Tailgating 101...HELP!!!

This is a picture of "The Pistol", our grandson, and smallest of our tailgaters. For those of you who don't know, I am a huge fan of tailgating. Not tailgating in general, a specific, all consuming tailgating event entirely devoted to watching and supporting our beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers. We travel 3 hrs. each Saturday from Des Moines to Lincoln, NE. If there is a home game, we must be in place, neatly set up, complete with tent and grill, in our same parking area at least 3 hrs. prior to kickoff. I do most all of the cooking for the event, although more and more I'm doling out small tasks to others. I might be just a tad OCD in this regard. We have all of the necessary equipment to transport both hot and cold foods, beverages, tables, chairs, etc. Hubby Dearest and I have packing for the event down to a science, but this year a small difficulty has arisen. I'm trying to make some of the food healthy choices. I don't dare spring the whole healthy food thing on the crowd all at once. I'll edge into it with some healthy stuff each week, and before they know it.........ah, hell, who am I kidding, one or two healthy dishes each week will be all I can pass off to these people.

To this end, I would like some assistance from you, my blog buddies. I'd like a recipe or two, or three that would feed 10-30 people, is low cal, low fat and healthy. I have a complete repertoire of the regular tailgate fare, so all I'd really need is a salad or two, and casserole or two, a wrap or two, things of that nature. The catch, of course, is that it has to be able to be easily transported. I can keep it hot or cold for an unlimited trip, but portability is key. My current project is slimming down my world famous killer chicken pot pie. Not sure how I'm going to go about that, but I'm determined to try.

Luckily, we do have breakfast tailgates once in a while, so we can cook healthy fare for those. Although, most prefer the M & M's to the strawberries, we also have fruit and veggie plates available each week, but some real rib-stickin' foods that are not loaded with fats, oils, cream, butter, you know, all the good stuff, would be nice. HELP!!! And Thank you.

I'm going to sit by my computer and await the millions of wonderful recipes that I'm sure will be coming my way shortly. Thank you to you all!!! GO BIG RED!!! (That's the Nebraska cheer, for those of you who might not know that.) AND, I should mention that if you are a huge fan of another team, I won't be offended if you send me a recipe dedicated to your favorite team. :)

I just love college football season!!!

It Ain't Sauerkraut, But....

Realizing the work that goes into making sauerkraut, this doesn't rank up there in that category. However, I did marshal up all of my inner Martha Stewart and dehydrate my wonderful tomato crop as well as the two lovely Ancho peppers I produced. I now have about 2T of Ancho Pepper Powder ready for use. Nine hours of waiting and hoping, and all I got was 2 measly tablespoons. I'm going to have to choose my use very carefully. Unfortunately, the plant shows absolutely no signs of producing another pepper at this time. It looks healthy and is still perky as the dickens, just blossom free. Luckily, my other pepper plants look like they are going to provide me with some fine specimens.

Today was Weigh In Wednesday, and I am afraid that my soireè at the fair may have finally caught up with me. The good news is that the plateau has been broken, the bad news is that it was broken by going up 1.7# this week. I do realize that with my knee in my brace some of my exercises might not be quite as vigorous, but I was still hoping that at least by moving about, I'd stay at the plateau until I could bust through it. Damn!! My wonderful, cool new shoes were supposed to help, too, but I don't know if that's happening either. However, I do wear the shoes whenever I am going to be walking anywhere, so perhaps eventually they will be of some assistance. I shall not be defeated by this setback, I will make adjustments where I can, and continue the fight.....albeit at a slightly slower pace. I suppose now I will be the tortoise in this race, rather than the hare I had such high hopes of being. Double Damn!!

Brag, Brag, Brag

I wasn't actually going to write a post today. My inspiration is not as "up and at 'em" as it should be. I know, so sad. However, a phone call this morning followed by the cutest picture ever, changed my mind in a hurry. Our "Primary Grandchild" started kindergarten today. Above is the picture of the "Cutest Kindergartner Ever". I'm sure you will all agree. Right? Right! Unfortunately, her wonderful curly hair doesn't really show, but still, cute as a bugs ear. :) This is only a part of the bragging portion of this post.

The next boastful paragraph is about what she chose for her lunch today. (She is in all day kindergarten.) The school was offering pizza for lunch. What kid doesn't like pizza? Well, that did not appeal to her at all. So she decided that her first lunch as a kindergartner would be a sandwich made on whole wheat bread, spread lightly with whipped cream cheese, sprinkled with dill, with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers in another container to add to the sandwich when she's ready to eat. What 5 yr. old comes up with a wonderful, healthy sandwich like that? I'm so proud I am practically tearing up again just thinking about it. :) Brag, brag, brag!!! Oddly enough, she doesn't like jelly, so PB&J sandwiches are not an option, much to her Papa's dismay. PB&J is Hubby Dearest's go to sandwich for every occasion.

So you can see how verklempt I became at the thought of my little darling going to school, then realizing what a smart and healthy eater she was. Just like "G".....that's what she calls me. Well, to be truthful, I'd have eaten the pizza offered as a 5 yr. old, but at 60, I'd have her make my lunch for me, cuz it sounds yummy. Brag, brag, brag.

A Lovely Blog??? Who Knew?

Why, oh why, can I not make my pictures save properly? Damn.

At any rate, thank you to my new blogging buddy at 266 for giving me the Lovely Blog Award. It was so very thoughtful of you. Now I must, as the rules state, say something nice about the donor, and pick 15 blogs of note, ones that I frequent and really enjoy. Well, of course, you've read all about the dilemma that this creates and the anxiety that goes with it, so I'll not go into all of that. I'll just try to pick 15 of my blog buddies that perhaps haven't been picked thus far. First order of business, to say something nice about the donor. 266 is a new blogger and I am enjoying her entries very much.

And Now...The list: and in no particular order, as they say on "Dancing With The Stars"....

1. Patty at both Abneylane and Fit by My 50th.

2. Amy at FattieMcButterpants

3. Mary Fran at New Start

4. Jill at Sassy Pear

5. June at MammaBears Health

6. Cammy at Tippy Toe...that's just so obvious I almost didn't include it :)

7. Suzi at Spunky Suzi....with Get Well Greetings

8. Vee at Vee's getting healthy

9. Dutch at myupsdownsofevrydaylife

10. Anne at Carb Tripper

11. Jo at 282.5 ....simply because she left me out and I want to annoy her

12. Sheilagh at slimsexysassysixty....cuz we share the same age issues

13. Gigi at Chunky Monkey Mama...probably another repeat, but who cares?

14. Karen at Fitcetera.....I'm on a repeat roll here, aren't I?

15. Teresa at 40 is the new 30

There you have it. I do feel a disclaimer is in order, however. There are many, many blogs out there that I enjoy. These are but a few who have been kind enough to encourage me on my health journey. I consider all of my bloggin' buddies to be real friends and are constant sources of inspiration to me. Thank you one and all. Enough mush, right?

Rain has postponed my walk this morning, but I'm expecting clearing this afternoon, so hopefully I'll get my walk in then. Weigh In Wednesday brought no changes, good or bad, so I guess after the State Fair and all the goodies I should be delighted. So, ok, I am.

Little Susie Homemaker

I thought I'd best be for posting these wonderful pictures as soon as I could, if for no other reason than to get the ridiculously long gap between my last post and the comment button off the blogsite. Not exactly sure what happened there, but it was aggravating to say the least. Made me feel stupid, besides. :(

Saturday, I spent the afternoon (I was supposed to be golfing, but that's another story) being Little Susie Homemaker. I made a double batch of pepper jelly and a double batch of pepper relish. I had so many peppers in the fridge I had to do something!!! This is not the same problem as having too many kohlrabi, however. :) The peppers were of both the sweet and hot varieties, and both of my creations are quite tasty. I realize it isn't rocket science.....or sauerkraut....but it was a big deal for me. 'Sides, it was kinda fun.

The Dinner Challenge with the Perfect Child is going quite nicely. She is doing some very nice and creative cooking. I am even contemplating stealing one of her salad ideas and using it myself. Now that I've had success with eggplant, I'm going to try and interject a chickpea or two into a meal for Hubby Dearest...a.k.a. The Pickiest Eater in the World. I probably shouldn't be so hard on him because he has been pretty good about trying new things lately. But then, I also know what absolutely, positively NOT to feed him, too.

