New family photos

Cultural Anthropology

Airports are a crash course in cultural anthropolgy. Even though I hate the constant travel, I love sitting at the airport watching people. Not regional airports, for good people watching you have to go to a large international airport, where you get people from all over the world! I have to tell you, foreign women are getting it done! Latin, Asian and Italian women are pimping when they travel. I mean 5" stillettos, fantastic outfit, hair, make-up all done as if Tyra Banks is doing a casting call for ANTM at the airport. I see these women and I have a true appreciation for the presentation, especially when you compare them to the throngs of American women who have opted for extreme comfort sweatpants, flip-flops, hair in a top knot with no make-up. Jackie O, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, we have failed you! Now I am not crazy enough to wear stillettos in the airport when travelling, that is just madness especially if you have to run for a plane. But I do make sure to look extra cute when travelling, even in flats....Another observation, women from ethiopa/somalia are stunning. I watched an entire deplane of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Everybody looked like Iman or Zahara Pitt, definitely not good for the ego when you have been up for 12 hours and you look like you have been beaten with a stick.

Crusin for a Bruisin

Uggh! Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise...for those of us who are not from Detroit and who are not "gear heads", dream cruise is nothing but a self-induced traffic jam that lasts for days! I honestly don't get it. People sit on the side of the road to watch traffic! Sure there are some cool custom cars, but couldn't they just rent a parking lot and make them all go there? No, instead they choose to clog the main artery through multiple towns for this hillbilly fest! So in an effort to miss this "Extravaganza" we went north and took Benjamin to Huckleberry Railroad. Huckleberry Railroad is a "historical" village that you can tour to see what life was like at the turn of the century. They have rides for the kids, carousel, ferris wheel, river boats, etc. but all of that is an additional cost! By the way did I mention that Thomas the Train and Bob the Builder were both there yesterday? Benjamin was jacked through the roof! Between the rides, games and Thomas, I think yesterday migth have been the best day of his life. We spent a small fortune up there, but Ben was so happy, it was worth it. I am kind of tired today, butI will definitely post pictures tomorrow of the trip.

I kill myself

I just read my last entry, I crack myself up! But here is what is so crazy, still on the exercise band wagon and still no sign of muscle tone! I think the new problem is that regular TV ended! You know summer hiatus when all of your favorite shows go into repeats for the summer. So I have had no choice but to watch cable shows. I am now officially addicted to th food network! Which might be why I have no muscle tone! The funniest thing is that I think after watching the food network for 2 months that I am gourmet chef...I critique Michael's cooking and even worse I have started cooking. But I am only into cooking desserts right now...hmm the trials and tribulations of a fat girl...in any case at least I am having a good summer. Lots of fun with Ben and Mike, which all that matters.

Mike and Ben at the Berkely Fire Department!

I Am Lance Armstrong...Not Really

So about 4-5 years ago I bought a bike at WalMart. Nothing fancy just your average mountain bike, which I thought would be good for riding around town. For the past few years I have ridden that bike intermittently, basically whenever I decided that I needed to lose weight. Well this year I decided to get serious about geting into shape, so I have been riding with reckless abandonment. I took the bike in to the bike shop to get serviced, I bought a helmet (finally), I actually adjusted the bike to fit me! So I get out there, all geared up and I ride like I am in the Tour de France. I pedal my little heart and I have actually built up to 10-14 miles! I vary my routes like all the health magazines say to do so that my muscles don't have a chance to adapt to the workout. (Oh yes I am reading health magazines now, but I'll get to that later) I am doing all of this regularly, 3-4 times a week and I have come to 2 conclusions....1. After 3 months of riding I still have no discernable muscle tone and 2. I think I got lapped yesterday by a senior citizen! I don't know if I was truly lapped, because I don't know when he started his ride, but I do know that he passed me and he looked pretty spry! Obviously, I need to kick my training up a notch to say the least. The goal is to wake up at 5 and ride in the morning. It is going to be almost 90 degrees in the D and that is just too damn hot to be out there! Wish me luck

Who knew people were reading

So I go through these phases where I write, because I think I have something interesting or funny to say. Then I stop writing because I don't get any feedback...then a few days ago I posted a random note on my facebook page about trying to figure out Twitter and people actually posted that they enjoyed the blog more than the potential 140 character posting! Well back by popular demand I will start writing again! I have been on facebook and now Twittering instead of blogging. All of uit has led me to wonder is all of this really necessary? Do we really need 3 different ways to tell people what is going on in your life? I don't know, but it did feel good to know that people were reading.

Zumba!..That's Spanish for there's a cramp in my butt!

So I went to Zumba class tonite. I absolutely love it but it is a crazy work out. For those of you who have never taken a Zumba class, picture an aerobic class set to latin dance music. It is kind of like being held hostage in Baja Fresh and being told to dance your way out. It is totally fun except that it makes you feel completely uncoordinated. Now I have rhythym and in my own mind I could be a back up dancer for Janet Jackson at any moment and this class makes me feel like a klutz! Maybe if I paid more attention in class I would be better at it!

What is really distracting is that you take this class in a dance room so one wall is fully mirrored from the ceiling to the floor. I get distracted looking at myself in the mirror, critiquing my choice of workout outfit (note it is never the right choice), watching what my hair is doing or obsessing over how much I am sweating! Fretting about all of these things is much better than acknowledging the reality that when I Zumba I look like a cross between Oprah (the fat one with no make up) and Rerun from What's Happening! Neither is an attractive option...What is funny is that when you don't dance in front of a mirror you think you are Janet Jackson or Beyonce and then when you see yourself you realize that it is more like Mo'Nique imitating Janet Jackson & Beyonce. If I cared, I would probably never dance in public again! But let's face it, I will dance again and what is worse I will do it while I am drunk! Which means Elaine from Seinfeld will envy my cool dance moves!...

I know many of you are too "young" to remember What's Happening so here is a video post, illustrating my shame! All I need is beret and suspenders! Viva La Zumba!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myLpUAmFYsY