Honoring Everyday Life

Cause for Celebration ~ Honoring Everyday Life

We all know someone who keeps plastic covers on his or her couch in order to protect it. The irony is that many of these people may live their lives without ever having actually made contact with their own furniture! This is a poignant and somewhat humorous example of the human tendency to try to save things for special occasions, as if everyday life weren’t special enough to warrant the use of nice things. Many of us have had the experience of never wearing a particular piece of clothing in order to keep it nice, only to have it go out of style in the meanwhile.

It’s interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it. There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest. We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, eating in the dining room, and taking the plastic off the sofa might be an invitation to be more conscious of the beauty and grace inherent in our everyday lives.

If there are things you’ve stashed away for a special occasion—a bottle of special wine, a gorgeous pair of shoes, an antique lace tablecloth—consider taking them out of their hiding places and putting them to use tonight, just because you are alive now to enjoy them, and that’s a great cause for a celebration.

A Tit-n-Tat of happenings...

Christmas has come and gone and it was a very nice weekend. There was plenty of munchies and homemade honey mead, red spumante and peach sparkly stuff. We celebrated the day with Cheyenne having her gift opening on Christmas morning and then it was an open-house sorta day. Other couples and kids spent the day playing games, munching and enjoying the time together. The adults participated in a white elephant gift exchange which was totally fun. I ended up 'stealing' the gift I wanted from another couple. It was this adorable basket with candles, milk bath, a whip, a soft silky nylon rope, liqueur chocolates and a board game. I was tickled and husband was cringing. *smirk*

Later that evening my best friend's husband got to play with his newest toy...a brand new camera. We turned her livingroom into a photo studio. He loves erotic photography and has been interested in doing the muscle shots so I volunteered my muscles for the shoot. I need to get over my camera shyness and what better way to do it than with a photographer you like and trust, your hubby right there and your best friend with her wonderful girlfriend? We spent several hours taking pics, changing props, changing clothing and just having a great time. At the end of the shoot, we were all anxious to see the photos. I was very happy with the majority of mine which ranged from wearing antlers and a red evening gown with a red whip all the way to black leather with a sword to nothing but a g-string. It was empowering, confidence building and liberating to be able to have fun and get wonderful shots taken. The bonus was that I now have my before pics for my upcoming 12 week workout cycle...so Aaron will get to take more pics in a few months and capture what I hope to be a lot of progress and change.

There is still a heavy feeling of being unsettled and along with that the accompanying worries. I had a rough week leading to up to Christmas with the death of my new horse on the 14th and then the day before Christmas, the death of the elder who gave me away at my wedding. My best friend is going to do a cleansing ceremony for me this evening to try to rid some of the ick and negative which surrounds me like a cloud lately. I am hoping that the cleansing ceremony goes well and that I find a new, stronger attitude underneath the ick.

Well more later.....

Heading to Oregon!

We will be heading to Oregon in a few hours and then the fun begins. We have a small place off the grid to spend the next couple of weeks while we look at property, spend time with my new horse 'Doc' and check out the area. Hubby think that this is the area he wants us to settle in so we want to check out the area as a family for more than a couple of days.

We will be out of touch for a couple of days while we are there and every few days I will hit the wi-fi cafe and check in on email, damily and friends. Not to mention the numerous forums.

I think overall the Clan here will be happy to have some time without the little one underfoot. It is hard on them having an adult household and suddenly having a 10 year old living underfoot. LOL. It has been interesting for them to say the least. But the freedom of their normal household routine will be a welcome return I am sure. And we, as a family, will enjoy having our family time alone again. It has been fine being here and I am always happy being here but I think everyone needs a small break. LOL. The boys will enjoy having 12 acres to play on also.

So, more in a few days after we get down there and get situated. It is going to be interesting dealing without internet handy. It is amazing how reliant upon some things we become. :)

A new week begins....

Monday is here and we are readying our stuff and selves to head to Oregon until just before Christmas. Cheyenne and I are looking forward to being able to be with hubby as well as check out the property he has located and would like to purchase. So our schedule will be filled wiht looking at property, meeting realtors, talking to VA and mortgage brokers, meeting my new horse and getting to knonw him and spending time together as a family.

I am going to scout the area for local gyms or a place to get equipment. We decided that if we purchase this place we would like to turn the garage into a gym area for ourselves so we can workout whenever we want and not have to hassle with the drive, weather, and time of day.

It has been great seeing hubby so excited about something, so I cannot wait to see this property and walk it myself. He does not normally get excited about stuff like that but he has been exclaiming how perfect it is and how it is just what he wants. Plenty of room for my horse and others he would like to purchase (8 fenced acres), a koi pond for me to which he is cure I would turn into a small japanese garden area, a pond for the horses, a small guest cottage that I can spend my free time renovating, plenty of room for the hot tub, a garage to turn into a gym and a cozy 2 bdr 1.5 bath house. So, I shall spill the beans once I have seen it and I shall take pictures as well. :)

So off until later in the week. We are leaving Washington on Tuesday and will be in Cave Junction Oregon by sunset. YAY!

December 7th...a day to remember!

It is officially my best friend's birthday. Happy Birthday Phoenix! I am so blessed to have her in my life, for so many reasons but most of all because she is intelligent, beautiful, caring and has the heart and soul of an angel and yet, she can be as tough as nails when it is needed. Most certainly a strong woman. She is enjoying her retirement from the military immensely but I catch her worry about 'her soldiers' every now and again as well. As a 1st Sgt and Sgt Major, her career existed in daily dealing with and working with the soldiers in her command. She was superior, mother, nursemaid, counselor, confidant, friend and foe to each and every one of them. She felt their loss in the deepest part of her heart and very being. There are not any like her within in the military, there might be a few that come close to stacking up, but none like her for sure.

December 7th is also the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. To think back on where this world has come and gone since that day in 1941, is astounding to say the least. It is on days like this that I think about our men and women in the armed services that are so far from home and constantly in harm's way. The holidays are approaching for us and we will spend them with family and friends, safe and warm...they however will be far from home with only their fellow soldiers, they will be cold and in harm's way...in a place where they are anything but safe. Hopefully everyone will stop and take a few moments and remember that fact and say a little prayer for them.

Hubby is nearly home, he should be arriving in the next half hour from Oregon and we have much to discuss to prepare for us all going back down to Oregon on Monday. But I am so looking forward to the next couple of weeks with him and having him with us in the evenings.

I am looking forward to hubby returning next weekend but even more so looking forward to going with him to Oregon for the following two weeks. It will be a nice change. I miss him when he is not home. I am also looking forward to finally getting a chance to meet "Doc", my new horse and to be able to ride some.

Workouts have been so-so, I did get out and do lunges and squats outside but I have really not been able to workout the way I have wanted to. Everyone's schedules around here makes transportation a nightmare somedays and I miss my workout partner. But, all will be fine. Besides, this is the holiday season and I refuse to get worried about my workouts right now, I do not plan to compete until 2008 so I have all year. YAY!

