Saturday, April 30, 2011

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Symmetry


Mother-of-two Gail, 44, credits the photos with helping her recover her self-esteem after battling cancer.

Symmetry-
1.the correspondence in size, form, and arrangement of parts on opposite sides of a plane, line, or point; regularity of form or arrangement in terms of like, reciprocal, or corresponding parts.
2.
the proper or due proportion of the parts of a body or whole to one another with regard to size and form; excellence of proportion.
3.
beauty based on or characterized by such excellence of proportion.

Friday, April 22, 2011

A great inspiration

This is a great inspirational story written by a man that I have gotten to know. He is a wonderful person that truly has a passion for life. You can find his blog by going to http://doobyruns.blogspot.com/
~Jeannie
By Dorrian Rhodes, guest community blogger

Rhodes will be occasionally blogging for RunOregon as he continues on his journey towards his ultimate goal (read below to learn about that). I first met Rhodes through the RunOregon facebook page and then again later at the Operation Jack 6-hour run held at Summerlake Park in Tigard. When I learned about his accomplishments and what he still hoped to achieve, I asked him to share his story with RunOregon. If you want to get in touch with Dorrian, email us at runoregonblog@gmail.com and we'll forward it on to him; just include "For Dorrian" in the email subject line.

Dorrian-Rhodes.pngRhodes (#5244) at the 2011 Heartbreaker Half Marathon.
The term “obese” in America often conjures imagery of a slovenly person lying on a
couch late at night, surrounded by bags of chips and cookies, watching infomercials.
These slobs are often emotional wrecks without self-esteem or hope, and every story
related to how they came to their present condition, obesity, is sad. However, while
the criteria above for obesity fits some people; to say it fits all obese people is absurd and overbroad. 

Not all obese people share the same story. For some of us, our ability to manage care for ourselves has been overshadowed due to caring for others. Daily workouts take a backseat to properly managing household affairs and employment opportunities, also known as the daily grind. Days blur into weeks and weeks into years as our waistlines expand to resemble that of the couch potato, rather than Kate Moss. I share this story with many people who like me find themselves also overweight or obese. But a year and a half ago, something changed inside and set into motion the idea of a new possibility…that I could complete a 100-mile race. At the time, I was 365 pounds.

I believe that any worthwhile task starts with inspiration. My inspiration began when
I watched a documentary called The Spirit of the Marathon. In the documentary, four
average runners, and two elites, trained to run the Chicago Marathon. 

Of the stories that were covered, the one that I found most interesting was the one that wasn’t. As the runners lined up at the starting line, the camera briefly stopped on a runner with a prosthetic leg. Those of us with all of our limbs constantly complain about what we aren’t capable of doing. Yet, many physically disabled people rise to the challenge, and live at levels far beyond our own. I pondered within myself for an excuse or justification for not being active, when a disabled runner was about to prove that he was able. That was it! Inspiration was in the building.

There are few obstacles that can’t be overcome without training. At almost four times
the distance of a marathon, running a 100-miler seems to suggest that those who do them are not only extremist, but are just plain nuts. For even the advanced and long standing runner, my idea was extreme and far-fetched. Everyone I talked to expressed caution and various medical reports on knee injuries related to force impact. 

With that in mind, I started small by walking with my children. I also began to read literature on endurance running, and learned about running shoe construction. Fixing Your Feet by John Vonhof has been instrumental in helping my advancement in running and hiking. Armed with information, inspiration and desire, I slowly began to increase my weekly mileage. After shredding 50 pounds from my body, the journey continues in making this soft hunk of man into a hardened endurance runner.

You may be wondering where to begin. Start with getting to know your feet. Go to a
running shoe store like Fit Right, Road Runner Sports, or the Portland Running Company to get your feet evaluated at no cost. All running shoes don’t require running, start with walking daily. I want other obese and overweight people to know that a healthy lifestyle is not beyond your reach. Find your inspiration, be consistent and you are already on your way!


