The Week

It's been a little busy which is why there wasn't any posts this week. I actually thought I blogged but I guess I didn't. The reason I was busy is because of this

I've made the comment before about how no job is perfect. Well, this would be the not perfect part of mine. I still really like my job & I'm learning a lot but I don't like Dale Carnegie. We started this class last week. We have homework & speeches. I'm annoyed & terrified. Annoyed because of the homework aspect. I thought this a work thing but there is a lot of reading involved. I've been able to do some at work when I wasn't busy but we're approaching a deadline so there's isn't going to be much free time. I'm terrified because of these speeches. I don't talk in front of people. I don't like to be the center of attention. It doesn't matter if I know you or not. It doesn't matter that it's only 20 people & not hundreds. I don't want to do it. I've made it almost 40 years without having to know how to give a speech, I think I'm good.

 

I also have an issue with the D.C. people. After class we got an email from them telling us what the "recommended reading" was. Well, see, recommended means YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT. Apparently, it's REQUIRED READING". I didn't find this out until Tuesday. Needless to say I didn't finish all of the reading before class Friday, but like the good little student I am I caught up over the weekend. So annoying. Back to the speech. I did it, I didn't die but I was shaking. Not just shaky hands either. My legs were shaking. I'm sure  someone could tell.  Did I mention we weren't to use notes but they didn't tell us that until we were in class? Did I tell you it was 2 minutes & I felt sure they weren't actually going to time us. They actually had a timer. Like I said, I made it but I hated every second. I have learned a few things in class. The first being that I'm not supposed to complain. That's not usually a problem for me except you know WHEN I HAVE TO DO SPEECHES. Soooo not happy. It's not over either. We have 9 more classes & 9 more speeches. Yes, that's right people, a speech per class. Oh joy!!!

 

We had some bad weather this week so I ran Wednesday. 3.1 mi. I'm trying to take it a little slow. I'm getting too close to get hurt.

 

Wednesday evening we tried to go to dinner at Louisiana Lagniappe which is soooooo good. I had a groupon & it can only be used Monday-Thursday. We got there at 6:15 & there was an hour wait. We didn't wait. We were hungry. We're going to try again tomorrow night & we're meeting there when I get off work so maybe being there at 5:30 when they open will help. We've said before that people in Baton Rouge don't cook but this is getting ridiculous.

 

Friday evening we took pictures at Church for the Church Directory. They came out ok, nothing special. Then it was off to Caliente to listen to the band. I wasn't a fan. Thankfully, the mosquito's were out of control so we moved inside & I didn't have to listen to them. They just didn't sing my type of stuff.  There were 12 of us so it was fun.

 

Saturday morning I got up at 6:00 because I wanted to run before it got too hot. I ran 4 miles & they were all between 10-11 minute miles. Not great but I love to see that I'm improving. I followed that up with a weight workout, some leg stuff to help prevent knee trouble & stretching & foam rolling.

Calories burned!! It makes me happy to see a big number like that. It's a shame I have to work & can't do that during the week.

 

LSU played George at 2:30 so we were all at a neighbors watching & eating. They lost in the last minute or so of the game. It was a good game to watch but a disappointing loss.

 

I was passed out at 9:00. I couldn't take it anymore. Between getting up early, no nap & D.C. reading I couldn't keep my eyes open. Not to mention we were getting up early for Mass this morning too. I really don't like afternoon games.

So that was the week. Nothing too exciting. What did y'all do?

Toodles!

It's Fall Y'all!!!

I saw this during the week & it spoke to me. HA! My sore knees aren't sore anymore. Thank goodness. It only took 2 weeks of no running. I think I was good to go last weekend but since we were at the beach I just decided to take another week. Although, the way I was eating I needed to be running. That's neither here nor there. I got back in the swing of things this week.

All week I did good with me eating & Wednesday & Friday I did weight workouts & some leg stuff in the morning before work. The only blip on the radar was Friday night at Caliente. I'd already decided since the crew that we normally watch the LSU games with was out of town this weekend I wasn't going to have any alcohol. When we got there we saw that Jose's car was in the parking lot. Know what that means? A Jose Special!! I hadn't had one in awhile so I got a small one. I even managed to refrain from eating a ton of chips.

My plan was to run Saturday morning. Well, after getting almost 5 inches of rain Friday night/morning I decided to blow it off another day. I probably could've gotten it in between storms but it was HOT & HUMID. It rained off & on the rest of the day/night. We had another 1/2 inch during that time. I thought we were going to need an ark to leave the house. 

