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P h i l l y   E x p a t r i a t e






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I am an East Coast expatriate hiding out in the Midwest...

I am an urban gal living in the suburbs and occasionally hiding in the country

I am a yoga practitioner, fitness enthusiast, believer in the mind-body-spirit connection...

I am a mid-life "revert" to the Roman Catholic faith in which I was raised and which has become an enormous source of support, encouragement, inspiration, and joy in my life...

I am a mom, sister, daughter, and wife...

I am an explorer; adventurous and curious about the world and people around me...

I am educated in the formal sense but I gain insight through everyday living...

I created this blog at a time of great fear and apprehension in my life. I chose to sustain it because of the discoveries about myself and the world around me that it has revealed.



What you can expect to find here:
  • the documentation of a love-hate relationship with the greater Philadelphia area
  • reminiscing about the good-ole-days (the 80's!)
  • complaints about my various ailments and injuries, both real and imagined
  • pictures and stories of gardening, decorating, shopping, sewing
  • my love of irony
  • links to kooky news stories
  • way too much scatological musing for sane people


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    Monday, June 21, 2004
    traitor

    I'll admit it...my most recent schoolgirl crush is none other than Republican Congressman Mark S. Kirk of Illinois. Yes, he's a naval intelligence officer (hmmm...intrigue...James Bond....) and a lawyer (ugh, nothing good to say about that!) but, he's too darn cute, with those Tim Matheson boyish good looks.



    I think I allowed myself to succumb to his charms (theoretically, of course - no actual scandal here!) when I did a bit of local political activism (environmental-issue-related) and received a thoughtful letter (yes, I know it was a form letter printed up by some college intern) and realized he was "on" my side of MANY issues...quite a "moderate" sort of guy, voting the way I'd vote, even going against party lines in some cases. Right on!

    Who cares about that scrub, Clinton,(bustin' the moves to sell more books) when there are cuties like Kirk in "Da' House" ! lol.....



    Posted at 08:17 pm by brandy101
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    Friday, June 18, 2004
    drowning in appliances

    I didn't mention it but last week our fridge bit the dust. We checked out possible fixes but realized the compressor was shot and so off to Sears we went to find one that would fit into the built-in alcove. Of course, once at Sears, I spied a new vacuum on sale (my current one is at least 15yrs old and on its last legs), a clock radio(again, my old one broke), tape player for the kiddo...

    With some handyman work on hubby's part, we were able to enlarge to alcove slightly to accomodate the height of a new refrigerator (side-by-side with all that cool water/ice gadgetry!). Hooked up the water line (which had already been run by the pervious owner - even though the old fridge had no icemaker/water dispenser), and basically then waited for a week, living out of coolers, until it was delivered and installed yesterday.

    Of course, when I realized the fridge had broken, all of my frozen stuff was thawed and/or drippy so into the trash it went, along with most of what was in the fridge that couldn't safely be salvaged. I finally went food shopping today, and replenished our frozen staples and lots of produce for the fridge (we ran out of salad items 4 days ago!)

    So, needless to say, our savings took a huge hit this month, and it's already been reeling after paying my medical bills from the spring. Oy vey!

    But... that's ok...that's why you have savings: for a "rainy" day.

    Posted at 05:46 pm by brandy101
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    Wednesday, June 16, 2004
    sneak attack

    Last night, I was exhausted and so I went to bed earlier than usual. It's "that time of the month" for me, which usually meanas that hubby regards me as a pariah (sexually speaking that is.) He is one of those guys with "period phobia." Of course the cruel joke mother nature plays on me is that I am usually quite horny when Aunt Flo is in town! grrrr!

    Well, anyway...

    Hubby was being nice and hugged me, snuggling a bit at bedtime. Then we fell asleep.

    Hours later, I wasn't sure what was happening - or if I was dreaming.

    I awoke this morning and as hubby was getting ready for work I inquired,"Did we have sex last night?" (which could be construed as an  insulting question, I know...)


    A simple, "Yes." was his reply.

    Huh!

