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By kilax, May 31, 2013 6:46 am

What is the best gag gift you’ve ever given, or received?

What?! You don’t do gag gifts?! Come on, they’re so fun… as long a real gift accompanies them. Ha ha ha. 

The first one that comes to mind is this blow up bear head that we got for my sister’s fiancé, Will, for his birthday. Yeah, there is a story behind it… that is not worth telling*. But! Will hung Brutus (that’s the bear’s name) up in his man cave. Woo hoo! And don’t worry, Will got a real gift, too. 

Ha ha. The second story is worth telling, imho. For the longest time, we kept teasing Gina and Steve that we were going to get a giant stuffed giraffe for their son, Luca. We were only teasing, because their house in Queens was small and there was no room for giant giraffes!**

But when they moved to Texas, it was ON. Muah ha ha. 

Gina sent me this photo a few days before we went to Dallas for Luca’s birthday, letting me know a box addressed to me had arrived at their home. 

I asked Gina if she wondered what was in such a big box. Muah ha ha. 

She said “It says ‘stuffed plush giraffe’ on the side.”

Boo on you, Amazon!**** Good thing Luca can’t read yet. 

I also asked Gina if she thought some choice words when she saw what it was… I know Gina so well… I was very close on what she was thinking when she saw it. Ha. 

Come on. We had to get it for him (along with some real gifts). 

If not just to include Raffie in the group pics we take when we visit!

*Because I am a bad story teller and don’t know where the pic is that explains it.
**I had an entire paragraph here about how I try to ask the parent what would be appropriate to get a kid, because I don’t want the parent to be like “Ugh! More junk to take up space!”*** But the paragraph came out wrong. 
***Except for giraffes, obviously. 
****I told my coworker we got Luca a giraffe. She asked from where, and I told her from Amazon. “Straight from the Amazon? How legit!” was her response (well, something like that). Ha ha. 

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By kilax, May 30, 2013 6:23 am

• Guys. Technology is amazing. I downloaded some music on iTunes last week. I was telling Steven how I hadn’t had the chance to put it on my phone yet and OMG the next day… it miraculously found its way to my phone!!!
• Kimberly’s post Runners should love underpants cracked me the eff up. Check out her list of the five reasons runners should wear underwear. I am not going to ask if you do or not. Or tell you if I do. But you can see my response on her blog. Muah ha ha.
• 10 days until the half Ironman relay! Is my team ready? I hope so! Hee hee. 
• This article from The Wall Street Journal is interesting – The Decline of Eye Contact (pdf here). It’s basically saying how people are making much less eye contact than they used to, because they are so distracted by mobile technology, and also, because many people work from home and are less engaged (and not used to making eye contact when they are around others). The article talks about the right amount of eye contact (not too much, not too little) and how beneficial it can be (in Western culture, anyway). Are you comfortable making eye contact with others?

Eye Contact Model

• It’s bugging me that I probably won’t make it to 100 miles run this month. Somewhat, because I thought it would be cool to run at least 100 miles each month this year, but mostly, because when I look at my monthly mileage it reminds me that I’ve not been making the time the last two months to do something that makes me feel happy and keeps me healthy. (To put things in to perspective, I have run almost as many miles, in these 5 months, as I did in all of 2010. So I know I am making progress. I also just know that I am not running as much as I would like to to make me feel good.)

Other Random Thoughts Thursday Posts: 40, 39, 38, XXXVII, XXXVI, XXXV, XXXIV, XXXIII, XXXII, XXXI, XXX, XXIX, XVIII, XXVII, XXVI, XXV, XXIV, XXIII, XXII, XXI, XX, XIX, XVIII, XVII, XVI, XV, XIV, XIII, XII, XI, X, IX, VIII, VII, VI, V, IV, III, II, I.

