Working Out

I don't know how many of you know this, but in April, 2004, just before we moved to Utah, I crashed my Honda Shadow motorcycle. I had to get about 15 stitches in my elbow and I totally tore all the muscles in my lower back. Since then I have had severe back pain every day. At times it is difficult to walk. I went to the doctor in 2006 and they told me the only thing I could do for my back was exercise and rebuild the muscles. At the time I thought, "Yeah, right! Cristie Roach and exercise in the same sentence doesn't compute." Anyway, in May, 2008, I tore the meniscus in my left knee. It took about 6 months to heal where walking wasn't painful. In March, 2009, I tore the meniscus in my right knee. It is just now healed, although, high heels are still painful and I only where them on special occasions. Again, exercise was mentioned to strengthen the muscles in my knees. Yeah, right! Anyway, about three weeks ago, I finally joined the gym a block away from my work. It costs $10 a month and it has an amazing amount of workout machines. I went three times last week. I am walking a mile a day and working on my core muscles and knee muscles. I actually enjoy it. I plan on working out four days this next week. I am meeting with the trainer there to make sure the exercises I am doing are correct. It should be interesting.

I have to share my first day experience with you. So here I am walking on the treadmill with an incline of 2.0 and a speed of 3.0/mph. Working up a sweat. This lady gets on the treadmill next to me and starts running. Not jogging. Running. She runs for a good 15 minutes at this pace. I would have been dying. A guy walks up to her and starts talking and she can actually carry on a conversation. Not breathless or anything. It was truly amazing. Then I hear the guy ask her about any marathons she has run lately. That explained it. I finished my mile and she was still running. My hat is off to her. Maybe one day I can get to that point ... maybe not.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

QUILTING and DEATH

There have been a lot of recent deaths around me (a 38-year old coworker, a 28-year old parent of a client) and close calls with loved ones (Tara's stroke and Mr. Roach's heart attack), so I have been thinking alot about death and dying and what is after and what is left behind. I have thought alot about what we leave behind. There are memories, but they can fade. There are pictures, but unless you are vigilant, sometimes they are just pictures, nothing more. There are children and what an amazing legacy that can be. But what about my grandkids, yet to be born. And their children? If I was to pass, would they know me? So, I came up with the idea to make quilts. A tangible object that my family could wrap themselves in and talk about Gammy Roach and how much she loved them.

This led to my obsessive behavior and I have now "planned" about 20 quilts. Crazy, I know. Planning involves creating the pattern, purchasing the material and cutting the squares. I still need to buy a sewing machine, but I am almost ready to start. I have some baby quilts, some really pretty adult quilts, some rag quilts, a variety.

I have also decided to do a memory/family tree quilt for the Palmer family reunion next year. I have the quilt design planned and have asked Donna to set aside some of Grandma's clothes to use as quilting squares. It should be pretty cool. I also have some baby quilts planned for all the wee ones that will be there next year. And possibly one adult rag quilt with a cowboy theme.

Has anyone else ever felt this way?

Clarissa is GONE!!!

So ... Clarissa went away today. No she didn't die or run away from home, she went to college at Southern Utah University. We are already missing her. She left at about 8:30 this morning after some "mishaps." When she went to leave the first time, her car wouldn't start. John pulled out his pliers and tightened her battery cables. She was good to go. Then she went to meet her friend Amber (they were caravaning to SUU) at Maverik. We stopped to see her on our way to work and I asked her if she had her social security card for employment. Nope! So she had to go home again and get it. She got the card and headed out. About 20 miles from the house her car overheated. "Someone" had filled her radiator and didn't put the cap on correctly and all the water came out. So she waited for it to cool down, filled it up and headed on her way. After that it was smooth sailing.

She sent me some photos of her new "home" at Eccles. What a drama queen!!!

WE LOVE YOU VISS!!!!

Mount Rushmore vs. Wood Floor

So ... John had to take a mandatory week off work and I took a week vacation. We were planning on taking a road trip (just me and John) to Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone. I had a daily itinerary planned out with at least two activity stops per day. I also wanted to do a "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" type of thing and had found two eateries to stop at every day. We had the Suburban tuned up and we were ready to go ... then I realized that for what it would cost us to take this trip, we could put wood flooring down in the entire first floor of our house (and in the process get rid of that ugly green/black/blue carpet). Needless to say, that mountain with those four big heads will have to wait until next year. We started on Monday and took our time and have finished the front room, hallway and Candace's room. We took all of Tuesday off - John's knees were sore. Today we went to the movies and saw The Taking of Pelham 123. Our room will be done tomorrow and then the only room left is the office. It looks amazing! For any of you do-it-yourselfer's out there it is as easy as it looks. My only advice would be to definitely remove all baseboards before you begin.

Before pictures with the fugly carpet!!!



And after with loverly wood floors!!! The room looks twice as big. I think that carpet sucked all the light out of the room.

First Post on my new blogspot

Okay ... So ... Cassandra has set up this blogspot and she keeps insisting that I need to post a blog. Here you go. I have enjoyed reading about Kari's family and Cassandra's life. I will try to come up with something new and interesting.