Jessica Smith and Friends 2020

[Leonana]

Sunday was a rest day. Today was WS2 Have a Ball. My right hand is still bothering me, so I did it without the ball. I now know I can't paint two days in a row, and have to take a rest day in between. I also have to use my left hand a lot more on my IPhone.

I don't think we're going to have a lockdown after May 15, even with new cases. People are already getting out more, the stores are more crowded. I doubt that people in our state will continue to follow it any longer even if it's extended. I hope it doesn’t mean a spike in cases. And our governor just announced hair salons and barbers can open Friday, May 8, and restaurants on May 11. That was surprising.

Donna, I think my problem is that I don't work outside the home. I had certain activities planned each week so I could get out and connect with people. I'm an introvert, but I have to have connection, or I get depressed and anxious. But I’m hanging in there, some days are better than others.

wishiwasinhawaii, I enjoyed Have A Ball too. It's a great workout, just the right intensity.

[donnamp]

Hi Everyone,

Today's workout was:

Jessica Valent - Rolling Workout - this was 45 minutes - but it didn't seem to drag as some other workouts can. I don't know what it is about Jessica's workouts, it is probably her physical therapy background, but I almost always feel better after I do them - more aligned or something.

I will see what I can add on today - if it doesn't rain a walk for sure.

Sherry -I understand, even though I'm stuck at home, I'm still busy and following my "work routine" M-F so it gives me some structure as well as contact with other people. I'm not sure how I would handle things if I didn't have that structure.

wishiwasinhawaii - I don't know what is in store for us when work re-opens, my hope is a staggered schedule so that the office is not packed to capacity each day. I agree what you said about living like a hermit and I apply it to the bigger picture of - if we are going to re-open prematurely, we shouldn't have shut down in the first place b/c everything that we feared that would happen if we didn't shut down will happen. And, I think it less about the death rate from the virus (which isn't that high, statistically) but the hospitals and healthcare system being overwhelmed - and if that happens, people who would have recovered are likely to die simply b/c they will not be able to get life saving treatment. It is very upsetting.

So, I officially accepted the job transfer and now I have to tell my boss. I just sent her a message - she appears off line right now. We also have our team meeting this morning - I can't decide if it is better to tell her before or after. I guess I'll see if she messages me back before the meeting or not.

Hope everyone has a good day!

Donna

[Leonana]

I was really tried today, so decided to take a rest day. I hadn't slept well for a couple of days, but I did sleep well last night. But I'm still tired.

I did finally brave Costco. I hadn't been there in three months! It wasn't very crowded, which was nice. Costco now requires all customers to wear masks, so that made me feel a bit safer. It made a lot of people angry, saying their rights are being violated. They posted about it on Costco's FB page, threatening to boycott. I guess they did, because it wasn't as crowded as in the past. And I found paper towels! I was so excited, lol.

Donna, it's my hope that our hospitals can handle any surges and that they will soon have the PPE they need. I think the shut down was still a good thing, even if lifted prematurely. It has given the hospitals more time to prepare. Not enough time most likely, but at least some. But to be completely frank, I don't see how our economy can withstand more than one month of a shut down. Maybe if they would quit bailing out big business and send all the money to us, but I highly doubt that's ever going to happen. Now I'm getting political, lol.

[donnamp]

Hi Everyone,

This morning was:

Get Healthy U - Body Weight Workout - Challenge Day 5 - Barre Strong - Body Weight HIIT. This looked interesting so I gave it a go. It wasn't bad - I followed Chris for modifications - no jumping, modified burpees, etc. It was 30 minutes and good for a change of pace.

Blessful Body - Inner Core workout - I had done this one before, I really like Ky for when I want a gentler Pilates/Yoga inspired workout.

DD and I walked yesterday - hopefully we can today, it is raining, but maybe we can get out in between showers.

My boss was ok with it - I'm working on a transition plan - my new boss wants me to start the day after Memorial Day - with maybe June as a transition month where I'm doing a little bit of both - it will be interesting to "train" since there is very limited staff in the office. I guess most of my "training" is going to be remote. I'm not sure when we will be in the office full time again.

