just 10 more

Yesterday morning it was 40, this am 45 at the bus; not terribly cold, especially since I grew up in Pa. and lived 7 yrs. in Mi. but a far cry from the 87 we just had Friday.  Yesterday (Tu.) I dropped A. at the bus stop, came home, stripped, and crawled back in bed AND slept til 10.  I stayed up today but I’m not at the gym, just couldn’t go.  Last Christmas I bought the best thing I think I’ve ever bought as a gift.  Officially it was for my husb. BUT I think if we got divorced, he’d have a real fight over this item………a heated mattress pad!!!!  I have slept on heated water beds and used electric blankets but NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING equals one of these babies!!!!  It is like a full body heating pad w/ (I think) 18 different heat levels (2 controls, of course!!!) and it is just heaven!!!!

Last night was the orchestra concert; I dropped A. off at 5 as she was part of the set-up crew.  Among other heart stopping things, I learned later that she climbed a 25 ft. ladder to hang banners, she said no boys would do it–smart boys!!!  She may be in big trouble though; right now I’m telling myself this is one of those things we’ll laugh about someday.  Twenty minutes before show time the teacher sent her 7 freshmen girls w/ hems coming down in tears……the dresses were too long and these kids and their families put them up with what she thought was painters tape.  SO……..A. does a quick fix that only a 15 yr, old would come up with—-she STAPLED them!!!!  and then colored the staples with black marker.  At 50.00 each, I’m wondering if I’ll end up with a bill for 350. thanks to her “fix”.  The concert was great, A. had a duet w/ the first chair violin and they were super—all Irish music.  Afterward, we went to Borders Books for hot chocolate then home.

Life in a military town is interesting; you all don’t know what you are missing (?).  Yesterday, one of the F18s accidently dropped a practice bomb on us; it didn’t hit anyone thankfully, just the side wall of a business.

My food has been pretty good.  Monday I did have lunch with my ladies aerobics group at Olive Garden—I had the salad and 1/2 a ziti/5 cheese thingy–brought the rest home.  Other than that and the hot chocolate, I’ve been very, very good.   Bfsk today: grapenuts flakes and 1/2 pear and decaf. tea.

Have a good day chickadees, watch out for those practice bombs–real and symbolic!

Planned on sleeping in till at least 8 this am but A. still had alarm set for school and that got me awake, then husb. watch alarm went off.  Of course THEY both went back to sleep, no problem….. and here I am, up for hours and growling about them still sleeping!  Well, there are worse things.

Yesterday was the horse expo and it was OK, nice people, beautiful horses…..much walking; I’m miffed that I’m not getting “credit” as I lost the pedometer somewhere Friday night, with over 12,000 steps to my credit on it for the day.  I digress, we were at the expo from noon till about 9.  Took care of Christmas pretty much for A.; let her pick her ornament for the year, got a great deal on riding boots and deerskin full seat breeches and some smelly stuff called Nuzzle—-really, what else would you call a perfume for  horse-crazy teen age girls?  Seems ridiculous since I’m not buying a horse (and I MEAN it) and she does so little actual riding but that’s what she wants.  So she can dress up all she wants and look in the mirror.  This year there were even colleges there that you can take your horse along with you, scary thought……AND she keeps telling everyone that she wants to be an equine vet….??????, NOT bloody likely.   The weather turned sunny (it was raining when we left the house) after 3 days of mostly drizzle which we needed and more.

Food yesterday was pretty good/awful!!!—I even took a cooler of food, had made a fruit salad of mango, fresh pineapple and oranges cut up and other healthy stuff.  I blew it on the way home when our friend who was driving  stopped at Arbys—why, oh why would I eat a sandwich at 9:30pm?????  I am my own worst enemy!!!

Must get bfsk and do better today!!  Have a good one, chickadees!!

Yep, that’s where I am at the moment.  It’s a light rain off and on and that doesn’t help much either with staying awake..  Places west of us and east of us (the ocean—-like it needs more water!!!) got the most rain; the airport, 45 min. away,  had 2+ inches the other day while we had .08.  Too busy yesterday to post so here goes food from then.

