Randomness

Ok - so this is likely going to be another random post.

Sorry - this week has been weird.

I'm not in the right state of mind.

Either way, let's get started...

First, I forgot to tell you about P90X yesterday. Probably because I was half dead. The yoga workout totally killed me! We discussed before, yoga is not really my cup of tea.

                                           I'm not good at it.

                                        I don't understand it.                                        

And I don't like to do things that I'm not the best at. (It's a character flaw, what can I say?)

Either way, a friend of mine who has done yoga for a long time said that the P90X yoga was hard for even her. So I don't feel so bad, but holy cow - it was hard. I was sweating like a... well, you get the picture.

This morning was legs and back. It was hard, no plyo or yoga, but it pushed me. I am really struggling with the chin-up/pull-up portion - I bought one of those chin-up bars that you hang in a doorway and I'm using it with a chair for balance (which is recommended by Tony Horton), but it is still hard. I tried the bands, but the way that my bar is set up and the band that I got aren't conducive so I stick with the bar. I'm thinking that I'll start getting stronger and it won't seem like such a chore.

The other problem is that the bar is hanging in the door of the office which is next to Dirty's room and I don't want to be loud and wake her up at the heinous hour in which I am exercising, so I'm torn.

In other news, (apparently I use this phrase a lot) I'm "sleeping the night" with Biggie and Tiny tonight and I can't freaking wait!

I love those boys!

Finally, some Friday morning glee - regardless of your party affiliation, I think you can laugh at this video:

PSA

I interrupt our regularly scheduled (yeah, like there is anything regular or scheduled about this blog...) programming for a very important message:

As some of you may know, I am an alum of Leadership West. For LW, as with many leadership organizations, class members are required to undertake a project, sometimes as individuals, sometimes as groups. For LW it is groups.

This morning, I attended the Synthesis Day for Class XVI - the day that they present their projects to the their classmates, alumni, board members, and community leaders. The first group's project spoke to me.

It was called "Learn Don't Burn." Their mission was to educate the public on the prevalence and dangers of skin cancer and to provide information and resources on skin cancer prevention strategies.

Did you know:

• Arizona ranks number 2 in the world for skin cancer instances, only Australia ranks higher. 
• More than 20 Americans die each day from skin cancer, primarily melanoma. One person dies of melanoma almost every hour (every 62 minutes).
• 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer over the course of their lifetime.
• The UV rays in tanning beds increase the risk of skin cancer 75% for people who start using the beds before age 30.
• 
  

I scheduled a skin cancer screening for next week. And I suggest you do too.

Wednesday Wisdom

I am going to try to post a little piece of wisdom each Wednesday. We'll start today.

The following quote is framed in one of my doctor offices at least three times. I finally decided that I would capture it and share it with all of you.

You may or may not know that I love quotes. My senior year of high school, when Sissy had moved to college, I wrote out lots of my favorite quotes and hung them all over my room. They make me happy!

"The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over popularity...these are the choices that measure your life. Travel the path of integrity without looking back; for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing."

The author is anonymous, but brilliant.

This quote speaks to my soul.

In P90X world, day 3 has been completed. And it is still hard. I started with 5 and 10 pound dumbbells and I think that I need to get one in between and maybe one a little heavier. The goal is to push myself. I am not trying to get bigger muscles, more of a lean look, so I'm going with the 12-15 rep model, but either way the last three reps are supposed to burn, and for some exercises that just isn't the case. So I'm on the hunt for more weights at a good price.

31 Years!!

On their 25th Anniversary.

Today is Match and Papa's 31st Wedding Anniversary!!

Congrats!

I have learned a lot about love and marriage from Match and Papa!

They have shown me that if your relationship is based on love, you can make it through the hard times.

One time, my aunt, PieRanch*, told me that you better love the person you marry, because there are going to be times in life when that is all that gets you through.

Match and Papa definitely have that!

And it has gotten them through.

I hope that someday I will find love like they have!

In other news, I completed Day 2 of P90X. And I almost passed out. It was Plyometrics day. I should have eaten before I did it. But eating is difficult at 4:20 in the morning. I think that getting used to the eating portion of this whole deal is going to be difficult. They really stress eating 6 small meals - and that just isn't my style. I can do 3 meals and 3 snacks, but 6 small meals are a killer for me. I'm hoping that I will get in a routine soon and it will be easier. Cross your fingers!

Just Another Manic Monday...

For the past three hours I have tried to write this post and can't focus.