I am looking forward to the secret Santa project with the BuffMothers and have almost finished my Christmas Cards for the ladies as well. This year is going to be so fun. The Secret Santa will be as much fun as getting BuffMother's birthday surprise together for her earlier this year. That was indeed a secret Santa of another sort. hehehehehe

Got a little crazy today!

I decided to get outside in the nice 38 degree weather and do lunges and no weight squats. So I did lunges all over the property, and stopped counting at 100 of them. Then I did squats and plie squats with no weight, merely flexion. My legs are screaming too so I did good! I think I will soak in the hot tub for a bit and then decide on what to cook for dinner. I am thinking a movie sounds in order too. Hmmmm what to watch?

A wonderful Saturday morning!

It is a brisk 34 degrees, ice everywhere and looks like the beginning of a beautiful day. Hubby is still sleeping as is the princess, so I am enjoying my morning coffee in peaceful silence.

Agenda for the day, locate my heavy sweaters as it is supposed to snow tomorrow, find several things in the boxes in the garage, get our insurance application completed and signed by hubby and just chill out with hubby as much as possible.

YAY! For relaxing wonderful day like this!

Thanksgiving ... what a day!

Thanksgiving day was filled with friends, family and FOOD! We had so much food it was impossible to make a dent in it with one meal. We baked a turkey, a pot roast, green bean casserole, Broccoli cheese casserole, a pecan pumpkin dish, a squash dish, a cold pasta salad, mashed potatoes, vegetarian gravy, turkey gravy, herb stuffing, cornbread stuffing and the desserts were countless. We had 12 people here and it was a great day.

Steven came up from Portland, Oregon and spent the night and day with us. His wufe, Summer, was back home in Missouri so we invited him to join us. Jaime, Jim and DJ came over and spent the day as well. The normal clan was there, our family of three, Sherry, Lecion, Aaron and Chris and a couple of folks stopping by just to say hello and grab some munchies too. We all watched a movie, the kids played on the PlayStation and everyone ate and ate. There were naps in the afternoon between courses and tons of laughter.

Hubby and I have not really had a chance to sit and talk but we have plans to do just that this evening once everything quiets down again. Cheyenne and I may go to Oregon with him for a couple of weeks rather than be up here without him. Meanwhile, hubby has found a beatiful piece of property in Oregon that he wants to look closer at and possible make an offer on. So, we could be moving down to Oregon. Another good reason for Chy and I to go down, to check out the area and make sure it where we would like to be.

So onward and upward, plans to make and trips to take. :)

The week in summation....

This week has been eventful, unfortunately not all events were pleasant.

The energy around the house leading up to Thanksgiving has been odd to say the least. Hubby has been in Oregon for the past week and that always makes me out of sorts when he is not around. One of the cat's injured his paw and tracked blood in the kitchen and took some time to locate the source of the blood. The cat was none to pleased to have me wiping the wound and cleaning it. Thankfully Sherry was handy to hold him while I worked on him.
Cheyenne's little pet and friend, Kittsipimi passed away and it was difficult watching her trying to take care of him as he was going. She was patient and trying to feed him high protein food with a syringe as well as making sure he got down water. She talked to him all night and held him so she was with him when he passed. I was very proud of her in the way she handled the situation and him. She picked a lovely spot on the property near a beautiful tree and buried him there. Her project this weekend is to make a paving stone with his name and etc. on it to place over his grave. It makes me very proud of the young lady she is becoming when she shows such maturity and compassion in instances of this nature. She understood that for him being 3 years old was equivalent to a human being 90 years old...so she could spend quality time with him and understand his passing.

Meanwhile, the workouts have been so-so as the weather has been very rainy, windy and cold. Not the type of weather you want to get out in and get heated up. But, this is winter and I have plenty of time to get with the program and make my goal of the Emerald Cup in 2008. So I am not worrying too much over it right now.

Husband has located a wonderful piece of property in Cave Junction, Oregon, that we are going to take a look at. It is perfect for our needs and provides everything that 'Doc' (my new horse) could need. A nice barn area with hay storage, paddock and turn out area and a great fenced pasture area for him. So, we will be checking into the property and such in the next week.

Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving cooking begins today and carries on through the night. :)

The weekend in my news....

Ah the husband came in on Thursday night and it was amazing how much I missed him over the past 12 days...we had to sit and chat for an hour or so and get caught up on the happenings.

I needed to hear about his trip and he needed to tell me about a surprise he has found for me. Which of course led to another discussion. He knows I have a fondness for American Saddlebreds and he happened upon one that is absolutely wonderful. He is an 18 yr old gelding named 'Doc'. Doc has been in three movies and his a five-gaited, all business type horse. He is a bit over 16H and a very sound very good boy. So after discussing Doc, it appears that he is going to become my Christmas and Anniversary gift. LOL. I cannot wait to post pics of him as soon as we get some taken. The only was to describe him is a tri-colored fade. He is a Dark Red Bay that fades down into a black at the fetlocks. One front fetlock is white. I was pleasantly surprised that my husband remembered that I loved dressage as well as western riding...I did not think he has paid much attention to my disclosure of my love for Dressage. As some people refer to it "fancing stepping"... Apparently Doc just loves being a horse...he loves being under saddle and will do whatever you want to ask of him which is totally cool. Husband did tell me he is not the "lovey" type of horse but he does prefer females. So I think with some well-earned personal attention and affection, he will be more 'lovey'. I am indeed a happy wife and also a very lucky one.

The weekend so far....

Training is going well just not as much progress as I would like. But that is to be expected with everything going on right now.

Hubby is still down in Oregon with Matt, I am here with Cheyenne and her injured rat, and I am in need of some 'Me' time.

I spent last night sitting up all night with the rat and then spent most of the day at the vet's trying to get the little guy patched up. So many complications like his age, repiratory infection still there and now this wound. What a mystery it has been trying to figure out how he got it...the vet had no better idea that we do.

But we have meds, stuff to keep the wound clean and we must just take extra care with him. As we found out today, when he turns three years old in a couple months, he will be equivalent to a 90 year old human male. So bearing that in mind, this little guy has the right to a bit of care. The vet was very impressed with how sweet Kittsipimi is...he kept giving her kisses and trying to run to Cheyenne when she was messing with the wound. She was also quite impressed with the good care he receives and the bond between he and Cheyenne. So, she found a little warm spot in her heart for hiim right away.

Things are going well on all fronts, just not settled yet. I have to call my son this weekend and see how things are going for him in NC and with his son and the custody issues. So, the beat goes on as they say.

More later....

Things going on....

