Moving On

The weather is ridiculous lately. It's currently 57F as I type, up 30 degrees from when I drove my son to school with fog and black ice warnings. This sunny warmth isn't going to last though, as the temps are forecast to drop back into winter later this week. I decide today's a good day to haul some extremely aged firewood into the house.

The gym isn't as crowded as I expected. Perhaps everyone is hung over from what I hear was a rather dull and unexciting Super Bowl game, commercials and half-time show included. This whole year already feels like a big rut, and not least because the Chinese food market we go to a few times a year has closed down. Apparently, the mall where they were located is slated to be torn down. Figures. And the store did not relocate. They just closed their doors. Ugh.

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year (of the Boar) and we normally buy dumplings, pork buns, roast pork, and roast duck. The next closest place was H-Mart, which I'm not overly fond of because they are expensive, and they're Korean. Which means they don't have all the items we would buy for Chinese New Year. I buy different brands of frozen dumplings but I'm not hopeful. There's no pork buns, no egg custard tarts, no red bean cakes or boxes of taro-filled mochi (sticky rice cakes). My husband is in Boston anyway, but I'd still like to make something a little special for my son.

I get on the elliptical and do the 4 x 4 HIIT cardio program. At least I'm warm when I'm done. Routine pull ups, push ups and core work. The trick to doing pull ups? Get your hands completely around the bars so that you can focus on your back. I have tiny hands, so most bars are too wide for me to get a good grip. That's why I love the Stretch Cage. It is the only place I can get my fingers completely around the top bars.

Class doesn't start for another 15 minutes so I have time to do my core workout. There are several women there already, with mats and DBs, doing their own communal routines. Some stay for the class, some like me, don't. The Smith is free so I do my standard Smith Inclined Press routine. At some point I'll get bored with it, but not when I do this only once a week. The Smith bar seems to stick in the tracks and both my left shoulder and right elbow complain. I haven't even put any weight on the bar yet! The bar glides better once I've added plates. My joints stop complaining.

Lazy Pedals and M are noisily chatting with a large middle-aged woman. I click my earbuds to increase the volume. The DB area is crowded with B and her gym hubs and his son, and a few other guys. Luckily, by the time I get there for DB supersets, they've moved on to another part of the gym. Then B comes back and M shows her core movement I've seen Spider Grandpa do. You grab overhead bars and pull yourself parallel, then twist your hips back and forth. This is called Hanging Wipers and variations of this movement can be found on the Redefining Strength website. Click here to visit that page.

from Redefining Strength 

Regulars like Ballet and PO Goatee bounce between stations. There are also a few women like Hollywood and tall, thin Ruffles. Ruffles has a monochrome tat of what looks to be curtain or petticoat ruffles on her left shoulder. She's been coming regularly for the past several weeks and spoke loudly about her impending divorce in the locker room. Uh, TMI!

The DB superset and Rip Skulls are routine today. I thought about doing V-bar press downs but my elbows weren't bothering me by the time I got to the skull crushers, and the wrong handles were attached to the pushdown stations. I suppose I could've grabbed someone tall to help me replace the handle, but when I looked around, there wasn't anyone in the area. I also could've dragged the big metal platform over to the station, but I've done that before, and it's no fun. Maybe I'm just lazy today, or maybe I haven't decided to move on yet. The last two reps of the last set were a bit tenuous, as were the last two reps of the Inclined Press. It's probably time for a change.

Change is hard. I'm an overthinker, so change is really hard. I'd been stuck in a holding pattern since last week until I got word about my last quiz. Sadly, I didn't quite make the cutoff so that's both a disappointment and a relief. Now I can move on. I'm easily distracted by things I think I should be doing, especially if they're physical. Actual physical actions like doing laundry, cleaning dishes, shopping for groceries, hauling firewood are all so much easier to accomplish than sitting at my laptop to study, or write. And I find it impossible to write if someone's in the same room as I am. Crazy, right? My house is so small that I don't have a place to close the door literally and figuratively, and I'm not typing in the bathroom. I can manage this blog, but it takes me a while. Writing other things takes much longer and needs more quiet. I think I'm becoming a hermit. If we ever move, I'd like a room where I can close the door just to write. Didn't Virginia Woolf famously write about that?

Post SB Monday

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 270
Miles 2.57
HR average 134 maximum194 (105-115)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/30
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
90 x 12, 12, 12
60 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20lbs x 12/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
(Happy with 8+)
40 lbs x 12, 12, 12

Mat Stretch

Rethinking the Routine

My son and I both went to bed way too late. He discovered a page of HW that needed attention, and I never go to bed until he's already done so. Meanwhile, I've flipped through the Hulu offerings and wander back into My 600-lb Life, first season, first episode. Yes, there's a morbid fascination with people more unfortunate than we are. As in the Hoarders program, we are voyeurs peering into a secret world. Except, in this case, both my son and I are horrified at the subject's spouse who, we both agree, is a total dick. There is no other word for the nasty comments, lack of support and continued attempts to sabotage the subject's efforts to drop hundreds of pounds and regain some semblance of health and independence. My son asks incredulously, "He knows the film crew is videotaping him, right?" Apparently he doesn't care.

This morning, the alarm went off right in the middle of a dream that had Nathan Fillion in it. I'm not quite sure if I was reliving an episode of his new show The Rookie, or a Castle rerun. Dreams have a habit of fading once you wake up. He could've been Caleb, the murderous priest in the final season of Buffy, for all I know. I've been limiting my viewing of Angel since I know Season 5 is the last season, and even though shows live forever in the digital world, I'm allowing myself to savor each episode. The head-butting between Angel and Spike is just too amusing!

Winter is back as temps hover in the 30s all day. Even the gym seems cold, and there's a portable generator in the vestibule. I ask the staff about it and am told that the power company accidentally cut their electric this morning. What?! Now it's fixed, but they needed the generator to open. Oh jeeze! I catch whiffs of gasoline every now and then all throughout the gym. Yeah, I'm that sensitive.

