Christmas Card

Yes, I am one of "those" people. Those people who take photos with their pets for Christmas cards. To tell the truth I like receiving Christmas cards with photos. Therefore I give Christmas cards with photos. I could just give out cards with Dixie & Roxie only but they will not sit long enough for a photo to be taken and since my sister doesn't have a camera with a super fast shutter I have to be in the photo.

Sam's Club is wonderful when it comes to doing these cards. You take your photo, upload it to their website, pick your card and viola! Christmas cards in two hours or less. When we went to pick up the cards yesterday we noticed that Roxie blends into my sweater and if her tongue had not been hanging out you wouldn't see her. Well except for that her eyes are this glowing robot green.

I also must confess that this isn't my Christmas tree. This photo was taken at my sister's house. I did not put up a tree this year and since Roxie almost took Beth's tree out it was a good idea not to. Roxie decided that she must go under the tree in order to get around. Needless to say we took the photo tout suite.

I hope everyone is have a very Merry Christmas!
Michele

Dixie Girl

This picture of Dixie just cracks me up. My friend Verena took it with her awesome camera. I think I need an awesome camera.

I find that I always call Dixie "Dixie Girl". I am not sure how that started. I only call her Dixie when I am irritated with her about something, mainly escaping.

Physical Training Session-The Rest of Them

I finished the rest of my sessions. All 20. I lost a total of 8 pounds and over 4 inches. I am very pleased. I signed up for an additional 10 sessions but this time I am only going on Tuesday and Thursday. I told Mark that I would re-evaluate after the next 10 sessions. Thankfully he doesn't pressure you to continue. Maybe he is using reverse psychology. Ha! I never thought of that until right now!

Dixie-The November Escape

This is the look that Dixie gives me when I finally get her back home after a 4 1/2 hour escape. I don't think she looks very sorry.

This is the looks she give me when I tell her to go get in the tub. She knows what that means. Do you notice that you can see her ribs? Me too. I take this dog to the vet on a routine basis because I am afraid she is too skinny. But honestly it is very hard to keep weight on her when she is CONSTANTLY running when she is outside. Then on the occasions when she escapes she could be running up until the moment she is caught. I wish I had her stamina. I feed her dog food for "Active Dogs" with no fillers and high in protein but I don't think they have any idea just how "active" Dixie is. I am honestly afraid that one of these times when she is out that someone will find her and think that she is being abused.

This is post-tub. She slept all day. Must be nice.

Another One Bites The Dust

Yeah. So. This is the destruction I came home to Wednesday night. At the time I had no words to describe my shock.

I had put up everything possible that Roxie might like to chew on (aka DESTROY). Well for some reason a wool rug did not enter my mind of possible things that she might like to eat.

When I first got Roxie she ate a litany of items: remote controls (3), heart rate monitiors (1), shoes (oh I don't know 3 pairs), a year's worth of Oprah magazines and the list goes on. I had taken to putting her in the kennel when I left the house. I would test her on occasion to see if she has gotten any better and she had been doing good. Until Wednesday. If I leave her out I will put everything up and I will give her a raw hide bone. Wednesday I ran out of raw hides. The destruction of the wool run ensued.

Yeah. So. I am guessing she's not quite over her separation anxiety.

The Devil in Disguise

Since Roxie is a Lab/Pit Bull Terrier Mix people assume that she has ferocious tendencies. Nothing could be further from the truth. She is one of the sweetest and most mild mannered dog I have ever met. Except for the fact that she likes to chew my possessions I think she is pretty perfect. Old Navy has on sale this week their dog Halloween costumes. I had seen this devil costume a couple of weeks back and didn't think I wanted to spend/waste $20. Well yesterday it was on sale for 50% off and I just had to have it. I thought it would be so cute to dress up Roxie and Dixie. I put the cape and horns on Roxie first. She looked so adorable and we all started laughing (I have my friends Swen and Verina staying with me for Ironman Florida). I think we gave her some sort of complex. She hid under the dining room table and in the picture Swen is trying to coax her out. She wouldn't come out until we took the costume off.


Dixie on the other hand thought she was the bomb. She pranced around the living room and "posed" for pictures. Well let me tell you that costume fits her perfect. She most definitely can be the devil sometimes. When Swen and Verina said they were coming to Florida I warned them of all the crazy quirks my dogs have. Number one with Dixie is that if you give her a couple of seconds with an open door she takes off like a bat out of hell. Catching her is next to impossible. She literally has to wear herself out and then she will allow you to bring her home. This takes a minimum of 2 hours. This morning Swen made the mistake of opening the front door and just stood there. I was about 2 seconds too late. I called his name to warn him and then Dixie took off. Swen felt so bad. Since I have been through this at least 25 times I was calm and I tried to let him know that we would get her in about 3 hours. I realize that she could get hurt in the interim but since no one is able to catch her there is so sense in driving around getting frustrated.

