Nerd Alert..Video Gaming with Exercise???

My husband found a new game that has upped the exercise factor for our whole house.  I am shocked and awed and just downloaded the game for myself.  We put in a mile tonight.  David spend hours (yup..hours) walking around town today playing the (stupid?) game.  The game called Ingress is set up on GPS.  You pick sides (please please if you download it pick pick the enlightened team so we can play for the same team as we bandies after all have to stick together)..anyhow..the way it works:

you download this thing on your android phone.  you walk around picking up energy and finding portals.  You fight (by pointing your phone and pushing buttons) to control these portals.  Portals are nominated by players and are supposed to be interesting things to see (I like this).  There are two teams.  David and I are playing on the same one so we can work together to control portals now I am going to say this is easier than it sounds..the action part is easy..just point and click.  The taking over not so easy as a bunch of people riding around in cars, bikes an don foot are battling with you to also take control.

1.  The games gives you entertainment and gets us away form the house.
2.  The game I.D.s spots of interest in towns.  So far I have seen the tallest barber pole, the fire, library and post office in the small towns near mine,Various university buildings, a hiking trail head that I didnt know was there, pretty buildings in the park near me.
3.  We are taking our droids to Napa for Spring break..I wonder if there will be any cool portals down there?

You have to request an invitation.  I got a reply in about 3 weeks and got set up tonight.  David has put in for a portal for my shop..so i will have one on the front porch (funny eh?).

Frapp update:

I won't lie I have had a few but..the big But is..I don't crave them anymore (thank goodness).  I have some sort of drinky for breakfast still but it varies.  Sometimes a home-made protein drink, sometimes a latte, sometimes the frapp, and sometimes hot tea.

My weight:  still up and down between 177-180  (lifes a bitch on that score). Perhaps exercise will create some kind of change?  We are planning on getting out and about downtown tomorrow.

I will take photos of the strange landmarks we find.

xxxooo

6 Days

I am still on the Frapp wagon.  I cracked just one time and had my free one but quite unlike me normally (well at least lately)  I went back to my goal and did not have another.  I thought mornings were going to be the most difficult time of the day for this but its is my 2pm in the afternoon treat that has proved to be.  I had a Jones-ing bad for my fapp yesterday.  I was really tired and even following a short nap in my chair in the shop (less than 15 minutes)  I was still ...NEEDING my frapp.  I even went so far as to as Grace to run to the store and get me one (hey at least I didn't ask her to steal change from her college fund!).  She took a while to get her shoes on and thankfully I came to my senses  while I waited and had her get me a latte instead with just sweetener.  Calorie crisis averted.

I have been too busy to get on the scale.  It had come to a bit of a halt earlier this week but I am really tired and my ankles have started the swell up towards TOM so I kind of doubt I will see much.  I do hope this comes to something though.

Oh..did I say I would be gone for a few months???

xxxooo

Long Time NO...

I am going to be missing for a few months.  I will try and pop In but can't make promises.  It is of my own doing.  I am and always have been a glutton for work.  The store is going great but not paycheck worthy great. I do have a hubby who brings home most of the bacon but I have my own bills to pay and a Community College that is very kind, and likes me.  I called about Spring term to pick up a class.  They asked for Winter and Spring..I said yes.  So this is what I have been doing for the last few months.

1.  Mon, Wed. -Take Grace to school do paper work while she is in classes.  Home at 1pm finish grading or clean house.  4:30 pm  Drive Grace to Riding carry on to Community College to teach Math until 9pm.
2.  Tuesday-Store is open from 10-9pm.  I host crafty group in the morning, tutor a high school student for an hour then teach a class in PM..do the customer thing and paperwork in between.  I host the crafty group in the evening
3.  Thursday-Store open from 10-9pm.  Customers and shop work until afternoon, tutor a student for an hour, host craft group in the evening.
4. Friday: open from 10am-6.  One Friday host a craft group, one-3 others be on hand while another teacher conducts a workshop.
5.  Saturday-open from 10-6  mostly just customers and paperwork. Sometimes student tutoring. I do try to spend time just knitting or spinning while open.  About 2 of the  Saturdays there is a class offered.
6. Sunday-open from 10-2.  Just customers and paperwork.  phew.  I try to spin if I can.

