Dingoes Give Thanks for Running in November! - Page 12

[Plady]

Originally Posted by sparkletruck 


NRR: Got my 4th paper (of the midterm) back last night. He said it is the best midterm he's had in his 20 years of teaching the class and that we "should talk soon about your future in the program". Ive already had one prof./advisor ask "are you committed to topping at the M.A.?" Not that I'm all excited to pursue a PhD, but that sure felt good to my ego

Yeah baby!  And in your face lady-who-wouldn't-write-a-recommendation!  Was it the hot prof?  That's so awesome Sparkle, congratulations!

Nic - And like Mel said about the disconnection, it feels more hopeless and more endless.  At least with fighting there's movement in a direction (even if around in circles).  I like Sparkle thinking of bench-marks. 

Shanti - How are you? 

[Nickarolaberry]

Way to go Sparkle!!!!! 

Benchmarks...yeah.  They seem to keep changing. I have to think more deeply about that again.

Welcome, Knitter!

So...I could go to Pilates 'plus' at the gym tonight, or to a local yoga studio and shell out $14 for Ashtanga 1 (sounds like a workout, not sure if I'm ready for it although they say beginners can come) or Gentle Kripalu, which sounds relaxing but not all that 'workout-ish'.

What sayest the dingos?

[Plady]

Nic - I'd start at the cheapest option and then move on from there.  I think Lofty loves ashtanga, maybe she can chime in.

[tjsmama]

knittermama!

sparkle~ That's awesome! You rock!


I am stuck at home with a sick kiddo today. He got up to go to the bathroom in the wee hours, and I thought I heard him kind of whimpering a little, but in my comatose state, it didn't entirely register until I went to get him up and ready for school and he was definitely whimpering and looked miserable. Sure enough, he was running a pretty high fever. Well, perfect attendance was fun while it lasted! I gave him some ibuprofen and he felt better, but as soon as it wore off, the temp went back up (and higher this time), so I just dosed him up again.

So much for getting back on the workout wagon today. And I really needed it, since I was up two pounds this week. Ugh. Not totally unexpected, but disappointing nonetheless. And not looking good for tomorrow, since I have new grad class and then will either need to come straight home to DS (if he's still sick) or go run a crapload of errands that I didn't get done today (the grocery store situation is not pretty). Blah. On the bright side, being stuck at home today was good for something: my living room and dining room (and half of the kitchen) are now the cleanest they've been in months. The Christmas decorations are up (except previously mentioned outdoor lights) and the boxes are put away. If I have to come home tomorrow, I might just get the bathrooms and bedrooms tackled!

[MelW]

tjsmama, I'll be your sick kiddo stuck at home e-partner tomorrow if need be. My plans for a morning to work from home/prep and run (it's been over a week!) has been replaced with plans to let her watch a movie while I exercise in the living room.

Welcome knittingmama!

sparkle, you are amazing. We all knew it already, but I'm glad your profs know it now, too!

Nic, I think that styles of yoga are important, but finding the right "fit" for you for an instructor is even more important. Especially as you delve into the spiritual side, a good match seems important.

NRR- My car is in the shop so I offered to take the kids on a "bus ride adventure" on the way home from violin lesson today (husband had dropped us off, but had another appointment). The youngest was a bit sick, so my plan was to put her in the stroller for the 5-6 block walk to the bus stop, then ride home. It's a 10 minute drive, but I discovered that with schedules and stupid routes, it would takes us 90-100 minutes to get home on the bus. It costs 10x more to take a taxi, but today it was totally worth it... No wonder I never take transit. There is no shoulder on the road, otherwise I'd want to bike it. This community needs a better transportation strategy!
 

