Tuesday, September 28, 2010

bootcamp! well, kinda

I've been doing this bootcamp on Sparkpeople, I'm on day 7 of the 28 days and whooo-ie! Those 10 minute videos pack quite the punch! Today was a 'core' workout filled with crunches and side planks...wowza. But except for Weds, I've been doing them every day and my 30 min of cardio 5 times.

So, I've been in that constant state of muscle ache...but the good kind...that lets you know you've been working out.

Can I just say, "I LOVE my new work schedule" LOVE only working 2 days a week. I do try to make sure I have something planned on my days off, something to accomplish. Yesterday was a dentist appointment, it had almost been 2 years since my last one. One cavity. And I consider that a small price to pay for neglecting it for 2 years. I have had some plaque/gum issues...and really should go in every 4 to 6 months for a cleaning.

Today, is a thorough cleaning of the bathrooms. Floors and all.

I also treat my daily exercise as my 'job'. To make sure I truly get it in...speaking of which...gotta go do my Wii Biggest Loser...if I don't have training, I'm gonna do Just Dance for cardio...loving this Wii...best investment I've made in a long time!

take care! hope its a fun active day for ya'll too!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Wii day, yesterday!!

had fun, began the day with 30 minutes of 'just dance'...my cat goes nuts with this game, he can't decide 'what' to attack...my arms or legs.

Then in the evening did a couple of Wii Fit plus games, we set dh up with his account...he needs work with his balance...and it gave him a fit age of 62! I am 54...but I'm the obese one..he weighed in at like a 24 BMI...odd.


and then we boxed on Wii Sports. I WON!! I don't know how, but I did.

Finished it with the 24 minute moderate yoga routine on Biggest Loser.

Fun day on the Wii..I did finish other household chores, also. I was a good girl. Even read 3 chapters from our Financial Peace book.

AND did not take a nap, was tempted to, but did not do it, so I did fall asleep much easier, also.

Today, after a few morning chores...I get to babysit this afternoon. It is my 'who needs a treadmill, I'm chasing Adriana workout'...this morning I think I should do some ab work. Lots of aerobic type stuff yesterday.

I've had a layout on my desk for a while, would like to 'tackle' it. From Christmas last year...two more layouts and my book for Adriana for 2009 is done! I can start 2010!

So, off the computer, time to accomplish my 'stuff'!!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

sleep, what is that?

The past couple of nights my sleep patterns have been odd. Saturday, woke up at 4am...could not go back to sleep. I did take a nap @2pm....went to bed at 10:45...and could not fall back to sleep! Last time I looked at the clock it was almost 1 am...then woke up again at 7:30am. Wha??? I've heard it is a 'sign of getting older' that you need less sleep. BUT I LIKE SLEEP! I WANNA SLEEP!

hmmmmm...menopause? I have a friend, Mary, who reads all night and did not sleep much at all. w e i r d.

soooo, yesterday was the fundraising dinner at church. I got to do one of the tables,





my first table was a li'l plain, but dd gave me some ideas and this was the final product. We had to do our own centerpiece (which I did not know till the morning of setup) But not bad for someone who was wandering around the house looking for something...anything...ha!

I tried to 'practice' photographing by candlelight, but my subjects (ds and ddil) balked after the 3rd attempt. The articles I read said slow speed, no flash...well, I could not figure out how to turn off the flash with the slower speed choices on my point and shoot. So, last night, not good for photography practice.

The day before, I practiced some 'rule of thirds'..went around the outside of the house and just shot stuff...including peeling paint and cracks in the cement. I guess the best example are these of mom's sunflower stepping stones...the first is with it centered

yeah, a li'l boring.

Then tried this angle...a li'l more interesting. Gotta keep experimenting!!





Today is a pool party at the church, and my li'l sweet pie likes the water...so I'll bring my camera. Now with her, you need the 'sports' setting...ha!!

Friday, September 17, 2010

catching up..

whew~! I'm ready for my 5 day weekend...teehee.

though it will actually be a busy one. I've tried real hard not to become a 'slug' with my new time to myself. And have kept quite busy.

Monday, I went to the dr. Its been more than 3 years since my last cholesterol blood test and pretty sure 10 years since my tetinus vaccine...so, they gave me a vaccine that also combines pertussis (whooping cough) and since I'm a grandma, I was okay with it. But ya'll know those tetinus shots, they HURT for like 3 days afterwards.



