AuroraNorth

My current solution is easy, though not ideal: Don't have sex

Yeah, that's working fine for me too!

Not sure I'd want to go that route if I were married, though.

I'm in at 225. I have to stick to knee pushups because of a foot injury- I can't balance on my toes like that for very long.

Actually, I did two.

I'd put that down for my six week challenge, not thinking I'd make it. However, I kept working on the negative pull-ups and body weight rows, building up to 2 sets of six for my circuits and 70 pushups.

Then, this morning, I decided to give it a try after breakfast. Still in my nightshirt, I walked over to the chin-up bar, grabbed it and started to lift. Suddenly, I was looking into the mirror across the room, and my entire head was over the chin-up bar. I stayed for a moment, then lowered myself down. Then I did it all over again. Victory dance followed.

I'm feeling good.

That's great! I love rowing machines- it's an excellent whole-body workout.

That's fabulous! Yay!!!

Congratulations, that's wonderful!

It's a great feeling, isn't it? Go you!

Congratulations!

Sister librarian, I salute you. This is great- you've found a routine that works and you're getting results. Congratulations!

That's why we're here- congratulations, man. That's a fantastic accomplishment. Feel good about yourself!

Fellow Alaskan, I salute you. Enjoy!

Quake checking in!

All things considered, I did all right. Scratch that, I did awesome.

I had five things to work on:

1. I wanted to do 2 standard pullups at the end of my challenge. Done!

2. Come up with 6 quick and healthy meals for dinners. Done!

3. Get 8 hours of sleep a night. I'm usually managing 7+, which is better than before.

4. Sticking to my routine. Done!

5. Finding my passion- I think I've got it. Now I have to figure out how to do it.

As much as I love the idea of a nerd fitness gym, I think the way forward could be distributed groups of nerds meeting up regularly to get fit together.

Think Fight Club with exercise instead of fighting. I think it would fit in nicely with the Rebel theme and could actually work if the right people came together.

The first rule of Fit Club- We ALL talk about Fit Club. To everyone.

Not all at once, fortunately.

I've been donating at my workplace's Red Cross blood drive for a few years now and apparently all that spinach paid off. I have officially donated one gallon, and have just started my second one today. I feel pretty proud of myself!

A couple things to consider:

~Does she like surprises? Some people hate them. If she does, this might not be the way to go.

~Would she like a public proposal? If my BF proposed while we were having dinner out, I'd be OK with it as long as he did it quietly. Jumbotron? I'd be horrified and very uncomfortable. Movie theater trailer? I'd be distracted thinking about how annoyed the other patrons would be getting.

~Write down everything you spend, from penny candy to rent. It helps you spot those recurring hazards. For example, I was going to the grocery store on dance class nights, and I'd come out with $20-$40 worth of stuff that I didn't really need. It was just there and easy.

~Make a list when you go grocery shopping and stick to it! Also, eat before you go. Grocery shopping hungry is dangerous to your wallet.

Tonight? Ice cream.

Yay for Denver!

Yay, that's great!

Go you!!!

Huzzah!

Matilda's right- one of the selling points to my apartment was that there's a grocery store and pharmacy with good hours half a mile from my place. Knowing that I can quickly grab some eggs or whatever if I need after work and not have to slog through an extra trip is a big plus.

Also, think carefully what a reasonable distance for getting to public transit is. I turned down one place because I'd have to walk over a mile each way to get to the metro- there was no bus route nearby and DC weather can be horrid, especially in summer. The idea of having to slog home from the metro in August was enough to put me off. My current trek is .3 miles, and that's workable with groceries/packages even when it's hot.

When I went apartment hunting, I hit my local Craigslist. I had a budget, an idea of where I wanted to live and what my transportation options were. I'm in the DC metro area, so a car was not a must. However, that meant I needed a nearby bus route and metro station.

My requirements were- 1-bedroom, quiet location, easy access to bus/metro.

I came up with a list of standard questions which I tailored to the apartment in question:

1. Where in DC is it located?

2. Are you looking for a short term renter or a long term one? I would like to get something with a yearlong lease.

3. What kind of Metro/bus access is around it?

4. What is the potential move-in date?

5. Are there laundry facilities in the building?

6. Are utilities included, and how much do they usually run if they aren't?

7. How reliable are your elevators/does the building have elevators?

8. What sort of deposits are required, and how much are they?

9. What kind of security and access to the building exist?

10. Is there central air conditioning?

That helped me narrow down what I was looking at and if it was impossible.

Do look at private home rentals- I'm currently in a 2-bedroom furnished basement apartment that runs me $810 a month- and that includes utilities, cable and wifi. My landlady decided to turn her basement into an apartment for her daughter and son-in-law, and after they moved out she started taking tenants. She's nice and not nosy- also, having her on the premises means if anything goes wrong, she deals with it fast.

I've moved them from "friend" to "acquaintance" for the most part. I know they aren't the people to go to when I have a problem. We may hang out in a group, but one on one they grate.

When I used a PT, I had a specific request. I wanted a routine that didn't require the gym, and he gave me a good circuit workout that can be adapted for the gym or home.

Find out what their goals are. I started with the trainer because I had a bellydance performance coming up and wanted to build stamina, tighten my triceps and strengthen my legs.