Three of Harts

One Week Old

2010-07-20T21:47:00.003-06:00

Sleeping Like a Baby

Coming Home for the Hospital

The Napping House

First Doctor's Appointment

One Week Old

Liam and His Favorite Blanket

Introducing Liam Thomas Hart!

2010-07-18T19:20:00.009-06:00

Liam Thomas Hart
Born July 13, 2010
8lbs 7oz
21 1/4"

Liam's Story

I woke up at 12:41AM on July 12th with really strong contractions. Refusing to make an early trip to the hospital, we sat at home until 2:30AM before heading to the hospital. By that time my contractions were regular and painful. I believe Aaron called the doctor when I said mid contraction "Get me an epidural NOW!!!"

We checked into the hospital and around 4AM they gave me my epidural. When the anesthesiologist walked into the room, I told him I loved him. I woke up at 6:30AM feeling better than I had for the past 2 months. Ah, the wonders of modern medicine!

The doctor came and broke my water around 8AM. At 8:30, two nurses ran into the room, flipped me from side to side without telling me what was going on, shoved an oxygen mask on my face. The doctor came in and put a monitor on the baby's head. Meanwhile, I was looking at Aaron, terrified and having no idea what was going on hearing the doctor and nurses mention c-section several times.

The baby's heart rate had dropped but it stabilized again. I lay on my left side for the next few minutes, then I forced Aaron to go downstairs and grab a bite to eat. After all, I was only dilated at a 3, so it would be a long day. I needed him to be well fed if he were going to put up with me! Aaron didn't want to leave in case "something happened" but I convinced him nothing would go wrong during his 10 minute trip to the cafeteria.

No longer than 2 minutes after he left, the group of nurses came running back again. I had just had a strong contraction that I could feel, and was thinking of pressing the button for extra meds. The baby's heart rate had dropped again. This time the nurses moved me from side to side but could not find a position to stablize the heart rate. The doctor came in and said twice is enough for me. We're doing a c-section and you will meet you baby in a few minutes. With nurses, doctors, and anesthesiologists poking, prodding, and rolling me, I called Aaron and through my panicked tears said "C-section. Now."

Aaron came running in. I went rolling out. They transferred me to the OR table.

Aaron joined me again in a few minutes. The surgery began and I heard Aaron say, "It's a beautiful baby boy! We have a baby boy!"

Over the next few minutes, Aaron stood by as they cleaned Liam. I looked to the side, wishing I could jump from the table and hold him in my arms. All three of us were bawling.

Liam is perfectly healthy, but apparently he just didn't want to come into the world without an exciting story. This is obviously not what we were expecting for the birth of our first baby, but we are so thankful to God for giving this beautiful boy to our family.

I have lots of pictures and the story of my c-section complications, but I want to go snuggle with my son! I'll get around to additional posts in the coming days.

40 Weeks..

2010-07-11T16:59:00.003-06:00

And still no baby! We're just "patiently" waiting to meet the newest member of our family.

Nursery

2010-06-26T09:45:00.004-06:00

I had a mental image of how our nursery would look. Aaron somehoe made it a reality. FYI...the red table is being returned today because it didn't wuite work out the way I imagined.

Now all we need is a baby...for an update on that, I went to the doctor this week and if I don't go into labor earlier, I will be induced on July 14th.

Bump Chronicles

2010-06-13T21:39:00.010-06:00

October 13, 2009 - One Week Pregnant

November 25, 2009 - 8 Weeks Pregnant

December 25, 2009 - 12 Weeks Pregnant February 19, 2010 - 20 Weeks Pregnant March 10, 2010 - 22 Weeks Pregnant April 1, 2010 - 25 Weeks Pregnant April 27, 2010 - 29 Weeks Pregnant

June 14, 2010 - 36 Weeks Pregnant

Hart Happenings

2010-06-13T21:19:00.005-06:00

We went fishing last weekend with our friend Jefferson. After driving an hour to a lake that was closed, we took a local's recommendation and drove to Lake Jefferson (in Jefe's honor). Aaron caught 2 fish. Jeff and I didn't catch anything. We left as the thunder storm rolled over the mountains.

The Jackson's came to visit for Memorial Day. We had so much fun catching up with them and John. He's such a cute kid! I am slacking in the picture department, but here's what I have!

Baby Shower Weekend

2010-05-16T07:15:00.006-06:00

My mom, Kristin, Michelle, and Chelsea all came into town for my baby shower last weekend. We had so much fun just catching up, eating yummy food, and laughing at Francesca.

Francesca was obsessed with Palin. We're so glad she's good with kids. I am shocked she did so well.
Chelsea brought her 10 week old baby, Juliette. She was the best baby ever! Really...she never cried. I can only hope our baby will be in the same category.

I don't have many pictures from my shower, but my mom has them on her website. My sister and my friend Amber threw the most awesome baby shower ever. We has fabulous food, flowers, and friends. I could not have imagined a better day!

On Mother's Day we hung out at home and had brunch.

Palin is in big trouble once the baby comes. She thinks she is a person and loved to sit on my mom's lap all weekend.

Yummy Brunch.

Sorry Chels and Mom, but this is the only picture I have of Kristin from the weekend.

Nuggets Game

2010-05-16T07:08:00.002-06:00

Last month, Aaron and I were able to go to the 1st Playoff Game in Denver. We had great seats. We were really hoping the Nuggets would pull through in the series so we could have seen the Lakers play...Maybe next year!

Drunk Pregnant Woman

2010-04-10T15:35:00.002-06:00

I was in Dallas last week for work. Like always, our meetings started with 7AM breakfast and ended around 9PM with dinner…no breaks needed!

Thursday night, after an even later-night I stopped by the front desk and has this conversation with the 18 year old hotel clerk. For full effect, please slur your works for anything I say. After all, I was exhausted. Also, my tone became more like that of a hungry 4 year old with each line.

Margot: I need to reactivate my room key. It isn’t working.

Hotel Clerk: Certainly ma’am. Do you have a photo ID.

Margot: It’s in the room. I have a name tag. (show my red Staples convention badge)

Hotel Clerk: What’s your name?

Margot: Margot

Hotel Clerk: (small laugh) Do you have a last name?

Margot: Ummm…(unconsciously look down and read name tag)…Hart. (hand key card to clerk and put envelope back in name badge pocket)

Hotel Clerk: What room number are you in?

Margot: (deep sigh…pull back out key card envelope, squint to read room number)…Twenty…umm…sixty…umm…TWO.

Hotel Clerk: (slightly bigger laugh) Thank you miss Hart. Now can you tell me when you checked in?

Margot (whining) Ugh. What day is it today? Friday? Yeah…Friday. I checked in yesterday. Wednesday. Yeah. Wednesday. Yesterday.

Hotel Clerk: (looks at my bulging belly with judging, contorted face and fails to hold in laughter) Well today’s not Friday. But you did check in yesterday. When do you check out?

Margot: (thinking sleeping in the lobby would be much better than this inquisition) Tomorrow.

Hotel Clerk: Friday?

Margot: Yes.

Hotel Clerk: Miss Hart, did you put down a cash deposit when you checked in?

Margot: No. I put down a credit card.

Hotel Clerk: What type of credit card.

