Spin Cycle 04/26/07

Around this time of year, I notice a decline in numbers in my class - it gets lighter earlier in the morning, and the weather improves, so a certain percentage of students take their exercise efforts outside. Still, this morning found me with 17 students.

It was challenging for me this morning, as I missed last week and I actually am not 100% better yet. The flu developed into strept and I just started antibiotics this week.
The other thing that sucked and totally made me obsessed is that one of the speakers in the room was not working. If its not one thing, its another it seems like - if its not the speaker, than its the fans not working. If its not the fans than its the clock etc. Its annoying, and the students pay waaayy to much to not have things working 100%, 100% of the time....
So, with 1 speaker only, here is the class:

1. Great American - Umphrey's McGee
2. Heart and Soul - John Brown's Body
3. Bright Lights, Big City - Umphrey's McGee
4. If Everyone Cared - Nickelback
5. Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne
6. Give it to Me - Timbaland
7. All I Really Want - Alanis Morrisette
8. 52 Girls - The B-52s
9. Its Not Over - Chris Daughtry
10. Break It Off - Rhianna + Sean Paul
11. Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
12. Plastic Bubble - ALO
13. 20th Century Man - Al and the Transamericans
14. Memories of Hom - Umphrey's McGee
15. Home - Umphrey's McGee

6.

WeeWorld

hi - I stole this from my friend Todd's blog.

weeworld allows you to make a cartoon image of yourself.

Here is mine:

It's fun - go ahead and create yourself.

Some things I hate

Here is a short list of things people do that I hate. If you are an offender, don't take it personally (or if you do, you can f-off).

1) I hate people who walk really fast around the office, zipping through the halls, digging theri heels in. Is the job that important that you need to practically run to your destination? Come on, get over it.

2) I hate when cars in front of me swerve to avoid minor imperfections in the road. Please, the car in front of me is usually some shitbox anyways. I can see avoiding a pot hole, but a small imperfection in the road??? Come on.

3) I strongly dislike people that shake their yogurt up and down to mix it. Stir the goodies up from the bottom will ya???

4) I really hate when guys lift the seat up, only to piss all over the rim of the toilet, and the floor, then leave it there. Why bother?

5) I often wonder what people's homes look like after they make a coffee and leave their empty 1/2+1/2 container, and sugar packet, with residual sugar, all over the counter.

6) Lastly for today, I hate it when someone takes the last candy and leaves the frigging empty bag in the drawer. Tres inconsiderate.

I'm not really in a bad mood. Just sayin'.....

Spin Cycle 04/19/07

Hi!
No Spin Cycle today, as I've been getting my ass kicked by the Flu since Suday.
I started feeling lousy last Wednesday, but was able to ward off what finally caught up with me, until Sunday.
So, I had to get a sub for today.
Check back next week - I'm sure I'll feel better by then.....

Spin cycle 04/12/07

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray.....
Ahh, peace, love and happiness....music of the 60s!
One of my students requested music from the 60s, so I obliged. There may be some early 70s songs on this list as well, I'm not totally sure.
I structured the ride to have every other song be some type of a climb, with a faster paced effort in between. I like that format – no questions about what’s coming next.
There are a few older pwople in my class, and they totally appreciated the music today.
One woman emailed me and let me know she loved the music and the ride, but was worried if that dated her!
I don't think so - this music can be enjoyed by all ages.
Some of it is extremely timely in fact, with the war in Iraq raging along.
Check it out, and have a great day.

1. The “In” Crowd – Ramsey Lewis Trio
2. Hound Dog – Elvis Presley
3. Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season) – The Byrds
4. Land of 1000 Dances – Wilson Picket
5. Respect – Aretha Franklin
6. Fortunate Son – Credence Clearwater Revival
7. I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) – The Four Tops
8. Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In – The 5th Dimension
9. California Dreamin’ – The Mamas & The Papas
10. Since You Been Gone – Aretha Franklin
11. For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
12. I’ve Got to Use My Imagination – Gladys Knight & The Pips
13. Look-Ka-Py-Py - The Funky Meters
14. Joy to the World – Three Dog Night
15. Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
16. The Rubberband Man – The Spinners
17. Ain’t No Way – Aretha Franklin
18. Wish Someone Would Care – Irma Thomas
19. Over Easy – Booker T & The MGs

My kids are beautiful

But I might be biased.
Check them out for yourselves.
Oh, and BTW, Max is a great skiier.

Spin Cycle 04/05/07

I have been feeling a bit nutty lately, lots of things going on in my life and I'm trying to make it all work. I took a few days off to rest my brain so to speak. So, come yesterday, and I had no music picked out for spin this morning's class.

When I got to work, I picked out an album that I spin to occaisonally, and listened to it, envisioning what I might teach to it. I semi-worked out a ride and went about my day.
When I got home, my eye spied a CD on the rack, and I decided to switch to using that CD.

Laying in bed last night, cringing, watching American Idol, and thinking how terrible it is this season (except for Jordan, Doolittle, and Lakisha), and a ride came to me.
Talk about last minute. I wrote down my new and improved ride and went to bed.

The music I used is by a DJ named LTJ Bukem. I have a number of his CDs. He works with other artists to create a jazz infused type of drum and bass music, sort of ambient/electronic, but way more musical then say techno. There's no high-hat cymbals repeating the same beat - this music is smarter than that.
His website is here: goodlooking

I used his release called Earth, which actually is a 7 disc anthology. I used Earth 4.
Here is the track listing:
1. The Bloc - Flying Fish
2. The Setup - K-Scope
3. Aztec Gril - John Beltran
4. Extensions of Life - Makoto
5. Timefields - Tayla
6. Seven Miles High - John Beltran
7. Peace of Mind - Makoto
8. Blueberry Muffins - Big Bud
9. Brazilian Sunrise - Artemis
10. Astral sunset - Artemis
11. Axis - Lacarno and Burns

It was a great class with 21 students - a repeating pattern of 5 positions, with a specific amount of time, starting at 2 minutes in each position -> 1 minute in each position -> 30 (s) in each position -> Back to 1 minute -> Back to 2 minutes -> 1 minute -> 30 seconds -> 2 minutes, to bring us to 52 minutes of riding including the warm-up......then cool down.
I rode on Tuesday morning for an hour then did 40 minutes of yoga, and I rode for an hour yesterday as well. So, now, after this morning's ride, my legs are toast.
Good stuff - good for the body and the mind.

A crazy math problem

Here is a math trick so unbelievable that it will stump you. I got it from a friend of mine, thanks Brian!

1. Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in your head)2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the area code)
3. Multiply by 80
4. Add 1
5. Multiply by 250
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number
7. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
8. Subtract 250
9. Divide number by 2
Do you recognize the answer?