Ellen Grace & Gusto

I woke up alittle too early this morning, having gone to bed too early last night so decided to try some of Ellen Barrett's new Grace and Gusto, even though feeling like I may be coming down with a cold and my pink eye flared up during the night. Luckily, already have a doctor's appointment scheduled this morning.

Didn't even feel like standing on the bungee and healthbouncing so Gusto and Grace was a very pleasant surprise and perfect for this morning, offering pretty much everything in one package (cardio, strength, and flexibility) without aggravating my knee. I wound up doing the whole standing routine!
Finished with Jill Miller's Knee Rehab (prehab) ballrolling and first level of strength (Rehab 1).

Pink Eye!

Just spent two nights in AC, even though I woke up with pink eye Weds morning! Have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. The slot machines were a good distraction for me and we got plenty of play at The Borgata plus DH hit a huge 10 cent superfecta at the track so we ended the gambling year on a high note.

While away, new workouts arrived so I will be quite busy trying them. Right knee still iffy after sitting a long time but otherwise, managing walking painlessly.

Hardcore Kickbox Circuit

This morning I did some of Hardcore Kickbox Circuit on the bungee which I decided to trade. It is a nice workout but too much TIFTTing for me and I have so many similar workouts. Then I did some of the Powerfit Express workout and finished with a Classical Stretch with tough lower body barre. Am expecting DOMS tomorrow.

Holiday WO, Strong Knees, Abs Rapido, CS

This morning I finished the rest of the Holiday workout on the bungee with homemade XCO trainers then did Strong Knees and a few minutes of various workouts including Abs Rapido and finished with Classical Stretch.

Didn't have much energy this morning but kept moving and worked the lower body alot. My knee is much better at night but still feels like something isn't quite right. However, I can live with whatever it is indefinitely, just as long as it doesn't get much worse like it was.

How to Wrap a Gift ...Merry Christmas

A must see video on youtube which my sister sent me.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9dqjaTs780&feature=player_embedded

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to Christie Taylor's online dance workouts then did some of Joannie Greggains Holiday workout. Usually am in AC on Christmas so it was nice doing some of the Holiday workout on the holiday. May do the rest as a spark later. Then I did some of the gliding in Cathe's Cardio Supersets which was a mistake because my knee twinged again after really feeling almost normal then some BBL Rio Extreme and finished with Classical Stretch and ball rolling my knee.

Webcam Discovery

OK I feel dumb!
Just discovered the photo on my blog as well as all other media taken on our laptop were with the protective cover over the webcam lens intact. LOL
Oh well, future photos and videos will be much sharper.

ETA: Just changed my previous photo to a newer one

Christie, BBL Sculpt, PF Dynamic Stretch

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to more online dance routines by Christie Taylor. I really like these because like MUVE, they offer good music with no verbal cuing and the moves are simple to follow. Then I did most of the standing from BBL Sculpt using a band and will definitely revisit it. Finished with wonderful standing and floor band routines from Peak Fitness Challenge Dynamic Flexibility which is sadly only available through the whole Peak Fitness Challenge set.

My knee was 95% better last night and so far this morning so it looks like the worse of it is over and it may even heal completely.

I got a great bonus gift yesterday when our Aspie son finally cleaned his room out of the blue, a first in his 26 years. Previously, his OCD was directed towards keeping his room a mess. There is hope for him yet.

Freemake Video Converter and Filemail

I have to give a shout-out for one of the best video converting and editing software programs I have recently tried:
Freemake Video Converter

It is so much easier and faster to use than other free programs and seems to do more than some expensive programs.

Only problem is be careful when downloading and installing to avoid accepting the toolbar and other stuff you probably do not want.
I even skipped the plugin options for Chrome and Firefox which I later included when upgrading.
They have *how to* video tutorials online to demonstrate what to do by clicking on help

Just go directly to www.freemake.com to download the Freemake Video Converter.

Getting a new laptop has opened a whole world of free workouts online for me. Also I like to edit some of my workout dvds and online clips to make them function better for me, skipping moves I do not do (like burpees) and chaptering what I do like to do into accessible sparks.

Have to give another shout-out to filemail.com which enables friends with similar workout preferences to share our creations.

ETA: Freemake Video Converter is beyond amazing
I just burned 6 large MP4 files to a dvdr in less than one hour, a task that took almost 4 hours on DVDFlick and ended badly. I now know if I want sound when using a Play Station2 as a dvd player to switch the burn sound setting to MP2. The sound setting drop down menu is next to the dvd region drop down menu (PAL OR NTSC choice).

Oatmeal! Christie, BBL, Gliding, CS

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to Christie Taylor's online videos then did some BBL High and Tight then some Cathe Gliding and finished with CS Back Pain. Back/right hip problem kicked in during the routine! But Miranda gave a move near the end that reversed the problem. Seems like most of my hip/back pain is triggered when the front of my hip is tight (hip flexors) so whenever I stretch the back of my hip, I am tightening the front! My knee feels much better this morning even though it was pretty stiff last night. What I am mostly feeling today are Ab DOMS which is rare and some thigh DOMS.

I am losing measurements off my hips, thigh and waist even though my weight is the same so guess I am losing fat while building muscle which is a good thing. One thing that is definitely helping to burn fat is substituting oatmeal in recipes calling for bread crumbs. Oatmeal has become a wonderful substitute for breadcrumbs in meatloaf, oven baked chicken and in what we used to call Italian Matzoh Ball soup.
Last night I made a soup that looked like Italian Wedding soup but substituted small balls made out of oatmeal (about 1 1/2 cups), egg, Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup, alittle lemon juice and other seasonings for the traditional meatballs. I add alittle olive oil or more oatmeal till it feels like the right consistency for handrolling into balls. First I boiled some Cottage Inn low fat chicken broth (2 cans) with equal amounts of water then dropped the balls of the oatmeal mix into the broth and boiled it awhile then added alittle canned spinach chopped up and alittle of those tiny pasta beads/balls. Alittle of the spinach and pasta go a long way. Not only was it the best tasting Italian Wedding soup we ever had, it was so much healthier!
We get huge containers of whole oatmeal at Aldis for less than $2. Also the canned spinach.

ETA: just did a nice CS spark :)

Online cardio, Bum Bum Rapido, and Essentrics, etc.

I warmed up this morning on the bungee to a couple of nice dance routines found online: a Tracey Anderson Inspired cardio routine and a Zumba inspired Christi Taylor routine.
Will be uploading the TA Inspired video below and the Christie Taylor routine can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/ChristiTaylorFIT?feature=watch

Then I did BBL's Bum Bum Rapido which I liked alot and even the Rapido Abs while holding a kettlebell. Then I did a bunch of different Essentrics and PT type moves for my knees and hips including some ball rolling. Still have stiffness in the knee after sitting but am able to move it in many ways painfree once it is warmed up.

How Harrahs (CET) has ruined its brand

In the past, we have always booked Christmas eve and Christmas at Harrahs. Even though we can get both Friday and Saturday night comped at almost all 4 CET casino resorts this year, I cancelled and have decided not to go. Harrahs' Diamond Lounge isn't even opened Friday night and Reflections is gone so the fun Christmas eve dinner we used to get is gone as well.
Our last Saturday night stay at Showboat was horrible. Drunks shouting in the hall and banging on the doors all night. This behavior has been happening at almost all AC hotels on partying nights since they stopped offering comped rooms to their regular moderate gamblers and rather sell a room to a gang of young adults instead. However, The Borgata rooms, both Classic and Water Club seem more sound proofed. Also since Showboat's casino was so empty, the potential criminal element stuck out. Both my husband and I felt like we were being stalked for possible voucher snatching or whatever. The only place I felt safe was the elevator area and elevator because just one was working so always a crowd waiting and a crowded elevator. Safety in numbers. Other disappointments were that the Diamond Lounge was closed on a Saturday night and we really wanted to try Showboat's DL on a Saturday night hearing good things about it online. Also the maid only left decafe coffee packets in our room, making me use an old packet I had brought from home instead. What is the $13 a night for? That extra room assessment charge should include making sure each room has real coffee packets.
DH is already Platinum this year and since the Diamond lounges now charge $10 comp each and it is much harder to earn comp for inferior food compared to The Borgata, I prefer for most of our gambling to be done at The Borgata, earning those delicious meals as we play. I have practically stopped playing my card at any CET casino, not even bothering to go for Platinum, myself, even though I was over halfway there in March. I had every intention of going Diamond this year until I discovered just how much better The Borgata does everything, even before the sudden charge for Diamond Lounges started. I will only play my card if there is a promotion worth playing for like a free buffet. CET's stupidity was really exposed when Diamond players couldn't earn a free buffet at Wild West this spring while Gold and Platinum could. Bad enough they started charging for the Diamond lounges but not allowing Diamonds to earn a free buffet just was a totally ridiculous decision.

The Borgata besides offering so many more bonus downloads even costs just $5 a night in fees compared to Harrahs' inflated $13 a night. However, as much as I love The Borgata, I find I feel like playing slots less than when we went to 4 other casinos for diversity so have been traveling to AC less often. Between not losing as much at CET and saving on traveling expenses and The Borgata's generous bonus downloads, our AC trips have actually become profitable!

