Sat 30 Nov

Last day of November already - whew! December really disappears quickly so I feel like the year is almost over. Granted December is also a very full month with shopping, baking, decorating, and celebrating and I need to take a deep breath and jump in, but it sure is sliding by quickly. I find I'm actually looking forward to our commitment to walk in the evenings even in cold weather. We are getting geared up to deal with cold and I believe we will be healthier for fresh air on a regular basis. Hopefully it won't be one of those years with multiple way-below-zero days to laugh in the face of our determination. Food: 7:00 am 1/2 almond croissant, 1/2 pecan croissant, 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 29 Nov

Got up at 6:30 with the expectation that we would go out casually shopping by 8:00 but it's 8:45 and we're not out the door yet. Still need to change laundry loads, but we may get out by 9:00. No real push as I don't have a list, but we usually find some good bargains. BTW, what do you want this year? Bro had a hard day today. Had a meltdown at work at Frank's; couldn't deal with the aggressive jerks out on Black Friday. He had a talk with his employer and left, then called us. We talked a long time, but I don't think he's going to go back. He says he hates retail and may try to get a job in food service. Can't say I think it will be that much better, but he has to do what he has to do. Dad and I ordered fleece-lined snow pants online today for our winter evening walks. We plan to try to get out walking in the evenings most nights unless there is active nasty weather. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate raspberry scone, 1/2 grapefruit, 98 g blackberries, coffee 12:00 pm Fazoli'l chicken penne w/peppers, 2 breadsticks 3:45 pm 2 sm chocolate chip cookies 5:45 pm Thanksgiving leftover plate: turkey, dressing, gravy, baked corn, green beans w/almonds & bacon crumbles, cranberry relish, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, cranberry wine, cranberry pudding pie Exercise: 5:05-6:05 pm Walk with Dad 6:05-6:20 pm Shovel very light snow from walk

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving day is here, and thankfully the meal is under control. Turkey is in the oven, stuffing in the dish, sweet potato biscuits made last night. There are lots of things yet to do, but I have 4 more hours yet! Hope I can squeeze in time for a shower. Thinking of you and wondering when we can get down to Madison in the next few weeks. This Saturday would be an option if you're not occupied. Desmond is hosting a surprise reception for Su at Dosirak at 5:30, but I suspect there will be many people there so we wouldn't be missed. We'll be in touch to see if it might work. Food: 7:30 am Laura's oatmeal w/flaxseed meal, protein powder, 1/2 c blueberries, soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 27 Nov

Yesterday was a very full day! With Desmond's visit over lunch (and of course, no nap) and the Lorie Line concert filling the evening, I didn't get to start any advance prep for Thanksgiving dinner. That will have to be tonight's agenda. I need to make a list of all the food to prepare so I can visualize what steps can be done in advance and even check whether I have everything I need on hand. I'm less organized than usual this year. The concert was very nice but I'm glad we didn't have to pay a lot of money to go. I'm less impressed by the glitz than I may have been when younger, and she is breaking in a new, much younger group of backup musicians so the show isn't quite as polished as I remember. Also, the black gospel singer is no longer performing with her and he was one of my favorite things about the concerts. Kind of a sweet lunch, but I needed to eat up the caramel apple I had brought from Byerly's while it was still good. Been working ever since I got home from the office, doing Thanksgiving prep. Getting a little break around 7:30, but still want to make sweet potato biscuits (in lieu of rolls). Food: 6:45 am Lemon scone, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Chocolate soy shake, 53 g chocolate raspberry scone, caramel apple 2:25 pm Lindt coffee truffle 6:00 pm 1/2 Bellatoria Margherita pizza, 12 oz skim milk, 1/16 Costco pumpkin pie Exercise: 4:50-5:10 am Kick DVD 5:10-5:45 am Boot camp DVD 9:35-11:05 am Walk with client (Brrrrr!)

