Gee it been a long time since I've updated my blog so I'm back. I keep forgetting to write here, but I haven't forgotten to document my weight loss progress other places. Weight loss has been slow and painful, but I'm very much a believer in "slow and steady wins the race". Though the weight hasn't gone away quickly, I have clothes that no longer fit and will be properly passed on to others. I have lost 10% of my waist, and 5% of my overall weight. I seem to be better proportioned and clothes fit better so I have no complaints.
I do however have a complaint about pain. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is a real and present danger. I've committed to doing what my trainer says do - he's the expert, what do I know, I'm the fat one. His exercise routine/weight routine I trust, is designed to make me more stable, more agile, stronger and building enough muscle mass to burn more calories while my body is at rest. OK I know the theory, I can talk a good game but I gotta get real! This program is quite painful. Thankfully it doesn't hurt immediately while I'm doing it or else I wouldn't go back PERIOD. But the next day, at about the same time as my workout session, I can vividly and painfully remember exactly what muscle group I worked out. So happens today is DOMS day, and I'm feeling it.
Yesterdays routine was a bit different than most. My trainer has no respect for a motor- he much prefers human energy to electrical energy. What do I mean? Have you ever used a motorized treadmill manually? Try it for a few minutes, then write me back. Well I'm used to this- he springs this one me every once in while but its truly an energy zapper for me. Next we head to the spin bike- lighter tension sitting, heavier tension standing. Why couldn't I sit long? Next was the stairmaster. All I can say is that I'm glad I could at least turn on the machine and use its motor but I really think I'd just rather walk a few flights in a highrise. I can see the value of my own pace with this exercise.
A few weight machines were employed next, to "give me a break", and if you think I believe that insert hilarious gales of laughter here. I think my session is going to be over, we've done lots of things including the leg curl and leg extension and the butt defining glute press when something happened which has ruined my day today. We played catchball while I had to do full situps. How do these instruments of torture work? Well... I have to lock my feet under a bench. Then I have to lay back and hold a 6 pound ball. When I sit-up, I throw the ball to my trainer. As I lay back down, he throws the ball to me. Repeat 20 times. Yeah right! I manage to do it, even though I'm really nervous that the ball is going to smack me in the head or that I would throw a complete air ball and then that sit up wouldn't count. Sweat pouring down I complete the task only to experience horrible pain today. My Coccyx (tail bone) is in rigor. If its not the bone, I was unaware there was a muscle there as I haven't felt it before today. Sitting in a chair is not an option, I stood up most of the day. Laying on my back is impossible, I will be sleeping on my side tonight. Misery is the only way to put it.
I have to be honest, I really don't want to complain all the the time about this 80 by 40 goal. I can see the progress in what I'm doing. I'm getting a better handle on the diet portion too. I have about 60 pounds left to lose, and the numbers guru comes out. I can and I will lose at least 1.37 pounds a week! I had my first salad Monday. I'll save that story for another blog post.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
How to work out 3 times a week and GAIN weight
Know that I am NOT happy. I haven't had the same attitude about going to the gym since I stepped on the scale last Wednesday and the weight increased instead of showing a marked decrease. Now let me say from the onset, I'm not interested in the theory that muscles weigh more than fat. That doesn't impress me, especially when I started this weight LOSS journey in July. Notice its called a WEIGHT LOSS journey, not an effort to turn fat into muscle! I can't understand how I can lose inches on my arms, my thighs, waist, abs, and bust and gain weight.
How am I supposed to lose 80 pounds at this rate? Am I never to eat again? I've already started eating food I'm less than impressed with in an effort to LOSE weight. I've already sacrificed the elixir of life - coke toward my goal, and how am I being rewarded? An increase in the number on the scale.
Since I last wrote about my 80 by 40 plan... I actually signed up for a personal trainer. He's great - I mean really great - (I don't know if he reads my blog or not but he really knows his stuff), but maybe I haven't adequately impressed upon him, my desire to LOSE weight. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful just for the time we've spent together, I feel my balance getting better, my stamina is increasing and while I haven't conquered the sweat thing, I can do the exercises and weights much better than when we started. I even walked 6.77 last Saturday, something I would have never dreamed of doing but I am NOT happy to see the scale increase.
