Sun 31 Jan

We wussed out last night. I was so tired after hiking for the first time this season that I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. When I mentioned it, Dad jumped in to say he also was really wiped from hiking and minded not at all if we skipped the party. So now we have two plates of cookies in the house. Wish we could share them with you.

Oh dear, you've inherited another of my lesser traits. I've always said I should not be allowed in the kitchen with sharp knives and now apparently neither should you.

Did the superglue work?


Food:

8:15 am Trader Joe's oatmeal, 1 tsp brown sugar, 2 oz light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
12:15 pm 2 eggs over easy, 3 strips bacon, 2 6" pancakes, 1 tbl butter, 1 tbl syrup, coffee
1:30 pm 1 small chocolate chip cookie
5:30 pm Bowl vegetable bean soup, 1 oz Tostitos Taste of Lime chips, Brown Cow 0% plain Greek yogurt, 12 oz light original soy milk



Exercise:

7:05-7:55 am Brutal ballet DVD

Sat 30 Jan

Got up around 8:30 planning to get the sheets in the laundry right away, but got sidetracked clearing the dining room table so I could include the tablecloth. Clearing the table meant dealing with all the mail, paying bills, etc. One thing led to another and I got hungry for breakfast so the sheets are still sitting in a pile on the couch waiting for me to pull the tablecloth but I'm eating breakfast now. It'll get done.

Temperature is inching into the teens now and the sun is shining, so we might bundle up in the early afternoon and do a Rib Mt hike on the road. Dad has just been itching to get back into it, and I think I could be warm enough in those good wool snowpants I found at Grandma's. It should be fun.

Walk was good; only thing that got a little chilled was my hands. I was adequately bundled in all other departments. We went to the Great Dane afterward and I absolutely inhaled one of their big burgers. I had eaten breakfast around 9:30 and we lunched around 3:00.

Picked up U-Bake cookies to take to John Knowlton's party tonight.


Food:

9:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe
12:00 pm 7 yogurt pretzels
3:00 pm 1/3 lb lean burger, bun, cheese sauce, carmelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, 5 fried plantains, about 5 loaded nacho chips of Dad's
6:15 pm Lindt dark chocolate peppermint truffle
6:45 pm 1 mini chocolate chip cookie, 1 mini peanut butter cookie
7:30 pm 1 mini peanut butter cookie


Exercise:

1:00-3;00 pm Hike Rib Mt (on road) plus tower

Fri 29 Jan

TGIF, and payday, too. Only weekend plans are John Knowlton's after-Christmas party tomorrow night and choir on Sunday.

Took the morning off from exercise to rest the muscles. I hope to get on the treadmill tomorrow morning when I get up as that was satisfying last Saturday. I don't have anything else to conflict so I should be able to do it. It will sure be nice when we can get back into hiking again.

Guess it's officially chilly this morning. My nose hairs froze walking in from the parking lot.

Been thinking about you all day and sending you well-wishes. Be happy.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
12:00 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, prune ponczka, 1 c vegetable bean soup
3:00 pm See's butterscotch lollipop
4:15 pm Dove heart
6:30 pm Musamon curry with beef, 1 c white rice, green tea, small square layered gelatin cake

Thurs 28 Jan

Week is making some inexorable progress toward the weekend but it sure seems slow. Was nice to have hot homemade soup last night. We're kind of in the doldrums with nothing major going on so time moves slowly.

I don't actually have a recipe for my poultry soup. I just boil the carcass or even a package of chicken pieces in a large kettle for a few hours, adding water to replace evaporation several times. I usually put about 1/4 c chopped onion, salt, pepper, and basil in with the boiling chicken. I don't measure, but I add all quite liberally. When I'm ready to proceed, I remove all meat and bones to cool and pick through the good stuff to return to the pot. I add a bunch of sliced carrots and celery and chopped onion, more salt, pepper and basil and cook for at least another half hour til veggies are done. Then I add the German egg dumplings and we eat.

Usually I make the soup with a bird that has already been roasted for a previous meal. There are probably seasonings in the meat from that process also. I have made it with fresh chicken, and now that you remind me, I'm thinking it wasn't quite as flavorful that way. You might try buying a rotisserie chicken from the grocery and using that as the base for the soup.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 cantaloupe, coffee
11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, prune ponczka, med banana
4:00 pm Fit & Active Cinni-Crisps
6:00 pm BBQ with Healthy Life wheat bun, Mott's Mango Peach cup, 12 oz light original soy milk



Exercise:

5:10-6:10 am Lotte Berk High Round Assets and Hip Hugger Abs videos

Wed 27 Jan

Temperatures are back in the freezer, supposedly at least for the rest of the week. Back to CuddlDuds and dressing in multiple layers. At least January is almost over so there shouldn't be more than 2-3 months of this crap left.

