Fri 31 Aug

Even though I left myself a note yesterday, I still forgot that I'm supposed to meet my client at Ranchito's for breakfast this morning. I prepared my usual breakfast and was not willing to waste it, so I guess I'll just get a plate with scrambled eggs to eat with her at the restaurant. She is the lady who doesn't usually eat adequately, so I don't want to ruin her motivation to eat a meal. Yesterday I stepped on a corner of uneven pavement and twisted my already tender knee. It was hard to walk on it yesterday though it did improve over the course of the day. Today I started the Burn It Up to see if I could power through it, but it was obvious early on that the knee was not happy. I have been trying to up the cardio lately at the expense of more weights, so I decided this was a good day to focus on the weights and leave the knee alone. Had planned to walk after work to up the cardio/steps for the day, but I really am tired. Don't want to try to push it too much after resting yesterday to get back on track. Should probably not have had the glass of wine since I'm less than active, but hey, it's Friday! Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 100 g raspberries, coffee 8:15 am 1 scrambled egg, 1 slice wheat toast w/butter & strawberry jam, coffee 12:00 pm Peach soy shake, English muffin, 1 tbl homemade peanut butter, orange 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 7:00 pm 5 oz Relax Riesling, 3 pc Alaska roll, 3 pc New York roll, 2 pc Sunflower roll, 1 pc octopus nagiri, seafood salad Exercise: 4:45-4:50 am Warm up from Burn It Up 4:50-5:30 am Jane Fonda Workout with Weights video

Thurs 30 Aug

I'm very excited to be taking a sick day today! I was able to arrange for someone to cover my Intake shift, and the only afternoon appointment I had already scheduled was tentative anyway. I plan to rest, and will even call Dr. Munck's office to see if they think I need to come in and evaluate whether it might be bronchitis requiring treatment. I very much want to be past the worst of this before we leave on vacation next week Sunday. It is still difficult for me to accept not exercising or hiking today. I may give in to a little strength training if I don't feel it will tire me excessively. Shaved and groomed, toenails repainted. Using the down time to accomplish those little things there never seems to be time for. Keeping watch on the house temp; if it starts to climb too much with the predicted heat, I may switch on the A/C now so I can turn it off later. Bad girl! Lazy afternoon with next-to-no physical activity and I gave into hot weather desire to finish the last of Laura's Crash flurry. Oh, well. Food: 7:30 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c blueberries, soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 101 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am Blueberry soy shake, slice TJ's multigrain bread, 1 tbl homemade peanut butter, 1 c watermelon chunks 3:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 4:15 pm Last 1 c of Laura's Crash flurry 6:30 pm Slice TJ's roasted vegetable lasagna, 2 c watermelon chunks

Wed 29 Aug

Finally accepting that I really don't feel well. Got up fine to exercise this morning but I have no energy to move. Taking a short walk last night was hard work. If I didn't have such a busy schedule today at work, I would stay home and work on recovery. Maybe I'll find someone else to take my Intake shift tomorrow so I can stay home. I really don't want to be exhausted for the MN State Fair, and I truly want to be healthy again for vacation. Dragging myself through the days does not appear to be helping. Still tired but making it. Home now at 5 pm, with arrangements made in advance to take a sick day tomorrow to catch up on energy. Will try not to beat myself up for not exercising, but I want to try to really rest. Food; 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 111 g blackberries, coffee 12:00 pm Vitamix smoothie w/20 grapes, 164 g strawberries, med frozen banana, lemon slice, 1/4 c Fage, Slice banana bread 12:45 pm 3/4 oz Jarlsberg Lite slice 1:15 pm Piece of pistachio oreo torte 6:45 pm 1 pc Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (Costco), 12 oz skim milk, 1/4 c B&J Red Velvet Cake ice cream

Tues 28 Aug

I think I slept okay, but I was so exhausted when I got home from hiking last night that I still don't feel completely back to normal. Had a contact lens crisis at bedtime in which the left contact apparently disappeared after popping out of my eye. I didn't hear it hit any surface, but Dad and I together looked for at least 15 min and couldn't find it anywhere. This morning I checked my pajama pocket again (after checking it and even turning the top over and shaking it out last night). I ran my fingernail in the seam at the inside edge and it popped out. Was tired all day. Flopped on couch for about 45 min when I got home, then forced myself to go for about a 45 min walk. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 99 g blackberries, coffee 12:15 pm Peach soy shake, English muffin, 1 tbl homemade PB, 160 g strawberries 1:00 pm 1 dark chocolate sea salt caramel 3:30 pm DQ 50-cal fudge bar 4:30 pm Chocolate calcium chew 7:00 pm 3.5 oz grilled boneless pork chop, 5 grilled zucchini spears, 1 med ear corn w/1 tsp butter, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:50-5:40 am Jane Fonda Original Workout video 5:30-6:15 pm Walk

