Krav Maga

So, Michael and I have been attending a local Krav Maga class. I originally signed up because Michael found out about it, and I wanted do something together (besides, ya know, watch TV). I was hesitant at first, because this is very, very outside of my comfort zone, but after our short intro class I became a lot more interested. Sure, I had heard of Krav Maga, and knew what it was, but I had never done anything like this before! I am far, far, far from coordinated, and I have NO arm strength what-so-ever! So my anxiety levels were pretty darn high for the intro and first class.

I only have three classes under my belt, but I feel really good about this! Not only does it teach you self defense, but it's a great work out. After my first real class I was in A LOT of pain. I couldn't even walk up one flight of stairs at work. Thank God for elevators, because it was super bad.

Our instructors are great! They are very friendly, don't make fun of you, help you out and cheer you on. They do make me do push ups in the warm-up though. I assume they only make us do push ups to secretly laugh at me doing them. I do not know how to do a push up correctly. Never have, never will. My butt is always in the air; seriously, how do you keep it down?

I think the hardest part in the class for me is holding the mats for my partner to punch and kick. I have no arm strength, and while it doesn't physically hurt to absorb the blow into the padding, it's exhausting for me. I have to breathe out at impact, and usually stumble back a bit too.

Unfortunately, after about 20 minutes of punching, elbowing and kicking in today's class, I started to see black spots and felt nauseous. Yup, I was that person. I left the room and went to the bathroom. I can't remember any other time I literally felt like I was about to black out, so I was pretty scared of collapsing. There was a little girl waiting in the hallway by the restrooms, and she stared at me like I was already dead. I am very pale as it is, but when I looked in the mirror I really was white as a sheet. Poor kid must've thought she was seeing a ghost!

The nausea and black spots subsided after a few minutes, so I rejoined the boys for the remainder of the class. Of course, the movement brought on my "yuck" again, but I survived! It's funny, because before we left for the class I told Mike my tummy felt "fuzzy". I didn't know how else to describe it, but it wasn't really hurting, so I didn't think it'd amount to anything. My guess is that I just didn't drink enough water beforehand, and since I hate exercise and my body isn't used to it, I was overworked.

Just after these few classes, I feel more well rounded. I already know how to handle different firearms, and now I am more prepared to defend myself with my body. I have never been in a fight, and hope and pray that I never find myself in one, but better safe than sorry, right? I am positive that in most people's eyes I am an easy target: I am a girl, I am blond and I am not built like an athlete. But,  now I feel like I'll have a better chance at winning!

Hot and Humid

It is very hot and humid here today! While taking the dogs for a walk, I through my hair up in a pony tail and was reminded of my reinvention poem I wrote a few years back. So, I thought I'd share it with you here.

Stretching for Uses
 

A thin beige circle of rubber,

speckled with grey smudges.

Flexible and ambiguous

it can morph into any shape.

Lost in the junk drawer’s black hole,

But it’s a celebrity in the office, 

offering a chorus of claps, snaps and boings.

A free bracelet.

A bully’s sling shot or

a mischievous catapult in the classroom,

launching ammo

at unsuspecting victims.

After a Thanksgiving feast,

let it loop through your button hole,

and reach for the prize.

Bring on dessert.

Clutching the bananas,

grasping the newspaper,

uniting the pencils. 

When your shoelace breaks,

when Grandma locks the kitchen cabinets,

when a mother pulls her hair up in the relentless August heat,

when a Band-Aid isn’t available,

the rubber band is re-invented.

Help A Stranger!

Michael and I were headed to the dog park yesterday, when we noticed a person in need of some assistance. We saw an older man on the ground, trapped under his bicycle in the apron of Bergstrom's driveway. I think Mike and I saw him at the same time, because just as I was saying "help him!" Mike quickly swerved into the driveway and got out.

The man was older, I'd say in his late 50s. He was flailing his arms and legs, like the bike was twisted around his body, but Mike was able to pull the bicycle off and help him up. Turns out he wasn't tangled up, just stuck. The man said he nicked the edge of the curb with his bicycle tire, and fell. I'm so glad he was OK! Whew! He was even wearing a neon safety vest and helmet! How much more safe can you get?

The sad part was there was a salesman and two customers checking out a car in the parking lot not too far away.  I don't know what their excuse was; maybe they really didn't see it or hear it. To their credit, the man was not yelling for help (I don't think). I am just glad I am with a guy who will swerve out of his way to help someone.

Come to think of it, this isn't the first time he's done something like this. He has helped pull cars out that are stuck in snow a couple of times! So if you're stuck, and a man comes to help you, he may not be a creeper--just a helper! It's hard to tell now a days though, huh?

