Adventures of The Suburban Ninja

2012-02-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted. Life has been interesting, to say the least. I'm working at Earth Fare, a healthy grocery chain, and that has been fine. After the excitement of Christmas and New Years, the T-Rex and I began seriously looking at houses to buy our first home. We found one we liked, and on January 8th we met with a realtor to submit our bid. Unfortunately, when my husband arrived at work on the 10th, he'd been informed that he was no longer employed. We withdrew our bid on the house, and began an earnest search for a new job. Things weren't looking in our favor yet. Our lease to the apartment expired February 17th, and it cost way too much for us to afford to renew for another year. I don't make enough on part-time hours to be of any value but keep the debt collectors at bay. Thankfully my brother-in-law and his wife were gracious enough to share their home with us, so we're not out cold on the street, but it's still not been easy. I know it's particularly difficult for my husband...no one seems to be hiring his line of work, or looking for someone with more experience. I've been hoping and praying something comes along soon. Unfortunately the cut in our expenses means no time at the range. We have to scrimp and save and cut corners where we can, and sadly, that had to go. We treated ourselves to a dinner date out tonight, because we needed it. Poor T-Rex hadn't been away from the house for three days. A person can go crazy like that.

2011-12-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine had been volunteering at one of the resource centers, working with families on welfare just after the reform, explaining the changes to the system. My friend had a very frustrating job, as she saw a lot of apathy and lack of motivation. She asked her mentor what she could do to get people to be proactive, to be responsible. Her mentor replied: "The one thing, the greatest thing you can do for them to encourage them to be more responsible is to give them responsibility."

The problem is, people rebel against responsibility. It's so much easier to have someone do the work for us, to be handed everything we want. So when it comes time to actually have to work, we are psychologically unable to. We live in a very spoiled world. Coming from just being spoiled with many nice gifts at Christmas, I want to make sure I stay focused on what's important. I like to think of myself as responsible; I understand the value of a job, no matter how difficult or laborious, a job is work, and the result of my hard work is money with which I can buy food, provide shelter, and clothing. I didn't need a Kindle, or a fancy new camera, or a few dozen ice cube trays. These are things I wanted, of course, and I am very grateful to have them, but my survival does not depend on whether I have these items or not. I want to go to Disney World again, but no one is going to just hand me the thousand dollars that is required to go. I need to work, to earn money, to save for the things I want. I'm not going to apply for welfare, I'm going to apply for jobs. I don't have all the answers; I only know that I observe more and more people expecting someone else to do all the work for them, relying on handouts from the government, becoming apathetic, unmotivated to work. That is very dangerous, spreading dependency rather than responsibility.

2011-12-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! We had a very good Christmas in our household. I posted earlier that T-Rex and I had given each other guns for Christmas, which we bought in November. The gifts didn't end there! I also gave T-Rex an Asian-inspired gong wind chime and some reloading accessories. He bought me a Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner and a metal S&W sign. We were spoiled by extended families too, with a new Leatherman skeletool, a new wallet, and digital meat thermometer for T-Rex. I received ice cube trays (I collect them), a pastry cloth, and gift cards. My parents also gave us shelves for storage (since our apartment is lacking in pantry space). From my in-laws we each received a Kindle Fire, I got a new camera, and T-Rex got his Lee reloading kit. That long list doesn't even cover the stocking stuffers we both received. We are very very spoiled.
Today we're both home, so T-Rex is busy setting up his reloading press, eager to make ammo, while I clean up and put things away. It's nice to have a quiet day at home before heading back into the work week.

Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo

2011-12-20T07:21:00.001-08:00

Here is what Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo means:

Shikin
A greeting, sensation of harmony, perceived by the heart.

Haramitsu
Wisdom from courage and effort fosters sincerity, loyalty and faithfulness.

Daikomyo
Bring respect and reliance, illumination from the inside to the outside.

Taken together,
Every encounter is sacred and could present the one potential key to the
perfection of the great universal enlightenment we seek.

14-Point Code for Powerful Living

2011-12-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

I protect life and health,
I avoid violence whenever possible.
I respect the property and space of all,
I avoid taking what has not been offered.
I develop signiﬁ cant relationships,
I avoid abusing others for selﬁ sh gain.
I thoughtfully express the truth,
I avoid the confusion of dishonest words.
I cultivate a positive attitude, a healthy body and a clear mind,
I avoid whatever would reduce my physical or mental well-being.
I communicate health, happiness and peace of mind to everyone I meet,
I avoid violent, disturbing, and unduly critical speech.
I promote harmony and positive momentum to bring the best in everyone,
I avoid causing alienation, doubt, and division among others.
I encourage all to speak purposefully from the heart,
I avoid the dull contentment of gossip and small talk.
I am as enthusiastic about others fulﬁ llment as I am about my own,
I avoid treating others’ successes as the cause of my lacks.
I promote the enjoyment of life, and encourage others with my smile,
I avoid setting myself against the world.
I promote the search for personal realization of truth,
I avoid the seductive comforts of narrow-mindedness.
I accomplish what must be done in a timely and effective way,
I avoid putting off doing that which will beneﬁ t me and my world today.
I strive to be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind,
I avoid the negative effects of worry, doubt, and regret.
I work to build love, happiness, and loyalty among all members of my family,
I avoid putting temporary personal beneﬁ t ahead of the welfare of those I love.

