My Own Pull-Up Quest

So Skwigg is up to like a kagillion pull-ups. I'm still working on one. And I'm almost there! I wanted to order the pull-up bar that Skwigg talked about in her blog, but I'm inpatient, and willing to drill a few holes. (I figure at this point, I ain't gettin' the deposit back anyway). So I went to the local Big 5 and got an Everlast bar. What a difference it makes having a bar you can reach without props. The only bar in my gym is like 12 feet up. So now I don't have to lug a work-out bench across the room to make my feeble attempts. Plus, I can try it every time I walk through the door. I feel like a monkey. And ladies, it also doubles as a drying rack for delicate laundry and work-out Spandex! Skwigg's a genius. I'm off to practice now while I watch G.I. Jane!

My Roller Coaster

When I don't blog for a while and then you see the sign of the hell-cat...well, you probably get the idea...but if you don't - check this site for previous hell-cat appearances.

A Word about Tanning

Me, I glow in the dark. Always have. I tried getting sun when I was younger, but it usually just got me good and burned. And now they say the sun is evil anyway, so...
I have for years been OK with being milky white, but now that I find I'd like to see a little more definition in these muscles I'm working so hard for, I'm yearning again, to be darker. I'm really quite afraid of self tanner products as well, because I've seen the hideous results on others. But a while back I started using the Jergen's gradual lotion, Natural Glow. Here's how I used it and what happened. The first time I used it, I didn't exfoliate. Big mistake. My ankles and toes looked dirty. So what ya gotta do is: Soak in the bath for at least 20 minutes, then use a sea-salt scrub or apricot scrub EVERYWHERE that you're gonna apply the lotion. Rinse, of course. Then pat dry (don't rub). Then, with superhero speed and precision, apply it like you would any other lotion. You can do this with your bare hands as long as you wash them as soon as you're done "putting the lotion on itself". Then, and this is important, you must stand around naked until you're dry. It doesn't take long (5-10 minutes), but it does make the whole thing feel like a big production and time sink. It's totally worth it though, because you get a really soft, warm, even color the next morning. Now, if you are as white as I am, after 2 weeks, no one but you will even notice you've done all this. And that's because you won't be darker - you'll just have a little color. So, then you'll want to go out and buy the next darker shade and keep going. Some people have complained about a weird smell using the stuff, but I don't get it. It certainly doesn't smell like my Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely lotion, but it doesn't smell like diesel fuel either. So anyway, having done all that, I've now gone 2 weeks without using anything, and sad to report, back to zero and blinding small children in the noon-day sun. SO, I'm trying to decide on starting all over again OR paying some stranger at the local froo-froo salon to airbrush me with a special shade chosen just for me....I'll let ya know how it goes, of course, if I decide to do it. In the meantime, I would definitely recommend the Jergen's Natural Glow. Yes, yes, we should all love ourselves the way we are, yadda yadda yadda...I just want to look ripped in my pictures...is that so wrong?

Doing the happy dance!

I only just realized that they started publishing Muscle and Fitness Hers again. And guess what? The latest issue has both an article about ladies doing pull-ups AND one called "Girlfight" about female boxing training. Yeah!

Score one for the little guy!

I'm feeling much better - thanks for all the kind words! I want to tell you about my little victory...At my age, you'd think I'd be at least looking into owning a home, but alas, I don't know where want to settle down, and I have no money (I'm looking into Oprah's Debt Diet). So I rent. Anyone who has ever rented tells the same story. Every time a new lease comes up, so does the rental price. My case is no different. And it really stinks with this particular apartment, because I love it so. I've never loved any of my apartments the way I love this one. Even though it's got hardly any storage space, and its narcotic effects keep me from getting much done while I'm actually inside, I feel like it's my refuge, my first "home" without the folks. After you keep reading, you may think I live in a slum area, but it's in a really good part of town, and close to everything I need. Anywayz, so I get the notice the other day that it's time to renew, and guess what? Rent has gone up, AGAIN! That would bring me up to almost $100 more than the original price. I was upset because it well, stinks by itself, but on top of it all, my "landlords" have consistently ignored my multiple requests for repairs and stuff. For example: When the latch broke on my patio door, I was provided with a shiny new white-trash lock (a piece of wood) and was told they'd return with the needed parts later. Never happened. Then there was the leaky faucet. Then there was the time my toilet overflowed (with something other than clean water), and they never came to clean the carpet. And let me tell you - this one really interfered with my OCD cleaning problem. Then there was what I like to call "the piece of resistance" - the mosquito nest. Long story short - there's this big yuk of standing water right outside my front door where the friendly neighborhood mosquitos like to get it on. Last year I had to call the guv-n-ment myself to come out and spray - the landlords did nothing. So after getting the renewal notice, I got on the trusty Internet to see if anyone in the world had ever been successful in renegotiating their apartment leases before. Sadly, it appeared no one had. But I was undeterred. It never hurts to ask. So I mustered up all my righteous indignation and marched into the office and asked for the manager (something I apparently should have done sooner). It went a little something like this:

Me: I don't want to be confrontational here, but I have to let you know that I am very unhappy that my rent has gone up again. This is like my 3rd or 4th lease here and I...
Nice Lady: Oh, I know you *have* been with us for a while, and I'd be more than happy to let you keep the current rent. (Big smiles)
- I am Jack's deflated sense of righteous indignation-
Me: Well, since I have you here, I'd like to tell you about some of the things I need for you to take care of such as (insert list of grievances)
Nice Lady: I will take care of everything. (More big smiles, pretty teeth glinting in sunlight)

So I come home from work the very next day, and get this!, the carpet has been washed, the latch on the door is fixed, the faucet is no longer leaking, and while the pile of dirt they put over the water hole is completely unsatisfactory, at least they tried. AND I get to keep my rent rate. I am in love the nice lady.
Sometimes the little guy *does* win, and sometimes dreams really do come true.

Well, fuzzy fans, I'm finally back from the dead. Maybe you can guess I got pretty sick there. My whole workout routine derailed! So I went to the doc. They said I had a nasty sinus infection which included 2 ear infections and a side of throat. So they prescribed 2000mg a day of Erythromycin. After 4 doses, I found myself smack in the middle of an hourly puke-a-thon. Nice. Excruciating abdominal pain, dehydration, heartburn, loss of appetite - those were my companions as a lay on the floor from Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon wearing the same clothes I wore to work Thursday morning. It just doesn't get grosser than that. The docs tried to send me to the hospital to get some IV fluids, but I denied them the pleasure. I convinced them I was drinking enough water, but I lied. Water was painful. In the end the docs decided not to give me anymore antibiotics. I'm pretty sure they thought it would tear up what was left of my stomach, but their given reason was that my sinus infection was probably viral and I didn't need the meds anyway. EXCUSE ME?!? I'm so mad I could keep puking. One cool thing was that I got so dehydrated, my left bicep looked ripped! Needless to say, I shan't be taking that medicine ever again. And I still haven't had a real meal yet - still a little tender on the inside, but I'm much better. And I have much more to share, but it will have to wait - I need to go drink some water.

Sick Day Continues...

Still sick...Dr. appt tomorrow...made it to the gym for a killer leg workout last night though. And I managed to make it to work, but the gals there sent me home early 'cause on account of all the juices running from my face. It was so gross. I'm one of those girls who NEVER under any circumstances blows her nose in public, but today it was all Kleenex and fingers and damn the consequences. SO, on the way home I rented some more "girl kicks butt" movies: Ultraviolet, Elektra, and Bloodrayne. Yes, I'll pretty much watch anything. "Enough" was good, but it didn't have enough. The training scene was maybe 5 minutes long, but I guess it was worth the ending. "Tomb Raider" was fun, as always, but I'd be more impressed if she had more muscle. And "Girlfight" was really good. It made me want those boxing gloves even more. Shoe cow goes on boxing stampede...sorry, just daydreaming again. On another note, I sorta kinda almost did a pull-up yesterday. Let's call it a half pull-up. I wasn't defeated, and it made me realize what muscles I need to work on. And none of the beefy guys at the gym laughed at me or anything. And on a completely other note...I've been comparing fitness magazine. So here's three I like: Oxygen - pretty good, Fitness RX - also pretty good with neat tidbits of info culled from various studies, and my favorite...Women's Health. It's excellent...I may even get a subscription...Okay I'd better go for now. My runny nose and soft couch are calling. Happy Holiday everyone - burn some sparklers for your sick friend, fuzzyelf!

Sick Day

I feel awful today. Something is trying to tear me down. It's probably allergies...sneezing, sore throat, watery eyes. I'm so mad about it, because today was leg day. But I thought it better to rest instead of making things worse and getting run down. So instead I dragged myself to the sports store and played with the boxing gloves. I REALLY want some. But I figured I couldn't hang a bag anywhere in or near my apartment without pissing off the managers and the neighbors. So I'll pine for my boxing gloves in quite solitude. I also managed to rent some movies in my sickened haze. Enough of the bad movies for a while. I got a bunch of "girl power" stuff: Girlfight, Enough and Tomb Raider. If I can't kick butt at the gym, at least I can get inspired by watching someone else do it. (G.I. Jane was checked out) :( Anyway, that's my day.
And not to get too personal here, but I've been too lazy, busy, and (today) sick to call my folks, so I wanna give "em a shout out" - I love you guys and I wish I could call you everyday!....I get mushy when I'm sick.