HL/WWSG - Week of April 24th

[Leslie Ferguson]

Greetings friends, both long term and new additions to the community. What a grand couple weeks we‘ve had. There have been signs of spring abounding across the country only to be followed up by snow - go figure! :confused: It has been a busy time with our regulars and even a couple peeps from new comers. I hope we keep our spirited discussions flowing this week as in the past couple.

Like I alluded to, we’ve had some decent reports from our veteran HL/WWSG members which is a good thing. In an attempt to “catch up” without over-taxing the opening salvo in this weeks thread I’ll summarize (again) my thoughts from the last week or so that have stood out among the group include:

Family life - Leah getting closer still to her wedding day (about 3 weeks I believe); Karen’s family celebrating Passover at IL house; Jackie O DS doing well in Tennis (still).
SUCCESSES! - my successful completion of the 2005 Boston marathon; Karen’s family plugging ahead (as always) with school etc.
Stressful living - Leah trying to sort out the remaining wedding issues; Lisa‘s bad news on the medical front (prayers ongoing); Laura recovering from her broken nose; Sarah’s office being broken into (again); my recovery from tooth extraction (going well really).
Healthful living - Leah resisting temptations from the cookies and ice cream; everybody making their workouts and for the most part eating in a healthy manner.
Missing in Action - Heather (but she and DH were in Paris :D ); Jacki hoping things have settled down for her.

Healthful living this week should include:
Sun - XT w/weights
Mon & Tue - ? Imposed rest from tooth
Wed - Run (after having been cleared by the oral surgeon)
Thu - Bike (or rest)
Fri - Rest
Sat - Long run

Healthful living - Call the doctor to get a new appointment for orthotics - the ones I have are wrong (see comments from last week).

Short and to the point because I’ve got to fly to the gym but I’ll be back later. I hope that I haven‘t excluded or slighted anyone - that‘s never my intention. Until this evening friends and visitors -

Peace,
Les

[helios7]

Yep, I'm here... and have been for a few weeks (meaning not in Paris). Its the end of the semester and I'm just busy! 3 presentations, one case study, one summary of my tutoring all semester, and one research paper all due this Tues and Weds. Plus we were apartment searching, and now we've found one. But there's getting them all the necessary paperwork, not to mention all the craziness that happens at my job/school with the spring fundraisers... AAAH! Things should settle down next week when my semester officially ends,but then I finish the semester in time to spend month off from graduate school (not regular full time job school) before June classes start.... packing. So life is just nuts.

But i have been at the gym 3-4 days a week at 6:20 am plus once or twice on the weekends so I'm proud of that. And despite the craziness we've been eating pretty well...

Thanks for thinking of me Les, I am here and hopefully life will settle down soon and I can do more than a quick flip through the boards!

Happy weeke everyone!
heather

[karen w]

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

Heather-Hiya!! You ARE a busy little bee!;) I hope Paris was wonderful(I'm sure it was), and gave you a little reprieve from your busy life. Thanks for stopping by to say "Hi."

Les-Thanks again for the eloquent and succint weekly summary. Sounds like you got in a nice ride and a pool run to boot yesterday without any undue harm to your mouth. Good for you! Hope all goes as planned this week at the oral surgeon.

We started off the day yesterday a bit rocky. DS#1 had one of his "attitudes.":mad: Fortunately DH and I are on the same page when it comes to dealing with these kind of things, we communicate with each other, and are pretty darn consistent. So in the end Mom and Dad were victorious!;) We headed to SIL/BIL's after swimming, and made remarkable time so killed an hour at Costco which is next door to SIL/BIL's house. Did not buy anything....just had to kill time. At 4:30PM we made our appearance. The cousins all played while the adults chatted, helped get things set up for the Seder etc... until everyone arrived. The Seder was very nice, the company pleasant, the kids enjoyed each other, and over all another successful Passover! My desserts were a hit. Everyone kept telling me I should go into business and sell the stuff. I really prefer cooking to baking, though. Anyway, the drive home was uneventful, but we were all very tired and we did not make quite as good timing as on the way there. The kids all fell asleep just shortly after we made it to the highway. DH and I finally crawled into bed about 1:30 am. This morning I biked and did some abs(no weights, though....just did not feel like it). I made the kids brunch(scrambled matzo and eggs with salamie, fruit and yogurt). DS#1 went to a b-day party this afternoon, and now the kids are outside playing with some neighbors on the swingset(except DD who fell asleep after dinner on the couch), DH is doing some work outside, and I'm just mellowing out/winding down before the bedtime routine.

Tomorrow the kids go back to school(yippee!:D ) and DH has the day off. I plan on swimming and kicking. Also need to take my minivan in for its emissions test/inspection.

Have a good evening everyone!

Karen

[JackieO]

Hi, everybody!

I <think> my life is settling back down a little bit, at least for the next two weeks. Mid- to late May will suck again, but by then we'll be in summer-time mode (w/a DH who is a teacher, my life gets a LOT easier when he's home!).

Only worked out twice last week (cardio) and then just did one upper body workout! :eek: This week should be better -- DS has tennis on Thursday and Saturday, so my after-work time should be my own. On Friday, DS played in the #1 doubles spot with a different partner from last year (his last year partner has a lock on #1 singles this year, but DS could challenge him if he wants to play singles). They struggled, but won a three-set match against a pair of sophomore twins who DS and his last year's partner handled easily. Those twins, however, will definitely be contenders as they mature and gain experience.

