Thurs 31 Jan

Going with the coworkers to Ranchitos after work today, provided the weather doesn't intervene. And Saturday evening, Mary Hofer asked me to catch a quick dinner and go with her to a production of Sound of Music in which one of her students is a performer. Dad said he didn't mind, so I will let Mary catch up on her chatting so when I get back to lessons, we might be free to sing. Nice time at Ranchitos. Even got our office recluse, Brad, to join us. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c almond milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Chocolate soy shake, slice TJ's sprouted multigrain toast, 1 tbl Jif, pear 12:30 pm 2 Moravian chocolate cookies 1:00 pm 1 Little Pops butterscotch drop 3:15 pm Peanut butter cookie 4:45 pm Margarita, queso fundido w/chips, 2 oz chicken breast w/cheese, mushrooms, & onions, 1/2 c refried beans, 3 corn/flour tortillas Exercise: 4:45-5:45 am Step DVD

Wed 30 Jan

Dad is off to get his crown put on. It was a real struggle to get up and exercise this morning, but I did it. Funny how it has been more difficult this week when I'm supposedly on the mend than it was the last two weeks when I was actively sick. I may have been getting more rest overall those weeks which could explain it. We had a pizza/salad lunch with my coworkers today. Rerun of last night's supper. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c almond milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee 12:15 pm Slice Hawaiian pizza, large salad w/raw veggies, piece Napoleon torte, peanut butter cookie 2:45 pm Cranberry cookie 5:45 pm 8 g molasses cookie 6:00 pm Fusia shrimp lo mein, Mott's Medley peach applesauce cup, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:45 am Burn It Up DVD

Tues 29 Jan

Carefully chewing my crunchy cereal on the right side of my mouth to avoid stressing the temporary crown. Not sure if I'll remember to do this til next Wed when I get the real banana. May have to favor that one a short time also. Bought a frozen shrimp lo mein dinner from Aldi's that you cook in a skillet in about 10 min. Surprisingly good, with all identifiable real food and good nutrition stats. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c almond milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 102 g blackberries, coffee 12:00 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, slice TJ's sprouted multigrain toast, 1 tbl Jif, orange 12:30 pm 2 white chocolate peppermint M&Ms 2:45 pm Lindt chocolate truffle 5:45 pm 1 c Fusia shrimp lo mein, 12 oz skim milk 7:00 pm Jello Sugar Free Double Chocolate pudding cup Exercise: 4:45-5:40 am Jane Fonda Fat Burner's DVD

Mon 28 Jan

Hopefully I'm on the mend. Still a little tired but feeling like I'm heading in the right direction. Hope the news about my broken tooth isn't too expensive. Need to start keeping an eye on my hands as they may be starting to itch and develop a rash from the antibiotic. At this point, I'm hoping it's just dry skin as I haven't been as conscientious about hand cream with every hand wash lately. I was 14 when I had the reaction to penicillin so it's hard to remember details, but I kind of do remember itchy, blotchy hands. There's only supposed to be a 3% chance of reactivity with this antibiotic with penicillin allergy. Wouldn't you know I might be one of the 3%. Hopefully not. Hands settled down well with application of lotion regularly. Hopefully it was just dryness. Got my temporary crown today; will be about $1175 total. Dad's costs the same so not likely we'll take a fancy spring break this year. Food: 6:45 am Morning bun, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 12:30 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, slice TJ's sprouted multigrain toast, 1 tbl Jif, orange 6:15 pm Italian casserole (ground beef, wheat fusilli, 8 oz mozzarella/provolone blend, 1 c arrabiata sauce, onion, chopped red pepper), Mott's Medley peach/apple sauce 7:00 pm Yoplait Grasshopper parfait Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 27 Jan