I did get a good 1:10 minute workout in. I love Janae's blog. She runs, workouts, has an adorable little girl & we share a love of Yogurtland & just food in general. If you think I post a lot of pics of food don't go to her blog hungry! Anyway, she posted a link to a arm workout she does, 8 minute arms. I tried it out for the first time yesterday. I really liked it. Of course you have to get past what the guys are wearing. The video looks like it was first filmed sometime in the 80's. I did it twice & I used my 5 lb weights. Then I tried some of the moves with my 10 lb weights & did some other assorted weight work, push ups, a few things from Yoglates & some leg strengthening stuff so hopefully my knees don't start hurting again. It was a tough workout & I burned 456 calories!

I wanted to have a healthy lunch so I made quinoa & put a bunch of stuff in it.
Red & green bell peppers, artichokes, carrots (just a few), tomatoes, purple onion & feta. It was sooo good. I just remembered there was another food blip. Saturday night I went to Canes & got us chicken fingers before the game started. I did do good & got unsweet tea instead of a Dr. Pepper, so there's that.

The deluge that we had yesterday brought with it a cool front.
Can you tell I was excited about my run?? It was 9:00 & the weather felt FANTASTIC! 69 degrees, cloudy with a breeze. I've learned to love cloudy, overcast run days!

I only went 3.1 miles. I didn't want to push it. I felt good. I ran it in 32:42. Not great but not bad at all. When I got home I went straight to my yoga mat & did 8 min. arms again & a few more exercises, some stretches & I foam rolled. Let's hope I can keep myself healthy this way.

 I've managed to eat well today too. English muffin with peanut butter for breakfast, a Luna bar  & coffee after my run, Dean's homemade turkey spaghetti with whole wheat pasta (a proper serving), a side salad, Greek yogurt & grapes. I'll have more spaghetti tonight but I won't overdue it. I've had a ton of water as well.

My plan for the week is: Monday - weights
                                        Tuesday - run 3.1 mi.
                                        Wednesday - weights
                                        Thursday - run 3.1 mi.
                                        Friday - weights
                                        Saturday - run (distance to be determined)

Let's see how it goes!!

Toodles!
  
 

5 on Friday

I'm linking up but with a twist. 5 Things I learned at the beach!

1. I know what a power pole is now. A 4 year old taught me! Logan is obsessed with boats & any boating accessories. When we saw a boat he told us whether or not it had a power pole. When he was pretending that his float was a boat, he showed me where the power pole was.

2. I still throw like a girl. Apparently, muscles have nothing to do with how you throw. I definitely have muscles now but according to Dean & my brother I'm awful.

3. You cannot die from laughing. Just ask Logan. When I said I was going to die laughing his response was "Tante, you can die from laughing? I don't think so."

4. When one dog dies, just get another one & name it the same thing. Again, this is Logan's advice. He explained that his white dog died but he still had his black, Baxter dog. However, have no fear when Baxter dies, "we'll get another dog & name him Baxter". Maybe this is a good attitude to have.

5. I can't control my diet on vacation. Fried oysters, fried fish, nachos, club sandwich, french fries, mocha's, frapp's, ice cream, cookies, taco flavor Dorito's, Ranch dip. You name it, I probably ate it. Please don't even mention alcohol. Wine - check, vodka punch - check, blue drink - check. Suffice it to say I'm trying an eat healthy, exercise & no alcohol kick for a bit. Pay close attention to the word "trying".

Have a great weekend!

Toodles!

We're Home!

I don't think any of us were ready to leave. Logan stuck his bottom lip out & said "I don't wanna go home. I wanna stay this many more days" while holding up 10 fingers. Oh if only we would've won the powerball.

Logan LOVED playing in the waves with his Nonke. He would holler & point "let's go where it's rough!"

 

For some reason he insisted on keeping his shirt on. "It's my wet shirt".

The water was so pretty.

More waves!

They played frisbee.

The jellyfish were really bad Monday so we spent the day at the pool.

The view from my pool chair!

Now it's back tot he real world. sigh.

Toodles!

 

The Beach!

As I write this & watch Game Day this is my view.


Pretty nice huh? We left yesterday for another trip to Portofino in Pensacola. Scott, Lydia & Logan are with us.


Dean & I stopped at the outlet mall & did a little shopping!! Oh how I love Michael!


After roaming around the store for awhile I decided on this one. I love the grey color. I was looking for a black bag but when I saw the grey I decided that was the one.

We went to the pool for a bit. Logan had already been to the beach & was stung by a jellyfish. Thankfully we hadn't made it there yet. They said it was 3 minutes of screaming his lungs out. Then all was good.


We had a cupcake because his "tummy was starving"! Then we went to Peg Leg Pete's for dinner.


I don't remember what the drink was called but it was their specialty & it was delicious!





Little Man passed out. He was exhausted. It was just a power nap. When it was time to leave he was wide awake!





