Bruno coaxes our kitties to get on the treadmill. The Siamese did take the challenge.
Showing posts with label Kittens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kittens. Show all posts
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Karma and The Devil
Karma
Chaos AKA The Devil
I wish we had the video camera running last night. The really funny moments are usually when it's put away and by the time you get it out they're over.
A simple cardboard box, one adventurous kitten, and a treadmill set on an incline made for high comedy and belly laughs in our house.
Our black kitten 'Chao's tipped a box over on himself and bounced it up and down the treadmill with flair and drama. We all got tickled to death and howled. Imagine a moving cardboard box - moving in two directions - with no visible mover. Except we saw him and heard him noisily pull it over onto himself.
'Chaos' is also called 'the black devil' because of his antics and because his mother is named Karma. "Carmen and The Devil Walking Side By Side" are the usual lyrics you'll turn up in a search for the song 'The Weight' sung by 'The Band'. I always thought "Karma and the Devil" made infinitely more sense.
Karma is definitely a bigger bitch than Carmen. (And I'm not referring to my cat).
When I got done writing the above, I took a break. When I got back my gray cat "Karma" was standing on my laptop sniffing. Looking for the delete button?
I hope your evening was as fun, enjoyable, and amusing. God bless.
Chaos AKA The Devil
I wish we had the video camera running last night. The really funny moments are usually when it's put away and by the time you get it out they're over.
A simple cardboard box, one adventurous kitten, and a treadmill set on an incline made for high comedy and belly laughs in our house.
Our black kitten 'Chao's tipped a box over on himself and bounced it up and down the treadmill with flair and drama. We all got tickled to death and howled. Imagine a moving cardboard box - moving in two directions - with no visible mover. Except we saw him and heard him noisily pull it over onto himself.
'Chaos' is also called 'the black devil' because of his antics and because his mother is named Karma. "Carmen and The Devil Walking Side By Side" are the usual lyrics you'll turn up in a search for the song 'The Weight' sung by 'The Band'. I always thought "Karma and the Devil" made infinitely more sense.
Karma is definitely a bigger bitch than Carmen. (And I'm not referring to my cat).
When I got done writing the above, I took a break. When I got back my gray cat "Karma" was standing on my laptop sniffing. Looking for the delete button?
I hope your evening was as fun, enjoyable, and amusing. God bless.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Adventures or Complications?
Arly Had Her Babies Last Night...
I'm exhausted. It doesn't happen often. I'm usually an energetic person and go, go, go. But a combination of situations has me dragging. If you read regularly, you'll know I recently got over a colitis flare only to develop a urinary tract infection. I'm also just barely past TTOM and even with iron supplements that leaves me a little dragged out for a few days. On top of that, my husband's out of town and that's somewhat stressful. I've had two late nights in a row including last night's birth event.
And this morning I got locked out of my yard. Bruno forgot to give me the gate keys after he unlocked the driveway gate and wore them around his neck to school. The spare keys are with Jerry in California! Our front yard fence is 8 foot high chain link. I'm not that good of a climber. I tried climbing over my horse pasture gate which is less than 5 foot tall, but the toes of my shoes were too wide to fit into the chain link fence covering it. I had to walk through my next door neighbor's unfenced yard to our back pasture and climb over that (4 foot) field fence. Then I crawled through the horse corral and used her interior unlocked gate to get inside my front courtyard. Hopefully Bruno won't lose the keys. I emailed his teacher and asked her to confiscate the keys and give them back at the end of the day. Crossing my fingers.
I'm exhausted. It doesn't happen often. I'm usually an energetic person and go, go, go. But a combination of situations has me dragging. If you read regularly, you'll know I recently got over a colitis flare only to develop a urinary tract infection. I'm also just barely past TTOM and even with iron supplements that leaves me a little dragged out for a few days. On top of that, my husband's out of town and that's somewhat stressful. I've had two late nights in a row including last night's birth event.
And this morning I got locked out of my yard. Bruno forgot to give me the gate keys after he unlocked the driveway gate and wore them around his neck to school. The spare keys are with Jerry in California! Our front yard fence is 8 foot high chain link. I'm not that good of a climber. I tried climbing over my horse pasture gate which is less than 5 foot tall, but the toes of my shoes were too wide to fit into the chain link fence covering it. I had to walk through my next door neighbor's unfenced yard to our back pasture and climb over that (4 foot) field fence. Then I crawled through the horse corral and used her interior unlocked gate to get inside my front courtyard. Hopefully Bruno won't lose the keys. I emailed his teacher and asked her to confiscate the keys and give them back at the end of the day. Crossing my fingers.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Much Adieu and Boo Hoo
"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo
This morning at 2 am, Jerry was off to La Quinta, California for a two week "tour of duty" refurbishing a rental house. I say tour of duty because on these trips he works nearly around the clock except to eat, shower, and sleep. The man is a workhorse. This happens about twice a year when one of the Palm Desert area houses becomes empty and needs a makeover to be rental or sale ready. So it shouldn't be that big of a deal and it has it's rewards including almost triple the pay and a week's vacation when he returns.
Well, when it came time to say goodnight to Bruno and essentially goodbye as I wasn't waking an eight year old who has school up at 2 am, Bruno made a scene and cried. We got him to bed and then I cried, and the Jerry started crying too. My God, are we a bunch of crybabies or what?! (It's not hard to make Jerry cry. He does it every time we watch "It's A Wonderful Life" or "The Horse Whisperer"). It didn't help I'm just post PMS and prone to cry anyway. (The scale was up to 123 pounds this morning, typical 4-5 pound water gain I always get TTOM).
