tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23624851123826676942024-03-12T23:56:20.507-04:00The Riding LibrarianRiding along...The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-41197423862689253082016-09-27T16:26:00.001-04:002016-09-27T16:26:51.997-04:00Progress, Not Perfection (Days 3-7)This post's title pretty much sums up the weekend. Was I the picture of virtuous choices?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlWTA3ixPXJYV8WtBITKyqvkb8dK3qUqXq4YPfszRR1e5h5ec-Hy1RYbRItafLEQ_rK4vJEW5lbfg-F6LLbkqqyQ2Nz5iUrbc_KRS4xo_Rfs3fmUsxonMlzmhrCjJk9PFBKUx8qFHbrn0/s1600/kitten+no.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlWTA3ixPXJYV8WtBITKyqvkb8dK3qUqXq4YPfszRR1e5h5ec-Hy1RYbRItafLEQ_rK4vJEW5lbfg-F6LLbkqqyQ2Nz5iUrbc_KRS4xo_Rfs3fmUsxonMlzmhrCjJk9PFBKUx8qFHbrn0/s320/kitten+no.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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Did I stay within my macros?<br />
Yes.<br />
And for now, good enough. It's the first weekend in a long-ass time that I can say that I kept within my macros. So we're going to call that a success. "Success" will assuredly be getting redefined as we go, but for now...so far, so good.<br />
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In other news, do you know how much I love going to the gym on Saturdays?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2u07de9CbHjTjPPUk4nBS9Iy-vUQd0WlYcX-3-iWWHiTNSN3UbXmYJMFzXpczKnkBkYxWN2JBLq6pPCnXzbMdAyvjQmBa8U8Tl6F4Rd8fFIhwdmbE-symlYJPiPEYODIl3yJ1JAWGsnm/s1600/saturday+gym.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2u07de9CbHjTjPPUk4nBS9Iy-vUQd0WlYcX-3-iWWHiTNSN3UbXmYJMFzXpczKnkBkYxWN2JBLq6pPCnXzbMdAyvjQmBa8U8Tl6F4Rd8fFIhwdmbE-symlYJPiPEYODIl3yJ1JAWGsnm/s320/saturday+gym.png" width="282" /></a></div>
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I rarely do, but so enjoy it when I have the opportunity. Not that there aren't more exciting things to do on a Saturday morning, but if it's one of those days when all of my humans are busy doing other things, a chance to workout without having to watch the clock feels soooooo decadent. It also tends to be quieter too, so I don't have to wait for equipment which is also nice. Now if only I would remember not to do leg day when I ride my behemoth of a bike to the gym.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sk7lEsfOrF4K45B_7IxM_aFrtrp1cqTKG0vUqPKzqIDO5w_GKPFS2uPg8vbPvAFwYOY2506cTJs_h77NuYg-d_oSYCEV_25Dc_Y4gKnyIRAtwNLpmyme6eFlOWcw5V892CGDiGsrzi5V/s1600/motorcycl+leg+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sk7lEsfOrF4K45B_7IxM_aFrtrp1cqTKG0vUqPKzqIDO5w_GKPFS2uPg8vbPvAFwYOY2506cTJs_h77NuYg-d_oSYCEV_25Dc_Y4gKnyIRAtwNLpmyme6eFlOWcw5V892CGDiGsrzi5V/s320/motorcycl+leg+day.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i> I feel oddly vindicated that I found more than one </i></div>
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<i>motorcycle/leg day meme on google images.</i></div>
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Aside from all that, the last few days were full of football, football and more football. My best friend Will, coaches a HS team so Holden and I went to watch Friday night. Saturday I joined him and Summer to watch the Gator game, and then Sunday joined him and our friend Cindy to watch the 49ers. I don't think I've ever watched so much football in one three day period. And it seems the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. I do appreciate that Will always tries to give me the benefit of the doubt, despite being someone who hasn't watched much since college.<br />
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<i> What's not to love?</i></div>
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A typical conversation between us:<br />
Will: OMG I can't believe the receivers just ran that curl and a delayed fly for a great hook and ladder. Can you?<br />
Me: (Blank stare) No?<br />
Will: You didn't understand a word I just said, did you?<br />
Me: I know what those words mean. But not in that order.<br />
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He's a patient man. <br />
<br />The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-87093205474805211202016-09-21T15:51:00.003-04:002016-09-21T16:04:18.124-04:00Day 2: The ReckoningI'll not keep you in suspense, I stayed on point yesterday. In fact, came in below target on all macros. Which is <b><i>not </i></b>something I want to make a habit of (gains, brah!) but for Day One? Better under than over. All par for my course...when I'm good, I'm <b><i>really </i></b>good, when I'm bad?<br />
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You get the point.</div>
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Macros for the day were the following: 1238 calories, 81g carbs, 45g fat, 137g protein. This included an <b><i>amazing </i></b>petite sirloin with mushrooms, onions and asparagus for dinner. Major yummers!<br />
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That said, the day was not without its' challenges...and epiphanies. I had a fight with my best friend. Fear not we've already worked it out. But it sucked. It started while I was still at work and as soon as I hung up I had such an insatiable urge for a cigarette. I do not normally get urges to smoke, unless I'm around other smokers. However, I've noticed that on the rare occasions I get into a fight (for lack of a better word) I really, really, <b>really </b>want a cigarette. I had always assumed it was just a societal driven, Pavlovian response. What do you see anyone in any movie <i>ever </i>do when shit starts going down? Grab a cigarette.<br />
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But I think it is more than that. I actually think it is more about self-flagellation and/or self-harming. I'm taking my aggression out on myself. I know it's bad for me, it never actually calms me down, pretty much always makes me feel worse...yet still the urge to do it.<br />
So there's that.<br />
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I'm proud to report, I did not succumb to that temptation. I didn't go to the gym yesterday, but I did go for a two mile walk with Dave after dinner. Dave shaved my hair for me just before we left, so I spent the entire walk bitching about the little hairs bugging me, as well as the mosquitos, and how, "I am so fucking <b>OVER s</b>ummer right now with this damn heat and the humidity."<br />
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And then God said, "Ha!"<br />
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I'll take, "Saturday Night Live Alumni and Author Reference for $500 Alex." </div>
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And we spent the last half mile walking home in a heavy downpour, with the wind <i>in </i>our faces. And I laughed. Because what else are you going to do? Plus, it felt better than the stray hairs/mosquitos/heat/humidity anyways.The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-75785057451631943992016-09-20T12:25:00.002-04:002016-09-20T12:25:48.003-04:00Day One (again)Hey...it's uh...been awhile. Almost a little disconcerting to realize this blog is still so easily accessible despite not touching it in three years. But there's the internet for you...and yet another reason why I am so glad I grew up before it existed.<br />
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Why am I back after such a hiatus? I guess that is better answered by why I quit writing. First and foremost, I think I just ran out of things to say. I've been happy, but not really inspired to write. I still share pics and what have you on Facebook, but I've just not felt the need to really work things out as one does in a blog. And as far as race/event reports, they haven't been frequent enough or again, I just wasn't inspired enough to go on and on about them,<br />
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So why AM I writing now? Well, it's time to get back to Patti from 2012. The one who had her eating disorder under control. You see, I've NEVER slacked in the gym since 2011, no sir/madam. However for the past year (especially) I've just lost my sense of control and ownership of my behavior toward food. As a result, I am literally the same weight I was 5 years ago when I had the hysterectomy. (give or take a pound or two) Let's be fair though, my body composition isn't *quite* the same. If I was to measure it, I'd expect to find my body fat % to be lower now, versus then. Which one would expect comparing my sedentary lifestyle of pre 2011 to 3 years of crossfit followed by 7 months of dedicated powerlifting. I'm way, way, WAY stronger than I was 5 years ago. But there's no getting around the fact that I'm fat again. Strong, but still fat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9RB7w6F_0OtcfSFKgddJKbsYgDcw0m9JISQoFfAlG7ztgS7GeQofylzXdnAsEdEdc0lhRXo1t_ByiyGLaIQ8z2-07rY97bhvOz2D2wmJyEMaLJnihGCMjuWaAgC1yCDtefZdjyzwXceE/s1600/cardio+spanish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9RB7w6F_0OtcfSFKgddJKbsYgDcw0m9JISQoFfAlG7ztgS7GeQofylzXdnAsEdEdc0lhRXo1t_ByiyGLaIQ8z2-07rY97bhvOz2D2wmJyEMaLJnihGCMjuWaAgC1yCDtefZdjyzwXceE/s320/cardio+spanish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Me, the past 9 months.</div>
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Annnnd much like before, it takes some kind of rock bottom event (or events) to kick my ass in gear. And no it wasn't the-getting-to-the-top-of-a-water-slide-line-and-being-told-I-was-too-big-to-go-down-it-and-having-to-walk-all-the-way-back-down-across-the-flow-of-traffic-feeling-like-the-biggest-loser-of-all-the-losers. No, that sucked, but that didn't do it. However, I tweaked my knee a couple months ago doing lunges (LUNGES OF ALL THINGS!) and long story short I hadn't been able to squat for a couple months, which is like, what I *DO* now. And THAT, ladies and gentleman, is when I said enough is enough. (again)</div>
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So now what? Do I slash calories and just do cardio, which worked in that past? Well, I could. But I don't want to give up the muscle I've gained. In fact, I am super excited about being able to actually SEE that muscle once I get a layer or 10 of fat off of them. So the quick fix isn't going to work, not when I still want to work toward my powerlifting goals. Slow and steady wins the race, right? RIGHT??!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrn9IBPIKgFTtmtOP9M3Uta0qv-8bnnBNg0w5rbdIH8raymt7EmssAWCoaCZNA_y1QKeQrSC1milg1Ta0inKJj8E4K2yC2hBVbrzntLwX0VQoD36UPWzLQdIQjDHtTmzMEklRMLVxPL51/s1600/turtle+beast+mode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrn9IBPIKgFTtmtOP9M3Uta0qv-8bnnBNg0w5rbdIH8raymt7EmssAWCoaCZNA_y1QKeQrSC1milg1Ta0inKJj8E4K2yC2hBVbrzntLwX0VQoD36UPWzLQdIQjDHtTmzMEklRMLVxPL51/s320/turtle+beast+mode.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
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That said, I need to get my habits in order, not only have I been eating ALL THE THINGS but I've been smoking (especially on the weekends) and it's just stupid. We've heard before about the whole "3 Weeks To Make Something A Habit" thing. Today is Day One. I'm giving myself three weeks to get myself back into the habit of moderating ALL the things. A beer or two <b><i>IF </i></b>they fit into my macros on the weekends, but zero smoking of course and tracking my food everyday. I like the "If It Fits Your Macros" style of eating as it seems most supportive of my lifting. I'll be shooting for the following every day: 1700 calories, 128 carbs, 57 fat, 170 protein. However, when I have a rest day or don't workout as intensely, I'll adjust those numbers down accordingly. </div>
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The charm of IIFYM of course, is that though it encourages clean eating, it doesn't tell you WHAT to eat. Hence the name. It's not at all unlike Weight Watchers (just more of your own math) which in the past, has always been the only "diet" that has really worked for me. Too many restrictions and I either binge, or just immediately gain back the weight when I start to "loosen up" the restrictions. IIFYM, and WW, IMO are more lifestyles. And it's nice that it is favored by many in the strength sports, so there is a lot of info out there regarding it that pertains to my fitness goals as well.</div>
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That said, see you tomorrow.....I need to go log some stuff on My Fitness Pal. </div>
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<br />The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-52595704768385753282013-11-06T14:30:00.000-05:002013-11-06T14:30:10.923-05:00PressureMy first Crossfit competition is Saturday. I'm really, really nervous. Like, not-sleeping-well-because-visions-of-rope-climbs-and-burpees-keep-racing-through-my-head-type of nervous. And I don't know why.<br />
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Scratch that, I do know why. Because I give a crap this time. Sure, I always care (<i>ish</i>) about how I perform at whatever race or competition we try. But somehow...my expectations for myself are usually not all that high. Keep expectations low and that way you'll never be disappointed, eh?<br />
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But this is not an Adventure Race (where I at least also have Dave to blame/give credit for) or a Mud-Run (which are purely for fun) or even like last summer's triathlon, which sure, I trained for, but seriously? Me? A triathlete? I was just out there to survive the day.<br />
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No, this is a Crossfit Competition. I L-O-V-E Crossfit. Seriously. I spend 3-4 nights a week there. How I perform on any given day, against myself, against the other gals at the box? It matters to me. I've been going for a year now. Unlike triathlons or Tough Mudder length runs, I'm no noob. I should be fairly decent at this by now. Right? RIGHT??!!!<br />
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** sidenote: The Tough Mudder last Saturday was da BOMB, yo! For once, I was the slowpoke in the group which meant we got to jog the whole 12 miles! Good times, indeed.<br />
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<i> Zafar, Shredder, Pru, & Dave - Thanks for hauling my ass up, over and through that course!</i></div>
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<i>Love you guys! </i></div>
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Right or wrong, that is how I feel. AND there are only 20 or so other women in my division. (Scaled, of course) So no anonymity like at a lot of other events, either. If I suck, people will notice. And as much as it should just be for fun and I shouldn't care how I do, I do. I care a lot. If I suck, I'm afraid it's really going to bring me down. But why? <br />
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I'm beginning to think that maybe the reason I feel so strongly about this is because for the past year, despite having gotten <i>hella </i>stronger and fitter, there is still a part of me that feels a tiny bit like a failure in the Fat Loss Dept. And that if I suck at this competition then that means that I'm NOT an Amazon.(Big girl who kicks ass.)<br />
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I'm just a big girl. <br />
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Which I know I should <i>think </i>is stupid. But there you are.<br />
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Yup. That is definitely what this is about. Now what do I do with this information????<br />
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On a lighter note, of my many (and there were MANY) costumes/pics</div>
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this Halloween season, this my fav. It was a very busy season.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyUEHu4K8SWWCSteqeEhBHbqLsSrhlHPvZkndnF2mjsWmXK_Nya77CU-F2mccQq2Cc-dbFG36hWpSHX4sU-3H-y40RpD8ngrkGj_2GzI2stq7IlyTkJNoeir_WjxpkChS-wU8kdsGUX-q/s1600/halloween+2013+rope+climb.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></div>
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<i>It's also one of the only ones I can post publicly. </i></div>
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<i>Oh Fantasy Fest, how I love thee.</i></div>
The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-27205263867263442012013-09-30T23:48:00.001-04:002013-09-30T23:51:03.127-04:00License to SuckThe Out of Steam Punks finally did their first Elite (6 hour) Pangea Adventure Race. And lived to tell the tale. I'm not going to lie, I only went along with this because Dave really wanted to...and as I've mentioned before, I've dragged him into enough stuff over the years, I owed him.<br />
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<strike>The day dawned bright and sunny.</strike> It rained off and on a lot of the day. But honestly, since it's still hot as balls in Florida, it was nice. We pulled Boat to start. I like the canoe well enough, I think it's actually my strongest of the three, but that doesn't mean I necessarily love it. But the water was beautiful, calm and the best part of moving up to Elite came into play: we got to use our kayak paddles! Yay! That made for a really pleasant paddle. We noticed that not only were we going faster with less effort, we were tracking much straighter as well. It took us a few more minutes to find CP 13 than I would have liked, (it was on an island, in from the shore line a bit) but not too bad. CP 14 was up a little creek and feeling pretty confident that we would NOT clear the course on our first Elite anyways, we let it go to save time to use elsewhere.<br />
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I'm sure there were lots of gators and turtles on the river here, but I didn't see a damn thing. I did startle a heron on the island near CP 13, so there's that.<br />
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Back to the Main TA and off on the Foot/Tube section. Tube? Whaaaaa? Yup, the race was held at Blue Springs State Park. So after grabbing a few CPs on foot, we had to grab a tube and find four CPs near the boil and along the spring run. As a result, I saw something I have never seen, nor likely will ever see again. Dave, who is usually the biggest weenie in the history of ever when it comes to getting in the cold, spring water, jumped right in! It was way refreshing and a great little addition to the race. Not that it was a relaxing float. Unless you have ever wandered too close to a gator, I doubt you realize how difficult it is too move swiftly on a tube. And I didn't even get to see the manatees the other teams reported were in the area. Dang.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgub55pCicuphLVrS_nGAsQGKLKIGi_uuP5aghS9wPmczK0jLPSS89ccQXaakO0uBP1_xsJeDcstNkwTwNbb0VIz6DRumVPA08VnlUMtMI2fIlaNpRpQZgN52BDKXfmeP97GjRel5s3EDPR/s1600/Oh-The-Huge-Manatee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgub55pCicuphLVrS_nGAsQGKLKIGi_uuP5aghS9wPmczK0jLPSS89ccQXaakO0uBP1_xsJeDcstNkwTwNbb0VIz6DRumVPA08VnlUMtMI2fIlaNpRpQZgN52BDKXfmeP97GjRel5s3EDPR/s1600/Oh-The-Huge-Manatee.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></div>
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A tragedy, really.</div>
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After that it was time for the Bike portion. Blue Springs has several miles of really nice, beginner friendly single-track. Earlier in the summer we went there with our son and we all really dug the trails. Of course, we could have done without all the "tiny spiders" back then. Every time we stopped for a quick break my son would say, "I've got these little spiders on me." I, not paying attention because I am a failure as a parent, would say "Oh, just brush them off." It wasn't till we stopped for a snack I looked down at my feet and the "little spiders" were ticks! Lots and lots of them. Needless to say I think we rode the last bit of the trail that day faster than I did on Saturday. Well, I know I did. The gearing on my bike was frozen and as a result when were weren't on the single track (pavement or hard dirt road) I couldn't ride anywhere near as fast I would have normally because I couldn't change gears most of the time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnQIBPHSoAX8fi8MKu74SJ_hywqiUpKfFOeRRH3bHcvk24N8bBBw-QTTTF3N-DolVxPNEtD8BRzoWgIndGf7lD5KyNxuvhDXoEXLU9NK6gnnLhvts3c2je3-2QEWP9gtf0XVEIw78Q1XQ/s1600/bike+throwing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnQIBPHSoAX8fi8MKu74SJ_hywqiUpKfFOeRRH3bHcvk24N8bBBw-QTTTF3N-DolVxPNEtD8BRzoWgIndGf7lD5KyNxuvhDXoEXLU9NK6gnnLhvts3c2je3-2QEWP9gtf0XVEIw78Q1XQ/s1600/bike+throwing.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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I felt like reenacting the Bike Toss from the Boar AR.</div>
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Onward and upward, we got all the CPs and headed back. Seriously though you guys, those trail were really cool. Great for families and those wanting some single track but aren't ready for big obstacles and challenges, like yours truly.</div>
