Four.Twenty.Eight

What 4.5 Days in West Texas Can Do

You hang around in west Texas too long and you come home with these as part of your Christmas present from parents.  Yes, I surprise me, too.  But they are awesome and I can't wait for an opportunity to wear them.  No, I'm not planning on going all-out cowgirl.  I'm going to keep it citified.  But it's kind of nice to stick to your roots.  I got my first pair at age 3 complete with matching tooled belt that had my name on it.  If you're a native Texan and didn't have the boots and belt growing up, I really wonder about you! 

Mini Home Improvement Project

Sammy and I always want to perk up the homestead.  It's just not always easy without an endless supply of funds!  So, several months ago (about eight to be exact), we were in Lowe's for something other than what we came out with.  Typical, huh?  We ended up leaving with enough half-price drawer handles to install them in our whole kitchen.  Easy and low-cost way to perk up the kitchen.  Why it took us 8+ months to get around to installation, we don't know.  Maybe we can get around to the higher cost projects later, but for now, this one was fun and pretty easy to do.

 

 

We knew that installing cabinet pulls (especially those like we did with two holes) could be nerve wracking.  It isn't always easy to get them aligned properly and level, but with a template we did fine.  I will begrudgingly admit to our two very minor mistakes, though.  We put a drawer handle where it should not have gone (the adjacent drawer won't clear the handle), and we put the little punch spots on the wrong side of one door (easily covered with a matching wood putty pencil).  So, not too bad for a couple of amateurs!  Guess all that DIY Network and HGTV is paying off...  :-)

HPU

I got the itch this evening to do some photo editing.  I took the camera with me on my recent trip to HPU for Homecoming.  Aside from my Alumni Association Board duties, I experimented and practiced sharpening my skills.  Here's a few of my favorites from the Homecoming festivities.  Click to enlarge.

End Of An Era

Well, it finally has happened. We traded in the bright red Jeep Liberty for a pre-owned 4Runner. You know, I'm kind of sad. She was a good ol' girl - 148,000 miles and at least 3 trips to Colorado with no major problems. Sammy and I aren't even sure it isn't more than 3 times to Colorado. I can't believe it has been 8 years! Well, pending paperwork, no more Jeep.

~~Sent from my Blackberry Wireless Device~~

Where's Axel?

Let's play a little game from a classic children's book called "Where's Waldo Axel?"

So, we can start with this scene:

"Where's Waldo Axel?"

"Where's Waldo Axel?"

"Where's Waldo Axel?"

FOUND HIM!  What a spoiled little punk he is.

What The Heck?

What the heck have we been up to?

Well, for starters, not that much.  I haven't much of a good excuse (such as awesome vacation or fabulous home improvement project) for the absence at ye olde blog.

So, what the heck have you been doing, you ask?  Well, kicking my own butt at the gym.  Sammy and I started Jillian Michael's Making the Cut exactly two weeks ago, and we are exactly halfway through the program.  I am finally loving it!  Yes, finally.  It took a good week, maybe week and a half, to really, um, "appreciate" the routine.  Code: I HURT FOR A WEEK AS IF A MACK TRUCK RAN OVER ME.  But now I'm over that.

I really feel like I am now getting to a point where I am feeling a difference.  I love it!  I am the type of person who actually likes getting punished working out, I like to sweat and get strong.  I am not one who can just walk on the treadmill and lift some 5-pound weights.  I want to push myself and get stronger.  So now that I am over the initial phase, I am loving it!

Here's an example of the first workout we had to accomplish.  Let me tell you, it was not easy that first day, but we did it and it is becoming so much easier now.  I love seeing and feeling my body evolve this way and it makes me feel great (slacking off for a couple months and not going to the gym did not make me feel great at all).

Circuit One:

Dumbell Presses on Body Ball (20 reps, 10 per arm)

Dumbell Flys on Body Ball w/ Crunches (half the weight of the press, 15 reps)

50 fast squats

One-minute sprint at 7mph (women) or 9 mph (men)

Circuit Two: (If you're wondering, yes, this circuit was a killer on day one!)

Plank (10 seconds)

Close-Grip Push-ups (5 reps) **Can't do these.  I have very weak shoulder joints and I just can't do a push-up.  I have learned since, though, that I can do them on an incline and be successful at them!  Score!)

Side Planks with Inner Thigh Raise (10 reps)

Back to plank pose (5 seconds)

Close-Grip Push-ups (5 reps)

Side Planks with Inner Thigh Raise (10 reps)

Back to plank pose (5 seconds)

Burpees (10 reps)

50 sumo squats

One-minute sprint at 7 mph (women) or 9 mph (men)

Circuit Three:

Frog Push-ups (20 reps)

Squat Thrusts (20 reps, then hold static squat for 30 seconds)

W Shoulder Presses with leg extension (10 per leg)

Jump rope for one minute

Circuit Four: (You have to love the "perform reps to muscle failure.")

Bench Dips (20 reps)

Rope Tricep Presses (reps until muscle failure)

Static lunges with lateral shoulder raise (10 reps with each leg forward)

Mountain Climbers (1 minute)

Boat Pose (30 seconds)

Circuit Five:

Jump rope (1 minute)

Bicycle Crunches (50 reps)

Extended plank (30 seconds)

So, in conclusion: Don't let it scare you!  If Sammy and I can do it, so can you.  I just keep telling myself that if the people on the biggest loser can take all the punishment Jillian can dish out, I darn well can!  Those people have a lot more to move around than I do.  It is already getting easier after 4 days a week for 2 weeks, and I am actually enjoying it more and more.  I am about to write out my card to take with me to the gym today for day one of week three, I don't know what is on there yet!  Eeeeks!

Cool & Comfortable

Can you believe it? After all the 100s, I really do a double take. When I first started out from the house, it said 53.

~~Sent from my Blackberry Wireless Device~~