Cooked a lot this weekend. "Road-tested" a few recipes in advance of our next progressive supper with the neighbors. I made Gorgonzola Polenta bites and stuffed artichoke bottoms last night to go with our jerked pork chops. After the trip to the cheese store (we have a GREAT new cheese shop located next to a snobby wine store), DH and I weren't even the least bit hungry. So....there are leftover pork chops on this week's menu! Also made a fabu jerked shrimp on Friday night with a wild rice and shiitake/crimini mushroom pilaf.

Other than that, it was a pretty lazy weekend.

Hope to see and hear more from you guys this week.

Later.

[lisalee]

Heather- I agree that the beginning of the end of the school year is just crazy! In about two weeks we are having our end of the year meeting (what needs to be done and by when) plus our goals are due by May 6th, and I too have to pack although it isn't to move into an apartment but I have to move my classroom. I'm glad that you and DH had a great time in Paris.

Jackie-glad to hear the life is slowing down some. Do you think that maybe your son and his partner just don't have their timing yet, and that's why they struggled with the other team? Check in when you can (because we both know I'm not always here!)

Karen-I'm glad that Passover Seder went so well. Your baking did sound amazing. While I'm getting back into cooking, I have always enjoyed baking just a little more. Has lots to do with I took over the complete meal preparation at the age of 12 and so burned out for a while.

Les-I hope you get the ok from the dentist to start working out the way you want. Sounds like the rest of your exercise time was well spent. I seemed drawn to your days of rest on your weekly schedule!;) Naps seem to be very important to me these days.

Tomorrow starts another day on the roller coaster. I went to the PCP last thursday-let's just say the visit took me by surprise. I won't write the whole story here, but it is enough to say that I am once again back at square one. I don't like square one very much! Being totally exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally, I came down with a severe cold with fever thursday night. So I stayed home Friday from school and spent most of the day asleep. Saturday I would get up to do something and then have to take a long nap aferward (this would be where naps come in!) Today I managed to walk the dogs for an hour and only slept for a hour or two. School should be interesting tomorrow. The good thing is that I have been drinking lots and lots of water over the weekend-food didn't sound good and what I ate didn't agree with me.

Healthy Living goals
1. One day at a time
2. Reach out to people when I feel like I'm close to the edge (which seems to be often)
3. Find another PCP
4. my water consumption
5. try to keep my routine. this is really hard when all I really want to do is pull the covers over my head and stay there for a long, long, long time. keeping the routine would be going to the gym (I haven't gone for two weeks)

That's about it from my end. Hope everyone enjoyed their sunday, and stayed warm where it turned cold again. Have a productive and enjoyable monday.
Lisa

[Leslie Ferguson]

Ah - sometimes I forget there are "other" jobs out there that really work on a different cycle than me, like the teachers in the group. Considering that I don't have kids I don't always remember that we are approaching the end of the school year.

Heather - Good for you to get to the gym and keep a reasonable schedule even with all the school (employment) and classes (grad school) going on right now. How are classes going these days? Congrats on the new digs too. Are you excited to move into the new "first of the marriage" apartment?
Karen - Glad the trip to and from LI was uneventful. Having to kill an hour in Costoc - without buying anything - I'm not sure I could do that. Funny how we are "better" at things (like baking) that we don't enjoy the most. I'm a lot the same way. For some reason I bake well and make wild desserts but don't really eat them - go figure. Way to stand together with DH regarding DS#1. I've always found that to be the best for both the kid and the parents (sanity at least). It sounds like you are ready for the kids to get back to school - just in time. It sounds like DH could "pick up" a little extra work tomorrow to spell you. Hope you have a relatively peaceful week.
Jackie O - Good to hear from you and glad to hear that DS is doing well in tennis still. Is he "just" playing doubles or is he doing singles too?
Lisa - Thank you for checking in. What a roller coaster week you had and it doesn't look much more fun in the coming weeks either. I'll say a big prayer for finding a new PCP. I'll chime in (listening to my still, small, mothering voice) that you probably need the rest to save up energy - so don't sweat the naps or being away - I know we don't begrudge you the personal time. I'll be your cheerleader around here (of course I bet I'm not the exclusive one either).

As much as I am loathe to take a couple more rest days I think (listening to that still, small voice) I should take advantage of them. I think there may be a good reason the doctor tells you to rest for a week after a tooth extraction (besides possibly ripping stitches out) and there's nothing that I'm really on the hook for right now. Besides, if I play my cards right I may be able to do some "nagging" things at work and home that I can't seem to get to when I work and work out (properly fixing the toilet, installing the new thermostat on the AC both the central one and the room AC in the sewing room, etc.). As for the rest of my day - pretty uneventful at the gym and I was successful with my dinner attempt. The "what" wasn't the big thing tonight - fajita salad is pretty easy - but the "how" was neat. I didn't have any pre-made shells (and really wouldn't like them anyway) so I formed shells out of multi-grain tortillas heated under the broiler draped over a pyrex bowl. I was impressed that it actually worked like I envisioned it. That is a rare case for something as imprecise as homemade non-fried tostada shells. And guess what - I didn't burn either one (mine or LWs). Woo Hoo!

Oh well, the witching hour approaches and I've still got a couple things to complete. Until morning dear friends -- peace,
Les

[Sarah428]

Is it Monday already?!?