Most of all I hate to fail, seeing the numbers on a scale increase, I feel failure in my weight LOSS endeavor. So, this is how one can work out 3+ times a week and still gain weight - this isn't supposed to happen.
Signed,
Frustrated and afraid of failure
How am I supposed to lose 80 pounds at this rate? Am I never to eat again? I've already started eating food I'm less than impressed with in an effort to LOSE weight. I've already sacrificed the elixir of life - coke toward my goal, and how am I being rewarded? An increase in the number on the scale.
Since I last wrote about my 80 by 40 plan... I actually signed up for a personal trainer. He's great - I mean really great - (I don't know if he reads my blog or not but he really knows his stuff), but maybe I haven't adequately impressed upon him, my desire to LOSE weight. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful just for the time we've spent together, I feel my balance getting better, my stamina is increasing and while I haven't conquered the sweat thing, I can do the exercises and weights much better than when we started. I even walked 6.77 last Saturday, something I would have never dreamed of doing but I am NOT happy to see the scale increase.
Most of all I hate to fail, seeing the numbers on a scale increase, I feel failure in my weight LOSS endeavor. So, this is how one can work out 3+ times a week and still gain weight - this isn't supposed to happen.
Signed,
Frustrated and afraid of failure
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Oatmeal
Why? Explain to me why its good for a person? Better yet, just cut to the chase and explain to me how to eat it - in a bowl, instead of baked in a cookie. Or, can I get the same nutritional value out of a eating a oatmeal cookie versus hot oatmeal for breakfast.
Maybe I need to back up and examine this from the eyes and tastebuds I had as a child. Every day in the fall and winter, momma always made me eat a hot cereal as part of breakfast. Matter of fact, I never ate cold cereal growing up, she called that stuff candy and I snacked on it after school. Back to the hot cereal as part of breakfast. Momma cooked a big breakfast every morning. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, syrup, toast, juice and milk. That was standard fare. In the fall and winter, when the weather broke and cold started creeping in, she added Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat to the menu. Even as a child I couldn't tolerate the Cream of Wheat so that is definitely not a consideration, but I did eat with regularity, Oatmeal. This was a yearly ritual which lasted at least 4 months and looking back maybe it was the lessor of the two evils but I remember eating it and asking for it. As I became a teenager and momma backed slowly out of her kitchen and invited me to have an intrigal role in meal preparation, I made the oatmeal on cold mornings. I can remember going to college and making oatmeal because it was the thing to eat to get me started in the morning on cold mornings. So why... can I not stomach it anymore?
I moved south, married a southern man, and adopted a southern baby. Grits are all the rage here, so I learned to cook creamy butter and cheese filled grits but never liked them for myself. On cold mornings, my family ate Grits, I turned to Coca Cola and left Oatmeal alone. Then along the way Oatmeal became the rage, its lowers cholesterol, is full of fiber, comes in a microwaveable mix and seems to be the cereal to eat. Why can't I get a spoonful down now? My gag reflex can't handle it, not to mention the taste of it is just "off" to me.
If I want to get the benefits of oatmeal: cholesterol lowering, high in fiber, fulfilling breakfast, what would be a more palatable substitute? Oatmeal just doesn't go down well...
Maybe I need to back up and examine this from the eyes and tastebuds I had as a child. Every day in the fall and winter, momma always made me eat a hot cereal as part of breakfast. Matter of fact, I never ate cold cereal growing up, she called that stuff candy and I snacked on it after school. Back to the hot cereal as part of breakfast. Momma cooked a big breakfast every morning. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, syrup, toast, juice and milk. That was standard fare. In the fall and winter, when the weather broke and cold started creeping in, she added Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat to the menu. Even as a child I couldn't tolerate the Cream of Wheat so that is definitely not a consideration, but I did eat with regularity, Oatmeal. This was a yearly ritual which lasted at least 4 months and looking back maybe it was the lessor of the two evils but I remember eating it and asking for it. As I became a teenager and momma backed slowly out of her kitchen and invited me to have an intrigal role in meal preparation, I made the oatmeal on cold mornings. I can remember going to college and making oatmeal because it was the thing to eat to get me started in the morning on cold mornings. So why... can I not stomach it anymore?
