My Big, Fat Walk Home

Update

2009-03-30T00:32:00.000-07:00

The weather had been crap for walking, but I have started Weight Watchers, and my first week, I lost 8.8 lbs! This coming Thursday is my second weigh in. So far I've been doing really good. I got my test results back from my physical, and it turns out I have high cholesterol. It's 275, and I guess anything over 240 is considered high. So I'll be going in this week to see whether we're going to go with a change of diet/exercise or if he wants me on meds. That's my story so far this week. I'll have a weigh in and more updates to come!

Again with the no walking!

2009-03-20T20:03:00.001-07:00

That's right. Our day started with a trip to the grocery store to load up on healthy food. Then it was naptime. My naptime too - I slept until just after 4pm! Then it was up to make dinner. So I didn't get my walk to the park in like I wanted to. But I plan to do my Wii Fit tonight, and I must say I did a stellar job planning my meals today. I also discovered the joy of lemon yogurt. I bought one of those vat-sized containers of plain and lemon yogurts, and plan to cook with the first and eat the second. See, I have to get 2 milks in per day, but I don't like drinking milk. Lemon yogurt is just so refreshing, AND it kept me from being starving while making dinner. My worst cheat was eating a few asparagus before they went into the steamer!

Something I have decided, and what seems to work okay with this plan, is that I am refusing to eat "fake food". I.e. you will not catch me eating fat free dairy products like cheese and sour cream. If you actually eat a serving size (and don't dump half the bag on top of your meal), these things aren't bad for you. Case in point: today I had a huge spinach salad. I threw half a cup of mushrooms on two cups of spinach, added six (yup, that's the serving size) croutons and 2 Tbsp. of full fat bleu cheese. It was delish. Now, had I used a fat free dressing, the fat content and calories would be much lower, but I would have hated every bite. Instead, I got some great raw veggies in my body, and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Which is better? I think it's obvious. Fortunately, I have this neat little spoon that measures exactly 2 Tbsp and has a kind of squeegy thing that helps dispense the dressing, because I've found that not all tablespoons are alike!

So that's my day. I'm pretty happy with it, walk or no walk.

Bah! I suck!

2009-03-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

So I didn't walk today. In fact, I haven't walked since Monday. Nor have I Wii Fit-ed, though I plan to do so tonight. I went to the doctor for a physical this morning. I got on the scale and the nurse set the main weight to 200. I told her she needed to start at 250. Well guess what? That didn't work either. I weighed in at 304 (303.6 I found out later). When the HELL did that happen? This is the heaviest I have ever been INCLUDING when I was 9 months pregnant.

So I said "enough of this" and after my head-shrinker appointment, I went to a Weight Watchers meeting. I'm kind of bummed that they don't offer the Core program anymore, but as much as it will kill me, I'm hell-bent on writing down each morsel of food that passes my lips. I hate logging food. Tomorrow, I'm going to go grocery shopping, because though we have a cupboard full of canned beans and tomatoes, I'm going to need some chicken and maybe some yogurt in there somewhere.

So tonight I Wii Fit (if it will let me, since I exceed the 300lb weight limit) and tomorrow, I chart my food, walk with the kids to the park (since no school tomorrow) and then it's Wii Fit again tomorrow evening. This girl's gotta get on the ball! If anyone's got any great recipes that are low fat, lower carb, high protein and really yummy, please post a link in my comment box; I can use any meal planning help I can get!

Mama needs some new walking shoes!

2009-03-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

I slacked over the weekend, but got to walking today. As penance, I walked 2.2 miles (with a break in the middle for lunch). It was a beautiful day, and I totally forgot my camera. I took some pics on my phone, but I'm not sure how to get them over to my PC without incurring charges. My feet feel pre-blistery and I'm thinking since (I almost typed 'if') I'm going to be walking every day, I should probably invest in some decent walking sneakers. (Do people still say sneakers? Or is it "walking shoes"? I'm thinking New Balance, since I think I can get them in double-wide (not unlike a trailer home for my over-large feet). If anyone has any better brand suggestions for good (but not over $100 good) sneaks, please advise.

I'm thinking of joining Weight Watchers (again) because while I'm hell-bent on my decision to walk five times a week, I haven't curbed my eating at all and I really need to. I may go check it out.

Vinny is going to be joining the Boy Scouts of America (as a Cub Scout) starting tomorrow. I'm really excited for him. He also wants to join Lacrosse (God help me) and I want him to start piano lessons. All of this on the advice of his teachers. So I'll have to make my walk tomorrow a speedy one so I can have him ready for scouts by 4:30pm!

Day One - 1.65 miles walked

2009-03-13T15:04:00.001-07:00

So I did it. I got off my duff and walked today. I also resisted the temptation of buying a ooey-gooey soft caramel popcorn ball at the convenience store. Instead, I got Vin a Gatorade, the two little ones "bug juice" and a Smart Water for me. (Though I almost wasn't smart enough to open the dang bottle!) So part two (of three) of today's adventure will be to make the soup I said I'd make (I forgot all about the bread, so sandwich bread it is for the kiddos). After that, it's diapers, and pjs and back on the Wii Fit to log at least 15 minutes of that. I figure eventually I'll get up to 1/2 hour, but I'm not particularly a glutton for punishment here in the early stages of fitness.

I only took a few pics today, mostly of the kids, because we're still in that pre-Spring stage of tulips and crocuses just starting to push their way into the sunlight. I took a pic of the creek that runs through town and of the mountain (as seen from the school). So that's all there is today. Stay tuned for more exciting pics as the weather continues to warm. I'll post later with some pics of my fabulous soup. Gotta get started now, or it won't be ready!
Dinner is made and eaten (though not cleaned up after - that's for tomorrow because I'm BEAT). It wasn't as good as I remembered it, but it was still a good meal. Here's the link to the recipe and a photo of the finished product:

How I Got My Groove Back

2009-03-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

I have let it all go. My waistline kept expanding and I kept ignoring how tight my pants were getting. I decided to get on my Wii Fit (for the first time in months) and after exclaiming "OH!" when I got on, it zipped on up the BMI meter and cheerfully exclaimed, "Obese!" (Tell me something I don't know...) Well, it turns out that I am 34+ lbs heavier than I was a few months ago. I can probably blame it in part on my medication - weight gain is a commons side effect. But mostly, it's the crap I've been stuffing in my face.

Speaking of crap in my face, my house has become unbearable. It is such a mess all the time, partly because I have two toddlers, and I can't stand to be at home. The only time my house (the last one) was ever clean was when I was trying to sell it. The key? I put all my things that I never used (and some that I did) into boxes in the garage, ate of paper plates, drank from plastic cups, and kept a Swiffer mop close at hand. By Thursday of next week, I will have purged my kitchen of all the things I don't need that are in it. We are turning over to paper plates and cups, being green be damned (for the moment, anyway)!

What I will not be stowing are my pots and pans, because, look out, world, I'm going to start cooking again. I have not been cooking at all lately (unless heating up soup can be considered cooking). I need to flex my culinary muscles and tomorrow sounds like a good day to start. I'm making Russian Potato/Mushroom/Leek soup and homemade bread tomorrow. I'll freeze what we don't eat for another day. I'll find something else to make for Saturday, and so on and so on.

The big fat walk home MUST and WILL regain its momentum. I'm starting over, and this time starting small. Over the next 16 weeks, I will walk 120 miles. That's 1.5 miles, five days per week. If I go over, sweet. I will not go under. Along the way, I will be taking pictures of my walks (the kids, scenery, whatever) to entertain you with and to give me something to mark my days with little photo memories. I'll start by walking to pick up my son from school. That's 1.65 miles if I go the long way. My goal is to walk 500 miles in one year, which I may bump up as time goes by.

So tonight, I logged a whopping 16 minutes on the Wii Fit and plan to update my progress there as well. I will be using the Wii Fit nightly and post about it here for good measure.

That is all. I look forward to wowing you all with my excercising prowess. ;)

Yardwork

2008-04-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't get much of a walk in today, but I still got a workout with more to come. My ex-husband lent me an aerator which doesn't fit through my back gate, but I was able to do the front lawn. What a MACHINE that thing is. You can barely push the bar and it's dragging you across the yard. And it's a bitch to turn. But, that's done, and I started mowing. I got about 1/3 of the yard done before my mower ran out of fuel. So now I get to wait for Mat to come home before I wrap it up and maybe even do the back yard if there's enough light. I forgot to change my shoes into my mowing-shoes though, so hopefully my super-cool skate sneaks won't be stained. LOL

I also had a fabulous experience with some local tomato growers from whom I bought 13 heirloom varieties of tomatoes. I got brown, black, yellow, green and red tomatoes and I can't WAIT to see what they produce. The plants are HUGE for this time of year and I'm just hoping I can keep them alive on my counter facing south. Hopefully I don't kill them.

So no walks, but that aerator kicked my butt. My face is red, and I've still got some mowing to do, so the day wasn't a complete loss. I got a lot of my water in too, so whoo hoo for me!

On the road again...

2008-04-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the doctor to reassess my medication which was making me drag like a zombie in the morning. I wasn't showering until late in the day and felt overall pretty crappy. We decided to lower the dose, and I discussed with him the risk of diabetes which is increased with this medication (Seroquel) for pre-diabetics (which I most assuredly am). He told me that so long as I wasn't gaining weight, I'd be okay. Well, I need to do more than that - I'm feeling gross and ready now that spring is here to start walking again. Today, I walked 1.87 miles and took the boys to the library and the park. We had a nice picnic lunch and got home with time to make dinner. Right now I've got boneless country style pork ribs on the skillet. I'm not sure exactly what I'm making with them, but they're a-cooking anyway. So my plan is to walk daily, drink 64 oz. of water and try to eat reasonable food.

I've been really shocked lately at how much utter crap is on the ingredients list of just about anything you want to eat that's not produce or meat. I wanted to buy horseradish and couldn't find a one that didn't have high fructose corn syrup and xantham gum in it. For your info, I was also appalled to find that the store brand sour cream (I've noticed this with every one I've checked), you get a lot more than cream - leaving a sour taste in MY mouth. There's modified corn products and other fillers you'd never expect. So I've resigned myself to spend a little extra on Daisy brand and get the stuff that's all natural. I'd highly recommend the book In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan - it really opened my eyes to the downright conspiracy the food companies are involved in to make us all fatter and to change our diets to one of soy, corn and chemicals. Thanks, but no thanks.

