Tabata Bootcamp

Picture of the Day for 2/28/2013. I joined an online bootcamp. The gym where I attended that TRX resistance training class a couple of days ago suggested it in lieu of expensive personal training sessions. Each day you do a new 6-minute workout. I was thinking to myself, "how hard could it be?" Oh pretty dang hard I've discovered. The workouts have been the subject of fitness studies and apparently you burn about 50 calories during the routine and then have a residual burn of 200-300 calories during the rest of the day. After doing my first set of videos. I can believe it.

Bad Sleep Patterns

Picture of the Day for 2/27/2013. I've been trying out a new iPhone app called Sleep Cycle that tracks your sleep patterns throughout the night and evaluates the quality of your sleep. My sleep patterns are all over the place- never the same from night to night. It's been fascinating. Each morning I wake up excited to see what was going on while I was asleep.

Torture Device (also known as exercise equipment)

Picture of the Day for 2/26/2013. I checked out a new fitness studio in my neighborhood that offers very inexpensively-priced classes. I decided to try the TRX (www.trxfitness.com) class. It's a form of exercise that uses your body weight for resistance training. I'm writing this blog entry two days after the fact and my abs and behind are still sore. It doesn't seem that intense while you are doing the workout, but then it hits you the next day. I'll probably return for more punishment next week.

Torture Device (also known as my office chair)

Picture of the Day for 2/25/2013. Here's my home office chair- also known as the most diabolical torture device on the planet since it does a number on my back and behind. I walk like a little old lady the first few minutes whenever I get up out of the chair.

The Barbie Game

Picture of the Day for 2/24/2013. My buddies, Mary, Margaret Ruth, and Kelly, came over for the 2nd annual Academy Awards viewing party at my house. Before the show started, we played the Barbie Game. It's a reproduction of the 1961 original board game where the object is to become the prom queen. In order to attain this social feat, you have to acquire a boyfriend, go steady with him, earn enough money to purchase a prom dress, and become a club president. It's an epic game- that's all I can say.

I used to play the 1961 board game with my friends when I was young (and not so young I have to admit) until the original owner, my sister Paula, decided to reclaim her property. I figured that was the end of my Barbie Game-playing days until several years ago when I saw one in the toy section of Target. I was several feet away when I spotted it and was single-minded in my determination to get at it. No one or nothing would get in my away. I think I actually plowed over someone as I rushed over. I grabbed one of the games and clutched it to my chest and I just kept repeating, out loud, "It's the Barbie Game! It's the Barbie Game!" Not one of my more dignified moments. Another woman heard me and to my delight she did exactly the same thing I did. She rushed over, grabbed one of the games, clutched it to her chest, and exclaimed, "It's the Barbie Game." We locked eyes and in that moment we were soul sisters. She clearly understood the glory that is the Barbie Game.

I think Mary, Margaret Ruth, and Kelly have also become converted. Let's just say things got a little competitive. You don't mess around with becoming the prom queen.

Real Estate Seminar - Day #2

Picture of the Day for 2/23/2013. It's the second day of the real estate seminar I'm attending. I've been learning a ton of useful stuff. Pictured below is Al Lowry who is considered to be the "it" guy in real estate. He's the one who trained Robert Kiyosaki of "Rich Dad" along with a host of other famous investors (i.e., Carlton Sheets). 

Just a non sequitur here- why is it that in any group of people there's got to be at least one incessant cougher? Why oh why? We had one in this seminar and he coughed his way throughout all two days. Coughed and coughed and coughed and coughed. And then coughed some more. Sheesh.

Real Estate Seminar - Day #1

Picture of the Day for 2/22/2013. I'm attending a two-day real estate conference sponsored by the local real estate investment club I belong to. They brought in some real big-hitters in the industry. This is a very blurry picture of Reggie Brooks who specializes in abandoned properties. It's a very interesting niche in real estate investing. And it appears to be one that provides a good service to communities as abandoned buildings are never good for a neighborhood. One of the attendees could see I was very intrigued and came up to let me know that she's a private money lender and she knows of an abandoned property in Bountiful, UT and perhaps we could work together. I quickly got her contact info. Definitely something to pursue. 