We had excitement at work. There is a mouse in a coworker's cube! She has seen him, he even came out and ate her salad she walked away from. Wish I'd gotten a pic of that! anyways, despite 2 days of mouse traps, he still hasn't been 'caught'. Another coworker named him Houdini. I wish we could just let him be, but he is 'living' in the compartment where all the wires are kept...and if he chews thru that, that could be a problem. And of course the sanitation issues... But still, SHE gets a pet at work!

I haven't been doing a photo a day...I'm having issues with the memory card. When I contacted Nikon, I was told I was using an 'unauthorized card'...w h a t e v e r. But from now on, I am going to pay a few more dollars and buy a name card. siiiiiigh.

I was talking to my mom this morn..SHE is worried about my niece's eating habits so she wants ME to talk to her mom, my sis. Um, okay, I'll interfere from 2000 miles away! actually, I did email my sis a letter to her daughter...that I'm not gonna send to her daughter. just talking about what I've learned about metabolism, and how skipping meals causes your body to store more calories instead of burning them.

aye yi yi

Today, was a list of errands...and I restarted Farmville. After months off, I finally 'cleaned up' my li'l farm and planted a crop. Texas Bluebonnets aka lupines. So, I'll need to harvest tonight at 7pm... do I really want to return to that madness...of having to be at the computer to 'harvest' nonexistent crops?

Okay, time to feed the dogs and the horse! Dh is at a golf tournament, so I get to be the farmhand...a real one!

Monday, September 13, 2010

weekend...oh weekend...where did you go?

Not much of a weekend for crafting or even photography...one day didn't do anything interesting. The next day the lighting was sooo bad, no matter what setting I tried, I couldn't get good pics...tried a few, but no go.

I was a 'slug' on Saturday, I did read a Nicholas Sparks book, The Choice...which, OMGoodness, will absolutely make you cry. But other than that, my biggest accomplishment was leaving a 'butt print' on the couch. Not a good day.

Sunday was better, Michael J and I went to my bff's stepdad's 80th birthday celebration in San Jose. Sooooo Wonderful to see the old family and friends that go back to...oh, my youth. Michele and I met when I moved to CA my senior year of high school. It was kinda funny, we lived on opposite ends of the same street, had to take the same path to the bus each morning. I could hear her walking behind me. She's shy, I'm shy...but one time, I just turned around and introduced myself. We became 'joined at the hip'...seriously, I think our parents' considered surgery to seperate us. She saved me. I was 'lost', I was sent to CA to live with my dad cuz I'd had a little trouble with drugs in Texas. The first day at the bus stop, I did gravitate to fellow 'pot heads'...but my friendship with sweet, innocent and yes a couple of years younger, Michele, kept me from falling back into that druggie lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, in Texas, I was an 'experimenter' never a heavy user, but I was lucky enough to get arrested at age 16...3 months later, I'd have gone to jail...anyways, it was the wake up call I needed. My family needed and lucky for me, they acted.

Her family (except her older sister) accepted me and made me part of the family, like another daughter. I wonder how they felt when Michele brought me home, with my wild permed hair (it was the late 70's) and concert t-shirts...and jeans so tight, I had to lay down on the bed to zip them! holy moly!! If my dd had brought home such a sight, would I have been as welcoming and gracious?

But I got to become a part of a wonderful Portuguese family (think the family in my big fat Greek Wedding) and fortunately for me, I still am. My kids grew up calling her mom, Grandma Mary.

So it was great to see everyone, see the next generation all grown up ...okay that part was hard. Sure made me feel old, to be one of the middle aged ones...but that's the 'cycle' of life, huh. Before we are ready, we will be the patriarch/matriarch of such family gatherings. siiiiiiiigh.

We are planning our family get together in November. We are all getting together the first part of November for the holidays. Since Jason is working both Thanksgiving and Christmas...and Cierra and Chris have 'other' family to spend holidays with too (cough cough)....so, for this year, we are getting together this way. We are still the middle aged ones, as Dh's parents will be there...We will have 4 generations together with Adriana...its really cool to think about. And the 'young ones' have 'stepped up' and claimed a lot of the meal preperation...so nice.

