Sunday, March 29 2020

Weight 124.8, WW Bluepoints 7. I was hoping to be 123 or below by the end of March. I guess that isn't going to happen! But I'm okay with my WW routine so I will get there sooner or later.

We might take a drive today along the Seacoast roads. We tried one I found in a list the other day which was described as a "country road" when the article was written in 2011. Apparently it became a boulevard (divided road) after that so was completely BORING. This one I have done previously.

Other things on the agenda are laundry and walking...

Stay Healthy!

Weight: 163. I can't believe the swing.

But probably means I should reel it in...tomorrow.

Yesterday was a great day. I did venture out to grocery store to get a few things, but I kind of felt bad for not just toughing it out! But we grilled hotdogs, did some house chores, and took a long walk through the neighborhood. We definitely need to do that more often.

You probably saw on facebook that we lit the firepit, drank wine, ate steak, and then watched the Natural!

I'm trying to limit how much news I'm watching now. I know things are bad in NYC and that may come this way later. I'm trying to keep 6 weeks in my mind. Maybe we'll be through the worst of it by then. But I know I cannot control much and i just need to try and focus on the positive.

Today we are about to put a brined turkey on the smoker. I bought extra and froze at Thanksgiving. My mom has some leftover frozen dressing. I'll make up some mashed potatoes and a side of green beans. We're having my parents over.

Hopefully this will give us some good protein to keep around.

I definitely need to be doing these walks once a day if not twice. I know the only other time besides WLS when I lost a good deal of weight is when I took two 45 min. walks a day.

Weight: 133.0
Veggies/Fruits: 9
Macronutrients: Cals - 1,572, Carbs - 165, Fats - 52, Proteins - 79, Fiber - 38
WW Green Points: 40
Fitbit Recorded Sleep: 6'24"
Exercise: 30" very gentle yoga and 10,204 steps

OK, here's a little self-absorption coming at you this morning.

This morning's weight is, once again, the lowest in almost 15 months. I keep saying here and in my journaling that I do NOT want to lose any more weight. Yet little by little the scales still drift downward, sending me that familiar, delicious dose of dopamine. It's a mindset that's hard to change. For the last 15 months, ever since NOLA, I've been trying to lose weight. And now that I've lost the weight and am in self-imposed lockdown with no social life whatsoever--no luncheons, desserts at club meetings, restaurant dinners, travel, vacations or partying with friends--it's easy to fall into the head space I was in during post-op weight-losing days when losing weight was all that mattered.

Needless to say, all my skinny clothes now fit. One of my favorite ways to entertain myself these days is to walk into my closet and play dress-up in outfits I wear during holidays, parties, cruises and other adventures I can't enjoy right now. Typing that feels like sharing a guilty secret with people I want to be regarded by as more serious than someone who plays dress-up for entertainment. ["Shame--that's interesting," she observes.] And yes, you can slap me now.

I've also been thinking a lot lately about "privilege" and how much of it I enjoy. Privilege is a big subject now, given that the pandemic has caused and will cause so much more damage to those who are disadvantaged financially, intellectually, emotionally and other ways. And many folks who otherwise could control their exposure to the virus have so many family responsibilities or are in the kinds of home and work relationships and situations that mean they simply cannot control their exposure to the virus; some are caregivers of fragile people, and some simply have to live or work with people of all ages who think their "freedoms" shouldn't be limited, even temporarily.

Then there are those who dramatically discount the threat to their own safety from people they love and vice versa. Yesterday, I talked on the phone with a yoga class friend here who plans to gather next weekend with multiple families she's related to who live in several states at the family's holiday compound on a river because "We're all getting stir crazy." Can you imagine a better way to spread the virus to those you love? Yeah, I can't either. Yet, because they're "family" this irrational behavior seems only sensible to her and her family. In this situation, love can actually kill us or someone we love, and one of my privileges right now is not loving anyone that much.

For now, I think that my surviving this virus depends on a combination of my discipline, good luck and those two magic elements that always leaven fortunes--degrees and timing.