Les-Yep, I think a few more days "off" is probably a good idea. And just think of all the things you can cross off your nagging list in the mean time.

Karen-Sounds like you had a nice Passover weekend. I too like cooking better than baking, but than again I haven't spent much time with either lately:o .

Lisa-You're in my thought everyday, I hope you find some direction to get off square one soon.

Heather-Welcome Back! Sounds like you have a hectic couple weeks ahead off you...guess that's the price you pay for heading off to Paris;). Keep up the good work, I don't think I'd have the dedication you have to the gym with your workload.

Jackie-Your "road-testing" recipes made my mouth water. I love jerk...in fact having jerk chicken tonight!

My weekend was spent painting just about every room in the house, and it wasn't planned! In preparing to put our house on the market I went through and patched holes from nails, etc. and then went downstairs to get the leftover paint to do the touch ups only to find the DH had recycled the paint and 1 paint was actually a shade lighter. So we just went ahead and painted two rooms and the dining room ceiling. No "real" exercise this weekend but believe me, the painting and keeping Ella occupied was enough.

So now about the house selling. My builder that we had talked to last year about building us a house called a month ago and said he was building a 3 bd ranch on the lot that we looked at. Long story short we have a "hold" on the house until July 25th (meaning he won't put it on the market while it's being built) and we have until then to sell our house and buy that one. We're extremly excited but with rates going up I'm starting to fret about getting ours sold. The sign will go in the yard later this week...wish us luck!

Goals for this week:
1. Snack on fruits,etc. (Read "Stay away from the ice cream")
2. Get back on schedule at the gym
3. Even though it's going to be a busy week don't stress out!
4. Prepare house for selling and get garage sale stuff ready without too much stress

Happy Monday All!
Sarah

Les, my 1/2 marathon is this Saturday and the 25K in May 14th...hopefully it won't snow:p

[Laura]

Hi everyone,

It seems like I haven't cornered the market on busy lives. Friday was our annual corporate meeting; it is never as painful as I expect it to be, but that really isn't my thing.

Saturday and Sunday were spent at a swim meet in Denver with DS who continues to improve. This was the first "long course" meet of the season where the kids switch from racing in 25 yard pools to 50 meter pools. It is always a tough meet because about halfway through you are expecting to hit a wall. Still DS did well and took off significant time from even his best 25 yard times, so that was good.

I didn't exercise nearly as much as I needed to and I didn't eat as well as I would have liked, but today has started well. I am off to the Y in about a hour to run and do lower body weights.

Lisa, I am so sorry you are currently back to square one. Does your insurer have any type of patient advocates person who might be able to help you wade through all this? Maybe a friend who could take on the burden? You remain in my prayers.

Les, I am glad you following doctor's orders and resting; I am sure your body is appreciating the rest as well following last week's events in Boston.

Karen, glad your Passover was nice! I know the benefits of having the kids back in school. I love them but it does affect my usual routine.

Jackie, your cooking does sound great. I definitely feel like I am in a rut with cooking of late. Good to know that DS is continuing to do well in tennis.

Heather - phew, I am tired just reading about your schedule! I keep wanting to go back and get my masters but not sure where I can fit it in.

Sarah, good house selling vibes coming your way! I am sure you will do great in your 1/2.

[helios7]

2 for 2 ... can she keep it up ? :)

Thanks for all the warm welcomes guys, I don't forget about you when I disappear! I just tend to read and run.

Re: my workouts and a busy schedule. Its very easy. I pack the bag the night before. So, when that alarm goes off at 5:50, turning it off would mean having to UNPACK that bag in order to get the days clothes, makeup etc. And that's just pitiful. It sounds dumb, but its been working. For example last Thursday, was out until 10:30, didn't pack bag and didn't go to gym Friday morning. So hey, whatever works ... for now.

Did I mention my new apartment will have a brand new YMCA complete with pool and basketball court (as well as regular gym) and that as a bonus we get free memberships! :)

Yep. Life's a crazy.

Les - Yes, DH and I are both excited about the move to the apartment. Its a nicer apartment than the one we live in now (even though the rent is the same), practically floor to ceiling windows, bigger kitchen with a DISHWASHER, double the size of our current apt etc. Now we jsut want to move although when that will happen has yet to be determined.

Sarah - good luck with the houseselling thing. Finding an apartment to rent seems way too complicated... I can't imagine the complexities in buying/selling.

Karen - I'll differ. I prefer to bake and cook equally. I think maybe I prefer to bake, but for the sake of my waistline that can't happen too often. But you get more oohs and aahs when baking. But I do enjoy cooking a lot too....

Lisa - Its nuts how crazy the end of the year can get. And we don't end until June 15 - that's when the KIDS end. But between fundraisers, conference wrapups - gotta love the delinquent parents who still haven't made it to a conference.... nuts!

Hi to anyone I missed...

OH, Laura - I'm really pushing myself to get this second degree done fast. I'm basically going full-time while working fulltime. Most normal people go a little slower and don't have quite the crunch I've managed to get myself into! So don't think its all craziness all the time! :)

heather

[karen w]

It's nice to see a busy thread so soon in the week for a change!! Hello everyone!:)

Heather-It helps to have 3 kids and a DH(as well as the hounds where DH works) when I bake too much. Besides cookies, I'm not big on sweets anyway and the kids don't need that much. All I can say is "WOW" on the YMCA as part of the new digs. That will be a big bonus.

