I LOVE LUCY…. and Cher and Barbara and Whitney…..

Early yesterday morning my kids were watching reruns of

“I love Lucy” – you know the episode I’m referring to – when Ricky performs “Babaloo”  in his musical show and Lucy makes a fool of herself by coming up with a plan with Ethel to trick the Boys – Oh wait, that’s EVERY episode. But it doesn’t matter, – the point is while Ricky was singing, it occurred to me  JUST HOW MUCH music has changed over the years. Ricky’s voice simply SUCKED when compared to Beyonce and Whitney Houston.

Sure, He was a GREAT PERFORMER and when Lucy is dancing in the background disguised as a Rockette, my kids and I had no choice but to LAUGH out LOUD – but  nevertheless, MUSIC absolutely has CHANGED drastically.

Not that the NEW music is any improvement….I have to down 3 Advil after a car ride with the kids and Nicky Minaj on the radio (What IS that even? She’s like a combination of an ugly fat drag queen whining on cocaine and speed???)

Yet kids LOVE her and whatever else is passing for music these days.

Not to sound like an ancient grandma (look- I live in Florida- being ANCIENT  is bound to wear off on me at some point) but there is simply NO MELODY anymore.

We’ve seemed to have lost sight of actual TONE and VOICE and replaced it with Auto Tune, Socialites and “Performing Artists”. (Paris Hilton anyone???)

This is not new…..from the days of Sunny and Cher (where if you asked ANY of my Gay friends, Cher – along with Barbara and Liza, is a GODESS) but there was no question Cher carried Sunny in the voice department.

But they had an ACT– just like Ricky and Lucy did- it was a PRODUCTION – WAY before the days where “performance art” meant wearing a dress made from a COW.

There is something just SO wrong with this picture.

I suppose watching the old reruns of Lucy and Ricky made me nostalgic for the innocent days when music incorporated an entertaining Factor as well as actual VOICES – Vs. the Rap and Dumbing Down of America Vocabulary in Today’s songs.

Justin Beiber – “You’re Beautiful”- seriously????

But alas, each generation is different and  thats’ what makes the world go round now isn’t it?

So for your further entertainment:

Now, for the Day 3 Challengers:

Last night I went out for dinner and  had sushi with brown rice -a lot of it -so i broke my own rule of no carbs at night but I will make up for it today by limiting my carb intake once again to JUST at breakfast and lunch.

I do not consider last nights SUSHI date a cheat night -simply enjoyed the moment without taking it too far- but let’s use it as a reminder that during these 30 days we are sticking to the rules with a little LEE WAY  here and there and not to allow it to become a  SLIP and SLIDE and  go too far and lead to NO GOOD.

Get right back on track if you decide to veer a little this weekend -it’s really OK- you will still see results- just GET BACK on that TRAIN to getting fit !!

I’m with you all the way!!!!

Remember : We weigh in on Wednesday – HUMP day- so don’t blow all your hard work this weekend- take this time to recharge and continue on your healthy habits!!

30 DAY Challenge – Day 2….

For those of you NOT interested in taking part of my 30 Day Challenge – No WORRIES! I will be continuing my judgmental, cynical and sarcastic blog subjects as usual with my Challenge on the bottom portion . But for today- I was just so thrilled that SO MANY of you wrote to me to let me know you will be  joining me in my effort to lose 10 pounds and get SHREDDED and  GO FOR THE 30 Day Challenge once again (and hopefully once and for all!)

As for me (isn’t it always just about ME??- My husband seems to think so), I’ve had the 6 pack forever….I am naturally a skinny person and it’s MY OWN SELF SABOTAGE that has brought me back to this place. (Oh Oprah, I feel so close to you right now).

So I decided to LOG every single item I put into my mouth- from condiments (half jar of ‘I cant Believe It’s Not Butter’ Spray does NOT make it a fat free salad dressing) to “Healthy” foods (an entire jar of Almond Butter – even if it IS “Natural” and “Heart Healthy” is STILL an extra 2000 calories) and I discovered that this “naturally thin” girl CAN GAIN weight when I really try hard enough (like eating a total of 4000 calories per day! No kidding check out my log on www.myfitnesspal.com – my email is balsamj@gmail.com)

So here are the simple and basic RULES and each day I will be here with you on this venture….

