Fabulous Friday Dream Sequence - Zumba Edition

I have a wonderful blog friend - who has been ODDLY silent the last few days...
(I am writing this on Tuesday, that may have changed.)

I wanted to share with her the conversation I had in my dream about our Zumba Class together...

Go Visit her and say - Happy Fabulous Friday!

MLIP: Come ON GIRLFRIEND - I can see your ass is NOT shaking enough...

ML: YOU shake it.  lol

MLIP: T-bone can shake it...ha ha ha ha ha.

ML: Look at me!  I am Mr. Big - "pusha pusha"!

MLIP: You are two feet too short sista'!

ML: Right, I am "fun-sized".  tee hee hee!

Jumping around and sweating like the fools sexy sirens we are!

MLIP: That's right work it, work it...

ML: Uh-huh.  We are OWNING this Zumba workout!

MLIP and ML both bust a gut laughing into a heap on the floor.

Sigh. 

I went to Zumba again on Sunday and love it! 

I just wish I had a partner in crime along for the ride.  I thought of what MLIP said via email to me though and started laughing right out loud in the middle of class...

It must have inspired my dream. 

Have you seen Zumba?  While it may be serious fitness - it is also seriously hilarious fun!

WW - Choose our holiday card photo 2010!

One

 Just like years past...only newer.

Two

Three

Four

What will you not say today?

The OTHER Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Did you know there was a "sequel" to Rocky Horror Picture Show? 

I ACTUALLY SAW THEM BOTH as a double feature at the Uptown Theatre back in about 1981-82.

Shock Treatment

I thought it was NOT as well acted (ha ha!), but DAMN did it have just as catchy tunes (I had both soundtracks on cassette tape!).  So in honor of Glee going Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight I bring you:

Shock Treatment - Little Black Dress

Monday Minute - All about myself!

Today is Monday - and we are joining Christy for the Monday Minute - you link up too if you like!

1) Have you ever been hospitalized? (OK, maybe that one isn't so upbeat)

2) What’s the last bit of good news you received?

3) Who was your favorite teacher?

4) Do you sing in the shower?

(5) Describe the happiest day of your life.

1. Yes, I have been hospitalized.  The worst was when I got an infection from my spine operation - I had a disc pushing on nerves down my right arm and they cut off the part that was protruding - I was in and out in a day for the surgery and back for a WEEK from the infection.  I was REALLY sick and got very weak, but they took good care of me.
2. That my mom wants to bring pizza over one night this week and hang out with my Boo Boo La La!
3. I had GREAT elementary school teachers, Ms. Rossum and Mrs. Bleck stand out there - and in High School I really liked Mr. Sinks - I am sure many would disagree with me on him!!!  But my favorite teacher was the lawyer who taught my online ethics class at Capella!
4. Not out loud; I do hear music in my head frequently.
5. I would have to say the happiest day was the day I had my daughter.  I was not at all sure I would be good at managing the pain of childbirth, but I was totally surprised at how quickly it all went for us.  Quick summary: I was checked in January 8th just after dinner to be induced January 9th because of my age and blood pressure.  I went into labor in the night and the nurses kept telling me I was not in labor as the monitor was not picking up on the contractions.  About 6:30 am I said if I were not in labor I was going to need an epidural because I was in a good amount of pain already...the shift change was happening so about 8am finally someone showed up to give me the epidural and start pitossin.  The nurse wanted to check how dialated I was and WHOOSH!  My water broke and my daughter shot down the birth canal.  YES, it can happen that fast.  They had to grab a random doctor in the hall as they were on the phone with my doctor telling him they were starting pitossin; my doctor made it to the room just moments after Boo Boo was born and that only took about 20 minutes!  I was so happy it was quick, relatively easy, and that I got such a healthy baby!

10/26/10 update - if it was not clear in the sequence of events - I did NOT get an epidural and had a drug-free birth with my Boo Boo La La.  When the water broke and she started crowning it was too late.  But it was sooooo fast I didn't need them anyway.

 Hope you enjoy the Monday Minute and can play along with Christy who took it over from Ian! 

  

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign...

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop Presents:

In what way were you labeled as a child and how did it affect you?

I distinctly recall as a child being told how "perfect" I was, how "smart, clever, cute, funny, sweet, bright..." you name it - I got labeled it.

Does it sound like I am bragging?

I am not. 

It was a curse.  I think I peaked at age eleven.  Seriously.

I was selected in Second Grade to participate in this "experiment" to be in a class of Second and Third Graders - learning in a new hip and cool way.  My Mother put the Ki-bosh on that one...she told the school that developmentally the Second and Third Grader's should not be mixed, presented studies and well... the school dropped the program.

I was always in the high reading group... 
math group...
extra groups, like Great Books and geeky science classes.

I was a Girl Scout and my Mother pushed me to earn MANY MANY badges and Cookie Seller Awards. 

I wanted them...so not all her fault. 

Besides swimming lessons in the summer my Mother took us to The Star-Tribune, The Federal Reserve, museum's and enrolled us in summer art programs where we drank papaya juice and ate carob-chip cookies.  I even took summer school classes for FUN!

I also went to Debate Camp and Norwegian Camp...and yes, Band Camp.  Norwegian Camp was the MOST twisted. 

Don't get me wrong.  I loved it.

Every second of every thing - making new friends everywhere I went.

I spent a year in Norway as an exchange student and even there I excelled at blending in...seriously, people thought I was Norwegian - or the very least, Danish. 

What this did to me is make me EXPECT more from myself.  If I failed at something (or was not in the Top Ten Best!)- ANYTHING - I felt worthless.  Sometimes I still do...

I feel like I let myself down a lot. 