I can really see how experiencing 60-degree weather could lead your body to believe it's already spring. I have to admit that the slightly warmer weather last week already had me thinking spring. Hang tough, girl. July will be here, hopefully before you know it, but inevitably it will come even if time drags. In the meantime, enjoy being able to go for a run outside.

Sounds like you're having a less than happy day. Sorry to hear it. Hugs!!!!


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
11:45 am Chocolate soy shake, thick slice cinnamon raisin toast, 1 tsp soft margarine, 82 g blueberries
2:45 pm FIt & Active Cinna-Swirl mini-crisps, Hunt's Snack Pack creamy caramel pudding cup, 1 lifesaver
6:00 pm 1 1/2 c ham vegetable soup, prune ponczka, 12 oz light original soy milk


Exercise:

5:10-6:00 am Chest and Abs of Steel 2000 video

Tues 26 Jan

Did the original Jane Fonda workout again today - want to get to the point where I know the moves well enough to do them full out. I still can't keep up the pace of her leg workout; I don't get as many reps as she does in the allotted time. I also modify her bouncier stretches and jerky sit-ups to crunches that won't injure my back. I think I will like it if I survive it!


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
11:15 am Vanilla soy shake, slice L'Oven Fresh 12 grain bread, 1 tbl Skippy PB, 91 g blueberries
3:15 pm Leaf-shaped chocolate-bottom cookie, 1 pc English toffee
3:45 pm Lightly salted rice cake



Exercise:

5:15-6:05 am Jane Fonda original advanced workout video

Mon 25 Jan

Another January week ahead; nothing much to anticipate except John Knowlton's after-Christmas party on Saturday. I need little goals to look forward to, no matter how small, to keep the day-to-day in perspective.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
12:00 pm Blueberry soy shake, thick slice cinnamon raisin bread, 1 tsp soft margarine, 100 g blueberries
2:30 pm 3 iced gingebread cookies, 1 lifesaver
5:45 pm 99 g pulled pork, Healthy LIfe High Fiber Light wheat sandwich bun, 1/2 c pork fried rice, 113 g mango, 1/4 large sliced red pepper, 12 oz light original soy milk
7:30 pm Jello sugar free rice pudding cup



Exercise:

5:00-6:05 am Jane Fonda Complete upper body, aerobics, and lower body video

Sun 24 Jan

Had lots of fun learning salsa dancing and marangue at the Passport to Paradise last night. The band, Madisalsa, was a 10-piece band with brass and several kinds of drums out of Madison and they were really good. One of the vocalist's wife was a dance instructor who came out after no one danced for the first half hour and gave a brief lesson to get us started.

Made homemade fried rice using a little of the barbecued pulled pork. It was yummy. Potluck was heavy on main dish/casserole stuff, light on salads.


Food:

8:15 am 145 g pecan roll (from Atlanta Bread Co), 1/4 cantaloupe, coffee
12:00 pm .6 short stack Perkins pancakes, 1/2 c sliced bananas, 1/4 chopped pecans, 1 tbl maple syrup, coffee
5:30 pm Potluck - casseroles, fried rice, apple slices, 2 chocolate cookies




Exercise:

7:10-8:00 am Brutal Ballet DVD

Sat 23 Jan

Got up and did the 30-min treadmill on Program 4 which includes three 5-min segments at 4 miles/hr. This morning I was able to jog for 2/3 segments and I made it about 3.5 min into the third segment before I had to walk for a bit in between jogging. This is improvement for me. I'd like to get to where the jog through these segments is relatively easy so I can then push the pace to the next level.

Took a quick trip to Appleton to their Goodwill where we found a black blazer small enough for Michael for the formal nights, and I found a fun party dress as well as a more casual top and skirt that I will debut tonight at Passport to Paradise.


Food:

8:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 10 oz OJ, coffee
1:00 pm Half a basil chicken sandwich at Atlanta Bread Co, pickle spear, toffee chocolate chunk cookie, 16 oz mango iced tea, sample bite of lingonberry cream croissant
5:15 pm Half a large Cinnabon
7:30 pm 2 BBQ meatballs, skewer of Hawaiian chicken, skewer of cumin beef, 1.5 c tropical fruit, 1/2 4" round macadamia nut cheesecake, 2 chocolate truffle balls, 1 coconut rum/diet coke, 1 diet coke



Exercise:

8:05-8:35 am Treadmill program 4
8:00-10:15 pm About 45 min total salsa dancing

Fri 22 Jan

How's the new job going now that you've had a chance to really experience it for awhile? Sounds like they're actually letting you work and use your skills if you're part of a team with the group from Texas. Give me an update when you get a free minute.

