Tickling the Ivory

Today I am longing to play the piano. A lot of people don’t know this about me, but I grew up playing the piano and was (am) quite good at it. I come from a family of musicians - Eric Clapton, Madonna, Stevie Nix and such….just kidding. In reality my Mom’s side of the family has quite the musical ear. Anything from guitar, singing, piano, harmonica and so on and I was lucky enough to get this gene.

My parents introduced me to piano lessons at a young age. My teacher, Nancy Walker, was probably a huge reason why I loved it so much. I would sit at her house every Saturday morning for 30 minutes or so and learn all about music. Some days we would play the piano, other days we would write music and some days we would play duets. She had a dog, a German Shepard named Cody, that would sit peacefully while you played at your feet or looking at you from the couch. He also kept me coming. Once a year we would have a recital, which I was more excited at the fact of eating her homemade ice cream floats than anything. The fear would build up inside of you and I would get all nervous but once you stroke one key it was completely gone.

I took lessons from her for over 10 years, I can’t even remember now exactly how long. I excelled in reading music, which a lot of people struggle with. I got really passionate about playing and would spend money buying new songs to perform. When Titanic came out I knew I just had to play “My Heart Will Go On,” by Celion Dion – and play I did at that years recital. My all time favorite songs to play, “Memory,” from Cats and Pachabel’s “Canon in D.” Even now when I sit down to tickle the ivory I merge the two songs together making sure to play those notes.

Moving out of my Mom’s house meant moving away from a piano. A keyboard doesn’t cut it, sorry keyboard cat. Some days, like today, I long to go sit down and play the piano for a few hours. One day, when I’m rich enough I will have my own piano, and teach my kids to play and tickle the ivory whenever I want.

Baring It All

As part of my 2010 is all about me, I have completed the Widdle My Middle Challenge. I must admit, that it took reading the challenge to get me interested in my abs but now I'm hooked! The main idea is to do a 30 day sit up challenge following her program - which basically boils down to 10 minutes of abs 5 days a week.

Now, I must also admit that this correlated with the start of the two hundred sit up challenge I am doing at work. So, we are currently in week 5 of this challenge and in addition to doing the 10 minutes a day I am also doing this challenge (which right now means an additional 200+ crunches 3x per week).

Back to the challenge. It was not easy to commit to. The first week was relatively easy but then I found myself getting bored with the routine and feeling that it all focused on my upper abs. With that being said, I basically just followed the rule of 10 minutes/day 5 x week. I added in some different exercises to replace some of her exercises I got bored with or felt I had poor form (for example, I am awful putting a balance ball on my feet and rolling it towards my chest - just a fail all around).

I added in more lower abdominal work as this is a problem area for me - things like reverse crunches, leg lifts and bicycle kicks. I would also do oblique twist, full sit up roll downs, oblique dips and oblique side lifts with dumbbells. I also did back lifts every session to make sure that I was also working my lower back muscles (completing the plank exercises was also helpful).Basically, what I am saying is that I did my own version of the challenge and it worked just fine.

Now for the results - I must admit that I usually don't focus much on my abs beyond my once a week ab class so this was a big change for me. I don't like to diet, love cardio but have a love hate relationship with weights and abs. After completing this challenge I will definitely stick to working my abs cause the results were worth it. I probably won't be as extreme, but enough to keep what I worked for. I believe that abs are a gift from your genes, we all can't have Jillian Michaels abs and as long as I feel great I am happy. So, with that being said here are the results:

• I lost 1 inch off my waist (smallest part of your midriff)


• I lost 1 inch off my hips (different for everyone, but where your hips are)


• I lost 1/2 inch off largest part of waist (basically around your belly button)

Onto the hard part - THE PICTURES! It was also part of the challenge to take a picture of yourself before and after. You are not allowed to flex or suck in so that your stomach is at rest in the pictures...cause when you measure you don't suck in! The before pictures make me sick! I also think I made a mistake not doing both in a bikini....I realized I should have done that about halfway through. Anyways, here we go as promised, but I am not happy about doing this.

And...just for giggles, I tested a sucking in pose on the side shot to see what Bradly Cooper will view if he walked past me on the beach - cause everyone sucks in on the beach unless you are a few deep!

I don't know, maybe you can't see the changes or not but I can and I notice them. Not only does my core feel stronger, but I see the indent in my waist more clearly. The before photos just look jiggly, loose and gross. It's weird, before I never felt my waist was super fat or as gross as this, but maybe it's the lack of a tan and the angles/clothing I don't know. But I definitely see a difference and you all better appreciate I posted the photos - cause that wasn't easy:)

Now, the exciting news! My reward, well gift, was a fabulous weekend getaway with my lovely boyfriend to the Bahamas. Cincinnati has just been pummeled by snow, leaving people like me without 4 wheel drive stuck in our homes and all around just frustrated. We just needed some time away and alone time so we booked a last minute trip to the Bahamas just yesterday! I can't wait, 8 Days and counting!

2010 Is All About Me!

So a few of my blogs have featured some workouts, thoughts or things I've been doing to better myself. I was talking with a friend the other day about things we wanted to accomplish this year and came to the conclusion that 2010 is all about me!

It sounds selfish and it is, but in a good way. Not in a way like I'm going to keep all the cookies to myself sort of way. I mean 2010 is all about me and bettering me! Everyone has imperfections and can never be perfect, but bettering myself in certain ways can only make me feel better about myself.

