I have a secret...

I have NOT cleaned my shower in 3 months!!!!

NOT because I'm "nasty" or lazy, but because I discovered THIS!!!!

This little gizmo actually WORKS! You simply press a button after you take your last shower of the day, and it automatically sprays cleaner all about. YOU DO NOTHING!

My shower and tub surround started clean - and has stayed that way for 3 months today. After a month I was so impressed I started giving them to all of my friends and family. One by one I get messages thanking me for the most unusual but surprisingly effective gift!!!!

I am not a spokesperson - LOL - nor do I profit from the sale of these things. But when you stumble upon something GREAT - you just have to tell the world!!!

And...looks like I just did!

It stopped raining constantly here today - though we still had quite an evening thunderstorm roll through. At least there's no flooding in my area - but plenty of flooding going on in unusual places. Affecting my locally grown fruits and veggies - THIS upsets me! Just when I start getting homegrown goodies Mother Nature washes it all away.

Luckily it's early in our growing sesaon - lots of time to enjoy. But once you get that first taste of homegrown veggies - suddenly my "favorite's" from the freezer section just aren't as good! And with all of the rain and flooding many delivery trucks can't get in - so the "fresh" veggies are starting to resemble those I usually see in March - not quite so fresh from being on a truck a little too long

But I only have one more day of work and then a long Holiday weekend!!!

THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!!

Not aliens....not Poltergeist..the recipes!!!!!

They are BEYOND cool!!!! I must take and post a picture when I have more time - this weekend perhaps. Yellowed - brittle - in composition books that must be from the 50's from the Western pictures on the front. Some just little scraps - some are newspaper clippings....

Some are labeled "Economy" must have been when money was tight. The fruitcake says "should weigh exactly 6lbs. when done proper - cost $4." The date loaf says "22 dates picked from Perry's tree" - as if the dates on this tree are the only ones that will work. "Eddie's favorite chocolate cake", "Marvin's favorite Peanut butter cookies", "Hot cross buns for Holidays" - this stuff is truly priceless!!!

I immediately wanted to call my Dad and tell him - but that would ruin the surprise on his Birthday - so I have to keep a secret. Luckily I can vent on the Internet - he uses a computer but he's not even close to blogging. I'm certain I'm safe. He can't even do a search on ebay yet - which may be for the best - LOL!

Somebody better call Noah - it's still pouring out here!!! At least it's warm and rainy - not good for my hair - but it smells nice - and forces me to "catch up" on the indoor stuff.

Which reminds me.....tomorrow is cardio only then Thursday I'm set to lift again...

I'm off to rework my program!

Until next time - here's an interesting study.........

The sun's rays could be addictive, according to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Researchers gave 16 frequent and infrequent tanners either a placebo or naltrexone, a drug used to treat heroin addicts by blocking the effects of endorphins (brain chemicals that cause their high). They then had subjects bake in both tanning beds that used ultraviolet rays (the kind emitted by the sun) and those that didn't. After taking naltrexone, frequent tanners were less likely to say they preferred the UV beds. Half also reported nausea and other withdrawal symptoms, leading researchers to conclude that they were addicted to the endorphins produced by tanning.

Jammin'

That's how I spent my weekend - making homemade strawberry jam!!! I wanted to pick them myslef but the berries wouldn't cooperate with my work schedule - so I had to buy them at the Farmer's Market.

All canned and processed - ready for delivery. Sugar free of course! I'll catch the blueberries, raspberries - if I'm lucky, and peaches too. Nobody takes the time to "make" things anymore - such a difference in taste!!!

Speaking of making things - no recipes from teh West Coast yet - but I received confirmation that she did ship them - just didn't get to it as quickly as she had hoped to. Patience grasshoppa - patience

I also spent the better part of my weekend fighting with this blasted computer/internet. My service was out for a day - talk about withdrawal and when it came back up somehow my Outlook Express was all messed up

But all is well now. I think I'm all caught up with my peeps and friends alike. Next on the list is a new playlist for the gym!

My cd from Yank is AWESOME - but it's blues music. So I listened to it while I was in the kitchen creating.

