ZOOT suit

seems the tri store had extended their grand opening (of sorts) sale through this weekend... so the tri shorts and top i have been looking at since April some time were on sale today... and thankfully they still had my sizes....  i got a new pair of shorts with a blue accent and a matching top... at 30% off each item... i cant complain - now i feel like i need to swim bike run tomorrow....

working up the energy to go for a walk in this heat... i know crazy but that is part of the reason i want to go - just to sweat some...

Travel

Downside of travel is food.
Eating on the road is so startling.  Ihad a salad at Wendys on Tuesday and was shocked at the points for the salad.  So I got fries.  Hello - self defeating.
Thursday I had a salmon salad at Long Horn.  I need to stay away from salmon when eating out.  It is too doused with fat to really be healthy.  Snuck a muffin in their too.  And then Thai food for dinner.  Not over the top food but much different than the bland veggie chicken mix.
And then I had to snack on the drive home.

Shaking it out this week coming up.  Gotta drop these 4 pounds that have crept back on over the last 2 weeks. 

This WW thing is not doing as well as my other efforts.  But I will not get discouraged.

Tomorrow

I can only imagine what my drive to get out of here will be like this evening.  There is a part of me that thinks - take it slow stop at the mall instead of leaving right away...  let the highways and the drivers cool off some on this hot Friday before driving 4 hours myself...  It sounds good now... the problem being even when I wait it wont be long enough...  I have the pumpkin syndrome if I wait too long...
Have you ever wondered why everything else of Cinerella's went POOF at midnight except for the slipper that was left behind... Kind of a hole in that story if you ask me.  anyways...
I have a make up WW meeting in the morning...  That's a 730 weigh in which will not be fun given I havent really paid too much attention to my intake this week.  That lasts until 830.
Then I think I will head over to LSCG again.  I can get there a little after 9am and an hour walk/run would be OK.
Then I really need to hit the office.  I dread this.  Can you hear it in my voice?  I just want to drop off all that I have been lugging around the later part of this week and get some filing done.  Why not on a hot steamy Saturday.  I will NEED to remember to throw a change of clothes in the car for that.
Then I was thinking POOL the latter part of the day.  Sure some swimming but mostly just to lounge about out of the heat.  I havent been to SH's pool yet this year.  I have been to the SCCL outside pool yet.  Both viable options.
I ramble like this when I feel like I have tomake the most out of my time in the near future as the current time frame is all booked solid.  Speaking of which - time to load up the car and head on out to my various locations.

Greetings from HOTlanta

When I went for my run yesterday upon arrival... it only materialized into a walk.  The heat felt good but breathing was yucky.  So I walked the 1.5mile loop instead.
This morning was only 78F unlike yesterdays 100+F but at 640am that is silly hot. 
An odd day of uncertain meetings today.  Exercising my so called flexibility.  Not sure was I was called adaptable at an early age.  Not feeling it right now.  It will all come together I am certain of that.

Can you see this?

I met family at this great little hole in the wall Thai restaurant in Roswell this evening.  As I got off the highway to get there this is what I saw.  Do you even remember this?

what to do this week

it is a week of early alarms, early drive times, much face time...  for example tomorrow I need to be on the road by 5am; which means and alarm time of 4am; ideally means a bed time of 8pm.  it is possible but would mead very little in the way of a workout this evening....  my goal is to do the 30 minute cardio video from the other day and maybe a long walk - i was thinking the hills around the neighborhood may change things up some
tomorrow evening will mean exhaustion - so again - need to find something to do within reason...  thinking it will be some swimming - that always calms my nerves and me
wednesday night is another early night for a thursday AM drive - maybe not as early as tonight - have to figure out drive time - i suppose this evenings workout would be a good goal
thursday - after the client visit i am driving onwward... my arrival time will impact the workout - generally it is a run but there is a pool so i could kick about a bit
friday AM depending on the timing of the meetings will be another run - there wont be one in the evening as i will need to sit in traffic to get home
Saturday AM - I need to make up my WW meeting (why am I writing all this? - just trying to get my bearings).  from there I think I will go for a run back at the greenway - according to the maps there looks to be just as interesting a route if i had taken the path the other way
and then i need to go to the office to get some physical work done - filing and such - which will not get completed this week...  it would be nice to get an outdoor swim in as well...
first things first - work on monday morning

