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Playlist

In my mind, the perfect playlist is essential for every occasion. Particularly, I love my workout playlists. It’s another tool in the chest that helps me stick to my routine and keep my pace if I’m running. My go to music for my running playlist has been Metallica, The Offspring, Green Day, God Smack and Bush. The opening rif to For Whom The Bell Tolls is perfect pushing through a difficult run. I love it!

When I strength train there’s still plenty of Metallica and company, but it’s a broader playlist. Lately, I’ve been listening to a 90’s playlist that Apple Music built based on our music library. It’s a great collection of music albeit not all of the songs work well for working out. I don’t know about you, but REM’s Everybody Hurts isn’t my favorite hype song. Obviously I love the song, but it doesn’t work in the gym.

The largest collection music on my phone is my hockey playlist. After ten years of playing music at the boys’ hockey games, I’ve got over 300 songs on there. Clearly, there’s a lot of overlap between my lists, but the hockey one is quite diverse. I got everything from the Beatles to Britney Spears and Rammstein to Daddy Yankee. Anyway, music makes my world go round. It brings joy and color to life and keeps me focused on my runs, which is not an easy feat. What’s your go to pump up song? Let me know in the comments.

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Back to Back

Wow, it feels like forever since I’ve actually had the time to post on back to back days.  We had a busy day of hockey and hockey related activities.  The morning started with the Mayor’s team fundraising at a Publix in Coconut Creek.  Thanks to the store’s generous patrons, his squad raised over $800.  Fortunately, he and the hubby were back in time to leave right way for Goalielock’s games.

Goalielock’s and his squad split the day dropping the first contest to the Hawks, but winning their second against the Toros.  I had a blast in the box with Tonya and DB during the first game.  Reunited and it felt so good!  Unfortunately, during he warmups for game two Goalielock’s left leg slid out on him and he pulled his groin.  Long story short, I walked out to hit the restroom pre-game and when I came back he was on the bench in a different jersey.  It only took me almost the entire first period to figure it out.  Needless to say, Goalielocks has been on solid regimen of ice for 20 and heat for 20 since he got home.

I’ve gotta give a shout to fellow hockey mom D. Green for the amazing ribbon she gave me.  I freaking love it.  It makes me wonder how the crafty gene skipped me entirely.  Truly, I have not one crafty bone in my body.  When I try to be crafty, it ends up looking like something you’d see on Netflix’s Nailed It. (love that show!) Nonetheless, since I don’t possess that skillset at all, I’m in awe of those who do it so well.

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Between Goalielock’s game, the Mayor had a four hour clinic.  We sent Goalielock’s to John’s house with the team, while we drove to Palm Beach to drop him off.   After dropping him off, we headed over to meet the team for some grub.  As for my Mayor, he’s completely exhausted after the craziness of his day.   It’s not often that he puts himself to bed this early!  Speaking of which, it’s time for me to head off  to practice my Swedish, read a bit and head to bed.

P.S.  Don’t forget to join Team Deb Force Five!

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Bewildered

You ever read something or hear something on the news that leaves you feeling completely bewildered?  This was me as I listened to the radio announcers discuss the Spice Girls forthcoming reunion/tour.  To be honest, I was definitely a Spice Girls fan when they first came out.  I had never heard of them until my French pen pal (now my French sister) sent me a mix tape that included the Spice Girls and Take That.  The year was 1997 and my mind was blown!

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While liking the Spice Girls in 1997 doesn’t make for bewilderment, their contract agreements for the forthcoming reunion/tour epitomize it.  Apparently, they’re each getting $10 million for this reunion.  Posh had been the hold out, but agree to the reunion upon assurances she wouldn’t have to sing.  Yep, there’s the where I got bewildered.  A pop star reuniting with her band under the condition she doesn’t have to sing.  It makes perfect sense to me….

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In other music news, some of the greatest performers are hanging up their touring hat this year.  Elton John, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon, and Ozzy Osborne are embarking of their farewell tours this year.  Sadly Neil Diamond’s, due to Parkinson’s, touring days are already over.  Fortunately, Elton and Ozzy will be making their way through Florida on their tours.  In contrast, if i want to see Paul Simon, I’ll have to fly up to Minny.  It’s an end of an era for sure.

If we’re able to make it to Ozzy this April, it will cap off an awesome 8 days of music.  Our musical April starts with Jimmy Buffett and the Eagles, then the Foo Fighters and lastly Ozzy.  In fact, Ozzy is playing at a huge rock festival, so will have the opportunity to see some great bands like Sevendust, Five Finger Death Punch and Halestorm to name a few.  Lastly, I’m hoping to lighten up the music a bit in July with some Britney Spears action at the Hard Rock.

Tonight’s song performed by the Spice Girls (of course) is “Wannabe.”  Here’s to a very musical 2018, well at least for those of us that want to sing.