Thursday food:  Bfsk: grapenuts flakes w/skim, decaf tea w/skim…….snack: about 2oz. salmon and 2 rye crackers w/ 1 slice Swiss……….late lunch: 1/2 can Tomato soup w/skim added, 1/2 large pear…………..dinner: dill potatoes, turkey, creamed spinach  (Boston Market)

Today, so far: Bfsk: grapenuts flakes w/skim, decaf tea w/skim………lunch: peach yogurt w/ a small handful of walnuts, chicken, brown rice, mushroom soup with extra leftover veggies tossed in

Made it to the gym today, a little late but at least I got there, about 7 to 9:45

Last night A. had a meeting with a project advisor after school and a bit later orchestra practice, 5 to 8:30pm  (both of us missed the stable)……I never got to pick her up till 8:30pm.  What an impossibly long day for a kid!!!  And then some chemistry homework to do, she’s been up till 11:00pm every night this week and till 20 of 1 one night….this is so not right.  Tonight she has to stay after for a chem lecture by a local college professor, then has orchestra ensamble practice till 5pm at which point I pick her up, feed her somewhere, and take her to one of the local historic houses she does events at, where she will be part of a Halloween program.  Tomorrow we have a horse expo all day 2 hrs. away.  I know she’ll be doing homework in the car both ways and all day Sunday again.  There is just no time for life with this h.s. study course she picked.  I’m worried she’s going under but she won’t give up anything.  I don’t want her to have to give up violin lessons or her one h.s. sport; but I suspect it would be close to impossible to talk her into giving up anything horse related.    No answers here.  Giving in to a nap.

We had district cross country meet today–girls at 3:30, boys at 4:00; the 7 best from each high school.   A. wasn’t last (all she was worried about!) but didn’t qualify for regionals; not a surprise.  Only the top 15 move on.  Didn’t run her best, lost steam halfway through.  Some days you got it and some days you don’t.  Anyway, she earned her letter.  Indoor track (which is actually outdoor cause we don’t HAVE any indoor tracks) starts in a couple weeks; I’m surprised she’s doing this cause she hates running in a circle.

Food (not bad till you get to dinner):  Bfsk: grapenuts flakes w/skim, tea w.\skim…………snack: vanilla yogurt, 1/2 Wasa, grapefruit……….lunch: mixed greens salad w/ 7 tomatoes, red pepper strips and balsamic dsg., 1/2 ham sandwich, 8oz. V8………….dinner: Panera; chicken noodle soup, Greek Salad, and………..a pecan sticky bun—probably 8,000 calories

I’ve been around a lot of people w/ colds and my nose is dripping a bit, hope it’s just the change in weather.  I’m hoping too that our rain isn’t over, all we’ve had is a little drizzle which didn’t start till after 5.  You could feel the front go through at the meet; a definite sudden cooler breeze.  It was so hot and humid when I walked the dog this am, I was drenched when I got home.  Didn’t make gym; just couldn’t make myself go for some reason.

Tomorrow is another day, chickadees!  G’nite!

Yep, promised for tomorrow.   Of course tomorrow is cross country district competition—I don’t care, I’ll gladly get soaked to the bone, we need it so bad.

The school sent home 2 pages on the MRSA—student is still out.  That is one bug that scares the #$%@ out of me; probably because the only 2 people I knew personally who had it, died.  Granted, they were older, but certainly would have made it through the illnesses they had but for the MRSA—and they both aquired it in hospital.

Bfsk: Grapenuts Flakes w/skim, decaf tea w/skim……….snack: f.f. cottage cheese, 2 pieces deli thin ham, 1 kiwi………..main meal: mixed greens salad w/ green olives, red pepper strips, 4 cherry tomatoes (from my own 2 little vines yet!), and balsamic vinegar dsg.,  red salmon,  steamed veggies w/ Mrs. Dash Original: yellow squash, broccoli, zucchini…………….dinner: V8 juice, and I made up a new dish by putting frozen shredded potatoes in a micro wave dish-defrost, squash into the bottom and sides, added  a mix of 1 egg, 2 T. ricotta, pinch of baking powder, 1 piece Swiss torn up and 2 slices of ham also torn up, after wisking together, put in microwave dish on top of potato shreds and zap a couple of min. and WA-LAH!!!!  A perfectly good little meal, and the possibilities are endless for additions—spices, onion, peppers, veggies, bacon, turkey, different cheeses, mushrooms….etc.  I had done something like this before but it was in the oven and I was too hungry for oven time tonight, good to know it works in microwave too!!!…..also had grapefruit for dessert….

Nite, chickadees–take care all.

There, how’s that for a boring title????….I’m tired and nothing is coming to me.

