Apple cinnamon protein oats rock my world

I'm just sitting about waiting for a telephone meeting.
Do de do de dooo...I was in at work until 10 last night and up until 2 last night finishing up the final (yay!) draft of evil paper #1. I have a 7AM phone meeting with my co supervisor in Toronto, so I slept in instead of working out today to get a whopping 4 hours of sleep. It was so nice eek in that extra bit of sleep and strangely I am not as tired as I should be. I could steal the car today too, so when I'm done it's home...no waiting. :) After 30 minutes the meeting still isn't happening yet (*sigh*) but it will come. Today is going to be a long day again...
This morning since I was home, I made an awesome hot breakfast for once - 1/2c oatmeal + 1 heaping T wheat bran cooked in 1 c water with 1t vanilla and 1/2 t cinnamon. I stirred in a scoop of protein powder (vanilla or cookies and cream is good in it) when it came off the heat and served it up in a bowl with 1/4 c pure apple sauce, a splash of milk and a drizzle (~1 t) of maple syrup. Oh man....delicious apple cinnamon oats :)

And now - a long day. I've got a paper to proof, a speech to write, cells to culture and a lot of labwork to do on top of my regular old day, so I'm off.
I hear the phone :)

Hooray for nice peoples

I'm so pleased - someone turned my bus pass into the transit office downtown (along with my driver's license which was with it that I hadn't noticed was gone-whew!). People are nice after all! I love knowing I'm not too naive in thinking the world can be a good place... :)

After another long night of working working working I got home...and worked a bit more. Then I packed up a healthy supper for me for work and crashed. Today I am meeting J downtown for lunch and will pick up my pass at the transit office before going back here to my crazy life...he's been having a stressful time at work since the apocalyptic firing day. I haven't seen hima lot lately with work and since he'll be nearby at lunch I can't wait to spend a little time with him when I'm not half asleep. I heart him :)
I came in this AM to work out and I rocked it. I did some t arm raises and rowing, but it was mostly one big abfest with a few push ups thrown in. Then I threw on some trance podcasts and went at the arctrainer for 35 minutes. Felt so good! I was going to use my interval timer in my ab stuff but the battery I found to put in it died (sigh) so I just winged it -lots of abby goodness for me. Add in a good breaky and some coffee and I'm good to go. Another looooong day. But it's going OK. Still not any sicker...and work is getting done.
I read the other day about making oatmeal with coffee instead of water and tossing in some cocoa and cinnamon. I'm so curious...I'm totally doing that saturday morning. Yum...

Have a fantastic day!

Day 2 of Crazy Go Nuts University Week

image
Last night was a long night - in at work after work in the lab until 9PM and then home to work a few more hours on a paper, pack up healthy meals for today and then off to bed. I was up and in again this morning do a bunch of leg stuff, and a few arms moves and a lovely 11 lanes of glorious swimming before work. I still haven't gotten any more sick, so I'm crossing my fingers because overall I feel pretty good! I'm not sniffing or coughing...just all bass voiced. I have a whole week or two of this crazy schedule, but I'm blindingly optimistic for whatever reason...happy -dare I say chipper?

I lost my bus pass this morning after when I got on my first bus and when I went to get on my second bus, even when I want back and around, no one admitted to picking it up (grrr) but it's only 2 days left until the end of the month so it's no big deal. I'll get by. I'm in such a good mood it isn't really bothering me much...weird huh? I figure I'll take it! I'm running with it and getting it done.

Gotta go! :) Have a great day!

Bring it on baby!

I fear I have caught J's cold. Nothing for it really. I currently just feel a little (more than normal) tired and am talking like Leonard Cohen. If it stays like this I can handle it. We'll see...if nothing else I can have fun with my new voice. This weekend I had a nice time out with some girls from work. It was the annual Hindu Society Vegetarian Banquet and one of the ladies I work for (from India) dressed us all up in saris with jewelry and bindis and we all had a fun night out, all dressed up and had a delicious meal. It was fun. My friends birthday was the same day, so I met her and J and some friends later for drinks still in my sari...you get very interesting conversations and looks in full indian gear (as a white girl) in a dance club. It was a hoot. Sunday I tried to sleep a lot and relax a bit with J. I made some yummy Pumpkin Carrot muffins (I made them with whole wheat flour, fat free sour cream and no frosting) and just relaxed and tried to unwind and rest up for this week. Both J and I have a crazy week ahead...I'm hoping I don't get too sick because I quite frankly don't have time. But, it is what it is. I'll just do my best and that's all I can do.