Tues 26 Nov

Michael starts today as a salesperson at Frank's Hardware. Should be a good opportunity for him with a well-established local business. If he chooses to stay for more than a year, he can even get health insurance. Wish him good luck. Last night we had the pleasant surprise of a drop-in visit from Desmond! He is bringing his wife, Su and baby girl, Bethany for lunch today. He looks very much the same and is happy to be visiting back in Point. Wow, I won tickets to the Lorie Line concert tonight at the Grand. I signed up on a whim as we were driving out of town one day when I saw the ad on Mitchell Piano Works' marquee. The first winner they drew could not attend and turned the tickets back and they drew my name this morning so we will see the concert for free! Very nice lunch with Desmond, Su, and Bethany. Michael even managed to stop over on his lunch break just before they left. They will be driving down to Madison tomorrow so we gave them your contact information. Maybe you'll get to see them too if all works out. BTW, Michael was pretty pumped about the new job. He even gets holiday pay on Thanksgiving with the day off. 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 Grilled cheese sandwich, 1 c tomato/roasted red pepper soup, slice pumpkin bread 2:45 pm See's Pumpkin lollipop 5:30 pm 5 oz leftover steak, 1/3 c mashed potatoes, 1 large mushroom cap, peanut butter cookie Exercise: 4:50-5:45 am DWTS DVD 4:45-5:15 pm Hula DVD

Mon 25 Nov

My brother, Mark would have been 62 today. Probably ready to retire from whatever unknown career he might have chosen. Wish I could have known him; he may have married and had kids so you and Michael would have had more cousins. So many might-have-beens. Short work week for Thanksgiving. What are your plans? 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 11:50 am Peach soy shake, chocolate lavender scone, Zestar apple, 1 tsp cinnamon sugar 12:45 pm 2 chocolate covered pecans 4:45 pm 2 wintergreen wafers 5:20 pm 1/2 c Costco shredded beef brisket, Natural Ovens Better Wheat bun, 2/3 c acorn squash, .25 tbl whipped butter, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 24 Nov

It is just starting to sink in that Thanksgiving is this week. I need to start making lists for preparations that need to be done in advance, e.g. making sure the turkey is thawed, making sure I have all the ingredients I need. I don't think I have a vegetable dish planned or ingredients bought yet. I found a recipe today for sweet potato biscuits that would be an awesome alternative to dinner rolls if I can get time/energy to make a batch in advance. I will certainly do a cranberry pudding pie, but if the Costco pumpkin pie sitting unopened on the shelf outside the back door is still good, I may just take some of that to Grandma's as an adjunct for dessert and skip making a second pie which we don't need and often doesn't get finished. I have a turkey and stuffing mix and sweet potatoes, so the essentials are on hand. Planned to visit Grandma between the Packer game and 4 pm choir, but overtime for the game sort of changed that plan. Visited her around 6:45 and she was already in bed, but not asleep so we were able to visit. She was right on herself tonight so we had a nice visit. Food: 7:25 am Caramel pecan roll, 1/2 grapefruit, 98 g blackberries, coffee 12:15 pm Bowl chicken soup, pumpkin scone, 12 oz Leinenkugel Vanilla Porter 2:00 pm Med piece dark chocolate angel food, medium piece English toffee 3:30 pm Sm pumpkin caramel muffin 7:30 pm 60 g Costco rotisserie chicken breast, cranberry waldorf Exercise: 5:50-6:40 am Ballet DVD 6:40-7:10 am Cardio Dance DVD

Sat 23 Nov

What a beautiful room and a lovely experience here at the Rittenhouse. I love being here during the slow times when you are one of only a very few guests so service seems so personal. This suite is magnificent with a 2-sided gas fireplace so you can enjoy it from the whirlpool alcove or the memory foam mattress bed. There is a lovely little window seat overlooking Lake Superior, also with a memory foam cushion and many pillows. They provided a CD of Night Music for the sound system. We are relaxing for awhile after breakfast to enjoy the ambiance and to wait for the downtown shops to open. Their continental included breakfast was a yummy yogurt parfait topped with warm cherry compote, OJ, coffee, blueberry cream cheese muffins and croissants, and an ample bowl of steel cut oats with raisins and brown sugar. They even brought me a dish of their candied pecans to add to the bowl. Perfection! The roasted sweet potato soup last night was amazing! We had the steak Bercy, a Rittenhouse entree from their early days that is wonderful and perfectly prepared. The waiter taught us that to get a properly rare steak in a French restaurant, we should order it "black and blue". Then the chef will know you truly want it rare. Since only Americans use the expression "rare", they are over- cautious and tend to over cook it.