Laura-Congrats to DS for some more successful swimming. What year is he in? Freshman? Or higher ranks?? Is there alot more time in his high school career to shed some time off his events? I hope so!;)

Sarah-Wow! What good fortune on the house. I'll cross my fingers for you and DH that it becomes a reality this summer. And what a weekend painting! Whew!!

JackieO-Sounds like you did some yummy cooking this weekend. Glad to hear you get a little break from your fast paced life for a short while.

Lisa-I THINK YOUR GOALS ARE SO PERFECT!!!:) I'll continue to think good thoughts for you!

Les-How did it go with the oral surgeon? That was today, wasn't it????:confused: Oh well, if I am recalling incorrectly, enjoy a couple more days of rest!;)

DH and I stayed up late last night watching a movie. It was pretty goo(I, Robot). Still had a pretty decent swim this morning. The pool was a bit busier today, but not too bad. DH did the morning bus runs, so after breakfast I ran out to get milk, fruit etc... and went to kickboxing. The afternoon was a few more errands. Sears to find shorts for DS#1(success!). He is hard to fit. And on the way home I stopped to get groceries so I can cook something for dinners this week. The fridge is getting pretty bare since the weekend was spent at the families, so I did not do my usual "cooking ahead." Hopefully I'll get to it by Wednesday, or.....not sure what we'll be dining on this week!:o

Tomorrow I will swim. The rest of the morning is going to be at school for DD's center time and DS#2's writer's workshop. I will probably have just enough time in between to run over to town hall for summer beach passes. Then I plan on hitting Costco(to actually buy stuff this time, Les!!:D ) after lunch. DD and DS#2 have art class after school. That about covers it for me.

Have a nice night.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Sarah - Best of luck on getting the house to come together, both the sale of your current house and the purchase of the new house. I'll be thinking of you on Saturday - which 1/2 marathon is it you are running? I hope the temps are pleasant for the race (in my book cool is better for races - something like 50) and the skies are clear. Your painting sounds like fun even if it grew larger than originally expected.
Laura - I always disliked long course races. It always seemed like one length of a 50 meter pool was longer than 2 lengths of a 25 meter pool. Congrats to DS on his improvements too.
Heather - Moving up - always fun. And it's nice to get the amenities too - a dishwasher! Woo Hoo! Also pretty neat about the Y in the new complex - a double bonus in my book. Regarding workouts - whatever it takes. I remember when I had to exercise in the morning I set my clothes right at the foot of my bed so when I got up to turn off the alarm clock (across the room) I stepped on them and couldn't go back to sleep without the nagging feeling of knowing my gear was right there.
Karen - I didn't have an official visit to the oral surgeon today but I did call him. It seemed that I had a "tan" thing hanging down from the extraction site that I thought was not a stitch (it ended up it was a stitch). The doc talked to me on the phone and said that I appeared to be moving in the right direction and if I could get in we could count today as my 1 week follow-up. Needless to say I couldn't knock off for 90 minutes to get to the surgeon to get checked out. But based on his comments I feel justified to try something easy tomorrow - even before I get a final check out by the doctor. Good tag team with DH and the kids today. It's nice that you can share the burden of getting the kids on the bus with him. Good job on your workout too.

For today I rested again. No need to haphazardly do a workout since I'm still officially off working out. It did feel good to rest but I need to do something tomorrow or I'll go stark raving mad. But I think I won't push it too hard regardless - no need to spoil a good thing really.

Anyway, until morning I pray you all have a peaceful night of sleep and awaken to a pleasant tomorrow.

Peace,
Les

[Sarah428]

Heather - Your new apartment sounds wonderful! Isn't it funny how excited we can get over a dishwasher;). I do the same thing in the morning, all my workout gear in laid out and ready to go. The alarm goes off at 4:45 and I'm in the gym parking lot by 5:10.

Karen - Thanks for the house selling wishes! And yes, isn't it nice to have it a little busier around here so we don't seem to be talking to ourselves:p

Laura - Congrats to your DS on his 25 yard time, you must be beaming!

Les - The 1/2 is sponsored by a local hospital (Borgess Run for the Health of It - Kalamazoo, MI) and it's pretty informal. The weather report for Saturday is about 58, a chance of rain depending on who you listen to. Hope you're able to get some "sane" movement in, don't want you to go mad:).

Last night was spent de-cluttering the closets so they look HUGE to our potential buyers. Then had some cuddle time on the "big chair" with DH.

Had a good circuit training workout this morning. I was also asked by the local triathlete "team" if I'd like to join them and start training for some tris this summer - yikes! Not sure I'm ready but I'm going to do some thinking. Every reason I had to not do it they shot down (ie. "I have time constraints"..."we all have time constraints" - "I don't have a bike"..."we can get you geared up for free")!

Tonight my friend is having a linguire (sp?) party, DH is more excited than I am;)!

Sarah

[karen w]

Sarah-Holy Moly!! Triathalon! That's pretty exciting and very flattering. And geesh, if you get a bike in the deal, I say "go for it." Let us know what happens. I know you will make the best decision for yourself. Cuddle time with the DH is always a good thing. DH and I did that too last night after the kids went to bed. Of course, our cuddle time always leads to other things!:o :eek:

Les-Well, I hope you got in a light workout today, so you don't go stark raving mad!!:D It's good to hear the healing process is going well, though.

