Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Writer's Workshop: You May Be Surprised to Learn that......



Thank you Lord for Kat over at Mama's Losin It! She hosts a workshop on Wednesdays and challenges bloggers to write about one of her suggested prompts. Since I'm still brain-dead from most weekends, this is a great motivation for me to write without having to come up with my own topic...just free flowing mumbling about the prompt that grabs me the most. Here's the prompt that I chose:



You May Be Surprised to Learn that.....

This topic makes me think of the “get to know you” exercise where someone lists truths and falsehoods and everyone has to guess either the true or false one. Like most of us, I’m slowly peeling off the layers as I travel through my blogging journey, and so I hereby shed yet another layer! Below is a truth that I always include in the exercise, and many people don’t guess it.

Thirty or so years ago, when I lived in Los Angeles, I attended exercise classes at a club called “Anatomy Asylum”. I was attracted to the word “Asylum” and figured this place should be a lot of fun. This club was (and still is, I believe) operated by the well-known celebrity, Richard Simmons. The classes were a riot! I worked my butt off, but there were always laughs and great music with every class. The instructors were wonderful, and, on occasion, I would attend a class taught by Richard, himself. His classes were always crazy and fun!

The business grew and clubs started appearing in outlying areas. Shortly after I had my first child, and still carrying a lot of “baby weight,” I started attending classes at a club close to where I was living at the time. They were looking for instructors and announced that auditions would be held. I tried out, and to my amazement, I was hired!

I loved teaching the classes! As an instructor, I was allowed to choose the music I wanted to play, as well as choreograph the exercise routines. I almost felt as though I was living my long lost dream of becoming a dancer except for the athletic shoes I wore during class. Of course, let’s not forget about the plethora of endorphins associated with exercise! Needless to say, I was rarely cranky in those days!

I’m really chubby, so most people are taken aback when I tell them I used to teach aerobics. One of the things for which I will always be grateful to Richard Simmons, was that he hired overweight instructors to teach his classes. Sometimes heavier people are put off by “thin” instructors because the example they set seems beyond their reach. Richard’s philosophy was to show that overweight individuals could work out safely and be happy while doing so. Hey, it worked for me!

Writing this has inspired me to go work out! I think I’ll head down to the basement and turn on Wii’s “Just Dance!”

Thanks for stopping by! Please visit Mama Kat over at Mama Kat's Losin' It and get some great reads!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Friday Fragments - Episode #99


I started my week out great! I met a girlfriend Monday morning at a coffee shop called "The Grind." We both had things to do, so we said we could only meet for an hour. So we talked, talked, laughed, talked some more, and when we looked up two hours had gone by! Wowser! She had to be someplace, and I had my own set of "honey dos" to do! We both scurried out of there like two little squirrels being chased by a bear!

That afternoon, I saw the doctor about my (pain in the butt) right glut. She couldn't figure it out, so she gave me some stretching exercises and told me to take four Advil every eight hours. Then she said I should go to a podiatrist and get all my calluses removed. Well! Thankyouverymuch!!!!

Tuesday, I worked at a temp job answering seven phone calls in eight hours. The rest of the time, I checked my email, read blogs, made a honey-do list for Wednesday and read some more emails. Katya, who is in China right now, emailed me and said she couldn't get her cell phone to work and would I contact the phone company.

"Oh, brother!" I said to myself...here's another one of those 45 minute phone calls where I will probably speak to every single employee in that office! I decided to try to avoid that situation and stopped off at one of the stores of the phone company. The guy at the store made a phone call, and ended up handing it off to me. They got me anyway! We set up the international plan and I was given instructions on how to implement it and get into voicemail. I wrote Katya back that night with all of the instructions. It didn't work. I guess it was just too many steps for her to go through. "I JUST WANT TO TURN ON THE WATER AND HAVE IT COME OUT. I DON'T CARE WHERE IT COMES FROM, I JUST WANT IT TO COME OUT OF THE SPOUT!" Dian Keaton from "Baby Boom."

Katya said she would just email me as often as possible. I'm getting updates on all the drama of the "South Beach" girls. I can't repeat what Katya said, but I was rolling on the floor laughing. I can see a new Reality show brewing!

The best thing that happend this week was when I found out I WON A CONTEST!! I so very rarely win contests. On my other blog (No Excuses), I wrote about a Tooth Fairy incident that happend to my son Rock when he was around 10. Click here to read the story, and click here to visit Supah who was hosting the contest. My story won first place and I am going to receive some wonderful dental items: Tooth Soap (it is not what you think) Tooth Swish and Tooth Brightner. Click on the logo below to find out more about the products from the company that makes them.

To go along with my story, let me show you a picture of Rock around the time he was ten. A real buster, isn't he?? It's the freckles that make him bad! (Notice the clenched fists - he had dirt under his nails!)