Anyway, I'm on a roll again. My goal is to lose 40lbs by this summer. I think with a little effort, I can go a long way.

Would you like some mushrooms with your mushrooms?

2008-02-11T06:19:00.001-08:00

Last night, I attempted to de-meat beef stroganoff. My plan was to make it without the beef, and instead with portabella mushrooms. The sauce also calls for button mushrooms. Lots o' mushrooms. Here's how it went:

I started with all fresh ingredients (except for the low-sodium beef broth, which was canned.) I got them all out in advance and prepped them so that it would be simple to actually cook. This is kind of a la cooking-show-cooking, the way Emeril and those guys always have everything pre-measured in convenient prep-bowls. Well, Emeril, you're the the only one with prep bowls. You may have others on your staff to fill said prep bowls, but that's all you've got on me!

Next, I sliced up all my mushrooms. The portabellas, I cut in half and then sliced width wise. I was surprised when I rinsed them that the undersides rinsed out a weird red/brown color. They rinsed clear after a few minutes though, so no big deal, just interesting.

So, here's the basic gist: I diced the red onion, sauteed it in 1/2 a stick of butter until (not) tender (enough). I should have carmelized it more. Meanwhile, I floured the mushrooms the way you'd flour the beef when making the stroganoff. I removed the onions from the skillet and put another 1/2 stick of butter in to sautee the floured portabellas. Once those were tender, I added the broth, basil, salt, pepper, 1/4 c. of sherry and the onions. This thickened and then I added 1 c. of sour cream, heated it through and served it over egg noodles.

The verdict: It was okay. I was out of Worcestershire sauce, which I think would have added the right tang, and the sherry didn't quite make up for it. It was a LOT of mushrooms. The overall flavor was very good though, Mat and I ate it just fine. The kids hated it. But here it is, in all it's glory: The finished dish.

Carrots, Celery and Onions

2008-01-28T07:37:00.000-08:00

There's something sublime about the three of these ingredients simmering in a little butter in a pot over medium heat. The smell smacks of cold weather comfort food: of soups and stews and dishes to sop up with home-baked bread.

I opened my fridge the other day and saw some carrot and celery sticks wasting away in my veggie drawer. I'd pre-cut them for the kids thinking they'd be a convenient snack, but snacks are only convenient if your kids will actually eat them. So rather than let them dissolve into a soupy mess to be discarded weeks later (don't pretend this doesn't happen in your fridge - I know I'm not the only one!) I hauled them out, chopped them up, added some onion and voila, you add a little butter and you have the pic above.

That's my new dutch oven, btw. I'm very excited about it. I bought it to make a no-knead bread recipe. The bread came out not so good, but I'm certain that was my fault and not the bread's or the dutch oven's. My friend made some and it came out light as air. It had holes the size of Texas, and a crumb and crust to cry over, but mine, well, mine just made you want to cry. It was small, dense and very yeasty tasting. I let it sit for three days, and I think that was too long. I'm going to try a shorter set up next time.

Back to the soup. I winged this soup, but it came out pretty well. I did beef, since that's the broth I had on hand, and basically, I did two cans of broth, four cups of water and three bullion cubes. I added a bay leaf, some basil, some Italian seasoning and some white pepper. No salt. The bullion and stock had plenty already. And that's about it. Oh. Except I let it sit overnight, and added barley - 1/2 cup dry barley and it was kind of like french onion soup meets vegetable barley. The veggies got overcooked, but here's the funny thing: my one year old loved it. We put some rice in it to make it less "soupy" and he gobbled it up like a maniac.

I'm loving soups right now. They're hard to mess up. Usually, if they're bland, you add more salt. Or seasoning. But mostly, it's about playing with flavors, and if you start with those three colorful veggies at the top of this post, you really can't go wrong.

NaNoWriMo

2007-10-06T12:27:00.001-07:00

Have you heard of this? It's almost November, and therefore, almost National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). So sometime in October, if you're feeling randy, you can sign up on http://www.nanowrimo.org , thereby committing to God and country that you will write a 50,000-word novel in the month of November. That's one whole novel in one short month. I REALLY want to participate, but my college classes online start on November 4th, so I'm thinking instead, perhaps the key for me would be to start now, pretending that it's November, so that when November hits, I'll not only be ready to devote all my time to school, I'll have an unedited manuscript ready for publi-- ready for serious pain to be inflicted on it with a red pen. I may have mentioned (or not) that I have a wildly clever book already underway, but that although I managed about 12k words, I'm stuck at a point where I need to do some major research before I can continue, and so I've been lollygagging (spell check wants me to make that lallygagging, but I just can't do it). I do, however, have another novel, a romance in fact, which might fit the bill. Romances generally are shorter anyway and although I'd still need to do some research, I should be able to get the base story out in a month - that'd be great since I've had this story for the last ten years itching to be written. So anyway, if you too have the writing bug, visit the site above, and then too, check out this blog which I also find to be terrifically interesting for writers and non-writers alike: http://www.shnozzfest.com . Happy writing!

(P.S. Thanks to my friend Julie for the avatar above.)

Why I'm enamored with Nico

2007-10-06T12:05:00.001-07:00

Today, I was feeding the baby when I thought I felt or heard vibration - I don't know what sense was picking it up (perhaps Spidey sense?) but I look over at Nico and he's sitting his his Bumbo and grinning ear to ear. That's when I realized what he was doing. He had put his vibrating teething toy into the bottom of the seat, and when he sat down - VOILA! - instant butt massage! I'm pretty sure it doesn't get much cuter than that.

Get the Funk Out

2007-09-29T06:13:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning, and the sky is conveniently reflecting my mood. I thought it was rather dark for 7am, and when I went outside, the sky looked like this: brooding, cloudy, and in what appears to be a general funk. I don't have a lot of reason to feel this way, but thank you, Mother Nature for adding the icing to the gloom cake.

On a mixed high-note, I weighed myself yesterday for the first time since delivering the baby. I didn't know what to expect, since my clothes aren't fitting as baggily as I'd hoped - in fact, my pre-preggo pants are fitting me rather well, which ordinarily would be a blessing if they weren't so darned large to begin with. Well, I was shocked to see that I'm down 30 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. Okay. This is fantastic. More than I thought. So why am I pissed? Because I bought a pair of size 24 pants the other day (thinking, I wore 26 before the pregnancy, and those were baggy on me) and the buggers didn't fit. And when I say "didn't fit" I mean they didn't want to make it over my hips. Now, I know that sizing varies from store to store and brand to brand (which is a neverending source of irritation for me) but how is it that I'm basically no smaller than when I started out, thirty pounds heavier? WTF? I mean, my face is thinner, other people comment that I look like I've lost weight, so why oh WHY is it not evident in my pants? The only thing I can think is that the stretched out belly-ness is less fatty, but still, quite abundant.

I'm still not done with Mona In the Promised Land by Gish Jen, which to me indicates that the book sucks, because ordinarily (baby or no) I'd be done with a book that size in 48 hours, and it's been a few weeks. I've only had two or three books in my life that fell into this category of "laboriously difficult to read" and those were The Liars' Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr and We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates. I finished the former but just couldn't wade through the latter. I just hate reading books when the style or content just doesn't appeal to me. Why can't there be an English Class with books that get more than three stars on Amazon?

My boy's got asthma. Nico had a cold for three weeks which seemed inordinately long to me, never mind that frankly, there weren't enough Kleenexes in the county to sop up the ever-present mucous streaming from his nose. So I brought him in again (the first time was at the beginning of the cold since I thought he might have an ear infection) and the nurse tells me he has asthma, which is keeping the cold from getting better. Mat has asthma, and he too is having a hard time breathing these days, so I think it's just a weather/time of year thing. But really, doesn't the pediatrician know that all I ever want to hear from them is "He's perfect!"? Grr.

I'm playing CSI: Hard Evidence for the XBox 360 right now (yes, I know, I'm an anathema to the legions of Halo 3 devotees). It's no better, but also no worse, than the previous editions. I had to get my fix in since I have no TV right now, and this past Thursday, I became the only CSI fanatic who has no idea what's happened to Sarah. And no, I don't want to know. I'm waiting for it to be downloadable on the 360, so don't post any spoilers, chickee-monkeys! One thing is certain though, Grissom is no where near as hot rendered in blocky 3-D graphics as he is on the show. 'Nuff said.

Anyway, the sky is brightening ever so slightly, and shortly, my quiet morning will be filled with the whoops and hollers, shrieks and cries of three little boys. It's much harder now with the baby, particularly since Nicholas' cold has got him in double-bad sorts which only compounds the jealousy. He's the neediest little pain ever right now, and I spend most of my day with both of the babies in my arms at the same time -no small feat. I've unfortunately also had a headache ever since I had Joseph. It varies in intensity, but with rare exception, it is always there. I'm going to set up an appointment soon if it gets much worse, because I don't know if I can wait out the six-week appointment. Then again, what can the possibly do for me? Most medication that will help with headaches is counter-indicated for nursing. So, with head a-throbbing, I bid you adieu until next time!

Dog update

2007-09-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, before I left the house, I ran into my neighbor outside and he was telling me how his dog must like the bark collar, because he'd tested it, it was working fine, but the dog was still barking as much as ever. He told me the dog would be staying inside from now on.

Well, later, I was getting the kids out of the car and saw him "walking" his dog, which amounted to him standing on the porch, yelling at it while it was supposed to be going potty. Vinny got Nico out of the other side of the car, and then the dog came into my yard. I asked, "Do I need to worry about that?" as I started walking around to where the boys were. I came around the side of the car to see the hound on top of Nico who'd fallen under the dog's weight as it tried to kiss him. Now, Nico is a little dog-phobic to begin with, so I wasn't happy at all. Then I became VERY unhappy, as I told Nico (whom I'd picked up by then) "Oh, the doggie was trying to give you kisses, you're okay!" (Which he was - no physical harm done). My neighbor says something about what I'd said, I don't remember exactly what, but then he proceeds to grab the dog, and bodily slam it against the side of his truck. WTF? He hits it twice into the truck, asking "How do you like it?" After putting the dog inside, he comes out and says, "I'm SO sorry!" I told him it was okay, no harm done (except for the potential psychological trauma to Nico) and he said, "Oh no, that dog is gone, I'm not going to have a dog that knocks down little kids!"

Here's my theory: Maybe, just maybe, if you're trying to potty train an approximately four-month-old puppy and you KNOW you don't have him trained well enough to stay in your yard, PERHAPS, I know, I'm going out on a limb here, PERHAPS, a leash would be in order? Ya think?