When I got to work I got a call from my friend Suzanne. Suzanne lives about 4 blocks from me and has helped me catch Dixie in the past. "Do you know that Dixie is out running like a crazy dog down Maine Avenue?" Yep. "Okay, just checking. Let me know if she's still out after the kids get out of school and we will come help you find her." I love friends like this. Next call one hour later. My friend Cullen, who has a very thick southern accent, "Your damn dog is running all over Maine Avenue." Yep. This time I decided I would go and try to catch her since Cullen had Suzanne's husband with him. Sometimes she can be caught with three people plus it has been about 2 hours. She should be getting tired. No such luck. We saw her numerous times and Cullen was even 3 feet from her at one point. I went back to work knowing that if I didn't catch her before Swen got back from swimming he would feel even worse. He had already spent an hour looking for her even after I told him to wait. About 11AM I get a call from my neighbor 2 blocks from my house. They have Dixie. She just walked up to their back door. Poor thing was tired. Not really feeling sorry for her. Not even now. My neighbor wanted to know if I wanted them to let her go (are you CRAZY???) or if I wanted to come pick her up. Needless to say, I went there directly.

Too bad she likes the devil costume or I would make her wear it as a punishment. I think instead I will give her a nice leisurely bath. Since giving her a bath is the bane of her existence I think it will be fitting given her antics this morning. Plus she stinks to high heaven.

Isn't She Lovely?

My niece, Emily Brock, will turn ten on October 30th. I cannot believe she is ten sometimes and then other times I think she is a teenager. Bless her heart, she is always concerned about her "Aunt Shelly" and the status of my relationships (or lack thereof). She is thoroughly convinced that I need to go on eharmony or match.com because "they really work".

Roxie Strikes Again!

I really don't understand how a dog that not only looks so sweet but also acts so sweet and loving insists on chewing up my possessions! Now I have to add my heart rate monitor to the list of:

3 Remote Controls (thankfully Comcast thinks it is amusing)
An ENTIRE year of Oprah magazines
4 Burned CD's
One shoe each of six pairs of shoes

After this laundry list of chewed up items I started putting her in the kennel when I leave the house. Slowly I have been letting her have short stints out when I go out. I clear the floor, coffee table and end tables and shut all the doors to the bedrooms. Last night I did the same think but I didn't realize my HRM watch was on the couch. When I got back after being gone an hour she had chewed up a sample ballot of the upcoming general election (not a huge loss consider the state of our nation) and as I was picking up the pieces of paper I noticed that some were heavier and made of plastic. Immediately I remember that I left my watch on the couch. This is all that is left:




I thought I could just fix it and replace the watch band but the way she chewed it didn't look like it would work. Plus, I used this HRM almost everyday. So last night at 9:00PM, I am on the hunt for a new one. I went to Sports Authority and the manager was pulling down the gate. He was kind enough to let me in, I assured him I wasn't in there to browse and I knew exactly what I was looking for. Then I remembered seeing a $25 coupon earlier in the week so I was able to get the next model up for the same price as the one I bought before. This is my new HRM. I really like the fact that it's pink.




I used it today at the gym. It's really cool. Well cool in a crazy expensive exercise gadget sort of way.

See you soon!
Michele

Caloric Intake

Last night, while training, Mark and I got into a discussion about calories. I am having to keep a food diary on this really neat website called "Spark People". You put in your food and exercise daily and it keeps track, etc. I know that tracking food is the best way to actually lose weight because I have used Weight Watchers before with success (but only if you keep doing it!) Anyhow, right now I am eating anywhere from 1200 to 1700 calories a day. I am exercising 5 days a week and on the days that I train I will burn anywhere from 700 to 1000 calories. Theoretically with those numbers I should lose pounds considering I am not counting the calories burned throughout my day. Let me say this, I am not looking to lose pounds quickly (i.e. in some "fad" diet sort of way). I want to lose pounds sensibly and in a matter I will be able to maintain after I finish my personal training. In our discussion last night Mark tells me I should only be eating 1200-1500 calories a day. WHAT!! People I would literally be SO very hungry if I really had to cut those 200 calories. On the days I train, you cannot stop me from eating about one hour after I finish. I am so famished. So today I am wearing my HRM to work and I am going to see how many calories I burn normally. I know on the days I train I will be in a deficit.

