Cash Rules Everything Around Me!

This Wyclef song was a very big hit back in 2008. That was the year I decided that Janie needed to move to Madison.

I'm a tell you
Like you told me
Cash rules everything around me
Singing dollar bill y'all

So the chorus goes.......

It's a sad song. And so was the weekend that I decided to move. Not because moving was sad. But because staying was not an option. So when this song blasted in my friend's car as we visited the College, I knew I was young and needed to live it up. And I wasn't.  It took me a very long time to get over the whole college thing. I was still having dreams I was there not long ago. And I was given a "redo." You know - a "do-over?" Well - forget it.

Because I would much rather be where I am now. Leaving work and taking off my bra by 6. Getting up at 6 AM and hitting snooze a few times before hitting the gym.

Would you believe that this lady used to smoke and drink hard? But as my friend says, "I can't just have one drink." You know what?? Neither can I. And it's time I admit that.

Why waste the calories on one drink when I know I am going to booze a little? It's ok. I am ok. I am not an alcoholic. I check on with myself to make sure I am ok and will not have a hangover.

But moving on. What it's all about is photos.

These are my two nephews. Aren't they adorable? Rudolph is holding Frosty the newborn snowman. I am adamant about not exploiting children. And so that's why you will never see them.

 

Here's a photo of Tattoo Tim and Me

One of my best friends from college. She'll kill me for posting this. Oh well!

 

One of my favorite sisters.

 

 

 

My other faves!

 

Paul Simon. My Dad

 

 

Enough photos for now. Cash does not rule everything. You see, debit cards really do. And speaking of, our new dog, Beazy got spayed yesterday. And while I asked them to "trim around her eyes" They decided to trim her snout. And now our dog looks like a duck billed platypus.

 

 

Our cutie angel face and her adorable brother [Beazy is on the left].

 

She now looks like this:

 

 

Oh well! Enjoy the show, folks.

 

Tattoo Tim has started training for the ironman and I am pretty pumped about it. Stay tuned for my goals. And maybe his down the road.

 

 

Rejuvenate with the Juicer!

Well it is official. I am in love. I am totally head over heals. Obsessed. If I have not made it clear enough to you since the start of this whole blog thing - I love to be healthy. And I am in love with my juicer. I don't know what it is about it but it's just so fun. I think it combines my passions which are cooking/baking in the kitchen with my other passion of being healthy.

You can just throw together anything you want - kale, apples, lemons, cucumbers, spinach, romaine - really you name it - and drink it up!

Here is what I experimented with yesterday:

[I always have to have a lot of ice water after I run. And yes - that is my bathroom. I drink while getting rid of my Jew fro luscious curls so I can look like a WASP coastie. ]

 

This drink consisted of spinach, romaine, green apple, celery stalks, lemon and cucumber. I can't wait to force this drink into the mouths of little children. I also included the leftovers from yesterday's juice that didn't get juiced.

 

Today I did a complete fruit juice. Raspberries, green apple, clementine, lemon, and pear all juiced and delicious. I would leave out the lemon next time because it was rather tart.

 

If you look closely you can see yours truly in her bathrobe photographing the juice. Yes - I wear a bright red robe.

 

 

Tomorrow my sister LW and her son JP are flying into town. I have been talking this up to her all week long so we're going to experiment and launch a new blog called "Sister Juices." It's going to be like "Sister Wives," Only we won't be sharing a husband. Just some juicing recipes. Ok - so maybe we aren't launching a new concept together, but we will be juicing the hell out of my juicer.

 

Upon her arrival, I will be launching a real concept to her and my other sister, E & our dad, Bob who my friends in town think looks just like Paul Simon. Sorry, Dad but you do NOT look like Paul Newman. As much as you think you do.

 

Here is my dad and here is Paul Simon:

 

 

 

Bob and his girlfriends....

 

 

Paul Simon. Or is it Bob??!

 

Regardless, I think Paul Simon is more likely to take me up on my burpee challenge and my random juices.

 

Here's to hoping my next post is about the burpee challenge amongst my immediate family members....

 

Cheers! [Sound of spinach/cucumber/kale/kiwi drink clinking glasses].









Juice!

I think it was while I was watching an "Oprah" show when I still liked the show [and it was still on before she purchased the world station] when I saw Kris Carr who was diagnosed with stage IV cancer eight years ago. She was drinking this cocktail of all fruits and veggies. I always wondered what this concoction was like? I had no idea that you needed a juicer.

I get really hooked on reading anything about "whole living" or "raw foods" or healthy lifestyles. When Dateline was featuring their little story about Al Roker having a little "duty" in his underwear after his bypass surgery, he was seen drinking one of these green drinks.