I got Bruno off to school without much ado. It helped that Jerry called at 7:15 am from Bishop, Ca. Bruno was happy to chat him up while we waited for the bus. It's Bruno's last week of school so he's excited about the final activities and vacation.
I've taken over all of Jerry's outdoor chores, watering the horse, the garden and all of the trees. (Our apple tree requires daily watering this time of year, and the garden twice daily depending on the weather).
I feel like I'm playing a waiting game. Waiting for Jerry to call and say he arrived safely, waiting for Bruno to get off school this afternoon and the school year to be over on Friday, waiting for Arly our cat to have her kittens, waiting for the two weeks out-of-town to be over, waiting for Jerry to get home, waiting for Summer to begin. Waiting, waiting, waiting.
I guess I'll go water something, then clean the house...by the time Jerry gets home the house will be spotless. And surely there will be extra balls of fur. Jerry said the first few days he's gone he'll probably be tripping over invisible cats.
On an up note, we scored a free 1986 Plymouth Voyager 6 cylinder mini van this weekend on Carson City Freecycle. The body and interior is in very good condition, but it has a cracked engine block. Jerry can fix the mini van and we'll have something good on gas mileage. Our vans are all large 8 cylinder gas hogs. I've gotten to where I don't drive unless forced. Gas is almost $4 a gallon here.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Have You Ever Had A Cat Related Injury?
Besides cat scratches I've never had a cat related injury. I've gotten thrown off the occasional horse and received bumps, bruises, and barbed wire punctures. I hurt my knee sliding into base in a baseball game or two. And hit my head one night when I got tossed off the uSurf. But an injury from playing cat hockey?
Let me explain cat hockey. When the momma cats and kittens were sequestered in the bathroom we blocked their escape with a held out foot. The babies were tiny and yielded. The moms were allowed to come and go. The older the babies got the more it felt like fielding rapidly advancing hockey pucks. Those babies are fast and determined. But the maneuver was a forward motion much like a forward kick in karate but much lower.
Now that the kittens are free to roam most of the house they're trying to get back into the bathroom. This would be fine except Grandma Arly is pregnant, ensconced in the "birthing and nursery suite" and not thrilled with non-human visitors. She purrs at us then hisses at them in nearly the same breathe. (Yes, they are her kids and grandkids but you know how annoying family can be). So for four days I've scooted everyone away from the door with a sideways foot flick that doesn't resemble anything I learned in Kenpo Karate or Taebo. And with a bladder infection I've been in and out of the bathroom every hour.
Well last night the repetitive stress caught up with me and my knee hurt like hell. Both large tendons in the back were freaking out. (Repetitive stress is common in people with Cerebral Palsy). I iced my knee and went to bed but it was worse this morning. We were planning a WalMart marathon because of Jerry's trip on Monday. And here I was gimpy and limping. I put on an Icy Hot wrap and we headed off. The more I walked the better my knee got. I walked all over WalMart. I'm thinking it's just spasms and the movement and Icy Hot relaxed them. Painful but harmless.
But really, a cat / kitten induced injury? That's just weird.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Reasons Dieters Get Stuck & Solutions - Number One: Making Mistakes In The Grocery Store
Reason Number One - If you buy it, you will eat it!
Your first defense against getting stuck on your diet, plateauing, or even gaining weight while "on program" is making the right decisions in the grocery store.
Here is a perfect example:
I bought this Sam's Choice Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Chicken Kit at WalMart. Now my eyesight is not what it used to be I admit, and bifocals complicate the matter. I read the nutrition information and ingredients list while WalMart did that danged annoying "dim the lights every two minutes to save electricity" thing I absolutely abhor. It gives me a headache. At 300 calories, 9 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs (I figured that was the sauce), and 37 grams of protein per serving (4 in all) I judged the product an acceptable choice. It wasn't until I got it home and looked at it in decent lighting I realized it had potatoes in it.
Now, if I was on a carbohydrate cycling phase that would be okay. But I wanted all chicken! I thought I was buying chicken! Not potatoes, for diet's sake. The product's name mentions nothing about potatoes. And to me the photo looked like chicken in the lousy lighting. On the bottom of the back of the box in small print it says "Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Potatoes". And if you really look closely at the photo a few of those yellow slices actually look like potatoes. Maybe I should have caught that. I still say the box is misleading.
Well, I cooked it and ate it anyway. I can't afford to toss good food to the dogs even if it's not the best choice diet-wise. But this just goes to show, even reading the package isn't always enough. I should have just bought a package of skinless chicken breasts and spiced it myself. Next time, I will. My attempt at buying a shortcut backfired. To top it off, the ingredients list was a mile long and had things that do not exist in my kitchen.
Solution Number One: shop carefully, read labels, and avoid buying packaged foods - even if they appear to be healthy. When at all possible, buy fresh whole foods and cook them yourself. The extra time spent will be worth it.
By the way, this product did not save me any time. The chicken meat was raw and frozen, and it took a lot longer than the "preparation time 20 Minutes" listed on the package. I cooked a hamburger in a separate pan and ate it before the chicken even cooked. Convenience my arse.
On the up side, I'm back down to 119 pounds today. And the cranberry extract supplement is improving my urinary tract infection. Yeah!
They're Taking Over! But They Are Soooo Cute!
Your first defense against getting stuck on your diet, plateauing, or even gaining weight while "on program" is making the right decisions in the grocery store.