Went out for a short walk yesterday without my knee brace. I'm trying to build up the surrounding muscles and "stuff" so that perhaps I can get by a few more years without surgery. It went well, and I had no awful effects from the stroll. However, it did rather depress me that on my stroll/walk I don't have wonderfully beautiful things to photograph like so many of you do. Maybe that's why walking "in my hood" is always such a chore. But then it seems kinda silly to drive to a spot that's prettier, just so I can walk in a scenic area. I don't think I'd walk longer, faster or better if I liked my surroundings more, I think I just want to be able to post pretty pictures. :) Even tho' I cannot figure out the whole picture posting thing correctly half the time.

Well, speaking of pictures, I'm gonna hit "Publish Post" now and hope like hell that the pictures align on the left side as I'd planned. If not, sorry 'bout that. I'll keep trying. Maybe sometime soon my five year old granddaughter can teach me how to do it right.

Disclaimers and Apologies

First, I must tell you that I went to the State Fair but did not get a picture of the Butter Cow!! That's the apology. After watching the Iowa State Fair Jr. Cowgirl Contest we simply couldn't get thru the line in time before the building closed. Why, you may ask, would anyone not associated with a young lady in this Cowgirl contest sit thru 1 1/2 hrs. of this mind numbing horse riding thing? Well, I'll tell you. The friends we go to the fair with bought us tickets....yes, it costs money to do this. Their granddaughter is a horse riding kid, and one of her best friends was entered in the contest. That's it in a nutshell. Thankfully, we did not have to stay for the Sr. Cowgirl contest, or I'd have missed out on my Pork Chop on a Stick!! We got to the stand with only 10 pork chops left!!! Whew! Crisis averted. We were #7 & #8 in line.

Our next stop was to try the ever popular Roast Beef Sundae. Dear Lord, it was mashed potatoes with roast beef and gravy on top, shredded cheddar on top of that, and a healthy little cherry tomato on top for decoration. It got rave reviews from our crowd. I thought I detected a slab of butter underneath the beef & gravy, but I can't be certain of that as they were making the sundaes way too fast. They were selling them by the hundreds.....and at 8:30 at night, no less.

I took a few pictures of some of the other heart attack inducing foods available. Unfortunately, the quality of the pictures doesn't do the stands justice. But you get the idea. The deep fried turkey legs are quite a huge hit at the fair, so I did try to capture a picture of one. Of course, 10 minutes later I saw one that was much larger. Oh well, can't have everything, I guess.

From here we moved on to the dessert portion of the event. A Peppermint Bar was my choice. It was HUGE!! Hubby Dearest and I argued over the actual size. I said it looked like a Rubik's Cube, he said it was larger than that. Whatever! It had a double crust of oreo cookies, with a layer of fudge, then a 2" (or more) layer of peppermint ice cream. I took the picture after I'd ea ten about 1/2 of the darned thing. Finally, I had to ditch the cookie crust & fudge filling and just finish off the ice cream middle. It way way too much for one person, and everyone else had consumed their Turtle Sundaes and would not help me. The old poops. :(

I didn't bother taking pictures of all the beer tents we passed by.....well, stopped at, actually. I figure those are a given, and everyone knows what they look like. :)

To my credit, I did lots and lots and lots of walking in my spiffy new shoes. They were really comfortable. I have to admit, the next day I did feel a little "tug" in the old glutes. Maybe they do work and are not just cute.

The disclaimer portion of this post is for the quality of the pictures. I forgot my camera so the crackberry pics are a little fuzzy at times.

All in all, it 'twas a wonderful evening of eating, friends, horses and people watching. Notice eating came before friends?

My New "Back To School" Shoes

Hey check these out!! My new Sketchers walking shoes. You know those funky rounded sole thingies. Yep, these are all mine!!! Cute, huh?

Sadly, I must report that I have a color coordinated addition to this lovely pair of shoes. My old, black, three strapped, two metal stays and Velcro knee brace. Won't I look stylish? Well, I'm hoping that even a slow, methodical walk will be better than sitting on my big fat a$$ icing my knee every afternoon. Besides, I must get ready for my trip to the fair, you know. :) I am also thinking this could be "the look" for the fall season. I'm a trendsetter, that way, you know.

Also, I'd like to introduce you all to a new blogger "266". She is just beginning her journey, so if you have time, drop by and offer the same kind of encouragement you've given me. We all know how important our blogosphere buddies are, don't we?

As you may, or may not, remember, my last post bemoaned my bad habits and sins of over indulgence. I am happy (kinda) to report that this Wednesday Weigh In did, in fact bring a slight increase it weight, but not the horrible gain I had been expecting. I was only up 1.2#, and while that is really not acceptable, I'm sorta ok with it since I was expecting a 3-5# gain. It takes so little to make me happy, doesn't it? Now I'm back on track again. I've dug my food diary out of the desk drawer and put in on the kitchen counter where I will run into it on a regular basis. That will serve as a constant reminder to me that what I put into my big mouth will ultimately make a difference.

BIG NEWS!!! Well, to me anyway. Hubby Dearests, aka "The Pickiest Eater In the World" really took one for the team last night. He ate eggplant!!! Huge news in this family. Our CSA basket last week included an eggplant, so I was determined to find something to do with it that HD might consider ingesting. I found a wonderful turkey sausage and eggplant casserole that was really quite tasty. I added a bit of extra cayenne for some "oomph" and Ed ate 3 helpings... count them 3!!! Shock of all shocks. He hopes there won't be more eggplant, but if there is, he has consented to eating this dish again. :) Like I said.....Big News in these parts.

I'm hoping to get to the Iowa State Fair this weekend. If I do, I'll try and get some wonderful pictures of the butter cow.....which will now be accompanied by a butter sculpture of Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon instead of Michael Jackson, and of course a few of the many wonderful treats on a stick. I'm laying out my plan of attack as we speak, cuz I don't want a repeat of my last week of debauchery.

Bless Me Followers For I Have Sinned...

It has been 10 days since my last weigh in, and during that time I have------(insert sins here).
The actual sins being too numerous to mention, I will highlight (low light?) only my dietary and exercise sins here today. It was a dark and stormy night..... no wait, that's not how it goes.

It all began last Friday with the arrival of the Primary Child and his family. They came for a visit that coincided with the Saturday arrival of the Perfect Child from Phoenix. The Perfect Child coming to town to participate in two golf tournaments. One, a parent-child (and yes, they do allow older children to play in what is called the "alumni" flight) with her father on Sunday afternoon. The other tournament, a two day event with me is "what done me in!!! The tournament theme was "Pardon My French" and all things French were included....including cream sauces, butter and probably lard somewhere or another. To everyone's delight, booze is included in the price of this event, so that was another hurdle I was unable to hop over, or go around.

All was going well until Monday morning when Hubby Dearest, The Perfect Child and I went to play a practice round of golf. Up to this point, we had eaten sensibly and been reasonable in our "exposure" to alcohol. Well, that all went up in smoke on Monday!!! I don't know how or why it seemed like such a good idea to eat and drink our way around the course, but it did. Then we went out for dinner because it was the only night Kris and I were not obligated by tournament "doin's". I chose the special of the evening.....ribs!! I ate them all without a care in the world, then 10 min. after getting in the car to come home, I had great eater's remorse. With that remorse came the promise to myself to do better in the next few days. Sh**!!! Who was I fooling?

Had a party at our house with friends participating in the tournament Tuesday night. We did burgers and turkey burgers while others brought pot luck side dishes. Lots of mayo sitting on my kitchen island!! So what??? Yep, I ate a sample of each and every dish. Wanted to be a polite hostess, ya know. This party was after our first day of play, so there was a little "Oh poor us" drinking involved as well.

So, it should be clear to you by now, that this behavior went on for a few days (and nights) so I'm really not looking forward to this Wednesday Weigh In. After a preliminary peek yesterday, I am quite certain the numbers will not be pleasing to my naked eye.

Now, as with all good confessions, comes the penance. The Perfect Child and I have another challenge. The last one, we decided would end in a tie. The challenge is really more for her than for me, but after this last week, I need a kick in the butt, too. Until her brother's birthday (Sept. 15) she must eat healthily 3 days of the work week, must make one healthy meal on the weekend, and must on one weekend in the month make food that can be taken out of the freezer to help in preparing a healthy weekday meal. She's been working at the gym and also with a trainer, but her cooking evening meals has suffered because of time constraints. I hate to see her slip into bad habits, so hopefully this challenge will kick us both up a notch. COLD HARD CASH is her incentive.....and believe me, there is nothing she loves more than that!! Well, maybe her family, but little more than that. I am going to stick to the same challenge rules, however, I will be doing it because I have forgotten those rules for a little bit, and need a refresher, so I will be doing it as my penance rather than for the money.

