Sun 30 Sept

I feel guilty eating a delicious sweet roll purchased from the good Amherst baker at the Farmer's Market yesterday. That man does know how to make good bakery! Also have a dish of local raspberries as part of the feast. Shame to be so sleepy in the middle of a gorgeous afternoon, but need a nap. Oooh, nap was nice. Food: 7:45 am Honey bun sweet roll, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 96 g raspberries, coffee 12:30 pm Veggie skillet w/2 eggs over easy, mozzarella cheese, mucho veggies, hash browns, 2 pc wheat toast w/butter & orange marmalade, coffee 3:00 pm Dark chocolate sea salt caramel 5:30 pm 2 oz grilled pork chop, 1 gala apple (Vitamix applesauce), 1/2 raisin brioche Exercise: 6:40-7:30 am Brutal ballet DVD

Sat 29 Sept

Nice relaxing Saturday. I'm on call so we can't go anywhere out of town, so we'll get some things done here. I want to walk to the Farmer's Market as soon as I hang the sheets on the line, put in the next load, and shower. We will walk over to PCH later to visit Grandma. I need to go through the mail and pay bills. Otherwise, low key day. Grandma seemed to appreciate the visit. We took her out on an unused patio and they had a two-sided glider swing with a bench on one side and a ramp to bring the wheelchair up and lock it down on the other side so we enjoyed a civilized swing in the sunshine. Very nice dinner at Father Fats, the newest small plates evening spot on Clark St. We had a lovely walk with the evening sun on the beautiful trees, followed by a fun meal. Food: 8:30 am Laura's oatmeal (1/3 c old-fashioned oats, cinnamon, 1 tbl flaxseed meal, 1/3+c blueberries, 1 scoop TJ protein powder, 2 oz light original soy milk), 1/4 large cantaloupe, coffee 10:00 am 73 g cherry strudel 11:30 am Smoothie (w/1/2 c grapes, 7 med strawberries, 1/2 lg banana, 1/2 pkt vanilla soy shake, 1/2 Oikos plain Greek yogurt, fresh mint), 1 lg slice cranberry oat toast, 1 tsp soft margarine, 1/2 apricot kuchen 7:00 pm Bourbon cocktail, baked chevre with toasted rounds, crepe w/asparagus and parmesan sauce, 3 black angus medallions, 1 tbl truffled mashed potatoes, asparagus salad, small piece redfish, 1 1/2 potato parmesan pancakes, 2 1/2 large slices carrot, 1/4 c cranberry sorbet, smear pumpkin ganache, bit of granola Exercise: 10:15-11:15 am Walk to and around Farmer's Market 1:40-2:00 pm Walk to PCH 2:45-3:05 pm Walk home 3:45-3:55 pm Walk to 2308 6:15-6:35 pm Walk to Father Fats 8:00-8:20 pm Walk home

Fri 28 Sept

I'm pleased that I made it through the full week including Sunday getting up at the early exercise time and completing my regular routines. My body is feeling it a bit, but bound to get stronger again as I get back in the swing. Even two weeks off for vacation sets you back a bit and requires recovery. I am really planning to try to get back to 2 evenings a week at the gym when the hiking season has to end due to early darkness. We can hopefully get some after-work hikes in for the next week or two, but that's likely to be it. The occasional Saturday hike can still happen, but it gets dark too soon to complete the Rib circuit this time of year. Fitbit #4 FIT4SUE is on the charger. May this be the one that holds its charge, keeps its display, and does everything else it's supposed to do. Clancy's for supper, always good. A man who Bob has worked for several times arrived when we did and joined us for dinner so there was abundant lively conversation. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 44 g raspberries, 138 g strawberries, coffee 10:15 pm Coffee 12:00 pm Peach soy shake, 1/2 pc apricot kuchen, med pear, sm piece cranberry oatmeal toast, 1 tsp soft margarine 4:00 pm 15 satellite wafers 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:15 pm Lemon pepper cod, garlic potatoes, 1/3 c steamed curried butternut squash, 11 oz Central Waters Oktoberfest, 1/2 apple cinnamon bread pudding Exercise: 4:45-5:35 am The Firm Bootcamp DVD

Thurs 27 Sept

The week is starting to speed up - can't believe it's already Thursday. Had a nice evening with Michael and his friends last night over dinner. Today I need to call the social worker at PCH to get the update from them on Grandma's condition/prognosis, and also call Oakridge about the cost of holding her apartment if that's the plan. Then I will need to get the costs of both the nursing home and Oakridge to the bank so they can come out of her CD. I should get Fitbit #4 in the mail tomorrow according to the tracking site. Hope this one works for a nice long time. Grilled my Costco pork chops with just a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper and a small bit of my fresh sage and rosemary, chopped. Delicious! Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 147 g strawberries, coffee 10:30 am 1 slice fresh pineapple, 1 oz mozzarella 12:30 pm English muffin, 1 tbl homemade peanut butter, smoothie w/soy shake powder, 12 green grapes, 94 g strawberries, 1 small banana 3:15 pm 4 Roundy's Reduced Fat triscuits (.5 svg) 6:15 pm 3 oz grilled pork chop, 1/2 c potatoes, 2/3 c roasted beets, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:42 am Kickboxing DVD 6:45-8:00 pm Walk with Dad