Here is a perfect example:
I bought this Sam's Choice Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Chicken Kit at WalMart. Now my eyesight is not what it used to be I admit, and bifocals complicate the matter. I read the nutrition information and ingredients list while WalMart did that danged annoying "dim the lights every two minutes to save electricity" thing I absolutely abhor. It gives me a headache. At 300 calories, 9 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs (I figured that was the sauce), and 37 grams of protein per serving (4 in all) I judged the product an acceptable choice. It wasn't until I got it home and looked at it in decent lighting I realized it had potatoes in it.
Now, if I was on a carbohydrate cycling phase that would be okay. But I wanted all chicken! I thought I was buying chicken! Not potatoes, for diet's sake. The product's name mentions nothing about potatoes. And to me the photo looked like chicken in the lousy lighting. On the bottom of the back of the box in small print it says "Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Potatoes". And if you really look closely at the photo a few of those yellow slices actually look like potatoes. Maybe I should have caught that. I still say the box is misleading.
Well, I cooked it and ate it anyway. I can't afford to toss good food to the dogs even if it's not the best choice diet-wise. But this just goes to show, even reading the package isn't always enough. I should have just bought a package of skinless chicken breasts and spiced it myself. Next time, I will. My attempt at buying a shortcut backfired. To top it off, the ingredients list was a mile long and had things that do not exist in my kitchen.
Solution Number One: shop carefully, read labels, and avoid buying packaged foods - even if they appear to be healthy. When at all possible, buy fresh whole foods and cook them yourself. The extra time spent will be worth it.
By the way, this product did not save me any time. The chicken meat was raw and frozen, and it took a lot longer than the "preparation time 20 Minutes" listed on the package. I cooked a hamburger in a separate pan and ate it before the chicken even cooked. Convenience my arse.
On the up side, I'm back down to 119 pounds today. And the cranberry extract supplement is improving my urinary tract infection. Yeah!
They're Taking Over! But They Are Soooo Cute!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Pregnant Again!
When Jerry got home yesterday I said, "The good news is, I'M not pregnant."
He gave me a weird look. He knew something was up. I said, "Arly's pregnant again." Arly's one of our cats (the one pictured above that looks like she's smuggling a volleyball). She had been an indoor cat since we adopted her over two years ago but escaped out the back door awhile back. Well she seemed happy enough, so I didn't make her come inside. The side effect to that oversight is another pregnant kitty.
"Yeah!" Jerry said, somewhat sarcastically. "The kitten mill continues..." I told him it's only a mill if you sell them. I keep everyone.
Then he asked, "Did you bring her inside?" Not yet, I was kitten proofing the kitchen and living room all day, hiding wires and securing any objects they could topple. Then I turned the kittens out of the bathroom - they're 8 weeks old now - and set up a birthing box (the box my BioVibe came in) for Arly in the bathroom.
Lexi Checks Out The Proform BioVibe Box.
Yes, I'm a crazy cat lady.
Now, here's the kitty cat scorecard. Two one year old males Arly gave birth to last year, Wolfgang and Zen, are living outside. (I'm sure the mice are plotting a hostile takeover as we speak). My house cats are all ladies, Grandma Lexi - age 3, Grandma Arly - age 3, and their daughters Karma and Gypsy - both age 1 - are on house arrest again (no more knocked up cats, ha). And I have eight 8 week old fuzz balls bouncing off the walls. Well, when they're not posing for the camera and saying "I is cute!"
Bisou Speaks.
In other news, I have a urinary tract infection again (I always seem to have something, just got over colitis). Jerry has it too. We've been passing this damn thing back and forth since 1995. I lapsed on my daily cranberry supplement and whammo! A raging bladder. So I'm dragging a bit. I'm planning a full workout on my BioVibe so I can write a review but it keeps getting postponed...
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Blogger Limbo
This Product Review Coming Soon To A Blog Near You!
My Proform Biovibe is in the UPS Hub in Sparks, Nevada and should be out for delivery today or tomorrow. I'll review it as soon as possible.
I'm sort of in blogger limbo. I've got products ordered I want to review - like the one above - but they haven't arrived. I have a few topics I want to cover but not much time to research and write anything in depth at the moment. We're in transition between the school year and that daily routine, and summer vacation mode with all the excitement that comes with it.
On top of that, Jerry's about to go out of town to work and I'm making lists for what he needs to take. The work project is a house remodel and he'll be camping out in the house while he works on it. So he needs to take a sleeping bag, pillow (which he forgot last time), clothes, personal hygiene items, food, microwave, mini refrigerator, etc. And I'll buy enough groceries for Bruno and I so we don't have to trek into town while he's gone. (Our Smiths grocery store is 20 miles away and I plan on avoiding any long trips if possible. We have a small Mom & Pop store about a mile away if we need milk or something).
As for the schizophrenic nature of Northern Nevada - it was 97 degrees a few days ago - this morning it's snowing! Jerry scored three almost new air conditioners yesterday on Craig's List (we only needed one but the price for all three was unbeatable) so of course it's snowing now! It's not sticking but I had to bundle up to feed my horse. The high today is forecast for 57 degrees. And we're supposed to open the pool this weekend?! Ha.
I'm working on a Hot Links post, but for now all I've got to share is some cats and kittens antics on video. Pardon the video quality, I didn't use the tripod and it was a cloudy day. Guess I should have turned on some lights.
My Proform Biovibe is in the UPS Hub in Sparks, Nevada and should be out for delivery today or tomorrow. I'll review it as soon as possible.
