Puppy Love & Modifying Power 90X

Lexi Masquerading As A Towel































I'm preoccupied with our new puppy and workouts so this will be short.

Dee Dee's fitting in nicely except for a few adjustment problems with the cats. One of our large males Zen walked in the first day and took one look at her, hissed, and walked right by her like "This is my territory and you ain't stopping me." A few of the other younger cats are just staying outside. And the mommy cats, Lexi and Arlie, spent two days hanging out on the shelves over the washer and dryer but this morning Arlie finally took a stand and actually chased the pup down the hall. To her benefit the pup came right back and tried to make nice to the cat by crawling on her belly and wagging her tail. She wants to be friends.

On the workout front, I've done several versions of a modified Power 90X. Two days after a Power 90X Plus Total Body I was so sore from the waist up I did the original Power 90X Back and Legs without the Back. I added a circuit of Twist N Step Stepper, iSurf, Traditional Steps, Leg Magic, and Rock N Roll Stepper to make up for dropping out Back. And this has the added benefit of new moves that lead to muscle confusion.

Muscle confusion is the philosophy P 90X was founded on "P90X system is an advanced training technique called "Muscle Confusion," which accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus, and you never get bored!" One of the biggest exercise and fitness mistakes is to do the same routine over and over. You know those people who do the elliptical every time or lift the same ten pound weight at 12 repetitions for five years and wonder why their bodies never change. This is another classic mistake because you're never challenging your body with a higher level of intensity. The body adapts rapidly and doing the same old same old gets you the same old body. Hence the magic of Power 90X and changing your workout routine often.

In The News - Let's Get Physical

Science News

Sedentary Lifestyles Associated With Accelerated Aging Process

ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2008) — Individuals who are physically active during their leisure time appear to be biologically younger than those with sedentary lifestyles, according to a report in the January 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Regular exercisers have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis, according to background information in the article. "A sedentary lifestyle increases the propensity to aging-related disease and premature death," the authors write. "Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to aging-related diseases but also because it may influence the aging process itself."

Lynn F. Cherkas, Ph.D., of King's College London, and colleagues studied 2,401 white twins, administering questionnaires on physical activity level, smoking habits and socioeconomic status. The participants also provided a blood sample from which DNA was extracted. The researchers examined the length of telomeres--repeated sequences at the end of chromosomes--in the twins' white blood cells (leukocytes). Leukocyte telomeres progressively shorten over time and may serve as a marker of biological age.

Telomere length decreased with age, with an average loss of 21 nucleotides (structural units) per year. Men and women who were less physically active in their leisure time had shorter leukocyte telomeres than those who were more active. "Such a relationship between leukocyte telomere length and physical activity level remained significant after adjustment for body mass index, smoking, socioeconomic status and physical activity at work," the authors write. "The mean difference in leukocyte telomere length between the most active [who performed an average of 199 minutes of physical activity per week] and least active [16 minutes of physical activity per week] subjects was 200 nucleotides, which means that the most active subjects had telomeres the same length as sedentary individuals up to 10 years younger, on average." A sub-analysis comparing pairs in which twins had different levels of physical activity showed similar results.

Oxidative stress--damage caused to cells by exposure to oxygen--and inflammation are likely mechanisms by which sedentary lifestyles shorten telomeres, the authors suggest. In addition, perceived stress levels have been linked to telomere length. Physical activity may reduce psychological stress, thus mitigating its effect on telomeres and the aging process.

"The U.S. guidelines recommend that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days a week can have significant health benefits," the authors write. "Our results underscore the vital importance of these guidelines. They show that adults who partake in regular physical activity are biologically younger than sedentary individuals. This conclusion provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potential anti-aging effect of regular exercise."

Journal reference: Arch Intern Med. 2008;168[2]:154-158.

This study was supported in part by a grant from the Welcome Trust, grants from the National Institutes of Health and a grant from The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

Editorial: More Research Needed to Verify Exercise-Aging Link

Additional work needs to be done to show a direct relationship between aging and physical activity, writes Jack M. Guralnik, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Md., in an accompanying editorial.

