"Hey Karen, how you doing on that workout plan?"

How is the "new" workout plan going? I blogged about it.


Week 1: Recap Zumba, Zumba, Master Step!, Zumba, weekend off. (See previous blog for more details.)

Week 2: Started off with Monday Zumba…yes the busiest day of the week at the gym. I call it “Good luck finding a parking place Monday.” Then Wednesday of this week, I passed on the ol’ master step class. I got off work in time to go to a lunch class. This was labeled as a strength class for “special population.” What on earth did that mean? Later I gathered it was perhaps for those looking to start a program or as the instructor mentioned “empty nesters.” Could I hang with these women was my question? Perhaps I was younger than some, but all these ladies were regulars in this class and most appeared to be pretty fit. In this class they use “props”…I guess that is what you would call them….weights, a weight bar, giant fitness ball, bands etc. I was a bit overwhelmed but I got all the stuff situated around me, but decided to pass on the hand weights of any poundage as I got the feeling this was the class to cause the major burn factor. Good thing I went to that class too….I got in one more Zumba class that week...it was then…life got in the way of planned exercise

Week 3: My husband had eye surgery, so I missed Monday night Zumba, but took a midweek day off work and snuck in a Tuesday morning Kickboxing class. I liked it but can’t go again due to my work schedule. I think I did one more Zumba class that week, but that was it for the week. With my husband unable to drive, I was in single parent mode and it was tough to get to classes.

Week 4: Recovering husband, friend in town and work obligations fell at the same time as the classes I wanted to take. This made this week a complete bust. No classes at all for me. Thus, I am learning the downside of taking scheduled classes instead of working out on a machine whenever I have time. And class times have always been most difficult for me with my early morning schedule. I want more midday class options which don’t always exist.

Week 5: We went to the beach, vacation week…should I even write about week 5? Sure there was a fitness center at the condo……but I was on vacation! :) Hopefully that beach walking I did helped a little. :)

Here we go…entering week 6: Up 4 lbs from vacation and not having visited the gym in weeks, today is a new day. Exercise class tonight is my plan….however, if I am not at work tomorrow, we can all blame Zumba. :) lol

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Next time, I'll think first....

I try to buy products made in the United States whenever possible, so it is a bit ironic in my attempt to be patriotic, I ended up with junk labeled “Made in China.”


Here is my story, wanted to accessories with red, white and blue this Independence Day weekend. Since I thought of this hours before the event, my focus was finding said items…to be honest…who made them was the furthest thing from my mind…cute was the main thought. So I visited a couple of stores I don’t usually shop in but I knew would offer cute, colorful jewelry to fit the bill. Store Number One: I buy a set of royal blue and a set of red bangles. In Store Two (which I may have been in once since I got my ears pierced when I was 16) I found 4th of July themed jewelry 50% off…I bought 2 necklaces and a couple of hair accessories. Knowing the quality of what I was getting was pretty junky, I even joked with the salesperson and asked would my neck turn green the first time I wore it. (She said, not the first time.) =)

So, I am dressed and feeling cute and patriotic as I go to emcee the Collierville Independence Day celebration. Since I shopped so last minute it still has not occurred to me I am adorned in all imported junk jewelry…. until I got home. The second I pulled in the driveway, my necklace simply broke….the charms slid down into my bra (!) and the necklace down my back. Then I go inside, proceed to take my bracelets off and I am horrified to notice two inches of my arm at my wrist is bright blue! The stupid things faded from being in the heat. And as I type, my arm is still blue… all of it won’t scrub off! The lesson…buy American! Sadly, I bet I couldn’t have even found many similar red, white or blue items made in the USA. :( My simpleton answer? Let’s make more things in the USA! I’ll pay more…but in order to buy them, they must exist. :)


Happy Birthday America :)