Wed 26 Sept

Haven't made it over to PCH yet this week to see Grandma or to check in with the staff. Monday I just couldn't get motivated and yesterday was way too busy. Hopefully today. I feel good about continuing to get back in the exercise groove, but my body is slowly protesting a bit. It will be fine as soon as the muscles remember that they need to work to be effective. Made it over to drop in on Grandma briefly; she is looking fine but frustrated with being moved around by Hoyer lift. Reminded her that she needs to heal up and be able to bear weight and this will change. Michael brought a couple of friends who may move in with him for awhile for dinner tonight. They seemed very pleasant and personable. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 101 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, morning bun, pear 3:00 pm 15 flying saucers 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 7:30 pm 4 oz roast beef, 1/2 c potatoes, small salad, 1 tsp vidalia onion tomato dressing, 2 slices grilled pineapple soaked in rum, 12 oz skim milk, 1/6 apple crisp, 1/4 c vanilla ice cream Exercise: 4:45-5:45 am Burn It Up DVD

Tues 26 Sept

Having breakfast at Blue Top this morning with my client, so just fruit and coffee at home. Then lunch at Hilltop for Brad's 50th birthday. Hard to get back into controlled eating, though it's easier in those venues than exciting places on vacation. Good to do the Jane Fonda Workout again this morning, though my body is feeling a bit pounded from the speedy return to regular exercise. Barb led a very fast pace on the hike last night so we wouldn't get caught in the dark on the way down and I had to struggle a bit to keep up. Food: 6:45 am 1/4 large cantaloupe, 100 g raspberries, coffee 8:30 pm 1 over-fried egg, 1 c oatmeal, 1 tsp brown sugar, 2 tbl raisins, 1/4 c milk, 2 pc homemade whole wheat toast, 1 container orange marmalade, coffee 12:45 pm 3 oz chicken breast, 1/4 c sauteed mushrooms, 1 slice swiss cheese, bun, 1 c fruit salad, 2 bites raspberries 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew Exercise: 4:45-5:35 am Jane Fonda Original Workout video

Mon 24 Sept

Back to work today. Oh, well, it was inevitable. I also need to contact PCH to make sure things are in order for Grandma and get a copy of the bill to the bank so we can also use her CD to pay PCH so her checking account is not depleted. Also, this is the only day this week that we can hike because I start a week of on-call tomorrow. Felt reasonably good to exercise this morning, though I certainly don't feel as easy in my muscles as when I have been in the routine. I was also pleased that while the scale was up a little, it wasn't as bad as I feared. Conscientious application of exercise and diet should be able to counteract vacation damage. Fitbit is going to send me yet another replacement unit since I can't get this one to hold a charge for any reasonable length of time. They remain cheerful about it so I shall also do so. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 101 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am Bowl butternut/apple soup, 2 slices toasted cranberry oatmeal bread, 2 tsp soft margarine, blueberry soy shake 3:00 pm 100 cal pack cocoa-dusted almonds 8:00 pm Chocolate calcium chew 8:15 pm 1 Gala apple (made into Vitamix sauce), morning bun, Yoplait chocolate raspberry parfait Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video 5:15-7:15 pm Hiking Rib Mt plus tower

Sun 23 Sept

I really enjoyed reading my Bill Bryson book yesterday. Spent too much sedentary time reading, but it was enjoyable. I didn't finish the book as I needed to get to sleep so I could get up and exercise this morning! It felt good to get back in the routine. Today was ballet day and the muscles remember it. The right knee was a little problematic during grand plies but all right for everything else. It was a little strange not to pick up Grandma for church and take her out to lunch. We have plenty of food at home and have eaten out enough lately that we didn't choose to go out ourselves. Feels strange to eat at home at the computer on Sunday. Had to endure a call/brief visit to Leone to reimburse her for writing the initial check needed for Grandma to be admitted to PCH. Not sure why the woman has always driven me crazy, but it has not improved with age, hers or mine. Made butternut apple soup in my Vitamix for a light supper with cranberry oatmeal toast. Yum! Fall is here! Food: 7:15 am 1/2 Guten Morgan muffin, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 101 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am 1/3 pork tenderloin/polenta entree from Seasons 52, 150 g strawberries, 8 oz carton Silk Very Vanilla 12:30 pm Cup matcha (It's chilly outside!) 2:00 pm Peanut butter cookie 3:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:00 pm Bowl butternut apple soup, 2 slices toasted cranberry oatmeal bread, 2 tsp soft margarine Exercise: 6:15-7:05 am Brutal ballet DVD

