Flapjacks Versus Jumping Jacks? You Decide!

Published
by
Lisa
on February 4, 2010
in Exercise and Health/Wellness
. 1 Comment

Okay, so I have a confession to make…I didn’t go running today or yesterday (gasp!). But, I really do have good excuses reasons. We got busy with school yesterday and I had to work late both nights and, well, the weather was bad today. So there! I also had oodles of bananas in my freezer and not a whole lot for breakfast in the morning so decided to make some banana pancakes. The only problem is that I doubled the recipe and have about 5 gallons of pancake batter (the original recipe already made a lot, something I didn’t realize when I was measuring the ingredients), so I may be up awhile flipping pancakes before I get to bed. And just as a side note, I am a notoriously bad pancake flipper. A lot of times I flip too early and the pancake breaks apart on my spatula (pronounced “spatoola” :) ) or I flip it on top of another one, or hit the side of the griddle. Hopefully, I’m a better writer than pancake flipper though! I thought I’d make good use of my time and come blog a little bit in between flips

Before I get to bed tonight, I’m planning on working out. My plan is to do Billy’s Ultimate Boot Camp. Now, there’s no need to tell you how that makes me feel as you are probably already scarred by my picture after a previous booty kicking. But, no matter. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. And right now, I need to go flip some pancakes. Hang on a sec!

Okay! I’m back! Nothing burnt, nothing spilled (much). My 5 gallons of pancake batter is slowly dwindling. You know, maybe I should have actually tried out the recipe first before making so many…but I always do that kind of thing. Most of the time, it works out pretty well. One time, I decided to make a new kind of pizza that (to me) sounded really good and hey, you can’t go wrong with pizza, right? Erhm…the pizza was SO GROSS! Wanna hear the ingredients? Pizza crust (okay, that sounds good), dried plums (they’re prunes, people! Don’t be afraid of the “p” word!), balsamic vinegar (what in the world?), garlic (intriguing, no?), chicken, and cheese (nothing wrong with those, right?)

[Brief pause for a quick pancake turn]

So, back to the pizza. Yeah, let me just say that by the time you blend “prunes,” garlic, and balsamic vinegar, lather it on pizza crust, throw on some cooked chicken breast, and patch it over with cheese, you’ve got something really scary on your hands. Yes, my friends, that is what the cooking world would refer to as a TOTAL FLOP! Blech! But how in the world did I start on this rabbit trail? This isn’t really sticking close to topic (but I did say the word “flop,” which is similar to “flip,” which is what I was doing with the pancakes, but I digress…).

Well, I must be signing off or my poor neglected pancakes will burn. More updates later on in the week, so stay tuned for more!

Checking In With Sore Legs

Published
by
Lisa
on February 3, 2010
in Exercise and Health/Wellness
. 2 Comments

Hello all! I decided to update and encourage you all by posting my progress on my blog. Isn’t that so exciting? Let me tell you what I did yesterday. I ran. Wow! Who knew? But, it wasn’t just any run, you know. This is technically week two in my Couch to 5K program. However, after looking at what I was going to be doing, it didn’t look challenging enough, so I decided to skip ahead to week four. First is a 3-minute jog, then a 90-second walk, then a 5-minute jog, then a 2 1/2-minute walk, then a 3-minute jog, etc. That first three minutes went by very slowly and let me tell you, I treasured every second of that next walking period! Then came the 5-minute jog. I was really dreading it but made it all the way through. It helps to have some techno music playing in the background. At any other time, I don’t like techno, but it helps keep me going when I run. By the end of my training session, something interesting happened. Not only did I make it through my very last 5-minute run, but I felt like I could keep going! I realized it wasn’t so bad after all, so you know what I did? I kept running…for another 10 seconds…and then I decided to call it quits for the day. After all, I had to, uh, work or something like that. I didn’t end up running today, although I planned on it. My morning was a bit busier than expected. However, I plan to run tomorrow, weather permitting as we are supposed to have rain and/or snow over the next few days. But, my fellow runners, stay tuned for the next installment on my journey. It should prove to be interesting at the very least, humiliating at the very worst, and comical all the way around. :) For some helpful tips on exercising and eating right, I highly recommend my fellow runner and very good friend, Elizabeth. She has an excellent blog on all things fitness. Check her site out and encourage her too! She ran/walked 4 miles the other day! What a show off good example! :)

Run, Forrest, Run!

