Wednesday, January 29, 2014

A Toothless Grin

Brian is getting ready for a dental implant so yesterday morning he had an old crown and peg removed and had the first part of the structure for the implant created. Unfortunately for him it is on a front tooth so it's pretty obvious, but the dentists office will have a temporary fix soon. I took the day off to get him through the appointment and then spent time making homemade tomato soup and homemade broccoli soup. While he napped I did an hour on the trainer and then got ready for class. There are rumors that we might break out of the cold snap. This morning when I left for work it was -5 and last night the trip to and from Bellevue was EXCEPTIONALLY cold!

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Ballet Fushion to Unwind

Yesterday I worked 6am to 6:30pm. I was pretty zapped by the end of the day but needed to run a few errands on the way home. After a quick stop at the grocery store, Walgreen's and my mom's house I made it home, changed into comfy clothes, did 30 minutes of ballet fushion in the living room, had a glass of milk and went to bed. Brian is having oral surgery this morning - getting and old crown and post removed and having the prep work done for an implant. Hopefully all goes well. He will have a day of rest and I'll have a day for homework. I only have to drive to Omaha for class 5 more times. I will have a LOT of homework the next several weeks but I'm excited to finish strong!

Monday, January 27, 2014

Grad School Graduation Weekend!!!!

Friday after work I took the dogs for an hour walk in the sunshine. We all needed some fresh air. After our walk I did a little housework and a LOT of laundry and then we met Erik at Southeast for the Athletic Boosters Chili Feed. The best part was the Butterfinger Pie (YUM!!!). Erik stayed for the game and we finished housework and cooking for the party on Saturday. Saturday was the official graduation ceremony. We left home at 6, and had a beautiful ceremony followed by lunch with family at Quaker Steak and Lube. When we got home I took the dogs for another long walk and Brian took on the kitchen floor. His parents came at 5:30 to help us finish set up and our first guests arrived right at 7. The party lasted until midnight and we had almost no food leftover. Six pounds of chicken taco meat was gone in the first hour. We had a blast and our guests enjoyed the evening. Sunday morning we had church, lunch with Erik, a quick trip to Urgent Care (my ear was upset but it's all viral) a nap and then meatloaf and mashed potatoes with family. Since I hadn't gotten any exercise I walked and jumped around in the living room while we watched Bob's Burgers and Family Guy and then we gave up and went to bed at 8:30.

Friday, January 24, 2014

The Week Got Away from Me

This week has been wild and crazy. Tuesday after work I drove to Bellevue to get our caps, gowns and hoods, then spent the evening on homework, riding the trainer and starting to work on food for the weekend. We are SO excited to party with our friends and family! Wednesday I worked all day, started dinner, did living room aerobics, which are just basement aerobics in the living room =) and fell asleep immediately when my head hit the pillow at 9. The dogs wanted to go for a walk instead but there was 20 mph wind and the actual temperature was below freezing so we stayed in! And I prepped more food! Thursday night I got a massage - sometimes the univese knows that I will need to relax before I understand it, and by luck I scheduled one for graduation week. Last night we ate dinner quickly and then I rode the trainer for an hour, Brian went to scouts and I did some housework and (you guessed it) more cooking for the weekend. Today I'm working until noon and then finishing the house, the cooking, the laundry and getting the dogs worn out! It will be a good weekend for celebrating!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

I am STUCK!!!

I am between 4 pounds and 6 pounds away from being FIFTY - yeah that's right - FIFTY pounds lighter. Since we got back from vacation in July I have dutifuly tracked, walked, ridden the trainer, done basement aerobics and dreamed about running and swimming and I was making amazing process, but since Christmas I have been stuck. I am hopeful that getting onto my official half marathon training schedule in 2 weeks will help push it over the edge. That and not having any potato chips, holiday M&M's, hershey kisses, Cold Stone Ice Cream, Caribou Coffee or leftover pie in the house. I do pretty good with willpower and following a healthy diet but I have been really hungry since the first of the year. I like to blame the cold, but I suspect it is a combination of stress eating and my bodies "natural instinct" to preserve my weight in case my hunting or gathering options are reduced. Last night after a big bowl of broccoli soup (70 calories a cup) and half a roasted grapefruit with honey and ginger (so delicious) I did 30 minutes of basement aerobics, an hour of homework and went to bed. Brian is having oral surgery Tuesday and has been fighting a cold so we were down for the count!