2011-12-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

Mr. Bain brings up a good point that our government is causing us to be "apathetic about this kind of thing while they take away your rights one at a time." No matter what the legislative issue is, everything that's come out of the government has been taking away our rights one at a time...and no one really seems to know or care...and that's what scares me the most.

The next American Revolution might very well be a civil war.

2011-12-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

When I worked as a nurse aide, I'd occasionally come across a resident whose hands had become closed into clenched fists. As an aide, it was my job to clean those hands, to get under and in between the fingers, and to make sure there were no sores on the palms. It was painful, I know it had to be so painful for the resident to stretch those arthritic joints. I think keeping a closed mind is much the same way. When we get set in our ways and refuse to see things differently, our minds are like those clenched fists. Then, when we need to open our minds, it's painful, it's difficult to let go. We need to learn to keep our minds supple, to see every angle, to step back and distance ourselves from the situation, so we can approach it better. I've heard it said there are always two sides to an argument. Can we also find a third?

2011-12-14T06:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all those who currently serve or have served our country. Thank you.

2011-12-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

On this rainy, dreary Monday, I took some time to look up some of my favorite entertainment. Gilbert Gnarley - "That's G N A R L E Y." Earl Pitts - "Wake up, America!" Riley Gert of the U.S. Senseless Survey. The Synonymous Bengal, and the soap opera All My Bengals. I miss hearing Gary Burbank and his cast of characters on the radio. I listened in to the radio program on 700 WLW when Gary signed off for the last time, and I cried, knowing radio would never be the same without him. I sure hope he's enjoying retirement.

Friday Morning Musings

2011-12-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

I know this has probably been around much longer than I've known about it, but I'm linking to it anyway, because I find the list amusing: AK vs. AR vs. Mosin Nagant http://62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinHumor.htm

In other news, there's a story about a clerk who fatally shoots a robber (http://www.wkrn.com/story/16161311/clerk-fatally-shoots-robbery-suspect-claims-self-defense), and the inevitable bias and comments follow: The guy had an extensive record, pulled a knife, and jumped the counter, but we aren't sure it was REALLY self defense.
"I know this young man!! I wish you did too! Your opinion would be changed in a matter of minutes... He was a very nice young man looking for his way in life. Took custody of 2 siblings at the age of 21.. Don't say anything if you don't know what you are talking about. They don't tell you that or the wonderful things he did for others."
I'm sorry. I don't care who you are, or how good you were to others, everyone knows that robbing others and threatening others with a knife is BAD.
Therefore, if you're going to do BAD things to me, then you're going to get shot.
It's simple.

Unfortunately, they keep saying "Oh, you've never made a mistake?"
Yeah, one time I accidentally went into a store, pulled a gun, and robbed them. Whoops!
What happened to good common sense and the knowledge between what's good and what's bad?

2011-12-01T06:02:00.000-08:00

Made it through one holiday, now it's time to make it through December! We have a new addition to our family, sweet Sofie.

Needless to say, she's been keeping us busy! She's a great sheltie though, very low-key and quiet. She does have boundless energy, which has been good to get me motivated for walking (especially helpful on days of blah weather). Sofie will be six months old tomorrow, so she's still a baby, but she probably won't get too much bigger than she is now. Our three cats are still getting used to having her around, but they've adapted remarkably well.

At the top is Tacticus, in the middle is Blade, and ruling over all is Rukia. I think our family is finally the right size. We have a fish too, a beta...but he doesn't take much room. I love my little family! I especially love my husband, who puts up with all of us!

2011-11-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

I'm kinda bumming. I had to work last weekend, and this weekend brings holiday gatherings out of town. No time for hitting the range for some target practice. My husband bought me a new 9 mm XDM for Christmas, and I want to go play! Of course, that doesn't stop me from dry-firing and practicing my aim. He's been having fun with his Rock Island Tactical 1911 45 ACP that I got him for Christmas. When we went to the range after we got our new toys, I got to try his gun, and I found that I liked it a lot. It shoots unlike the XDM, the recoil was different. In a good way, though. It's more of a hard push than a sharp snap. I need to learn to not focus on controlling the recoil but controlling my aim. T-Rex told me the best way to practice my aim was dry-firing at a point, and holding my gun as still as I could when I pulled the trigger. I'm anxious to get back to the range to see if I have any improvement.
We've been researching holsters lately too, we both need a good one for our guns. I'm hoping I can get used to IWB carry, because it's ideal for conceal carry. I mean, right now I carry concealed off-person, but there are drawbacks to that. I've got a full size XDM, so it's a little big, but I'm hoping with a good holster and some playing around, I can get it situated just right...otherwise, I'll probably get something a little smaller, and use the XDM for back-up.
I thought I should mention that I wish everyone a happy, healthy Thanksgiving, may you have many blessings to be thankful for. I know I sure do.

"Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back!" - Captain Mal, Firefly

2011-11-15T05:08:00.000-08:00

I've been introducing my family into the world of gun ownership and why I feel the need to own such. I think my mom is accepting it a lot easier than my dad, of course I've eased her into the idea, and my dad has just only found out that I do in fact own guns, and have my conceal carry license, and that I do, in fact, carry. I have agreed, out of respect of their wishes, to not carry in their home. It all comes down to the fact that they fear guns will be used for evil purposes instead of good. I can understand that fear, because that's the same fear of guns that has driven me to understand the mechanics of a gun, learning to shoot, and learn to use it as a tool of defense, to include of my arsenal of self-defense knowledge.
I'm the least confrontational person I know. My fight or flight response is complete avoidance, if possible. It takes a lot to make me angry, and even more to get me to react with violence. (I won't say I've never reacted with violence in anger, because that's just not true. There are ways of pushing my buttons.) My intentions for having a gun is definitely for good purposes. I'm not going to shoot every person doing something wrong - if you want my money, fine, take it, it's replaceable. Human life is not. No physical harm will come to me or to those I love without bullets put into you at a high rate of speed.
I try to explain the rationale like it was once explained to me: the gun is a tool. It will not work unless you manipulate the tool. A car is a tool. It will not work unless you manipulate the tool. Why you manipulate the tool, i.e., your intentions for use, is more fearsome than the tool itself. When you're behind the wheel of your car, you're in control. You know what you are doing, where you are going, and how to stay safe. What you don't have control of is other drivers. You need to be aware of what they are doing, so that no harm can come to you and the passengers of your vehicle. Having a gun, and being responsible with it, is very similar. When you're behind the gun, you are in control. You need to know what you are doing, where you are aiming, and how to stay safe. What you don't have control of is other people. You need to be aware of what they are doing, so that they will not harm you or others.
The world is a crazy place, and it's only getting crazier. I want to be prepared for anything that could happen. I just hope that my family can understand, and feel a little safer knowing I'm prepared.

Merry Christmas...a little early

2011-11-13T16:08:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, T-Rex and I agreed that the only gifts we'd give each other were new guns. We'd been researching handguns to find me a satisfactory conceal carry piece. I'd been favoring the Springfield XD line, but didn't know what caliber or whether to go standard size, compact, or sub-compact. T-Rex has been lusting after a 1911 for the past ten years. There's a store not too far from where we live, called Olde English Outfitters, and we went there to check things out. We ended up buying both guns on Saturday.

I settled on the Springfield XDM 9mm on the left, and T-Rex found a Rock Island Tactical .45 ACP 1911. We got to play with the new machines at Spring Valley shooting range, and both were found very pleasing. The full size XDM might be a little large for concealing on my person, but I'm a bigger girl, and with the right holster, I bet I can get it to sit comfortably. I currently use a bag designed for carry, and I'm getting comfortable using that. There are some negative downsides to off-body carry, so eventually I'll find a good holster. Being a newbie, I'm always open to suggestions from folks with more experience.

2011-11-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

I'm a fan of revolvers, especially since my first gun was a Smith and Wesson .38 Special CTG. I'm also a fan of my second amendment right to bear arms. The sign below is one of my favorites, and I'm asking for one for Christmas:

The first gun I ever bought my husband was a Mosin Nagant rifle, and restoring that old machine has carved out a niche in my heart, so I have a special fondness for Mosins. The only difference is these are hex receiver and ours is round. They changed to round in 1935-36 because it was faster to make. In light of all the "Occupy Wall Street" protests:

My husband and I frequently discuss our plan for protecting our property in the even of a mob or zombie attack in our area. I need to work on my sniper skills.

For Larry Correia and Robison Wells

2011-11-08T04:51:00.000-08:00

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Larry Correia

Mark your calender. On Thursday, November 10th, I’m going to book bomb somebody, and not only that, I’m going to ask all of you for help spread the word because this particular author is in dire need of a boost.

I’ve already plugged Variant by Robison Wells once before. I know many of you read it and liked it. Rob is a friend of mine and a member of Writer Nerd Game Night. Variant is an excellent read, sort of a sci-fi take on Lord of the Flies with a twist, and don’t just take my word for it, it made the Publisher’s Weekly list of the top books of the year. (which is quite the honor, despite PW hating Hard Magic and giving it a sloppy review that made it obvious their lazy ass reviewer only read the first 1/4 of the book. Ultra good Grimnoir and ultra evil Imperium my ass)

But I digress. Variant was one of the best books I’ve read this year. I stayed up late to read it in one sitting.

Normally I wouldn’t bomb the same book again, but Rob is also going through a really tough time. A little while ago he was diagnosed with a severe panic disorder. Basically, something in his brain chemistry has gone out of whack, and his fight or flight reflex is constantly switched on. As a result this has really screwed up his life. He has been trying to get it under control and his doctors have been experimenting with different treatments trying to find the one that will click.

Recently, Rob was laid off from his day job as a result of his illness. This is a real financial hardship for him and his family.

What many people don’t realize about writers is that we keep our day jobs until we have about five or six books in circulation, and sometimes longer depending on how well they are selling. Writing isn’t the most steady of paychecks. (I’m doing well enough now that I could just be a writer, but I happen to love my day job, so I plan on doing it for probably another year). You’ve got to earn back the advance and even then you only get paid every six months. Variant is Rob’s first book on the national market. He had a ways to go before he would be able to quit the day job, but his illness totally wrecked that plan.

So I want to book bomb the HELL out of Variant. I want to shove that thing up the bestseller lists on Amazon and I want to give my friend a hand.

What is a book bomb? Well, Amazon has its own bestseller list. It is calculated hourly and you are given a sales rank based up on how you stack up against the other six million books on there. It is some sort of strange rolling average algorhythm, but what it comes down to is, the more books that are purchased during that particular time frame, the higher you rank. The higher you rank, the more of their top 50 or top 10 lists you show up on. The more of those you show up on, the higher you go, the more attention you get, the more books you sell.