Sat 22 Sept

Home again, home again, good to be here. I love to travel but it's always nice to get back in the groove at home. Got some putting away and laundry to do today, and a longer visit to Grandma at PCH. Need to reimburse Leone for the check she wrote to get Grandma into PCH. Want badly to get in a good exercise session. Hung first load of wash out on the line, then Dad and I walked downtown to the Farmer's Market for some greengrocery. Stocked up on fresh winter squash, beets, ground cherries, lettuce, cabbage, and a loaf of Amish cranberry oatmeal bread which I certify makes delicious toast. We treated ourselves to a fresh hot veggie eggroll for me and a veggie spring roll for Dad while there. Stopped at the post office to pick up our accumulated mail because the substitute postal carrier missed delivering it today. The walk home with the large bin of mail for me and two heavy bags of produce for Dad was envigorating, to say the least. My arms are a little shaky in the aftermath. Planning to try making Vitamix whole apple sauce with some of the Galas today. Verdict: applesauce yummy! I just quartered and cored the unpeeled apples and threw them in. Used the tamper to mush them all down, added a little cinnamon and nutmeg, no water needed. My Alibris order of Bill Bryson books arrived while I was gone. I had no idea he would be so very entertaining. On opening the first book, it is difficult to put down. He is humorous and delightful. I am reading A Walk in the Woods, his version of thru-hiking the Appalachian trail. In a way, his humor reminds me of Aaron Alston. Roasted my farmer's market beets and a butternut squash for later use. Fresh corn on the grill with a couple small Aldi's filets as I had not thawed any other protein. Washed down with a Capitol Oktoberfest. Life is good. Food: 7:30 am 1/2 Guten Morgan coffee cake muffin, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 101 g raspberries, 2 c coffee 12:00 pm Veggie egg roll 1:00 pm 2 small slices cranberry oatmeal toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, 2 slices Jarlsberg Lite 1:45 pm 1 Gala apple 6:30 pm 12 oz Capitol Oktoberfest, 5 oz bacon-wrapped filet, 2/3 c roasted beets, small ear corn, 1/2 tsp olive oil, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 11:50-1:00 pm Walk to and around Farmer's Market, to post office, and home

Friday 21 Sept

Had an excellent breakfast buffet at the hotel this morning. Had to pay $12 each, but it was very complete - vast array of fresh fruit, hot cereal w/dried fruit options, fresh small pastries, and an omelet station. Checked out and drove in the rain to Madison where we had a lovely lunch at La Brioche with Laura. I was pleased that you seemed to like the Beer Is Good t-shirt. Hope you enjoy the Gala apples as much as I have been. Drove home while Dad napped, unloaded the car as quickly as possible and drove over to Portage Co Home to see Grandma. She was eating dinner (or rather picking at it). She was up and dressed in the small dining area with the others from her wing. I was glad to see she was not wallowing in bed. We could only stay a short time as we had to get to Mary Ladick's funeral. Newman was completely full for the funeral which was beautiful. Gregg Hansel gave one of two short eulogies near the end. I will send you a great handout with thoughts from Mary and her family members that is truly beautiful. Returned home for a quiet evening catching up somewhat on email. Needed to be quiet awhile after the funeral so did not crack in to the Best Marigold Hotel DVD I bought at Target before coming home.

Thurs 20 Sept

Can't believe there's only one more night of vacation left, and also that September is well on it's way out. We got a nice walk around Frankenmuth last night and opportunity to shop the little stores so I don't really have a desire to see more of them this morning. We had a very nice hotel breakfast here, with REAL oatmeal, so soon we will be on the road. We have reservations this evening at Seasons 52 in Schaumberg. I want to go to the bit Costco near there, either this evening or tomorrow, which should give us a little opportunity for walking as well as shopping. Food: 8:00 am Bowl real oatmeal w/.5 tbl brown sugar and 2 tbl raisins, biscuit w/2 tbl gravy, 1/2 c scrambled eggs, 12 oz OJ, coffee, piece German chocolate danish in room purchased at bakery last night

Wed 19 Sept

Good night's rest. A little wake-up in the shower: when I shook out the bath towel to dry off, a large spider fell out of the folds and crawled around on the floor. Hello! Today after breakfast with our gracious hosts, we head off on familiar roads between Kingston and Frankenmuth, MI. Should be a 7-hour travel day. We are staying tonight at the Drury Inn in downtown Frankenmuth so we can wander around the shops and get a chicken dinner without further need to be in the car. Yesterday my Fitbit tallied a grand total of 1385 steps for the day and I suspect that was very accurate since all we did was sit in the car with minimal stops. Breakfast was lovely, and we lingered over conversation longer than we had expected so we got a late start. Weather was pleasant for driving, alternating between sun and clouds, and cool temps. We weren't particularly hungry so we noshed on things we had in the car while driving, intending to eat a chicken dinner in Frankenmuth. When we checked in to our hotel, they gave us each a card good for three free drinks (wine, beer, or mixed drinks) and we found that they have a small "snack" buffet that included pasta w/marinara sauce and meatballs, baked potatoes, broccoli cheese soup, hot dogs, nachos, and a small salad bar w/iceberg lettuce, carrots, and celery. We decided that pasta, meatballs, soup and salad with a couple of drinks was really quite adequate. After sitting again in the car all day, a big chicken dinner was really unnecessary. We didn't need large portions of food and were quite satisfied. Deb replied to my email inquiry and said that Mary Ladick was killed last Saturday in a tragic motorcycle accident. Food: 8:30 am 1/2 c fruit salad, 1 slice toast w/margarine and homemade marmalade, 2 egg omelet w/fresh veggies, 1/3 c pecans, coffee 11:00 am Rice krispie treat 1:00 pm 15 flying saucers 2:30 pm 2 sm pc dried fruit, pumpkin mini-muffin, 2 Babybel Light cheeses 6:30 pm 2 sm tequila sunrises, 1/2 c mostaciolli w/marinara sauce, 3 sm meatballs, 1 c broccoli cheese soup, sm plate tortilla chips w/tbl nacho sauce 7:15 pm Dish amaretto cherry fudge ice cream Exercise: 7:00-7:45 pm Stroll around town including shopping

