The Fat Butt Club

As you know, my running buddy friends back in Texas have started an e-mail weight management system. We write down everything we eat and then e-mail it out to the group. This helps us to be accountable for what we put in our bodies. We are hoping this helps us to make better, healthier food choices. It's already working for me. Here is an update for reading pleasure:


Hot Single Momma:
breakfast... yogurt
lunch... lean cuisine and fruit... 1/3 c chicken and rice and 1/2 cup shrimp gumbo (pot luck at work)
dinner... roast beef and Swiss on kaiser roll, pickle spear
snack... granola bar
5 diet cokes 64 oz water one beer
2ish mile walk.... Big D? Is that about right?
The scale was down 9 lbs this morning...how come I can gain 10 lbs in a week, but it takes me months to lose it?


Weenie:
Yesterday no running.
B: Fiber one with blue berries and skim milk.
Lunch: Japanese risotto with egg and veggies. Tea with sugar.
Snack: Sunchips. Chai Tea Latte with soy milk.
Dinner 2 pork tamales and 1 small piece of pizza.
I stepped on the scale this morning...drum roll please (I'm stealing that from Hot Texas Momma).....103 pounds. Granted I took 4 poops yesterday and I didn't even have diarrhea. I guess Big D is right....I am FULL of shit! By the way, I need chapstick for my ass hole!



Running Freak:
Cereal (Cheerios with SPLENDA) Coffee, cream
More Coffee
Didn't go to lunch - so I had snack machine, pretzels, cookies, and a few of Nancy's french fries...and a half of a 3 Musketeers
Dinner - Tuna helper - 2 helpings, and a piece of angel food cake and cranberry juice
Only 1 glass of water today....
Swam 1000 yds.



Big D:
breakfast ................. yogurt and banana
snack ........... sunflower seeds, nuts
lunch.... raw carrots, Slim Fast and cottage cheese
supper ........... two breaded pork chops, green beans
snack .........candy coated popcorn ............
I do OK at meals, but the snacking kills me.............I know better
NO BOOZE ........ despite the sirens calls.........
swam 1/2 mile .... water walked 45 mins



Texas Hot Momma:
So I guess today is…. Tuesday… A snow/ice day. YEA!!! I got to sleep late!
B – pancakes oj, milk and half caff coffee
L- noodles with chili and bratwurst, about half on one.
D – two beers so far, one piece of pizza.
Sat at computer ALL DAY…. At least I got a lot of work done and I didn’t have to go outside!!!
I’m over my craving for m and m cookies… maybe


So, that's this week's update. I'm slowly making progress. Yea me!

Just another day in Weenie's World!

Addiction!!

I'm addicted to facebook! BJ encouraged me to get on it, and now I can't get off (...off facebook that is...I can still get off, if you know what I mean...sorry, I digress). So, I joined facebook a few days ago and now I spend my days looking for people I haven't seen in years. Why, you ask??!! I'm not really sure why. I just feel the need to look at people from a distance. I like to see how people have changed over the years. I like to see if they have kids or went to college or did the things they talked about doing back when I knew them. I guess I'm just curious to see how we all turned out.


I think I turned okay for the most part. I'm still a little weird, loud mouthed and overly opinionated. But overall, I feel incredibly blessed and grateful for my loving, beautiful family.


So, that's all I have time for. I must get back to facebook...I need to stalk....

America the beautiful!

As you know, I'm about as liberal as they come. I believe Gay's have the right to marry, women have the right to choose (even though I don't like the choice typically made), people should be able to carry concealed hand guns if given the proper training, marijuana should be legalized, and so on. But, just because I'm a crazy liberal doesn't mean I'm not patriotic. In fact, I'm the most patriotic person I know. I tell everyone who will listen how wonderful my country is. I tell everyone about everything wonderful the United States of America has to offer. I love my country. I love everything it stands for. And now my country has proven again just how wonderful it is. By electing Mr. Obama, a bi-racial man from a single mother, we have shown the world that anything is possible in America. If you work hard and strive to be the best, you can achieve it-- no matter your skin color, background or economic status. We have shown the world that we will make changes to better our situation at home and in the world. We have shown the world what it is to be the best country on the planet. Again, I'm proud to be an American, and I'll yell it to the world if given the chance.

So, today someone forwarded me one of those silly chain e-mails. I usually just delete them as quick as they come. But, today I took the time to read one of them. It was a story about a noise problem near a local Air Base. But, at the bottom of the story it said this:

Remember only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you...Jesus Christ and an American Soldier. One died for your soul and the other died for your freedom.