Friday song of the week

Never Alone By Barlow Girl

I waited for You today
but You didn't show
no no no
I needed You today
so where did You go?
You told me to call
said You'd be there
and though I haven't seen You
are You still there?
I cried out with no reply
and I can't feel You by my side
so I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here ... and I'm never alone
and though I cannot see You
and I can't explain why
such a deep, deep reassurance
You've placed in my mind
we cannot separate
cause You're part of me
and though You're invisible
I'll trust the unseen
I cried out with no reply
and I can't feel You by my side
so I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here ... and I'm never alone
we cannot separate
cause You're part of me
and though You're invisible
I'll trust the unseen
I cried out with no reply
and I can't feel You by my side
so I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here ... and I'm never alone

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Life=Risk


"If you've never failed, you've never lived."

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool;
  To weep is to risk appearing sentimental;
  To reach out for another is to risk involvement;
To expose feelings is to risk exposing true self;
  To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss;
  To love is to risk not being loved in return;
  To live is to risk dying;
  To hope is to risk despair;
  To try is to risk failure;
  But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing;
  The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing;
  He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love and live;
  Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave and has forfeited freedom'
  Only a person who risks is free.


What are you waiting for?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Body for Life

I gained 45 pounds with my first daughter and 50 pounds with my 2nd. Yes, I know what your thinking, "the baby only comes out weighing 7 or so pounds. I was heavy. When I was pregnant, I found great comfort in putting butter on most everything and I ate a lot. While this may have been fine to me while I was pregnant, it wasn't so much once the baby came out.

Picture of me and my Grandfather in law when I was a few months pregnant with my 2nd daughter

Picture of me and my first daughter having just delivered my 2nd

After the birth of my 2nd daughter in 2003, I heard of the Body for Life program. My sister in law, Julie was doing it. I decided to give it a try. Since I had a c-section, I did wait 3 months to begin the program.

The Body for life program is a 12 week challenge and it's very simple. You eat 6 small meals per day, do an aerobic activity for 20 minutes, 3 times a week and weight training 3 times a week. You get one day of freedom, which means no exercising and you can eat whatever you want. For further reading, click on the link http://bodyforlife.com/what-is-bfl


You can buy the Body for Life book or check out the book from the library.

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Life-Mental-Physical-Strength/dp/0060193395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303072980&sr=8-1

What I like about Body for Life is that you don't have to buy anything. It really is just about changing your eating habits and changing what you eat.

The following information is taken directly from the Body for Life website.   www.bodyforlife.com

Official Body-for-LIFE Cardio-Training Plan

Cardio workouts are indispensable to an effective training program and general good health. By definition, cardio workouts can be any exercise—jogging, running, biking, swimming, elliptical machine, stairs, even jumping rope—that raises and maintains your heart rate over a predetermined amount of time. By doing so, you strengthen your heart and lungs and lower your resting heart rate, which means that over time the same effort that produced a 10-minute mile will produce a 9-minute mile. Cardio workouts burn fat. And cardio fitness is what gives you endurance and the ability to persist in sports and in life.

The Benefits of Cardio

  • Increases metabolic rate
  • Increases growth hormone secretion
  • Reduces stress levels
  • Increases blood flow to the brain increasing alertness
  • Improve cholesterol levels
  • Improves digestion
  • Boosts immune-system function

20-Minute Aerobics Solution™ — The Official Body-for-LIFE Cardio Plan

Cardio-Training Plan
  1. Warm up the first 2 minutes at Intensity Level 5
  2. Minutes 2-3 move from Intensity Level 5 to 6
  3. Minutes 4-5, 6-10 and 11-14 work your way from Intensity Level 6 to Level 9, maintain for one minute.
  4. Minutes 15-19 work your way from Intensity Level 6 to Level 10 (High Point at Level 10), maintain for one minute.
  5. Minute 20 cool down to Intensity Level 5 for one minute.
Alternate weight-training and cardio workouts for six consecutive days and rest on the seventh day.

I always liked the cardio part of the workouts. When I first started out, I walked up and down my stairs, gradually moved to the treadmill, just walking and slowly worked up to running. 

