working out for Disney

[HouCuseChickie]

I am ridiculously exhausted today. Yesterday and today are breaks from running, but I still put in my "standard" morning workout. The running has zapped some of my steam, so I've been closer to 15 mi on the bike instead of 16. Still, I'm getting it done and the cross training should help reduce my potential for injuries. I worked on arms today and I pushed through it, but man...I'm tired. I still can't believe I got up and worked out today. We went to the Astros game last night with my younger one's softball team and we weren't home until a little after 11pm. I was in the office yesterday, so I went straight from my office to the stadium. I was early and while I missed Astros batting practice, I got to see the White Sox's and had a decent view of Justin Verlander's pitching warm up. I was super excited to get to wear my Astros rainbow pants last night...

Also really crazy, but I posted a bunch of pics on Facebook, including the one below...

One of my friends (not part of our group) commented on the photo that she was in my picture. I don't know if I would have recognized myself from the back like that, but she did. And after some back and forth, she turned around and we were waving at each other like a couple of crazy people. I never wind up near anyone I know at these things unless I plan it that way!

And for your Wednesday enjoyment, I thought I'd share this awesome guy and his kazoo. He led us in various songs, chants and cheers throughout the game with his kazoo.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Good morning all.

I've had a bit of a whirlwind year so far. Some already know about this, but basically, I had to have my thyroid completely removed because it was diseased. I basically wasn't doing anything before I found out about my faulty thyroid exercise wise because I was so fatigued. Not the "Oh, I need a nap" type fatigue, but debilitating fatigue. Then, after my surgery, I wasn't allowed to do anything besides walk for about a month. In that time period, I also switched jobs. It's a much better situation overall for me at my new job, but a transition from leaving the company I'd been with since finishing college. Anyway...

I'm thinking of joining the gym near work. Because of having the surgery, my neck is extremely sensitive, and I've lost all of my upper body strength. This gym has a pool, which supports my neck, and I can do laps to build my upper body strength. They also have the weight machines and all, which I'm hoping won't put as much pressure on my neck, as well as recumbant bikes. I'm doing a trial period right now to see if it's a good fit. I went this morning (@figmentfan423 before you collapse from shock, I only got up 30 minutes earlier than usual; I just beat the traffic and got ready for work there instead of at home) and did laps. Boy am I out of shape. Probably do need to join permanently.

On a side note, I've already lost 20 pounds from my surgery. My thyroid was causing a lot of my problems and I got told several times to just lose weight and exercise, and my allergist of all people picked up on my thyroid issue. My point being if you know that there is something wrong with your body, don't just take doctors at their word if they try to tell you nothing is wrong. Get a second opinion. A third opinion. A fourth opinion. You know your body better than anyone. Don't let anyone tell you there's nothing wrong when you know there is.

 

[Songbird76]

Yeah, I'm sure every state has its process and it may have all changed in this "modern" era. For us, everything was in person and auditions were held in different parts of the state on different dates depending on your Region chorus location. We had a preliminary audition, which was essentially a watered down version of the full audition. It just weeded out people who didn't really belong there from a talent perspective. The full audition included three scales set for your voice part (one chromatic), a solo a cappella piece (same piece for everyone in a key designated for your voice part), and a set choral piece where you filled in your voice part in the recording they played. Not sure why they never changed it up, but the choral piece was ALWAYS "The Silver Swan." They always had a warm up room where music was permitted, but you had to go into the audition room at your set time with nothing in hand. Oh, and after you went through this, you moved on to tonal memory and sight singing, which was done by separate judges and it was something like 5% of your final score. There was only one year where I didn't make it for All-State, but I was ridiculously sick...high fever, laryngitis, and coughing up a lung, so I try not to beat myself up over it. Not sure how it is in other parts of the country, but if you rank high enough in All-State on the east coast, you are put into All-East, which is a choir comprised of the top singers in 11 eastern states + DC. Your All-East rank, if high enough, qualified you for a national and international chorus. You were given ranks for all of this, but even though I liked my rankings, it all seemed kind of bogus since someone in NY was auditioned using different pieces, processes and people than the singers in NJ, DE, CT, etc. It's also a lot of $ to do all of these things since it involves a ton of travel. We had some travel for All-State, but it was nothing compared to what these other choirs required...and the year I made all of them, my parents started looking at college costs and the fact I was already in to my top choices and had talent scholarships attached to the offers, so it was no longer really necessary to participate in all of these elite groups.