My hope in all of this is that my neighbor is true to his word - that he finds a new home for that poor puppy, and in doing so, eliminates the noise problem AND gives that dog a chance at a happy life. I'm no PETA member, but I don't abide that kind of crap.

Charity

2007-09-18T15:48:00.001-07:00

I'm a big fan of charitable giving. My bank account doesn't always let me be as magnanimous as I'd like, but I give when I can and volunteer when I'm able. One thing I like to do is donate blood every 54 days (when I'm not pregnant or nursing), as that's as often as you can donate. It doesn't cost me anything and it saves lives (I'm O+ so I'm almost a universal donor).

Today I saw a featured video on YouTube.com. The guy was pretty annoying, but I thought, in contrast to the billions of "hey, lookit me!" videos out there, using youtube for good instead of evil appealed to me.

Then, today, I walked 1.6 miles to pick Vin up from school with Nico in the stroller and wearing Joseph in a wrap. I forgot that I'd transferred all of my purse stuff into the baby bag, and so when I went to get a soda out of the machine at the grocery store, I found I had exactly $.22 to my name, and the sodas were $.25. I said, oh well, and went to walk away when a lady said, "Excuse me," and handed me two quarters. "For your son," she said in stilted English. I thanked her, put in the two quarters and heard one hit the change return. She thought the soda's were $.50 (as they are at a minimum anywhere else, but this was Shasta soda). The change return was full of the extra quarters her daughter had pumped into the machine. I handed them back to her, thanking her again, and thought to myself, I guess there are people out there who still do nice things for one another. It'd been a long time since I'd witnessed it first hand, and in a "shout-it-to-the-universe" kind of way, I'd like to publicly thank her again for showing a fellow person the kindness of a cold soda on a hot day. Thank you!

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog...

2007-09-17T19:44:00.001-07:00

I hate my next door neighbor's hound dog. The bloody thing howls/bays all day long, and now, it's 8:45pm, my kids are in bed, and he's at full throttle. We've talked to the neighbor, and he assured us he was getting a bark collar, bringing the dog inside and if all else failed, he sure wasn't going to keep a dog that barked all the time! Liar.

I registered for classes today! I'm going to be taking a basically three classes plus two that I have to take because I'm going to school online (they're 2 credit educational planning classes - yay.) So I'm taking a class on the Enlightenment, World Religions, and Multicultural Lit. I started reading one of the books for the lit class, Mona In the Promised Land by Gish Jen. It's okay so far - she's got a pretty sassy voice, and when I say she, it's only because I don't know if Gish is a male or female name, but the first person narrator is female. I start back to school in November, but I figure getting a head start isn't a bad idea.

I went to a fiber festival yesterday and bought some wool yarn. Now, although I'm glad to have decent yarn instead of the acrylic crap I normally buy, I'm having a hard time figuring out what to make with it since it's wool and can't be washed in the machine. Not being able to wash something in the machine renders almost any garment unworthy of existing as far as I'm concerned. I can't tell you how many "dry clean only" items I've bought and threw in the wash because if they didn't make it through the wash and dry, they simply weren't meant to be in my wardrobe. I've toasted a number of dresses that way. Anyway, I'm thinking hats might be the way to go, otherwise, I'm going to knit some wool soakers for cloth diapers to sell online. May as well make a shekel or two.

I seriously hate this dog.

I was quite domestic today. I got up, and got the boys situated and did the dishes. Then, I threw some white bread fixings into the bread machine to make dough while I grated up some zucchini for some zucchini bread. When my mom came to visit, I made the same bread and forgot to add the margarine. This time around, I forgot the 1/4 cup of sugar. (It still had 1 Tbsp. of sugar that I proofed the yeast with, but still, WTH?) So with my head clearly NOT on my shoulders, I finished the three loaves, and they came out okay. Dinner was a much better success. My friend gave me a slew of tomatoes and some basil and parsley from her garden, and I made a delish pasta sauce for dinner. I browned some ground Italian sausage, pureed the tomatoes with some olive oil, the basil and parsley and a pinch of salt. I mixed it all together, fried some garlic in a olive oil and tossed it in as well. I served it over Rigatoni and used the sugar-light bread to sop up the sauce. So yummy!

I sent Mat over to ask the neighbor to deal with his dog. He did, and now, blessed silence. The guy apologized said the dog has a bark collar. The dog must be a masochist.

I was going to walk to pick Vin up today, but I was chatting w/my brother on the phone, and realized I had 20 minutes to get to the school .8 miles away, and Nico was still napping, and the baby needed a diaper change. There was no way I was getting there in time, so Mat left work to pick him up and had lunch at home instead. Tomorrow I'm walking because Mat is closing, and I'm not piling the kids in the car at 9pm to go get him if I keep the car. He can take it.

Today was not easy, since it was my first day home alone with the two little ones. Nothing is more frustrating than settling in to nurse, and when the baby finally latches, your toddler decides to dismantle your DVD collection. That happened at least five times today. We're moving the DVDs.

Oh, AND, I tried to make my curtains today, and my sewing machine isn't stitching right. Not sure why, but I don't have the know-how to know what to look for. Oh, AND, I'm on Mat's computer, because, that's right, mine took a dump yesterday. I do have the know-how to troubleshoot it, but not the patience. I think it's the power supply. We're going to get one tomorrow.

Now, it's off to wrap up the first season of "Heroes" on DVD. What a great series. I hope they don't cancel it. (Damn you, HBO! I'm still mourning "Deadwood"!)

Night, all.

Back in the saddle again...

2007-09-11T12:15:00.001-07:00

Fall is a-coming! I can smell it. The mornings are crisp and the evenings sublime. I'm back to blogging for a number of reasons:

1.) We had our baby. I did most of the work, but we are now proud parents of baby boy Joseph Anthony Martinez! He weighed 7lbs. 13oz. and measured 20 inches long. He's a VERY good baby, and I'm actually getting decent sleep (please take a moment to knock on your nearest wooden surface or object). Here is a picture of me and my boy:

2.) I am starting classes in November. I'm hoping that in two short semesters, I will be the proud owner of a piece of paper saying I have a B.A. in English Lit. I'm registering next week, so here's to open classes!

3.) Walking will be back on in the next few days. I feel better after this delivery than I did with either of my other two boys, and anticipate that within the next week I should be able to start logging some more walking distance. I've deviated from my original one-year plan, but who cares? I anticipate that I've lost about 25lbs. since the start of my pregnancy (I don't own a scale because I obsess, so I have to wait for my 6-week doctor's visit).

Anyway, that's my current events info, and I will endeavor to keep this blog rolling so that when the netizens of the world are bored, there's one more self-absorbed blog out there with fresh material.

The grand master plan

2007-05-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

We have been struggling lately, and I think a lot of it is just simply not planning and to further that point, not knowing what the future holds. I'm making some changes. I am due with my third and final SON, Joseph in September. Two days before my due date (good timing, I know) I begin my final leg of my English B.A. with Empire State College (a SUNY school) in New York online. I will be obviously here in Utah. After that, I will continue on to my M.A. in either Lit or Creative Writing (probably lit because I think it'll be more useful career-wise) also through SUNY. I found out the residencies are only 3-4 weekends during the program in Albany, NY - maybe some family would be able to come have lunch with me or something - it's kind of far though. Anyway, after that, the nation-wide hunt begins. I don't know as much as I'd like to about how the career of an English Professor works, but I think I will be looking for a school that will accept a teacher with an M.A. into a tenure-track position with the goal of completing my PhD. at said university. If not, I know I should be able to get in as an adjunct lecturer while I complete my doctorate. I'm starting so late, but I am so glad to finally know where my road will take me. Okay, not exactly where. I don't begin to know where to start looking for the most desirable university, locale and neighborhood to raise my kids in, but I'll figure it out. There's got to be something online, right? In the meantime, once I've got my B.A., I should be able to procure a job on campus locally working hopefully in the English department and maybe even assisting an English professor. I'm late getting my time in on this, so the more experience the better! Now, all I have to do is 4.0 my way to my B.A. so I can get to the Master's program. Piece of cake. LOL

Wow, time gets away from me...

2007-04-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

So it's been almost two months since I last posted. Sorry 'bout that. Wow, let's see. I've been having a different kind of pregnancy this time around. I truthfully barely recognize myself, and that's not a bad thing. I felt like all this time I was talking out my ass, saying, Yep, that's right, I'm going to CHANGE how I eat, CHANGE how I move, and CHANGE my attitude about my body. Well, looky here...enough talk about something and it might actually gain a foothold. (Note to readers, I am NOT a proponent of this new fad book known as The Secret, though I do believe positive thinking can only help). So I find myself suddenly not trying to "be better" or "stop eating bad foods", and instead, I just buy healthy food, make it the way I like it and eat a reasonable amount. My body has decided that twice as much food as I need is no longer a reasonable amount, and so I have without any effort, managed portion control. I think I just needed to stop thinking about it so damn much.

I even ate brussels sprouts last night. I hated them. BUT I did give them an honest go, and they failed my taste test. That's okay though...I ate them, and will just buy their other green cousins for my veggie fix.

I have not been walking like I had been, BUT I have been gardening and mowing the lawn, which is a BUTT-whoopin' for me, but I enjoy it, so it's not such a chore.

I found out about a food co-op here in town. I remember my mom belonging to a co-op when I was a kid. The food is so well priced, and it includes local fresh produce, so you can't go wrong with that.

I am toying with the idea of writing a book about eating. Not a diet book, more of an anti-diet (and by that I mean the opposite of diet, not that I'm against dieting, though I am). I want folks to take a look at the food on their plate and wonder where the heck it came from! Folks joke about it, but ask a kid where chicken comes from, and rarely will you get "the farm" as an answer. And if he did say "the farm" he wouldn't be right on that count either. The travels and tribulations our food goes through are something everyone should be aware of. I'm trying to stick to foods with pronounceable ingredientes, and when possible, if a food is going to be "processed", it's going to be processed by me. Really, what I need is a Kitchenaid Mixer with all the bells and whistles (including the pasta attachment) if I'm going to go totally un-processed, because we eat a lot of pasta.