"Persons who exercise are different from sedentary persons in many ways, and although certain variables were adjusted for in this analysis, many additional factors could be responsible for the biological differences between active and sedentary persons, a situation referred to by epidemiologists as residual confounding," Dr. Guralnik writes. "Nevertheless, this article serves as one of many pieces of evidence that telomere length might be targeted in studying aging outcomes."

Editorial reference: Arch Intern Med. 2008;168[2]:131-132.

This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.

Adapted from materials provided by JAMA and Archives Journals.

Our New Puppy Dee Dee

Jerry found a 6 month old Border Collie mix on Craig's List. If you're a regular reader you know how Jerry loves Craig's List and eBay. Her name is Dee Dee - we're already calling Sweety Dee Dee - and she's already blending into the family. At first glance I thought she had a bit of Rottweiler in her. She has that classic wide jaw and I owned a Rottweiler named Bond (Bond Oasis Princess). But I didn't say anything. I'm not an expert on Collies. But hey, that jaw is landmark and she has Rotty markings.

At first she kept following Bruno everywhere and was eying me warily (Jerry was in his office). So I shared a few bites of sirloin steak with her and now she keeps coming up and sniffing my hand. Gives a 'love at first bite' new meaning, hey.

Like our 16 year old dog Junior, she has a past history of abuse and is a little skiddish but that should make her exceptionally qualified for our household. Junior has changed a great deal in the three years we've had him. At first he was scared to death of the water hoses and insecure if left alone. For over a year I took him with me almost everywhere. Now he's all right with staying home alone a few hours. He's more secure and relaxed now - okay spoiled. The whole family is spoiled.

The cutest event yet, the second time we took her out to the front dog run Junior was napping in one of the front storage sheds and she couldn't see him. Jerry said she looked upset until she found him and woke him up. Then her tail was wagging a mile a minute. They're definitely pals already.

More puppy stories, photos, and video to come...

Breakfast at Terrible's Casino this morning. Then the ride home and Dee Dee's first walk through the front dog run. Later Bruno took her out back and ran her around. She's tuckered out now and sleeping on Bruno's bed. The last photos are of Bruno doing a new "punishment" we learned from Dee Dee's last family - a very sweet family who couldn't keep her due to having a small yard. It's holding a coin against a wall with your nose. As I predicted Bruno thinks its fun a did it for five minutes on a dare he couldn't do one minute. He laughed most of the way.



























What a sweet face!

Update & Cool Blog Reads

As expected I wasn’t able to get another Power 90X Plus workout in over the four day weekend with Bruno home all four days and his Daddy home on the weekend with me. I did get in about 90 minutes of circuit training in yesterday on the iGallop, uSurf, Leg Magic, Stepper, and GoFit Disc (squats, lunges, knee lifts) and some karate. Bruno joined in and we traded stations as well as facing off at karate.

Today I’ll get in a Power 90X Plus and write a review soon. Also yesterday I bought HSN’s Today’s Special – Tony Little’s new Rock N Roll Stepper. At $58 and free shipping it was almost half off the infomercial price. What's really cool, my husband put $3 in a video poker machine yesterday and won $60 so it's like the stepper was free. Once it comes and we try it I’ll write a review.

Yesterday’s Menu

9 am (we slept in) Veggie burger, Smart Balance mayonnaise, nonfat cheese, pickles, lettuce on a whole wheat bun

12 pm Boca Meatless Chili, mixed green salad, flax oil

4 pm Protein shake, 1 cup blackberries

7 pm 2 glasses white wine, 1 ounce cheese, 1 ounce mixed nuts

10 pm Veggie burger, Smart Balance mayonnaise, nonfat cheese, pickles, lettuce on a whole wheat bun

Totals Calories 1574 Fat 51 Protein 114 grams Carbohydrates 147 grams Alcohol 19 grams

Weight 113 pounds, Body fat 17.8 percent.

What I’ve Been Reading Online – Here’s Some Outstanding Blog Entries. And believe me, they’re usually few and far between. These are blog entries almost everyone can learn from, identify with, or appreciate.