We looked for crabs. We saw big ones & little bitty ones. It was a good day!

Toodles!

Location:Via de Luna Dr,Gulf Breeze,United States

Another weekend!

Has come to an end. What a bummer. Although, I'm in countdown mode for our beach trip. We leave Friday!

Friday night we went to dinner at Roberto's with some friends. Now, y'all know that's the home of the best fried shrimp poboy but it's only served at lunch. Dean & I decided to split the seafood platter. YUMMO! I had a side of smoked gouda mac & cheese too. It was part of the steak special. I didn't want steak but when I heard gouda they had me. It didn't disappoint either. I guess I was hungry because it never occurred to me to take any pics. Trust me it was good.

Saturday was a lovely day of doing nothing for the most part. We went to Mass & then to Caliente to watch the LSU game with a crew of our friends that didn't go to the game. Jose wasn't working so there were no Jose Specials. Major disappointment. I decided to trust that snarky bartender Eric could actually make a rum rita when he said he could. I didn't have high hopes because supposedly he could make a Jose Special. He could not. It was a totally different color. I digress...here's the rum rita

It was delicious! Yay Snarky Eric. So now I have a drink to order when Jose isn't around.

Kitzia, me, Jackie & Cindy
Touchdown shots! No, we didn't order these. I'm not a shot kind of girl. Sergio had a tray & he brought them around when LSU scored. They were good. Vodka & sour mix.

It was one of those days where I was hungry & I wanted dessert. I was alone in that want but I sucked it up & ordered it anyway. I keep hearing how good Caliente's flan is so I tried it.
It was bigger than I expected. I managed to pawn off a few bites but for the most part it was all me. There were a couple of bites left that I couldn't eat. It made me very sad to send it away.

LSU scored again.
I have no idea what Dean is saying.

LSU played well.

Kitzia, Steph & me. We had such a fun night.
Dennis, Brad & Dean. They crack me up.

LSU scored again. Here comes Sergio.
Did I mention all this was before halftime?? Because of how close we live to LSU we left to go home at half time so that we wouldn't get stuck in traffic. We reconvened at Dennis & Jackie's to watch the rest of the game. It was 56 to something. Geaux Tigers!

Today's been another lazy day. These knees need to get well so I can run again. The amount of food & drinks I consumed yesterday is for someone getting some serious workouts in & that isn't me. I swam laps today & I've been doing weight workouts & some leg exercises that are supposed to help the knees. We'll see.

I managed to eat good so far today. I even went to Yogurtland & didn't get any candy!
Coconut & Vanilla Bean yogurt with strawberries, crushed almonds & a little bit of shredded coconut. A delightful combination. I ate breakfast later than normal & then it was lunch time so I didn't have a morning snack so I thought it was ok to get yogurt this afternoon.

What did y'all do this weekend?

Toodles!

I'll try anything!

I love a holiday week. It's already almost Friday. The week flew by. Although, now that I think about it since starting my new job all the weeks have flown by.

I bought something this week.
Weird? Yeh I know. It's supposed to be really great for you. At least that's what I read. Apparently, people actually think Jello that you buy at the store is good for you because everything I've read specifically says "not the Jello you buy in the store". I don't know about you but I never liked that stuff. AT ALL. Apparently, you can use this stuff to make your own healthy version of that stuff. BLECH, not interested. It's like a natural source of collagen & considering I'm approaching 40 at a much faster rate than I'm comfortable with I need to get on the ball. I have some wrinkles thanks to the tanning bed in my 20's. sigh. It's also good for saggy skin. Dean gave me a look when I told him I was ordering it. I told him this is the alternative to Botox & Juviderm. Personally, I'd rather the injections but we're at impasse on that in our house. By impasse I mean I want it & Dean says I don't need it, therefore he'd be really unhappy if I spent money on it.

The joint care thing is an added benefit if it works. It appears I have what's called "runners knee". sigh. They both hurt. When I first start my runs they hurt but as I get warmed up they stop hurting. When I stop running & start walking they hurt. I ran 5 mi. Tuesday & 4.2 today. I did some reading & it seems that the culprit is weak hips, glutes & thighs. The fact that this started after I stopped going to Yoglates isn't a coincidence. At least I don't think it is. We did a ton of leg & butt work & maybe it was helping more than I realized. The recommended course of action is to rest & work on strengthening those muscles. I got some exercises off the internet. Going back to Yoglates would probably be a smart move but with the new job I can't make it to the early morning class & I'm not the least bit interested in going to a 6 pm class. Hopefully, the exercises at home will work.

