That Was The Week That Was!

Holy Cow!! I've never dreaded Weigh In Wednesday like I dreaded this one! After almost a week of debauchery I felt sure I'd be breaking my scales. Last week, The Perfect Child and her roommate came for a visit. The sojourn included a big tailgate weekend with her brother, The Primary Child, and about 16 of our closest tailgate buddies. We did a Mexican Fiesta themed tailgate. I was at death's door with a cold, so luckily I had help in the preparation department. Thank goodness, or we'd have starved. Prior to game day, we squeezed in a couple of rounds of golf, some adult beverages, some free chili and beer, and various and sundry food stuffs that I know are not on anyone's approved list. "Feed a fever, starve a cold"??? I think not. I did the complete opposite. However, it was totally worth it, as everyone had a wonderful time. The visit was not long enough, but we'll be going to Phoenix for Thanksgiving, so we'll have more time to spend together then. This was the week that was. I was prepared for an ugly Wednesday morning.

To say I was surprised this morning when I weighed in would be a complete understatement. I was exactly the same as when I began the week!!! I truly had been anticipating an extra pound or two, or three, to appear before me this morning. Imagine my delight at seeing the same number as last week. Not usually a pleasant sight, but after The Week That Was, it was a sight for sore eyes, knees, back, legs, etc.

Since my Halloween Challenge did not turn out nearly as well as I had hoped, I have extended it to Thanksgiving and added the pounds that did not magically disappear in Oct., to the 5 more I hope to lose by Thanksgiving. I am hopeful that having stayed at the same weight over the last week will enable me to give this Challenge a real run for it's money. My knee is still ok, although I've found that golf tires it out a bit and makes it sore for a little while afterwards. THAT is not good news. Still, it's better than it was, so that IS good news.

Having been busy nursing my cold and entertaining last week, I've fallen woefully behind on both my blogging and my blog reading. I'm hoping to catch up with everyone in the next day or so. I miss reading all of your blogs, so I'm going to dedicate extra time in the next few days to getting current with everyone.

It's Been Almost A Week

Yes, tomorrow will mark the one week anniversary of my injection of cortisone. I know everyone has been keeping track of the days, and you are all anxiously awaiting the verdict. I am ever so happy to report that, as of today, the pain is gone and my knee feels better than it has in quite some time. The question remains, however, how long this relief will last. At the moment, I am delighted with the result, and if I can get even a few weeks of feeling this good, I'll be a happy camper.

Even with this happy turn of events, I am losing steam in my journey. I'm making little to no progress, and I'm starting to feel myself caring less and less. Blogging helps keep me at least a bit on track, but I still don't have that over powering urge to succeed anymore. I'm not gaining weight, but I'm not losing, either. Just kinda hangin' around doin' nothing. Boring, I know, but I kinda really don't care. This is NOT good news. I am usually better at sticking with something than this. I think this problem might be genetic. The Primary Child has said he's kinda backing off his blog about running, and The Perfect Child isn't into this anymore, either.

My Halloween Challenge is probably going to be a major bust, unless I can lose 4# by the 31st. Doesn't look promising at this point. I do have something to look forward to this week!! Our 5 yr. old granddaughter has two days off from school and I'm going to pick her up tonight and bring her here for a visit. I always enjoy that.....plus, she will keep me moving, so maybe that will prompt me to action again. I hope something does. I really don't like feeling so down and negative about all of this. I think it probably best that I finish this post for the day, so I won't bore you all to the point of no return.

Hey, Buddy Can You Spare A Joint?

No, not that kind of joint....although it might be a good idea eventually. I've just come from the Orthopod's office. I have NO cartilage whatsoever in my right knee. I used to have some, I'm pretty sure, but it has flown the coop. Nothing, even behind my kneecap, where I know there used to be a small dab hiding. Dr. said it's no wonder my knee feels lousy. Even IF I wanted to have the surgery, which is now inevitable, I'd have to wait 7 months for an opening. Ok by me. In the meantime, we'll try cortisone every 3-4 months until I can't stand it anymore, then schedule the replacement. I have had wonderful luck with my first replacement, so I'm not at all hesitant to do it again, I just would like to postpone it until walking around is really, really so painful I have no other choice. Right now, I think I can get by with the cortisone. I had my first injection today, so I've already begun counting the days until my next shot.