Jack Sprat’s “Complain or Compline”

This week we did something called “Compline” which is a rite from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer that is used to end the day. It can be done simply – I think we covered it in 10 minutes or less.

I’ve been thinking about it the past two days because compline has one of my all-time favorite prayers:

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.

It pretty much covers every aspect of the human condition! And lately I’ve been a worker, watcher, and weeper, dealing with the weary, the sick, and the afflicted. (Well, I’m sorry, but “afflicted” is just how some people act at the scale!!). Read more.

Fat Doctor’s Scripts “Just One. Just One. Just one.”

“I realize that when partner who hates me was out of the office on a break, I felt great. Partner came back, said one snippy thing to me and my anxiety shot through the roof.

First thing I did this morning post discussion with partner was stare at the vending machine for several minutes toying with the idea of a candy bar.

Just one. Just one. Just one.

Husband says I am following my father’s script.

My father, a functional alcoholic who was outwardly quite successful, blamed everything in the world for why he drank. His perceived failures, his demanding job, his illness, and more than sometimes the stress we children caused him.” Read more.

Flabuless’ “The day God got through to me!”

“Sitting here on the floor in my lounge room typing this I don’t really know what I am supposed to type, I just know I need to type. I feel numb really, maybe its the pills maybe its just the cold hard realization of who I have become…the worst sinner in the world really….yea I know thats the Apostle Paul’s line but sitting here I feel the same.

But I really am the worst sinner in the world, I have betrayed my best friend, committed adultery and reveled in it I must add. I have lied, cheated, I have neglected my children so that I can partake in a ‘Party Life’. But most importantly and to sum everything up I have turned my back on God and all his goodness.

I look at myself in the mirror and I see an awful horrible human being but then I read psalms where he says YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made and It just doesn’t match up…look at me, look at what I have done! I am U.G.L.Y. And yet God still hasn’t given up on me despite my numerous attempts to force him to wash his hands of me still he has me so tightly in his grasp, still he keeps, cherishes, protects me, he hedges me behind and before and lays His hand upon my shoulder.

Why????? Why me???? the social worker today told me because HE has a plan for my life!” Read more.

What are the true keys to weight loss success?

A Fitness Program Thats Fits

















The answer to this question probably differs somewhat from person to person depending on individual issues and lifestyle. But certain things will surely apply to most.

1. Desire.

You truly have to want to change. And you have to want it for yourself, not because your spouse wants you to or your best friend is doing it. And your reason to lose weight (or make any lifestyle change) should not be for some short term goal like a June wedding or bathing suit season. Peer pressure or people pleasing are poor long term motivators. Sure support is nice but unnecessary if you’re serious, motivated, and a self starter. If you’re relying on others to pat you on the back all the time or you rely on others support to stay motivated you’ll probably fail.

2. Clearly Defined Goals.

Experts point out that the more precise your goals the more likely you are to get results. Loosely defined and generalized goals like “I want to lose weight” or “I want to get in shape” are so general they are nearly worthless. More precise goals like “Lose a pound a week” or “Do two total body resistance workouts a week and three aerobics workouts a week” give you tight guidelines that are much more likely to lead to results.

3. Responsibility.

If you do not take responsibility for your poor lifestyle choices you likely will not change or adopt new healthy choices to replace the poor ones. Blaming genetics, heredity, an unhappy life situation, a physical condition or health issue, your momma’s cooking, or your poppa’s drinking doesn’t get you anywhere. Although they may be reasons you choose to eat poorly and vegetate on the couch, you are still the one in charge of your choices. Ultimately nobody makes them for you. Before you cram a donut in your mouth because your boss yelled at you, or sit on the sofa all night because a Biggest Loser rerun marathon is on, stop and realize you can make a healthier choice.

4. Focus.

Once you decide that you want to change, have defined what you want to change and how, and taken responsibility for how you got there in the first place, you can focus on the path ahead. No goal is met without focus. Here’s where life’s challenges and daily aggravations will pop up and try to derail you. It’s easy to skip a workout when it’s raining or you’re feeling under the weather. You’ll still want to grab a bite at the drive-thru when you’re in a hurry. These things are going to happen too. Every one occasionally has a lazy day or cheats. But if you lose focus on your goals and do not refocus on your goals after a cheat meal or a day off from the gym your loss of focus will snowball into outright failure. Stay focused even when you have had a bad day or week. Keep your eyes on the prize.