So, my friend Allison was the first to try the gelatin. She suggested NOT mixing it with water & guzzling it. She did say that putting in your protein shake works fine & you can't taste it. She said there may be a little grittiness but nothing too weird. I tried mine for the first time tonight. It was a dreary, rainy afternoon so I decided to have breakfast for dinner. I was reading over the directions & one of the options is to put it in hot or cold cereal. I decided to have some oatmeal. I figured the hot water would dissolve the stuff good. It worked. It did seem like there was a different taste but it wasn't bad. Tomorrow I'm going to try putting it in my coffee. The recommended serving size is a tablespoon. Y'all, when you're talking about a powder that's a lot! Allison said she thinks the gagging could also be because she knows what this stuff is made from. That part doesn't bother me as much as the fact that it says "beef gelatin" on the label. When I was a kid we had jello at school all the time. I mentioned that I don't like jello. I also didn't like the majority of what was served in the school cafeteria. I was such a skinny kid. Well, I remember on jello days kids used to say jello is crushed horse hooves. Guess what?? They were oddly close to being correct. The label says you can't use hooves to make gelatin but it is basically bone marrow. BLECH. Let's try not to think about that.

Has anyone tried gelatin before?

Toodles!

Labor Day Weekend

I didn't realize that it had been a week since I posted. That's something else that's different with the new job. I don't have time to read & post like I did before. Let's see if I can catch up.

Tuesday I ran. I'm increasing my mileage & trying to get back where I was before "my fall". I was planning to run 4 miles but I felt good so I went 5. I ran another 5 Thursday. I did weights last week too. I do them on days that I don't run.

Friday night Dean & I had dinner at Portobello's. They do these chips with feta & balsamic & something else. Now I don't remember but it's delicious!!

Don't they look good??

Saturday I was going for a long run. I switched my long run day from Sunday's to Saturday's now that it's football season. I ran 7 miles.  I was relieved that I was able to go that far. This is my new favorite invention.
You hook your thumb through it so it's not like you're really holding it. Does that make sense? Aishlea first told me about it. I saw them online but couldn't tell about the thumb thing. We went to Dick's & that's when I saw how it worked. The mouthpiece thing is like a straw. It doesn't leak. Just suck & you get water. Little things really impress me, I know! After my run I spent a few hours here.
I caught up on some magazines which is yet another thing I'm behind on.

Saturday night LSU played TCU in Dallas. A bunch of us went to our friends next door & watched the game. I made a somewhat healthy dessert.
Not a great picture I know. I put the cling wrap on before I remembered that I hadn't taken a picture. This dessert is sooooo good. Lydia got the recipe off of Pinterest & made it a couple times when they came over. I thought it would be good for the football party. It's angel food cake, 6 tbls of fat free condensed milk (which incidentally I discovered that I LOOOOVVVEEEE!!! Love so much I could eat/drink it straight from the can), sugar free white chocolate instant pudding, water, blueberries, strawberries & low fat cool whip.
Another bad picture but you get the point. Just layer it & chill. Keep in mind it's healthy if you don't have anything against processed, fat free food & if you eat a proper serving, not 3 or 4. Consider that a warning.

Sunday, Dean & I went to Bayou Pigeon to Dean's parents house. His mom cooked lunch for us. I know I've mentioned that she makes the best roast ever. This is not just me speaking. My mom thinks so, my sis in law thinks so, everyone that eats her roast thinks so. If there's someone out there that doesn't they're crazy. In case you didn't get where this was going, Mrs Joyce cooked roast for lunch. Her green beans were really good too. I had to refrain from making a pig of myself.

Monday the plan was to get up & run. That didn't happen. I wasn't setting an alarm & when I woke up at 6:30 I just didn't want to get up, not to mention I knew it would be hot. Once I got up I actually got some things accomplished in the house. I got some things picked up & I have a couple of bags of stuff to donate.

I did a weight workout while catching up on RHOOC & Giuliana & Bill. It was a nice long workout.
I'm thinking of changing our LSU Room/Office to a workout room. The LSU stuff would stay but we really don't need an office. We have a laptop & the desk that's in there is just taking up space & providing a spot to pile stuff on. I would need to get a TV & a DVR to put in there. I mentioned that I'm done with Yoglates for the time being. My original plan was to stop going until after my half marathon because as my mileage increased it was harder to do Yoglates as often. Then, I got my new job. I couldn't go to class before work like I was because it takes me a little longer to get to work now. I don't really want to go to a 6:00 pm class & that's the only one I'd be able to make. That's when I started thinking about a workout room. Right now I do weights in the sitting room because there's a TV there but I think a dedicated room would be better. Things would be neater that way.

I spent several hours in the pool Monday afternoon. It was quiet & peaceful. Just me &
my vodka punch!!! YUMMO!

Toodles!