When I was young I was often told that I couldn't sing, that I had a horrible voice. I even had an aunt who offered to pay me money if I wouldn't sing in front of her. I grew up thinking my voice was offensive to others. I stayed FAR away from karaoke and eventually I even quit singing to the radio.
Several years ago we started playing Rock Band. Obisously I was pretty shy about the mic. What I liked about Rock Band though, is that it has a pitch indicator and according to the game....I could hit the pitch. We invited friends over and even though no one was saying things like "Oh I just love it when you sing this song!", no one asked me to stop singing. AND I was hitting 90+% of the notes, so my confidence level was rising.
I still wasn't a fan of karaoke. I didn't want to be up there singing my heart out and people in the crowd thinking they needed to 'help me out', laugh at me, or cheer because I was finally done singing. But I did go to karaoke for a friend's birthday and I sang a few songs I knew from Rock Band. Little by little the voices of the past were being quieted by MY voice...the voice that was proving that I *can* sing.
Rock Band 3 ranks all of the bands according to score. Obviously the better you sing/play the higher score you get. Nathan and I were checking the rankings last night and guess what? Our band (The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Dog) is in the top 16% for singing!!! This is the top 16% of ALL Rock Band bands on the PS3! Not only that, but my kid (The Social Guy) actually says he loves it when I sing "Stand in the Rain" by Superchick and requests it often. So kiss my ass bitches of the past...I can too sing!
Cleaning Out the Pantry
I cleaned out our pantry this week and one of the things I found was a mostly used bag of rice. That night for dinner I was making sweet and sour venison. I thought it would be a perfect way to use up the rest of the rice. As I double checked the directions I noticed this suggestion on the back of the bag:
"To retain vitamins, do not rinse before or drain after cooking."
It's white rice. Really...how many vitamins are there in *white* rice? I'll tell you how many:
Yeah, be really careful with this stuff. I'd hate to see the nutritional value of it if you were to rinse it.
For the Love of the Band
I love Rock Band. I'm pretty sure I'm not part of the 'normal' demographics Harmonix is thinking of when they made the game, but here I am...an avid fan of the game.
We started with the original Rock Band, in fact I can remember the day we bought it. Nathan's niece was staying over for a few days and the kids thought it would be fun to pitch their money together and buy it. They were a bit short on cash and since I wasn't at all opposed to the idea of getting the game I sent a few texts to Nathan and next thing you know....we've got Rock Band!
One of the things I like best about the game is that Nathan and I can play with just the two of us, we can play with the kids, or we can invite a house full of people over and still have a great time. Even though I love the game, it's not a game I like to play by myself. For me, Rock Band was *made* to be shared.
Over the years, we've gotten to the point where we'd worn out our instruments. Originally we had bought the game for the Wii, but we've had a few problems with our Wii. The biggest problem was during Christmaspalooza (a multi-day Christmas event we hold with my sister and her husband). During the Christmas celebration we attempted the Endless Song Set List 2 several times. Each time we were deep into the set of 84 (Yes, you read that right, 84!) songs the Wii would freeze. We were relentless....but it didn't matter. We were beat by the Wii every time we tried to complete the set. Now we're not insane, so eventually we quit trying to accomplish the impossible. But there it was, in the back of my mind, that damn Endless Song Set List 2....just waiting to be out done.
Fast forward to last Spring and rumors of Rock Band 3 being released for the Holidays. I could not wait! Due to the whole Wii freeze thing, we ditched the idea of investing more money into Rock Band for the Wii. I saved my spare change and we bought a PS3, plus the Rock Band 2 bundle so we could get brand new instruments. Best-decision-ever! Our band was back in business.
Rockband 3 comes out at midnight on Tuesday. I have our copy reserved and I'm totally psyched to pick it up. Still in the back of my head is that lingering question: "Can we beat the Endless Song Set List 2?" Of course we didn't actually have that Set List unlocked on the PS3 yet, but I still thought about it.
On Friday night Kelsey, Nathan, and I were playing Rockband. I was lost in my head imagining a 'Rock Band room' in my dream house. It would be complete with a stage, huge tv, kick butt sound system, and an awesome light show! And guess what? We unlocked the Endless Song Set List 2. I took a picture of the tv with my phone and texted it to my sister.
