Yogahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Why did I leave you?

In addition to all this weight loss, body image craziness that has been going on with me this week, (and we WILL get back to that....of that you can be sure) something else rather heavy has been on my mind...............I KNOW! How do I cram it all in my petite head? The mind reels!

But this past weekend, I had a long conversation with my Momma. My awesome, wonderful, funny, smart, loving, supportive ROCK STAR of a mother! All you bitches should be WAY jealous, because THIS flower won the lottery when it came to Momma's! That's fo sho! (Oh sure, I had to share my winnings with two OTHER people; my sisters, but they don't bogart her much so it's all good!)

Anyhoo, we were talking about my tendency to hate everyone I've never met, perhaps because I was talking to her while I was at The Targhetto near my house and I was bitching about how the lady behind me was totally up my shit, crowding me in line, bumping her cart into my ass, getting her things next to my things on the conveyor belt, I mean THE NERVE! Given all of those heinous crimes, OF COURSE I hated her! That's me. Crowd me? I hate you. Cut me off in traffic? I REALLY hate you. In front of me and moving slower than I'd like (which by the way seems to be EVERY being on the planet) and I begin actively plotting your death! Not a really attractive quality, I know. One that sort of bothers my mom I think, especially the older she gets.

The rational me knows that I have NO IDEA what those people's days have been like. Maybe that person who is annoying the crap out of me just got dumped or fired or maybe their dog just died. Maybe they just found out they have cancer and have 3 weeks to live. Everyone deserves patience and kindness even if they are completely different from me in every way. Even if they are slow or annoying or obnoxious. My heart tells me that I should be nice to everybody. I get it. But for whatever reason, when I am out in the world encountering people, my heart is cowering under a rock somewhere while the rest of me goes on a rampage. I'm never outright mean, I don't talk to people and tell them how horribly they are getting in my way or making my day a big pile of shit. I don't flip them off from the car window as I go speeding by. Hell, I don't even want them to see me roll my eyes lest they get an inkling of how much I loathe them. But on the inside? On the inside everything I have is screaming out loud...just not so anyone can hear.

During the course of my conversation with my Momma, she tells me that what she does is to treat everyone she encounters like they might be Jesus in disguise, that way, you can't go wrong. A little history about my Mom, I would say she is more spiritual than religious but she did grow up Catholic, VERY Catholic as a matter of fact and has kind of ebbed and flowed when it came to her faith. I think its more of an internal thing for her, meaning she doesn't go to church EVERY week, but I know she goes, still goes to confession from time to time, has tons of fun and funky Catholic art around the house, says her prayers on a daily basis, etc. She's religious, but not RELIGIOUS if you know what I mean. Even so, she's leaps and BOUNDS above this doubting Flower. I won't even get into my long standing struggles with faith here people. But I know that when my mom is saying that she looks at other people like they may be Jesus, I know that she actually believes it. There is probably a hint of humor in there for her, but that is how she looks at it and that is what helps her.

I started thinking about my attitude towards others as I have done on many prior occasions. I started thinking that in the past I had tried to make a conscious effort to be kinder, more patient, more tolerant of those I share this planet with, but that it only lasted a brief while and I was right back to my old ways. In fact, I was thinking about how I might just be a hopeless case in this area, when I remembered something. I remembered a brief period of time where I actually WAS being more patient, more mindful of other people and how their days might be going. When was that, I wondered. It wasn't that long ago. And then I remembered..............it was when I was going to Yoga and reading articles in Yoga magazines about peace and tranquility and managing stress. During the period of time last spring, my heart actually started to change a bit, it became a bit softer, a bit more tolerant. I remember being in line at the market and NOT wanting to kill everyone. I enjoyed my time waiting with peace in my heart and it was fabulous. And then for whatever reason, I quit going to Yoga and went right back to being my old cranky self.

There's a lesson in here somewhere folks. And what might that be I wonder? GET YOUR ASS BACK TO YOGA YOU IDIOT!!!!! Oh yeah, that's it. Ommmmmmmmmmm.

I love my readers!

Hey there everybody! First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you that piped up and left a comment. I was amazed actually, and really appreciate all the kudos as well as the tough love. This is all stuff I need to hear in order to help me process. Wheels are definitely turning up in the old noggin (don't mind the steam coming out of the ears, that always happens when I'm hard at work a-thinking my thinks!) While still on the fence, some of your comments really made me think/react and so I'm addressing those here. You comment...you EARN some feedback in my opinion! :)

Jess,
Thank you! And I know how to maintain, being doing it for years, hence all the frustration. I think I will focus on maintaining through the holiday season though so good suggestion. I'm thinking there may still be a GADO in Jan but I am working on a revised version.

