One down Seven to go...

I forgot to mention that earlier this week I took my first final exam in my real estate studies. I took the Real Estate Principles test and it's a basic overview of the whole real estate industry with the major focus on residential. I passed it but don't know my score as it's just a pass/fail grading policy. But that's great news, none-the-less.

I'm now studying Real Estate Appraisal and it's much more difficult, with so many new terms to learn. It's a smaller book and my plan is to finish it within the next couple of weeks. I shall need more review in it, though.

Even though we are planning to move in June, I'm already joining groups in Meetup.com in the Sacramento area, mostly for business and networking, though, because my line of work that I shall be getting into is really sales, and you need contacts and referrals to fuel your business. It's fun!

Interesting Movie

Before I tell you all about this movie I watched last night, let me tell you that I passed my first real estate course yesterday! I had my final exam online and I was able to finish it in an hour and a half.

Got my next book mapped out for my reading and should have it done in 2 weeks and one day. An old friend of mine who is in the mortgage lending business called me yesterday about a job opportunity near Sacramento, so I'll follow this lead and see how it goes. Things are looking well. My back is also doing better as I had a minor setback the other day.

OK so this movie I had in my Netflix queue called Ghengis Blues, about a blind San Francisco blues musician who learned the overtone, or harmonic throat singing from the region of Tuva, which is on the border of outer Mongolia and in Russia. He travels to Tuva and competes in their annual throat singing competition.

I rented this documentary because I'd been interested in throat singing - Tibetan monks chant with the low tones, but the Tuvans have this whistling sound in addition. I'm also interested in Mongolian tradition, the Tuvans being close in culture. Someday I will make a trip to Mongolia, or maybe even Kyzyl, the capital!

The UTube video below shows an example of both techniques of the signing that is most obvious. The deep sound and the whistling sound:

Beginning to Feel Better

Oh my aching back! Yesterday was a bad day until midday, but Golf had bought me a back support at the drug store and it REALLY helped! Today I'm feeling so much better that I can sit normally and I could put my socks on with little pain.

I feel worse for not being able to get outside everyday. We've had some nice weather and I love taking Aidan out several hours per day - he gets adequate outside play time and I get my power walk in and we both feel vitalized afterward. I haven't been able to for a week now and Golf's been taking him out with him. He's taking him to the flea market with him this morning. At least he gets to go out. I went out for a few hours with them yard saleing yesterday morning, but it was painful. Perhaps tomorrow I might be well enough to walk with him to the library and let him play in the park.

Well, on the positive end - keeping up with my textbook reading has been a breeze! I'm going to take my first final exam on Tuesday.

My New Earth Shoes

I had seen the ad for Earth Shoes in several magazines, mostly yoga and health related. I thought the idea was kind of neat - a negative heel that sits a bit lower than the rest of the shoe.

Since I've bought some high heel boots and pumps for my new career, I thought that having an opposite effect on my feet and legs when not wearing heels would be beneficial.

So I checked out the website and I have to say that most of the shoes are not appealing looking to me - not my style. But I did find these pair here called Vision 2. They still look a little duck-like but I like them. They're replacing my worn out Diesel knock-offs I bought in Thailand for $10. I like wearing a casual shoe for walking around and not having to resort to my cross trainers, which I prefer to wear when power walking. I want these to wear to the store or to the flea market or just anywhere out n about.

Retail price for these is about $120 because they are real leather and well constructed. I found them on eBay for about half that price and with shipping I paid about $74. They should last me at least 10 years and with that length of time, I'd say the price is well worth it.

An injury

Not to Aidan, so don't worry. To myself. Last Friday I went to my yoga class and we were doing a lot of back and spinal stretching - downward facing dog and different modified versions of it. I was only too glad because while my back has never given me problems, my upper back has always been too rounded and gives me bad posture.

