Sunday, April 22, 2012

Zumbatomic, Zumbathon and more!

So much to share from this weekend!!!!

Friday night I was hit with a spur of the moment Zumba teaching opportunity.  A Zumba demo for a group of Girl Scouts!  The instructor who was supposed to do it got really sick and has to cancel and I was asked to step in.  Now, I taught daycare back in college and learned, quickly, that it was not for me.  So color me shocked to say this - I LOVED IT! I had such a great time with the girls.  We did a cumbia, a salsa, a merengue, a fun country song and a routine to Big and Chunky from Madagascar 2. 

Lesson of the night?  I WANT MY ZUMBATOMIC LICENSE.  I want to do that more often.  Watching those girls dance and the excitement on their faces when they got the move down just made my heart swell.  The way they wanted to show off their other dance moves and their tumbling afterwards was just perfectly sweet.  It's added to the To-Do list.  I will be Zumbatomic licensed.

After the party!
Saturday was the Zumbathon for the Wilson Arts Council.  2 hours of hot and sweaty Zumba, OUTSIDE.  First time I've done anything major outside like that and it was SUCH a different vibe. 

The sun on my skin.  The wind in my hair.  It felt incredible.

I was on cloud nine the whole time. Maybe it was being outside in full view of anyone who walked by, maybe it was dancing in front of all those new folks, maybe it was the praised heaped upon me by folks every time I was off the stage and maybe it was all of the above but I felt truly high on life.

Nothing can match that feeling.  Nothing.

Post Zumbathon I tried to just chill and relax on the couch but I was exhausted and jittery at the same time.

Matt and I went to go see Cabin in the Woods in the evening and it helped to distract me from the crash that I knew was coming.

I slept like the dead and got up today to start everything fresh and clean.  Since Easter my nutrition has been all over the place and it was time to start getting everything back in line.  Starting with a purge of the fridge and a major grocery run.  Then going to town on a remix of last weeks Crock Pot Cube Steak recipe.

Today I made what amounted to cube steak crock pot stew. 
  • 2 pounds cube Steak
  • 4 cans cream of potato soup
  • 2 packets onion dip mix
  • 1 half a bag of mini carrots
  • 1 can no salt added corn
  • 1 can no salt added peas
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 lb red potatoes diced
  • 2 cups sliced squash
  • 1 can white northern beans
It turned out super tasty! Higher in WW points (12!!) but so filling that one serving was perfect for a meal.  I served it with Italian bread and it was the perfect pairing.

I bought fruits, veggies, meats and cheeses for the week and have planned out my meals for breakfast and lunch and most of the dinners this week.  This week I need to focus on cutting the carbs back out of my diet and on getting back on track with eating on a schedule. 

I'm going to get things straight this week! Eating on clean, all my Zumba workouts and 2 hours of weight lifting this week.  It's time to focus on building muscle again.  I need the muscle to boost my metabolism!

We'll see if I feel back on track by the end of the week.

Friday, April 20, 2012

The end of the saga...

Well, it's over.  The hard parts, at least.  As of today, I once again own my own vehicle.

Since the accident I've been really nervous about how I was going to get back in to my own car.  I'm in the process of cleaning up my credit from a number of bad decisions during college and I was scared I wouldn't qualify for a loan.

I had begun saving for a car about a year ago.  I knew the time would be coming that the Olds would need to be replaced but I was nowhere near ready to purchase.

Well, prayers really do get answered.  The below car fell in to my lap - for just about what I had saved up for a down payment.  TADA!








It's a 1996 Ford Taurus station wagon. It was well loved and maintained by a local lady who, pretty much literally, only drove it to church on Sunday.  It has a grand total of 50,371 miles on it.

She doesn't have a name yet, but it's certainly a she.  I can't wait to drive her more and get to know her better. 

It drives like a dream and looks pretty much like it came right off the car lot.  It's a blessing.

I am so relieved to be back in my own car.  It's such a freeing feeling to not have to depend on people for a ride to get to class or go to work.

I'm free! FREEEEEEEEEEEEE!