Published
by
Lisa
on February 2, 2010
in Exercise and Health/Wellness
. 5 Comments

After some encouragement from a couple of good friends, I’ve decided to start blogging again. I know, I know, exciting huh? Wanna hear something really pathetic? It has been so long since I blogged that I forgot how to log into my own site! Oi. As you can see, though, I figured it out after some guesses and Google searches. So, here I am.

Something new I’ve started very recently is…running! If you know me very well, you will know that running is not exactly my favorite activity. I’d much rather sit on the sidelines eating popcorn and pick on the people who wear spandex and bright orange shorts, or get frustrated because I have to swerve around a runner while driving in my car eating popcorn, or just shake my head at home while eating popcorn when I hear about people running marathons and all that (do you notice a pattern here? Who knew I liked popcorn so much?). Okay, maybe I don’t eat popcorn at every one of those instances, but I bet it made you smile, now didn’t it? So anyway, why in the world would I want to run? I’ll sum it up in two words: peer pressure. Just kidding. :) Actually, behind all the popcorn kernels stuck in my teeth, I have always thought that running a marathon sounded, shall we say, romantic. Well, maybe that isn’t the right word, but “neat” didn’t really sound right either. Anyway, I don’t plan on running a marathon any. time. soon. Just so you know. I’m not crazy (now hush!). A couple friends and I decided to aim for something small…a 5K. Let me just tell you that I dreaded running in grade school. Running “The Mile” was a huge source of stress for me. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate very well in school on the day we would have to run “The Mile.” And for several days before, I would think about “The Mile” and start to panic a bit. So running a 5K (which is “The Mile” x3!) is a bit daunting. That’s why I’m not doing this by myself. I have a few gals who are also training at the same time so we can be an encouragement to each other. If you are interested, the program that I am using to train is called Couch to 5K. It starts out slow. Week 1 you run 60 seconds, walk 90, rinse, repeat. Week 2 you add more running time, etc.  Our first 5k is at the end of March or the beginning of April. I’m not exactly sure yet. If you decide to come watch, I’ll be the one in the very back, glistening in the sun, wearing spandex or bright orange shorts (or both!),  and glaring at you, while you pick popcorn out of your teeth! :)

Where Oh Where Has My Little Blog Gone?

Published
by
Lisa
on September 23, 2009
in Uncategorized
. 5 Comments

You may have been thinking it was going the way of the dodo. I was kind of thinking that too. Lately, I feel that my blog needs some direction. I’m tired of talking about working out. And I’m tired of talking about my garden (by the way, if anyone wants roughly 150 jalapenos, please, please come over!).  Now what? I could turn this into a blog where I talk about food, which sounds yummy. But there are so many blogs where ladies talk about food (they sure are fun to read though). Should I jump on that bandwagon? I don’t know. Maybe my lack of posts of late has been due to my lack of focus here.  It would be really neat to talk about something innovative. I really don’t want to stop blogging. I mean, I finally have my very own domain now and don’t you think my little mobile home with the smiley face is just so cute? So, all that to say, I will continue to blog. I just don’t know what about just yet. It may continue to be a hodgepodge of different things. Or not…Maybe you should come back again so you can find out! :)

New Domain Name: mobilehomeontherange.com

Published
by
David
on August 29, 2009
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

This blog is now at: mobilehomeontherange.com. Enjoy.

Is Lisa a miserable rotten so-and-so?

Published
by
David
on August 29, 2009
in Exercise, Gardening and Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

“Why doesn’t she ever post anything?” you may ask. Well so do I. I want to know what is up with my bride. Is she still alive? Is she gardening, working out? WHAT IS GOING ON? AHHHH!!!

Four Months Later

Published
by
Lisa
on June 16, 2009
in Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

Okay, how in the world do I begin this post? I’m just sitting here, trying to come up with something witty to draw you in after a nearly four-month sabbatical (or something) to no avail. So, you’ll just have to bear with me as I flex my rusty blog fingers and type away.

In recent news, my garden is doing very well this year again. I have lots of cucumber plants (6)  and jalapeno plants (8 – I would have had 9 but one died). So, yeah, I’ll have quite the crop of veggies. My friend suggested I make spicy pickles with my jalapenos and cukes. I thought that sounded great! I have a feeling that canning season will be fairly busy once again.

