So I watched the "biggest loser" today, and while I love watching that show, I always feel like a lazy ass (0r maybe a lazy tyranical cat, like in the picture). I mean those people work their butts off, and are super disappointed if they only lose 5 pounds. Man, five pounds a week for me is like. . .fist pumping, super amazing make me feel like a bad ass weight loss. So motivated by the biggest loser I turned my t.v. to the exercise channel and got to work with Jillian Micheal's and cardiokye. By the end of it I felt pretty good and Jillian Micheal's workouts are tough!! I'd hate to be put through that five or six hours a day!! The cardioky was pretty cool and the kids got really into it. I guess in the end it's just another way to put off the inevitable. . .horrid, blinding amounts of school work. I wish there was a t.v. show that helped me out with that!!

Where in the world did Summer go?

Cow what? That's right, cowpots!

Things are coming down to he wire now, and instead of the frantic, desperate feelings I should be having, I'm simply in a state of denial. Or maybe it's Zen. But if it is Zen, it feels like I'm just feeling alright with my ability to put off doing some very important things. Or, maybe it's spring. I'm loving spring this year. My daughter really wants a garden, and since I'll buy into anything, especially if it has the word green, sustainable, or environmentally sound in it, we are planting one.

Now I have a serious black thumb. I can't even get the simplest of houseplants to grow! But, despite this deficiency I have decided to carry on with enthusiasm. We planted some heirloom tomatoes seeds in pots made out of cow poop this weekend, and I spend waaaay more time than I'd like to admit watching the soil for signs of seedlings. Here's hoping my black thumb doesn't ruin my daughters garden!!

It snowed in Santa Fe today, and the weather is miserable. I wore a skirt and flip flops this morning thinking, optimistically that it would clear up and be beautiful. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN!! In fact as I was futilely trying to insert a dollar outside the flying star, big chunks of ice from the roof were falling down all around me! My toes were numb and my leggings were soaked. The good news is, that despite my misery, the environment is soaking up all this moisture and we will hopefully have a respite from a dry, moisture

sucking summer!! So, while I may not like the temperature, the

freezing rain, or anything else about this cold, windy, terrible April,

The New Mexico environment loves it. Happy Earth week, we're

planting heirloom tomato seeds in earth friendly pots this weekend

to celebrate!!

Ahh. . .The horror of the end of the semester.

The end of the semester is upon me, and the accumulation of all the information that has been rammed into my head for the last few months is coming. For such a momentous occasion, each teacher has demanded a paper, and a test and a power point presentation. Now, I love school. Being able to leave a class and have a in intense knowledge of something that others don't have is very satisfying in a self absorbed, egocentric way. But I HATE that each teacher demands so much all at the same time. And I hate that my almost perfect GPA might be compromised because there is sooo much on my plate it's hard to make sure all of it is perfect. I feel like that little shrimp in the Little Mermaid that gets eaten by the sea witch Ursula. Ursula is school and kids and everything else, while I cower in the corner and try to survive without being devoured!!

The laziness is upon me!

So the end of the school year is near, and while I relish getting good grades, I often loose momentum around April. This has adverse effects on my school work, but this year it seems really exaggerated. I have huge projects for almost every single class and have yet to start one in earnest! I've made mild attempts at them, but it is time to buckle down and get them done!! I have two rough drafts due next week and a presentation that is due in a few weeks. I'll do them, because I want to graduate more than anything I've ever wanted in my life. It's just a ton of tedious hard work. I'm off to the grocery store. I feel like this guy today!!

Hiking again. .. and plastic surgery

I took the kids hiking to Atalaya, and I took the dog as well. We had an awesome trip, but I can never remember which way to go, or how to get to the top, so in the end we ended up hiking for a few miles and then deviating from the trail to do one of my favorite hikes near Santa Fe. This place I have originally named the rock, because. . .it's a really big rock that one must scramble up the side of the mountain to get to. By the end the dog was hot, Owen was panting and my poor legs, just recently recovered from the Grand Canyon were a little tired. But the view from the rock was absolutely spectacular. And after a sandwich and an apple Owen was ready to trek to the top of the hill. Binty as usual was a trooper and wasn't winded at all!

There are multiple points to this story, first my kids are super cool and I think it's awesome that they are so into the outdoors. Second, and maybe less obvious is that I'm pretty happy with my body, the fact that I can do these things, and that although not perfect, it's pretty nice. Now where does this come from you may ask? Well the truth is that there is a certain quasi celebrity that has had copious amounts of surgery recently, and while she looks just like my daughters barbie dolls, I have a feeling she won't ever be satisfied with who she is, and she has sacrificed her ability to hug and exercise!! Yuck, poor girl. And I kind of feel sorry for every other person out there who looks great, but feels the need and social pressure to change their appearance to fit what America feels is beautiful. So if you're reading this embrace who you are and enjoy the strength and vitality that nature allows you!