Reaping the Whirlwind

What a month. What a summer. Where in the heck did it go? Because it is officially fall now. Sheesh. I had a wonderful time in SF with my sister the last week. Of the 10 days gone, I had to give 2.5 to a work conference (which paid for my ticket out there!!!). That was additionally beneficial because I WON AN IP.AD.

Yes, you read that right! One of the conference vendors donated a 32GB WiFi iPa.d. Not 3G capable, but who cares? No 3G phone service where I live anyway! So it's basically a larger iP.od touch, but oh, so much cooler! Also at the conference I got to meet up with Janet W for dinner. That was a lot of fun! She even brought me some books! Whoo-hoo!

I can't believe how much my nieces have grown! Especially G, the oldest. What a young lady she is. It's wonderful! We had so much fun playing, even if I had a few headaches while I was there. She was extremely understanding. She is a really good kid. Especially with her 1 year old sister. Very patient, and more gentle/tolerant than you might expect a 7 year old to be!

S, my 1 yo niece, is hilarious. Shy at first, but once she warmed up to me it was great. She walks holding on to just one of your fingers. Actually, it's not really a walk, more like a full-speed-ahead charge! When you give her that finger to hold onto you'd better be ready to move! She's chattering up a storm, and is a great eater. Particularly loves bananas. Her favorite person is her big sister G. Wants to have and do everything her big sister does. It's so cute. Gonna be interesting when she gets a little older. [g]

I even got to spend some one-on-one time with my sister, which was fabulous. Those moments are too few and far between. She is such a good mom, both kids are wonderful. She is also amazingly patient, although she doesn't think so!!!!

My bil was on work travel the last half of the week, and we couldn't have timed our flights any better. His flight had landed at the same terminal I was leaving from right before my sis was dropping me off. He walked up just as I was starting the goodbyes. Which was fortuitous because I hate saying goodbye in the first place, and saying goodbye to niece G is much worse! She was just starting the "I don't want Tia to go" and the "Why does Tia have to go" bit when she spotted her daddy walking up. :) A great distraction!!!

(Please pardon the exclamation points. I blame it on excessive tiredness and coffee)

What I did On My Summer Vacation

Well, okay, it was end of spring/beginning of summer vacation. But it still counts. And it basically went like this: Pool - food - pool - food - pool - food I think you get the idea! It was a totally fun two weeks in the Florida sunshine; no rain until after I left. My three nieces and one nephew (poor fella!) completely wore me out. Especially that last week. We'd get up, have breakfast, jump in the pool. Get out for lunch, put more sunscreen on, and hit the pool again...I had to buy a swim shirt/rash guard I kept getting sunburned on my shoulders and arms. In spite of 50SPF sunscreen applied multiple times per day. We also spent a day at Wet n' Wild waterpark for niece K's birthday. OMG. That was such a fun day. Even if I did get a bit of a sunburn on the tops of my feet. Well, really. Who thinks to put sunscreen on your feet when you're going to be in the water? Except you're in line so much at waterparks...ooops. I did not go down "Der Stuka" again. Doing that in 9th grade was plenty enough for me, thanks. Spent the morning with the older kids, the afternoon with the youngest in the kiddie park and then the wave pool. She loved the wave pool. Then the last few hours we were able to take her on some of the bigger rides. She's not tall enough for the biggest ones, but there are 4 or 5 where you don't have to be 48" tall to ride. She had so much fun! We all did, really. It was a perfect day. And so was the day we were all at Mom & Dad's for the day. Parents, 3 kids, their spouses and grandkids. Heaven for my parents, I think. Last time we were all together was at a family funeral. Anyway. It was a blast playing in the pool and just hanging out. And the older 3 (12, 11, 8) were great with the five year old. I wasn't sure how they'd do with someone that much younger. The five year old was entralled with her cousins, especially the oldest. Well, break is over. More later!

Oh, Woe is me!

Goal: 3x Arms & Abs, Gym Night
Sitrep: 2x Arms, 1x Abs, 20 min Basketball (Gym Night)

It's starting to look like I'll be spending my summer "vacation" in FL at the parents house; odds are my siblings and their families will be there as well. Math might not be my strong suit (I did okay until we hit fractions), but even I know that Florida + June = Significant Pool Time. And Significant Pool Time =

Oh, the horror! The past few summers I have managed to limit swimsuit time to one afternoon. That is just not going to be possible this summer. The kids live for the water. So does Mom. I will be out in the water. Pool, beach...it's all bad. ;)

I'm really going to have to amp up my workout routine...got to flatten that lower belly some more!!! I guess next week I'll start the Boot Camp DVD again. Oh, the things I do for my family!!!

And it's no coincidence that I got the Land's End Swimsuit catalog in the mail a few days ago. The universe is out to get me. (Not that I'm paranoid or anything!)

Finally Home

Sitrep for Last Week: 1x Abs, 1x PPU
Goals (12/17-12/23): 2x Abs, 1x Bootcamp (as much as I can do before dying), 2x PPU. Of course, this only works if my suitcase makes it to town - both the BodyRev & PPU are in there.

Okay. So last week was lousy for exercising. Unless it was playing games on the Wii. Some activity at least.

But I'm home. Only took 2 days and another overnight stay. My luggage should get here some time today. I hope.

Went to the doctor this morning for the "thing" on my neck. It's some type of bug bite that got infected because I wouldn't stop scratching it. NOT a brown recluse bite or lyme disease, in spite of the bull's eye look to it. Doc just rolled her eyes at me, told me to stop scratching it like a child. ;)

Gotta get caught up at work.

"What kind of father ARE you?"

