I have become a complete blog slacker. I'm to the point where Facebook is my new blog. Although I appreciate the personal camaraderie of having a blog and hearing comments here. So I'm making an effort. I'm averaging one post per month; it could be worse. I also feel I need to post pics every time to entertain those you who, are like me, and appreciate visuals.
It's been a crazy month. My kids have started school, I started a new babysitting job, joined CrossFit, have an upcoming painting show and have been working toward getting myself financially independent. A tall order in this economy. Shamelessly, if any of you know of any open positions for someone with a degree in Marketing and experience in IT management and Construction. I'm also a plein air painter. But I already know how that pays (when it does).
Being a scrapper, I took on a job minding two little kids on MWF. Ella 4.5 months and Erik, her brother who is 2. It has been a lot of hard work but also a blessing. I cherish the moments I have with my own kids (Indi, 6 and Aislin 3). We are riding our bikes to school and locking up there. We walk, Indi rides the scooter, etc. It's true bliss for the kids. Erik and Ella arrive early enough that we all walk in the stroller to school and back We do this- three times a day. It's really a neat thing. When Ais is not in school, having Erik around makes her much more compliant to do some fun t
hings: color, read books together, chalk, cook, etc. She loves TV and gets to watch it but it's a battle when I say no to TV. Ah, such fine parenting.
Erik LOVES Aislin and LOVES the preschool room. I have to nearly drag him out of there every time. The mother's heart in me wishes he could stay and learn too! But not until next year. And that's up to his parents. It reinforces to me what a gem Pilgrim Lutheran is to our community and to my life specifically. Thank you Lord for provision! It's not without it's kinks tho. I have to pay to send the kids there and with both there now it's quite pricey. I've taken on a cleaning job in addition to babysitting to meet his financial goal each month. OH and to help pay for CrossFit.
Windy City Crossfit (that's not me in the photo, but it could be)
Crossfit is quick, i
ntense exercises. Olympic lifts and kick-your-butt hard work. It's not misery tho. It's challenging and fun. I've had personal training and frankly, the workouts were challenging but boring as all get out. Sheer drudgery. At Crossfit you do these crazy lifts I've never heard of: power hang cleans, push jerks, sumo deadlift high pulls. All brutal. You use every muscle to get that weight lifted. They are power moves. There is NO way you are going to move the weight unless you put some umff into it. After 20 box jumps, the last thing you want to do is lift something heavy. But this makes one stronger. A LOT stronger. I am stronger already after 2 weeks. Crossfit is also a coaching environment. There are coaches who lead the classes and help correct your form. They also encourage you to get that weight up and finish!
For those of you who remember Hank Magieria. I think these are some exercises he taught my old friends: Tony K, Rich Schiller, Bill G, and Doug - to name a few. I always remember those guys hanging out in Hank's basement. Hank is a former Olympic lifter. Now I get it. Wish I had paid more attention. It was a lot cheaper back then! They showed me pull ups and bench press when I was a young teen. I've never forgotten. Thanks for not being stuck up guys!
Back to Crossfit. Yesterday's workout was called "Nasty" and it is aptly named. It was 3 ROUNDS for time of 50 squats, 21 ring dips (yes, on rings), 21 kipping pull ups and 10 hang power cleans (weighted). Phew. It took 15 minutes but oh boy what an intense 15. And 3 rounds is just enough where you push it on the last round. If you puke it's ok. You're heart is pounding and you can take breaks but you want to push. You get to grunt out loud and grimace. You get to throw the heavy weighted bar down. No graceful let down. Get off me you heavy bar, you suck! You want to be stronger. I love it so far. I've been sore in places I've never been sore (traps, lats). There is every walk of life there. It's a garage gym. It's expensive but worth every penny so far. A great next step for my fitness-oriented goals. I am a crossfit evangelist. I think every Crossfitter is. Now I know why. You can get a free training session by contacting them. They are happy to show you around. And it turns out the owner of Windy City Crossfit is Justin Marcis, my new neighbor. A really sweet man. The kids wave and say hello. He reciprocates. Hey anyone who does that is good by me. I've got great neighbors. They are all like that.
Edgewater Historical Society (horray my painting is on the postcard! Squint)
Every year,
in conjunction with the Andersonville Arts Weekend, my posse, The Plein Air Painters of Chicago show painted plein air (completed outside on easels) works at the Edgewater Historical Society. I have one painting in the show and hope to finish up one more. I love this show. Andersonville Arts Weekend is awesome! The local businesses display works of art for sale (including my church, First EV Free). We plein air painters will be spotted all around the neighborhood painting at our easels on Sat. Oct. 3 from 8-Noon. Look for us. Talk to us. Feel free to marvel. But painting does take concentration so we will only briefly speak to you. We need to get back to work problem solving! Oh, and of course, be kind. Painting requires huge concentration and thought, believe it or not. Well, good painting anyway.
Everyone is cordially invited to a reception with the artists on Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 at the Edgewater Historical Society. Gratis wine and appetizers will be served, of course! Look for me. I'd love to see you! It's a neat way to "see" the Edgewater neighborhood. Bring a date and troll around, talk, breath in the autum air. Experience Andersonville thru original paintings and then take a walking tour. Slip some wine in your thermos or empty gatorade bottle. Bliss. And all for free! So now that I got you a second date; spend that saved money on a painting! LOL.
