Lucky Sunday

Pausing between morning walk and errands to wish you all a happy Sunday!

I've had a good weekend. Yesterday, I returned to the scene of Friday's crime and worked out on the elliptical machine at the gym. It was soooo humid outside, plus I wanted to watch Property Ladder on TLC. :) I did 5k on the elliptical in about 32 minutes, which is a pretty good time for me. I also did some ab crunches on the ball. Decent workout day.

This morning I had an amazing walk! Not the time or distance, those were fairly sluggish, but the temp starting out was low 70s, the sun was shining, birds were singing--perfect walk setting. I walked a 5k in about 57 minutes. I think I did not allow enough time for my legs to recover from the elliptical yesterday. Oh well, it was a great walk anyway.

One thing I realized (yet again) as I walked is what a privilege it is to exercise. As much as we bitch about it, we're really lucky to have the capacity for it. So many people don't. And as I was obsessing (I can walk and obsess at the same time--I'm talented that way) about my saggy knee skin jiggling beneath the hem of my shorts, it occurred to me that there are probably more than a few amputees out there who would be thrilled to have my knees. Same with my sagging other parts. I'm damned lucky to have all my parts and never had to suffer the ravages of chemo/radiation or the pain of reconstructive surgery. Too many people didn't draw that card. So this morning I walked with purpose, a sense of obligation to do it for the people who can't and to acknowledge the gift of having all my working parts in tact, and while I walked, I remembered a proverb, or saying, I read many years ago:

I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.

I'm off to continue my day now, feeling stronger and blessed with so much good fortune that it's almost painful to bear. I wish for you the same, minus the pain. :)

Cake Day, Explained

Because a certain Someone doesn't seem to be able to use the copy/paste feature correctly, Lynne and Sagan have asked for more info on my beloved Cake Day. (Not to worry, I've spoken to Someone about it and she has learned the error of her ways.)

Cake Day worked its way into my fitness plan last winter, when I had challenged myself to complete an extra 1,000 minutes of cardio (beyond my 3-a-week strength training sessions), and I was getting bored.

Plus, I really, really--I mean REALLY--wanted some cake!

I had managed to work all my other favorite foods into my eating plan by allowing myself a monthly splurge meal, but a splurge meal AND cake seemed too much for even me. So I decided to use the cardio minutes I was accumulating and use them for something besides good health and longevity. I'd use them for cake!

A tweak here and tweak there, and now the plan has me enjoying a piece of cake every 2500 cardio minutes expended. So far I've had two piece of cake and was }-{ that close to a third, but I had cookies instead. Which is okay in the end. I'm thinking the next Cake Day might actually be a banana split or a hot fudge sundae. It's the spirit of the event that counts most! It's a celebration of healthy living and joy.

I hope I've explained it enough. If not, let me know in the comments and I'll respond there.

Meanwhile, I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend. Mine started with a nap and that's always wonderful!

Cookies 1, Cammy 0

I was so close. Less than 500 minutes from another Cake Day, and I blew it. The plan was to have one cookie at the staff meeting. I had three-and-a-broken-piece before the afternoon was out. They were smallish cookies (about 2 inches in diameter), but still. One cookie is a splurgette and allowable; three-and-a-bit are a full out splurge. And a splurge violates The Cake Day Covenant. Thus, the Countdown begins anew. I think I will assess myself "penalty points" by not counting tonight's walk (post-splurge, so technically part of the new countdown) toward the new Cake Day. It's only fair.

The cookies were delish, though. :) And thanks to Jason's Deli Salad Bar with all their healthy options, I'm still within calories for the day. My carbs are just a teensy bit skewed.

In better news, I did something fitness-oriented at the staff meeting: I challenged my group to join the 100 push-up challenge (no one looked excited at the idea), and then I presented a challenge I call Top of the World.

Our offices are on the 6th floor of a 10 story building (7 and 11, respectively, if you count the lower level). I looked up the number of stories or story equivalents for some major landmarks around the world, and challenged the group to climb the stairs in our building and report the number of floors they've climbed. They'll earn "badges" when they've climbed the number of stories equal to each of these landmarks. For example, when they climb 102 stories, they earn an Empire State Building Badge. We're climbing the Eiffel Tower, the St. Louis Arch, and Mt. Everest, among others. We're even climbing down and back up the Grand Canyon (800 stories).
We'll see how many takers I have on any of this. If I have 10 out of 50 folks, I'll be surprised. :)

That's about it from my neck of the blogosphere. I'm behind on reading and commenting, but I hope to rectify that in the next hour.

Hope you're all having a wonderful week and are looking forward to a great weekend!

Black Cloud, Blue Skies

You can't help but think it's going to be one of those days when this is how your day starts. That's right, flat tire, and this is as far as I got changing it. The lug nuts were set by the factory, and despite my improved strength I wasn't able to budge them a centimeter. I even stood on the ^$*@ lug wrench and--nada! I doubt I could have budged them at my previous weight, either. It was like they were welded on.

When I next buy a new car, I will ask the dealer to break the seal on the lug nuts and have them torqued on by hand. Then I, a mere mortal, have at least a slim chance of removing them. I had to pay a tire service to come out and even though I had done what you see here, they still charged me the full (and hefty!) price. Adding insult to injury, the tire couldn't be patched and worse, all four need replacing. I managed two today, the other two will wait until next month.

Reeling from the double whammy (I spent almost $300 before 8 a.m.!), I headed off on my errands, black cloud notwithstanding.

And then something wonderful happened. All traffic stopped while Mama Duck and her teens took a stroll. A group of about 20 had crossed just before these stragglers.

It's hard to stay under a black cloud when you get a moment like this.

My first major stop of the morning was a farmer's market. This one is at the train station in downtown Memphis and features, as one might expect, all locally grown vegetables as well as other vendors selling all sorts of natural or handmade products. I bought tomatoes, organic granola, and an ointment for my aching hamstrings.

I also learned that the local bike club sponsors a downtown bike ride that leaves from the market. I'll have to check that out further.

My favorite purchase, though, was a bouquet of fresh flowers from a local grower. In addition to these splashy zinnias, he made me a big, beautiful bouquet that included sunflowers, gladiola and {insert name of two flowers I can't identify here}.

What black cloud?

I returned home from errands in early afternoon, snuck in an hour's nap, and then headed out for a five-mile walk. As it turns out, it will be my last outdoor five-mile walk until the weather cools. I ran out of water around Mile 4, and my fanny was dragging. I'll either bike, use the treadmill here, or hit the elliptical at the gym for any longer workouts for the foreseeable future.

And that brings us up to now. I've just massaged the new Ginger Muscle Rub in to my fractured hamstrings and am waiting for it to miraculously return them to their underdeveloped but pain-free state prior to Wednesday night when Trainer Matt thought it would be fun to wrap a towel around my feet and hang from it while I attempted to "curl" him. My hamstrings may thank him later, but right now? Not so much.

A perfectly ordinary day in the end and not a cloud in the sky. I hope your day was just as blessed.

~

HYC Update - Week 24

I'm pleased, and a tad surprised, to report a 2.8 pound loss from last week (-1.6 from Friday). I honestly don't expect to see those kinds of losses this close to the goal range, but then I've never been anywhere NEAR a goal range before, so what do I know.