Fri 22 Nov

Yay! We were successful in limiting our alcohol consumption to a reasonable level last night. It helped that I wasn't enamored of the vodka martini so I sipped it and didn't finish it, and I didn't drink more than one glass of any of the wines. We had a lot of fun with the Newman table of folks together. Hope we can do it again some time. Dad had a little scare this noon - couldn't find his phone. Had to drive back to the last couple of places he'd been and found it at Michael's. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 102 g blackberries, coffee 8:15 am 2 eggs, 2 slices homemade wheat toast w/butter, 2 pkg marmalade, coffee 11:45 am 2 slices cinnamon raisin struan toast, 1 tbl whipped butter, cranberry waldorf salad 12:30 pm 18 g dark chocolate super fruits Exercise: 4:50-5:35 am Crunch Pilates DVD 5:35-5:45 am Cardio Salsa DVD

Thurs 21 Nov

Chef's dinner at Michele's tonight with Chuck and Deb, Lee and Gary, and the Rosenthals. We WILL NOT overdrink this time! It is a big food day for me because we're having the Thanksgiving brunch at work today. I have to finish assembling the cranberry fluff as my offering. Food: 6:45 am Apple cider donut, 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee 9:30 am Ample Thanksgiving brunch - scrambled eggs, potato dishes, sliced cucumbers, cranberry fluff, desserts, cranberry juice cocktail, etc. 3:30 pm 2 cranberry shortbread cookies, small cherry danish Exercise: 4:55-5:50 am Cardio Dance DVD 5:00-5:40 pm Walk with Dad

Wed 20 Nov

I was in the middle of a dream in a deeper stage of sleep when the alarm went off this morning and it was really difficult to come out of it and wake up. I did get up and get through exercise, but I think it took about 20 min before my head stopped feeling groggy. I got my full 8 hours, but waking in the wrong stage is just - wrong. 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 10:00 am Coffee 12:15 pm Strawberry/banana soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon raisin struan toast, 1 tbl whipped butter, orange 1:00 pm 11 g dark chocolate super fruits 3:00 pm 100 cal Snapea 5:30 pm 111 g spinach ravioli, 1/2 c carmelized onion pasta sauce, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:55-5:35 am Jane Fonda Workout with Weights video 5:35-5:55 am Cardio Salsa DVD

Tues 19 Nov

Evening off from Suzuki tonight as Mary has to attend a funeral. Hoping to get places reserved for the Chef's Dinner at Michele's on Thurs evening. If we can get in, we'll be sitting with Chuck and Deb, Lee and Gary, and Dave and Renee Rosenthal. What a party! I was going to cut back on my fancy eating for awhile, and now we have reserved the Chef's Dinner on Thursday, and very spontaneously decided to take advantage of the Old Rittenhouse Inn's Friday for Foodies special on Friday night. We are getting a 3rd floor suite that normally rents for $275/night for $225 including a 5-course dinner for two and continental breakfast in the morning. We have missed going up there around Thanksgiving for several years because we used to always go on Sunday night and we haven't wanted to miss choir rehearsals just before the Christmas concert. We will likely skip out on their little gig singing carols during intermission at a Sentry arts concert on Saturday, but I don't think we'll be particularly missed. Food: 6:45 am Pulla roll, 1/2 grapefruit, 102 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Chocolate soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon raisin struan toast, 1 tbl whipped butter, Zestar apple, 1 tsp cinnamon sugar, slice Jarlsberg lite 12:30 pm 4 g dark chocolate super fruit 1:00 pm 1 square Lindt dark chocolate cranberry bar 3:00 pm 2 cups chamomile tea 7:00 pm Mac and cheese, 1/3 c diced beets, 12 oz skim milk, apple cider donut Exercise: 4:50-5:45 am DWTS DVD 5:45-6:45 pm Walk with Dad to Copps and back