Little Sugar Creek Greenway

I found myself motivated to do something new this morning. I got my butt in the car and made my way up to Freedom Park. Mind you this is past my office so it is a drive.
But I am so glad I did it. They have done a great job with the greenway. It was a nice dose of nature with urban skyline.
I covered 4 miles and then sat on a bench under a tree overlooking the pond.
Pond? It may look familiar if you have seen Shallow Hall or episode one of this seasons Bachelorette.

Now some strength exercises and stretching while playing fetch with the little guy.

Wheatabix

I also needed some breakfast food so this week we are doing a combination of some old faves. One Wheatabix biscuit and a quarter cup of Go Lean Crunch with Silk. More carb than usual. Less fruit and protein but a tasty treat.
Seriously considering going up to Freedom Park for a long walk run today. May do some pool time with my mom. And then definitely need to address laundry and groceries.
It will be another early night as I have 3 really early meetings this week and a drive to Atlanta.
Considered staying over to go to the aquarium but opted to save some $$ as I did just book that USNWC Canopy Tour.

Better today

It is amazing what some good ok alone time can do for the spirit. I retread yesterday's post and thought wow better shake that off.
The gardening helped. I am on a get rid of the weeds mission in the front garden. I have seeds for other plants but they are not going in the grounds this year. So I raked up a bunch of old mulch and re-sprayed all the weeded areas. The oleander that looked like it wasn't going to make the winter is doing superb. I am not sure the sheets i use to protect it over the cold winter months will be large enough. The lantana is doing what it does every year - flourishing. And now I have these dahlias. They are crazy tall and keep falling over. Not too sure what the approach to them is supposed to be.
Upon potting the lantana I also managed to throw some black and green basil seed in a pot. We shall see what happens there.
And then I moved inside. It took a better part of the day to clean around the house - dishes, dog corner, paperwork. All sorts of stuff. Feel like it is not that case at the moment but... I know it was time well spent.
Lastly I exercised. Without a race in the future I feel a sense of freedom when it comes to the calorie burn. Weight Watchers was acknowledging the half way mark of the activity campaign so I thought I would do some of their exercises. Unfortunately the video piece wasnt working all that well so it ended up being their arm routine and fitness blenders cardio and an routine.
From there I stopped by to see a friend. Grabbed a roasted chicken at the grocery store.
Sat down and had some chicken legs and fake potatoes (I purée cauliflower, cannellini beans and garlic) and used my Waterford water decanter to hydrate.
I was in bed by 9. A storm rolled in at 10.
I was up by 6:30
I guess I needed the rest.

Potted

Hoping the lantana, dahlia, oleander, Easter lilies inspire that wee twig of a frangipani in the background.

Frangipani planting.

Stay tuned.

Morning coffee

I have really been out of sorts since I came home from Florida. The ordeal with the insurance company still bothers me. The lack of sleep is catching up to me. Work. Friends. Etc. I just want to avoid.
I went to NJ and that was fun. But really have an overall sense of done with it all at the moment. I suppose it could be boredom.
I sit here on my patio and take in the peacefulness of the morning. Well peaceful except for the mocking bird cawing at the stray cat that keeps hanging around.
Damn I am tired of those cats too.
The train whistle is in the distance. The dog is doing an extended tour of the back yard etc. My decaf black coffee tastes welcoming. The half priced mandevilla in the fish planter looks great. So glad I made that purchase. All the flowers in the back yard are doing wonderful - the petunias, the portulaca, the vinca. Even the lavender that I planted from seed is started to pop up.
It makes me smile. But I am just hating this rut of a feeling.
The little guy and I are going to move to the front yard now. This coffee is almost done and I have a case of weeds that need to be addressed. Then I think there will be a run and a swim. Yes, at this hour there should also be a bike. But that's not hitting me today. Oh well.

