Yes... I’ve been AWOL for two months (that’s a bit over a year for a dog) and I’m not proud of it, but the blog needs new life and I’m back to write a bit about some adventures I’ve had over this span of time. Then, I want to check out what you’ve been up to!

I guess the best news is that I’ve lost 12 pounds since I last posted, which is a load off my... well... lots of parts. I feel so much better to have dropped those pounds and am currently stymied by the last three stubborn big ones. At least that’s what they feel like! Three huge pounds! I also know they’ll disappear eventually – I always plateau at my current weight before the bod allows more to come off, so I’m not too anxious or frustrated. I’m just continuing to do what’s been working, which is to eat about half of what everybody else seems to eat. This is a relatively new habit I’ve managed to put in place and it’s definitely working. I’ve also been cramming in the cardio and adding full body workouts three times a week. (That’s where I’ve been!)

Secondly, I’ve been doing book readings – small venues, but I’m slowly making sales and most importantly right now, to make the point that while weight loss is important to so many of us for so many reasons, that maintaining that loss is critical to our overall health if we’re to continue keeping the changes we’ve worked so hard on in place. It was really fun doing a reading at The Corner Book Shop on Madison and 93rd in New York about a month ago, which went well – I met so many enthusiastic and wonderful people back there who attended – owners terrific too. Locally, I’ve been darting in and out of places such as YMCAs and small independent book shops, where the response has been super positive. I’m encouraged as I keep working on following my own advice he he!

Third, I’ve been working as always, in between bouts of colds and sore throats etc. While that’s not too much fun, our dog has suffered some major problems. I must now admit to having another blog (have not figured out how to connect it to this blog yet) at http://sammiegolden.blogspot.com/ which is all about our pup. That has taken up some time, especially lately, when her problem with the G-L-O-V-E required lots of attention from the V-E-T. If you want to go over there, it starts with the post on “Mischief.” So I’ve been cheating on my own blog LOL! I don’t know how anyone does two blogs at a time, but I’ve found it so tough that I messed up Samantha’s first blog trying to get tricky with some HTML code that I had no biz doing! I had to start all over again! Good lesson. Here are a couple of pictures that I was sent a while ago at the reading in NY.

Finally, am still working several hours a day as a trainer with time spent in the company of grandchildren as much as possible. It all takes time, but I’m so glad to get this posting done! Happy Sunday and I’m about to take a look at your blogs!

Non-stop Work and... a Baby!

Another quickie post to check in. I need accountability so badly, but time is at a premium these days, but I'm not complaining. Last Monday, I welcomed another granddaughter, Emma, into this wild world. I'm so lucky to have three wonderful, healthy and busy grandchildren! Hannah, 15, already knows more about what she wants to be than I yet know! Cameron, almost eight, should probably be a vet! I've never seen a kid who loved living creatures from ants to polar bears more than she does! Then there's baby Emma who had a bumpy ride on her way to the land of the living, but is totally healthy and well now - yay! We're about to go see her now, but wanted to write something about this past week.

I'm excited by the pounds down at this point. I've lost four more pounds since I last posted on weigh day. I'm looking forward to a trip back east for a couple of readings in New York at the end of February and the work and workouts are keeping me super-pumped in mind, body and spirit. I just miss my connection to blogger friends and hope I can post more often in the next few weeks. I'm off to see Emma now, but will catch up on some of your posts a bit later and wish you all a restful Sunday!

Mostly Downs with an Uptick

I'm up early this morning, but have been flat on my back for the last week or so. (The one who's supposed to be preaching health has reverted to the realm of studentdom!) While I like being the position of learning - I do - lots (she protests!) - I hate having the dual problems of flu and disc problems at the same time.

I've been more than frustrated, but I'll save it as I'm beginning to poke through the fog and move around a bit - uncertainly, for sure, but move! Yay! My hubs was an angel and got me out into the gorgeous weather we've been having, which was awesome (funny how one appreciates the little things after stress (sickness?). Eyes opened wide! Will try to update (on not much!) in the next couple of days. Worked last Monday, but than crashed. Hope to get back to work/lite workouts at some point next week. Will start with some bands today --arrrggghhhhhh! I often wonder if the fact that I took such horrible care of myself for so long - so much of my life - has contributed to some of the chronic problems I have these days, when I have fairly healthy habits? Bummer.

