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January 2008

Cricket's Thoughts

Daddy’s Little Princess

woman

When I was born, my father told his friends I was the ugliest baby he had ever seen, and that I sounded just like a cricket. I think that must have been the moment that I became my Daddy’s little princess.

As a little girl, I remember seeing my daddy sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking his first cup of coffee every morning. Because of a broken finger that never quite healed right, every time he took a drink, his pinky finger would stick up a little bit.

When I grew up, I wanted to be just like him.

By the time I was 10 years old, I was drinking coffee during the summers at my uncle Charley’s dairy farm. Back then I needed a ton of sugar and cream to drink the stuff. Nowadays I use just a little cream, and I sweeten it with the fake stuff, but to this very day, my pinky sticks up a little, every time I take a drink of my coffee.

We have always shared a love of various farm animals. Well, except for that mean old goose that used to chase me around the yard hissing at me, and nipping me in the butt when I tried to run away.

One day I saw the goose trying to do the same thing to my daddy. He turned around and stomped his foot. Then he got right in the goose’s face and said “git on out a here now”.

I thought he was teaching me how to stand up to an old goose, but what he taught me was not to run from things, to stand up and face my fears head on. It took me many years to finally learn that lesson.

I cannot begin to count how many runts I thought I could save over the years. I had a weakness for piglets that were too small to survive with the litter. He would help me sneak them past my mama, and into the house. I would set my alarm to feed them every couple of hours.

He did this, even knowing that I could not save them all, knowing that some would die, and he would have to pick up the pieces of my broken heart, but he was teaching me not to be afraid to take a risk, to have the courage to try even when all the odds were against me.

I started working at the restaurant with my daddy, in my early teens. There were times that I thought he was tougher on me than the employees. He was tough, and he expected nothing less than the best. It was many years before I realized he was teaching me good work ethics and that anything worth doing, was worth doing well.

Growing up, one of my biggest fears in life was disappointing my daddy because I could not bear to see that look in his eyes.

When I was a senior in high school some friends and I snuck out of the house to go to a party. Before that night, I had never drunk a single drop of alcohol but apparently I was making up for lost time because before I knew it, it was noon the next day.

It was time to face my daddy.

Seeing that look in his eyes was way worse than the butt whooping I got. To top it off, he still made me go to work, sicker than a dog, and praying to the porcelain god. That was one lesson in life that I learned very quickly, because I remembered it every single day of the 30 days I spent grounded afterwards.

During that same year, it was my daddy who took me for a long walk up the hill to quietly tell me that my very best friend, Ronnie Winston, had died at the age of 17. Looking up into my daddy’s eyes, I could see his heart breaking for me as he tried to explain that there are some things in life that not even daddy can fix.

It was then that I first began to truly understand the serenity prayer, to accept the things I cannot change, to have the courage to change the things I can, and above all, to have wisdom to know the difference.

It has been 46 years since I became my daddy’s little princess, and you know what? I grew up to be just like him.

I love you daddy.

Cricket Walker

Rest In Peace Daddy
1937-2018

Getting Into Fitness

Add Music to Your Workout

Music

I see folks reading or watching television during their workout. They have these huge frowns on their faces, and look like they would rather be scrubbing toilets than there in the gym trying to get back in shape.

If you absolutely hate what you are doing, you won’t do it for very long. You will find any possible excuse to skip getting some exercise.

You need to add music to your workout! If you are working out at home, crank up the stereo full blast and just start letting your body move to the beat of the music. In the gym, I use a little iPod Shuffle with upgraded ear pods so they stay put during my workout.

The first 15 – 20 minutes you will want to take it pretty easy, allowing time for your muscles to warm up, and mostly to let the outside world start to slip away, so you can get your head into working out.

Something like Drift Away by Uncle Kracker is a good starter song for me. Listening to Toby Keith singing Crash Here Tonight melts my heart, relaxing away just about any stress hanging around in my mind.

Now, when you are about ready to start getting into your workout, jump on a treadmill, or just start walking, and let Trace Adkins sing to you about how you are one Hot Mama.

Make sure you have a gym towel within reach though because you will be drooling all over yourself. *smirk*

By the time he starts singing Honky Tonk Badonkadonk to ya, your hips and arms will start swinging to the beat automatically and everyone around you will wonder what you are smiling about.

