Last week, my sister Sue dropped by.  She was running some errands and asked if I would like to keep her company.  Since venturing out of the house seems liked a great idea, I agreed.  Sue listed all the things she needed to do and at the very end she slipped in one last errand.

Sue:  “Oh, I almost forgot.  I have a Southern Living at Home party to stop at also.  You don’t mind, do you?”

The party was being held at a home in an upscale neighborhood.  I turned and looked at my reflection in the living room mirror.  I was wearing sweats and my hair was a tousled mess on the top of my head.

Me:  “I don’t know, Sue.  I need a shower and I’m not dressed appropriately.”

Sue:  “Nonsense.  You always look great.  Go brush your hair and let’s go.”

Me:  “I really don’t have the extra money to spend on decorative knickknacks.”

Sue:  “Who said you have to buy anything?  If you want something, I’ll treat.  Don’t worry, we won’t stay long!”

I looked in the mirror again, blah!  Sue can look beautiful just by adding lipstick.  Me?  Not so much.  But she really wanted company so I changed and brushed my hair and ran out the door looking not much better than I had before.  We ran her errands and arrived at the party fashionably late.  Upon arrival, we were given a catalog and door prize tickets and were left to explore the decorated house.  Since I knew no one at the party and did not plan on purchasing anything, I found a seat in the corner of the massive family room and flipped through the catalog while Sue socialized.

Before long, Sue placed her order for the Drake Firefly Lanterns and we began our exit.  As we said our good-byes, I heard my name being called.  “Karen D!,  Karen D?, Where’s Karen D?”  Crap!  I had won a door prize.  So Karen D, who knew no one at the soiree and purchased NOTHING, was ushered back into family room and awarded what seemed to be the largest prize of the evening, the hand painted pots in a scrolled metal stand centerpiece.  A most awkward moment, without a doubt.

On the ride home, I insisted the Sue take the prize home but she politely declined.  Thus the prize has been sitting in my living room for last week and I am totally undecided as what I should do with it.  I don’t need it and it really does not match my cluttered decor.  I have no place to display or store it, so I know I must part with it.  With the holidays coming, it may be the perfect item to regift.  But to whom?  I started to think that it will look great at Kat’s as she has been leaving things at my house lately.  Big awkward objects that are driving my husband crazy.  Maybe it’s time to return the favor.  But the problem with that idea is that if I give it to Kat, it’s not really gone.  We both have extraordinary amount of clutter and we cause greater problems by sending our overflow to each other as gifts in disguise.  And there is the risk that she will return it to me at a later time.  It perpetuates the cycle.  Instead, I think I will add it to the box with items to take to my sister Lynne.  The school her children attend have a fund-raiser every year and raffle baskets of donated items.  A perfect way to reduce clutter and give to a good cause.

WOD:
“Lynne Lite” = Three Bars of a Slight Concussion
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of
Deadlift, 75lbs
Chest press, 65lbs
Hang power clean, 55lbs

This workout was one of those things that stamped a big bone head sticker on my forehead. I let my ego take over as usual, and attempted this workout as prescribed with:

1.5x bodyweight deadlift ~225lbs
1.0x chest press ~150lbs
0.75x clean ~115lbs

What resulted after the third round was a complete catastrophic failure aka I had literally tweaked the living crud out of my lower back. This was way too much weight for what I was capable of at the time. I was fatigued from overloading my previous workouts and I was not taking rest days seriously. This caused me to surrender my form on the last fateful deadlift and it ended up taking me out of my training for a good 2-3 weeks. With the help of my wife, it took about a week for me to help guide her in relocating my lower back tendons into place. And after some foam roller rehab, everything eventually popped back and I was able to walk upright again at work without pain. We all do stupid things, but this was definitely a lesson in trying to keep those stupid things to a minimum.

My sister Kat and I ran errands together on Saturday.  Kat was in a particularly fine mood.  Giddy, in fact.  She was bubbling away as she drove, making  random, nonsensical comments that puzzled me.  And when I was unable to string her clues together, I should have realized that she had a secret.

