Fri 31 May

Another month gone, and one of the summerish ones at that. The year flies by again. I was tired this morning so I abridged my exercise routine, cutting out the final abs section. The cardio/step section had left me sweaty and ready for the shower. It likely means I'll have to do something additional this evening, but hopefully I'll have more energy again. Just booked Dad and I on flights to Great Falls, MT on Aug 9, returning Aug 24. We decided to fly that far and rent a car for the rest of the Oregon/California trip to eliminate the boring part of the drive. This way we have time enough for a couple of days to hike in Glacier on the way out and in Yellowstone/Tetons on the way back and even a night at Newport, still leaving enough time for visiting. Now we just need to hope that folks will be home and available when we can be there. I will send out emails this weekend. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 86 g blackberries, coffee 8:15 am Mushroom/swiss omelet, 1 1/2 pc homemade wheat toast w/butter & marmalade, 1/2 c fruit salad, coffee 11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, 59 g almond scone, 164 g strawberries 3:00 pm 2 butterscotch Little Pops 6:15 pm 5 oz lemon pepper cod, 2/3 c garlic red potatoes, 1/4 c cole slaw, 12 oz pear cider Exercise: 4:50-5:35 am The Firm Maximum Cardio DVD

Thurs 30 May

We got completely soaked last night at the end of the hike. I was pretty tired when we got home, but I feel like I slept pretty well. My body is a bit achy today, but I've got a couple of days to recuperate before the 3/4 marathon on Saturday. If the weather is good, we may take a walk in town tonight, and Friday evening we'll rest. I plan to take my phone with earphones along to listen to music while we walk at least some of the time. It used to make the walking go easier to have a rhythmic background, and Dad and I can still converse. Walking from the building to the car this evening was reminiscent of wading in the ocean in St. Martin with constantly running water beneath and around my feet. I was glad I had opted to wear my Keens today. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light vanilla soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 12:30 pm Blueberry soy shake, 48 g cheese curds, 53 g almond scone, 157 g strawberries 1:15 pm 1 pc Whitman chocolates 7:00 pm 2 grilled skinless chicken thighs, 1 c broccoli, 1/2 c mashed sweet potatoes, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:50-5:25 am Cardio Salsa DVD 5:25-5:45 am Crunch Dance DVD 5:30-6:05 pm Richard Simmons DVD

Wed 29 May

The week goes on... Hopefully, tonight we can hike with Barb. The weather is supposed to get clearer in the afternoon with temps in the mid-70s. I did an exercise routine this morning with less steps and greater emphasis on strength training (which I have been neglecting a bit lately) in hopes that I could get the steps in later with a hike. When I went to Woodman's Saturday because I was completely out of soy milk, they had a good selection of every variety except the light original I prefer which was completely out. I had to get light vanilla. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light vanilla soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 102 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, 40 g cheese curds, 46 g almond scone, 150 g strawberries 3:30 pm Emerald 100 cal cocoa roast almonds 7:30 pm Margherita naan pizza, 1 c chicken peanut stew, 4 oz Scotch ale Exercise: 4:50-5:10 am Kick DVD 5:10-5:50 am Jane Fonda Workout with Weights video 2:50-3:10 pm Walk 5:30-7:00 pm Hiking Rib, including a very wet finish

Tues 28 May

Slept pretty well with combination decongestant/antihistamine meds last night. The decongestant was starting to wear off by morning, but the antihistamine alone kept things breathable to sleep. And sleep was badly needed. I was pretty wiped out yesterday. Had my rehearsal this evening for Sunday's pops concert for Mary. I'm doing a duet of Memory with a girl I went to high school with. (Excuse dangling preposition, please.) Food: 6:45 am Morning bun, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Chocolate soy shake, 49 g almond scone, 151 g strawberries, 50 g cheese curds 7:15 pm Slice 8-grain bread, 83 g beef brisket, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Mon 27 May

Happy Memorial Day. We watched the small town Memorial Day parade in Cedarburg this morning from the window of our hotel room, a much more comfortable viewpoint than the folks on the street who were shivering in the rain and 50-degree temps. We had a belly full of the awesome breakfast from the Washington House Inn as well. It was really a lovely overnight again, but a little tempered by my coming down with a full-fledged cold. I believe the opportunistic virus caught me when my resistance was low from the colonoscopy prep. Now I just want it to go away.

