Pencil Sharpner + Big Bites

Recently, I showed Ashley how to sharpen pencils with a manual pencil sharpner. She did fairly well and I was quite proud of her ability to sharpen pencils. That is...until today when she came around the corner with a bloody finger. She decided to sharpen her finger and cut it really bad! What was even more shocking is that she barely even cried. -- That girl has a high tolerence for pain! Of course, I put the water-proof strawberry shortcake band-aid on before the bleeding actually stopped and so it took forever to get the blood soaked band-aid off of her to stop the bleeding. John laughed at me for being so goofy with how I handled the situation.
Did I mention she also has a double ear infection!

Also, while celebrating John's 33rd birthday at Carrabba's, Ashley started to choke on a big bite of Fettucini Alfredo. This time was no laughing matter (nor is any other time, but this was the worst we've encountered to date). Although it felt like a long time, it was really only seconds and her face was terrifying to watch. Thank god for instincts as my knee jerk reaction was to take my pointer finger and swipe it through her mouth to open up the area and wipe out the food while John patted her back. A large amount of food came out and was dripping all over my hand and her plate. What a scary moment. We got her a new plate and I washed my hands in the bathroom. After that it was all good!

I’ll be up in the Gym just workin’ on my Fitness!

This is a continous blog I'm doing to track the ups and downs of becoming a more, healthy person. If you're interested, please read. I'm not doing it to please people or ramble on about myself, rather I'm doing it to motivate myself as well as others who may be in the same situation as myself.

Start at Bottom and read up!

Lost Count (April 29) - I bet your wondering what happen to poor little ole' Robin. Well, I never actually stopped working out. I just stopped updating my blog. I'm back on track (with the blog) and I'm more determined now than ever before. Since quitting my full-time job, I've been able to make working out my job. For the most part, I work out at least four times per week for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I switched gyms and now go to the one closest to my house. This also meant that I had to get a new trainer. I really like him! He's like a military drill instructor - HARDCORE! He's staying on top of me like white on rice and quite honestly, this is what I need. I've also started this new workout system. It's called Cardio 360 and it's a 10 week course designed for weight loss. I do this four times per week for one hour. The workout is designed around my heart rate and so yes, I wear this dorky heart rate monitor around my chest! What is really cool is that the treadmill picks it up and so I monitor it this way. This program makes walking/running on a treadmill less monotonous and more fun! With this program, I should be in good shape come Cabo -- I HOPE!

DAY 18 (February 14) - I was glad to be back in the gym today. For some reason, it's my place of sanity. When all is a mess at work and the stress is out of control, I just drop it all, grab my bags and literally run to the gym. Yesterday, we were back to the grind. I only did a few lines of lunges. Not too bad...although it did burn at the end. I almost wish I worked out with a trainer five days a week. It so much easier to do when you have to be accountable to someone. At any rate, I'm still having fun. I'm not seeing results but hey as John always says "Rome wasn't built in a Day". Guess I'll just keep moving forward. Cabo 2008 Here I come!

DAY 17 (February 12) - It feels like light years since the last time I worked out; however, it was less than 12 hours ago! Crazy, I know. I'm still diggin' the training sessions but only wished they lasted longer than 30 minutes. It seems like we do three to four different sets of three and "bam" just like that it's done! I'm supposed to be doing intense cardio on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays but it's not working out as planned! -- When I'm busy at work, I come home and just collapse to the floor! I don't understand how sitting at a desk all day can make someone sooooo tired, but it does! -- I totally enjoy my job but hate the toll it takes on me and my body! WHY? WHY? WHY? -- I was shocked today when we actually finished my training session and I managed to get away without doing lunges! I failed to mention it to my trainer at the time. I'm sure we'll be back to the grind in no time! -- Thursday, here we come!

DAY 16 (February 9) - So Ashley stayed at my sister's house last night and I was able to hop up this morning and do a little workout on the elliptical. It was fairly painless and over very quickly! Onward and Upward!

