Boot Camp

As I was going to step class I saw a flier for "Boot Camp" being offered from 4:30-5:30pm Monday thru Thursday for 8 weeks. Now I have some extras I have wanted to lose...I had gained some unexplained weight (no, I am not pregnant) and was worried about my thyroid. My blood work showed that I had a Vitamin B 12 deficiency which from what I understood ment that I had no energy so no drive to exercise. Anywho, I am now taking a B 12 supplement and I am feeling great, so hello boot camp. Now the first day I was super nervous, not sure what to expect. Now lets see, how do I explain that first day...utter muscle ripping pain...yep, sounds about right. I couldn't walk, bend down, go up or down stairs, lift my arms, laugh, or cough for a week and I still had three more days to go for the week. I didn't know how many torturous ways the body can be forced to move. I assume that after these 8 weeks the plank will be my friend, but for now it is my bitter arch enemy. Wish me luck...

Triathlon

So I always knew that a triathlon consisted of swimming , biking, and running...however it was not until after I signed up for the "I tried a triathlon" that I realized for this mini thriathlon I had to do all of these events consecutively. It is ok that you are saying "seriously" or "duh " at the computer right now.

My goal for the triathlon was to finish, just finish. My secret goal was to not come in last. I am so happy to report that I accomplished both of my goals! :) I swam 250 yds., biked 6.5 miles, and ran 2.1 mile...consecutively I might add :) It was nice to push my body again. I haven 't had to or wanted to do that since high school. It was good to have to mentally push myself. Once you have swam and then biked your body is done, no more, lets go home. The beauty of it is that once you get off that bike you have to run 2 miles, poetic cruelty.

It felt so great to finish and to hear my dad yell "kick it in Alysha"!

Hiding in the Bathroom

Note: If you don't want to do something just go hide in the bathroom...

This summer I am teaching summer preschool camps. This week I have a fun dynamic group of kids. All of their ages range from 3-5 except for one 2 year old girl. This little girl dislikes cleaning more then any other child I have ever seen. All this week when I have asked her to help clean up she will find other activities to occupy her time in hopes that I will not notice her non-clean-up effort. Well today my little anti-tiddiness child really upped her game. I asked the preschoolers to start cleaning up and all of them (minus one) willingly cleaned up the classroom. After the room was tiddy I noticed that the bottom half of the bathroom door was shut. Another child had to use the bathroom, but he couldn't get the door opened so I went over to investigate. That darling little girl was sitting on a step stool with her back against the door. She made it very clear that she was not going to clean.

I think I am going to follow her lead...instead of cleaning the house I am just going to sit in the bathroom with my back against the door. So if my husband asks where I am tell him you know where to find me.

My Me Book

When I was in 5th grade attending Cora B. Darling Elementary School, I had an assignment to create a book that displayed my life and outlined my hopes and dreams...or something along those lines. As I read through a written and drawn account of my life, I had to smile and laugh. There was a page entitled "What I Want To do When I Grow Up" and as a child I was unclear of what I wanted as an adult however I did have lofty goals.

"I'm not sure yet, but I think that I want to be a singer, someone who comforts little kids at the hospital if they are scared, or a fashion designer. I want to be a movie star. I want to live in Hollywood or I want to live in Hawaii."

I don't have the heart to tell 5th grade Alysha Miller that she doesn't grow up to be a singer turned movie star with a home in Hollywood and Hawaii. I suppose I can just tell her that she does grow up :)

Back At The Ranch

So I believe that if you pay attention there are always signs to help guide us in our decisions. You just have to be willing to see the signs.

My favorite preschooler gave me a beautiful butterfly dish that holds dips in it and along with the dish came a package of "Back At The Ranch" dip.

I think that is a good enough sign for me :)

Red Light District

Prostitution is the oldest profession

In Amsterdam there is a part of the downtown area that surrounds a beauftiful church full of history. That area is call the Red Light District. Prostitution is legal in Holland and in the RLD sex is everywhere. There are sex shows, porn theatres, condom shops, and sex toy shops. Sex is literally dripping off the stone buildings. I was facinated by the RLD. Here are these women, mostly young, who make their living by selling their bodies. Many of them have husbands and children and working nights for them is much like being a nurse and working the night shift...just part of the job. I really wanted to sit down with some of these girls and ask them about their lives: how is their self esteem?, what is their daily life like?, what do their children think of the profession?, what's the rate of STD and pregnancy...and my list would go on and on.

Human behavior facinates me.

Jiffy Pop

Now I have had several surgeries in my life, but never did I have to don a jiffy pop hat. As we were waiting with my Dad before his surgery he was given a silver shower cap to wear during surgery. He looked liked one of the jiffy pop containers that you put over the stove to cook. It was much needed comic relief during a stressful time :)

So after hours and hours of waiting we finally got to see Jiffy Pop. There were more tubes coming out of him then I could have every imagined. He was flat on his back and the many monitors present were reminders that machines were keeping track of his life. He had an IV coming out of his neck which was hard to see. He knew we were there and his breathing sped up so the sweet nurse continued to remind him to slow down his breathing so they can hopefully removed the ventilator. And less then an hour later they did!

The staff in the CICU was wonderful. They let us see Dad as much as we wanted, no questions asked. My Dad stayed in the CICU a little longer after he as actually discharged from there because as my Dad said it , " There was no room in the inn"...the step down floor was full. So he got the service of the CICU without the cost.

I was so impressed with how the staff at St. Mary's cared for my Dad...they cared as though he was theirs.