1. WATER !! Drink at least 64 oz per day if not MORE! (I personally drink 4- 6 LITERS a day – as Florida is humid and now summer time it’s 90 and sunny……hydrating is ESSENTIAL!….Also I drink so much wine at night I need to prep my body, the way an athlete prepares for a race).
2. NO refined SUGARS!!  (i.e.; no OREOS! But it also means you CAN eat natural sugars found in fruit- and Wine of course!)
3. No WHITES!!! (that means sugar, flour- i.e.: BAKED goods, the only white allowed AND encouraged is GREEK Yogurt 0% plain. (Let’s be honest- if you thought that your subway sandwich was a healthy lunch go ask Jared how much weight he gained back ever since he is not getting paid to NOT eat anything else.)
4. 
5. MUST EAT FOODS: combination of vegetables, healthy fats  and lean protein 3 meals per day!!….a complete list of MUSTS to follow below
6. No counting calories! EAT until you are FULL – really mean it though- don’t assume that stuffing yourself equals being satiated – (This part is my personal weakness- I really enjoy stuffing myself even if it’s just with cauliflower – which is something I need to re-learn so that i don’t need to sleep with the windows open).
7. Eat every 3-4 hours! It is essential to speed up your metabolism! TRUST me on this one….starving yourself will only SLOW down your ultimate weight loss goals!

Ok, so heres a basic food plan that you can follow and don’t forget to check my own personal food log for more ideas. But basically it’s simple : It’s a combination of Lean protein sources, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates 3 meals a day and 2 snacks in between:

Breakfast:

Oatmeal, greek yogurt, berries and almonds (my favorite!)

OR

Fiber one cereal (or any cereal with less than 3 g sugar per serving) and almond milk (if you prefer dairy milk go for skim)

OR

Egg white omelet made with spinach or any vegetable

OR

Quinoa pancakes

Lunch:

Sweet potato + salad+ Salmon  (or any lean protein in a salad)

OR

Turkey with 100% whole wheat 100 calorie bagel thins + salad

OR

Brown rice + chicken + vegetables

you get the idea

Snacks: Almonds (25 Raw Unsalted)

OR

Carrots and Hummus

OR

Apple + Natural peanut butter or better yet: Almond Butter (Skip the “Skippy”)

Dinner:

Same as lunch WITH OUT The carbohydrate!!! This is key- just for the next 30 days I want you to skip the carb at nigh-time (but eat during the day!!…..trust me it works wonders.)

I personally drink a glass of wine with dinner then another after as my dessert. It not only relaxes me and keeps me from scrimmaging through  the Kitchen cabinets but it also sets the mood for bed time (wink wink if you know what I mean ladies!)

Here’s another helpful hint- eat dinner EARLY- at least 2 hours before bed. It’s OK to go to sleep a LITTLE bit hungry – it will make you RUN out of bed the next morning to eat the most important meal of the day.

OK people- GO TO THE MARKET NOW!!!! Check in with me later.

Have your CAKE just don’t DARE Eat it too….

 

 

The other night I was watching “The Real Housewives of the OC” (that, and Beverly Hills are the ONLY Housewives to watch anymore) – and the scene when Heather celebrates her grand gesture to her husband of finally changing her name to her husband’s after 11 years of marriage and throws herself an expensive party in honor of the joyous occasion. She has an elaborate cake made with a BIG pink bow made of frosting by a high end cake decorator all for the bargain  rate of $1500.

So- what has become my all time favorite scene in the history of reality TV – when one of her (uninvited) guests, after imbibing 3 glasses of wine,  decided to take a BITE out of that giant pink frosted bow (we’ve all been there honey) – the chaos and obscenities that ensued thereafter from “Cake eating whore” to “Sugar addict vixen” just made me thankful that I was not invited to that party because there is no way i would have stopped at JUST the bow….I would have inhaled the ENTIRE cake and asked for the $1500 bill to GO.

Well, flash forward to yesterday morning.

For some crazy reason, I decided to weigh myself for the first time in months ( Seriously, I must have had too many glasses of wine the night before because I am still not sure WHAT THE HELL I was thinking????…. I actually had to look back to see who was standing on the scale behind me)….which provoked ONCE AGAIN – my Annual, Semi-Annual, Monthly, and Weekly RAMPAGE….which, if you’re unfamiliar, goes like this:

I wake up after a long weekend of sitting on my ass at the beach and basically not moving other than back and forth to the kitchen WAY too many times – and DECLARE (to myself since my family does not listen to me anymore knowing full well that I am full of Baloney) :

“THIS is THE WEEK I will EAT CLEAN and CUT OUT cookies” (LIAR!)