By getting as many people as possible to purchase the book on a single day, it really kicks a book up the rankings.

So mark your calenders, this Thurday the 10th.
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=monshuntnati-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0062026089&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

If you were planning on buying a book anyway, I highly recommend Variant. I recommended it before its author fell on really hard times. Unlike most of my stuff, it is appropriate for adults and teenagers. My 11 and 9 year olds have both read it and really liked it, but they read grown up books anyway. So it makes a good Christmas present. Even the lovely Mrs. Correia really liked Variant, and she is the toughest critic I know.

If you’ve got a blog, I’d like to ask a favor and please post about this. Rob is a good dude and needs a hand. And you get an awesome book out of the deal.

I’ll put up another post on Thursday linking to some reviews.

EDIT: And here is Rob’s blog, http://www.robisonwells.com/ He doesn’t know I’m doing this yet.

2011-10-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's fall in Ohio...though I'm afraid it's the year where we missed spring and we're going to miss fall, that it might go straight into winter. It's been raining and turning colder. I heard that Colorado already has seen the first snowfall of the winter, and the New England states could also be facing some snow soon. I hope it doesn't snow yet. I'm ready for some nice weekends so I can get out to Spring Valley Shooting range for some target practice before the winter sets in.

2011-10-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

So there's not much being said about the Occupy Wall Street Protests anymore, mostly because I think people have wised up to the fact that the protesters weren't very well organized. Recently I read an article by Dave Ramsey concerning the protesters and their message. I liked one paragraph in particular:
‎"This is the greatest country on the planet, but even here, you’re not guaranteed wealth, talent, fame, a full head of hair or six-pack abs. Those things are not in the Constitution. You are, however, guaranteed the freedom to make your life what you want it to be. And when you do that, when you build your life around your dreams and passions and hard work, you’re guaranteed the right to keep it. No one has the right to take it away from you." Dave Ramsey, http://www.daveramsey.com/article/dear-occupy-wall-street/lifeandmoney_economy/

2011-10-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

I turn thirty tomorrow. Yup, the big 3-0. So this weekend, I've reverted back to childhood. Yesterday, the hubby and I went to Young's Jersey Dairy and enjoyed huge ice cream sundaes. Today, we built a blanket fort in the family room. It was great. T-Rex said I could choose what we did this weekend, being near my birthday and all, so in just a few minutes I'm making him take me to the range for some pew pew pewing. Shooting, that is. Gotta work on those skills. T-Rex introduced me to the imaginative worlds of Larry Correia, and I've quickly become a fan of his work and agree with a lot of what he says on his blog, Monster Hunter Nation. Having stayed up until 3:00 AM reading the third book in the Monster Hunter International series last night, I'm so in the mood to hear the pops, bangs and booms of the firing line. I've got such a wicked smile on my face right now.

belated honeymoon

2011-10-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well hello there. I haven't updated in a while, but I've been out of town and busy searching for a new job. At the end of September my husband and I went to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, finally getting a chance to celebrate our honeymoon with a fantastic vacation.

at the Magic Kingdom

at Hollywood Studios

at Animal Kingdom

at Epcot

hanging out with Chip and Dale at the Magic Kingdom

peace versus gun control: vote for peace!

2011-09-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

"The first thing I ask “peaceniks” who advocate gun control: Are you planning on voting to send armed government officials out as your agents to seize guns and kill those who refuse to comply? How can you be in favor of ‘peace” and send out armed thugs to do your political will? You are not a pacifist. You are merely squeamish, and want someone else to murder others for you." - Kristopher

"I think that people want peace so much that one of these days government had better get out of their way and let them have it." - Dwight Eisenhower

"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent." - Mahatma Gandhi

“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

I post these quotes, not because I don't have an original thought, but because who am I, when these men are well known, and have the same thought? I used to fear guns. I hated them. Then, I took a gun disarm seminar at my martial art school. I panicked, I freaked out. My sensei pulled me aside and said to me, "You don't have to fear guns. A gun is just a tool, like a hammer. Fear the person using the tool." I have since learned about guns, made my peace with the tool, and use it. I make the equation that a gun is like a car. So many people drive cars. When you drive anywhere, you watch out for foolish drivers - when you use a gun, you watch out for other people who use their guns foolishly. Those who drive in a destructive, negligent way or cause harm to others suffer the consequences of their actions, the laws help protect the law-abiding drivers. Shouldn't gun control be the same way? Gun control should be laws to protect those of us who are law-abiding gun owners, not the other way around.

2011-08-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been so well on the meditation lately. I've been distracted...but in a good way. My husband and I recently acquired a new "pride and joy," a Russian Mosin-Nagant 91/30. It's a beautiful rifle, and we've been busy cleaning off all the cosmoline that it's covered in. There are so many different ways put out there about cleaning cosmoline grease off a Mosin, but we used Simple Green on the metal bits by spraying them and scrubbing them, then soaking them in the stuff. That worked. For the stock, we used Murphy's Oil Soap and some good elbow grease. I don't know how well that gets all the cosmoline out, but it got it off, and right now that's all we're interested in. When we take the gun to the range, I'm sure as it's fired it will heat up and some grease will leak, so we'll take a rag to wipe off the grease. A lot of people will stick the stock in a black garbage bag in their car so it heats up and get the grease out that way, which is probably what we'll do if we have many cosmoline issues. But right now, it's just a beautiful rifle and we're both very excited to add it to our collection.

