just 10 more

Today is going to be a thankful one; for phone calls and emails from family and friends to check on us, and for the fact that one of the worst tornados in Va. history (F4, according to local news) spared us.  It was west of us, in the area that we visited twice recently: very near the place my friend was house sitting (I do remember how flat it was there) and where we went to the horse and tack auction.  Been through Driver and recognized all the route numbers.  I lived in Mi. for 7 yrs. and slept in the basement many times cause of watches and warnings and had the nearest tornado experience in a state not known for these things!!!!   I was sitting, getting soaked, at a soccer game; thought they would cancel, but at this point, they just want to get the season over—won, 3-0, BTW, A. did really well, her best game so far.  It was a home game and her h.s. is center city; shortly after we left, they had what is being are called “straight line winds” which did no damage, just blew around a lot of debris.  I did hear thunder twice during the game and wondered why they didn’t just end it.  We made it home OK, no damage to my house or neighborhood.  Fences and such down in close area.

Got bad news Sunday night—my mom’s cousin died; her dad had died when she was very little and my mom’s family took her in.   Although she was considerably older than my mom and a cousin, my mom always considered her a sister.  She had always been one of my favorite people.  Would have been 99 (yes, 99) the end of May and sharp as a tack.  I realized that, with her death, I’m the ONLY living person left who was raised in the family home—strange feeling.  Rather uncomfortable.  Going to take some getting used to.  Why would I even be realizing such a thing?…or letting it bug me so much?  Can’t get it out of my mind…..like one of those songs that get stuck.

I have been good to excellent food-wise, without recounting everything for the past two days; 5 pounds by the end of MAY!!!!  Gonna do it.!!!  No candy bars since last week.

Gym yesterday—2.25mi. tm, 12 min rowing, ladies lite aerobics.  MY right shoulder is still not happy w/certain moves, been staying off the weights, except for leg work occ.

Will up date later, chickadees.

Busy but not insanely so.  Took A. to a review class for an AP test she has coming up.  Window shopped for the most part rather than drive the half hour home only to have to drive back in an hour.  Picked her up, we ate lunch (which I packed, for once!!!), and dropped her at one of the historic houses for her volunteer stint there.  Went to the library; looked for that Jon Gabriel weight loss book; couldn’t find it but the titles and sheer volume of these type of books is overwhelming.  One was even called “The Wedding Dress Diet”.

I did one of my favorite things tonight—sat outside in the backyard and watched the sun go down through the trees.  Saw my hummer come in for his final drink of nectar of the night, had a robin splash in the birdbath right in front of me.  Also got my first mosquito bite of the year.  I don’t know why but they just LOVE me; nobody else will have a single bite and I will have a dozen.

Food…bfsk: Grapenuts Flakes w/skim, V8, decaf tea w/ skim………..lunch: turkey sandwich w/whitewheat bread, 2 slices…….snack: peach yogurt, walnuts, 1 biscotti……dinner: small hamburger w/onions, about 20 fries soaked in vinegar, peanuts…..no candy bars again!

I did hop on the scale this am and I’m up another pound and a half since the last time I got weighed—-and I weigh about 8 lbs. more than I did last year at this time.  Five of those pounds WILL be gone by the end of May; time to get real serious here; I’m not going back there again, I’m NOT!!!!

There is a gorgeous woman who goes to my gym; from South America; she’s a model.  One day when we were speaking she told me she only allows herself to have bread once a week.  I used to absolutely hate bread, I used to be skinny—maybe she has something there.

Need to go tend the everlasting laundry.  G’nite, chickadees.