I also fit in another consulting job when I can here and there-usually during paperwork times or when I don't have much to grade on Monday and Wednesdays for the math class...

Guess what I went and did for Spring??

The community college wants me to teach 2 classes.  I said yes..I am going to save my pennies and take summer off.  obviously something had to give.  I picked housework and blogging here..sorry :(.  If it helps I haven't been reading here or any novels either.  I am after all saving for a trip to the UK this August/Sept.

The reason I popped back in with this sad stupid story that I probably already told you is...I had a blog worthy event happen today.

1.  I have given up Starbucks frapps again.  On day two with success.  I am feeling OK actually and guess what..the scale is moving down pretty fast.  1 day 1 pound..can't beat that!!  The #$@%$$# company sent me a free freaking drink though as soon as I got through my first 24 hours.   Starbucks is evil I tell you.

2.  Grace talked me into going to our local Asian grocery store last week.  I tasted a bubble tea and decided to have one today as my lunch (I had a late breakfast with food!!! not Starbucks)..anyhow  I slowly drank the stupid big thing over the next few hours.  The tapioca pearls are fascinatingly scary.  Those suckers are big..I carefully sucked up each one and chewed it.  I got full..they slipped through the old band slowly.  Then Grace made me laugh..she positioned one like a rotten tooth and smiled at me...glup..I swallowed one unchewed..eek.  I waited and it was ok...waited some more..man I stayed full a long time after that bubble tea.  It was starting to move on at about 5pm on my way to work (yup I started drinking it around 12:30pm).  I decided to stop for a hot latte (yes at Starbucks but it wasn't a frapp damnit!!) and I didn't put any real sugar in it just that fake crap.  So I sipped my coffee because I know sometimes a hot drink will help to move the food (If I am very careful and have waited long enough)..All seemed OK and I burped..etc.  so I sipped a bit more here and there for the next hour at the community college while I did my office hour.  Class started...I started to talk about the topic (roots if you are interested)...and..suddenly the saliva started..and I had to say to my class...

um sorry had some bubble tea for lunch and it isn't agreeing....then I put some problems on the board and ....ran for it.  A latte and tapioca comes up quite easily :)..I then went back to teaching.   Just a touch embarrassing but I think I handled it quite well (gah..this used to be one of my biggest fears!!).

The only comment a student made was...Oh..I like bubble tea.

I am feeling good about this no frapp thing.  Day 3 here I come.

xxxooo

Ten Things Thursday: Some Do It..I have no Idea who started it.

1.  Sometimes these topics help me think of stuff to say.  It is funny. I have two other blogs that I never write on.  On of them I REALLY should because it is for the shop.  I would much rather post here.  Why is that you think?

2.  I have stuff to do but I am too tired.  I did NOT have a coffee today.  I think I need one?  What do you think?

3.  I still have a cedar garland hanging in the front of my house with lights!  Do you think February is the new Jan?  Below is a photo from last week:  It was Coooollllddd.

4.  I love photos in blogs but never seem to do a good job of uploading any for you. Should I try harder?

5.  I got a haircut yesterday.  My nail lady expanded and hired a hairdresser He left and now a new one has come in.  I really liked the old guy (John).  He did great color and man o man the massages that man could give.  He left to go somewhere else.  I am rather sad.  His replacement seems nice enough.  She knits and says she will come visit me here at the shop.  She works part time at another shop near here.  Is your hair dresser a man or a woman?  Which do you prefer and why?

6. The Gray is back!  We have had a really cold couple of weeks and I was beginning to freeze into a solid block of ice. On the up side we had sunshine with that cold.  Now we are back to gray skies and at least a little warmer temps.  Which do you prefer? Below is a photo of a project we are doing in the shop. It is a sky scarf.  You go out each day at noon and look up at the sky.  You then match one of 15 colors to that sky color and knit or crochet a row.

7.  I just plugged in my 'happy light'  The cat and I are now enjoying a little light therapy.  Do you suffer from SAD? Have you done anything for it?

8.  On Saturday one the teachers from the shop came in and we did some yarn dying with koolaid.  It was cool!  Have you ever dyed anything?

 The instructor Dorie

 You can see the Koolaid packets.  My yarn took two.

Dipping the yarn in warm water to get it ready to go into the Koolaid.

