What are tags? You can give your posts a "tag", which is like a keyword. Tags help you find content which has something in common. You can assign as many tags as you wish to each post.
View posts by people in your network with tag goodthings
Although my daughter says we don't look like mini-van people, that's what I drive. Part of my overwhelming stress this past week was due to my stupid van sucking down oil like it was a keg at a frat party. The last oil change showed lots of oil sludge, even though the oil does get changed regularly. White smoke started pouring out when it starts up. Off and on there is this little tick-a-tick-a noise when accelerating. There is more to this situation that I won't go into here... I started researching and discovered this is a HUGE problem with this particular engine. A very expensive problem. Thank God I found this and called the service manager to see if it applied to my case:
Occasional problems on this vehicle are failures of the Engine, the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Lift Sensor (3.0L engine only) and the Air Fuel Ratio Sensor (2.2L engine only) for California specification vehicles. Failure of the Engine is caused because the engine oil gels. Engine oil gelling will also cause excessive engine oil usage. When proper maintenance schedules for oil changes are followed, oil gelling should not occur. Toyota has issued an 8 year unlimited mileage goodwill repair for this condition. Failure of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Lift Sensor or the Air Fuel Ratio Sensor will cause a drivability problem or the check engine light to illuminate. The cost to repair the Engine is estimated at $4500.00 for parts and $1384.50 for labor. The cost to repair the EGR Lift Sensor is estimated at $33.12 for parts and $65.00 for labor. The cost to repair the Air Fuel Ratio Sensor is estimated at $219.01 for parts and $39.00 for labor. All prices are estimates based on $65 per flat rate hour and do not include diagnostic time or any applicable sales tax.
So the good thing is NOT that my van is freaking out, it is the goodwill repair policy.
P90X - I've just finished week three and I'm certain that either Tony Horton loves me or wants to kill me. :) This program is most definitely hardcore. I find myself in the midst of a workout thinking, "Am I insane? Have I lost my mind?" But then I finish and I'm all pumped up and psyched that, "I did it! I really did it!" My pull-up ability is definitely improving from the two days were pull ups and chinups are a big focus (Chest & Back and Legs & Back). The Ab Ripper X is still brutally excruciating. The Legs & Back workout, WOW. If anyone ever needed proof positive that you can do A LOT without weights, this is the workout to prove that. While there are some weight bearing exercises, most of it is sheer bodyweight torture. After the recovery week (the 4th week is usually a recovery week with cardio, core work and yoga), there will be new workouts for week 5 thru 8. I'm all excited because I think I've got the little "diamond" thing starting to happen on my upper arm when I flex my triceps (I just want a little diamond, just a wee one). If I wasn't so ghostly pale it would probably be more noticeable.
Milani Minerals Loose Make-up - Mineral Foundation Powder - if you have good skin, this provides a finished, polished look while remaining light. And, I've used more expensive brands and for $9.99 this stuff is a steal - works just as good as brands that cost 2 - 3X as much.
Reconnecting with Old Friends - It just can't be beat. In the midst of stress, it's a good feeling to know.
Today's workout: P90X Shoulders & Arms, 60 minutes. Ab Ripper X 16 minutes, 45 minutes on my elliptical.
A very good thing: Poco's "It's a Good Feeling to Know" In case you didn't know, Richie Furay is a born-again Christian and pastors a church out in Colorado. After I accepted Christ, I saw him perform with his Christian rock band at the Harvest Christian Festival in Patterson, New Jersey.
A while ago I wrote about Fage Greek Yogurt being a good thing... well, Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt is even better! The Fage had a little grainy thing going on that I didn't mind...but the Oikos doesn't have that and tastes much creamier.
Old Navy is having a clearance sale. I had three hours to burn the other night while my daughter was in an "on-camera" workshop. After shopping at the Mustard Seed Market, I went to Old Navy to browse. Walked out with a $34.50 teal green zip-up sweater for only $9.99, a shirt to match marked down to $4.99, and a nice pair of wide-leg black dress slacks more than half off at $14.99. I'd say it was a pretty successful unplanned shopping spree.
