Recent Posts
Hi Ladies,
I feel really good today. The benadryl is helping the itch I was experiecing. I fell asleep before 11:00 pm last night and got up at 6:45 am before my alarm goes off. Been to the laundromat, you can tell school is in session. It was busy.
B egg whites ham and cheese omelet and string cheese
L cottage cheese, turkey deli meat, and baby carrots
D spagetti squash and sauce with hamburger in it
S greek yogurt, turkey sausage snack sticks, and apple.
Have a good day.
Hi Julia and my OFF friends:
Hope you are all well. I went to the Y and then to see "Sully." Good movie. I love our theater; it has reclining seats plus the charge is $3.99 before 5 p.m. So I sat there in my reclining seat and had my neurostim on and felt like I was getting a massage. Wonderful.
Came home and had an argument on the phone with the ADP customer service rep. I had to re-register on the site so I can send them my receipts from 2015 so they can unfreeze my account and I can get Cobra. But the only way to do that is to get a registration code that will be sent to my old email at work. I said I can't do that because I no longer work there. The woman, who spoke in heavily accented English very fast, said you have to get your employer to change your email. I told her several times I no longer work there, they're not my employer. Can't I just have you change my email. She said no. But ... she could email me the forms to send the receipts. This took a half hour on hold and 20 minutes of arguing. She wouldn't let me talk to a supervisor. And then when she gave me the fax number, I had to repeat it several times because I couldn't understand her ... my brother came home in the middle of this and said, "You sound like you're not having a good day."
Well, the Y and movie were good, the phone call was horrible. I'm having a glass of blueberry wine now. I deserve it. The funny thing is, I found out I have cobra anyway, despite these letters I got that said I don't. 
While I jumped into football my first year in South Dakota, there was always basketball. And more basketball. It started with girls' hoops in the fall, followed by the winter seasons of high school boys' hoops, and men's and women's college basketball at Northern State University, our local college in Aberdeen. I was responsible for covering Aberdeen Central High School sports, but pitched in on other things as needed, worked the desk when the sports editor Ron Feickert was off and wrote a twice-weekly column and features. It was busy all year long, with a brief respite in summer.
In my first fall, I was introduced to an incredible young athlete from Langford high school, Julie Jensen. She was to be an integral part of my time in Aberdeen. While at Langford, her teams amassed a record of 94-9 and went to the State Class B Tournament four times.
Jensen was a humble young woman, well-spoken, intelligent and of course, a great athlete. I got to watch her play at the state tourney and at some other games during her career, but mostly when she got to college at Northern State, where she became a force for the Wolves in the NAIA Division II tournaments. More about that later.
With Aberdeen Central, it was all about Eric Kline. I was told about him right away when I joined the staff, about what a great player he was and how much fun he was to watch. He did not disappoint.
Kline was a junior when I joined the American News staff in 1989. I did an interview with him early in the season and got to see him play for two years in high school and thought that would be it. He decided to go to Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
But then he decided to transfer to NSU and play in his hometown. Suddenly the Wolves had a potent outside weapon.
Kline was a 3-point scoring machine. He ranked among the state's top career scorers with 2,025 points. He set a record for Central with 59 points in a single game. No doubt he would do the same for Northern.
Beyond the game, Kline was a humble young man who had no designs on a professional basketball career. He was first to credit God for his gifts every time I talked to him. I liked that he had that faith. I believe he did the work to improve his game every day, too.
The Golden Eagles took the state AA championship in Kline's freshman year, then second in 1989, fourth in 1990 and third in 1991. I saw all but the championship.
Those two kids were the main cogs on the high school and college scene while I was in Aberdeen. But there were others, too. There were the Boekelheide twins, Scott and Chad, of Northwestern High School, in nearby Mellette. They weren't identical twins but it was hard to tell them apart. Both also went to Northern State and played on the same team with Kline. They were 5-11 and 6-0, and what they lacked in height, they made up in jumping ability and basketball smarts. They knew how to box out, how to gain the advantage on their opponent.