I'm sort of in blogger limbo. I've got products ordered I want to review - like the one above - but they haven't arrived. I have a few topics I want to cover but not much time to research and write anything in depth at the moment. We're in transition between the school year and that daily routine, and summer vacation mode with all the excitement that comes with it.
On top of that, Jerry's about to go out of town to work and I'm making lists for what he needs to take. The work project is a house remodel and he'll be camping out in the house while he works on it. So he needs to take a sleeping bag, pillow (which he forgot last time), clothes, personal hygiene items, food, microwave, mini refrigerator, etc. And I'll buy enough groceries for Bruno and I so we don't have to trek into town while he's gone. (Our Smiths grocery store is 20 miles away and I plan on avoiding any long trips if possible. We have a small Mom & Pop store about a mile away if we need milk or something).
As for the schizophrenic nature of Northern Nevada - it was 97 degrees a few days ago - this morning it's snowing! Jerry scored three almost new air conditioners yesterday on Craig's List (we only needed one but the price for all three was unbeatable) so of course it's snowing now! It's not sticking but I had to bundle up to feed my horse. The high today is forecast for 57 degrees. And we're supposed to open the pool this weekend?! Ha.
I'm working on a Hot Links post, but for now all I've got to share is some cats and kittens antics on video. Pardon the video quality, I didn't use the tripod and it was a cloudy day. Guess I should have turned on some lights.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Is Recovery From The Weekend Possible?
Bruno Bungee Jumps at the RSVP Mothers Day carnival at Mills Park, Carson City, NV
Probably I'll recover...but not today. I had another insanely busy weekend. I'm treating my Monday like it's Mothers Day and doing nearly nothing. (Okay, I still have chores I cannot let go, but this is a way more restful day than yesterday). Saturday was a blur. It included a dump run and thrift shop finds, chores, and what not. I got a new living room rug as one of my Mothers Day gifts, in a lovely deep burgundy I adore. It compliments all my leopard and tiger patterned accessories, pillows, throws, and rugs. I always say my decorating style is "Africa exploded in a barn." I also took more photos. Notice my man vacuums. Nothing sexier than a man who cleans house!
I started off my Mothers Day by doing dishes. Jerry gave my 1978 Chevy Van "Betsy" a tune-up and she's road ready again. Then we spent most the rest of the day at a carnival in Mills Park in Carson City. Mothers rode free and we had a $10 off coupon for an all day pass for Bruno. The lines were long - it took 15 minutes just to buy bottled water. I got sunburned and must have walked 5 miles. Then we went to WalMart and shopped over an hour. We had planned to eat out but by the time we got done with all that it was after 4 pm and I talked the guys into settling for pizza at home. My calories were way off, I only ate 1276 calories and 43 grams of protein - both woefully low as I only had breakfast and dinner with a bottle of wine. Today is going better, I'm getting more calories and protein. Got to try to stay anabolic!
I got a few photos at the carnival but they didn't turn out too good. Jerry manned the video camera-mistake! He filmed half of it holding the camera sideways which I didn't notice until I uploaded. I can fix it but it'll take an extra 15 minutes or so. Boo Hoo. I'm still relatively new to digital video. I started taking photos back in elementary school when I took a photography class.
The kittens have moved into the bathroom. As soon as they're litter box trained they'll have the run of the house. I can't wait, white kittens on my dark red rug, that should be a sight.
Probably I'll recover...but not today. I had another insanely busy weekend. I'm treating my Monday like it's Mothers Day and doing nearly nothing. (Okay, I still have chores I cannot let go, but this is a way more restful day than yesterday). Saturday was a blur. It included a dump run and thrift shop finds, chores, and what not. I got a new living room rug as one of my Mothers Day gifts, in a lovely deep burgundy I adore. It compliments all my leopard and tiger patterned accessories, pillows, throws, and rugs. I always say my decorating style is "Africa exploded in a barn." I also took more photos. Notice my man vacuums. Nothing sexier than a man who cleans house!
I started off my Mothers Day by doing dishes. Jerry gave my 1978 Chevy Van "Betsy" a tune-up and she's road ready again. Then we spent most the rest of the day at a carnival in Mills Park in Carson City. Mothers rode free and we had a $10 off coupon for an all day pass for Bruno. The lines were long - it took 15 minutes just to buy bottled water. I got sunburned and must have walked 5 miles. Then we went to WalMart and shopped over an hour. We had planned to eat out but by the time we got done with all that it was after 4 pm and I talked the guys into settling for pizza at home. My calories were way off, I only ate 1276 calories and 43 grams of protein - both woefully low as I only had breakfast and dinner with a bottle of wine. Today is going better, I'm getting more calories and protein. Got to try to stay anabolic!
I got a few photos at the carnival but they didn't turn out too good. Jerry manned the video camera-mistake! He filmed half of it holding the camera sideways which I didn't notice until I uploaded. I can fix it but it'll take an extra 15 minutes or so. Boo Hoo. I'm still relatively new to digital video. I started taking photos back in elementary school when I took a photography class.
The kittens have moved into the bathroom. As soon as they're litter box trained they'll have the run of the house. I can't wait, white kittens on my dark red rug, that should be a sight.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Excuses, Excuses...Time For Exercise If Nothing Else!
Photo Courtesy of iStockPhoto (I purchased rights to use).
As for the excuses, excuses part of this post, I want to let all my regular readers and commentors know I appreciate your patronage even though I haven't responded, or returned your visit with a visit to your site, or dropped an entrecard on you as of late. I have a good excuse or three. My son came down with a case of conjunctivitis early this week and I had to pick him up at school and keep him home two days. Not to mention the frustrations of eye drops 4 times a day. The kid won't open his eyes!
