Gym is Open (Tuesday 10/16)

The gym is open! I'm leaving now to do strength training at the rec center, and probably another one-mile walk around the small lake.  I really enjoyed it yesterday.  My knees are sore, but I put Icy Hot on them, so they should feel a bit better shortly.  I hope I don't reek of Icy Hot, but I guess if I do, too bad! I forgot to mention yesterday that when I ran my errands at Wally's and Target, at both stores, the electric shopping carts ran out of juice, "stranding" me at the back of each store.  Do you think the Higher Deity is telling me it's time to quit being lazy and leave the electric carts alone?   My sister and I will go to aquacise (I shouldn't call it aquacise, it's not rigorous like the classes Jennie teaches because they don't allow the rigorous classes to be taught in the warm pool.  It's more like advanced aqua arthritis, so it's peppy, but not rigorous) later on tonight. Enough blathering from me.  What did you do to move your body today? Kix

Good morning, Kix, and thanks for opening the gym.  I'm not sure what I'll do today for exercise.  I'm taking half a day off work to go car shopping (looking at a Saab 9-3 with a 6-speed manual transmission), and don't want to exercise before I go because I'll be gross and nasty!  If I'm done with the dealer at a reasonable time, I may swing back by the gym at work for 50-60 minutes of cardio.  If that doesn't work out, maybe I'll go for a walk and enjoy the cool, crisp fall air.   Anyway, just wanted to say hi, even though I haven't exercised yet - Kellie

Kellie, I like Saabs!  I sat in one at the auto show last year and nearly snapped my knees off at the joint.  It was the convertible Saab, I don't recall the model, but it was like the one Jack Nicholson drive in "As Good as it Gets.  Even so, I still liked the car very much.  It felt "hot," but not like a racing car. Perhaps if you exercise before car shopping, you can negotiate a better price with the dealer because you'll be so funky and gross that they'll do anything to get you out of there quicker!  Kix

I am going to do the bike for 20 minutes as soon as I finish my coffee.  Other than that and grocery shopping I'll be parked in front of the computer all day I think.a

OK, I made it to the rec center and did 15 minutes of inline skating machine (I noticed a second machine in the storage closet, I wonder if they have bought another one?!), then I did 30 minutes of strength training on the weight machines. I left the rec center and did a mile walk around the lake at the park.  It was almost like intervals today, I walked really vigorously until my heart was pumping, then I slowed down, then I walked vigorously again.  I still had to stop three times because my knees were aching, but I completed the walk.   While I was walking, I passed two seniors walking quite slowly, one of whom was using a walker.  I really admired them for making an effort to keep moving. I left there and was craving some rotisserie chicken, so I went to Costco.  You won't believe this, the electric cart at Costco died on me, too!  It truly is a message! I'm enjoying rotisserie chicken thighs as I type this, and I'll use the white meat for chicken chili for tonight's dinner.  We have aquacise, so I can throw things in the crockpot just before we leave and we'll have a hearty meal waiting for us when we get home. Kix

That has to be a message.  I had chili for lunch, the same chili I've had several times before, and today it made me feel bad.  I am just not having any luck! 

Hi, Kix!  What kind of things do you cook in the crockpot?  I've done pot roast w/ potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and Lipton onion soup mix, and will occasionally make beef stew as well.  But most of my recipes involve too many carbs.  Would love to hear what you're doing - always looking for new crock pot ideas, especially as the colder weather approaches... Kellie

Last night, it was white chicken chili.  I just used one of those overly salted packets of McCormick seasoning (and I'm paying the price today, up 2 lbs since yesterday).  Tonight I am trying a roast beef recipe that is supposed to produce fork-tender shredded beef -- we'll see! I use the crockpot mainly for chili, or bean stew.  I don't like to cook meats in the crockpot on their own, as they get kind of boiled-ish.  The only meat I cook in the crockpot is roast beef, and even then, sometimes it just turns out kind of tough. If the roast beef recipe works out, I'll send it to you. Kix