September taught me something

I'm beginning to thiknk there is something to this breakfast/time for yourself business.
All month (well OK 95% of it) I've made a point of getting up 10 minutes earlier and having a yummy hot breakfast (usually oatmeal and fruit) and taking a few minutes for myself to just sit, relax and pet my cat.
And wouldn't you know it? I feel great. Last year when I volunteered for the pledge drive at night and worked all day...well, I was stressed to the max and exhausted. This year I feel way better. According to J I still am stressed out at the pledge drive (he rarely sees me stressed and doesn't like it). But, to me...I feel better. I'm learning to let out my stress and take time for myself and not keep it all in. I'm learning to delegate.
Cuz I'm worth it :)
There's a lesson for me in here somewhere...:)

Busy times at Casa Geo

So yeah...um...I'm rediculously busy. I've been volunteering evenings and weekends, and it'll soon be over, but man. How the sume doth get sucked into a whirling vortex...
I long for bellydance classes and regular workouts and a more level pace.

Soon.

I just have to survive until after the Breast Cancer Run on Sunday and then I'm done...I have embarrasingly few pledges this year. I'm trying to drum up a few...I don't think I'll do as well as in the past though. I have to actually see another human being to solicit a pledge from them, so it's not going so well...:(

Wheeeee

No workout this AM as I had an early dentist's appointment.
Fun fun....

Yay me!

I'm so proud of myself. I just went to a protein purification and data analysis seminar (it was really interesting honest) and they supplied pizza, chips and pop for all attending, as it was over lunch.
What did I have for lunch? Turkey breast and cheese on whole wheat with lettuce and mayo and an apple, and some water. BOOYA!
I had a healthy lunch already made, and I didn't ditch it for the junk filled meal...I happily ate my lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't even sneak anything...not one chip.

Yay me! :)

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So far so good

Again with the oatmeal and bananas for breakfast and a nice long brisk walk to work, complete with happy vibes. I can see this being a very good routine indeed.
It's a 2 shift day again, work all day and volunteer at the pledge drive all night, but with any luck I'll get through it all and still have a grin on my face. Tomorrow J's work is having a staff BBQ, for which they're flying us all (!!!!!) to Calgary (????) for the day for a BBQ and concert. Can't figure out why they can't just do it here, but we'll take it. I could use the mini break :)

Have a great day all!

Music to walk to work by: Chemical Brothers - Surrender

A beautiful day, without a cloud

"Some try to paint away
All the colours of the rainbow
Your smile lights up the way
Wake up, it's a beautiful day..."



Walking and biking to work has given me a great way to reset my morning. Take days like today: where I slept in, burnt part of my breakfast and generally started off on the wrong foot...but then, quick breakfast and I'm out the door, crossing the river and watching the mist on the surface of it. I walk along the riverbank path watching the sun rise over a field of wheat, with each grain head lighting up like a beacon as the light hits it. This morning the orange faded over the field and the clear blue sky brightened up, making the jet streams streak and gleam overhead in a cloudless sky.
As I walk I meet the "regulars"...all the others out on the path every morning with me. I smile and say good morning with genuine good wishes to the man with the happy dog (and of course happy dog), the old Austrian man with the white combover and thick accent, the man I call Pauley (he looks like like Pauley from the Sopranos, track suit and all), and the two older ladies who are often out watching the geese at the weir. Other joggers puff by...and slowly I calm down.
I count pelicans.
I watch gophers and critters scamper about...and suddenly I'm happy...it sneaks up on me and I'm singing along to whatever I'm listening to on my iPod and grinning.

This is my daily reboot.
I will greatly miss it when it gets too cold to do this. It really makes my day start off right...

Music to walk to work to: Orb - The Dream
Crossposted

Yes, this will do nicely

This morning I walked to work - a nice brisk 45 minute walk. I got to watch the sun spread over the field and make it turn colours and met the happiest dog ever. I had yummy oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast and am now ready to get at things, coffee in hand.