I moved south, married a southern man, and adopted a southern baby. Grits are all the rage here, so I learned to cook creamy butter and cheese filled grits but never liked them for myself. On cold mornings, my family ate Grits, I turned to Coca Cola and left Oatmeal alone. Then along the way Oatmeal became the rage, its lowers cholesterol, is full of fiber, comes in a microwaveable mix and seems to be the cereal to eat. Why can't I get a spoonful down now? My gag reflex can't handle it, not to mention the taste of it is just "off" to me.
If I want to get the benefits of oatmeal: cholesterol lowering, high in fiber, fulfilling breakfast, what would be a more palatable substitute? Oatmeal just doesn't go down well...
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Operation 80 by 40
OK, I did it. I'm on a weight loss plan. This is something I really don't understand, especially since I'm really happy with myself, but I want to see what all the hype is about so I'm going to find out for myself. I've decided that I am going to lose 80 pounds by the time I'm 40. Then I've also decided that I'm just crazy enough to report my progress for the entire world to see... it might keep me on the target. I've always been adverse to doing things I don't like to do. I don't see the point, and life is too short to do things which you don't want to do. I realize people have differences in opinion about such a statement, but I've lived this far in my adult life, doing just what I please.
I started this insanity of Friday July 17th, weighing a whopping 236 pounds. I also had 450 days exactly. Today (July 21) 5 days into this, I've lost one pound and I'm breaking the coca cola addiction I have. To date, I've have 1, (Saturday) and I have a cold one sitting here in front of me, which I might indulge in shortly. If I can keep from having one on exercise/gym days and if I can only have 1 a day when I do decide to have one, I will have come a long way.
I put my money where my mouth was and joined the gym yesterday. Can you believe I've never used a piece of exercise equipment? I can read and they have detailed images on the machine, but the gym gives me 2 personal training sessions so I'm going to use one, to just get acquainted with the machines. I can see myself strung up on a cable at some point if I'm not properly shown. Honestly though, I hate to sweat. Its plain and simple not ladylike in my opinion. I don't like the feeling or the sensation of sweat, and I don't like to be wet, unless I'm in a shower or in some... um... other... um... well never mind. Going to the gym, encourages sweat. Getting on the equipment after someone else has been on it and has perspired (sweated) on it, is just nasty to me, so I gotta learn to like to sweat.
My water intake has drastically increased. I used to drink a gallon of water a day, then I started drinking less and less as my coke intake increased. I am very pleased to be back on the water kick again. I am conscious of what I eat all of the sudden too. I haven't had fast food since Friday, which is another miracle for me. No shame in my game, I'm a Wendy's girl. I didn't get to be this size on coke alone, Wendy's was a contributing factor. Alas, if I'm going to lose 80 pounds in 445 days something else is going have to go too. I found this nifty little app (for free) for my iPhone. Its called Lose It. It is a calorie and exercise counter. I'm pretty good with budgeting money, so I can be equally as good with budgeting calories. I only have a set amount to use each day, I can get more calories by exercising which is what I will have to do if I indulge but I'm trying to start off right, and stay on the wagon for as long as I can. I did walk outside today and smell Burger King and it made me weak, but I kept moving to get my 1.5 litre bottle of water. Hey, and that walk, counted as exercise too :)
My goal: Get back in a bikini, and have a last hurrah before I let it all go to pot again. Now I'll freely admit, I used to be a wild thing. There isn't too much I didn't do when I was younger and I had the time of my life doing everything I pleased. Then I married, and along came a child and decided that I would settle into adulthood. Now, the child is almost grown, and being "settled" isn't all its cracked up to be. I intend on putting the top back (on the cabriolet) when I turn 40, and riding out having people exclaim that I can't possibly be 40. I won't look like it and I won't act like it!