I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but there is some truth in it. American soldiers are willing to go into battle to protect your way of life. They are willing to do whatever necessary to keep you and your family safe. So, the next time you see a soldier in uniform thank them for their service. The men and women of the Armed Forces are courageous, determined and will give their life for yours. So, just keep that in mind the next time you see someone in uniform.

I'm still alive!

Okay, after 1 hour of complete bloated hell, the Maalox finally kicked in. I deflated and was back to normal by 3 PM. I have no idea what I ate that caused the horrible upset stomach and gas. I'm just glad the pain ended just as quickly as it came on. So, thanks for your prayers...I believe they saved my life...well, at least they saved me from that horrible bloated, gassy feeling. Praise God or Jesus or Allah or Buddha or whoever you prayed to!

I'm going to explode!

Oh, I don't feel so good! I was fine this morning. I just got home from teaching. I think something I just ate is trying to claw it's way out through my belly button! My stomach keeps growing and growing. I even had to loosen the string on my draw string pants. Oh...I even took a couple of extra strength super dooper Maalox chewables...they just haven't kicked in yet. Oh, I'm in utter pain and agony. I yearn for something sharp so I can throw myself on it, in hopes of popping the giant gas bubble that keeps building and building inside of me. Lord help me! Send an ambulance, the police...someone with Gas X please come to my rescue! I need help. I need to burp like a man or fart soon or I'll explode. Ohhhh, I seriously need to pass this gas or die.

I can hear the gas building. It sounds like an old creaky door inside my belly. Creak, creak, gurgle, gurgle, bloop, bloop....oh, Lord help me! I need an enema, a suppository, something...

My gut is so swollen I look 6 months prego...jeez. I've never wanted to fart so bad. Someone help me. In my desperation to get the gas out, I'm now drinking a carbonated beverage. I'm hoping I'll burp and the pain will go away. Oh me, oh my...seriously this is worse than giving birth. Someone please pop me!

Oh no! I can hear a gurgling sound in my ass. No good can come from this.

As I'm sitting here, my stomach is still growing. At this rate, I'll get stretch marks in about 3 minutes. Lord help me! I need the pressure to be relieved soon or my guts will soon be splattered on my apartment walls. Wait, I feel a burp coming....Praise the Lord!

Oh, I just burped. I burped so loud it echoed off the walls. Thank you Jesus! Oh, the pain is still there, but no as bad. Oh, wait, I'm still blowing up like a freaking balloon. OOoOOOOoooOOOOOOoooooOOOhhhhhHHHHhhhh, someone kill me now. I promise I won't eat another thing....until dinner time. I want to die. How can gas be this painful??!! Seriously! Oh, I just burped again. Awww, that was blissful. How wonderful it is to burp! Oh, I can still hear the gurgling sound in my ass. Pray for me people! I've never asked for anything from you before...but now I need your prayers! Pray to Jesus, Allah, Jesus (pronounced Hay-soos), Buddha....or whoever you pray to...ask them to help your little gas filled blogging buddy. Only a higher power can help now! Oh wait, just burped again. I feel some relief.

The gurgling sound in my ass is getting louder. I'm not sure if I need to fart or shit. Oh, I hate to fart right here at the computer. I mean what if my shit/fart separator isn't working properly and I crap my pants at the desk. I would hate to have to clean that up!

Uh-oh, Husband came home for lunch and just mentioned his guts are on fire. It's a good thing we have 2 toilets...and they aren't the squatty kind.

I can't take it anymore...I'm going to go try and make a deposit...if you know what I mean. Keep me in your prayers, please!

Chocolate Milk Mustache

My kid loves chocolate milk, as do I. Here are some goofy pictures of him smiling with a chocolate milk mustache. Don't you just love his pajamas??

(Here you can see the mint in his mouth. What a goofy kid!)

I woke up because I had to poop!

Seriously, this is not fair! I was sound asleep when all of a sudden I woke up startled, with my guts making weird noises. I laid in bed trying to ignore the gurgling sound. Then, the urge to poop was overwhelming. I could no longer take it. So, I got up and pooped. Now, I'm wide awake!


Who wakes up to poop??!! Seriously, what is wrong with me??? Why do my bowels need to be emptied when I'm sleeping?? Why can't they wait until I wake up? This is NOT fair! I want to be sleeping right now! I want to be dreaming of William Shatner or Shakira (as you now, I have really bizarre dreams...and I'm yearning for one right now!). I guess with all the running, my body is using up fuel quicker than normal...thus, the urge to poop in the middle of the night. Actually, it's not in the middle of the night. It's only 11:35 PM. I fell asleep reading to Jude around 8:30 PM. At some point, Husband tried to wake me up so I could cut his hair. Husband is a cheap ass, just like me, and refuses to pay for hair cuts. So, I've had to add barber as another one of my jobs titles along side wife and mother. I don't do a great job cutting hair, but it's not bad for free. But, to attempt to wake me up to cut hair is just not a good idea. Husband should no better. So, I told him I would help him with his hair in the morning.


