Transformers 3 - kicked some serious booty. I went with the family tonight and saw the 3D version. Almost $50 later, I can say I am glad we saw it in 3D. It was pretty amazing and I am going to have to see it again to see what I missed the first time. If you have the chance, see it on the big screen - don't wait for it to come out on video.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Sleep Deprivation
Ok. I'm writing this at 1215AM. I should be in bed, but frankly, that won't happen for a few. So I can continue to toss and turn and generally be pissed off at the universe (again) or I can sit and write a little bit and put the frustrations to good use.
Sleep deprivation is a bad thing and from the targetwomen.com website, I had to do a little cut and paste so I could put this all in perspective.
There are a number of consequences for not getting the recommended number of hours of sleep a night, which by the way are 8. The heftiest one: obesity. The most morbid; death. Not a fan of those ideas.
To put this sleep thing in perspective:
* My darling hubby snores to the point where it's not only loud, but the vibrations carry throughout the bed and there are some nights ( about 50% of the time) I have to take some melatonin or a night time sleep aid to help even get to sleep.
* If I am lucky, I can actually sleep in my own bed one or two nights a week. The majority of the time I have to move to the couch (Remember that not a fan thing? Count this in on that.)
* There are some nights one of the kids is spending the night with a friend or grandparents. Those nights I generally get to sleep an entire night in a bed.
* Couple the aforementioned with a lack of exercise (because I'm freakin' tired) and the extra 50-60 pounds I'm carrying, a lovely case of what I think is RLS (possibly caused by the night time sleep aids) and to top it off ... plantar fasciatis... no wonder I am only averaging 4 - 6 hours of sleep a night.
Now.. if you look at the fact I generally am getting to sleep about 0100 - 0130 and have to get up and pee at least once, sometimes twice, because of other physical problems then I say that starts moving the sleep scale down to 3-5 hours a night because it sometimes takes me a while to get back to sleep after waking.
I'm not the only one in the family that suffers from this malady. My mother is a poster child and I do wonder about some freaked out genetic link. Sleep deprivation has a lot of behavioral side effects and I found this one which really does describe me and my mom to some degree...
So what's the solution?
They claim: exercise, relaxation techniques, meditation, diet and sometimes natural supplements.
I could argue against many of these, but the fact of the matter is I'm knee deep in Crap-Creek and need a way out. I'm starting a new blog that will hopefully focus on these very issues. Stay tuned for more details... after a word from this nap. Good night...
Sleep deprivation is a bad thing and from the targetwomen.com website, I had to do a little cut and paste so I could put this all in perspective.
Some of the common symptoms of sleep deprivation are fatigue, lack of physical energy and exhaustion. Our emotional moods are affected by exhaustion and fatigue. This condition in turn will lead to pessimism, sadness, stress and anger. To function effectively, the frontal cortex of our brain needs sufficient sleep. The ability to control speech, problem solving and accessing memory is all controlled by the frontal cortex and if there is not enough rest, these abilities are affected. If there is no sufficient rest, driving can be dangerous.
Adult symptoms of sleep deprivation may vary from those of a child. Yawning constantly, dozing off while watching a television show, poor concentration and grogginess while waking up are some of the symptoms adults display when they are deprived of sleep. The symptoms of a sleep-deprived child include irritability, daytime naps, tantrums, hyperactive behavior and moodiness. Getting out of bed in the morning is a problem for children who experience sleep deprivation.
There are a number of consequences for not getting the recommended number of hours of sleep a night, which by the way are 8. The heftiest one: obesity. The most morbid; death. Not a fan of those ideas.
To put this sleep thing in perspective:
* My darling hubby snores to the point where it's not only loud, but the vibrations carry throughout the bed and there are some nights ( about 50% of the time) I have to take some melatonin or a night time sleep aid to help even get to sleep.
* If I am lucky, I can actually sleep in my own bed one or two nights a week. The majority of the time I have to move to the couch (Remember that not a fan thing? Count this in on that.)
