just 10 more

Hey!  Hi, y’all!  Phone (and computer) restored sometime Monday but I haven’t been here much; mainly just to sleep.  Knew it was not working right for WEEKS but good old dh didn’t see anything the matter until it finally completely and totally DIED.  Will get caught up on blogs but not right now as I have to leave to move A. from orchestra camp to volunteering at one of the historic homes, then to cello lesson, followed by riding lesson.  Doesn’t make sense to come home inbetween so I’ll go to the library or just browse stores.  She’s added a new job—pony ride walker for a company that does children’s parties; not bad pay for a kid, either; more than she’s ever made before.  Not quite what she had in mind when she said she wanted to work with horses but it will have to do and I’m happy with her doing this.  Plus it’s a bit more in the college fund.  Yesterday was her 16th b-day.  The running club had one of it’s summer races so we turned it into a bit of a celebration for her—they all sang Happy Birthday and I supplied brownies for 200.  Not the semi-formal dinner cruise her friend had last month but A. was happy with it.  She’s having an MRI on a foot Monday; ordered by ortho doc; I’m a bit concerned but will write more when we know something definate.

Weight stable—-no time for gym, just madly running around…..gotta say food hasn’t been too bad.

Thanks for the emails, etc. when the stupid thing was acting up and afterward.   Missed this place something awful!!!!!  G’day, chickadees!

Later: got off on the riding lesson thanks to some big thunderstorms and actually got caught up on a few blogs.

Just finished a book A. MADE me read–a young adult—not something I’d usually pick…….The Book Thief….and she was right: very, very good–moving, powerful.  Now started The Glass Castle.  Have looked twice at the library for Ellabella’s  pick:  Gone to Soldiers, really shouldn’t as I have easily over a hundred around here needing to be read.   Finally saw dvd of Babel—loved it, can see why it got all the awards it did.  Both dh and neighbor thought it was too slow; I thought it was paced perfectly.

The young chins need to be adopted and A.’s friend offered them to us.  I loved them but think they should go to a household w/ kids who will adore them for years and years—I was more fascinated w/ them than A.  We’ll see.  Plus I’ll forever have to worry about the dog getting into their room.

G’nite, chickadees; time for my hot milk and bed!

Official sounding, huh?  Sunday night, I’m beat.  Quick note, then off to bed.  We had a local friend on vacation all week and have been constantly going and doing.  Tonight A. has a girlfriend over; I spent most of the day trying to clean this place up a bit after not being here except to sleep for most of the week and then running them around.  They are upstairs now watching movies.

 Anyway……..going to D.C. on the 3rd was quite nice!!!  On the 3rd it was not busy at all, with most who work there already on a long week-end.  We were up before 5am and got there by 10:00am—did 2 galleries first:  Freer Gallery of Art and The Sackler Gallery–beautiful paintings by Whistler and Oriental, African, and Indian Art.  I could have stayed in just these two places for days.  Then off to a small garden and the Smithsonian Castle and a ride on the carousel on the Mall.  Next, a late lunch at L’Enfant Plaza.  Must say the weather was good—quite warm but a good breeze all day and not humid.   Then we braved The Natural History Museum where I (no one else would go with me) paid and went into the special butterfly exhibit—extremely hot and humid inside but the most gorgeous collection of butterflies and moths you’ve ever seen!!!  Flitting all over the place!!!  This was the only place that I can honestly say was crowded…kids, kids, kids.   But it should be, since it is for them.  On to the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden then the Air and Space Museum.  Finally on the Metro and to the parking garage then the drive home.  Logged well over 12,000 steps and outlasted a 15 yr. old—pretty good!  Home by 1am.  Every single person we spoke with was friendly and went out of their way to be helpful; a wonderful day in all ways.  (Well, we aren’t going to discuss food, he, he.)

Saturday went up to Williamsburg again and took the tour we missed earlier in the week.  Afterward we ended up getting an impromptu  private tour of the behind the scenes work of the stable  and tack room from a very nice woman who conducted the original tour and A. got to try out a sidesaddle.

Last night and today we finally have gotten some rain!!!! YAY!!!!

Reading:  There’s No Place Like Here by Cecelia Ahern—daughter of Ireland’s Prime Minister, only 26….very talented young woman.  This is not my usual; I picked it up expecting it to be a mystery; not sure how it’s going to turn out but suspect it is becoming a bit too much fantasy-like for my taste; we’ll see.