Margot: (is this necessary…I have a name tag!) My Staples card.

Hotel Clerk: Well, was it MasterCard, Visa, American Express?

Margot: (sighs again) Yes. One of those. I don’t know. I’m sleepy.

Hotel Clerk: Well do you know who your roommate it?

Margot: (my roommate is on maternity leave so I was with someone I had just met) Really? (pause…think…think…focus…no, keep your eyes open…you can do this…THINK…nothing) I don’t know. The diversity girl with our company. She gave the presentation the other day and she hadn’t rehearsed. She should have rehearsed. She has plenty of time to rehearse.

Hotel Clerk: You don’t know the name of the person you are sharing a room with?

Margot: I know she's from Houston. I need to go to sleep. I can’t answer you questions. I’m really tired.

Hotel Clerk: (through the laughter) Thank you ma’am. Here’s your key. Be careful walking to your room.

Margot (stumbling away…I wonder if he thinks I’m drunk?)

Hello, 3rd Trimester!

2010-04-01T09:38:00.001-06:00

4 Week Recap

2010-03-19T15:55:00.006-06:00

The last 4 weeks have been crazy...after my last post, we bought our crib (thanks Mom & Dad), I went to Houston for the following week for work and went to the Houston Rodeo BBQ Cookoff (yummy!). Then I was back for a whopping 24 hours before leaving for Orlando.

Aaron has been extremely busy working and studying for his classes, but somehow he has found time to take care of his preggers wife and to paint the nursery. We are hoping to finish the wainscot and crown molding in the nursery this weekend. If we do, I will post pictures.

Otherwise, here are a few pictures from the last month.

The BBQ Cookoff

My coworkers, Chris, Andy, and Howie...and I

The Mammoth Lacrosse Game (last weekend)

Blake & Amy:

Jeff, Aaron, and I:

My 23 week belly...my camera is dead or I would add a 24 week picture.

It's a...

2010-02-19T16:08:00.004-07:00

I had my 20 week appointment today.

Future Mommy (excuse the greasy hair and lack of makeup!)

Baby Starfire: It's a...BABY! You'll need to wait to find out just like us! :-)

Thanksgiving Cruise

2010-01-02T06:57:00.013-07:00

We went on a cruise with my family, and Aaron's dad and brother for Thanksgiving. It was so much fun.

Boat Safety Drill - At least four of us were on time!

Our first stop was Costa Maya, Mexico. It was demolished by a hurricane a few years back. We went on a Jeep tour through bumps and mud. We were drenched in mud by the time we reached the beach. Gross!

Our tour guide climbed a tree and cut down fresh coconuts. Yum-O.

Our next stop was Guatemala. I have never been to the rain forest before. It was beautiful.

We explored caves. I enjoyed it until Aaron saw bats. After that, I ran out of the cave screaming.

The next port was Belize, but I don't have any pictures...sorry! Our final port was Cozumel, Mexico. I was eat alive by mosquitoes, so Aaron, Matt, and Jack hiked the ruins.

Our final day was at sea. We played some Bingo, ate hibachi, and danced the night away.

We wound up back in New Orleans. We had a great Thanksgiving. Thanks, Mom & Dad.

Q3 Blog Posting!

2009-10-28T13:33:00.024-06:00

The weather looks like this today.

I am working from home, thinking about going sledding, and killing time by updating my blog.

In July, my dad did a cross country motorcycle ride. I rode along from Colorado to Tennessee. We went through the Ozarks and saw real red neck country (sit down lawn mowers, trailers, bass boats, hoarders, confederate flags).

Before we left:

World's largest ball of twine:
Red Neck church...butt break:

Bridge over the Mighty Mississippi
After our adventure, we met Aaron, Kristin, and my dad's friends in Nashville (which is such a neat city).

Downtown Nashville:

Trip Planning with Dad:

Hermitage:

The crew:

Grand Ole Opry:

Carrie Underwood:

The original Opry:

Elvis's Gold Piano
In August we went back to California for the annual Hart trip. I don't have too many pictures of the older boys. We had so much fun. We kayaked in La Jolla, went to Disneyland, and saw our adorable nieces and nephews.

Francesca:

The boys:

S'mores:

Disneyland:

After our California trip, Aaron and I thought our summer trips were over. Unfortunately my sister was in a major boat accident in August. I rushed to Montana to be with her. Thankfully she has recovered well. She broke her foot, wrist, nose, and rib, punctured her lung, had stitches in her face and stapled in her head. She's such a strong and amazing person. I don't have any new pictures, but she looks much better now.

Over Labor Day weekend we went camping. When you talk to people in Colorado about camping, they say to drive and find a spot on the side of the road. IT IS NOT THAT SIMPLE. After a many tries, we found the perfect spot, nestled between two streams.

Among all of the chaos of summer, Aaron and I trained for our first triathlon. Aaron joined a basketball league, and the week before our tri, he came home from a game and his ankle looked like this.

Needless to say, Aaron didn't finish the tri, but I did. I finished in 1 hour and 46 minutes. That's the same pace I was training. I can't wait until next summer to do another. This time I will go MUCH faster.

Even though Aaron couldn't compete, he entered the raffle and won the grand prize: $2,000 bike tires. If anyone is in the market, they're for sale!

We just returned home from another vacation...but I'll save that for my next quarterly blog post!

2009-06-28T21:08:00.005-06:00

We went camping at the Flaming Gorge this weekend with the Coleman, Jackson, Fernandez clan. This is the view from our campsite.
Below is the dam. It was huge!
I caught a fish. Dave helped me because once I reeled it in, I had no idea what to do!

Aaron was the fire marshal for the weekend. He is a pro at starting camp fires!
Palin thinks she is a lap dog.
The girls.
The boys.

Dave Ramsey

2009-06-28T20:24:00.004-06:00

Aaron and I both feel incredibly blessed that we have good jobs in such a tough economy. Earlier this year we both felt like either of us could be a victim of a RIF at any time. Maybe we were overly concerned, but we've both seen our friends, coworkers, and employees all receive news that they are another tick mark on the unemployment rate.

I also believe we are both pretty responsible with money. We have no credit card debt. We did not 100% finance our home (again we're blessed we still have equity). We contribute significantly to our retirement accounts (which tanked along with the market this year). In February when I freaked out that we might both lose our jobs, the only debt we had was our Subaru, our mortgage, and a 2^nd mortgage worth 10% of our home (we put 10% down when we bought).

In talking to a friend about my worries that all of our money was tied up in stocks while I knew RIF’s were around the corner for both of our companies, my friend told me about Dave Ramsey. He has a TV show on FBN, a talk radio show, and several books. He uses Biblical financial principals…to state the obvious, he gives insight into God’s plan for our money.

I don't agree with everything in this book, BUT I agree 100% with the principals. Aaron and I switched up some of the baby steps and changed the amounts (ie: we built a liquid savings reserve of more than $1,000 before paying of the car instead of only have $1,000 in liquid savings and paying off the car 1st).

Anyway, we paid off our car this month. We both feel much more secure in our jobs, mostly because people in our same positions in our offices have already been RIF'd. Still, we have peace of mind of being debt free with the exception of our home. If the stock market crashes further and we lose our jobs, we have cash we can live from for about 3-5 months.