    This might sound sicko to some of you out there but I found that "sneak" to be very sexy, and I was thinking about it all morning. Of course, to my disappointment, when hubby called this morning, I mentioned my enthusiasm for our midnight liason and he was too embarassed to discuss  it. He is a bit inhibited that way; sexually he is "talented" but at the same time he is too uncomfortable to discuss these sorts of things, which i think is silly, especially since we have been together for 9 years!

    Well, at least I'm "gettin' some"! ;)

    On another note entirely, ugh, I have got to get back into a good workout routine; I seemed to have  gained a few pounds while on vacation (restaurant food and fewer workouts tend to do that!)

    So I think I'll do my 30 min weight training tape and then either a run or bike ride while kiddo is at day camp.



    Posted at 11:20 am by brandy101
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    Sunday, June 13, 2004
    Tri, *sigh*

    Today I woke up at 3:55 am to load the car and head off to the Batvia Triathlon, on the Fox River. The folks were all very friendly, and even though some of the competitors are totally "hardcore" - what with mondo-expensive bikes, top of the line wetsuits, etc.-  there were also plenty of novices to make for a nice mix.

    I was numbered to start somewhere in the middle of the pack. Each entrant would enter the water every 10 seconds.  That was a nice advantage for me, as I got to see how others approached their swims. Some went into swim-team mode and cranked out a nice fast crawl for the whole 500 meters; many others (like myself) began in a crawl and then would switch to "rest" strokes such as breaststroke, backstroke, etc. Whatever it took to finish without drowning. I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to sustain my freestyle for even the 1st half; oh well; I got through it, and in 9 minutes, which is decent.

    My big problem was the bike: UGH! Last night I nioticed my back rim was slighly bent, and then I was having some slippage on my back gear. Well, as I mounted the bike, WHAM! No gears! I lost time re-alinging the chain and geting it into 5th gear. So what I ended up having as my options were 1st and 5th gear. At least I HAD that 1st gear since the 16-mile bike course turned out to be much more hilly than expected. Plus, ssudden gusts of wind slowed things for everyone. Honestly, and I am not sure why this is, but I think I really am a better distance rider - I really can't get into a groove until at least 7 miles. Its like those 1st 5 miles were torture and seem that way even when riding on the indoor trainer. I need to practice that skill set much more, obviously. So, I lost significant time on the bike, which was a bummer, but managed to get through it and then the run (which I mostly walked at a quick clip) was a breeze. No, not a breeze - a pleasure. You see, the event planners set the run to go through a gorgeous trail along the Fox river (actually went around it on each side.)> There were gardens, parks, a large publc Japanese garden, beautiful homes...plus the sound of the swift-running (and VERY high) river, the greenery on the banks and shade from the trees, and of course my favorite: birds galore! I even stopped to check out a Martin singing in some bushes along the way (why not - I wa \s already running about an hour behind everyone else!)

    The best move I made all day was to bring along my MP3 player and jam to tunes along the run. Nothing in the rules against it (no safety issues as we weren't running on streets.) That really got me through an otherwise exhausting but fulfilling race.

    Yes, I finished, and although I am ready for bed and tending to a sore back (due to leaning too far on my bike - my handlebar stem is too long for me) I am felling pretty darn good about my second successful triathlon event.

    Posted at 11:01 pm by brandy101
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    Friday, June 11, 2004
    getting better....

    oh, I forgot to mention that the new dosing schedule that the GI doc put me on seems to be effective in treating my IBS, thankfully. Thanks so much to all of my blog buddies for their kind words of support on this issue. :)

    Posted at 09:41 am by brandy101
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    back from the Coast

    Well, after some delays due to weather, we finally arrived home at 1am last night.

    I am busy cleaning, unpacking, etc. but hopefully soon I'll be able to post some vacation pics, recall some tales...

    This weekend (Sunday at 6am!) is my first sprint triathlon of the season. I am very nervous becasue I feel really unprepared, although I know I am in better physical shape than last year, plus I have a much better bike. I think the worst part is that its an hour-plus drive from home so I have to make that commute before the race.

