Bio

Written by: Fig on March 30, 2009.

fitfigpic3

  1. I’m not actually a fig.
  2. I’m actually a mom living in slightly upstate New York.
  3. I’m originally from Texas.
  4. I have also lived in Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia.
  5. I’ve also lived in Europe (2 years in Haarlem in the Netherlands and 2 years in London, England).
  6. I only tell you the places you’ve lived so certain readers can say, “Hey, that’s where I live or where I’ve been” and feel a connection.
  7. I grew up in rural Texas and got my college degree (in English) from a little university in Missouri.
  8. I have one husband, 3 little boys, and a Boston Terrier.
  9. In my spare time, I like to read, exercise (obviously), do crosswords, surf the ‘net and visit online forums, watch old movies and Comedy Central, shop, and make fun of my kids (usually in a nice way).
  10. I’m thinking about buying a sewing machine soon so I can have another hobby I don’t actually have time to enjoy.
  11. My favorite workouts are step aerobics, kickboxing, and lifting weights.
  12. I usually like to do cardio one day, then weights the next, and so on, instead of circuit workouts (though there are exceptions).
  13. I prefer to work out with exercise DVDs, though I can sometimes be seen walking or jogging if the weather and the mood mix just right, and once in a while I lift weights without using a DVD.
  14. My favorite DVD instructors are Cathe Friedrich, Amy Bento, Kelly Coffey-Meyer, Tracey Staehle, and a few others.
  15. I stay at home with my kids and I’ve had a variety of unsuccessful careers prior to child-rearing (no idea yet if I’m successful at that), including: high school teacher, bookseller, church youth director, administrative assistant, and word processor/proofreader.
  16. I currently need to lose about 25 lbs, though I’ve been writing my fitness blog for over a year. I lost weight, then gained it again–typical story.
  17. I don’t claim to be an expert at anything.
  18. I don’t dispense medical advice and I’m not remotely qualified to do so.
  19. I am also neither a nutritionist nor a personal trainer.
  20. I am just a woman on a journey to better fitness and a richer life.

Favorites:

Favorite Quotes:

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“When angry, count to four; when very angry, swear.” ~ Mark Twain

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of sorrow – it empties today of strength.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom

Favorite Books:
The Once and Future King, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, Fahrenheit 451, Shakespeare, A Wrinkle in Time, Dr Seuss books, Jane Austen novels, Edward Rutherfurd historical novels, Pablo Neruda poetry, Marcus Borg
Favorite Music:
77′s, Johnny Cash, Sufjan Stevens, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, The Who, U2, The Beatles, Mortal, ELO, King’s X, Franz Ferdinand, Rush, Fleming & John, Bee Gees, The Cars, Jamiroquai, Fatboy Slim, The Police, 80′s music
Favorite TV Shows:
Arrested Development, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, Veronica Mars (RIP), House, My Name Is Earl, The Office, South Park, The Simpsons, The Colbert Report, House, Pushing Daisies, Ghost Hunters, Mad Money
Favorite Movies:
The Princess Bride, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, When Harry Met Sally, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I Heart Huckabees, Pride and Prejudice (BBC Version), Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V, Little Miss Sunshine, The Science of Sleep, Junebug, Stranger Than Fiction, Office Space, Amelie, The Royal Tenenbaums, Room With a View, The Wedding Singer, This is Spinal Tap, Airplane!

Favorite Fitness Instructors:

  • Cathe Friedrich
  • Amy Bento
  • Tracey Staehle
  • Kelly Coffey-Meyer
  • Michelle Dozois
  • Ellen Barrett

Other Instructors I Like:

  • Kimberly Spreen
  • Anthony Diluglio
  • Deirdre Morris
  • Keli Roberts
  • Jari Love
  • Tracy Effinger
  • Sara Ivanhoe
  • Jennifer Kries

Instructors I Like Less But Might Still Consider:

  • Billy Blanks
  • Christi Taylor
  • Karen Voight
  • Kari Anderson
  • Kathy Smith
  • Mindy Mylrea

Instructors Whose Workouts I’ll Never Buy Again:

  • Mari Winsor
  • Gay Gasper
  • Meghan White
  • Anything labeled For Dummies
  • Ravi Smith & Ana Brett

Instructors Whose Workouts I’d Never Buy in the First Place:

  • Denise Austin
  • Richard Simmons