Monthly Archives: January 2007

Goals for the week of 1/28/07

1. Hug my kids and tell them I love them every day

2. Get through the week without a nervous breakdown

3. Make dr’s appointments

4. fit in at least 5 workouts

5. Formulate a plan for my new blog/podcast

that’s about all I can do this week – if that!

Choices

Dear Mom -

I feel like I have been standing at a fork in the road for a while now. I have big decisions to make, but I continue to doubt myself. And why should I doubt myself? I know that I am talented and smart and all those things that count. I have this pressing feeling that time is running out. I fear the consequences of standing still. Should I wait for that moment of incandescent clarity or should I just close my eyes and jump? I wish you were here – I could really use your guidance right now. I miss you.

Love Susan

Geekend Update: Jane Austen & More

This weekend came with very little down-time. My house is still a wreck, I did not get in as many workouts as I had hoped, and I still did not go through and organize my paperwork. I have no excuse.

Saturday I spent my day as the family bus driver. After a 20 minute brisk walk with Jasper the big yellow dog, Daryn and I went to Starbucks together and then drove to DC to pick up Zoe. We went to Fairfax Corner to have lunch and paint pottery (which was fun and creative). After that I had to drive all the way to Mount Vernon to pick David up from his new job. We then drove home and cleaned up a bit. After Mia picked up Zoe, I had to go pick up some of David’s skater friends and drop them all off at the local skatepark. I then drove home and by that time it was 7 pm and I was exhausted.

 Saturday night I had my own mini-movie marathon (while Daryn slept). It was Jane Austen night. Since Daryn and I had been watching Pride and Prejudice over and over again over the past 2 weeks, I decided to rent “Mansfield Park”, “Sense and Sensibility”, and “Emma” from Netflix over the weekend. I stayed up all night watching them. It was fun and indulgent, just sitting there doing nothing while enjoying these movies. I think that I liked “Mansfield Park” the best out of all of these.

Sunday was full of chores. Laundry, grocery shopping, helping David with his homework, cleaning out the refrigerator, and then a birthday party at my friendly neighbors house where I stayed longer than originally planned, mainly because it was fun. I got home after dark and then had to prepare for the week. Ugggh. Oh, the good news is that I worked out when I woke up on Sunday – not an incredibly challenging one, but at least it was something. I will blog more about that later.

Such an exciting life. Can you stand it?

Crossfit 600

After another extremely trying day at my job, I came home and did a crossfit workout.  Since I incorporated running in my past two workouts, I decided to focus much more on strength. So I did a ’600′ workout. The concept here is very simple and easy to remember.

  1. 100 boxer jumping jacks
  2. 100 pushups (I did these in increments of 10)
  3. 100 air squats
  4. 100 side crunches (20 on each side)
  5. 100 lunges (50 on each leg)
  6. 100 situps (alternating crunches and lower ab lifts)

That’s it! Seems easy enough, right? WRONG! Actually, the hardest part is the pushups – which I had to break down in to increments of 10.

That’s all for now!

What’s playing on my iPOD lately?

I have really diverse taste in music. I listen to my son’s skater music, old skool rap & R&B, reggae, celtic, classical, soundtracks, emo, jazz like coltrane and pharoah sanders, house music, and just about everything else except for country.

Incubus has long been one of my favorite bands. They recently released a new cd “Light Grenades”. As always, the songs are diverse and unexpected. I am still getting used to it. I do have a new favorite song – called “Dig” that I have been listening to over and over again.

Listen to a snippet of “Dig” from Amazon

 The other new music I am loving is by Loreena Mckennitt. She released a new cd this past November called “Ancient Muse” – I never ever ever tire of her music. It makes me feel like I am in a far-off, mystical land somewhere. Listen to a snippet from one of my favorite tracks, “Gates of Istanbul.”