I have been given a list of no-no's in regard to my exercising. Some things I've already either quit doing, or modified, but some others I'm going to have to alter a bit. No weight bearing exercises unless I use the physio-ball to sit on. No weights over 8#. No squats, but a slight "dip" is permissible. No "slogging" or slow jogging, no jumping, and no climbing. Other than an occasional "slog" the other two things weren't in my plan anyway. Easy on the stretching, and when I stretch be extra careful not to "bounce" when trying to stretch out the leg. Also, no power walking....as if!!! Unfortunately, nothing about vacuuming and cleaning toilets was mentioned.....although when I relate the details to Hubby Dearest, they might make the final list of no-no's. And Kids, no tattling to your father, or Christmas might be pretty bleak this year. :)

My plans for the 5K at Thanksgiving have been altered slightly. I'll now have to walk the entire thing instead of a moment of slogging now and then. The Perfect Child has graciously consented, I think, to hold dinner until I get done. I'm hopeful I won't cause the turkey to burn.

All things considered, I got exactly the news I expected, although I was hoping that the surgery option was going to be a bit further into the future. I'm still going to try and hold out as long as possible, but if doing that interferes with my golf game, I'll go get the new knee in a heartbeat.

Whew!!! and Whoa!!!!

Well, I'm not going to tell you how long it took for me to get the new badge affixed to the side of my blog. Suffice it to say, I worked up a sweat, and exercised my vocabulary muscles. Thank you again 266. I'm only sorry it took me so long to get this done. Now, if I could actually remember "how" I accomplished this miraculous feat, I'd be ever so delighted. Dumb luck is a wonderful thing, but I sure would like to know how to do it again.....should I ever be so lucky as to get another award. Not begging, just sayin'.

Yesterday was simply an ok day. I went out to lunch with our lunch group. I had a lovely Moroccan Chicken Flatbread sandwich with a small side salad. I didn't eat all of the flatbread, so I was pleased with myself about that. One of the women I went to lunch with suggested that since we were in the downtown area we should "pop" over to the Italian Sausage & Grocery store only a few blocks away. As Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman...."Big mistake, HUGE!" The trek through the store started out just fine. Found my favorite canned tomatoes and some lovely olive oil.....no problems yet.....turned a corner and POW! Fresh, hand made Italian sausages, Prosciutto, Pancetta, Mortadella, etc. I stopped and stared, it was useless to fight it, I simply could not. The only choice I had was to mitigate the damage I was about to do by showing a little self restraint. Only 2 garlic sausages, 3 small slabs of pancetta, and two 1# pkgs. of med hot bulk Italian sausage. Got to the checkout where we found all of the frozen stuffed pastas. I resisted the temptation to buy one bag of each, and settled on a tri colored tortellini for when our granddaughter visits, and a bag of chicken ravioli. That's about the very best I have ever done in an ethnic grocery store. In some respects I was quite pleased with the self restraint I showed, but in truth, I was completely off base. I promise to use these ingredients judiciously, and only for special occasions. I just got a new Food Saver vacuum sealer, so I sealed everything up nice and tight, that way it will keep longer, and I won't be tempted to pull something out once a week "to keep it from getting freezer burn".

I was kinda smart with dinner. I did use one of the bottled tomato basil sauces I bought with the chicken breasts I had already thawed out. Not really a chicken parm, but close enough to satisfy my Italian craving. I gotta stay away from that part of town. Unfortunately, it is right south of the Farmers' Market area, so now that I know where it is, I'm going to have to monitor myself. Perhaps house arrest would work.

Tailgate Success Story!!!

Yes, folks, I did navigate my way through the tailgate this weekend with little, or no difficulty. As you can see, the tent was up early, and a few friends began mingling around, so I snapped this photo before I forgot. Then as people began to gather, out came the food. What you can't see is the turkey breast, which went very rapidly, and about 1/2 of the meatballs are already gone. My introducing healthy fare had no detrimental effect on the participants whatsoever!! Although, get 'em all liquored up and they would probably eat a cow pie if it had BBQ sauce on it. Just sayin'. But for those who really didn't care if the food was healthy or not, I did have our Pizza Bread (kinda copied from Johnny's Italian Steak House), my famous Pepper Dip & Pretzels, Chocolate Chip Cookies, M & M's, Skittles, Combos and assorted other chips and stuff. I refrained from all of the "other stuff" with the exception of two pretzels with my pepper dip on them. I walked those off just getting to the stadium, I am quite sure.

I would like to thank 266 for a blog award, but as we all know my techno skills are such that no matter what I tried, I could not for the life of me get the award picture posted. I have also forgotten some of what I am supposed to do after receiving the award. I know I was supposed to link to her blog, so I managed that. I think I'm supposed to come up with 6 things that might be interesting about myself. Now that's a tough one. I really have only about 4 1/2 things about myself that are interesting. I'll fake the other 1 1/2, I guess.

