A.R. and Proud

Work It Out (At Home)

2009-11-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

While I have found some classes at the gym that I like (kickboxing, Zumba), they don't tend to run when I want to exercise (6:45 am), and getting to the gym, getting changed, etc. wastes 30 minutes. So I like to exercise at home. The trick to exercising at home is variety. (Actually, that's the trick to exercising in general.)

So, for you, dear readers.

5 Fabulous Exercise DVD Resources:

1. Collage Video
Hands down, the best workout video resource I have ever seen. They have reviews, they have clips, they have everything. If the DVD you want isn't on their list, it's not worth doing.

2. Netflix-live streaming
Sure you've streamed movies, but did you know you can also instantly stream workout videos? Just click on the Sports & Fitness genre. Most of the movies they stream are from The 10 Minute Solution line, but all those videos are stellar. (You aren't able to mix up the 10 minutes segments like you can with the DVD, but it's great nonetheless.)

3. SwapADVD
Swap DVDs for just the price of shipping. I've ordered over 10 videos, and shipped about 7, and every transaction has been positive.

4. Fitness Magazine's Create A Video Workout/Video Workouts
You will need to create an account for the personalized Video Workouts, but the viewing of all workouts is free.

5. Exercise TV
Watch various workout videos all for free! You can also sign up (& pay for) access to more videos.

Enjoy!

I.D. Yourself

2009-10-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

You are out there hiking, biking, rowing, walking. Feeling the sun, rain, wind, snow in your face. But what happens if (god forbid) something happened to you? Would anyone know who you were? Or about your medical condition?

Well, then you need a RoadID. It's a stainless steel ID that is engraved with your contact info and then attached to a bracelet or shoe tag. Pictures here.

(Gosh, this sounds like a commercial.)

I've had mine for over 7 years now, and I love it. It's inexpensive, it makes me feel safer, and it lets me leave my driver's license at home.

Please consider getting one for yourself.

Do the Math

2009-10-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

So, I've been exercising and eating consciously for 5 months. Yes, it's nice that I am now a size 12, yes it's nice to fit in my wedding dress again, yes, it's nice to day dream about buying a bikini. But none of that is really important. What is? The fact that I am actually healthier.

Because I am a Type 1 Diabetic, there are stringent cholesterol numbers I am supposed to aim for.

So, in the past 5 months, my total cholesterol has dropped 37 points, my HDL has gone up 6 (this is a good thing), and my LDL has gone down 19 points. My numbers are now all below (or in the case of HDL) higher than the targets. This means I have reduced my heart attack risk. And according to the Living to 100 life expectancy calculator, I am going to live to 97. (That's a lot of years to wear bikinis.)

Yay me!

Tell the Truth

2009-10-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

From time to time, I get requests from companies to try their products and then blog about it. I usually pass, because I wouldn't normally use the item they are hawking, and I don't want to be beholden to anyone (but myself). So when Katie Lewis of Rocket XL contacted me about Vaseline's new Sheer Infusion with Stratys 3 body lotion, I was going to say, "No Thank You." But then I realized that I was almost out of the current lotion I bought at Costco 6 years ago (I'm not even kidding). Katie assured me that Vaseline was only interested in brutally honest reviews of their product. So I said yes.

Here I go...

Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion with Stratys 3

Design: Beautifully designed, with one of my favorite (and so A.R.) things being that the stripe behind the type of lotion, e.g Mineral Renewal, matches the stripe on the cap of the bottle. The bottle also has a nice curve to it.

Packaging: No excess packaging, and in a HDPE 2 bottle with a screw on top which I will easily be able to recycle.(These are things I look for when shopping.) The flip top works well and the bottle fits nicely in my hand.

Feel:It's a medium weight, white cream that quickly absorbs in to the skin. I can put clothes on immediately without any problem.

Scent: They are definitely fragrant. (Not something I'm used to.) I like the scent of Botanical Blend the best.

Price Point: At 6.5 fl oz. I would guess that they would retail at $8.00. And amazingly enough, they retail at $7.99. But you can get them for even less with this coupon!