Sleep

I slept fine while I was on the road. My guest room at my friends house was very comfy. That is not turning out to be the case at home. I keep waking up in the middle of the night for a considerable amount of time. I have decided the AC needs to come down a little more. Only dropped it 1F overnight last night. It has kicked in this morning already so maybe it is the air. The air quality has been catching up to me as well.

This evenings workout is gardening and house work. Oh fun! But needs to be done and it does burn some calories.

Dinner

Continuing my efforts to eat healthy whole foods.  This evening black beans, red pepper, vidalia over spinach and a sie of toasted sprouted rye.
And a beverage.

A run and a walk and a walk

Yes, it was that busy of a day.  We went to the beach and ran for a bit.  Probably close to a mile.  Then walked some.  Had breakfast at this cute counter place in the town next to here.  Then did an obligatory drive.  Stopped at Asbury Park and took a walk.  I have not walked along the Asbury boardwalk in decades.  I was very young the last time I peered out at the ocean from that vantage point.  It was nice to see how they have renovated the area.
From there we drove some more.  All the way down the Spring Lake and they headed home.

Great day!

After all the day time activity we went into town for dinner.  We went to a new restaurant for dinner.  It was tasty.  It reminded me of Fishy Fish in Kinsale.  I had steamed little necks and steamed lobster.  It wasnt an abudance of food.  It was just right.  The wine was tasty and the conversation was fun.  The end of dinner distraction was Jon Stewart and his posse coming in for dinner.
We then walked around.  I grabbed zome frozen yogurt for dessert.  And we went back to the beach to check out the scene.  It was entertaining to some degree. 
Now we are back at home unwinding for tomorrow.  Flight home in the afternoon.  A weekend well spent.

Run along the beach

That is todays objective.  Although not 100% sure that it is going to happen.  We went up there yesterday.  The loop in the boardwalk is 4 miles.  It would make for a perfect clear your head workout.  Not that my head needs clearing this morning - still have peppy Keane songs and some ballads running through my head.   But it would be nice to get on out there.
The other option is yoga and I am just not that into trying that on such a beautiful day. 

As far as the rest of the day is concerned.  Not too sure what we will do.  I'd like to head south a bit and have some steamers and lobster.  Not sure if that will work with my non meat eating friend. 

Concert dancing

What type of training does that count as?
What a great show.  What a great reason to come to NYC.  Flew to EWR thia morning. Spent the afternoon at the Pavillion in Long Branch and a walk around Red Bank.  Train into the city after dinner.  Crazy cab ride to The Beacon Theater.
And then a really great Keane performance.
Two years ago when they came through the city and I was on my way to Bermuda.. I promised myself next time I will make the effort.  So I was up in the air NYC with an old friend or MKE by myself or with client.  Ultimately a great reason to visit.
Tom's voice was amazing.  What great range.  A good stage presence.  Tim just makes me smile his quiet Clark Kent looks and humble song writing ability.  And the crazy little way he dances while sitting at the keyboard.  Brilliant!
We jetted early to catch a cab back to the station.   A little stressful as cab driver took us right down 7th and through Times Square.  Thankfully we made the 1118 train.  An hour later I am not sure we would have handled it.
SJK is asleep next to me.  We only just left the airport station.  A ways to go yet.

Clothes

What has started to become apparent with these efforts is that my wardrobe is falling short.
I was excited before our holiday that some of the clothes I was packing were fitting far better than they had in years.  Even with the scale reading something slightly different than before the spacial displacement had clothes fitting better.
So today I am putting on a pair of khaki pants that I bought just last Spring along with the cute trendy tank and cardigan that go with it.  The pants are crazy big.  In fact they seem even bigger than when I wore them just two weeks ago.  I guess I am going to have to hunt down that tailor near where I used to live and get some alterations.  I hadnt really budgetted for that.

