Bon Temps!

I grew up in Southern Louisiana. I am what is considered a Cajun, which means that my ancestors were once Acadian's who were exiled from Canada. My dad's side of the family only spoke French, just like everyone's family who lived in our small town. When my dad started going to school, all the teachers spoke French too. Then, when my dad was 10, the schools decided that students could no longer speak French in schools. The problem was, they didn't know how to speak English. Their parents did not speak English either. Did this deter the schools from slowly integrating English into their studies while still teaching them in French until the crossover could be made? No. They beat any student who spoke French at school. French was "bad". So my dad and his younger brothers and sister learned the language, while their parents only learned a little bit over the next 40 years. My dad's grandparents never learned English, although the both of them were still living, until I turned 30.

I remember being a little girl and my dad would tell us something in French sometimes, then have to repeat himself in English. We never learned French because my father learned that it was "bad" and in turn, he did not want his children learning the "bad" language. As an adult, I feel such a tremendous loss of my heritage and knowing that it has taken only one generation to kill the Cajun French language. My dad is only 58. He and his friends still speak French to each other but their children can only stand there and nod when we hear a familiar word here and there.

I guess this was all just on my mind this morning as I was fixing myself a cup of coffee and pouring in some milk and Splenda. And I just thought "Grandmere' used to make me cafe' au lait when I was a little girl". She used to make me what you'd call "coffee milk". It's more milk than coffee, with a lot of sugar. And I used to be able to sit at the table with the grownups who were drinking their coffee and they'd converse in French. I really miss my grandparents and always wished I'd have learned French so that when I was older and visiting them early in the mornings, that they wouldn't have to struggle through English to converse with me.

Who writes this stuff?

I know many people write about their weight loss journey and about their food choices but I like writing about all sorts of things which eventually, if you think about it, really just leads back to what's going on and how it affects you and what you eat.

I'm sure I can go all Dr Seuss and say we eat when we are happy, and when we are sad. We eat when we are excited, and when we are mad. But................that's not what my blog is about today.

Today my blog is about unintelligible instructions or explanations that are given to us in written format as to explain what we need to do or what you can expect from something.

Confused yet? Yes well, example: Have you ever tried to do your own taxes and was like WTH are they talking about?

Well, today I tried to go through my dental handbook that is supposed to explain what's covered and what's not and the circumstances in which something that is normally covered, isn't and what might not normally be covered may be covered in "x" circumstance. Blah blah blah. And the services themselves? I didn't know what any word meant. I had to look up every word except "bitewing". I think the Dental Association and the IRS are in cohoots. I think I may go to H&R block and throw down my dental booklet and say "I need a routine cleaning and maybe a new filling, how much am I going to have to give?"

And while we are at it, I took a "comedic" defensive driving course the other day. It promised to be full of laughs, but lo and behold, they totally gypped me. I didn't laugh. The truth was, it was a class that sat you in a comedy club and gave you the standard state mandated info. There were no jokes told, there were no smiles cracked, only early 1990 videos that showed bad driving and bad clothes choices. Had I not been a teen/young adult during that time frame, maybe I would have laughed at the Koosh-ball-bang hairdo's but I could only cringe, remembering I have pictures that look just like that.




By the fourth hour I was fighting (as was the rest of the class) to stay awake. Six hours of hell that I could have done online, at home, in my PJ's while watching House of Payne.

Well folks, that is all for now. Don't get used to these long, drawn out paragraphs b/c I am normally short, sweet and to the point.

Lost Focus - Crazy Week and a Half

Last week there was so much craziness happening that I got off track with my running. I got a call early Wednesday morning that my dad was taken from work to an ER b/c they thought he may have had a stroke. He was sitting in a meeting when he said he started to feel super hot and then he suddenly just passed out. They brought him to the hospital where they did a CAT scan on him and a doctor said he saw something that made him think it might be a stroke. A neurologist was called in and did not suspect it was a stroke. He was kept overnight for observation then went to his own doctor who did a series of tests and confirmed that he is a diabetic (which I suspected b/c I also used to "flush" and once passed out at work before being diagnosed with diabetes). I called my husband who took off from work and we waited to see if we'd have to make a trip to La. or not.

After that happened last Wednesday, on Monday my dad's younger brother had a massive heart attack. He is doing fine now but with all of that going on, I did not do any running or going to the gym. I was glued to my phone trying to find out what was going on. Now it's Thursday and things have settled down so tomorrow, I start Week 2 again (I should be finishing up week 3!) and will continue it through the end of next week so that I can keep up with the running program.

Ab Solo.....Ow!

Ab Solo is a machine used for medicine ball crunches. I use it frequently at the gym. You hook your feet in and there is a kind of basketball-ish type of contraption in front of you. You put two medicine balls on the return at the bottom then you start your crunch. The ball is held out in front of your chest arms fully extended as you lean back. When you are fully back you extend your arms above your head, and come back up. Halfway up you throw the ball into the top part of the machine and then reach and grab the next ball from the bottom. This is a continuous exercise. Depending how I feel, I either do these 1 set of 10 at a time or 1 set of 25 reps at a time, until I get to 50 reps. I do this each time I go to the gym b/c this isn't your average crunch. You are really working many areas here.

WELL.... I used a heavier medicine ball on Saturday and now my forearms and biceps are hurting! I mean, I had to use the heating pad and take Advil yesterday b/c of muscle soreness. I know it's soreness but it still hurts! Glad I don't have to do these again until Friday this week. Just going to have to break out the exercise ball and do my regular crunches this week. But if you ever get the opportunity, try the MBC's out.

