Maybe I should just stick to paper books

So, vacation. As you can see from the previous post, we had a lovely time. And as I mentioned, I spent a lot of it reading. I'm usually not one to read much on my stomach because I can't get comfortable propping myself up and still having to hold a book open and turn the pages. However, the Nook changed all of that. I could stay propped up on my elbows for long stretches and just use my thumb to advance the pages. Fantastic, right? Did I mention that I read over 1500 pages on vacation? That's a heck of a lot of page advances, let me tell ya. Yeah, well, this all came back to bite me on my tush when we finally got home. Le sigh.

I jumped back into my regular routine, including my gym stuff, the day we got home. Felt fantastic! But a few days later, I started to notice my right shoulder was a bit sore. Saw the physical therapist at my gym who thought it was muscular in nature - that my pectoralis muscle was tight, which was pulling the shoulder and neck muscles a bit out of line. Okay. The next day my hand went a little numb. Didn't think too much of it, but my favorite soft tissue therpist thought my forearm was a little tight, too and worked out the knots while he worked on my back. I was good that weekend, but Monday at work, I could barely think straight because my entire right arm was numb and tingly with no signs that it was going away. Yeah, not good.

To make a very long and convoluted story short, it seems as though all that time spent propped up on my elbows, using my thumb to page advance* totally threw my neck/back/shoulder into a frenzy and left me so knotted up that I managed to pinch a nerve somewhere in my neck/upper back area. At least, that's the best guess. I've been cleared by an orthopedist that it's not a shoulder issue and that I haven't lost any strength in my right arm in the almost two weeks that it's been numb. He did leave me with a referral to a spine guy, but with the caveat that he didn't think it was anything serious and to see him only if it's not better with a steady diet of anti-inflammatories and muscle release work in two weeks. Hence, I have a chiropractor** who is slowly getting my neck and back into alignment again and that seems to be taking some of the pressure off whatever was being compressed. Added to this, my soft tissue therapist is slowly working through the amazing collection of knots that I've amassed in my neck, back and right arm. So generally speaking, I'm kind of a hot, needy mess right now.

The one bright side is that I've still been able to keep up with my cardio routine. Everyone that I've seen for this little annoyance is in agreement that since I'm not having any pain, the activity is a good thing and that keeping the arm and shoulder moving is beneficial. Hallelujah! The numbness does seem to slowly be retreating, although at much more of a snail's pace than I'd like. I'm hopeful that I've turned a corner and that I'm slowly getting back to normal.

So, I guess the moral of this story is to stop laying on my stomach to read while on vacation and refrain from using my thumb to advance the page. Duly noted universe. Now, can I get the feeling back in my arm, pretty please?


* There is actually a way to advance the page without pressing the button, but I didn't discover it until our flight home. Oops! Needless to say, I've been using that method ever since.

**I know chiropractors can be controversial, but I've been going on and off for years and they've really helped me when I've had neck and back troubles.

Our Big Hawaii Vacation - The Short Version

After having to reschedule this trip 3 different times due to Jim's work obligations, we finally made it to Kauai and Maui just after Labor Day. We absolutely adore Hawaii and some major milestones in our relationship have happened here - namely our first big trip together when we were still dating and then getting engaged on Maui a few years later. Since we've been so many times, we tend to shy away from hitting all of the major tourist spots and instead we try to just relax and enjoy the time together.

We visit the local beaches and enjoy the sun, sand and ocean.

When we get tired of laying on the sand, we head back to the resort pools and take advantage of the comfy lounge chairs.

In general, Jim tends to favor catnaps, while I prefer to read as much as humanly possible.

We get a little crazy and have impromptu photoshoots. Sometimes, they're even without the other person knowing they're the featured subject.

All that laying around and reading makes us hungry. And goodness knows there is no shortage of delicious food in Hawaii.

We time our dinner reservations to ensure that we have a great view for the amazing sunsets.

We usually celebrate an anniversary or birthday. This year, it was our 5 year anniversary and we spent it at Spago. So yummy - both the food and the views.

There isn't a ton of nightlift in Maui or Kauai, so we take advantage of the lanai and have after dinner drinks under the stars.

As you can see, it was a rough trip. ;) Needless to say, we had a lot of fun and it was great to get away from everything for a bit. I only hope we can make it back again very soon.

