It's Friday night, and I have yet to do my Teaching Binder #2 (reading), Apply to 2 jobs, Stick Shift lesson, and the Garage Sale may have to be postponed until next month. I think the issue with the Stick Shift and the Garage Sale was that I wasn't specific enough on what was to be accomplished each week. I shall be more specific next month.
I will definitely need an extension this week.
Oof. This week has been annoyingly unproductive. Why? No good reason. Probably because I haven't worked in 3 weeks. I've had a few essential tasks which made it hard for me to be available to the temp agency, such as showing my niece around town and getting my TB test updated (which can only be done between the hours of 8 and 4:30). So I got those done, as well as these other things:
Exercise #3 (extension from previous week):
Did yoga in the house on...Monday? Gosh my memory's getting foggy...
Exercise #1:
I went for a walk Wednesday afternoon around Mission Bay with my French conversation partner. We discussed jobs, health care, music, and religion, with me bumbling in my terribly rusty français... don't practice nearly enough...
Exercise #2:
Did 40 minutes of toning with my blue exercise ball. I love the squishiness of it, it's forgiving on my poor squeaky joints.
Teaching Binder:
I typed up my notes from the credential program, almost finishing one of the notebooks.
Tomorrow, I'm going out of town for Kit's big BACHELORETTE BASH WEEKEND!! We're staying downtown L.A. and going to a spa, among other things, and the kicker - she's already married!!! LOL. =-) Better late than never, I say. Then she's going on a belated honeymoon to England, France, and Belgium. Luckyyyyy!!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Extension Day...
I did end up asking Kit for an extension on exercise this week... and I still have yet to do it... so I may be doing it at 11:30 tonight with my yoga mat...
For last week I did:
Exercise #1: Friday, I went to the beach around 4, and then left at 5 when the Marine Layer started rolling in like the Independence Day alien spaceship to cover up the entire coast. I headed to the gym, where I ran for 20 minutes (1.2 miles, walking for some, but running at 5.5 mph for a good 15 minutes - somewhat of a record for me in recent years). Amazingly, I didn't get cramps, and my Achilles tendons didn't swell and ache, a sign that perhaps my consistent exercise is paying off.
Exercise #2: Saturday, while my hubby played tennis with a buddy, I went for a brisk 40 minute walk. That hill at the end is always a killer - I always run up it, and it's 30 seconds of pure exertion. I had Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" running through my head...
For last week I did:
Exercise #1: Friday, I went to the beach around 4, and then left at 5 when the Marine Layer started rolling in like the Independence Day alien spaceship to cover up the entire coast. I headed to the gym, where I ran for 20 minutes (1.2 miles, walking for some, but running at 5.5 mph for a good 15 minutes - somewhat of a record for me in recent years). Amazingly, I didn't get cramps, and my Achilles tendons didn't swell and ache, a sign that perhaps my consistent exercise is paying off.
Exercise #2: Saturday, while my hubby played tennis with a buddy, I went for a brisk 40 minute walk. That hill at the end is always a killer - I always run up it, and it's 30 seconds of pure exertion. I had Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" running through my head...
It was a pretty warm day, and along the way, I was compelled to rescue about four worms that were about to become crispy worms on the sidewalk. Do I get Good Samaritan points for that?
I sure he would have said "Thank You" if his head weren't already buried in the ground.
Then I promptly went home and washed off my worm hands.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
A Little Behind...
Maybe it's the heat, maybe it's all the carbs I've been eating, but I am LETHARGIC this week!
1. Exercise - haven't started yet - today's the day!
2. Teaching Binder #1 - completed Tuesday - read for 45 minutes in "Bridge to Terabithia."
Teaching Binder #2 - completed Wednesday - searched for lessons for 40 minutes
3. Stick Shift - as noted, did that on Monday with mom
4. Garage Sale - I may be ready by the end of the month, but my weekends are rather busy, so it may not actually take place until early September.
