Mrs Jim,

When I was younger I was OBSESSED with horses. My fave books were the Throughbred serise and of COURSE the Black Stallion books. If you dont mind "teen fiction" type stuff you might like Battlecry Forever. Lovely horsey novel hehe

Ate baked chicken tonite :D tasty! Had a killer leg workout too. Must buy some of those rubbery knee braces tho. Now that Im up at 55kg I can feel the strain and there is a lot of popping sounds :S

Tidey

It's gorgeous here today.... I had a great back and leg and ab workout this AM, don't ask why this combo, but this is one of the days for EDT... I did some step-ups for 15 minutes with very short 15 - 20 second breaks, holdling 20 lb weights.... Yea my face was a little red after all this... and the toilet seems awfully far down this afternoon... AND I also went rollerblading this afternoon.... It's sooooo beautiful that this evening I just may go for a leasurely bike ride later ... Gawd I love the summer... Just when the weather is getting nice I am going back to work for 4 weeks... Damn!!!!

Food was picture perfect too!! WOOHOO!!

Later all it's supper time and the BBQ marinated chicken is done...

TGIF!!!
 

Good day ladies!!!

Wow, what a busy board!! I love it!!

I did my final workout of week two this morning and kicked the cardio up again…. Pretty soon I will have lightening bolts coming from my feet when I run!! Ha ha ha… Felt awesome. I am taking a ‘sick’ day today and hanging out at home, having a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon, cleaning this messy house and my shopping assignment (should I choose to accept it) is to buy a basic black skirt in a size (drum roll please) 10!!! Wooohooo!! I start a new job in 2 weeks, so I need to get a bunch of errands done today.

I came back from the gym and was going to have my usual proatmeal but got adventurous and made up a batch of shanny cakes that they talk about so much on L&S…. wow. They are awesome!!

Susanje – I have lurked here for months and months, and it is so good to hear you are back!! And to have finished law school as well. You are amazing.

Tidey – I grew up outside of Edmonton and then lived there for 8 years before moving to Australia. My 2 year anniversary is coming up next month. Time flies when you are having fun!! Oh… to visit ‘home’ for 10 straight weeks!! That sounds great!! We went back at Christmas (soooo expensive!!) for 3 weeks and it felt that I just got there and had to come back home. My parents have a grain/cattle farm and before they went ‘organic’ they grew canola… hence the nickname I got in highschool because I was blonde, first name … Nola… they are not too bright out in Alberta!! Ha ha ha

Irish green gables – It is yucky here in Melbourne too, but it is winter here, and thank goodness NO SNOW falls here. It just rains a lot…. But, we desperately need the rain because we are on water restrictions.

Mrs Jim – I was a horse fanatic, and still am in many ways. I looked into buying a horse here but the boarding costs are so high, and now with a drought, my friend is finding it hard to just afford to feed her two, feed costs have more than quadrupled in the last year. I might look into lessons…. I am very rusty after 7 years away from my horse friends!!

Bookworm - - not me!!! I was always outside with animals, getting dirty, driving farm equipment as a kid. Once I went to college and was taking p/t classes, recreational reading (not accounting texts) was not something I enjoyed. I have a 30 minute train commute into work, so I have gotten back into it… I like Dean Koontz, Stephen King, the weirdos. I am reading Temple by Mathew Reiley. The fun of recreational reading is starting to grow on me. In fact… since it is a raining ugly day here, I might rush through the house chores, get my shopping assignment done, and all the other things done so that I can read a bit this afternoon….. inspired once again by this group!! Ha ha ha

Have a good one everyone!!!

Nola.

I am the library fanatic. You know you visit the library a lot when they call you by name as you enter. I love Margaret Atwood -- also Poisonwood Bible and anything else by Kingsolver -- I think those were both mentioned already. Poisonwood Bible is one of those books I think I will read again. Loved Red Tent -- lots of books with strong femal characters -- Alice Walker is another favorite.

Funny thing is that I cannot once remember being read to as a child...but I love books like nothing else and am teased by DH constantly about the fact that I can go through a book in 2 days (of course, I have a lot to cram in before children come home). I did not really begin reading for pleasure until after college. When I was getting my masters, I always had my text books plus a good novel going at the same time!

Good topic -- I look forward to getting some books you all mentioned.

Peace,
Paula

I was a bookworm who wore light blue cat's eye glasses. When I was growing up I read all the books with girl characters that Scholastic books sold (when the book orders came in at school I got the box to take my books home.) And I always read instead of playing sports at recess! My favorites as a teenager were Jane Austen and Agatha Christie. I still like mysteries, especially British ones.

