Catch Me At Fangirl...

Interviewing Paul S. Kemp:
http://fangirlblog.com/interviews/paul-s-kemp/

Seriously, Stop Your Good Intentions...

It's getting in the way to my Precor machine. Not you, of course, just those strangers I never saw at the gym until the second week of January, who make just getting a Precor a competitive sport.
Like it's not enough just to go to the gym as it is...now, all the familiars (the people I saw from at least October) and I are battling the January newbies for space...and usual spots. You know, the usual area you use in the locker, your usual machine, the familiar strangers you work out with...

So let's see, I haven't posted my 2012 Resolutions, partly because I haven't sat down and made a full list, but here are a few:

Last year, I was able to run 3 miles in 40 minutes. I know real runners would laugh at that, but it was a huge accomplishment for me. This year, I'd like to run 3 miles in 30 minutes. I have hope because I did 3 miles in 38 minutes today, when I finally got my paws and peds on the Precor.

I'd like to consistently do cardio 3 times a week. Right now I do manage that, but it's two light cardio days with weights and one heavy cardio day...I'd like to do 3 heavy cardio days to reach my 30 minute goal. But I'll start with 2 weight/light cardio and 2 heavy cardio days.

I would like to learn to smoothly spin  the bo staff with two hands and also with each hand alone, Darth Maul style. Learn 2 bo staff forms. Maybe do a competition. Move up to blue belt, and blue with green stripe if not by December, then by next February.  We've decided to go to China with the karate school to do our black belt tests with the Shaolin monks- maybe 2015? (I know, lofty goals, but with longer term goals, might as well make them big...then make the smaller ones bite sized)

One of my goals last year was to be done with back pain- I went through a lot for that, two courses of PT, chiropracter and an aggressive epidural.  I have to be very careful. This year, I'd like to trail ride- just walking on a horse, without pain.

Last year, I participated in NaNoWriMon (National Novel Writing Month) in November- I wrote 50,000 words in a month- the standard length of a novel- this year, I'd like the words to actually tell a cohesive story! And thank you all for encouraging me to write. It means a lot, especially when it's tough to write!

I did a lot to purge my closet last year; this year, I want to keep my closet ruthlessly lean. Get rid of clothes that don't love me back. There's no room for them. Mentally or physically.  That also means, everything that comes in has to work hard for room and board.

I'm playing an MMO for the very first time, so I'd like to take my two main characters to the end- level 50 by the end of the year.


I still need to work on some more goals: work, art, blogging. So stay tuned for more.

My word for the year? It's still between go and choosy. Any thoughts?

Walk the Talk, Baby

I was talking to Rainbow Brite about the whole French and food thing. I was thinking about our conversation later because I was eating an ice cream sandwich. A S'more sandwich, from Trader Joe's to be exact. I had eaten exactly half of it, standing up in the kitchen.
Not very French of me. So I stopped mindlessly eating it and put in a cup of tea- the very American way of heating the water in the microwave- two minutes, for this particular mug- and sat down at the dining table to eat my ice cream sandwich consciously, for at least two minutes. I mean if you are going to ingest 250 calories, it should take at least two minutes, right? I certainly can meditate for two minutes, right?
It was hard. My eyes kept darting towards magazines, towards the microwave timer. You'd think that I could focus for two lousy minutes on the pure pleasure of eating ice cream, wouldn't you?
Then as I was finishing the ice cream, just as the two minutes was up, I realized something. It was so utterly crazy, I nearly choked on the last bit of graham flavored cookie crust. I couldn't focus on it, because you know what? That ice cream sandwich was just mediocre. Here I thought I was getting this yummy treat- 250 calories (that's 30 minutes on the Precor, peeps- 30 minutes of elevated heart rate and sweat) for something so mediocre, that when I sat down to truly devote time to eating half of it, it couldn't sustain my attention!
It was mind boggling. So now, not only will I need to think about eating slowly and mindfully, but I'll have to think about how much pleasure it gives me. I have to walk my talk.
Trust me, Trader Joe's S'mores ice cream sandwiches are not worth 30 minutes with the Precor, no matter how much I rock out on iTunes.
Maybe I'll have better luck with an It's-It.

The Post Holiday Bulge, A La Francaise

I indulged more than I thought during the holidays because I actually had to go to the garage and pull out a pair of black pants that had been to big from the Goodwill pile.
Normally, this would have sent me straight to Mrs. Fields, but something I learned reading all those French books was that gaining weight periodically is expected by the French...if you go up a couple of kilos (and two kilos sounds so  much better than several pounds, right?) you just un-indulge for the next few weeks- no big deal. No drama.
Start the day with a glass of hot water infused with a fresh lemon. Have soup, the clear broth kind. Walk a bit more. Et voila!
Life really is a bit better the French way...as soon as I can return my pants to the Goodwill pile.

Happy New Year!

One thing I really enjoy about this blog (most of the time) is the ability to go back and enjoy the comments I've shared with you in the past.
2011 started off with some trash talking Rainbow Brite about riding goals- which sadly I did not meet but ended up with some interesting riding resolutions for this year-
and a list of other resolutions that ended up working out pretty well-
health, home and work resolutions. Some which I had forgotten I had made, but still managed to achieve anyway!
There was more Don Henley, some riding, a chunk of (spine) rehab, lots of travel, a dash of French philosophy, Mexican Coco Cola, much more hanging out with friends- as well as making new ones- and a galaxy of Star Wars in 2011!
In 2011 i signed up for an e course, "One Simple Word"- you had to pick a word and reflect on it monthly in a journal- I didn't keep a journal, but I did pick a word: "do" and it did define the year for me- I "did" a lot of things I never thought I would- and I'm pleasantly surprised where the word "do" has led me.
What about you?
Did you make resolutions last year? Are you making any this year? I'm still making the list...
Will you pick a word for 2012? I'm still thinking about mine.