5. Jobs - I applied to 3 jobs on Wednesday!
1. Exercise - haven't started yet - today's the day!
2. Teaching Binder #1 - completed Tuesday - read for 45 minutes in "Bridge to Terabithia."
Teaching Binder #2 - completed Wednesday - searched for lessons for 40 minutes
3. Stick Shift - as noted, did that on Monday with mom
4. Garage Sale - I may be ready by the end of the month, but my weekends are rather busy, so it may not actually take place until early September.
5. Jobs - I applied to 3 jobs on Wednesday!
Naughty Kat loves her carbs - homemade Margherita Pizza
I applied here and to two other districts today.
Teaching Binder material - wasn't it nice when the hardest decision you had to make was what shapes to make the body, head, and legs of a geometric animal?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Driving Miss Crazy
Stick Shift
Monday, I got a start on my stick shift lessons. My practice car is my mom's awesome 1965 VW bug. It's charmingly simple, with these funky seatbelts that latch onto a hook between the seats (there are no seatbelts in the back, riders beware). The gas tank is under the hood at the front, and you have to kinda "guess" when it's full by looking into the tank to see how high the gas is. The gas gauge is broken, so you also have to kinda guess when you need gas. There's only one sideview mirror, and the top speed is about 60, so my parents almost never take it on the freeway anymore. But it is immaculately maintained, and sometimes they take it to a local classic car show.
The good thing for me is that my parents tell me it's one of the easiest cars with which to learn stick. After getting gas, my mom and I went to a flat, remote part of the neighborhood to practice. I already knew some of the basics - put it in first gear, clutch, then gas, while gradually letting up the clutch, then clutch, shift, gas, etc. - but it took a while for me to get the feel of how hard to press with my feet. I don't quite have the magic touch, and sometimes the car roared a little too loud if I didn't let off the clutch soon enough, and sometimes I was afraid to press the gas because the engine revving scared me a little. I also had to put most of my body into braking.
I also had trouble feeling when the car was in neutral. Sometimes I thought it was in neutral but it was really still in 1st or 3rd. I would jiggle it and think it was in neutral, but then I'd turn off the car and discover it wasn't. Thankfully, I didn't stall until the very end, after I'd driven up our driveway. Stalling in my husband's old car was a violent, bouncy experience that scared the crap out of me. The bug just kind of shut off, mercifully.
I wasn't as nervous this time, so I think this might be possible. Soon, I have to try taking it on a heavily trafficked road. Yikes!
Monday, I got a start on my stick shift lessons. My practice car is my mom's awesome 1965 VW bug. It's charmingly simple, with these funky seatbelts that latch onto a hook between the seats (there are no seatbelts in the back, riders beware). The gas tank is under the hood at the front, and you have to kinda "guess" when it's full by looking into the tank to see how high the gas is. The gas gauge is broken, so you also have to kinda guess when you need gas. There's only one sideview mirror, and the top speed is about 60, so my parents almost never take it on the freeway anymore. But it is immaculately maintained, and sometimes they take it to a local classic car show.
The good thing for me is that my parents tell me it's one of the easiest cars with which to learn stick. After getting gas, my mom and I went to a flat, remote part of the neighborhood to practice. I already knew some of the basics - put it in first gear, clutch, then gas, while gradually letting up the clutch, then clutch, shift, gas, etc. - but it took a while for me to get the feel of how hard to press with my feet. I don't quite have the magic touch, and sometimes the car roared a little too loud if I didn't let off the clutch soon enough, and sometimes I was afraid to press the gas because the engine revving scared me a little. I also had to put most of my body into braking.
I also had trouble feeling when the car was in neutral. Sometimes I thought it was in neutral but it was really still in 1st or 3rd. I would jiggle it and think it was in neutral, but then I'd turn off the car and discover it wasn't. Thankfully, I didn't stall until the very end, after I'd driven up our driveway. Stalling in my husband's old car was a violent, bouncy experience that scared the crap out of me. The bug just kind of shut off, mercifully.