* There are some nights one of the kids is spending the night with a friend or grandparents. Those nights I generally get to sleep an entire night in a bed.
* Couple the aforementioned with a lack of exercise (because I'm freakin' tired) and the extra 50-60 pounds I'm carrying, a lovely case of what I think is RLS (possibly caused by the night time sleep aids) and to top it off ... plantar fasciatis... no wonder I am only averaging 4 - 6 hours of sleep a night.
Now.. if you look at the fact I generally am getting to sleep about 0100 - 0130 and have to get up and pee at least once, sometimes twice, because of other physical problems then I say that starts moving the sleep scale down to 3-5 hours a night because it sometimes takes me a while to get back to sleep after waking.
I'm not the only one in the family that suffers from this malady. My mother is a poster child and I do wonder about some freaked out genetic link. Sleep deprivation has a lot of behavioral side effects and I found this one which really does describe me and my mom to some degree...
If you were a happy-go-lucky by nature, get ready for a new you, if you are a victim of sleep deprivation. Nothing will make you happy, as you will be down almost all the time. Not only will your health be affected, but you will also get drowned from the mental point of view. Thus, the positive vibes, which you would have bought in the room previously, is going to be replaced by a lethargic and a negative atmosphere. www.effectsofsleepdeprivation.netI can't say mom's ever been happy-go-lucky, but negativity is her mainstay. And lately, I find myself to be quite irritable nature.
Irrespective of the importance that the person, at the other end, holds in your life, you will start getting irritated with everything coming from them. This may cause fissures in the relation and ultimately, lead your life to get filled with stress and tension.If I look at my situation honestly, yes. This is the case. Not a fan of this either.
So what's the solution?
They claim: exercise, relaxation techniques, meditation, diet and sometimes natural supplements.
I could argue against many of these, but the fact of the matter is I'm knee deep in Crap-Creek and need a way out. I'm starting a new blog that will hopefully focus on these very issues. Stay tuned for more details... after a word from this nap. Good night...
Sunday, June 26, 2011
New York City - Days Two - Four
I was blessed to have a relaxing trip this go around to the Big Apple. I got to spend a lot of time in the Flatiron District and wandered from about 30th street to 10th street and between 5th and 6th avenues for the most part.
My sister and I started off the day at Equinox at 19th and Broadway. Great place to workout and I now feel totally gipped at the Amarillo Town Club. The locker rooms are high end and large; the lockers are twice the size of mine and I just realized I'm jealous of a gym. LOL!
After hanging out and wandering around aimlessly, my brother in law took me and Christina to lunch at Blue Water Grill, right up the street from their office and one of the top 10 restaurants in the entire city. This was followed by shopping down 5th Avenue for some much needed T-shirts (New York was extremely muggy; therefore, I was a sweat magnet.) We picked up Romeo at the NY Dog Spa and Hotel, picked John up at the office and we headed home where Christina made dinner.
Wednesday morning, while Christina went to the gym, I wandered around taking pictures and enjoying the city. We then took in "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark" followed by dinner at Carmines. I have to say the performance of Spiderman was AMAZING and Carmines had the best Italian food I have eaten in a very long time. I could get used to that kind of food. (In fact, my mouth is watering now just thinking about the shrimp we had as an appetizer. The shrimp were HUGE.)
Side note: If I could figure out how to do a photo slide show on this thing, I would and I will try to figure it out so I can properly insert a bunch of cool photos.
Thursday morning rolls around and I have to say, wasn't a fan of Thursday. Christina and I barely had time for breakfast at the Hollywood Diner before Christina tossed me in a cab to get to Newark Liberty for the flight home. Literal tossing as Christina was supposed to drive me, but the car elevator at the garage was FUBAR so there was no way to get the car out and I had to take a taxi. Christina flags down this taxi and pretty much throws me and the monster suitcase, which has been lugged over a majority of the Flatiron District, into the cab. She was kind enough to provide me with a Dunkin Donut's beverage though, which helped because the AC in the cab was for crap. (Remember the hot and muggy thing? OY!)