The latest issue of the new Clean Eating Magazine made it to the Giant Eagle shelves several days before it was due to be released. The magazine is including many gluten-free recipes this time around, which I find very nice. There is a spinach fritatta recipe that I plan on trying this week. Some others that I marked to make in the next several days: Pasta Roll-ups with Turkey & Spinach (I am very "into" spinach these days. Also, I can use brown rice lasagna noodles to make these), Spicy Chicken with Brown Rice Pilaf and Quinoa Porridge. If you go to the website, there are plenty of recipes to download.
On The Biggest Loser tonight, Bob had Dan doing step ups with a pretty heavy barbell onto a 16" step...and Dan did it. I was impressed! Dan has lost 99 lbs while on the ranch. In the beginning he was totally fried from working out, now he's fully loaded doing step ups. WOW.
A cute thing: It was pajama night at AWANA on Sunday. The kids got extra points for coming in pajamas. I went around to each class with a bag of Hershey's Kisses and said I was giving out goodnight kisses. One little girl in Sparks (K - 2nd grade) looked up at me after I handed her the chocolate kiss and said, "But I thought you were going to REALLY kiss me. Will you please?" Awwww, such a sweet little cutie. The funny part was seeing the leaders and what pj's they chose to wear. Me, I played it safe with navy blue/dark green flannel pajama pants & a matching T-shirt. Our TNT director wore VERY BRIGHT American flag pajama pants with his shirt tucked in. He is very long and lanky. He looked like Uncle Sam. Drew, who works with Cubbies, had on a fuzzy bathrobe and slippers with his flannels. His hair is always all tousled so he looked like he was ready for bed. So many of the littler kids were running up to me telling me "Now we don't have to get ready for bed when we get home, we can just brush our teeth!"
A not-so-good thing: I've been trying to fight off a cold for a couple of weeks now. Everyone around here is getting sick with something or staying sick with lingering bugs that won't go away. So it's the runny nose, scratchy throat, tired thing going on with me right now.
~o~
Even though we had freezing rain all day, I can't help but think that spring is coming soon. I've been getting emails about the Ohio Challenge Series of 5K races. I picked up an Ohio Sports & Fitness mini-mag the other day and many spring races were already listed. My old race T-shirts are beginning to look ratty...I think this year I might need to run a few 5Ks to replenish my supply. My hope is that my friend, Julie, will feel the urge to run with me. My daughter, being pregnant, is obviously not available.
I've started working on speed. I think that'll have to be my focus. Oh, I have no hope of ever winning anything other than door prizes...just an occasional age group category.Scary thing though, I've moved up in age groups since my last 5k and the women were FASTER as they got older in this new group. I do, however, want to make some new Personal Bests, also called Personal Records, PR for short. I love runner abbreviations and will probably be using them again as the roads clear and I log mileage again. PORN means "Planned On Running." LSD means "Long Slow Distance." The one you never want to have to write is DNF "Did Not Finish."
I have another goal that I didn't make last year because I got sidetracked. I want to be able to do more than 3 lousily-executed pullups.
So with that in mind, I think I'm going to do a P90X recovery week. That will involve two days of yoga, a day of core synergistics and just cardio & stretching. After that, I'm going to kind of mix up P90X with going to the gym and work more on things like plyometrics to improve my speed. Tony's plan in P90X is supposed to really improve anyone's pull-up abilities, so that would take care of that goal, too.
I know that I hold back when I run. If I'm in a 5K, I generally find someone running my speed, pick a comfortable pace and chat the whole way. (And then fight it out at the finish line to see who will go through first). I've been making myself do some insanely crazy sprints on treadmill and I hope as I get faster, I'll be less prone to slow down and talk too much.