If you don't think having an active eight year old home all day and up half the night (he isn't sick so much as bored) isn't an excuse to neglect your webly duties you don't have kids. (Or maybe yours are well mannered! Mine thinks I'm his personal Jeeves!)
On top of that, I'm going around with a bottle of Clorox Anywhere spray and paper towels cleaning every surface he might touch like an obsessive compulsive. Hey, I don't want him to reinfect himself or infect us.
Reason three, or is that four, is my kittens have learned to climb and so we spend time babysitting them when they're out of their cage / den playing. I'm trying to keep them in their den as long as possible at night to protect them. So when I want them to stay inside I have to turn the den into a fortress with strategically placed pieces of cardboard (on cardboard they can't get traction and climb out). Soon they'll be spending nights in the bathroom where there's a litter box.
So, my limited time to myself these few days was spent working out. After his Daddy gets home from work at 2:30 pm he has been making Bruno water his garden and help with outdoor horsey work to give me time. (Normally Bruno is at school or on the bus from 7:50 am until 4:30 pm). I chose to work out instead of web surf...I have my priorities folks and my body trumps your websites. Sorry.
(Tip: the use of variables in weightlifting makes your workouts more effective by hitting more muscles and at different angles. For example, squats, calve raises, and lunges should be performed in wide stance, narrow stance, and medium stance. Calve raises can be done with toes straight, pointed out, and pointed in. Use of equipment like the BOSU, Urban Rebounder, Go Fit disc, uSurf, and a step change the height and stability (you want instability) of your work surface and recruit muscles in different ways. All these variables equal more muscle involvement and more muscle mass gain).
Monday I did a Chest & Back workout: 10 sets each of 15 - 35 reps of
1. Pull Ups (25 reps)
2. Push Ups on the Bosu (35 reps)
3. Back Rows with 15 pound dumbbells (15 reps - time to up the weight!)
4. Chest Presses with 45 pound bands (15 reps)
5. Lawn Mowers with 15 pound dumbbells (15 reps)
6. Chest Flyes with 45 pound bands (15 reps)
7. Pull Ups (20 reps)
8. Push Ups alternating one hand on the Go Fit Disc, one hand on the floor (15 reps per side, total 30 reps)
9. Back Rows with 15 pound dumbbells (15 reps)
10. Chest Flyes with 45 pound bands (15 reps)
REPEAT.
Tuesday - Leg Day was 10 sets each of lunges, squats, calf raises.
Set One
1. Sideways lunges one foot on the floor, lifted leg moved onto the Urban Rebounder,
(25 reps per leg)
2. Squats with 15 pound dumbell (25 reps)
3. Straight calf raises (45 reps)
Set Two
4. Front lunges onto Urban Rebounder (25 reps per leg)
5. Wall Squats, 20 second intervals per angle (5 reps each at two angles)
6. Calve raises (15 reps each of toes together, heels together, straight)
Set Three
7. Speed Skaters (25 reps per leg)
8, Squats on the Bosu (25 reps)
9. Straight calf raises on the Bosu (45 reps)
Set Four
10. Squats on the uSurf (20 reps)
11. Lunges on the uSurf (20 reps per leg)
12. Straight calf raises on the uSurf (30 reps)
Set Five
13. Deep Seat Squats on Urban Rebounder (25 reps)
14. Side Lunge / Side Kick (25 reps per side)
15. Loading Deck (25 reps per side with 15 pound dumbbell)
Set Six
16. Squats on Bosu (25 reps)
17. Front Lunge on Go Fit Disc (25 reps per leg)
18. Three angle calf raises (15 reps per angle)
Set Seven
19. Weighted squats (25 reps with 15 pounds)
20. Side lunge on Go Fit Disc (25 per leg)
21. Straight one-leg calf raises (15 per leg)
Set Eight
22. Squats with One Leg on the Go Fit Disc (20 per side)
23. Standing Lunges (25 per leg)
24. Three Angle Calf Raises at Two Speeds (15 slow per angle, 10 fast per angle)
Set Nine
25. Squats on the Bosu (20 reps)
26. Front Lunges onto Urban Rebounder (20 reps)
27. Straight calf raises at two speeds (15 reps each speed)
Set Ten
28. Wall Squats (same as number 5)
29. Speed Skaters (same as number 7)
30. Three angle calf raises (45 reps)
This workout was about 90 minutes with water breaks and the occasional interruption.
Wednesday was Ten Sets of Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders.
(Note: Muscle & Fitness magazine has a great training article "Fine Tune Your Delts" in the June 2008 issue. I started incorporating their minor adjustments and can really feel the difference. I rarely buy Muscle & Fitness Hers as it's incredibly skimpy compared to the original magazine and the training principles in the original are better suited to serious lifters).