In downward dog, you have to stretch your butt up to the ceiling while lengthening your arms in the opposite direction with your shoulders pushing opposite of your arms. It's a very dynamic pose. I guess I got overly dynamic in it because after class I felt some small amount of pain in my lower left back muscle. I just thought I had stretched it really well.

It started hurting worse the next day and was the same amount of annoying pain since then but not to the point of being extremely painful. I took a Tylonol here and there.

But yesterday evening I lifted Aidan up into his high chair, and while I was still under the effects of Tylonol, I felt it. Not a pop, but I could definitely feel a shift or a slip and the pain wasn't worse at first, but my body immediately became more protective of the injured area.

As the night wore on, the pain got worse. I now have to be very careful and slow. I don't know if I'm even going to be able to take Aidan out of his crib when he wakes up, I may have to have Golf help me. I just looked online for muscle injury care and they all say the same thing: Ibuprofin, ice and rest. Thank goodness Golf is here to help me with Aidan. He still likes to be picked up and carried a lot, and I simply cannot do it until my sprain gets better. UGH.

*~F~L~O~A~T~I~N~G~*

I have, for many years now, wanted to try floating in a sensory deprivation tank. I've read articles on it and even seen movies about how it can put you into an altered state of consciousness. Imagine being in a tank with 10 inches of water with 800-1000 pounds of epsom salts dissolved in it. You get in and you float like a cork. The water covers your ears. You close the tank door and there is no light. You lie in the water and you can't feel your body -- you're nude and suspended. No touch, no sight, no sound, no smells and no taste if you don't allow any salt water to get into your mouth.

I have a flyer for a floatation center in Oakland. There are several in the Sacramento area once we move. One day I WILL experience this opportunity to see what the mind will do where there is no sensory imput. As a beginner in meditation (and doing it everyday without fail - YAY!) I'm interested in how my mind would react under such conditions.

Here's a link to more info on the subject from that Oakland center website.

A Fun St. Patrick's Party

For all of us in the family, it was our first ever St. Patrick's Day Party! We went to our friends Melanie and Daryll's house and they had it decorated up all nice and lots and lots of glorious food! Daryll prepared a perfect corned beef with cabbage, red potatoes, carrots, dilled potatoes, a selection of mustards and pickles, sausages on the grill outside, salad, Irish soda bread with fresh Irish butter.... and that's not including the variety of desserts that were brought in or the huge tray of fresh shrimp brought by one of the guests to enjoy as an appetizer. YUMMY! Oh and did I mention all the wine and beer and other lovely drinks? I stuck mostly with iced green tea because I'm not much of a drinker during the heat of the day (and it got close to 80F)

Aidan was such a good boy too. All the guests enjoyed him - he may challenge us at home throwing tantrums and constantly testing his mommy and daddy, but around others he's an angel!! We were so proud of him. At one point he was sitting around the table with all the men who were drinking, and he had his sippy cup in hand and a plastic St. Patrick's Day hat on - he was one of the ole boys. So cute.

Lots of fun. But today I'm going to go light on the food because I way over-indulged on the key lime pie. It was heavenly!!!!

New Photo Album Online

Hey all
Golf just uploaded a bunch of new photos mostly from our time at my parents' house. You can see Aidan, my mom and dad, Golf and me, but mostly of THAT BABY. ;)

Other news of note: Car troubles. We had to take it into the shop and fortunately the shop is within easy walking distance. It's been there since early yesterday morning and may not be finished until later this afternoon. So I've been putting off shopping til its back - scary how dependent we are on our vehicles, even in an urban area.

I was listening to a one of my favorite talk shows on the radio yesterday on my walk with Aidan and the guest was an expert in procrastinating behavior. Boy am I that! I have all these real estate text books to read - eight in total and I'm finding it a bit overwhelming to start and therefore I end up putting it off, finding little chores and other odds n ends to do before buckling down to read.

