Baby, It's Cold Outside

It's frigid here.  I have a cold, too.  All I really want is to be free of nasal distress and sitting on a beach somewhere sipping something frou-frou with an umbrella in it.  Thus, I give you, on this crappy winter day, a candidate for the server of said frou-frou drinks.  Join me, won't you?

Wellness, and the Pain of Moving the Booty

I got my monthly copy of the Romance Writers' Report yesterday, the publication of the Romance Writers of America.  Since it's early in the year, when most people are at least trying to live up to yet another New Year's resolution of fitness, they made this issue about a writer's physical fitness and the connection between that and mental wellness.  It's especially applicable to writers...our job is VERY sedentary, and it's easy to park it and munch away every day.  The butt grows to fill the chair.  And you all know how I love my Cheetos.

Anyway, this issue resonated with me because, as I have mentioned, I'm making a concerted effort to FINALLY get fit this year.  I'm not a particularly big girl, but I'm well aware that I was out of shape and had lousy eating habits.  Also, I was not liking the booty jiggle I had/have going on.  I tend to run at fairly high stress levels, and I had been feeling increasingly tired and overwhelmed, which is not a place I want to be with all the work I have going on right now.  So about six weeks ago, my husband, who had also been feeling dragged out and overweight, ordered P90X.  And once I turned in my last Nocturne a couple of weeks ago, I started it too.

So I won't lie: I'm sore.  It varies by day, but today is one of the less good ones as far as how my muscles feel.  As in, my butt is killing me.  It's a big commitment (at least an hour a day, often an hour and a half), and it has required a change in my craptastic eating habits.  I love me some junk food.  But despite all that, I feel kind of...good.  Tired, but in a different way, and healthier than I've felt in a long time.  Like I'm cleaning all the garbage out of my system.  And after two weeks (today is my second rest day, meaning tomorrow I'll head into Week 3 of Phase 1), I am seeing major differences in strength, stamina, and even the shape of my body.  Haven't lost weight yet, sadly (men, who always seem to have it easier in that department, tend to lose weight more quickly because of the testosterone and their body composition), but I have dropped nearly a full inch off my hips in a short period of time, and it's my understanding that as I build muscle and continue on, the weight loss will come too.  But the main things right now are that I look better, feel better, and am actually enjoying my nightly sessions with Tony "Bring It" Horton because that time allows me to focus on something else and sort of blow the dust out of my overactive mind.

Thought I'd share this today as it has been a large part of my existence this last couple of weeks, and I'm pleased with how it's going.  I couldn't do every exercise when I started, and there are still a couple I fall out on, but that's totally acceptable and expected in this program.  But just between weeks one and two I've made big gains, and I'm excited to see how things look at the end of the full 90 days.  Is anybody else out there giving movin' ye olde booty a shot this winter?  What's working for you?  I'll be giving periodic updates on my progress, because...well, it's something to write about, and I'm in the same boat as a lot of people.  Had a few kids, got pretty sedentary, and would like to feel better about my health.  And like I said, it's a pretty big issue for writers.  We sit a LOT.  It's easy to become one with the chair:-)

Have a good one!   

     

Aftermath Monday

At least, it is for everyone who was up watching the Super Bowl last night.  I watched some of it at the party we went to, though mostly I talked and ate bad-for-me food, which I am paying for today.  *urp*  Back on the healthy wagon for me.  Glad the Packers won...I can't stomach Roethlisberger.  I got nuttin' today, and I have to go stick my head back in the maunscript, so here's a fun song I've been playing a lot in the car lately at my youngest son's request.  The background music to this is in Little Big Planet 2, which is his favorite game, and naturally, as I'm a music dork, I have the song on my iPod!

Houston, We Have a Title

Yep, Dark Dynasties #2 got its title last night!  Jaden and Lyra's story, coming in January, will be called MIDNIGHT RECKONING!  I love it, it's perfect for the story.  I can't claim credit for it at all...this was all Selina, my editor...but fortunately, writers aren't required to be awesome at titling their own books.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Today is...

...pretty boring.  Have some writing to do this morning.  Lost my mind briefly because Chewie decided to come upstairs to visit me and then lift his leg on a suitcase for no apparent reason.  I stupidly thought we were through that with him, but hey, such is my life.  Oh, and I have to do Core Synergistics today for P90X, which is my most hated workout of the group.  Lotsa weird push-ups.  I stink at push-ups.  Also had an awesome brainstorming session with my editor at GCP for the third Dark Dynasties book, too.  It is now officially going to be AWESOME (if I can, you know, write it correctly).

Here, have some Muse.  I've been blasting this in the car recently...it's an older one, but faaaaaabulous.  It really deserves to be cranked up, owing to the pipe organ.  Oh yes.  There is pipe organ.  Gotta listen to the whole thing, though, since it doesn't really start to crescendo for a bit.  Have a good one!

Oh My.

This was too pretty not to share with you all.  Thank you, Lisa.  A thousand times, thank you.

His name is Gabriel, and he's Mexican.  And I don't know why he's wearing a furry loincloth, and I don't care.  I know he has an interesting nose, but...I like interesting noses.  Even the facial hair is working for me.  This, ladies, is cover hunk material.  Enjoy your Wednesday!

Busy Day

I'm working on brain overload today.  Trying to clear up my outline for Damien's book (I have gone begging to my editor...she's great, and I'm having some problems with the hero's motivation, so hopefully she can help).  Gotta get my word count for DD #2.  Need to do %$&#@! Kenpo X at some point.  I actually like this one, as there's a lot of punching and kicking.  Very cathartic.  And I should probably fold laundry.  Laundry is my curse.  There is always more of it, and I'm always behind in folding it.  Anyway, this is a drive-by posting, but I will give you, hmm...I think I'll give you Charlie the Unicorn.  Funny and stupid works for a gloomy Tuesday:-)