Food the past few days had not been terrible but I can’t say it’s been exactly good, either.  New week, new wagon.  Will get caught up on some more blogs tomorrow.

G’nite, chickadees.  Sleep tight!

Been running around all day every day.  Hope to get caught up on everybody’s posts and news sometime this week-end.  Tomorrow will be up before the crack of dawn for a day trip to D.C.; we drive to north of Fredricksburg and catch the Metro in.  Going to be awfully crowded and hot; not looking forward to this at all.

Food has not been too bad….it’s funny though, yesterday I did have one of those little bags of chips they give you along with a sandwich.  I ate the chips—told myself –just half; well you all know how that goes.  Anyway, this am, as soon as I opened my eyes, I knew, I just KNEW I was retaining water from those chips–my LIPS felt puffy!!!!  Sure enough, hopped on the scale; up a pound and a half.  WHEN will I learn????  My lips are like my barometer or something if I have salt.

The 2 wildfires are still going strong; one had been “contained” but recent winds put an end to that.  Smoke, haze and smell!!!!!  It’s awful and will be with us for quite some time yet.  Need rain!!!!!

Gotta get some sleep for tomorrow.  G’nite chickadees.

Hmmmm…..came across one of those lists of  25 “no sweat” ways to lose weight and it has left me scratching my head and a bit steamed at the supposedly “easy” ways to lose weight.  Maybe I just haven’t waited L-O-N-G enough.  Suggestions like—switch to 2% milk and 25 lbs. will melt away in a year; HA!!!  I’ve had nothing BUT SKIM for at least 5yrs.  Cut out sodas and lose another 20 easily—-I had some diet Sprite last month (about 4oz.) ; must have blew that one!!!  Can’t tell you the last time I had a real soda.  Maybe these suggestions expire with age—they don’t work on anyone over 40 or something.  Makes me wonder how heavy I’d get on a month of eating like a NORMAL person!  Like I USED to be–sniff, sniff. Enough!!!!

Anyway, horse camp  finished with a show for parents this afternoon.  A. did her dressage exercise w/o errors.  Yay!  Handled her horse (Usher) well in the flat work and jumps.  I was told today (by a parent) that her horse has a bit of  ”personality” and history and has thrown many a rider and the regulars at that barn are a bit leery of him which is why she ended up with him all week.   Seemed fine to me.  He just seemed small  compared to Rachel.

No transgressions in the food dept.; been really good for a grand total of maybe 2 days.  I read that people have been on their food plan w/o erring for X number of  days, or that they’ve exercised X number of days in a row and I wonder how in the world they do it…(and X is a huge number!!!!)….I am amazed by some of ya’all.  I have come to the conclusion that I need to stop grabbing handfuls of cashews as snacks; they may be “good” fat but too calorie dense and fat is fat whether good or bad.

Got a list of books and authors to Ruby; reading Marcia Muller—The Ever-Running Man—–right now.  Walking my neighbor’s dogs with A. (2 huskeys–yep, she got another one) while she’s away. Poor Betsy, we come in and she smells them and gets all upset but hard to handle 3 dogs even with 2 people especially since Betsy doesn’t like the new one who insists they will play. 

Off to bed with my book and hot milk (life in the fast lane, dontcha know); g’nite chickadees.

Didn’t ever make it on the exercise bike last night; went to garage and dh had so much stuff leaning on it I didn’t even try.

Took A. to horsey camp then went to bank and gym; it’s a whole different group there late morning.  Wanted to do 3 miles on tm but settled for 2.6 as I was absolutely dripping sweat all over—my t-shirt was just soaked.  Went up front to the rower where it was quite a bit cooler and the temp guage on the wall up there said 80; so god knows how hot it was in the rear of the gym—did 7 of the 10 minutes I had planned; I was too wiped out by the heat.  They are “working on” the ac; problem is, they’ve BEEN working on it for weeks and it’s getting worse and worse.