 These two squirted their Koolaid onto the yarn

 I dipped mine into the two colors I chose (Black Cherry and Orange).  The two containers and yarn went into a microwave and cooked, cooled and then rinsed in warm water.

The koolaid was really great.  When we rinsed it no color came out at all.

The finished blue and purple yarn

 Dore dyed a blank (yarn that has been knit onto a machine.  You then reknit it into whatever you want to make.

 Our finished yarns mingled on the table.

9.  Saturday night my grandson had a sleepover.  We decided to make a felted ladybug.  He is only four but with supervision/help and only one bandaid he made a great ladybug.

 punching the blob of red wool into a ladybug shape

 He wanted the ladybug to be round and smooth so we took the started ball into the bathroom added soap and rolled it around, rinsed and then went back into the shop for more needle poking.

 Next we poked on the black head, stripe and dots.  This part required some help.  He told me where to start the shapes and then he took over to make them smooth.

 10.  I Spin sheep fleece into yarn.  Up until now I purchased my already cleaned and dyed fleeces but this summer I received two fleeces in the mail.  One from a friend in the Faroe Islands and another from the Gulf Coast (LA).  I have been a little afraid to do anything with them because I didn't want to screw anything up.  The dying session helped me gain confidence.  Saturday night I got warm water, squirted in Dawn dishwashing liquid and went to town prepping it.  All this week I have added more fleece and rinsed the other.  I am hoping by Saturday to have an entire sheep's fleece cleaned and ready to card into something spinnable.  One of my customers has a drum carder and she said she will bring it over for me to try out. I cannot wait!!  Do you do fun crafty things?  What kinds?

The fleece came in the email in this bag.  It is dirty and smells of sheep (yum)..I like the smell of sheep.

The first wash shows just how dirty those little guys get running around the fields.  Yup..dirt, poop and grease.

 Close up but this is wash two.

 Every day I change the water and soap.  the cleanest half is now in rinse stages. You have to be careful with wool. You can heat it up but if you agitate it too much or cool it down to fast it will felt.

 It is still a bit yellow but I think this is just what color the fleece is.  It will be interesting to see if it takes dye well and spins well.

Always Look on the Bright Side :) or is that Back-Side

Just and update:

I am up and stable about 15 pounds from goal (I sway between 176-180.  I am usually cool with it..until I stand in my closet.  My lovely closet full of clothes for a girl who weighs 160-165.  Until now I mostly resisted the urge to trade up :) Although I have one size 10 pair of jeans from a trip to an eating free for all in Vegas and a size 12 pair of levis from this fall.

Today I cracked again but..for the sake of crack. :)  I traded up because...I am suffering from 'baby got back'  Whenever I bend over the skin and some new fat come spilling out of the top of my jeans.  If I had gone under the knife for a body lift this would of course not exist.  If I still weighed 160-165 my less fluffy back would just slip right down into that waistband.  Not today though..today was the last blooming day I could stand my back jumping out of my jeans..and here is why...

it if F-ing cold outside.  Whenever I bend over that damnable back fat came launching out and froze me to death!  My stubborn self froze to death by back fat I'm telling you :)

After Grace finished up her morning math/science class at her school we popped into Fred Mayer (my go to store for jeans..and groceries and coffee and well everything!!)..kind of like Tescos for you Brits.

So anyhow..just to add fluff to my back fat I invested in a coffee and then we were off.  We looked at the Valentines day goods..We wandered around the office supplies because I do love them so.  I picked up some pre-perferated printy cards that make index sized cards.  I also got a three ring punch (my other one has been lost for more than 3 years and it still has not surfaced).  I found a long length thermal shirt (might hold some back fat in)...then some underwear (because instead of granny pants I now wear hipsters).  oh..and then I ran across the women's department and there was a 50% off reduced price sale on rack after rack of pants/jeans.  I pulled 6 pairs to try on.  Grace pulled 2 from the non-sale size (darned kid!).

I found a pair of mom pants that go all the way up to my WAIST!!!  no back fat!!!!  They are size 12.  two sizes bigger than my smallest.  Gloria Vanderbilt is a brand that never fit before but these do..they are like trouser pants in cut.  I also found a similar pair of green cords too.

so at the end of this ramble (I do like a good ramble).  I have come up with this...

