Adventures in Arizona

I am not “everyone”

kb29 — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:47:07 +0000

Beauty and the Beast is back in theaters, as of yesterday. I am so thrilled! S has been asking to go see it for weeks, so of course we had to go see it. But wait, I wasn’t the only one whose kid wanted to go see it. My friend G and her kids wanted to see it. So I thought I would make a big event out of it (Similar to when “Princess and The Frog” came out). I knew I would invite people who could make it and some who wouldn’t know until the day of, and that’s fine with me. Life happens. Seeing “Beauty and the Beast” in 3D was so cool, everything I loved about the movie, watching them dance, the waterfall, the snow falling, were made even better, even the rain was better!!! There were times when it was hard for me to see what was going on because the rain was coming down so hard, lol.

Anyways, after the movie I wanted to get some pictures taken of the whole group, just like last time, before everyone took off. They were so cute in their dresses and heels and tiaras. From there we went to the inside playground so we could figure out what we wanted to do next. (The movie got out later than I thought it would) i know that S is too tall to be in there but she is well-behaved, waits her turn, and is aware of the little ones that are in there. There were a couple of other kids that were close to her height so I wasn’t worried about it.

Mall security came over to where I was sitting with my friend, trying to figure out what we should do next, and told me that he was “telling everyone with children over 42″ tall that they were too tall to play at the playground. They can sit and watch but they could not play”. I said ok, I’m waiting for my friend to get back with her kids and then we would leave. Then he asked me of “The tall one over there” was mine. I said yes.

“She can’t play here”

My daughter is standing next to 2 other girls who were an inch shorter than her and he didn’t say a word about them. Didn’t say a word to my friend that was sitting next to me or to the other ladies that were there. JUST ME! fuming I didn’t say anything other than “OK” because I didn’t want to start cussing at him. I waited until he was gone, called S over, told her we had to leave, and then headed to the mall Management office to find out what was going on. No one was there, shock and surprise on a Sat., and I came back to the group to get moving.

The same guard was back at the playground, I asked him his name (so when I go in on Mon I can say exactly who it was) and finished helping S get her stuff together. He came back over and stood by where we were and that just set me off.

I told him he needed to move away, that he was upsetting the kids and myself. He tried to talk to me and I just kept telling him “NO”, there was nothing left to talk about, he need to leave us alone, we weren’t bothering anyone and we were getting ready to go. S is crying her eyes because she was singled out! Of the entire group of kids there, probably about 12 or so, she was the only he pointed out.

Now here is my question. Did someone complain about our group being loud or something or is this man a stalker? In a group of all races why was I, a Black female with a Black child, singled out of the entire group?

yes I am going to complain about this. I have been to the mall plenty of times when older kids are playing in there, taller and older than mine, and they have been rough , rude, and pushy, and security has walked by without saying a word. This was intentional, and personal. What did I do to bring this on my friends and my daughter? This mall, The Mall of Sierra Vista, has some serious issues it needs to fix. This is just the beginning.

Some may say th…

kb29 — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:54:18 +0000

Some may say that I do to many workouts in a week. That may be the case but I have a goal. I am doing it in a healthy way, it’s not a crash diet, it is workouts and healthy eating. It’s learning new things and getting better at them.

I have been Belly dancing for a year and getting better. I am dancing with troupes that have been dancing for years and I am blowing their minds! (and when I say “I” I mean the troupe that I dance with). I have been teaching Zumba for a year and am getting better and learning new things. I am making me better and that is the best thing. Here’s to a great 2012!!!

How do you explain that?

kb29 — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:34:49 +0000

So Savie and I were in Old Bisbee earlier today to get dinner from one of my favorite places, POCO. (If you ever come to Bisbee, you HAVE to try it!!!) I love going there because the food it great, the people working there are so friendly and, there is usually live music playing on Fridays. So we got our food and were driving back home when we passed “Women in Black” standing in their usual place. I threw up my “Peace” sign and kept on driving.

“To bad, Miss S has to stand there all day,” Savie says to me.

“She doesn’t HAVE to honey, she’s protesting the war”

“What’s “Protesting”?

Uh oh, how do I explain this one? I didn’t think about it when i said it but it may have been a little more advanced then she as ready for but I had to go ahead with what we started.

“Protesting is when you tell someone else that you don’t like something they are doing. You get a sign or wear a certain color and stand outside of their building. This is a silent, peaceful protest.”

