HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE

Wow! 27 years ago today. It is so hard to believe that many years have gone by since the day my daughter was born. I remember my mom and dad stopping at the hospital, they had been in Ohio for a few days. Michelle didn't have a name for a few days either. She was born by c section so we had to stay a bit longer than normal and we couldn't decide what to name her. She was almost a Janelle, that was a name my grandma had suggested for Howie if he would have been a girl. I really liked that name but in the end went with Michelle after her dad.

Michelle was just a little thing and the nurses would make me wake her up to eat..they needed her to gain weight before she could come home. then her first checkup the doctor said she was a bit overweight...

Michelle hated to sleep, I remember asking the doctor if there wasn't something we could give her to help her sleep. the first year of her life I was like a walking zombie.

I love you dolly, hope you have an absolutely wonderful birthday and remember the package and the check are in the mail...See you soon!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MOM AND DAD

Wow! 54 years ago today they were married. I need to find out where. I do know that Aunt Jo and Uncle Sonny stood up for them and do believe mom told me that they went to Aunt Jo's mom's and dad's afterwards. Don't quote me there, I could be wrong.

Congrats mom and dad! That is quite an accomplishment! I love you both!

SPARKPEOPLE AGAIN

I received this article from Sparkpeople.com this morning and found it very appropriate. As most of you know, my mom, sister, daughter and myself all wear pedometers and track our steps daily on walkertracker.com It was interesting to me to read this article this morning so I am sharing it with you. It is taken from a mailer that went out to sparkpeople users.

Add Steps to Subtract Pounds Researchers from the University of Tennessee asked overweight women to clip on pedometers to track their steps. They divided these women into two groups. One group was told to aim for 10,000 steps a day (the common recommendation considered to be "active"), while the second group was told simply to walk briskly for 30 minutes, most days of the week (a common--but minimum--fitness recommendation). The study found that the step counters averaged over 10,000 steps daily, while the minute counters averaged between 8,270 to 9,505 steps on the days the DID meet their 30-minute goals, and merely 5,597 steps on the days they didn't exercise for 30 minutes. The researchers conclude that setting your goals in steps (rather than minutes) may be the best way to increase your overall activity. Action Sparked: If you're having a hard time getting into a regular fitness routine, using a pedometer may help motivate you. It's a simple way to track your progress, and you can easily continue to beat your past records (even if only by 5, 10, or 100 steps). Tracking your steps is another way to gauge your activity level--especially for the average deskbound worker. (People with active jobs, such as servers, may exceed 10,000 steps at work alone, but should still plan structured fitness activities.) Exercise Extra: Walking less than 5,000 steps daily is considered sedentary, 5,000 to 9,999 is considered low to somewhat active, and 10,000 steps or more is active.

I think this is a great place to insert a picture of my sister from The Relay for Life, this picture had to have been taken about 4 or 5 am and I don't think she knows I have it. LOL She walked over 30,000 steps this day, and she beat me.

almost two miles

Went out for a nice walk/jog tonight after work. Up and down hills and felt great. Almost made it two miles, was upset to get home and see pedometer register 1.94 miles in 36 minutes. I'm not real sure what time I am trying to beat, but its got to be better than that! LOL! The fact that this was up and down hill is good, but I want to be better. My hear trate monitor showed an average of 119 so that was right where it needed to be. I am really getting into this health stuff and am debating about taking an on line course for fitness instructor. I know that I would really enjoy it but would it be worthwhile? Who knows? Maybe not to anyone else but me. This trip took me up 255 to the Y, then down 555, up Apple, Teaberry, Blackberry, Strawberry and home going back up 555 and onto 255. Quite a good walk and thoroughly enjoyed it until I saw the darn pedometer. Just a few more steps and would have been at 2 miles. Thought about going further even but just didn't. On a bright note, I wore my Pavement Pounding Posse tshirt, which works real well for workouts. Speaking of the Team, here is another relay picture. LOL These three really went the distance for the relay. All three stayed the entire 24 hours. Ann and her family were great and let us use their camper and set up the campsite. Scott wouldn't let me quit even at 4 am when i really just wanted to close my eyes for those few minutes (or hours)..somehow he kept going and kept me going too. I think if he had quit laughing for a few minutes he'd have been asleep though. Cher, what can I say about my sister except that she is always there for me and for everyone else around her to. Love ya sis!

