New Venture. Join me?

These previous posts are from my Team Beach Body website: www.beachbodycoach.com/Maura5
Also check out www.shakeology.com/Maura5
I’m on a new path ☺

1/2 Way To 30 Days!
November 11, 2010 11:04 AM

Good morning!? Yes, it is. A day of celebration for me here at the homestead. I'm 1/2 way to my first 30 days with Beach Body! I've met with my coach & we're coming up with some exciting ideas to grow our biz. Stay tuned. (I'm supposed to be doing my homework now but words keep popping into my head, begging to be let out to jump onto the page) I connected with my upline upline coach Dave Hunt who seems to think my blog posts are spunky (I like that :-) & several other BBers I met at the Craig Holiday event, referrrals from Richard & random requests. All good people.
My last blog entry was about the new hole in my belt. That was so significant that I've been speechless since then. (shut up, everyone who knows me :-/) There are many postings by other BBers saying, "If I can do it, you can too!" It's true. The neatest thing about BBers is that they're all so friendly, encouraging & accepting. If you decide to join us here in this wonderful enterprise, you'll find countless other people just like you who are looking to improve their time here on this lovely planet. With better nutrition, fitness, wellness & energy you'll find that your days are much more pleasant than when you slogged through your days waiting to greet your pillow. Generally it's an hour or less out of your life everyday that gives you exponential benefits. If you can't keep up with the workout hosts, no biggie...they'll inspire you to do WHAT YOU CAN DO & keep coming back to try harder next time. You can do it! And you'll be happy you did. We BBers are all ages, shapes, sizes but what we ALL share is a desire to make life better physically, mentally & financially for those we care about.
Ok, going to do my homework now..
By Maura5

Addendum
November 9, 2010 7:03 PM
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Belt:
It's on the last hole. Thank goodness I have a leather punch to add another. I'm cursed with a body that gains & loses weight proportionately. Result, few can tell there's been a change. Well, I see my body every hour I'm awake so I can see results. That's what really matters here. That & helping others realize those changes in themselves. On that note, I need to buckle down...get it?...on my business.
By Maura5

So...day 13!
November 9, 2010 5:50 PM
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Last night I heard Craig Holiday 's presentation to the NOVA contingent. Thanks to Chris Batu. And thanks to my coach Richard Harrison who steered me to this event. What came through mostly for me was not Craig's successes with his various biz associations but his passion for helping others. I can relate. So me.
Back to MO's day 13. Still on track fitness-wise. Biz-wise I'm still working. Reaching out...
Working on getting my push-ups lower. Oh man, that's difficult. Hurts.
Tomorrow is 2 weeks...Nobody's more thrilled than I!
By Maura5

Ok! Ok!
November 5, 2010 5:46 PM
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Putting pix up this weekend. I've been crushed under the pressure to do so...
By Maura5

Friday Fixin's
November 5, 2010 1:33 PM
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Nutrition has become an issue for me now more than ever before except when I was pregnant. That pot of potato leek soup I made on Wednesday became potato leek turkey bacon soup. I was feeling low on protein despite enjoying Shakeology most days. This morning's Burn Intervals taxed me more than I liked. My body was craving protein. After a bowl of that tummy-tickling soup I feel great again. So what am I going to do with this renewed sense of wellness? Work on biz cards & those stickers I mentioned yesterday, but not until I do soome yardwork on this beautiful Fall day. If you're looking for a fun way to spend a spare hour (unless you're already in Super Gym), come on by! I have an extra rake & broom. You can use the broom I don't ride on ;-)
By Maura5
1 Comments

Alrighty Then
November 4, 2010 4:32 PM
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So, here I am at day ? I've lost track of time and that's usually a good thing for me. You guys go ahead & calculate my numbers if you want. This AM at TNT the news was very good. Since our last weigh-in/body fat check 6 weeks ago I've lost 6 lbs & 1% body fat! I attribute 3 lbs at least to ChaLean & Shakeology. The body fat loss I think is prob 50/50 TNT & Beach Body. My TNT Coach Chris works me so hard cuz he knows I want it. Today was a day of increased weights & I could. If I can, you can. Besides it's FUN!

