Nature Journal: Mountain View

We stayed one night at Jenn's awesome mountain cabin, and early that morning, Livy and I went out for a nature walk. This post, the first of two, includes the pictures we took right by the cabin.

Livy says: There are mountains. You see them every day when you get up. And the good part is that they make pretty pictures.

Kelly says: This is the view from the cabin's back porch. This tree leaning in from the left looks amazing. I think this is one of the best pictures Livy has ever taken.

Livy says: We found this tree in the backyard of Jenn's cabin.

Kelly says: We saw this little pine tree standing out among all the grey winter trees. I loved how green it looked in contrast.

Livy says: This picture is a brown flower by Jenn's cabin. I think it looks pretty because it's leaning into the picture. I think it looks pretty because it's kind of brownish and it's an unusual picture.

Kelly says: This is a dried hydrangea bloom. I love hydrangea bushes for just this reason: they look amazing all year round, even in the winter. I actually took this picture! Woot!

Livy says: This fern was taken at Jenn's cabin in her backyard. I think it's pretty because it's a little bit purplish around its leaves. I also liked that it's just growing down the mountain.

Kelly says: These ferns were growing down the mountain like Livy said. You can't really see that from the picture, but they were spilling down a large hill.

Livy says: These are berries taken in Jenn's sideyard. These berries were hanging down from the bush. You can't see it from the picture.

Kelly says: This is a nandina bush. I remember that my Papaw had a really big one in the front yard, and I used to love to pick the berries and try to get birds to come and land in my hand to eat the berries. Of course, they never did, but it was great fun to call them to me by made-up names.

Livy says: These berries were the same ones as the picture on top of this one, except it's more close-up and has more sunlight on them.

Kelly says: I am so proud of this picture. I took it, and it turned out to be so shiny and beautiful. Nandina berries have never looked so good. If those birds from my childhood saw berries that looked like this, they would have come to me for sure. :)

Practicing the Positive Discipline Tool "Compliments"

I just read this awesome post from Jane Nelson's Positive Discipline blog, and it has inspired me to focus this week on complimenting people in my life.

I can be kind of a critical person. It's something I'm working very hard to change. I am learning to keep my temper in check and to say the negative things that need to be said in a kind way. But that's only one side of the problem. I want to work on focusing on the positive things about the people around me, not just on dealing with the negative things more calmly and rationally.

So, this week, I am going to compliment the people around me. I am going to tell Livy and Aaron the good things I love about them. I am going to point out to my students when they do well. I am going to say the nice things I think in my head about strangers out loud to them.

How is this different from praise? Its aim is not a change in someone's behavior; its aim is justice. If I told Aaron how helpful he was after doing the dishes in order to manipulate him into doing them more often, that would be praise. And, in my opinion, it would be kind of sneaky and unhealthy. But if I tell him how much I appreciate his help around the house because I do appreciate it and want him to feel appreciated, that's a compliment.

So, to start myself off, here are a few compliments I should hand out:

1. Aaron, you are so supportive of my goals. Even when you are not loving what you are doing, you support and cheer me on when I am loving what I am doing. I think that's a sign of real love.

2. Livy, you are getting so good at apologizing when you hurt my feelings. It's so mature, and I really love how it feels when we interact more as equals. It makes me think of how great it will be to hang out with you when you are all grown up.

3. Jenn, you are an amazing listener. You always remember what I have been up to and ask about it and then really listen to my answers. It makes me feel very important to you.

4. Brendan, I was super impressed with you calm and productiveness through all of last week's stress with the house.

5. Miranda, I love hanging out and talking with you so much. You are a really fun conversationalist, and I'm glad that we got to know each other and didn't let any age difference or anything like that stop us from being friends.

6. Anonymous student (whom I won't name here), your responsibility in working, going to school, and taking care of your mom blows me away.

7. Anonymous student (whom I won't name here),  I appreciate your diligence in my class. It's clear to me already that you are willing to do whatever it takes to work on your writing.

I'm going to be sure to say these kinds of things to the people around me, not only so that they can hear the truth, but so that I can practice focusing every day on the wonderful things about the people around me.

In Which I Make It Clear That I Agree with RationalJenn About Baby Eating

Jenn, friend of my heart and partner in crime, being the kind person that she is, would never eat a baby. Just so you know. Here is her statement that the Atlanta Objectivist Society would also never condone the eating of babies.

