The Carolina Crew

After much debate, Scott won and we bought ourselves a treadmill.  It sat for a week before I actually tried it but now I’m happy to report that I have used it for 30 minutes every day since!  I enjoy listening to music on my ipod while walking, (if no one is around I’ll sing and play air guitar, lol) and sometimes Scott will do weight lifting while I’m walking.  He’s had the weight set for a few years now but it just sat ourside getting rusty.  So we decided on not getting a pool table and we’ve got the weights, treadmill and puppy kennels set-up in the living room.  It’s not the best looking decor for guest to see when they first walk in the door, but then again, we don’t get guest so I don’t care.

I have been faithfully listening to audiobooks every night when I go to bed.  I finished Steering by Starlight by Martha Beck, and I’ve occasionally listened to parts of it again.  Next I listened to Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston.  It about making conscious decisions about the choices you make everyday.  Although it was very informative, it was also depressing, especially the chapters dealing with the abuse our animals go threw before they are slaughtered for our consumption, slaughtered for our apparel, etc. so listener’s be warned.

Since I’m on the subject of animal abuse, let me also recommend a documentary to watch: Earthlings narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.

Anyway, back to audiobooks, I think I’ll add a list on the side menu to show what audiobooks I’ve completed.

Well the dance/exercise video didn’t last long.  I really do hate exercising.  I don’t mind activities that require movement liking walking, biking, dancing etc… but I hate just exercising.

But I didn’t totally give up on the idea of strengthening up my heart, since heart problems run in my family.  So what I do now is load up my ipod to a player/docking station that now in my kitchen and when NO ONE is here, (and after I check all windows to make sure NO ONE is around or approaching) I just dance.  I dance silly.  I dance sexy.  I dance supid.  I grab a spoon for a mic and sing, at which point the puppies start barking so I stop singing, lol.  I don’t do this as a regular routine, just when the mood hits me, but since I do seem to be enjoying this, maybe I can work it in as something daily.

My current audiobook is “Steering by Starlight” by Martha Beck. Very good.  Highly recommend it.

I’m currently enjoying my two week vacation from teaching.  Although I have accomplished completing several things on my “to do” list, I’ve mainly been lazy and staying in my pajamas most of the day.

I’m heading up to Morehead City tomorrow to visit with Mom and the family.  In October, Jody, Lee and I are going to Texas to visit Davy in Houston.

I’m drinking “Silk” soy milk and LOVING it.

My main goal lately had been to learn how to eat better.  Actual I’ve already learned how to do it, it’s just the doing it part that I’m hung up on.

But I have made a few changes that seem to be sticking:

1. Whole Wheat Products.  First of all it was hard to find whole wheat, not whole grain, but now I get the bread from my grocery deli.  It took a while, but I’m starting to like it.  I had reg ol’ white bread the other day and it tasted kinda boring.  Tonight we had burritos and I put mine on whole wheat tortillas, and they were really good.
2. Soy Drinks.  I only drink one cup of reg. coffee now in the morning when I first wake up.  I then take a soy milk coffee flavored drink to school with me.  There are 3 assorted flavors I drink.
3. Water.  I keep a six pack of water beside my desk at school.  So after the soy drink, I switch over.
4. Juice at night.  Love the Pina Colada.

But I’m no saint!  I still drink sweet tea with dinner or when I grab lunch from Arby’s, the only fast-food place close to school, and I frequent Arby’s about 3 times a week.  This past week, for 2 days I did take little pre-made salads I had bought from the grocery store for lunch.  The dinner meals I cook for Scott and I are the same kinda stuff… everything from healthy salads to fattening fried somethings to frozen dinners.  But I’m really kinda proud of myself for the whole wheat and the soy.

Oh, and I’ve lost 4 lbs.

I worked out for the first time in a long time to a dance video that was on “exercise on demand” which is a channel my cable company provides.  The dance moves were stupid so I kept my eye on the door if case Scott decided to come home early from work to catch me doing my “spinning jazz hands” or “side together side” hot moves.  I felt like an idiot!  But I kept following the program because the girl doing the video was kinda chunky and half way thru she sounded out of breathe.  I liked that.  I liked hearing her struggle.  I hate watching the videos with the bouncy blondes with bodies of steel who cheer for you to “keep up!” while they gleefully pump away.  After the vedio I kept going with another video of floor exercises.  Whoo hoo!  But the next day it was “ouch ouch”.  My muscles were soooooo sore.  The following day the woes continued.  I had to left my leg with my hands if I wanted to cross my legs!  By Thursday it was much better and then on Friday I had a massage after school.  I’ve decided that I will do ONLY the dance video ONLY on Mon. Weds and Fridays… baby steps work right? 

Look who has their own blog now!  And to think I thought they were behaving while I was at work each day!

http://westiesgonewild.blogspot.com/