[1jooj]

Ugh, MelW. I hear you on the transport. Taxis are cheap here, so as long as the ride isn't too far, I don't feel bad taking one.  But I should figure out bus routes. I figure the kids and I will make that a project in Jan-Feb if we get bored--hit the bus system, see where we can go on it and how to do it. Parking is another issue in this city, though, which actually sometimes has us cabbing and leaving our car in the parking basement. Between saving time driving it out of the building and looking for parking spaces, plus the money spent plugging meters, sometimes it makes more sense to grab a cab for us. A new aspect of urban living for us.

sparkle, I loved Sigh No More, and a few tracks really are great for running (IMO). Especially on my more bitter days. And as much as I want a dog, I will not be getting one in this country. I dreamed last night that we moved back to America and Tolstoy, the Siberian cat I gave up, came and found me there.  Um, PS WOW on the school kudos. Totally vicariously living through you right now, and I love it! 

Nic, I was happy to see that you found some yoga to dip your toe back in, and thank you for the inspiration. I went out this morning, RAN thankyouverymuch, and then closed myself in my bedroom after setting the kids up with some quiet lessons to do a few sun salutations and some ab work on the floor. And aaahhhhh. It was truly, truly, desperately needed. 

I let Reb know Dingoes are concerned, and asked if she is hooked into the Yahoo group if she wanted to fill y'all in. I'll check back with her. But she has taken good and big steps in the right direction, seems to be securing her safety, and for now, all is well.

KM, welcome! I dare say I think you'll like it here.  Enjoy your winter training, and try to love it for all the ways it's different from the other seasons. (easy for me to pontificate from Abu Dhabi, where it's always sunny)

On another note, I am starting to feel creative again, as the busyness and stress begin to ease. I am arranging to start Arabic lessons again with the kids, and I want to start playing with calligraphy. I have art on my mind. Hm.

Love to all my Dingoes. 

[Shantimama]

Hi Dingoes, I am still crawling out from under this flu monster. I will catch up with everyone later today or tomorrow.

Sparkle - your new doggie is adorable. I am so happy for you

[loftmama]

KnitterMama I understand burnout. I burned out a few years back and now just try to keep them fun. Are you in the Syracuse area?

Plady, my dh plays the way your dh plays which is why I was so surprised we had so much fun.

Nic, once upon a time, I was obsessed with Ashtanga yoga. It is great if you want an energetic, killer workout. If I did Ashtanga today, I'd probably skip the yoga and weights. Your muscles get a great workout as does your heart. After babies and with running, I switched to basic Hatha, a gentle style, mainly to prevent running injuries. Now I have found my favorite yoga is Anusara. It focuses heavily on proper alignment and is not as strenuous as Ashtanga. Shoulders get pulled back. Spine gets straightened. You grow an inch or so. JK but that was how I felt. And you learn how to use/move your body healthfully. At least this is how it has been in my experience. (Shoulders back, pop your heart out in front. Let it be vulnerable but keep your spine tall and straight. I yoga.) This is also the style I taught. The flow of Anusara is gentle enough but will often build to a difficult but super-empowering feat like a backbend, handstand, etc. Eventually. Sometimes I just do yoga for the Corpse pose in the end - bliss.

Tjsmama, Shanti,

Mel, I hear you on the transportation. Grrr.

Jooj, looking forward to your outlets of creativity.

RR: none yesterday. Today I will either run and/or lift weights and/or do yoga while helping the kids with their history. Somehow. So it is said. So let it be written. Or something like that. The kids are on a Lawrence of Arabia kick saying that phrase all the time. Wait, or was that Ten Commandments. Geesh, I'm getting my history mixed up. Must ask children.

[JayGee]

I "graduated" from physical therapy yesterday! So today I slunk my way into the boot camp class I last took in May and boy, am I out of shape! It was really fun though and felt good to have no back or hip pain. Tomorrow I will hurt, guaranteed!

Shanti, Mel and Gaye - hope everyone's children feel better soon.

Welcome to KnitterMama!

Sparkle - congratulations on amazing feedback from the prof! See, you really DO rock! So next time that voice of doubt starts whispering in your ear, tell it to Shut Up already!