With the solstice right around the corner, I have been doing a lot of thinking about the next year and where I want to go with my life and lifting. I admit that while things are still a bit up in the air, I am still very focused on the Emerald Cup. I plan to attend the Cup in 2007 and compete in 2008. As much as I would like to strive for competing in it this coming year, there just is not enough time. I still have much mass to gain and I cannot see myself making it to where I would feel remotely competitive in March/April. But this is good because that gives me time to focus, grow, heal and learn.

I have seen so many bad routines on video that I do not want to place myself in the lower end of that curve much less in it. The time will allow me to have the abdominal surgery and heal with plenty of time to spare. I will also have time to deal with this shoulder and get it conditioned as well.

The time will also allow hubby to settle in to what he wants to do with his time now that he is retired. He is a little lost and floundering. There are times I look at him and see a very content man and there are others where I see the longing in his eyes to be out doing his military stuff. The transition is going well but there will be moments of longing for some time to come. I could not imagine walking away from that type of work and not missing it...it just takes a special and certain type of individual to give in the manner his job required without having equal dedication.

But time goes on as do we all...so we wait and take it one day at a time.

I created a Slide Show from out trip! Check it out!

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Slowing Down Finally!

We are here in Washington and what an eventful trip it was. A couple of flat tires along the way, stops to visit family, flying by friends at odd hours of the morning so unable to stop, and then to get within 60 miles of our destination and lose the transmission on our van. Argh!

After much expense of towing vehicle and trailer to the house and then to the shop, paying for a new transmission and much stress, we are finally slowing down.

The new transmission will arrive at the shop from Dodge tomorrow and then be installed, so hopefully we will have the van back on Monday. I myself am still having heart palpatations over the 3100.00 price tag on the transmission and installation but at least we are all here and in one piece. That is a good thing.

We did manage to locate a new gym, The Firehouse Gym. Seems like an okay place and amazingly is the only place close to us that is no a "Woman Only" gym. There are 6 woman only gyms in the immediate area and then just the one that will allow me to continue working out with Hubby. So, I am in the process of fighting with Gold's Gym to cancel our membership and trying to get signed up with the new gym.

Meanwhile, Sherry is thrilled that we are here and we have been helping her with projects around here. Chris and I spent one day putting a new roof on the porch while Hubby fixed her back door and took care of some leaks in the roof of the small trailer she has on the property. This weekend I am tackling her media room which must be re-arranged and have the new TV stand put together and a lot of stuff discarded and/or relocated in some fashion.

Cheyenne is happy to be here and has taken on the role of the "animal custodian". She is in charge of feeding the animals in the morning which include Sherry's 5 chickens (Eve, Rody, Lillith, Jezebel & Fee), the rescued rabbit (Pooh Bear), the dogs (Ben and Blue), her Rat (Kittsipimi) and spoiling the two cats (Amber & Felix). She also spent some time with the sidewalk chalk writing "I Love Washington" on the driveway. LOL

So now it is time to make a few contacts and get started on some new projects. I promised BuffMother to assist her with a new project so I must get in touch with her and get that ball rolling, get Cheyenne situated in her school work and lay out my winter crafting and beading projects. :) And of course get in some awesome workouts.

More from the home front later........

Two Days Left

Well just Friday and part of Saturday left and then we are outta here! YAY! Goodbye Fayetteville, Goodbye North Carolina and Hello cross country trip.

We are both exhausted from the packing, furniture moving, yard stuff, cleaning and so forth but we are also both anxious to get on the road and start heading out. Wow, a four bedroom house, 2 car garage, shop, storage and misc. kids' crap has worn us both out. But we are nearing completion and the garage has become the staging area for the U-Haul trailer to be loaded from. We pick the trailer up tomorrow afternoon and the guys will focus on loading the trailer while I focus on the last minute stuff in the house, carpets, extra cleaning and so forth. This has been a long process and we are both ready for a well-earned break.

Sherry's dad is back in the hospital and it is all concerning me...something else is going on with him and I just cannot for the life of me, figure it out. Talked to Sherry today and she has already created a huge "Honey Do" list for hubby with tons of projects waiting. As for me I ask her for 24 hours of doing absolutely nothing when I arrive and she informed me that for the first week I am to do NOTHING...she said eat, hot tub, eat, hot tub, eat, hot tub, sleep and repeat. LOL. She is so funny sometimes. I could not sit still for a week if I tried or was forced.

Well back at it, doggies go to vet in the morning for their shots and a good grooming. YAY! They will hate the process but love the results, as always. More later.....

The First Official Day of Retirement

The first official day of retirement from the military has begun. It is odd waking up and not having to answer to the US Army. I have been through a wide range of emotions so I can only imagine what husband has been through.

I know he will miss it and I am just sorta holding my breath waiting for him to get hit by the loss of his career. When it does hit him, I will be right here with him to go through that just as I have been through his injuries and this medical retirement process. I know he is happy to be out but also not happy about it. But he is very happy with our future plans and goals. He has stated more than several times that he is looking so forward to being back in the NW and to lifting with his wife. So now we just have to get the house here finished up and getting out to Washington.

Finding a gym nearby may be a bit of a hassle but we will find one. We are both anxious to get back to our workout schedule and get ready for a hard winter bulker. We are shooting for competing next year together at the Emerald Cup but it will depend on where we get and if we are both happy with our physiques at that time.

Time to shower and get busy around here. Still have some errand running to do also. But at least we see the end of the tunnel on this long journey and that in and of itself is a great thing!

The latest and partly the greatest!

Well things are moving along. Packers are supposed to be here Monday and I still have tons of work around here to get done.

We have our final out appointment on post tomorrow which is fabulous because we are just one step closer to being out.

Meanwhile, there is the consideration of the move, the trailer, the house preparations for the final inspection, and all that good stuff. If I can just get everything done, I will take a minute to breath and de-stress. The older kids are being of little use, which somehow is not surprising to me. In many ways, I would prefer them all just to get the heck out of my way and let me get it done. Ah but I am sure husband will not do that because it is just too much work for one person to get done. So there are going to be a lot of long nights between now and Wednesday.

Sidhefire's father is doing much better and is home so her plan is to come home on Friday as scheduled. This is a good sign. If she is comfy enough to return home that I am comfy with the thought he is going to be fine. :)

Well onwards and upwards as they say...more stuff to get done.

A crazy busy weekend coming up!

Today starts a very busy weekend. I have tons of stuff to go through, tons of stuff to pitch and tons of stuff to try to decide what to do with.

We finally got the Amended Orders for husband...on Friday. We ran around clearing the hospital and medical facilities for the Unit and the Installation. Monday and Tuesday we hopefully will have the rest of the clearing done.

Monday is also the hearing for my son in the afternoon concerning my grandson, so I will be saying prayers for him that all goes well. I miss my grandson and want to spend more time with him so badly.