Yesterday morning in my office they had a radio call-in for the first caller to get free tickets to Passport to Paradise, a fundraiser luau-style party for Boys and Girls Club. We've never gone since tickets are $50 each in advance and it's not a charity I choose to devote that kind of money to. (Please excuse dangling preposition.) It is nice because it comes at this time of year when there's not much going on and a party would be welcome. Long story short, I won the tickets so we're going tomorrow night. Salsa dancing to a live band, Hawaiian buffet, large silent auction. Good chance for Dad and I to brush up on salsa dancing for the cruise.

Skipped out of the birthday lunch at Arbuckle's today. Just didn't feel social.


Food:

7:00 a 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
11:45 am 143 g pulled pork, Trader Joe's small whole wheat pita, 141 g fresh mango, 10 oz light original soy milk, small piece English toffee
2:30 pm 1 LifeSaver
6:15 pm Mango margarita, 3 cheese enchiladas w/sauce, 1/2 c shrimp, 1/4 c Mexican rice, chips and salsa
7:15 pm 33 g chocolate bark w/fruit & nuts

Thurs 21 Jan

The new Sexy Legs video is a little shorter than usual but uses ballet moves as choreographed movement for exercise. Nice because it differs from the other ballet toning video in that it's not just series of tendu or plie or whatever, but combinations to keep the brain focused. The technique is really a blend of ballet and more of a fitness take, but I was tired this morning so I feel well worked out.

Sure would be nice to have a day to just sit around and read a book. I guess that's what Saturday is for.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
11:15 am Large orange, oatmeal raisin cookie (during teleconference)
12:15 pm Vanilla soy shake, slice Trader Joe's multigrain fiber toast, 1 tbl Skippy peanut butter
2:30 pm Leaf-shaped chocolate-bottom cookie, 2 life savers
6:30 pm 3.25 oz pork roast, 1/2 c mashed potatoes, 4 spears roasted asparagus, 12 oz light original soy milk
8:15 pm Sugar-free dark chocolate raspberry Jello pudding cup


Exercise:

5:15-5:50 am Sexy Legs video

Wed 20 Jan

My new workout this morning had a step aerobics component that I had to work to learn. This was considerably more difficult because my step had a cat lying just to the left and behind where I needed to occasionally step. Guess I should look for a new step without the cat.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
12:00 pm Blueberry soy shake, 1 c Trader Joe's butternut apple soup, slice Trader Joe's multigrain fiber toast, 1 tsp soft margarine
3:00 pm 3 pc iced gingerbread cookies
6:30 pm Chicken thigh, 1/2 c black beans and rice, 3/4 c broccoli, 12 oz light original soy milk, 3 pc English toffee
7:30 pm Jello sugar free chocolate raspberry pudding cup



Exercise:

5:15-6:05 am Arms and Abs of Steel 2000 video

Tues 19 Jan

Whew, the New Jane Fonda Workout is intense. The aerobics keeps up a jogging pace during the entire 20 min, varying the bouncy movements but no time to catch breath in between. The remainder of the class does some heavy abs, legs, and buns work. I suspect I'll feel better about it once I learn the routine, but it was hard to keep up while following new steps.

Jan 19 and the last of the Christmas cookies was eaten today. Sigh.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
11:45 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, 1 slice Trader Joe's multigrain fiber toast, 1 tbl Skippy peanut butter, small banana
2:30 pm 7 white yogurt pretzels, 2 c Fleet Farm popcorn, piece walnut fudge, 1 life saver
5:30 pm 84 g roast beef, 2 slices 45 cal multigrain bread, 1 tsp margarine, 104 g red pepper strips, 10 oz light original soy milk, 14 g molasses cookie



Exercise:

5:15-6:10 am Jane Fonda's New Workout - Advanced

Mon 18 Jan

Ah, another week ahead. Weather is supposed to remain quite mild. I can now start planning for spring break with a goal in mind. I don't intend to tell Grandma we're going until about a week or so before we leave so she has less time to fret about our being gone. Don't know if we'll be able to pull it off, but we'll try.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 2/3 c cherry juice from concentrate, coffee
12:00 pm Chocolate soy shake, slice Trader Joe's multigrain fiber toast, 1 tbl Skippy peanut butter, med banana
2:30 pm Piece walnut fudge, 24 g molasses cookies
5:30 pm 4.15 oz roast beef, 1/2 c Klondike Red mashed potatoes, 1.5 tbl gravy, 3/4 c broccoli, 12 oz light original soy milk
7:15 pm 55 g milk chocolate reindeer head



Exercise:

5:10-6:00 am Jane Fonda Complete upper body and aerobics

Sun 17 Jan

It's so weird to have a sleep-in lazy Sunday morning. I did my ballet as usual, but I didn't get up til almost 8 am so it was later than usual. Then I got a hankering for eggnog pancakes one more time before the season is past. No obligations today until choir at 6 pm. Not sure what else I'll take up.


Food:

9:15 am 3 eggnog pancakes, 2 tsp margarine, 1 tbl syrup, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
11:00 am Nestle Fat Free 20 cal hot cocoa
12:30 pm 1 Riesen caramel
2:15 pm Brown Cow 0% vanilla greek yogurt, 3 Breton multigrain crackers, 2 tbl Skippy peanut butter, small banana
5:15 pm Chicken thigh, 1/2 c stuffing, 1 tbl gravy, 1/2 c baked corn, 12 oz light original soy milk



Exercise:

8:05-8:55 am Brutal ballet DVD

Sat 16 Jan

Oh, how lovely to have a Saturday with few obligations. I do need to cantor tonight, but it means I can sleep in tomorrow morning. We finished taking the tree down last night, so I don't have that to do. I'm spending time looking at cruise or other vacation options for spring break. I'd really appreciate knowing ASAP if you're interested. At moment, I've been perusing 7-day cruise options leaving from Florida on 3/14/10 and taking in a variety of Caribbean day stops. We could also look into all-inclusive resort options in Mexico or the Caribbean. If you're in, let me know your preference. I'll send you links to the best options.

The list I'm looking through now is here:http://travel.travelocity.com/ecruise/CruiseSearch.do?org.apache.struts.taglib.html.TOKEN=9238b165969ffb92db678b5148c38e71&pageName=CRZ_Z3101&geographicRegion=24&cruiseLength=7-9&dateType=SINGLE_DATE&fromMonthYear=2010-03&fromDay=-14&toMonthYear=&toDay=&price=&departurePort=&cruiseVendor=


Food:

9:30 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
11:30 am 16 g molasses cookie
12:00 pm Brown Cow blueberry 0% greek yogurt, slice Trader Joe's multigrain fiber toast, 1 tbl nutella, small banana
1:45 pm 1 Riesen caramel, 32 g milk chocolate reindeer torso
6:30 pm Applebee's spicy shrimp diabolo, long island iced tea
7:15 pm Culver's small cone turtle flavor of the day

Fri 15 Jan

Nearly halfway through the longest, most boring month of the year. Possibility of even seeing sunshine tomorrow. Nice.

Tried the new Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD today. I was glad I did a couple of the Lotte Berk tapes earlier in the week as these folks were influenced by that method and it shows. So this week I did three separate routines including those brutal plies in the middle of the range that kill your thighs. I better have awesome thighs to show for it next week!

Yay! Christmas tree is safely packed away for another year!


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
10:00 am 1 crepe, 1/2 c sliced banana, coffee
12:00 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake
2:00 pm 5 white chocolate pretzels
3:15 pm 64 g milk chocolate reindeer feet
6:00 pm Cheese fries, 106 g honey crisp apple, 114 g cucumber slices, 12 oz light original soy milk


Exercise:

5:15-6:05 am Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD

Thurs 14 Jan

Michael came home late yesterday afternoon and threw up. He said he got very hot and sweaty just before, but seemed to feel fine afterward. He didn't feel feverish and was able to eat supper and resume normal activity, so I'm hoping it's a fluke and not a flu.

Over-snacked at work this afternoon. Heather still had her Christmas treats out and I had brought cookies in as well as the last 3 pretzels from yesterday. No self-control. Perhaps because I visited Grandma and Leone showed up with Virginia. Leone was more annoying than usual, wanting answers on how to mark some brown knee socks she brought because she doesn't think black laundry marker will show up. I have no intention of making little cloth tags with names and hand-sewing them into a pair of socks I don't even expect Grandma will wear, though I kept this opinion to myself. Then she wanted to know where in the room she could hide a bag of Dove Promises she brought so the staff wouldn't eat them since they seem to have eaten (or thrown out) the cookies that had been sitting out for a couple of weeks. Told her I obviously don't know a good place in the room to hide things since the goodies I brought disappeared.

