Delusions of... Everything

Blogging and Exercise

In April at my yearly check up (which I hadn't had in 3 years) it was found that I'm on the borderline for high blood pressure and diabetes.  My doctor told me if I want to end up with one or both of those diseases I should just keep going along with my simple little non-active life.  If I don't wish to have either of those diseases I needed to start exercising, 30 minutes a day she told me.  Gah!

There are some things I know about myself.  I don't like to sweat.  I have a bad knee, it's naughty for no apparent reason.  When I get home from work I like to relax, or clean the house, or cook dinner, or do the dishes, or scrub the toilet, anything but exercise.  However I have no desire to be unhealthy, so I had to come up with a plan.

My plan ended up being to take the early morning hours minutes that I usually use for blogging and use them for exercising.  My plan is working out well for exercise, but not so well for blogging.  I feel really disconnected from my blog writing and reading.  I have to be ok with this.  I have to adjust.  I have to maybe not respond to comments right away, or at all.  I have to be ok with playing occasional catch up with my favorite bloggers.  I know I said it already, but I have to adjust.  It really is important for me to exercise.  So I'm going to keep on truckin' around the track at 5:15 am, and fit blogging in when I can.

This week I'm starting to keep an exercise journal to share with all of you.  I'm not sure what kind of format I'll be using yet, but I plan to share it once a week so you can see what I've been up to and how I'm improving (or not).

Today I'm off to party at my good friend Asthmagirl's house... It's baby shower time!!

Sky Watch

This Silk Tree is in my front yard.  It still hasn't gotten leaves yet.  The first picture was taken on May 17 and the second one was taken on May 27.  You can just see the leaves budding out in the second photo...

Stop by Sky Watch central for other sky shots from around the world and maybe post one of your own!!

Favorite Things Swap!

A few weeks ago I signed up for this crazy fun Favorite Things Swap put on by Mamarazzi at Our Dandelion Wishes...

I was paired up with another swapping blogger, Rachel of A Little Bit of Kooky, to swap our favorite things.  I was very excited to get my package.  Unfortunately it came on a day when I had no camera, so I had to wait and wait some more before I could open it!  But it was worth the wait!!  You can head over to her blog, say hi and check out some favorite things of mine that I sent her!

So many pretty package tied up with ribbons!

The long skinny packages had these treasures...

See that one in the middle?!  That is some wonderful lip gloss that's hiding out in my purse so Dancing Daughter won't use it all up!  And what scrapbooker doesn't love some gel pens?!

My personal favorite of the long packages?...

Chopsticks from a trip Rachel took to China!  Dancing Daughter and I used these to eat our dinner last night.  LOVE them!

Then there was this...

Haven't tried the foot soak or the hot chocolate yet, but the hand sanitizer and the Stride gum have both been opened and used!  Stride gum is already a favorite of mine!  I'm waiting for a special time when I will soak my feet and drink the hot chocolate at the same time.

There's still more!!!  Rachel really spoiled me!

Here we have note pads, post it notes, (don't you just love the ones shaped like lips?!) scrapbooking doo-dads and some herbal tea.  I love me some herbal tea!  See that flower?!  Rachel makes hair clips and headbands and she sent me that gorgeous hair clip!  So perfect for summer!  Rachel also collects handmade cards just like I do... I'm so excited to have another one to add to my collection!  That Scentsy Bar?!  It smells just like a tropical drink on a hot summer day!

Thank you so much Rachel.  You put so much thought into sharing your favorite things with me and I appreciate it so much.

I recommend checking on when the next Mamarazzi Favorite Things Swap is and getting in on it.  It was a blast!  And I've made a new bloggy friend!

I Slept

Last night I was in bed by 8:15.  Lights off and asleep by 9:00.  I slept all night... Let me repeat ALL NIGHT.  I did not wake up to go pee.  I did not wake up when the dog growled (he always growls in the night).  I did not wake up when Handy Man's alarm went off.  I did not wake up when Handy Man left for work.  I did, however, wake up when my alarm went off.

