he posed this question to me for when our recumbant stationary bike eventually bites the dust as this is the oldest piece of all of our equipment. I immediately responded that we would replace it with a newer more updated stationary, but now I am just wondering what are your thoughts?

Yep, it is most definetely cold here, but being a tough mid-west gal, I can handle it and the kids bundle up and go outside to play. I have been getting in all of my workouts in spite of the cold including this morning, but the rest of theday today was a bit whacko. Tomorrow was supposed to be our already once canceled Hanukkah brunch with FIL and friend, SIL/BIL and neice/nephew. However panic mode set in yesterday with a tiny bit of snow in the forecast for tomorrow(~1" expected:rolleyes:) so this AM early FIL calls and asks if he and his companion can come today. SIL/BIL would not come but they would bring the gifts that they had bought for my kids and I could send the gifts that I bought for my neice and nephew back with them. So that is what happened. I thawed a coffee cake this morning, cut up some fresh fruit, baked some latkes that I had in the freezer. FIL brought bagels, and I had some homemade lox and whitefish salad so we all had a bit to nibble on and a quick whirlwind visit before they breezed outta here by 4 PM. The boys were invited to the movies and I had already said "yes" yesterday so they went after seeing "poppa" and saw him briefly when they got back. DD had a nice visit with poppa and did not have to "share" him with her brothers this afternoon.;) Anyway, now the house is back in order, company has left and tonight as well as tomorrow will be a quiet time. DH just went out to get a movie for us tonight and we will bump our homemade pizza night to tomorrow night.

Stay warm and have a nice holiday Monday,

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

I figured you would do fine with the weather - you always do. I partly don't blame folks for not wanting to drive in the snow, especially if they live on the Island since I doubt it snows out there all that much. It's good that you kept the Hanukkah stuff in the freezer for just this kind of potentiality. Good that FIL and his friend got there safely and I bet DD had a blast with Grandpa. It's also good that you could keep the boys on their schedule so that they had fun with their friends and still got to see G'pa. I hope that the snow doesn't appear like they're expecting down here - we've gotten a day's respite from the forecasted snow.

As for a spinning bike, I don't have anything that neat. What I spin on is my road bike that is mounted on a trainer. Definitely not as slick as one of the official spinning bikes but it does in the pinch and from what I understand definitely cheaper in the long run since I already owned my bike when LW bought it for me for Christmas a couple years ago. Makes riding in the winter easy and safe (it also allows me to study without distraction). With that said, I seem to remember Laura had a spinning bike and loved it. I would guess that a spinner would be less difficult to maintain when compared to a standard stationary bike (of either position - upright or recumbant).

I did trudge out today and had a blast running. It was chilly but nice on the outward leg - of course the wind was at my back. I would be lying if I said that it wasn't cold either because I was wearing 3 long sleeve (technical fiber) shirts and a tank top, a stocking cap, mitten/gloves (the ones that have mitten tops that can be velcroed back exposing your fingertips), heavy weight running tights and wind pants. My arms were a little cool on my walk breaks (I'm running 7 minutes and walking 1 minute during my Saturday run) but all in all I was happy during my run. Of course, my face got a little chapped/wind burned during the run so it feels like my face is slightly on fire. :rolleyes:

News from the home front - Dad is having issues with Vicodin and ended up with what appears from here to be a panic attack this morning about 12:30 am. His doctor prescribed Lopressor to help regulate his heart rate (spiked during his anxiety/panic attack) so I hope that he gets past the panic/anxiety. I think it's partly because he came off the Vicodin after about 10-14 days of taking it. He took ES tylenol and that seemed to help him calm down which leads me to believe that his issue had to do with pain in or around his incision. Still, a pretty frazzling day down there and up here. Good for mom that LW was there with her and Dad.

Oh well, this has gotten long and I think I'm going back to my Intern parish (a week early) tomorrow morning for three services so I'll sign off and see you in the funnies. Keep warm all and maybe, just maybe I'll start a new thread tomorrow. :eek:

Peace and grace,
Les