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After getting our final punch card we took off on the bike again. Not gonna lie, I wasn't tired really, or cramping up or anything. I was just <i>over </i>the bike. Between the gears not working properly and that dang tiny seat turning me into a...what's the female equivalent of a eunuch? And let's be honest, I hadn't even ridden my bike for the past couple months. No, I'm not kidding. And I only run two or three miles every week or two. But as you know if you are a regular reader of this blog, I Crossfit. So it was a bit of an experiment personally, to see just how far Crossfit alone would get me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7Bjhim_Gi-sYPcdeExUC27QLMbVyUeWOIfctH8x51tzgCGunzCEPP8Th1ggMhIiw_QkVGFph8ebJtzT-d5xGt6_FVv-b9x2m-xdPax2-4nnXTOsLUyqTVrDKhtpoTJWz0aFmvksP9YVS/s1600/crossfit+wonka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7Bjhim_Gi-sYPcdeExUC27QLMbVyUeWOIfctH8x51tzgCGunzCEPP8Th1ggMhIiw_QkVGFph8ebJtzT-d5xGt6_FVv-b9x2m-xdPax2-4nnXTOsLUyqTVrDKhtpoTJWz0aFmvksP9YVS/s1600/crossfit+wonka.jpg" /></a></div>
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I'm so sorry, guys. </div>
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No, I'm not.</div>
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So we rode the couple of miles on a grassy/sandy road. Not my finest moment, but we got there. Dave and I switched bikes about a mile in, and oh sweet relief! Once we got to the Bike TA we got additional coordinates and took off into the swamp. Fine, only part of the trail was swampy, and the water was cool at least. So I had that going for me at least. Which is nice.</div>
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On the way to the swamp we did our good deed of the day for another team who may or may not have lost the slip of paper with the additional CP coordinates/clues on it. As if I can say no to cute Adventure Racers. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oelYxjUiwRbxm6HSia3lG8emeRUAEUUun7vWYdqX6C7xY5PKoQzIhvKhhYQEyu_dTSLw94JXYTctBsGAqLwlefqk0RtZLcU0zxSpcSqTOWr_A7fAW7SNpPIb6b4umFc8y0xCK57WB5bi/s1600/cougar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oelYxjUiwRbxm6HSia3lG8emeRUAEUUun7vWYdqX6C7xY5PKoQzIhvKhhYQEyu_dTSLw94JXYTctBsGAqLwlefqk0RtZLcU0zxSpcSqTOWr_A7fAW7SNpPIb6b4umFc8y0xCK57WB5bi/s1600/cougar.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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No. No, I cannot.</div>
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The next bit Dave really dug. It was some real orienteering where you had to find one CP, and then take a new heading from that point to find another, and then another. I understand how he did it, but it was definitely one of those times when I felt like, "Yeah, if you didn't do this with me, I wouldn't find half these CPs." Which, I dunno, might not be totally true. I've been tempted to grab a girlfriend and try a Sport Race without Dave, and do the navigating. One of these days, maybe. It kinda bugs me that I don't really do anything besides try to keep up and be the rabbit. I do hold the punch card and read the clues, ya know the same job our son could do when he races with us. </div>
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Anywhine, time started getting short, so we left two CPs out there and headed for home. It was on that two (?) miles back to the Bike TA that I would say the length of the race made itself known to us. Neither of us could maintain our Adventure Race Shuffle (easy jog we usually maintain for all of the Trek portion of Sport Races) due to our legs starting to cramp up/general muscle fatigue. But we still kept a move-on. I can do a pretty quick power walk, faster than Dave can keep up with. He would jog ahead and then walk, so we kept leap frogging each other until we hit the Bike TA. It wasn't pretty, but it worked.</div>
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I stole Dave's bike again on the way back. My legs were definitely getting fatigued by now, but my Crossfitter brain (I'm so, so sorry. No, I'm not.) kicked in, "15 more minutes, tops. You can do anything for 15 minutes." We nabbed CP 34 on the way back. Kinda proud of myself for figuring that one out myself, thank you very much. Then took off for home. It was (literally) all down hill from there.</div>
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We ended up in 16th. Out of 24 teams. Hence, the title to this post. Had we placed that low in a Sport Class Race, not gonna fib, we'd be pretty disappointed. But for our first Elite? We'll take it. Since it was our first go and we hadn't done any additional training, hell -we hadn't done <b><i>any </i></b>specific training, I figured we'd earned the license to suck. Next time, not so much. </div>
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Will we do another Elite? I wouldn't rule it out by any means. But for now, the Sport Class is more fun and still provides me with a sense of accomplishment upon completion. The Elite's pain to fun/accomplishment scale tipped a wee bit far onto the pain side for my liking, without additional training anyways. So why not do a little more dedicated training? Because life. I really, really enjoy doing Crossfit. That really takes up all of my "fitness" time. And the thing is, regardless of the fact that I actually look forward to going every day, I really do think it gives me, personally, the most bang for my buck in relation to what it allows me to do vs time spent at the gym. Last year, when we started doing Crossfit, we quit regularly just going for runs and riding the bicycles, and that's (oddly) when we started seeing real improvements in our Sport Class finishes. But to place well at Elite? No, I don't think Crossfit alone is enough. A little more endurance work is called for, I think. More work I just don't have the time, nor frankly desire, to do.</div>
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All that said, the Super Hero was another wonderfully well organized race by the Pangea Team. Everyone is so super friendly and supportive, the staff and the fellow racers. A shout out to the Canyoneros for their kind words of welcome to the Elite Class while we were on the Foot/Tube trail and congrats on your awesome finish! </div>
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Also, a big way to go to You're Dead to Me on their great Sport Class finish. They are local friends of ours and we love having a beer with them post race. They rock...and kick my ass when I occasionally get down to Vero for one of the <a href="http://www.adventuretrainingvero.com/" target="_blank">Adventure Training</a> Classes they coach.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBlSPEVCAOKWKtadYRD3iEP40zMHW0cSqZBYxoo5ei8Wc283lcyaj2ZLPgDnWdJgQpEBDSwfDgQ7bT52VlRIeqgnDeJZ1oXh9Z3YCadnSjr3e2CM7ajl6zmvvs4lT9760Ffac9ISJ0jqI/s1600/IMG_1244.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBlSPEVCAOKWKtadYRD3iEP40zMHW0cSqZBYxoo5ei8Wc283lcyaj2ZLPgDnWdJgQpEBDSwfDgQ7bT52VlRIeqgnDeJZ1oXh9Z3YCadnSjr3e2CM7ajl6zmvvs4lT9760Ffac9ISJ0jqI/s1600/IMG_1244.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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We are adorable. And sweaty. And sandy. A lovely combination. </div>
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Till next time, stay dirty my friends. And remember this:</div>
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The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-88735336727740160602013-09-19T16:09:00.000-04:002013-09-19T16:09:37.468-04:00Going toplessWell <i>that </i>title is sure going to screw with people's search results, no? If you came here for pics of topless crossfitters I apologize for my cunning ruse. Might I suggest r/gonewild? I don't think a lot of those ladies are crossfitters but they are topless. And lots of times bottomless. Bless their hearts. <span style="text-align: center;">So why the title? </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"> Because this has been happening off and on at my box:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLrEsDnkid3kcB4nfyHNg9raYUccaLREFUCJl97BXwPSqwFHid5mJSVKfeyhPWiorAlBet-9RZwE0wcpdaCgJEJiQa5Hd-4DVin9imwR9P2MlFJQMo7ZkEuFCJQtZWr0s0R-B4NizfxTJ/s1600/blog+level+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLrEsDnkid3kcB4nfyHNg9raYUccaLREFUCJl97BXwPSqwFHid5mJSVKfeyhPWiorAlBet-9RZwE0wcpdaCgJEJiQa5Hd-4DVin9imwR9P2MlFJQMo7ZkEuFCJQtZWr0s0R-B4NizfxTJ/s1600/blog+level+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>If you don't like to see imperfect bodies in sports bras then,</i></div>
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<i><strike>I'm sorry</strike> f*ck you, you're reading the wrong blog.</i></div>
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I had been talking to Dave awhile ago about the idea that, judging from what I've seen and heard on the interwebs, there are a <i>lot</i> more chicks just sporting the sports bra during/after WODs at other boxes than our own. Which kinda makes me a sad panda because I am a nudist at heart, and more importantly, did I mention I live in Florida and there is no air conditioning at our gym? And let's be honest it's the first damn time in my life I feel comfortable taking my shirt off in public! But noooooooo, even the fittest chicks at our box rarely take their tops off. As a result, and I don't think I'm speaking for myself here, those of us with less than perfect bodies are left thinking, "Well, hell. If SHE isn't taking her shirt off, I sure as hell can't."</div>
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And then one day during a Team WOD I looked over and my friend (in green above) was rocking just the sports bra. So I told her how I had been feeling about it. We both agreed that if chicks like <b style="font-style: italic;">us </b>lost their tops every now and again, then other women (who wanted to, but were too intimidated) would feel more comfortable doing it. Or at the very least, we would. </div>
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So now we do. Not everyday mind you, but when we are especially overheated and/or feeling bad-ass. Which we were yesterday. Both over-heated and feeling bad-ass. The first Lurong Challenge WOD was yesterday's WOD for our gym. Coach smoked us of course, but we all finished well under the time cap. </div>
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So yeah...the shirts came off.</div>
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The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-20439678342116405162013-09-18T14:32:00.002-04:002013-09-18T14:32:40.833-04:00Looking good, Billy Ray!<div style="text-align: center;">
So I got to see this guy Saturday night:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpiRLbCNauvc0uOPhH5X_UpLSJ3uLiiqdD0RylQ6suD6HJVLmHrpPSPSYdszqo7LyHj0zmrCX4Aijq3mwhRgZx51lVKNYnSsQvPekgoRp3JgZf2bw1p0ND8VBfzexcjt_zxoG-pWLLvkL/s1600/blog+adam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpiRLbCNauvc0uOPhH5X_UpLSJ3uLiiqdD0RylQ6suD6HJVLmHrpPSPSYdszqo7LyHj0zmrCX4Aijq3mwhRgZx51lVKNYnSsQvPekgoRp3JgZf2bw1p0ND8VBfzexcjt_zxoG-pWLLvkL/s1600/blog+adam.JPG" /> </a></div>
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<i>Oh, to be those hands.</i></div>
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With these guys: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3dLO1yuvG5je9iSVeeckAXnjlHrkOk7QkrSWA_8r2JhmfjjGqnmZOywPLhZcMWHrVTYDXm5GxSSksm6yIuCptmk5_vRZfH0-PHy8tYmrQknD8DlNZiA6ZEEfSziIDDe_0ZwPdXAMxGq0/s1600/blog+concert+holden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3dLO1yuvG5je9iSVeeckAXnjlHrkOk7QkrSWA_8r2JhmfjjGqnmZOywPLhZcMWHrVTYDXm5GxSSksm6yIuCptmk5_vRZfH0-PHy8tYmrQknD8DlNZiA6ZEEfSziIDDe_0ZwPdXAMxGq0/s1600/blog+concert+holden.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Thank you Holden, for being into Maroon 5 and not One Direction. Thank you</i>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDS8h1cPRUSoLdkY1qUvdxIWzlFTDGW6rSvy2KPUiQJeFkb4d7K6sm3a5cV3gt5c0m4rq6a9-tZjGAskrB0Y6KMluQDBH5Pr9VoNKEWP0A365u-WFO5CxxJTSv_d4tBt5nyceEpreyMtHr/s1600/blog+badger+judging.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDS8h1cPRUSoLdkY1qUvdxIWzlFTDGW6rSvy2KPUiQJeFkb4d7K6sm3a5cV3gt5c0m4rq6a9-tZjGAskrB0Y6KMluQDBH5Pr9VoNKEWP0A365u-WFO5CxxJTSv_d4tBt5nyceEpreyMtHr/s1600/blog+badger+judging.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Badger judges the author for putting a naked pic of Adam Levine so close to one of her family.</i></div>
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Anyways, the Lurong Paleo Challenge (finally) started on Monday. Yay! Seriously you guys, I really needed the rigidity of the program; knowing I gots to do right by my team, really helps get me back on track. Now I'm back to feeling like my old Badass-self again.</div>
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn49M6hij_qyByxRl1myGHrElqbIuIHJfZSk4aQ19hHC1MudjOwEmb3eSidJncX6TxE_4R8HW0LMLU_UF27hKcD1-66kkOcqCn04Hz6uCiZBI8YfEl45Fw0Qef2AktlBWQGnGAeiFqBJcA/s1600/blog+tires+patti.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn49M6hij_qyByxRl1myGHrElqbIuIHJfZSk4aQ19hHC1MudjOwEmb3eSidJncX6TxE_4R8HW0LMLU_UF27hKcD1-66kkOcqCn04Hz6uCiZBI8YfEl45Fw0Qef2AktlBWQGnGAeiFqBJcA/s1600/blog+tires+patti.JPG" height="320" width="230" /></a></i></div>
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<i>Gratuitous tire-flipping-beast-mode pic.</i></div>
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I got on the scale on Monday for the first time in weeks. Yeah I know, <i>very </i>weird for me. That's how off the rails and in denial I was, I. Didn't. Even. Want. To Know. That's how I <i>know </i>I've wandered back into disordered-eating land. As a result, I was perilously close to hitting a number I swore I would never see again. Like, one pound from it.</div>
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Yeah.</div>
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But that said, I weighed myself this Wednesday morning and I am already down 5.5lbs. Which sounds crazy, but not when you understand the Paleo/Not Paleo thing. Major water retention/bloating. Let's not beat around the bush with these numbers shall we? I hate when people do that. I was 199 Monday morning, 193.6 this morning. There I said it. I fully intend to get into the 170s by the time this Challenge is over, I'd <i>really </i>like to see some 160s, but that may be pushing it. We shall see. I am willing to trade any new Crossfit PRs (for the next couple months) in exchange for losing more fat. I've been dabbling a bit in r/fitness and other like-minded places around the intertubes. My big takeaway has been that you don't have to lose muscle to lose fat, but it's extremely difficult to build muscle <i><b>and </b></i>lose fat at the same time. Thanks to the past year of Crossfit, I have a lot of muscle. More than I have ever had in my entire life. But it's time for a "cut" as they say in the weight-lifting circles. I'm ready. It's time.</div>
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That said, here's the plan for this Challenge. All the meats and vegetables. Only one (two, if I really need it) servings of fruit per day. No nuts as snacks. If they are in a recipe, fine. I reserve the right to check new recipes/food combos on Myfitnesspal to make sure there are no surprises. However, I will <i>not </i>be logging every meal on MFP. Though I <i>will </i>be paying much closer attention to portion/serving sizes. There will be no more "Just cause it is Paleo, I get to eat as much as I want." I sorta did that on the Whole 30, and even though it was a very good experience, I did not lose any weight on it. Which I could have had I known then what I know now.</div>
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"You know better, you do better," as Ms. Angelou so eloquently put it.</div>
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So what have I eaten the past few days? I'm so glad you asked! </div>
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Breakfast - Bacon and eggs, with 1/2 an avocado one morning, a banana a different morning.</div>
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Lunch - Canned tuna with a salad of romaine and carrots w/ balsamic vinegar/olive oil. Raspberries.</div>
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Left over tuna steak and a hard boiled egg over a salad. Raspberries.</div>
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Left over brussel sprouts and sweet potato/ground beef hash with a hard boiled egg and an apple.</div>
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Dinner - Tuna Steak and Spinach</div>
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Brussel sprouts and sweet potato/ground beef hash</div>
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Tonight looks like a shrimp stir-fry with zucchinni and probably half a sweet potato.</div>
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For the
record, I only get into this "what I stuff in my mouth hole posts" during Paleo Challenges. I
always have non-Paleo friends asking, "So what DO you eat?" Umm, lots of stuff? So this is just a way to say, "SEE! HERE! It's not all bacon and steak." </div>
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Though to be fair...there is a lot of bacon and steak.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnILhkOc8Q2Fp9AlHxNjcXkd4nvcRfn-9zNQSXbZa2LVkj7oVQo7Zfr9vtE3mAo5g2vOWuIfza1Y-3WG3WWfNug0cQ7ubOcet2qSAbNZv9029HYkzAhrILntwf9KOS-CP4oHvDNdL3vRVi/s1600/6_reasons_bacon_is_better_than_true_love_posters-r242ac79df0464b31a2bdfbd502de28ff_aacs_8byvr_512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnILhkOc8Q2Fp9AlHxNjcXkd4nvcRfn-9zNQSXbZa2LVkj7oVQo7Zfr9vtE3mAo5g2vOWuIfza1Y-3WG3WWfNug0cQ7ubOcet2qSAbNZv9029HYkzAhrILntwf9KOS-CP4oHvDNdL3vRVi/s1600/6_reasons_bacon_is_better_than_true_love_posters-r242ac79df0464b31a2bdfbd502de28ff_aacs_8byvr_512.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZsIg5S24JM31TO1v8JxwQrfo83mxPIrEu8fWL3GhgBviElRDXSvQyIoEuGSTOvzsRpaQjS-WcZlm2Bz5X1xJrw3nUXkrsrrmgMnosIMnx9HxAmcS3qE-BSikfj7UNZMzbxbQgps5Cl16/s1600/6_reasons_bacon_is_better_than_true_love_posters-r242ac79df0464b31a2bdfbd502de28ff_aacs_8byvr_512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <i> The Oatmeal is my hero. (pic more bigger <a href="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/bacon_love" target="_blank">here</a>)</i>The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-3008936175142497342013-09-12T16:44:00.001-04:002013-09-12T16:46:17.342-04:00I'm ready to get dirty, how about you?It's Fall! Ok, not really...but the oak trees outside my house seems to think so. Do you know the mother-loving oak trees in Florida will lose their leaves more than once a year? Can you believe that? Assholes.<br />
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I take that back. I'm sorry, big shady oak trees. You are beautiful and keep my house cool(ish) and protect my house from high winds and you let me hang swings for my son, and wind chimes and birdhouses from you. And you house the squirrels which are so entertaining to both me and Badger. But you also harbor those little murderous bastard raccoons, too.<br />
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Huh. You're complex allies indeed, Oak Trees.<br />
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Anyrambletoinatimateobjects, Dave and I sat down and (just about) figured out our fall race schedule so here goes...with bonus what-I-hope-to-accomplish for each:<br />
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<b>September 28th</b> - Pangea Super Hero Adventure Race - 6 Hour Elite Class<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiPJxK1pXho8r1vHJcbQ4NyAelb6zrzAQV-Xfd80_h8qndPwTa_1Zd71q1BrAf5yMFdryuVuGbHkMRVpuqdiKmFdCbz63JAbJTLFJxA9pRsg1Ta5OSIxXeJoBFoRy6K-POlUY27rQ1IuW/s1600/blog+superhero+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiPJxK1pXho8r1vHJcbQ4NyAelb6zrzAQV-Xfd80_h8qndPwTa_1Zd71q1BrAf5yMFdryuVuGbHkMRVpuqdiKmFdCbz63JAbJTLFJxA9pRsg1Ta5OSIxXeJoBFoRy6K-POlUY27rQ1IuW/s1600/blog+superhero+logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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Check it out <a href="http://pangeaadventureracing.com/event-details/events/2013-superhero-ar" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Honestly, I really have next to zero interest in doing a 6 hour race. We normally do the 3 hour races. But we won 50% off an Elite Class registration months ago, for coming in 3rd in a SC race. And Dave really wants to do it. (sigh) I've dragged him into enough crap over the years, so it's the least I can do. Ok, well clearly it's not the <b><i>least</i></b> I could do. But it won't kill me. Well, not likely anyways.<br />
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The cool part is it is at Blue Springs SP, which we visited early in the summer. The bike trails are actually really nice single track MTB trails, so I'm looking forward to hitting those again. Hopefully not literally, but probably. I always end falling at least once a race, somehow.<br />
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Goal = Same as our first Sport Class two years ago; don't die and try not to finish too pathetically far behind everyone else.<br />
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<b>October 19th</b> - So here's our conundrum, do we do the Savage Race in Tampa?<br />