Again, I do a program on the elliptical plus the cool down, then a quick stretch, and some basic core. I'm a little stiff from past workouts. The Smith is available but I have to drag the Inclined Bench out of the DB area. The guys are huddled in the free weight area, chatting. Occasionally one of them actually gets on a bench for a move and the others offer assistance and encouragement. I try to analyze my breathing during heavy inclined presses. I can't actually inhale properly on the descent, as my chest feels compressed as my arms come down. This is completely counter to what everyone tells you to do. It is so much easier to let your breath go as the bar descends, and then inhale while pressing up, as the chest expands. Regardless, the important thing is to breathe, and absolutely not hold your breath. Not only does that deprive your body of oxygen, it can cause your bodily pressures to build up, including IOPs in glaucoma patients.

The rest of my routine is well, routine. The gym is sporadically crowded, then not. I see a lot of regulars. Some are okay, and the creepy ones I avoid. I see a woman I've never seen before. Her outfit reminds me of the Ren Faires because it's basically black tights with a gray side seam pattern that says (to me) chain mail and dragons. She's also wearing a cropped tank/bra and maybe a belt? Not a weight belt. Maybe it's just the design of the top? In any event, her midriff is showing, which I personally think is brave, because I wouldn't be caught dead showing my fat belly. Seriously. She engages in a lot of different weight movements including standing cable rows, and barbell curls. I wonder if she's going to be a regular. She's not obviously muscular, but she's not skinny-fat or overweight either (like a lot of the women here). No, more like a post-college athlete.

The gym scale hasn't budged since yesterday's 112.4 lbs. I make the excuse that last night's bratwursts and mac'n cheese had too much sodium in it. But really, I know what I have to do. Tomorrow, instead of another Pull Day, I need to up my cardio. I'll keep the HIIT cardio at least twice a week, but tomorrow I'll add another 30 minutes of other cardio, and fill the in-between with core and body weight exercises. Then, whack the machine on Thursday, more cardio and legs on Friday. It's a plan.

I'm disappointed that the redness under my eyes hasn't faded yet. At least I have some cover up to make myself look less like I'm suffering from ebola...

Tuesday

30 min elliptical + 5 min cool down
Program 3
Calories 302
Miles 2.76
HR 143, maximum HR 186 (low 79)

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/40
Bicycles 50

Smith Inclined Press
Bar x 15
50 x 12
70 x 15
90 x 12 x 3 reverse breathing
60 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20lbs x 12/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
35lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Stretch

New Again Monday

I’m trying to create a workout program that accounts for both my and my son’s difference in ability and experience. He’s a newbie and better served with a full-body, three-day-a-week program. I’ve got what’s referred to as “mature muscle” so hitting each body part once a week with some overlap is fine. The point where we converge is doing cardio, and core.

Today is Monday and my son’s bio clock has been reset by a week at Boy Scout Camp. He actually gets up without me having to rouse him. It’s also a Push Day, but we start off with our basic cardio: 15 min of recumbent bike and 30 min on the treadmill. However, I do increase the incline to 10 degrees so that makes it a tad harder. Pull ups are another matter. I have my son rest after his first set. He doesn’t get 10, but close. I get my 20. I ask him to just get 5 more, and he does but he indicates that’s about all he can do for now.

We continue with push ups and core movements before going back to the weight area. The Smith is free as is the smaller flat bench. I show my son how to bench press and we take turns, using the same bench. His reach is longer so he sets the bar a notch higher. As we move to heavier weight, I make sure my son keeps his form. At least with us alternating turns, my son is forced to rest between his sets. Since I’m just getting back to lifting after 6 weeks of doing nothing but mild cardio, I’m easing into the routine. I’m not quite ready to push as hard as I’m used to, so this works out well for introducing my son to the rhythm.

We get to 80 lbs and I worry that it’ll be too heavy for my son, but it isn’t. I tell my son that I like to end with a low-weight high-rep set of 25 reps. My son is able to match me without any issue. That’s so great. I’m less worried now and next week I’m going to increase the weights a bit more. The next movement is for shoulders. My son tells me he wants to do the Lat Raise Machine. 35 lbs is more than I remember him doing last, but he’s able to get his reps. Then he stands around staring at his phone while I do my DB Supersets in the free weight area. I’m hoping to regain my strength quickly and return to the 20-25 lbs. Right now it’s just the 15s for both Standing Laterals and Reverse Inclined Flyes.

I like to finish Push Day with triceps so I give my son the choice between Rip Skulls and Bench Dips. He’s never done Bench Dips before but he definitely feels them in his triceps so he continues with them. He’d rather not do them at all, but that’s not the choice I give him. (It’s best to limit choices when dealing with kids, otherwise they’d rather not do anything at all!) I do my skull crushers with 30 lbs and they feel light. Next time I’ll grab the discs and add 5 lbs. I still have to ask the front desk how to add increments to the new cable stations.

When we’re done, my son is ready to stretch out a little, and then leave. Tomorrow we plan to see Hotel Transylvania 3. It’s a little young for us and it didn't get great reviews, but we’ve enjoyed the previous two movies, so we’ll probably laugh at this one too.


Monday Push

15 recumbent bike
Level 1
Calories 66
Miles 2.13
Average Heart Rate 105

30 treadmill
10% Incline
Speed 3
Calories 263
Miles 1.49
Average Heart Rate 114 / maximum hr 131
776 ft climbed

Max HGPU 8, 5
HGPU 20

Push Ups 30
Max 20 + 7

Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Smith Flat Bench
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12 (M 12)
70 x 12 (M 12)
80 x 12 (M 12)
50 x 25 (M 25)

Max DB Lateral Machine
35lbs x 12 x 3 sets
DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
15lbs x 12/15 x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
(Max Bench Dips 10, 12, 12)
30 lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

Stretch

So Much Bigger Than I Want To Be

A lot of guys ostensibly work on getting bigger. Usually stronger, but always with showy mirror muscles in mind. I've had to break my hubs of that ridiculous mindset because it's not healthy. Bigger is not better. Unfortunately, I seem to be getting bigger, and that's not at all what I want, even though I enjoy being stronger. But really, what I want is for my clothes to fit properly and right now they're too tight. Ugh.

Again, I got to the gym around noon. I spent the morning doing household stuff, ordering a new "window handle" for our storm door and trying to keep my temper with a gal at my glaucoma doc's office. This young woman spends more time defending what she does (badly) than actually providing the services required. She's given herself a fancy title but seems to mess up everything she touches because she's not actually paying attention. Ugh. I like my glaucoma doc, but her staff is making me crazy. There's one competent person in her office, a seasoned senior tech. I wish they were all like that gal. She's friendly but very professional.