This morning I was up and in the gym. I picked up a few new workout shirts on sale over the weekend so I got to wear something new to workout in. :) I did my butt stuff together with some arm work and my abfest and then the 26 minutes I had left on the arc trainer. I bumped up to 15 Lb dumbells for the military press, curls and bent over back rows and used them for my squats too. I like doing the squats better with the dumbells up on my shoulders instead of the barbell. I have more control...less knee stress. AND I feel like I can go deeper into the squat - for whatever that's worth... It must be me getting sick because at first, every move was a challenge and I was out of breath, but then when I pushed through and made it to the cardio, no matter what I did or tried my heart rate wouldn't go up too much...very low and zen even when I pushed. Weird. Oh well. I got in a solid workout and my lungs didn't complain.

I even drank my whole bottle of water this AM while working out. That's my goal this next month - to drink enough water. I really don't. Coffee and diet coke are far too much of my liquid intake lately, so I'm upping the water. If I have to resort to crystal light to get in enough I will. Especially if I'm getting sick, I'll need my liquids.

And now, it's off to dive in head first into this week of insanity. 2 papers due and a speech on friday...and 9 cancer cell lines growing and a full time job. And it's PMS time. Bwahhahaha! Who's with me on 17 hour days ! Oh Yeah! Bring it on baby! :) Let's roll....

I learned something today

This morning I did my dead lifts, lunges and one legged squats and a few other leg things, some arm work and my abfest, and then hopped on the arc trainer for the 26 minutes I had left. I was pleasantly surprised that my knee, altho stiff yesterday, was fine. The most interesting thing was that the arc trainer can talk to my Polar HR monitor. (yes-I actually remembered to wear it today!) With robot help I made sure I was above 80% my whole work out (and learned I burned over 400 calories in my total workout...I'm such a geek about numbers...) and it was cool to not have to hold on to the little panels on the machine every once in a while to check my heart rate - it read it right off my chest strap. I'm going to definitely do this again...I find I push myself more when I know my heart rate.
Coolio.
It feels good to be up on top of my workouts when I am floundering at the rest of things. I'm getting discouraged with school - there never seems to be quite enough time in the day. I'm mopey mostly as J is sick so he's staying away so I don't catch it...so my snuggle recouping has been sorely lacking the last few days. I need a hug, a tutor and a nap today, in no particular order. I'm hoping I can finish off my first final paper this weekend, as I have a speech and another paper to give next weekend...man...I'm just too busy. I keep working after I get home from work and my labwork until I can't concentrate anymore, but it's just a lot of information to summarize into a few small papers. And THEN I have to think about it and discuss it.
And then it's up again at 5:20 to do it all over again.
Oh lordy. All board the train to whackadoo!
It's gonna be a long weekend!

Catastrophe averted

Wow. I am grateful this morning that J still has a job. The company he works for fired 500 people yesterday. 70 locally. Over half of the people employed here are GONE. We figured something was up but we had no idea how massive the reorganization would be. J and his immediate coworkers are still there, but it is a very somber thing to see many people you know just immediately gone...it will not be the same place to work anymore. Two years ago they flew all the employees and their spouses to Calgary for the day for a dinner and concert. Yesterday this. How things have changed...
This morning I crawled out of my warm cozy bed to come in and workout. My knee has been really weird lately, so I nixed the 30 Lb barbell squats for dumbbell ones with only 12 Lb dumbbells on each side, but did the rest of my butt and arm stuff very carefully. Then I had a nice swim (11 lengths) and am now in at work, yogurt and granola in hand after my cookies and cream reward. Another long day.

