05/22/18, Tuesday

Greetings Tuesday Weed Whackers

Seems like it is the season for week whacking. DH was our doing our front yard yesterday which is how he mows it since its tiny and much of it is heathers. He gave our old gasoline whacker to our neighbor and she was out weed whacking for hours. Back yard looks like a hay field so maybe he will get at it today.

148.5 still. I took a lot of cardboard to the recycle yesterday while DH was at the dentist. Made chili for dinner at his request with home canned tomatoes from last year and grass fed beef. Yummy.

Diane O, that sounds like a great salad and dinner. Yep the farmers markets have started here and will soon be ramping up with the good stuff. I love rattatouie and can't wait until the stuff is all available. Even though heirloom tomatoes are available soon at the farmers market, I am convinced that the only way to get really good ones is to grow your own. Here on the coast that means a green house. It just doesn't get hot enough for them otherwise.

Carbon, I hear you on the paper shred. Unbelievable how it mounts up. I have 3 grocery bags full to go to the recycle and I bet I can find three more.

Cecily, so sorry about the infection. Hope they can get it cleared up soon so you can get on with recovery. No fun being laid up.

Well not much news here. Off to another day of paper shuffling and clay shuffling. Cheers. Diane S

Weight 134.4

Macros cals 1,702, carbs 180, fats 87, fiber 23

Sleep 8 hours

V/F servings 5

Exercise none

Yesterday I went to the big city for my monthly shrink appointment. He continues to be brilliant and helpful for me. And my luncheon with old friends from The Loft was lovely, including 4 delicious bites of pecan pie and ice cream.

I'm going back to the big city this coming weekend for a Memorial Weekend loft rooftop barbecue and movie, and looking forward to it.

Yesterday I also found a really cute outfit for the next cruise -- a long navy and white dress that will look great on the open decks. I also got some long-needed errands done. Plus I had my car washed really good inside and out. #CountryLifeWishes

And last night I slept 8 whole hours. On the sleep hygiene front, last weekend I decided to set my alarm every morning for 4:30 in an effort to regulate more rigorously my waking up and going to sleep times. I think the alarm is already helping me sleep longer not worrying if I'll oversleep.

I talked to the shrink about procrastination issues and brainstormed some things to investigate and attempt. I'll let you know how that goes.

Today's a big errand day with hair appointment, oil change, fuel contract negotiations, and trying to get my damned internet service fixed. This posting via my cell phone sucks.

Anyway, that's all the news that's fit to print.

Today's theme: Do the important things, including the things that make me happy.

Not being a natural morning person, why do you get up so damn early? I'm not poking fun, I really do want to know. It seems counter intuitive to me to get up 1.5-2.0 hours prior to dawn. You are retired, so I don't really understand the desire to awaken so early. Hope the question is not off putting.

Devon, I love the quiet and coffee and the dawn. You probably don't know this, but the sun comes up before 6am these days. ;)

Put another way, I'm a lark, not an owl. :)

The few times I'm up before dawn, I do enjoy the sunrise. However, to be truly rested and get up at that hour of the morning, I would have to go to bed early, early and for me, that just doesn't seem to work!

I still tend to wake up on my own around 4:30 (my old get up for work time), but I try to stay in bed until 6 now. Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes not. I am struggling with what is optimal time for me with DH needing 12-13 hours of sleep and me only needing 8.

Cecily, I'm so sorry that you are now suffering infection in the incision sites. Again, a question like Shell's - one that is none of my business - How did you know the sites were infected?

Paula, thinking of you, the boys and Ben. Much love!

BB - thank you for the reply on my post yesterday. I had thought of your point of view, but didn't pay it much mind. When you mentioned it, I thought, you know, I could continue to eat this way for a looooong time without much trouble. And if that means 2 pounds per week, Hallelujah!

True Confessions: I fell momentarily off the sugar wagon yesterday. The brilliant thing though was that I proved to myself that I am 100% capable of resetting my attitude and abstaining from sugar for the rest of the day. I had my moment, thoroughly understood from where it came and why it escalated. Essentially, a win and a learning experience. What I hope to carry with me is the lesson learned - "Chocolate is a party of decadence in my mouth. Given a taste of decadence all I want is more, more, MORE!

My weight is exactly 250.0. I am hoping to see a 4 in the tens place tomorrow. So far my calorie intake is in the 600-700 range (Jimmy Dean Delight breakfast sandwich, a Salad with grilled chicken and veggies and southwestern style ranch dressing and 1 apple). That is doable. It's Ron's night to do dinner, but I think I will offer to make something. He is tired and does not have the gift of peeking in the fridge and putting together a meal. I have some marinated chicken thighs ready for the grill. I think that and some quinoa and a salad or green beans sounds tasty.

Open House is Thursday. Open House is a stressful time of year for teachers. Luckily, I am not bothered by the event. I no longer feel the need to impress. It's about the kids, not about me. I get that there is "parent shopping" going on, but the parents that go shopping are not the ones I love having in my room. Walk into my room on Open House and what you see is what you get. Tons and tons of kid generated work, lots and lots of writing - poetry, expository, narrative, opinion, slide show presentations, but no fiction. Other than a few charts on the walls for student reference, everything on the walls is done by students. Over the years I have found that parents appreciate seeing what their students are able to do independently, not something glitzy and created for the occasion.

No grooming for me until the weekend, except for my own doggies. Had to take a little time for open house work and for the gym.

That's it from me today.

Amen! I love your open house strategy.

Devon, prepare yourself for a gross answer. The incisions have separated, are gray with pus, weeping moisture and it smells funny. I was asked to take pictures and email to the doctor who after seeing them wanted to see me within 24 hours. See my above description of the ****show that happened when I went up for my impromptu appointment this afternoon.

I continue to wish that you were my teacher (or my kids)!

I do think that the strategy of understanding what drives us to over-eat certain things and not arbitrarily excluding anything is healthy in the long run if we can figure out how to control it. Always a work in progress for many of us (me at least).

Your calories! And you were amazed that I could do that. I'm struggling to drop them that low right now and I think I need to for a couple of weeks...