Monday, March 18, 2013

Hindsight is Awesome

Day 1 of the Fitness Challenge is coming to a close.  It was a very produce filled day.  And lacked coffee entirely.  Not something in the plan, just wanted to see if I could do it.  Good news, I'm still breathing.  And I don't think I was much crankier than usual.  ;)

I certainly got my produce in today - kicked off the day with a Green Smoothie (spinach, strawberries, raspberries and a banana) and closed it out with Cauliflower Fried Rice.  I will be experimenting with the rice - what a perfect substitute for the actual thing!  There are oodles of recipes online using it as a base.

I hit the gym this evening.  Totally mind over matter, I did not want to go.  I wanted to stay home and catch up on Army Wives.  But I didn't. 3 gold stars for me!

Anyway, I have been having a fair amount of pain in one of my heels.  I had planned to just walk today, but ended up starting the Couch to 5K program and well, I think that was pretty dumb.  It felt fabulous in the moment, but a couple of hours later I'm limping.  A lot.  I have no idea what is wrong with my foot.  The pain started when I missed a stair a couple of weeks ago.  Thought it was part of the irritated ankle.  Alas, it's not improving.  And I think I made worse.

Tomorrow's fitness will be shoveling the incoming 12 inches of snow, so I won't be using my foot like I would on a normal gym day.  Hoping for improvement.  If it doesn't I guess I'll be on the elliptical and in yoga until it improves.

And on that note, I'm off to sleep.  Apparently 0 caffeine intake plus exercise has left me feeling tired.  I might be on to something here.


Sunday, March 17, 2013

Challenge Me This

At the beginning of the year I joined a Fitness Challenge with a bunch of friends.  I lasted a whopping 2 of the 8 weeks before throwing in the towel.  I don't even really know why other than life is stressful and emotional eating and skipping the gym is what I do when there is stress.

The group is starting a new challenge this week.  I rejoined.  Because you know what?  Drinking calorie-laden drinks and eating processed, simpler than simple carbs isn't going to find us a house we like, or make our current house worth more, or fill our bank account with endless cash, or...or...or...

Dora and I have been contemplating doing a Whole30 together starting April 1, so I figure I might as well get a head start on the changes.

They aren't rocket science.  Drink lots of water.  Eat lots of veggies and fruit.  Don't eat crap, but if you do, do so in moderation.  And, of course, move more.  (The Whole30 is a different beast.  No dairy.  Like...no milk or cream in my coffee.  So basically...no coffee.  But we'll deal with that in April.  I'll be SUPER nice in April.)

Anyhoo.  I'll be spending quality time at Planet Fitness and starting yoga at the new Lawrence Yoga Collaborative (www.lawrenceyoga.com).  Maybe the yoga will help me find my inner peace.

I plan to tackle the Couch to 5K program again in prep for the Color Run in July.  And maybe a 5K at Disney in 2014.  Every once in awhile I contemplate doing the Disney Half Marathon, but I'm still not convinced that running 13.1 miles, even through the happiest place on Earth, is a good idea.

With Spring impending, this is all easier.  Lots of outdoor dates with the kiddo with her on her bike and me on my feet, and early morning weekend walk-runs through the neighborhoods await me.

I can do this. I will do this. And if I don't I'm out another $25 for naught and that's just wasteful.

Namaste.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Hey California

Last weekend Dora and I went out, just the two of us!  I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened since the kid arrived 7.5 years ago.  Sad, perhaps, but when your only child is in daycare from the time she is 4 months old, the last thing you want to do is leave her with a sitter on weekends.

I had learned that one of our all time favorite singers, Catie Curtis, was going to be playing in Rockport.  She played an amazing venue, the Shalin Liu Performing Arts Center.  Allow me:


Y'all, it's ON the ocean.  Amazing.  It seats 330 people, and we were in the second row.  We will visit again, what a delightful way to spend an evening!  Plus, Rockport, MA is super cute.  We came home and immediately started looking at summer houses.  Because really, why not, right?

ANYHOO.  Catie (whom we realized has been a part of our entire relationship, one of the first concerts we saw together at Women's Week in Ptown, then she was performing on our honeymoon Olivia cruise, etc) wrote/sings a song: Hey California.  Basically it's where she sees into my soul and sings a song about how awesome California is, how we question our sanity living in New England, but the song closes with...'Hey California, we're about to get our minds blown by Spring."