Anyway………food: grapenuts flakes w/skim, V8, decaf tea w/skim……..lunch: roast beef sandwich on onion roll, mixed greens salad w/ tomatoes and cucs, balsamic dsg., chow chow…………dinner: bar-b-que pork (ate 2/3), sm. amts. of cole slaw and beans, 4 hush puppies w/ a bit of butter

 Picked A. up at 5pm and encountered a long black snake (at least, I think it was a black snake and they are good guys) on the 2 lane road out of the stables………he was crossing the road, so  I put my blinkers on, stopped, and held up traffic for him.  He made it safely across.  My good deed for the day.  This stable where they have camp is a huge stable—-90 horses!!!  A. had a super time according to her—lots of jumping, dressage, and some classroom theory.  In bed already!!!

I have a dull headache; been with me most of the day.  Don’t know if it’s allergies or from being so miserable hot in the gym…….gonna put my feet up, read my book, a Dick Francis, make my mug of hot milk shortly and hit the bed.

G’nite, chickadees.

Hmmmm…anybody have any experience with these?  I took A. to her mowing job yesterday then dropped her off at one of the historic homes for volunteer work and followed signs to what was termed an estate sale.  I always thought it meant someone died and all belongings were being sold.  People were alive and well; it was basically a yard sale being run by a business.  Everything had a price but you could dicker or put a bid in a box and have them call you later if no one else bought and the people accepted your bid.  Saw a few things I wouldn’t have minded having but didn’t feel like playing the pricing game.  That, plus the fact that I don’t NEED anything.  Hmmmm….there is one painting that I keep going back to in my mind…..oh, and a mirror, and a dresser and a wrought (sp?) iron plant stand…….oh, well—wasn’t meant to be or I would have bought at the time; anyway, feeling guilty cause my credit card bill was way high this month.

Food yesterday: Lo sodium V8, grapenuts flakes w/skim, decaf tea w/skim……….lunch: Arby’s french dip minus the cheese………….later: cherries, blueberries and cashews and 4 of A.’s canned  raviolis.

Food today:  grapenuts flakes w/skim, decaf tea w/skim……….lunch: 1 and 1/2 hotogs (Hebrew National–fat 1.5 gms and 45 cals each) w/ 1 1/2 slices white wheat bread and mustard,  chow chow (this is basically marinated and cooked vegtables in liquid of sugar, vinegar, mustard, water, flour, salt and tumeric)—served cold, made a big container last night, maybe a local (Pa.) thing.  Also called “End of the Garden Relish”; but it’s not relish—never understood that.  My mom canned it every year; I’m not that ambitious—-cut the recipe in 1/4 and it still lasts forever in the fridge.    Dinner: 2 pieces pizza–one of them was very small, 1/2 Greek salad, small serving mint chocolate chip ice cream………will have a mug of hot milk later in bed

A. starts horse camp tomorrow—I’ll have 9-5 to myself, what freedom in the summer!  MUST hit the gym!!!!  Going out to the garage to the bike; will do at least 15 min., hopefully hard .  Must wear pedometer tomorrow.  All I did today was laundry, cook, run A. back and forth to the stable, move a few plants, and water them, sweep patio—–not much to show for the day.

Remember—new week=== clean slate, chickadees!   G’nite.

No, not my double one on my face; the chinchillas.  They went home today with much trauma and excitement.  A.’s friend and her mom and 3 little brothers came around noon to get them; they were transferred smoothly to a small bird cage for travel since the big cage had to be put on it’s side in the mini van.  All loaded with much discussion (read fighting) about who would hold them, the bird cage came apart and 4 chins were running all over the van closed in with 4 fighting kids; the mom was outside.  They were SLOWLY caught—the heat was getting to them and I ended up driving A., her friend, and the chins to their home in my car as the tension level in the van was not conducive to anyone’s well being at that point.  The poor mom, she was being so calm and trying to be reasonable in the face of  an awful situation.  I suppose she does this every day—OMG!!!  I couldn’t, I just couldn’t; and I know these to be really good kids.  Hats off to all with more than one child.  I came home and took a nap.

Life has been much slower since the end of school.  Sleeping well, sleeping in till 7-8am every day—heaven.  Didn’t make gym Mon., did Wed., planning on it tomorrow.  Had new orthotics made for A.’s running shoes by her physical therapist this week. Food has varied from very good to totally awful.  Today was awful–one reason why I made the effort to get on here and post.  Need to blog it all again and get accountable; I slip SOOOO far, SOOOO fast!!!!!!

