Thurs 30 Nov

The end of November already. Having lunch with my Bootstrap buds today before our shift. Will try to get most of my laundry done since we're heading to Door Co for the weekend tomorrow. So nice to be able to eat what I want again - I can have my cereal with nuts and raspberries for breakfast again! And I got the 10-year pass on the next colonoscopy! Once every ten years is more than enough for that. Food: 8:00 am 3/4 c TJs Maple Pecan Crunch cereal, 1/2 c skim milk, 102 g raspberries, coffee

Wed 29 Nov

About half done with the dreaded prep. Plenty of diarrhea to show for it last night. Can hardly wait to have it occur again. But then, after the procedure, this will hopefully be done for another 10 years. New Christmas tree was delivered last night, but wasn't feeling ready to tackle putting it up. Hopefully tonight.

Tues 28 Nov

Clear liquid diet today. The Clinic staff just called to say I don't have to be there until 10:45 so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night to finish my colon prep. I might run out today to the grocery store to get some apple or white grape juice so I have something nutritive to consume other than just water, coffee, tea, bouillion, diet ginger ale, or True Lemon. I know bouillion has some nutritive value, but I won't drink much of it. Food: 8:05 am Coffee

Mon 27 Nov

Surviving my "no nuts, popcorn, seeds, or berries" days, and tomorrow is the last prep day before the actual colonoscopy. Then it's over! And I can look forward to Door Co and the Christmas market on the weekend. Food: 8:10 am Chocolate malt o meal, 1/2 c skim milk, med banana, coffee

Sun 26 Nov

When you're retired, the 4-day Thanksgiving weekend seems really long. When I was working, I relished every minute of it. Not that I mind now, but it's surprising to me to wake up to yet another weekend day. But today is different because we now have a new car! I think the good Lord wanted us to get a new car now, because it was just amazing that Bob noticed the vehicle available on Mark Motors website and we were able to be the first to test drive it right after they finished prepping it, and we were able to put down a deposit and buy it right away. Dan told us another woman who had been waiting for a Prius to come in noticed it just after we did but didn't want to put down a deposit until she drove it. She was angry that she never even had an opportunity to test drive it because we bought it right away. I'm sorry for her, but glad we were able to get the car sooner than we had ever hoped. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate Malt o Meal, 1/2 c skim milk, med banana, coffee

Sat 25 Nov

Brother Mark would be 72 years old today. Hard to imagine someone who is perpetually 14 years old in my memory as becoming an old man. I'm now four days out from my colonoscopy so I have to avoid fruits with seeds like my regular morning berries. Expect I should avoid our bread with seeds. Might buy a plain loaf at Aldi if I think I'll want sandwiches or toast. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate Malt-O-Meal, 1/2 c skim milk, med banana, coffee

Fri 24 Nov

Not bad - I hit a new low weight of 152.4 the day after Thanksgiving even though I at a full Thanksgiving dinner. I guess it paid to give seconds on dressing, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce a longing look instead of giving in and saving the pumpkin pie to be my supper. I need to just keep on this road until I can get down to a weight more appropriate for my height and age. Food: 8:05 am 3/4 c TJs Maple Pecan Crunch cereal, 1/2 c skim milk, 101 g raspberries, coffee

Thurs 23 Nov

Happy Thanksgiving! Today I'll roast a turkey breast and make somewhat scaled-down stuffing and sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce and broccoli. We saved the last of this Costco pumpkin pie for today. Can still have berries with seeds in them today and tomorrow, so finished the blackberries today and will have raspberries tomorrow. Food: 7:55 am Cinnamon roll, 108 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 22 Nov

Tomorrow is already Thanksgiving. Put my sweet potatoes into the slow cooker this morning to bake them so they're ready to make a small casserole. Will make a turkey breast roasted in the oven, TJs cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, and I should come up with some sort of vegetable. It will just be Bob and I, though I'll consider taking some over to Leone and Mick. Food: 8:05 am Frosted jelly donut, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 21 Nov

A free Tuesday, and not much on the calendar any more this week except Thanksgiving and a phone consult with the financial counselor on Friday. I'll go to Body Pump on Wed, but probably not on Friday. I hope we can put up the Christmas tree on Friday, or maybe even start on Thursday. Food: 8:00 am Lingonberry danish, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 20 Nov

Already got my "medical appointment-of-the-week" out of the way with an 8:15 lab draw this morning. The doctor will determine whether twice daily red yeast rice is helping to better control my cholesterol. OBT this afternoon. Food: 8:45 am Chocolate-filled danish, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 16 Nov

Heading to Mpls for a weekend of Thursday shopping and Fri/Sat with Kurt & Barb. Temps should be mild but windy today with dropping temps to more normal November weather for the weekend. Will take warmer clothes than those we have needed this week for some hiking with K&B and getting around. Food: 7:50 am 3/4 c TJs Maple Pecan Crunch cereal, 1/2 c skim milk, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 15 Nov

Halfway through November, and still blessed with mild temperatures. If only it wasn't balanced out by cold temps into March and April, hopefully not May. Body Pump and the dentist today. Food: 7:55 am 3/4 c TJs Maple Pecan Crunch cereal, 1/2 c skim milk, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 14 Nov

Scale down again this morning to 151.6. Been a long time since I've seen numbers like that! I do think I'm moving more easily again as well as fitting comfortably into jeans that were previously snug. Hoping to keep the trend going til I hit a weight that feels right. Food": 8:00 am 3/4 c TJs Maple Pecan Crunch cereal, 1/2 c skim milk, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 13 Nov

