Hey June, Let's Make a Plan!

OK, so I totally slept through the bad weather we had last night... so apparently, it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.  I know that several areas around Oklahoma were slammed with tornadoes yesterday, and my heart breaks for those people.

While moseying around Facebook, I've seen many people reaching out and thinking of those people in Oklahoma who have lost everything.  And, then, if you can believe it, I've actually seen people make nasty comments about how those people DESERVED losing everything because they CHOSE to live in Tornado Alley.  Urm... What the What?

I'm not kidding.  I'm totally serious.  I have actually seen comments from people making statements that they have absolutely no sympathy for anyone that lost their lives, loved ones, or belongings in the tornadoes because it was their fault for living where they live.

I was totally speechless and had to quickly remove myself from Facebook perusing until I calmed myself.  HOW DARE THOSE PEOPLE!  And, if you're one of those people that agrees with that statement... please kindly take yourself to some other blog.

If someone lives in Oklahoma or Arkansas or Kansas or Missouri or Illinois or northern Texas, they have only themselves to blame if a tornado touches down?  So, the people that live in Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina or any part of the east coast are deserving of no sympathy when major hurricanes hit?  People in California and the west coast have only themselves to blame when earthquakes strike?  And anyone that lives in just about any state in the United States that gets hit with some kind of natural disaster can just go cry somewhere else if bad happens to them... because it's totally THEIR fault for living there in the first place?  RIDICULOUS!!!! There are some idiots in this world, but come on!

That rant was not on the agenda for today's blog... but it needed to be said, and I feel better for saying it.

Moving on...

June is here, and even though it feels more like April with the cool temps and rain, rain, and more rain, I've decided that it's time to start thinking about some things I want to do this summer.

One of those things is to start getting active again.

I have moved to the gold mine of active living.  I am a few blocks away from a park, and the walk there is an easy one.  The park is equipped with walking trails and areas for the kids to play while I'm walking.  I have a pool in my back yard perfect for lap swimming.  I have a beautiful side yard that's fit for a yoga oasis...and some actual gardening which can burn calories all by its self.

OK, so my allergies have been a major road block in getting out and exploring my active living possibilities, but I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.  They are backing off a little...and I think that I'm more than capable of getting out for a while each day.

Next Thursday, I have an appointment to get at least one of my wisdom teeth removed - maybe more.  The week after, I start teaching summer school.  Both of those things will limit my ability to spend too much time being active.  But, once my mouth is feeling better, I'll be fine.  And once I get home from summer school each night, there's no reason I can't jump in the pool for an hour or go for a nice, relaxing walk down to the park.  It will be early evening, so hopefully a little cooler and more perfect for that kinda stuff anyways.

The truth of the matter is, I got on the scale this morning and I could have died at the number I saw.  The amount of weight I've gained this year is absolutely ridiculous!  It's all because I sit around doing nothing, sleeping too much, and eating the wrong foods.  I know exactly what's causing it, and yet I continue to do it anyway.  What the heck is wrong with me?

When I moved, I refused to throw out all of the clothes that are too small for me.  Even though I told myself that I wouldn't move with anything I haven't used in the past 6 months, I refused to believe that I couldn't get back in to those cute clothes I wore only a couple of years ago.  It seems like forever and a day ago that I was gleeful about my new, smaller sized outfits... but they have slowly had to move in to storage, because I can no longer fit in to any of them.  I'm back to wearing baggy shorts and t-shirts to hide the bulges protruding from my midsection.

I've watched the 16s go away, and then the 18s, and now I'm prancing around in 20s again.  To think that I was on the verge of fitting in to sized 14 pants just two years ago, and now I've ballooned back up to a size 20.  I'm only 1-2 sizes away from my starting point before having so much success...and I've basically thrown it all away.

When I first looked at this house several months ago, one of the first things that drew me to it was my active possibilities.  When I looked at the pool, I didn't see a place for the kids to play during the summer - I saw a place where I could spend time swimming laps and burning calories.  When I looked at the side yard with it's little rock wall and places for some flowers, I didn't think about how cute it was.  I saw the potential of having my own meditation and yoga retreat.  I saw myself waking up each morning, throwing down my yoga mat out there, and starting my day off with sun salutations.  I saw myself digging away in the flower beds and planting vibrant, colorful flowers that would boost my spirits and give me a place of my own to reflect on my days.  When we drove to the house and passed the park, I didn't see an ideal place for the kids to run off to. I saw me walking down to the park, the kids trotting along behind me, and walking and even jogging the track while they played.  So much potential... and yet, here I sit having taken advantage of none of it.

NO MORE!

I'm going to change that.  And it starts this month.  Today!!  I've already made plans to get the family out of the house and go and visit one of our favorite summer destinations today.  We will spend the day walking up and down hills, enjoying the sights and sounds, and enjoying the fresh air.  It's a small start, but a start.

I don't want to be a slave to my allergies anymore.  I don't want to be a slave to my ever expanding waist line.  I don't want to be a prisoner in my own home.  I have the chance to do something...and I have the time and the place.  No more excuses, right?

Here we go!