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Info <a href="http://www.savagerace.com/locations/florida-fall-2013" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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or the Lighterknot Adventure Race in Bunnell?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_8GnpcrGcUhH39Jhk7CycXy77pktaNibNgaQ8IXMNH0L64lb-QdpE36Et1DHL5yTA_kbKlbeE9coImMBc_H7ltjft6Bif6YPHKhZ81JMCNtQPi4dyJaF5xuYWoHq4pTzYrEiZo1hm_Bg/s1600/blog+lighterknot+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_8GnpcrGcUhH39Jhk7CycXy77pktaNibNgaQ8IXMNH0L64lb-QdpE36Et1DHL5yTA_kbKlbeE9coImMBc_H7ltjft6Bif6YPHKhZ81JMCNtQPi4dyJaF5xuYWoHq4pTzYrEiZo1hm_Bg/s1600/blog+lighterknot+logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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Aaaaand <a href="http://pangeaadventureracing.com/event-details/events/2013-lighterknot-ar" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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It sounds like the Savage Race, in regards to obstacles, is on par with the Tough Mudder. But it's only 5-6 miles. If we do the Lighterknot, we're just doing the three hour, because for some ungodly reason the Elite Class is 8 hours for this race. </div>
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To which I say:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76VUO-KQypAwd8DN4EB0pu0eneOGWhBe5p-MLE9FHBrxBR-HZbuUJYbkNoBZkbPzDLZnX74qjyM40MEHRYwkNna8YFNpGpacfpeQZTv70zZ5E4F05taaZTYt_9ckC0x7A7DzCcqyGxFjR/s1600/blog+nope+cat+dragging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76VUO-KQypAwd8DN4EB0pu0eneOGWhBe5p-MLE9FHBrxBR-HZbuUJYbkNoBZkbPzDLZnX74qjyM40MEHRYwkNna8YFNpGpacfpeQZTv70zZ5E4F05taaZTYt_9ckC0x7A7DzCcqyGxFjR/s1600/blog+nope+cat+dragging.jpg" /></a></div>
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Savage Race = No pressure. Goal = to have fun.</div>
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Adventure race = Parts of every race make me question my sanity and choice in life partner, but we always have a huge sense of accomplishement when we are done regardless of how we finish on the leaderboard. Goal = to win.</div>
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Decisions, decisions. Dave says he prefers the Lighter Knot, but if some friends are going to do the Savage, he'll do that. So hit me up people.</div>
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<b>November 2nd </b>- Tough Mudder</div>
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Because why the hell not?</div>
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Seriously. It's only an hour away from us this time. For the record, I am NOT doing the electric obstacles this time. Screw that noise. But I'm down with the rest. The shorter Mud/Obstacle races don't usually compare to Adventure races in terms of "accomplishment" with the exception (to me) of the Tough Mudder. </div>
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Goal= Jog a LOT more between obstacles (if conditions allow) and finish in under 4 hours. </div>
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<b>November 9th </b>- Vero Beast</div>
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Local Crossfitters click <a href="http://verobeast.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">this</a>.</div>
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Hoooooly kettlebells boys and girls! The Riding Librarian is entered in her first Crossfit Competition! Because I still kind of suck, I'll be doing the Scaled Division, but whatevs. Incidentally, it is apparantly only open to members of the Ft Pierce, Vero and Sebastian boxes, but feel free to show up and cheer for me/carry me to the waaaaahmbulance aftewards. </div>
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Goal = to win. Yeah. Really not likely to happen, but since I am competeing comfortably within my skill set, I am planning on really giving it my all. </div>
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<b>November 23rd</b> - Dirty Girl Mud Run</div>
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Info <a href="http://godirtygirl.com/mud-run/event/Orlando-Florida-2013/66" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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This is <i>just </i>a 5K, but I'm really looking forward to it. And yes, I know how freaking pretentious saying "just a 5K" sounds. But please give me this. I know there are lots of people who are currently training their butts off to get in shape <i>just </i>so they can particpate in this very run. And here I am seeing it as a no-biggee, zero pressure day out with some awesome girlfriends...not a care in the world whether or not I can complete it. But please forgive me and let the Patti of 3 years ago stand agape at the girl of today, and hate her just a little bit. In a good way. </div>
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Goal = get dirty and have a lot of laughs with my Fluff Dog.</div>
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Aside from all the races/competitions over the next few months, I'm looking at a getaway to Key West for Fantasy Fest, a FL Chapter Women in the Wind Rally, a Concours Owner's Group Rally, my son's first concert (Maroon 5), and more mayhem to go unmentioned. Life is good.</div>
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Oh and did I tell you my neighbor is opening up a bar (tomorrow) within walking distance of my house? </div>
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Yeah. This won't end well. </div>
The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-26308412226809810082013-09-12T15:20:00.001-04:002013-09-12T15:29:28.067-04:00Off the railsThe Lurong Challenge is just 4 days away. And it cannot. Get. Here. Fast. Enough. For you see, knowing I'm about to start a fairly strict, two month long eating plan has kicked my particular brand of disordered eating into high gear, the past week or so especially.<br />
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"Go ahead, eat what you want...BINGE even!" my brain says. "You're about to get super strict and you're going to lose a ton of weight in the next couple months! You know what? If you eat a bunch of crap <b style="font-style: italic;">now </b>you'll be so sick of it you won't even miss it!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1llQfKI0_M_FrKGNkdeMUlKPUOUQapHrW_kDwkodvQr8L67A4syNhFCRHIaJmRLjJHkUR_RmRbNzkN1Ougn6BrGxRFDbiMpS9SgsoDa8PvNhdPqnpOv_lPsmRwQSZNwtkQG-IUKUUDc1z/s1600/blog+louis+ck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1llQfKI0_M_FrKGNkdeMUlKPUOUQapHrW_kDwkodvQr8L67A4syNhFCRHIaJmRLjJHkUR_RmRbNzkN1Ougn6BrGxRFDbiMpS9SgsoDa8PvNhdPqnpOv_lPsmRwQSZNwtkQG-IUKUUDc1z/s1600/blog+louis+ck.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've know I've used this pic before, but it's never been more appropriate.</div>
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Yesterday for example: two chocolate chip cookies with cream filling in the middle and a bagel with butter (a BAGEL, for the love of Gallifrey!) for breakfast. For lunch, a 1/2 sub (a SUB!?! Though to be fair a couple of years ago I would have bought a whole sub, AND ate the whole thing, so there's that...I guess) along with a cup of watermelon and not one, but <b><i>two </i></b>(Because king-size dont'cha know) BIG peanut butter cups. And for afternoon snack, what probably amounted to nearly 2 cups of peanut/raisin/m&m trail mix.<br />
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Yeah.<br />
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So wrappers have been unsuccessfully hidden, receipts thrown away, the credit card used to buy food (if you can call it that) instead of the debit card, because then my husband will see that I stopped somewhere and how much I spent.<br />
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Fuck. Me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuNugWBrbvcGaqAv7NsNeb9b7N6l7kBv3SaWUO1lnjgd3JFvPrzDs1SzJhlgbY-NuBgId8XxECtknpf_b4eHCsHe6HgksTPDdNsFVdhOXoZha9fPI-0aibdRYaT8Rg7R1a8Pzmb8Ph0Ff/s1600/blog+cynanide+stupid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuNugWBrbvcGaqAv7NsNeb9b7N6l7kBv3SaWUO1lnjgd3JFvPrzDs1SzJhlgbY-NuBgId8XxECtknpf_b4eHCsHe6HgksTPDdNsFVdhOXoZha9fPI-0aibdRYaT8Rg7R1a8Pzmb8Ph0Ff/s1600/blog+cynanide+stupid.jpg" height="268" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am not a smart woman.</div>
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So, naturally by 4:00 yesterday afternoon I felt like shit. But to be honest, I didn't feel too (mentally) low about it, because again, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "This is temporary. I'll get my shit together come Monday and all will be fine." Then I made the mistake of talking to my usually wonderfully supportive husband about how I've been eating and how I've made myself sick with it. To make a long story short, we broke the first rule of martial contentment in that only one of us is allowed to be crazy at a time. I'm not saying he was crazy per se, but he was tired mentally and physically and wasn't in the right frame of mind to deal with my neurosis. So instead of feeling supported I felt, really, really judged. And like I have been letting him down by my eating habits lately. Which of course <b><i>really </i></b>sent me down the shame spiral.<br />
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It got ugly.<br />
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Why a picture of a puppy here? Because I just google-imaged the word "ugly." Don't <b><i>ever </i></b>do that.</div>
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But thank Glassman, I went to Crossfit after work. And I RXed a workout not many people chose to, and I was really proud of my performance. And I remembered who I was. A badass. A BAMF that can accomplish anything she puts her mind too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8hT1LmMNi2Xco9pCw3blRCyXtUGP-sQ8iEUC4-3tzw2W8AMk-X8vIPeUsF43VDY-C6SG8DUa5ENAovbHFB_ulNcmGiccZUkRsU38rRMkZE-hPzm-UGqIFAlNtCErprk3Fz5IY8oOKRs6/s1600/blog+xena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8hT1LmMNi2Xco9pCw3blRCyXtUGP-sQ8iEUC4-3tzw2W8AMk-X8vIPeUsF43VDY-C6SG8DUa5ENAovbHFB_ulNcmGiccZUkRsU38rRMkZE-hPzm-UGqIFAlNtCErprk3Fz5IY8oOKRs6/s1600/blog+xena.jpg" /></a></div>
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Dealing with my ED is not a one time battle, it's a war that will never completely end for the rest of my life, I imagine. The lines of occupation may shift on occasion, but I have the weapons I need to succeed. I just need to keep fighting.<br />
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I hesitated to write about this for the same reason that Dave's choice in words hurt me so much yesterday. I have been told by some really awesome people that I am an inspiration to them. So to lose control of myself so badly the past week has me feeling like a fraud and a failure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA0el0h8T9puYHqw3AE7AB85ZZLcrQF9p8zHN4cY1XH4Hw5SxmjgAOIKYH1Nog-Xrof4a4dYhwqFT3XNH703gu2BcVQHGANLxjqH0_0qmtFyI_Ch5oAWpJv2yawrwJT6s8fXirv78E1jc/s1600/blog+family+guy+phony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA0el0h8T9puYHqw3AE7AB85ZZLcrQF9p8zHN4cY1XH4Hw5SxmjgAOIKYH1Nog-Xrof4a4dYhwqFT3XNH703gu2BcVQHGANLxjqH0_0qmtFyI_Ch5oAWpJv2yawrwJT6s8fXirv78E1jc/s1600/blog+family+guy+phony.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yup.</div>
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But then again, I'm not being authentic if I let my blog or my FB page make it seem like this whole eating-right, active lifestyle thing is always easy. Because it's not. We all need to realize that the path to wellness is not a straight line. It's a meandering path. And one that you're occasionally going to lose sight of. But it's up to you to keep your eyes open and realize when you've lost the trail and then do all within your power to get back on it. </div>
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Because you will. And so will I.</div>
The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-13379259129912705872013-08-28T12:42:00.002-04:002013-08-28T15:48:12.021-04:00Sooooo....how's things?So the summer, both at work and home, has been crazy-nutball-banana-pants.<br />
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Seriously.<br />
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No time to write, or think for that matter. But, in short:<br />
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I'm still a rabid Crossfitter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkFZt1mRgmep5Gs_tQQT42CYTHsYc-Gk-40NhIfwRY0LgiKWYuPt-88Xp5ry1XkNbf9FZ2kZp1WxtdDRaDJ3LEft2gjmkDnOZZivsz4oaxl3yL_bFG4SklTtBcHLv1k-fVAV18zJKhCBN/s1600/blog+crossfit+rope+climb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkFZt1mRgmep5Gs_tQQT42CYTHsYc-Gk-40NhIfwRY0LgiKWYuPt-88Xp5ry1XkNbf9FZ2kZp1WxtdDRaDJ3LEft2gjmkDnOZZivsz4oaxl3yL_bFG4SklTtBcHLv1k-fVAV18zJKhCBN/s1600/blog+crossfit+rope+climb.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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So this totally happened. <i>FINALLY</i>. Though it's still only a on-a-good-day kinda thing.</div>
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I'm still a Primal Blueprint Gal. Though we have admittedly been waaaay too lenient on the weekends. That shit is about to get corrected <i>big </i>time, but we'll get to that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfiIXNap5FJhDPNYpaFRJ3ymgLoqVusuoswxgllgCh0bTxrzYHWLcXO6JuRzG0ZVEtxCyrjdDXRzg4LwrzpuCGfQyWpnS8QYnZlyw2Bb4n8jLFGNMRLxSsbQV-v2zl9gKZIVnz2-QIO4m/s1600/coconut+flour+pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfiIXNap5FJhDPNYpaFRJ3ymgLoqVusuoswxgllgCh0bTxrzYHWLcXO6JuRzG0ZVEtxCyrjdDXRzg4LwrzpuCGfQyWpnS8QYnZlyw2Bb4n8jLFGNMRLxSsbQV-v2zl9gKZIVnz2-QIO4m/s1600/coconut+flour+pancakes.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Coconut Flour Pancakes, FTW!</div>
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I rode my bike some.</div>
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Nope, not the ocean. The eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee.</div>
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We went to the beach a bit more than in the past.</div>
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Actual Atlantic Ocean pictured.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Look at the little grain belly on that boy! Don't worry he really doesn't look this all the time.</span></div>
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We had adventures.</div>
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Family vacation this year was to North Georgia. Lots of great (and shockingly dangerous) hiking (I'm looking at you, Talullah Gorge SP!) and biking and was topped off with the Fathers Day Pangea Adventure Race at Wekiva SP on the way home. At which, we rocked.</div>
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There was a Shop Party or two.</div>
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"Go to Casa de Fuchs, grab a nice cold pint, and wait for this all to blow over."</div>
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I <i><b>finally </b></i>got the plain, little Ankh tattoo on my back done-up properly.</div>
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In Germany they refer to Tramp Stamps as Arschgeweih, which means Ass Antlers. You're welcome.</div>
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I turned forty-fucking-years old, went to Colorado, climbed Longs Peak and saw a concert at Red Rocks, among other things.</div>
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Longs Peak Hike/Climb - Most amazing experience of my life. End of story.</div>
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And the highlight of the summer? They finally started selling Fat Tire in Florida!</div>
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My life is now complete.</div>
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So. Now what? Well, to be honest, though I have definitely been building muscle and making slow and gradual progress at Crossfit, I do feel like I've let my body fat percentage creep up a bit. Dave and I are both spot on pictures of Paleo and Crossfit perfection. Monday through Friday. But for a lot of the summer, I've slacked off in regards to keeping the total calories/cheats in check on the weekends. I just got back from a check-up with the Endocrinologist and she is over the moon regarding my thyroid numbers, blood pressure, cholesterol etc. She even says she's fine with my weight. Which all made me a very happy camper.</div>
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But that said, I do want to lower my body fat percentage, (and no, I don't know exactly what it is now. I just want to be...less.) gain more muscle, and keep making improvements at the gym. And maybe, just maybe give another shot at not having to log all my food. All day. Everyday. I'm not really hopeful on that last one, but we'll see. Lessons were learned on the Whole 30 back in January. (lay off the freakin' almonds, being one) Lessons I am hoping will help me succeed at this: </div>
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Check it out <a href="http://www.lurongliving.com/challenge2013/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Blogging always helps when I am doing these challenges, so expect to see me posting more often again.</div>
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I know! Be still your heart, right?</div>
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<br />The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-73821183351354414242013-06-03T15:34:00.000-04:002013-06-03T16:42:45.553-04:00Mother-Son DanceI can't not share this.The local Rec Dept put on a Mother-Son Dance this past weekend. When I asked Holden if he wanted to attend, I was pleasantly surprised when he agreed without question. God forbid I keep things simple, so I opened my big mouth and said, "You wanna cosplay it?"<br />
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Which thanks to a friend who made the dress (because "Stolen Earth" Rose wasn't nearly dressy enough for a dance) we went like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtClkrNRAK9HUdBRptHDrpnBvvpRA9l2LtEWfDA5DfqH6nU6ojT0SzIYnG4JtJn1Z18DQ-9h_6VLNWX9-YhL8C5dKcx3Y7y-eV7-0nG3-qQfBDI4qUh_WRMa2OejhmLfGmGhFDN2BJdA1/s1600/blog+mother+son+dance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtClkrNRAK9HUdBRptHDrpnBvvpRA9l2LtEWfDA5DfqH6nU6ojT0SzIYnG4JtJn1Z18DQ-9h_6VLNWX9-YhL8C5dKcx3Y7y-eV7-0nG3-qQfBDI4qUh_WRMa2OejhmLfGmGhFDN2BJdA1/s1600/blog+mother+son+dance.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Nope, not a soul had any idea we were cosplaying. Pretty sure they all just thought we have really odd fashion sense. But true to form, we didn't care. After they fed us and everyone really started dancing, I encouraged him to move to the front of the dance floor to dance with the other boys. He's not a shy kid, but he declined and said, "No let's dance back here where there is more space." And then proceeded to swing dance with me. I've been teaching him basic spins forever, but it's only <i>very </i>recently that he's grown tall enough to spin me and really lead. Which is the reason why I didn't bother getting the pink heels that would complete the Rose Tyler outfit. With heels on I am too tall for him to spin.</div>
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We had a great time, dancing to the beat of our own drum. (kinda literally) Here's hoping he can get through his teen years with the same Zero F**** to Give (in a good way) Attitude.</div>
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Incidentally, I posted the pic on r/cosplay and someone commented, "So who won the Motherboy Award?" </div>
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I am soooo bringing one of my nephews to this event next year and making him wear a mechanical/fake hand.</div>
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**Lots of Geek/Internet Culture references in this post. If you have no idea what I'm talking about with all this, stay tuned. I'll go back to Paleo/Crossfit/Travel/Race chatter shortly.</div>
<br />The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-4976300707432094382013-06-03T14:46:00.000-04:002013-06-03T14:46:16.617-04:00I am an athlete.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Indian River Rowing Club took part in National Learn to Row Day on Saturday. An old friend stopped by the library to personally invite me. The canal where they practice is practially around the corner from my house. Plus, I've always been curious about the sport. How could I refuse?</div>
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Here's me desperately trying to appear as if I have any clue what is going on.</div>
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It was really interesting and the people were very friendly and welcoming. I absolutely love sucking at something. Well, for a time anyways. I love, love, love the thrill of trying new things and learning to get better at them. Which is one of the reasons why I love Crossfit so much, sooooo many skills to learn and with the combinations always changing you never get perfect at it. Which is good. Always something to strive for....but I digress, as usual.</div>
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Will I join the Rowing Club? Unfortunately, probably not anytime soon. I enjoyed it, but not so much I would give up weekday Crossfitting for it, or any of the weekend activites I do that Crossfit prepares me for. But if I was retired or didn't work? I would totally make it part of my repertoire. There was something extremely zen-like to it. I would get into a good rhythm and just focus on the cadence of the person in front of me. I foudn it to be very calming, for lack of a better word.</div>