Speaking of pasta though, try this: Instead of buying jarred, salty, greasy, flavorless pasta sauce, gather the following:

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 onion chopped (optional)
2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes (plain old tomatoes only)
1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning (or basil and oregano at the very least)

Heat the oil in a pan on medium until it spits if you flick water at it. Put in the onion and garlic and stir until the garlic turns a little golden. Quickly, so the garlic doesn't burn, add the can of tomatoes, add the seasoning and heat through. You can add or subtract seasoning as you like, and salt and pepper to taste. It doesn't really take much longer to make it, but you KNOW what's in it. Here's the ingredient list for Ragu Traditional:

Tomato Puree , Water , Tomato Paste , Soybean Oil , Salt , Sugar , Dried Onions , Extra Virgin Olive Oil , Spices , Romano Cheese , Part-Skim Milk , Cheese Cultures , Salt , Enzymes , Natural Flavor

1/2 cup contains 6 grams of sugar and 580 grams of sodium. Who needs that? And what, pray tell, are those "natural flavors"?

Obviously, compared to many food items, the Ragu isn't even a scary list of ingredients. At least you can say them all without spraining your tongue.

So I guess, my challenge to you is, see if you can't take something you use all the time: bread, eggs, pasta sauce, taco seasoning or Hamburger Helper and find a way to make it yourself or get it fresh from a farm. See if you can't make a healthy alternative to the packaged, preserved garbage we stick in our mouths every day. You may find it to be cheaper even, at times, and it is almost ALWAYS more flavorful.

Oh, speaking of eggs. Have you ever eaten a farm-fresh egg? I hadn't until this past month. A co-worker of a friend gave me two-dozen eggs to try from his farm down the road to see if I wanted to buy them on a regular basis. The shells ranged from speckled rust color to light green and blue. The inside was where the real shock was though. The yolk was BRIGHT orange. To clarify and give you a better picture, when scrambled, they were the color of dark, sharp cheddar cheese. They were richly flavored and when fried, the yolks stood VERY tall and didn't break easily. Compared to the bleached (literally) white eggshells of the pale-yellow-yolked grocery store eggs, these were a total shock. And they were wonderful. I found out two interesting facts: the yolks are orange because the chickens actually get to go outside and have greens in their diet (weed shoots, alfalfa, that sort of thing) AND, they make terrible hard boiled eggs. Why? Because they're not old. Old eggs peel easily when boiled, which is why if you're planning on boiling eggs, either buy them from a farm in advance, or buy them at the store where they're already plenty old.

I'm rambling, but I'm learning so many things, and I want to SHARE! I'm no longer afraid of butter, olive oil, sugar, bread, etc. I've discovered that there are ways to use all of these things in moderation that gives you the flavor you want without going nutso. I found I can make two loaves of white bread with 1 Tbsp of sugar (in lieu of the one loaf I was making with 1/4 cup of sugar! I found that whether I choose margarine or butter, it doesn't matter, so long as I try to do a lot more cooking with either in small amounts for flavor and not slathering it on bread or potatoes on my plate.

Speaking of plates: I have taken to plating up dinner for everyone before we sit down, with the understanding that what's on the table is ALL there is to eat. Any leftovers are for lunch the next day, and are not available for "seconds". No one seems to miss them.

Tilapia is my new friend. Read about it here.
Everyone in my family loves it from the baby and my six year old to my husband. You can make it SO many ways, it's sustainable, low fat and SO delish. Between that and chicken, my proteins are just about covered for the week.

Okay, so that's probably enough for the day.

March of Dimes Walk 2007!

2007-02-25T07:34:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello! Today I enrolled my http://www.utahcountymommies.com team to walk in this years March of Dimes Walk America! I'm very excited about it, and we've got quite a few people interested in participating If anyone wants to help but isn't here in Utah County to walk with us, you can sponsor me by going to Eileen's Personal Walk Page. You can donate using your credit or debit card, or PayPal! Thanks so much for your help!

Oh how I hate Chuck E. Cheese

2007-02-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

My son has had a very rough year at school and recently started treatment for ADD. He has done amazingly well, and had an entire month (with only one bump in the road) with great days at school. My husband decided to treat him to a "fun night", and of course, he chose Chuck E. Cheese, animatronic beacon of fun to children everywhere. He told me that the Chuck that comes out on stage is a robot and so is the one that comes down and hugs the children. I told him I didn't think so, but he assured me that he had an amazing brain that could figure these things out, so I conceded. Even after seeing the Man/Mouse walking around, he's certain it's a robot. Then again, I would think anyone working at this particular Chuck E. Cheese would do well to be able to go on autopilot. What a circus. I have never seen one of these places SO busy. I have crowd-o-phobia (don't ask me for the real name, I don't feel like looking it up) and the noise and crowd and lights are really too much of a sensory overload for me. So I am immediately in panic mode and ready to leave. Then I eat a ton of pizza and bad salad and finally decide to go next door to Robert's craft store (like Michael's) and buy the remaining yarn for Nico's blanket. (I'm going to attempt to design a teddy bear on the off white background and give it a blue and brown border). Immediately, I'm getting gas pains enough to nearly double me over, but I perservere, wanting to waste as much time as possible without going back to the Cheese. Finally, I couldn't wait any more, so I left my yarn at the service desk and went to get Mat and Mat's wallet. They were just wrapping it up, and so we finally got to leave.

I hope never to go back again. I know this is too much to expect with two children younger than Vinny to contend with, but at the very least, I can assure you I will NEVER go back on a Saturday. NEVER.

Now we're going to watch season One of Battlestar Gallactica (the new one) that my brother lent me. Chat atcha later!

Buying a house

2007-02-09T21:16:00.001-08:00

Well, we found a house we liked on Thursday and put an offer in. They accepted it this morning, so we're under contract now, and the wheels are all turning. We have to do our inspections and whatnot, but hopefully all will go well, and we'll have a new house in three weeks! The kitchen and downstairs bath are both BRAND NEW, including a shiny new fridge and dishwasher. The range is not brand new, but it's newer and in great condition. It's a tiny three bedroom with the main bedrooms in the basement, but the basement is a daylight basement with a walk-out, so it's a lot safer than most of these Utah houses with six bedrooms in the basement where the kids would have to scramble out of the window well six feet above their heads. The best part is, ours and the kids' bedrooms are downstairs, so NO ONE ever has to walk by them when they come to visit! And the laundry is in the basement too, so no carting clothes upstairs! Whoo hoo! I love the hardwood floors in the living room and kitchen, and the yard is gorgeous! There's already an area set up for a garden (complete with rotting veggies from last year - ew!) and a shed of the back of the garage that is BEGGING for gardening tools. I am going to start my journey into organic goodness this Spring!

Speaking of which, I went to Target last night and found they had normal Kellog's cereal in an organic variety (Rice Krispies and Frosted Mini Wheats are what we bought). The mini-wheats are my favorite, and I actually preferred the organic because it was a much lighter "frosted" side, so I didn't feel quite so bad blowing away my diabetic rules and regs. Vinny had the Rice Krispies (which I hate) and said they were good. Then again, he also enjoyed a hunk of the cement brick I made out of whole wheat flour in my bread machine. My son is every mother's dream - if I make it "homemade" he thinks it's the greatest.

Anyway, I'll keep ya's posted on the house!

Finally

2007-02-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

In 1990, I started college at the University of Buffalo. I went to orientation and the first person I befriended was a young woman named Linda Yalem. She was upbeat, athletic and we hit it off right away. We talked about running together since I was a former track runner and she was training for the New York City marathon. I've never been much of an athlete though, and as college got underway, I kind of stopped hanging out with her as much and we never ended up jogging together. Then, on September 29, 1990, while jogging alone on the bike path near the college, Linda was raped and murdered.

I felt guilt the likes of which I had never experienced before or since. If she hadn't been alone, if I had been with her, maybe... I couldn't watch TV because they kept putting her face on the screen. I couldn't go to the bathroom because the composite picture of that bastard was on the back of every stall door. (I tore quite a few of those down - counterproductive, I know, but I just couldn't bear it). Throughout the past 17 years, I have periodically searched the web to make sure her memorial run was still happening and to see whether they'd found her murderer.

My best friend from college called me today and told me that it seems they've found him. His face looks a lot like the face on those flyers and more importantly his DNA looks like a good match. I'm glad they found him, though I'm not happy that Linda was not his last victim. I'm angry now, angry like I was back then - I can't believe it's finally over. I pray that Linda's family finds closure when they put this man away. I'll be keeping my eye on the proceedings, and hope that justice is served swiftly and with the steepest penalty allowable for such a miserable, heinous crime. God bless you, Linda.

Just for Erin

2007-02-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post just because Erin said she needed more wallpaper options for her desktop. I think this is one of the cutest pictures of my boys.

This week, I'd be surprised if I haven't lost 5 lbs simply for lack of eating. I've felt cruddy AND we're broke, so food in the house actually requires lengthy preparation and I just haven't felt like it. Last night we made a pretty good shrimp stir-fry, so I got some much-needed vegetables and protein in me. We discovered that jasmine rice apparently needs more water and more time in the steamer (or it stays a bit "al dente"). I also discovered that my husband, for the last few days, thought the dishes in the dishwasher were clean. (They weren't). Ewww.

Still working on a new baby blanket which is going to be for Nico since I never finished his yellow one and now the pattern for the yellow one isn't making sense so I've dropped it for now. This one is all off white, but I think I'll put a blue and brown border around it and I'm going to try and embroider a teddy bear on it. This will be my first attempt at a self-genenerated design, so it could be disastrous. Good thing he's a baby.

Oh where oh where has my litle blog gone?

2007-02-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

I have not been posting. Mostly because I have not been walking. I had a scary moment after a long walk, and since then I've been leery of walking for fear of "overdoing it" and losing this baby. So here's the worse news: I have gestational diabetes again. I have to go in and find out just how bad it is with a three hour test, but it's not a matter of "if" I have it but "how bad" I have it. The good news is, when I went in for my first appointment (four weeks after finding out), I'd lost a pound, so at least I'm not piling on the fat. My goal is to try and gain only 15 lbs this time around.

I got to see the little bean via ultrasound this time, and everything seems fine. We've got one (thank goodness) healthy baby and our due date has changed to September 12th.

Anyway, I may start using this blog to document my gestational diabetes fight since the walking is probably going to be cut to a minimum, at least for now.

Here's a pic of the throw blanket I crocheted for my livingroom. Vinny keeps trying to confiscate it for his own room, but THAT my friends, is a battle he will not win!

3.03 miles today

2007-01-10T12:24:00.000-08:00

Amanda and I walked 3.03 miles today. I left Nico home with Mat again because he still has the sniffles. My hips felt a little achy by the end, but it was a good walk. Not much else going on, but I wanted to post! See ya Friday!