Official Body-for-LIFE Weight-Training Plan

  • Weight train intensely, three times per week on alternating days with aerobic exercise three times per week. Make sure to hit your "high points" during your workout.
  • Alternate training the major muscles of the upper and lower body.
  • Perform two exercises for each major muscle group of the upper body.
  • Select one exercise and conduct five sets with it, starting with a set of 12 reps, then increasing the weight and doing 10 reps, adding more weight and doing 8 reps, adding more weight for 6 reps. Then reduce the weight and do 12 reps. Immediately perform another set of 12 reps for that muscle group using the second selected exercise.
  • For each muscle group, rest for one minute between the first four sets. Then complete the final two sets with no rest in between, wait two minutes before moving on to your next muscle group, complete this pattern five times for the upper body training experience and four times for the lower body training experience.
  • Always plan your training before hand.
  • Record all your weightlifting exercised in a journal indicating the exercise selected and weight lifted.

Daily Training Guide

Download the Exercise Guide
Day 1 Upper Body Training Chest/Shoulders/Triceps/Back/Biceps
Day 2 Cardiovascular Workout
Day 3 Lower Body and Abs Training Quads/Hamstrings/Calves/Abdominals
Day 4 Cardiovascular Workout
Day 5 Upper Body Training Chest/Shoulders/Triceps/Back/Biceps
Day 6 Cardiovascular Workout
Day 7 Rest

Upper Body

Chest

Choose Exercise from List

  • Barbell Bench Presses
  • Barbell Incline Presses
  • Dumbbell Bench Presses
  • Dumbbell Incline Presses
  • Dumbbell Flyes
  • Cable Crossovers
  • Repetitions: x12, 10, x8, x6, x12, x12

Back

Choose Exercise from List

  • Pull-Ups
  • Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns
  • One-Arm Dumbbell Rows
  • Seated Cable Rows
  • Back Extensions
  • Straight Arm Pulldowns
  • Repetitions: x12, 10, x8, x6, x12, x12

Shoulders

Choose Exercise from List

  • Seated Dumbbell Presses
  • Front Raises
  • Lateral Raises
  • Reverse Flyes
  • Upright Cable Rows
  • Upright Barbell Rows
  • Repetitions: x12, 10, x8, x6, x12, x12

Biceps

Choose Exercise from List

  • Alternate Dumbbell Curls
  • Barbell Curls
  • Preacher Curls
  • Concentration Curls
  • Cable Curls
  • Hammer Curls
  • Repetitions: x12, 10, x8, x6, x12, x12

Triceps

Choose Exercise from List

  • Seated Triceps Presses
  • Lying Triceps Presses
  • Triceps Kickbacks
  • Triceps Pushdowns
  • Cable Extensions
  • Bench Dips
  • Repetitions: x12, 10, x8, x6, x12, x12

Lower Body

Quadriceps

Choose Exercise from List

  • Barbell Squats
  • Leg Presses
  • Leg Extensions
  • Repetitions: x12, 10, x8, x6, x12, x12

Hamstrings

Choose Exercise from List

  • Dumbbell Lunges
  • Straight-Leg Deadlifts
  • Lying Leg Curls
  • Repetitions: x12, 10, x8, x6, x12, x12

Calves

Choose Exercise from List

  • Seated Calf Raises
  • Standing Heel Raises
  • Repetitions: x12, 10, x8, x6, x12, x12

Abs

Choose Exercise from List

  • Floor Crunches
  • Oblique Floor Crunches
  • Decline Crunches
  • Decline Oblique
  • Hanging Knee Raises
  • Reverse Crunches
  • Cable Crunches
  • Cable Oblique Crunches
  • Repetitions: x12, 10, x8, x6, x12, x12
Click here to learn about the Body-for-LIFE Cardio-Training Plan


So what do you eat during these meals? Anything healthy, but smaller, portion sized. When I was doing it, I always heard that protein, carbohydrate, fruit and vegetable should be the size of your fist and no more and that is what I went by. I did get rid of the butter, used more pam, sometimes olive oil, for example. The Body for life website is full of recipes and meal ideas and there is even a Body for life recipe book. Below is a sample weekly meal plan. It says to eat a Myoplex shake for in between meals. Costco was selling this, not sure if they are still, but they have a lot of protein shake mix.

 http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Life-Bill-Phillips/dp/0972018417/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1303073259&sr=1-1

Sample Weekly Meal Plan

Eat more often

Research indicates that eating smaller meals more frequently (about every three hours) supports metabolism and helps maintain energy.

