Like Totally Tubular, Man.....

We've actually had a winter this year with snow, storms and cold weather.

I am not a big fan of this.

Mild winters are happy!  Mild winters are sane!

Yesterday I was running around in a t shirt without a jacket.
Today, it is in the low 40's with wind to make it seem colder.  This winter does not want to go away.

Starting in January, when I realized that this winter was serious, I had to make a plan to keep my sanity.
I had to find activities to get me outside and actually enjoying the snow, instead of cursing it as I shoveled, shoveled and shoveled some more.  Seriously, at one point, I had to shovel paths in my backyard so the dogs could go outside.  The snow that fell around the middle of December and all of the snow that fell after did not leave my yard until this week!!!!  Three months of snow on the ground and a lot of it.

Snowshoeing was put on the agenda, including a full moon hike that went straight up a mountain and straight back down.

Then a LivingSocial deal showed up in my inbox......
2 hours of tubing at Soldier Hollow.

I seem to get one every year in late January.  :)  I've gone with the deal for the past three years.  The first year, the tracks were fast, not too fast and perfect.  Last year, there was very little snow and it was warm.  You would have to push off your tube 3 times to get down the hill.  This history lesson was to set up what occurred when I went this year.

I went up on February 27th.  It was cold and there had been fresh snow a couple of days before.  The tracks were packed down and ready to ride.

On the first ride up the tow line, I noticed a sign that I did not remember......

When you get to the cones, drag your feet to slow you down.

Ok... I took note and took off down the hill sitting in my tube.
Got to the cones and realized a problem, my feet really did not reach the ground.
I was flying!  Excessive speed was reached....
I met the safety fences.
And eventually stopped.

For the rest of the runs down the hill, I laid down on my belly on my tube and DUG my feet into the snow to stop before bonding with the safety fences again.

At one point, the staff drove a snowmobile up the runs with an attachment behind it to grind up the tracks to slow them down.  They were running that fast!!!

All in all it was a very fun day that made all of this snow bearable.

Being pulled up the hill!!! What a way to Tube.

 Still thawing out.
Melissa

The Great Crayon Massacre of 2013

Hi, my name is Melissa and I am addicted to Pinterest.

It started out simple enough with an invitation to join by my cousin 2 years ago at Thanksgiving.  I started slow with a couple of boards and a few pins.

And then,
it quickly went out of control.

Soon I was planning to build furniture, build an arbor, redo counter tops, outfit my friends and family or anyone who would let me for Halloween (seriously, I have over 50 costume ideas in my Holiday board), create the best workout ever from tips I found, and create amazing meals and desserts .

It stayed at the virtual level and planning for quite some time with only a few simple easy recipes making their ways into the real world.

Life was good.

Til that fateful day, when I stated, "I need to do more than just pin; I need to start doing these crafts and such....'

Little did I know what would happen next.

Gauze ghosts at Halloween
Subway Art printables at Christmas
A cake that took 4 HOURS to prepare (it's reallllllllly gooooood, but just beware)
A clean oven using ammonia
A wreath, including making my own frame for the base
Cleaning my toilet with Alka Seltzer
Cutting glass bottles with fire and nail polish remover
A crockpot that is begging for mercy from all of the recipes
and I could go on....

and then I saw it....
a Valentine's Day craft that was cute, not cheesy or overly gushy....
and thought, I can do that.

Here's the link to my pin....

martha, you done me wrong.

Yes, Martha Stewart is the blame for the great crayon massacre of 2013....

I read the directions, and tried to follow them, really I did, but my crayons, which I had purchased for this hare-brained idea would not shave in a sharpener.

So, I hacked them to death with my butcher knife.  That should of been an indicator to stop right there, but I forged on.  I proceeded to crimp, or so I thought, the edges of my wax paper and layered my precious crayon remnants between the craft paper and ever so lightly began to iron them to melt the wax.

Did you know that melted crayon wax can go thru wax paper and craft paper and completely leave your established work area in a heartbeat?
I do.

Once again, the universe was saying, "STOP", but did I listen,
No.