There was the Northwestern girls' basketball team of 1991 that beat Wakonda, which had won 101 games at the time. Chris Swanhorst led the team to the semifinal upset, then had to have her appendix removed the next night and missed the championship game.
In the fall, I'd hit basketball tournaments, and then football championships in Vermillion, under the dome. The football championships were a two-day gridiron feast, with three games one day and two the next - three 9-man, two 11-man. The 9-man games were crazy, high-scoring affairs. Sometimes I'd have two games to cover, sometimes three. One year, it was one.
With girls' basketball, it was often three or more games in the B tournament, since many teams in the coverage area were from small towns. One year, when I was covering the tournament in Mitchell (home of the Corn Palace), I got sick and had diarrhea. I couldn't cover the tournament the second day. I was stuck in my motel room, staying near the toilet. I felt bad, but what could I do? I snuck out to get some Imodium when I thought I could, got the disease under control and was able to work the next day. That was the only time I had to skip a tourney.
I now know it was probably irritable bowel syndrome, but I didn't know that back then.
One year, I had to drive to Rapid City, leave my car at the airport there, then fly out to Salem, Oregon, to cover the NSU women in the NAIA Division II national tournament. Then, when that was over, and Jensen and the Wolves lost in the semifinals, I had to fly back to Rapid City and cover the Aberdeen Central boys in the Class AA state tourney. I had one-day leeway between the flight in and the start of the tournament. And still, no cellphones, so I wasn't sure how to reach the Central coach, Terry Small.
I think that had to be one of the longest and most difficult stretches I had on the road. It was 1994. I was 39. Time was marching on me. After a three-day tournament, I still had a five-hour drive home. It used to be fun, but now it was another long drive home, followed by two days off (not nearly enough anymore, considering I worked nearly eight days straight, counting flight time and driving).
I was starting to think about something a little different. I was burning out. I loved talking to people, having them tell me their stories, but I just was tired of going to the games. Bleachers can be hard on the back. I hadn't hurt my knees yet, but they weren't the greatest because of my weight. And that was getting higher because I was dealing with depression, dissatisfaction with my job, my life.
But right now, early on, I love it. I was still young, peppy, enjoying the rapport with the kids, coaches and sometimes, even the parents. Now, if they'd only move girls' basketball to the winter.
Julia,
I really need to post the parts of the article that I wrote for a local weight loss surgeon. The research that I found reinforces what we all know: our weight is controlled not by our pouches but by our minds. I may start posting pieces of it. But, you are like me and so many of the others who are making responsible choices to keep the weight off: we recognize that there is a problem and we have to change or be proactive to make a change....so many of those who gain weight after the first couple of years do so because they are in denial and put their heads in the sand....if they don't think about it, it will go away. Sadly, our fat cells have memory that is automatically triggered when we take in more calories than we use. People who have never been morbidly obese or even regularly obese do not have that memory programed into their fat cells. Muscle builders who suddenly stop lifting weights will lose muscle mass but when they start lifting again, their muscles like our fat cells have that memory and the bulk is built like our fat cells fill with fat. Some doctors think that fat cell memory is an evolutionary trait to insure survival of the fittest in times of famine; however, others think it's programed by poor eating habits...either way, they know it exists.
B: 1 egg with 1/2 toast no butter
L: four large shrimp with two sautéed mushrooms
D: black bean soup
Snack: I freakin' had nothing to snack on....I could have eaten apples or pears or grapes but unless they are canned, they hurt my pouch....the apples don't really hurt it but I've been afraid to push the pouch because of that abdominal pain I have had off and on and because of the pain medication making me so nauseous...so, no snacks.