So other than gardening, what else have I been up to? Well, lots of things actually. School is done and the kids are enjoying their break. I’ve also been getting up earlier than usual to go walking with a good friend every morning. These past few months, I’ve had some health issues that have hopefully resolved. Time will tell I guess. David finishes his degree next month! This is the one and only class that he’s taken that I’m actually interested in. Throughout his college career, I’ve read to him microeconomics, marketing, accounting, journalism, and I know I’m missing stuff. But this time, it’s music appreciation! The cool thing about music appreciation is that I actually know what the authors of the book are talking about – no talk about profit margins and other microeconomicky things. But quarter notes, Beethoven,  and syncopation! Musical instruments and harmony! Ah, it’s like a breath of fresh air. The best part about music appreciation? It’s his very last class!

The puppy is doing well. He will be a year old at the end of this month. He finally figured out the whole potty thing. We have some occasional accidents, mainly when he gets scared, and it sure seems like he’s got a sensitive stomach because he throws up more than I thought a dog would. On the whole though, he’s doing well.

I better wrap this one up. I have to call the insurance company (don’t I know how to have fun?) and work out (again, lots of fun there). So until next time (which will hopefully be sooner than four months), adios!

Hey There, Hi There, Ho There

Published
by
Lisa
on February 25, 2009
in Exercise and Gardening
. 2 Comments

Um…Hi! How are things? All is well on the exercise front for the most part. I took a break from the 30-Day Shred and threw in a little Turbo Jam to spice things up a bit. :) But you know what? I’m tired of talking about exercise. So, on to other things.

Today was a teaser for spring! It was so beautiful outside. I can’t wait to start my garden again. But you know what I found still alive in my flower bed? Weeds! And you know what else? They were still GREEN! What’s up with that, I would just like to know? I could have spent quite a bit of time outside this afternoon WEEDING MY FLOWER BED IN FEBRUARY! That just doesn’t seem right. I have to hand it to those weeds, though. They sure know how to drive me crazy survive the cold weather. Well, what’s on the menu for my garden this year? I’m so glad you asked because I will tell you just that.

To make it more fun, I’ll have you figure it out by the process of elimination. Zucchini plants? NO WAY! Carrots? Probably not. We just aren’t big carrot eaters around here. Lettuce? Nah. Okay, have you narrowed it down yet? :) Just kidding. Here’s the tentative garden list for this year:

Jalapenos
Garlic
Green onions
Tomatoes
Green beans
Peas (maybe)
Bell peppers

That may be it. I don’t know yet. This list is subject to change. I saw that is is supposed to snow on Saturday, so after that, maybe it’ll be warmer more consistently. However, there is a slight drawback to all this talk of gardens and warm weather and what not…the creepy crawlies will be back to torment me. But, alas, I am willing to march right into the throws of bugdom with my bottle of Raid and care for my veggies!

Well, I suppose I better call it a night. The morning will come early. I don’t know what workout I want to do tomorrow. The shorter, the better. :)

Checking In Briefly

Published
by
Lisa
on February 3, 2009
in Uncategorized
. 3 Comments

Hi folks. I’m here. I’m sorry to have concerned so many of you. I appreciate the emails and all the comments. I was just overwhelmed the other day. It probably wasn’t even a good idea to be on here. Oh well.

It is 12:24 according to the time on my computer, time for me to go night night. My eyes are getting heavy and morning will come too quickly. I am planning on writing sometime within the next couple of days regarding my exercise challenge and all that good stuff.

Good night, all.

Losing Steam

Published
by
Lisa
on January 30, 2009
in Uncategorized
. 5 Comments

Hi all. I’m here but barely. This has been a hard week for me so far. I’ve worked out Tuesday and Wednesday, missed Monday and yesterday and today, it’s 10:40 a.m. and I’m still not dressed. It’s been a difficult week all the way around, not just for working out. I’m really bummed about some things and all I want to do right now is lie around all day in my robe and do nothing. But that would make me more depressed so I better just get busy because I have so many things to do today as usual. Sigh….

I really don’t have much else to say right now. If anyone has any words of encouragement (not just related to working out), I sure could use them.