Well, there you have it! My second contribution to Fragmented Fridays, hosted by the incredibly awesome Mrs.4444. Click on her name to get to the main page of her blog, and click on the logo, below to get to her post for Friday Fragments #99!

Mommy's Idea

Have a great weekend!


Sunday, June 13, 2010

Sundays in My City - Race For The Cure


This was on the front page of today's St. Louis Post Dispatch. Here are some ladies who really know how to party! These lovelies are Breast Cancer Survivors, and they are dancing in the streets to celebrate!

I will be honest and tell you that I did not take these fabulous pictures of our Komen Race for the Cure held yesterday in downtown St. Louis. I wasn't even there, but my spys were. So, if you want to know if anybody famous was there, you can just look for yourself.





My friend, FACS Lady, not only took these pictures, but she ran/walked/shuffled and crawled the race. I'm not much for crowds these days.... especially if they are 71,000 plus!!!! Please enjoy some of the creative apparel that was in attendance.





We had a great morning for the race. It was a little steamy, and probably contributed to a few temper tantrums, crankiness, and super-soaker fights! Then, the participants who were still walking in the afternoon, were treated to Mother Nature's all purpose shower... thunder, lightning, and golf ball size hail!

This was what it looked like at the Finish Line!




Have you heard of Unknown Mami? She has a delightful blog where she shares photos of her city on Sundays. She invites the rest of us to link up with her and share some of our own city's photos. Click on the logo to visit Sundays in My City!

Unknown Mami

I live in St. Louis, Missouri. Welcome to my city!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Wednesday Wickedness - Sinatra Style


I just found this great new meme sponsored by Wednesday Wickedness. Since Lid is taking a break from Random Dozen, I was invited to join in with Wicked. This week's meme is about quotes from Frank Sinatra, followed by a question. Pop over to Wicked and say hello! Just click on Wednesday Wickedness above!

Here we go!

1. “I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.” How often do you drink alcohol?

I don't drink alcohol, unless there is chocolate in it. I probably drink maybe three to four times a year, and all of those times are on New Year's Eve.

2. “The best revenge is massive success.” Have you ever gloated or wanted to over success?

Oh, how I've wanted to gloat, but I don't think I've ever had a massive success story to tell... other than giving birth four times! Never thought that would happen!

3. “You gotta love livin', baby, 'cause dyin' is a pain in the [butt].” What do enjoy most about your life?

What I enjoy most about my life are my kids. They provide endless hours of entertainment for me! It is, for me, like watching a movie that takes you through every...single... emotion you could ever experience! I feel joy, happiness, humility, disgust, embarrassment and finally remorse for bringing them into this world.

4. “I'm not one of those complicated, mixed-up cats. I'm not looking for the secret to life.... I just go on from day to day, taking what comes.” Do you ever overthink a situation in your life?

I'm a mom. What do you think? Always be prepared!

5. “I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, fine family - and I don't think I could ask for anything more than that, actually.” Tell us about your best friend.

I have to be honest when I say that I don't really have one best friend. I am blessed to have four or five best friends who would drop everything in a heartbeat if I needed them. Just knowing that makes me feel very special.

6. “I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn't be a staring contest.” How important is intelligence when picking (or having picked) a s/o to you?

Come on, Frank! You know that you don't really care about intelligence. The only intelligence you care about is body intelligence! Really, I would like to be challenged since I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, but there are other qualities that I might consider over intelligence: height, hair & eye color, muscle tone, ability to give massages at the drop of a hat, a gorgeous, drop-dead face and filthy rich...then maybe intelligence.

7. “I drink to the confusion of our enemies.” What's the closest situation that you've had to dealing with an enemy?

Waking up in the same bed with my H. No, really, I guess the devil would be my enemy as he encourages me to lust after male movie stars. I dreamt once that I was having an affair with a famous movie star, and he asked me to choose between him and my H. God won that one because I chose my H. (Silly me - I could just kick myself!)

8. “Orange is the happiest color.” What's your favorite color?

I used to think Blue was my favorite color. I have several favorites now: black, navy, charcoal grey, burnt-tree brown. They all make me look fabulas!

9. “Dare to wear the foolish clown face.” Are you ever a clown?

Every freaking day of my life! I've lost many a job because of it, but it is just so much darn fun. It keeps me smiling because I know how ridiculous I look!

10. “Don't get even, get mad.” Have you ever tried getting even?

What's the point? They will just try to better your even, then you have to get even with that, and so on and so on... I just keep reminding myself the old saying "what goes around, comes around." If someone has made me mad, I know that they will be in my position some day. I just hope I'm around when it happens!


Thanks for stopping by and allowing me to be a little silly. Please check out Wednesday Wickedness and let them know what you think!

Have a great Wednesday!