Well, for those of you who are wondering, the good news is that I'm still on my diet and exercise program. The bad news is I haven't lost much weight yet. I work so hard for such agonizingly slow results it makes me want to jump right off my Fitness Flyer and into a Twinkie Truck.
Luckily, AMERICA'S PERSONAL TRAINER, Tony Little,
keeps me motivated with his mantra:
This is my "Fitness Flyer.
The good news is I got it for cheap. The bad news is AFTER I got it home I decided to do some research on it via the internet. Experts say it's not a very good piece of equipment for those who are relatively well conditioned and want a good aerobic workout. But if you're out of shape (like me), and get short of breath going to the fridge for a beer, it's a good place to start. It'll be a while before I graduate from that thing to harder workouts, like walking up hills without complaining.
Bad news: My mixer at work is dying. It's a lovely old 20 qt. Hobart, but 2nd gear is toast. I can only use 1st gear (uber slow) and 3rd gear (uber fast). Guess which gear I use most. That's right. As Goldilocks would say, 2nd gear is JUST RIGHT. The good news is I've been creative in using a combination of 1st and 3rd on my batters and doughs to get the job done, but the bad news is I have to stand there at the mixer instead of being able to walk away while it does its thing and I go do something else. Here's what my Hobart looks like:
I love it because it has no safety cage, which I ranted about at length here.
But it is dying, so something MUST be done. I am nothing without my mixer, just like Wonder Woman without her invisible plane, and Paula Deen without her annoying laugh and southern accent.
Good news: Boss says he has a line on a brand spankin' new mixer for a reasonable price. Bad news: All new mixers have safety cages. Also, it's not a Hobart, which means we can't use our current attachments and bowls. It's a Thunderbird, made by a Canadian company. Nothing against the Canucks, but I want an OLD Hobart with no safety cage! Here's the Thunderbird:
There's lots of great old Hobarts for sale on eBay. Why can't I have one of those? God if I have to deal with that darn safety cage I most certainly will end up in the old pastry chef looney farm.
Good news! I got my hair done last week, just like I do every 6 weeks. A color job to cover the gray and a trim if needed. My natural color is a medium auburn and that's the color I get every time. Bad news: my hairdresser changed color lines, and had to try to match my old formula from the old color line using the new color line. Now I'm a magenta head. If I were 25 years younger I could probably get away with the wild flame that now sits on top of my head. But not at 45. I just look like I used a cheap box of Clairol from Rite Aid. I look like Ronald McDonald. A red nose and the look is complete. When I leave the house I scare the children.
If you ever visit Port Townsend, and you see the "crazy lady with flaming hair" holding a sign that says "Will work for old Hobart" that would be me.
Bad news: My mixer at work is dying. It's a lovely old 20 qt. Hobart, but 2nd gear is toast. I can only use 1st gear (uber slow) and 3rd gear (uber fast). Guess which gear I use most. That's right. As Goldilocks would say, 2nd gear is JUST RIGHT. The good news is I've been creative in using a combination of 1st and 3rd on my batters and doughs to get the job done, but the bad news is I have to stand there at the mixer instead of being able to walk away while it does its thing and I go do something else. Here's what my Hobart looks like:
But it is dying, so something MUST be done. I am nothing without my mixer, just like Wonder Woman without her invisible plane, and Paula Deen without her annoying laugh and southern accent.
Good news: Boss says he has a line on a brand spankin' new mixer for a reasonable price. Bad news: All new mixers have safety cages. Also, it's not a Hobart, which means we can't use our current attachments and bowls. It's a Thunderbird, made by a Canadian company. Nothing against the Canucks, but I want an OLD Hobart with no safety cage! Here's the Thunderbird:
There's lots of great old Hobarts for sale on eBay. Why can't I have one of those? God if I have to deal with that darn safety cage I most certainly will end up in the old pastry chef looney farm.