2011-08-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

The weather has been really nice the past couple of days, so we've got the windows open and enjoying the fresh air. I've got my tank top on, and I've been enjoying some Walt Disney World Resort background music playing over our sound system. It's been very nice and relaxing. Music is sometimes helpful to focus on when you have trouble focusing thoughts, but make sure that if you are meditating with music, it's instrumental and softly playing in the background, because you don't want it to distract or overpower your thoughts. At least, this is true for me. “The active listening to music evokes such raw positive emotions likely in part due to the release of endorphins, part of that mind-heart connection that we yearn to learn so much more about. Needless to say, these results were music to my ears because they signal another preventive strategy that we may incorporate in our daily lives to promote heart health.” To quote Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center. So go ahead, put on some happy, joyful music, and get healthy!

2011-07-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

This peaceful spot is at a park near where I live. There's a small waterfall just out of frame to the lower right, and the soft trickle of water makes it very relaxing to sit and listen to the sounds of nature around you. Unfortunately it is also in a rather popular part of the park, so passers-by are common. Ideal for a restful stop, but not great for meditation. Still, a great scene to imagine in your head while you're trying to pull together your thoughts!

2011-07-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm finally feeling better! Still having a rough time making time for meditation. A good friend and teacher shared a video link with me, The Welcoming: Coming Home, by Michael Stillwater. It's a peaceful, relaxing ten minute guided meditation that helps to refresh. As LeVar Burton used to say on "Reading Rainbow," you don't have to take my word for it.

2011-07-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

Ugh, what a week. I have had back pain and tension headaches that make me nauseous all week. I was ready for a break today, though I still have some minor aches. Today I did another walking meditation, because it was definitely much easier and more soothing. I still can't focus like I wish I could. My mind keeps wandering...mostly to my husband and how he's been wonderful but going through his own stuff, and weekend plans to go to Bowling Green for a friend's son's birthday party, and everything I need to do that didn't get done because I've felt so bad lately. Blah. I am having the most difficult time trying to focus! Today I used a counting exercise to try to focus. I would count after each set of breaths - inhale, exhale, one, inhale, exhale, two...and so forth - until I get to ten. Every time I had a thought besides breathing or counting, I acknowledged it, let it go, and started over at one. The highest I'd get before I'd have to start over was four. Definitely still working on that exercise.

Walking Meditation

2011-07-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't done very well with my daily meditations this month. I will admit that it's because I fill my time with other things and mainly stay, well, distracted. Today, however, I got back on track. The last couple of weeks I've been suffering from lower back pain, and I'm not sure what caused it. Today it bothers me so much that I can't sit still for very long, much less in one position. So today I tried walking meditation. I'm still not good at focusing my thoughts, especially when I've got pain to distract me. I walked a figure eight track in our living room, just focusing on breathing with my steps - inhale, step left leg, exhale, step right leg. It didn't help much, but I think I just kept getting distracted. I gotta do better about focusing my thoughts.

2011-07-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today I meditated while riding my bike. It was actually quite refreshing, despite the summer heat. I don't drive due to a medical issue, and I needed to run to the grocery for some eggs. So I hopped on my bike and made my way to the store. We live in a relatively busy area, so I much prefer meandering through the neighborhoods than riding along the busy thoroughfare. When I turned into one neighborhood, I focused my thoughts and energy on pedaling. I took up a nice, methodical pace, and just entered "the zone." I was still aware of my surroundings, paying attention to traffic and what was around me, but I was very relaxed just focusing on even pedaling. No thoughts except for the action of pedaling. If I started thinking about how much I hate the heat or how my legs hurt, I'd quickly dismiss it and resume thinking of pushing my legs. I matched my breathing with the movement of my legs: exhale as I pushed with my right leg, inhale as I pushed with my left leg. The exercise was wonderful, the meditation helped clear my mind, and I definitely felt like I had more energy today.

2011-06-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today's meditation was a challenge. I attribute it to so much going on and a lack of sleep. It became an exercise of focus. I focused on my breathing, thinking "Here" on the inhale and "Now" on the exhale. I learned this technique from my sensei. My mind just wouldn't stay focused enough to relax into a deeper meditation. An hour meditation trying to focus my breathing is a good start for the first day.

New Beginnings

2011-06-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

How appropriate that I found this old blog at this time of my life. I began my job at Trinity just after the beginning of establishing the blog, and today I have ended my career at Trinity. I needed to make some serious lifestyle changes for my health, and a career change was encouraged in the course of action. So the next several months will be key for success of the treatment. It's sort of an experiment, of sorts. I like to say that I'm on the road to wellness. I think it sounds better than to say that I quit my job for an experiment.
So in the name of new beginnings and new discoveries, I think I'm going to start taking this online journal in a new direction. With the guidance of some very wise friends, I'm going to really dedicate myself to the discovery of self through meditation. This blog, therefore, will be a sounding board for the journey my thoughts lead me on during my meditations. That way, it's less of a "What I Did on the Weekend" and more of a thought provoking conversational piece. Maybe I'll be more inclined to keep up with it.