My workouts seemed stale this weekend - even with the tunes on. I'm only at week 4 with this program - but if you're bored - time to change it up!!

I'll work on that before the playlist actually - gotta get my priorities straight!

I'm off for more creating - of the digital kind!

Until later -

“Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.”
Rita Mae Brown

Encouragement...

"Encouragement is oxygen to the soul. Thank you for being my "Air Supply"

Yank gave ME a card as I was leaving the gym this morning. And that's what was written inside.
I'm all a fuzzy!!! And he made me a cd of his favorite songs - though he warned me I won't find any Metallica on there so I better listen to it at home - LOL.

So I'm off to another great start this morning. I got to use the Gauntlet, on an empty stomach, so you know I had an AWESOME cardio session - and that I'll be starving all day - I LOVE that metabolism boost. Yippee!!!

It's Friday, it's payday, it's sunny, and I have lizard training after work - that's back and shoulders to those that missed it before

Again - I ask - how could life get any better?

Until next time!
“Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”
Scott Adams

Remember Yank?

I've only just now been up for 4 hours and I have already had such a GREAT day!!!

For those that know, Yank is the man at my gym who lost OVER 190lbs, and was helping train others to run/walk in an upcoming Marathon.

This past Saturday was Yank's 5K - The Swamp Rat Run. I was thinking of him ALL DAY Saturday. I wanted so badly to be there and be a part of his cheer squad - but I had to work in the Arctic. It was incredibly hot and steamy Saturday, 88F, high humidty, high pollen count - not a day to be running in a marathon - never mind one around a polluted lake

I've been hoping to bump into him at the gym - I hadn't seen him since the day before. I was dying to know how he did.

He finished in 45:17!!!!! He shaved 17 minutes off of his previous time from 2 years ago!!

While this is GREAT news - it gets better.

I LOVE the Gauntlet - I do HIIT on this beast. It's like walking up a down escalator. A true stairmill. Yank sees me torture myself on this a couple of times a week. Few others even use this machine - you either love it or hate it - it's nasty!

Today he asked me if I would show him how to use it!

I showed him - 10 minutes. I stood there and talked to him the whole time. HE DID GREAT!!!!! While we chatted I learned that he has now officially lost 198lbs! AND that he started training/dieting 4 years ago - on his 50th birthday!!!

This man has achieved this TOTAL LIFESTYLE CHANGE at the age of 54!! He's now healthier and more energetic than ever before in his life!!! He has lost 1 and 3/4 Michelle's!!

And I got to share yet another personal best moment with him today!!! THANK YOU YANK!!!!

No T.P.......

Training Partner that is!!!

I'm starting to actually enjoy my workouts a bit more without him - Shhhhh!!!

Of course I am physically EXHAUSTED right now - due to training without my t.p. It's the good exhaustion - a sign of a job well done. When he's away I just use the Smith Machine more (no spotter), headphones crankin' and PUSH myself to apparently new levels!!

When I walked in to the gym this afternoon Coba Cabana was playing - are you kidding me? Can ANYONE be expected to LIFT to Coba Cabana? I don't care how old you are - there's just no grunting to Barry Manilow - perhaps moaning in disgust - but no grunting.

Cardio was this morning - first thing. Upstairs in the cardio room was Ottis Redding, "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay".

Luckily my gadgets got me through!

I hear a salad calling and DVD calling me.....

Until tomorrow.....

“Many people treat their bodies as if they were rented from Hertz-something they are using to get around in but nothing they genuinely care about understanding”
Chungliang Al Huang

Only in America.....

The Gateway Grizzlies are apparently a minor league Baseball team located in Sauget, Illnois. I had never heard of them before - sorry fans - but while on the treadmill this morning an image flashed on the screen that drew my attention - and not in a good way!

You guys will NOT believe what they are selling at the Gateway Grizzlies' Ballpark - they promised to create "Baseball's Best Burger" - and THIS is what they came up wiith!!


May 12, 2006 - The Grizzlies and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts have teamed up to create “Baseball’s Best Burger.” The burger, which was debuted at the Grizzlies' December 10th sale, consists of a thick and juicy burger topped with sharp cheddar cheese and two slices of bacon. The burger is then placed in between each side of a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut.