Ladies....I thought I would share my little skip-a-beat-heart moment. I have these avocado trees that I have grown from avocado pits and they are huge...today wasn't too hot so I drug the damn pots outside to let the little fellows absorb some much needed sun rays. When I took them out, it was early in the morning and I was in my night close (housecoat included), but when I went to bring them in, I looked out the window first and saw a couple of men standing near my little porch and I didn't want them to think I was one of the women who sits home all day in her robe with bobby socks and torn house shoes on so I got dressed, combed my hair, put a little lip stick and blush on, dabbed some mascara on and went out on the porch to bring in the avocado trees. When I went out, the gentlemen stopped talking and the older fellow, about my age, looked my way and smiled, and I smiled and I started pulling the first plant in and he walked over and said, let me help you and he carried both big assed pots in for me and put them in front of my kitchen window for me....I said, thank you so much and he said you are more than welcome....he said is that coffee still hot, and I said, I believe it is, so I poured him a cup of coffee. He thanked me and I thought be still my heart and then he left. A few minutes later, he knocks and gives me back my cup....he said, thank you so much Mrs....I said, Jeannie and he said, is there a Mr. Jeannie and I said, yes and he said, of course, you are too fine a woman to be all alone. I sort of gagged at his line but thought how sweet and he left. Later yet, my neighbor comes over and says, hey that guy that helped you move your plants is quite smitten with you and I said, how do you know and she said, he was talking to my brother...I said, wow...he is easily impressed and she said, not really...he is the architect who is developed the plans for the theater and new art gallery....here's how out of touch I am...I didn't know we built a new theater or art gallery. Then I said, he seemed really sweet but you know, my husband caught a fifty pound catfish the other day....Kenny will be more than happy that I brag on him to our neighbor who is trying to impress me with another man. LOL....Besides, Kenny is house broke, knows what buttons to never push, and he is pretty good in the sack for both loving and sleeping....so no trade ins...in fact, when he wears out, if I'm still kicking, I look forward to going solo. For reals.
Hi Julia,
I like the new font. Sorry your garage sale was not so good. I dont know what to say about the eating because I have a hard time with that. Ive found if I dont have it in the house then I dont eat it. Like last night I had popcorn but I figuire its better than cookies, ice cream and candy.
I got my walk in this morning. I took off last week. Think i need that once in awhile.
B egg whites ham and cheese omelet and string cheese.
L cottage cheese and baby carrots
D spaghetti squash and sauce with hamburger in it
S greek yogurt, turkey sausage snack sticks, apple
Have a wonderful day
Hey, Hey!
Trying out a new font...looks like I'm writing on an old typewriter! I'm easily amused.
Our garage sale was terrible. Made $50...hardly any people came. Ay ay ay! So much work. But I am still happy that we did it. Hospice gets everything, we get a less
cluttered garage and house, and my car will fit in the garage now too. My husband's car has fit for years but mine did not.
I'm struggling with my weight again... I wish I could stay focused all the time. I look at what I do and it amazes me how little self control I have at times. It is so much a problem in my brain.
Oh well...another day to start again.
Breakfast- protein drink
Lunch- tuna on lettuce
Dinner- steak tacos
Snack- watermelon
Hope you are making plans for your knee replacement Jeannie. I think you are not being given a choice on that. I hate seeing you in such pain.
Nancy, glad you are experiencing less pain as that is an awful way to have to live!
Not to get political but the climate changes around the world are pretty undeniable! Don't even know what to expect this winter...they just can't get it right. But it IS weather, right?
I could also live on fruit & grapes have been my best friend!
Yvonne glad you're almost done the antibiotic...hopefully you can get back to normal, too!
Jeannie, your trip to ER sounded awful. Crappy way to spend the day. You sure have a LONG list planned out...I envy the access you have to fruit & nuts and how nothing seems to go to waste!
I've been doing a little cleaning & relaxing today. Went to our Pow Wow yesterday, but after a couple hours of walking around in the extreme heat & humidity our friend started having a seizure. Medics got him an ambulance & off we all went to hospital. Felt bad for him as he is terminally ill at only 60 & was enjoying himself all morning.
I got my protein powder in the mail yesterday so I am going to try to get the carbs I've been feasting on under control. I am gonna try to cut down to less than 75/day & increase my protein to 100-115. Wish me luck!
B - 2 bacon, 1 egg, 2 pancakes
L - 2 chicken strips & applesauce
S - protein bar
D - cod & more applesauce
Kathy
Thanks so much....the visit to the ER was well worth the inconvenience of the wait. Today the knee is much better and I am only taking one pain pill every five or six hours.