Tonight we used our $50 gift certificate bought from the radio's half-price deal for Red Mill. Michael came with us and we enjoyed a nice meal together.

Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
12:00 pm Vanilla soy shake, 2 small eggs, slice Finnish coffee bread, 1 tsp soft margarine, med banana
2:45 pm Small piece chocolate covered toffee, small piece walnut fudge, 18 g molasses cookies, 3 white chocolate pretzels
6:00 pm Small slice vegetable bread, dinner salad, 1/4 c bleu cheese crumbles, 6 oz prime rib
6:45 pm Peanut cluster, 1 Riesen caramel



Exercise:

5:15-6:00 am Crunch Pilates DVD

Wed 13 Jan

We're supposed to get milder temps for the next several days, highs in the 30s at least. It's welcome. I'm also definitely noticing a little more light at the end of the day, and possibly also in the morning. I appreciate any signs of warmer weather. I'm anxious to resume our hikes at Rib Mountain after work. I really looked forward to them to break up the week.

Hopefully I'll motivate to get the Christmas tree denuded and put away tonight and/or tomorrow. Time to put the house back to normal.

Hope you find out it's just the video card. Sounds much less fatal than a dead motherboard. Also hope that power cable comes soon. Sorry your Christmas present was so much bother to keep functional.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
9:00 am Small piece white chocolate peppermint
12:30 pm Chocolate soy shake, slice raspberry coffee cake, 3 oz blackberries
1:30 pm 2 peanut butter balls, 1 chocolate covered Ritz peanut butter sandwich
3:45 pm 4 white chocolate pretzels
6:45 pm Lean Cuisine roasted chicken garlic pizza, 12 oz light original soy milk, 8 g molasses cookie, 88 g blackberries



Exercise:

5:15-6:05 am Chest and Abs of Steel 2000 video

Tues 12 Jan

Did a new Abs of Steel video this morning. I always hate the first time I go through a new aerobics routine as it's hard to give full energy when you're still trying to learn the steps. Some of them are easier to pick up than others, often based on the instructor's expertise in teaching, but today I felt stumbly. Lots of varieties of crunches though in the floor work.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, slice raspberry coffee cake, coffee
12:30 pm Blueberry soy shake, slice Finnish coffee bread, 1 tsp margarine, Brown Cow 0% vanilla greek yogurt
3:30 pm 18 g sugar cookies, 29 g molasses cookies
5:15 pm Leftover Uncle Will's meatballs, 1/2 c mashed potatoes, 1/2 c diced beets, 12 oz light original soy milk, 37 g peppermint bark


Exercise:

5:05-5:55 am Abs of Steel 2000 video

Mon 11 Jan

Can it be summer now? Snow and cold weather gets a little old by January. Now that the Packers are done, the cold could go, too.

Tried two of the four video set of Lotte Berk method. They are good muscle toning workouts. One has a set similar to the killer plies in Brutal Ballet. I suspect my legs will feel it tomorrow.

Oooh, I had my massage tonight and it was soooo nice! Hope you enjoyed yours as much.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee
1:00 pm Chocolate soy shake, slice Trader Joe's multigrain bread, 1 tbl Skippy peanut butter
2:45 pm Small honey crisp apple, 25 g molasses cookie, 1 LifeSaver, 1 lightly salted rice cake, 1 Special Dark miniature
5:30 pm 1 peanut cluster
6:30 pm Uncle Will's meatballs, 1/2 c mashed potatoes, 2 tbl thin gravy, 1 c broccoli, 12 oz light original soy milk



Exercise:

5:15-6;15 am Lotte Berk Muscle Eat Fat & Basic Essentials

Sun 10 Jan

Maybe Steve will stop by this afternoon if he's taking a break from the intensity of family time in Mosinee. I've left the door open for a visit, so we'll wait and see if he comes. It would be good to spend some time with him.

Had a nice day trip yesterday; good to just get out of town. We wandered around several stores and didn't spend money except on food. That was a good thing. We ate the The Dardanelles across from Trader Joe's - excellent lamb shank with veggies for me and a veggie stew with dill cream on top for dad. He had his fortune told in his Turkish coffee dregs afterward. I enjoyed spiced hot chocolate so no fortune for me.