I like some of the books my 11-year-old son reads -- the Harry Potter books, and Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow (science fiction). If I had a daughter I'd read the two "traveling pants" books -- maybe I should just read them anyway!

Carrie

Sel, coming from a long line of horse and dog breeders as I do, I have to jump in on your questions. First of all a quality breeder will have extensive records of pedigrees and the history of each animal. These are also available from whatever association the animal is registered too..for a fee of course. Most quality breeders study the bloodlines carefully because the goal is to match the BEST qualities of the animal w/another (mating) in order to increase the good and eliminate whatever genetic faults may occur. Natually this isn't an exact science! lol

For example one may have a mare with bloodlines that show a propensity for speed (if you're breeding for the track) and the stallion's lines may show endurance. So you mate them and hope for a fast animal who can go the distance.

Conformation is always an element too..

Sadly in many cases, such as dogs, many breeds have been SO inbred that the breed now suffers genetic faults, such as Dalmations having a propensity for deafness, etc.

I've sat down and chatted with old breeders, trainers, showmen, who can revel one w/stories of pedigrees that go back hundreds of years, the best always know every ancestor the animal had.

Can you tell I love dogs and horses? lol

JC...I'm really, really sorry about your dad....I understand completely your frustration....

Paula, your kids are so sweet and cute! You must be very proud!

Meg, fortunately for me, Godiva has lost its charm..it no longer is the quality chocolate it used to be..too waxy...so I have to now avoid Lindt!!! lol

Have a great day and a better weekend everyone!

Cows too!!
 

Moo Moo's have pedigrees too!!!

Just had to jump in on the pedigree thingy too.... my parents raise registered Red Angus cattle, and a trip to the 'pasture' with my dad is a lesson on bloodlines. I swear he has every pedigree in his head and can work out which ones are bringing him results. Each one is named and numbered. He freaks me out when he can identify them in the almost darkness of a winter evening.... with their furry coats!!! *shakes her head* guess that is why I am into real estate and not farmin' !!! ha ha ha

I miss hanging with my dad and his cows...... never thought I would say that, but I have after 2 years in Australia!! *sighs* Must call the parentals for a chat tomorrow!! For the cow update!!

Free Day tomorrow!! yay!!! Instead of a wild breakfast I am having banana and strawberry shannycakes :) Working towards that free meal instead of the day long chocolate feast!! :)

Have a good one,
Nola.

Morning all,

i had a great leg, chest bicep workout yesterday. this morning i ran 3 miles - on the track, not the treadmill. It felt great. shows i am making progress because running on the track is harder for me than on the treadmill.

This is silly, but i just get a HOOT watching the "gym floozies" at my health club. they are so funny. i can't IMAGINE trying to get in a solid workout with a face full of make-up, perfect hair and my cheeks peeking out whenever i bent over. Even funnier are the floozies that dress like they are size 8 but need a size 14. OMIGOSH, if your belly hides your belly ring, then midriff shirts and hip hugger shorts are NOT your friend! hahahahaha

oh yeah, this morning my clock went off at 4:50 and i was trying to talk myself into getting up and going to the gym. In between snooze button rings, I kept coming up with different reason why i needed to get out the bed. "i am making progress" didn't get me up. "my clothes look better on me" didn't do it either. neither did the fact that "i won't get to work out later on today" nor "you ate too much bread yesterday". what finally made me get up was the fact that my abdomen to hip measurement ratio is too low which means i am still at risk for diabetes and other health problems. the point to all of this is that you use whatever it takes to get you up and to the gym or on your bike or on your treadmill. whatever it takes.

Hi all! I finished my first BFL challenge April 20th. I'm very HAPPY that you all suggested taking pictures. My weight didn't change a bit.:( However everything lifted up on me and the pictures looked pretty typical for my build on the first challenge. I think I ended with a whimper because of my back and not stretching out properly after working out......and not eating 100% clean.:o

Anyway I've been lurking off and on reading the Body RX book trying to decide how to tweak my next challenge. I don't think the Body RX would be right for me due to the large portion of protein. I'm going to use the BFL again and tweak the workout portion.

Tidey you are looking marvelous. I might get enough courage to post some before and afters of my first challenge.:^:

Sel -

As far as Arabian horses go - the Arabian Horse Association makes it pretty easy to research pedigrees as they have an online datasource (www.arabdatasource.com) which is pretty nifty. I actually don't subscribe as yet since prior to going online last year, they would release a CDROM annually. I have the 2000 version, which includes all the Arabians registered in the United States up through December 1999, along with most of the overseas Arabians registered through recognized Stud Books around the world.

