The warm weather is so welcome. Rode my bike to Trader Joe's for some pecans just wearing a knit shirt - like summer ought to be.

Yikes, I just noticed that I have to read the book for my book club in a week. Someday I'm going to master not dawdling, LOL. But reading outside in this weather is just the best.

Spent an uneventful weekend with the poodle. Going home today and it's the last dogsit I'm doing until October.

I'm really looking forward to sitting on my deck. The backyard is quite spectacular, compared to everywhere else I've lived. Now all I have to do is figure out what cool iced drinks to sip - no alcohol, no sugar, no caffeine, no acids. That pretty much leaves water, yes?

Good week all - hard to believe it's JUNE already!

Dagmar

Good morning! Torrential rain this morning.

Bill, I don't remember hearing about your bike before the last few weeks. Is biking a new thing for you?

Tummy not too good this morning so I've given myself the day off as I can't think straight.

ETA: Dagmar, when I was at my mother's I tried one raspberry (or blackberry) in a mug of hot water. That was very nice. You could make this warm and then let it cool.

I tried a delicious drink awhile ago--water with cucumber in it. You fill a pitcher, add fairly thick slices or chunks of cucumber, and let it cool in the refrigerator for an hour or so. You can drink it all day--it's very refreshing.

You can do the same with fruit in your water! Or cucumbers *and* fruit. Another suggestion for a good drink is iced herbal tea. I like mint myself -- you can use tea bags if you have them or boil fresh mint leaves in hot water, then pour over ice and chill.

Weekend was okay here. DDs have been teething again (I think) so pretty grouchy, but they slept pretty well last night with no fuss until 4:30am. I am working from home for a couple hours this morning since I have to meet someone I am picking up some puppets from at 9:30 and it's on my way in to work. Baby C took 6 steps in a row this morning!

No change to report on the dog front. Carter was unhappy with the girls being so grouchy and spent most of the day yesterday whining and howling from his hiding spot behind the couch...except when they were eating and he tried to steal food off their trays. Still hoping the medication might kick in and we might see some change this week but not encouraged at the moment.

Dagmar~club soda is a good alternative to water. I was watching Dr. Oz (normally I don't like him or his show, but I was at the nail salon) and he suggested making tea with either banana slices (with the peel) or just using the leftover peel. I love bananas so I might have to try it.

Bill~what book are you reading?

Hot weekend here. We went to see a couple movies (A Fault in our Stars and The Edge of Tomorrow). A little crying, a little laughing and some action. It'll be even hotter today--111 predicted. Yuck.

Flavored seltzer water is very refreshing. Polar has just released a new line of AWESOME flavors for summer:

I often cold brew tea bags in a bottle of water. I have a ginger lemon one that is spectacular. I don't add any sweetener and end up with a nice, light flavor.

Birch-- yuck-- hope you feel better!

When dh and I took our recent cruise, we loved lounging while reading books and drinking cucumber water! Krampus-- how did you attach the image you did?

It's hot here too. 104 yesterday after I finished bikram yoga. I was pouring sweat to say the least. I thought my weight would be down today, but alas-- it's up a bit. Today will likely push it higher....

I have one of those anxiety producing days ahead (for me anyway). Dd asked if I wanted to join her for a choir dinner banquet tonight (her high school choir teacher is moving away and it's a big deal in our smallish town). I agreed to go... she said dinner was at 7 so I thought I'd modify my exercise before going. Yesterday she realized dinner is at 6 so we'll need to leave closer to 5:30, all but eliminating my chances to exercise. That coupled with the-- I have no idea what they're serving-- what will I eat?-- panic! Do I have a snack before so I'm not hungry? Do I just hope I can find something healthy? Will it be buffet or sit down? I'm not good with unknowns.

Please also think some good thoughts for my older dd if you're so inclined. She's going through a tough time and I'm really worried about her.

In myself, I call this behavior "magical thinking" (thanks to Joan Didion) because in reality, one dinner and a missed exercise session is not going to pump me up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. What is freaking me out is lack of control and change in the routine. I expose to myself that I have an irrational belief that I need to adhere **perfectly** to the self-imposed routine at all times, or I will completely lose control of my health and my life, crash and burn, in a way so awful that I can't even imagine the consequences. (Maybe half my face will blow up, like Gus Fring's in "Breaking Bad" or maybe I'll explode like the gourmand in the restaurant in "Monty Python's 'Meaning of Live.'") Of course no such thing will happen. At all.

Oh, and Krampus? Yes, yes, yes on flavored seltzer. Around here, it tends to go on sale near the Jewish holidays. I stock up then, big time. To me, though, it has a bit of a salty tang, despite the faint breath of whatever fruit they claim they've flavored it with, so I don't always want to drink it with certain foods or even sip it all day long.

Saef--- funny that you mention Breaking Bad because I'm watching the series now and just saw the episode last night with Gus in it. I am dying to watch the last season now! You are right-- the rational part of me knows that. The irrational side of me is trying to finagle an exercise session in somewhere/ somehow.

Oh my - this is me too. Thanks for explaining in a way that not only made me laugh but made me realize it is the lack of control that causes me anxiety.
Getting ready to start my travel on Wednesday. I don't go to Monterey until the 26th but I have two small trips first and already feeling anxious about exercise, meals, etc.

Will do. That's probably causing you more anxiety as well.

Well, we have given Loki to our local Animal Placement Bureau- a volunteer-run organization which takes unwanted dogs and cats to temporary "foster families" who then care for them until a permanent placement can be found, usually by taking them to weekly "showings" in various participating pet shops around mid-MI. He will have restrictions on who can adopt him (no families with children), and I filled out a long form about his habits, likes, dislikes and needs. I feel terrible and relieved at the same time.

Dagmar, to the list already given, you can add iced decaf coffee or tea.