~o~ Today's workout: 15 minutes HIIT on the treadmill. 32 minutes of circuit training, focus back & abs. Stopped and went to the Cybex + because people were starting to come in and I was afraid of not getting one. 20 minutes HIIT on the Cybex. Started watching Star Trek Voyager and it was one of the first episodes when Seven of Nine first came on board, so I couldn't give up watching (I am a totally out-of-the-closet Trekkie) ...moved to the treadmill for 10 more minutes of HIIT. After that, back on the floor for 8 minutes of Ab work.
lat pulldown 15/70, 12/80, 10/85 assisted close-grip pull ups 3, 4, 4 seated row 10/80, 12/80, 12/70 -- 2:00 Insanity sprint on treadmill. Incline at 3%, started out comfy at 10 minute miles, after 30 seconds bumped it up to 9 minute miles, 30 seconds to 8 minute miles, then 7 minute miles, then for a brief 10 seconds at 6 minute miles 1-arm dumbbell row 30/30, 20/35, 16/40 ---2:00 of crazy sprinting as above back extension 15/90, 15/95, 15/100 ab machine 20/80, 15/90, 12/100 (this is where I got on the Cybex) double crunches 20X3 side to side crunches 20X3 medicine ball transfer 12/4/3
My bag: This is the awesome FREEBIE I got from Elizabeth Arden.
I have been using this bag for about a week and I have gotten more compliments on it than you can shake a stick at. (Although, I never did understand that expression). It is ginormous - you would not believe all the stuff I can fit in there and...drum roll...still shut it. I got Jenna a huge bag that she had admired for Christmas, but hers is stuffed with a book or two, as well as "necessities" so it won't shut. We are very impressed that this bag holds all and still snaps shut with room to spare. It's practically an overnight bag! Josiah asked us today if we seriously need all the stuff we have in there. "Yes," I replied, "Absolutely." Last bridal shower I was at they played a "what's in your purse" type game and I won. :) My daughter came in second!
Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Mix:Makes awesome cupcakes. It's made with rice flour and no funky oils that might prove to be allergenic. (For some reason everything seems to have sunflower oil or palm kernel oil added these days). It is delicious but not cheap. One package costs triple the price of the average boxed cake mix.
Jeans I forgot I had: Yesterday, I decided to take Allegra for the first time (I know this sounds unrelated, but bear with me). The allergist prescribed 180 mg which I know would be too much too soon for me, so I cut it into thirds because the regular dose is 60 mg twice a day. (My doctor in Florida said the key to medicating me was, "Start low, go slow"). Anyhow, for the first hour or two I was fine - then the dizziness hit. The dizziness made me a tad anxious. I had to do something to get rid of the anxiety, so I decided to clean my closet. My closet must be like a magician's hat - there was NO WAY all the stuff I pulled out of there could ever go back in. I did a lot of purging, so fortunately I didn't have to try. (It's all bagged up ready to go to Goodwill). Way back in the depths, I found two pairs of jeans, tags still on. I had bought them ages ago because they were a style/brand I like but I had not noticed that they were "petite" until I got home. Petites in any size are almost one full size smaller in the waist and hips, plus with shorter legs. So say you wear, like me, a size 6. A petite 6 is closer to a size 4. These two pairs had ended up in the back of the closet because when I got them home eons ago, I practically had to paint them on. Forget the thought of breathing or bending! I had entertained the idea of giving them to my daughter if the legs were long enough for her but it kept slipping my mind. That was an eternity ago. WELL, I now have two new pairs of jeans because since I was too sick to eat much for a couple of weeks and now I've been pretty limited in what I'm eating, they fit wonderfully. A month and a half of illness & food issues is not the diet I'd recommend. This discovery frees up the Christmas money I was going to use on a couple pairs of Roca Wear jeans. I can now spend it on the adjustable dumbbells that I want for home.
Regarding the Allegra. I think I'm going to have to really "need" it before I'll be willing to go through that dizzy feeling thing again. I'd rather take Benadryl. Now that I'm not all nutso itching everywhere, one Benadryl knocks me out. I can't imagine what the whole 180 mg of Allegra would have done to me. I'd probably have cleaned out everyone's closet in the house, then started volunteering my services to neighbors.