Mon 27 Aug

Weather forecast is for a beautiful week of sunshine and low to mid-80s. This is my kind of weather! Hoping for opportunities to hike and otherwise enjoy it. Got a late start to hike as dad had to work til 5, and started to wane on my energy. Dad was a little tired also so we really plodded tonight. I was too tired to go to the Dane. I would have fallen asleep in my food. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 100 g blackberries, coffee 12:00 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, slice banana bread, smoothie w/10 grapes, 164 g strawberries, med frozen banana, 1/4 c Fage 2:00 pm Sample veggie flatbread at Copps 2:30 pm 1 Wintergreen LifeSaver 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 8:45 pm Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, 1/2 c blueberries, protein powder, and soy milk Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video 5:45-8:00 pm Hiking Rib plus tower

Sun 26 Aug

It was really, really nice to have a visit from Laura this weekend. It was also nice to have Michael join us Friday evening to bring the whole family together. I love my family! Poor Laura looked very, very tired when we dropped her back at her apartment yesterday. Hope she got some much-deserved rest before heading out to the wedding, and hope she found someone to give her a ride. Had it been me, unless the couple were extremely good friends, I would have been sorely tempted to curl up with the book and call it a day. But then I'm getting old. Nice to hear some gentle rain this morning, even though it's just a pittance. Our vacation is only two weeks away. I had been counting on it being nice, cool September weather but I'm getting a bit nervous with yesterday back up in the 90s. I suppose we have to prepare that it may still be hot. Oooh, Costco sirloin steak on the grill! Summer lingers. Food: 8:00 am Morning bun, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Crepe, 2 scrambled eggs, veggie mix, coffee 4:00 pm Chocolate calcium chew 6:30 pm 12 oz Angry Orchard Apple Ginger Hard Cider 6:45 pm 6.67 oz grilled sirloin, 1/2 c potatoes/onions/mushrooms/peppers w/1 tsp olive oil, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 6:50-7:40 am Brutal ballet DVD 4:15-5:35 pm Walk with Dad

Sat 25 Aug

Laura will run her Duathlon this morning. I was happy she agreed to eat some melon for a little fresh energy to metabolize while she runs. We shall go around 10 am to watch for her and cheer her to the finish line. Ate too much today - I know it. Especially with only about 8400 steps and a minimal amount of biking for exercise. Food: 7:15 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c blueberries, soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:00 am 2 slices Perkins Brioche French Toast, .75 tbl whipped butter, 1/2 tbl syrup, 1/4 c fruit salad 3:30 pm Clasen's coffee cake - most of a slice as a sample 3:45 pm Samples at Costco - not too many 5:15 pm Margarita, chips & salsa (small portion), 4 oz glazed salmon w/fresh pineapple salsa, fried plantains 7:00 pm Small dish Stout ice cream Exercise: 9:55-10:15 am Bike to meet Laura 11:20-11:40 am Bike home

Fri 24 Aug

It felt so wonderful to get a good night's sleep last night! I skipped working out this morning to extend it one more hour since I hadn't gotten a really good rest all week. I feel guilty for not exercising, especially since I'm not sure if I'll have an opportunity later today, but sleep is important. I have been zombie-esque all week and I want to get back to myself again. Nice to have Laura home. She has her spa day today so I hope she gets a lot of enjoyment from it. I am meeting my client for breakfast today. The cantaloupe was too soft to cut this morning so I had a slice of banana bread instead. Rest of breakfast at Ranchito's. Food: 6:45 am Slice banana bread, 158 g strawberries, coffee 8:15 am Machaca Tejana, 1 housemade tortilla, coffee 3:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:45 pm 5 oz cab franc, 5 oz lamb roast, 2/3 c potatoes/veggies 7:30 pm Culver's lemon ice w/raspberry topping 8:00 pm 1 spoonful B&J's Red Velvet ice cream Exercise: 11:35-12:10 pm Walk with client