Set One
1. Bench Dips (triceps - 25 reps)
2. Concentration Bicep Curls (15 pounds - 15 reps per arm)
3. Military Shoulder Press (20 pounds - 15 reps
Set Two
4. Overhead Trceps (12 per arm - 15 reps each)
5. Alternating Bicep Curl (15 pounds - 15 reps)
6. Side Lateral Shoulder Raise (12 pounds - 12 reps)
Set Three
7. Tricep Dumbbell Kickback (12 pounds - 12 reps per side)
8. Bicep Hammer Curls (15 pounds - 15 reps)
9. Upright Rows (15 pounds - 15 reps)
Set Four
10. Bench Dips (25 reps)
11. Dumbbell Curls with Lateral Rotation (15 pound - 12 reps)
12. 90 Degree Arnold Press (12 pounds per arm - 12 reps)
Set Five
13. Overhead Tricep Curls (12 pounds - 12 reps)
14. Incline Seated Hammer Curls (15 pounds - 12 reps)
15. Barbell Front to Overhead Raise (25 pound -12 reps)
Set Six
16. Tricep Dumbbell Kickback (12 pounds - 10 reps)
17. Alternating Hammer Curls and Front Curls (8 reps each - 12.5 pounds)
18. Lateral Shoulder Raises (12 pounds - 12 reps)
Set Seven
19. Bench Dips (20 reps)
20. Concentration Curls (15 pounds - 12 reps per arm)
21. Overhead Press (12 pounds - 10 rep sper arm)
Set Eight
22. Overhead Two Hand Tricep (20 pounds - 12 reps)
23. Power 90X Style Punch Curls (25 per side - 35 pound bands)
24. Upright Rows (15 pounds - 15 reps)
Set Nine
25. Tricep Kickbacks (12 pounds - 10 reps)
26. Alternate Hammer and Front Curls (15 pounds - 15 reps)
27. Dumbbell Press (12 pounds per arm - 12 reps)
Set Ten
28.Bench Dips (25 reps)
29. Dumbbell Curls with Lateral Rotation (15 pound - 12 reps)
30. 90 Degree Arnold Press (12 pounds per arm - 12 reps)
Thursday - Today will be my second leg day and pretty much a repeat of Tuesday's workout.
UPDATE: I did ten sets each of squats (25 reps per set), calves (45 reps per set), lunges (25 reps per set) with the variations listed above in my Tuesday workout but in a different order.
CALORIES! CALORIES! CALORIES!
Average nutrition on a weightlifting day: 1895 calories, 153 grams Protein (34 %), 138 grams carbs (25 %), 83 grams fat (41%).
On days where I combine weightlifting and aerobics I add some carbs: average 2205 calories, 150 grams protein, 205 gram carbohydrates, 80 grams fat.
And when time crunched like this week - or I'm on a mass gain mission - I always favor weightlifting over aerobics. Aerobics tends not to change your body shape the way building muscle mass does.
Foods eaten this week in no particular order: guacamole, peppers, tomatoes, salmon, eggs, cheese, protein powder, blackberries, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, spinach, round steak, double fiber English muffins, 100% whole wheat buns, tuna, chicken, corn tortillas, salsa, bananas, yogurt, celery, onions, strawberries, carrots, apples, Smart Balance mayo and margarine, flax oil, olive oil, olives, peanut butter, broccoli, green beans, squash,
beef roast, ginger snaps (only 5 at 130 calories) and PIZZA! (380 calories for 1/5 of pizza).
Beverages consumed are two cups of black coffee before breakfast, a gallon of ice water with lime juice, and a few glasses of wine in the evening. (Hey, I'm not a Spartan).
(My supplements are listed on my sidebar).
As for the excuses, excuses part of this post, I want to let all my regular readers and commentors know I appreciate your patronage even though I haven't responded, or returned your visit with a visit to your site, or dropped an entrecard on you as of late. I have a good excuse or three. My son came down with a case of conjunctivitis early this week and I had to pick him up at school and keep him home two days. Not to mention the frustrations of eye drops 4 times a day. The kid won't open his eyes!
If you don't think having an active eight year old home all day and up half the night (he isn't sick so much as bored) isn't an excuse to neglect your webly duties you don't have kids. (Or maybe yours are well mannered! Mine thinks I'm his personal Jeeves!)
On top of that, I'm going around with a bottle of Clorox Anywhere spray and paper towels cleaning every surface he might touch like an obsessive compulsive. Hey, I don't want him to reinfect himself or infect us.
Reason three, or is that four, is my kittens have learned to climb and so we spend time babysitting them when they're out of their cage / den playing. I'm trying to keep them in their den as long as possible at night to protect them. So when I want them to stay inside I have to turn the den into a fortress with strategically placed pieces of cardboard (on cardboard they can't get traction and climb out). Soon they'll be spending nights in the bathroom where there's a litter box.
So, my limited time to myself these few days was spent working out. After his Daddy gets home from work at 2:30 pm he has been making Bruno water his garden and help with outdoor horsey work to give me time. (Normally Bruno is at school or on the bus from 7:50 am until 4:30 pm). I chose to work out instead of web surf...I have my priorities folks and my body trumps your websites. Sorry.
(Tip: the use of variables in weightlifting makes your workouts more effective by hitting more muscles and at different angles. For example, squats, calve raises, and lunges should be performed in wide stance, narrow stance, and medium stance. Calve raises can be done with toes straight, pointed out, and pointed in. Use of equipment like the BOSU, Urban Rebounder, Go Fit disc, uSurf, and a step change the height and stability (you want instability) of your work surface and recruit muscles in different ways. All these variables equal more muscle involvement and more muscle mass gain).
Monday I did a Chest & Back workout: 10 sets each of 15 - 35 reps of
1. Pull Ups (25 reps)
2. Push Ups on the Bosu (35 reps)
3. Back Rows with 15 pound dumbbells (15 reps - time to up the weight!)
4. Chest Presses with 45 pound bands (15 reps)
5. Lawn Mowers with 15 pound dumbbells (15 reps)
6. Chest Flyes with 45 pound bands (15 reps)
7. Pull Ups (20 reps)
8. Push Ups alternating one hand on the Go Fit Disc, one hand on the floor (15 reps per side, total 30 reps)
9. Back Rows with 15 pound dumbbells (15 reps)
10. Chest Flyes with 45 pound bands (15 reps)
REPEAT.