“Oh, but why do you were a certain color?”

“Do you know what a symbol is?”

I wanted to be sure about this and luckily we were passing a Yield sign without the words. I explained to her that symbols stand for something, just like we know that the Yield sign means the same thing with or without the words. Wearing Black to a funeral is a symbol of mourning. I told her that I wear a red shirt, which is a symbol for blood, in honor of the soldiers who died.

I just don’t know how to explain these things to someone who is only 7year old. I guess I better get better at that and quick!

No Resoultions, only Goals

kb29 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:07:56 +0000

I have one resolution this year. To not make resolutions but to make goals and accomplish them. And then pass them.Here is just a short list of goals that I’ve decided on so far.

Master the “Ab Ripper” DVD of the P90X by March
lose 30lbs
stick to my Atkins and cut down on my carbs
get my kitchen in order
get Savie back into her own bed

Everyone makes resolutions and, by the time that summer rolls around, they have forgotten what they are and are back to what they were doing before. But a goal is different. You have a specific place to get to and will work hard to accomplish that goal. That is my plan. I am already doing one very well. I made a promise to myself to save up money for my Vegas trip, true it’s 5 years away but I’m planning for it.

So later on this month I will be buying a screw gun,a ladder, shelves for the kitchen, and a bookcase. I will start putting my kitchen into the order that I want and start putting my books away, getting rid of boxes, and cleaning up. The floor will still need to be taken care of as well as finishing two walls in my computer room, but I can do other things.

Wish me luck!!!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2012

kb29 — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:09:29 +0000

It’s the first few minutes of 2012 and I am already annoyed. LOL.

My new Year was suppose to be me watching movies, that I liked, by myself, twisting my hair. But that is not the way things turned out. Instead of being able to watch movies on the couch alone, I am watching an old movie with him. Oh weel, I will not let this get me down and I will continue to move forward.

Hello 2012!!!

Being good is hard work

kb29 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:10:52 +0000

For the past month Savie has had a very loose tooth. I really wish this tooth would fall out on its own but it’s not doing so well. It’s getting closer and closer but it just won’t fall out. I ask her about it, when I notice that she is messing with it, otherwise I don’t bother her with it.

Friday night is my night to “me” stuff. Go to the movies, go for a drive, whatever. It’s very hard to enjoy my “me” time when I get a voice mail from her crying and screaming, saying that something is wrong. I, of course, want to come home and find out what is wrong. What type of mother would I be if my heart didn’t hurt when I heard her cry? I leave things early, or don’t leave town because I have that sinking feeling that something is going to go wrong. Being a good mom, along with all the other things I do, is hard work.

WHen I think about what I could, I feel guilty. Even though I know that she is going to be fine, that he will work things out or that she will fall asleep soon, it doesn’t make me feel any better. What if this is one of those times when he can’t fix it? What if she cries herself to sleep? Will she feel better in the morning? Will I feel guiltily knowing that she cried herself to sleep? Even though I know that half an hour after I get home to soothe her, she will be asleep, it doesn’t make it easier for me. I need to be there for her. I need her to know, that f something happens and she wants me, I will be there.

Being a good mom is hard work. And I love it.

Feeling good, looking good?

kb29 — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:12:12 +0000

So yesterday I posted my schedule for my workouts for the week, right? Well I am feeling the pain today. Even before I left for my workout in Sierra Vista, I was hurting. My abs were tightening and twisting and just making their presence known! I’m really glad that the workout for Fit club wasn’t a hard one. We did the Slim in 6, which is ok. I like the lady and everything but I need a little more movement. But the upside to doing her workout is I’m going to stretch out all those muscle that I am building without having to be on the floor doing just yoga (which I am doing now with a friend) or Pilates (which I haven’t tried). I’ve been on the move for most of the day so my stomach hasn’t had a chance to stop but now that everything is done and I am feeling it. I sat down and now my stomach is hurtin’.

So now that I have worked my abs out yesterday with my ab ripper and Zumba and then did Slim in 6, I was hurting. AGAIN! But it’s a good hurt. I also weighed myself today, i’m down 2.6lbs in one day. I forgot how much changing my food cleans me out! I’ve been in and out of the bathroom a lot today but it’s good. My body is getting rid of junk. At this rate I should lose 5lbs this week. Yeah! Now if I could only get my abs to stop hurting.

