TA Meta and everything else - Fall/Winter 2020

[eventmom]

yesterday - MR can't remember the title did half then some youtube cardio that was only so so
today - Kathy Smith cardio from project you 40 min. Sanda Hanna of Callanetics is doing a free zoom class at 2 so I'm going to jump into that.

buzzer - cleaning out sheds etc is major work! I hope LB likes her new space. We have so much to do so we can sell this house when we retire. Most days I manage to throw away or donate one thing and that's all I can do but it's not enough. It doesn't help that DH doesn't like to pick up or put things away. His ideal space would have everything out on a horizontal surface. Some of the projects I realize will not happen until we actually retire.

hi ebianco!

[ebianco]

Happy Friday all!

Well I was able to downgrade to a removable brace yesterday, so that totally changes things with exercise. I got the ok from the orthopedic to do cardio/legs/abs for now, and have to wear the brace for another month before a recheck, then hopefully can work my way back to weightlifting after that. I know it won't be immediate but she doesn't think I will need PT based on my extremely minor fracture. I feel REALLY lucky that I didn't have a more severe fracture. I am sure being fit and having healthy wrists (lots of plank, pushup, weight lifting, etc.) helped a lot! In fact my dr said since I am already fit, it should be much easier to get back to my previous level of fitness. I paid $65 for their brace (hopefully insurance will cover at least a portion but I had to sign a form in case they don't) and found basically the exact same brace on Amazon for $15 and purchased that one too. With my thought being I'll wear the brace they gave me for 24/7 except for working out, use the Amazon brace for working out only, and it can air out between workouts. And I can take a shower without the brace but otherwise am supposed to wear it 24/7. It is still extremely tender without the brace and I was rushing to get it back in after my shower today, but I'm sure it will improve. My overall arm feels SO much better because the brace isn't nearly as heavy as the cast I had on. I was starting to experience some real shoulder achiness, but it has subsided already.

So, today was my first workout day after a 1.5 week break. I did Firm Ballroom Aerobics about 25 minutes, then 10 Minute Solution Pilates, the abs and stretch chapters for an overall 45 minute workout. I plan to rotate cardio, abs, and barre legs and stick to my Wed-Thurs-Fri-Sat-Sun with Mon-Tues rest day schedule. Since I can't work my legs with hand weights anyway, I don't plan to bother with any traditional strength workouts at all. Anyway it was great to work out again. I can't wait to get back to Cathe and my Alphabet Tour when I'm back up to it, but glad to be working out. I was getting too used to being lazy and my mental energy and physical energy has already improved, after just one workout! Typing is way easier too in a brace than the cast was although I still get fatigued.

Thank you both for your well wishes!!!

Eventmom The free Callanetics zoom class sounds fun, I hope it was great! I may end up adding in Classical Stretch/Essentrics and even TA unweighted arms for variety over the next month.

Buzzer All your Linda Lounge Room series workouts sound fun! I will likely end up doing a lot more Barlates style workouts over the next month, especially her mat work except plank/pushup of course. Although I can do elbow planks!

My situation with my sister hasn't gotten better yet, unfortunately. Our current circumstances have us in very close quarters but that should resolve over the next couple of months, if not sooner, ugh. It is hard to see your family make bad decisions (especially repeatedly) but at this point with me, I feel like my interjecting and advice has just made things worse, so the space will be really good for both of us. Your parents sound a lot like my sister, plenty of choices but feel like they only have one option. I'm glad to hear you'll have more space from it all too!! At some point you have to put yourself first. I have always been a people pleaser and it's hard to do that, as I am sure it is for you, but it is really all you can do, and should do at this point. I am trying to see it as an opportunity to take better care of myself, and not a failure at a relationship. I would never trust a verbal agreement and not follow up in writing. I hope it doesn't burn them.

[Buzzer]

Body Beast Arms bulk... DONE!
Leslie 5 really big miles (just 4, and they weren't so big)... DONE!