Late hours and all the running around of the week caught up to me; I had about 4 hrs. sleep last night so after I took A. to the bus, I came home and crashed—napped from about 7:00 to 10:30 am.  Feel much better now but meals are screwed up.  DH actually suggested going out for lunch—it happens so rarely that he eats out (or goes out, period), except for work, that I jumped on it.  So breakfast (?) was an Arby’s french dip minus the cheese about noon.  Was hoping for a better venue but out is out and when he wants to go out it’s rare.  Now that the weather is nice he’s been running a couple times in a park close to our house.  Think I mentioned before, he’s NOT social at all!!  Drives me nuts sometimes–he will not go anywhere—happy in his home.  Well, to each their own, I guess.  We’ve been doing it this way for a lot of years and I doubt anything will change.  He’s perfectly content with his math books, computer, reading, and ham radio.

I did find some good news in yesterday; although I did have a piece of pie, I didn’t have any candy bars!  One day down withput a Kit Kat, Milky Way, or Twix… ……… a victory of sorts, I suppose.  I have cleaned a bowl of huge strawberries to snack on this afternoon till I must go pick up A.

Will update later, chickadees. 

Update….dinner: V8 juice, mixed baby greens salad w/tomatoes and olives, balsamic vinegar dsg., brussels sprouts, handful of peanuts, one pudding cup. I’m hungry now ( probably cause I had only 2 meals) but it’s almost 11 pm so I’ll just have a mug of warm milk and a Wasa cracker while watching the 11pm news.  No candy bars 2 days in a row!!!!

G’nite chickadees!

It had to happen sooner or later—the jv soccer team won yesterday, I’m happy to report!!!!  WOW!!!  Were they ever happy!!!  It was great to see them all smiling and calling out to each other on the way to the cars.  We have another game today; yesterday was a make-up for one that got rained out earlier in the season.  Fingers crossed that the winning trend continues.  Later: won again; 2 more games and this soccer season is OVER.

 A. missed first 2 classes yesterday; took her to dr. for sinus/ear inf. thing that has been bugging her about a week.  Zithromax and nasal spray and she’s good to go.  Should check with ENT, he was thinking about putting her ear tubes back in but I’ve never heard of them used in anyone her age, only little kids.

It is OFFICIALLY Spring now—-I had my first hummingbird yesterday at 12:10 pm.  I’ve read that they follow the blooming of columbine.  Have had the feeders out about a week.  Also tons of “butter butts” (yellow rumped warblers) and gold finches; saw the largest blue jay I’ve ever seen today.

Bfsk:  Grapenuts Flakes w/ skim, decaf tea w/skim………lunch: pork roast, sweet potato, mixed baby greens salad w/tomatoes and w/ Greek dsg., peas……..snack: peanuts……….Later: blew dinner: breaded mushrooms, hamburger steak, fried onions, salad, green beans, lemon merangue pie!!!!!  Went out to celebrate; you’d think I got the winning goal the way I pigged out.  NEED to get control back—OK this is IT!!!!  On the scale tomorrow and five lbs down by the end of May!!!! I SWEAR!!!

Have been having a terrible time fighting off chocolate—Kit Kats, Twix Bars, dark Milky Ways—frankly they’ve been winning every day.  I’m disgusted and need to find my resolve and willpower wether through hypnosis or whatever.

Rachel was a bit testy last night, not unmanageable but not what we’ve become accustomed to—A. thought this was great, I was a nervous puddle of jelly.  Probably coming off being in season.

See ya later, chickadees!

Checking in; nothing major new.  Volunteered and worked races both Sat. am and Sun.  afternoon.  Had free tickets so I went to a craft show this am.  Bought nothing.  A lot of the booths were food—-mixes for dips, soups, hot chocolate and other drinks.  After the race yesterday we went to Busch Gardens, had free passes there, too.  Got on no rides; too crowded.  Went to one show and walked miles, of course.

Did go to the gym Friday before the funeral; 3.02 mi. tm, 7 min. on the rower.  It was the first funeral I’ve ever gone to where I didn’t know the deceased.  Son of a woman in my ladies lite aerobics class.  Almost the whole class went.  Rather strange to see everybody in dress clothes.  Some of the women have exercised together for years and years; it’s a very long standing group.

