Enough Already!

So, ok, I am trying to 'Livestrong', really I am. But I have a dilemna. Since my last post I still have not been to the gym. In my head, I have been several times, each time completing a greuling workout that leaves me sweaty and out of breath. The reality is, I am too tired to go to the gym. Really, I am. When I first moved to Norway, my husband and I were contemplating the idea of opening up an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant as there are NONE here. So we concluded that I should get a job in the service industry to 'learn the ropes'. So, there is this quaint little cafe by our house called 'Evita'. I applied for a job. In my mind I envisioned myself to be like Rachel on Friends. Having relaxing days serving cappucinos while various friends came in to visit, and along the way, learning a bit about how the service industry works in Norway. The illusion was quickly shattered. NEVER, and I mean NEVER, in my life, have I worked in a place so utterly stressful. That place is PACKED. Norwegians do not drink coffee the way the majority of Americans do. I used to run into Starbucks and grab a coffee and run back out, my paper cup securely in my hand. Here, they drink out of GLASSES. Latte glasses. They look like run of the mill water glasses, but they are Latte glasses. And then the Cortado glasses. And everyone drinks water with their coffee. Out of glasses. So you are CONSTANTLY running around, trying to find glasses. Washing the glasses. (now I have said 'glasses' so much that it doesn't look like a real word. It is kind of freaking me out. Has that ever happened to you?) Glasses. Glasses. Glasses. EVERYWHERE. I hate them. I secretly delight everytime I hear one break, but then I panic cause I know it means that we are now short one glass and I will have to work harder to find and clean new ones to feed the endless supply of Norwegians who walk through the door and want their coffee in GLASSES! If only we could use paper cups. ONLY paper. But I assure you, there would be a riot if we tried to sneak away the Latte glasses. We would lose customers over it. It's true.
SO...an average day for me working at Evita is: I get up at 5.23am. AT work by 6. Spend half an hour unchaining 16 heavy iron based tables and moving them into their proper places for outdoor seating and then carrying out about 45 chairs and setting them up. (That qualifies as weight training doesn't it??) We open at 7. The second person gets there at 10.30. At this point, the two of you work together to clean up the place, which has been TRASHED from 7 to 10.30, and wash GLASSES to get ready for the lunch crowd. Suddenly it is 2 in the afternoon. I have been there since 6. Running around. Somedays you get a break, somedays you don't. My Canadian friend Tyler who works there with me, he wore a pedometer to work one day, to see how far we 'scurried'. TEN KILOMETERS. That is 6.2 miles. In my mind, I think that is alot. So, like I said, I am TIRED. The mere thought of having to go to the gym after that is torture. So, on Monday I asked Tyler if he thought that the 6.2 miles was enough exercise, or if I needed to do something extra. Tyler says that even though it is 6.2 miles, it still really does not produce any cardio vascular exertion. That is not the answer I was looking for. It is movement is it not?? Then I come home and walk up 4 flights of stairs. More movement that leaves me breathless everytime. So, Monday, I am passed out on the couch, and all I can think about is Tyler saying 'It really doesn't have any cardio vascular benefit as far as exertion goes', and I am doing my best to NOT have to go exercise. Well, I decided that I would go for a jog. So with a lot of whining, I put on my exercise outfit, and out I went. 2 miles. One of which was uphill. Every inch of me ached. I came home and collapsed. But my bloodsugar was 5.9 (about 100), the lowest it has been in a month. I was happy, but at the same time, kind of sad, cause now I knew that even if I work my ass of for 9 hours, I still have to do something else to get my blood sugar down. Oh well. Tyler and his pedometer! I wish I had never known that we go 6.2 miles on average per shift! Because the knowledge that it is not enough is really disappointing to me! I know it is beneficial and good. But it doesn't supply the cardio vascular kickstart that my body so desperatly needs to drive down my blood sugar.
Well, I have to go and get ready for work. It is kind of overcast today, so maybe we will be a little slow. But Norwegians have a saying, 'There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes'. So, even if it starts to rain, they will be there. And they will want their coffee in a glass.

glasses. glasses. glasses.

