Pentagenarians &Beyond: W/B 12/1/13

fox2star

fox2star

Cathlete
Good morning and Happy December!

Where does the time go?

Lori, keeping your brother in my thoughts and hope all goes well with the surgery.

Valerie, I think you would like FlexTrain. As for the inequities in wages, I guess it all depends on a person,s definition of "rich". One of John,s patients retired and is getting $16 an hour being a greeter at Walmart He works about 20 hours a week. I think I know what I,m going to do when I retire! Yes Ted Danson was in season 1 of Damages. A bit different character tan the one he was in Cheers!

Judy, you have a good rotation planned. Hope you find a squat rack. Will you be looking on Craig,s List?

Josie, have a great time with your "peanuts"!

Garance, what will your son be doing in China? Work or vacation? I had to actually Google to get some answers to my questions on the first season of Damages. Like who was really trying to kill Ellen Parsons? It helped a lot. I agree with you..none of the characters are likable. I kind of liked Ellen but at the end it seemed like she is going to turn into another Patty Hughes.

I hope to get a workout in this morning. Maybe a new KCM.

Will check back later, take care.
 
Good morning ladies!

Yesterday I did my kickboxing dvd I made from workout blender. Kickboxing cardio has to be my favorite cardio handsdown. Ended up walking chester at about 6:00pm. Won't do this again. Pitch black here. Even though I wore a reflective vest and had a very strong flashlight, I did not feel safe at all. Too many drivers not paying attention. We have no sidewalks and all country roads and everyone drives way too fast for them.

Valerie...thanks for the link. Plan to read later today. Sounds like it is worth reading. Deb...I am with you...."welcome to walmart"

Judy...hope you find a deal on a squat rack. I am loving mine and it is perfect for what I need. I can also use it for pullups (sitting on the floor and modified like in meso 1). Was using bands prior but feel this way is more true to a pullup for me. It is a golds gym with bench. Very happy with the quality. Keep looking on craigs list and eventually one will pop up.

Lynda...wow China! How long is he there for?

Josie...have fun!

Have a great day all!
 
Deb-I'm looking on Craig's list, but if I can't find one there, I found a couple on Amazon that are under $150 and would probably work.

DH wants to work at Home Depot part time when he retires. I wonder how much they pay? I am surprised that Walmart pays $16 an hour for greeters. I think I need to find a new part time job. I started at the health food store in 2008 at $9.00 an hour and after 6 years, am only up to $9.86. They are currently hiring new employees at $8.50 an hour so I doubt my wage will go up anytime soon.
 
I think I'll get Flextrain.. all the positive comments can't be wrong. so far DH hasn't gotten anything for me for xmas. I don't want to spend money just to spend but I will probably use this workout. I looked at the clips. I just didn't want the whole "set" this time as several didn't appeal to me, and I got the pedal one from Lori. DH likes it a lot, says it's the best one of the 3. I haven't used it yet. I still use the treadmill for warm ups and regular workouts because it's so simple for me but he doesn't and rides the spin cycle. I have to go thru the pedal changing routine so it's not as simple as just turning it on an jumping on.

Deb that link I posted takes less than 5 minutes to listen to, and look at the charts. It doesn't have any solutions to the "problem" but America didn't have such a disparity in wages between workers and management.

Lori, I gave up walking and running outside ( for a regular workout) years ago because of the darkness factor too much of the year. we used to run before DH went to work in the morning but several months of the year it's simply not safe. you can trip, slip on ice, or be hit by a car.....even with reflective gear. too many distracted drivers and it's just plain too dark. too dark when he got home too. so we bought a treadmill and it went on from there.
Lynda, thanks for the link for the flan. I will try it soon.
 
Lori-we must have posted at the same time. I'll keep looking on Craig's list, hopefully will find a good squat rack there.
 
Hi Deb, Josie, Valerie, Lori, and Judy--

This morning I did RK (55 min.).