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By kilax, May 29, 2013 6:47 am

Have you seen that movie The House Bunny? Ha! I bet you are wondering how the heck I am going to relate a post to it…

In the movie, a Playboy Bunny, Shelley, leaves the Playboy Mansion and ends up at a college, where she decides to be a “House Mother” to a sorority. Or something. I wasn’t in a sorority so I am sure I am butchering the story by not understanding the lingo. 

Anyway, at some point in the movie, Shelley decides she would like to become smarter (sigh, to impress a guy) and goes to the library to study. In the scene, you see her with a zillion books open, cross referencing everything she is reading. She later complains to the other sorority girls about how stupid she feels, looking up words in a regular dictionary, then, in the children’s dictionary to understand the regular dictionary*. She says it takes forever just to read a page. 

I think about that scene way more often than I should, studying the ACE Personal Trainer Manual. 

I am constantly flipping back and forth to look up words. Geesh. Why didn’t I learn this stuff when I was in school?

Oh yes. I was studying architecture. 

Anyway. The latest chapter that has me memorizing definitions is all about cardiovascular disease**. Holy cow… there are a ton of types of disorders. I told Steven I was having a hard time memorizing them all and he suggested associating them with people who have them. Uh… that’s the problem. Wait! That is not a problem! I just don’t have much of a history of cardiovascular disease in my family… so a lot of these words and phrases are foreign to me. Geesh. Maybe I should start watching ER or something! Or talk to some older people.*** They love to talk about people’s health issues. Ha!

Thinking about this has made me wonder if I do have more of a family history of it that I just don’t know. And made me think to ask you:

Do you know your family health history very well? Is your family open in sharing those things?

Also! Do you ever feel like you are constantly looking up definitions as you are reading something?!

*Or something like that. I looked for the quote for 20 minutes and gave up.
**And other diseases/special conditions. That is as far as I got yesterday. I needed a break to let it all sink in.
***Trying to be funny, not disrespectful.

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By kilax, May 28, 2013 12:26 pm

Are you starting to fantasize about summer plans? What is on your list this year?

It’s odd for me to ask this question now. I say “now,” because in the past, I was someone who put so much thought in to summer expectations and made lots of plans (read: fantasy plans). And would feel let down when summer was over, like it flew by and I didn’t get to fulfill any of my plans (fantasies).

But I’m not really like that anymore. Now, I spend time outside year round. I don’t feel like I am waiting for “good” weather to go enjoy the great outdoors. Sure, there are things I like to do that can only be done in warm weather (lay on the beach/swim outside) – but as long as I get to do that a few times*, I’m content. I am not waiting for that, year round. I am enjoying what I have, when I have it.

I like to think this means I am growing up? 

Really, I suspect this could just be me trying to block any fantasies from going on in my head. Because if I am good, I will spend the summer with these two:

*And the truth of that is, the things I enjoyed a lot as a kid are not as fun as an adult when I have to think about being responsible, and when I am fully aware of everything going on around me. Hey! It’s the truth! Things aren’t as carefree as they were then. That should be a post of its own. 

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By kilax, May 26, 2013 2:09 pm

Highlight of the Week: Feeling well enough to make it to the Essential Fitness Multisport Club group ride on Sunday! What a blast! For years I have seen those big bike groups riding on the roads by my house… wishing I could do that… and I finally got to! (I used my trainer’s cross bike – wow, so much less effort than my mountain bike!)

Sunday photo from Brian @ EFIT

Monday | May 20, 2013: teaching strength class
Strength: medicine balls, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Tuesday | May 21, 2013: rest (sick)
Wednesday | May 22, 2013: rest (sick)
Thursday | May 23, 2013: 2 m run
Loc: hood, Temp: 53°/53°, Time: 21:31, Pace: 10:44 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: decent
Friday | May 24, 2013: 4 m run + walk with Steven
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 51°/53°, Time: 44:56, Pace: 11:13, Difficulty: easy, Felt: coughy
Loc: Nippersink FP. Difficulty: easy, Felt: like a rebel
Saturday | May 25, 2013: rest
Sunday | May 26, 2013: 24.28 m group ride w/EFIT
Loc: Grayslake to Vernon Hills and back Temp: 48°/64°, Time: 1:56:55, Pace: 12.5 avg (didn’t turn off watch for stops), Difficulty: easy, Felt: good