5. Consistency.

This is closely tied to focus. The difference is that while focus is mostly mental, consistency is physical. Your healthy choices in food and activity will have to be more frequent than your poor choices. You will have to act in a consistent fashion to succeed. People fail because they are not consistent at doing the things that will get them to their goals. Consistency leads to success. Inconsistency means you're wasting your time.


6. Flexibility.

One of the main reasons people fail at weight loss and fitness goals is inflexibility and perfectionism. “I have to be perfect or else.” While consistency is necessary to reach your goals, perfection and inflexibility will derail you. Expect pitfalls and twists on your road to your goals. Roll with the punches. Get up off the floor when you fall. Don’t give up because of a bad day of eating junk or a week of missed gym dates. You didn’t “blow it” because you "weren’t perfect" and now you're doomed to failure. NOBODY IS PERFECT. We all are imperfect humans. You do not have to be perfect to be successful. Just resolve to do better, refocus and try harder to be consistent. Quitters who insist on perfection or near perfection never achieve success. Imperfect people who keep getting up off the floor and trying are ultimately successful.

7. Drive.

You can put all the above components together but without drive you will eventually fail. What drives you to pursue your goals will be an individual matter but finding a purpose that ignites your desire and keeps it burning is essential. Without the drive to keep on pursuing a goal your enthusiasm with peter out, you’ll lose focus, not be consistent, and fail.

8. Permanent Lifestyle Change.

This is probably the most important key to success. If you implement the best nutrition plan and fitness routine ever but you can’t live with it forever your goals are doomed from the start. You have to live your way to your goals. Your lifestyle has to fit your goals and your goals must fit your lifestyle. If you cannot get these two to dovetail forget about it. Because the way you live creates your future. Donuts on the couch today equals a fat and unfit body tomorrow. Hit the gym and eat clean today and you’ll be fitter and healthier tomorrow.

Links

Become a Self Starter


Powerful(ly) Written Goals In 7 Simple Steps

SMART Goal Setting


Take Responsibility For Weight and Eating Habits

The Simple Secret to Achieving Your Goals: Focus


Consistency Is Key In Fitness


Fat is a psychological issue: Embarking on a diet can be dangerous. Paradoxically, the chronic stress induced by the struggle for control can make dieters more prone to overeating

Are you Driven to Succeed?


Behavioral Steps Towards Permanent Weight Loss and Lifestyle Change: Insight to Action

Get Motivated for 2008

Did you know that there are 21 million Americans with a physical disability? Shockingly, less than 10-percent of them participate in daily physical activity. Nike and U.S. Paralympics want to identify and increase the number of persons with physical disabilities active in sport by making them aware of Paralympic organizations in their community.

Please join us in distributing the attached web-link - www.usparalympics.org. The link includes the recent Nike ad, which features Paralympian and wheelchair basketball player Matt Scott. By sharing this link with your friends, business associates, parents, athletes and supporters, we hope to expand awareness about the opportunities to be active, healthy and make a difference in the lives of thousands of physically disabled people.

Amazing awaits! From The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability

More Links

7 Reasons to Get Off The Couch Already!

Wiki How Get Fit

Disabled Sports USA


Disability Sport Events

The Couch To 5K Running Plan

Fitness Begin

Top 10 Fitness Mistakes Beginners Make

Power 90X Plus Kenpo Cardio Plus Review

There’s one word for this workout – intense! Oh, wait, here’s more words to describe Kenpo Cardio Plus – fast paced, demanding, driven, unforgiving. This workout is extreme to the max. The original Power 90X Kenpo Karate X has always been a favorite of mine and Bruno. This workout builds on the original and ramps it up. I was sweating before the warm up was over and totally soaked by the end.

At 45 minutes in length, it includes a warm up of running in place, twist jumps, jumping jacks, jump rope, yoga moves, standard stretches, ballistic stretches.