“THIS is THE WEEK I will EXERCISE every day before work !” (2 out of 5 days aint bad – is it??? YES dear, it IS bad.)

When I look in the mirror there’s a little junk in my trunk and flab in the Abs…the Kim Kardashian look if you will (sans the fake  BOOBS – but when i wear the right padded push up bra- LOOK OUT KANYE!!)

My husband loves the new curves – I suppose after 11 years with the same woman this is the closest thing he has to variety. But alas, I miss my muscular and lean build that can easily fit into a $20 dress from Target and make it look like its Couture – and although it took A LOT of HARD work to get this curvier way (do you even KNOW how difficult it is to eat a dozen  cookies and a jar of peanut butter every night after everyone goes to bed??? ) I have decided that it’s THAT time again……you ALL know what THAT means :

THE THIRTY DAY CHALLENGE!!!!!!! (oh no she DIDn’t!)

For some of you newbies to my Blog you are unfamiliar with what that entails – you probably assume it’s just a 30 day log of recipes and exercises to get you  into your little black dress or to finally take off that cover up at the beach.

WRONG!!!!! You can go to PINTEREST for that stuff.

Nope, MY 30 day challenge is to lose between 10  pounds of FAT in just 30 days. It IS POSSIBLE!!

You absolutely CAN lose 2 – 3 pounds each week if you are STICKING to the one cardinal RULES that will follow TOMORROW but here’s a hint:

NO SUGAR WHATSOEVER except in fruit (and WINE of course.)

I will send a sample diet tomorrow and open up my log on www.myfitnesspal.com to the public (just email a request to : balsamj@gmail.com )

You heard me – I’m going PUBLIC with my FAT journey!!!

So, weigh in and REPORT in to me tomorrow with comments and feedback! Tomorrow we grocery shop!

GO! Get!

Rain Rain Go Away…..

Yesterday was the first Sunday in almost 10 months that we DID NOT go to the beach because of the torrential downpours.

I must say it reminded me of the VERY REASON we moved to Florida – because of the WEATHER.

Back in the NorthEast, the winters were grey, dark, snowy and COLD and I just could not stand another day of not seeing the sun before I declared to Jeb that Florida is the place we outta be and we packed up the truck and moved to Delray Beach….Hills that is….

Swimming Pools , Movie Stars (Ok, maybe not- that’s Miami- HERE in DELRAY there’s OLD people and PUBLIX – but just as much GLORY  in the mocking).

So I had A LOT of INDOOR time to reflect upon the transition and lifestyle change that i have endured since moving last August.

Back in New York,  we would anticipate and look forward to the first snow then take out all our snow boarding gear and run to central park to slide down make shift hills. We would go to Rockefeller Center to see “THE TREE” and partake in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade among other hot cocoa rituals of NYC. Back in the City it really WAS a Winter WONDERLAND.

Then we moved to New Jersey where snow meant being trapped in your cul de sac for 48 hours until the plowers finally came to plow your street and “save” you from your own home.

But i must admit, the snowfall in the back yard covering every inch of the swingset was just beautiful. (so were the Deer that were trapped in the 16 inches of snow for 12 hours until they figured out they could RUN away).

OH- so beautiful-  Until it wasn’t.

So flash forward to my life in Florida where EVERYDAY is a BEACH DAY until the hurricane season ….when  I have to think about how much the weather actually affects me  (a LOT -that’s how much- a LOT)

So I’ve come to the conclusion that WEATHER is a VERY REAL excuse on what you WEAR, what you DO and how you ACT on a DAILY  basis.

I know one thing is for certain: when the sun shines (as it does for the most part of the year here ) I am a HAPPY outdoor camper and when its grey and gloomy- i am a hibernating cookie monster.

New Week- New Goals – New weather patterns

Make the most of it!

Life is GOOD As long as your underwear is CLEAN……

When I was a kid, my mother used to tell me that I ALWAYS had to wear clean underwear – JUST IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.

(god forbid the paramedics would have to see dirty underwear amongst the blood and guts they have to deal with.)

To this day I think about that – even when I put on my sexy thongs ( I know what you’re thinking – that is just so messed up… Please! – just file it among the gazillion other issues to discuss with the therapist when I finally make the time to see one and put him in early retirement).

Well, her advice was pretty sound the other day when she was taken in an ambulance in her BATHING SUIT after  she tripped by her pool and broke her femur which landed her in the hospital and then rehab for the next 8-12 weeks.

(ha! jokes on you mom- clean underwear in an ambulance isn’t something you can PLAN now is it???)

