Let Freedom Ring!

Hostages freed: Watch this video!

Beast in the Basement

I don't think I've ever blogged about the beast that lives in my basement. If you like spooky stories - here's a good one.

This murderous beast has a history of stalking neighborhoods and frightening all that had the misfortune of crossing his path.

He was known to be the ringleader in neighborhood gangs and once killed a cat and left its corpse to wither and rot in Todd's mom's backyard.

He has horrific social manners proven by his incessant hacking and sputtering. It is truly disgusting to behold.

He became homeless a year ago and because of his old age (and the fact that I JUST CAN'T SAY NO) he came to live with us.

Since he has a homicidal past - we felt it was best to keep him locked up in our basement. We let him out into our backyard often and the last time he was out there I snapped off a few shots - mainly to show proof of his hideous and tortured existence. I'm sure he lives with the guilt daily.

Take a look into the eyes of fierceness...



This 25 pound behemoth is not as innocent and sweet as he looks.

Small children and clowns flee when they catch a glimpse of his monstrous size.
(please don't notice the gigantic cracks in my patio)














Here he is in all of his lazy lounging glory.

We sleep well at night knowing that he is too old to hurt any other poor innocent critters. We are continually hopeful that his murderous past is behind him.

**Besides husbands, do you have or do you know someone or something that should be kept locked up in a basement for the welfare and safety of others.

Mountain Peril

Saturday's hike to Lake Blanche started out so innocently, but turned into an event.

Todd dragged drove Connor and I up to Big Cottonwood canyon to hike up to Lake Blanche. It's not a super long hike - about 3 miles - but it's all uphill. It's estimated that it takes the average person about 2.5 hours to reach the lake. It's a tough hike. HOLY COW it's tough.

I've made it to the lake a few times - but when I was in much better shape. I had every intention of making it to the top - but yesterday my body told me it just wasn't happenin'.

Look how eager and full of hope Connor is at the start of the hike.











The beginning of the trail fools you into believing it is going to be paved and easy like this all the way to the top. It was a bait and switch, if you ask me.












Egads.

It IS pretty up there, though.

A waterfall near the lake.

This is as far as I made it.

We hiked for about 2.5 hours and still had another 45 minutes to go before we would make it to the lake. The last part is the hardest part of the hike.

Todd and Connor had lots of energy left in them to make it to the top but I told them I couldn't do it.

They were really sweet and told me it was okay if we didn't make it.

In hindsight - this was actually a very good decision to stop when I did.

When we finally made it to the car, I started to feel nauseated. Then came the splitting headache! Then I became dizzy.

By the time we made it out of the canyon, I was chilled. It was 93 degrees outside, and I was actually cold!

I asked Todd to pull over and I just laid on the grass in the shade. I was soooo sick. Todd got me some ice water and saltines and after about 20 minutes of moaning on the grass, I was suddenly better.

Turns out it was heat exhaustion.

But all is well now and I'm glad I went. The moral of this incident is that I need to wear sunblock and start the hike in the morning and not during the hottest time of the day - and drink a TON more water.

Lesson learned!

Pity Party Hoodoo Style!

Many many thanks to all of you who read and/or commented on my last blog entry! You deserve medals for putting up with me. Thank you soo much for your many ideas and suggestions. I thought about them all weekend.

You might be happy to know that I have ended my pity party and have pushed myself into action. ;)

I am creating a blog dedicated to weight loss and fitness. Making my goals and progress public just might be the catalyst I need to stick with the plan this time. I'll post it within the next few days.

Thank you, blogging friends. You are all so patient and wise and wonderful and I appreciate you!

Tomorrow is a new day.

*Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.
Eleanor Roosevelt

It's seriously going to take a village.... (DANGER AHEAD)

This is an irritated, annoyed, and gnashing of the teeth kind of tyrade! I just need to get this out of my system so I can fix the problem. You may want to turn back now.




<--- ME






Anger and rage looms ahead in this blog rant.








Enter at your own risk!








Okay - here goes. But, remember, I warned you...

WHAT IS MY DEAL?! Why can't I just stick to a plan and lose the weight? Seriously, what is so hard about denying myself food and expending a little energy during exercise to get healthy?!

I hear the words that I need to be healthy. I know the importance of putting good food in my mouth. I know how good exercise is for the body. I remember how good it feels.

But why can't I do it?

I'm now having some health issues because of my weight. High cholesterol is already here for me. Diabetes is pointing and laughing at me because it knows it will be next. Now I'm having gallbladder issues.

This was never supposed to be part of the plan for me. I didn't grow up thinking I would one day be overweight.


I signed up 6 months ago to run the half marathon with my brother next month. Am I ready? Of course not! Did I exercise? Nope. At all? Uh uh.

Having a friend drag me to weight watchers worked at first - but lately I've just been paying money to show a weight gain.

Something must be done.

After much soul-searching this week, I've determined that it will take a village to get me healthy!

Today I'm taking drastic measures. And I'm telling my friends in blog-land about it so that I will be accountable for my actions.

Here are my thoughts and I hope you'll share what works or doesn't work for you. I know this affects a lot of us. I'm sure that I can't be alone in my feelings.

But I also know that some of you are doing things right and have made changes in your lifestyles.
These are some things I really really want:

• I want to lose 50 pounds.
• I want to run a marathon next year for my 40th birthday (yikes)
• I want to lower my cholesterol and high blood pressure
• I want to be peaceful and less harried - more introspective
• I want to get a good night's sleep and feel energy during the day
• I want to be loving and forgiving of myself

I'm going to post my weekly progress to my blog each week. I'll post how many times I exercised during the week and if I showed a loss at WW. I'm also going to try to bust through some of my fears.

I truly welcome your feedback. What was it that finally pushed you to make the change? Are you currently struggling with motivation right now as well? What are some of your tricks?

Jane Austen

I must confess that I have never read a Jane Austen book nor watched a movie about any of her books.

I know - shocking!

A lot of people talk about Jane Austen on their blogs so I clearly must be doing something wrong.

SO - in order to correct this error, I will pick up a book and/or movie this weekend.

But - which one? And should I watch a movie first or read a book first?

Help!

Raising children..

I received this great email today. This one struck a chord with me...
-----
Paul Harvey Writes:

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room,but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it.. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.