Gratitude Challenge Post #2

Today, I'd like to express my gratitude to the people in America's history who made this great country what it is today.

This morning at my polling place I got to see democracy at its best. I arrived at 6:30 a.m. (the poll opened at 7:00) and secretly did the happy dance at my coveted #7 spot in line. For whatever reason, everyone there seemed excited and chatty for so early in the morning. I did listen intently to a conversation between a elderly gentleman and the young woman in line behind him as they talked about the voting process.

You see, the gentleman was in his 80's and was proud to say he was voting in his fifteenth presidential election. He proudly boasted of his voting record through the last sixty years and how he always votes early on the morning of election day. He's lived in many places throughout his life and has seen many changes in the voting process over the years. He was quite the storyteller, and all of us in line were mesmerized by his wit and charm.

And the young woman? She turned 18 in July and immediately registered to vote, making this her first presidential election. She was so proud to be there, but yet expressed how nervous she was that she'd make the right choices when her turn to vote finally arrived.

The two of them managed to get voting machines side by side and when they were both finished, the man hugged her and she cried tears of happiness.

Where else in the world can you see such a moving display of patriotism so early in the morning???????

Until next time,
Kel

The Gratitude Challenge

I love a good challenge. That's why when I read Midnite Scrapper's blog challenge, I knew I had to join in the fun.

This month I challenge all of you, my blogging friends, to post a gratitude post daily. If possible, post a picture to go along with it!

So here's my first gratitude post. Thanks, Sherry, for putting out this challenge.

As I got up this morning and started my usual morning routine, I started my usual morning grumbling, too. It was a typical case of the Monday morning blues - I hate to get up early. I hate the way my hair turned out. I hate my clothes. I hate my commute. I hate my job. I hate the building I work in. Yeah, it was just one of those grumpy mornings for me.

But, as I sit here in my really nice office (yes, I have an office!) and answer e-mails that had accumulated over the weekend, the grumpiness dissipates and I realize that I don't really hate getting up early or hate my commute or the building I work in. My hair and my clothes? Well, it depends on the day and how it all comes together. And my job? No, I don't really hate my job. I rather enjoy it - most days. I love problem solving, and being the local IT geek, I get to spend lots of time solving problems for other people. I learn something new every day and feel like my life is enriched by interacting with people not only here in this office, but through my communications with my peers throughout the firm all over the world.

Today, I'm thankful for my job. I'm particularly thankful that I still have a job in today's economy!

Until Next Time,
Kel

Remembering Danny...

My plan for today's post was a rant about the mouse that has moved in with me and Aero this week. But last night, as I sat awake listening to the little bugger, I read a post on ScrapShare that shook me to the core and it's all I could think about today.

One of the members, thexbears, lost her 5 year old son Danny very suddenly yesterday. It all happened so quickly and as I read the hundreds of posts and the few e-mails I received about what had happened, shock and sadness filled my heart for Danny, his Mom, Dad and sister. It made me realize just how quickly life can change and how I shouldn't be complaining about a stupid little mouse in my kitchen today. I should be thanking God for the blessings I have and asking Him to comfort this family in their time of sorrow.

Now, I don't know thexbears personally. I've read her posts on scrapbooking and life, I've looked at her layouts online. Over the years I've been in swaps with her and I've probably even exchanged an e-mail or two with her. You might be thinking it's crazy to be so upset by a tragedy to a family that I don't even know. Crazy or not, I can tell you that there's hundreds of women from all corners of the US and the world who are all mourning Danny's passing and banding together today to send love, prayers and support to thexbears and her family.

If you see a red balloon flying overhead this weekend, think of little Danny and say a prayer for him. It'll probably be a balloon set free in his honor by a ScrapShare sister.

Sing with the angels, little Danny.

Until next time,

Kel

Cardio Kick Boxing?????????????????????

Two sessions of boot camp this summer must have shaken my brain loose or something. As I've said over and over, I hate to exercise (and have the wide butt to prove it). But there is some strange little voice in my head that keeps telling me it's ok to try out new forms of exercise. It keeps telling me that I'm stronger than I think. That I'm tougher than I look.

But cardio kick boxing?

My favorite trainer, Denise, offered a "beginner" cbk class at EWHC. It started on October 1 and naturally, the little voice convinced me to sign up and go. After all, I survived boot camp with Denise AND a month of personal training with her this summer. How hard can it be if it's a beginner class, right?

Right. The first night I did my usual have to keep up with all the skinny girls in class to prove that the fat girl isn't as out of shape as she looks. Yeah, that was stupid. I could barely walk for 2 days after that. Last week, I was the whining I-don't-want-to-go 'cause it's too hard personality on Wednesday. I went, but whined to myself the whole way there, all through the class, and all the way home. I even whined to Denise after class.

So here I sit, with less than an hour to go before class starts. I brought my workout clothes and my fancy new shoes that allow me to pivot during class. I'm carefully watching the clock so that I can spring forth from my desk at exactly 4:55 p.m. to make it to the gym in time to change and be on the floor by exactly 5:30 p.m. I'm not sure what my attitude is today. I'm not trying to talk myself out of it, but I'm not happy about going either.

One thing is for sure: I know I'll be sweaty and pooped in less than 2 hours, and I'll be sore again tomorrow.

Just call me Kel Kick Boxing Queen. Or, as my friend Angela calls me, KKBQ.

Until next time,
Kel

Trying Not To Be Boring....

Two posts in one day. Wow.

It's football season and of course, I love my New Orleans Saints. So, I've decided to change my background for a while to reflect the fact that I bleed black and gold at this time of the year.

Win or lose, Bless You Boys!

Kel

I Lead a Boring Life

Well, there you have it. It's official. I'm boring. And bored.

I haven't been here since mid-August, which shows you how un-exciting my life has been. Sure, I've gone to work everyday. And I've hit the pool with not-so-regular frequency. And I did finish a full session of boot camp in August and it didn't kill me again.

September went by without so much as a hint of excitement. So dull I can barely remember it, and it only ended 14 days ago. Sheesh.

I'm hoping October will be better. I've done a few things out of the ordinary so far. I started a cardio kick-boxing class with Denise on Wednesday nights. Yeah, that's not as exciting as it is exhausting. And I went to a scrapbooking retreat with 4 of my scrapbooking buddies the first weekend of the month. And I'm heading to another retreat with 22 ladies from Scrapshare - 19 of which I've never met in person....

I have some excitement to look forward to. My parents' new home is about 75% complete and there's a good chance they'll be moved in by Christmas. With that in mind, I bought tickets to New Orleans for the holidays and I'll be spending 2 weeks with my family. Exciting? Yes. Crazy? Definitely.

Okay. Now back to your regularly scheduled, non-boring programming.

Until next time,
Kel

I Conquered the Wall Sit!

Since my first morning in Boot Camp back in June (wow - it seems so long ago!), my nemesis has been the wall sit. Every morning of bc, we have to do the wall sit. It's a 3 minute thing. While I was doing personal training with Denise in July, I had to do the wall sit. I started calling it the evil wall sit.



When you're watching someone else do it, it looks easy. Until it's your back against the wall and your thighs are burning....