Ingredients: The first ingredient, and therefore the majority of this product is water. Stratys 3 is not an ingredient (like I originally thought), but rather three seperate moisturizing ingredients that work together. It also contains methylparaben and propylparaben, so if you are avoiding parabens, you will want to skip this product.

Does it work? Short term I would say Yes. I will need to use them for a longer period of time to really know if there is a difference in my skin.

Would I buy it? If I saw the lotion on the shelf (and needed lotion), at the price of $8, I would probably buy it.

But time will tell the ultimate truth.

All images used with permission.

Pass On Your Prose

2009-10-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

When I packed books for our honeymoon in Europe, I vastly underestimated how many I would need. After plowing through all of them in the first week, I was craving books, and craving English.

When we got to Hotel Reutemann in Lindau, Germany, we asked the concierge if they had a book exchange area. He pointed to a wooden chest behind us. And in it I found Margaret Atwood's, The Handmaid's Tale, IN ENGLISH!

I snacked that book up so quickly!

It was the only book in English I had for the next two weeks. The other hotel's book exchanges were empty.

So when we went to the Czech Republic 5 years ago, I bought 12 used books, and shipped 3/4 of them ahead to my mother-in-law's house. I read them all and left them with her, for her to read, and for her to give to others that wanted to practice their English.

So, with Martin and I going to Washington D.C. soon, I'm planning another trip to the used book store. I never feel comfortable taking library books with me, and I like leaving the books behind for others.

Luxe Your Life

2009-10-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

There have only been 2 times in my life when my body has changed drastically in a short span of time. The first being puberty, and the second when I was 14 and lost 20 lbs in a span of 4 weeks (and was subsequently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes).

So, with no plans on ever getting pregnant, I figured my body would pretty much stay the same for the rest of my life. As you know, I have been exercising a lot and there have certainly been changes in my body from that, but I never thought that something as fundamental as a bra size would change. Even as my bra kept popping off every time I raised my hand, even as the straps kept falling down no matter how many times I tightened them, it didn't occur to me that perhaps something had changed. I just blamed the bras.

Finally, I cried mercy and headed over to Nordstrom's for an intervention. I was professionally fitted. The attendant then brought me 30 different bras to try but I just stood there in shock.

After being an "average" size all my life, somehow I had transformed in to something that required the word double. I eventually recovered my composure and quickly fell in love with some garments from Betsey Johnson (who happens to be from my hometown). They were only about $20 more than my usual brand, and are much better constructed.

So I'm slowly turning into a lady who only buys fine things.

But really, what do else would you expect from a girl who had a silken baby blanket?

Make It A Habit

2009-10-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

I am utterly and fabulously addicted to exercising. It's only been 3 months, but it has gotten to a point where I actually crave it. It has taken me a few tries to find the best time, the right frequency, and the right mix of exercise, but I've found it.

How do I know it's become a habit? Martin and I are going on vacation to Washington D.C. soon and I am packing exercise clothes and my MP3 player. That is a first for me. (I've also already scoped out the hotel gym.) My plan is to bang out 30 minutes on the treadmill before breakfast and then head out for a day of exploring D.C. on foot.

If you do it right, exercise is hard. But if you do it for the right reasons, it is truly worth it.

Keep up the good work!

Rest In Peace

2009-10-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, my neighbor, Francis ("Frank") Reagan died. He had been ill for a while, so when I glanced over at his yard on Saturday, and saw that his flag was at half staff, I knew we had lost him.
(A neighbor later confirmed.)

Frank had an incredibly generous spirit. He was always plying us with tomatoes, cucumbers, and one summer, pounds and pounds of plums. We would often come home to a bag of tomatoes hanging on the door knob. (Once he hung it on the handle of the garage door and we almost accidentally made tomato sauce.)

We often talked politics and when he learned of my own interest, he started dropping off his New Yorker Magazines. They were dotted with his finger prints, hi-lighted passages and notes in the margins.

Over the years he told me about what it had been like to live in the area. How the place where my house stood used to be a community garden, and about how he planted the first plants in my yard when they built the house.

