Fitness Friday #1: Have You Decided?

Here we are, the dawn of a new year while the poundage of last year still sits there. Sarah is handing out the fitness tips like crazy and, in reality, you KNOW things you can be doing to improve your fitness level. We all do. The deal is: I have knowledge, I have info, I have tips and tricks – but you have control of the one thing I don’t for changing your fitness level: your will. You have to decide that now is the time.

Before you think I’m asking you to make a blood oath about your activity level and caloric intake, please know that I’m not expecting you to change every aspect of your life in January, 2007. But I believe that successfully changing your life starts by simply setting your face in the right direction (oh my word, I have so many spiritual parallels I want to make, but later, later…) Seeing yourself as a healthy individual and making choices that reflect THAT person, not the former, tired, run-down, out-of-shape person you used to be.

Small story: Two years ago – January, 2005. We were coming off of four years in a row of unbelievable stress. My figure showed it. I was carrying around 20 extra pounds and felt awful. I decided. (those are key words, okay?) I decided that I had just spent four years dealing with everyone else’s problems and that was MY year to take care of me and get those 20 pounds off. I set my face in that direction.

Last year, January, 2006. I realize that I have lost 10 of my 20 pounds. I don’t kick myself, I don’t berate myself, I don’t eat half of a chocolate cake to comfort myself. Instead, I take a realistic look at those 10 pounds (my scale also tells me it’s actually about 15 pounds of fat because my muscle mass has changed so much) and re-evaluate what I’m doing and how it is or isn’t helping me get to where I’m going.

January, 2007: STILL carrying 5 of those pounds. I HAVE realized, though, that fitness doesn’t consume all of my time and energy. It does take a little time, but actually adds to my energy level! Exercise has become a part of my life and eating for me is a conscious decision to fuel my body – not an emotional response.

I tell you that just to illustrate that two years is a LONG time to lose 15 pounds. But, I’m still 15 pounds lighter than I was two years ago and NOT 15 pounds heavier, which, let’s face facts, folks – once you hit a certain age, if you’re not constantly battling your weight, you’re losing ground (and gaining rear!) And, obviously, fitness isn’t entirely about what the scale says. You know your fitness level. You know if it needs changing. And YOU get to choose when and how to change it. That is your assignment for the week – to choose. Which direction will you set your face? What have you decided about your fitness level?

And if you have already decided and would like a different assignment – try to drink more water than any other drink, and try to exercise at least twice before next Friday!

Fitness Friday Background

Okay, this is getting WAY longer than I ever intended -- this is so my passion! So, I am going to go ahead and post the "background info" tonight on Thursday night. I actually have a real post for tomorrow! Welcome!

Long awaited Fitness Friday is here! I’ve been looking forward to this and evidently, so have some of you! I’m glad you stopped in. I’ll just go ahead – you keep lacing up your shoes and stretching! One of my goals will be to keep my Fitness Friday installments brief, but today may be a little lengthy as I lay some groundwork and hopefully answer some questions before you have them.

Why should I listen to you?

Well, you shouldn’t. I’m not a certified anything (although “certifiably insane” is occasionally tossed around with my name), nor do I have a Ph.D. in Exercise Science. I have, however, been in and around gyms for the last 20 years. I’m interested in what I’m doing and doing it effectively (i.e., I don’t have TIME to be doing it wrong!). I’ve picked up a little knowledge from the gym. Also, I enjoy reading about fitness stuff. Some women subscribe to Southern Living or Better Homes and Gardens. I do Shape, Fitness, and Weight Watchers. I will pass along things that I have learned in my reading – some of which contradicts itself – and let you know how it coincides with my own experience or not.

Why are you doing Fitness Friday?

Especially at this time of year, talk turns to fitness levels, weight, diets, and exercise. I hear people say, “I wish I could…” or “I need to…” I nod and listen in silence. I never know if that person REALLY is interested in changing their level of fitness or if they are simply verbalizing the need to change it. For anyone who is interested in boosting their fitness, I have a ridiculous amount of knowledge, tips, tricks, ideas, and speculations. This way, I can do like I did to my husband when he mentioned wanting to lose a few pounds. I simply told him, “When you are ready, I will walk you through it, give you a plan, support you in it, and problem solve through it. Just let me know when you’re ready.” I can only throw the information out there. You get to decide when and how to use it.