My first try at this torture at my first Boot Camp was short. The most I could hold the sit was about 30 seconds. I would have to stand so often during the 3-minutes that I felt like I was closer to doing squats than the wall sit. It became a personal challenge to me to get as close to the 3-minute mark as possible. Each workout, I'd try for just 5 more seconds when the burning got to be too much. And there were the nights at home when I'd "practice" my wall sit so that I'd get stronger and maybe could hold it longer next time.



I was pretty pleased with myself when, near the end of personal training, I could hold the sit for over 2 minutes at a time. Sometimes it was just 2 minutes, but I think I had a couple of days that I went a little longer than just 2 minutes.

Then, Monday morning, it happened. I found my place on the wall, got my feet set, and slid into that sitting position. I put my head back and closed my eyes and just listened to the beat of the music. "One minute!" Denise announced. I could hear a couple of the girls talking and laughing, but I was concentrating on one thing: getting to the 2 minute mark. Suddenly, I hear "Two minutes - one more to go!" I opened my eyes and looked around and looked down at my own legs in surprise - they weren't burning!! Could I actually make it to the 3 minute mark? I watched intently as some of the other girls had to stand up. I was still holding it. "Thirty more seconds!" By now, I'm in shock, but the legs are ready to give out.

Being the little competitive person that I am, there was no way I was going to stand up before that last 30 seconds elapsed. I didn't care if my legs fell off at that point - I needed to make that 3 minute mark.

AND I DID!!! WOO-HOO for me!! I conquered the wall sit! I conquered the wall sit!! If my legs hadn't been hurting so much by then, I think I would have done the happy dance.

Of course, the rest of the day, I kept thinking that it was just luck and a fluke that I made the 3 minute mark. Surely Wednesday's session would prove that I still couldn't do it...

HA! 3 minutes today, too!!

Take that, evil wall sit.

Until next time,
Kel

I Want To Quit...No I Don't...Yes I Do...No I Dont.....

I've had a really great argument going since Wednesday. It's been with myself and has been quite intense. And it's still raging on in my head. Well, mosty in my head - sometimes I catch myself actually talking out loud and answering back. But that's a whole 'nother problem.

It all started early Wendsday morning, when it was still dark outside and Aero was peacefully snoozing on his pillow. As I was getting dressed for boot camp, the feeling of dread and the echo of 'why am I doing this' kept running through my mind. But, I made myself get out of the house and over to the gym for the class; when I got there, that voice in my head was trying to convince me not to get out of the car and to turn around and go back home and crawl under the covers.

Still, I got out of the car and went inside and did my usual pre-class routine, then plopped myself down on my mat to start the warmups. There. I did it. I'm here and starting to work out. See, it isn't so bad. I'm getting healthier. This is good for me.

Yeah, that was great, until the rest of the group left the building for their jaunt around the block while I trudged over to my new not-so-best-friend, the elliptical. That's when the self-doubt talk and the argument really kicked in. The argument kept up, no matter what kind of exercise we were doing. And because I was concentrating so hard on arguing with myself, I didn't pay much attention to what I was doing or to my breathing. Which got me in trouble - it brought on another lung spasm. Luckily it was toward the end of class when it started, and I was able to head into the locker room, grab a seat and suck down some Albuterol. Of course, while I was gasping for air, the argument to quit boot camp just got more intense, with my argument being the lung spasm.

Once I recovered, I did my normal after boot camp routine, drove to the office, and continued the argument in my head off and on all day. And it continued through the evening.

This morning I had to be in the office for 5:00 a.m. to cover a video call with our East Coast offices. Last week, when the meeting was first scheduled, I told my boss that I was unavailable today, knowing it was a boot camp morning. So, I arranged to have a co-worker cover the meeting for me starting at 5:30. Of course, the "quit" half of the argument started with the alarm at 4:00 a.m., trying to convince me to hop in the shower and put on work clothes and just stay at the office and blow off boot camp today. After all, it was really hard on Wednesday. And, I really don't belong in this round - everybody else is so much more fit than me and I look ridiculous trying to keep up and the weight isn't budging and I'm still sore from Monday..... You get the picture. But I knew if I gave in and didn't go to boot camp, it would be over.

And I would have let boot camp beat me.

So, I put on my grubby workout gear and headed to the office to launch the call. Promptly at 5:40, I got in my car and headed to the gym. I walked in at 6:02, just as the initial warmup was wrapping up. I started with the elliptical for 3 minutes, then fell right in line with everything else.

And it didn't seem so hard.

And the negative self-doubting wanting-to-quit voice stopped trying to convince me to quit. I refuse let boot camp beat me!

After class was over, I talked with Denise about the self-doubt and wanting to quit. She assured me that it's ok to have days like that - even she gets up some mornings and feels the same way. But, she told me that the most important thing was that I fought it and showed up this morning - otherwise, it would have been too easy to not come back on Monday. She said she was glad that I made it this morning and quite honestly, so was I.

So today, the "No I Don't" want to quit voice is shouting at me. I just hope my co-workers aren't disturbed by it....

Until next time,
Kel

Boot Camp Round 2

This morning was the first session of a new Boot Camp with Denise. Last night as I was packing my bag with toiletries, work clothes, curling iron and various other getting ready for work items, I was dreading getting up at 5:00 a.m. today.

Surprisingly, my eyes popped open at about 4:50 - a full 10 minutes before the first alarm went off! Hmmm, could it be that I was looking forward to the 45 minutes of exercise torture? Aero just looked at me with very sleepy eyes, then rolled over and went back to sleep.

I managed to arrive at 5:50 a.m., my usual time. I was surprised that there were already 2 people waiting at the front door - they beat me there?!!! C'mon, I'm usually the first one in the parking lot. Note to self: leave 5 minutes earlier on Wednesday. As I approached the front door, they asked if I was there for boot camp, and both were very chatty so early in the morning. We were joined by another boot camper, and all introduced ourselves. It was quite a different group from the first round with all the skinny girls.

Just before 6, Denise arrived and exchanged introductions with everyone. When she got to me, she just waved me off and said "hey, I know you!" I grinned inwardly as I felt like the boot camp veteran.

This time it's a small group, only 5 participants. They seem to be more friendly than the first group ever was. Of course, once again, I'm the biggest participant but I held the dreaded wall sit longer than most of them. Hah. Take that, rookies.

When they went on their round-the-block-in-three-minutes jaunt, I climbed on the elliptical. As I huffed and puffed trying to make it through the three minutes on that bad boy, I could only look longingly at my old friend the treadmill as it sat there idle, wishing I hadn't been grounded from it. But, that elliptical is my new challenge for this session, or at least until the podiatrist ungrounds me.

So, tomorrow I'll "sleep in" until 6:15 and enjoy it. Because Wednesday morning will get here pretty fast.

Until next time,
Kel

Finishing Strong

Boot camp didn't kill me, so I knew personal training wouldn't either. But the question that always nagged me before each session: can I do what Denise instructs me to? What if I can't - does that make me a wimp? Every Saturday morning and Monday evening for the last four weeks, I've had a sense of dread as I headed to the gym, which was accompanied by a feeling of excitement and challenge.