Today I need to go through mail/bills, visit Grandma, and rest a bit as the weekend took more energy than I had expected. I added a half-hour aerobics section from another video to the ballet DVD this morning to get the calorie-burn, step count up. Visited Grandma today. She is suffering from a sore bottom from sitting so much. Felt sorry for her. Eyes are white again today. Wore my contacts for church and lunch, but was talking with Linda Kausakonis on the way out and Jim heard me mention I had an eye infection. He said I shouldn't wear my contacts for two weeks after an infection, so I guess it's back to glasses for awhile. Saving a little of my ham to eat around 7:30 pm with my antibiotics. Food: 8:30 am Morning bun, 1/2 grapefruit, 103 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am 2 crepes, 2 small sliced bananas, 8 oz OJ, coffee 1:45 pm Echinacea tea 5:45 pm 93 g ham, 1/2 c heirloom rice blend, 1 c sliced beets, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 6:45-7:35 am Ballet DVD 7:35-8:05 am Aerobics section of Legs of Steel 2000 video

Sat 26 Jan

Had a great overnight trip to Madison. Hotel RED was funky and fun. Restaurant Week dinner at Veranda Restaurant and Wine Bar was incredibly delicious. Had cocktails at the bar at Hotel RED and enjoyed the acoustic guitar player/singer. Chatted with him a bit after his set. Breakfast was delicious seafood Benedict. Got our erranding done and had lunch with Laura at Cooper's Tavern, accompanied with a wonderful authentic Scotch ale. Managed to muster enough energy to make it through the day, and listened to Prairie Home Companion live from the Overture Center on the way home. Satisfying. Food: 8:15 am Seafood Benedict (2 small crab cakes on bed of field greens w/2 perfectly poached eggs and hollandaise, 3/4 c fruit, coffee, 1/2 slice wheat toast w/butter & homemade raspberry jam 1:45 pm Pint Scotch ale, 2 fried eggs, 2 sm buckwheat crepes w/herbed goat cheese, 2 oz lox, field greens Samples at Brennan's and Costco 7:30 pm 2 slices TJ sprouted multigrain toast, 1 tbl Nutella, Nestle Fat Free cocoa

Fri 25 Jan

We are really looking forward to getting out of town tonight, having a nice meal during Restaurant Week, and staying in a new, fancy hotel. We get drinks and chocolates at the hotel and an a la carte breakfast in the morning with our voucher. Then we get to spend some time with our daughter (yay!) on Saturday and stock up on things we have run out of from Costco/TJs/Woodman's. I was tired this morning and briefly contemplated sleeping through workout. I slept pretty well this morning but it was still good to exercise. My leg muscles have been a little sore from some of the workouts I've chosen lately. Today's didn't count for many steps but had a better strength component than what I've been doing lately. Was able to see Paul Munck briefly this afternoon. He said I've had this yuck long enough that it is likely bacterial now rather than viral, so I have 10 days of antibiotics to take. He gave me some that will also get into my eyes so I shouldn't need a separate eyedrop to take care of the red eyes. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 102 g blackberries, coffee 8:15 am 1/2 mushroom/swiss omelet, 1 1/2 slices homemade whole wheat toast w/butter, 1 pkg orange marmalade, coffee 11:45 am Bowl cheddar chowder, 1 Effie's Oatcake 5:15 pm Russian Lullaby (Russian vodka w/cranberry iced tea & lemonade) 7:15 pm Field greens salad w/bacon viniagrette, 2 small figs stuffed w/goat cheese, 6-8 oz seared ahi tuna on a mustard reduction, green beans, 2-3 roasted cherry tomatoes, sm slice cheesecake w/biscotti crust and mascarpone-like filling Exercise: 4:45-5:45 am Brand New Butt DVD