Mon 18 Nov

Back at home with no other vacation excursions planned at this point. Ready to settle in for Thanksgiving. Bought a turkey at Byerly's as well as stuffing mix. Have lots of sweet potatoes and cranberries on hand. Bring it on! Food: 6:45 am Almond frosted palmier, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am 1/3 wild mushroom cheese omelette, 1/4 c sweet potato hash, 2 slices cinnamon raisin struan toast, 1 tsp soft margarine, orange tea 12:30 pm 10 g dark chocolate angel food 2:30 pm 9 g dark chocolate super fruits 7:00 pm 4.15 oz Costco rotisserie chicken breast, 1/2 c Simply Potatoes parmesan mashed, 1/2 c diced beets, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:45-5:55 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video 5:00-5:45 pm Walk with Dad

Sun 17 Nov

It has been a very nice Mpls trip. Thurs we did the MOA and stayed at the lovely B&B in Hastings. Friday we started with an awesome breakfast of oven puffed pancake, broiled grapefruit, and absolutely incredible bacon. It was a gorgeous sunny day to drive through rural MN to the winery. The experience there was great! There were probably 25-30 people. The vintner gave an entertaining and very educational presentation on his history, his collaboration with U of M in procuring Mn-friendly vines and the long process of waiting for maturity to harvest a crop and finally the wine making process itself. We sampled many wines directly from the barrels in various stages of maturity to get an idea of how the wines age and he demonstrated this amazing tungsten spoon he uses to "magically" age a tiny glass of wine so he will know how long to wait before bottling and releasing it. He did a pruning demo in the vineyard and talked about caring for the grapes through the season. We were fascinated. The experience included a lunch with gourmet pizzas and Stromboli from a local provider. Great day if a bit too much wine consumed. Yesterday we spent with Kurt and Barb which was also fun. We capped it with dinner at the Red Stag Supper Club which is always fun Today we're off to church, then Byerlys and home in time for choir tonight.

Thurs 14 Nov

Heading out soon for Minneapolis. Today we go to the Finnish Bistro for lunch, check in at the Rosewood Inn in Hastings and head back to the Mall of America to shop around and have dinner at the Napa Valley Grille before returning to Hastings for the night. Tomorrow we pick up 6 loaves of cinnamon raisin struan bread (preordered at Emily's bakery) to hold us for several months. (It freezes beautifully.) We have lunch tomorrow after a tour of a winery/vineyard in New Prague, then shop around in Minneapolis after checking in at the Sofitel. We have dinner reservations at the Signature Cafe for a prix fixe dinner on a Living Social voucher. We hope to spend time on Saturday with Kurt and Barb for breakfast and possibly a tour of the Surly brewery. Barb has hockey tickets in the evening, so we will head off to 5:15 church and have dinner at the Red Stag Supper Club. Sunday we'll have breakfast at Sofitel, probably hit Byerly's grocery store and head home in time for choir. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 109 g raspberries, coffee Exercise: 4:50-5:50 am DWTS DVD

Wed 13 Nov

Seafood cooking class was great, especially the salmon. The oyster got lost in the casino butter so you could scarcely taste it. These classes are really a fun evening for Dad and I. Damn! This has been a busy week at work. Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 102 g raspberries, coffee 8:15 sm 2 eggs, 2 slices homemade wheat toast w/butter, 2 pkgs marmalade, coffee 12:30 pm Chocolate soy shake, slice Loven Fresh 12 grain toast, 1 tbl PB, 102 g raspberries 1:00 pm 10 g dark chocolate super fruits Exercise: 4:55-5:50 am Kristi Yamaguchi DVD 3:30-4:30 pm Walk with client