Food Storage Staples

Picture of the Day for 2/21/2013. You might have heard that Mormons are big on being prepared for emergencies. That means laying in a supply of food in case, as my niece Corinne says, things go pear-shaped (i.e., going to hell). A woman in my ward (Kathy Sager Barnes- if you're still reading my blog, that's your lovely mother Lois) has been appointed the food storage coordinator for our neighborhood which means she gently encourages food storage deadbeats like myself to quit thinking they can survive for very long on the lone jar of peanut butter they keep in the house. She gently encouraged me to come to the cannery tonight where my ward was congregating to dry pack food staples at a significant discount. It's actually a fascinating process to see how "dry" food items are canned. I helped can potato flakes and dried carrots. It was fun and I'm glad that Lois gently encouraged me to go. 

I bought a starter kit that includes rice, wheat, flour, oats, powered milk, and beans. A friend of mine asked me rather snarkily if I knew what to do with that since it sounded like "pioneer" food. The question  made me laugh. I replied that just because I choose not to cook doesn't mean I don't know how! 

Vito's

Picture of the Day for 2/20/2013. My sister Robynne introduced me to Vito's- a restaurant in Bountiful, Utah that serves the MOST DIVINE Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Ever. In the whole world. In the whole universe. Words fail to describe how good these sandwich masterpieces are, but apparently facial expressions do a pretty good job of it. Robynne was getting a kick out of the look of pure delight on my face as I was eating this sandwich.

I'm blogging about this solely to torment my niece Rachel who I hear feels the same way I do about these sandwiches. Too bad she's in New York and unable to run over to Vito's on a whim. Like I can. Mwahahaha! 

Slippery Fingernails

Picture of the Day for 2/19/2013. Apparently, I have slippery fingernails. Fingernail polish tends to start chipping off within minutes of application. I thought this was normal until speaking with a couple of my nieces who indicated once they apply nail polish, it is there to stay. Nothing will chip or budge it. This annoys me.

This is the kind of thing I ponder. No deep thoughts for me. No wondering how I can be of service to my community and mankind. Nope. Nail polish. 

You Can't Possibly Be Right

Picture of the Day for 2/18/2013. My 13-year-old great-niece Hayley often instant messages me through Facebook. I find this to be utterly flattering since I'm 37 years older than she is. I received the following message from her last Friday. She totally had me hooked when she said I was fun to talk to.

I wasn't able to rescue her immediately, but she and her mother (my niece Chantal) and I went out to lunch the following day. We had a grand time chatting despite the fact Hayley kept vehemently informing me I was wrong- about a variety of topics! It totally made me laugh. She's a huge fan of Greek mythology and somehow there was a reason for me to mention that Diana was the Roman name for Artemis. She said absolutely not- no way could I be right. I looked it up on my iPhone and what do you know- I was right. Then we were discussing what a pancreas does. I mentioned that it produces insulin which regulates blood sugar. She said absolutely not- no way could I be right. I looked it up on my iPhone and what do you know- I was right again! 

Despite being at risk of being told I'm wrong about other yet-to-be-discussed topics, I'm looking forward to going out to lunch with Hayley again. It was a fun afternoon. Oh, and Chantal can come along too I guess.

Joey Needs a Valentine

Picture of the Day for 2/17/2013. My sister Paula's family ended up celebrating Valentine's Day today. You can see their beagle Joey's nose just peeking up over the edge of the table. He approached everyone at the table hoping to scam some chocolate. Can't blame him. My whole life is pretty much devoted to scamming some chocolate. 

Marbles

Picture of the Day for 2/16/2013. I'm stealing this from a Facebook post so this might be a repeat for some of my readers.