See the cracked screw hole?

The "window handle" cracked right where you screw it into the screen frame so amount of screen vs storm window can't be adjusted. I went to the Anderson® website, but it wasn't listed under parts available for that model number. When I call, the rep is able to find the piece and order it for me. It's within the 5 year non-glass, non-screen warranty so it's free, except for the shipping charge. $8.99 isn't too much to be able to adjust the air flow in your storm door, but really, these things shouldn't break from occasional usage! I'm sure in the ancient days before plastic, these things were made of metal. But of course, in the ancient days, we had to physically replace our screen panels with storm glass panels. I know because I did it for years.

Someone has replaced the colossus adjustable bench with the regular one so I do Smith Inclined Presses after my warm up. I feel weak today. Maybe it's the 14 rounds I did yesterday? My hands are still really sore, so that's not helping! I adjust the high rep sets downward slightly. I am surprised when I can add reps to the DB Lateral Raises though. But the following Reverse Inclined Flyes are hampered by the fact that I'm lying on the Inclined Breaker Bench. It's not a bad angle but the height adjustment peg underneath clashes with the bottom of the movement. Rip Skulls have me a bit worried since my hands are funky. But I make it without clonking myself in the head, so Yaaay Me. Not up to the V-bar Press Down though. Besides, there are too many old guys at the Cable Station. Yuck. I'm good with just doing the Mat Stretch to loosen my shoulders. They're tight again as I cool down, and that's annoying.

The gym scale tells me 112.8 lbs and that is soooo far from the 108 lbs I took for granted a year ago. I hope it's mostly water weight from eating salty, spicy BBQ... my hubs brought home lots of ribs and sides from BT Smokehouse in Sturbridge MA as he was returning from Boston. There's enough for another meal today!

While I’m in the car, waiting for the blue light on the dashboard to go out (signifying that the engine is warm), I get a call on my cell from a number I don’t recognize. They leave a message, telling me my number popped up on a phone that was just turned in to their office. My son lost his phone on the school bus yesterday and no one could find it. My hubs had not thought to turn on the Find My Phone app, but I tried calling it this morning, hoping it would ring somewhere and someone would find it. The odd thing was that the phone was at a school we’ve never been to. I drove over and dialed my son’s number. The lady at the front office got the phone and my face was smiling up through the locked screen. We figured out that my son’s phone got lost on the bus and then the bus was used by the elementary school kids, one who found the phone but didn’t turn it in. Instead, they took it to their school and left it on a desk. Then it got turned in! And because I had called, they had someone to contact about the lost phone. My son is sooooo lucky! And will be extra careful in the future. Nothing teaches like experience!

Push Thursday

30 elliptical
Program 2
Calories 292
Miles 2.58
Average Heart Rate 149/195

HGPU 30
Push Ups 60

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
60 x 25
50 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15, 10/15, 12/15 reps

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Too Small For the Equipment

Yesterday I hugged my son goodnight and realized that my nose comes to his shoulder. Sigh. It's a good thing because I'm a very short person and life is harder for boys/men who are short than it is for girls/women. Still, it made me a little wistful for all the days when he was a wee tot. I've never actually thought of myself as a small person, so it's always somewhat of a rude surprise when I'm too short to do something. Ugh. Sometimes there's ways around this, but sometimes there isn't.

Today is a Push Day and I need a decent warm up. 30 minutes on the cross-trainer will suffice. I would've gotten on the elliptical, but all four were in use. It's a very popular cardio machine. I also knock out a set of pull ups even though I did them yesterday. I just won't do them tomorrow after whacking the machine. Instead, I'll finally get around to doing some core, because I completely skip that today, except for the push ups.

There is a bigger Inclined Adjustable Bench in the Smith cage. I like the smaller one better even though that one is still taller than the regular flat benches. A skinny girls is running through a series of DB moves while seated on the smaller adjustable bench so I'm stuck with colossus bench. Not only is it taller than the other benches, it wobbles! And because it's taller, I can't rest my feet on the ground. Instead, I have to put my feet on the bars just under the seat. The angle of the seat is also adjustable but that doesn't really help me. I angle it up slightly when I find myself sliding off the seat even though it appears level (as in the photo to the right).

Worse, as I put more weight on the bar, I lose my ability to plant my feet and butt, and slightly arch my back while keeping my shoulders and upper back on the bench. (That "3-point base" is very stable and helps me utilize my entire body when pressing the bar upward. I can't properly position myself on this bench to make that work. Ugh!) I make all my sets today, but it doesn't feel good. My right shoulder is a bit achy and my lower back's not happy with me. All because I don't have the right bench. Next time I'm grabbing the small flat bench and doing plain ol' bench presses... Well, you know what they say about hindsight.

Doing the DB super sets on this over-sized bench is also problematic as I can't quite find the right position for Inclined Reverse Flyes. Ugh. I get my sets done anyway. I can at least do the Rip Skulls at one of the breaker benches. The skinny girl is still doing a bevy of weird DB exercises with 5 and 10 lb weights. I've never seen her before, and I wonder if I'll see her again. Mostly I don't see too many women stick around in the weight area unless they're being "trained" by their boyfriend/spouse. There are women I see often enough for me to call them regulars, but they spend most of their energy in classes or on the cardio machines. They never look any different, but maybe that's the point?

Last are V-bar Press Downs at the new cable machine. The empty clip sits too high on the cable and I can't reach it to attach the V-bar. Ugh. Little R is standing at the adjacent Lat Pull Down station, chatting with Big Mustache and Lunch Meat. LM is the middle-age newbie who likes to curl directly in front of the BB rack so that no one else can access anything. I'm not about to ask them for help because  I don't want to deal with a group of guys. Seriously. Instead, I scan the gym for the table-like step-up box. Once I find it, I manage to carry it over to the cable, stand on it and I'm just now face high to the clip, and attach the V-bar. Then I put the box aside, along the wall. I probably look pretty pissed off the entire time too, but I get my sets mostly done.