I walked the first mile with them, then during mile 2 and 3 would alternate walking with them and doing my sets. It is a good way to do my workout. PLUS, I was thinking, Firm is aerobics and weight training, which is supposed to be "far superior" (said in my best Carolina accent). So I am, in a way, doing Firm

I am trying to stress relieve, reduce inflammation in my body... which I read can also be caused by hard workouts... and center myself. So I am keeping it more gentle. I remember Ebianco suggesting I go easier, and me thinking that doing still hard but lower impact workouts was going easier. Now I am realizing that I need to relax while I workout, enjoy it, and see it as movement and maintenance rather than pushing myself forward and trying to improve my cardio and push up my reps or weight. I have actually gone down in dumbbell weight and my cardio is more just to move. Sometimes a little winded, but not pushing my limits.

I ate way over my calories yesterday, DH and I went out to eat hamburgers, fries and a glass of wine while LB was at kids night out. However, I set my goal for 7 months because I knew there would be days I would do this. So, even that I'm more relaxed about!!!

Today will probably be just cardio.

So Eugene has been waking us up to go outside at least one or two times a night. Yesterday when I took him out, he pooped twice. The first time it was slimy, the second time he had some drips of blood come out. I called the vet right away, and they suspected he has a gut imbalance from the stress and medicines he's been on. I took in a sample, and sure enough, he has what is the equivalent of c-diff in people. Too many antibiotics. So I gave him chicken and rice for dinner last night, plus some dinovite, and DH was up with him during the night taking him out twice. I feel bad he did, but I have taken him out the last few nights, and he has an easier time getting to sleep after than I do, so I am OK with it!

Today I pick up medicine for THAT, and she said it works pretty quick. I will feed him the chicken and rice and dinovite for a while though. Poor dude. He's going through so much!

Hopefully this is it for him though.

Yesterday I spent going through the living room and putting things that we have had on display that we don't need to, into a box. It will go to the shed. I talked to DH at dinner about how I try very hard not to touch his stuff since I have been warned in the past, and suddenly he's all "I don't really have attachments to stuff" and I'm all "what the h*ll???" so I will take a deep breath, let go of the past 15 years of him not wanting to get rid of things, and instead take advantage of his current words and get stuff outta here.

We have zero room, and have had this huge, like 4 foot wide glass curio cabinet in our living room for all this time, and last night he looked at it and at first proclaimed "It's not ALL mine". Well duh, we have our wedding topper in there and champagne glasses. The rest is his. Then he looked at it all and said "The dragons are pretty cool. But the rest I don't really care about." So it's been here 15 years and now suddenly it hasn't meant anything all along???????? ugh.

I will take a deep breath, let it go, and take him at his current word. So frustrating.

So yesterday was moving stuff out, today will be getting dog medicine and moving more stuff out and throwing stuff away. I was going through our laundry room/pantry, and finding little things like a square tile keychain holder, random nails and screws, keys to things we probably don't own anymore, business cards, vacuum parts to vacuums we don't own anymore... it's all going away. If we need it, we aren't going to look in the laundry room. Or, it has been in there so long, we apparently don't need it. So it's gone.

I dropped off LB at kids night out, and I am friends with the girl that works there. We were friends before she worked there, so it's fun to see her. She asked what I was going to do, I told her I was going through things. She said "Still? You've been doing that a long time!!!" I feel like it's peeling layers off an onion.

Now I'm finally getting to the core, and will hold DH to his current word!!! Whoo hoo!! Feels like freedom!!

Ebianco: good to see you back! I get so frustrated at how much Doctors charge for things like a wrist wrap, when I know I can get it so much cheaper. However, they kinda have you over a barrel when you are there to get it. I hope your insurance pays for it!! It's like the old adage of paying $20 for one Tylenol at the hospital. you can get it cheaper, but when you are at the hospital you don't have a choice so they charge whatever the heck they want to. Oh well. I am glad you can workout now!! What a relief. Feels like a huge first step!

So funny, when I was looking for workouts to do yesterday I was looking for ballroom aerobics. I couldn't find it just with my initial look (I rearranged all my DVD's to make them easier to find. HA!) so I went with Leslie. I love ballroom aerobics though!

I am working on myself, thanks to you!! I talked to DH last night also about my parents. I was surprised how many times I told him I need to let go and not concern myself with their decisions, and how I meant it. That not only surprised me, but felt really good. I need to let them do their thing and not fight it so hard.

Sorry you are involuntarily in the midst of the sister thing. By this time next year it should be a memory and you can look back and hopefully have peace that you did what you could do and now it's up to her.