Each of the 8 sessions with Denise were great. Some of the elements were the same each time, but there were always new, exciting (if you can call it exciting!) and more challenging exercises designed to push me a little further. There was always 'the dreaded wall sit' and stretching and treadmill time. I graduated from butt crunches to doing a bridge with one leg crossed over the other (graduated was Denise's spin on it); I had to do about a million squats while holding some hand weights; increased the hand weights to 8 and 10 pounds on some things; did some weight training for my legs on some machines; and increased the number of ab crunches (for lack of a better name) I'm able to do at one time. The final move last night at the end of our session was for me to lean back, hold a ball out in front of me, and turn the ball from side to side while in that position. Now there's the victory - I could barely do just the crunch move 10 times at the beginning and now I can hold it and turn from side to side! Who would have guessed....

Denise was so great during this session. Not only is she extremely knowledgeable about diet, exercise and all things healthy, she is funny, upbeat, encouraging and understanding. She knew how to push me to do one more set or try one more pound or make me hold it for another minute without making it seem like it was torture. We laughed a lot while I was sweating like a maniac, which made me not think about how hard it was to do what I was doing. She also helped me find my own courage to continue to work hard even when I didn't feel like I was getting any results. When the podiatrist grounded me last week from the treadmill and pool and I was ready to throw in the towel, Denise reminded me that at least I showed up for our session, which meant that down deep inside I really didn't want to throw in the towel, and that we'd find a way to work around my ankle problem. And we did!

So, now that it's over, I feel a sense of accomplishment and can see some improvement in my overall being. I don't jiggle and wiggle in certain places like I used to. I can tackle at least 15 minutes of cardio, be it the treadmill or bike, and can probably do more if I set my mind down to it. I can do the wall sit for at least 2 minutes. And I LIKE exercise.

Bring on Boot Camp Session 2!!!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time,
Kel

Seeing a Difference...

Personal Training - two words I never thought would be a part of my vocabulary. But, after boot camp was over, I decided that maybe I should give it a try. After all, boot camp didn't kill me and I really liked Denise's training style and personality, so why the heck not? I 'bought' 8 personal training sessions with her.

We started our sessions on July 5. The first one wasn't so bad. We spent about 20 minutes talking about my health, what I expected from the sessions, things that I eat - basically just so she could get to know me a little better. The the workout began. 10 minute warmup on the tread mill, followed by various kinds of exercises from ankle circles to the dreaded wall sit to tricep work. I was tired after that first workout, but glad to know that I could make it through.

We've met every Saturday and Monday now for 3 weeks. Tonight will be session number 6. In just this short time, I'm proud to say that I've increased my treadmill time from 10 to 15 minutes and my speed is up from 2.4 to 2.6. And while the scale hasn't moved much (as of this morning I'm down 8 pounds, but let's keep that to ourselves!), I'm noticing changes in the way my body looks and feels.

As I was blow-drying my hair Friday morning, I got to looking at my upper arms. Hmmm, they're still kinda big and need to slim down some, but wait! The jiggle doesn't wiggle as much as it used to! I felt my arm and whoa - it's really tight! Yay for my arms and those weights I've been using - I've moved up from 5 pounds to 8 pounds during my workouts and I guess it's paying off! And earlier in the week, I had to move some equipment from one office to another, usually a daunting task for me becuase the equipment feels heavy and my back hurts and I huff and puff after it's done. Nope. Not this time. Picked up the equipment with ease, moved it, re-installed it, moved some other stuff around and no pain or huffing and puffing. Wow. Who would have guessed.

I've still got a long way to go, but I'm happy with my progress so far. I feel stronger and tighter and my clothes are fitting way better than they used to. That Denise sure knows how to whip a girl into shape and I'm happy that she's whipping me into shape!

There are only 3 more sessions with her, but when this session is over, it'll be less than a week until Boot Camp starts again. And, much to the disbelief of my friends, I was the first one to sign up. Hah! Take that, non-believers....

Wonders never cease.

Until next time,
Kel,

Nearly Three Years Later....

My sister Jamie called me a few minutes ago. She and my Mom and Dad are standing in a neighbor's yard across the street from my Mom & Dad's house, watching the wrecking crew as the demolition begins. I only wish I could have been there today to see it.

The red bricked tract house on Warwick drive was purchased in November, 1963 by a young couple starting a family. They were one of the first of many young families buying the cookie-cutter homes in the small subdivision of about 200 homes. Since that time, children have grown and moved on, neighbors have changed, houses have been remodeled, but the spirit of the people who still live there after 45 years is still strong.

The subdivision was built on a tract of land known as the "Marrero Ridge." My Mom worked for Jefferson Parish's Drainage Department back then, and when they were buying the house, the "old men" working with her told her it was the highest point of land in the area and that the levee on the Mississippi would have to break in order for it to flood. Imagine her surprise (and fear) when on May 3, 1978, she was home alone (with Pepe the black poodle) during a thunderstorm and the house flooded with nearly 18 inches of water! Luckily, the levee hadn't broke, but that day nearly every home and family in that small subdivision, as well as many other parts of the Westbank, experienced their first flood and the mess that came along with it.

It was the first of many heavy rain floods in the area, and with each, my parents dutifully dragged out wet stuff, tore out sheetrock and rebuilt and replaced what was lost. It was never a fun task or something that they wanted to do, but it kept the house liveable.

Until August 29, 2005. Hurricane Katrina roared through the Gulf Coast area, devastating people's lives from Louisiana to Alabama. The wind did a number on the old house and of course, the flood waters rose in the neighborhood once again. Even though it wasn't the amount of water seen in New Orleans proper, it was enough to finish the job that the wind started. The water sat in the house for several days (we don't know exactly how long since 99% of the neighborhood had evacuated and didn't return for nearly 2 weeks) which had never happed before - most of the time the water receded withing a few hours.

Since that time, my parents cleaned and repaired the house to the best of their ability, but have been fighting mold and mildew constantly. Jefferson Parish had a program to help homeowners raise or rebuild their houses; unfortunately, our house's foundation cracked and it engineers determined that it could not be raised and that it needed to be rebuilt. Off the ground, of course!

It's taken one month shy of 3 years for my parents to navigate the complex world of applications, meetings, paperwork and phone calls that has become life in post-Katrina Louisiana to get the work started. But started it has. And they can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel: their contractor has said that barring any unforseen problems, they should be in their new house in about six months.

Then they can live happily ever after.

Until next time,
Kel

Get Out of My Personal Space!

If I have to exercise, my favorite way to get some movement is water aerobics. Despite what many people think, water aerobics isn't just for the blue-haired set at the local retirement village. It can be a tough workout or can be a relaxing stretch, depening on the particular class and teacher.


When I joined the Y over a year ago, one of the selling points for me was the pool and the various water aerobics classes offered. They offer 5 classes a week that are convenient for my schedule; if I counted up the total number of water aerobic classes offered throughout the week, I'm guessing there's more than 20.

I've learned something about myself while in the pool this week: I have personal space issues. Especially when I'm exercising. Especially in the pool.