Tuesday - Leg Day was 10 sets each of lunges, squats, calf raises.
Set One
1. Sideways lunges one foot on the floor, lifted leg moved onto the Urban Rebounder,
(25 reps per leg)
2. Squats with 15 pound dumbell (25 reps)
3. Straight calf raises (45 reps)
Set Two
4. Front lunges onto Urban Rebounder (25 reps per leg)
5. Wall Squats, 20 second intervals per angle (5 reps each at two angles)
6. Calve raises (15 reps each of toes together, heels together, straight)
Set Three
7. Speed Skaters (25 reps per leg)
8, Squats on the Bosu (25 reps)
9. Straight calf raises on the Bosu (45 reps)
Set Four
10. Squats on the uSurf (20 reps)
11. Lunges on the uSurf (20 reps per leg)
12. Straight calf raises on the uSurf (30 reps)
Set Five
13. Deep Seat Squats on Urban Rebounder (25 reps)
14. Side Lunge / Side Kick (25 reps per side)
15. Loading Deck (25 reps per side with 15 pound dumbbell)
Set Six
16. Squats on Bosu (25 reps)
17. Front Lunge on Go Fit Disc (25 reps per leg)
18. Three angle calf raises (15 reps per angle)
Set Seven
19. Weighted squats (25 reps with 15 pounds)
20. Side lunge on Go Fit Disc (25 per leg)
21. Straight one-leg calf raises (15 per leg)
Set Eight
22. Squats with One Leg on the Go Fit Disc (20 per side)
23. Standing Lunges (25 per leg)
24. Three Angle Calf Raises at Two Speeds (15 slow per angle, 10 fast per angle)
Set Nine
25. Squats on the Bosu (20 reps)
26. Front Lunges onto Urban Rebounder (20 reps)
27. Straight calf raises at two speeds (15 reps each speed)
Set Ten
28. Wall Squats (same as number 5)
29. Speed Skaters (same as number 7)
30. Three angle calf raises (45 reps)
This workout was about 90 minutes with water breaks and the occasional interruption.
Wednesday was Ten Sets of Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders.
(Note: Muscle & Fitness magazine has a great training article "Fine Tune Your Delts" in the June 2008 issue. I started incorporating their minor adjustments and can really feel the difference. I rarely buy Muscle & Fitness Hers as it's incredibly skimpy compared to the original magazine and the training principles in the original are better suited to serious lifters).
Set One
1. Bench Dips (triceps - 25 reps)
2. Concentration Bicep Curls (15 pounds - 15 reps per arm)
3. Military Shoulder Press (20 pounds - 15 reps
Set Two
4. Overhead Trceps (12 per arm - 15 reps each)
5. Alternating Bicep Curl (15 pounds - 15 reps)
6. Side Lateral Shoulder Raise (12 pounds - 12 reps)
Set Three
7. Tricep Dumbbell Kickback (12 pounds - 12 reps per side)
8. Bicep Hammer Curls (15 pounds - 15 reps)
9. Upright Rows (15 pounds - 15 reps)
Set Four
10. Bench Dips (25 reps)
11. Dumbbell Curls with Lateral Rotation (15 pound - 12 reps)
12. 90 Degree Arnold Press (12 pounds per arm - 12 reps)
Set Five
13. Overhead Tricep Curls (12 pounds - 12 reps)
14. Incline Seated Hammer Curls (15 pounds - 12 reps)
15. Barbell Front to Overhead Raise (25 pound -12 reps)
Set Six
16. Tricep Dumbbell Kickback (12 pounds - 10 reps)
17. Alternating Hammer Curls and Front Curls (8 reps each - 12.5 pounds)
18. Lateral Shoulder Raises (12 pounds - 12 reps)
Set Seven
19. Bench Dips (20 reps)
20. Concentration Curls (15 pounds - 12 reps per arm)
21. Overhead Press (12 pounds - 10 rep sper arm)
Set Eight
22. Overhead Two Hand Tricep (20 pounds - 12 reps)
23. Power 90X Style Punch Curls (25 per side - 35 pound bands)
24. Upright Rows (15 pounds - 15 reps)
Set Nine
25. Tricep Kickbacks (12 pounds - 10 reps)
26. Alternate Hammer and Front Curls (15 pounds - 15 reps)
27. Dumbbell Press (12 pounds per arm - 12 reps)
Set Ten
28.Bench Dips (25 reps)
29. Dumbbell Curls with Lateral Rotation (15 pound - 12 reps)
30. 90 Degree Arnold Press (12 pounds per arm - 12 reps)
Thursday - Today will be my second leg day and pretty much a repeat of Tuesday's workout.
UPDATE: I did ten sets each of squats (25 reps per set), calves (45 reps per set), lunges (25 reps per set) with the variations listed above in my Tuesday workout but in a different order.
CALORIES! CALORIES! CALORIES!
Average nutrition on a weightlifting day: 1895 calories, 153 grams Protein (34 %), 138 grams carbs (25 %), 83 grams fat (41%).
On days where I combine weightlifting and aerobics I add some carbs: average 2205 calories, 150 grams protein, 205 gram carbohydrates, 80 grams fat.
And when time crunched like this week - or I'm on a mass gain mission - I always favor weightlifting over aerobics. Aerobics tends not to change your body shape the way building muscle mass does.