“I KNOW something you don’t know”, Kat purred.

“Really?”, I responded flatly.

“I know what you’re getting for your birthday!”, she replied in a singsong voice.

“Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know”, I singsonged back, as if that would stop her.

“You’re getting an INTERVENTION!”, she gushed.

Cheese and crackers!  I could only stare blankly at Kat as we barreled down the highway.  And Kat grinned from ear to ear.  She looked so satisfied with herself.

“What are you talking about?”, I asked completely stunned.

“You are getting an intervention for your birthday”, She repeated, raising her voice and enunciating slowly.

HUH?!?  I was mortified.  It would be bad enough to have an intervention any other day of the year but on my birthday????  Why not just wrestle me to the ground and take turns kicking me in the head?  I didn’t know what to say.  And Kat just kept on grinning as she watched me stare catatonically out the window.

“Who?  Why?  What?  I don’t understand.  I don’t need intervention.”, I stuttered.

“Well, someone thinks you do!”, Kat countered.

I paused and thought quietly for a few seconds.  I had been doing well decluttering recently.  But over the past week, I had fallen off the proverbial wagon, big time.  My latest acquisitions were real doozies (see next post), completely inexplicable to my sisters and husband.  And now all I could think about was what I could say to a room full of people when they would be able to point and say “If you’re doing so well, how can you explain that?”  I felt so defeated.  Since I knew Kat was not capable of withholding the details so I decided that I might as well know the how and when of the upcoming event.

“For my birthday?  Whose idea was this?”, I asked.

“Well, Lynne called Sue and I the other day and she can’t take it anymore.  So instead of giving each other birthday and Christmas presents, we are pooling our funds to have an intervention.”, she responded.

Money for an intervention??????  Were my sisters catering the event, complete with a buffet so as they could eat while I provided the entertainment by having a complete emotional meltdown?  Or did they find a therapist who was willing to make a house call because of my extreme condition?  How big was this party anyway?  And most importantly, did Mike know about this?  I was hoping that he wasn’t involved as he was about to descend into an even deeper level of physiological Hell than my clutter had ever caused.  I was completely befuddled.  And Kat just kept chattering away about everyone getting together like it was just like any other day.

“Kat!  Focus and tell me what’s going on?  Why would everyone need to pool their Christmas money together for an intervention?”, I implored.

“Lynne can’t take it anymore”, she repeated as if English was my second language, “The glasses have got to go!  She’s organizing an intervention.”

Now, no one reading this could be more lost than I was at that moment.  Glasses?  What glasses?  And then it suddenly dawned on me.  She was talking about my eyeglasses.  Hell’s bells!

“Lynne is upset about my eyeglasses?”, I replied incredulously.

“What else would I be talking about?”, Kat demanded, “Those glasses have got to go!  And since you won’t take care of it, Lynne’s in charge now.”

Suddenly the clutter intervention didn’t seem like such a bad idea.  Lynne and my sisters were right, the eyeglasses needed to go.  Long story short, due to a severe infection from a lens cleaning solution that was recalled nationally, I had to wear eyeglasses again.  I never went to the doctor for a follow up appointment and to obtain a new contact lens prescription.  Thus, the eyeglasses that I am wearing to correct my vision are:

• at least 15 years old
• huge and dated
• unable to resolve images in the distance because my vision has gradually deteriorated over the years
• have two different length temples (when I broke one, I begged a LensCrafters employee to fix them, since I didn’t purchase them there, he improvised)
• crooked, they have a slight diagonal slant (because the arms are not the same length)
• cracked at one end piece which causes the lens to fall out of the frame randomly

So in these glasses, I can’t see, look 20 years older and at inopportune moments a lens drops from the frames to the floor.  Suddenly, I felt like a complete idiot.  I reminded Kat that I had new frames at the house (she had given me one pair as a gift) and promised that I would make an appointment for the eye doctor the next week.  So Kat agreed to call Lynne and cancel the intervention.  Problem solved, right?  Not a chance.