Activities That Feed The Soul?

I think I’m getting the hang of the early a.m. roust, coffee and cardio, in that order. But for several years now, I’ve taken off Wednesday mornings (when partner and I are both healthy!) and drive this butt over to Ironworks (climbing gym) in Berkeley, where I manufacture Wedensday's sweat. And getting this old “butt” up the wall is becoming more and more farcical each year.

According to the article “Rock Climbing” by Tanya Tiessen in Alive Magazine, rock climbing “addresses four of the five components of physical fitness” including “muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition and flexibility.” A climbing guide and friend, with whom I climbed some pinnacles on Mt. Saint Helena a few years ago, describes climbing as “playing chess with your body over an expanse of rock.” I still like his characterization.

I was excited to see that Sandrelle has been hitting the climbing gym! Indoor climbing is actually a lot of fun and a lot of work—but in some odd, new ways. Mentally and physically challenging, I was surprised by how significantly balance and coordination skills figured and how "climbing" resistance worked as opposed to, say, dumbell or cable resistance. Later, I remember reflecting on the amount of focus and concentration involved. Built-in meditation (and exhausting!).

Later, comfortable on a gym wall, I eventually moved outside for an entirely new rock experience. I’m incredibly lucky to live in the S.F. bay area, with so many gorgeous hunks of granite scattered here and there (mostly “there,” as in the Sierras). I’m also fortunate that a very supportive pal, once a Yosemite climbing guide, introduced me to the outdoor experience. An ardent supporter of my lifestyle transformation, he has, nonetheless, verbally kicked my tail a few times to help unstuck me in the face of lots of exposure (at least to my way of thinking) on my way up a cliff. (Nothing like yelling up a canyon that, "I'm gonna die!")

But, besides working up a good sweat and giving the body a great workout, climbing is ultimately fun. The teamwork and trust required and given and returned is so rewarding. And believe me; NO ONE is ever left out of the arrangement. After so many years of feeling excluded and isolated, climbing has fed me more than any meal I can think of.

Is there any sport or activity that you’ve experienced which feeds your soul AND burns calories?

Earlybird Experiment

This will be a quickie! Got my bod up and off to gym early - groups of 20 squats in between lat pulldowns and pushups. Some cable tricep work nestled in with some strokes on the rowing machine, and finally home for breakfast after a half hour walk with our dog, Samantha. It's the first morning I've tried to adhere to the early morning workout. It's a push today, but hopefully after a few days of this, the habit should kick in. Gotta hit the shower and get off to work, so I'll sign off. Happy Monday.

Are You An Early Bird?

Happy (belated) New Year! Yes, it’s been a while. I salute all of you parents who keep blogging, working, working out, cooking and shopping, not to mention all the other things you do, day in and day out. Throughout these holidays, I’ve had the grandkids over a lot. Between trying to do some of the above and getting away for a couple of days with hubs, I’ve sorely neglected the blogging. Hats off to moms and dads everywhere!

Yesterday I worked with a returning client who I hadn’t seen for a while. The gym (shocker!) was full to the brim—difficult to move from one place to another without getting bumped. On the platform, there was some boxing going on with target mitts. Almost all the weight machines were in use, and every single cardio unit was occupied except for the versa climber. If you’ve ever clambered aboard one of these delightful contraptions, you’d know that it was not for the novice. It was a good test to find a space to play with bands, but we laughed and hung in there. I’m not a fan of crowds and traffic, but a jam-packed gym takes the cake (or... carrot?)