Scrumpy,
You know only TRUE friends can dish out the tough love so thank you. And you are right, I have been splurging here and there. And I have been totally half assed about counting my points and I know I'm only shooting myself in the foot by doing so. I do need to decide what I need to be at peace. It may be time to head back to yoga where peace just seems to come to me.

Liz,
Been working on that "being happy with who you are" thing for such a long time. Some days I'm good, other days I'm a mess. Sigh.

Sara,
HOORAY! A lurker comes out! I LOVE IT!!!! And I'm super flattered, thank you! A new fitness goal is where I'm headed I believe. I'll be formulating a plan for a bit and I think come 2010, we are going to put that plan into action! And again.....YAY for leaving a comment. Thanks!

FD,
Thanks for not being dead. :) Your idea, of injecting some Nazi for a spell, really got me thinking. I am thinking of another GADO in Jan/Feb with a complete switch up in how I approach everything. Oh yes, wheels are turning, ideas are being formulated. Inspiration is catching. Thank you!

TC,
Thank you my twin sister! LOVE all the flattery (as Britney says Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie More!) And you can hate me just a little as long as you love me more. ;) I think there will be a bit of maintaining, followed by a bit of HARDCORE!!! I definitely AM in a comfort zone and that will get me NOWHERE so thanks for the nudge. I gotta get the hell outta here!

Jack $hit,
Well said for continuing on! I agree with you but I think I already AM older, aren't I? :) Those last pounds are certainly proving to be stubborn as if I'm older, so I think I must be! (Isn't funny how the older we get, the farther the bar for "older" gets moved? I now say things like "Jeez, she's ONLY 60!" What happened to 30 being old? Oh yeah, I PASSED IT!!!! By 10 years now. Sheesh!

Chrissie,
Another first time commenter...........THANK YOU! Your states sound similar to my pendulum swings! I think we have the "slightly crazy" in common as well. Thanks for the kudos and right back at you for your loss!

bbubblyb,
Self love..........that elusive bitch! I've only partially mastered that so far. You are right, that really IS the main goal of this journey.

Geosomin,
Thank you. You, like some others, have mentioned going hardcore and I think I just might for a bit. I wouldn't say I'm miserable, but I do vacillate back and forth between satisfaction and dissatisfaction and that's what I need to figure out I think.

Carlos,
A fountain of input as usual! :) But thank you for the compliment! I really do appreciate it.

And so there is still much thinking to be done but here is what is swirling around in my head right now. I continue this GADO until TG. I work on simply maintaining through this holiday season, still working out and making healthy choices but allowing me to just live my life and enjoy the season. Then, in January, a new and improved HARDCORE Great American Dry Out (HCGADO). I'm thinking perhaps a shortened version decreasing from 6 weeks down to 4. No booze and really clean eating. Not NO carbs entirely but not anywhere NEAR what I'm taking in right now. A different form of exercise everyday to confuse and jump start the body. (Running one day, swimming the next, then a day with my trainer, then yoga, then an aerobics class, then whatever strikes my fancy, then a day off.) I'll see where that gets me and then just go from there. I think if I gave it one GOOD solid effort and I lost the weight, then hurrah! If I gave it one GOOD solid effort and I didn't lose the weight, then it would be easier to accept where I'm at and just focus on maintaining. So clearly some thinks being thought already and some more thinks that need a-thinking to go. Thanks again for everyone that piped up. It just means so very much to me to have you all around. The flower sends you MUCH LOVE!!!!

Slightly off topic side note: I made my own hummus on Sunday! FROM SCRATCH!! And it is DEE-LISH! Roasted red peppers and chickpeas were tossed in the blender along with some cumin, tahini (which I ALSO made....FROM SCRATCH!) lemon juice and garlic. Throw it all in the food processor and Ta-Da! Uh-HUH! So good! Been eating it either with Wheat Thins or cucumber slices. Way cheaper than store bought and better too since I can control the lemon, garlic and oil.

Adorably totally off topic but poignant side note: Cappy accidentally left his headset (which he needs for flying) on an airplane and here is why, despite all the separation and tough schedules, we still LOVE that he works for Southwest.

Typical Airlines Response: You lost your headset? Tough shit! We found a headset? Woo-Hoo! Free headset! Lucky us!