DAY 15 (February 7) - I'm so exhausted and my week at the office was pretty intense! It's always hard coming back when you've been out the week before. Today I worked out with the trainer. I'm getting used to his tactics although today I had to tell him that I was really hating him at the moment! It's those lunges he has me doing! They are very intense...especially since he always adds some sort of arms component to it. Today, I had to hold an 8 pound ball straight above my head while lunging across the gym floor! UGH!! It hurt so bad and it burned like never before! -- He laughed though and said it was okay for me to hate him for a short period of time! And since I was too tired the day before and didn't do my workout, I did some cardio on the elliptical at home. I used to think that an elliptical hung the moon. Now, I'm not so sure! I'm actually digging a treadmill more at the moment. My mom has been trying to get me to trade me for her treadmill...I might just take her up on it! -- Not a forever trade but maybe just a for a little while trade. We'll see! So I think changes are in store for me. It appears as though my muffin top is thinnin' out on the sides! WOOHOO!!!

DAY 14 (February 5) - It's been a really, really long week! I can't even begin to remember what I did on Tuesday. I do know it involved some lunges and a hamstring burning exercise! onward and upward my friends!

DAY 13 (February 4) - So my trainer gave me this new workout schedule. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are filled with Cardio! YAY! and Tuesdays and Thursdays are with him. So I ended the day with a moderate cardio workout. Ashley and John watched and then I played Barbies and put together a puzzle with Ashley of the fifty states. She knows where Georgia, California, Florida, Texas and Montana are the map!

DAY 12 (February 2) - The travel last week changed my workout schedule a bit so I had to schedule sessions on Friday and Saturday! It was hard but I'm glad I carried through with them. This morning we started with simple lunges! Back to the basics with this guy! -- I'm glad though, working out on Saturday mornings are tough. I got to do sumo squats today. YAY! ---- Okay that's a sarcastic yay! He kept telling me to use my hips...I'm not sure he's noticed but I don't really have hips! It's really just fat! haha!! I mean if I had the hips that most girls had I'd probably would have had Ashley naturally vs. via C-section. I mean I pushed for hours but these non-child birthing hips just didn't work. O-well...maybe once I start peeling back the layers to this onion (or cupcake body), I'll be able to show him that I really didn't have hips afterall! haha!! My body's achin' and I still haven't seen results. Maybe by Christmas I might actually lose some weight! -- I guess I'll have to start with cutting out the five cokes I have everyday! :)

DAY 11 (February 1) - I'm glad to be back in SA, although things are pretty hectic around here! It isn't everyday that I get a surprise visit from my brother and his little girls! At any rate, the workout sessions keep moving forward and today was a BIOTCH! -- We started with lunges of course and today worked on a new move which really focused on the hamstrings!! Can you say OUCH?

DAY 10 (January 29) - So today I woke up in sunny Glendale, CA. To stay on track, I had planned to workout while away on business. I woke up to a phone call from my sister and then proceeded to get up and get my workout clothes on! I headed to the gym at the hotel at about 6:30 and to my surprise, the place was packed! I kept my eye on a cardio machine and ended up with one fairly quickly...others weren't so lucky! I worked out for thirty minutes and then got ready for the day! Nothing too intense but just enough to "Keep Moving Forward"! I plan on working out tomorrow too...we'll see! I'm quite exhausted from the brainstorming and the Teambuilding task we did today -- Although the Mall Madness Amazing Race task was a lot of fun!!! -- I'm thinking we ought to try this in SA! I'm ready to get in bed and watch The Biggest Loser! -- I miss my John and Ashley! - Two more days until I'm home again!

DAY 9 (January 25) - Because of my hectic schedule for the next few weeks, I managed to allow myself to workout on Friday! It wouldn't be so bad, but I don't work at the office on Friday, so traveling 30 minutes to the downtown gym is not ideal! At any rate, I headed out there and did an intense workout with the trainer! They were totally playing chick music and so I was having a hard time getting into it! I mean who wants to listen to Evanessence or Norah Jones while they are working out? I did a ton more lunges today followed by some Military squats. I think my legs are getting used to the trainers tactics...but my arms...whew that's another story! -- My trainer put the "P" in pain this week! My arms hurt so bad afterwards, I had to just lay them straight out when I was sleeping. It felt like someone put a turnicate on my arm so the blood wouldn't flow to my fingers or hands! That was it for the week in terms of training. I'm still shocked because I'm working out and looking at what I eat and yet I've gained 5 pounds! WHAT? Stay Tuned!