Sun 26 May

Oh, great. Yesterday I thought I was getting a bit of allergy reaction but today I realize I have caught a cold. I suppose my resistance was way down during the colonoscopy prep because of not eating healthy food and being exhausted from the cleanout process. Somehow I must have been exposed to cold germs and they have found a home. Oh, well. Food: 8:30 am Chocolate chip brioche roll (from Farmer's Market), 103 g blackberries, coffee Exercise: 6:50-7:40 am Ballet DVD 7:40-8:20 am Cardio Dance DVD

Sat 25 May

Nice to feel like my stomach is back on track again. It will be a surer thing once I digest breakfast, but I DIDN'T have diarrhea for the first time when I got up this morning and my innards didn't feel like they were churning. Since we will soon get in the car to drive down to Madison, I hope the good times continue. Really missed having soy milk on my cereal this morning. It really makes the taste much better. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c skim milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe, 148 g strawberries, coffee

Fri 24 May

We has been colonoscopied. I got the green light for 10 years, and Dad had one polyp removed so he has to repeat in 5-10. The staff and doctor were very nice and appeared very competent. They gave us a little lunch bag with half a turkey sandwich (on whole wheat, yay!), a small dish of chicken dumpling soup, and a cookie and bottle of water. I scarfed the sandwich waiting for Kathy H to pick us up and had the soup while making a bowl of oatmeal. I didn't really even have broth or jello after lunch yesterday. A pint of Sprecher's root beer was about the only caloric thing I had after noon. Today is for rest and relaxation. Tomorrow for an early start to the Farmer's Market to look for tomato plants and herbs. Sunday/Monday for Cedarburg. Hope your road trip is lots of fun. Power was down for awhile in just part of the house this afternoon - of course the part of the house that runs the computers and TV. I laid on the couch recuperating from the procedure/anesthesia and reading an ebook on my phone. Too tired to run upstairs for the Kindle. It's a fun book about a middle-aged couple who are traveling to all the national parks, and it's quite enjoyable. I'm still feeling the effects of messing up my digestive tract, so it feels good to lay low. We did walk to Olympic for fish for dinner to get a little exercise on a lovely day without being too strenuous. Food: 10:45 am 1/2 turkey sandwich on whole wheat, 2/3 c chicken dumpling soup, chocolate chip cookie, Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c wild blueberries, 2 oz skim milk, 1/4 large cantaloupe 2:00 pm Dark chocolate sea salt caramel, 1 pc Whitman's chocolates 6:00 pm 5 oz broiled walleye filet, 1 oz fried perch, 1/3 c potato salad, 1 tbl tartar sauce, 1 tsp melted butter, 1/2 c canned corn, small tossed salad, 1/2 pc chocolate layer cake

Thurs 23 May

So begins the day of clear liquids leading to an afternoon/evening in the bathroom. Oh, joy! But then it will be done and after the procedure tomorrow, we may eat real food!!! Crunchy things, veggies, fruit - oh, rapture! I have already noticed a decrease in energy levels. Exercise was hard to do this morning even though I had chosen a less intense dance DVD. I don't intend to exercise at all tomorrow. Dad was amusing. He came home and asked, "What's for supper?" Answer: broth, jello, juice, Miralax 5:00 - let the games begin! Food: (If you can call it that) 6:45 am 6 oz white cranberry juice, 1/2 c island pineapple jello, coffee, water 1:00 pm 8 oz fat free low-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 c island pineapple jello, water 2:00 pm Cup Luigi's Italian Ice 4:00 pm 16 oz diet ginger ale 5:00 pm Miralax cocktail (8 oz every 15 min til 64 oz is gone), 16 oz Sprecher's root beer on the side Exercise: 4:50-5:45 am Cardio Dance DVD