Livestrong

So, I have returned to Norway after traispsing through the vastness of the good ol USA for 3 weeks! I went places I have never been and suddenly found myself wanting to impress my Norwegian husband and our 2 Norwegian friends with my country. Let me assure you, there is nothing that will bring out every bit of latent patriotism in you like traveling through your country with a bunch of people who are not from there. As we drove through the Grand Canyon, I thought to myself, 'This is MY country.' As we drove along California's highway 1, I thought, again, 'this is MY country'. I was so proud! America is beautiful. Filled with beautiful and generous people. It was so good to reconnect with that!

So, I mentioned that I have been a bit of diabetic daredevil. This is my term for my reckless culinary behavior while on vacation. For some reason, this whole 'diabetes thing' just won't sink in. I am lazy. I am lazy. I am lazy. I know that going to the gym will lower my bloodsugar. Have I gone? NO! I don't want to take insulin, but HAVE I GONE TO THE GYM?? no.
So, while we were in San Franscisco, I went into the Border's bookstore in Union Square. Now, a little background information on this excursion. When I moved to Europe, I was amazed the first summer because in July, all regular scheduled programming is pre-empted for 5 hours of daily coverage of...yes...Le Tour de France! Or as we say in the states, The Tour of France. So, I have never really known ANYTHING about cycling, but I got hooked, and it was even better that an American named Lance Armstrong was winning. It was very exciting and I became a huge fan. I read about him and was truly impressed with his recovery from cancer. So, we went into Border's and I saw his book, 'It's Not About the Bike' on the shelf. I bought it. I read it. I was inspired by it. I mean, if Lance can beat testicular, lung and brain cancer, SURELY, I can manage my Diabetes!
Now, I am going to admit something. I have always disliked those yellow bands that everyone in the world seems to be wearing on their wrists. Yes, the one that say LIVESTRONG on them. And I have not been too big of a fan of the countless reproductions that followed in every color from the rainbow.

BUT....
I had a conversation with my two selfs. The lazy self and the self who wants to be healthy.
'OK lazy self, I will make a deal with you. You are going to march into that Nike store and you are going to buy one of those yellow Lance bracelets.!'
'NO!!!, I don't like those. I don't want to look like I am trying to be trendy!'
'Too Bad! You should have thought about that before you refused to tackle diabetes! You are going to get one of those bracelets and you are going to wear it, and everyday, you will look at it, and you will be reminded that you can BEAT this! That you can get yourself to the gym for natural insulin and that you don't have to be sick! To remind yourself that you can LIVESTRONG and not sick! And you cannot take it off until you reach your goals!'
'I don't wanna wear it!!!'
'Tough luck kiddo! Shut up and buy it!'

So, healthy self won out over lazy self and I bought one. Three of them actually. But lazy self refused to put one on until she returned home to Oslo. So, I finally put one on. It's like a binding agreement. I look down and I see these words 'LIVESTRONG'...powerful words those. Live strong. And I tell you. I am going to try.
I don't want to die from this. I don't want to be sick from this. I don't want my eyes to go bad from this. I don't WANT this. But since I do have it, I am going to do everything in my power to make my body a VERY uncomfortable place for Diabetes to live.

Wow. It sounds so good. So, here's to living strong.

I'll let you know how it goes.

The Wild Blue Yonder

Hello all! Thanks for your inquiries as to my whereabouts! We left for vacation on July 22nd and I was so stressed trying to finish up baking (I bake cakes and cookies and sell them to cafes to make extra money) before we left, that I simply ran out of time! I am in Houston right now and we are going 24 hours a day trying to get ready for Courtney's Crusade which is Saturday night! It is going to be a huge event this year and we think we are going to make ALOT of money to buy AED's and save lots of lives! All in memory of my little sister Courtney! Check out the website: www.courtneyscrusade.com
Anyway, we have been all over so far. The Grand Canyon, VEgas and all of California! I have to confess, I have been what I like to call a 'Diabetic Daredevil'. It has been hard. I have NO discipline and my blood sugar has been out of control most days to the point where I have felt sick many days! I know it is irresponsible, but I have this SICK mentality of 'well, I am on vacation, so my diabetes must be as well.' It is so stupid. I think I am having a bit of shock about all of the diabetes stuff a little delayed. So, we are back in Oslo on August 14. I look forward to writing more in depth and catching everyone up with what is going with me.

I assure you, I have a plan...I always do. The question is, will I stick to it?

Talk to you soon and thanks for caring guys!