Our next goal is to pay off the 2^nd mortgage and build 6+ months in liquid savings…wish us luck!

Practice Camping

2009-06-28T20:10:00.003-06:00

We went practice camping at the beginning of June. It was only "practice" not real camping. We had toilets. We only stayed one night. We forgot a whole bunch of stuff. That's why it was practice.

Brad and Amber brought fishing poles. Brad and Aaron both caught fish.

Amber and I didn't have the same luck.

Here's a video of Palin doing a trick. She's a pretty cute dog!

Going, Going, Back, Back, to Cali, Cali

2009-06-28T20:00:00.005-06:00

I went to LA to visit my family at the end of April. Kristin came home at the same time, and we had a fun hanging out as a family.

Here is a picture from dinner in Montecito with Domenico, Francesa, and crew.

Here is a picture from the Reagan library. This is a piece of the Berlin Wall.

Sporadic Blogger

2009-06-28T19:52:00.004-06:00

I have always journaled in spurts. I write diligently for days/weeks/months/years and then I forget for a year. The next entry after my journal sabbatical is always an attempt to "update the reader" on this missing days/weeks/months/years in a few short pages. Since blogs are the journals of the 21st century, the following posts will be a look back at the last 3.5 months!

Jessica Simpson...Rascal Flatts...John Elway???

2009-03-07T19:01:00.005-07:00

Aaron and I went to the Rascal Flatts concert last weekend. Jessica Simpson opened. For anyone who is wondering, she is NOT fat. She's not a size double zero, but she's still pretty skinny.

Jessica was ok...not great. Rascall Flatts were awesome. They put on quite a show!

There was a really tall while guy dancing awkwardly by the stage. Aaron took out his binoculars and we figured out it was John Elway. Boy, he couldn't dance! I thought the below picture was pretty cool though. The guy in the yellowish shirt behind the stage is John Elway. He posed for my picture. :-)

Sick :-(

2009-02-05T19:54:00.001-07:00

Last week I had the flu and Aaron had a cold.

This week I have a cold and Aaron has the flu.

Slacking or Busy?

2009-01-18T14:19:00.011-07:00

At church this morning, Aaron leaned over and asked, "Have you updated the blog recently?" I love Aaron's nice way of saying, "You're the worst blogger in the world!" Needless to say, I repented of my sin and am now trying to make up for two busy months with one post. Here's what we've been doing!

We bought a puppy in November and named her Palin. She's adorable & so far my allergies haven't been too bad.

Snowboard season started. We've had lots of fun weekends in the mountains.

We spent Thanksgiving in Camas with the Conveys. Melinda did a great job fixing Thanksgiving dinner.

My mom, sister, and brother were just across the river in Portland. We met up with my family for a pizza party the day after Thanksgiving.

We went to NYC for Christmas with my family.

We went to Little Italy in the Bronx. That was an adventure!

We pretty much ate our way through 10 days in New York. Below is a picture from the best restaurant on earth, Max Brenner's Chocolate by the Bald Man. It was heaven!

We went to the natural history museum.

Aaron could not leave the city without eating a black & white cookie.

We've certainly been busy, but I'll confess to being a slacker in the blogging department! Maybe in 2 months, I'll post something else; though I doubt we'll be nearly as busy in the first 2 months of 2009! Happy New Year!

Laughter!

2008-11-25T12:03:00.001-07:00

Aaron and I love teaching Sunday School to our group of 6 year olds. One kid brings us to tears of laughter each week with his adorable comments. Here are my favorites from the last month.

Lesson Topic: Service
Activity: Charades. Show an act of service that you can do for your family.
Hilarious Result: My favorite kid starts running in place.
Kid: (Out loud) I am running.
Me: Running? Is running service?
Kid: I am running in circles on a crater.
Me: (Laughing) How is that service?
Kid: I am running in circles on a crater. I am running really fast.

Lesson Topic: Primary Rehearsal
Activity: The Primary president asked the kids to close their eyes and picture Thomas Monson and the message he would give the following week during General Conference.
Hilarious Result: After opening his eyes, he taps me on the shoulder and says, “I tried really hard to picture President Monson. I closed my eyes real tight. I tried. I really tired. But all I could picture were robots, and they were fighting.” This comment was followed by robot fighting noises and hand motions for the next 5 minutes!

Lesson Topic: Forgiveness

Activity: Hangman (we do this each week so the kids can guess our topic.)
Hilarious Result: “F O _ G _ I _ N E S S” is written on the board.
Me: Any guesses at out topic?
Kid: Muscular Dystrophy
Aaron: What is Muscular Dystrophy?
Me: I don’t really know!

Later that day…

Activity: Aaron and I described the trial and crucifixion on Jesus. We asked “If you were Jesus and people called you names, tied you up, whipped you, put a crown of thorns on your head, and nailed you to a cross between two thieves, what would you do? Would you be angry at the men who did this to you?”
Hilarious Result: After receiving the regular answers from the other kids…
Kid: I would kick the cross and break it into pieces and throw the pieces into outer space.
Me: Well, I guess if you were Jesus, you could really do that!

Patriotic!

2008-10-30T08:52:00.003-06:00

I voted this morning. While waiting in line at the polling place, two old men wearing volunteer shirts approached me and said "Thank you so much. We will never forget those shoes. You are so patriotic!"
While I agree that my cherry red patent leather stilettos are quite patriotic, that was not my intent while getting dressed this morning. Apparently I wore my Republican Red subconsciously!

Jamie Tagged Me...a long time ago!

2008-10-19T20:29:00.003-06:00

Three Random Things about Me:

1. I love Mexican food. I could eat it for every meal of the day. Anytime we go out to dinner, I name at least three Mexican places where I want to eat before naming any non-Mexican restaurants.
2. I don't know how to snap. I've tried to learn, but can't figure it out. If the need arises, I can fake it pretty well.
3. I have had the soundtrack from Legally Blonde the Musical in my car's CD player for almost a year. I went to NYC a year ago and say the show with my mom and sister. I bought the soundtrack when I came home, and have listened to the entire album at least once a week ever since. Elle Woods is my idol.

Es-co-mo-di-do

2008-10-19T17:03:00.007-06:00

We went to Es-co-mo-di-do (aka Escondido) in August for the Hart family reunion. We had such a fun time. We have two new neices that we finally met.
Look at adorable Francesca!
Jo Dirt & Papa
Aaron with Francesca

Me & Savannah
The cool kids at the beach.
The nephews...yes, Dallins is 6'4"!
E caught crabs at the beach!!!

Cobber & Savannah
Ethan and the snails...I tell ya, the kid's obsessed!

Francesca attacked by her cousins.
Dallin & E. How cute!

Francesca & T-Bone.

Where, Oh Where Have the Harts Been?

2008-10-12T19:36:00.004-06:00

Okay, okay. Let me start into my million excuses of where I have been and why I have not blogged for months. My million excuses can be boiled down to one word, WORK. Here's the deal.

Staples bought Corporate Express in July.
It was a semi-hostile takeover.
Staples execs could not see CE’s books pre-takeover.
Since July, teams from both companies have redesigned our corporate structure.

I know! This should not affect my job at all since I am a peon. Please continue.

