Fay Watson

Challenging yourself is the most difficult task at times.  Not just challenging yourself, staying inspired to stick to a plan.  In the end one must find something within themselves to make a fitness plan and stick to it.  This plan can't be a temporary thing if you want to reach a goal and stay at that level.  Instead it is a plan that changes over time, but ultimately some of the diet and exercise changes that you have made must become a part of your life.  They become what is normal.

These "paleo" challenges and other similar challenges that Crossfit Boxes create are a temporary fix.

It is my hope that before "ANY" Crossfit Box starts some sort of Box-wide Challenge they will require that members read something similar to this: 

Christmas lights...are at the same time beautiful and inspiring if done in the right way. I took a lot of photos playing with the manual settings. Well worth two walks into the back of our subdivision. Tonight is actually rained on us! But since it wasn't cold, wasn't too bad at all!

Lots of dogs and their owners at Independence Park Dec 17, 2011. Lola, however, was not as energtic as usual...probably because her boys kept her up all night playing X-Box!

The Watson Family is proud to introduce our newest UH Alum....Ross Millard Watson!

Another College GRAD! - HOME of David A. Watson:

Please check out the latest posting on the update page of www.drdawatson.com.  I don't spend a lot of time bragging about what our kids have done...so I think I am entitled just this once!  SOOOOOOO proud of all of them and HOW they have HANDLED our CRISIS this year.

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Just finished creating some graphics for www.dropthebiscuit.org. Not entirely happy with the results so will work on it some more another day. Mac and Photoshop have distracted me enough this evening!

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Just finished creating some graphics for www.dropthebiscuit.org. Not entirely happy with the results so will work on it some more another day. Mac and Photoshop have distracted me enough this evening!

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Tour De Lites 2011 - Fay Watson - Picasa Web Albums:

BLOG - Drop the Biscuit:

A photo of me in action, not a profile shot, not a staged portrait...
It sounded easy enough, in fact, it sounded like a fairly easy chore.  The problem is that Fay doesn't sit still for photographs and during her work and volunteer activities she is the one behind the camera.  After going through folder after folder of photos I have come to the conclusion that once in a while I probably need to have someone else take a shot of me :-).  Will I remember this new resolution?  I don't know...if you don't see more photos of me in my slideshows give me a shout out and remind me to let someone else take a photo once in a while!

I bought the domain name through google sites...I have done this many times before.  Surprise I set up a google site and I can't get the domain name to forward to it.  I must be smarter than this....I have done the same exact thing before!  It is just maddening!  Almost as upsetting as losing my spaces blogs, they disappeared into cybersdeath....forever gone.  Although, I suppose I shouldn't despair yet!  I still have time to defeat this monster and make it bend to my will!

Gotta be happy this Thanksgiving!  God has blessed us with another Thanksgiving AND with great friends AND family.  I will post some photos later.  I just had to permanently record how happy I am at this moment.  Happy, full of food and sitting quietly with my husband while he watches the cowgirls play.

40+ year old women can be strong, fit and beautiful.  All it takes is motivation and a goal.  Amazing women abound, these are women who have gotten off the couch and left the bonbons on the counter!  These are the women over the age of 40 who love Crossfit as much as I do.

Heide Mairs, Fay Watson, and Christy Hoffman

I met a couple of these women last year at Crossfit Champions in Tomball's Oktoberfect Obliteration II, last year.  The master's division for this competition was 45-54.  Angie Bender and Betty Smith are wonderful Crossfit Athletes who show us how to be tough and beautiful!  This year they were back again along with some more women who were reaching out and trying something competitive, some for the first time.  Christy Hoffman is such a beautiful strong woman she placed second this year and really pushed me to do my best.  I met Nellyn Laurel at Crossfit 1525's Barbell's for Boobs Fundraiser.  Nellyn was definitely out of her comfort zone, and she put it all out there and worked hard during each workout!

Martha fighting through her 2 kettlebell snatching!

Beautiful Crossfitters Over the age of 40- Stacy, Tina, Martha and Fay

This past weekend, I met several women at a competition in Tomball.  Watching these women inspires me to keep it up!  One woman Tina, has only been doing Crossfit for 4 months!  She signed up to compete in the scaled woman's division.  She has an amazing positive outlook and an infectious smile.  She struggled with the weights but worked through and finished every WOD.  Martha Flanagan was the only woman in the Masters 50+ division.  Her enthusiastic attitude and good Crossfitting skills helped her get through these tough workouts! Martha, her coaches and fellow Crossfitter Stacy Fitts are all from Mt. Pleasant, TX.  Neither Stacy nor Martha had ever competed before.  Stacy is very strong, beautiful and developing into a great Crossfit athlete.  Congratulations!  You two were great!  Thank you for coming to this competition, getting to know you was the best part of the whole weekend!

