Whirlyball

Saturday was a crazy day. My fella and I were headed to one of his friend's birthday parties which had morphed into an all day extravaganza. It was exhausting, but completely awesome! The actual locations were a surprise to the birthday guy, so the rest of us had fun talking in code. We did a whole bunch of stuff like laser tag, arcade games at Dave & Busters, and eating lots of yummy food and cookies! But, there was one thing that I had never even heard of.

Let me introduce you to.....

Whirlyball.

What is Whirlyball, you ask?

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Just picture lacrosse on bumper cars! Two teams of five play 15-20 minute games where you try to hit the other team's target with a whiffle ball- all while dodging everyone else. It was intense!

And I was very bad at it.

I sat out the first game with some of the other girlfriends just so I could see what exactly went on in a whirlyball game. It looked pretty slow from the outside, so I was feeling a little more confident. I joined in the second game, and had the hardest time getting my bumper car to steer! Because you have to have one hand free for the scoop there's only one pedal and a crank that you move from side to side to turn. Apparently, this was way too complicated for me.

I spent the majority of the second and third games just staying out of everyone's way, and running into select people who were headed towards our goal. It was still fun, and my steering slowly improved! Of course, I found out a little bit later that it wasn't completely my fault- my little car was fixed after the third game, and suddenly worked so much better! I took the opportunity to let everyone know that clearly I was not as bad a player as I seemed, it was a conspiracy!

Several banged knees, sweaty shirts, and tired hours later, we called it quits. I feel like it's a game that if you could play regularly, you could plan strategics and pick up steering a little quicker! But as a whirlyball newbie, I highly enjoyed it!

Really, you should go try it! They have leagues, national championships, and everything!

Recommended Reading

Happy August 1st Everyone!

I can't believe how quickly this summer has flown by! Of course, summer classes didn't help, but still- where did the time go? Now that I actually have some time for myself, I've been crafting and reading lots more. It's good for the soul!

I read a lot. And I'm a quick reader- as in read a novel or two a day if I don't have to be too productive. It was great for school. I never had to worry about not finishing my reading. I could wait till the night before class and still be ok. Reading for pleasure is another story- I go through things WAY too quickly, so I'm constantly looking for new material.

Recently, I've been branching into more science fiction and fantasy. It's funny because as much as I love scifi movies and television shows, I haven't read a lot of scifi or fantasy novels beyond Michael Chrichton, Orson Scott Card, CS Lewis, and Tolkein. It's been enjoyable so far- they normally come in big series that are rather long! YAY new books!

I've definitely read a mixed stack the past week or two, and I wanted to share a few that I really enjoyed!

1. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson



This is the second book in the Millennium series, and I enjoyed it much more than the first! It was fast paced and grabbed my attention from the get-go. I adore the heroine in the series. Lisbeth Salander is witty, devious, and just plain intriguing. Once I started this one, I definitely couldn't put it down and I'm looking forward to continuing the saga with the next book!

2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett




I still can't get over the wonderful plot and storytelling that emerged in this heartwarming and heartbreaking story. Set in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 60's, The Help tells the story of the complicated relationships between the help and the families that employ them. The Help is a definite must read!

3. Beguilement (Book 1 in the Sharing Knife Series) by Lois McMaster Bujold




This was a series that I stumbled upon while wandering around the library looking for something interesting. Beguilement sets the stage for a romantic fantasy world where the population is divided into farmers and lakewalkers-two groups of people who never mix. All that is changed when special circumstances throws young farmer Fawn Bluefield together with Lakewalker Dag Redwing. I enjoyed the series as we followed the adventures of Dag and Fawn, and I definitely plan to look into other books by Bujold.

Middendorf's: A Must Visit

It was the only thing off the Exit, about 30 minutes from downtown New Orleans. It's a quiet place on Lake Maurepas that is accessible by car or by boat. And it's famous for the thin-cut fried catfish.

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Middendorf's

Middendorf's was one of my favorite restaurants and it definitely lived up to the hearsay. The fried catfish was so thin that it melted in your mouth! It had just enough breading and I'm so glad I got to try some. I had opted for the peel-and-eat shrimp with a cup of turtle soup. It was my first time ever trying turtle soup and I loved it! It reminded me of vegetable beef soup, but better!

Mom and Dad both got soft shelled crab, and since I was making the food rounds, I tried a few bites and it was very yummy! Rebecca (the token seafood hater) had a hamburger and proclaimed it delicious. Her exact quote was "You know it's a good seafood restaurant if the non-seafood stuff doesn't taste like fish!" It was her favorite restaurant of the trip as well.

All the portions were generous, but we still saved room for dessert! I ordered the bread pudding, which I've also never had and it was amazing! They made it with banana bread and rum sauce and I could barely finish it. Other desserts that were ordered were key lime pie and the white chocolate pecan pie. I definitely recommend saving room for dessert!


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After we finished eating, we headed out to the pier where we watched a breathtaking sunset over the water complete with a double rainbow. And funny face pictures commenced...

You should definitely check out Middendorf's if you're ever in the New Orleans/Baton Rouge area!