1. I love reading and doing crosswords.

2. I love the smell of a bookstore and a library, I find being around books very comforting.

3. I am old, and forget which of my children is which. Last post I said it was the Primary Child that signed me up for the 5K in Phoenix, it was, in fact, the Perfect Child. It's easy to confuse them- one is a tall, red haired male and the other a dark haired female. See how easily I'm confused???

4. I really, really, really hate exercising on a regular basis. I have not yet had those "I gotta do it" endorphins kick in yet.

1/2 I could be a mole. Not a spy, a really life rodent mole. I don't seem to object to living in a dark house. Lights are strictly optional to me. Although I do love the sunshine. Hubby Dearest, gets so perturbed at me for reading the paper without light. Doesn't seem to bother me in the least. Lest you think I am conserving energy, I'm not doing it consciously. I've always had lights off around the house.

I guess the last 1 1/2 things about me that are not even remotely interesting is that I really love golf, and hate it when the season begins to come to a close. I get a bit "misty eyed" at the prospect of days on end without golf.....which is on some occasions, my only exercise for the day.

Now, I'm sure I'm supposed to award this blogging badge to others, but since I can't seem to get my badge on my own blog, I'd be forced to ask all my blogster friends to wander about looking for the badge. However, EVERYONE, I award you this wonderful honor. I truly do love all the blogs I read. I try to comment as often as I can and be as positive as I can. You ALL do the same for me, and I appreciate it to no end. You are a community of wonderful, caring people, and I am so grateful to the Perfect Child for suggesting I begin blogging, and to the Primary Child who was already a blogger, and taught me where to go to begin blogging and how to do it. Now, if someone could just update my blogging skills, I'd really be all set, wouldn't I? Thank you ALL again.

P.S. I think I got the kids in the right order this time. :)

Been There, Gonna Do That, Now Give Me The Damned Tee Shirt!!

"Put me in coach, I'm ready to play." Well, sort of. We are headed to Phoenix for Thanksgiving to see The Primary Child. Guess who thought a 5K Turkey Trot would be a fun preamble to the traditional gluttony of the Thanksgiving meal? Yep, our little Phoenician!! She has taken the liberty of signing Hubby Dearest, herself and me up for the event!! I wasn't going to do it unless I got a tee shirt, and by damn, I do. So I guess that means I'm now committed. To say I'm looking forward to it would be slightly overstating things, but I do think it will be fun to at least say I did a 5K. I plan to "slog" the route, meaning a very slow jog, moderate walk. Might turn into just a walk depending on what I learn at the Dr. next Thursday.

Tomorrow is another tailgate. I've planned it all out, and I'm armed and dangerous. I am also thinking some cooler weather and some shivering might wear off a few extra calories as well. I now have an entire notebook devoted to healthy choices for tailgate food. I'm using 3 of the recipes tomorrow.....Hawaiian Meatballs, King Ranch Casserole and Brined & Grilled Turkey Breast. I'll have some low cal snacks of some sort, too, but the major players are all going to be healthy.

I have to admit, yesterday was a lousy day for me and food. I did too much boredom eating, and no exercise at all. My exercise routines have been limited, but at least I've kept doing them. Yesterday, it just simply didn't happen. I didn't want to, so I didn't. I am kicking myself every which way today, cuz I know that any movement at all is good, so my total "slugdom" kinda pissed me off. The food portion of the day was no better than the exercise portion. I just grazed on things randomly. No thought went into a darned thing, until it came to dinner. Then it occurred to me that a healthier dinner might be a good idea. I was already grilling the Brined Turkey Breast, so I threw on some chicken breasts, roasted some veggies and shared a baked potato with HD. At least I salvaged the last part of the day. Sometimes it feels like I should just lift up the other foot and shoot myself in that one, too. KA-POW!!

Zip, Zero, Zilch, Nada, Nil, Nothing!!!

That sums it up!!! The Wednesday Weigh In produced NOTHING!! I suppose I should be somewhat heartened by the fact I didn't gain, but I'm not. I just finished reading "Sixty by Sixty" and Sheilagh is suffering through a gain last week, and swearing that there will be no more negativity!! I really don't know if I'm strong enough to swear off anything.