That's absolutely terrible about the disqualifications! I couldn't even imagine the heartbreak. Wrong pieces or not, you prep so hard for these things (musically and mentally) and even if it was the wrong stuff, I'm sure you went in and sounded great. It's just unfortunate that these structured auditions don't have any kind of allowances for mistakes like this...especially when they are well aware that they started this problem. That would be disgusting if teachers sabotaged the smaller schools and districts like this. I'm sure it happens, but it doesn't make it right.

We did audition for All-Northwest, which included Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho, and I'm not sure who else....but no one from our school made it. There was a massive chorus and then a small Jazz choir, but at the time, I hated Jazz, and didn't know what a Jazz scale was, so I auditioned for the massive one. It was kind of weird, because I know people who never made All-state, but made All-Northwest. Just as well I didn't make it, because I'd never have been able to afford the trip to Seattle for it. And it was only every 2 years I think? I know it wasn't every year, because I only auditioned once and I was pretty young, up against a bunch of older singers, so I didn't really stand much of a chance. It's ok though...All-state was enough.

Our All-State audition was 2 excerpts taken directly from the music that was going to be performed, for your voice part, one Arpeggio exercise for your voice part, and a sight reading exercise. So you had I think 30 seconds to look over it and then sing it on la la la or solfege. We never did sight reading in our choir, so that was always really hard for me. I don't remember if we had to do scales for the audition or if that was only for All-Northwest. I remember for All-northwest, you had to be able to do minor scales too, which I didn't know what a minor scale was at the time, (we did no theory) so I suspect that might have played into my not making it. I wasn't really prepared.

 

[Figgy1]

Good morning all.

I've had a bit of a whirlwind year so far. Some already know about this, but basically, I had to have my thyroid completely removed because it was diseased. I basically wasn't doing anything before I found out about my faulty thyroid exercise wise because I was so fatigued. Not the "Oh, I need a nap" type fatigue, but debilitating fatigue. Then, after my surgery, I wasn't allowed to do anything besides walk for about a month. In that time period, I also switched jobs. It's a much better situation overall for me at my new job, but a transition from leaving the company I'd been with since finishing college. Anyway...

I'm thinking of joining the gym near work. Because of having the surgery, my neck is extremely sensitive, and I've lost all of my upper body strength. This gym has a pool, which supports my neck, and I can do laps to build my upper body strength. They also have the weight machines and all, which I'm hoping won't put as much pressure on my neck, as well as recumbant bikes. I'm doing a trial period right now to see if it's a good fit. I went this morning (@figmentfan423 before you collapse from shock, I only got up 30 minutes earlier than usual; I just beat the traffic and got ready for work there instead of at home) and did laps. Boy am I out of shape. Probably do need to join permanently.

On a side note, I've already lost 20 pounds from my surgery. My thyroid was causing a lot of my problems and I got told several times to just lose weight and exercise, and my allergist of all people picked up on my thyroid issue. My point being if you know that there is something wrong with your body, don't just take doctors at their word if they try to tell you nothing is wrong. Get a second opinion. A third opinion. A fourth opinion. You know your body better than anyone. Don't let anyone tell you there's nothing wrong when you know there is.

Thank goodness I was sitting down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats on getting your health and life back xoxo

 

[Figgy1]

@epcotisbest how are you feeling?

 

[Figgy1]

Lunch day whatever raw spring cleanse zoodles, dandelion, assorted herbs, Russian dressing, pumpkin seeds and jicama croutons. The blue background is my new yoga mat, I killed another one. I've given up on buying "good" ones as they die almost as fast

 

[Songbird76]

Another productive day and I got my steps in. I washed the windows, inside and out....that's a job. My arms will probably be sore tomorrow. That was the biggest chore I did today, and I vacuumed, etc. Tomorrow I'll mop the floor and empty all the trash cans. But I also have to work tomorrow, so I'll for sure get my steps in.