I'm telling you I could have slept a couple more hours easily.  I'm still feeling fogging this morning, we'll see how I feel as the day goes on.  I hope to get caught up with you all today or tomorrow!

Tell me which picture you like best...

I'm Tired

I don't know what's going on with me.  I've had my tune up and all's well, or being fixed.  I'm taking my prescription vitamin D to take care of that deficiency.  I'm taking my other vitamins and supplements.  I've started exercising, quite successfully I might add.  Yet I am unbelievably tired.  I'm not the tired type.  I'm not a nap taker, unless I'm sick.  I really need to snap out of it, I don't like feeling exhausted.

I need to catch up with some of you.  It's been days since I've made it over to your blogs to see what's been going on in all of your lives, or what you've been seeing through your lens.

For now, I'm going to leave you with this picture and take a stroll outside to see if that wakes me up.

Teens

I took a couple days off, not just from blogging, but from the computer.  Now I'm back!

The weather has been beautiful and while I was at home weeding and reading Star Wars Son went to the Folk Life Festival at the Seattle Center with some friends.  I was parted from my camera for two days, it was hard but I made it through.

SWS and his friends took some really great shots.

An amazing street performer who Casey decided he wanted to be just like!

SWS and Casey have been friends for almost 13 years, since they were 4.  They stay best of friends even though they don't go to the same school.

I could do without shirt off guy in the background, but it is a good picture of SWS!

Ready for a soap opera moment?  The guy on the right is Derek, he's the reason Bri-brute broke up with SWS.  SWS and Derek spent a couple weeks feuding via text messages and My Space.  Then SWS dated a cutie for about a month.  She was Derek's ex-girlfriend.  They feuded for another couple weeks, with Derek threatening to kick SWS a**.  Now they are friends.  Teens, ppfffttt!

Sky Watch

This photo was taken at the Des Moines Beach Park in Washington State on May 17, 2009.  To see other sky shots or to add your own head over to Sky Watch Headquarters!

The Insects

This next one is dead!   I just love the detail on the wing.

Can you tell I'm having fun with my camera and new lens?

The Rhododendron

Coast Rhododendron
Rhododendron macrophyllum

"In 1892, before they had the right to vote, Washington women selected the coast rhododendron as the state flower. They wanted an official flower to enter in a floral exhibit at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Six flowers were considered, but the final decision was narrowed to clover and the "rhodie," and voting booths were set up for ladies throughout the state. When the ballots were counted, the rhododendron had been chosen as the Washington state flower." (info from here)

Answers to Guess....

What did I do yesterday morning???

Yesterday morning and this morning and every morning for the rest of my life that I'm up for it, I walked at the track.  Mind you it was 5:15 in the morning...  I lasted for 1 mile before my back hurt too bad to walk any longer.  I'm going to keep at it though!

What day was it at Dancing Daughter's school?

It was 80's day!  I loved the Madonna and gypsy comments!  I tried my best to dress her like Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan, but DD wasn't having any of that!  She had to put a little of her own signature on the outfit.  Thank goodness for the thrift store?!  Crazy.

What is that photo?

The photo is a picture of sand that had collected on one of the many large rocks at the Des Moines Beach Park, which happens to be where Handy Man and I went for a walk, a relax and some photo shooting.  Deb had a great guess about putting sand on our brick patio, so close!! 

Here is a picture of the rock with the sand on it.

What did Handy Man and I do on Sunday, besides yard work?!

As MPM guessed we went to the beach!  Tracey was also right with her guess of relaxing by a rocky stream!  The Des Moines Beach Park is next to the Marina.  We went for a nice exercise walk around the Marina then relaxed on the beach for a while.  The Des Moines Creek feeds into Puget Sound at this spot.  It's a nice place to recover relax after a brisk walk.