Thank goodness for snow and friendship

2007-01-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

So I told my friend Amanda, "Don't take 'no' for an answer when it comes to us walking!" Since I've come to the conclusion that getting in shape means life or death for me (avoiding diabetes), I took a "no messing around" stand. That is, until I shoveled my whole driveway last night AND this morning and was comfy on the couch watching Top Chef with hubby who didn't have to work until 2pm. The phone rang, and I said, "Oh my God, it's Amanda, and I totally forgot to call her, oh man, I don't want to walk...Hello?" That's when she tells me she's parked outside my house, and how long would it be before I was ready? Gotta love it. So I threw some semi-warm clothes on and left Nico with Mat so I could walk solo. We did a shorter walk than usual, but it was because it was cold as heck! I think we probably walked about 2 miles though. So, I'd like to publically thank Amanda for getting my butt in gear this morning and making me live up to my end of the deal!

Surprise, surprise!

2007-01-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

While eating Tostitos and homemade salsa (why is this stuff so damn good???) and swigging a beer, I signed up for Weight Watchers online the evening of January 1st. In the morning, I had a doctor's appointment to talk about a digestion problem I've had where food gets excruciatingly stuck in my chest, to the point where it's actually made me get sick. I also have tinea versicolor that's gone untreated for forever ('tis a lovely fungals skin problem that discolors your skin in little spots - quite lovely if it was wallpaper and not my shoulders). Plus, I wanted to get my psychotropic cocktail re prescribed now that I'm no longer nursing Nicholas.

Doctor tells me that I've likely got an esophageal constricture, and that he was referring me to a specialist to have a scope run down my throat and if that was the problem, to have my esophagus stretched. None of which sounds the least bit pleasant, pardon me if I seem the naysayer.

He prescribed me my anti-fungal cream, Topomax for mood swings (and apparently it also actually helps folks lose weight as an added bonus), Cymbalta for anxiety and depression and Xanax for anxiety attacks. This heavy does of meds for a small dose of "normal". Hallelujah!

So he says, "Is it possible you're pregnant, because you can't take these if you are."

I said, "It's not outside the realm of possibility, but no, I don' think so." So he sends me in for a urine sample anyway, and a little while later, the nurse comes back with something cupped in her hand that she shows the doc.

"Looks like we're going to have a positive," he says matter-of-factly.

Tears spring to my eyes and I probably said something like, "What?!? Are you serious? Oh my God, really?"

So he cancelled all my scripts (except the anti-fungal) and I went home and cancelled weight watchers. I did tell my walking buddy that she's no longer allowed to take "no" for an answer. I'm going to walk 3-5 times a week if it kills me. Well, hopefully what it will do is prevent me from gaining (along with eating all the veggies and good-fat foods I bought yesterday) but also it will tone my body for an easier pregnancy and labor.

Did I mention my baby is nine months old???

We walked for about an hour and a half yesterday, maybe three miles. Not sure if I'll make it out today, the weather is supposed to be dreadful. We'll see.

Vinny is the only one we haven't told yet (Mat and I haven't been home at the same time with him yet), but I imagine his reaction will be something like this:

I know mine was.

The land of "I suck"...

2006-12-27T09:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I suck. I've been doing HORRIBLY with not walking, not doing much of anything, and I went to the doctor the other day and 'lo and behold, I'm clocking in at 299lbs. This terrifies me. I could justify clearing 300 when I was at the end of my pregnancy, after all, everyone knows a newborn fetus puts 50lbs on you...right? RIGHT? So now here I am, no excuses and I'm at my heaviest weight ever. On Tuesday, January 2nd, I'm going back on the Weight Watchers core program. I'm not sure if I can swing the cost of meetings or not, I may just sign up online again (it's like $65 for a three months) and journal there. I'm going to walk today. It's cold as a mother out there, but I'm doing it. With both boys, I should be able to get in almost 2 miles. (This idea to make myself walk today just occurred this very moment!)

I have been watching cooking shows all morning, and daydreaming about going to culinary school like my brother did. I'm thinking there has GOT to be a way to eat healthfully without eating food that tastes like garbage. This is my mission. If I can't go to school, I'll school myself. I'm going to remove butter and shortening from my menu. Out with white rice and in with brown, wild and basmati. When we get our house, I plan to have an herb garden people would weep over, and now that I got a lovely dehydrator for Christmas, I can even dry my own herbs. (Granola chick in the making, I am!)

Here's the deal: I am practically guaranteed Type II Diabetes if I don't get my rear in gear. Like "Congratulations, you may have already won...!" Well, I don't want it. Because I REALLY don't think I can eat that way, and I abhor pricking my finger every other hour. It makes me ill just thinking about it. So I've gotta figure this out. I'll start posting more recipes at my website as I find and/or develop them. (www.brainaim.com) In the meantime, I made a gorgeous bread loaf yesterday, and now I'm thinking..."How can I make this with FAR less sugar (1/4c. in the recipe).

So, I'm going to jump in the shower, feed Nico, pop him in his stroller, toss a jacket on Vin and out the door we'll go.

Okay, I lied - 42.57 total miles

2006-12-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

I said I'd post again tomorrow, and here it is, not yet tomorrow and I'm posting. Vinny, Nico and I went to the Springville Museum of Art's Free Family Night (first Monday of every month) and got to learn about a local artist's work, listen to the Springville High School singers and pianists, and worked on an art project. We had to paint with tempura paint in one color using non-paintbrush tools. Vinny and I both chose a toothbrush, a Q-tip, and a piece of sponge. Vinny painted a Christmas tree with Jesus next to it and a "thing that Jesus was on when he died" hovering above it. When he got bored waiting for things to wrap up, he told me he wanted to paint more on it. When I asked him what he wanted to paint, he said, "Him eating a piece of chocolate. I'm pretty sure they had chocolate back in the day." My son is very precious, and at times, very um...creative. Anyway, here are our masterpieces. I call mine "Orange Sherbet". Oh...and we walked there with Nico in his sling .84 miles! Whoo hoo! Now I'm dedicating myself to a glass of Riunite Lambrusco (totally gauche, I know) and my new computer chair massage pad. My husband is good to me. I just wish he wasn't working so late tonight.

Walking Provo - 41.73 total miles

2006-12-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

So today I broke the 40 mile mark. Amanda and I walked 4.26 miles - a nice long walk, and I felt great (if a little sore) after. I'm a little (okay a lot) frustrated that after walking 40 miles in less than 2 months (39 miles more than I'd have probably walked before I started this project), and I haven't lost a pound. In fact, I may have gained one or two. I have to get my food under control. I keep saying that, but I'm having a hard time actually putting intentions into action. My genius train of thought has even caused me to consider taking up smoking again ("WHAT?" you say, and I agree with you.) I feel so gigantic, like my skin is actually tight on my body. I'm resigned for the moment to wearing only sweatpants, which are oh so attractive. Hrrmmmm. I think tonight, I'll spend some time cleaning out the fridge, and tomorrow, when I don't have Vin with me, I'll go grocery shopping. (Speaking of Vinny, here is a gorgeous pic of him).

It's not really snowing out now, and the snowfall from the other day is starting to melt, so walking outside is really pretty nice right now. We're starting to look at houses now online that might actually be a consideration for purchase. They're a little farther away from this town than I'd like, but we've gotta go where the budget allows.

Nicholas did it. Mat asked for one thing for his birthday (December 2nd) and Nicholas managed it for him. He said his first "da da"!!! ON Mat's birthday! He's also pulling himself up to a stand. I cannot believe how fast he's getting so big. In just one week, he will be 8 months old. And Vinny is a quarter of the way to 7. Unreal.

So, that's it for today, it's cold, but I walked anyway, and tonight the boys and I are going to the art museum for FREE Family Night. Mat's at work, and it's leftover baked ziti for dinner. Not a great weight loss dish, but it's what's in the fridge at the moment. More tomorrow!

I hate Gold's Gym - 37.47 total miles

2006-12-03T07:40:00.000-08:00

I mentioned that I joined the gym a few days back. I finally got in there on Friday and I was unimpressed. The girl at the counter greeted me with a "What's up?" in a gum-chewing, what-the-hell-do-you-want? kind of way. She proceeded to give the the "tour" which involved her pointing to where the daycare, ladies lockers and sit up machines were (do I hear a hint, hint?) The personal trainers were not in to give me my initial eval, so I was on my own. That aside, when I got to the daycare, the told me that not only was the limit 90 minutes, but that I couldn't split that time up (I'd planned to walk in the morning on the treadmill and play raquetball at night with dh). The salesperson, Carlos at Provo Town Mall, told me that I would be able to do that. Well, I'm peeved...I'm not getting what I paid for. So I called to cancel my membership. They told me I'd had three days from the date of contract to cancel, but now I'm obligated to the payments for three years. I told her that Carlos had misrepresented the daycare features. She said she wasn't there for that conversation to know what he said. (?!?!?!?!?) I told her I was telling her what he said. She said her manager was telling her contract states that the terms of the daycare may be changed by management at any time. I told her this wasn't a change, this was what it was before I even signed. I told her I would dispute it with my credit card company, she said they'd send me to collections. I asked to speak with her manager, she said she wasn't there. I asked how SHE'd spoken to the manager if she wasn't there; she said she was at lunch. I left a voicemail. An hour later, I called back. The girl who answered the phone said, "I don't see her (the manager) around, she's probably in a meeting or something." (Uh-huh) When I asked to speak to another supervisor, she said there were only two, Tanya, the one I left a voicemail for, and Tanya's boss. Both were "probably" in a meeting; "they've been in and out of meetings all week." Am I STUPID? The "they're at lunch", "they're in a meeting" line means, you're an irate customer, they're too scared to talk to you, so they're going to put you off until you stop calling.

Here's the deal: If they do not get me out of this contract, I will do the following: I will NOT go away. I will NOT pay for an unused gym membership. Instead, I will go there EVERY BLOODY DAY and be the most gigantic, painful thorn in their side. I will complain constantly and be very vocal about my dissatisfaction, particularly when there are new, potential members in earshot. I will demand repairs, cleaning, more classes, less soap operas on the T.V.'s, whatever I can think of.

Why any company would FORCE an unhappy customer to continue to do business with them, particularly since they aren't "out" anything, is beyond me. I paid them $50 for my first month, and I've gone once. Where is the loss in terminating my contract? I will continue to pursue this, and let you guys know how it goes.