To Whom It May Concern:

The principal members of the Atlanta Objectivist Society (ATLOS) would like you to be aware that we do not advocate the eating of babies, even deliciously adorable ones with smooth skin and squeezable cheeks and beautiful smiles.

We would also like to make it plain that we do not automatically sanction every utterance someone makes at any of our events. We expect those who hear something they do not like or disagree with to seek out the individual in question and gather more information as necessary and sufficient to support making an independent decision about that individual's claims or character. We especially expect people to do that because we pride ourselves on our crazy senses of humor and are as likely as not to make outrageous and inappropriate jokes on a regular basis. 

Sincerely, 

The Management


I would like to echo her sentiment that baby eating is definitely not something we advocate. We also do not advocate the following:

• selling children to the gypsies
• beating people to death with jars of peanut butter
• going to hell
• strangling your loved ones with pet anacondas
• pinching people's heads off
• keeping lions in closets in order to have people who contradict you eaten up

However, these are all things that I have said, right out loud. Since I must publicly disavow all crazy things that people may flippantly say, I thought I better tell you all that I do not actually advocate any of the above. In fact, I think that people who actually do them should either go to jail or return to the myths they came out of (yes, I'm talking to you, Orpheus!). 

For future reference, if I say anything really outlandish involving cartoon-like violence, especially if I do this funny guttural utterance from my diaphragm while saying them (known as a laugh to those of us who have a sense of humor - you can google it) or if I say them with a flourish and then leave the room in a huff, you can say in your head, "Wow, I think that's this thing I heard of called sarcasm or hyperbole or a joke. It's so cool to see an example in real life. I am going to notice them every time they happen, and one day, with much study, I will have a sense of humor like a real, grown-up boy!" 

Here is what I do advocate: Get a fucking life, people. And fast, before your seriousness, like natron on a mummy, sucks all the life juices out of you and dries you out like a humor-less, fun-less, wrinkled-up old prune.

To Ron Weasley (On Why I Get You and Your Relationship with Harry Potter)

Dear Ron,

I'm writing this letter to tell you that you and I are alike and that I really get you. When I read about your adventures, I see myself in you, and I wanted you to know that I try to live up to your example. Keep reading, and you'll know what I mean.

You know how you are kinda famous, but Harry is really famous? I get that. You know how no matter how much you contribute to the fight against Voldemort, people just think of you as Harry's sidekick? I get that. You know how you worry about how you are always overlooked? I get that.

See, I have a famous best friend too. We are also business partners, just like you and Harry are partners in fighting Death Eaters. My friend Jenn is just as cool as your friend Harry. She always gives me credit for my contributions; she always treats me as an equal; she knows that we are so much better together than either is apart. None of the awful feeling of being in someone's shadow is her fault, anymore than it's Harry's fault that you don't get noticed so often.

It's not that Harry and Jenn don't deserve their fame, either. Harry could cast a corporeal patronus in his third year. And Jenn has an amazing blog where she works very hard to keep the thoughtful and helpful parenting posts chugging out. But we're pretty great, too, right? I mean, that chess game you played? How you handled the group when Harry was obsessed with the Deathly Hallows? And I am an awesome parent educator, with good classes, good podcasts, and some really new and innovative ideas about parenting and Objectivism.

But it's hard to be overlooked, isn't it? It's hard for you to hear about how Harry is the symbol of the anti-Voldemort movement, when you have shared in every anti-Voldemort activity. He gets called "The Chosen One," I know. Did you know someone once told me that Jenn was "the Objectivist parent?" You know how you didn't get invited to the Slug Club? Well, once a guy I just met socialized with me for an entire party, and at the end, he told me that he couldn't wait to meet Jenn because he had some parenting questions. One person asked me, "Are Jenn's kids the coolest you've ever met?" Umm, I have my own child, dude, and I am kind of partial to her, awesome though Jenn's kids might be.

Anyway, you can see that our positions are similar. What I really wanted to tell you was what I learned from watching you. You handle being right next to and being support to and working with someone really famous. Mostly, you handle it pretty well. I've learned from you that I just have to focus on my own values, as you focus on the mission to destroy Voldemort, and not worry so much about what people think. I've learned that when your friend becomes the youngest seeker in 100 years, you can be happy for him, even if you would like to be playing Quidditch too. You can celebrate someone else's accomplishments without always comparing them to your own.