-Should've Been a Cowboy-

Color, 2011- Happy not being ridden...

I rode my horse for the first time in about a year. Well, technically I tried to ride her two days ago, but it didn’t go so well. She hasn’t been ridden seriously probably since 2008 which is completely my fault and is so sad! Granted, she is accident prone and was out of commission for a little over a year due to hoof problems. Then I had my own surgery. Thankfully, both of us have been healthy for the past few months, and I’ve missed riding!

I don’t think Color did…

She has earned her semi-retirement, but it gets to be a little annoying after a while to pay for a horse you can’t ride. And it was rather depressing to hear about all my friends riding and getting ready for summer shows. I have a great horse just sitting in the pasture, so it’s about time that I fixed her.

Earlier this week, I saw the documentary Buck which tells the story of master horseman Buck Brannaman. It delves into his background, his philosophy with working with horses, and several situations he encountered. There were many details that I have never even realized, but those difficult times really made him the horseman he is today. I definitely recommend the documentary which coincidentally has won many major awards at independent film festivals across the US. Anyone who has even a passing interest in horses should go see it.

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I’ve always loved Buck, Ray Hunt, and other similar trainers. I was first introduced to their style of horsemanship and colt starting when I was 12 years old. We needed professional help with my 3 year old quarter horse, Dune, and were referred to Mr. Gary Townsend who ended up being an answer to prayer. I learned so much about training horses from watching him, and his methods influenced the way I still ride and train today. I still use the original Double Diamond rope halter with the extra long lead. Mr. Gary taught me that to be in control when riding, you have to be in control on the ground.

After seeing the documentary, I was inspired- and also a little depressed. Buck had a quote in the film that your horse is a reflection of yourself, and that most of the time, people don’t have horse problems… horses have people problems. I know I’ve made mistakes with training and riding, and most of Color’s bad habits are my own fault. We’ve done a lot right, but I’ve also created some problems and allowed them to continue.

So, in 100 degree weather with a 20 year old thoroughbred, I pulled my rope halter back out.

Color, 2008

Wednesday was a bit of a disaster. I did about 20 minutes of groundwork with her, and I was pleased to see she remembered how to move her hindquarters, respond to my cues, and still respect me on the ground. It was a further starting point than I had anticipated. I had optimistically brought all my grooming supplies, saddle, and bridle into the middle of the ring in case things went well. She was listening, responsive, and stood ground-tied like a pro. So, I saddled her up, did about 5 more minutes of groundwork and led her to the mounting block.

As soon as my butt hit the saddle, kids descended onto the farm, people started feeding their horses, the wind picked up, and Color threw a temper tantrum that resembled the Tasmanian Devil. I quickly hopped off, did a few more minutes of ground work, and hosed her off slightly annoyed. I was on her back a total of 4 minutes. Wouldn’t you know… everyone disappeared as soon as I fed her! I also could hear a little voice that sounded an awful lot like Buck and Mr. Gary telling me I ended on a bad note. I needed to remember to control my emotions and anxiety, or else not ride.

This morning I was a little more determined. I dumped all my stuff unceremoniously in the middle of the ring, trekked through the pasture, and led my reluctant, old mare back to the ring. Ground work commenced just like last time, and I was a little firmer in how I worked with her. I pushed her a little further, and she was just as good. So, I saddled her up again, and tried to breathe deeply as I stuck my foot in the stirrup.

We rode around the ring for almost 30 minutes practicing circles, walking nicely, and we finished with a slow trot. She threw a few small temper tantrums, but for the most part was very well-behaved! It was a pleasant surprise! She was a little anxious, but quickly responded when I asked her to come back to me. I rode her with a kimberwick, which I know Buck would not approve, but I really don’t want to be on a bolting retired racehorse, so we might go back to our snaffle next week to practice one rein stops and start completely back at the walk. I definitely need to remember to be patient. Ahhh, my arch-enemy…. Patience.

Me & Color, 2009

Hey You's Guys!

My apologizes for the long delay! Let's just say that summer classes are eating my brain... Kind of like an evil education zombie. I'm sure you get the point, but thankfully it will be over on July 18! There's a light at the end of the tunnel!

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Speaking of lights and tunnels...why are there always train tracks in those pictures? And to continue the association, this is now reminding me of a very good movie I saw recently.

Super 8

I highly recommend it. It reminded me of older movies like The Goonies, ET, and The Iron Giant. And yes, I know that is an odd assortment! Honestly, I just have to see the name JJ Abrams and I'm all set. The amazing Mr. Abrams has brought us shows like Lost, Alias, and Fringe, and when he teams up with Steven Spielberg the results are amazing! I thought the cast was great, especially Elle Fanning who will be just as good, if not better, than her sister. To me, it brought back the classic movies full of adventure and mystery, and definitely left me with a feeling of nostalgia. So much so, that I watched The Goonies two days later!

