Insanity

Image from extremefitnessresults.com

So the Hubs got the Insanity workout videos. And apparently he bought them for me. I thought it was something we were going to do together, but whatever. So I decided to start it today. It is the same format as the P90X that we have except it is more cardio based and you only use your body weight. I like that part because I have enough body weight to get a hellafied workout. So DAY 1 is a Fit Test that you do every two weeks to measure your progress. You are supposed to do a different exercise everyday and be done it 60 days. You workout 6 days a week for 9 weeks. I already know I am not going to get in 6 days a week. First, I do not want to work out that much. The idea is not appealing. 3-4 times a week is good to me. Second, I want to go to the gym with the Hubs once a week so I will be doing something different there. Also, I am trying to workout with some co-workers once a week. Third, I am in grad school, taking 2 classes this summer and it is very time consuming. In fact, I should be doing school work right now.

So I am going to embarrassingly post the results of my Fit Test. I guess I have no where to go but up. So as long as I improve, I should be good.

Let me tell you. I was sweating my ass off at the end of this. You do each exercise for a minute.

Switch Kicks - 78

Power Jacks - 36

Power Knees - 69

Power Jumps - 20

Globe Jumps - 6

Suicide Jumps - 11

Push-Up Jacks - 13

Low Plank Oblique - 30

A blog I read, Fitness Freak, inspired me to get started. But she is the Fitness Freak and I am...not. So her results for day 1 were WAY better than mine. At the end I hope to at least be where she is starting off.

I figure if I am realistic this is going to take me 15 weeks to complete. Maybe longer. I go on vacation next week for a full 7 days. So I will not be doing it there. Because of the couple the Hubs and I are going on vacation with we will probably work out, but it won't be Insanity. It will probably be worse.

I really want to get in shape though. And I have to find something I can commit to. Hopefully this will be it.

I want to get away, I want to flyyyy away!!

Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly far...far away from here. (said in my best Je-nay voice from Forrest Gump)

Oh yes, I need a vacation. Yes, that is a NEED. I am exhausted. Right now I would not even care where I went. If someone said, you wanna go to Wisconsin or Iowa, I would be all for it. (Nothing against Wisconsin or Iowa, but they are not on my top list of vacation destinations). Sorry. I have no motivation for school, exercising, or eating appropriately. I have been taking copious naps or just going to bed early. And no, I am not pregnant. (Before anyone asks).

Lucky for me in about 2 weeks I will be on my way to Vegas, baby. I have never been there and I cannot wait. On top of that with my days off and the days I will be gone I will be off of work for a little less than 2 weeks. OMG I cannot wait.

It has been a while since I had a vacation. Well, I did go visit some friends in NC for a long weekend. I love going there, would even consider moving there, but it was not the greatest trip. First, the Hubs' truck was broken into the night before we left. Yes, one night without an alarm on the vehicle and someone broke into it. So, we were going to cancel, but after that I just felt we really needed to get away. So instead of leaving early in the morning we left much, much later. After car repairs. Then after being down there for one day, I got sick. I mean real sick. I will spare you the gory details, but it was bad. There is nothing worse than being sick when you are away from home. So I am not even sure I can count that as a vacation.

I did have a girls weekend in AC, but I am starting to realize a weekend is just not long enough.

So I will be spending 1 week in Vegas. Yes, I know that is a long time for Vegas, but I have found some off the strip things to do. And I need this. Hopefully I will come back tanned and rejuvenated. CANNOT. WAIT.

Are GMOs in your garden?

I try to not be preachy to people about my food choices and why I do and don't eat certain things. One of the reasons is I don't like it when people preach to me and another is that I am not perfect in my decisions. Sometimes I don't do things for financial reasons, like I can't afford to buy everything I eat organic, and sometimes because I just don't wanna. I like syrup. Sorry. I do. I tried using 100% pure maple syrup, but it isn't the same. And sometimes I want waffles with syrup. I have cut back significantly, but sometimes I have a craving. Buuut, anyway, I was having a conversation with co-workers about how much we spend on groceries a month. Well apparently the Hubs and I spend more on groceries each month than some families of 4. This does not bother me because as they always say, you are what you eat. So when asked why we spend so much I went on and on about the dirty dozen and GMOs. It was then mentioned that you could avoid GMOs by buying local and from roadside stands. Well, that is not actually true.

