psy·chot·ic leop·ard sīˈkädik/ˈlepərd/ noun · anything that is funky, interesting, beautiful, niche, useful, and grabs one's attention

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Strong Powerful Women: IVY BERKE - NONSTOP FITNESS INSTRUCTOR IN HER FIFTIES

Posted by Lisa Johnson on

Strong Powerful Women:   IVY BERKE - NONSTOP FITNESS INSTRUCTOR IN HER FIFTIES

        This is the second in a series of blogs about strong women I know, and this month's choice is Ivy Berke, my "Cut Above" class teacher.  Her fitness career has spanned more than three decades, and she manages to run her own businesses, model for Athleta, and still have boundless amounts of energy. From the first class, I noticed there was something about Ivy that glowed besides her incredibly gorgeous smile, and I had to find out what it was.   You've been doing this for more than thirty years. What drew you to this career? I really did...

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Strong Powerful Women: HEATHER FLAHERTY - FEMALE BOXER, MOTHER, CHAMPION

Posted by Lisa Johnson on

Strong Powerful Women:  HEATHER FLAHERTY -  FEMALE BOXER, MOTHER, CHAMPION

  This is the first in a series of blogs about strong women I know personally, and today’s obvious choice is Heather, a friend and fellow turbo sweatie.   When I first started classes at the Y, I myself was going through a lot of personal trauma in the wake of my son’s best friend’s suicide, and some severe marital issues.  While normally I am quick to make friends, months passed with only a casual greeting between myself and fellow gym mates. Heather was and remains the friendliest girl in our classes, and was one of the first people I...

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The Evolution of a Gym Rat:  Instagram Envy, and How I Made Fitness A Top Priority

Posted by Lisa Johnson on

The Evolution of a Gym Rat:  Instagram Envy, and How I Made Fitness A Top Priority

  Under the guise of business, I began dipping into the waters of Instagram for the past year, and observed that anyone with posts related to exercise, workouts or hard bodies, seems to get LOADS of likes.  Why do people pay so much attention to everyone else’s progress?  Is it really motivating to see how far others have succeeded? In elementary school, I was a gymnast. My best friend used to tease me because I wore sweatpants to school four days a week, and owned one pair of patchwork dungarees with a parrot on back pocket (boy, do I wish...

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What Gets Us Through: Trauma and the Importance of Physical Strength in Healing

Posted by Lisa Johnson on

What Gets Us Through:  Trauma and the Importance of Physical Strength in Healing

After nearly eighteen years of a fairly stable relationship, I learned that my husband had begun an affair with a girl thirty years his junior.  Stunning for anyone, yes, but more so was that my partner, whose judgment I had always respected, confessed that he and the girl had actually never met.  Several sites linking her to German porn made no difference; he was convinced she was his soulmate and promised to marry her within two weeks of their email correspondence.   A few months into the rocky navigation of all attempts to save a doomed marriage, my son's best friend shot himself in the head...

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Bringing New Life to Old Things, and the Sexiness of Nerdy Boys' Hands: Refinishing a Dresser

Posted by Lisa Johnson on

Bringing New Life to Old Things, and the Sexiness of Nerdy Boys' Hands:  Refinishing a Dresser

One of the big changes with my new relationship, which isn’t so new anymore, is that my boyfriend actually likes to DO things together.  Instead of sitting and watching shows nearly every night as the highlight of our “time together,” he actually likes to go tag “sailing” with me on Saturday mornings, so we’re able to kill several birds with one stone:  I work and spend time with him, he enjoys treasure hunting, and he’s got a great eye for stuff I miss, and is happy to stand guard while I do my last loops and revisit what I might...

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