I put my hoodie back on and debate doing Core with myself. Naw, I'll do that tomorrow. Instead, I do my Mat Stretch. Usually I don't have my hoodie on when I do it, and then regret having to put bare skin like my forearms or chest on the Mat during a split move. Wearing a hoodie means I don't care. But it's hot, and the zipped up neck gets a bit confining for some moves. Maybe next time I'll just bring a towel instead.

Push Tuesday

30 x-trainer
Calories 236
Miles 3.88

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60

Smith Inclined Press
Different Bench w foot bar
Bar (30) x15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
Footing prevents body power Ugh!
70 x 25
60 x 25
More shoulder stress this bench

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
w/ new bench Ugh!
25lbs x 8/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Cable Press Down
40lbs x 12, 10, 8

Actual Pushing

I called my glaucoma doc this morning to tell her office I'm on the verge of cancelling my cataract surgeries. Twice I called last week and twice I was told someone would get back to me. No one ever has. I speak to a different gal this morning and explain my frustration. I'd like to discuss my latest Visual Field test and what type of lenses are suitable for my eyes BEFORE the surgery. Yet, no appointments have been scheduled. The gal tells me she's going to call me back after she speaks to the doc who is just on her way in. Okay, I tell her. Leave a message on my answering machine. Meanwhile, road crews show up on my road with the goal of transferring all the power lines from one pole to the new one they installed last week. A fellow at my door tells me, above the dog's frantic growling and barking, that power will be off for a few hours. The phone app alerts me, once I'm at the gym, that the generator has kicked on. Cool. But no one ever calls me back. Grrrrr...

There is a weird space-age unit parked in the front space of the gym. It's got 4 stations that seems completely different from each other: heavy bag, barbell rack, bounce pad, cable pulley system. I wander over with two fellows to have a better look. Not sure if I'll be visiting this unit any time soon. I get 30 plus minutes on the elliptical, knock out my pull ups and push ups and core, and head over to the Smith. The adjustable inclined bench is missing. Ugh. Okay, no Inclined Presses today. Instead, I drag an available flat bench to the Smith, and flat bench. It's something I haven't done in over a year, ever since I had that unfortunate labral tear in my shoulder.

I position the bench backwards so that my head is at the narrow end because 1) I'm a small person and I can clear my shoulders and elbows at the narrow end and 2) the wide end has an actual foot cross-bar that sits a good inch from the floor so I can plant my feet on that. When you're short, you put your feet where you can, because very often you are too short to reach the ground! Naturally, I start off really slow and easy. I only go to 110 lbs before I notice my right shoulder feeling a tiny bit tender. So I drop the weights down and add reps. The pump is awesome. As I recall, I could get to 120 lbs but my shoulder wouldn't be very happy. A few years ago I'd hit 135 for 4 reps, but damn I was so much younger then! 110 is good for me right now, and maybe forever. Of course, it'd be better if I weighed less than 110 lbs. I'm just a pound or two over...

I do my DB super sets on a newly vacant adjustable inclined bench. There used to be two of them and I'm not sure where the other one is. There are a lot of older guys here today. Weird. Not too many kids, and not a lot of regulars either. The gym has replaced the double cable stations with a newer version, but not all the components have been installed. I see a regular sitting on the floor doing Cable Rows because the rowing benches are still missing. Ugh. After I get Rip Skulls done, I test the new cable station for V-bar press downs. And, as always, getting the old rope handle off and the V-bar on is an exercise in patience and dexterity. Because the cable ends waaaay over my head. Still, I manage a decent set before a good Mat Stretch...

I plan to see the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit at the NY Botanic Gardens on Friday, so I'm trying to figure out how to compress my workout. If I do kickboxing tomorrow, Wednesday for Pull Day, and Thursday for Cardio/Legs? We'll see...

Push Monday

30 elliptical + 3cd
Program 1
Calories 307
Miles 2.74
Average Heart Rate 143/194

HGPU 30
Push Ups 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20

Smith Flat Bench (!)
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
90 x 12
100 x 10
110 x 8
80 x 25
70 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15, 10/15, 10/15

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

New V-bar Cable Press Down
20lbs x 12
30 x 12
40 x 12

A Cure for Modern Ailments

On a friend's blog post, there's a link to a power lifter, Pete, who's trying to spearhead a movement that encourages people suffering from illnesses like suicidal depression to seek help. He found his salvation at the gym, and titles his FB video, "6000 reps for 6000 lives." His website, Lifting the Stigma, explains his history and purpose.

I'm not a power lifter so I won't be taking this challenge. However, I did love the song playing during the 2nd half of the video and PMed Pete to ask him who it was by. He responded that it was Stone Sour Song #3 and I've embedded it here:


I'm probably going to add it to my workout mix, because I like this sort of music. (And there's only so much Billy Idol I can listen to in one gym session.)

While I'm not a combat veteran suffering from PTSD, I do have my own demons. Anxiety is high on the list. Last night I woke up during a panic-attack and couldn't get back to sleep for several hours, even after I manage to slow my breathing. I think anxiety is the root cause for most cases of self-medication with illegal and dangerous substances. I'm lucky I have no tolerance for such things like nicotine, alcohol, pot. When I developed shingles last Spring, my doc prescribed ibuprofen and gabapentin. The latter isn't an opioid, but I discontinued taking it as soon as I could sleep through the night without excruciating nerve pain. Lately, I'm reading that gabapentin has been targeted by both addicts and law enforcement because it acts as an opioid-enhancer. Jeeze, I remember giving this drug to my dog Binky when she started to lose the use of her back legs.

I've been lifting weights on and off for years, ever since I discovered them in college. Back in HS, the girls were not allowed to use the one Universal machine planted in the gym. Instead, we got modern dance. Once, when asked what fuels my workouts, my only response was "Rage". To some extent, it's probably still true. Working out keeps me sane, and allows me to sleep more or less.