I work hard on not being second-handed, on focusing on the product I am working on, rather than on how it is received.

I work hard on not being envious, on remembering that it isn't my friend who overlooks me. She is always my biggest cheerleader, and I want to be hers, even if she has bunches of others.

I work hard on doing the thing I actually want, instead of the thing that will get me a little more spotlight. For example, I really wanted to go to DragonCon over Labor Day weekend, but Jenn and I were asked to speak at ChicagOCon. I struggled with the decision because I worry that people will not miss me in our presentation and wonder why Jenn has a partner at all. I worry that I will be more overlooked if I miss my chance to be on stage. But I weighed my values, and I decided to do the thing I actually valued more and let the fame fall where it may.

Basically, I work hard at keeping the sane voices in my head, the ones who speak reality to me, talking louder than the voices of my insecurity. Just like when you were about to destroy that Horcrux, I fight the part of me that talks in Voldemort's voice. I choose not to hear the message that second-handedness and fear convey. Instead, I think of the love that my friend and I share, the amazing work we do together, my very real contributions to Objectivist parenting, and my other values.

When the Horcrux tells me that nobody would care if I never wrote or spoke about parenting again, I just stab it with a big ole Goblin-made sword. When the Horcrux tells me that no one even knows I exist or that Jenn and I figured it all out together, I just look around for the nearest basilisk fang. I shrug off the kind of insulting things people say with this thought: "Jenn IS just that awesome. She deserves every compliment. And I am that awesome, too. Even if folks on the internet don't know it, I know it. And so does Jenn and the other people I love. They know who I am and support me in my important work."

But I know the dark moments, the ones when second-handedness wins. I know just how you feel when you leave Harry and Hermione in the tent and disapparate. Sometimes it seems like it would be easier to just quit. Why not let Jenn do the parenting education and focus on something else? Then I wouldn't have to feel overlooked; I'd not be doing anything to overlook. I've pulled back several times, tried to back away from our work, decided to just quit and stop feeling like this. But like you, I came back.

It's rationality that saves us both, Ron. We can use our minds to keep away the insecurities, to ignore the slights, to focus on important values, and to choose awesome companions in our work. And when Voldemort is dead and positive discipline has swept across Objectivism like fiendfyre, you and I will both know that we did good work and acheived our goals. And we will have Harry and Jenn to share in the pleasure of a job well done.

Your admirer,
Kelly

CrossFit Is Fun For All Personality Types

This post was jointly written by Jenn Casey of Rational Jenn and Kelly Elmore of Reepicheep's Coracle. It's just one of their many joint ventures. :)

Kelly and Jenn kick ass--but in different ways. Kelly wows people with her fiery personality, passion, and energy; Jenn wows people with her style of writing and telling a story and with her determination and drive. Since we've been going to CrossFit, we've seen our individual strengths and weakness play out in a whole new forum, and part of the fun of going is watching how the other one approaches the workouts. We've been going (Kelly says: "How long have we been going, Jenn?", and Jenn says, without hesitation: "Since September 28.") for only a little while, and we kind of mostly sort of suck, but we are making definite progress.


About Our Personalities


You may be familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (if you're not, you are missing out on both useful information and a super fun way to psycho-analyze your friends and family!), but it's a personality test you can take free and in your spare time. Jenn is an INTJ, which means that she recharges her energy alone or in small groups, likes the big picture over the details, likes distance from problems to analyze them, and likes structure, predictability, and plans. Kelly is an ENFP which means that she recharges in groups and social situations, likes the big picture over the details, likes to be right up in the problems having big feelings about them, and plans make her break out in hives.

We're different people and approach most things very differently; CrossFit is no exception. What we have found is that we both love CrossFit for different reasons. Just like in all areas of our lives, how we approach CrossFit and what we get out of it is heavily influenced by our personality types. There are advantages and disadvantages to all personality types; no type is inherently better than another. We're gonna explain some of the pros and cons of our particular types as we talk more about our CrossFit experiences.


RECORD KEEPING

In general, CrossFitters tend to track their progress in terms of time, rounds, how much weight lifted, and improvement over time.

Jenn: I love this aspect of CrossFit! I generally love measurement of any sort, and I actually get a little thrill every time I write down the Workout of the Day (WOD) in my iPhone. I love knowing how much weight I lifted last time, how much more I can do now, and I look forward to lifting more in the future. (I felt like such a badass the time I did a #95 back squat, and I can't wait for the day when I will do #195!) I even like the counting and tracking when we are in the middle of the workout; I love measuring my progress as I erase each little hash mark off of the whiteboard. In short, I love all the numbers and the measurements and think it is the most super fun thing ever.