NRR - Last night was the swim team Swim-a-thon to raise money for the YMCA Partner with Youth. DD1 swam 64 laps and DS cranked out 150! I just wish I hadn't pledged $1.00/lap!!!!! I had no idea he would swim that much.

[Nickarolaberry]

Haha, Lofty!

So let it be written. So let it be done! The Ten Commandments 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bQnxlHZsjY

I will look for a anusara yoga dvd or something to try. The yoga studio offers only hot yoga, ashtanga, or gentle/kripalu. The Jcc where I go (gym) seems to only have 'gentle yoga for seniors' which probably won't work for me. The pilates class I went to last night did some yoga at the end, which I really liked (warrior poses, goddess poses, etc.). I definitely need straightening/posture, alignment, quiet muscle/core strength, stretching/injury prevention, and some inner peace on the side. Ha. Don't ask much, do I?! 

Tough morning here. Dealing with the fallout of a really unpleasant classroom event yesterday, and also with the death of my mother's best friend from a long bout with cancer. May she rest in peace. 

But I did get a soul-quieting run in this morning in that still cold but not too cold before a snow, with peoples' Christmas lights on. So that was really nice.

[mommajb]

Jo, your take on homeschooling rings so true for me, both the struggles and the strategies. Reb’s fb posts sound like she has some negative ‘excitement’ but also like she is coping. Thank you for reminding her that the dingos can be an added source of strength.
Sparkle, the pup is adorable; she almost makes me want a one for our family. Almost, but I know I am not up for one more added responsibility. Congrats on the great academic feedback.
MelW, you sound more than busy. The re-energizing conference must be keeping you going. We have a mass transit adventure on out to-do list. Somehow it never gets to the top and I hope my generally reliable but aging van keeps it an option and not a necessity.
Shanti, hang in there! I hope you and yours are feeling better and getting things sorted out a bit. It sounds like there is some trouble to deal with.
JayGee, I hope you can stay out of physical therapy for a while! I have tried to pick up some cross fit workouts and I am definitely sore after some time away from the gym and weights. Great job swimming to your kiddos.
Plady, my oldest dd asked when we were going to get the elf out and my response was, “We have an elf? Where is it? When did we get one of those?” I am just barely getting the basics done each day. Adding in a sweet but extraneous daily task is not happening. See the dog comment above. You have done so much work on your house this year. I would do the dishes, take out the trash, buy some wine and call it good. (or hard cider, I am all about the hard cider this fall)
Lofty, I love the idea of board games and I love that my family plays them but I struggle to stay engaged long enough to finish a game. A family tale is often told about when my grandma got so frustrated playing Risk with my brother that she ‘accidentally’ dumped the board from table to floor ending the game. I think I inherited the tendency from her.
Gaye, is your little guy feeling better or is your house even cleaner? I threw out all my lights one year because I they were so messed up and I rationalized it thinking perhaps the new ones would be lead-free?
Real, Jessica’s mother… I just cannot wrap my head around words to express how she must be feeling. As upsetting as the trauma is to contemplate, she is living it.
Nic, I am a little late responding but I really liked the hot yoga the few times I went. Breaking a sweat helped make it feel like a real workout, I found it totally relaxing physically and mentally, and I liked the scent of the aroma therapy oil she used as we finished class. Maybe the summer-like heat would help with winter doldrums? I think it comes down to finding a class, a schedule, and a teacher that ‘clicks’ for you. I like the idea of benchmarks but they do have a way of moving around don’t they?
Welcome KnitterMama!
Well, That is quite a recap! I cross fitted and ice skated yesterday, ran this morning, and tried to do some push-ups but I think I will have more luck/less soreness tomorrow. I was way under fueled for the run. No school work is getting done here at the moment and it is going to take herculean efforts on my part to get it started. I’d rather go to the beach. In other news, my sister hasn't had much to do with our extended family for about 9 years (when her oldest was born, then truly cutting us out on her dd’s 1st birthday). She has begun reaching out and we are at a point where her daughters and mine are writing and exchanging pictures. I really that this is something good and not a new source of drama.
to all.
Edited by mommajb - 11/27/12 at 12:58pm

[MelW]

JayGee, congratulations on your graduation Impressive swim-a-thon results, too!