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That said, a tiny little comment by one of the Club Members made my day and made me think again about how far I have come in the past 2 years. As we were chatting, and I was explaining that I had never had any experience with this kind of rowing, she very obviously looked me up and down and said, "Well sure, but you're an athlete, no?" And she said it very matter of factly. Naturally, because fat-brain still takes auto-pilot duties a lot of the time, I started to say, "Oh, no. I'm not an..." </div>
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But I stopped myself and said, "Yes. Yes, I am."</div>
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I do Adventure Races, they may only be 3 hour versions, not 3 days, but we usually place pretty darn well, dammit. I'm a Crossfitter. I am by far no where near the fittest in my Box, I'm no where near the bottom ether. Throw a Warrior Dash, hell, a Tough Mudder even and I'm in like Flynn. Want to so dome rowing? Hell, sign me up! I'll barely even break a sweat. HA! I'm lying. I'll totally sweat, but I'll not tire.</div>
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So yes, I am an Athlete. But not because of the races I do. Because I am out there, moving my body as much as I can, as often as I can in the time/space my life allows and continually striving to to be the fastest, strongest, most tenacious I can be. That's what makes me an athlete. </div>
The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-15300362271660825632013-05-20T16:16:00.000-04:002013-05-20T16:16:06.883-04:00Tough Mudder - Jacksonville 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYmOXMU_Dglf2Ml_M_RW8V9EKjgIHE7Pw90iNW-4WABHNBshSKUmtM20HJ-eujsSPWxUxl3WgoP-s02ZsME_DI69oyIwMMHNIASDRhgtzZhrWGGKDHMP1Cz0aCU2IaBbKWx0HyBu165wt/s1600/tough+mudder+post+race+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYmOXMU_Dglf2Ml_M_RW8V9EKjgIHE7Pw90iNW-4WABHNBshSKUmtM20HJ-eujsSPWxUxl3WgoP-s02ZsME_DI69oyIwMMHNIASDRhgtzZhrWGGKDHMP1Cz0aCU2IaBbKWx0HyBu165wt/s1600/tough+mudder+post+race+2013.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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It was tough. It was muddy. But we were ready for the challenge. Dave completed every obstacle. The only one I didn't do was the Funky Monkey.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhqOdoo7fzNCs3kKjHXifPj3N5Hl3DVTs9HWUrFl7KwIQOMMq0gPGEQbWnZ3SEw5-Hyhwu1vE1cV-sX1FXtG2hV2BoYqUoFT_vV4kZ5r4nElPrIpUjWcTLcBkJ64bfvOxKYW5Yqaep-BI/s1600/funky-monkey2011-08-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhqOdoo7fzNCs3kKjHXifPj3N5Hl3DVTs9HWUrFl7KwIQOMMq0gPGEQbWnZ3SEw5-Hyhwu1vE1cV-sX1FXtG2hV2BoYqUoFT_vV4kZ5r4nElPrIpUjWcTLcBkJ64bfvOxKYW5Yqaep-BI/s1600/funky-monkey2011-08-25.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yeah. I can maybe do 1/4 of that...trust me, I've tried.</div>
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But thanks to my awesome teammates and my own stubborness, I made it over/under/through all the rest.</div>
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Not neccessarily all that gracefully, but I did it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6DeuWrORJG9tdREzGW3e_bdM8k2n7aya5rVFv1DBStUSqTRof5OErKgO82b_pFPt7d5SXIN-9uOTivd_IhkUzDCerRc_MjFDdXDaQIIPzpHpahWWkdxC-oZCAD69YbtIGGxT8fBxoCGV/s1600/clumsy+elephant.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6DeuWrORJG9tdREzGW3e_bdM8k2n7aya5rVFv1DBStUSqTRof5OErKgO82b_pFPt7d5SXIN-9uOTivd_IhkUzDCerRc_MjFDdXDaQIIPzpHpahWWkdxC-oZCAD69YbtIGGxT8fBxoCGV/s1600/clumsy+elephant.gif" /></a></div>
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Seriously you guys, that mud was slippery.</div>
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Naturally, the obstacles I thought would be difficult were a piece of cake and the ones that I wasn't so much concerned with kicked my ass. For example, I thought this one was going to be pretty mentally taxing:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmLx4xAJ0rvGygfv-BPz4MeBvVjNGKZ4ltGjKNLCmNrUHrz8DPRJUSgWmLfPZsBAzBxnvqXf5hIbS7LdVjZt3MjW6O68IPADybfkwTqV__eFJ_ONIs7n7QZUdVbUyfWMzTuATXeHe79h8/s1600/cagecrawl_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmLx4xAJ0rvGygfv-BPz4MeBvVjNGKZ4ltGjKNLCmNrUHrz8DPRJUSgWmLfPZsBAzBxnvqXf5hIbS7LdVjZt3MjW6O68IPADybfkwTqV__eFJ_ONIs7n7QZUdVbUyfWMzTuATXeHe79h8/s1600/cagecrawl_0.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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But as it turns out, it was quite relaxing. I float like a cork, so I just slowly pulled my way through. No joking, I wished that one was longer because it was nice to just pull myself along, chill as f***k in the cool water. </div>
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I really hadn't given the Arctic Enema (ice cold, literally) and the Electric Shock obstacles much thought because they were just about pain. I've pushed another living thing out of my vagina, I've had major surgery...I'm a Crossfitter, damn it! I have learned to make friends with pain. It does not scare me. And it didn't. But I'm not going to lie to you. The electric shocks hurt like a sonuvabitch. You had to run through the last one, (you crawled through the first) and the shocks dropped both Dave and I to our knees. The Arctic Enema, once you were out for a minute or two, actually felt great. My muscles really enjoyed it. But for the moments that I was in it, my body was so shocked I started involuntarily breathing REALLY quickly as I was working my way out. But through all three of the painful obstacles, I did not lose my shit as I saw some folks do....just pushed through the pain and did what I needed to do to get myself out of there as soon as quickly as possible. </div>
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Kinda felt like this in my head:</div>
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Our teammates all had varying levels of fitness, so we took <b><i>lots </i></b>of walking breaks. So between that and the waits at the obstacles it took us about 4 hours and 10 minutes to finish. Which was fine, as with our crew I was thinking 4 hours would be our best case scenario. By the time we were done, I felt...well, fine. A little beat up and bruised from the obstacles, but in terms of muscles/cardio I could have done another 12 miles if required. My legs felt perfectly strong. I've felt worse after ten mile forest hikes in the past.</div>
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Why did I feel great? Finished super-strong and no muscle soreness, even today when so many I know who have done it are in pain afterwards? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIv7SFCHkZuXSNK6npEeurOiiFInv2Npa6w_Ex5TySN_Zhe-SvACWgLrKEKt02uh-1bsyvaueHnK5rw57Obs6CjYs-2f6zUjhM4bzT2H3MQTQuvF5uvFWS5ufxXyL65yfeIX3oGWrBTx7o/s1600/CleanCrossfitBeAwesome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIv7SFCHkZuXSNK6npEeurOiiFInv2Npa6w_Ex5TySN_Zhe-SvACWgLrKEKt02uh-1bsyvaueHnK5rw57Obs6CjYs-2f6zUjhM4bzT2H3MQTQuvF5uvFWS5ufxXyL65yfeIX3oGWrBTx7o/s1600/CleanCrossfitBeAwesome.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yeah, you knew what the answer to that question was going to be didn't you?</div>
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I never did any long runs to prep for the Tough Mudder, just kept up my regular Crossfit schedule. And BAM! Killed it. Just like with the Adv Races. Quit doing the chronic-cardio type workouts, just stuck with the Crossfit and BAM! Times improved. Of course, if I was looking to put in faster times, and/or marathon type distances I would assume supplementary workouts would be in order. However, I continue to be amazed with the actual real-world-getting-shit-done results Crossfit provides me. So much result, with so little (time) investment, IMO. Not saying it'll work that way for everyone, just saying that it works for me.</div>
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Also, I learned a new trick at this race which I think contributed greatly to my recovery. One of our teammates is an ultra-runner and he suggested I add a pack of salt to my first of three cups of water I would drink at every stop. Which I did, two or three times throughout the race. I'll definitely be incorporating that into my Adv Races, especially when we try our first long one coming up in September.</div>
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After the race we decided to make the most of having the kid at grandma's all weekend and stayed the night in Orlando. To further prove (brag, whatever) how quick our recovery was, we went out dancing until 2:00am after the race. Not to say, Mr. Fuchs is without soreness, he definitely is feeling it a bit. But to be fair, he got a much harder workout than I did. Not only was he the only person on our team to complete those long-ass monkey bars, he (along with the ultra-runner) had to boost me and another female teammate over all the huge walls and stuff. They even hung out at the the top of Mt Everest for awhile after we got up there so that they could help some other folks get up. Very cool.</div>
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Which reminds me of something else I learned at TM. You know how in action movies you see someone danlging from a cliff or a bridge or something and they are holding on by fingertips and still manage to only sloooooowly slip away, or maybe not. Maybe the hero pulls them up by just a hand's grasp? Uh, no. The burns on my knees are proof that if you don't grab wrists, it ain't happening my friends. Just grab hands and you'll immediately lose your grip, if you're talking full grown human beings anyways.</div>
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My cellphone is still MIA so I can't take a pic of my skinned knees for you, nor can I find a gif that illustrates my point so here's one of stars orbiting around a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.</div>
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Because, Muse.</div>
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So what's next for this dirty, dirty girl? Beat the Gauntlet, a 6 mile mud-run with ropes course is on June 8th. Even thought it kind of alters our vacation plans a bit, it's a must do. It's local (as in 2-minutes-away-local) and we'll be able to finally get our hands on that ROTC ropes course. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMjtwaOpMv3MG8teKNcLhnOc3gj7o889RqLlc-ZWB_RzOeoOCjzfoWxdPnxNmnni8phhqnAFy3gw6BlOt0hPv1Py3VSJsWKBTbd9_7MvUL_gRAZfrhkR95H7uBV0cCvMjRuOK8RMke_Nv/s1600/beatthegauntlet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMjtwaOpMv3MG8teKNcLhnOc3gj7o889RqLlc-ZWB_RzOeoOCjzfoWxdPnxNmnni8phhqnAFy3gw6BlOt0hPv1Py3VSJsWKBTbd9_7MvUL_gRAZfrhkR95H7uBV0cCvMjRuOK8RMke_Nv/s1600/beatthegauntlet.jpg" height="118" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you're in FL, <a href="http://www.beatthegauntlet.com/" target="_blank">check it out!</a> </div>
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The weekend after that is the <a href="http://pangeaadventureracing.com/event-details/events/2013-scar-ar" target="_blank">Father's Day/SCAR</a> Adventure Race, put on by <a href="http://pangeaadventureracing.com/" target="_blank">Pangea</a>. Holden did this race with us last year. He enjoyed it. And by enjoy I mean he liked spending time with us doing something we enjoy, but we totally had to bribe him with a new Lego set to keep him motivated and not whining when he got tired. When it was all said and done he committed to doing this race with us each year, but that's it. Which we found fair. And actually prefer since at the Adv Races (as opposed to the Mud-Runs) we are pretty competitive and are trying to go as fast as possible/place well. I have to admit I can't wait until he is old enough to do the Mud-Runs. I know he is going to love them, and a low pressure environment is much more conducive to family togetherness. </div>
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That's it for now dear readers, I've got some snatches to prepare for this evening.</div>
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That doesn't mean what you think it does....or maybe it does. I'm not asking questions.</div>
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The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-57834474027549770052013-05-13T11:57:00.002-04:002013-05-13T13:51:42.779-04:00You can rob me, you can starve me...and you can beat me and you can kill me. Just don't bore me.That was my husband's Senior Yearbook Quote. It's from the movie Heart Break Ridge. Mine was "I'd rather laugh with the Sinners, than cry with the Saints," from 'Only the Good Die Young' by Billy Joel. That explains a lot about us, doesn't it.?<br />
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I warned ya'll I'd be late with my next post...'course I didn't think I'd be <i><b>this</b></i> late. But whatevs. I'm here now, so quit fussing. That said, since it's been a busy few weeks and I am crazy-stupid-banana-pants busy at work <i>and </i>home right now, you get the highlight reel.<br />
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Dave and I took a few days off and rode up to the Concours Owners Group's Run with the Wolf Rally in Suches, GA. I just finished the first draft of the article I was asked to write for the COG magazine. I'll post it here as soon as it is done. But some pics that won't be in the article:<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"> So this happened:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mc-fsVYOiOJMnu1cQrp6eBPKSrxXlcbdW6epzpJ2tiwI7wL6GVjyXJHB36RLdH-sZxIzb6aZQQLx7cnMkcUJ1YTNdYfKYGQycDR_aRBW-mqrRWmSd7Er8E3xcGYaQoX8wKai8wGu-3E7/s1600/rwtw+food+helen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mc-fsVYOiOJMnu1cQrp6eBPKSrxXlcbdW6epzpJ2tiwI7wL6GVjyXJHB36RLdH-sZxIzb6aZQQLx7cnMkcUJ1YTNdYfKYGQycDR_aRBW-mqrRWmSd7Er8E3xcGYaQoX8wKai8wGu-3E7/s1600/rwtw+food+helen.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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We got there early and spent a night in Helen, GA, famous for being a faux German town with very real German food.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJW_jCnPm49TSIbKiCzUg234lW9fXZETWutWR_ly29udlHTsF65pbFgBMSMS5Njf-bLFSPvZnOkAR0uRzcbt7R8Y5zx0kZ5BhSVt1ncSSYIEDRUY9Nl11bkR4elF4tPZYpQw_VkjcC6rwA/s1600/rwtw+fat+tire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJW_jCnPm49TSIbKiCzUg234lW9fXZETWutWR_ly29udlHTsF65pbFgBMSMS5Njf-bLFSPvZnOkAR0uRzcbt7R8Y5zx0kZ5BhSVt1ncSSYIEDRUY9Nl11bkR4elF4tPZYpQw_VkjcC6rwA/s1600/rwtw+fat+tire.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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They have Fat Tire in GA. WHY DON'T THEY HAVE FAT TIRE IN FL??!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb9tK789HZcTk5ZpSOtWB6Y29p4iKOyBcLEexF5Knd26xkQMnIKciOxVx463T5k3ARrjoXBTW-0ua0Sz5a6xWJmbvLo6kpDxLAEIzHC4w1CZnpOKaTksmga6lxw_yp1Q8xjOQFRMNKkkg/s1600/rwtw+steve+bear+hat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb9tK789HZcTk5ZpSOtWB6Y29p4iKOyBcLEexF5Knd26xkQMnIKciOxVx463T5k3ARrjoXBTW-0ua0Sz5a6xWJmbvLo6kpDxLAEIzHC4w1CZnpOKaTksmga6lxw_yp1Q8xjOQFRMNKkkg/s1600/rwtw+steve+bear+hat.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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There was much merriment made with my Bear Hat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B1sjLjk28utlXOZcPiXNUeo5n9exW4D5aRgdcYkSSlQcQjocj48m8wFbpj6CjO9thW0cSt04VMo0GfkclVo92WWO0BDEyifkup1qdJJDnonmo11KEZH5-p0rJrYfc8BemkRINws3RG-q/s1600/rwtw+campfire+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B1sjLjk28utlXOZcPiXNUeo5n9exW4D5aRgdcYkSSlQcQjocj48m8wFbpj6CjO9thW0cSt04VMo0GfkclVo92WWO0BDEyifkup1qdJJDnonmo11KEZH5-p0rJrYfc8BemkRINws3RG-q/s1600/rwtw+campfire+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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And much silliness around the Campfire. The SE Coggers freaking ROCK!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSqlriD5HuN4D4G_S6zhgxvXtVVeF-TGmvBg7r4H_niZLXNFGV_tEU3bZ0PlUC3GnN_Z-LKHSkdipq7DcrCqEf1n06m9JoCdsPjclbR2HV0yvhd7k-oXpk3JLReCPGvp7Glf0YCYjA_Qv/s1600/rwtw+couple+pavilion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSqlriD5HuN4D4G_S6zhgxvXtVVeF-TGmvBg7r4H_niZLXNFGV_tEU3bZ0PlUC3GnN_Z-LKHSkdipq7DcrCqEf1n06m9JoCdsPjclbR2HV0yvhd7k-oXpk3JLReCPGvp7Glf0YCYjA_Qv/s1600/rwtw+couple+pavilion.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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It rained on Friday, but we goofed around the campground all day and still had fun. </div>
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By the way, if you haven't noticed we are A-dorable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zUPxignO7Hf8NFEggcCHQ24RvR5KYtbfhHRxMW46zR0fNaRZbsLHk3BowXWzZHB4PPsx_kAd7uc7kRLaf6DFjzc0GpE6VEn3uJAytr_PbfRY7a_WLtXUMLUK9o8-PYmGE5WNPszzd73k/s1600/rwtw+deals+gap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zUPxignO7Hf8NFEggcCHQ24RvR5KYtbfhHRxMW46zR0fNaRZbsLHk3BowXWzZHB4PPsx_kAd7uc7kRLaf6DFjzc0GpE6VEn3uJAytr_PbfRY7a_WLtXUMLUK9o8-PYmGE5WNPszzd73k/s1600/rwtw+deals+gap.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Saturday the weather cleared and we made the obligatory Deal's Gap run.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fEqR-CLLTeGzKCZCZWG9EsnDF6uBH8MmItbCESZ56tezVxyWBXsf_DT7CWDRdlISuhKappRcucXvUdf1e0FGp_riHdm19uDlCZnAsDyJmqHMNrVMjqKv6NzgIprRVJFYq3dnHKEcKQf6/s1600/Dragon+Front+solo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fEqR-CLLTeGzKCZCZWG9EsnDF6uBH8MmItbCESZ56tezVxyWBXsf_DT7CWDRdlISuhKappRcucXvUdf1e0FGp_riHdm19uDlCZnAsDyJmqHMNrVMjqKv6NzgIprRVJFYq3dnHKEcKQf6/s1600/Dragon+Front+solo.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Oh right, like I wasn't going to buy the Killboy shots?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieX-MutA-Y7Yo38LJRpmbwaSpmj5T312aNKHT_xVUuqZf4xl40i2BWilVpqRTmgDyhzuPiOe7KS-pNoHMgdwLdNBrrPgg2LDei9zPJIfr_F_a5Lq0upoCs6PST2Y6LdPr_clQw77hEz3Ad/s1600/Dragon+rear+solo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieX-MutA-Y7Yo38LJRpmbwaSpmj5T312aNKHT_xVUuqZf4xl40i2BWilVpqRTmgDyhzuPiOe7KS-pNoHMgdwLdNBrrPgg2LDei9zPJIfr_F_a5Lq0upoCs6PST2Y6LdPr_clQw77hEz3Ad/s1600/Dragon+rear+solo.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Does this bike make my butt look fast?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvcs7PnKeSBRst33gC-GlXUJls-iUFwf49-i93bc22tjnu8HO18FXxuvi4Fk-2nIPq3H1nX9orjBRP_r0NAtVYgAocmAVVDAxNyG526cU7NlgbY9ek5RCncm7FSiyEyLdcmeNZmEEtYTD/s1600/dragon+front+with+dave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvcs7PnKeSBRst33gC-GlXUJls-iUFwf49-i93bc22tjnu8HO18FXxuvi4Fk-2nIPq3H1nX9orjBRP_r0NAtVYgAocmAVVDAxNyG526cU7NlgbY9ek5RCncm7FSiyEyLdcmeNZmEEtYTD/s1600/dragon+front+with+dave.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Why won't this guy get off my ass?</div>
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*******</div>
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The following weekend, my college buddy Kelly came to visit. We shopped, we ate,</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSkSAfhAE6iBw0Wg7kybBZwIBGgxw8hQjwipzINwWz6qjo6CRYdgw6yvKuzIo5YIcMeW5aRtkZeFWKIvpBeIPcJ_Pr1X-QxIy2iBbrRcAF3O0EdhEUjik_N3l3LLom244lfQ2DcSMIDpe/s1600/kelly+and+i+hiking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSkSAfhAE6iBw0Wg7kybBZwIBGgxw8hQjwipzINwWz6qjo6CRYdgw6yvKuzIo5YIcMeW5aRtkZeFWKIvpBeIPcJ_Pr1X-QxIy2iBbrRcAF3O0EdhEUjik_N3l3LLom244lfQ2DcSMIDpe/s1600/kelly+and+i+hiking.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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We hiked.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8y3cz4yby_bpLUbVbbKhaHjbMTwmKa1aVCUvkFZ0aiqlyHsX1iMygGfrgeddlF4YOVPDdKIDlM0YMc59WbLzcVIOvw5ZJU2D1uW14xV2CN5Cc4xZHP-CJOQwrIO2vzTzs9-JkjCa9F_P/s1600/kelly+and+i+dressed+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8y3cz4yby_bpLUbVbbKhaHjbMTwmKa1aVCUvkFZ0aiqlyHsX1iMygGfrgeddlF4YOVPDdKIDlM0YMc59WbLzcVIOvw5ZJU2D1uW14xV2CN5Cc4xZHP-CJOQwrIO2vzTzs9-JkjCa9F_P/s1600/kelly+and+i+dressed+up.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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And we beautified and went out and partied. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLx9zxDOEkiZjXhpk10jubivbJhzR7shtbS3dV7xIKJ2BMWqJz6U6jQlHb-sfCFn3lNkrSOpyhq6vaGGgAwoVCT3bZ6s0Gz6HfLaqQp1VM0ZBzJD8V9SiC9ZNJYRgOuhz1inb6ao_yl3pz/s1600/sarah+and+i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLx9zxDOEkiZjXhpk10jubivbJhzR7shtbS3dV7xIKJ2BMWqJz6U6jQlHb-sfCFn3lNkrSOpyhq6vaGGgAwoVCT3bZ6s0Gz6HfLaqQp1VM0ZBzJD8V9SiC9ZNJYRgOuhz1inb6ao_yl3pz/s1600/sarah+and+i.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Sara joined us at Hiram's one night too. There was also a sighting of the rarely seen Library IT guy that night as well. And by sighting I mean he drove our drunk asses home.</div>
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We had a blast and the weekend went far, far too quickly as it always does.</div>
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*******</div>
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Last week, several chapters of Women in the Wind got together for an overnighter at Destination Daytona. On the way there, Liza, Sabrina and I took our bikes swimming, but I think I'll save that story for another day. Once in Daytona, we shopped, ate, drank, ate and drank some more. It was one of those days.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFj5kIoPm537BYkm4zPuxDRPD1CbapzIpbDtPe-PQhoYxc5yi44ulxZ5DxUqQZGSPSL15rj9gLh5_wcPq40bLnUz6pizv9F3NQbYuhocDmkY7RE5xyDCW863V5jKN7hyphenhyphentXuR5FcRdg7mk/s1600/blog+liza+bucket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFj5kIoPm537BYkm4zPuxDRPD1CbapzIpbDtPe-PQhoYxc5yi44ulxZ5DxUqQZGSPSL15rj9gLh5_wcPq40bLnUz6pizv9F3NQbYuhocDmkY7RE5xyDCW863V5jKN7hyphenhyphentXuR5FcRdg7mk/s1600/blog+liza+bucket.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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What? We shared the bucket!</div>