My work was really slow the past 8 weeks.
I only went to Utah once.
My team was implementing new accounts which meant more office time, less customer meetings.
I HAD LOTS OF TIME TO THINK.
In my book "think" and "worry" are synonymous.
I am losing my boss (who is the BEST boss ever).
I will now report to a hierarchy of CE people.
I do not handle uncertainty well.
EVERYTHING is uncertain.

I actually met my new VP last week & I really like him. I meet my new director this week. Wish me luck!

Now that my excuses are on the table, I am going update my blog tonight while watching the Dodger game. Enjoy!

Bowling for Chicken Legs

2008-08-19T22:20:00.001-06:00

Birds - By Alfred Hitchcock

2008-08-09T21:24:00.005-06:00

I work in the Denver Tech Center. It is in the heart of south Denver. It is a big business area, pretty far from the mountains. While I was in SLC last month, there were two deer that wandered onto the grass outside of our Denver office. Sadly I missed that, but the Animal Planet adventures continued when I was back in the office later that week.

I was in my office talking to a coworker when we heard a bird hit my window. We looked out to see the poor bird squirming on it's back when a crow swooped down to scope out the injured bird. I did not think crows would eat other birds...UNTIL...the crow inched closer and closer to the squirming bird, picked it up in it's beak, and flew away.

For the next hour, the crow was flying from tree to tree with the little dead bird in its mouth.

Gross!!!

(Belated) 4th of July in California

2008-08-09T20:50:00.014-06:00

Aaron & I went to California for the 4th of July. I have been really homesick for the past 6 months. I was so glad to go home for the weekend! We saw my parents new house. The first morning I woke up to this view. We were above the marine layer. I love PV!Here's my puppy Sage. She's so cute!
Josh was in PV for a few days "studying" for the LSAT! Apparently the LSAT now has a section on Grand Theft Auto!
My parents are so adorable. They had been so busy with the move. I think this was the first time they had sat down in months.
Aaron and I both have heinous farmers tans. We are officially working Coloradans.
Yes, those are pancakes. Yummy!
I had to go to Sprinkles. It was really yummy, but I was disappointed that I didn't see my BFF Paris Hilton.
Jack came to PV for dinner with my parents.
My dad had a stress fracture in his foot. By the end of the weekend he was quite mobile on his crutches. That man cannot sit still for a second!

Out of Shape?

2008-08-04T21:43:00.002-06:00

I've been VERY diligent with my workout schedule this summer. I finally feel like I am in good running shape. Life is good...UNTIL...

Tonight after dinner, Aaron and I went for a bike ride. After 20 minutes (mostly downhill), we stopped at a red light. I looked at Aaron and said "I think I'm going to throw up. No, I think I'm going to pass out. I am passing out!"

My amazing husband somehow managed to catch me while holding onto both of our bikes! I have no clue how he balanced the two bikes and his limp, pathetic excuse for a wife! We couldn't figure out why I would faint except that I may have forgotten to breathe while riding up the tiny incline before the intersection!

Does this mean I am out of shape?

Breaking Dawn...

2008-08-02T20:51:00.002-06:00

Today is the day! Breaking Dawn is here! I bought a pre-sale voucher at our local book store. I can barely pull myself away from the book to write this post. I am pathetic!

Greeley Stampede

2008-07-23T22:02:00.004-06:00

I promise I will get caught up on my blogging this week. I am about a month behind schedule!
For our anniversary, Aaron bought tickets to the Josh Turner concert at the Greeley Stampede. We had such a great time! Josh Turner has such a unique voice. It was awesome.
This is me at the Stampede...don't you just love the fair!
I'm not quite sure how you fry coke...Apparently you can fry anything these days.
Never wear flip flops to a concert at the county fair. Our seats were on the dirt floor of the stadium used for the rodeo. Needless to say, I likely contracted some sort of disease caused by exposure to cow excrement!
Check out the nifty seat numbering system! As a person who makes a living selling office supplies, I think this is a great use of the Post-it Note!

Here's Josh! He sang a few songs from his new album including "Soul Mate" and "That's just the Way He was Raised". Both songs were awesome!!!
Here is another flaw to wearing flip flops. The parking lot was full of prickly, sticky things (that's a technical term). The darn things were so sharp that the poked all the way through my shoes and pricked the bottom of my feet. Ouch!

The concert was awesome. We did have to endure the Greeley stench. Greeley is the home of Swift, one of the largest beef plants in the country. Boy did it smell like cow!

Hot Flashes

2008-07-15T09:01:00.001-06:00

This summer I have opted to sleep with AC; climate control is one of the luxuries of the 21st century that I cannot resist!

Last week, I began waking up early in the morning so hot that I took several cold showers last week. Over the past few days, I have woken up in the middle of the night in a full sticky sweat. A brutal cycle of burning sweaty hotness followed by shivery chills always followed. Last night I woke up at 2AM and was up until about 4AM because I was so uncomfortable!

This morning I had the following conversation with Aaron.

A – Honey, you should call a doctor. Maybe something is wrong.
M – Yeah, I will. I just feel so sick. I don’t understand because I am fine all day, but at night I am miserable. Maybe I am going through early menopause.
A – (Laughs) I’m sure that’s not the case, but you should get checked out.
M – Even right now I am burning up. Are you not warm? I seriously feel like it is 80 degrees in here!
A – Oh, you’re probably hot because I changed the settings on our thermostat.
M – Oh? (Glaring)
A – Yeah. I decided to set it at 80 degrees at night so we could save money.

Needless to say, today I will be purchasing a lock box for our thermostat. Aaron has lost all thermostat privileges!

Mark Knopfler

2008-06-29T20:59:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday we went to Red Rocks with the parents to watch Mark Knopfler. We played a fun people watching game called "Stuff White People Like". We came up with a brief list.
1. Mark Knopfler Concerts
2. FleeceVests
3. Hawaiian Shirts (especially non-floral patterns such as martini glasses or guitars)
Here are a few pics!

Rocky Mountain National Park

2008-06-26T11:10:00.005-06:00

We went to Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday with my parents. Wow! It was so cool! We saw hundreds of elk. We drove across the highest paved highway in the US. We saw the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write "The Shining". It was such a fun day. I loved having my parents in town & being able to sight see in Colorado.

A Lake Outside of the Park:
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park:
Entering RMNP:
10 foot Snow in June:
Loads of Elk:

The Bundt Shoppe

2008-06-24T07:23:00.003-06:00

The Bundt Shoppe makes the yummiest cakes ever! I love that place! Much to Aaron's dismay, I picked up a cake for his Birthday. It was so yummy. I ate cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two days! Yum-O!!!

Happy Birthday, Aaron!

2008-06-21T18:35:00.005-06:00

Aaron is officially 28 years young! I am so lucky to have such a great husband. He is handsome, patient, and funny. He is full of his fair share of blonde moments that provide me with hours of laughs. He has a great work ethic & is solely responsible for keeping our home and our cars so clean! I love you, Babe!

World Champion Rock Climber:Baseball Game in Philly:
Modern Art:
Jet Lag:
Climbing a Greek Volcano:

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-06-21T18:17:00.002-06:00

Yeah...yeah...yeah...

