Archive for May, 2008
Yup. So, I started working out again a couple of weeks ago after a 6 month hiatus. I am just working out at home again though, since I am so not ready to hit the gym yet.
I thought I would take it slow, so I finally opened up these Leslie Sansone DVD’s I picked up from QVC a few months ago. They have a special on her newest system- “Walk Slim” - at a pretty reasonable price. I am starting out with her 2 mile walk and while the “choreography” isn’t all that special, she does use intervals, which makes it a little more interesting.
What I also found highly amusing was that one of the background exercisers totally looks like either a biker dude or a retired professional wrestler.
I don’t know if this was intentional, but the camera guy was visible in quite a few shots throughout the DVD. Also, a personal gripe, if you are going to use a black background, the people in the video should not be wearing all black or black pants.
Woot! 80’s high impact! (aka boosted walking aka Leslie’s version of interval training)
Sweaty Moobs.
Since most of the walking videos I use are only about 30 minutes in length, I’ve been adding on various strength training and yoga videos as well. I haven’t done screen caps of all of them because I am lazy and because I wish my captures were a little clearer than they turn out to be.
I am really loving the kundalini yoga videos from Ravi and Ana. As I think I mentioned before, I suppose it was about time that I actually tried a kundalini video - especially since it’s been my freaking net handle for something like 10 years now. Go me!
I did most of the Kundalini Yoga For Beginners and Beyond this past week and I must say, I do feel so much better after it’s over. I don’t know what it is, but it really is a great mood lifter. One really nice feature of this DVD and I believe all of the other Ravi and Ana DVD’s, is that they now include a “matrix” menu. What does that mean? It means you can design your own work out and make it as long or as short as you want! YAY!
Here’s a screen shot of the “matrix” menu.
A lot of times Ana looks like she’s about to crack up - which I find hilarious.
Some Spinal Series movements.
The washing machine.
Um, this is from the 5 Tibetans, which I have not done yet, because I am just not that flexible yet.
I also whipped out my 3T:Totally Tubular Turbo this past week too. I think I’ve reviewed it in the past, but here are some screen shots from it. It’s a “strength” training DVD that came out with Chalene’s last Turbo Jam set a couple of years ago. I like it mostly because it uses a resistance tube and there just aren’t that many DVD’s that use them. Plus, the tube came with the set when I ordered it. Yeeehaw!
As a side note, there are rumors on the internets that Chalene is going to be coming out with a series of strength training DVD’s later this year called “Chalean Extreme.” From what I have read, I believe it’s going to be a series of about 12 DVD’s - kind of like P90X - but made with Chalene’s brand of funkiness. I don’t think there has been any word on the price point yet, but from what I’ve read, it sounds like you will need some pretty heavy weights to get the most benefit. While it sounds pretty neat and all, I still don’t understand why Beachbody wanted her to make a strength series instead of more Turbo Jam videos, since cardio really is her strong point.
Anyways, on to the screen shots!
Chalene doing her introduction. As you can see on the bottom, the workout is a little over 30 minutes long.
This set looks really, really familiar. I think it has been used a couple of different workout videos I own, but I am not sure which ones yet. I think it has been used in a least 1 Kathy Smith video and a couple of Crunch fitness videos.
This is Mindy. Mindy likes to ham it up for the camera, but at least she was a little more reserved in this one. It’s kind of annoying actually.
You might have recognized Holly from the original Turbo Jam videos - except she’s dyed her hair platinum blonde. I like her better with darker hair.
Hurray for Anna Rita! She’s my favorite!
One thing that’s nice about this video is that they do give you variations in case you don’t have the tubing.
Ugggh, killer (for me) planks at the end of the video. I can do planks okay, but add in the knee and I am dying.
Wow, this post is turning out a lot longer than I expected it to be. Anyways, I am trying to be consistent with my workouts and am striving for an hour a day, 5 days a week. I am hoping to focus more on cardio than weights for a few weeks and then start kicking butt!
May 28th, 2008
The last couple of day have been hellish in Honolulu. We have been bombarded by Vog from the Big Island. Vog is basically like smog, except that the particles in the air come from volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide from the volcano on the Big Island. Today has been especially bad because the winds have died down and it’s humid as heck. Uggghh.
I think this is what global warming is going to be like in different parts of the world when it gets worse later on. Of course I don’t think the majority of people are going to realize that the conditions now are probably going to be the reality in a few years - simply because the vog should be going away in a day or so and people will forget about it.