Now that The Borgata is renovating its Classic rooms and is still upgrading all Diamond players to Black Label, I think most regular AC slot players will see how much better The Borgata does everything and will stop pursuing CET Diamond status and will earn Black Label instead like we have the past 2 years. I cannot imagine The Revel offering more than The Borgata either. Just hope that The Revel's opening will make the weekend and summer comped rooms more available at The Borgata (and the Amphora Lounge line shorter).

ETA: Found out we may be offered the Harrahs buffet for free since their DL is closed tomorrow night but still not going. Last Saturday night at Showboat left me not wanting to stay and play slots at any of their properties.

P90 Fat Burning Express, SWAT, CS

Yesterday I started doing mini-workouts or sparks with a workout that just mysteriously appeared on my shelves: Power 90 Fat Burning Express. I had absolutely no recollection of trying or acquiring it. It was obviously before I got hooked on using a double handed weight like a Medball or Kettlebell. Most of the kickboxing and athletic cardio worked on the bungee and it was nicely organized into a warmup, 5 rounds, cooldown and stretch. Each round had several moves with 10 reps for each move and each round was done twice. It was totally chaptered if I wanted to skip around, making it perfect for sparks. Tony Horton led a large group of exercisers doing different intensities outdoors in Hawaii. Now how in the world did I already own such a gem and not remember it? After doing rounds 3 through 5 and the cooldown, I did some of SWAT Rapid Tone & Firm which is a solid band workout but includes lots of moves I avoid like overhead presses so I decided I have so many other band workouts that I prefer that I will not be revisiting it again. It really is time for me to start keeping workouts I want to revisit and trading/giving the others away. Finished with some Classical Stretch Essentrics.
Today in spite of being gloomy weather-wise has been a great one. My knee is definitely improving and our son who works in the UK is switching to an internet focused company that sounds absolutely amazing. Guess we will all be applying for passports because it looks like he will be permanently living in the UK.

a Special VF Shoutout

Last evening, a member of VideoFitness offered me a dvd that was on my Wishlist as a *Secret Santa* gesture. I just wanted to give a Shoutout about this generous spirit found on VF. The timing was really perfect because I was becoming upset about my knee problem and its possible effect on my workout routine and life in general. The dvd's focus is flexibility which hopefully will help my knee's mobility.

Knees and Blockbuster store closing

Since my knee stiffness improves with movement, I am assuming it is Arthritis with maybe alittle Bursitis and not a real injury. So I am determined to move more frequently throughout the day.

This morning, I warmed up with the last two songs of Andrea's Keeping Fit then did the bonus Violet's Cardio, both of which became a nice combination on and off the bungee, using homemade XCO trainers for weights. Then I did some standing Essentrics with music only and Strong Knees, both the full routine and the massage (tennis ball against a wall). After Strong Knees I did alittle more ball rolling on a Miracle ball around both knees.

We had ended our Blockbuster store Combo Pass and found out the store was closing soon after Christmas anyways which was sad to hear because we really liked the store Combo Pass which was only recently offered and may have increased their business substantially as customers tried it. Only reason we ended it was because the store stopped getting newer games and we had caught up on the dvds we wanted to see. We definitely would have tried it again in a couple of months. Right now I am still using Amazon's instant watch during a Free Prime trial which is ok but still prefer access to newer releases. Guess we'll next try the library and Redbox since Blockbusters will no longer be convenient. If we really fall far behind, will join Netflix for one month for 2 or 3 dvds at a time to catch up.

Home Sweet Home

So we just got back from a couple of nights in AC. I was able to do all of my usual walking in AC but my right knee was very stiff after sitting down just for a few minutes. Guess it was good that I was away from home and not pushing it too hard during home workouts. Back to my morning workouts tomorrow morning but may squeeze in a spark this afternoon.

AC CET hotels were a bit depressing with so many restaurants closed and empty casinos but The Borgata was still hopping. They did recently close the buffet for a couple of weeks so we didn't go then even though the Amphora Lounge was opened. Now that the buffet reopened, the Amphora Lounge is closed till Friday afternoon. Showboat's Diamond Lounge and buffet are completely closed and Harrahs DL has only been opened Saturdays and Sundays. We had reservations there this Friday but canceled since the club is closed and no point pumping their machines cuz DH is already Platinum and neither of us ever plan to be Diamond again.

Showboat offered us LFB (Limited Food and Beverage) status this trip but only for their coffee shop and snack bar. To get the food comped, all of the reward credits (earned comp) in the customer's account get used first so it was not an enticing offer. Maybe if offered LFB when our earned credits are low, we will try it in the future.

Metcalf,chair aerobics, thigh rolling and CS

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to Andrea Metcalf's cardio then did the chair aerobics from the Catskills resort then some rolling on a Miracle ball and finished with Classical Stretch. Right knee is still stiff on and off but definitely has more range of motion since rolling.

Andrea, Mindy, BBL, and foam roller

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to Andrea Metcalf's cardio then did Mindy Total Body Gliding chapter then the rest of BBL Cardio Axe while holding Fitstix and finished with rolling on a foam roller. My knee is much improved today!

Cardio AXE, Strong Knees and Chair aerobics

I warmed up on the bungee to Andrea Metcalf's Keeping Fit Cardio warmup and first song which I lurve. Then did the first 2 combos in BBL Cardio Axe, some with Fitstix then did more chair aerobics from a vhs I bought at a Catskill Resort and finished with Strong Knees, including its bonus. Knee is much better today but still sending a weaker signal that it needs help.

Strong Knees Cardio Axe

Yesterday I did *Strong Knees* for the first time and woke up with intense DOMS in the quads, even though I used Weleda Arnica Massage oil before bed. I think if I do strengthen and stretch these supporting muscles as well as massage my knees with Arnica oil before bed, my knee problems will be less eventful. At least, I hope so. My right knee is alittle better today. Obviously less swollen.

This morning I warmed up with Richard Simmons on the bungee then added Fitstix without the bungee. Next I did Brazilian Butt Lift Rapido Abs and alittle Uppercuts with Fitstix and the warmup from Cardio Axe which also worked well with Fitstix. Finished with Classical Stretch.

Gliding! and POP Pilates/blogilates

This morning my right knee and hip were terribly out of alignment and felt uncomfortable during all cardio on the floor or UR till I tried GLIDING??? Didn't try the bungee because too early in the morning to workout in our living room. So I did the gliding parts of Mindy's Gliding Fatburning Cardio.

Then I did a chair workout I had bought from a social director of a Catskills resort but sat on my Barry's Bootcamp oblong ball then a strange standing Pilates routine from youtube where the feet stay still and finished with alittle Classical Stretch.

Will be searching for that youtube workout (POP standing abs and legs) to see if the instructor has more clips to offer.

We are stuck home this morning waiting for a company scheduled to clean our gutters but may have to get another company to come this week or next if a *No Show*.

ETA: Here's the link to that video clip on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoZIcmmxZjY&feature=related

ETA: Just as I had expected, the gutter company was a *no show* so will try another this Friday

RS PF TA CS

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to Richard Simmons and think I may actually prefer the skirtmat. Then I did the rest of PeakFit Cardio Interval Burn and found it to be a good Fitstix workout! Next did some Tracey Anderson Inspired Arms from youtube and finished with a Classical Stretch.

Fitstix Fusion

This morning after not clicking with Sticks.1, I decided to revisit Fitstix Fusion. What a difference!! The moves and combos are so much more engaging. I sweated like crazy and continued to sweat during the following Classical Stretch. Most Fusion moves really use the upper body and core. Footwork is simple and can even be adapted to the rebounder with minimum tweaking. The only reason why Fusion wasn't a big seller is because it was dvdr instead of silver-backed press. Well I decided to add some information to this post to get more people to see how great Fusion is.

You can see a clip of Fusion at

http://thefitstix.com/ProductCode-FUSDVD.html

There are endless ways to use Fusion. You can play the whole workout with breakdowns for an interval effect. You can play the whole workout without breakdowns to get continuous higher intensity. Individual chapters can be played either way too. You get more bang for the buck with this dvd/dvdr than any other workout out there. Zumba toning sticks or light weights up to one pound can be used instead of Fitstix or you can make homemade XCOs like I did with Pringle/Lays chip cans and rocksalt. However, the best effect is of course given with a pair of the specially designed Joy Fitstix Pro.

http://thefitstix.com/products.html

If you are interested in the other Fitstix workouts, www.Totalfitnessdvds.com has clips and sells them at a cheaper price and sometimes has a sale price for them.

http://www.totalfitnessdvds.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=fitstix

Sticks.1

Since wearing my Walkfit Platinum inserts, I haven't had any pain in my left foot/ankle till this morning when barefooted so am again wearing them 24/7 except when sleeping.

I warmed up on the bungee to some Richard Simmons. Last night I switched to the skirtmat so I would remember to wear shoes and wanted to give the skirtmat another try because my improved petal mat arrived shortly after the skirtmat. The skirtmat feels a bit more bouyant and I can feel the plastic connectors even when wearing shoes more than I can barefooted on the petal mat but want to see which I actually prefer so will be trying various rebounding workouts after my foot is fully healed. Right now, our son is very into jogging and doing jumping jacks on the bungee with the cooler weather making walking outside less comfortable.

