I was at the store the other day

So I was at the store and I had an epiphany.

I have man hands since doing crossfit and building calluses.

This is not me or my hands--this pic comes from here

They're gross.

When I would shake people's hands I would be kinda self conscious, which I've never been before.

So the other day I'm sitting there after a work out and I ask about the calluses. The girls there tell me that they use the heel callus thing and shave off their calluses and smooth them with a sand paper like thing. They have baby bottom smooth hands.

SO I thought... I'm going to try it.

I went and bought one of the razor blade callus things and the sand paper thing. Have you ever seen a toddler try to color the first time and they look really awkward and mess up a lot. Yea... ummm I was worse.

I cut the heck out of my hands and then rubbed them with that sand paper looking stuff... put some deep moisturizing lotion stuff on them and went to bed.

I woke up and they were like a babies behind!!! I was so proud of myself! I had done it, awkwardly and ugly and stuff... but they FELT girlie again.

Then I walk in to work out today. Everything involved my hands and I tore them and all that work, pain, and agony from last night...

Gone.

Hello man hands.

Sincerly,

I really am a girl, I just have man feeling hands.

And YES, it's worth it!

Love,

C'mon Ride this train-Dance Central Kinect-Challenge

I realize more and more... I'm not really a philosopher.  Shocking!  I know.  I have my serious thoughts, but let's be honest, I can't be serious or take anything serious for very long.

And it's funny because I always have these things that I could complain about or bring up to cause some kind of discussion or controversy, but then I'm like--"oh! I see sparkle" and I can't remember what I was going to talk about.

So when I bring the deep thoughts, count yourself lucky that day.  :)


SO here's something way serious.  3GirlKnight challenged me to a Dance Central Kinect dance off--that link is his challenge to everyone, but he challenged me in email... and I'm not one to let go of a challenge.

I challenge him to video himself next time!  Just sayin.  Cause I did it via Flip cam and I brought out the leg warmers and the unbrushed hair...  Bring it 3 Girl Knight!!!  His score was 549,708.  Here is what I got live and in color!

Deleted NOW... sorry slackers!

I will be taking this video off within 24 hrs. But there is your proof that, well, I beat his score!!! Just jump to the end if you don't want to watch me pump my fist in there air while trying to mirror a cartoon person on the T.V.

Anybody else up for the challenge?

Love,

True Forgiveness via a new friend

"I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one. ~Henry Ward Beecher"

I was talking with a new friend about this very subject and she said something that hit true that had come to her. It was similar to this quote, something to the fact that if you forgive and truly forgive, then you cannot bring it up again whether it be 3 weeks or 20 years later. Not if you truly forgive.

It's hard to do that though. One doesn't want to forget what wrong was done to them because they don't want to be put int hat situation again, they don't want to be vulnerable... but that is forgiveness, as she so eloquently reminded me, it is being vulnerable again.

Do you learn a lesson? Yes.

Is it a fun way to learn? Heck no.

But true forgiveness is such a healing balm to the soul and I think I like the outlook Ghandi put on it, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~Mahatma Gandhi"

They sure don't make it easy to be strong...

Thanks to my friend for talking to me about it. I love being reminded.

Hope you all have a good Sunday!

Love,

Death by age and kipping pull up

Here's the thing.

I try to let me kids know about stuff that use to scare me as a child.

Things like Death.

I was SOOOOOO scared of dying.

Not ME dying but people I loved and depended on... so mostly my parents.

There was more than one night where I would have to think about my favorite childhood church song to make me feel more at peace because at times the thought of not having my parents around would consume me with paralyzing fear. Which is quite a feat in and of itself when you have a little sister kicking you in the twin bed you share with her.

Anyway... back to my point. I try to lessen the fear by talking about Death and the fact that we will see the people that die again. I try to make it seem magical. "Death is what get's us back to our families and loved ones that have passed on, so it's a good thing" and "it's okay to miss them right now, but did you know that time goes really quick up in Heaven so after they get there it will seem like minutes until we are there with them again!" and "it's hard for us because we miss them down here with us, but they are having such a great time up there!"

So the other day my daughter and I were driving together... somewhere. I forget now. And she starts this conversation about getting old.

Her: Mommy-when you get old you'll die.

ME: Yes, I will, but I have a long way to go until I get old so you have nothing to worry about. (assuming she was worried I would die)

Her: I'm not worried, but you ARE getting really really old, so it might not be that long.

And there you have it. The reason why my daughter can't speak right now, because I turned around and throat punched her. (I was kidding in case you thought I was being for real).

Since we are talking about death. I've been going to a CrossFit box here where I live, I have endearingly termed it Satan's Lair, if you remember. I am quite obsessed with it actually and go 5-6 times a week. For the first time in a long time I have not concentrated on how much I weigh, but on how I'm improving on workouts. I've been going for 6 months now and have cut my times down by whole minutes on some of the workouts while lifting more or doing more reps--but I about die each workout--each one harder than I expect--but such a sense of accomplishment when I get done!

I still work on how I see myself in the mirror--realizing more and more that I need to remember that I'm working towards the perfect 10 ME and not some really slender girl with no hips or sisters on top aka boobs--basically I'm owning up to reality. And it frees me a little bit more from my mind and the destructive thoughts I battle.

I thought I'd show this picture that the owner of the CrossFit here where I workout took of me and posted on their blog-- a kipping pull up with no band-- just me myself and I.

I know it looks like I was eating the bar... but there you go. I think we did 40 pullups that day and I did it all with out the band.

So yea... working on the perfect 10 ME and killin myself one workout at a time.  But I'm NOT getting really really old!!!

Love,

Neutral, cool, laid back.

My husband and I are mostly just really good friends. We love each other sure... but we are best friends besides all of the other stuff that comes with love. If we weren't in love, I'm pretty sure we'd still kick it as friends or keep in touch with each other.

What I love mostly is that he really is kind of a tough guy, especially when it comes to gifts on ANY holiday. He always is saying, "I don't need anything." For a gift GIVER like myself, that's hard to swallow. For years I still bought him gifts with no other outcome then a slow, "thanks" as he would toss it aside. It's not that he never liked what I gave him, he just doesn't really react dramatically on either end of the scale--always neutral, cool, laid back.

But as you learn more about someone, you learn how to get some kind of reaction other than a neutral, cool, and laid back one.

The key? Instead of giving them something that they WANT or NEED... give them something that will shock them or is completely unexpected.

I know, I'm a genius. Only took me like 8 years to figure that out, so the last three have been kind of fun! :)

So let me fill you in. On Christmas Eve our family tradition is to open one gift under the tree. For the kids it's from Mom and Dad, and for each other it's, well, from each other. I hope you are still with me.

Anyway... it's always pajamas, even for MountainSport Man and I, it's some form of lounge wear.

So here he is, neutral, cool, laid back.

I told him to smile at the camera... he looks like he's plotting my demise... so bad azz.

But when he opened the present... Freaking Long Johns!!! lol... he laughed, and I succeeded! Plus, he can use them for when he snowboards!  Double Win for Shelle!

So what's the worst or best present your received for ANY holiday?