There are actually many other letters that work, and even more if you allow nonsense words. The idea behind my silly vowel song was teaching the long vowels. Vowels are not always spelled the way they sound. After we would sing it we would write out the individual words and look at what the difference between what they sounded like and how they were spelled. Yeah, I know Clare was only two. However, she loved to read books with me every day so I thought why not teach her to read letters?
After reading this journal entry aloud to Brian he says it has to have been a dream. First, he turned off the radio this morning, and second, the radio is set to the classical station, not to NPR. Thus, I had another of my so real I think they happened dreams. Oh well, at least my silly vowel song can be shared with children everywhere.Note: The Silly Vowel Song is the original work of and copyrighted by Tasia Russell. Permission is given to parents to teach their children this song to help them learn to read. If anyone wants to publish or record this song in any manner, please contact the author and copyright holder Tasia Russell.
4 February 2007, Sunday
Today I have been working on getting my morning weight chart to reflect time accurately. It has been months and months since this thing worked correctly. I have been utterly frustrated by it. Currently I have handed the problem over to Brian to see if he can figure out why the graph cannot show the difference between two days and two months between measurements.
I’m not happy with my weight right now. It is much lower than where I started. However, I am still not back to where I was on the eighteenth of December. I’m feeling really grouchy about this. I think the alien is trying to sap my determination.
Yesterday I tortured the alien at the gym for three hours. I think today it is trying to fight back by making the number on the scale seem important. Well, kick the scale and think about the fact I am going to take in five more pieces of clothing today. Yep, I have pants that were new and fit in August next up for modification. I need to take at least four inches, and probably six or more, out of the waistband.
Actually, I think I am just so frustrated with the weight loss chart. That plus the fact I have been looking at these numbers for over an hour. No wonder I have been dwelling on what the scale has been saying.
Well, you know the answer to when the alien is making me feel grouchy and defeatist about my weight is? I’ll just go and do some really sweaty exercising! Ok, the gym is closed, it is a balmy 15 degrees outside in the sun, now what do I feel like doing in the house? I think today is a great day for calisthenics! This works fine as yesterday at the gym I did lower body lifting. I can do sit-ups, push-ups, lunges, and squats. Plus anything else I think of doing. This alien is going to die!
Can you tell I went from grouchy to cheerful in the course of writing this journal entry?
5 February 2007, Monday
Well, it has happened again. Breakfast is written down in my log as oat bran with cream. However, at 10:25 I discovered it stone cold in the microwave.
Yet again I have counted making food and writing down what I plan to eat as eating. This does not actually count. To make certain that I actually eat my food this time I paced back and forth in the kitchen while I reheated the oat bran. This way I knew I could not get sucked back into the bookkeeping and I snuck in a little extra exercise.
The rest of today I expect to be consumed by bookkeeping. I need to finish off the 2006 books. I like to have my taxes done by the end of February. This means I have to do all the prep work of verifying all the books are accurate before I can begin.
6 February 2007, Tuesday
I have decided to do a little experiment. I am going to weigh myself every day for a few weeks, even over my monthly bloat. I want to see how much my weight varies. I have been keeping a food log so I can see if anything I eat makes my weight spike upwards. I can also see if there is anything that I really like that leads to nice drops in my weight. This morning I weighed in at 268.5. This is up half a pound from Friday. I am not going to get upset with this.
Last night I utterly wore myself out at the gym. I was so tired that I could barely eat the supper that Brian made for me. He found some lovely Broccoli soup in the microwave. Before you think “twice in one day,” I would like to point out that I had deliberately placed it there before I went to the gym.
The reason I wore myself out so much is that I did more. I worked out at the gym almost constantly from 6:30 until I practically collapsed before 10.
At a bit after five last evening I decided to stop doing bookkeeping, even though I was not finished. There is an aqua aerobics class at 5:30 and another at 6:30. I decided that I wanted to go to the 6:30 class that Jenni taught.
I knew I needed to eat a decent meal before I went to work out. I made some hamburger and crumbed it over a salad. I was not really interested all that much in protein, but adding it to the salad I wanted was a good way to make certain I got it in. I decided to have seconds on the salad and finished off the last of my current perpetual salad in the fridge.