Thurs 23 Aug

The newly rebuilt McDonald's opens today. Ronald McDonald will even be there! (But I won't.) Stevens Point continues to evolve. Did not sleep at all well last night due to frequent shooting pains in my right knee. Used a small pillow to prop it, which helps some, but the pain would come just often enough to wake me. By the time I thought about taking ibuprofen, it was too late. I don't like to take it within 4 hours of getting up or it relaxes me so much I don't want to get out of bed when I should. I also thought about getting up and putting Biofreeze on, but it seemed like too much work. So instead I shall drag through the day today. Needed to take it a little easy on the knee so I did half of the Burn It Up routine, then switched it off and found their nice stretching routine and followed with that. Wow, what a sleepy morning! Can't wait to finish lunch so I can lie down for a bit. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 102 g blueberries, coffee 12:30 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, English muffin, 1 tbl homemade PB, 164 g heirloom tomatoes 2:30 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:45 pm Walleye sandwich w/tomato, lettuce, tartar sauce, garlic fried potatoes, salad, 5 oz chenin blanc Exercise: 4:45-5:15 am Half of Burn It Up DVD 5:20-5:35 am Stretching routine from same DVD

Wed 22 Aug

Sleep was somewhat better last night; I had a long restless period in the middle, but I think I slept okay on either end. At any rate, I certainly feel better rested this morning. Scale is still up at 137 which likely means the work weigh-in won't be successful, but since the scales are at least a couple of pounds different, it remains to be seen. We have a birthday lunch today at Chili's. I went to the website for nutrition information last night and was appalled at the sodium content of almost everything. The "best" choices are around 750-800 mg, and the worst one I saw was a single serving with 5500 mg of sodium! It should require a warning to consumers. I ended up with a nice low calorie lunch but still a salt bomb. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 149 g strawberries, coffee 12:00 pm Chili's grilled chicken salad, 1/2 c chicken tortilla soup 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 8:30 pm English muffin, 1 tbl homemade peanut butter, Vitamix lemonade w/1 c grapes, 1 strawberry, 1 thin slice lemon Exercise: 4:45-5:35 am Kathy Smith Workout with Weights DVD 5:30-7:30 pm Hiking Rib Mt plus tower

Tues 21 Aug

Didn't sleep well last night - restless with uncomfortable dreams. Scale is up this morning which sometimes happens if I didn't sleep well. We hiked last night and I ate fish and grilled asparagus, though it's possible the fish was a bit saltier than I'm used to. We'll see if the weight is just a blip that resolves before tomorrow's weigh-in at work. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 143 g strawberries, coffee 11:45 am Blueberry soy shake, slice banana bread, 12 oz veggie cocktail (tomato, carrot, celery, pepper, parsnip, lemon slice) 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:15 pm 1 medium banana frozen into "ice cream" 6:30 pm Carmelized onion chicken patty, multigrain sandwich thin, 1/3 c grilled onions/peppers, 1 tbl guacamole, 198 g sliced heirloom tomato, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:40 am Buns/Abs of Steel 2000 video

Mon 20 Aug

Made it through the weekend without a single blip on the pager. Hope Barb's weekend moving her son went as smoothly. Next weekend Laura will be home from Thurs night through Saturday morning; will be nice to have her. Knee was gamey again this morning. Had to go easy on the aerobics. Dane was closed after hiking for an employee party, so we decided to try Wish Steakhouse. Very nice but expensive and I found the waiter graciously condescending. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 163 g strawberries, coffee 11:45 am Chocolate soy shake, slice banana bread, smoothie w/10 grapes, 4 large strawberries, small banana, slice lemon, 1/4 c Fage 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:15 pm 100 cal pack apricot nut mix 7:30 pm 6 oz pinot grigio, fresh baked bread w/1/3 tbl butter, 5 oz pan fried walleye, grilled asparagus Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video 5:25-6:50 pm Partial hike of RIb

Sun 19 Aug

I can feel that I used different muscles in my legs yesterday taking a bike ride. When I was doing the ballet DVD, I could feel my legs in whole new ways. I also tried hard to incorporate Joan's corrections about 12 o'clock energy, pelvic floor energy, and sternum energy throughout the workout, even when not actively doing an exercise. I still have a hard time maintaining or even remembering this outside of exercise though. I held out an unbelievably long time before opening the new container of dark chocolate sea salt caramels that Costco brought back by popular demand. I will try to mete them out very slowly. Food: 7:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 109 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am Pecan Belgian waffle, 1/2 tbl soft butter, 1/2 tbl syrup, coffee 2:45 pm 1 dark chocolate sea salt caramel 5:00 pm Fit N Active blueberry Greek yogurt popsicle 6:45 pm 3 oz BBQ ribs, large chicken thigh, 1/2 c calico beans, 2 c watermelon chunks, 12 oz skim milk, apple cobbler 7:15 pm 20 cal Nestle hot cocoa Exercise: 6:45-7:35 am Brutal ballet DVD 3:15-4:55 pm Walk to/around Schmeeckle