Southwest Airlines: Co-worker found the headset and turned it in to headquarters in Dallas. Headquarters contacted Cappy and said, "Hey! Guess what? Someone found your headset and turned in to us. We'll just Fed Ex that right over to you. Sound good?" And then THEY DID!!!! And not only did it arrive quickly, but it had this little note attached:

It's always sad when something's lost when what what yours is gone
And the hope that it will soon be found is what keeps us going on
And it's especially sad when what was lost simply cannot be replaced
And the anger felt when this occurs sometimes cannot be erased
Well, hope no more and start to smile for what you lost was found
And it's with much luv that it's returned to you in the style for which we're renowned
And we'd be remiss if we didn't say in one loud corporate voice
That we hope in the future when flying Southwest Airlines in your choice

And it was signed by Shelley S. Now, I realize this is the card they send to paying customers when baggage is lost, but Shelley S. didn't HAVE to include that with Cappy's lost headset but she did! And it was just a lovely little note that made us both smile and remind ourselves why we put ourselves through the frequent separations and schedules that keep Cappy away most weekends and holidays. It's because his company actually GIVES A CRAP ABOUT HIM! They think of him as part of their family and treat him accordingly. And for that we are so grateful. Southwest rocks dude. HARD!!!

I am really struggling right now folks. Well, maybe struggling is the wrong word. I’m wavering, fluctuating, oscillating, vacillating, waffling, what have you. I’m on the frickin’ fence people. Here’s my damn dilemma:

On the one hand, I want to lose 15-20 pounds. I want to be at my goal. I want to wear a size 10-12. I want to prove to myself that I can get where I am trying to go. I want to celebrate that damn victory SO BAD! I want it, I want it, I WANT IT!!! Insert a good old fashioned toddler tantrum here! Oh yeah, I’m on the floor in the middle of the Target store having a full blown hissy fit, screaming, yelling, feet kicking, fists pounding, face turning purple! GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE!!!!

On the other hand, I want to just accept myself, to realize that I am beautiful just as I am. No one but me gives a fat rat’s ass about those extra pounds anyway. I can live a really great life full of good food and good workouts and I can be healthy and well and yes, even hot (according to some people………or so I’ve been told). All I have to do is just accept that this is where my body is happy and move the eff on. I mean, THIS isn’t bad, right?

So what gives? Why can’t I make up my damn mind? I appear to be incapable of cutting back on the carbs enough to lose the weight. (182.4 this morning). I also appear to be incapable of NOT thinking about those last few pounds enough to just be comfortable with where I’m at. DAMN the indecision! I am healthy, I eat well, plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, lean proteins, I make GOOD choices! I just also like a cookie here and there, I love my whole wheat pita chips, my potatoes, my Wheat Thins, my rice, my tortillas, my chocolate! (And my wine, when I’m drinking.) As much as I try to process through this, I seem to just be stuck. One day all gung ho about losing the weight, the next day just loving what I’ve got going on. Back and forth, back and forth. It’s maddening really.

So I could really use your input here peeps. What the hell do you have to say about it all???

Things I did on Saturday

1. Went for a motorcycle ride. Ended up at this joint:


2. Took in the amazing artwork there. Seriously....take a GOOD LONG look at this painting. It's AMAZING and bizarre and fantastic! SO FAR PAST anything my imagination could conjure up, I am so bewildered by the human mind and it's ability to create.

3. Checked out the books of the artists that worked there while waiting for Vern, the piercer and studio owner.

4. Enjoyed the hell out of Vern as he replaced a seriously old piece of jewelry with something new and snappy. He was the nicest guy and even his adorable dimples were pierced. I fell in love just a little bit.
5. Rocked the hell out of my new hardware. You can't really tell from this pic but the front bead is green and the back one is silver. LOVE IT!


6. Had lunch with Cappy at Shamrocks.
7. Rode motorcycles some more, all along the Mississippi River. Took in the gorgeous and unseasonably warm weather. Marveled at all the folks enjoying the outdoors! The River Parkways and Summit Ave were just CRAWLING with people.

8. Was completely HORRIFIED by the appearance of Christmas candy out at the grocery store....ALREADY???? REALLY????? I am NOT ready for the holiday season.....not even close!

9. Had dinner with these guys, our next door neighbors Marisa and Jonah.


10. Made cheese tortilla crackers as an appetizer for the neighbors. They turned out awesome! I have no idea how many points they were. I ate them up and said the hell with counting for the day!
11. Had a lovely dinner with said neighbors at el barrio. (Not MY margerita btw. I had water and coffee.)