I cantor this morning with John Eckendorf. I suggested he look at the tenor harmony for Wood of the Cradle but I'll miss your alto. This was a cantor shift subbing in for someone who apparently cancelled before last Sunday so Deb was recruiting.

Dad and I did sushi buffet at Tokyo Steak House for lunch; I was disappointed as I had been told there would be nagiri but it was all rolls. There was a reasonable variety, but not what I had expected.

Steve did stop by for a couple of hours; it was really nice to see him. He looks good and was in good spirits, remembering old game nights and Foundation show moments. He would like to do a retro game night when you get back from Virginia, so put that into your thoughts. He would also like you to help him design a header for his Heart in a Jar blog.


Food:

7:30 am Trader Joe's oatmeal, 1 tsp brown sugar, 2 oz light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, green tea
12:00 pm 8? pc sushi roll, 2 crab rangoon, 1/2 c tempura veggies, 2 oz shrimp, 1 oz beef, 1/2 c hibachi veggies, 1 chinese donut, miso soup, tea
2:00 pm 2 Riesen caramels
3:45 pm 20 g sugar cookies, 30 g molasses cookies
8:30 pm Trader Joe's 0% Blueberry greek yogurt



Exercise:

6:10-7:00 am Brutal ballet DVD

Sat 9 Jan

I assume that the T-Mobile isn't a contract plan so if you decide it doesn't fit your needs or if you start using your phone more, you could go with a more traditional plan elsewhere at a later date? Will you get to keep your existing number? If not, please don't forget to keep us in the new-number loop.

Dad and I plan to take a drive down to Madison today to hit the Trader Joe's/Woodman's circuit and maybe just do some casual shopping (even though I've spent all my money - sigh!) and have a nice meal. No pressing goals, just feel like getting out of town.


Food:

8:30 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, large pear, coffee
11:00 am 30 g chocolate covered raisins
12:45 pm Onion bagel, cream cheese, 3 oz lox, 2 small tomato slices, capers, 2 chocolate bagel bites
6:45 pm Trader Joe's samples: 1 oz carrot juice, 1/8 c turkey chili w/beans
7:30 pm 4 oz lamb shank, 1/2 c diced potatoes, 1/2 c sliced carrots, onions, 1/2 c cous cous, 2 chunks bread, 1 tbl honey apricot butter, 12 oz spiced hot chocolate, dollop whipped cream
10:00 pm 2 Riesen caramels

Fri 8 Jan

Looked up the Winter Olympics start date today; it doesn't start til 12 Feb. It will be a nice pick-me-up in mid-winter. I like watching several of the winter sports so I'm looking forward to it.

Sounds like you've had an overdose of frustration, but at least Acer and Newegg are playing nice. Will you have to pay a penalty to get out of Sprint?



Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, large pear, cherry juice from concentrate, coffee
11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, slice almond kringle, clementine
2:45 pm 3 iced gingerbread cookies, 1 LifeSaver
4:45 pm 3 white chocolate pretzels
6:30 pm 16 oz Capital Winter Skal, 9 oz fried perch, 3 beer-batter french fries, 1 c fruit salad, 1 bite cole slaw, 1 tbl tartar sauce
7:30 pm 50 g milk chocolate Santa



Exercise:

5:15-6:00 am Jane Fonda Workout with Weights class 2

Thurs 7 Jan

Wow, the Jane Fonda Advanced original workout was intense! I can see why her demo background group were all dancers. I kept up with most, though I needed to take short breaks during long reps, especially on her hip exercises. I declined a couple of her sit-up options that popped up quickly from flat to reaching sideways at 90° and did not feel good for my lower back. I substituted crunches with a twist. There are several small variations that people don't do any more, likely because they aren't the best moves for your body. But overall, I really like it and find it a thorough workout. I'll definitely use it often.

Were you able to get through to the ACER people successfully?


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, coffee
11:15 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, slice almond kringle, clementine
2:30 pm 1 peanut cluster, 3 iced gingerbread cookies, 1 molasses cookie
5:30 pm 5 oz shark steak, 1 tbl teriyaki baste & glaze sauce, 1 serving Archer Farms asparagus risotto, 1/2 c Green Giant greens beans & almonds, 12 oz light original soy milk



Exercise:

5:00-6:00 am Jane Fonda Advanced original workout

Wed 6 Jan

I didn't get time to call about the power cord last night as I had piano and voice, but I will try to do it at lunch today or after work. I'll let you know how I fare. Hope your day today is much better than yesterday!