Monday, January 20, 2014

Lazy and Warm Weekend

I guess it wasn't that lazy, but it felt like it. My senioritis is out of control. I have only done a little bit of work on the projects for my two classes. It is officially midterm, so I have plenty of time, but I have been hesitant to jump in and get a lot of work completed. Friday after work I took the dogs for an hour walk and then spent the evening on discussion board work for both classes. Saturday morning I had planned to walk with Susan but we were under a wind advisory so I went grocery shopping and rode the trainer. I got to see the end of Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and was delighted to see another person with such amazing success from transitioning to a liquid vegetarian diet. The afternoon was spent making homemade tomato soup (we will definitely do that again!) and more response work for classes. Sunday morning the wind died down and after church Brian took on the abundance of oak leaves in our yard. I helped by running the leaf blower, going to the hardware store for another 5 packs (25 bags) of lawn and leaf bags and raking along the fence line. In the afternoon my friend Susan and I took the dogs for 3.5 miles in 65 degree weather (in January!) and then I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening restless. I didn't want to finish my homework, didn't really want to clean house, considered a second workout but we had company. It was odd, I'm not sure if it was just nervous energy but I was almost anxious from the down time. Maybe it's because graduation is around the corner? This week we will get ready for the celebration!

Friday, January 17, 2014

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

Yesterday I headed home and jumped on the trainer for an hour. I had dinner plans with my mom at Macaroni Grill so I knew I needed a massive calorie burner to make my "budget" for the day. There wasn't much on regular TV so I searched through Netflix and made friends with the Chromecast again. I watched the first hour of Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. I'm sure I'm the last person on the planet to see it, but it's about an Australian with an autoimmune disease who has been packing on the pounds for a number of years and decides to tackle his weight with a 60 day juice cleanse. He is supervised by a physician and drags his juicer around in the back of his car (throughout the United States) juicing as he goes. The first few days are misery, but he gradually gets used to the cleanse and is happy to have made the transition, even enlisting others to give it a try - which is adorable. I stopped when he went to Sioux Falls to help a man with the same disease but am looking forward to finishing. It was a good documentary. I'm not sure how I would feel about going 60 days without chewing anything but I can definitely see the benefits to changing your diet in a big way. My mom and I split the 4 course meal at Macaroni Grill and followed it up with cheesecake. I used every calorie I had left but it was a really fun night and I was only a pound heavier this morning - salt weight? so I can get right back on the horse today.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Blowin in the Wind

The bassets my friends, their ears blow in the wind, the bassets were blowing in the wind! Way too cheesy for a Thursday, I know. Last night I raced home from work, threw on warm comfortable clothes and got the dogs out for an hour walk. The wind while we were out made things pretty cold and my face still feels a little chapped this morning! It was good to get them out after a long day in their kennels. I feasted on leftovers for dinner and then spent time with my textbook. I am so ready for classes to be done; the next 6 weeks cannot go fast enough for me! We are under a wind advisory again today with 50 mph gusts so it will be a good day for indoor fitness!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Oh My Quads!

