Tokyo and Chinatown

Tokyo and Chinatown, a set on Flickr.

We went to Japan in October 2012 to visit family and do some sightseeing. Please enjoy the pictures!

Our Green Smoothie Adventure

Dear Family and Friends,

As you probably know by now, Myron and I have embarked on a fitness and diet adventure. For the last 150 days. We started with exercising using the Beachbody.com Power90 DVD for 90 days. We pretty much cut out high glycemic carbs like potatoes, pasta, rice and bread and consumed many more vegetables and fruits and lean proteins. After the 90 days we each lost plenty of pounds and inches. Then we immediately launched into Beachbody.com's Insanity exercise program. We only have 8 days left of the 60 days! We lost a few more pounds and got much stronger!   A few weeks ago I witnessed a Vitamix demonstration at Whole Foods and thought I should buy one and make green smoothies to pack on the vegetables!!! But the Vitamix is $500.00! That is not in the budget if I want to go SCUBA  diving in Turks and Caicos this coming Spring. Therefore, I went on Ebay and bid on a used one and now am the proud owner of a used Vitamix that I purchased for $250.00. It works great and we have been experimenting with green vegetable packed smoothies to consume after our Insanity workouts. Today I made a Beet Smoothie for Myron. He likes beets and it is one vegetable I can not even smell so I made myself a Spinach Smoothie. 

The Beet smoothie contained beet, almonds, pineapple, blueberry, strawberries and ice. My Spinach smoothie contained  spinach, blueberries, pineapple, celery, avocado 1/2, apple and ice.  Myron loved his colorful smoothie and I loved mine!!!!!  Healthy vegetables and insane exercise= one crazy couple!!!

Love you all!!!
Anna and Myron

Saturday Multiple Advenures

We had a great adventurous Saturday.  After I went shooting with the Ladies League, Myron surprised me with an afternoon of adventures. First we drove to City Center Durham to enjoy the Arts and Crafts event.  The sign above reflects the history of Durham as the Tobacco Capital of the South for many years in the past.

The Arts and Crafts show was a juried show of over 80 artisans from around the South.

Music was everywhere.

A New Orleans style band got the place jumpin' like catfish.

A reveler with umbrella and mask added color to crowd.

An interesting sculpture make with spoons and forks.

Children playing with Tinker Wooden pieces.

This was amazing! A Nicaraguan pottery artisan etched all of these pottery pieces.

Here is an example of the most elaborate etched piece.

Here is the artisan etching his pottery.

Oops ... classic loss of soft ice cream from the top of a cone.

After spending 2 hours at City Center we headed to the movies to see "Arbitrage" with Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon. It was a well acted classic story of immoral and unethical behavior and the fallout from it.

Then we broke our low carb diet of 140 days and consumed  a Pasta dinner in Chapel Hill. We only had 1/2 portion and  it was delicious , BUT right after we felt tired and a bit achy. Our bodies appeared to react to the change in diet. We fell asleep soon after getting home. A valuable lesson was impressed upon us..... eat low carbs from vegetables and fruits and avoid the high glycemic carbohydrates found in pasta and bread!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is Sunday now and after a good rest we hit the Insanity exercise again this morning!!! Only 17 more days to complete the 60 day program!

OBX with Jeff, Maggie and assorted DePaolo's

We had a wonderful week at our house in Nags Head on the Outer Banks of NC ( OBX).
Though the weather wasn't perfect, the company was and we swam nevertheless in the warm waves of the Atlantic.  Every night we cooke terrific meals and every day we went to the beach even in sprinkles and clouds. A few afternoons were delightful with sun and wind and waves to roll with. Jeff and Maggie enjoyed the moisture after the long hot, smoky summer out west.  They kayaked and swam and enjoyed the dolphins.  Jeff dug the requisite hole for the trampoline and we were professional beach people once again.  Margaritas ruled the beach and we all fell into bed exhausted after each day of sand in the toes. The pictures tell more of a story than I can ever write. OBX is my sanctuary, the place where I heal with my family members and friends.

Anna trying to not fall over.

Jim and Lynne

Jeff, Maggie and Jackson digging the trampoline hole

Go Jackson.

Break time.

Colton, the perfect beach baby.

Cute.

And he is up!

Maggie with her hat!!!!

Saturday in Raleigh-Durham,NC

Ok it is Saturday, a day of rest after a long week of work .
 So this is how we rest....

1.8:00am  do Day 5 of Insanity the crazy cardio workout created for 20 year olds, we survive but just barely
2. 9:00 Make a protein shake with fresh fruits and lean protein in order to replenish these 60 year old bodies
3. 9:30 Shower and dress
4. 10:30 Drive to Raleigh to attend the Dixie Gun and Knife show .
5. 11:00 Walk around the venue for 2 hours checking out the guns, ammo and the requisite people!
6. 1:00 pm Stop at Whole Foods to eat healthy salads and to buy stuff for Sunday dinner with parents.
7. 2:00 Drive home.
8. 2:30 Pay the bills, water, spray and cut roses, clean Bird Bath, water bougainvillae, hibiscus and plumeria
9. 4:30 pm Drive to Cary to attend the Barbecue get together for the Ladies Pistol league, of which Anna is a member.
9. 5:15 Eat great barbecue and win 2 door prizes and also view image on slide show of Anna doing the dance after hitting the bullseye twice at 100 yards with a rifle and scope.
10. 7:15 Drive to Cinema to see "Total Recall" ... awesome futuristic craziness.
11. 10:00 Drive home
12. 10:30 pm Decide we can't possibly Tango tonight and collapse into bed.

This is what I won for door prizes. A Women on Target T-shirt ( front and back view) and an NRA briefcase and portfolio...nicely tooled too!

This is me doing the dance after hitting the bullseye 2 times at 100 yards with a rifle and scope.. Senior Seal Team Sniper!!! Woo hoo....