Also, I told Amanda I didn't want to walk on Friday because I wanted to go to the gym. I walked for 45 minutes on the tread mill and got 1.43 miles out of it. Had I walked with Amanda, I would have gotten about 3+ miles in. Buyer's remorse, my friends, buyer's remorse.

Hmmm....I dunno how far...36.04 total miles

2006-11-27T15:14:00.000-08:00

So today, as I was driving to Amanda's house to walk, it started snowing. Part of me was like, "Yay! Snow!" and the other part said, "So what now...can't have the babies out in the cold!" We decided to walk at the Orem University Mall, and it was great. You can really walk SO much farther when you have someone fun to talk to! So here's the problem: I didn't count laps. And I can't find info on their website as to how far one lap is anyway. I'm going to say we walked two miles, though I think it might have been further, since we walked for about an hour and a half. Mat and I are going to the gym for the first time tonight. We kind of slacked up until now with the holiday and whatnot, but no more excuses! I'll let you know how it goes!

P. S. The pic is of me and my "boys" on Thanksgiving!

Joined the gym today! - 34.04 total miles

2006-11-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

Well, my walking today consisted of walking a bit in the mall, just around, not laps and grocery shopping, neither of which I counted on my distance. I picked up Vinny form school on foot, so that's my .84 miles for the day. At the mall, I joined Gold's Gym (for three years, yipes!) and got a great deal for both me and my husband Mat. Best of all, babysitting is included, so I can go for an hour or so and have someone watch Nick right on the premises. Of course, even though he'll be very close, I'm still nervous about it. I wore Nico to pick Vinny up so my back is a bit achy right now. I roasted a chicken and potatoes last night which we didn't get to eat because we ate too late of a lunch (4pm) so no one wanted to eat "dinner". Going to have that for supper tonight and make soup with the leftovers. I actually found barley, bulgar wheat, basmati rice and jasmine rice at the store today, so I'm going to try incorporating those into my meals for more fiber. (And in lieu of high-sugar white carbs like pasta and bread). I also bought my Turkey for the pot luck at church, and some fresh cranberries for sauce. I'm also going to make roasted garlic mashed potatoes because I bought a HUGE bag of potatoes and we'll never make it through them before they grow eyes! I've been bad about posting here lately. I'm going to make an effort to get here every day. Tomorrow morning, I'm heading to the gym for an hour, and then hopefully I'll have my interview at 10am for an at home job I applied for. I'll tell more as I find out more. Until tomorrow then!

Playdate/Walk - busy day! 33.2 total miles

2006-11-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

Today is Mat and my one year anniversary! It is hard to believe so much time has passed in the blink of an eye. He had to work today, so this morning, I met with a few girls from my mom's club, and had a short but fun "playdate" at McDonalds at 10am. I then hurried home to meet Amanda to walk. It was COLD outside, and windy as all get-out. Once we turned once, the wind was calmer, and it wasn't as bad. We walked 2.87 miles, and then came inside to warm up! Nico's hands were like ice (he won't keep mittens on, so I have to tuck them under a blanket - this lasts about three seconds as well). I'm tired now, but glad I walked. Tonight is the SCA, though I'm not sure what I'll wear, as I still don't have the cash to go buy fabric for garb. I need to buy a dress this week too so I can go to church on Sunday! I'm really bad about taking pics these days. I'll try to get some more up...this blog is so DULL without them!

It's been a bit...30.33 total miles

2006-11-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've been slacking on the blog. I went to the mall yesterday and walked 1.35 miles (three laps around). On my way, I weighed in on the GNC scale which told me I'm at 289.3 lbs - about as bad as I've ever been. So, although my walk caused me to break the 30 mile point, I'm bummed (though not really surprised) that I haven't lost anything. In fact, I've gained. So ... what's the problem? FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! I need to get back in the diet groove, and so far, I haven't done it. Tonight I made a killer meal - Roast duck (first time ever), gravy, garlic mashed potatoes (which I forgot all about until after dinner - they were sitting in the microwave), salad with mixed greens, tomato and mozzerella with an oil and balsamic vinager dressing I made. I also had steamed broccoli. Overall, I made too much food, and it was all fabulous - a dangerous mix. So I cleaned the duck and saved the meat for soup and the carcass is a-cooking as we speak in my crock pot. I'm going to use up my frozen homemade lasagna this weekend, and on Monday, we start. It'll be a little hard because I can't really grocery shop until Tuesday or Wednesday, but I've got enough couscous and hominy to get me started. I am going to weigh in again two weeks from Monday to see where we are.

My first walk repeated - 28.98 total miles

2006-11-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Today I repeated the first three mile walk I took, for 3.03 miles today. I walked with my new friend, Amanda and we wheeled our baby boys around town. It's so nice to walk with someone you can talk to, instead of babbling away at the baby for an hour and a half! Anyway, the bad news is, I keep forgetting to take my camera, so once again, I have no pictures. I will bring my camera tomorrow. I'm going to IHOP with some other ladies in the area, and then Amanda and I are going to walk. Advice for the day: find a walking partner, they're great for company AND accountability!

Short jaunt to church - 25.95 total miles

2006-11-05T18:13:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit lazy this weekend (which has allowed my blister on my right foot to heal from Friday). I went to Presbyterian Church this morning, and it was a .2 mile walk both ways. I'm sprucing up the house and trying to cook a quiche at the moment, so this will be my shortest entry yet. I've also got to work on my entry for a content writer position I'm applying for by today (talk about procrastination). Anyway, my friend from Provo and I are walking again tomorrow, so that should get me back in gear. It's great to have someone to be accountable to!

Walk with a new friend - 25.55 total miles

2006-11-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

I drove to Provo today and walked with a friend I made on my Utah County Mommies board. It was a nice 3.17 mile walk (with the uphill at the beginning, thank goodness) and I'm feeling pretty good now. I forgot to take my camera, so I don't have any pics today. But the good news is:

2024 Goal Miles
- 25.55 miles walked
________________
1998.45 Miles to go

I'm under 2000 miles!!! Whoo hoo!

I twisted my ankle and fell yesterday with the baby, and I twisted the same ankle (but managed not to fall) today. I don't know if it's a weak ankle or crappy shoes. We shall see. Maybe I'll get a pair of New Balance or something for Christmas! Until tomorrow!

Happy Halloween! 22.38 total miles

2006-10-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

Today is Halloween. Vinny's dad came by yesterday with the robot costume he'd made, and it is fabulous. It's also very impractical for wearing to school all day, so I had Mat pick up a hooded robe costume at Walmart, and I edited out the blood and gore on the chest and made Vinny an "alter-ego" costume for his robot costume. I did a pretty good job too, I think! I met Vinny and his dad at the school at 1pm for the parade they do and hung out until 3pm when school was out. We walked to Walgreens, running into Vinny's aunt and cousin on the way! The lady at Walgreens bought Vinny's treat bucket for him (thank you, nice Walgreens lady) and we were on our way. In the wrong direction. Being new to Springville, we didn't notice the directional signs until we were halfway down mainstreet. The "Safe Halloween" has a definitel flow of traffic, and we were like salmon swimming upstream. It was cold, and Nico was pretty unhappy. Vinny's dad decided he was going to go to the end and walk with the crowd. That was before we saw that the line was over a block long just to get started. Well, I bid my son and his dad fairwell, and headed home. So today, I walked a total of 1.43 miles.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Long walk home from school - 20.95 total miles

2006-10-30T15:36:00.000-08:00

I picked Vinny up from school on foot today, and we took a long, roundabout way home. The total walk was 2.16 miles. I didn't end up walking yesterday because I went to church and was really disappointed in how robotic the whole service was, and now I have to go to a different church next week and continue my "church crawl" to find the right one for me and my family. So I was bummed, and since I parked badly (really close to someone else's door), I booked out of there, and got right on the road. Also, nothing is open on Sundays, so I couldn't even walk down mainstreet and try and have a cup of coffee.

So I think this local website is going to be a great way for me to meet some folks. I even have a person or two interested in walking! Lunch is this Wednesday, and then Thursday, I'm going back on Weight Watchers Core. It is going to be hard, because I just started using the breadmaker, plus the holidays are coming, but I guess that's no reason to eat like a crazy person. As a matter of fact, the one year when I did stick to my diet during Thanksgiving, was the only year I ever felt human after eating. And I ate a little of everything (key word being "little").

This year, it's just going to be me, Mat and the boys, so I'll be making a small turkey, stuffing (or dressing if you're so inclined), gravy, garlic mashed potatoes and candied yams (no marshmallows though, I don't understand that tradition!). One thing is for sure, I will NOT be making a green bean casserole. I never even heard of these until I moved to Arizona. I'm not a fan. Instead, I'll probably make some other kind of green veggie plus some kind of salad. I figure that I'll stay on program every day except Thanksgiving, and then, I'll count points, but I"m not going to beat myself about the head if I have an extra bite of pie. (Ohhhh yeah, I'm making homemade pie).

We are starting off Thanksgiving day with the 2 mile Health Run (and Vinny will do a kids' race that morning as well). I figure it's a great way for us to get out together and get moving. The more I think about it, the more I want to work toward doing real races (not that the fun walks aren't a blast!) I'm going to do the next March of Dimes walk in my area, and I'll keep looking for this type of event to combine philanthropy with fitness. Someone on Myspace posted this link about a father and son who compete, and I think it's one of the most inspiring things I've read/watched. Read the whole thing and take the time to watch the video at the bottom of the page.

Another thing I'm concerned about lately stems from my having watched Chernobyl Heart, an HBO Documentary. I think most people (around my age and older) remember when the Chernobyl disaster happened back in 1986. What I didn't realize was how that disaster continues to affect the people (and particularly the children) in that area to this day. If you want to learn more, visit the Chernobyl Heart film website and also check out the related charity site for Chernobyl Children's Project International. You can find the film on HBO and if you have DVR or Tivo, you can record it. It's not easy to watch, but I had no idea, and I hate being ignorant about the world around me. Anyway, if you decide to donate, post a comment so I know I'm lending a hand. Short of becoming a doctor and heading over there, I feel a little helpless over the whole scenario.

Anyway, I'm feeling good about my walk today, and though I realize I have not been as consisitent as I would like (or as I said I would be), I'm pretty proud that today:

I BROKE 20 MILES IN 22 DAYS!!!
(That's almost a mile a day!)

Daylight savings WHAT?

