Sandra Essary's comments

Top Ten Family Ski Resorts Countdown (Part Two)

13 Feb 2007 11:57 PM

Nothing jumped out at me, no. Whistler-Blackcomb is near you though, and they are top notch. They weren't included in the list because the list is US only, and W-B is in Canada. If you would like, I will research it a bit. If you want something close to home, be sure and tell me what town you live in. Montana is BIG!

09 Feb 2007 12:14 AM

How well I can relate to some of those random thoughts in meditation! There are three ways to address unwanted random thoughts: passive (oh, there it is again) & just let it go; assertive (sometimes laughing at the thought trying to take over or gently urging it to leave); or aggressive (Get out of here!). 95% of the time a passive approach works.

There is an ancient story (which I have no room to tell here) that illustrates how much our brains want to control what is going on. After all, how much has your brain been trained vs. your spirit? The best way to drop down into a meditative state (alpha brain waves) is to give your mind something to play with while you "drop". Count backwards from 100, imagine yourself going down a path to a beautiful place of your choosing -- there are so many methods of distracting your brain while you get down to the business of meditating.

I've had about 1,000 hours of formal training in meditation -- believe me, it goes far, far beyond just getting into a "feel good" state.

I recommend a couple of books - "The Relaxation Response" and "Awakening Spirits" by Tom Brown, Jr.

Looking for my waist: Chronic Under Eating

08 Feb 2007 07:18 PM

I have been involved in the martial arts for over 15 years, and we had to learn quite a bit about nutrition. There was nutrition for losing weight, for gaining weight, and for dropping fat to look good in a photo shoot. Hate to say it, but you're doing the wrong thing by starving yourself. Your body goes into a state of starvation (ketosis) and starts to shut down. Eventually, it will even eat your muscle tissue. The better way to diet is to eat once every three hours. Yup, that's right. This keeps your metabolism jacked up. Your body doesn't think it's going to starve, so it spends fuel rather than trying to conserve it. WHAT you eat is critical. Meals should be small portions, and snacks should fill in those every-three-hours demands. Things like chicken, rice, and vegetables for dinner, a low-fat sandwich (no chips) for lunch, and egg beaters and oatmeal for breakfast. Add fruit to your diet, a small portion or two of yogurt (watch the calories), and all the vegetables you want (starchy veggies within reason). Check the packaging at the grocery store before you buy it. Remember, if you buy it, you will eat it. Watch for calories, fat, salt, and even cholesterol. Keep a mental running tab of the calories you consume every day. Your goal is to keep it under 1200. A protein shake or drink once or twice a day is a good choice. Cut out butter, ice cream, whole milk, sugar (use Splenda), and oil except for olive oil on salads. One trick I use to fool my body is to drink something nearly all day long. Whether it's Crystal Lite, flavored club soda, or any other non-caloric drink, it helps to fool your stomach into thinking it's full. I've lost 50 pounds over the last year or so - and kept it off. Some exercise helps, even if it is just walking around the block 5 or 6 days a week. Good luck to you! It isn't that hard if you just know what to do. No starving here!

Air Travel and the Sexes

08 Feb 2007 06:57 PM

Hard question. I've flown with both pleasant and unpleasant men and women as flying companions. Gender didn't seem to determine who was going to be on time or late, who was going to be a nuisance on board or not... but if I HAD to choose one, I'd choose a man -- especially if I could pick out WHICH man!

05 Feb 2007 03:34 PM

The same thing happened to me when I was very young. Each year my family took a summer vacation, traveling along Route 66 from New Mexico to California. On one trip, I fell ill right after we had left the city limits of Roswell. This wasn't car sickness - this was the flu. Back in those days, flu lasted only 24 hours, so within a day or so I was feeling somewhat normal. My dad generally made it to a complete stop before my gaskets blew, but there was a backup Tupperware-type bowl in the back seat, just in case. If I threw up in that, at least it could be sealed until we found a place to dump it and rinse it out. Thinking about all of this, I am getting nostalgic nausea - so I'd better stop reminiscing about THAT aspect of travel.

Nice to Meet You!

05 Feb 2007 02:05 PM

Let me know what you do and how it works out. :) Forgot to say how thick the foam is -- 3 inches. It's also a great insulator and keeps you well off the ground in case of rivers of rain flowing under your tent.

Nice to Meet You!

04 Feb 2007 08:50 PM

I can relate. I am a little older myself. I bought myself a tent I don't have to bend down to get in. Back problems forced me to do that. Then I had some dense foam cut to sleeping bag size, which cost about $60 - but it is THE best mattress you can have. (The biggest drawback is the bulkiness.) I just throw it on the ground and sleep like a baby.

The other possibility is to purchase a tent trailer. You still get the benefits of the fresh air, but it gives you some of the comforts of home. You can pick tent trailers up used for not much money.

I have also purchased an oversized cot. I'm used to a queen size bed, so although I am not oversized myself, the bigger cot is more comfortable for me. Haven't had a chance to use it yet - will let you know. But it felt great in the store.

As to midnight potty runs... you might want to purchase a small porti-potty for that. It does not really need its own private tent, because no one can see you at night, even if they were up!

Always carry biodegradable toilet tissue. Either that, or put it in a zip-loc bag for disposal later.

Myself, I don't trudge all the way to the campground bathrooms at night. After all, if you were camped in the wilderness, what would you have to do? That's basically what I do at night.

Maintaining Your 72-Hour Kit

03 Feb 2007 04:32 PM

I have found that water in those big gallon jugs seems to evaporate over time. All the more reason to change them out every 6 months. Your MRE's went bad? I have no experience with them, but I do buy freeze dried, packaged "camping food" made primarily for backpackers. They do have an expiration date on them, but in general, mine have stayed edible up until that point. I have taken a number of survival courses and have found two must-haves - a wool blanket or non-down sleeping bag (down loses its insulation when wet) and a knife -- a good knife. You can go about a month without food, but hypothermia can kill you overnight. Unless you know how to make a knife out of rocks, take one. It comes in handy for all kinds of things.

A Week at Royal Family Kids' Camp Part 2

03 Feb 2007 04:15 PM

Your blog made my eyes tear up. I ran a camp for seven years, but my kids primarily came from middle class and up families, and I saw little evidence of abuse. I can relate to how kids can really touch your soul, but the kids at your camp must hammer at your soul. Don't stop volunteering - these kids need people like you.

A Quick Clue as to the Intensity Value on a Disney Ride

03 Feb 2007 04:04 PM

I'm not fond of rides that whirl you around and around in big circles or small. Yet I know at least two kids who will go on those things again and again and just laugh like crazy the whole time. Once they get to the age that the stomach factor kicks in, they will be standing right beside me, watching kids.