Attempt #2 included folding of the wax paper before crimping and leaving a 3 inch gap of empty space before the edge and multiple layers of craft paper and an iron turned WAY down.  I think my breath was probably hotter than the iron.

I got the crayons to melt, not in a pretty and even way like the photo for the directions, but in a weird streaky abstract sort of way.

I did not care.  I let them cool and cut them into hearts and hung them in my front window for the world to see.

6 hours of work, mostly in clean up

If you drive by my house before the end of February, take a look at the Pinterest addiction problem in my window, and warn your friends about the dangers of Pinterest........

I've gotta go,
I think some new pins have been added since the last time I was on.

Melissa

Reunited, and it feels soooo good....

                                                     glub...glub, glub........glub....  :)

My inner fish, alright technically a dolphin, is a happy camper!  I got back in the pool this past week!!!  I did laps.  I circle swam to share a lane with 3 other people.  I swam a mile, granted not a fast mile, but I swam a mile.

The moment my flip flops hit the pool deck, I realized how much I missed swimming.  How did I let almost a year go by without it?  Life got in a the way and other dreams and goals took precedent, that's how....

I started running last year and it took the majority of my focus and let's face it, exercise time.  As an adult, there is not an unlimited amount of time you have to workout.  There are other responsibilities and things that just need to get done that take the majority of your day.  Finding time to workout is a priority for me, but sometimes I have to choose one activity over another.  This year, my goal is to find a balance in between running and swimming for my cardio activities.  I actually have a plan, which I did not last year.

Now, let's get back to the pool, shall we?

I had no goal, no plans or times for my laps when I did my first introductory dip back in the pool.  I swam without pressure on myself,  only for the joy.  I think that's why I was able to do the mile.  I alternated between freestyle and breaststroke, with the majority in free, and just let myself swim.  I did a mantra from my meditation challenge to keep my mind quiet and to stay in the moment, not in how far I had swam or how far I needed to go.   I'm trying to keep this attitude in mind for all of my swims.

The past few years, both in and out of the pool, I have become interested in a swimming technique  called, 'Total Immersion'.  It teaches you to move in the most efficient way in the water, i.e., reduce drag, no wasted energy.  It reminds me of a moving meditation, everything has a reason and is, in my opinion, beautiful to watch.   Natural swimmers use a lot of the techniques Total Immersion teaches--they are long in the water and generally use less strokes to cover the same distance when compared to others.  If you are interested, you might want to check out their website.

One other thing, if your inner fish is screaming for you to get in the pool and you are worried about the damage that chlorine can do to your hair....
try this tip from another swimmer that I use, apply a little olive oil to your wet hair before you get in the pool.  While you are swimming your swim cap will keep it on your hair, and if any water gets on your hair from the pool, the olive oil acts as a barrier to the chlorine.  When you are done, just shampoo the olive oil out.  Hair protected and deep conditioned.  :)

Well, I've gotta run....
I've got a date with a lap lane at the pool.

Melissa

Blurred into Darkness....

In the middle of the night, on Thursday (actually Friday, because it was around 3 am), I got up for a routine reason.  A bathroom break and a sip of water.  I do not know about you, but I have a time of night that I get up almost every night for that.  Why is this blog worthy?  Normally, it's not, but what happened on that night turned out to be so.

My vision was blurry when I made my way through the darkness to the bathroom.

I have horrible eyesight.  That is no secret.  When my contacts are out and my glasses are not on, the big giant E on the vision testing board is a blur.  I honestly would not know that is an 'E' if not for the fact that the chart has not changed in all of my years of living.  A blurry trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night is not that uncommon, because I know the route I take,  I do not put my glasses on.  What made this night different?  I got into the bathroom and looked at something up close, it was still blurry.  As this occurred in the middle of the night, I didn't think too much about it.  I was half asleep and had been rubbing my eyes.  In my half asleep state, I put it in the back of my mind and went back to bed.