What can I expect from Fitness Friday?

Okay, truthfully, at this point I don’t think any of you care, but I will tell you anyway! I’ll talk about everything from exercise routines and equipment to fuel (food) for fitness. Some topics I’m thinking about thus far are:

• How/ Where do I start?
• I hate the gym! (or I can’t afford a gym!)
• What’s the big deal about water?
• Fiber is your friend (I really don’t plan to name it that, but it made laugh to write it! :-)
• You don’t HAVE to live with the metabolism you were born with – ways to kick it up a notch!

This was really just a bunch of preliminary groundwork/ info. I look forward to meeting you back here for Fitness Friday!

Santa, We Have a Problem...

Weeks before Christmas, there was a conversation at the North Pole like this:

Mrs. Claus: Santa, that Riley Stirman ONLY wants a Gamecube, and you know how his mom worries those things suck brain cells out. And when they aren't sucking brain cells, they're sucking money to get different games. What should we do?

Santa: Well, the Stirmans are good to limit such activities. All things in moderation should be fine...

So, Mrs. Claus begrudgingly let Santa deliver the Gamecube to the Stirmans. And all was right with the world.

Until yesterday morning, when I emerged from my bedroom at 5:15 A.M. to go to an exercise class and Riley was deep into a game, looking something like this:

Let the interventions begin.

(To answer all the questions I know this will raise: Riley set his alarm for 5 so that he could play. I let him play until 6, then sent him back to bed. And Gamecube was off for the rest of the day.)

Bah! Humbug! and Good Riddance

As a matter of fact, I DID take a little bloggy break. I didn't mean to, but it sort of turned into one, didn't it? Good thing I had that precious pic of my babies up for all to enjoy for the week!

I love Christmas, I really do. And generally, even more than Christmas, I love New Year's -- the hope, excitement and promise of a clean slate and fresh start.

This year? Not so much. I don't know how or why, but Christmas stressed me out from the get-go, even though several factors should have made it easier. And New Year's, well Riley summed it up today:

"This year feels just like the last one."

"Yes," I replied, " only now it's cluttered with some other year's junk."

Have I mentioned Christmas hasn't exactly gotten put away yet?

Last week we went to Louisiana on Wednesday -- only after we confirmed that all fever and vomiting was a minimum of 24 hours in the past. My brother and his family were in from Virginia, and they had a little bug earlier in the week. We've done it -- get half-way to Louisiana, someone is burning up with fever, we trudge on, and the whole house goes down in flames with the ragin' contagion -- and dad ends up in ICU half-dead with pneumonia. Seriously, we've done it. We're not going to do it again, if at all possible. So, all seemed to be clear and off we went.

The kids had a grand time -- 5 kids ranging in age from 4 -10, hitting all of the even number ages and Riley is the only "odd" with 9. They played HARD and proved it by smelling worse than my dog the entire time we were there (who smelled great and was well taken care of at Yvonne's Puppy Bed and Breakfast!) Thursday, the last healthy nephew crashed with a fever. We all waited for the projectile vomiting, but it never happened. We have now been home from Louisiana for 27 hours and no one is sick! It's a Christmas miracle!!

Anyway, I always leave for Louisiana with books to read and exercise clothes and grand plans of reflection and productive time. What crack pipe have I been smoking? If you're keeping track, that's 6 adults and 5 kids in the vicinity (although my brother's crew graciously moved from my parent's house and stayed with friends so that we wouldn't have to share bathrooms AND beds). The Louisiana holiday is always a loud, raucous, fun time of togetherness -- but I'm sure you know me enough by now to realize that doesn't exactly "recharge my batteries." But it does bless me immensely to see my kids have such a great time with the cousins. I believe we also visited every Social Security recipient in Ouachita Parish. As the "old crowd" gets older, it gets a lot more demanding to make the Social Security scene!

So, we're home. No, I haven't made any resolutions. Maybe I'll still think on them and get back to you.

I have mentioned before that I plan to start a regular feature here: Fitness Friday! Be looking for it!

Christmas Then, Christmas Now

May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

May your Christmas Day be filled with much laughter.

Blessings to your house!

