The Pimp and the Sweaty Soiree

I need a new GPS because I saw an honest-to-God pimp on the way to the Four Seasons of all places.

No lie. I know this because he was wearing the to-the-ground long fur vest, a huge mac-daddy wide brim hat. Gold rimmed sunglasses. The dark colored car with black tinted windows that’s so expensive you don’t know what it’s called but you’ve seen it in movies.

He was parked all crooked like in an empty lot, looking at heaven-knows-what in his trunk with two of his underlings – dressed liked thugs in black leather coats also with glasses – helping him probably dispose of the body.

And I started shaking once I realized there was NO movie crew in the area.

No lie, I almost drove right up on the curb.

Can you imagine? Having an car accident in front of a pimp?

Thank you God I didn’t blow out the tire and managed to get back on course, only to have a 90 year-old woman with no regard for timing, pull out directly in front of me in the largest sedan manufactured in recent years. She was peering dutifully through the steering wheel whilst carefully applying both brake and accelerator simultaneously.

It’s a wonder I made it in one piece.

But I did – with heart racing.

And once I arrived at the gorgeous Four Seasons, I was greeted to a Wii Party hosted by Nintendo and the American Heart Association. I had invited my crafy gal-pal slash bloggy friend Bianca with me (you met her in my recent post about our baking idol Bakerella) as my “plus one” and upon arrival we compared shoes as it was the hot topic of pre-party discussion. Neither of us shorties wears running shoes for anything other than, well, running – even though the invitation said to come comfortable. For gosh sakes, it was the Four Seasons. How could we show up all yoga-ish?

After also nervously telling Bianca about my near miss into the sexual slave trade, we were greeted by the pretty and perky AHA gals and ushered into the playroom. On three walls were Wii’s set up just begging us to strap on our numchuks and start swinging. There they were taunting us, the Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus and Wii Fit.

Confession: I have the Wii Fit. I have had it since I had baby weight to shed. But then I started to work again and Princess started walking and OMG, how and when can you do that when you have a toddler thinking you are Mount Everest that must be climbed every time you set foot on the board? So it has been cast aside. We did take it on vacation with us last year and it was a blast. But when Wii got home, it didn’t get reinstalled and then we got a new television and hooking it back up fell in priority with the hubs. And I am not a nagger (That’s just to see if the hubs reads my blog anymore…) so it sat sadly unloved.

That was about to change because, let me tell you, Bianca and I had an absolute giggly BLAST (deliberately this time) getting our heart rate up sword fighting each other. I think this “resort game” would be the epitome of stress relief after a horrible day at the office! We were swashbuckling right up to the lunch bell.

During the nosh we were treated to an awesome motivational author Hank Wasiakof Change the Way You See Everything Through Asset-based Thinking  (link to book on the right) and the AHA panel, as they have partnered with Nintendo to promote physically active play as components of a healthy lifestyle. The presentation included guest speaker Steve Salazar of the Dallas City Council, who stressed to us that the Wii is not supposed to be a replacement to exercise, but a motivation for it. They collectively educated us on the how impactful Life’s Simple 7 are (All 7 are below). According to Hank, 80% of the risk factors for Heart and Stroke events are entirely within your control. Think about that for a minute. Your control. Take your own assessment at www.heart.org/mylifecheck in a mere 5 minutes and have a come to Jesus with yourself.  If I heard them correctly, by getting yourself into good cardiovascular health, the average person’s risk for heart attack or stroke can be reduced to 5%. Even if that’s wrong,  isn’t just “reducing it” enough to get yourself off your chair and swinging your Wii remote?

After lunch, we rushed back to the game room – I was dying to try the butt bump — and were asked to make a health commitment to ourselves, and to actually write ourselves a note that the AHA would send to us in 3 months. I have to say, it has more of a foreboding impact knowing that I’m following up with myself, as weird as that may sound.

Bianca doing the bump

Nintendo teaching me to flap like a bird

Then to my shock, the fit little elves started distributing packages to us. I had already mentally committed to hugging my Wii as soon as I got home. But really? There’s more? I thought the treat was getting educated, fed and getting to flap like a bird with no one thinking your cuckoo, but noooo, they really wanted us to follow through on our pledge by giving us the book, a hoodie and a copy of Wii Sports Resort.

It really was a no-nonsense push to the edge for getting fit. But to get the goodie bag for FREE? This little piggie went Wii Wii Wii all the way home!

The next morning, I hooked up the Wii myself (Why was I waiting on the hubs?!) and Princess Cupcake got herself a Mii. And guess what? We spent the morning playing frisbee and water sports and bicycling and table tennis…. She loved it. L.O.V.E.D. it.

So much that when Daddy came home, she wanted to show him her new TV games. But first – she wanted to ride her bike. Her REAL bike.

This is MONUMENTOUS.

Princess Cupcake has, let me count:
Two big wheels
One Princess bicycle
One Tinkerbell 4-wheeler
One wiggle board
One scooter

All of which she is intimidated by and has a split second’s interest in. And yet has us pull all of them out of the garage to try out like Goldilocks and the three bears on a passing whim.

Until now.

I’d like to think it was the face time she spent on the Wii bike or Wii ski-doo that gave her the extra confidence. She was rolling all over the neighborhood that afternoon on EACH of her transports. She still can’t reach the pedals on any of them, but she did muster the courage up to actually hit the red button on the powered 4-wheeler and ride it over to the neighbors house.

Oh yes, she did. She’s only had that motorized thing for 48 weeks and refused to sit on it, let alone hit “go.” The constable even asked to see her driver’s license.

So I’m thinking that maybe these Nintendo folks really are onto something after all.  And I’m also thinking I need a new GPS.

Life’s very Simple 7 as told by the American Heart Association:

1. Get Active
2. Control Cholesterol
3. Eat Better
4. Manage Blood Pressure
5. Lose Weight
6. Reduce Blood Sugar
7. Stop Smoking

Check out these websites for critical health information.
Do it for you. Do it for your family.

www.goredforwomen.org
www.heart.org
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