I am grateful for what I have today. All the little things AND the big things.
So much to do...later taters :)

"Batteries not included"

3 of the saddest little words I ever did read :)
I was inspired by BodyRock TV and ordered my GymBoss timer a few weeks ago to do some more focused interval training and add some focus and newness to my workouts...maybe try out one or two of her insane workouts on the weekends at home to keep it interesting. I am clumsy, so not having to keep an eye on the clock while trying to do HIIT or other intense exercises seemed like a good idea. :)
I waited like a little kid waiting for Christmas and yesterday when I got home from work it was there! This morning on the bus to the gym I was all excited. I opened it and was looking through the insert to figure it out so I could use it today - today is my catch all/abs/interval day so it was a perfect day to start with it. Aaaaand the instructions begin with "insert a fresh AAA battery into the Gymboss timer"...well crap. Where am I going to get a AAA battery on campus at 6:15 AM?
Boourns.
Yeah...so, I just contented myself with staring at it and pushing the buttons. It's cool and black and shiny. On my way home tonight I will get a battery and tomorrow I'll try it out on some HIIT sprints or something.
This morning I just did 5 minutes on the treadmill with the intent of doing HIIT sprints at 2% incline, but my knee felt odd, so I switched to the bike and did 30 minutes hard pedalling at resistance 4. Then lots of ab work and some push ups and I was done. I earned my cookie shake today :) Now I'm snarfing my granola and yogurt and coffee and getting ready for another long day. I'm trying not to worry as something big is going down at J's job today - a bigwig is flying in to meet with all the departments and that is usually not good. He's sick so he is bummed at having to go in while ill to meet with bigwigs when he'd rather just take Nyquil and sleep, but I'm hoping when I get home I will see him napping, destressed and (knock on wood) still gainfully employed...trying not to think about it and just get some work done. There's no way to know what will happen really...

Hope you all have a good, battery filled day :)

It's snowing again. Boo.

It's funny - my knee was a bit stiff this morning, but I carefully worked out completely and got in a lot of weight work (lunges, dead lifts, one legged lunges, my knee exercises and other leg stuff plus some arm stuff) and went swimming for 10 lengths and now it feels great. Weird. But, I'll take it :) I had another delicious cookies and creme post-workout shake. MAN I love that stuff...it's' a perfect reward for working out!
I got a good night's sleep last night which was nice. Not enough, but what I got was good. Unfortunately my husband is coming down with a cold. I'm really hoping I don't catch it, but we'll see. I have too much to do right now to get sick, but I'll do my best to try not to. Too much homework to do.
So, I'll just keep up with the healthy food and work hard and see what happens. Crossing my fingers.
I must dash. Much to do. See you!

Note to self - do not drink and snarf

This weekend I goofed up a bit food wise. We helped out for a fundraiser where there was delicious cheap beer, and I admit I had *cough* a few. On the way home, after a night of dancing at ~3 AM after tearing down J and I were starving (hadn't eaten since about 5PM) so ...we pulled what we used to do years ago. We went to the local Chester Fried Chicken and got lots of deep fried breaded potato wedges, wings and a kebab...and so help me we ate them all. And they were SO. DAMN. GOOD. And they didn't bother my stomach a bit. Odd, I know.
Not the end of the world, but I think I need to reconsider eating when I'm tipsy...I don't have the best judgement. It would have been wiser to have probably half of what I did...it really was too much. I didn't really need it - well I needed food, but it didn't have to be *that*...I sure wanted it though. I understand why I used to weigh what I did-I just plain love food...and not always the healthy stuff. I know in my mind that I shouldn't indulge...but give me beer or two and my judgement goes out the window. :)
Oh well...just need to not do that regularly, right? I rarely drink now and I can keep on track if I'm careful this week.
Note to self - new resolution -no snackery while tipsy.

Sunday I relaxed a lot - some multigrain waffles and homemade fruit sauce, and I went out to get some new protein powder. I've been meaning to do this for months...the stuff I've been using doesn't dissolve well at all and is soy based, and I've really only been getting it as it's sold where I get groceries so it's convenient. So I went out to the local Popeye's supplement store. They have taste samples of their stuff (and have a zillion kinds) so you can try before you buy. The strawberry was meh, but I did like some of the other flavours...I wanted something interesting besides plain old chocolate or vanilla. I came home with a jar of IsoSensation 93 Cookies and Cream Whey powder-30g of protein per shake and very tasty! Dissolves perfectly and whey based with glutamine in it. It cost way more than the cheap choc soy whey I was taking, but I figure I'm worth it. :)
And so, with a renewed intent, this AM I was up and in the gym to do my butt and arm and ab stuff and 30 minutes on the arc trainer. It felt really good. And my post workout shake was all cookies and creme goodness. MMM...dissolved completely and tasted yummy -I almost didn't want to eat my banana :)
And so I'm into a week of crazy work, but I will persevere.
Much to do!