So you are going to get a glimpse into the way my mind works as I post what comes to mind...

1. My family ROCKS! HHT's wedding was a freaking blast on Friday night! We danced the night away. All of us, even my grandparents. The wedding ended at 11 and my grandparents were still there. Seriously, we have our issues (like any other family), but when it comes down to it, we can come together and throw it down!

2. I went to another wedding on Saturday. I wore these shoes:

I LOVE these shoes! For the wedding I wore them with a very unrevealing black dress. It has short sleeves, hits at my knees, and shows no part of my cleavage. I also happened to pull my hair back into a ponytail for the event. (This probably had something to do with the party mentioned above happening the night before). Either way, the only thing even remotely wild about my outfit was the shoes.

I know people were judging me.

I could feel it.

And the fact of the matter is, hot pink heels do not make you a slut. Or a hooker. Or whatever they were thinking.

There were certainly girls at the wedding with more revealing clothes on than me. Heck, the bridesmaid dresses were more revealing (and they were wearing pink shoes too - just not quite as pink).

I just really feel like hot pink heels do not make a hooker. So I'll keep wearing the shoes. And you can keep on judging me.

3. I started P90X this morning. I did the Chest and Back video and it was hard. I could have probably pushed myself a little harder in the first set, and I will start doing that, but don't kid yourself, this is a hard workout. I think it will take me a while to get into a routine, but I'm going to keep going - 90 days. I took before pictures yesterday, and I'll save them for when there is a transformation. But stay tuned!

4. A little piece of advice for my male readers (are there any of you?): Girls like flowers. A friend of mine had a picture of a bouquet of flowers that she got "just because" from the boy she was dating. And I wondered to myself, if guys knew how special that made a girl feel, would they do it more often? So I asked Big T - he said that the last time he sent flowers to Mrs. T was Valentine's Day - and complained because they were so expensive.

So I consulted IT to make sure I wasn't crazy, and we agreed (so it must be the truth) that a girl would rather have a $15 bouquet of whatever flowers "just because" than a $50 dozen roses on Valentine's Day.

Just a tip.

You May Be Right, I May Be Crazy...

Yesterday, I was talking to Diddy and I said something to the effect of, "...but I may be crazy."

He said, "Oh, you're crazy. It has been scientifically proven."

That may be a stretch - I don't think there is actual science out there...

This morning on our trip to get coffee, O'Dub said, "I like you, but you are crazy."

                                           Coincidence?

Either way, there is a lot of randomness on my mind today.

HHT is getting married tonight - you want to talk about crazy? I remember when she was just a little whipper snapper.

I want to go hiking.

I want to hike Turkey Track on our ranch.

And Half Dome at Yosemite.

And Machu Picchu in Peru.

I really have a lot of plans in life - I need to get moving.

It is apparently 24 weeks until I embark on my third Breast Cancer 3-Day - I should probably start training. Or fundraising. Or blogging.

P90X came in yesterday. I am going to spend Saturday preparing to start on Sunday. Preparations will include a meal plan and pictures. I will save the pictures until the end. I think this is going to be fun. I hope you all will help me stay on track.

And, hey, who knows...

It just may be a lunatic you're looking for.

What's Your Sign?

I'm not big on astrology.

I read my horoscope every once in a while, but it's definitely not a daily occurence.

And I know what my sign is, and a few others, but I can't tell you your sign just by hearing your birthday.

Granny B, on the other hand, LOVES it!

And consequently she knows a lot about it. You can tell her a birthday and she will tell you the person's sign and if they are compatible with you. And why.

A couple of weeks ago we were playing this little game when she told me that Gemini, which is my sign, is an "air" sign.

I wanted to see if she was full of shit so I rubbed a little Google on it.

Turns out she was right.

And the first paragraph of the description that I found still makes me laugh:

Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac, and those born under this sign will be quick to tell you all about it. That's because they love to talk! It's not just idle chatter with these folks, either. The driving force behind a Gemini's conversation is their mind. The Gemini-born are intellectually inclined, forever probing people and places in search of information. The more information a Gemini collects, the better. Sharing that information later on with those they love is also a lot of fun, for Geminis are supremely interested in developing their relationships. Dalliances with these folks are always enjoyable, since Geminis are bright, quick-witted and the proverbial life of the party. Even though their intellectual minds can rationalize forever and a day, Geminis also have a surplus of imagination waiting to be tapped. Can a Gemini be boring? Never!