Herding Cats (or was that kids?) and Hockey

The Business of Life includes… the kids.

At least my business does…

I use to make fun on the mini-van sportin’ the “Mom’s Taxi” bumper sticker. I mean freakin’ ridiculous. First off, it’s a minivan people. A minivan!  And the nutty sticker!?!  Who lives like that?

Umm, I do. Minus the nutty bumper sticker. (I do have my standards… however far they’ve fallen.)

Practicality wins out. While minivans are no Hotrod Winnebagos they do the job nicely — which is hauling a gaggle of kids around to the various activities I’ve signed them up for. I totally rock the car pool now too.

Oh yeah, I’m that kind of awesome.

Last night was a HOCKEY night, which to my fans not living in the Northeast, is a BIG DEAL. Rinks filled with hundreds of kids padded up to look like oompaloompas. And their families. My eldest son, Mr. Man, worked his drills while his two siblings, The Toaster and Baby Lug, ran around with a pack of what is called “Rink Rats.”

Fueled by combo of drive-through fast food and just this side of toxic slushies the “rats” entertain themselves with bits and bobs of lego, Happy Meal toys, dolls and whatever they find.

The whole environment kinda both fascinates and scares me.

You know the hard-core pros at being a Rink mom (and rat for that matter). They know how to get in and out of a rink in less that 10 mins which is saying something when it takes yours truly 15 mins to get her son suited up. You also see those that view this hockey thing as more than just a fun activity. There are parents that view this as the one way, the only way their kid is going to college. I know of 6 year olds that “red-shirted” kindergarten to make them that much older/bigger/better in high school hockey. Really.

My “holy crap!” moment (sort of my version of Oprah’s “Ah-ha” moment but much more visceral) was when I heard of summer camps that have the kids do hockey in the morning then spend the afternoon doing workouts like windsprints, suicides drills and push-ups. Hours of it.

WTF? This isn’t Russia, circa 1978 my friends!  My family’s not getting a better apt or a better slot in the ruling Party pecking order. What I see is a direct flight to the hockey version of a 17 year-old  burned-out Todd Marinovich. And the money!  Oh Jesus, how I often threaten to add up how much these people are paying for the training they want their kids to do… for the next 10 years. Perhaps enough to go to college in the first place? Make a nice dent at the very least…

Then I look at Mr. Man, laughing and enjoying it.

And I figure, heading the kids, the rink rats, the money, the extra training….

As long as he’s into it, so am I.

CPR for Everyone Else- So Save a Life Why Dotcha?

Just me practicing me some CPR…

The Business of Life includes… being prepared.

As a mom of seven year olds means Brownies and Boy Scouts.  I’m currently planning to take a gaggle of little girls to visit a rather cool women-owned bakery, Ginger Betty’s. It’s supposed to be fabulous.

And it also means LeBetsy is learning LeCPR.  And Le First-Aid.

And this is a very good thing.

It’s required by the Girl Scouts of America, and after I started this process I realized that The Business of Life includes being prepared.  And it probably does for you too. Think about it.  We’re around children, we hang & work with people, we have aging parents.  Accidents happen.  Strokes happen. Heart attacks happen.  And I hate to say it, but given recent natural and man-made disasters (hello terrorists!) happen, — we ALL should get trained.

So learning CPR/First Aid shouldn’t be painful.

And the Red Cross has made it (relatively) easy.

Gone are the crazy amount of class time.  Those clever peeps at Red Cross have come up with the most efficient way to learn how to save a life. It’s called blended learning. Part online and part in-class, it really makes the most of your time. I’ve completed 2/3 of the home-work and this weekend I’ll be spending 3 hours working on technique in a class room setting. It is was dirt cheap. $50 for both the on-line and in-class portions.

Easy-peasey and super-convenient. So much so that it’s become a blog post.

So chickies, there’s no excuse not to be a hero.

This really is CPR for Everyone, and believe me, everyone needs CPR in their life — for their family, their friends, their coworkers and even for the random old guy who has a heart attack while running. (This last one really happen, and a woman running by saved his life with CPR, which his wife, children and grandchildren are very, very grateful for.)