Friday night took A. to ride.  Rachel was a dream; sailed over the jumps and behaved beautifully.  She did have some small splinters in her neck which A. got out.  Probably got in an altercation with another mare in the paddock and got pushed against the fence off balance.  Maybe.  Don’t really know.

Food; not terrible, not great.

A. is doing homework; I’m doing laundry.  G’nite chickadees.

I bought a new watchband today which is remarkable because I’ve needed one for months.  I have a nice Seiko, a gift from dh many years ago, and it’s a miracle I haven’t had the band totally break and lost it.  I can only wear leather bands which seem to deteriorate rather fast, the metal ones make my skin break out in a rash, esp. in warm weather.   Anyway, I actually stopped and bought something I needed for a change.  That sounds whiney, I know.

The week has gone by fast.  Another soccer game yesterday, another loss.  Also lost the one Monday.  Rachel was almost comatose yesterday at the lesson; very difficult to keep her moving……and it’s almost her “in season” time again.

My willpower is missing.  I confess I find myself raiding A.’s room for candy; Twix today and yesterday, having ice cream and chips.  Thinking of hypnosis maybe.  Anybody done that?  Usually in the spring I’m into good healthy eating and on a roll food wise; not this year, for sure.  Don’t know why.

Have to go to a funeral tomorrow—son of an older friend, heart attack; close to my age.  A. off school (teacher work day); has soccer practice; her dad’s off too so he’ll have the duty.  This may be a battle; he’s really not into doing that sort of thing.

Book:  Double Tap by Steve Martini  (legal thriller)  blah so far, or maybe it’s just me

G’nite chickadees.

Race yesterday morning….I did finish line, A. ran–got 2nd in her age group.  Nice picnic after and we walked down to the bay, water too cold to go in even wading.  Last yr. at this race A. was speaking with a nice 60ish woman, subj. horses of course.  I had the feeling I knew her from somewhere (t.v., movies, book cover, newspaper??????) and it took me ages to figure out where, but I finally did and yes, she’s famous.  Well, anyway, we ran into her last week at the race and A. got caught up with her and let her know she has her own leased horse now.  The woman was very enthusiastic and excited for her and told me she would be at this weeks’ race and would bring A. something to celebrate her 1st horse.  Well, I thought maybe a little charm or something like that.  NO…..she gave her a matching monogramed halter and saddle pad, a  set of horsey beauty products, and a horse decor thermometer for the wall in her room.  I am totally amazed; how nice of her!!!  WOW!!  Made sure I got her address for a major thank- you note.  What a nice person she is.

Food has been pretty good.  Did get weighed today, up 1 lb.

gotta run chickadees.

Late for gym today as I had to drive A. to school, my bad–rolled over when the alarm went off.  Did not quite 2 mi. on the tm w/incline, 7 min. on rower, and ladies lite aerobics.

Bought a new finch feeder.  Call it an early Mothers Day present to myself.  The sock-like mesh ones get torn to shreds by the squirrels and the clear plastic ones have so few holes and make the poor things hang upside down to feed.  This one is a metal mesh so I’ll see if they seem happier with it.  Goldfinches are soooo pretty.

Bfsk.: Grapenuts w/skim, decaf tea w/skim……..snack: f.f. cottage cheese and strawberries………..lunch: cube steak, greenbeans……..snack: pear……dinner: 1/2 cheese steak sub…..later: hot fudge sundae @ McDonalds       ok till the end of the day, no will power

Picked A. up after soccer practice—ate on the run (the cheese steak) and off to the barn.  We are getting to know some people there, everyone seems nice.  Tonight I met the girl who was being paid to exercise Rachel before we leased her. Rachel was good again, A. had her do a few low jumps again.  We were there till well after dark (last to leave) and when we were leaving there were frogs all over the driveway on the way out to the road.   A. kept leaping out of the car and shooing them off the side of the lane.  Don’t think I killed any.  Today was too warm for April—there really is no real Spring here; this happens every year, we are either in the upper 40’s to low 50’s or, like today, upper 80’s and humid.  The evening, however, was perfect!!!!