Wed 22 May

47 years ago today, my brother Mark drowned at Iverson. Missing you, bro. Would have been nice to grow up together and know you as an adult. OMG!!!! I could not believe it when Dad pulled out my high school class ring that he found at the bottom of a bag of water bottles (or nearby, I'm not sure which) on the floor of the basement. He said something metallic just caught his eye. When I think how you and I combed the house high and low when it was lost to no avail. I was convinced it had been lost somewhere outside the house and would never turn up again. It even has my initials engraved inside. What fun! Have you heard anything about the Madison restaurant Tempest on Wilson St? I heard an ad for them on WPR and checked out their website. They have an oyster po' boy! Sigh. I miss food you can chew. I also felt quite hungry this afternoon. Hoping the French cookies and water will kick in soon to satisfy. I won't make my step goal today, but I don't have the oomph to hit the treadmill or do another workout video tonight. I just want hot tub and a little book time before sleep. Food: 6:45 am 1 serving Cream of Wheat, 1/2 c milk, 1 med banana, 1 tsp sugar, 6 oz white cranberry juice, coffee 11:45 am Yoplait Greek vanilla yogurt, 2 canned pear halves w/juice, 1 c rice krispies, 1/2 c skim milk 3:30 pm 2 French cookies - chocolate 5:00 pm 1 c Tastefully Simple potato cheddar soup, natural applesauce cup 7:30 pm Yoplait chocolate raspberry parfait Exercise: 4:50-5:45 am The Firm Maximum Cardio & Abs with weights

Tues 21 May

This morning's breakfast isn't so bad because I've always kind of liked Cream of Wheat. Would be nicer if I could add some goodies into it, but I had to settle for a sprinkle of cinnamon. I slept really well last night and it was very hard to get out of bed and call it quits this morning. Fortunately, commitment to exercise won out. REI has a member coupon for 20% off any full-price item this weekend, so I should be able to use it for the messenger bag, online if they don't have one in stock. Good deal! Sigh! Our diet has been very white these past two days, quite literally. Less than satisfying. Spent some time this evening digging through the bench in the vestibule, looking fruitlessly for the feather cat mask which I wanted for my duet to Memory for Mary's recital. Found many things I haven't seen for a long time including your model of DNA. Food: 7:00 am 1 serving Cream of Wheat, 1 oz skim milk, natural applesauce cup, 6 oz white cranberry juice, coffee 11:45 am 2 sm slices white bread, 2.85 oz container tuna, med banana, 2 oz skim milk, 1 tsp sugar 3:00 pm 2 French cookies - chocolate 6:00 pm 1 c Tastefully Simple potato cheddar soup, 2 sm slices white bread, 2 tsp soft margarine, 2 slices Jarlsberg Lite, natural applesauce cup 7:30 pm 6 oz Sprecher's root beer Exercise: 4:45-5:20 am Cardio Salsa DVD 5:20-5:55 am Reggaeton DVD

Mon 20 May

Hope you had a wonderful time at con. Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday. This begins the week of eating low-residue (read boring!) diet. Breakfast is a cup of Rice Krispies w/milk, white cranberry juice, natural applesauce and coffee. I am meeting with my client this morning for breakfast, so I'll likely order 2 pieces of French toast also. Dad and I were not overly impressed with cheese sandwiches on enriched white bread for lunch. They tend to sit like donut lumps in the stomach. I bought a lake perch filet for supper that I have to bake so it's soft, avoiding any fresh veggies or too much spice. I figure I'll use a little lemon juice, lemon pepper, and dill. It sounds less than exciting that I'll be serving it with white noodles and canned asparagus. Friday can't come soon enough. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Rice Krispies, 1/2 c skim milk, sm container natural applesauce, 6 oz white cranberry juice, coffee 8:30 am 1 egg over easy, coffee 11:45 am 2 sm slices white bread, 1 slice Jarlsberg Lite, 1/2 c sliced peaches in juice, Yoplait Greek Key Lime 3:15 pm 2 French cookies - chocolate 5:30 pm 4 oz baked perch, 1/2 can asparagus, 2/3 c old fashioned wide noodles, 1/4 tbl butter, 1/2 c skim milk Exercise: 4:50-6:00 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video 6:25-6:40 pm Walk to Suzuki 8:00-8:15 pm Walk home with Mary

Sun 19 May

Exercising really pooped me out this morning. I started to get tired during ballet which is not very common, and I really had to push myself to get through the cardio dance DVD. I'm glad I did, but I'm still tired even after breakfast. I think I used up the last half gallon of soy milk this morning, but since I'm eating the weird diet all next week, I really won't miss it. We'll be down in Madison Saturday so I can restock. Need to be sure I get to Woodman's. There are some really cool naturalist exhibits at the Schmeeckle Visitor Center that I had not seen before. Also some good books on Hikes around Wisconsin and Day Trips that I may go back and check out. 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 11:15 pm 2 small almond rusk cookies 12:00 pm Pecan waffle, 1 tbl whipped butter, 1 tbl pancake syrup, coffee 3:00 pm 65 g blackberries 6:30 pm 3 small pieces leftover pizza, 153 g strawberries, 12 oz Angry Orchard apple ginger cider Exercise: 6:10-7:00 am Ballet DVD 7:00-7:30 am Cardio Dance DVD 3:40-6:00 pm Walk to and around Schmeeckle (with at least a 15 min break at the Visitor Center)