2006-10-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

After twelve years in Arizona, it's no surprise that I woke this morning to total confusion. My alarm clock said it was 7am. My computer clock said it was 6am. My microwave said 7. My cell phone said 6. My thermostat said 7, my TV said 6. WHAT WAS GOING ON??? So I went to www.dateandtime.com to get an answer, and there it was: Sunday, October 29, Daylight Savings Time ends. In Arizona, because folks are bombarded by more sunlight than is humanly fair, they don't have DST. So, this morning, having decided to start my church crawl to find a church to attend, I thought I had to rush, and as it turns out, I have time to blog.

I found a cool site called www.UtahCountyMommies.com, which I'm hoping will be my connection to other moms in my area. So far, I've reached out to three moms, given them my name, number, and email, and so far, my track record of responses is 0/3. I wonder if it's because I'm not Mormon. I hope not. Because I'm a riot at mom's nights out.

I didn't walk yesterday, but I'm going to walk after church today, and check out the area surround the church in Payson. When I get home, my bread that I'm baking in my new bread machine (courtesy of a wonderful guy on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProvoUTFreecycle) should be done. Hopefully it doesn't turn out horribly because I don't know how to read directions through BEFORE beginning. I put in water, and then the dry ingredients only to discover it should have had powdered milk (I don't have any). I would have used regular milk, had I realized. Oh well, live and learn. That's all for now; I will post later!

Friday morning - 18.79 total miles

2006-10-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

Last night I made myself a nice map to walk on www.mapmyrun.com (I LOVE this website) that is 4.25 miles. This morning, I decided to get a "little extra" in and walk Vinny to school. We got to the school intersection, and there was no crossing guard. Hmmm...strange. No kids on the playground, hardly any cars in the parking lot, no bikes on the racks. I asked Vinny, "Are you sure there's school today?" He assured me there was, but I guess he'd forgotten to give me the note. So, we hiked it back home. On the way, we collected fallen leaves, and today we're going to make a "stained glass" window out of fall leaves and waxed paper. I'll post a pic when we're done. So, I got in .84 miles so far today, and it's not even 10am! Go me! I'll be walking later too, but I need to find my scarf/hat so I don't freeze my ears off! Till then!

Well, since Vinny was home from school, I played it safe and opted for a shorter route today because I'm sure taking a six-year-old on a 4.25 mile walk is a recipe for disaster. So we walked 1.63 miles and stopped at the grocery store for milk and yogurt on the way. Vinny was great, and he even ran around in the Jr. High field for fun.

Speaking of yogurt, I have a new not-as-bad-as-ice-cream addiction: Yoplait Whips! I like the Chocolate Raspberry. It's like eating dessert, only it's yogurt, has only 160 calories, 4 grams of fat, and I guess the worst of it is the 23 grams of sugar and the 10 grams of cholesterol. Anyway, the texture visually is nasty, but it's great on the tongue, and tastes so good, my eyes are closed anyway! Try 'em, hopefully, I'm not the only one who thinks these are yummy.

I talked to my husband today, and he agreed to go on a 2 mile health walk on Thanksgiving Day in Provo. I would love to do this, and then, next year, maybe participate in the 5 mile run. I saw another fun run for the Nutcraker Suite, but you have to wear a tutu, and I'm not sure I can talk my hubby into this one. He's a good man, but that would take a saint! Anyway, I'm thinking of making my eventual goal to get trained for marathons. I don't think I'm aiming too high...I'm 33 for goodness sake, not 90! So we'll see how that goes. More tomorrow!

Calling all walkers!!!

2006-10-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

If there are any other ladies in Springville, UT who would like to have a walking partner, I would love the company (Nicholas' vocabulary is limited to "Mama" and "Bubba", and so conversation can be a bit one-sided with him). I have nothing against walking with guys, but I think my husband would likely object, and besides, I'd feel weird talking about my butt as it shrinks or about lactation and the like with the opposite sex. I'm sure you understand. If, however, there is a gentleman (or more than one) that would like to get a group together, I'd be happy to facilitate a meeting page on my webpage (www.brainaim.com) if you like. I'm an equal-opportunity-exercise-encourager. Let me know...even if you're not up for every day of the week!

Finally...posting! - 16.32 total miles

2006-10-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

I tried posting yesterday, and midway through a long, cleverly written post, my computer crashed. I was too frustrated to give it a second go, so here I am again. This time, I'm going to publish the blog and then edit it to add pictures. That way my computer does throw a hissy fit and I won't lose my work. I can assure you, however, that this post will not nearly be as cleverly written, and for that, I apologize in advance!

My Jersey trip went very well. I walked the dogs three times (which I think I've posted all three) and walked about a mile in NYC (I mapped what I remember walking, and it was approximately one mile. My uncle took me and my Spanish friends to see 'Ground Zero'. I'd never been, and it was a difficult thing to see. I took photos and found my elementary school classmate's name, Melissa Vincent, on the memorial wall. We visited the Winter Garden, which before I moved to Arizona might have been more impressive, since now it's just a bunch of palm trees inside a building. Finally, we visited the harbor, where I saw the Colgate clock (a huge clock across the way) and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. (Two of my four grandparents came through there!) There were also sailboats with folks learning to sail. My uncle says it costs $1100 for three days worth of sailing lessons. I don't think I want to sail that badly. :)

Side story: Tonight, Mat and I went to (the hated) Wal-mart, and as we got out of the car, Mat approached an older lady unloading her shopping cart next to us and said, "I'm going to steal your cart from you." The lady started looking around almost wildly, so Mat said, "When you're done with it." She said nervously, "You've found me pretty defenseless". Then she noticed Vinny and I smiling, and then she laughed. "I thought you said you were going to steal my CAR!" She was mortified, and Mat (my half-Mexican, 6'3" husband) felt racially and/or size profiled once again. We felt terrible for having given her such a fright.

So anyway, tonight we had Vinny's parent/teacher conference. Mat dropped me and Vin off, and Vinny's dad met us there. The conference went very well, and Vin's teacher said he's reading at a second grade level in first grade! I gave Vinny the option of having his dad drive us home or walking, and he chose the walk (yay!) So we walked .42 miles home. It was a gorgeous, crisp night, and I really enjoyed walking with him. I wish he wasn't so big so I could get a double stroller and push both the boys on my walks, but he just doesn't have the stamina (nor do I, truthfully) to do a three+ mile walk. Tomorrow I'm FORCING myself to get back in gear, and Nico and I are going to walk with DADDY tomorrow. If he refuses (the verdict is out right now) then we'll walk at 1:30pm when he goes to work, and then just swing by to pick up Vin at 3pm. We should be able to get at least 3 miles in that amount of time.

I weighed in on my Aunt's scale in Jersey, and I was at 290 (with clothes & shoes at midday). Isn't it funny how we try to qualify why a number was so high? It's not like I wear lead shoes or a parka or that I ate three pizzas before weighing in. I'd say I'm probably around 285 in the morning sans attire if I had to make a guess. Nico, the little booger, weighs 18.5 lbs. No wonder my arms are always so tired! Hey! Time to start weights! LOL One step at a time....

Saturday in Jersey - 14.9 total miles

2006-10-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

Can't post much. Walked half a mile today w/the dogs and my Uncle again. Will post more later!

October 18, 2006 - 14.36 total miles

2006-10-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well, today was a semi-lazy day. I heard from my Spanish host sister, Elena, and her husband Antonio and we're planning to get together this weekend (while they're honeymooning in Manhattan). My mom has never met any of my Spanish host family (from 17 years ago) so this will be great for everyone. I went for a short walk with my Uncle Lou tonight (.54 miles) with the dogs. There was a short uphill section, then easy walking from there. No pics because it was around 10:30 at night! Anyway, since my walk was very short, my blog today will be too. Not sure what we're doing tomorrow. Oh! I applied online for a video game content writer position, and I got what I think is their version of a "call back". They asked for three more writing samples. If I get it, I can work from home. If not, I haven't lost anything but a few hours of writing which I need to do anyway. Until tomorrow!

New Jersey, Day 2 - 13.82 total miles

2006-10-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm in New Jersey. I arrived yesterday, and got to walk with my Aunt Tina, Nico and my aunt's three dogs: Hunter, Rocky and Aster this morning. We went "around the block" which was 1.41 miles. The fall colors here are gorgeous, and I saw a gray squirrel for the first time in a LONG while. (Totally uninteresting to anyone who sees them daily, but a thrill for a displaced New Yorker). I have been eating as though I had someone else's metabolism, but I remain committed to making my dietary changes when I get back. I did take a few photos on our walk, but my aunt's computer doesn't have the card slot that my computer has, and I didn't bring my USB cord. I will post them when I get back. It rained like the dickens today, so if it continues tomorrow, I guess we are going to the mall so we can get a walk in regardless of the weather. I miss my husband and my Vinny, but Nico and I are having a great time visiting with my aunt, uncle and cousins, and this weekend, my Mom, stepdad, stepbrother and sister are coming too! I'll try to post tomorrow, but I'm not making any promises (other than that I'll walk!!!) Thanks for reading, guys, I really appreciate your caring about my personal mission!

Day six: October 14, 2006 - 12.41 total miles

2006-10-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I didn't post because yesterday, I didn't walk. I had my older son, and the prospect of walking any kind of distance with both boys was just unfathomable to me, so I lazed the day away and felt like crap the whole time. Today, I decided that even though I had both boys, I would walk anyway. Just a shorter distance. We walked 1.44 miles. We saw the cars parked along Main Street advertising garage sales (this cracks me up every time, but it's a great idea). We went to the Art City Trolley, a nice little restaurant that serves fantastic salads. I'd forgotten about the e. coli thing though, so no spinach salad for me. I went with a garden burger instead with a chef salad on the side. (I didn't even sneak any of Vinny's fries!) After that, we walked to the video store, taking a few photos along the way. Last stop was the grocery store for some movie snacks, and we headed out. Problem was, it was windy as all get-out and it was raining just a tiny bit (not enough to even call a drizzle). To best protect both boys from the weather, I put on my wrap that I made last night (whoo-hoo! finally got that project done!) and put Nico in it. I zipped my sweatshirt over both of us, and put Vinny in the stroller. (He's a little big for it, but it did add to the cardio aspect of my walk!) We put the canopy over the stroller, and Vin held his kid's umbrella over the front. He kept saying how relaxed he was, and how fun the walk was. (For him maybe!) I had a huge umbrella for me and Nick, but it kept turning inside out because of the wind. I finally gave in, zipped the sweatshirt over his head and put the umbrella away. It was a long walk home, but we made it, and neither boy is turned off to the idea of walking again. The wrap was pretty comfortable (I was worried about the material I'd picked) and I'm not in excruciating pain from simultaneously carrying and pushing my sons. I realize my mileage is dwindling as the days go by, but I think my plan is going to be to walk every day, and to step up how far I go on the days I don't have to worry about Vinny (i.e. school days and weekends w/his dad). Now it's time to watch a movie with my boys. Just wanted to post so I didn't seem like a total slacker!

