Bree - 09 August 2007 03:01 PM

it’s all about cars: ticketing, and maintenance.

Bree

I’ve even thought of it that way! Maybe I should also do some research and figure out how to fix my car window too

LOL!

Bree

So, I’m sitting here take a day off from classes since I pulled my back and can hardly move and thought I’d update. Not sure what I did to my back but hopefully taking it easy today will help.

Update-Health & Physical Fitness
Well, at the end of the summer I had gained back the weight I had lost for our vacation to NC, but I was still working out. I planned my school schedule to include physical activity as a back up plan in case the working out dropped off. I signed up for Tai Chi and my job as a ticket writer involved a lot of walking (2-3 hours, 3 days a week). The working out did drop off as the ragweed season started and I couldn’t breathe. The migraines increased as classes started too. So I got allergy medicine and new migraine medicine to prevent migraines. (So far so good). Luckily I planned in some activities, its helped me maintain. The addiction to soda hasn’t helped though. It seems like the more stressful classes and things get the more soda I drink. So after trying on wedding dresses a couple weeks ago, I decided to get things back in gear and lose some weight before I order a dress. So I started lifting some weights and running on the elliptical between classes if I didn’t have too much homework. So yesterday I was working up a plan to revamp my weight routine and was going to start today, but when I got home from classes yesterday my back hurt. So much for starting a new routine today because I can hardly move. So, I’ll have to wait a couple days to start the new routine.

Update-Other
So I’ve been exploring a spiritual side of things this semester, reading and listening about Buddhist philosophies. Very interesting. Sometimes I think I’d rather be a philosophy/history major than an engineering major. I’ve kinda lost my passion I guess, but being an engineer would serve the other purpose that I crave of being financial stable and financially fit. Because right now I have no financial fitness, My budget is down the drain with extra unplanned expenses and confusion on the government’s part that restricted my financial aid. So I’m looking for a better part time job with more hours and better pay. I’ve also come to the conclusion that just because I’m good at something doesn’t mean I should do it. Now I’ve got the internal dilemma of prioritizing my creative and personal aspirations or my financial stability which I so long for or if I can manage a balance between both without running myself around in circles.
I’ve started my own podcast/blog/website about yoga and mindfulness (http://www.modyoginimindfulchica.com) I’m having trouble updating it in itunes. I’m also working on developing my own style of yoga that’s a hybrid study. I think it would be fun to get teacher training and get registered to teach but that’s really expensive. I’m also working on starting my own online boutique for natural homemade spa and beauty products. I’ve got my first round of products and website set up. I’ve also sent out some samples for review to get some publicity. Its made to order kinda thing to keep cost low (all that JIT stuff I’m learning as part of my Industrial Engineering course work, so maybe this whole thing will be useful). I’ve also got plans to write a book that’s a college guide to living mindfully relating to my podcast (all the stuff I wish I had known). I’ve got a second blog going that all my creative writings on it, mostly poems for now.

So that’s mostly what I’ve been up to this fall. If I can make the time with classes I need to keep up the posts so I can stay on track once my back gets better. I have been listening all fall to the podcasts

Welcome back, Jenni!! Good to see you. Wow, you got a lot of plans going on. I hope that you figure out what you want to focus on. Lot’s of super ideas.

Glad your still moving! Have a great weekend!

Wow, you have been busy! No wonder I never see you anymore. Cool site, have you had any orders? Also, love the new avatar!!!

I hope you find your direction, it’s really difficult when you’re not sure exactly which path to choose. You could always pursue the engineering and keep the rest as a hobby, maybe one day it’ll reveal a way to do it for a living.

How’s the wedding planning?

Bree

Yeah, we’ll have to hook up with some more YBB when classes end. Yeah, so busy, no orders, still working on getting everything set up. Wedding planning is going slowly but surely. Got dresses picked out, now just working on losing some weight and gaining some $$$. Probably order the dress late winter. Still need to send out save the dates, hopefully by the new year???

Got in my weights on Thanksgiving, Migraine Friday, Cardio Saturday, Wii Sunday Not too bad over the holiday.

So I got a part time job for at the very least over break. It’s a McDonald’s. Not thrilled, but it will fix my budget problems (pays decent all considered) and they will work with my school schedule so I could potentially keep it for next semester. Went to orientation and I start training tomorrow before the sun comes up. I get free food and discounted food when I work, so the trick will be to order salad, skip on the dressing, no fries. And since I’ll be working mostly breakfast, I’ll need to pass on the hash browns.