I was pretty much a girly girl growing up, but the one tomboyish activity I enjoyed was marbles. I LOVED playing marbles and amassed quite the collection. During recess I'd go out and join the boys who always had a game of marbles going when the weather was good. My tomboy heart leapt when it saw this marble display at a store today. I sooooo wanted to buy some.

Clothing Rut

Picture of the Day for 2/15/2013. I tend to get into clothing ruts- wearing the same article of clothing over and over again. I went out with a couple of friends last night and my friend Mary observed this was the third time in a row she had seen me wearing the shirt pictured below. Oops. Didn't stop me from wearing it again this evening when I met my nieces Renee and Corinne for dinner. I'll go ahead and retire this shirt for at least a week going forward. I'll find another outfit I can wear into the ground.

Michelle Likes Red

Picture of the Day for 2/14/2013. In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm wearing a red hat, red scarf, red necklace, red nail polish, and red lipstick. I even ended up buying a $5 red skirt at Macy's today. (Note: pay attention to the shirt I'm wearing with the red skirt. It will play a role in tomorrow's blog entry.)




I felt like I was the title character from the children's book Ann Likes Red. I read this book over and over as a little girl who, you guessed it, liked to wear red. 

First Sale

Picture of the Day for 2/13/2013. My sister Robynne and I are so excited. We launched our speech therapy company, You Can Teach Speech Now, last year and we've gotten off to a very good start. We've sold her speech therapy workbooks at a big national speech therapy convention in Atlanta and her products have been selling on a site called teacherspayteachers.com. We had yet to sell anything through our website, www.teachspeechnow.com, until today when we made our first sale. Someone purchased the entire Vowel+/R/ series of six workbooks. Yay!!! It feels like we're "official" now.

This sale came on the very day we met with the coordinator over all the speech therapists for Davis County schools where Robynne was employed for 35 years. We took Cheryl out to lunch to pick her brain about what type of marketing materials she receives from speech therapy companies peddling their wares and what catches her attention. She gave us a ton of good advice about how to market Robynne's products to school districts. We're fittin to do a big marketing push to school districts nationwide. We're starting by targeting the 10 wealthiest school districts in the country based on the assumption that they actually have money in their budgets for speech therapy materials. It will also be a good test run for our marketing campaign.

Chicken in a Biskit Crackers

Picture of the Day for 2/12/2013. I'm easily swayed by other people's food choices. I can hear a casual reference to a restaurant or a food item and from that moment on I become completely obsessed with it. My great-nephew Ethan loves Chicken in a Biskit crackers which had not even been on my radar for years. For his birthday a couple of months ago in December he received a box of them (in addition to a lot of fun toys- this is not a sad tale about a little boy who only received a box of crackers for his 10th birthday). From that moment on, I became completely obsessed with these crackers. I've already gone through about three boxes of them on my own since that point. They are really good topped with a cream cheese/green onion/cheddar cheese mixture. Just saying.

You Are What You Wear

Picture of the Day for 2/11/2013. I had a friend accuse me of exhibiting Eeyore-like behavior. Ironically enough, I was wearing an Eeyore nightshirt at the precise moment this accusation was being flung at me. I guess you are what you wear!

Evergreen Trees

Picture of the Day for 2/10/2013. I was telling a friend in Florida last month about the evergreen trees we have in Utah and how when it snows here it looks like a scene from a Christmas card. It snowed last night so I decided to take some illustrative photos for this friend.

This tree is in my front yard.




As I was taking pictures, I became mesmerized by the pattern of the branches looking up into the tree so I snapped some photos from that angle too. 

Speaking of Alluring Attire...

Picture of the Day for 2/9/2013. My blog entries tend to center around themes for a few days at a time. This past week it was about food and cooking. Now, it's about alluring attire. Specifically about brassieres today. I couldn't help but participate in my niece Chantal's Facebook post/discussion about how she fired her bra because I soooooo understand where she's coming from. 