There's a Book Looking for You

It's been a busy week for me this past week! After a somewhat stressful morning thanks to financial aid trouble, I need an uplifting post. I just got back from an educational conference at the University at West Georgia and now I'm full of great ideas for the classroom. We listened to several knowledgeable and entertaining speakers that covered topics ranging from Formative Assessment and Classroom Management to 3D Graphic Organizers.

My favorite speaker gave the Keynote address, and now I'd like to introduce to you:
Carmen Agra Deedy- children's author and storyteller.

Carmen Agra Deedy at TED 2005

Speaking to a large group early in the morning can be daunting, but Carmen Deedy was more than a speaker. She was a storyteller. In the first few minutes, this seemingly reserved woman stepped off the platform into the audience and brought the room alive with personal anecdotes about developing a love of reading. We learned about a feisty young girl who was determined to despise books and antagonize everyone around her until one day she discovered the book that was "looking" for her.

Mrs. Deedy’s humorous characterizations of herself resonated with everyone when she described the joy of discovering a love of books for the first time as a young girl. What made her story especially engrossing was her use of pitch and movement to bring each character to life. The comparisons between Southern and Cuban dialect were delightfully entertaining as she switched from mischievous young Carmen to the stately, Southern librarian. With a touch of suspense, Mrs. Deedy dropped small hints that left us wondering just which book tremendously affected young Carmen and eventually inspired her book, The Library Dragon.

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Mrs. Deedy's award winning stories include: The Library Dragon, Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, 14 Cows for America, and several more. The illustrations are phenomenal and I highly recommend her books to any book-lover, child, or teacher!

And just in case you were wondering... the book that found Carmen?

None other than E.B. White's Charlotte's Web.

Do you remember the first book that "found" you? For me, it was CS Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

I Like to Move It, Move It!

Last month, I mentioned I had purchased one of Jillian Michaels' workout DVDs for when I couldn't get myself to the gym. You can read my initial thoughts here. I'll admit that I haven't been the best about following it on my off days. I started out with grand intentions of doing it every day I couldn't get to the gym, and even on those I could, but I kind of fell off the wagon. Whoops.

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But thanks to LA Fitness, it didn't come back and run me over. I'm still going to the gym 4-5 days a week, and I've made some new records. On Friday, I ran 4.5 miles on the cross trainer in 42 minutes averaging about 7 miles per hour. I was really proud of myself! Today, I decided to try the dreaded treadmill, and I ran .8 of a mile at a steady pace, before returning to the elliptical for another 2 miles. The treadmill still puts a little too much pressure on my toe and ankle, so I'll have to work that in slowly.

Anyways, back to Ms. Michaels... I completed 5 days of the 30 day shred, and I would definitely recommend it to others. There are three different levels, and there are modified exercises for each level. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that I could do the 'harder' versions of most of the moves! Jillian's system is 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of ab work. You work through this for 20 minutes without a break.

When I first stuck in the DVD, I was sure I was going to power through Level 1. After all, I had been going to the gym and working out for 6 weeks! Surely I was in decent shape by now! Not so much- I was sweating and out of breath after Day 1. I wanted to collapse on the carpet and not get up. It did get easier after the next few days, but even at day 5, I was still pretty worn out!

The worst thing about the DVD is that you can't skip through a lot of the introduction. I recommend turning it on, and letting it play through the first sections until you get to the workouts. Other than that, I loved the fast paced exercises that are easy to do at home. Jillian keeps you motivated and is encouraging through the whole thing, and it definitely helped me from turning off the TV :P

All in all, I'm really glad to have this DVD as a backup in case I need a home workout. I definitely need to push myself to add it back in, since I'm not losing the weight I want! Stupid pizza.

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting...

I've never enjoyed exercising unless I was on a horse. I can tolerate running, but it's just not my idea of fun. I've tried to enjoy it, but I just get bored, and my boredom leads to a lack of motivation. Every year I add my name to the list of people who are determined to lose weight for summer, and this year, I'm actually serious about it.

What? You don't believe me?

What if I told you that I've been a member of LA Fitness for almost two months, and my workouts increased from walking around the mall to an hour and thirty minutes of cardio and strength training five days a week?

KAPOW!

Source: EW

My normal workout includes 45 minutes of cardio (usually the eliptical or cross trainer), ab work, and alternating between upper body and lower body strength training using the weight machines. I know that using free weights is better, but I'm still needing a little bit of extra help that the machines give me.

I can tell a difference and I've lost a little weight, but I'm still not where I want to be with summer closing in fast! (And yes- my diet has changed as well! No more diet drinks, less dessert, smaller portions, and more vegetables.) That's where my most recent purchase comes in...

Source: Amazon

I've heard pretty good reviews from friends and different blogs, and at a used price of under $10 including shipping, I couldn't resist giving it a try! I plan to give the DVD a better review once I've used it more, but my first response is....

OUCH!

I can definitely feel it, even though it was only 20 minutes of pretty low intensity work. The best thing about it is you only need a pair of hand weights- no gym required! I think this is going to be a great tool for days I can't get to the gym or on days where I want to do a little more!

Has anyone else had success with any of Jillian Michaels' programs? Is there any other home programs worth looking into?