He was also gracious. When he learned that the trees he had been taking care of (& paying for) for years, were actually mine (due to property lines), he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Oh well."

Although Frank was always quick to say "Howdy, Neighbor", his wife, never acknowledges me. (So I just let her be.) I was delighted the day Frank told me how much she enjoyed the scent of my lavender wafting through her kitchen.

Since we moved in I have seen the ambulance come for Frank at least four times. And each time, he would come back, a little worse for wear, but happy to continue on with life.

Frank will live on, in the plants he planted in my yard over 10 years ago that continue to disrupt my own plants, no matter what I do. In the fact that I remember the name of the nearby elementary school, Franklin, because his name is in it.
And in the fact that when me moved here, to a new state, a new city, he showed me what a neighbor was. And that made me feel at home.

Here is his obituary.

Keep It Clean

2009-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

We humans make things really dirty. One might even say that our biggest contribution to the earth is grime. That being said, some see a reason to play in that dirt. Fast Company just did a wonderful story on Paul Curtis aka Moose, and how he transforms dirty tunnels and walls in to art, using just stencils, water, and brushes.

His art is full of looping, organic forms all set with a backdrop of dirt and grime.

The most powerful image from the article for me, however, was not the photos (although they are wonderful) but the thought that in only a few weeks, the art would be reclaimed by grime and no longer visible.

What a waste.

Be Blatant

2009-09-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended the Northwest Environmental Business Council's Climate Change: Positioning Your Business conference in Portland, OR. Simply put, it was wonderful. But the high point was attending The ROI of Carbon Management session put on by Virinder Singh of Hat Trick Energy & Environmental Consulting, Sanjay Kapoor of s2 (S squared) Sustainability Consulting, Brad Ouderkirk of Ecos Consulting, Alan Zelenka of Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, and Kevin Wilhelm of Sustainable Business Consulting, and author of Return on Sustainability.

While it was certainly informative and fascinating, I got the biggest kick when they described what they do. Because, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO BE DOING. I was so excited, I found myself almost tipping over the table I was sitting at. I wanted to ask them the best way to get noticed by a firm such as theirs (in the current climate) but I felt it was off topic.

But don't worry I have a plan.

Until then, let me take the time to be as blatant as possible.

I want to work at a sustainability consulting/eco-efficiency firm in the Pacific Northwest area. I want to help businesses save money, energy and time by helping them with GHG/Efficiency audits, strategic planning and reporting.

And if I don't get hired soon, I may start creating fictional companies, just so I can run audits on them. Yes, I am that obsessed with efficiency.

Be Consistent

2009-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I would say I've had very good luck with the Chiropractor. Everything she has done has helped, and on her insistence of an x-ray, we learned how close I am to being able to star in a Carnival Freak Show!

My only problem is with one of the exam rooms. Exam room #2 to be exact. The room itself is fine. Not enormous, but big enough for both of us. The problem is the wall. Someone very thoughtfully painted some inspiring words on the wall.

EXHALE

RELAX

STRENGTH

Yep, that's right, STRENGTH, not STRENGTHEN and it drives me crazy. I haven't spoken up yet because I'm afraid the doctor will think I'm more of a nut that she probably already thinks I am.

But one of these days I may just smuggle in a paintbrush and some paint and fix it.

Adjust

2009-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

So I've adjusted pretty well to the news that I have an extra lumbar vertebra. (It's been almost 68 minutes.) I'm zipping back and forth between thinking that Mother Nature is a tricky lady, and composing new slogans for bumper stickers/t-shirts:

My spine can kick your spine's butt!

My backbone is better than your backbone and I've got the X-ray to prove it.

My brother asked me how I was feeling, I told him that it felt like a rug had been whipped out from under me (again). But that it made a lot of sense and that I was happy to know what has been going on all these years.

Sometimes I think that evolution is neat and that the human body is amazing. But sometimes I think that Mother Nature gave me an extra back bone on purpose. That somehow she knew I would be a tender soul and that I would need the extra support.

Either way, there is still no way in hell I am ever going to see the Body Worlds exhibit.

(Although I do expect them to call any day now. I'm sure they don't have a Type 1 Diabetic with an extra lumbar vertebra yet!)