My son is joining his wife in China. She's already been there awhile doing something for Google. She speaks both Mandarin and Cantonese so she is a very good computer engineer for China. He says he is basically vacationing, but watching him when he was here, he spends a lot of time working with clients for Apple, helping them set up apps for their businesses. I guess his office is anywhere he happens to be because of Apple technology. He helped his dad set up a way to take credit cards on his IPhone when he was here, because a lot of customers ask--and forget to bring cash or checks to the farmer's market.

Valerie, if you watch Morning Joe you learn pretty quickly that wages have been stagnant since the 1970s, and in this economy, there are too many people who are doing two jobs at minimum wage who cannot support their families. On MJ, Reich appears occasionally, but even more often, Steve Ratner. IMO, it's one thing to be retired and do a part-time job with no benefits for some extra cash and a whole other set of issues if you are trying to have a living wage covering rent or mortgage, health care, food, transportation--all the necessities of life. I think it's obscene for CEOs to be paid 400 times as much or more as their employees and also to refuse or recant on pensions, health care, 401ks. The flan recipe was really easy. The caramel sauce made it taste almost like crème caramel. I think Flextrain just flies by.

Lori, I can't walk around here after dark either. Too risky on country roads. I miss my after dinner walks with Max during the summer. Enjoy your squat rack.

Off to Comfort Sunday again. The menu looks interesting.

December already?? Yikes.
 
Good morning,

I did 35 minutes of Cardio Coach #5 this morning, a great workout, I think it's the toughest CC. Not much new to report here, I sold a DVD yesterday on Ebay ( one of the 3 I have from the Les Mills Body Pump series, I listed all 3 of them) and one sold within an hour of listing. ..Yay! for that...I am culling out as many as I can of the ones I don't use any more and the ones from the new Cathe bunch that I never opened. You can't "give" that boxing one away. I think I've listed it 3 times now. Not sure why it is not selling, it's never been opened, and I am including shipping. Oh well, we'll see what happens I guess.

Lori, if you like boxing cardio, you may enjoy the new KCM's where she does boxing intervals with weight work in between. Not kickboxing though, just very simple boxing moves. I did one yesterday with Cathe's 1/2 pound weighted gloves. I agree with not walking in the dark, unfortunately it's dark before work now and after. :(

Judy, I was very surprised about the Walmart greeter job paying so much as well, I really think maybe he was exaggerating. Either way, anything over $10 for that would be great.

Valerie, get FlexTrain! how is that for enabling?

Garance, how was Comfort Sunday? was your DH's food featured on the menu? That credit card thing your son did sounds amazing. Believe it or not, John just got a credit card set up in his office. He resisted for as along as he could.

Back to work...ugh...a nice 6 days off. I need to retire.

Work, then class tonight, a late one.

That's it for now!
 
Let me say right away... I don't need an enabler... I am my own enabler! the deed is done, I ordered Flextrain Saturday!
this time of year I appreciate cathe's workouts more than ever. dark, cold, wet, not ideal for outside stuff. I did cardio Supersets yesterday. I haven't been regular enough on upper body things for a while now and didn't get all the pushups. respectable number though, and did a few on my knees. got all the plank moves without a whimper .... those used to be hard for me. If we don't do something outside today, I want to do pedal Power. DH said the music was good on this one.

Lynda, wish we had Morning Joe here. I used to watch GMA or Today back when they covered things other than fluff and celebrity garbage and I miss that. Maybe there's a way to get it online? I will look.

I have a nephew like you mentioned. he works 2 full time jobs and is filing for bankruptcy. I am guessing he made some poor choices along the way, but it's not uncommon anymore. One job he's had for about 16 years and he's only 30-ish but it's for a grocery chain that's non union. meager benefits, insurance, etc. He's my messed up sister's son so he didn't have a great example growing up but it still isn't right that anyone can work 80 hours + a week and be unable to make enough money to stay afloat.
 
Valerie-I agree, no one should have to work 2 full time jobs to begin with, and when one cannot make a decent living working 2 full time jobs, then something is very wrong. I am so fortunate that I have a husband with a good job and that I had a good career and was able to save and have a small pension too. What I see other employees go through at the store where I work is disgraceful. :mad:
First of all, the owner won't let any of (exluding managers) them work more than 30 hours a week to eliminate overtime and having to pay vacations. There is no sick time or holiday pay, nothing. One of the girls had an eye infection last year and couldn't go to the doctor because of no insurance and no money. We organized a quick collection for her and made sure she went to the doctor and got her infection treated.