And now, my followers, I am ready to do penance, and am contrite. Amen!!!

"I'd Like to Thank All The People Who Made This All Possible."

Sounds like an awards show -*cue music* and get me off the stage!!! I do want to thank all of you for your kind remarks regarding my impending old age. I don't feel like I'm quite there yet, and God willing, I'll still be up and at 'em for many years to come.....BUT (yes, there is always a disclaimer) I'm going to have to do some adjusting hither and yon. I will do that, and I will not give up what I've started. It is never too late to begin, and to throw in the towel now would be just plain dumb. I'm going with the theory (apologies to Teresa) 60 is the new 40!! And a particular thanks to my beloved Primary Child for the very kind words.....yes, dear, you're back in the will. :)

To assist me in my new, albeit a bit slower, health routine, I have purchased a pair of those funky MBT (or whatever) walking shoes. I figure I might be going a bit slower, but there is no reason I can't at least try to derive extra benefit from those little strolls. After only one day, I do kinda feel a bit of "pull" in my calf muscles. I hope it's real and not psychological. I must say, I do look quite "snappy" in my new shoes. Very hip, if I do say so myself.....and I do. They claim to even be beneficial to your butt muscles.....we'll just see about that!!!

The Perfect Child and the Primary Child (and family) will all be here for the weekend. The Perfect Child is participating in a golf tournament as my partner, so she will be here until Thurs. She is also hoping that a sojourn at our house will inspire her to get back on a more healthful dietary track. She seems to slip up come dinner time.....not enough time to cook after working late. Fattening, quick stuff seems to be the alternative. This may give rise to the challenge I mentioned in my last post. Three nights of healthy meals per week, plus at least one meal, b'fast, lunch or dinner on the weekend. I've got that challenge nailed down completely, but I'm hoping it will motivate RazInAZ, too. She admits she needs something, and I know from experience if I attach a monetary reward/payment to the challenge, she will go after it with reckless abandon. The kid will never pass up an opportunity to make money, or give away what she has needlessly. Cold hard cash is the key. :) Wonder where she gets that????

Thank you all again for your support. I know it sounds like an old Bartles and James commercial, but I do appreciate all of your kindness.

It Sucks Being Old!!

I've been reading all of your posts the past few days and just now realized (ok, so I'm not all that bright or quick) that most of my blogosphere buddies are younger than I am. Now, I am a hip and happenin' grandma. I "Tweet" when I can remember my password, I am on Facebook, I blog, I have a Crackberry, so I'm not without an up to date skill set. My problem seems to be that at 60, the body is not as committed to my new health "kick" as my mind is. Each day brings a new "creek" or "snap" in some joint or another. It really sucks to hear your body talking back to you. It almost seems as tho' my joints are mocking me. :(

As you all may recall, The Perfect Child and I have had an ongoing Cardio Challenge the past few months. I began with a flourish of cardio activity. Followed by a period of cocky assurance, followed by "the insurmountable lead", followed by the "Dear God, my knee hurts", now ending with the "casual bike ride" phase, which is nowhere near a cardio event. So you see my point, don't you? As committed as I am in mind and spirit, the body is rebelling against me. I assure you I am not about to tell you I'm quitting or giving up, I'm just sayin' I might have to adjust what I do to attain my goals. Gotta be flexible in this.....even tho' my body is less flexible than I'd like.

I have to admit, I'm a little jealous of all you youngsters out there. Even tho' you might have more to lose than me, and even tho' it might be harder to "Ger 'er done" each day, you inspire me with your drive and high ideals. I want to keep up, I really do. I just realize now that it isn't going to happen in the ways that I had hoped. I love it that all of you are attending to this healthy lifestyle while you are still younger. Changing these habits later can be very difficult. To all of you, I'd like to say, DO NOT give up, stay with the plan (whichever one you have chosen), and be strong. As you get older it only becomes more and more difficult to do......and much more difficult to stay with it. I really believe that if the Perfect Child was not on this journey with me (and, of course, you, my blogger friends, on whom I rely) I might well have called it quits after the first week of "The Stall". I'm now beginning week 4 of "The Stall" so even tho' I haven't lost anything in 4 weeks, I haven't gained, and over all I'm still down 16.6#. I'll take that, and hopefully continue to build upon it. Weigh In Wednesday brought now change....again.

As for the Great Cardio Challenge, I'm willing to call it a draw. Although I do not like ties, it seems only fair to let this one end that way. I started off like gangbusters, as did the PC. We waned a bit in the middle, but PC has taken to using a trainer and has done some really strenuous workouts, altho' not really cardio per se. I've been pedaling around, but not fast enough or hard enough to be called cardio. The PC has been nice enough to say she'd let me count my bike rides, even tho' they are more casual stretching than anything else. By extension, I suppose I should let her count the training sessions that are tremendously physical. So see, the really fair way to end this little challenge (the last day was to be Aug. 1) is to call it a draw, and begin a new challenge. I am proposing a healthy eating challenge since the PC isn't so great on healthy eating for dinner in the evening. She'll be in town here this weekend and part of next week, so I'll see what we can work out in the challenge department. Something easy on me, I hope. :-)

I'm A Little Pathetic!!

Well, actually, I might be a lot pathetic.....and in more ways than one. But my main problem at the moment is the fact that my Followers list won't show up on my blog. I really do have followers and I miss seeing them all lined up neatly in that little box. I am beginning to believe that once I voiced the fact that I'd been having no problems whatsoever with my blog, all sorts of little things popped up to annoy me. Karma sucks!!! So now, feeling lost and alone, I cannot see my followers even tho' I'm sure they can see me. Boo Hoo!! Oh poor me.

I am also suffering from what might be the Summer Doldrums. I am currently enjoying (?) a 3 week stall in the weight loss process. I think I can see a correlation between my exercise level diminishing due to my knee and shoulder issues, and my lack of weight lost. What does this tell me? Move it to lose it!!! I am trying to do more each day, but it is still a struggle. I wonder if reading a really heavy book counts as weight lifting. Or might walking up and down stairs with folded laundry count as cardio? I actually did some lunges last night as I walked to and from the laundry room. Very cute, I must say. Luckily, no one else was around to confirm how cute I was. (Kinda MizFit -esque, I must say.)

I do have to brag, but just for a moment. This last week, I really paid attention to what we were eating. I can't say I really planned everything out well in advance, but each morning I did give some serious thought to that day's food. I think that might possibly have helped me stay at the same weight even without lots of exercise. I was planning meals mostly because the Primary Grandchild was visiting, and she loves to help make things, so we shopped according to what would be fun for her. As I've said before, she loves her fruits and veggies, so that helped keep me on the straight and narrow.....that, and hubby dearest was out of town all week, so I could eat some of the veggies he's not fond of. When we did go out to eat, I paid attention to the ingredients in my chosen dishes, and accounted for the calories in my journal.

For anyone keeping track.....4 kohlrabi down, 4 to go. UGH~

Tomatoes and A Tomatah!!

This week has been a busy one here. I've been entertaining the hired hand you see here. This is The Primary Grandchild, and my "hired hand". We have just harvested the first of my tomato crop. We picked 14 cherry tomatoes on Tues. Within 2 min. of washing them off and taking this picture, they were consumed by the "hired hand". I heard they were delicious, but I cannot say for sure. I have to say, for a 5 yr. old, this kid will eat almost any veggie you put in front of her. I'm always impressed with what she will try. We looked every morning for more produce to harvest, but alas, everything else is taking its sweet time.

In the brief moment this week I had to read, I saw an article about "Vicarious goal fulfillment". It was a study done at Duke University that claims people who go to restaurants that have salads listed on a menu that is otherwise unhealthy, (I assume they meant fast food places) caused customers to order higher calorie, higher fat options such as french fries. The study claims that the salad listing makes people feel better because they considered the greens-even though they chose an unhealthy alternative. It made me wonder if we are really that easily swayed....and, how did they collect this evidence? Has anyone ever actually looked at the salads listed, then chose fries instead? I certainly don't do it consciously. I don't go to a wonderful fish market and choose a high fat cut of beef instead. Would this be the same sort of thing? I guess I don't really get it.