Sat 18 May

Spent yesterday evening researching what we need to do to prepare for our colonoscopies. We bought groceries we never otherwise buy to prepare for eating low-residue diet Mon-Wed. (I actually shuddered putting a loaf of refined white bread in my cart!) We can't take any ibuprofen starting yesterday and I have to stop my multivitamins with iron on Tuesday. Thursday we can only have a clear liquid diet, so I got some light-colored jello and some lemonade Italian ice as well as bottles of diet ginger ale and Minute Maid lemonade to induce some variety into the day. Thursday evening, Dad and I will spend in separate bathrooms. We had hoped to walk to the hospital for the tests on Friday and have Michael come after to pick us up, but forgot that he is flying to Oregon on Thursday. I currently have a call in to Kathy Hartman to ask if she could pick us up, with Barb K as my backup hope. Got to be someone who will come as they won't even let you walk or take public transportation home. I suppose they might allow a taxi if worst comes to worst. I actually got up and read the paper this morning. I haven't gotten back in the habit since we restarted the partial subscription which makes me feel guilty. It was good to get it done today. I used to say that no matter how many fitness videos I had done, I had never stooped to Richard Simmons. The day has come. I picked up a 20th anniversary DVD for $5 at the PCH book sale and finally tried it today. If you can get past his cheesy personality, I did work up a good sweat with the fairly continuous movement. Nothing too challenging, and it's weird to have the background people be overweight and middle-aged, but the music is familiar and you get a lot of steps in. I'm over 7000 for the day and not too many of those came from household activity. Kathy called and will be able to pick us up at the hospital on Friday. Whew! Having a leftover free lunch furnished by Jockey Corp for a foster care information day yesterday. Took a hike in Hartman Creek State Park in Waupaca. Weather was cloudy and somewhat humid, but it was nice to get out. We shared a pizza at Wheel House afterward, and by the time we finished, the sun was shining. Food: 9:00 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c wild blueberries, soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 161 g strawberries, coffee 12:30 pm 2 slices white wheat bread, 2 tbl peanut butter, 1 tbl grape jelly, sm apple, 1 oz Sun Chips 5:15 pm About the equivalent of two slices of medium pizza - sausage, mushroom, green pepper, pineapple, thin crust, 12 oz scotch black ale, butter mint Exercise: 10:30-11:25 am Richard Simmons Oldies DVD 3:25-4:35 pm Hiking on relatively flat trail

Fri 17 May

Rainy days don't bother me nearly as much when they are sandwiched between sunny ones. Would have been nice to hike tonight when we don't have anything else on the agenda, but I'm sure we can find things to do. Maybe cleaning off the dining table and checking for unpaid bills? If it's nice again tomorrow, we will try to hike somewhere and hope to see the first trilliums of the season (for us). Maybe Waupaca with dinner to follow at the Wheel House. Dentist appointment this morning followed by breakfast with my client. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 155 g strawberries, coffee 8:30 pm Mushroom Swiss omelette, 1 1/2 pc homemade wheat toast w/butter, 1 pkg orange marmalade, coffee 11:45 am Blueberry soy shake, 1/4 large cantaloupe 1:00 pm Chocolate frosted raised donut, coffee 6:15 pm 105 g spinach/kale ravioli, 1/4 c arrabiata sauce, 1 tbl shredded parmesan, 1 c mache mix, 1 large strawberry, 1/8 c chopped tomato, 1/8 c almonds, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:50-5:45 am Dance Cardio DVD