As far as workouts go...  I did not get on the bike this weekend.  I was too distracted in trying to get other things done than to be up and on the road before traffic or to haul somewhere else to ride.  I did not swim this weekend.  The SCCL pool is being worked on this week - I suspect with the outdoor pool being open they can do some major work on the indoor pool. 

So my time between now and getting on an airplane on Friday will be spent jogging and stretching and maybe work those push ups and sit ups into the mix.

Yesterday I did run.  I went to the other greenway and parked by the Trader Joes.  I never go to that section to park.  Not many spaces as far as parking goes.  But I got the very last spot.  I ran/walked/jogged just short of 4 miles.  It was nice to get out.  Not too hot for June.  I treated myself to some mango from TJ afterwards.  I also bought this sprouted rye bread.  It tastes just like rye but a little more hearty - like those breads in Ireland.  And due to the sprouting aspect - wahtever that means - it had far less carbs than other breads.  Woo Hoo. 

FYI - the millet isnt too bad.  Reminds me somewhat of grits.

Today in the test kitchen

We are trying millet. Out of quinoa and oats so picked this up to give it a try. Gonna serve with berries and milk as a breakfast cereal.

The past two visits with my friends they have served eggplant. Yes, that is me gagging a little bit. Amazingly I have liked it both times. I am going to have to try it in my own home. I have to remember to get that part back on the grill. Next week when I get home.

Goodbye Athena

Sure I have been battling for this goal for quite some time. So much so I won't really feel it has been achieved until it stays away for a while.
With the weekend right around the corner that may either work for or against me. Sadly realised I have not been on my bike since before Orlando so that needs to be my focus this weekend. With the sun rising earlier it should be easy to achieve. I just need to make sure to get butt out of bed in the morning.

From there - the next goal... Dad's dying of cancer weight. I know morbid goal name. But it was the lowest I have weighed in years. I always felt it was a result of being distracted over those 6 months of illness and after math. The weight crept back up over the 6 years after that. Some times more notably than other. Some reasons more recognizable than others.
I suspect it will be a Summmer goal. And then the home push before the holidays.

ABC Monday Night Tele

I need to hold my tongue on this.  Girl from CLT going to BDA. 
Yes, I just need to keep my observations to myself.

Back in a routine

WW is doing a 6 week fitness challenge and since my employer is paying for us to participate in the WW program we have an opportunity to win some cool things through this challenge.
The discount on Speedo will get me a new bathing suit - YAY!
But it is the Garmin watch that I really want.  Yes, it is one that we have already confirmed is not water proof.  But I am OK with that, it has a GPS in it.
I am not sure exactly what the challenge or should I say the drawing entails.  I would like to think the more activity points you acquire the greater your odds.  But who knows.  That is the mindset I am going for.
The minimum they suggest is 2 points per day.  In doing their math it doesnt look like much activity.
My personal goal is a minimum 4 points per day but have been averaging 6.  4 points is a 30 minute run - so...

There are two tris that coincide exactly with the end of the challenge.  I was hoping to find some coutnerparts through work to join me on one but so far there have been NO replies to that email.

I willjust have to keep plugging along.
Last night did a neighborhood run - a few more hills and a head wind for that path.
And then some swimming - didnt swim that long - wasnt initially on the agenda so...
Funniest thing I have done this week and have felt as a result - hold on to your hats - don't laugh too hard - jumping jacks... yes, jumping jacks... I needed something to elevate my heart rate a bit after a long walk on Sunday so I threw some jumping jacks in the midst of the other stretches etc.  Yes, definitely feel that in the upward motion today.  Dont really find myself throwing my arms up above my head like that in the pool.... 

car is fixed

just waiting for the insurance check so i can pay for it when i pick it up...
looking forward to putting the extra daily steps of taking care of this behind me

of course i keep thinking of that kid on his motorcycle with no helmet
thankfully he was OK
cant help but be mad every time i think - really no helmet?
we all know how bad motorbike accidents can be - come on, at least wear a helmet