Average exercise was good last week, somewhere around 75 minutes per day. That includes a significant amount of heavy yard work (my neighbor keeps yelling at me to rest! LOL), two strength training sessions, one walk and one 8-mile bike ride.

Tonight is the first session of the nutrition class I signed up for. I'm really looking forward to it, as I'm starting to feel the faint stirrings of anxiety as I get closer to a maintenance lifestyle. Even though I'm the one who has made the healthy eating decisions, and I'm the one who exercised six days a week for the past year, and I'm the one who changed her longheld beliefs about fitness and weight loss, it all still feels a little bit "magical", as if I didn't really do that much. Which is crazy girl talk, I think, but then again, I never said I wasn't a teensy bit crazy. :)

Oh well, if the first year was "Getting to the Promised Land", we'll make the second year "Building a House in the Promised Land." I'm going to do everything I can to make it a sturdy house, able to withstand the fiercest storms, because it's where I hope to live for a long, long time.

I hope you all had a magnificent week. I'll try to check in throughout the day, but I'm not sure how far I'll get due to the class tonight. But I'll catch up eventually!

~

Assessment Digest

The trainer's computer is down, so I'm not able to give a breakdown on improvement, but the short version for my one year anniversary assessment is....

81 lbs lost since June12, 2007, total lost 91 lbs!
50 inces lost since June 12, 2007
current resting heart rate: 66 bpm (last year: 80)
3-minute step test heart rate: 89 bpm (last year: 110)
bench press: 95 lbs (I tried 100 twice and just couldn't do it)
push-ups: 30 (a year ago I did 5 "elbow bends", not one single proper pushup)

I'm a little pleased. :)

Quickly thanking the academy:
A big thanks to my friends (Morgan, Moon, Marcy, Sonal and my workteam for encouraement, motivation, and handholding.

Unending gratitude to the trainers at Fitness Together for their assistance. I never expected getting fit to be so much fun!

A huge thank you to all of YOU for your constant and unconditional support. Going through this with people who KNOW what this struggle entails has made all the difference in the world. I thank you for sharing your journeys with me and for allowing me to share my progress with you!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Now, I'm off to do yard work!

~

A New Day

You know, it's very difficult to maintain a blue-sy demeanor with you people dropping by with such warm and genuine good wishes. Thank you. :)



Today is a new day, and yesterday was an okay day after all. As luck would have it, I ran into a mutual friend of the disappointing friend and I, and without bringing up the subject myself, still learned that I'm not the only one who has been put off by her behavior. Doesn't make it any easier, but it does eliminate that pesky What did I do? thing that hovers around my heart even when my head knows it's not about me.

Last night was a good workout: a new exercise (renegade rows--bascially, plank position with dumbbells in my hands that had to be alternately pulled up into my ribcage) and a new world record plank for me: 2 whole minutes!

After the workout, I worked in the yard for an hour: SweatFest '08. It's incredibly humid, but it feels so good to be able to do these normal things now. Before, my lower back started hurting at the slightest exertion, and simple things, like cleaning out a flower bed, took forever to finish. Today, I'm squatting and lunging and bending and lifting without a thought about my back or anything else. I love progress. :)

I worked until after dark, and the reward for all of that effort was the sight of dozens of lightning bugs flitting around my back yard. I sat on the patio for a while and just enjoyed them. It's hard to be blue watching lightning bugs, too.

I'll catch up with your worlds today, and I thank you again for making mine a whole lot brighter!

Melancholy

I’m having the kind of day Timmi* here is having. I hate when that happens.

Normally I’m a pretty cheery kind of girl, but this week has been tough. I recently found out a friend wasn’t as…authentic as I believed her to be, and that’s sad. There are a lot of things I’m not (rich, thin, educated, etc.) , but you can count of me to be as honest, trustworthy, and real as I can be. Authenticity is important to me.

Okay, so what am I doing about it?

Absolutely nothing. Borrowing from MizFit’s Monday message: I’m not the problem.

Still, it’s sad to see a friendship fade, so I’ll allow myself a blues-y day. As long as it doesn’t involve climbing into bed with a box of Little Debbie’s Swiss Rolls and pulling the covers over my head, I think it should be okay. :) Besides, since tomorrow night is manicure/rest night, tonight is my “last chance workout” before the big assessment on Friday. That will be a big emotional energy booster, even as it drains every ounce of physical energy from my body. LOL

I hope you’re all having a Wickedly Wonderful Wednesday !
~

*Timmi is my favorite gibbon at the Memphis Zoo. She appeared to be so sad that morning. I honestly think it might have been some sort of primate PMS.

~

Bike Riding with an Attitude

Simply put, I am a rock star.

If you'll remember, I was planning to ride 12 miles today. Well, I overshot my mark and rode 13.2 miles!

My legs are a quivering mass of jelly right now, but I'm hoping that's a temporary thing.

I'm proud of this ride (as if you couldn't tell), because I was really lost in some negativity at around the 3-mile mark. I was on what has to be the bumpiest road in Memphis, it seemed as though I was having to tackle one hill after another, and my legs were just dead. My mind was cycling through (hee-hee!) one put down after another. I'm never going to get the hang of this. I ought to be able to go faster. My flabby legs look ridiculous. All sorts of useful stuff like that. Over and over and over.

Finally, after a mile or so of that, I got sick of my own self, and got back on track with more helpful internal stuff. I'm not going to get better by NOT doing it. I couldn't go even this far on my first few rides. My legs may be flabby, but they're strong. Ah, much better.

Only two significant events occurred on today's ride, both rather marginal. The first was when I approached an intersection and encountered one of the bike packs that regularly ride the area on Sunday mornings. These are Serious Bikers. They even have jerseys and wear bike shorts and keep pace with traffic.

And then there's me. Riding along at a whopping 10 miles per hour, with my too-big Fitness Together t-shirt and my flabby (but strong!) legs. They all looked at me and then at each other, as if to say, "Who the hell is this person, riding in our territory."

Then the light changed and they rode off, thus avoiding a potentially ugly Jets and Sharks moment.

Something about the way they looked at me (or the way I perceived it, to be more correct) sparked a little energy fuse in me, and I had a new mantra for the remainder of the ride to breakfast: I belong here, too.

The only other item of note was that I passed a dead possum on the side of the road. (If only I'd gotten there sooner!) I'm proud to report that I can now add 'Riding a bike with eyes closed and holding breath for 1/10 mile ' to my biking skills resume. Yuk!

Nothing else of note to report. Oh, wait! I almost forgot! JCPenney! No tip jars, but the cashier certainly deserved a big tip. They were having some sort of "early-bird" sale, and she got me an extra 10% off my purchase. It helped a LOT because I bought a pair of workout shorts, two workout tops (sleeveless!), two pair of every day shorts, a t-shirt, and a pair of pants. Pants and shorts were size 8's (!!!) and tops were all larges due to the flabby belly. (That's not a complaint: I started out in 2x and 3x. Large is a very good thing! *G*). I'm much more comfortable shopping in the "regular" section of the store now, feeling a lot less like an imposter than I did before. An NSV? I'll take it as one.

Is it lunchtime yet? That's the thing about a long ride. It takes a lot to fill up afterward. I'm off to do the countdown. I hope you all have a super Sunday!