Thurs 24 Jan

I slept without decongestants last night, but that's probably because all the gunk was flowing out of my eyes all night. If I hadn't kept waking and clearing them out, I likely would have needed a hot washcloth to even get my eyes open this morning. Think maybe I won't wear my contacts today. Second try on the Tracy Anderson DVD and I'm starting to get a little handle on the choreography, but she moves very fast and steady and I'm winded by the end of practicing four routines. If I keep doing it in small segments like this, I will get to the point where I can just perform the routines and have energy to learn however many more there are. It worked today to combine it with a lower intensity aerobics and stretch option. I hope the Internet police in IT weren't watching me this morning. I had time while on Intake to review all the menus for Restaurant Week and make a selection, then make an online reservation using Open Table. Guess I've been in the mood lately for "blast from the past" suppers. Tonight I made cheddar chowder! Delicious memories. My Fitbit Aria scale arrived today. It had been on back order since Christmas. It will sync wirelessly with the computer (if we can set it up properly) so I can track my weight fluctuations more regularly. Twas a bit of a chore syncing the Aria; it struggled to identify the Wi-Fi network. Had to use Dad's computer but now it seems to be working. Of course it weighs higher than my old scale, but that one was lower than most other scales (work, doctor) and so likely inaccurate, if nicer. Hopefully it will also be a bit lower in the morning as opposed to the end of the day with clothes on. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c almond milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 106 g blackberries, coffee 12:30 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, slice Village Hearth whole wheat bread, 1 tbl Jif, medium banana, 2 oz almond milk, 1/2 tsp sugar 6:00 pm Bowl cheddar chowder, 1 Effie's oatcake, 12 oz skim milk, 1 pc fudge Exercise: 4:45-5:10 am Tracy Anderson Cardio Dance DVD 5:15-5:45 am Jane Fonda Stress Reduction video

Wed 23 Jan

I feel MUCH better for having rested so much yesterday. I hope it lasts through the day. I'm excited that the whites of my eyes are white again! I'm going to hold off one more day on putting in my contacts just to be safe. Damnation! Noshing on a package of Cocoa Roast Almonds and noticed something hard in one mouthful. It was a small piece of one of my back molars that broke off. And the nuts are not that hard to break a tooth! Felt good to cook again tonight, and to feel like enjoying a good meal. I used my Cook's Illustrated cookbook for good basic technique for pan roasting the pork chops, Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c almond milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Blueberry soy shake, Crystal Farms English muffin, 1 tbl Jif, orange 1:30 pm 1 white chocolate peppermint M&M 3:00 pm 100-cal pack Cocoa Roast Almonds 5:45 pm 3.3 oz pork chop, 1/8 tsp olive oil, 3 large roasted sweet potato spears, 1 c Pictsweet squash & onions, 6 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:40-5:40 am Burn It Up DVD

Tues 22 Jan

Got up and exercised this morning and realized I was still tired and feeling benefits from an afternoon of rest yesterday, so I decided to tack on one more full day of rest. So far, it feel's great! I went back to bed and didn't get up til almost 9 am to eat some breakfast. Heading back for another nap soon. Food: 9:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries 1:30 pm 1.55 oz ham, slice Village Hearth whole wheat bread, orange 2:30 pm 24 g molasses cookies 5:30 pm 97 g ham, 2 slices Village Hearth whole wheat toast, 2 tsp margarine, small banana, 2 oz skim milk, 1/2 tsp sugar Exercise: 4:40-5:35 am Step DVD

Mon 21 Jan

Can't wait to feel good again. It's certainly better to do the exercise routine right after I get up. I was still a little sore from yesterday but I had the energy to get through it. It remains to be seen if the same can be said of the work day today. Enough! Staying home from work this afternoon to rest. Cold has turned the corner from congested to drippy. Using Kleenex like it's going out of style. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, slice Village Hearth whole wheat bread, 2 oz white meat turkey, orange 5:45 pm Turkey vegetable soup, 1 Effie's oatcake, 12 oz skim milk, 47 g shortbread Exercise: 4:40-5:50 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 20 Jan