OMG, I just heard on the television (Dr. Oz Show) that saying you'll "TRY" is a form of not doing anything!!! You must say you are going to "DO", not try. I hadn't thought of it that way....ever. I am always saying I'll try to do something, to get a job done, to finish a project, to start over again, you get the idea. Seldom do I say that I WILL "Get 'er done". Now the question becomes, CAN I change the way I look at this journey? Am I going to try or am I going to do? I truly believe I want to do, but I've been stuck trying for so long, my learning curve might be steeper than I think. I am thinking that this show came on at just the right time to wake me up a bit. Perhaps it was "Divine Intervention", who knows.

I had originally thought this post would be a quick little "Oh poor me" post cuz I didn't lose anything this week. Now, having just heard that quick little snippet on TV, I'm completely rethinking a lot of things. I have lots of work to do, I am quite certain. I must learn to DO things that will be of benefit to my well being. I must DO what is right for myself. I need to learn to be a DOER, not a TRYER. Geez, a whole new project is in the making. And here I thought I'd just complain a little bit, inject a bit of humor, bemoan my lack of progress and be off to read all of my blogger friends' postings. New Day, New Plan, New Philosophy, New Way of Thinking. Gonna take a little time and a lot of work to turn things around, but I'm certainly going to DO it this time.

Techno Challenged

I admit it, I am techno challenged. It's hard to fathom since The Primary Child is a whiz kid, technology based media teacher. He did not get this skill set from me. Many of you might remember the difficulty I had (well, still have, really) posting pictures, so this problem can't come as a complete surprise. This disclaimer leads me to a thank you to Karen @ FITCETERA. She gave me the Over the Top Blog Award, and I am most grateful to her for thinking of me. However, this being a two part award, one posting the sign on your blog, which I did, after much fiddling around, and part two -answering a bunch of questions. Here's my problem, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to cut and paste the questions so I can answer them. Now, to be completely honest, none of my answers would be all that interesting, so consider yourselves lucky I'm a techno challenged old lady. I remember the first question, which was "Where is your cell phone?" My answer would be "In my purse, turned off." See, nothing interesting at all. :) Now, of course it is my privilege to pass this prestigious award on, so to everyone who has a blog I follow, consider yourselves awarded!! I simply cannot chose just a few anymore, I follow so many, and I honestly enjoy each and every one of your blogs. I followed the directions to the best of my ability....which as you see, is limited.

Weigh In Wednesday. Hmmmmm. I was looking forward to today with great anticipation since I had been behaving this week. My good behavior was rewarded with a measly .3# loss. I know, a loss is a loss, but come on .3#??? Good thing I revised my Halloween Challenge downward from 10# or I'd really be screwed!! I do think part of the problem is that with my cold, my exercise efforts have been cut short by congestion issues. I've not been putting the usual effort forth, and it shows. I still have one week before the next tailgate, so I can hopefully get more accomplished by then. Today is my day for cooking some of the healthy tailgate food I'll be packaging up for later use. The Hawaiian Meatballs await! I'm really looking forward to some of the new and unusual things I've found in my recipe hunt. This is going to be fun, I think. Both kids are willing participants in this experiment, as is Hubby Dearest, so I'm hoping the other tailgaters will approve, as well. My theory is, "If it tastes good, they will eat it". Simple as that.

I heard on the news this morning that we may have a slight possibility of snow this weekend. I am so NOT ready for that. I was looking forward to going to the Dr. on the 22nd, having my knee injected, and going to play some more golf. I am hopeful that can still happen, but the darned weather this year has been so unusual, ya just never know. The change in temps also means more walking on the dreadmill. I'd much rather be outside, especially since I would like people to see my spiffy shoes. :) Oh well, exercise is exercise no matter where it's done, right?

Will staining the deck count as exercise, or just busy work? HD decided that he could powerwash and stain his own deck since the deck itself is TREX material, he'd only have to do the railings and beams. HA!!!! Not as easy as he thought. Very tedious. I like to remind him that there are people who do this for a living, and that it would have been done by now if we'd found one of those people earlier in the year. I had to begin helping a few weeks ago, but now with cooler weather coming, I don't know if we'll get it all done. I think I could count at least part of the process as an upper arm workout, don't you? How many calories will I burn by repeatedly telling HD "I told you so!" ???? Hundreds, I'm quite certain.....I'm very good at what I do.

Weekend One, In The Books!! Literally.

Whew! I made it! No major slip ups this weekend. Now, in order to keep myself honest, as I promised I would do, I must admit I was still battling my fall cold, and didn't feel like misbehaving. Hey, whatever works, right? I don't recommend going out and getting a head cold, but it did keep me from falling off the wagon. I also found out that the Halls cough lozenges we have on hand have 15 calories each!! That was a major bummer. It was bad enough when I found out that some of my vitamin and mineral supplements had calories, but a throat lozenge with calories is just too much to endure. According to my handy-dandy calorie/carb counting book, there are sugar free varieties, so I must put those on my shopping list. Geez, 15 calories might be 2T of something I really like!!!

