However, the Great Cardio Challenge has become more of a tap on the shoulder rather than the smackdown it was intended to be. The Primary Child pointed this fact out to The Perfect Child on her blog. Both The Perfect Child and I are doing our cardio, and sharing the numbers. I'm having trouble extracting my pictures from my files at the moment, but I'm emailing the results to her. The problem with the trash talking portion of this event has to do with the fact that she doesn't want to trash talk about an old lady with a bad knee falling behind the count (which I haven't yet) and I don't want to really trash her efforts due to the fact that she is overloaded with work at the office. Her day began yesterday at 6:30 a.m. and she was not on her way home until around 7:30 p.m.
BUT, in the spirit of a semi-professional trash talker, I will say I am well ahead of The Perfect Child, and have such a comfortable cushion, my meager efforts this week will be more than enough to stay in the lead. Unless, of course, she does really turns up the heat on Saturday, but I'm thinking she'll be WAY too tired to do enough to take the lead.
In addition to the cardio minutes she will actually let me count, I have my golf days which provide cardio minutes, AND the last two days I have been helping at the Principal Charity Golf Classic locating golf balls for the participants. This is a Champions Tour (Seniors) tournament and it is kinda fun to see all the old guys I watched years ago. I figure running after errant golf balls was worth a cardio minute or two. It was predetermined, sadly, that unless I was out for a regular walk I cannot count my pedometer miles in my cardio minutes. I'm keeping track of those minutes on my own, and I have completely blown her out of the water adding those to my "acceptable" minutes.
I did the bike this morning, as much to stretch the knee as to get my cardio done. The "dreadmill" is a bit harder on the knee, so sitting on my butt and pedaling seems to be easier on the old joints, plus, as everyone knows I'm lazy, so sitting is always preferable. I'm hoping for a short walk this afternoon, but who knows if the rain will hold off. We got the sprinkler system opened up yesterday, so I'm sure the rain is on the way.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Aw, Shucks!!
Aw, Shucks is right! I'll tell you why...after the long weekend, against my better judgement, I took a sneak peek at the scales yesterday morning. You know, just to see what the weekend's festivities had wrought. I was totally delighted! I was down 1.2#. No good ever comes of sneak peeks, let me tell you. This morning, which of course, is Weigh In Wednesday, I was down only the .2# portion of the event. DAMN! Now if I subscribed to Patty's theory and believed the 3 day rule, I'd say that Sunday's sins had caught up with me....but I was very good on Sat., Sun., and Mon. It was Tuesday that did me in. I did some cardio on the bike, in spite of my bad knee. (I tried to upload the image of the bike readout, but kept getting an "internal error" sign.) At any rate, I did 30 min. on the bike, but I'm not sure it was really cardio minutes, as my pace was less that sterling. Hopefully, the PC lets me count it!!
Following my brilliant start to the day, I continued to be very good. Lots of water, writing in my food journal, I was doing just fine. Then the torrential downpours began, both outside, and things into my mouth. Mindless eating at its finest. With each "goof up", I asked myself why? And since answering yourself is a sign of mental weakness, I did not reply to that question. I simply picked up something else to eat. Now, none of the foods I ate were bad for me, there was fruit, whole grain English muffins, asparagus (leftovers), stuff like that. I just ate way, way too much of each and every item. So I kinda suspected today's weigh in wasn't going to be pretty, and therefore, I'm ok with just a .2# loss. After all, a loss is a loss is a loss, right? Had I held on to that 1.2# loss, I'd have cracked my first barrier goal.
That brings me to another dilemma. I have thus far refused to publish my starting weight and my goal weight, and all the mini-goals I have in between. I am just too damned chicken. Mostly because my kids read my blog, as do a few friends. If I could keep the info confidential, like just between my millions of readers and myself, I'd be ok. At what point do I get over this? I'm certainly not ready to do it yet. The best I can do for now is say that I'm under 250 and above 200. That took all I had to type those numbers. Baby steps, I guess, and at least I'm 12.4# less than I was when I began this journey.
Following my brilliant start to the day, I continued to be very good. Lots of water, writing in my food journal, I was doing just fine. Then the torrential downpours began, both outside, and things into my mouth. Mindless eating at its finest. With each "goof up", I asked myself why? And since answering yourself is a sign of mental weakness, I did not reply to that question. I simply picked up something else to eat. Now, none of the foods I ate were bad for me, there was fruit, whole grain English muffins, asparagus (leftovers), stuff like that. I just ate way, way too much of each and every item. So I kinda suspected today's weigh in wasn't going to be pretty, and therefore, I'm ok with just a .2# loss. After all, a loss is a loss is a loss, right? Had I held on to that 1.2# loss, I'd have cracked my first barrier goal.
That brings me to another dilemma. I have thus far refused to publish my starting weight and my goal weight, and all the mini-goals I have in between. I am just too damned chicken. Mostly because my kids read my blog, as do a few friends. If I could keep the info confidential, like just between my millions of readers and myself, I'd be ok. At what point do I get over this? I'm certainly not ready to do it yet. The best I can do for now is say that I'm under 250 and above 200. That took all I had to type those numbers. Baby steps, I guess, and at least I'm 12.4# less than I was when I began this journey.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
"Turn It Up Tuesday", MY FOOT!
Well, it might be named "Turn it Up Tuesday", in my Daze of the Weak, but nothin's gettin' turned up right now. My right knee (the one that is still original equipment) is swollen and stiff. I had been having such good luck with it not acting up I had forgotten that it was my bad knee. Damn!! So I am having to alter my cardio slightly today. Instead of a stroll on the "dreadmill", I'll take a leisurely bike ride on the recumbent.
And believe me, I'd best be getting that cardio in, cuz The Perfect Child has already done two days of 30 min. +. However, I do have a nice cushion on points in the challenge. I am currently up by +4.845 points. That will not allow me to rest on my laurels (a.k.a. my big fat arse) but it does give me a chance to get my knee to recuperate a bit.
All in all, my extended weekend was really a good one. Three days of golf, and one day included a long walk at the Farmers' Market. Yes, I did go to the Farmers' Market even tho' I had my CSA delivery on Friday. I heard the week before that a vendor had morel mushrooms for sale at the market, and I HAD to find that guy. I DID!!! I had the most wonderful plate of morel mushrooms ever. I remember them so fondly from my childhood, and they were every bit as good as I recalled. Might have over stepped on the caloric count, but it was worth every calorie I spent. After all, that was the day I worked off the equivalent of 650 calories. It was worth the splurge, believe me.....AND I have absolutely no regrets for going over my 1500.
I now am quite sure my brain might be shrinking!! I am not, by nature, a hypochondriac, but today in the paper I read that people "of a certain age" could be losing brain size because their vitamin B-12 intake is not sufficient. I am concerned because, along with being in the age group at "risk", I figure over the course of time, I've killed many a brain cell with alcohol, too. I think it's kind of a minor miracle I can converse in a coherent manner now. With this new info, I'm worried that in a year or two I might not be able to count my calories by myself. Very troubling, I must say. :)
Now, armed with what might be diminished brain power, I am off to do my daily chores. I certainly hope I can remember what they are.
And believe me, I'd best be getting that cardio in, cuz The Perfect Child has already done two days of 30 min. +. However, I do have a nice cushion on points in the challenge. I am currently up by +4.845 points. That will not allow me to rest on my laurels (a.k.a. my big fat arse) but it does give me a chance to get my knee to recuperate a bit.