Finally got rid of the kohlrabi!!! Used some of it as I would a radish. I also made another slaw with more kohlrabi than cabbage. But.....joy of joys....more kohlrabi is on the way in my CSA basket today! UGH! In the email from the CSA farmer, he did mention that this might be the last of the kohlrabi, and that people were a little tired of it. He conceded that he might have over planted it a tad. DUH!!

News Update....NO Michael Jackson butter sculpture at the Iowa State Fair this year. Over 101,000 votes were cast, and 63% of those votes were anti-MJ. I have to say I'm not really surprised, but I was taken aback by the number of votes that actually were cast. I really thought that asking people to vote was just a way of appeasing the nay-sayers. Apparently, it was more of a sticking point than I imagined. Guess you never know what will trip one's trigger, do you?

Kohlrabi...How Much Is Too Much?

Now don't get me wrong, kohlrabi is a fine veggie....in moderation. However, for whatever reason my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farmer has begun growing what must be acres of the stuff. Three Fridays ago there was one little kohlrabi in my basket. I made a lovely slaw and added it to that. The following Friday there were two kohlrabies in the basket. I sliced them thinly and coupled them with a small potato or two, also from the CSA basket, and made a quasi scalloped potato dish. This past Friday I received FOUR, count them FOUR, kohlrabies in the basket!!! I'm tired of finding things to do with kohlrabi. I want a radish, a carrot, another squash.....something other than kohlrabi. Who in the world needs this much kohlrabi? Certainly not me. To say this year's harvest, so far, has been disappointing, is an understatement. AND, that is why I have made a huge decision.... Hubby Dearest and I are moving to Georgia and buying a place down the road from Patty!! That way I can sneak over in the dark of night and steal produce from her abundant garden. Don't worry Patty, I'll leave an appropriate stipend for all that I steal. :)

Now for the weekend update. Hubby Dearest and I played in our club husband and wife golf tournament yesterday. (Commonly called the "divorce open".) It is an alternate shot event, so where ever hubby dearest put me, I had to hit from that spot. This is the type of shot I was facing most of the day. Well, not really, but this was the shot of the day. We played pretty well together. Ed putted very well and hit the ball quite nicely, except for this one errant shot.

We did take a penalty shot, so I didn't actually have to hit it out of the tree. Thank goodness.

To further explain, in this family, the females are the better golfers. Both The Perfect Child and I have lower handicaps than The Primary Child and HD. So when I complement Ed on his good play, I am really being nice, not snarky. And, as Ed loves to remind me, he has that nasty habit of going to work every week day, a burden that I do not have to concern myself with. In the picture I was going to "Phoon" but decided not to do it lest our playing partners thought me really odd. Which I am, but don't want everyone to know it, especially since we are new to the area and I want to make a good impression. :) Maybe next time.

The Butter Cow & Michael Jackson

What can you possibly mean by this blog title, you ask? Well, blogosphere friends, it is approaching Iowa State Fair time here in the heartland, and a controversy is abrewin'. The Iowa State Fair is a huge deal here, and the life sized cow carved out of butter has been an important attraction for many a year. Along with the beloved cow, another butter sculpture is also made and displayed. Last year it was Des Moines golden girl Shawn Johnson. This year Michael Jackson was chosen as the "sculptee". That set off a firestorm of controversy. You can all imagine the arguments on both sides. The end result is now an online vote taking place to see if the majority of fair goers would accept a Michael Jackson butter sculpture or not.....and everyone thinks the Midwesterners are all hicks! :) I'm not voting, I'm simply not well enough informed. It wouldn't be fair to others. (Get it...fair....to others.) I know...lame.

Speaking of the fair....it is known for its vast selection of foods on a stick!! Gotta love that. Last year's new addition was a salad on a stick, since so many people complained about the high fat, high calorie, high everything content of most "stick foods". The salad proved hard to eat, but will be back this year. Hubby Dearest and I went to our first fair last year (it was our first summer in Iowa) and had the most wonderful pork chop on a stick. It was the best pork chop I'd ever eaten. I'd go back just for that chop. However, the fried Snickers on a stick was a huge disappointment. ICK on a stick, is what we all called it. Some of the new items on a stick for this year's fair include Carmellos, Chocolate Key lime rounds, Chocolate covered peanut rounds, Deep Fried Pyro Pickle Dog, and Frozen S'mores. Anyone hungry yet? Well, then let me tempt you further. We'll be enjoying fried turkey legs that are the size of your head (they are huge), fried Twinkies (an old standby), fried pineapple dipped in funnel cake batter (gotta have fruit), and of course for the health conscious, a Veggie dog. When I counted (yes, I did actually count the listed items) there were 49 foods on a stick that were going to be available. I wish I'd invested in the wooden skewer company!!! I'm going to freely admit right now, I'm going back to the fair to get a pork chop AND....I might try one "terrible for me" item as well. Just sayin'. I do promise to write it in my food diary and plan ahead for it. :)

Weigh In Wednesday was not the horrible experience I had anticipated. I was up, but only .4#. I was sure I would crack the +1# mark, but I squeaked out a small victory. I'll stop whining now. The Perfect Child pointed out to me that my last post was a bit "Oh poor me"-ish, so I'll try not to be such a whiny pants anymore. I will have to admit tho', that when I'm not logging my foods, I do tend to cheat quite a bit more often. I'm righting the ship today, and am back on track. My one disclaimer is, however, my knee is giving me great difficulties so my walking, cycling may be put on hold for a bit. I can still do both, but not in cardio benefit mode, more in slo-mo, stretch, but not too much mode. Oops.....that was a little "Oh Poor Me"-ish wasn't it? Sorry about that. So now, I guess I won't mention my shoulder problems....I'll save that for another day.

I Have Been Reduced to a Mere Red "X" of My Former Self

Not in a good way, either. I have found that when I sign up to follow my new blogging buddies, my picture is gone and has been replaced by a blank space and little red "X". I'm not even the real me anymore. How very sad. I had bragged several weeks ago about how my blogging experiences had not been marred by some of the same troubles others were having. I spoke too soon....I have been reduced to a plain old, boring "X" in the blogosphere. I've tried changing pictures, but no luck. So now when you see a big white blank spot and a little red "X" in your followers list, don't worry it's only me lurking out here in cyberspace.

I am also in the midst of a caloric melt down. I just plain goofed off and am quite sure I'll be paying the price on Wednesday. I also have to admit that even tho' I had thought about giving up the Weigh In Wednesday, I simply am too reliant on what that scale tells me. I know, I know, everyone else is giving up the scale in favor of a more self observant type of measuring stick. I'm too old to learn new tricks, I think. I'm a numbers person, and only weighing once a week is about all the "freedom" I can allow myself. I do notice clothes hanging a bit loose, and belts being cinched up one extra notch, but I still have to know the number. This Wednesday may very well crush me by giving me that information, but I'm dialed in on it anyway. This past week, as part of my debauchery, I did not use my food diary every day either. THAT is not a good thing, and I'm sure I'll be paying for it.

These admissions are not a sign I've given up, it's merely a sign I need to readjust my thinking and my "doing". I'm back in the lead in the Great Cardio Challenge, but for whatever reason, I'm not all charged up about it. I'm still trying to watch what I am eating, but not writing it down seemed ok to do for a while. Looking back, it was exactly the WRONG thing to do. I need the visual of the numbers looking me straight in the face. So.....I am now picking myself up and dusting myself off and resuming my journey, hopefully with renewed vigor.

I'm Takin' One For The Team

Even tho' I know these pictures will in no way compare to the garden pictures Patty has shared with us, I will go where no one else dares to go.....

I still cannot figure out how to get the pictures to line up properly, but you get the "gist" of it. These are my gardening efforts, and while they may be pitiful, with my reputation as the family's "black thumb", I'm pretty impressed with my efforts. I have my upside down tomatoes with peppers and strawberries in the box above the tomatoes. As you can see, a few little cherry tomatoes are trying to grow up into lovely salad toppings. The container hanging over the side of the deck is one of my herb beds. This is the one with rosemary, cilantro, flat leaf parsley, curly leaf parsley and dill. The picture of my other hanging basket didn't show up in time to be "published". It has the basil, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and sage. It is doing quite nicely, in my opinion.

So now, having taken one for all of the gardener wannabes, feel free to laugh at my meager efforts. I'm happy with my "garden" and that's all that matters. :) I remember telling my kids to do the best they can, and try their hardest and that will be good enough. I'm taking my own advice now.