Tues 18 Sept

Last morning in Maine. The porch is set for our final breakfast at Kingsleigh Inn. I hope to get some of our things packed up in the car so we can make a quick exit when we finish eating. We will stop, per the innkeeper's suggestion, at a little lobster pound on the way off the island to pick up lobster rolls to put in the cooler for lunch, but our gas tank is full and we shall be off for our longest driving day to Kingston, ON. Looooong day! We got a good start from the inn right after breakfast, and it didn't take very long to pick up beautiful lobster salad sandwiches on the way out. It did take all morning to drive through beautiful rural northern Maine roads up to the Canada border. We passed Sugarloaf, a US training center. We pulled off on a little sideout just before the border to eat our lunch, adding a couple of fresh apples and a bottle of milk from the gas station. Once we got into Quebec, the predicted rain started and remained the rest of the day with minimal breaks. It is always disconcerting to drive through Quebec since I don't remember most of the French I had learned and haven't yet gotten serious enough to start using the resources you provided. We stopped at an information center to get directions past Montreal to Kingston. The gentleman was nice but they are very provincial there; he had to go on Google to find directions all the way to Kingston, and then had to figure out how to print them in English. They directed us through Montreal in town areas which took a very long time to navigate at rush hour. We did not get in to Kingston til after 8 pm. The B&B owners were very gracious. We paid long distance charges to call ahead for directions, but it was worth it to go directly to the home. They welcomed us warmly and even provided some extra milk so we could eat a bowl of Shreddies for our dinner.

Mon 17 Sept

Another lovely breakfast on the upstairs porch with perfect fall sunshine to accompany. Bryan is a very gracious waiter. Today we hike more seriously in Acadia, our only day to do so. Wonderful hiking day! Perfect weather and we selected some great trails with input from the innkeepers and a hiking book. We probably hiked about 4 hours total, plus a half hour break for lunch on a mountain top. Some good rock scrambles, great views. Did have a phone message and returned the call to Mick; Grandma is in the hospital and will transfer to Portage County Home tomorrow, presumably for short-term rehab. Leone is going to write a check needed at admission and I'll reimburse her from Grandma's account on Saturday when we get home. Nice of Mick to run interference for me so I didn't need to listen to Leone's guilt trip about not being in town when Grandma has stuff going on. It is just her ankle and doesn't seem from when I spoke to her on Sunday to be any kind of emergency. Food: 8:00 am Small croissant w/jam, 2 oz fresh whole apple juice, 6 oz OJ, small parfait w/melon, vanilla yogurt, homemade granola, 3 small pieces orange french toast w/real maple syrup, 2 sausage links, small banana split, coffee 12:30 pm 1/2 roast beef/provolone wrap, large piece blueberry coffee cake (leftover from lobster pound) 3:30 pm Cappuccino, 2 popovers w/butter and jam (at Jordan Pond House in the park) 5:00 pm 6 oz red wine, 2 tbl pub cheese w/pretzels 7:00 pm Salad w/fresh greens, sliced apple, chopped pecans, apple cider dressing, 2 crab cakes w/more greens, ginger herbal tea 8:30 pm 4 oz port, rum ball Exercise: 10:20-3:00 pm (minus half hour for lunch) Hiking Acadia Nat'l Park rocky climbs

Sun 16 Sept

Lovely sunny morning in the low 60s. Breakfast was served out on the second floor porch. The scrumptious breakfasts here are also in reasonable portions so I feel less blimped than I did with the Vermont B&B. Everything was wonderful! Very nice time walking around Bar Harbor this morning before and after church. Visited some of the shops and had lobster bisque and a turkey club panini half at Lazy Lobster while taking in a tad of the Patriots game and resting our feet. Back to the Inn for a brief afternoon nap before wine and cheese. Got a call last night that Grandma had to be lowered to the floor again yesterday morning and hurt her ankle. She had them send her to the hospital for xrays last night and they didn't find anything, just told her to ice it and take Tylenol. Fortunately Oakridge agreed to come pick her up because the non-emergency ambulance wouldn't take her back. Today she apparently was having more trouble with pain and couldn't bear weight so they sent her back and she was admitted. Will find out tomorrow whether they'll send her to the nursing home for rehab. Food: 8:00 am 2 oz shot pineapple juice, 6 oz OJ, swiss chard baked omelette w/onion, Swiss, asiago, and parmesan, 3 small slices Canadian bacon, small cinnamon roll, coffee 1:00 pm 1/2 turkey club panini, 1 c lobster bisque, 1/2 pc blueberry pie 5:00 pm 5 oz red wine, small piece brie, smoked gouda, and herbed cheese w/triscuits, 1 Hershey nugget 7:00 pm 1 1/2 lb whole lobster w/butter, 1/2 lb steamed clams w/butter, roll, large ear grilled corn, 14 oz blueberry wheat beer 8:45 pm 3 oz port, rum ball Exercise: 11:00-1:00 pm Walking around Bar Harbor, in and out of shops and along shore path