Yes - you read it right! A burger topped with cheddar cheese - 2 pieces of bacon and served on a Krispy Kreme "bun!"

It's estimated that it has 1,000 calories and 43 g of fat!!!

I tried to find a pic - surprisingly I could not.

A day of mourning.......

It was a slow day in the arctic circle, that shall be what I call work for the next couple of months - hehe, so I began to scan the waiting room for this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly. Not the most mind stimulating magazine - but I get to see what movies, books, albums are coming out this week.

Couldn't find it. I know it was delivered. Hmmm - we get 2 copies - what's going on?

I ask around - one of these coworkers must know something.

They wouldn't crack - something's up. One of my coworkers loves Superman as much as I love Toy Story. He tells me I can't see this week's issue.

I know Superman was on the cover - figure he's just trying to keep it to himself. I tell him to share - I eventually win. (Told you it was slow)

He's stuttering - telling me to not open it..."What the heck is inside this thing?" "Why is everyone acting so weird?"

The first article says it all.....TOY STORY 3 CANCELLED!
An Associated Press article from Tuesday about the acquisition confirms the news:One immediate sign of Lasseter's influence is that plans for Disney to make the long rumored sequel "Toy Story 3" on its own have been scrapped. If the film is made, it will be done by Lasseter and the other creators of the original film, the companies said

And the published the story line in a side bar. And it would've been GREAT!!!!!

HOW COULD THEY?.........

It's as if I lost a friend

How many layers....

VS.

This is what it's like where I work right now. The Heat Miser vs The Snow Miser wage the battle over the a/c!!!

I readily admit that I like it warmer than most - I don't even think it's warm out until it's in the mid 80's F. You won't see me wearing shorts until it's at least 85F. I realize most folks in my area do not agree - so I make concessions to those around me. I wear sweaters to work year round - wool in the winter, cotton in the summer. I know if I'm visiting a friend's house I will need a hoodie with me - just in case. I'm O.K. with this. I am the Heat Miser! - (plus my hair resembles his if I just let it air dry!)

I work with 2 Snow Misers. They have the a/c running even when it's only 65F outside. They cool the indoor air down to 67F - which in the summer means that the a/c is running ALL THE TIME! Cool, damp, a/c air blasting 40+ hours a week. They wear short sleeves and pull at their collars complaining about how "stuffy" and "warm" it is in the office.

In between the 2 zones are the rest of the staff - 10 innocents who laugh at me for carrying a hoodie where ever I go year round. Yet even they are begging the Snow Misers for some relief. There is none to be seen.

So I am about to go get dressed and ready for work. Here is the list of items I will be wearing today:

thong, boy shorts, dress pants, 2 pairs of dress socks, belt, bra, tank top, l/s sleeve cotton blend sweater and my lab coat.

By lunch I will be chilly. By the end of my 8 hour shift my nose will be cold to the touch, and toes getting cold, and my hands will feel cool to others.

So much to look forward to......

“The key to success is often the ability to adapt”

Author Unknown

What the heck......

I was just surfing around a to find a different picture to post with...sick of looking at myself really...and I came across this:

My apologies to whomever this may be - I do not know your name - it was not posted with your pic - and I will gladly remove it if you ask - however

DAMN!!!!

I'm FFFAaaddddiinnn.....

Today marks one full month since I last "napped" in the old electric coffin. Even though I truly only went 2 or 3 times a week and was FAR from dark/orange/tan I am surprised at how long it is taking my skin to return to it's "normal" color!

Others are finally noticing - of course they say things like "Are you eating enough?" "Have you been sleeping well?" or "Are you SURE you don't train too much/too hard?" LOL!

Basically they are all associating my new found pale state to poor health. I explain about my decision to quit "cold turkey" after 48 hours of seeing/reading warning signs on others.

I seem to come out of the shower just a little bit lighter each day now!

I've also discovered that my new hair color is going to be a bit too dark for my new skin. My next appointment is on July 26 - OMG - that's still over a month away!

