Good Morning, Coaches.

Credit for being solidly at ticker!!!!! That is a big deal for me. I am looking at 1 year of "red light food free life" on March 18. I have lost about 8 pounds over the course of the year. The long view is very encouraging for me. As we know, the day to day trudge is not always easy to remain in focus. A few other small steps that have helped so much this week are starting the steroids so that my feet are improving so I can walk more and buying the Dansko Paisley shoes. I actually ordered another pair in a different color with my REI member credit. There were many years in my teens and twenties when I couldn't make these small steps due to mental health issues and my family of origin chaos. I am grateful that I created a different life today. Still, there is much work to be done. I have many areas I in which I want to grow.

A very productive weekend. That's the good news. The bad news is productive and content make the weekend fly by. So another Monday morning. I have four lunches and snacks packed, lots of water, and good shoes to walk the benches at lunch. It is a four day week. Friday I will head down with Mom to Pismo Beach to celebrate my Dad's 90th birthday.

BBE: Credit for a nice walk that doesn't feel like exercise because it is an art adventure.
curleyjax: I am so glad DS is happy with his new digs.
Karen: You did it. I bet the scale is favorable. It always seems to be after not regularly exercising which is very irritating.
Penny: I have a very hard time cleaning up the kitchen. That is my mindless eating time. sometimes i put a strong flavored gum in my mouth to remind me not to pop anything into it. Then sometimes I just make the boys clean up. But most of the time I just nibble. Frustrating.

I found the note that's been in my Tickler file for years, giving advice for what to do during the week before the "spring forward" time change. That's an annual test of how well my Tickler file system is working.

It suggests exercising at least 60 minutes per day. I nailed that one yesterday with two walks and a yoga session.

It also suggests earlier meals and earlier bed times. I'm doing reasonably well with that, too.

I thought I was going to fail at the suggestion to read a distracting novel, but the latest JD Robb just showed up for me in the library's ebook app. That will work!

I pretty much have failed to avoid appointments. I have my COVID shot on Wednesday which I'll probably turn into an all-day adventure with a hike at a state park. And, we have the appointment with the urologist on Thursday, probably to finalize decisions, depending on the answers to the remaining questions. I'll avoid other appointments and, particularly, late nights.

That should be good enough to get through what, some years, has been very challenging for me -- to the point that the spring time change marked the beginning of a spring binge season for me. This list, this group, and other things have made that a thing of the past!

Exercise +75, 335/1400 minutes for March

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was the French lentils again. DW added some bouillon broth to make them more like a soup rather than their dry style like before. That helped. Still not our favorite lentils. We did indulge in the baguette that had been purchased just for these lentils. Everything tastes better with a baguette.

I had to hustle from dinner to make my evening Zoom event. One more time, Zoom united us. One regular attendee Zoomed in from his hospital bed with his adult daughter setting up his computer. He was verbally and mentally all there but punching buttons is a challenge right now. It's a rehab hospital; he hopes to be home in two weeks before we meet again. One from California. One from Taipei, Taiwan temporarily visiting her homeland, Zooming in from absolutely alone in a condo for a government required mandatory fifteen day quarantine. And several who were fairly local but due to not feeling well attended only under notice that they might have to fade out early. Had fourteen folks instead of about six who would have been there pre-pandemic.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - I have an online friend who had to drive two hours out of Kansas City into the countryside to get her vaccination. And will have to repeat the trip in four weeks. Ouch! Neat that you've got your strategies all lined up.

maryann - Congrats for "solidly at ticker!!!!!" with Kudos for the diligence that got you there.

Karen (karenrn) - Hope you're home cuddling with Otis. Oh, and your DH, also. Kudos for limiting your sweets despite the tensions of being a helper. Neat plan to drop her off and let her Uber back home.

curlyjax - Interesting that you enjoyed Nomadland but that it made you appreciate your brick-and-mortar home. I like to be reminded that the howling winds don't affect me nestled inside here.

Readers -

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday. I am so happy to be home. I got home before 11 and had saved the last 2 hours of my audiobook to listen to on the way home. The book is The Sun is a Compass by Caroline Van Hemert and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course both dh and Otis are happy to have me here. I'm heading out to hike South Mtn with my friend in less than an hour. It's warm here today but will be getting cooler through the week. My food plan is made for today.