Thurs 16 May

Tried a new fitness DVD this morning that I got at the Portage County Home book sale. Is from The Firm and is a cardio/weight combo. The instructor is a little difficult to follow in her cues, but the routines are good and the sets are long enough to get tired. It is a little old-fashioned, but nothing wrong with that if it works muscles well. It was only $5 which was a good deal if I will continue to use it. I've paid more for DVDs I haven't used much at all. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 142 g strawberries, coffee 9:00 am Scotcheroo (left from yesterday's bake sale) 12:30 pm Vanilla soy shake, 1/2 mini banana chocolate chip bread (size of regular muffin), 1/4 large cantaloupe 5:30 pm 4.25 oz grilled catfish, 1/8 c panko crumbs, 2/3 c Simply Potatoes diced potatoes and onions, 1/8 c chopped baby bellas, 1 c mache mix, 1/8 c chopped tomato, 1/8 c sliced mushroom, 1 large sliced strawberry, 1/8 c almonds, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:40 am The Firm Maximum Cardio plus Abs DVD 6:10-6:30 pm Walk to Newman Center briskly (we were late!) 7:45-8:15 pm Walk home

Wed 15 May

Back to the real world today. It wasn't too hard to get up and exercise. I set my alarm around the same time every day to watch the dawn in St. Maarten, though admittedly I laid in bed and went back to sleep for another hour or so afterward. Always interesting to go back to work after an extended absence. Couldn't resist trying one of my butterscotch brownies. I found it delicious, but they aren't selling very well. Oh well, I like them. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 147 g strawberries, coffee 9:15 am Butterscotch brownie, fruit kebab 11:45 am Strawberry/banana soy shake, 1/2 mini-loaf banana chocolate chip bread (about the equivalent of a regular-size muffin) 3:15 pm Chocolate chip no bake cookie ball 6:00 pm 3.5 oz extra lean ground beef grilled burger, slice Jarlsberg Lite, med slice tomato, multigrain sandwich thin Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Tues 14 May

Home again, home again, riggety-jig. We had a wonderful vacation and safe (though loooong!) travels to and fro. We ate amazing food, enjoyed the sun and ocean, and had a very nice hotel base to relax. Could not have asked for more. Am a little nervous about getting on the scale today, but we did try to walk a lot and to order food that was not too outrageous. Incentive to work hard now that we're back. Food: 9:00 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c Wyman's blueberries, soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee, 1 PB M&M egg 3:00 pm 1/2 Frontera roasted garlic mushroom sandwich, 1 PB M&M egg 6:00 pm 2 grilled chicken drumsticks, 2/3 c Simply Potatoes diced potatoes & onions, 1/4 c diced baby bellas, 1/8 tbl butter, 3/4 c mixed greens, 1/4 c diced tomato, 1/8 c sliced mushroom, 1 tbl vidalia onion/tomato salad dressing, 12 oz skim milk 8:15 pm Licked bowl for butterscotch brownie batter (baking for work bake sale tomorrow) Exercise: 6:35-7:55 pm Walk with Dad to Schmeeckle trail and back

Dimanche 12 Mai

Happy Mother's Day! An older woman who also came into the store for pastries when we were there was my first wish of the day. They acknowledge Mother's Day here since they have so many American visitors. We will check in Grand Case after Mass to see if any of their excellent restaurants are offering a brunch. Last night we returned to Le Piment in Orient Village for another excellent dinner. We skipped the appetizer salads and each ordered an entree instead. I had a lovely duck leg confit with tien (that was slightly too salty today), and Dad had a seafood spaghetti with all manner of mussels, clams, shrimp, etc. in a homemade tomato sauce. We shared a red fruit tiramisu for dessert. This morning I made a blend of mango, guava, and orange juices with a hit of Pom to go with coffee, fresh chocolate croissants from our walk down the hill to the store, yogurt, coffee, and bits of the excellent cheeses from the French market. Very satisfying. Believe it or not, all through Mass I kept thinking, "Laura would really like this!" The service was a melange of French and English which made it last over an hour and a half, but the priest was a hoot. He had a bum foot so that he needed someone to walk with him to hold on when he processed in and out and whenever he had to move, but he had a chair behind the center of the altar and presided over most of the Mass from a seated position. He had a beautiful voice and a great sense of humor. There was a gospel choir of mostly kids who were quite good. The Kyrie was sung in French, then English, then Spanish to the tune of Kumbaya. When the priest asked the kids if they knew that was the tune to an African song, they obliged with a final chorus of Kumbaya. Songs and responses were sometimes in French, sometimes in English and he did the sermon once in each language but threw in a little of the other language to make sure people didn't tune out. He even asked the kids during the sermon if they were listening or sleeping. Several kids took turns doing readings or intentions, and he stopped after the first boy to let him know he needed to put more feeling into his readings. He proceeded to tell him that his dad fixed the priest's car, and the first time he fixed it, he broke the car. After church, we came back and changed clothes, then went to the creperie for lunch. We checked out a closer creperie first, but it was not open on Sundays. After lunch, we decided to go back to Orient Beach since it was around 2:00 pm and really too late to take the ferry to Pinel Island and still have time to do anything there. We sunned and Dad snorkeled and I played in the waves a bit, then returned to process our checkout since we have to leave very early tomorrow. This evening we will go back to Grand Case and choose a restaurant for our final dinner here. It has been a great run.