The body of the workout is Kenpo karate moves – mostly combinations that maximize impact. Here they are in order: Jab / Cross / Shuffle, Hook / Uppercut / Shuffle, Double Hammer / Lunge / Sword, Lower Block / Hammer / Front Kick, Low Block / Hammer / Front Kick, Side Speed Kicks, Cardio Break – Running In Place, Jump Rope, Jumping Jacks, Twisters, Jab / Cross / Shuffle, Hook / Uppercut / Shuffle, Jab / Step / Cross, Double Hammer / Lunge / Sword, Low Block / Hammer, Front Kick, Side Speed Kicks, Cardio Break – Same As Above, Jab / Uppercut / Back Kick, Claw / Hammer / Lunge, Back Fist / Hammer / Front Kick / Knee Kick, Elbow / Sword / Back Kick, Cardio Break, Jab / Uppercut / Back Kick, Claw / Hammer / Lunge, Claw / Hammer / Front Kick, Back Fist / Hammer / Front Kick / Knee Kick, Elbow / Sword / Back Kick, Cardio Break, The Gladiator, Spinning Swords, Spinning Sword / Back Hammer, Double Sword / Knee Kick / Back Kick, High Block / Knee Kick Burn Out, Cardio Break, The Gladiator, Spinning Swords, Spinning Sword, Back Hammer, Double Sword / Knee Kick / Back Kick, High Block / Knee Kick Burn Out, COOL DOWN.

The cool down includes traditional Power 90X moves like yoga moves, standard stretches, and ballistic stretches.

I modified for balance issues like this: I used an eight by three foot floor space framed in by my couch, my large padded office chair, and my iGallop. This allowed me to go all out without balance being an issue. The few times I started to lose balance something large and padded was nearby to support me until I got my balance back.

I highly recommend Kenpo Cardio Plus for anyone who wants to burn a lot of calories in a reasonably short time (45 minutes). Bring your best game, you'll need endurance and strength to get through this fat burner.

This is one I’d like to do a video of soon. If you’re curious about the original Power 90X Kenpo Karate X Bruno and I did five demo videos and they’re linked in my sidebar under “Our Videos”.

Next: Interval X Plus and Abs / Core Plus

Meal Plan From Yesterday

8 am – 3 ½ ounces chicken breast, 1 cup blackberries, 8 ounces yogurt.

11 am – protein shake in fresh juice from my juicer – orange, grapefruit, apple, ginger, carrot.

1 pm – workout – Kenpo Karate Plus

3 pm – 1 cup nonfat cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon flax oil, 4 tablespoons salsa.

6 pm – 2 glasses white wine, 1 ounce regular fat cheese, 12 olives, 1 ounce nuts.

9 pm – 2 glasses white wine, 2 veggie burger patties, 2 nonfat cheese slices, ½ cup vegetables, 1 tablespoon Smart Balance mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon flax oil.

Totals – calories 1757, 145 protein grams, 116 carbs grams 57 fat grams, 38 alcohol grams

I’m not sure if I’ll be posting again until Tuesday as Bruno has a four day weekend starting tomorrow due to having Friday off for end of semester and Monday due to Martin Luther King Day.

Power 90X Plus Total Body Plus Review & Nutrition on Power 90X

Tony Horton, Creator of Power 90, Power 90X, and Power 90X Plus















Buy Power 90X - Buy Power 90X Plus

Yowsa! I Love This Workout! Owww! Although only 45 minutes this workout hits every major muscle and a few others I didn’t know I had. I recommend Power 90X and Power 90X Plus to anyone who's fit and ready to take it to the next level. This was my first time doing Power 90X Plus Total Body so I watched each exercise before attempting them. Almost all of the exercises were new to me and I’d never done them before although some moves – squats, lunges, push ups, pull ups, etc. – were familiar from Power 90X. If you already own Power 90X there's no repeats here, folks. You truly get what you pay for with Power 90X Plus - four rocking Extreme workouts.

Here’s the exercises in the order they’re performed. If you don’t know how an exercise is performed click on this link for video demos, or go here and look them up, or do an internet search.

What you’ll need: SelectTech Weights, Free Weights or Resistance Bands, pull up bar, towel, water.