~

On a Serious Note

Nothing funny or fun today, my friends. Our fellow blogger, Lisa, and her family are going through a terrible time just now. Lisa's sister, Michelle Barnoski, has been missing since last week. In her post today, Lisa shared a video link of a news story of her sister's disappearance. I hope you'll all take a moment to view it, especially if you live in Canada or the even the northern U.S.



There's not much really that any of us can do, except perhaps to send prayers or healing wishes the family's way. I can't even imagine what they must be going through.

~

In Appreciation

Thank you all so very much for your kind words and warm hugs. I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness.

There are times when death is a gift, and this was one of those times. A few weeks ago, my Aunt Cene was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was a delightful woman, strong and independent (read: ornery) and fun. Until a few years ago when she suffered a stroke, Aunt Cene loved to read--four or five books each week, mostly Harlequin romances, to my dismay--and to cheer her grandchildren on in their Little League pursuits. Simple pleasures for a woman who was grateful for all that she had, even when it wasn't so much. She will be missed, to be sure, but then again, she left a little bit of herself in all of us who knew her. For that, I'm grateful.

The drive up to Nashville for the funeral was uneventful, thank goodness, as was the trip home. I stopped for gas at about 10:00 a.m. and realized then that with the visitation and services scheduled for 11:00 am. - 3:00 p.m., lunch wasn't going to happen. (Thanks, cousins.) A convenience store in Bucksnort, TN (really!) doesn't have a lot of healthy options, but they do have peanuts, and that's what got me through the next few hours. I'll tell you, though, after I cleared Nashville traffic on the trip home, I vowed to stop at the first fast food place I saw! LOL Wendy's won, and it was good.

So was the TCBY fat-free yogurt I had later. :) I'm not worried about the calories. According to the folks at caloriesperhour.com, driving consumes 200 calories per hour and I drove nine hours. If they're even half right, I'm covered.

I managed to get in a good workout yesterday, and I just came home from--ahem!-- an 11-mile bike ride. The hills, the hills....my legs are screaming bloody murder. I may have to spend the rest of the day soaking in the bathtub. LOL

I' m looking forward to catching up on what you all have been up to, and I think that's how I'll entertain myself throughout the day as I attempt to complete some of the multitude of chores. I also need to think about our Makeover Monday post. All I'm going to say is that it will be...intense. :)

Have a super Sunday, everyone! And thanks again for your many kindnesses!

On Leave

Due to a death in the family, I'm temporarily away from blogworld. I'm so sorry to be missing your postings, but I'm very much looking forward to catching up on the weekend. Until I do, I'm counting on you to stay on plan (whatever your plan is), to get your exercise in (I'll know if you don't), and to keep your chins (however many you have--I'm down to two, myself) up and your spirits high. You KNOW you can!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

An Uneventful Bike Ride

The ten-mile bike ride was completed early this morning, and I'm pleased to report that my lifesaving skills were not required today.

I set out at 6:20 a.m. and arrived at McDonald's 20 minutes and 2.5 miles later. With the light Sunday morning traffic, I was even able to ride on some of the busier streets. Woo-hoo! After a breakfast of Strawberry Yogurt Parfait, I set off again and rambled through a couple of nearby subdivisions. A dog gave chase at one point, but I think he saw me as a playmate, as opposed to a snack.

The only other mildly interesting event occurred when I rode up on some sort of soccer tournament for the local Hispanic and Latino teams. The colors of the team uniforms were brilliant in the early morning sunlight. I rode through the soccer park watching the various warm-up routines, but no one needed my help, so I rode on. I finished my ride at 10.3 miles, officially, and felt good.

And hungry. Very, very hungry. I made a Target run (merely as a hunger distraction, you understand), but the situation didn't get any better. Apparently, yogurt is not enough for this chubby body when completing a 10-mile bike ride. So I had a second breakfast. Scrambled eggs and wheat toast. I was still hungry! Not just Oh this sounds good! kind of hungry, but stomach-growling I must have food!, kind of hungry. Fortunately, a friend called and distracted me with a good long conversation. And then it was lunchtime. Whew! :)

I'll have to figure out a different way to eat on mornings when I'm riding or walking longer routes. The goal is to extend the distance, but if it also extends the caloric requirement, then I need to know how to manage that. Sounds like a trainer question to me. Or maybe a question some of you might have answers for? Pretty please?

No painting yet, due to an excessively humid spell we're having, but I did pick up a gallon of paint to try. Maybe tonight after the threat of storms has passed. I've been working on other items on the Cammy-do list, primarily sweat-inducing (and swear-inducing) gardening. I've also worked in a pretty good nap.

Oh! Target! I meant to mention for you U.S. folks that Target has a sale on some workout wear. Lots of pretty colors in their sports-bra offerings. They've also got Luna Bars and Clif Bars for $5 per box for a slight savings. (I believe they offer most of the sales online as well as at stores.)

And that's the Cammy Report. Tomorrow is a 5-mile ride early and a workout with the trainer late in the day. In between...who knows?

Hope your weekends are fun and eventful (the good kind of eventful, that is.)

~

On Tap for this Weekend

Happy Memorial Day!

My Cammy-Do list for the weekend is several pages long, and it's getting off to a s-l-o-w start. My legs are just about done in from tonight's exericse. I think I'll do a lot of "sitting and sorting" projects tonight. :)

If I may brag just a moment, I not only walked for 30 minutes after lunging and squatting and leg-curling and mountain climbing and planking for 45 minutes, but I also challenged myself to climb these steps near the end of the walk. I'm glad I did because it turned out they weren't that bad--just steep. :)

As I mentioned, lots to do this weekend: gardening tomorrow, mostly cleaning out weeds and such. Tomorrow afternoon I'll try to work in a walk, depending on how the gardening and a couple of other projects go. If I can't fit the walk in, I'll be more than glad to count several hours of vigorous yard work as my Daily Do.

On Sunday, I hope to start the day with a 10-mile bike ride. I also hope to primer and paint one bedroom wall to make sure I like the color once it dries. (Lessons learned) And maybe while the paint dries, I can finally replace my ratty mailbox. Hmm, now that I think about it, a coat of paint for it would be a good thing too.

Monday's exercise will be with the trainer and probably the same park I went to tonight. If the Sunday painting happens, I'll continue that project on Monday. Plus, as always, there's laundry and such to be completed.

I kind of wish I hadn't typed all that out. I feel myself fading already! Uh-oh, this calls for a motivation/reward plan, and I think I'll use reading your blogs during my rest breaks as a reward! That will inspire me!

Now I jut have to figure out how to keep myself from just sitting here and doing that all day long anyway. :)

A safe and happy Memorial Day to all!

~

Playing with Fire

I made the pumpkin spice bars, and I ate one. Or six. I forget. The picture below is the actual result of my efforts. Not bad. I took them to work to ensure they wouldn't all be cluttering up my belly. People seem to like them.

This recipe calls for a 15-oz. can of pure pumpkin and one box of spice cake mix. Stir it all together and bake in a greased (or Pammed, in my case) 13x9 in. cake pan at 350 for 38 minutes. Couldn't be simpler, and they turned out...okay. A friend suggested adding raisins to the mix, which I think is a great idea.

The one thing I didn't like about working with the pumpkin was the sticky factor. It finally occurred to me after I had wrestled the batter into the pan (not an easy task) that Pamming the spatula would have helped. Live and learn.

Thank you to those of you who offered additional pumpkin recipes. I may try a pumpkin smoothie at some point. I've also heard of just stirring yogurt and pumpkin together for a treat.