Whatever! I'm totally awake now. Totally effing awake! Well, now I can bother you with the useless pondering's of my mind. Wait, does that even make sense? Can you have useless pondering's of one's mind? Oh, whatever...this is my blog, and if I want to be like Bush and make up words or phrases, then that's my problem, right?! Right! So, let's begin...


The other day I came across something interesting on ABC's 20/20 website. It was about surviving an emergency. Basically it discusses who will survive in an emergency and why. It's very interesting, here's the link:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=6663837&page=2
According to scientific research, certain types of people are more likely to survive in an emergency. Usually those with a plan will survive. Those people who have made a conscious effort to learn emergency procedures will survive...whether it be memorizing the number of rows of seats in front or behind you to the nearest exit on a plane, or learning how to operate the emergency door of an airplane, simply locating all the exits in a particular building, or realizing the signs of danger. Knowing a few simple things or planning things out before the emergency happens gives you a better chance of surviving.


So, with that said, we should all plan now for what ever emergency lies ahead. I know it sounds crazy or cynical to believe that some type of emergency is right around the corner or imminent. But, what if it is?? Would you be prepared for it? Would you survive it? Having a simple plan could mean the difference between life and death. So, take a few minutes and create a plan with your family for the what if scenarios. Look, it's better to be safe than sorry!


If you're in Texas, consider having an emergency plan for a tornado, flood, hurricane, fire, bird flu, etc... Where ever you are, consider what type of emergency is likely. Then plan accordingly.


As you know, I'm scared shitless of earthquakes. Being a Texan, I think it makes it worse. In Texas, the ground never shakes- that's pretty much guaranteed. But, in Tokyo, Japan, the ground shakes often...too often for me. And, according to the experts here in Japan, the Big One (an earthquake of 7.0 or larger) is imminent. It's just a matter of when. I've taken the liberty to believe the experts and plan accordingly. I have my emergency bags waiting by our fire escape door. I've got bottled water, extra clothes, first aid kit, wind up flash light, emergency wind up radio, towels and food ready to go in an instant. All I have to do is grab the bag and haul ass. I even have old running shoes, jog bra, running shorts, towels, extra clothes, bottled water and food in my car just in case something happens while I'm away. If something were to happen and the roads and trains were stopped, I could always run back home or run to Jude at school. I know I could easily run 20 miles with no problem--it's comforting for me to know that I have the ability to do that.



Husband and I have discussed our disaster plan if a fire or earthquake were to happen while we are home or away at work and school. Remember, I am not just responsible for me anymore. As a mother, it's my responsibly to take care of my kiddo no matter what. So, that's the real reason why I've prepared. I would hate to watch my kid starve or go thirsty because I was too lazy to take the time to prepare for an emergency. As a mother and wife, it's my responsibility to take care of my family no matter what. And, having a bag of emergency supplies will allow me to do that if or when the shit hits the fan. Remember, we are our own first responders. It's our duty to take care of what's ours. So, take a few minutes out of next weekend to buy bottled water, a first aid kit, non-perishable food items, wind up flashlights and radios. Put the items where you can easily grab them if you had to run out in an instant. Take the measures necessary to take care of yourself and your family during an emergency. It could save your life!


Okay, enough of that. I've mentioned this before, and I think it's worth mentioning again, but I'm moving on now...


So, I'm supposed to run 5 miles tomorrow, but now I'm going to be tired tomorrow from waking up in the middle of the night to poop and blog. I think I'll skip the 5 mile run at 5 AM and run with Running Babe later in the afternoon.


So...crap! Didn't I say I was going to try and stop saying So so damn often. Well, I tried but obviously not very hard. I think I made it 3 blog entries without writing So. Man, I suck!


Well, I think I've wasted enough of your time today. I think I'll go watch useless Japanese television now.

K the Chemist's visit to Japan

Here are some pictures from K the Chemist's visit to Tokyo. As you may recall, he came to visit us the day after YaYa and PoPo left. He was only here for about 36 hours or so. We tried to do as many things as possible during his quick trip here. (He was in Shanghai for business and had an extended lay over here in Japan before returning to Texas.)
(Here we are at a shrine in Tokyo.)

(Here we are eating at my favorite Ramen shop in Roppongi.)

(Here we are 52 stories up in the Muri Tower in Roppongi Hills.)

(Husband and K the Chemist posing for a picture.)

(The 6th layer of Hell in the Tokyo Subway system. We took a different subway line to get to Downtown Tokyo. Some how we got turned around. The subway line was 8 stories down underground...somewhere in the depth's of hell.)