Today was Weigh In Wednesday. 'Nuff said. I shot myself in the foot yet again. No change this week. I made the mistake of weighing myself after the holiday weekend, saw a small loss, and proceeded to goof off a bit. The loss was .4#, and I thought not writing about it would keep me on track.....you know karma and all that stuff....I was wrong. Now, in my defense, I didn't gorge myself on bad stuff, just enjoyed my farmers' market fruits and veggies in larger quantities than I probably should have. Strawberries and blueberries being my biggest indulgence. I have also jumped back on the bike to redeem myself a bit. The Great Cardio Challenge is heating up, so I have had two days of biking to my credit this week.....so far. The Perfect Child is campaigning (along with her trainer) for credit for her workouts. If I don't get credit for golf, I'm not giving her credit for training. It's a fight to the finish, and I'm not going down without a fight. The challenge ends Aug. 1, so I have a little ground to make up before then. I'm on it!!!

How Do You Spell Boring??

I spell it V!!! Ok, so not me personally, just my recent exercise regimen, or lack thereof. I am just not putting any effort into the exercise at all. Aside from my golf, I really don't get all charged up about exercising at the moment. I'd like to blame it on the heat, humidity, green grass, blue skies, rain, snow, sleet, SOMETHING, but I can't. I simply have developed a laziness level heretofore unknown. I have always admitted I was lazy, but this is now getting ridiculous. And it all seems to be directed only at the exercise portion of my life. Go figure. I do still exercise, so I'm not just sitting around the house all day wishing the pounds away, although I wouldn't be opposed to that method if I thought it would work. I just don't push myself, or work out for the amount of time I think would do me the most good. I guess I'm hoping that blogging about this and whining about this will make me get my butt in gear again.

As for the Great Cardio Challenge....The Perfect Child has come to play all of a sudden!! This new turn of events, and my lack of enthusiasm for exercise has placed me in the untenable position of the family laggard!! However, at the moment, I'm really not caring....and THAT has me worried. After weeks of bragging how the lead was insurmountable, I have fallen behind. The little brat has hired a trainer, and is going to the gym regularly... Skinny little bitch that she is. Am I motivated??? Good question. I think I am, but we'll see.

On a slightly lighter note, I did pretty well over the weekend with food and drink. The latter portion of the event being the one in which I usually over-calorically indulge. The kids and grandkids were in town for the 4th, so we had lots of fun, lots of food, and lots of beverages....of all kinds. The 4th here began with a trip to the Farmers" Market. It began raining and the temps were 20º below normal, so our trip was cut short. I did manage to pick up a few essentials for our planned cookout that night. By the time we returned to the house, the rain had stopped and a small "peek" of sun was trying to break thru. The kids made dinner for Hubby Dearest and me. It was our 38th anniversary on the 3rd, so they treated us to a hamburger slider dinner. We had a Crunchy Avocado Salad with tomatoes, olives and chickpeas as well as the avocado. It was wonderful. It had was a trifle over what I'd normally eat for a side dish, calorie wise, but well worth the extra.

I'll admit it....I did hop on the scales this morning to see what the weekend's festivities had wrought. Pleasant surprise, a small loss. I'll not reveal the loss as I don't want to jinx myself, and we all know how a small loss can turn into a gain if one gets too cocky. I shall not allow myself to fall into that trap. :)

If you're not asleep by now, you should be....but then I warned you...B O R I N G !!! I'll try and make it up to you on a future post.

P.S. I was going to post pictures of my upside down tomatoes, but Patty ruined my gardening posts by setting the bar way, way too high for us poor gardner wannabes! :)

Bras for the Cause

Ok, so I can't get these damned pictures perfectly aligned, but I'm sure you get the idea. I just took a couple of pictures of the bras from last year's gala that we had on display yesterday at the golf tournament.

For a complete look at the award winners, go to Bras for a Cause's website. I've linked it here for you. Some of the bras are really engineering feats. I do recommend a visit just to see some of the extraordinary bras people designed and made. There is one bra that is made out of parts from parts of a mammography machine.

As part of the tournament's "entertainment" we had a bra expert show us exactly how to properly fit a bra. There were 6 golfers chosen to be models. (Thankfully, I was not one of the chosen few.) They wore their regular bras and then a white tee shirt over that. The expert, using a magic marker, proceeded to mark the "nipple line", which should be half way between your shoulder and elbow, (just so's ya know) on each of the models. She drew in the "cutlets" under the arm and where the bras all sat on the bodies of the models. Off they went to the fitting room set up in the back of the room, and got their PERFECT bras. The expert repeated the drawings. Gone were the "cutlets" and uplifted were the "girls". However, at our table we decided we could just cinch the girls up a bit more and save ourselves $60. Remember the old song "Knockers Up"? That's what this kinda brought to mind. Interesting, but much more than I needed to know while eating lunch.

Today was Weigh In Wednesday, ya know. I began thinking about this weigh in as I sat in the "Library" this morning. I was hoping that my visit there would produce a weight loss of gigantic proportion. I remember someone's blog post recently dealing with "poo" and it made me think and giggle. All I was really hoping for was my .5# to ace Jack's challenge, so imagine my delight when the scales smiled back at me with a 1.6# loss. Not being one to let good fortune get the best of me, I promptly began to wonder what I might possibly accomplished if I'd set my mind to exercising like I've been promising myself I would do. I'm looking that gift horse square in the eye, aren't I? I know, accept the loss as a wonderful thing, vow to improve the exercise commitment in the coming weeks, and move on. Well, ok, damn it, I will!!!

Drats!! Thwarted Again!

My brilliant plan to sit on the AC vent while playing with "The Pistol" and his new toys was thwarted by this sweet beast! This is Max, my grandpuppy and AC hog. He's hairy and is part Husky, so any cool place is his favorite hang out. He is just the sweetest dog, but because of him I never did get close to the cool air. Instead we were all outside on the deck watching "The Pistol" and his friends play with his new lawnmower bubble machine.

Just in case anyone wondered, I did stay away from the cake and ice cream, but managed to indulge in an adult beverage or two.....just to cool down, you understand. Purely for hydration, of course. You don't need to remind me that alcohol is dehydrating, I really do know that. I did manage to stay close to my caloric set point, but I did have a few oops. I don't think any major harm was done, but since I didn't exercise at all, it felt like I cheated more than I did.

While I was lounging about, The Perfect Child was on a mission to catch up on the cardio. In the heat of the desert, she went on an hour long hike!! Now, I can't decide if that was brave or stupid. (I'll opt for brave, cuz I'm a really great mom.) She asked for credit for the hike, which, of course, I granted. After all, she has been kind enough to cut me some slack on those occasions when I forget to photograph my many cardio accomplishments. (These are sadly lacking at the moment.)

What is it about the heat and humidity that instills a huge dose of lethargy into my being? I am becoming very complacent, and my motivation to exercise is at an all time low. I can get started, but sticking with it for any length of time seems to be a real struggle. I continue to try all of the motivational "tips" I've learned and heard of, but I still seem to lack the "ooomph" to really get down to business. I continue to track my food, and eat well, but the exercise portion of the event is kinda lagging behind. Speaking of lagging behinds.....my pants are getting looser!! See, that SHOULD motivate me to exercise more, knowing that good comes from the effort. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case at the moment.

Also, why is it that these "epiphanies" always seem to hit me on Mondays? Can't explain it. Are my weekends really that bad that I feel the need to beat myself up a bit? No, not really. I just don't get it.

Tomorrow is our "Bras for the Cause" pink ribbon golf tournament. Yes, golf again. I can hear the collective groan from the crowd. This is our annual golf tournament held to support not only Breast Cancer research, but also Women's health screenings, in general. Several golf clubs in the area participate, then in the fall there is a huge banquet with lavishly decorated bras being auctioned off. The winner of the "Breast in Show" bra last year was a "Candle-la-Bra". It was wonderful. Each year, a local store donates a plain bra and various organizations and businesses decorate them. Some turn out to be real works of art. Also, last year, Robin Roberts was the host for the banquet, so I'm hoping for someone wonderful again this year, too. It's a fun day, and luckily it isn't going to be oppressively hot tomorrow. I'll welcome the relief.