You might think that pumpkin bars were enough kitchen excitement for one night, but the fun didn't stop there. I didn't exactly "cook" my dinner, but it did involve reheating and stirring and, you know, multiple ingredients. To me, that's cooking.

My other culinary masterpiece was a healthy barbecue sandwich with coleslaw. I had some leftover barbecued pork loin from the weekend, and I wanted to make a sandwich with it. Unfortunately, I also love coleslaw on my bbq, but it's so calorific that I usually avoid it. It's just not a barbecue sandwich without coleslaw! It occurred to me on my way home from work that I could make my own coleslaw. Imagine that! So I stirred up some shredded cabbage, carrots, Light Miracle Whip (just a dab), mustard, celery seed, and fresh-cracked black pepper--voila!--healthy coleslaw! I had about a cup of it for 30-40 calories and loads of healthy fiber. (I'll be having it again this weekend with turkey dogs.)

Since I didn't have any sandwich buns, I used whole wheat hot dog buns for assembling my masterpiece, thus inventing The 'Cue Dog. (I had already invented The BBQ Taco and The 'Cue-rrito several years ago.) I tugged some of the "inside bread" out and filled the hole with coleslaw. Then a layer of meat, a layer of bbq sauce, and I was set. I wish I had thought to take a picture of it, because it was delicious!

All that cooking wore me out, and I went to bed early. :) It could've been the 11 flights of stairs I walked yesterday or the 2 miles I walked after that, but my money's on the extensive-for-me kitchen work. :)

I hope you all had a great day and an even better one today! And thanks again for the yummy pumpkin suggestions and other kindnesses!

~

Makeover Monday: The "F" Word

Last Monday we pampered our external selves, but this week I want to take care of an internal bit of pampering. Since I write this blog for myself, primarily, this is pampering I need. If it's not something you need, I apologize for making you skip a week. :)

This week's makeover topic was prompted my my reaction to seeing a before-and-now comparison picture of myself, along with a brilliant post by The Diet Book when something similar happened to her. I can't speak for V. (though I would if she would only pay my commission), but my immediate response was the really ugly F-word.

No, not that F-word. That's ugly enough, but to my eternal embarrassment, there are times when it is the only word that will do.

Nope, the F-word I'm talking about is Failure. When I saw that picture of myself, that's the first word that leapt to mind. Not a happy memory of an office Christmas party (happy memories of those being a rarity), not a fond remembrance of my "sparkly shirt" which has long since been donated to Goodwill, not even an appreciative and well-deserved pat on the back for the progress I've made.

All I saw was the woman who was a failure at controlling herself. And that made me angry...and ashamed. I'm so much more than that. I was more than that then, too. When I look at those pictures, I want to see that woman. Yes, she was fat, but that didn't define her. Not really. Even friends who see the picture now are puzzled. They didn't see me as that size either. (What I get for having non-judgmental friends. *G*)

I know I'm not alone in this reaction. Some of you may not have the same reaction, but for those of you who do (or have), I'd love you to join me in replacing the ugly F-word--failure--with one that's much more beneficial: forgiveness. That's what I need, anyway. To forgive myself.

Here's my start: A Declaration of Forgiveness. A simple, yet extremely hard-to-write, statement of exactly what I forgive myself for. (Feel free to pass over it, or adapt it to your needs and choose whatever method works for you. Your blog, a private journal entry, a whispered promise--anything that will free you from your past.)

My Declaration of Forgiveness
I forgive myself for wasted opportunities, for not living my best life for the past 30 years. While I have many happy memories and have experienced great joys, I know now it was not my best life and I know that the the time cannot be reclaimed.

I forgive myself for the periods of gluttony, laziness, poor choices when I knew better, and a deaf ear when someone tried to tell me a better way.

I forgive myself for the damage I've done to my body over the years and commit myself to repairing what I can.

I forgive myself for letting down the people who loved me, those who wanted me to have a better life.

I forgive myself for existing in a world of anger, hurt, and sorrow and not recognizing it or when I did, for ignoring it or pretending I didn't care.

I forgive myself for the periods when I didn't even try.

I forgive myself for the times I did try and wasn't successful or gave up too soon.

I forgive myself for seeing myself as a complete failure when I've had so many other successes.

And finally, I forgive myself for the repeated attempts it will likely take for me to let go of the past completely and focus on the bright and shiny future I've created for myself. I will keep trying until the job is done.

Again, I apologize if this week's makeover was an area in which you didn't need any "re-work", although if you didn't, I'm extremely happy for you! I hope you understand my need to do it and that you'll...well, that you'll forgive me. :)

Happy Monday to all!

This post has been brought to you by the good F-words: forgiveness, freedom, focus, fitness, fun, and last but not least, fiber. :)

~

~

I Saved a Life Today

I wish I could find my Lifeblood button that has that saying on it. I'd put it on and wear it for all the world to see. Everyone in my subdivision, anyway.

On my bike ride this morning, I passed an apartment complex with one of those man-made "lagoons" (because, you know, Memphis is noted for its lagoons), and what should I see easing down the curb lane?

A turtle!

This isn't the actual critter, but it looked something like this one. It was about a foot long with its head extended and about 8-10 inches across. And it was crawling down the street! And not facing traffic, either.

Now, I'm not a wildlife kind of girl, particularly when the life is of the reptilian persuasion. (Turtles are reptiles, aren't they?) No matter. It had a scaly look about it, and that's enough for me. Besides, I don't know nuthin' 'bout pickin' up no turtles, and I was afraid I'd hurt it.

The goofy creature kept trying to crawl into the street, so lacking a better idea, I got off my bike and rolled it along between the turtle and the street, trying to keep him close to the curb and all the while trying to flag someone down as they blew by me in their gas-guzzlers. It was scary times, lemme tell you. Memphis isn't known for it's kindness to cyclists. I suspect turtles would fare even worse!

There was about 10 feet between us and the "lagoon", which I assumed was his home. I couldn't find a break in the curb anywhere that I might corral him through (turtle wrangling not being one of my strong suits), and I could only hope that someone would come along who would help.

The turtle and I reached the entrance to the apartment complex and asked two gangsta types lounging at the gate if they could help us. (I did most of the talking.) Sunday a.m. business being slow, they crossed the street to take a look, but like me, they were skittish about picking it up. Before they left, the guys confirmed my earlier suspicions about the life expectancy of the turtle by reporting (in vivid and colorful detail, thanks so much) that an even bigger turtle had been obliterated on a nearby cross street.

Pokey and I continued our torturous journey, he having some apparent destination in mind. Or so I thought. After a while, he stopped and stuck his head up, gazing longingly (it seemed to me) at the water.

And then a miracle happened! A car stopped in the turn lane and the driver asked what was up. I explained that I was just out taking my turtle for a walk, which he totally "got" as a joke and laughed.

I'll pause here to report that this guy was very handsome. Think young Denzel with a brilliant smile. I seriously regretted not taking the time to put my contacts in or a dash of makeup. Oh well, considering the approximate 25-year gap in our ages, it probably wouldn't have made a difference.

Back to the story: Denzel got out of his car and walked over to survey the scene up close. He didn't want to pick up the turtle either. I observed that if he had a cardboard box or even a piece of cardboard, we could maybe build the turtle a ramp to get over the curb. Denzel looked at me funny and started backing his way to his car. I was considering begging him not to abandon us, when he returned with a floor mat from his car! My hero! I mean, Pokey's hero!