Sidhefire flew to Denver yesterday to be with her father ... I did not hear from her last night which has me worried. I will keep saying prayers for her dad and her family. I hope that the doctors can determine what is causing the problems and help him get well soon. Meanwhile, I am sending all the positive healing thoughts I can and worrying about her. :(

Well time to eat some breakfast and get a move on. There is much to be done.

Wicked Thoughts

Is exactly how my wonderful husband has made me feel the past few days. He has been much more attentive than usual (which is always a lot). All of this tells me that some of the stress he has been feeling is lifting from his shoulders and he too sees the light at the end of the tunnel. What a great feeling for both of us. Each day that goes by we are closer to leaving the Army and Fort Bragg...those two things will make any amount of burden worth the weight.

Meanwhile, the contest at BuffMother is rocking right along and while I am staying in for the sole purpose of motivating and encouraging the other ladies, it is nice to join in for participation aspects alone.

Meanwhile, Sidhefire was able to talk to her father and he is doing much better in the hospital. Although he was still in ICU, he is coming along well. She will be flying out to Colorado for a week next Friday to be at home with him during the day while he recovers so mom can go to work. This trip, while a little hurried, will be a good thing for her to be able to see him herself rather than hearing how he is and looks from others.

Well that is all for now...

A little reminder of sorts for myself with everything going on. Best to note it so I can remind myself whenever I feel the need.

Affirming An Abundant FutureSquirrel Medicine

Native Americans considered all living beings as brothers and sisters that had much to teach including squirrels. These small creatures taught them to work in harmony with the cycles of nature by conserving for the winter months during times when food was plentiful. In our modern world, squirrels remind us to set aside a portion of our most precious resources as an investment in the future. Though food and money certainly fall into this category, they are only some of the ways our energy is manifested. We can conserve this most valuable asset by being aware of the choices we make and choosing only those that nurture and sustain us. This extends to the natural resources of our planet as well, using what we need wisely with the future in mind.

Saving and conservation are not acts of fear but rather affirmations of abundance yet to come. Squirrels accept life's cycles, allowing them to face winters with the faith that spring will come again. Knowing that change is part of life, we can create a safe space, both spiritually and physically, that will support us in the present and sustain us in the future. This means not filling our space with things, or thoughts, that don't serve us. Without hoarding more than we need, we keep ourselves in the cyclical flow of life when we donate our unwanted items to someone who can use them best. This allows for more abundance to enter our lives, because even squirrels know a life of abundance involves more than just survival.

Squirrels use their quick, nervous energy to enjoy life's adventure. They are great communicators, and by helping each other watch for danger, they do not allow worry to drain them. Instead, they allow their curious nature to lead the way, staying alert to opportunities and learning as they play. Following the example set by our squirrel friends, we are reminded to enjoy the journey of life's cycles as we plan and prepare for a wonderful future, taking time to learn and play along the way.

Another Week...Gone a New one Begins!

This past week has been filled to the brim with appointments and running around. We finished all of hubby's VA medical evaluations so that part is done unless they decide to send him for further testing. We fought the battle about his promotion and who was to cut the orders, which has held up our ability to clear post. We are still awaiting the final word on who on Fort Bragg cuts those orders since we have been assigned to the medical hold unit.

I spoke with my mother and the results from my sister's surgery and biopsies is back...it looks like the got it all and the other two places biopsed were negative. So that was a piece of good news indeed.

Hubby's blood pressure has been a little high but the doc says with all the stress of running around, trying to pack and sort through everything, promotion crap, and a cross-country move that he is not surprised by it. It is very minimal so no real concerns there. We just need to get this business on the road and get out of here. Time to start our new life of retirement. Which I thought would be when I was much older but I am very thankful it is now. LOL.

My Birthday was a quiet one spent doing little or nothing really. I cooked a nice meatload for dinner and enjoyed quiet. I did manage to get over to BoneSpear and have Don check the healing of the tattoo and he set me an appointment to come in on Sunday and have more work done which I did.

Sunday's appointment was not bad at all, the hip bone area is still very painful but I could have sat there much longer and let Don work but my skin began to swell and he was not happy with the way it was taking the ink so he called it a day until next Sunday. But I got more amazing progress on the bamboo and next week will be more on the tiger. I cannot help but love it more each time I look at it. It is coming into a life of its own, literally. Don's awesome talen with shading and shadowing amazes me...the tiger it starting to appear to be moving out of the bamboo and I can see depth in his face. I will never be able to thank Don enough or praise him highly enough for the beautiful work he is doing. This is the latest progress....red irritation and swelling included..



Well today is another day, the tiger gets more work on Sunday and meanwhile...let the running around begin.

A work in progress!

What a day, it was day 2 in the hands of the capable Don Carter of Bone Spear Custom Tattoo. The more I look at this tattoo the more I love it. Friday was night one and there was much swelling to be had after a couple hours of inking. Well today there was still a little swelling and I was swelling much faster. Gotta hate it when you have that kind of skin. Anyway, Don began the shadowing and color in the tiger's face and also hit some of the shadowing in the upper bamboo section. Now I must heal for 1 - 2 weeks and then return for him to finish up the color and shadowing.

I really am in awe of his work, as he works (when I got the chance to peek) he has such an expression of extreme concentration. But it goes a bit beyond that...it is something you only see in an artist or craftsman when they are focused. I would not have been surprised if the Tiger did not actually talk to Don. LOL Well I guess you would have had to been there and seen it for yourself.

But, this is the wonderful tattoo he is doing....



More as we go but that is all for today! Don, if you read this....I LOVE IT! Thanks so much.

The things we do on a Friday night!

I think sparring that little guy would have been more fun than my Friday night. Most people would think about dinner and a movie, bowling, roller skating, bar hopping or any other hundred things but I spent mine on a tattoo bench. I must be crazy!

2 hours of inking and another 2 hours to go tomorrow to finish it. But I know it is going to be awesome when it is finished. Besides the tattoo symbolizes so much for me. I totally love the design that Don at BoneSpear came up with. It is all about the transformations in my life and the new beginnings coming up. So I was tickled when I saw the design because it captured it all.

Don does such beautiful and truly artist work that I could not imagine anyone else doing mine. And husband trusts his artist skills so that was a major plus coming from someone with such artist qualities himself. Don uses a lot of color blending/washing and fading and creates a painting of sorts. As an example, my tiger is going to be done in earth tones mixed with the orange to resemble more of a real tiger as opposed to one of those neon/bright orange tiger tats you see everywhere. I cannot wait to see it finished. So to plug Don's shop, http://www.bonespear.com/

Life aside from that goes on...more appointments, more briefings, more tossing stuff away, tons of packing and looking forward to the move finally being over. YAY! Then the fun can begin...relaxation and de-stressing. Life with my best friend, lover and soulmate, my best girlfriend/sister and her family and our kids. Oh bring it on....I am so ready!