Notes:

• I am turning in to a broken record. But again, I had higher mileage goals for this week. I got a nasty cold starting Monday night (you know when your throat starts to hurt right before you go to bed and you’re all “oh, crap”?) and through, well, pretty much the weekend. I couldn’t do much but rest. ANNOYING! At least two weeks ago I knew my brother-in-law gave me my cold. I don’t know how I got one this time. But! I do know that: 1) I don’t have allergies, 2) I am not doing too much (everyone assumes I am running too much – dudes, look at my training log), and 3) I do not have a weakened immune system because I am vegan (yes, someone asked me that). I think I just have bad luck. 
• I am thinking I might need to start listening to tunes again when I run to get through the summer sun & heat. Maybe. 
• Did you guys read this article on the WSJ “The Exercise Equivalent of a Cheeseburger“? (pdf here). It claims that any running over 30 miles a week is bad for you. And lists all these instances where marathoners have had heart issues. Uhh… here is the thing. You don’t have to be in great shape to “run” a marathon. Or run a lot of miles. You really don’t. So, yeah, I am not surprised you can find data that correlates heart issues to longer distances. What do you think of the article?
• Edited to add: Sigh. It must have been so long ago that I forgot to write about it! Valerie was super sweet and came to my strength class Monday night! She kicked butt! I think she should be a regular. Hee hee. 
• Hüma sent me some of their all-natural gels to try. I am curious about them… as I have no issue with GU (both the way they make me feel or the fact that they are not all natural). I plan to try these on a long run. And despite my recent training. I do have two half marathons in June, so I should have some longer runs coming up. Ha ha. 

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By kilax, May 24, 2013 8:43 am

What time is too late to be receiving a text or phone call (or maybe it’s different depending on which it is)? What time is too early?

We’ll pick on my mom since she actually has a sense of humor.

Come on, mom! You know I am sick! Why you texting me* so late?!

Just kidding. I’ve had my phone turned on to “do not disturb” while I’ve been sleeping so much the past few days. So I didn’t see this text until close to 11:00. So I responded then… and she was still up and responded later! Late night for both of us!

This text cracked me up, though – since it was so late and… why is my dad working on that project so late in the day? Ha ha ha. 

Typically, I try not to send any texts or call anyone past 10:00 pm or before 7:00 am. I usually send an email instead, if I am up that late (or early), and thinking of talking to someone. And if they have a smart phone and respond back right away… well, I know they are up. 

Sometimes I get really late texts that wake me up when I forget to turn my phone on to “do not disturb.” I usually like to respond to those really early in the morning. Ha ha ha. 

*and a few other people

Comments (16)

By kilax, May 23, 2013 5:22 pm

Apparently, my bad hearing (or maybe it’s the inability of my brain to put two and two together) dates way back to my childhood. Growing up, I remember my dad talking about going to “swamp” meets. I just couldn’t figure out what a swamp meet was, or why people would want to meet in a swamp!

Swap meet, Kim. Swap. Sigh. On that note, do NOT look at the third definition for swap meet on urbandictionary.com.

I wonder if my need to search for local races when I travel is akin to my dad’s need to look for local swap meets when he travels. Probably. Make the most of satisfying your interests when you travel, right?

Anyway. My parents were in town last weekend and my dad went to a swap meet Saturday morning and brought this back:

“Oh, cute! Dad found a book,” I thought.

Wait a second. On closer look… this book looks familiar!

Yes – that is my dad’s dad featured on a two page spread in this book!