Friday. Finally.

Last night the restaurant goofed up a few things, but I still enjoyed it. It was nice to be out for dinner. Server brought the wrong wine (I ordered the white, but I knew I also liked the red of it so we just kept it - J was none the wiser) and they made a mistake on J's meal (which we realised we paid for later...gggrrrr) but in the end he got what he ordered but my food was yummy. And the dessert? Mmmm.... It was so nice to sit and talk with J for a few hours and relax. I should have been working, but it did me a world of good :) A bit pricey with the wine, but I loved it. It's nice to splurge every once in a while when you can.

This AM I was in to do my regular leg/ab workout and 26 minutes on the bike. I felt a bit sluggish (2 glasses of wine does that to me the next day. I forgot...) but I'm here and eating healthy and enjoying my day. Ze work continues...
I must go. Lots to do.
Have a wonderful weekend!

Mmmm. Coffee.

I didn't fall down this morning! Hooray! I got to drink all my coffee. AND I finally won a free coffee. I was beginning to think I was cursed. :)
My knee has a slight stiffness from falling down yesterday, but I was careful with it this AM and it didn't give me any grief. I came in and did my butt exercises, a few arm ones and then tried my sets of squats without the Smith machine, as I've read that the unnatural movement it causes can actually do damage to your knees when you do squats with it (squats aren't really ideal for knees in the first place so I'm trying to do what I can). Same weight as on the Smith seemed a lot heavier! Using your core to hold the bar straight and making sure I push up and down straight with no lunges is tricky! I did my sets though.
I was expecting my knee to get annoyed, but it was fine with the step ups and one legged dead lifts too. My swim after the weights seemed to work a few kinks out. Whew. I'm on the raggedy edge stress wise and mood wise with being so busy and I think if my knee gave out right now I'd just curl up in a ball right then and there on the gym floor - my workouts are, at the moment, the one thing I take solace in and can seem to get done. I need them. Yesterday was an exercise in futility as I tried to write a paper but didn't get more than an hour done all told in a 5 hour evening...lots of staring at a blinking cursor and willing myself to work. Feeling burnt out.
I can't wait for sunday.
It's naptime :)

My lovely J has promised me Thai food after work. The trick is I need to get out of the lab tonight in time to get out for it - the place I want to go to stops serving at 7:30 so I'm aiming to be done at 6:30. I have a LOT to do after work. But I'm determined, even if I have to work through lunch - I want my pad thai and coconut dessert! Maybe then I'll be able to write some of my paper (these papers are driving me mad...)

Must be off. Much to do.
Later taters...

She can't handle it Captain! She doesn't have the power!

The warmth has turned campus into a giant puddly skating rink. Eep. I fell this AM. Spilled my coffee (sniff). A little cut and bruise, but I'm OK. Hopefully they'll be out with some sand today and make it safer. There is a LOT of snow to go, and until it all melts it's going to be a gong show :)
This morning I was up and in to do my abfest and 35 minutes on the arctrainer. A nice sweaty way to start the morning. I was very tired, but once I got going, all was well.

I think it was my tiredness, but I did see something this morning that made me annoyed at how little women are taught about some basic things and how people expect things to change for them. In the gym change room there are a few (not enough) outlets and mirrors for use to blowdry/straighten our hair and get ready after working out. 2 girls, who looked about 20, were sharing a mirror and outlet (pretty common as there isn't enough of them) and BOTH pulled out huge blow driers and plugged them in and ahd them going at the same time on the same outlet. Before I could put on my old lady undies and go over and tell them to stop, surprise surprise- the breaker blew. They were annoyed - but not at themselves. Here's the kicker - they said "ugh - that happens a lot. Sheesh - they should build those things better. I mean GOD - they blow all the time. Why don't they change that?"
I casually said - "they'd blow in your house too. Outlets are not made to take that much power draw - a blow drier sucks back a lot of power".
They glared at me and said " I know - why don't they change the power stuff" and got ready. Thing is, they didn't apologise to everyone for blowing out the power or tell anyone at the desk. They just complained as they left about how the electrical systems should be improved so that more can be done on them.
Yeah. Sure. Change the Power Stuff. I like to think that everyone and their dog knows that if you put 2 blow driers on one circuit for a bit, the breaker will blow. Which is good, otherwise your panel box would overheat and melt and your house would burn down. No girls they will not change the entire electrical code of north america to accommodate your blowdrying needs.
I'm not sure why this irks me so much - it was just so profoundly snotty and naive.