Nothing on the agenda today except packing the naked Christmas tree into the box and back to garage attic and hauling the boxes of decorations up to the attic. Went to church last night to avoid needing to venture out into the arctic cold today. Bought a spiral-sliced ham that I will throw in the oven later to make the house smell great and provide leftovers for a long time. Decided to pick up some knitting needles and see if I remember how to do this. Knitting came back fairly quickly, purling somewhat slower, but I think I have the hang of them again. Just doing a length of trial about 10" wide, no real purpose to it. Using some old, cheap acrylic white yarn that is probably 40 years old. Bad thing about knitting is it's so inert! Made carrot ginger orange soup with the Vitamix for lunch. Delicioso! It's a good thing I usually exercise in the mornings. I waited until afternoon today and had significantly less energy. I had napped a bit first, and now I need another nap! The new ballet workout DVD is broken into 6 workouts: Bridges, Abs, Inner Thigh, Outer Thigh, Arms, and Standing. I only made it through Bridges before I died. It is quite repetitive and intense on the same muscle groups. I started abs and died immediately. Food: 7:30 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c fresh blueberries, soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 105 g blackberries, coffee 1:00 pm Bowl carrot orange ginger soup, 1 Effie's Oatcake, matcha tea, 19 g sugar cookies 5:15 pm 3 white chocolate peppermint M&Ms 5:30 pm 3 oz ham, 1/2 c mashed potatoes, 1/2 c frozen sweet corn, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 3:00-3:10 pm Ballet Beautiful bridge workout 3:15-3:48 pm Hips/Thighs of Steel 2000 aerobic workout

Sat 19 Jan

Stayed in bed almost 12 hours last night. Turned in a little earlier than I really intended as I had been enjoying my book, but my eyes were burning so much I couldn't ask them to continue working. Unfortunately, I tossed and turned part of the night, but about halfway through, I felt like I settled into better sleep. My brand new Christmas flannel pajamas ripped completely across the back shoulders when I took off the top this morning. 3 weeks! I had a 30% off coupon from Kohl's and found some nice ones of better quality at an excellent price. Also got a great deal on some CuddlDuds fleece tops. Dad and I went out to eat after church tonight for the first time in several weeks. Went to the Gyro and Kebab House. Food: 8:45 am Chocolate croissant (from Amherst bakery), 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 12:30 pm Vitamix smoothie w/3 fresh pineapple rings, 3/4 c frozen mixed berries, small frozen banana, 1/2 c kale, 6 oz 0% plain Greek yogurt & cinnamon, 1 Effie's oatcake 6:15 pm Junior gyro w/lettuce, onion, tomato, 2 tbl tzatziki

Fri 18 Jan

Sleep quality seemed a little better last night, though still frequent waking. Eyes were really weeping gunk all night long, still red this morning. At least only one more day to make it through the work week. The end is in sight. Stopped at the Amherst Bakery while in that town. Run by an Austrian with a real flair for pastry. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 105 g blackberries, coffee 8:15 am 3/4 mushroom onion Swiss omelet, 1/2 c hash browns, 1 slice homemade wheat toast w/butter & marmalade, coffee 11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, 136 g cherry kuchen 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:30 pm Culver's grilled chicken sandwich Exercise: 4:45-5:40 am Coach Nicole's BootCamp DVD

Thurs 17 Jan

Didn't sleep very well last night at all. Felt like I was awake at least once an hour and dreams weren't pleasant. Eyes are more uncomfortable today, but otherwise not much change. Damn that Heather Grassl! Always bringing in these yummy snacks! Sure is nice that the woman Dad has been working on a big project for loves to cook and bake and enjoys sending things home with Dad. She sent the loaf of fresh homemade wheat bread earlier this week that was a perfect complement to turkey soup. Tonight she sent squash soup that perfectly rounded out the smaller amount of leftover pork sausage casserole. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:15 am 1/2 c Chex mix 12:30 pm Chocolate soy shake, slice homemade wheat bread, 1 tbl Jif, orange 1:15 pm 1 pc fudge 5:15 pm 1 c squash soup, 3/4 serving pork sausage casserole, 12 oz skim milk, chocolate calcium chew Exercise: 4:45-5:35 am Jane Fonda Fat Burner's video

Wed 16 Jan

So-so this morning. More congested feeling but energy level okay at this point. Was able to get up and exercise. Made a blast-from-the-past comfort food recipe for supper tonight: pork sausage casserole. I had almost forgotten about it until I saw a package of fresh pork sausage on the grocery shelf. I had just enough leftover thick kluski-like noodles that made it really awesome! Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 12:15 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, slice Village Hearth whole wheat bread, 1 tbl Jif, orange 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:45 pm Pork sausage casserole, 1/2 can sliced beets, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:45 am Burn It Up DVD

