Monday Melange

• Happy birthday, Tim!!! You are an amazing husband, father, and man, and I hope this year is filled with experiences and opportunities that surprise and delight you!
• We're back from vacation. Couldn't get to sleep till almost 4 in the morning, and was up at 8, so getting some rest tonight shouldn't be a problem, right?
• Looks like running in Hawaii kept weight under control, even though yesterday was a day of processed indulgences (Twizzlers, Doritos, Reese's Pieces). Today I'm back to logging food on Daily Plate. Don't know if exercise will happen, with temps predicted at 105 and low energy, it may be another rest day. :)
• Our dogs are happy to see us.
• So are our tomatoes. I sat beside a Sun Gold plant this morning and ate one tomato after the other, hot and fresh off the vine -- yum!
• Although I ate a little fish while on Maui and still don't want to label my diet, if pinned down I'd say I'm a vegetarian who occasionally eats fish. Turns out -- surprise! -- I like how I eat! But not labeling what I am makes the whole food thing easier, which is a very good thing.

Monday Melange

• Running in Hawaii is tough and wonderful. It's tough because you start to sweat the minute you start to move. But it's wonderful cuz IT'S HAWAII!!!
• There's a mirror in our condo that I want to steal and take back home. In it, I look really good. I still look 48, but I look strong and healthy and like I said, really good! Tim assures me that that's what I look like. Hmmmmm, I may have to reconsider my view of me, or may have to obtain some tools and bring the special mirror home with me. ;)
  
• If you didn't know me 10 years ago, you may be surprised to know that I was quite homemaker-ish and pretty conservative. For example I used to like Brighton jewelery, but over time it seemed a little too staid and fussy for my tastes. Went into the Brighton in Whaler's Village last night. Ummmm, yeah, they've updated some of their styles and me likeee a LOT! Got 2 necklaces and a pair of earrings, and may be heading back for a little something else before the trip is over. :)
• It felt really good to run today. The last few days have been quite active with tons of walking and swimming, and 28 miles of biking (all downhill) but I feel more like me when I run.
• We spent the day in Lahaina, with lots of time spent in the art galleries. I LOVE that my family loves art. There's a Russian artist -- Roman Czerwinski -- whose works were AMAZING. We met him and I plan to go back to learn more about what he does. His 4"x4" canvases sell for $299, so we won't be taking any of his stuff home, but I'll drink it in while we're here!
• We're off to the ocean...happy Monday, friends!

Responses

Colette asked for garden pictures. This is our front planter box. It has gardenias, bacopa, and platycodon, aka Balloon Flowers which I LOVE! Don't know if the photo from my phone does the flowers justice, but they really are beautiful. More photos when we return from vacation.

Katie suggested video of lunge walking. I'd be happy to take some, but I've had to cut out lunge walking until my calf strain is gone.

Four Simple Ways to Make the Most of Your Day

I found this at OnSimplicity.net.

Whether we like it or not, days bleed into one another and weeks slip by quickly. I hate the feeling of looking back on a month and thinking, “Wait… Now what did I do again? Anything?” One way to ease your mind that your days have been well spent is to focus less on checking tasks off a list, and more on making each day valuable to you and to the world.

Do One Thing That Scares You

This one has become a cliche, but that doesn’t make it irrelevant. (Please don’t run into traffic just to get heart rate up, though.) Seek out fears that may be holding you back from trying new things. Talk to that cute girl on the bus. Negotiate a deal. Present an idea at work. Attempt a ridiculously complex meal. When you regularly do things that kind of freak you out, you stretch your boundaries and create a much bigger, more rewarding comfort zone to play in. “Safe” and “stuck” don’t have to be synonymous.

Do One Thing That Soothes You

The world doesn’t have to take care of you: you can take care of yourself. You need to take care of yourself. If you’re angry, find a way to release it. If you’re frustrated, do something nice for yourself. If you’re tired and cranky, enjoy a treat instead of martyring yourself for no good reason. Take a moment, just once a day, to make yourself feel good, and remind yourself that you’re responsible for your own happiness.

Do One Thing for Someone Else

Being selfless feels good—more than one study has demonstrated this. (Kind of throws a kink in the “selflessness” of the act, but we won’t worry about that…) Taking time to do a kindness for another person reminds you of the reasons you have to be thankful, all while strengthening your relationships with others. If you give and truly expect nothing in return, it’s rare to have any regrets about it.

Do One Thing for the Future

The future is a pretty fluid concept here: next week, next month, your 80th birthday… You can transfer funds to your savings accout, spend time talking with your child, do some yoga as part of a weight loss plan, anything that gets you one step closer to your goals for the future. Regardless of whether you’re learning French for next year’s trip or making a quilt to be passed down for generations, you need to stay connected with your future on a regular basis. That’s where some of your best moments are yet to be realized.

Lovely.

Melange!

• This summer has been better than any other for me thus far. Why? Because my kids are involved in things that make them happy, rather than just sitting in front of the TV. Also it helps that I'm learning how to stand up for myself.
  