 

[Songbird76]

Lunch day whatever raw spring cleanse View attachment 374750 zoodles, dandelion, assorted herbs, Russian dressing, pumpkin seeds and jicama croutons. The blue background is my new yoga mat, I killed another one. I've given up on buying "good" ones as they die almost as fast

I can't get my yoga mat to lie flat. Is there a trick to that? I love your new one....pretty color!

 

[Figgy1]

I can't get my yoga mat to lie flat. Is there a trick to that? I love your new one....pretty color!

Thank you I just put it down so it curls down and walk on it a bit. It only took me my first 2 mats to figure it out

 

[MinnieM123]

I've never heard of that. I'll have to try it when I do a box mix. I know vodka is supposed to help make a flaky pie crust, but I've never made a scratch pie--we're cake and cookie people.

I'm a cake, cookie, and -- I'll raise you one -- a pie person, too!

 

[MinnieM123]

I can't get my yoga mat to lie flat. Is there a trick to that? I love your new one....pretty color!

Yes, lay on it. That will flatten it out!

 

[Sans Souci]

Why would a friend insult you about your interview? That's not very friend-like! That doesn't seem like something you need in your life. I think people should try to make the people around them feel better for having interacted with them, not feel like they are doing everything wrong.

Interesting bird behavior. Maybe he just wants to do some yoga with you!

OK...I liked the post, but didn't technically like all of it. The blue jay sounds cute! I usually have to upload my vids to YouTube and put a link in my post.

I'm also jealous of your temps! It's still pretty early here and it's already mid 80s. I'm so not ready for summer!

Mind you, I have friends where we needle each other to push each other, but if that's not the norm for your friendship...that's just mean. You don't need that kind of negativity.

My friend asked why I thought United would hire me. The job posting said they were looking for people who worked in social services, as well as teachers, nurses, first responders. I reminded her that I am a social worker and that entails working with people who are not in a good place in their lives. You have to possess emotional intelligence and heaps of patience to work in social services, in addition to having good communication skills, being a problem solver, and multitasking. She said, "That will help when the plane is going to crash." She said it such a snarky way. Obviously, safety is the first concern of a flight attendant, but you're also dealing with people who may be disgruntled about delays, seat size, other passengers, etc. That is where my social worker skills will kick in.

I have another friend who is a flight attendant and she has been nothing but helpful and supportive. She is actually a WDW Magic member. She sent me a letter of recommendation last weekend unprompted, but I can't use it because United only accepts LoRs from United employees. (Plus she sent it directly to me to print, which is a no-no.) But I really appreciate the effort and I see some phrases I can use in an interview.

 

[Sans Souci]

I am ridiculously exhausted today. Yesterday and today are breaks from running, but I still put in my "standard" morning workout. The running has zapped some of my steam, so I've been closer to 15 mi on the bike instead of 16. Still, I'm getting it done and the cross training should help reduce my potential for injuries. I worked on arms today and I pushed through it, but man...I'm tired. I still can't believe I got up and worked out today. We went to the Astros game last night with my younger one's softball team and we weren't home until a little after 11pm. I was in the office yesterday, so I went straight from my office to the stadium. I was early and while I missed Astros batting practice, I got to see the White Sox's and had a decent view of Justin Verlander's pitching warm up. I was super excited to get to wear my Astros rainbow pants last night...

Also really crazy, but I posted a bunch of pics on Facebook, including the one below...

One of my friends (not part of our group) commented on the photo that she was in my picture. I don't know if I would have recognized myself from the back like that, but she did. And after some back and forth, she turned around and we were waving at each other like a couple of crazy people. I never wind up near anyone I know at these things unless I plan it that way!

And for your Wednesday enjoyment, I thought I'd share this awesome guy and his kazoo. He led us in various songs, chants and cheers throughout the game with his kazoo.