We managed to scoot the mat under the turtle and carry it to safety. The ungrateful lout paid us back by peeing all over Denzel's floor mat and, since that was my end, my hand. Eeewwwww! Turtle pee!

With a smile and a wave, Denzel was on his way with my profuse thanks on Pokey's behalf, but alas, without my phone number. :( When he was gone, I pushed my bike alongside Pokey, much like we'd been doing on the street, as he made his way to the water's edge and dove in.

Dumbass landed on his back and had to thrash around a bit to right himself. I was NOT going in that "lagoon" after him. I suspect he's not long for this world. Poor Pokey.

What I learned from all this (other than to wear sunscreen for even the shortest of rides) is that I need to be better prepared on these excursions. I needed my cellphone to call Animal Control and ask how to pick up a turtle, and a towel would have been useful in place of Denzel's floor mat.
I could've also used a brick or two to toss through windshields of passing motorists and some disinfecting wipes (refer to turtle pee section). To that end, I think my 90-lb. reward will be a rack pack for my bicycle. Sure, I can use it for groceries and such, but it will also contain a Turtle Rescue Kit, just in case.

The rest of the ride was boring uneventful, but I cut it short at 30 minutes. Too much excitement in one day, you know. It's not every day you can get your cardio in and save a life.

And have a turtle pee on your hand. ::shudder::


How sad is it that I'm blogging this? :)

Not as sad as Monday staring us in the face. Have a happy one, everyone! And don't forget tomorrow is Makeover Monday. Something a little more serious on tap for this week.

~

All Carbed Out (and Nip It! follow-up)

What a great day! If you'll remember, today was my annual family reunion, and I had the pleasure of surprising folks with my new, fitter me! There were indeed dropped jaws, and many, many expressions of joy and pride.

And carbs. There were lots and lots of carbs.

Not to worry, as this was my splurge meal. I had a great workout with Trainer Kevin last night and plans for cardio for later this afternoon, so I dug in with relish. Well, not relish, literally, since there wasn't any on the table. There were some yummy sweet-dill pickles, though. :)

I skipped anything "normal" on the table. Things like green beans, ham, cheeses, breads--I have those frequently. I skipped the fried chicken because it was store-bought and NOT my Memaw's fried chicken. (Principle!) Instead I opted for lean roast pork, deviled eggs...and carbs: corn, baked beans, a dab of potato salad, and spaghetti. Not horrible, but definitely a splurge meal.

And then there were the desserts. My cousin had mentioned how she admired my willpower, but when she saw my dessert plate, she said, "I take it back."

I looked down at my thin (1/2"?) slice of caramel cake, my half-a-brownie, and my sliver of strawberry cake, and told her it WAS willpower, because that was about half of what I really wanted. :)

The hardest part of the day was trying to explain to people that I wasn't dieting, that I eat a healthy-ish diet 99% of the time with the occasional splurge. My parents, especially, kept asking me if such-and-such was on my diet. They just couldn't understand that EVERYTHING there was "on my diet." I could have any of those things any time I want, just not all in one meal. Not even all in one week. :)

Given the portions I ate, I would've probably been within my calorie count for the day without one or two of the desserts. I would've been out-of-balance on my carb:protein ratio, but that's what splurge meals are about. I hope I didn't get snippy with any of my "advisors", but I suspect I did. Sorry.

While it was fun to visit with family (most of whom I see at this one event each year), I was eager to get home and DO something. With all those carbs rushing through my system, my feet were practically itching to walk. And so I did.

I walked and walked and walked. Believe it or not, I walked FIVE MILES. All at once. Fast! I clocked in at 1:22:50, which even allowing for any erroneous mapmywalk mileage, means I walked something between a 15 and 16 minutes mile for FIVE MILES. I have never done that before! Maybe there's something to this carb-loading. LOL

At one point during the walk, I noticed my fingers were tingling and looking down, I could see that they were white and sausage-y. I don't know what that was about, but when I lifted my arms and started pumping them as I walked, the swelling and discoloration (decoloration?) was almost gone. They're fine now. If I opt for walking tomorrow, I will NOT be walking five miles. Maybe a 5k.

So I think the abundant carbs are gone now, but they sure were fun while they lasted! I'm back on plan and looking forward to a dismal weigh-in on Monday. :)

In response to excellent Nip It! comments, a little follow-up:
- Sagan Morrow and Nicole suggested tea as a snack replacement. (Sagan also suggested carrots--YUM!) I wish I liked tea. I've tried several flavors and it's just not doing anything for me. BUT you reminded me that I have some sugar-free cocoa (25 calories per cup) in the pantry, so I may have that the next time I'm feeling overly snacky.

- Pattie asked about any "busy hands" hobbies. Sadly, I have none. My main hobbies are reading and writing, both of which I need to do more of. Your question reminded me, though, that I have many "busy hands" projects around the house here, and a snack attack would the perfect time to accomplish those. (It would be nice to have my filing from the past...um, year or so complete, too!)

- tas asked about my hunger scale. While I'm certain I didn't invent the idea of the hunger scale, I can no longer remember the original source of the one I adapted for myself. Unfortunately, I can't find the index card I had it written on, but it was something along these lines:
Stage 1 - starving, legs jiggly, lightheaded
Stage 2 - major stomach rumbling
Stage 3 - "I could eat, but I'm okay."
Stage 4 - "I feel good."
Stage 5 - "I couldn't eat another bite."
Stage 6 - "I think I'm gonna hurl."

I also assigned "snack appropriateness testing" levels for stages 3-5 (mostly 4 and 5, because snacks are frequently okay in stage 3). I don't remember all the levels, but I know boredom, stress response, and Pavlov were in there somewhere. I'll keep looking for the card. Maybe it's in my box of filing. :)

Although yesterday morning's thoughts were frequently taken over by Barney's "Nip it!" voice, by afternoon I was able to convert it to something useful. I now hear my own voice, and it's saying:

Not
In
Plan!!

I am too corny for words sometimes. :)

I'm off to put my feet up! I hope you all had a super Saturday and are looking forward to an even better Sunday!

~

Nip It!

I am currently under snack attack, for some reason. Nothing devastating to the flabby waistline (an extra banana here, a sugar-free pudding there), but I don't like this deviation from my routine. I feel a little less in control, if you know what I mean. As I type this I've decided my best counter measure may be the retrieval from the desk drawer of my "hunger scale", which is an index card with ratings for the level of hunger I'm feeling (or think I'm feeling.) I suspect some of the snacking may actually be Level 1 "I'm really just bored" snacking, and that Will.Not.Do. In the words of the immortal Barney Fife, I need to "Nip it! Nip it in the bud."

Oh, terrific. Now I'm going to go around all day singing "Nip it!" in my head.

Wait, that might actually work.

::sigh::

The things I do to be fitter.

Before I return you to the normal world, I'd like to thank you commenter friends for giving me an awesome idea for my (pending, I'm sure) Goal Celebration! When I reach goal, I will post a photo of my very own feet! LOL Do NOT ask me why I think this is a good idea, but it struck my fancy and it seems like fun. And if we're not going to have fun here, then let's just all pack it in. (For the squeamish among you, I will try to figure out how to post the image behind a cut. I have awfully big feet so the image will be large by necessity. *G*)

Hmm, so other than the sincere thank you, I have nothing truly worthwhile to contribute to the community today. Time to sign off. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

And remember: Nip it!