Jenn, looking excited and intentionally psycho: "I can't wait to see how fast I can go through all these hash marks!"

Kelly: I don't keep records. Not at all. I couldn't care less how much I did last time or how much I will do next time. I take great pleasure in what I did this time, but the pleasure is the same whether I lifted 20 lbs. or 120 lbs. If I had to write anything down, I would quit, like tomorrow. We did some benchmarks not long ago, and our trainer actually asked Jenn to write down my times in her iPhone, which she was happy to do, cause she is obsessively fond of that record-keeping app. He didn't even mention it to me, observant man that he is.

"How many
rounds have I done tonight? Jenn! How many rounds have I
done tonight?"

The advantages of being Jenn and keeping records are that she can easily measure her progress, make changes if it isn't enough for her, and really celebrate her achievements in concrete ways. But it's easy to get caught up in the numbers, and sometimes her focus on the numbers keeps her from enjoying the experience and the afterglow of a good workout. She might not stop when she should, if the workout is too hard or she's in a little pain, because she wants to complete that next round. The advantages of being Kelly and not keeping records are that she can focus completely on the moment and the experience and not feel nickeled and dimed about her workout. However, she can sometimes miss patterns in her progress or her lack of it because she is without data.

GOAL SETTING

Jenn: In addition to specific weightlifting goals, I love the idea that one day I might be able to do an unassisted pullup. My goal before the pullup was to do real-live man pushups, a goal I recently accomplished! I amazed myself--and all the friends for whom I demonstrated my pushups. I like thinking about the things that are now within my reach because of CrossFit.

"Hooray!
The WOD! I hope it's harder than last time!"

Kelly: I don't really set goals for CrossFit, though when Jenn mentions hers I sometimes say, "Yeah, me too!" I enjoy seeing the results of CrossFit, but planning ahead about what I want to achieve makes me feel bossed. When I found that I could jump up into a front support on a much higher bar at work (Kelly teaches gymnastics coaches), I was super pleased, but I didn't rush out to set another goal for the future. I'll just wait until the next time I do something new and cool and be happy to be surprised.

"Today, I'm
going to . . . ooh, look there's a butterfly!"

The advantages and disadvantages of goal setting are pretty much the same as the record keeping. Another disadvantage for Kelly is that she might not always push herself hard enough since there isn't a goal she's working toward; whereas sometimes Jenn feels disappointed or impatient about the time it takes to reach goals.


ROWING VS RUNNING

Usually, at least during the warmup, if not also during the WOD, we do either running or rowing on a machine.

Jenn: Whenever I see rowing on the whiteboard, I'm pretty pumped. The machine has lovely little numbers all over it that tell you how far you went, and how many strokes per minute you are doing. I watch the strokes per minute as I row, and I try to make it go from 30 s/m all the way up to 40. Every once in a while (usually when Kelly is rowing next to me) I pretend I am rowing Frodo and Sam on the River Andouin, but usually I just watch the numbers. I focus on my rowing form and try to pay attention to how it affects the numbers. As a short-legged person, running has never been my forte or interest, and while I enjoy it more than I ever thought I would pre-CrossFit, the only way I can actually enjoy it is if I count my steps (1, 2, 3, 4) and time my breathing with my steps. I guess adding numbers to my activities makes them more fun for me!

Jenn, trying to
get that strokes-per-minute number ever higher.

Kelly: I hate rowing. You sit in one place on a boring machine with all these F-ing numbers, and no matter how hard you row, you never go anywhere. I try to make it fun by singing in my head, but it never works. I do like the running, a lot in fact, way more that I ever thought I would. I enjoy going outside of the gym at night in the cool air, imagining myself on some kind of adventure. Sometimes, I pretend that I am Aragorn, running after the captured hobbits, never stopping no matter how tired until I find them and slay some orcs. Sometimes I am a Homo heidelbergensis running after a tired antelope until it collapses and I can eat it for dinner. Sometimes I repeat poems in my head, and sometimes I just look at trees and grass and cars and feel free.

Kelly, chained
to the rowing machine, like a slave to the galley.