LOST! One Brain. Please return immediately

In the last 24 hours I have forgotten:

• To take "package a" home from Riley's party -- Kendra brought it to me full of supplies for school today.
• To eat lunch.
• To give blood at the time I signed up for on Wednesday afternoon.
• To go to my Open House for work.
• To take "package a" to work today -- I did make it out to the garage with it, but set it down and had to come home for it during music.

Good thing I never gave blood, I guess. I think my brain needs all it can get!

Highlights of the last day before Christmas break

"Here's your Christmas gift, Mrs. Stirman!" #14 holds out his hand, and in his grimy palm is an UNWRAPPED Hershey's kiss. "Thank you SO much! I'll put it right here to save it" (until you're gone when I can throw it away).

"This is the best party ever!"

(stream of consciousness from #20 as he digs in the dirt at recess): "I lived in Amarillo, then Lubbock, then Abilene. We lived in a duplex, but our manager, or our landlord, he let us call him either one, had a nice house that he would let us buy and my mom really liked it and she said it was SO cute. You know how women like to have nice houses? Hey, do you know velociraptors? I LOVE those meat-eaters...." I'm not even kidding -- at this point I was laughing too hard to hear how we got to the big bang theory.

Updated later as I remembered: #17, giving me my gift and Kendra's to take to her. Kendra's is in some cheery color, while mine is a patchwork of several bright colors: "I picked this one for you because you're colorful." Me? Colorful? As in, Dr. Seuss illustration? Or as in, my language. Because I PROMISE I have never cursed in the classroom. Outloud.

My favorite part of the day:
"Bye!!!! I love you!! Have a great Christmas -- see you in 2 weeks!!!"

Shopping Conundrum

Dear Dayspring,

First, why, exactly, do you have a monopoly on the "inspirational greeting card" market? Isn't there anyone else out there who will print cards and put scripture on them?

Also, I am in search of a set of cards that you label "Encouragement" cards. A boxed set would be lovely. I try to send cards to different folks frequently. However, the majority of the recipients of my cards are not 96 year old women sitting in their rocker with an afghan tossed across their lap. Therefore, none of your current sets of boxed cards will do. Oh, of course, I do have the sailboat option, but the sentiment of those cards comes across as if I believe my recipient to be a quivering mass of sobs so defeated by life's circumstances that all I am able to do is send a Dayspring greeting card. Where, exactly, is the inspiration in THAT?

HELLO!! What a mighty God we serve! Remember? Faith is the victory! Remember? The God I worship is bigger than anything this life has to toss out. Can we not put just a HINT of that in some of those cards? Even a bright color, maybe?

Now, to Stephanie, my blog-reader-artist-extraordinaire-in-residence: perhaps you and I should design some inspiring inspirational cards and we could make encouragment cards that are actually encouraging. What do you think?

Random Tuesday Thinking

• I haven't seen a church sign yet this season that says:
• My 10 p.m. determination to go to early-morning exercise class seems to have vanished by 5 a.m.
  
• At 7 a.m. I realized that if I were to get up and WEIGH at 5 a.m., I would probably find new resolve.

Heavy question for the day:

• If common sense is in such short supply these days, shouldn't we re-name it?
  

First Third Grade, Then Law School

On the way to school this morning I told the kids it would probably be raining when school got out so they should get a ride home with the neighbor. (It's about 1/3 mile from home).

The blonde factor asked, "We can't walk in the rain?"

"No, you can't walk in the rain."

Knowing this would be tempting for bragging rights and, well, just to have an opportunity to be wet and smell like a wet dog, I talked to Riley.

"Riley?"

(very thoughtful) "Yes?"

"Did you hear that? Do NOT walk home in the rain!"

(still thoughtful) "Yes."

pause

"I'm struggling to find a loophole."

I Must Have Made the Appliance gods VERY Angry!!!!!!!!

Maybe it's because I always refuse to buy an extended warranty?

I finally got to the bottom of a mystery-sound and mystery-standing-puddle in my laundry room. Evidently, while my washing machine is filling (oops -- at first I typed "failing"; which is actually more accurate) it is also dripping a steady stream of water on the floor.

I am certainly no Maytag repair-guy, but I'm pretty sure that this is bad.

I think that on top of a newly installed microwave, one $85 plumbing repair and a different $85 dishwasher pseudo-repair, I may need to go washing machine shopping. I've looked around lately, and $85 isn't going to get it.

