Wednesday, January 02, 2008

bracing for the storm(s)

The news channels are predicting a big wave of intense weather here. Starting tomorrow afternoon through Sunday, three storms will hit. The San Francisco Bay Area will get 4-8" of rain, the larger number to be seen in North Bay (that would be me).

Well, at least I will get to wear me my cute rain boots.



Okay, rain boot.

I mean, I'll get to wear it that is, provided I even leave the house. Aside from running a few errands with my folks tomorrow morning before the storms roll in, I think the only thing I really have to go out for over the whole weekend is to teach bellydance class Thursday night. Since today is supposed to be dry, it seems like a good idea to stock the pantry and pick up a few movies for the weekend, so that is my plan for the day.

The storm surge on Friday is expected to come with strong winds of 50-75 mph. I'm hoping this round of wind won't have me dodging a frisbee the size of a trampoline.



I took that shot this past Saturday, when the winds were blowing less than half of what are predicted for this weekend. The trampoline didn't blow down, it blew vertical.

If you're new to the blog, that is my UpOnTheHillAboveMeNeighbor. His trampoline is perched somewhat precariously even when it is set up where he likes it. I have seen it blown down three times since moving here this summer. Clearly I am endessly entertained by shooting photos of it (although I am coming to realize that documenting this for insurance purposes may not be such a bad idea).

Speaking of trampolines....here's a little giggle.
Guess what I bought for myself a couple of weeks ago:



A mini trampoline!
Maybe I had trampoline envy.

When I went to that Raw Foods Detox workshop a few weeks ago, the facilitator had one at her house, so during a break I asked if I could give it a try. I really got a kick out of it because it made me feel 5. I couldn't believe I actually managed jumping on it without breaking my neck, quite frankly. But I did it! I rebounded one-legged style, and I just placed a crutch on either side for support. The FacilitatorLady also showed me how she sometimes bounces on it in a sitting position, too...and sure enough...the video that came with the trampoline shows how to do a little seated routine that engages abdominal muscles.

When I bought mine, I also purchased the additional support bar.



No, that is not me. Not yet, at least ;-)

Sadly, even though my model of rebounder will fold in half if I want it to, the stabilizer bar makes it harder to fold the unit up and put away as you have to completely detach it from the frame to do so. For now I am going to use the crutches until I feel that I need the stability of the bar. Or maybe I'll reattach it when I want to try jumping and bouncing and waving my arms around like some crazy aerobics lady or something. Until then, I'll just stick to bouncing and giggling and feeling 5.
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new for 2008 kids:
my
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3 comments:

Genie said...

The trampoline looks like loads of fun! Happy hopping! :)

Anonymous said...

Hey, I've always wanted one of those things but was actually quite sure I'd end up breaking my neck. I didn't know you could get a stabilizer bar. (Now I just need a really firm bra.)

Must ask: How much did the whole set-up cost?

MsAmpuTeeHee said...

genie ~ yes, well...I've been happily hopping for 4 years now. It's about friggin' time I got airborne ;-)

sara ~ yah, good bra good idea, sister. But to be honest, you aren't REALLY coming that far off the trampoline into the air (couple of inches and you feel the benefit), and the girls feel happier than I remember feeling with say, jogging.

Cost. Well, you can find mini-trampolines at places like Target for as low as $39.99. I decided to invest in an "Urban Rebounder" as it has more base support legs around the perimeter, it has more springs, and the springs are metal, not plastic. It's more like what you'd find in the gym. The cost increases as you decide how small you want it to fold. The least expensive stay fixed as round, mine folds in half, and there was also a quarter-fold style. I paid $120 for my half-fold, and that included the stabilizer bar, a storage bag for the rebounder, and a (fairly dorky) exercise video.