I wasn't as nervous this time, so I think this might be possible. Soon, I have to try taking it on a heavily trafficked road. Yikes!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Exercise #3
Exercise #3
Saturday evening, I went to L.A. Fatness, and worked out for a good 50 minutes. I spent the longest I have ever spent on an elliptical - 20 minutes - and got a fabulous burn in my glutes. I also did multiple machines to focus on that area, as well as legs. I did a little upper body to balance it out and then went home to make dinner. So I did 2 cardio sessions this week!
A Reflection...
I've noticed that over the course of this project, my overall productivity has improved. Because I'm forcing myself to do some things that I don't really want to do (but know I should), I'm more willing to do other odious tasks that aren't on my list.
For example, Saturday, I finally got to the root of the problem with our sliding closet doors - they are so hard to move, I have to throw my whole body weight into each door to get to my clothes. I dug all the crap out of the tracks they roll in, and then I took off each wheel and discovered that each one had HAIR wound up around it like a yo-yo, making it very hard to spin. I spent hours pulling the hair out of the wheels with my tweezers (which I sterilized afterwards) and now, I can push the doors with my hand and they actually KEEP ROLLING!!
Anyways, productivity is a habit, and if you find yourself making excuses and rationalizing your right to sit on the couch and do nothing all the time, then you can explain away the need to do anything. I'm far from running my life like a ship captain, but I'm less frustrated doing the everyday things I dislike (probably also because I'm more relaxed as a result of all this exercise).
Kit Update
I know I don't update very much on what Kit is doing, but she is doing well. We've both gotten to a place where we don't constantly update each other, but work quietly on our lists. We trust each other that we are hard at work on our lists, and the need for a penalty has dissipated. We look forward, instead, to the reward of celebrating with each other, and we also find the project intrinsically rewarding to the point where we don't need the carrot dangled in front of our noses.
Kit still has migraines, but she has been able to reach her exercise goals the last two months. She also succeeded in feeding her moody kitty, Loki.
Saturday evening, I went to L.A. Fatness, and worked out for a good 50 minutes. I spent the longest I have ever spent on an elliptical - 20 minutes - and got a fabulous burn in my glutes. I also did multiple machines to focus on that area, as well as legs. I did a little upper body to balance it out and then went home to make dinner. So I did 2 cardio sessions this week!
A Reflection...
I've noticed that over the course of this project, my overall productivity has improved. Because I'm forcing myself to do some things that I don't really want to do (but know I should), I'm more willing to do other odious tasks that aren't on my list.
For example, Saturday, I finally got to the root of the problem with our sliding closet doors - they are so hard to move, I have to throw my whole body weight into each door to get to my clothes. I dug all the crap out of the tracks they roll in, and then I took off each wheel and discovered that each one had HAIR wound up around it like a yo-yo, making it very hard to spin. I spent hours pulling the hair out of the wheels with my tweezers (which I sterilized afterwards) and now, I can push the doors with my hand and they actually KEEP ROLLING!!
Anyways, productivity is a habit, and if you find yourself making excuses and rationalizing your right to sit on the couch and do nothing all the time, then you can explain away the need to do anything. I'm far from running my life like a ship captain, but I'm less frustrated doing the everyday things I dislike (probably also because I'm more relaxed as a result of all this exercise).
Kit Update
I know I don't update very much on what Kit is doing, but she is doing well. We've both gotten to a place where we don't constantly update each other, but work quietly on our lists. We trust each other that we are hard at work on our lists, and the need for a penalty has dissipated. We look forward, instead, to the reward of celebrating with each other, and we also find the project intrinsically rewarding to the point where we don't need the carrot dangled in front of our noses.
Kit still has migraines, but she has been able to reach her exercise goals the last two months. She also succeeded in feeding her moody kitty, Loki.
Cute, but apparently Loki is not very low-key.