I realize this post is way too late! Ben & Dani came to visit over Memorial Day. We had lots of fun. We ate at yummy restaurants & went to a Rockies game. We miss having such good friends around & wish they would come visit more often!

I Love my iPod

2008-06-08T16:42:00.004-06:00

I love to run! In recent years, I have run less & less...I attribute my lax workout schedule to an increasingly demanding career and the Colorado climate which yields mild 70 degree temps for only a few weeks of the year.

When I was promoted in February, I invested in a new iPod, iTrip, and a Nike+ iPod Sports Kit. This was the best investment I have made in a long time! Not only does my new iPod accompany me everywhere, the Nike+ Sports Kit tracks my mileage and my pace. It registers with a website that records my workouts & makes me accountable to my workout goals.

I love it! Thanks to this nifty invention, I am running 4 miles everyday and am within 4 pounds of my pre-marriage weight!

if you love Utah, this may be offensive!!!

2008-05-08T22:49:00.002-06:00

I received a catalog & coupon in the mail yesterday to my all time favorite store and was instantly sold on what I call The World Cutest Cardigan. When I packed for my business trip this morning, I decided I would go to the mall on my way to the airport and buy the cardigan. Sadly, the cardigan was only available in sizes XS & L; I went to the airport empty handed, wondering what I would wear tomorrow…

I stopped by the mall across from the Hampton Inn when I arrived this evening. I observed the following:

1. After walking around Macy’s I called Aaron to comment on the slim selection. As we discussed the lack of fashion in Utah, I realized that not only was Macy’s missing my favorite brands, but all of the available women’s clothing was casual.
2. I ventured into the mall in search of a Banana Republic, Express, or Limited. Every mall has one of those! I walked past a Plus Size Juniors store and observed a 40+ mom and her teenage daughter. The daughter was not plus sized…the mom was. What was she doing shopping at a teeny-bopper store?
3. I arrived at the mall directory, found the women’s apparel section, and became even more horrified. There was no Banana Republic, Express, or Limited.

Determined to find an appropriate outfit for tomorrow, I wandered the entire mall in my 4 inch stilettos. There was not one women’s career clothing store! I am again reminded why I could never live in Utah!

Europe Trip

2008-05-08T22:30:00.003-06:00

Aaron and I went to Europe for 10 days. We had such a fun time. We went to Italy, Croatia, Turkey, and Greece. It was awesome! We took over400 pictures. Here are a few of my favorites...

This is during the "ship wreck drill" on the boat. We were absolutely exhausted after a day of flying & dragging our 50 pound bags through the cobble stone streets and bridges of Venice to get to the boat!
This is Dubrovnik, Croatia, the first stop on our cruise.This is the amphitheater in Ephesus where the apostle Paul delivered his letters to the Ephesians.
This is the view from the top of Santorini, Greece. At this stop, we climbed a volcano, swam in freezing cold "hot springs" and hiked for 30 minutes up a cliff covered in donkey dung! We also had some amazing gyros & the best baklava ever!
This is Aaron in Piazza San Marco in Venice. I love Italy!!! It is still my favorite country in Europe! I am trying to convince Aaron that we need to go back next year...we'll see if I can persuade him!

Only in...

2008-03-30T10:24:00.002-06:00

Salt Lake City??? This is a picture I took at the airport in SLC this week. The woman walked the entire length of the terminal with a baby in her arms and a bag on her head. My curious coworker & I could not resist the urge to follow her...it was amazing!!!

Go Bruins!!!

2008-03-29T19:28:00.000-06:00

I had a Bad Day!

2008-03-23T19:37:00.003-06:00

If there were a theme song to go with my day on Friday, it would be "I had a bad day!" I wished I had that song on my I-Pod to listen to...maybe it would have cheered me up!

I was in Boston all of last week for Staples DSM Training. I learned a lot, but by Friday afternoon, my brain was fried! We hopped in the rental car to go to the airport & the bad day began!

1. I swore my flight got into Denver at 5:15 and was really excited to come home and see my hubby. When I looked at my itinerary, I realized that I was confusing my Boston trip with my Vegas trip, and this flight wouldn't land until 8:30PM!

2. The girl driving our rental car went the wrong way onto the Boston Turnpike. 7 miles down the road, she was finally able to turn around. 25 minutes later, we were back on track, and headed toward the airport.

3. I could have sworn that my flight was on US Airways, so I had my coworker drop me off at the US Airways terminal...too bad my flight was on United!!!

4. It was about 15 degrees with the cold breeze blowing, and to correct my stupid airline mix-up, I had to drag my luggage through 2 terminals and 1 parking structure and then wait patiently for 10 minutes for Bus #11 while freezing my buns off!

5. I got to United, waited in line for 10 minutes, and could not check in using my credit card or confirmation number.

6. I waited in a different line for another 30 minutes, only to be interrogated by the United Guy (UG). The conversation went as follows:
Me: I couldn't check in with the self check in machine...I'm not sure what's up.
UG: I'll pull that up for you.
Pause
UG: Ms. Hart, what happened on your flight on the 17th?
Me: Huh?
UG: What happened on your flight on the 17th?
Me: I don't understand?
UG: Why did you check in for you flight & never board?
Me: Huh? What do you mean I never boarded? I'm here, aren't I?
UG: Our records show you never boarded. We canceled you ticket.
Me: Huh? ("Huh?" was about all I could say...remember my brain was fried)
UG: Well, Ms. Hart...If you say you were on the flight, than what time did you arrive in Boston on the 17th?
Me: (Thinking really hard, my itinerary was in his hand so I couldn't cheat) Umm, I think around 6PM...
UG: Alright, I will rebook you. Don't try to pull anything funny on us today.
Me: (What the H%$@? At least I guessed my arrival time right). Thank you, Sir.

UG proceeded to book me on the flight. It wasn't until later that I realized the many holes in our airport security. Not only did my bag make it through to Boston when I allegedly had not boarded the plane on the 17th, but jerky UG who gave me the 9th degree NEVER EVEN CHECKED MY ID before giving me my boarding pass!

7. This seems rather anti-climatic after #6...I waited in the security line (another 30 minutes) and when I got to the front, there were no bins left. I kindly asked the TSA employee for more bins, and she snapped back, "Ma'am, I will get you bins when I have time. In the meantime, you will need to wait!" Since I already felt like a national security risk for "not boarding my flight to Boston," I cringed when every head in the security line turned to see what kind of scum the TSA employee was yelling at! It literally took her 10 minutes to slowly waddle back and pick up more bins so I could go through security. Good thing I was 2 1/2 hours early to the airport!

When I finally got to my gate and found a seat (the best part of the day) I called everyone I knew for sympathy. No one picked up, so I finally called my boss (not typically the man for sympathy).
Boss: Yes, ma'am?
Me: I'm not calling for any real work-related reason. I'm just in the Boston airport about to go nuts and needed someone to talk to because I am stressed; my brain is fried; and I HAD A BAD DAY.
Boss: Ah, Logan Airport...Don't you just love that place? Seriously, that's by far the worst airport I have ever seen!
Me: You don't even know!

Dumb Not-so-Blonde Moment

2008-02-18T21:21:00.001-07:00

Today I had the ultimate dumb blonde moment! I have been putting off going to the post office to get my passport for over 6 weeks. I finally went this afternoon because it was slow at work, only to arrive and find out the post office was closed...