Sat 18 Aug

Hopefully will spend the afternoon and early evening with Val and Kate in Waupaca. Dad needs to work at Karlens this morning (and tomorrow afternoon) to finish some things before the painters arrive next week. I hope to use the morning to get my laundry done and possibly bake banana bread and make guacamole to take along to Val and Kate's. I just read an excellent article on Pilates and Yoga by Jennifer Kries which has me hoping to find time to squeeze in a Pilates DVD or maybe one of Jennifer's videos from my collection as well. At the very least, it has me sitting up straighter and trying to remember to attend to my core posture even when sitting at the computer. Also she mentioned Pilates working on body symmetry which, at least occasionally, helps remind me not to sit with my legs crossed. Well, I accomplished all the laundry, the last load which is currently hanging on the line. I baked two loaves of banana bread, one for home and one to take. I made the fresh guacamole which I think is yummy. I selected a bottle of wine to round out our offerings. Bob is home and currently napping on the couch. Don't know if he's called Val yet to let them know when we'll come; don't think so. Val called and had to cancel as Kate's mom is not doing well today. Bob and I went for an hour bike ride followed by a 40-min walk down to see if any of the Farmer's Market vendors were still selling. They weren't. Came home and broke into the guacamole with a side of Vitamix lemonade made with green grapes. Thought we would go out to Two Lakes for dinner since the Val & Kate evening fell through. Didn't think about reservations; it would have been an hour's wait. Came back to Ranchito's. Food: 8:00 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c blueberries, and soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 99 g raspberries, coffee 12:00 pm Vanilla soy shake, Vitamix fruit smoothie w/grapes, peach, strawberries, lemon slice, small banana, and 1/4 c Fage, slice FRESH banana bread 4:00 pm 14 g TJ's multigrain tortilla chips, 1/4 c guacamole, 1 c green grapes w/lemon slice 6:45 pm Mango margarita, 1/2 of 3 shredded beef enchiladas w/mole sauce, 1/3 c refried beans w/1/2 tbl shredded cheese, 1 tbl chopped tomato. chips & salsa, 1/2 flan Exercise: 2:00-3:05 pm Bike ride 3:10-3:50 pm Walk downtown and back

Fri 17 Aug

Going to Ranchito's for breakfast with my client this morning. Looking forward to machaca tejana. Followed by meeting another client at Starbuck's to walk on the trail behind Kmart. Hoping today is a reasonably calm work day, and hoping beyond hope that the weekend on-call I agreed to take for a coworker is not a hectic one. Would like to walk down to the Farmer's Market tomorrow to get more fresh veggies for my Vitamix. So far it has been a good incentive to eat more veggies, and my scale has responded by going down a little. This morning it surprised me with 134.2. Food at the picnic was very good; catered by Michele's. Was able to save some calories by not having a beer since all they had were Bud and Miller products. Water was preferable. Food: 6:45 am 1/4 med cantaloupe, 103 g raspberries, coffee 8:15 am Machaca Tejana, couple bites hash browns w/onion, 1 corn tortilla, coffee 9:45 am Kopiko Cappuccino candy 11:45 am Blueberry soy shake, 10 oz fruit smoothie w/59 g Fage 2:15 pm 1 LifeSaver wintergreen 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 6:15 pm Mini-baguette, large chicken thigh, 3 BBQ ribs, 1/3 c creamy coleslaw, 1/3 c potato salad, 1/2 c calico beans, square apple dessert Exercise: 4:50-5:50 am Brand New Butt DVD