The driver was pissed that he had to take me to Newark and he took the longest way humanly possible to get there. I knew I was in trouble when I saw the signage for the Lincoln Tunnel and not the Holland Tunnel. In case you didn't know... you have to travel UPTOWN to get to the Lincoln Tunnel. It's about 39th street or so... to put this in perspective, I was close to 34th street when I took the train in to Penn Station and was staying on 17th street. He drove the OPPOSITE direction he needed to because he was pissed. Apparently NY cabbies aren't allowed to pick up return fares from Newark so he was getting kind of screwed on the deal, but I figured I would give him a good tip and he'd be fine with it.
Now, I get to Newark with some time to spare which is good. However, now this cabbie tells me the credit card machine is broken in the cab, and of course also the receipt machine is also broken. Christina told me both of these occurrences are ILLEGAL, but what could I do but pay the freakin $71.00. I told him he would have gotten a big tip for taking me there, but with the CC machine down, he wasn't getting all the cash on me. I got the medallion number as well as his name, but nothing I can really do about it now (other than still be pissed at him.)
All in all, the trip wasn't nearly long enough, but it was a great trip. There were none of the 5 museums in a day or 27 touristy things to do in a week. What I did get was some real NY time and time well spent with my sister and my brother in law who were kind enough to put up with me for a few days. Can't wait for the next trip.... :-)
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My sister and I started off the day at Equinox at 19th and Broadway. Great place to workout and I now feel totally gipped at the Amarillo Town Club. The locker rooms are high end and large; the lockers are twice the size of mine and I just realized I'm jealous of a gym. LOL!
After hanging out and wandering around aimlessly, my brother in law took me and Christina to lunch at Blue Water Grill, right up the street from their office and one of the top 10 restaurants in the entire city. This was followed by shopping down 5th Avenue for some much needed T-shirts (New York was extremely muggy; therefore, I was a sweat magnet.) We picked up Romeo at the NY Dog Spa and Hotel, picked John up at the office and we headed home where Christina made dinner.
Wednesday morning, while Christina went to the gym, I wandered around taking pictures and enjoying the city. We then took in "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark" followed by dinner at Carmines. I have to say the performance of Spiderman was AMAZING and Carmines had the best Italian food I have eaten in a very long time. I could get used to that kind of food. (In fact, my mouth is watering now just thinking about the shrimp we had as an appetizer. The shrimp were HUGE.)
Side note: If I could figure out how to do a photo slide show on this thing, I would and I will try to figure it out so I can properly insert a bunch of cool photos.
Thursday morning rolls around and I have to say, wasn't a fan of Thursday. Christina and I barely had time for breakfast at the Hollywood Diner before Christina tossed me in a cab to get to Newark Liberty for the flight home. Literal tossing as Christina was supposed to drive me, but the car elevator at the garage was FUBAR so there was no way to get the car out and I had to take a taxi. Christina flags down this taxi and pretty much throws me and the monster suitcase, which has been lugged over a majority of the Flatiron District, into the cab. She was kind enough to provide me with a Dunkin Donut's beverage though, which helped because the AC in the cab was for crap. (Remember the hot and muggy thing? OY!)
The driver was pissed that he had to take me to Newark and he took the longest way humanly possible to get there. I knew I was in trouble when I saw the signage for the Lincoln Tunnel and not the Holland Tunnel. In case you didn't know... you have to travel UPTOWN to get to the Lincoln Tunnel. It's about 39th street or so... to put this in perspective, I was close to 34th street when I took the train in to Penn Station and was staying on 17th street. He drove the OPPOSITE direction he needed to because he was pissed. Apparently NY cabbies aren't allowed to pick up return fares from Newark so he was getting kind of screwed on the deal, but I figured I would give him a good tip and he'd be fine with it.