My final 3p.m. client was luckier. The swarm had thinned out to a couple of dozen bodies and we moved quickly from one exercise to the next. C. was even able to build up a great sweat by the time we were done. Then, it was my turn. I almost had the place to myself. I have a new band that’s almost three feet in diameter. About four inches wide and maybe 1/4 of an inch thick (color: purple), I loop it around a chin-up station, stick my feet or knees into it and pump up and down using back and arms mostly, but legs and core as well. I’ve always wanted to be able to perform pull-ups; this is by far the closest I've ever gotten. It’s great for other exercises as well. Moved on to push-ups (on the bar of a smith machine) and then triceps (skull crushers with an EZ Curl bar on a decline bench). After several sets of cable bicep curls with a rope (feel like I’m playing “Clue”), I hopped on the treadmill for my little cardio routine. Basically, I start walking backwards slowly at an incline of 3.5, then, at a speed of 2.1 and the same incline, turn sideways and hop, doing this on each side. Finally, I jack up the incline (and speed), then walk/run forward for as long and fast as I can. Repeat the series for 45 minutes. Felt good.
Now, I need to go back today and do it again! Gym should be (?) a bit less crowded by 2 p.m.

I’d love to be one of those amazingly consistent 5a.m. gym-goers, because on the few occasions that I’ve been able to get there early, I’ve loved having the freedom of the remainder of the day to get more done. And that’s how I started this particular blog. Timetimetime! So I’m going to give the early workout a try this 2009 year. I look forward to seeing how much better the 5 – 6a.m shift works for me. When do you all work out? If early, what time do you make it to bed at night? Happy ’09!

Merry, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all. Have a joyous day.

Fit Food at Christmas?

The Christmas plans are finally in place. Everyone’s coming over here (sigh!). So I’m visiting “Fit Christmas” meal sites for food ideas that are easy, nutritious and kid-a-licious. I’ve found a couple of recipes that fit the bill for our needs; for Hubs, who is still afraid of big green attack veggies, for 7-year old Cam, who loves seaweed crunchy snacks, but won’t touch cheese. The rest, including, obviously, yours truly, love everything—anything. We’re going to have a simple brunch with low-calorie finger foods (crudités –am I dating myself?) and shrimp “something.”

One healthy site I’ve found is www.foodfit.com. I’m going to base my menu on the recipes at this site. At http://nutrition.about.com/library/bl_christmas_quiz.htm, there are ten questions about traditional Christmas foods. I got 6 out of 10 right. Geeez! I can’t believe I did so badly on sweet stuff! Try it!

Actually, I have a couple of great “lite” cookbooks with recipes for brunches, appetizers and hors d’oeuvres in my cupboard. Enjoy the recipes at foodfit and the quiz and if you have any great ideas for “lite” brunch dishes – toss them my way! Huge thanks!

News

I’m looking at the world through new eyeballs. An old and good friend, "J" has been caretaking her mother for more than two years. Unbeknownst to me, "J" has slowly become physically and emotionally exhausted. I could tell things were pretty bad by the end of a phone conversation we had last weekend. I drove over to "J's" and stared around the living room that always felt so upbeat, and saw—sensed a heavy sadness that kind of hung there. Without going into this at length, I stayed there for as much of the weekdays as I could, while “J” visited some (dreaded words) elder care facilities throughout the bay area. It’s almost comical (darkly) to be blogging about my weight issues when there is so much big-time hurt happening all the time within families, to people on the streets, yes, and to animals and people elsewhere... especially in these stinking economic times.

“J” seems to be a bit more energetic; she's tough, but has been living such a nightmare. I've been neglectful of friends and feel badly that I've been unaware of the extent to which the grind of life, at least at "J's," has been disintegrating. And if I thought that was the worst news I could think of, I also spoke with another acquaintance this week, with whom I used to be very close. Her husband passed away last July. My girlfriend, "A" is young - too young to lose "C," although I knew he had cancer. Sometimes if you hear that a person is in remission, you actually believe that they're 100% back from a bleak sentence. Blindsided the second time this week.

I realize that this is not the best time to write about these depressing issues, but I do want to tell you about an immensely moving memoir about one mother’s decline when she got Alzheimer’s. Called Death in Slow Motion, Eleonor Cooney holds nothing, I mean NOTHING back. A worthwhile read for the right person at the right time.