So save a life why dotcha?

To find a Red Cross blended-learning class near you click HERE.

Have faith. Be kind.

Sometimes The Business of Life is… having faith in the outcome.

I think kindness is underrated.

I also think sometimes we have to relax and just let things work out… and have faith that it will be OK.

In these scary times, of brutal elections and worrisome economic data, it isn’t hard to fret.  But I firmly believe that stress is an energy we give off, and attract more of,  as I also believe also is kindness too.

You attract what you are.  Stressed, happy, sad, freaked, annoyed, angry, unpleasant or kind.  Kind of new age-y, but if you’ve been reading me I’ve had more than my share of all of the above and believe me — you create your story even before it’s told.  It takes a leap of faith, especially if you’re having a rough patch, to say it’s all going to work out.  But it does.  Maybe not right now or exactly what you wanted but it does and it will.

Have faith in the future.  In yourself and the life you want.  Envision it, feel it and file it away but have confidence that the fates are working for you to make it happen.  Also be kind.  To yourself and others.  So many of us are working under pressure and stress.  Take the extra moment to help someone.  Not only do you feel immediately happier but it can be the beginning positive chain-reaction others-helping-others.  And that’s not a bad thing…

Have faith.

Be kind.

DETOX: A Wayne & Garth “Game on!”

Sometimes the Business of LIfe is about… GETTING AMPED UP!

It’s ON!

Got the blender folks.

It’s day 5 of my 2nd Clean Detox.

The last one I did (and blogged daily) for 30+ days.

Now I have the new, much more high-tech super blender. I’ve been blending my way AM and PM for the past 5 days and it’s been, overall, pretty great.

How quickly you forget the highs and lows of starting a Clean Detox- for instance my skin got clear right way (yay!) and, day 5, I am craving chocolate and baked goodies — preferably a combo of the two (Boo!) In the past I also had some flu-like symptoms (headache, chills) but, since I have a cold right now, it’s to tell if it’s the cleanse or I’m just sick.

I’m also doing the cleanse this time with a partner, the fabulous “Flamy.” She’s originally turned me on to Dr. Alejandro Junger’s book and Clean Detox. We’re going to try to work out a program of shared cooking as we’re often both too busy to make from-scratch soups/meals every day. It will be nice to share the load.

LeBetsy.

Blender.

Day 5.

Defintely “Game ON!”

And as for the title– here’s the scene from Wayne’s World, “Game On” (apologies for the quality, it’s the best that youtube could offer.)

Links to Items Featured on TheLiquidBetsy:

Detox Postponed- Due to Spectacular Blender Death

Blendtec, Blender Porn (picture via Amazon)

Sometimes the Business of Life includes…. Postponements

So my Clean Detox was supposed to start today.

Except my blender died.

Well more like murdered. By me.

The blender is a critical piece of equipment. I use it at least once everyday, and during a cleanse, it’s working twice a day. Without it, no smoothies. No smoothies means no cleanse can be done.

My poor blender died a spectacular death yesterday morning. It’s demise came in a cacophony: the howl of metal and plastic being torn apart, the sickening sound of gears grounding down and the eventual high-pitch death-whine. At that point I shut it off. Literally flipped the switch on my poor blender.

It was horrible.

A moment of silence.  And the next thought was “So what now? About the detox?” (I tend to move on quickly once I accept the situation as irreparable.)

The answer?

Later. Sometimes the Business of Life includes postponements. Disappointing? Yes. Totally horrible? No. A few days to wait to get a new blender won’t hurt. Last week actually was incredibly busy and I guess I just will take the time to get back on track. Perhaps it was God’s way of saying….

Take a break babe.

Getting Gearing Up! Clean Detox Starts Soon…

I am just about to start my second Clean Detox.

If you missed the last one I did, I basically set myself up as a guinea pig and blogged about it for 30+ days. It was an amazing experience and I was left with a clearer head, cleaner body and about 10lbs lighter — that I’ve still managed to keep of (and then some.)