All in all, my extended weekend was really a good one. Three days of golf, and one day included a long walk at the Farmers' Market. Yes, I did go to the Farmers' Market even tho' I had my CSA delivery on Friday. I heard the week before that a vendor had morel mushrooms for sale at the market, and I HAD to find that guy. I DID!!! I had the most wonderful plate of morel mushrooms ever. I remember them so fondly from my childhood, and they were every bit as good as I recalled. Might have over stepped on the caloric count, but it was worth every calorie I spent. After all, that was the day I worked off the equivalent of 650 calories. It was worth the splurge, believe me.....AND I have absolutely no regrets for going over my 1500.
I now am quite sure my brain might be shrinking!! I am not, by nature, a hypochondriac, but today in the paper I read that people "of a certain age" could be losing brain size because their vitamin B-12 intake is not sufficient. I am concerned because, along with being in the age group at "risk", I figure over the course of time, I've killed many a brain cell with alcohol, too. I think it's kind of a minor miracle I can converse in a coherent manner now. With this new info, I'm worried that in a year or two I might not be able to count my calories by myself. Very troubling, I must say. :)
Now, armed with what might be diminished brain power, I am off to do my daily chores. I certainly hope I can remember what they are.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Daze Of The Weak
Since beginning my health journey, my week has begun revolving around Weigh In Wednesday. So last night (or early morning) when I couldn't sleep, I began thinking about what has become the "Daze of my Weak". Yes, we all know I'm a weakling when it comes to resisting a few caloric traps, hence the name of my new week. My temptations have been well documented in this blog, so I won't reiterate them now. :)
It all begins with Weigh In Wednesday. 'Nuff said. This day speaks for itself. Good or bad, it is the beginning of my week.
Next we have Try Again Thursday. Also known as "Re-committment Redux". This can go either way. I can try to repeat a really good week, or I can be trying to recommit to my plan. Naturally, I always hope it is the former.
Then comes Farmstand Friday. This is the day that my fresh produce is delivered and I have a wonderful surprise waiting for me. I always get excited when I look inside the box and see what fresh goodies I'll be cooking with this week. This only applies May thru October, so I'll have to rename Friday after Halloween.
The most dangerous day, Slippery Slope Saturday, comes up now. This is another day that can go one of two ways. The slippery slope being one that I fall down when over indulging in some of my after golf "treats"....a.k.a. bar food and adult beverages. With a little extra planning, I can overcome this as a rule. I really do try to plan this cuz I know what can happen without a little foresight.
Sadly, Sober Up Sunday, follows. This isn't really what it sounds like. It is more a day when I realize I have kinda screwed up and have to "right the ship", so to speak. (I am one of those really lucky people who do not get hangovers, so sobering up in that way, usually isn't an issue.)
Make Up For It Monday pops up on the calendar now. This is the day when I get myself in gear to try and make up for the weekend's slip ups. I up the exercise and cardio if necessary. I have Weigh In Wednesday in my sights, and I might not be liking what is on the horizon. Time to kick myself in the butt and get goin'.
Last, we have Turn It Up Tuesday. This is a little bit like the "Last Chance Workout" on BL. It is the last day before I weigh in and I am often behind the eight ball to get things working to my advantage. It is also a golf day, so if I don't really mess up, I can use those extra calories I burn at golf to my advantage.
So this is now how I calculate the "Daze of the Weak". Each day connects to the weigh in someway, somehow. All in all, I guess I'm glad my week begins on Wednesday because then I have before and after to get myself back into the groove. However, I now wonder if I am putting too much emphasis on the Wednesday Weigh In. I'm trying to actually focus on the health benefits I'm deriving from exercise and proper eating habits and not on the weight loss, but weight loss is certainly high on my list of priorities. But long term health and well being is at the very top of the list. At what point do I worry about my focus? Because of my "Daze", have I shifted my priorities or have I just shifted?
It all begins with Weigh In Wednesday. 'Nuff said. This day speaks for itself. Good or bad, it is the beginning of my week.
Next we have Try Again Thursday. Also known as "Re-committment Redux". This can go either way. I can try to repeat a really good week, or I can be trying to recommit to my plan. Naturally, I always hope it is the former.
Then comes Farmstand Friday. This is the day that my fresh produce is delivered and I have a wonderful surprise waiting for me. I always get excited when I look inside the box and see what fresh goodies I'll be cooking with this week. This only applies May thru October, so I'll have to rename Friday after Halloween.
The most dangerous day, Slippery Slope Saturday, comes up now. This is another day that can go one of two ways. The slippery slope being one that I fall down when over indulging in some of my after golf "treats"....a.k.a. bar food and adult beverages. With a little extra planning, I can overcome this as a rule. I really do try to plan this cuz I know what can happen without a little foresight.
Sadly, Sober Up Sunday, follows. This isn't really what it sounds like. It is more a day when I realize I have kinda screwed up and have to "right the ship", so to speak. (I am one of those really lucky people who do not get hangovers, so sobering up in that way, usually isn't an issue.)
Make Up For It Monday pops up on the calendar now. This is the day when I get myself in gear to try and make up for the weekend's slip ups. I up the exercise and cardio if necessary. I have Weigh In Wednesday in my sights, and I might not be liking what is on the horizon. Time to kick myself in the butt and get goin'.
Last, we have Turn It Up Tuesday. This is a little bit like the "Last Chance Workout" on BL. It is the last day before I weigh in and I am often behind the eight ball to get things working to my advantage. It is also a golf day, so if I don't really mess up, I can use those extra calories I burn at golf to my advantage.
So this is now how I calculate the "Daze of the Weak". Each day connects to the weigh in someway, somehow. All in all, I guess I'm glad my week begins on Wednesday because then I have before and after to get myself back into the groove. However, I now wonder if I am putting too much emphasis on the Wednesday Weigh In. I'm trying to actually focus on the health benefits I'm deriving from exercise and proper eating habits and not on the weight loss, but weight loss is certainly high on my list of priorities. But long term health and well being is at the very top of the list. At what point do I worry about my focus? Because of my "Daze", have I shifted my priorities or have I just shifted?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
All's Quiet on the Midwestern Front
I woke up this morning without the pitter-patter of little 5 year old feet. Feels kinda empty around here today. We took our granddaughter home last night. We had a wonderful visit, but she was really excited to see her little brother and her parents.
I have been trying to find my picture of my pedometer from yesterday, so I could prove to The PC, I did my cardio. I cannot for the life of me find the darned picture. When the computer was fixed and updated, it now uses a different picture viewer and I can't get Picassa to extract the pictures for me. I'll work on it, but for now, it is just too frustrating. At any rate, the results were not sterling, but I did get the equivalent of about 21.6 min. of cardio done yesterday. Today, I am hoping to actually get on either the "dreadmill" or the bike and do a proper cardio workout, but we'll see how enthusiastic I am about that later.
Wednesday Weigh In was just as I expected. Up 1#!! UGH!!! But, I knew that was a possibility, since over the weekend I did not pay close attention to my food intake. AND, having a 5 yr. old around is not a good excuse, because she eats very well, and is quite the little "foodie". I think it was "Build Your Own Taco Night" that did me in. I might have had one taco too many that night. But we all had fun loading our taco and tortilla shells to see which one would break first. Bet you didn't know eating tacos was a competitive sport, did you?
I am getting ready to plan this weekend's meals. I have gotten away from the actual pre-planning routine, and I think to get back on track I really have to do that again. My first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery is tomorrow, and I am so excited to begin getting my fresh produce again. I love the Farmer's market, but this is much more convenient. Tomorrow's basket is supposed to have asparagus, spring onions, chives, spinach and rhubarb. Might have a few baby greens, but we're not sure about that yet. So with fresh, organic produce in hand, I have absolutely NO excuse for not eating properly. After all, eating healthier was one of the main reasons we joined the CSA in the first place.
