Pilates

As if my last posting wasn't enough, I of course have to continue the insanity of MORE is BETTER and receive yet another certification. This weekend I spent all day Saturday and half of the day on Sunday receiving my Pilates Certificaton from NETA. This is my first NETA certification. It was a great course and I feel ready to start shadowing a class. In January I will have my own Pilates class, but for now, I think I will work WITH the instructor currently teaching the class. Pilates is a lot different than any fitness class I have instructed in the past. Pilates takes a lot more control not only doing the exercise but cuing the clients to exercise as well. I think this will be a good challenge for me as I delve into the realm of mind/body exercise.

My Body Aches

Lately I have been doing a lot of "Moonlighting". Being a bit straped for cash I have started instructing fitness classes at various clubs in my neighborhood.

The obsession started last summer. Working at the YMCA I have the wonderful opportunity to use any YMCA facility in Metro area. I found myself at the Emma B. Howe location in Coon Rapids. Here I would take all sorts of various classes including Step, BOSU, and BodyPump. Though I had taken many classes before, especially at the Woodbury location where I worked full-time, it was at Coon Rapids I started to realize, hey I could do this.

In the fall of 2005, I spoke to the fitness director at Woodbury explaining my interest in group fitness. I was excited to hear that she believed I would be a good instructor. That September I went through a weekend Super Certification course thought the National YMCA of the USA. I became certified to teach Cardio and Step.

It was at this training that I met Barb, the fitness director at the South Family YMCA in West St. Paul. I happened to mention to her that I was interested in becoming certified to teach BodyPump (after all, that was my favorite class). A month later Barb e-mailed me with the news that she was hosting a BodyPump training at South and she wanted to put me through the training. This was a great opportunity and I leaped at the chance.

That all happened last November. It was been a wonderful year of learning about my physical abilities, doing things I never thought that I could accomplish. However, I have this inability to say, "no". Here I am instructing at 4 different clubs, teaching 10-15 classes a week.

I started instructing at the Woodbury YMCA. Then I began explanding my time to include classes at the South Family YMCA. When I was promoted to the Skyway YMCA Downtown St. Paul, it was important to me to be able to connect to the members as a fitness instructor as well as the membership coordinator. Wanting to branch outside of the YMCA, I got a gig as a long-term sub at Southview Athletic Club in West St. Paul, and now I'm subbing at The Grove in Inver Grove Heights! But I love it! I want to keep improving - did I mention I'm attending a Pilates training all weekend long?

Polka, pianos, and Aqua-net

Tonight Didrik and I met our friends Heather and Adam at Nye's restaurant on East Hennepin in Minneapolis. This place is a treasure. From the moment I walked in the door to find the 60's icon hostess, I knew we had left Hennepin Ave. into a time warped supper club. Our waitress couldn't have been any younger than 70 and by the looks of it, she used a can of Aqua-net on her bouffant hair style.

As the night progressed I was rather impressed to see the space fill with 30/40 somethings enjoying a drink, some polka music, and the Karaoke piano bar. I didn't find myself gawking at tasteless clothing or over done young ladies, instead I felt I was part of a sophisticated crowd enjoying a Friday night of socializing.

Though I have had better steaks, the food certainly was fulfilling (even the Velveeta potatoes) yet the best part of the meal was the desserts.

I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a different "scene" other than the typical DT meat market hangout. Don't forget your dancing shoes and singing voices!

http://nyespolonaise.com/

Chapters of Life

Wow, I can't believe that I have been divorced for 3 years. Yesterday, October 10th, marked the 3rd year since my first husband and I were divorced. Has it truly been that long since my life started over - the second chapter of my adult life?

Even though we were divorced during my senior year at seminary, I knew my life was headed in a new direction as we were splitting. It was at that time I found a new job that led me to where I am today - my second chapter.

The first chapter began six years ago. I assumed the book had already written itself. I thought that I would be married to Ken, expecting a child, living in Wisconsin, and a pastor of a small congregation. My life doesn't resemble my pictures of six years ago.

I suppose we all learn sooner or later that life never happens how we expect. When will the second chapter end leading into chapter number three?

Happy Birthday Brett

Even though you have broken my heart so many times, I will always be a fan.

(But why did you have to fumble in the last seconds of the
game while throwing for a TD in the red zone?)

Happy 37th Birthday Brett!

I wish I were Grey's Anatomy!

Ok, so I love this show...but how is it fair that Meredith Grey has TWO beautiful, hot men vying for her attention. Does that seem unfair to anyone else but me?

What clock?

This past summer I turned 30. My husband is 35. We were married last December. The majority of our friends have begun the procreation ritual once, twice, three times over. Naturally I look at myself asking, is it time for me to become a mother?

I have a niece Allison, she is 2 and the apple of my eye. But she's my niece. Every couple of weeks I get to play with her, buy her ice cream, keep her up until 10pm, and then leave her with my sister and brother-in-law to pick up the pieces. My sister is expecting another child in January.

There is a woman who attends my Tuesday Strength class. She is pregnant for the first time, due in 6 weeks. Last week I was brave enough to ask her age, she's 38. She is my hero!

Another lady in my early morning BodyPump class miscarried her second child, she thinks it's because she is already 32.

While working at the YMCA in Woodbury, a member who had one child after years of many failed attempts, and adopted a second child gave me her advise, "freeze your eggs now, you're only getting older."

I'm not ready to have children. I am too selfish. I like to take naps, work late, and instruct 10 fitness classes a week. I love to travel and watch TV. I want to go back to school to earn my PhD. I have goals and dreams that don't necessarily include a baby.

Yet there are days when I say to myself, "Why don't get just get knocked up."

Solange?

When I was a Freshman in high school I began my career and passion of studying the French language. Within the first week each student was required to choose a French name to be used throughout the year. This was a great opportunity for a new freshman girl in a high school wanting to find an identity. When I received the list several names jumped off the page at me: Colette, Cecil, Adrienne, Claire, Monique...but I wanted something different, unique.

Then I came to the S section of the list, So-lang? What kind of name is So-lang? When I asked my teacher to pronounce the name it didn't sound at all like So-lang or So-lang-ee. I realized that this name could not be americanized by our harsh Yankee accent, instead it can only be pronounced correctly by using a French nasal accent. I fell in love with the name instantly. From that day forward, I was called, "Solange" for one hour of everyday as I learned of French history, life, and language.

Still today I continue to recognize my "French identity" as Solange. What does this beautiful French name mean? Here's what I found out about the name:

The girl's name Solange is pronounced so-LANZH. It is of French and Latin origin, and its meaning is "solemn, dignified." A saint's name. A fanciful meaning for the name is "angel of the sun."

Now I am far from being a saint or an angel, but Solange has always been a piece of my identity and my past.