So, today I intend to set a date for my first stick-shift lesson with my mom. Wish me good luck! Or better yet, brake a leg! Bad, I know...
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Teaching Binder #2
Teaching Binder #2
Last night I copied the notes out of my credential program notebooks for 45 minutes... until the power went out. Then I just organized my notes into categories (i.e. Social Studies, Math, Language Arts, Discipline, Techniques, etc.).
The idea is to have a comprehensive list of tips that I can look up by subject to plan a classroom someday. It would be nice to be able to pull all my ideas off the top of my head, but even the best teachers don't do that. We were told the best way is to "Beg Borrow Steal" ideas. I will definitely be doing this a lot more when I start subbing again in a few weeks.
Garage Sale
My neighbor said she didn't have as much stuff as she thought, so she probably won't do it with us. I think I will go ahead and plan it without her, but she said she knows another family that may be interested.
Stick Shift
Going over to my parents' house to get some things for the garage sale (and possibly EBay) and also to take a stick shift lesson with my mom. I think I drove my husband nuts with my panic and hyperventilation when he tried to teach me... wish me luck!
Last night I copied the notes out of my credential program notebooks for 45 minutes... until the power went out. Then I just organized my notes into categories (i.e. Social Studies, Math, Language Arts, Discipline, Techniques, etc.).
The idea is to have a comprehensive list of tips that I can look up by subject to plan a classroom someday. It would be nice to be able to pull all my ideas off the top of my head, but even the best teachers don't do that. We were told the best way is to "Beg Borrow Steal" ideas. I will definitely be doing this a lot more when I start subbing again in a few weeks.
Garage Sale
My neighbor said she didn't have as much stuff as she thought, so she probably won't do it with us. I think I will go ahead and plan it without her, but she said she knows another family that may be interested.
Stick Shift
Going over to my parents' house to get some things for the garage sale (and possibly EBay) and also to take a stick shift lesson with my mom. I think I drove my husband nuts with my panic and hyperventilation when he tried to teach me... wish me luck!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Teaching Binder
Teaching Binder #1 -
Tonight I read for 30 minutes in "Bridge to Terabithia," which is a great read.
Does walking around in 3-inch heels at the Monster Ball count as exercise?... I didn't think so either.
Tonight I read for 30 minutes in "Bridge to Terabithia," which is a great read.
Does walking around in 3-inch heels at the Monster Ball count as exercise?... I didn't think so either.
This is actually me, and for those of you who don't know what the Monster Ball is, it's Lady Gaga's concert. Heap big fun.
Garage Sale:
I spoke with our neighbor, and while she doesn't have any stuff to sell herself, she knows another family that might have a ton of stuff. Haven't set a date yet...
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Exercise #1 and #2
My niece is in town, and I'm showing her around local colleges, so I combined the two days of walking and am calling that:
Exercise #1
several hours of strolling around college campuses (hey, some of them have hills and/or stairs!)
Exercise #2
My niece and I went to L.A. Fitness last night with a one-day pass I printed online and convinced the desk lady that my niece could exercise with me for one night, even though she wasn't a local resident (and not even in-state, but they didn't have to know that). We worked out for 45 minutes, and I did my cardio for 17 minutes. Half of it was on the bike, but my darn knee clicked the whole time, so I switched to the elliptical.
Exercise #1
several hours of strolling around college campuses (hey, some of them have hills and/or stairs!)
Exercise #2
My niece and I went to L.A. Fitness last night with a one-day pass I printed online and convinced the desk lady that my niece could exercise with me for one night, even though she wasn't a local resident (and not even in-state, but they didn't have to know that). We worked out for 45 minutes, and I did my cardio for 17 minutes. Half of it was on the bike, but my darn knee clicked the whole time, so I switched to the elliptical.
Monday, August 9, 2010
A Brief Update...