Next I tried the first few chapters of Sticks.1 which I tolerated but didn't love. The combos are presented with some TIFTTing and have more complicated footwork than I prefer though I can modify them into movements I prefer but the stick moves aren't as interesting as I had hoped. There is some sort of a twirl she does that doesn't seem worth the bother to learn. Overall, the Fitstix workouts have much better moves and the only advantage to Sticks.1 is a more pleasant and softer voice. Actually, I can get a much better workout using the Fitstix with other workouts not designed for sticks. Will try chapter 4 and the mini workout versions before making the final decision of whether it is a keeper.

Next I did some biceps with a band following Cathe's Slide & Glide chapter.

Next I did some of the lower body from a Mindy Mylrea Gliding workout which I liked alot and finished with JB's second foot and ankle rehab routine.

Cannot keep me down

While warming up to Richard Simmons on the bungee, my left foot and ankle developed a new pain. So I put Arnica gel on it and did JB's ankle and foot rehab then Richard Simmons chair workout. Pain was still there when standing so I next put Arnica massage oil on it and it greatly helped. Now have an ankle bandage on it with a large magnet.

Hope I can try the new Sticks.1 workout when it arrives today.

If not, may do another chair workout or even some mat lower body which I usually avoid like the plague.

ETA: pain returned but Walkfit Platinum inserts worked!

RS then mostly downhill

I started out well this morning warming up with Richard Simmons on the bungee but lost my momentum trying Cathe's Cardio Supersets, mostly for the gliding disks stuff since I didn't mind Slide & Glide. Most of Supersets were nothing special or plank moves. At first, I was jogging on the rebounder during uninspiring moves and planks but eventually started fast forwarding alot. Then I did the rest of the Essentrics from vimeo.com and for the heck of it, alittle Butt Bible from Exercise TV which reminded me that I wanted to revisit Brazilian Butt Lift. I spent the past 3 hours looking for my Brazilian Butt Lift workouts without success which is the first time I have failed to find something pretty quickly since reorganizing my collection. It'll probably turn up when I am not looking for it! Meanwhile, I did find a few other workouts I want to revisit which I had forgotten.

and tomorrow Sticks.1 may arrive :)

Richard Simmons and Eyes

This morning I squeezed in 4 Richard Simmons' songs on the bungee before going to the eye doctor.

The follow-up eye doctor appointment went much smoother in his old office and took less than an hour including dilating. Last time, it took over 2 hours with lots of waiting and then driving home in the dark with terrible traffic from his new office. Lots of good news: my eye pressure is fine, floaters are being absorbed and he put temporary plugs in my eyes to see if it will prevent that nasty dry eye feeling. Also the vision in my new glasses seems fine but I already knew that. Another thing I love about my new glasses besides seeing the puter screen so much better is that the frame hides the bags under my eyes LOL

Unfortunately, the old office was near a bakery we used to like and DH got himself some goodies which I couldn't resist tasting. Now I really need to go do another spark before watching a rental dvd with the family! Will try to do some more RS then some CS. Oh and the Amazon Prime free trial mentioned in my previous post includes some instant watch videos for free!

Karma and Sticks.1

I really believe in karma.

After a frustrating morning because of an online confusion, a thoughtful VFer sent me information about a new workout she tried and thought I would love with Fitstix called Sticks.1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZsAiRedLy8

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JGB14U/ref=wms_ohs_product

She had even offered to lend it to me but between the $4.11 cents the Amazon credit card owed me plus free 2 day shipping with the Amazon Prime free trial, it came out to the same price as shipping the dvd back and forth. I really think this workout will click for me and even if not, it makes me feel good that somebody online thought of me and that I have this new workout to look forward to trying.

Cathe Slide & Glide Vimeo CS and Essentrics

This morning I did most of the standing parts of Cathe's Slide & Glide using plastic sliding disks. I liked how it made my lower body work differently without aggravating my knees. Also did the triceps pushups but skipped all other plank stuff.

Then I visited some of Classical Stretch and Essentrics on Vimeo.com

RS PF Barre3 CS

I warmed up on the bungee to a couple of songs from Sweatin to the Oldies 5 then did some of PeakFit Cardio Interval Burn. Its first block was a turnoff for me cuz too similar to TaeBo and I am finding myself not liking the kicking parts of Kickboxing anymore. I did like the second block though. Then I did some Barre3 from the internet and liked it because it was similar to Ellen Barrett and Classical Stretch. Finished with Classical Stretch 804 which was outstanding. My problematic right shoulder, hip and knee stopped twinging. I am thinking that the only way I am going to do much of the cardio workouts I have been accumulating is to do more sparks because Classical Stretch is becoming a morning necessity.

My measurements are still going down while my weight has stabilized so I believe I am not losing muscle but am losing fat so my current workout and food choices seem to be good ones for me.

OMG Meatloaf!

I usually barely tolerate meatloaf but DH brought home chopped meat today and I was determined to make it as healthy as possible so checked a few recipes online and combine a few of them.

Earlier in the day I sauteed chopped celery, carrots, onion, garlic, green pepper and red pepper till tender in Canola oil. Then I splashed the concoction with some crushed red pepper, black ground pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vineagar and ketchup and let the concoction cool.

90 minutes before dinner, I combine the veggie concoction, 2 eggs, chopped meat, alittle more Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vineagar and ketchup, reserving some for the outer glaze and my new secret meatloaf ingredient...... OATMEAL! I usually used bread crumbs and was thinking of using high fiber bread instead till I read that oatmeal was an option. I was a bit skeptical because it didn't seen as wet as my previous meatloafs and I feared the oatmeal would dry out all of its moisture. Smeared the glaze on and popped it in the 325 degree oven for 90 minutes till the center read medium well and ends read well done on my meat thermometer. The final result was incredible. Moist and delicious. Best meatloaf any of us ever ate and probably the healthiest.

ETA: another healthy find for us has been frozen hashed brown potatoes at Aldi's which is just grated potatoes and went very well with the meatloaf. I dump them into a pan sprayed with a nonstick spray and sprinkle with alittle seasoning (Soul Seasoning found at Shop-rite which includes salt, onion, garlic, paprika, red pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, celery, fennel, black pepper and other spices) and bake covered with foil, flip it as its bottom browns every 20 minutes till steaming hot. No fats or oils and minimal salt.

For Thanksgiving I made my potato stuffing using these hash browns and adding grated carrots and grated onions. Unfortunately, Aldi's has them in their weekly special freezer section so may eventually run out of them but probably can find something similar at another supermarket for more $$ or be ambitious and grate potatoes the old fashioned way again.

RS Kettleworx CS

This morning, I got my motor revving with 4 songs from Richard Simmons' Sweatin to the Oldies 5 on the bungee then did week 5 of Kettleworx Cardio but just one set of each move. Finished with the same CS I did yesterday 803 because my knee felt so much better the rest of the day afterwards. I am going to try to alternate PeakFit Cardio Interval Burn with lighter cardio the next few days.

The Esmonde Technique

This site has Classical Stretch pdf book excerpts:

http://www.classicalstretch.com/CSBookex.pdf

Just discovered this link thanks to VF and think it clearly explains the Esmonde Technique, otherwise known as Classical Stretch which was created by Miranda Esmonde-White. I know after trying it on and off for years that it is finally clicking for me and truly helping. At first, it was the music and TaiChi-like movements that attracted me. Now it is seeing my joints getting more range of motion and feeling less pain. My main focus when workingout has been feel good cardio. Now I am finally balancing it with feel good strength and stretching. Yoga never clicked for me so Classical Stretch is a wonderful addition to my workout routines.

Miranda's routines are expensive on dvd but readily available on many PBS stations. Her most recent season #8 is definitely my favorite because of some new moves that have clicked for me but I will be revisiting previous seasons, applying what I have learned thanks to season 8.

Some of her routines are available online too.

There are many Classical Stretch clips on vimeo.com

http://vimeo.com/24238741

PeakFit and CS

I did the rest of PeakFit Pure Cardio on the bungee but wearing shoes so felt more stable while being able to use more of its petal mat. There is a discount code to save 25% off the Fitnest Trampoline 370 model this weekend:

SAVE25JFT370

Then I did the rest of Fitstix Adapative PE and finished with CS 803 which seemed to help my bum knee!

PeakFit and Classical Stretch

Squeezed in some more Peak Fit cardio on the bungee and some Classical Stretch 802 which may actually help my knees!?! Expecting the electricians any minute.

AC and Working out

Over the years, my interests have changed. I used to spend alot of my leisure time playing video games but then got involved with the internet, specifically managing a group of parents of gay kids. Then my interest in the internet shifted towards workingout and fitness. I am still very into workingout and hope I never stop.

Offline, my main interest was horseracing. Before our first child, we even owned part of a racehorse and my first internet ID was horsemom2 so that interest lasted a good 30 years or more. Then as I started going to casinos more and more and enjoying penny slots, my gambling focus shifted away from horseracing. Going to Atlantic City so often made one or both of us going CET Diamond status obtainable as long as we focused on their 4 casinos (Harrahs, Showboat, Ballys and Caesars). The Borgata will upgrade any CET Diamond level player to their Black Label for a full year. As the years went by, I started resenting the AC CET Total Rewards casinos more and more because of various poor customer service issues. The final straw was having a sudden Diamond lounge charge. Obviously, most other Diamond members felt the same because the Diamond lounges became empty as well as slot machine seats. I love The Borgata for its food and loose machines but miss the variety of having more places to eat, stay and play so have been going more recently only twice a month for one or two nights instead of 3 times a month for 2 to 3 nights as well as a bus trips. Most of these current trips are funded by The Borgata's slot bonuses so I haven't lost money like I used to but I am finding myself not as excited about Atlantic city visits as I used to be so my interest is waning. Really think the future Revel and Hard Rock casinos will be huge financial losses like the Taj Mahal after the initial summer season. CET ruining their AC Diamond brand has opened the door for The Revel to take advantage of CET's business blunders but doubt they will hit the ground running with offers even as good as The Borgata's which is still losing business in spite of the CET Diamond exodus.