I think, in my debilitated state, I developed a bit of OCD. Actually, a bit more than usual, to be totally honest. I scoured the cookbook cupboard, and while doing so, I cleaned it out and rearranged everything, so that the healthier option cookbooks were right smack dab in the center of the shelf. Got rid of excess books. Well, not really got rid of them, I just relocated them to the basement. Now, I need an extra bookshelf. Then, because this wasn't enough of a task, I began the tedious job of taking all of the recipes I've torn out of magazines, newspapers, etc. and calculated the calorie counts in those I might be interested in using. Good Lord, I collect a lot of recipes I have no way of ever getting time to cook. I had two file folders full of recipes torn from various sources, but I only got about 6-10 completely calculated. I figured I'd just do the new ones I wanted to use for tailgating, then when winter finally hits around here, and it will, I'll do some more as time allows. Now, all that remains to do is make the darned recipes and have them ready to go. I have to say, I am quite proud of myself. I feel armed and dangerous now.

I realize I seem to obsess over the tailgate issue, but that is currently where my biggest challenge lies. I am trying very hard to plan well, and be sensible, so lining up some menus and recipes that will fit into my personal plan is a big deal for me. Sorry it's kinda repetitive, but blogging about it helps me focus on what I need to do. Perhaps, at the next tailgate I'll take a quick picture so you can see what our little pre-game party looks like.

Oh Drear, Oh Drear!

Dreary, rainy, cool, crappy day today. To prove just how crappy the day has been so far, I finally put away my golf shorts nice & neat. Usually I just fold them, then pile them up after washing, after all I'm just going to put them on again and get them dirty in another day or two. :) I organized our closet while I was at it, as well. I think my topper will be digging into the smelly laundry next. Well, for goodness sake, who doesn't just love sorting one's workout clothing and getting it ready to wash. It is certainly a highlight of my week. Even tho' I have virtually no sense of smell, the workout clothing (both mine & Hubby Dearest's) seem to sneak through the one olfactory nerve that works. Tells ya something, doesn't it? One small bright spot....when I went into the jeans drawer, my old jeans are a bit looser than last year. My small NSV for the day. :)

I continue to work on my tailgate recipes. Several hours and several cookbooks later, I find myself wandering around Barnes and Noble. Four new cookbooks and another book later, I find myself at home, formulating my plans. I have actually gotten out an old notebook, made copies of recipes I'm going to use and divided them up according to the game day I'm going to use them. My organizational skills often amaze me, particularly when you remember that I have the attention span of a gnat. Must be where The Perfect Child gets it...organizational skills, that is. :) As a "for instance"....one game I'm doing Hawaiian Meatballs for myself. Four meatballs are 115 calories. Along with that I'll have some Chicken Schwarma. One serving of that is 300 calories. I'll use a low fat/low cal pita to accompany that. Both should be filling and delicious. I will also have almonds available for my "munchies" instead of the M & M's, Skittles, Combos, Peanuts and Popcorn. Those will all be there, I just won't be diving in head first this time. I might throw in a 100 calorie pack of Cheetos, and I mean ONLY one pack. If I take only one with me, I won't be tempted to eat the entire box!!! AND, in keeping with my plan, I will faithfully report just exactly how I did in regard to this new plan. No "fudging", no shading the truth, I'll give you the straight stuff. Promise.

Tomorrow is our team's week off because we play next Thurs. night. So instead of tailgating, I'll have a time off to cook and prepare for Oct. 17's game. This also gives me a little "lead time" in getting myself on the right track. I am actually quite happy about that, even tho' I miss seeing our team play. This weekend's events will kickoff with a trip to the Farmers' Market. A much healthier beginning to my Saturday, I'm happy to report.

I found an interesting website in one of the magazines I was perusing yesterday. It was an older issue of Taste of Home. It is a Belgian website, complete with blog, that has wonderful, if sometimes odd, combinations and pairings of foods. For instance, tonight I have chicken set out for dinner. Who knew that fresh cut grass goes well with chicken???? Well, this website told me it was so. :( Other combinations make much more sense, but I found many of the pairings interesting and unusual. I'm definitely going to try some of the suggestions. They put the pairings together according to main ingredient, the do kind of a "spokes of a wheel" chart of things that work well together. It's kinda fun to look at. I would use the fresh cut grass tonight, but it's too wet to mow, so I'll have to settle for a more mundane rendition of a chicken dish. Maybe next week, if the weather improves. I'll keep you posted. :)

Too Soon??