12. Ate the hell out of some great food with two Mexican-Americans who really knew how to order. Next shared meal, she has promised to cook for us. OH YEAH!!!!

13. Tried and LOVED a new food..........yucca. YUMMA is more like it!

14. Enjoyed every bite of warm and delicious churros with spicy chocolate dipping sauce. Went great with the coffee!

15. Enjoyed the CRAP outta my day and hit the rack before midnight for a great nights sleep.

Security, Socializing and Slacking Off

Bear with me folks as I’m just a day behind here due to the senseless tragedy at Fort Hood and I’m attempting to play catch up.So Thursday night, I decided to take The Captain out to dinner. You see, crime has been up in our neighborhood and I’ve been feeling a bit unsafe lately and since I am alone so often, The Captain has been making improvements to our home so I feel a little bit better about being alone at night. What a ROCK STAR that man is! Seriously!

First, he installed a dusk to dawn light above the garage service door since garages have been getting broken into. It is now so light in our backyard at night that you could easily play 9 innings of baseball back there if you chose! Right on!

Second, he worked for two days straight to replace our old service garage door which was about as sturdy as a wet paper sack. Seriously, one swift kick delivered by a toddler with a limp would have done the trick. Now we have a steel door with two locks. Take THAT thieves! I will now sleep better at night knowing we have done everything we can to prevent a break in. Thank you Cappy. You are the mostest awesomest evah!

For dinner we headed to Salut Bar American on Grand Avenue.

Cappy had never been there before and we brought along h who has a serious THING for the fries at Salut. Below is our amuse bouche which we didn't order but they brought to us anyway. They do shit like that at Salut. You'll have to look closely, it's that tiny lump on the white plate. It was some kind of ground lamb sausage wrapped in endive. It was cold. I did not care for it, but The Captain found the bouche to be very amusing so he ate it.



H and I split a cheeseburger, I had a handful of fries and some green beans almandine. While it wasn’t exactly on plan, it wasn’t a huge blunder either, although everything was SUPER DUPER salty! Even the butter for the bread was salty and not just a little bit either, it was like SALT LICK salty! Consequently, I seem to be up a pound this morning…..wonder what that is all about……..oh wait……….maybe it’s all the SALT!!!!

I managed to get about a 4 mile run/walk in after work Thursday so I didn’t feel completely horrible about that meal but really, I should have just ordered a stinkin’ salad. Oh well. Gotta live, right?

Tonight I hit the gym right after work and had a nice hour long session on the dreadmill before my session with Mark started. It was a legs day so we did some squats and leg presses and we did some kicking! Always good to channel that aggression. Close to 800 calories burned over the course of 90 minutes. Boo-Ya!

After the workout, I grabbed a quick shower and then we headed over to Luke and AC's for Pig Night. It's a good thing I had an extra long workout because I totally ATE at Pig Night. I mean, how could you NOT? Look at this shit! Can I get a YES PLEASE!


LOOK AWAY AMBER........LOOK AWAY NOW FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!!! YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE WHAT IS COMING NEXT!!!!!


Of course before we sat down to eat, there was much debauchery and merriment. Everyone (except me that is) shot rye and chased it with pickle juice, because that's just how The Pirate and AC roll. Observe:

I thanked the sweet baby Jesus for the GADO because I was the ONLY one excused from the PICKLE BACK shots! Dodged THAT bullet!

There were some people I knew well, some people I had only met recently and some people I had met just that night. It was a ton of fun and as usual, I took a ton of pics.







It was a great night and I didn't have to do a DAMN thing except show up and eat. MY kind of party!

And just for a little GADO update, I am doing SO GREAT!!! How is it that I can drink so much that I actually start to worry about myself and then when I decide to walk away from it, I don’t even MISS IT and I feel great to boot???? Must be that damn pendulum! I still seem to have some of those stubborn all-or-nothing tendencies. Yes folks, moderation is STILL something I’m struggling with. Moderation is the be-all, end-all goal for this chick. Forget the numbers on the scale, the presence or absence (ABSENCE!!!!) of a six-pack, this chick just wants to master moderation! Always a work in progress I suppose.

And just a quick update from Sol, all his guys are accounted for and safe. When I spoke with him earlier, he was almost certain he would know no one involved in the shooting. It's the biggest base in the nation with so many soldiers! Anyway, the base was all but shut down so he has some time on his hands which he will use talking to his soldiers, making sure they are ok, making sure morale is not totally shot, doing what he needs to do. That's my Sol, getting it done!