Warm Up - including running in place, ballistic stretches, yoga moves, standard push ups, squat / rock / reach, walking lunges, Dive Bomb push ups, Twisting Pivot, Cyclone, Jumping Jacks, about 8 minutes.

Main workout – O Crunch Push Ups, Pull Up Crunches, Dead Lift / Curl / Press Combo, Step Kickback Chairs, Sumo Chairs, Chuck Up X, Cling On Run, Lunge Press with Bella Twist, Balance Curl, Running Man, Hindu / Pike Push Ups, Lunge / Squat / Lunge Combo, Mr. Moon, Kid Play, 3 & 3 (squats / push ups / pull ups), Half Dervish, Weighted Warrior, 1 & 1 (push ups and pull ups for 2 minutes), Lara Lunge Crunch, Spiderman Jumps, Plyo Push Ups, about 33 minutes.

Cool Down – ballistic bounce, ballistic stretches, standard stretches, about 4 minutes.

I only had to slightly modify three exercises due to my balance issues related to Cerebral Palsy. Even after a four week layoff from formal resistance training it’s obvious I’m getting stronger. Although the workout was challenging and I was sweating before we were through the warm up, it was fun and I am thrilled to be back on program.

And that endorphin rush afterwards is really nice.

Next: Power 90X Plus Kenpo Karate Plus

Start Stats For P90X Plus

1-15-08

Height 5 foot and ½ inch (up a ½ inch since last measured and likely due to yoga, stretching and Pilates routines that lengthen spine and soft tissues).

Weight 114 pounds

Body Fat Percentage 20.4 percent

Bust 34.5 inches

Waist 29.5 inches

Hips 36 ¾ inches

Thighs (measured high up) R 20 L 21

As for nutrition on Power 90X and Power 90X Plus, the nutrition guidebook states this is NOT a weight loss diet – although the workouts and nutritional support equal loss of body fat and gain of muscle mass. No one eats less than 1800 calories a day on this program and men eat as high as 3000 calories a day depending on what phase their on, their goals, and their size. These workouts are demanding and you must fuel your body properly for athletic performance. Low calorie, low carb, or inadequate protein will sabotage your performance and results. The macro-nutrient ratios are between 60 percent carb, 30 percent protein, 10 percent fat and 40 percent carbs, 40 percent protein, 20 percent fat depending on what phase you’re on.

This is an Extreme fitness program intended to get already fit people to the next level. It is not recommended for beginners, and many at an intermediate fitness level will struggle. If you aqre not fit, were once fit and are now out of shape, or overweight, and looking for a weight loss and exercise program this ain’t it. This isn’t a start up program by any means. I recommend Six Week Body Makeover, Slim In Six, and The Firm for beginner to intermediate fitness levels. All come with nutrition guides. If you're at intermediate fitness and not ready for extreme workouts try the original Power 90 or Body For Life.
I can recommend them because I've done them and they're sound programs.

Yesterday’s Meals

Meal 1 - 8 am 1 cup nonfat cottage cheese, salsa, 1 cup blackberries

Meal 2 – 11 am Protein powder and creatine in juice from juicer of 1 banana, 1 green apple, 1 cucumber, fresh ginger, flax oil, glutamine, carnitine powder.

1:30 pm Workout – P90X Plus Total Body

Meal 3 – 3 pm Protein powder in juice from juicer of 1 medium banana calories 109 fat 1 carbs 28 protein 1, 1 green apple, 1 cucumber, fresh ginger, flax oil. Glutamineand carnitine.

Meal 4 – 6 pm 4 ounces lime and chili marinated chicken breast, Mexican style mixed vegetables, flax oil.

Meal 5 – 9 pm Veggie burgers, nonfat cheese, Smart Balance mayonnaise, lettuce, pickles, wine – 2 - 3.5 ounce glasses.

Totals Calories 1756, Protein 126 grams, Carbs 120 grams, Fats 15 grams, Alcohol 38 grams

Happy 8th Birthday Bruno!