The good news is my new boss has a good reputation so I'm hoping to get the support that I lacked when I started my last job!

Sherry - Yes, I hope the hospitals and healthcare systems are ready - in case there is a surge in new cases. I'm hoping I can work mainly from home for the foreseeable future. I'm pretty ok with not going out - we have been doing instacart and curbside pick up for groceries, etc. School closures are supposed to end here on May 15th, but I don't think they are opening for the rest of the year. And, I don't know what next school year is going to hold, particularly if this makes a comeback in the fall/winter flu season. I hope at some point MVA can open so my DD can get her license. I don't know what summer is going to look like - my DD was going to be a counselor at the barn where she rides, but I'm wondering if they will have a summer camp this year.

waves, wishiwasinhawaii!

Donna

[wishiwasinhawaii]

I thought I posted yesterday but I guess I didn't hit 'submit'!

Yesterday was Tone and Flow and today will be Stepping Strength, which I will do later. Jessica posted a new challenge today called Core Week and said she'll be posting a Summer of Strength in June. It's so nice she does this. Give us something to look forward to and I like being able to use the DVDs I have. The weather is cold and it looks like it's going to rain, so I'm staying in.

Donna, I totally agree with what you said yesterday about opening everything up too soon. Where I live, the governor has said he has no plans to reopen non-essential businesses while the number of cases is still so high here, so it doesn't seem I'll be going back to the office in the near future, which is fine with me. It's going to be tough for offices to open because I know where I work, we all sit very close to each other, certainly less than 6 feet. We sit in cubicles so unless they reconfigure everything, which would be a huge expense, we're all better off staying home.

I'm sure you'll have to do both jobs for awhile. Where I work, there's a two week limit on that. Glad to hear you'll be getting a better boss! That really makes all the difference. My boss has been less of a micromanager since we started working from home. I think it's because she's busy with her kids, but it's been so nice!

Both of my nephews are working for Instacart now because that is the only job they could find since so many businesses are closed. My older nephew was supposed to do a summer internship in Virginia, but it was canceled due to COVID. The younger one was supposed to be a caddy at a golf course, but caddies are not allowed now. Schools here are not reopening and there has been no announcements about how they're going to handle graduation yet. I'm assuming it will be some type of online ceremony.

Sherry, Glad to hear you had a successful Costco trip! I don't understand why some people think wearing masks is some sort of violation of rights. It has to do with public health and safety, not control. Sigh...

[Leonana]

I guess I'm a week behind on Calm and Strong, doing week three. Jessica's email said the new Core Control schedule starts Monday. But I've realized I need to rest my forearms, wrists and hands an additional week. So, I'm going to do some of the cardio from Calm and Strong, until next week. Today I'm going to do the cardio from the Fusion dvd.

wishiwasinhawaii, I'm glad those people stayed home from Costco, I got my paper towels, lol.

Donna, I'm glad everything is going smoothly for your new job. That's great your new boss had a good reputation.

[donnamp]

I keep thinking about doing Calm & Strong! But maybe I'll do core week since it is only one week, LOL!

I just haven't been in the mood for a formal plan lately.....

Donna

[donnamp]

Hi Everyone,

Today I tried another from the Get Healthy U TV Body Weight challenge - it was Mat Pilates 2 - it used a towel (I used a yoga strap) as a prop and was an athletic take on Pilates exercises. It was a nice one for a change of pace. This Body Weight Challenge is pretty good! I wonder how long the workout links will work for me? I may go back and try some of the other workouts in the challenge that I missed. The most "dread" full one being the Coming Down the Ladder workout.

Oh - I also did a quick 7 Min workout from Lucy Wyndham Read's You Tube channel to warm up - but as it turned out, I didn't really need to since the first half of Mat Pilates 2 is done standing!

Yesterday DD and I took a walk with the dogs in the evening. The weather looks nice so we will be doing that again today.

Our Governor is talking about relaxing restrictions and moving into Phase 1 of re-opening. I guess the numbers they are looking at are hospitalizations because our case count has been a steady rise since this all started - I see no flattening of the curve in that regard. Oh well - I guess there is not much we can do about it other than to take the precautions that we feel are appropriate for ourselves.