I may have to move that up a bit - we'll see how quickly things go!

No recipes yet - though I am like a kid on Christmas when I see the mail truck delivering. It's just as well - last week I was freezing my tush off - this weekend it will be 90F again! Definitely no baking!!

I was planning on picking some strawberries this weekend and making up and canning some homemade s/f strawberry jam. That will also have to be pushed back a week.

I'm sure I'll find SOME way to enjoy this nice weather!!! I'll just be wearing some sunscreen!!!

I am SO excited!!!

FIRST I saw some bright yellow thing in the sky today. I didn't recognize it at first - but I checked my reference manuals and sure enough - it was THE SUN!!!

So it got all the way up to 68F outside and INSIDE today!!! YIPPEE!!!! It was so chilly in the apartment that my towels weren't drying after my showers - not good!

THEN I received an email from my Dad's Sister - in - Law, my Aunt. (It's so cute that these folks in their 60's and 70's are emailing me) ANYWAY - she was doing some spring cleaning/organizing and came across my Dad's Mother's recipe collection..


Not the Betty Crocker cookbook kind of things, the stuff legends are made of. Hand written on scraps of paper that are fragile from years of use. Recipes that make Dad say things like "my Mother was the only one who could ever make "_____"" We thought they had died with her.

I don't remember ever tasting these "legends". She lived on the West Coast - we are on the East. I only saw her a couple of times in my life. But I've heard the stories.

Apparently she didn't even use "normal" measuring spoons or cups. There is an actual coffee cup that is the "cup" in her recipes. A "spoon" that is the teaspoon. And my Aunt found these, with the recipes, in a box that time forgot.

And she has shipped them to me!!!! So while I probably won't be able to recreate the chocolate cake from his childhood on Father's Day - his birthday is in August. A birthday he won't soon forget!

On the high from such a good day - I trained legs after work. They already hurt - in the "damn that was a good workout" kinda way. Trained with the tunes on again tonight - no t.p. so tunes it was. I'm really starting to like listening to my tunes while I train. I'll have to get t.p. on board with the idea.

Speaking of showers and towels - I hear mine calling. So until tomorrow.......

Day 3...

Sad but true! Still no heat! The sun came out for a brief moment - just long enough to guarantee that they would NOT be turning our heat on, but not long enough to knock the chill off.

The 7 day forecast say it will be near 90F on Sunday. Sunday I'll need a/c - today heat. Why on earth do I stay in New York?

Oh yeah - family. Speaking of which Dad made his own carrot cake yesterday - 'caue his house was kind of chilly and it seemed like a good day to bake

His was from a box - mine from scratch and he IS a Dad - so he knew the proper thing was to toss his and keep mine.

Anyhow, FABULOUS chest and bi session!! FABULOUS!!! I need me a chest mascotthis one is not quite right!! LOL!

My gym has 2 satellite stations playing - hard rock on the weight floor - or at least the "man" side where I "play" and 50's music in cardio - for the seniors in the morning. I always have my mp3 on when I do cardio - but uusually leave them off during lifting. Seems rude to my training partner.

Well - no partner today - and the music on the weight floor.......sit down for this...... Michael Jacskon "Beat It". What? 'xcuse me? Yes - the second song, XANADU!!!

Headphones on - Metallica blasting - AWESOME session!!! I have to see if t.p. (training partner) will agree to these new terms.

On that note.....

Until next time!!

Did you know?......

Tug of War was an Olympic Sport until 1920. Go figure!

Day Two....

STILL freezing!

No sun - socked in by clouds - the high today made it to a "balmy" 56F. And of course it's still raining.

Heaven is STILL without heat. If it doesn't break 60 tomorrow - we get our heat back. It's certainly not unbearable in here - but it could stand to have the "chill" knocked off of it. It's 65F indoors.

So laundry is done - all errands have been run - dishes washed, weeks worth of food is prepped and portioned - anything to generate a little heat.

Next Sunday is Father's Day - and I was debating whether or not to make Dad's favorite carrot cake - from scratch of course. I didn't want to heat up the place - LOL.