I am laughing at kazoo guy and the three people clapping. That's too funny. He's like that one guy who tries to start a wave, but no one really wants to stand up, so it just dies.

My husband bought tickets to a "friendly" soccer game AKA "football match" at Soldier Field. It was USA v England. I wasn't expecting so many English people, but there were and they brought in drums, trumpets, and trombones. I was thinking, "Is this a parade or a soccer game?" They are just used for making noise. One person knew the first five notes to a song and then played it ad nauseam. There was some chanting, but I had no idea what they were saying. At one point, this massive St. George's flag appeared out of nowhere and was just floating over the seats on that side of the stadium, meanwhile it was so sedate on the USA side of the stadium by comparison.

 

[Sans Souci]

Good morning all.

I've had a bit of a whirlwind year so far. Some already know about this, but basically, I had to have my thyroid completely removed because it was diseased. I basically wasn't doing anything before I found out about my faulty thyroid exercise wise because I was so fatigued. Not the "Oh, I need a nap" type fatigue, but debilitating fatigue. Then, after my surgery, I wasn't allowed to do anything besides walk for about a month. In that time period, I also switched jobs. It's a much better situation overall for me at my new job, but a transition from leaving the company I'd been with since finishing college. Anyway...

I'm thinking of joining the gym near work. Because of having the surgery, my neck is extremely sensitive, and I've lost all of my upper body strength. This gym has a pool, which supports my neck, and I can do laps to build my upper body strength. They also have the weight machines and all, which I'm hoping won't put as much pressure on my neck, as well as recumbant bikes. I'm doing a trial period right now to see if it's a good fit. I went this morning (@figmentfan423 before you collapse from shock, I only got up 30 minutes earlier than usual; I just beat the traffic and got ready for work there instead of at home) and did laps. Boy am I out of shape. Probably do need to join permanently.

On a side note, I've already lost 20 pounds from my surgery. My thyroid was causing a lot of my problems and I got told several times to just lose weight and exercise, and my allergist of all people picked up on my thyroid issue. My point being if you know that there is something wrong with your body, don't just take doctors at their word if they try to tell you nothing is wrong. Get a second opinion. A third opinion. A fourth opinion. You know your body better than anyone. Don't let anyone tell you there's nothing wrong when you know there is.

This is just my opinion, but I think doctors don't always take women's health concerns seriously. They can be so dismissive and an attitude that they know better than you. Extreme fatigue is not normal and should always be investigated. I'm glad you were able to advocate for yourself and get the help you needed. I imagine you felt somewhat vindicated/relieved when you discovered you had an actual reason for being so exhausted.

There was actually a 'Golden Girls' episode about this.

 

[Sans Souci]

I'm a cake, cookie, and -- I'll raise you one -- a pie person, too!

I'll eat pie, but it seems like it's such hard work to make from scratch. You have to make the crust, blind bake it, make the filling, put it in the pie crust and bake again. Plus, you can't even eat a pie for hours after it's done. Cake and cookies are instant gratification.

 

[Sans Souci]

Good morning-

I did a "level 1" yoga practice this morning. I'd like to know on which planet does a "level 1" class feature loads of headstands, handstands and crows? The best I did was a "tripod headstand" and "crow," which I held for a whopping 2 seconds each.

I am hoping to get out for a walk. It's going to be warmer today, but stormy.

I have a bunch of lemons and I am thinking of making lemon curd with them. Whenever I make lemon curd, I usually use it as a filling for macarons. I am very tempted to make a few dozen for the weekend. But I can never stop at one or two, so I need to think about this...

 

[StarWarsGirl]

There was actually a 'Golden Girls' episode about this.

When I was going through all of this, I kept watching that episode because it was soooo relatable to my situation. And like Dorothy, I felt so vindicated when I found out.

One of the doctors who dismissed me was a woman. I think that time it had to do with me being young (I'm only 24) and just that she had a god complex. But sometimes I swear if a man complained of the same symptoms, he would get better treatment.