2010-11-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

So a couple days ago, T-Rex and I celebrated the release of the new Harry Potter movie by making butterbeer. For those Harry Potter enthusiasts, you know that butterbeer is one of the popular drinks in the wizarding world. We found a simple recipe here: http://bakingdom.blogspot.com/2010/11/butterbeer-oh-yeah-butterbeer.html

I also found a butterbeer cupcake recipe, which I might convince my friends at Manna Cupcake Cafe (http://mannacupcake.com/) to try: http://amybites.com/?p=623
Sorry for all the links, but I want to give proper credit where credit is due.

I'm back! With adventures of our covered bridge tour.

2010-11-22T17:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very good at the up-keep of my blog, and I'm sorry to any readers who may have wondered if we've dropped off the face of the earth. I did warn that I'm horrible at keeping up to date with journals and blogs and all that! At any rate, I've been reminded recently that I do have a blog to keep up with, and so I shall share pictures and info from our recent covered bridge tour.

This first bridge is in Germantown, built in 1865 by David H. Morrison. It's design is a wooden suspension bridge that uses an eye bar chain as the main support member. It represents an important transition between the wooden truss covered bridge and the iron truss bridge.

Brubaker Covered Bridge was built over Sam's Run in 1887 by Everett S. Sherman. This 88 foot bridge is near Gratis.

This interesting steel bridge is the Pegram Through Truss, the only bridge of its type still standing in Ohio. This unusual truss type was developed in 1887 by George H. Pegram, a consulting engineer. The goal was to create the most efficient truss with maximum strength, while using a minimum of material.

The Roberts Covered Bridge in Eaton was built in 1829. It is Ohio's only remaining example of the once common two-barreled or double "wagon-way" bridge.

The Christman Covered Bridge is a 100 foot Childs truss built in 1895 by Everett Sherman.

Ok, the bridge above is not a covered bridge, but the Price Creek Concrete Bridge is notable as an early twentieth century reinforced concrete structure. Since concrete was a new material in the early decades of the century, the unknown designer of this bridge took the conservative and "safe" approach of following a long-established structural form, recommended as the best design for arches to create uniform loading. Due to the low roadway on either side, the bridge creates a striking high arch.

This also is not a covered bridge, but a private home somewhere in Lewisburg. I took a picture because I loved the gargoyles by the stairs!

It was a fun drive out in Preble County, the tour directions and bridge information originally developed by Ron Jones, tour director, gotten from http://www.oldohiobridges.com/.

It's amazing how fast a year goes by, and how busy our lives can be. I hope to be better keeping up with our adventures!

2010-05-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Whew, I survived until Friday. My new job has hours that are taking some getting used to. I have never had to be at a job so early as I have now, but I like the perk of getting off work early in the afternoon. It gives me plenty of time to get to training in the evening. I was only able to go once this week, though, as I still have to watch my gas budget as well as adjust to the work. It's been good, though.
I am really glad it's the weekend and one that I am off. T-Rex and I have plans for Saturday, but first I'm just excited to be able to sleep in for a couple days!

anger management for dreams

2010-05-12T02:11:00.000-07:00

I woke up absolutely furious at a few people this morning. All because of a dream. I don't recall all the details, but it was at our old house, on Creekwood Lane. My family was there, mom, dad, brother, sister, and an aunt and uncle. We were starting dinner when guests started arriving for a community meeting. I don't remember why, but my dad started getting really mad at me, and created a scene by losing his temper. Then he tried goading me, so no one was taking me seriously. It made me upset that I had a legitimate issue and no one seemed to care. Then, to make matters worse, my sister took a bottle of ranch salad dressing and poured it on my head. I am not a violent person, but in my dream I turned around and slapped her hard. Then I went upstairs to shower myself with cherry coke (to remove the dressing? I don't know why) and leave. I tried to find my mom, to find out why she didn't help me and why things had gotten so horrible, but she had slipped away to avoid more confrontation. Instead I found my husband, and I was furious at him for not helping me. I climbed into his red truck and demanded he drive me home. He was very apologetic in my dream but I was having none of it...and then my alarm went off. I woke up just feeling angry. It was very bizarre. As I got my breakfast ready this morning, the angry feeling dissipated, and I ended up feeling confused as to how to feel. I guess tired is the best choice. 4:30 in the morning is just way too early to get up, but at least I have a job, and my shift ends at 2, so that's ok. I'm still in orientation so things are really overwhelming right now, and I'm really looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

2010-05-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Yesterday we were able to spend time with T-Rex's mom, who was in town for a dog show. The three of us went to lunch, and then back to our apartment for a bit. We eventually met up with T-Rex's brother and went to go see "How To Train Your Dragon" in 3D. After the cute movie, we went to dinner at Mimi's Cafe. It was an enjoyable day. Today plans include going to spend time with my mom and have dinner with her.

This morning I woke up thinking about moms. Or more accurately, what it's like to be a mom. There are times that I wish for a baby. Then I think of the responsibilities and the stress that goes along with having a kid, and I rethink that wish. However, I grew up in a family that imbued the belief that children are the ultimate symbol of loving unity between two people, and that strengthens the desire to have a child with T-Rex. We have fun just being the two of us, and right now we are making strides to become financially secure. There's certainly no pressure to have a child right away. Except that T-Rex says he doesn't want kids, but I think it might be nice to plan for a child creature...someday.