Pregnant Carol In The Maternity Ward & Daddy Jerry With Bruno About 5 Minutes Old

Click Photos To Enlarge





















Bruno - Day One, Week One, Year One





















Bruno Photos From about six months old to almost 2 Years Old to his 2nd birthday.





















The Birthday Boy at His Birthday Pizza Lunch
















Jerry at Round Table

















My Salad and Killian's Irish Red
















Bruno's Birthday Gifts


















A New Software















Licking The Bowl




















Daddy Lights The Candles






















Happy 8th Birthday!





















Blowing Out The Candles

Of All The Nerve.

Oscar Pistorius Should Be 'Pisted' Off - And So Should Every Other Disabled Athlete!

This man comes back from unbelievable odds to becomes a world class athlete and what happens? The 'normal' people ban him from the Olympics -regular not 'special' Olympics - because his artificial legs give him an advantage? Give me a break! And why am I not surprised. It takes MORE guts and focus for us 'special' or 'disabled' or 'handicapped' people to do half of what 'normal' people do by ACCIDENT. You 'normal' people should be ashamed.
Paralympian banned from Beijing Olympics

South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius will not be allowed to compete at this year's Beijing Olympics.

The International Association of Athletics Federations has banned him from all competitions involving able bodied runners, saying his prosthetics gave him an unfair advantage.

Pistorius runs with carbon fibre blades attached to his legs.

When the man they call the blade runner started smashing world records in Paralympics events, it became clear that not only could he run faster than disabled athletes, but he could also beat many able bodied runners as well.

Now the IAAF has endorsed the findings of German academic Gert-Peter Bruggeman who conducted tests on the prosthetic limbs and said they gave Pistorius a clear competitive advantage over able bodied runners.

Pistorius was born without fibulas, the bone between the knee and the ankle, and both his legs were amputated when he was 11-months-old. He has already said he will appeal against any adverse decision by the IAAF.

In The News and Cool Links

I managed to make my ribs sore on my left side. I first thought I did it when I missed a step on my front deck. I didn't fall this time but I landed hard. Then this morning I used my left hip as a fulcrum to bang open the back door. It's been sticking because of the cold weather and snowstorms and I've been doing that for several days. I'm pretty sure using my body as a battering ram is what brought on the sore ribs. So I'm out of commission a few days as far as workouts. When I get over this I'll start Power 90X Plus and post reviews.

It doesn't help that we got more snow out here and the U latch on my horse corral gate froze shut. I had to lift the grain bucket (about 20 pounds) and the hay cube bucket (about 35 pounds) over the fence while standing on a big rock. This is where the weight lifting and aerobics workouts translate into functional fitness and come in damn handy. Especially when your ribs are sore. Until I heal enough to do and review P90X Plus here's a few tidbits you might enjoy:

Celiac Disease: Discovery Of Enzyme's Structure May Lead To New Treatments

ScienceDaily (Jan. 9, 2008) — Researchers have discovered a new structure for a key enzyme associated with celiac disease, a finding that could lead to the design of new medications for the common digestive disorder, according to an article scheduled for the Jan. 7 issue of Chemical & Engineering News.
More here.

Eating Out Can Have Both Positive And Negative Impact On Obesity

ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2008) — Eating out instead of cooking at home continues to increase as a factor impacting the American diet. Americans face a large variety of food options and food establishments when choosing to eat out. Do the choices of available restaurants matter to America's rising obesity? More here.

Exercising Judgment: The Psychology Of Fitness

ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2008) — It's only been a few weeks since you made that New Year's resolution to exercise more, but already you're finding reasons to skip days -- maybe even weeks. More here.

10 Worst Foods of 2007 How many have you tried? After much deliberation, food writer John "Mr. Bad Food" McGran has come up with the "best" of the worst foods he’s reviewed over the past year.

Here there are in his words (in no particular order)—the worst foods of 2007! More here.

Is Obesity a Choice? As adult obesity balloons in the United States, being overweight has become less of a health hazard and more of a lifestyle choice, the author of a new book argues.

"Obesity is a natural extension of an advancing economy. As you become a First World economy and you get all these labour-saving devices and low-cost, easily accessible foods, people are going to eat more and exercise less," health economist Eric Finkelstein told AFP. Read more.

