Best friends

Well its become clear, Bossco has found a new best friend. Blake is constantly playing with Boss and they both are just loving the whole arrangement. I'm not sure where either of them get the energy but its totally entertaining for Marty and I.

Blake was just DYING to go out and play in the snow the other day, so we bundled him up and let him go out with boss for a little while (even though he's fighting a cold). Being from Texas, all this snow is just way too neat for Blake (it really brings me back to when I was a kid). Anyway those two were just so entertaining I snuck the camera out and took some pictures. Thought you all might like to see, there's 11 total on my flicker account.

Spring is in the air...

So as most of you know, my 8 yr old nephew (from Texas) is temporarily staying with us. Its been so great having him here. Another fact that most of you know is when it starts to melt around here a smell starts coming out. For those of you who don't know about the smell of spring in Alaska, let me enlighten you (ha ha)...

• Everything freezes up for winter, but dogs still do their thing, moose, cats, and all the rest of the animals who leave their droppings around.
• Weather warms up and all that snow (along with the other stuff) starts to melt, leaving wetness and muck everywhere.
• When things can't dry out, they can't air out. Stagnant water and all that other stuff ends up leaving the smell of a sewer plant on the wet and moist ground.
  

Most adults don't notice this smell, but then you don't see adults out rolling in the last patches of snow or sitting on the ground hanging out with their friends. At each of the elementary and middle schools around Alaska the smell becomes quite prominent.

Yesterday Blake forgot his boots in his classroom when I picked him up from school, so we walked back to the class to get them. As I got deeper and deeper into the school the smell became more and more powerful, when we got into his classroom I just wanted to throw up! The kids don't really notice the smell as prominently as those of us who don't bathe in it at recess but boy do I feel bad for the teachers.

After I vacuum, I spray-mist every inch of my carpet with bleach to dis-infect and keep the house smelling clean, I started that habit about 7 years ago after working at a daycare that also did it. All I keep thinking is that I need to send an instruction note to the teacher with a spray bottle of bleach.

Another funny thing is, usually Blake has better things to do than taking showers (according to him) putting it mildly)) but with the smell of spring in the air he has no problems whatsoever taking a shower every night. I guess the smell of spring does have its benefits.

Water

It's been pretty busy around here and as of tomorrow, it's gonna be even busier for atleast the next 3 months. Somehow I'll manage surface for a post here and there though.

So I found something the other day at the gym that was quite interesting. Its a paper all about the importance of water. I've always been a huge water drinker, tons of it all day, everyday. A few months back I just stopped craving it like I always do, now I have to force myself to drink more than a few cups each day.

Thought I would share what it said, sorry about the length of it all. It's just nice to finally hear why when people point their finger and say "ya need to drink at least 8 cups of water each day". A lot of stuff in my weight gain (which is definitely not soley caused by not drinking enough water) makes some sense now.

How 8 glasses of water a day
keeps the fat away

Water naturally suppresses the appetite and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake causes fat deposits to increase, while increasing water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here's why: the kidney's can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. However, if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat and more fat remains stored in the body which stops weight loss.

Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored as extracellular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs - plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released.

An over weight person needs more water than a thin person. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since water is the key to fat metabolism, an overweight person needs more water.

Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss. Shrinking cells are buoyed by water which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.

Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all that metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush the system.

How much water is enough? On the average, a person should drink eight 8oz. glasses everyday. That's about 2 quarts. However, an overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25lbs of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.

Water should preferable be cold - its absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. Furthermore, some evidence suggests drinking cold water can actually help burn calories.

When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced. When this happens, you have reached the "breakthrough point." What does this mean?

• Endocrin gland function improves.
• Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
• More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
• Natural thirst returns.
• There is a decrease in hunger almost overnight.

If you stop drinking enough water, your bodily fluids will be thrown out of balance again and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy this situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough".

Happy Valentines!

(Photo taken by D'Jair Martinez)

Wishing all of you a great Valentines day.

Bing

Wow. I woke up at 5 this morning and laid in bed for a half hour hoping to sleep a few hours longer. Didn't happen. Finally got up and made my blog rounds (nevermind how much I post, some of you really need to post more *hehe*).

Big bonus besides getting out of bed so early is that I'm 5lbs less this morning. The gym has been working! After not getting anywhere at curves I got frustrated and gained. The Alaska Club membership has definitely been worth it. Having more than just hydraulic weight machines is worth the extra membership fees. Alaska Club has a "cardio theatre", more treadmill, ellipticals, bikes, and stair climbers than I can count all hooked up to 8 TV's and 2 CD players. They also have something similar to the curves circuit only its with weights and not hydraulics (way better). They have a separate weight room (very large), separate family work out room, racquet ball courts, basketball court, steam rooms, hot tubs, movie theatre, free work out classes of all types, tanning beds... I think that's it other than the daycare and game room for the kids.

I did find out for those of you who I haven't mentioned it to, we can bring a guest for under $11 - and every third Thursday of the month we can bring a guest for free. Anyone wanting to join Marty or I is welcome.

So with all that said, I'm off to go work out while I'm still awake.