If nothing else, watch the video. The rest of it, you can skip.

[clevermanka]

I'm not afraid of many things. Mark's Daily Apple weekend link list post highlighted a video of my second-worst fear. Watching this made my blood pressure rise and stomach hurt. But at least I could watch it, which says something about its beauty and awesomeness.

"" (Watch on YouTube)

Something that doesn't scare me is the possibility of looking like a fool. So I bought a made-with-love hoop from miischelle yesterday after she gave me a couple tips on how to keep the damn thing whirling around my middle instead of spiraling down my body. It was fun, and offers a new technique on balance and body isolation, not to mention some low-level aerobic activity that falls into the "move frequently at a slow pace" Primal Blueprint guideline. It is, btw, still spiraling down my body most of the time, but for about one out of ten attempts, I can keep it from falling down immediately. Progress!

I made poor eating choices yesterday and paid for it that evening. I went to bed nauseated and with a very unhappy stomach. Luckily, no lower G.I. issues, but my stomach is still sore from the cramping. For the next month, several items are off the menu. These are things I've allowed to creep into my diet, even though they shouldn't be passing my lips at all, period.
1. Vegetable oils, with the exception of olive and coconut oil
2. All foods containing corn products (I'm looking at you, garlic-horseradish dip)
3. Refined sugar, even when presented in a beautiful dark chocolate package
4. Soda (what the fuck was I thinking)

I'm preparing to eliminate artificial sweeteners completely, but I'm realistic about it and won't dive off that particular cliff until after the CSSF summer activities wrap up. Speaking of sweets, I'm limiting fruit to a once-a-week treat. I had a blister in my mouth last week from eating too many berries, and my tongue was raw and sore from the excess sugar.

*whew*

On Saturday, I watched one of my college buddies get married. That was weird. One, I didn't ever consider him the marrying type. Two, he was the last of that group of friends (besides myself) to wed. As he greeted me as I exited the church, I whispered "I'm the last one, dude." I wrote a post about my feelings about that, but it was painfully emo and maudlin so I marked it as private. I might see if it's salvageable later, but right now it's just full of ew. The reception was nice, though. I danced my feet sore.

Quick Update Note: I am bloating like crazy post-lunch. That hasn't happened in weeks. Hm.

Comments

[zhukora1.livejournal.com]

I'm not yet at the point where I'm one of the last few of my college buddies to get married, but with three weddings already this summer (and at least one more to follow), I'm definitely headed in your direction. So while I'm not sure I can legitimately claim to feel your pain yet, you have my, uh, anticipatory sympathies?

I also saw a lot of hooping going on at Cairo Caravan. Am starting to toy with the idea of taking it up myself. Seems neat! :D

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

you have my, uh, anticipatory sympathies

Thank you. I feel like, at forty, I can be over this wedding shit now, thanks.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

What? Are Hula Hoops back in?

I was sure, as a kid, that I would never marry. the only marriage I had that made me happy was the one at age 61. I was so sure the second marriage was a mistake that I made him agree to the terms of the divorce before we married...and a good thing, too.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I dunno about "in," but they certainly do have a sizable following. The ones used in exercise and performance now are much larger, though. And heavier.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Ha! Our parents refused to spend a buck for the real ones and made us hoops out of polyethelene tubing, a wood joint inside, and a couple of copper staples, and those buggers were HEAVY. After using one, you could never use a commercial one because it was too light to get the same momentum as the ones out dad made.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

That video damnear made me hyperventilate.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Not a good thing to do under water.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

No, definitely not.

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

I wish I could breath under water. Then I could do that.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Just work on your lung capacity. =)

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

I'm a firm believer in 90% compliance. Sometimes you have to sin just to remind yourself why you shouldn't.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

For. Real.

It's amazing to see how my body has changed in its ability to process that stuff. I shudder to think what would happen if I ate a pizza.

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

Some form of peristalsis?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, probably a form of it that I wouldn't like. At all. Something along the lines of "rapidly enhanced and explosive peristalsis, with a side order of chips."