Busted!

The other day I went to the local Seiyu with Jude and Husband. (Seiyu is basically a Japanese Super Wal-Mart.) So, we walked around the store looking for this and that. Earlier in the day I had eaten pizza. And, well...as you know, I'm lactose intolerant (I can't digest milk correctly...so food with milk in it gives me terrible gas!). Anywho, I could feel my bubble guts grumbling below my belt. I could also feel the pressure building. My stomach kept growing and growing. Soon it was distended from all the gas building inside of it. Finally, I could no longer take the pain of the bloating. I told Husband I was a bit bloated from the cheese in the pizza...he knew passing gas was inevitable.


Like a normal person, I could have excused myself to the restroom. But, as you know, I'm not normal. So, I just continued to walk around occasionally letting out a SBD (silent but deadly) fart. At one point, Jude was directly behind me. Before I knew where he was, I let one rip. Seconds later Jude yells out, "You made a stinky...pew whee...that stinks...that smells like rotten eggs!!" Husband burst out in laughter. A group of older Japanese ladies looks at us in a confused state. I just keep walking pretending nothing has happened. I think to myself Praise Jesus...I'm so glad I live in a foreign country right now!!

I'm one tired half ass Mexican!

So, I ran a great 17 miles on Saturday. Then, on Sunday I went with my running club to participate in an Ekiden race. An Ekiden is basically a relay race. We had a team of 6 people yesterday, with each of us running about a mile and a half. My team, the Running Babes, was the 2nd women's team to finish. Granted, there were only 4 women's teams total, but still...we came in 2nd. I didn't really run to my full potential, because I had ran 17 miles the day before. I was too tired and my feet just wanted to rest. It seems that having tired feet is the worst part of marathon training...well, for me it is.


So, I would have preferred to stay home yesterday, but I didn't want my team to have to find a new runner at the last minute. And, if they wouldn't have been able to find anyone, the whole team would not have been able to participate. So, I went and did my part.


I'm just glad the weekend is over. Today I will not run. I will try to rest my feet and drink plenty of fluids. It is believed that people who do high endurance sports often get more colds than regular people. Supposedly, as we break down our bodies each weekend covering tons of mileage, we also break down our immune system, becoming more likely to catch colds and viruses. So, I will try to eat tons of fruit and drink plenty of fluids today. Needless to say, I'll be staying close to home because I'll have to pee about a million times.

I ran 17 fab-u-lous miles this morning!

So, this morning I woke up, pooped, put on my running gear, and headed out the door for a 17 mile run. (Actually, we ran 17 miles then walked 2 at the end as a cool down...so I went a total of 19 miles today.) That's right, running 17 miles is humanly possible, and, for me, it was absolutely WONDERFUL! So, you are probably asking yourself Why on earth would anyone run 17 miles on purpose? Well, as you know, I'm training for Tokyo Marathon and that was the distance for my long run this weekend. Then, you might ask yourself How can running 17 miles be wonderful? Well, when you surround yourself with positive running buddies that chat with you the whole time and encourage you when you get tired, that makes it wonderful. When you know that your buddies will push you when you need it, and carry you the way, either with their words, jokes or stories, running 17 miles is neither grueling, hard, painful, or a daunting task. Instead, it's a beautiful process that pushes you to your outer limits, both physically and mentally.

Here is my running process: I start off tight and then loosen up as my body and mind warm up and get into the groove of my feet hitting the pavement. As I settle into my comfortable running pace, my running buddies start discussing this and that. Before you know it, we've just ran 10 miles...then 12...then 15...then 17. It's not a long, boring task filled with sighs of discontent. Instead, it's a therapeutic chat with my best of friends...it becomes therapy for my body as it is worked to its full potential. My legs carry me the way through hills, switch backs and long straight-a-ways. My breathe becomes patterned and easy. Everything falls into place, as it should, and 17 miles becomes fun and wonderful.

We ran our 17 miles in just under 3 hours. For a midget Mexican momma with asthma, that's pretty good. Remember, I'm just a normal person with no actual running talent. In fact, I don't even call myself a runner. Even though I've already ran a marathon, I still don't feel like a real marathoner. I'm simply a social jogger. I like to be outside, smell the air, feel the cool breeze on my face and bask in the sun's glory. Running long distance allows me to do those things.

So, this morning's run was my best run yet. With each long run, I'm getting stronger mentally and physically. My body can bounce back from a long run in about 2 hours time. I feel no residual soreness or pain. I'm not sure why I don't get sore, but I consider it a blessing. Not getting sore allows me to run further than most...for that I feel blessed. I make sure to run smart. I drink every 15 minutes and eat every 45 minutes. I walk at least one mile at the end and stretch afterwards for about 30 minutes. Then, I spend the rest of the day drinking tons of fluids. I also make sure to hydrate the day before a long run and the morning of a long run. I also make sure to eat breakfast the morning of a long run. With proper stretching, food, hydration, and cool down, my body can handle the long distances well.