Get To the Root of the Problem

2009-09-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

"Alrighty, let's look at these X-Rays" my lovely chiropractor says. "Hmmm, that's weird. Have you ever broken your back?"

"No," I said, "I'm pretty sure I would have remembered that."

"Ok, but something here isn't quite right." She pulled off the x-ray and popped up another. "Oh, I see, you have an extra lumbar vertebra. It's rare, but it certainly happens."

Whhhhhhhhaaaaaaa? I thought to myself, swallowing hard. "An extra what?" I squeaked.

"Let's get some better X-rays done of you, but I'm pretty sure you have an extra lumbar vertebra."

And in my shocked, scared (and trying so hard to hide it) classic Lia way I then said, "I hope this doesn't mean you are going to start charging me more. You know, since I have more bones than everyone else." And she laughed. (Which helped me keep from crying in front of her.)

Make Concessions

2009-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

In a social situation, when someone learns that I am diabetic, the first words out of their mouth are usually, "Are you supposed to eat that?"

Don't do that. It's not helpful and it just makes me want to punch you in the solar plexus.

All diabetics (Type 1, Type 2, Type 1.5, Gestational) can eat any kind of food they want. The trick is to know how many carbohydrates are in what you are eating, and to plan your insulin accordingly. HOWEVER, there are certain foods that frankly, will screw you and your blood sugar up for hours. Two of these include pizza and baked goods.

Pizza, with its evil, cheesy, crusty, goodness can make your blood sugar drop initially (the fat keeps the carbohydrates from being absorbed) and then shoot your blood sugars sky high for hours afterwards. It's so tricky to deal with, insulin pumps have a special setting called extended bolus, square wave bolus, etc., just to try and master it. (But we all just call it the pizza bolus.)

I don't eat dessert regularly, but when I'm at a friend's for dinner, and they've made a lovely dessert, I usually want to have some. Because I haven't a clue about the carbohydrate amount, the initial yumminess is usually followed by hours and hours of nutty blood sugars (that often keep me up all night long). So the last time this happened, I decided I'd had enough.

No more dessert at night.
(I'll just take it home and have it during the day.)

I was going to swear off pizza altogether, but then my lovely husband pointed out that if I only had pizza at lunch (and did a better job of carbohydrate counting), I'd have all day to manage the blood sugars.

So, like I said, diabetics can eat whatever they want. But it's smart to eat it at the right time.

Know What Your Time Is Worth

2009-08-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

I now exercise about 6.5 hours a week. An hour each weekday morning, plus an hour walk with a friend and another 30 minute walk with another friend. We all have 24 hours in a day, and I believe we should use them to our benefit. So, for your enjoyment, things I am happy to skip in order to exercise:

1. Watching TV
2. Surfing the Internet
3. Checking Twitter
4. Stressing out about stuff
5. Talking on the phone
6. Sleeping late
7. Fancy and elaborate outfits/make-up application
8. Hanging out at happy hour/drinking beers for hours.
9. Hanging out at coffee shops for hours.

How about you? Is there something you can give up in order to get moving?

I promise you that it will be worth it.

Know Your Goal

2009-08-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I met with my trainer, Kara Carlson, of Northwest Personal Training for the 2nd (official) time. I'd been working hard for the last 4 weeks, even when I was in pain (non-exercise related). My clothes were getting too big, I could both feel and see myself getting smaller, so I was not at all concerned when the scale showed no weight difference from last month. Kara did the measurements of my body, and reported that I had lost from 1/2 to 1 inch everywhere she measured (and she measures lots of places). That I had reduced my body fat by 2%, and that my blood pressure and pulse rate had all gone down. All good news.

I think she worried that I would be discouraged that I hadn't met my goal weight for the month, but I was not. My true goal is to make exercise a daily habit, and in that arena I have succeeded with flying colors. Even when I wasn't feeling well, I made myself get up and exercise. It's become addictive, it's become a craving. It is part of me now and I never want to let it go.