Okay, enough of this. I’m home for a while this morning and glad to be here. (Maybe more than I’ve ever been!) As I said up top, I am seeing the world with a new set of peepers and what a huge gift that is. I feel changed in a way—something small, but significant. But I'm not certain that I can figure out how to write about it. I have only a few clients next week, which is also a gift. I send sincere wishes for a peaceful Sunday.

Have been away a few days and need a few more still, to deal with an issue that I unfortunately can’t work with here. Still getting in the work and the workouts, however - always good for mind and body. I'm missing reading all your blogs – have checked in for quick looks, which help me move on through this stuff – back in a few days or so... xo Miche

One Word, A Number and Two Symbols

It’s been a bit chaotic lately. I’ve decided that exercise has always got to take precedence over writing—arrgghhh! So, I’ve gotten more cardio and lifting in this week, but less posting. That’s okay, but I meant to get in one word, a number and two symbols yesterday: - .4 pound. It’s going slooww. But steady.

Grandkids coming to help us decorate the abode, which I usually enjoy... but there are so many other tempting things to do—an encore round of ice skating again, perchance? Unfortunately, it’s catch-up time, before kids arrive, with the charming tasks that include cleaning, laundry and bills. I guess that’s why I tend to get super keyed up over outdoor recreation. And, actually, when I get into the domestic thing for a couple of hours, I fall into a kind of meditative rhythm. Once done, I feel great, so it’s not such a bad thing. Like losing weight, however, it looks like one giant mass of an undertaking as a whole. Broken up into smaller pieces, it’s manageable.

Off to exercise and house management! Hope you have an excellent weekend!

The Truth?

I want to thank Mara at http://24stepstogo.blogspot.com, who tagged me with this meme. Here are the steps I've followed:

1. Link to my tagger and list all these rules in my blog.
2. Share seven facts about myself right here, some random, some weird.
3. Tag seven people at the end of my post by including links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, here goes...

1. I’ve weighed over 200 pounds for the majority of my adult life.
2. I have heart disease. In December of 2005, I had an ablation; an electrophysiological procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation – an ailment I’ve had since I was 16 years old.
3. I’ve had Grave’s disease since the mid-90s. That diagnosis was the catalyst for my “last journey down” throughout the year, 1997.
4. I’m challenged by rock climbing (indoors or out), ice climbing, skiing, skating and a bunch of other "warm-weather stuff as well!
5. I go to a boxing club in Novato. Boxing is an unbelievable conditioning exercise. It pushes me way over the top, but I don’t go as often as I'd like.
6. By the end of January ’09, I will have a third granddaughter and I plan to be a personal trainer for the rest of my life—all in the same sentence.
7. I reveal so many more facts (often very weird) about myself in LJD, that it really frightens me now that it’s in print.

Hope this didn’t bore you to tears, and I thank Mara so much for getting me write about these things. When I look at all the evidence from the past, I’ve just gotta be thankful that I’m actually alive. Now, please check out the blogs of these people who are hitting their aims with straight shots!

http://just-chrissie.blogspot.com
http://fatdontwrinkle.blogspot.com
http://morfit.blogspot.com
http://annettesawakening.blogspot.com
http://www.turtleprogress.com
http://choosinglosing.blogspot.com
http://gottalose200pounds.blogspot.com

Distractions... Only a Little...

I’ve been trying to weed through the chores around here lately and again, I've been distracted. It’s been a busy last three days and there’s a slow ache coming on in my outer limbits that no mechanical orchestration of time seems to be able to heal. Yeeeooowww! Some tough workouts!

I’m on a marketing push these days for Last Journey Down and the work is sopping up my blog time, damn! It’s definitely exciting to have something in the palm of my hand that I've worked on for so long. On the other (palm of) hand, it means taking the responsibility to sell that thing! I’m not very good at this, since one of the problems I have is “to love myself—what I am and what I do" and communicate it! There, I wrote it! Miz—I definitely need to go after one of those t-shirts.