So, next Saturday I will run 20 miles. I think my schedule calls for 18 or 19, but I know I've got 20 in me. So, I'll shoot for 20 and see how I feel. I'm pretty sure I'm ready for 20 miles. So, that's my goal for next week. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Just another day in Weenie's World!

Walking down memory lane....

Since I got on facebook several days ago, I've made contact with people I haven't seen or heard from since high school. It's wild to see how they've all changed. Actually, after 14-ish years, some of them haven't changed at all. I'm intrigued by some. I have certain memories of some of them...good and bad. I'm glad after all these years everyone is still alive and kicking. It seems that recently anytime I heard about someone from high school, it was because they were dead. I know...morbid, huh?! So, it's refreshing to see all these people still alive and doing well.


Of course, I invited them here to Weenie's World. I hope they come to check out my misadventures.

Shots suck!

Today at Jude's well kiddo check up, he got 4 shots. We had to pin him down like Hannibal Lector. The kid was scared shitless. I always feel bad when the kiddo has to get a shot, but, in the end, I know they are necessary. So, after the shots, the kid whimpered, fussed, cried, moaned, and was just plain miserable. At one point, he swore up and down that his legs no longer worked. Then, he collapsed on the floor like a rag doll. I scooped him up and held him like a baby--that seemed to comfort him. I rubbed, hugged, patted, caressed, snuggled, played, pinched and did whatever was necessary to make him feel better. Turns out a little children's Tylenol for the pain and a giant glass of chocolate milk did the trick. Thankfully all of his dramatic-ness wore him out. He fell asleep on the couch by 6:30. I felt bad for him but realized the kid is quite good at dramatizing...he gets that from his father's side!


So, now he's sleeping soundly in his bed. Husband moved him there when he got home from work. Every now and then I go into Jude's room and check on him. I check to make sure he's breathing and covered. I'm not sure why I do it, but I do. It must be in my mommy genes.

Conversation in the car...

This was my conversation with Jude today in the car as we drove to the doctor's for a well baby 4 year old check up.

Jude: Are spiders dangerous?
Me: Yes, some are.
Jude: Which one's?
Me: Remember in Texas when I killed that Brown Recluse spider by the front door?
Jude: Yep.
Me: That spider was dangerous.
Jude: Are there other dangerous spiders?
Me: Yes...do you remember in Texas when I killed the Black Widow spider in our back yard?
Jude: Yep.
Me: That spider was also dangerous.
Jude: Why did you kill one of God's creatures?
Me: To protect you.
Jude: Why?
Me: As your mommy, it's my job to protect you. If it means having to kill one of God's creatures to keep you safe, then I'll do it. That's my job.
Jude: Good answer, mommy!

Just another day in Weenie's World!

My son is nasty!

As you know, we live in Japan. Our apartment is relatively small compared to American standards. I've learned to deal with the space issue. Anywho, since our restrooms are teeny tiny, I make sure to cover our toothbrushes with little plastic covers. I once read that every time you flush the toilet, the bathroom is covered in a mist of fecal matter. As a result, if one person in the house has gastrointestinal issues, you risk spreading it when you flush...especially if your toothbrushes are in the vicinity of the fecal spray. The best way to prevent this from happening is to put a cheap plastic cover over the head of the toothbrush. So, each toothbrush in my apartment is covered.

Well, today Jude was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. He was taking a long time, so I went in to investigate. A quiet 4 year old is never a good thing...if it's quiet, something is in the works...guaranteed! When I walked into the bathroom, he was rolling a giant booger in between his thumb and index finger. He had this devious look in his eyes. Next to him was Husband's tooth brush with the cover lying next to it in the sink.

Naturally I asked, "What are you doing?"

His response, "Who me?"

My response, "Yes, you...who else would I be talking to??"

Jude's answer, "I don't know, someone else."

At this point, I could clearly see that he was trying to throw me off his trail. So, again I asked, "What are you up to?"

Jude said, "Nothing...I'm just trying to put my booger in Daddy's toothbrush cover for safe keeping."

"You're trying to do what?" I asked in astonishment.

"I want to save my booger, so I thought I would put it in here," Jude said as he held up Husband's white plastic tooth brush cover.

"Nasty!" I replied and walked out of the restroom.

Just another day in Weenie's world!