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My Favorite Riffs

When I saw the daily prompt  I was super excited to write about my favorite riffs.  I love music!  Undoubtedly, music plays an important role in my life.  It truly makes my world go round.  Unquestionably, my dad was a huge influence on my musical taste, which you’ll see in the list below.  For this list, I’ve put them in no specific order.  Moreover, while I’m not writing specifically about guitar riffs, I think you’ll find guitar riffs are heavily favored in my list.

Here’s a list of my favorite riffs (in no particular order) to include the music video where available:

15.  Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne

14. Revolution by The Beatles

13. Enter Sandman by Metallica

12. Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N’ Rose

11.  Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

10.  Machinehead by Bush

9.  You Shook Me All Night Long

8.  Day Tripper by the Beatles

7. Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes

6.  Sunshine of Your Love by Cream

5.  Walk This Way by Aerosmith

4.  Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin

3.  Zombie by the Cranberries

2.   Back in Black by AC/DC

1.  Layla by Eric Clapton

 

There you have it, my short list of my favorite riffs.  Not surprisingly, I have many of these songs on both my hockey and my 5k playlist.  Are any of these songs on your playlist?  If so, which ones?  If not, what’s on your list of favorite riffs?

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Staying Sane

When you’re a busy hockey mom/career woman like me, staying sane amidst the crazy is always top priority.  The responsibilities of work, home and hockey (insert sport here) pull you in a million different directions concurrently.  Sometimes you feel like you’re caught up in the rack, a medieval torture device, because you’re being pulled so many different directions.  So how does on stay sane when juggling life’s many responsibilities?   How does one find a way to release the pressure and unwind?  I’m glad you asked.

Here’s my Hockey Mom Fit Life guide to staying sane:

  1. Surround yourself with great people.  Your squad will pull you through the best and times and the worst of times just like in a Charles Dickens’ novel.           original (1)
  2. Make staying fit a non-negotiable priority.  There is no better way to cope with the stressors of life than taking a kick arse zumba class or running 3 miles.  Seriously, it works wonder for both your physical and mental health.  giphy (39)
  3. Get in the habit of reading books, not just your Facebook feed.  A great novel can lift your spirits and stimulates your mind.  There’s nothing bad about that combination.  q35ff.jpg
  4. Take a yoga class.  Regardless of what type of yoga class you take or your level, nothing beats the supreme relaxation of savasana.   I’ve been waiting all week for tomorrow’s aerial yoga class and its end pose savasana.  In the yoga swing, which functions like a hammock, savasana is otherworldly.  Undoubtedly, I will fall asleep during the final relaxation pose again.  If I had my druthers, there would be an entire class of savasana.  (Just a suggestion Monica!)
  5. Eat well 80% of the time.  Feed your body and soul with natural, whole foods that will fuel your workout.   Additionally, when you fall off the wagon, and it will happen, don’t be yourself up over it.  As long as you’re not falling off the proverbial wagon all day every, you should be okay.2kNwjP

  6.  Treat yo self!  Back to the 80/20 rule, make space in your diet to treat yourself.  One of my guilty pleasures, is European chocolates.  Can you blame me? I didn’t think so.  Particularly, I adore Neuhaus and Leonidas chocolates.  A nice box of chocolates will last me almost.  I allow myself to have one a day, like the vitamin only better, so I never feel that I’m deprived.             mti2ota3ndi3otexmtq1otuw
  7.  Take a vacation that isn’t related to your child’s sport.  This summer we spent fifteen days in Norway as a family.  While it certainly was not cheap, it was one of the best experiences of my life.  It is a trip that we as a family will never forget.  Moreover, it was a nice departure from our everyday obligations and life.  Sometimes that’s all you need.
  8. Don’t be afraid to enjoy an adult beverage with your squad and be grateful for Uber.                                     tenor (9).gif
  9. Pay it forward.  Nothing keeps you grounded like giving back and making the world a better place.  For me, it’s all about funding pancreatic cancer research in honor of my dear friend Debbie, who was the inspiration for this blog.  Pancreatic cancer robbed us of a beloved member of our hockey family way too soon.  Consequently, we will never give up the fight to find a cure for this insidious disease.  This November, we will participate in our 3rd straight Purple Stride in her honor under Team Deb Force Five.  You can join us at the event or you can donate in her honor here at our: team site.
  10.  There’s no better way to relax than by listening to fabulous music.  For instance, his morning I was rocking out at work to REM, Tom Petty, The Beatles, AC/DC, so tonight I’ll leave you with some REM and No Doubt. C’est la belle vie! 
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Fraud

As I thought about today’s daily prompt fraud, I came across this quote from Sophocles, “rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.”   It really spoke to me because I’d rather fail honorably than “succeed” fraudulently.  Bernie Madoff was once a darling to many as he provided them rich returns on their investments.  For years, Madoff lived the high life, but as is always the case his fraud was unveiled.  Deservedly,  he’ll spend the rest of his life rotting in jail.