Lots of personal work for us this year I suppose!!

Eventmom: So are you subscribed to the Callanetics site? that sounds really fun to do a live class! Although, I know they can't see you, I would be afraid they could. How cool though! I hear ya about the unfinished projects on horizontal surfaces. I feel like everything is on display, and I need to figure out how to control that one. He has this amazingly messy desk, piled with whatever, and it takes up one whole wall of the kitchen/quasi dining area. He hasn't touched it in.... geez, a year or two. I am so tempted to just go through and throw it all away. Maybe I will. Plus the kitchen peninsula. Oh, and the table. Men have a way of wanting to display everything, and not caring!! HA!

[Buzzer]

looooong walk... like 3 1/2 or 4 miles... with my sister and LB... DONE!

So my sister called at 7am and asked what we were doing yesterday. I told her working on the garage... she said she and her husband would be over to help. WHOO HOO! So they came over and helped alllllll day!! So while my BIL helped with the garage, my sister and I hung out. We cleaned out the shed so LB could have her half, and made a couch out of some plastic bins and the cushion from the dog kennel. Then moved in the rocking chair and a side table. My sister hung up some pictures/artwork we had in the shed stored, and LB has a pretty large (IMO) about 150 square feet of space to hang out in. Next step she sweeps the floor and we will get her a throw rug. There's still some spiffying up to do, rearranging of boxes, I have some bunny statues from looooong ago that I want to give to goodwill when LB isn't around (she wants to hold on to them).

We were high-fiving ourselves and decided to take a walk to go see the horse. It ended up in a long walk and seeing the horse twice. It was nice though. We didn't power walk, just a nice leisurely walk, and talked. LB actually went the whole walk and didn't complain!!!

I ended the day with like 16k steps. Lots of working out for a non-working out day.

DH and BIL ended up getting quite a bit done on the garage, so that was great! Today is another garage day. I will help though. Starting Thursday through Saturday we are set to get about 10" of snow, so I am hoping that since it's spread over 3 days it won't be a huge issue and maybe most of it will melt as it falls. Then more snow about 3 or 4 days later. March is our snowiest month, and it's kinda shaping up to be again. Stinks when we have a garage to build.

So I talked to DH and told him that for as long as the garage is taking, I think I am over wanting a house. I still hate this house and would gladly knock it down with a bulldozer if the opportunity arises, however after building the garage, I don't want to do a house. By the time the house is built, we won't need it. We have needs right NOW, and when the house is done, we won't need what we need right now. Plus with my parents moving away, I was hoping we could take over a holiday when they passed away, but now they are moving away instead and in our current house we can't fit all the family. That's another more immediate I want/need, and have to let go of it. By the time we build a house, all that will be meshed out and we are forever locked into traveling an hour each way for every holiday.

So, I have to let go of that, and in the process also let go of the huge table I have that I have been holding onto for the day we can host guests. The table can have 8 people around it, and we have two or three extra leafs (sp?) that we can add to have up to like 16 people around it.... so it can be huge! But I don't think we need it. I believe I will be taking time to sell it and get something smaller for us three.

Letting go is hard.

Dh did tell my BIL he may have someone else build the outside walls of the house when the time comes, however he told me no WAY when I suggested it before, so either he's coming around or he just told BIL that so they could stop talking about it. DH said he still wants to build a house. I'm at the point where that makes me roll my eyes. Talk about consuming the rest of LB's childhood.

I am glad to get the garage though, glad we cleared out part of the shed for LB to have some room, glad to get rid of a LOT of things, and glad to have a nice visit from my sister. Overall, a good day yesterday!

Waves to you guys, I hope you are having a good weekend!

[eventmom]

Yesterday - MR strong for life part b + 20 min TA cardio express
today - Caribbean aerobics yoga then jumped my horse. Would like to add on something but I went and got hay and don't know when my 'boarder' will be by to unload the hay.

well the zoom class from callanetics was being sponsored by someone and the password I had didn't work. So slightly disappointed.

ebianco- great news about your cast! I'm sure you'll find good fun workouts. Sorry about the sister drama. My brother is the difficult family member. I finally just say sympathetic things but try to stay as uninvolved as possible - it's not easy sometimes.

buzzer - oh my! You are being much nicer about having crap stuck in your house for 15 years than I would be. Of course I got stopped in my truck today because my tag was out of date (needed a new one in May) DH usually does that but nope, came home found two new insurance cards and my registration sticker stuck in his pile of paperwork that lives on our kitchen bar where he puts things to 'not forget about it" -- ah,, lucky I didn't get ticket. If he didn't want to do that stuff I wish he'd have told me.