Sat 15 Sept

Last morning in Vermont. Full house at the B&B so lots of nice conversation over breakfast with some lovely people from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Another very filling breakfast with pumpkin muffins saved for the journey. More Fitbit woes - this new one doesn't want to hold a charge for even a full day or night. Had to email Customer Service yet again. I'm afraid I'll be labeled a chronic complainer, but I'd just like a unit that works! We had a little light rain on the ride from Vermont to Maine, on and off clouds and sunshine. The forecast here in Maine is cool and sunny for at least the next couple of days. We will go into Bar Harbor tomorrow after breakfast for 11 am church and will explore the busy town a bit, then hopefully get in a short afternoon hike. Maybe the lobster pound for dinner. Tonight we arrived at the lovely inn just in time for wine hour. We met some of the other guests and after settling in, walked down the street to a small restaurant for just a cup of soup and dessert. We had filled up at lunch on fresh lobster rolls at a wonderfully quaint roadside cafe on US 2 in Rumford, ME. Food: 8:15 am Egg casserole, baked oatmeal w/drizzle maple syrup, 2 pc honeydew, 3 strawberries, 6 oz apple cider, coffee 1:45 pm Lobster roll, iced coffee w/half and half, 1/5 Whoopie pie 5:30 pm 5 oz white wine, cracker w/crab spread 7:00 pm Cup clam chowder, blueberry crisp 8:15 pm Cup hot chocolate, 3 oz port wine, rum ball oatmeal raisin cookie

Fri 14 Sept

Wow, this first week is flying by! Starting to get a little blimped out by the food even though we still have another day here in Vermont and the big 3 at the place in Maine I've been anticipating for months. I plan to just eat my muffin and a banana again for lunch, and something extremely light for supper. These huge breakfasts are delicious, but enough for the entire day! Another great day! Went to Mt. Elmore State Park just outside of town and spent about 3.5 hrs hiking trails that were largely uphill and somewhat challenging at the top end. Not quite Old Rag, but close. Afterward we did a nostalgic drive through Smuggler's Notch and stopped at a local winery for a tasting. We returned to the inn for a glass of wine and herbed chevre with a peach jam w/cayenne, then walked to the local hippie restaurant, The Bee's Knees, for a delicious light dinner. Tomorrow we pack up and head off to Maine. Food: 8:00 am 1/2 c yogurt w/fresh fig, baked oatmeal w/figs & apples, egg bake w/cheese & sausage, 1 link sausage, 1/4 c fruit salad, 6 oz apple cider, coffee 12:00 pm Pumpkin muffin 3:30 pm Rice krispie treat 4:00 pm Wine tasting (w/wine crackers) 4:30 pm Baby-sized maple Crem-ee, apple cider donut 5:30 pm 6 oz white table wine, several crackers w/chevre and peach jelly 6:15 pm Large slice potato leek quiche, large salad of field greens, 1/4 c homemade unsweetened applesauce 7:15 pm 1 pc Laughing Moon chocolates (maple walnut cream) Exercise: 10:30-2:00 pm Hiking hills

Thurs 13 Sept

Yummy breakfast! Visited with two women traveling together to hike from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They did Mt. Mansfield yesterday and one of them took a major tumble, bending up her glasses and getting a huge shiner in the bargain. Luckily she didn't break anything. Off to hike at the Trapp Lodge today, followed by Ben N Jerry's and a look-in at the Waterbury Farmer's Market which is rumored by our host to be very good. Also Cold Hollow Cider. Another beautiful day, but even though we got in some excellent hiking, I still think I overate my calorie burn. I know that vacations are time to relax, but I don't look forward to seeing the damages when I get home. Food: 8:00 am 10 oz red juice, 1/2 c applesauce, large serving blueberry bread pudding entree, fruit salad, 2 sausage links, 2 choc covered strawberries, coffee 12:00 pm Pumpkin muffin, med banana, 2 pc dried mango, 1 pc dried kiwi 4:30 pm Ben & Jerry's hot fudge sundae w/mint chocolate chunk ice cream 6:00 pm 1/2 pc spinach lasagna, chicken samosa, 1/2 c sweet potato salad w/walnuts and craisins, 1/2 pc baklava 7:30 pm 12 oz beer, 1 pc chocolates