Ok, so now I'm done whining about all of my mistakes, and I'm ready to get back into the game. "Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play!!" Here's to new starts in the same old game. :)
I have been trying to find my picture of my pedometer from yesterday, so I could prove to The PC, I did my cardio. I cannot for the life of me find the darned picture. When the computer was fixed and updated, it now uses a different picture viewer and I can't get Picassa to extract the pictures for me. I'll work on it, but for now, it is just too frustrating. At any rate, the results were not sterling, but I did get the equivalent of about 21.6 min. of cardio done yesterday. Today, I am hoping to actually get on either the "dreadmill" or the bike and do a proper cardio workout, but we'll see how enthusiastic I am about that later.
Wednesday Weigh In was just as I expected. Up 1#!! UGH!!! But, I knew that was a possibility, since over the weekend I did not pay close attention to my food intake. AND, having a 5 yr. old around is not a good excuse, because she eats very well, and is quite the little "foodie". I think it was "Build Your Own Taco Night" that did me in. I might have had one taco too many that night. But we all had fun loading our taco and tortilla shells to see which one would break first. Bet you didn't know eating tacos was a competitive sport, did you?
I am getting ready to plan this weekend's meals. I have gotten away from the actual pre-planning routine, and I think to get back on track I really have to do that again. My first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery is tomorrow, and I am so excited to begin getting my fresh produce again. I love the Farmer's market, but this is much more convenient. Tomorrow's basket is supposed to have asparagus, spring onions, chives, spinach and rhubarb. Might have a few baby greens, but we're not sure about that yet. So with fresh, organic produce in hand, I have absolutely NO excuse for not eating properly. After all, eating healthier was one of the main reasons we joined the CSA in the first place.
Ok, so now I'm done whining about all of my mistakes, and I'm ready to get back into the game. "Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play!!" Here's to new starts in the same old game. :)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Hello Out There! aka "Honey, I'm Home!"
Yes, I have returned to the blogosphere. The quick fix of the computer was done quite painlessly and all is working just swell now. I actually had the computer back on Sunday, but I was busy entertaining a 5 yr. old, so posting wasn't really an option. Yesterday, was jam-packed with one "adventure" after another, so this is my first opportunity for a quick post.
As promised, the results of The Great Cardio Challenge Week 2. I have jumped into the lead, due in great part to the fact that the MediaCom repair guy ticked me off and I worked harder than planned. :) Hate it when that happens. Anyway, I am now cumulatively +2.982 points ahead of The Perfect Child after the second week. This week, we are neck and neck on time.
Granddaughter and I made "Kick the Can Ice Cream" this morning. She kinda pooped out midway through the process, but it was fun while it lasted. We are going golfing later today, so I'll be out and about walking and playing. We did have a lovely walk to the park yesterday, so the PC let me count the pedometer miles for my cardio. What a sweet child, I have. Bless her heart, cuz I don't know if I'll be able to get on the "dreadmill" or bike until after tomorrow.
Plenty on "our" agenda for today and tomorrow. Amazing what all interests a 5 yr. old. She will keep me moving, so that's a very good thing. No resting on my "laurels" (aka my big fat arse) while she's visiting. It's always fun to be out and about with her, so we have lots of little trips planned. She also loves to help cook, so we're planning out dining experiences as well. Tonight is "Build your own taco" night. I have a sneaking suspicion that this menu choice was a way to get extra avocados onto the shopping list. Last night she helped make angel hair pasta with pesto and shrimp. Yes, she loves pesto!!! I behaved, and went easy on the pasta, but enjoyed the shrimp.
Off to start the day. Good to be back. I'll have to wait to catch up with everyone's blog. No time to read right now.
As promised, the results of The Great Cardio Challenge Week 2. I have jumped into the lead, due in great part to the fact that the MediaCom repair guy ticked me off and I worked harder than planned. :) Hate it when that happens. Anyway, I am now cumulatively +2.982 points ahead of The Perfect Child after the second week. This week, we are neck and neck on time.
Granddaughter and I made "Kick the Can Ice Cream" this morning. She kinda pooped out midway through the process, but it was fun while it lasted. We are going golfing later today, so I'll be out and about walking and playing. We did have a lovely walk to the park yesterday, so the PC let me count the pedometer miles for my cardio. What a sweet child, I have. Bless her heart, cuz I don't know if I'll be able to get on the "dreadmill" or bike until after tomorrow.
Plenty on "our" agenda for today and tomorrow. Amazing what all interests a 5 yr. old. She will keep me moving, so that's a very good thing. No resting on my "laurels" (aka my big fat arse) while she's visiting. It's always fun to be out and about with her, so we have lots of little trips planned. She also loves to help cook, so we're planning out dining experiences as well. Tonight is "Build your own taco" night. I have a sneaking suspicion that this menu choice was a way to get extra avocados onto the shopping list. Last night she helped make angel hair pasta with pesto and shrimp. Yes, she loves pesto!!! I behaved, and went easy on the pasta, but enjoyed the shrimp.
Off to start the day. Good to be back. I'll have to wait to catch up with everyone's blog. No time to read right now.
Friday, May 15, 2009
VRazz, OUT!!!
I'm going on a forced leave of absence from the blogosphere. I have had it with the Internet "Fixer Upper" guy telling me my computer is out of whack with the rest of the world. My "Jiggle the handle" approach to fixing it hasn't worked, so I took the next step...I called a computer guru who is coming to pick my computer up today. He's going to clean it up, speed it up and then hook it all up again. My ultimate goal being....I want to call the Internet nutball and tell him IT IS their damned modem. So, today at 10, I'll be incommunicado with the rest of the world. This process is supposed to take 8-9 hrs. , but since this is a Fri., I imagine my computer will be away from home over the weekend. Back just in time for our granddaughter to tell me how to use it.
Fear not, tho', even tho' my computer won't be running, I will....well, walking or biking, that is. The Great Cardio Challenge waits for nothing and for no one, not even technology. I've already met this week's goal, but I'm still plugging away. I'll have to send the results to the Perfect Child via my crackberry, but upon my return, I'll let you know Week 2's final results. I know everyone will be on the edge of their seats awaiting that news. :)
My "surprise" meal last night was another using Tofu Shiratake noodles. It was "Pumped up Fettuccine". Pumpkin based, I used the noodles, onions, Laughing Cow cheese and then a bit of Parmesan on the top. It was quite good, but it needed some kind of a kick. I couldn't identify what taste it was I thought I wanted in it, but it just needed a boost. It was quite tasty, but I, personally needed another flavor to kick it up a bit. Might have been just a trifle too much pumpkin taste, as I did kinda mis-measure a tad. Tonight it is back to normal as Hubby Dearest returns from San Fran. today. I believe tonight's offering is going to be Halibut and pea pod salad. We've been a little lax in the fish dept. lately, and the fresh pea pods looked good yesterday.
Fear not, tho', even tho' my computer won't be running, I will....well, walking or biking, that is. The Great Cardio Challenge waits for nothing and for no one, not even technology. I've already met this week's goal, but I'm still plugging away. I'll have to send the results to the Perfect Child via my crackberry, but upon my return, I'll let you know Week 2's final results. I know everyone will be on the edge of their seats awaiting that news. :)
My "surprise" meal last night was another using Tofu Shiratake noodles. It was "Pumped up Fettuccine". Pumpkin based, I used the noodles, onions, Laughing Cow cheese and then a bit of Parmesan on the top. It was quite good, but it needed some kind of a kick. I couldn't identify what taste it was I thought I wanted in it, but it just needed a boost. It was quite tasty, but I, personally needed another flavor to kick it up a bit. Might have been just a trifle too much pumpkin taste, as I did kinda mis-measure a tad. Tonight it is back to normal as Hubby Dearest returns from San Fran. today. I believe tonight's offering is going to be Halibut and pea pod salad. We've been a little lax in the fish dept. lately, and the fresh pea pods looked good yesterday.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I Admit It, I'm A Copy Cat!!!
