Portia and Lola are Besties [that’s Best Friends or BFF for all the lingo-less]. Lola sticks her ENTIRE head inside Portia’s mouth when they are playing. Portia lets Lola nibble on her ears. Portia shows remarkable patience when the puppy is pawing her. And Lola loves her some Portiacakes. Now if only Rocky wouldn’t LOSE HIS MIND and bark non-stop when they played.
Bootcamp Lowdown
So, as mentioned in the previous post, I am back at Bootcamp. Tuesday was my first day back and we did our usually fitness test.
1. How fast can you run a 1km?
2 How many pushups on your toes and/or your knees can you do in 1 minute?
3. How many crunches can you do in one minute?
4. How long can you hold “The Plank” [plank of death!]
5. How long can you hold “The Squat”
While my results were not as good as my last round of bootcamp, they weren’t as bad as my very first fitness test, indicating that while I’ve lot a lot of what I gained, I’m not back at square 1. Whoot whoot.
Although….. after the fitness test we started working out and by Wednesday morning, my legs were so sore I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to sit down on a toilet and get back up. Seems my legs had forgotten all about bootcamp. one of my fellow bootcampers [who is also back after a slight sojourn] noted that she thought she would need help getting her bra off after our pushup work out.
I was telling Michelle that her getting me fit has produced some kind of weird Trickle Down Regan-omics effect. Donna and I now go roller skating and for walks. And I’ve recently introduced the Thursday Nooner at work, where we go for a walk/jog/stumble around the neighboorhood. And while I still believe the over physically fit are peppering the world with LIES [“I just can’t function if I don’t get my 32 km run in!”] I have become a tentative believer in some of the propoganda. I find my body really doesn’t hurt as much when I’m working out regularly.
Back at Bootcamp and training for my next 5km!
Back to Bootcamp
Well, in December, I had to end my last bootcamp a week early, due to a business trip to San Francisco. and then my bootcamp instructor, the Awesome Michelle, went to go climb a mountain. No really. She’s that fit. And so I was going to STAY FIT on my own. and sign up for bootcamp the first chance I had in January.
Only then I didn’t. And I’ve been on a non stop feeding frenzy since Christmas. Like a “It’s the end of the world as we know it” frenzy. It’s been croissants for breakfast and cookies for lunch and cupcakes for dessert.
And I’m not one of those people who get physically sick from eating bad. Just emotionally sick. as in, WTF am I DOING?? WHY am I doing this? Don’t I have any self control? Oh, is that a left over croissant there, hang on…..
So, I signed up for Bootcamp again and tomorrow is day one. I’m only going twice a week this time, because it’s FRAKING FEBRUARY and cold, but I AM going.
Jessi and I have already signed up for a 5k in March, and I’m going to run it. So, it’s back to Bootcamp for me!
A Post by Lola
Hi! I’m still new to this all and trying to figure some stuff out, but here’s how I think it goes.
1. Portia will play with you until Portia is done. And then she will growl. If you don’t back off immediately and show her your belly, she will lay on the smack down.
2. There is no telling when Portia will be done playing. Sometimes it’s five minutes, sometimes it’s 10 seconds.
3. If you walk away from your food bowl more than 5 times during breakfast or dinner, it gets taken away.
4. The best place to potty is the piano room. Paws down. although you get yelled at for it.
5. It is possible to jump off the bed when you get left there, but you have to really really really want it.
6. Mummy does not want to talk to you while she is in the shower.
7. The best water is in Rocky’s bowl, and no one drinks water from anywhere else.
8. I love Rocky. I’m sure he’s just playing hard to get.
9. Going down stairs is WAY HARDER than going up stairs, so it’s best to cry until Mummy feels sorry for you and carries you down.
10. You always get a treat when you go into the crate.
Grocery Store Chit Chat
Don’t you find grocery shopping weird? you put the goods in the cart, to take them out of the cart, have them scanned and then put them in bags and BACK in the cart to take them OUT of the cart again and into your trunk. Can’t there be some way of scanning the groceries as they go INTO the cart and you bag them at the same time? then you could keep a running total of your purchase and put stuff back [by Minus Scanning it] if you were over. Alternatively, you could stock up if you were under.
And why do people need help getting to the car? you managed to shlepp those same groceries all through the store, and to the till but suddenly now you can’t push the cart [parents with small children are excluded from this rant]
But parents with small children you are not excluded from the next rant – control your kids. They do not need miniature shopping carts. They do not need to ‘help’ so they won’t act out. I neither helped my mother with the groceries nor did I have a small cart of my own to push, and I don’t recall ever EVER screaming like a banshee or crying hysterically in the grocery store or GOD HELP ME when we got home. [except for that time mum says I tried to filch a candy bar, but I was like 4 years old] [also mum, if I WAS a bad-ass in the supermarket, now is NOT the time to post it on my blog] [also, I’m not sure what would have happened if I had been bad. I was too afraid to find out. The not knowing was a terrific motivator].
Every deli needs a number system. or else we’re all standing around trying to figure out who is next.
I don’t need that many mustards to choose from. Thanks.
I don’t want to sample anything at the grocery store. Having worked at a grocery store as a cashier many moons ago, they are dirty and most stuff is getting touched by people. Except for the deli were stuff is behind glass. Plus, I did’nt go to the store to eat, I came to shop. Eating comes later when I get home.
