CVS reward

So, I go into CVS to get some pictures made off my thumb drive and when I get rung out the lady says to me that my receipt has given me an opportunity to register for a 1,000 dollar gift certificate and that I also get this lovely candy bar. I may register for the gift certificate, who knows I could win... As for the candy bar, it isnt bad taste wise nor nutritionally. A serving is 4 of those squares but as you can see in comparison to my hand that is a rather large serving so I am having half a serving which makes the calories 95, fat 7 grams and 2 grams of fiber! Not bad. I got lots of stuff to add about my day today but I am tired so I will update again tomorrow or Monday! Nighty night!

crossfit Saturday

Just going to post the workout so I dont forget it. I was really sweating cause it was really hard. First, the warmup has changed from a 400 meter run to 200 jump ropes. I hate jumping rope!!! Makes me feel like I am going to pee my pants. There are some other changes but that was the big one. The workout today consisted of an 800 meter run, then 5x5 of back squats followed by another 800 meter run and then 100 more jumpropes and 100 kettlebell swings. Pretty tough! My last two sets of back squats were at 95 pounds which I thought was pretty heavy. I started my first set with just the bar so we kept gradually adding weight. For now, 95 is my max. I dont know how long the workout took because it wasnt for time but it seemed to be close to at least 50 minutes.
More later but got things to do today:)

Food food and more food

It has been a day of cooking here at Casa Crawford and I must say its been productive. I did have one dud however (the zucchini crust), but in the end I used it up and it did taste really good. I would have preferred it to be a crust for pizza but oh well. I suppose that pizza crust made with flour is just one of those things I need to just suck it up and eat it every once in awhile. All in all though today was a banner day of cooking. I made enough to eat several meals and I even have enough to share with some of my crossfit peeps. Like I mentioned in the previous post I made the cookies yesterday but today I made the weirdo pizza crust crepe thing, asian burgers, thai chicken curry egg rolls, and the banana coconut cake. I followed the recipe for that straight off SOG rather than Megs variation because we both wanted to see if making it his way would make the finished result more cakey and less pie like which is how Megs turned out. Mine did turn out cake like but I made it in a pie pan and cut it into squares rather than pie slices just so I oould have more of it. I am finding that a little bit of these types of treats are as satisfying than a large amount of the traditional cakes and cookies we are all used to eating.
Ok, thats it for today. I hope you enjoy the pictures and maybe get inspired to cook something healthy for you and your family this week.

nummy nummy in my tummy

Well today I am one cooking lady. I started yesterday with my paleo cookies that I must say turned out totally great. I cant wait to bring them in to my CF peeps tomorrow. Meggy wont be there so I am saving her some of the goodness for Tuesday.

Yesterday I was really tired and didnt spend as much time on the computer as usual. This was likely due to the agonizing CF workout Stacy had for us. 4RFT of walking lunges (10 each leg), 4 point pushups with a renegade row (10 lb dumbells) and 10 thrusters (12 lb dumbbells). I might add that with the lunges we had to use a weight held at the shoulders. I used my 12's. Today my back is a little sore. Not sure what that is all about but I am sure its from the WO. I think today I am resting and not doing anything unless I decide later to do a leisurly walk. I have CF in the morning and its always harder on the weekends so I need to save my energy.

Back to the cooking I am doing today. I made Ali's thai chicken curry and opted for using the filling for egg rolls. I had one for lunch and lets just say that they are really good. Even baking them they tasted really good. I also made what was supposed to be a pizza crust out of zucchini and parmesan but it turned out to be more like a crepe. It tastes good (I will eat it for supper) but it isnt suitable as a pizza crust. I am going to make 2 servings out of it an then have it with some sliced tomatoe and mozarella. I am getting ready to make (this afternoon) the banana cake and some asian inspired chicken burgers. I love having some ready made food in the freezer for nights like last night when I get late getting home I have some healthy food to eat. Last night, I ended up eating a banana, glass of milk and a cup of dry shredded wheat. Ugh.

On my way to Destinys and the commissary so I can pick up the one thing I forgot yesterday (coconut milk) for the banana coconut cake. OH yeah, I am bringing Destiny the other half of the crepe, some egg rolls and a few of the cookies. She hasnt been eating well so hopefully this will help. She is giving me some organic apples and carrots. I think I may cook some natural applesauce with the apples and parboil carrots to use later in soups, stews and side dishes.