I hadn't been to the gym since Thursday and after 3 or 4 days, it's as if I'd never gone. Friday I had a rather unpleasant appointment with my glaucoma doc. She had me watch a video about the cataract procedure and then proceeded to give her speech. I had to interrupt her several times because she was making assumptions I didn't agree with. She got frustrated. So did I. She tells me matter-of-fact about how the hospital across the street from her office (not my hospital of choice) demands all sorts of blood work and chest X-rays as surgical prep. Which surprises me because she just got done telling me that I'll be lightly sedated but awake during the procedure. Good grief! I didn't need chest x-rays when I was put under for the colonoscopy when I was 50. Why do I need it for light sedation? (My hubs believes the hospital is playing the insurance billing game. Ugh.)

Why do I need chest X-rays? "Oh, people have discovered they have lung cancer, or breathing problems and aren't surgical candidates," What?! She tells me it was all explained to me earlier. It was in the packet I got in December. Except it wasn't. Her staff turns over regularly and no one has ever discussed the packet with me, and the one I have decidedly does NOT contain any surgical information. So the surgical requirements come as a complete surprise. Which means now I'm in a panic to call my GP who is nearly impossible to book on short notice because she's so popular. The glaucoma doc feels like she's wasting her time.

I'm annoyed at the prospect that my vision will actually be worse after cataract surgery because I don't wear any corrective lenses right now. The doc finds that hard to believe. She insists I'll be wearing glasses after cataract surgery just like I do now. Except, I keep telling her, I don't wear glasses. We are almost yelling at each other. Seriously. She tells me, we need to think about how my eyes will be in the future. Sure, I need 1X readers in low light or for reading micro-print. But otherwise I don't wear glasses. And yes, my dad and his mother also didn't wear readers until much later in life. So it's not unheard of. But of course, I have my mother's glaucoma. Only worse. Ugh.

I get my eyeballs measured by several machines. The machines will tell us what type of replacement lenses they will need to use because maybe my eyeballs are weirdly shaped and I have an astigmatism. She doesn't trust the patient because they only know what they know. Machines are objective, and definitive. She doesn't recommend the flexible lenses that allow the eye's own muscles to flex and focus vision because once you get artificial lenses, well, they're basically permanent and can't be removed for something better or more appropriate. And why am I undergoing cataract surgery when I don't have bad cataracts? Because I don't want bleb surgery where the doc cuts a permanent flap into the white of your eye to let the fluid perpetually drain out. (Weightlifting is completely out of the game with that!)

I'm even more aggravated by the perpetual local road work that has me following, in my car at 5 mph, the worker carrying the tail end of a 20 foot conduit pipe that is affixed to the side of a bulldozer as it crawls down the road. I'm not sure what local citizens are getting for all of this disruption and inconvenience since none of us have natural gas piped into our homes.

This weekend, I do manage to thread my new sewing machine several times as I change the spools. My husband remarks that this is the slowest he's ever seen a sewing machine move. I have it on Speed Setting One because I'm newbie nervous. I hem four pairs of pants on Saturday. Then, because I'm tired, I hem the 5th pair but forget to flip the pants inside out first. So I have to rip the hems out and start over. On Sunday. I get three more pairs shortened. Whew. Seven pairs of pants and I'm happy to put the machine into it's carrying case and tuck it away for a while. I'm not at all proficient, but I have other things I need to do before I get back to learning other stitches...

I discover, to my chagrin, that I have a pair of summer weight zip-off pants that I haven't ever worn because they were always 2 inches too long. Now they fit fine. I hem the pants from Tactical Gear but worry about breaking the needle going over the inseam with the folded up pants edge because the synthetic fabric seems incredibly tough. Great for abrasion resistance, but worrisome for repairs. The most comfortable pants are the Pink Zipper brand from Aramark®. In spite of the left-handed inanity of the zipper, the pants themselves are truly soft and well-made. I wear them as soon as they're hemmed. My cell fits nicely in the cargo pocket and in the rear pocket, which is a nice surprise. Today, I grab a blue short-sleeve button down shirt I bought my son last year for his school photo. He hasn't worn it since because it's just not him. It actually might be too small on him now. I put it on and feel totally comfortable in it. Figures.

I go to the gym today and while the new flooring is down, a lot of the equipment is in odd places. Then I see the signs affixed to various machines. Some are being replaced by Friday, including the double cable stations at the edge of "machine city". That's where I do One-Arm Seated Cable Rows on Pull Days. Today's a Push Day, so eventually I'll be there for V-Bar Cable Press Downs. Luckily, the Smith doesn't sport such signage. I'm tired of course. And stressed. 30 minutes on the elliptical has helped. Doing pull ups, push ups and core has helped. But what really helps is pushing weights. I'm much calmer when I leave the gym. Maybe I'll even be able to sleep tonight.

V-bar cable station today

Push Monday

30 elliptical
Program 1
Calories 280
Miles 2.50
Average Heart Rate 149/188

HGPU 30
Push Ups 60

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
70 x 25
60 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Cable Press Down
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Mondays Are Hard

I did gasp a little when I got on the gym scale this afternoon. 113.4 lbs is several pounds from where I want to be. Of course, indulging in fatty, salty foods and adult beverages over the weekend will garner me no sympathy. My hubs decided he wanted to host a Spring BBQ in our yard and proceeded to brine, and smoke a picnic pork shoulder.

We also got some authentic Polish kielbasa, and ingredients for the Dutch Oven chili that he's so fond of. This time, he added sausage to the meatloaf mix and a bit more cayenne. We served it up with Annie's mac 'n cheese, stuffed green olives (blue cheese or pickled garlic), assorted hard cheeses, beer, apple ale and pear cider. The pear cider (Crispin) was a big hit, especially since it's so difficult to come by. Type "pear cider" into Google and I'm surprised at how many brands there are. I don't see this kind of variety in actual stores, not even at the beer distributor. We've tried a lot of brands and discounted them, like Magners. And since Woodchuck apple cider is super syrupy, I've got no faith that their pear is any better...

We also gave everyone a taste of KAS, a locally-brewed honey liquor. It's ridiculously smooth, but probably an acquired taste. Earlier in the week, we tried some organic dry mead (Ragnar's Dry Mead by HoneyRun Winery in California), but that had a rough kick to it. At 12%, it needed to be watered the way Vikings drank it. It's nothing like the ubiquitous Carroll's Mead, which is found at every Ren Faire. I'm not fond of that cloying sweetness, but in a Ren Faire BeeSting (mead and hard cider) it's pleasant enough.