For instance, yesterday I consumed 1415 calories and I burned 740 at the gym last night. That difference is 675 of unburned calories. Well right now at 8:18AM I have already burned 456 calories. There is no way that buy then end of the day those 675 calories would have been left. No Way.

I need those 200 calories. Really. Seriously.

Physical Training Session #8, #9 & #10

Free weights are not my friend. I have discovered this, well basically from session #1. Mark, my trainer, finds this quite amusing. I have no idea why I have such trouble, it isn't because my arms are weak, they are quite muscular, is it possible I have weak wrists? Perhaps. I am fine as long as I don't have to lift over my head because then everything goes willy nilly. Mark is always concerned that I am going to knock myself out. Needless to say he tries not to have me do too much overhead lifting.

I am half way through my training. I am feeling better because I am actually losing weight, albeit not a lot (it still amazes me that it is SO easy to put on but SO hard to take off!) but any weight loss is good. I can tell that I have gotten stronger working out with Mark. I think this is because when I was doing strength training by myself I wouldn't push my muscles past a certain comfort level. He, on the other hand, pushes.

Another thing that has helped is having a heart rate monitor. I LOVE the fact that it tells me how many calories I have burned. There is this feeling of such satisfaction seeing that number at the end of a workout. I do realize that the real reason I have this HRM is to tell me my level of exercise and this has helped me tremendously.

I think I will ask Mark to take my measurements tonight just so I can see where I am. I have lost a total of four pounds but I'd like to see inches also.

Until next time!
Michele

Physical Training Session #5, #6 & #7

Well, I cannot say that I remember the specifics about these sessions except to say that when I leave I am drenched with sweat. I come home, cook dinner and I am normally in bed by 9:00PM. I haven't gone to bed that early in years, like high school. I am that zapped. I am actually getting at least 8 hours of sleep. It makes getting up in the morning so much easier.

When I got on the scale this morning I was very happy to see that I had lost 3 pounds! Who would think that 3 pounds would make me so excited. Considering it has been the only reduction in weight I have had in 5 months it is no wonder. Progress is being made! Happy Day!

Michele

Physical Training Session #4

Ew, I am sore! My arms (two days later) still feel like jello. By the end of our session on Thursday Mark wanted me to do these bicep presses on the side of a weight bench and I actually felt like my arms wouldn't hold me up. He just looked at me like I was crazy and made me do something else. I guess this is what "they" (whoever they are) mean when they say that in order to strengthen your muscles you have to push them beyond your comfort level.

This morning I am making up one of my lost sessions at 9:15 AM. I am not a morning workout person. I realize this isn't early but I like to be lazy on Saturday mornings. My dogs get me up at the same time every morning so it isn't a matter of sleeping in but I just don't like having to do anything. I think it came from dating Geoff for 5 years and practically every Saturday morning we were up early and out the door to do some sort of workout. This morning we are doing legs so I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow!

Until then,
Michele

Physical Training Session #5 Postponed

Well, I had to postpone PT last night. I had to get this shot and when I asked the nurse and then the doctor if I could got work out they both said no. I surprised myself by really being disappointed not to be able to go! I did get some cardio in Monday night but I have a feeling that I will be getting my butt kicked tomorrow night. I have to admit I am ready to suffer, I am feeling quite sluggish.

It is supposed to be in the low 50's tomorrow morning. I cannot wait! I love Fall weather. There is this crispness in the air that I cannot get enough of. I wish I lived somewhere with seasons, especially Fall. I am going to open all my windows tonight, who cares that it will probably be 85 by 10 am!

Physical Training Session #4-Postponed

I can't say that I am really upset about this...Although am in such a good mood today that I really wouldn't have minded being punished by Mark tonight. He had to reschedule so at least it won't make me feel bad if I ever have to.

The reason I am in such a good mood is two fold. One, Brockalee called this morning at 6:45. It doesn't really matter that I was in the process of getting ready for work and I stopped and talked for about 45 minutes. So I came to work this morning with no make up on and my hair dried naturally so right now it is a complete curly mess. Thank goodness I work about 2 minutes from the house. Two, he was PACKING when he called! WHOO HOO! That was all he needed to say and since he couldn't elaborate it was enough for me. I have gotten very good at reading between the lines.

Although I won't be doing any PT tonight I think I will do cardio that way I will be ahead for the week. Plus since I took the weekend off I kinda feel like a slug right now.