    I did test my swimming skills and know that they are up to par for that portion of the race; not enough to edge ahead of anyone but a sustainable, easy pace that will get me past that hurdle. I am also comfortable with the running portion. I am troubled a bit by the bike, though. I have not had nearly enough time to practice longer rides but I am hoping that, like last year, the adrenanlin from the excitement of the race will aid in grinding the pedals for 16 miles.



    Posted at 09:39 am by brandy101
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    Monday, May 31, 2004
    oh no, its back...

    Ugh. I thought with the Zelnorm that my IBS/chronic constipation and side pain would be gone but it's back. I do have an appt. with the gastroenterologist tomorrow but I doubt he has many more options for me to try. Apparently Zelnorm works well for the first month but then its efficacy wanes over time. Damn! This pain is so bad on my side (lower left quadrant) and I have had every test, including CT scans, colonoscopy and ultrasound (to make sure it wasn't a gyne issue). NOTHING structural - just the fact that food gets digested and then just sits in the colon, building up and putting pressure all around, thus causing the pain. I am so frustrated with this.  When it is bad, it gets hard to walk; similar to the pain of an ovarian cyst.

    I will have to go back to a liquid-only diet for a while until the pain subsides because the more food that has to pass through, the worse it gets. *sigh*.

    Posted at 04:07 pm by brandy101
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    Sunday, May 30, 2004
    channel

    As I was running on the treadmill I was jamming to tunes on my MP3 player. As I bounced along to "Rollover Deejay" by Aussie hit-makers, JET, I couldn't help but feel a bit of deja-vu. Then the next track rolled into my consciousness: "Just Walk Away Renee" by 60's "barque pop" band The Left Banke.
    With that,  it all made sense to me.

    Back in the late 80's I was a DJ at a large college radio station. I had a rock show in the mid-afternoon and I was fortunate to have gained incredible exposure to music of all eras, genres, and geographies.

    If you take a look at my record (as in VINYL) collection at home, you'd note a preponderance of so-called garage-punk - from the 60's mod stuff to more contemporary bands like The Cynics, The Pandoras, The Miracle Workers, etc.

    Back in my radio days, I peppered my shows with oldies and modern garage bands, somehow interspersed with other genres from 50's country to Northwest grunge, to electronica and industrial.

    At that time, there was an up-and-coming "power pop" trio in town who played endless shows and put out independently produced singles, striving for their big break. The lead singer and guitarist of this band, Jim, used to faithfully call up my radio show each week, first, to request that I play his band (he was a shameless self-promoter!) and then to talk about music. Jim also enjoyed the garage sound, and he and I shared a love of some lesser-known pop hits of the 60's. I distinctly remember him requesting the aforemetioned track from one-hit-wonders, The Left Banke, and then discussing it and other  tunes after "listening" to it over the phone.

    Eventually, Jim and his bandmates did get a major label record deal. Numerous billboard hits and MTV exposure followed. I was genuinely happy for them, as they had worked so hard for it, plus their fresh, poppy sound infused vigor into a rock scene that had previously been dominated by more vapid "hair" bands. One of their hits even included a character named "Renee" - and I have to wonder if that Left Banke tune played a part influencing its composition.

    Sadly, as their band's shelf life began to wane, Jim took his own life, which was a tragic loss for this city and the music scene in general.

    So, when I hear songs with tight pop hooks and the obvious 50's 60's and 70's influences, like "Rollover Deejay", I have to wonder if Jim provided some divine inspriation to JET as they put it all together.

    Posted at 05:19 pm by brandy101
    Comments (1)  

    boot camp

    Since I have some time to spend, I decide to send myself to "boot camp" today - a non-stop, intense workout session, that is! First, 15 min arm, 15 min buns, 15 min abs (weight/isometric routines on dvd that are hard but you feel the results!). Finished those; then did 30 minutes working up a sweat with a great run. I didn't want to stop!

