Jama Oliver Fitness

STORY TIME! (I posted to and the people have questions)

I came home yesterday afternoon to a stack of packages on my porch. Not unusual. When I went to pick them up, I noticed a note on one of the boxes (pic 1). It said “popcorn and lobster in mailbox. Please clear it for delivery tomorrow.” 🤔 Was this box previously used and the popcorn and lobster doesn’t apply to me? Someone sent me lobster and the mail carrier doesn’t want it to spoil?

So I go check.

Lobster tail on a bed of popcorn. In. The.
Mailbox. Now I’m even more confused.

So I go inside and say to James “I’m going to say words that seem like they don’t make sense, but I can assure you I mean exactly what I say. Someone left a lobster and popcorn in our mailbox…would any of your friends be responsible?” His face: 😵‍💫

I need answers. I’m not mad. It’s hilarious. Who? Why? What was the thought process? Did you have the lobster tail on hand or did you go buy it just for the gag? PLEASE come forward. 🤣🤣

Maybe next time put it on ice so we can have it for dinner. 🦞🍿

I used to be kind of a know-it-all. 🤓So certain in my convictions, I would often hammer people with “truths” I found so obvious.

As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve discovered how very little I actually know - how little any of us understand.

Admitting what you don’t know and being ok with saying you got it wrong is the beginning of true wisdom.

And remember, when you know better, you do better. ✌🏻

Why Pride matters.

I never understood the importance of Pride month and had no idea that my participation might matter. I’m not gay, I don’t have gay family members, and my friends in the LGBTQ+ community get my love and support - so why flash rainbows in June?

Then we started hosting punk shows in our basement.

I would see the hesitation and fear cross the faces of certain kids walking up to me at the door. That moment of “is this lady going to be kind? Or not?” The very thought of someone being afraid to be themselves around me absolutely broke my heart.

So we put up a couple of ally stickers. I put a rainbow pin on my bag. Just a little hint that you don’t have to be afraid.

I had that pin on my bag at The Milestone Club last weekend and as I was talking with someone, her friend cautiously walked up, saw my pin, and her face lit up. The wall came down. She relaxed. THAT is what it’s about. Safety.

This will be the first year I actively participate in Pride Month, because I see now that it matters. Having a house filled with teenagers on the regular has shown me that these kids just want to feel safe and accepted. I want them to know they will always be safe with me. 🏳️‍🌈🖤

New month = New workout plans!

Check back each Monday for a new daily workout plan to add to your week. Short, focused, and you can squeeze it into a few minutes each day!

Photo dump number TWO for the week! I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for ages and I can’t believe it’s almost over. Thankfully, I have several adventures planned over the next few months, so there’s plenty to look forward to.

1. Potty break at a NC rest stop…and the guys leaving their mark on a parking sign. 😏

2. Jg, his parents, and the three younger boys hit up our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner on Friday while I was tagging along with rock stars Bryce and James. 🎸🥁

3. One of my dinner dates.

4. My other dinner date. And yes I paid. Tagging along with rock stars has a price. 🤣

5. BUT WORTH IT. I never visit an new place without scoping out the restaurants, obviously prioritizing gluten free options. has gluten free options, but who needs that when they have naturally gluten free waffle fries topped with pimento cheese and bacon? 🤤

6. James after load in. He wouldn’t let me help. 🤣

7. This was my first drive across the mountain since Hurricane Helene. Shocking. Also shocking, when the road drops to one lane, there signs reminding people to use both lanes and TAKE TURNS MERGING because apparently we now have to be reminded to take turns. Like in kindergarten. 🤦🏻‍♀️

8. Lake after sunset. 🌅

9. I highly recommend bringing a musician everywhere. There’s nothing like having live music everywhere you go.

10. Milo update: his eye is still a hot mess, but we’re keeping meds in it and hoping it will do a lot of healing over the next week. Next vet visit is Friday, and if we have to remove an eyeball, - can we do the surgery at the rehearsal dinner? 😝

Here’s your reminder to go out and LIVE. Memories aren’t made staring at a screen, so let me know what you’re doing this week to engage with our big, amazing world!! 🖤

This week was so full it’s going to take TWO photo dumps!

1. I got to drive cardboard_cutout_emo to Charlotte to play themilestoneclub - a venue that’s been around since 1969 and has hosted bands like Nirvana, MxPx, NoFX, Black Flag, and countless others. So. Much. History.

2. After load-in but before the doors opened.

3. I did NOT sit in this chair. 😏

4. James standing where Kurt Cobain once stood.

5. Cardboard Cutout absolutely crushing it!

6. Srsly. Such a great show.

7. Note to self: add heads to my bookshelves.

8. And always more skulls.

9. I spent a ridiculous amount of time looking at the decades of stickers, sharpie drawings, and spray paint on every surface.

10. These boys want a dyson sponsorship. Who do I talk to avout providing Dyson fans for Cardboard Cutout gigs?

I may be out of town, but meal planning waits for no one! The menu is ready and the grocery list is waiting for me to hit the Aldi on Monday.

Remember: a full easy-to-access meal plan WITH desserts is available on my Substack and subscribers on Instagram, Facebook, and Substack get the grocery list and recipes. So take what you need and eat well this week!

Temple Grandin is an animal scientist, professor, autism advocate, and the person most directly responsible for transforming how the American meat industry treats living animals. She is not exactly buried in the way some of our other subjects are. You may know her name or seen the HBO film, but the depth of what she actually did - the specific science, the resistance she faced, the mechanisms of change she engineered against a hostile industry - is mostly unknown.

Read her story on Substack.

Since we’re heading to the lake this weekend, I thought I’d share some pics from previous years - we’ve made a LOT of memories out on the water, and I’m so excited to make some more over the next few days!!