A friend who had been into Intermittent Fasting (IF) and had lost quite a bit of weight, seems to have gained some of it back. "Are you still doing IF?" I ask. His reply, "Intermittently." He didn't seem willing to discuss it but I'm curious as to why he's quit. He still visits the sauna on a regular basis, while his son does 6-minute planks (why? maybe just because he can). His father seems to be exercising vicariously. Not quite sure what to make of it... My hubs is still on the low carb kick, and tries to convert other people. He's a bit of a zealot right now. Luckily, or unluckily, I don't handle fats too well. Avocados seem to be okay, but other things, like Swiss cheese and fast food burgers, give me bellyaches.

A friend gave us several dozen eggs from his multitude of chickens. I don't think I've ever seen yolks this big or rise this high in the bowl. The golden color was stunning, and the eggs stayed yellow when I scrambled and ate them for breakfast. The dog got some too in spite of the high fat content of egg yolks. He's still recovering from dealing with a houseful of noisy boys and a yard full of people. I also managed to fool him into eating a Proin® tablet last night, and again this morning. He's never taken a full dose (2X a day) before so I need to keep an eye on him to make sure he's not having any adverse reactions. He didn't want to eat this morning, but giving him his monthly chewable Heartguard® tablet seemed to wet his appetite. He ate his slice of deli chicken (with the Metacam) and picked all the hearts and gizzards out of the boiled rice. And then he had two slices of Oatbran toast, and eggs.

It's a Push Day and I purposely get to the gym late because I don't want to wrestle over equipment. I'm also tired. (Even with earplugs, I had trouble sleeping through my husband's snoring. He doesn't always snore, but last night he was super loud.) Tomorrow I might just stay home though because the spools of thread I ordered from Amazon have arrived and I intend to learn how to sew a hem. I've got a good dozen pairs of pants in a basket waiting for me! The world is changing and not always for the better. It wasn't that long ago when you could always buy thread locally, at Kmart or at the grocers. Now, the only thread you can buy there are in tiny travel repair kits. Ugh.

I get on a cross-trainer and realize that it feels different from some of the other machines. My mileage is better even though I'm not pushing all that hard. Still, I'm sweaty and a little winded when I'm done. After some stretching, I ready myself for pull ups. I see a guy up on the cardio platform and he's smiling. Weird. I've noticed him before because white hoodies aren't all that common, especially ones that look like twill. Is it because I'm about to do pull ups? I get to 30 and skip Core to grab the Smith machine. I type Core into my phone just to remind me not to leave without doing it. Because that's almost happened.

My shoulder still isn't totally recovered from the labral insult. I get through all my sets though. The gym is more crowded than I expect. Mostly guys. Two women. Ugh. At least I can finish with V-bar cable press downs. And then I remember that I have to do Core. Whoops. But at least I'm on the Mat, so it's easy to transition to the Mat Stretch.

Push Monday

30 x-trainer
Calories 242
Miles 3.69

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
70 x 25
60 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Press Downs
40lbs x 12, 12, 11

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 40/30

Weekends Make Me Fat

I'm always heavier on Mondays than on Fridays. Because the weekend happens in between. Sometimes I'm also noticeably puffier. A result of eating badly. Too much salt, too much fat and my body reacts by retaining water and making me look like the proverbial dough boy. Ugh.

This weekend didn't start off too bad as it was sunny and we got some yard work done. I'd been waiting to hear if the Jeet Kune Do class was starting but apparently they hadn't gotten enough people enrolled. I sent them an email, but they never got back to me. Until today when they admitted that they were waiting to hear from one family, and then maybe classes would start next week. Oh jeeze. Sunday was a great day to be outside. My hubs and son went with some folks from their Boy Scout troop to hike a few miles on the Appalachian Trail.

I, on the other hand, went with a friend and her cousins to catch the very last day of the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens. And after we'd seen the orchids, we walked what seemed like miles to visit Daffodil Hill (which wasn't very impressive), the Azalea Garden (a big no show), and finally the Magnolias, which were magnificent. I had a Quest bar when everyone else ate croissants with chocolate (pain au chocolat), but we were all starving by the time we'd seen everything. So we ate lunch there. There's not much selection, and it's fairly pricey. I bought a mozzarella, tomato, arugula sandwich and needed more. Like curry chicken salad. (Thinking back, I should've just gotten two different salads.) Finally, I was sated. When I got home, my hubs had stocked the fridge with meats and sides from Big W Roadside BBQ, because that's just a few miles from the Appalachian Trail head. He reheated everything in the oven and we feasted anew.

And prepared foods, like all restaurant foods, are extremely tasty because not only are they expertly cooked and seasoned, they are laden with salt and fat. Delicious corn bread, pork stuffing, dirty rice, macaroni & cheese, brisket, pulled pork, BBQ ribs... No wonder I look like I've been pigging out all week! Never mind I only had coffee and yogurt for breakfast this morning.

Mondays are Push Days. I get on the elliptical and run Program 3 for 30 minutes, then squeeze out my pull ups. I briefly debate doing Core but I'm worried about snagging the Smith while it's free. After Inclined Presses, I do more Low Bar Shoulder Stretches. I really can't tell if my right wrist is straight or not. Sigh. If it hurts, I figure it's not straight, but I don't know if that's a valid assumption. The Mayor is gabbing away. Ugh. He vacates the only Inclined Bench in the DB area just as I'm ready to do my DB superset routine. Otherwise I'd stick with the Smith, just because it has an Inclined Bench. But I always feel guilty that I'm using the space for the bench, not the actual Smith contraption.

Next are those tricep builders: the Rip Skulls. But all the breaker benches are being used, and I'm forced to lay down on a regular flat bench. My feet don't comfortably touch the ground because my legs are too short. I have to keep my feet on the bench with my knees bent. It's not the most stable position to do Rip Skulls, but it works. My hair is driving me crazy today. The braid isn't done long enough, so it constantly falls into my armpit or under my neck. I can't clip it out of the way when I'm laying on a bench. This is when I truly miss having short hair. (That and when I'm showering.)