When I arrived at the gym I was on time, just a few minutes before 6:30. In other words, just enough time to get into my swimsuit before the class starts. While I was putting on my suit I could hear the class already going. What the heck was going on? I asked another lady who was also getting dressed for the class if the class time had changed. We both thought the class started at 6:30.
When we entered the pool the class was well started. Jenni was beyond the stretches and warm up. When did this class start? The pool felt overly warm. Then again, it is bitterly cold outside and I basically went from my car to the pool with only a brief pause to change and shower.
Aqua aerobics was tough. I pushed myself to go as fast as I could. I had to move to deeper water after a bit as I was overheating. Thus, I was working out with more water to move. Normally, I like to be in the section of the pool where my shoulders are completely out of the water. Not today. Today I moved to where only my head was out of the water. When we did the big kicks I impressed myself by still managing to have my feet breaking the surface of the water. The class went until 7:30. I was feeling great and ready to do more.
After the class was over I zipped off to the shower to wash the chlorine out of my hair. Then I sat in the sauna for a few minutes to get my suit to dry. I only grabbed my socks, shoes and my Evict My Alien Love Child .com T-shirt out of my locker before I was off to the cardio zone.
I had not remembered a water bottle, again. This was because I did not even think to fill one. Oh well, I just went to the drinking fountain and had a really big drink before I started on the elliptical trainer.
I set the controls for random, level four, for sixty minutes and started working. I could feel that my legs were already a wee bit tired from the previous hour. I thought, I’ll just do what I can and see where I get. The first few minutes were hard. Then my audio book got really interesting and I was able to shut my eyes and just move while I listened intently.
I was feeling pretty tired when I checked how long I had been going. Rats! Only twenty-eight minutes? I am absolutely going to do at least thirty minutes. I shut my eyes and kept going. When I opened my eyes again I was passing the thirty-five minute mark. Hey, I’m going at a good clip, as I’m well over 400 calories. I decided to keep on going.
Around the forty-five minute mark I was starting to feel kind of dry. However, since I had hung in this long, and the book was to a tense point in the plot, I kept moving. I was not actually going as fast as earlier, but I was still moving.
My book had just solved the current problem and I focused on the time on the machine again. I only had a few minutes to go and I would actually finish all sixty minutes. I decided to just stick to it and see if I could make it to the end of the program before I fell off. My hips were feeling a little painful, but I want to evict my alien love child. I slowed down a little more and kept going.
When the elliptical trainer said the program was done I was oh so ever ready to stop. I noted the workout summary. I had kept moving for all sixty minutes, this was after doing an hour of water aerobics. I only killed off 866 calories, but I knew I had not been going as fast as previously. Then again this was my second hour of cardio in a row. The theoretical distance traveled was 4.69 miles. I’m very pleased that I am consistently doing better than four miles in an hour.
I climbed off the machine carefully, thus not falling off like I had feared. The water at the drinking fountain tasted fantastic. Once I had re-hydrated and caught my breath I consulted my card. I planned on doing both lower body lifting and my abdominal workout.
The leg extension felt like it weighed much, much more than seventy pounds. I had to work to do all six of the first set. Lifting was not going to be easy this evening. I rested for a long time between each set. However, I was able to do all six sets.
Climbing onto the leg curl machine was a challenge in itself. The weight did not feel anywhere as heavy. This motion was not using the same muscles as most of the water aerobics. Plus, I only lift fifty pounds on this. Six sets of six and I clawed my way out of the machine. Then I wove my way through the machines back to the drinking fountain.
That was pretty much how the rest of my lower body workout went. Getting in and out the machines was actually more difficult than the actual lifting. I would do one or two machines and then go back to the drinking fountain. I had to hold off on the inner thigh machine as someone else was on it.
Instead of waiting I just moved on and did the abdominal machine on my workout that was upstairs. I don’t actually know what the machine is called. I sit on a little stool, with my feet flat on the floor, and fold my arms over a padded rest. Then I press down with my arms until the pad touches my thighs. I have the seat setting for all the machines written on my card as when I have it adjusted correctly I can curl forward to the point where the pad my arms are on touches my thighs. With seventy-five pounds of weight resisting my effort to push this pad down three sets of fifteen really took a lot of effort.
