Stuff That Weighs More Than Me: Kermit the Frog Balloon from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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I love parades.  Well to qualify, I love watching the holiday parades in my jammies in front of the TV accompanied by a box of cereal and some milk and a warm blankie.  I’ve always loved watching the Tournament of Roses parade on New Year’s Day and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  So naturally, I thought I’d turn to yesterday’s Macy’s Parade to find fodder for today’s blog.

One character that has been a mainstay of the parade since I was a kid is Kermit the Frog.  I must confess that I am an avid Muppets fan, and those fuzzy little guys hosted my absolute favorite childhood TV show, “The Muppet Show”.  So naturally, I’ve always loved the giant Kermit the Frog balloon from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

It, turns out that Kermit has had an interesting run as a parade balloon.  The balloon was “launched” during the 1977 Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Apparently the real Kermit the Frog was on hand to report about the balloon (in his Muppet News Flash garb complete with a trench coat, press fedora hat and microphone).  Reportedly, Kermit expressed his chagrin that his giant balloon counterpart was naked.  Kermit has appeared live at the parade several times throughout the years.

 

The original Kermit the Frog balloon suffered a few major incidents over the years.  In 1985, the balloon ripped along its stomach and lost over 80 percent of its helium.  Apparently it was carried for the last part of the parade route by its balloon handlers.  In 1991 the balloon caught on some trees in Central Park West, tearing a hole in the balloon.  One again, the balloon was carried much of the way by his balloon handlers.  The balloon was cheered wildly by spectators as he appeared to “swim” down the street.

After the 1991 incident, a new Kermit the Frog balloon was created, and it was that version that we saw in yesterday’s parade.  Here’s the stats:

Width: 36 ft.

Height: 61 ft.

Length: 78 ft.

Volume: 11,000 cubic feet of helum

Weight: Well over 1,000 lbs.

Conclusion: The Kermit the Frog Balloon from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade weighs more than me.

Thursday Theater: With a Thankful Heart

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Good morning my dear Chicklettes! This Thanksgiving I am grateful for so many things! And, in addition to my wonderful heart, I am especially grateful for the amazing and wonderful gift of my whole mind and my entire body:

  • Feet that step and skip and dance,
  • Legs that have carried me towards my loved ones and all that I dream,
  • Knees that flex under the load I sometimes have to carry, and kneel in awe of the beauty of this world,
  • Thighs that make a lap for holding warm, squirmy, squiggly children and a resting place for the chin of my fabulous dog, Max,
  • Hips that sway and shimmy and shake to the beat of the beautiful old earth, and make a place to rest my hands when arms akimbo, I face the dangers and toils of this world,
  • A round, soft bottom that cushions me when I fall,
  • A warm, generous tummy that creates the energy I need to live and love and shakes merrily when I giggle and gufflaw at the delicious absurdity of life,
  • A broad back that allows me to bend down to help others and help shoulder their load,
  • An expansive chest that swells when I breathe the rich and wonderful air, that powers my speech and my song, that gives me a place to cradle that which is beloved,
  • A powerful neck that allows me to turn my head and see not only that which is right in front of my eyes, but all of the wonder that surrounds me,
  • Lips to kiss,
  • Tongue to taste,
  • Teeth to bite when the need arises,
  • Eyes that convey the beauty of the universe to my mind and allow others to see into my soul,
  • Ears that record the music of the earth from the soft shushing of the surf to the boom of a storm to the whisper of a lover sharing a secret,
  • And a heart and mind capable of recognizing the incomprehensible nature of the gift which I have received.

Here’s hoping that Thanksgiving is full of all that makes you happy and joyfully devoid of the stuff that tempts you to choose to relinquish your peace.

Love,

The Fat Chick

Shoppercize

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If you’re like me, you’ve got a fair amount of pre-holiday shopping to do.  While I don’t typically participate in the Black Friday shopping insanity, I do have to hit the grocery stores to buy a few supplies for our Thanksgiving day and I will need to shop for baking and craft supplies soon.  Some people love shopping during the holidays–the excitement, the decorations, the crowds and the bargains really appeal to them.  Other people (like me) hate shopping during the holidays–the tension, the incessant holiday music, the noise, and the crowds make me nuts.  But love it or hate it, holiday shopping is a great time to get in a little fitness during a very hectic time of the year.