If I am having a bit of a man hating day, listening to Miranda Lambert singing about how she is gonna show him that little girls are made of Gunpowder and Lead, helps me blow off a little steam! Heck, just about any music by this lady adds some extra motivation to my workout.

If I follow that up with something like Rockstar by Nickelback, or Hurts So Good by John Mellencamp, you will likely catch me playing the air drums on the treadmill console, smiling, and happier than a ‘possum eatin’ poo poo. C’mon now! Ya have to make it fun!

Okay, you can quit growling at me about you not being a country music fan. I don’t care if you listen to Fall Out Boy, Oasis, Slipknot, or even Metallica. The only thing that matters is that you love it enough to get lost in the music and it gets your body moving.

Although I change up my playlist often, this is an example what I am listening to on my iPod Shuffle when I am working out in the gym.

Warm Up or Cool Down

Toi – Corneille
Drift Away – Uncle Kracker
Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
Take Me There – Rascal Flatts
Sweet Child of Mine Sheryl Crow
This Woman Needs – SHeDAISY
Crash Here Tonight – Toby Keith
Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
Here Without You – 3 Doors Down
Every Rose Has Its Thorn – Poison
A Little More You – Little Big Town
Ready Set Don’t Go – Billy Ray Cyrus
Like a Butterfly – A Very Special Cowboy

Weight Training and the Treadmill

Rockstar – Nickelback
Country Girl – Rissi Palmer
Heartache Tonight – Eagles
Walk Away – Kelly Clarkson
Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
Free and Easy – Dierks Bently
Rock and Roll All Nite – Poison
Real Good Man – Tim McGraw
Life Is a Highway – Rascal Flatts
All Jacked Up – Gretchen Wilson
I Ain’t No Quitter – Shania Twain
Rock This Country – Shania Twain
Hurts So Good – John Mellencamp
Dirty Laundry – Lisa Marie Presley
Redneck Woman – Gretchen Wilson
Here for the Party – Gretchen Wilson
Babyy Likes to Rock It – The Tractors
Strokin’ (Long Version) – Clarence Carter
Honky Tonk Badonkadonk – Trace Adkins
Gun Powder and Lead – Miranda Lambert
Mockingbird – Toby Keith & Krystal Covell
I’m Just Talkin’ About Tonight – Toby Keith
If Your Going Through Hell – Rodney Atkins
Keep Your Hands To Yourself – Georgia Satellites
I Love Rock ‘N Roll – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Heaven Heartache and the Power of Love – Trisha Yearwood

Cricket Walker

Getting Into Fitness

Fitness Tips by Michael Kane

Weights

Over the years I have developed a thing for staying in shape. It’s become of second nature to me. Sure I worked hard to get into the shape I am now, probably more than most people, but I learned so much along the way. I only wish I knew then what I know now. But, then again, that’s more or less how it is with everything in life.
 
I have been doing parkour for about 12 years. I spent about 10 of those years kick boxing at the same time, so I spent half that time in gyms and fitness centers. What did I learn after years of fitness drills? That I could have done it all from the comfort of my own home.
 
The body is really not as complicated as people make it out to be, especially when it comes to losing weight and toning it up. Every part of the body has one of two ways of doing an exercise to achieve one of two goals, simple as that.

Now, If I were to share everything I’ve found out about losing weight and getting fit, it would take up all of Cricket’s blog, which would suck, so I’m going to give you the 10 most important tips to staying fit while losing weight.
 
First of all, and I can’t stress this enough, you have to be mentally prepared to go through with a certain fitness routine and must be dedicated. If you’re not, you only have yourself to blame when you look in that mirror and see no results.
 
Put your mind to it. You can achieve most realistic goals within a couple of months. It does not take years or anything.

It’s easy if you put your mind to it.
 
Water, yes that liquid stuff we drink so much of, drink more. Did you know that drinking about three bottles of water a day can stretch your life span by about 15 years? No? You do now.
 
This is not the only reason you should drink a lot of water, drinking more will make you feel full, and not as hungry most of the time, which means less consumption of food which as we all know, is the devil. Yes, food is the devil.
 
Eat small portions, not snacks, actual meals, but small in portions, three meals a day. Make the breakfast a good well-portioned meal. Come lunch, you should not go all out and have something equal to two toast sized sandwiches, a side salad and fresh juice of some sort.