I made the cake today - I'll deliver it tomorrow. He can have his "dessert" all week. If it's still freezing then he'll get a bonus next weekend.

I didn't want to head to the mall - too much temptation - so I figured I head back to the gym for an extra cardio session. This morning was my 60 minute power walk - this afternoon I tried to do it again.

Headphones blasting - great book - and still so bored I quit after 45 minutes. I can teach kardio kickboxing 3 times a day and not be bored - but this afternoon.......

I feel your pain Sue - 2 hours of walking is 1 hour too many! So I did 45 on the treadie and 20 minutes on the eliptical. I HAD to break it up!!!!

All this cardio and the slight chill has me feeling sleepy early -

I think I'll call it a night!!

Trouble in paradise.....

It's FREEZING here!!!! I've checked the calendar and it SAYS that it is June 10th. June 10th here in the States means that Summer is just 11 days away. June 10th means that it should be at least 65F here in New York - preferrable 75F - but I don't want to seem greedy.

The HIGH temperature today was 47F!!!! And it was/is raining and windy all day!!! I swear I saw snow flakes at one point - but my coworkers tell me it's just the Poplar tree seeds, I'm not convinced......

As if this is not enough to torture this heat loving "lizard" - there's no heat in Heaven!!!! Yes - you read that correctly - NO HEAT!!! My heat is included in my rent here, I control the temp - life is great. EXCEPT that between Memorial Day and Labor Day they turn off the service. Now - normally we would not need heat during the summer - but the low tonight MAY dip into the 30's. And frankly - it's a little chilly in here right now.

So here I sit - sipping my hot tea - listening to fireworks for some unknown reason - I don't think there was a Holiday today......wearing my furry sweats AND a sweatshirt AND thick socks. AND I've put the winter comforter on the bed again.

*sigh*

But my training was awesome last night - the lizard is in full effect!!! Today was shoulders and tri's - also a very nice workout! When you are freezing you really have to work just to keep warm!!!!

Alright - enough moaning - it won't change my situation. I'm off to bed!!

Stay warm!!!!


Get it......the smilie is freezin' his butt off too:)

72 hours...

That's how long it's been since I've trained legs. 72 hours - almost to the minute.

And I'm STILL acutely aware of my hamstrings! Every time I sit down - which, when you drink 6 liters of water a day is a lot of sitting, I am reminded of what a GREAT leg session I had!

Tonight it's Lizard lat day - my second favorite.

This guy is what I feel like after completeing tonight's workout!

And with that - I am off to train - RRooaaarrrrrrr!!!!

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.

Dr. Seuss

The first sign of Summer.....

The first sign of Summer is my first batch of Home Made Salsa!!!

Guess what I made today.......ah yes - you guys catch on quickly!!

In the winter my veggies are shipped cross country - or from overseas! So "fresh" is truly just that - questionable at best.

But as the weather gets warmer - the veggies get closer and this week they all looked DELICIOUS!!! And they were affordable - so.......

My mouth is VERY happy right now!!!

As is my Dad - I've created quite a salsaholic in him. So I had to drive across town and give him half the batch this morning before work.

Sure I"ve been running a bit behind all day because of it - but it's worth it to watch his eyes get all big and excited over the prospect of what he's having for lunch!!!

And I just had some FABULOUS fish - covered in the first sign of Summer!!!

Yippee!!!

p.s. - Kerry I still haven't picked up my pills!!! I put that copay towards my precious veggies as instructed!!!!

4 pounds

When this picture was taken it was May 1994. I weighed 119lbs. And I was estatic!! This was taken on my honeymoon - and I, like many brides, had trained hard and starved myself to be certain that I was in the "teens" again when I got married.

I'm not proud to say I was taking ephedra for energy. I'd stay up half the night partying and eat popcorn the next day - to keep my total calories "in check".

I wore a size 6 jeans. Pretty sure about that - may have been a 4. But I know the weight because I would check everyday to be certain I did NOT cross 120. I thought I looked GREAT!! The best EVER!!!

This morning I got on the scale. I weigh 123.6 pounds - after breakfast. My a.m. meal was 4oz. of chicken, and a HUGE salad - with a 24oz. tumber of water that was refilled and empitied twice.