Tuesday is class night in Omaha - only FIVE more times!!! We had 45 mph wind by the time I got off work so there was no walking dogs. Instead I did a round of basement aerobics - in the living room, with the dogs. It was a longer than usual work out and there must have been 100 squats! Today my legs are still HOT to the touch and I'm sore around the edges. There was a lot of calisthenics in the workout with multiple toe touches and my abs and sides are still feeling it. I am always surprised with a workout that doesn't have tons of jumping around but does have constant motion that I am so worn out the day after!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Will Walk for Cupcake

I know - you aren't supposed to workout so that you can eat, or reward a successful day with sweets but we had a party at our house Saturday night - with REALLY delicious cupcakes and I wanted one. So I did a double work out yesterday, and ate really carefully the rest of the day so that I had enough calories for the cupcake. After lunch with Erik I took the dogs for an hour walk - we saw a lot of other dogs out so I got an arm workout at the same time. After dinner (vegetarian hominy pot pie and a heaping bowl of brussels sprouts) I spent more time with my textbook and then did 30 minutes of aerobics in the basement. It is SO nice to have a few 50 degree days in January with plenty of sunshine to improve my outlook and wear out the basset hounds!

Monday, January 13, 2014

Good Weather for Walking Dogs

It was a grogeous weekend outside and I was able to get in my 10,000 steps both Saturday and Sunday. Erik is heading back to campus today. We always miss him, but it will be nice to get back into a regular routine and get back on our diets! It's hard to live in a house where two people are trying to lose weight and one person is trying to gain weight =) The weather forecast looks pretty good for the rest of the week so hopefully I can get the dogs out for a walk every day. It makes them easier to live with and is good exercise for all of us. It's hard to believe that we are seeing 40 and 50 degree weather in January!

Friday, January 10, 2014

A Little 90's Music Helped Pump up my Workout

The scale is NOT moving right now. I suspect it's because there are still goodies in our house so I'm sampling a little chex mix, eating a handful of dried apples or even a hunk of bread with a little dip, hummus or butter. At any rate - yesterday I decided to get in my full 10,000 steps with the Fit Bit and do an entire hour on the trainer. My phone was cranky yesterday afternoon and Netflix and the Chromecast didn't want to work together so I ended up switching over to Songza and rocking out to 90's dance hits the last 25 minutes on the bike. I sang along to KLF, Technotronic and Madonna until Brian came down to talk to me while I finished the work out. Saturday we are helping to host a going away party for my co-worker Sheree - some of you may remember her as the red head from our wedding =) She is leaving us for warmer parts and will move to Arizona on Wednesday. This afternoon I need to work out and clean house so that tomorrow I can exercise, cook and do homework. It looks like we'll have nice weather the next several days so it will be time to walk the hounds! Tomorrow is two short weeks until graduation and 6 weeks until the official end to classes - can that really be true????

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Completely Exhausted

Wednesday is generally my longest day at work. I got out a few minutes later than usual yesterday, raced to my inlaws where Brian had finished snow removal, went to my mom's and shoveled her house and her neighbors, came home and while Brian went to town with the snow blower I shoveled our driveway, the back sidewalk and the steps from the sidewalk to the house then went in to make dinner and start laundry. After dinner I went to the basement for a ballet balance workout. It was only 15 minutes but that's good because I'm not sure I had the patience to go any longer. This morning my shoulders are a little sore. The workout had a lot of core/ab work but I'm not noticing that as much. At 8:30 I put the last load of laundry into the dry and climbed into bed. I feel more refreshed this morning. Hopefully this weekend I can get back onto our regular schedule. I feel like we are still in holiday mode having a few parties left to go.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

How We Met a Bulldog Named Chuck

Yesterday when I got home from work the sun was out and the weather looked to be fine for walking dogs. After a funeral visitation and a long day at work it was a great chance for me to have a few minutes with God. We set out for our usual 3.5 mile loop and during the last 10 minutes found a lovely English bulldog named Chuck. At first we thought he was out with a jogger and just happened to be off leash, but then she passed him and he looked at us with interest and determination. After looking both ways he crossed the street and joined our walk. I was nervous because both Cache and Root have a lot of trail anxiety but since he was about their size (just a little fatter) they didn't mind him walking with us. Soon his owner raced out of the house full of apologies and calling his name. While I had planned to start the Tracy Anderson series I still needed to make dinner and do lots of reading for class, and a walk is good exercise, especially dragging the two of them. Hopefully I can work out with Tracy on Thursday.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Of Course I Want to Look Like Gwyneth