Wed 12 Sept

Good way to get a little morning cardio - take the stairs down from your sixth floor room to gather some breakfast items from the car and back up again. Heading to Vermont today. We have 3 nights booked at a B&B in Morrisville so we will do the Stowe/Waterbury area and hopefully get some hiking in as well. We will mostly be traversing familiar ground today, and we have a much shorter driving day which will be appreciated. We have been far too sedentary as we're usually too tired from driving for more than a short half hour walk which doesn't burn all the calories from restaurant meals. We try to order things not too heavy, but sometimes desserts call like yesterday's treacle tart. The Adirondacks and Vermont are as beautiful as we remember, and the weather was once again gorgeous to enjoy them. We came into Vermont to Waterbury and stopped at the Cabot Creamery store where we sampled several little pieces of cheese. We popped in to the Lake Champlain chocolate store and just bought a bag of Green Mountain coffee and two small squares of dark chocolate which I munched in the car. We then drove up to Stowe and to the Trapp Family Lodge where we lunched on the terrace in the perfect sunshine. We may return tomorrow to hike on their trails for an $11 fee, but the trails are extensive and in a gorgeous place. It will also put us closer to Waterbury so we can do Ben N Jerry's and Cold Hollow Cider at some point in the day. The B&B is also very nice, run by a working science teacher. She served us wine and chevre with a homemade fig and hot pepper jam before dinner. We then went out for a walk along the rail trail by the river just below the inn, checking out the tiny Farmer's Market along the way. We were not particularly hungry, but we drove to Johnson to see if the Plum on Main was still in business. Sadly it is now a Wicked Wings place. The Ben N Jerry's store in town is also gone. We drove to Jeffersonville and just stopped at the deli/bakery where we bought a couple of wraps to take along hiking tomorrow and a chicken salad sandwich to share tonight. I also bought a delicious raspberry bar. Food: 7:45 am 1 c raspberries, prune ponczka, med banana, coffee 12:15 pm Samples of cheese at Cabot Creamery store, 2 small squares dark chocolate 1:30 pm Truffled grilled cheese w/bacon sandwich, 4-5 French fries, 12 oz wheat beer 4:45 pm 5 oz white wine, several thin crackers w/herbed chevre, fig hot pepper jam 6:15 pm 1" piece of brownie 7:45 pm 1/2 chicken salad sandwich on multigrain, 1/2 raspberry bar, small banana Exercise: 7:45 am 6 flights of stairs up and down 5:10-6:05 pm Walk on path (brief stop at Farmer's Market)

Tues 11 Sept

I liked the Woot monkeys' dialogue this morning. It is good to take a moment to reflect on 9/11 and the people who were lost, then to give thanks that we are still alive and to enjoy the things we love. Looks like another lovely day, weather-wise. We head out to the Adirondacks today and stay in that lovely, funky Hotel Saranac. Hopefully we'll find some little hiking trails along the way or at the end. We have been pretty sedentary so far. I did get u and do some little exercise in the room this morning - a few warm-up movements, some sit-ups, pushups, tricep dips, and side leg lifts. Felt good. Also feels good to eat a more normal breakfast. We found a Costco here so I could load up on fresh raspberries. Drove along the 401 this morning and stopped in a smaller city just past Kingston for lunch. Found a little British Pub where I was able to order steak and kidney pie and we had treacle tart for dessert. Dad had an Aussie Burger topped with a fried egg and pickled beets. It was delightful and delicious! Ran into a looooong delay for road construction after crossing the border into upstate New York, but finally passed through and into the Adirondacks. Tupper Lake is still a quaint town but Saranac Lake appears to have declined a bit. The hotel is no longer run by the hospitality school. The restaurant has closed entirely and the hotel doesn't appear to be using all the floors. The check-in clerk was a little weird and said he had to call the manager who was an older Indian man. He proceeded to walk the young guy through the whole check-in process and we were given a room on the 6th (top) floor. Once inside the room, everything was lovely. Nice bath products, clean room, wi-fi. Just strange staff. We took a walk through the town area and settled on a restaurant fairly close to the hotel that had a good crowd. Most of the other restaurants we had walked past were almost totally empty. The restaurant we chose was really quite good. We weren't too hungry, so we chose to split a grilled ham & cheese and an order of sweet potato fries. The waitress said sweet potato fries are great with honey so she dug up some in a cup to accompany them. It is an interesting combination, brings out the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Shreddies, 1/2 c skim milk, 2 c rapberries, coffee 10:30 am Rice Krispie treat 1:30 pm 2/3 steak and kidney pie, nice green salad w/balsamic dressing, 1/2 treacle tart w/ice cream, 8-9 oz Vermont cider 6:45 pm 1/2 grilled ham & cheese, 1/2 order sweet potato fries w/honey, 12 oz dark beer Exercise: 6:00-6:30 pm Walk around Saranac Lake