My next thing is to get biz cards to pass out at any moment's notice & stickers to attach to those handy Shakeology pouches as my main marketing tool. (This morning was a lifesaver green shake w/pineapple tidbits. If I hadn't done that I woulda died. At least it felt that way) I haven't had any 'wow' moments yet as far as friends/colleagues noticing any difference. My problem is that I gain/lose weight proportionately so the changes aren't obvious. A blessing to some extent but eventually, not so much. Gotta get ripped like my cuz Evodna beachbodycoach.com/espringer
Where to go from here? Well, I'm kinda hungry so I'll be going to the kitchen. Recently got an email from Richard's upline Dave Hunt. NEAT! Thanks Dave!
Ok, going to live the rest of my day fully present. Try it, you might like it :-)
By Maura5

The Journey Has Begun
October 28, 2010 12:16 PM

So, this is Day 3 already! C'mon, don't laugh! I know there are still 27 days left in my first transformation month but heck, I need to encourage myself because who can do that better than moi? I decided to start out with ChaLean partly because it seemed geared more toward women than P90X. Don't know if that's intentional. Anyhow, the 5 workouts I've completed in these first 3 days are just perfect for me. I'm a bit clumsy when the movements switch really fast. Practice practice practice, eh? Yesterday especially, I cracked myself up big time when arms & legs were supposed to be doing something 'abnormal'. <------at least for me at this stage. One thing I really like about this program is that Chalene gives tips for neophytes, not just technique-wise but how much weight to use, correct body mechanics, tips to avoid injury & the like. I already know a lot of stuff of that nature since I've been in a weight-training class at the Y for 5 years but it's helpful to have those reminders. I have yet to take measurements & take pix. Am I embarrassed? Yes, to do them & that I haven't done them. Maybe tomorrow...

Until then, I'm off to the rest of this beautiful day feeling strong, healthy & FIT. Have a good one y'all!
By Maura5
1 Comments

RichardHarrison I'm liking this. Maybe you could ghost my blog for me? And get those pics done girl! Don't think about what they look like now; think about what they'r going to look like in 30-60-90 days. Ninety days from now you're going to be pleased about how "embarrassing" those Day One pics were.

Posted on 10/29/10 10:23 PM.

Sad Times

Death has always been a difficult reality for me. Yeh, I know everyone gets there themselves one day & we all grieve for those who go before us but I’ve not yet figured out how to process all that. Today was the memorial service for my neighbor/fellow HOA Board member, friend/ally/enemy/stupid little brother-type guy who found his own way to escape this crazy thing we call life. This prompted my facebook status, “Remember to say 'I love you'. Especially to people who don't think they need to hear it from you...again.” I think most of us need to know we’re special in some way to someone(s) & that makes all the difference sometimes. Most days go by & you’re just some schmuck who has to go here or there for this or that & little things don’t matter. But during those times when little things really DO matter, it’s good to know someone cares & that the person who shows that caring gives a good god damn about you. I must admit that I’ve not followed through on some of those times for other people. Still figuring out how. Until now I hadn’t really thought I had any regrets (well, not big ones). This time around I have one, BIG TIME. Not claiming anything egotistical here by saying anything I might have done or said would have changed anything for this fella, but the fact that I didn’t follow through on showing that I gave a good god damn bothers me. In retrospect, he was my polar opposite. Maybe that’s why this is so difficult. Anyhow, he’ll not get a second chance in this lifetime & I will. Who knows where he’ll show up next? Hope it’s somewhere near me. Gonna punch him in the face.

 

Glass breaking

Breaking Glass:
So, I have some ‘ability’ that allows me to break glass randomly and make structures release. Some of my family members have been witness to the result of this. Recently my right side fireplace door glass burst while I was sitting at my laptop in the dining area. The glass just broke & fell to the floor in front of the door. Nobody was in danger or hurt. This is the usual scenario. Past breakages were never a threat to anyone either. The glass objects just sort of imploded. In the cases of structural release, a shelf in my cupboards just gave way & all the contents came flowing down upon me. Oddly, nothing broke. There are other people to whom this also happens but so far in all of my searching, there’s no explanation. This recent glass-breaking incident happened 10/8/10 just a day after I’d visited a residence previously inhabited by my Reid relatives. From now on, I’ll note my circumstances. Anyhow, I’m kinda glad I have some weird thing going on here. Clearly.

Negativity

Lately I am surrounded by negativity & need to regroup somehow. Don’t do this, don’t do that. This new Y stuff sucks, this new stuff isn’t good enough. Don’t redo the bathrooms & replace the plastic tub/shower enclosures with real ones. Don’t open up a room into another. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. Gaaaahhhhhh! Somehow I retain optimism for life. In won’t be brought down.