Pictures in the next post of all my food:)

My dogs are killing me

I am not getting enough sleep at night because Molly is waking me up at 5:00 am nearly every morning to go outside. I let her out at 10/11 the night before and would think she could manage until at least 7:00 but, noooooo. I tried going back to bed but she wont come in the house and just as I get back to sleep she starts howling which reawakens me and then I rush to get her back in because I dont want her to wake the neighbors at 5:30 in the morning. Ugh, when Paul was home it was great cause he always let them out before he left for work and then when he was off, I could pretend to be asleep and he would still get up with them. For some reason Molly comes right back in for him.
Inglorious Basterds was so good last night. I am glad I got to go. Since I ate so light last night though I woke up starving for breakfast. Because I had already eaten a sandwich this week I didnt want to have bread last night so I had a couple pieces of sausage and some veggies for dinner. I was totally satisfied with that when I ate at 5:30 but come 10:00 when I got home I was grumbly in the belly so I had handful of cherries. I didnt want to eat heavy and then go to bed. Anyhow the cherries worked fine but OMG, this morning I thought I could have eaten off my right arm. I made a great breakfast though of 2 eggs scrambled with chopped bacon, veggies and some sharp cheddar. I also sliced up some cantaloupe and strawberries to go with it. It was very good but I know I will need a decent snack before lunch. I am always so much hungrier the day AFTER crossfit. I realize this and so I have stopped trying to wait out my hunger. I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am not. It seems to be working out.
Going on a visitation for church today and getting in a walk of some sort. I think I will do the Hope Mills trail because Meg wants to rest today. I dont like to walk the River Trail alone. If I do the Hope Mills path twice that gives me 3.6 miles anyhow. Also, I can make it to church if I do this.
Gonna run so I can finish the yardwork and get this day going.

movie night

Getting ready to meet Meg and her hubby for a movie night. We are going to go see Inglorius Basterds with Brad Pitt. It will be the first time I meet John, Megs husband. A bunch of his co-workers will also be going so I wont feel like a 3rd wheel. It was really nice for Meggy to ask me. I had wanted to go so I am glad for the opportunity. It does put our walk off tonight but thats ok because I did actually mow the front yard today. I still need to do the back and I may do that tomorrow if I have time. I want to buy a new weedeater and a blower before I do it again so I may get those on payday. Pauls pay for the 1st is much more than usual and it didnt contain even all of his entitlements since he deployed mid month. Him beiing gone sucks but the pay is so much more what it should be all the time.
I am going to make a paleo cake and a paleo pizza crust this weekend. I have been craving pizza and what gives pizza the calories is the crust. A veggie crust may be just the ticket.
Ok, need to run:) Have a good night.

MIA

Well I didnt post for two days. I was really tired and sort of busy. On Saturday evening my friend Tammy and I went to dinner and then to the mall. I bought a couple pairs of pants and a new skirt and top. I also got something for Paul. I dont want to mention what it is since I dont want him to know and he sometimes reads the blog. Lets just say, its cute and cuddly. Later, I will divulge more on this. After I got home that night it was late, nearly 9:30, but I had to work some more on my Sunday school lesson. I was so tired though that I ended up going to bed and then getting up at 6:00 on Sunday to put the finishing touches on it. The lesson went ok. I got some new kids in the class and I am not sure if I am misreading their personalities or what but they come across as disrespectful... I called them out on it but then second guessed myself on it. When I told Paul about it he said it sounded as though they were rude as well. Anyhow, after church I met some of the ladies from the unit at Ruby Tuesdays for lunch. WE sat and ate and talked for a couple hours and then I came home and relaxed a bit, had a small dinner of a sandwich and some light chips before heading to church. At church was 4th Sunday and the men were in charge of refreshments. I tasted 6 different things with a teaspoon so I was really proud of myself for not getting full servings of all the desserts. When I got home from church I put on my jammies, watched Army Wives and sipped a cup of Morracan Orange Spiced tea. It was really good. I slept so good that night and woke up really refreshed on MOnday morning. ON Monday I met Denise and Mary for lunch at Tripps. Again, I made a good choice. I got a baked potato and ate half of it, a salad without bacon or croutons (kept the almonds), tomato dressing which is heavenly, and some grilled shrimp. The shrimp was an appetizer but I ordered it as an entree with my potato. The order contained 6 large shrimp and I ate 4 of them. Later, I had some blue berries for a snack and then a beef stick before meeting Meggy at the river trail to walk. We walked 5 miles. I was completely exhausted when we were done not to mention starving! I came home and had me some dinner about 8:00, a cup of tea and was in bed before 10:00. I slept so good except that I had to get up twice to pee last night:(
This morning I was really tired when my alarm went off at 5:05 for crossfit. I hit the snooze once and then got up and microwaved a cup of leftover coffee to revive me somewhat. Once I was up and had my face washed I was fine though so I made my way to crossfit and was on time at 6:05. I did the warm up and then we did the work out. The WOD was 50 situps the 4 RFT of 6 single arm db snatches, (I used at 15 lb the first round and then 20 lbs for the remaining 3 rounds) and 400 meter run. Capping that off with 50 hollow rocks. My time was 29:04. We have been doing a bunch of running in CF lately. I dont mind because it really is helping me lose body fat. I can definitly see a difference in my endurance too. So, all in all today I ran 1.25 miles counting the warm up. Tonight Meg and I are walking again. I think we decided on 3 miles but I suppose we could go farther if we arent too tuckered out. We are planning on doing the entire 8 miles on Sunday because we need to build up our endurance for the half marathon we are doing in November in Wilmington. I am excited and nervous at the same time about it. I just want to do it and I dont care if I walk it, run/walk it or whatever. I just want to do it. So far, its Meg and I. Denise says she wants to but she hasnt registered yet. I hope she does though. I think it would be a good thing for her and we would all have a good time for sure.
Ok, gonna go. I am meeting someone for coffee at SB in a bit. They are donating greeting cards to the soldiers to send home to their spouses:) More on this later!
TTFN

