Archive | May, 2008

Memorial Day Madness

28 May

So, I’ve made a discovery. It’s likely to become an obsession. And it was all prompted this past Memorial Day weekend.

This past weekend I went up to visit my sister. Whenever I visit my sister I can count on two things happening. Number one, I’ll have plenty of cereal choices in the morning. And number two, I’ll be reminded that my body is NOT in the shape that it once was.

This last trip did not disappoint. We walked, we jogged, we sprinted, we played basketball, we played tennis. And, I ate crunchy cheerios for breakfast. By the time the weekend was over, I was sore and bloated.

But, all that soreness sparked motivation from deep within (well, that may just be my little muscles cramping). I’ve decided that I need to get back in shape.

But, I need help. Accountability is critical to the process. So, I decided to look to the Internet for help. After all, it is filled with social networks of people who are willing to hold each other accountable. My discovery was gyminee.com.

The website is pretty cool. You can find workout programs or create your own. You can log nutrition intake for the day (it also has recipes and meal planning). You can weigh in and track goals. You can have buddies. And that’s just scratching the surface.

Right now, I’m earning a “B” in exercise. I’ve exercised four times this week (but, I set up some very unrealistic goals for myself). And, I have an “F” in nutrition. Apparently, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at lunch are not the ideal way to loose weight.

Have I convinced you to join? If you do, let me know and we’ll become GymBuddies. I don’t really know what that means yet…cause I don’t have any GymBuddies. But, I’m told GymBuddies help members stay motivated. Buddies can view exercise and nutrition progress, post in your journal and/or send private motivational messages.

How great is that??

Yes, I was a tomboy.

17 May

So, I was watching 30 Rock a couple weeks ago and I was reminded of my childhood. One of the characters had a toy car in her mouth. She pulled it out, looked at it and stuck it back in. No, I didn’t used to eat toy cars. Yes, it was a very strange scene, but that’s not the point.

It reminded me of some of my favorite toys growing up. I think it was Hot Wheels that had the cars that changed colors in warm or cold water.

I was also reminded of the toy cars that came in the Honeycomb cereal box. Whenever we would go to the store and get new cereal, that next morning was a race to breakfast between my brother, sister and myself. I used to get so mad at Sarah because she could sleep until 2PM if Mom would let her and yet, if there was a toy in the cereal box to be claimed, she would be up before the sun.

I also got to thinking about other toys that I loved growing up. In doing so, I was reminded that yes, I was a tomboy. For example, for Christmas or birthdays it was a pretty safe bet that I would be receiving some sort of sports-related item.

I was also obsessed with NFL Starting Lineups. When I was in third grade I had a double hernia operation. I remember my sister giving me an Ickey Woods starting lineup as a get well present. And yes, I still know the “Ickey Shuffle.”

The first Christmas that we (as in us kids) bought Christmas gifts for each other, Sarah bought me a turbo football (and a very lovely watch that had changeable colored rings).

I had some other key indicators that I was a tomboy. I was against brushing my hair, for example. I also hated wearing tights.

Thankfully, I’m no longer anti-hair brushing. But, I still have an obsession with the NFL. I love my fantasy football. I also still participate in my fair share of sports. But don’t worry Mom, I try to find balance by painting my nails and wearing lots of pink.

Men in Dresses

1 May

It’s not everyday that I have men willing to pay me to wear women’s clothing.

That’s right. Last Saturday, hundreds of men (well, 80 to be exact) eagerly adorned themselves with some of the most hideous ladies’ apparel I’ve ever seen. And liked it. Why?

Well…I’ll tell you…

I volunteered at a fund raising event to raise money for breast cancer research at Shawnee Golf Course. It was a golf scramble, followed by a raffle and then an auction during dinner. For the scramble, I, along with two other friends, was comfortably seated at the 4th tee.

As groups played the hole, we would request their participation in our raffle. All they had to do was pay us $5.00 and they would have their name entered into a drawing for a set of Maxfli irons that had been generously donated. Oh and they had to dress up like women and get their picture taken. But, they would also get to hit from the ladies’ tee.

Before we began, I didn’t really know what to expect. The first group of four refused to dress up. Only two guys from the second group dressed up. And while the two in dresses tee’d off from the ladies tee, the two other men yelled highly inappropriate things (like va-j-j) at them. I was completely offended and was beginning to dread the rest of the day.

The next group was a young group of guys who turned out to be more than eager to throw on a frock or two, feather boas and Kentucky Derby hats of the 1950s. They posed for their picture, hit from the ladies’ tee and were on their way.

From that point on, the majority of groups participated. It may have helped that the later it got in the day, also meant more beer had been consumed.

I’ve got to say, it was really fun to see how men reacted/behaved when dressed in pink or leopard print. As you can imagine, some were crass, others were a bit rude and some were just plain funny.

One gentleman looked at me after using my shoulder to balance his weight in order to pull up his mini-skirt over his jeans and said, “my balls are showing.” And yes, as it turned out, you could see both of the golf balls he had in his pocket, underneath his mini-skirt. At least he had immediate remorse and apologized for his joke. He would fall under the “crass” category.

Other guys hit on each other. Some even asked if they could keep the dress.

All in all, it was pretty entertaining. Five hours of men paying me to humiliate themselves just can’t be beat. Our raffle ended up raising $400.00. I’m not sure what the entire event brought in, but no matter what, I would consider it a success.

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