Good news! I got my hair done last week, just like I do every 6 weeks. A color job to cover the gray and a trim if needed. My natural color is a medium auburn and that's the color I get every time. Bad news: my hairdresser changed color lines, and had to try to match my old formula from the old color line using the new color line. Now I'm a magenta head. If I were 25 years younger I could probably get away with the wild flame that now sits on top of my head. But not at 45. I just look like I used a cheap box of Clairol from Rite Aid. I look like Ronald McDonald. A red nose and the look is complete. When I leave the house I scare the children.
Stick with it! As they say, you didn't gain it in one day and your not going to lose it in one day either.
We are all cheering for you!
Posted by: TableBread | 01/18/2008 at 12:04 PM
Be sure to read my whole post.....you clicked in while I was still in writing mode!
There's more!
Posted by: Annie | 01/18/2008 at 02:15 PM
OOPS (blush) I got your post in my RSS reader I guess before you were done. Sorry about that!
I actually bought the Gazelle for my wife per her request. I would never bring it up but I think she used it once and it sat in a corner ever since. Then much like the fate of other exercise equipment it migrated from exercise tool to close hanger to furniture to garage.
Sorry to hear about your mixer :( I just recently got my 250W 4.5Qt Kitchen aid so I'm still getting used to that. I hope it all works out for you and the new one doesn't have a safety cage.
That's just funny about your hair :)
Cheers
Posted by: TableBread | 01/18/2008 at 02:33 PM
So so sorry about the hair anne, what a bummer....she didnt offer to fix it? I remember once I went to get my hair done and I just knew by the look on her face that something had gone awry, and then she said, I'll show you it, but just to let you know first "We can fix it" whew!!!
Stick with the exersise...it isn't pretty nor is it always fun, but the results are always pretty and fun!
Posted by: Katiebell | 01/18/2008 at 02:45 PM
[this is good] Before you get a new mixer why not take one shot at fixing the old one? What do you have to lose? Besides possibly fixing your mixer you'll get to see the guts of your friend MR. or Ms. Hobart, what could be cooler? You may only need to replace a gear, gog or band and it'll good to go another 20 years.
As to the exerciser, I didn't say anything at the time but most if not all of the As seen on TV exercisers are crap either in quality of construction or in the ability to injure you. A treadmill or exercycle, I prefer recumbent) are the simplest. I picked up a treadmill, recumbent and old style upright cycle as a package for 150 bucks on Craigslist, gave the cycle to my Mom, (I have a Airdyne? already), sold the treadmill and gave away the old style. Out of pocket, 50 bucks. Keep watching CL to upgrade, sell yours when you do. If FreeCycle.org is in your area you might pick one up there.
I have lost 23 pounds in the last few months but I have a lot more to lose than you do and I used a very low calorie approach with a doctor. Losing weight is easy for me, keeping it off isn't... for anybody.
You could develop the Bake me a cake as fast as you can workout and make a fortune. Run to the mixer, jump up and down to sift, lift that bag of floor! Now we're cooking with gas!
Posted by: rglater | 01/24/2008 at 04:50 PM
Well, since I'm not the boss, I don't have final say, but I do have input. He thought it a better idea to get the new mixer, which has a warranty and is guaranteed to work, so it will buy him time to fix the old mixer, which he definitely is going to do.
Fixing an old Hobart isn't as easy as you'd think. You can't buy new parts from Hobart...only their registered technicians can buy the parts from the company. So you either have to get parts from third party sellers (which I have found on the internet, or from people parting out their old Hobarts).
Yeah, I found out the hard way, about those "AS SEEN ON TV" exercisers. They just looked like so much fun though.....and affordable. I am monitoring Craigslist for a treadmill, and I am the local moderator of Freecycle up here, so I definitely know all about that.
I actually do the "Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can Workout" every day. Apparently it's not enough though, for my peri-menopausal metabolism.......!
Posted by: Annie | 01/25/2008 at 10:01 AM
Annie -- I was doing a search online for the Fitness Flyer because I have one that I need to put back together but I don't have the directions.
Posted by: Melissa | 08/10/2009 at 12:08 PM
I have since given my Fitness Flyer away. It never came with a manual because I got it second hand......sorry I can't help you!!! Good luck.......
Posted by: Annie | 08/13/2009 at 01:46 PM