Dinner should always be kept light. Don’t eat meats and so on at night. Try to stick to yogurt, or fruits, something light. Aim to have dinner before 8pm after which it’s only water.
 
If you get hungry, do what I used to do till I broke the late night hunger thing, eat an apple. Just that, an apple will be enough to get your mind off food long enough to go to bed!
 
Caffeine, it’s a killer. I know, some of you have kids, heck some of you have husbands, which at times is just as bad and coffee is pretty much the only thing keeping you sane, but honestly think about it. What if that was the key to helping you lose more weight.

Tea, coffee, sodas and so on, just drop it. Oh, and I’m not even going to go into smoking, because you’re all mature enough adults to know what smoking does, right?
 
Working out should be fun, and it should not take time, 30-45 minutes a day is a good workout. You should walk at least 10minutes a day, more walking never hurt anyone.

When it comes to workouts you should do a full body one every day. At first if you’re not doing so, it will take time for your body to get used to it, but you will eventually adapt to the daily routine.
 
 I suggest:
 
 -Start out with a 15 minute walk/jog to get the blood circulating and the body warmer, a little more flexible for the work out (10 min cardio. , whatever you want it to be, you could run up and down stairs for 10 minutes but your calf’s will be aching after a few days of that, just break a sweat, that’s the first key)
 
 -As soon as you’re done with that 15 minutes of torture as most women call it (smirk), take a sip of water (not cold, mild) and get down to hitting the abs. Do some sit ups, crunches, not many, just enough to get the abs working at the start of the workout. Do two sets of 15, take small pauses between each rep if you must. This should take you no more than 5minutes.
 
 -Get up and jump. Jumping is really good to shake off the pounds. This could be you skipping rope or jumping on the spot as if you were skipping rope. Remember to keep your arms moving too so you work the under arm areas and tone them up. A few minutes of this should do the trick.
 
 -Steps. Get a solid box of some sort that won’t move when you climb onto it, something a foot off the ground, no more, put it against a wall if you must so it does not move, and go up and down it as if it were a step. You could use actual stairs if you have them at home too. Up and down the first step without turning to come down it.
 
This could easily be done every day, and if you stick to it. Cut the caffeine intake, eat smaller portions and watch the fat intake then you’re on the right track.
 
It’s really important you ask a professional before you do any kind of sport or fitness program for health risks. If you have back problems then seek help and get the right fitness program for that.

Michael Kane
www.michael-kane.com

Michael Kane is a very well known Michigan Designer, with Inlip Designs. He is also known as a fitness guru, one of his newest projects being the Yoga Training Yoga Blog.

Outbuilding
Cricket's Thoughts

Life Aint No Fairytale

Why are we so afraid to admit to our kids that life ain’t no fairytale? Yes, I know how to speak proper English, but ya know what?

I ain’t in a proper English kind of mood tonight, you know?

I am serious here though.

How many little girls still grow up thinking that their knight in shining armor is gonna show up on their doorstep one day, and they will live happily ever after?

Did we bother telling them that An Officer and a Gentleman was just a dang movie and that life just usually doesn’t go that way?

Do they know how to find happiness inside themselves with or without a man? Did we teach them that relationships aren’t sprinkled in fairy dust and that they have to work at a good marriage?

Do we tell our boys that they might not grow up to be NFL football stars and that just maybe they should have an alternative ready? Did we warn them that not all girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice?

Do they know that the star player of the basketball team doesn’t always make the basket at the critical moment? That sometimes they are gonna miss the shot? Do we remind them that the baseball player with the record for the most home runs is often the same player with the record for the most strikeouts?

Do they know that sometimes bad things happen to good people?

Even as we teach them about knights in shining armor, fairy dust, and happily ever after, we need to teach them about the bumpy road that gets there. Just about anything worth having will take hard work. And it takes knowing how to respond to disappointments.

As we prepare them for the joy of successes, we must teach them that failure is not only okay, it is to be expected and that a big part of success is learning how to respond when we fail.

I want to teach my daughter how to live the serenity prayer, to accept the things she cannot change, to have the courage to change the things she can, and to have the wisdom to know the difference.

I am not talking about keeping our kids from dreaming big dreams, and believing that they can do anything they really set their minds to. I am talking about teaching them the realities of achieving those dreams.

Cricket Walker