The other day I was driving to work and I heard a song for the first time on the radio. Have you heard Billy Currington's "People Are Crazy" yet?
Yeah, the chorus is pretty much J's motto in life.
"God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy."
If you know J at all, you're probably nodding your head and smiling. He couldn't have summed it up any better if he tried himself.
Here are the lyrics to the song in case you're interested. You can see a video of it and hear the whole song on YouTube if you're interested - it's a pretty catchy tune. I highly recommend it.
PEOPLE ARE CRAZY
This old man and me, were at the bar and we
Were having us some beers and swapping I don't cares.
Talking politics, blonde and red-haired chicks
Old dogs and new tricks and habits we ain't kicked
We talked about God's grace and all the hell we raised
Then I heard the ol' man say;
God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy.
He said "I fought two wars,
Been married and divorced"
"What brings you to Ohio?"
He said, "Damned if I know"
We talked an hour or two, 'bout every girl we knew
What all we put them through
Like two old boys will do
We pondered life and death
He lit a cigarette
He said, "These damn things will kill me yet;
But God is great. Beer is good. And people are crazy."
Last call, it's 2a.m.,
I said goodbye to him
I never talked to him again
Then one sunny day,
I saw the old man's face
Front page obituary, he was a millionaire
He left his fortune to
Some guy he barely knew,
his kids were mad as hell
But me? I'm doing well
And I dropped by today, to just say thanks and pray,
I left a six-pack right there on his grave and I said;
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The only thing keeping me out of jail
The only thing keeping me out of jail right now is my kids. The adults around here are making me homicidal. My normally kind, even-tempered co-workers are just plain evil lately.
I'm serious.**
If people don't start chilling out, or at least quit complaining about EVERYTHING, I may end up hurting someone.
While the adults I'm subjected to day in and day out are driving me to the brink of violence, my kids are keeping me sane. Of course they're getting antsy for school to be over and counting the minutes till we're free (all 2,750 of 'em...yeah, I'm counting, too), but they've been that way for about 8 months now. I'm used to it.
And I can tell them to quit it.
Seniors are simultaneously thrilled and terrified by their impending graduation. It's like pulling teeth to get them to work right now, but they're doing it because they have to. If they don't pass my class, they can't graduate. And I'm not afraid to remind them of that when they start to slack.
They've been working on their final project for the last month, and we've been doing it all by e-mail. They work on a draft of a portion of the project, send it to me as an attachment, I use the "insert comments" portion of MS Word to edit and give feedback, then save and resend to the kid. The jury is still out on whether I am brilliant or stupid for doing it this way. It's been good because I can get them to do multiple drafts of things when it's all electronic, but it's bad because I've been chained to my computer for a month and I can't stand another minute to do a blog entry. It's good because we have saved a TON of paper and printer toner, but it's bad because I have been chained to my computer. It's good because kids get almost instant feedback and can work from home, but it's bad because I have been chained to my computer. (Are you seeing my problem?)
But, back to my point. It's at this point in the year that I start to forget all the annoying things they've done, and start to miss my kids terribly - and they haven't even left yet. Every year at this time I think to myself that I've got the most amazing students, and nobody could ever be better than these kids. But I say it every year...they can't all be that amazing, can they?
And while they say (whoever "they" are) teachers don't have favorites, it's really not true. We have favorites. We can't help it. I try my hardest, though, not to let any of the kids know. As far as my kids are concerned, they would each tell you they were my favorite. That's the way it should be. They should all feel equally special and important.
But I'm not going to lie, I do have my favorites.
[kh3]Lenore
[kh4]More gray hairs…I, me, we, us, etc. = first person
[kh5]This is a short explanation…talk about her health, or something…it just needs more
[kh6]Lenore
[kh7]Who does she talk to? A wall?
[kh8]Add a period
[kh9]Seriously…two more gray hairs…
[kh10]Lenore
[kh11]There’s another gray hair…
[kh12]At this rate, I’ll have a head full of silver hair before we get you graduated…
He sent it back to me fixed, finally, along with this note.
From: T
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 11:21 AM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:
i think this is now done to your extremly high expectation level. please dont let your hair turn grey.
sincerly t aka your favorite student
(Bold, isn't he? Announcing to me that he's my favorite. He's right, he is one of my favorites, but he doesn't know that!)