In your comments, I would love to hear about what exercises you do for various body parts. I need a routine of some sort I think.
I started this insanity of Friday July 17th, weighing a whopping 236 pounds. I also had 450 days exactly. Today (July 21) 5 days into this, I've lost one pound and I'm breaking the coca cola addiction I have. To date, I've have 1, (Saturday) and I have a cold one sitting here in front of me, which I might indulge in shortly. If I can keep from having one on exercise/gym days and if I can only have 1 a day when I do decide to have one, I will have come a long way.
I put my money where my mouth was and joined the gym yesterday. Can you believe I've never used a piece of exercise equipment? I can read and they have detailed images on the machine, but the gym gives me 2 personal training sessions so I'm going to use one, to just get acquainted with the machines. I can see myself strung up on a cable at some point if I'm not properly shown. Honestly though, I hate to sweat. Its plain and simple not ladylike in my opinion. I don't like the feeling or the sensation of sweat, and I don't like to be wet, unless I'm in a shower or in some... um... other... um... well never mind. Going to the gym, encourages sweat. Getting on the equipment after someone else has been on it and has perspired (sweated) on it, is just nasty to me, so I gotta learn to like to sweat.
My water intake has drastically increased. I used to drink a gallon of water a day, then I started drinking less and less as my coke intake increased. I am very pleased to be back on the water kick again. I am conscious of what I eat all of the sudden too. I haven't had fast food since Friday, which is another miracle for me. No shame in my game, I'm a Wendy's girl. I didn't get to be this size on coke alone, Wendy's was a contributing factor. Alas, if I'm going to lose 80 pounds in 445 days something else is going have to go too. I found this nifty little app (for free) for my iPhone. Its called Lose It. It is a calorie and exercise counter. I'm pretty good with budgeting money, so I can be equally as good with budgeting calories. I only have a set amount to use each day, I can get more calories by exercising which is what I will have to do if I indulge but I'm trying to start off right, and stay on the wagon for as long as I can. I did walk outside today and smell Burger King and it made me weak, but I kept moving to get my 1.5 litre bottle of water. Hey, and that walk, counted as exercise too :)
My goal: Get back in a bikini, and have a last hurrah before I let it all go to pot again. Now I'll freely admit, I used to be a wild thing. There isn't too much I didn't do when I was younger and I had the time of my life doing everything I pleased. Then I married, and along came a child and decided that I would settle into adulthood. Now, the child is almost grown, and being "settled" isn't all its cracked up to be. I intend on putting the top back (on the cabriolet) when I turn 40, and riding out having people exclaim that I can't possibly be 40. I won't look like it and I won't act like it!
In your comments, I would love to hear about what exercises you do for various body parts. I need a routine of some sort I think.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I hate the iPhone... my $1000 project
I know, this admission is like branding myself with a scarlet letter but I'm going to forge on with my blog posting, yes MY blog posting LOL.
"Why do I hate it"? you might ask, or better yet, "why did you purchase it"? Well I didn't know I'd be stepping back into the dark ages with such a modern device. I thought I had done my due diligence, waited a few years for the bugs to be worked out of the first generation models, done my homework/research and then.... utter and total disappointment.
For starters: Cut, copy and paste is just now arriving for the iPhone? Are you serious? and iPhone freaks are ecstatic with this revelation? I'm glad I waited. Then I've gone back in time with no MMS features, but this is AT&T's fault. I'll register my complaint again today with their customer service...see I can talk to them for free from my iPhone so I take full advantage of testing out some of my features and calling them on their nickel to test them. All of their other phones do MMS, why not the iPhone, but of course they are figuring new ways to charge iPhone because they see $$$$ instead of customers. Ooh and while I'm ragging on AT&T, whats the deal with 3G. Either let us have it, or not. My phone can be in the same place, and every hour, for a portion of that hour, no 3G service available, then it pops back with an oddly regular schedule.