In Lieu of Anything Intersting

How much did I enjoy reading your blog name origins?!! There's not a word for it. "Immensely" will have to do, I suppose. You all are a delightful mishmash of creative, thoughtful, practical, fun, and funny people!

So what did I do today? Well-l-l, after I read to Wally (I still need to explain that someday), I went to Macy's to pick up my Mother's Day gift for Mom. She's getting a lovely sterling necklace and a gift pack from Lush. (Note: I bought nothing for myself.)

Then it was off to lunch. To save your neck, I'll tell you that this is Holiday Ham & Deli, a.k.a. The Cake Place.

This, as you can see, is NOT cake. It's their tuna salad plate with tomatoes instead of cottage cheese. That's a paltry scoop of tuna, but considering they use real mayo, I didn't complain. Plus, it was, you know, enough. I won't be getting it again, though, as it's a little pricey for the serving.

And then there was cake. Strawberry Cake, to be precise.

I made a new rule during the Cake Choice Finals: Cake Day must be observed outdoors! There's no really good reason for this decision, other than it was a pretty day, although I suppose it will also help when I declare Cake Day Hiatus from mid-November through the end of the year.

But that's then and this is now. I just wanted to be outside today, so off I went to find a park with available tables, which was difficult on such a pretty day. It took me three tries, but I did and the cake was delicious!

I just don't want anything sweet for a while. :)

After lunch was a bike ride, the longest one yet: 10 miles! The first mile was the toughest, but some of the hills were a bit of a strain. It took me about an hour to ride it, with the only breaks being a brief stop to re-insert earphone and another to pick up some sunglasses that were in the middle of the road. (If you're looking for lost sunglasses in the Memphis suburbs, I put them on the curb on the west side of the road.)

And then what? Oh, a trip to the thrift store (nada!) and then to Barnes & Noble to pick up a book for my grandmother's Mother's Day gift and two books for myself. And then dinner and then home.

Now, wasn't that fascinating?! LOL I truly do hope your day was significantly more interesting, though I suspect it couldn't have been anymore enjoyable than the one I had.

Plus, I just noticed I've already accumulated 220 more points toward the next Cake Day!



~

Mommy, Where Do Blog Names Come From?

As I was touring my Google reader last night, I was struck by the...unusual nature of some blog names, especially among my fitness buddies. Some names are staightforward, some aren't. It got me to wondering how you all came up with your blog names or why you chose the ones you did.

For myself, if you've been here any length of time, you know that my approach to fitness is a gradual one. I've made small changes over time that have brought me to where I am now, and there will be more changes in the future. One day, pre-blog, when I was explaining this concept to a co-worker, and trying to emphasize the need for patience, she interrupted me to ask, "Yes, but what diet are you on?" I took a deep breath and said, "It's the Tippy Toe Diet. You sneak up on it."

She never did get it, but it was a lightbulb moment for me. :)

Later I extended the analogy to include an image of myself standing on my tippy-toes reaching for the stars. It works for me either way.

But enough about me! How did you choose your blog name?

Personal note: Thanks for all the kind comments and well wishes on my bling day!

~

Have Shoes, Will Travel

The really cool thing about walking as exercise is that you can do it just about anywhere. Take today, for example. I was in the middle of errands and I passed a pretty little park.

Hmm, I thought, I should plan to walk there someday. My toes were fairly wiggling in my shoes at the prospect. As I was pulling away from the corner stop sign, I realized that the shoes being subjected to all that wiggling were my walking shoes. My iPod shuffle was in my purse. I had nowhere to be for another hour. In less than a minute, I had successfully made a U-turn, parked the car, and was approaching the trail.

It's a nice little walk, about a 1/2 mile of crushed rock. Most of it is wooded, but there are a couple of short stretches of open field. I plan to take the bike there tomorrow as part of a longer ride.

Today's bike ride was cancelled due to excessive auto traffic in the neighborhood. It seems the annual neighborhood rummage sale was today, and I didn't really feel my navigational skills were up to dodging bunches of folks hopping in and out of cars to drive another 500 feet for the next sale. The thought of all those car doors popping open gave me the jitters.

I passed on the rummage sales, but I did make a trip to the local thrift store. I'm pleased to report that I found a pair of jeans that fit (size 10!!!) and look pretty good. They'll look even better with my shaper shell on. I also found a top, a purse, and a small carry bag for my bike. Total cost for all: $15.09. Score!

And it's really sad to say that the park and the thrift store were the highlights of my day. LOL A nice, boring Saturday. Those aren't so bad every now and then!

I hope you all had a lovely day!

Weekend Finale

Wow, what a weekend! I have overspent and am overspent.

Pouring rain today, so no bike ride. My precious new baby is NOT going to get wet this early. Plus, I don't really think I'm ready for wet pavement. :) I did get a helmet, so Tuesday night will find me touring the subdivision again.

I did my second Elliptical 5K early, early this morning. I'm not sure how, but I cut over 1-1/2 minutes off my previous time. Today was 33:09! I suspect it was the difference in exercising early vs. after a long day at work. Anyway, I was exhausted, sweaty, and proud when I finished.

Also in favor of improved fitness today, I purchased new training shoes. These are Asics and they're a little more flexible and have a slightly wider base, which should help on the lunges and such. And Lord knows, I need all the help with those I can get. LOL

(Yo, Andrew! Might want to move on to another blog now. :))

Now, about these Lush products. I purchased the Ultimate Shine shampoo bar and Veganese conditioner. Two thumbs up for both! (Does that require four thumbs?) My hair is really shiny and soft. I also bought the Love Lettuce facial mask, and I like the way it feels (but boy, is it cold!). I don't suddenly look ten years younger, but my skin feels super clean.

Now to the problem product. I bought two massage bars--Wiccy Magic Muscles (of course!) and Mange Too. I tried the Wiccy one tonight, and I confess I'm sort of at a loss as to how to use it exactly. Do I rub the bar directly on my skin? Should I dampen my skin first? I'm perplexed and any hints or tips would be appreciated!

My To-do list still has a few things on it, thanks mostly to the rain. But some things that weren't on the list got done, so I'm pleased. One big thing I did was to finalize a master list of all the remodeling/repair projects that need to be done and began prioritizing them and listing dependencies and sub-projects and such. I hope to have a loose schedule put together by the end of the week. It makes me a little tired thinking of it all, but then again, that's why I'm committing it to spreadsheet. I'll enjoy ticking off all those items! The tippy-toe approach to remodeling. :)

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

~

Tour de Subdivision

Score! I have a bicycle. It's a Specialized Expedition Sport '08 in titanium finish. I added a rack and a small computer thingie to it that keeps track of trip mileage, total mileage, miles per hour, etc. I think it even provides a horoscope. :)

I took my shiny new bike out in the subdivision this afternoon, not venturing too far because I don't have a helmet yet. I'll fix that tomorrow. I still won't stray too far from home, though, because my technique needs a little work. I'm a tad wobbly and I can't seem to stand up to peddle when it would be helpful. I'll practice amongst my neighbors first before venturing out into the general population.