Just because you see chips and cookies and pop and pastries in my cart, don’t you judge me! Sniff.
This, That, and the Other
Random things on my mind…..
1. My commute is killing me. Sometimes I’m not even sure how I got to work.
2. Why is the new puppy, Lola, stinky? My other dogs don’t smell.
3. What if my other dogs do smell but I am immune to it now?
4. What if I smell like dogs?
5. Where does the money go?
6. I really should put away my laundry instead of living out of the laundry basket.
7. I don’t know why it took me so long to move that shelf in the fridge. TONS more space now!
8. I really like it when my toes are professionally polished and should have it done more often.
9. 7.30 on Sunday night feels a lot later than 7.30 on a weeknight.
10. Need to prep coffee pot for tomorrow morning.
I have a degree, you know
And my degree is not in basket weaving or acrylic paints. It’s in something smarty mcsmarty pants – Math. So I’m not a slouch in the brains department. So WHY is it so hard to change my headlights?
I went out into the garage at 5 o’clock. I had 2 burned out headlights and one burned out signal light. [oh shut up, like you’re so perfect. So the left headlight has been dodgy for WEEKS but I thought it was part of my overall electrical problem. and when the left turn signal went, I thought, well hell, the lights on the left side of the car have always been dodgy and did I really need that turn signal? I would get around to it. But then my right headlight went. And I live in Calgary and it gets dark at, like, 4:30, so unless I wanted to leave for work at 9 and then leave for home at 3, I had to change them.]
I had to come back inside to get my socket wrench set. yes, I have one and it’s beautiful. I inherited it from Dad. Actually, I inherited all my tools except for my new screwdriver, which is also beautiful. My socket set has all the socket sizes you will ever need. Two wrenches and adapters. but it’s not organized because I got it from Dad. And he was not the most organized with his tools. I also got two tool boxes from him and I keep meaning to get around to organizing them, but I guess I inherited more from him than just his nose.
So, long story longer, AN HOUR LATER I’ve finally changed the headlights. I had to remove 4 bolts from each side, and then turn the light “one sixth of a turn counter clockwise.” No Joke. one sixth. and then I had to shimmy it and jiggle it until the light sprung free and then PRY it off the clip and then jam the new one on and my hands aren’t strong enough to snap it into place so I had to put gloves on so I could brace the lamp against the car and push down really hard.
I also need to replace the windsheild wipers but I’ve saving that until I get all the car grease out from underneath my gel nails.
And my story doesn’t even compare to the time my bro in law came over to help Jenge change her headlamp. I told Jenge she could do it, but little did I know that her cars design requires you to REMOVE PART OF THE ENGINE to get to the headlight. Luckily my bro in law has the tools and the knowledge to do this, but the simple act of changing a headlight took him 3 hours and left a scar on his hand.
My million dollar idea is to put the headlights in an assembly that doesn’t bolt shut. It locks. And it takes the SAME key that starts your engine. So when you need to change any of your lights, you simply pop your hood, or trunk, turn your car key in the assembly and it pops open and then you pull the burned out bulb out [which has turned black so you know it’s for sure burned out and not just loose] and you snap the new one back in and then hit the handy “Test” button that the manufacturers have also installed so you don’t have to jam the light in, hope it’s attached, jog to the driver door get in and start the car to see if your new lights work.
Next car repair, the aforementioned windsheild wipers. I can’t see out the passenger side, which really doesn’t bother me all that much. but now, I can barely see out the drivers side. I’ll keep you posted.
Au Natural
My natural hair color is not a nice natural hair color. It used to be, but not anymore. Sometimes I see it in baby pictures and I think, hmm, what happened?
Even if you know me, and have known me for years, I doubt if you know my natural hair color. I’ve been dying my hair since I was 14. At first it was because I wanted it more red, more brown, more something. Now I also have the added need of covering the damn grey. Which started showing up at 16. True Story.
I can only recognize my natural hair color by its blandness. I refer to it as Dirty Dishwater Brown. It’s the color your sink water gets after a large load of hand washed dishes.
Right now, I’ve kinda got Morticia Addams hair color. And I’m really liking it. It especially goes well with my new eye shadow and shorter, somewhat [purposefully] crooked bangs. And of course, it matches the new puppy, Lola.
I’m doing this because why?
Ash and I spend a lot of time talking about writing. We spend more time talking about writing than we spend writing. Are writers by nature narcissistic?
We definately appear to be self proclaimed martyrs. All the writers I know talk about how hard it is, how they have to make themselves sit down and do it, how most days it’s like blood from a stone.
But, we keep doing it. I feel like I get a payoff from it, but I’m not quite sure what it is. I’m like a junkie except I rarely get the high and often bitch and moan my way through one paragraph after another.
But there is something to be said for how exciting it is when a story finally comes together. Now if only I could finish the book!
Scraptasticka!
Hey all!
Just thought I’d let you know about an even that my sister Ann is putting on and that I am attending.
It’s the MARCH MADNESS CROP taking place in Calgary. Click on the link for full deets. Here’s the shorthand:
March 7th 2009 10am – 10pm
Canyon Meadows
Community Center
848 Cantabrian Drive SW, Calgary, AB
And, as is so important to let most scrappers know, there will be FOOD. And FREE STUFF.
I’ll leave a link on the side in case you are interested but can’t commit just yet.