Jenn's disadvantages are that she doesn't have that fun "I feel free" experience. But she probably runs harder and rows faster, since Kelly's leisurely fictional workout is a disadvantage in intensity. Jenn has a lot of drive and intensity in her workouts, but sometimes she might be a little light on the fun.

COURAGE AND CAUTION

CrossFit sometimes demands skills that are new and intimidating for a lot of people; it's scary to put big weights up over your head and to jump up on boxes that look likely to trip you and to throw yourself hard to the ground in a burpee.

Jenn: CrossFit is my first real experience with any kind of weightlifting at all; I'm a total newbie. Also, I'm not a young whippersnapper anymore and don't want to hurt myself! I appreciate the fact that our trainer Chris teaches me new skills in a way that makes me feel safe. I prefer to work at lower weights for a longer time until I feel like my form is super great. Only after a longish period in my new comfort zone will I move up in weight. Fortunately, Chris is patient with that. Even so, sometimes it's scary and I have to just do it. I'm especially nervous about snatches (well, any time I need to hold something heavy over my head) and box jumps because of my huge hobbit feet (can we work the word hobbit into this post any more?). Part of the reason I am nervous about the overhead stuff is that I am afraid that I really might not let go and get out from under the weight (a downside to being so determined to follow through with every exercise, perhaps).

"I can do this;
I've had three c-sections!"

Kelly: I am kind of a jump-in-er. I swashbuckle through our workouts, like a pirate, and I like to try new, hard skills. I love to add weight, though I make sure that I get the form right, and I don't feel afraid of lifts over my head. I know I can just let go and jump out from underneath if I have to. I have never once worried about hurting myself at CrossFit. I very well might; I just don't worry about it. Doing the fancy Olympic lifts makes me feel super tough and full of adrenaline. I find the challenge of holding good form and doing the complex lifts correctly under heavier weights intellectually satisfying.

"Woo-hoo! Bout to be a rockstar!"

The pros for Jenn are that she will likely avoid injuries, keep good form, and build confidence slowly. She also may not progress as fast as she could on the complicated lifts. Kelly progresses quickly on these lifts and learns new skills faster, but she is more likely to jump into a situation that is too difficult for her skill level. She's pretty good about realizing when she's in over her head, though, and because it won't get written down anyway, she can back off without shame.


VERTICAL VS HORIZONTAL PROGRESS


Jenn: I get most excited about the workouts in which I improve on something I have done in the past, either more weights, better time, more rounds, etc. This the vertical progress we are talking about. I wish we repeated WODs more often so I could see more of this kind of vertical improvement.

Kelly: I like to learn new skills more than I like to perfect the old ones. I would rather do a new lift than an old one with more weight. This is what we mean by horizontal progress. I love the variety of CrossFit, and if we did the same things a lot more often, I'd probably quit. I can face 20 hard minutes if they are a different 20 hard minutes than the last time.

The advantage of being a vertical progress person is that what you get good at, you get really good at, but you can get stuck in a rut or forget to appreciate the experience of learning something new. The advantage of being a horizontal progress person is that you acquire all the varied components of fitness in the CrossFit system, but you can be too much of a generalist and not push to our limits on specific skills. We both enjoy both kinds of progress; the difference is only in which kind keeps us coming back to CrossFit.

INTENSITY AND FUN


Jenn: I think I'm pretty determined and intense for most of the workouts. I try to stay focused on what I'm doing, monitor my progress (hash marks, rounds, time), and push through to the bitter end. Sometimes when I lag in the middle of a WOD, I motivate myself by thinking about ObamaCare (because I need to be strong and healthy now, the better to withstand the inevitable shortages and rationing!). I try to remember that my goal is to be healthy and that keeps me going to the end. Sometimes I'm too serious, and working out with Kelly reminds me that part of the fun of CrossFit is . . . fun! It's super awesome fun to move and lift things and be a bad-ass person!

"1, 2, 3, 4 . . . "

Kelly: I definitely work at a less intense level than Jenn overall. I can be pretty intense about the stuff I really really like, such as snatches and sprints. It's not that I go leisurely through the workouts, it's just that I don't push to my limits very often. It's motivating to me to look over and see that Jenn is going faster or harder than I am, and then I remember to think about whether or not I could go any faster. It just doesn't occur to me until I look at her to think about pushing harder. I'm mostly motivated by fun and so I do mind games with myself if I need to work harder, such as when I'm doing deadlifts, I imagine that I'm Pa (from Laura Ingalls Wilder) on a handcar, where you have lift up and down and up and down to move the car. The social atmosphere is also really fun for me. I like to see what everybody is doing and feel like I'm in the middle of a bunch of action.