Day 3, Run 2

Today was my second run on the 10wks to 10k and I knocked 26 seconds off my mile. Yay! I am kinda hurting in the hip area but I know it's these darn extra pounds I am carrying that makes it hard to run like I want to. Drank a nice protein shake afterward. I can't eat raw fruits and veggies unless they are chopped up very fine or pureed so I threw in a half banana and a half cup of strawberries with a half cup of milk and Genisoy Protein powder. Knocked out my daily servings of fruit in one shot! I am feeling pretty good about this plan of building up my body for something. When I think "I am building my body up", it feels less stressful then thinking "I have to lose weight". My goal is to run 6.3 miles, not get into a size 4 or whatever. I want to feel the freedom of movement within me, again.

Day 1 of 10wks to 10k

I am not sure why I am even blogging. 103 followers and not one comment on my last 3 blogs! Anyway, I am starting 10wks to a 10k program. Figured I'd blog about my progress.

Day 1 - brought my 19 min mile (walk/jog) to a 17 min (walk/jog) mile. Thinking this may not be as easy as I thought it would be. I know the athlete I once was, is still in there somewhere but it will be a little bit harder to dig out from under all this fat. Don't worry, she was looking at the display on the treadmill and screaming in my head "MOVE IT FATTY! We are going too SLOW!" I am thinking if I still can't jog the whole mile after the end of next week I will repeat week 2 until I can jog it without stopping. Weeks 3 and on will be too hard if I can't jog a mile by then. Well I am off, lots of things to do today. Au revoir!

New Year, New Gym

My husband and I are both Army veterans and our local gym, which is owned by a veteran, offered a special for anyone who has served or is serving now. Six month free membership with all inclusive classes, tanning, one free trainer session per month. You don't need to fill out a contract, no membership fee, no monthly fee and no obligation at the end of 6 months. What a deal! We can go to any of their 3 local facilities. I am glad to have found this because my old gym membership ends at the end of February and I found them to be too expensive to renew my contract even though I do love their gym. Glad that my husband is on board too, b/c we both need to lose the poundage!

10 weeks to a 10k....I hope....

I have been lazy ass'ing it for awhile now. I've used winter as an excuse to STOP exercising and basically sit with my chips while watching the shows "Heavy", "Biggest Loser", and "I Used to Be Fat". Yeah, I cheer them on but in the meantime I have been steadily putting back on the pounds. I have actually gained 8 lbs in the last 3 months. That adds on the weight I already have to lose.

So I found a plan in my Fitness magazine that says that it can get anyone in any shape ready for a 10k in 10 weeks.

****Ok went get the magazine and it says half marathon...pfffttt!*****

Anywho, I am going to build up to a 10k (6.2 miles) in the next 10 weeks. Then after that I'll decide if I'll do another 10 weeks to build up to a half marathon. I'll follow my nifty chart of days a week to jog/run starting on Tuesday of next week. I'll try and let you guys know, with a minimum of curse words, just how it feels. I am also hoping that it helps the belly fat go away since every trainer tells me MORE CARDIO to get rid of the stomach fat. Well I am off to start making my playlist for next week. TOODLES!

American Idol "I Was Crying"

American Idol auditions tonight. Did you see it? O.M.G.! So normally I watch just to laugh at the crazy people because, you know, they didn't know you actually had to be able to sing to get on the show. Seriously, if you are thinking about going on the show, TAPE yourself and then LISTEN to it! I don't mean right away, I mean like GIVE it to a friend or coworker. And when you least expect it, they play it over the intercom at work or something. If you cringe and say "what the hell is that?" then you probably should not go on American Idol.

Anywho, there was a guy at the end with the most heart-wrenching story (because they are always the last audition of the day, notice that?) about his fiancee'. And I cried because it was so sad what happened to her but such a stand up thing for him to do by taking care of her and still loving her no matter what. And then if it didn't get sappy enough, THEY BROUGHT HER IN! OMG yes they did! Now tell me there wasn't a tear in your eye when you saw that?

So this season they gotta little bit crazy with Steven Tyler and a little bit of a pushover with J-Lo and well, dog, Randy is Randy. I might continue watching it even though I miss Simon but they still like to find that big ol' heartbreak story to hook you.

What does "Too Qualified" Mean?

My job search continues. Apparently, no one will hire me because I am "too qualified". Does that mean I smell bad? Because seriously, I am bringing experience with me so how can one be too qualified for a job? I am not asking for much, and I'll work for you FOREVER and really I am only wanting to work b/c I am tired of being stuck in a house so should I dumb down my experience?

.....And Then......

I got a letter from the HOA saying that I need to paint my shutters. Yeup, the hits just keep on rolling over here! Hey HOA, you seeing me waving to you out the window with the jacked up shutters? I am gesturing "You're number one", look it up.

On a side note, this weekend the hubby and I will be painting the shutters on front of our house and changing out our garbage disposal. I know he'd rather be lying in front of the TV after working 80 hours a week, but we are the dummies who thought owning our own home would be awesome.

For tonight, I decided that I don't feel like cooking, or cleaning so we are going eat somewhere tonight and hit up the theater. I love living in Houston where you can just walk out the door and be within 2 miles of everything!



****UPDATE**** the shutters didn't need to be painted, they needed to be wiped off. Stupid HOA~!

2011 - How Grand It Isn't (so far)

I started off 2011 with a lovely $170.00 speeding ticket, right on New Year's day. Nice. I also went on a job interview last Thursday. The manager was sneezing and coughing so I kept my hands and feet off of everything during the interview only to have her grasp my hand as I was leaving. I went straight to the nearest restroom and washed with lots of soap to no avail. I now have the flu. I started getting sick early Friday morning. And I didn't get the job. Tonight I saw water coming from under my kitchen sink. I took a peek and my garbage disposal has a huge crack down the front.



Lucky me. I am trying to keep positive but the little worm in the back of my brain keeps saying "Cursed, cursed, CURSED 2011 is!". God I wish I still drank.