Tues 15 Jan

Mornings are my best time of day. I usually feel a little better when I get up even though I didn't sleep very restfully last night. I figure I might as well get up and exercise if I don't feel too tired or drained because I certainly won't feel any better later in the day. By the time I get home after work, I just want to crash. Maybe I can figure out something at noon to throw in the crock pot so we have healthy eats without work. Last night I just threw a pasty in the oven and opened applesauce, but I don't have anything else that easy on hand. Maxine stopped by after work and rethreaded a broken zipper in a flash. I had tried 6-7 times and finally given it up for a bad job. Now I just need to tack it above the broken tooth and I will have my fairly new black cords back in service. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee 11:30 am Blueberry soy shake, Simply Nature frozen steel-cut oatmeal, 1 tbl flaxseed, 2 oz light original soy milk, med orange, echinacea tea 4:45 pm Chocolate calcium chew 5:45 pm 10 g milk chocolate 6:30 pm Turkey vegetable soup, 66 g homemade wheat bread, 1 tsp soft margarine, 1 tbl Bonne Maman raspberry jam, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:40 am Buns/Abs of Steel 2000 video

Mon 14 Jan

Debated on getting up to exercise vs. more rest, but today exercise won. It felt pretty good to move. Remains to be seen if I'll have energy to make it through the remainder of the day. This morning's exercise was about 33% more steps than I had all day yesterday. It will be very nice when Dad and I are both healthy again and we can begin to plan some fun stuff to do. I'm leery of making any plans til I see a definite upturn. Let me know what weekends you're free so I can make reservations at Hotel RED when we're ready. I feel icky. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, slice 12 grain bread, 1 oz Jarlsberg, 1 tsp soft margarine, orange 12:30 pm 3 white chocolate peppermint M&Ms 6:15 pm 136 g pasty, Mott's Healthy Harvest blueberry sauce cup, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 13 Jan

Had a couple periods of decent sleep last night which left me feeling better rested this morning. Opted not to get up earlier to exercise. If I have time and energy this afternoon, we'll see. My head was pounding and I was pretty miserable when I went to bed last night. (Of course, watching the Packers lose didn't help!) Probably won't go see Grandma today as I don't want to take her active cold germs. I will call to explain. Got all the ornaments off the tree and packed up, fielding two pages in between. I'm exhausted and the tree is still standing. Still haven't called Grandma yet; have to catch her after supper before she gets ready for bed. Nice to have a lot of leftover turkey soup to reheat when you're tired. And nothing feels better than a bowl of homemade soup when you feel yucky. Food: 8:00 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 105 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am 2 eggs, 1 pc 12-grain toast, 1 tsp soft margarine, 1/2 tbl Rose's Lime Marmalade, orange 3:00 pm 2 licorice wheels, 36 g molasses cookies 6:15 pm Turkey vegetable soup, 1 Effie's oatcake

Sat 12 Jan

Just looked at an email brochure for a Lindblad tour of Scotland that looks fabulous! Only problem is that it's about $7000 per person not including airfare. Nice to dream. Getting tired of being in bed plenty of time but not sleeping very well. Want to get better! Had a call last night but it was easily dealt with, even though I did have to go to the ER briefly. Made it worth not taking any sick time this week so I will get time and a half for my time. I would sure be happy if that was it for the week. Plan for the day is laundry, make turkey soup, take down Christmas decorations, and end with watching the Packer game from the couch before bed. Laundry mostly in control, turkey carcass started on the stove. Dealt with a simple page on call. Shower done. Lunch in progress. Tired. Took me three tries to get a nap in, but I've finally done it. First one was interrupted quickly by the page, second try by guilt at not starting the soup. Now I've napped about an hour and thinking the de-Christmasing will definitely not be completed today and lucky to even start. Rest is just more important. Got the boxes down from the attic and a few smaller items put away. Will tackle the tree tomorrow if not too tired. All veggies cut up and sauteeing prior to adding to the stock. Soup will be ready before game time. Did it! Finished soup and managed to stay vertical to eat a bowl. Staying awake for the game may be challenging. But it's good that I get a rest day falling on a Saturday. Hope there are no more calls. Food: 7:45 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c frozen blueberries, and soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 104 g blackberries, coffee 10:00 am Echinacea tea 1:00 pm Leftover cheese fries, 1 1/2 clementines 3:00 pm Echinacea tea 6:00 pm Bowl turkey vegetable soup, 12 oz skim milk

