Green at the Gills - My Rowing Adventure

August was a month of rowing in my little active life.

A good friend of mine emailed me one day and said (try to read with a subtle french accent in your head)

"Hey, check this out. They have classes for beginners. Wanna take one with me?"

What could I say in response to a question like that besides "OF COURSE"....

So we promptly signed up for the Learn to Row 1 class. Nevermind that they offer a Row for a Day class to try it out and see if you're even interested in learning more. We don't pay attention to such details. We jumped in with both feet, literally. 

Step 1: Sign up for the class online. Check.

Step 2: Print out and complete all the forms to consent to put your life in their hands and not blame them if they fail you. Check.

Step 3: Take a float test. I found a local community swimming pool and got to take the test for free. Some pools will charge you a couple bucks but mine was free. What is a float test you ask? Easy. Jump into a swimming pool with all your clothes on and float without the aid of anything or anyone for 10 mins. If you drown or cling to the wall, you fail. Well, there is one more step to determine pass or fail. At 9mins 30sec the guard will throw you a life vest and you have to put it on and get it zipped up while still floating by the 10min mark. If you do that (which is super easy), then you pass. Hint: Don't wear jeans, sweat pants, or cargo pants or you might just sink. Check.

Learn to Row 1 was a month long commitment. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 pm for the month August, our lives were dedicated to the Sammamish Rowing Association. My friend (lets call her C) and I were all ready, having signed our lives away, emptied our wallets, and risked a public drowning to get to our first class and row our hearts out. C was desperate to build her back muscles while I just wanted the cardio workout. Plus we were both excited thinking it was going to be fun and maybe even peaceful on the water.

Lake Sammamish, WA

How wrong we were.

The first class consisted of a tour of the boat house, role call, and an educational safety video. Yawn. I have a faint memory of singing Kumbaya but that might have been from the dream I had that night. I know they have rules and regulations and laws and stuff that need to be followed for newbies but disappointment is disappointing.

Perhaps we get to row during the 2nd class? Nope. Third for sure? Nope. We were allowed on the water during the 4th class. The earlier classes were all about learning proper rowing technique and the intricacies of coxswaining and the language of rowing, etc. I'm not even going to go into all that. If you want to know, sign up for a class and enjoy.

The first few times we were on the water, we barely made it to the end of the slough before it was time to turn around and return to the dock. Why? Several reasons.

1. We were in the heaviest boat known to man
2. There were 8 people in the boat (plus the coxswain) who all needed turns to row by themselves
3. We were all brand-spankin-new to rowing
4. For some mysterious reason...adult people (much like most children) don't  know how to follow simple instructions 

Octuple (8 people plus the coxswain)

Sammamish Slough
Notice the lily pads on either side? We spent some quality time in those lily pads.

Eventually the coaches got most of us going pretty well and we made it to the open lake and were able to paddle around a bit before we had to return to the dock. They even got us out in smaller boats so we each got a lot more active rowing time. And as if that isn't cool enough by itself, we eventually got all 4 or 8 persons (depending on which boat we were in) rowing at the same time. Wowy!

What's the big deal?

Boats are most stable with all oars flat on the water (like you see in the picture above). As each person starts adding in (meaning they begin rowing as a group one at a time), the boat becomes increasingly unstable unless everyone is perfectly in sync. A team of newbies who don't know how to follow simple instructions are most definitely not going to be perfectly in sync. Right? Right! So it's very cool that we were able to get it going even if for just a stroke or two.

4 weeks, 2 classes per week, 8 classes total. Overall impressions? Hated it. It wasn't all bad though. There were definite highs and even more definite lows.

Pros

• It was summertime on the beautiful Lake Sammamish
• We got quite a bit of inactive time in the boat so I did get to experience a tiny bit of that peace and take in my surroundings like I had hoped for
• I got to try something that I had always wanted to try
• I got to spend time building a wonderful friendship with C
• Our coaches were amazing in every way
• I learned something new which is never a bad thing
• I got the opportunity to practice my skills in patience over and over and over again
• C found a new hobby that she loves and I got to be there with her as she discovered it

Cons

• There was nearly no cardio activity included in the Learn to Row 1 class other than carrying the ridiculously heavy boat to the water and taking back out of the water again
• My patience was tried over and over and over again so my hopes of peace were shattered more times than not
• People can't follow simple instructions. What do you think "oars flat on the water" actually  means? Put your F$#!ing oars FLAT ON THE WATER
• It requires interaction with other humans and that usually doesn't work out so well for me (see the second and third bullets for more info)
• I didn't get to row nearly as much as I had hoped
• Blisters and scars from sculling (I still have scars on the top of my hand), ouch
• By the end of the session, I felt like I let C down because.......
• Sea sickness sucks and
• I didn't enjoy my experience nearly as much as everyone else did

So here's the story with the sea sickness. I am extremely sensitive to motion sickness. If I even turn my head too fast I might get sick. I've tried the ice behind the ears, the wrist bands, and the motion sickness pills. All have failed me at different times but I find that Dramamine works most of the time. MOST of the time. It failed me in a big way during a gorgeous helicopter ride over Molokai but that's a long story for another day or maybe never.

So anyway, of course I took the pills every day before class and expected to be fine. All was well, at first. That is until: 1) I was put in a smaller boat with only 3 other people and 2) We got out to the open lake on a choppy day rowing all 8 together. The smaller boat meant quite a bit more side to side rocking motion which was not good for me. The choppy day on the open lake was also the day that I was in the octuple boat and the coaches got all 8 of us rowing together which meant rocking side to side to the Nth degree in addition to being splashed in the face by the rowing dude in the seat in front of me because he was all over the damn place. Everyone was out of sync and doing their own thing and I was turning greener and greener with each clumsy stroke.

I don't think anyone wanted to have to watch my vomit float away because before it ever got to that point, the coaches asked if I was ready to get off the boat and go back to the boathouse. My answer was silent but obvious. So, they pulled the launch (coach's small motor boat) up to the oct and I climbed up and out and found myself on steady ground in just a few minutes. That was the last day of class so I missed seeing it through to the very end. I tried, I really did, but like I said before... disappointment is disappointing. I hate not being able to do things even though I believe I can and should be able to do anything I want.

Did I mention that I caught a crab too? I caught a crab. Luckily it wasn't a bad one. It didn't throw me overboard but it did get me in the gut good which was not comfortable.