Sunday morning, the phone started ringing at 8am.  I was still half asleep as I stumbled to the phone.

“Hello?”, I mumbled.

“Karen, it me, Lynne.  Get dressed.  We are going to Costco to get you glasses for your birthday!”, she announced.

Kat strikes again.  Perhaps she really did forget to call Lynne but I’m not buying it.  Kat is the consummate practical jokester.  After assuring Lynne that I would replace my glasses, we decided that my sisters and I would meet for lunch to celebrate my birthday.  And instead of glasses, Lynne gave me a planter full of chocolate candy.  So much better than an intervention.  And for fun, I found the most recent pictures that I have of me with and without the horrid glasses.  Enjoy!

Chic-fil-a cow and I

at mini golf

]]> http://realitymaven.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/the-real-houswives-of-oc-back-back-at-it/ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:42:13 +0000 realitymaven http://realitymaven.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/the-real-houswives-of-oc-back-back-at-it/

So what did you think of the new season of the original housewives? I have been waiting for this since this season’s second episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta! Don’t get me wrong, I love RHOA, but it gets a little low class and “new money” at times. The OC wives have a completely different feel while still bringing the drama and entertainment that I’ve missed.

It seems like some old issues are still brewing, and some new situations have sprung up while the camera crews were away…

Tamra is still juicing the phone call she may or may not have received from Gretchen’s “boyfriend” that she may or may not have been seeing while being engaged to the late Jeff. Let’s get over it, if that is the only issue that you had, let it go. It shouldn’t matter to Tamra whether or not Gretchen’s relationship with Jeff was real, worry about your own relationship.
And speaking of Tamra’s relationship, it looks like she and Vicki have switched it up on us. Vicki’s marriage has been rocky for sometime but apparently things are going much smoother for her. (Btw: who laughed their butts off at Vicki’s parachute experience??) Tamra’s on the other hand, has taken a nose dive. I wonder if it has anything to do with being on tv? The cameras can make or break you. Having your relationship broadcasted to millions is not always for the best.

In other relationship news, if you think that Gretchen’s new man looks hella familiar, you’re right. It’s Slate from past seasons (Jo’s ex) …. Ummmmm (insert confusion & suspicion here).

No real interesting tidbits about Lynne… Zzzzzzzzzzz… Oh sorry, I fell asleep just thinking about her. Forget an Ambien, one dose of Lynne will get you right where you need to be! Besides being boring, she is way too naïve. They are smiling in her face and talking about her behind her back, but she smiles and just takes their word for it. Get a clue, please.

Poor Jeana went from riches to rags in such a short amount of time. The real estate market is a bish. She isn’t as far off as she is making it seem though. She is down 2/3 of her usual income, so she says but this season’s RH check should keep her afloat until the market is looking up. I really don’t understand how she made it through 5 seasons, she’s not that interesting.

Oh and be on the lookout for Alexis Bellino, the newest cast member. Bravo describes her as “spicy blonde who unabashedly lives on her own terms…”

I can’t wait to see how things continue to unfold with my favorite Bravo housewives, this is going to be good…real good.

Crazy Lynne

Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench press
Pull-ups
Body weight back squat

13, 9, 8, 7, 5

15, 13, 11, 9, 8

14, 12, 10, 10, 10

Adding the squat factor makes all the difference! I was smashed.

When I pray before the plane takes off, it’s usually something like “Please don’t let me crash.” or “If you let me land, I promise to be nice to more people at work.” or “Please let the person next to me be a mute.”

It usually does not consist of, “Please don’t let the silver mirrored tray I bought at the Pottery Barn outlet fall on my head when we land.” But alas, I did not ask, thus I didn’t receive the protection from the heavens above when the flight attendant opened the overhead bin on one of the three stops on the way back to Phoenix, resulting in a knot on my head, but an in-tact tray.

Maybe, indeed, it was an act of God, literally telling me that I’m a bonehead for leaving such a great state and a warm family.

