Good morning LWL!
It's stinkin hot here and the gym AC STILL isn't fixed. No clients today ( and maybe no more this summer if it doesn't get fixed soon ), but I'm off to do legs. My lifting partner today is my dd. She leaves tonight for England for 7 weeks at Oxford, and needs to get in a gym session before a summer of fish and chips and beer She tells us she's going to school

This weekend was a disaster food wise. Once she leaves, I'm really buckling down. No kids for the summer, so the junk is OUT. Dh will go out if he wants anything.

The heat and rains have made everything bloom incredibly. This year, for the FIRST time in 5 years, we found some gunk that makes my lilies unpalatable to the deer. I haven't ever seen some of these bloom. I'm in flower heaven!

Mel

Hard, hard, hard. All those walks in the Meadows. All that punting. All those young people from all over the world. All those wonderful libraries. All that architecture. Hard, hard, hard. She'll manage.

Found a way to get to the cottage cheese. I am using the Cabot Farms FF cottage cheese, the nicest so far. And I am adding pineapple to it, I figure to decrease the amount of pineapple slowly over a couple of weeks. Same method I used on the FF plain yogurt, added frozen berries until I got ot the point I prefer it to the already fruited ones.

RABBIT - Camping on the California coast, you are going to have a great time.

Got to the gym this morning, did the UBWO, and cardio on the elliptical though I bailed out after 20 minutes. Too long away I think. After my wo, I was in the classroom doing some ab work and found a kid's ball and started doing some of my high school volleyball routines and drills for about 5 minutes, forgot how much I enjoyed it and may use it as a routine when I have some spare time and the room is empty, I need a wall and some space. Anyway, when I get to the gym on a Monday, the whole week can fall into place.

NELIE - You are sounding like you are in the groove, keep it up, one step at a time and wahoo on the clothing, that is a real plus.

MEL - Sorry about the gym AC, I was laughing this morning, a couple of the guys were hanging out in one spot, under the vents. Love the lillies, beautiful colors.

One week until DD is off at camp, crazy week but fun stuff. Yesterday was a fun Father's Day, zoo and amusement park, fried dough of course, but did not finish it. Unfortunately, my skirts from last year are tight.

Morning. Had a lovely weekend myself. Sat was spent doing chores - laundry, groceries, bills, you know! But yesterday I spent the morning planting some flowers my neighbor had "left over." She starts all her annuals from seed and didn't need/want these, so I put most of them in some spare space in our vegetable garden. They'll add some color anyway. Then in the afternoon I took a page from Nelie's book and went hiking in Hatcher Pass, which is a great recreation area about 20 minutes from us. We were hiking for 4 hours, and went I suspect about 8 miles. Hard to know since we forgot the guide book (duh!) and there are of course no mile markers. Fun anyway. Saw tons of wild flowers and several beaver dams. It was warm, but not hot, and enough breeze to keep the mosquitos at bay. My legs are feeling it today.

My knees are pretty well recovered, and I'm back at the gym tonight. I think UBWO and then a cardio session on the elliptical. DH has taken by bicycle to go out with his friends, and I suspect he'll not be back before I get off work. I think it's time for him to get his own bike!

No gym for me this last weekend, I took advantage of the beautiful summer weather and went to go play outside. On Saturday we went to the beach for some rollerblading and boogie boarding and yesterday we went for a hike in Runyon Canyon. We only did one of the big hills since the boyfriend and dog were with me and they have a hard time keeping up.

Back to yoga tonight for the first time in a few weeks, hope the instructor goes easy on us!

Mel - I adore lilies, those look just lovely! Your daughter is going to have such a great time. I’ve never been to the UK but I’d love to go someday. Oh, to be a student again and have the whole summer to do something fantastic or nothing much at all.

I’ve got the beach bug pretty bad now, it pains me so to be sitting here in my cube while the sun is beating down on the surf and sand but a few miles away *sigh*. Being a grown-up is highly overrated.

Hi LWL,

Pat - sounds like a great hike!
Mel- Hows the AC going ?
Shan - what is boogie boarding ?

Lovely weather overhere, hot & sunny. Sometimes too hot! I went to powerclass yesterday, and I am sore today. I can really feel that I only went 1 hour per week for the last weeks. Time to recover! I notice I need to get some inner calm back. Too much stress triggers panick & anxiety attacks, which are no fun.

Have a great day all,
rabbit

Lower body workout, working on the squats, protecting the knees, grinning at the people who use the abductor and adductor machines. Threw in some leg curls for fun. Right now, my muscles are sore and not my joints from yesterday's UBWO, so I am pleased with that.

Long day at work today unless DH is still sick he just isn't feeling up to being sick and in the house w/ a 7 yo who is pumped about getting out of school and going to camp. I may end up going home early and dealing with them instead of crazy people here. What a choice.

BTW - Those w/ kids, do you get a physical assessment from your child(ren)'s gym teachers?? First of all both the gym teachers are overweight and always wearing a brace on some part of their bodies. But they are the nicest people and very encouraging to the kids and when they are not teaching are in the halls, cafeteria or playgrounds, as an extra pair of eyes. One of them has instituted the morning walking club for some kids and has been able to encourage some of the less active kids to get up and walk the football field as often as possible before school starts. Anway, DD is in good shape overall, though her upper body strength is below standard. The report also includes a BMI measure and lots of info for getting help. Overall, I thought it was really useful.

