• Working On My Fitness

    Call Me Selfish, But I’m Keeping Zumba Just For Me.

    Believe it or not, I was not active as a younger person. Unlike my sister, who began playing soccer as a child and continued into college as I recall, I never participated in any sports other than the occasional trip to the bowling alley. I was more of the Couch Potato variety. When Jim and I moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, I was 24 and decided that I should start exercising. I found a little women’s-only gym, got a tour from the owner, and signed up. I remember vividly how I used to be very jealous of the ladies who would get on the stairmaster for a full thirty minutes: whenever…

  • Fun in Chicago,  Working On My Fitness

    Midwest Mania Wrap-Up 2010

    I don’t know about you, but I’m still recovering from the weekend. Remember that picture I shared last week, in an attempt to describe to you how I’d feel after the weekend? Well, I was right. That’s not to say that the weekend wasn’t fun, though. I had a great time, but I worked SO, SO hard. Midwest Mania, for those of you who, like me, have been too busy to catch up on all of the blogs you read, is a fitness conference that is put on by SCW. Because I am an ACE-certified group fitness instructor, I need continuing education credits (CECs) to recertify, and going to a…

  • Family Fun,  Food,  I've Got Mad Skillz

    Birthday Presents Good Enough To Eat!

    My sister Julesie had a birthday on Friday, and because of the fitness conference I had this weekend–recap post is in progress–and the fact that the younger boy had the Homecoming Dance on Saturday night, we had to schedule the birthday festivities for this evening. We went out to a favorite restaurant, and then it was, of course, time for rainbow cake. Regular readers already know that the rainbow cake is a staple of almost all of our family birthday celebrations: our mom has made us rainbow cakes since we can remember, and I’ve carried on the tradition. (Want a partial look back? Click this.) The recipe itself is phenomenal:…

  • Friends,  Fun in Chicago,  Working On My Fitness

    I’m Showing You What I Did So You Can Imagine What I’m Doing

    It is early (5:30 a.m.) and I am already dressed in my black workout pants and black sponsor t-shirt: Midwest Mania begins today! The Mania is a fitness conference that is full of workshops and lectures for personal trainers, instructors (that’s me!), and others in the fitness industry. (For me, it’s nothing like BlogHer, because MY fun at Mania is actually going to the sessions. Wocka wocka wocka!) Last year I worked the conference (it’s a cheaper way to get continuing ed credits I need for recertification), and at the staff party, I won the choice of either going for free this year (and not working) or working part time…

  • Review

    Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry Has a New Resident: Kate McGroarty!

    Well, the people voted, and I’m happy to report that Kate McGroarty has won the once-in-a-lifetime experience of living at the Museum of Science and Industry for thirty days! (This makes me intensely happy, because Kate was my pick!) (Can I say that?) (I just did!) Kate’s win was announced at the Museum this morning while she and the other finalists performed a chemistry experiment (mixing hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and sodium iodide) that looked the same, but in the end it was Kate’s mixture that produced a huge chemical reaction, signaling that she was the Museum’s newest resident! (This is supposed to be on ABC World News Tonight with…

  • Too Funny To Ignore

    Yep, That About Describes It!

    I’m in the middle of one of those whirlwind kind of weeks: today is my only (partial) day off and I’ll be working at Midwest Mania this weekend, just like last year*. Jim and I were going through some old scouting pictures, and I think this picture of the younger boy on a winter camping weekend a few years back pretty much tells you all you’ll need to know about how I’ll be feeling by Sunday evening. P.S. Isn’t he ADORABLE??? *Except that THIS YEAR, one of my good friends is working it with me! (SO EXCITED!) ©2010 Suburban Scrawl

  • Friends,  Proud Moments

    McMels Gone Wild*!

    My high school friend, McMel, came for a visit last weekend. Actually, she didn’t come for a visit, technically: she came for a two-day seminar, sent by her new employer. I was thrilled to find out that the seminar wouldn’t be in the city after all: it was in Oak Brook, which is only about fifteen minutes from my house. That location made it easy for me to pick McMel (and her super-nice co-worker) up for dinner both evenings, and then take them to the airport for their flight home on Saturday. Getting together with old friends is a priceless experience. Sharing a history, especially history from the teenaged years,…

  • Reflections on Parenting

    Teaching Your College Student About Credit Cards? Priceless.

    One of the warnings we (Jim, Julesie, and me) gave the older boy before he left for college was to stay away from credit cards. They are dangerous if not used properly, and can make life miserably expensive for decades. I remember when *I* was in college, companies were constantly trying to get us students (and newly-away-from-home-and-doing-whatever-we-wanted-to-do teenagers) to accept the cards they “pre-approved” for us. Back then (late 80’s), credit cards weren’t as big of a problem in general as they are today. People were still paying for most things with cash or check, and layaway programs were readily available in department stores. I was able to easily ignore…

  • Jew Stuff,  Too Funny To Ignore

    Effects of the Technology Age

    I spend Sunday mornings during the school year teaching a second grade religious school class of fifteen students at our temple. Today, we were talking about the First Commandent (“I am the Lord, your G-d”), and I began a discussion asking what my students wonder about G-d. Some of the points brought up for discussion: 1. Is G-d a “he” or a “she”?2. Is G-d a person?3. If G-d is supposed to be everywhere, is he/she everywhere at once, or does he/she just stop in everywhere from time to time? (My favorite!!) After discussing these topics for just a couple of minutes, I asked my class if there is a…