Fri 11 Jan

Was sleeping quite comfortably this morning, so opted to skip exercise and continue in an attempt to heal from the looming cold. It is there, but still at quite a low level so I still hope to beat it down. Fortunately, I have not had any calls on the pager yet so my evening rest has not been disturbed. Only 2 1/2 hours more of work, then I can come home and put on warm jammies and rest. Bought a leek and some fennel so I can make turkey soup tomorrow, but tonight I have requested cheese fries. Stopped at Aldi's after work and bought 12 more boxes of blackberries at 99 cents each. I love how they keep without molding this time of year so I can take advantage of the price. They are also very delicious. We will each eat a whole box with our cheese fries tonight. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee 8:15 pm Oatmeal, 1 tbl loose brown sugar, 2 tbl raisins, 1 oz 2% milk, coffee 11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, 53 g chocolate chip brioche, med orange 5:45 pm Cheese fries, 150 g blackberries Exercise: 9:30-10:00 am Walk with client

Thurs 10 Jan

I'm afraid the cold is making another try at establishing itself. I'm back on Cold-Eze today to once again try to head it off. I've been getting extra sleep the last two nights, but I'm still going to have to fight it. Tried the new Cardio Dance DVD this morning. OMG! I only got through the teaching segments of the first five combinations before I had to throw in the towel. She moves very quickly and the combinations are energetic. Once I learn them, this is going to be a very good workout. I felt well exercised just trying to follow along to learn them. I'm not sure how many combinations there are, but by the fifth one, my head was popping trying to remember it all. Damn! I'm sitting in my office doing Intake and feeling definitely chilled. My office is usually plenty warm and I'm dressed for warmtn, so I suspect it's a chill. I took some Ibuprofen from my desk drawer, but God only knows how old it is. I don't want to take any sick time from work this week because then I won't get time and a half for any response calls for being on call. Today I'm taking part of a coworker's Intake shift as well as my own because she had a conflict, so I'm even eating lunch at my desk, but that should allow me to leave early tomorrow afternoon. Good news, the Ibuprofen was effective. Still don't know the dates, but the chill seems to have passed and I'm not so achy. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 (tiny grocery store) grapefruit, 104 g blackberries, coffee 11:30 am 1.8 oz Jarlsberg cheese, 100 cal multigrain sandwich thin, 2 clementines, 2.2 oz shortbread cookie 5:15 pm Chili, 1 tbl sour cream, 1 tbl shredded cheddar, Crystal Farms English muffin, 2 tsp soft margarine, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:25 am Cardio Dance DVD, learning segment

Wed 9 Jan

Dad doesn't sound like he's getting much better, even with the antibiotics, so I'm encouraging him to go back to the doctor to be checked. Pneumonia can easily end you up in the hospital. Got 3 new DVDs through Amazon that arrived yesterday so I can try changing out some fresh routines. One of my clients makes the world's best homemade shortbread. (She was born in Britain!) She brought me a plate of it today. Yum! Glad the pretzel mix is finally finished at work. It was impossible to resist! Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 106 g blackberries, coffee 10:00 am 3 Brettels 12:15 pm Chocolate soy shake, 2.6 oz shortbread, 2 clementines 3:15 pm 1/2 c pretzel mix 6:30 pm 4.75 oz pan-fried catfish w/2 tbl panko crumbs, 1 tbl olive oil, 1/2 c mashed sweet potatoes, 1.5 servings Pictsweet Asian vegetables, 12 oz skim milk, cup echinacea tea Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Coach Nicole's Total Body Toning DVD