So while visiting her yesterday (seriously…. i am spending WAY too much time in the hospital these days- I realized I am getting too accustomed to the smell of formaldehyde and disinfectant when I walked through Bloomingdales and gagged at the perfume ladies) I noticed her roommate had 2 black eyes and unbelievably swollen limbs covered in a head to toe cast like the kind you see only in cartoons.

Now I am no YENTA – not because I am such a GOOD person but rather because I simply do NOT CARE.

However, her wincing and whining left me with no choice but to ask my mom what the hell happened to the woman in the bed behind the curtain next to her….to which my mom replied:

“A HUMMER hit her”

I said: “You mean a HUMMER hit her CAR?”

She said: “ NO, a HUMMER hit HER.”

O.M.G.

What does one possibly say back to that??

Lesson Learned:

Appreciate the small things you CAN do….like the ability to BREATHE.

Take this weekend to ENJOY the LITTLE things in your life….like the fact that you DID NOT get hit by a HUMMER.

Celebrate EACH day as if it’s your BIRTHDAY!….

Today is my niece’s 10th birthday.

Everyone will be smiling and celebrating the milestone of her Double Digits.

Unfortunately, now that we live in Florida, we will be unable to attend the party- but my kids will Skype or FaceTime and we will all send our love and hugs and kisses.

I have no doubt that my sister in law – a multi-tasking Working SuperMom like myself – will manage to find time in her 1000 hour work week to schedule a Great party with balloons and cake and the typical birthday fare including friends and family to join in the celebration.

My niece will undoubtedly have the BIGGEST SMILE on her face…she ALWAYS does.

This celebration of a decade of her life is MORE than a typical birthday party with ice cream and pin the tail on the donkey (do kids even play that anymore??)…..it’s a celebration of a decade of ENDURANCE, POWER and STRENGTH – and more importantly, the WILL TO LIVE.

You see, my niece has Special Needs.

She INSPIRES me everyday – as she is THE STRONGEST person I know when it comes to determination to LIVE each and every day the BEST she can.

She was diagnosed with a “cluster” of  problems and given a SHORT LIFE EXPECTANCY.

 To her, the definition of SUCCESS is the sheer joy of managing to SURVIVE another day and MAKE THE MOST OF IT.

My niece was born with a myriad of complicated issues and spent the first half of her life undergoing numerous  life threatening and invasive surgeries.  When she catches a cold that is referred to as “Common” to the rest of us- SHE ends up in the hospital for 3 weeks. YET she she defeats the lingering suggestion of death that is looming through the intensive care halls and puts up a FIGHT that would make any professional Boxer envious. SHE IS one DETERMINED little girl and she always makes me PROUD!!

Although she is bound to a wheelchair, fed by a tube, and can only express her feelings and thoughts with gestures and sounds, she has the uncanny ability to LIGHT UP A ROOM.

Of course it goes without saying that I am her favorite Aunt, but that’s only because we share a special body language ….STRENGTH AND SURVIVORSHIP.

I THANK her each day for reminding ME that LIFE is a GIFT and should not EVER be taken for GRANTED.

I THANK her for reminding ME that there are NO EXCUSES for not being the BEST we can be.

Lesson Learned:

Just like my niece lives each and every day: NEVER EVER take your life , your family, your health, your body and your abilities for granted.

Never give up.

Each and every one of us CAN and SHOULD make the CHOICE to MAKE THE MOST out of every single day we are given.

Now go out for a run or a walk or a take a swing on the swing set or slide down that slide….just GO AND LIVE !!

Happy Birthday Nettie!

A family that dopes together stays together…..

In PART TWO of my DRUG post crusade it just so happens that yesterday Roger Clemens got off scott free from lying to Congress about his steroid abuse during his career.

I suppose the real issue was not that he USED the drugs- but that he LIED to congress about it. Seriously???…Is that what we are doing now?….. Caring about people who LIE???

IF so, Where will we draw the line ? I don’t even know where we would begin? With Shwarzenneger to Maria about needing his SHEETS cleaned by his “MAID” every week? Or perhaps Bill Clinton lying to Hillary about how he “Did NOT have sexual relations  with that woman” … better yet- how about Hillary lying to Bill that she’s NOT a lesbian???

As far as I’m concerned about Roger- I’m just relieved that WE as taxpayers who already paid for the costs of trial don’t have to pay for his jail time too. What good would prison do for him anyway? …Teach the REST OF US a lesson?