So I guess that's it for now. Happy Weekend Everyone!

I'm not one to watch the news normally, but this is one of those huge stories that would have made it's way into my world even if I didn't have a dear friend involved. Before I even mention the story though, I want to make it clear that Sol is fine. And for those of you newcomers to the garden, Sol is my soldier pen pal who has become a very good friend of mine. You can read about our adventures here and here and here. I have supported him through several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. I thought he was home and SAFE until hearing of this horrible story. Luckily, he is fine but he is exhausted after yesterday's ordeal. He called me last night to let me know when they were off lock down as he was waiting to exit the base and head home. Those poor soldiers had been stuck there with no food, away from their loved ones while their families waited in fear for hours and hours and everyone was trying to leave at once. I ache, really my chest just hurts that this happened. All of the soldiers who were killed or injured were at the last rally point before deployment; getting their last minute medical and dental treatments before shipping out. To think of them there, many of them young, deploying for the first time perhaps, already on edge and afraid, then to have this happen on base where they are supposed to be safe, it just makes me sick. So say a few prayers for all these soldiers and their poor frightened families today if you would. And send a big mental squeeze to Sol. Thank God he is safe.

Duuuuuuuuuude!

Last night was tough.........all the way around......tough to actually get my ass to the gym........tough to push hard on the treadmill........even tougher still to get through my session with Mark........BUT I DID IT BITCHES! AND I FEEL GREAT! Sure, it sucked while I was at it and sure it totally kicked my ass sideways and had me sacked out before more elementary school children head to bed but I don't care. It just felt good to rock it out! I put in 30 minutes on the dreadmill walking 5 minutes then running 5 minutes then walking 5 minutes, etc. Then did some lifting with Mark followed by my beloved boxing workout. Because we lifted first, I didn't have the same Oompf to my punches that I have when we START with punching but it still felt great to throw a few his way. Afterwards, I had a light dinner then fought sleep for about an hour and turned in at 8:30 where I proceeded to sleep like the dead the entire night through.

This morning I woke feeling proud and the scale rewarded me with a nice 180.8! Getting SO close to getting back to those 170s!

In my attempts to knock my breakfasts back to a reasonable meal, I tried some new yogurt called Fage. My girl Jess recommended it to me and I have to say that I have found the packaging to be totally delightful. Maybe it doesn't take much to excite me folks, but check this shit out.......

First the container all by itself. It's Greek yogurt and has sort of a ricotta cheese like consistancy. Most of the options are plain or full fat but I found this peach flavored 2% option so I decided to try it.




The fruit is stored in this little side cubby which you can just lift up and squeeze to get the fruit out and it goes directly into the yogurt.

And to get every last drop of fruit out into the yogurt, the side cubby is wait for it.........wait for it.........SPOON SHAPED!!!!!! So you can get your spoon down in there and dig out every drop of flavor.

I topped it all off with 1/4 cup of grape nuts mixed with 1 tbsp of ground flax seed and 2 chopped slices of dried pear for a total of 5 points. Not too shabby AND it tastes good!

Is it just me, or is that some crazy great and clever packaging?

Rockin' it OUT!

Last night after work, I went on a bit of a wild goose chase trying to track down a requested item to send to a random soldier serving overseas. I had to go to about 4 different places before I found the Vanilla flavored Skoal he had requested. I know.......gross, but who am I to judge what that kid wants. He's in the middle of a war zone, he's earned himself a coupla cans of chaw in my book.

When I got home, it was near dark and I was not feeling inspired. I was thisclose to skipping my workout when I heard a little voice in my ear...........just do it pussy, you'll feel so much better afterwards! I like to think that all those bloggity buggers out there who are KILLING IT right now (Kim, Scrumpy, Jess, Fat Daddy, Carlos.....etc) helped shove my ass out the door. So thanks, guys! It was a quick run, just over 2 miles hammered out in about 25 minutes but I ran the WHOLE way and it did indeed feel great. I felt rather Rocky like in my knit cap with my badass attitude! My braids were flying, feet were pounding, heart was pumping, sweat was flowing........girlfriend rocked it OUT!!!!!

I chased it with a dinner of fish and broccoli and patted myself on the back for a job well done.

I also counted up my points for the first time yesterday since starting WW about 3 weeks ago. I was stunned to discover that the breakfast I eat at least 4 times a week was worth a whopping 8 points!!!! Whoa! Damn you delicious peanut butter and your 5 frickin' points! Damn you straight to hell! So I'm revamping breakfast this week to get those points down and hope to see a nice drop on the scale by Sunday. (I weighed in at 181.5 this morning)

By the way, for anyone really paying attention, YES I was supposed to go knock the shit outta Mark last night but I discovered that I had ZERO training appointments on the books! WTF??? So I scheduled a bunch more and will have to wait until tomorrow and Friday to see him and get my anger out through the beauty of boxing.