I hope that meeting these women through me will inspire someone one else in their 40s to 50s to get up and try Crossfit.  You start out with scaled weights and movements.  As you build strength and endurance you will be amazed at what you can do!  Each of us has a story, come visit a Crossfit Box and talk to someone "our" age.  You will find that we all started our fitness journeys in different places but the one thing you will find that we all have in common is that we have all come to love CROSSFIT!

Cool front came through on Thursday evening...it has left us with lovely weather!  We left early, had breakfast at I-Hop, moved on to "good" coffee at Starbucks, and the to Party City to look for some Halloween items.  Ross was stranded at the Box so we got there early, and did some stretching.  We ended up doing two great workouts.  Ross, Elyse, David and I ate lunch at Armanis.  When we got back to the house Jon And Z wanted to check out the Rustic Oak Carnival.  They ran, David and I walked over and back again.  Saw some folks that we know!  It is always great to get out on a beautiful day!

Who am I? What am I trying to prove? Where am I going? Who is going with me?

You are judged by lots of criteria in life, most of it is subjective because it is our peers who judge us. One of the things that people look at is your associates. Who do you hang with, what are they like, are they likable? I hang with Crossfitters, people involved with PTA and scouts, and people who are on the Keep Pearland Beautiful Board. BUT The person I am most proud to hang with is ...

read more click here: I Identify with… - Pearland Crossfit:

I am NOT OLD so You can’t be either! - Pearland Crossfit:

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My own Diet Diary Electronic Submission Form :-)

IT isn't EASY! (HOME of David A. Watson):

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Definitely worth the time to visit the square of McKinney, TX . It is a vibrant beautiful old town square with plenty of atmosphere and night life. The KAB and KTB WIP train the trainer class was well done. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to bring it to us!

We went to Armani - chinese buffet for dinner. Elyse and Ross came back to the house to see Lola. Chasing Lola around the backyard and playing with her inside the house. The dog was Queen of the evening for a while! Got some good shots of bees on the bottle brush flowers. No hummingbirds were seen this evening. Click on the photo to jump to the picasa photo album!

Pay attention! Well, I am sure there was an email...and I missed it. I am sure there was more than one email warning me to migrate my former blog to another spot. Well, I missed the boat and unfortunately lost them all! They were only words - right? They were a record of my life and thoughts through a fairly rough period of time. There was a lot of introspection about me, my friends and the kind of person I wanted to be! There were thoughts about stress, the Scout Law, and obedience. AND Bullying! AND what kinds of "adult" behaviors I consider bullying behavior. Could I recreate these posts? I also had chronicled our journey to get in better shape, change our diet increase the calorie burn. Some of these I probably have as emails of drafts that I sent to David to check out before I posted them. I never delete email, my pile of email just grows and grows! Blogging to me was never about reaching anyone, it was more about touching something inside me. So...as my journey through life winds around the next bend check back and see what I have to say... hopefully since this is a Google product it will still be here when you come back to visit!

Of course, I can't know exactly how life is for you David. All that I know for sure is that I am watching a fine man struggle with recovery from a stroke. Not just physically, emotionally, and mentally. I know it is difficult, I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in the effort it takes to do the simplest things. I know there is no understanding why this happened to you. I understand why that would bother you too.

For now, there just is living, breathing and trying. Putting one foot in front of the other and continuing the recovery process. I know that you are bored. I wish I could take that away.
I am tired, I am scared, but I am not afraid to face the future with you. You are strong, you are resilient and you have come so far since the scary days of being in the ICU.

People ask how you are doing. People ask how am I doing. Compared to what you are going through how can I dare complain. Perhaps the slight pause in my response or the little extra squeeze in the hug tells its own story. Physically, I am fine. I am extremely healthy. Mentally I am strong, staying positive but I am always looking for the little signs of progress. David's progress keeps me going. It is more difficult to see day to day now, but nonetheless continues; praise God!

2011-09-05 PCF 930AM with Garrett - Fay Watson - Picasa Web Albums:

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David's first excursion to Pearland Crossfit! Thanks to everyone for welcoming him, it was great for him to feel a part of the group again!

31 Heroes WOD at Crossfit Engage - Fay Watson - Picasa Web Albums:

Mike is full of great ideas.  Follow the trail of your text messages and you will be able to rebuild the last 5 weeks of your life, of this alternate universe that you were transported to.  At least that is how it feels to me.  So, I am going to build a spreadsheet and enter day by day the text messages that I sent to different people. I think that will give me an interesting perspective of this moment in time.
thanks Mike!

The list goes on and on, so overwhelming the response of our family and friends.  It is humbling to see the love you share with us!  We really do appreciate every act of kindness and the prayer and good wishes sent our way!