Friday night was as I planned: reading and the movie.  Saturday I took A. to her volunteer stint at a local historic house, all dressed up in Colonial garb, she helped kids make candles by dipping.  While she was there, I went to see “Michael Clayton” with George Clooney and liked it very much!!!  Not often I get to an adult movie.  Then I took her to mow at her lawn job and we ate out—I wasn’t bad but did have a Dairy Queen Mocha Moolatte for dessert.; blame it on George.

Sunday was a party for volunteers; outdoors on the top deck of an eatery on a fishing pier.  Recieved a nice clock for my work. The weather was fab. but couldn’t stay too long as A. had tons of homework to do yet.  Don’t think I ate anything too awful, but did have 1 glass of Sprite before I found the bottles of water.  Came home and made treats for her to take to school today–it was a big chemistry holiday–”mole” day.  Also a good day cause my Cowboys WON!!!!!  BTW:congrats to Bosoxfan!!!

Today: bfsk: grapenuts Flakes w/skim, tea w/skim……..snack/lunch: 4oz. V8, thin sliced deli turkey, 1 slice Swiss, 1/2 pear…………..dinner: veg. soup, 4 small tomatoes………..snack: 1/2 Wasa cracker, 1/2 pear, 1 slice Swiss, 6 almonds

Went to gym, 2hrs.: stretch and exercise,  weight machines, 2.6 miles on treadmill, 15 min. rowing—-just didn’t feel like ladies lite aerobics so I skipped it, still had a good workout

It’s all over the news here that MRSA has turned up at my dau. school; not a good thing…….had to happen sooner or later I suppose, I just would have liked later, much later better.  Eleven h.s. in the city and we have to be first.

G’nite, chickadees!

That is, another pretty good day—I’m on a roll.  Made it to the gym all three days this week again!  Yoga class today after weight machines and treadmill, usual warm-up.  One of my gym buddies made fudge (bad man!!!) and gave me some….how could I refuse?  This is the man who talked me into starting at the gym last year.  He’s the grandfather of a girl A. used to run with and an amazing runner himself.  I’ve known the whole family for years.  It’s in the fridge, it was practically liquid by the time I got home, it’s so hot here.  I’ll have A eat it.  She never turns down chocolate.

Food: bfsk: grapenuts cereal w/ skim, tea w/ skim………snack: 2 forkfuls of f.f. cottage cheese, about 6 almonds………..lunch: 1& 1/2 piece cheese pizza, small………snack: kiwi, 2 rye crackers w/1 thin slice Swiss…….dinner:bowl homemade vegtable soup  

I didn’t pick A. up after school till almost 5:30, she was working on an ensemble orchestra piece with 2 others and her teacher…….this amazes me–school is over at 2:15 and yet all these teachers and students are still there……..I’m pretty sure that when I went to school the school was totally empty on a Friday and locked tight 15 min. after last bell.  

I’m going to curl up and read my book–Shiver by Lisa Jackson and try to watch Valerie Bertinelli in Claire tonight on Hallmark and those are the extent of my plans.  Well, I just checked the old pedometer and I guess I’ll walk the dog first, need to rack up some more steps.

G’nite!

Nice day, a little warm AND we are supposed to get some rain.  Gotta say that falls in the land of “I’ll believe it when I see it”—-news at noon had us in rain by 4pm; didn’t happen yet and it’s almost 10pm now. Oh well, the day was good.  Did the stable tonight—no rearing horses; in fact they were all very well behaved as were the kids.  Didn’t use the one that threw the child last week, thank God.

A’s cross country coach had a ”run-off” for the girls to qualify for district meet-they can only take the top seven; she made it, but only by the skin of her teeth, they have some fast girls.  Not sure why he did it that way; he didn’t even make 2 of them compete for places; he knew they were shoo-ins.  Last year and usually they just take the top 7 from the last meet of the season; that seems much fairer to me.  She did qualify last year also but fainted about 3 days before the meet and our dr. wouldn’t let her run till she had a boatload of exams and tests—was she ever angry!!!  Anyway, I’m glad she made it again this year, she’s worked hard through the teeth surg., ran one meet in tears with cramps and backache, trained hard and taken about 3 min. off her 5K since mid-Aug.