DAY
7:00am
10:00am
1:00pm
4:00pm
7:00pm
10:00pm
1
Six egg-white omelet, 1/2 cup (dry measure) oatmeal, prepared with water Myoplex® Nutrition Shake Grilled fresh tuna with broccoli and roasted new potatoes Myoplex®Nutrition bar Eye of round steak with sweet potato and green beans Cottage cheese with blueberries
2
Breakfast wrap (low-fat sausage, scrambled egg whites, low-fat cheese, salsa, whole wheat tortilla) Myoplex® Ready-to-Drink Teriyaki salmon with cooked spinach and brown rice Myoplex® Nutrition Shake Pork tenderloin with asparagus and baked potato Cottage cheese with strawberries
3
Egg-white pancakes (six egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 T whole grain pancake mix, mix in blender), serve with sugarless fruit spread Myoplex® Nutrition Shake Chicken fajita wraps (grilled chicken breast, grilled vegetables and a whole wheat wrap) Myoplex® Ready-to-Drink Sushi made with brown rice, seaweed salad Green salad with cottage cheese
4
Scrambled egg whites, one slice whole wheat toast Myoplex® Ready-to-Drink Southwest chicken salad (chicken, lettuce, brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, onions, avocado) Myoplex®Nutrition bar Tofu-vegetable stir fry with brown rice Cottage cheese and grapes
5
Six egg-white omelet, oatmeal Myoplex®Nutrition Bar Turkey burger on whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomato Myoplex® Ready-to-Drink Grilled salmon with cucumber-dill dressing, green salad and baked potato Cottage cheese with an apple
6
Egg-white pancakes (see Day 3); sugarless fruit spread Myoplex® Nutrition Shake Chili (made with lean ground turkey, kidney beans, salsa), green salad Myoplex®Nutrition Bar Rosemary chicken with mushroom gravy, snap peas and whole wheat pasta Cottage cheese and yogurt
7
FREE DAY
FREE DAY
FREE DAY
FREE DAY
FREE DAY
FREE DAY



Replace this... with this
whole milk skim (0%), low-fat (1%), reduced fat (2%)
cheese reduced fat cheese
pasta with white (cheese) sauce pasta with marinara (vegetable) sauce
bacon or sausage Canadian bacon or lean ham
eggs egg whites or egg substitutes
white bread whole-wheat
mayonnaise reduce calorie, fat-free or mustard
regular salad dressings reduced fat/calorie dressings
guacamole salsa
creamed soups broth-based soups
butter, oil or shortening non-stick cooking spray, applesauce or prune puree


Body for life has a great community. You can chat with other people who are going through the exact same thing that you are.
http://bodyforlife.com/community
So how did I do? Well in the 12 weeks, I lost 20 pounds. The running as most of you know stuck and I am now training for my 2nd 50 mile ultramarathon and I feel great. I still eat very healthy, and still have the Eating for Life recipe book and often use it.
Here are my transformation photos;
Before in 2003

After in 2003  
Photo of me now

The program works, I swear by it. At least check it out. http://bodyforlife.com/


Saturday, April 16, 2011

Healthier habits

The other afternoon I did a little barefoot running. I must have ran about 1/2 mi and I did it on a dry day and basically back and forth in front of my house. The first several feet, it felt a little rocky, was a little awkward, but I swear the 2nd half really wasn't bad.

I'm not going to say that I am going to make a habit of it, but since I've been reading the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, I wanted to try it. The Tarahumara Indians in the book run barefoot and the book goes on and on about how shoes are too comfortable and how pronation has become an ugly word, when in fact pronation is really the natural movement of the foot, it is supposed to pronate. If you were to quit running in these ultra comfortable shoes, your feet unlearn the habits they picked up and would then shift to a self-defense mode. Ultimately, your foot would become stronger and less prone to injuries. It mentioned that back before these crazy comfy shoes were popular, there were way less injuries. We are essentially spoiling our feet.
So I have bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and I am very much looking forward to them arriving.

I have also begun consuming chia seeds.