Oars

Sculling (2 oars per person)

Sweeping (1 oar per person)

Although it may not seem like it, I really am glad I gave rowing a real try. In all honesty, I'm a little jealous of all the people who love it because it is one of those things that you either hold dear to your heart or you don't. For many, rowing is what they think about, talk about, and dream about all day, every day. For others, it's just not their thing. I fit into the latter category but I couldn't be happier for C that she found herself in the former.

If you find yourself interested in giving it a try, I highly recommend you look for a rowing association in your area and contact them for any classes they may offer. Also, C tells me that it gets much better in the next class and even better once you get onto a novice team and you start rowing with more people who know what they're doing. I'm also told that it is a great workout once you graduate to single and double person boats which typically happens in the Learn to Row 2 classes.

If you're lucky and find yourself in the great northwest where we have beautiful bodies of water all around us, I highly recommend the Sammamish Rowing Association. Not only were our coaches amazing, helpful, patient, and funny but every other member we met coming and going from the boathouse was equally as pleasant.

Enjoy!

To Gluten or Not To Gluten

Just last week, my nutritionist mentioned a sneaking suspicion that I might have a "sensitivity" to wheat and/or gluten products. Why? Because.....

1. I crave bread always and forever - She says that a continuous craving for bread products is consistent with people who have a sensitivity to those grains because their bodies don't necessarily process them the same as other people.
2. I have a difficult time losing weight even when I am exercising regularly and eating a healthful, well-balanced diet - She says that difficulty shedding weight even when trying is a common complaint/experience of people who have a sensitivity because our bodies retain everything we feed it....including water.

I've read a few little articles here and there since the last meeting with my nutritionist about the new gluten-free diet fad sweeping the nation.

The November issue of Health Magazine has an article on the topic. It basically says that cutting gluten from your diet may not actually help in losing weight if you choose to just replace the same breads and other baked goods with the gluten-free counterparts because those products often have more calories, carbs, fat, and sugar than the original wheat products.

WebMD is another place I found some helpful info. This article talks about who really needs to be on a gluten-free diet and why. Short answer: people with celiac disease. Also people who test negative for celiac disease but who still suffer from some of the same symptoms are considered to have a sensitivity to gluten so a restrictive diet can also benefit them. It also specifically says that eating a gluten-free diet is NOT necessarily healthy and must be done very carefully to avoid a deficiency in vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, magnesium, and fiber to name a few. Read the article for more.

Fitness Magazine also had to weigh in on the gluten debate.

The MayoClinic is yet another source I found info on gluten-free diets.

So far, it looks like either my nutritionist is wrong or perhaps she was just using the wrong terminology because I have none of the symptoms of celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. But, I did stumble on another concept that may better fit the bill. Carbohydrate (and/or gluten) addiction.

Here's an article I found on the subject: Addiction to Carbohydrates and Gluten.....
I know nothing about the source so don't blame if it sucks. The article does talk about the cravings and the difficulty losing weight.

Here's a website dedicated to carb addiction: http://www.carbohydrateaddicts.com/
Again, I know nothing about the source so don't blame if it sucks.
Ah merde! I just took their little carb addict quiz and guess who scored in the moderate zone.

Scholarly articles on carb addiction

Here's an article from The American Heart Association: Carbohydrate Addiction

After looking through all the above articles and consulting my own healthy living beliefs about what is right for me, I'm thinking I need more information. It seems to me that the gluten-free diet fad is just that, a fad for people who don't have celiac disease but are looking for the next easy answer as to why they can't lose weight. However, I'm intrigued by the carb addiction concept. I don't feel like I'm out of control but I do love bread and I have a long history of losing and regaining weight over and over again.

Thoughts?

Burlesque

Has the art of burlesque come back in style or am I just new? It certainly seems as though it has come back with a vengeance. I'm typically not one to get excited about the cyclical nature of fashion. I was all too thrilled when we grew out of the horrid style of the 1980s and when I started seeing some of those ridiculous clothes making an appearance again, I cringed and gagged a bit, I have to admit.  But, when I saw my first live burlesque show a few months ago, I was absolutely thrilled. Then the movie came out with Cher and Christina and I couldn't wait to go see it in the theater.



If you've been under a rock, allow me to explain what I'm talking about.

Burlesque has been a loved art form for centuries actually. Did you know that the word is derived from an Italian word meaning "joke". Back in the olden days, it was simply a satirical representation of serious events. It eventually morphed into a variety show on stage with elaborate costume and performances to entertain the masses. The Americans eventually got word of it and turned it into a strip tease of sorts. Pesky Americans always with sex on the brain. It lost a bit of steam around the late 1940s, but it sure seems to be back now and I'm all over it.

You may or may not recall that I did a bit of belly dancing a few months back? In doing so, I found out about the fabulous Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque right here in Seattle. The idea crossed my mind that I may want to try one of her intro to burlesque classes out to see if I might like to get schooled in the art of the tease. I did nothing with those innocent little thoughts...that is until recently.

I went to a burlesque performance called J'Adore which was a special Valentine's Day performance at  The Triple Door in Seattle (fabulous venue by the way even if the food served is just...wrong). Guess who was one of the performers! You'll never guess. Guess! Ok, I'll tell you. Miss Indigo Blue of course. I promptly went home and scheduled my burlesque for dummies class otherwise referred to as "A Taste of the Tease". The 1 hour class is designed to give you a little introduction to the world of burlesque with fun and playful lessons in the basics. No coordination or experience required!

How did it go?

I LOVED IT! Not only was the class fun and interesting but Indigo was an amazing teacher. If you're like me and maybe a little shy with your jiggly bits, trust me, you have nothing to fear in one of Indigo's classes. She was a wonderful instructor. Cute as can be, she was dressed in a perfect 1950s house dress complete with fishnets and cat eye glasses. She definitely looked the part but instead of being cross and overbearing as one would typically expect from someone who calls herself a "headmistress", she was welcoming and kind.

Class began with a welcome and everyone went around the room introducing themselves with a little story about what interested each of us in burlesque. Everyone said basically the same thing, "it just looks like fun so I wanted to give it a try".

Side note: Did you know that Miss Indigo Blue is the star of her very own documentary? A Wink and a Smile. I haven't actually seen the documentary myself. Not yet anyway. I do know that it's a Seattle indie film that follows a few of our local burlesque performers around though. I believe you can stream it on Netflix if you're interested.



