Didn’t get as much done today as I wanted, but made some headway on the pile of schoolwork I need to wade through by Monday.  I also twisted my ankle very badly while walking today, so I think it may be stationary bike only for the next couple of days- I’ll see how it feels tomorrow.

Breakfast: 1 mango

Lunch: 4 rye crackers, 2 laughing cow cheeses, small green salad

Dinner: salad with tempeh, garbanzos, tomatoes, olives, radishes, sprouts, feta, balsamic vinaigrette

Exercise: 30 day shred, 30 minutes stationary bike (8 miles), 3 miles with the dogs

1000 miles in 2009: 443

Song of the Day: Angels in America, by David Byrne

Daily awesome:  the field I found by the house for the dogs to run in is an incredible, edenic paradise.  Had a wonderful time there today and can’t wait to go tomorrow.  Thank goodness- I’ll still be taking Susan’s advice, though, and making a nice chicken pot pie for that guy next to the dog park!

It was over 80 degrees today- incredible!  I had a good day, worked out, got some homework done, took a nice (sweaty) walk with Nancy and the baby.  She’s doing much better- less depressed, more vibrant, more confident.  This week has brought a new conundrum to contend with: a man who keeps loose chickens in his yard moved in directly across the street from our dog park.  The unofficial dog park is actually space provided by the generous folks at the church that occupies part of the lot.  It’s a big, open field, unfenced- the church mows it and allows all the dog users in the neighborhood to use it at all hours.  Everyone brings dog bowls and water jugs and plastic bags and generally takes pretty good care of the space.  However, this chickens business is really cramping my style.  My dogs need a LOT of exercise- Lucy is 130 pounds of great dane madness who needs to be able to run, as well as walk, every day.  But the chickens are too distracting for them- the last time we went, several days ago, they could NOT stay away from them; bolting into the street.  Klaus got into a rough tussle with one of the chickens, that ended with a very mad homeowner and my min-pin with a mouth full of feathers.  Anyhow, I’ve been really frustrated because they’re wanting to get some serious exercise and the convenience of the dog park is the only thing that makes not having a fenced yard manageable.  However, today we walked in a different direction than usual at Chambers Lake (the trail we take is paved, beautiful and stretches on for over 30 miles- amazing) and found a bare field that could be a perfect substitute for the dog park.  I’m thinking, also, that I’m going to bake a nice pie or something, bring it to the chicken-owner and try to convince him to build a reasonable enclosure for his pets.  I want the dogs to be able to get exercised and socialize during the day- and it makes an enormous difference in my quality of life when they don’t.  I was hanging with Nancy for maybe four hours today and when I came home, they had overturned the kitchen garbage, the little one had left a disgusting gift for me on my bathmat and they had shredded the corner of an area rug.  They are pissed and so am I: I mean, who the hell keeps loose chickens next to a dog park, official or not?

Breakfast: mango

Lunch: sandwich with smoked turkey, laughing cow cheese, sprouts

Dinner: wheat pasta with tomato sauce, green salad with garbanzo beans, tomatoes, sprouts, radishes, balsamic vinaigrette

Exercise: 30 day shred, 3 miles with the dogs, 2 miles with Nancy

1000 miles in 2009: 432

Song of the Day: Electric Feel, by MGMT

Daily awesome: The Lamest Teen Moral Panic Ever, as reported by the crack journalists at gawker.com.

I just realized last night that I have an enormous project due THIS Monday, which I thought was due in TWO weeks.  I’m doomed to spend this fantastic weekend staring at the computer.  Nerds!

Breakfast: 1 cup yogurt, 1 mango

Lunch: mexican food, 1\2 chicken quesadilla

Dinner: 4 potstickers, green salad with tofu, tomatoes, sprouts, sesame vinaigrette

Exercise: not really, 2 miles with the dogs

100 miles in 2009: 427

Song of the Day: The Luckiest Guy On the Lower East Side, by the Magnetic Fields

Daily awesome:  This is a daily awesome that has an extra dash of awesomeness for a movie buff like myself.  Some guy over at The AV Club is writing about a different movie flop for every day of 2009, analyzing the film and why it was a bust.  Not just obvious ones like Gigli, but some true classics like She-Devil (”I’m taking control of my life, Bob, starting now!!”) and Even Cowgirls Get The Blues.   I know how I’ll be spending my down time when I’m bored in class.  