Peak Fit Challenge and Classical Stretch

I woke up at 4am this morning so I could workout before the electrician arrives and cuts our power. I did the warmup and first block from PeakFit Pure Cardio then alittle more of the *Anywhere, Anytime* workout then a Classical Stretch (829) recorded this past Monday. CS 829 was very therapeutic for all of my joint problems, especially the shoulders so may become a regularly done routine by me.

PeakFit cardios and Classical Stretch will be my main workout focus the next few weeks with a sprinkling of other stuff when time allows.

ETA: the Electrician will not be coming till tomorrow since the ground is still wet :(

Some Catch-up

Not much to report other than doing alot of walking the past few days in AC and a Classical Stretch when I got home this afternoon. Next few days may not see much working out either because we start having our electrical circuit board replaced tomorrow and are fully booked each morning till Saturday.

PeakFit WOW!

This morning after warming up on the bungee to MUVE, I tried some of the PeakFit *Anywhere Anytime No Excuse Workout*. Handled the warmup and first few circuits well but started to poop bigtime about 15 minutes into the workout. I love the moves, mostly athletic cardio and that none are done for too long. However, because of its intensity, it will be slow going for me to try all of the 3 dvds I received in a trade. Very SLOW going. May take longer than a month! Will definitely have to do more sparks if I want to continue to try these as well as other virgin workouts plus revisit others. Must do a spark before each meal like my son does.

After PeakFit, I did some more of Fitstix Adaptive PE for upper body cardio and some Classical Stretch.

Here's the Peak Fit Challenge website with clips for each dvd

https://www.peakfitchallenge.com/TheChallenge

Kukuwa Speedbody Fitstix Adaptive PE

I started by warming up on the bungee to MUVE radio shows with West African and Polynesian dance. Got in the mood for more African so did the first two songs on Kukuwa's Adult Advanced workout. Then wanted to keep the party going with another favorite so did rounds 4 through 7 from Rob Forcelli's Speedbody which used a medball then wanted some upper body so did the first couple of routines on Fitstix Adapative PE and finished with Classical Stretch.

Revisiting some of these favorites made me realize that I do not need new workouts at all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Besides my regular morning workout, I had a functional strength workout lifting a 15 pound turkey in a pan plus its juices several times to baste the bird. Food came out great though almost an hour too early so we just ate earlier LOL

This morning while the bird cooked, I warmed up on the bungee to MUVE then did some Temple Dance from youtube then Kathy Smith's lower body from her Kettlebell set then some Biggest Loser vol2 Functional strength and group strength using a Smartbell instead of a stability ball or medball. Finished with Classical Strength. Smartbells are a nice piece of equipment that never caught on because of their expense. It is weighted and curved with two handles. Very nice for halos and figure eights, etc.

Rough night and rougher morning

Last night around 12:30 am, our electricity went out then about 30 minutes later the electricity was going on and off with a loud noise then finally there was an explosion type sound. Then we saw a bright light and smoke from our den windows. Am assuming a transformer or whatever blew. Then there were a bunch of red blinking lights which I assume were fire trucks. Anywho power was restored around 2am. It felt like an alien invasion LOL

Thought we may have lost one of our puters which acted really strange till it seemed to overcome its shock. Getting my dvd players to work right was really tricky, needing to do alot of channel switching and gyrations to get everything working properly again. Now I have to reset two vcr clocks and programming to capture Season 8 Classical Stretch. No dvr yet.

This morning I did some MUVE on the bungee than alittle Zumba-like dance from youtube. Next a premix from Crave Results and finished with a Classical Stretch. This is one of the GR Dance routines I did http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXkwjmY9SIQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Mostly Lower Body Cardio today

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with more office MUVEs then did some Biggest Loser Volume 2 Men's athletic cardio using mostly the lower body on the UR with its stability bar and some of the Women's lower body strength then the CORE from Crave Results and finished with Classical Stretch.

My biceps feel well worked from yesterday's Crave Results without any elbow twinging and my knee seems much better after wearing a knee bandage with magnets yesterday.

More Crave Results

This morning, I warmed up on the bungee to MUVE clips that were filmed in an office setting. What makes MUVE perfect for the rebounder is that it uses very little floor space. Then I did the double dumbell and band routines from Crave Results which were felt intensely without bothering my knee. I used homemade XCOs instead of dumb bells and mostly hammer curls with the band for biceps because my elbows do not like palms up curls. Finished with a Classical Stretch from Season 8!

Classical Stretch Season 8

Check your PBS stations because NYC TV (channel 25 on FIOS) at 6am had started broadcasting the season 8 of Classical Stretch a week or two late so I almost missed it! They hadn't done a new season in so many years, I had given up. Plus Saturday and Sunday are no longer repeats like in the past but a separate series episode. Today was 822 and last day of the series #830 is scheduled for next Tuesday. On Weds 11/30, season 8 may be restarting with 801.

AC and Crave Results

I walked over 30,000 paces Thursday through Saturday and ate pretty healthy. Showboat was empty Friday night which was probably why we got comped. Ballys was also offering us Friday night comped even though we have not played there since May 2011. Couldn't believe how there were no lines for the Diamond lounges Friday night or Saturday, proving CET has done a great job destroying their AC brand. Food was ok at the Diamond lounges but not close to the quality of The Borgata buffet and lounge. Anywho, now that we got husband Platinum for free parking through March 2013, we are pretty much done gambling at any CET casinos. The machines were pretty loose at both The Borgata and Showboat so I never used any of my own money this trip and actually brought home some of the downloaded bonus $$.

This morning, I warmed up on the bungee to MUVE then did the first few blocks from Angie Miller's Crave Results which were mostly single weight moves so I used my light kettlebell then finished with some Classical Stretch. My knee was getting pretty good in AC but when I kicked off the blankets the last night to get out of bed, I reinjured it. It's still better than all of the previous week and I am pretty sure, it will heal.

Biggest Loser Volume 2

I warmed up with MUVE on the bungee then did a bunch of chapters from the Biggest Loser Volume 2, using my Smartbell for the stability ball and medball chapters. Also used Fitstix and rebounder for kickboxing cardio.

Finished with a Classical Stretch.

Pump Party

This morning I warmed up with some Jumping-Fitness videos from youtube then did most of the standing segment of Mindy's Pump Party before finishing with a Classical Stretch. The music in Pump Party is outstanding but I did tweak the moves alot to make them more AWT focusing on the core and upper body more, mostly using the light bar that came with my disposed YogFlex. Right knee is still whining but seems alittle quieter.

Really wish more workouts had good loud music!

Suddenly I See

I really should celebrate with the *Suddenly I See* song from the MUVE website because I finally got a new pair of glasses today for the first time in many years and what a huge difference! I can see distance, the puter and the titles of my workouts on my shelves soooo much better now. I do have to adjust to the motion sensation from the larger lens and more prominent floaters though.

This morning I did some Kathy Smith Rejuvenation Walk and some Les Mills Body Attack from youtube on the bungee then 3 chapters from Angie Miller's Kettlebell Bootcamp and finished with some Classical Stretch. Just did a spark using a Jack LaLane stepper vhs I got from a thrift store. Think I will use my stepper more because it didn't aggravate my right knee which has been whining more and more lately. Taking a MUVE break till next week so I can revisit other neglected workouts more but may sneak in that *Suddenly I See song*.

http://www.muve.com/blog/suddenly-i-see.html

online bouncing, KS KB, Circuit Burn and CS

I warmed up on the bungee with online bouncing clips which I may give the links for or even upload later today. The first was a bunch of free Reebok videos I linked together and then I did a Senior routine (nothing Senior about it!) found on Jumping-fitness.

Next I did the Fatburning chapter from Kathy Smith's Kettlebell dvd with the music only option. Really love this routine!

Then I did half of the boxing (with Fitstix) and lower body pre-mix from Circuit Burn, tweaking it to work both sides more evenly simply by making most 4 counts just a 3 count and finished with Classical Stretch.

Not a Stellar Workout

I felt tired and achy this morning and even MUVE on the bungee failed to get me into the workout groove and neither did Kathy Smith's Rejuvenation Walk but I did enjoy a Classical Stretch and may do a spark or two later.

Yesterday before dinner, I did some jogging and jumping jacks on the bungee.

ETA: I just did an amazing spark outside in the yard with my walking poles. Lots of fast intense walking then alternating big lunges plus some squats inbetween the walks and lunges. Then stayed in the sun for alittle extra Vitamin D when recovering. Went breathless quite a few times.

Magical morning workout

Every now and then, a workout just clicks 110% as it did this morning.