STILL RECUPERATING

Not a bad picture for being taken with my cell phone. I think its the only one I'm in and darn it we didn't have the cowboy hats on. this is just getting started with the set up. Shows what fun we are having though. Cass emailed tonight and wanted pictures from any of us that had any, so I sent her bunches. Don't know why she wanted them and don't know if i had any that she wanted but I sent them on anyways. I am still recuperating and looking forward to being off tomorrow.

Think I am going to call my doctors in Pitts and see if they have the blood work results back yet, would really like to know that everything is okay.

Guess its going to be an early night again here, I am still trying to catch up on the missed sleep this weekend.

Next year??

Relay. What an absolutely awesome experience. We are already talking next year. Alot of the team members mentioned it there. You are sure to see pictures the next few days. I must say we did fantastic! think we all had fun, most of us didn't sleep much at all and we covered a lot of ground. Cher and I had some fun competition going on with the pedometers and I am not sure where she ended, but I had 32570. Of course, she is going to tell you I cheated. I didn't, just had a different 24 hours than her...my clock was an hour behind..LOL Here is our campsite, which was absolutely the best one there.

This is the start of setup. You can see the guitars, cactus, or cacti as some prefer to call them and Betty, our co captain, who was in charge of decorating. Love those cactus Scott! Thank you for finding them and allowing us the use of them!

RELAY IS HERE

For the past 6 months we have worked towards this one day. Now its here and we are all excited. The campsite looks great, we have the use of Ann's camper and the guys have it up and tarped off. We didn't decorate last night, looked like rain could move in, we'll have time to do that this morning. Set up is from 8 to 11 and there will be a few of us there. Cher will be here around 7 so that we can be there in time. I have got boxes and bags sitting all around this den, we wanted to make sure we had coffee, munchies and of course warm clothes, extra shoes and don't forget my cap gun! the theme is the Wild Wild West and we have cowboy hats!

The big camera is going with me and pictures will be forthcoming. Mike is in Vegas with the kids for this weekend. It will be nice to think of them all there together while I am out doing this. I'm going to see if I can find a few "walking" songs for the ipod...walking on sunshine, these boots are made for walking...LOL

Enjoy the day everyone!

FINAL DAYS

It's almost here! After 6 months of planning, fund raising and working towards our goal The Relay for Life is this coming Saturday at 8 am until Sunday 8am. 24 hours because cancer doesn't sleep and neither do we. we are getting excited. The decorating committee will be setting up tomorrow night at 6 pm. It consists of Betty, Ann, her husband Kevin, Cher and Jeff and possibly Scott. I work till 8 pm and then will be going over. Let's pray the weather holds.

WE have earned $1988, the Mengle foundation donated $897.50 to us and today I received an on line donation of $35. For a total of $2920.50. We are not done. Laura is cooking lunch tomorrow. $3.00 a plate to go to relay, Cher has money to turn in, we still have candy bar money out and still selling chances at relay.

I am hoping to get pictures, pictures and more pictures. What am I going to do with my time when this is done?

Nike

Love these shoes! My first ever good pair of sneakers! 53 years old and finally bought a pair of Nikes! I love them! Just got back from a real nice walk up and down hills around the neighborhood. 2 miles, well actually the pedometer registered only 1.96 so lets be honest here.

I also found a new fitness website today that I am checking out. It is ironjournal.com and I have registered there and updated my first workout with them. I'm off and I'm heading outside.

did go get the blood work done this morning that I needed for the doctors next month and that went well, its over with anyway. Now we just wait for results. Have a great day everyone! I'm outta here. the fish are calling!

Congrats Howie

Well, he did it..I am not surprised that Howie passed the physical for the police department at all. He seemed very determined and is fully capable of doing whatever he sets his mind to. I sure am proud of him. These kids just never fail to amaze me, what wonderful kids i do have. I guess in all reality they are not really kids..he is 35 years old and I think that is what surprises me the most. He was never really into sports or activities and now at his age to do this is just that much more impressive. Way to go Howie!