Absolutely beautiful day today.  I was slow starting today but I am actually starting to feel a lot better.  Yay!  Finally getting back to the real, non-depressed me.  I feel like the whole dieting process is a return to the person I’m supposed to be, physically, retraining my body to recall what it feels like to take good care of the machinery.  Anyhow, I’m so glad I’m feeling better. . . wanting to stay indoors and hermit in sulky silence is no good when it’s during the 2 or three months of halfway decent weather we get per year.

Breakfast: no

Lunch: 6 slices baked tofu

Dinner: green salad with tomatoes, broccoli, feta,olives, radishes, green onions, balsamic vinaigrette, 4 rye crackers with laughing cow cheese

Snack: 3 chocolate graham crackers

Exercise: 30 day shred, 30 minutes stationary bike (8 miles), 1 mile with the dogs

1000 miles in 2009: 425

Song of the Day: Ring, Ring, by Mika

Daily awesome: Good article about Ted Hughes poetry, specifically ‘The Thought-Fox,’ one of the most interesting and visceral poems ever to be written about writing.  

Today was just fine; I exercised like crazy and ate reasonably well.  I have to go back to school tomorrow and I am not looking forward to it.  I’m also about two months behind on correspondence with friends that live far away and two weeks behind on my homework.  I feel like I just can’t stay on top of things right now.  I’ve been eating out a lot lately and today was no different; I’m going to try to refrain from doing so for the next two weeks, to get back on track.  

Breakfast: 1 cup yogurt, 1\2 cup grapenuts, 1 mango

Lunch: 4 rye crackers with laughing cow cheese

Dinner: Chinese buffet (ack!), 10 pieces sushi, sauteed broccoli, 2 crab wontons

Exercise: 30 day shred, 40 minutes stationary bike (11.5 miles), 6 miles with the dogs

100 miles in 2009: 416

Song of the Day: Cereal Killer, by Method Man and Redman

Daily awesome:  interesting project from Australia, about transforming poorly used buildings and locations into showcases for art.  Very cool website, too, I found it in a CSS gallery site and was very impressed.

Okay, so today was my first day where I did not a.) listen to any old Sinead O’Connor records b.) sleep past ten a.m. or c.) eat my weight in off-plan food.  I’m not feeling quite out of the woods, but I’m just going to make myself act like I am: exercise and diet back in action.  I gave myself until Monday and today was not a bad day.  I cooked up a storm (baked tofu, edamame, chopped and washed lettuce and cabbage, blanched broccoli), exercised and generally re-entered my regular life.  It’s only five months until my 29th birthday and there’s still a lot of work to be done before then.  There’s no way I’ll reach my goal of being a size 18 before June 1st, but I have gotten rid of all my 22’s, so I know progress has been made.  I just need to shake it off; being a depressed fiasco in the springtime is no good.  I’m taking the dogs to the beach tomorrow to get some more outdoor exercise and get my head straight.  Noah and I have been working hard, Klaus has a suspicious growth in his little, miniature pinscher armpit so I’ve got to take him to the vet tomorrow (after I lull him into a state of calm submission with the beach trip), I went hiking and saw the 4th Terminator installment this weekend (meh).  That’s about it.  My goal from now until July first is to accumulate as many hours of exercise as possible- five days per week, with at least an hour not counting walking.   Also, I want to blog at least six days per week and control my food intake.  I did it today; I need three more strong days like this one. 

Also, tiny2b:  you are amazing!  Thanks for the encouragement, even though I’ve been out of commission.  I propose a return to challenges ASAP, to turn around my own tailspin and get us all revved up for a great spring.  I’m going to head over to the challenge page and check out what’s going on there, but at the very least, us Northwest gals need to think up a bad ass challenge for next week!  No more hot messes!

Breakfast: 1 cup yogurt

Lunch: out with Noah, sushi, 1\2 order teriyaki,

Dinner: wheat penne with goat cheese, basil, 1 tomato, olive oil, garlic

No snacks 

Exercise: 30 day shred, 40 minutes stationary bike (11.5 miles), 2 miles with the dogs

I did a lot of walking over the weekend, but didn’t keep track of mileage so oh well.