It makes me sick how some businesses treat their employees. Sorry about the rant:eek:

I'll post more later, without ranting

Judy
 
No, not a rant judy. it's reality for so many people now. somehow the average person has no marketplace power anymore, and it seems there's no movement to improve things. not everyone is going to be a college grad... not that that matters all that much. my SIL is a teacher and hasn't been able to get a job..any job.. for several years now. she's in her early 50's and gets overlooked in favor of 20-something new grads. she worked for a parochial school for 20+ years, the school closed, and now she can't find anything. she's "over qualified" and no one will hire her. I was laid off in 1992 ( along with the entire workforce) and could not find anything. fortunately DH had a better career. I ran into "over qualified" or eliminated because I was too old. and the ploy of keeping everyone as 30 hr "part time" so they don't get vacation or health care is just wrong. employers get close to full time workers and don't need to fund benefits.

I just found out my sister is finally qualified for social programs so her hospitalization was covered, she is on a food stamp program etc.

Lynda, I could watch Morning joe on the computer but our TV is not connected in any way so I need to keep looking.
 
Hi Deb, Josie, Valerie, Lori, and Judy--

This morning I did Great Glutes, the premix without the ball (55:40). My hips are fried!

Deb, the two courses I had last night were really yummy. The first one was crispy polenta fries in a cheesy sauce with arugula. The second course featured DH's pork shoulder that was tender as can be and a lovely risotto with kale. I couldn't finish the second course, so I brought it home.

Valerie, Steve Ratner was on Morning Joe today and he showed a couple interesting graphs. One of them was on how corporate profits have soared since 2008 while wages have actually gone down a bit, and of course, corporations also cut their workforce at the same time, so there are a lot of people who don't have any wages at all now. The second one was about the number of people who left the stock market after the recession hit and did not return to buying stocks even though the stock market is currently soaring. Before the recession, about 70 percent of the adult workers were in the stock market in some way. Now it's less than 50 percent, so they are not recovering their losses. On the minimum wage, I just don't see how fast food workers in NYC can support themselves on less than 10 dollars an hour. NYC is probably one of the most expensive places to live in the world, maybe after London and Hong Kong. If you can't get MJ, you should take a look at Huffingtonpost.com. Ratner frequently blogs there, as does Reich. That's good news about your sister.

Judy, that's really pathetic about your fellow workers. Do the owners just claim that they have insufficient profits to do anything for their workers?

Anybody buying anything on Cyber Monday?
 
Good afternoon ladies!

I am off today then back to work tomorrow. Yesterday I did the originial Interval Max. Wow! The first time I did this one years ago I thought this was the hardest cardio workout I have every done. I still think it is hard only outdone by Cathe's X77 routine. Today I did a premix of butts and guts...the leg blaster. I was crying towards the end and was glad when it was over. The heaviest weight used in this premix is 10lbs. But boy she works you.

So sad about all the corporations. I feel it in my own company. In January it will be 21 years that I have been with them. A year ago I loved my job. Now I can't sleep on Sundays worrying about stupid crap and do not like the selfish changes that have been going on.

Valerie...great news with the expenses for your SIL. This has to be a huge relief.

Lynda...you make me hungry with your yummy comfort meals.

Deb...I have been eyeing some of KCM's workouts. The newer ones look great. I have a couple on my xmas wish list!

Judy...so nice of you and your coworkers to help the girl out. Still sad that you had to do this.

No cyber purchasing for me today....I did enough damage with cathe's download sale. I went on amazon this morning for a few minutes but there was nothing that I was interested in.

Rainy and cold today. No walk for Chester. :(

Hi to Josie!
 
Hi Everyone,

I started the Spinerval Challenge with a 1 hour spin workout yesterday. Today I did Muscle Max, Xtrain 100 Rep Tricep Challenge, and Core Max workout 1.