We got BJ's present today

Today we received our wonderful Christmas/New Year/Birthday present from BJ. It was like Christmas all over again! We were delighted when we opened up the box and saw the following items: a whoopee cushion....

and a metal Slinky. We also got some punching balloons and Silly Putty. Also enclosed was a box of chocolates...the kind that has the map of the chocolates on the inside of the box. (BJ, do you remember when we ate that whole box of chocolates on Valentine's Day and fell asleep on the chocolate wrappers? That's the night what's his name got abducted by aliens!)

BJ also sent tons of Fiber One Bars. She knows that my main goal in life is to be regular (if you know what I mean). And when I ain't regular, I can be quite the bitch. Oh wait...I'm a bitch all the time, but I'm even more bitchy when I'm packed full of poo.

BJ is a true friend! She knows all my likes and dislikes so well. For instance, she sent me a crap load of running gels, Gu's and Sport Beans. They are little energy thingies I eat when I run long distance. They were exactly what I needed, considering I'm running 17 miles this Saturday and 18 miles the following Saturday (remember people, I'm training for Marathon #2...the Tokyo Marathon).

However, the best present of all was a Christmas card with Princess's voice on it. I heard her first words today...Dada. She sounded so cute and sweet. Jude kept opening it over and over to hear the miniature voice say Dada over and over. What a blessing to receive such a wonderful gift. Even though I'm on the other side of the planet, I still feel like I'm part of Princess's world. For that, I'm grateful!

So, I think BJ intended the toys for Jude, but I just can't stop playing with the whoopee cushion. It's too damn fun!

So, a huge thanks goes to BJ and J for the awesome Christmas/New Year/Birthday gift. You guys are awesome!

Lunch with my Ome Class

When YaYa and PoPo were here, my Ome class took us out to eat for lunch. They took us to this really nice Japanese restaurant where the waitresses wore Kimonos and wooden shoes. Here are some pictures from the lunch. (My whole class plus me, YaYa and PoPo pigging out on Japanese food (sushi, tempura, soba noodles, and jellyfish).)

(Tom and me. Do you remember the blog entry titled "Parent Teacher Conference, Sorda"? Well, it was written about this man and his son.)

(YaYa with the ladies from Ome.)

(My food....well, what was left of it.)

(My Ome class!)

Life is a beautiful thing when you love your work! And, I feel truly blessed that I get to teach English to these kind, wonderful people.

facebook...my new stalking tool!

As you know, I love to stalk people. I love to see how people have changed over the years. I like to know if the looser I dated in college ever amounted to anything...I doubt he has, but every now and then my curiosity gets the best of me.

Now that I'm on facebook, I have another tool or outlet for stalking. I'm so excited about it!

So, if you know me, check me out on facebook. Hope to see you there!

Happy stalking!

By the way, BJ encouraged me to do this...so you can blame her!

The Emperor's Palace

On January 2, the Emperor of Japan opens the gates to his palace (pictured below). He allows people to enter into his private garden. Then, he steps out with about 15 other important people and waves to the crowd of about 1 million. This special occasion only happens once a year.

So, when YaYa and PoPo were here, we took them to see the Emperor's Palace. Here are some pictures from the event.

(Here's a view of the Palace from the outside.)

(Here I am going through the gates into the palace garden.)

(Here is PoPo going through the gates.)

(Sister waiting in line to be patted down. Security was very tight, as you can imagine.)

(May I present...the Royal Family...I'm not sure who is who. In fact, I'm so short I didn't see anything except for the guy standing in front of me. Husband took these pictures. Look at all the people!)

Wow, what a busy weekend!

I'm a member of a local foreigners' running club, duh! I have met lots of nice people through the club. But, this weekend my club put on their annual half marathon race. It was quite an event! We had over 8,000 runners compete in the race. It was wild! The preparation for the event started on Saturday and the race was yesterday (Sunday--remember, I'm a day ahead of you). Since I know a little Japanese, I worked in the resale booth selling the club's various merchandise, such as sweatshirts, t-shirts, sports bottles, blankets, Polo shirts, etc. We ended up making tons of money, but it was really cold. At one point, it started sleeting. You could hear the sound of little ice chunks hitting the canopy that covered us and the merchandise. After standing in the cold for about 8 hours selling crap, my fingers and toes were numb.


When the race was over, I came home and tried to warm myself. I was tired, cold, and needed a nap. Both Husband and I collapsed on the couch like couch potatoes. Even though Jude was tired (he went with us but stayed in the "babysitting room" where it was nice and toasty), the little stinker just kept going and going. Even though he woke up at 5 AM, he never took a nap!

So, today is Dr. King Day, and Husband has the day off. Since Jude goes to a Japanese International School, he doesn't get the day off. So, we sent him to school, and we spent the day cleaning up our apartment. It was a total wreck from this weekends chaotic-ness.