After only 1 day of my Halloween Challenge, is it too soon to change my goal? Well, hell no. It's my game, my rules. After another serious discussion with myself (and yes, I'm still answering, too) it occurred to me that 10# might not be as realistic as I had hoped. If I were truly able to do the exercises at full speed and for the full time, I might have a chance. But, with my knee giving me such difficulty, and the Dr.'s appt. not until Oct. 22, I may have to pare back the expectations. It is therefore necessary for me to recalculate what weight loss might be reasonable. I would now like to restate my goal.....5-6# lost by Halloween. Needless to say, I'm shooting for more, but I need to be sensible when I exercise and not overdo just to make my original goal. So, after only one day, I'm changing my rules. I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a wimp, but also a bit of a realist.

Weigh In Wednesday was everything I thought it might be. It was not as awful as I thought, but it was not good. I stayed the same. A small victory, but a hollow one given that I behaved so stupidly. Had I just stayed on some sort of an even keel, I would have probably shown a small loss. This is the kind of behavior I'm trying to change, but it is really IS hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Woof!Woof!!!

I am now fighting the "Fall in the Midwest Obligatory Cold". A time honored tradition here in our house. It is not the flu, so I'm heartened by that, but I still feel like crud. My time on the recumbent this morning was cut short by my sneezing fit and a stuffy nose making my breathing difficult. I did 30 min, tho. I had hoped to up the time to 45min. this week, but I'll settle for the 30 for now. Maybe I'll try another few minutes this afternoon, in between sneezing fits.

I spent a good portion of my afternoon yesterday sorting recipes, calculating calories for those not already done, and sorting into categories. I found some new things that I think will make good tailgate fare, and some that just plain sound yummy. I'd forgotten I'd saved some of them, so it was like finding them all over again. Today, I'll finish sorting and begin making tailgate plans. I'm not used to doing that, so having an actual list of things we'll be eating will be a new and exciting experience. I take this step as a very good sign that I'm trying to get control over my weekends. I am counting on all of you to help keep me honest. :)

BOO!!

Not boo hoo, either. :) I have issued myself a Halloween Challenge. After pondering what I could possibly do to get my big fat ass back into gear, I came up with a short term challenge that I think will be completely doable. Taking into consideration that we have only two home games between now and Halloween....meaning only two tailgates to get through....I am re-committing to my 75% plan, with the addition of a few "tweaks" at the tailgates. I can make at least one dish that is a healthy, delicious treat for ME. If someone else wants to partake, there will be plenty, but I'm making at least one main thing just for me. I will supplement the usual chips and crap with a tray of healthy nibbles, too. The last few tailgates I have made healthy salads which no one touched. So my healthy salads idea will be made with just me in mind. I make tons of food each week, I think it's time I make things that are just for ME. I don't have to partake in the ribs, buffalo tenders, pizza bread, cheesy corn, mini-mac 'n cheese, and crunchy potatoes. I can still make them, I just need to pass on them, or be more sensible when enjoying them. Starting today, I'm scouring my many, many, many cookbooks for healthy alternatives. I'm making a shopping list for supplies I don't already have on hand, which doesn't happen often, so I need to be specific and have a list. Cooking Light and Eating Well have provided assistance previously, so I'll begin with those two "go to" recipes. I'll also use some of the wonderful recipes Mary Fran was so kind as to forward to me. As you can see above, I have plenty of reference material. This is only 1 shelf in 1 location housing my cookbook collection. It is in my pantry where I can get at them easily. I do NOT lack for information.

Therefore, Mr. Primary Child and Ms. Perfect Child, prepare for a healthy dish or two when you arrive at the tailgate tent. I realize, Ms. PC, that you'll only be at one tailgate this year, but there will be a healthy tray of food somewhere on the menu. I have to say, I'd be surprised if more people don't enjoy some different stuff and dive into the "good for you" fare. Hubby Dearest might be the toughest sell, but even he will come around, I'm sure.

The hardest portion of my challenge will be the tailgate beverage station avoidance. Perhaps taking this into consideration, and planning ahead will help. This is one of the reasons I think I came up with the 75% rule originally. Even taking alcohol into consideration, we do walk a fair distance to and from the stadium, so at least I'm not sitting still and drinking for hours and hours. There IS a game in between. :)

Having issued myself this challenge, I am hoping to lose 10 pounds by Halloween. I think if I truly implement the ideas I have just espoused, I can be successful in this endeavor. The plan is still kinda forming in its entirety, but I think I've made a good start. The Halloween Challenge is a short term goal kinda thing, so I'll consider expanding to a Thanksgiving Challenge, Christmas Challenge......you get the idea. Baby steps, mostly because I have an extremely short attention span.