I had an excellent swim this morning. Some days you just have more energy than others, I guess. Anyway, I spent most of the morning bouncing from DD's classroom to DS#2's doing my volunteer thing. In between I had just enough time to go to the town hall to pick up our summer beach passes. This afternoon I did my Costco shopping for the week.

Tomorrow's plan is to swim and kick again(not both in the pool, of course!:D ).

Enjoy the evening!

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Sarah - I also agree, it is interesting when we get excited over simple things like a dishwasher. I'm not really sure what it was about our house but I remember the excitement of having the new house (old one actually but that's a different story) with the front porch swing (that we took down before Hurricane Isabel a couple years ago). Getting involved with a triathlon team - way to go! Just be careful that you don't go overboard when you get hooked - even simple triathlon bikes are VERY ESPENSIVE. And I don't doubt that DH was looking forward to the lingerie party. ;)
Karen - It looks like you're back to your busy self now that school break is over. You really sound like you have a blast assisting in DD and DS#2's class - that's really special. Swimming and kicking tomorrow - that's the Karen I've come to enjoy on the thread.

Now for the true confession - I didn't do anything again today. My "justification" was I'm still not cleared to exercise (even though I KNOW I'd be ok). I had the day from he!! at work, pop-up meetings on both sides of lunch, one of our LAN is acting very badly for the 5th day in a row and we've had the "pros from Dover" looking at it to no avail. I think we've made progress today at about 6 pm... maybe tomorrow. The worst thing is I wanted to do something but I also was lethargic as all get out. Maybe because I didn't sleep well last night (LW has late spring allergies, a borderline sinus infection, and laryngitis [SP?]). Tomorrow there will be no excuse - I'll be cleared by 8:45 and there's nothing on the schedule for tomorrow so... I will work out for the first time in about a week (a real workout that is).

It looks like I'm going to get back to going to bed early (for me) and try to get sufficient sleep tonight so I'll push until morning. I pray everyone has a peaceful Tuesday and remainder of the week.

Your friend,
Les

[Sarah428]

Originally posted by Leslie Ferguson
Getting involved with a triathlon team - way to go! Just be careful that you don't go overboard when you get hooked - even simple triathlon bikes are VERY ESPENSIVE.
The expense is probably what is holding me back the most. Even though the team will provide a bike to get me started I can see myself getting hooked on all the latest gear and gizmos. With moving into a more expensive house and planning on baby #2 within the next year we don't need any extra expenses!

No gym this morning although I was there! The normal 5am person's DS has been sick so fill-ins have been opening up. This morning no one showed up, so after 20 minutes in the parking lot I went home to get a jump start on my day.

Getting our early today to attend neice track meet. She's 13 and currently the fastest girl in the district!!!

Les - Sorry yesterday was a bust:(. Hope this morning was just what you needed.

Karen - Out of curiosity just how do you keep everything straight? You seem soooo busy, I get worn out just ready your posts;)

Off to get some work done!
Sarah

[Leslie Ferguson]

Good news - I've been cleared to run again. I think - for my sanity - that I'll go for arun from work very shortly. I will probably also go to the track to do some easy stuff with my coach tonight but it may well be raining and I'm not sure how many will be out in the bad weather. Back to work in preparation for my run. :cool:

Peace and good tidings to everyone,
Les

[Sarah428]

Congrats Les!

BTW: You need to change your line to Boston '05;)

[karen w]

Good evening folks,

I had another really good swim this morning in spite of having the "flailer" in my lane for part of the swim.:rolleyes: At least today he did not make those underwater grunting noises as loud as he usually does, and he stayed on his side a bit better!:p Anyway, I ended up accidentally leaving my Zoomers(flippers) in the locker room. It was raining so I had my gym bag in one hand and an umbrella in the other so I did not miss them until I got home.:rolleyes: After I got the kids off to school, I stopped back and picked them up. Did a few quick errands(needed to pick up some stuff for next week which is teacher appreciation week at school, and then went to kickboxing. It was quite a sweaty class today!:D After lunch and picking up DD, I did a bit of cooking since the fridy is empty now. Fortunately DH had a work lunch so he called to tell me he wanted a very light supper which means my sauce for my pasta can sit in the fridge overnight to get happier.;) The kids and I had soup and sammies while I made DH his once a year matzoh brie. DD had Daisy's this evening. This weekend she is supposed to go on an encampment. The weather is supposed to be wet, but they are going rain or shine. I'm predicting I will have one very wet, grimy, and tired daughter Sat. night. I just hope they have fun. I'm going to be the emergency contact person for the day.

Tomorrow I will swim and I think I might try to go to a BBC class in addition to my regular kickboxing.