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Good times.</div>
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Which brings us to this weekend. We hadn't had a Shop party in awhile, so since Dave C and my bro just got new jobs this week, it was Lindsay's birthday AND it was the 2nd anniversary of Cantaloupe Day; a celebration was in order. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYKoBHQvreZ55g4158Z2yPYhYxnu1n6cdWdgr9tXsP655S69fSLwgdtYeI0fDjSJRdwexDW4TmlJh61yueLwbFMKj8KD6N5-zDo7qEhkAKzsExnhAIRIHtK4tgeNvbQJij2-a6MXpv1yy/s1600/blog+couch+on+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYKoBHQvreZ55g4158Z2yPYhYxnu1n6cdWdgr9tXsP655S69fSLwgdtYeI0fDjSJRdwexDW4TmlJh61yueLwbFMKj8KD6N5-zDo7qEhkAKzsExnhAIRIHtK4tgeNvbQJij2-a6MXpv1yy/s1600/blog+couch+on+fire.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Yes, it's a couch. And no, we could not be more redneck.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOOow6xbdiS_yEVFSBtoj18tMTLYmx21CC-mJJGxPbMvS_RwLj8yaAkSDuXvE4ygEYLJeCSjJAcyhV8o61rIe5zy9SBP1aHuvRif9sIXAz7pDhR2mBCtJpVVUwW-_t0sKJvxFXjToGaRi/s1600/blog+jacqui+watermelon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOOow6xbdiS_yEVFSBtoj18tMTLYmx21CC-mJJGxPbMvS_RwLj8yaAkSDuXvE4ygEYLJeCSjJAcyhV8o61rIe5zy9SBP1aHuvRif9sIXAz7pDhR2mBCtJpVVUwW-_t0sKJvxFXjToGaRi/s1600/blog+jacqui+watermelon.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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What you're looking at here is my awesome friend Jacqui, who I had not seen since elementary school (Yay, FB!) and the Vodka Watermelon that my brother made. Jacqui took her entire first Fellsmere/Shop Party experience in stride, and proved just how amazing she is by not being freaked out by a bunch of goofy, couch-burning, karaoke signing hi-tech rednecks.</div>
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Did someone say Karaoke? It ain't no Shop Party if there ain't Karaoke.</div>
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It was a great time, as usual...though unfortunately it appears that my iPhone is the sole casualty of the evening. Holden had it all night, so he could play his music in the house for the other boys. Come morning it was no where to be found. </div>
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I am now on Day 3 without my iPhone. Things are getting desperate. I had to call my IT guy/work-husband at the other branch to peak at my desk calendar to make sure I wasn't forgetting to do something today. And I had to listen to the radio on the way into work this morning...like some kind of Barbarian.</div>
The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-21134426135432512222013-04-15T14:25:00.000-04:002013-04-15T16:55:17.950-04:00Happy Monday! (No, really)<div>
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My two weeks of spending far too much time on r/LadybonersGW and playing with my make-up/hair is coming to a close.</div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117935800532198043625/TheRidingLibrarian?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbcpqGrp57d_AE#5867129919304638434" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiyIv34Nvaa8-UMpw9ZZVGiGTbwejfXCPaC-aixV21sH9sqzVoFVCQK3AAkqiX7xrwUWwwQsf0IgMP1EvO74g6gwC7z45mdKUCmpoU3Yy9yMQSBdCdeakHcXIybqr2kL2Er4Vvwn-jT3O/s288/3.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></div>
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Co-worker: Why is your hair blue? </div>
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Me: Why <b><i>not</i></b>?</div>
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Because Dave is coming home tonight! I realize the last several posts have been heavy on the Horn-Dog so I'll try to keep it in my pants for this one. There really is no good female equivalent for that cliche'.<br />
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Though it does remind me of this:</div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117935800532198043625/TheRidingLibrarian?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbcpqGrp57d_AE#5867119388179669282" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPmTuVpHRTp3nEWDD-a3rBBJos9tiL9fntkrGSZBQkWENApfqNr9RmiQZpo6D4On7KIRAwCvuQiJ2yT81ERP3SKYj3uY0G6WcxYvItgQ3p7C7TLYxGawor6Y5kKDtzBp4gzFSDzhmendp/s288/4.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></div>
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But needless to say we are looking forward to uh...</div>
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seeing each other tonight. 'Nuff said.</div>
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Ahem.<br />
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In other news, I went to see a rockabilly band called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thesweetchariots" target="_blank">the Sweet Chariot</a>s with some friends at the <a href="http://www.kiltedmermaid.com/" target="_blank">Kilted Mermaid</a> Friday night. As usual, it was a rather hipster experience, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a great time. The place has really good food and an amazing beer selection. They even have at least five different hard ciders and one of them is on tap! I know, right? I really do need to embrace my inner hipster and stop fighting it. </div>
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The band was great. In fact, my only beef with the Kilted Mermaid is the fact that there is no room to dance. Don't get me wrong, we still danced. I don't ever <b>NOT </b>dance. But we were forced to do so in a way that really invaded my personal space and that of those around me. Just as well though, because I was really missing my numero uno dance partner, and had he been there it would have killed us not to be able dance to that music the way you're supposed. Ie: swing, as opposed to the white-boy-two-step everyone was doing, and I don't mean the cool Two-Step.</div>
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The eye-candy was good as well, particularly the band...especially in my company's opinion. They are both so shy and entirely too well-behaved so I decided to throw them under the bus. When my friend Dave was talking to the lead singer, I butted in and asked him to take a pic with them. And ordered him to stand in the middle, when he tried to stand off to the side. He seemed afraid. That was probably a legitimate and rational emotion given the circumstance.</div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117935800532198043625/TheRidingLibrarian?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbcpqGrp57d_AE#5867119409151826018" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwSkCpuMw9_hvooRgklvROz3zpt_bEUWS5OJIiyTqDenxx1G_4RCDe6e2pNDAq45vinEauHcqYkxN2xPpfw_HudxsxtX29_Ebd4RNDdV8_eDRBpQYfxqB2A_GVn9rTskVCBjTkAngYY0F/s288/5.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /> </a></div>
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This is not a flattering pic of any of us. But it's funny, so here ya go interwebs. </div>
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Incidentally, Dani turned into a giant that night.</div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117935800532198043625/TheRidingLibrarian?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbcpqGrp57d_AE#5867119427975639826" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzOf2a5Rb6wTEDOqBxjB1NByNC3nEBWG-UI0-ZWFcaes7dJhYUp6OxYBiJf2Jx24r-ePgxqnawIEmzNgUyO92GpmFmkWKvGZOxlbOLs1fqNOC0fT6rGznrCzN-JFF5ZVJu881Ri0jN0he/s288/6.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></div>
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What sorcery is this?</div>
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The rest of the weekend was quality time with Holden and preparations for our trip to the Run with the Wolf Rally this coming weekend in Suches, GA. The RWTW is an annual rally put on by the Kawasaki Concours Owner's Group. That's the kind of bike I own, for those new to the show. I'm really looking forward to ridin' it like I stole it and partying with the boys around the campfire. There should be around 100 people, so not a massive rally, but a pretty good group for a regional owner's-group get together. </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> While we are in the area we may run up to the Dragon so I can get a sticker for the new bike. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhGfvAq2gOdXpAnuXRBEYWrhSiQOoq13gNadcvk88SQQWimGcgX8FD_8v9MT7UOveVnyyMIw3LtJKYEd3J6sOfrcySuMFLFGp9K4I9Lgi_CjQ3QCGgg84UaifT94crjKmn-TH2OVb3wCr/s1600/deals+gap+parking+lot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhGfvAq2gOdXpAnuXRBEYWrhSiQOoq13gNadcvk88SQQWimGcgX8FD_8v9MT7UOveVnyyMIw3LtJKYEd3J6sOfrcySuMFLFGp9K4I9Lgi_CjQ3QCGgg84UaifT94crjKmn-TH2OVb3wCr/s1600/deals+gap+parking+lot.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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See my old BMW in front of the orange and white thing? Awwww, old Blue.</div>
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It seems cliche' as there are so many other roads just as good and better than the Dragon, but it's such a <i><b>thing</b></i>. I've ridden every bike I've owned (plus a loaner) on it, so I feel like I just <i>have </i>to ride it on the Connie. We'll see where the roads take us. Plus, it's really fun to hang around and just watch the show. And did I mention all the hottie sport bike riders in their leather one-pieces?<br />
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It really does always come back around to <i>that </i>doesn't it? I'm sorry.</div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117935800532198043625/TheRidingLibrarian?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbcpqGrp57d_AE#5867139734272724802"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItXI6f9hqCvWrR9paXPVGOPY93EZ_2l1iYttbvh9jx3IBG09M7C-iDHk5AVDnlrFgrao9OiT8-KGPu8K4tANnc-9ov7LdQMtLYGFe6MqUt6B4-Q_PghQPKrcLfquitRTvYAXu2ApyKIeH/s288/3.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="310" /></a></center>
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No, I'm not.</div>
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Anycougar, I'll be late with next week's post as we'll not be getting back until Monday. And then priority number one, writing-wise, is putting together the Rally Report for the COG's quarterly magazine. Supposedly there's to be at least a handful of us women-folk riding our own at the Rally. More than one or two is cause for celebration apparently, so I have been assigned to report from the CVOG (Concours and Vagina Owner's Group) perspective.<br />
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Till next time I shall do my best to keep the shiny side up. You do the same.The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-67824027734982384982013-04-08T19:57:00.003-04:002013-04-08T19:58:27.043-04:00I got nothin'I didn't want to let down my adoring readers (all two of you) by not doing my weekly post today. However, I don't feel like I have anything interesting to share, not that has ever stopped me, so here goes...<br />
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Dave's been away for a week and as I suspected I'm having a hard time not eating crap when he is away. I'm about eleven pounds heavier than I'd like to be, I've had a low grade cold a/o bad allergies for the past week and in general am not in the best of moods. I badly want to Crossfit tonight, but I really feel as if my body is more in need of quality food and rest more than a workout. We're leaving for a motorcycle trip to North Georgia in a little more than a week and I <i><b>have </b></i>to kick this before then.<br />
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Last night, I <i>did </i>get my act together enough to make a bunch of Primal Shepard's Pie. Enough, in fact, that I'll probably be sharing it with co-workers since I also left (Paleo) Enchilada Chicken in the crockpot this morning. So I got that going for me.<br />
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So in the interest of not whining my way through this entire post, let's talk about the things that are making me smile lately.<br />
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This guy.</div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117935800532198043625/TheRidingLibrarian?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbcpqGrp57d_AE#5864619945991728578"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpZkwL9jw2DoLK5xdPfjyvgzEPBqoKvTmdiaAiFfQUMFb1VAwCAJRKwUqzaI-e2ONCfusbrQ0lxH9y4gm7KCx4D4amNq_sJYcDRL9OAxEcAKzFz2DLwepWHyaJGXRg-8xLiWXIYeQ2i37/s288/0.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></div>
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Who I seriously miss. I mean, I've always missed him when he's gone away on a trip or something. But things have been so great lately, that I <i>really </i>miss him. And not just in the biblical sense. That too. But not <b><i>just </i></b>that. And I don't mean to imply we were having rough times previously either...it's just..well, store bought apple pie out of the fridge is great. But homemade apple pie straight out of the oven with real vanilla ice cream is even better. I'm not sure I know where I'm going with that analogy. But the point is: he rocks.<br />
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Also this guy.</div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117935800532198043625/TheRidingLibrarian?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbcpqGrp57d_AE#5864619968959027650"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp496jiPtd-NWm5-pHiX6b34umKwRbCQhCWLQf73a0797AiCjgvV8iKwuFLmkXxQsmqw6RGw3dSDhZb0fsZc_d7-lv7t8AxN3tor_d4eAmsdujxrAs_mZfMs_PPSgcgIhsItJ8Ccu5Z0jU/s288/1.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="201" /></a></center>
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Unnnf.</center>
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I'm on season two of Torchwood and I can't help but fall more in love with Capt Jack with each episode. And if I haven't made it clear already, I totally get now why guys think two hot girls kissing is hot. (Because, HOT) But guys....MEN. Like Captain Jack and uh, Captain Jack. And Captain Jack and Captain Hart. I haven't even gotten into the real Ianto episodes yet. Not that I have anything against two girls kissing. Hell, I'll watch two good looking people of any sex (and combination there of) get busy...but I digress.<br />
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Barrowman, bless his sweet sexy soul, is the gift that just keeps giving. When it comes to making his fans happy, the dude <i>gets it</i>. His twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Team_Barrowman" target="_blank">@Team_Barrowman</a> is a delightful peek into his life; with pics of his dogs, his co-workers, his husband and lots and lots of selfies. Most are goofy, self-deprecating shots, but God love him, he also posts the occasional pic of him in bed, or about to go out on the town, etc. He knows what we want, and he's not afraid to give it to us. Thank you, JB for being you.<br />
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Reddit.com<br />
If you're here, you've probably been there. But in case you haven't, know that the front page of Reddit is all that is beautiful and horrible in this world. When they say NSFW, they <i>mean </i>it. Don't say I didn't warn you. But I learn new things all the time via it's links. I also get to goggle young men. Ladies, check out the LadybonersGW (stands for Gone Wild) subreddit. You won't be disappointed.<br />
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Most of the pics look like this..minus the sports bra and boobs. But also abs, and sometimes penis.</div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117935800532198043625/TheRidingLibrarian?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbcpqGrp57d_AE#5864619997705932386"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXU3OC1dQLBrmTUcnZ_pqSGFljVSGRTigmjrpGO9GtC28nKwL1C7jfUvW9T4FIrnAUddJr1rfdKtV8CLyJgZo4lxDHL4Y_vke9wQNNP_QOMgIgfApOhR_oR8PTcgsuRHAfxbHxXSqmfib/s288/2.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center>
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Pic in honor of the <a href="http://seakfoundation.com/" target="_blank">SEAK Foundation's</a> Sport Bra Challenge. </center>
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Check out that "been eating sugar/grains" all weekend belly, my friends!</center>
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Lastly, Crossfit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJFpAAoe5Ykq-42raQpCnKAUF22SXmU2q5iJ79VYseCvuNkF5e-sXOSmnTIXGONMCK-PSIMsDhdXFl0T62hU2E5Z0KSPo2IYht3OjI6nCZyNZA_TtIJQRmZ4X_eYXCD1P-1RKQY8Q2vDD/s1600/popeye+had+spinach+crossfit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJFpAAoe5Ykq-42raQpCnKAUF22SXmU2q5iJ79VYseCvuNkF5e-sXOSmnTIXGONMCK-PSIMsDhdXFl0T62hU2E5Z0KSPo2IYht3OjI6nCZyNZA_TtIJQRmZ4X_eYXCD1P-1RKQY8Q2vDD/s200/popeye+had+spinach+crossfit.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Yup, even recently when I feel like a big, fat, paleo phony for having too many cheats, doing a WOD still makes me feel like a badass and that I'm not a total failure. 'Nuff said.</div>
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Hey! Look at that! I managed to pull a post out of my ass after all. As my Daddy always says, "If you can't dazzle'em with knowledge, baffle'em with bullshit."<br />
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I know. We're a classy group.The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-63638402155194619522013-04-01T14:16:00.001-04:002013-04-01T14:16:39.303-04:00The REALLY TMI PostWarning: This post is about sex. If you are related to me in anyway or suffer from delicate sensibilities click away now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKOtfgUO6CCnZrQXT9dBHPEw__Jhc9Q5S-r9GIvclQTzoCJjeywBzy7jmM-HoUmmsuLy6meANNUZLQ6Weqqp9zoFkJHcleEm1eKtjzCDK2LayVg8OxfMlsy5SbG3_qzmgLNQkdwUspsri/s1600/blog+sp+meme+internet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKOtfgUO6CCnZrQXT9dBHPEw__Jhc9Q5S-r9GIvclQTzoCJjeywBzy7jmM-HoUmmsuLy6meANNUZLQ6Weqqp9zoFkJHcleEm1eKtjzCDK2LayVg8OxfMlsy5SbG3_qzmgLNQkdwUspsri/s1600/blog+sp+meme+internet.jpg" /></a></div>
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Seriously. I warned you.<br />
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Still here? Good. I knew we were friends for a reason.<br />
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This is something I think I need to share. Not because I wanted to brag (ok fine, maybe a little). But because (and I hate how opposite-of-humble this sounds) I know there are friends who read this blog and sometimes get a wee bit of inspiration from it regarding their own health/fitness endeavors. As do I from countless other health/fitness bloggers. I think it's important to share all of the positive outcomes of our efforts, not just the aesthetic ones. So here goes...<br />
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Dave and I have been f%&$ing like rabbits lately.<br />
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And I am getting uhm...intrigued by uh...things and situations at a frequency on par with that of a thirteen year old boy. Not at the same kind of stimuli, mind you....but you get my drift.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSS4cmg5usPW5cp5_hAnGJu2i0E2qQ3wRGlPqB3atKfUC9jhqn0t-EOMvOG0iaY68Cy8wv9LDlndRHYT8JQ83AUAGn1c_PGBIGGdUlNwDP5gd9jGV79IUU1TBwdacWgo1RD9ELG_-SaIQn/s1600/blog+rob+lowe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSS4cmg5usPW5cp5_hAnGJu2i0E2qQ3wRGlPqB3atKfUC9jhqn0t-EOMvOG0iaY68Cy8wv9LDlndRHYT8JQ83AUAGn1c_PGBIGGdUlNwDP5gd9jGV79IUU1TBwdacWgo1RD9ELG_-SaIQn/s1600/blog+rob+lowe.jpg" height="320" width="259" /></a></div>
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<i>Though if you are interested, this is what gave me a ladyboner when <b>I</b> was thirteen.</i></div>
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Why is this such a big deal, you ask? Because for years, and I mean <b><i>years </i></b>my libido has been crap. Like (I think) a lot of women, as I got older and of course being in a long-term relationship, I found myself <i>wanting </i>to want to. And if I made a conscious effort to uh, get into it, I could. But those spontaneous ladyboners thinking about your partner? Or the butterflies in the nether regions when he/she pulled you in for a quick kiss?<br />
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Nope. Nothing. Dead. Seriously, it had been so long since I'd gotten that flutter when we weren't already "into it" I figured it was just a permanent thing of the past. A part of getting older, if you will.<br />