Anyhow, after the introduction, we got moving. We learned a handful of basics. Let's see if I remember them all here.

1.  The bump and grind
2.  The burlesque basic
3.  The walking basic
4.  How to shimmy and shake
5.  Flirty tricks
6.  Fun with props

I feel like I may be forgetting something but you get the idea anyway. If you have no dance experience, have no fear. If you are shy about your jiggly bits, rest assured. There were no complex dance moves and no stripping required. Well, that's only partially true. We did do a bit of stripping but we did not take off the clothes we came in with. No, no, no. Instead, we put a few things on so we had a few things to take off.

The bump and grind was the first of the exercises we learned. Bump the apple, bump the orange, and griiiiiind the coffee. Don't forget to remember the division between church and state now. That's very important.

As simple as the burlesque basic is, there's just something about it that makes you feel sassy and ready for fun, or maybe that's just me. Putting it in motion though, that's where stage domination comes in, I'm sure of it.

What can be said about the shimmy and the shake? I mean really. Actually, I found this part of class rather reassuring. It's no secret that I have a bit more of me to go around than I would prefer. You know what happens when you shake what the good lord gave you? It takes on a life of it's own. In the past, that would be something I would shy away from. Fat girls just shouldn't shake their shit in other people's faces, that's been one of my many mottos over the years. Well, I got a distinct feeling from attending this class that Indigo would snap my fingers with her ruler for that comment because she encouraged us "shake it to the bone".

The flirty tricks were totally cheesy but equally as enjoyable. Burlesque is all about making fun of the serious aspects of life, literature, events, etc. and using exaggerated expressions to do the fun making when it comes to sex was perfect. If you feel silly trying to act sexy, then why not turn it into a silly sexy joke? Want to know a little secret? Silly sexy jokes work for heating up the stage too, even if it is just in the privacy of your own bedroom.

Nothing adds to the exaggeration better than a big fluffy feather boa. Am I right or am I right? Yes, you guessed it, out came the props. We learned to enhance our tease with the boa and some of those silky, luxurious gloves. Remember, you can't take anything off if you don't first put it on. One of the most important lessons I learned in the class was that the tease is so much better when it's first decorated. It's true. You can strip out of your street clothes just as well as you can strip out of a gold sequined dress but the sense of occasion (fantasy) you get when you first dress up makes the taking it off all the better.

It's no secret that the boys are visually stimulated creatures so why not use that to your advantage? Get yourself a sparkly costume and adorn it with jewels and feathers and gloves, oh my. Then sign up for one of Indigo's burlesque classes to learn the moves to flaunt your stuff. You'll have your guy drooling in no time. And I might add that you'll feel like a million bucks, no matter what size you are in the bust or around the waist.

My Master Plan and Other Such Stuff

In my last post which happened to be almost a month ago, I mentioned a hint of a master plan. Instead of sulking in my mashed potatoes when I clearly wanted au gratin, I made the decision to make the best out of the mushy situation.

The situation (no, not the douche from Jersey Shore):

1. I am not selling my house and moving to the city this year.
2. I now have the gift of time.
3. I'm still overweight.
4. I still have not written the great novel of this century.

The plan then is to dedicate each and every day to accomplishing the two goals in my life that I most desire (second to moving to the city of course).

I'm in a wedding in September which I would very much like to not feel like a fat cow in a strapless dress mooing as I walk down the isle (you know....like the moo cow toys).
My mission then is to lose 27lbs in 27 weeks. But how?

1.  1,400 calories per day
2.  50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat
3.  Drink lots of water
4.  Take vitamin D every day
5.  Clean eating. Check out http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/
6.  Exercise 5 days per week.
7.  Sleep 8 hours per night
8.  Journal every day

I love to write, I stay I want to write, but I don't write. Well, I do write in my journal every day but that's not the same thing. I want to create stories and plays and novels and whatever else my brilliant brain can put together. So, I've decided to just write. Every day. If I write something, anything, every day, eventually I'll have something tangible. And you know they say that writing begets more writing so I just need to write, right? But how?

1.  I made a very lazy attempt at participating in the NANOWRIMO challenge last fall and did not follow through with it. Lame, I know. I still have the (I don't even know what to call it) word doc I created for NANOWRIMO in the state it was left in when I gave up on the challenge. It may just be time to dust it off and start writing in it again. Yes?
2.  Now that spring is almost here, the geniuses over there in nanowrimo land came up with a challenge for this time of year. It's the SCRIPT FRENZY challenge and I just have to do it.
3.  I recently discovered an amazing resource right here in my home town. It's the Pacific Northwest Writer's Association (PNWA). I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about this resource. Perhaps I will find myself attending the next meeting to give it a once over before I decide to join?
4.  My favorite lady writer Suzette Standring is also working the radio circuit on BellaPetite to discuss her new book The Height of Power: Petite Women Speak of Stature. I'll be keeping one eye and one ear on her over the coming months for greatly needed and appreciated inspiration.

What else has been going on? Oh lots. I have so much more to share but it will have to wait until another post. Burlesque class, French, and other activities galore.

Goal Setting

Goal setting theories are one of those asshole things.

You know, everyone has one.

Yesterday, I posted my #1 goal for the year.

Before I break down how I choose to attack my goals, I want to give you a bit of information about how others recommend we set goals.

Psychologists say that goals should be specific and challenging. Research by Dr. Edwin Locke back in the 1960's resulted in a lovely acronym for effective goal setting. He said that goals should be SMART.

Specific - Be precise in defining your goal. Make it significant! Make it count!
Measurable - Make it meaningful! There has be a way to define success.
Attainable - There has to be a way to make it happen. It must be within your control.
Relevant - Make it rewarding! It has to mean something to you.
Trackable - There should be a time set to it. Give it an end.

I'm a huge fan of goals. They help me feel organized in my life and in charge of my own destiny. Without them, I tend to feel chaotic and disinterested. Years ago, I felt that goals added a level of stress to my life. I did not enjoy defining what I wanted because if I was unable to achieve them, I felt deflated and that my already negative outlook on the world would just be reinforced. What I found was that it's all in my perception. I could choose to look at it that way which could be nothing but the truth or I can choose to look at it how I do now, and that is that goals help me get more out of my days, months, and years. Without them, I feel like time is just passing me by. With them, I feel engaged in my own life.