Samedi 11 Mai

Heavy rains in the night - locals say it was very much needed. Lovely morning this morning, though, with abundant sunshine. We decided to walk down the hills to the little store where we purchased fresh pastries that were still warm from the oven. The plan was to bring them back to the room and consume them with fruit, coffee, and eggs or yogurt, but the key wouldn't work in the door. It had somehow demagnetized. Ergo we ate our pastries at a picnic table outside the office as the office personnel had not yet arrived for the day. Since they still weren't there when we finished the pastries around 7:15, we decided to walk back down the hills to Mr. Busby's beach bar where they serve breakfast. We had coffee and a breakfast sandwich with freshly fried johnny cake filled with two fried eggs and cheese. It was quite yummy and we sat at a table looking out over the sunshiny beach, watching the waves crash onto the shore. A delightful way to deal with the problem of being temporarily locked out of the room. We hiked back up the hill after breakfast and the office staff had come in. We were able to get them to take us up to the room and recharge our key. They aren't supposed to make extra keys because this is a privately-owned unit but apparently they contacted the owner and let him know that they needed to make extras so this didn't happen again. We still only have one in our possession, but now they have some spares that work. Dad has been cautioned to carry it in a pocket without metal keys or electronic devices that might affect the magnetization of the key card. The sandwich at Busby's was good, but I swear the coffee was instant even though they did pour the refills out of a pot. Either instant or made with water with a strong mineral taste, but I'm betting on the former. We made some better stuff with a mango for our fruit upon return to the room. Wow! It has already been another day in paradise, as the gentleman who served our breakfast suggested. We headed out a little later than usual this morning and stopped at a nearby, more rugged beach area that is actually a nature preserve. A gentleman who works the area showed us some of the local inhabitants by scooping up some sea urchins for us to safely hold, as well as a live sand dollar and sea starfish. He then showed us how to walk through a substantial bay in the shallows area out to a rocky point strewn with seashells and inhabited by all manner of urchins and other small critters. We had a great time poking around the area. Unfortunately our friend had left for lunch by the time we returned so we missed our chance to give him his well-deserved tip. We didn't feel comfortable leaving the money in the unattended tip jar. Afterward we headed a little up the road to a creperie that had been well-recommended by Bob and Mary Williams. It didn't look like much on the outside, but the food was outstanding. I had a buckwheat crepe with scallops and leek cream sauce inside and a couple of beautiful grilled shrimp w/veggies on top. A few greens with a horseradish dressing completed the plate. Dad's crepe was filled with goat cheese and artichokes. We shared a dessert crepe with pears, chocolate drizzle and ice cream. We finished our afternoon at Orient Beach, the premiere beach of St. Maarten. We both had a little rest in the sun, which I continued and Dad enjoyed a little foray of snorkeling in the immediate vicinity. I plan to utilize the blender here to mix a little of the mango rum with the coconut ice cream for a pre-dinner treat. Tonight I think we'll go back to Orient Village, possibly to the same place we enjoyed so much on Wed night or possibly to the place next door if their specials call our name. Aaah, life is good.

Vendredi 10 Mai

Woke this morning to a lovely sunrise and what appears to be beautiful sunny skies. Today will be for beaches! We will head out to Zee Best for breakfast when Dad gets out of the shower. I'm underdressed with swimsuit, fully sunscreened, and have only to pack up my day pack with towel, more sunscreen, water in an insulated carrier, etc. It was nice to use the first couple of days for some of the other things we wanted to do here, but I'm looking forward to just laying in the sun, snorkeling, and enjoying the beach. Ate a couple of mini-bananas to take the edge off the hunger before Zee Best.