• I'm still seeing the counselor and it's helping. Can't tell you exactly how it works, but I'm feeling stronger inside than I have in quite some time.
• Hey guess what? I'm a level 67 in Mafia Wars! Yeah, I'm still having fun with it. And I'm NOT a video game sort of girl.
• Also uncharacteristic? My newfound love of UFC. Maybe "love" is too strong of a word. But when my kid jokingly asks me if I want to watch with him (expecting a resounding NO) and I stay transfixed for 30 minutes, you know I'm liking it. I told Austin that I like ultimate fighting for the same reason I like jazz dancing. "Huh?" was his reaction. To me both "sports" exemplify grace, agility, strength, and athleticism that I find deeply appealing. (But I don't like it when anyone is punching anyone else's head -- that makes me sad.)
• The Daily Plate at Livestrong.com is amazing for food logging. My girlfriend Laura told me about it, and I figured that ONCE AGAIN I'd try tracking what I eat. (Why do I run so much? So I don't have to moderate my food intake!) I'm really impressed with the site. It has some of the not-so-common foods I eat (Spiru-Soy from Vitamin Shop, Kombucha). However, I get a little weird when I start logging food. Like I don't want to eat cuz then I have to log it. And that didn't work well yesterday as I headed out on a 7 mile run. I bonked at mile 4, so I came home, ate, and then finished. Today I'm trying to learn from my mistakes. :)
  

Thoughts

As I sit here eating my lunch (Amy's Indian Palak Paneer and an ice cold Diet Pepsi) (yeah, I started drinking them again), I'm feeling really at peace. Both kids are at Sunsplash (a water park) with friends, and won't be home for a couple of hours. During this time I'll plan tonight's workouts (I train clients on Wednesday evenings), do a little garden maintenance, fold some laundry, and just enjoy being at home. As I normally run on adrenalin and caffeine, and try to get as much done as humanly possible, "peaceful" is not my normal state of mind. But I'm really digging it.

Hey guess what? When you run more and clean up your diet, your waist comes back! In case you thought that increased exercise and decreased food doesn't work, I'm here to tell you that it does.

But getting back into running hasn't been easy. It's humbling to feel spent after a run that a few months ago would have been a piece of cake. Yesterday I ran while Austin was at boxing camp. I was tired. It was warm and windy. And boxing is in an industrial area that is less than scenic, with warehouses galore. But yesterday was so fragmented that if I didn't run then, I couldn't run at all. So I ran. Not every run has to be glorious. (Goodness sakes -- if that were a requirement I would have stopped running decades ago!)

Time to head out into the garden...

Brain Dump

• Yesterday we had our third Big Dinner. Big Dinner is where our kids get to invite any of their friends -- as many as they'd like to invite -- and we provide them with dinner and a fun place to hang out. So there were 20 teenagers here last night eating tri-tip and bbq chicken, pasta salad, rolls, green salad, and brownies and ice cream for dessert. Tim and I enjoy Big Dinner nearly as much as the kids do. My hope is that we're creating memories for our kids that they'll want to repeat with their own kids someday.
• I've been running the trail by my house a lot. I am in love with this little trail. One of these days I'll post pictures. Why do I love it? Well, it's beautiful. Also there are kid-made forts in a few places. The up-and-down-ness of the trail make me feel like a kid. So do the fallen trees you have to duck under or step over where they cross the trail. I feel very lucky to have something so fun just 1/2 mile from my house.
• "Melange" sounds so much better than "brain dump".
  
• Mafia Wars is my new addiction. I think it's so incredibly fun. I'm only 80 points from levelling up. Is it strange that I broke out the calculator and was figuring out the ratio of experience points earned to energy points spent for various jobs? (Don't answer that one!)
• Running 7 today was tough as my glutes and calves were really sore from lunge walks. I don't know why I think lunge walks are so fun, but as long as I'm enjoying them, I'm going with it!
• We took the dogs to the dog park today. You can't be unhappy at the dog park -- it's just not possible!
• My girlfriend Kris got me a Brazilian prayer ribbon (her client's husband just returned from South America) and I love it! It's a red ribbon that you tie around your ankle making 3 knots and saying your prayer. Supposedly when it falls off, your prayer will have ... come true? happened? Anyway, my prayer is taken from the AA Big Book: Free me from the bondage of self that I may better do thy will. Every time I see the red ribbon I remember the prayer. And it's making life better.
• Now that I'm not vegetarian, what's changed? Very little. I've probably had 3 ounces of chicken in the 5 days I've gone back to meat eating. But what I'm liking is having more options. I may just go with this till the end of the year, and then see if I want to make any changes. Interestingly, Tucker is sad that I'm not vegetarian anymore. And I liked that the label made me feel kind of special. (Well, it's true!)
  