On Saturday, took the dog for tracking practice. Then I cleaned house, did laundry and vacuumed—all of the exceedingly boring stuff one does on weekends. But on Sunday, Hubs and I took son, Anthony, granddaughter, Cameron and dog, Samantha, to San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza to ice skate. What an awesome reminder that it was winter and that as a family and also as pals, we love to do things like this with each other. If we can’t go to the Sierras to ski [lack of snow (and $$$ - really)], skating is a fab reminder that we like activities that take place outdoors—lots! I raise a toast with mug of tea to a cool (tho not tooooo coooollllld) outdoor winter sports experience to you all!

A Little Fear Goes a Long Way

I was feeling a little “all-over-the-place” this morning, incapable of screening out any distractions, so I made the mistake of looking up ADD/ADHD to check out the signs. Then I wrote a long blog about it and decided it was too depressing to post. Argghhh! I don’t want to fall into any traps that stink of self-diagnosis, but... there were some scary corollaries!

I put my coat on and found the nearest hill to climb, dragging the dog up with me (actually, it was the other way around). Usually, vistas of Mt. Tam and other sights are free for the viewing, but today, it’s been pea soup and cold... for here. I don’t want to belittle the weather in this pocket of the world, but earlier this morning, it was chill-lee! After my march up the hill, however, the body warmed up. I have to back up a few years to remember that never, especially on a cold, early, foggy, Saturday (or any) morning, could someone have persuaded me to haul my butt up some hill (that I would have identified as a mountain), much less prompt my own self to do such a thing. So, I’m definitely longer on motivation these days.

What eventually triggers some folks to change their lifestyles? In the blogs I read and often, (not always!) in my own clients’ lives, bigger numbers of people are dramatically altering the way in which they “do” life. I’m not a psychologist, but I’m getting to know myself well enough to realize that part of what has been driving my ass all these years is fear. I discuss this idea a lot in the book. After a little over 11 years of maintenance, the panicky feeling I get when I think of gaining back all my weight scares the #^*! outta me. Even after 11 years. That is one big reason why I was moved to write about my experience: I am still absolutely terrified of putting all those pounds back on my body, even though I have so many deterrents in place. My friends, family -- even trainers who have known me for years all assure me that the new habits are “in place.” I beg to disagree with them, because frankly, none of them has ever had an eating problem severe enough to lead them down the path to morbid obesity. Even though a few of them remember what I looked like in 1996. Fear is still my good friend for the time being.

Day of Weigh...

Very qwik entry today - whew, what a week. Mom's doing okay, yay. Down .9 pound, which is quite amazing considering the lack of much of any exercise except flat walking. Total loss so far is 1.8 pounds. I'm gonna keep going in that direction! TGIF - Have a great weekend y'all!

Injuries!!!

I haven’t posted daily this week because I seem to have done something to myself that prevents me from moving very much. I’m a bit P.O.d, to say the least. I just got over that crud I had and now... (dreaded word)... INJURY. I managed to get to a body worker I know yesterday, and my hour of intense pain (screams and whining!) with him produced miracles. Even though I am extremely skeptical of alternative treatments for injury or sickness, this guy has come through every single time I’ve done something dumb. The only problem that remains is that I can’t lift until next week or do any intense cardio—just walks. UGHHHHHHH!!!!! I’m sick of being sick!

Even though I’ve lost weight for the last couple of weeks, I'm not hoping for any downward movement on the scale tomorrow. Several of your posts have reminded me that in the scheme of things, life can really be very good, despite setbacks. I have a multitude of gifts to be thankful for—the blogosphere is teaching me about the power of gratitude. I send major thanks to you all for that and so much more. The weight will come off. But here’s a problem I can’t help with.

My son hadn’t called his grandmother (my 80-year old, very fit-for-her-age mother) for a couple of months. He phoned her yesterday morning, to what must have been her surprise, but she told him that she couldn’t talk at that moment as “someone was coming to put a cast on her hip.” Son called me, so I immediately tried to get through on this bit of news. Now, the night before, my sister-in-law had called and we caught up on some belated Thanksgiving doings and family. She told me that my mother’s Lhasa dog had broken her leg and was wearing a cast. I hadn’t heard about that either. All my extended family lives in or near New York City.