Went to annual review of A. sched. for next year w/ head of IB program—-she said that our IB kids who took IB exams last year scored well enough to put the school in the top 2% of all the IB programs worldwide.  This year they had 3 seniors who attained GPA’s of higher than 4.9 so they gave them all top honors.  A.’s swimming with some very smart fish, she still seems happy with it all and wants to do this.  I can’t imagine myself making the decisions she’s made at her age.

We saw the Rachel the wonder horse last night.  She behaved very well; calm as could be.  Took along one of the women (a lovely woman from France) from my exercise group as she likes horses and wanted to meet Rachel.  A’s lesson was cancelled as her instructor had an injured pony on a neighboring farm to attend to.  She had a good ride anyway and horse camp is next week so she should get her fill of horses (as if that’s possible!!!).  The following week a day trip to DC is in the works.  Also, her first semi-formal event!!!!!!!  July will be orchestra camp; she teaches at the early sessions and usually plays with the later one…..don’t know exactly how that will work this year with her switching to cello.

The weather has been great the last couple days, no humidity, not too hot.  The only problem, and it has been terrible at times, is all the smoke from the wildfires west and south of us.

Summertime and life is good, chickadees!  I could get used to this!!!!

My dh is NOT an animal person; allergic to cats, barely tolerates (although I know he REALLY loves her) the dog.   No snakes, lizards, rodents….no, no no.  So when A.’s friend C. called needing emergency sitting for her chinchillas we said yes (after making sure A. reminded her we have a hound) and I told her to let me tell dad.  I told him we were having 4 house guests and he was so relieved it wasn’t people that he forgot to be too upset.  They (2 adults and their 2 babies) are in a spare bedroom/storage room.  The door is closed and we put a baby gate in the doorway just in case.  At 14, I’m not sure how much Betsy the basenji would care but she does still chase squirrels; never catches them but……   Anyway they are the cutest things!!!!  In a double decker cage, set in a large frig. box as the kids can squeeze out the cage.  They have a wheel and run like hamsters on it.  Also take “dust baths” in a little bin.  The babies are still nursing.  We have them till Thursday.  I’m just glad she didn’t need us to take her piranha; I find him most unattractive.

Made it to gym today—3.15 mi. on tm, ladies lite aerobics, a little achey, not bad at all.

 Food—good       Need to get on the scale again.  I lost 4 in May, 1  in June, then had gained 2 back the last time I hopped on.   SO…..of course my way of dealing with this is to not get weighed!!!!!!  STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!!!

Saw Rachel a few hrs. early evening.  A. had a good session with her.  On Wednesday, during A.’s lesson, a beautiful fox ran right thru the training ring.  I was surprised Rachel didn’t react.  Have seen this fellow out there several times but never so close.

Off to check on the “house guests”, then bed.  G’nite, chickadees.

I must have it; otherwise why would I think I could repeatedly climb up and go down a very bumpy twisting four story high slide at the water park today and not feel like I’ve been run over by a steamroller???  I truly DO forget that I’m in my mid-50’s and people in their 50’s don’t usually do such things.  We had a race there today and free access to the park after.  There were tons of people from the running club and my gym and I’d like to know just what I was thinking.  I’ve taken aspirin; must make it to gym tomorrow or I’ll never hear the end of it.  It WAS FUN!!!! but, worth it????  Guess we’ll see tomorrow, chickadees.

Need to learn to act my age—–NOT!!!!!

I finally,FINALLY got over that magic 10,000 steps!!!!!  Just over 14,100 for the day.  Gym this am: weight machines, light on upper body–rt. shoulder still just isn’t quite right, didn’t go over 70 lbs. on any upper body machines…….3.64 mi. on tm……..10 min hard row……ladies lite aerobics.

Bfsk was usual, lunch was at the home (just beautiful) of one of the women from the exercise group; a pot luck; ate as well as possible,  had some gelato late afternoon and just a few min ago one slice lo fat cheese and a few black olives, will have some warm milk (skim) yet before bed.

We went to the stable tonight—Rachel was just fine; no limp.  A. only rode about 10 min and just walked her because of the extreme heat.  Flies were awful so we washed her down well and loaded her up with fly spray before turning her out for the night.

Good night, chickadees; going to read the paper yet and turn in.