- Around these parts, the high temperatures are, consistently, above freezing every day — but, I’m ready for *warm*, dammit. And it has not been warm.
- Before I married, I lost a significant amount of weight (mostly through a-near starvation diet), but found most-all of it over the next 10-12 years. Well, this time, as I’ve lost weight, I believe I’ve kept my head on a far more-level level. Yesterday, however, my weight registered 179 pounds, which was my previous low-water-mark. I’m still processing what this means — I feel that I’m far healthier than I last was, at this weight — I’m stronger and I’m not facing the same bouts of hunger that I was all those years ago. Yet, the number on the scale was a bit of a reality call, and I’ll be incorporating more calories into my diet (I’d say that I’d work out less but, lately, well, I’ve barely been working out, fighting a series of colds and an extraordinarily busy schedule1) in an effort to put on a few pounds in a responsible way.
- Yes, I realize that I’m an absolute asshole for saying “I need to gain weight,” but, well, best to call a spade a spade.
- My brain has moved onto the Appalachian Trail since my last post . . . alas, commitments don’t go away just because I have
pipe dreamsaspirations. It will likely be until August that I’m actually able to make a multi-day hike a reality. My current plan has me leaving the AT from a point close to my home, heading north, spending a night on the trail, heading north again, having Duffy and the kids meet me near a shelter, pray that the shelter isn’t overly-attended, spend the night as a family at the primitive facility, and drive home, together, the next day. - While my kids claim to “want to camp,” they’ve been used to campsites. While certainly “closer to nature” than staying at a hotel, they do include a bunch of amenities: running water, the ability to plug in & charge electronic devices, the car you got there in, mostly reliable cell phone coverage. I’ll be interested to see, if this “more primitive” night actually takes place (I’m not going to say “truly primitive” because it’ll be at an established shelter, with a well provided for water and a privy dug), if it changes my kids’ opinion of camping.
- Part of me wants to take Benji with me — but I will not because I’m concerned enough with myself and, while the dog has lots of energy, he’s used to napping for the better part of the day, most every day – I’m not sure how he’d do on the trail for 12+ hours of movement.
- Speaking of Benji, he’s taken to hunting rabbits. In the past month, he’s brought in 3 rabbits that he’s killed in the yard. Now, I love my dog, but, as far as canines go, I do not think he’s especially bright. And he is not, in any definition of the word, stealthy. But, he is quite quick – what I think is happening is that a large portion of the back yard is fenced in, and the fence is buried in most places, to keep dogs from burrowing under it. But, at the two gates, there is some “wiggle room” for small animals to get through. I think they’re getting through, causing Benji to notice them, and then they can’t work their way out of the fenced-in area. And the dog makes quick work of them. While cleanup from these adventures is gross, it does leave me thinking that we mightn’t have the same rodent problem in the garden as we have in years past.
- Speaking of the garden, I’m hoping to head out to till the soil, dig/place some barriers to better protect against grass incursion, and put up some fencing. Despite the fact that I’m looking at a TON of work for myself, I’m kind-of giddy, thinking about doing it.
- I worked from home yesterday while recovering from a dental procedure. I dislike the dentist for anything more than a cleaning (I kind of like the fact that I’m forced to unplug & “just be” during a routine cleaning), but the worst part of the whole event was getting back home. I knew the procedure was going to force me to have a numb jaw/tongue — the thought/worry about what was coming weighed on me & affected my appetite that morning. After the procedure, I knew things would return to normal, and with that, my appetite returned. The problem was that I couldn’t feel my tongue. I couldn’t taste anything . . . I’m sure I COULD have eaten something, if I was quite careful & whatever I ate was mushy (because, if I tried to chew, I’m pretty sure I’d have bitten my tongue) — but, well, what’s the point? I waited for feeling to return before finally eating . . . but being hungry and not eating is a horrible feeling. Which makes me think about the levels of comfort that I have. Very rare are the times that I want to eat, where I cannot eat. I am fortunate. I know this.
- Two weeks until my next half marathon. Three weeks until my next marathon . . . wanna guess how much I’ve been running lately? Let’s say that I’m happy that I won’t be concentrating on my time.
- Yesterday was J.R.R. Tolkien Reading Day . . . I wore a silly tshirt with a “Calvin & Hobbes”-ified picture of Gandalf & Frodo. Leila expressed a great interest in the shirt . . . so, last night, I put on the animated version of The Hobbit. She loved it. My geeky heart could not contain its excitement.
- My current music mix at work contains several renditions of God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday, Blood Sweat & Tears, Lou Rawls, Sonny Rollins, Annie Lennox, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett), in case you’re curious where my mind travels when I’m exceptionally busy.
- Is there any way to name someone Aretha in today’s day & age?
1 Yes, even for me
It’s shocking for me to still see snow in some people’s pictures. We’re definitely in spring here, and yesterday I may have said “Dang, it’s hot.” Then reminded myself that it will only get hotter. But today was like 60 and terribly windy, and I was freezing. So.
It was 60 and windy here, today. And I was sweating. So there :-p
At the same time, I have a friend in Nova Scotia, Canada . . . and it snowed the better part of a foot today. So it’s all relative 🙂
We’ve had some warm days here… that fool me into thinking Spring is really here and then all of a sudden, it’s cold again. (By cold I mean 50, but I’m a wimp). Cracking up at calling a spade a spade. Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just give you some pounds. Winter was not kind to me(or I wasn’t kind to myself in winter… wait, comfort food IS kind….). Anyway, I need to get back into a workout routine.
Right now, I’ve got blinders on for my Saturday marathon . . . come Sunday, I’m really not sure what my next focus is going to be — I mean, I’m sure I’ll come up with something, but, I need something that I’m looking directly toward, otherwise it all falls apart.