Lofty, I could use the inch taller from yoga. Hmmmmm....

Nic, your morning run sounds lovely and peaceful.

jo, hooray for running and yoga!

Shanti, I'm glad you have emerged from the flu. Take care.

NRR- Morning on the couch with a feverish kid. She's napping on my lap as I work on the computer- so far the final exam is written, library requests are done, plus a bunch of online Christmas shopping. The low point of the morning is when I let her play with my cell while I made a phone call and she remembered that she needed to brush her teeth. My cell took a quick dip in the toilet, but seems to be working still. It's getting the rice treatment before I use again it just to be extra safe.

[loftmama]

Thanks, Nic. So let it be written. So let it be done. That is their motto these days and I'm trying to adopt it. Oh and for your mom's friend.

Mommajb, you make that hot yoga in the winter sound like a pretty good idea. Do you homeschool? For some reason, I just can't remember who does on here. for your dd's friendship with cousin.
Great workout report!

JG, Congrats on graduating from therapy and on your kiddos swim/charity event. Hah, I guess your wallet is taking a hit!

Oh and I'd like to second Jo's rec for Sigh No More as the Mumford album of choice.

Weights done during history. Meditation next before the "crazies" get here. (My private nickname for the busy 11yo twins I keep a few days a week after school.) Then a run scheduled after all the kids are here. So let it be written. So let it be done.

[mommajb]

lofty, I have two in school (8th dd and high school soph ds) and three at home (ds K? ,dd 2nd, and dd 4th).

[tjsmama]

shanti~Hope the flu monster has left you all far behind by now!

jaygee~Congrats on your graduation! And holy cow on the swimming! That is crazy impressive! I've never swum 150 laps!!

nic~I hope today was a better day, and I'm sorry about your mother's friend.


DS stayed home again today. The fever was still over 101 this morning, so no school. And of course, I didn't think to check with the nanny that she would be able to watch DS while I was at class, and she had another job lined up. It kind of worked, though, since she was able to come for a few hours and I just had to leave class early to come home. And then I had the nanny come back after her job so I could run out to Target and the grocery store. Thus, no workout again today. And I didn't get any cleaning done, either, since I was trying in vain to convince DS to take a nap. By bedtime, he was clearly back to his normal self, so that he will be off to school tomorrow. Outside Christmas lights are now up, I picked up DS's advent calendar (with three whole days to spare!), groceries were procured, and I even got a prize for having the best reflective practice paper from our last class. Proof yet again that I work best under pressure, since I threw it together in about 20 minutes at 11pm the night before class. Not a bad day, even with a sick kiddo!

Oh, and maybe one of the best things...I talked to XFIL and his wife today about visiting at Christmas. Not sure if I mentioned it here or not, but they have become snowbirds...bought a place in one of the big retirement villages about an hour outside of Orlando. I've been hoping to plan a trip to go visit them in FL and take DS to Disney....well, they are going to buy us plane tickets to come visit as our Christmas present from them. (Is it too much to hope they'll throw in some park tickets, too? )

[Realrellim]

Lurking & behind....



My sister & family could use more prayers and such again. The baby is doing well, but her 5-year-old is still sick. She came down with a fever a week before Thanksgiving (croup), but that developed into pneumonia a few days later. She started antibiotics the day before Thanksgiving. On Sunday night she woke up screaming in pain and they took her to urgent care. The diagnosis was a bit strange: a partially collapsed lung and pleurisy and maybe also a pleural effusion, but it hasn't affected her oxygen levels. They put her on a new and stronger antibiotic--and the first dose was through an IV; it's been by mouth since then--and some cough medicine--a suppressant, which doesn't really make any sense to me. Our pediatrician saw her on Monday and decided to go get the hospital records directly rather than just read the report. He said nothing seems to quite make sense in her case, so he's sending them to a pulmonologist Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, she's still running a fever despite the new antibiotic. It was up to 101 on Sunday (an improvement over the 103 and even 105 she managed to hit in the doctor's office last week). I'm not sure what it's been since the new antibiotic, other than she still has one.