Soaking Saturday

Well today is turning out to not be such a crappy day since it started pouring rain as I was going to mow and saved from the dreadful task until Monday. Monday will be a better day for it anyhow since after cross fit this morning I am TIRED as all get out. Our WOD was in honor of Sweet T's birthday and Ali made it very painful. The workout really challenged me today for sure. I dont think I have ever posted what our warm up is in cross fit so here goes: a 400 meter run, 25 air squats, 20 pushups and situps, 5 mobility swings, and 10 dislocates. We do the warm up on our own before the group begins. I do my run outside as soon as I park unless it is raining. I hate to run on the track inside. Anyhow the WOD was 800 meter run followed by single arm pushpress, hollow rock, turkish situps, and squat jumps. The reps were 22/18/8. Once you were done with your last reps you finished with another 800 meter run. Our cashout was 50 pushups. I used 15 lb dumbbells for the first set of push presses but on the second and third set I went down to 10 lbs which was in hindsight too light and I should have used 12 lbs. For my turkish situps I did the first set with 10 pound dumbbelss but the remaining two I went down to 8 lbs. They are much harder than they look for sure and because your arm is up in the air you really must use your abs. My time for the workout was 25.28.
Anyhow, now that the weather has prevented me from mowing I have nothing to do for the afternoon. I am meeting Tammy Peters for dinner tonight at Ruby Tuesday and I am having the salad bar. I am working really hard to get down to where it is I want to. I would love to see a loss this coming week. This morning I had a chocolate pumpkin smoothie before crossfit which held me until lunch. I love the smoothies for that reason but I do get tired of drinking my meals so that is why I switch things up. For lunch I had 3 oz of white meat rotisserie chicken, one la tortilla and 1/4 of onion and peppers sauteed with a T of salsa. It was very good and filling. I am trying to not have a snack this afternoon but if I do, I will have some watermelon because I dont want it to go bad.
I have planned a lunch for tomorrow with some of the ladies. So far I have a good response. It looks like of the 7 I have invited I have for sure 4 coming. No one has said no but the other three just havent responded. We are going after church to once again, Ruby Tuesday. LOL. A couple of us are watching our food intake and since RT has a wonderful salad bar it seemed like a good choice. Also they have a wonderful regular menu for kids and the other ladies.
This evening I have to finish up my Sunday School lesson. I hope it goes well. I dread doing it because I think I suck at teaching.
ok, going to rest for a bit. I may hit up Target before meeting Tammy because I really could use another pair of workout pants. I love the shorts Paul got me before he left. They are knee length and super comfy for working out.
TTFN

For snakes alive!