100 Miles of Nowhere ride!

2010-05-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my husband! He joined Fatty's team (http://www.fatcyclist.com/) and did the 100 Miles of Nowhere ride! We raised $180 in cash donations, plus what was donated online, which last I heard was up around $175. The generosity of friends, family, and coworkers amazes me. Thank you to everyone who gave generously! Unfortunately he was only able to complete 56 miles of the ride due to technical difficulties, but I am proud of him nonetheless. I was able to be there and support him, which was fun, but now I'm as red as a cooked lobster from sunburn. I loved T-Rex's water balloon idea where for a donation, his coworkers could throw a water balloon at him as he rode by. That was how we were able to raise so much in cash donations, and it was so much fun for everyone.

2010-05-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a week. Yesterday the apartment people had someone come out and fix the hole in the tub. Hopefully everything has been fixed and we won't have to worry about water leaking into the apartment below.
Also, yesterday we bought a washer and dryer unit. I know, right? It's so awesome now. We can do laundry whenever we want, and don't have to feed it quaters to work. Sweet.
Today, I spent most of the day in orientation at Trinity. It's a nice nursing home, run by the United Church of Christ. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm glad to have a source of income, but being an aide again is less than ideal. This new job has it's pro's and con's, and I just hope that the pro's start to outweigh the con's.
Tomorrow is T-Rex's ride. He's joined the 100 Miles of Nowhere ride, and will be circling the building at which he works. We filled water balloons for people to throw at T-Rex for a donation, and I made a sign to cheer him on. I'm so excited and proud of my husband. To donate, click here.

catching up

2010-05-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Well, hello world. No, I didn't fall off the internet. I got busy, then I got sick. Saturday we had my parents over for dinner, which was a huge success. I was able to get the apartment decent and dinner was delicious. My brother also came for dinner, which was nice. It made things a little crowded, but that's ok, we made do and everyone had a good time. It rained all weekend, so T-Rex didn't get to ride like he had wanted, and with me stressing out about my folks coming, he helped out a lot. We did get some awesome pictures of the sunset that evening though.

Sunday, unfortunately, was a dreary day of rain...and illness. I was laid up in bed sick to my stomach. I missed most of anything that happened on Sunday. Monday I was also feeling ill, but I was finally able to keep something in my tummy. T-Rex was an angel and stayed home to take care of me on Monday. Today I am still feeling weak, but at least I am feeling 100% better. Which is good, because tomorrow I have a physical and Thursday I have orientation for my new job. Today was an adventure with the apartment people though. Here's what happened:

Yesterday, I had T-Rex help me with a shower so I could feel human again. We got out of the shower and were relaxing, watching the storm blow in, when there was a knock on the door. It scared the heck out of us, because it wasn't just a knock, but a pounding. We were in our underwear, ready for bed, so we didn't answer, but we ran and got dressed. When we came out, no one was there. Then, a little while later, the pounding again. This time though, it was the maintenance man. Apparently there was water leaking into the apartment below ours. When we moved in, I had a concern over the appearance of the tub. Apparently the maintenance people had put a patch in the tub. "Oh, that's not a problem," they assured me, and gave me a move-in gift of a tub mat to cover the patch. So when the patch cracked, we had no idea, because the mat covered it. Water has been leaking for a while, because according to the maintenance guys, the ceiling in the apartment below is caving in. Well, the tub needs to be fixed, so while we're waiting for them to come out tomorrow, we get to use the shower in the empty apartment down the hall. Woo-hoo. At least none of this is of any cost to us, and we get a new tub out of the deal.

Now, for your pleasure, some pictures of Blade, our cat, teaching us a thing or two about relaxation:

fantastic friday

2010-04-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit since I've posted, but there really hasn't been much going on. Yesterday was spent cooking and cleaning - "The way it should be," jokes T-Rex, before he sheepishly cowers and says, "Don't hit me!" We had delicious terriyaki chicken dinner from the crock-pot. I'm becoming quite domesticated!
I am excited to have Mom and Dad coming up for dinner on Saturday. I'll be cooking chicken parisienne in the crock pot, so it will be easy for me. I just need to get the apartment spic and span to impress. After 27 years of seeing my room a mess and yelling at me to clean it, I'd like to show them that I have learned something and can keep a clean home! It really doesn't get too bad, though.
T-Rex has been doing well keeping up with his bike rides. Yesterday he rode to work, and he's planning to again today. He got the official 100 Miles t-shirt and plans to wear it to work for casual Friday. I'm so proud of him. The forecast calls for rain the Friday of the ride, but we're hoping that is wrong and it turns into a beautiful day for riding. I know today promises to be fantastic, so hopefully everyone gets a chance to enjoy it!

2010-04-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

I've been carrying over the good feelings from yesterday evening into today, and so far it's paid off. I managed to get dressed after T-Rex left for work, I separated out laundry and did two loads at the laundromat, I joined T-Rex for his lunch break, and I'm going to leave in a little bit to go to the dojo for training this evening. In a way, it's been a productive day. Moreso than spending all day in my pajamas in front of the TV. Thanks to my wonderful husband, today has definitely been a better day.

2010-04-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

It was nice training tonight. I miss the old days where classes were smaller and quieter, and today reminded me of that. It was good to get out and do something productive, too. I really needed it and it was good. T-Rex has been doing well watching his Spinnervals DVDs and riding his Giant on the trainer. He's working towards the 100 Miles to Nowhere ride. I've been really proud of how hard he's training for it. He does rides on a bike that I am way to much of a wimp to do.