So my sister's taking her over tomorrow. My parents are still there because the kids have to be kept strictly quarantined. And DH will be on campus tomorrow so he might go over when she gets there (his building is practically next door to Children's). But still. She needs to get better and quick.

[Mel38]

Oh Lisa, that is so scary! I hope that they are able to make a better diagnosis and that she responds well to these abx. Poor girl.

I really like the idea of "so let it be written, so let it be done". I always had the impression that when I shared my workout plans here, they were much more likely to happen.

So, last night, I went to the first of 6 master swim classes held at a gym I've never been to. It was quite pricey for me, but I get unlimited access to the gym for these 3 weeks, so I had better get out and use that! Driving downtown is definitely not my strong point, so it took a while for me to find parking, and getting signed up also took longer than expected. In the end, I was late to class, but that turned out fine. The workout was mostly short sprints, then the instructor gave me an extra assignment once the others left, which was nice of her. Our next class is Friday at 6:30 a.m., meaning that DH will have to get the kids up and out to school. (I was actually looking for the fingers crossed guy, but I'll just be an optimist and say, good job DH!)

To all those feeling under the weather, I hope you all feel better today.

[Shantimama]

I am better than I was but still not great. I think I would be fine without the underlying asthma. ds is in bed sick today and dd1 is on a school trip on the other side of the province sick too. She was so looking forward to this trip and has spent most of the week in the infirmary. I hope she can participate in these last few days at least! And poor dd2 is about where I am in her recovery except that she had her bottom braces put on on Monday so she has the added bonus of orthodontic pain on top of it all. I let her sleep in this morning and am taking her in to school shortly. I am trying not to panic at all the time I have lost these last couple of weeks but it is hard - I wanted to be much further ahead in my coursework than I am. I am still ahead of the school's schedule but mine is a little more pressing than theirs!

I might have a part time job lined up in - get this - a new knitting store! How perfect is that?! I just have to bring in some samples of my knitting and a resume on Monday. Digging up some knitting shouldn't be hard even though I give most of it away but a resume? The last one I prepared was in 1989.   Everything I have done since then has been home based. Even working at the cafe this summer, I didn't have a resume, I just walked in and got the job. Any tips? 

[Hollysmom]

Part way through the posts I missed but read them while on a conference call so didn't catch everything.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Sparkle your dog is soooo cute.

We have an Elf on the Shelf that FIL gave us last year.  My two small ones love him...my oldest is very skeptical   DD2 left him a little Christmas bag the other night so he left her a thank you note this morning.  She was thrilled.

Have to run to another meeting but will be back to catch up.

[sparkletruck]

Lisa - That is scary! It sometimes takes a bit to sort out just what is going on with pneumonia. I was on 3 abx for 3 days (I.V. "big guns") before they started me on a 4th at the recommendation of my friend who is an infectious disease specialist (I will never be able to enjoy my hot-tub thanks to her ), and that is when the pneumonia stopped growing. I hope it gets figured out soon. I suspect the cough suppressant was intended to quell any coughing that might cause pain due to the plueresy?

Shanti - how exciting. I'm sure they just want to make sure you haven't been in jail knitting for the past 5 years Just write what you've been doing; SAHM, cafe, classes, etc.

Mel38 - good for you for overcoming all those challenges to go to a new class! And dh will be fine, and it will be good for both of you to see that

Plady - yes it was the prof. i had a crush on, and no he did not look way cute on monday after he sent me that email sunday

RR: bike/run - - tired now

NRR: must. study