And in related news, this morning I realized that this ****'s getting real: I saved bacon grease for the first time in at least 45 years!

Enjoy your Sunday. I hope much of it is screen-less.

I agree with you, mostly. Crossing state lines and large gatherings aren't a good idea now. I will not be going to visit my sister in Texas. But my parents are local here and they have had little exposure to anyone and we've had almost none. So I will still see them. Of course I have been to the grocery store and so have they. I still feel that I'm flattening the curve--though it cannot be totally eliminated and most people probably will catch the virus, anyhow. Taken to an extreme, I suppose I could isolate from my immediate family since I was at a grocery store yesterday.

I also saved bacon grease. To go in green beans. Nom

I think being with your parents, at your home, is vastly different than having several families from different places a all meet up. You know where they've been, and they know the same of you.

Anne I would be playing dress up too if I had hit my lowest weight again. It is a heady mix of emotions/hormones when you see those numbers.

Yesterday I took a day off from being the quarantine cruise director. I read, knit 3 washclothes, took a nap, and watched some Netflix and SNL rerun. DD made us a delicious potato soup for dinner. It was a cold, lashing rain, so I didn't go outside. Drizzling this morning.

I'm starting online teaching tomorrow. It's like the first day of school all over again. I'm starting off slowly, as suggested. No need to overwhelm students or me.

Observation: Our geriatric cat is having the best week ever.

My family also has a "family compound" in the woods in Northern Minnesota. 3 travel trailers and an A frame cabin. We may end up vacationing there, but not together. If DH and I go up there, we would not even enter my parents trailer, regardless of the fact they are not there. We will not meet up with my brother etc, because, again, due to husband working with the public, we need to act like we are infected but a symptomatic, because we very well could be. We would bring every single thing we need. No entering stores and bringing Covid to this rural area, and no buying out their supplies. Leave them for the people who live there. Sounds a little different than what Anne's friends are planning. Good luck to them and those around them.

Your situation sounds a little different than mine, DD. Staying for 5 months has much more of an impact than what you describe you guys would do.

I went to see my dad and his wife yesterday. I had really mixed feelings about it, but they go home to MI on Friday (chartered flight, so hopefully safer than airports and major airlines) and I won't see them likely until November. And no one knows what the future holds for anyone these days. I'm glad I went, though there was some guilt. Though I feel like I've been much more isolated than they have!

They really want me to go this summer (now preferably), but I have read enough articles about areas with a large number of second homes where the locals don't want the summer home owners to come to their areas and take up resources (medical and otherwise) and potentially bring the virus. I feel like the respectful thing to do is skip a year. My family disagrees, but I feel pretty strongly. Who knows, conditions could change for the better in several months and I could reassess.

On my way home I got caught up in the middle of my first high speed chase! Holy cow. At first I thought somebody was getting pulled over way behind me and then before I could blink or get over I realized it wasn't one cop car it was six! And they were chasing a motorcycle who nearly clipped the back of my car doing at least 100 miles an hour. I was passed on both sides by the 6 highway patrol cars easily keeping up with the motorcycle. I actually pulled my neck in like a turtle and squealed. Totally crazy. Totally California. He gave up about 20 miles away after reaching 130 mph at times according to the news.

I have to clean today.

PS, my friend's family is still doing okay and she is not yet sick. But she's irritated with everyone and everything which feels reasonable!

PPS - we watched Ford vs. Ferrari and we all totally loved it.

You might be able to go this summer. On the one hand, people were "surging" to their cabins this week. It was an unexpected influx this time of year, and emptied the shelves in some rural stores. But I would also think that those same stores rely on the extra shopping, spending summer residents bring in (when they have inventory they planned for the influx). And even if restaurants aren't doing indoor seating, take away customers may keep them alive. Come this summer, you'll have to weigh the impact you and other summer residents would have, both negative and positive. I do know one thing though, all things being equal I would never leave California for this area of the country in April. It's cold, still brown, likely to snow some more... enjoy some sun, greenery and super exciting drives for me. :)