So I’m about to embark on another sojourn into getting healthier, more relaxed and focused. But with things like a Clean, you just don’t leap into it. You dip your toe in and, when that’s fine, you go thigh-deep, and so on until your body is immersed.

In preparation, I’ve gone off caffeine a week ago, and been slowly eating “cleaner” by the day- smoothies in the morning, where this week is no wheat, dairy, and so on. It almost sounds like I’m back in the thick of it!

So slowly I’m getting back on the wagon.

Slowly…

Links to Items Featured on TheLiquidBetsy:

ORGANIZING. Yep.

Picture courtesy of http://www.tristat.com

So I’m spending the next few days organizing. My desk. My calendar. The kid’s calendar. My closet. My life.

Where some people do this in the Spring, I find Fall, with back to school in the air, my time to get myself ready for the next year. It’s the beginning of my version of the fiscal year.

One thing I’m doing is getting back to basics by relearning Omnifocus, my favorite tool for organizing life’s “to-do” lists.  It takes the GTD (Getting Things Done) theory of time management, all contextually based (tasks are organize by “context”, e.g. phone, computer, errands) and puts it into super-efficient software (and iPhone App!) that can also be crossed referenced. I’m about 60% proficient at using it and it still kicks the ass  of ANYTHING I’ve tried before, IMHO. Check out the basics of Omnifocus HERE and you too will become a convert.

One of my main challenges is seeing how I’m going to fit in my workouts, now that I don’t have a trainer or pilates appointment to make (or to someone coaching me). This may be “it’s 5am get-my-sorry-butt outta of bed to exercise,” which — for those who worship sleep –isn’t the easiest thing to digest as anything more than a once-in-a-while anomaly.

Again. This is my challenge.

So I ask my readers- how do you work in exercise, obligations, family into your schedule?

The Finish Line! 90 Day Fitness Challenge DONE! (Update #13)

This is not me. (but it is here courtesy from yourscreenplaysucks.com)

Sometimes The Business of Life includes… GETTING TO THE FINISH LINE.

I just crossed the proverbial finish line.

90 Day Fitness challenge COMPLETE!

First off I have to give a HUGE thanks to the folks at Modern Pilates and Bodyscapes Fitness in Hingham.  Truly awesome group of people! They motivate, they push, they encourage one sorry ass into a leaner, meaner fitter Betsy!  Truly class acts, both Lisa Johnson (queen bee at Modern Pilates) and Laura Dosdall (manager and my trainer at Bodyscapes), I can’t say enough about them and their people without risking this post turning into a full-on love letter.

Prior to this I thought I was pretty healthy, now I know how far from “healthy” I was. Sure, I was healthier  by eating well. but I was missing the cardio and strength portion of the picture. Now, working with Laura post- challenge, I hope to enter in a 5k race — a concept so ludicrous prior to this, I would have not only scoffed at the suggestion, I’d probably ruthlessly make fun of the person until they cried.

So what’s next buff Betsy? Well, I am now going to figure out how life will be post-challenge. How do I fit in a 5 day workout in my calender when it’s not scheduled for me? (I guess you know what my next Friday posts are going to be about…) The business of life is now training myself!

But back to my friends who made all of this possible. These people are great. They were like advocates/coaches pushing me to do better, but in a really nice way. No “FEEEEEEL THE BUUUUUURN!” Gunar the scary muscle man. Promise. No matter what my preconceived ideas on how this fitness challenge would go, and the recent tweaked back aside, I loved the experience and can’t thank these people enough. I feel great. I look great.

What a GREAT experience!

Final challenge stats (as of 8/19/10 ):

• Bust: 36.5 inches (No change from last week, -2.5″ total)
• Waist: 29.5 inches (-0.50″,  -3.5″ total
• Hips: 37.25 inches (-0.55″, -5.25″ total, Still losing)
• Upper arm: 11.0inches (+0.50″, -1.00″ total)
• Upper thigh: 21.0 inches (-1.0, -4.75″ total)

Total inches lost 17.00″ !!