Duh! It was only slow at work because today was President's Day! I am an amazingly dumb not-so-blonde!

Who would pay $1.25...

2008-02-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

When you could get the same size bottle for $1?
Seriously...these 2 vending machines are right next to each other in the Hampton Inn in Sandy, UT. Does the $1.25 water really taste better than the $1 water?

I've been tagged...

2008-02-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

10 years ago...I was a freshman in high school. I was in my first season of track at PVPHS. I throught the world revolved around me...

Five things on my to do list today...Finish moving into my new office...Clean the kitchen...Change the sheets on my bed...Finish my work from yesterday (yes, it's a Saturday)...Pack for my business trip to SLC...

Snacks I enjoy...Almonds (my new favorite)...strawberries...honey sticks (cinnamon flavored)...yogurt...

If I suddenly became a billionaire...wonder how the heck it happened...go to Europe...buy really cool clothes...build a deck in out back yard...go to my trainer 5 days/week...get a massage every week...buy a bunch of vacation homes (LA, NYC, Italy)...

5 bad habits...I talk like a 2 year old if I don't get my way...I'm a workaholic...I love desserts...I gossip about everyone & everything...I am addicted to every trashy realilty show played on E!...

5 jobs I have had...Sales Clerk @ the Breadsmith...Math Tutor...Inside Account Manager (Staples)...Account Manager (Staples)...District Sales Manager (Staples)...

5 things most people don't know about me...When I come home from work, I sit in sweats and am totally anti-social...despite my career choice I do not consider myself a sales person...my idea of a vacation is not sitting on the beach, but doing something active like backpacking through Europe...I still have a pair of pants from high school that I swear will fit again...I have a not so secret dream of being the guitar hero champion of the world...

this should have been a sign...

2008-02-05T21:39:00.001-07:00

Today is super Tuesday. As a determined republican voter and Romney supporter, I was so excited to participate in my first caucus. It began at 7PM, so I got home, changed into my workout clothes, and left the house with Aaron to head to the caucus. We had to park pretty far away and walk about a 1/2 to get to the school. Unaware that the caucuses would be so well attended, I was not wearing a hat or gloves and was stuck in my thin workout pants and long sleeve shirt. Did I mention it was only 10 degrees outside???

As we made the 1/2 mile walk, we started seeing signs like the one below placed about every 10 feet.
I know...I know...This should have been a sign! The thought crossed my mind "What if this is the democratic primary?" but I was too dedicated to turn back. After the 1/2 mile walk, we realized we were in the wrong place. We were surrounded by democrats. We had to make the 1/2 mile walk of shame back to the car. By the time we got back, my ears, face, fingers, and thighs were completely numb. We missed the caucus...

So much for being a patriot!!!

Rock-a-bye Baby

2008-02-04T21:15:00.001-07:00

On my first Birthday, my family moved to Mammoth Lakes, CA. Apparently, I was affected by the altitude and wasn't feeling well. My dad drove me around in the car until I fell asleep.

Last night, after 3 weeks of serious sleep deprivation, Aaron announced that we were going for a Sunday drive (at 10:30pm). After 30 minutes in the car, it took all of the strength I had to keep my eyes open. I slept a full 8 hours last night!

I love my husband! Only he would know that I am so darn stubborn, that the same tactic that worked when I had been alive for 12 months would work when I've been alive for 24 years.

The Big Promotion

2008-02-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

So I've been a big slacker lately when it comes to blogging. I want to let everyone know that there is a BIG reason behind my lack of blogging.

I got a big promotion!!! I am still in shock over the whole thing. I officially start on Monday. I will be a district sales manager for Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and West Texas. I am so excited. I haven't slept much in the past 3 weeks since I found out I was being seriously considered for the job. I was really excited initially...then I became nervous that I wouldn't get the job...finally, now that I have the job and have not hired and trained my replacement, I am worried because I will be doing 2 jobs for several months.

I finally took Benadryl the other night so I could sleep more than a few hours! How horrible is that? Last night, I fell asleep watching the Office with Aaron. Sadly, I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't fall back asleep again. I went straight to my computer and worked until Aaron woke up...

I'm officially a work-a-holic!!!

I can't wait to get Monday over with! Hopefully then I'll be able to get a full 8 hours of sleep!

Email from Mom

2008-01-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

We are now living in the red bathroom and the tent! We even have a hot spot in the bathroom. I would send pictures, but some of the appropriate cords are sealed up for a few more days. We could check into a motel, but I prefer messing with your minds! Sage is adapting but we can't find Buddy. Mom

Cool Blog Backgrounds

2008-01-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

My friend, Kristal, gave me this link to a cool site to find backgrounds for you blog. If anyone wants to make your blog look pretty, go to http://cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com/.

Primaries & Caucuses

2008-01-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

I like to consider myself a well educated person, but Aaron and I were talking the other day and neither of us knew the difference between a Primary and a Caucus.

For anyone who is as inept as I when it comes to our political sytem, here is a link to a lengthy article that explains more than you would want to know about the process of selecting a party's presidential candidate.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/politicalsystem/a/delegateprocess.htm

Sunflower Markets

2008-01-07T11:13:00.001-07:00

In CA I always shopped at Trader Joes. I love Trader Joes! I began shopping there while I was in college during the grocery strike and never went back to regular grocery shopping.

Due to tougher liquor laws in CO, wine cannot be sold in grocery stores. Trader Joes makes their money from wine, so they don't have any stores here. I have resulted to shopping at regular stores where produce is far from fresh and they have a much smaller selection of organic or locally grown produce.

I went to Sunflower Market on Saturday night & I am in love!!! It's TOTALLY like Trader Joes. I am so excited to have my little grocery store of choice!

Video Games and Weight Loss

2008-01-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

My coworker, Toby, sold us his Nintendo Wii for $200 last night. Woo hoo!!! Needless to say, I am a little tired this morning because we were up late playing Guitar Hero.

I found this article online, and I just want to say, I have not given in to buy a video game. I have made an investment in my health (see below article).

http://us.i1.yimg.com/videogames.yahoo.com/feature/gaming-away-the-pounds/1176829

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T14:57:00.001-07:00

For the past 7 years I have been VERY anti-video game. A few weeks ago, I discovered Nintendo Wii (and particularly Guitar Hero). I am officially addicted. My friend, Leyla,bought a Wii for her son for Christmas. We decided to have a Guitar Hero/New Year's bash, and it was lots of fun.

Thanks, Darren for letting us play your Wii.
We ate yummy Sprinkles Cupcakes (my new favorties). If you haven't had these before, I highly recommend buying the mix at Williams Sonoma.

I am not a big fan of New Years. I don't like holidays that give people an excuse to dress like skanks and get drunk. That said, this was one of the best New Year's celebrations I have ever had. It was a great way to top off our holidays!

White Christmas

2008-01-01T14:17:00.001-07:00

Aaron and I celebrated our first Christmas all alone in Colorado. Despite my negative attitude, we had a great time! I insisted on wearing my Santa Hat all day long to "spread holiday cheer".
In the morning we opened presents. We both scored some great gifts! Thanks, Santa!