The Datasource includes the name, reg #, date of foaling, color, markings, etc. of each horse, along with the breeder and ownership record, progeny records, etc. so it's a good place to start. From there, I use my book and magazine collection, along with the Internet, to research show records, photos, breeding history, strong points, etc. It's just a hobby for me, more like an obssession actually :lol: I post at a lot of equine boards and help people who want to know the lineage or history of their Arabian but don't have the resources at hand.

There are different strains of Arabian horses and each one has its own characteristics that make them recognizable. Egyptian bloodlines (like Patrick's stallion Tammen), Polish-bred...Russian-bred...Crabbet...then there are breeders who have been breeding so long, that their horses are instantly recognizable, such as the Gaineys, Varian (the Varian Arabian ranch in Arroyo Grande is on my "must visit" list!), Al-Marah, Kellogg (yup the cereal guy - he donated his ranch to the University of California on the condition that the Arabian breeding program be continued - it is now Cal Poly in Pomona and the Arabian horse program is part of the curriculum!), and my personal favorites - the Jack Tone Ranch. Fadjur is probably my all-time favorite stallion...he was so gorgeous...and very prepotent...Jim and I go to the ranch in Stockton every year (in a couple weeks we're going to their Open Barn) to admire the horses and the new foals! Here's a photo of Fadjur...wasn't he gorgeous?

http://www.fadjur.com/Fadjur!.jpg

Speaking of dogs...did any of you see that Miss Dog Beauty Pagent last night? What a hoot! I watched the 'evening gown' competition...all I have to say is WHO THOUGHT THIS UP for prime time TV?!? I could see it being on Animal Planet, but Fox?!?

Tiki - During the rare times I go to the gym in the afternoon or evening...then I do see a few gals with makeup on...but at 4:45 am we all are pretty disheveled!! ;) Oh and BTW I'm not ALLOWED to stay in bed even if I want to these days. Mr. Sparky KNOWS my schedule, and BITES me if I don't get my butt outta bed. I have no idea where he learned to tell time! (I have a feeling it's his stomach-clock though...)

Mrs. Jim, our Chloe the cat has the same inner clock so I can NEVER sleep in... even weekends... but then hubby gets up and feeds her and I get to sleep right through to 8 o'clock...

I'm working today... it's sooo quiet I'm falling asleep....

Meg I made your MegBars, they are delicious, but I put too much water and they didn't get hard... but I will eat them with a spoon anyways because they are soooo tasty...

Later all...

Happy Friday,

Mindi, Karen, Thanks for the quick lesson in thoroughbred horse breeding. Sounds very interesting, so will definitely put a few books about the subject on my “to read” list. And, Mrs. Jim, Fadjur is indeed a beauty. The closest I have come to being near horses is in Eisenhower Park where I power walk. Some of the Nassau County Mounted Police horses are stabled there and are utilized to patrol the park. They are beautiful well-trained animals and the cops aren’t half bad either.:lol:

Nola, I love Stephen King as well. My fav’s of his are “Rita Hayward and the Shawshank Redemption”, and “Night Flier”.

Ilene, congrats on your perfect food day.

Paula, We must be related, I too love to immerse myself in a good book, become the characters, savor the beauty of the written word and read for two days straight. I have always loved how books bring the world to my door and open my mind to know so many different people, cultures and ideas.

Carrie, Agatha Christie is also one of my favorite mystery writers-especially her detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Have you read any books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame? They are wonderfully written with superb characters and inventive plots.

Tika, Your hoochie (my term for them) story made me laugh. Women really spend so much time on the stupidest things. The funny thing is that majority of the time; men just don’t notice or give a hoot.

Mamawren, Congrats on completing your challenge.

Well, this Sunday is my 45th birthday and I am truly happy to be alive. My goal next year is to turn 46 and look 36.

Have a great evening.

Sel

:dancer::gift: Sel!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!! :hat::grouphug::cb:

Hope ALL THE MOTHERS are :queen: for the day!!!

Hi All - Happy Mother's Day.

I'm up early this am trying to get my internal body clock set in time for my 10k run at 9:10 this morning...thunderstorms are expected too so it should be an exciting run one way or another! I plan to spend the rest of my Mother's Day lazing around, taking a nap, watching my DH cook Chinese Food!

Nola, just moved after 5 years in Cold Lake, AB. Are your parents raising organic beef?

Wish me luck on the run - this has been a goal of mine for the past four months, so I hope it's a good experience. I'll let you all know how it goes.

BethO