DAY 8 (January 22) - I headed to the gym just before 11am to start yet another session with my trainer. I ran to the gym, changed into my workout clothes and headed out there hoping the pain from this workout wouldn't carry over into Wednesday! -- So we started out with Lunges..Yeah..that was a surprise. Not really! Although he did throw in a kicker this time! I call it that because it literally KICKED my Arse! This time I did lunges with 15 pound weights on each side. As I lunged, I had to lift the weights! OUCH! At any rate, I woke up the next day and my muscles didn't hurt! YAY! I may not be seeing drastic changes, but man that was an achievement in itself.

DAY 7 (January 19th) - I managed to get over the pain I was feeling from the other day and hopped on the Eliptical I have at my house. I worked out for 30 minutes. John and Ashley just watched as I sweated away. They were also watching VH1's top 20 countdown and Carebears. Ashley danced a little to Natasha Beddingfields new hit song and John was curious as to how Jordin Sparks was doing since her American Idol days. It was a very light workout but good for the soul. Let's just say, It's keeping me motivated!

DAY 6 (January 16th) - Can you say T-I-R-E-D! My trainer mentioned he loved lunges and boy does he! I can barely walk and I'll definitely stay away from stairs for awhile! Otherwise, I might tumble down and be out of commission for a long time! -- I'm excited..I still haven't seen any changes...Although hope is still on the up and up!! -- My eating habits are still bad! -- I'm thinking I'll try to start improving this next week. Stay Tuned.

DAY 5 (January 15th) - Today was my first scheduled session with the trainer. It started with a set back at work. I was in a training session at work and was 30 minutes late to getting started. Nevertheless, the first day is all about goals, measurement and preparation. After the what do you want to be when you grow up part....I worked out for a short 10 minutes and then headed back to work. I thought I'd take it easy as I'm sure the next 30 workouts won't be very light! Stay Tuned!

DAY 4 (January 14th) - I made it through another workout! My fourth one of the month! I can't believe it! Aimee tried to talk me out of it but I didn't let her. In fact, she ended up working out on the eliptical longer than anticipated. It could have been that our conversation made us forget that we were working out!! Those are the best kind. Tomorrow is my first day with the trainer. I told him he is now accountable for my body and I must be in a two piece come July! We'll see what happens! Stay tuned!
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This past week was the beginning on my path to change. On Monday, my friend Aimee and I decided to change our fitness habits and get a fresh start on the New Year. We kicked this off by adding the downtown Spectrum to our gym membership so that we could start working out during lunch. This change will not only keep my time free in the evening to spend with John and Ashley, but it will also cut down on my lunch-time spending habits.

DAY 1 (January 8) - On Tuesday, we decided to start our first exercise of the New Year with Boot Camp!! -- WOW, was this a mistake! In the first five minutes, we went up six flights of stairs, did sprints and managed to go back down six flights of stairs. We lasted a good 15 minutes and then had to call it quits! What was I thinking? We finished off with Cardio and then called it quits for the day.

DAY 2 (January 9) - We approached Wednesday with a little bit more caution, opting for a 15-minute sit-ups class and some light cardio.

DAY 3 (January 10) - With the goal of not giving up and completing something I start, I decided to challenge myself to another BOOT CAMP class. This time we exercised in the park where the homeless meet everyday to do what, who knows? We ran, did sprints, jumping jacks, push-ups, sit ups, and dips and all awhile received tons of encouragement from the homeless. It was ironic to be surrounded by people with so much encouragement for me and so engaged in what I was doing and yet they have nothing. At any rate, I finished the entire class and was very proud of myself. Although, my muscles are still aching!

I've yet to see change and know it takes time so I'm far from giving up. If you're interested, take a journey with me as I continue to track my progress and jot down the high moments and challenges I encounter on my road to finally finding the healthy Robin I used to be!

New Year Resolutions -- Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah

As I move into 2008, there are two HUGE goals I have in mind: to finish things I start and to simplify my life! I will finally organize that junk drawer in the kitchen and get rid of the oodles and oodles of bath and body works lotion that I've bought over the years but have never used. Although it sounds quite simple, these two goals are going to be a challenge.