Les-Congratulations on your new freedom. I hope you enjoyed your run tonight. Just what the doctor ordered, huh!!??;) And I would not worry about taking a day off here or there. I think you and I have that compulsive, addictive type personality that won't let a day turn into weeks, months etc... Yet as easy as it is for me to say this to you, I know taking a day off here or there kills me, too!:o

Sarah-I hope your niece does well today! How do I keep things straight??? Well, a huge desk calendar helps as well as my compulsive type A personality I mentioned above.:D

Have a good night everyone,

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - So that's how you do it - a big desk calendar. My type A ends up putting notes on little yellow pads, scraps of paper, and post-it notes. You'd figure an anal-retentive person like me would be more systematic but I have honed my mind to remember most every thing. But I'll add that important things (prayer requests, birthdays, milestone days) go into my "brain" - my PDA. I don't know what I did without that thing all these years. I know what you mean - I really know in my heart of hearts that I don't need to work out as much as I do but I also find I have more energy when I work out regularly. That and it is hard to not work out when you can't (doctor's orders) and you feel good than when you don't want to and you feel bad (tired). It was especially hard because this was a "can't" period. Glad you got your flippers back and that you have a decent plan for tomorrow (must have big dates on your desk calendar ;) ).
Sarah - I hope your niece did well today and that you are getting stoked for this weekends run. I really like running in smaller races because I actually know lots of folks who do events here in Norfolk. Note the change in tag line?

I had a good double workout today. I ran at lunch for me - my pace (slower than normal but still a nice day for a run). Then I went and caught up with my coach at the track and ran a couple really easy miles (probably 3 - 3.5). Not so much for the run but to catch up with what's been going on with him.

It looks like a good week for everyone that has checked in - teachers really busy getting ready for the end of the school year, parents keeping schedules juggled, and then me -- fooling around all the time. ;) And with that I'll wrap up and start towards the bed that's calling my name. Until tomorrow dear friends.

Peace,
Les

[Laura]

Hi all,

Well I finally got a good workout in this a.m. I have been so lethargic of late, and I am not really sure of the cause.

This week it is just DS and I at home. DD is in Anaheim at a National Academic Marketing/Leadership Competition, but it sounds more like a vacation given all the theme parks she is going to visit :rolleyes:. I am hoping a scholarship comes out of this as the trip was not cheap.

Thanks for the congrats on DS. He is actually only in 7th grade (13) and has only been swimming competively for 2 1/2 years so he is doing remarkably well. He is a late bloomer physically and still needs a lot of stroke technique, but it getting close to hitting some milestones (under a minute for the 100 Free, and under 27 seconds for the 50 free). His coaches actually think he will be very good if (and that is a big if) he decides to focus and really make this his sport.

Sarah, that is cool that you were approached about the triathlon club. I must admit that cycling is what keeps me from really looking into triathlons. I just don't have the extra $$ money to spend a good road bike right now.

Les, I hope you were able to enjoy your run; I know you must have been going nuts with the imposed activity restrictions.

Karen, I have the big calendar right next to my desk (a dry erase board). It is very rare that I actually have a "white box" where we have nothing to do.

Have a great day everyone!

Laura

[Sarah428]

Well last night was a nice, but chilly, walk with Lily. This morning I met the running group at the coffee shop for a going away party for a girl that's going to Jackson Hole for the summer. I never drink coffee and that one had my buzzing for the rest of the day.

Get to leave an hour early today so guess I'll talk Lily for another good walk since no workout this morning. Still trying to decide if I want to do circuit training tomorrow. I'm usually somewhat sore the next day, which in this case will be the 1/2 marathon day. Plus I have to work until 8pm tomorrow night doing a girl scout program!

Hope everyone is having a great day, gotta run, so much to finish before leaving early!

Take care,
Sarah

[Leslie Ferguson]

Sarah - Happy early off day today. My opinion - I'd take it easy tomorrow before the half-marathon. I know that the 25k race is the goal but considering the half is your first one at that distance there's no need to put that and the real goal race at risk. I guess what I'm saying is take tomorrow off - your body will appreciate it.
Laura - I didn't realize about DS and his age etc. Those times are great for a 13 y/o. Congrats on your run today and I hear you about the cost of bikes and triathlons.

I enjoued run number two for the week (or is it 3). Back to back days - and my legs were a little heavy to start. It's nice to be able to run again - now all I need to do is to get my shoes/orthotics (if needed) figured out.

Happy Thursday today and here's looking at all of you.

Peace,
Les

[helios7]

Still here...

Glad tomorrow's Friday. Did make it to the gym this morning although it was hard. Hard to wake up, hard to motivate ... but that ever present bag got me to do it. Its great, I take the subway to the gym which is two blocks from work. And then I'm already feeling so proud of myself that the day just feels better. I really like exercising in the morning!

Its just the lack of sleep this week that makes it so tough. Anyways. enough about me.

Sarah - triathalon huh? That's crazy stuff. I understand the reluctance to take on new expenses - but I hope it works out if you're secretly hoping it wilL! :)

Les - I'm glad you're able to get moving again, although I'm sure the break helped your body rest just a little bit. :)

Karen - I hope to be half the organized mom you are one day! One day.... :)

Laura - I hear you on the lethargy. Sometimes its hard to get going - life is just so busy!

And i think that's everyone....got another paper to write! Enjoy your evenings everyone!

heather

[karen w]

Good evening,

Les-Yippee! Your a free, exercising man again! I bet that feels great. I'm glad you enjoyed your runs. (Interject motherly voice with wagging finger....now just don't overdo it right away young man!:D ).

Laura-Wow! I did not realize DS was that young either. I hope he stays focused, too. Sounds like he'll do well if he can keep on track!

Sarah-One cup of coffee and I'd be buzzing around the room. You'd have to peel me off the ceiling. I just can't take the caffeine! Good luck this weekend.