Mon 10 Sept

This morning the wandering feet awoke in Sault Ste. Marie, MI in a very nicely remodeled mom n pop motel. Each room has hand-done wall treatments. Our bathroom has individual fern leaves and other leaves that look as though they were dipped in a cement compound and imprinted on the walls. We had a fridge and knew they did not provide breakfast so we brought Panacea ponczkas, a container of cut-up cantaloupe, and a small can of sparkling cranberry juice to accompany the in-room Wolfgang Puck coffee. Looking forward to a nice day in Canada today. We did remember to pack our passports. Our only worry is whether they will confiscate our remaining fresh fruit. I would hate to lose a whole bunch of nice bananas. Pretty good day. Long driving with some difficulty finding the destination, but lovely weather, nice lunch, beautiful room. Relaxing now with a New Glarus Oktoberfest beer, a bowl of Shreddies and a banana and 1/2 chocolate chip roll for dinner. Food: 7:45 am Ponczka, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 8,45 oz Nature's Nectar Sparkling Cranberry, coffee 10:30 am Rice Krispie treat 1:00 pm Shaved prime rib sandwich w/carmelized onions on a multigrain roll, cup of tomato macaroni soup 4:30 pm 15 flying saucers 7:00 pm 12 oz New Glarus Oktoberfest beer, 1 c Shreddies, 4 oz skim milk, 1 Babybel Light, 1/2 chocolate chip brioche, 1/4 cheese roll Exercise: 6:00-6:30 pm Walk in Costco

Sun 9 Sept

Getting ready to head out on vacation for almost two whole weeks! Can't believe it's almost reality. Still need to pack the cooler but otherwise nearly ready. Don't know how consistent I'll be with blogging and tracking on vacation. I don't intend to let it be an albatross, but I will have the laptop for my Fitbit and if I have time in the mornings or evenings, I may check in. Hope the con went well for both you and Michael. Thanks for including him! Very nice day today. Good weather for driving. Nice lunch followed by a 1/2 hr walk in Escanaba. Our motel is very nice, decorated painstakingly. We had a fresh whitefish dinner, healthy preparation and followed it up with a cup of local ice cream. Food: 7:45 am Small prune ponczka, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 100 g blueberries, coffee 11:00 am Rice krispie treat 12:15 pm Cheese, sausage, and cracker samples 1:30 pm Grilled cheese sandwich, 3/4 c fruit cocktail, coffee, 1/2 cardamom bread pudding w/rum sauce 7:00 pm EDT Broiled whitefish filet, baguette roll w/butter, tossed salad, vegetable blend, 8 oz skim milk 7:30 pm Amaretto cherry Mackinac fudge ice cream Exercise: 2:30-3:00 pm Walk in Escanaba

Sat 8 Sept

Feels rather nice to have a brisk morning today. I felt good that I made a pan of Rice Krispie treats (to wrap for car munching) and folded a load of laundry done last night, all by 7:05 am. Finishing my breakfast now, and Dad is up so I'll throw the sheets in the wash and make the bed up fresh soon. I need to be at the Walk for Hope site (old Rice Clinic) by 9:15 to register for the walk and be present for the presentation of the Hope award as it is being given to our Mobile Crisis team so I will be one of the representatives to receive it. All in all, a good day. Got quite a bit done, pizza at Bill's with Grandma. Packing pretty much under control. A few more flying saucers, then off to bed. Food: 7:15 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, 1/2 c blueberries, protein powder, & soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 71 g raspberries, coffee 11:00 am 1/2 large banana 11:30 pm Large slice Polito's sausage pizza 3:45 pm Culver's hot fudge raspberry sundae 6:15 pm Bill's sausage/mushroom pizza 8:30 pm 10 flying saucers Exercise: 9:50-11:25 am Walk for Hope

Fri 7 Sept

Last day of work before vacation. Seems like it's been quite a long time since I've been able to say that! I'm on Intake this morning so it shouldn't be too hectic, and I'm going for my birthday lunch with Pyke at Ranchito's if he doesn't back out. We're considering a hike tonight if weather is cool and comfortable and not raining and time permits. Tomorrow will be busier than I thought since my hair appointment is scheduled at 1 pm, a fact I had forgotten. Walk for Hope from 9:15-11:00ish. We'll squeeze in a visit to Panacea over lunch. Picking up Grandma around 4:30 for church and dinner. Oh, and laundry squeezed in there somewhere. Fitbit arrived today, in time for vacation! Ran some errands tonight - bought fruit for trip, etc. Culver's looked good for quick supper. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 70 g raspberries, coffee 12:45 pm 3 small house tortillas, 4.5 oz beef tongue, 1/4 c chopped onion, 2/3 c chopped cilantro, 1 tbl guacamole, 1/2 c refried beans, small portion chips/salsa 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 7:15 pm Culver's prime rib melt sandwich, 6 sweet potato fries, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:50-5:40 am Kathy Smith Weights DVD

Thurs 6 Sept

Would have liked more sleep this morning even though I got my 8 hours. Just a nice, cool morning that would have been conducive to sleep. Got through exercise with adequate energy. Cough pills helped make the night restful. Remembered not to do full breakfast this morning. Trying newly opened Mexican restaurant in little space by old Discounter in Plover with my client this morning. Then lunch at Wooden Chair with my birthday lunch group for my birthday. Supper will be light tonight, but we have lots of leftovers to eat so Dad won't suffer. Hartmans gave me two truffles, likely from Sugar3, for my birthday. Would hate to waste them, so I guess I'll waist them. Food: 6:45 am 1/4 med cantaloupe, 89 g raspberries, coffee 8:30 am 2 egg veggie omelette w/cheese, 1 slice white toast w/butter & jelly, coffee 12:00 pm 4 oz sliced turkey, sun-dried tomato focaccia, 1 c fruit salad 1:00 pm 1 dark chocolate sea salt caramel 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew, 1 chocolate truffle 5:45 pm 3/4 c leftover tortellini, 2 c watermelon chunks, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:50-5:40 am The Firm Bootcamp DVD