I have found that if I think of shopping as a sort of annual, extreme sports, fitness project it’s a little easier to get through it.  I call it “shoppercize”.    As with any fitness event or sport, preparation is key.  I make sure to wear the right gear (good sturdy athletic shoes, clothing in layers that breathe well), to warm up (doing some stretches before I get in the car) and and hydrate (with non-alcoholic beverages) before I begin.

I like to put on a pedometer or step counter when I shoppercize.  It helps me deal with the intensely stressed out crowds if I can foster a sense of accomplishment.  I set a goal for distance or number of steps before I head off for my shopping trip.  Then whenever I get to the store, I plan to park as far away as possible.  This way I can properly managing my expectations (since the darn lot will probably be full anyways), manage stress (since I’m not circling around the lot like a wheeled vulture spending thirty minutes to beat the other vultures to the one close parking spot) and I get in a little extra fitness (which is registered and logged on my handy pedometer).  Cool.

If I’m headed off to the mall, I try to shop early in the morning.  I usually arrive before the stores open and get in a mall lap or two and have a nice calm cup of coffee before the stores even open.  Usually the mall is less crowded first thing in the morning.  And if it gets too crowded to deal with, I just leave.  At least I got some exercise and a nice cup of coffee before it all went pear-shaped.  I can still feel a sense of accomplishment.

I doubt I will ever love holiday shopping–at least among LA crowds.  But love it or hate it, shoppercize is a great way to add a little fitness to your holiday while removing just a little of your holiday stress.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy shoppercizing!

Love,

The Fat Chick

The Joy of Soup

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While working like a maniac yesterday, I did manage to find time to make a little soup.  What a fabulous way to celebrate fall!  My household has just two members, my husband and I, so I don’t always have access to bones from which to make a tasty broth.  But at the recent church potluck I asked if anybody was going to take home the turkey bones.  Nobody claimed them, so I took them home and I spun that hay into turkey soup gold.

There are few things in the world that smell quite as awesome as homemade turkey soup bubbling away on the stove.  Homemade soups are healthy and delicious!  They often have a small amount of meat, a whole lot of vegetables, and you get to choose just how much salt to put in there.  (Many commercial soups are extremely high in sodium, so buyer beware!)  Also, if you like, you can separate out your broth from the other ingredients and refrigerate after cooking.  Once cooled, you can scrape the fat layer off the top if you like your soups a little less oily.  Or leave it in.  It’s your soup, so make it just how you like!

But one of the things I really love about soup, is that I think you can taste the love in there.  Seriously!  Soup is one of the original slow foods, and the anticipation and the bubbling and the stirring and the steam and the aroma fills your heart as well as your tummy!

So, in this time of crazy holiday schedules and stress, I suggest that you set aside just a little time, get out your biggest pot, grab some veggies and an onion and some garlic and make some soup.

Love,

The Fat Chick

Stuffed

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Thanksgiving is nearly here.  And even though I haven’t eaten my Thanksgiving dinner or begun to cook the cranberries or season the bird, I’m already feeling “stuffed”.  What is it about the holidays that makes us want to jam and cram every minute and every corner and every bit of our stomach with, well, stuff?  Frantic to relive every holiday tradition, and sample every holiday food and participate in every holiday rehearsal, gathering, performance and event I find myself over-full and completely overwhelmed.  And there comes a moment, when my husband is watching me run around the tenth time, like a chicken with my head cut off, when he just asks me, “Will you please stop?  Just for a minute?  Will you please just stop?”

You think I’d learn.  I mean it happens to me every dang year.  The temptation is sooooo strong.  I can have one more rehearsal.  It’s only one more bite of pie.  I can add just one more person to my list.  But I ultimately find, that when I’m completely stuffed.  If I don’t have room for one more bite in my tummy, if I don’t have time for one more second in my day, I don’t enjoy any of it.  And for me, that’s a real shame.