I've spent enough for the holidays at this point, no cyber Monday shopping for me.

Deb-$10 an hour is pretty good for retail, I'd also have a hard time believing Walmart would pay much more than that but I could be wrong.

Valerie-I am also "overqualified" (too old) to get a good job. I was lucky to get the one I have, and it was only because the person who interviewed me and hired me was my age and probably preferred someone more "mature". When I was actively looking for a better job, the few interviews I had, I was interviewed by someone barely over 20 and I knew before the interview was half over that I wasn't even going to be considered. Ageism is alive and well, regardless of what any company policy or law might state.
I'm so glad that your sister is going to be covered, great news!

Lynda-the food sounds really good!
Yes, the owners of this local chain (13 stores and growing at last count) claim that due to the "economy" they must raise prices and lower their expenses. Yet they are expanding as I write this and are in the process of opening yet another health food market..:confused: I don't know how they can live with themselves. For anyone working the floor at the 30 hour level, it's like a sweat shop. They are only allowed 1 -30 minute, unpaid break if they work a 6 hour shift, anything less than 6 hours, no breaks, other than to use the restroom. The owner won't allow any chairs on the floor or near the register because he thinks the employees will get lazy and not work if they are allowed to sit. I could go on and on but I won't. Unfortunately, most retail workplaces are probably like this.

Lori-sorry about the changes your company is going through.. I remember the feeling of having a knot in my stomach on Sunday night because I didn't know what to expect on Monday morning :( It's sad when people who have given 15-20 + years to a company have to go through that.

Hi to Josie,

Judy
 
I was about 47 when my job ended. company decided they didn't need a sales force anymore, and due to changes in the medical industry, other opportunities were nonexistent. I looked, got another position, but it was awful. they wanted us to travel on our own time, were cheap on accomodations/meals, product support was embarrassingly weak. I only did it for a few months.
Eventually I worked for my husband's office but that job ended too. the switch to electronic medical records was swift and totally killed medical transcription as a 'field". but I'd done it for about 10 years and didn't look for anything after that.

yes, glad my sister is covered. getting hospitalized really jump started the process since they won't get paid if she wasn't covered... motivating for them! she still is having some seizures, not as many and finally sees her new neurologist tomorrow. she will need to adjust to getting someone to take her wherever she needs to go, and will need to get used to being home all the time.
 
Good morning,

I have been up since 3:00 am....we went to class last night and got home around 10:15, I probably fell asleep around 11:00 and wide awake at 3. This will be a long day.

Valerie, now after all that "hoopla' about Flextrain, I hope you enjoy it! :). I am glad to hear that your sister's medical bills are being taken care of. One less stressful thing for her ( and you and your family).

Judy, I can't believe that the owners of the store you work at can be that terrible to their employees, I guess when you are privately owned, you can do what you want. Sometimes it's good to work for a large corporation...we would never get away with doing those things, and who would want to work in that environment as a manager? I hope when I retire I don't run into the same thing that you and Valerie did....but I think I will work part time at a local supermarket, or pet store...nothing too taxing!

Garance, I didn't buy anything yesterday, but will be getting a bunch of Amazon Gift cards for my team at work. ahhh...nice and easy shopping! I used to get them all Entertainment books, but I am concerned about how long they will be around.

Lori, Nice job on the "oldie but goodie" Cathe workout! If you get KCM's make sure you get the latest 2 ; "Trim Down" and "Shape Up" so far they are my favorites, and I have a lot of hers.

Work then home to ..
smiley-sleep027.gif
 
Judy those working conditions are horrid. I thought some things were required by state law, like a 15 min break every 4 hours, etc. but maybe I got that idea from working in a union store when I was young.
It's so true ...you can tell when they just go thru the motions and have dismissed your application. legal or not. maybe they can't ask your birthdate, or how old you are "directly", but when the year you graduated from high school and college is sort of a clue. I could not believe I could not even get to an "in face" interview when I was only about 45, and I looked much younger than that. but I applied and applied and seldom heard back at all, and when I did, it was the high school business.

off to yoga.
 