Day Four: October 12, 2006 -10.97 total miles

2006-10-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a kind of whacky day. I didn't get to walk as much as I would have liked, but I didn't let my busy schedule prevent me from walking altogether. I had a 3 hour quilting class this afternoon, so afterward, my whole family walked to a pizzaria for dinner. I had a salad and some pizza, and then we took a long route home. Altogether, we walked 1.34 miles. So today, I broked the 10 mile mark! Tomorrow I may take the day off from walking, only because Vinny is home from school for teacher enrichment days and he was griping about walking a little over a mile. I don't think he'd be too keen on 3+ miles. I think we will at least walk to the park, so we're not being totally lazy all day. Until tomorrow then!

Day Three: October 11, 2006 - 9.63 total miles

2006-10-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today, much like yesterday, I didn't feel like walking. I did though, and it went pretty well. I mapped a course that would go by my ex-sister-in-law's house so I could stop in and say hi. I underestimated the hill she lives on. Needless to say, I was a panting, sweating pile of "I'm never doing this again" by the time I got to her unnaturally steep driveway. I visited for about an hour, and headed home (downhill, which should have been easier, and was, but still had it's moments). I took some pictures of course, and really enjoyed the day. I walked 3.14 miles in 1 hour, 25 minutes (combined). Nico said his second word while we were coming home. It was "Bubba" which is what we call Vinny (Big Bubba [brother]). I told him we were going to go get Bubba from school, and he said Bubba several times. I called Mat to tell him, and ever optimistic, he said Nico will most assuredly say "Dada" sometime before fifth grade. A few minor notes about my walk today, nothing major. I was thrilled to find out that the prickly pods on the trees I've been seeing are chestnuts! I took before and after pics. I came upon a pond on my way, and about half-way past, a snake slithered away from me and into the brush. Startled me, but oddly, snakes are not something I'm afraid of, so I kept on truckin'. I was stopped shortly after by a big black chow who was not on a leash, and was eye-balling me hungrily. Perhaps my walking really has made me tougher, because he finally gave way and let me pass. My third reason for pause was the most heavenly smell I've smelled in a while. I pinpointed it immediately: an apple tree with ripe apples rotting in the sun (sounds gross, but it's cloyingly, wonderfully sweet-smelling. It reminded me of my summers across the street at a neighbor's who would make us clean up their orchard while they were supposed to be babysitting us. Free labor, I guess. Anyway, it was a nice change from the citrus trees in Arizona.

Nothing too scary to report as far as Halloween goes, but there was this completely freaky display that was way high up on the "just plain wrong" scale. I've got to get Vin in a few, so I'll end it there, but I'm looking forward to another great walk tomorrow.

I'm wondering how I'll keep going when I go to NJ next week. I guess it will be even cooler since the neighborhoods are all new to me. We'll see!

Day Two: October 10, 2006 - 6.49 total miles walked

2006-10-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm posting pre-walk today. I'm tired, but not feeling as sore as I'd imagined. Nico is sleeping, so I'm getting a late start today. Hopefully we'll be done before the forecasted thundershowers. Speaking of which, I went to my local mall's website, and conveniently, they have the mileage for walking the mall. 2.2 laps = 1 mile. So if I do 11 laps, that will be five miles. I'm keeping this in mind for days when it's rainy all day long. I don't mind the rain, but I don't want to bring the baby out if it's truly soggy.

I'm taking a different route today. Part of my interest in my walks is also getting ideas for neighborhoods since we plan to buy a house once our lease is up. I know there are some houses for sale in the area I'll be walking. I went to mapmyrun.com and freakily enough, my new walk (totally different area than yesterday) is also 3.14 miles. I guess the town is gridded out perfectly! Well, my walk alarm (Nico waking up) just went off. Time for a diaper change, bottle, bundle up and go! Be back in a bit!
**********************************************************

Holy crud. What a walk. 3.35 Miles. It took me 1 hour, 35 minutes. The walk I'd mapped didn't work out well in practice, so I wound up going a little farther than yesterday, but more slowly, so I guess I burned less calories. MAN, am I beat. I'm pretty sure I have a blister forming on my foot, but I feel fantastic. Yay for endorphins! Nico stayed awake for the entire walk today (he slept through most of yesterday. I took some pictures while I walked, to keep the blog interesting. Here's one of Nico ready to go in his stroller.

I also saw some interesting mushrooms in one persons yard. I snapped two photos, then saw a third, different mushroom, but figured I'd dawdled long enough photographing this person's lawn.
Growing up in NY, we never had interesting mushrooms like these, so I had to capture them for sheer interest's sake.

Also, the walk today, while long, was beautiful. Living in Arizona for the last 12 years, I'd have to say the thing I missed the most about NY was Fall. There is no real Fall in Arizona. But here it is, October, and Springville is gorgeous. I can tell there is still quite a bit of color changing to go yet, but here's a sample of what we've got so far:

Overall, today was an interesting walk. I love seeing how the neighborhoods transition from rich to poor, old to new, upkept to trashy. Hopefully all this walking will help me find the neighborhood Mat and I will want to purchase our home in. Speaking of which, I saw a house that was directly across from the railroad tracks and they wanted $189K for it. Um....I think just about any house that's got a train running through it's front yard should be priced well below market compared to a similar house that doesn't double as a tressle. Just my opinion.

Day One: October 9, 2006 - 3.14 miles walked

2006-10-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of my 2024 mile walk. Last night, I went to www.mapmyrun.com and plotted my course for this morning. The day started out poorly, and I was beginning to think something was trying to sabotage my efforts.

To begin, I woke up late, and Vinny got off to school about 10 minutes past the last bell. It's getting colder here in Utah, and I think we're all just a little too snug under our covers. I didn't even hear my alarm go off. I think it's time for Vinny to have his own alarm. I also scarfed down a chocolate chip cookie before I even realized what I'd done. Some breakfast. After dropping Vin off, I drove to Payless to pick up some walking shoes. I know. Payless is NOT the place to buy good walking shoes. However, since I have NO walking shoes, and cash is tight, I had to do something. I planned to spend about $30, and ended up not only getting a nice pair of leather walkeres, but also some nice gloves, since it's cooling off.

On my way home, Mother Nature must have been giggling, because it started to rain. Great. Now what? I got home, put on my shoes, and went to change Nico's diaper. Of course, it's a nice fresh load of #2, and then, to top off the experience, he wasn't finished yet. Yes, you understand me correctly. So, I've woken up late, been rained on, pooped on and now I'm going to walk three miles? Well, the short answer is, "Yes".

I grabbed my umbrella, rigged it to Nico's stroller so he wouldn't get wet and headed out. I went the opposite direction I'd planned to (trying to avoid the rain as much as possible), and walked 3.14 miles in 1 hour, 15 minutes. I ran into some minor physical obstacles (bad sidewalks, hedges so close to the walk that the umbrella would catch on them, and leg tingles - my legs aren't used to so much circulation, and they were itching like mad 15 minutes in) and some moderate mental challenges as well. If you've never heard of automatonophobia, I'm not surprised. It's basically the fear of manequins or representatations of the human form. For me, this means life-sized Halloween decorations send me into a full blown panic attack. As I rounded my first corner, I saw a very clever, detailed, terrifying display in someone's yard. It literally looked like a bunch of dead folks having a family reunion in the front yard. I considered crossing the street, but the street was too busy, and logic was on the side of safety from real danger vs. ridiculous-in-my-head-danger. Of course, I was unable to walk by without scrutinzing every ghoulish character, both in a train-wreck fashion, and of course to make sure they weren't going to get up and follow me. :)

My next challenge was a chicken. Phobia #2: Orniphobia - fear of birds. As those of you who know me know, this is not a totally unfounded fear, since I've been the victim of several bird attacks. Chickens just seem particularly territorial to me, and so I was nervous, but managed to scoot on by without incident.

Lastly, I passed a few horses on my way, and while there was a fence between us, horses are just so massive, they make me nervous (no full-blown phobia here, sorry). Anyway, two of the horses started to follow me along the fence line which made me simultaneously anxious and bemused. The gave up after a bit, and I pressed on.

I will admit, at one point, I almost short-cutted my way home. But I decided that if I'm really going to walk 2024 miles in one year, I don't want to have to do 384 miles my last week to catch up. I really need to do a little over 5.5 miles a day (2024/365=5.55 miles/day) to make it, so hopefully, once this walking gets my body in better condition, I'll be able to walk even further each day. It seems to me that since it took me only 75 minutes to walk three miles, I can certainly walk faster and farther as time goes on.

I will tell you that on any other given day, the obstacles I faced this morning would have discouraged me from even walking around the block, so I'm so proud of myself for getting out there and doing this. Until tomorrow!

'Twas the night before...

2006-10-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday, October 8, 2006, and tomorrow I begin my voyage toward fitness. Over the course of the next 365 days, I will walk 2024 miles. I will do this by walking locally and tallying the miles, gradually reaching my goal - to walk the distance from my current home to my former high school. The choice of high school is not necessarily because I was fat in high school, and this is an "in your face, classmates!" type thing. I wasn't but 10 lbs over my "perfect weight" in high school, and I don't particularly look at that time as my "fat girl" period. I'm IN my "fat girl" period. After two children, and gestation diabetes with the second one, I'm about 285 lbs at 5'10" tall. (I'll know for sure tomorrow when I go to GNC to weigh in - me and scales don't get along, so I'll be skipping purchasing one!). So I've made horrific eating choices for the last slew of years, and I'm done. I bought a sweatsuit today with wishy-washy intentions of walking in it. But now that I've read Steve's website, (thefatmanwalking.com), I'm motivated. If he can do it, so can I. So although I won't be traipsing cross country and living in a tent, I will be doing the mileage, and I hope you'll travel along with me via this blog.

I will also be working on cooking and portioning for healthy eating. I'm not bad at this, but I tend not to do it on any kind of regular basis.

So, I will be posting my weight bi-weekly (to keep my spirits up) and my food journal and miles walked daily. Feel free to join me, or post your thoughts in response to my daily diary entries. Thanks for your support, and I look forward to the year to come!