40 Pounds Down

My weight loss journey has been a long one. I've been on and off dieting for about a year now, and am glad to say I finally reached 40 pounds lost! Whew!

After I lost 20 pounds, I really stalled out. Counting my calories with My Fitness Pal became super hard because Mike was not interested in changing his eating habits. So for about six months I just stopped watching what I ate. I went back to eating greasy, fried food and DQ Blizzards. But this year, Mike's New Year's Resolution was to lose weight. And that really jump started it again for me.
I am starting to finally see the change, and can't believe I carried around all that extra weight before. I'm so glad that Mike and I took charge of our weight. It's SO great to know that my weight will be controlled when my wedding comes in 2014. I really didn't want it to sneak up on me. Now when I hear that there are over 400 calories in a SMALL potato ole from Taco Johns, my jaw drops. I can't even imagine how many calories I consumed daily. Yes, we splurge on junk food here and there (you gotta!), but it really is a special treat now.

Mike is looking good too! He has lost like 30 pounds. We both have 10 more we'd like to lose, so hopefully we'll be able to pull that off! I know Mike will--he is a jogger. I only walk the dogs. Walk. Not run.

Below are some photos that highlight the weight loss. I know the recent picture I have isn't all too showy, since I'm sitting down, but you can still notice a difference! I have three big Maurices bags stuffed with clothes for a future rummage sale! Looks like I better get shopping--my closet is empty!

October 2011

May 2012

Easter 2013

Puppy #2

We recently adopted yet another animal into our family! Please welcome Beretta, a 6-month-old Coonhound mix. At N.E.W. PAWSibilities, she was known as Zoe, but we needed to changed that!  Her and Caliber have been getting along well. We took Caliber to the shelter for us when we began our short search for dog number two. We originally wanted to wait to get a second dog until after our wedding in 2014, so what made us change our minds?

Mike and I were headed out to Wal-Mart on a Sunday afternoon to get a new vacuum to keep up with Caliber's shedding. (And can I just tell you that the Dyson DC24 Animal is the most amazing thing ever? It makes Michael like to clean! I can't believe how much it picks up, not to mention how much our old vacuum was missing! We had to empty the container THREE times just to do our small living room and bedroom, and that's AFTER we already vacuumed with the old one!) As we pulled out of the driveway, we saw Caliber's cute little face peeking out our front picture window. I told him when I see him watching me leave, it breaks my heart. So Mike said, "Maybe we should get him a dog." I was SO excited. I mean, why wait? So Sunday night we looked at shelters online, and on Monday evening we were walking into N.E.W. PAWSibilities with Caliber to find his new sibling. Mike and I decided we wanted a 2-year-old dog so they were calmer, more mature. We also didn't want any type of hound dog, because they're known for barking.

N.E.W. PAWSibilities was our first stop, and the dogs I liked online weren't really fitting to our energy levels. When we met "Zoe", a 6-month-old Coonhound mix, she and Caliber demonstrated good chemistry and we couldn't get over her beautiful brindle coat. For only being six months, she is extremely calm. She was everything we weren't looking for (a hound dog and  a puppy), so we decided to adopt her! She is the sweetest little girl, though. A big cuddle bug who looks like an Oreo Blizzard. When she sees you come home, or wake up in the morning, she wags her tail so fast her butt can't keep up. So I sing "wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle" to her.






We've had her for a eight days so far, and she's really come out of her shell. She's still submissive, but has become playful. Her and Caliber rough house a little too much, but it's getting better. They're working on learning to share toys (mostly Caliber). They can get very, very loud. Beretta has this wonderful piercing whine, and Caliber has a constant, deep bark. And when their teeth clank together, it's probably one of the worst sounds on the planet. Next to snoring. God, I really HATE snoring. How I fell in love with a mouth-breather, I'll never know.



Adjusting to having two dogs hasn't been too difficult. More water slop on the floors to dodge, but overall it seems pretty easy. The hardest part is breaking up the rough housing when it gets too rough. It's typically stemmed from Caliber NEEDING the toy Beretta has. Poor Beretta.

You Know You Own Your Car When...

Today was not just an ordinary day. Today I felt like an adult. Why? Because I encountered adult problems.

My day started out normal enough. I was pretty bummed that Mike's half day was cancelled, so I would need to come home for lunch to let Caliber out. I always lose my spot when I return and need to park a mile away. Yesterday I actually wandered around two rows before I bumped into my car by chance.