The guest on the program suggested to make mini goals, break the task down piece by tiny piece and put it into writing to help crystalize it in the mind. So when I got home, I decided to break my textbook up into chapters and I made it a goal to read one chapter per day. I wrote it on post-it notes and put them at the end of each chapter with the date. Now I feel more confident that I shall finish this first book and take the exam by the end of this month. YAY!

Toxic Shock

It all started out OK this morning. By 10 AM I was pretty hungry and could feel my caffeine headache coming on. However, by noon, I was knocked-down ill. I had a full blown migraine and I could hardly move. I managed to peel an orange for Aidan to eat with his lunch and after I prepared it, I ran to the bathroom and threw up. It only got worse from there. I couldn't even keep water down, which is dangerous during a fast. I spent the whole afternoon in bed. Golf ended up talking me into doing my fast at a later time when my body wouldn't suffer such a shock.

My mother also made the point that since having a baby my body chemistry has changed and when fasting used to be an ordeal I could handle, I'm not the same as I used to be. I've done a fast before and other than being lightheaded and hungry, I never got physically ill from it. This literally knocked me on my ass!

So I've got a new plan. I will eat better and wean myself from so much coffee. I'm going to incorporate less meat and more beans into my diet. I will work my way down to ONE cup of coffee a day, and beginning tomorrow, no more afternoon coffee. I'll take tea instead.

By summer I intend to try this again. I'm disappointed and embarassed, esp. after such pep-talk posts about it before doing it. But I felt so horrible and I couldn't do a thing. Thank goodness for Golf being so understanding and helping me out with Aidan. I have not given up, just modifying a plan that isn't working. In the end it makes no sense to doggely pursue something that is not working properly. This fast was not working out properly and I need to prepare my body over a long period of time.

Day 1

My starting weight is about 150.
I gained a few pounds at my parents' house and ideally I'd love to shed 10-15 more pounds, fluctuating between 135 and 140.

Last night before I drank some herbal laxative tea. I also prepared figs, prunes and raisins in a large mug, poured boiling water over it and covered it overnight.
Here is my daily routine until Friday morning:

* Upon rising: 2 teaspoons psyllium husks in a big glass of water.
* Breakfast: discard fruit from mug and drink the liquid.
* Mid-morning: Kyolic Kyo-Green energy drink (mixture of wheat grass, young barley, kelp, chlorella and FOS)
* Lunch: glass of carrot juice
* Mid afternoon: Green tea with Kombucha
* About 5 PM: glass of carrot juice
* Dinner: Large glass of apple juice
* Before Bed: cup of peppermint tea

On the last day of the fast, I get to have a small raw-foods meal for dinner. I also have some colon cleanse capsules I take throughout the day, and am drinking 6-8 glasses of water.

So that's it. Of course I feel fine this morning. The challenge has not yet begun and I imagine I'll have a pounding caffeine headache later this morning. I'll report in tonight.

In preparation for tomorrow

"I can be what I will to be."

This affirmation is in the Master Key System that I'm studying and it really struck me. It went on to say that,

"Unless you do this [repeat this affirmation until it becomes habit and therefore your truth in your subconscious] you had better not start at all, because modern psychology tells us that when we start something and do not complete it, or make a resolution and do not keep it, we are forming the habit of failure.; absolute ignominious failure. If you do not intend to do a thing, do not start; if you do start, see it through even if the heavens fall; if you make up your mind to do something, do it; let nothing, no one, interfere; the 'I' (ego) in you has determined, the thing is settled; the die is cast, there is no longer any argument. "

So this is how I'm approaching my detox beginning tomorrow. The die is cast.

More tomorrow on the teas and tonics I bought for this liquid flushing.