What makes the Chia Seed the super food that many claim it to be?
  • 30% of the chia seed’s oil is Omega 3 oil. 40% of its oil is Omega 6 oil. This provides the nice balance those who take supplemental Essential Fatty Acids are looking for. The chia seed’s substantially dense percentage in alpha-linolenic fatty acid also makes this seed a healthy dietary source of fatty acids.
  • You do not need to grind the Chia Seeds to digest it. It is a relatively easy to digest seed, whereas flax seeds are not. Often, one has to grind flax seeds to be able to process them in their digestive system. That is not the case with chia seeds.
  • The chia seeds are great for athletes because they are highly hydrophilic. Being hydrophilic means it absorbs large amounts of water. Chia Seeds can absorb over 10 times their weight in water making them a great enhancer in hydrating our bodies. They absorb the water we drink holding it in our system longer.
  • Studies show that eating chia seed slows down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrate calories into simple sugars. This leads scientists to believe that the chia seed may have great benefits for diabetics.
  • The chia seed gels when becoming wet and this gel, when in our digestive systems, helps prevent some of the food, hence calories that we eat from getting absorbed into our system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes the chia seed a great diet helper. Eating the seeds also helps dieters by making them feel fuller faster so they will be less hungry!
  • Chia seeds provide antioxidant activity
  • Chia is a great addition to a detoxification program. Chia seeds are high in fiber and in healthy oils making them an excellent addition to many detox programs.
  • Mix Chia seeds into yogurt, sprinkle them on cereal in the morning, add to salads, or even add them to your baking. There are many ways to add chia seeds into your daily routine!  
  • http://healthmad.com/nutrition/the-health-benefits-of-the-chia-seed/ 
Have you ever gone into the drug section of any store and been overwhelmed by all the supplement choices? There are so many and more and more showing  up on store shelves. They say all over them, buy me, take me, you need me! Seriously? Not so sure about that. I've heard that you really only need a good vitamin and supplements your doctor suggested, say because you had blood work done. So, I've begun analyzing my diet and supplement intake. I wonder if I really need to be taken as many as I am. I've concluded that I should continue to take my multi-vitamin and calcium with vitamin D.  I don't believe that I need to take my Glucosamine nor fish oil nor Magnesium. I had blood work done and was found to be lacking in vitamin D. When I found out that I was lacking it, I laughed out loud and thought it was ridiculous considering the amount of time I spend running outdoors.

As far as my diet goes, no more sugar packets, Fake sugar is bad for. I forgot how much I love vanilla soy milk. It is rich in Vitamin D and so yummy. I normally put milk in my coffee instead of coffee creamer, but am finding my 2nd cup makes me a little gassy, so I am trying a little creamer instead. I have gotten into the bad habit of taken not only a sleeping pill, but a Melatonin as well. Well no wonder I have been waking up so sleepy. I have been overdoing it, so the Melatonin is getting kicked out. It even says on the bottle not to take if you have a depression disorder. I haven't been diagnosed with anything, but as most of you all now I was pretty unhappy when we first moved to CA and that was about the same time that I started taking Melatonin. I would love to quit eating cow and chicken and instead just eat fish, eggs and cheese, but I don't think my husband will go for it. I think the way cows and chickens are raised and slaughtered makes them not healthy for you. I strongly encourage everyone to read or watch Food Inc. I also like the book Fast Food Nation.

Here's an article that I read from one of my Facebook friends, talks about whats in hamburger.
In case you missed it last week, The New York Times ran an excellent article on a South Dakota company called Beef Products Inc., which makes a hamburger filler product that ends up in 70 percent of burgers in the United States.

To make a long story short: Beef Products buys the cheapest, least desirable beef on offer--fatty sweepings from the slaughterhouse floor, which are notoriously rife with pathogens like E. coli 0157 and antibiotic-resistant salmonella. It sends the scraps through a series of machines, grinds them into a paste, separates out the fat, and laces the substance with ammonia to kill pathogens.

The result, known by some in the industry as "pink slime," is marketed widely to hamburger makers. The product has three selling points, from what I can tell: 1) it's really, really cheap; 2) unlike conventional ground beef, which routinely carries E. coli, etc, pink slime is sterilized by the addition of ammonia; and 3) it's so full of ammonia that it will kill pathogens in the ground beef it's mixed with.