I can't stand it when my apartment is a mess. If things are out of order, I feel out of order. Husband and Jude could care less about mess, but not me. In my world, every thing has a place and there's a place for everything. And, I like for everything to be in its home.


No running this weekend because of the big race. That will resume tomorrow at the butt crack of dawn. We plan to run 17 miles on Saturday. In some strange, sadomasochistic way, I'm really looking forward to the 17 mile run. I love the feeling of pushing myself. I like being able to turn myself off--not in a sexual way, but in a mental way....let me explain...when you run and get tired, you hear a little voice saying this hurts, let's stop, but you can't listen to it. In order to run long, you must turn it off. You must take control and over come that little voice telling you stop. If you stop, you fail. And, for me, failing is never an option. You must push through and push through the hurt. If you give into the voice, you'll never accomplish anything. Your body desperately wants to preserve itself, and it tells your brain loudly to stop. But, you control your body-- not the other way around. I know for some of you this probably doesn't make any sense. Perhaps you've never pushed yourself beyond the bounds of your possibilities. Maybe you don't know that feeling. But, I do--and that feeling is addictive. It's amazing to see what is possible when you push yourself. It's amazing what you can become.


When you run, you are only running against yourself. You are pushing yourself to beat that little voice in your head. When I can push through a 13, 15, or 16.5 mile run, I feel accomplished. I feel fab-u-lous! I might hurt a little that day or the next day, but I recover quickly. And, the feeling of accomplishment trumps all pains or aches I might have.


Call me a control freak, obsessive compulsive, a lunatic....whatever you want-- I certainly won't deny that I'm any of those things, but you must also call me determined, strong willed, and most of all...a marathoner.


Lots of people tell me they can't run because of this and that. I hear people say all the time oh, I can't run...I've got bad knees. When I hear that, I just want to slap them! One of my current running buddies has had 2 knee replacements. He's got metal rods and screws in his knees--that hasn't stopped him. He runs with a weird gait, but he runs...and pretty damn quickly, too. Or, people say I can't run because it hurts. Well, duh, McFly...everything hurts when you've been sitting on the couch for the last 10 years of your pathetic life! Or, the worst one is I can't run, I've got asthma! Then, I typically ask What do you take for your asthma? Usually their response is Oh, I don't take anything. In my mind, if you have asthma and don't take anything, then your asthma isn't very severe, and you have no fucking excuse for not running or exercising! Remember, I have asthma and take at least 2 medications daily to control it. So, I don't want to hear any more excuses from anyone. I just wish people would say the truth, like I can't run because I'm fat and out of shape. Or, I can't run because I just don't care enough about myself to exercise the way God had intended for me to.


Remember, anything worth doing is typically hard. Whether it's getting a college degree, getting a pay raise, getting a good job, or getting into shape. It all takes hard work. So, quit bitching and moaning about it and just fucking do it! Life's short! Do you want to spend the rest of your life saying what if or making excuses! Life's full of excuse makers, and I'm not one of them!


So, quit reading this, turn off your computer, grab your walking/running shoes, and head for the door. Walk for about 30 minutes. During that walk, try to run for 1 minute. See how it goes. Then tomorrow, do it again. But, run for 1 minute and 30 seconds. The next day, do the same and gradually increase your running time. In a few short weeks, you'll be able to run for 30 minutes or about 3 miles. Come on, I know you can do it! If a midget, Mexican, momma with asthma can do it, so can you! Remember, running is just putting one foot in front of the other...that's all there is to it! So, let today be your day...no more excuses! Life's too short for them!

Gotta run! I hope to see you out there!

My butt hurts!

(Obviously, this is not my butt, but I wish it were. As you know, I have ass envy! Whatever! But, the picture goes well with my post. So, there!)

I haven't been doing kinky things with Husband, I promise! But, that damn P90X workout yesterday has kicked my ass, literally! I woke up this morning sore in places I forgot I had. For example, my muffin top hurts! How is that possible??!! How can blubber actually hurt?? Okay, maybe it's not the blubber. Maybe I actually have some muscle under the blubber and that's what hurts. Even my back fat hurts! What up wit dat?

So, after I eased out of bed like a 95 year old arthritic grandmother of 18, I gingerly walked over to the couch where I collapsed on it. Actually, I oozed into it. My ass is so sore it hurts to sit on it. Actually, my butt doesn't hurt. It hurts where my ass is connected to the top part of my leg. So, I just kinda slouched on the couch like a 20 year old Mexican man wearing a rosary around his neck, a tear drop tattoo below his eye, and pretending to be hard. Not hard like erection hard, but hard like tough. After I mustered up enough strength to finally get off the couch, I realized...Oh shit, I have to run 11 miles today...what the freak! Yes, somehow I completely forgot that I had to run today. Brain fart!