So - here's your lesson in electricity today: 2 blow driers on one outlet? Too much. Do not pass go. Do not dry your hair.

OK rant over. Off to work :)

Spring!

This AM I was SOOOOO glad for a swim. It's starting to warm up here finally. the great slushy melting has begun. All the sunshine makes me want to swim :)
I did my sets of deadlifts, lunges, bulgarian one legged lunges, and a few other arm and leg things before hopping into the pool for a nice 25 minutes swim. 11 lengths.
Now I'm in at work after a 17 hour day yesterday for more of the same.
I"m outta here...much to do. Have a great day!

Letter for help

This is from my friend Kyoka. She is from one of the cities hit by the tsunami in Japan, here studying in Canada. She sent it to me to post at work, but I feel compelled to post it here. I humbly ask that you read it. Thanks.


PLEASE HELP MY COUNTRY JAPAN

I think many people already know that Japan had a really big earth quake March 11th. We really need help now. You can help Japan, too. You can do fundraising through Red Cross. You can text or you can call. If you want to text, use number 30333. Then you can directly donate $5. If you want to call, the number is 1-800-418-1111.

After the Earthquake when I talked to my parents they said that it was really horrible. Some of the city was completely gone from the tsunami.

Please help us. We really need help from all over the world.

Learning balance

I'm still figuring out how much is too much.
With most things, I can be good and have willpower. The odd time tho, when I think I've got it together, it's all out the window. Last night was a family dinner - pretty healthy food, but all my favourite stuff - BBQ chicken souvlaki, oven roast potatoes, greek salad, creamed corn. All delicious. I didn't go hog wild, but I was not comfortable after...I must learn when to stop, even when it is delicious...I see I am still a grasshopper with much to learn.
Ah well. Today is a new day. Start again.

This AM I was up and in to do my butt workout, some arms and back and abs and then 25 minutes HIIT sprints and fast walking at 2.5% incline. Sweated up a storm and feel a bit better about my food fest last night. I have healthy meals packed for today as I'll be here in the lab (sigh) all day and night, so I'm set. I have cunning plans to get a lot of work done since my husband is out all evening on a shoot too. I've had my cottage cheese and blueberries and my coffee and I'm ready for another day in the salt mines.

Hope your day is a good one :)

Whoosh!

Whoops - yesterday flew by and I never got in to post. I did get in to the gym to workout - my lower legs and abs and 28 minutes on the bike. Then it was busy busy all day. ON my day off too! Whew! Just wanted to pop in and log that.

Last night I made a tasty baked version of my deeeeelish chicken fingers recipe creation and I was pretty pumped that they tasted great baked. We'll be making them that way from now on...so much healthier :)

I'm back in at work today (whee) but tonight my friend's band The Depth is having a CD release gig. I get to escape my school prison to cheer him on. Just have to work hard and get there :)

Have a great weekend!

Tech support

Oh...so tired.
This morning, after a long night of hours of dealing with technical glitches on the software I'm using for my MSc (grrrr) I was up and in this morning to do 3 sets of my butt exercises (step ups with knee raise, one legged deadlifts and dunbell squats), a few shoulder and back reps (standing rows and deltoid lifts) and then got to plop into the lovely warm pool and do 11 laps. I love my swims.

It's finally warming up here. I heard birds this morning! 2 chickadees on either side of the path singing to each other...made me grin from ear to ear. :)

I was in to work on time with my breakfast and coffee (still haven't won anything with all my Tim's coffee...), and now it's time to harass tech support again and see what can be done. Here's hoping I can fix things and not have to redo 2 weeks of work because someone else goofed up something. It's annoying to be the one using new cutting edge software for things...you get to discover the bugs in the system. At least 6 times since I've started my MSc I've been told by various tech help that "wow- we've never seen that happen before. How odd. I'm not sure how to fix that". Fun on a bun.
Here's to magic and a little luck.
Later taters!


LATER: HA! I fixed it myself. Take THAT ineffectual tech support!
I am so smart. I am so smart.