With the start of the new year, I also hope -- like every year -- to lose weight! This also goes back to goal number 1: to finish things I start! I've gone to Cabo for the past three years hoping that by July I'd have that six pack and go to the beach with a hot bikini...and every year ~~ it's the same ~~ one big fat arse with a huge bathing suit covered up by moo moo's and towels!

So... as I bounce into the new year, I hope to not make promises to myself I can't keep and stop talking about the things I want to do or change and just start doing it!! -- Afterall...the most successful people in life are those that just do it and don't actually talk about doing it!

Seen & Heard: Gone but not forgotten, brother reunites

Below is a story the Gainesville Times wrote about my dad. I was so glad that after 55 years my dad was able to reunite with his long lost brothers & sisters.

Jim Flanagan of Gainesville, retired director of maintenance for Warren Featherbone Co., was 6 years old when his mother died in 1949 and his brother Ronnie Boostrom had just been born. Homes had to be found for all the children except the two oldest. Jim and Ronnie were living together in a foster home when their father was killed in a train wreck in 1951 in Salem, Ohio.
Ronnie was adopted when he was 4, and Jim later lived in an orphanage a few years before going to live with his sister and her husband. Another sister and brother lived with an aunt and uncle, one sister went to Rabun Gap Nacoochee School and the two oldest children went out on their own.

As an adult, Jim still missed his younger brother and for years tried to find him, but with no luck.
But Ron also remembered his brother Jim and found him. Ron was able to reunite with his biological family this past weekend, the first time everyone had been together in 55 years.
Ron had been adopted by a Baptist minister and taken to Pelham in South Georgia. Today, he lives in San Antonio, Texas, where he is a computer systems engineer and does contract work with the government after spending 20 years in the U.S. Air Force.

"I was on the Internet and I found a Web site for the Georgia adoption registry. I filled out a form and read where it would be two or three months before I heard from them. I waited three years and heard nothing, so I called. They said, 'Well, we charge for that service now.' I don't know why they couldn't have contacted me and told me they wanted money," he said.

He sent money and later got identification information. The adoption registry site had found Ron's older brother Donald, and with more money from Ron they would call Donald and ask him if he wanted to be contacted. Ron sent the money.

Hours of telephone conversation followed as Ron became reacquainted with his siblings. On Sunday everyone gathered at the home of Jim and Nancy in Mount Airy. "He's a computer whiz and a fine pianist," Jim said. "His adoptive mother taught him how to play the piano."

Social Politics!

It's simple:

You either get it or you don't!

People with Distinguished Taste

Distinguished Taste!
I'm venting on the subject of eating and ordering food in groups! Why is it that selective taste is looked at as an inconvenience to people?

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, people are trying to differentiate themselves from others, yet when food is ordered in groups the expectation is that everyone be the same.

I'm sick of it! If I say I'm allergic to food, then I'm not judged, but the second I mention please forgo the mayonaise, mustard, lettuce, tomato, twigs, or whatever else you want to put on the ole' traditional sandwich, I get looks & negative responses!

Get over it and learn to be accommodating to all! After all isn't America where we can make choices like this?

And last but not least...can't we get a little bit more creative on what we decide to eat for lunch when in groups? If I did a survey on the food people are most tired of at lunch, it would be sandwiches hands down!

Why not go for a chicken nugget platter with chips or baked lasagna with garlic bread? It's cheaper & more appealing! And if it's weight you're worried about, then have them put back the mayonaise on that sandwich or the fatty chips & cookie that come with the sandwich lunch box!

Songs You're Embarrassed to Admit You Love

It's time to come clean and list a song or songs you're embarassed to admit you love.

You know, the one you sing to in the shower. The one where you hold your hand shaped like a microphone to your mouth while belting out the words.

That's the one!!!! Spill your guts right here!!!

I'm dying to know! -- I'm in need of some great laughs!!!

I'll start with mine! -- hahaha!!!

Said I loved you but I lied - Michael Bolton

Hero - Mariah Carey

I'm not a girl, not yet a woman - Brittany Spears

MMMbob - Hanson

You get the picture....so go ahead, add your list of songs!!! Oh yeah & check out the CD I'm listening to now...It ROCKS!!! Well it used to anyway!