2010-04-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it takes a great act of courage to just be able to get out of bed and face yourself first thing in the morning. How fortunate am I that my husband offers to let me borrow his courage and strength when mine has run out. I have never felt more loved by anyone. This has been a very difficult month for me, and T-Rex has been so very understanding, supportive, encouraging, and loving. I have been very blessed with such a best friend by my side.

Lately I've been filling my head with a lot of theories about the universe. I just finished reading Dan Brown's novel "The Lost Symbol." I know that it is a very well-written work of fiction, and I need to research some of the philosophies and beliefs and theories that he mentions in the book for the truth. It was convenient coincidence, however, that recently on the National Geographic and Discovery channels, there aired a documentary about Stephen Hawking and his theories on the universe. I got my mind blown when they started talking about string theory and 9 or more dimensions. It does give me cause to wonder though, as I explore the scientific and historical texts, about my own religious beliefs and knowledge. Of course, the true meaning of faith is expressed right in front of me as I confront beliefs with knowledge.

maudlin monday

2010-04-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to ride my bike on the trainer for fifteen minutes. It's not great. It is not a good start. I really really need to change and improve a few things.

Best part of today was when my sweet T-Rex came home from work. Tonight, we were watching television when T-Rex turns to me and says, "I love you more than anything or anyone I have ever loved. My heart is small though, so I also love you with my spleen."
"Your spleen?" I asked.
"Well, I don't know what else it's for, and I know I love you a lot more than my heart can hold, so I also love you with my spleen."
Yep, I married the king of romance. Back off girls, he's mine!

2010-04-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a rainy Saturday, so no bike trips today. I did tell T-Rex that he could bike in the rain if he wanted to, but he didn't because I was not going to ride in the rain. After eating lunch we went to Walmart for a couple things. When we got home, we couldn't decide what to do - it was too wet to go to a park, and we weren't really interested in walking around the Air Force Museum. We like finding free things to do, because that helps us save money for vacation. At any rate, we ended up napping for almost an hour, and then I listened to my book on tape while T-Rex played on his computer. I've been enjoying Dan Brown's book, "The Lost Symbol," the third of the Robert Langdon series, following "Angels and Demons" and "The DaVinci Code." My husband treated me to dinner at Applebees, and if you haven't tried their new Won Ton Tacos, I highly recommend the pork Won Ton Tacos. Delicious. We capped off the evening with some Maggie Moo's ice cream, and watched the antics of Blade and Ruki (our two cats) as they played with the compressed ball of cat nip. Cats can be very entertaining, as we imagined their reaction to the catnip as similar to that of someone getting stoned, and laughed as Ruki would pull herself with her front paws to get closer to the ball, seemingly "forgetting" how to use her back legs. So amusing!

who's smarter?

2010-04-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to go to work this morning, my husband comes out with his wallet, phone, and pocket knife. "Ok, I'm ready," he says. "What about your keys?" I asked. He disappears for a minute and then reappears. "You know how they have in sitcoms, where the man feels threatened if the woman is smarter than him? Well I got it," he declared. "If my wife wasn't smarter than me, I'd be dead!"

2010-04-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a day. I made it over to the "gym" in our neighborhood clubhouse. It's not big, but it has two treadmills, an elliptical, weights, and two stair-masters. I was hoping that there'd be an exercise bike that I could hop on and use for biking, but no such luck. Instead I jumped on one of the stair masters and pumped my way through four miles. My legs were like jelly after the hour of walking, but I did it, burning more than 830 calories. My husband is going to set up the trainer with my bike in the living room so tomorrow I can ride and get used to shifting, so when we ride on the weekends, the hills won't be my formidable enemy. I hate hills. Last summer, we went camping at John Bryan, brought our bikes, and rode to Young's Dairy. It was a lot of fun, except for all the HILLS. They're steep and tall and hard to get up! Hey, give me a break, it was my first summer back on a bike since I was sixteen. I still haven't gotten used to it completely, but I enjoyed biking as a kid, and I know it will be good for me. Especially if I can overcome those hills.

celebrating earth day...with a diet

2010-04-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I joined http://www.fitday.com/ to start a diet journal. I know a lot of people struggle with self-image and worry about dieting and eating habits. Mine is more health related than vain concerns. Of course, I'm not saying that I don't worry about my looks - I most certainly do. My weight has gotten to the point when it's starting to affect my health, and right now that is my main concern. I feel justified with my reasons for going on a diet. My husband and I will be biking more on the weekends, which will help. My training will get better. There are so many benefits to watching what I eat and getting out and doing more. My husband has a head start because he rides his bike to work, but soon I will be able to keep up.
The hardest part about any diet is the motivation to keep going once you start. I have plenty of motivation to start, but keeping it going is where most people struggle, myself included. Luckily my husband is doing this with me and we can motivate each other to keep going.

By the way, Happy Earth Day!

Hiking Fun

2010-04-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

Pictures from when we went hiking at John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs. For those familiar with John Bryan's mountain bike trails, it was the Powerline Trail. We hiked almost 4 miles, completing the whole track. It was exhausting, but very very fun.

2010-04-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Suburban Ninja! This blog was created to chronicle the many adventures of the suburban ninja and the pirate she married. We're ordinary people with ordinary lives, but we're trying to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment. I'm really excited to see where life is going to take us, and to see how this blog develops along the way.