Now, I get to Newark with some time to spare which is good. However, now this cabbie tells me the credit card machine is broken in the cab, and of course also the receipt machine is also broken. Christina told me both of these occurrences are ILLEGAL, but what could I do but pay the freakin $71.00. I told him he would have gotten a big tip for taking me there, but with the CC machine down, he wasn't getting all the cash on me. I got the medallion number as well as his name, but nothing I can really do about it now (other than still be pissed at him.)
All in all, the trip wasn't nearly long enough, but it was a great trip. There were none of the 5 museums in a day or 27 touristy things to do in a week. What I did get was some real NY time and time well spent with my sister and my brother in law who were kind enough to put up with me for a few days. Can't wait for the next trip.... :-)
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Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Totally Behind
I'm sorry.... totally behind on the blog because of life's varying circumstances. I promise the rest of the NYC trip is coming as well as the 2011 Fitness Challenge and other great things. Stay tuned for more...
Celeste
Celeste
Sunday, June 5, 2011
New York City - Day One
It always amazes me why people think New Yorkers are unfriendly. I would use a lot of words to describe the Big Apple. Words like busy, bustling, thriving, poor, rich, energetic, cutting-edge, artsy, cosmopolitan, strong, imposing, multi-faceted, daunting, culinary, hot and humid topped the list for this trip to the city that never sleeps. However, I have to admit with the exception of a few moments, I slept like an old man propped up in a chair. Out cold.
I managed to make it from Newark Liberty International Airport to New York's Penn Station to the hotel, with the monster suitcase, and didn't end up in Harlem, Queens or the Bronx. I thought I was doing pretty good as I hadn't navigated the subway on my own before. There are so many lines and choices... Shoulda taken the F-train instead of the C-train because I would have been closer to the hotel. Lesson learned. However, after a 30 minute wandering around the platforms and tunnels, I came up "close enough" and took a taxi the few blocks to the hotel. Smart move. As at that point, the suitcase was HEAVY and the heat and humidity had me drenched in sweat. I'm sure I was attractive. I got to the hotel.... and showered and even washed out my clothes so they wouldn't stink up the room or the suitcase. Line dry is a great thing.
This is the room I stayed in at the "Chelsea Inn." Trust me when I say there is nothing fancy about this room. This is one of the guest rooms where you have to share a bathroom with another room. In this case, I stayed in room 303 and had to share the loo with the occupants of 304. For the most part, this wasn't a problem as we both cleaned up after ourselves. However, the downside is if you really have to pee, you can't really yell at the person to hurry up as you would a family member or close friend. You have to wait it out. Waiting it out definitely isn't enjoyable.
And speaking of the bathrooms. These have obviously been redone as this style and such wasn't present when the brownstone was built in the 1880's. However, let me explain an oddity. There is a window in the shower that sits above the faucet. This means the shower head actually shoots down on the faucet and getting in the shower takes a little more unique effort. However, this window has an interesting view....
This is the ventilation shaft that runs up the building and all of the bathrooms have windows that face this shaft. No worries about people looking in at you while you are showering because they are staggered. However, I distinctly heard a gentleman singing in German. It actually sounded like Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." Who knows?
My first night in New York was the "surprise" for my sister's birthday. As it was a milestone, I worked it out with my brother-in-law, John, to arrive at the apartment so when they came home I would be waiting there. John was walking Romeo and Christina, I believe, had the bird. She didn't see me when she came in the living room and when she did. Massive freak out. Which is what I was going for. Score! (Two weeks of planning and preparation made for a good event.)
We went out to dinner at "Petite Abeille" which is right next door to the Chelsea Inn where I stayed. This is pretty close to Christina and John's apartment. The Belgian food was amazing. I had mussels for an appetizer and then fish and chips for dinner. I have to say New York is THE place for fish and chips (outside of England...) John and Christina had a couple of Belgian beers and some amazing food. I have tried to remember exactly what they had; however, exhaustion was setting in at dinner and that didn't go too far.