As I pulled into the parking lot at work I noticed a premo spot! There was a vehicle ahead of me in line and I thought "shoot, they're gonna take my spot!" Well they didn't! And thank God, because as I turned around the horse-shoe curve the car's engine light, battery light and oil light came on. I couldn't accelerate, and as I coasted down the aisle I prayed I would at least make it to the open spot. I was so elated when I made it. Then I realized my car also had no power steering, but luckily my arms aren't as weak as I thought, and I made it.

After the initial shock of my car dying wore off, I texted Mike. He had me try to restart my car and hold the gas pedal down at the same time, but that didn't work. After panicking about not knowing what to do, I decided to find out if Bergstrom had a mechanic shop in town.

Bergstrom Body Shop was great to work with when I had my car in for a new door (after my neighbor backed into the old one), so I called the 800 number on their website for help. They gave me a number of their recommended towing company, who I called next. The guy on the phone, while nice, wasn't really explaining things to me. He didn't even ask for my license plate number, so I made sure to let him know. After we hung up I wondered how Bergstrom would get into my car if I had the key, and was told I don't need to be there when the car is picked up... So I called the tow truck company back to tell him I'd put the spare key in the glove box. The man seemed grateful.

When Bergstrom called to tell me my car arrived, I asked for someone to pick me up and take me home. This short ride with an elderly driver was an adventure in itself. I got into the car and we were making chit chat about my employment when all of a sudden the car phone spoke "Please hang up, or press star for more options." Turns out he left me a REALLY long voicemail. We moved on to the weather, and I mentioned it's supposed to rain later this week. He told me that since he just got his car washed, he'll have to take his other car to the bar this weekend so he can stay out later. That way, if it rains, it won't dirty his recently washed vehicle.

When he made a turn away from my house, I asked him where we were going. He said, "The dealership." I was so confused. I thought he knew my home address from the guy that arranged the pick-up, but no that's not the case. Good thing I only live a few blocks away from the dealership, so it wasn't too far out of his way. My street name is both a Court and an Avenue, but they are not near each other. And even though I told the driver that I live on the Ave, and explained where it was, he tried to take me to the Court. Good grief.

When I got home, Caliber greeted me at the door (of course), and I noticed his black nose was now white, so I asked him why. When I turned to put my coat in the closet, my question was answered. He clawed and chewed my wall. Come on! The majority of my hours are worked from home, but this week I was in the office Monday-Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. He is just not used to being alone THAT much, so he did it out of anxiety/boredom. I can't blame him, but I'd really rather he just pee all over or something that I don't need to paint. He also chewed some holes in Mike's gloves he left out. The other day Caliber also got a hold of Mike's hat he left out. I really hope Mike sees the pattern and uses this as a learning experience.

As you can see, I'll need get the paint and brushes out of storage.

While I don't want my car to ever have problems, I do prefer that it chose to die in my works' parking lot than on the highway. I am actually really relieved it happened the way it did. It turns out that I didn't even need to go into the office today; I could've worked the whole shift from home! But if I didn't miss the text telling me that, the next time I would've been driving my car would be tomorrow on the highway by myself. No thanks!

I was keeping my sense of humor about all of this crazy until the mechanic called to update me. My timing belt broke, and they need to order a new one along with a tensioner (whatever that is). Apparently these things are expensive, because my bill (as of right now) is $615. Once they disassemble it to swap out the parts, they'll be able to tell me if anything else is wrong with it. Can't wait!

Resolutions To Consider

In light of New Year's, I'd like to share a list of resolutions I SHOULD make, but will not:

• Exercise
• Stop nagging Michael about various things (IE: stop playing your stupid video game, do the dishes, clean the stove, chew with your mouth closed, stop snoring...)
• Become a better cook (I prefer baking)
• Reeeelaaaaax
• Put money into savings
• Shop less
• Read more novels! (I used to read for leisure... Now I watch TV--even when nothing is on)
• Develop a more adventurous pallet (I never try new foods)

So what will I be doing in 2013 if I'm not doing the things I should?  Michael and I have decided to eat out/order in less, cook with more fresh foods and watch our portions. 

Looking back at 2012, it really has been a magnificent year for me. We bought the house, got the pup, adopted the kitten, I lost 20 pounds and have kept it off, I paid off my car and I opened my Etsy shop (www.etsy.com/shop/markitmiscellaneous). Hooray! 

Take My Grandpa's License Away!

I just picked up my contacts from the eye doctor and decided to take a spin through Starbucks' drive-thru before hitting the highway back home. I made it safely through the round-a-bout onto a four lane semi-busy road. I'm driving along and coming up to an intersecting street. All of a sudden a silver Ford Focus tries to make a left turn in front of me from the crossing street. I do not have a traffic light or stop sign, mind you. They, however, do! I had to swerve, honk my horn and yell "WHAT THE FUCK?" (pardon my French).