[curieuse.livejournal.com]

Dark water is my biggest phobia by far. I watched that sumbitch a few days ago but I did not like it. At least it's staged, right?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Spiders top my list of phobias, but only because I imagine that being dropped into the ocean would inspire a freak-out. But if I was dropped into a swimming pool of spiders, I would die from panic.

Yes, the caption says it's fiction, but he's still in some very deep water.

*shudder*

[curieuse.livejournal.com]

It's so dark and awful. Seriously cannot stand.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

I think he had something over his nose. It may have supplied air. There was a little box on his butt. Oxygen?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I didn't see that disclaimer until it was over, because I was all, "DAMN, nobody could do all that on a single breath and still look so nonchalant about it!" I suspect a couple of support staff supplied air, but he wouldn't want to use a lot or stay down long, else he would set himself up for the bends.

Still, WHOAH. I'm not especially afraid of deep water (I've done some diving in my youth), but WHOAH. So. Cool. And creepy.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

I was in turn fascinated and frightened watching that video.

Oh, horseradish garlic dip, how mean you are, but how delicious!
You can come hoop in my backyard w/ me, too! I'm excited to be getting one.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

horseradish garlic dip, how mean you are, but how delicious

After how I felt last night, I can honestly say: Not Tempted Anymore.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Could be the "healthy" processed chips mixed in with that, too.
My system is starting to rebel against any time that I mix a lot of different foods.
Pot luck or buffets are no treat for me!
I do better choosing one or two foods and just loading up on them each day.

The deviled eggs were sooo good, thank you for bringing them. I want more now, guess I'll need to make some up for da Jbird and me.

.. argh, and I completely forgot that I'd made a huge jug of ice tea. Oh well, wine straight from the bottle is yummier.

[annamatic.livejournal.com]

You and I are much alike.

Phobias:
1) SPIDERS.
2) DEEP WATER.
3) FALLING FROM HEIGHTS.

I got up to about 0.40 on the video where he steps up to the crater and had to stop it. Maybe I'll grow the huevos to finish it here in a minute.

[annamatic.livejournal.com]

OK, finished it. Damn.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yay, you! I don't have the falling fear, so I think that's what made it easier for me to watch it.

[royal-spice.livejournal.com]

That video is totally creepy. As if.

Hooping is definitely all the rage at the moment...I was at a hoopers gathering briefly last Friday night (as a drummer, not a hooper--I'm not coordinated enough for any of that hooping-poi spinning-throwing knives kinda stuff).

Re: the diet--gotta have treats once in a while, but not if they make you miserable. There's no way I'd eat pizza now; I'm sure there'd be hell to pay afterward. I occasionally get a smidge of that punishment if I over-do it with the nuts (probably the highest carb thing I eat now, other than some fruits/veg).

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

gotta have treats once in a while, but not if they make you miserable

And oh the irony, other than the dark chocolate, I didn't really consider any of those things treats. Shows how badly my mentality has been slipping. Time to nip that shit in the bud!

I was *this close* to ordering pizza for dinner (my cramps are in full force) and had some plain chicken breast instead because I just couldn't get motivated to cook anything.

I desperately want doughnuts. *sigh*

[royal-spice.livejournal.com]

Ohman, you've got it bad. Hang in there.

I don't know why, but the only things I want are tortilla chips and other Mexican fare. Pizza, meh. Bread? Bleh.

I had two eggs loosely scrambled with some quick braised asparagus and a few cubes of feta cheese for dinner (cooked in buttah, of course). I'm cooking salmon burgers for lunches at the moment, and enjoying having the house to myself. :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I need to get some canned salmon next time I go to the grocery store. Salmon croquettes sound really good.

[royal-spice.livejournal.com]

Yum! Last time I made them, I chopped up a jalapeno in addition to onion...it was delish! I served them with a smoky chipotle yogurt and cilantro sauce to cool it off though. My dinner guest from Seattle [who has angry little pepper-men dancing on his tongue--picture it like a cartoon] declared it good. ;)

[adammaker.livejournal.com]

mmmm, yum.

[royal-spice.livejournal.com]

Crap! I nearly went veg today...it's been all nuts, cheese, whey powder, and eggs. Good thing I decided to have a bite of the salmon burgers--you know, to make sure they were done. Quality control. ;)