My fitness and bodybuilding journey is continuing it just has minor interruptions here and there but I will reach my goals...no doubt whatsoever. Off to shower and wash my tattoo and kick back for the afternoon. More later and pics too!

Healthy Cohabitation and Relationships...

All of the running around, plans, appointments, arrangements and mind-blowing paperwork of trying to get out of teh Army and ready for this move across country are enough to make anyone pull out hair. I am trying to keep positive and focused but there are days it all really gets me down.

I was thinking about everything and ended up asking myself a question...Why am I going through all of this? The answer was so simple...I am going through all of this for my wonderful husband. To be able to have him and spend my life with him working on our dreams and goals. That is more than enough reason to go through this crapola and such much more, if needed. It also occurred to me that we literally "live" together so well...and there are words of wisdom and insight on such matters.

Sharing Space And Energy ~ Cohabitating Positively

Our homes are our havens. These places where we come to rest, recharge, and dream in safety and comfort allow us to better face the challenges of the world outside our doors. When sharing a living space with others, an awareness of the thoughts and feelings of everyone involved is essential in creating the peace we all desire. Regardless of where we lived before, each time we cohabitate with others it is important that we make the effort to share the space in a way that supports everyone. We need to remember that in a shared space, everything we sense can also be sensed by another person. Peace will not likely be the result when the senses are filled with the sight of unwashed plates, intrusive sounds, unpleasant smells, the feel of a foreign substance beneath bare feet, or the taste of food tainted by an uncovered onion in the fridge. But if we communicate and listen with respect to those with whom we share a space, we may find that one enjoys washing dishes to end the day, while the other can take out the garbage during their evening walk. Working with another's schedule, you can still meditate or exercise to your favorite music while the other is out, and save reading for the times when they are trying to sleep. Being thoughtful of the energy that is required for something to be cleaned up may make everyone aware of being neater, whether that means taking off your shoes at the entrance or wiping up juice spilled on the kitchen floor. In the same way, pent up resentment toward your living partners is just as easily felt. Keeping the energy clear requires the effort of communication, the awareness of another's feelings, and courtesy toward the space you share. While that sometimes requires changing your schedule or habits, there are many times when having a caring someone nearby is worth all the effort. Living with others can help us learn to mingle our energies at home as well as at work and in the world at large in a way that benefits us and everyone around us.

There is benefit in sacrifice and strife, even within duress when it occurs. Meanwhile, I am looking forward to seeing the finished design for my new tattoo...I will see it Friday evening and get it started then too. With all of the wonderful changes taking places and transformations within myself and with my physique, this tattoo will say it all for me. I am excited and also nervous...but then again who wouldn't be nervous about lying half naked in a tattoo shop for a few hours of someone poking you with a needle or two? But it will be so worth it.

So onward and upward as the old saying goes...Life is Good, Love is Good and Marriage is Ecstacy and fabulous!

The joys of a pulled muscle!

As I stroll into nearly a week of dealing with a pulled pec, I can honestly say that I had never thought much about the pecs or how much they are used until I pulled it. It hurts to breath in or out, sit, stand, move, lie down. This I could easily do without in my life right now. We are moving along rather rapidly with VA appointments, final appointments and running around to get out the Army, and I feel like a partial invalid. Sheesh and they say timing is everything.

Somehow, luck was on our side and Husband and I have the house all to ourselves for 2 nights. Last night we enjoyed the silence and spent some well needed "us" time. It seems we managed to get rid of all three kids until sometime on Sunday. We are not questioning it, juswt taking full advantage of it. Neither Husband or I have even gotten dressed this morning and may not get dressed all day...and for no other reason is than...we deo not have to! Amazing how simple things unveil themselves when you get tiems like these. We both still remember how to operate the remote control for the TV and Cablw, we were able to find the remote, Silence can indeed be bliss and life is good quiet every now and again.

Things seem to be at odds in the universe as of late, some of the BuffMothers have suffered losses recently, some are facing losses and it hits me at times like this, exactly how old I am. My sister has just undergone her surgery for skin cancer on her back, my best friend's father undergoes surgery for colon cancer Monday and my the reality of my parents' mortality has been in the forefront of my mind a lot lately. I think this is due to the fact I am about to move across the country away from them ... permanently. It bothers me at some moments but I also know that this is what WE must do for ourselves, our life and our future. My parents made their choices and did what was right for them and expect nothing less from me.

Workouts have not been good of course thanks to the pulled pec, but I am going to try Monday to start putting some weight back on it and working it out. It will have had a bit over a week to start the healing process pretty well, I will just have to take it easy on it for a bit.

But aside from all of this Life is Good...and QUIET!

This and That

Life has been ever so busy as we get closer to retirement. I never realized there could be so much paperwork and appointments and such for this process. But it will all be worth it soon, I can finally take my hubby and head to the northwest and start relaxing. YAY!

Workouts have been so-so, the extreme heat in the gym along with the general hot as blue blazes weather has made getting an effective workout a hard thing to do, but we still work on it. On the AC in the gym front...they have finally decided that the entire thing must be replaced. Well Duh! So we should have AC in the Gym after 10 weeks, about the time I leave the area. Figures! But that is life...on we go.

Cheyenne is getting excited as she gets closer to her birthday...turning 10 seems to be a really important time for her. She is growing up so much and changing so quickly that is amazes me. She amazes me sometimes. She will make a wonderful young woman one day, at lease from a bias mother's point of view I think so.

Stephan on the other hand is getting a big taste of adult responsibility, I do not think he likes be 22 any more and would most likely go back to those years where mommy took care of him, if he could. Well that will not happen, so he is job hunting and making plans to find a place for himself when we move. He is going to stay here in NC so he is closer to his son in Florida. At least for the next year that is the plan, then he is looking at moving to Florida with his girlfriend. I wish him luck and will always be here to listen as he finds his own way in life.

I myself and looking forward to my Birthday later this month...43 is going to be good. I am happier now than ever in my life and I feel very confident about the future. I am looking forward to having so much free time with hubby.

Meanwhile, I am worrying a bit about my sister, whose cancer surgery is on the 8th. I hope it goes successfully and they get all it. Skin cancer is a scarey thing. Apparently all those years as Beach Bunnies in Florida snuck up her, I thankfully have not had to deal with that and hope I do not have to. But we will see what life brings.

So the immediate future is showing many VA appointments for my husband so lots of running around. But...we are almost done...YAY!!! So enough catching up for now.

A few moments to reflect....

It has been a hectic couple of weeks with appointments and chasing down paperwork and information, however, I have managed to eat well and get my workouts in. We still are without AC in the gym some 8 weeks later but I resigned myself to the fact that no matter what happens I have less than 2 months left in this area. I can handle anything for 2 months so whatever.