Today was a productive day for me as far as getting some things done in the house that I usually neglect. I cleaned the dogs room up pretty good, vacuumed the carpets and when I was finished doing that I went ahead and emptied the cannister. Paul would be so proud! I also swept the hardwoods and took care of the dishes in the dishwasher before I actually needed things out of it. I went to the postoffice and mailed a few things to Michael and I even went and bought new air filters and changed them. I also got the frames needed for the pics that Paul and I had made before he left. They turned out so well and I will post some pics of them in this post.
I ate pretty well today which was good since I ate a lot last night for whatever reason. I need to get off the few pounds I have gained just because while I look the same sometimes I feel larger. I know that many times it is because of certain foods I eat so I am trying to be more mindful of what I am eating. Breakfast was light for me but I am trying to eat as light as I can and then eat more if I still need it. I had an english muffin with some tomatoes and one slice of ff bologna on it. A little later I had and EAS drink. For lunch I had 2 skinless chicken legs and a tortilla. My afternoon snack was a cup of watermelon and 1 and half cups popcorn. Before dinner I went on my 4 mile walk with Meg and we ran across ANOTHER snake. That makes one on each day we walked this week. I think it a copperhead. Anyhow, we survived the walk and then when I got home I had my dinner of a large spinach salad with Italian and 3 oz of flank steak on it. Totally yummy!
In a bit I am making some whole grain banana muffins to bring to CF in the morning. It is Daniel Parditas birthday (he turns 18) and I told him I would bake him something. Meg may bring her paleo banana cake as well. That sounds so good and I want to run the nutritional information on it to see how fattening it actually is before I make it.
I got the call today from WW to start my training as a receptionist. I am leary of it but I am going to give it a chance and then make a decision. Although I am not really following their plan I think being a receptionist would be ok and it would help me to stay accountable with regard to food and activity if nothing else.
I heard from Paul today on the phone. I am glad to talk with him but disappointed that he hasnt emailed me in a couple days. He did this last time he was deployed as well... He promised this time would be better but only time will tell. I do know he is busy right now so I am going to cut him some slack for now.
Ok, I am going to go so I can get to work on the muffins. No muffins for me though unless it is at breakfast if the smoothie I make before crossfit doesnt hold me through lunch.
TTFN

Burpees...not a problem but seriously, 100 of them!

Good Morning!
I just got back from crossfit with the devil! Honestly, Stacy had us working hard today. I saw the WOD on the board and my heart sank. For time-40,30,20,10 of burpees and situps. I hate burpees with a passion but I did the workout. It took me 20.28 to complete it and I was dripping by the time I was done. I came home and made myself a chocolate cherry smoothie and heated up 2 pieces of sausage I made yesterday for my breakfast. The sausage has just the right amount of spice and I wanted to eat more than 2 pieces but I controlled myself. OMG, the smoothie is heavenly. I used milk, chocolate protein powder and a cup of thawed out frozen cherries and their juice. I really love it. Before crossfit I had a tablespoon of my walnut/cranberry mix since I woke up starving which surprised me only because when I got home from church yesterday evening I was famished and had to eat a banana with some pb and a bowl of fiber one twigs with skim. I tried to just get by with a cup of tea but I was legitimately hungry so I had to eat. At least I did make some good choices.
Oh yeah, at crossfit this morning Stacy gave me a great compliment by saying that everytime she sees me I look smaller. WOW! I feel so much heavier but I suppose the tone I am developing is making me look smaller even with a few extra pounds. It really made my morning and gave me the motivation I need to keep on keeping on.

Oh yeah, my dinner last night was really good. I didnt mind not having pasta at all but that is because the sauce was so good. I ate all of it on my squash. The only thing I did miss was garlic bread... Oh well.

Today for dinner I plan on having a taco salad without the chips. I have an avocado just begging to be eaten so that will go along nicely with the salad. Lunch time I am not sure of yet but it will include fruit since I still have a bunch of melon left and I dont want it to go bad.

Ok, getting off here now to get some things done around the house. I am aiming to get the floors cleaned and a load of laundry done. I should mow the yard or finish up with the pool but I reckon I can save that for the weekend so I have something to do because I decided not to go to Raleigh. I have enough F/V and so there really isnt a need.