My BFF in FL called this morning: I'm not sure if there is much that beats long phone calls with dear friends, except actually getting to hang out in person over a cup of coffee. She and her new husband had their first Christmas together as man & wife - and it was the best Christmas she's had in a decade or more. Last week one of my best high school friends called and we had a two hour phone call - she's allergic to everything, so I got lots of sympathy and advice. Maybe it's our common Lithuanian ancestry. Ghost white skin, lousy hyper-active immune systems. The chat was so helpful & encouraging.
Happy reunions: When we moved to Ohio, Rhianna was only 4 years old. The family next door had 3 children - a boy her age, and a boy and girl around my older daughter's age. They all became fast friends. Rhianna and Rozelle were inseparable. She may be gorgeous, but she is a tomboy and pretty fearless. She and Rozelle used to beat the tar out of each other, but heaven forbid any other boy dared try to hurt her. He was at my house constantly. They spent hours and hours playing each day for years and years. Unfortunately, life wasn't so happy indoors at his house and his parents split up. He and his siblings moved with their mom to their grandparents' home in the next town over. For a while Rozelle would be up every other weekend and they would get to play - but then, his father found a ready-made-family on the Internet and moved them in. Tensions arose and Rozelle's mother wasn't bringing him over very often. (She wasn't the friendliest person in the world either). Gambling debts caused the father to lose the house...and that was it. We would run into Rozelle's grandma places and she would update us on him. She attends a sister-church to my friend, Caren's, and sometimes my youngest would see him at Vacation Bible School. It has been at least 3 years since Rhianna and Rozelle saw each other...and he called two days ago and wanted to come over. Yesterday they spent the afternoon over here throwing things at each other, knocking each other off my stability balls, having a blast like they had never been apart. NOW he's been texting all day because he's "in love." We used to always joke that those two would wind up getting married someday, lol. I think her current beau, Derek, has got a challenger.
A son-in-law who is awesome: My son-in-law is so sweet and kind to my youngest. He listens to her and has showed interest in her Webkinz collection and the website with all the games. She wanted to getting him one for Christmas so his could visit hers. Well, he didn't act all macho or grownup about it... he was so sweet. Today he came over and had her help him set it up on the website and then they played back and forth for over an hour, with his visiting hers and hers going to his "house." What a great guy! Our family has been BLESSED.
Green beans: I can eat green beans in large quantities. Hurray!
Good customer service: My father managed to keep hitting "submit" when ordering books online from the NY Times Store. I checked his statement online and discovered he had been charged $73.90 SEVEN times. Between the folks at the NY Times Store - especially a friendly manager named, Matt - and the woman at Visa who was exceptionally nice - we were able to get the whole thing straightened out. One of his hospital bills had also gotten messed up, they didn't report the whole insurance membership number and therefore were told that he wasn't a customer - he ended up with a collection notice and I was able to get that taken care of easily.
I'm sure there are other good things that I haven't thought of... I'm sure they'll come to me another day. :)
~o~
Today's workout: 50 minutes of HIIT on the Octane & Cybex. Planning on either a core workout or yoga this evening.
Yesterday: I decided to stay home and do things here. 12 minutes on the stationary bike. 30 minutes of Turbulence Training circuits. 23 minutes of HIIT on my elliptical.
The Circuit dumbbell chest press with my wimpy dumbbells 25/30 1-legged squat 6 each side Repeat for a total of four sets --1:30 sprint on stationary bike dumbbell deadlift 15/30 alternating shoulder press, 15 each arm 12/15 Repeat for total of three sets --1:30 sprint on stationary bike dumbbell reverse lunge 8/30 bicycle crunch 30 Repeat for total of three sets
It's been a gorgeous autumn day. I was able to enjoy an hour run in the graveyard with spectacular foliage. Amazing colors and leaves dancing about in a brisk breeze. I didn't go as fast as I'd have liked because I ended up talking on the cell phone for half of my run. But that's okay, today was supposed to be an easier day. I also got in 30 minutes of yoga, focusing more on balance and strength. I think tomorrow I'll have to do the whole P90X yoga in the afternoon. My body needs to be stretched out...I'd love to own one of those inversion gadgets and hang upside down for a while. If not, I'd just be happy to either dance or skip around in the moonlight tonight.