Look, if you are one of those rare birds who enjoys being stuffed, if it fills you with a holiday glow and makes you feel happy, who am I to judge?  As my dear friend Ragen Chastain always says, “You get to be the boss of your own underpants.”  But since I don’t enjoy it, and I really don’t like being stuffed, I’m exploring alternatives.  Frankly, I’ve only come up with one.  I’m going to have to give up a few things so that I have the time, energy, bandwidth and space to enjoy the others.  I’m going to have to face my fears that the world will end if I don’t do everything, so that I can still enjoy some things.  I’m going to have to live with not trying Aunt Sue’s Pecan Pie, making the shortbread cookies, caroling at the mall and doing the fifteenth office/club/team holiday party.

So my dear chicklettes.  I hope the upcoming holiday is full (but not too full) of everything that you love, that you hold dear and that makes you feel inordinately happy.

Love,

The Fat Chick

Stuff That Weighs More Than Me: Lenin’s Head (Sculpture)

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So, we were furniture shopping on La Brea the other day with my fabulous friend Jim when we ran across this bad boy right out there on the street corner.  My husband’s first comment was, “How odd!”  Jim’s first comment was, “Well, that’s interesting!”  My first reaction was to squeal and demand, “Take a picture, because I just KNOW that thing weighs more than me!”**

The statue, called “Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head” is a work by the Gao Brothers, Gao Zhen and Gao Qiang, of China.

Fairfax By Night gives us more details about the piece:

As such a well known person, the artists’ decision to give his face a chrome finish takes the focus away from Lenin, and to the sculpture’s context by allowing the reflections to highlight the immediate surroundings instead of Lenin in an appropriately demeaning fashion. The staggered sections represent his broken and destructive legacy that brought so much turmoil to Russia. Atop is a very playful inclusion of baby holding a balance stick on top of Lenin’s protruding head, as if walking a tight rope of his disastrous and risky Marxist ideals.

So why, one might wonder, is there a giant bust of Lenin in Stainless Steel on the corner of 4th and La Brea in Los Angeles?  Apparently, it’s been installed in front of the ACE Gallery LA as part of The [Secret] Return of Noever show.  And now for what you really wanted to know…

Here’s the stats:

Materials: Stainless Steel constructed in horizontal sections

Depth: 13.79 ft.

Width: 19.67 ft.

Weight: 3306.93 lbs.

Conclusion: Lenin’s head weighs more than me!

**Please note.  Ginormous bust of Lenin on La Brea is considered an ironic look at a controversial dictator.  The Fat Chick bussing giant bust of said dictator should also be construed as ironic and not be taken as support for dictators, stainless steel or giant heads.  That is all.

Thursday Theater: Pets Help Keep Us Fit

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While not all pets are as “talented” as the one pictured in this video, it is clear that pets (especially dogs) help us to keep fit. It is difficult to find a more willing, available and awesome exercise partner than my fabulous dog, Max. He’s definitely getting a little grey about the muzzle and long in the tooth. But all I have to do is say the word “walk” and he nearly loses his little doggy mind with excitement. In fact, we use the phrase, “start the countdown” in our household to indicate the microscopic amount of time between saying the word “walk” and Max going crazy. So it’s pretty typical for my husband and I to ask each other questions like, “Got the leash? Got your keys? Are we ready to start the countdown?” We’ve learned to do this because it’s pretty hard to put on a coat and seek earnestly for your keys when you have a critter pulling on the leash and generally causing absolute mayhem in his urgency to get OUTSIDE.

Maybe we could all learn something from Max. Wouldn’t it be great if we all felt that level of excitement over exercise? Even when we’re older and our hips don’t work so well, regardless of the weather and what else is on our schedule, wouldn’t it be great to feel that worked up about working out? All I can say is, I’m working on it.

Love,
The Fat Chick

The unparalelled power of owning your beauty

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Today I was privileged to read this powerful post from a woman speaking about how she chose to call herself beautiful in front of her daughters.  She understands the power of claiming, unconditionally, that she is beautiful in front of her kids.  She spoke of how it must have seemed confusing for her young offspring in the past, when they thought her beautiful, but she negated that reality.