In each of the classes I've attended over the last 2 weeks (Tuesdays, Thursdays and a Saturday), there have been some new people. Before I go off on my rant, I will say that I realize that there's a learning curve for anything we do. Even I have to take some time to get used to a routine. That's not my problem. My problem is that the pool is 150 feet long, and there are 3 full lanes open for the class (about 30 feet wide), yet people have to come and stand so close during the class that there's not enough room for me to stretch my already short arms out to the sides!

I mean, come on . . . it's not like there's 200 people in the class. It's usually less than 20. There's enough room for us all to spread out and not act like a bunch of sardines.

And, while I'm on a rant, why can't people follow instructions? Move to the left when the teacher says 'travel to the left.' Or, to the right when you're told to 'travel to the right.' Here's a novel concept - go forward and backwards when you're told to do that. Oh, yeah, that also means you shouldn't be moving in any direction when you hear 'stay right there.'

These minor annoyances of mine would really be just that, except for the woman who has joined the class who can't seem to get the concept of find a place in the pool and stay put. She moves from open space to open space, doesn't even try to do the exercises correctly (she mostly just jogs in place or to her next spot in the pool) and is constantly in someone's way, either running in to them or hitting them with her hands or kicking them under the water. Last night, she ran into me 3 times. On the last time, I grabbed her arm and said "you need to move to the side of pool so you're not bumping in to me." She still didn't get it.

After talking to my friend Joyce last night about it, I told her I came to the conclusion that this annoys me because of all my years of dancing. You're taught to move in any direction in a straight line, and you never get into someone else's dancing space. She agreed, having taken tap and some ballet when she was younger. She said it's usually one of the first things you learn. At my age, I should learn to be more understanding because not everyone can do the straight line thing.

But I need you out of my space when I'm in the pool!

Until next time,
Kel

Five-and-a-Half Non-Scale Victories!

I've battled the scale all my life. When I was a kid, I was the 'fat kid' on the block, although, by today's standards, I really wasn't that fat. I was just heavier than the girls I hung out with. My Mom did a great job of keeping my weight in check through most of my life - she's great at portion control. Too bad I didn't inherit that talent from her. I think it also helped that I danced until I was about 19. When I was in high school, I was a student teacher, so I was putting in lots of hours at the studio teaching and learning.

Since I've been an adult, my weight has been my nemesis. And today, now that I've reached that middle-aged status, it has becomea monkey on my back that just won't go away.

That's why I go to the Y and hop in the pool for water aerobics as often as I can. And why I signed up for boot camp. And why I'm going to start personal training with Denise. If I don't stay active, then the pounds seem to just pack themselves on my hips and other body parts, even if I keep my eating in check. I seem to lose the battle with the scale no matter what I do.

But today, I had 5-1/2 great non-scale victories. I met with Denise for a follow-up fitness assessment to see if I improved at all during the 3 weeks of boot camp. Before boot camp, she measured my abilities in cardio, upper body, lower body, core strength, flexibility and balance. Today, I showed improvement in all but 1 area, and that's one that I've been working on since the first assessment.

Cardio
In the first assessment, she had me do 2-3 minute intervals on the treadmill at various speeds to see where my heart rate would fall and to determine the best speed for me when I would walk on it during boot camp. At 2.4, my heart rate was up at 148. Today, at the same speed, my heart rate only went up to 128. Hah. NSV #1. Now I know I can go just a little faster on the treadmill from now on and push myself a little more.

Upper Body
Because I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in my right wrist, Denise didn't want me doing push-ups on the floor either during the assessments or boot camp, so she had me doing them against the wall. First assessment: 22 in one minute. Today, 25 in one minute. NSV #2. I want to work up to 30 by my next assessment.

Lower Body
The evil imaginary chair. When I first attempted it 4 weeks ago, I could only hold the position for about 30 seconds. Well, that annoyed me because I've always thought my legs were the strongest after all those years of dancing. So, not only did we do the imaginary chair during boot camp, I've been doing it at home at night, trying to improve my time. Well, today, I hit 1 minute and 30 seconds in the imaginary chair. Woo-hoo! NSV #3 coming at you!

Flexibility
Sitting on the floor with my legs in a V-position, Denise measured how far I could reach in front of me. First assessment: 16 inches. Today: 18.5 inches. That surprised me! NSV #4 - I was ready to do the happy dance.

Core Strength
I know that my core needs lots of work and when I'm in the pool, I try to really concentrate on doing the exercises correctly to get all the benefit I can. At the first assessement, I could only hold the situp position for 10 seconds, and Denise said that was the biggest challenge for me to work on during boot camp. Today, I held it for 30 seconds, which I know doesn't seem like a lot, but to me, it was a big NSV. #5 to be exact.

Balance
Now here's the hardest thing for me. Balance. My right side is definitly stronger than my left, and naturally, my balance is better on my right. In the first assessment, I balanced on my right foot for about 10 seconds, and then on my left, a measly 6 seconds. Today, my right foot held on for 30 seconds, but my left side refused to cooperate. I looked like a drunk flamingo! I couldn't ever find my balance, so I get a 1/2 NSV for this category. I'm determined to make that left side work, so every chance I get I stand on my left foot and try to raise my right one, trying to get the balance working.

I'm not one to brag about myself or pat myself on the back because I am my own worst critic, but today, I'm singing my own prasies, patting myself on the back, bragging and doing the happy dance. I saw results from just 3 weeks of training. Yippee!! I can't wait to see what happens at the end of the 4 weeks of personal training with Denise.

And, I just want to thank Denise for being a great trainer. Her kindness and understanding of women with bigger bodies is incredible and I'm honored to work with her. She's my hero!!!!

Until Next Time,
Kely

Paying to Get Tortured

Boot Camp ended on Friday and I can't believe I'm going to admit this: I miss it. Yep, I miss getting up and being tortured before the crack of dawn three days a week. I'm not sure exactly what it is I miss, but something's just not right today.

On the last day of boot camp, the owners of EWHC offered us a chance to get some personal training time with Denise at a discounted rate. Of course, being in a fully-exhausted, motor-running state, I jumped on that bandwagon and signed up. Well, I didn't have any form of payment with me, so Stephanie (one of the owners) kindly let me slide with the promise that I'd stop by on Monday morning and pay.

Monday came and went, and most of Tuesday came and went. I got an e-mail from EWHC yesterday asking if I was still interested in doing the personal training because the deadline for payment was yesterday. EEK!! Work had been so crazy that I forgot to stop by!

So, this morning, I dropped off a check to Stephanie with an apology for not being more responsible. And there it was - I made the payment to get tortured. I'll be training with Denise twice a week for four weeks. I still have to set up the times, but I HAVE TO SET UP THE TIMES since I've paid for it. I'm meeting with Denise on Sunday for the follow-up fitness assessment from boot camp (to see if I've made any progress), so I guess we'll set up a schedule then.

LET THE TORTURE BEGIN!!

Until next time,
Kel

It Didn't Kill Me, But Am I Stronger?

I know there's some old saying about stuff that doesn't kill you will only make you stronger... I can't remember the exact quote, but my Dad agreed with me and said he really believes that it's true.

Okay, then, I must be stronger: boot camp tried to kill me on a couple of occasions, but it didn't. Thank goodness.