The pants I have on are right now are a comfortable size 1. I eat more than I did then, I am healthier than I was then, I am 1000 times fitter than I was then.

I look at this picture and think - I had no idea what I am capable of.

I thought this might be interesting.....

This image that you see here is me - October 2000. PLEASE notice the size of my butt!!!! For the love of GOD!

So many people only know the "new and improved Michelle", have I mentioned how much I LOVE SUE lately?.

Even my before picture on her site does not represent the true "before".

So since it's been cold and rainy here today - where did my summer go? - I thought today was as good a day as any to try and master this scanner.

While I am far from mastering it, I do have the basics down - here is the proof.

Every so often I plan on posting a picture of me in my before life. Sadly I am one of those who tend to shred pictures if they're not flattering - does that mean I thought this one WAS flatteringso I don't know if I'll have any truly awful ones.

But it may help you understand me a bit better. It definitely serves as a reminder for me.

P.S.A. - If you guys haven't discovered Pandora.com yet - you simply MUST! It's an online customized radio station. Just type in the name of a band you are in the mood to hear, and it will somehow create an online stream of bands you know, and bands you don't that you will enjoy. I've had it on for hours - IT'S FABULOUS! And it's FREE!
http://www.pandora.com/

190 Pounds!!

That's how much he's lost - 190 POUNDS - to date!! He's still going! He's need about another 30 - 40 to put him in his ideal range.

Obviously my friend "Yank" WAS a big man!!! BUT not no more! This man has lost one and a half of me! *Gone* *Poof* Never to be seen again!

Yank won't tell me what his starting weight was, or his current weight for that matter, and frankly - I don't need to know. That 190 is impressive enough!

No stomach surgery, no gimmicks, just clean eats and LOTS of hard training! I've been watching this man shrink for a couple of years now, sweat, grimace, pushing himself as hard as he can. And as he gets smaller - his drive gets stronger. This man simply will not be beat!

I always smile and say something nice to him when I see him. I'll leave him notes on his windshield when it seems he's having a bad day - he's literally busting his *ss! He ran a race they do here in the summer a couple of years ago - the "Swamp Rat Race" - 5K. Anyone that knows me knows that when I run a mile straight through that's a HUGE thing to me! I'm a sprint/walk/sprint kinda girl!

THIS year - Yank is "training" others to join him on that race! ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS MAN?! They meet every Tuesday - the race is a in a few weeks.

And he tells me today that I inspire him! Because I take the time to smile and encourage others. He said that when he first started he would see me pushing myself on the treadmill or whatever and think "if that girl thinks she needs to train that hard...." and then he would up his intensity just a little bit more!

Yank - you're crazy! YOU ARE THE INSPIRATION!!!

Sugar in the gas tank...

Last night I watched a dvd - a collection of "stand up" performances by Henry Rollins. One skit really struck a cord with me - I'm sure I won't do it justice - but I hope you get the idea.

Everybody has had a piece of crap car at least once in your life - right? That one car where you would rather just put a brick on the accelerator and push it over the edge of a clif and watch it burst into a giant fireball then look at it again. But you still love that car...it's YOUR car...you depend on this car to get you from A to B and back again. Much as you hate this car - you still take care of it. You would NEVER put sugar in the gas tank of this car - right? Not if you expected it to start the next time you got in. Why would you - cars don't run on sugar - they need gasoline and oil for their fuel. Putting the wrong thing in the gas tank is essentially poison. If your car starts the next time you need it - it's certainly not going to perform the way you expect it to.

Yet every DAY millions of people are paying their hard earned money to put cigarette smoke in their lungs, illegal drugs in their veins, high fat, poor quality foods in their stomachs. WHY? You would NEVER put sugar in the gas tank of your car, whether you were driving a Mercedes or a Yugo. NEVER!

So why would you knowingly chose to put "poison" into your gas tank - your body?

Something to think about - isn't it.........

That's why I passing on Happy Hour and training back and bi's tonight.

Cheers to "Lizard Lats"

Until tomorrow....

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
Joanne Kathleen Rowling