**I'm not really serious. I can't hardly kill bugs in my house. I'm all talk and no action. For now.**
I'm serious.**
If people don't start chilling out, or at least quit complaining about EVERYTHING, I may end up hurting someone.
While the adults I'm subjected to day in and day out are driving me to the brink of violence, my kids are keeping me sane. Of course they're getting antsy for school to be over and counting the minutes till we're free (all 2,750 of 'em...yeah, I'm counting, too), but they've been that way for about 8 months now. I'm used to it.
And I can tell them to quit it.
Seniors are simultaneously thrilled and terrified by their impending graduation. It's like pulling teeth to get them to work right now, but they're doing it because they have to. If they don't pass my class, they can't graduate. And I'm not afraid to remind them of that when they start to slack.
They've been working on their final project for the last month, and we've been doing it all by e-mail. They work on a draft of a portion of the project, send it to me as an attachment, I use the "insert comments" portion of MS Word to edit and give feedback, then save and resend to the kid. The jury is still out on whether I am brilliant or stupid for doing it this way. It's been good because I can get them to do multiple drafts of things when it's all electronic, but it's bad because I've been chained to my computer for a month and I can't stand another minute to do a blog entry. It's good because we have saved a TON of paper and printer toner, but it's bad because I have been chained to my computer. It's good because kids get almost instant feedback and can work from home, but it's bad because I have been chained to my computer. (Are you seeing my problem?)
But, back to my point. It's at this point in the year that I start to forget all the annoying things they've done, and start to miss my kids terribly - and they haven't even left yet. Every year at this time I think to myself that I've got the most amazing students, and nobody could ever be better than these kids. But I say it every year...they can't all be that amazing, can they?
And while they say (whoever "they" are) teachers don't have favorites, it's really not true. We have favorites. We can't help it. I try my hardest, though, not to let any of the kids know. As far as my kids are concerned, they would each tell you they were my favorite. That's the way it should be. They should all feel equally special and important.
But I'm not going to lie, I do have my favorites.
Here are the highlights of a series of e-mails between me and one of my goofy senior boys - and yeah, he's one of my favorites. I think you'll see why by the end of the exchange.
He’s been telling me that he’s sent me electronic copies of parts of his project but I haven’t returned them. I’ve been telling him he’s crazy. I have gotten some of the pieces he's referring to, but not all of them. Of those I received, I returned them all within 24 hours. Finally, the other day, I asked him if he could show me his sent mail folder. We quickly realized that I was right (was there really any question about that?) and he was wrong.
Here’s the exchange from a few days ago: Orange is what I wrote, blue is what he wrote, green is my commentary. (Please excuse his horrible grammar and spelling...it's taking a lot for me to leave it alone and not edit it. Rest assured that he doesn't write like that in class - there's just something so informal about e-mail. Either that or he's allergic to the shift key and spell check gives him hives.)
From: Kristina Hocking
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 11:26 AM
To: T
Subject: RE:
You didn't fix the paragraph of explanation...are you trying to give me gray hair? :)
6/10
From: T
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:49 PM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:
sorry i think i got it this time :) and i would never give you grey hair mrs.hocking that would be terrible
From: T
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:59 PM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:
ok i just sent you revised pieces of great grandmas quotes and the I am poem. hopefully we got all this worked out :) but i got a question for one of the written pieces it says that you can do a newspaper article? how long does that piece have to be because i was thinking of doing a wedding announcement
From: Kristina Hocking
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 4:02 PM
To: T
Subject: RE:
A wedding announcement wouldn't be long enough for a written piece...but if you included a picture from the wedding, you could definitely do it as a visual. If you want to do a newspaper article, it needs to be about something newsworthy, and that can be hard to find sometimes.
I got the other two pieces. Pretty sure you are trying to give me grey hair...or at least confuse me!
From: T
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 4:08 PM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:
ok thats what i thought. but thanks ill figure something out. and no i am not trying to give you grey hair you're my favorite teacher come on haha.
From: Kristina Hocking
Sent: Thursday 07, 2009 9:02 AM
To: T
Subject: RE:
T -
Gray hairs...I can feel 'em...