I don’t need any more lessons….. I already learned everything I need to know in Kindergarten (Coincidentally Schwartzengeer was my teacher):

But what intrigued me about this story is that Rogers’ wife, Debbie, ALSO took HGH to “stay young” …..AHA!! – Now we’re getting somewhere!

(I was very impressed that Roger and his wife are so close that they share hobbies….MY  husband pretends he doesn’t know me in most social situations…can’t say I blame him)

But this brings up the question about the use of drugs for benefits of younger looking skin – well, that just seems SO ACCEPTABLE now doesn’t it?

After all, we don’t criticize people who use BOTOX do we ? If we really wanted to, we could argue that the use of Botulism is increasing the possibility of creating a world of Zombies? Or at the very least, people who just look like they are…..

So Lesson Learned:

People lie. People use drugs. People do many things that for the most part is considered “BAD”…..

I will say it again – LET THEM LIE and ABUSE DRUGS all they want – as long as it doesn’t effect (Affect?…. never sure the correct letter on that word?)  ME or my HEALTH so be it.

Do what you want to stay and feel young and vibrant. Drugs however, never last long.

Consider a LIFE of  CLEAN eating and EXERCISING  instead…….with a little leeway to abuse cookies once in a while.

Although if Bloomberg gets his way- even sugar addiction wll be considered illegal soon…..so stock up on snacks NOW -they may be worth alot more than HGH on the Black Market.

Have a great day!

Take the DRUGS- As Long as you ENTERTAIN ME…….

 

I’m certainly not going to suggest that Barry Bonds was the FIRST Pro Athlete to CHEAT his way to the title of Home Run King, but he certainly brought the use of performance enhancing drugs to the forefront way before Lance Armstrong made the front page of the New York Post for “Doping”.

 

It seems that professional Athletes don’t have ETHICS anymore- or The Chicken and Egg question is really : which came first?: -The loss of ETHICS or the much easier availability and ACCESSIBILITY of steroids.

It used to be that it was only the Hollywood Starlets that would hide their drug abuse with fancy P.R. labeling such as: “Exhaustion” and the recent TRENDY phrase: “Bipolar”.

Now it’s our best Athletes that have come “CLEAN” with admissions of guilt to using drugs – only after they were caught- to propel them to being the absolute BEST they can be.

The only question I have on this matter is:

“WHO CARES?”

These athletes are STILL SUPERSTARS with NATURAL Athletic abilities that far surpass those of anyone I know in the gym class working out next to me.

They have INHERENT TALENT and ABILITIES and if using DRUGS to ENHANCE them to give US a BETTER performance – well, what difference does it make?….

As far as I’m concerned, their drug use makes for a better and more ENTERTAINING production for ME! (And isn’t that the POINT of the matter anyway? Aren’t these people THERE to ENTERTAIN US???)

 Let’s be honest, if Lance Armstrong were in MY spin class (not that i spin anymore -seriously it’s been months, which might explain my mushy tushy)- I have no doubt that HE would STILL finish the fastest even if he hadn’t gone all Dracula and transfuse his own blood platelets.

Speaking of Blood…..

Take the show “True Blood” on HBO which has no plot or consistent story line whatsoever – yet provides Gay Men and Horny Women like myself (who prefer to WATCH their porn instead of READING it via Fifty Shades) – a FULL hour of PURE JOY and Entertainment. Why??? Because the MALE Actors on the show are SO HOT that they MUST take SOME sort of substance- even if its just creatine and protein drinks- to look as GOOD as they do.

(I know- right?)

So if Lance or Barry or Roger or  A Rod want to go and pump their veins with a substance that makes them EVEN BETTER than they ALREADY ARE….well who am I to stop them?????

I don’t consider it cheating either….because if I were to take these very same drugs i can guarantee you I would still not be as FAST as Flo-Jo in her heyday.

Lesson Learned:

Beautiful Superstar Athletes- please CONTINUE to do whatever it is you have to – in order to be the BEST you can be. Don’t bother worrying about the consequences as long as it doesnt affect ME and MY HEALTH- I’m all for it!

Hope you had a great Fathers Day….

Yesterday, as you know, was Father’s Day.

When you’re married with kids that simply means that your husband is entitled to take as much time as he wants at the Gym, then spend the rest of the day watching or playing golf and basketball – with a visit to the Beach and a BBQ in between.

Yesterday was also the first Father’s Day since my own father passed away 9 months ago.

…..The exact amount of time it takes to have a BABY.