Jeudi 9 Mai

Today was another very nice day in spite of weather that was not what the brochures suggest. There was a rather heavy rain this morning which subsided around 9:30 am but the skies remained gray and threatening with a fair wind all day. We ate breakfast in, making ourself eggs and eating some pastries we bought yesterday. I promised myself that from here on, if we eat in, we will go down the hill to the little grocery to get fresh pastries in the morning as there is no comparison. We also had fresh mango and baby bananas with our feast. We headed out in the morning and explored some little grocery stores on the French side in Oyster Pond, then drove through the Orient Village area. Many shops are closed today because of Ascension Thursday, but some are open. Not much in the Village, though. We drove on to Grand Case and parked in the public lot at the outside of the main street area. We walked down the main street, mostly fine restaurants, and entertained ourselves by reading the wonderful menus and specials of the day. Not sure if we'll head back there for dinner or one of the other fine places available. We wandered about an hour and returned to the lolos for lunch, deciding on the one that offered whole grilled red snapper. We shared one fish which was plenty, with an order of fried plantains and a couple of freshly fried johnnycakes. Bob had read about ti punch and wanted to try it so we ordered two - they were only $1 each. They were a drink worthy of Jack Sparrow - straight (cheap) rum with a lime wedge. I'm afraid there'll be a little rum in my purgatory barrel as I only made it about half the large shot. Tasted like it could strip turpentine quite handily. The food was quite good, though not the quality of our previous meals. Also a fraction of the price. We stopped at the all-French large grocery, Simply, and picked up a tray of amazing-looking cheeses. I also found a pint of the coconut ice cream I had not previously been able to find. We stopped at the little grocery down the hill from our hotel on the way back for a lovely multigrain baguette since the grocery had none left for the day. Upon return to the hotel, we sampled some of the ice cream we had purchased, including the rhum raisin and cafe that we had previously purchased. I had a small scoop of each in a dish with a baby banana split as garnish. Yum! We tgok a brief rest, then donned our Keens to walk down to Dawn Beach which we had not yet had time to do. I believe the beach at Mr. Busby's yesterday is also part of Dawn Beach though a small rocky outcropping separates it from this half. We walked up and down this half a couple of times enjoying the breeze and the wildness of the waves with the wind that continues to whip. On the last pass, I got caught just above a small pile of rocks when a particularly large wave came in and broke on the rocks, completely showering me in salty, sandy spray. A few Westin customers still on the beach got a little free entertainment watching me get drenched. We came back up to the hotel after the walk and I made us some most excellent rum punches. We had bought boxed mango, guava, and orange juices and Dad had a small bottle of Pom which I mixed with some of the mango rum we got from the Marigot market yesterday. I shall have to make that again soon, but I'm now saving room for another (hopefully) exquisite dinner. I did have a second shower to wash off the salt and sand so I look presentable for dinner.

Tues 7 May

I am having breakfast at 2:30 am. I'm excited because my new Fitbit successfully synced with my iPhone. That is a huge improvement and will be especially useful when traveling. It won't matter whether I get hooked up to the computer for me to see my Fitbit stats. I would have to enter food on SparkPeople using the phone app to get the calorie burn, and I often don't bother much with that while traveling, but at least I can get an idea of my activity level to date. I don't really want to cut a grapefruit in half and leave the other half and I'm out of blackberries so no fruit this morning. The cereal should hold me til Madison. I bought bananas and a muffin for the airport wait; I doubt if any of the airport vendors will be open so early with the possible exception of coffee. Safe and trouble-free travels, I hope! Food: 2:30 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk

Mon 6 May

Last day at home before vacation to St. Maarten! My lower back is sore for some reason today. Should make hours of sitting on a plane or in airports tons o' fun. I plan to try to get some walking in during the longer layover. We don't arrive at destination til 9:30 pm. Breakfast out with my client again today since it's the only day this week I will be in the office. Hopefully the restaurant we used to go to is once again open as the substitute is woefully mediocre. The owner of the other place is a jerk, but at least the food is good. Yay! My new Fitbit One (the free replacement for the Ultra that was rapidly dying) arrived today in time to get it charged and ready to take on vacation. Damn American Airlines! Their online check-in is not working tonight, either before or after Suzuki. I have typed in our passport info 3-4 times already and always get a message that This Feature is Not Working at Present. Try again later. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 81 g blackberries, coffee 8:15 am 2 over easy eggs, 2 pc homemade whole wheat toast w/butter, 1 1/3 pkg marmalade, coffee 12:00 pm 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 106 g strawberries 1:45 pm 2 wafer sticks 5:45 pm Slice bacon/broccoli quiche, 1 c mache/mixed greens, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video 6:30-6:40 pm Walk to Suzuki 7:50-8:00 pm Walk home

