Psyched!

My sister emailed, and my brother and his family are going to be able to make it down for Thanksgiving! This will be the first time they have been down this way. They do a lot of things with my sister in law's family; I know it's hard for us because the girls are down south and the boys are up north, along with my parents. This year everybody is coming down to us and I just can't wait.

I love my family. Through all the knuckle-headed men and fairweather friends, my family has always been there and will always be there. I expect there to be a lot of good food, goofiness, and fun. And finally we can take a big family portrait since my camera has a timer. :) The Cowboys usually play on Thanksgiving. This should be interesting, since my oldest brother is a Steelers fan, and my oldest sister is a Vikings fan. But the rest of us like the Cowboys, so they are just going to have to get somewhere and saddown.

This is really going to be a great Thanskgiving!

TGIF!

I'm so glad it's Friday. Tomorrow I'm having a Soul Purpose party. There should be about 7- 8 women there. I dont' really care about the sales, I just want us to be able to get together, drink, eat and have a good time. Hopefully that will be the case. After that, I am going to PlayDate Charlotte with my friend Deidra. I haven't been back since I went to the one in July. She is driving up from Columbia tomorrow so she can attend.

I am going to run today at 6:00, then I don't have any plans for the evening. Yet. :)

What are you guys up to this weekend?

Smooth Operator

So Smooth has been hanging around. I guess he's trying to be here for a while. I think it's a good thing that he's catching me at the tail end of a "men suck" phase; it keeps me on top of my feelings and makes me hold him absolutely accountable for what he says and does. No passes because you are handsome or nice or you took me to dinner.

Sunday night, I did not go skating because the Cowboys were playing the Giants at 8:20. I missed my skate session only to watch Tony Delhomme-o (because, let's face it - he was playing like Jake Delhomme) hand the game to the Giants on a freakin' silver platter! Ugh. Antywho, Smooth was going to be flying to Cali the next morning, so I knew I wouldn't get to see him before he left. He actually called me about 30 seconds after the Giants got the winning field goal, but I am never in a good mood after the Cowboys lose. Especially when we beat ourselves. And that's about the time that folks always want to call me and give me grief about my team. So I don't answer the phone. LOL! I know, but you can blame it on my brother. He left a message about the game (just as I suspected!). I laughed and the next day I sent him a text telling him to have a safe trip and let me know when he got back.

He literally sent me a text from the plane when he got back yesterday. I wasn't expecting that. It also popped up in the midst of me thinking about him and hoping his trip was going ok. I told him that I was tired and thinking about skipping my work out. But, as I stated in my previous post, I'm in workout mode now, so of course I went. I did my weights and some strange intervals at the greenway. I was hot, sweaty, and a mess when I got home. Guess who called me about a minute after I got in the door?

We ended up meeting up at Olive Garden (it's sort of halfway in between where we both live). I got there first, since he had to stop by Best Buy. I got us a booth. I figured we could chat face to face and just have a nice time. When he got there, he slid into the booth on my side - I was not expecting that. We ate side by side, talking and laughing. Making jokes about this couple sitting in the other corner. The girl did not look amused to be on that date. LOL!

After dinner, he walked me to my car, gave me a big hug, and said he'd see me this weekend.

He's really putting a kink in my plans of "trying not to like him that much."

Rebounding and Cellulite

I have finally gotten back into my groove where I love to exercise. Where if I miss it, I feel really bad about the situation. I'll really be doing well when I can get my eating habits back in check - but that's another story for another time...

Running and lifting weights has been great. I love building muscle. It helps to reshape my body, and I like feeling stronger. I have noticed that for the past few weeks, I have not had to use a knee brace even once. Not to run, not to skate - for nothing! I attribute that to building up the muscles that control the ligaments around my knee. When I hurt my knee in high school, my physical therapy basically consisted of lifting weights. I do a lot of those same exercises now.

However, when I look in the mirror, I still look down and see that lovely cottage cheese, a.k.a. cellulite. I have it on my inner thighs, down towards the knee area - that is the worst spot. It's also on the backs of my thighs, but not as bad. Basically, it's on the whole dayum thigh, but it's mostly visible on the inner thighs. Unless I run myself into looking like an Ethiopian marathon runner, it's not going to go away.

I read an article, maybe 7 years ago, about rebounding. That is a fancy word for jumping on a mini trampoline. I vaguely remembered something about it helping with cellulite, but I couldn't remember why. I started researching again last month, and found out that the up and down motion, along with the gravity/g-forces, helps to stimulate your lymphatic system, in a way that other exercises do not. If you stimulate the lymphatic system, you can help to rid your body or more toxins, including that pesky cellulite - which is a build up of fat and toxins, anyway! Rebounding has many, many health benefits. Read about them here and here. With regard to cellulite and the lymphatic system, check out this article. It's long and technical, but worth the read (they'll talk about cellulite about halfway down the page).

