It’s been such a nice couple of weeks. Ever since I scaled back my workload, I’ve been spending more time relaxing… doing things like reading fiction while Kamea sleeps, playing Words with Friends on my iPhone, exercising daily, and overall enjoying a slower paced life. I likey!
Books: I want to rent The Lincoln Lawyer when it comes out on DVD, but thought it’d be fun to read the book first. I was right. I really enjoyed it and finished it in about three days. Have you read it? Did you like it? Have you read anything else by this author, Michael Connelly? I’m trying to figure out where this book fits in with all of his other titles to decide which of his to read next. Any suggestions? Until I figure that out, I decided to read The Hunger Games, but oh dear(!) it’s a bit disturbing so far. I was going to stop reading it but so many people have recommended it – plus – I hear it’ll be made into a movie. Does anyone have thoughts on this? Should I keep reading? Is it worth it?
I usually read non-fiction books for research and work (fitness, nutrition, etc), but as I said, I’m scaling back a bit to take a breather and enjoy my family more. Do you have any fun and fast paced, page turning titles you recommend?
Words with Friends: This app (game) can be a major time suck but it’s fun! I love that I can play a game with someone on the other side of the world, such as my beloved Soul Sister, Robyn (Girl on Raw). I also love playing with my darling dearest friend, Malynda. And, it’s fun for the family… Greg and I play each night as Kamea is going to sleep. It’s a calm and peaceful way to unwind from the day (unless I’m losing – haha). We like to get 3-4 games going at once so there’s not much waiting between turns. Do you play? I’m KristensRaw if you want to play!
Fitness: I joined a new gym a couple of weeks ago and I LOVE IT!!! It’s actually more of a health club because it has so much to offer that goes beyond just working out. It’s DC Ranch Village if any local readers are members. I used to belong to a smaller gym and one thing that keeps me motivated with exercise is changing gyms, although I have a feeling that I’ll stay with DC Ranch Village for a long while. Some of the things I love…. gorgeous pool area (pictured left), indoor track, stretching stations with neat equipment to facilitate, plenty of room and I’m never waiting on others because there are machines and free weights in many different areas of the facility, a spa that uses products I approve of (that’s hard to find!), a cafe which I think could do a bit better by way of their food offerings but they are on the right track, and overall the place is gorgeous. I’ve been getting GREAT workouts there and look forward to going every day. That’s a testimonial if I ever heard one for a gym! Lol!
Yesterday, I had a fitness assessment there where they tested blood pressure, resting heart rate, aerobic fitness, body fat, back flexibility, bicep strength, and give an overall total fitness score. I was in the top range (defined as “excellent”) for everything except flexibility in which I totally sucked. I was labeled as “needs work” so that’s something I want to improve. My bodyfat was 18% and I weighed 121.6 pounds. I didn’t weigh first thing in the morning, and I’d already consumed some calories for the day, so I’m not sure how accurate it is, but it sounds good to me. I did gain a couple of pounds this week, which I’m happy about. As I look to get pregnant again in the next couple of years, I might need to gain more bodyfat… more on that in future posts.
Udo’s Oil: I’m considering this product and wondered if any of you have thoughts on it? I bought his book, Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill but I haven’t started it yet. I heard an interview with Udo Erasmus and found it pretty compelling and interesting… but I’m just not sold yet. However, with my goal of another pregnancy in the next year or two, perhaps this is just what I need to put a little fat on me.