Life Down South

Or, "What I Actually Do On A Daily Basis".

 

It occurred to me recently that I have said very little about what life is like in Arkansas (beyond horses, of course, because everyone know they're more important XD). There may be an effort to compartmentalize things....and then again, there may not. So please bear with me and the scattered offerings of my brain.

Something I'm doing everyday (more or less): I now have a workout partner! For the past two weeks I've been getting up at 5:45 AM, driving to the local library, and joining a lady from church in walking and doing basic exercises. There is a short walking track (maybe 1/4-1/3 of a mile in a full circuit) behind the library with a little pavilion and several benches. For stamina-building it's not ideal, but for walking and bodyweight workouts it's perfect. When it rains (and it's been raining a LOT here) we go to her house and pop in a workout DVD.

If you'll pardon me, I'm going to rant a little bit here re: women's workout DVDs. After doing some more intense weightlifting last year sprinkled with self-driven Crossfit (which I rather miss), nearly every women's workout DVD I've used is PATHETIC. It's all about 'toning' and 'sculpting' and using dinky hand weights, and has little to nothing to do with function. Where in life is picking up a 3-lb weight going to matter? Even a jug of milk weighs more than that.

But I digress.

In connection with feeling that women are getting the short end of the stick with such 'customized' workouts, I just finished a book called Convict Conditioning. The emphasis is on strict bodyweight exercises and starting off SUPER easy while working slowly up to such seemingly impossible moves as, say, a one-armed handstand pushup, while making sure that each move is correct and functional. There is additional emphasis on training the ligaments, tendons, and structural parts of the body rather than concentrating totally on muscles. The idea is that just because someone is ripped, doesn't mean that they're functionally strong.

Anyway. I'm hoping to start incorporating The Big Six (pushups, pullups, squats, leg raises, bridges, and handstand pushups) during the morning walks/workouts. If nothing else it'll give me something to concentrate on workout-wise. I mean, Crossfit is great, but it always seems to have something of a shotgun approach (IMHO).

Another thing I've been doing: getting up earlier. I started a few months ago setting my alarm back a minute a day. Sometimes I skip a few days, sometimes I set it back religiously, but I started at 6:30 AM, with my current wake-up time being 5:40 AM. I consistently wake up 2-3 minutes before the alarm these days. Now I just need to actually get UP and do something productive, like write or draw or read my Bible, instead of nestling in the warm blankets to scroll through Pinterest.

An Average Week: My days look pretty much the same from week to week with slight variations here and there. But a routine is good, right? Right?

*crickets*

Anyway.

Sunday: Go to church, starting at 8:30 for worship practice. (They've got me playing strings on the keyboard. The original idea was to get me on the piano, but I do not feel up to playing a major instrument. So for now I lurk in the background.) Church gets out at noon, and I spend the afternoon (a) riding horses, (b) napping (this doesn't happen very often), (c) making lunches/breakfasts for the week, or (d) working on various projects. Worship practice for evening church services is at 5 PM, with church starting at 6 and finishing a little after 7.

(It's been rare for me to go to a church that has a morning and evening service, and I'm still figuring out whetherI like attending two services.)

Monday-Friday: Up by 6, work by 7:45. Morning workouts thrown in the mix have made showering before work a necessity, and it puts breakfast on a rush. On Thursday mornings I go to the local Kiwanis meetings in an attempt to keep abreast of local events and stuff that may be important for work.

In the evenings, if I'm not riding (or working on my quilt), I go to the animal shelter and take pictures for them to post online. That has averaged out to going at least once every 7-10 days, and it gives me an opportunity to intentionally use my camera.

Plus the animals are just so

dang

cute.

Good grief.

Thursday nights once a month I get together with a quilting group from church. Lest that sound boring beyond comprehension, believe me when I say that it's actually a LOT of fun. (I'm the youngest one there. Next youngest is 36, and then it's a leap to the 60s. It's great.)

Saturday: It depends. I usually spend the mornings cleaning, baking bread (sourdough!), or going to the recycle center. Sometimes all three at the same time. The recycle center here in town is more like a really cheap thrift store--there is the obvious recycle and trash part, yes, but anything that's in decent shape is up for grabs. I bought a Spanish wine bottle for 50 cents (that I converted into an oil lamp), and found a GIANT frame (like 4'x3') for $1.50. One finds the thing they want, brings it into the office, and asks, "How much?" The price usually ranges from cheap to dirt cheap.

In the afternoons I'm usually riding horses, unless there's something else planned. For example: last weekend I went to a quilt show. This weekend I helped my aunt move. Next weekend I'm helping out with a mini derby. The week after....well, you get the idea. Suffice to say, my schedule is pretty tight.

Something I'm reading: Well, I just finished Les Mis for the 7th or 8th time last week. And read Convict Conditioning yesterday, and A Walk Across America last week, and have two books on beekeeping on my plate, plus Horatio Hornblower.

What can I say? I find interest in a wide variety of topics.

Something I'm struggling with: The constant balance between 'busy' activity with 'quality' activity. If someone knows the secret to that, I'd be thrilled to know it.

If you made it through that mess, I congratulate you.

I remain, gentlemen,

The Obsessionist

Crossfit and Running

This may come as a surprise...but I hate working out.

No, let me rephrase that: I enjoy working out, but hate taking the time to do so. Does that make sense? It's like I have to psych myself up and think 'okay, you're not allowed to do anything else until this is done'. Once I get started, though, I enjoy it...so I guess it's just a discipline issue.

