Word on the Streets

what would you do if. . .

this happened to your dog?

see here

i really wonder what i would do!!!! the thought scares me!

when we lived in vancouver, b.c. i often walked tessa in the rain forest canyon woods by our home. i have thought about a bear getting her and would run in my mind the scene and what i would do. but a shark???? 

p.s. . .

spin class tonight was actually so much better! 

it could have been because of any one of these things:

1) found my nicely padded cycling shorts buried in some unused drawer

2) the instructor turned the lights off

3) funny enough i did what my dear sea-wall walking partner of a time friend suggested--i closed my eyes and imagined myself pumping along the sea wall around stanley park in vancouver, bc. the waves were crashing against the wall and the ocean air was cooling me from behind. [oh, right that was actually the wall mounted fan behind me but you take what you can get, right?]

4) the music rocked steady the entire time and i loved the songs! not your typical "pump it up" workout songs. wish i had his playlist! i tell ya, music makes a big difference for me!

5) the resistance dial and i now have a better working relationship. it took me a while to figure out where my turns on it would get me. i am right there, jenny. when he yells, "one full turn" i do a 1/4 turn or a little more till it hurts just enough. hehe

thanks for all the support people! will keep you posted.

"come on people". . .

"come on people! keep up with me here!" cries our teacher [who, by the way, is totally in shape and a walking beef of muscle.] 

as my head begins to spin i wonder to myself, "now why am i here doing this willingly?"

 

spin class. anyone tried one? 

well the recreation center here just bought a bunch of new spin bikes and created a spin room (photo above) with instructors and class times for such a steal of a cost that it sounded like a really great thing to do with my husband. a little together time three nights a week. 

last night was our first night. now keep in mind this is the public rec center right? so it is not the crowd of usual meatheads and fitness geeks who are at the private gyms. nope. i thought i was gonna fit in just great here in this crowd of spinners. there are a number of people who look out of shape and middle-aged--ish just like me! 

i was great for about the first 15 minutes. no joke. 15 minutes and then the instructor said, "turn the resistance one full turn and keep the pace going strong."

it was then that i knew i was in trouble. it was a mix of pains--bum hurting from not wearing my nicely padded biking shorts and my head spinning faster than my bike wheels. i was so dizzy i thought i would fall off the bike.

i had to admit that i could not keep the pace to save myself from total embarrassment [falling off the bike nose first]. i stayed on the bike but barely kept the wheels turning. then i look to my left at all the other fellow spinners in the class who i thought surely would be unable to keep it up too. not so. legs were spinning so fast i couldn't watch because of the added spin effect it created in my head!

at the end of class, rod and i agreed that it was the most difficult thing we have either ever done. i would take a c-section over that any day, i think! at least the doctors are kind enough to give you anesthetic. but spin class----holy burning, can't breath, heart beating out of your chest pain!

after class as we hobbled to get the boys from the child tending playroom i had the thought, "good quality time just spent with my husband! we can die together and not just one but THREE times a week!" well, really only two times because he has church meetings on wednesday nights. so i get to go it alone tomorrow night. 

"come on people" --- wish me luck! please?

send in a "do you ever" and win a sweet treat!

o.k. here is a list of do you evers for you. i have been known to do some or all of these and some more recently than others.

do you ever go into ulta (or a beauty store) intending just to pick up a $6.00 Max Factor mascara and come out with $200 worth of skin care?

do you ever wash your hairbrushes? (not just pull all the hair out of them, but i mean really give them a good hand scrubbing with warm water and maybe even a little shampoo?)

do you ever make a boxed cake mix into cupcakes and top them with that cheesy store bought frosting just for the pleasure of eating them because you a) are an adult and can choose to buy and bake them yourself with your own money b) want to remember days of childhood parties at school?

do you ever have a serious need to purge--like furniture and excess toys and china you have not used since you acquired it 12+ years ago?

do you ever buy a book intending to read it and find it 8 years later and realize you never read it?

do you ever wash all of your make-up brushes (again with a good dose of shampoo and hot water--maybe at the same time you are doing those hairbrushes?)?

do you ever go into your children's rooms just before going to bed yourself--just to look at them?

do you ever just want to stay up all night getting all the things done you never can in the day?
ALWAYS!

so there is a little list that only scratches the surface of my occasional habits.