Good way to start the day I'd say :)

Music to walk to work to: Coldplay: Viva La Vida

Well, whaddaya know

Heh...now I know I'm out of practice after my enforced time off :)
After the long walk to work and the brisk walk around all over downtown after work picking up a baby shower gift, this AM my glutes and quads are a bit stiff. Wow...that's a sign I really need to do more. I'd never get stiff from that before...it feels good to know I did something though. The wheels for the elliptical are supposed to come today...here's hoping. J and I are itching to use it. Just knowing I can't somehow makes it irresistable...I'll definitely be walking to work as much as I can from now on. It's obvious the walking will do me good. I need to work my way up to running, that's for sure.

Gotta run...busy day!

Too much of a good thing

Well I figured out one way to work walking in to my day - this morning I walked to work...a nice brisk 45 minute walk. It's a beautiful morning without a cloud in the sky...a nice way to start the day.
For breakfast I didn't skimp out and made myself a HUGE smoothie...it was too much really. I can tell I'm used to making smoothies for J and I together, so I made too much. I put it in a BIG cup and sipped it thru a straw as I walked. To make it I used 3/4 c frozen blueberries, 3/4 c frozen strawberries, a banana, a few drops of honey and some milk and mango juice to make it liquid enough to drink. It was definitely more than I needed, but I didn't want to throw it out, so I took it all with me and drank about 3/4 of it before I was full...it was delicious but I'm so full now!
For lunch I have a huge salad with lots of veggies, shell pasta and some chic peas and feta. Yum. I'm going to a baby shower tonight where I am assuming there will be all manner of foods...so I'm eating well and enough today so I can just graze calmly tonight and not go crazy on little nibbleys...I have trouble resisting the nibblies...

Music to walk to work by: Beck - The Information

Breakfasts and bedtimes...

Breakfast is always an issue with me...when I first wake up I'm honestly not hungry. If I eat I get a bit nauseous ,but if I leave it too long then by the time lunch comes I'm ravenous and I eat too much. If I have breakfast I'm more alert and I seem to have a clearer head. I'm often forced to work thru coffee breaks at my job (labwork does not always conveniently break for coffee) so I struggle to start off with breakfast. I know I should and have tried to every day for the past while.

Since the whole knee buggery fiasco I've gotten up at relatively the same time as I'd workout and spent time with myself (OK and the cats) and started my day off with coffee and relaxing...the odd bit of house stuff and planning my day and some breakfast. When I'm not rushed and have time to wake up I find I can enjoy a nice breakfast of yogurt and granola or hot oatmeal or some cereal...I like it. The days I miss it now I'm cranky and hungry and feel rushed, so it's here to stay. Turns out all those health people weren't wrong after all!

The problem I'm having now is I need to get back to my morning workouts now that my knee has been good for my enforced workout hiatus...and I don't quite know how to fit it all it and still get enough sleep and not feel rushed. I'm struggling with how fit it all into my daily life. Luckily my husband works stupidly early and so he goes to bed, quite often ,very early. Usually I use that time to do boring chores and other stuff, but I'm starting to think it might not be a bad idea to pare an hour off the end of my day and go to bed earlier...cuz then I can get *up* earlier...and then my time problem is solved...sort of. I'm not a morning person by any stretch of the means, but I'm beginning to understand why people like my friend Cindi have "me time" in the mornings...time to think and get ready for a day before the family and life start up. My runs and workouts used to be that for me...and I need to figure out how to fit that all back in again. I had it working before summer and all this started. That seems like years ago. I'm still active, walking lots and biking to work, but I need that extra oomph I get from working out...makes me a happier shinier person....and so I'm going to have to figure that all out. Simply sleeping in isn't really doing anything for me (other than not feeling tired for the first time in ages...which is nice, but not quite what I'm after)
So I'm open for suggestions. How do you folks do it? Morning workouts? After work? How do you fit it into your day. Any advice would be appreciated :)

Inanimate object 1, Geo 0

Due to an argument with my old washing machine I didn't workout this AM. I was trying to be nice to the people coming to get my old washer and dryer and J and I tried to take it up into the yard for them.
Har de har.