I am getting older and my junk is shifting.  I can live with the move to a size 12 for now.  I cannot after all continue to flash my back to the world.  I will keep my two new bigger girl pants but get rid of the other two big girl pants on my shelf cause they are way to short waisted.  THEN..I will get the newly uncovered bike thingy and hook my lovely neglected bike onto it in the shop workspace.  I will ride that thing as I have been saying I will do for almost a year now..and hopefully get some fitness back..damnit it.  Maybe I can even shed some weight and some of that damned back I have going on.

 Both examples of my best back...I am on the far right in both.  My back is doing fine here as both photos were taken when I weighed between 160-165.

I had a good look for some bad back pictures..apparently I have been in control of the camera a lot lately.  :)  only a few faces and from the front shots were available.

xxxooo

A Banded Bender

I remember way back...back when a food bender was a lot.  In fact I remember childhood days where we had taco eating contests and my aunt and uncles.  I distinctly remember once eating 12 tacos.  Any how as I moved into adult hood the benders  usually were on holidays.  A great big turkey dinner with all of the trimmings.  the run up days filled with cookies and drinks.  I always gained weight over the holiday.

As much as I would like to say I never have benders anymore I can't.  I am not always sure what brings them on.  Emotions? Stress? Hormones?  Who knows.  Wednesday was a bender day.

1. Three peppermint mocha frapps (no I have not managed to get off them and yes I know it is a big problem) spread throughout the day
2. Breakfast: one cup oatmeal with brown sugar.
3. Several short bread cookies
4. 1/2 bologna sandwich with cheese, mayo and relish.
5. McDonalds (yes I slept with my old boyfriend)-1 child size fries, 1/2 cheeseburger.
6. 1 cup OJ

This much food is weight gaining quantities big time.  To be fair...I did find out (Thank Goodness) that McDonald's and I are still no good for each other.  I kept the fries and burger down until 9pm (had them at 5ish)  I attempted to take a few sips of the child size diet coke and viola...over the next hour the burger and fries returned.

I know it doesn't look like that much but it is.  I normally have the coffee for breakfast..no actual food (although it should be the other way around-food no coffee).  Lunch is fine.  The other two coffees NOT.  McDonalds should have been a no go.  I won't for a long long long time that I can say with confidence.

The points-

1. No matter how long you have had the band those old nagging urges to be naughty come back.
2. We cannot always be good but the band is there still to give us a quick kick up the arse.
3. I know..all of this food would have been fine if would just quit with the slider stuff..It is a real problem that I see myself writing again and again on screen and failing again and again to solve.

And that my dears is life 'at goal'.  Still struggling, always struggling.

xxxooo

Talk about a roller coaster-

This weekend I was all sweetness and light.  Today not so much..I have a feeling it is hormones.  They bite..big time.

What should have been relaxing 'day' off was a touch stressy.  What does this girl do when she stresses?  Why manage to fool her old band into eating more than it should.  Coffee-check, ice cream? check...tsk tsk.  In the end I didn't really get a 'day' off as morning was the school run where I edited a paper.  In the afternoon my planned Downton Abby TV time with Grace became phone conference with a student, older daughter needing a checkbook that hubby had at work with him, cleaning out paperwork.  At one point my hormonal pity party reached a peak and I cried a little.  I packed up some checks, walked to the bank and had coffee number two with a little sitting down time.  It helped a little.

This emotional crap is for the birds however.  I am too busy this term to be dealing with stupid menopause uppydowniness.  (If I had a camera handy Which I don't I would take a photo of me shaking my fist at the gods....or one..or none..you know...that whole damn you higher power routine.

Teaching my night class was a mood lifter-thankfully.  the weather is a bit cold right now so I was a bit worried about my commute (it is across town about 45 minutes from my home).  I take a back way down a really slippery windy road on Mondays and it was 31 the whole way.  I took it slow but needless to say I was a bit jumpy about what the weather was going to do as it got dark.  I decided to get through the material we needed to talk about and then send my students home early.  NO sooner had I released my students that the school alarm system went off informing campus that it was shutting down for weather (I guess I am good at calling crappy weather conditions?)  Anyway..I got outside and into my car and it had warmed up???? weird eh?  I drove home in balmy 34 degree weather.

David thinks the security guys were just wanting an evening off duty :)

xxxooo