In short, Beef Products' is peddling a solution--and a cheap one at that--to the beef industry's embarrassing food-borne-illness problem (see my Meat Wagon series of posts for more on this topic). No wonder that burger purveyors from agribusiness giant Cargill to McDonald's, from Burger King to your kid's public-school cafeteria, snap up 60 pound blocks of pink slime and mix it into conventional ground beef at doses of up to 15 percent.
But as the Times story shows, the ammonia doesn't always kill the pathogens in pink slime. Indeed, far from sterilizing a batch of burger mix, pink slime can actually add to the pathogen cocktail:
School lunch officials said that in some years Beef Products testing results were worse than many of the program's two dozen other suppliers, which use traditional meat processing methods. From 2005 to 2009, Beef Products had a rate of 36 positive results for salmonella per 1,000 tests, compared to a rate of nine positive results per 1,000 tests for the other suppliers, according to statistics from the program.
Thus, of pink slime's three chief selling points, only one holds up to scrutiny: it's cheap.
Note that the information unearthed in this important Times is new only to the public; the fast-food industry, the USDA, and the school-lunch program have long known about pink slime's less than stellar food-safety performance. Indeed, pressure from buyers may have contributed to the pathogen load--as The Times reports, complaints about an overpowering ammonia aroma forced the company to ramp down the dose of the sterilizing agent, which may have upped its susceptibility to salmonella, etc.

The pink-slime episode teaches us hard lessons about a food system that hinges on a few big companies churning out loads of cheap food. In a brilliant chapter in his book 2007 book The End of Food, Paul Roberts demonstrates how the profitability of large food companies depends completely on keeping costs as low as possible.

As companies scramble to slash costs, you get the rise of vast environmental calamities, like massive, feces-concentrating hog factories. Yet get human atrocities, like slavery in Florida tomato fields and systematic worker abuse in factory slaughterhouses. And you get public-health nightmares, like soaring diabetes rates tied to the rise of cheap, highly subsidized sweeteners.
The National School Lunch Program, which forces cafeteria administrators to feed students lunch for $2.68 per student per day, is a microcosm of our cheap food system. Two-thirds of that outlay goes to overhead and labor, leaving much less than a buck to spend on ingredients. No wonder the lunch program is such a massive buyer of pink slime--3.5 million pounds last year alone, the Times reports.
School lunch officials said they ultimately agreed to use the treated meat because it shaved about 3 cents off the cost of making a pound of ground beef.... In 2004, lunch officials increased the amount of Beef Products meat allowed in its hamburgers to 15 percent, from 10 percent, to increase savings.
Three cents off the cost of making a pound of ground beef. Under the severe fiscal austerity that school cafeteria administrators operate under, pinching those three pennies is a rational decision, even if it means subjecting children to ammonia-ridden slime that may contain pathogens.

For its part, the fast-food industry has reacted to the Times revelations, not by renouncing the use of pink slime but rather defending it. According to Associated Press, "Fast-food chains McDonald's Corp. and Burger King Holdings Inc. and agricultural conglomerate Cargill Inc. all use the [Beef Products] meat in their hamburgers. All said they'll keep using the meat and that their products are safe."

For them, billions of dollars in profits depend on pinching a few pennies per pound on inputs. As long as that economic structure remains in place, we can count on continued pathologies in the food system.
Tom Philpott is Grist’s senior food and agriculture writer.
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-01-05-cheap-food-ammonia-burgers

You know I'm not even sure drinking a protein is even necessary. According to an individual analysis of what I personally should be consuming, I only need 6 ounces of meat a day. Well a Costco chicken fillet is 11 ounces. Why do I need to drink a shake that has 27 grams of protein in one serving? Well they are delicious. You can find out what you should be consuming by going to http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner/

So there you have it, I'm developing better habits, creating an even healthier Jeannie.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Friday song of the week

One tri, one tri
One tribe, one time, one planet, one race
It's all one blood, don't care about your face
The color of your eye or the tone of your skin
Don't care where you are, don't care where you been

'Cause where we gonna go is where we wanna be
The place where the little language is unity
And the continent is called Pangaea
And the main ideas are connected like a spear

No propaganda, they tried to upper hand us
'Cause man, I'm loving this peace
Man, man, I'm loving this peace
Man, man, I'm loving this peace

I don't need no leader that's gonna force feed
A concept that make me think I need to
Fear my brother and fear my sister
And shoot my neighbor or my big missile