It is a huge process to let go of stuff. First, you have to be okay with letting go of it, Then you have to actually find a way to get rid of it. I had a mattress that was too big for my new trailer, tried to sell it, tried to give it away (I had to drive it up to OKC) finally someone bought it for way less than I was asking. I was so relieved to see it GONE. But it is an emotional and physical process. I have some much decluttering to handle but just not doing it. I hope when you get the garage done it helps make the house seem more habitable.

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

Catching up from yesterday-Simone rebounding first two dance tunes and Pure Barre Results Abs for a 65 minute workout.

Today 2 mile run on the treadmill, and Barlates 5 Best Exercises DVD, the standing abs, thighs, and glute chapters. I was running out of time because some family came over this afternoon, otherwise I would have tackled another chapter or two. Overall a 55 minute workout. I plan to revisit this DVD for sure in the upcoming weeks! I liked that they were fast moving but effective.

Even though it was only a three day week, I still plan to take my regular two rest days and start again on Wednesday. I don't want to get out of my routine.

Eventmom I'm sorry you weren't able to get into the Callanetics zoom class!

I am definitely trying to work actively on staying uninvolved. I'm usually one to always mend things over, but now I'm just trying to stay out of the drama. I was able to fill up my family love tank today with a really great visit with my parents.

Buzzer That sounds like a wonderful visit with your sister, and work done on the garage!!

Doctors really do have you over a barrel because what are you going to do, walk out of the office without a brace and wait a day for it to come from Amazon? Hopefully insurance will cover at least some of it.

It is really nice to be able to work out again. I just love that Ballroom Aerobics. I'll definitely be getting a ton of aerobics in, like every single day, because the focus will not be on weight lifting for a while. I had really cleaned up my eating too, until this weekend But I'm generally going in a better direction.

I really mean it now too about not concerning myself with her decision, or interjecting. It is kind of difficult because so different than what I am used to doing, but it is also a huge relief! We won't be in such close circumstances hopefully within the next couple of weeks. I am so happy about that!

[eventmom]

TLT strength in movement I think this is my favorite of the TLTs and the only one I've kept. It is similar to the Fitprimes but no annoying tall box. I want to like the FPs but the tall box work makes me crazy, I don't have one, don't want one and trying to modify that much annoys me.

ebianco - it is tough with family sometimes. Glad you had a good visit with your parents. Sorry about the brace, I have been in that situation and it seems like whatever I do it ends up costing too much and not working the way the dr said it would.

hi buzzer!

[Buzzer]

Pure Barre Results Abs... DONE!

I did not do it like they do it. I didn't lift my leg up as high, I didn't go on my toes, I tried to tuck and scoop as much as possible, but I haven't done barre in so long that I think it isn't there (for now). I liked it though! I didn't feel out of breath or like I did too much. I did it just right for me. It did make my right hip sciatica achey, not to the point where it was bad, just enough that I knew it was there and felt like I needed to stretch a lot for the rest of the day.

I still have all of the results, but this is the only one I have on DVD. I don't have the ability to play the other ones on my TV, so I looked on eBay and they had one that was just "results" with no picture from a thrift store for $10 (free shipping) and am hoping it's one that is not abs (since I already have it). I might figure out how to burn them onto DVD so I at least have them.

So the sister I had over this weekend decided to pick a fight with me over something super duper stupid ... she was offended by the subtitle of a video I sent her... she thought I was slamming Catholics, which she is a rabidly devoted Catholic and I am not, and she is angry at me for not being one and not having LB as one.... long story, but a topic I try to avoid. I didn't even READ the subtitle before I sent it to her and my other sister. She stooped to calling me names, telling me my friends are spreading hate because they have watched the video and talk about it, and all sorts of drama. It was crazy. So I went into my workout in tears. So that was the level I started at, which I'm sure didn't make me real energetic to do the workout with much gusto.