As usual I warmed up on the bungee with MUVE then some KS Rejuvenation walk on the bungee with palm weights then some Body Gospel using their bands and finished with an outstanding Classical Stretch. All of the aches and pains I woke up with are gone and I sweated profusely on a chilly morning. Workouts like this are better than any pain pill.

MUVE and KS Rejuvenation Walk

Woke-up with alot of DOMS and a swollen knee which Arnica gel returned to normal. It was probably from the Hamelin D'abell workouts, even though I didn't come close to doing all of his reps. Still will revisit them because love the music only effect but will be more cautious.

Did 5 MUVE routines on the bungee then some of Kathy Smith's Rejuvenation Walk on the bungee with homemade XCOs. Would like the Rejuvenation Walk workout much more if chaptered, especially since the left sided V steps seem out of place like they should have been after the upper body sequence. Also wish it had a music only option. Otherwise, think her Matrix Power Walk has more moves and energy. Power Walk also has lots of standing abs.

Finished with some much needed Classical Stretch.

MUVE and Hamelin D'abell

I did a few MUVE songs on the bungee then used the standing segments of youtube's Hamelin D'abell workouts 1 and 2 with Fitstix then did alittle of the Rejuvenation walk and the whole stretch with Kathy Smith's red band that comes with the dvd kit.

I am still totally loving MUVE. Each song has a huge variety of moves and the songs are really starting to grow on me. MUVE is perfect on the bungee with minimal tweaking (and I never spin around anyways).

Here are some links of the MUVEs and Hamelin D'abell:

http://www.muve.com/blog/unity-house-senior-exercise.html was taped at a Senior Citizen home but is quite challenging! I do the chair stuff on the bungee or sitting on a stability ball.

http://www.muve.com/blog/hello-bonjour.html has some really good lyrics.

for many more free clips, just go to

http://www.muve.com/blog/

Some blog clips are on their 2 wonderful dvds as well.

here's a Hamelin D'abell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICmO0l6oCRs

ETA:

If anyone would prefer clips to links, let me know or I'll continue to suggest mostly links to their website cuz less time consuming. If you have any problems playing the clips on the MUVE website which are mostly in Quicktime, please let me know! I will try to upload any clips NOT on their retail dvds. Let me know if my uploaded videos are also not working for you, especially if you may be purchasing their dvds and need to see some MUVE clips to be sure you will like the MUVE style.

VF and online workouts

This morning I warmed up with MUVE then did the cardio from Give Me 10 More on the bungee then did a great band workout led by Janis Saffell and finished with Classical Stretch. Most of my MUVE clips come from their internet site www.muve.com which offers alot of online clips in their blog. The Janis Saffell clip was from her Reformer workouts on youtube and worked great with the Body Gospel bands. I wouldn't have known about any of the above without VF. Give Me 10 More was from a VF Exchange.

Thanks to VF (www.videofitness.com), I get to try alot of different workouts that I otherwise never would have known about. I use their exchange for trades as well as online workout sites to add to my purchases. Most of my purchases are because of VF reviews.

VF has a wonderful current thread about online workout sites:

http://forum.videofitness.com/showthread.php?t=160508

Rotations, Diets, & Results Rant

After reading an article written by a well known trainer emphasizing that everyone needs to stick to the same exercise routine for at least 8 weeks to achieve a specific result, I had the following reaction:

Variety, feeling well, and enjoying the movement when moving keep me moving.

Really do not care about any other goal or result except that I keep moving safely.
More and more studies are supporting how exercise can boost the immune system to defend against cancer and heart disease as well as help alleviate depression, insomnia, and stress. However, the wrong kind of exercise can actually have an adverse effect.

Dread, boredom, and injuries are obstacles I have avoided successfully for the past 12 years since making regular exercise a daily part of my life. I have seen others lose interest or get injured trying to do what their mind and body do not want to do. Not getting the temporary, sometimes unrealistic result one is seeking can totally derail all exercise.

As far as permanent weightloss, diets do not work either.

Small permanent changes in one's lifestyle as far as food choices will help maintain a healthier body.

Health and Fitness are a lifetime marathon, not an 8 week sprint.

Bottomline, the best personal trainer is the voice inside of one's own head. Stop searching for the *magic bullet* and start listening.

filemail

I just wanted to share a great site called filemail.com

If you want to share a file or files up to 2 gigs, you can upload them and have the link of the site offering the download sent to any email address and your own sending address. The file(s) can be downloaded for 3 days up to 10 times before the site disappears.

This site has enabled me to share alot of videos with friends online that couldn't be emailed because too large and is much more private than posting the videos on youtube or facebook.

Two checkins in One post

Cannot believe I forgot to post yesterday's workout!

Warmed up with MUVE on the bungee.

Then did some Give Me 10 More and alittle bit of a kettlebell routine.

Then a Caribbean Workout Dance Stretch and some Classical Stretch.

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with a very long MUVE recorded at a senior Unity House and have to give kudos to those seniors who did the whole workout! Then I did some athletic cardio on the bungee, alittle upper body from Exercise TV and finished with Classical Stretch.

Whatever I have been doing is working well because my weight is still going slowly downwards and I have felt less twinging with the cold weather than I used to feel.

Still MUVing etc

Warmed up on the bungee to MUVE clips that I had previously missed, 3 of which were on the floor. I did one while lying on the the bungee, another on the floor and the last while sitting on the bungee but moving like I was lying LOL Even sweated!?! Really enjoyed the new sensations of Muving in a different way.

Next I did the dance from Chiball Essentials then some walking/dancing with Fitstix and finished with some Classical Stretch. Thought I was done for the day but started reorganizing the shelves in the bedroom so lots of bending and stretching and climbing up and down a stool.

BodyFlow MUVE Chiball Upper Cuts

This is a very special workout found on youtube, some of which I used as a warmup this morning:
LesMills Body Balance (or Bodyflow) 39

http://www.youtube.com/user/mikepuercoy#p/u/18/aUkFYE5rDmg

Then I bungeed to a couple of clips I had previously missed on the MUVE website:

http://www.muve.com/blog/ She's Da Bomb with 4 yo Allen

http://www.muve.com/blog/champion-sound.html Champion Sound

and Stomp to My Beat which  just the other day!?!

I then did some Body Gospel, Caribbean Workout Chiball and an upper body workout that used a band and stretched. Tried to do some Kettlebell swings but my intense DOMS from Give Me 10 More's lower body made it too uncomfortable.

MUVE GIVEMe10More and floaters!

Last night, I suddenly saw a weird moving image with my right eye that is obviously a floater. Ironically, I have an eye doctor appointment today after rescheduling last week because of the toilet/plumbing problem.

This morning I warmed up with MUVE on the bungee then did the rest of Give Me 10 More which I really liked! The Lower Body, Upper Body and Core, all felt alittle unique and effective. The standing segments preceded the mat segments so I could easily skip the mat. Even liked the standing part of the stretch. For lower body, I used 5 pound dumb bells that have handles which were perfect. For Upper Body I used mostly homemade XCOs. For Core, a light kettlebell.

ETA: Well after almost 3 hours at the eye doctor, I have to go back in 4 to 6 weeks because of the floater to make sure the process doesn't become a retinal tear. They had overbooked because of cancellations from power outages earlier in the week.

MUVE GiveMe10More CS Chiball

I warmed up to a couple of MUVE clips which were great on the bungee that I believe weren't on their dvds. I'll try to find these clips online and post their links. Nothing else gets me wanting to move like MUVE.

Then I did the cardio chapter from Give Me 10 More which was mostly bungee friendly and had a couple of new moves. Then I did the compound strength chapter which had mostly Kettlebell type moves. My lower body was fried and I was covered in sweat at this point so will do the rest another day.

Did a Classical Stretch and some Chiball Dance of the Dragon and Essentials to finish.

ETA:

here are the clips I did this morning

http://www.muve.com/blog/molina.html

http://www.muve.com/blog/diabolo-rojo.html

http://www.muve.com/blog/bodhisattva.html

AC and Thriller

Just got back from a nice trip to AC.

Last night we had tickets for Harrah's Legends in Concert and enjoyed it more than we have in the past. Their Michael Jackson was exceptional and seeing him do Thriller with the dancers on Halloween was priceless, even though the tickets were free LOL

Had a bumpy start with the snow and our tire pressure warning light staying on. Tire pressure was fine so we just ignored it. Getting it checked officially tomorrow when it is taken in for its 6 month servicing a week early (plus a free car wash from the dealership to get rid of all of that nasty salt).

Our car is so quiet that Steve left it on when we stopped at a diner to eat on the way home!

ETA:

The Borgata was hopping yesterday, all day and evening.

On the other hand, Harrahs, even with comped show tickets, was like a ghost town with an empty Diamond Lounge at 6:30PM which used to be their peak dining time. Whole place felt emptier than the early weeks in December used to feel. Their revenues must have plummeted after the summer season since alienating most of their AC Diamond regulars.

MUVE Give Me 10 CS DOTD

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with MUVE then did the cardio and some upper body from Amy Dixon's Give Me 10 in anticipation of receiving its sequel in a trade anyday. Then after a Classical Stretch I did the Awaken the Dragon routine from the second practice on Chiball's Dance of the Dragon.