For one week, I surrendered to Pure Michigan (thank you, Tim Allen), in what would prove to be some of the most beautiful weather of the summer, for them and for me. I have quite the picture tour – and big shocker – nearly every photo is of the kiddos, and I apologize in advance for the shameless exploitation of their cuteness. Matter of fact, upon review, the only photos of me are with fatty foods. Awesome.

So immediately after arriving I was whisked away to the the restaurant, A Matter of Taste, for which we had a lakeside view on the patio, and I got to hold Peyton for the first time! He’s a DOLL. He’s one of those babies that ever so often, looks like an adult and it’s kinda trippy.

Peyton has a TON of personality. He loves [loud] music, colors, toys, sounds, movement. He stands almost on his own (I’m not kidding) and is only comforted by the glorious sounds of Raffi and rattles. And by the hugs of his little sister. If out of eyesight for a moment, lil miss Willa as her arms up in the most innocently curious pose asking, “Baby? Baby? Pey?”

But Willa is 9 parts sweet and 1 part sass with her silly face.

One lovely afternoon, Sarah and I went shopping. But as we’ve grown up, we’ve moved pass trinkets and bracelets, and onto bigger ticket items. I’m still deciding, but I’ll make up my mind soon.

And on my second night, we indulged at a dinner for kings at Aunt Lynne and Uncle Dan’s house. It was so weird to be back there – it’s just like too many memories flooding at once. I could go on. Aunt Lynne cooked up a feast, and we played in the yard. (Yard Envy is definitely in full gear.)

And after a few rounds in the NewFancyBoat it was time to dive into this. Rachel Ray, thank you. It was delish.

I had so much fun relaxing with the kiddos – it can’t be more cliche, but I can’t believe how much they’ve changed!

Oh, and thought you might like to see the Schneider haven (Yard Envy about to explode, and I didn’t even get photos of the deck).

James preparing the “perfecto,” day one.

James preparing the “perfecto,” day two. The name says it all.

And Willa got to open an early birthday present, and I’m happy to report that she didn’t remove the tutu until we left for the day. But she did have to fight over the headband.

We stopped by Uncle Dan’s booth at the Arts, Beats and Eats fair in Pontiac. He got some cuddle time and we got some shovel time – with fresh potatoes and Mackinac Fudge ice cream. deeeelectible.

So we went to this cute little town on my second-to-last day, called NorthVille, and went into this great restaurant that also had a choo-chooing its way on a track near the ceiling. It’s an understatement to say that Willa loved it. I mean, she was raptured by it. Cue camera.

For the final night, James brought out the meat…(Aunt Lynne was also taking a pic at the same time)

…and Sarah cooked an amazing meal of tortilla soup and bananas foster.

The dessert alone made me want to stay at least one more week, but we all agreed that it’s an emotional relief knowing they are coming out in just a couple months, and our family time will be on a very short hiatus.

Let’s just hope that next time,  I don’t have to be reminded by a silver tray in the noggin.

Sarah and James, thank you SO MUCH for such a fabulous vacation. To say that I loved every minute would be the understatement of the year. I love you!

Okay, one more shameless pic

I got Lynne the supplies to make perfect edge shaped brownies and the giant 8″ cupcake. Making desserts has never been easier.
If that’s not enough, how about a lap desk that blocks 95%of your computers heat with Thinsulate Ultra Insulation. The slip resistant surface keeps the computer from falling off your lap!

I got Lynne the supplies to make perfect edge shaped brownies and the giant 8″ cupcake. Making desserts has never been easier.
If that’s not enough, how about a lap desk that blocks 95%of your computers heat with Thinsulate Ultra Insulation. The slip resistant surface keeps the computer from falling off your lap!

“Lynne”
Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench press
Pull-ups
Post reps for both exercises in all rounds.
Benchpress @ 75kg   -  14, 11, 10, 9, 8
Pull-ups – 15, 12, 11, 10, 9

Compare with 081109

I hate Lynne, yet I love her. My most frequent girl WOD.

She’s botanical, feminine, artistic and undeniably underused, at least in the US.

Thanks to Bek for suggesting Linnea as Name of the Day.