Mrs. H
7/10
(The text we are discussing in our e-mails has been copied and pasted below. The brackets and kh with a number are my embedded comments. You can see them as footnotes below his text. I LOVE the insert comments feature of MS Word! Saved about a million and thirteen trees this year!)
Lenore’s famous sayings
By T
"Would you like something to eat or drink?"
Lenore always wants people to be well fed and feeling good, so this is practically the first thing she says whenever anyone walks into her house. Typically she offers cookies to her visitors. Grandma [kh1] has had a cookie jar in the same place on her counter for as long as anyone can remember. When I visit her, I [kh2] always get a cookie.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Grandma [kh3] always says she wants her grandchildren to be healthy. Part of this is eating healthy foods. When we visit, she only allows us to eat one cookie. If we want more, we have to sneak into the kitchen and the cookie jar. [kh4] .[kh5]
"Always strive your hardest to be what you want to be and you will achieve it."
Grandma [kh6] always talks to [kh7] about your future and what you’re going to do. You can't find a time to visit her when she is not interested in what you are doing [kh8] She just wants me to succeed in my [kh9] life.
"I am too old to remember or even know that."
Every time Grandma [kh10] gets stumped by a question, she blames her age. She never wants to admit she may not know something, so she uses this excuse. My grandma [kh11] is 94 years old so she has a hard time remembering some things, but she's a smart lady and is still pretty sharp.
When I think of Lenore, these are the sayings that come to mind. [kh12] She says these things on a regular basis to her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. Lenore is a great lady. You can always count on her to be a good listener. If you want someone to talk to, go visit Lenore.
[kh1]She
[kh2]I can feel the gray hairs…no first person! He’s been telling me that he’s sent me electronic copies of parts of his project but I haven’t returned them. I’ve been telling him he’s crazy. I have gotten some of the pieces he's referring to, but not all of them. Of those I received, I returned them all within 24 hours. Finally, the other day, I asked him if he could show me his sent mail folder. We quickly realized that I was right (was there really any question about that?) and he was wrong.
Here’s the exchange from a few days ago: Orange is what I wrote, blue is what he wrote, green is my commentary. (Please excuse his horrible grammar and spelling...it's taking a lot for me to leave it alone and not edit it. Rest assured that he doesn't write like that in class - there's just something so informal about e-mail. Either that or he's allergic to the shift key and spell check gives him hives.)
From: Kristina Hocking
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 11:26 AM
To: T
Subject: RE:
You didn't fix the paragraph of explanation...are you trying to give me gray hair? :)
6/10
From: T
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:49 PM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:
sorry i think i got it this time :) and i would never give you grey hair mrs.hocking that would be terrible
From: T
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:59 PM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:
ok i just sent you revised pieces of great grandmas quotes and the I am poem. hopefully we got all this worked out :) but i got a question for one of the written pieces it says that you can do a newspaper article? how long does that piece have to be because i was thinking of doing a wedding announcement
From: Kristina Hocking
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 4:02 PM
To: T
Subject: RE:
A wedding announcement wouldn't be long enough for a written piece...but if you included a picture from the wedding, you could definitely do it as a visual. If you want to do a newspaper article, it needs to be about something newsworthy, and that can be hard to find sometimes.
I got the other two pieces. Pretty sure you are trying to give me grey hair...or at least confuse me!
From: T
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 4:08 PM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:
ok thats what i thought. but thanks ill figure something out. and no i am not trying to give you grey hair you're my favorite teacher come on haha.
From: Kristina Hocking
Sent: Thursday 07, 2009 9:02 AM
To: T
Subject: RE:
T -
Gray hairs...I can feel 'em...
Mrs. H
7/10
(The text we are discussing in our e-mails has been copied and pasted below. The brackets and kh with a number are my embedded comments. You can see them as footnotes below his text. I LOVE the insert comments feature of MS Word! Saved about a million and thirteen trees this year!)
Lenore’s famous sayings
By T
"Would you like something to eat or drink?"