1000 miles in 2009: 398.5 

Song of the Day: Back in Your Head, by Tegan and Sarah

Daily awesome:  To celebrate my return to daily awesomeness, I’ll pull out my ace in the hole. . . client types as Lebowski characters!!  Yes, I am an obsessive fan of this incredible classic and it’s resulting ethos.  I don’t smoke pot or drink white Russians or have any particular bowling skills, but I don’t believe that the bums will always lose and I often chastise myself for being very un-Dude.  I’m gearing up for the amazing spectacle of Lebowskifest this year- late July, in Fremont, going to be amazing, but not like Nam.  I mean, there are rules, Dude.  

Oh, ladies, I am really struggling right now.  I’ve been off track with food for several days and haven’t exercised in three. . . I’m depressed, my life is a mess right now and I feel like crying all the time.  I’m committing to jumping back in on Monday.  This weekend, I’m just taking it easy- I’m going to do a lot of outdoor exercise, rack up some hiking miles, maybe go surfing at Westport, but, oof, I am a hot mess right now.  I know it usually takes three strong days to get back on track but right now that’s feeling so out of reach.  

Well, yesterday was super horrible.  Food poisoning (or swine flu)= total drag.  Today was better.  One of my closest friends, Holly, got home for the summer and now I’m feeling guilty for bitching about my lack of girlfriends a couple weeks ago, cause I totally forgot she was coming home and she’s near the top of my list of people who make life completely fascinating and bearable.  Had class tonight and it was actually quite interesting and fun- not filled with the customary long stretches of horrible boredom.  I’m writing an essay for class that is actually shaping up into something that I think could be publishable with a little more work, we’ll see.  So I feel like I’m coming out of my funk a little bit; I’ve just been depressed the past couple of weeks.  Tomorrow, I’m going up to Seattle again to see my mom and terminally-ill uncle- we’re also having dinner with my two very Italian, hawaiian-shirt-wearing great uncles, Frank and Orlando.  They are incredible and I never get to see them, so I’m excited.  They’re always a huge kick in the pants.  May has not quite been the strong month I’d envisioned, but I’ve been quite on track with exercise and decent with food.

Breakfast: 1 cup yogurt, 1 mango

Lunch: mexican food: 1 burrito with chicken, 1 cup rice, 1\2 cup beans, 25 tortilla chips with salsa

Dinner: salad with greens, sliced turkey, goat cheese, radishes, 1 tomato, sprouts, garbanzo beans, balsamic vinaigrette

Exercise: 2 miles with dogs, 30 day shred, 30 minutes stationary bike (8 miles)

1000 miles in 2009: 385

Song of the Day: This Time Tomorrow, by The Kinks

Daily awesome: This video.  Oh. My. God.  Walk it out, bitches.

Well, I hope it’s not swine flu, but I have a nasty stomach bug or food poisoning.  I have been totally effed up the past two days.  Can’t even write or do anything but lay in my bed.  Hopefully will feel normal tomorrow.

Well, today I should have done a bunch of stuff and instead did virtually nothing- this seems to be a trend with me lately.  I’m feeling like I’m hanging on by a very thin thread- I’m staving off the late-20’s freakout brewing in me, but barely.  I feel like I cannot go another day of school, I’m sick of making no money and my shitty apartment and that every guy I meet is either boring or a womanizer or an overly-sensitive bore in a ‘Free Mumia’ t-shirt (this is Olympia after all).  I’m sick of all of it.  I’m sick of my own body and my inability to control my eating habits and my fat ass and all this other bullshit.  When I thought about age 30 when I was younger, I definitely saw a different vision of what my life was going to be like.  I’m sick of the lame weather here and having not even SEEN an ocean beach since last November.  I need a fucking vacation, because my surliness can no longer be controlled!

Breakfast: 1 mango, 1 cup yogurt

Lunch: 1 slice bread with margarine, 1 tomato, 30 edamame beans

Dinner: pasta with ground turkey, sliced mushrooms, tomato sauce, parmasean, small green salad 

Exercise: 3 miles with the dogs, 30 day shred, 30 minutes stationary bike (8.5 miles)

1000 miles in 2009: 375

Song of the Day: Needy Girl, by Chromeo

Daily awesome: Continuing with the daily awesome trend of TV lists, here are the best running jokes on Arrested Development.  The ones they’re really missing is ‘her?‘ and ‘Marry Me!’.   Bluth fans know what I’m talking about.