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So why all of a sudden, am I hornier than brass band on Flag Day? Well, first off it's not been all of a sudden, but a gradual ramp up over the past few months. I can't say it's just the weight-loss and ensuing confidence building because I lost the bulk of the weight a year ago. Sure, I felt better and sexier, but there was no physical change, as there is now. Is it just the Paleo? I don't think so, as we started that back over the summer. However, we didn't start getting serious with the Crossfit until October. If I had to put money on one cause over another I think it's the Crossfit. I've done a little poking around the Googles, and I think perhaps the lifting involved with Crossfit may be affecting my hormone levels in a wonderful way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fTbyGVOt79ppoIITLZsYy_M04KbPM2N17ZjpkJ3u8BvA4X8aKPhF4Xm7Lj47sue6dFl9BjdQTbxu-wr07U804kvldUDJfwLQ14Z3KGHEQigJiEU51QIpPtPX_oQROB27DOsov9USaJAI/s1600/blog+crossfit+sexy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fTbyGVOt79ppoIITLZsYy_M04KbPM2N17ZjpkJ3u8BvA4X8aKPhF4Xm7Lj47sue6dFl9BjdQTbxu-wr07U804kvldUDJfwLQ14Z3KGHEQigJiEU51QIpPtPX_oQROB27DOsov9USaJAI/s1600/blog+crossfit+sexy.jpg" /></a></div>
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Either way, I'm not on any new medications or changes in dosage, etc. I'm simply lifting heavier (as I can) and eating cleaner. As a result our sex life is literally what it was like when we first started dating. I'm not kidding. And I don't think I need to tell you how beneficial a great sex life is for a marriage or partnership. Let's just say the goodwill seems to bleed into every other facet of our relationship as well. It is a <strike>good </strike><b><i>great </i></b>thing.<br />
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So why share that? Because if you are woman like me who thought that that kind of passion was in your past, I really want you to know it might not be. Eat clean and lift and maybe you too can see sex, not as another chore you have to get done as a wife/partner, but the awesomely fun thing it truly is.<br />
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In other words, if feeling stronger, more energy, sleeping sounder, better skin, knowing you're making yourself better for the long term and looking sexier isn't enough....maybe knowing that you too could feel like a newlywed again might convince you to start taking better care of yourself. <br />
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Now if you'll excuse me I need to go text my husband.<br />
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What? It's just a To-Do list.<br />
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<br />The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-49470502063135292052013-03-25T13:34:00.000-04:002013-03-25T13:35:00.540-04:00Megacon 2013 Report (minus the drool)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-_kXYbbwq1cDmTEaa2KbyayxOOKB4KyZyQXtv_5uo_FfM5BW8vpOlpJLVklg6RxEjuXt82gBADWFFtFV5285zTgwTkaOKA02-xJlGziPUW-tTDh9R0ogdOkVjcjk05GrTyAZKyjFGndX/s1600/megacon+2013+jack+and+cyberpunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-_kXYbbwq1cDmTEaa2KbyayxOOKB4KyZyQXtv_5uo_FfM5BW8vpOlpJLVklg6RxEjuXt82gBADWFFtFV5285zTgwTkaOKA02-xJlGziPUW-tTDh9R0ogdOkVjcjk05GrTyAZKyjFGndX/s1600/megacon+2013+jack+and+cyberpunk.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Ok, maybe a little drool. </i></div>
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<i>Dave is now required to dress as Capt Jack everyday, from now on. Unnf.</i></div>
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Anyhotness, on to a proper recap of our Megacon 2013 experience. Holden, Dave and I arrived in our Doctor Who Cosplay-finest and were a bit surprised that despite getting the advanced tickets, we still had to wait a good 45 minutes to get our wrist bands. In fact at the time, the walk-ins were getting their wrist bands quicker than us. Not a huge deal, but the line was FOREVER and a bit anti-climatic for us. But we were in line with our friends Sarah and Daniel and their boys, so we had a good time just chatting and checking out the cosplay.</div>
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Holden was a Rock Star for the day once again. There were tons of Doctors of various regenerations running around, but he was definitely the cutest. I may be a bit biased.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatPtLbrCl_ren2zUJPjW91TxNZa_-IB7J6h9x6KX8ZWyRpg6UALLKUVtbuwD7tU67eoE1iaBG0yYsP91TQZUd0L7UNXAXJRcRZOWoHOGC2tbd368rf_IkKAC3f_uQTnhen4JRAQ2D4qMA/s1600/megacon+2013+holden+and+other+10th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatPtLbrCl_ren2zUJPjW91TxNZa_-IB7J6h9x6KX8ZWyRpg6UALLKUVtbuwD7tU67eoE1iaBG0yYsP91TQZUd0L7UNXAXJRcRZOWoHOGC2tbd368rf_IkKAC3f_uQTnhen4JRAQ2D4qMA/s1600/megacon+2013+holden+and+other+10th.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Thank you to the sister of this adorable teen Doctor for sending me this and the following picture. You guys are the best!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqTUmc9_BdelZokAeWKQgI2IY_UHPA9e6-22tEtlkU6IxbNWqhNAkfCrb7m3kkDVMwfjHbn4i0uiJ2TlY1_rVjbrWoy0RGee6K4IH8y-e7Fnj6fKx7YifSqHnH68TKAPz2AZZP0OOdKNA/s1600/megacon+2013+family+doctor+who.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqTUmc9_BdelZokAeWKQgI2IY_UHPA9e6-22tEtlkU6IxbNWqhNAkfCrb7m3kkDVMwfjHbn4i0uiJ2TlY1_rVjbrWoy0RGee6K4IH8y-e7Fnj6fKx7YifSqHnH68TKAPz2AZZP0OOdKNA/s1600/megacon+2013+family+doctor+who.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>If I had a dollar for every picture of Dave with his eyes closed I could build my own Tardis.</i></div>
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Since Friday is Holden's only day at Megacon he gets to choose the path and what we see/do. Which drives me a little batty as my inclination is to methodically walk up and down every row. While with Holden the path is more that of a deranged bumblebee. But he was happy and enjoying the attention. Naturally we spent a fair amount of time around the Lego booths, and the 501st and other Builder's Booths where:</div>
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<i>We questioned the intentions of our fellow Con-goers.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTwiDI3NVcygeFhWFQRzTB8v5RI_-94wT94GsNTBFzfz1rcMfZz8Az7-XAyM1TPjHeCfvFsiHXhBRBnH4_IHHT1RGfqgsllF7kzeMntH87QOA-nZQ-1HPtryo0IZx8ezVRY5Y_qpeYbrk/s1600/megacon+2013+rancor+doctor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTwiDI3NVcygeFhWFQRzTB8v5RI_-94wT94GsNTBFzfz1rcMfZz8Az7-XAyM1TPjHeCfvFsiHXhBRBnH4_IHHT1RGfqgsllF7kzeMntH87QOA-nZQ-1HPtryo0IZx8ezVRY5Y_qpeYbrk/s1600/megacon+2013+rancor+doctor.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Holden was attacked by a Rancor.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7Ori6X9IoKfa_U_3qbd4FmcSnrLMuU4XPXhSUyJ06ycE_HMzaoOxOcVlgQw2-syLzc4sDXysAloyEVoucrxBGbBaDFkTOBowJDdOBy_SxZqcy6l8Z1zYWXnigeEuPD1L9VTHP7QK_cMp/s1600/megacon+2013+shooting+dalek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7Ori6X9IoKfa_U_3qbd4FmcSnrLMuU4XPXhSUyJ06ycE_HMzaoOxOcVlgQw2-syLzc4sDXysAloyEVoucrxBGbBaDFkTOBowJDdOBy_SxZqcy6l8Z1zYWXnigeEuPD1L9VTHP7QK_cMp/s1600/megacon+2013+shooting+dalek.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>And we fought a Dalek. While 2-R2 units stood idly by, apparently. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEH9aZfedXR_nBp0WSZPF3E57jaj-Uq_9BF9xQYZVMOToR7rFzh8haD0jKuKRYS53j1PE_SDJo2Eeo97QzB7-L6gspz4c33Pfu73QpWDZk2kc8f2FE2JrMncyWM68iqqjaEULvUMChxcIx/s1600/megacon+2013+scout+families.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEH9aZfedXR_nBp0WSZPF3E57jaj-Uq_9BF9xQYZVMOToR7rFzh8haD0jKuKRYS53j1PE_SDJo2Eeo97QzB7-L6gspz4c33Pfu73QpWDZk2kc8f2FE2JrMncyWM68iqqjaEULvUMChxcIx/s1600/megacon+2013+scout+families.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>And took some proper family photos.</i></div>
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We heard several shouts of "Parenting, you're doing it right!" I know that's a bit of an Internet cliche' at this point, but it was still a very nice compliment. Who's to say how long Holden will want to do the family cosplay with us. I'm hoping to get a few more years out of it, but I'm a realist. I'm sure he's going to go through the 'my parents are awesome-my parents are lame- my parents are awesome' phases we all go through, and I'm as prepared for that as I can be, I think.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> In the meantime, we'll have as much fun with him as we can. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT84EXSB5WqlVY3fE47szow0d4fzmxpwQghsb-IO_IDMV6PN29YbY7ToMg8e70-egBOhAKSjXITy7zxpJIQLJPz9Z63qG7UziPKi7mBNluqhKGndRZ0AGuLgBi9QedhVJmBfkkIL1_DDIz/s1600/megacon+2013+running.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT84EXSB5WqlVY3fE47szow0d4fzmxpwQghsb-IO_IDMV6PN29YbY7ToMg8e70-egBOhAKSjXITy7zxpJIQLJPz9Z63qG7UziPKi7mBNluqhKGndRZ0AGuLgBi9QedhVJmBfkkIL1_DDIz/s1600/megacon+2013+running.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Always with the running. The questions is, if you see Capt Jack and the Doctor running, do you run with them or in the opposite direction?</i></div>
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Speaking of running, after the Ken Spivey Band concert (Doctor Who themed-music) Saturday night, we literally <i>ran </i>in our Jack and Rose costumes all the way through the convention hall and back to the hotel because we were tight on time. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't really enjoy doing that and imagining we were running to/from something dangerous. Yes, I am 8 years old.</div>
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Any-immaturity, Friday evening the Daves took the boys home, while us wives hung out and pre-gamed. Ok, I pre-gamed. The other two were well-behaved.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO4wHrg_k3i4fCLyUTsBuYgi2dMsGzn3czyD-1EjgycsQEmBD_DQHKZj1LT6KXwVwZn6thvZEe6Irxe7sH1_-_5XnhdDpsfhmdlcpgQSvwQEPQ87JvvrVbXNClkMcZGB4sdDC4Mo1-uFS/s1600/megacon+2013+cyberpunk+close+up+patti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO4wHrg_k3i4fCLyUTsBuYgi2dMsGzn3czyD-1EjgycsQEmBD_DQHKZj1LT6KXwVwZn6thvZEe6Irxe7sH1_-_5XnhdDpsfhmdlcpgQSvwQEPQ87JvvrVbXNClkMcZGB4sdDC4Mo1-uFS/s1600/megacon+2013+cyberpunk+close+up+patti.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>"Gimmee a beer, let's play dress-up!" is not an uncommon thing to hear at our Shop parties.</i></div>
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When they got back, the Daves, Lindsay and I went to the bar/club in the Rosen Hotel where the Villian's Party was to happen the following night. Dave was still in his Capt Jack get-up but I wanted to try out my Cyberpunk. Unfortunately all the other Megacon folks must have been elsewhere, cause we were the only ones there in costume. And of course, as Jack, Dave can blend in a crowd. But staying true to our philosophy of "zero fucks to give" we danced liked idiots and had a great time regardless.</div>
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On Saturday we put on our Steampunk and hit the convention floor again. It was so wonderful to wear comfortable, flat boots. My Rose boots were surprisingly uncomfortable and have you seen the Cyberpunk boots? Oh right, hold on we're almost there. We had run into Jen from <a href="http://www.cakewrecks.com/" target="_blank">Cake Wrecks</a> and <a href="http://www.epbot.com/" target="_blank">Epbot </a>the day before, but she was in plain clothes. On Saturday, Dave was buying our tickets for the Villian's party and I hear, "Patti!" and I turn around and there she is in her Lady Vadore finery!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERFnn5uN4SOig5ARfcdGZ-vmY543do_k-8nv4kxMfhJuKNq_1hLhduFBgsku99AbPhuzYEovswWVyncuII9BeRXJI8xLHHAVjS4RfQmb_08QFt_tBJp_kgY9V9nLlU5X5xLzXr9HjSNz6/s1600/megacon+2013+steampunk+patti+and+lady+vadore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERFnn5uN4SOig5ARfcdGZ-vmY543do_k-8nv4kxMfhJuKNq_1hLhduFBgsku99AbPhuzYEovswWVyncuII9BeRXJI8xLHHAVjS4RfQmb_08QFt_tBJp_kgY9V9nLlU5X5xLzXr9HjSNz6/s1600/megacon+2013+steampunk+patti+and+lady+vadore.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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This picture does it no justice. Go <a href="http://www.epbot.com/2012/08/presenting-lady-vadore.html" target="_blank">here </a>to see it properly. </div>
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And for the record, lest it sound like Jen and I are great friends (though I would love it if we were, I think she and her husband John are awesome)....we found <i>them </i>on Friday and reintroduced ourselves. We had met briefly last year at Megacon. But she or John did recognize <i>me </i>and remember <b>my </b>name on Saturday...so I don't think for a second I wasn't bragging about that all day.</div>
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Oh and what did Dave wear for Steampunk Saturday?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlwU-RfaGNkxHa2NkpLJWX9cYSGe55HYbsOaKhlBAJwTk6DM8gw3b_hwR2IkZguNXiThrZK1N3VtMPsWAOoJzcmqhtPNnkbHqwwYY29mcihCUWAmOSl5UmyhoFoeJqNRcQZprLo6UyamE/s1600/megacon+2013+steampunk+dave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlwU-RfaGNkxHa2NkpLJWX9cYSGe55HYbsOaKhlBAJwTk6DM8gw3b_hwR2IkZguNXiThrZK1N3VtMPsWAOoJzcmqhtPNnkbHqwwYY29mcihCUWAmOSl5UmyhoFoeJqNRcQZprLo6UyamE/s1600/megacon+2013+steampunk+dave.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Fashionable Day Wear for the Casual, but Adventurous Steampunk.</div>
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The convention floor was crazy crowded on Saturday and made me feel a lot less bad for making Holden go home Friday night. If we had let him stay he would have just been looking at asses all day. We had to take several breaks, not because we were tired, but just because it was so packed we were getting mental.</div>
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Eventually we could take no more and we went back to the hotel to grab some dinner and a nap before we went back in our Doctor Who cosplay for the Ken Spivey Concert. I've already given you the main highlight of that in the previous post, but suffice it to say that it was a really fun time. I wasn't sure what to expect but the folks there were quite friendly and fun. Jack-I'm-Married-To and Rose (me) waltzed and then we were joined by Jack-I'm-Not-Married-To and the Tenth Doctor. Squeee.</div>
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<i>You didn't think I wasn't going to include another picture of him did you?</i></div>
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After that it was a mad scramble back to the hotel to get in our Cyberpunk gear for the Villian's Party. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6dlC922cwxm9AwGgrRQpFlo6ipNeMCcNYv0K-omq4uIhASUZA65Zo3F9dUaAWkmY0CR5TSsbkSjIAjyrQydmsVbKLOrLdh4Ztod8uM4ECBf7Pu2_5i0g7Gq3Wf2SrQEZEG0ciQ9egHga/s1600/megacon+2013+cyberpunk+no+lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6dlC922cwxm9AwGgrRQpFlo6ipNeMCcNYv0K-omq4uIhASUZA65Zo3F9dUaAWkmY0CR5TSsbkSjIAjyrQydmsVbKLOrLdh4Ztod8uM4ECBf7Pu2_5i0g7Gq3Wf2SrQEZEG0ciQ9egHga/s1600/megacon+2013+cyberpunk+no+lights.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Looking like extras from a 70s sci-fi movie.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZCocJucSCcSLgp2Er1vSVn6bMbnUZEpFsxem6YF8IwSkxofnItR2ZnxnnbJRDJTvUom2VOQqnat7eZYbnfHPPe9ZSBFdNZVsCfqh6aUgG8w33rkoKCGiukzgC3yqWF3csSikv3qcfnVz/s1600/megacon+2013+cyberpunk+lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZCocJucSCcSLgp2Er1vSVn6bMbnUZEpFsxem6YF8IwSkxofnItR2ZnxnnbJRDJTvUom2VOQqnat7eZYbnfHPPe9ZSBFdNZVsCfqh6aUgG8w33rkoKCGiukzgC3yqWF3csSikv3qcfnVz/s1600/megacon+2013+cyberpunk+lights.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>But with LED lights. Fun for blinding other club-goers with.</i></div>
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The Villians' party was cool. Dave and Lindsay hadn't bought their tickets ahead of time and I guess they weren't letting anyone else in at the door so they couldn't join us which was a major bummer. But Sarah did. Which was awesome as apparently I popped her Club cherry. Seriously, the poor gal had NEVER been to a club before, but let me tell you girlfriend was rocking her Harley Quinn cosplay and turning the boys down left and right. AND held her liquor, which I so appreciate. We danced like idiots some more, Dave and I were asked to send in pics to be extras in some upcoming SyFy channel show, and I got white chocolate stuffed french toast at Denny's at 2:00 am. What more could a girl ask for? Except maybe for a hot husband who will dress up in crazy outfits and even wear eyeliner just cause you ask him too?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-63YqcGoAtw8uz2rZw0A6VPfViKZigxFoHZF64cUOjkbmuzuiFJfvWEK7AE1FXOyxJvlbBSRH3u5FP4chfybmVZpr5oyB4Puss9A2EtiTtzeBzYR3u6HOKDhSV-JrGI8uNHVrtmpBKsdZ/s1600/megacon+2013+cyberpunk+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-63YqcGoAtw8uz2rZw0A6VPfViKZigxFoHZF64cUOjkbmuzuiFJfvWEK7AE1FXOyxJvlbBSRH3u5FP4chfybmVZpr5oyB4Puss9A2EtiTtzeBzYR3u6HOKDhSV-JrGI8uNHVrtmpBKsdZ/s1600/megacon+2013+cyberpunk+closeup.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Oh wait, got that too.</i></div>
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Sunday we slept in a bit and then headed to the convention floor to do our shopping. After five costume changes in two days I was cosplayed-out. We both wore normal clothes and were glad for it. For breakfast I had a Nutella and Banana Crepe. Amazeballs. But it also helps explain why I felt like crap on Monday. Waaaaaay too much alcohol and non-paleo food. But still mostly worth it.</div>
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<i>My Megacon 2013 loot.</i></div>
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The posters are the Exploding Tardis/Starry Night which is now hanging in our hallway because my house is too small for it to fit anywhere else, and the Walking Dead for my brother. After shopping we headed on home, to prepare to reenter polite society. Which is tough. I don't <i>think </i>Dave has as hard a time with it as I do, but you creative types out there probably know what I mean. You spend the whole weekend playing as someone else (or multiple someones) and it's kind of a let-down and/or odd to go back to being just you. Don't get me wrong, "just me" is still pretty freakin' awesome. But regular me does not have a hand cannon, nor gets to travel by Tardis.</div>
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But I think the fun of cosplaying is that, if you pick the right characters anyway, you take a little bit of them away with you each time you do it. Like in the case of Jack/Rose and the Cyberpunks, we walk away feeling a little more confident, a little sexier, and a little more bad-ass. Which is always a good thing. </div>
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**maybe don't do this if you cosplay as a serial killer.</div>
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The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-26575682469286788162013-03-18T13:22:00.001-04:002013-03-25T14:19:10.547-04:00Megacon 2013 - HighlightsI had a great time with Holden doing our family cosplay on Friday, and an equally fun but in a grown-up-sort-of-way with Dave and friends the rest of the weekend. But let's just cut to the case.<br />
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This totally happened.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcz63g6fQXEmCJBHnkZfy8l5eSwb4-xtEmGJm9altQDxxJqFWT-ZCa8lIBUY9Vrf5iWSZsuXct1QWx_omROHU80g4CPucCcDrMbJ1tnXTlb27v3IPA9XBqaKJ_hG-Zy3ylqPM1iGI2__H/s1600/megacon+2013+two+jacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcz63g6fQXEmCJBHnkZfy8l5eSwb4-xtEmGJm9altQDxxJqFWT-ZCa8lIBUY9Vrf5iWSZsuXct1QWx_omROHU80g4CPucCcDrMbJ1tnXTlb27v3IPA9XBqaKJ_hG-Zy3ylqPM1iGI2__H/s1600/megacon+2013+two+jacks.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>In the immortal words of Capt Jack Harkness,</i></div>
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<i> "I can't even tell you what I'm thinking right now.</i>"</div>
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No, that's not John Barrowman of course. Just another Capt Jack cosplayer that looked so much like him, and just freakin' <i>exuded </i>the Jack aura. I'm not kidding you people, he was sitting very close to me during the Ben Spivey concert and it was like I couldn't concentrate. I just wanted to stare at him....and stuff.</div>
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When we took the pic (<i>everyone</i> wanted a pic with him) the girl taking it was fiddling with the camera and said something like, "hold on, give me a minute" and then the Jack-I'm-not-married-to pulled me even closer and said something like, "Take all the time you need, we're just fine." Or something...I can't be sure. I think all of the blood in my brain was rushing to my...something else and everything went foggy for a bit. (kinda like the damn pic)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWan-A3H212yykHG975789EOXzwLCpBASJwUWcyuz_x4EPWZvQDhfBUGI2j14XvuShUNTEq9wJSpNDkdRFhLmob3dHDGTFAJHE2gEbA8DOTZrPPPVHqTpbcKFXNig91STohUIz4Y1WEsve/s1600/blog+sploosh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWan-A3H212yykHG975789EOXzwLCpBASJwUWcyuz_x4EPWZvQDhfBUGI2j14XvuShUNTEq9wJSpNDkdRFhLmob3dHDGTFAJHE2gEbA8DOTZrPPPVHqTpbcKFXNig91STohUIz4Y1WEsve/s1600/blog+sploosh.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Yeah</i>.</div>
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Anyswoon, he told us that he actually met Barrowman last year and if I get his drift, he was implying that Barrowman flirted with him. Are you following that? John Barrowman, who plays Capt Jack Harkness the sexiest "opportunist" in the past, present or future of television was flirting with his own cosplayer. That might <i>literally </i>be the hottest thing I have ever heard. And if you think I'm weird for thinking that, I don't care. </div>
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Mind blown.</div>