Wed 5 Sept

Was encouraged that I had more energy for my exercise this morning, and in retrospect, I realize my knee didn't hurt. Perhaps I'm on the mend at last. I did need one of the cough pearls last night as the hacking was worse, but it worked very well. We went to Silver Coach with Michael and Grandma for my birthday celebration dinner tonight. We had the patio to ourselves for 90% of the time and had a lovely meal. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 80 g blackberries, coffee 12:00 pm Blueberry soy shake, slice cinnamon bread, 1 tsp soft margarine, Vitamix smoothie w/12 grapes, 106 g strawberries, med banana, 1/4 c Fage 1:30 pm Chocolate frosted cupcake 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 6:15 pm 5 oz Relax riesling, 1 slice bruschetta w/tomato, small Caesar salad, 1 c tortellini w/peas, ham, cream sauce, 1/3 pc chocolate truffle cheesecake Exercise: 4:50-5:50 am Burn It Up DVD

Tues 4 Sept

Good luck to Laura on her first day as instructor for Operating Systems! As always, I am very proud of her. Fitbit just sent me an email and they will send me (another) complimentary replacement. Maybe this will be the charm that continues to work for a long time. Unfortunately, it's not likely to arrive before we leave on vacation so I will be without it for quite a long time. Got quite fatigued during the workout this morning, partly because the knee is still problematic. Decided to stop at 50 min. Lunchtime. Tired. Nice to see Michael and collect a birthday hug and a birthday email from Laura. Love my kids. Nice evening at Joan and Jack's. Food: 6:45 am Morning bun, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 90 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Peach soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, 149 g strawberries, 1 Laughing Cow Babybel 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:45 pm 8 oz white wine, 1 1/2 large slices veggie pizza, 3 jumbo shrimp w/cocktail sauce, 2 pita chips w/hummus, 1 spear cucumber w/Greek yogurt horseradish sauce 8:15 pm Chocolate frosted cupcake Exercise: 4:50-5:40 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout, upper body and aerobics only

Mon 3 Sept

Labor Day! Nice to have a day to recuperate after doing the fair. Got up at 7, started laundry when Dad got up at 8, now sitting down to breakfast. Will do workout after food today, once sheets are on the line and the day is underway. Possibility of hiking after Dad does a 3 pm estimate. Plan to start packing for vacation today. Hard to believe it is almost a reality! Got the laundry and much of my packing done, but not so good on the exercise front. Didn't do a workout and it started to rain about the time Dad finished his estimate, so hiking didn't happen either. Maybe it's not a bad thing to continue the rest mode for one more day. Didn't do too badly on eating, at least. Food: 8:30 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 86 g raspberries, coffee 11:30 am Vanilla soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon bread, 2 tsp soft margarine, 1/2 c gnocchi w/orange sauce 2:15 pm Chocolate calcium chew 6:00 pm 3.65 oz extra lean ground beef, Roundy's bun, slice Jarlsberg lite, 1/2 tbl ketchup, Vitamix smoothie w/12 grapes, 116 g strawberries, 1/2 med banana, small chip spicy brittle from Bar La Grassa

Sun 2 Sept

Back from the fair. Good weekend, perfect weather, tired feet. Dinner last night at Bar La Grassa was fabulous. Everything we tasted was wonderful and the service was very good. Food: 7:15 am 6 oz OJ, coffee 9:00 am Asparagus/swiss cheese crepe, coffee 1:00 pm 1 large cob buttered corn, humongous peach, 2 sm scoops vanilla nitro ice cream 3:30 pm 5-6 Sweet Martha cookies, bites of turkey leg on drive home 8:00 pm 2 slices cinnamon toast w/margarine Exercise: Walking at fair, about 1600 steps

Sat 1 Sept

Yay! September is here, the month of the fair and then vacation! Hopefully I will feel healthier to enjoy it all. I took a dose of the cough medication before bed last night and I could tell that it helped. It did not completely suppress the cough, but the long, racking bouts did not happen and smaller urges were easier to ignore. I can take it up to 3 times a day, but it may make you drowsy so I plan to try to only use it at night. The daytime coughing has not been as persistent, and I'm glad to get the gunk out. We will go to the Highland Grill for lunch today since they sent me my birthday coupon for a free dessert. Tonight we have reservations at Bar La Grassa, one of T&L's 25 best Italian restaurants in the US. Tomorrow, the fair! And Monday, a day to recuperate at home and do laundry, yeah. Food: 7:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 med cantaloupe, 89 g raspberries, Vitamix lemonade w/1 c grapes, 1 slice lemon, coffee