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I think we can all understand the attraction, right?  It appears to be the easiest, most expeditious route to the top.  Moreover, it can be frustrating seeing dishonorable people succeed while you struggle. I’m sure many felt Madoff wasn’t on the up and up, but didn’t have the proof until 2008. Nevertheless, we cannot give in to the temptation.   Remember the fastest path isn’t always the right path.  A path pave b

Here are some of my least favorite frauds:

  • Vegan cheese – I could easily be a vegetarian, but as Meatloaf would say, “I’d do anything for love, but I wouldn’t do that….” No vegan cheese for me.
  • Equifax’s web security                                                                TPYznCi.gif
  • KUWTK – I won’t even dignify them by spelling out their show.
  • WWE- Closest thing to wrestling I enjoyed was Hogan Knows Best and that wasn’t real either.
  • Fake news
  • Fake friends – don’t be a plastic                         .tumblr_mhtj2cKMrP1rv3b62o1_500.gif
  • Decaffeinated coffee – this is perhaps the worst offender of them all.  At this point in my life, I need a daily IV drip of fully caffeinated coffee.                                                There-is-a-time-and-place-for-decaf-coffee.png

Tonight’s music selection is John’s Lennon’s diss track for Paul

 

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Namaste

Namaste my dear friends in the blogosphere.  Tuesday morning started off with the realization and confirmation that another icon of my youth was indeed taken too early.  Today Tom Petty is playing his guitar with George in the great beyond.  Consequently, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and The Travelling Wilburys provided the soundtrack for my morning commute.

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The soundtrack brought some solace and lots of nostalgia.  Petty’s songs played with heavy rotation in my house.  Inevitably, these songs remind me of my parents and all the great times we had as a family growing up.  Not surprisingly, as my kids have spent many their summers with Minnesota, these same songs conjure up sweet memories of their time in Minny with my folks.  Music unites us, our collective experiences and the generations.  One simply cannot ignore or question the power that music has to shape our lives.

Tonight, after too long of an absence, I finally made it back to Burn Fitness for yoga with my beloved yoga teacher Monica.  Oh boy, am I going to hurt tomorrow.   Undeniably, my return to yoga was long overdue for both my physical and mental well being.   After a year of pain and grief, tonight’s class felt like a welcome release.   As I work to get rid of the Irma weight, I’ve made the commitment to myself to take time and devote it to my yoga practice . This is long overdue as all of the running and Zumba are quite taxing on my body.  Meanwhile, yoga is the perfect anecdote to keeping my body in peak physical shape.

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Post yoga, its all about the MLB wildcard game between my Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees.  There’s something alluring and thrilling about baseball in October.  It definitely peaks my interest significantly more than the regular season.  We just turned the game on and its tied 4-4 at the bottom of the 4th.  We’re already into our bullpen.  Consequently, this isn’t the best harbinger for a favorable outcome for my Twins.  If the Twins lose, work will surely be miserable tomorrow with all the Yankees fans in the office.   Let’s go Twins!

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When I’m 64 – Happy Birthday Grandpa Tom!

Today we left Stavanger to head back to Oslo on Grandpa Tom’s 64th birthday!  This trip has been an unbelievably incredible opportunity to connect as a family and connect to our Norwegian heritage.  One thing my dad loves more than anything is his family especially his grandkids.  Of course, the kids love their Grandpa Tom to the moon and back.

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The picture above is of my parents at the BorgundStave Church, which connects to Husom via the Vindehellavegan part of the Kongevegan (King’s Road) that connected Oslo and Bergen.  My family and I made the hike, while my dad and brothers’ took the scenic drive to Husom.   It was marvelous to see my dad’s reaction to walking through his ancestral home.

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Aside from my Norwegian good looks and razor sharp wit, I got my love of music from my dad.  If you’re at their house ever, you know my dad loves his music and loves it super loud.   He’s a huge Beatles fan and truly was the only thing missing from our Paul McCartney concert experience.  His musical tastes run the gamut, but the Beatles are one of his absolute favorites and who can blame him.  Nobody could harmonize or envision the combination of chords to form the harmonies like Lennon and McCartney.    IMG_1701

In honor of my dad’s birthday, sing along to these fantastic hits from the Beatles.  Two are from the concert we attended and one is quick snipped from Youtube in honor of Grandpa Tom’s 64th birthday.

“When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.

If I’d been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four”

Birthday performed by Paul McCartney:

Ob-la-di Ob-la-da performed by Sir Paul

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Live and Let Die

Paul McCartney sang 39 songs on Friday night as he opened the second leg of his One on One 2017 tour here in Miami.  He was amazing. I’m already scheming to try and see him again in September, hey a girl can hope….

One of the most amazing performances of the evening was Live and Let Die.  The second to last song before the encore, Live and Let Die was a thrilling, adrenaline filled experience including the pyrotechnics.  The band’s performance was absolutely savage.  I had to keep reminding myself that he’s in his 70s….  I pray that when I am in my mid-70s, I am that youthful, agile and energetic.  Paul is an absolute beast.