Right away she called me and we made a date to tackle it Saturday night. Time wasn't exactly on our side, but we really wanted to beat the game before Rock Band 3 came out. With snacks made, caffeine in hand, and kids ready to switch out with us, by 9:00 Saturday night we started the first of 84 songs.
The first twenty songs went pretty good and by the time we got half way there we started to slow down a bit. The older kids went to bed at about 2:00 and we got to the last three songs at about 4:40 in the morning. We were losing steam fast, but we only had three more songs to go. We can do it!
The third to the last song in the set is called Visions by Abnormality. We were feeling pretty confident. We'd already beat Master Exploder and knew we could beat Pain Killer, how hard could this one be? Apparently it was unbelievably hard. By 5:30 we still hadn't beaten it. Kelsey had even gotten up and out of bed to try to help us out. It was no use, we were done. We decided on a couple hours of sleep and maybe we'd try again in the 'morning'? We paused the PS3 and went to bed, full of caffeine and feeling completely defeated. Hours later it was decided that my sister and her hubby would go home. They had things to do and so did we. There was just no way we could beat the game. The PS3 was left on pause all day. I didn't have the heart to turn it off.
We spent the rest of the day cleaning the house, playing RISK
, and being bummed out about our game. Maybe we'd try it again, but I knew we probably wouldn't. Just before dinner Matt decided he'd at least take a look at the song. He wasn't willing to take our word for it that the song was unbeatable. He grabbed a guitar and started plucking away. He made it through 8% of the song. Kelsey started getting excited and they asked Nathan if he'd give it one more shot. He said sure. We ended up with me on the bass, Nathan rocking the guitar, Kelsey banging on the drums, and Matt kicking out the vocals. We beat the song. The last two songs were a piece of cake and I'm actually proud to say we BEAT THE ENDLESS SONG SET LIST 2!
(And yes, I know that this blog probably puts me in the 'crazy' category...but I'm also a lot of fun and I'm okay with a little crazy and a lot of fun. Oh, and do you have your copy of Rock Band 3
reserved yet?
We started with the original Rock Band, in fact I can remember the day we bought it. Nathan's niece was staying over for a few days and the kids thought it would be fun to pitch their money together and buy it. They were a bit short on cash and since I wasn't at all opposed to the idea of getting the game I sent a few texts to Nathan and next thing you know....we've got Rock Band!
One of the things I like best about the game is that Nathan and I can play with just the two of us, we can play with the kids, or we can invite a house full of people over and still have a great time. Even though I love the game, it's not a game I like to play by myself. For me, Rock Band was *made* to be shared.
Over the years, we've gotten to the point where we'd worn out our instruments. Originally we had bought the game for the Wii, but we've had a few problems with our Wii. The biggest problem was during Christmaspalooza (a multi-day Christmas event we hold with my sister and her husband). During the Christmas celebration we attempted the Endless Song Set List 2 several times. Each time we were deep into the set of 84 (Yes, you read that right, 84!) songs the Wii would freeze. We were relentless....but it didn't matter. We were beat by the Wii every time we tried to complete the set. Now we're not insane, so eventually we quit trying to accomplish the impossible. But there it was, in the back of my mind, that damn Endless Song Set List 2....just waiting to be out done.
Fast forward to last Spring and rumors of Rock Band 3 being released for the Holidays. I could not wait! Due to the whole Wii freeze thing, we ditched the idea of investing more money into Rock Band for the Wii. I saved my spare change and we bought a PS3, plus the Rock Band 2 bundle so we could get brand new instruments. Best-decision-ever! Our band was back in business.
Rockband 3 comes out at midnight on Tuesday. I have our copy reserved and I'm totally psyched to pick it up. Still in the back of my head is that lingering question: "Can we beat the Endless Song Set List 2?" Of course we didn't actually have that Set List unlocked on the PS3 yet, but I still thought about it.
On Friday night Kelsey, Nathan, and I were playing Rockband. I was lost in my head imagining a 'Rock Band room' in my dream house. It would be complete with a stage, huge tv, kick butt sound system, and an awesome light show! And guess what? We unlocked the Endless Song Set List 2. I took a picture of the tv with my phone and texted it to my sister.