Lenore always wants people to be well fed and feeling good, so this is practically the first thing she says whenever anyone walks into her house. Typically she offers cookies to her visitors. Grandma [kh1] has had a cookie jar in the same place on her counter for as long as anyone can remember. When I visit her, I [kh2] always get a cookie.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Grandma [kh3] always says she wants her grandchildren to be healthy. Part of this is eating healthy foods. When we visit, she only allows us to eat one cookie. If we want more, we have to sneak into the kitchen and the cookie jar. [kh4] .[kh5]
"Always strive your hardest to be what you want to be and you will achieve it."
Grandma [kh6] always talks to [kh7] about your future and what you’re going to do. You can't find a time to visit her when she is not interested in what you are doing [kh8] She just wants me to succeed in my [kh9] life.
"I am too old to remember or even know that."
Every time Grandma [kh10] gets stumped by a question, she blames her age. She never wants to admit she may not know something, so she uses this excuse. My grandma [kh11] is 94 years old so she has a hard time remembering some things, but she's a smart lady and is still pretty sharp.
When I think of Lenore, these are the sayings that come to mind. [kh12] She says these things on a regular basis to her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. Lenore is a great lady. You can always count on her to be a good listener. If you want someone to talk to, go visit Lenore.
[kh1]She
[kh3]Lenore
[kh4]More gray hairs…I, me, we, us, etc. = first person
[kh5]This is a short explanation…talk about her health, or something…it just needs more
[kh6]Lenore
[kh7]Who does she talk to? A wall?
[kh8]Add a period
[kh9]Seriously…two more gray hairs…
[kh10]Lenore
[kh11]There’s another gray hair…
[kh12]At this rate, I’ll have a head full of silver hair before we get you graduated…
He sent it back to me fixed, finally, along with this note.
From: T
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 11:21 AM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:
i think this is now done to your extremly high expectation level. please dont let your hair turn grey.
sincerly t aka your favorite student
(Bold, isn't he? Announcing to me that he's my favorite. He's right, he is one of my favorites, but he doesn't know that!)
**I'm not really serious. I can't hardly kill bugs in my house. I'm all talk and no action. For now.**
Sunday, May 17, 2009
School Laughs
This was passed around at school last week. I have no idea where it was originally published, or if it really is from Jeff Foxworthy. It may just be in the "You Might be a Redneck" style and have nothing to do with him, but it's funny nonetheless.
Those I've highlighted in orange struck a nerve with me, and I found them particularly funny.
Jeff Foxworthy on School Employees
YOU might be a school employee if you believe the playground should be equipped with a Ritalin salt lick.
YOU might be a school employee if you want to slap the next person who says, 'Must be nice to work 8 to 3:30 and have summers off.
YOU might be a school employee if it is difficult to name your own child because there's no name you can come up with that doesn't bring high blood pressure as it is uttered.
YOU might be a school employee if you believe, 'shallow gene pool' should have its own box on a
report card.
YOU might be a school employee if when out in public, you feel the urge to snap your fingers at children you do not know and correct their behavior.
YOU might be a school employee if you have no social life between August and June.
YOU might be a school employee if you think people should have a government permit before being allowed to reproduce.
YOU might be a school employee if you wonder how some parents MANAGED to reproduce.
YOU might be a school employee if you laugh uncontrollably when people refer to the staff room as the 'lounge.'
YOU might be a school employee if you think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.
YOU might be a school employee if meeting a child's parent instantly answers this question, 'Why is this kid like this?'
YOU might be a school employee if you would choose a mammogram over a parent conference.
YOU might be a school employee if you think someone should invent antibacterial pencils and crayons...and desks and chairs for that matter!
YOU might be a school employee if the words 'I have college debt for this?' has ever come out of your mouth.
YOU might be a school employee if you know how many days, minutes, and seconds are left in the school year!
Those I've highlighted in orange struck a nerve with me, and I found them particularly funny.
Jeff Foxworthy on School Employees
YOU might be a school employee if you believe the playground should be equipped with a Ritalin salt lick.
YOU might be a school employee if you want to slap the next person who says, 'Must be nice to work 8 to 3:30 and have summers off.
YOU might be a school employee if it is difficult to name your own child because there's no name you can come up with that doesn't bring high blood pressure as it is uttered.
YOU might be a school employee if you believe, 'shallow gene pool' should have its own box on a
report card.