I actually started working out again earlier this week. I was going to workout again last night, but decided against it simply because of all of the pollution in the air.
Ooof, I had a lot of things planned today, but I just feel so icky, I don’t even want to leave the house until the sun sets.
May 16th, 2008
On a more positive note, my bathroom is getting to be really, really clean now. I picked up some of those Mr. Clean Magic Eraser thingies at the drugstore last night and that stuff really works! I need to go back and pick up some more. That thing took off these weird pencil marks that have been in my bathroom for years that regular scrubbing would not remove!
Plus, I also like the fact that I can scrub stuff down without any unnecessary chemical cleaners. I hate using chemical cleaners - even Simple Green - simply because I have a cat who thinks that she needs to help me do everything I do and go everywhere I go. Plus, she loves spending time in the shower - sitting longingly in front of the faucet until I turn it on, so she can drink water or just get her fur wet.
Although, I did break down and used some of that mold and mildew remover stuff today. I was shocked that the stuff actually worked! ZOMG! I should have started using that stuff years ago, but it all goes back to having a curious cat. Maybe I should get her an automatic pet fountain - ARGH - but I would hate to use unnecessary electricity for something like that. I really wish I could afford to put some solar panels up on the house.
I was having a pretty good day - until I logged into Facebook and lo and behold, the Ex accepted the invitation I sent him to join, I don’t know how long ago. Oh super.
I suppose I should channel some of this nervous energy I have into cleaning my kitchen and bathroom some more.
May 9th, 2008
Yea, so my Aunt and Uncle from California are in town. How do I know this? Well instead of calling, they just decided to stop by yesterday after they picked up their rental car. Oh super. I mean, I totally do not mind the drop in, except that they came by without calling. Great. I was still in the middle of cleaning up my living room, so the place was still a complete mess. Thankfully they didn’t come inside, but I was still annoyed.
I suppose I am almost half way done with my room. I finally put away half my laundry which had been strewn about the floor for awhile. Whoops. Now I just need to get rid of these off organizer units my Grandma got years ago which take up a lot of space in the room.
But I am not quite sure what to do next though. I really would like to paint the room, but I’ve never painted a room that had carpeting in it. I also would love to paint my furniture something a bit more “modern,” but the pieces are all metal and therefore a bit inconvenient to get outside to sand and paint.
I also have no idea what I am going to use for curtains. I kind of think that hospital curtains would work well since the ceiling tracks are pretty inexpensive, but then I think I would have to make my own curtains since hospital curtains aren’t very “cool” looking. Then again, I think I would love to use wire rope like I saw over at Splatgirl’s blog a little while ago. She made a really good tutorial on how to use steel cable and turnbuckles to make “curtain rods.” I am just really uncertain if my walls can take it though. I wonder if there are L shaped turnbuckles. In theory they don’t sound very stable, but I am sure they could work. I guess I’ll be heading to City Mill or Home Depot pretty soon.
I need to get a new light fixture anyway. The one in my room is just way to 70’s elegance for me. I suppose it is a little kitschy, but not over the top enough for it to really “work” for me anymore.
One good plus about cleaning up is that I will finally have some space to work on some art/craft projects I have been putting off forever. I finally have all of my materials to start working with resin! Woot!
I am so freaking tired right now. I really should pass out and get up early and finish cleaning up, but I think I am actually going to get drunk and watch a movie instead.
May 9th, 2008
I just realized tonight that I can’t even remember the last time I read a regular work of fiction. It seems like every single book I’ve picked up over the last 3 or 4 years has been some kind of reference manual, how-to book or work of non-fiction. I should go through my measly library and see what kinds of fiction books I have left. I think the majority of fiction books I brought back with me are all Philip K. Dick books though and I’m just not sure if I am ready to wrap my head around them yet.
I still think he is one of the most underrated philosophical writers of the 20th century. Hmm, maybe I should start rereading some of his works. Maybe that will help jump start my intellectual thinking again - although I just might get stuck where I was again previously - with more questions than answers.
VALIS was my introduction to the works of PKD and is still one of my all time favorite books. I would always pick up something new whenever I read it and it definitely changed the way I view the world and life in general.
Ahh, it’s raining again. I am reminded of this one time when I was college. It was late evening and I had just gotten of the bus to walk to campus. It seems silly, but was quite profound to me at the time. I had gotten off the bus with a man who could have been Walt Whitman’s double. It started to drizzle and he turned to me and said “the Buddha is crying” and turned and walked away.
May 8th, 2008
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