Friday was the final day of the 3-week series. Of course, I managed to sleep through the alarm at 5:10 a.m. and lazily looked at the clock at 5:35, sending me into an all-out panic. I didn't want to miss the final day - that would be like giving up. So I hopped out of bed, got dressed and was in the car by 5:45, which isn't bad for someone who's a slow-poke when it comes to getting dressed, no matter how few steps are needed. I rushed into the gym at 5:59, just as Denise was getting everyone started. She smiled at me and just said "I'm glad you made it." Yeah, me too in a crazy kind of way.

The final workout was a tough one, but once it was done, I had a mixed bag of emotions surging through me. I was glad that I took the challenge and made it there each morning. I was relieved that it was over. I was happy that I got to work on a more personal level with Denise. I was pleased that some of the other women in the group accepted me for who I am and didn't care about my size.

But the odd part of it was that at the same time, I felt a little sad that it was over. Me, Miss "I Hate to Exercise," was mourning the end of boot camp. Go figure.

Even though I had some physical challenges during the last three weeks keeping up with the group, I made it. It didn't kill me to get up before dawn 3 days a week. It didn't kill me (although a few times I thought I was close!) to exercise before the chickens get up. It didn't kill me to shower and get dressed for work in the locker room. It didn't kill me to push myself to new limits.

I can truly say that I think it made me just a little stronger, both physically and mentally. I can walk on the treadmill a little faster than before. I can use 7-pound hand weights to strengthen and tone instead of 3 or 5. I can do 27 push-ups in a minute instead of 20.

And I can do anything I set my mind to do. I AM STRONGER!!

Until next time,
Kel

Another Monday....

Aero decided that he needed to go outside this morning while I was still sleeping. He barked until I was half-awake and as I looked around the room, it was still dark. Oh good. Maybe it's like 2 or 3 in the morning and I'll have time to come back and get some more sleep. WRONG. It was 4:35 a.m. and my alarm was set for 5:00 - gotta get up and be out of the house for 5:40 to make it to boot camp on time!

So, grudgingly, I dragged myself out of bed while the little dog jumped and turned circles on the bed until I picked him up. At any time of the night, when he goes out, I put on his retractable leash and open the front door. He doesn't need me to go out there with him, and with the leash, he can't go far. Well, this morning, he decided that after getting to the grass and doing his business, he was tired. So he laid down in the grass, looking at me standing in the door with my nighgown on. No amount of coaxing or tugging on the leash would get the little beast to come in. I certainly hope that none of my neighbors were up and looking out of their windows when I went out to pick him up and carry him in....

By the time I got back to bed, it was 4:45, so I did one of those "Okay, I've got 15 minutes to close my eyes until the alarm goes off" routines. Except the little dog was wide awake and wanted to play. So, my last 15 minutes of rest was spent telling Aero 'puppy go night-night' and trying to get him to calm down. That alarm sounded much quicker than I wanted.

But, it was ok. At least I was up, awake and moving fairly quickly as I packed my bag to head over to boot camp. Today was the third-to-last day and, even though I hate to admit it, I think I'm going to miss it next week! Don't get me wrong - I curse under my breath the whole 45 minutes as I try to master the pieces and parts of the workout. But, when the time is up and we're stowing our mats, weights and stretching bands, I find that I'm a little disappointed that it went so fast. Who would have ever guessed.

On my way out to my car this morning, I stopped to talk with Stephanie, one of the owners of EWHC (where boot camp is being held). My question: will there be another boot camp soon? It was like another out-of-body experience - I heard the voice and it was mine, but was I really asking for another session? Did I fall on my head or have another lack of oxygen experience this morning that may have affected my brain?

Or maybe it was staning in my front yard in my nightgown at 4:30 this morning that made me a little crazier than usual....

Until next time,
Kel

Whinin' and Cryin' Like a 4 Year Old

I've said it before and I'm saying it again: I hate exercise. The "E" word.

But today, as I visited my doctor, I found myself whining like a four-year-old when she told me I needed to stop boot camp! Yes, ME, whining and crying and wheeling and dealing with her so I could go back to boot camp tomorrow morning. What's that about?

Yesterday morning during boot camp, Denise had us go out into the parking lot for some cardio work. We were to walk forward and backward as fast as we could for like 3 minutes (it was probably about 40 feet round trip), then, we turned and were side-stepping back and forth over the same spot. Of course, I couldn't keep up with the skinny girls, but I'm okay with going my own pace, which is much slower. When we started side stepping, instead of having the little 'hop' in my step like them, I deliberately place one foot down, then moved the other, taking pretty big steps, but not going very fast.

On the second lap of side-stepping, it hit me: I felt like someone had grabbed me by the throat and was choking me. I couldn't catch my breath and was wheezing like a kazoo. I stopped, bent over and put my hands on my knees and tried to calm down. I'm thinking 'great, now the skinny girls will have something to talk about today.' Denise came to my side to make sure I was ok - but was still drilling everyone else and shouting "keep going, keep going, you're not done yet." She kept asking me if I had asthma, which as far as I know I don't, but it sure sounded like it. By the time the cardio drill was over, I was breathing pretty normally again.

So back in the gym I went, and continued with the workout. Yeah, I'm stubborn that way. I don't give up easily.

At the end of class, Denise and I talked for a while about what happened. I had only experienced that once before - the first day of boot camp, and it was near the end of the workout. I figured that day I was just that out of shape and needed to watch it. She told me that she was about 10 seconds away from calling 9-1-1 . . . Oh, great, I'm thinking, give the skinny girls something really juicy to tell their friends later in the day: "Oh, Susie Sunshine guess what happened in boot camp this morning? They had to call 9-1-1 and the fat girl got taken away in an ambulance!" I wouldn't have died from whatever it was that made me not be able to breathe - I would have died of embarrassment!!!!!

I promised Denise I'd see my doctor today to talk about what happened. And I kept that promise.

Dr. Gonzales is probably the only doctor I've ever seen that I've liked. She's young (at least I'm very sure that she's a lot younger than me), but she's sympathetic and kind while being tough when she needs to be. I've been seeing her for about 2 years now and feel really comfortable when I go in.

I started telling her about what happened and when I told her I had signed up for and was participating in boot camp, I could see she wanted to roll her eyes at me. I just said, yeah, I know, I'm crazy, but I needed to try this for myself. Her diagnosis is exercise induced asthma, and she wants me to go and have a pulmonary function test and see a pulmonologist before going back to boot camp. Well, that's a little tough since the next session is tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. and I'm sure I can't do both between 3:00 and 6:00 tonight.

That's when the whining started. "But Doctor Gonzales, I really want to go to boot camp in the morning." "You can't, you've got a problem and we need to figure out what's going on." "I know, but I've been exercising at least 5 times a week before starting boot camp and this has never happened before. Maybe I'm just trying too hard to keep up with the skinny girls." "You really need to get this test done." "Are you telling me I can't exercise at all?" (making a really sad face and feeling like I'm going to cry) "No, brisk walks are okay. And your water aerobics are okay if you don't over do it." "Oh, so just not boot camp? What if I promise to not over exert myself and stay on the treadmill when the rest of the group does any kind of cardio outside and I'll stop if I feel any discomfort at all and please, please let me finish. There's only 4 sessions left and it's important to me to be able to complete this challenge." There it was. I was whining and pleading for my doctor to let me exercise. I felt like I was having an out of body experience - who is this woman that wants to exercise? Did I fall on my head? For so long, I would have jumped for joy when a doctor told me no exercise. But now, I want to go and be tortured for 45 minutes? What was I thinking?????????