YOU might be a school employee if when out in public, you feel the urge to snap your fingers at children you do not know and correct their behavior.
YOU might be a school employee if you have no social life between August and June.
YOU might be a school employee if you think people should have a government permit before being allowed to reproduce.
YOU might be a school employee if you wonder how some parents MANAGED to reproduce.
YOU might be a school employee if you laugh uncontrollably when people refer to the staff room as the 'lounge.'
YOU might be a school employee if you think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.
YOU might be a school employee if meeting a child's parent instantly answers this question, 'Why is this kid like this?'
YOU might be a school employee if you would choose a mammogram over a parent conference.
YOU might be a school employee if you think someone should invent antibacterial pencils and crayons...and desks and chairs for that matter!
YOU might be a school employee if the words 'I have college debt for this?' has ever come out of your mouth.
YOU might be a school employee if you know how many days, minutes, and seconds are left in the school year!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
knowing me, knowing you - May
A few months ago, Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother started a new interview post. She invited everyone to play along each month. So, here it is, the May installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You!
1. Do you and your significant other go to bed at the same time?
Nope. I wish we did, but we just don’t. During the school year, I have to be up long before J, so I end up in bed before him. Sometimes hours before him. Even during the summer I’m typically in bed before he is. I am a morning person, and he is definitely a night owl.
2. Do you have any siblings?
I have two younger sisters. T is 19 months younger than me, and L is two years to the day younger than T. When we were young, we didn’t get along very well, but the older we get, the better our relationships get. I’m not sure how to explain it best, but we’ve always been close, we’re just now becoming friends. Does that make sense? We’ve always been fiercely protective of each other, even when we didn’t get along. But now, in addition to being protective of each other, we like each other, too.
I also have two sisters-in-law. H is about 6 months younger than me, and C is about 9.5 years younger than me. It was actually because of H that I met J. Yeah, I’m that girl. I dated, then married, my friend’s older brother. Poor J – between us we’ve got four sisters and not a single brother! I think he’s looking forward to having more males around…he’s pretty outnumbered as it is. (For that matter, I think his dad, my dad and my step-dad are looking forward to those days, too! Even with J around, they are all way outnumbered!)
3. You're spending an evening with friends -- would you rather cook for them in your home or go out to a restaurant?
Hmm…it depends. If my house is clean, I don’t mind having people over. In fact, when we first bought the house, J and I did a fair amount of entertaining. Recently, though, if you’re not related, you aren’t allowed to see my house. We go out fairly regularly with another couple we’re pretty good friends with. And one of my close girlfriends has adopted us into her family and we’re often invited over for Family Fun Nights and birthdays / special events. So, I guess I would have to say that we rarely entertain at home, though we like to.
4. What's your can't miss TV show?
During the school year there’s no such thing as “can’t miss” for me…I always miss. I am a total sucker for reality television (as we’ve discussed before), but I think the one show I would have to say I try to watch every week is NCIS. J and I both love it. One of my friends is addicted, too, and we text each other like mad as we are watching the show. Unfortunately, though, during the school year I can never predict what each day will bring, and I often miss the very shows I love the most.
5. Are you doing any spring cleaning?
Spring cleaning? No. Summer cleaning? You bet. This time of year is insanely busy. I typically do what I can during Spring Break, then grit my teeth and pray for summer. Once school is out, I take a few days to rest, then I whip the house back into shape. What else am I going to do during the summer when I’m not working and J still is? I don’t have kids to occupy me, so I have to do what I can to stay busy. This regularly means cleaning. J thinks I’m obsessed and love to clean, but I really don’t. I just can’t think of anything else to do that doesn’t cost money! And for the sake of my sanity, our budget and our marriage, I need to do free stuff for most of the summer… Come June 10, my house won’t know what hit it!
1. Do you and your significant other go to bed at the same time?
Nope. I wish we did, but we just don’t. During the school year, I have to be up long before J, so I end up in bed before him. Sometimes hours before him. Even during the summer I’m typically in bed before he is. I am a morning person, and he is definitely a night owl.