After gifts & breakfast, we were off to Copper Mountatin to enjoy some snowboarding. We had a really fun time. The good news is that I can still beat Aaron down the hill. The bad news is, he's only a few sconds behind me!

Our Christmas lunch was delicious Chili fries at the base of the mountain.

There's that darn hat again.
While we were enjoying the slopes, it dumped almost a foot of snow in Denver.
Here's what we came home to after a long day of boarding. It looks like Aaron got his white Christmas after all.

Death Wish?

2008-01-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

We have been painting our living room/kitchen/dining room for the past month. We made a goal to finsh by Thanksgiving...then Christmas...and finally New Years. We finshed everything & it looks great!

It's a wonder Aaron didn't die while he tried to reach the high parts!

Good Bye my MINI

2007-12-24T08:17:00.001-07:00

After months of trying to sell the MINI, we finally sold it on Saturday! Merry Christmas! I was really sad to get rid of this car, but I am really excited to pay off our X-Terra and only need to worry about our house payment every month. I made Aaron take a last picture of me with my car...I really almost cried. I am such a sap!

Bad Hair Day

2007-12-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

Much to my dismay, the hair stylist I LOVE no longer lives in Colorado. I sucked it up and went to get my hair done on Friday. As you can see from the slightly possessed looking before shot, my blonde highlights were getting slightly washed out. My roots were about 2 inches long which is not-so-attractive.

I headed out at 3PM (right after Aaron got off work early). My goal was to cut my hair short and to darken it so I won't have such nasty roots. After round one of highlights and low lights, my roots came out neon orange. I would have loved to take a picture, but that probably would have offended my new hair guy. He then dyed my hair back to my base color and re-highlighted the whole thing. Being a TOTALLY paranoid person, I am still worried that my hair will all fall out!

I have to admit, I like the end result. But seriously...that's not just a bad hair day; it's a traumatizing hair day!

We're going to Europe!!!

2007-12-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I just booked a trip to Europe. We are going at the end of April & I am so excited! We'll be taking a cruise for most of the time. Here's a map of where we are going!!!

The Spirit of Christmas

2007-12-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

I am all about the Spirit of Christmas. I love Christmas decorations. I love Christmas music. I love that everyone has a particularly giving Spirit this time of year. I love to Christ is the center of the holiday.

With my great love for Christmas, I wonder if there is a such thing as taking it too far. Every night on my way home from work, I see this house from quite a distance. If there was a such thing as too much Christmas, this would be it!

In honor of Jenn...

2007-12-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

I am posting this because of the guilt I feel for not blogging for over a month.

It snowed like crazy last night! Aaron and I fell asleep on the air mattress downstairs in front of the fireplace. It was like being on vacation in our living room! We woke up to almost a foot of snow outside. It is beautiful!

On the road again...

2007-11-05T20:40:00.001-07:00

I have been traveling lots lately for work. I've been out of town nearly every other week...I miss Aaron tons while I am away and feel guilty for leaving him at home alone.

After 6 months of being pulled away from my amazing husband, I am now a Hilton Honor's Gold member. I know...you're all jealous! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the wonderful world of frequent flyer miles, it means I get an automatic room upgrade at the Hampton Inn! Now I get a room with a microwave, a cookie, and a bottle of water!

Karma

2007-10-22T09:32:00.000-06:00

Last week was just one of those weeks. With my job, I have a great appreciation for how IMPOSSIBLE it is to deliver furniture quickly & damage free.

I had three customers with furniture projects last week which meant I had three upset customers. Here are the problems they had:

1. Furniture orders take too long to deliver
2. Delivery charges are ridiculously high!
3. Once delivered, it is dropped just inside the threshold.
4. Something is always damaged.
5. When returning damaged furniture, you must put it back in the original box.
6. Furniture returns NEVER get picked up.
7. Reorders take just as long as original orders & always repeat steps 1-5.

Aaron and I order furniture for our bedroom 3 weeks ago. We have been so excited to get it, and 3 days after we placed the order we received nice email confirmation it had shipped (for a charge of $300). Two weeks and four calls to customer service later, our furniture was delivered on Saturday.

We were given a delivery window of 10-2. At 10:30, the truck pulls up outside. Ah! Furniture isn’t that bad after all. The driver hands me the paper work which reads “Deliver through threshold”…Shoot…that’s exactly the problem that my customer had! The nice strong men carry the furniture just inside our front door and leave.

Aaron and I unpacked the nightstands, carried them upstairs. Ouch…my arms were already dead from working with Brandy last week!

We cut open (literally shredded) the box to the dresser, were about to carry it upstairs, and realized IT WAS DAMAGED. We called customer service, but the team equipped to handle such requests only works on weekdays.

After my week of furniture problems, I looked online to see when the order of a new one would come, and it was backordered until December. Aaron and I proceed to carry the dresser upstairs (to get it out of our living room). We decided we could live with the gash (my mom has taught we the wonders of black sharpies), but they’ll need to credit us for most of the dresser…we’ll see!

Cardio Abs

2007-06-12T16:38:00.000-06:00

Gee! I didn't know anyone was paying attention. To address Chelsea & Jenn's last comments, I have still been working out. So far, I have lost 8 pounds. We are doing measurements tonight as part of my session, so I can give you inches tomorrow! My clothes all fit looser, and while I will not yet be caught in a bikini, I should be bikini ready by the 4th of July.

My workouts have been going well. Last Saturday was a classic session with Brandy. I had been in Salt Lake for 2 days of the week, and the workout gods must be out to get me because they gym at my hotel was closed for renovations!

I skipped 3 days of working out, so I emailed Brandy from my Salt Lake hotel room to schedule a session for Saturday morning. So that you'll understand my condition Saturday morning, let me recap my week:

Monday: Wake up 6AM, Leave for work 6:30, work through lunch, put together welcome kits after work with Aaron, arrive home at 9PM, fall asleep within 10 minutes.

Tuesday: Wake up 6AM, Leave for work 6:30, work all day, come home, go to gym and meet with Brandy, go home, work, pack, sleep.

Wednesday: Wake up 4AM, Leave for airport to catch morning flight to SLC, work all day, go to hotel (with no gym), work until 11, stress out unable to sleep without getting by back scratched, 1AM fall asleep.

Thursday: Wake up 6:45AM, work from bed, go to office, work more, catch 7:30PM flight back to Denver, arrive at 9:10, sleep in car while waiting for Aaron's Grandma's flight (which was delayed an hour), arrive home at 1AM, lie awake until 3AM worried about work.

Friday: wake up 6AM, work form home because Brad (my RSD) got me sick while in SLC, get yelled at by Toby for not doing my job, barely eat because I might vomit, work more, go to dinner, lie awake thinking what new job I could possibly get, fall asleep at 1AM

This brings me to Saturday. After the week from H@%* I hit snooze until 7:50AM and then ran downstairs to go to the gym and meet Brandy at 8AM. Since I had missed Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I suggested she kick my butt & have me do “cardio abs” (a workout known for making her other clients pass out). We started and she killed me.