So, I'm going to be the guinea pig for this. I'm going to try to jump on my rebounder every other day, to start with. I have a work out DVD for rebounding, and the cardio portion takes about 15 minutes or so - it even includes some ab work at the end. If i have a day where I can't lift weights, I will use the resistance training as well. In addition, I will still be running, because I have committed to running the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on 10/3, and the Runway 5K on 10/31. (Pray for me!) I'm also going to continue lifting weights. I'll keep you guys posted on my progress.

This is the rebounder I am using: Gold's Gym Circuit Trainer Mini Trampoline

I had to go to three different WalMart's before I found this. The first WalMart was just out of them. The second WalMart said they don't even sell the mini trampolines in their store. The third one was the charm, and I got the last one available. If you decide to try this and get this trampoline, you can always purchase online and have it shipped to the store, if you can't find it locally. It was $30 + tax at the store.

ROTFLMBAO!!!

OMG...I saw this 10 minutes ago and I am STILL laughing...my stomach hurts and there are tears in my eyes.



Kanye, Kanye, Kanye...I don't know who Photoshopped this, but I LOVE IT.

Disclaimer: No disrespect to Patrick Swayze's death. I loved me some Dirty Dancing. But this right here is hilarious, on Kanye's part.

Boyfriend #2...

OK, not really. I just think that song is a hoot. My niece was singing it at the bowling alley when we went the other day. I asked her who sings it and she had no clue. Youngins. I looked it up on the Blackberry and discovered that it's some dude named Pleasure P. I wouldn't know half these songs if it wasn't for the skating rink.

So, Smooth and I had date #2 this evening. He called me out of the blue to go check out this place called Boudreaux's. Cajun eating. I checked the menu before he came to get me, because I knew it would be a lot of seafood items that I no longer eat (shrimp, crab, crawfish, lobster). I found something I knew I would like ahead of time and we were all set.

We got to have better convo this time around. He asked me if I thought he was too old for me...I told him no. I know he's only 2 years younger than NY, but he just SEEMS younger than that. We talked about relationships, kids, church...he was pleasantly surprised and impressed with his knowledge of the Bible. Like...I need to go in the room and get back on track with my reading, after I finish posting this and doing my hair for the night.

I didn't leave work until 6:30 and had no idea that I'd be heading out to dinner. I had just sat down to watch Y & R when he called. Luckily I had not started twisting up my hair for the night! A quick change into some nice jeans and I was ready to go. It was a nice introduction to a restaurant I've never been to before, and I got to learn a little more about my new friend.

When he dropped me off, I invited him in, and we watched a bit of the game. He showed me a couple of pictures from when he was in the league. He left around 10:00 - gave me a hug at the door and thanked me for going to dinner with him. He has not tried to swoop in for a kiss yet...that's interesting to me. Old school? LOL!

Random Observations

So, I was speaking with two different co-workers this morning. They both have young kids. The first has two kids, a son and a daughter. I always ask about her son's adventures, as he has just started kindergarten. He's excited about riding the bus, etc. Her daughter is in pre-school. We started talking about how she is potty training and how they have these little mini-toilets at the pre-school, so her daughter doesn't like to use the potty training toilet. Understandable - plop her on the big people toilet and call it a day. That's how I was when I was a baby. She started talking about how the 5 and a half year old will not poop (OK, I really couldn't think of another phrase, so we'll just go with that) at school or out in public - he always wants to wait until he gets home. OK, I can understand that - not really a problem. But THEN she said, this kid will not wipe his own butt. People with kids - help me out. At 5.5 years old, shouldn't you be wiping your own butt??? Is this normal? Should a 5 year old be pitching a hissy fit and crying if you won't wipe his butt? I could see going back to check and make sure he worked it out, but to actually have to go in and wipe his butt every time he goes? What happens when he just can't hold it and HAS to go at school? The teacher is NOT gonna wipe his butt!!
That just struck me as weird. At mean at some point, don't you just have to step in and lay down the law - I don't care if you don't want to wipe your butt, suck it up! I can't speak for sure 'cause I'm not a parent yet, but I just never heard of this.

She also fights with the daughter about clothes. Once, the daughter was going to be in a wedding, and some shoes had been bought specifically for that purpose. The daughter wanted to wear the shoes to school, and pitched a fit until she finally gave in and let her wear them. Now what were you gonna do if the shoes got ruined at school? They apparently fight with each other all the time about what the daughter is going to wear.

The second co-worker advised that her pre-school aged child does not like to get her hair done after a bath. Says she screams and cries like you are trying to scalp her. I'm like ok, do you have a little chair for her to sit in? Do you have something to make it a fun activity? Either way, how does the child get to totally dictate when it's time to get her hair done? I know they all go through that. I remember my niece D, she absolutely hated it, whined about it...but she sat her butt in that chair while her momma did her hair. I just can't see me fighting with a child to do their hair.