Goals are a valuable resource for building self confidence.
Thinking about your goals is just the first step in creating the life that you want and becoming the person you want to be. If you haven't been asleep or unconscious for the past year or two, you would have heard about the new agey stuff going around with the laws of attraction. Laws of attraction suggest that like attracts like. So if you are thinking and feeling not so good about you or your surroundings, you'll experience more of those not so good things to generate more of the same thoughts and feelings but if you think and feel happy and proud and content then more things will come into your life to support those feelings and thoughts. Setting goals, in my opinion, is just a tool to manipulate the laws of attraction in your favor.  

So here's how I do it.

I start with a spreadsheet because I'm a numbers nerd and I love spreadsheets. It's my thing, leave it alone. You don't have to use a spreadsheet, you can just write them on a sheet of paper if you want. I start with the weeks of the year across the top and group them by month then by quarter so I can see them at a glance or look at the entire year at once. Down the left side, I list my goals. I start with my ultimate goals for the year, then I break each of the year goals down into quarterly targets, monthly actions, and weekly to-do lists. Then across the page under the week/month/quarter that I intend to take the actions I defined, I will either put an X or a note to myself so I can track everything in one view on a timeline.

For Example:
Annual Goal - Weigh 120 lbs by December 31st, 2011 (I put it in positive terms to tell the universe that I don't intend to misplace the weight but shed it completely)
Quarterly Targets - Q1 Weigh 156 lbs by April 1st, Q2 Weigh 143 lbs by July 1st, Q3 Weigh 130 by October 1st, Q4 Weigh 120 lbs by December 31st.
Monthly Actions - Create new activity calendar with full exercise plan. January ice skating, February ballroom dancing, March push-ups.
Weekly To-Dos - Meal plan, grocery shopping, exercise at least 5x, do monthly activity 2x, track calories

For this particular goal, I have a daily to-do list that I keep as well because I personally need a daily reminder of what habits I need to maintain in order to experience the success I want. I shared that list yesterday if you want to refer to it.

I also make a note to myself on my goal spreadsheet to set a new goal every quarter so I have something new that is keeping me engaged in my goals and I have a reminder to review and evaluate my goals on a monthly basis so if I need to adjust them up or down, I can do that as the year progresses.

Calorie counting is one of those things that I do religiously. I tried to get away from it toward the end of last year but ended up putting a couple pounds back on so I'm back to tracking everything again. I've been using sparkpeople and love love love it. So easy to use. You can track your food, water, vitamins, exercise, and other goals. There are blogs and articles and tips and forums and groups to participate in if you should so desire. If you're a sparkpeep, look me up. Salinalyn.
Well, there you have it. Goals alla Salina.

Oh, and I just found this site too. I haven't signed up to use it yet but thought I'd share it with you.
Stickk.com
It's a free site where you can sign up and input a goal for yourself, define your referees or as I like to call them Accountabilibuddies and you can even pledge money to a charity as a financial motivator if you want. If or when you default on your goal tracking progress, the site automatically generates an email to all of your Accountabilibuddies to inform them that you've been slacking and if you have pledged cash, you lose the money or it goes to an anti-charity (something you don't want it to go to).


Do you have any special goal tracking methods that you just love and would like to share?

I'm most proud of....

Working with Chica to make her a better, happier, healthier dog



Hubby and I reaching out to be Uncle and Auntie to our niece

  

My wonderful Accountabilibuddy and all the fun we've had on the racquetball court

  

Facing my estranged family so I can be there for this little guy who is my nephew

  

Facing my silly fears and overcoming them one by one

  

Roller skating and attempting derby even though I hurt myself and had to postpone it



Jenny the wonder bike and all the adventures we had this past year

  

Trying new things even if I do look silly doing them

 

Completing my first ever organized bike ride allllll by myself (in the pooring down rain I might add)

 

The work I did on myself going through The Artist's Way

  

Finally doing Punk Rope classes in Seattle

 

Steve and all the participants for the Hot 100 Challenge

 

My favorite Big Girl Bombshell for all the progress she's made overcoming her own fitness fears this past year


What are you most proud of?

Possibilities - Abundance

Bye bye Artist's Way week 5, Hello week 6.

Week 5 was all about recovering a sense of possibility. Basically, daydreaming and thinking about all the lovely things you want in your life. I did all the activities in week 5 very thoroughly my first time through the program so I didn't really uncover much more than what I was already aware of. I did find myself face to face with a question of what to do with this Punk Rope/ LivingActive business situation though. That's kind of a biggie right now.

My first ever Punk Rope Seattle class took place on Saturday, December 4th at the Queen Anne Community Center. I had about 8 people show up to class, thanks in large part to one friend in particular for bringing a group of friends with her. Although the turnout for the first class was not quite what I had pictured in my head, it still went very well I think. I had fun and burned 884 calories in 1 hour. Can't beat that! Fun AND a killer calorie burn. YeeHaw!

December 11th - Class will be themed for a beach vacation. We get to splash around in our imaginary ocean, play some beach volleyball, and jump around with sand in our toes. The perfect playtime for the middle of December in the northwest in my opinion.

December 18th - Punk Rope says HOHOHO. Oh ya! It's a Christmas theme complete with super fun Christmasy drills and relays and games, oh my. Have you ever heard Christmas punk music? Well this is your chance to get a good sample. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies like you've never heard before.

December 25th - No class. Boo.

January 1st - No class. Boo.

The rest of January is a question mark right this particular moment. Why? Oh I'm so glad you asked. Because the Queen Anne Community Center is not going to be open on Saturdays starting in the new year due to parks and rec department budget cuts. Lame. So....I need to find a new permanent home for Punk Rope. I'm open to ideas. If you have any, friend Punk Rope Seattle on facebook and share your thoughts there or you can email me at salinalyn@gmail.com.

Talk about recovering a sense of possibility! For a full year, I sat, stewing in my negative self doubt when it came to Punk Rope and my ability to be a decent instructor. Last week, I think I more than overcame that fear and self loathing. I held my first class and it was awesome. Fear and self doubt be gone forever.

Artist's Way week 6 is all about recovering a sense of abundance. Abundance? I love that word. More than enough to go around. Gotta love it. Ask and you shall receive. Whatever hang-ups you have about money...you will face them this week.