Tues 8 Jan

I hesitate to jinx myself, but the budding cold seems to have passed over for now. I shall continue to rest and be a bit careful for awhile yet. So sorry that I started my last good Costco grapefruit this morning. I'll have to find some local grocery store substitutes which are likely to be about half their size. I also hesitate to jinx myself again, but the scale has started to gradually begin to move down again. I can hope! Munching too much at work - not good, especially if I want to keep the weight going down. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee 9:45 am 3/4 c cinnamon pretzel mix 10:00 am 1 Reese's miniature 12:00 pm Blueberry soy shake, 51 g chocolate chip brioche, large pear 12:45 pm 2 white chocolate peppermint M&Ms 1:45 pm 2 chocolate covered pretzels 2:15 pm 1/2 c cinnamon pretzel mix 5:45 pm 200 g pasty, Mott's Blueberry Delight sauce cup, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:30 am Jane Fonda Low Impact Aerobics video

Mon 7 Jan

Michael is having a lot of rough things happening at once. I sure hope things mellow out very soon. Dad is trying to help get the truck through its quirks. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 grapefruit, 103 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, 63 g chocolate chip brioche, large pear 4:00 pm 1/2 c cinnamon pretzel mix 5:00 pm 3 white chocolate peppermint M&Ms 6:30 pm Casserole w/turkey, whole wheat fusilli, California blend veggies & cheddar sauce, 12 oz skim milk, 30 g molasses cookies Exercise: 4:40-5:50 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 6 Jan

Epiphany Sunday. Tradition dictates taking down the Christmas tree today, but I'm still enjoying it so I'll postpone to next weekend when I'm stuck in town on call anyway. Loved the Packer game last night, and especially love that two playoff games are on Saturday night so I can easily stay up for the entire game and still get 8 hours sleep before getting up at the normal 6:30 to exercise on Sunday. Thanks, Pack! Really enjoyed wearing my cozy, hand-knit socks yesterday. This morning when I did my exercise, found myself wishing for a comparable pair of good old-fashioned leg warmers. If you need an idea for a project sometime..... Dad is really still suffering from his walking pneumonia. I'm a little concerned that he's been on the antibiotic now for two days and isn't seeing any relief. I just chased him off to bed to lay down and rest awhile, something he has not been doing enough. He has spent most of his time sitting at the computer as usual, not even going to bed earlier than usual. He says he doesn't sleep well because he wakes to cough, blow his nose, or pee, but lots of extra rest always helps me to get better. Dad said he slept about 2 1/2 hours which is excellent. Grandma seems to be doing fine. She REALLY eats slowly! I'm looking forward to an afternoon nap myself. Food: 7:45 am 56 g chocolate chip brioche, 1/2 grapefruit, 114 g blackberries, coffee 12:15 pm 3 oz chicken breast, 1/2 c mashed potatoes, 1/2 c canned green beans, 1/2 dinner roll w/butter, small slice strawberry/rhubarb pie, coffee 5:30 pm Bowl chili, 1 tbl shredded cheddar, 1 tbl light sour cream, 1 Effie's pecan nutcake, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 6:45-7:35 am Ballet DVD

Sat 5 Jan

Things on the to-do list for the day include laundry, taking care of bills/paperwork, and some grocery shopping before the Packer game tonight. I plan to crack the bottle of Veuve Clicquot for the game - maybe it will inspire the Pack to victory! I may pick up a cut of beef brisket and give braising a try this evening. I've been anxious to do this but it's not easy to find beef brisket here. I may need to try Costco next time I get there if it isn't available locally. Yay! I finally finished all the paperwork that I've been putting off for awhile. What a load off my back. And the last load of laundry is in the dryer, so shower and shopping is all that is left of chores. Found a nice piece of beef brisket but will wait til tomorrow to braise it. Tonight I decided I want to make chili. At least one Packer game a year ought to have an accompanying pot of chili. And won't it go well with champagne? Dug out an oldy moldy exercise video today just for kicks. Slow-paced with lots of Pilates, an old-fashioned jazz warmup and weights. Food: 8:00 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c frozen blueberries and soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 104 g blackberries, coffee 10:30 am Lindt coffee truffle, tea 12:45 pm Smoothie w/3 rings fresh pineapple, 1 large banana, 1 clementine, 1 c frozen berries, 6 oz raspberry Greek yogurt, 1 Effie's pecan nutcake 3:45 pm 1 c Holidrizzle white chocolate peppermint kettle corn 6:45 pm 6 oz champagne, bowl chili, 1 tbl shredded cheddar, 1 tbl light sour cream, 28 g pita chips, 2 tbl artichoke jalapeno dip, 26 g sugar cookies, 1 pc fudge 7:15 pm 6 oz champagne Exercise: 4:15-5:40 pm All-In-One Workout video