Anywho - people with kids, speak up! Is this all normal? It just seems like some of the stories these folks at work tell me...they spend their whole lives fighting with their kids, and I just want to know who is the kid and who is the parent? And is this what I have to look forward to, if/when I have kids? Maybe my mom was just too no-nonsense.

New York, New York

I'm baaaaaack. I promised to recap dinner with NY, so here we go:

Let me just say that I had mixed feelings about going. One, I was just physically TIRED and I knew I was leaving for VA the next day. I did not want to be out late, but of course, that's exactly what happened. Two, I don't have any strong initial feelings about him either way. I'm just sorta like, "eh." I decided to take pity on him since he lives on the South side (totally opposite from where I am) and he was trying to get to the gym, shower and then get way over here. So I called him and told him I'd meet some place on his side of town.

We ended up going to this place called Rafferty's. It's ok, but I hardly ever ate there when I lived on that side of town. He was late - that was strike one. I just drove 30 minutes, I'ma need you to be on TIME. He wasn't egregiously late, so I decided to let that slide...

I give him the once over before we get taken to our table. Not bad...at least we know he knows how to clean it up, and it's certainly refreshing to see him when he's NOT sweating. LOL! We sit down and he starts talking my head off and asking me all kinds of questions. He tells me I look different than when he sees me at the rink, blah blah blah. We order our food and discuss the Sk8-a-Thon in ATL...the one that everyone keeps trying to get me to go to at the last minute. I tell him what I know about the rinks down there. It was nice conversation, for the most part.

Strike two was that his dayum cell phone kept ringing. And he kept answering! A cousin, a niece and his brother. I'm gonna let him slide on the convo with his brother 'cause it was his brother's birthday, but the other two? Nah, playa! Hang up the phone! So every time he picked up that phone I posted an update on FB from my Blackberry. I needed to have documentation 'cause I knew folks might not believe me.

Yet another strike against him is his age. I found out he's 48. Dude, can you even get a leg up? (well, I guess so since he does skate. But still.) You are out of the realm of having babies. Your son is in his 20s. Stop it. You knew I was 34 before I knew you were 48 - you shoulda stopped right then! Well, I guess I can't really complain about this, because Smooth just turned 46 on Saturday. It just seems like 48is pretty much 50. I don't know where all the eligible 34 - 39 year olds are, but they apparently keep passing me by. I must have some type of pheromone that only attracts people in their 40s...did I mention that RB is 43?

Anywho, we did end up having drinks after dinner (translation - I drank one beer). All in all, not a completely horrible person, but I believe he is doomed for the FriendZone. At 48, you oughta know better than to be answering your cell phone at dinner, unless it's a daggone emergency. Do better! I just didn't feel any type of spark. Of course, he called before I left town to wish me a safe trip, and then yesterday evening to see if I made it back safely. Why is it always the ones you don't have great interest in, seem to be the most interested in you, and put forth the most effort? Go figure.

I'm Off...Like A Prom Dress...LOL

Yeah, I know. It's something one of my college friends used to say, and I always found it funny.

But I am off to VA to spend the weekend with my sister, BIL and niece. My BIL's family is having a cook out so we will be hanging with them. I have never met his family before, except his mom and I think his sister. This should be interesting!

I went to dinner with NY last night and now I'm dragging 'cause I stayed out too late and was doing laundry and packing at 2:00 a.m. I just told my sister, "I'll be there...eventually." I don't have time to blog about the dinner, but I promise I will when I get back. :)

I wish I could be in ATL for Joi's 14th Annual Sk8-a-Thon. I am catching mad grief from the skating community for my non-participation. LOL! Oh well. SK8-a-Thon 2010 will be my goal.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!!

Latest Henna Results

I did another henna on the 28th. This batch was kind of weird. When I poured the powder out into the bowl, it was bright green. Normally it's a pale green, almost brown color. Usually, the color release on the henna starts shortly after I add the green tea and lime juice. This time, even after I let it sit overnight, there was very little color release. That concerned me, but I had already mixed it, so I figured I'd just put it on and leave it for 4 hours of conditioning. On previous attempts, my gloves have turned bright orange during the application process. This time, they barely changed colors. I don't know what was up with that batch.

Here's the best pic to see how the color turned out:



Under normal lighting, my hair just looks dark. You have to get close up to see it. Sometimes you can see the reddish brown tint, but as you can see in this pic, it sometimes looks burgundy.

Hopefully the next batch will be par for the course. After applying this henna, I CW'd to get it all out, then applied shea butter and some oil, and put in flat twists. When I took them out that night to go to dinner, my hair was sooooo soft. Love that henna!