I know too many people who believe that money is the root of all evil. Actually, I used to be one of them. I spent much of my life afraid that I was a bad person because I wanted to be wealthy.

To want money means you must be selfish and greedy, right? No! FALSE!
To have money means you  must be stuck up and snobby, right? No! Wrong again.

Time to question your honest beliefs about the green stuff and its place in your life. Do you believe that money is bad? If so, why? Where does that belief come from? Are your beliefs serving you well? No? Perhaps it's time to challenge your ideas about money? Perhaps it's time to decide what you really want out of your life and start taking healthy steps toward accomplishing those things one at a time?

One of the first things in this chapter is a nice little warning that you may experience some emotional volatility this week. Speaking from past experience, I would have to agree. Last time through, I had a few outbursts of erratic behavior. Don't say you weren't adequately warned.

Friday Follow-up Fitness Fear and other F words

Question for you! When you think of Living Active, what comes to your mind?

I ask because I've been asking myself that question for a while now and I'm feeling a little schizo these days. When I started this here little blog thing over a year ago, I did so for a few reasons.

1. I wanted multiple streams of accountability for my then new healthy living journey.
2. I wanted to journal in a way that seemed more user friendly to me than hand writing in a notebook every day.
3. I wanted to create and/or just be part of a community of people who all share the same interests in living a healthy and active lifestyle.
4. In soliciting your votes for activities I hoped it would turn into a group participation thing where readers would do the activities with me and we could have an open discussion about what we learn, what we think about different adventures, embarrassing stories, fears, etc.
5. In choosing a different activity every month, I hoped it would keep me from getting bored with the same old tired gym workout. You know the one? A hour on the elliptical followed by alternating weight training days with the occasional swim and sauna thrown in for good measure. That workout is all well and good but for me...it gets boring quick. When I get bored, I move on.

Now, I'm faced with a challenge. A totally new kind of challenge actually. I've been talking about Punk Rope for a year and if you've read anything I've written in the past couple weeks, you've seen those words a few times at least. In preparing to get Punk Rope up and running in Seattle, I started myself a little business so if I do end up making any money from this thing, I'm totally legit. My business is LivingActive LLC. So now...I'm faced with the decision about what I want LivingActive LLC to be. Do I want it to become a real business or do I just want it to be a silent shelter for my Punk Rope activities as more of a hobby? If real business is the way I go, what do I want it to be? What would my  mission statement be? What would my vision be? What if anything should I make it? I don't really want an answer to these questions. I think I just want to put the questions out into the void but I suppose if something comes back to be I'd be okay with that too.



HOT 100 Update #10
The OG
The HOT 100 Daddy

1. Weight - I haven't stepped on the scale in 2 weeks so I don't know exactly what it is right this moment. I have my normal weigh ins on Sunday's so I'll step on it in a couple days to see where I am. I suspect that I may have put 1 lb on in the last couple weeks. My guess is that I'm at 162 right now. I decided to revise this goal a little. Probably a good idea since I haven't lost anything in the past 10 weeks of this challenge. My new goal for weight is to lose 4lbs by January 1st. Assuming that I currently weigh 162, I'm just shooting for 158. I want to break through the 160 mark for good. That's what I really want. So...I'm starting fresh and I'm proud to say that this week has been stellar as far as my actions go.
1. Water - I'm not drinking as much as I want yet but I'm definitely trying and I'm tracking it
2. Workout - Um...YES! Actually, this week I had a huge record breaking workout. I did a practice run through a Punk Rope class with my Accountabilibuddy and Hubby and I seriously burned 895 calories in 60 minutes. Do you have any idea how crazy insane that is? You do now! It's totally crazy insane!
3. Meal Plan - Yup and I'm working on next week's meal plan today too.
4. Tracking - Oh YA! I started a new thing with this too. I've been using a local software program on my personal laptop to count calories and carbs and proteins and fats then I transfer that data into a huge ridiculous spreadsheet I created to track my diet and exercise every week. That process has worked pretty damn well for me so far but I'm finding it a little inconvenient lately because I've been all over the place and not spending too much time in front of my computer at home. So, I installed the SparkPeople app on my iPhone and have been using that. LOVE IT! If you have a SparkPeople account, what you update online will automatically update what you have in your phone and vise versa. So freakin' convenient. I've noticed that the exercise calorie tracker is WAY off of what my HRM says for calorie burn but other than that, it's been great so far.
5. Sleep - Sleep has been choppy this week. Why? I have no idea. Last night I took a Tylenol PM and passed out. It was AWESOME!
6. Journal - Every night before bed.
7. Food - PERFECT! I've stayed right on plan and right on calories all week long and I feel soooo good. Amazing what eating all whole foods all week does for the body!
2. Blog - Well, almost. I didn't do a Monday post but that's because the week kind of started faster than I anticipated. I've been feeling a little chaotic lately with all this Punk Rope, LivingActive LLC stuff I'm doing on top of the belly dancing classes, dog training, friend issues, family issues, holiday crap, blah blah blah.
3. Book - Let's just call this goal done for the year shall we? NaNoWriMo is over now and I never even came close to finishing it. What can I say? I'm easily distracted by shiny objects and Punk Rope and sequins from belly dancing costumes are far more sparkly than the blank page.

THE ARTIST'S WAY
I didn't do my normal Monday morning Artist's Way update this week so I'll just mention it briefly right here and now. Me thinks the Artist's Way is kicking my sorry sappy little ass all over the place this time around. I said in the beginning that I wanted to address the Punk Rope issues this time through. Ask and I shall receive. Nuff said!


OTHER STUFF

• Please show the love and support for Punk Rope Seattle by clicking the Like button on the Facebook link in the right side bar!
• Share Punk Rope Seattle with all your friends whether they are in Seattle or not. Pretty please? I have a little bit of info on the Punk Rope Seattle page as of now and will be adding more and eventually will have http://www.salinalivingactive.com/ up and running with all the info you could ever want. Or you can just go to http://punkrope.com/ for info from the Punk Rope Daddy.
• VOTE VOTE VOTE! January activity options are up and waiting for you to vote just above the Punk Rope Seattle Facebook Like link. Wow...that was a mouthful.

Oh and....I don't want to let you down when I threatened other F words. So....um....let's see...what are some other F words? Funny, flip, filth, fowl, flarn, fluff, foofy (is that a word?)

WTF it's Wednesday?