Thurs 16 Aug

Nice to hear more rain today. Still an unusual experience, though. Somewhat annoying morning on Intake, especially a 15-min ranting call from my least favorite arrogant psychiatrist regarding a former client. Cooler days call for mac n' cheese, accompanied by creamy veggie soup from the Vitamix. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 101 g raspberries, coffee 12:45 pm Peach soy shake, slice Healthy Choice 7-grain bread, 1 tbl homemade PB, 138 g strawberries 3:15 pm 15 oz iced coffee w/1 oz skim milk 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 6:15 pm 1 c mac n' cheese, 1 c creamy veggie soup, 12 oz skim milk 7:30 pm Jello Sugar Free Double Chocolate pudding cup Exercise: 4:50-5:40 am Jane Fonda Original Workout video

Wed 15 Aug

It is unbelievably wonderful to get a good night's sleep, especially when you really needed it. I feel like myself again. Our intern, Aaron, brought Chinese mooncakes to our staff meeting today. I was the only one who tried some enthusiastically. It was delicious, but high calorie/high fat content, so I couldn't eat much. They were to celebrate a Chinese autumn festival today. His wife is Chinese. Took Grandma to church tonight for the holy day. She did well with transfers today which was helpful. Took her to Culver's for supper afterward and she didn't even require dessert (though she did have a piece of chocolate when I took her home). Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large honeydew, 101 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, slice Healthy Choice multigrain bread, 1 tbl PB, 138 g strawberries 1:30 pm 1/6 Chinese MoonCake 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 7:30 pm Culver's pot roast sandwich Exercise: 4:50-5:50 am Burn It Up DVD

Tues 14 Aug

It's going to be a Good Morning today! I had a hard time falling asleep last night, but once there, I think I slept pretty well. My knee was functional during exercise this morning. Life will be okay. Birthday lunch at El Mezcal. Ordered the tamale lunch. I think the tamale came out of a frozen package from a local grocery store; not even any sauce. Disappointing. Food: 6:45 am Morning bun, 1/4 large honeydew, 101 g raspberries, coffee 12:00 pm Tamale, 1/2 c refried beans w/2 tbl melted cheese, chips & salsa 3:00 pm 1/2 Harvest Power Bar (Toffee Chocolate Chip) 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 7:30 pm 12 oz Vitamix garden veggie cocktail, Chobani 0% plain yogurt, 1/2 c blueberries, 1/4 c Honey Gone Nuts granola Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video 5:05-5:25 pm Walk to Pilates 5:30-6:45 pm Pilates class (Last of season - sigh!) 6:55-7:15 pm Walk home

Mon 13 Aug

I am not used to trying to function on 4 1/2 hours sleep. Hopefully today will go smoothly. I'd prefer not to use any sick time to recuperate as I am on call this weekend and would not get time and a half for any response calls unless I actually work the full 40 hour week. Disappointed that my scale was at 138.0 this morning when it was at 136.0 yesterday. Fluctuations down are much more pleasant than the reverse. I do feel a little thinner, though. I don't want to think it is a reaction to sleeping in through exercise time today. I couldn't steal any more sleep time. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large honeydew, 100 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am Peach soy shake, English muffin, 1 tbl PB, 8 oz leftover fruit/yogurt smoothie 1:30 pm 12 oz iced coffee, 1 oz skim milk 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 6:15 pm Vitamix chicken tortilla soup, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 6:42-7:18 pm Walk

Sun 12 Aug

Made us some awesome fruit smoothies for breakfast to accompany the morning buns we found at the new Copps store last night. Put in a peach, 20 grapes, 1 c blueberries, 10 strawberries, and a medium banana plus a container of 0% plain Greek yogurt for protein. Tastes like a good Jamba Juice. Food: 6:45 am Morning bun, 16 oz smoothie, coffee Exercise: 4:45-5:35 am Brutal ballet DVD

Sat 11 Aug

Cool night for sleeping; lovely sunny, brisk morning. Life is good. Exercise today is laundry, cleaning kitchen. Nummers! Just initiated my Vitamix with a Garden Cocktail of tomato, kale, onion, carrot, yellow pepper. Delish! Then I had to try the frozen banana "ice cream" thing. Not bad! Food: 8:15 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, soy milk, and fresh blueberries, 1/4 large honeydew, coffee 1:15 pm Blueberry soy shake, English muffin, 1 tbl PB 3:00 pm 1/2 recipe Garden cocktail (Small tomato plus 3 cherries, 6 baby carrots, 3 leaves kale, fresh parsley, 1/8 c onion, 1/4 c yellow pepper, seasoned salt in whole recipe), 1 medium banana (frozen and whipped into icy treat) 6:45 pm Iced tea, 1 crepe, 2 oz smoked salmon, 2 spears asparagus, 1/4 c hollandaise, 1/4 Monte Cristo sandwich (.75 slice French toast, 1.5 oz turkey, 1 oz ham, 1/2 c scrambled egg, 1 oz cheese)