Fri 4 Jan

Getting through the first week of the New Year. Didn't sleep great last night, probably because I re-watched the Reichenbach Falls episode of Sherlock 2 and couldn't get it out of my head to sleep. I still feel reasonably rested, probably because I've gotten adequate or more-than-adequate hours of sleep for several days running now. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 104 g blackberries, coffee 8:15 am Mushroom/swiss omelet, 1.5 slices homemade wheat toast w/butter & marmalade, wedge cantaloupe, wedge honeydew, slice apple, coffee 10:30 am Lemon truffle 12:30 pm 1 Effie's pecan cake cracker, 5 white chocolate peppermint M&Ms 3:00 pm 1 cranberry sandie cookie 4:15 pm 3/4 c pretzel mix 6:15 pm 6 oz Winter Ale, 2 chicken tamales, 1/2 c peppermint ice cream, hot fudge Exercise: 4:45-5:35 am The Firm Bootcamp DVD 5:00-5:15 pm Treadmill - tried program 4 but tired!

Thurs 3 Jan

The beat goes on. I'm already feeling like January is definitely stretching ahead. Next week, I'm on call so stuck in town from Tues til the following Monday. Need to plan a weekend away either the third or fourth weekend in January. Let me know when you are available and I'll set up the Hotel Red weekend. Having it on the calendar will diminish the January weighty feeling. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 114 g blackberries, coffee 10:00 am 1 butterscotch See's Little Pops 11:00 am 1 homemade cranberry sandie cookie. handful Cheerio mix 12:30 pm Blueberry soy shake, slice 12 grain bread, 1 tbl Jif, large pear 1:45 pm See's mint lollipop 5:30 pm Sloppy joe on whole wheat sandwich thin, Mott's Healthy Harvest Blueberry Delight applesauce cup, 12 oz skim milk, 30 g sugar cookies, 27 g molasses cookies Exercise: 4:45-5:42 am Kickboxing DVD

Wed 2 Jan

Back to work and a semblance of normalcy. Ooops, bad staff meeting. Heather brought mucho post-holiday treats and many of us ate our way through the 2-hour meeting. Don't know what came over me. Threw together a tasty casserole for dinner with one chicken breast and some odds and ends around the kitchen. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Chocolate soy shake, slice 12-grain bread, .9 oz Jarlsburg, 1 tsp soft margarine, 100 g blueberries 12:30 pm .8 oz Lindt milk chocolate 1:00-3:00 pm 1/4 c Chex mix, 3/4 c pretzels w/light drizzle white chocolate, 2 frosted sugar cookies 6:15 pm Chicken penne casserole, Pictsweet Summer Vegetable blend, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:45 am Burn It Up DVD

Tues 1 Jan 2013

Happy New Year! Hope you aren't suffering too much as a result of last night's celebrations. Our New Year's Eve was probably one of our quietest ever with Dad not feeling well. He sat on his computer most of the day and evening and I read. I had one glass of cherry wine and went to bed around 11 pm. Excitement abounds. Eva Mae's funeral was very nice. Food: 8:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 102 g blackberries, coffee 10:30 am 10 satellite wafers 12:00 pm 29 g sugar cookies, 25 g molasses cookies 5:45 pm 4 oz red wine blend, 3.4 oz white meat turkey, 1/2 c stuffing, 1 tbl gravy, 1/2 c squash w/pecans 6:15 pm 1/3 c peppermint ice cream, hot fudge Exercise: 7:30-8:25 am Step DVD