What would you think if I told you that I've been working on becoming the next big fitness sensation in Seattle?

I apologize for my absence but I have good reasons.

I've been hard at work trying to get Punk Rope off the ground in Seattle. The list of what I've been doing lately is far too long to share right here but it involves all kinds of business stuff and insurance and marketing not to mention all the jumping rope and rockin' out to some kickass tunes all the while. For the time being, I have simply added a page right here on my blog dedicated to Punk Rope Seattle. And if you haven't already seen it, I added a Facebook button on the sidebar for Punk Rope Seattle too. Please check it out and come over to visit me there. Lots of potential crazy Punk Rope happenings coming this month and in 2011. You HAVE to come participate. It's just going to be too much fun to avoid it.

Then there's the issue of BELLY DANCING, right? Of course. Like I would forget about that. I was supposed to have my very first Academy of Burlesque Fuchsia Foxxx belling dance infusion last Tuesday but because Seattle got about 2 inches of snow, everyone freaked out and closed down the city so class was cancelled. Probably a good thing since the location is atop a big hill and Seattle people have enough trouble driving in the rain, let alone slush, ice, and snow.

All that to say that I did attend my first Academy of Burlesque Fuchsia Foxxx belling dance infusion last night. I must admit that it was a glorious experience. I have a tiny girl crush on Fuchsia Foxxx because she's just the cutest little peanut I ever did see but also because she's an awesome dancer and she seems to be a great instructor too.

The class is 1 1/2 hours long which I thought was a little strange compared to all the other classes I was looking at and taking until I actually did it. The first 30 mins were spent warming up and stretching and a thorough job we did indeed. Then she took us through a series of basics. Sexy shoulders. Sexy undulations. Sexy isolations. Sexy snake arms. Sexy shimmies. Sexy rib cage circles. Sexy hip circles. Did I mention it's all sexy? If I were watching the class, I might think it looks like a waste of time and what little bit of energy appears to be getting spent but doing it is much different. True, my heart rate didn't get over 117 beats per minute the entire time but each area of the body we worked felt a little tired by the end of it.

So that was the first part of the class. It was fine,  nothing too surprising. Kinda hohum if I do say so myself. But then came the best part. It's the piece of this particular class that excited me the most aside from Fuchsia Foxxx being the teacher. The Belly Dancing Basics program at Academy of Burlesque is actually a series of 8 classes. Fuchsia Foxxx teaches the students a choreographed belly dancing routine through the entire session. She starts off with basic combinations in the first class then reviews and builds on them in each following class until the last one when we all have the opportunity to perform our group dance in a class recital.

Did I just say dance recital? YES! I haven't done a dance recital since I was in ballet and jazz dance classes as a little little kid. I actually talked to the coordinator person last week because I'm starting classes in the middle of the session and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to catch up. She said I should be totally fine and I was. After we did our basics, Fuchsia and the returning students ran through the choreography so far and I was pretty much able to keep up. But just in case I wasn't, she broke it down for everyone again. We practiced each piece individually then slowly put it together so by the end of the class I was actually able to do it.

I'm on my way to becoming a belly dancing diva for sure. Oh YA!

Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque

Punk Rope

Punk Rope Seattle

Punk Rope Seattle Facebook Page

Fitness Fear Friday - So many things, so little time

BELLY DANCING

I'm bored with this place I'm going to. True, it's just the basics but the teacher is a super slow-talker and she slurs a lot. Seriously makes me wonder if there is something not quite right with her. She's really nice and very helpful, don't get me wrong. I just feel numb going into her class and coming out of it. I don't think belly dancing class should have that effect. So, I've decided to call it quits at that school and try my hips at a different one.

Are you ready for this? Oh, I have a really really really good feeling about this new adventure.

Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque

Miss Indigo Blue, Head Mistress



Fuchsia Foxxx, Belly Dance


My husband and I had the pleasure of seeing Fuchsia Foxxx in action. We went to a burlesque show at The Pink Door in Seattle and she was one of the performers. Absolutely amazing! We had no idea who was going to be there, nor had we ever heard of her before but let me tell you, she was AWESOME! She does this belly dancing-burlesque fusion kinda thing and it's HOTTIE HOT HOT HOTTTTTT! A few days later, I found myself surfing the net, looking for belly dancing schools in Seattle and stumbled across the Academy of Burlesque. So I checked it out and who did I see on the list of instructors but Fuchsia Foxxx herself in all her HOT pink glory. I had already paid for the other classes though so I felt I should give it an honest try. I tried. I'm done. I'm going with Fuchsia Foxx and the Academy of Burlesque.

She does a 6-8 week session like most of the other schools too and this session has already started but I talked to the school and they said I should be totally fine to just do a drop-in and try it out a couple times. So that's exactly what I'm going to do. My first Fuchsia fusion is this coming Tuesday. Should be interesting.

HOT 100 UPDATE
The OG
The HOT 100 Daddy

1. Last weigh in was 161.8 so still no loss.
1. water - still a struggle but I have not given up
2. workout - this week...not even close. I'm bummed out about it too. :(
3. meal plan - YES
4. track - YES
5. sleep - YES
6. journal - YES
7. food - YES
2. Blog - YES
3. Book - sadly...no. I have vacation this coming week though so I'm planning to catch up. I have faith.

FITNESS FEAR FRIDAY
If you didn't read my Wednesday post, please allow me to announce my HUGE accomplishment again. I have FINALLY conquered my stupid, silly little big fear about Punk Rope.

• I no longer care what people think of my weight as a fitness instructor because Punk Rope is super fun and I know something they don't know. So there!
• I no longer care if people know how much I know and don't know nor do I care if they think I'm doing it all wrong because I know something they don't know. So there!
• I no longer care if I try and fail because I'm doing something that others wouldn't dare to even consider trying themselves. So there!
• I no longer care if people take me seriously because Punk Rope is fun and so am I. So there!
• I no longer believe that I have no right to teach people to exercise. I have all the right in the world because I know stuff that other people don't. So there!

In the past few days I have:

1. Booked a venue for the month of December to start Punk Rope classes. December 4th, 11th, and 18th.
2. I applied for a business license in Seattle.
3. I applied for liability insurance so don't go getting any ideas about suing me.
4. I got the music downloaded for the first class.
5. I contacted a writer lady who offered to send someone to my first class and hopefully get them to write about it in a local Seattle publication.
6. I started creating a flier to hand out this weekend.
7. I put the class curricula together for all three classes. First class is going to be Punk Rope Goes to the Movies. The second class is going to be a little tropical vacation from the freezing temperatures around here. And the third class is going to be in the spirit of the season. Hint? Kids are welcome.




