Happy 4th of July to the USA!

Another hot and humid day here.

Thankfully my weekend "off diet" has not (yet) caused any problems. The scale remains the same. I think it has to do with not having outrageous portions. Sure the food isn't diet (ooh, eggs Benedict for dinner last night!) but the portions are small or at least reasonable. Tonight will be steaks, salad and a small potato. That's pretty much a normal diet meal, so tomorrow should remain the same scale-wise.

The cat is sure loving the new cat tree I got him and DS put together. It's 6' tall and he's king of the family room when he's on top!

I'm not sure if we'll go see Tree of Life. It sounds interesting, but I haven't heard great reviews. I think people may be trying to make sense of the movie or wonder what the plot is, when it appears to be more of an art piece. We do plan on seeing Beginners today.

Happy 4th of July all!

Emma and I have traveled 15 miles over the last 4 days! Ha! Look, she's tired! For a few hours, anyway... even though the gym is closed for the long weekend, at least I've gotten some movement in. Like a dope I missed the sign and tried to go to the gym Saturday, pulled on the door, and it was locked! I ended up working for 6 hours yesterday, so it wasn't exactly a day off, but needed to be done. We're going to a pool party at our friends' this afternoon. Can I take a nap first? I'm tired. All those miles and all that sun... just picture me napping next to Emma.

Morning everyone! I totally rocked the Peachtree Road Race this morning! It is a 10k here in Atlanta that is run every year - 60,000 participants this year, hot, humid, and hilly. Woo hoo! I finished in 1:07:02, which is an acceptable 0:02:49 better than my time on this same race last year, and really only two minutes slower than my current PR for 10k. Not bad for a killer course!

Welcome Kate! We were all new once upon a time! Looking forward to getting to know you!

Megan - that dog looks pooped! How does mommy look?

Allison - remote start, that's all I'm saying. I got one for Christmas for my car and have used it more in the summer than I did in the winter.

Bill - I love those magazines that come before the date. I always wonder what they do if something big happens between the publish date and real date?

Jen - sounds like a good weekend! I've had experiences that bring that reality to mind, too. It is sobering - I have a coworker who has lost and regained, and I have those moments with her carrying things up and down our office stairs.

Saef - I've been reading reviews of "Tree of Life" and was thinking about seeing it. Your review makes me think I need a take myself to the movie night.

Dagmar - hope you are enjoying your day of leisure!

good day to everyone else! Happy holiday!

Hi All. Feeling virtuous because I got up even before the 6 year old this morning(!) and did the one-and-only exercise class offered at my gym today (Boot Camp), at 9 am. Yeah, I know, not exactly the 4 or 5 am that many of you did, but still.

Then had a fresh-berry-and-protein smoothie and spent 2 hours making sure the 3 boys cleaned up their messes and got some math/language practice in before they disappeared to play a new Xbox game. They're at the pool now, while I ostensibly work, and then we'll have a hopefully-delicious grilled veggies and chicken dinner before going to our township's 4th of July frolic and fireworks at 7 pm tonight.

Hope it's all good for all of you too. Happy 4th.

Thanks for the welcomes!

Went to a BBQ last night and drank more than my fair share of beer and sugary vodka drinks, ate a lot of great food, including homemade ice cream! Result = 4 lb fluct up this morning. Today's going to be a counterbalance of good eating and exercise. My weight fluctuates a lot and I've accepted it so it doesn't bother me. I'll drink a lot of water and it will go back down.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Andrea I in no way WANT to get up at 4 or 5 a.m. It seems my brain/circadian rhythms became accustomed to getting up at 5:30 a.m. for close to 16 years to exercise my big dog. She died in 1994. And I'm still trying to sleep in until 6! Once I awhile I do manage it on a weekend (about 2x per year) and I feel like a totally different person all day.

Sleeping later - another project for my retirement. Although I will have 2 dogs . Good evening all - those who are attending displays enjoy the fireworks!

Dagmar and - only 16 more years to go!