Heather-Yep, I'm glad tomorrow is Friday, too! And I hear ya' on the morning exercise. It just gets the day going in the right direction.

And speaking of days, mine started with a good swim. I went to kickboxing as well and stayed for my BBC class. It was very helpful since only two of us stayed. We went through are "pride form" and our 10 self defense maneuvers we need for black belt. We did not do any sparring. YEAH!! I hate sparring! After lunch I ran to TJ's, came home to make dinner, fold 2 loads laundry, get a third load started(man are the kids producing a ton of dirty clothes, lately!:mad: ), fed DD and DS#2, picked up DS#1 at his after school activity, fed DS#1, fed me:D , bathed DD and DS#2, and FINALLY.............SAT DOWN!:p Gotta go read to the kiddoes soon as bedtime is fast approaching(for them anyway!).

Tomorrow I will swim and likely kickbox as well. I'm planning on getting a haircut in the morning, too. I'm going to try to take DD for one after school. DD and DS#2 have an after school gym class tomorrow, and DS#1 has Cub scouts. That's about it!

Enjoy the evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by karen w
Les-Yippee! Your a free, exercising man again! I bet that feels great. I'm glad you enjoyed your runs. (Interject motherly voice with wagging finger....now just don't overdo it right away young man!:D ).
Positively won't do too much - I've learned my lesson - no really... And you probably know the feeling, like I said earlier it's really hard to not be able to exercise especially when you feel good. I'll take it easy tomorrow - no really I will.
One cup of coffee and I'd be buzzing around the room. You'd have to peel me off the ceiling. I just can't take the caffeine!
Ahh, caffeine neophytes. A blessing [??] (for me) :confused: of drinking all kinds and conditions of coffee for most of the past 25 years - you find the stuff doesn't really bug you. (That may not be a good thing.)
I hope everything falls together for your Friday - it looks like another busy day for you.

Heather - Good for you to get up and get to the gym - even when you don't really feel up to it. That's a great accomplishment and I hope you have a good Friday too.

I think tomorrow will be a rest day - I'll probably not tempt fate and come back too hard. Besides, I'll be on the trail for 10 (or so) miles of running and some untold number of miles on the bike. I actually may be at the trail for over 5 hours if one of our walkers goes for 20 miles ~ 90 minutes of running and the remainder on the back of a bike. Oh joy. :rolleyes:

I look forward to hearing from folks tomorrow to close out the work week. So until morning... Peace,
Les

[Sarah428]

Heather - Once you get into the routine of getting up and going I think mornings are the best to exercise. You're right, it makes you feel great the rest of the day.

Karen - I'm teaching scouts tonight, must be the night! My scouts didn't want to come until 6pm, so I'll be home around 9...nothing like working a 13 hours day - yuk! We're going to be playing with owl pellets, playing habitat and food web games before going on an outdoor scavenger hunt, what are you guys doing?

Les - Today is a rest day for me too, thanks for the advice/wisdom to take it easy for the 1/2 tomorrow.

And speaking of the 1/2 tomorrow here is the forecast:

Tonight, rain is possible with the best chance for showers after midnight. The rain is expected to linger through Saturday morning, dissipating somewhat in the afternoon as the disturbance races eastward. Because the air pressure will be changing rapidly you can expect periods of gusty winds. Saturdays temps, low 38, high of 50.

Oh joy:(. Trying to decide what to wear and what to pack. There are no showers, etc. and I have an hour drive home afterwards so I'll probably need to change out of my soaking clothes. Not much else planned for the weekend, hoping answering phone calls from our house ad.

Have a great weekend, see you Monday!
Sarah

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by Sarah428
And speaking of the 1/2 tomorrow here is the forecast:

Tonight, rain is possible with the best chance for showers after midnight. The rain is expected to linger through Saturday morning, dissipating somewhat in the afternoon as the disturbance races eastward. Because the air pressure will be changing rapidly you can expect periods of gusty winds. Saturdays temps, low 38, high of 50.
Actually, the worst thing about that forecast is the rain prediction. The temp is good to run a race in - just plan on about 42 or 43 as the air temp. But if it's raining, I'm not sure what to do. Without rain you can figure your body will make believe it is a little warmer by the time you get into the race (they say in a marathon the body perceives it being 20 degrees warmer). I recommend taking different layers of clothes - especially rain repellent things. I'll think good dry thought for you too.

Peace,
Les

[Sarah428]

Thanks Les! I don't mind a few sprinkles but not looking foward to rain and gusty winds
:eek:

[Laura]

Not much going on here. The roads were covered in ice this morning so I did not make it to the gym. I will go tonight when DS is at practice. Not feeling very motivated at the moment so I will probably go on the elliptical, slip on some headphones and rock out for about an hour and then some abs.

Tomorrow a.m. I have a spin class. Have a great weekend everyone!

Sarah, I hope the weather forecast is wrong. Here is looking for nice temps of about 50 degrees, no rain, and an ever so slight breeze! :)

[karen w]

Laura-YIKES! Ice!!! I hope spring find Colorado soon!