Normally I'd do V-bar press downs afterwards. But The Mayor and Big Mustache are doing alternate sets at that station. When they're not chatting. Which is most of the time. And I just really don't want to ask them if they're done. Cuz I don't want to work in with them. Just cuz. Instead, I do 10 minutes on the cross-trainer to get warm again. Then suddenly remember to do Core at the Mats. By this time both guys have left, so I could've done V-bars then. I probably should've done the V-bars, but I didn't. And of course, I regret what I did next.

I do push ups and toy with the idea of doing a few Hindu push ups. Just to test the waters. I do them slowly. And only 20. They actually feel okay. I do some plank variations and then the Mat Stretch. It isn't until later in the day when my right shoulder aches a little and an odd motion reminds me of the labral tear I suffered some long months ago. Ugh! Shouldn't've done THOSE push ups. I don't know how long it's going to take to mend the damage incurred today. Back to just regular push ups... Ugh.

Push Monday

30 elliptical
Program 3
Calories 284
Miles 2.52
Average Heart Rate 146/202

HGPU 30

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
70 x 25 (!)
60 x 25

Low bar shoulder stretch
3 x 15s

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

10 min x-trainer
Calories 82
Miles 1.24

Push ups 30
Hindu push ups 20

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Never Too Late...

Let's open with a stretch for my recalcitrant shoulder, courtesy of a friend who turned me on to a YouTube video of the Rippetoe low bar squat stretch for inflexible shoulders:



Never mind that today is a Push Day if I can get out of the house and to the gym... Even if I'm not doing squats today, I can still stretch the shoulder out. Ideally, I'd be doing this a few times a week. We'll see...

I get to the gym a little before noon. The gym is pretty damn empty! Except for the cross-trainers. Those are all occupied. I get on the elliptical and do 30 minutes on Program 1. My skin gets unpleasantly prickly as I warm up. Even though I've slathered moisturizer on myself before coming, I still suffer from pin prick sensations as my skin hovers between sweating and not. Sweating would cool the skin. It's right before that moment that the nerves in my skin freak out and telegraph electric itchiness. Ugh. If I either slow down or speed up, I'll force a sweat and relief. (Apparently, this is not uncommon among sufferers of ichthylosis vulgaris.)

Tank has an interesting
cut out in the back

I almost forget to do pull ups before leaving the Stretch Cage, but manage to squeeze out a respectable number. Having slept less than 6 hours is really hurting me at the beginning of my workout. Towards the end it won't matter. Not quite sure how that works, but it does. After basic core work, I amble over to the Smith. The Mayor is gabbing away. My headphones don't block him out as well as they used to, now that I've changed the ear pads. I think my ear canals are two different sizes, and the right ear is a bit achy today. I need a smaller ear pad for that side. Of course, because ear canals change shape and size with head and jaw positioning, it's hard to determine what's really going to work. Music sounds better when I have my head down and it's because the ear pad sits snugger in the canal for me in that position. But I also have really loose flexible joints and sleeping on my side can cause my jaw to fall out of alignment. (I've had to pop my jaw back to alleviate TMJ issues.)

The Smith Inclined Bench is uneventful even though I haven't warmed up the shoulder joints. Actually I only remember to do those physical therapy movements right before kickboxing the machine. The hole in the wall is even bigger than before! Not sure what sort of animals work out here over the weekend. Ugh. I try to remember how to do the Shoulder Stretch (see video above), but don't quite get it right. What I should've done was watched it on my phone. But I didn't. I can't get my wrists anywhere's close to straight because I haven't started out in the right position. I'm going to try again tomorrow, after RDLs on the Smith. If I can get the Smith. (Worse case scenario, I do the stretch at the Squat Rack. Or in the Max Rack, because it also has a horizontal bar supported on uprights.)

The rest of my workout is routine: DB super sets, Rip Skulls and then V-bar press downs. There are a few guys in the gym. But I mostly have the weight area to myself. Nice! The Mayor is long gone. A bunch of folks are on the cardio platform. An older fellow with a great physique comes in and immediately starts doing preacher curls. It must be Arm Day! I don't do "Arm Day" 'cuz every day is Arm Day. Seriously. He's hovering, but I'm not interested in chatting so I ignore him. Yeah, I'm a bitch. It's okay. You want to talk to me? Catch me afterwards. Want me to oooh and ah your physique. Sorry, not gonna happen.

I'm really hungry even though I had yogurt and coffee for breakfast. And a protein boost just before I got in the car. There's been a lot of RTDs on sale so I stocked up. (Besides, my son is eating everything in the house. At his annual, it was determined that he now outweighs me by close to 35 lbs.) I bought a bunch of Fairlife® "milk shakes" for a $1 a bottle in strawberry and chocolate flavor. It's flavored, shelf-stable lactose-free milk. 15 gms protein per serving is pretty good for a buck. With a coupon, the Ensure® High Protein comes to $1.25 per 16 gms protein, and some additional vitamins and minerals. (Some days I literally can't wait until I get home to mix up a shake, and the Quest bars don't always agree with me. It's me, not the bars.) Muscle Milk® has also been on sale at my supermarket. $6 for a 20 gm 4-pack. The flavors aren't great, as there's always a metallic aftertaste. But true with all these RTDs, they're always much much better ice cold! But I'll drink them room temp if it comes down to that...

My favorite thing so far has been the local Five Acre yogurt on sale at my grocer. It's literally from a farm somewhere in NYS. It's not the high-protein skyr or Greek-style yogurt, but it tastes deliciously creamy and smooth. Best yet, the plain has only two ingredients. (The Maple flavor has three ingredients.) It does make me a bit gassy though, so I don't eat very much of it. This is more like an indulgent dessert item.

I think the Maple flavor has three ingredients, not two.

Push Monday

30 elliptical
Program 1
Calories 286
Miles 2.54
Average Heart Rate 151 / 196 max

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 13
80 x 12
90 x 12
70 x 25
60 x 25

Shoulder Stretch at Smith
3 x 5 count

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Cable Press Down
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Slight Variations

Even though I know Mondays tend to be busy, I was still a bit surprised at how crowded the gym was. I overhear people talking about going away for Spring break or Easter vacation. We're not going anywhere. My son only has a long weekend to look forward to. He says he would've much preferred to go to school during the winter and have an actual week-long vacation the first week of April. I do have an Easter basket ready though. I'll just have to sneak it into his room when he's sleeping.