I spent part of the afternoon helping my middle daughter get ready for her first homecoming. She looks gorgeous. :) I have to go out and buy a new card reader (the kids broke the other one) tomorrow - then I can post some pictures of her and her date. I put dozens of long ringlets in her hair and she even asked me to do her eye shadow. He texted her when he and his mom were on the way - he was as nervous as she was. Both of them were so cute. Her dress is a long sleeveless black satin, overlaid with black tulle embroidered with butterflies and shot through with silvery glitter. He wore a silvery dress shirt with a black and silver tie. They looked perfect together! He bought her a lovely wrist corsage of red roses with black/silver ribbons entwined through the flowers. We ordered his boutonniere from the same place so that it would match perfectly.
Good things:
Cranberry-apple cider. This stuff is DELICIOUS. I don't know what I'll do when it's not a seasonal item any more. I think I'm quite addicted. The family likes to drink it straight, but I water it down... 1/4 c cider to 3/4 c water. Mmmmm.
Quaker Oatmeal Squares. For a while they stopped making these, it must have been consumer outrage and demand that brought them back. They are soooo good! I cannot have a box of them within reach or else I'll munch uncontrollably.
Shania Starlight perfume. See yesterday's blog - it's obviously the kind of scent that makes people say, "Mmmmm, who smells good?" You can request a free sample on the website.
Namaste Yoga. Oh, what did I do without FitTV? I recorded an episode and did it today - I had to fast forward past the brief commercials (2 sets) and then fill in with some other poses to make it 30 minutes instead of just 25. Still - it was EXCELLENT. Wouldn't you know that the first episode I've done has Crane in it. I'm getting much better at it. This time you had to go into Crane from Tree pose. NOW that is hard! Just doing forward fold from tree with one leg still on your upper thigh/hip area is tough, add to that squat down with one leg and trying to get into Crane, then somehow stand back up. WOW, wow, wow. I'm saving that one so that I can conquer it.
FitTV.(Another thing about FitTV) There is a new belly-dancing series called "Shimmy." Bellydance is a fun way to enjoy feeling feminine and free. Sometimes women think that if they strength train that it somehow diminishes their femininity. Not so...it just keeps things from shimmying that shouldn't be. :)
Oxygen. This month's issue - just came out - is packed with great stuff. Gluten free recipes. 15 minute meals. Gym-less workout. What to eat if you're allergic to <insert food here>. A week's worth of vegetarian meals (for those that like that sort of thing). Wallet-friendly health foods. Holiday health tips. Etc.
Women's Health. The new issue is also chock full of goodies... AND an article about two Cousteau grandchildren - remember Jacques Cousteau? Oh, how I loved him! I remember being glued to the TV set when a Cousteau special was on.
Sweetest Day. Leave it to Ohioans to come up with a 2nd Valentine's Day. :) When I lived in Jersey, Florida and New Mexico this holiday never seemed to be a big deal. Here in Ohio where it was invented it sure is. I have a beautiful bouquet of flowers on my table to prove it. Although the day was invented in 1921 by candy-makers with an eye on philanthropy, it really has become like a spare Valentine's Day. Chocolate is great but I prefer floral gifts - they don't stick to my thighs. :) Spare Valentines? Kind of makes me think of the Hobbits' second breakfast. Why? I don't know, but my mind runs that way.
As for Roadrunner over DSL -- I can't say that I find Roadrunner to be any faster. Really. BUT I am saving a bit more than $20 a month with my package deal AND I have 200 channels, which was more than I had on DISH. Turner Classic Movies, AMC...good to have, definitely.