When my alarm went off a couple of hours later, I knew that my blurry vision at 3 am was an indicator of the massive migraine that now occupied my head.  If I had been more aware at 3 am, I would have taken my medication and been ok, but I had not, so at 6:45 I was in pain.  My vision was down to straight in front of me, my peripheral vision was gone.  I could not handle light, it made me nauseated.  Noise, like an alarm clock, was like a chainsaw on my nerve endings.  The next 36 hours were spent in an attempt to rid myself of these symptoms.  Sleep is elusive; the pain will not let you drop off into oblivion.  The medication that at 3 am would be so effective at 7am does not make a difference once the migraine has taken full effect.

This was not my first migraine, and unfortunately, I do not believe it will be my last.  Bummer.  Through out my years, I have learned about my migraines and their triggers.  I, somehow, manage to get both hereditary and environmental migraines.  Hereditary migraines have a family link, normally from father to daughter or mother to son.  Weird, huh?  Not all of the time, but according to the information my doctor gave me, it's true the majority of the time.  My dad gets migraines.  We both get them where our vision is affected.  It's not fun.  Environmental migraines are triggered by food, light, or something outside of the body.  I have issues with nuts, especially almonds and walnuts.  Flashing lights, like strobe lights, trigger them as well.  A certain tight muscle in my neck left untreated will trigger them as well.  I have spent a lot of time figuring out what causes my migraines, because I would do about anything to avoid one.  They just suck.

Since my mid-twenties, I have managed to learn my environmental triggers and my number of migraines has dropped dramatically.  Amazing progress and results, because for a time of my life, I was having way too many.  The frustrating thing about my migraines now is that when they happen I can not identify the trigger.  I posted about this one on facebook and got a couple of ideas, but none of them were it.

 (Guys turn away for a second....it's time for period talk)

One trigger of migraines, especially in women, is tied to their menstrual cycles.  Some women get them right before their period starts; others when certain hormone levels drop or rise.  Everyone is different, but this has never affected me.  There goes that trigger.....

(ok, guys, you can come back)

The reason for this post is two-fold...
Number 1, if you suffer from migraines, what are your triggers?  Any ideas for me?  I am willing to try just about anything.

and Number 2, if you don't suffer from them, Thank your lucky stars, but please also realize unlike a normal headache, a couple of advil will not solve the problem.

Feeling human again....
Melissa

A Drop in the Bucket....

You can mock, and you can laugh, but a few months ago,  I created a Bucket List...

Yes, a cheesy, cliched Bucket List.

"Why?", you may ask, well,  I'll tell ya why...

Life is a series of opportunities and decisions, both big and little, and if you have not taken the time to figure out what you really want out of life, you may miss a once in a lifetime opportunity that in hindsight you might regret.  Bucket Lists can help you avoid that.....

So, where is the controversy and mocking coming from?

In a nutshell, the internet.

The reason, I believe, that Bucket Lists have gotten such a bad rap is a majority of the items that are being put on lists that you can find on the internet are expensive.  Will your life be a failure if at the end of your life, because you were fiscally responsible and could not pay for a trip to China and as a result you did not stand on the Great Wall of China because it was on your list?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!  Items left on your list are not failures, in my opinion, but dreams not yet fulfilled.

My friends and I had been talking about things we want in life lately and my bucket list grew out of that.   A lot of my items have to do with travel, as it is something I LOVE TO DO!, but others will require nothing but love and time.

I am not going to post my entire list; for one thing, it has 106 items on it, but the main reason is I believe Bucket Lists are fairly personal.  My list is a representative of  my hopes and dreams for my life, not shallow thoughts.  If at the end of my life, I still have items on my list, I will be ok, because that means I am still a dreamer.  My list is also not complete.  I expect to add to it as my life continues.  Dreaming, both little and big, should never stop.

Here on my blog, you will see a few of them, as I discuss them and I will let you know when I attempt an item and how it goes.  Some of the ones I have already accomplished did not go so well, like learning to surf, but I am glad I at least had the courage to try.