Alluring Attire

Picture of the Day for 2/8/2013. It's cold here in Utah! I don't know why that keeps coming as such a surprise to me. It definitely shouldn't because:

1. I've lived here for 50 years.

2. It's the middle of a very snowy winter. In the Rocky Mountains. At nearly 1 mile in elevation. 

It's so cold that I don't even care that I don't look the least bit alluring in my white flannel nightgown with fuzzy fuchsia and black striped socks. They keep me warm- that's all that matters. I'll focus on looking alluring later- when it's not so cold. And I've stopped eating all those meringue chocolate chip cookies I keep making in an effort to perfect the recipe.

How to Eat a Cornmeal Muffin

Picture of the Day for 2/7/2013. I'm still making my way through the cornmeal muffins I made a few days ago. I bet you didn't know there was a very specific way you should prepare the cornmeal muffins for consumption, did you?

First, you split the muffin in half, put the halves on a plate cut side up, and toast the muffin halves in the oven until the edges are browned. 

Then, once the muffin halves are toasted and screaming hot, you slather them with a LOT of butter. 

I would have taken a picture of the luscious pools of butter all melted on top of the muffin halves, but I was too eager to eat them. I snarfed the buttered muffin halves down before it occurred to me that I should take a final illustrative photo of the muffin preparation process. Sorry!

Infuriating Sentence

Picture of the Day for 2/6/2013. I just got done reading this novel. It is the first in a series featuring the character Charlie Moon- a Ute Indian police officer. As a Tony Hillerman fan, this type of book is right up my Native American culture-loving alley. I was really enjoying the book right until the very last sentence of the entire novel. The last sentence absolutely infuriated me!!!!

It's amazing how one sentence can make or break an entire novel. My all-time favorite novel is Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose. It's not an easy novel to get through (despite being very skillfully written), but it's worth the entire journey to get to one sentence at the end that turns the whole story upside down and shifts your perception of the characters in a very interesting way.

Clever Decorating Idea

Picture of the Day for 2/5/2013. I ate at a local taqueria for lunch today and I was charmed by how they used cowboy boots to decorate the fence posts.

Meringue Chocolate Chip Cookies

Picture of the day for 2/4/2013. I'm kind of on a baking kick so you'll have to bear with me on another food-related post. I made these meringue chocolate chip cookies for the first time. VERY easy recipe. I'm going to try them again, but I'll lower the baking temperature significantly. I've had meringue cookies before and I like them when they are slightly chewy rather than brittle like mine turned out. Even though the cookies were crispier than I liked, they still tasted great.

Corn Muffins

Picture of the Day for 2/3/2013. Sometimes you just gotta make corn muffins. Just gotta.

It's hard to distinguish the muffins from my harvest gold stove. Yep, I have a "vintage" harvest gold stove from the 1970s. In a pink kitchen no less. It's a decorating nightmare, but the stove functions perfectly well so I have no plans to replace it just yet.

Don't Forget the Sugar

Picture of the Day for 2/2/2013. I finally got around to making the peanut butter bread I blogged about last month and it was terrible! I was cursing the recipe because it couldn't possibly be me! I'm not a great cook, but I'm a fabulous baker (yes- there is a difference between cooking and baking). Then I realized I had been distracted while assembling the ingredients and had forgotten to include the sugar. Oops. That put a little chink in my "fabulous" armor. I'll have to try the recipe again so I can regain my "fabulous" status.

High School Basketball Game

Picture of the Day for 2/1/2013. My friend Mary is a high school counselor at West High School and regularly attends the basketball games. She invited me and our other friend Kelly to join her at a game. This was the first time I've attended a high school basketball game in 30 years. It was very fun! We sat right behind the players and the coaches so it was interesting to see the action from that perspective. It was a nail-biter, but West managed to win in overtime. Phew! People told Kelly and me (I know the "me" sounds grammatically incorrect, but it isn't) that we must be a good luck charm since West doesn't usually win. 


Attending the game reminded me of my junior year in high school when I was in pep club and attended every single sporting event. That was a really fun year. In the picture below, I'm on the front row and 4th from the left.