This week, I plan to pick it up on the cardio a bit, I got a head in lab this afternoon so that should help. And of course I’ll be keeping up with the weights. I was inspired by the podcast and all the talk of transforming the muscles of the body to do it for myself. I got back to thinking of my senior year in high school whe I was taking weight lifting an how toned I was. I did weights for an hour 3 times a week and lots of jump roping the other two days. So that’s part of my plan. The Tai Chi and yoga I’ve added in to transform my flexibilty, and a bit more cardio to burn some fat. Really focused more on the shape and tone than the number on the scale. I’ve really noticed a huge difference in my thighs from all the walking I’m doing writing tickets.

I’ve just got to make sure I do something every day for the next couple of weeks while classes still in session and then I can really kick things up over the break.

Jenni,
Wow you have been very busy recently, can understand why you haven’t been around here too much.  That is so awesome that you have your own podcast up and going, I will have to check that one out some time.  Also wish you all the best on the online business as well.  All the best to you on the Mc Donalds job too.  Stay away from all the bad food.  I wish you all the best in your opportunities.

Scooby

Things I learned Yesterday:

1. I am flexible
2. A little bit consitantly goes a long way
3. I eat less calories and drink more soda when my fiance is out of town
4. You’ve got to tailor your workouts to your personality

To determine how fit or flexible how fair your’re being paid or whatever you are, you need a basis of comparison. Usually a peer basis is a good choice. Now that the semester is winding down and we know the basic Tai Chi Part 1 form, we’re doing a lot of stretching taking our minds/bodies further to their limits and also solo performance in front of the class. Well thats what we did yesterday, and compared to my peers (people my own age taking tai chi for many different reasons) I was one of the most flexible people in class, of not the most flexible. How is this possible, just a little bit of yoga 10-20 minutes 3 times a week. You really don’t need to do an hour and a half of Vinyasa everyday of the week. Just a little consistantly goes a long way.

In tai chi we also talked about making the form our own, integrating our personality into it. What kind of element would you be? What kind of animal? What are the characteristics that define these things. Then incorporate this into your form. We’ll you can also do that with your cardio and weights.

In addin up my calories over the past couple of days I’ve notices that while my fiance is out of town I eat less and drink more soda. Class and working out stay the same so what’s the deal. This I need to meditate more on and find out ways to continue similar eating habits when he returns from business.

Interesting discovery. I notice the same thing when Hubby is away. I don’t make the same kind of meals, OK, he’s not here to cook good meals.  But what’s with the soda consumption going up? I always think of you as a tea girl. The one who always has the perfect cup of tea for every occasion, and knows which does what for your mind and body.

Way to go on being way flexible!

Hey, let us know what kind of shape people you see at McDonalds! And let us know if that adds to the motivation to not become one. Or if being around them makes you want to be part of the group. May as well use the experience to run goofy experiments. (I really don’t see you as a follower, so I doubt that will be the case.)

See you this weekend!

Bree

Well, I think its just that my soda consumption is up overall. It seems that whenever I’m stressed, it seems to be the first thing I reach for. We’ll see how the McD job goes. I’m exhausted. Plus I had an interview to be a Red Bull Student Product Manager for next semester. I should know something by next Friday. Ugh, I think I’m coming down with a cold, sore throat and all.

Things I learned today:

1. It’s time for me to start my own traditions-Singing to Christmas songs on the way home and meditating/contemplating as I often do, I thought about the mixed feelings I have about the holidays. Coming from a family with a long tradition of family feuds (I can trace them back to some of the first French settlers west of the Mississippi) and only on speaking terms with my dad and my youngest sister now, current and historical low cash funds, disappointments, and religious disillusionment. But yet, I’m being welcomed into a new family, and in fact beginning one of my one with being engaged, all wonderful, yet at times I eel as though I don’t know how I should act, I feel out of place. But as I drove and sang long to the tunes, I realized that I crossed the Mississippi to start my new life, and now I needed to truly leave the past behind and make my own traditions to truly have started this new path and enjoy it. Not only for the holidays, but in how I go about my every day.

2. Dinner alone= easy, simple, small meals that consist of mostly protein and veggies. Dinner not alone=more food than enough, bread, pasta, little or no veggies. Solution-Pass on the bread and add more veggies instead, smaller portions of proteins and pastas.

Horoscope for Today: The bad period is coming to an end and the Stars will favor you. At work, you could finally have a break. In Love, a trip with your beloved could be favorable. Tip: avoid making so many calculations.

Soudns good to me Very interesting since we’re going to Tunica this weekend and I have an exam today that envolves lots of calculations. Good advice for me to keep it simple and not try to do too much.

I haven’t been feeling well all week so I haven’t done any of my weights work outs or any other for that matter. Except for Tai Chi class, walking on campus as a ticket writer, and the 20 minutes of yoga I did yesterday, I’ve been too tired, too sore, and not feeling up to it. Since I break up my weights to 2 body parts a day 3 times a week with no repeats in the week. I think I’m going to sleep in a bit tomorrow and then do them all plus some abs. Don’t know that I’ll get any cardio in, maybe a nice relazing walk will work.