If this is offensive to you....too fucking bad. Suck it up. Christmas exists and it's called "Christmas". If you don't like it, stay home with your 30 cats and tell them all about it because I don't care.


8. I put my list of invitations together so I get to email them all out today as soon as my flier is done.
9. I purchased the http://www.salinalivingactive.com/ domain name. It's still not active yet but it will be shortly and I'll probably be moving my blog over there and I'll post all Seattle Punk Rope classes and events there as well.
10. I have a whole list of people to contact and ideas for marketing Punk Rope properly. The marketing festivities will likely take place tomorrow.

Watch out Seattle, here comes Punk Rope!!!

Fitness Fear Friday - Questions

For those of you out there who have things you want to do or unfulfilled dreams keeping you awake at night, yes you, the ones who want to try something new but are too afraid to act...I have some questions for you.

If you could do anything without fear or obstacles (time, money, sitters, talent, etc.) in your way, what would you do?

What's the payoff for continuing to allow your fear or obstacles to determine your actions?

What do you gain by staying in your comfort zone?

What are you missing out on by staying in your comfort zone?

What's the worst that could happen if you chose to just act on what you want?

Is the worst possible scenario bad enough to logically justify selling yourself short?

What's the worst that could happen if you chose to just ignore the little voice in your head that says "but I really want to _________"?

Is it really worth it to you?

If your best friend or child came to you with the same answers you just gave to the questions above, how would you advise them?

What did you do yesterday that made you glow with pride?

What can you do today to give those embers a little oxygen?


Acknowledging and facing our fears is one of those things that is really easy to ignore. It's simple to pretend we are perfectly satisfied with our normal daily routine and we never want or dream of more for ourselves even if more just means taking a class for fun. We don't miss what we never had right? Maybe that's true but is it good enough for you? I've already decided that it's no where near good enough for me. I've been working through my fears one by one for the past few months and I know a couple of you out there have started doing some of that for yourselves as well. Brava! I want more. I want more for you. You've been here to cheer me on and give me a little push when I just wasn't feeling it. I want to return the favor and be here for you. All of you.

Answer the questions above if you feel so inclined.
Comment to let me know what your fear is and what you're going to do to challenge yourself and I'll follow you and do what I can to give you the "atta girl/boy" you need.

If you just don't wanna, fine...be that way. I'm still going to be working through my fears right here for all to see.

Happy Friday

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HOT 100 Update

The OG
The Hot 100 Daddy

The Update

1.  I weighed in on Sunday last week at 160.4, down 1.4lbs from 161.8 the week before. Still not below the 160 mark but at least the TOM gain is gone now.
1. Water - Still a struggle. I'm working on it though.
2. Work out - 4 days so I'm very very close to getting there. Next week will be spot on, I'm determined.
3. Meal plan - Technically I did not meal plan but it's because I had a ton of left overs from last week that I've been finishing.
4. Tracking - I haven't tracked for the past 2 days but plan to update everything today so I'm going with a YES. :)
5. Sleep - YES.
6. Journal - YES.
7. Food - YES. Well, slight side note here...I had some Halloween candy which was not part of the plan but that was the only slip. The rest of the week was fabulous.
2. Blogs - YES.
3. Book - YES. NANOWRIMO baby! Come look me up if you're signed up too. SalinaLyn in Seattle, WA.

What if I was a Belly Dancing Mama

There I was (original right?) parked on the street and walking toward the community center in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Do you all know about the Beacon Hill neighborhood? My guess is that your answer would probably be NO for the most part. Beacon Hill is actually a lot nicer today than it was five or ten years ago when it was ghetto central. It's probably not the safest neighborhood as it has been known for gang activity. There are a few other areas that I would personally classify as more seedy but it ranks among the top five in my book.

Strange little fact about me? I love raw city life. My favorite. I lived on Capitol Hill for a few years and loved every second of it. I had a studio apartment on the top floor of an old 4-story walk-up right on Broadway. $525/mo for 525 square feet. That was back in 1999 or close to it. I lived there when the neighborhood was being terrorized by a serial rapist. Did I mention that I worked just a half mile down the road and walked to and from work every day? I walked everywhere. Loved it. Yes, even the homeless people who slept in the dumpster behind my building. There was one drunk homeless dude who would get totally pissed and walk in the middle of the street during the night and yell at the top of his lungs "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!". *make sure you read that with a very drunk slur so you get the right effect*. One night after he had done this a few times right under my window, my boyfriend at the time (who is now my hubby) leaned out and yelled back "Hey! Can you go not give a fuck somewhere else?". How can you not LOVE raw city life? I mean really!

I entered the community center and made my way up the old linoleum stairwell to the top floor where the hallway was plastered with art, clothes, food, collages. It looked like they were having an art fair or cultural celebration or something. I didn't take time to appreciate all that was on display though because I was on a mission and needed to make sure I found my destination without fail this time around. It was a matter of moral importance and I could not be distracted by bright colors and pretty pictures.

I found the room all the way at the end of the long corridor. As I walked in, just past the sign gently requesting shoe removal, there was a clothing rack loosely filled with hip scarves, skirts, pants, and a lone black jeweled bra for sale. Belly dancing swag. Sweet! Focus, do not get distracted by the pretty sparkly things. At the end of the clothing rack was a small table where I was greeted by a rather large woman in purple flowing fabric and a lacy lavender bra. "Hello" she said, "I know I've completely forgotten your name". I replied with a puzzled eyebrow lift and said something about how that's interesting because I've never been there before. She smiled, as did I.

After I got all signed in, removed my shoes and placed them in my very own personal cubby along the wall, I made my way right back to the pretty sparkly things. I found the perfect belly dancing outfit for me. Too bad it would have cost me $125 for a bra, $59 for a mesh skirt, $39 for a hip scarf, and $29 for the zills. Ya...um...a little more than I'd like to spend on a slutty outfit to dance a dance I don't even know how to do yet, not to mention that I am um...a little shy about wiggling my jiggly bits while exposing as much skin as possible to anyone.