My dad was quick to point out his car is in there too, ha ha (see red arrow below, not foreground):

I really enjoy the text on the page with my grandpa on it:

Besides the rich (to me) history told in that short paragraph, it cracks me up that the author is asking where my dad and his brother were when it was time to wax the car. If I were going to choose words to describe my dad and his brother, lazy and unhelpful would be some of the last ones. So it just points out the humor of it, even more, to me.

Sigh. What a treasure, right? Apparently my brothers have copies, and my dad was on the lookout for more.

I’d like to put it up somewhere, maybe in a shadow box, like this, with the pages propped open?

Or maybe on a ledge?

How would you display something like this?

I can’t mention this book without talking about how it makes me feel. Seeing that picture of my grandpa, looking so strong and capable… sigh. I guess it makes me feel grateful I knew him when he was like that, and didn’t only know him for the last years of his life, when dementia took over his mind. But geesh. It just makes me feel robbed that he passed so young. Or, what seems young to me.

And the mention of my dad’s brother. He passed too young too, before my grandpa. I was just becoming adult enough to have actual interesting conversations with my uncle (meaning, I had interesting things to share, not that he didn’t, ha ha). Sigh. Feel robbed there, too.

So maybe, however I display it, I should put a picture of my uncle in there, too.

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By kilax, May 22, 2013 7:36 pm

I wonder if in the future, along with the “where were you when “xyz” happened?” question, if there will be a “how did you find out?” question. It’s almost like we need to add that now. 

I don’t regularly watch the news, read the paper or listen to the radio. I get my news from three sources: word-of-mouth, rss news feed, and Facebook. 

And if I’m marking my rss news as read because I don’t feel I have time to read it, and I’m working at home by myself and not chatting much with outsiders, well, you see what that leaves. 

Is Facebook a good news source?

You know what news I heard first on Facebook this year*? The Sandy Hook shootings*. The Boston bombings. The Oklahoma City destruction. The London soldier attack. Many other stories. 

I also read about many more awful things in my rss news feed that never made it to Facebook. It’s interesting what people find important enough to share/speak their mind on. It’s interesting that people want to share certain things at all. 

Mostly, we share the things to which we can relate. Which, honestly, makes it much more emotional for me to find out about things on Facebook than from a news source. It feels more real, raw, emotional. To read about the brutal London attack from someone who is from London. I feel sad about the situation. I feel sad for how the situation makes that person (sharing on Facebook) feel, since it’s their hometown. I feel scared by how public the attackers were. I feel scared by what the attackers said. 

In the end though, this all reminds me how often I rely on social media for information. And… I don’t think that is good. For me. 

It’s slanted. What you read is completely dependent on who you are “friends” with, or who you “follow.” It makes me think strange things, that I shouldn’t think, like “Why was everyone so passionate about this incident, but not this one that was very similar? Why did they speak their mind on one and not the other”? “Why did this get so many mentions, but not this“?

I am reading in to it way too much. I have to remind myself that most people are probably sharing their thoughts because it makes them feel better. 

I also have to remind myself that many voices lamenting the same thing is too overwhelming for me, personally to read. 

Anyway. Just wanted to share those thoughts. I’ve had them for awhile now, and it’s like they finally came out in a way that made sense to share.

So. Back to the beginning of this post. I think it’s time to stay more caught up with the news, outside of social media. I can’t avoid it. But I can come prepared.** 

*and 2012
**I would rather read something from a news source first, than have the shock of seeing it on Facebook. Not sure why it is different for me, especially since the first thing I do when I read something on Facebook is look up facts from a news source. 

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By kilax, May 22, 2013 6:36 am

The awesome thing about the ACE Personal Trainer Manual that I am studying is that it is super repetitive with major concepts. So if you miss something, no worries, you are going to read about it a few more times.

The annoying thing about the ACE Personal Trainer Manual that I am studying is that it is super repetitive with major concepts. So you are reading the same things over and over. Enough already, I get it!

Heh heh heh.

The most comical thing, lately, is how much the book is drilling in about client adherence. I get it. You want to develop a program for a client that they will adhere to – you want custom plans that are not too easy, not too challenging… you want the client to want to come back. You want them to eventually like exercise. I get all that!