Thankfully, when I went to the endocrinologist, they did an ultrasound and immediately found two nodules on my thyroid, so they knew something was up right away.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Good morning all.

I've had a bit of a whirlwind year so far. Some already know about this, but basically, I had to have my thyroid completely removed because it was diseased. I basically wasn't doing anything before I found out about my faulty thyroid exercise wise because I was so fatigued. Not the "Oh, I need a nap" type fatigue, but debilitating fatigue. Then, after my surgery, I wasn't allowed to do anything besides walk for about a month. In that time period, I also switched jobs. It's a much better situation overall for me at my new job, but a transition from leaving the company I'd been with since finishing college. Anyway...

I'm thinking of joining the gym near work. Because of having the surgery, my neck is extremely sensitive, and I've lost all of my upper body strength. This gym has a pool, which supports my neck, and I can do laps to build my upper body strength. They also have the weight machines and all, which I'm hoping won't put as much pressure on my neck, as well as recumbant bikes. I'm doing a trial period right now to see if it's a good fit. I went this morning (@figmentfan423 before you collapse from shock, I only got up 30 minutes earlier than usual; I just beat the traffic and got ready for work there instead of at home) and did laps. Boy am I out of shape. Probably do need to join permanently.

On a side note, I've already lost 20 pounds from my surgery. My thyroid was causing a lot of my problems and I got told several times to just lose weight and exercise, and my allergist of all people picked up on my thyroid issue. My point being if you know that there is something wrong with your body, don't just take doctors at their word if they try to tell you nothing is wrong. Get a second opinion. A third opinion. A fourth opinion. You know your body better than anyone. Don't let anyone tell you there's nothing wrong when you know there is.

I'm glad they were able to figure out that it was your thyroid. I'm sure it's not easy, but much better to be on the upside of things. Back when I was having issues, I insisted they test my thyroid. It turned out to not be an issue, but it's amazing how many physicians are willing to dismiss these things.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We did audition for All-Northwest, which included Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho, and I'm not sure who else....but no one from our school made it. There was a massive chorus and then a small Jazz choir, but at the time, I hated Jazz, and didn't know what a Jazz scale was, so I auditioned for the massive one. It was kind of weird, because I know people who never made All-state, but made All-Northwest. Just as well I didn't make it, because I'd never have been able to afford the trip to Seattle for it. And it was only every 2 years I think? I know it wasn't every year, because I only auditioned once and I was pretty young, up against a bunch of older singers, so I didn't really stand much of a chance. It's ok though...All-state was enough.

Our All-State audition was 2 excerpts taken directly from the music that was going to be performed, for your voice part, one Arpeggio exercise for your voice part, and a sight reading exercise. So you had I think 30 seconds to look over it and then sing it on la la la or solfege. We never did sight reading in our choir, so that was always really hard for me. I don't remember if we had to do scales for the audition or if that was only for All-Northwest. I remember for All-northwest, you had to be able to do minor scales too, which I didn't know what a minor scale was at the time, (we did no theory) so I suspect that might have played into my not making it. I wasn't really prepared.

I had to look up All East just to see, since the name implies something it's not. It's really more New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. So, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Delaware, DC, and also the European Armed Forces schools. I was happy that they just used our All State scores, because things were so busy at that time. They sent me the music, but everything from practices to performances took place in Pittsburgh...and that just wasn't happening. I had just told my parents I would not be accepting the offer to go to their alma mater and was trying to decide between a state school where we'd be paying out of state tuition vs. a private school.

I'm a horrible sight reader. My tonal memory is solid, but even as an adult, I have to address this during auditions so they'll give me a chance. My first year with the symphony, I had to meet with the asst. director before each performance to prove that I'd learned my music. I'm very thankful that my daughter's choir teacher does more than just singing. She's 12 and can already sight read circles around me. I really wish we had theory in high school. It would have helped in so many ways.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

There was actually a 'Golden Girls' episode about this.

I remember this episode! It comes up periodically with one of my Golden Girls loving friends. She too had her own Dorothy diagnosis...long story short, she eventually found out that she has Lupus.