The entire situation with my oldest has been on my mind. I want him to grow up and stand on his own but I also want to protect him to make sure he does not make life altering mistakes that he will not be able to undo later. It can be very difficult to assist only so far but as Mom it is the best thing I can do...steer him in the right direction but let him walk his own path.

As I interact with the ladies of BuffMother more, I find myself feeling closer and closer to each of them in various ways. It is nice to have such a wonderful support group and be able to find encouragement from women going through the same or similar things. Michelle has created exactly what she set out to create...a safe haven for women to talk, find friendship, support, encouragement and laughter on their way through their daily lives as mothers as well as on their journey in fitness. Some are there to lose weight and get in shape, others to work towards a goal as a figure or fitness competitor and some, like myself, working towards a goal in bodybuilding. But no matter what the goals, there is always a friendly ear. It is amazing how personally attached to individuals you become with such daily interactions. You notice when someone is missing or someone is having a rough time. It is great to be able to jump into her Rally Room and just let your hair down, thoughts and ideas flow, emotions run loose or laughter over flow. She is continuing to realize her dream with BuffMother and doing an excellent and important job in helping others along her way. Ya just cannot help but love her to pieces.

On a military move note, I really should start getting off my butt and begin going through things and packing stuff. I have gone through some things and tossed some stuff but my goodness at the tons of stuff we have accumulated. Sheesh...I must make time to get on that.

Marriage is wonderful, hubby is fantastic and I am thankful every day I wake up and can spend it with him...I can only imagine how wonderful retirement is going to be in a few months. Scarey thought in some respects but also so long overdue for us to be able to experience it.

On my journey...I seem to be adding muscle and burning fat ... at the same time. So my scale is stuck at 131 but I see changes in my physique each day. Irritating really because I want to add more weight and mass...but all in time I guess.

Well life is good, family is good, love is great and friendships are fabulous.

Catching Up

Life comes with ups and downs which has been proven to me over the last couple of weeks. There are days when one's strength can be tested to its very limits. It is not up to us as individuals to be able to control all things that occur or the how and when they come to us...but our decisions once we are faced with them determines our inner character and true strength.

A friend/acquaintenance has just recently lost her mother and yet another is spending her final time with her father and affording each moment of the opportunity for those opportunities to make even more lasting memories. Myself, I have been faced with seeing the mortality of my own parents as their health issues became very prevalent in my life over the last week.

Having come to the realization that I cannot fix everything for everyone as I always have, has been a disheartening yet enlightening process. Life and time move on and so must I. So I will do the best I can to help my family when my help is necessary but I will continue to live my daily life with my future and goals in my mind and in the focal point.

Things with the military are moving and nearing completion which has been a long time coming. We stay busy each day with running around on the never-ending paperwork chase. But it is all coming together finally. Now we are scheduled for all of our retirement briefings and junk, doctor's appointments for myself and our daughter as well as all of his clearning medical appointments. So our days are busy busy for sure. During all of this, I still must find time to pack a house, prepare a move across country, arrange times for visits with various family members from coast to coast and get in our workouts each day. Thank goodness for the workouts or I think hubby and I would lose our minds.

September 20th is a long way off but yet so close. :) YAY!!!!!

Things are starting to move...finally!

Things are finally starting to move here with the Army. Dare I say that it is about time. Sheeesh. So we have a our final dates; Last day active duty 9/20, sign out and free to go 8/31. Now I have to pick up husband's orders next week and go to transportation to arrange for the moving of our household goods. Meanwhile, I am getting organized to begin going through stuff and getting rid of what I do not want or need so that I can begin packing. It always amazes me how much junk you accumulate (especially with kids) in a few short years.

Workouts have been good and eating good, just not enough. I am struggling to get it enough solid food during the day. I have always have the tendency to eat less once the heat gets up there and it has been hotter than blue blazes. So, I am adding more protein shakes into my diet to make sure I am getting the calories I need each day. Sheesh I really dislike the heat of summer when I am trying to eat 1800 - 2000 calories a day. I am keeping hydrated and that is the most important thing for sure. YAY!

This week I start my new workout schedule and am going back to a mixed body workout. I think It was working much better for me with much better results, to do heavy ~ medium ~ light days and varying the body parts. At least I saw better results. So we shall see.

Today is all legs YAY!!! I must admit that I do love leg day. We are now on week 7 with no AC in the damned gym...unbelievable. I cannot wait to go in today and see what the latest excuse is. For anyone who cares...NEVER waste your time or money on a GOLD'S GYM membership...they truly suck. The worst thing is, for such a large customer base and great reputation, their corporate offices obviously make no difference either because I have spoken with them, the district manager and the gym and get nothing but BS. So, needless to say that this is my first membership with Gold's and it will be my last.

Off to plan the weekend.

Interesting Discussion....

I frequent several online chat areas and forums and last night I was chatting with a woman who wanted to know why I am bodybuilding and lifting weights. She seems to think that women should be soft and round because well that is what women do. My opinion is that is a load of crap.

The female body is not only a work of art but an incredible piece of equipment that was hand crafted for flexibility and to have the ability to transform. We transform through puberty, through pregnancy and through middle age. Our ability to put our bodies through these things is a depiction of the true strength of a woman. So why should we look 'round and soft'? Because it is expected? That is so stone age.

So if you ask why I bodybuild...the answer is simple I want others to see what I feel about me...I am strong and I am a woman. Deal with it or don't it is your choice. It is my choice to display what I feel not what others think I should display. That is the great thing about humanity, we are each individual and we are free to make our own choices.

Have a great safe holiday weekend.

Friday Morning and all is well....

I admit I have been bad about keeping my blog up daily but things have been moving a mach II around here lately. We finally have an official date for our separation from the Army (9/20/06) so now we are rushing around with appointments, picking up paperwork, getting medical checks, discussing moving, packing, what we keep and what we toss and of course our workouts.

We have a couple things that are the "must do's" such as heading to Florida first and dropping off my son, going to Kentucky and visiting my in-laws, swinging through Kansas to visit hubby's grandmother, going through the NC mountains and visiting the rez before we head west. I want to see my friends and family before I headed across country, if it possible.

My workouts have been going great and I have been undergoing routine annual checks and having routine testing done so now I just wait for the results.

Through all of this, there is also a sense of loss. I think this stems from the feelings I have for hubby and his love of his job. I know he feels that loss and in turn, I feel it. But retiring is going to be great and give us so much more time together. We could have never hoped for so much time together while being in the military.

So onward and upward as they say. The focus...household organization, workouts, diet and retiring. YAY!

Catching up and the new challenge!

The new challenge begins today...the next three week focus will be the glutes. Goodness knows mine needs all the support and help it can get. *snicker*

Hubby is taking the challenge with me so we got our before pics and measurements done yesterday and we all ready to start.