(I love how it says, "Best of luck with that.")
Right away she called me and we made a date to tackle it Saturday night. Time wasn't exactly on our side, but we really wanted to beat the game before Rock Band 3 came out. With snacks made, caffeine in hand, and kids ready to switch out with us, by 9:00 Saturday night we started the first of 84 songs.
The first twenty songs went pretty good and by the time we got half way there we started to slow down a bit. The older kids went to bed at about 2:00 and we got to the last three songs at about 4:40 in the morning. We were losing steam fast, but we only had three more songs to go. We can do it!
The third to the last song in the set is called Visions by Abnormality. We were feeling pretty confident. We'd already beat Master Exploder and knew we could beat Pain Killer, how hard could this one be? Apparently it was unbelievably hard. By 5:30 we still hadn't beaten it. Kelsey had even gotten up and out of bed to try to help us out. It was no use, we were done. We decided on a couple hours of sleep and maybe we'd try again in the 'morning'? We paused the PS3 and went to bed, full of caffeine and feeling completely defeated. Hours later it was decided that my sister and her hubby would go home. They had things to do and so did we. There was just no way we could beat the game. The PS3 was left on pause all day. I didn't have the heart to turn it off.
We spent the rest of the day cleaning the house, playing RISK
, and being bummed out about our game. Maybe we'd try it again, but I knew we probably wouldn't. Just before dinner Matt decided he'd at least take a look at the song. He wasn't willing to take our word for it that the song was unbeatable. He grabbed a guitar and started plucking away. He made it through 8% of the song. Kelsey started getting excited and they asked Nathan if he'd give it one more shot. He said sure. We ended up with me on the bass, Nathan rocking the guitar, Kelsey banging on the drums, and Matt kicking out the vocals. We beat the song. The last two songs were a piece of cake and I'm actually proud to say we BEAT THE ENDLESS SONG SET LIST 2!
(And yes, I know that this blog probably puts me in the 'crazy' category...but I'm also a lot of fun and I'm okay with a little crazy and a lot of fun. Oh, and do you have your copy of Rock Band 3
reserved yet?
Fat Suck
I'm a total fan of the show Biggest Loser. I find the whole thing inspiring and amazing! It's cool how these people go from being so over weight to being athletes and it always makes me want to work out even harder. (I've even been known to tuck a tiny version of Jillian in my pocket, just in case I start to wimp out so she can kick my ass.)
One of the things Nathan and I have noticed is something we call the 'Fat Suck'. Here's the thing about loosing weight, the fat doesn't come off in a nice even layer. It comes off in weird places. In fact, I think people actually look even worse as they are loosing weight because of this 'Fat Suck' thing. I was going to wear my yoga pants today and instead of my nice, rounded, shapely ass and thighs...I have "Fat Suck." Which is great, right?
One of the things Nathan and I have noticed is something we call the 'Fat Suck'. Here's the thing about loosing weight, the fat doesn't come off in a nice even layer. It comes off in weird places. In fact, I think people actually look even worse as they are loosing weight because of this 'Fat Suck' thing. I was going to wear my yoga pants today and instead of my nice, rounded, shapely ass and thighs...I have "Fat Suck." Which is great, right?
Eureka!
I've got a great two day start on Phase 3 going on and you know what happened today after I was *done* weight lifting? I figured a few things out:
First, I'm not going to comply with the 'no complaining about weight lifting' part of my plan and I'm okay with that.
Second, part of the reason I don't like the weight lifting and swimming part of my current journey is that I have no concrete goals with it. I have no idea how to set a goal with weight lifting or swimming. It's easy for me to set goals when running or biking. I can either decrease my time or increase my mileage. What kind of goals does one set for weight lifting? It's not like I want to become a body builder or anything. I could care less if I can pump the twenty-one pounders when doing bicep curls. Yeah, I know that's probably not 'body building' poundage - but I've never researched it, so I wouldn't know. Sure with swimming I could try to get in more laps every time I swim, but read on...
This is the ultimate reason why I'm just not a fan of weightlifting and swimming:
I actually *have* to pay attention. I have to count reps and sets or I have to watch a clock that's close to the ceiling at the pool and count laps.