Getting my body back

kb29 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:36:48 +0000

So I have been doing Zumba for over a year, Belly Dance for a year and have just added P90X to my workouts. But my problem is my diet. I’ve fallen off my Atkins and really need to get back on it. SO I am. I did the Ab Ripper DVD from the P90X set and it kicked my butt!!! I didn’t like it. I am determined to master this one and move on and have abs of steel.And I want to train for a half marathon. ( I have a lot of plans don’t I?)

So here is m plan. I am giving myself a little over 3 months to get this one DVD mastered. I am going to lose 40lbs (yes I know that sounds like a lot but it’s not really for my frame), and if I can find a half marathon here in the state, do one of those. But here is the break down of what I will do during the week.

Mon

teach my Zumba class
do a P90x/Tae Bo DVD
do the Ab Ripper DVD
Walk Nala for at least 30 min
Yoga

Tues

GO to Fit Club and do a Beachbody DVD
Teach Zumba

Wed

Teach Zumba
Do a P90X/Tae Bo DVD
Ab Ripper
Belly Dance

Thurs

Yoga
Teach Zumba

Fri

Ab Ripper
walk Nala for 2 miles

The weekend will have plenty of stuff as well, a hike or walk, depending on the weather but the week is mapped out. Not bad, I think, and totally manageable. Now that it’s been written down I am committed to getting it done. Now I have to work on my diet. Going back on Atkins means that I have to watch my carbs, drink more water (which should be easy with all these extra workouts), and really paying attention to what I eat. I can do this. I know I can.

Buyer beware

kb29 — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:20:14 +0000

I teach Zumba and, as the holidays approach, I wanted to do something that would help my community. I decided to hold a Zumbathon fundraiser for my local food bank. It was simple, a dollar and 2 cans of food and you can dance. I put up flyers, told my classes, handed out leaflets, advertised all over the place. But there was a hitch. I need a sound system. So I ordered a really nice set of speakers, stands, and a cordless mic The speakers and stands came straight through Amazon but the mic was coming from an outside company. I didn’t realize that until after I had already ordered everything.

Anyways, the speakers and stands sent me an email telling me when they were shipped so I had a tracking number to see when they should arrive. Great, going just like planned. Nothing on the mics. My speakers and stands arrived one day BEFORE they were suppose to. I thought that was great, gives me more time to play with them and get used to the way they work. Still nothing on my mic. I finally sent them an email, through Amazon.com, asking what was going on with my mic. They said it was ready to ship out the next day. Then, six days later, I get an email saying that the mic was backstocked and is now something that they will no longer being carrying. But I’m getting a refund.

WHAT?!?!?!?!? How can you tell me that it’s ready to ship one day and then tell them that you don’t have it and won’t get it??!!?!?!? I was also asked, on the same day, to write a review of what I bought. I wrote a great one for the speakers and stands and told the truth about the mic. A few days later I’m sent an email, again through Amazon.com., telling me that they are very sorry for the inconvenience and frustration that they cause and would I accept a $10 gift card from Amazon.com? I wrote back saying that if I had known about them not having it I would have bought something else, instead I had to scramble to find a mic. Yes, I will take the gift card but it will NOT be used to buy anything from them.

So today they sent me an email back, with the code for the gift card and asking me to remove my post bad mouthing them. Should I? I don’t think I should, what I wrote was the truth. I will add to it and say that they fixed it by offering a gift card but that doesn’t erase what happened. What do you think, should I take back my original review or leave it?

My week

kb29 — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 05:44:32 +0000

On Monday morning I wake up and I feel good. I’m ready to go for a long walk with Nala. Maybe even take a bike ride. In the afternoon I’m ready for scocer practice and Belly Dance Practice.

Tuesday I’m ready for Fit Club and a workout that kicks my butt. Come home shower and change, hit my afternoon and then teach my Zumba class.

Wednesday< i should be sore but I feel good. I’m ready for another long wiht Nala and work and a some really good stretching and hard work during Belly Dance class after another soccer practice.

Thrusday, I may do another killer workout, take Nala for a walk, something. then it’s another killer Zumba class.

Friday I try to not do anything but it doesn’t always work, lol.

Saturday it’s Farmer’s Market, soccer game, and errands.

Sunday I try to hike.

When do I relax?