So today, per Kara's suggestions I increased my outdoor walking routine from 30 minutes to a full 60. As I hit my second loop of the hill, my glutes were burning, my heart was pounding and I thought to myself. "This is really fucking hard."

But for that hour I felt strong, I felt energized and I felt alive.

Laugh At The Labels

2009-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

The business world is full of acronyms and phrases and lots of them make no sense. Years ago, I thought an elevator speech was called an elevator speech because the networking group I was in made you stand up when you did it.

When I heard about a SCRUM, my first thought went to rugby. Not a bad guess, since that is exactly where the term is "stolen" from.

And until recently, I misunderstood the phrase (about motivation): carrot and stick. I pictured a carrot tied to the stick, and placed just out of reach of the person, in order to urge them to move ahead. When it fact, it means to reward the good behavior (yum! carrot!) and punish (fwap! ouch!) the bad.

I think I misunderstood the carrot and stick idiom because I believe that if you praise the good behavior, offer helpful comments, have a clear vision for your team, and work hard, the punishment phase is not needed.

So, go ahead and laugh at all the labels that have been created to help our companies (the consultants and authors that keep making them up sure are. all the way to the bank in fact.) Just remember to treat others the way that you want to be treated. Nothing else really matters.

Consider Your Entire Environment

2009-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I had to head in to Portland, OR at night to attend Green Drinks (a green networking event). Normally I try to group my Portland visits together, but in this case I only had one event to go to. I had a few options on how to get to Portland. I could drive my compact car a mere 15 minutes, park outside Ecotrust (look Spencer, it's one word!) and then drive home after the event. Or I could drive 5 minutes to the MAX (subway) station, take a 30 minute trip to downtown Portland, then take the Portland Streetcar another 20 minutes to the stop near Ecotrust.

Now granted, I'd love to not put another car on the road, but Vancouver, Portland, you are not making this easy for me! In fact, you are actually making it harder for me to take public transportation. And since I am currently reading Fight Back: Arm Yourself with Mental and Physical Self-Defense by Dominick DiVito, I was also very aware of another environment: my physical one.

If I parked at the park and ride at the MAX station, because of the time, I would probably have to park at the overflow parking lot. And while lit, it is across a busy street from the MAX station and is not patrolled. Not really a place I want to be by myself at 9pm at night.

So I drove in to Portland. And felt with every thread of my being that yes, I did the best thing possible for the environment.

See It Through To The End

2009-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

A few summers ago, Martin and I decided to watch Richard Wagner's The Ring Cycle (Der Ring des Nibelungen). Our library had the complete set of the Metropolitan Opera's performance. So we watched it. All 7 discs. All 14 1/2 hours of it. (Not all at once of course.)

It was a wonderful experience. I hadn't heard that much German since my honeymoon (only this had subtitles!!!), and I finally understood what Valhala meant. I enjoyed making Martin sick by saying, "Hey! I know this music. It's from that Pork commercial! (or) It's from that Bugs Bunny sketch!" And of course, I enjoyed using the word "Fafner" in a fun new way. (Sorry, but what happens on the racquetball court, stays on the racquetball court.)

So this summer, it's Bond. James Bond. All 22 of them. It's been truly fascinating to watch Bond evolve. We've learned a lot along the way. For instance, James Bond actually gets married (albeit quite briefly). Although, I've seen enough women saying, "Oh, James" to last a lifetime, and I'm kind of sick of shark tanks, it's been a great run. Plus, I realized that the bathing suit that Daniel Craig wears in Casino Royale

Oh, sorry. Got distracted there for a minute....

Right, so the shorts that DC wears are almost identical to the ones that Sean Connery wears in Thunderball. (Sorry, couldn't find a picture.)

I'm not sure what we will do next summer, I think we are running out of outrageously long series to watch on DVD. Any suggestions?

Know Your Limit

2009-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Some might say that I like Kashi's food a little too much (but that's just because he wants more of the cookies). I can't help it if I love their TLC: Stoneground 7 Grain party crackers and their TLC: Oatmeal Dark Chocolate cookies. And the fact that they are based in La Jolla, CA, hometown of some of my family, and the town next to where I used to live, sure doesn't hurt.