I stood at the drinking fountain and kept an eye on the inner thigh Cybex machine until it was available. This is a nice machine for the last lower body machine as it is actually not too difficult to get in and out. The only one that is easier is the outer thigh Cybex machine, but I had done that one already.
Once I had all of my lower body lifting done it was time to continue with my abdominal lifting. When I succeeded in getting off the machine I headed downstairs to use one of the exercise balls. Going down the steps I was very glad the gym has a handrail. I perched on the edge of a ball and did my first set of thirty flat back curls. Oh my, my stomach was not pleased. I sat on the ball and gave myself a pep talk. I rolled forward to perch on the edge and did another set. I nearly fell off the ball when I rolled back to the top. I was wobbling while sitting. This was not a good thing. However, I am stubborn and was determine to at least finish this exercise. I did one more set and then just sat on the ball for probably five minutes. I put the ball away and faced the stairs. I was ever so glad for that handrail on my way back up. I might have had to spend the night at the gym if they did not have it.
I wobbled my way to the drinking fountain. Between sips I eyed the V crunch machine. There was no way I was going to climb on it that day. Nope, no way what-so-ever. I thought about doing the floor exercises in my abdominal workout. I decided that I would be sleeping on that floor if I got down on it. I was just too worn out and tired to do any more at the gym at all. I gathered my stuff from the locker, bundled up, and headed home.
I am so very appreciative that Brian heated up my soup. I did not even have the energy to go turn on the microwave when I got home last night. Some wonderful soup and a hot mug of black cherry kool-aid and I was feeling much better.
Hot kool-aid tastes like hot jell-o to me. This is very much a comfort food in my book. My mom used to give me hot jell-o when I was sick as a child. I like making my Kool-Aid with splenda. I think it tastes better than when it is made with sugar. Plus, this makes it just a tasty treat without the calories.
Oh look, it is nearly 5:00. I can go to the gym and do all this again tonight. Jenni teaches aqua aerobics at six. I can do upper body and abdominals. Then I’ll do the elliptical. This way I know I’ll have enough energy to actually do all of my lifting.
This is, of course, provided the weather is all right. Snow is falling steadily outside and I want to check the forecast before I drive to the gym. Especially since I suspect I will be there until they close at 10, or until I can barely walk, whichever comes first.
6 February 2007, Tuesday evening
My plan to go to the gym for aqua aerobics was slightly thwarted. I did go and I did spend an hour in the pool. However, it took over forty minutes to drive the three and a half miles to the gym. This was due to a beautiful snowstorm during rush hour traffic.
Since I was already late to the class I decided to go to Target and get some new swim goggles. I found a great pair that fit wonderfully.
When I arrived at the pool there were five, count them five, people in the pool. Jenni was not teaching the class. Instead, Margie was covering for her. I guess Jenni’s husband did not make it home in the bad weather yet and she was still at home on childcare duty. I joined the class with about twenty minutes before it ended.
After the class was done I stayed in the pool to swim. Lisa also stayed in the pool. She asked me to teach her how to do the breathing for the front crawl after I had swum a full loop around the pool. I call circling the small pool at Victory loops instead of laps because when I think of swimming laps I am thinking of a specific distance, 1/72 of a mile. Also, laps are down and back while what I swim at Victory is around and around in a circles.
Lisa and I swam in the pool for another half an hour. I taught her to do the front crawl and then the breast stoke and the backstroke. It was nice to feel like an exercise authority.
Once I was mostly dried off in the sauna I went out to lift weights. I could see the snow still falling out the front windows. I finished off the portions of my abdominal workout I was too exhausted to do last evening. Then I did my entire upper body weight lifting program. I did the one abdominal exercise I do on a machine lifting wight that I had done yesterday. Again, I don’t know what that machine is called. I need to remember to read and remember the name. I am never going to learn all the exercises names if I don’t make a deliberate effort.
While taking a break in the inhalation room I thought about what cardio workout I wanted to do. I could do the Trek Mill, or the stair climbing machine, or the elliptical trainer. Thinking about it I decided that I really did not want to do any of them. Nope, I wanted to go home and shovel snow! We had enough snow that I could play outside in the moonlight. Well, the streetlight actually. Although there is enough moonlight that I could have shoveled by moonlight if the streetlight was not there.