Pics are of the sausage I made yesterday, my fruit plate and my dinner.
TTFN

MMMMM, marinara sauce

Marinara sauce, homemade is bubbling on my stove top right now. I got the basic recipe from Ali at cross fit and made it today. I added some hot Italian sausage (just a small amount), peppers, onions, zucchini, olives and mushrooms. I even took a few of my farmers market cherry tomatoes and added those. I am going to serve it over some spaghetti squash for dinner. I cant wait. I havent had marinara in a long time. I hope I dont miss the real pasta though.
This morning I was feeling very cravy for carbs so I decided to let myself have some oatmeal and a slice of whole wheat toast for breakfast. I added some applesauce with no added sugar, a bit of skim milk and some walnuts to it as well for the fat/protein I should have when I have a carby meal like that. Now, I feel fine. I think that I do well when I dont eat as many carbs but once in a bit when I crave them I should have them, especially if they are the better ones, just so I wont binge on something unhealthy later on. I am really trying to pay attention to what my body NEEDS rather than what my mind wants but sometimes what I WANT may be exactly what I NEED. Does that make sense?

Last night I walked 4 miles on the trail with Meg. We came a bit too close to nature for our liking as we saw a snake on the trail. It looked like a rattlesnake without rattles. I didnt get a picture because I was too afraid to get close enough. I took video but I am not posting it because it isnt that clear anyhow. We also saw 2 deer which I did get a picture of and I will share here. It was a nice walk and then I came home and had dinner. It was really delicious but almost too spicy and I almost thought about just making a salad halfway through it. The bulgogi meat was tender however and next time I make it I will forego the korean barbecue sauce on the veggies as that is what was setting my mouth on fire.

Nothing pressing on the agenda today. I may head to post this evening as the main body is set to depart tonight. I am not sure yet. I want to be there for the other ladies but Pauls departure is still too fresh in my head and heart so I dont know how supportive I would be if I am losing it right along with them. I have bible study tonight anyhow. Other than this I just plan on reading through and putting together a plan for my next Sunday school lesson. I also need to get in some exercise today but I am still on the fence as to what I am going to do... A brisk walk, run or some at home crossfit. I will do something though.

Gonna run. TTFN

Hello

I got up very reluctantly for cross fit this morning:( I did go and am so glad that I did. It was a short workout and I feel so much better for going. We did 4 RFT of thrusters (6), kettle bell swings (15) and 200 meter run. I finished in 10:28 and I was happy with that. My running is getting so much faster. I always feel so slow but I am able to keep up with the gals in the group. The boys run waaaaaay faster than me though. Meggy and I made a date to walk on the trail this evening which will be good for us. It is the extra activity that I need to really jump start my weight loss again. Oh how I long to be in the 130's. LOL. I am healthy now at 145 and dont look half bad I reckon. Its a numbers thing or a girl thing I suppose. Plus, even after losing all this weight I still feel chubby. Will I feel thin in the 130's? We shall see.
I made a magnifico omelette for breakfast along with my ghetto frappacino. All delicious. I love the veggies I got in Raleigh and I may go out there again this coming weekend if I am bored just to restock. Oh, in case you are interested the frapp is just 10 to 12 oz of cold coffee, a splash of milk or creamer, and one EAS or muscle milk carton. I use the low carb versions of the EAS and the light version of the muscle milk. You can add protein powder if you like or peanut butter, almond butter or even a banana and blend it for a smoothie. I like mine with the coffee, milk and EAS or muscle milk only and then served over ice. On days when I use it as a meal replacement is the times I add the additional protein powder and a nut butter or banana.
Well, gonna get the ball rolling on today. I will check back in this evening.

(note to self- change the date on your camera)