Hump day

Well, not much time - just want to log my workout.
This morning I was in and tried out my arm on t-lifts with 8Lbs. I could do 3 full sets with no pain. I'm definitely healing up :)
Then it was supersonic abfest day, some back strengthening and then 32 sweaty minutes on the arc trainer. It was GREAT!

Gotta run - but I hope you all have a GREAT day!

And don't forget! Because it's wednesday - hump day - it's time to do the Humpty Hump!
Hee hee :) I love this song...can't help it!

Truncation

This morning I had to truncate things a bit. I had some reading to finish before work that I forgot at work so I cut my workout a bit short today. I came in and did some leg and arm work and then swam 5 pool lengths before scurrying off for a shower and breaky to be in 20 minutes early and get my editing done while snarfing cottage cheese and fruit.
But all is good. It got done.
And...now I sit *sigh* waiting for someone to show up for a meeting.
doo de doo...figured I'd update while I wait...

Last night I had breakfast for supper. It was a late night, but Bob McDonald from CBC's Quirks and Quarks was on campus talking about "what if all you know is wrong?" - all about science and discoveries, how awesome the world and the universe is and how much we just don't know. I've listened to that show since I was a little girl and it was one of the things that got me interested in science...so it was really great to hear him speak. SO when I finally did get home after working on my MSc and that talk ~9 I got to have breakfast AGAIN :) Soooo good. A few leftover wild boar sausages cut up with a bunch of egg whites leftover from when I made cupcakes, with some red onion and bell peppers and garlic. A piece of potato bread and OH!
I love breakfast :)

I must go. Can't be seen on here when my meeting actually remembers to show up. :)
Later taters...

Sweet cupp'n cakes

This weekend continued to be awesome. On sunday I was bad...I accidentally made the most delicious thing *EVER* in the entire universe...no they are not very good for me but they are the single most delicious thing I've ever made up until this point in life (and that's saying something): Coconut cupcakes with lime curd filling and coconut butter cream icing. I (food nerd alert) have a twinkie making set so I used the injector that came with it to put the curd inside the cupcakes. Oh dear frog. So good.
Oh yes. They are as good as they sound.
The funny thing is, up until about 3 months ago I didn't care for coconut.
Now? I can't get enough of the stuff.
A friend was going on about these awesome cupcakes she'd made and I asked for the recipe. One of my favourite things to do to relax is cook or bake so I took the time on sunday while listening to music and chilling with J and a cup of coffee to whip up these delicious little yummy things and then took them to a movie party with friends. That way we only ate a few and not all of them (which I honestly think I may have done if we weren't going out anywhere. They really were that good). When I get a minute I'll post the recipe on my food blog...
It was a nice relaxing sunday. Utterly relaxing and so delicious :)

And so this morning I earned my cupcakes :)
I got up and did 3 sets of one leg knee raise step-ups, 3 sets of one legged deadlifts, 3 sets of squats, 3 sets of dumbell rows and 3 sets deltoid lifts and my abfest. Then I put on some trance and did HIIT sprinting/walks on the treadmill at 2% incline for 25 minutes.
Booya!
I feel fantastic.
I'm full of cupcakes and ready to go! :)
Bring on the science!

This has been a great day and it's hardly started!

This morning before my recycling run and trip to the farmers market, before I came in to work I made the best breakfast. I had to share it with you because I think it's a great healthy hot breakfast...

1 c water
3/4 t cinnamon
1/2 c Quaker wild oats

Cook oats to your liking and then stir in 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (I'm thinking adding in a bit of cocoa too would have been even better) and serve with apple butter and sliced banana and a splash of almond milk.
I was in heaven. :)

AND...*AND* thanks to the farmer's market I have turned my recycling $$ into apple spice boar sausage and fresh lettuce for supper and fresh potato bread and pear butter waiting for me for tomorrow. I also have a tasty scone here with me at work for a snack along with a new pair of mittens from the cute old mitten lady to finally replace the ones I lost a while back. There's not a lot of fresh local produce here this time of year, but still lots of preserves and baking...in the dark of winter there's less of a crowd so I really relax and enjoy it.