Leone turns 103 today. Will stop by with her 103 card and a Costco-sized loaf of banana bread for her gift. Already 41° outside, and a few quite mild days in the immediate forecast. Food: 8:00 am Apple cider donut, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 12 Nov

Cantored yesterday so a free day today. Bob has been spending the weekend repairing the leaks in the hot tub where the benches attach, so it has been a quiet, uneventful weekend. We have next weekend to look forward to in Mpls, starting on Thursday. Scale was down to 152.8 today, a new low this time around! Food: 8:00 am Apple cider donut, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 11 Nov

Going to walk to the winter Farmer's Market today to pick up some more acorn squash since Michael approves of me making stuffed squash for Thanksgiving, even though we'll have to celebrate on a different day because they are having a bunch of their trans friends for a friendsgiving on the day. Food: 7:55 am Apple cider donut, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 10 Nov

A bit chilly this morning, but supposed to be warmer next week again. Yesterday was quite windy. Today Body Pump and laundry. Food: 7:50 am 72 g pumpkin coffee cake, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 9 Nov

Went out for a nice dinner at El Molcajete last night to use the $20 gift certificate from the ADRC for volunteering. Unfortunately, dinner out and a margarita caused the scale to jump up today, but hopefully only temporarily. Got the box of ornaments down from the attic yesterday evening for Michael and Taylor to use. I have so many that I can't use them all on my tree anymore, so I'm happy to share. Hope they get some enjoyment from them. Food: 7:55 am Pumpkin coffee cake, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 8 Nov

Nothing on the agenda today besides Body Pump, so I should hopefully be able to squeeze in the exercise bike. Didn't succeed yesterday as I made muesli, took care of the health insurance issue with lengthy sessions on hold and in conversation with the "yes, ma'am" lady who didn't really understand the issue, a massage in the afternoon, a walk to the library to return a book due, and then add in meals, Duo, AC, and it was after 7 and too tired to do the bike. I should be more able to carve out some time to bike today. Food: 7:55 am 87 g pumpkin coffee cake, 103 g blackberries, coffee

Tues 7 Nov

Yesterday was a really beautiful warm day with sunshine, albeit windy. The next several days will have highs in the 40s, so we still are being blessed with mild weather. Gotta try for a longer session on the exercise bike this morning. Food: 7:55 am Apple turnover, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Mon 6 Nov

Eating the last of David's pastries this morning. Should have had one more day but Bob didn't realize I had halved a couple of my previous servings so I still had two left and he ate the other one. Likely will be easier to control my calories at breakfast without David's over-sized deliciousness. Going to the GYN this morning to have her look at my droopy bladder. Hoping it isn't necessary to have surgery, but not sure how it will be managed. Food: 7:55 am Kouign amann, 101 g blackberries, coffee

Sun 5 Nov

Nice trip to Madison yesterday, including lunch at Jacknife with Laura. She appears exhausted from carrying more than her share of the workload due to one co-instructor being over-worked elsewhere and the other too new to know what to do to help. Only 5 more weeks of actual semester, then finals, and this nightmare will be over. Next semester her co-instructor should be back to full-time on their shared class so it should be better. We got our erranding done which wasn't too intense. The new exercise bike had been delivered when we got home, and we were able to assemble it without too much difficulty. Now I just need to figure out how to access the programs so I can use it to best advantage. Food: 7:50 am 82 g bear claw, 104 g blackberries, coffee

Sat 4 Nov

Heading down to Madison today. Won't bother to walk to the winter Farmer's Market as David won't be there and I don't really need any produce, or can get anything necessary at Costco/TJs/Woodmans. We will, however, stop off at the new market at Artist Point or whatever it's called in Plover to check out their selection. Might also pick up a couple of pastries from Mama Elda's while we're in the neighborhood before heading down to lunch with daughter. Food: 7:35 am 104 g bear claw, 94 g blackberries, coffee

Fri 3 Nov

39° to start the day is much more pleasant than the cold temps from a while back. We are grateful for even brief respites before winter truly sets in. Pleased this morning that my dark blue jeans fit comfortably again after losing a bit of weight. Nice to have tangible proof of weight loss. Meeting Bootstrap buds for coffee this morning, so need to get through breakfast quickly. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate raisin swirl, 97 g blackberries, coffee

Thurs 2 Nov

Supposed to get highs into the 40s now for a few days, and indeed it's 27° now, better than yesterday. Saw the orthopedist and learned that I have moderate arthritis in my left knee and quite severe arthritis in my right knee, actually bone-on-bone on the inside edge. I could qualify to have that knee replaced whenever I choose, though in my mind, it's not nearly enough of a problem yet to go such a drastic route. Dr. Williams said that the ideal age to have a knee replacement is between mid- to late 60s through mid- to late 70s so you're young enough to have a good chance of handling the surgery well and recovering well, but old enough that the likelihood is that it will last you the remainder of your life. Typical duration of a knee replacement is circa 25 years. He gave me a sheet of recommended regular exercises, primarily to strengthen the quads and glutes, and said that people who hold off the longest and recover the easiest are people who regularly ride bikes (or exercise bikes). As I know I'll not be able to motivate myself to go to 212 often enough to "regularly" ride the exercise bike, especially in winter, we ordered one off of Amazon yesterday which should be here on Saturday. Bob agreed that we can set it up in the living room so it will be easily accessible and harder to ignore. I'm going to try to get to 212 this morning to ride one there for at least 15 min to get used to it. Food: 8:00 am Chocolate croissant, 102 g blackberries, coffee

Wed 1 Nov

Today I see the orthopedist for the first time. My knee is more uncomfortable than usual, perhaps in preparation. Hopefully it won't give me trouble during Body Pump. Food: 8:00 am Blueberry danish, 102 g blackberries, coffee