The BIGGEST reason I feel that way right now is that I do not have the job I want by a long shot. 

not.even.close.

I expected that by the time I finished my degree online at Capella University I would have a much better sales position - higher base salary, higher commission potential, larger company - perhaps. 

I mean that B.S. degree should have opened doors, but it came too late. 

March 2010?  Who the heck is hiring?

However my career started its slide down the drain before the degree was complete after accepting

ONE STUPID JOB. 

ONE STUPID JOB at one very large company that dismissed me because my boss went to work for the competition so they set about systematically dismantling his team. 

Seriously I was the second let go and the first girl who "resigned" actually had made quota - and was setup to do it again. 

I was over 80% to annual quota in APRIL!  Gone in June...

I took the best job available of the three I was offered after that...and let's just say it was not only a huge pay cut, but I was flat out lied to about the potential. 

So here I sit.  Depressed quite often. 

I LOATHE the questions, "How is work going?" and  "What do you do for a living?" because my answer is that I don't want to talk about it...it just makes me cry. 

Recently my company was purchased and I am praying this helps me change my mind about my work.  It hasn't done much yet to instill any confidence that I am at all important, or wanted, so I am not holding my breath just yet...

But I hope and I dream....

I try to remember my achievements and potential...

That I have a GREAT family who loves me...

...and I buy Powerball Tickets.

Zzzzzzzzzzz

She bounded into the class late - breathless and giggling - picking up on the moves and bouncing along with the rest of the class.

This is pretty fun, she thought in her head, ohhh I am going up to get one of those jingly wraps and put around my waist in the break between songs.  They look fun and I bet it would help me know if I am shaking it enough. 

Over halfway into the class she decided to peel off a layer - too sweaty - this class is rockin'!

Ahh, the cool down, I need this my calves were getting tight on that last song.  Maybe I will stay for the short core conditioning class after this?

Class ends.. 

The chubby lady in the back dressed in blah brown sweats runs to pick up her bag and take the fastest shower possible so she can get her daughter and go home.  She avoids looking at the breathless giggling girl and her tight 20-something tattooed abs.  She sighs and thinks, If there were any justice I just lost five pounds from this Zumba class...

Maybe I will come back next week. 

Flashback Friday - Seymore D. Fair

These are my best friends from high school...sure we had a few friends that would join us for events as they liked, but these were the four inseperable girls our Junior and Senior year. 

It helped we all were in French and A/P classes together! 

Oh and we were band geeks.

From left to right, Colleen R, Me, Seymore (damn picture hog), Teri N. and Kristi B. 

or Clarinet, Flute/Picolo, Beak, Clarinet, Clarinet/Oboe - That's right, I'm the Michelle! 

So, this one time in New Orleans...
We met this pelican named Seymore D. Fair and he wanted us to join him at the WonderWall.  But we were INTENT on trying to buy a cocktail on Bourbon Street so we had to ditch that smelly fellow for Pat O' Brien's and a Hurricane or two. 

Our high school band played at the 1984 World's Fair/Expo in New Orleans on O.J. Simpson Day - and NO JOKE he directed us for a song and recreated his old Hertz commercials by leaping over trumpet and trombone cases for us...



Good times.

So, what do you have to share today? 

Writer's Workshop - The Diet

So I signed up to get the prompts from Mama Kat - and I really wanted to play, but I forgot last week - and this week...I was not inspired by any of the prompts.

le sigh

So I went to Mama Kat's site and pulled up all the old prompts and chose to write about....

Describe the worst diet you ever put yourself on.

Early on in my marriage I decided to drop a few pounds - I had gained that "happy weight" and it was not helping me fit into my cute work clothing and I was sick of using the tricks.

You know the tricks, right?  Use a safety pin to keep your pants and skirts together at the waist and wear a loooooooong shirt or sweater over it. 

I know, not pretty.

So I looked around the internet for a "diet" - really I was looking out for a quick fix for the eating and drinking I had done over the preparations, parties, wedding and honeymoon. 

Ugh. 

(side note: I wish I was that "fat" weight now! double UGH!)

I came up with SCAN DIET.

How bad could it be?  It was developed in Scandinavia after all. 
Those people are smart, right? 
The Scandinavians are sensible, right?  I mean the United Nations was their idea!!!

So I start the diet after buying the expensive powders, THIS should have been my first clue.

Then I read up and the first TWELVE weeks I am supposed to drink three to four "shakes" a day and fruits and vegetables.  NO MEAT. 

The "shake" provided all the protien I was going to need.  (ummm, riiiiight.)

Now let me say this, I AM a fan of soy protien and thought this was a fine plan at the time.  The problem is that it just is not sustainable to only drink "shakes" and eat fruits and veggies over that kind of time frame. 
I mean no grains, no bread, no protein outside of the "shakes". 

It just is not realistic.
And my BODY knew this.

I was going along just fine.  I love fruit and veggies so I was okay with it all in the front of my brain...then one night...I had a dream;

I was tearing apart and GNAWING bloody red warm meat with my bare hands. 

AND I LIKED IT - Nay, LOVED IT!

Somewhere deep down inside my body was CRYING out for more nutrients than I was getting from these "shakes" and despite the fact I had lost 24lbs in eight weeks...

The next day I had a steak stir fry.

And I savored every last juicy drippity-drop of that meat.

(It was tough to research for this story because basically - Scan Diet does not seem to exist any longer.  I believe they have replaced this with a new product called Nutrilett.)

Now enjoy the battle over this meat.

Larry Bird vs Michael Jordan McDonalds commercial @ Yahoo! Video

More Fall Birthday's - Wordless Wednesday

Go visit Cathy...

 Go Visit Lesli...

Tell them I said "Happy Birthday!" 

PINT - Up the WAZHOO!

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