8/15/10 An interjection several months hence:

In between the Italian job & now there was a wonderful trip to Ireland with Beck to visit Mar & Beto. And a trek up Half Dome in Yosemite. More on those next. Right now I want to discuss the morning I had today. I actually dressed like a girl & went to church. Both are aberrations to my usual behavior. First of all, my preferred outfit is jeans/cargo shorts & a t-shirt. I own a few dresses & skirts (mostly casual ones) but am not all that comfortable in them. Last week Mar & I went shopping & I bought the shirt & skirt I wore today. Both are really pretty although I think the shirt is a little big for me. I hope I can shrink it next time I wash it. That has been a laundry specialty of mine. Ask anyone in my family. Anyhow, I wore a girl outfit to church. And I’m ok with that. That’s the next odd thing. I went to church & I don’t believe in “god”. I went to First & Franklin Presbyterian Church in Balto where the menfolk of my Mom’s family worshipped eons ago. During the Summer, services are held in the Reid Chapel. That chapel was funded by my ancestor Andrew Reid back in the 1800’s. Yep, I think that’s pretty cool. I try to keep the dang place coated with fresh paint with my donations. Today it looked great! There was a guest pastor this AM, the Rev Jane Richardson Bearden who reminded us to live our lives as Jesus lived his…in love, service & acceptance. Those who choose to live their lives in pursuit of power, money, self-interest & self-aggrandizement are not living lives that benefit humanity. Hello people, it’s NOT all about you.

Weekend in Rome

Saturday 4/10/10
On this day we trained back to Rome in the morning just to have a bit of time to chill before we flew home. I thought our paid room 3/31-4/2 was nice…yes, it was & the view was spectacular over the Porta Princiana toward the Borghese Gardens . BUT, the room 4/10 & 11 was better…on points. I suppose Marriott might have given us a ‘lesser’ room since it wasn’t paid but I have to say the room was so charming & way more comfy than the previous room. It was big & bright with 2 large windows overlooking the street. The bathroom was enormous. I wish I’d taken pictures. Once we were settled in we went to Santa Maria di Maggiore on Tom’s strong suggestion. Oh my goodness…such a beautiful church. It was the former papal congregation before the move to The Vatican. I thought we’d seen many beautiful churches already but this one was even grander. Bernini, that amazing sculptor is buried there. In a niche under the altar there is housed the Sacra Culla containing boards ostensibly from Jesus’ cradle. A sculpture of Pope Pius X kneeling in front of the niche is quite moving. After touring the church we took a walk to the Piazza del Umberto Emmanuel, then went back to the hotel area, grabbed some sandwiches & had a picnic is the Borghese Gardens. It was a beautiful sunny day so lots of people were out & about. Lots & lots of families with little kids. They were fun to watch. We went back to the hotel & caught up on emails, work, downloading photos, that sort of thing. Sleep came easily.
Sunday 4/11/10
We got up good & early to get to Saint Peter’s Basilica before the hoards descended. Good thing, too. We took the stairs up to the dome first thing. Wow, what a view! Seeing the gardens from above was especially delightful. We toured the basilica with a sense of amazement. The sculptures, architecture, marble columns, mosaics, everything was absolutely gorgeous. It was inspiring to see the works of mere mortals surrounding us. There were several dead popes in glass cases which was kind of creepy but interesting. We witnessed the pomp of Mass with the processions, incense, music, the whole nine yards. It’s quite a production. Of course The Pieta is there also. Now, that is breathtaking. Both of us were drawn in by the beauty, grace & expressiveness of the faces. We took pictures but they can’t in any way capture the sense of the sculpture. You have to see it in real life. We just stood there staring at it for a long time. Our visit to St. Peter’s took most of the day & that’s all the touring we did. It was a wonderful ending to our Italian holiday. For dinner we went back to our favorite café, San Marco. We’ll always remember that lovely place.
We spent the rest of the evening packing, organizing photos, talking, Steve did a little work.

Overall, we agree that the trip was a resounding success. There were a few sights we missed but feel satisfied that we saw most of the ‘must-sees’ in the 3 cities we visited. We’d definitely recommend taking the First Class train & be ready to make a run for it when it arrives at the station as they don’t tarry there long. And if you miss your train, you’re SOL. Beware of gypsies who offer to help you with your luggage. Most Italians are helpful but not very patient. (maybe it was just us) Italian men will sooner help a woman than a man, so guys, take a girl with you! At least try the espresso. You’ll be made fun of for ordering Americano coffee…good natured ribbing, of course. But, Italians don’t really understand how we can drink that ‘black water’! Enjoy as much real Italian food as you can. And definitely eat gelato at every opportunity. Traveling to outlying small towns is a lot of fun. Next time we’ll do more. Also, you MUST see Herculaneum & Pompeii. It’s worth the time & hassle of using the Circumvesuviana. If I think of anything else, I’ll be back to add it. Now, it’s on to the next journey…