All the cross-trainers are busy so I get on one of the ellipticals and hit Program 1. The gal two machines over is pedaling but hasn't activated any programs so I'm not sure how much that pedaling is worth. Later she gets on the erg, but only for a few minutes. Perhaps she's just trying things out? I'm wearing another new cheap tank from Old Navy®. It's billowy like a pillowcase, but that doesn't bother me. It's my old iPod Nano, clipped to the non-existent waistband of my most-comfy yoga pants that I keep fiddling with. The pants, long discontinued by Title Nine® (probably because the fabric tended to really hold on to sweaty stinky smells even after being laundered) is made from a wonderfully soft, non-clingy material, but lacks waistband structure. So anything clipped to it tends to flop over and eventually slide off. Ugh. But the pants don't smell anymore. So there's that...

There's a fellow at the Smith so I take my time with my Core warm up. I'm happy that I'm able to take advantage of having "rested my elbows" over the weekend, and get a few more pull ups. Yaaay me! I do feel a bit bloated though and I'm wondering if I'm merely perceiving yesterday's meal of smoked pork butt as being a tad too salty, or if it really is too salty. My hubs used his smoker this weekend, but substituted charcoal briquettes for lump hardwood. The lump is harder to control. But after half a day and the briquettes themselves being finicky, my hubs opted to finish the butt in the oven for a few hours. He absolutely loves the marinade injector and wonders why he never tried it before. He also adjusted the dry rub seasoning. The pork was still delicious, and so exciting that he once again forgot to take any photos of it. My son inhaled a good pound and a half of it fresh off the bone, and went to bed happy. Later today, the gym scale tells me 111.6 lbs. It could've been worse!

The Smith is free by the time I'm actually ready. I'm toying with changing my reps, but I'm not quite there yet. Many strength programs suggest 5 reps per set. But, instead of going for 3 sets of 5 reps, I still hit 12. And 25. But I'm braver with the DB shoulder super set and only grab a pair of 25s. I figure my elbows should be able to handle 25 lbs if I cut my reps down. But how far down? I stop at 8 reps because that seems reasonable. But by the 3rd set, I want to see if I can handle a few more and stop at 10. And then I decide to do a 4th set. Well, that's a change, too. I wonder if I'll be sore tomorrow? Probably not... But 25 lbs doesn't give me the best form. Does it matter? Will it eventually ruin my elbows and forearms, my weak links? Don't know yet.

I also opt to do V-bar cable press downs for triceps instead of Rip Skulls. The gym has emptied out a bit, but I'm not in the mood to unclip my hair, and worry about my earphone wires sticking to my throat. I still haven't ordered replacement bluetooth earbuds yet. They're in my Amazon shopping cart along with the sewing machine, and bottles of Amlactin® skin cream. My hubs doesn't thinks I should get the sewing machine: just take my pants to the tailor. We're trying to de-clutter the house, but you wouldn't know it from all the things my hubs orders and accumulates. We're actually contemplating getting a shed just to keep all the camping gear in an organized fashion because our house is eternally too small, and until he sorts out the garage, there's barely any room for 3 people with interests, and an old dog.

Today I took a practically brand-new tea set to the local humane society thrift shop as a donation. Because my hubs, who got into this Asian tea thing a few years ago, suddenly decided he wasn't into it anymore after buying a Yixing ceremonial tea set. Ugh. The box has been sitting in the living room forever, and finally he put it into a big black trash bag to toss away. Instead, I put it in the back of my car, along with a good 3 dozen white hand towels I cleaned out of my bathroom linen closet. Those are going to the humane society itself because they can always use towels. And where did all these towels come from? From all the hotels my hubs stays at. A hand towel or two always finds itself in his laundry bag. Ugh.

My hubs is okay with donations to the humane society. I used to take bags and bags of clothes to Good Will, but he's not happy with "undeserving undesirables" getting his cast-offs. (Never mind that the chairman of Good Will Industries is one of the highest paid CEOs of all non-profit corporations.) But when I went there a few weeks ago, there were very few bags of donated clothes in the receiving area. Probably a consequence of the new tax laws that do away with charitable donations as a deductible. When I donated my old car, the one with the broken rear axle, my hubs insisted that it was going to wind up in the Middle East being driven by anti-American terrorists. Like that plumber who saw his old van on news footage (click here for the story). But I really wanted to get the $500 tax deduction for the car instead of having to pay $500 to have someone take it away...

My husband is always angry about other people profitting off his discards. So he's not very compliant with recycling either. I'm not militant, but I at least try. It's not that he's a bad person. He's just tired of everyone trying to make him feel guilty for everything. I admit that I'm a bit weary of it too, and have to selectively tune-out the world. Everyone's shilling for something. Listen to every heart-breaking story pleading for monthly donations and you'll be poor, and mad, in no time.

I did make good use of a Gerber® folding hand saw my hubs showed me. There's a narrow pot-hole strewn road that connects the back parking area of a Catholic school with the driveway of the kung fu school. The kung fu school is on a road perpendicular to the main road. There's a traffic light at the intersection. But no Left Turn signal. Oncoming traffic is relentless with cars coming directly off the highway. I used to get very stressed sitting at that light, waiting for an opportune moment to turn left and not get T-boned. The lady who runs the kung fu school told me to use the little back road behind the Catholic school, and I have been. Until last Tuesday when a small tree fell across it. Small as in a sapling about as thick as my upper arm, which is 13" around. So that's about a 4" diameter and high enough off the ground to smash your windshield if you tried to drive through it.

Last week, I had to back out of the road and sit in traffic to make the horrible left turn. The next time, I actually remembered to bring the folding saw, and while my son scampered through the woods to get to class on time, I put on my sunglasses and fleece winter gloves and proceeded to saw. It took about 15 minutes to hit both ends. I was hoping that once I cut the far end, the tree would spring up and out of the way, but it'd been down too long. That's a saw I'm keeping in my Go Bag.

Push Monday

30 elliptical
Program 1
Calories 292
Miles 2.57
Average Heart Rate 146 / max 198

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
70 x 25
60 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15reps x 2
25 x 10/15 x 2

V-bar Cable Press Down
30lbs x 12 reps
40 x 12
45 x 12