Once again, I have stolen another blogger's good idea and used it myself. First, I pilfered Suzi's idea of question day, and now I've stolen the idea of changing the appearance of my blog. This template had the word "Tequila" in it, so I was really kinda drawn into this change by fate. :)... You know, given my weakness for adult beverages now and again. I may change the look again soon, who knows? For now, I'm quite enamored with this template, so I'll be using it for the time being....at least until with the words "Gin & Tonic" in the title of another one pop up.
The Cardio Challenge goes on. Yesterday, in my haste to get the stupid "Internet fixer upper" in and out of here, I didn't post my time on the dreadmill. I will do so today.
The lighting is very odd down here in our "gym", but the odometer reads 35:23. I got going on the darned thing after the Internet numskull left, and before you know it I had gone 35+ min. at a fairly decent clip and at a steeper incline than before. Meaning, I forgot to change the settings from when Hubby Dearest last used the "dreadmill". Oops!! Oh well, at least I got it in yesterday. Today is a golf day, so I'll be out and about for a little "walk & whack" this afternoon.
Hubby Dearest is out of town 'til Fri., so my time to experiment with food is NOW!! These are always the opportunities I take to try stuff he'd never allow any where near his plate. What did I do instead? Nothing bad, but nothing interesting, either. I tried to clean up a few single serving leftovers from the freezer. Nothing bad for me, just small servings that had been left over from previous dinners. However, tonight that's gonna change. I'm going to fix myself something weird from the "200 under 200" cookbook. I haven't quite decided on my actual choice yet, but I'll stop and pick up whatever I don't have on hand after golf, and enjoy whatever strange thing I concoct....not that the recipes in the book are odd or weird, they just contain ingredients one does not always stock in the pantry or freezer. I certainly meant no disrespect to the cookbook at all, because I love it.
We did not get any of the predicted storms yesterday, thank goodness. They went south of us and did cause some problems across the border in Missouri. We had only rain and a little wind. Certainly not the high winds we were told to expect. Gotta love those weather people, don't ya? So now all of my flowers, veggies & herbs have been given a good soak, I can rest today. All are looking good, too, I might add. Given my "black thumb" having plants look healthy after this length of time, is a very good thing. I'm rather proud of myself. I even snipped some basil for my caprese breakfast sandwich this morning. Very tasty.
I'm looking forward a visit this weekend from The Primary Child and his family. We haven't seen the two grand kids for a while, so it will be fun to play with them. The oldest, a 5 yr old, will be staying with us for an extra day or two. I always have fun when she's around. I'm making big plans to do fun stuff. Hope The Perfect Child will let me count my pedometer miles towards the Cardio Challenge, because running after, and with, a 5 yr. old, is, in itself, a Cardio Challenge. Ya listening, PC???
The Cardio Challenge goes on. Yesterday, in my haste to get the stupid "Internet fixer upper" in and out of here, I didn't post my time on the dreadmill. I will do so today.
The lighting is very odd down here in our "gym", but the odometer reads 35:23. I got going on the darned thing after the Internet numskull left, and before you know it I had gone 35+ min. at a fairly decent clip and at a steeper incline than before. Meaning, I forgot to change the settings from when Hubby Dearest last used the "dreadmill". Oops!! Oh well, at least I got it in yesterday. Today is a golf day, so I'll be out and about for a little "walk & whack" this afternoon. Hubby Dearest is out of town 'til Fri., so my time to experiment with food is NOW!! These are always the opportunities I take to try stuff he'd never allow any where near his plate. What did I do instead? Nothing bad, but nothing interesting, either. I tried to clean up a few single serving leftovers from the freezer. Nothing bad for me, just small servings that had been left over from previous dinners. However, tonight that's gonna change. I'm going to fix myself something weird from the "200 under 200" cookbook. I haven't quite decided on my actual choice yet, but I'll stop and pick up whatever I don't have on hand after golf, and enjoy whatever strange thing I concoct....not that the recipes in the book are odd or weird, they just contain ingredients one does not always stock in the pantry or freezer. I certainly meant no disrespect to the cookbook at all, because I love it.
We did not get any of the predicted storms yesterday, thank goodness. They went south of us and did cause some problems across the border in Missouri. We had only rain and a little wind. Certainly not the high winds we were told to expect. Gotta love those weather people, don't ya? So now all of my flowers, veggies & herbs have been given a good soak, I can rest today. All are looking good, too, I might add. Given my "black thumb" having plants look healthy after this length of time, is a very good thing. I'm rather proud of myself. I even snipped some basil for my caprese breakfast sandwich this morning. Very tasty.
I'm looking forward a visit this weekend from The Primary Child and his family. We haven't seen the two grand kids for a while, so it will be fun to play with them. The oldest, a 5 yr old, will be staying with us for an extra day or two. I always have fun when she's around. I'm making big plans to do fun stuff. Hope The Perfect Child will let me count my pedometer miles towards the Cardio Challenge, because running after, and with, a 5 yr. old, is, in itself, a Cardio Challenge. Ya listening, PC???
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Lucky Me!!!
I don't often say that, either. However, today was my lucky day!! It is, as you may recall, Weigh In Wednesday. My "sins" of the past week did catch up with me, but did not slap me in the face like I thought they would. I was only up .2# this morning. Hurray for cardio and golf!!! To say I'm excited about this would be understating things just a tad. Having prepared for pounds added to my already "fluffy" exterior, this small addition was like Christmas in May!! Now, I really am going to buckle down and try to get my behinder ender back on the right track. I promise!! Really I do.
Yesterday, I made a real effort to get myself back into the right "groove", and I think I did a pretty good job. Plus, I even managed to get a left over or two out of the freezer to make room for some more of my culinary experiments. Hubby Dearest LOVES those. I forgot to mention that I made another dish out of those Tofu Shirataki Noodles, and he ate that too!!! He even saw the noodles draining, knew what they were, and ate two helpings of the Turkey Noodle Casserole. Can't remember the actual name of the recipe, just that HD ate it and it had the Tofu noodles in it!! I have to give him credit for the adventures he's been willing to go on with me. He's been a trooper!! See, again, Lucky ME.
I have to record my cardio later in the day, as I am now rushing to post and read before my Internet repair guy comes to replace my modem......again!!! Just a reminder, if Mediacom ever comes to your neck of the woods...."Just Say No" !!! So tomorrow I'll post my cardio time. I am also calculating my golf cardio in minutes just for my own personal edification. Don't worry, PC, I'll not be begging you for extra credit. :)
Back to the doom and gloom of rain and thunderstorms. No outdoor activity today. Possible severe weather later today. Got all the planters and patio furniture battened down, cuz winds are supposed to be quite high today. Don't want to be chasing furniture all over the neighborhood. I am, however, kinda worried about my upside down tomatoes and the pepper plants. Hope they are strong enought to take the wind that's coming.
Yesterday, I made a real effort to get myself back into the right "groove", and I think I did a pretty good job. Plus, I even managed to get a left over or two out of the freezer to make room for some more of my culinary experiments. Hubby Dearest LOVES those. I forgot to mention that I made another dish out of those Tofu Shirataki Noodles, and he ate that too!!! He even saw the noodles draining, knew what they were, and ate two helpings of the Turkey Noodle Casserole. Can't remember the actual name of the recipe, just that HD ate it and it had the Tofu noodles in it!! I have to give him credit for the adventures he's been willing to go on with me. He's been a trooper!! See, again, Lucky ME.