walkin in the park, eggs and Paul

Not a bunch planned for today. I got some housework to do and I have already started with my laundry. I think I have one load due to Paul being gone. I miss him but less laundry is something that I can definitly handle:)
I am going to go and walk/run the park in Hope Mills here in a bit. I need to do more activity than cross fit group. I may stop by my gym at some point today to talk with them about my membership.
The most pressing thing on the agenda as far as housework is getting the side door fixed and getting the pool taken care of. I let it go too far and its beyond fixing this season. I dont even know that I will open it up next year. In hindsight, Paul and I went to the beach more often than WE got in the pool. I was in it alot initially but that gets boring. Anyhow, we'll see how it goes. I asked Larry about fixing my door at church yesterday but he didnt seem too eager to help me out so I reckon I will try and figure out something myself and then if I cant, I suppose I will have to call someone. Do I call a locksmith or a carpenter? Things like this are what makes me want to lose it emotionally. Even now because I am so clueless as to what to do I feel like crying... Get it together Jo!
I had eggs for breakfast this morning. After two days of smoothies I was ready for some solid food for breakfast. I made a scramble with one whole egg and two egg whites, some onion, peppers, mushrooms and my tiny little orange tomatoes. It was really good. I also had a huge cup of coffee and now I am drinking a bottle of water prior to going to the park so that I am somewhat hydrated. I plan on having some bacon wrapped in a low carb tortilla, veggies and fruit for lunch. I cant wait since I love love love bacon. I pulled out some ahi for dinner and I think I will do some bulgur and brussel sprouts with it. I havent had any cooked grains in a long time and since my menu seems fairly lean today I think 1/2 cup sounds like a good thing.
Paul emailed me at some point after i went to bed. I loved waking up to find his email in my inbox. I swear I just miss him already and holy cow its only been a week:( Still, trying to stay positive but it is so hard when all I want is for him to wrap his arms around me and fix the side door. hhehhehehehheeh.
Ok, gonna run-literally.

Sunday makes one week down

Well, tonight marks one week that I have been without my honey. I havent cried and dont think I will. I was sad at church today as it was my first Sunday alone without him in the pew next to me. Speaking of church, Sunday school went ok. It wasnt as good as I had hoped. The teens arent responsive to me even when I ask them questions they just sit there. I will give it a little more time but I was really upset because I worked so hard on the lesson this week.
After church I went to the commissary. While driving there I ate a banana and a kashi bar so that I had something in my belly prior to shopping. At the commissary I spent just over $50.00 and my cart was nearly only produce. Now I have so much yummy things to eat for the next week or so. The only things I didnt get there was muscle milk and a small melon. I got those things at Walmart. Actually I decided to try the carb advantage from Body for Life rather than the muscle milk because nutritionally it was comparable but it was also nearly $2.00 less than the muscle milk per 4 pack.
Food wise today I did really well. I ate so corelike from WW. Breakfast was a vanilla smoothie with pure pumpkin and half of an english muffin and tomato. Once I got back from the commy I had cucumber salad and the other half of my english muffin. Before church I had yogurt, strawberries, and fiber one. I also had an apple. When I came home from church I was really hungry and I had half of my leftover chicken breast and some more roasted veggies- okra, zucchini, mushrooms and butternut squash. It was really delicious. I especially loved the squash fries.
I had sliced up some melon for a snack but I didnt have it, I had a cup of my new cherry vanilla tea instead. It is so good. I am really loving tea and think that when it gets colder I will drink it much more often. Paul likes hot tea as well so that is a plus. We can try different flavors in the evenings...
I think I am going to run tomorrow and do a mini crossfit routine for some exercise. I also am going to see exactly when my gym membership expires. I should go there if I still have quite a bit of time left. If I dont, well ok cause either way I am not renewing. At any rate I do need to move my hiney doing something tomorrow so I can continue to burn some fat off my body before Paul comes back. I know I wont look dramatically different when he deployed last time since I dont have much weight on me now but it would be cool to tone up so much that I could go down a size. I just want to knock his sock off-among other things. hehehehe.

I wish that Paul were here. Thats how I will end this for tonight.

Raleigh day

Oh what a day! It started off with my meeting which was ok and then crossfit which was so hard today. In fact, I nearly had a brush with the pavement. If John hadnt caught me I would have gone down. I dont think it was anything serious (seizure) just that I had too much blood going to my head from the crab walk and that it was really humid outside and I overheated. I hadnt properly hydrated prior to group so that was my own fault. I was incredibly embarrassed but I stayed and finished the workout with a slight modification in that for the 1st round I skipped burpees and did squat jumps. Todays workout was 3 rounds for time of clean and press, crabwalk for the first round then could do walking lunges, burpees, 400 meter run. The sets were 17, 14 and 11 which are weird numbers but it did make you think. The cash out was a farmers carry of your clean and press dumbells. My weights today were 15 pounders. I was pretty proud of that since I usually use 12 pounds. After crossfit I came home and cleaned myself up and had a protein shake with some muscle milk while I waited on Meg to come over. When she got here we headed up to Raleigh to meet up with Marci and Terry at the Farmers Market. OMG, I wish we had one here in F-ville. I loved all the fresh stuff. I got some tomatoes, okra, a sprite melon which while it tastes like a melon it has the texture of a pear, and some fresh bacon. Afterwards we went to lunch and I had the most wonderful salad with grilled chicken and an amazing tomato and bacon dressing. Next stop was TJ's and Whole Foods and I bought some ahi, some grass fed beef, some free range eggs and a few other things. I was really proud of myself since I didnt eat everything in sight at Whole Foods today. I did have a couple spoons of some ice cream made with coconut milk with Meggy but really that was pretty much it as far as non healthy stuff goes.
When I got home I separated the meat I bought and cooked a dinner using some of the beef and veggies. It was very good. Okra is delish broiled with just a bit of garlic powder and some olive oil on it. Up until tonight I had only had it fried. I really liked it and wish now I had bought more of it. I am excited over the next couple weeks so cook some of the other things I bought.
The highlight of my day was that I was able to speak with Paul today. He called on the way to Raleigh and it was as usual so good to hear his voice. When I got home I found out that he also had emailed me a lovely 'letter'. I have a good man for sure.
Well, I am going to shower and then take care of some household chores before bed.
Catch you tomorrow!