Peak 10 peaks again (and see me chat about the program!)

So, we're back from paradise. We had a fabulous time! Heck, I even have some pictures to share. However, real life slapped me in the face pretty much as soon as we landed, so I'll get around to posting a real Hawaii update this weekend. Oh, and a Self-Stitched September update, too. In the meantime, want to hear about one of the things that made coming home a bit easier? Sure you do! ;)

Peak 10, round 3 officially started while we were on vacation, but I joined the group last Friday. Almost all of my favorite gym friends are doing this round, which is really exciting. Even my brother is joining me this time - Suh-weet! He has been slowly working out with me more and more until it became apparent that he needed to just get a membership already and that led to him joining the Peak 10 group as well.

The workouts are proving to be just as tough and fun as the first two rounds. Although, can I just say that taking a full two weeks off means that those few classes back in the game are just brutal. Like, haven't felt this beat up in months, brutal. I think by this weekend my body will start to feel normal again, at least, I sure hope so!

While round 3 was getting off the ground, the first two DVDs were officially released and are now available for purchase! If you'd like to play along at home, why don't you pick them up and join me, eh? Either way, you should check out the website. There are previews of both videos (you can see me jumping around in the Cardio Intervals preview) and if you'd like to hear what I think about the program and my results take a look at the behind the scenes video. ;)

Our core group of Peak 10 folks are all doing this round and I'd say that we're all pretty dang motivated to just kill it this season. I've got some pretty lofty goals for the next 8 weeks, but I'm so excited to try and reach them. Bring on the crazy!!

5 Years later

and I'm still having as much fun with you today as I did on our wedding day.

I love you Jim and am looking forward to many more years together.

Burda 06-2010-133: Bright and Fishy

I really like wearing bright colors and prints when we're in Hawaii. Something about the ocean and the beautiful flowers and plants makes me want to drape myself in turquoise, pink, blue and any other bright shade I can find. So, when I saw this teal golfish print from Patty Young, I had to have it and earmarked it for a mini-skirt.

I loved the Take 1, Make 4 skirt section in Burda's June issue and since I'm trying to branch out from using McCall's 3830 over and over, I tried skirt 133, just a basic mini. I left out the pockets thinking I didn't need any extra stuff around my hips. I'm glad I did as I had to alter the hip curve a bit after cutting it out and the pockets would have just complicated matters.

I like that the straight size 40 sits below my belly button (M3830 sits higher on my waist), but still fits well through the hips. I used french seams on the sides, hem tape and bias tape on the remaining raw edges. After fixing the hip curve, this one is being added alongside M3830 as a TNT pattern!

I freely admit that this skirt is what some of you would call a "craft project." I mean, really, bright quilting cotton with huge goldfish on it is about as far from elegant and sophisticated as you can get. And yet, I kind of love it. It's so wacky and ridiculous that I can't help but smile when I look at it. I'm pretty excited to bust it out on our vacation while enjoying a tropical drink, watching the sunset. I asked Jim what he really thought of it and he swears he likes it. I figure even if everyone else thinks I'm nuts for wearing it, at least the cutie that I'm with is a-okay with it! ;)

Self-Stitched September: Days 2-6

As I mentioned in the previous post, I missed Day 1 because I wasn't actually planning on participating. I'm on track though, starting Day 2, although I didn't actually get a picture for that day since I hadn't decided to play along until Day 3. Heh. So here are the first few days. I figure I'll highlight the self-stitched pieces and then any other garment that I particularly love.

Day 2: DVF tank dress
Will make this picture up and add it later.

Day3:Denim straight skirt

Day off work, but lots of errands to run. This skirt is still such a workhorse piece for me. Expect to see it several more times this month.

Day 4: Madras plaid skirt

It was about a billion degrees today so it was all about staying cool and comfortable. This skirt is perfect for sticky weather because it is so light. Love it.

Day 5: Navy jersey tank

I literally didn't leave the house at all today and couldn't motivate to really dress up. Hence, a basic tank and shorts. Good work around the house outfit.
The shorts are actually the first pair of RTW shorts I've bought in years. I couldn't believe they actually fit!

Day 6: Coral jersey tank

Yup, another basic tank. :) We're doing dinner with the inlaws tonight and then spending the night so they can drop us off at the airport in the morning.