Can't think of anything else at the moment. Gotta go check my mafia family! :)

Pushing Reset

I read many wonderful blogs. Today's title comes from OnSimplicity.net in a post titled "Pushing the Reset Button on Your Life." I feel like I'm there right now. It's time to examine my life and how things are working for me. What areas are up for examination? In theory, everything's a candidate. But right now here's what on my radar:

How I Eat -- Your comments helped me to make my decision. I'm eating meat again. Not a lot. But enough that I can actually taste and eat what I cook for my family. The choice feels like a very good one at this time.

How I Exercise -- Not sure I want to do crazy long running. In the same way that cutting entire food groups out of my diet feels extreme, so does trying to run 30+ miles per week. I may go back to my "staying in half marathon shape" goal, which is what I started with before I ran the marathon and the ultra.

How I Start My Day -- Once again I'm trying to start my day in a positive way. It's just so easy to jump onto the computer and click stuff as I wake up. But is that the best way to start? NO! Prayer, spiritual reading, and exercise produce a much better mindset and outlook.

How I Relate to my Kids -- Over time I've let my authority as a mom erode to where I think I'm viewed as a friendly servant. And this becomes a vicious cycle where I make choices (picking up their clothes, dropping whatever I'm doing to transport them, and so on) that make me feel devalued AND perpetuate the "friendly servant" persona and feed my depressed feelings. As today is their last day of school, it's time to get them to man up (literally!) and make more of a contribution. They'll feel better and I'll feel better.

On another note -- We had violent thunderstorms throughout the night last night. At times it was so loud that it hurt my ears. My neighbor across the street had pictures fall off her walls, and figurines topple and crash off her bookcases, and has charred electrical outlets. Our power was out for maybe 6 or 7 hours, and the simplicity was really really nice.

The Pettiness Prayer

The Pettiness Prayer

Keep us, oh God, from pettiness.

Let us be large in thought, in word, in deeds.

Let us be done with fault finding and leave off self-seeking.

May we put away all pettiness and meet each other face to face, without self-pity and prejudice.

May we always be patient, never hasty in judgment and always be tolerant.

Teach us to put into action our better impulses, straight forward and unafraid.

Let us take time for all things, make us calm, serene, and gentle.

Grant that we may realize that it is the little things in life that create differences; that in the big things of life we are as one.

May we strive to touch and to know the great common heart of us all.

And, oh God, let us not forget to be kind.

My plan is to start my day with this prayer each day in the month of June.

SO SAD

I forgot to order my 7th grader a yearbook. Actually, I thought I ordered it in the fall. Turns out I was wrong. I would have bet money that it was handled! Kid is disappointed and angry. I feel awful. At least I know I'll have something to talk with the counselor about this week.

UPDATE: Feeling better. May be able to get a yearbook today (they have a lottery for the extras). May not. But stuff happens. You'd better believe I'll be sending the money in early next year!

Monday Melange

So today is the start of a brand new week and a brand new month, both on the same day. That seems good somehow, doesn't it?

So now it's Tuesday and I'm just getting back to writing. Here in no particular order are the thoughts and observations that are rolling around in my head:

• I'm considering becoming a flexitarian (mostly veg with a little meat thrown in). Just started reading Mark Sisson's new book The Primal Blueprint, and he makes a very compelling case as to why it's better to eat animal products. Also what I eat right now for dinners is pretty pathetic. I cook meat for my family (tonight it's a Mexican casserole with chicken, brown rice, veggies and cheese) so they whole "it's better for the environment" argument that's pro veg doesn't work for me, as I'm not living it. Anyway, tonight I'll eat ... well, I'm training clients tonight, so it doesn't count. But last night I made chicken picatta with vermicelli and salad and I ate some plain noodles and salad. (Later I made up for it (sigh).) So yeah, I don't know that eating veg makes sense for me. I'd love to hear your thoughts...
• People in Mafia Wars are mean! I've had hits orderd on me, and someone even just punched me in the face! Why can't I just run my little crime family and earn millions without someone trying to hurt or kill me??? Maybe Sorority Wars is more my speed?
• I'm in love with "my" little trail. It's 1/2 mile from our house, but it's single track, primitive, challenging (LOTS of ups and downs) and super duper fun. When I run there it makes me feel like a kid!
• Still hanging onto an extra 5 pounds, but still working towards leanness. We leave for Hawaii in 2-1/2 weeks. Am I motivated enough to be strict with my eating till then? (Oh just the thought makes me tired!) Stay tuned...
• Have been working in the yard a lot since my visit from The Garden Gal. I hired her to be my gardening tutor after I killed some marigolds (which are indestructible in our area). Her diagnosis? Flukey gardening mystery. She came last week and gave me some direction on many different areas of the garden, and now I'm out there every day slowly chipping away at my project list. If you need gardening help, I'd highly recommend Katrina.
  
• My kids are both on Facebook now and they are my friends. Which means I have to watch what I say there. But I get to see what they say...

Ok, time to get ready for my 1:30 client. Have a fabulous Tuesday, friends!