Back to my hatred, and believe me I'm trying to work it out. My number 1 complaint is the need to transfer contacts. I'm sorry but the iPHONE is a phone and as such, should be able to seamlessly convert contact information between it and other mobile devices. Some say AT&T should make that happen to which I reply whatever. BOTH have failed me. I guess its my fault, I'm coming from a Palm OS environment where I used every feature available to me. My contact list has become a massive database, unfortunately including many fields other programs such as Outlook, Google and Yahoo don't know what to do with the format. Bottom line I'm stuck doing 1000+ contacts by hand in a format Rotten Apple can comprehend. I have gained one thing though.... now I have my contacts in a universal format, stored in a couple of places, backed up on my external harddrive and should I EVER have to move them again... I'm ready!
I'm used to a great many fancy applications on my Palm Centro, the most used has been my ringtone maker. To think iTunes wants a piece of this lucrative market is to be expected but I'm not willing to shell out money for ringtones when I have to assign ring tones by PERSON not by group. Come on its 2009 already. Groups in contacts is supposed to be a convenient way of lumping commonalities together. I'm used to identifying the group/person by their ringtone and to go though the afore mentioned 1000+ contacts one by one assigning them a ringtone is preposterous. But what do I expect, iPhone just received contacts with the 3.0 Operating System upgrade.
I'll talk about the battery issue and then I'll shut up for today. I reserve the right to complain loudly and with passion in a later blog. All of the "bells and whistles" of the iPhone come with a heavy price. If I have 3G on, and I'm not in a 3G location, the phone whirls endlessly trying to make a connection, thankfully it reverts to the Edge network so I can at least communicate. During its mindless whirl, it gulps battery life. If the bluetooth is on, when its not in use, battery life is gulped. If Location Services are on, you got it, battery life is gulped. In 2009, I need to wear the charger cord around my neck like a necklace. You never know when I might need to make a PHONE call. (Said with biting sarcasm.)
OOh and why is $1000.00 in the subject line? Well I wonder how much its going to cost me to get my iPhone to mimic my beloved PDA... So far I have only the cost of the phone, but I've been too busy fighting with my contacts to get heavily involved in the App store... Stay tuned though, I"ll report on my progress.
"Why do I hate it"? you might ask, or better yet, "why did you purchase it"? Well I didn't know I'd be stepping back into the dark ages with such a modern device. I thought I had done my due diligence, waited a few years for the bugs to be worked out of the first generation models, done my homework/research and then.... utter and total disappointment.
For starters: Cut, copy and paste is just now arriving for the iPhone? Are you serious? and iPhone freaks are ecstatic with this revelation? I'm glad I waited. Then I've gone back in time with no MMS features, but this is AT&T's fault. I'll register my complaint again today with their customer service...see I can talk to them for free from my iPhone so I take full advantage of testing out some of my features and calling them on their nickel to test them. All of their other phones do MMS, why not the iPhone, but of course they are figuring new ways to charge iPhone because they see $$$$ instead of customers. Ooh and while I'm ragging on AT&T, whats the deal with 3G. Either let us have it, or not. My phone can be in the same place, and every hour, for a portion of that hour, no 3G service available, then it pops back with an oddly regular schedule.
Back to my hatred, and believe me I'm trying to work it out. My number 1 complaint is the need to transfer contacts. I'm sorry but the iPHONE is a phone and as such, should be able to seamlessly convert contact information between it and other mobile devices. Some say AT&T should make that happen to which I reply whatever. BOTH have failed me. I guess its my fault, I'm coming from a Palm OS environment where I used every feature available to me. My contact list has become a massive database, unfortunately including many fields other programs such as Outlook, Google and Yahoo don't know what to do with the format. Bottom line I'm stuck doing 1000+ contacts by hand in a format Rotten Apple can comprehend. I have gained one thing though.... now I have my contacts in a universal format, stored in a couple of places, backed up on my external harddrive and should I EVER have to move them again... I'm ready!