Sitrep: 3x Cardio, 3x PPU (Max 0)

"The kind that doesn't give his daugher $30 to eat lunch at Taco Bell." OMG. I had to leave the room over that one. Can we say my oldest niece is a firecracker? This is an actual quote from her and my brother. Just one from the last week. All of us are wise acres. Including the kids. ;)

Yesterday we went to McKay. A used books, music & video warehouse. OMG. Talk about fun. I scored big time. TWO of Suz' books. An original edition of Taylor's Temptation and an original edition of Undercover Princess. I already have the first one, but have never read the second one. For only 50 cents each! Whoo-hoo. I also got a couple of Catherine Mann's Wingmen Warriors that I haven't read. And the latest J.D. Robb on unabridged audio CD for 50% less than cover price.

Then we just hung out the rest of the day, reading, doing crossword puzzles. My nieces are really getting into doing them. We spent an hour this morning working on one. I have them using the dictionary to look up meanings and get hints. They are doing really good. I also have my SIL hooked on crosswords now. LOL. We spent a good part of yesterday doing them....both of us feeling stupid when we get the obvious, easy ones wrong!!

Last night was TV night, where after the kids cleaned their rooms we all sat down and watched Christmas movies together. Everyone but the oldest niece, M, and I fell asleep. Then after everyone went upstairs to bed, I sat with her in her room and we just talked. It was fun. I liked having that one on one time with her. It was a little disconcerting though as I kept getting these images of her as a toddler/preschooler. The last time I spent several days just with her. She's almost 11 now. It was just weird.

We planned to play outside today but it is all rainy/misty out. Yuck. So we are stuck indoors. This morning the girls helped me do my final workout of the week. Heh. They are almost as hard task masters as Alden! They all think the BodyRev is cool, and "joined" me while I did the 15 minute Cardio workout. Then both girls tried out the Pefect Pushup. How pathetic do I feel when my 8 year old niece cranks out 10 regular PPU's in a row? Sheesh. But hey. She has less weight to push up and hold up!

So this marks the first time in well over a month that I have actually MET MY WEEKLY GOAL. Whoo-Yah! Now that is something to get FIRED UP about. And tomorrow is family game day and we're going to play the Wii. Bowling, tennis, whatever. :) I'm having a really great time!

This Trip is Getting Expensive

Sitrep: 2x Cardio, 2x PPU (10 reg, 10 wide, 10 close)
These Perfect Pushups are getting easier. :) I mean, they're still pushups, but I'm getting the hang of 'em and actually able to have "good" form. Helps to have my SIL to "spot" me.

Yesterday I bought a Playstation 2. And 3 games. And microphones. LOL. I've been wanting one for a while; was thinking about getting the Wii. But after playing Sing Star two nights in a row, I decided I was definitely getting one. Since Brian is a manger in a gaming store, he was able to help me put together a good used system. Got it all used, including the microphones (they were returned, never used!!!). Got Sing Star Rock and 80's. :) I was going to have my SIL blog for me yesterday because apparently while singing with the kids on Monday evening I was rocking out pretty good and amusing the heck out of her and my brother. [g] But we went out to lunch at Olive Garden (oh, the joy! Nearest one in my neck of the woods is a 4 hour drive!)

Then we came home and I played one of my new games: Nightmare Before Christmas, Oogie's Revenge. Brian thinks I was having way too much fun slamming those ghosts to the ground. Slam! Slam!

He rented a new game and tried it out last night. Time Crisis 4. OMG. He's good. And when he saw all the weapons he gets to use...I thought he was going to pee himself when he saw the machine gun. And when he got the grenade launcher...He had a BLAST. My SIL even tried it. It has an actual "gun" you calibrate and aim at screen. I declined to try it as I've spent enough money already. :) Went to the mall Tuesday and my SIL helped me find some great pants (on sale!) and a top at Dillard's.

So I am having a lot of fun! And I've managed to exercise twice this week. Whoo-hoo!

The FUN has begun!

Sitrep (last week): 2x Cardio, 2x Arms, 1 set Regular & 1/2 Set Wide PPU
Goal (12/3-9): 3x Cardio, 3x PPU (1 set ea Regular, Wide & Close each time)
So far: 1x Cardio, 1x PPU Regular & Wide, 1/2 Close

I'm at my brother's, finally, and am having a blast! It's so great to see everyone again. I'm not sure who's more excited or having more fun. Sunday is usually their family day, where they eat out or order in, and play games. I think I'm going to have to get a Playstation. LOL. We played a new game called Buzz. It was a blast. The girls, K & M, each wanted to be on my team, so we played twice, switching teams. K & I did okay...we were leading for awhile, until their Mom totally kicked all our butts. Brian & N (my nephew) teamed up and held their own. They came in second. When M & I teamed up, we wiped the floor with the others. ;)

Then we played Sing Star. Now that is tons of fun. [g] Even I got up there and sang...did pretty decently too until my niece tricked me into singing "S.O.S" with her...I've never head the song before...Can we just say it was excruciating? Love how it tells you when you've hit a bad note. LOL. Like I couldn't tell by the pained expressions on everyone's faces. But it was a lot of fun. Oh, this is going to be bad for me. A new addiction, a new toy...

Today so far I've spent a couple of hours chatting with my sister in law. Brian's at work, and the kids are at school. It's just us and the critters...4 dogs, 5 cats...I did 1 cardio workout, and then the Perfect Pushup. Did a lot more than last time. Managed one full set of Regular & Wide position, and then got halfway through a set of Close position. I like it. My SIL tried it and liked it. Of course, now I have to kill her because a) she did 7 in a row like they were nothing (grrrr), and then did some more! and b) these are GOING HOME WITH ME.

Well, that's it for now. Not sure the plan for the rest of the day. As long as it's not work, I'm good. (Side note: they made it 2 hours before calling my cell phone).