Food: bfsk: grapenuts w/skim, tea w/skim, plum………snack: 2 rye crackers w/ 1 thin slice Swiss cheese…………lunch: mixed greens salad w/ tomatoes and 3 olives, 6oz. lo salt V8, left-over garlic and olive oil spag. from last night…………dinner: 1/2 steak and cheese sub w/ lettuce, hot peppers, and tomatoes……….snack: 2rye crackers w/ 1 thin slice cheese

I’m off to watch “Mad Men”. 

No drama, no trauma=a good day…….take care, chickadees!!!

Mid-Oct. and I’m going outside in a t-shirt at 6:00 am; something wrong with that.  Had ac on today too.  On the bright side my tomatoes have about 50 green ones still coming and it’s to stay warm. Nice day–no drama, no trauma for once…..sometimes it seems that all I do is rant and rave and complain here.  Ommmmmmmm……I like calm, peaceful days; I really do……

Food: bfsk: grapenuts w/skim, tea w/ skim @ 6:00………lunch @ 11:00: 8oz. low salt V8, salad of mixed greens and tomatoes w/f.f. dsg., about 2oz. salmon w/ 1 slice whole wheat bread, 4 slices red beets, a small rye cracker w/thin slice of Swiss, 1 sm. banana………………dinner @ 4:30pm: (out at Italian place) 1 piece bruchetta, shared spag. dressed with just olive oil and garlic and spices…..later: 1 scoop yougrt ice cream…

My gym was giving out free step counters.  I had to turn in the one I got on Monday today—it was counting 2 steps for my 10 actually taken (maybe a plot to get us to walk more???)  Got a new one today and it seems much more accurate; the only problem being that I was over 7,000 and I must have accidently reset the danged thing (maybe hit the button with my seatbelt?)  I think we are supposed to be aiming for 10,000 steps a day.  Well, I’m almost up to 2,000 again so I’ll get there before bed.

G’nite, chickadees!  Sweet dreams—yes, I mean you, Ellabella!!!

I’m not lost; have managed to get on now and then to make a few comments but generally having some difficulty with computer and/or AOL kicking me off (or not letting me on in the first place) which is very frustrating in the middle of a  post.  So, I’ll try again.

 Betsy still seems fine; no further seizures.  Thanks to everyone again for the good thoughts and concern.  I “know” at 13 she doesn’t have too many years left but it never really hit me til last week.

I have been behaving fairly well food-wise…..no major transgressions with exception of a handful of M&M’s. Made gym both Fri. and today; full sessions.  Volunteered at races both Sat. and Sun. and went to HallowScream on Sat. night. 

Ellabella was writing about her family and their start in America and I started thinking about my family.  My mom (b.1914) was German (her mom) and Irish (her dad)….to her the German was fine, the Irish (Casey) to be ashamed of—her parents met at a dance, her dad 10 yrs. older and a great dancer, but also a drinker, not nasty, just a wee bit too fond of it.  My dad (b.1909) was English, Dutch, and Welsh.  His grandfather sailed from Swansea, Wales as a stowaway at 10 (can you just imagine what his parents felt?) because he missed his older sister who had already come to America—when discovered, he was put to work for the ship captain to earn his passage.  Part of his story is that during a great storm at sea he was tied to the mast to keep him from being washed overboard.  Family names there are Fine (one of Pa.’s governors was related ) and Sherrin (the one who sailed from Swansea).  I wish now that I asked more questions and listened more.

Last Thurs. we did our usual volunteer stint at the stable.  My daughter was assigned to leading a fairly independent rider on that thoroughbred she loves (the one who took off with her).  The local Navy fighter base was doing touch and gos with a flight pattern over us and these F-18’s are very noisy.   Halfway thru, the horse reared, the child came off, kicking my dau. (who was dangling in air at that point) in the head on her way to the ground.  When she touched ground again, A. got the horse away from the child before it was stepped on and got pulled up in the air one more time by the horse rearing before she got it settled down for good.  Watching your child hanging from a lead rope on a rearing horse is more than a bit disconcerting; and to think I thought I had found some nice safe horses for her to be around.  Believe me, this was never mentioned in orientation!!!  The child has broken two bones-radius and ulna, poor kid.  Everyone on staff ( it happened that the director was there) was impressed with the way A. handled the horse and said she did exactly what was needed….me, I was terrified and I still am.  All I could do was stand there and watch and hold on to the horse I was leading and keep out of the way.  Of course the other kids were affected to different degrees so the night was pretty much a bust after that.  Even the 2nd session was affected. 

Here’s to peace and calm, chickadees……