Very tired... past 11pm and so drowsy I almost just submitted a cover letter with the wrong school's name on it. I was saved only by the fact that EdJoin would not let me attach a .doc, so I caught my mistake before resaving it as .pdf, thankfully. Note to self: make sure fully awake when applying to jobs.
Job Applications
Applied to two jobs - one a Kindergarten French/English Immersion program, the other a 2nd Grade position at a progressive Classical Academy. Will see how goes...
Garage Sale
I left a message for our neighbors asking them when they want to do this thing. Haven't heard back yet. Too lazy to run down and talk to them when I heard them come home tonight...
Exercise may happen tomorrow, with my niece in tow. =-) We walked her around some college campuses today, but it was too leisurely to count as cardio... My back is much better seeing as I did some focused exercise on the machines last week, doing countless repetitions using my lower back and shoulder blade muscles (personal trainers out there, I'm sure you know what those muscles are called... Google help me out... possibly Teres Major or Trapezius). Also, converting my bra into criss-cross shape on the back alleviated the pressure on my shoulder blade. Okay y'all, I'm so tired it's painful! G'night!
Job Applications
Applied to two jobs - one a Kindergarten French/English Immersion program, the other a 2nd Grade position at a progressive Classical Academy. Will see how goes...
French Immersion
Private School
Garage Sale
I left a message for our neighbors asking them when they want to do this thing. Haven't heard back yet. Too lazy to run down and talk to them when I heard them come home tonight...
Exercise may happen tomorrow, with my niece in tow. =-) We walked her around some college campuses today, but it was too leisurely to count as cardio... My back is much better seeing as I did some focused exercise on the machines last week, doing countless repetitions using my lower back and shoulder blade muscles (personal trainers out there, I'm sure you know what those muscles are called... Google help me out... possibly Teres Major or Trapezius). Also, converting my bra into criss-cross shape on the back alleviated the pressure on my shoulder blade. Okay y'all, I'm so tired it's painful! G'night!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Fried...
A little tired this week... my back has been bothering me so I slept 3 nights this week on the floor. Also, I have a theory that bras are causing nerve damage on my left shoulder blade. Possible? (TMI?)
Nevertheless, I've done the following list items so far:
Exercise #1: Walked at my work breaks, 45 minutes on 3 days, combined.
View of the freeway from the sidewalk by the learning center
Exercise #2: Got stuck in La Jolla (awful, I know) picking up a mended suit during rush hour, so I said, screw it, and parked by the cove to go for a jog (covering my cardio for the week). Not a shabby place to go for a jog. More like idyllic. Gotta get stuck there more often.
Nevertheless, I've done the following list items so far:
Exercise #1: Walked at my work breaks, 45 minutes on 3 days, combined.
View of the freeway from the sidewalk by the learning center
Exercise #2: Got stuck in La Jolla (awful, I know) picking up a mended suit during rush hour, so I said, screw it, and parked by the cove to go for a jog (covering my cardio for the week). Not a shabby place to go for a jog. More like idyllic. Gotta get stuck there more often.
Beginning my jog...
The tide pools
Ah... La Jolla. Now back to reality.
Job Application: as I said yesterday, I applied to 3 jobs - two in SD, one in Irvine. Nothing now to do but wait...
Teaching Binder #1: On Tuesday, I searched for lessons on Teacher Vision, and got distracted by a website showing how to diagram sentences. (Is it weird that I find that extremely fun?) Did find a lot of cute worksheets and lesson plans.
Teaching Binder #2: I started reading a book on my teacher to-read list - Bridge to Terabithia. Somehow, I made it through elementary school without ever having read it. Very good so far. Not sad yet, but I'm bracing myself...
Garage Sale and Stick Shift: I haven't started these two yet... I didn't set a once-a-week requirement, but I hope to not postpone these till the end. Should I make myself do something each week? Probably, b/c they both kinda scare me.