The "Try to Kill V" Golf Marathon Has Finally Ended

Yes, it's true, my marathon of stupidity has finally come to an end. I am really none the worse for wear, but I am plenty tired of hot, humid weather. The golf was fun, and we all had a lovely time, but the weather just about did us in. Tomorrow is a sit in the AC and relax day. And I must say the prospect of only having to take one shower tomorrow instead of my usual three is kinda nice. I've been taking an extra one (cold) right after golf to get my core temp down, then one at night to cool down some more. Being old and stupid really sucks!!!

It was Weigh In Wednesday yesterday and I dropped .2#. I made it to the -15# mark, however, I made a tactical error....I weighed in before I played golf. I'm sure if I'd waited until after, I'd have been down more. :) I think I'm still retaining water from my efforts to stay hydrated throughout the golf marathon, so I'm hopeful that a day or two in the cooler indoors will help me shed some of the water. I can feel it in my feet and ankles.

I do have to admit that after the first day of heat and humidity and golf, I succumbed to temptation and ordered a pizza. We were going to grill turkey tenderloin, but the storms had winds so high I wasn't sure I could keep the grill lit. :) Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? That, and I figured I'd burned off a good deal of the pizza by sweating my way around the course for 4 hours. So, actually, the -.2# wasn't all that bad, in light of my visit to the "dark side".

Speaking of the storms, we were spared any significant damage. Just leaves and twigs scattered about. The golf course lost some large tree limbs, and other areas nearby had trees down in the streets. High winds took down some power poles, but everything seemed to get put back into working order quite quickly. We were lucky. Thank you all for expressing concern. One never knows how these storms are going to turn out, so I appreciate your thinking of us. (Well, ME, really.)

This weekend is birthday weekend, so we are looking forward to spending time with the grandkids. I plan on sitting on all the AC ducts to stay cool while I play with the little darlings.

I Admit It....I Am Officially A Dumb Shit!!

Picture this....heat index 118º, real temp only 93º....60 year old fat lady on golf cart playing in a golf tournament!!! What in the name of God was I thinking?? Well, I'll tell you. I didn't want to bail on my partner. To my credit, I did drink lots of water and Powerade Zero, but I soaked through a hand towel wiping my hands and brow. (I have now purchased a ShamWow!! for this purpose.) Four long, hard, torturous hours of this. Now the really good news.....we'll be doing it all over again tomorrow!! And lucky me, it will be hotter and more humid. At 60, this is clearly madness. (Well, actually, at any age.) There is a possible reprieve in my future, however. Currently we are having high winds, and are in a Severe Thunderstorm warning area. More storms are predicted as the evening wears on....so I'm kinda secretly hoping for a gully washer that will cancel tomorrow's round. Fingers crossed, everybody!!!

Not wanting the fun to end, I'm scheduled to play in another tournament on Thursday at another golf club. So group, "Hi, I'm V and I am officially a Dumb Shit!!" (Group responds, "Hi V". ) After today's round I did come home and ride the bike for about 30 min., so the Perfect Child can't get too much traction on her quest to catch up in the Great Cardio Challenge. But, I think my cardio days are numbered the remainder of this week.

Since I want to be taking it easy for a while after this ridiculous 3 day stretch, we'll be going to Omaha again to help "The Pistol" (grandchild #2) celebrate his 2nd birthday. And believe you me, I will need every bit of energy I can conserve to keep up with him. He is, indeed, "The Pistol".

I'd better sign off now. The storms are getting worse, winds are blowing harder, and trees are falling near our "hood". They are showing pictures on TV of large trees near us that have been uprooted. Our trees around here are all pretty small in comparison, but I'm afraid the computer might suffer a "strike" by the lightening that's all around.

I'm off to begin "chillaxing" and preparing myself for another fun filled day.

Days Late and Dollars Short

Why is it that I always seem to jump on the last bandwagon leaving town? I'm pretty sure it has something to do with procrastination and laziness, but I'm not swearing to that. I was researching my Chia seed purchase (after the fact, mind you) and found an article written in May of 2008!! This article was authored by none other than our very own Crabby McSlacker. She explains, and extols the virtues of the seeds that apparently even Dr. Oz thinks are great. Now, being a reasonably intelligent person, why had I not heard of all of this before June 2009? See, a day late and a dollar short. Could have something to do with the fact that I didn't give a hoot about good health back then. But, Alas, now I do.

Just a short aside, then I'll leave the seed issue alone. I did put some in my water for golf yesterday, along with a Crystal Light packet, and sure enough the mix did turn slightly "jello-like". However, I did find that on a hot day(heat index 100º+ and humidity 81%) I remained hydrated more easily than usual. I did not even notice that the seeds were there. Ok, so I'm done with the Chia seed issue until I see positive results in the lower blood sugar category. I know you'll all be happy about that.

I would now like to address the impression that The Primary Child left yesterday, that I never made him any lemon poppy seed bread. He has repeatedly denied having a childhood that he can remember, so I'm sure he's erased this bread from his mind. However, my beloved Perfect Child remembers the bread vividly, so I'm off the hook, so to speak. The Primary Child, to set the record straight, had a wonderful childhood, was a happy, well behaved, smart, and very laid back little kid. Why he chooses to forget those lovely years is beyond me. YES, Primary Child, I am talking to you!!!! He's kinda turned into a pain in the neck, as you can clearly see. :( Calling into question our parenting skills.....the very idea!!! I'm appalled.

Finally, our CSA delivery today will be something other than copious amounts of lettuce and spinach. We'll be getting those again, but will also get some kohlrabi, snap peas, onions and cauliflower. Early deliveries are usually just greens and onions, so I'm always delighted when the other stuff starts producing. Next week, we've been promised some carrots and radishes.
Even with the CSA delivery, I still find myself having to go to the Farmers' Market. I just love the whole experience. The abundance of wonderful, locally grown foods is such a wonderland for me. They also have local artisanal breads and cheeses, which I grudgingly pass by each week. I'm going to be forced to buy some bread and cheese one of the weeks, I can't stand it much longer.

Happy Fathers' Day, and everyone have a great weekend!!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!!!

Yep, I found the little gems right here in good ole Des Moines, Iowa!! We are so very up to date here, ya know. As you can see, they are exactly what you would expect a Chia seed to look like. Upon reading the label, I find that this little powerhouse is full of wonderful properties. It's high in Omegas 3 & 6, as high in antioxidants as blueberries, 6.1 gm. fiber, high in protein, and helps bind "stuff" together to reduce the absorption of sugars. I used the prescribed scoopful in my large green Greek salad with chicken breast last night. I'm not wasting them on Hubby Dearest, and he won't care. :) No noticeable taste or texture, they just kinda disappear into the dish. It's really a little like putting ground pepper on something. You can add it to anything you want, I'm thinking you won't really notice it is there.

On a similar note.....seeds.....apparently here in the DM area local grocery stores are having to sell poppy seeds from the Customer Service counter instead of in the spice aisle!! The bottles of poppy seeds have become the new "must have" for kids. It seems that the teens pilfer bottles of the spice, then take them home and brew tea with the seeds to get high. Since poppy seeds have long been said to have morphine in them, the kids think a bottle of these little babies will make a great little tea to get high on at home. The word on the street is that the tea tastes horrible!! I guess that is something. Think I'll stick with the lemon poppy seed bread I used to make.

It is getting hot and humid here. Still rainy now and then. And of course, we are getting storms, but at least the good old Midwest summer weather is here. As I go about my exercise routines, whatever they may be, I know now I'll sweat for sure now. :)

Well I'll Be "Durned"!!

Weigh in Wednesday brought a lovely surprise today. I was down .6 !! Imagine my total and utter amazement! I'm quite sure it was my choice of the whole wheat bun on my hamburger Sunday evening. :)

I'm thinking it could be a result of all the golf, or the additional strength training I've been getting back to recently. Who knows?? I lost, and that's just dandy. I do have to remember that I cannot afford to eat like a moron on a regular basis and still continue to have good fortune follow me. I must re-double my efforts to eat like a grown up and stay on the healthy path I've tried to set for myself.

Speaking of my strength training.....I am typing this blog post with my nose!!! Every muscle in my upper body (arms in particular) ache and scream "Leave me the hell alone!!". I might have jumped up to my old weight amounts just a bit too soon. OUCH!! Just try to hold down the shift key with your ear while you type with your nose.....it ain't easy!!! Hard to imagine that just a few short weeks away from it could put me in such disarray, but it sure did.