Fri 10 Aug

Frustrated because my right knee started giving me trouble during exercise after I was so sure it was getting back on track. I eliminated the purse issue but it was still gamey this morning so that I had to modify exercises on that side. Hopefully it will pass, especially since we're helping Laura move on Sunday and her apartment is on the second floor. Not sure about the new place, maybe even the third floor! First we have strange liquid matter falling from the skies. Now the temperatures are sufficiently cool that I wanted to put my sweater on. What next??!!! Must be global climate change. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, coffee 12:00 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, Chobani 0% plain yogurt, med peach, 28 g Honey Gone Nuts granola 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 8:00 pm 8 oz Strongbow, 4 oz meatloaf, 1 tbl BBQ sauce, 1.25 c green beans, 1/2 c mashed potatoes, 1 c onion strings Exercise: 4:50-5:40 am The Firm BootCamp DVD 5:30-7:35 pm Hiking Rib Mt

Thurs 9 Aug

What a wonderful sound in the night to hear on-and-off real rainfall! I can't wait to check the rain gauge at the end of it all to find out how much of this blessed substance we have collected. I suspect that the sporadic nature and the gentle pace are maximizing the dry soil's ability to absorb the moisture as well. Thank you, Lord! Tonight's dinner was Grandma's leftovers from last night. We went to 2510 after her eye appointment and she ordered the full dinner size mango salsa chicken scampi with penne pasta. It came with a large side salad and I was pleased that she ate the entire salad. She ate a little more than half the slab of garlic bread and had no room to touch her entree so I brought it home. It was enough to feed both of us, but wow! lots of butter. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 small cantaloupe (medium minus soft spots), med banana, coffee 12:45 pm Peach soy shake, slice Healthy Choice multigrain toast, 1 tbl PB, 140 g fresh tomatoes 1:45 pm Matcha green tea 3:30 pm 1 Wintergreen LifeSaver 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 6:00 pm 3 oz chicken breast, 1/2 c penne pasta, 1/4 c sliced peppers, lots of butter, 1 tbl shredded parmesan, 1/3 c sauteed parsnips, 12 oz skim milk, 5 oz chenin blanc Exercise: 4:50-5:40 am Jane Fonda Fat Burners video

Wed 8 Aug

Did not sleep well last night. Woke up to pee around 11 am, thinking I had slept soundly til about 3 am, and had a difficult time doing anything more than dozing for the rest of the night. Sigh. It was resultantly difficult to have a lot of energy during exercise. Blueberries from a container in the fridge don't taste right. Best not to chance them. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, coffee 12:00 pm Vanilla soy shake, 1/2 blueberry cream scone, med peach 6:00 pm 4 oz tenderloin medallions, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots, tossed salad w/1 tsp fat free raspberry viniagrette, 1/4 c French vanilla ice cream, 1/2 tbl fudge/caramel topping, 1 pecan 8:30 pm Chocolate calcium chew Exercise: 4:45-5:45 am Burn It Up DVD

Tues 7 Aug

The new Copps store opened at 6 am, likely to a crowd of curious gawkers. We'll probably go check it out later this week. I was scheduled to pick up meds at the pharmacy which would have allowed me a peek on work time, but we decided to give the pharmacy a break and let them get settled in for a day before coming with a big order. Breakfast at Ranchito's with my client this morning, if she remembers. Ranchito's wasn't going to open til 9 am, so we ended up at Olympia. Food: 6:45 am 1/4 med cantaloupe, 99 g raspberries, coffee 8:15 am 2 crepes, 2/3 c cottage cheese, 1/2 c blueberries in light glaze, coffee 11:45 am Peach soy shake, 1/2 blueberry cream scone, med peach 3:45 pm 1/2 Harvest Energy Power Bar - Toffee Chocolate Chip 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 7:30 pm Chobani 0% plain yogurt, 1/2 c blueberries, 1/4 c Honey Gone Nuts granola, 2 c watermelon chunks Exercise: 4:45-5:40 am Buns/Abs of Steel 2000 video 5:05-5:25 pm Walk to Pilates 5:30-6:45 pm Pilates class 6:55-7:15 pm Walk home

