Go Do Them.

I'm trying to live up to this goal.  Knitting - check.  Quilting again - check, well, kind of - at least I have all of the fabrics.  Kayaking - check.  Home at the beach - check, well, again, kind of - we have the land and the contractor has our plan.  Daily exercise - check.  

Still trying to get to: stand up paddleboarding, daily walks on the beach, retirement, inner peace, eternal kindness and positive attitude...

Gee, thanks...

Dear Members of the Board of Education:

      Thank you SOOOOOoooooooooo much for the $126.32 bonus you gave me today!  Yes, I thought it would be a little closer to $500.00 since we were told it was going to be $500.00.  In reality, I knew taxes and retirement and social security would be taken from it.  But - really - I was expecting a little more. When the federal government takes $262.38 and I only get $126.32, something is WAY wrong. 

     No joke.  Of the $500.00 gross, retirement took $30.00, federal took $262.38, social security took $28.25, and state took $53.00. 

     Yes, I am thankful to have a job.  And not just a job, a job  I LOVE.  I am thankful to have had the opportunity to have done this job for almost thirty years; however, this "bonus" is a joke.  Please don't let me see anything in print about the $500 bonus teachers and school employees received.  Like most things, it sounds good but the reality is not so pretty. Make sure the public knows that in addition to no real raise, not even a cost of living adjustment for the past four years, some of us got $126.32 of the advertised $500.00 "bonus" today.  Gee, thanks.

What will you do with your one wild and precious life?

     So.... What do I plan to do with my one wild and precious life???? The "working" days are winding down.  I cleaned closets yesterday and carried all of my spring/summer "work" clothes to a consignment shop today.  After thirty years, my last day at work will be February 28. I won't be needing those teacher clothes any longer.  Not that they are bad, they just are not what I wear away from school.  What will the future hold?  Hang on, we're all waiting to see that answer.

Circuit Training - Next New Thing...

Since the week before Christmas, most days have been cold, damp, and rainy.  Not conducive to my long walks outside.  I have tried working with the elliptical and sit up bench, but I just don't enjoy it for days on end.  I broke down near the end of December and, like thousands of other people, I went to get a membership at our local gym.  After asking the prices, I just could not do it.  Mentally, I can't make myself pay fees to exercise when I have an elliptical and sit up bench at home.  I started investigating other "winter" options.  When I first started using Pinterest, I made a "Move my Ass" board.  Blunt, yes, but that has always been my philosophy.  I don't think it matters specifically what type of workout you do, just get up and move.  That, along with a reasonable diet, and you will be fine. I sat and looked back through all the pins on that board and it clicked.  Circuit training!  Some people refer to it as interval training.  Not a new concept, but something I've never done for any length of time.  It meets my requirements including movement, the ability to be done inside, and no need for expensive equipment.  Over the past week, even when out of town, I was able to complete a thirty-minute circuit each day.  Even on days that I have been able to get out and walk a couple of miles, I've still done at least a twenty-minute circuit.  Since I already had an old set of three pound hand weights, I added those to the circuits.  I love that there are MANY different moves that can be incorporated in your daily circuit.  It is wonderful to do something a little different each day.  To give me no excuse, I printed out several different thirty minute circuits.  Each day, I choose a different one. I pulled together moves from several different ones to make some of my own.  Some of the best I've seen are from http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/tagged/workout-challenge, written by a young woman who is a college student and dancer.  She had different workouts for different areas of the body.  Here is one of her ab circuits:

                             

So far, so good.  Boredom has not set in thanks to the variety.  If you would like to "Move Your Ass" along with me, please look at my board on Pinterest for some ideas: http://pinterest.com/terrip919/move-my-ass/.