"I have always wanted to drink a ton of fruits and vegetables," I told Tattoo Tim on Sunday night, 1/6/2013.

"We need a juicer for it," he told me.

"We do? I just thought we threw it in the blender." I said

"I have been wanting one," Tatoo Tim said.

"Great! I'll get one!"

And 30 minutes later, I placed our order via Williams Sonoma for this baby! A Breville Juice Fountain Plus.

 

On 1/10/2013, it was here!

My new hobby!

 

 

Not only have I been juicing, I've been reading, researching and even literally dreaming about this thing. Honest to God, I had a dream about my beloved juicer last night.

 

First I watched a documentary called Fat Sick and Almost Dead. Joe Cross was 309 pounds when he juiced for 60 days and shed some major pounds. The documentary style is nothing more than a Michael Moore film. There are two things I really loved about the film.

 

1) Joe Cross is a very successful Australian businessman and he goes out of his way to help others. He's simply a really nice dude. He could be a cocky a-hole but he's not.

 

2) He helps a 429 pound obese truck driver completely redo his lifestyle and it made me think a little differently about obese people.

 

The other thing I love about my Breville Juice Fountain Plus is that coincidentally, this is the juicer Joe Cross uses in the film.

 

While I do not need to do a juice fast, I feel better about loading up on all these nutrients. I am always focused on getting the recommended fruit/veggie serving, there's nothing like drinking a glass full of spinach, kale, apples and pears. And it tastes good.

 

I'm still experimenting with various combos. I am currently sipping on a kale/apple/carrot blend.

 

 

Oh Yummy! I can't wait to make my dad try this!

 

 

 

And I had a juicing crisis on day 2. My food pusher got jammed and I could not get it out. After doing a lot of online research, I found the best way to get it out is to call a man. Now while this goes against one of my original rules, I like to do things fast. [Tim was out of town, by the way]. My girlfriend came over and tried peanut butter and warm soapy water. She had another idea while I dialed a dude and he came over and pulled it apart in 5 seconds. So the moral of this story is to rely on a man when needed for handy work. They were both rewarded with a carrot/pear/apple juice from the Breville and a homemade lemon square made by yours truly.

 

My life sure is exciting these days, isn't it? So now that I have posted twice in 2013 [!], I really, really hope I have inspired you to eat your fruits and veggies and get your heart rate up.

 

Once my family is up for it, I am going to hit them up for a burpee challenge. An idea I got from a friend!

 

 



Janie is STILL in Madison, Wisconsin

Four and a half years later, Janie is still in Madison.

Here are the top ten reasons I love it:

1) It's a University town which means we have a decent amount of jobs.

2) I can take the bus to work for free.
3) Taking the bus means I hardly ever have to get gasoline!
4) It's a runner's town

[This race was on 1/1/13 at about 7 degrees. I don't know these dudes]

5) Madison is so compact. Even if you do need to drive somewhere, it's close and we have NO traffic. [C'mon you natives and quit complaining! I lived in Boston, people!] 6) People embrace all things outdoors - even in the winter!

[Bet you didn't know I am a HUGE hunter!]

7) There are dog parks everywhere.

And snow shoeing rocks!

8) B-Cycle. Even this scaredy cat has biked to and from work on Trek's bike.
9) All restaurants I frequent source to local farmers = less globalization. Keep the bill here, people. And I am eating real food.
10) There is just SO much to do here and it's all so easy to get to.

So I discovered during our 2012 blizzard that I couldn't run outside.

See our lovely capitol during the blizzard? Yes, I was outside!

What's this little runner girl to do? Our new building has no gym! So I walked over to the gym that was open thanks to the man who slept on a massage table with his dog to ensure they would be open and joined!

And now that it is a new year, I am sure YOU are reading this [all 12 of you], setting your 2013 resolutions.

While I don't recommend going from 0 - 60, I will give you my diet/exercise tips.

Here I am now:

[Photo courtesy of  MEG]

And I decided not to post a fat photo of me from college which I like to block out. And by fat, I was like "average."

But you need to start somewhere. Burgers and french fries with some desserts just aren't going to cut it. So I still wonder all of the time how so many obese people allow themselves to get where they are. And not just obese people, but people with bad genes who are overweight.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how I feel after I run. Don't you feel good after you exercise?

The formula is so easy. Eat right and exercise. If you aren't exercising, choose something - anything to do. Anything that sounds fun. Even if it's a walk outside for 30 minutes every day. Do you get a minimum of five fruits and veggies a day? Add that in. That's a start. Give it a try. It's that simple.

If you aren't exercising/eating fruits and veggies a day, I want to know why. Wouldn't you rather have energy and feel good?