I have to record my cardio later in the day, as I am now rushing to post and read before my Internet repair guy comes to replace my modem......again!!! Just a reminder, if Mediacom ever comes to your neck of the woods...."Just Say No" !!! So tomorrow I'll post my cardio time. I am also calculating my golf cardio in minutes just for my own personal edification. Don't worry, PC, I'll not be begging you for extra credit. :)
Back to the doom and gloom of rain and thunderstorms. No outdoor activity today. Possible severe weather later today. Got all the planters and patio furniture battened down, cuz winds are supposed to be quite high today. Don't want to be chasing furniture all over the neighborhood. I am, however, kinda worried about my upside down tomatoes and the pepper plants. Hope they are strong enought to take the wind that's coming.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
OMG!! What Did I Just Do???
So, remember yesterday when I was wondering what my weekend beverages might have done to my Wed. weigh in? Well, THAT is now the least of my worries. Yesterday was our little lunch group's day to dine. We chose a wonderful deli/market whose salads are wonderful, and too numerous to mention. I had my lunch planned, ready to go, when BAM!!!! out of nowhere a little voice told me "Get all the salads with mayo in them!!" I listened, I ordered, I sat at our table an looked at my trio of salads....chicken salad (wonderful, and the only one I had actually planned for), garlic pasta salad w/big shells of pasta (not the whole wheat variety, either), and a crunchy cabbage salad w/ramen noodles. I did nix the accompanying roll. :) Not at all a pretty sight. I was eating and thinking, "mayonnaise, mayonnaise,mayonnaise, how will I work this off in time?" Never fear, another few rounds on the bike or 'mill and I'm back in the game. Didn't happen. 'Nuff said. My "Dayo of Mayo" didn't end there, I'm afraid. Last night we were invited to a friend's for an open house to meet some of her family. Yep, you guessed it, a pasta salad was there along with various appetizers. Take another guess...what did I do? Avoid??? Hell no, I dove right into the mayo salad, the mayo dip, and then topped it all off with BEER!!!
I'm off to golf right now, so am hopeful I might wear off at least one beer. I am dreading weigh in Wed. but I'll jump on the scales, and post the results through my tears. I know it is my own damned fault, but geez, what ever possesses a person to so completely screw up like this?? Even as I was doing it, I was cursing myself.....shovel, shovel, shovel.
I'm off to golf right now, so am hopeful I might wear off at least one beer. I am dreading weigh in Wed. but I'll jump on the scales, and post the results through my tears. I know it is my own damned fault, but geez, what ever possesses a person to so completely screw up like this?? Even as I was doing it, I was cursing myself.....shovel, shovel, shovel.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Whew!! Week 2 Is Under Way!
Week two of the Great Cardio Challenge is under way. The Perfect Child recorded 30.04 min. on the "dreadmill" yesterday, so it was up to me to get in gear this morning, since she won't let me translate my pedometer reading for golf miles into minutes of walking. However, just for the record, according to my trusty pedometer, I walk approximately 2.79 miles while playing golf in a cart, and that would equate to about 29.15 min. on the "mill". But, since that won't count, I did my time on the bike this morning.
Just in case you can't read the time clearly, it is 31.33 min. By the way, our first week was a close one. The Perfect Child won the first week with +.185 points. We're working on a point scale for every minute 10 min. over 60 per week, a point is awarded. (Fractions are allowed.) I'm certainly within striking distance. AND, today, just in case I might lose my readout when taking my "break", I took an intermediate time picture just to make sure I'd be legit this week, and not have to beg for mercy like last week. :) Yes, daughter dear, you should expect "breaks" when competing with an old goat like me. :)
Also, I'd like to include a picture of our Farmers' Market. We went again on Saturday morning at 7:30. T'was a cool, crisp morning. Coffee was definitely a must. So much more produce here this week, I was in heaven.
This is about in the middle of the market, and is the main street. It's about 4 1/2 blocks long and has 3 cross streets of about 2 blocks each. My real "find" this weekend was the tomatoes. Believe it or not, they actually taste like tomatoes are supposed to in mid summer. Very tasty.
Aside from the breakfast sandwich that I had at the Farmers' Market, I was pretty good with my food choices this weekend. My beverages, however, were of the adult variety, and perhaps entered into my food diary a bit too often. BUT, that said, I'm hopeful that all the mileage and calories I amassed by playing golf and walking the Market will translate into at least a holding pattern with my weigh in on Wed. We'll see if I can justify a little toddy or two by playing golf. I think I should get something for not having a pile of French fries and nacho cheese sauce like I did last weekend......baby steps, I guess.
Just in case you can't read the time clearly, it is 31.33 min. By the way, our first week was a close one. The Perfect Child won the first week with +.185 points. We're working on a point scale for every minute 10 min. over 60 per week, a point is awarded. (Fractions are allowed.) I'm certainly within striking distance. AND, today, just in case I might lose my readout when taking my "break", I took an intermediate time picture just to make sure I'd be legit this week, and not have to beg for mercy like last week. :) Yes, daughter dear, you should expect "breaks" when competing with an old goat like me. :)Also, I'd like to include a picture of our Farmers' Market. We went again on Saturday morning at 7:30. T'was a cool, crisp morning. Coffee was definitely a must. So much more produce here this week, I was in heaven.
This is about in the middle of the market, and is the main street. It's about 4 1/2 blocks long and has 3 cross streets of about 2 blocks each. My real "find" this weekend was the tomatoes. Believe it or not, they actually taste like tomatoes are supposed to in mid summer. Very tasty.Aside from the breakfast sandwich that I had at the Farmers' Market, I was pretty good with my food choices this weekend. My beverages, however, were of the adult variety, and perhaps entered into my food diary a bit too often. BUT, that said, I'm hopeful that all the mileage and calories I amassed by playing golf and walking the Market will translate into at least a holding pattern with my weigh in on Wed. We'll see if I can justify a little toddy or two by playing golf. I think I should get something for not having a pile of French fries and nacho cheese sauce like I did last weekend......baby steps, I guess.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Well, Crud!! I Lost My Post!!
Have to post an addendum to my previous post. My computer wouldn't let me back in to the post to add my last item of interest. I would like to pass on the blogger award to the following five bloggers.
A Mountain of Weight to Lose. Deborah at http://debbiesq.blogspot.com has been an inspiration with her mountain of weight lost. I'm always interested in her pictures and her descriptions about her life on a mountain. She is also the person who introduced me to Fitago.
Fat Girl Dives In. Tina and I seem to share some of the same difficulties in our weight loss endeavors. http://fatgirldivesin.blogspot.com always amusing, and always interesting. I feel a certain compatibility with someone working so hard, yet stumbling once in a while.
Fattie McButter Pants. I'm certain Amy has already had may blogger awards, but just the name of her blog makes me laugh. http://fattiemcbutterpant.blogspot.com She is always funny, and always has something that makes me think.
These last two are actually like choosing between your children....because they ARE my children and are the ones who inspired me to become a blogger.
The Primary Child. http://runningoffatthemind.blogspot.com RazzZDoodle is a runner, but don't hold that against him. His posts are funny, and they make me laugh. I think he would prefer that I not publish comments, but sometimes I just cannot resist the temptation.
Once again, thanks to Patty for making me chose 5 blogs. It wasn't easy, but I got it done. I certainly wish I could have chosen you ALL.
The Perfect Child. http://razzinaz.blogspot.com She is the one who actually talked me into blogging. You can either thank her OR curse her. :) While she is not a regular poster, her posts are funny and tracking our cardio challenge should prove even more amusing, and perhaps a bit of smack talkin'.
A Mountain of Weight to Lose. Deborah at http://debbiesq.blogspot.com has been an inspiration with her mountain of weight lost. I'm always interested in her pictures and her descriptions about her life on a mountain. She is also the person who introduced me to Fitago.