Okay y'all, bed time! As Jason Mraz once said, "Live your life, get your sleep, be a dork." =-)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Three Applications
Just knocked out 3 job applications. Woohoo, now the only thing left for this week is to think about the garage sale and how the heck I'm gonna learn stick... it seriously terrifies me. I nearly killed my hubby's car trying one time, stalling so hard in the middle of the road (with other cars waiting) that the car bounced probably a foot off the ground. I need, like, a month on a deserted parking lot.
BTW, Kit just contacted me with her list, so I shall post it. I heard she went to the gym last night. =-) You go, girl!
BTW, Kit just contacted me with her list, so I shall post it. I heard she went to the gym last night. =-) You go, girl!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Last Week
This last week went by fast, and I was in L.A. for part of it. Here's what I did to round out the last week of our 2nd month of Five Things:
Garage Sale: On the garage sale front, I talked to my neighbor about having a multi-family garage sale, and he tentatively agreed. Next month, we will actually have it.
Health Insurance: I finally got my agent Jeff on the phone and found out he represents all the local providers, which is great, because he won't sway me towards one or the other. He gets commission on whatever I choose, and he's free of charge to me. So he told me more about Anthem and Kaiser, and recommended that we reconvene in November when I'm closer to needing a plan. Who's knows, maybe I'll have a job with benefits by then...
Teaching Binder: I researched more lessons, which I need to print, and I ordered a few cheap children's books to use with some of the lessons.
Balcony project: I rolled up the green floor and tied it up using several trash bags. I took it down to the trash area and swept the balcony one last time.
On Sunday, I went for a walk around my neighborhood for the previous week's Exercise #3 that I missed. Then I did three more for the week:
Exercise #1 - walked at both of my breaks at work:
Exercise #2 - swam in the pool at L.A. Fitness for 40 minutes. Hence the wet stringy hair. I had never ever used the pool at the gym. After the first 5 minutes of laps, I was pretty tired, so I did water aerobics/ballet, tread water for 5 minutes, and paddled using a floaty thing. Then I did some more laps to finish up. Tiring! That, and my eyes burned all the next day. Note to self: buy goggles. Really good workout, though.
Exercise #3 - I walked around downtown L.A. all day! I downloaded a map of sights to see and was a tourist all day while my hubby worked. It was surprisingly fun...
Garage Sale: On the garage sale front, I talked to my neighbor about having a multi-family garage sale, and he tentatively agreed. Next month, we will actually have it.
Health Insurance: I finally got my agent Jeff on the phone and found out he represents all the local providers, which is great, because he won't sway me towards one or the other. He gets commission on whatever I choose, and he's free of charge to me. So he told me more about Anthem and Kaiser, and recommended that we reconvene in November when I'm closer to needing a plan. Who's knows, maybe I'll have a job with benefits by then...
Teaching Binder: I researched more lessons, which I need to print, and I ordered a few cheap children's books to use with some of the lessons.
Balcony project: I rolled up the green floor and tied it up using several trash bags. I took it down to the trash area and swept the balcony one last time.
On Sunday, I went for a walk around my neighborhood for the previous week's Exercise #3 that I missed. Then I did three more for the week:
Exercise #1 - walked at both of my breaks at work:
Exercise #2 - swam in the pool at L.A. Fitness for 40 minutes. Hence the wet stringy hair. I had never ever used the pool at the gym. After the first 5 minutes of laps, I was pretty tired, so I did water aerobics/ballet, tread water for 5 minutes, and paddled using a floaty thing. Then I did some more laps to finish up. Tiring! That, and my eyes burned all the next day. Note to self: buy goggles. Really good workout, though.
Exercise #3 - I walked around downtown L.A. all day! I downloaded a map of sights to see and was a tourist all day while my hubby worked. It was surprisingly fun...
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Our Lady of Angels Cathedral
The Police Department with a reflection of City Hall
I ate in Grand Central Market
The Biltmore Hotel
L.A. Public Library
Angel's Knoll, the hill where they sit on a bench in "500 Days of Summer"
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