Well, I get bored counting. I like to get lost in my head. Lord knows I can stay in my own mind for days on end. When I used to take time out of my day to hop on the bike or pound some pavement I wouldn't really have to pay attention. I could have a million things going on in my brain and I could pause, stop, and re-play them all at will. Sure I'd have to pay more attention when mountain biking, but even then I had a trail that I knew well enough I could just let go (Yay Murphy medium trail!). The physical part of exercising isn't enough for me. I NEED to find away to get that mental break.
First, I'm not going to comply with the 'no complaining about weight lifting' part of my plan and I'm okay with that.
Second, part of the reason I don't like the weight lifting and swimming part of my current journey is that I have no concrete goals with it. I have no idea how to set a goal with weight lifting or swimming. It's easy for me to set goals when running or biking. I can either decrease my time or increase my mileage. What kind of goals does one set for weight lifting? It's not like I want to become a body builder or anything. I could care less if I can pump the twenty-one pounders when doing bicep curls. Yeah, I know that's probably not 'body building' poundage - but I've never researched it, so I wouldn't know. Sure with swimming I could try to get in more laps every time I swim, but read on...
This is the ultimate reason why I'm just not a fan of weightlifting and swimming:
I actually *have* to pay attention. I have to count reps and sets or I have to watch a clock that's close to the ceiling at the pool and count laps.
Well, I get bored counting. I like to get lost in my head. Lord knows I can stay in my own mind for days on end. When I used to take time out of my day to hop on the bike or pound some pavement I wouldn't really have to pay attention. I could have a million things going on in my brain and I could pause, stop, and re-play them all at will. Sure I'd have to pay more attention when mountain biking, but even then I had a trail that I knew well enough I could just let go (Yay Murphy medium trail!). The physical part of exercising isn't enough for me. I NEED to find away to get that mental break.
Mother Freakin' Crabby Ass
Here's the thing, I know have a million things I am thankful for, but instead of chasing the rainbows and butterflies I've been clawing, scratching, kicking, and screaming. This doesn't do well for my writing (or my family). I tend to see myself as the heroine of my blog. I like to put out messages such as:
"Look at me. I'm down and out. Wait! I just kicked ass! I WIN!"
Instead all I want to write about is how stupid plantar fasciitis is and because I haven't been able to run or bike I started gaining weight again. Wait...the weight loss could actually be attributed to the increased drinking and eating I've done over the last month or so? Maybe. But wouldn't I rather blame the weight gain on something I *can't* control then something I *can* control? No. That's not really my style. I'm much more of a control freak then a blamer. I'm much more of a pull-myself-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of gal. So here I go:
Phase 3:
It's a five week plan that starts today - I could have started it yesterday since I did both yoga and weights, but that kinda felt like cheating, so it starts today.
Yoga daily
Weight lifting four times per week.
Crunchless Xtreme Abs w/Jackie four times per week.
Swimming at least three times per week.
Phase 3 also includes:
stretching my legs and feet daily to promote healing
no caffeine
and definitely no complaining about my lack of interest (read: hate) in lifting weights
I'm still refusing to count calories and I'm allowing myself to drink occasionally. My hope is that by the end of Phase 3 I will have lost at least ten pounds and my foot will be healed enough to do some light stationary biking. I'll be posting my workouts and other updates on Facebook. I always seem to do better when I have a some sort of public commitment (and a chart, I just love charts!).
"Look at me. I'm down and out. Wait! I just kicked ass! I WIN!"
Instead all I want to write about is how stupid plantar fasciitis is and because I haven't been able to run or bike I started gaining weight again. Wait...the weight loss could actually be attributed to the increased drinking and eating I've done over the last month or so? Maybe. But wouldn't I rather blame the weight gain on something I *can't* control then something I *can* control? No. That's not really my style. I'm much more of a control freak then a blamer. I'm much more of a pull-myself-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of gal. So here I go:
Phase 3:
It's a five week plan that starts today - I could have started it yesterday since I did both yoga and weights, but that kinda felt like cheating, so it starts today.
Yoga daily
Weight lifting four times per week.