Tues 12 Nov

Cooking class tonight at Rockman's - oysters casino, sea scallop salad, seared sesame tuna, salmon - YUM!!! This session is a few bucks more expensive than usual because of the excellent ingredients, but we should eat very well tonight. And avocado ice cream for dessert! Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 103 g blackberries, coffee 11:45 am Vanilla soy shake, Loven Fresh 12 grain toast, 1 tbl PB, 149 g strawberries, 13 g dark chocolate super fruits Exercise: 4:50-5:45 am DWTS DVD

Mon 11 Nov

Starting out on a shortened work week somehow isn't quite as odious. Not that work is odious most of the time, but you know what I mean. It's nice to have something special to look forward to. Have you given any further thought to when you will come home over the holidays? I suspect this holiday season may be Grandma's last, so it would be nice for you to spend a little time with her. She was tired yesterday but with it, though she didn't seem to feel much like conversing. She seemed peaceful which was nice. Dad and I have noted that she doesn't fret about things any more. She seems content in the moment. Heather brought apple crisp to the office today. It's not as good as my recipe, but nice to have as a treat any way. Nice that Dad and I are both motivated to get our 10,000 steps most days. We have taken to quick, short walks as soon as he gets home to get us both as close as possible. Today he was still about 1,000 short but he will finish on the treadmill since it's so chilly. I'm anxious to make mac n cheese to warm the cockles of our hearts. Nothing tastes quite so good when you're cold as homemade mac n cheese with homemade applesauce. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 102 g blackberries, coffee 10:45 am 1/2 pc apple crisp 11:30 am Chocolate soy shake, 150 g strawberries, 5 buttery crackers w/ramp goat cheese spread 5:00 pm 10 g dark chocolate super fruits 6:00 pm Mac n cheese, 1/2 c Steamables green beans, 1/2 c homemade applesauce, 12 oz skim milk Exercise: 4:50-6:00 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video 5:05-5:25 pm Quick walk with Dad

Sun 10 Nov

Already this month is flying by. We had a very nice mini-weekend in Green Bay area. The hotel gave us a free wine tasting pass for 2 at Captain's Walk so we saved our Groupon for future use. We had a lovely dinner at St. Brendan's and a relaxing evening in the room, followed by a great breakfast. We checked out the new Costco in the Green Bay area, getting a small start on Christmas shopping. We drove up to Door County and did a couple of wine tastings at Simon Creek and the Door Peninsula Winery. I really liked the Hazelnut Port from Simon Creek - just the thing to sip on a cold evening before bed. Dinner at Cafe Chanson in De Pere was the perfect cap to the weekend. That was a tough Packer game to watch. Not too much promise for the next few weeks either. This season is looking tough. Food: 7:30 am Laura's oatmeal w/protein powder, flaxseed meal, 1/2 c blueberries, soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 100 g blackberries, coffee 12:15 pm Bowl chicken soup, cinnamon scone, chocolate covered super fruits, chocolate covered pecans 5:00 pm 3.25 oz rotisserie chicken breast, 1/3 c Simply Potatoes mashed parmesan potatoes, 2/3 c Steamables green beans 5:45 pm 1 pc dark chocolate angel food Exercise: 5:50-6:40 am Ballet DVD 6:40-7:10 am Cardio Dance DVD

Fri 8 Nov

I like the fact that SparkPeople says I have 1000 fitness minutes in for the first 7 days of the month. It does feel good to keep active and I hope I can continue doing so for the remainder of my life. I hope that keeping on top of exercise helps minimize the loss of balance and strength I saw both my parents experience in late life. Realized that I have double-scheduled the first hour of today so I have some juggling to do when I get in to work. I should be able to manage it, but I should have realized it before so it wouldn't have been an issue. Found a little over half a chocolate Kwik Trip donut on the table when I got home. Promptly devoured it and hoped it was left for me - it was. Yum! Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 103 g blackberries, coffee 12:30 pm Chocolate soy shake, .6 Kwik Trip chocolate French donut, SweeTango apple Exercise: 4:50-5:45 am Step/weights DVD