Shortly after dinner, I actually went back to the Inn and crashed to gear up for day two. This trip to New York was different from the other trips I have taken in that I can say with the exception of a Broadway show that ROCKED, I didn't really do any of the touristy things that people do in the city. I actually spent some time wandering around between 10th and 23rd streets between 5th and 6th Avenues. There are some amazing stores and the architecture just can't be topped. More on that to come....
Shortly after dinner, I actually went back to the Inn and crashed to gear up for day two. This trip to New York was different from the other trips I have taken in that I can say with the exception of a Broadway show that ROCKED, I didn't really do any of the touristy things that people do in the city. I actually spent some time wandering around between 10th and 23rd streets between 5th and 6th Avenues. There are some amazing stores and the architecture just can't be topped. More on that to come....
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Day 136 - The Latest...
Why do I keep starting my blog titles with Day #so and so? Well, at day 142, it will be June 1st so this is the the number of days from when I started this blog up again. There's no other rhyme or reason and after June 1st, I may or may not continue the practice. I hope that answers the question for you. Now on to other more important things.
Sun. I love the sun. I can't say I'm a sun goddess because I believe to meet that definition, I would have to live in Malibu and walk around as a size 2 in a teeny, weeny bikini. However, I am solar-powered and need to lie in the sun to recharge every so often. While many would tout the cancer-causing effects of the sun, I would tout the fact I'm less bitchy and far more fulfilled on my vitamin D requirements. The goal today is to grab some of that vitamin D because I just like a better attitude and a little less pastiness. And if you need a few other reasons to catch a ray...
Speaking of healthy lifestyles...
Dancing with the Stars had their season finale last night. Hines Ward took hime the mirrorball trophy. The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was in pretty decent shape when the whole thing started. Competitor Kirstie Alley - not so much. However, with all of the dancing and training, Kirstie has whittled away 38 inches of her body from when she started. 38. That's a big number and rumor has it she's dropped approximately 60 pounds to wear almost an American size 6 and . I'm seriously wondering if I need to start dancing for a few hours every day... I'm willing to do so. Meanwhile....
I'm breaking out of my well-padded comfort zone and trying a bunch of new classes at the Amarillo Town Club. They are changing the class schedules in a couple of weeks, but I have to say that at the moment, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE yoga. I'm not a fan of group exercise, but for that, I am willing to bear with it. Other classes I'm going to be trying out include the Les Mills "Body Pump" and "Body Step" and maybe even "Body Combat." I'm also planning to test my coordination (HA!) with Zumba and even things out with pilates. Time to try something new and different.... and time to get back to work. More later from the flip side.
"...it has been proven that getting sufficient sunlight aids in preventing chronic ailments such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), osteoporosis, mental depression, type 2 diabetes, and cancers affecting the bladder, breasts, cervix, colon, ovaries, prostrate, and the stomach. To put it more succinctly, sunlight serves as the perfect medicinal pill in promoting a healthy lifestyle."
Speaking of healthy lifestyles...
Dancing with the Stars had their season finale last night. Hines Ward took hime the mirrorball trophy. The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was in pretty decent shape when the whole thing started. Competitor Kirstie Alley - not so much. However, with all of the dancing and training, Kirstie has whittled away 38 inches of her body from when she started. 38. That's a big number and rumor has it she's dropped approximately 60 pounds to wear almost an American size 6 and . I'm seriously wondering if I need to start dancing for a few hours every day... I'm willing to do so. Meanwhile....
I'm breaking out of my well-padded comfort zone and trying a bunch of new classes at the Amarillo Town Club. They are changing the class schedules in a couple of weeks, but I have to say that at the moment, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE yoga. I'm not a fan of group exercise, but for that, I am willing to bear with it. Other classes I'm going to be trying out include the Les Mills "Body Pump" and "Body Step" and maybe even "Body Combat." I'm also planning to test my coordination (HA!) with Zumba and even things out with pilates. Time to try something new and different.... and time to get back to work. More later from the flip side.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Day 126 - Memory....