"Cinderella, dressed in yella, went upstairs to kiss her fella . . . "

AFTER CROSSFIT


Jenn: After a workout, I go over the numbers and progress in my head, and am usually already thinking about what I'll do next time. Sometimes I feel a bit disappointed and need to remember that my goal here is to move around and get strong and have fun, too. Sometimes I am in awe of my bad-assedness--I get so pumped when I realize that I really did 100 squats during a particular workout! I always have to tell Brendan (my husband) all about what I did, and sometimes demonstrate, too!

Kelly: After the workout, I immediately call Aaron and tell him every single thing we did and how awesome I am and how lucky he is to be with such a rock star! Then, I promptly forget everything that we did and don't think about CrossFit until the next time I go except when something particular happens that I want to blog about. Unlike Jenn, I don't think about the future. Each workout is an end in itself.


CROSSFIT KENNESAW


Jenn: Our gym is great, and the gym owner, Chris, is awesome to work with. He is great at teaching the skills as I mentioned before, and he lets me make progress on my own schedule. At the same time, he motivates me by saying "Yeah, go for it!" when I am slowing down during a WOD or am undecided about whether to move up in weight. I trust that he wouldn't push me too fast or too far. During the WOD, he notices if I'm questioning how I'm doing and doesn't hesitate to encourage or reassure me. Even when I come in dead last, which is often, he finds something encouraging and supportive to say. In fact, everyone at the gym encourages and supports each other, and I think it's because of the way Chris has modeled this as part of the way he runs his business. It's a great atmosphere.

Kelly: I like Chris because he's relaxed and fun and doesn't make me feel bossed. He gives me advice and guidance, but doesn't try to alter my basic approach. He's fine with me only coming in two times a week (which is all I've got, right now). He doesn't seem to care that I don't do recording. He doesn't try to have goal-setting sessions with me. Also, the music is fun (he plays Beastie Boys for me), and the atmosphere isn't like a muscle magazine. There's not a lot of super-loud grunting and there are no calendars with women and cars. Chris encourages me in a different way than he does Jenn. He sees when I'm slacking and gives me The Look that means "Get your ass in gear!" He's also really willing to answer my technical questions about the biomechanics of skills. Basically, he doesn't go all School Principal on me, asking where I was at the last workout or what I've been eating. And he doesn't make me feel like I'm too old or too out-of-shape to do CrossFit.

So there you have it! Two different people bringing different things to CrossFit, getting great results, and enjoying it, too! And that's the whole reason we wanted to write this post.

We have a mutual friend who was a little (maybe more than a little) turned off from CrossFit by reading Jenn's post about it, mostly, we think, because they are so different that it was hard for her to imagine that there were things she might like about CrossFit, too. Had Kelly written the same post, it would have been completely different, and probably have turned off a whole other set of people.

Now that we've (hopefully) shown that CrossFit offers different values to different kinds of people, we have one final point we'd like to discuss. Our different personality types make us excellent workout partners. It's because of our our differences that we motivate each other and make the experience more enjoyable. For example, when Kelly's wall balls start to look a little chill, there's Jenn throwing with all her might, reminding Kelly to throw a little higher, squat a little deeper. When Jenn is frustrated by tripping over the jump rope for the zillionth time, she looks at Kelly who is chanting "Cinderella, dressed in yella " and trying playground tricks, and remembers that once upon a time jumping rope was fun, and decides that maybe it could be fun again today. (Although jumping rope is much harder to do with boobs--and way more embarrassing--we have photographic evidence of this which you will never see!)

So if you are a structured person, go out and find yourself a flake to take to the gym with you. And if you're a free spirit, find somebody with an iPhone app and a couple of minor neuroses, and invite them to CrossFit! You'll each find something to enjoy on your way to becoming a bad-ass rock star. Like us.

BAD ASS

ROCK STARS

My Car of Love

Today I rode for over an hour in a car with my dearest people except Livy. Had she been there (preferably asleep so the adult conversations could still have gone on), I could have been perfectly happy and blissful. I feel all people-saturated, better than my usual self, just like cake is good, but better soaked in rum. Shea, Aaron, and Jenn are rum. Really good, expensive, coconut rum.