T-Rex Arms and Sipping Wine Through Straws
Yesterday was a fantastic day for me. First, I reunited with my awesome personal trainer. I have never met anyone who is able to motivate me the way that he does. He's also really good at catching weights as my spaghetti arms drift them slowly and awkwardly towards my face while on that incline bench. Yesterday, he saved me thousands in dental bills.
My legs can kick any of your butts; but I admit I have neglected my arms severely. Severely.
Jamie took me through a work out yesterday that was ridiculous. I knew 10 minutes into it that I was going to be hurting today. Hurting doesn't even really begin to describe it. I woke up this morning and thought I was going to need assistance in getting my pajama top off to get in the shower. Then, when I had successfully completed that hurdle, I realized that washing my hair was going to be no small feat. I lathered up my hands and bent my head down as far as I could to eliminate the need to raise my arms above waist height. That was difficult. So, I attempted to wash my hair with the insides of my elbows because it just isn't possible for me to lift my arms and bend them today. Not gonna happen.
When I got out of the shower, I realized that holding the hair dryer was going to seriously suck. I just accepted that it was going to be a bad hair day and got on with it.
When I arrived on campus for my very last classes of the semester this morning, I had lots to write on the white board. Usually I use my go-go-gadget arms to write at the top of the board, but today I wrote at the very bottom. I could tell my students knew something was up so I explained to them that my arms, when bent, feel like they have opposing magnets in them. "Do you hear that?" I asked them. "Every time I bend my arms, my triceps scream "no!"
They laughed, and then got quiet when they heard my triceps actually scream, just like I said they were doing.
They cracked up even harder when I told them I was feeling kind of like a T-Rex as I swung my arms around while keeping my elbows low and tight into my body. When class was over, getting my coat on took a while and really hurt too. It was then that I realized I had collected about 45 full and huge portfolios and there was no way I was going to be able to make it to my car without pain. Thank you to that wonderful young man who just so happened to be coming into my classroom for the next class, who grabbed a stack of them and helped me to my car. Bless you, young man. There is a special place in heaven for people like you.
In addition to getting back on the training wagon again, I received a delightful email from BlogHer's syndication editor last night. Today, my post is live on BlogHer's front page. I have pitched my writing many times to various people and I have never been successful from a query. However, I am more than happy to allow posts I write to be "discovered" as this one and some others were a while back. It is really nice to actually get paid for writing something; and despite what many of you may think, it is really nice to have arms that are too sore to lift once again. I'm motivated and happy and it's a super nice feeling, even if I'm going to have to sip my celebratory wine through a straw because my arms are just too darn sore to lift anything, even wine.
Starting Again and a New Gig
Filed under: Back in the Classroom, Fantasy Football, Shameless Promo, Weblogs
Today was my first day back on campus. I started bright and early at 8 a.m. and like last fall, most of my students were already in their seats when I arrived at 7:55 a.m. My first class is all freshman and they came sleepy-eyed and semi-excited, but with a good deal of cautiousness as well.
I thought things were going great and then I asked if there were any questions and one of my students shot her hand straight up in the air.
“I live really far away,” she said, “so if someone dies or something at home, I won’t be here for a couple days.”
The other students looked around uncomfortably. Truly this was a weird “question” to have.
“Well,” I said, “it’s kind of a bad idea to start planning excuses to miss class and/or deaths to miss class on the first day of class. How about we just play it by ear and see what happens?”
Her face flushed a little bit and everyone chuckled a bit. I didn’t mean to call her out but what was I supposed to say? “Well, if someone dies, then by all means, miss as much class as you want.”
I mean seriously. Already we’re starting with the one dead grandparent per semester. The first day? Really?
My speech class arrived next and they seemed like an interesting and fun group right from the start. We did a silly getting-to-know-each-other activity and one of my new students stood up and demonstrated the oddities about his body. He showed us what ribs look like when you break them and don’t get them reset. One word: weird.
He showed us how he doesn’t have muscle up in his left pec area and when he pounded on it, he sounded almost hollow. Stranger yet.
He also showed us that he can throw his knee completely out, and then he proceeded to hop in a circle almost completely around his now-thrown-out-kneed leg. Having recovered from an ACL reconstruction and watching that much motion almost made me have to put my head between my knees and find a paper bag or something. Thank God he had jeans on when he did it or I would have been on the floor.
It is definitely going to be an interesting couple of months and not only for those reasons.
A friend of mine started a new blog called Bullsnballs. It’s not about bulls balls, so don’t be scared. It’s actually about sports and stocks, and yours truly happens to be writing a fantasy football column over there as well (to be debuting soon). Please go visit and say hello! Even if you have no interest in stocks and sports, you have to go just to see the design of the site, which was done by my fabulous designer as well. Feel free to link to him with reckless abandon.
And don’t forget to go vote for me today too! Please and thank you!
Not One of Those Posts
People hate posts where you write about how you have nothing to write about. This is not one of those posts.
However, after a week of hitting the gym a couple times and attending karate two nights a week, I am completely exhausted and lacking in the inspiration department. Plus, I spent the day outside yesterday, trying to remove a few of the bazillion rocks that are in my mud pit of a yard; and now I truly do feel like scratching my own eyes out is my only option. Nine days until my allergy doctor appointment. It can't come soon enough, despite the torture I know I'm in for while there (My Mom is a nurse there-she's warned me).
We wanted to seed our yard yesterday but it's going to be too cold this week, so instead we're considering returning the seed and just installing some stadium seating. Truly, I think it would be easier to set up a real live mud pit, than it will be to have a decent yard this year. I may be wrong, but right now it's not looking good.
Tomorrow, another exciting guest post will be published here on BBM. This one is from Kyoshi Heilman and she's discussing a topic near and dear to my heart. I can't wait to put it up. Martial artist or not, you won't want to miss it.
Friday, Renovation Girl started "Find Your Happiness Friday" and if you're looking to make positive changes in your life, you'll want to check out her post and participate.
On Thursday evening, I'll be a guest on Secondhand Radio. If you're interested in attending the show, I suggest you register at Talk Shoe this week. There's a chat room and there's also a number where you can call in to ask me questions, or just chat with me and Karl. The show starts at 10 p.m. EST, and I'm sure we'll be talking about something fabulous.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and don't forget to leave a comment at The BBM Review. There's only one day left to enter for your chance to win one of three Spa Break gift baskets. Also, leave a post on any Admired Martial Artist post this month, and you'll be entered to win one of several great MA prizes.
For a Good Cause
I have a wonderfully talented friend (who happened to design my banner for this very website). He also answers emails that go out at 1 a.m. from a very frazzled me who can’t figure out how to center said banner and also responds to various other graphic design requests at warp speed. I knew at some point, I’d be able to pay it back so to speak.
My friend works for a non-profit called Drug Free Pennsylvania and on Monday June 4th, they are having a four day auction with all kinds of awesome things up for bid. The auction runs e-bay style and offers things such as park passes to Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Dutch Wonderland, nights at PA hotels/resorts, and awesome PA potato chips because seriously, if you haven’t ever tried Pennsylvanian potato chips you have simply not lived. (There is indeed a reason why the smallest size at some of the local department stores is a 14 people!).
They also have autographed sports memorabilia up for grabs and it’s all for a very worthy cause. If you’d like to get in on the fun, you can do so here. Oh, and if you get some of those potato chips, you’re totally sharing with me!
Copyright
© Copyright 2006-2019 blackbeltmama dot com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Follow Me
Blog Designed By
My Creations
Things You Could Care Less About