But apparently I do draw a line. I went online to see if I could find coupons for Kashi and I found that Kashi has it's own online community. Um, ok. I guess I should applaud them for trying to expand their market, drawing in users, and making what really is just a series of ads, in to a social networking site. But I'm not signing up for anything just to get a few coupons.

So, Kashi community, you go ahead, spend your time answering quizzes, and learning about boosting calcium.

I'm gonna go take my cookie and sit outside.

Immerse Yourself

2009-08-06T10:16:00.001-07:00

Ok, to be fair, if I heard that someone read 18 books on a particular subject, I might think they were a bit obsessed. But since, that someone is ME, I will say that rather than obsessed, I am a voracious researcher. (Yeah, I like that!)

So yes, I've read 18 books about sustainability consulting, eco-efficiency, green living, etc. I've learned a lot, and I'm also astounded at the number of books on the market in this genre. I keep reading them, but I keep finding more. As with most books, I get them from the library. And whatever books I request, that can't be found either at my library or through interlibrary loan, the library ends up buying. So now, the Fort Vancouver Washington Library system has quite an extensive green collection. (You are welcome.)

The problem with reading 18 books about a particular subject is that you tend to read the same thing over and over. But I soldier on (and heavily skim) because I like hearing different voices talk about the same subject. And sometimes they disagree (I like that the best!).

So, I have to go now. There are two books waiting for me on the bedside table, and 2 more being held for me at the library. Must. Continue. On.

Be An Attention Whore. (Or Not.)

2009-08-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

As you know, I joined an online DVD swapping service called SwapADVD. Since I had some extra credits, and since I was curious, I ordered Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease.

I knew that the DVD had zero aerobic attributes, I wanted to see the striptease part. I find Carmen Electra intoxicating at times, and I wanted to see if I could learn anything useful from her. And by god, I did.

Five Things I Learned From Carmen Electra
Subtitled: How To Make Sure Everyone Looks At You, You, You, All the Time.

1. Hi-light your favorite body parts with your clothing.
It's hard to ignore breasts that are clothed in a white top with a black mesh top very tightly layered over.

2. Put Your Hands Where You Want People To Look
She constantly moves her hands: in her hair, along the curves of her body, constantly, constantly, almost frantically moving them.

3. Need More Attention? Make Some Noise.
She makes you slap your butt at least 3,000 times in the video. At first, I was very annoyed by this but then realized that the noise immediately draws your attention.

4. Always Have A Plan
Everything she does, is choreographed. If she gets on the floor, she has a graceful way to get up. The only problem is, that once you realize this, she starts to resemble a really boring robot.

5. Music Makes It Complete
Watching the routines without the music is excruciating, and not just because she makes you do the routines over, and over,and over. Once the music is added, it becomes much more lifelike and convincing.

While I did learn some things from the DVD (gotta make everything edu-macational), I have no interest in pursuing them. So, I put the DVD back up on SwapADvd and someone has already requested it.

So, Jennifer C., good luck. I hope that Carmen doesn't bore you as much as she did me.

Strong Is Sexy

2009-07-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today was my first official workout day with my trainer, Kara Carlson. This time, Northwest Personal Training was full of people, and although I was initially worried I might not be able to hear Kara's directions with the other 10 or so people working out, it wasn't a problem.

We started with measurements. She measured me in places, no one has measured me before. But hey, the more measurements, the more information you have, and information is a great thing. She (very nicely) commented that she was surprised that my body fat was as high as it was. I said, "It's the height. That's been my problem. I used to tell myself that it's Ok that I weigh this much, I'm tall."

I don't care that I am currently on the border of obese. I know things are changing. I bought a new dress the other day, size MEDIUM, I keep finding "divots" on my body where I've lost fat, and Martin commented the other day that there seemed to be less of me. So I know I am on the right track. Oh, and I feel fabulous.

As she measured me, I was able to show her my insulin pump and insulin pump site and I'm sure she was surprised with how small and fancy it looks. I hope that dispelled any worries she might have.