Fat Girl Dives In. Tina and I seem to share some of the same difficulties in our weight loss endeavors. http://fatgirldivesin.blogspot.com always amusing, and always interesting. I feel a certain compatibility with someone working so hard, yet stumbling once in a while.
Fattie McButter Pants. I'm certain Amy has already had may blogger awards, but just the name of her blog makes me laugh. http://fattiemcbutterpant.blogspot.com She is always funny, and always has something that makes me think.
These last two are actually like choosing between your children....because they ARE my children and are the ones who inspired me to become a blogger.
The Primary Child. http://runningoffatthemind.blogspot.com RazzZDoodle is a runner, but don't hold that against him. His posts are funny, and they make me laugh. I think he would prefer that I not publish comments, but sometimes I just cannot resist the temptation.
Once again, thanks to Patty for making me chose 5 blogs. It wasn't easy, but I got it done. I certainly wish I could have chosen you ALL.
The Perfect Child. http://razzinaz.blogspot.com She is the one who actually talked me into blogging. You can either thank her OR curse her. :) While she is not a regular poster, her posts are funny and tracking our cardio challenge should prove even more amusing, and perhaps a bit of smack talkin'.
Gotta Rethink Today's Post Now
A special thanks to Patty for the award you might have noticed if you glanced to your left as you entered my blog. Patty has "tagged" me for this award, so now it is incumbent on me to pass on the award to 5 other wonderful bloggers. As a disclaimer, I must say that I have added blogs to my favorites list because they are just that....my favorites. Picking 5 to award is like choosing your favorite child. ( And even tho' The Perfect Child believes in her heart of hearts she is the favorite, she IS....my favorite daughter.) I'm going to take a little time to ponder this decision and go on with my post for now. Since everyone is so deserving, I will take a moment to ponder before bestowing the honor on others. :) I CHOOSE EVERYONE!! No, I know I can't do that, so I'll narrow it down to 5.
For the moment however, I would like to show off my pre-Mothers' Day upside down thingy that grows tomatoes.
We'll see if chancing the weather will have disastrous results or not. There are three pepper plants and some strawberries in the top planter.Next, I was going to post today's bike time!! Little did I know that when one runs to the restroom and leaves the bike unattended for whatever period of time it was, one loses the data on the readout. I'm blaming the extra bottle of water I had before jumping on the bike. :) I am going to have to ask my competitor if she will believe me when I say I did 31.8 min. before I lost the data. Whatever her answer, I'm taking it and recording it in my daily log. So there!!!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
It's Gettin' Easier
Well, it is getting easier for me to find my pictures. The quality of the picture isn't improving, but my retrieval timing is. Today's entry is 33.07 min. on the recumbent bike.
While I am still lagging behind, and The Perfect Child is still a few minutes ahead of me, I'm trying to catch up. I'll do it with frequency, perhaps not quality. :) After a rules clarification discussion last night, I was given the option of using my pedometer while I golf to add to my total. Great!! I can hear you all saying...not so fast, my friends. I need a new battery first. So for a day, the additional implement will have to sit on the shelf and wait. Hence my trek to the downstairs family room and the recumbent bike. I kinda like sitting on my big, fat arse and just peddling mindlessly while watching "Good Morning America".
After getting my herbs planted yesterday, I toyed with the idea of cheating the Iowa weather and putting out my tomatoes 4 days early. "Never before Mother's Day" is the common answer I've gotten when asking the experts when is the earliest possible date for planting them. I am a risk taker, so I think I'll put them out tomorrow!! I know, tempting the fates, but hey, I'm crazy like that. :)
I also did something different exercise-wise yesterday. Since we have two sets of stairs (15 steps each) in the house, I did 3 series of both sets, twice. That was kinda new and different, so I may incorporate it into the repertoire. If I'd had the use of my pedometer, I could probably have counted this effort.....but alas!!! I cannot.
I would talk about my eating yesterday, but I really only want to talk about that which preceded 7:00 pm. That's when I went off the deep end. Mindless nibbling is what it was. A dry roasted peanut here, a small bagel there, you'd have thought I forgot to cook a lovely dinner. Which, may I add, we had just finished!! It was so foolish of me, and the guilt was horrendous. Why is it the guilt portion of these events doesn't really kick in until way after you've totally messed up? It would be so much better if the guilt would hit at least one bagel or one Pringles earlier. Damn!!
While I am still lagging behind, and The Perfect Child is still a few minutes ahead of me, I'm trying to catch up. I'll do it with frequency, perhaps not quality. :) After a rules clarification discussion last night, I was given the option of using my pedometer while I golf to add to my total. Great!! I can hear you all saying...not so fast, my friends. I need a new battery first. So for a day, the additional implement will have to sit on the shelf and wait. Hence my trek to the downstairs family room and the recumbent bike. I kinda like sitting on my big, fat arse and just peddling mindlessly while watching "Good Morning America". After getting my herbs planted yesterday, I toyed with the idea of cheating the Iowa weather and putting out my tomatoes 4 days early. "Never before Mother's Day" is the common answer I've gotten when asking the experts when is the earliest possible date for planting them. I am a risk taker, so I think I'll put them out tomorrow!! I know, tempting the fates, but hey, I'm crazy like that. :)
I also did something different exercise-wise yesterday. Since we have two sets of stairs (15 steps each) in the house, I did 3 series of both sets, twice. That was kinda new and different, so I may incorporate it into the repertoire. If I'd had the use of my pedometer, I could probably have counted this effort.....but alas!!! I cannot.
I would talk about my eating yesterday, but I really only want to talk about that which preceded 7:00 pm. That's when I went off the deep end. Mindless nibbling is what it was. A dry roasted peanut here, a small bagel there, you'd have thought I forgot to cook a lovely dinner. Which, may I add, we had just finished!! It was so foolish of me, and the guilt was horrendous. Why is it the guilt portion of these events doesn't really kick in until way after you've totally messed up? It would be so much better if the guilt would hit at least one bagel or one Pringles earlier. Damn!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
With Apologies To Spunky Suzi
My golf playing compatriots asked me several questions regarding my blog(ging). While answering them, I thought of Spunky Suzi and her question days. With apologies for copying her brilliant idea, here are the questions that were asked of me.
1. How often do you blog? I try to blog every week day, rarely on a weekend.
2. How many people read your blog? I assume millions, but only a mere handful ever reply.
3. How do you know you have a reply? Do you have to check your blog every hour or so? I'm usually messing around on the computer, so I do check the blog quite frequently. But I also do that in order to keep up with those blogs I follow.
4. What actually is a post? We all know the answer to that one.
5. Why are you doing this? Also, an answer that varies slightly with each one of us, but mostly cuz it's fun and inspiring to hear of other successes and sometimes stumbles. We all share an equal amount of each.
If one of you millions of readers out there care to reply, I will relay your answers to my playing partners when I see them Thurs. :)
And now, for the real pressing issue of the day...Weigh In Wednesday!!! Happy news, I am down 1# for a total of 13.4#. This, in spite of the fact that Hubby Dearest and I shared a basket of fries w/nacho cheese sauce (on the side, cuz that makes it healthier) Saturday after golf. The only up side to this mistake, was that our dinner was so very light it hardly counted. :) Then last evening I followed up with a Cinco de Mayo dinner of chicken enchiladas, pico di gallo with avocado, and Adult beverages. So, I have to say, I'm feeling pretty darned cocky about a 1# loss this morning.
Also, I should clear up the misconception I am an Iowan. I merely live in Des Moines. I am a Nebraskan by birth and will stay a Nebraskan until my dying day. I like DM, but I'm an Omaha girl through and through. And yes, a Cornhusker football fan, to boot. There, the honesty is all out there now.
