Back on Track and well over 50

[Feminista54]

Good morning--yesterday was the first day without any pepto crossing my lips!!!! And, actually drank coffee in the a.m. I have not rocked the boat on my diet: oatmeal, light chiken noodle soup for lunch and left over homemade veggie soup with a piece of crusty bread for dinner (yesterday) and today will be a slight variation--of the same, with a few celery sticks thrown in... All I have to say is thank goodness I had put about a LOT of chicken stock...I willhave to replenish it this weekend...
It might be a factor of cognitive salience, but I seem to be noticing many more incidents of prejudicelately, but I might just be more attuned to it, since I am teaching Politics of Prejudice...
Tonight's another GOP debate --Goldwater, Rockefeller, even Reagan would not cut it today!!!
Your CSA 's policy for an extra fee to buy later what you need, sounds good. My old CSA would let you pick more peas or strawberries or whatever was current--which was great to do with kids, BUT you had to go out to the farm yourself which wassouth of New Paltz at the designated time, and woe if you didn't pick up...
Evan just came downstairs (he has a tutor at 9:30 and pre-K from 12-2:3O)...gotta play YoYo
ciao

[Chris55]

It's good that your stomach is on the mend. Real chicken soup can cure just about anything!

I have been so off-plan it's ridiculous. I've been planning good meals, but digging into the bread and had a whole lot of chocolate yesterday. I met up with a young woman I worked with at United Way, bright kid, Wellesley grad, looking for work and doing another part-time temp stint at the United Way office. All the "grownups" (those of us 50+) kind of adopted her, so we met for lunch and chocolate, LOL! We traded horror stories about the job market and I got to visit with the people I worked with and miss so much. I did have enough sense to leave some of the chocolate I bought with the secretaries, but took some home, too - Dove dark chocolate, so OK, but not if you eat 10 pieces!

I did cook up a batch of my black beans so I can have my favorite breakfast this week, and made a spinach pie for the guys with the stuffing in a portabella mushroom instead for me. I walked at the gym yesterday, too.

Have to look through my freezer and organize it, and see what's in there besides chicken. It seems to be the only thing on sale lately and I think that's all I have stashed away, besides soup.

Icy and cold outside - will be doing a DVD walk tape in my cozy warm house!

[Feminista54]

Good evening--not sure if I told you the saga ofmy father, dead these past dozen years who been earning commissions on stuff and thus, has mony in the unclaimed funds depts...it has been a royal pain get forms, court & other, but I did all (took almost 7 months to do,and finally ater a wait of only 3 months got a check yesterday (on his birthday), but made out to his estate and that bank account was closed 10 years ago, so today I had to open a new account for him...and will have to file his taxes...and on a whil I looked at CT's unclaimed monies because for a second he had an office in Stamford, and lo and behold...there are two commission checks there, but I have to figure out how to claim them because he closed that office in the 80s...
Had some pop corn today--my first cheat--but was craving it...and had a stack of grading to do... Last night LX made onion soup with my chicken stock...mmmmmmm....have to figure out dinner (& soon)...
Classes are going well.
Sounds like your lunch was enjoyable...
Have you thought about checking the civil service personnel depts (local and state)? You might be surprised....

ciao gotta grade a few more papers and then do dinner...

[Chris55]

Happy Monday, ha! I was exhausted for some reason this weekend, especially Saturday. Had trouble sleeping again Friday night, so was useless on Saturday even feeling like I was getting sick. Sad because the day was warm and sunny. We went out Sunday for a seafood lunch. I had a wilted salad and some chowder that was almost all seafood. Then DH ordered a huge fried platter so I had a few pieces of scallops and clams, but not many because I knew they'd bother my stomach if I ate too many. Then we did a stop at Trader Joe's for more low fat cheeses, portabella ravioli and wine

I'm still struggling with getting back on-plan, but doing better today so far. I did have bread at breakfast, but bean soup for lunch and I am very well stocked with veggies and fruit. I also went to the indoor track and walked for almost an hour.