I ignored the soreness and the pain associated with it long enough to get dressed and get Jude off to school. Then, it was time for my 11 mile run...up hills! I ran the first few miles with no problem. Then the hills came. With each climb, my ass burned, and I moaned like I was giving birth. It wasn't like a stabbing pain or an injury pain. My ass just kept burning like I was doing squats repeatedly and not stopping. I endured the pain like a pregnant women endures stretch marks. I wasn't happy about it, but I knew it was part of the process. After about 2 hours of hills, stop lights, breathing in exhaust, and my burning ass, we were done. We completed 11 miles in about 2 hours. We even had to walk up one of the longer, steeper hills. We averaged about 10:40 per mile for the entire run. It sounds slow, but we stopped several times for traffic. Overall, I'm pleased with the run. But, now the soreness has REALLY set in. I can handle the ab soreness, but the ass soreness is killing me. I think I'll take a hot shower and a Motrin. Praise Jesus for Motrin!

New Year, better improved me!

This morning I spent one hour doing a workout from P90x. I'm sure you've seen the infomercial on TV. You see a flabby housewife working out in her basement, and then *BAM* in 90 days she's ripped and could kick your ass all the way to Mexico. Well, my American neighbor down the way has this kick ass workout program/videos. She's been working out and it shows. I mentioned the other day that she looks good, and she mentioned that it's the result of the P90X work out. So, after a few minutes of convincing, she told me I should try it. She knows that I run, and that I enjoy torturing myself with endless hours of workouts, so she invited me to her place this morning to try out one of her P90X videos.

Well, the video kicked my ass BAD! I like to think I'm in relatively good shape, right?! WRONG! These workout videos are intense. It has moves in there that I didn't think were humanly possibly, especially for me. But, I gave it a whirl and was capable of doing almost everything at least one time. You are supposed to be able to "grow" with the video. We'll see about that!

So, after the workout, I came home, ate lunch, and sat on the couch for about an hour. I was too tired and too sore to move. I've been drinking tons of water to rehydrate and to prevent soreness. I've got to run 11 miles tomorrow.

Oh, did I mention that we also played the Wii Fit for about 30 minutes?! We had a blast. This was my first time playing it. I can see how people get addicted to it.

So, I just hope I walk tomorrow. Lord help me!

Yoyogi Park Adventure

One Sunday afternoon, we took PoPo and Sister to Yoyogi park to see all the crazy people. Unfortunately, all the crazies were in hiding, except for the Rock-a-billy guys.

(Sister eating Udon noodles.)

(PoPo and I on the train to Yoyogi Park. As you can see, we were both plugged into our music.)

Karaoke with my family...

Since PoPo loves to sing, we thought it would be fun to take everyone to sing Karaoke. We went to the local place down the street called Shadox...I think that's the name of it. You can order food and drinks while you sing your heart out.

We sang for about an hour. We all realized that we are much worse at singing than we had ever thought...except for Husband. He's the only one of us that has any singing talent.

(Sister is not gagging because PoPo is singing in the wrong key. Sister had had a cough when she was here visiting.)

Just another day in Weenie's World!

Jude and his PoPo

Jude spent most of his Christmas/New Year break harassing PoPo. They wrestled, played, and vegged out on the couch together.

Jude would wake up every morning ready and waiting to bother his grandparents to the best of his ability...especially PoPo.

See below!

(Jude and PoPo wrestling. PoPo had to quit wresting because Jude squished his face, causing PoPo's glasses to become misshapen.)

(Jude and PoPo watching Discovery Channel's Shark Week on DVD.)

(Here Jude is pretending to be a dentist. PoPo was the patient.)

(Here Jude was pretending to be a barber. PoPo was his customer.)

(PoPo and Jude hanging out and watching TV together.)

Jude's Christmas Performance

A few weeks before Christmas, Jude's school put on a Christmas Performance. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen. The children looked adorable. They danced and sang on the stage like veteran performers. Jude smiled and performed to the best of his ability. We were very proud of him. Here are some pictures for the performance.

(Jude getting dressed for the performance.)

(Jude's class singing "Jingle Bell Rock.")

(Jude "dancing" on stage.)

(Jude skipping on stage. This was part of the routine/dance performance.)

Cute kids, huh?! I spent several hours helping to make the girls' costumes for the performance. I think they turned out pretty nice considering I can't sew worth a crap!

Making Cookies for Santa

On Christmas Eve, Jude and I spent the evening making cookies for Santa Claus. Jude was worried Santa would be hungry after traveling all the way from the North Pole to Japan. So, we baked cookies. Here are some pictures.

The cookies turned out great, and Santa enjoyed all of them. ;-)