And lastly, as for my over cardio-ing yesterday. I am most assuredly not hardcore about much of anything, especially exercise, I am, however, determined to whoop The Perfect Child's little heiny in our cardio competition. And just for the record, I'm a much more regular blogger than she is. (Just sayin', kiddo.) She and Hubby Dearest already owe me a homemade dinner of my choice from our last competition....guessing the arrival date of grandchild #2. KidDoodle 2, as he is known in the blogosphere will be 2 yrs. old in June!!! So you can see how quickly the payoffs are made. :) And in the spirit of honesty, she won the KidDoodle 1 sweepstakes, so Hubby Dearest and I cooked her dinner...also years later. Speed is not our family's fortè.
1. How often do you blog? I try to blog every week day, rarely on a weekend.
2. How many people read your blog? I assume millions, but only a mere handful ever reply.
3. How do you know you have a reply? Do you have to check your blog every hour or so? I'm usually messing around on the computer, so I do check the blog quite frequently. But I also do that in order to keep up with those blogs I follow.
4. What actually is a post? We all know the answer to that one.
5. Why are you doing this? Also, an answer that varies slightly with each one of us, but mostly cuz it's fun and inspiring to hear of other successes and sometimes stumbles. We all share an equal amount of each.
If one of you millions of readers out there care to reply, I will relay your answers to my playing partners when I see them Thurs. :)
And now, for the real pressing issue of the day...Weigh In Wednesday!!! Happy news, I am down 1# for a total of 13.4#. This, in spite of the fact that Hubby Dearest and I shared a basket of fries w/nacho cheese sauce (on the side, cuz that makes it healthier) Saturday after golf. The only up side to this mistake, was that our dinner was so very light it hardly counted. :) Then last evening I followed up with a Cinco de Mayo dinner of chicken enchiladas, pico di gallo with avocado, and Adult beverages. So, I have to say, I'm feeling pretty darned cocky about a 1# loss this morning.
Also, I should clear up the misconception I am an Iowan. I merely live in Des Moines. I am a Nebraskan by birth and will stay a Nebraskan until my dying day. I like DM, but I'm an Omaha girl through and through. And yes, a Cornhusker football fan, to boot. There, the honesty is all out there now.
And lastly, as for my over cardio-ing yesterday. I am most assuredly not hardcore about much of anything, especially exercise, I am, however, determined to whoop The Perfect Child's little heiny in our cardio competition. And just for the record, I'm a much more regular blogger than she is. (Just sayin', kiddo.) She and Hubby Dearest already owe me a homemade dinner of my choice from our last competition....guessing the arrival date of grandchild #2. KidDoodle 2, as he is known in the blogosphere will be 2 yrs. old in June!!! So you can see how quickly the payoffs are made. :) And in the spirit of honesty, she won the KidDoodle 1 sweepstakes, so Hubby Dearest and I cooked her dinner...also years later. Speed is not our family's fortè.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Cardio Challenge-Day 1
Whew!! Got day one in the books. And, may I add, it was after 18 holes of golf. I have now officially earned the adult beverage I am going to have with my Mexican dinner. As you can see, the picture isn't very clear, but the figures are almost legible. 26.08 min @ 2.3 mph. I grant you the mph ain't grand, but after golf, I thought it was acceptable.
Yesterday, The Perfect Child posted her first salvo in the war of the Cardio Queens. I am not going to stoop so low as to go on the offensive.....yet. But she is absolutely right, this could get ugly!! :) And before she says it, I did NOT do as many minutes as she did, BUT I, at least, have visual proof of my accomplishments. HA!! Geez, we don't sound like 6 year olds or anything do we?? Plus I want extra credit for finding my picture file in less than 1 hour today.
Today was our opening day for women's golf at the club. Breakfast was Eggs Benedict and fruit, with a pile of has browns. Plus....the club has THE most wonderful sticky cinnamon pecan rolls ever!! I really behaved myself, too. Before I could get in any real trouble, I gave away my sticky roll, pushed my hash browns off to the side, slid the egg, canadian bacon, tomato and a little hollendaise off the english muffin before I dug in. They were also kind enough to bring me a little extra fruit. No time for lunch afterward, so I came home and "made" a quick Lean Cuisine. So far, so good.
Since it took me so darned long to find my treadmill files, I didn't have time to finish my herb plantings. Hopefully, the rain that's on its way will hold off until I finish this post and get my clothes changed. But, then again, I might just collapse in a chair instead. :)
Yesterday, The Perfect Child posted her first salvo in the war of the Cardio Queens. I am not going to stoop so low as to go on the offensive.....yet. But she is absolutely right, this could get ugly!! :) And before she says it, I did NOT do as many minutes as she did, BUT I, at least, have visual proof of my accomplishments. HA!! Geez, we don't sound like 6 year olds or anything do we?? Plus I want extra credit for finding my picture file in less than 1 hour today.Today was our opening day for women's golf at the club. Breakfast was Eggs Benedict and fruit, with a pile of has browns. Plus....the club has THE most wonderful sticky cinnamon pecan rolls ever!! I really behaved myself, too. Before I could get in any real trouble, I gave away my sticky roll, pushed my hash browns off to the side, slid the egg, canadian bacon, tomato and a little hollendaise off the english muffin before I dug in. They were also kind enough to bring me a little extra fruit. No time for lunch afterward, so I came home and "made" a quick Lean Cuisine. So far, so good.
Since it took me so darned long to find my treadmill files, I didn't have time to finish my herb plantings. Hopefully, the rain that's on its way will hold off until I finish this post and get my clothes changed. But, then again, I might just collapse in a chair instead. :)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Two Hour "Techie"
Well, this is kinda out of order, but at least I got both pictures posted. This is our Dwarf Louisa Crabapple tree/contorted. And yes, it is contorted, so we are training it to wrap around the posts of our deck. We have some clean up and some river rock to replace, but at least the trees are in the ground. As you can also see, I have work to do on my picture placement skills here in the blogosphere. I'll work on it.
After only two hours of trying to figure out how to liberate this picture of our Dwarf Japanese Lilac, I finally did it!!! Now in another 2 hours or so, I'll have the crabapple trees online as well. Taking the pictures with the crackberry was the easy part. Finding where I stored these darned things was my problem. Ok, now back to the files.....time me, I'll be back. I'd also like to mention that the crackberry was on a slant, the tree is not. :) I should also mention we have a better looking downspout now, too. :)A technical whiz I am not.....clearly.
Game On, Kiddo!!
The parameters are set, the contestants are rarin' to go, and the stakes have been agreed upon. The Perfect Child and I have agreed to a competition (friendly, perhaps, but I doubt it) regarding our cardio workouts. We'd ask The Primary Child to join us, but he is already a runner and perhaps would skew our plans in his favor. Neither the Perfect Child nor I have really kept a close eye on what we do for cardio. It's kinda been a "catch as catch can" affair for us both. So last night we decided upon a challenge to get us both on track, and to get us motivated. (We are both motivationally challenged.) Our challenge runs from Sunday to Saturday each week until Aug. 1. We have committed to 60 min. of cardio per week until June 1, at which time we will revisit the duration of our cardio workout, and hopefully up the time accordingly. Then we will report in by way of our blogs. We'll take pictures of our chosen machine's timer and post it in our blog. I'm giving her a pass for the 32 min. she said she did yesterday at the gym. I trust her to be honest....just this once. All else will require the proper documentation. :) Now, my challenge will be to learn how to post pictures in this darned blog of mine. The Perfect Child claims I can do it with either my crackberry or a digital camera. I think I know how, so we'll see how that goes. Hope it is as easy as it appears to be. :) So now, darling daughter, GAME ON!!! The loser must buy a gift card at the winner's favorite store.....I think I'll chose Whole Foods!!