Soon enough, we headed out to the floor and started the routine. Since I know that I need to actually fatigue my muscles in order to make progress, I agreed to up my weights. Turns out I can lift 12 lbs (when I thought I could only lift 8) per arm. That felt pretty awesome.

I've never had someone be with me before, so it was lovely for her to hand me the weights, hold parts of me that needed to be stabilized, and to check and offer suggestions for correcting my form. It left me free to just focus on lifting and breathing.

Later on we did some core work and I was delighted to find out that the exercise she had chosen for me was too easy. She quickly corrected that. But it felt great to feel so strong!

Strangely enough, one of the best parts of the workout was when she helped me stretch. She pushed, pulled, and put her body weight on parts of me that I simply can't do myself. That felt great.

Because I had skipped the aerobic part of my workout this morning, due to the record heat, they let me jump on the treadmill for 20 minutes. It was boring (I hadn't brought my music) but it was fabulous to workout in the air conditioned comfort.

So, I have my exercises (complete with explanations and graphics) to follow for the next four weeks. Because Kara is evil (in a good way) she wants me to up my set each week.

This should be very interesting.

Learn From Trash

2009-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I read Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage and was privileged enough to join the Green Drinks, Vancouver, WA affiliate on a tour of the Waste Connections West Van Materials Transfer Station located in Vancouver, WA., led by Terra Heilman, Waste Reduction Coordinator.

There was a lot to see, and a lot to digest, but I have come up with the 5 most important things I learned from both the book and the tour.

Safety First!

1) Create Less Waste

I include recycling in this, because the definition of waste is something you pay for twice. Once when you bought it, and once when you paid someone else to get rid of it. Choose items with less packaging, compost anything you possibly can, borrow items from friends, and stop buying so much stuff.

Truck moving co-mingled recycling (from businesses).

2) Know Where Your Waste Goes

Things don't just disappear when you put them out by the curb. It's both fascinating and enlightening to know where it goes. For example, my trash gets compacted and barged out to a landfill in Oregon, where it will sit for years and years. Why should I care? Because we will eventually run out of landfill space. Then what?

3) It's Only Recyclable If There Is A Buyer For It

Each recycling facility recycles different items depending on what kind of buyers they have. My transfer station can recycle milk and Tetra-Pak cartons because there happens to be a plant nearby. If you fill your recycling bin with things that aren't authorized, they will just take the long trip to the landfill. Avoid buying products made of items that can't be recycled locally.

Sorted Recyclables

4) Spend Time Wisely

Rather than complaining, or harassing your recycling station about how they don't recycle every darn thing you buy, spend time encouraging your neighbors to recycle. I know it's frustrating that innovation hasn't kept up with our ideals, but we need to deal with it realistically.

5) Don't Put Plastic Bags In Your Recycling Container

Plastic bags gum up the sorters, and then everything has to be stopped in order to cut the bags free. This is a huge waste of time and money. Put the plastic bags in the trash, or better yet, don't use plastic bags at all.

Teeth On the Brand New-Yet To Be Installed-Sorter.

Itching to take a tour of your own waste facility? Try calling the number on your monthly bill and asking. You are welcome.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

2009-07-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

As you know, my trainer, Kara Carlson, wants me drinking 3 Liters of water a day. And since, sometimes, I do what people suggest, I am trying my best to do it.

So of course, I created a system to track my water intake. Kara wants me drinking 3 Liters, which equals 4 refills of my water bottle. (Yes, I measured.) Now, some people track how many bottles they drink by putting the target number of rubber bands (e.g. four) on their bottle, and then shifting a band down the bottle with each fill up. I tried that. It looked messy. (Even when I made my rubber bands into a lovely colored pattern.) So I came up with something even better.

I took a cling (those things PBS, The Sierra Club, etc. send you in the mail to try and get you to join) and snipped it into a small square. Then I put a number: 1,2,3,or 4 on each side of the square in Sharpie. So I start the morning with the 1 right side up, and each time I re-fill the bottle, I turn the square to the next number. It's worked like a charm, and doesn't make the bottle look crazy. It's also easily transferred to the other identical water bottle I have.

Now, if I could only fix my new habit of going to the bathroom every hour!