The day was so-o-o busy! I spent longer at the church rummage sale than I intended. No one recognized me, which is partially because they're an elderly congregation with poor eyesight and memories (I see most of them once a year), but also because of the weight loss. One woman who grew up with my father and his sisters says I look like my Aunt Betty. Fortunately I adored Aunt Betty, so it was a huge compliment.

One small irony about the rummage sale: I've been attending for about five years and NEVER have they had clothing in my size. This year, of course, there was an entire table of plus size clothes. LOL Oh well, I still found a couple of tops in my new size, as well as a few other items. My total purchase cost was $2.00. I love this sale!!

After a stop at McD's for a yogurt parfati, it was on to Macy's, since they opened TWO HOURS before Dillard's. I found three shirts in the Liz Claiborne section within minutes. They were on sale and tax free, so I used all my remaining gift cards and headed out the door. Well, almost out the door. I stumbled into this new section of the store featuring LUSH skin & hair care products, which I'd never heard of before. Most of their products are entirely natural and vegetarian-friendly, with many of them being vegan-safe. I can't wait to try out the shampoo, conditioner, lotion & mask I bought. (Okay, so I went a little overboard. Sue me.) I'll report back on the results.

The rest of the day was filled with chores and such. I'll update the list tomorrow. I'm pooped!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Saturday!

~

Weekend To-Do List

I love making lists. It helps me identify what needs to be done and develop a plan for accomplishing it. Pity making lists doesn't actually do the accomplishing part, because that's where I seem to have trouble.



I've always liked the quote: "Like actions create like results." It's true, and sometimes desirable, but not this weekend when I need to get quite a few things done. So I think I'll pull out the old fitness blogger trick of stating my goals and commitments and then checking back in on Sunday evening with results.



Friday evening:
1. Workout with trainer (complete)
2. Laundry (in progress)
3. Check cabinets & fridge; Make grocery list



Saturday
1. Attend church rummage sale.
2. Exercise p.m.: gym, cardio 30 minutes
3. Grocery store
4. Dillard's (tax free weekend)
5. Bike search (two stores)
6. Clean off patio
7. Clean out storage room
8. Grout shower
9. tape off master bedroom for painting
10. Measure mailbox for replacement
11. Write 1 page of fiction


Sunday
1. Exercise a.m.: gym, cardio (5k on elliptical)
2. Home Depot or Lowe's for primer and new mailbox
3. Replace mailbox
4. Pay bills
5. Prepare 4 sets of workout clothes for following week
6. Prepare 5 outfits for work
7. Vacuum back part of house
8. Write 1 page of fiction

There, that's competely do-able. If I find a bicycle to bring home with me, I may substitute the Saturday cardio with a bike ride.

Oh, and speaking of exercise, Swizzlepop is having a May Exercise Challenge. You might want to check it out.

Hope you all have a marvelous weekend!

Rest Day for Wimps

Today is my Cammy Doesn't Have to Exercise Day. And not a moment too soon! I thought about putting it off until Saturday, but my body said, "I don't think so."

For the first time in a while, I wimped out and couldn't finish all of my workout with the trainer last night. (I owe him a set of 40 mountain climbers and some makeup planks, because mine were pit-i-ful.) He said I wasn't a wimp, because we did a bunch of stuff including some sort of Hungarian or Romanian dead lifts, but I felt like a wimp. My arms just wouldn't hold me up after the first plank. Stupid arms.

In the post workout stretch and wimp/not-a-wimp discussion, we decided the likely culprit was my Tuesday night cardio workout. (I swear, it seemed like a good idea at the time.) I got it in my head to "elliptical" a 5K, since running hasn't worked out, and somewhere along the way I decided to try to do it in less than 35 minutes. I did (34.48), but I didn't realize that all that to-ing and fro-ing with the arms was a fairly intense workout in and of itself. Since I had just put those arms through a vigorous workout the day before, they really didn't need all that activity.
Add in last night's workout, and it's no wonder they wimped out. Poor tired arms.

So let this be a lesson to you! :) Rest days are important for building stamina. Don't get so caught up in challenging your new, fit self to scale greater heights that you forget to rest every now and then.

Have a great day!

~

Body Fat Follow-up and Peanut Butter

Trainer Kevin has left me barely able to sit upright, but I wanted to get this posted before my complete collapse.


Thanks so much for your kind words and such on my body fat news. My personal trainers are a little dubious about the results, so we're going to do another test with them soon to see how close their numbers are to the gym manager's reading. Her margin of error, if there is one, wouldn't be significant enough to put me too much higher, so I'm still mighty happy with these results.


In her kind comments, Diana mentioned that the number seemed low in comparison to her understanding of what constitutes normal-healthy body fat percentage. Ditto for me, Diana. Like you, I thought low-to-mid 20s was a really good number. And it is. It turns out that anywhere between 16%-25% is good for a woman in my--ahem-age group. (If you scroll to the bottom of the link, there's a handy reference chart.)


What I didn't take the time to mention last night was that the gym lady suggested that I get to 9% body fat by losing--get this--38 more pounds!! Oh yeah, that's going to happen. For one thing, I doubt I can lose 20 more pounds. Forget about twice that. LOL Also, I don't care to BE 9% body fat. Am I crazy? I'm thinking I would look gaunt, plus the only curves I'd have left would be the skin flaps where my breasts and hips are now. No, if I can affirm and keep a body fat % under 20 and lose another few pounds, I'll be quite content. Very content. Elated even.


On to other news, and this is HUGE: The folks at Hungry Girl report that Peter Pan has a whipped creamy peanut butter that has 50 less calories per serving than most other PBs! I did not know this! Do you have any idea what this means? I can have a peanut butter & banana sandwich (on whole wheat, of course) for 300 calories! I'm in heaven!


Oh, btw, the HG folks have a new book of recipes coming out soon. I'm looking forward to checking it out. They use a lot of "shelf products", but they mostly choose healthier options. My kind of people.


Okay, I'm toast. I hope you all had a fantastic day and enjoy an even better tomorrow!



~

Stop the Presses: Late-breaking Development

From dictionary.com

cloud nine
–noun Informal. a state of perfect happiness (usually in the
phrase on cloud nine).
[Origin: 1955–60]

Okay, so if perfect happiness is cloud nine, I'm not sure what cloud number I'm on. Oh wait, yes I do. It's cloud 14, or 14.7 to be precise. That, my friends, was the news I got tonight when I had a body fat check-up at the gym. A year ago my body fat was measured at 36.3% and tonight it's 14.7%, belly fat notwithstanding.

Color me happy.

And proud.

Now seems like the perfect time to thank you all again for your tremendous support. Most of us didn't "meet" until January, but that was a bit of a blessing, I think. Getting to know all of you kept me focused and committed through the ugliness of winter. I appreciate you all so very much!

~

A Day in the Life

Before I forget, Felicia had asked about where we live, and I finally found a picture of my house:

My house is a traditional sort of house, dining room on the left, living room on the right, master bedroom on the far right. There are two more bedrooms, a den, and the kitchen & laundry room on the back half of the house. It's L-shaped, with a driveway long the left side leading to a garage in the very back. I've lived here about 5 years, and I like the neighborhood. It's only a few miles from work and from an interstate connector. I can be in downtown Memphis in about 15 minutes. It's a good place to live.

So, gorgeous day today in Memphis, if a bit cool. One of those Saturdays that was extraordinarily ordinary. I like those.