The club has a 5K and 1 miler on the agenda tomorrow (of course, tis the season), so off to bed I go.  G’nite, chickadees.

Humming mournfully.  My blog has been taking some sick days, I guess.  Haven’t been able to log on to this area of 3FC to blog or make comments—hopefully fixed  now.  Will get caught up on others in a few days. 

Made the gym Monday and Wednesday; realize I’m putting off getting weighed.  I think that when I’m all gung ho and losing I’m hopping on that thing every day; but when I’m only doing it halfway and not being real strict on eating, I avoid it like the plague.  At least that’s my theory, which, of course, applies to only me.

Food has not been awful but I’ve been better.  Today—bfsk: grape nuts flakes w/skim, decaf tea………lunch: cube steak, mashies w/ a little gravy,  mixed salad w/red pepper and tomato…….dinner: f.f. hot dog w/ mustard and a little onion relish, 1 piece white wheat bread, tomato and cucumber salad,  1/2 can tomato soup, container of butterscotch pudding……….snack: peanuts

Today is the first we’ve seen the sun in about a week and a half—chilly, rain or mist, fog, clouds—just awful weather!!  Went to see the horse yesterday–A. had a good ride, even convinced Rachel to do a small jump, something I had no idea A. had ever done.  Probably good thing I had no idea what she had been doing with her horsey friends.

Later, chickadees.

Ach!  No sun again; this is like day 5 of clouds and rain.  I have already announced that I am going to STAY HOME and not step foot out of this house today.  Way too much on the go lately.

Friday evening we saw the horse again and A. rode about an hour.  Once again, she behaved beautifully, not a hint of a problem.  I did research that “in season” business Thursday night.  So……. here’s all the scoop—mares are called “long day breeders” as they only can get pregnant from about March till Oct (this can be altered by adding extra hours of daylight with lighting at the end of the day in their stall but that doesn’t apply here and is employed mainly to produce an early foal)…..they come in season every 21 (!!!!!) days and it lasts anywhere from 2 to 7 days with 4-5 being the norm……..the in season days can be eliminated with a rather expensive drug or by putting marbles in their uterus (act as an IUD) but the marbles must be removed in 6 months (not by me, thank-you)….there are also herbal treatments and Rachel is now on “Moody Mare”, so we’ll see how it goes………….apparently some are not at all bothered and some go quite nuts when in season and from what I saw she’s in that population…………so, worst case is we avoid her for a few days each month………so, I’m counting days and knowing more than I ever wanted to about horse periods!!!!  Oh, and they don’t bleed, they produce a clear liquid and it’s said that they are “winking”!!!!!!  Who comes up with this stuff????

Yesterday we went to a race; A. ran, I worked the finish.  She took 3rd in her age group for the 5K.  Then because we already were so far out in the country (this race was a bit of distance away, the most far one the club does) we stayed and went to a bunch of antique stores.  I saw some pieces I just loved.  Of course she found a tack store and we ended up staying out there and going to a tack and livestock auction  (one of the many things I would have bet good money I’d never do).  What an assortment of people!!!!!  Of course it was geared mainly to Western and she does English.  We got new stirrup leathers for $12.00 as the ones on Rachels saddle are a bit worn and they are even by the same manufacturer as Rachel’s saddle —Henry du somebody, I think.  Anyway, A. assurses me it was a great bargain—-all I see is money spent on something I never envisioned needing. 

Food yesterday was bad, very bad; including onion rings; believe me, they have no healthy food at livestock auctions.

Anyway, I slept well, will update later when I have eaten for the day.

Food for the day–started late…brunch: 2 soft-boiled eggs w/2 pieces whitewheat bread, V8 juice, decaf tea………dinner: tuna noodle casserole, mixed greens salad w/red pepper and cucumber and Kraft sun dried tomato dsg……..snacks: peanuts, cashews, liquorice

Have a good Sunday chickadees!