This afternoon I plan on a short nap followed by re-tooling my resume yet again, this time for substitute teaching at the local high school. I checked out all the temp jobs at the nearest temp agency and they all involved pretty much non-stop data entry which will destroy my hands. Yes, I've checked the municipal and state job banks. Not much there either since all they're doing is cutting positions. So my plan right now is to substitute teach a bit, do some volunteer work at United Way so I can keep my connections there, and take my Microsoft class. I'm also going to see my physician's assistant tomorrow for my annual check-up and will talk to her about the arthritis. I was hoping it would be better by now but it doesn't seem to be improving. So a job where I have to do my own computer work would probably be fine, but sitting at a keyboard all day isn't going to happen.

Glad you're able to collect some funds from your dad's former work. Every little bit helps!

[Feminista54]

LOL I first read that you almost went to the track[i]
My stomach still is not right...so I am back on pepto...and that's my excuse for eating toast this morning
Opps Evan just arrived---remember the beginning of Dennis the menace????? gotta pay him some attention

more later...

[Feminista54]

Good morning...Evan's speech tutor is due here soon so this will be short too...poor kid still doesn't form complete words-- lazy jaw muscles--so we are always asking him to repeat things (he has lately been saying he doesn't hear requests from his mom, so I said he has selective hearing--he repeated that he has "leopard hearing" funny, but no cigar).
Today's food: oatmeal, bean soup (borrowing from you) and tonight either salmon or root veggie chowder...
Three classes today...
I'm off....hope your day is wonderful...
ciao

[Chris55]

I had a pretty good day yesterday, much better with my food and did my workout with Leslie Sansone! I made a big pot of chili for dinner but ended up using the full-fat cheddar I had shredded for topping it instead of my lowfat stash. But while I was listening to NPR and waiting for DH to get home, I had my red wine. That's usually when I start digging into the bread, and DS had brought home a lovely crusty loaf of rosemary bread. But I was motivated to eat well and grabbed a bag of baby spinach from the fridge and had a plate of salad instead. Now if I could just do that every day....

I had my checkup yesterday, talking mostly about my arthritis and possible carpal tunnel surgery, which I'm trying to avoid. I'm going to try a prescription cream that my PA recommended for the arthritis. They ran a lot of blood work, and I'm hoping the results say that I need my thyroid meds bumped up because I've been feeling pretty lethargic. And even when I'm following SB carefully I don't seem to be making any progress. But I've decided that since I've been feeling so crummy it must have a lot to do with all the junk I ate through the fall and holidays, so I'm going to be eating better just to feel like myself again instead of having a goal of losing weight. That will come eventually. So I'll see what happens with my blood work, try the cream on my hands, and it things don't improve I think I'll visit my favorite chiropractor and see if she can do anything. She cured my sciatic nerve issues years ago with a variety of treatments including accupuncture, so I have some hope that she can help me out again.

It's cold and icy here again, so may be stuck in the house today!

[Feminista54]

Good gray but warm morning here...
6 weeks until my manuscript is due...so, I have to really put my nose to the grindstone...
For some reason, we seem to be having our mice problem now--prob. because the weather is warmer and Baby Judy is hanging outside at night, so as the saying goes: while the cat is away, the mice will play...and play they do!
food today: oatmeal, bean soup for lunch and salmon & veggies for dinner... (LK made this root veggie chowder she saw on Rachael Ray, so that was dinner last night--she prob won't make it again because she said it was an hour of just peeling and chopping,then searching for herbs she never heard of--coming from the Midwest--the only seasonings she used for a long timewas salt & pepper).
LX brought home Blue Bunny carmel cones...they were my delicious cheat yesterday ;(
Back to back meetings today...at least they are all over campus so I get to walk, before I sit!
I hope the cream works...not being in pain and being healthy is so vital!

well, off I go...
ciao,

[Chris55]

So much for Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals, LOL! The thought of all that chopping with my aching hands is not pleasant. I've pulled out my food processor quite a bit lately to shred cheese or mix things that I didn't want to mix by hand. i'm considering leaving it on the counter. I have a tiny one for very small amounts that don't need much power, but my big one is stashed away. I'm thinking it's time to give it prime real estate in the kitchen again.