(I think I “placed” just fine.)

Read all about the 90 day health challenge I’m doing, you can read all about it HERE.

Check out my partners in the Go Betsy Go! 90 Day Challenge:

Battle of the crappy back continutes but since I’ve started practically dating my chiropractor, things are looking much better. I believe I can now walk without dragging my foot like zombie from Michael Jackson’s Thriller video, and when someone calls my name, I don’t turn my ENTIRE body around to greet them, but just my neck. Exciting stuff happen in Le Betsy land folks.

So my numbers might go up. I take them bright and early tomorrow AM.

So as of 8/09/10 :

Bust: 36.5 inches (No change from last week, -2.5″ total)
Waist: 30.0 inches (+0.50″, -3.0″ total
Hips: 37.75 inches (-0.25″, -4.75″ total, Still losing)
Upper arm: 11.0inches (+0.50″, -1.00″ total)
Upper thigh: 22.0 inches (+1.0, -3.75″ total)
Total inches lost this week: , total 15.00″ since starting. Oh jeez I gained. Well I expected as much, didn’t I? Put treats in, get treated to bigger numbers. Hopefully, now that I am more aware of my desire to soothe my pain with food, the less ice cream and pizza will go go in!

Read all about the 90 day health challenge I’m doing, you can read all about it HERE.

Check out my partners in the Go Betsy Go! 90 Day Challenge:

Moving On…

One door closes, another opens (this one just happens to be a capitol door.)

A few things are ending in my life right now. Some of them are bittersweet, some are just plain sad, others you just want to say “Oh Thank GAWD that’s over” (or as they say in Boston “Ohhhh-VAH!”).

Sometimes it’s time to move on.

But… you can’t help playing in your head what you’d like to have done differently, better — and I like to try and learn from my experiences both professionally and personally, both good and bad. I think it’s a good thing to take a step back and assess. Perhaps the next go around you’d do a little differently, perhaps a little better.

But I have to remind myself  in all of this assessment that (1) it’s in the past and (2) what’s done is done.

At some point it’s just time to move on.

Doors close, other doors open. It is the ebb and flow of life.

So where the one constant in life is change, this week you’ve caught me between the spaces of ending some and beginning others.

And while some of it is “Awwww,” I’m kinda excited about the next great things I have yet to know.

(I love surprises.)

And just because I love this…link to the video The Future’s So Bright (I Got To Wear Shades)

Personality Set by 6.

Image courtesy of Guru Design

Some study says your personality is pretty much set by age six.

It would seem that a few thousand first graders from the 60′s were studied, and around 150 of them were interviewed later in their 40′s. Four traits were followed: talkativeness, impulsivity, adaptableness and self-minimizing behavior.  If you were chatty, impulsive and adaptable- goody for you! The study says you just won the personality jackpot: you’re most likely going to be cheerful, intellectual, with great language fluency.

What if you’re not chatty, like consistency, and talk badly about yourself? Not good my friend, not good at all. You give up easily, seek advice, are insecure and have an awkward interpersonal style.

As a first grader I was talkative (I know, I know. But seriously, in my report card it says “extremely talkative” and it wasn’t meant in a good way.) I was also adaptive — I loved change and still do. And impulsive- I was totally A.D.D. material. Sure I’m cheerful, somewhat smart, but I’m also shy, insecure and self-minimizing at times.

Basically I’m a mosaic of good and bad personality traits. I think we all are.

Is personality set at age six? Can four traits really be a good predictor?

Well, a human can be broken down into about $4.50 worth total of Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Calcium, etc., but gathered the elements together- a human body it doesn’t make.

I really don’t like studies like these. They are always well-meaning, and somewhat interesting in a cocktail party chit-chat sort of way, but it can be wide-open to crap interpretation and actual application. Can you imagine the devastation if something like this was actually used as a diagnostic tool? Intervention on six year olds because they’re shy, get after themselves for making mistakes or just like routine? Therapy to be more impulsive?

Good news is, if they start now, it’ll take about four decades to get any more insights…