Agrochemical multinationals (read Monsanto) are not just manufacturers of GM soy and corn, they are also in the vegetable seed business. And those seeds can be bought for your home garden. How did this happen? Well, agrochemical companies bought up seed companies. So over the last few decades we went from having hundreds of companies selling seeds to a handful. Yes there are some anti-trust questions that can be raised here, but this is more about the environmental and health effects.

So by having a handful of companies owning the seed supply, diversity is seeds has significantly decreased. This leads to increased attack from insects and disease, which then leads to increased use of pesticides and herbicides. But that's ok because the same companies that own the seeds also produce the pesticides. (That was said in my most sarcastic voice).

This basically means that if you buy conventional seeds or if you buy fruits and vegetables from the local food stand there is a HUGE chance that they could be genetically modified. You always have to ask. There is no benefit of using organic practices in your personal garden if the seeds you purchase are genetically modified. You will be wasting your time.

The best thing to do is buy organic seeds which by definition cannot be GM. Research the companies you buy from. And this part can be hard because companies are bought and sold all the time. But basically, it is all in the seeds.

For more information on this topic, go here. They also have a handy flow chart that shows which parent company owns the smaller seed companies.

...and now you know.

Happy Anniversary!!!

Yesterday the Hubs and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. I cannot believe one year has passed so quickly. The thought is just crazy. I had a great day too...would have been even better if I did not have to go to work. Lesson learned though. We have decided that we will not work the day of our anniversary (or whatever day we are celebrating it) any more.

So, Sunday morning we exchanged gifts. (More on that in a minute.) Went to work. Came home. Then went to dinner. We went to Oceanaire in DC. I love this restaurant. While we were there we were trying to figure out the last time we were there. We know it was for Valentine's Day one year, but we couldn't remember when. Needless to say, it had been years since we had been there and it was far to long of a gap in visits. The food there is de.li.cious. Every day the menu has subtle changes based on what is good at the market. It is also recognized by Slow Food DC as being a restaurant that buys as much local and sustainable food as possible. This is something that is very important to me. Also Executive Chef, Rob Klink, has become a staunch advocate in protecting marine life. So not only did we enjoy amazing seafood, but I could feel at peace eating it, which made it taste even better. They also made special menus for us celebrating our anniversary and we were able to keep them. It was actually the Hubs' idea...he is sentimental like that. One of the many reasons I love him.

Also as part of our Anniversary Celebration, they gave us a wonderful dessert. I believe it was called the Baked Alaskan, but it was a fine layer of chocolate cake, topped with strawberry ice cream (it tasted homemade, but I am not sure), topped with whipped cream. Then it is drizzled with 151 and flambe. OMG. This was so good. I wish I was not stuffed because I really wanted to eat.it.all.

So back to gifts. My DH knows how I love a certain accessory. No it is not jewelry, but it is jewelry for me. I love purses. I am not a jewelry person. I wear the same earrings every day and I only wear rings because they are my wedding set. Other than that it is a rare occasion. But give me a good purse and it will kick up my outfit a notch. You can look stylish in jeans and a t-shirt with the right purse. I will admit I was not expecting this, but I was definitely loving it. This picture I am about to show does not even do it justice, but if you see me in the near future I am sure I will be rocking it hard.

What did I get the Hubs you ask. I got him the Extreme Driving Stock Car Driving Experience at Try It Racing. So he will get to drive at neck breaking speeds around a racetrack. What was I thinking. God I hope he does not hurt himself. I will be riding along for 5 laps. NOT WITH HIM THOUGH. With a professional. I ain't tryna get killed. Nope. But I think this will be so fun. His guy friends are jealous. And to top it off he thinks my gift to him way outdid his gift to me. What is he crazy?

Anyway, all in all I think we had a fabulous 1 year anniversary experience. Cannot wait til next year.