Data is the a great example of adherence. A few years ago, he would just slither around in his harness! Now, he has built up to long walks. Go Data!

It’s just so funny. Almost any instructional section I have read lately is followed with a warning paragraph.

(My wording)Varying the intensity of workouts not only engages different muscle fibers, it also keeps things interesting for the client. BUT OMG! ADHERENCE, PEEPS! DON’T MAKE IT TOO INTENSE OR NO ONE WILL EVER COME BACK TO YOUR STUDIO EVER!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!

I suppose it’s funny to me, because one of my top concerns* in developing exercise programs is keeping it challenging. I really want people to leave the workout feeling like they got a great whole-body exercise, and challenged themselves. I don’t want them to feel like it was easy. I want them to feel the workout was worth their time.

But that is minor disconnect between the book and real life, for me. A lot of the people in my classes already have the adherence – they are already committed to exercise, taking the class, and doing other cardiovascular activity on the side. So, while I get where the book is coming from, I think it is too cautious at times!  

I was thinking about this, because I am reading about it, but also, dang, I am so sore from the class I taught Monday night. In fact, someone in my office asked me if I am hurt because I am walking so slow. Ha ha ha.

I’m that “good” sore. That “ooo, I worked some weaker muscles” sore.

So that made me wonder. Maybe not everyone has that “good” sore. Maybe for some people, all sore is “bad” sore. Maybe, my perception of good sore needs to be altered if I need to focus on adherence.

What do you think? Do you have levels of soreness? Is there a “good” one that comes from a challenging workout?

*Obviously, safety and comfort is first (among other things).

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By kilax, May 21, 2013 6:17 am

Naive is not typically a word I use to describe myself. Like, ever.

However, I continually find myself feeling this way, when I hear things “after the fact.” What the heck am I talking about?

Well, I have talked to enough people about this to make a huge assumption that most recreational groups are going to have some drama. And no, not talking about an acting tribe. I am talking about this definition of drama:

A way of relating to the world in which a person consistently overreacts to or greatly exaggerates the importance of benign events.

image from here

This is one of many things I was talking to my dad about during our run/bike ride Sunday morning. Presumably, you join a recreational group because you want to share a somewhat specific interest with like-minded people. You’ve probably already tried to share this interest with other people in your life, and come to the conclusion that a group targeted toward this interest would be better for you.* Following?

So it can be disappointing, when you join a group, and find yourself stressing over silly drama, and not enjoying that specific interest as much as you hoped.

And this is where I am happy to be naive. Most of the time, I am so unaware of people’s drama, that I find out about it way after the fact. Then I have that, “Geesh! I am really naive! I had no idea that was going on,” reaction. And then, I am happy for it.

Are you naive (unaware) when it comes to drama, too?

I would rather find out about something silly after it’s all said and done, than waste energy thinking about it in the moment. That is just too draining.

I have gotten some flack for saying no to things I don’t want to do and for not spending time with people I don’t click with, but honestly, doing these things keeps my life more drama free.** So, I will continue to do them. I’m selfish and I’ll admit it. My happiness and peace of mind is my #1 goal!

This all sounds really negative, and implies I am having an issue with one of the groups I am in. I’m not trying to be negative – I am celebrating my naivety. And I am not having an issue with a group I am in – because I am too naive for that, remember? Ha ha ha.

Spill it – what’s the drama in  your recreational group? Or are you in some magical group where everyone plays nice and always agrees?

Ha ha. The wording of that last questions makes it sound like people should not disagree. No, they most surely can, and should. But when people make everything in to an issue, or personal attack… ugh. Get over yoself, yo. We just wanna have fun!

*So you quit pushing away these other people by always talking about the same thing, ha!
**If I were writing a how-to for staying drama free I would include those two things, and “keep gossip to a minimum.” There are things I know about people that I really don’t need to know.