Those of you who know me, know that I turn bright purple while working out. It doesn’t matter if I am jogging a lap or running 10 miles, my skin turns the same bright color. About 40 minutes into my workout, Brandy asked if I was feeling OK. Apparently my normal red color was a bit splotchy, so she was concerned that I, like previous clients, would pass out during "Cardio Abs". I assured her I have worked harder in my life & could endure whatever torture she thought of, so we head to another machine. After one set of abs (during which I must have held my breath), the whole room started spinning and I was seeing flashes of white & black! Low and behold, Brandy made me pass out...well almost...I leaned against my machine, she grabbed a bench (in the middle of the gym), and sat me down.

Since I am a tad bit prideful, she handed me a weight ball so I could look like I was doing something (how nice) and she ran o get me some sugar...apparently not eating or sleeping for a week is not a good way to prepare for the hardest workout you've had in 3 years!

Needless to say, after a 5 minute delay, I finished my last 15 minutes in style (although we did more abs than cardio).

I better get ready for the gym tonight! I'm sure Brandy will have a new form of torture waiting for me! So much for hitting a plateau...that really doesn't happen when your trainer pushes you until you faint!

Session 2 - Lower Body!

2007-05-11T07:47:00.000-06:00

I just read the comments from my last Blog, and Jenn wrote "Famous last words"...I think she's right. We did legs yesterday and I am dead! First of all, my arms and abs are still sore from Tuesday, and now I can hardly walk. I'm waddling around like I just got off a horse! The scary part is, I'm not sore yet...tomorrow morning, I think I might be dead!

Last night I ran 15 minutes, did lunges, worked my hamstrings, quads, calves, inner & outer thighs!!!! I am dead! I just ran upstairs to grab something and thought my legs were going to buckle! On top of everything, I am still on track to run my 20 minutes all out tonight...why do I torture myself?

Really, it doesn't pay off to tell you trainer before your workout that you aren't as sore as you thought you'd be! Now I'll feel it!

Honestly, I am glad I'm doing this. As much as waddling around like a gimp is not attractive, I already have more energy & I am excited about getting back in good shape. Aaron's even motivated to start working out (although when he sees how dead I am tomorrow, I'm sure he'll change his mind).

Personal Training - Day 1!!!

2007-05-09T08:27:00.000-06:00

So, Monday night I started my new routine. With afternoon thundershowers over Highlands Ranch after work, Aaron & I opted to go to the Rec Center for a 20 minute run. I appreciated running with Aaron...he pushed me harder. We did a 2 minute warm up and then had to do 12 minutes at level 9 (near death!). We ran & ran & Aaron turned to me an said "2 minutes left!" We picked up the pace and push through what I thought was the end of our workout. I looked at my watch as we sprinted to the finish & we had only been running for 10 minutes!!! We had 2 more to go & I was dead from my all out sprint! I thought I was going to kill Aaron, but in the end I did get a better workout...that's one way to push myself!

Last night was my first training session & the good news is that my arms still work! I didn't know it was possible to lift weights for over an hour straight, just focusing on just your upper body, but apparently it is. There were a few muscle groups (my lower back and my shoulders) that I don't think have ever been worked, but besides that, I survived. I did have shaking arms all last night & they were too sore to lift up my comforter when I was lying in bed sweating, but this morning, I can function perfectly well! My only concern is that she said she didn't want to kill me on the first session! That could mean Thursday will be worse! Plus, she said I may not be sore today but Thursday morning I will hate her! Really though, besides the fact that I can't lift anything heavy today, training session #1 wasn't that terrible...we'll see how I feel tomorrow morning!

Fitness Assessment

2007-05-07T13:26:00.001-06:00

So, I start with a trainer this week which means that Saturday I had my "fitness assessment" with my new trainer. All I can say is this is way more uncomfortable than my annual trip to the doctor! I was telling Jenn about it this morning and she encouraged me to start a blog. I got so much pleasure out of her blog that I figured it would be therapy writing my own.

I keep pondering how I've gotten to the point where I need a trainer to get my body back. Let's admit, after high school, everyone warned me about the freshman 15, so what happened, I went to college and made sure to run everyday. Guess what, the "freshman 15" didn't happen to me. Well, no one ever warned me about the 1st real "job 15" or the "marriage 15". Boy do I wish they had! Now 3 years out of college, I desperately need to personal trainer so I get somewhere close to my college level of fitness.

So Saturday, after my darling Aaron asked me at least 20 times if I was nervous (I wasn't on time #1, but by time #20 I was in panic mode!), I head to the rec center to meet with Brandy Bloom, 32 year old, buff, 120 lb, mother of 4! Talk about making me feel inferior! The girl's had 4 kids and is better shape than I've ever been. Granted she made her career out of fitness, and I made mine out of selling office supplies, but seriously, after 4 kids! It's just not fair!

We go in a little room, and I have to fill out my training packet which includes a disclaimer about how the "fitness assessment" can cause "strained muscles, dizziness, fainting, and even death" but luckily "there are people on staff trained to handle such occurrences". Now, I never thought I could die from exercise, and I don't feel so now, but really, if anything would deter me against having a trainer, it would be a fear of death! Are they really trying to scare away potential clients?

So, we do the test, and here are the results:
Push Ups: 19 in 1 minute (I am the only person she had ever trained who came out average on push ups and not worse…not too bad!)

Sit Ups: OK, so I don't really remember how many I did, but I came out in the "Good" category and she thinks I'll quickly move to "Excellent" and commented that she could tell I used to have a 6-pack (somewhere under my gut!)

Flexibility: This is the "sit & reach" test we did in the 5th grade to pass the Presidential Fitness Test...I came out poor! I could hardly reach the little box, let alone my toes!

Cardio: So we all know I was at one time a runner...I can't call myself one now, but in the not so distant past, I ran. Given the option of walking 1 mile or running 1.5 miles, I opted to run. 15 laps on the rec center track later, my pulse was 192 and my time, a speedy 14 minutes...wow, my days of a 12 minute 2 mile are in the distant past!

The other test was the "Fat Pinching" test...boy was this fun! As a runner, I had some insanely low body fat % (somewhere between 17%-19%)...now I am refuse to admit my body fat percentage, but let’s just say, I am far, far away from that!

The good news is that my resting heart rate is 51! An average person has a resting heart rate in the 60’s or 70’s, so somewhere in this out of shape body, I still have the heart capacity of a distance runner.

With the long road ahead, here’s my training plan for this week:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: REST DAY--Cardio, 2 minutes warm up at level 5, 15 minutes all out at level 9 (level 1 is sitting on the couch, level 10 is “puking”, so level 9 is “just about to puke”), 3 minutes cool down at level 6.

Tuesday: Session 1 with Mrs. Brandy--if we do upper body, she doesn't want me to be able to turn the steering wheel of my car, if we do lower, she doesn't want me to be able to walk up or down stairs.

Thursday: Session 2 with Mrs. Brandy--we'll work upper or lower, which ever we didn't do Tuesday, with the same painful result.

Saturday: I'm on my own to do a repeat of Tuesday's routine

Needless to say, I am terrified! This mother of 4, Mrs. Brandy, will be causing some serious pain over the next month. I guess I need to come to terms with the fact that 30 days from now, I will be addicted to Aleve, hiring a chauffer to drive me around since I won't be able to steer and buying a new home that does not have stairs!