The weekend was not a good one for workouts, I am having a horrid first couple of days of TOM and have spent most of the last two days in bed with a heating pad. Oh it can get so frustrating! But, I am ready to kick it into high gear. I will see how I am feeling today to determine if I will be working out tonight, but it is my plan to hit the gym hard later this evening.

Summer is here but in our house it is business as usual. As a homeschooling mom, it makes little difference on the summer months. It is nice and flexible for us because when we need to take some time off we do and we just go all year with her schoolwork or until she completes the year's curriculum. I really cannot wait to get moved to Washington and start trying to get settled in. It is going to be a great time and a fabulous learning experience for Cheyenne, she is looking forward to the move as well.

Well off to do breakfast and enjoy the quiet time of my morning before she wakes up. Maybe I will wake hubby up early so we can have a few minutes together before the house gets moving.

It is Tuesday....

Well we are week 3+ without Air Conditioning in the gym and I have spoken to the District Manager had smoke blown up my A$$ by him, emailed the corporate office and received no response yet and well I am very 'pissy' over the whole affair.

My blood pressure will not allow me to workout with the intensity that I want to with not only NO cool air in the gym but with NO fresh air whatsoever. The heat is an entirely separate issue. It really is becoming maddening to say the least.

My workouts are going well as are my eats. However in the hotter months it is much harder for me to eat a lot because I tend to eat less in the hot months. But I am focusing on and working on keeping my eats good.

BuffMother has issued the "Booty Challenge" which begins on June 19th and ends on July 7th. The focus for the next three weeks will be our Butts. Reshape, lift, bulk, build, fat bust and whatever we can do to them in three weeks of hard work and focus. So..on to a bigger better butt as they say.

Tonight is Back, Bis and abs. YAY! Last night was Chest, Tris and Forearms. I had a great workout just not as much as I wanted, as intense as I wanted or as heavy as I wanted. But good none the less.

Off to cook dinner and get ready to head to the gym later.

The weekend in review

The weekend went pretty good. Friday of course was my arm workout at the gym, so I worked the biceps and triceps to the point I did not want to pick up anything else heavier than my hair brush. Man did I feel that burn when I woke up Saturday morning. The crappy thing about the workout was that the AC at the gym was out. It was very uncomfortable in there and I over 2 litres of water while working out my arms.

Saturday was meg day...I love leg day. So I hit the sumo squats, plie squats with dumbbells, hack squats, incline leg presses and everything I could think of hitting that I had time for before the gym closed. OMG my quads were screaming on sunday. I had a difficult time going down stairs without whimpering on each step. Ya gotta love a good workout.

Sunday was my son's 22nd borthday and also my parents 46th wedding anniversary. So I called my parents to generally harrass them about putting up with each other so many years and had a great chat with them. We took my son out to dinner and I did something I have not done in about 6 years or so...I had a couple drinks. I ordered my son a Kahlua n cream also and he did not like it so I ended up drinking his. That is more than I have drank in 10 years. Dinner was excellent and we had a good time.

Today was a good day but much errand running and grocery shopping, which can be a depression event when feeding a small tribe. LOL. Tonight is Chest, Triceps and Forearms. So I am going to chill for a bit in a hot bath and then take off for the gym once the crowd thins a bit.

All in all...a good weekend. I will just be much happier when I am spending my weekends in the NW instead of here.

So sick and tired of the military's crap!

I am so ready to send a battalion of these little guys marching on the Physical Disability Agency and Fort Bragg! Well it seems that our lives are completely irrelevant to the morons who operate our military and the various moronic agencies involved. Finally, we get our decision from the PEB and get husband's disability rating for medical retirement and think 'YAY we are finally almost through' but not just NO but 'Oh Hell No'. We seem to be caught in either someone's worst nightmare or in the middle of a agency pissing contest. PEB says 40% and medical retirement for these injuries blah blah...the agency gets it for final approval and sends it back! Not because there is anything wrong with the rating, the findings, the medical records, the diagnosis but because they do not like the damned code used on the injury classification. I mean WTF? So again WE FRICKIN WAIT! When this is all over and I am free, I am going to write one of the most nasty, open, no holds barred TELL ALL stories or books about these morons so everyone in this country knows what assholes we have at large and in charge!

So what started as a stressful holiday weekend with my son's cat (more below) which then turned out okay, has ended up for crap! Mark my words on this, quote me, write it down, copy this post or whatever. When I am finally free from this and settled across country, may god and country help the first individual who dares try to tell me what I can and cannot do or make decisions affecting my life without my consent! I will beat them senseless with my own two hands! I have had enough of this shit...plain and simple!

Well the cat. A week ago Tuesday evening, my supposedly grown son takes off with some chickee without leaving contact info, itinerary and etc. with the exception of stating he 'should' be home Saturday night sometime. Here comes friday and his 14 year old cat starts acting really weird. This is a mean cat who has suddenly decided he can only lie around and sleep...and is lying everywhere with his head on his paws, clearly very unable to get comfortable and just not feeling right. So at 9 pm I have husband take a look at him and his response "I swear, I think he is dying". So off I run with the cat to the Emergency Vet Clinic to have him looked over. Once there, I am greeted with the news he has a urinary blockage, possibly kidney damage and will require extensive treatment and an estimated cost of $850.00. So, kitty stays, I come home and have no way to contact dear son about his cat. So I sit and make three times a day calls to the vet to check his progress, stew in my anger with son for his lack of responsibility and show of maturity and WAIT! So much for a holiday weekend of fun!

Long story short, he came home finally on MONDAY, he did not bleed, kitty is now home and son is scrabbling to pay us for what turned out to be a $643.00 vet bill. And then comes the latest Army crap. If I drank, I would need a stiff one right now.

Well that is all for now...that is enough.

Appointments and Stuff!

Military doctors can so 'bite' sometimes. They have attitudes announcing their officer status but displaying a lack of knowledge and bedside manner for sure. I went with hubby to the VA office on post and we began the paperwork for filing his VA claim. The VFW representative that we saw is a real sweet man, former marine who really is an advocate for the soldier. It is nice to have someone in your corner that is not on the side of the military for a change. This has been such a long hard road and battle to get them to take care of husband the way he deserves to be cared for and finally, someone else to fight for us as opposed to me fighting for him. I think I am going to enjoy this sitting back and letting someone else fight for a change. I think I need to send this kitty to visit a few of these military doctors. *snicker*

The princess is getting excited about moving to Washington state and spending the summer in the tipi. She thinks it will be so cool. She is also looking forward to gardening with Phoenix and learning all about planting stuff and making it grow. She really has an interest in gardening so she and Phoenix should have a fabulous time together outside.

I am looking forward to the trip down to see my family before the move. Once we get down there and deliver my son, we can relax for a bit and just spend time with my parents and then run across state and visit with my sister-in-law before heading northward to Kentucky to see the in-laws. We have so many people we need to see on our way across country that it may take us weeks to actually get there. LOL.