Considering that whole mental hurdle, I think I've done rather well over the past month or two. I'm able to go to the gym every day (or stake out in my room for when it's too cold to go outside to said gym), and while I've said in the past that I hate to run, I'm actually starting to enjoy that too. Having a program to follow helps a LOT. 

In regards to running: on Wednesday, I ran a total of 16 minutes! (This was sprinkled throughout intervals of walking, but still) There's been no shin-splints, no undue soreness (aside from the hip flexors being a bit tight), and I actually feel good after running instead of feeling like I'm going to die. It must be those happy endorphins kicking in.

I haven't lost any weight, though...time to clean up ye olde diet again. Sigh. On the other hand I can do more various exercises more often. So I guess it's a worthy tradeoff. 

In other news, I just finished this book:

(I can't say enough good things about it--I knew little to nothing about the leaders of the Reformation, and it's given me a desire to learn more about these guys)

And I've started re-reading Les Miserables. There was a quote I came across today that reminded me of some stuff a friend of mine has been going through:

"Some people are malicious from the mere necessity of talking. Their conversation, chatter in the drawing room, gossip in the antechamber, is like those fireplaces that rapidly burn up wood; they need a great deal of fuel; the fuel is their neighbor." 

This is in regards to Fantine and her position being exploited by busybodies and her co-workers and neighbors. But in this present situation, the more I consider the people involved and the methods by which they seem to determined to tear each other down, it seems to have some interesting parallels. Do we tear each other down so that we might appear more knowledgeable, holy, righteous, or any other various 'reasons'? Is it for satisfaction? Appearing 'right' about something? Revenge? Who knows? It varies from person to person. But I'm finding that the common denominator is an exercising of the self over others--or, in other words, love of self instead of love for others. 

It's an interesting thought. I may take this idea farther at a later date, but for now I'll just stew over it. 

Some Animal Pictures and Randomosity

I was feeling icky earlier today (actually thought I was coming down with the flu for a bit there, but ginger tea, charcoal, and acid water from the Kangen machine have intervened for a happy tummy. I subscribe to the shotgun approach), and as a result haven't really done anything super productive today. So instead I'll post pictures of some various animals and complain a bit. XD

Javert being...Javert. He's one weird dog. 

I think I'm going to request to not work on Saturdays at DQ anymore. I enjoy working during the week, because we only have a few people and actually get stuff done while enjoying each other's company. (For the most part.) But on weekends there are a lot of people (10 just for today) and everyone was chatting, taking their good old time, not tending to the customers, etc. I felt like the only person who was actually trying to work. -.- I'd much rather work more hours during the week than three hours of bumping into idle people on the weekends. 

Javert has broken his tennis ball, finally. He must have had it for a year before it split, but he still plays with it. 

And his rope too.

My root beer that I mentioned earlier was a flop...I let it ferment too long and it was nasty. Next time I'll let it go for 2 days and then strain off the grains, because this way it was disgusting. I had to toss it out. :/

(The Gookster! I've petitioned to change her name from 'Gooky', which is a contraction of 'good kitty', to 'Bakky', which is a contraction of 'bad kitty'. So far no one has taken me up on it.)

Yeah, she's a pretty cat and she knows it. She's currently sprawled out behind my computer because it's warm. -.-

So I've been reading some other reviews for Les Mis, and I'd have to say that the viewing camps have settled into two: the 'I loved it, and appreciate mostly everything about it' camp, and the vitriolic 'this was the worst movie I've ever seen and anyone who liked it was an idiot' camp. 

I would identify somewhere in between, because while I loved it as an adaptation it's still not up to Brick standards. (Nothing ever will, I know, BUT STILL.) I'll probably only watch it once or twice a year in the future because I can only handle so much emotional trauma.

What I don't understand is the people who decide that they hate it, and then spew that hatred and vitriol and attack the actors on a personal level. It's very petty, and shows a huge lack of class. Just because YOU don't like something, doesn't mean that you have to mock everyone who happens to like it, especially when it comes to a story that's impacted people for over 150 years and will still to do so long after the 'hating' opinion is completely forgotten. 

*/rant*

This is a cat from a house that I clean. Both cats find my bag and my boots absolutely fascinating, and I have no idea why.

Okay. I'm done. You may go back to your daily life.

Les Miserables: A Review

Finally, FINALLY got to see this. It was so amazing and incredible and tear-jerking and *splodes*

But before I continue, a disclaimer: what follows is my own personal opinion drawn from one viewing of this particular version and countless viewings/readings/listenings of other movies, the Brick, and cast recordings. I don't claim to be an expert critic, nor should this be taken as an expert's view. Thank you, and more after the break.

30 Day Drawing Challenge -- Day 13

Day 13 -- Comic

I don't do comics. Well...I do. But ones that are strange and only I find them funny (which is why the dialogue between me and Javert about the upcoming Les Mis movie is not the comic for today. XD) Instead, enjoy the mental image of a bird with a french fry.

Since this blog tends to have more background and chit-chat than I can put up on, say, Facebook and its shadow ilk, here's the comic with dialogue between me and Javert. If you don't find it funny, you're not the first. :p

 ...I used to write lots of little comics with me and Javert conversing within the stick-figure medium. Most of them were dumb and didn't make much sense--I see that I haven't lost the knack yet. 

(I was also quite lonely back in those days, hence the imaginary dialogues. I'm not sure if it's sad or enviable to have had an imaginary friend/antagonist like that.)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On a side note, this song has been going through my head for the past few days:

I have a rather eclectic taste in music, what can I say? 

"And she said I don't hate you, boy
I just want to save you
While there's still something left to save..."