And it's true.  It really is. Spring here is awesome.  So is the Fall.  And it is that truth to which I am clinging as we ride out the last of this winter and I look at jobs and plot how we could relocate back to my home state of CA.  It's cold.  We've had a blizzard.  Then another 18 inches in one storm.  And more snow expected on Monday.  I'm tired of it.  But Spring is awesome.  And it's almost here.

*We'll just ignore the irony that I moved to the East Coast because I wanted seasons.

**I've said it before and I'll stay it again...21 year olds should not be allowed to make decisions.

***Catie Curtis is awesome and you should learn all about her and buy all of her cds.  Or download them, if that's your thing.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Is There an App for That?

Sometimes, being a working (out of the house) mom sucks.  This is one of those times.

I tend to get out of the house before the kiddo is awake.  Dora takes her to school while I make the trek into Boston.  I was dragging my feet this morning (let's be honest, I overslept), so I was still home when she woke up.  She barreled down the stairs and threw herself at me.  And then I noticed it....the stuffy nose.  On the one week of the year that I absolutely cannot take time off to just be mom.  And you know what?  I hate that.  I hate that this week if she wakes up with a fever or more stuffed up, I can't be the one to stay home to take care of her.

Working out of the house means running at warp speed every single day.  It means disappointing someone (many someones) every single day.  It means persistent anxiety.  Traffic issues and public transportation woes thwart any hopes of an easy and smooth commute more often that not.  I'm not blind to the side eye I get as I walk out the door at 4 or 4:30, despite having put in an 8 or 9 hour day already.  Apparently all the magic happens between 4:30 and 5.

I hate that we have almost no options for extracurricular activities.  Apparently the YMCA thinks that every child should be able to attend swimming or karate between 3 and 5.  There are no classes later than 5.  That is virtually impossible for us to do.  We are not the only two-working parent family in Massachusetts - why not accommodate this wanting public, YMCA?!

And then I read articles about how I'm supposed to take care of myself in all of this.  I think that means exercise.  In my world, my options are 4AM or 10PM workouts to ensure the child is not left home alone whilst I burn my calories.  Y'all, that is just absurd.  Pre-kid I was a 5AM workout person.  I love not having the 'I have to go to the gym' mantra pulsating through my head through the day.  But 4AM?  I'm tired.

When my brother-in-law's nuptials were impending I was deeply motivated to get to the gym every night at 10PM.  (PSA: Buy your bridesmaid dress a size down!) And then they got married and well, that was June.  I didn't even bother making a resolution in January to get into shape.  It's not like I don't know that I need to, I just don't really know how to do it anymore.  (PSA: Someone else needs to get engaged and put me in their wedding.)

I don't want this to spark a debate between work out of home moms and stay at home moms.  It's all hard.  I get that.  But this is my blog and I get to bitch and whine about my own situation, right?  I think I would be a lousy total stay at home mom.  I do not have the patience of a saint.  When she has hard days or I have hard days I joke about quitting and staying home to homeschool her, but let's be honest, that just wouldn't be good for anyone.  

I am grateful for my job.  I think the work I do is important.  I'm good at it.  But it's unrealistic to want it all.  I think I'm a good mom and I'm a pretty good employee, but I'd love for just a day to not feel like I'm making it all work by the skin of my teeth.

Disclaimer: I am eternally grateful we both have jobs.



Sunday, March 3, 2013

This Is The New Year

So....Happy 2013!  

I can't believe it's March.  March!  Already!  We're only 9 months away from Christmas.  Just sayin'.  

We are, in theory, in a season of change.  Looking for a new house, hemming and hawing over which new car to buy, contemplating which direction our life will take next.  

I wish I could say it was exciting, but it is unsettling and stressful.  And expensive. Massachusetts is obscenely overpriced.  To get a nice  -- heck, even renovation needing -- house in a good school system, well, let's just say you could feed a small country to infinity and beyond.  (And CA folks, cool your jets, I know it's still more expensive there.)

We decided we could even scrap the good school system and leave Arden in the school we've all come to love, but this pre-Spring market is just sparse.  It's distressing.  We need to win the lottery.

While we are angst filled in many areas, we recognize that we are incredibly lucky to have good, steady jobs in a time that so many are dueling with uncertainty. 

So we will keep looking and assume that one day the perfect situation will waltz into our lives.  And if it doesn't we will just book a trip to Disney and call it a day.

I'd promise to post more but every time I promise that I fail so let's just pretend I'll post again to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

And with that I will leave you with one of my favorite Glee moments of this season.  Love this cover of This is the New Year.  Love this show that has changed countless lives and inspires me to figure out how to change just as many lives.  Stay tuned for more on that...