Speaking of other family, J and Nyki are planning a trip to Indiana, early October. I know, I've got it great, I only have to 'share' Adriana with the 'other g'ma' once a year...Nyki tells me her mom cried when they left last year. I KNOW how she felt, I'd be so empty without the kids in my life. Its hard enough with C and Chris in Texas...we try to see them a couple of times a year, but is that really enough?
siiiiiiiiiigh.

okay, this is getting long...ya'll have a great FAMILY filled day if you can.

Friday, September 10, 2010

some more pics...

9-8
with my new work schedule, 2 days a week, riding in with dh, I have the freedom to take pics while commuting. On Weds morning, I noticed how the clouds were being reflected onto dh's car window, reflected back thru the mirror. When I grabbed the camera, dh did laugh at me...but I think the pics turned out cool. I used the 'museum' setting hoping it would give true colors.



9-9

while babysitting Adriana last night, I tried to capture a bit of the blue light coming from the tv screen on her face...had a little luck...more luck with the refection of her finger on the screen.



well, gotta go, I can see a 'lavender' colored sunset thru the office window I want to try to capture...

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

9-7 photo ...playing with 'portrait'

the original idea was to take Adriana outside and also play with the sun behind me again...ha!! that girl does NOT stay still.



I asked Nyki to not clean her face after her strawberry snack...hoping to highlight it in the pic...hmmmmmm

this is the fave of the day, captured while she was climbing on the couch..siiiigh

new work schedule!

Over the weekend, Michael made me a 'proposition'...he told me (with approval from Art)...I could work a 2 day work week! The only 'caveat' is, I have to ride in with him those 2 days...which means leaving at 7am and not returning till close to 7pm. They figure if I do 2 days of 8 hours, well, the reality, that is still more than I've been averaging per week, lately. AND by saving the $50 a week it takes to fill up my tank...its a win-win for the finances. Soooo, I think I'll start working on Weds and Thurs...that way, I am available to my li'l sweet pie, if her mom needs me. teehee

Family news, to start the weekend I learned that my estranged sister emailed my family, my kids and husband with some new accusations against me. The 'proof' she attached to her email only served to show how unstable SHE is. I asked them to not respond to her, because whatever is said, will only strengthen her narrative. That's what she does, she twists things to fit her 'reality'. I seriously think she has at least borderline paranoid schizophrenia. My bro-in-law read the email, as I forwarded it to them, and he pointed out that all though she was phrasing the accusations as if she was protecting her son, you could see that the email was truly all about her. That side of the family says she is NPD. Whatever she is, trying to reason with her is not possible. I told my dh, we could send her our phone records for the past 3 years...and it would not change her 'narrative'. Facts do nothing to change her mind.

Also, my other sis is going thru some tests the next couple of days. Thyroid. Please pray that the doctors find what they need and are able to give her the treatment she needs.

Okay, so here I am with an unexpected day off...what to do...oh, scrap!! The weekend was spent making cards. I'm in a swap, one of the ladies dropped out...and an 'angel' did step up, but I've been making the missing cards, 'just in case'...that way they are available if the 'angel' does not come thru...and I have extra cards if she does... 'win win'.

Monday, September 6, 2010

photogs 9-5 and 9-6

9-5, Sunday, after church we went to lunch, then our friends came to our place to visit with their 2 year old son...perfect opportunity to use that sports setting!
Since I don't know how they feel about their child's pic and the internet, I'll only post this one of his back. How fun! but my faves were not the 'action' shots, it was when he sat down and gave me a 'loook'.



it was kinda like this one, one of my faves of Adriana...



yeah, this one.

Oh, ya'll should have seen Adriana during lunch, she and Nyki joined us at Las Gaviotas. Anyways, Michael started to choke a little on a corner of a chip, he went to grab her sippy cup of water, we hadn't been served drinks yet...as he reached for it...she gave him the Marine corps drill instructor point!!!. It was perfect! Yes, as the daughter of former Marines...she is learning some things...Like the 'war face', the 'd.i. point' and she 'marches' while daddy calls out cadences...siiiigh.

back to photography, this morning, I thought I'd play with the portrait mode...took this one of Winston, now we are both inside and his face is facing the back door and the light....and this got me thinking


the 10 tips article in Digital Photography School says the best light is natural light behind you...Michael was outside studying his Bible, and the sun was streaming in toward the house...so I went outside to shoot some with keeping the light behind me (I never really think about where the sun is and the light) now, he is under the patio, so the light is limited to what is streaming in from behind me.