After all, I ended up in leafy territory today but still went to two different theaters, one an old restored place & one a new film studies center, and saw two documentaries: "Buck," about a horse trainer named Buck Brannaman & his manner of working with horses, which is very intuitive & based on close observation & anticipating the animals' fear; and "Page One," about the New York Times during a time of transition, which left me admiring the reporter David Carr. I keep being drawn to documentaries that center on interesting people with integrity who love their work.

I've got the week off from work. I had to take my time early, so it doesn't coincide with my boss's and another manager's vacation or mess up a new project launch. I lost out on time on Cape Cod as a house guest. I'm looking at a week that will be largely unstructured & improvisational -- and it is FREAKING ME OUT. I am so used to being busy & fitting things in. I am not going to flee Upstate or grab a sudden trip out of town. I'm going to try living here, but at an easy pace. Why does this prospect fill me with anxiety?

There's a lesson here, and probably a Buddhist one, and we'll see if I can stand sitting alone with myself a lot.

Tomorrow all I've planned is the gym, as usual, and an oil change. Maybe a spa-style pedicure in which they put tea tree oil or eucalyptus or chocolate or acai berry or whatever on my feet. I am not going to get "crackled" toenails. And probably not opaque blue because it always makes me think of bored girls at my old entry level office jobs painting one fingernail with White-Out, just to pass the time. But it's good to have nice-looking toes in Pilates class & I may try to get in a yoga class on Friday.

Shannon - You ran the Peachtree? Congratulations! I'd love to do that next year if I'm all healed up and can get a number.

As for movies, I saw "Midnight in Paris" over the weekend and liked it much more than I thought I would. Woody Allen isn't really my cup of tea, but it was unexpected and pretty funny. I laughed quite a bit.

One of the previews at the movie was for "Page One," saef, and it looks really interesting. I don't think it's playing here in Atlanta, but maybe I'll end up seeing it on DVD.

I don't have much advice to give about being at peace with one's self, but I will say that a good pedicure is worth its weight in gold. Give me that, a cup of coffee, and a cozy bookstore and I'd be set for quite a while!

That was my thought exactly after seeing it. I really did like the movie.

Went to see Beginners. Not exactly what I imagined, but we did enjoy it. Next week, Horrible Bosses as we need some levity.

It's remaining humid here and should be for the rest of the week. This is normal for August, but not July. I shouldn't complain, we had a really mild (even cool) spring.

I have discovered red bean "lollies" - frozen treats made paritally from sweetened red beans (yes they're from Asia) and only 100 cals for a full-sized one. They are not as sweet as conventional frozen pseudo ice cream bars and I enjoyed one last night as my "dessert".

I will check out the selection at the huge asian grocery down near our kayaking club next time we're through. Last year we got some sort of round things with what seemed like semi-frozen jelly outside and concrete on the inside. DH left one in the sink overnight and it was STILL concrete inside the next morning. We've had good success with the frozen "lollies" on a stick.

This asian grocery has a bunch of really cool "non-food" - items made from all sorts of bizzare chemicals - as well as some really tasty stuff. I love their dried plums (made with anise).

Must remember to bring my cooler and gel packs - a must in keeping my bevvies and lunch cold during the summer.

I'm not really looking forward to being out in the heat today. But our landlady just emailed us about our yearly rent increase so off to work I go.

Dagmar

Good morning! I'm getting off to a slow start today. Feels like Monday, which always throws me off a little.

Jen - I forgot that you were from Atlanta! Yes, I ran the Peachtree, this was my second year doing it. It was hot hot hot. I'm in the Atlanta Track Club, so if I renew I get a guaranteed spot in the Peachtree. Hope you get to run it next year!

Andrea - I am so not a get up at 4 or 5 am exercise person, but I can get up pretty easily for an early race oddly enough.

Kate - I get a lot of fluctuations, too. BBQ always does it to me, too.

Saef - pedicure sounds like a good idea, absolutely. I don't know what I would do with a totally unstructured week, either.