Going on a 4-day detox fast

I made a decision a few days ago that when I return home I will do a detox fast and flush all these crappy toxins out of my system. I got back from a buffet at the casino with the family yesterday and that food isn't all that great and it was sitting in my gut like a lump. I've gained probably five pounds at Mom and Dad's, despite all the hard work that kept me active. In all, I have cultivated some bad dietary habits since being married (not Golf's fault, but he certainly has influence):

• I eat WAY too much meat. Golf loves beef, pork, chicken -- but mostly beef and second place is pork. We eat it often and if I was single, I'd be eating a mostly vegetarian diet. He hates beans and most all legumes. My intention is to eat lean red meat ONCE a week, if that, and eat mostly vegetarian. My body needs this diet and I will just have to deal with the inconvenience of sometimes preparing more than one meal.
  
  
  
• I am completely and utterly addicted to caffeine. I drink 2 1/2 cups of coffee in the morning with half-n-half, sugar AND Splenda. In the afternoon we also each have one cup of coffee to give us a boost. My excuse is that the British have their afternoon tea, so we have afternoon coffee. I need to cut it out and start drinking green tea if I need a boost, without all that sugar and half-n-half. It will save a bunch on the cost of Splenda too. And let us not forget how expensive coffee is!
  
  
  
• I've been sitting here the last two days with a gas knot in my tummy. (Sorry if TMI) I've also gotten headaches. My exzema is acting up on my fingers. I've got an acne problem that I thought buying Proactiv Solution would cure -- no, I think I should be eating better. When I was taking the diet pills, I had still been ingesting food as I described above. In reasonable portions, but too fatty just the same. The remaining 10 pounds is still there.
  
  
  
• I 100% believe that if the body is healthy and running at an optimum, the mind can be clear and focused. I need to prepare myself in every way to be the success I intend to be. I need to have the energy and concentration to fulfull my intentions, dreams and goals. Why bother with my yoga and meditation if I'm filling my body with red meat, fat, caffeine and sugar?

Monday is my day to begin and I intend to go for four days. The book I'm using says that three day fasts are the minimum a person needs to get any benefit, and the most I've ever done is two days. Four days is one day more than the minimum and at a level I think I can handle. I plan to describe what I go through and tomorrow I shall visit the health food store in preparation. I shall tell you what all I got to thoroughly roto-root my colon. LOL! I intend to blog about every day to also hold me accountable for my plans. I intend to go by the book, no cheating.

I'm going all the way for four days. I am going to do this and it is going to feel SO good at the end of my fast. I'm sure this will be a spiritual journey as well as a physical one, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.

Returning Tomorrow

Not much blogging this week as we've been at my parents' house the last week. We're leaving tomorrow. The internet connection they have is dial-up and I've been so busy that I haven't had much patience in dealing with the slowness.

I've been helping them out as much as I can to show my gratitude in how much they've helped out Golf, Aidan and me. One big project I worked on was their RV trailer. They've had it parked for the last four months since they moved into their new place and they unpacked their essentials, but left just about everything else. Now they'd like to sell it, so I went in and started from the front and worked my way back deep cleaning it and detailing it. They should get a good price for it and I want to make sure their chances of that are high by having a nice clean trailer to sell. It was hard work!

I also cleared out the front yard and reset the stones by their two sets of trees. They have no real lawn, and the trees had a half-assed assemblege of stones at their bases that I took out and redid. I also collected a ton more rocks (it seemed like a ton anyway!) to add to it. Their property has SO MANY rocks n stones, it's amazing, so I thought I'd showcase the stones. Last time I was here I did the stone walkway from the driveway to the front door and that was hard labor. I also helped paint the side of the house and all this is in addition to doing daily chores such as cooking and cleaning the kitchen.

Mom and I had a great visit and we talked a lot, I learned more about her that I didn't know and it's been an overall positive experience.

My real estate books also arrived, but only six of them. Two more are on back order and should arrive hopefully before we come out again in May for Aidan's birthday. Beginning tomorrow I'm going to get back into my routine of yoga and meditation and then any spare moment I get will be spent with my nose in the book, plowing through the material. I'm already on chapter 3 in the first book, so I'm doing alright!

I have more to share over the weekend...