Judy those working conditions are horrid. I thought some things were required by state law, like a 15 min break every 4 hours, etc. but maybe I got that idea from working in a union store when I was young.
It's so true ...you can tell when they just go thru the motions and have dismissed your application. legal or not. maybe they can't ask your birthdate, or how old you are "directly", but when the year you graduated from high school and college is sort of a clue. I could not believe I could not even get to an "in face" interview when I was only about 45, and I looked much younger than that. but I applied and applied and seldom heard back at all, and when I did, it was the high school business.

off to yoga.

some problems this morning with it taking a looong time to actually post
 
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Hi Everyone,

This morning I did a 70 minute Spinerval. I am really feeling the 100 rep tricep challenge from yesterday. I only used 5 lbs, but I can barely get my arms over my head today.

Deb-sorry you woke up so early, hope you can get some rest tonight. I agree about it being better to work for a larger corporation. I am appalled with what the owners/managers of this store get away with. I am also very happy not to have to be a manager in that environment.
I tried to apply for jobs at Petsmart and REI, and a local Humane Society. I applied online and never heard anything back. I imagine based on the dates of my graduations and my previous jobs, they knew my age and that put me out of the running. I guess I was just "overqualified":confused: I also applied at a local running store a couple of years ago. I was interviewed, by someone probably 20-22. The interview seemed to go ok, but again I never heard anything afterwards. I've also submitted my resume for full time professional type positions that I would not be "overqualified" for. No response at all.

Valerie- I thought the breaks were required too, but apparently not, at least not in Michigan.
When I lost my "good job", in 2004, I was 42. Maybe because I lived in a smaller, midwest community and had a lot of friends, it wasn't that hard to find another job, in fact I actually had to choose between 2 jobs at that time. I was 45 when I moved to Michigan, and the only job I've been successful at getting was at the health food store.

Hi to Lynda, Lori, & Josie

Judy
 
Hi Deb, Josie, Valerie, Lori, and Judy--

This morning I did Party Rockin' Step #2 (52:46).

All of these work-related stories remind me of how lucky I was/am for a 40 year long career at Williams. Could not ask for a better employer in terms of salary and benefits and plenty of support for scholarship, too. I still have an office too. I have no desire or need for a part-time job. I am just enjoying complete control of my days. Judy, have any of your fellow employees just up and quit? I know these are desperate times, but wow, your employers sound awful.

Lori, IMax 1 and 2 were my favorites for a long time. I still have them on video, but I no longer feel that my knees could handle the impact. I went to see Catching Fire. It is long, but it went by fast. I was impressed with its faithfulness to the book. It ends as abruptly.

Deb, hope you can get some zzzz. I looked at the clip for Shape Up on Collage, and I could tell that I would not be able to do all of that jumping on and off the step. I have enough trouble with the Cardio Legs workout in XTrain.

Hi to Valerie and Josie!
 
Good evening ladies!

No workout today...as usual no sleep last night thinking about going back to work. Came home and decided to have a glass of wine. Sometimes this is the better choice. ;)

Garance...40 years at one place is amazing. You deserve what you have now. Good for you. I can't wait to see Catching Fire. Was too busy this weekend. For books I am just about finished with "The Wizard of Oz". It is a quick read and can't believe how different it is than the movie! If my parents read this book to me at bedtime I would have had nightmares for years to come! Next I have decided to read Wicked. I think I am backwards with the books. Oh well!

The work place is so hard right now. I will be in the same boat if I was to lose my job...being at one place for 20 years and over 50. Odds will not be in my favor. So I just keep plugging along and smiling.

Deb...those are the 2 KCM workouts that I like. I think these are her two newest ones correct? The tabata one looks great.

Judy...great job on the spinervals. And yes those 100 rep challenges really get to you. Thanks for the reminder about those. Completely forgot about them. They are a nice add on.

Valerie...I agree with you about the breaks. I thought they were mandatory too. Years ago in the 80's at my job everyone took 2 breaks a day plus lunch. Now nobody does. I think you will really like Flex Train. I love everything about it.

Hi to Josie!!!
 
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