It was weighing on my most of the day. Here we had a great time, then she attacks me quite brutally over the subtitle of a video. Just seemed so petty.

Anyhow, LB and I ended up doing school and karate yesterday. I felt like we got a lot done. DH came in with spray cans of foam hinting at us to work on the garage, which I have planned for us to do today. So school is cancelled today so we can spray foam the garage.

We are expecting about 24" of snow over 5 days starting on Thursday. I am excited, DH is annoyed because... well, garage... LB is excited. I spent yesterday rearranging our schedule to not have any appointments during the 5 days. So we are ready, which means it'll be 2" and done. HAHA!!

Eventmom: I am now excited to get rid of crap. We have what I call the "pretties cabinet" full of statues and whatevers that I married in to, and during the snow I intend to wrap it all in paper and put it in a box. Then it's next move will be the thrift store. I will see if I can sell the cabinet. I am already working on putting things in boxes and getting it out!! While it snows I plan on working in the house like a mad woman, getting rid of stuff. So much to go through, and I want to do it before he changes his mind! I am worried that it will be hard to sell things, I am reading in FB groups that people are having trouble selling things right now. Which I think is weird since the housing market is on fire right now, with people moving you'd think they need stuff. However, I suppose they are also getting rid of stuff before they move, so maybe that's why.

Ebianco: I thought of you when I picked Results: abs! That was a fun workout. Even with my slacker self doing it, it was tough! I loved it. I'm glad the end is in sight for your sister to move out. We have always been disappointed that my estranged sister always picked her friends over family, but after yesterday and all that is going on with my parents, I was thinking "I suddenly get it."

Friends have less drama, are more forgiving, and don't pick fights over stupid things. Family seems to think they can do whatever they want and you need to agree with what they do/are doing. Yet if they don't agree with what I'm doing, they are free to argue or pick at me for it. I guess family members feel like they have more control over you. I don't know. But yesterday made me appreciate friends more and family less! Too much drama. I hate drama yet I am constantly sucked into it!

[eventmom]

CS athletes intense stretch

buzzer - I think that affluent people whose incomes were unaffected by the pandemic are buying houses but they are not probably buying things at thrift stores etc and probably already own a home and have stuff. The resale market (ebay etc) is very slow, I gave up selling things. It's good time to buy! But many people used the pandemic to declutter, so there is glut of stuff out there in the resale market and low income people were harder hit by the pandemic so.... Great job on the decluttering I really hope it makes your house easier to live in!

hi ebianco!

[Buzzer]

Walked with Leslie about 3 miles... DONE!

I actually kicked it up to a jog, as much as I can in my workout room. I just kinda follow along with what she is doing with the volume turned down and my podcasts on. It was good!

About 30 something minutes, then I did some abs with the stick like Squeeze Stronger, and some Callanetics stretches. Total about 40 minutes of workout.

I wasn't good with watching my calories yesterday.... or any day since Thursday... so maybe today is the day I get back on track. I plan on it! I did drink all my water all those days, so I will say that's a win.

In the podcast I listened to, it said to have the person you want to be give advice to the you now. So I am working on that today. I think that could be good, actually! I wonder why I haven't thought of that before?

So we spent yesterday foaming the garage, then homeschool gym (which was just playground time since the gym organizers were not there), karate then ate dinner. It was the fastest day ever I swear! Before we knew it, it was 8pm. We had about 2" of snow overnight (I had no idea it was going to snow last night!) and now the predictions are about 3 feet over the weekend. I am sure we will lose power so today I am going to go get things like premade cold coffee, chicken to make a huge pot of chicken soup for us to eat if the power goes out, batteries, and anything else we need. I am planning for the power to go out.

I have heard we can get up to 5 feet, and that this may rival the snowstorm of 2003 when there was 7 feet up here. So we are ready for anything. This makes me grateful we bought an old ATV with a snowplow on it! We will be using it a lot over the next few days!

Eventmom: that makes sense. I hadn't thought about people decluttering during their shut in! I may try to sell anyhow, and if it does't sell just donate and take the write off. I'm tired of stuff. Last night I was looking at a space of my house that I have already worked on, and thought how nice it looked. I would love to look at pretty much anywhere in the house and think that!!

Ebianco: hope you are doing well!!