Well we were supposed to get less than an inch of snow later today but the snow started falling and sticking soon after noon. Now we could get as much as 8 to 10 inches!!! We didn't even put the car in the garage, not expecting much to stick :(

Never ever had snow, let alone sticking snow in October before. Do not remember ever having sticking snow in November either. Just not ready for this at all. Last year's snow around Christmas was the earliest heavy snowfall I can remember. And that snow stuck around till February. At least we didn't get much after February. There have been a couple of April blizzards in the past.

MUVE Circuit Burn CS

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with MUVE then did the Cardio and Sculpt pre-mix from Circuit Burn, using the bungee for cardio, XCOs for light weights and 5lb kettlebell for a single heavy weight. Finished with a nice Classical Stretch.

Had a late start because the plumber came to fix our toilet and lubricate the kitchen faucet he had installed a few months ago because getting too much resistance when swiveling the faucet between our double sinks.

We sent up heat for the first time this season this morning and our new oil burner warmed up the whole house within 30 minutes. All radiator vents seemed to be working well so ready for winter with snow in the prediction for tomorrow!

MUVE Kettleworx chiball CS

I warmed up on the bungee with MUVE then did one set of the 5th week of Kettleworx Cardio then a Caribbean workout Chiball routine and finished with Classical Stretch.

I stopped in the middle of the Chiball to check our toilet because its water kept running and determined that the guts finally would have to be replaced by our plumber because a significant plastic part had broken so the cap was flopping wherever instead of over the hole. Also finally arranged a date for the electrician to replace our ancient circuit board.

At the dentist, Steve was informed his bridge is falling apart so will be starting a 4 part procedure that will be costing $4500. Also planning to get new eye glasses. So lots of big expenses over the next couple of months, following a new heating system and car last Spring.

Good thing we stopped dumping alot of money at CET to stay Diamond!

MUVE Chiball CS

I had limited time this morning because of a dentist appointment and had major DOMS from cleaning out my closet yesterday afternoon so stuck to my no dread combo of MUVE on the bungee then a Caribbran Workout chiball and finishing with a Classical Stretch.

May take a walk to the post office soon if the sun stays out.

Guest Writer Liz Davies: Benefits of Exercise for Cancer Patients

Liz Davies submitted an article about cancer and exercise which I posted as a blog page called Benefits of Exercise for Cancer Patients.

Please visit the page and feel free to share the link.

Also I believe exercise can help prevent getting cancer as well as reoccurring

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/exercise-for-cancer-patients

MUVE Speedbody Chiball CS

Very nice combination this morning.

First I warmed up on the bungee to MUVE.

Then I did Contender's Club Speedbody's Blast while wearing the Shadowboxer belt.

Next a Caribbean Workout Chiball workout

Finished with mostly a Classical Stretch mat workout which was ok but will not repeat unless my hip seems to have liked it as much as her standing stuff. Cannot tell yet.

Unfortunately, I saw two more straps fraying badly on my YogFlex when doing Speedbody so finally put it out of its misery before injuring myself. It is outside waiting for today's garbage pickup. I did save its legs because interchangeable with the smaller Bodyburner's legs.

CET (Caesars Entertainment) really needs to clean house and find out who is messing up their Total Rewards marketing process. We seemed to be the last in NJ to receive the Diamond Lounge passes that were a part of DH's online offers. Meanwhile after posting about not getting them yet, a few long term Diamond players posted that they weren't even aware of DL passes/coupons! Higher tiered Diamonds and Seven Stars all get these passes when they aren't even needed since they (and a guest) already enter free. So CET is wasting money sending folks these passes who do not need them and not sending them to customers who are already unhappy with the admission charges to the DLS. Some of the customers who never received the passes may even have an error in their mail code so not receiving any offers at all, like what happened to me for over a year before it got resolved. This mailing error seems to happen often.

ETA: Just saw that Netflix has already dropped their Quikster plan and that Starz will be bringing their instant content to Dish/Blockbusters. I'm, personally, rooting for Blockbusters to survive cuz of our nearby store and their new promotions and Netflix's lack of concern about their customers. Suddenly splitting Netflix's instant watch and dvds by mail plans and raising their prices were bad business decisions just as CET's suddenly charging $10 comp for their Diamond lounges. Alienating customers is bad business and these customers need to take their business elsewhere.

win lose or Blog Halftee giveaway

http://winloseorblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/giveaway-halftee-new-way-to-layer.html

The Win Lose or Blog blog is offering a giveaway for the HalfTee of your choice

BodyDance, Body Gospel and CS

This morning I started with some youtube Body Dance downloads, on and off the bungee then did some Body Gospel with the special bands and finished with Classical Stretch. I felt so much better this morning than usual in spite of fearing intense triceps DOMS from using the walking poles. Also, my chronic right hip twinges seemed much better. I think the double dose of Classical Stretch may have really helped yesterday!

Gay Marriage

In addition to my passion for penny slot machines and exercise, Gay Civil Rights are very important to me. True, our older son is gay so that may make me more concerned about his rights than the average straight citizen but I have always been concerned about the power of the majority affecting the rights of the minority, being a woman and born Jewish. Whether being gay is a choice, a result of a series of psychological events, genetic trait or whatever, pursuit of happiness in a democracy is a civil right and the rights of all minorities should be protected. Just recently, an ignorant teacher, employed by the high school in our town, voiced her personal homophobic beliefs publicly on Facebook which then went viral and became the headline story in tv news coverage and newspapers. It sickens me to think our town hired such a narrow minded person to teach!
Teachers are supposed to open minds, not shut them.
Teachers are supposed to help their students feel more confident about themselves and their future opportunities and help them gain the skills needed to succeed.
Teachers are supposed to Teach, not brainwash their students based on the teacher's own personal belief system or religion, especially in public schools.


Gay couples pay taxes and have the right to the pursuit of happiness and being equal under the law of this land.
What exactly are folks against Gay Marriage giving up by enabling Gay Marriage?


It seems as though most folks who want a ban on same gender marriage believe homosexuality is a choice. I cannot imagine anyone consciously choosing to be gay after witnessing our own son's coming out. Even if being gay were a choice, then why are these people against gay marriage when whom a person marries is a personal choice? How many married straight couples *chose* to love their spouse or had that choice made for them? Choice is Thinking and making a conscious decision. Feeling is a totally different process. Nobody should have the power to choose who another person can or cannot love and marry.

Most courts have judged that marriage is a civil right and religious views should not affect civil rights. What politicians need to remember when making laws as well as teachers when voicing their personal views is that they serve everyone, even the gay taxpayers, not just those who share their religious views.

It would be a huge boost to our economy to allow Gay Marriage.

Companies involved in weddings, the Travel industry and even Real Estate would prosper because gay couples could join their incomes for purchasing homes.

The argument that it would hurt businesses which would have to extend medical insurance to a gay spouse doesn't make sense. If that were so, then a company would be trying to hire just gay employees to keep their medical insurance costs down which would therefore, increase unemployment for straight folks!
Most gay couples would have less children to be covered by the employer's plan as well.

Since so many straight couples have made poor choices in spouses,

imagine the increase in business for divorce lawyers down the road!

ETA: I have revised the above into an actual page on my blog and will be updating it occassionally

BodyDance, Chiball, CS

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to BodyDance from youtube then did alittle bit of Waltz to Fitness wearing a weighed vest then Chiball Essentials warmup and Dance then finished with 2 episodes of Classical Stretch.

I didn't really feel like moving till Chiball Essentials. Maybe it was a mistake not to MUVE to warm up or maybe it is just the cloudy cold weather making achier joints. Anywho I did almost 90 minutes but at mostly a lower intensity and feel much better now.

Since I haven't MUVED yet, I may do a MUVE spark later today.

ETA: I just had a very enjoyable and different spark by using my walking poles in my backyard which measures about 50 paces in circumference. Between the uneven ground and using muscles differently, it was quite intense!

FUN!!!!! Body Dance on youtube

This morning I warmed up with MUVE on the bungee then did some Body Dance workouts found on youtube. I was in the middle of this one song and became hysterical when I started to listen to the lyrics! My husband was walking through the room several time oblivious to the song.

See the link below if curious

Finished with some Classical Stretch.

Warning: some may find the lyrics offensive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_0NbU2RX_g&feature=related

Hey, I'm 62 so easily amused.

Have to wonder if the foreign gals who were exercising understood the lyrics.

Kettleworx

Had an overnighter in AC last night but I still did a Kettleworx Cardio spark after we got home. I tried to compare the 6 chapters/weeks and have determined that just chapter 3 had his signature gunslinger move demonstrated on youtube by another trainer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWQXd_UtUF4

I like chapter 2 the least because less cardio and more mat abs so will be skipping it.

So will use chapter 1, adding in gunslingers or chapter 3 adding in Fast Feet and when wanting a more grueling workout chapter 5.

Chapter 6 may get a visit too down the road.

Blockbusters new Store One- OUT Plan

If you are lucky enough to live close to a brick and mortar Blockbusters store, they are offering an awesome new plan, especially if you have a gamer in the family. For $14.99, they are offering a One-OUT Combo plan which means you can have either any dvd movie or any game in the store out at a time and can do unlimited exchanges for the month. Previously, our son paid $22 for a single game out a month plan. They are also throwing in a single game or movie bonus through their mail service once a month but we aren't sure how that works yet. The store may have had the wrong email in their system because an email address for an older account received the mailing offer, not the email address we want linked to the store which just had a free 2 dvd-at-a-time month trial. If I hadn't read about the deal being limited to one free trial a household, I would have gone ahead and used the old email address for a free one month 3 dvd-at-a-time trial but felt that was taking advantage of a struggling company that we may want a longterm relationship with if they keep trying so darn hard with these new promotions.