New Addiction

One more thing...I am addicted to Geo Challenge on Facebook. It is the bomb. Doesn't everyone need to know every nation's flag, location and where their major cities are located?

Physical Training Session #3

So I was really sore tonight. Especially in the ab department. I felt really sloppy. My Type A personality came out because when I couldn't do a exercise like Mark, the expert, I felt inadequate. Thankfully he was there to tell me that I shouldn't expect to do everything exactly like him on session #3 and to give myself a break. Not that he allows me to be a slacker but he (and I) expects me to improve.

Now I must finish watching the season premiere of "Grey's Anatomy".

Physical Training Session #2

Well if your PT (I know that this usually stands for Physical Therapist but for the duration of my sessions it is going to be Physical Trainer) tells you that they want to find out your maximum heart rate and they want you to run on a treadmill until you reach said HR, BEWARE!!! Your butt will be kicked. That is how I feel right now. Honestly, besides making dinner and taking a shower the only thing I feel like doing is play Geo Challenge on Facebook. Mark definitely made his money tonight. We start at 6 PM sharp and go, go, go until 7 PM. In that 60 minutes I think there might be 4-5 minutes of rest. Not 4-5 minutes of rest in a row, mind you. On second thought I think I am done with Geo Challenge tonight, I think I might just go to bed.

Physical Training Session #1

Weight: 192 lbs./87 kilograms/13.7 stone
How come 87 kg or 13 stone sounds sooo much better than pounds?
My measurements were taken but I didn't have a chance to write them down. I only remember the weight because I had to take it myself the women's locker room.

I did find out that one reason I have not been able to lose weight is because when I was doing my cardiovascular exercise I was exercising at my over my maximum heart rate and for some reason if you exercise over your maximum heart rate you won't burn fat. Did not know this. They need to put up HUGE signs at gyms that state this fact. I purchased a heart rate monitor to help me ensure that when I do cardio that I am exercising at the rate that burns FAT.

I think I am going to like the training sessions. Mark did tell me tomorrow that I wasn't going to like the session because he was going to push me in the cardio department. I guess he doesn't believe that I was exercising for 5 months at over my maximum heart rate. I have no fear about tomorrow. Stay tuned for more updates.

Bad Football Day

Florida State lost tonight. It was a terrible game. It felt like the battle of the field goals and how many interceptions can FSU throw in one game. In addition to losing my family had a disturbing altercation with a fellow season ticket holder.

Our family has been buying season tickets since I graduated from FSU in 1993. We now have 10 tickets in our block and have basically been sitting around the same people for years. Last year these two young men had tickets in front of us and they came to the games and never really interacted with anyone around them. We all know one another and socialize during the game and buy/sell tickets from each other as needed. The fact that they haven't interacted with anyone isn't really a big deal. It isn't a requirement but most of each know each others name, etc. Anyway, tonight when we got to our seats one of the young men had his portable chair half way off the seat. FSU has not upgraded our stadium to stadium seating because we would lose seats and thus would lose revenue but what ends up happening is that a lot of people bring these portable seats and they end up taking up not only their seat but 1/2 of the seat next to them. Mom politely asked him if he would move up his seat so she could sit down. Reluctantly he did but when he sat down he proceeded to lean back like it was a recliner. Well her knees were right in the back of his seat. Had he not had this seat he would not have been able to sit like this. He would have had to sit up straight like the rest of us without portable chairs.

After the first quarter I heard him ask his friend if "that lady is going to keep her knees in his back during the entire game." I dismissed it because evidently he didn't' realize that not only was he taking up a 1/2 seat beside him but this chair allowed him to recline! During halftime he turned around and with the most ugly voice he said to my mother "Are you going to keep putting your knees in my back!" My Mom said right back to him "Sir, you are in my space and I haven't said anything to you so yes I am going to keep my knees right here. They have no where else to go!" He proceeded to prod on and on about how nobody's knees are in the back of the people in front of them but he didn't realize that he was causing his own situation. Not only was he terribly wrong but he was being incredibly rude to my Mother! I was about to say something to him and my brother-in-law spoke up and explained to him that he wasn't going to talk to his family in this manner and the problem could be easily solved if he sat up straight like everyone else. He proceeded to use expletives and this is when I spoke up and told him that my Mother wasn't trying to intentionally put her knees in his back and that he and his seat were too far back. Then I told him that he was being extremely disrespectful to my mother and how would he feel if someone was talking to his mother in this manner. I even called this person "Sir" and was using my calm voice. All this being said he STILL DIDN'T GET THAT HE WAS WRONG! Well, he couldn't admit he was wrong because during the rest of the game he sat up straight.