One of my goals for these belly dancing adventures is to become a little more comfortable with my jiggly bits while simultaneously reducing the density of said parts.

After meeting and chatting with a few of the women in the class and the instructor, I realized that I was walking into the second class of the repeating 6-week series. I had no idea it was a series there too. Their website should really explain their programs a little better because I wasn't sure that I was even showing up to the right beginner's class. The title of the class was Belly Dancing Phase 1. Then they had a Belly Dancing Beginner's Fitness and a Belly Dancing Beginner's 2 as well. Luckily, I chose right and was in the beginner's class for dummies. Katrina (the instructor) informed me that they did an overview of belly dancing basics in the first class last week and she would start breaking them down as we move forward so I should be good to start now. Phew!

The class began with a ridiculous amount of stretching. I'm all for stretching and getting the body warmed up but 15mins of it for a class that doesn't require much of the body in the first place just seems like overkill. It's not like we were doing gymnastics or anything. Just a little wiggle and a bit'o jiggle. But whatever. She started walking us through a little warm up with the arms and pretty wrist and hand stuff then we moved on to learn "the wave" which is technically called undulations in belly dance terms, the Egyptian walk, and then we played with the zills a bit before doing a cool down and calling it quits for the day.

Here are a few videos for you to watch and learn or just be entertained.

Pretty Wrist Stuff




Undulations or "The Wave"



The Egyptian Walk alla Sahira


Fun with Zills



There you have it! My first belly dancing class EVER. And what do I have to show for it?

MY VERY OWN FINGER CYMBALS!

I think I'll leave you with that for now. Stay tuned though because I'm a belly dancing mama for the rest of the year and I have a plan. Oh YA! A plan. I have some fun stuff coming for this belly dancing extravaganza.

Skin Deep Dance Studio

And I may or may not be willing to get all dressed up and do a little dance for you all as a year end present from me to you. Of course, you'll have to convince me though because...as you know...I'm a little shy with the jiggly bits. The best way to convince me? COMMENTS. Lots of comments. I'm gonna need some serious convincing.

What if I got all dressed up at the end of the year and did a little dance for you?

On the Horizon

First order of business this fine rainy Seattle morning is to answer a question I got on my last post.

Recognition is good. Now I want to ask, are you going to DO something about it, or TALK about doing something about it? That is the key here.

The answer? I AM doing lots of somethings about it. Oh I love that answer. The answer alone brings me joy.

• I started the Artist's Way process over from the beginning and going through it a second time. That's just how powerful it was for me the first time. I want to do it again because it really opened my eyes to the fears and self-doubts I've carried around with me.
• I journal every single day without fail. Journaling is like a moving meditation for me. My brain is always going going going, sometimes spinning off into oblivion so putting my random thoughts on the page really allows me to see the underlying themes in my head and address what I want to fix and work on while also adequately acknowledging and celebrating the great successes I have.
• I was terrified for the longest time about Punk Rope and the judgements in my head surrounding the entire thing. It kept me frozen for almost a year. Today is the 1 year mark from when I originally took the instructor training. I wasn't frozen the entire time though. Don't forget about the months of studying to get my Personal Trainer Certification through the ACSM. Don't forget all the emails I've sent out, the phone calls I've made, the research I've done to try to set it up. The freeze came when it was time to actually DO the damn thing. I'm no longer frozen though. I'm actively pursuing it. I've offered to do it on a volunteer basis with a couple organizations recently and am just waiting for a response. I'm following up on the phone calls I've had and emails I've exchanged as well. And I'm looking in to getting my own trainer insurance so I can just rent out a community center and put the damn class on myself. One way or another, PUNK ROPE will happen in my life. I guarantee it.
• I signed up for NANOWRIMO. Don't know what that is? Get learned. If you're also signed up for it, please look me up. SalinaLyn in the Seattle, WA region. 50,000 words by November 30th. I'm in.
• Yesterday, I looked at apartments and condos in the city. Check me out, I'm already planning my move and my house isn't going up for sale until after the new year. Oh YA!
• I put my skates in my car so I can drop by the rink whenever I feel like getting back up and rolling again. I also have all the open skate times on my calendar on my phone so no matter what day it is, or what time of day, I know if/when/where I can go skating. I was in a hurry to make derby a reality but I'm no longer in a hurry. I just want to have fun with it for now. Casually get better while I'm facing all these other fears and crossing things off my to-do list. Then, I'll dedicate some serious time and attention to derby again.
• The guitar is still the only thing I haven't actively pursued. It's still sitting in it's case in my music room. I go in there every day. I pass by it every day. I look at it every day. I cut my fingernails short anticipating that I will pick it up. I just haven't PICKED it up yet.

I don't know how much more I can DO all at once about everything but I think I'm DOING pretty damn good if I do say so myself. There's definitely more to come from me. Thanks so much for the question Shane, love it.

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Next order of business is The Artist's Way.

Did you get the book?
Did you read the introduction, the basic principles, and the first week?
Did you do your morning pages?

I wasn't going to read the basic principles again but now I'm glad I did. What stuck out most to me was the What to Expect section on page 5,6. I experienced all of it. Everything she warns will happen, happened to me. I was honestly feeling a bit manic after a while, thinking I've lost my damn mind but having made it through the entire 12 weeks, I wouldn't change it for the world. Stick with it and we'll grow together.

Week 1 is all about Recovering a Sense of Safety. We get to discover and nurture our artist child within. I know it might sound totally cheesy but I really do enjoy this perception. Looking at the little Salina inside me that dreamed of being a big time journalist or novelist when I was growing up, I realize that she is still in there. Bright eyes, open heart, thirsty for knowledge little Salina sees a world of unlimited possibilities. My favorite place is on the beach where nothing obstructs my view of the horizon which speaks to me. It sings to my soul a song of hope and opportunity abound. The sound of the sea breeze whistling, the sand dancing across the surface, it's pure beauty. PEACE!

What spark did the reading excite in you?
What are you looking forward to in Week 1?

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Finally, It's November. Normally, that would mean it's time for a new activity but I decided that belly dancing didn't get it's due time in the spotlight so I'm going to dedicate the rest of the year just to belly dancing. Here's the schedule.

Notice belly dancing on Tuesdays and Saturdays and skating on Sundays.

Who's Actively Living? Who's Living Active?
Oooo-Oooo-Oooo I know, I know. ME!