Called ACER, but I'm afraid you will need to call them yourself. They need the serial number of the unit which should be on the bottom of the laptop. He said all the purchase info will come up in their system when they input the number, so he doesn't need any receipt/purchase info from me. He also needs to know specifically which of two parts of the power cord unit is nonfunctional. This guy did not sound like replacement was going to be a problem. Purchase date was 12/13/09. Phone number I called was 1-866-243-1450. Let me know if I can do more.

Merry Christmas again! Hope it was fun to reopen your gifts after the long delay. Hope we can get the netbook working again soon.

Wow, the original beginner Jane Fonda video was no easy beginner routine like you see today. She expected a fair amount of flexibility and really kept it moving. I'm excited to try the Advanced section tomorrow morning!

Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, cherry juice from concentrate, coffee
11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, 2 pc French toast (2 slices 45 cal multigrain bread, 1 egg, 2 oz skim milk, 2 tsp margarine, pkg Equal, cinnamon), clementine
3:45 pm 18 g sugar cookies, 17 g molasses cookies
4:45 pm 3 white chocolate pretzels
6:15 pm Lean Cuisine lemon garlic shrimp dinner, 12 oz light original soy milk



Exercise:

5:15-6:00 am Power Shaping DVD
7:10-7:40 pm Jane Fonda beginner original video

Tues 5 Jan

Thinking of you in Richmond this morning, no particular reason. Just hoping you're warm, safe and happy and looking forward to the next time we get to see you. If you come to Madison for the wedding at the end of February and would have any time free, let us know and we'll try to come down to rendezvous. Just read your Tweet; maybe I was feeling the vibes of a bad day and that's what made me think about you. Sending supportive thoughts by reverse vibe.

Heard about your car woes from Dad - hope you were able to get things satisfactorily resolved. Sorry you had such a rotten morning.

Is there some way I can help with the problems with the netbook? I'll either give them a call this evening or tomorrow.

If it's any consolation, my afternoon consisted of 2 hours on the phone with various AT&T representatives trying to resolve a problem with my client who is being billed for cell phone charges of 5 strangers on her home phone bill (and still not resolving the issue although everyone was very polite), followed by an hour with a client telling me how worthless I have been as her worker. Not as bad as your day, but less than pleasant.

Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, cherry juice from concentrate, coffee
11:45 am Blueberry soy shake, slice 45 cal multigrain bread, 1 tbl nutella, clementine
5:00 pm 5 white chocolate pretzels
6:15 pm 1 c ziti casserole, 1 c cooked broccoli, 12 oz light original soy milk
8:15 pm Lindt dark chocolate peppermint truffle


Exercise:

5:15-6:00 am Jane Fonda low-impact aerobics

Mon 4 Jan

Here we go into the long stretch with no holidays ahead to break the monotony of work days. Too bad the worst weather of the year comes during the long stretch, making it seem that much longer, but I suppose it's nicer to have more holidays and time off when the weather is nice enough to enjoy it. Sigh.

At least I have several new workout tapes and DVDs en route to liven up that portion of the day.


Food:

7:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, cherry juice from concentrate, coffee
11:45 am Chocolate soy shake, 45 cal Delightful wheat bread toast, 1 tbl nutella, slice pecan Kringle, clementine
2:30 pm 24 g sugar cookie, 14 g molasses cookie
3:30 pm Hunt's Snack Pack sugar free vanilla pudding cup
5:45 pm 1 c pork sausage casserole, 1 c green beans, 12 oz light original soy milk



Exercise:

5:05-5:55 am Kathy Smith workout disc 2

Sun 3 Jan

When I woke up this morning, I was sure it was Monday. This long weekend with nothing really scheduled feels really strange. I plan to try hard to enjoy an extra day of leisure today as I'm sure it will be awhile before it happens again.

I have three new Jane Fonda tapes in the mail already, and I ordered a couple of Core Fusion Pilates and Body Shaping DVDs from Amazon as well to add some new challenges to my workout. I'm debating whether it's excessive to order another 4-DVD set (cheap used, only about $12 from Alibris), but I'll probably break down and order it. It's really nice to have a wide variety of choices. I tend to use the same ones regularly for awhile, then I get tired of them and need a change though it is energizing when I go back to the ones I liked, too.

If you haven't done the ballet DVD for awhile, I recommend trying to find a way to do it once a week. It really made a difference for my thighs and since you suffer from my genetics, you might notice the difference too. Even after more than a year, I still feel the burn when I do the plie section, and I appreciate the little ab workout at the end.