Yeah, did you know washing machines are retardedly heavy?
Yup. It's true.
We got it up a few steps from the subbasement and it is sitting in our main basement on a slightly scuffed floor (grrr) and then after many choice words we gave up, strained and angry. I called the lady recieving it and told her to bring 3 burly men with her as we couldn't lift it out for her and if she wanted it she'd just have to get them out of our basement. She will, thank god...
What an annoying evening...

Soggy yet satisfying

The world is not interested in my getting back at walking in the mornings...it was POURING with thunder this morning, so I didn't go out walking. Wimped out...Yes, I caved and slept in. Bad I know, but I was exhausted and stiff from attacking the yard all weekend. My hamstrings are still quite stiff. I did have a good breakfast though and have a chef's salad packed for lunch to try and assuage my guilt a bit...every little bit helps I suppose. I did bike to work though, even in the rain. I pedalled hard and fast and got to work very wet, but feeling much more awake and alert. I brought a change of clothes with me, so other than a slightly damp hairdo I'm good to go.

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I believe it's going to rain tomorrow too so I will dig out my dance fusion DVD and give it a go in the morning- it's been a while, but I need it. I need to plan for rain or I just roll over and go back to bed for half an hour. I'm feeling up to doing more than biking now...that will be a good way to start. Bellydancing doesn't start until later this week (I'm looking at "real" lessons once a week this year to learn more). I'm trying to find a balance this winter between that and the other things I want to get done. Last winter I felt hectic and rushed and didn't get as much done at home as I'd have liked...so I'm trying to find balance this fall...figure out what I really need and going with that. I learned a lot and felt great, but I need to look at all of me, not just the physical.

I'm itching to use my craft room to build a couple of glass panels for the kitchen, so I need to get working at it. As a plus, I'm happy to say I am a bit closer to setting up my exercise area - I posted my old washer and dryer to give away on kijiji and a single mom with 3 kids is going to arrange to come and get them...she's coming to take them away on tuesday - I'm glad to know they'll be used by someone who needs them...and out of my basement :) Crossing my fingers she shows up...

Must get at it. Later taters...

The whole is merely a sum of all it's parts

The wheel went kaplooey (highly technical sciency term) on our elliptical.
Boo. It's an easy fix...but we just have to get the wheel part...which of course noone stocks, but we can order in. J, who wants to work out still, is determined to use it even with the wonky wheel...which hopefully won't screw it up any more than it is now...The part broken is the wheels on the bottom front that look like giant rollerblade wheels. Luckily I can get a new set thru where we bought it from in a week...so that should get us back on track soon. My J is most cranky when he can't work out. He just can't get into walking or running outside, but loves this, so hey. I'll do whatever I can to get it fixed...

On another topic: we're quite pumped, as a few days ago we envisioned a little workout area in our basement down my my craft room and now are itching to get at making it happen. We have to get rid of our old washer and dryer first (anyone? They're free-seriously come on over...) and redo some storage shelves and then I can make some floor to ceiling curtains for to hide them and make it look neat and uncluttered. That will leave a little workout area at the foot of the stairs, which we have even daydreamed about running stereo speakers to and then moving the elliptical and other kit into. Right now the elliptical is in the middle of our downstairs living room...which works, but we're currently revamping the back part of it (which was our office) to make it into J's studio area for him to work in now that the office is upstairs. We couldn't figure out where else to put it. It will be a bit of hardcore moving/reorganising, but it will be cool to have a little area where we can leave out the elliptical, my weights and all that jazz. A little workout area. Cool. Does that make us more fit somehow, just by being in that room? :)
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I've gotta say - this getting organised thing is pretty awesome. We still have a long way to go, but we're getting there bit by bit. Painting the house sort of high jacked that for a little while, as the weather finally was warm and dry for the first time all summer so we had to make it priority to get it done, but now that it's done, it's back to Operation Organise. I'm hoping to have our areas done and set up for winter so we can hibernate and really use the spaces in our house that aren't being used to their full potential.
Exciting times...if we can actually do all we're thinking of, it'll be neat. It won't cost us too much...it will just take time and effort. But someday...whoo!