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During the concert they had an informal costume contest. Jack-I'm-Not-Married-To told Jack-I-Am-Married-To to grab his coat and go up there with them. There was one other Jack, another young guy, who I certainly would not kick out the Tardis, but couldn't hold a candle to the other two. They had a bit of a Jack-Off (nope, not even gonna) and Jack-I'm-Married-To actually won their round! The coat was definitely worth the investment. Several people, not including me, ok maybe me too, were yelling "Now kiss!" but none of them did. They should have a bar at this event next time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7J-WbikjywWpHUbuvMxxtKSKUicPsBA1mztNMi49dQM3Jud0RgUoBo0RhUt6mK8K7LuE78C1fS7z42699k0I1fqecl2xzN8HVds3I40qbaw49m_to_o499Ac722AC1ZnvS8uvEad7arz/s1600/blog+captain+jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7J-WbikjywWpHUbuvMxxtKSKUicPsBA1mztNMi49dQM3Jud0RgUoBo0RhUt6mK8K7LuE78C1fS7z42699k0I1fqecl2xzN8HVds3I40qbaw49m_to_o499Ac722AC1ZnvS8uvEad7arz/s1600/blog+captain+jack.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>It bears repeating.</i></div>
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Ya know, I think we'll let this post stand on it's own and not mix it up with the family cosplay pics. Momma needs to keep these images/thoughts separate. </div>
The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-20794346328498019982013-03-18T12:24:00.000-04:002013-03-18T15:40:20.856-04:00Here I Go Again On My Own<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXNnMfrTnRxrBnA6udBfwdfnxa0AFjCX6gv5_BfZcNlTXHWjf1zpKjH2yovygUnxe_ngPVofEpQ2JfY0iLj-uyyhv0It07j70ZaYKmZPYSS6OheD4Byozd2EZUBUIXz7Wk5TTUBZ2eWA5/s1600/blog+tawny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXNnMfrTnRxrBnA6udBfwdfnxa0AFjCX6gv5_BfZcNlTXHWjf1zpKjH2yovygUnxe_ngPVofEpQ2JfY0iLj-uyyhv0It07j70ZaYKmZPYSS6OheD4Byozd2EZUBUIXz7Wk5TTUBZ2eWA5/s1600/blog+tawny.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>And you're welcome for that ear worm.</i></div>
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The Paleo Challenge is over!!!! Yay! Without further adieu here are my takeaways from living very strict Paleo for the past two months:<br />
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1. It has completely changed my palate. I am satisfied by simpler things, like a banana with unsweetened coconut and almond butter or two squares of 86% chocolate. These things would not have cut it if the sweets were calling two months ago. That said, if I do decide to indulge, saaaay a crepe with bananas and nutella at Megacon Sunday morning (drool) it is absolutely heavenly and I appreciate it <i>so </i>much more. </div>
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2. Regarding reintroducing foods: I've realized that I can have <i>one </i>non-paleo meal, (be it bread or dairy) and I'll be fine. But while at Megacon this weekend we took some points on Friday and Saturday (before the Challenge ended) and then went a little nuts on Sunday (first day post-challenge) and now I feel like death. I am crazy bloated, I'm exhausted, my breathing will even get rapid out of nowhere. In other words, if I eat crap now, I feel like crap. Not an actual gastrointestinal pain like some get, but just an all over run down feeling. </div>
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<i>Incidentally, we saw Billy West signing autographs this weekend. Voice actor IDOL!</i></div>
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Which is great, because once the foray into SAD eating is done, I am inspired to get back to it all the more. Which is a very good thing. In the past, I'd fall of the wagon and it would be so hard to find the motivation to get back on, aside from aesthetics and/or guilt. Not anymore.Now the mentality is, "That tasted great, it was fun, but let's get back to what's going to make me feel better in the long run."</div>
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3. Alcohol. We only drink once a week if that anyways, but being on the Challenge did make us think about our alcohol consumption a LOT. There were a few conclusions regarding <i>how </i>we drink that we were coming to on our own anyways, but doing the Whole 30, and then letting loose a little this weekend really made us realize how we want to imbibe as we go into the future. Good stuff, for both our bodies and our relationship. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD4y2tAcZfDx5iWtVfRyHR9d-8pEVg2YUCrX4Qlk48hVp1gVwxWqPM9mSn08wd934YT3QqyShPU8WOEklsVtIgXSatD2YZyZSHMPDoJPqO9ukMX9GvwbvQwNw6UZr00oZOas4W41PvjuC/s1600/blog+miller+lite.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD4y2tAcZfDx5iWtVfRyHR9d-8pEVg2YUCrX4Qlk48hVp1gVwxWqPM9mSn08wd934YT3QqyShPU8WOEklsVtIgXSatD2YZyZSHMPDoJPqO9ukMX9GvwbvQwNw6UZr00oZOas4W41PvjuC/s1600/blog+miller+lite.jpeg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Seriously, if you drink a lot of Miller Lite you will not look like that. Trust me.</i></div>
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3. I need to track my food. I know I've already mentioned it but it bears repeating. For folks with disordered eating like myself, the mind plays games when on challenges like this. My brain sees the eat/don't eat list and tries to convince me that as long as I'm eating from the the Do Eat list it's ok to eat however much you want, portions be damned. I suppose the hope would be to eventually get control of one's appetite and hunger cues, but I tried and I just can't do it. Yet. Maybe someday...but for now I <b>know</b> that I<b> </b>am at my best self if I eat Primal Blueprint or Paleo while also tracking my calories/carbs. End of story.</div>
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4. I still need to weigh myself, not every day as I was in the past, but once a week. The scale is not the be all and end all, but it is still a tool. Also, when I do weigh myself it needs to be at the end of the work week. If I do it after a weekend wherein there might have been some transgressions, it'll depress me. I'll start the week in guilt-mode. To illustrate; I know the scale is not going to look good this morning after the fun and games this weekend. But that's ok, I'm back on plan and will remain so for the foreseeable future. I'm entering the week thinking, "I'm going to make the right choices for myself, because it is the right and healthy thing to do. Go me! Raaar!" However, if I had weighed myself this morning the thought would have been "I need to make the right choices for myself, because I am big fat nasty cow and I suck."</div>
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<i>And I am also stupid.</i></div>
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5. And did I mention I'm off Diet Coke? Yeah, I know did, but it;'s a BIG FREAKING DEAL!!! Yay!</div>
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<i>Artist Natalie Dee understands the addiction.</i></div>
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As far as tangible results, I'm not 100% certain yet. I know I gained a pound on the scale, but that did not surprise me. Remember what I said about portion control? Yeah. We did two Hero WODs for the Challenge and repeated one of them last week. I ended up improving my Rankel time quite a bit. Grace is this evening we'll see how I do. Inches-wise, I don't know. We did my measurements last Thursday, but Coach had misplaced our original measurements so I'm not sure if I lost anything. I have a feeling I may have lost a tiny bit in some areas and gained in others. Which is ok, once I realized that the not-tracking things wasn't going to work out for me, I really focused the Challenge on improving my health and really breaking the chemical/sugar addictions, which it did fabulously. So, a win in my book.</div>
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So where do we go from here? </div>
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We'll be bringing the overall framework of our diet back in line more with the Primal Blueprint, than strict Paleo. A little bit of high quality dairy here and there is not something I'm concerned with. However, I am going to keep drinking my coffee black and I'm not going to reintroduce the babybell cheese back into my lunch. I can certainly live without them and they're just not worth it from a taste <i>or </i>nutritional perspective in the grand scheme of things. But if I want to make a recipe that has a bit of good quality cheese in it, I'll include it. </div>
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The only other big differences between what we'll be doing from now on and what we've been, is worrying about the oils when we are out to eat it. Don't get me wrong, nothing but olive/coconut oil related products enters Casa de Fuchs, but if we're out to eat and they are cooking an otherwise Paleo-friendly meal in vegetable oil, we're not going to worry about it. It's not that I don't agree that they are bad, but all of life decisions are based on risk vs. reward and the occasional meal out cooked in a non-paleo oil is worth the reward to us.</div>
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In summary, we are both glad that we participated in the Challenges of the past two months. We learned a lot about Paleo eating and we learned even more about ourselves. We were already on the right path, but now we've gotten even more tools and a better understanding of how and why we have chosen this lifestyle. We know what works for us and what doesn't and are <i>really </i>happy to be back on our own again.</div>
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The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-54699485850564536012013-03-11T16:06:00.000-04:002013-03-11T16:06:45.666-04:00Boar Adventure Race* If you're looking for detail-oriented, fact-based, race reports that include pics of the maps and details about particular checkpoints (like their numbers and locations) you might want to check out the reports by the <a href="http://canyoneros-ar.blogspot.com/2013/03/pangea-boar-ar-elite-6hr.html" target="_blank">Canyoneros </a>or <a href="http://eaglinar.blogspot.com/2013/03/pangea-boar-adventure-race.html" target="_blank">Dr. Eaglin.</a> My reports are more in the touchy-feely, these are the-moments-I-wanted-to-kiss/choke/hug-or-murder-Dave-and/or-the-other-participants.<br />
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** All photo credits to my boyfriend Kevin Newell.<br />
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*** He's not really my boyfriend, but I made the mistake of telling Dave (and mentioning on this blog) that I think he is adorable and that is how we refer to him now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5JUlxQRKnFfBdG3_5ML71xFQfSxyO7cQVLkEycA5tJkssFYvs00bNWjIgeQms6OwSxa5xgxt2zUu-AlWn5NP2NQZEZLdIMfA-9fnwTHU6MsHSytwdyVLsmP4Z7mi2kpMha8Mq4p1BBZA/s1600/blog+boar+2013+team+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5JUlxQRKnFfBdG3_5ML71xFQfSxyO7cQVLkEycA5tJkssFYvs00bNWjIgeQms6OwSxa5xgxt2zUu-AlWn5NP2NQZEZLdIMfA-9fnwTHU6MsHSytwdyVLsmP4Z7mi2kpMha8Mq4p1BBZA/s1600/blog+boar+2013+team+photo.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Speaking of adorable...</i></div>
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The Boar took place on March 2nd at the beautiful Orlando Wetlands Park in Christmas, FL. It's a really gorgeous park, awesome for hiking or biking. For my motorcycle friends, ya know that one nice curve just past Ft Christmas Park? If you're anything like me you never noticed that there is a small side road on the right of that left hander because you're too busy trying to figure out how fast you can take it without killing yourself...or ya know just paying attention to the road. But as it turns out, that little side-road takes you back into a beautiful public recreation area. Who knew?<br />
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It was one of those Florida Winter days where when the wind laid down and the sun came out, it was warm and lovely. But when the clouds went in front of the sun and the wind picked up, it was COLD! Being the idiot that I am I wasn't really dressed for it and was mise-ra-ble hanging out prior to the race. Yes, I am a precious, precious snowflake. Though not actually a snowflake, because a snowflake would like the cold. More like a precious, precious reptile. You see, reptiles thermoregulate, they aren't endothermic, so if it gets <i>too </i>cold they just start to shut down...like me. (and if you think I knew the difference between thermoregulation and endothermy before I started writing this you are very, very wrong)<br />
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Anyramble, we drew canoe first, which did not make either of us happy. But that's the way the multi-colored pebbles fall, so away we went. The Boar required taking the bikes to both the Canoe and Foot portions of the race. Off we went, and seeing how bad the wind was we made the executive decision to just go for a couple of the CPs on the water. Normally, we go for broke on the first leg at least, because (dur?!) if you don't, you've already given up on clearing the course. And that's always the primary goal. Sure it gets to a point where you have to cut your loses, but we hate to do that on the first leg. But the deck was stacked against us, and everyone else (we hoped.) The wind sucked and the weeds didn't help.<br />
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Not us, but other unfortunate souls.</div>
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Seriously the combo was so bad, that when we were returning from getting two of the CPs we got out and waded through the hip-deep water and weeds and dragged/pushed the canoe through this section. In the cold. You can't say we're not dedicated. You can say we are morons.</div>
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The bike portion, when the wind wasn't right at you, was fun. (so...not a lot of it was what a normal person would call fun) But there were so many pretty birds out there and lots of gators too. Two in particular were sunning themselves about 5 feet off the trail...which I did not notice till I was whizzing past them. The need for new underwear was a possibility. It took us a couple of extra minutes to find the Elite CP that Greg had included on this leg, but it wasn't too bad. Finding it involved triangulation or some sort of navigational sorcery of which I know nothing. In fact, Dave totally had us in the right spot for it, and it was right along the trail, but for some reason we blew right past it the first time. What I find intriguing is that judging by the FB pics several of the teams went to some little hill to do their triangulation, which we did not. Dave just used the map. Did we just get lucky? Or was that really not necessary? Weird.</div>
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And now you know why I don't race without Dave. #can'tnavigateforcrap</div>
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By the foot portion I was really over riding the bike on that road in and out of camp. But whatevs. Once we dumped the bikes we were on the Florida Trail, which I love. By this point the wet socks/shoes had my feet pretty numb and jogging on the single track through the forest is just so much more mentally pleasing to me, than when we are out in the open. That said, I was definitely in Adventure Race Shuffle Mode. That's what we call the light jog we do on the foot portions when we are tired...which is pretty much whenever we haven't drawn Foot first. But Mr. Fuchs on the other hand was still in runner mode. Geesh, dude starts getting stricter with his Paleo and doing his Crossfit regularly and suddenly I'm getting left in the dust! Which is fine really, I prefer to be the weak link. I'd rather get mad at myself for holding us back than him. Just works out better for everyone that way. </div>
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We found the Elite CP on the foot portion, though it did make us a minute and a half over time. Bummer, but what are you going to do? With the time we had left when we started looking for it, we couldn't <b><i>not </i></b>go for it. Especially being that it was <i>supposed </i>to be a little more difficult to find. (Pride goeth before the fall, and whatnot) Once it was all said and done, we had no idea how we had finished compared to everyone else, as per our usual. But it had been a pretty challenging and tiring race for us and we were really proud of our efforts. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm really proud of how "in the moment" we both get during the races, willing to wade through the weeds or ford a canal instead of going a different, longer route around it. (Yeah, that happened on the Foot portion) I really dig that Dave assumes I'm along for the ride and I also dig being around so many other cool folks (Pangea AR and Crossfit peeps) who are the same way. 'Cause let's face it, we're not like the other Soccer Moms and Dads. </div>
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Anybrag, we were crazy stoked to hear we came in 4th! The smug levels rose to even higher levels when we realized we finally beat "You're Dead to Me," our Adventure Racing besties. Beth and Brian are both super-awesome people, despite that fact that they <i>always </i>beat us. Partly due to said awesomeness, partly because Brian has more experience doing adventure races (he's done some 12 hour races up north, GAH!) AND they are also both professional trainers. So naturally, we don't feel really bad when they beat us, because, you know...awesomeness? On the other hand, to finally place just a smidgen above them on the Leader board was pretty cool. And something I'll hold onto as they proceed to kick our asses in all future races I'm sure. </div>
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Afterwards, we took part in the post-race Weenie Bike tossing.</div>
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<i>This pic kinda reminds me of the old Calvin-getting-attacked-by-his-bike storyline from Calvin & Hobbes.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXUnr4v4Vrlrvs2pzGbr0MI1_hol33NECJQsu1AfRzWtqDNEP-gicbYU7hrZC387jqtO1jRzXFTRPj7Bk7KZ3h1dh8ve2eCK4vjK_UlrraRJtal99EiJB17tbUMRx9Izd5-UuaJC92zFK/s1600/blog+boar+2013+dave+throwing+bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXUnr4v4Vrlrvs2pzGbr0MI1_hol33NECJQsu1AfRzWtqDNEP-gicbYU7hrZC387jqtO1jRzXFTRPj7Bk7KZ3h1dh8ve2eCK4vjK_UlrraRJtal99EiJB17tbUMRx9Izd5-UuaJC92zFK/s1600/blog+boar+2013+dave+throwing+bike.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I feel like Dave has a very natural weenie-bike-tossing form. He's a man of many talents.</i></div>
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So that in a nutshell, was my impressions of the Boar. Another great race by the Pangea Family. Greg and his troops do such an amazing job putting on these events. I really love how organized and well-run they are, while still having such a friendly, no-worries vibe to them. Up next the Treasure Coast AR on March 23rd. Due to schedule conflicts, we probably won't be able to play with them again until Holden joins us for the SCAR on Father's Day.</div>
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Till then, stay dirty Adventure Racers!</div>
The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-50746129644373801122013-03-11T12:37:00.006-04:002013-03-11T12:38:32.447-04:00Ninjas and Pirates and Lasers and Shit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Dave the Slave got his new rig. </i></div>
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It only took 24 years, but he finally got a brand new suit and rig that he designed himself and was fitted specifically for him. I may have mentioned in a previous post, that in his high school days and very early twenties, skydiving was huge part of his life and his passion. (alongside flying) But adulthood, responsibilities, a lack of money, and then a lack of time resulted in him not being a part of that world for the past 18 years.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qlGKt1vM-8eWMiflpZBqMbvGBVpHXimvNPFslwP85qOhldGUkUrmMe5ska8wKnCIoWINuXlMegjR2tY_2oUP1MpUvr85KUAv9UVVtCqdi-wy6bFNa3jV_n5l9ZQL9xGnAMX9FbL0XbDQ/s1600/blog+dave+landing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qlGKt1vM-8eWMiflpZBqMbvGBVpHXimvNPFslwP85qOhldGUkUrmMe5ska8wKnCIoWINuXlMegjR2tY_2oUP1MpUvr85KUAv9UVVtCqdi-wy6bFNa3jV_n5l9ZQL9xGnAMX9FbL0XbDQ/s1600/blog+dave+landing.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Not anymore.</i></div>
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He's been jumping again for the past 6 months or so, but Holden and I had to go see him jump again on Friday. Note to skydivers: if you have your loved ones come out to see you, please make sure that you can accurately describe your canopy. Dave did not. It was a near sunset jump, so we were actually able to see them in freefall. And then the chutes started to open...and none of them accurately fit his description. Of course the rational part of my brain knew he must have just described it wrong. But the asshole part of my brain was wondering if I just watched my husband jump out of a plane with a chute that didn't open. Yeah. Dave was very helpful in reminding me later that the he has a doo-hickey in his rig that will open the chute below a certain altitude, and though he may still crash and burn, I would have seen something open, even if it didn't open all the way and he still plunged to his death. </div>