"Stupid Is As Stupid Does"

Sound familiar? Yep, another Monday morning apology for yet another tailgate indiscretion!! Lucky for me we have a bye week, so I can get down to business. Now, truthfully, the tailgate was not "what done 'er in" specifically. It was just the starting gate for a downhill thrill ride. Now, even tho' my granddaughter is being taught not to use the word "stupid", I cannot think of another apt word for what I did this weekend. I was STUPID!! And up until right now, I wasn't really feeling all that guilty about it. THAT is what worries me. Beginning with an evening football game and all afternoon tailgate, the food and beverage consumption was, to say the very least, a bit excessive. Expected, but excessive. Late night, early morning, to boot. After the game we return to Omaha, where we stay over night, thus knocking off an extra hour of drive time. Sunday morning got up and on the road so we could make a noon tee time with friends. Noon, of course signals the appropriate time to begin consuming adult beverages. Had two on the course. Golf is over after about 4 hours, which brings us to the "cocktail hour", which leads to dinner with friends. Well, you see how it goes. I am not taking a quick peek at the scales this week. I'll wait to be surprised at my Wednesday Weigh In. Not looking forward to that, I'll admit.

After my "regroup and rethink" week, I did show some progress at the Wednesday Weigh In. I was down 1.2#. It's still over what my lowest has been, but since I'm looking at this as a completely new challenge, I lost weight, and that was good. Unless I can really get my butt in gear these next couple of days, I fear my next Wednesday will not show any progress. I am going to take this bye week as a sign from the diet and health Gods that I am to behave myself and stick to the plan I have repeatedly promised to adhere to. What really gets me is that for the most part, I stick to the plan quite nicely. The 75% plan I set forth works really well..... until Saturday. Whatever self control I might possibly possess, I must "sleep off" Friday night. So now, to set myself straight, I am going to focus on my weekends. Tailgates will be included, so I am working on a plan. I have just begun thinking about this, so it really doesn't have a shape or form yet. But it does seem to me that for 2 lousy days of the week, I should be able to exhibit some sort of self control. I think that this weekend will begin with a Saturday morning trip to the farmers' market. We've not been going lately since our CSA has been giving us such wonderful produce. Friday was our last day for the CSA deliveries, so I think an early morning walk through the downtown market will be just the ticket to start off a new weekend plan.

So, Stupid here is off to make that plan....."Run, Forest, Run!!!" And I will.

Honestly, I've Been Scrapped!!

Thanks to Jo, I've been given the Honest Scrap award. If memory serves, it's been 2 min. since I read about this award, and I have the attention span of a gnat. I am supposed to tell 10 things about myself that no one knows and then pass the award on to 10 more bloggers. Hopefully, that is the correct explanation of this prestigious award. So, I'm pondering ten things about me that no one would know. Since my kids read my blog periodically, I assume this is intended to enlighten the blogosphere, not family. :0 They pretty much know everything there is to know at this point. As has been said ,"Rarely do I have an unspoken thought". It all comes rolling out at some point or another.

1. I have only lived here in Iowa for about 2 years. After 25+ years in Omaha, I'm not a huge fan of Iowans. Never have I heard so much whining about infringement of personal rights. At the moment, it is because bike riders want car drivers to be nicer. It is the bike riders' personal right to be on the road. Whine, whine, whine over everything imaginable. To top it off, Iowans may just possibly be the second worst group of drivers, ever. Second only to Massholes. Directional fluid does not come in cars sold in Iowa, I am convinced.

2. I love all things golf, but I'm assuming you all knew that. I'm counting it as one of my ten anyway. (I am also pretty darned good at golf, too.)

3. I love a good party!! Actually, I can make a bad party good, so I guess I just love parties in general.

4. I can procrastinate 'til the cows come home, and NO ONE can out stubborn me.

5. Geez, this is getting hard now. I love to cook for a crowd.....which usually means A PARTY!! I do love to cook, and will try a new recipe at the drop of a hat. I have an amazing pantry and freezer. Rarely do I have to run to the store for a strange ingredient. Although finding some of my stuff here in Iowa has been a challenge.