On the plus side, I'm happy to say we have totally finished painting our house.
Mehee! All I need to do is put the smiling metal sun (purple!) on the front of the house and hang our mailbox back up.
Tadah!
It really looks great. As there's always something, our yard itself is rather neglected, so it will be a weekend of yard work -the vines in our front yard have shed their leaves...so now instead of a gorgeous green front yard you can just see all the weeds that were hidden under them. (Ugh...I loves me my weeding...not), It's nice making our home better. It's exhausting but utterly fulfilling to sit back at the end of the day with a beer in hand and survey our domain and think "Yeah! WE did that!"

:)

OW

Well...we are 95% done our house painting.
*grin*
Yup - we did it! One 12 hour day of prep and scrape and fill and prime and 2 hardcore days of painting while teetering on scaffolding and ladders and all that's left is a bit of trim for me to finish up this afternoon. I'm taking the afternoon off...just so it is finished. I don't know how long the weather will hold, so I want it done...

And you know what? If I may brag a bit I must say - it looks AWESOME. We changed our minds on colour right before we went to get the paint so instead of grey with red trim/accents our house is now darker grey and purple. PURPLE!
Fantastic.
The grey is totally finished and tbe front door is already done a nice deep purple and we have 1 coat on the accent parts of the front, the mailbox and the metal sun for the front of the house. Only about an hour's work on the purple and we'll be done...

I ache all over and I could have gone to bed last night right after supper, but we did it :) It was exhausting, but so very very worth it.
Yay for us!

I'm melting...

I've discovered a new weightlloss trick - go to a concert indoors with 400 people on a day when it is 32 degrees out and 90% humidity. Whew.
I'm sure I sweated off 5 pounds by the time the Franz Ferdinand concert was over last night. I was actually somewhat queasy by the end of it all...blech.

But was it worth it?

Yes...it was a great show...
I plan on continuing my sweating it off regimen over the weekend with painting like a nutter. It is supposed to be so hot that I'm planning on getting up super early and then doing indoor stuff during the really hot hours and then finishing up in the evenings.
With any luck I'll get my painting done...I'll try not to melt :)

Another healthy option!

I'm so pumped -my brother got me a potato ricer.
I *love* riced potatoes. My Mum used to make them as a treat for my Dad (he loves them too). I find it so fresh and yummy and way healthier than mashed potatoes...you just boil the potato until it's just soft and skoosh it through the ricer. It makes soft fluffy healthy potatoes tidbits. You can have them plain or ...I love to add some peas and a bit of pepper...yummy. You can even do sweet potatoes or other veggies with them. Even use it for fruit or to make chutney. Yum.
I've looked for a ricer for years, but they were more of a thing in the 50s and 60s when people used them to make perfect lump free mashed potatoes for guests (god forbid there were lumps -how people would talk!). I've never seen one to buy...and believe me I've looked. As someone who owns a twinkie making kit and all manner of kitchen tools, I likes me my kitchen tools.
I'm glad he thought to get it when he saw it - he's a cool guy that way.

So guess what's for supper? Healthy food that's tasty. Gotta love it :)

Just call me Cuban Pete...

I noticed something this weekend while away dancing my ass off at a music festival: How I dance to some music has changed since I've gotten more physically active...

Since starting up running I find that often when I'm really into music I will dance around the room...sort of combining the whole dance and run thing. Part of why I like running so much is because it combines the whole "this music makes me want to MOVE!" thing with fitness without causing the men in white coats to come by my yard and take me in for dancing around the yard every morning for 35 minutes :). I also tend to bust out the shimmies and hip circles without thinking...bellydancing is sneaking in there too.

My knee has been very happy lately so starting tomorrow I will begin some speed walking in the morning - 45 minutes hopefully. Then I'll add runny bits here and there in a few weeks if all goes well. Hopefully my knee will be happy with this. And yes, I have a very good excuse as to why I didn't this morning. It's my husband's birthday so I got up early to make him blueberry lemon scones for breakfast before I took off to work. They are yummy.

Yeah. It's like that! ;)