Honestly, I think that he thought that he could talk to Mom in that manner because he never thought that she would say anything to him but it shocked him that she defended herself. Then he couldn't back down and admit he was in the wrong. Pathetic. I was so angry that he would even dream to speak to anyone the way he was talking to my Mom. I could feel my blood pressure in my throat and my let was going up and down like crazy. Honestly if he had continued I have no idea what I would have done. I just wasn't going to let this moron continue to berate her for something that he was responsible for. I don't enjoy this type of confrontation. I prefer to work things out amicably but when you are having to deal with irrational people it makes an amicable resolution difficult.

Between the outcome of the crappy game and this self absorbed seat hogger it made me rethink our decision to go to the game. We should have just stayed at the mall and shopped!

I've Bitten The Bullet

I am almost too embarrassed to write this...I have hired a personal trainer. Please do not get me wrong, I respect what personal trainers do I just never thought I would pay anyone to train me. I have to go on record to say that I have mocked friends of mine who have paid good money to have someone help them exercise. I never in a million years thought I would do it until I got on the scale Wednesday morning. Let me preface by saying that I have been working out since the beginning of May. I have been going to the gym anywhere from 3-6 days a week doing cardio, pilates and lifting weights. Well in the last 5 months I have gained 15 POUNDS. Granted I do realize that it isn't 15 pounds of fat but the entire point of me sweating this much is to decrease my overall size. Gaining 15 pounds even if it is muscle isn't the way to reach my overall goal. I would like to drop 2 sizes. I don't think that is unreasonable. Trust me I have plenty to lose. Dropping 2 sizes would bring me to a size 8 US. I have gotten a lot of advice from many different people and all of it is different. Originally I said I would train on my own for six months and then if I wasn't happy I would do something else. Well with the way I am headed if I waited another month I still wouldn't be happy. So, come Monday I will be working out 3 days a week with Mark. I am expected to do 2 more days of cardio on my own. I am really motiviated and since I have paid this man a large sum of money I don't think motiviation will be an issue. I had no idea how much money personal trainers make in an hour. Wow, I know what I should do if I ever decide accounting isn't my cup of tea anymore.

I have decided to post the results of my 20 sessions. Just so it can be documented since Mark has pretty much guarnateed me that I will have the results I want in about seven weeks (of course, it isn't a MONEY BACK GURANANTEE). We will see. I will actually post my real weight (yes, I am insane) and measurements. I am putting it all out there because I am really expecting to see results.

It is funny how this all works out. I broke my leg in February and here I am in September hiring a personal trainer and actually enjoying the fact that I go to the gym. I would have called you a liar if someone told me I would be doing this last September. I guess it is true that everything happens for a reason.

Dixie & Roxie, partners in crime

"DIXIE"

"ROXIE"

I have added another dog to the family. Her name is Roxie. She and Dixie get along beautifully. Too beautiful, in fact. Roxie has been here about 3 weeks and this past week they have discovered that Roxie has the ability to dig. Dig under fences. Dig under fences to where they can get out. Roxie, who is a lab mix, will just roam around and then comes home. Dixie, who is an English Setter, takes the opportunity to take off like a bat out of hell. She will run until she is exhausted. As I write this she is running. I have already been out looking for her and I found her but I couldn't catch her. I even had my hands on her and she slipped away. She mocks me. Thankfully she doesn't take to running the roads but instead runs through ditches, woods, backyards, etc. After I fix the hole that has been dug I will resume the search. The bad thing is that she won't do all this running around and then come back home. She gets close to home then someone will catch her and I will go and pick her up. She will come to anyone but me. She knows if she comes to me she'll have to go home. She hasn't been on a rampage since I broke my leg in February and now this week she has been out twice. Hmm, must have something to do with Roxie. I caught them conspiring to dig and Roxie was going at it and Dixie was standing back looking like she was giving direction. Like she was the General and Roxie was the grunt doing all the work. I had already bricked up all the spots I thought were vulnerable but it looks like I am back to the drawing board. Any suggestions on how get a lab to quit digging? I am open for any suggestions.

The Beauty of Blogging

It is frightening how long it has been since i posted to this blog. I guess that is the beatuy about blogging. There is no one telling you that you have to post and you can just pick up where you left off. But five months??!! So much has happened since my last post, the main thing is that I broke my leg skiing February 9th. Geez what a pain in the arse that has been. Surgery, moving back in with my parents, rehab... it has been quite an experience. I have never broken a bone before and having done this at 36 in a word SUCKS! I think I will end this session on that note.