More adventure-telling forthcoming. Adventurously yours.
It's been a crazy month. My kids have started school, I started a new babysitting job, joined CrossFit, have an upcoming painting show and have been working toward getting myself financially independent. A tall order in this economy. Shamelessly, if any of you know of any open positions for someone with a degree in Marketing and experience in IT management and Construction. I'm also a plein air painter. But I already know how that pays (when it does).
Being a scrapper, I took on a job minding two little kids on MWF. Ella 4.5 months and Erik, her brother who is 2. It has been a lot of hard work but also a blessing. I cherish the moments I have with my own kids (Indi, 6 and Aislin 3). We are riding our bikes to school and locking up there. We walk, Indi rides the scooter, etc. It's true bliss for the kids. Erik and Ella arrive early enough that we all walk in the stroller to school and back We do this- three times a day. It's really a neat thing. When Ais is not in school, having Erik around makes her much more compliant to do some fun t
hings: color, read books together, chalk, cook, etc. She loves TV and gets to watch it but it's a battle when I say no to TV. Ah, such fine parenting.Erik LOVES Aislin and LOVES the preschool room. I have to nearly drag him out of there every time. The mother's heart in me wishes he could stay and learn too! But not until next year. And that's up to his parents. It reinforces to me what a gem Pilgrim Lutheran is to our community and to my life specifically. Thank you Lord for provision! It's not without it's kinks tho. I have to pay to send the kids there and with both there now it's quite pricey. I've taken on a cleaning job in addition to babysitting to meet his financial goal each month. OH and to help pay for CrossFit.
Windy City Crossfit (that's not me in the photo, but it could be)
Crossfit is quick, i
ntense exercises. Olympic lifts and kick-your-butt hard work. It's not misery tho. It's challenging and fun. I've had personal training and frankly, the workouts were challenging but boring as all get out. Sheer drudgery. At Crossfit you do these crazy lifts I've never heard of: power hang cleans, push jerks, sumo deadlift high pulls. All brutal. You use every muscle to get that weight lifted. They are power moves. There is NO way you are going to move the weight unless you put some umff into it. After 20 box jumps, the last thing you want to do is lift something heavy. But this makes one stronger. A LOT stronger. I am stronger already after 2 weeks. Crossfit is also a coaching environment. There are coaches who lead the classes and help correct your form. They also encourage you to get that weight up and finish!For those of you who remember Hank Magieria. I think these are some exercises he taught my old friends: Tony K, Rich Schiller, Bill G, and Doug - to name a few. I always remember those guys hanging out in Hank's basement. Hank is a former Olympic lifter. Now I get it. Wish I had paid more attention. It was a lot cheaper back then! They showed me pull ups and bench press when I was a young teen. I've never forgotten. Thanks for not being stuck up guys!
Back to Crossfit. Yesterday's workout was called "Nasty" and it is aptly named. It was 3 ROUNDS for time of 50 squats, 21 ring dips (yes, on rings), 21 kipping pull ups and 10 hang power cleans (weighted). Phew. It took 15 minutes but oh boy what an intense 15. And 3 rounds is just enough where you push it on the last round. If you puke it's ok. You're heart is pounding and you can take breaks but you want to push. You get to grunt out loud and grimace. You get to throw the heavy weighted bar down. No graceful let down. Get off me you heavy bar, you suck! You want to be stronger. I love it so far. I've been sore in places I've never been sore (traps, lats). There is every walk of life there. It's a garage gym. It's expensive but worth every penny so far. A great next step for my fitness-oriented goals. I am a crossfit evangelist. I think every Crossfitter is. Now I know why. You can get a free training session by contacting them. They are happy to show you around. And it turns out the owner of Windy City Crossfit is Justin Marcis, my new neighbor. A really sweet man. The kids wave and say hello. He reciprocates. Hey anyone who does that is good by me. I've got great neighbors. They are all like that.
Edgewater Historical Society (horray my painting is on the postcard! Squint)
Every year,
in conjunction with the Andersonville Arts Weekend, my posse, The Plein Air Painters of Chicago show painted plein air (completed outside on easels) works at the Edgewater Historical Society. I have one painting in the show and hope to finish up one more. I love this show. Andersonville Arts Weekend is awesome! The local businesses display works of art for sale (including my church, First EV Free). We plein air painters will be spotted all around the neighborhood painting at our easels on Sat. Oct. 3 from 8-Noon. Look for us. Talk to us. Feel free to marvel. But painting does take concentration so we will only briefly speak to you. We need to get back to work problem solving! Oh, and of course, be kind. Painting requires huge concentration and thought, believe it or not. Well, good painting anyway.Everyone is cordially invited to a reception with the artists on Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 at the Edgewater Historical Society. Gratis wine and appetizers will be served, of course! Look for me. I'd love to see you! It's a neat way to "see" the Edgewater neighborhood. Bring a date and troll around, talk, breath in the autum air. Experience Andersonville thru original paintings and then take a walking tour. Slip some wine in your thermos or empty gatorade bottle. Bliss. And all for free! So now that I got you a second date; spend that saved money on a painting! LOL.
More adventure-telling forthcoming. Adventurously yours.
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