By yesterday afternoon, I was thoroughly confused and couldn’t reach ANYONE back east. Finally this morning, I was able to contact my sister, who confirmed that on Tuesday afternoon, my mother (who has had two hip replacement surgeries) reached down from a chair to pat her dog (who did have a cast) and dislocated her hip. She had to drag herself to the phone in excruciating pain and then spent all night in the hospital having her hip reset. Ouch and I can’t tell you how much I wish I’d been there. My sister was with our mom, however, for which I’m also grateful, but I also can’t believe I didn’t get any calls about this—argghhhh!

So, my son called just as she’d gotten home from the hospital yesterday morning and someone had just arrived to fit a brace on her hip. And her constant companion doggie has gone for a month to our aunt’s house, so I’m worried about my mother being lonely a little. Sometimes, I just wish I could afford a pied a terre in NY, but that won’t happen soon. It's a problem I can't fix for her although I can be supportive and positive. I can wish all I want, but as Mom used to say to us kids, “If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.”

Happy Thursday, everyone. I’m very lucky to be able to take a nice walk today and get to work. But I’m glad I have a place to vent my stuff. For that, I'm extremely grateful.

Lori's Gift!

I am dumbfounded and incredibly honored by Lori’s nomination for the Marie Antoinette, real blogs for real people award. In so short a time, I’ve discovered a mind-blowing community of people who are always warm and generous in their support of each other (and me!) Three cheers to everybody! It’s hard to open up and share our very personal thoughts and lives with so many people we often don’t know. Courageous, indeed. I’m very touched. Thank you so much, Lori and I nominate the following seven people for the Marie Antoinette award:

http://24stepstogo.blogspot.com

http://angiealltheway.blogspot.com

http://scalejunkie.blogspot.com

http://www.jensjourney.com

http://morgangetsthin.blogspot.com

http://fab50.blogspot.com

http://maintainmyweight.blogspot.com

You have all helped and supported me so much in the last couple of months that I've joined this community - please check out these peoples' blogs if you aren't already following. These women are tremendously inspiring! Thank you again, so much for this award. I am truly grateful!

xoxo Miche

Lynn's Blog Reminded Me Of...

Lynn’s blog about beets and brussels sprouts hit me over the head with a resounding thump. I actually prepped beets and brussels sprouts a couple of days ago to cook for today’s and tomorrow’s veggies, although I didn't plan on having them for breakfast! Vegetables, however, for my first meal of the day did remind me of one 12-week diet I did about three years ago.

I write a bit about part of this in the book (that will be available for pre-orders in about a week – quite scary, but exciting at the same time...). Without giving too much away, six months after reaching goal weight, I decided to sign up for Bill Phillips’ EAS challenge, as it was called then. I used a modified “contest” diet that a couple of trainers “prescribed” for me at the time. I was required to eat protein and veggies for breakfast (with oatmeal) for the first couple of months, but for the final month, I was only allowed a starchy carb for breakfast every third day. This inevitably weakened my performance in the gym of course—incredibly frustrating.

The “diet” (almost a fast, really) was wearisome—an exasperating test to keep my mind’s eye on the prize, so to speak. One morning, on a non-starch day, I realized that I had nothing remotely appetizing for breakfast. Uh oh. I rooted around the fridge and cupboards and found some... sardines (yuchhhhhk!) and some canned spinach. Who on earth buys canned spinach? (I can only think of Popeye, but it still didn’t help my strength at the gym.) I guess I must have bought that stuff – Gawwwddd! So I made myself a small plate of sardines over a bed of green guck and forced it down. That is what Lynn’s blog helped remind me of: my only recent experience of veggies (other than onions and mushrooms in an egg white omelet) for breakfast! Thanks Lynn! And maybe I will have some beets for breakfast... far more enticing than canned spinach.

Exploring Open Space...

We’re still cleaning up, moving each piece of furniture back to its home again and picking up kids’ toys found under said furniture, from Thanksgiving 2008 that “keeps on giving.” Luckily, the food’s gone—either frozen or mostly, sent home with guests!