Now, I realize in order to think more 'photographically' I should have moved a couple of chairs...varied the angles...and such, but as my excuse, I stepped out in my pj's concentrating on where the sun was streaming in...

So, off to scrapbook today. Hoping its a pajama morning if not pajama day. ha!!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

pics for Sept 3 and 4!

So, yesterday as I stepped out of the shower and saw the water drops on the tile, I immediately thought...wonder if I can take a pic that shows these drops. Yeah, pretty funny, wet woman runs out of the shower to grab her camera. (I know, I'm quite the dork) Anyways, after a couple of tries, okay several, I tried the indoor/party option and got them!!



This morning, 9-04 I was awakened by dh's camera alarm at 5:45 am...so, got up and tried to capture the sunrise. I found this interesting...these pics were taken within a minute of each other, but the colors are sooooo different,



this one was taken with the Dawn/dusk setting, the next with Landscape mode...
I like both of them...



okay, so I'm hoping tomorrow to get some opportunities to play with the sports setting ...

gonna head for my scrapbooking room - my fave place - except when I get to babysit!

Friday, September 3, 2010

my pics for Sept 1 and Sept 2

so, Sept 1,
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_P0Ei3oEhY7o/TIEYekEZ8oI/AAAAAAAABxs/RiT8P0xgy58/s1600/9-01-b.JPG">
decided to take a pic of the first thing I see each morning, the view from my bedroom to my living room. As you can see, I love color. I love to mix colors in each room...from floor to ceiling. The first pic, set on auto, did not work out, so I played with the settings...and museum is what gave me this. Don't you just love the look of light streaming into a room?



so, I also took this one, the light streaming thru the blinds and the metal screen..I love light...esp as it is streaming thru, reflected by objects. I love to put colored glass infront of light.


Sept 2,

this is at our gate, it isn't a spider web, it is from our cotton wood tree. but looks webby...also it is stronger than a web...I like all the 'textures' in this pic, the roughness of the wood post, the 'nature' in the trees and growth and the twig even caught in the 'web'.

so, I've made a decision, a while back, I took out the music from my blog, as a courtesy to others as there was a 2Peas thread that said they don't like music ...esp if they read blogs at work. But today, I'm going to put music back. There is a song that is truly meaningful to me that I want to hear when I come on...so, just letting you know, if you 'pop on' during work hours, I will soon have music again.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

a new book...

I started a new book last night, called "Taking Flight...Inspiration and Techniques to give your Creative Spirit Wings by Kelly Rae Roberts. The first chapter encourages you to listen to the 'whispers' of your heart by keeping a journal and by reflecting on what your 'dreams' were in your youth. Also to confront a 'fear' you have to grow as a person.

She gives her own story, how at age 30 she started journaling and re-found her dream to create...and how the first step for her was running.

Well, through this blog and Sparkpeople, I've been journalling. Kinda hard to do it on pen and paper, for me, simply because I have horrible handwriting. But I do have a gorgeous book I picked up at a 'day after Christmas' sale at Borders. soooo, I'll give that a try.

But I knew that childhood dream I never did, never expressed and learned how to do...photography. Now, I'm 49 years old and back then photography meant the detailed cameras with different lenses and a darkroom. Today, we have digital that does all that 'thinking' for you. Sooo, I won't attempt learning an old fashioned camera, I'll use my Nikon point and shoot. BUT since it is the start of a new month, my goal will be to photgraph something every day...something that 'moves' me.

I was looking at my Florence pics yesterday, to start scrapping them for my album...and I remember this photo I took at Michaelangelo Square...


its just a railing with grafitti..but I like it.

so, what else can I do, besides take a pic a day to develop my photography..guess I can read about it...can find photographers I admire and follow them (much like I do with scrapbooking) find some blogs and message boards...immerse myself in that world a little everyday.

That something I'm afraid of? I know that too...dance. I am so completely uncoordinated...I can't even do combo moves on my wii Biggest Loser exercise program without getting lost. What was it, a punch with fist, tap foot, lift leg combo? aye yi yi.

so, I'm off, to give my 'creative spirit' wings.
And I would recommend this book to anyone..I mean I am no traditional artist, can't draw, paint ...any of that...but I think all of us have a 'creative spirit' inside.