....All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
I've been going though a lot of memories lately and why not pick a song that fits, eh? Katie's junior prom was last night. She was STUNNING and it made me feel strangely old. I remember mine and that's just a little weird. One of her friends put this crown of fresh baby flowers in her hair and it was all done up etc. She was a princess.....
So now and abrupt change of subject:
I'm being a good girl and drinking a Nature's Plus: Spiru-Tein High Protein Energy Shake for breakfast accompanied by an orange. This is day 3 of breaking old habits and getting healthier. Again. But this time, it's actually working. The goal is 30-60 minutes of exercise daily, 8 glasses of liquid (no sodas or anything like that) daily, and eating right. I'll admit the small handful of Chex Mix I ate throughout the day yesterday lured me into the depths of temptation, but I fought back. Obviously, I'm a little carb sensitive and need to leave ALL processed carb-loaded foods alone. Last night I went walking. 1.9 Miles. My right knee hurt and the bone chip floating around in the bottom of my left footie didn't feel so well. Losing weight is NOT fun. I just want to state that for the record. However, I AM the one who let herself get in this condition and I AM the only one who can get myself back out. The good news though... the scale budged just a little bit this morning. Woot!!!
One of the reasons for getting in shape is I've grown out of the clothes I love to wear. I have some AWESOME clothes stashed away and can't wear them. Yet. One of the things stashed is a mini-suit. I love this thing and can't wear it. I'm hoping to be able to in the next few months. It's going to require the loss of a solid 30 pounds though. Yeah... I said 30. Add that to the other 30 I would love to lose, but would be happy with 20. 50. Fifty pounds is the goal. Sixty is "idealistic." I'm carrying around a small extra person that's NOT supposed to be there. My knees and feet definitely feel it.
And with all this said, I must get busy for the day. The busier I am, the more weight I'll lose. Yes... even cleaning house and yardwork burns calories. The only thing I really miss this morning is Starbucks.
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
I've been going though a lot of memories lately and why not pick a song that fits, eh? Katie's junior prom was last night. She was STUNNING and it made me feel strangely old. I remember mine and that's just a little weird. One of her friends put this crown of fresh baby flowers in her hair and it was all done up etc. She was a princess.....
So now and abrupt change of subject:
I'm being a good girl and drinking a Nature's Plus: Spiru-Tein High Protein Energy Shake for breakfast accompanied by an orange. This is day 3 of breaking old habits and getting healthier. Again. But this time, it's actually working. The goal is 30-60 minutes of exercise daily, 8 glasses of liquid (no sodas or anything like that) daily, and eating right. I'll admit the small handful of Chex Mix I ate throughout the day yesterday lured me into the depths of temptation, but I fought back. Obviously, I'm a little carb sensitive and need to leave ALL processed carb-loaded foods alone. Last night I went walking. 1.9 Miles. My right knee hurt and the bone chip floating around in the bottom of my left footie didn't feel so well. Losing weight is NOT fun. I just want to state that for the record. However, I AM the one who let herself get in this condition and I AM the only one who can get myself back out. The good news though... the scale budged just a little bit this morning. Woot!!!
One of the reasons for getting in shape is I've grown out of the clothes I love to wear. I have some AWESOME clothes stashed away and can't wear them. Yet. One of the things stashed is a mini-suit. I love this thing and can't wear it. I'm hoping to be able to in the next few months. It's going to require the loss of a solid 30 pounds though. Yeah... I said 30. Add that to the other 30 I would love to lose, but would be happy with 20. 50. Fifty pounds is the goal. Sixty is "idealistic." I'm carrying around a small extra person that's NOT supposed to be there. My knees and feet definitely feel it.
And with all this said, I must get busy for the day. The busier I am, the more weight I'll lose. Yes... even cleaning house and yardwork burns calories. The only thing I really miss this morning is Starbucks.
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