Allison - it is hotter than normal for this time of year here, too.

Dagmar - the red bean lollies sound yummy.

Good day everyone!

If I had an unstructured week ahead, I would do a mani/pedi, a little shopping and read.

So my weekend off of Medifast was good. I gained 1/2 a pound, so obviously I kept my portions decent. I'm back on MF for the next 4 weeks in hopes of getting 7-12 more pounds off.

I had some strange dreams last night. Well, technically this morning. In one I couldn't find my regular scale and finally found one that appeared to be in working order but I couldn't get a reading, or so I thought, until my DH said it was reading correctly--but it registered my weight at 121. No way I'll EVER see that weight! And then I checked myself into the hospital to have a baby and then realized that I wasn't pregnant. (I can explain that one--my friend's daughter had a baby yesterday.) The worst part of the dream was where I was trying to get ready for work and people kept coming to my house and standing in my bathrooms (all of them) so I couldn't take a shower and I was going to be late for work.

Back to work, and I'm also confused about what day it is! I've got an extra short week since Thursday PM I leave to visit my family.

Shannon, Mommy is pooped too! I had to take a nap before we went to our friends' pool party, and after the party BF and I turned in early instead of going to the beach to watch the fireworks. We are party poopers! By then Emma was a little frisky again, lol. Great job on the peachtree! It must have been very hot & humid.

Allison, good job keeping your portions in check and GL w your continued Medifast! Sounds like it's working really well!

Dagmar, I had some kind of red bean ice cream at a sushi restaurant once and it wasn't bad at all. I got very excited our local drug store started carrying Laughing Cow ice cream treats (before this the nearest seller was ~80 miles away), but still don't buy them too often. I don't handle ice cream well, even portion controlled. Nice to have retirement to look forward to! Is a yearly rent increase normal in Canada? I've heard of the occasional rent increase, but not yearly...?

Jen, my mom has lost and regained several times and though she is always really supportive of me, sometimes I feel awkward talking about a few things bc I don't want to "rub in" my more successful ventures (even though I have regained a little, she has regained her full loss & more). It can be tough.

Saef, it's too bad your vacation isn't what and when you planned, but I think you're on the right track! Get a pedicure, a massage, go to a coffee shop and read a naughty romance novel or "indulgent" reading, etc. Treat yourself! And do the things you're interested in but don't usually have time for.

Neuro, I can't do 5 am workouts either! Goodness knows I tried (before dog, now I wouldn't even think of it!), but I start work at 7:30 and can't get in a workout before then. Now I call it a "good" early morning when the dog gets a walk around the whole block before work.

Welcome Kate! Glad you're here!

Back to work... have a good week all!

Morning for strange dreams I guess. In mine this morning I discovered that my cat was using the bathroom behind the washing machine instead of in the cat box so I lifted it up and threw it across the room. The washing machine, not the cat.

Hey Megan! We didn't make it up for fireworks either. It rained here last night so the ones near us didn't even start until almost 11. And yes, seriously humid on the run yesterday. Wow.

Funny dreams!! Wonder if the 4th of July triggered the dreams?

I have zero energy today and way too much to do.

I leave tomorrow morning to visit dd in Spokane. First time I'll see her living alone and meet her new kitten. I'm excited but overwhelmed because I have a ton to do. I'm hoping to still fit in exercise and to try to eat healthy and encourage dd to as well.

We are making a meal to bring to the family whose daughter died recently. I cannot stop thinking about them and praying for them. We are making a chicken and rice casserole thing and brownies. I'm also leaving a gift of a tea pot with flowering teas and a card. Our instructions are to leave the food at the front door and just ring the bell so they know food is left.

Off to pack and to work (Weight Watchers).

Packing books and magazines as I never find time to read as much as I like. I'll miss my Dewey baby while I'm gone!!

Anyone have a tempurpedic bed? We are contemplating getting one. I'm hoping/wondering if it would help my chronic back pain.