So, with a stern warning from Dr. G to 'take it easy and don't over do it,' I left with a smile on my face and orders for a pulmonary function test.

All I know is that my butt better be a little smaller by next Friday afternoon!!

Until next time,
Kel

Boot Camp: Not for the Faint of Heart

I'm a big girl. I admit it - just take a look at my picutre and you can see that I've got a lot of extra poundage around my butt and other regions. But, that's not to say that I don't try to eat right and exercise.

The "E" word has in recent years become a part of my routine. 4 years ago, I joined Curves, the women-only easy-to-do-three-times-a-week workout. And for 3 years, I pretty faithfully went and did my 30 minutes 3-4 days a week. Unfortunately for me, it became more of a social outlet than a calorie-burning outlet, and my friend and workout partner Angela convinced me we needed more. With a lot of fear, but a good push from Angela, I joined the YMCA in May of 2007.

Now, I'm not afraid to try new things. During my stint at Curves and while at the Y, I've taken classes at Every Woman Health Club (another local gym specifically for women of all shapes and sizes). Those classes have included Belly Dancing (!), fitness ball how-to's, and hand weight how-to's. At the Y, I've ventured out of the pool for water aerobics and have tried a step class, a spinning class, Capioera and dance aerobics. I've also been seen on the treadmill, bike and occasionally huffing and puffing while I try to master the elliptical.

But my most recent venture into the world of E that doesn't include chlorine and a swimsuit was signing up for BOOT CAMP. EWHC offered a 3-week boot camp, Monday-Wednesday-Friday mornings. When the announcement first went out, there was that adventurous part of me that immediately thought "Wow - I should sign up for this!" Then the practical, non-E part of me would take over saying "Are you kidding? You couldn't keep up with that! Besides, what makes you think you're actually going to get out of bed to be there by 6:00 a.m.?" For two weeks I had this constant battle with myself.

Finally, on my way home the Friday before class was to start, I stopped in at EWHC to see if I could still sign up. Anne, one of the owners, told me that I was too late - they had reached their limit of 9 students. Outwardly, I was disappointed while my heart was doing that happy dance that my dilemma was solved for me - I didn't have to do it! Anne is probably one of the nicest people I've met, and she offered to 'wait list' me in case someone dropped out before Monday morning. Sure, no problem, I probably won't get a call....

Monday morning at around 10, Anne left me a message - Denise, the trainer, said that I could join them on Wednesday morning for the remainder of the session. I couldn't say no, so my decision was made: get to EWHC by 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning for boot camp.

I'm so not a morning person, so getting there by 6 is a real challenge for me. But so far, I've done it. And even though the class is only 45 minutes, it's tough! That's why it's called boot camp. Duh.

Last Wednesday, by the afternoon, I thought I was gonna die. Friday I was sore, but not as bad. Today, I'm sore in different places, but feeling pretty good. I'm sore in places I didn't know you could be sore in. But, with only 5 more sessions, I'm feeling like I can make it.

I don't think I would have even considered something like this if Denise, the trainer, was not the one leading the class. I have the utmost respect for her - I always try to take her classes whenever they're offered. Not only is she in great shape, but her personality is warm and caring. She makes larger women feel comfortable in the gym and gives you a feeling that you can do this, no matter what your size or shape. I'm the biggest person in the group, but Denise gives me alternatives to the things I can't do (like push-ups on the floor, jogging around the block), while pushing me just as hard as she pushes the other women in the class.

Let's hope my butt takes notice and decides to firm up and drop some of it's pounds during these three weeks!

Until next time,
Kel

The New Car Nightmare - The Finale!

So, after nearly six weeks of searching, researching, test driving and fending off rude salesmen, I made my decision: the Honda CR-V.

I decided that Les, the first Honda salesman I had met, was the best of the breed: no hard and obnoxious sales pitch, he responded whenever I had a question, kept me informed of specials and deals at his dealership, and was just generally a nice guy. He was getting my business.

I couldn't decide on the color - it was either going to be black (which my RAV4 was) or the navy blue. I made an appointment with Les for the afternoon of March 2 to look at both of them up close and personal. He had the two colors parked side-by-side, which made the decision a little easier: blue. Blue with gray interior. Leather interior, mind you. After committing to the color, it was time to decide on 2WD or AWD. I've only ever needed AWD twice in my life - once last February when my Reno buddies and I got stuck in a snow storm in Truckee, CA and once a couple of weekends ago when I had to cancel a trip to Nevada City to see Ruth and Adrienne (my cousin and goddaughter) because of snow. The difference in price was only about $1100, but I convinced myself that I could use that $1100 in Reno or on gas in the future, so I went with the 2WD.

I didn't think I would purchase that day because my bank was holding up my funding - I had deposited a rather large check on February 25. Because it was an 'out of state' check and for such a large amount, they were holding the funds and releasing it in stages: $100 on 2/26, $4,900 on 3/3 and the remainder on 3/11 (hey - that's today!). When I explained this to Les, he said that they would work with me - I could give them a portion of the money right then, and then they'd hold a post-dated check until 3/11 for the balance. I was surprised but thrilled at the prospect that I could be driving home in a new car that afternoon! I told Les - let's make a deal!

The excitement began. Les had my RAV4 appraised and made me a trade-in offer which was less than $2,000 from what Kelly Blue Book rated it - it was the best trade-in offer I had received so far. While he was working on that, I was seated in a nice area with tables and chairs, and he gave me a book that contained options that could be added to the car. He said "take a look at these options and let me know if there's anything you'd like to add - I can get you the price before we install anything to help you decide." What? No "you need to add this to your car..." talk? I was liking Les more and more.

After a while, Les reappeared and I told him that I really wasn't interested in any of the add-ons and he was fine with that. He said that I should take the one I was buying for a test drive one more time before I make the purchase; he said he always recommends you drive the one you're going to take home just to make sure you're comfortable with it. I thought that was very reasonable; when we got it in, it only had 4 miles on it! He said that the mileage was from the technicians who test the cars when they come in. It hadn't even been test driven by other customers - talk about a new car!

When we returned from the test drive, Les gave me some paperwork to sign, and told me he'd be back shortly - he was going out to have the car cleaned and readied for me to drive home that evening. By now, my heart was pounding and I thought I was going to pass out from the excitement.

A short while later, Les returned and took me in to meet Ace, the financing guy who was going to help me fill out all the paperwork for the purchase and the DMV. Ace was a young guy, but very polite and very knowledgeable about cars, the DMV paperwork and the workings of the dealership post-sale. I think I must have signed my name about 100 times in that 30 minutes. But, when it was all done, Ace stood up, extended his hand to shake mine, and congratulated me on becoming a part of the Honda family. I thought that was a very nice touch.