WHAT TO DO:
send me one or two of your most random "do you evers" (yes this includes you bashful lurkers too!)

WHAT I WILL DO:
i will choose one of the "do you evers" submitted as my favorite (yes totally subjective here)
the person who submitted it will be the lucky recipient of a box of my very favorite chocolates (Ethel M's fruity flavs ). they are beautiful and with mango-coconut and chocolate, they will make you want to scream for more.

SEND YOUR SUBMISSIONS TO ME VIA THE COMMENTS SECTION.
The lucky winner will be chosen on Friday, February 1st. (thanks, Sara!)

Don't be shy. Let those secrets out....
looking forward to hearing them...
lesli

what do you get 4 year old boys for christmas...

i am looking for gift ideas for "santa" to give to our 4 year old twin boys. anyone, anywhere with any ideas...feel free to drop a comment here. just click on the comment button below and let me know so i might drop a hint in santa's ear. ho, ho, ho!

do you ever?

so do you ever buy something just because you think "i might need that someday"--?

i do that sometimes. i just wondered if anyone else does that!

our very cool friends just brought some things over that they are hoping to have me sell on ebay for them--they just don't have the time. some of the things i looked at and thought to myself--i might need that in the future and when i do i am gonna wish i bought this one for a deal from someone i know rather than pay full price later down the road.

i find usually my impulse to buy things i don't need right now is in conjunction with a deal of some sort and that is what spurs me to want to buy it now instead of wait till i really need it.

so am i alone? does anyone else do this?

by the way--i have not bought any of the stuff my friend wants to sell....yet.

absence

been away for a bit.

am back with a vengeance.

4 posts in one night.

enjoy...
lesli

wind, wind, go away...

one thing that scares me that i really could do without is the wind. i am talking high, fast, relentless, whipping, throw everything around type of wind. this is particularly true of wind in vegas for me. it blows dust storms across roads and neighborhoods. it makes every tree seem like it is going to fall over any minute (and yes, here in the desert you wonder how deeply rooted everything is anyway!) i remember just cursing the wind when i had to walk to school. after spending so much of my precious morning routine time on my hair to only have it completely obliterated by 1st period was enough to discourage any junior high goer.
when it blows at night i wake up many times for fear of things coming crashing through the windows. i imagine that everything in our backyard will be long gone by the morning. it makes the windows heave in and out. it makes the steering wheel difficult to hold. it makes little boys ask, "is this the big bad wolf doing this?" and "is the big bad wolf coming to get us?" (having just learned the 3 little pigs story this only makes sense right?)

(http://www.3dlinks.com/IMAGES/GALLERY/thumbs3/Big%20Bad%20Wolf2.JPG)

well, today was just one of those extra windy days and tonight is one of those scary-whipping-windy nights. i hope i can sleep through it. i hope i remain one of the lucky ones like the 3rd little pig who built his home of bricks. i echo the chants of my 3 year olds from today: "wolf, wolf go away. don't come back another day."

what is something that scares you? i don't want to be scared and alone with this one...hehe

What do you do with. . .

i have need to know what to do with all of the cards, letters or notes that i have kept over the years from people. the piles of such papers range from people such as parents, friends and siblings to my husband!
i have so many friends who are good organizers and those who are scrapbookers that i thought i would put out a shout for your input. i don't wish to keep huge scrapbooks of these things--but i do need a simple, streamline way to store or factors that determine a "keep" letter from an "ok to part with" one.
got any ideas?

trying to simplify. . .
i wanna be like nancy--a minimalist