That's about it for today folks. Thanks for popping round.

The Post in Which I Prove I’m NOT a Scaredy Cat!

I hate being afraid of things and typically, I’m not scared of much, but as I’ve aged, a few more fears seem to creep in here and there. The one that has taken me most by surprise (because I’m quite certain I haven’t ALWAYS been this way) is my irrational fear of costumes which cover people’s faces, even the friendly kid themed ones. Like if Winnie the Pooh came up to me right now, I’m fairly certain that I would junk punch him and run screaming away before I realized what I was doing. I also hate life size statues that look like they could come alive any moment and grab you and we won’t even get into how much I hate Haunted Houses for that very same reason!!! Because I HATE being afraid of things.......because it makes me feel like a weak sissy girl (no offense Candice…..but seriously, one good shoe smack and you could have taken care of Larry quickly and easily all by yourself although I’m not quite sure any of us would have survived that with our hearing intact) I force myself to do the scary things anyway, just to prove that I CAN. (Ask the Captain about the loss of feeling he suffered in his arm during our one and only trip through a Haunted House sometime). So last night, when I went to a bar to watch part of the Vikes/Pack game with the geighbors and was confronted with a VERY spooky statue on display for Halloween, I HAD to prove my bravery by having my picture taken with it. Can you tell in this picture that I’m hollering through my clenched smile (HURRY UP AND TAKE IT, JUST TAKE THE PHOTO, FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE TAKE THE FREAKING PICTURE!!!!!)

You can? Oh. Ok. What gave it away? Was it my clenched fist or the fact that my teeth were clamped together to stifle my screams? Well anyway, I was very proud of myself for facing my fears. (Does it count if I literally ran past it on my way to the bathroom and did the heebee-jeebee dance afterwards? What a chicken...but SERIOUSLY....how creepy is that thing???!)

Anyway, besides the spooky statue incident, I had a blast at Shamrock’s with Cam and Randy. I WAY overate but hadn’t really had a splurge all week. I did get the naked chicken skewers instead of the fried but I also at some deep fried green beans AND French fries WITH sauce thankyouverymuch. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I chased it with a slice of pumpkin cheesecake which really just tasted like pumpkin pie to me but Holy Smokes was it good!

I chased it all with a shit ton of water and played sober cab home for my boys. Oh yeah AND The Vikings won if you care about that sort of thing which I don't.

Today I am very much looking forward to returning to the gym as an almost complete human being. While there are still slight traces of crud left in my lungs, I feel almost back to normal and I will be strapping on the gloves today and punching the ever loving shit out of Mark and I CAN’T WAIT!!!!!!

I think it’s safe to say that Lucas is BACK folks! Back and kicking ass!

Digging deep and finding some inspiration from the bloggosphere, I woke up this morning and laced up my sneaks. I hit the door and discovered a lovely fall morning. I figured I'd just go for a walk, maybe try a run and just see how it went. I had no major goals in mind. After a nice warm up, I decided to try and run for a bit to see how it felt. Folks, I was amazed. After such a long sit, I couldn't believe how great it felt to run again. I quit counting after about 6 blocks and I just ran and ran and ran. The cold morning air combined with the activity had me coughing up all kinds of crud and you can bet I hacked it all up. SEXY!!! But I gotta say, it felt good to clear my lungs. So there I am running and hacking and spitting and the next thing I knew, I'd put several miles behind me and found myself at the river. It felt freaking fantastic!

On the way back I took it a bit slower, walking some and running some and by the time I'd made it back home, I'd logged 5 miles and burned around 830 calories. What a great way to start my Sunday.

I skipped my morning weigh in this morning at weight watchers (SUE ME!!). I know I'm up a bit according to my home scale but I feel really good anyway. I've logged two solid weeks of eating healthy and not drinking or smoking. This coming week I'll be sticking to my allotted points and trying to pull the rest of this all together. I think I'm finally over this crud I've been down with. I saw my chiropractor on Friday and my masseuse on Saturday and that combined with the vitamin D I've been downing (thanks Jessifer!) I think have really done the trick.

And so this flower is off to a great start this week. I hope you all are too. And if you're not......WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR????? Get out there and kick some ass! That is all.