This plan is much better than their by mail plans for us because we live as close to a store as a mailbox, making the turnover instant. No waiting for the mail to deliver or for the Blockbuster system to send the next item on the next business day. The stores have the newest games but their online mail system doesn't and in store exchanges for mailers are limited to movies so our gamer son much preferred this store plan. Best of all, there is a current promotion to get this subscription for half price!

ETA: Was informed to give a new email account address to the store people to be linked to the new 1-Out Combo Pass for the email invitation to the new limited mail account for one mailing per month. Old inactive account email addresses shouldn't be used.

MUVE, Ellen, Classical Stretch

Didn't have much energy today so just did a longer Playlist from Family MUVE on the bungee then one chapter of Ellen Barrett's Live Power Fusion and some Classical Stretch. It is amazing how MUVE gets me muving even on sluggish days.

ETA:

Just had a burst of energy so did one set from Kettleworx Cardio week 3.

ThinQ Fitness

http://www.thinqfitness.com

This is a great online workout site. There are alot of free videos and samples of their cheap pay-per-views. Their full access monthly subscriptions seem reasonable as well with alot of variety. Even rebounding workouts. Best of all, really good music!!

I had trouble getting the videos to work right on Windows7. Ironically, the videos worked immediately on my older pc with WindowsXP. Their customer service recommended that I uninstall my Adobe Flash that came with Windows7 then reinstall it but just do not feel like jumping through hoops for a couple of rebounding workouts. Workouts that I cannot even keep on my hard drive or burn to dvdr. Just not worth the bother when I have sooo many workouts already.

Circuit Burn and free CS

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with MUVE then did the first pre-mix on Circuit Burn.

http://www.totalfitnessdvds.com/Kelly-Coffey-Meyer-30-Minutes-Circuit-Burn-DVD-p/493.htm

I am starting to revisit the rest of the KCM's Circuit Burn pre-mixes after only doing the whole workout in pieces and one of the pre-mixes (Boxing & Legs) a few weeks ago. This morning I really liked both the cardio on the bungee and the resistance compound moves. The tweaking of moves, old and new, into unique combos is really quite creative. With alittle more tweaking, I can work both sides more equally.

Finished with the shoulder rehab and stress relief Classical Stretch PINK workouts being offered for free.

http://breastcancerrehabilitation.com/watchthevideo.html

MUVE and Classical Stretch

Was running late this morning so all I have done so far was some Mellow Muve and some Classical Stretch. Plan to do a real workout later this afternoon.

Best of all, I am still losing weight slowly since cleaning up my eating more thanks to son's obsession with lowering his LDL. Last night, we made our own trail mix with different kinds of nuts and dried fruit and it was amazing!

ETA: This afternoon I did most of a Charlene Johnson interval workout, alternating bands and cardio on the bungee.

Body Gospel and Arnica Gel

This morning I did the Body Gospel AWT workout but used Fitstix for the cardio and heavier homemade XCOs for dumb bells. Used my YogFlex in the basement area because it was too dark to workout in the living room where the bungee is. Had to do a laundry anyways. Also did some of Core Revelation with the Body Gospel bands. It had been so long since I had done Body Gospel that it all felt brand new.

Then I did some MUVE on the bungee after the sun came up LOL

but had to switch downstairs when I discovered that the Jazzercise Dancin' Abs dvd wasn't working on son's Play Station2 and finished my 60 minutes of moving with just their warmup.

ETA: If you have a Rite-Aid near you and their Wellness card, you can get a tube of Boiron Arnica gel for 99cents after a $6 coupon refund! When not on sale, same tube can cost $10. I am so excited that Rite-aid is now going to be selling Arnica gel even though GNC's giant tube is probably a better deal.

MUVE Hidden Clips

This morning, I warmed up off the bungee first with the hidden scarf MUVE routine then a couple of the hidden chair routines and Hilo Hula. Even though these songs can be found on some playlists, I want to do them exclusively sometimes because I'll probably MUVE using the Lineups more often so I burned a dvdr of the hidden clips not listed on the Lineup. Then I switched to the bungee upstairs for a Goofy Grooves. I think if I could only do one type of movement for exercise for the rest of my life, it would be MUVE. MUVE is truly my Goldilocks workout. With all of these clips on the dvds and website, I doubt MUVE will ever feel *old*. I may add some short clips of these hidden workouts to this blog later today if Blogger is cooperative.

Then I did the last playlist on Misty's Delicious Dance while holding chiballs but downstairs with my cheap home theatre making the volume louder. This dvd definitely has a lower volume than most. I'll probably use my much louder downloads on the bungee and the dvd in the basement with my home theatre setup. Finished with alittle Waltz to Fitness while holding Fitstix (till my laundry was done LOL).

MUVE DVD Glitches

I was playing with new-to-me software and happened upon what may be a real publishing boo boo in the MUVE dvds. When I extract the mpg files from the Family Muve and Mellow Muve dvds, I found several routines that were not listed on the line-up menu of either dvd. Think I found as many as 7 such unlisted routines! They may be in the pre-mixes but aren't listed in the lineups so none of them can be chosen individually. Some share the same song title which may have confused their dvd burning company. However, the cast and routines are definitely different. Then there are other songs not listed in the line-ups at all. Mellow and Family do share a couple of identical song routines like Backyard Slack and Locomotion Style yet neither dvd lists another Locomotion Style song routine that is different with different background exercisers and clothing. It is quite confusing so I can understand how the person burning the dvds made possible mistakes.

I am going to watch the hidden routines closely to see if there were possible reasons for not listing them. Son explained sometimes a file on a dvd is left off the menu on purpose and may have been too hard to completely delete from the dvd. Will also keep my eyes open when doing premixes to see if any of them pop up. Stay tuned LOL

ETA: A couple of the unlisted songs were available on the website so maybe that is why they became unlisted if the Lineup menu was limited.

I am finding the unlisted versions of songs in Playlists!

On the Family MUVE dvd, E Komo Mai without scarves is listed in the lineup and is on the Honolulu Wave Short&Sweet Playlist. The unlisted version with scarves is in the Pa'ina Time Short&Sweet, Cheap Thrills Partytime Playlists and Running Wild It's a Workout Playlist.

The listed Get Down is in the Turbo Tunes Short&Sweet Playlist. The unlisted version of Get Down which uses a chair is in the Bustin' MUVES Short&Sweet and Cheap Thrills Party Time Playlists.

The listed Lua Afe is in the Goofy Grooves Short&Sweet Playlist.

The unlisted Lua Afe which uses a chair is in the Turbo Tunes Short&Sweet and Cheap Thrills Party Time Playlists.

On the Mellow Muves dvd, the Nani Ko'olau which uses a chair is not listed on the lineup, not even in the chair lineup! However, it is in the Local motion Small Bites Playlist as well as the Chair Surfing Dance with the Artists Playlist...duh. The listed Nani Ko'olau uses scarves.

The Local Motion Style that is missing from the lineups and has a different cast is in the Mellow Rockin'Steady Small Bites Playlist.

Last but not least, HiLo Hula which is missing from all of the Lineups is in the Mellow Pa'ina Time on the Dance with the Artists Playlist. This same HiLo Hula was completely hidden on the Family dvd, I believe?? Also Li Hing Hula which was listed on the Family dvd but hidden on the Mellow dvd is in this same Mellow Pa'ina Time on the Dance with the Artists Playlist as well as a couple of the longer Playlists where there are more routines to sort through to find it.

PHEW

All hidden files are now accounted for and can be found if you know where to look. Some are even online LOL

Of course, I am probably the only MUVE fan(atic) who bothered to track them all.

MUVE Breathless CapoFlex

This morning I warmed up with MUVE then did the last 3 intervals of Breathless Body on the bungee and some of the lower body on CapoFlex.

May do more later.

Filemail.com

I just have to rave about www.filemail.com

It enables people to upload a file as large as two gigs and send a link to the file to download in an email to whomever the sender chooses. The download link is good for 3 days before it is removed. This is much easier than facebook or blogger for sharing videos!

Much better than breaking a too large file into smaller ones to share in an email.

LOVE it!!!

All Sweaty

This morning I did MUVE and Breathless Body's Fast Feet interval on the bungee then the rest of CapoFlex Upper body and finished with some Temple Dance. I swear I sweated the most because of the poses in Karen Andes Temple Dance. Too bad this routine is totally unavailable. A friend had shared it with me by dubbing it to vhs many many years ago. Took me this long to revisit it! Both of us wanted Karen's Oomphball workout that was advertised on Temple Dance but never found a copy of it anywhere.

Really am enjoying my overdue first revisit with CapoFlex too, especially now with Fitstix.

Not exaggerating but I have hundreds of workouts I have never revisited though I had intended to do so.

Moving Just Right

This morning on the bungee with minimal tweaking, I did the first Short&Sweet Routine from Family MUVE then the Volleyball leaps from Breathless then second half of P90X CardioX. Ironically, when I first did CardioX before I had a bungee rebounder, I had written not to revisit it. Well, the bungee made a huge difference!!! The rollups are really easy and comfortable with the bungee petal mat.