This blog post came from an item I checked off yesterday--Take a Photography Class.  I found a groupon for an all day workshop for $35. 

bokeh effect on a plant

Why did I post this photo of a leaf?  I learned how to create this effect at the workshop.  I thought I needed a different lens with aperture settings not on the lenses I currently own.  If I had not created my Bucket List, I might of missed an amazing opportunity.  Bucket Lists rock!

The main thing I'm finding after creating my list, I am more aware of opportunities and in a weird way, there seems to be more of them presenting in my life.   Awareness is an amazing thing.

It took me almost a week to come up with my list.  I searched the net for lists that I liked and thought about things, experiences and service I wanted to have in my life.  While I won't be sharing my entire list, I will share a few to maybe help jumpstart yours and see that it does not have to cost a lot of money to be a Bucket List item.

                ----See the Northern Lights
                ----Watch the AFI 100 best movies
                ----Learn to say 'no' without feeling guilty
                ----Help someone fulfill a goal

I hope you still dream and dream BIG....
and from that, put it to paper and make a Bucket List or whatever you want to call it.

Melissa

2013 Resolutions...

It's time...
for my 2013 Resolutions to be revealed.

Are you breathless with anticipation?
or just really tired from all of the posts from the last few days?

Drumroll.....

#1.  Meditate every day

       Why?  You may ask...good question.  In November 2012, I participated in a 21 Meditation Challenge sponsored by Deepak Chopra and LOVED it.  I had been toying the idea of meditating every day for a year when the challenge presented itself and it cemented the idea.  I've downloaded guided meditations from iTunes, purchased the Challenge from Chopra and 2 others, and am planning on doing Buddhist Zazen meditation, well.  I'm three days into to it and have learned a couple of things....
                1.  Don't meditate right before bed.  I am very relaxed right after, but then the energy build happens and it takes FOREVER to fall asleep
               2.  This is going to be really cool.


#2.  Swim a mile, then decrease the time by the end of the year.

       Oops, this is a re-resolution from 2012.  :(  I got in the pool 3 times last year.  My inner fish is gasping for air and is severely dehydrated.  The goal for this year--GET BACK IN THE POOL, build up to a mile again (it shouldn't take me too  long) and then decrease the time.  I have a plan this year and will update my time, here on the blog, and then my goal time.

#3.  Communicate more.....

       With my friends and family; with my journaling; and with my blogging....  I noticed in 2012, when I got busy, stressed or overwhelmed, I turned inward and stopped calling and writing.  I even stopped journaling, which helps with my stress and funkiness.  I blogged inconsistently and then overwhelmed myself at the end of the year....

#4.  Be fearless!!!

       I want to do stuff that has in the past that has scared me.  I'm not talking about my logical and completely reasonable fear of snakes.  I'm talking about singing lessons (January 8th)....I'm talking about being the first one to sign up for something.  Live without the inner dialogue that stops me from doing things I really want to do.  I know it's a little vague, but it's a mindset.  :)

#5.  Continue...

       with the progress of the last year.  Keep eating healthy and maintaining a balance.  Keep running and making progress.  Keep my emotional stuff in check.  I do not want to look back at the end of 2013 and then do previous goals again....  At the end of 2013,  I want to see progress and keep on moving forward.

Here we go 2013...
Melissa

The Stairs of Haramara...

During my stay at Haramara, documented here, I mentioned the natural state of the retreat.  One of the quirks that I encountered everyday and multiple times a day were the stairs on the trail from my casita to just about everywhere (both yoga pavilions and the dining room).  The stairs were made to fit into the hillside and meant not to disturb nature as much as possible.  Beautiful, yes....  Equal and level, not so much.

The first couple of days, the stairs drove me nuts.  They bugged my ankle.  I could not find a rhythm on them--1 wide step, 2 short ones, then a half..and on and on...  With the humidity, I would be glowing (haha) by the time I got to the top.  My complaints were endless, and yet the stairs remained.

I started to realize something....
Life, like these stairs, is not meant to be perfect and even.
You need to focus on what you are doing in the moment, i.e. be present, to successfully navigate it.

When I let the stairs be as they were, not as I wanted them to be, I was able to make it up and down without incident.

Life lesson in a flight of stairs.....

Melissa