Crunchless Xtreme Abs w/Jackie four times per week.
Swimming at least three times per week.
Phase 3 also includes:
stretching my legs and feet daily to promote healing
no caffeine
and definitely no complaining about my lack of interest (read: hate) in lifting weights
I'm still refusing to count calories and I'm allowing myself to drink occasionally. My hope is that by the end of Phase 3 I will have lost at least ten pounds and my foot will be healed enough to do some light stationary biking. I'll be posting my workouts and other updates on Facebook. I always seem to do better when I have a some sort of public commitment (and a chart, I just love charts!).
International Super Star
I added some tracking software to my blog. A few of my friends offered to help me with it, but it felt like we were just never able to connect. So I plugged my nose and tried it myself. I went with Google's Analytics. I thought what the heck, I'm using Google AdSense, I might as well use another Google product.
Here's the thing...I really, really like reports and stuff. This thing is AWESOME! I log in and I can see how many visits I've had, how long people spend on my page, how many are new visits, how many pages people look at, and...
I can tell where they are from! I mean I can *really* tell where they are from...like what city, and how many in each city...it is so-freaking-cool! And yesterday I logged on to my tracking site and SOMEONE FROM CANADA READ MY BLOG! omg...The Mother Freaking Princess has gone international.
Here's the thing...I really, really like reports and stuff. This thing is AWESOME! I log in and I can see how many visits I've had, how long people spend on my page, how many are new visits, how many pages people look at, and...
I can tell where they are from! I mean I can *really* tell where they are from...like what city, and how many in each city...it is so-freaking-cool! And yesterday I logged on to my tracking site and SOMEONE FROM CANADA READ MY BLOG! omg...The Mother Freaking Princess has gone international.
Fall Famliy Camping
We've tried to camp a few times this year, mostly due to our mountain bike season, but for the first time in my life I agreed to go Fall Family Camping. We had it all planned out. We would clear the calendar for the first weekend in October. Then we'd wait to see if the forecast would be stellar. We wouldn't make reservations, but we'd go up on Thursday so we wouldn't need them, and we would have the most terrific weekend of hiking and hanging with each other.
Wednesday night we double checked the forecast and everything seemed to be a "go". We drifted off to bed with nothing but Mother Nature in our dreams. A few hours later I was awoken a little differently then I had planned. Kade had a sore, dry throat. "Bummer", I thought. He probably got the little cold Nathan and I had the week before. I got him a drink and laid on the couch with him while he watched some cartoons.
A couple hours later Nathan and I debated whether we should continue with our camping plans or not. We asked Kade if he thought he'd be okay. He said, "No, I don't think I can do it." I told him that it wasn't really any different going camping when you have a cold or staying at home. He wasn't going to be allowed to watch tv all weekend anyway, so he might as well sit on our comfy camp chairs in front of the fire. He still said, "No." As knowledgeable parents, we decided what the heck. We might as well go. We've both had the cold and it wasn't *too* bad.
On our way out to the State Park we stopped at Target to pick up some batteries and a few gallons of water. While I was there I picked up a Lego Mini Figures Sticker book for Kade. I figure it would give him something kinda fun to look at and perk him up a bit. When I got back to the truck, Nathan asked me if I thought Kade felt hot. "No." I said. "I don't think he feels warm. He'll be fine." I assure him and off we go!
We circled the campground and found the perfect site. There was only one other campsite next to us and behind our site was this amazing savanna prairie and then the bluffs off the river. It must have been the most beautiful campsite I have ever seen. The first thing we do is set Kade up in a camp chair and then Nathan headed out to find firewood. Matt and Kelsey started to help me set up camp.
Kade starts to complain that he's cold. I find a blanket for him and continue with set up. The older kids and I start to get a little worried about Nathan. He's been out looking for firewood for a looong time. In fact, it's been so long that we're pretty much done with the set up. All that's left is to pump up the air-mattresses and make the beds, but we can't do that until he comes back. Nathan finally returns to the camp and says he couldn't find any fire wood. He had gone to all three places that should have had wood available, but there wasn't any there. Crap, we're gonna be cold tonight. Oh well, it's going to be a great weekend. We can handle one cold night. The forecast is beautiful and our site in unbelievable.