Foods eaten this week in no particular order: guacamole, peppers, tomatoes, salmon, eggs, cheese, protein powder, blackberries, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, spinach, round steak, double fiber English muffins, 100% whole wheat buns, tuna, chicken, corn tortillas, salsa, bananas, yogurt, celery, onions, strawberries, carrots, apples, Smart Balance mayo and margarine, flax oil, olive oil, olives, peanut butter, broccoli, green beans, squash,
beef roast, ginger snaps (only 5 at 130 calories) and PIZZA! (380 calories for 1/5 of pizza).
Beverages consumed are two cups of black coffee before breakfast, a gallon of ice water with lime juice, and a few glasses of wine in the evening. (Hey, I'm not a Spartan).
(My supplements are listed on my sidebar).
Friday, May 2, 2008
Photo Friday: Cheese & Kittens
Below are photos of my latest iGourmet conquest. The 1.5 litter wine bottle and 2 cup measuring cup are just there to put the size of the box in perspective. Perishables are shipped in reusable foam coolers with reusable ice packs. (If I don't quit buying their products I'll need a new storage shed JUST for the free coolers and ice packs). I bought over 4 pounds of imported and domestic artisan cheeses on sale - including my beloved Cotswold. And received freebies - besides the cooler and ice packs - like an Italian Spongata, water crackers, ginger snaps, and a cheese knife.
The second set of photos are of the kittens new den. They outgrew their old space and needed more room to romp. Bruno can fit inside with them! The last photo is of their Grandmother Lexi standing guard on their 'roof'.
After I got the kennel cage assembled and decked out, Jerry said, "If anyone can build and run a cat house it's you. And you can quote me on that." Years ago my teenage cousin was visiting me on our horse farm in California where I had seventeen cats, some of which came in the house. She innocently said, "This is a regular cat house!" I laughed and she looked at me funny. I had to explain what 'cat house' meant.
More photos coming...
The second set of photos are of the kittens new den. They outgrew their old space and needed more room to romp. Bruno can fit inside with them! The last photo is of their Grandmother Lexi standing guard on their 'roof'.
After I got the kennel cage assembled and decked out, Jerry said, "If anyone can build and run a cat house it's you. And you can quote me on that." Years ago my teenage cousin was visiting me on our horse farm in California where I had seventeen cats, some of which came in the house. She innocently said, "This is a regular cat house!" I laughed and she looked at me funny. I had to explain what 'cat house' meant.
More photos coming...
Monday, April 28, 2008
Muscle Definition & Wacky Weekend
Momma Got Muscle
Jerry said I should post this photo because it shows off my hard work. Over a decade of bicep, tricep, and shoulder workouts got me some decent guns.
Anyhow, we had one of those wacky weekends where Jerry says he's ready to go back to work so he can get some rest. (This is funny because he's in construction / remodeling and his work is physically demanding). We never got any rest this weekend, it was go, go, go.
Loading Up Our Two New Storage Shed Frames (One is still in boxes)
I even had a weight workout planned for Sunday afternoon but had to postpone because we went out gallavanting because we got a deal on two huge 10 x 20 foot storage shed frames. We have seven out buildings now - not including our myriad 'storage' vans - but they're not enough.
Back in 2003 we bought the contents of a ceramic shop including four kilns, a potters wheel, twenty 5 gallon buckets of slip (liquid clay), a large lot of mosaic supplies, and over 2000 ceramic molds. Right now our ceramic studio is in dire need of cleaning because Jerry moved out of his 'office' so Bruno could have his own bedroom. Most of his office - which was crammed full to the rafters - ended up in the studio. (I'll take a photo of this chaos before he moves it into the new sheds).
Bruno and I also took over sixty photos this weekend and I'll post some here this week. Here's a few... Now excuse me, I have to try to empty my endless laundry basket. Every time I empty it, it magically fills back up.
I Is Cute!
These are our three and four week old kittens...named Sugar, Pepper, Lightning McQueen, Tijuana, Bijou, Chaos, Willsee, and Thunder. (Yes, one looks Siamese. Momma Karma is half Siamese and Grand Daddy Jay is full blood).
Jerry said I should post this photo because it shows off my hard work. Over a decade of bicep, tricep, and shoulder workouts got me some decent guns.
Anyhow, we had one of those wacky weekends where Jerry says he's ready to go back to work so he can get some rest. (This is funny because he's in construction / remodeling and his work is physically demanding). We never got any rest this weekend, it was go, go, go.
Loading Up Our Two New Storage Shed Frames (One is still in boxes)
I even had a weight workout planned for Sunday afternoon but had to postpone because we went out gallavanting because we got a deal on two huge 10 x 20 foot storage shed frames. We have seven out buildings now - not including our myriad 'storage' vans - but they're not enough.
Back in 2003 we bought the contents of a ceramic shop including four kilns, a potters wheel, twenty 5 gallon buckets of slip (liquid clay), a large lot of mosaic supplies, and over 2000 ceramic molds. Right now our ceramic studio is in dire need of cleaning because Jerry moved out of his 'office' so Bruno could have his own bedroom. Most of his office - which was crammed full to the rafters - ended up in the studio. (I'll take a photo of this chaos before he moves it into the new sheds).
Bruno and I also took over sixty photos this weekend and I'll post some here this week. Here's a few... Now excuse me, I have to try to empty my endless laundry basket. Every time I empty it, it magically fills back up.
I Is Cute!
These are our three and four week old kittens...named Sugar, Pepper, Lightning McQueen, Tijuana, Bijou, Chaos, Willsee, and Thunder. (Yes, one looks Siamese. Momma Karma is half Siamese and Grand Daddy Jay is full blood).