6. I want, more than almost anything, a huge outdoor kitchen, complete with a huge brick oven and all the bells and whistles. I have a great grill, but I want it ALL!!!

7. I love, love, love gourmet grocery stores. I will buy almost any obscure thing in them I can find.

8. I have an affinity for golf shoes. Not regular shoes, but golf shoes. I have way too many pairs hiding around the house and in my locker at the club. It's kinda embarrassing, but I really don't care.

9. I collect recipes knowing I will probably never use them. I have books, folders, binders, and way too many cookbooks, but I still don't have enough. I buy cookbooks and actually read them. I'll read anything, but I really do enjoy reading cookbooks.

10. I miss my grandkids. In Omaha, we lived 5 min. away and I could go babysit at the drop of a hat. Now I have to schedule visits cuz we're 2 hrs. away. That is what truly sucks. They are so cute and so much fun, I really miss being close to them.

Now, Jo.....drop down to DM sometime and we'll hang out together. I know you've been "in the hood" before, so come again. Thanks for the award, but thinking this hard has made me tired. But, as instructed, here are the 10 bloggers I will bestow the award upon. In no particular order, as they say on "Dancing With The Stars".
1. Sheilagh
2. Kate
3. Tina
4. Teresa
5. Gigi
6. Cammy
7. Tammy
8. Mary Fran
9. Suzi
10. Irene
11. Jack
12. Amy

Guess my #11 should be I don't follow directions very well.


I know I left a few people out, but I love all my fellow bloggers, and read everyone regularly.
Ok, I've done my part, now it's your turn to do your thing. I'll await the answers. I hope you have more luck thinking of 10 things than I did. :)

To Tea, Or Not To Tea, That Is The Question!

On this rainy Monday morning, I'm sitting with my cup of green tea in hand reading the newspaper. Not that it is like a real newspaper, more like "My Weekly Reader" used to be. But I digress. Generally speaking, the news articles are not really interesting or well written. However, this morning one headline caught my eye. It was telling me that green tea may not be all that good for your bones!! Lab rats lost a bit of bone density in their leg bones, according to this article. I continue sipping my green tea as tho' nothing has happened. I even brew myself another cup!! Bravery at its finest, I'd say. But as time wore on, I began to think....yes, I do that on rare occasions....just how much green tea did they actually give these poor rats? Usually in these studies the quantities given are so much greater than we'd ever actually ingest, that they make no sense to publish them. Kinda like the "Boy Who Called Wolf", if you ask me. Sip, sip, sip.

I'm going to continue my green tea enjoyment while slurping down vitamin C & D, Calcium and anything else I can think of to build my bone strength. Even tho' at my last bone scan my Dr. told me I had wonderful bone density. So there, green tea PooPoo'ers. Sip, sip, sip. Besides, now I have to get more Vitamin D to prevent the H1N1 virus. (Here in the Hog Capital of the US, we do NOT refer to it as swine flu, under penalty of death.) I'm putting the toilet seat down when I flush, lest the "aerosol" floats germs into my home, I wash my hands, I Lysol everything, I cough and sneeze into the crook of my elbow instead of into my hand, I got my regular flu shot Saturday, I'm am armed and ready!!! And I'm sure my green tea is gonna help. Sip, sip, sip.

Promising to behave 75% of the time this past week, I think I'm doing ok. 75% means that 5.25 days I have to make good decisions and stay on my plan. So far, so good. I took Sunday off to play golf and have dinner with friends. That always means a cocktail, or six, after golf, and then on to dinner. I did fish tacos for dinner (small plate portion) instead of the build your own burger extravaganza, so calculating the calories I used swinging at the golf ball numerous times, I came out only slightly "off" plan. I am heartened by that. So currently my score is 4 days, good, 1 day partly good. I have only today and tomorrow to be good, and I will have actually exceeded my target of 75%. Hubby Dearest is going out of town, so I can make some of the new, healthy recipes I've been wanting to try. That will be fun. We found out Friday night HD is NOT a fan of grilled okra or brussel sprouts. So, since the CSA provided ample amounts of both, I'll be trying something new with those ingredients. Both of which, I like. Sip, sip, sip.

I am also happy to report that I really do think my new "mini" squats, and spiffy new shoes are helping stretch and strengthen my knee. I am experiencing much less pain while golfing and doing the steps in the house. Progress, I'd say. I am extremely thankful for that, believe me.
No walking today, so it'll be the recumbent for me today. I like the stretch that gives me, so I'm happy to be able to do that, at least. But first, one more cup of green tea, just cuz I don't care what the paper said. Sip, sip, sip. Pfffft.