Interesting discoveries. I know you can make a better future, have fun creating your own traditions!

Tell the fiance if he wants a really hot bride, that the starches are going to be severely cut. And let him deal with it, I have a feeling he’ll be OK.

And the hotel this weekend has a decent gym and pool, maybe we should ditch the guys and hang out there. I’m bringing my suit so I can soak in the hot tub.

Bree

Yeah should have brought the swim suit, but totally for got.

The fiance treated me to getting my nails and hair done. So sweet. But I havd to ditch the nails Wednesday because I can’t have them at my winter break part time job. I was actually quite upset about that. I really liked having my nails done, I had never had them done. They made me feel so pretty and special, plus they were a treat.

I was scheduled for 28.5 hours this week (after taking out lunch breaks), 15 of those hours were this week. An I’m scheduled for 34.5 next week. My pay check was short yesterday, how frustrating, I’ll have to talk to somebody about that. I got to looking at my budget being as I was scheduled more hours than anticipated. If the trend keeps up for the week before Christmas, and I get the scheduling request I put in for at my campus job for next semester, than I can quit the Friday before Christmas. I had already put in to be off from that Friday before Christmas through December 30 for holiday traveling. My budget would actually be more okay if I did this because of all the money I would be saving on gas after Christmas. Plus I would have the time off and be a lot happier not working at a job that I don’t like. My budget for next semester looks good, even with an allowance to buy my wedding dress and books.

Financial Goals for the New Year (including the end of this year):
1. Stick to the budget, no impulse buying
2. Cut back on food spending
3. Start paying down some debt
4. Find a summer internship by March 1
5. Any extra earning go directly to savings and debt pay off

This is just a rough draft, I’ll have other goals for the new year later.

So my fiance made a wager with me to see if I can go a whole week without soda, starting Monday (which is good since today was the last day of classes and classes create stress which lead me to the readily available source of comfort in the soda machine). So I’m think that if the budget works out like I want it and I win this bet, then I should get a new holiday out fit and my Nails done that Friday before Christmas

Well, being as today was the last week of classes that means that Monday the workouts get kicked up. I’ve got 5 weeks before classes in January start and that’s plenty of time to put my nose to the grind stone and make some significant transformations.

Soooo, sleepy....

Horoscope for Today: Lately, your healthy ambition has been feeling a little less than robust (to say the least). No matter whether the virus attacking your powers is a person who specializes in helping you doubt yourself, an event where you didn’t shine as brightly as you had hoped you would, or just a case of the blues stopping by for a visit, you can get rid of it today. All you need is a reality check. Remind yourself of a few of your success stories to get your ambition up and running again.

OMG! How did they know I didn’t do any weights last week again? So I guess its time for a reality check and some tai chi today. I was up at 3:30 AM for the third straight day. I’m tired and my feet are killing me. I don’t see how you can drag yourself to work out after you’ve been on your feet for 6-8 hours working. Or like last week work for 4-6 hours and have class for 4 hours and commuting the whole time. Where is the energy supposed to come from. for the past two weeks I’ve just done good enough to maintain. and being has my time ran over both days this weekend. I ended up working like 30 hours and attending class full time and writing tickets for 6 hours last week. Good thing for Tai Chi. I have finals this week, and I’m working like 35 hours. I am going to try and do weights Tuesday and Thursday (my finals days). I’ll try and work in some Tai Chi and yoga on the days I work, after I take an afternoon nap.

So, I’m thinking about quitting this job when I leave for Nebraska for Christmas just because my budget should be fixed by then and I could save the gas money and have some time off to relax over break instead of working 35 hours a week. (time I could be working out and improving my flexibility, studying Tai Chi on my own to get ahead for next semester). But… most of the people there are nice, but today I worked with this real witch today. I worked a little with her this weekend, and she was so rude and so mean, but I just shrugged it off thinking maybe she was having a bad day or whatever. Guess not because she was a real witch again to me today and I’ve done nothing to make her this way. I don’t know where she gets off acting like such a witch and acting like she’s all better than me or whatever. And she’s even a few years younger than me and that just makes me even more irked at the whole thing. I was just so tempted to quit today just because of her. Urgh!

But I need to make it through the rest of this week and next. Then I can kick back and relax and enjoy the holidays. I’ve asked for a Nike+ and new pair of good Nike running shoes. I’m hoping to build up to doing something like a 5K next year. I need to look more into yoga for running and finding a 5K and set a goal

Back to the soap opera

How long until you are looking to start training? And when do you want to run the 5k? I was asked to do a half in Nashville coming up this spring, I’m willing to bet there is a 5k associated with it.

I know that Inhale has really helped me with my running. Have you tivoed that yet?

Bree