Sarah-That weather forecast really does suck! Unfortunately, it sounds about like ours for tomorrow and DD is going to be outdoors all day at her Daisy encampment. I just hope the kid in her enjoys stomping in the mud...and you too!;)

Les-Have a good rest! BTW...GOOD BOY!;)

I had a good swim this morning. Got my haircut after breakfast and then went to kickboxing. Gotta wait until tomorrow to see if I like this cut or not. A new person did it. We'll see after I wash it tomorrow. Anyway this afternoon, DD had a friend over to play. Later I took her to her gym class, "Anything Goes." She and DS#2 ran around for 1 1/2 hrs in their class. Needless to say, after dinner she passed out, and is still asleep. She'll need the rest for her encampment tomorrow. DS#1 is at Cub scouts now. He has an "Arrow of Lights" ceremony tomorrow night which has been moved indoors since we are expecting rain tomorrow.

Tomorrow I have to wake up early to get DD to her bus for encampment, so I think I'll head to the pool afterwards instead of biking in the morning. I mean as long as I'm out, I might as well! DH will take the boys to Tae Kwon Do. The rest of the day, I plan on hanging out around the house since I am the emergency contact person for encampment. DH is also working. I have some cooking planned so that should keep me busy.

I hope everyone has a good weekend.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey Laura, doesn't Colorado know it's spring now? Even almost May? What's up with this ice stuff at the end of April? Probably a good idea to not trek out in the ice anyway and since you are going to be out anyway might as well workout at the same time as DS. Be safe out there regardless.

And then Sarah I'm all over a little rain as long as it isn't cold and/or windy too. I hope the scouts showed up a little early, you need to get your rest tonight so you can be primed for tomorrow.

I think you're pretty smart too Karen getting a swim after you take DD for her camping trip. Good that you should have enough time to be the emergency contact for the troop too. I hope your weekend is peaceful and things happen like you want them to.

Not much more from me for the day. Avoided the rain around here but that meant I spent a lot of time inside. I think Laura's lethargy might be contagous - I've been virtually infected! :D ;) As for my weekend, with the exception of the time on the trail tomorrow LW and I are going to a fund raiser at the Canterbury House on Old Dominion University (~1.5 miles from our house). The fund raiser will be a wine tasting and auction. LW has two quilts in the auction (I'm not allowed to bid on them again). I think we'll take our date night tomorrow and go to Build a Bear to make my mom's birthday present (she'll be 67 on May 10th) and she like "things" that are cute (neither she nor my father need anything {their words}). Besides that, it will be a good weekend doing things around the house.

Here's to a good weekend for everyone else. Swift running for Sarah and quiet phones for Karen. Until tomorrow - peace,
Les

[karen w]

Hi Les(and anyone else here over the weekend),

I had a pretty decent day. Dropped DD off this morning at 8:15 am, and was in the pool by 8:40 am. I had a very good swim, but it does tend to be more crowded on the weekend. I think that and the fact that it was not 5:30 am!! Anyway, I snuck a quick jacuzzi after my swim to soak the weary bones even more, and made it home by 10:30 am. DH took the boys to Tae Kwon Do, and they returned about 12:30 PM. I finished my cooking for the freezer and the week today while the boys moped around the house complaining they were bored(mean mommy enforces the "Turn Off The TV Week" so no TV, computer or game boys this week!!) When they asked me what there was to do, they did not care for my suggestion of gathering up some of the toys collecting dust in their rooms so we could donate them to children who are less fortunate. ZING!! Anyway, I did not receive any phone calls all day from the girls which was a good thing. I picked DD up at 4:30 pm. She was a bit wet(gray, cold, and rainy all day here, but at least the worst of the rain i.e. heaviest held off until this evening), but she had a good time. After some pizza(her requested meal) and some fresh fruit, I gave her a bath. She decided she wanted to play in the bath awhile after I cleaned her up. Well, she's just getting out now....after over an hour!!!!!!!!! My daughter, the prune!!!!!

Tomorrow I'll probably stick to biking after the kids get off to religious school. DS#1 has a b-day party in the late afternoon. The weather is supposed to be a bit better, so perhaps I'll be able to shoo everyone outside to play!

Have a good evening, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

I can imagine that it's a little more crowded at 8:30 than at 5:30. Gee, I can't figure out why. ;) You are a mean mom ;) but it's probably best for your kids to enforce the "Turn off the TV" week and it is probably doubly hard when it's ugly outside. Isn't it amazing that they found toys to play with rather than give them up? I can't imagine anything like that happening in my house growing up or even these days. :rolleyes: I'm glad that DD and her trip (and your being on call) went well and she's back home safe and sound.

The fund raiser this afternoon went well. We bought $120 worth of neat stuff and LW's 2 quilts sold for a grand total of $330. Not quite what she expected but she was still happy because there were lots of folks OOHing and AHHing over her work. Then, of course, we had to work on Mom's present and for this year she's getting a stuffed turtle with running shoes. The turtle is named Rose and has a sound box that sounds like a baby laughing. Kathy and I were dying laughing in the store. I'm sure Mom will love it and she'll hoot about it. As for the "work" for the day. I wasn't "stuck" at the trail for the walker doing 20 miles - she only did 16 miles and released me from having to stay. I got a great 12 miler in and then rode 7 miles - and the trail was not wet (no rain at all this morning or afternoon). Then I did some things on the honey-do list - fixed the flush valve in the toilet and mowed the grass (it grows like a weed in the spring here - especially when the humidity is in the 80s and 90s).

Besides that - a great day and spent a little fun time with LW to boot! :D I'll be looking forward to a new thread tomorrow and hope everyone has a safe weekend.

Peace,
Les