She says:

How confusing it must have been to have me say to them, “You think I am beautiful, but you are wrong. You are small and you love me, so you’re not smart enough to know how unattractive I am. I know I am ugly because I see myself with mean eyes. You are my child and I love you, but I will not allow myself to be pretty, for you.

What a profound thing this is.–to understand the power we gain not only for ourselves, but also for all who love us, when we claim our power to be beautiful.  When we cast false modesty aside and inhabit our glorious, gorgeous selves we do more than make ourselves feel better.  We also create space for others to feel beautiful.  We wrest control from media outlets and glossy glamour magazines, over the definition of fabulous.  We teach our children that beauty comes in an unending variety of sizes, shapes, colors and types.  We cast aside the fear that we will never again be worthy of adoration–that we will never again be enough to make someone gasp at our audacity and amazing selves.  And we prevent that fear from tainting the lives of our children.  We own the definition of ravishing and rapturous and we choose to apply it to ourselves.  And once we’ve applied those labels to ourselves, who would dare, WHO WOULD DARE take it from  us?

I find this concept endlessly exciting.  The notion that claiming our power encourages other women to do the same.  And that making acceptance of ourselves unconditional before our children, we teach them to love themselves forever, rather than for the short time they are young, thin, unblemished, untarnished and inexperienced.  What a spectacular and lasting legacy!

So my dear friends.  What would happen for you if you cast off the need to be modest and demure?  How profound is the impact of accepting yourself unconditionally and forever, just as you are?  And just how large is the gift to those who come behind, when you model this calm, confident and peaceful contentment on a day to day basis?

Love thyself, and change the world!

Love,

The Fat Chick

Plan Ahead to Deal With Holiday Stress

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Thanksgiving is coming up next week, and the holiday onslaught will be here in just minutes.  We’ve all heard of holiday stress.  But few of us are aware of how dangerous holiday stress can really be.  Studies have indicated that cardiac mortality increases by as much as a third between Thanksgiving and New Years Day–even in mild climates.  And scientists have surmised that this increase may be due to holiday stress.

One of the things you can do to help minimize holiday stress is to plan in advance.  Learn how to set spending limits.   Manage expectations and understand that no holiday is perfect.  Prioritize, divest and delegate tasks so you don’t feel completely overwhelmed.  Plan ahead for how you will deal with critical or unkind family members and friends who feel a need to try to “fix” you.  And maintain healthy habits during the holidays–especially exercise.

Lucky for you, the HAES Happy Holidays Workshop, arranged by the amazing Ragen Chastain, begins tonight.  The program is “name your own price” so you can stay within your holiday budget.  And a variety of awesome speakers like Ragen, Marilyn Wann, Golda Poretsky and I will be talking about managing family relationships, looking fabulous, and dealing  with holiday stress.  I’ll be speaking tonight at 4PM PST–7PM EST about maintaining an exercise program during the holidays and setting up a rational New Years Resolution exercise program that is safe and super fun!

Procrastination also increases holiday stress, so don’t wait another minute.  Go sign up for the program and dial on in.  And help make this the best holiday season EVAR!

Love,

The Fat Chick

 

The Fat Chick on TV: Talking About Body Snarking

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Hello my friends!  I am excited to share with you this interview from CBS news in LA about “body snarking”.  This is a relatively new term that refers to feeling the need to comment on the bodies of other people, usually in a nasty, negative or sarcastic way.  Seems  like this has really come to the forefront after Lady Gaga started speaking out about her weight.  Don’t be stressed out by the sad stuff in the beginning of the story.  I think it ends in my happy place!  And I’m pleased to be included in story about body snarking that suggests learning to deal with the “snarkers” rather than suggesting that the “snarkees” simply need to lose weight.  It’s surprising now to have two major news outlets here in LA, the home of the plastic people, do relatively positive stories on body acceptance.  Along with the other major worldwide coverage we’ve been seeing, I’m hopeful that the tide is turning.

What do you think?  Is it getting harder or easier to talk about size acceptance and HAES these days?  I’d love to hear from you!

Love,

The Fat Chick