I did very well today, exercised, and ate on plan all day, even my snacks. Now if I can just keep this up. The roads were icy today so I stayed home. I have a million projects in mind but all of them involve stressing my hands so I spent most of the day reading and doing laundry. It's nice to be home and actually have a relatively clean house for a change! I even managed to wash floors this week.

I did finish my resume, called my neighbor who teaches at the high school about acting as a reference for a job as a sub. It's a small school, small classes, relatively well-behaved kids, and would involve mostly monitoring kids while they complete assignments when their teachers are out. I'm figuring if I can do that one day a week, volunteer at United Way another, and take my computer class, I'll at least be busy and doing something worthwhile.

Dinner tonight was beef burgers and oven fries plus salad for the guys. I had a turkey burger atop a grilled portabella - yum! and salad.

[Feminista54]

I subbed in grad school--oh, do I remember those very early morning calls giving me the choice of a math class or home ec (I still tremble at putting in zippers, and the fear of being stuck in a room of 30 students and zipper foots)...I actually taught the "sweat hog" class in math for a couple of weeks while the teacher was out, and had a grand time with these kids. Another time I was the substitute art teacher in an elementary school, and learned that 2nd graders knew how to spell f**k...and did so in poster paint on the table...oy! ( I was in Troy, NY at the time)
Up here in Kingston the substitute teachers are unionized...

Today was a relatively good day until I started craving sweets (had a kitkat bar this afternoon, and an ice cream cone this evening)--I'll do better tomorrow. I have not craved sweets in quite a while!

We watched Ides of March tonight...a good film, shot well, well acted.

Well,I am going upstairs to try to sleep...will get up early tomorrow to watch Up with Chris, and then LX and I have to start used car shopping--her car is on its last legs--its at the point where we can start pouring money into it. She needs something reliable and safe...

ciao...

[Chris55]

I finally heard from my doctor's office around 5 yesterday. They're increasing my thryroid meds and evidently my good cholesterol is outstanding, overall is still a little high, so I'm staying off the statins. I had taken them for about 6 months, started having very weird cramps in my ankles, and went off them. Then the more I read about them the less I wanted to take them! So this morning I finally got my new medication and the cream for my hands - 3 large tubes, I guess a 3 month supply. I would have been happy to have just one tube to make sure it helps first. The only tricky part is actually leaving it on my hands without washing it off. I'll have to figure out the best times to use it. I'm supposed to use it up to 4X a day.

While I was waiting for my prescription I did some grocery shopping, mostly just reading labels. I discovered that Hannaford low fat ricotta has a lot more fat than any of the name brands. Naturally they've hiked the price on the name brands so I will shop for that at my local mom and pop which for some reason has better prices lately. I've been craving pumpkin pie or some kind of dessert and like to mix lf ricotta with pumpkin puree and some agave and spices. That will have to wait.

I skipped the exercise today, just relaxed this morning. Mostly puttering around the house doing laundry. DH has been working long hours and seems to need Saturdays to be a couch potato. Hoping he'll have energy and motivation to do something interesting tomorrow. Although I'm not sure I want to be on the road with all the beer guzzling Patriots fans. I do not understand football. We've decided to watch "Fantasia" on blu ray on my son's big flat screen tomorrow instead of the silly game.

[Feminista54]

My family is dispersing to various superball parties...I am staying put... I will be grading ;( Enjoy Fantasia....a friend told me that one of the new superball recipes was fried mac n cheese balls: 500 calories each (doesn't sound appetizing).
LK is leaving for Florida on Tuesday for a month--her daughter needs her help...I thought I'd be able to join her for a long weekend, but plane tikets are expensive and my spring break happens after she'll be back--we have a "gala" to attend March 10th--oh well.
Food has been a mixed bag this weekend--did have wonderful tuna seared w/ black sesame seeds last night...mmmmm....then had ice cream.
This weekk I will be in NC 2x--once at Sloan for one followup and then will spend time at the NY public library; and again on riday with students at the UN for a one day conference.

ciao

[Chris55]

It's gorgeous out, 47 degrees and sunny. So there are puddles everywhere. I'm tempted to go down to the beach, but I just know from past experience that it will be windy and awful. I took a mental health morning for myself - walked for an hour at the gym (it was still 32 at 9am), then drove to my closest shopping mecca and went to TJMaxx, Target, and a whole bunch of other stores. Recreational as well as practical shopping. Treated myself to a large Wendy's chicken/pecan/apple/craisin/blue cheese salad. Yum!