For the play-by-play:
4:30 a.m. - Woke up. No, no, it's SAT-urday! Arrgggh! Wide awake. Since I had Things To Do this morning, I got up and managed to get a few of them done before I left the house at...
6:00 a.m. - Read the newspaper to Wally, an elderly man (a former neighbor), who has macular degeneration and can't see well enough to read. About eight years ago we started meeting for breakfast every morning, during which time I read the sports page and other assorted articles to him from the paper. He's a life-long Chicago Cubs fan, so the summers can be quite long. :)
7:30 a.m. - Hit the gym for 30 minutes of elliptical and then went to McD's for a yummy strawberry yogurt parfait.
8:30 a.m. - Cleared living room staging area of all boxes destined for my father's Men's Club rummage sale. Did one last tour of the house for anything else to add to the pile and amazed myself by finding quite a few more things to donate. It's starting to look simpler around here.
11:00 a.m. - Target. Picked up a gift card for my sister's birthday gift. She's moving, and I thought she might prefer a gift card for any of those "new home" things she might want to buy.
11:30 a.m. - Subway. Turkey sub on whole wheat, fat free chips. Then home again.
12:50 p.m. - Nap. Ahhhh. A whole hour.
1:50 p.m. - Piddling around time. Read a few blogs, began getting ready to head out to an early dinner for my sister's birthday. My dad has major acid reflux and has to eat pretty early.
4:00 p.m. - Family dinner. A very early dinner. We went to Leonard's Barbecue Restaurant, a Memphis mainstay. I had the brilliant idea to order the Deep South Salad, a plain old salad with barbecued pork loin on it, with the meat on the side. About 200 calories of deliciousness! I can't ever imagine ordering anything else but this from now on.
5:30 p.m. - Reebok Outlet Store. I bought four new workout t-shirts. All of my shirts hang on me, and I thought the snugger fit on the new ones would provide a definite reminder to keep that "navel into spine" during my workout.
6:00 p.m. - Home. Shoes off. Bra soon to follow. Blog time. :)

So I'm nosy. How did you spend your Saturday?

~

Alphabet Meme

Shamelessly lifted from Jenera:

A is for age: 49, barely.
B is for booze of choice: Rum, but I haven't had it in ages and ages.
C is for career: financial systems manager (bo-ring!)
D is for your dog’s name: No dog of my own, but my canine nieces are Lily and Daisy. I don't know what idiot named th--oh, wait, it was me. :)
E is for essential items you use/love everyday: iPhone.
F is for favorite song(s) at the moment: "Let's Get It Started" by Black-Eyed Peas
G is for favorite games: Cribbage.
H is for hometown: Memphis, all my life.
I is for instruments you play: iPhone? :)
J is for jam or jelly you like: Grape, strawberry, muscadine
K is for kids: no, thank you.
L is for last kiss: Sadly, my mother, a smooch on the cheek last weekend.
M is for most admired trait: sense of humor?
N is for name of your crush: I don't know his name. He's a guy at work I only just noticed this week. Time will tell...
O is for overnight hospital stays: one, when I was 5 or 6 and had my tonsils out
P is for phobias: Flying (not crashing, necessarily, just the flying part. I don't like the sensation of it.)
Q is for quotes you like: "I did then what I knew then, and when I knew better, I did better." —Maya Angelou.
R is for biggest regret: A tie - 1)Not figuring things out sooner, and 2) Not going to meet my e-friend, Paula, when I had the chance
S is for sweets of your choice: Little Debbie anythings.
T is for time you wake up: between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. (Also, usually, 12:15 a.m., 2:00 a.m., and 3:30 a.m.)
U is for underwear: Hanes low-rise, all-cotton
V is for vegetables you love: Tomatoes! And any vegetable that can be eaten raw, except broccoli
W is for worst habit: Laziness
X is for x-rays you’ve had: Foot, wrist, chest, breasts, neck
Y is for yummy food you make: tuna salad and...well, that's it. :)
Z is for zodiac sign: I'm a bossy Leo!

That was a little bit fun. Like Jenera, I'll tag anyone who wants to play or doesn't have any content for today! :)

Happy Friday Eve!

On Compliments

It's amazing how many compliments a person can receive in a single day.

I don't say that to brag. I'm not sure it's something to be bragged about, because as the recipient you aren't really doing anything. It's the people who give the compliments who should be bragging.

Today, I received perhaps the best compliment so far. A whole elevator full of people, and all commented on my weight loss. Iwas starting to feel awkward about it (quit looking at me!) when one guy piped up with, "I'll keep an eye out and let you know if it looks like a strong wind is coming up. You'll probably want to tie yourself down." LOL Guys. You gotta love 'em. :)

What's the best compliment you've ever received?

Anyway, receiving so many compliments is one of the things that has helped me get this far. The sad thing is that I don't think I'm giving nearly as many as I'm receiving. That will change. I know how much they're worth to receive, and I also know how good it feels to pass them along to others.


So I commit to giving 13 compliments to people I see tomorrow. Why 13? Why, because it's Thursday tomorrow, and Thirteen on Thursday has a nice ring to it. LOL Will you join me?


And speaking of compliments: the lovely Rose has given me the Good Chat Blog Award for "People you would want to sit down over a cup of tea with and have a good Chat." How great a compliment is that! But then, I already knew she was a sweetheart, and I would love to have a good chat with her, too. (Only I'm having Diet Coke.*G*)

In the spirit of things, I'll pass the award along to a few of my favorite folks:

Selma at An Apple a Day

Irene at LoserIrene vs. the Fat Monster

Rebecca at Ready Maid on The BestLife Diet

These are all smart, funny, successful women who I would be thrilled to spend time with!


They're not the only ones, of course. If I ever can win the big lottery, I'm hosting the tea party to end all tea parties, and you're all invited! :)

~

Healthy You Challenge Update Week 14

It was a little bit of a deja vu moment. When I stepped on the scale tonight, I went through the exact thought process I did on Friday night. Stared down at the result and then thought, Nothing to do now but keep on doing what I'm doing. I actually appreciate the sameness--the routineness--of it. Consistency, that's the word I'm looking for.


Well, okay, tonight there was one difference. I showed a 1.4 pound loss from last Monday! You know what that means, don't you? BLING!! I earned my 80 pound badge!


While I did take a moment to savor it, I had to hustle out to my workout. Consistency. I've never had a lot of that before. :)


To commemorate this auspicious occasion, I offer a glimpse at the difference 80 lbs makes:

These are head shots for my work profile, so you'll understand why I'm not at my best. :) The photo on the right was taken a couple of weeks ago, just after I'd finished leading a workshop all morning (to explain the somewhat washed-out look *G*). The photo on the left is somewhat embarrassing, but I try to focus on my smile and remember that I was (and am) a mostly good person no matter the size.

(edited to fix photo size)
I thank ALL of you so very much for your amazing support, always, but especially these past few weeks while I truly tippy-toed my way to new bling. We can all exhale now; I think the next one will be a while coming. And that's okay. Nothing to do but keep on doing what I'm doing. :)

Also a thank you for the well wishes on the dental dilemma. My dentist called in an antibiotic today, and I'm already feeling much relief! I may even sleep!

Fingers crossed that everyone had a successful week, on the scale or beside it!

Go Tigers!

~