So, back to Les. He said they were just about done with the car, and it was now time to clean out the RAV. He was going to get the CRV from 'the shop' and pull it next to little RAVie so I could transfer my stuff. This was the last interaction I'd have with my friend of 7 years. I methodically found the 'trash' to be thrown away, and moved the important stuff from RAVie to the new CRV (which needs a name). When I handed Les the key (and he handed me the new keys), I cried because it was like saying goodbye to an old friend. Of course, I felt like a ding-dong crying over a car, especially when I had been a tough, hard sell bitch for the duration of this process. Les said not to worry because many people cry when they trade in their cars. That helped a little.

So, after about 3-1/2 hours at the dealership with my new best friend Les, I happily drove home in my new 2008 Blue Honda CRV EXL!

Now, I'm just having way too much fun driving around. Too bad gas has gone up so much....

Until next time,

Kel

The New Car Nightmare - Part 3

The Test Drives

So, I narrowed down my choices to the Saturn VUE, the Mazda CX-7 and the Honda CR-V. I decided to start on a Friday night with the Honda dealer closest to my office. I e-mailed the internet lead I got from them, Les, and made an appointment to stop by on my way home for a look-see and a test drive.

Les was very pleasant when I met him in person. I discussed the CRV with him, and the fact that I was just starting to investigate and probably wouldn't be ready to buy for another month or so (it was still late January at that point). He offered to take me for a test drive, and while we were out, he explained about the CRV in detail, as well as talked about himself, asked questions about me and my driving habits, and just generally chit-chatted. I really liked the way it handled, enjoyed all the bells and whistles it had to offer, and was starting to fall in love.

When we returned, I thanked Les for his time, talked a little more about my plans for buying, and I told him I'd be in touch with him soon. He thanked me and gave me a brochure on the CR-V, then introduced me to his manager, who asked if I was satisfied with the level of service I had received so far. I told him that Les was a very professional salesman who listened to what the customer wanted and could actually follow directions by not calling me and hounding me about coming in to buy the car right away. I told him that I was leaving without the feeling of being unnecessarily pressured into buying when I wasn't ready and I appreciated the way they did business. We all shook hands and off I went.

On Saturday morning, I called my partner-in-crime and number one passenger Joyce to ask her if she wanted to come along on the test drive field trip for the day. She had been with me when I bought my RAV4 and is great to have along for a second opinion and some grounding. She decided to join me, so off we went to the Saturn dealer.

Upon arrival at the Saturn dealer, we were greeted by several vulture-like salesman who were hovering just outside the main show room. I asked for Sherman, the gentleman I had been corresponding with, and one of the guys said "Oh, you must be important because he's the manager!" Well, I told Joyce, I don't know how important I am, but I want to deal with this Sherman guy and not one of the vultures. So, Sherman came out and introduced himself to us - he seemed like a good ol' Southern boy, very polite and charming. He asked one of the 'vultures' to take us for a test drive. I never did get the guy's name - English was definitely not his first language and he mumbled making his accent even thicker. The drive was ok; I wasn't overly impressed with the VUE. There wasn't much chit-chat with the sales guy, especially since he was hard to understand. When we returned to the dealer, I thanked Sherman for his time and for allowing us to take the test drive. He gave me a VUE brochure and off we went.

As luck would have it, there was a huge Honda dealer just down the street from the Saturn dealer. Even though I had test driven the CR-V the night before, I wanted Joyce's opinion. When we arrived, the place was hopping! I had never seen so many people (and salespeople!) in an auto dealership in my life! We were met by a gentleman in a suit, who's nametag identified him as a manager, who quickly found a salesman for me. It turns out the young man, Will, was one of the internet sales people. Well, I can tell you, young Will knew his stuff. He took us out to a CR-V, then started an in-depth tutorial on everything you could possibly ever want to know about the car. The test drive was uneventful, although I found out more about Will personally than a priest taking confessions. Sheesh! What a chatter box. When we returned, he started to fill out paperwork and was shocked when I stopped him and told him I was not there to buy, but just to 'window shop' and needed time to think. He e-mailed me a quote; when I asked if I could have a brochure and his business card, he scrambled, and never could find a brochure for me to take home. I thanked him politely and we left.

Of course, by now, it was lunch time, and we needed food. So we stopped along the way for lunch and discussed the VUE and CR-V. At that point, the CR-V was winning and I had definitely ruled out the VUE.

Stop number 3 was the local Mazda dealer. I had been e-mailed with a guy named Phil, who, buy the way, couldn't follow directions and kept calling me and leaving messages about their one day only specials and that I should hurry in and purchase while that pricing was in effect.... When we got there, the only people in the place were the salesmen. Not a single customer. I looked at Joyce and we both agreed that this wasn't a good sign. I asked for Phil, who came out and immediately rushed us out to a waiting CX-7. Before he could let me drive it, he had to put gas in it, so our first stop was a gas station. I loved the way it handled and it was very very comfortable. During the test drive, though, I felt like I was playing 20 questions. I had to keep asking him questions about the features and bells and whistles. He was not forthcoming with any information. It was like pulling teeth. The only information he kept repeating was asking me why I wanted an '08 model - they had plenty of '07s on the lot and he could discount an '07 by $5000 for me. I want an '08. Deal with it.

When we returned, he, like Will, started filling out paperwork as if there was a sale on the horizon. I explained to him once again that I was not in a position to buy today, but would like some ball park figures to work with. He disappeared and returned with Moe, his manager, who sat across from me and with the slimiest of grins on his face and he said "what can I do to get you into a new car today?" I thought Joyce was going to sell tickets for the smackdown that was about to occur. As politely as I could, I explained to Moe that this was a shopping trip and there was absolutely nothing he could do to get me in a new car today. I'd like a ballpark estimate of cost and a brochure that I could take home and study. He couldn't deal with it. He kept pestering me about how much money I had in my budget, why I didn't want an '07 to save $5000, why I would turn down 3.1% financing (I told him I was going to pay cash for the car), etc., etc. He wouldn't shut up. They of course couldn't find a brochure, but agreed to make me a copy of their desk reference slick; 10 minutes later, I was out the door.

Even though I liked the CX-7's performance and style, I was very turned off by the guys at the dealer.

Fast forward to Friday the 29th. On a whim (and because I was bored), I decided to go to one more Honda dealer because I had found out that AAA had a car buying program that you were supposed to get a better deal through. I showed up and asked for one of the two salesmen that were listed on the AAA information; as it turns out, they didn't work there any more. I was assisted by a guy named Sal. Once again, I explained that I was window shopping and what I was interested in. I told him I had already test driven the CR-V, but had never seen it in the navy blue or black exterior "up close and personal." He took me out to their storage lot, where he had a blue one. By now, of course, it was getting dark and there were no lights in the lot, so it was hard to tell if I really liked it or not.

When we returned to the dealer, he started filling out paperwork and asked for the keys to my car so they could take a look at it. I gave in, figuring it couldn't hurt to see what they would offer me on a trade-in for the RAV. After a few minutes of sitting alone in a rather dimly-lit office (during which time I noticed that I was the only customer in the place), Sal returned with pricing on the car and my trade. I immediately became annoyed when he automatically added in an extended warranty (for $2300) to the price and was even more annoyed when he said they'd only give me $3500 on my RAV - less than half the blue book! I thanked him and told him I wasn't ready to buy but that I would take what he had to offer into consideration. He started questioning me about what was holding me back from buying the car, what if he could get me more for my trade, why wouldn't I want the extended warranty, etc., etc. I couldn't get him to understand that I wasn't ready to buy at.that.moment! His last pitch was how it was the end of the month and how he was trying to make his sales quota and how this sale would help him out - umm, this is my problem why? In a last-ditch effort, he got his manager to come in and plead with me, which of course, pissed me off royally, especialy when he started in on me about how it was the end of the month, blah, blah, blah. Again, this was my problem why?