I am on a mission today. After reading the morning paper and finding an article about chia seeds, I'm off to find some in our little burg. There are two health markets, so I'm hopeful. There was mention of the benefits in lowering blood sugar, so since that is my new concern, I'm off to remedy my problem. I put my liver back into the "pink", so to speak, so on to other issues. At the moment, my slightly elevated blood sugar level is my primary focus, SOOOO, chia seeds it will be!! Wonder if after eating them for a while, I'll have to shave more often? And will the hair be green??? These are things I'll ask at the Health Market. Inquiring minds, and all that, don't ya know?

Runnin' Around With Kids

What a fun weekend!! We went to The Primary Grandchild's dance recital on Saturday afternoon. Her dance was one of the first in the program, so we were in the front of the theater and ready to cheer. It was so cute. The little 5 yr olds were so intent on doing their dance, some of them forgot the steps. I laughed 'til I almost cried. Then came 30 additional, mind numbing dances that did NOT include my granddaughter. We had to sit through them to get to the finale, where she would perform again. If we could pick and choose the dances we wanted to see, I'd choose all of the dances that included the kids that were 7 and under, they are definitely the cutest. I realize there were parents there to see the "other" dancers, but really, what is cuter than the little ones? Absolutely NOTHING, they were all the best, but sadly there were only about 5-6 groups of the little ones.

After the recital, we headed out to the Primary Child's house where we relieved the baby sitter and played with "The Pistol", our almost 2 yr old grandson. That's a cardio workout in and of itself. Of course I can't count it in the challenge, but I definitely moved around. :) He is a mover and shaker!! Do NOT stand still and do NOT sit down or you'll lose him. And I certainly don't want to be the one who loses him!!

The lesson I learned from all of this was that if I am going to eat like a 5 yr old or a 2 yr old, I'm gonna have to get moving like a 5 yr old or 2 yr old. Pizza for dinner, with a couple of beers. (NO, I did not give the kids beer, just in case anyone was concerned.) Woke up ready to go again, and off to breakfast we went. Biscuits and gravy, hash browns, bacon and coffee. What in the world was I thinking??? It was wonderful, and I only partially regret my choice. I did think that walking back to Des Moines from Omaha might possibly have worked off half of the calories I consumed. The trip is around 145 miles one way.

Upon our return, Hubby Dearest and I did go over to the golf course and hit balls. I am not in any way, shape, or form a "practicer" but I did want to try out a new club I was wanting to buy, so I drug myself out to the car to accompany him. I figured hitting a few golf balls would at least burn a calorie or two, so I dutifully hit balls for a while. Long enough, in fact, to determine that I did want to buy this demo club!! Hubby Dearest regretted his invitation for me to tag along at this point. So in one week, I'll have a brand new, shiny club to abuse. I'm expecting a real turn around in my game now.

I won't mention what HD and I did next.....stayed at the club for "Build your own burger" night. I had a whole wheat bun, does that count???? Turn it up Tuesday is gonna be a doozey!!!

Will Wishin' Make It So?

When I have a little time on my hands, as I did last night, I begin to think....over think, really. I began pondering my blogosphere friends. I pondered how I envy them, but for entirely different reasons than their weight loss successes and strides in becoming healthier people. Everyone has influenced me in some way or another. Mostly you all make me smile, but I also have a bit of envy goin' on, too.

Having said this, I came up with my "Bloggers' Wish List".

I wish I could be skinny like The Perfect Child.
I wish I could run a marathon like The Primary Child.
I wish I could be Cranky like Cranky Fitness... instead of just old and cranky. :)
I wish I was popular like Patty.
I wish I was as prolific a blogger as Fab Kate.
I wish I was as successful in my journey as Deborah and Suzi have been.
I wish I was as Earnest & Determined as Mary Fran.
I wish I was as wonderfully amusing as Cammy.
I wish I was as informative as The Miz.
I wish I was as busy at working toward my goal as Tina.
I wish I was as irreverent as Jack.
I wish I was as witty as Gigi.
I wish I had the stick-to-it-tiveness that Fat Free Me has.


Now, mind you, I'm not really complaining about my journey and it's twists and turns, I'm just wishin'. Never hurts to have a wish list, in my opinion. But I do want to thank all of you for your encouragement and wonderfully funny comments and blogs. I'm having such a good time with all of you!!! You're all invited over for a healthy dinner next weekend!!! My tomatoes won't be ready yet, but I'll find some at the Farmers' Market!!! :)

In the meantime, I know you'll all want to start packing and making plans for the trip to Iowa, so I won't keep you any longer. Ya'll have a wonderful weekend. I'm going to Omaha for our granddaughter's dance recital, so I'm gonna have a great weekend!!

I Almost Forgot

Ok, so I can get some of the pictures, some of the time. Can't seem to get yesterday's bike ride to download....and I can't seem to get text above the pictures of my tomato planter. But I'm going with baby steps for now. In case you can't read today's bike ride numbers, it is 28.39 min. And that was after 18 holes of golf. As you can see, the first picture is of the still alive and kickin' tomatoes!!!

What I almost forgot was that yesterday was Weigh In Wednesday!!! Not that the numbers were so sterling I simply must tell the world about them, but it was a small loss, nonetheless. I lost .4#. I'm happy with any minus sign at this point. It at least shows progress on my part. I'm also pleased with myself. I'm not giving up when I am not as successful as I'd like, I keep from being hard on myself for my many little "slips", and I'm still tracking my food and staying on the program. My overall commitment stays high, and that certainly has not always been the case, so I have made progress is so many ways, that weight is just a part of the overall achievement.

The diet info the Dr. sent to me is kinda funny. It lists all of the things I committed to do back in March. No real "Must Do's" or "Oh For God Sakes Don't Do That" things on the list, so I guess I'll just keep on with what I'm doing. I do know from NutriMirror that I need to increase my fiber intake, so I'll make that change. I just read that Benefiber makes a little personal sized packet (like Crystal Lite & Lipton) of additives for bottled water. I'm getting some as soon as I find them, as I'd love to add them to my water on the golf course. I actually think using NutriMirror (thanks again, Suzi) will be a great tool for me going forward.

As for the Great Cardio Challenge, the phrase "Insurmountable Lead" is still appropriate. However, I have been so focused on the cardio, I have neglected my strength training and my stretching. I MUST get back to that with more determination. I am starting to feel my arms waving at people when I drive with the windows down. I don't think that's a good sign.

When The Dr. Says "However"

First, it's really nothing horrible, it was just a bit disconcerting. Instead of just mailing all of my blood work results to me, I received a call from the Dr.'s office. Unusual. So that, of course, made me start wondering, what does this mean? I returned the call, assuming it was going to be a warning about my higher reading on the liver panel....since the last reading was slightly higher than it should have been. Not so. The nurse started out telling me my blood pressure was wonderful, my cholesterol was terrific, potassium great, etc. HOWEVER.....my blood sugar is a trifle higher than they would like. Nothing terribly worrisome, but a bit over what they'd like to see. They will send me a new diet along with my written test results. THEN, I asked about my liver panel. "Absolutely great" was the nurse's reply. Down a whopping 51 points from last time!! Not wanting to give away my concern, I asked why the big change? I was told it could have been the change in cholesterol meds I began just before the last blood test, it could have just been an anomaly. An anomaly??? What if THIS current reading is the anomaly, I asked myself? To hell with it, I'm having a drink to celebrate!!! That's that. So now, I just wait for the results and my new diet to appear in my mail box.

As for this new diet, I can't imagine it's going to be lots and lots different than what we are already trying to do, but I'll be interested to see it. I'm still thinking of the resveratrol (sp?) as a "Fountain of Youth" supplement. I keep hearing and reading about people using it and swearing they are getting results with better skin and better energy, just plain better everything. What could it hurt? Of course, this morning I'm reading the paper and an article strikes my fancy. An entire page on the "extras" we might be getting in our vitamins, mineral and other over the counter supplements. Apparently, the oversight on these things isn't as stringent as on prescription drugs, and all may not be as it seems. Ye Gods!!!! When will this all end? Is there nothing out there that is actually 100% good for us?

After proclaiming my new found proficiency at downloading pictures. I have failed at the attempt once again. I had the picture of my bike ride this morning, 37.45 min., and also a lovely shot of my tomatoes growing upside down. I was all set to brag about my tomatoes still being alive, since I am well known for my "black thumb". The plants have teeny tiny tomatoes on them, even.....and they've been alive since I planted them in early May. In the top planter, I have wonderful looking peppers and strawberries, but at this point, you'll have to take my word for it. It's back to the drawing board for me and the picture upload/download thing. I just hate being this stupid, but I'm told admitting you have a problem is half the battle.

