Zumbalicious

It was a busy & exhausting week. We were shorthanded at work & in the midst of a sales contest. My dad had eye surgery on Thursday so I spent most of the day at the hospital. On Friday I had to get up at 5:30 to take him to Morgantown for a follow up appointment. As it became time for the 2 hour zumba master class I signed up for on Friday night, I began to wonder "WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!" I was soooo tired! But I had pre-registered & paid so I knew I had to go. What an experience . . . I am so glad I went! Erick, the instructor, is from Miami & very compelling. He was high energy, & it was so easy to get drawn in with his enthusiasm. In addition, I realized that this must be quite an opportunity when they announced that there were people in the class from not just WV, but MD, VA, PA, OH, IL, & FL. About 20% of the class were zumba instructors which was a little intimidating. Fortunately, I was able to pick up the choreography pretty quickly because the place was packed . . . one wrong move & I could have knocked somebody down. Well, it was a really hard workout but so much fun! It is gratifying to know that I can do over 2 hours of cardio &, with the help of 3 bottles of water, survive. A little hip hop, a little kick boxing, some Latin . . . just an amazing night!

Above is a picture of Erick & one of some of the instructors he called to come up on stage including our own Brionna.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp-6dmO_njI&feature=PlayList&p=AD3CFB3E8E8EB506&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=20

Good Grief!

Tonight while I was watering my plants, it happened again. I was swarmed by bees & stung multiple times on my left hand & under my right eye. Apparently there is a bees' nest under my deck floor . . . I'm afraid to look! The bee sting stick I just bought didn't touch the pain or the swelling. So I took a frozen margarita pouch from the freezer & held it with my left hand over my right eye. It helped on my hand, but my eye not so much. I tweeted about it & someone sent me a home remedy to try. . . chopped parsley mixed with vinegar & salt. Well, it probably would have worked better if I didn't have to substitute parsley flakes & wine vinegar, but all I ended up with was parsley flakes stuck to my face! Eventually, I decided that the margarita pack might be more effective taken internally so I drank it. My eye is still swollen, but I'm a lot more chill about it now.

Yeow!

Two Saturdays ago I was on the deck drinking my coffee. I had been having trouble with my sciatic nerve which had caused a great deal of pain in my back, hip & leg, & I had been unable to sleep for several nights. So instead of just sitting (which was painful) with my coffee I decided to walk around the deck & move some of my plants. Just as I picked up the first plant I got stung on the foot by a bee that then became trapped between my toes. As I was trying to both kill the bee & free my foot from it, I began getting stung on my left leg (yes, the one that was already sore!). Bees were now in my pajama pants, & all I really could do as I hopped & screamed was take my pants off & hope that no one would see me. Now I'm free of the bees but standing half naked on my deck screaming like a banshee! Eventually I calmed down & went inside only to find I had nothing for bee stings. I dragged myself upstairs, threw on some pants & drove to CVS. As I limped through CVS I armed myself a bee sting stick, BenGay & Advil. I was in tears when I checked out. Of course I told the sympathetic clerk my story. Yes, I felt like a total baby, but it really hurt!

Catching Up

Starting over . . . 

I have watched some intense baseball . . . my own boys plus my nephew, Jay. The kind of baseball where your heart is in your throat . . . where you live & die with every pitch. This summer I have started back at square one with both Owen & Drew playing t-ball for the first time. The "rules" are unique . . . no score, no outs, everybody bats . . . just have fun & hopefully learn a little about baseball. Well, it is fun & funny & just about the cutest thing I've ever seen! Owen's league is for 5-6 year olds some of whom seem to have a clue. Drew's league is for 3-4 year olds & is more like herding kittens! Both boys have got the professional look down though . . . it's all about the uniform!

Moving on . . . 

I attended Owen's preschool graduation a couple weeks ago. It was 3 songs, a certificate, & off to a celebratory lunch. Owen announced to his mom at some point that week that he was "moving up in the world." 

Too fun . . . 

For Christmas I received concert tickets for Julianne Hough from Ryan. No one has ever accused either Ryan or me of being shy so we picked our way through the crowd & positioned ourselves right in front of the stage. Yes, we may have had to elbow some pre-teen girls out of our way, but hey, how many opportunities does one get to be front & center at a concert! Ryan got some really amazing pictures from that vantage point (I think he took about 150!), & we stayed to meet her afterward & get a picture with her. Although I look like I'm half asleep in the picture, I really was energized & having a great time.

Weather . . . 

I've always wondered why people talk so much about the weather until now. June gloom??? We have had maybe 5 days of sunny & warm since spring began! I'm sick of rainy & cold, sinus headaches, & constantly changing from heat to A/C & back. Summer? Bring it on!!!

I love a parade . . .

Actually, I pretty much hate parades with the exception of the Disney electrical light parade. But this one was pretty unexpected & rather hilarious. Eight year old Kerry had the bright idea over Memorial weekend that we should end our family cookout with a parade. She determined that she would be the princess & would ride in the back of a pickup truck along with her three year old cousin, Drew, who would be the prince. Fearing that Drew wouldn't be allowed to ride without supervision, Kerry decided that his mom, Kelly, could be the queen & ride along with them. Kerry got her dad to drive & throw candy. Her grandfather appropriately was the grand marshall since he is a WWII veteran & was to lead the parade in his golf cart. Brother Jay would bring up the rear on a riding lawnmower. The parade route went around the block in their neighborhood. The rest of us were to be the spectators. A light drizzle did not deter this determined little group from their mini-parade. Kerry had signs for the truck & even made a sign for her grandfather to indicate that he was the grand marshall. A good time was had by all, & many good sports contributed to making this very special for Kerry! This parade I did love!!!

Drew is 3!!!

Happy 3rd birthday, Drew Jacob Zundell! You are an interesting,  funny, charming little guy . . . your personality is a nice combination of both of your parents. This has been a big year for you as you have become a big brother to Tyler along with mastering so many skills & acquiring an amazing vocabulary. I know it will continue to be fun to watch you learn & grow . . . I love you!

Still Alice

Here is why I don't want to read the book Still Alice about a woman who develops Altzheimers:

Yesterday on my way to tennis I realized that I had forgotten my water--no real biggie; we all do that. I knew I could buy water in the machine at the tennis center, but, since I had only a $20 bill, I started rooting through my purse for the $1.25 I would need for the machine. Although I was successful in finding enough change I also found (GASP) my paycheck from last week! Now I'm really concerned about the lack of money in my account--but I don't remember to make a deposit on the way to work today! It does occur to me as I pull into my office parking lot so I decide to go to the bank during lunch. As I wait in the drive-thru line I prepare my depoit ticket & endorse my check. Then I check my email & voicemail. (I'm beginning to realize I do not multi-task well!) Next I pay for my apples & yogurt & head for the bank. When I was sitting in the bank drive thru, I glanced at the passenger seat & realized that I had driven off without my food!