Kade pipes up again. He's getting 'really' cold. I find him another blanket, a hat, and a scarf. He's all snuggled up and we continue putting the finishing touches on the campsite. I *just* finished making all the beds and I go to the truck to get my scarf and sweatshirt. It's time to sit down, relax, and enjoy a brat. I turn away from the truck and I hear, "HE'S THROWING UP!" My heart sinks. I run over to him. I hold back the the blankets, the scarf, and take off his hat. The poor kid pukes and pukes. He finally finishes and it's pretty obvious we're gonna go home. We eat a quick dinner, repack camp, and head all the way back.
Kade spent the rest of the weekend in front of the tv. The rest of us spent the weekend commenting on what good weather we were having and how we'll need to try that campsite again next year.
Wednesday night we double checked the forecast and everything seemed to be a "go". We drifted off to bed with nothing but Mother Nature in our dreams. A few hours later I was awoken a little differently then I had planned. Kade had a sore, dry throat. "Bummer", I thought. He probably got the little cold Nathan and I had the week before. I got him a drink and laid on the couch with him while he watched some cartoons.
A couple hours later Nathan and I debated whether we should continue with our camping plans or not. We asked Kade if he thought he'd be okay. He said, "No, I don't think I can do it." I told him that it wasn't really any different going camping when you have a cold or staying at home. He wasn't going to be allowed to watch tv all weekend anyway, so he might as well sit on our comfy camp chairs in front of the fire. He still said, "No." As knowledgeable parents, we decided what the heck. We might as well go. We've both had the cold and it wasn't *too* bad.
On our way out to the State Park we stopped at Target to pick up some batteries and a few gallons of water. While I was there I picked up a Lego Mini Figures Sticker book for Kade. I figure it would give him something kinda fun to look at and perk him up a bit. When I got back to the truck, Nathan asked me if I thought Kade felt hot. "No." I said. "I don't think he feels warm. He'll be fine." I assure him and off we go!
We circled the campground and found the perfect site. There was only one other campsite next to us and behind our site was this amazing savanna prairie and then the bluffs off the river. It must have been the most beautiful campsite I have ever seen. The first thing we do is set Kade up in a camp chair and then Nathan headed out to find firewood. Matt and Kelsey started to help me set up camp.
Kade starts to complain that he's cold. I find a blanket for him and continue with set up. The older kids and I start to get a little worried about Nathan. He's been out looking for firewood for a looong time. In fact, it's been so long that we're pretty much done with the set up. All that's left is to pump up the air-mattresses and make the beds, but we can't do that until he comes back. Nathan finally returns to the camp and says he couldn't find any fire wood. He had gone to all three places that should have had wood available, but there wasn't any there. Crap, we're gonna be cold tonight. Oh well, it's going to be a great weekend. We can handle one cold night. The forecast is beautiful and our site in unbelievable.
Kade pipes up again. He's getting 'really' cold. I find him another blanket, a hat, and a scarf. He's all snuggled up and we continue putting the finishing touches on the campsite. I *just* finished making all the beds and I go to the truck to get my scarf and sweatshirt. It's time to sit down, relax, and enjoy a brat. I turn away from the truck and I hear, "HE'S THROWING UP!" My heart sinks. I run over to him. I hold back the the blankets, the scarf, and take off his hat. The poor kid pukes and pukes. He finally finishes and it's pretty obvious we're gonna go home. We eat a quick dinner, repack camp, and head all the way back.
Kade spent the rest of the weekend in front of the tv. The rest of us spent the weekend commenting on what good weather we were having and how we'll need to try that campsite again next year.
The Cupcake Book
I checked out this book from the library last week because it had a lemon cupcake on the cover. I used to pretty much hate cake, but in August I had the pleasure of eating the most delicious cake ever at Salut Bar. Not only was this cake served with a sparkler on top, but I got to enjoy it with three of the greatest ladies ever. Since then I have added being a pastry chef to the long list of things I would like to be when I grow up.