I think I had better get up and get going, but I hope to get back on later for personals.

Good Morning, Coaches.

The scale remains at ticker. Yesterday was a challenging day but I remained reasonable with food.

My phone almost never rings. I am not a phone talker. Yesterday, though, I had contact with six different people after school. It it was overwhelming to me. Several of the calls had to do with challenges I have no control over. One is my mother who is determined to buy a new car but doesn't have the money. Another was regarding a possibility of being forced to teach a special class that they took away from me four years ago due to politics ( two friends wanted to teach it together. ) Now they need another teacher again . I don't want to go back to that department. I am happy where I am. Then there were three family calls including DH saying he couldn't travel down to Dad's bday party on Friday. So if you were to ask me if any of the calls were positive, I would want to say no . However, prayer and meditation I did last night uncovered a small passage about the solution to overwhelm being gratitude. Although I am uncomfortable now, I must be grateful for the opportunities for growth these challenges present me. Whether I teach the class or not is much less important than how I care for myself through the decision process. Does the process make me become more like the woman I want to become? Both the family situation and the job situation are really Groundhog's Day for me. Will I wake up with a different song playing?

Thanks for the window into your way of preparing for an event that you have identified as a jumping off point. CBT as it's best.

Wave to all

We had our second Home Chef meal last night and it was a flop. Oh well. It was fun, however, to think about how we could do it better. And, gave us a good idea for how to approach that as a project.

Exercise +60, 395/1400 minutes for March

maryann: I missed your post on the new page, yesterday. Congratulations! That's a beautiful long view, indeed. And, I appreciate your thought process this morning, too.

karenrn: I'm glad that you're safely home and off on a hike!

BillBlueEyes: I'm appreciating some opportunities that Zoom provides for us, too. Our Saturday meeting went long and I was mildly embarrassed because I was running it and I usually pride myself on ending on time. But, it went long because we had more participants than ever before, more people who talked to school board candidates and were prepared to report back what they learned.

Good morning!

I missed a day but will have to claim a day off for International Working Women's Day. Ha!

Still eating as if progress were not the goal but exercising better than ever.

Happy Tuesday!

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Excitement was the weekly boring trip to the supermarket. I have grown to like boring in these times. That means that everyone was masked and distanced; the clam shells of lettuce and arugula that I buy were appropriately forward dated a week; the milk for morning coffee was fresh dated; plum tomatoes and English cukes were in abundance; acceptable range of green and ripe bananas so they'll last us a week; short checkout line; bananas not bagged on bottom. Good boring.

Class based on the book Sapiens debated whether Capitalism was indeed the positive driving force of the world. Hint: the author grew up on a kibbutz in Israel. And whether colonialism had ultimately been good for places like India. The good news is that on Zoom no one could throw punches. The history of the Dutch in Indonesia is not a pretty read.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Salmon was grilled on the patio for dinner. After dinner snack included half a Sumo Orange. They are so odd looking and peel so easily. They're a favorite around here when they're in season.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Ouch for the Home Chef "flop" with Congrats for thinking of a way to turn that into a project. Neat that your meeting went long because folks had something important to say.

maryann - Ouch for the "Groundhog's Day for me" day in your life - may things sort out. I shudder when I realize that you have to teach high school kids the very history that we're reading - no longer allowed to paint a Pollyanna version like the kind I was taught back in the day.

Karen (karenrn) - Great that you got right back on the hiking trail upon your return.

Penny. - Yep, you qualify for a pass for International Working Women's Day - you certainly are one. Kudos for "exercising better than ever."

Readers -

Good morning coaches,

I had a great hike yesterday, but then had some off plan snacks. I tried a protein bar that I bought a box of at Costco and then too much cheese in the afternoon. I'll have to work it off today. I'm leaving in an hour to hike in the Superstitions. One of the gals can't go cause she all of a sudden got a vaccine appointment. Very good reason to cancel. I think us two remainders are both fully vaccinated. We were going to do about 15 miles in the Superstitions, but may cut it back to ten or so.