I've been practicing positive thinking and trying to look at the good things not the bad things and it seems to be helping. I've been trying to make little goals and accomplish them and of course give myself a reward for doing this. (I must admit that I did get this from The Spark, a book by SparkPeople.com, whom I work for). But I'm not going to lie it's working, just check out the shoes in this blog I got for completing the push up challenge.

So, each month or so I'm going to try to do something to better myself - whether that is physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Sometimes things may cross into other months or etc. but it's all about bettering me! Making myself healthy all around!

Things on my list right now:

1. Not letting what others think get me down - this is going to be tough because I kind of worry about what others think too much and shouldn't. I know the people around me love me and who cares if I don't always make them happy. I'm going to do what I want (note: I care about others feelings and consequences at the same time, just talking the small stuff - shall I say don't sweat the small stuff)


2. Complete the 200 sit up challenge - Just because I liked having the push up challenge and strengthening areas of my body that are weak.


3. Widdle My Middle 30 Day Challenge - 2 days in and testing the theory. I'm taking measurements and pictures, so 30 days from now I will let you know the results. Why do this one? Cause everyone hates their midriff unless you are Jillian Michaels.


4. Live love in the moment -Ok, that sounds weird and odd. This is a tough one to put on her cause I don't like to share my lovey feelings out loud often but I owe it to myself. Basically, live in the moment of love and where it stands, trust it. I have some of the best times in front of me for love to grow.

Best part about putting these out here is the reward and aftermath of accomplishing them. Completing one just makes me want to set another and keep going...a positive spiral. Plus, at the end of some I get great rewards like shoes and dresses. And the reward for others can last a lifetime. I've come to find once I make the change I want to stick with it...like I will now do push ups more often cause I like the results - the work was well worth it.

So, my theme of the year 2010 is all about me!

Does He Exist- The Lizard Man?

This could quite possibly be the blog that you read and are like,WTF, I knew you were weird but now I’m just concerned you are on drugs. I’ve had this debate a few times in the past years but yesterday I got talking about this in the office and my curiosity got the best of me and I had to do some digging. So here it goes, the story, the research and my conclusion.

As a kid we always traveled to Kiawah Island every summer for two weeks. We would go to Charleston, hang on the beach, golf, alligator hunt, crab, fish and hang out as a family. This was long before Kiawah became popular and is now a hot spot and full of hotels. I can remember one summer we were there and there was all this talk about the “Lizard Man.” People were told to watch out for this monster because he has been known to eat license plates and small dogs and scare locals and tourist alike. As kids, we were really scared of this and convinced ourselves he existed and even went out and got the T-Shirts to prove it to our friends back home.

So, of course yesterday over lunch I begin to share this story and my belief in this monster and everyone was puzzled. They had never heard of this monster. They were convinced I was thinking of “The Swamp Thing” but I knew it wasn't the Swamp Thing but something else, I can remember seeing it on Unsolved Mysteries. Which I’d like to make a note about here – if this is your strongest point in your argument at the time you discuss it you need to do more research. This just made me seem crazier than before when I began to discuss the red eyed car eating lizard that stalked us this summer as a kid. But, I knew it was for real and I hadn’t made this up so I had to do some research.

First research, calling my brother. Who when I immediately asked him about that summer his response was, “yeah, I forget the name of it but I once watched an episode on it on MonsterQuest- it scratched peoples cars and left bite marks that left people baffled!” Now folks, you may think I’m exaggerating his response and he didn’t say the word MonsterQuest or baffled but it’s true- both of them, and yes he is 29. He then went on to add how we both bought T-Shirts and were scared driving at night down the deserted roads from Charleston to Kiawah. (Again, this was before the Ryder Cup was played there and Kiawah became a hot spot)

Bingo, this first lifeline or research contact lead me to my next place to look – MonsterQuest. At first I didn’t find anything other the the Swamp Thing footage until I noticed a file that said “MonsterQuest Cold Case – The Lizard Man” and BAM, I found his name and some footage. Click here to check out some monsters on the show (you will have to search Lizard Man to find the videos I reference).

Then of course, Paul, told me nothing is real unless it’s on WikiPedia and now that I have the name of this monster I look it up and BAM, here it is! Exactly as I had described: The Lizard Man is described as being 7 feet tall, bipedal and well built, with green scaly skin and glowing red eyes. It is said to have three toes on each foot and three fingers on each hand which end in a circular pad on them that stick to walls. The creature has an incredible degree of strength, more than capable of ripping into a car. – EXACTLY as I described in my discussions.

Well, then wouldn’t you know it I see a link at the bottom of the Wikipedia explanation to a CNN Video! WHAT? I thought my Unsolved Mysteries was a good argument but the fact that my monster has made CNN? Check out the video here! I have slowly built a case that this is a real thing, the T-Shirt I bought did exist, that monsters may be out there, that the Lizard Man did eat license plates, stalked people that summer in South Carolina and I am not just a crazy lady who believed in a story I was told as a little girl.

So what all began in 1988, when I was 7, as a car getting mauled and 10 eye witnesses claiming they saw this monster has developed 20 years later to another car mauling with blood left behind. Unfortunately the blood was contaminated and could not be identified to a certain species, but that may tell us something. I’m not saying I believe or don’t believe in this monster, but it’s somewhat been haunting my life since a little kid. All I'm saying is even if I tell you a crazy wild weird story and I swear it is true, believe me, because I will find the proof that I'm not crazy and it may exist. And, if you are driving through South Carolina and you have the expensive license plates, vanity plates, you may want to rethink your way - just sayin!