What flavour is your Kool-Aid

It's Zumba flavoured. As mentioned earlier, my first glass was prepared by my loving mother, who reminds us all that, "Everyone should sweat an hour a day. But whatever you can do dear is good."

Ovando and I took a class that is sponsored by our employer. It's reduced cost, it's close to work (and home in my case) and it's offered at a time I can realistically get to and from.

That's a lot of pros right? Well, it's not in a gym, it's in a cleared out conference room, with perhaps a few too many windows for my preference, but people don't linger so we are relatively alone.

The sound system is a little boom box. Per the regulars' request the instructor has inserted an abdominal set towards the end. (ugh)

But everyone is really nice, there is no pretension and the class moves quickly. I sweat like a beast, running in my eyes towards the end, but still have enough energy to laugh if I can.

I went to another class last night. Ovando is on vacation and it's always a true test if you can make it to exercise without your buddy. I still liked it. I liked how I felt. I liked how well I slept. I liked how when I was sweating I literally felt like I was melting, not like a fat blob since I was having fun and wasn't all self conscious.

I said, "Geez this is nice." or something else sort of gosh gee willikers outloud and another lady said, "Yes, and there are no mirrors." ha! I never even thought about that. But yeah, that is really liberating.

Today I found myself looking for other classes on days I might be able to make it. I think I found one or two to check out ...

I don't think I'll be looking for "Zumba outfits" anytime soon, but I think I'm going to enjoy the kool-aid for as long as I can.

Something has changed

I got 8 hrs of sleep last night. It's crazypants I know. I have been bragging to Rob and Harrigan. ha! They both have kids under 5, but it's more about not letting go to the end of your personal day than kids that are exhausting or don't sleep through the night. They have good kids. We are all lucky.

It's just ... when ... you .. are .. tired, you -- f o r g e t.

Anyways this is the secret to my success:
* 1 hr cardio class and a shower as SOON as I got home, not after dinner was made ...
* Manfriend had dinner ready to go when I got home.
* I finished A Feast For Crows. (Game of Thrones book 4 -- DAMN YOU George RR Martin!!)
* I knit a little.
* I fell asleep to James Bond saving the girl

Knitting Strike

It's true, I have stopped knitting. It's been days. Maybe more than a week ...

Okay I admit I did a few academic rows of a cowl while waiting to be seated for dinner, and a few waiting for The Kid's tennis lessons to start, but other than that ... zip, zero deniro.

The muscles in my right forearm have been really achey, it's problematic actually as much as I'd like to deny it. (I really like to deny things) But this is not the reason I haven't been knitting.

I've become bored.

Maybe I will become the lady who picks up scrapbooking or gardening? Probably not, baking and quilting are more likely choices, except I don't have the attention span for it.

Just like I don't have the attention span for my in progress projects.

This has never stopped me before, because like a good flippant, fickle beast I would just cast something else interesting on. However I am pre-emptively talking myself down.

I should do that sweater, I've been talking about that sweater ... but I have yarn for the other sweater in stash. Ah yes, but that is going to take effort and math and ... never mind, what about that blanket? Holy Hot Chocolate, not another blanket. What about knitting "the log"? Ugh, I have to track down that yarn. TRACK it down. Sounds exhausting.

You'd think this would help me curb those yarn shopping impulses. Not really, I just tell myself to delete the emails those devil yarn people keep sending me. "Oooo Fall colors!" No damnit! It's not even REAL summer time here in the Bay Area. I can still hoard (I mean stash) if I don't feel like knitting.

I'm not. It's okay. You don't have to intervene yet ...

I am just bored. I need a jump start. I need to be liberated from the tyranny that is The Endless Cardigan.

Maybe you can send some help on that!

The Kid has inherited my random

From The Kid's chattering collection

"Danger pants! Dangerous pants! Dangerous pants can't hurt my precious ... because it's my precious, and my danger pants!"

After being asked what he was going to do today: "I'm gonna go to space for a bit. See ya ..."

"My soccer team you know, we are serious. We don't play for fun. We play to win. We keep track of goals and stuff."

On making a sandwich "Two pieces of ham, one piece of cheese. Less cheese to cut. ha! Get it?" (btw, I was using turkey)

Sigh 8 is great I guess.

Aging and Food Thoughts

Another birthday is a few days away. Everyone has been very celebratory around me. I am trying to take things on in the same way.

However I cannot help but taste the flavor of the back handed compliment.

I'm still rushed and sleepy at the same time. Supposedly I'm a little smarter however I'm moving at a slower speed, with more body mass.

But before I let you think I've gotten a case of Severe Cantankeritis, I can honestly tell you the first thing I thought of this morning was: I'm very thankful and happy with the nice and very funny people in my life.

But my brain ... it's just not sure what age it is or what age it is turning. Here is an example of thoughts on my nutritional intake that have been troubling me or just passing through ...

• Why don't I eat more ginger?
• I should eat more yogurt, since my digestive system is over taxed 2 out of 4 weeks a month.
• Stay away from any cabbage or cabbage related vegetable (I'm lookin' at you Mr. Brussel Sprout) 24 hrs prior to a yoga class. You can put Mr. Cauliflower in that category too.
• Truly define the ratio... Number of cherry seeds I accidentally inhale when meaning to spit ...
• One should never eat so much noodle soup that you can hear it sloshing in your belly on the way to the Muni station.
• Steamed milk in my lattes are part of my weekly calcium intake. Bones should not be as brittle as my attitude.

The power of my random is fierce. I wish we could channel it for good.

Reading hella messes stuff up.

Again with the reading.

Again the reading totally got in the way of my knitting.