I know that I forgot Jason, Sherri and our Illinois bunch who sent us an edible bouquet of fruit... it was perfect!

Marjorie who brought by more stuff that the boys devoured!  Laura A, Alyx F and her family, Kat and Steve - Ya'll ROCK!

Garrett and Amanda (the paleo kit sampler - great for snack attacks! - PERFECT!), I am not sure who else I have forgotten in the past week.  And the people who take time out of their busy schedules to drop in and see David!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Can you say what a blur???

I thought I would remember everything...that it would all stay fresh in my mind.  David's stay in the ICU really became one day much the same as the next.  On the vent and having such a hard time breathing it was scary.  Recovering from pneumonia and trying to use parts of his body that weren't listening was difficult for David.  In fact, here we are on day 17 of our stay in the TMC and that part is still difficult and tiring.  His troublesome cough kept waking him up last night.  The lack of sleep really does make a difference in how much activity he can tolerate.

So many folks took care of us during the past two weeks...bringing us food, keeping us company

• My Mom, My Sister Maureen and her family
• Mike and Jill - thank you so much for giving David so much time Mike... he loves it!
• Doug and Jaci
• George and Renee!!! Your friendship really does mean so much to us!
• Kayla - you are so strong and continue to inspire me... thank you for babying me :-), and David's shampoo...he did SOOOOO enjoy that!
• Dorit - a shower and sushi...and escape for a little while
• The NSBRI folks
• Debbie and Brenda - (all that you have done to help me through this and with my sanity...thanks!), Theresa and Ruth for helping them with food ... thank you
• Ruth - You think you are depressing me...you really aren't, you continue to prepare me for the next hurdle!  that is oh so very important!
• Pearland Crossfit and our wonderful workout teams .... thank you!  Thank you Alyssa for feeding the boys for days!
• The Baylor folks
• The NASA folks
• Virgil and Debby - the trip to the emergency room, food, food and sounding board...
• All the wonderful Keep Pearland Beautiful folks - especially Marjorie, Delores, Kathy, Erin, Alisa and of course Linda!
• The scouting folks who are on hold but keeping us in their thoughts and prayers!
• Our wonderful church family...thank you New Hope Church!
• Susan - who has become a friend, thank you for the meal tickets, parking pass use and support of strangers...thank you thank you thank you
• AND thanks to EVERYONE for their thoughts and prayers and good wishes!

We feel so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives, I am so lucky to still have David here and fighting to get better.  We have a long road ahead of us AND we won't be afraid to ask for help.  I promise!

The trauma emergency center at Hermann Memorial in the TMC is great!  The stroke team was ready.  After the CT-Scan they knew it was a large clot.  They mobilized quickly after getting his medical / medication history ASAP.  They started the TPA well within the 3 hours that they like to give it.  Then after a half an hour decided that they wanted to do angioplasty to see the results and check the blockage.

It was July 16th already when David was brought up to ICU.  An unfamiliar and scary place to someone who had never seen a loved one in such a place.  Soon they ended up putting him on the ventilator...he had pulmonary edema.  He stayed on the vent for 7 days.  The ICU nurses and staff were good, professional caring folks.  Our time there was stressful, but made easy by their care.  That time period is a blur and it was only 8 days ago.  I do know that I heard from so many wonderful and caring friends and family!  A Saturday shampoo with Kayla...what a joy!  My coffee buddies and other PTA friends have really helped me keep my sanity.

Where to start with this tale.  The wonderful FB posting that he put on my FB wall on July 15, 2011.  He had a dinner to attend at the Nassau Bay Hilton.  He loves interacting with students and young people.  To share his experiences with them and to listen to theirs.  I worked out at Pearland Crossfit with Jon & Zack and then took them back to the house.  The PCF gals had been "FB chatting" about having a girls night out that evening but postponed it.  A few of us decided to get together anyways.  It was nice to be sitting and talking about people we know, people we know in common and about the upcoming Crossfit Games.  I got a text from David telling me he was leaving the hotel.  I texted him back that I would get my check and pay it off.  Before I left I sent him a text telling him how much appreciated the FB posting he texted back that he meant every word then I sent him a second text that said, "I thought he was terrific."   I tried calling him once I was on the main road.  He didn't answer or send me another text but I didn't worry because I knew he was already at home with the boys.
Our world turned upside down in the interim before I got home.  David was watching a movie with the boys.  He went to put his cup in the kitchen and he sank down to the ground, dropped the cup and couldn't get back up.  The boys did a wonderful job recognizing the symptoms and calling 911.  They didn't let him fall asleep they kept him calm. They kept calm.  I walked in while Jon was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher.  He did an awesome job telling them the situation and getting the ems their quickly.  He and Zack did everything that they were supposed to do with someone who might be having a stroke.  I am so incredibly proud of them!
Two ambulances and a fire truck arrived one after the other.  They worked quickly and efficiently to get David to the medical center as quickly as possible.  I knew that time was of the essence in order to get the "clot busting" drug TPA. 