Nothing to do

OMG I really need a job. I have nothing to do. This life of leisure is killing me. Last night I overate. I couldnt stay out of the kitchen to save my life. I ate sooo much out of boredom and loneliness. I am going to get a book today so that I have something to read this evening. Maybe I will even get a needle point or something... I am going to the mall in a bit to get my nails done. I love that. I am thinking of actually getting a color on them this time rather than just doing clear. On the first of the month I may do my toes as well.
I have decided to buckle down in the diet area and really watch my food. I want to eat better and lose a few more pounds. I like that I am maintaining right now but honestly I am not where I want to be. I would love to get down another 15 to 20 pounds depending on my body fat and inches lost. I am going to do crossfit as hard as I can for 3 times a week and then hit the gym 2 times for either spin or the treadmill. I am also going to go and do the WW plan of core eating since I hate to count points and while I am not actively doing WW it does work.
Ok, gonna actually get some makeup on today and do my hair. TTFN

Evening check in

I ate a good homecooked dinner tonight. I feel so much better for doing so. I had some yummy barbecued chicken, sweet potato and broccoli. The most wonderful thing is that I dont feel like I am still hungry which has been happening to me from eating all the crap I had been eating since Paul left.
I didnt get in a nap. Not for lack of trying though. Why is it that when you plan on doing nothing nobody will call you but the second you decide to lay down it never fails; your phone wont stop. I am also unable to put my phone on silent in the event Paul were to call which he did:) He had a half hour phone card and we used all of it. I could have continued to talk with him and was sad when we had to end the call. He should be leaving Kuwait and heading into Iraq soon so I dont think I will hear from him again until that happens.
I finally finished my Sunday school lesson. I am done with it and all that I plan on doing now is going over it again on Saturday to refamiliarize myself with the key points. Hopefully it goes well.
I also got all my bills together today and balanced the checkbook. Now, tomorrow all I need to do is get online and pay them. I need some groceries but its mostly perishables so I am waiting until Sunday afternoon since I am not sure what I will end up buying at the farmers market and Whole Foods and Trader Joes on Saturday when I head to Raleigh with Meggy.
On Monday I am going to the unemployment office and to one of the temp agencies to look for work. I may even check out AAFES and see what they are offering. I definitly think I will apply for work at the Bragg credit union since I am pretty sure I would get hired. If I can get on and get part time that would be perfect. We shall see what comes of it all.
Well, gonna go soak in a tub, get ready for the evening which may include some popcorn as a snack. I REALLY want to go to bed early tonight. Maybe that will happen. I will try to keep out the amphibians tonight. By the way when I told Paul the frog story he laughed and laughed. I really miss that man. We always have so much fun together.
Ok, later days-

When it rains, it frogs

At my house anyway:) Last night I had full intentions of hitting the sack at 10:00 but as I was locking up I saw a frog in the house. I tried to get him but was having no luck, he was a speedy little thing. Eventually I chased him upstairs and just shut the door thinking I would go ahead and go to bed and deal with it this morning. No way, knowing he was here got me back up and so I headed upstairs to deal with the stupid thing. I finally found him sitting on Pauls desk. Rather than trying to catch him with my hands I took off my pj shirt and threw it over him. I brought him downstairs and tossed him out the door forgetting that my house alarm was set so... anyhow when it was all said and done it was after midnight before I got to bed.

