Postal Service

I received an invitation in the mail today to a baby shower. Its for a niece in Ohio who I have not seen in years. Actually, Angie was probably a teenager the last time I saw her. I have fond memories of her. I particularly remember a time when her mom, Laura, and I took our kids shopping. Angie and my son, Howie were "debating" the pros and cons of Nike versus Reebok. I can't really recall which of the kids preferred which shoe but it was a pretty loud, ongoing discussion. Another fond memory of Angie was at Sea World when her and Howie were very young and playing in a childs area climbing on rope swings. I think I actually have those pictures still downstairs.

I don't know that I would have gone to the shower. I was her aunt by marriage. Her blood uncle and I divorced years ago, however I was her aunt for years and years and in my heart I always will be. However, I am upset that the decision to go was taken out of my hands. I had nothing to say about it. Yes, I received the invitation today, however the shower was last month, on the 30th of Aug. The postal stamp is dated July 24. Yet, it took 3 days short of 2 months to find me?? It has the correct address, the correct zip code, and the correct name. This is our postal service?? It is stamped all over Missent to 1-19 IN. Missent to 1-330, another missent to 1-19IN. Whatever that is. I may yet take this to our post office. If for no other reason than to complain.

I pray that Angie and Jim have a healthy, happy baby.

Get Up, Get Moving

What did you do for exercise today? Aim for 30 to 45 minutes of cardio daily.

Mine was an hour of racquet ball, a half hour walk, strength training on the cybex machines for 45 minutes, 10 minutes on the stepper at the gym, 45 minute walk around the neighborhood. Just keep on moving!

Racquet Ball

Rule #1 If you stand close to the wall and hit the ball straight at the wall, the ball is going to come straight back at you.

Rule #2 Do not stand within 5 feet of the wall and hit the ball straight at the wall. See Rule #1

I need to practice my backhand. However, we are getting better at the rally's. We can keep the ball going for a while and we played for an hour today. What fun!

Excited

I'm excited. My last class for the Personal Trainer course I am taking was mailed out the other day, it should be getting here Monday or Tuesday. I am not ready to take the last class yet. I am only about a half way through the entire course but I am so anxious to see this last set get here, it includes the studies for the NCSF test. I've bought a few books recently to use for reference and they have been a big help along with the one Nikki gave me. I'm learning so many different things and at my age it is hard to keep all this in my head, so its good to keep refreshing my mind on these things. Recording it does help and when I hear something I am not sure about I can stop and look it up again and again, so it keeps it in my mind a bit longer. Some of these books are good for that because they are all worded a bit differently. I hit paydirt with a few health books. The church next door had a yard sale over Labor Day and I got like 5 books for a few dollars. Thursday I stopped at the book store and they had a few on clearance, I bought 3 for $16. One of them has different workouts in it. One has alot of info from Leslie Sansone and the other is "How the body works." Who would ever have known I would be so into all this health and fitness years ago?

I am really working on cutting out the wheat products from my diet, or at least reducing it quite a bit. I still believe its a big part of the problem with my gut, so am back to watching the intake of that.

Fall is here in Pa, and my workouts have changed. From being outside and all the walking and running I am back into the eliptical, treadmill and dvd's a bit. Yesterday I did intervals on the eliptical, I forgot what a workout that thing is. Wed I did a Leslie Sansone watp dvd with weights and had to use the 4 pounds, couldn't do the whole thing with 5 pounds. Funny how different things work different muscles. With the fall here and winter coming I am really stepping this up and hoping to see spring bring forth the abs. I miss the beach and am hoping we got to go again next year sometime. Here is a sunrise on the beach picture. Isn't it beautiful.

Advertising?

I am considering volunteering for the advertising committee for the Relay for Life. They have not done such a good job the past few years. I am not sure I could do any better but If I don't try I will never know. I am not sure about doing it because I would have to see if I could change my works hours the first thursday of every month to attend the meetings. Still its up for consideration.

Racquet ball and the gym tomorrow. YEAH!

Racquetball

Well, today should prove interesting. Cher and I are off to the gym to get in our strength training and try our hand at racquet ball. she has been wanting to try this since our days at the Y, so last week we stopped and bought racquets and balls. Today is the day. Pray for me to come home with my teeth, bones, eyes all still intact. LOL

The gym

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet, must be slipping. Last WEd my sister and I went to check out a gym between our two little towns. We took the tour through and although small were pleased to see it had most of the equipment that we had used at the Y. We decided after a few hours there to join it for three months and see how often we used it. With time constraints due to work, families, and travel we are giving it a chance before joining and paying for a full year. The gym is small but it has the cybex machines plus a few new ones, it has the womans circuit room set up like curves and the Y. It has a real nice, small walking track, that has a rubber floor, perfect for jogging, has a weight room and has racquet ball courts!
My sister has wanted to try racquet ball for years. Yesterday we watched two guys play and we decided to give it a try. I stopped on the way home and bought us racquets and balls. Nothing fancy, just inexpensive ones from walmart until we see if we even like it. There is really no one around to teach us how to play so I am checking it out on line for pointers. I am sure we will be checking this out on Sunday. Wish us luck.