Well that is all for now, I shall post anything exciting that happens, which is not likely. I do hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day Weekend.

Catching Up...

Well the past couple of weeks have been busy busy and well...Busy! We have been overcome with appointments and various orders of business to take care of as Hubby and I begin to transition from active duty military to the medical hold unit and onto retirement. We finally received the ruling from the hearing back and the percentage given was great but he is to be place on TDRL or temporary disability retirement list. Meaning they can keep him on this list for 5 years and re-examine him once a year before determining on retirement, separation or returning to active duty. This is pretty standard and nothing to be alarmed about by any means, as his injuries prohibit him from working in his MOS, but they have not reached what the military considers "maximum improvement" level. So he will be re-examined and evaluated in July of 2007. But at least the long awaited response from the Board and the Hearing in October has finally been reached. YAY! Now we can make our plans and get our ducks in a row in preparation for our 'new' life.

We have been discussing what items we will pack to have the military ship and what items we will carry with us to Washington State. We have come to the conclusion that since we will be spending the summar and possibly some of the fall in the tipi, we will take mainly clothes and our camping gear. Of course, the princess' schoolbooks and stuff as well. We are also making considerations for our two furry boys for the the trip as well. So, I chose a pic of the inside of a tipi to depict the beginning part of our 'new' life. We cannot wait! Just to have the freedom to have a great time together as a family will no one really to answer to daily, at least for a little while. We both feel like we have earned that.

This past week was full of appointments and a couple disappointments. The biggest disappointment for me was yet another loss at the Triple Crown of horse racing. Barbaro, a strapping strong colt that won the Derby with ease, broke his leg in three places about 100 yds into the start of the Preakness. Very horrid breaks and luckily, he is survived the repairing surgery and seems to be doing well. Now the wait is on to see if he can recover and remain infection and disease free long enough to heal and become a career stallion. Also, the recent loss of a dear friend's mother who has struggled for so very long with bone cancer. While losing a parent is not an easy thing, you still must take a moment to smile at their life and breathe freely knowing their suffering, fight and pain are all gone. The other disappointment was the collapse of a project I have been working on. It was not a total collapse but just a long series of having my time wasted by business people who, in the end, showed complete unprofessionalism and business sense. So, the project has been re-directed into a new direction and is going along just fine.

So more on all that later. In the meantime, workouts are going and eating is going and all is tiringly well here.

The Weekend Review

Friday was a night off from the gym so it became 'Date Night' with hubby. Which is very cool as we do not get a chance to do that very much. We went to see 'The Sentinel', it was a very good movie about the CIA. Keiffer Sutherland, Michael Douglas, Eva Longoria and Kim Basinger did an excellent job showing some of the ins and outs of the Secret Service and the Presidency. It was a good night for us.

Saturday it was back to the gym. I went somewhat easy today but hit the legs and shoulders. I kept the weights mediocre as I am out of my liquid glucosamine/chondroitin and was in no mood to hurt my shoulder or knee so...here it is:

Dumbbell Sumo Squats (30 lb DB): 3 sets of 25 reps.

Hack Squats: 135 x 10 x 5 (varying feet position - sumo and standard)

Incline Leg Presses: 225 x 10 x 5

Lateral Raises (DB 20 lb): 4 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell Shoulder Presses: 30 x 10 x 2

Dumbbell Shrugs: 30 x 10 x 2

Now I am sitting back enjoying my shake and glutamine (Leather n Lace) and debating what to cook for dinner.

Sunday was a good day, no gym but good. Now it is Monday and we are back to the grind. Back into trying to sort through all the stuff before us with the retirement issues, determining move arrangements and etc etc. Tomorrow we have a couple appointments on post but all should be well once those are done and over. We are getting closer to being out of the Army...slow and steady but at least progess for a change.

Thursday Night Back and Biceps

I had a very hectic day dealing with the Army and the Medical providers, trying to get husband signed into the medical hold unit in order to begin his transition out of the Army. We are both so ready for this to be over that we just want to be able to sit down for an hour and breath slowly and relax.

I headed out to the Gym about 11:15 pm and got in an excellent Back and Bicep workout...my arms are literally limp! But I feel good and luckily I do not have to lift my arms to type my posts or I would be in deep crap. LMAO

The Workout:

Back Rows:
Wide Grip 70 x 8 x 3
Regular Grip: 70 x 10 x 1; 80 x 8 x 1, 85 x 8 x 1; 90 x 8 x 1

Cable Pulldowns (Front): 50 x 8 x 1; 60 x 8 x 1; 70 x 8 x 1

Cable Pulldowns (Behind the neck): 50 x 8 x 1; 60 x 8 x 1; 70 x 8 x 1

Barbell Bicep Curls: (+ 15lb bar): 40 x 10 x 5

Dumbbell Bicep Curls (each side): 20 x 20 x 1; 15 x 20 x 1; 10 x 35 x 1 (to failure)

I am taking it easy on the back and shoulder during this week cycle. I am doing consistent workouts to maintain I am focusing on the arms and legs during this cycle. I went light on legs last cycle as they are my extra fast gainers and I struggle with added mass and size to my arms so they are the focus this time around.

I am feeling good and keeping my pain manageable, although it is getting harder and harder to do as it is slowly but surely increasing. But I will keep up the workouts, stay focused and keep moving towards my goals.

It feels good to be back home with my wonderful husband and the kids. Tomorrow (aka today) is a new day.

Back from Seattle and back to the grind

I had a wonderful trip to Seattle/Tacoma. It was non-stop with party preparations, cooking, cleaning and having a total blast. I really missed Sherry so it was so great to be able to see her and spend time with her. It was even better to see her so happy as she put a torch to her Battle Dress Uniform and bruned her former life away...no more military for her. So as a civilian she had a most excellent time at her retirement party.

I got off the plane and had husband take me directly from the airport to the gym...I missed working out and wanted to get a workout in. Very weird as I had just spent over 12 hours on planes and was exhausted...but I was so happy to be back in the gym.

Tonight was Chest and Triceps...great workout and it felt good!

Chest Press: (+15 lb bar)25 x 20 x 1; 35 x 10 x 1; 45 x 10 x 1; 55 x 10 x 1;65 x 8 x 1; 55 x 8 x 1

Dumbbell Flys: (20 lb dumbbells) 3 sets of 10 reps

Tricep Pushdowns:50 x 12 x 1; 60 x 12 x 1; 70 x 10 x 1; 80 x 10 x 1

Dumbbell Kickbacks: 15 x 10 x 2; 20 x 10 x 2; 15 x 10 x 2

my eats all day were clean and right on the mark as was my water intake. I am still on my supplements and just started the creatine again because I hate lifting without it and I had taken about 3 weeks off of it. My weight is still doing great...I am up another pound to 132 lbs. YAY!

Well off for the night to cuddle up with husband. *smile*