Hubs and I went on a fabu hike yesterday in one of our county’s “open space” districts. We are incredibly fortunate to have over 13,000 acres of land to hike in that will be preserved forever. There are over 1000 trails and fire roads that we can choose from—dogs are allowed, which is very cool, because Sam really needs to exercise as badly as we do! Another benefit to hiking this land has to do with the topography here. I can think of only one fire road that’s actually flat. The rest of the paths and trails move either up (often steeply) or down (great quad negatives!). While strenuous on certain routes, a good sweat is easily procured, and any hike over a couple of hours long is likely to incur good caloric deficits. Finally, the views are outstanding and the people and dogs we meet on the trail (far and few between) are warm and friendly.

We’re about to explore another area again today, as it is so unseasonably beautiful out. Methinks I can smell pine needles and autumn as I write!

Food consumption has been staggeringly low. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s amazing how planning and food journaling contributes to healthier days. I sleep better too. Last night I konked out around 8 p.m. and didn’t waken until 6 a.m. What a little restraint on the “Kcals in” and a push in the “Kcals out” can do! Yahoo!

Post-Thanksgiving Hike, Weigh In Day and Impatience...

Friends have sometimes asked what we’re doing for, say... Labor Day weekend, or New Year’s Eve, or where we’re going over holidays A, B or C. The answer is always the same old boring response: nowhere. Often, I feel that we must be incredibly boring. I know that I can be incredibly impatient. Then again, hubs and I don’t get stuck in those horrible traffic jams on Sunday or Monday holiday afternoons. Likewise, I’ve never gone shopping on “Black Friday.” I probably should, as it might save me a ton of bucks, but I can’t bear to face even the thought of those crowds. What a wimp!

Instead, while my poor hubs trudged off to work this morning, I loaded dog in car and drove north to the trailhead of one of my (and dog’s, as well) fave hikes. It’s a beautiful day here in NoCal, but as we rounded the last corner of Indian Valley Road to park, there were dozens of cars, rather than the usual two or three... sigh. Once on the path, though, the trail was clear and the vistas spectacular. The leaves crunched under my feet with each step as I picked up the pace (dog always beats me to “gifts” horses have left—“LEAVE IT” I bark at her, to no avail). I decided to take one of the “roads less traveled” and turned off the main fire road onto the Waterfall trail. Right now, it’s lovely to reach a trickling cascade in our drought-ridden countryside. Dog waded around the pool above the fall and barked at the squirrels while dancing lightly on her paws around a large oak tree, ears eagerly alert. We continued on.

I feel so lucky to live in a place where we can comfortably plan to be active outdoors without (well... usually) facing 15 degree temps when we step out our front doors. Some of you have been writing about running 5 or 10Ks – even half and full marathons in sub-frigid weather. My hats off to you all, big-time! Huge congrats! I’ll bet that your bodies burn gi-normous amounts of calories just standing and breathing in that arctic air!

Samdog and I continued up the path to the top and enjoyed the views for a few minutes, finally turning around and heading back down to the car. A good couple of hours of fun and peace and beauty after yesterday’s crazy, but wonderful gathering. We encountered several families and dogs and runners on the return trip, stopping to meet and greet each with our own and distinct “formalities.” Samantha barked at a couple of equestrians who trotted past. I built up a sweat hiking up the hill and was getting a bit chilled, so we picked up the pace.

A couple of phone calls awaited me on the cell. My mother had called me from NY. I was able to get back to her for a good chat about her Thanksgiving with my sibs and their kids. And son, Anthony called to invite me to see a movie called, “Four Christmases,” with the girls. Cool! With the help of Fandango, we should be able to avoid too much of a line. See how impatient I can be? It’s the same with weight loss. If I’ve been close to perfect or exactly on target with the food and exercise, and I don’t lose at least eight pounds, I go ballistic. Definitely something to work on... I'm starting with snacks right now. Packing a few pistachios and some celery with some lemon water for the movie. And, as it's weigh-in day, thought I'd share the fact that despite the crud and lack of intense exercise, managed to lose 1.3 pounds. Yay!