Saturday marked the opening of our Farmers Market!! What a joy!! We got down there nice and early, so we could browse and still make our 11:00 tee time. First big win was when I bypassed the giant breakfast burrito stand. 35 min after the opening of the Market there were still at least 50 people in line for a burrito!! We walked to the other end of the market and found a lovely little breakfast sandwich, instead. 430 calories by my count, so I figured golf would wear that off. 20,000 people come to the Farmers Market here each week, so it pays to get there early. There were even tomatoes!!! They were offering samples to prove that the tomatoes were not the usual winter, mealy, watery tasting ones we generally have at this time of year. We stood right by the tomatoes and the samples, bought cilantro and asparagus then walked on our merry way. That, after just mere seconds before telling Hubby Dearest I wanted to try the tomatoes and maybe get a couple. Talk about a Senior Moment!!! How dumb did I feel when we got to the car and I had no tomatoes.....however, I did get two heirloom tomato plants, so I'm pretty excited about that. I'm off to get my herbs today, so I'm really trying to get Spring to get sprung around here.
Got out 3 trees planted Sat. after golf. Had only planned on doing one, but they went in so easily that we did all three Sat. afternoon. They really look nice. Adds a splash of color in the back, so that's nice. Maybe I'll try a picture of those to get the hang of this "techie" stuff.
Not much to report in regard to my food and exercise for the weekend. Kinda the same old stuff. Ate pretty well, enjoyed an adult beverage, or two, played golf, planted trees, and walked the Farmers Market for an hour. Geez, am I ever boring. Just reading about my weekend almost put me to sleep at the keyboard. ZZZzzzzzz!
Saturday marked the opening of our Farmers Market!! What a joy!! We got down there nice and early, so we could browse and still make our 11:00 tee time. First big win was when I bypassed the giant breakfast burrito stand. 35 min after the opening of the Market there were still at least 50 people in line for a burrito!! We walked to the other end of the market and found a lovely little breakfast sandwich, instead. 430 calories by my count, so I figured golf would wear that off. 20,000 people come to the Farmers Market here each week, so it pays to get there early. There were even tomatoes!!! They were offering samples to prove that the tomatoes were not the usual winter, mealy, watery tasting ones we generally have at this time of year. We stood right by the tomatoes and the samples, bought cilantro and asparagus then walked on our merry way. That, after just mere seconds before telling Hubby Dearest I wanted to try the tomatoes and maybe get a couple. Talk about a Senior Moment!!! How dumb did I feel when we got to the car and I had no tomatoes.....however, I did get two heirloom tomato plants, so I'm pretty excited about that. I'm off to get my herbs today, so I'm really trying to get Spring to get sprung around here.
Got out 3 trees planted Sat. after golf. Had only planned on doing one, but they went in so easily that we did all three Sat. afternoon. They really look nice. Adds a splash of color in the back, so that's nice. Maybe I'll try a picture of those to get the hang of this "techie" stuff.
Not much to report in regard to my food and exercise for the weekend. Kinda the same old stuff. Ate pretty well, enjoyed an adult beverage, or two, played golf, planted trees, and walked the Farmers Market for an hour. Geez, am I ever boring. Just reading about my weekend almost put me to sleep at the keyboard. ZZZzzzzzz!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Huffin' and Puffin'
Yep, just finished another workout. After all, it is Friday, you know. I said I would, and I did. As I was stretching prior to lifting my weights, a random thought popped into my head. (It happens all the time, so I wasn't caught off guard by it.) To add to my daily "walkabout" why don't I strap on my old leg weights and move around with those on? So now, immediately after I finish reading all of the blogs and take my shower, I'm gonna hunt those babies down and strap 'em on. Should add just a little something extra everyday. Won't have them on constantly, but enough to get a few extra reps for my legs.
Yesterday was a much better day for me, eating-wise. I made a breakfast pizza on a corn tortilla with some Morningstar Farms sausage crumbles. I splurged a bit, and bought some "squeeze" pizza sauce. Since it was only 30 cal. I didn't think that would bread the bank. Added some fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan then topped it with fat-free mozzarella. Didn't bake it, I broiled it, as a change of pace. It was lovely. In changing my breakfast habits, I've discovered a few things about myself. First, I'm not a morning person, so breakfast isn't a big deal for me. (It is becoming more important now, tho'.) Second, I don't really like routines, but now know that having one helps me in the long run. Third, timing is everything. So, using these three things I've learned, I've developed a pattern that is working for me, AND has almost entirely eliminated the 3:00 hunger for sweet treats!! I get up as usual and have my one can of diet coke. Read the paper. Get ready for my workout or cardio, whichever day it is. Write in my blog & read all the blogs. Get cleaned up. THEN make breakfast. It is now about 9:45 or 10. That carries me until lunch, which I now like to have around 1:15-1:30. My 3:00 snack, if I have one is my 100 cal. popcorn. We don't normally eat dinner until 6:30-7:00, so I begin prep at about 5:45, earlier or later, depending on the complexity of what I'm making. Then, if I am going to treat myself to a Skinny Cow (or another sweet) I do it before 8:00. After 8, I'm done eating, but still drinking water. So far, this is working for me, so I hesitate to change it since it ain't broke.
We are finally getting a break in the rain!! Tonight, tomorrow after golf, and Sun. after church & golf, we are going to get those 3 trees I've been lugging in and out of the garage planted!! Hurray!! I really hope the ground isn't so wet we have trouble digging. Hubby Dearest isn't looking forward to digging holes this big, but he wanted to do it rather than pay $150 per tree (the same as the tree cost) to deliver and plant them. The trees are only about 5' high and in 10 gal. buckets. We should easily be able to do this, right? Yeah, that's what we thought, too. I'll let you know.
Yesterday was a much better day for me, eating-wise. I made a breakfast pizza on a corn tortilla with some Morningstar Farms sausage crumbles. I splurged a bit, and bought some "squeeze" pizza sauce. Since it was only 30 cal. I didn't think that would bread the bank. Added some fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan then topped it with fat-free mozzarella. Didn't bake it, I broiled it, as a change of pace. It was lovely. In changing my breakfast habits, I've discovered a few things about myself. First, I'm not a morning person, so breakfast isn't a big deal for me. (It is becoming more important now, tho'.) Second, I don't really like routines, but now know that having one helps me in the long run. Third, timing is everything. So, using these three things I've learned, I've developed a pattern that is working for me, AND has almost entirely eliminated the 3:00 hunger for sweet treats!! I get up as usual and have my one can of diet coke. Read the paper. Get ready for my workout or cardio, whichever day it is. Write in my blog & read all the blogs. Get cleaned up. THEN make breakfast. It is now about 9:45 or 10. That carries me until lunch, which I now like to have around 1:15-1:30. My 3:00 snack, if I have one is my 100 cal. popcorn. We don't normally eat dinner until 6:30-7:00, so I begin prep at about 5:45, earlier or later, depending on the complexity of what I'm making. Then, if I am going to treat myself to a Skinny Cow (or another sweet) I do it before 8:00. After 8, I'm done eating, but still drinking water. So far, this is working for me, so I hesitate to change it since it ain't broke.
We are finally getting a break in the rain!! Tonight, tomorrow after golf, and Sun. after church & golf, we are going to get those 3 trees I've been lugging in and out of the garage planted!! Hurray!! I really hope the ground isn't so wet we have trouble digging. Hubby Dearest isn't looking forward to digging holes this big, but he wanted to do it rather than pay $150 per tree (the same as the tree cost) to deliver and plant them. The trees are only about 5' high and in 10 gal. buckets. We should easily be able to do this, right? Yeah, that's what we thought, too. I'll let you know.
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