I'm used to a great many fancy applications on my Palm Centro, the most used has been my ringtone maker. To think iTunes wants a piece of this lucrative market is to be expected but I'm not willing to shell out money for ringtones when I have to assign ring tones by PERSON not by group. Come on its 2009 already. Groups in contacts is supposed to be a convenient way of lumping commonalities together. I'm used to identifying the group/person by their ringtone and to go though the afore mentioned 1000+ contacts one by one assigning them a ringtone is preposterous. But what do I expect, iPhone just received contacts with the 3.0 Operating System upgrade.
I'll talk about the battery issue and then I'll shut up for today. I reserve the right to complain loudly and with passion in a later blog. All of the "bells and whistles" of the iPhone come with a heavy price. If I have 3G on, and I'm not in a 3G location, the phone whirls endlessly trying to make a connection, thankfully it reverts to the Edge network so I can at least communicate. During its mindless whirl, it gulps battery life. If the bluetooth is on, when its not in use, battery life is gulped. If Location Services are on, you got it, battery life is gulped. In 2009, I need to wear the charger cord around my neck like a necklace. You never know when I might need to make a PHONE call. (Said with biting sarcasm.)
OOh and why is $1000.00 in the subject line? Well I wonder how much its going to cost me to get my iPhone to mimic my beloved PDA... So far I have only the cost of the phone, but I've been too busy fighting with my contacts to get heavily involved in the App store... Stay tuned though, I"ll report on my progress.
Friday, March 27, 2009
How did I graduate high school before I as old enough to drive...
First let me say "thank you" to Yolanda for topic starters, I have at least 10 more blogs to write based on topics she suggested. I'll take more anytime.
Yolanda isn't the first person to ask me how did I manage to graduate high school at 15 years of age. Well simply put, a comedy of errors or sheer genius allowed it to happen, I'll let you pick which one. I remember starting school when I was 4 years old. School started the day after Labor Day in the city of my youth, and my 5th birthday was Columbus day. Now days kindergartners have to be 5 before the cut off date/start of school so this wouldn't be allowed to happen now. I went to public Kindergarten and frankly was bored out of my mind. I can remember Mrs. Casper (to this very day) reminding me to let the other children have a chance. We would be reciting the alphabet, they would be on G I would be on Z happily singing "now I know my ABC's next time won't you sing with me". I could write my entire name, my address entirely, and phone number while my classmates were struggling to even learn their real name from their nickname. I could write my great-grandparents names, and they were "Wenonah" and "Everette" (and pronounce them too), I could even read so Kindergarten was a big waste of time.
Momma decided that it was a waste and I guess that was a good thing. Back when I was a child, and dinosaurs roamed the earth, children could be skipped in grades and to further that effort, momma introduced me to Catholic school were they tested and placed their students in what they though were the appropriate grade without regard the age of the student. I was in 2nd grade by the time I turned 6. Things continued well until I reached the 8th grade. I passed another test which skipped me to the 9th grade...fine by me.
All of the years of Catholic school had kept me from going to school with my friends from the neighborhood. You have to understand where I grew up. I firmly believe to this day, it is the most economically depressed area in the country. East St. Louis, Illinois ain't nothing nice but it is home. I went to school 30 miles from home, in an entirely different state, St. Louis, Missouri. I'm sure getting me back and forth to school and various school activities took a toll on my folks, and my uncles but they managed forever. However, by the time 10th grade rolled around I waned to go to school with the neighborhood kids. I was sick of the plaid skirts and patent leather shoes, (although I think that started my shoe fetish, I had a pair of Patent Leather Mary Janes in Green, Red and Navy). The kids in the 'hood played football in my side yard (the parking lot), we rode bikes together, walked to the candy store, went to church together, I wanted to go to school with them. I set out to regularly throw fits to get to go to public high school. I worked on the plan and on my folks ALL summer long between 9th and 10th grade. I knew the school had a floundering Orchestra program, but they had one so I wouldn't have to stop playing the violin. They had a marching band and the best football team in the entire state of Illinois so I knew I could get into the band with my Clarinet. I had years of voice training so I promised I would join the choir. Working, working, working.... they weren't giving any answers throughout the summer. Finally they allowed me to attend public high school.