Scary events the past two weeks.  Stroke, ICU for over a week, and now acute care.  Slowly he is recovering.  The most frustrating part is the look in his eyes.  The fact that he can understand everything, but can't communicate back to us very well.  Words come to him... but they don't come out very well.  The left side muscles are coordinating with the right side muscles.  So I am for the most part... sitting and waiting, waiting for progress...

Friends, families and our community have been so great.  We feel loved and beloved.  I don't know how I could ever thank everyone for all that they have done and continue to do.  Their prayers, their good wishes and the offers of help have been overwhelming!  Knowing everyone is rooting for you make such a difference.

It feels good to express myself in written form I will be back later to write some more!

Rest Day, I don't know why I dread it. I suppose it is my addiction to endorphins. My husband thinks I am crazy, perhaps I am. I wasn't an athlete when I was in school, and I am not sure if I would call myself an athlete now. I am sure that I am an addict, addicted to working out. I am proud of what I have accomplished in the past three years AND I am proud of my progress since I started doing Crossfit fulltime (now we workout at www.pearlandcrossfit.com). I have been looking for photos of me and apparently if you are the resident photographer those photos do not exist. Perhaps I will be able to find a photo on my external hard drive at home...if I do I will post a before photo and a recent photo. Back to rest day...it is difficult for me to NOT do anything related to working out on any given day. I know that it is necessary and what is best for my body so I am getting back to incorporating them into my schedule. If you see me at the box (Crossfit lingo for Gym) remember to ask me about my last day rest...maybe that will help keep me on the track to getting stronger!

Zachary and I visited Paws in the Park yesterday where we met a dog named Lola who needs a home...we will be calling the Friendswood Pound first thing tomorrow morning. After Paws in the Park we went on an excursion picking up bandit signs along the way. This weekend we picked up seven signs! Zachary and I made a stop at Rustic Oak to see the Blue Bonnets. Who knew that an act as simple of planting 4 plants in a flower bed 9 years ago could result in this spread... click on the slideshow and you should be taken to the picasa album. Some good photos of the blue bonnets and bees!

So, I am trying not to make any rash decisions. I won't say never again. I will say that it was more grueling than I thought it would be. My right knee is not acutely painful, but it is definitely not right! I probably will find other aches and pains over the next 24 hours if it goes like other competitions. I am certain I prefer Crossfit Competitions! I will spend the next 6 weeks concentrating on getting ready for Crossfit Houston's Women Only Challenge on May 7, 2011. I will admit that after the first 6 mile loop I wanted to quit. I thought seriously about quitting. But I didn't because I have been talking and thinking about doing a half marathon for over a year! Now that it is behind me I can move on. I am a good middle distance runner, I am an okay sprinter. I am not going to be a long distance marathon runner :-) and at my age do I really want to begin trying that? Thanks to my husband and two of our boys, Jon and Zack for making the trek to Seabrook with me! IT was very nice having you there supporting me!

Living Earth Technology donated this bedding mix to the gardens. Volunteers will be moving this pile to beds tomorrow March 5, 2011. Pray for no rain so that they can get it all done!

Usually I post my photos to Picasa and then share the link on Facebook; but then I don't tend to write anything to go along with the photo album. It also doesn't publicize my blog if I do it that way! I want to give a shout out to the young ladies that work out at Pearland Crossfit. You inspire me and push me to increase my intensity level. Working together, being cheerleaders and encouraging everyone when it looks like the end of the WOD is never coming...those are the things that really make Crossfit a community. If you click on the slideshow you will reach the picasa album.

Yes, I am competitive. But sometimes it is great working out just to workout...no one keeping score. I love group workouts, I like meeting new people and sharing my love of Crossfit with them.


Photos by David Watson

Do you remember in elementary school when the PE coach picked two people to be team captains? Then the captains picked people to be on their team...usually one child at a time. How hateful and stressful a time for the captains and for the children waiting round after round for their name to be called. It can probably seem like that to the new person coming to a Saturday Crossfit workout for the first time.

So, I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone introduce yourself to someone you don't know. Ask someone to workout with you who you haven't teamed up with before. I really don't mind working out with the new person, the inexperienced person and hopefully we learn from each other. I hope I don't intimidate them, I was once like them...the person new to Crossfit.

We spent another afternoon with Kippers.  This time at Sablatura Middle School.  These Kids in Pearland Preserving the Environment through Responsible Service made pinkish/red paper for St. Valentines day.