We got Michael set up with some healthy food for the house today. I reminded him that we used to take you grocery shopping too, so it's okay. As long as he works hard on his schooling, I don't expect him to be self-sufficient at this point. I just want him to be healthy. He needs to pay the rent if he wants to live at Grandma's house, since he has the option of living here at no charge while he's in school.

Weird thing with the TV and the Packer game. I had the upstairs TV on the channel for the game, and as soon as game time arrived, the channel went blank. I thought the TV had turned off, but the other channels were fine. A short time later I decided to see if the same phenomenon affected the downstairs TV and found it did not. Thus I got to enjoy a good first half after all. And a good second half as well - GO PACK GO!


Food:

8:15 am Small box All-Bran Strawberry Medley cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, half grapefruit, cherry juice from concentrate, piece pecan Kringle, coffee
12:15 pm 2 blueberry crepes, coffee
2:45 pm Clementine
4:45 pm Russell Stover Marshmallow Santa
5:45 pm Market Bay salmon pinwheel, sliver butter, splash lemon juice, 3/4 c broccoli, 1/2 c sweet potatoes w/walnuts, 12 oz light original soy milk


Exercise:

7:10-8:00 am Brutal Ballet DVD

Sat 2 Jan

Yesterday felt like Saturday all day, so today it's weird to be Saturday again. But I'm not complaining! Only commitment today really is laundry, so I can relax and maybe get some smaller things accomplished.

Somewhat disappointing supper. Gave Dad a takeout order for the new Korean lunch box place based on their website and they gave him the wrong thing so instead of a nice dinner box with tempura prawns, edamame, dumplings and other things, all we got was the main entree and rice in a larger size. Did enjoy another glass of the Viognier though.


Food:

8:30 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, cherry juice from concentrate, tea
12:15 pm Chicken and sweet potato stew, 1/15 slice pumpkin bread, 8 oz light original soy milk, 2 molasses cookies
1:30 pm 5 white chocolate pretzels, 1 Lindt truffle
4:00 pm 20 g peppermint bark
6:15 pm Octopus and vegetables in spicy sauce, 1/2 c white rice, 5 oz white wine, 1 pc toffee

Happy 2010!

Hope your New Year's Eve was fun and safe and you aren't too dragged out today as a result. Nice to have a long weekend again to relax. It was interesting to me last night that giving myself permission to snack more freely yesterday evening, I didn't do badly. We had a good yet light dinner early - I had bacon-wrapped scallops with polenta and an oven-roasted tomato. I came home not feeling stuffed. I had a bit of chocolate at first, then a glass of wine with the movie and found myself satiated. I didn't crave any more sugar or other snacky stuff but I didn't feel deprived either. Nice.

Ordered a gadget online yesterday that will be fun to try. I subscribe to a daily email called Vital Juice that sends tips and a lot of ads from companies that sell health/fitness/diet related items. They did a year-end review of some of their favorite products in different categories, and one device they liked was a Japanese Facial Massage Tool. It's about the size of a disposable shaver and has rollers on each end, one wide and one narrow, that are covered with little suction cups. The idea is to roll it across the skin of your face and neck so that it stimulates the skin and relaxes you. It sounded kind of fun and it made the favorites list because they really thought it felt good, so I ordered two - one for home and one for my desk at work. I'll let you know what I think when they get here.

I bought myself another present today. I ordered three new old Jane Fonda exercise videos from Amazon, including her original video and a Challenge workout that several people have commented they still can't keep up with even though they're in pretty good shape and have been doing it for awhile. I'm anxious to try it!

Michael proudly wrote his first rent check today after working 7 hours/day for three days for dad this week to earn enough to complement his meager checking account. He will be going over to Grandma's house now. BTW, Grandma did very well coming to Tokyo Steak House for lunch. She ate very well, probably 3-4 oz of salmon, 3 shrimp, some veggies and some vanilla ice cream. I was very happy with her eating, and she took leftovers back to have them heated up for her for another meal.

Michael took the Wii with him, so Dad and I may go out and buy ourselves one today. Then we can start from scratch with a new round of Animal Crossing. I think we'll name our new town Empty Nest.


Food:

8:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, cherry juice from concentrate, 2 c coffee
11:45 am Hibachi shrimp/chicken/rib eye combo dinner, hibachi veggies, tea, 1/2 c vanilla ice cream, 1/8 c rice
1:30 pm Trader Joe's Belgian Chocolate Fancy - orange-filled, 3 pc English toffee
3:15 pm 2 sugar cookies, 2 molasses cookies


Exercise:

7:30-8:00 pm Treadmill program 4