You know, sleeping in is easy when you normally get up at 5:10. 7 feels so glorious :) A little sleep makes me feel a little bit like I understand what these morning people are all about. Not enough to be one...but still. I'm glisteningly happy. Quite ready to be working here all day.
It's gonna be a great day :)

I *am* the uberfrau

Today I rocked the gym. It was really hard to get up, but I'm glad I came in to workout - Once I got going I got in some solid lower and upper body work and some abwork and then managed to squeeze in 25 sweaty minutes on the arc trainer before I ran out of time. I put on a trance album and just gave it all out. Sweaty goodness. It's been a while since I've done that. Feels good. :)

Add a healthy breakfast and I'm in on the scene to get more work done today.I made some more of my low fat oatmeal spice coconut muffins last night while I made supper (having a convection oven rocks) so I have healthy snacks over the weekend-I figured out they have about 145 calories each. I have to work all day tomorrow, but I actually got some solid work done last night...I finally feel like I'm starting to hit a groove. Although I'm sure a bit of it is due to tiredness and the endless winter I've been floundering for a while - lots of ideas and data that I worked to gather now have to be pulled slowly together into coherence...it's the tricky part. I think I'm slowly starting to believe I can do it...and that's the start of all good things :)
Just going to keep going...and we shall see how it all goes.

In case you want to try the muffins out ,I've tweaked my recipe and I'm happy with it- here it is.
I hope you all have a great weekend. :)

ennui


I have the ennui at the mo.
I'll get over it I assume.
Soon hopefully.
Please.
Fact is, it's cold and dark and winter is hanging about longer than it should be. I am quite tired and I have too much work to do...wanting to hide under the duvet for a week or so and drink cocoa.
BUT, I am not letting it get to me...much. Quite simply because I can't. I have to keep going. I'm getting in my workouts because they help a LOT with stress relief, and help me feel good about myself. This morning I did my new butt stuff and some shoulder weights and had a nice long 25 minute swim - 11 lengths today! Swimming is so relaxing. I need to find my noseplug though -I do a terrible front crawl without it...I kept taking in water and sputtering and coughing...so it was mostly froggy swimming this morning. Still - I can do the front crawl now without my arm complaining now, so it's a plus.
I'm gearing up for another long day and psyching myself up for a long month. I realised last night I need a day to work towards - something to work hard for as a reward...so I'm trying to think of something cool or a day off or something that I can have all for myself. We shall see...it may just be me hiding for a day and napping. We'll see...
Well, my ennui and I should get to it. Have a great day all...

image

MIddle of the week already?

Last night was a looooong night. I had cells to culture after work. Thankfully our car was fixed (not too serious but still $$) so we had it back to run and get groceries last night - it was another cold cold night. I was supposed to go to J's Mum's for another Tupperware party after that (I keep getting suckered into these things), but by the time we got everything unpacked and had something to eat it was 9. After that I still had some chores to do, and since I was achy I just went to bed early after that. I can tell I needed the sleep, as I woke up this morning right before my alarm and stared at the clock, dumbly wondering what the numbers meant...and then the alarm went off...and I remembered. *sigh* Anyone have mornings like that - where things just don't quite link up in your brain? :)

But, since I was awake I came in to workout this morning. I'm stiff from yesterday - I can tell I haven't done upper body stuff in a few weeks. My arm doesn't hurt where it was injured before though, so that is a very good sign. I'll have to spend some time with my buddy the foam roller and work out some kinks. Today I did 32 minutes on the arc trainer and then lots of abtastic goodness. We are all restocked with healthy food, so I'm contentedly eating my cottage cheese and pineapple and I'm hoping after this big mug of Tim Horton's I'll be ready for today.

Have a wonderful day everybody :)

Brrr...

This morning is freezy cold and windy...good day for a swim :)
I was in and did a mix of other stuff in the weight room before a 25 minutes swim (10 lengths! woo!): deadlifts, weights for my knee, 1 legged lunges and a some rowing and arm weight stuff. I still can only do 2 sets of T arm lifts with 8Lbs without my arm starting to complain, but it's a start. I'll build it back. Between lower weights and swimming it's going to be all good!

Tonight is grocery night. It's also blizarding fiercely at the moment and our car is going in for a mystery repair this morning (oh please be quick and cheap to fix...) so grocery trip may be a gong show. I may have to resort to a cab to get it all home...we'll figure it out I hope. Should be an adventure :)

Have a great day all!