What do you suppose I did to make those appliance gods so angry?

Six Weird Things About Me

So Anne tagged me for some something about 6 weird things about me. I have seen this one around blog-land and everyone that plays along seems to have some sort of obsessive-compulsive behavior that they confess. Shannon has to make her items on the conveyor belt at the grocery store be parallel or perpendicular to the edge of the belt. Whatever. How does that work for a bag of apples? Boomama has to arrange the money in her wallet JUST SO before she puts it away. I can't stand to make people wait. Antique Mommy is a neat-freak and Antique Daddy is an obsessive wiper-downer. I do NOT have either of those genes or issues. Anne has fire-phobia. I almost get this one -- a house in my neighborhood burned to the ground when I was little and a dad and a kid were killed. It still freaks me out. But is my iron currently unplugged? Nope.

I think that brings me to my first oddity about me:
1) Neither me nor my immediate family can think of ANY obsessive-compulsive behavior I have. Y'all, I'm just too tired to align my groceries or unplug all of my appliances or count ceiling tiles (that's Troy's thing). And, I can leave a dirty dish right THERE until the cows come home and not even care. Truthfully, I won't even see it. People who must have everything in place at all times probably have far less cluttered lives than me, but I like to think I'm having more fun!
2) When I polled my family about what is weird about me, all they could come up with is that Riley pointed out that I tend to burst out into song at random times. This is true. If any situation reminds me of a song -- and most of them do -- I must break forth with it. It's not pleasing to the ear, but it's my song. Being a word person, I can also make up my own lyrics to go with almost any tune for almost any situation. I guess it's good to be known for something.
3) I will go to unbelievable lengths not to have to make telephone calls. I HATE making phone calls -- to ANYONE. I am always trying to second guess if I'm going to bother the other person or, if it's a business, if I'll be able to get through and/or get the help I need. I LOVE the whole blog/ email world. Hate telephones.
4) Even after my $85 day at the hair place, my hair has basically been the same since I was ... 16? 18? I'm thinkin'... Forever. Until yesterday, my hair was cut pretty much exactly like it was at my wedding 14 years ago. Of course, now I have all of these white, wiry hairs that work against my 'do, but that's why I spend $85 at the hair place -- to whip those babies back into place (and color).
5) Along those lines, I'm a fashion moron. This point was really hit home to me recently when Troy told me to take most of my first paycheck and buy myself some clothes for work. I decided that wherever they sell adult Garanimals -- I need to shop there. Maybe part of it has to do with the fact that I am ALWAYS self-conscious about the way clothes fit me and what my not-very-tall, way-too-curvy, sturdy-legged self can and can't wear, but I'm not too willing to go out on a limb with my clothes. And even if I were, I wouldn't know how to! But, not being a risk-taker with my clothes is no surprise since I've had my hair the same for 20 years. And, I'm really happiest in my work-out clothes. I know I don't LOOK best in them, but they are the most "me", I think.
6) This will crack most of you up, but I still consider myself a fairly shy person and am VERY uncomfortable in situations where I don't know many people. Truthfully, I would rather stand in front of them all and speak something I have prepared than have to mingle with them! However, I have learned through the years that most people are uncomfortable in new situations and my compassion for someone else being uncomfortable over-rides my own discomfort and I will try to strike up a conversation in such situations. But know that in my heart I am sitting by myself in the corner -- and really happier there!

There, that was relatively painless, and I guess I'm weirder than I first imagined. Now that the pump is primed, I may have to go for another 6. I forgot that I really hate to shop (probably related to #5) and am not all that crazy about chocolate -- but I could eat my weight in Hot Tamales (the candy, not the Mexican food). Yet my friends still talk to me. Amazing. Along with being a fashion moron, I can never fix my hair. Which is why the current hair will last only until it grows out because it actually requires "doing". I don't do. I wash and go. Always. Occasionally I even brush. Again, put me in workout clothes in a ponytail, and no one knows. Not only do I not know HOW to do my hair, I don't want to learn. That's why long hair for me -- short hair requires "styling" and "products". Long hair requires a brush and elastic.

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged and tell us 6 weird things about you. If I know you personally, realize that I will probably feel the need to complete the list myself. And, since turnabout is fair play, feel free to add to my list about myself! Unless you are married to me, in which case you have way too much of an advantage. And way too much room for retaliation!