Brian came out and found me shoveling. He commented. “Why are you shoveling, it hasn’t stopped snowing yet?”
I looked up at him with a really big grin and said, “That means I’ll get to do it again tomorrow morning.”
The snow was really light, and very fun to shovel. I will get to shovel snow tomorrow. Well, at least sweep snow. I don’t think it is falling anymore tonight. Then again, it could start snowing after I go to sleep. I am going to have dreams of snowflakes dancing in the moonlight tonight.
7 February 2007, Wednesday
Oh wonderful. The day after I decide to weight myself every day, even through the days of my monthly bloat, my bloat is possibly putting in an early appearance. Either that or I somehow ended up eating wheat yesterday. I am grouchy, constipated and congested. I’m plugged up at both ends, which really doesn’t help with the irrational rage fits I keep having this morning. This rage leads me to believe that the demon bitch is trying to put in an appearance. Luckily I have over the counter medication to combat her.
My weight while feeling this terrible did not help my attitude. I am at 272.0, which is up three and a half pounds from just yesterday morning. I did not gain three and a half pounds. I have been working out hours a day. I am not overeating or under eating.
Nope, I am retaining water, and then some. I have not had a bowel movement this morning and did not have one yesterday afternoon either. This is a sign of secret wheat sneaking into my diet. The rock hard, distended stomach I woke up with confirms that at least part of this is due to wheat.
Looking over my food log I think I know when it happened. I had something different at lunch when Brian and I were out. I did not ask to verify that the food had no wheat in it. No, instead I listened to the list of parts and thought sounds fine to me. I was hungry and did not have my guard up. The portion they gave me was enough to have the leftovers from lunch as supper before going to the gym. Thus, I finished off the wheat laced meal.
Wheat is added to all kinds of stuff where I cannot think of a reason to put it. I need to stick to what I know is safe when I am hungry to the point of not being careful. If I had eaten what I have ordered in the past I would have been safe. I probably would still have an increase in my weight, as this is the beginning of my monthly bloat. However, I would feel better and not be quite so painful. Normally, the bloat and grouchiness arrives days before the painful portion of the cycle.
Ok, now that I’ve vented I think I will think of happy things...
I’ll clean up the kitchen, as I know washing dishes is something I enjoy. It will improve my mood. Plus, the drugs I took will take effect soon. I like washing dishes as I get instant gratification with the visible results. Unlike writing, when I do dishes I can see that I have accomplished something.
What other happy thoughts can I focus on? There is fabulous snow outside! It is light and fluffy and the world looks wonderful. Winter is really here. We are not having ninety days of March.
I am not going to go the gym today. Instead I am going to lure Brian to take some time off work and go to the park. When it is time for lunch I am sure I can talk him into working late so he can take time off during the day for a great walk in the sunshine and snow. This has the added benefit of fulfilling one of my New Year’s resolutions – do fun things with Brian.
7 February 2007, Wednesday evening – A Second Snow Day
Wow, I’m writing a second journal two days in a row. I guess I have the writing bug. Then again, today turned into a really amazingly fantastic day.
Brian and I went to Whetstone Park and hiked in the snow. We started on the bike path. However, the city has plowed one pass down it and it is just not as much fun to walk on cleared pavement when I could be crunching through snow. Brian let me lead the way and go anywhere I wanted. This meant we went along the Olentangy River through the trees.
We did not go out on the ice, like some people obviously did, as there were tracks. No, we were not interested in verifying that flowing water does not freeze as solid as still water. There were spots where the river was still open.
 |
Instead, I hiked all along a trail that I have hiked in the summer before but never yet in the winter. It was neat, also slightly dangerous. I could not see the logs and holes. Plus, I was, as usual, wearing a skirt. This caused me to occasionally pick up sticks in my hem. I had to go carefully. I did fall down once and one time I almost fell down a hill where if I actually had fallen I could have landed in the river. This was a hill that I climbed up easily in the summer, but was too steep with snow on it. I backed down carefully and took a much gentler slope up. From that point on I eyed the inclines carefully before going up or down them.
This picture to the right is the gentler slope. |
 |