Love, Love, Love

Let me say first off that I love my husband, however I also love days off and I love days off when my dear husband is AT WORK! Finally I have a day off to myself. I don't mean for that to sound selfish and I am sorry if it does. he has been off for the past three weeks and has been here whenever I am home. Some of you ladies, I am sure, can understand when I say I love having the house to myself sometimes. Not all the time mind you, but once in a while it is nice, darn nice. Here it is 8:30 in the morning. I am sitting here still in pj's drinking coffee and playing on the computer and no need to feel guilty! I am about to get moving, going to pickup the kitchen, hop into some clothes and go out for my run. Then can get home and get busy with the laundry, housework, whatever and can turn on and up sirius radio to play along and keep me entertained.

Cher and I are checking out the Fitness Connection this afternoon so I need to meet her at walmart by 1:00, then picking up a few things at the store afterwards. I love days off with plans.

Bye!

Beach

In case you didn't know this already, I loved the beach! I have been dreaming about it daily since we got home. Truthfully I am not sure if its because of the beach itself or the fact that I didn't have anything I had to do or anywhere I had to be. Time was free, it was lazy and it was ours. We have decided we will do another beach vacation, longer and probably to the south. We are considering Florida for a vacation next year.

Here is another beach picture. Sunrise on the beach how wonderful!

100 PUSHUPS CHALLENGE

I found this site on line the other day and was quite taken with the idea. I knew I was going to participate in this challenge along with the 200 squats and 200 situps, but wasn't sure what day I would get started. Today was the day. I did Day 1 of the pushups, squats and situps challenge. I am so pumped about this. Check out this link. http://hundredpushups.com/index.html

With studying to be Certified Personal Trainer I don't believe I can ask people to do these things without doing them myself. How can I help someone get more fit if I haven't done it first? This can be a really good challenge for me to use with clients down the road. I am really thinking I would like to specialise with people a bit older. Not the youngsters but a bit older who really need help learning to eat and exercise correctly. Not that I wouldn't help the younger generation but I think I could be more beneficial to the older population who doesn't want to compete with a bunch of young kids. They may feel more comfortable with someone of my age.

I, of course, also got in 45 minutes of cardio. Today was an easy day, just walking, no jogging. 10 times around the track at the school.

Kids go back to school tomorrow here in our area by the way.

Happy Birthday Sis!

Today is my little sisters birthday. I remember years ago when I considered her a pain. Now she's my best friend. I remember one time we called her a "brownie" it was a slang term at the time, for someone who was a "goody two shoes" always doing things right. she replied that no, she was a girl scout. I wish I had time to write more here but I don't. So this is going to have to be enough for this morning. Anyways, sis. Hope your birthday is wonderful!

oops

Correction to the previous post. Must be getting older. Possibly Alzheimers or a brain fart or something. Last apartment number was 213. Not 219. My daughter corrected me on this. Sorry. Here is a picture of a stingray that a fisherman caught on the beach our last morning there, was awesome to see it.

Fenwick Island

We got home from the beach last night. How wonderful our trip was and how much we enjoyed it. We got to talking about how we had never done these things when our kids were young. Our families had never really taken us on vacations, we never really did our kids. When I was young our vacations were always coming back to Pa. to see family. When my kids were little our vacations were always going to see family in Ohio. I guess maybe its true that we learn and teach what we know. We took day trips often when my kids were little. Kenneywood was a favorite, Geneva Lake, Geauga Lake, Cedar Point, the zoo, etc. I wonder why we never took the kids to the beach. They would have loved it. Turns out my son has gone many times and my daughter and her dad went a few years ago, before he passed away. To bad we couldn't have done it once as a family. We would have loved it. Yesterday morning while turning in our room keys I realised our room number was 219. That is the house number of the last apartment we had before buying our little house. Kind of a bittersweet reminder

Perfect size

I love water bottles. You may know that about me, you may not. However, truth be known I have about 20, all sizes, all colors, different types, some stainless, some plastic, some with sippy lids, some with guzzlers. All different and I love each and every one of them. I have often gotten to the track for my run and wish I had remembered to take water with me. I take it everywhere else. I even carry water to work and we have a Brita pitcher there. This morning I remembered to take water, was glad I did too, got thirsty on that run. Anyways, this water bottle my daughter bought me at the Hoover Damn when we were in Vegas a few years ago. It is the perfect size and the perfect water bottle for my run at the track, not to big to carry to the park, has the sippy lid so it can stay closed while it sits on the bench and it holds about 12 oz. Perfect amount for my run. Thanks Michelle.