Weekend Warrior

Yes, I fought and clawed my way through the weekend. Knowing that there were two dinners we had to be a part of, and knowing that both involved copious amounts of food....both good and bad, I had to really work at preparing myself for what could be a caloric mine field. It was also another weekend with double doses of beef, which is certainly not what we plan. With both of these dinners looming on my horizon, I carefully planned what I would and would not eat, and for the most part, I stuck to the plan. On both days, we played golf, so that helped use up an extra "spud" or two.

Friday night's fillet was absolutely wonderful, but the giant prime rib on Saturday night was a real sight to behold. It was prime rib special night at a local restaurant, so 4 couples took off to enjoy. It was worth the short trip to the place, and the food was simply great. Worth the splurge. I enjoyed it all the more because of the pre-planning I had done to be able to eat the huge chunk of beef without nearly the guilt I'd have felt previously. That, in and of itself, was kind of a nice feeling. I really didn't feel I had cheated the caloric police at all. Guess I'll see if I'm this proud of myself when Weigh In Wednesday rolls around.

As for the Great Cardio Challenge....insurmountable lead, turns out to be just that. The Perfect Child didn't get her full amount of cardio in this week, and I did double duty until my knee rebelled. Her work schedule is so crazy, I'm feeling a little benevolent toward her. I'm considering just letting her buy me my Whole Foods gift card and call off the competition. I hate beating up on the poor and unfortunate. :) And, my knee is recovering nicely. I'm not ready for two a days again, but I'm not in the awful pain I was in when biking/walking. That's a very good deal, as far as I'm concerned. I'll be continuing the cardio, but I'll be doing it with a little more good sense involved. Maybe listen to my knee when it screams "NO MORE" at me.

I'm considering a pro-active move to be kind to my liver. I've heard resveritol (sp?) is good for the liver and is also a skin enhancer/restorer. I should probably do some research before I get into this, but has anyone any info or results using this? Younger looking skin would not be an awful side effect, either. Getting rid of that one little wrinkle would be nice. Did I say ONE little wrinkle? Hmmmmm.

No More Two A Days :(

I realize this isn't a very good picture, but at least I got one extra session in yesterday afternoon.

When last I spoke to The Perfect Child she was on her way to the gym, to give it her all. As it turns out, she may not have to work as hard as I had planned! Seems that the "Two a Days" I've been putting in have had an adverse effect on my knee. (The "real" one.) It is quite swollen this morning, so I'm resting it today.....kinda. I'm playing golf later this morning. If I have to chose between cardio and golf, golf will win out every single time. Sorry, Cardio Gods.

Now to the real "meat" of this blog....if there is such a thing. Today was Weigh In Wednesday, as many of you already know. In spite of myself, I posted a 1.8# loss this week. Imagine my surprise!! Alert the media, I lost more than an ounce or two. YAY!!! That makes my total loss 14.4 pounds. Slow but steady, I guess. Everyone says that any number with a minus sign in front of it is a good thing, so I'm quite pleased. I will not, however, take my loss as a sign that I can err and still come out smellin' like a rose. I need to stay focused. I have little doubt that the excess cardio played a part in this loss, but I'm happy as can be.

Off to the Doc tomorrow morning to get the blood work done. I'm anxious to see if my "stats" have improved at all. My last visit, the cholesterol was way down, so I'm hoping to see that again. Blood pressure has remained just fine and dandy for several years now, so I'm not overly concerned about that. My liver panel has changed a bit since going on a new cholesterol med, so I'm hopeful that has improved, since the Dr. told me exercise should help level that out and improve the number a bit. I'd hate to think my liver is rebelling against me at this late stage.

Now, as I sign off, picture an old, fat, lazy, cranky broad skipping around the house, singing the "I lost 1.8#" song of joy. :) That would be me. :)

The Whole FAM-DAMILY Is After Me Now!!!

Geez, now both of my little darlings are on my case!! The Primary Child had laughed at my inability to get pictures posted. Just because he is the family's "Techno Nerd" doesn't mean we all can be, or want to be. However, after working with this darned thing for about an hour yesterday, and writing down every move I made, I can now find my pictures. So there, Smart Ass PC!!

Just remember, dear children, I am an old person. You have both been taught to respect your elders....THAT MEANS ME!!!!!!!

My next move is to get the pictures in their proper order. This picture is of this morning's cardio on the bike. Golf was cancelled, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to get a bit of an edge on The Perfect Child. I'm trying to see if I can get her to have to ride, walk, glide 3 hrs. this Sat. to catch up. I WILL NOT go down in defeat easily. :) (or quietly) (or politely) This is yesterday afternoon's cardio effort. I was not really busy in the late afternoon, so I hopped on the bike again.....minutes are mounting, PC!!!

(This is supposed to read 40:45) Gotta work on the flash thing. This is my morning's cardio yesterday. I thought this might be it for the day, but the opportunity to accumulate more minutes presented itself later in the day, so I jumped at the chance. "Jumped" might be too strong a word, but I did walk quickly. :)

Lest everyone think I'm really stupid, I do know how to cut and paste on the computer, but for some reason, I'm not able to do it in this blog space. YET!!! Another hour or two, and I should be good to go. BUT, for my Primary Child to suggest we have another challenge on picture posting speed was just mean....especially since I'm already old and cranky. This does not bode well for his name remaining in the will. :)

One last word for the Perfect Child......can you say "Insurmountable Lead"?????

After two rounds on the bike, I have to say my legs were less than steady. In between the two rounds, I did the stairs twice again. Can't count that, but I do like it as a change of pace. We have 16 stairs from the downstairs to the main level, then 16 from the main level to the upper level. I do them both at once, and try to do it at least twice, but really aim for 3 times. That third trip just wasn't in the cards yesterday. Today, it is. I have also been neglecting my strength training, and my right shoulder is telling me it is time to return to it with a little more dedication. Especially since today is "Turn it Up Tuesday", I must really "Git 'er done!" Weigh In Wednesday looms on my horizon, and I want to at least give it my best shot.

Once again......"INSURMOUNTABLE LEAD".....let's all say it again. :)

Competition is Heatin' Up

The Great Cardio Challenge has become a fight now. No longer the friendly exchange of exercise minutes. We can both thank The Primary Child for lighting that fire. He mocked our friendly banter about our cardio minutes. Now, The Perfect Child has gone and done almost 2 hrs. of cardio on Sat., and another 35 min. on Sun. For the first time in the challenge, I am on the low end of the minute marker. I am currently down 2.693 points!!! I find that totally unacceptable, so to assure my victory I am instituting a new plan. I will not divulge that plan just yet, but the Perfect Child had best be for really upping the minutes. My first thought was to hire the little girl next door to run on the treadmill for an hour while I rode the bike, but I thought better of that and decided to do this on the "up and up". :) For now, anyway....the neighbor girl remains an option.

I am now "Sworn Enemy until Aug. 1". I have been demoted from just plain "Mom". Sad, how competition makes us mean and nasty. I think she did temper that remark later, but the pain still lingers. I only hope that when I have to have my other knee replaced, she will be feeling just a tinge of remorse over the damage she has done. :) Nothin' like a little good, old fashioned guilt added to the mix. Right?

Right here would be where I insert the picture, but I have saved the darned thing in 3 different files and still cannot get it extracted and put in this darned blog. Before I had the computer fixed, I could do it with ease, but right now, I'm really struggling with it. Naturally, The Perfect Child has some smart remark about this too. :) I think there must be some program addition missing since the cleaning out of the machine. I certainly can't figure it out, so I guess my blog will now go pictureless for the time being. Damn!!

I harbor no illusions about the success of my eating program this week. I had a wonderful weekend full of foods I know I should not be eating in the quantities I did. Beef, being the big offender. Saturday night was hamburgers on the grill, and Sunday night we had beef tenderloin on the grill. I did have healthy sides....no potato or macaroni salad, but still I know I over did just a speck, so I am not at all tempted to sneak a peek at my weight before Wed. And, while the beef in and of itself was not horrible, we do try to keep red meat meals to a minimum, and two days in a row is not at all what is on our agenda.

Having over done a tad, I'm back in the saddle today. I'm getting much better about regrouping and continuing after a fall off the horse. Used to be that I'd simply give up after a fall, but I'm really trying to stay focused and committed. And, actually, the falls haven't really been as bad lately as they used to be, so things are kinda looking up all around.