So, it was kinda odd to me that I checked out a diet book because way back when...... I promised myself that I wasn't going to try any wacky diets. No Atkins, No Southbeach, No Low Fat, No Raw, No Vegan, No Grapefruit, No What Ever Other Diets Out There but here I am with this Flat Belly Diet book. As I'm reading it, it makes sense. I get kinda excited over the recipes in the book. I like how it's all laid out. Hmmmmm, I think. I should do this! This is cool! This is awesome! I'm gonna be so freaking skinny!
I open Microsoft Excel (Have I ever mentioned my love for spreadsheets and tracking things?) and I type out my menu for the first week. Next, I type up a shopping list. I need the ingredients right away because I'M GOING TO DO THIS! Yes it was late at night, but it didn't matter to me though. I needed to get started the very next morning. Off to the store I went. I could not live another day without my Sassy Water.
Before I left I kissed Nathan good bye. He said, "Where are you going?"
I causally mention that I'm going to get ingredients to start my new diet. That with *this* diet I will not have any more bloating and I will *finally* loose all my belly fat!
He says, "I thought you weren't going to do any of those weird diets?"
I say in a shrill, excited voice, "But this one's different! It's going to be so awesome! It's pretty much the same as I have already been eating. I just have to track a few things and drink this miracle stuff called Sassy Water. Plus, the Sassy Water has ginger in it and Andrea (one of my friends who is very knowledgeable and healthy) drinks ginger water all the time so it *has* to be good for me!"
He looks at me with love (and just a tiny bit of skepticism) in his eyes and says, "Okay."
I got home that night and made my first batch of Sassy Water. I could barely sleep that night, thinking about my new diet and all the belly fat I would lose........
The next morning I poured myself a glass of Sassy Water and made my pre-determined breakfast: frozen blueberries, grape-nuts cereal, and skim milk. Okay, so it's not 'exactly' like the yogurt/fruit/coconut oil/protein smoothies I've been having for breakfast, but it's close? No, not really. But still...this is going to eliminate my belly fat! I can do this. I eat most of my breakfast and I continue to drink my sassy water. At lunch I had a protein, a veggie, a dairy, and you guessed it...more Sassy Water.
I made it until my afternoon snack. And then a little voice started to speak loud and clear, "What am I doing?!?!? Don't I remember promising myself no crazy things? I was going to listen to my body. The body and the mind were going to be a team. I didn't do this just to get skinny (hell, I can starve myself and do that). I started all of this to be strong, healthy, athletic, and yes lean, but not just lean. Stop right now."
And I did. I started and stopped the Flat Belly Diet with in twelve hours because I'm not interested in just being skinny. I'm interested in being healthy and there isn't a 1200 calorie diet on this planet that will make me healthy when I am working out two or three times a day.
So, it was kinda odd to me that I checked out a diet book because way back when...... I promised myself that I wasn't going to try any wacky diets. No Atkins, No Southbeach, No Low Fat, No Raw, No Vegan, No Grapefruit, No What Ever Other Diets Out There but here I am with this Flat Belly Diet book. As I'm reading it, it makes sense. I get kinda excited over the recipes in the book. I like how it's all laid out. Hmmmmm, I think. I should do this! This is cool! This is awesome! I'm gonna be so freaking skinny!
I open Microsoft Excel (Have I ever mentioned my love for spreadsheets and tracking things?) and I type out my menu for the first week. Next, I type up a shopping list. I need the ingredients right away because I'M GOING TO DO THIS! Yes it was late at night, but it didn't matter to me though. I needed to get started the very next morning. Off to the store I went. I could not live another day without my Sassy Water.
Before I left I kissed Nathan good bye. He said, "Where are you going?"
I causally mention that I'm going to get ingredients to start my new diet. That with *this* diet I will not have any more bloating and I will *finally* loose all my belly fat!
He says, "I thought you weren't going to do any of those weird diets?"
I say in a shrill, excited voice, "But this one's different! It's going to be so awesome! It's pretty much the same as I have already been eating. I just have to track a few things and drink this miracle stuff called Sassy Water. Plus, the Sassy Water has ginger in it and Andrea (one of my friends who is very knowledgeable and healthy) drinks ginger water all the time so it *has* to be good for me!"
He looks at me with love (and just a tiny bit of skepticism) in his eyes and says, "Okay."