I am debating about going for my blood work tomorrow. The cat scan came back fine, yippee. I have three blood tests to get done and then that will be it for doctors until August when I go back to UPMC to see the endocrinologist. I have time to wait but it sounds kind of good to have it over with. Will see how the morning goes and decide from there.

Doctors Crap

Well, I am slowly getting through all of this doctors crap. Yesterday I went for the cat scan early in the morning. Nice to have them do it on a sunday. No one there, no waiting, just in and out. Funny these new machines are awesome. Didn't have to even put a robe on, just scan through the clothing. I did have to take the pedometer off though..LOL! We had taken one picture when I realised it was still on.! He was just coming in to ask me what the heck that was when I remembered and said hey! I better take this pedometer off! LOL Well, thats over and done with and should have the results back to the doctor sometime tomorrow.

Alot of the blood work for UPMC still needs done and I am trying to decide if I want to do that this week or wait a bit yet. If I go this week then everything is over and done with, otherwise its still hanging, but the trip to UPMC is still about a month away so there is time.

Relay is this weekend...what a relief to have that over and I am really looking forward to the time at the park and just being there to relax, walk and enjoy our hard work. Decorating committee is going over Friday night. I hope we all have a great time, there is still money to be turned in, signs to finish etc. last meeting is this Thursday at the park and I hope I can go. One of the girls at work quit and she was covering for me on thursday. Darn.

FAVORITES TODAY

A day off. 3 new Fancy Butterfly Koi for the pond. Sitting by the pond reading "The Secret" a new book on the best seller lists, about the principal of you are what you believe, you attract what you think about. Easy reading and enjoyable, very motivational and I believe a must read for my family! Green tea, iced. and Cardio..lots and lots of cardio 3 miles watp, a walk up and down hills around the neighborhood, 5 miles on the stationary bike from the deck, 17 minutes on that eliptical. song "u and Ur hand" by Pink on the ipod!

Notes from 2005: 18 days I had been at UPMC two years ago.Really am praying that the surgery can be soon and I can go home. They had to take me off the iv's today because of fluid in my lungs and took me for more xrays. Was having an emotional day.Patty came down and spent this entire day with me They increaded the pheonoxybenzamine today.

today was a much better day than two years ago. However, the weather that year was much warmer! Check out the new pond picture

SECOND AND THIRD PLACE

Second place consists of steeler pillow, elvis clock, wind up battery operated flash light, Avon Products, gift cards, mens wallet numerous other items.
Third place is hand made afghan made and donated by a team member, bath and Body works gift basket, wallet from area jewelers and gift card from Ross's.

STARTING OVER

I always love the first days of new months. It's like a new beginning and I need that right now. Didn't do so well the month of June. Was down on exercise, over on eating and no where close to the goal I had set. The relay will be over in 2 weeks and I am in count down mode. I am so glad that I did this and had this experience but I am ready for it to be here. We have a meeting today at 1:30 at Eat and Park and very few people are coming over for it. Cher and I are going to check out the park where we will be for it.

Notes from 2005: the first day of July, I've been here now 16 days and am getting so anxious to get this done and get home. Not real happy starting a new month in the hospital but will hopefully be home real soon. All 3 endochrine surgeons just in. 99% sure surgery will be done on Wed. Yim wants phenoxyebenzamine raised starting Sunday but apparently endocrhinologist doesn't want it raised at all. guess there is some arguing going on there. The surgery sounds pretty scary. 4 holes if done laprascopically 1 big slice if not. I am very scared about the whole thing but it has to be done.

6:00 pm this day I wrote: I snuck down the hall for a quick coffee and got caught. I went off the monitors and Liz came and found me drinking a coffee. ( I was not allowed coffee) It was a really rough day today.I cried often. On a bright note this day my weight was down 2 pounds..I weighed 131! this was while they were trying to keep me full of fluids and it worked.

Today, 2007, I have plans for some real exercise, heading to my fitness room now, also the relay meeting at 1:30 and sure to get some housework in and time out in the gardens and pond. Have a great day everyone.