Bill I remain so impressed that you go day after day without having a snack.
Penny Glad you are getting your exercise. I know for me I don't lose weight with just exercise, but I know it is good for my body and mind.
GardenerJoy Sorry about the dinner, what was it? Could you doctor it up?
Maryann You certainly do have some challenges, but you also have such a good attitude.
Curlyjax I'm glad ds is doing well and happy. This is a tough time with the pandemic going on for sure. I feel sure it will be better. Take care.

After me leaving a phone message in the morning and then texting in the evening, my friend sent a text back that she is doing well but lonely. I can't fix that, but was so glad she is doing okay and not having a set back. I'd better get moving and get things packed up for the day.

Yesterday I got up early and went to help at a vaccine clinic for work. It was really fun to see some of my clients and chat with a colleague. It was tiring though as I was standing for four hours- sitting when I could- and even though I had planned ahead and brought a snack, I was so hungry after I treated myself to a grilled cheese and an iced coffee with mocha swirl from DD. I have to say that sandwich was sooo good and worth every calorie. And I resisted the donuts so credit for that. Later I looked at my receipt and realized they had given me a senior discount! I guess I looked pretty old yesterday
I got my weights done and indoor exercise, and had a a big salad later on, so I feel the day was balanced.
I've been beating myself up for still not dealing with tax stuff, and not doing anything other than watching tv in the evening because I'm a bit depressed and I'm more anxious than usual. I think its the pandemic making me a little batty so I'm going to give myself a break. Maybe all I can focus on is getting my eating habits healthier, and that is a big thing. I will get the taxes done at some point. I'm still so unorganized with financial stuff, and I'm putting off dealing with the fact that i'm constantly pulling money out to supplement my paltry salary. I'm very lucky to have that investment money, but it isn't a sustainable way to live in the long run.
Thanks for letting me ruminate here. Personals tomorrow, wave to all!

Our third Home Chef meal went reasonably well, although we doctored it a fair amount to suit our needs. It was a fusion meal with a stir-fry filling for soft tortillas, topped with slaw.

The first thing I changed was the slaw. Their dressing consisted of mayonnaise plus sriracha to taste. DH said, "You can do better than that." So, I did. I added lots more interesting flavors and used only half the mayo. I also fixed it early in the day since I know that slaw benefits from time for the flavors to marry.

A last minute addition was green beans from our freezer when we saw the large amount of chicken they gave us compared to the small amount of bok choy. Our stir fries are much more veggie-centric, so we added more vegetables.
It was tasty, in the end, but we're taking a lot of credit for that. We ate about 2/3 of what we were given, It should make a good lunch or we could split the rest for a snack ahead of a light supper.

Today is my big COVID vaccine day, about an hour and a half away. My plan is to stop at a state park on the way home for a picnic, a restroom break, and a walk along a lake.

Exercise +60, 455/1400 minutes for March

karenrn: The flop dinner was teriyaki chicken over jasmine rice. Rather than order that one again, we're going to experiment with making it from scratch. DH already ordered high quality marin and soy sauce from Amazon to form the base of the sauce.

curlyjax: Sending virtual hugs. Depressed and anxiety seem a natural response to a pandemic. Or taxes, for that matter. Sometimes it helps me to tackle a project like that by devoting a day to it. I can actually get excited about it when I give it enough time to dive in deeply and see where it leads me. It doesn't always lead to a completed project, but it usually gets me somewhere better than where I started.

Good Morning, Coaches.

Credit for taking my grateful attitude for a walk through my day yesterday. I actually let go of trying to control the class assignments for next year. I have tried so many years now to plan "the best" situation for me with resulting chaos. I refuse to jump into that hole again. It feels good. I also had a heart to heart talk with my US History class the students of which are doing nothing on their own. I have not really faced such a situation before. We had an open discussion of how I could modify my program to have them meet me half way. Deep down I battled with the icky feeling I shouldn't have to modify, They are juniors. Then my shrink reminded me everybody is struggling. What exactly defines success? Certainly not failing two thirds of the class. Maybe success is teaching them to talk openly and honestly and compromising with an authority (me) to find a mutual win. Who knows? Anyway it was a good counselor session because she told me just as I have to modify expectations for my students, I have to modify them for myself right now. I mean I am teaching in an alien environment, my son is off to college, DH has cancer, and so on. Today's meditation is to take the joy that is in my life this moment and magnify. I can do that. I have a hot cup of coffee in my hand. My food is OP and my pants fit. I have posting here and book club with my friends. The list goes on.

