The Endless Day

Well, not endless (because it's about to end with me going to bed at 8:45pm) but filled with 87 errands and non-ideal meal planning.

Breakfast was kashi and milk. Lunch was hummus and pita (forgot cantaloupe.) Then I rushed out of work after my last client to meet Stacey for a walk. We did a fast (and somewhat chilly) 60 minute walk by the ocean (and in my rush out the door in the morning I hadn't chosen ideal clothes but for once I wasn't boiling hot.)

Then after the walk I rushed home to get the dog to bring her to the vet. I swigged some milk and put some dry kashi in a zip loc bag to eat on the way down to the vet. Drove for 45 minutes to the vet (took a wrong turn and realized that I was driving into a prison) then at the vet for about an hour. After the vet had to stop at Trader Joe's for white rice and chicken for the dog. By that time it was 5:30 and I was hungry. I bought some string cheese and some pretzels and ate those on the way home. Stopped at the dry cleaners and the wine store (come on now) and finally back home. Then made rice and chicken for the dog (Trader Joe's doesn't have plain white rice, so she's getting basmati) and a little pizza for me.

I'll track my food in the morning but a quick glance makes me think I'm within my calories, although I could have used more veggies and probably more water.

Plan for the rest of the night: sleep sleep sleep. And not wake up at 4am. Please.

Plan for tomorrow: clean kitchen, gym, lift weights, read some of my new books.

The dog has already perked up which is good. Here she is among the crocuses last spring.

Good night!

Where Beets and OLP Go Hill Walking

Having a friend to work out with is a great motivator, because when you think that 2 rounds of bench push ups and tricep dips are enough, she says "one more would be perfect." Or when there is a giant hill, you can go up it together and not talk yourself out of it.

So, OLP and I went walking for an hour, and did our strength exercises (I even did some plank) and now we have the rest of the day to do as we please - which for me involves going to a cook out at my mom's with yummy food and healthy food and fun people. I wish I had some yogurt as I am rather hungry now. I think I'll have a bit of almond butter, then shower and stop at Whole Foods in the way for yogurt - although Whole Foods on a holiday weekend is not fun, so maybe not. Maybe just the almond butter, and then grocery shopping on my way home.

I feel very good, and not just because I'm not sick anymore, but because working out feels good and not being up to it for that many days in a row was not fun.

Lazy Sunday

Not too lazy, we did manage to get in a 45 minute walk at the park on Driftway with the dogs who found this puddle to jump and play in. Note to self: bring towels when taking the dogs to the park in the rain.  And I did some plank and side plank (inside, not out in the rain.)

We ate well - tacos on Saturday night with some of the grass fed beef from the farm, and a bit of lemon sherbet for dessert. Then he made omelets with pesto for breakfast this morning, and we had the leftover taco fixings over lettuce for lunch.

Now I've got to wash some dishes and think of things for lunch this week. I think that Farro will be the Grain of the Week, and I have some broccoli to cook, along with some cauliflower.

Dinner will maybe be an artichoke and I don't know what else yet.

A Little Rain is Not the End of the World

Went for a walk at World's End. That photo is a few weeks old, it's much more green there now. It was sort of raining at the beginning, but I was prepared with my fleece, and rain coat and gloves. My energy was nice and high throughout the walk thanks to the oatmeal and the fact that I had made sure to have enough water before heading out.

I did the whole route, including going straight up the hill on the way back (which is getting easier each time), for a total time of one hour. It only rained a little, and I was fine.

Then I came home and had lunch (curried chick peas with spicy chicken sausage) and a bit of chocolate.

It is supposed to rain quite hard tomorrow, so I'm glad I was able to get a walk in today. Tomorrow will be yoga, or perhaps some more Denise Austin.

A Skewer of Egrets

No, not what I ate for dinner last night. That is apparently one of the collective nouns used when referring to a group of egrets, and what I saw this morning at 5:45 a.m. They were flying, rather clumsily, from one side of the road to the other, since the marsh is cut in half by the road. There were 10 or so, all white and slim with their black legs. Quite a sight to behold.

Then when I was in the yard with the dog, I finally spotted the woodpecker that I've been hearing for the past few weeks.

What does this have to do with fitness and getting in shape? Well, I only saw these things because I was up so early and outside. And I wanted to be up that early and outside. Even when getting up early meant leaving this:

Well, the dog is easy to leave. He's a bit insane.

Breakfast soon - probably eggs with some veggies, then a walk. And maybe this 20 minute yoga video
View not cut-off version on the Yoga Journal Website. 

Bonus Points, or A Body In Motion Tends to Stay in Motion*

I just took the dog for a walk in the rain. Actual rain. Not drizzle. And an actual walk, not a short trip around the yard saying "come on, good girl, go poops." This was a full-on, rain-coated, reflectored, 15 minute walk. The perfect way to end the day. And the dog walked fast because of the rain so it was at a nice pace, and not the usual "walk 10 steps, stop and sniff for 5 minutes, walk 1 step, sniff, walk 2 steps, repeat."

I think all my walking has gotten into my blood and my body enjoys the walking now and is more likely to continue walking than to stop.

Although, I do have to say that I hate walking in the rain. I hate it when my hands are wet. This might explain my aversion to washing the dishes, and is perhaps the sign of some sort of sensory integration disorder. What do hikers do when they hike in the rain? Do they just deal with wet hands? This I must find out.

*Newton's First Law of Motion

Second Walk or Don't Always Believe The Map

We started out well - we had a map, we had a plan. And the map was great for a while. And then it decided to stop working, and the path (which was not on the map) we were on through the woods of Turkey Hill took us here (not quite the woods we had in mind):


So our nature walk turned into walking down a rather busy road past a very busy ice cream hut:



until we finally reached the Great Swamp: (that's me)



This is Jess




The walk turned out to be 90 minutes. There were lots of up hills, very pretty woods, no bugs and perfect temperature.

My planned trip to Whole Foods afterwards to get zucchini to make Black Bean and Corn Wontons was aborted due to Tired Legs and Dread of Crowds. Now I'm lying in bed with my feet up and feeling quite accomplished for the day.

You can read Jess's version of our adventure on her blog.

The Fox and the Gardeners

First of all, if anyone knows how to prevent the smooshed paragraphs that show up after the  nicely spaced first paragraph, please tell me. I've tried redoing the font and alignment, but nothing it helping and it is making me batty. 

I walked for 45 minutes this morning. Up a new hill, and back down, then half way up the first dead end road on my route.  But there was a little fox walking up the road ahead of me. He'd go into the woods and then come back out, and look back at me and the trot on. It seemed strange that he'd be out at that hour (a little after 8) since I thought they were nocturnal, so I thought perhaps he was rabid and that I'd rather not be at the end of a dead end road with him so I bid him goodbye and turned back.  

Then I went up the last dead end road on my route. The gardeners and landscapers were already all out working and I was again prevented from finishing my route as it would have involved passing a gentleman relieving himself next to his landscaping truck.  Lovely. 

I'll try to head out a little earlier next time. 

Playing Hooky with Mother Nature

This is the hawk I saw on my birthday. He's on the branch right in the middle of the photo. 
This is the place I usually walk. 
This is where I walked today instead of working. Norris Reservation in Norwell.  40 minutes. Nice pine smell. Pretty woods. 
This was where I sat for a few minutes and looked at the river. 
This was where I took a photo by accident of my foot and iPhone cord.  

I made chick pea curry from this blog, but I think my curry powder had too much chipotle in it because it is very spicy.  I simmered it for almost an hour.  I think I might need to add more tomatoes and chickpeas.