The cycle of life is so ironic.

It makes me think about how the mourning process evolves…..

When a parent dies – and I can’t speak for everyone (even though I often do ) – a child – regardless of their AGE – feels such an immediate sense of devastation and abandonment that they aren’t sure how they could live knowing that their Mommy or Daddy is no longer there TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.

I have a very close friend who lost BOTH his parents at a young age and I can’t even imagine the loneliness he feels on days the rest of us take for granted.

But as I’m learning, the pain eventually evolves into a more settled feeling of ACCEPTANCE yet with frequent moments of holding back tears when a memory is triggered – even if it’s provoked from coming across a bottle  OLD SPICE at Target (it could also be the surprise that they still made them)….

My husband (whose mother died years ago within 6 weeks of being diagnosed with Melanoma) helped coach me through the experience by describing (not equating) the loss to gradually grow into a feeling similar to that of losing a thumb… Whereby everyday you FEEL the missing appendage yet somehow you LEARN to function without it.

The funny part about my own feelings – as I am slowly healing – is that my memories of him for the most part involve my CHILDHOOD and very rarely do I think of the relationship I had with him as an ADULT.

I suppose the reason for that is that I prefer to look back at my Abba as a young strong and vibrant man…. not sick and elderly.

As I am soon approaching 41 ( although my body feels younger but my wrinkles suggest older – I seriously MUST  start actually buying those Groupons for Botox) – I am recognizing my OWN MORTALITY.

So it goes without saying that when my kids jumped into the bed early yesterday morning with their homemade cards and kisses and hugs to go with them I had no choice but to tear up – not from the memories I have of my own childhood Father’s Day hugs and kisses – but for those that are being created NOW.

Lesson Learned:

I have said this a gazillion times before and I will continue to say it a gazillion times over-  ENJOY AND LIVE IN THE MOMENT with your FAMILY.

You never know how long it will last, but while it DOES – CHERISH it.

Keep On Trucking- whatever that means

I took my girls ice skating yesterday and actually GOT ON the ice with them (something I have not done since i was a kid).

In the 80’s we had roller skating or ice skating Bat mitzvah parties …..back then – even the “RICH” kids didn’t spend half a million dollars to have Beyonce sing at their

“ Religious” Right of Passage.

Life was so simple : Pizza, Ice Cream, and a Juke Box  playing Joan Jett songs like “I love rock and roll” kept us moving in circles for hours.

I had no fear whatsoever so I would twirl and spin and do all kinds of wheelies for hours without thinking about the consequences….if i fell, i hurt myself, got right back up and brushed it off as cool and continued with my spins.

Daredevils on the ice were considered AWESOME to me…..

Until yesterday.

My 6 year old is a lot like me in the respect that she has no fear (i don’t have the heart to tell her she may develop an insane amount of anxieties later in life – just as i did – but for now Ill keep the therapist at bay and let her believe she CAN do anything without consequence.)
I was trying to keep up right behind her – but again it had been at least 20 years since I have been on ice-skates- (with the exceptions of a few blind dates in my early 20’s when the guys thought they were so cool to take me for a few “obligatory” loops around Wolman rink and Rock Center but that didn’t count because I had tTHEM to  hang onto – which now looking back I suppose was the point of them taking me. Pretty Sneaky Sis.)

Yesterday I had only a 3 foot WALL to support me.

As I was trying to support MYSELF while simultaneously monitoring my kids several feet in front of me – the annoying 14 year old chubby girl behind me kept bumping her skates into the backs of mine. If i hadn’t been so annoyed I would have felt sorry for her – as she was clearly struggling more than i was – but at the same time I watched (or felt as she bumped me) how DETERMINED she was to get around that rink by HERSELF.

Other skaters – i suppose her friends- kept trying to come help her but she refused their assistance and kept on GOING.

When I was a kid I would collect stickers – one day my school lunch lady gave me a book of them that had sayings like:  “KEEP ON TRUCK’IN” – i did not understand what the heck that meant back then nor do I get it now- “keep on TRUCK’IN??” …..I suppose it was meant to encourage us NOT to give up.

Lesson Learned:

Even if you’re not good at something – or perhaps JUST SUCK at it- the idea is to KEEP ON TRUCK’IN – in other words: KEEP TRYING AND DON’T GIVE UP!!!

Just like the chubby girl with the poor skating skills who refused to quit and sweated it out on her OWN……KEEP ON TRUCK’IN.

Now go enjoy the weekend and TRY SOMETHING NEW!!!