Thurs 7 Nov

One more full day of work, then at 3 pm tomorrow, we head to Green Bay for an overnight. We will do the wine tasting at Captain's Walk, dinner and overnight at St Brendan's with good cranberry scones and omelets for breakfast. We will drive up to Door County for a bit during the day and get back to De Pere by 6 pm for dinner at Cafe Chanson. We should be home before 10 pm. Very much looking forward to it. When one is chilly, nothing satisfies for dinner like a bowl of homemade chicken soup, a slice of pumpkin bread, and a cup of cocoa. Food: 6:45 am 1 c Trader Joe's multigrain flaxseed cereal, 1/2 c light original soy milk, 1/2 grapefruit, 103 g blackberries, coffee 12:00 pm Vanilla soy shake, 65 g homemade rye bread, 92 g porketta roast, kale leaf 1:00 pm .2 oz white chocolate candy corn M&Ms 5:30 pm Bowl homemade chicken soup, slice pumpkin bread, 8 oz skim milk, 20 cal Nestle fat free cocoa Exercise: 4:50-5:45 am Buns/Abs of Steel 2000 video 3:30-4:30 pm Walk with client

Wed 6 Nov

I was so tired yesterday that the whole day seemed a blur. I came home mid-afternoon for a nap on my break with the herbal warm wrap around my neck and that did revitalize me somewhat. Went to Ranchitos with my coworkers after work, came home and did the hot tub, read in bed for a little bit and went to sleep at 7:30. Today I feel human again! 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 Peach soy shake, 2 slices cinnamon raisin struan toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, med banana, 2 oz light original soy milk, 1/2 tsp sugar 12:30 pm .2 oz white chocolate candy corn M&Ms 6:30 pm 3 oz porketta roast, 1/2 c potatoes, 1/3 c butternut squash, 2/3 c applesauce, 5 oz sauvignon blanc Exercise: 4:50-5:45 am DWTS DVD 5:15-6:15 pm Walk with Dad

Tues 5 Nov

Well, it wasn't a great game to watch, but the environment wasn't as bad as I feared. I scored a small table in the lounge around 5 pm where we ordered and ate burger, sweet potato fries, and part of a piece of shared chocolate cake. The table was at the back, right in front of one of the TVs and about 10 steps from the bathrooms. Dad left around 6:10 for the game. A couple of guys from Indiana joined me to eat shortly after Dad left, but they also had tickets and left just after 7:00. Fortunately I had mentioned to them that the game started around 7:30; they were from the Eastern time zone and thought they had another hour. Did get our 10,000 steps because we had enough time after arriving and parking to take a 45-min walk around the neighborhood. Helped to have moved a bit before the looooong sit. Didn't get home and to bed til almost 2:00 am, so skipped morning exercise this morning. As it was, only got 4 hours sleep so am a little foggy. 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

Mon 4 Nov

Packer day today. Fortunately our Employee Foundation at work is doing a fundraiser chili dump/raffle for Packer game day and encouraging people to wear their Packer gear to work. I can dress to go to the tailgate tonight and wear it to work in the morning without feeling out of place. I'm wearing my glasses so I can more easily nod off in the car and so my contacts don't get uncomfortable in the later evening. 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, 2 slices cinnamon raisin struan toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, 149 g strawberries Exercise: 4:50-6:00 am Jane Fonda Complete Workout video