Cinco de Mayo

Nice to be back relatively quickly to warmer temps again. Looks like we'll have nice weather for the Newman Picnic for a change. We often don't get to attend because it usually occurs on Mother's Day and we always took Grandma out to brunch instead. This year, we're in town with no other conflicts so we get to eat roast pig! We decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo by eating at Ranchitos, and since it's a nice day, we combined our eating-out with a walk there and back again. Food: 8:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 81 g blackberries, coffee 12:15 pm 3 oz smoked pork, 1 tbl BBQ sauce, bun, 1/2 c cantaloupe chunks, 3/4 c strawberries, 1/3 c red grapes, 1/3 c baby carrots, 1/4 c broccoli, frosted brownie 2:00 pm 1 dark chocolate Peepster 3:15 pm 20 oz Target 0 cal black raspberry Fruit Water 5:45 pm Chips & salsa, margarita, 2 pork tamales, 1/2 c refried beans w/cheese, shredded lettuce/tomato salad Exercise: 6:45-7:35 am Ballet DVD 7:38-8:16 am Crunch Salsa DVD 5:00-5:40 pm Walk to Ranchitos 6:45-7:20 pm Walk home

May the Fourth

May the Fourth be with you! The fervor may have diminished within me for all things Star Wars, but it will never truly be extinguished. Got to get going soon on making the quiche and other goodies for brunch with Grandma today. Got to wrap her presents - I got her two outfits from Kmart so she can have some new clothes to strut in. The grasshopper pie looks good in the freezer. I want to find some chocolate syrup to drizzle on top to make it pretty. Hope she enjoys her day. Had a really nice faux-Mother's Day with Grandma. She ate well and seemed to enjoy her food and liked her new outfits. Hope it gets her through the real Mother's Day when we're out of town. Michael said he would try to stop by and visit her that day. Food: 8:00 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c wild blueberries, soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee 12:15 pm Slice broccoli bacon quiche, 1 1/2 c fruit salad, sweet potato fries, 1 1/2 slices lite grasshopper pie, coffee 5:45 pm 4 leftover cheese fries Exercise: 5:25-5:45 pm Walk to Rich's and back to drop off check with Dad

Fri 3 May

Looking forward to seeing The Producers at UWSP tonight. Planned lunch for Grandma tomorrow - I will make a homemade quiche with broccoli and possibly the last of the Nueske bacon. I found a fruit salad w/poppy seed dressing recipe that uses fresh strawberries, blackberries, and kiwi. Grandma requested sweet potatoes, so I will make my oven fries, and for dessert, I will make a grasshopper pie. We will be with her at around noon tomorrow. If you want to call and wish her an early Happy Mother's Day, you could call Dad's cell phone around 1 pm and we'll put you through to her. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, energy cookie, slice Jarlsberg lite, 162 g strawberries 12:45 pm Slice caramel fudge 5:15 pm 4 cheese fries, med orange, 8 dilly beans, 6 oz Naughty Girl wine Exercise: 4:45-5:40 am The Firm Bootcamp DVD

Thurs 2 May

Body is a little sore today. Took ibuprofen before bed, but after it wore off I had a hard time resting because the muscles were sore. Exercise was work. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 99 g blackberries, coffee 12:30 pm Chocolate soy shake, 2 very thin slices homemade whole wheat bread, 1 slice Jarlsberg Lite, 151 g strawberries 5:00 pm 3.3 oz grilled pork chop, 2/3 c beet pasta, 1/8 tbl butter, 1 c sliced beets 7:00 pm Grasshopper w/1/2 c light vanilla ice cream, 1/2 oz creme de menthe, 1/2 oz creme de cacao Exercise: 4:50-5:24 am Salsa Dance DVD 5:25-5:46 am Cardio Dance Mix DVD (cut short when energy ran out)

Wed 1 May

Happy May Day! I expect to be a little sore today. If it doesn't rain, we might go again tonight with Barb. I pulled out one of my older DVDs today with light, repetitious weights. Looks positive for hiking again tonight. Not too sore, so should be fun. 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 12:00 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, slice homemade wheat bread, 1 tbl peanut butter, 153 g strawberries, 1/2 caramel brownie Exercise: 4:50-5:35 am Power Shaping DVD