I got up this morning and went to crossfit. I had a hard time getting up at 5:00 with so little sleep but I managed and know I can take a nap later if I need to. Its rainy here so the weather is perfect for napping. Crossfit was good. My neighbor Jocelyn came with this morning. She is really liking it too. Aside from the usual warmup we did 4 RFT of 20 wall ball (I used a 12 lb ball), walking lunges across the basketball court and squat jumps on the wayback from the other side of the court. I finished in 12.30.

Today, I am cleaning the house. It really needs it and I want to be able to not have chores tomorrrow so that I can workout and get my errands ran before Saturday and heading to Raleigh with Meg. I also need to make time to finish my Sunday school lesson today and tomorrow. Its almost done so it shouldnt be an issue. Hopefully it goes well.

I am cooking for me for the first time since Paul left. I put a chicken in the crockpot with some barbecue sauce. I plan on doing some broccoli and perhaps a baked sweet potato with it. I need to eat healthy because Im afraid if I dont I will get the Epstein Barr virus again. I just hate having dinner alone. I miss Paul the most in the evenings from dinner on. Hopefully I will hear from him at some point today.

Gotta run and get this day going. TTFN.

(pic of the frog. Just one but for some reason got a double exposure.)

why is it

That Paul has never deployed anywhere in the winter when things are dead? Today I must mow the lawn. Ugh! Its hot outside and I really dont want to do it. I get used to him being here and taking care of it and then he goes and well you know.

I got a lovely phone call from him this morning. It was nice to wake up to and even though it got me up an hour earlier than I wanted, it was so worth it.

I bought two identical kitchen clocks yesterday so that I can have one with my time and one with his time in Iraq on them. I like being able to just look up and know the time over there without counting forward. When I look at his time I imagine what he is doing at that moment and somehow it helps with the pain of the separation.

Well, I suppose I need to get out there and take care of the yardwork. Maybe if my pool is ever able to get right again I can get in it again before summers end. It would be so nice to hop in after the yard work but this entire year I have had issues with the chemicals...

ok, thats if for now.

new blog

Well, as you may know now, I wont be hearing the words to the title of my blog for quite some time. Paul deployed on Sunday for another year to Iraq. Boo! I miss him already and find so many things each day that remind me of him. Some things make me sad, others bring an audible laugh or wide smile to my face.
Anyhow, today hasnt been too bad. I am trying to stick to a routine so that I can pass the time more constructively. This morning I got up reluctantly for crossfit. I was so sleepy and considered not going but as usual I am glad that I did go ahead and go. The workout was great and I felt so good for going especially when I was so depressed and still so tired from Sunday. The workout was 8 RFT of a 100 meter shuttle run, 5 pushups, 10 situps and 15 squat jumps. It took me 15.30 to complete my rounds.
After CF I came home and had a yummy breakfast of a ww tortilla and an egg with a cup of strawberries. Its late in the season for them here but they were really good. I also had a mega cup of coffee. Later for a snack I had a muscle milk light and then I showered and went to Walmart for some pool chemicals and better hair products. My hair has been really dry the last couple of months. I am hoping that putting lower lights in my hair rather than the blonde will help with the dryness. For lunch I had a delicious homemade mozzarella and tomato panini, a bowl of chicken soup and some brussel sprouts. I was still feeling a little munchy for something really sweet so I had a vita top in the chocolate peanut butter flavor. Later in the afternoon I put together the agenda for the FRG meeting tonight and also researched and worked on my Sunday school lesson. I am hoping it will be good. Its on spiritual urban legends and how we need to guard against believing everything we hear blindly without checking the facts. By the time I finished with that it was time to head to post for the FRG meeting which went well. Not alot of ladies but at least there was more than a couple of them this time. After I got home I had a lean cuisine and a salad for dinner. It was really good and I was really hungry. I also had a half cup of ff frozen yogurt in a waffle cup to cure my sweet TOM munchies. It really hit the spot! Now, I am just watching some DVR'd Army Wives then going to hit the hay. I have a full day of work planned for tomorrow and its outside stuff so I need to get up early and get it done since it will be really hot outside. I want to run or do an at home CF workout as well as mow the yard. I am trying to keep busy this week and I have some physical activity planned for each day so that I can be tired enough to go to bed at a decent time at night. Next week the job hunt is on but thats another story...

(the picture of Paul and I is from the night he left. The date is incorrect because I never change the date on my camera. The actual date was 8/9/09)