Yesterday we stayed home and watched our movie. My son used some jarred red curry sauce from TJoe's to make a chicken dish. It wasn't bad; I'm not fond of most curries but this was nice. I guess I need to develop a taste for them. There are so few foods that I don't like so maybe I just need to ease into the Indian food. We had quick cooking brown rice and some green beans to go along. Tonight will be cheesesteaks - found some shredded lean beef on sale, will use my frozen "melange a trois" peppers from TJoe's, and some lowfat cheese. DS brought home hero rolls from the bakery for him and DH - 6 huges crusty ones. I will probably either have a half or just eat mine in a lettuce leaf. Slaw on the side. And wine

The scale moved down .6, so at least that's encouraging.

[feminist54]

Hi--I had to re-register, could not get on the boards to post for the past week--frustrating!
Been doing the car search with LX --she has been pre-approved for a car load without a co-signer! yea!
LK is in Florida...where its been very cold--she hasn't walked on the beach since she got there becuase its been very windy, cold and today, rainy. (It was supposed to be in the mid 40s here today, and that's why it snowed --sure would like to be a weather forecaster--you can be wrong & still have a job!
Have to go back down to Sloan tomorrow--was there last week for my thyriod, but the radiologist up here never sent down the ultrasound, so...back I go...I am also there for my leg, and then in the aternoon I will go to the library...gotta plug in some holes!
Food has been so-so this week...breafast alternates between oatmeal and yougart, enjoying a granny smith apple with cheese as my snack, soup or chili for lunch, dinners have been onion soup (by LX) or eggplant or chili ...

Can you believe what the GOP is doing--its like watching a trainwreck...Frank Rich had an interesting profile on Romney in the NY magazine (you can get it on line)...basically no there, there. He just can not relate. He has the best organization & has out spent them all, but...

Anyway, just touching base, hope you and yours are well...

ciao

[Chris55]

I was wondering what happened to you this week! I've been off plan, eating bread, crackers, and then DH bought me buttercrunch for V-Day. This was after attending a chocolate fest fundraiser this weekend that was sparsely attended, so I was surrounded by huge portions of food being paraded by my face for two hours. I think I need to go back to a clean Phase 1 for at least a few days, but every time I start I end up eating out someplace unhealthy or making something for dinner that's non-SB. I've also not been exercising as much as I was. I need to refocus.

Good political things are happening here. Our local state senator (R) was finally forced to give up his job because he took a job in September (!) as a lobbyist with a sportsmen's alliance. We finally had our special election on Tuesday and this very nice Democrat won after a real grass roots get-out-the-vote campaign. So we've tipped the balance a tiny bit back our way, which I'm hoping is a good sign for November. Our governor is trying to slash Medicaid and every social service program he can find.

I've started my computer class, which is excellent. The guy teaching it is an IT person who actually speaks English and I'm learning a lot about Microsoft Office and lots of other little tricks as well. Since I have to drive past my old United Way office to get to the class, I'm volunteering with them one afternoon a week. That way I'll have something productive to do and keep my foot in the door in terms of future openings there. They're going to have me work on finding more businesses to support them in my county, which is on the outskirts of their coverage area.

I've got an interview set up for the end of the month at an agency doing home visits for toddlers enrolled in early Head Start, but it's a temporary position. Also applied to work with Big Brothers Big Sisters, full-time, lousy pay, travel, but it would be fun and interesting and they're a financially stable growing agency. Keeping my fingers crossed for that one.

Now I just have to concentrate on my food intake and exercise so I don't have to buy a new job interview wardrobe!