I've lost hours to Clash of the Kings. The second in the Game of Thrones series. This one isn't wooing me the way first did, however I have my favorite characters now. The chapters are based on characters, so often I will keep reading to get to the next chapter that features my favorite characters.

And then, toilets are not scrubbed, gray circles form under the eyes, and cans of soup seem sufficient for everyone's dinner.

There is not really shame in that.

The shame is that I still have not finished my blanket meanwhile my friend Bananas! finished a whole NEW sweater while my gift to Jodi languishes on the needles ...again.

Oh reading! Oh knitting! Don't fight! I love you both! I just have to work and be a Mom and take public transportation and stuff. NBD! See if you kids can find the winning lotto numbers and Momma will have time to love you all as number one children.

xoxo

See you later!

Nerdy McNerdFace in the Making.

Aww shucks. My Kid is home and he's been pretty darn cute. Pretty darn affectionate and ... he seems to like the camp I chose for him. It's nice that the summer is not starting off with the sadface.

Next week is a different camp, and ... no guarantees. I have that manage expectations awareness happening for myself -- no worries.

Yesterday he came home all excited and digging through his bins of Legos looking for the Ninjas. Him and his new partner a 4th grader (ooo) were going to make their stop motion film using Lego Ninjas. Well, he found half of the ones he was looking for.

I spent 2 hours looking through stuff, looking for the other ninjas, realizing what a disaster, and disorganized mess the whole house is.

We didn't find them. We lectured in treating your things like you value them.We encouraged him to have a back up plan. His father said, "things happen in the Arts!"

He would create his own "Dude" characters.

I was still stressed out that we couldn't find what we were looking for in our little apartment.

The Manfriend had made ribs and corn and baked potatoes for dinner with salad. I couldn't eat. The Kid was fine, he was beaming, he was chattering on his big project/video plans. When asked again if I wanted something to eat I said, "No. That totally stressed me out. I can't eat right now."

"Yeah, you're stressed out alright! Why don't you go sit in the corner and knit a little."

Smartass.

Thanks for last night, that was some good knitting

You people are pervs. Like I'd ever post something like that. Everyone knows that if you've been together long enough to get through pre-school, you only hold hands anyhow. ha!

There is a woman out there that has abandoned her blog, probably for that life thing but it was called, "Exercise before knitting". Well, I tried that approach yesterday but with chores. I tidied up a bit, and made sure to get the laundry going before I put ass in chair and start knitting. It's not much but it's a good philosophy AND ... I can knit without guilt.

I should've been finishing up Ale's car blanket, but that meant going to the bedroom and hauling the big blanket project out into the livingroom. Hey, that's 2 skeins of 2 different colors plus the bulk of the blanket. Did I remind you I was a lazy cow? So, I worked on Jodi's sweater ... till my forearm hurt and then I read the prologue of  The Clash of Kings and folded laundry. I picked up the knitting again when we finished watching the Dallas Mavericks barely eek out a win over The Miami Heat in the second game of the NBA championships. Exciting for not really caring.

I kept knitting as we streamed the newest chapter in The Resident Evil series with Milla Jojovich or however you spell it. Love that zombie crap. Is it just me or do Zombies move faster these days, and shouldn't zombie blood be black not red? Hmm, must consult Geo, my Zombie SME.

I seem to knit a long time on that sweater, but I don't think it really grew. There are a lot of stitches though, so I'm not surprised. I feel like I'm making progress just by working so much on it this week.

Naturally when I went to bed I couldn't NOT work on Ale's blanket so I picked up the last set of border stitches and did a few rows. This edge doesn't feel as good for whatever reason, but it looks nice. Slipping stitches on one part of a project makes it SO much easier to pick up stitches later.

When I put the blanket down, I was a little sore (I need to not scrunch up my shoulders so much when I knit) but pleased. I won't have to frantically finish tonight for a sense of completion. I may even be able to sew in the ends the same night. HA! Sorry, I got out of control for a moment.

I can't wait to put this blanket to bed and decide, "what's next?"

Tell me do you think it's crazy to have TWO sweaters on the kneedles at the same time?

With Freedom Comes Paralysis

Ask any friend of mine and they will tell you that it takes me 1.5 seconds when faced with a decision to melt into a puddle of indecisive mess. Whether the question is what I want to eat, or what chore I will do first, I just overthink, and usually spout some of my weirdo thought process outloud to my poor, paid for friends.

This week, The Kid is at his grandmother's house, probably enjoying his happy times.

We are supposed to be enjoying our happy times too. The truth is, we might go out to dinner one time this week, but are looking forward to having a few non obligatory hours to catch up at work and on sleep.

We are excited about not having to make dinner.

We are also unable to plan. Where to go to dinner? What evening should we go? What about that Saturday without the kid?

So many options, but really we will just read on the couch.

I have made one decision on how to use my Kid-free time.

I've decided I'm going to go to the ... East Bay to see Badette who I always talk about visiting but never do, and I haven't met her daughter, and I'm almost done w/that blanket. I feel like it is impt to me and the stars are aligning for me to get this opportunity without a whiney 8 year old that would rather be doing something else.

The thing is, I still need to get back to the city and do those things I always whine about that I can't do, because I'm on kid duty. This includes: Exercising, and decluttering and knitting.

This three day weekend was NO good for knitting -- sooo disappointing.

People tell you that it's when the kid is out of the house you can get so much done, especially in their rooms. Knowing what I know about myself I will be surprised if anything gets done since I have decided to writhe around on the floor in dirty clothes screaming loads of profanity and watching blood, guts and gore on t.v. Okay not really, but it just means I am going to be a lazy beast cow that will be content with a few loads of clean underwear.

I know I should do more, but I can't.

Then again clean underwear is a good thing.