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Thanks, honey.</div>
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All kidding aside, I really don't worry about him when he is jumping. But at the same time I realize that I don't particularly care to watch. Call it out of sight out of mind, but it's how I cope with worry-brain. </div>
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Anyways, so much awesomeness coming up you guys! Megacon is in four days!!! I love, love, love that it gets to be such an awesome combo of family geek time (Friday Doctor Who Family Cosplay FTW) and getting our freak on (Cyber-punk Time...once the kid goes to grandma's for the rest of the weekend. Woot!) THEN another Adventure Race the following weekend (crap, I still haven't done a race report from the last one. Suck, I do.) In April, I've got a Horseback Poker Ride to put on at the State Park, the Festivus Crossfit Games, Dave and I are taking a motorcycle trip to North GA, AND my bestie Kelly is coming for a visit. Holy shitsnacks my life rocks!</div>
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Regarding the upcoming bike trip, I have not been riding enough. So Dave gave me a pass to disappear yesterday and put on some miles. Which I did. All around awesome person, Liza, joined me for a Hooligan-ish ride around the state yesterday. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBxxnQpXv7tWO-KTvEtGN9HS0FcYzuktjaDsKiuhyphenhyphenWTyPwsSyUTTJKK8dfoTl9NB3TGlSue2AmJZ95Hx2tDoxn-Haf-WHMkdYTV9CVQG9jR62gxnhAzz6MyxYwtupMkbfTBAEhnheWvIf/s1600/blog+liza+and+i.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBxxnQpXv7tWO-KTvEtGN9HS0FcYzuktjaDsKiuhyphenhyphenWTyPwsSyUTTJKK8dfoTl9NB3TGlSue2AmJZ95Hx2tDoxn-Haf-WHMkdYTV9CVQG9jR62gxnhAzz6MyxYwtupMkbfTBAEhnheWvIf/s1600/blog+liza+and+i.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>We know why dogs hang their heads out of car windows.</i></div>
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It was a long day, but a great one. Here's a <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Fellsmere,+FL&daddr=27.8640018,-80.5914201+to:28.242033,-80.9184236+to:28.4610278,-80.9902325+to:28.5735172,-81.0478713+to:28.6470405,-81.1069723+to:28.7468743,-81.1301847+to:28.837872,-81.1937441+to:28.870078,-81.2663841+to:28.8161761,-81.4721389+to:28.8005462,-81.642142+to:28.7609972,-81.7580292+to:28.7554965,-81.965067+to:28.7221018,-82.0867208+to:28.6216125,-82.441751+to:28.6179798,-82.4510082+to:West+Ozello+Trail,+Crystal+River,+FL&hl=en&ll=28.277777,-81.806946&spn=1.610889,2.90863&sll=28.626155,-82.440076&sspn=0.025088,0.045447&geocode=Ff6zpwEdnB4y-yl_hkpeC2XeiDG-5Zlwslhoxg%3BFcErqQEdxEUy-ymzorr4YG7eiDHohUHsGud6RA%3BFXHwrgEdaUgt-ykrRZDWmPvdiDE0g70hgK29Ug%3BFeNHsgEd6C8s-ymdja8rVlfniDHqWDaU1kyS-Q%3BFU3_swEdwU4r-ylTojIlz0TniDHoWTpWvNiOFw%3BFYAetQEd5Gcq-yk_ROsYxUPniDFh3eLNSosIMg%3BFXqktgEdOA0q-ylbVgr8ekDniDEt6NTrBqexVw%3BFfAHuAEd8BQp-ymNatJYxBXniDEeZvuFaVqnqg%3BFb6FuAEdMPkn-yk7onP3RBHniDGGDxGwb-KkkA%3BFTCztwEddtUk-yn3K7t1AwvniDHyX51ZOa5fAQ%3BFSJ2twEdYj0i-ynxzlycZKLniDEQq_cikSE6GQ%3BFaXbtgEds3gg-ynh_kF5aJbniDGkuAxvwCoR1A%3BFSjGtgEd9U8d-ymRSwGsdOnniDFDQ3SfLGmWVQ%3BFbVDtgEdwHQb-ykVb-OdKeTniDHMK315Km1qRQ%3BFSy7tAEd6QkW-ymbf6A5XBroiDE3knZe2wTMzg%3BFfustAEdwOUV-yl_ZfuxRhroiDHVvtNWchYbjw%3BFR4FuAEdNuYS-ykT3lJ7Vz_oiDEJ91HSh3KZlA&oq=ozello+trail&t=h&mra=dpe&mrsp=15&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15&z=9" target="_blank">link to the route to our destination</a>, Peck's <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pecks-Old-Port-Cove/117475071600867" target="_blank">Restaurant </a>at the end of Ozello Trail. Some folks refer to that road as The Tail of the Grouper. If you've heard of the Tail of the Dragon, you'll get it. We may have gotten a little ambitious in our goals for the day. Here's out <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=West+Ozello+Trail,+Crystal+River,+FL&daddr=28.6871288,-82.4979209+to:28.558552,-82.396477+to:28.5068644,-81.8391994+to:28.1827062,-81.8237401+to:28.1461033,-81.8228894+to:28.108932,-81.7892979+to:28.067407,-81.7887222+to:28.040257,-81.7761063+to:27.9981297,-81.7858888+to:27.9338274,-81.7941316+to:Fellsmere,+FL&hl=en&ll=28.340648,-81.633911&spn=1.609937,2.90863&sll=27.943232,-81.797676&sspn=0.050499,0.090895&geocode=FR4FuAEdNuYS-ykT3lJ7Vz_oiDEJ91HSh3KZlA%3BFRi7tQEdgC4V-ymxKeSzGRfoiDGg4zigavT3fg%3BFdjEswEdw7oW-yk7lvwlVxvoiDE6kDyzGxo9fw%3BFfD6sgEdoTsf-ynT0LO8aIvniDFCsg6MUCB_Hg%3BFbIIrgEdBHgf-ynH8cXjp2ndiDE4mzfYTS5FtQ%3BFbd5rQEdV3sf-ykXIJDaKmrdiDGzOlwu4zk9kA%3BFYTorAEdj_4f-ymvgwIqhWvdiDEseDh6MgtDXw%3BFU9GrAEdzgAg-ynLPXLbWmvdiDHd2huX9UVI5g%3BFUHcqwEdFjIg-ykX0jAtWBPdiDH8d9nvYpPjgg%3BFbE3qwEd4Asg-ynPgoK0exTdiDGdXI99st2bYg%3BFYM8qgEdresf-yn5g0LOxhbdiDHGwbyR2a25ww%3BFf6zpwEdnB4y-yl_hkpeC2XeiDG-5Zlwslhoxg&oq=fellsmere&t=h&mra=dpe&mrsp=10&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10&z=9" target="_blank">route home. </a> So that's 430 miles for a pastry (Yeah, you read that right. 5 points for me!) at the <a href="http://www.yalahabakery.com/" target="_blank">Yalaha Bakery</a> and shrimp and scallops on the west coast. Totally worth it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkf3LEmtsOORm4ZzYClOtiLDV5mtNTGvMGB3y-N8mej4JTp3lSWiiPXpmPOHxvBztoxlAF1316IZqP33R54YqAOaQENOGxAxxh9FE73vtd8vI7glh2fo5eAHVJ_bUug55_7WpuSs6d7t3w/s1600/blog+liza+and+my+bike.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkf3LEmtsOORm4ZzYClOtiLDV5mtNTGvMGB3y-N8mej4JTp3lSWiiPXpmPOHxvBztoxlAF1316IZqP33R54YqAOaQENOGxAxxh9FE73vtd8vI7glh2fo5eAHVJ_bUug55_7WpuSs6d7t3w/s1600/blog+liza+and+my+bike.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>It never occured to me till just now, but our bikes parked next to each other look an awful lot like when <b>we </b>stand next to each other. Even my bike is an Amazon.</i></div>
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Oh and one more thing!!! The Paleo Challenge is FINISHED on the 16th! YAY! I'm glad we participated in it, and the Whole30. I love that I have broken my addiction to Diet Coke and really gotten a handle on my sweets cravings too. But I am really, really ready to take what I have learned and personalize it a bit. But I've gone on enough for one day so we'll save the introspection and plans for another post.</div>
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The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-34997666706668507752013-03-04T14:50:00.001-05:002013-03-08T11:42:40.078-05:00Let's play dress-upDespite an Adventure Race on Saturday, (story/post when I get pics) we actually got a bunch of cosplay work done this weekend. As of this moment I think i have let Dave convince me to do the Cyberpunk just at the parties Friday and Saturday night. Partly because I think he wants to get as much mileage out of Capt Jack as possible, but also that he feels a little less confident in his Cyberpunk costume. But c'mon, doesn't he look good?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaqE9FMQ3mJmwl7gPvZu77vGpdor_8UcxOrn_WV7FdqH1qKhSrPc2unip6-QSvn-VqUt1_HEOeivhN-qDALocd3WweJnOiFNfEv1L2YCmtzgYOi6HyaS333uoq4t-idf1I9jxOObGqI6m/s1600/dave+cyberpunk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaqE9FMQ3mJmwl7gPvZu77vGpdor_8UcxOrn_WV7FdqH1qKhSrPc2unip6-QSvn-VqUt1_HEOeivhN-qDALocd3WweJnOiFNfEv1L2YCmtzgYOi6HyaS333uoq4t-idf1I9jxOObGqI6m/s1600/dave+cyberpunk.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Our son asked if he was wearing a chest plate underneath the Underarmour Shirt. Yay Crossfit!</i></div>
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Regarding our Doctor Who cosplay, here is a pic of the "looks" we're all going for, for reference. This is from the Stolen Earth episodes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5W2vfwiA9GR9-Ss960atV4Rr24YW9t90YNl79MLL8oLjIXN8bxyLyrRZ4nzFJerxeKz3k9l62tiBa6IMXow8q7OM-I9Tk5MW5kOSIPMGOGF0ApYCtN7eOsJyYtP2pBJ2os3ZdG94i8NNg/s1600/blog+stolen+earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5W2vfwiA9GR9-Ss960atV4Rr24YW9t90YNl79MLL8oLjIXN8bxyLyrRZ4nzFJerxeKz3k9l62tiBa6IMXow8q7OM-I9Tk5MW5kOSIPMGOGF0ApYCtN7eOsJyYtP2pBJ2os3ZdG94i8NNg/s1600/blog+stolen+earth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I'm Rose (purple jacket), Holden is the Doctor (brown suit, center) and Dave is Capt Jack (on his knees...where we like him)</i></div>
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He has some buttons to sew for Capt Jack, but it's essentially completed. He hasn't decided whether or not he's going to bother with the Vortex manipulator or gun, since they'll be out of view, unless he chooses to pose with them. </div>
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The big deal is that he shaved off his goatee yesterday!!!!!! I know, right? I'm pretty sure Holden has <b><i>never</i></b> actually seen him without some form of facial hair. I'm not gonna lie, I prefer him with some...but I dig it. And I fully support the commitment to the character. Though my first impression post-shave was that I felt like I was kissing a girl. </div>
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I'm not sure who that says more about.</div>
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Without further adieu, Capt Jack:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxAYTa_5Xi8uavPyhyphenhyphenSfFdq_6gLCBCfdtXNkpg3Ho8C3fqWCc-abWWZ_HA9HiJSU2nXE74ZGSskilzcOhkl4cKiw3GnBZ0o0OLwvTv7zUx4Fby5SU6eTdPlctlWiMkT259LRvq1nru6ud/s1600/blog+dave+capt+jack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxAYTa_5Xi8uavPyhyphenhyphenSfFdq_6gLCBCfdtXNkpg3Ho8C3fqWCc-abWWZ_HA9HiJSU2nXE74ZGSskilzcOhkl4cKiw3GnBZ0o0OLwvTv7zUx4Fby5SU6eTdPlctlWiMkT259LRvq1nru6ud/s1600/blog+dave+capt+jack.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>What you just heard was the sound of Fan Girl panties dropping all across the interwebs.</i></div>
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I can't say I'm real excited about cosplaying Rose. I kinda feel like I am Holden and Dave's accessory. But I <i>suppose </i>it can't always be about me. That said, I'm pretty happy with it. Obviously we are not the kind of cosplayers that get hung up on perfection. (No, really?) But aside from the neckline and carving the gun out of block, (instead of painting a nerf gun and adding the silver bits as we did) I don't see how it could be much better.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3tZvYqr2lsposb4YLaBlz0JFocUAHwFiGUJGtiqHW-V2R81EPqnbHoGLcI2N2DVTIrnZ0CEv8_BAOLZVfQwCWhgnUG6rPyhDt6sCccDC5PmrWhFCpdbz783qzMy3arno6fvHzcoB-H8A/s1600/blog+rose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3tZvYqr2lsposb4YLaBlz0JFocUAHwFiGUJGtiqHW-V2R81EPqnbHoGLcI2N2DVTIrnZ0CEv8_BAOLZVfQwCWhgnUG6rPyhDt6sCccDC5PmrWhFCpdbz783qzMy3arno6fvHzcoB-H8A/s1600/blog+rose.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Don't let it be said I haven't made hair sacrifices either.</i></div>
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<i> I <b>can't wait </b>to dye and cut my hair post-Megacon.</i></div>
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I've also figured out our Steampunk Sunday cosplay. No more Steampunk Bride and Groom as my wedding dress is too big now. #fitpeopleproblems</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44BvUPeLlhhYXrxqTucRme9fzXiw_tngLbX-OBz2VSOABCXVRAM_yJNicklovOBwhrv1KN4ByzaoAih3ZbAzHXPCU2se3D8P62ASZskmCcZn27wrNHevaaCcGiyP3CwuN0cLBmLrDb8N4/s1600/blog+fit+meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44BvUPeLlhhYXrxqTucRme9fzXiw_tngLbX-OBz2VSOABCXVRAM_yJNicklovOBwhrv1KN4ByzaoAih3ZbAzHXPCU2se3D8P62ASZskmCcZn27wrNHevaaCcGiyP3CwuN0cLBmLrDb8N4/s1600/blog+fit+meme.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>As it turns out, there are pitifully few #fitpeopleproblems memes. What do you suppose that says about the internet? Uh...yeah. Moving on....</i></div>
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I <i>am </i>using the the petticoat from my wedding dress as the base for this year's steampunk cosplay. I really dig that I made a whole new creation this year only using stuff already in my closet and jewelery collection. Dave's is pretty much the same as one he's done before. I like to call it Colonial Steampunk </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJix9e2jGpDHh9UyP7ke9FZnJW4-jNOu98GsBZSEc8B3J3-CiF1z5aKkxOjtxgZZipMZxUL8TdwzdKsEswzVnQk02ga60sOKAbaFfbc4wZl_CSvnKXM0NpHeI3MKDY6-sp-fr0J4pDDue/s1600/blog+steampunk+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJix9e2jGpDHh9UyP7ke9FZnJW4-jNOu98GsBZSEc8B3J3-CiF1z5aKkxOjtxgZZipMZxUL8TdwzdKsEswzVnQk02ga60sOKAbaFfbc4wZl_CSvnKXM0NpHeI3MKDY6-sp-fr0J4pDDue/s1600/blog+steampunk+2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>This is from 2011. I'll not comment further, other than to say, how cute was Holden? What you can't see is his Rockeeter-type Jet Pack on his back.</i></div>
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Anyfatties...we're all getting excited. Our cosplay is no where near impressive as lots of others out there. However, the past two years we have always felt incredibly welcomed and our efforts appreciated. And with all the picture taking, etc it is awful fun to play rock star for the day.</div>
The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-63850384799069501102013-03-04T11:21:00.004-05:002013-03-04T14:51:38.556-05:00Who shrunk my pants?Seriously, only I could gain weight doing the Whole 30/Paleo Challenge. I haven't even weighed myself, I'm too scared to step on the scale. But I can tell. The Skinny Jeans that were starting to fit nicely even fresh from the dryer a few weeks ago are now too tight...and they are NOT fresh from the dryer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURXZxiFeJ5nP-EvqL7cxByzt0fU3BN7pXZFn3kVkyIHOfoQGVOxY-XUbNXJW-jZJUtER6fminedN8ewShkGRu7vEe-2P7p2s2mQwq3JvkiDm2ex5An9xeVB7hjE2UzHN1Q3vYO4uBgiWg/s1600/blog+bad+skinny+jeans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURXZxiFeJ5nP-EvqL7cxByzt0fU3BN7pXZFn3kVkyIHOfoQGVOxY-XUbNXJW-jZJUtER6fminedN8ewShkGRu7vEe-2P7p2s2mQwq3JvkiDm2ex5An9xeVB7hjE2UzHN1Q3vYO4uBgiWg/s1600/blog+bad+skinny+jeans.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>This is what I feel like today.</i></div>
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So much for the Whole 30/Paleo Challenge leaning me out. Instead what it did was allow my brain to say, "Oh we're not going to track exactly what we eat? And as long as I eat the foods on this list only, I'm within the rules? Well, alrighty then. Bring on the sun butter/coconut butter/almond binges, bitches!" And since the Whole 30 has been done, it's been "Bring on the Dark Chocolate and Mug Cakes!"<br />
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Yeah.<br />
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I started half-heartedtly Myfitnesspal-ing last week, but have gotten lazy with it. Then yesterday I caught myself having the "ah, I'll just restart on Monday" (regarding portion control) conversation with myself and realized that I have steered myself right onto the exit for Fattie Land.<br />
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This is exactly how it happened before. Get where I want to be, or close to it for awhile, and then slowly start loosening the grip. And before I know it BAM! I'm 250lbs again. I will NOT let it happen again. At least now, thank God, I'm seeing the warning signs, while in the past I was totally oblivious until it was too late.<br />
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So what do I do? Back to to strict tracking of calories/carbs and I'm going to shoot for 1400-1500 a day for the next couple weeks in preparation for Megacon. Once I get past there, I'll probably loosen up the total calories, but I <b><i>must </i></b>continue to track. I know the Paleo gurus don't like it, but it has been made abundantly clear to me that if I don't, I over eat.<br />
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End of story.The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2362485112382667694.post-63795422885795250962013-02-25T12:59:00.002-05:002013-03-08T11:41:59.571-05:00Feeling Good...especially for a Monday.<br />
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I was not feeling good Sunday morning, after a super-fun night out with a couple of our favorite couples.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE3xH2G9UEmSKQIcbrpZzec659iXmNNebrhMjByiKu6tKqhN7eB7Rnsk-heMCDJeFeFDEeGVOCt7PsyU03O8G1TmzORengG8So7Om-qwkEuLEABcsSt4z1ib0sXSsxx3siu4FdtFR4ZLt/s1600/blog+patti+and+evan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE3xH2G9UEmSKQIcbrpZzec659iXmNNebrhMjByiKu6tKqhN7eB7Rnsk-heMCDJeFeFDEeGVOCt7PsyU03O8G1TmzORengG8So7Om-qwkEuLEABcsSt4z1ib0sXSsxx3siu4FdtFR4ZLt/s1600/blog+patti+and+evan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I feel like this picture pretty accurately sums up Evan and I's friendship. I act like a weirdo and he judges me. I'm ok with it. </i></div>
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By the way, hangovers suck. But if you want to play you've got to pay. I don't even feel like I drank that much, especially compared to how many I'd pound in an evening in the past...and the fact that I was shaking my booty a lot of the night. But eating clean will do that to you.<br />
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We spent most of the night at <a href="http://www.hirams.com/" target="_blank">Captain Hiram's</a>. We ran into even more cool people than the ones we brought with us. The band, <a href="http://www.sixtywattsun.com/" target="_blank">60 Watt Sun</a> was playing a lot of 80s hair metal which was a hoot. And the thing was, they were really good. Looootta creepers out Saturday night, though. I felt like a groupie at a Motley Crue concert circa 1985. Of course, I never actually was a groupie, nor ever saw them in concert back then because I was 12 and that would be weird. Though probably not unheard of.<br />
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Moving on....<br />
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Sunday afternoon, one of the Crossfitting couples hosted a Paleo Potluck Picnic at their amazeballs home on the Indian River. Seriously. You never realize how ghetto you are until you go into a house like that. It was so nice to get our nom on at a potluck without having to second guess or ask what was in stuff. The food was super-yummy and the camaraderie wonderful as always. I made the Chocolate Chili from <a href="http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/wellfed/" target="_blank">Well Fed</a>, which was a hit. No surprise there. You don't like that Chocolate Chili you need to have your taste buds examined.<br />
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I also did something productive this weekend too! I know, right? I got my Cyber Punk head piece completed, made a good go at Rose's gun for our Doctor Who cosplay <i>and </i>started my Cyber Punk Hand Cannon. The gun just needs a strap, but the Hand Cannon still needs lots of work. Dave made the handle for the inside, and I painted it, but that is as far as I've gotten. I need to run by the Auto Parts store after Crossfit this week and see if I can pick the LED lights I'd like to add to it. Dave also did a little work too for his Cyperpunk costume. I was afraid his was going to be really boring, and more just an accessory to me, but he's building some silver-hose-thingees that are going to be pretty cool I think. Pics when everything is completed.<br />
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Speaking of all that, the panels have been announced for <a href="http://www.megaconvention.com/" target="_blank">Megacon</a>. There are several cosplay panels that sound interesting, and I'd really like to go to the Wil Wheaton Q&A. We'll definitely hit the big Villian Party at the Rosen next door. It's rare that we get to go to a big city club, especially one with dancing girls, and themed costumes and decor, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAxCKEpRYM4QRufM1G-XEzszW_IPSaUDPg_S5-83N2AwRdBaZh-C2YhayIJBgTOpfzO_iGuJikxph3pD1QK-6kJpBh_DWws3DSNROpVDiaP-FOTVr9dqs4uvF7ZHLVE6cjQZC3qvQF52p/s1600/blog+cletus+and+wife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAxCKEpRYM4QRufM1G-XEzszW_IPSaUDPg_S5-83N2AwRdBaZh-C2YhayIJBgTOpfzO_iGuJikxph3pD1QK-6kJpBh_DWws3DSNROpVDiaP-FOTVr9dqs4uvF7ZHLVE6cjQZC3qvQF52p/s1600/blog+cletus+and+wife.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Hey honey! I hear they even got that moonshine what come in dem fancy brown bottles and all! Aaaand an indoor outhouse!</i></div>
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Seriously though, the Arkham Nights party last year was pretty impressive, stylistically speaking. I'd like to wear my Cyberpunk to that party, but I'm afraid Dave's going to want to live in his Capt Jack costume. I'm going to be beating the fangirls off with a stick, I just know it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzGaYFwp7l6rGhbeg-l_N3xg3mqigSBR3-UrUs5De2dkZ3qkTkN5ZFF7GUnViy8dBtR-kCpCsqQcqLvuNVBZ7G9acgBlt2siA9jtN48JMLKRs2-qqKqnSn8aXn2L5Sjh8pttMAUOF17Ct/s1600/captain+jack+spaghetti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzGaYFwp7l6rGhbeg-l_N3xg3mqigSBR3-UrUs5De2dkZ3qkTkN5ZFF7GUnViy8dBtR-kCpCsqQcqLvuNVBZ7G9acgBlt2siA9jtN48JMLKRs2-qqKqnSn8aXn2L5Sjh8pttMAUOF17Ct/s1600/captain+jack+spaghetti.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>This is the part of Capt. Jack that Dave keeps forgetting about. Oh please, oh please let there be some gay, fanboys there. </i></div>
The Riding Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14422901488817476568noreply@blogger.com0