2. Do you have any siblings?
I have two younger sisters. T is 19 months younger than me, and L is two years to the day younger than T. When we were young, we didn’t get along very well, but the older we get, the better our relationships get. I’m not sure how to explain it best, but we’ve always been close, we’re just now becoming friends. Does that make sense? We’ve always been fiercely protective of each other, even when we didn’t get along. But now, in addition to being protective of each other, we like each other, too.
I also have two sisters-in-law. H is about 6 months younger than me, and C is about 9.5 years younger than me. It was actually because of H that I met J. Yeah, I’m that girl. I dated, then married, my friend’s older brother. Poor J – between us we’ve got four sisters and not a single brother! I think he’s looking forward to having more males around…he’s pretty outnumbered as it is. (For that matter, I think his dad, my dad and my step-dad are looking forward to those days, too! Even with J around, they are all way outnumbered!)
3. You're spending an evening with friends -- would you rather cook for them in your home or go out to a restaurant?
Hmm…it depends. If my house is clean, I don’t mind having people over. In fact, when we first bought the house, J and I did a fair amount of entertaining. Recently, though, if you’re not related, you aren’t allowed to see my house. We go out fairly regularly with another couple we’re pretty good friends with. And one of my close girlfriends has adopted us into her family and we’re often invited over for Family Fun Nights and birthdays / special events. So, I guess I would have to say that we rarely entertain at home, though we like to.
4. What's your can't miss TV show?
During the school year there’s no such thing as “can’t miss” for me…I always miss. I am a total sucker for reality television (as we’ve discussed before), but I think the one show I would have to say I try to watch every week is NCIS. J and I both love it. One of my friends is addicted, too, and we text each other like mad as we are watching the show. Unfortunately, though, during the school year I can never predict what each day will bring, and I often miss the very shows I love the most.
5. Are you doing any spring cleaning?
Spring cleaning? No. Summer cleaning? You bet. This time of year is insanely busy. I typically do what I can during Spring Break, then grit my teeth and pray for summer. Once school is out, I take a few days to rest, then I whip the house back into shape. What else am I going to do during the summer when I’m not working and J still is? I don’t have kids to occupy me, so I have to do what I can to stay busy. This regularly means cleaning. J thinks I’m obsessed and love to clean, but I really don’t. I just can’t think of anything else to do that doesn’t cost money! And for the sake of my sanity, our budget and our marriage, I need to do free stuff for most of the summer… Come June 10, my house won’t know what hit it!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Movin' and Groovin'
I know I've been bad about posting again this week. I've been crazy busy! But it's a good busy, so I'm glad.
I told you a week or two ago that J and I joined a local gym. I've been sweating up a storm the last few weeks. But, much to my surprise, it's been a lot of fun! If there is a place near you with any of these classes, take them!!! I'm old and fat - if I can do them and have a great time, you can totally do them!
Believe it or not, Zumba is an incredibly popular fitness craze sweeping the nation (and it has been for about two years, now), but I had the hardest time finding a video that looked even close to what we've been doing at the Tri-City Court Club. Apparently, anyone who teaches Zumba gets to make up their own routines, so no two classes are the same! Do a YouTube search for Zumba, and you'll see about a million different routines. Awhile back, Kellog's put together a Zumba video for families that looks kind of similar to what we do, but not exactly.
Though I love Zumba, I don't want anything to get old and stale, so my friend and I are still trying out all kinds of classes. So, last Monday evening, instead of Zumba, we tried out the Group Step class...also fun! I was able to follow that better than Zumba. No matter how hard I try, my hips just don't move like a salsa dancer's. We felt like total wusses, though, because we didn't have any risers under our steps. Even the pregnant lady had a set of risers under hers! But I was glad I didn't about halfway through. That's a LOT of climbing up and down! My thighs were killing me.
There were a few moves that had me stumped, but I just kept stepping up and down on the board until they got back to something I could wrap my head around. I figured that's better than standing still, right?
Here's a video of Step Class.