This year for my birthday I asked for a couple Tracy Anderson videos. Tonight will be my first adventure working out with the fitness mogul and I confess, I'm more than a little nervous. I read about Gwyneth Paltrow and her efforts to perfect her body with Tracy Anderson a year ago and then read about the trial of the Anderson method by a columnist over the summer. While I'm sticking to my regular diet - 1300-1800 calories a day with plenty of water, hot tea and exercise - I decided it would be worth trying a few of the targeted workouts. Hopefully I don't hurt myself =) Erik is home with us for one more week and then Brian has a bunch of road time and Erik will go back to school so I'll be able to buckle down for the last few weeks of classes. It's hard to believe graduation is just around the corner. I mailed the invitations on my way to work this morning. One of my very favorite parts about our marriage is our ability to work as a team and to achieve our goals in tandem. 2014 will be an amazing year for our family!

Monday, January 6, 2014

High Tech Workouts

Training is going well. Mostly! We have changed the technical options at our house. Brian got Google Chromecast for Christmas and I wasn't that excited simply because I had NO idea how cool it is. Riding the trainer Saturday morning I watched the first hour of Guilt Trip - which is a combination of very funny and very sad. I also talked Brian into buying me Wii Zumba. I did my first workout last night and was stopped 20 minutes in by a calf cramp, that I still have. Tonight is back to the trainer and maybe by the end of the week it will be warm enough to walk the dogs. In addition to those fun pieces of technology I got a FitBit for my birthday (really, this is 37?) and it is happily reporting it's opinions on my movement and exercise. I will confess it makes me want to walk around more and take extra trips so that it knows I'm not just sitting around! Here's to the Jetson's workouts in the basement!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

In 2014 I Will

I'm a planner - it's a blessing and a curse!!! I have a big list of plans for this year. Among them is returning to the blog! In 2014 I am planning to: Run my first ever half marathon - with my friend Susan - my training schedule starts February 9 - while we are on vacation1 Complete in my first ever triathalon - with my friend Susan - my training schedule starts in March =) Purge my old bedroom at my mom's - we have been married almost FIVE years now - I think it's pretty permanent. Purge Erik's old bedroom at my mom's - he has ougrown all the clothes - and almost all of the toys. Purge our garage - if it's been in a box for almost 5 years chances are good that I don't need it Purge our laundry room - old clothes - I'm looking at your - someone will appreciate and wear you! HAVE a MASSIVE Garage Sale - probably during neighborhood garage sale weekend. Graduate with a Master's - the ceremony is January 25 - the date classes end for me is March 1 - Brian is already done! Take a weekend trip to Minneapolis - because I need training clothes - and more shoes! Take our annual family summer vacation to Ely - this year with NO TEXTBOOKS! Celebrate my mom's 65th birthday - in Lincoln and with any luck in Orlando Florida Spend time with friends - I have had the joy to nurture a number of new and old friendships and I love spending time with my girls! See a movie, in the theater - once a month! This will be a killer challenge for me. I am not big on movie theaters but Brian and I loved them when we were young - any recommendations for January? Finishing landscaping our house - including new sod - oh please be a nice spring!!! Paint our office - since we have been in our house almost 5 years - and I have the paint - and the curtains - all I can say is that college is hard! That's it! Read a stack of paperbacks - I have already purchased them! Join a book club - socially or at church - I'm just ready for some personal books! Serve my last year as a deacon - we have two parishes right now so that will take some time. Celebrate happy hour with Brian once a week - at home or a bar! Cheer for the storm - every time that Erik wears their uniform. Start Paying off Student Loans Move into a new career - either with the hospital or somewhere else. I am looking forward to the change!