Overall, it wasn't that bad an experience, except for when they got pushy. Joyce said she enjoyed watching me stand my ground with them and proving that you can't take advantage of a single woman when trying to sell her a car....

Up next: The Purchase!!

Until next time,
Kel

Good Luck Clif!!!

Nearly 16 years ago, my sister Jamie married the man she fell in love with - Clif. They've weathered a lot through their marriage, including Hurricane Katrina, and yet their love for each other is as strong as it was in the beginning. They've got two great boys, Christian (my godson) and Nicholas and as a family, they're teriffic.

As I'm writing this, Clif is in surgery. He took a very bold step this year - he opted to have a lap band procedure to reduce his weight.

I have to say I admire Clif for deciding to do the surgery. I should consider following his lead and doing it, but I'm such a chicken. Jamie has been telling me about all the things he had to do to prepare for the procedure and I know I'm not ready for it. Things like lose 25 pounds before the surgery (umm, hello doctor? I've been trying to lose 5 pounds forever and they won't come off, what makes you think I can lose 25 before the surgery?) And a liquid diet for 5 days before the procedure, and 2 weeks after it's over. Yikes. I like to chew too much.

So, Clif, I'm pulling for you today! I hope the surgery is going well and that your recovery time will be short. And before too long, your life-long nickname of "Peanut" will be appropriate once again! I admire your courage and support you in your efforts to get healthy for yourself, my sister and those great boys of yours.

Until next time,
Kel

The New Car Nightmare - Part 2

I started my quest for a new car with a visit to Edmunds.com. They've got some great research on vehicles, both new and used. You can find out MSRP's, dealer invoice prices, online reviews. There's also a section to do side-by-side comparisons of vehicles. Cool.

From what I read, I narrowed down my choices to the Honda CR-V, the Mazda CX7 and the Saturn VUE Greenline. I was able to request quotes from local dealers through the website, which I thought would make my life easy. On each of the forms, I requested to be contacted via e-mail only.

That was great. The Honda internet sales manager did just that - answered my inquiry by e-mail and sent me a quote to get the ball rolling, inviting me to come by the dealership at any time to check out the car in person. Cool!

The Saturn guy was just as nice. Didn't call, e-mailed only, but unfortunately, couldn't write a complete sentence to save his life. But at least I didn't have to talk to him.

The Mazda guy was the worst. 3 messages on my answering machine the same day I filled out the request. Not an e-mail in sight. I kept thinking, 'what part of e-mail contact only did you not understand?' So of course, when I received an e-mail about customer satisfaction from the dealership a few days later, I ripped off a really great nasty gram to them about how they couldn't follow directions and no, I hadn't received any useful information from them yet. Not surprisingly, that same afternoon, an e-mail arrived from the sales person with an invitation to call him to discuss my upcoming purchase. Hello? Where the heck is the info to make me want to purchase the car from you? Dork.

I exchanged e-mails with all 3 for about two weeks. They all understood that I was not interested in talking to them until I could get in there to test drive, and that I would continue to contact them only through e-mails. That seemed to go well.

Next installment: The Test Drives.

Until then,
Kel

The New Car Nightmare, Part 1

I love my car. I've loved every car I've ever owned - 3 in all. But there comes a time when you have to decide if you want to sink money into your transportation partner or start a new relationship. I'm at the point that I need to start a new relationship.

The very first car I bought when I first started working was a 1982 Chevy Cavalier hatchback. Hatches were big in the early 80's. That little sucker was as bright red as they came. Of course, I fell in love with it right away. I was 20 years old, working for one of the most prestigious law firms in New Orleans and had a boyfriend who preferred old Mustangs to food. Red definitely fit my personality. The Cav and I went through a lot together, but by 1989, my life had changed, I felt I had matured, and I felt I needed something a little more sophisticated.

Old Blue came into my life. Man, that thing was a boat. A 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme SL - the 'sports' model of the Cutlass. Glittery blue paint. CD player! Big enough to take a hit, but smaller than most sedans at the time. I bought it thinking it would be easier for my elderly Aunt and Uncle and Grandmother to get in and out of, since I spent a lot of time with them. Much to everyone's surprise, 6 weeks after I drove it off the lot, I drove it cross-country from Louisiana to California. Old Blue had a good life once we moved here. I was like the little old lady who drove it to church on Sundays. She lived under a carport during the week because I could take the bus to my job in San Francisco right in front of my apartment building. Every once in a while, if I was running late, I'd take Old Blue and park her on the street further into the bus route and I'd catch the bus there. That got us into some serious trouble one day in 1998. I returned from work that night to find her covered in some sort of white residue, with a business card on the front windshield from the fire department. When I looked at her front end, she was like burnt toast. Her front bumper had melted and dripped into piles of blue goo on the street in front of her. According to the fire department and policeman who had done the report, apparently, my car was a target of either a gang initiation or some retaliation against me. Well, I couldn't imagine who could possibly have anything to retaliate against me for, we figured my car was just an easy target because it was the first one on the row of other commuter cars.

Old Blue got repaired and looked just as good as new, thanks to my co-worker's husband who owned his own body shop. She and I continued our love affair for another three years.

In 2001, Blue started needing some work. $200 here, $600 there. By July, with an $1800 repair facing me, I decided it was time to put her out to pasture and look for a new set of wheels to begin a new love affair. I found it - a 2001 Toyota RAV 4. It was cute. It was sporty. It was perky on the road. It was black and I had to have it! So, after what seemed like an all-day affair, I finally signed the papers and RAVie was mine. The hardest thing was saying goodbye to Old Blue. After all, she and I had been through a lot in 12 years and 79,000 miles. When it came time to hand the keys over to the Toyota salesman, I stood there looking at Old Blue, crying, feeling like I had betrayed one of my best friends. I walked over, hugged her front end and told her goodbye for the last time. I handed the keys to Elias, the salesman, and hopped into the RAVie and didn't look back.

Now the RAVie and I have been good buddies since we first met. I love sitting up higher than most cars (but not as high as some of those monster SUVs); it holds a lot of cargo, which is important for me on National Scrapbook Day and Croptoberfest day (my 2 big scrapbooking days of the year); most importantly, Aero likes it. I've always heard that if you feed and care for Toyotas regularly, they'll run forever. I believe it. To date, the only money I've spent on RAVie is for tires, one brake job and regular maintenance. RAVie's got 91,000 miles on her!

But, I think it's time to move on. I've got the 7 year car itch again and am ready to take the plunge. I'm looking at 3 models right now - the Saturn VUE Greenline (hybrid), the Mazda CX-7 and the Honda CR-V.

In the next installment, I'll tell you what a nightmare being a single woman trying to buy a new car can be...

Until then,

Kel