On Saturdays, I've been going to H2O Cardio. That's a great class. I'm looking forward to summer when I can do that one daily. I can do EVERYTHING in that class! Plus, it's the one class where I am not one of the oldest, fattest people there. In fact, I am the youngest (by a lot of years), and let's just say I'm not embarrassed to be in my swim suit there. Bonus: not even one SHS kid is in the class! It feels good to be back in the pool. I spent almost my entire high school career in the pool. I was on the girl's swim team, I managed the boy's swim team, I was a lifeguard, I taught swim lessons, and every single PE class I took was in the pool. I smelled like chlorine for four years. I love the pool. And I've missed it. J and I have a pool in our backyard now, and we love it, but it's just not quite the same. I even miss swimming laps. J and I have done that once, and I think he's willing to go back with me again. (No video of this one...but that's okay - you might not want to see it!)
Of all the classes I've tried, though, I think my favorite is Group Kick. It's awesome! You totally feel like you're kicking butt. I think the sound effects in the songs really helps that. I found two great clips on YouTube that show exactly what we do in that class. Turn up the volume a bit so you can see what I'm talking about. When you swing your samurai sword, there is a swishing noise in the song...you can totally imagine that sword swinging through the air! When you are punching your "opponent" there are movie-type sound effects in the music. It's kind of corny when you just listen, but when you are in the class it's easy to get caught up in it all and let your imagination take over.
I told you a week or two ago that J and I joined a local gym. I've been sweating up a storm the last few weeks. But, much to my surprise, it's been a lot of fun! If there is a place near you with any of these classes, take them!!! I'm old and fat - if I can do them and have a great time, you can totally do them!
Believe it or not, Zumba is an incredibly popular fitness craze sweeping the nation (and it has been for about two years, now), but I had the hardest time finding a video that looked even close to what we've been doing at the Tri-City Court Club. Apparently, anyone who teaches Zumba gets to make up their own routines, so no two classes are the same! Do a YouTube search for Zumba, and you'll see about a million different routines. Awhile back, Kellog's put together a Zumba video for families that looks kind of similar to what we do, but not exactly.
Though I love Zumba, I don't want anything to get old and stale, so my friend and I are still trying out all kinds of classes. So, last Monday evening, instead of Zumba, we tried out the Group Step class...also fun! I was able to follow that better than Zumba. No matter how hard I try, my hips just don't move like a salsa dancer's. We felt like total wusses, though, because we didn't have any risers under our steps. Even the pregnant lady had a set of risers under hers! But I was glad I didn't about halfway through. That's a LOT of climbing up and down! My thighs were killing me.
There were a few moves that had me stumped, but I just kept stepping up and down on the board until they got back to something I could wrap my head around. I figured that's better than standing still, right?
Here's a video of Step Class.
On Saturdays, I've been going to H2O Cardio. That's a great class. I'm looking forward to summer when I can do that one daily. I can do EVERYTHING in that class! Plus, it's the one class where I am not one of the oldest, fattest people there. In fact, I am the youngest (by a lot of years), and let's just say I'm not embarrassed to be in my swim suit there. Bonus: not even one SHS kid is in the class! It feels good to be back in the pool. I spent almost my entire high school career in the pool. I was on the girl's swim team, I managed the boy's swim team, I was a lifeguard, I taught swim lessons, and every single PE class I took was in the pool. I smelled like chlorine for four years. I love the pool. And I've missed it. J and I have a pool in our backyard now, and we love it, but it's just not quite the same. I even miss swimming laps. J and I have done that once, and I think he's willing to go back with me again. (No video of this one...but that's okay - you might not want to see it!)
Of all the classes I've tried, though, I think my favorite is Group Kick. It's awesome! You totally feel like you're kicking butt. I think the sound effects in the songs really helps that. I found two great clips on YouTube that show exactly what we do in that class. Turn up the volume a bit so you can see what I'm talking about. When you swing your samurai sword, there is a swishing noise in the song...you can totally imagine that sword swinging through the air! When you are punching your "opponent" there are movie-type sound effects in the music. It's kind of corny when you just listen, but when you are in the class it's easy to get caught up in it all and let your imagination take over.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
Between us, J and I have three moms - and they're all pretty great. They are all very different from each other, too. The one thing they all have in common is that they love us - and we love them.
Small post with a big message:
Happy Mother's Day Mom R., Mom H., and Mel!!! We love you.
Small post with a big message:
Happy Mother's Day Mom R., Mom H., and Mel!!! We love you.
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