I got home that night and made my first batch of Sassy Water. I could barely sleep that night, thinking about my new diet and all the belly fat I would lose........
The next morning I poured myself a glass of Sassy Water and made my pre-determined breakfast: frozen blueberries, grape-nuts cereal, and skim milk. Okay, so it's not 'exactly' like the yogurt/fruit/coconut oil/protein smoothies I've been having for breakfast, but it's close? No, not really. But still...this is going to eliminate my belly fat! I can do this. I eat most of my breakfast and I continue to drink my sassy water. At lunch I had a protein, a veggie, a dairy, and you guessed it...more Sassy Water.
I made it until my afternoon snack. And then a little voice started to speak loud and clear, "What am I doing?!?!? Don't I remember promising myself no crazy things? I was going to listen to my body. The body and the mind were going to be a team. I didn't do this just to get skinny (hell, I can starve myself and do that). I started all of this to be strong, healthy, athletic, and yes lean, but not just lean. Stop right now."
And I did. I started and stopped the Flat Belly Diet with in twelve hours because I'm not interested in just being skinny. I'm interested in being healthy and there isn't a 1200 calorie diet on this planet that will make me healthy when I am working out two or three times a day.
The Finale
Just over a week ago I finished my first mountain bike season. I wasn't really sure if I was going to make it. I had bruised my heel during my first run of the Ragnar Relay and it hadn't gotten completely better yet, in fact it hadn't gotten better at all. After wavering back and forth, I decided what the heck, one more ride probably wouldn't injure it further. I would take it easy and slow. I would be gentle to myself and allow myself to finish the race (and the season) without further injury.
Race day came. It was cool and wet, another mud race. As we lined up I noticed that only two of the four ladies I've been racing with all season showed up. Hmph....I'm guaranteed to get a medal today! How cool is that? We took off and I continued with my plan of a leisurely ride....maybe a little too leisurely. About half way through the race I 'remembered' I was RACING and kicked it into high gear. I finished the race not last and without more injuries! YAY for me!
I was full of optimism, pride, joy, and I was in awe of everything I had accomplished throughout the season. I did it. I biked the whole season with only one DNF. Last Spring I started out over-weight and out of shape. I've lost a lot of weight and I'm now close to being in the best shape of my life. I started the season needing to ride the first race course as many times as possible through out the month before the race. I ended my last race with only having pre-ridden two laps on the course. I started out huffing and puffing my way up the hills. I now wonder where all the hills have gone? I used to walk everything that looked hard or scary. I ended the year by going over logs, rocks, and even the dreaded drop berm. And even though I still ended the year battling for not-last-place, I cannot describe to you how truly proud I am of myself.
This is something that's hard for me to say: I am truly proud of myself.
I did something amazing.
I am an athlete.
I can race.
I can do just about anything.
I'm proud of myself and I can't wait for next year - who knows, maybe I'll even get a medal for doing more then just showing up.
Race day came. It was cool and wet, another mud race. As we lined up I noticed that only two of the four ladies I've been racing with all season showed up. Hmph....I'm guaranteed to get a medal today! How cool is that? We took off and I continued with my plan of a leisurely ride....maybe a little too leisurely. About half way through the race I 'remembered' I was RACING and kicked it into high gear. I finished the race not last and without more injuries! YAY for me!
I was full of optimism, pride, joy, and I was in awe of everything I had accomplished throughout the season. I did it. I biked the whole season with only one DNF. Last Spring I started out over-weight and out of shape. I've lost a lot of weight and I'm now close to being in the best shape of my life. I started the season needing to ride the first race course as many times as possible through out the month before the race. I ended my last race with only having pre-ridden two laps on the course. I started out huffing and puffing my way up the hills. I now wonder where all the hills have gone? I used to walk everything that looked hard or scary. I ended the year by going over logs, rocks, and even the dreaded drop berm. And even though I still ended the year battling for not-last-place, I cannot describe to you how truly proud I am of myself.
This is something that's hard for me to say: I am truly proud of myself.
I did something amazing.
I am an athlete.
I can race.
I can do just about anything.
I'm proud of myself and I can't wait for next year - who knows, maybe I'll even get a medal for doing more then just showing up.