Mon 6 Aug

Finished typing up the trip itinerary yesterday so the excitement is fresh again. Realized I had come up a day short so we split the trip home by scheduling the last night in Chicago. Will try to get reservations at Frontera Grill. Right knee a little worse again this morning. Had to modify much of the aerobics to do low impact at least on the right side. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 99 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, 1/2 blueberry cream scone, large peach 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew, 10 g cashews 7:00 pm 5.3 oz bison burger, lettuce, tomato, 1 oz Gouda, ketchup, bun, sweet potato fries Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete workout video 5:25-6:45 pm Hiking Rib Mt

Sun 5 Aug

Knee was gamey this morning - worse than it has been for awhile. Made doing the ballet exercise slightly modified once or twice, but hopefully will work out by the end of the day. Loved my new scone recipe, but decided that next time I will make 12 scones instead of 6 from the same dough. For the rest of this batch, I'll cut them in half. They are quite large and nearly 400 calories each by SparkRecipes count, so half at a time is fine. It was quite satisfying to eat half at breakfast. Nice chicken stir fry for dinner with lots of veggies and fresh herbs, and a nice steamed rice blend from a package. Food: 8:00 am Half blueberry cream scone, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 100 g raspberries, coffee 12:00 pm 2 eggs, 2 pc bacon, 1 slice French toast, 1 tbl whipped butter, 1/2 tbl syrup, coffee 5:15 pm Chocolate calcium chew 6:30 pm 5 oz rose wine, 3 oz chicken breast, 1/2 tsp olive oil, 1 c sliced red/yellow peppers, 1/2 c sliced portabella mushroom, 1/8 c sliced onion, fresh herbs, 1/2 c Birdseye brown/wild rice blend w/broccoli & carrots, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 6:50-7:40 am Brutal Ballet DVD 4:25-5:45 pm Walk to/around Schmeeckle

Sat 4 Aug

My other set of bedsheets (my favorites!) are missing in action. I threw the sheets from the bed in the washer and reached for the other set to go make the bed and they are nowhere to be found. I emailed Michael to see if he took them. I'll look around some more after breakfast, but I have no idea where to look. Sheets are home again, along with long-missed knife and Top Chef seasons. Food: 8:00 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c fresh blueberries, soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 86 g blackberries, 48 g raspberries, coffee 3:15 pm Slice Healthy Choice multigrain bread, 1 tbl PB, 38 g raspberries 3:45 pm 1.2 oz BrunUusto cheese 4:00 pm Chocolate calcium chew 6:15 pm 6 oz rose wine 6:45 pm Grilled chicken leg, med ear corn, blueberry scone Exercise: 7:25-8:30 pm Walk with Dad

Fri 3 Aug

Didn't sleep too well again last night. Hoping for better tonight. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 102 g blackberries, coffee 11:30 am Blueberry soy shake, 1 slice Healthy Choice 7-grain bread, 1 tbl PB, sm peach 4:15 pm Chocolate calcium chew, 2 c watermelon chunks 6:00 pm Mojito, 8 oz fried walleye, 1 c fruit salad, 4-5 beer city fries, 1 sm pc cocktail rye, 1 tbl tartar sauce, 1/4 c coleslaw 6:45 pm 1 c black cherry ice cream w/berries & chocolate pieces Exercise: 4:45-5:35 am The Firm BootCamp DVD

Thurs 2 Aug

Internet was down when I woke up, but fortunately Bob is the wizard of getting things up and running again. I really need to pay more attention to how he does that. Hungry afternoon. Tried to analyze if it was truly hunger and I think that it was. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 104 g blackberries, coffee 12:30 pm Peach soy shake, English muffin, 1 tbl peanut butter, med peach 3:00 pm 2 caramel pizzelles 4:00 pm 100 cal pack plain almonds 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 7:45 pm 1 c Millville shredded wheat, 1 c blueberries, 1/2 c light original soy milk Exercise: 4:45-5:35 am Jane Fonda Low Impact Aerobics video

Wed 1 Aug

Starting in on the last real month of summer already. Can't deny that we've had plenty of real summer weather, but the season is always too short to do all the fun things you'd like to do. So many more hikes, camping, weekend getaways that could be scheduled.... Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light orignal soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 102 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, slice whole wheat bread, 1 tbl PB, med peach, 102 g homegrown tomato 4:00 pm 1 dark chocolate Dove egg 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew Exercise: 4:45-5:45 am Burn It Up DVD