I loved every minute of public school once I made it there. Sadly, I knew a whole lot of what I was being taught. The one lesson which stuck out the most was Illinois history, I was required to learn Missouri history when I went to catholic school. I did like the competitions in academics and music between other schools state wide. I seemed to excel in the competitions and I won at least 90% of those activities. Graduation was the happiest day of my life at that time. I was able to walk across the stage with lifelong friends and an "A" average.
That fall my freshman year in college, school started in August and I was 15. I received a car for my16th birthday.
Yolanda isn't the first person to ask me how did I manage to graduate high school at 15 years of age. Well simply put, a comedy of errors or sheer genius allowed it to happen, I'll let you pick which one. I remember starting school when I was 4 years old. School started the day after Labor Day in the city of my youth, and my 5th birthday was Columbus day. Now days kindergartners have to be 5 before the cut off date/start of school so this wouldn't be allowed to happen now. I went to public Kindergarten and frankly was bored out of my mind. I can remember Mrs. Casper (to this very day) reminding me to let the other children have a chance. We would be reciting the alphabet, they would be on G I would be on Z happily singing "now I know my ABC's next time won't you sing with me". I could write my entire name, my address entirely, and phone number while my classmates were struggling to even learn their real name from their nickname. I could write my great-grandparents names, and they were "Wenonah" and "Everette" (and pronounce them too), I could even read so Kindergarten was a big waste of time.
Momma decided that it was a waste and I guess that was a good thing. Back when I was a child, and dinosaurs roamed the earth, children could be skipped in grades and to further that effort, momma introduced me to Catholic school were they tested and placed their students in what they though were the appropriate grade without regard the age of the student. I was in 2nd grade by the time I turned 6. Things continued well until I reached the 8th grade. I passed another test which skipped me to the 9th grade...fine by me.
All of the years of Catholic school had kept me from going to school with my friends from the neighborhood. You have to understand where I grew up. I firmly believe to this day, it is the most economically depressed area in the country. East St. Louis, Illinois ain't nothing nice but it is home. I went to school 30 miles from home, in an entirely different state, St. Louis, Missouri. I'm sure getting me back and forth to school and various school activities took a toll on my folks, and my uncles but they managed forever. However, by the time 10th grade rolled around I waned to go to school with the neighborhood kids. I was sick of the plaid skirts and patent leather shoes, (although I think that started my shoe fetish, I had a pair of Patent Leather Mary Janes in Green, Red and Navy). The kids in the 'hood played football in my side yard (the parking lot), we rode bikes together, walked to the candy store, went to church together, I wanted to go to school with them. I set out to regularly throw fits to get to go to public high school. I worked on the plan and on my folks ALL summer long between 9th and 10th grade. I knew the school had a floundering Orchestra program, but they had one so I wouldn't have to stop playing the violin. They had a marching band and the best football team in the entire state of Illinois so I knew I could get into the band with my Clarinet. I had years of voice training so I promised I would join the choir. Working, working, working.... they weren't giving any answers throughout the summer. Finally they allowed me to attend public high school.
I loved every minute of public school once I made it there. Sadly, I knew a whole lot of what I was being taught. The one lesson which stuck out the most was Illinois history, I was required to learn Missouri history when I went to catholic school. I did like the competitions in academics and music between other schools state wide. I seemed to excel in the competitions and I won at least 90% of those activities. Graduation was the happiest day of my life at that time. I was able to walk across the stage with lifelong friends and an "A" average.
That fall my freshman year in college, school started in August and I was 15. I received a car for my16th birthday.
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