THE GATES OF ISTANBUL
Music and lyric by Loreena McKennitt

See there, past that far-off hill
A tower held in the sky
Hear there, in that dark blue night
The music calling us home

See there, in that far-off field
Flowers turned to the sky
Feel there, in that dark blue night
The music calling us home

Stars may always guide our way,
From desert sands where winds blow harsh and long
But here’s where our hearts will pray
And all our loves will slumber with a song

Stars may always guide our way,
From desert sands where the winds blow harsh and long
But here’s where our hearts will pray
And all our loves will slumber with a song

So now, if our hearts be true
And like a pool of truth reflect the sun
We will find right honour there
And keep us safe and lead us from all harm

Then come love, let us dance all night
Until birds they waken at the dawn
Then come love, let us sing all night
And all our loves will slumber with a song

Tolkien the Wise

Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends.

—J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord Of the Rings, Book Four, Chapter One

I worked out today to Linkin Park. Somehow angry music seems to really motivate me during my most grueling workouts. I made this one up too, I hope its ok. It certainly felt challenging. This workout took me a total … Continue reading

Monday Crossfit: 1/22/07

We had our first snowstorm yesterday – I love snow. We took Jasper out and ran back and forth in the field for about 30 minutes, it is really hard running in the snow when you only have 2 legs. Jasper makes it seem so easy!

I made up this workout today – it is based on that really tough workout Jen had us do the other day. The running part is really challenging, I guess that’s a good thing, right? This entire workout took me 45 minutes.

Warm up

  • 3 sets of 10 shoulder shrugs with 9lb bar
  • 3 sets of 10 overhead squat with 9lb bar
  • 3 sets of 10 box jumps on 14 inch step (this is the first time I ever did these)

Round 1

Repeat the following a total of 3 times through:

  • 15 thrusters with 2 – 15lb dumbells
  • 15 air squats
  • 15 pushups
  • Run 400 meters on treadmill with incline at 2 – 5mph

Round 2

Repeat the following a total of 3 times through:

  • 15 deadlifts with 2- 20lb dumbells
  • 15 medicine ball slams
  • 15 pushups
  • Run 400 meters on treadmill with incline at 2 – 5mph

Stretch and cool down

Things to accomplish this week: 1/21/07

Here is what I plan to accomplish this week:

  • 5 crossfit workouts
  • Do yoga 2 times this week
  • No sugar or processed carbs
  • 1 cup green tea, 2 emergencies, and 3 EFA’s each day
  • Organize Bills & Paperwork
  • Dentist
  • Schedule other health appts
  • Have breakfast with Debbie

Harry Potter Excitement Builds

I am getting increasingly excited about Harry Potter. Yes, I am a geek. So what of it? 

There is much to look forward to this year, and excitement is building everywhere!

  • Over the holidays, I had a Harry Potter themed Christmas Tree just to kick off the excitement.
  • Also during the holidays, my children took to re-enacting several scenes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with  props, music, and all.
  • My Secret Samwise (a Lord of the Rings ‘secret santa’ group) sent me the Harry Potter t-shirt I have always wanted. It says “I solemnly swear I am up to no good” on the front and “mischief managed” on the back.
  • I am back to listening to all of the Harry Potter audiobooks on my iPod.
  • The overall content, discussions and debate happening in my favorite two Harry Potter podcasts (PotterCast and MuggleCast) is getting more and more interesting. So every week I have 2 hours of Harry Potter listening pleasure.
  • This is really geeky: They are releasing Harry Potter action figures in March. Why am I looking forward to this? Because I am a super-secret fangirl in discuise and I will have to purchase at least one.
  • Several Harry Potter conferences, including: Prophecy 2007 in Toronto and Enlightening 2007 in Philadelphia.  The Enlightening 2007 conferences is a being promoted as a Harry Potter camp for families. This is intriguing, plus it is being held during the release timeframe, so I am sure there will be a big to-do around the movie release. hmmmmm…
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie: Release date – July 13th
  • And of course, the ultimate excitement – the impending release of the final Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sometime this year. We are planning a huge book release party with a local bookstore. It will be held at an old train station with costumes, house banners, and much more!