Linnea isn’t new.  She first appeared in the US Top 1000 in 1903.  In 1945, she made it all the way to #744.  But she’s been out of the rankings more years than she’s been in, and hasn’t appeared at all since 1955.

Meanwhile, Linda was a smash hit in the 1950s and 60s.  Lynn and Lynne fared well, too, as well as Lynette and Lynda.  In more recent years, we’ve seen the rise of Heather, Laurel and Olivia, as well as straight-from-nature choices like Willow and River.

True, the link to the natural world is a subtle one.  Sweden’s Carl Linnaeus, he of the modern taxonomic system, was an eighteenth century botanist.  When he wasn’t busy determining how to best classify things, Linnaeus was off re-naming the twinflower in honor of himself.

Actually, the twinflower is technically known as the linnaea borealis, and while a young Carl did initially christen the bloom after himself, in later years, he attempted to rename it the rudbeckia.  Fellow botanist Jan Frederik Gronovious formalized the name.

While we’re on the subject of Carl, he already had a botanical link.  The surname Linnaeus refers to the linden tree.  So she’s a double botanical with a scientific edge.

Linnea may be rare in the US, but in Norway you’re as likely to meet a Linnea as an Emma – slightly more so, actually, as Linnea was the #1 name in Norway in 2008, while Emma came in at #2.   She’s also a Top Ten pick in Sweden.

Search hard enough and you’ll find a few notables with the name.  There’s scream queen Linnea Quigley, best known for her work in B-movies like The Return of the Living Dead.  (She played Trash.)  There’s also Linnéa Hillberg, a Swedish actress of a more serious bent, known for her work in Shakespearean productions.

Between the gore and the drama, there’s a lovely association for a child – the book Linnea in Monet’s Garden, a tale of a child who travels to Paris and Giverny to learn about Claude Monet’s water lily paintings.  First published in 1987, the book has become something of a modern staple.  Cristina Björk went on to write a few other Linnea adventures as well as similarly flavored stories like Vendela in Venice.  The child in the story is thoroughly charming, and would probably thrill a little Linnea.

Now, in the great minds think alike category, I have to link you to Xanthe Linnea’s clever post about this name – which she featured yesterday!  The post also provides a summary of the possible pronunication challenges – though linn AY uh seems reasonably straightforward.

She’s floral and feminine but with a surprising amount of strength.  What’s not to love about Linnea?

Three rounds for time of:
Row 500 meters
21 Burpees
Run 400 meters

Morning workout. Burpees sucked bad.

Time – 19:29

“Lynne”
Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench press
Pull-ups
Post reps for both exercises in all rounds.

Benchpress @ 75kg   -  12, 9, 8, 7, 6
Pull-ups – 14, 10, 9, 8, 8

Compare with 071409

These are simply images and thoughts arising from the imagery.

This is the price of petrol in  Ulmarra on the last day of July 2009.
Each day I take my lunch at the Wide River Cafe. Not on Mondays due to its being closed on Mondays. I take the Cold Remedy , read the newspapers, chat with the Andrew and the girls and generally enjoy a daily routine which I don’t recall having before. Its not hectic in Ulmarra at lunchtimes although the BUSHFIRE BRIGADE REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS are there and were doing an “exercise’ yesterday to make sure that we were all firesafe.
Last weekend, two girls rode past on their horses and each girl carried a red rose.
While I am in the Village, I spend some time in ULMARRA BOOKS and BRIC A BRAC, chat for a while with our GentleMan BookMan and, in general, just indulge in the sheer pleasure of a book shop of this size and nature. This one is a treasure trove. I always enjoy being in the hands of an Expert, no matter what field it is in. In this shop I am guaranteed EXPERTISE in its most agreeable form.
I have lived for four years in a tiny cottage. Exquisite with wonderful views of the Bilambil Valley – but tiny. Now I live in a HOUSE. A house which my family come to visit.  Last weekend, my daughter, Kati B and I spent the evening at the card table from Dolores, playing YAHTZEE. A ruthless game night it was.