If I had an enemy to, if I had an enemy to
If I had an enemy then my enemy is gonna try
To come and kill me 'cause I'm his enemy

There's one tribe y'all, one tribe y'all
One tribe y'all, we are one people

Let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil
Forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya
Let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil
That evil that they feed ya, remember that we're one people

We are one people
One, one, one people
One, one, one people
One, one, one people

One tribe, one tribe, one tribe, one time, one planet, one race
Race, one love, one people, one and
Too many things that's causing one to
To forget about the main cause

Connecting, uniting
But the evil is seen and alive in us
So our weapons are colliding
And our peace is sinking like Poseidon

But, we know that the one, one
The evil one is threatened by the sum, sum
So he'll come and try and separate the sum
But he dumb, he didn't know we had a way to overcome

Rejuvenated by the beating of the drum
Come together by the cycle of the hum
Freedom when all become one, one forever

One tribe y'all, one tribe y'all
One tribe y'all, we are one people

Let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil, evil
Forget about all that evil, evil that evil that they feed ya
Let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil, evil
That evil, that they feed ya, feed ya, remember that we're one people

We are one people
One, one, one people
One, one, one people
One, one, one people

One love, one blood, one people
One heart, one beat, we equal
Connected like the Internet
United that's how we do

Let's break walls so we see through
Let love and peace lead you
We could overcome the complication
'Cause we need to

Help each other, make these changes
Brother, sister, rearrange this
The way I'm thinking
That we can change this bad condition

Wait, use you mind and not your greed
Let's connect and then proceed
This is something I believe
We are one, we're all just people

One tribe y'all, one tribe y'all
One tribe y'all, we are one people

Let's cast amnesia, forget about all that evil
Forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya
Let's cast amnesia, let's cast amnesia
Forget about all that evil, that evil that they feed ya

One tribe y'all, we, we, we, we're one tribe y'all
One, one, one people
One, one, one people
One, one, one people

One, one, one people
One, one, one people
One, one, one people
Let's, let's cast amnesia

Lord, help me out
Trying to figure out what it's all about
'Cause we're one in the same
Same joy, same pain

And I hope that You're there when I need Ya
'Cause maybe we need amnesia
And I don't wanna sound like a preacher
But we need to be one

One world, one love, one passion
One tribe, one understanding
'Cause you and me can become one

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Today, I met a new friend.

Isn't he sweet? He was such a snuggler. I'd walk away and he'd snuggle with me.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

My fat dog and I say this ashamed.

Look at that face

I'm a lover, not a fighter.

Fat, me! Not in this picture anyway. He's chasing some dog at the dog park in Oregon

I totally blamed my mother for making my dog overweight. When we moved from one state to another, I had to leave him in her care for a month. When I went to go pick him up I said, "what in the world did you do to my dog?" He was fat!

I blamed the cheesy hot dogs she was feeding him for a treat and the unhealthy can of dog food. I also think when she knew I was irritated with her, she gave him more than just the one dog treat she swore she was giving him.

As, I stayed at her house for about 4 days, he started to look skinnier to me and the thought went into my head, maybe he really was overweight this whole time, even before I took him to my parents. Maybe I just got so used to seeing him, he didn't appear to be overweight. I hate to admit it, he wasn't that active prior to moving. I wasn't running with him and it was always a struggle to get someone to take him for a walk.

Well when I brought him to his new home, I took him to the vet and he weighed in at 55.5 lbs, that's 6.5 lbs heavier than the last time he was at the vet. We started running together and he was running a lot. We were up to 40 miles a week prior to my hamstring injury. I thought he was losing weight and I couldn't understand why my husbands Grandfather was still making fun of him, calling him fat and I got upset. You know, "don't call my dog fat!"

I just took him into the vet to get weighed and I am not kidding, he is the exact same weight and the lady said he could lose some weight. She asked me what I was feeding him and I said 1/2 can of Costco's wet food + 1 3/4- 2 cups dry. She said to reduce it to 2 cups dry and 1-2 tbsp wet.

Uggggghhhhhh!!!!!!! I guess love really is blind.
I don't get it, doesn't look fat to me.

I think it is just his fur.

You know what they say, well at least I do, only dogs in America are fat.