Then I switched to the floor while holding Fitstix and did the first half of Capoflex upper body which really works the whole body aerobically. Finished with the hands and Torso Zip from Karen Andres Temple Dance. The Torso Zip has hip warmers I never did before that really felt good on my chronic right hip/lower back twinge.

Some professional trainers and therefore, exercisers are very focused about keeping weights separate from cardio. Some are even the same way about keeping upper body, lower body and core resistance training separate. Some are the same way about intensity, speed, and duration. I believe all movement requires using muscles so do not see any need to separate any movements from another or having to do a certain intensity, speed, and duration for *results*. I just keep moving, listening to my body, modifying anything that doesn't feel right and offering it what to seems to want to do. I trust my body more than what professional trainers claim I need because the only result I am interested in is feeling good before, during and after a workout. My mind and body know what I need more than anyone else. What is *Just Right* for me. Bottomline, the best way to keep moving is enjoying the movement.

Last week on the Biggest Loser, an injured contestant who was greatly restricted in her exercise choices lost the most weight so why do they have to push these people so hard, risking injury??? The one thing I hate about this show is the message they are sending about "No pain, No gain". Or no pain, no huge loss.

Another thing about this season which seems unfair was the age group that ran/walked a mile to the trainers first got to choose their trainer. Of course, the first group chose the veteran trainer Bob and have been winning all challenges and weighins since. It isn't all Bob because this group were the most fit from the beginning!!!

Got to say I am loving the new trainer Dolvett :)

MUVE, Breathless, P90X, Ellen, Chiball

I warmed up on the bungee with MUVE then got Breathless on the bungee with skaters then did some P90X Cardio on the bungee, mostly kickboxing while holding light sand weights, then did some of Ellen's Live Fusion for the lower body and Dance of the Dragon Chiball for abs.

Will be getting dressed soon to attend a 60th wedding anniversary brunch for a wonderful couple we met through AC bus trips.

Imagine, I was a two year old when these folks got married!

Wish I had this woman's energy that she has at the age of 80.

Breathless Body

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with Family MUVE then did the warmup and first 8 jumping jack intervals on the bungee from Amy Dixon's Breathless Body. I actually got a bit breathless by the last interval. Then I did mostly the biceps and a few of the back routines with bands from P90X, being extra careful not to aggravate my elbows. Finished with some Redefining Ab Training and Chiball Essentials warmup but used the class menu selection. Not sure but I think the class skips one of the two separate warmups that are chaptered?

I have had plenty of energy today so Breathless Body may agree with me in small doses.

ETA: I have been making a conscious effort to suck in my abs whenever I move to protect my back and think it is actually starting to happen without making the conscious decision!

Revel Resort, The future of Atlantic City?

In May 2012, The Revel will finally be open for business. Meanwhile CET has decimated their AC business after being the only real game in town other than The Borgata.

The only advantage CET had over The Borgata was its nonAC properties and 4 different properties in AC all being a part of the same Total Rewards system. Revel will have the same disadvantage as The Borgata in being a single AC only property. Cannot imagine gamblers from all over flocking consistently to the Revel as they do to CET properties, especially in Vegas. Oh Revel will be very busy its first summer as was the Trump's Taj when it first opened BUT will it make the generous offers necessary to attract gamblers the rest of the year?

There is no guarantee that the Revel marketing will be able to compete with The Borgata as far as comps for the consistent AC gambler. Who expected CET in AC to make so many poor business decisions within the year of The Revel's opening? Guess Revel cannot make as many bad decisions as CET but can they make as many good decisions as The Borgata? Only time will tell. Being a NJ taxpayer and owning 20% of the Revel's revenues, I sure hope the Revel is a huge success. However, unfortunately, I believe The Borgata will be the last AC casino still standing when the duel is over and the dust settles. Too bad our governor didn't invest in our racetracks instead and convert them to racinos which seem to be doing incredible business in PA, DE, etc. Heck even the NJ off track betting parlours called Favorites have been a huge success without slot machines!

ETA: Sadly just heard another bad decision by CET. Sunday is the last day for Harrahs Reflections restaurant. Breakfast will become available at their buffet which is overpriced or Bill's Burgers. Think we have spent more comp at Reflections than any other CET restaurant so we will miss it, even though most of our comp is gone. At the same time, I have heard complaints of way less comped buffet offers from folks who gamble alot more than we do. Looks like we will pretty much be eating all of our meals at The Borgata. About the only decent lunch option for cash at Harrahs will be McCormicks $10 lunch menu.

Sammy D's which took Reflections place doesn't seem to be doing nearly as much business as Reflections did. Food is ok with huge portions but those portions cost 200% more than smaller portions could have charged. An average breakfast for two, including juice and coffee could cost close to $50!

MUVE, P90X triceps, kb/FS

This morning, I did some Family MUVE on the bungee then the triceps moves with a band from P90x and finished with some Power Aerobics kickboxing and lower body while holding Fitstix for more upper body and core. Most of the MUVE songs were new to me, making the dvds a definite plus in spite of the free clips online.

Afterwards Amy Dixon's Breathless Body arrived which I will start doing after MUVE on the bungee tomorrow. Not sure if I will push myself to breathlessness but will workout alittle harder than I usually do for short periods.

Gosh I have more workouts than I will ever be able to revisit in my remaining lifetime!

I must stop collecting and start revisiting more.

Weight and Aging

My mom passed 3 years ago and one of my nieces took the photo album I had given my parents on their 25th wedding anniversary which contained pictures of me till I started taking pictures of my own after marrying my husband at the age of 27. I, literally, had no photo history. Well my husband found some photos in the attic that weren't put into that album so I now have some photos of myself from childhood through college as well as a few from my 20's and could barely recognize myself in many of them. Ironically, I looked alot like the niece who took the album LOL

There is one photo that I had taken at my heaviest weight just before I started exercising and dieting in my early 20's and I couldn't believe how toned I looked. Pictures afterwards really made my face look gaunt even though pictures were supposed to make one look even heavier? Looking at these photos, I really didn't need to diet but I guess the number on the scale made me think I was overweight. I was never really thin, smallest size being a size 12 at 5'2" since high school. Always was large boned and muscular. My sister who is fine boned dieted and exercised her whole adult life and always seemed too thin. She developed early osteoporosis and macular degeneration. Both of these conditions could have been affected by nutritional restrictions. Yes, I was way heavier on the scale than I looked and still am even today. Always was but am glad I didn't let the scale control my health. The excess weight I slowly accumulated through my 30's after two pregnancies and 40's with early menopause was greatly reduced in my 50's when I rediscovered regular exercise. Now I am finally plateaued in my 60's at a healthy weight in spite of BMI charts. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

MUVE,Synergistics,KickboxFS

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with some Family MUVE then did the standing sections from Core Synergistics (P90X) then some Kickboxing while holding Fitstix, and some Mellow MUVE chair tunes. I used the bungee for all cardio and bands for all strength in Synergistics. Ironically I sat on a stability ball for the chair tunes from Mellow MUVE but they were all standing behind a chair LOL

There are more actual sitting routines on the MUVE website, including some on a stage at demonstrations, the radio show, and office muves. Also there are various standing routines done with better known music.

While doing MUVE, I realized it was very similar to the children's TV show The Wiggles! I actually own some Wiggles dvds that I do on the rebounder.

Blockbusters

Our Blockbusters free trial of 2 dvds at a time is ending and I have to say overall, I was pretty pleased with their service. I wouldn't hesitate to resubscribe when there are more dvds we want to see and would be home more often to see them. Being so close to a store makes Blockbuster's rentals more attractive for us than Netflix. Our store had a good selection of movies and new releases were marked down from $2.99 to $1.99 for the first night pretty quickly. Several movies we saw just a couple of months ago with Netflix were already 99cents. 99cent movies are 49cents on Sundays and we saw quite a few of them for totally free with special coupons in September whenever we did a store exchange.

For now we will just rent what we really want to see from the store if not available through HBO and Cinemax which we are also receiving for a free trial.

MUVE, Ellen, KB/KB, Chiball

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to some Mellow MUVE then did a chair song while sitting on the stability ball.... very nice :)

Then I did the Ellen's Goddess 2 and yoga, Angie's Kettlebell Bootcamp Chapter 6 and some Power Aerobics' kickboxing while holding Fitstix. Finished with the Radiant Yang Chiball (yoga) and floor chapters from Chiball Essentials.

I am on the verge of declaring MUVE as my favorite workout style in my whole collection.

Mellow Muve, Live Power Fusion, Chiball Essentials

I warmed up on the bungee to some tunes from Mellow Muve then did chapters 4 & 5 from Kettlebell Bootcamp (expecting more DOMS tomorrow) then did the first Goddess routine from Live Power Fusion which was pretty intense. Finished with Chiball Essentials Radiant Yang which was more like their older stuff I love. Only 9 minutes but felt much longer. Probably not worth the price of the dvd though. Also did some of the ball rolling on Essentials which relieved the tightness in my shoulders and hips.

(Note to self: my vulnerable elbows do not like one arm kettlebell shoulder presses or holding a press)

ETA: almost forgot to mention that I lost a couple more pounds recently but oddly, not any smaller measurements anywhere but the waist so hoping it was all belly fat.