I tried to find fun shoes for my struggling feet. I ordered silver fancy sneakers which were far more sparkly than expected. DH said the Tin Man would wear them. Back they go in the return mail.

Today is my second shot. Yeah!

Wave to all.

Late check-in!

I had my covid testing job early this morning and then my second delivery of firewood came. I now have all four of my wood racks loaded and should be good for a couple years.

Loading the wood didn't seem like the workout it usually does and I'm not sure if it's because I am stronger or my kids are doing more. Either way, I'm still claiming it as my exercise for today.

Food continues to be a struggle.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Exercise was chase the (5.5 yo) DGD day, CREDIT moi. Took her to the Discovery Museum to the west of here for a convoluted reason: she had a dentist appointment in the morning for a, gasp, cavity! Turns out that she hadn't given up her comfort of taking a bottle to bed. Milk in the mouth all night finally got to one of her baby teeth. We were delayed starting our day so that we couldn't come back here; instead, drove west to this neat children's museum. We've been before, but go less than once a year which bugs me since it doesn't justify becoming a member. I like writing the fat check for membership to the places that serve us well. The evening comfort bottle has been declared done! Over! And, furthermore, one of her bottom teeth is loose. "I can wiggle it."

Then we stopped at a new park where she befriended a lady with a tennis ball chasing dog. Neither she nor the dog got tired of the game. The lady was happy for a different amusement for her dog just as we were. Lots of energy burned. Stumbled upon the George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security. Was puzzled by its humongous aviary visible in the linked picture. Just don't know of any bird that needs an enclosure that large. We walked around it; saw nothing; no one was about. Begin to feel creepy and slithered away. The path to the park wasn't there but a short drive away. Couldn't stop wondering about the aviary. Asked the lady with the dog. "It's for testing drones." Should have thought of that.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Sending slaw to your house is certainly coals to Newcastle. (Pictures are just for fun.)

maryann - Kudos for facing reality in so many parts of your life. Congrats for choosing to marry a brutally honest man who can say, "the Tin Man would wear them."

Karen (karenrn) - So neat to be out hiking with another fully vaccinated person. Hope this becomes the common tale.

curlyjax - Now you have me drooling for a grilled cheese sandwich. Don't know why they've dropped out of my life. It's a positive start to document what you are doing financially - Kudos for taking that step.

Penny. - Congrats for getting you kids to help with the firewood. You sound well stocked.

Readers -

Good morning coaches,

I didn't really write a food plan yesterday, but I ate what I had in mind. We did stick with the longer hike yesterday which was 14.8 miles. It wasn't as difficult as the hike last week because there was a bit less elevation gain. The weather was perfect. Unfortunately some of the area we hiked in is very sad looking due to the fires that went through last year. It looked a bit like a saguaro graveyard, with some of the large one toppled over and some still standing but charred. Today I am taking the day off from hiking to do some housework. I will walk Otis for exercise and then he's going to the groomer's at noon.

The gal I hiked with yesterday recently lost about 30 pounds and is at her desired weight. She used Zoom and lost the weight in about six months. She is a non-drinker, so no calories from alcohol and is also vegetarian, but does eat cheese and eggs. Anyway it was inspiring to see her looking so good. She just did what she needed to do, stopped eating when she ran out of calories for the day. What a novel concept. I have written a food plan for today, but dinner is a question mark because we are going out.

Bill Poor dgd needing a filling. What did she have to say about that?
Penny I bet you are stronger and that's why the wood loading was easier.
Maryann Yay for your second shot!
GardenerJoy I hope your vaccination appointment went well.
Curlyjax I think you would feel so much better after you get your tax stuff done that you would breath a sigh of relief. I also bet it wouldn't take you that long if you just set is as a priority on a weekend day when you are rested. That probably isn't what you want to hear, but from personal experience I find some of those things I really procrastinate about contribute to my feeling a bit depressed at times.