Whatcha eating today VSGers? Sunday, 10/1/2017

Happy October!

I am super swollen today from spending yesterday at the Ren Faire, but it was a glorious day and I managed to get a lot of school work done when I got home. For the first time this week I'm feeling like I'll actually be capable of finishing everything by tonight at midnight. Woo!

QOTD: Talk to me about calendars. Do you use one? Do you use many? Google calendar? Desk calendar? Wall calendar? Planner? If you have different calendars, what purpose does each one serve?

I primarily use Google calendar because it syncs to my phone and my family can access it on their phones as well. I don't know how households with multiple adults lived prior to having Google calendar on their phones. :P I also have a wall calendar (Ansel Adams!) which I mainly have for the art because I really only use it for major dates like birthdays and, since it's complicated at the moment, my sleeping schedule. Last, but definitely not least, when I went back to school I needed a student planner to stay on track and that has evolved into a Bullet Journal which is the BEST THING EVER.

1: protein shake
2: leftover steak fajita nachos
3: cookbook club food - I'm taking a mashed potato cake, which I will just have a bite of, and also a ham and spinach baked custard thing which is basically like a crustless quiche. So if no one else brings anything I can eat, I'll stick to that.

liquid and vites: will be on track. I was totally off track due to the Faire yesterday
exercise: nope. Podiatrist on Tuesday!

How about you?

I've got too much stressing me out right now, and I'm letting it affect my schoolwork, which makes me angrier. I flaked on my weekly paper for Educ Psych that was due at midnight last night. I didn't even start it until I got home from dinner at my BFFs at 10pm, managed to throw something together and beat the deadline. I'm usually hard on myself about my grades, so this one is gonna hurt. I'll be lucky if I can squeak a "B" out of it. I gotta stop letting everything keep me from my homework...aaaaargh!

QOTD: I use the Google calendar app on my phone, and on my PC I use the calendar part of my email program, Mozilla Thunderbird. I could probably sync them or just use the Google both places, but I actually put different info on them. I use the phone mostly for business and doctor appts, the Thunderbird calendar is for everything else like birthdays, etc.

B: Yogurt, Fiber One, coffee w/H&H and xylitol

L: Leftover bacon and cheese "egg pie" (minus the crust) sent home from my BFF

D: Yesterdays BFF Mystery Meal leftovers, which turned out to be yummy Chicken Fajitas (meat and veg only) with some sour cream, cheese, and guacamole

Water and vites on track

Happy Sunday (and beginning of October). DH and I are going to a BBQ in central Massachusetts (near where we used to live). We plan to get apples at an orchard near there as well.

QOTD: I rely on the calendar on my phone (and Outlook at work, though that goes away soon). We also have a large whiteboard one in the kitchen for DH as it helps him orient (Alzheimer's).

1.5 years post-op (maintenance). 29 work days to retirement (11/13).

B: eggbeaters, cottage cheese and Canadian bacon

L: Shrimps

D: Out to dinner with DD

S: Cheese sticks, yogurt

Would you mind if I ask you a few nosy questions about retirement? (I'm a Gerontology student and have the habit of treating everyone as a science experiment, so better to ask permission first!)

Here are the questions - I won't be offended if you don't want to answer them. And if you prefer to private message, that's cool too :)

1. What do you do for your work and how long have you done this?
2. Are you currently working full time?
3. How old are you?
4. What are your plans for retirement?
5. Are you choosing to retire or is the choice being made for you? (By policy, your employer, family, etc.)
6. Do you enjoy your job?
7. Do you feel mentally stimulated by your job?
8. Are you looking forward to retirement?

Like I said.. totally nosy questions :P My mom is 74 (omg, I still keep typing 73) and still working full time, so the whole retirement topic is one we've talked about a lot. And it comes up in my studies often as well! It seems like a challengingexcitingscaryomg decision to make.

I don't mind at all. These are pretty basic!

1. What do you do for your work and how long have you done this? A low-level executive at an insurance company - 40 years working there though 15 of them were as a contractor part-time (in the middle). Have mostly been on the business side working with IT on strategic technology.
2. Are you currently working full time? Yes
3. How old are you? 62
4. What are your plans for retirement? 7 months of the year on Cape Cod and 5 months in Florida. I might contract a little remotely...
5. Are you choosing to retire or is the choice being made for you? (By policy, your employer, family, etc.) I was planning to retire at the end of the year (decided about 18 months ago and bought the place in Florida this past February in preparation). My husband has Alzheimer's so I am retiring to be home with him full-time and to enjoy retirement for as long as we can while he is still himself (he still mostly is, with memory and communication problems). HOWEVER, my company has been going through a year of reorganization which resulted in everyone in my department (about 20) receiving 60 days notice to reapply for the new roles (there are actually more than 20 jobs open). So I am leaving with severance on 11/13 (1.5 months earlier than planned).
6. Do you enjoy your job? I always loved my job up until the last year: The reorganization has been immensely painful so it is a good time to go.
7. Do you feel mentally stimulated by your job? Yes, always - I'll miss that.
8. Are you looking forward to retirement? Absolutely (hence the countdown). With a little trepidation about possibly being a little bored as well as worry about what the future will bring with DH.

How is it October already?? I slept poorly last night with lots of weird dreams. So I'm moving at sloth speed this morning.

QOTD: I'm an Apple person, so I use iCal and it syncs up to all my toys. On the subject of toys, I just bought Airpods yesterday - the wireless earphones - and they are awesome! I can listen to stuff from my watch on a walk. So cool!

B - coffee and yogurt

L - deli turkey and cheese rolls

D - 1/2 chicken cobb salad from Panera Bread

S - protein pudding

Must drink a lot of water today. I have a bazillion hikes next week and I think I'm a little dehydrated...

I managed to sleep in a bit today, but then had to rush around to leave for church on time. I didn't have time for coffee, and had to finish my cottage cheese in the car.

i didn't manage to start the running program yesterday. By the time I finished the yard work it was late and I already had 14k steps. That's way more than I've ever done post-op so I didn't want to pu**** I'm on my way to the park soon to do it.

QOTD - my wife and I use Google calendar. I also have a calendar attached to my work email, and I'm also a big fan of the bullet journal (although right now mine is really just a running to-do list).

B - cottage cheese, coffee with half and half after church

L - leftover Reuben roll up

S - protein shake with PB2

D - roasted chicken with green beans (and potatoes for the family)

E - day 1 of C25k

water and vitamins on track

Ugggg Monday again and back to work - horrible 4 lettered word! We spent our long weekend catching up with friends and then on our farm. I love it so much up there - its always hard to come home. Another short week though - leaving for Harvey Bay on Friday for 8 days. Cant wait

QOTD: For work we use the IT package portals calendar, for me personally I still use a diary - week to an opening. Our life is so hectic that it helps me juggle it all

B: 3 Pork Meatballs

S: Babybel cheese x 2

L: Tuna Mornay

D: TBD - have a couple of ultrasounds after work

Scale finally moving down again - been a yo yo for past 3+ weeks. Next goal onederland !

Have a great day/night all :)

I'm really late to the party, but we had a fantastic weekend! I'll post about it more tomorrow morning.

8 months post op/Maintenance/Didn't Weigh Today

M1: Coffee, Miralax, and Premier Protein

M2: Protein Bar & String Cheese

M3: Little Cheeseburger from Five Guys (3/4 of the patty, no bun)

M4: 1/2 cup meaty chili w/ shredded cheese and plain yogurt

S: Protein cake bites & Yogurt w/ Pecans