    I spent the day yesterday shopping with a friend who needed new summer clothes. Well, she needed to shop because she has gotten terribly out of shape and I think is now at her highest weight of all time. She gave me all of her old clothes (size medium) as she is now a 1x. I gave her all of my old clothes from post-pregnancy. I also passed along plenty of entry-level workout tapes and dvd's for her to try, in the comfort of home. But she is so resistant. She is buying into some notion that working out is "uncool". Furthermore her eating habits are atrocious. Sugary pop every day, fast food 2 meals a day. She refuses to learn to prepare meals for herself even though I have offered to show her some really easy and delicious quick meals to make. It's as if the healthier I get, the more discouraged she gets. I keep up my cheerleading but there is only so much I can do.

    What drives me nuts is that she makes a good living and is an educated person. She absolutely knows the formula for better health and wellness (reduce input, increase output ). She is attracted to health food stores and holistic living in general, but somehow, I think is embarrassed or afraid to get a program started for herself. This frustrates me to no end, especially when we shop together and she gets discouraged, seeing the limited options for cool yet classy fashions for someone with rolls all over the place.

    I am not criticising those who are obese or just overweight. Heck, technically according to my BMI, I am overweight.

    I was once a size 2x person. I made myself feel better by "buying into" the notion that women can be beautiful no matter their size. I would not negate that this is true.  But I think that attitiude is only beneficial if one uses such a mantra to buoy their spirits and encourage themself to take those little steps to make the changes to get healthy and not allow themselves to spiral down into a depressed state, thus aggravating their weight/health problems further. I know, in my case, I didn't let my size bother me - I just found some sweatpants in my size and got out there! First, just walking, pushing the baby stroller. Then, joining a gym that had childcare and exercising faithfully 5 days a week. Finally I made changes in my family's diet and began buying more "whole" foods  instead of pre-processed conveninece items. I actually lowered our grocery bills by doing so.

    No one needs to be size-oriented or even oriented to a specific so-called "ideal" weight. That is equally as unhealthy. Finding an enjoyable physical activity, drinking water, getting plenty of sleep and tuning into the real nutritional needs of your body are far more realistic and do-able.

    However, there is NO defense for outright sloth, for shovelling nutrient-deficient, high fat/sugar/sodium-laden garbage into your mouth day in and day out. To me, the body is sacred and beautiful in all its shapes and forms. Just as we should respect the world around us, we need to love and respect OURSELVES.

    You can be larger and healthy - as evidenced by "clydesdale" and "athena" weight classes for competitive triathletes and runners. But these people ARE athletes - they excercise regularly, have significant muscle mass, flexibility, and well-functioning cardio-vascular systems.

    I work hard to be healthy. I excersise, prepare my own meals most of the time, rarely drink alcohol and NEVER smoke.  I do yoga and meditate to take care of my mind and spirit. I try to get 8 hourse of sleep each night.

    My cholesterol, triglyceries, and blood pressure are stellar. After shedding pounds, I no longer suffer from terrible knee pain. By eating healthful , fresh, and largely unprocessed foods (lower sodium,satuarted fats, sugars) and getting plenty of fiber naturally, I no longer suffer from hypoglycemia (blood sugar crashes.) I rarely watch tv and sleep much better at night. My skin is so much more clear and free from blemishes. My sex life has improved dramatically - my husband is more attracted to me and I am more confident in my body, and thus "perform" better ;) I think I am a more energetic yet patient mom, wife and friend.

    I am now paying off bills from breast surgeries from last month. Those were unavoidable. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol run in my family. These health complications ARE preventable and I pledge to myself to dodge those "bullets" each day. I hope my friend will also get over her mental hurdles to join me in this endeavor.

    Posted at 03:00 pm by brandy101
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    Friday, May 28, 2004
    "no good deed goes unpunished"

    My husband uses this phrase (usually applied inappropriately) all the time...but it REALLY fits here:

    Yesterday I was cleaning and filling the birdfeeders, and cleaning up the yard. I felt something hit me in the head, I reached up my hand to brush it away and....YECH!!! BIRD POOP!!!!!!!!

    I have heard, though, that its "good luck".

    When I suffered from IBS, I had a morbid obsession with all things scatalogical but I will tell you now that NONE of them involved animal poo!

    Nothing exciting planned for the weekend except I think we will watch our town's parade on Monday.

    I plan to wear a hat from now on when I am in the yard!

    :)

    Posted at 09:06 am by brandy101
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