Oh - our schools have now officially closed for the rest of the year. I think they are trying to come up with a plan for next year - which I don't think will involve having all students in the buildings at once. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. I'm lucky in that my DD will be a senior next year, and once MVA opens up she can get her license - but for parents with little ones, I don't know how it is going to work for them with having on/off school days - staggered schedules, etc. I hope workplaces will be accommodating to these parents to the extent they can - I know many jobs can't be teleworked, but I hope that employers will offer that option when they can. It would be tough to have little kids and deal with these schedule shifts.

When I eventually do go back to the office, I'm thinking about going back to Jessica Smith's rotations - maybe working through all my DVD sets. Or maybe following the ones she posts on her site. Her rotations are so varied, workouts are usually 30 minutes long (perfect for when busy with commuting and all the other fun that comes with going back to the office) and I end up getting a well rounded workout plan without having to think too hard about it. I may start with the 30 day walk plan and do it over 60 days with Pilates/Ellen inserted every other day. Then I may move on to Walk Strong 1, 2 and 3. Or maybe I'll do the rotations she has posted on her site.

Hope everyone has a good day!!!

Donna

[Leonana]

There wasn’t a cardio that I wanted to do in Calm and Strong, so I did the Latin Dance Walk from the WO 3 dvd set. It’s a good low impact workout with some different moves.

I found holding my shoulders back and down really helps with my hand. I think I strained my shoulder painting, more than anything else.

I’ve been listening to the NPR Planet Money podcast about the virus and the economy. It’s really interesting and informative. They are very good about presenting both sides without judgment. Basically, what I’m getting out of it is that the government has not helped enough, so people are forced to go back to work. The last episode was about Georgia opening up.

Donna, I love the rotations, but muscle strain always sidelined me. Although, this time was due to painting and not workouts! I just got some more Hado Labo sunscreen, it is my favorite. I’m thinking of trying some Inkey List products, specifically the Niacinimide.

[donnamp]

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday after work DD and I walked the dogs - so that was good. I have been putting in a lot of extra hours lately b/c it is our busy season and there are a lot of emergencies surrounding COVID that come up that need to be dealt with. I'm starting my new job on 6/8 (I think that is the Monday - our pay periods start on Sunday). And it will be interesting - b/c I don't think we will be back in the office yet so learning new things remotely will be interesting. The good news is my new boss has a great reputation of being a good person so fingers crossed. I keep having bouts of self-doubt since I will be doing new things that I haven't done before - but, I also need to remember that is why I applied for the job in the first place. Whew. Another job came up on the transfer list yesterday and it was one I would have applied for had this one not come up first - that one is more in line with my current experience, so it would have been a much easier transition with far less self doubt - but...I also would not be learning many new things. Calm and Centered....LOL!

Anyway -sorry to ramble.

This morning I did a bit of a mix:

Jessica Valent - Lunge workout - which was exactly what it says - about 7-8 minutes of various lunges. She said on her calendar to repeat it 2-3X, but I hate repeating...so....I did..

Lucy Wyndham Read - 7 min glute workout - I really like these little workouts - she usually does 7 moves in 7 minutes - all body weight - but really does seem to hit the spot.

Blessful Body - Barre workout - this was a "light" barre routine. Ky is very gentled but I think it ends up being sneakily effective.

Sherry - I did that Latin Dance workout a few months ago - I think I went through all of those from the first set of walking workouts Jessica did. Those were good ones. I keep thinking about getting back into Jessica's workouts but then I rebel against the structure. I think once I go back to work I will want more structure....I'm also trying to make use of my paid subscriptions - if I go back to Jessica I will probably let a few of them lapse! Skin care - I'm bored with my routine - LOL! But, I really want to use up what I have and I don't know what I want to try - nothing expensive and nothing with fragrance. Although I'm not allergic to fragrance, the smell of things on my face really bothers me......

waves, wishiwasinhawaii!

I think it is going to be cold here tomorrow - like high of maybe 50. It also looks like it is getting dreary today.

Donna