Sugar Cube – That’s great that you daughter’s school is taking the initiative to get kids more fit and keep the parents informed and involved. It seems like too many schools are cutting back on things like PE, art and music as their budgets tighten.


Rabbit - Boogie boarding is kind of like surfing with no balance or skill involved.

If you’re really good it looks pretty cool and you can do some tricks and stuff, but I just jump on the waves and ride them in. It’s fun and it keeps you moving so you don’t get too cold in the water.

Yoga was chock full of new stuff for me last night, including a lot of shoulder stand and plow variations. I wish had known I was going to spend so much time upside down, I would have put a thick mat under my sticky one. My shoulders are a bit sore today from supporting all that weight on the hard floor. Lots of head circles and neck stretches today!

I’m gonna see if I can get the bf to join me for ballroom dance at the Y tonight. I’ve always been intrigued but haven’t gone yet for lack of a partner. Seems like it could be good exercise and I could use a little coordination work.

Hi LWL,

Shan - that looks really cool!!!

No "work" work for me today- I'll be doing chores around the house, cleaning , gardening, trying to wind down. Yesterday was tiring, but I necessary: I made some groundwork for work next year.

Have a great day all,
rabbit

SHAN - LOVE the boogie board, DD wants to join Chicks on Sticks when she is old enough, I have to find out when that is actually, and LOVES her boogey board, her childless doting uncle bought her a board that was top of the line. Would love to take dance lessons with DH, I am one of those women who lead, he laughs about it, but I would like to actually know what I am doing.

RABBIT - Hope you can relax and get to that calm inner space.

No gym this morning, we are in camp mode with a sick husband, not a lot of help there. also last evening, had to celebrate the dog's birthday, that was actually DH's gig but he is sick so I jumped in. All laundry has been done and the only dirty clothes in the house are on our backs.

Actually needed a day off this morning anyway, new routines, new aches, so I am getting some rest and lots of fluids.

Blueberries are snack of choice today, watching the carb quality for the next week, to jumpstart into the losing again.

Quick hello everyone I just got back from Montreal. It is a very cool city. I didn't really expect it to be so... french. There was tons of walking and lots of good food. I do think I will visit it again.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Hi LWL,

Nelie- Welcome back !! Glad you enjoyed your trip! french...would that be like in heavenly food? great salads and great bread especially??

Liza- Too bad about DH. No inner calm yet for me, I did rest yesterday but I'm still very tense. today is another busy day: go to the support people at work for an updat, and go to the children's court with DD this afternoon, where she will have to tell the judge her opinion on the divorce between me and XH.

Still, I looked things over and it looks like i will be juggling with less balls in the next week. That will be a relief.

Have a great day all,
Rabbit

Rabbit - I hope everything goes well.

I think Montreal has a lot of french influence but I don't think it would be the same as going to france. The food was good, the bread was somewhat the same as here I don't think I had any salads.

I guess I think of Canada being an english speaking country so that everyone would speak english (for the most part), signs would be in english (and maybe some french) but that there would just be a notable french influence. Instead everyone spoke french first, english second and encountered a lot of people who seemed to know very little english. Signs were always in french and sometimes in english. When we got on the Metro, the terminals were announced in french only and I had to strain to hear what was being said. Luckily every metro stop had a sign. It was quite interesting

I have more good news about the clothes. I am absolutely positevely sure I've dropped a pant size to size 22. My 24s are big. Even my pair of 24 levis which have always been tight on me, are now sagging and falling off. I was scared that my eating indulgences would show on the scale this morning but I am now in the 270s although I need a real scale to figure out the actual number.

NELIE - I love Montreal, it has everything I love, the accessibility, fun restaurants, museums, night life, we always stay in the middle of the city and party like crazy, actually those were the days before the 7 YO. Ummm. No one ever spoke english to me because of my last name, being french canadian, and my french is the pitts, mostly I just smiled. Welcome to the baggy butt club, time to move on down the clothing sizes.

Great workout at the gym, no one there, the Thursday phenomenum (SP). Quiet and cool. UBWO was good, I had the free weight area to myself, though it is rarely crowded in the am, there is one person who is a grunter, and a talker, like one set of reps and then he discusses it with anyone in the vicinity for twice the time it took to do the set. Love those headsets.

The office on the other hand is hot over the soccer match, Ghana and the US, heard that Ghana has scored, no phnes ringing, not a peep. I bet I could get to the post office with no line.

DH is fully recovered, glad to say. Couldn't get the AC fixed in his van yet, and we want to use it for the weekend, maybe the thunderstorms will cool things down, the silver lining over the whole weather thing.

Going to stay on track food wise this weekend and take my workout clothes with me, my resistance bands and sneakers will be packed, I see them as a great stress reducer while with my inlaws.

The other challange for me is really the Monday afterwards, I can do well while on the trip but the back to normal routine can throw me for some reason.

RABBIT - sounds like you have a plan, and I hope life does calm down for you and your children.

Mani and pedi this afternoon - big question for me today, pink or tangerine???

I vote for pink Liza

It's raining here - really raining nice and steadily since about 5 yesterday afternoon. It's the first time it's rained longer than an hour in almost 3 months! At last. All my flowers and veggies are drinking it in - not to mention my lawn. Of course if it goes on for days and days, you'll hear my complaining - we're never happy are we.

Not much else new. Exercise has been hit or miss this week, due to night meetings and now I have a sore throat. Still planning on tonight though unless my symptoms worsen...