Here's a few cool links:

Disaboom - Live Forward

Japanese IQ Test - Fun and Challenging Game

Most Famous Men On One Photo


Barmeister - The Online Guide To Drinking

Hot Library Smut - Photos of the World's Most Beautiful Libraries

Euphoria Remedies - These Food Combos Make People Euphoric - I haven't tried any yet.

Unstoppable Fat Loss Blog - Empower Your Mind and Your Body Will Follow

Beyond Wikipedia - 20 References You Can't Do Without

Healing Food Reference

Disabled Athletes Sports Association

The Meaning of American Pie

This is too good not to share...

My Last Meal

Take Your Fitness To The Next Level

Buy Power 90X - Buy Power 90X Plus

This is my last day off from Power 90X. Tomorrow I go back on program - or should I say back to the Power 90X Lifestyle. My last Power 90X workout was Tuesday December 4th 2007 - Chest & Back. I remained active in other ways like moving a s#!t load of stuff when we moved my husband's home office and playing with my horse. But no official resistance training or aerobics was done.

I have been enjoying holiday treats like truffles, Belgian chocolates, crackers and cheese, caramel drizzled popcorn, champagne, caviar on Brie and more, but in moderation. Meaning I never left the portion control brigade. Off plan yet calorie controlled between 1550 and 2200 calories. My weight this morning is 114.5 pounds (premenstrual-I always gain water weight) and my body fat percentage this morning is 21 percent and 24 pounds body fat - this jumps around day to day due to variables like water weight, hydration, phase of the moon, Jupiter trine Mars. So I use my body fat meter as a guideline not as hard data. As long as my percentage stays between 17 and 20 percent, hey, I can live with it.

So I survived my holidays and being AWOL from Power 90X with little change in weight or body fat percent. I suspect some muscle loss due to lack of weight training, being off of creatine and protein shakes. Past experience tells me I can rely on muscle memory, new stimulus (Power 90X Plus is coming to my house and it arrived in Sparks, NV last night and should be out for delivery tomorrow), a supplement stack, and good nutrition to pack muscle back on and more.
















As for my last meal - the one I'll indulge in tonight before going to the gallows, um, I mean before going to the Tony Horton torture chamber - is fried seafood, fries and onion rings. Yummo! Shrimp and oysters dipped in tempura batter and deep fried. That, my friends and dear readers, is divine. Tomorrow it's back to high protein, controlled fat and controlled unrefined carbohydrates. And POWER 90X! Maybe I'll start at the beginning again and do Chest & Back. Or maybe my favorite Back & Legs. Followed by a coffee and mocha protein shake. Choices, choices.

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First Snow Day of 2008

My Voodoo Doctor on my front porch. Click on any photo to enlarge.




















My Snow Man Jerry
















We received 5 inches of snow last night and more is expected tonight. Here's a photo journal of our snowy Saturday.

Unfortunately two towns away - about thirty miles from us - Fernley, Nevada is experiencing serious flooding because a levee along a canal fed by the Truckee river broke. This was after an all day rain then snow and freezing temperatures, rumor had it there was a 4.0 earthquake a half hour before the levee gave way, then that was refuted by the USGS. Now they say there really was a 4.0 earthquake just before the levee gave way. Gopher or rat holes that were burrowed into the earthen levee has also been indicted! They apparently undermine the levee and this was also a cause of a 1996 break.

I've crossed that canal dozens of times since moving here in 1989. It's right on highway 95A which is our main route to Interstate 80, a main US artery. Which by the way was closed last night from Stateline to Auburn, CA, a huge chunk of highway, because of a record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada mountains and here in Northern Nevada. The flooding brings back bad memories for me as I was in the 1986 flood in Olivehurst / Linda California. It's kind of an emotional time for us. Our neighbors in Fernley are in our prayers.

By the way, I've turned Comments back on since the busy holidays are over.

I caught Fury in this pic just as she had rolled in the snow. Crazy horse.


















Here she is after she got up, all snowy and happy to be in a nice warm blanket I'm sure. With snow on her face she looked like a raccoon. I brushed it off for her.