Then I realized it was my grandfather. I swore at my grandfather. My heart was racing, and I'm not quite sure if the surprised look on his face was that of recognition, or fear of being hit. If I see him on Christmas, am I supposed to bring this up? What is proper protocol for handling this situation? I should check out the Hallmark aisle at the store to see if there are any cards for the occasion. 

Teenage Termoil

Caliber turned six months old on November 12. Since then, he has really been a snot. The next couple months with him are going to be trying, I'm sure. Between six and eight months is what "they" call a dog's "teenage years." He is constantly full of energy, and not that great of a listener (unless you have chicken in your hand). Every walk we take him on, it's like he just discovered he has a nose. He zig zags all over the place, pulling at the end of his leash to get a wonderful whiff of God knows what.

We made it through teething with only losing a few rolls of toilet paper, but now he's just being rebellious. Examples as follows:

• I took a 10 minute shower and came out to him chewing up my Airwalk slipper shoes. Damnit. Now what inappropriate shoes am I going to wear in the rain and snow, and then complain about my feet being drenched and make Mike mad and say "I told you so"?
• I let Cal outside and a few moments later when I came back to check on him, he already dug up one of our plants in the backyard. How rude. Now he digs in that hole every time he goes outside. Ah! Save your digging for the dog park, please!
• While Mike was in the shower this morning, he came out to a chewed and shredded notebook, topped with orange pen shards. He also began chewing on the platter mat for my record player. Le sigh.
• He has realized he can now sniff the counter tops. He's tall and nosey. Let the counter surfing begin!
• He chases the cat. OK, OK, he did that before he turned six months... I must say, Kisa is becoming a lot more brave about coming out of her little room. Especially when she's hungry!

Despite all of this, he's still the cutest, silliest, sweetest, most bestest dog ever.

Kisa the Kitten

Why I thought adopting a kitten at this point in Caliber's life was a good idea, I'll never know. I've been wanting a cat for years and Mike has been telling me to get one (especially the free ones at Petco), but it just never seemed right. I was aimlessly wandering through petfinder.com and came across a very cute kitten at my local shelter. I had no choice but to adopt her, if for nothing else, to change her name to anything besides Nicole. Who names a cat Nicole? This little cutie pictured below had been at the shelter for THREE MONTHS! Can you believe it? She came in as a stray, and is believed to be about five months old. We're pretending she has the same birthday as Caliber since he was five months old too!

 

I named her Kisa (pronounced Keysa). It's from the wonderful manga Fruits Basket. Cute as can be, but she's been a real challenge for my little guy. He just wants to play with her and sniff her all the time. I think he's expecting her to play like the dogs at the dog park. Instead she shys (runs frantically) away from Caliber.

 

This is pretty much how the entire day goes...Kisa on her side of the baby gate, Caliber on the other... whining. Nonstop. Pacing. Ringing the bell to go outside. Sniffs around the house for her. I swear he thinks there are two of her. Getting a big gulp of water. Repeat.

 

 

Until she runs across the house and dashes under the bed. Then all hell breaks lose. Caliber isn't quick enough for Kisa's tight maneuvering. His paws thomp on the floor (when did I get a horse?) and his claws scurry--I swear our hardwood floors are an ice rink for him. Of course, when the bedroom door is closed it really throws off her game. You never know if she'll make it back to laundy room in time, or if she'll hideout behind the couch.

 

We have tried everything to get them to be calm around each other. Caliber has never once tried to hurt her, he just buries his nose into her for a good smell that he cannot get enough of (no, she doesn't appreciate it). We had her wear a calming collar that smelled like lilacs and chamomile that was supposed to mimic mom's pheromones, but it didn't seem to calm her. We had Caliber on a leash, but Kisa didn't know that so she still ran away. We had Kisa in the carrier and let Caliber come to it, but she just hissed at him. I even did the no-no thing and held her and put her near him. That actually seems to work the best. I kinda hold her against her will and don't let her swat at his nose. From what I read, it will take a while. It's been over two weeks and let me tell you... I am running low on patience. I can understand why she's afraid of a big thing charging at her, but he's not always chasing her and he's never once tried to bite her or anything.

 

It's extra hard for me because cats aren't energy-based like dogs are, so I don't know how people train them. I think it'll get better once Caliber stops reacting to her presence. Eventually she'll stop being afraid, right? I don't know how anyone, or anything, could not love my sweet baby dog. He doesn't get it either...