Sun 3 Nov

Had another "don' wanna!" exercise morning, but got through both ballet and cardio anyway. Frustrating when you have to keep yelling at yourself all the way to just keep going. But somewhat satisfying when you manage to get through it anyway. And speaking of getting through things, I made it through a whole day yesterday without the pager going off! It was wonderful! Food: 7:30 am Pumpkin croissant, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g blackberries, coffee 11:30 am 2 sm squares coffee cake, sm 1/2 slice pumpkin bread, coffee 12:00 pm Cheese omelet, 2 slices raisin bread w/butter, sm slice honeydew, sm slice pineapple, coffee 6:00 pm 9 oz red wine, 3 oz porketta roast, 1/2 c roasted multicolored carrots, 1/2 c homemade applesauce, 1/2 c potatoes, harvest berry galette, coffee Exercise: 6:00-6:50 am Ballet DVD 6:50-7:20 am Cardio Dance DVD 3:15-4:45 pm Walk with Dad to Schmeeckle

Sat 2 Nov

Another call last night on the pager, 4 nights in a row. Enough, already! And it's a little worse knowing the county doesn't have to pay time and a half. Sigh. Made good use of my time this morning. Besides getting a good start on laundry and changing the tablecloth from Halloween to pre-Thanksgiving, I got a start on sorting the mail piles, reorganized my basement freezer, reorganized my top shelf of spices (throwing out many packages of cookies, etc. that had moldered behind the spices). May be productive again in the afternoon, or maybe not if I feel I've done well just to finish the laundry and mail sort. Damn! I was all set for an afternoon snack of Costco pumpkin pie. I have been keeping it on the ledge outside the back door since temps are cool enough and it is such a large footprint to put in the fridge. When I opened the lid, it was crawling with ants! I truly did not foresee that so late in the year. I figure we each had 3 pieces of pie so we paid about $1/slice for what we ate even if I had to throw out the rest. Oh well, we saved a lot of calories. Making my delicious pumpkin bread finally. Been thinking about it for about 3 weeks. Will take one of the two loaves to the Newman social tomorrow, or at least part of it sliced on a platter. Was thinking the batter was so much stiffer than I remembered and when I put the pans in the oven, I turned around and saw the unopened can of pumpkin on the counter. Was able to pull the batter out, add the pumpkin and water (which made the batter MUCH more like I remember it to be), and get it back in the oven so I hope no harm done. Ooooh, homemade chicken soup is yummy. Used the ginormous carrots from the Farmer's Market, some parsnips, celery, onion, and one of my homegrown leeks, some kale, and a large portion of chicken from a package of cut-up pieces that looked like it had seen enough of the freezer. Soup was very delicious! Slice of pumpkin bread on the side, and I'm baking up the pumpkin croissants I bought at TJ's for dessert. Food: 8:45 am 2 Pumpkin Spice toaster waffles, 1 tsp soft margarine, 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am 2 slices cinnamon raisin struan toast, 2 tsp soft margarine, 6 oz light peach yogurt, 1/2 c mulled apple cider 2:45 pm Fun size 3 musketeers 6:15 pm 5 oz Frontenac Rosso wine, bowl homemade chicken soup, small end slice of pumpkin bread 6:45 pm Trader Joe's pumpkin croissant Exercise: 7:05-8:15 pm DWTS DVD

Fri 1 Nov

Another night on call with a call, 3 for 3 now. It would be so nice if that was it for the week. I have been fortunate that I haven't needed to go out to respond, but I'd just like to get through the evening without the pager beeping. Oh well, after this weekend and Mon 11 Nov (switch for this Monday's Packer game), I'll be done til the week of New Year's. Got a nasty surprise when doing my payroll today. I forgot that I had a sick day on Monday, so none of the call time response hours will count as time and a half because you have to actually work 40 hours before they will pay out overtime. Benefit hours not actually worked don't count toward the total. That sucks! Food: 6:45 am 1/2 grapefruit, 101 g raspberries, coffee 11:45 am 1 slice TJ's whole grain bread, 40 g cheddar, 1 tsp soft margarine, 144 g strawberries, 20 cal Nestle Fat Free cocoa 3:45 pm 4 oz red wine, various small Tastefully Simple samples 6:45 pm 4 oz Costco rotisserie chicken breast, 1/2 c butternut squash, 2 purple potato wedges, 6 oz cream ale Exercise: 4:50-5:40 am The Firm Bootcamp DVD 9:30-10:30 am Walk with client