Financial Breakdown of my day

1 hour at grocery store = $120 = $120/hr.

2.5 hours at "hair place" (can't bring myself to say "beauty salon")
= $85 (at which point Troy is having a coronary since he has NO idea
what is different about my hair and he can't imagine spending
$85 for it to look the same-- he just paid $10 to get SCALPED)
= $34/hr.

1.5 hours at eye doctor = $100 = $67/hr.

I guess, all in all, the "hair place" is the better bargain for my time -- not to mention all of the calories I burned by my blood pressure being elevated and tapping my foot for the last hour wondering if I would make it to my next appointment of sitting for long periods of time.

Christmas Fun

What a day. Second grade. Field trip. ANGRY child. Christmas program. Phone in classroom ringing, ringing, ringing. Can't think straight. Dinner in oven. Basketball game -- blowout -- wahoo!! Dinner. Wrap gifts. Try to blog coherently. Fail miserably.

Funniest thing I saw today was about 75 10- and 11-year old kids in Texas singing Hannukah songs while wearing Santa hats. You just don't get that everywhere.

What Type of Weather Are You?

You Are Lightning

Beautiful yet dangerous People will stop and watch you when you appear Even though you're capable of random violence You are best known for: your power Your dominant state: performing

What Type of Weather Are You?

Okay, I really don't mean to be the "Blog of Quizzes" lately but this one was so far off it made me laught out loud. Beautiful yet dangerous -- just LAUGHING at both of those! Yep, people stop and watch when I appear (because I trip on my own shoelaces walking in the door) and I am known for my random violence (like terrorizing those bugs that are swarming my house). Best known for my power? Sure -- I can't get 22 2nd graders OR my dog to listen to me. My dominant state is performing? Absolutely... again, that's what I am KNOWN for! Too funny!

Don't worry, I will resume actual blogging soon. Upcoming features:
Troy Stirman: Three deer in one Saturday is evidently NOT enough!
Sarah: Has she lost that lovin' feelin'? (for the HOLIDAYS, gutter brain!)
Recap of the Jesus party
New sign spotted in my neighborhood: I'm GORGEOUS inside!

After 20 years, my GPA hasn't dropped too much!

You paid attention during 80% of high school!

68-84% Pretty good, you know that there are libraries and newspapers, and you remember what you've read. You were a child that wasn't left behind!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
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Tattling in 2nd Grade

"He keeps putting his breath in my nose!"

(playing rock-paper-scissors to determine who reads first in partner reading that they were supposed to start 5 minutes ago): "He keeps choosing scissors!!"

Life-and-death stuff here, folks.

'Tis the Season ... to be trashy?

You know, I thought Target had us all figured out -- slap a holiday design on an ultra-cheap t-shirt for our kids and we will snatch them up. They have even graduated to adult holiday t-shirts. However, I didn't want one that said "Naughty" or "Vixen" -- so I passed. Hey, cool, Academy has cheap holiday t-shirts. Hmmmm ... should I choose, "Sugar and Spice, Naughty, not Nice", "Santa, Jingle My Bells", or "Santa, I want it ALL"? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Christians are all in an uproar because people are saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" -- is anyone noticing that we are using Christ's birth as a vehicle for advertising our sluttiness? (Yes, I made up that word, and I'm standing by it!)

This is New...

Americans have long bought into the notion that if a little is good, then way too much is AWESOME. From Big Macs to overpriced coffee to inflatable holiday decorations, the phrase, "Less Is More" means nothing to the American Consumer. And American merchants know this all-too-well.

I wish I had been the first person to realize that you can take any icon of any holiday, enlarge it to 8 feet, make it out of nylon and inflate it, and Americans will buy it -- Santa, scarecrows, pumpkins, cupids, shamrocks, you name it.

I am no longer surprised at what all I see adorning people's yards. Amazed, maybe, but not surprised. Today, however, I was taken aback. So, aback, in fact that first I turned my car around to make sure I was seeing what I thought I saw. Then, continuing to be taken aback -- I went all the way "aback" to my house to get my camera so that you, too, could marvel at this holiday icon:

'Cause, you know, NOTHING says "Christmas Spirit" like the Christmas Seal.

Are You Gooder?

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
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