More Hiking on the Appalachian Trail

The weather was hot again this past weekend!  We however, did not let that stop us!  We went out hiking.  We knew it was going to be hot, so we made a decision to not go long or hard.  We wanted to get out just enough to stretch our legs and get a bit of exercise and to enjoy nature a bit!

We decided to go to Gathland State park.  We had gone hiking here in January and  walked one way on the Appalachian trail and it was so cold!  We were mostly ok while we hiked that day, but it was cold!   It was time for a return visit, in nicer weather.  Well, nicer if you consider hot and humid nice!  What is it about Gathland that invokes us to visit during miserable weather?

This time we opted to hike in the other direction on the AT trail.  We started on the blue side trail that led us to the Crampton Gap Shelter for AT hikers and then from there we went upward to the Appalachian trail.  

We left the shelter and headed the rest of the way up the hill to the Appalachian trail.   Without thinking, we headed left.  For a bit it was great because we were walking on a relatively flat section of the trail, but very soon it began to wind us down....steeply!   Undaunted, we continued on!  But then, we came to the ruins of a barn.  It was a barn I recognized.

The ruins of this barn stands right next to the parking lot at Gathland.  The same parking lot that we were parked at!  NO!!  We went the wrong way!  I looked at my watch.  If we gave up then, it would be a very short hike of only 45 minutes.  Oh well......we turned around and headed back up the hill.  TWICE I climbed up that hill!

We eventually made it to the top and things leveled out a bit...but only a slight bit!  They were still steadily uphill, or so it seemed!  But it was an enjoyable hike!  We saw lots of fun things like a red mushroom and a neat AT mark on a step/log placed for erosion.

This was a second opportunity to use my new Trekking poles. (Amazon Affiliate Link)  I can't tell you how much I am enjoying them.  Maybe it is all in my head.  Maybe the do not do anything for me.  But I feel more stable and confident.  I don't believe my knees hurt as much after a walk and after climbing up and down big rock steps.  I totally am loving them!  So far, I think that they are the best and wisest decision I've ever made!

We had a great time.  It may have been hot.  It may have been humid.  It may have been a lot of uphill climbing.   But we had a fantastic time out in nature!  Ohhh, and even better?  We got in 2.25 hours of exercise and I slept like a baby that night!

Summer Salad

One of our favorite dishes in the summer is this summer Salad.  It is filled with nutritious beans and is  healthy, light and very filling.

15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz can pinto beans , rinsed and drained

15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Rinsed and drained , rinsed and drained

15 oz bag frozen sweet corn kernels

small chopped red onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2-3 chopped bell peppers (different colors make it prettier but not necessary)

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl

THe Dressing

1 tbs ground pepper

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

The juice of two limes

Whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing together and pour over the vegetables.  This can be eaten immediately, but the taste will be enhanced after they sit and marinate together for a bit.

serves 10

Cal 245.4

total fat 6.5

chol 0

sodium 192.4

total carbs 39.6

fiber 11.4

Sugars 1.9

protein 10.6

Click here for  a printable recipe of this Summer Bean Salad.

LEKI Trekking Poles

​I recently found myself in the market for some Trekking poles and started to do my research.  I had no clue what I was looking and therefore, I started this research blind.  I knew nothing about trekking poles, it had just come as a bright idea that it may help my hiking abilities.    I read some articles and I talked to the sales representatives at my local trail outfitter.  Eventually, I decided to purchase a pair of LEKI trekking poles.

Researching Trekking Poles

​I started my research online.  I had only a vague idea that trekking poles would help me with a problem that I had recently developed while hiking.  The problem?  I had been stumbling more frequently and while hiking was occasionally unable to catch myself from falling.   (I had first checked for other health issues, but everything appeared to be fine, I was just falling….a LOT!)   That is where I started my research.  Immediately I looked for guidance.  Would trekking poles help me with my stability?    The resounding answer was yes!  I was ready to really start shopping!  But then my eye caught some other things that Trekking poles are noted to help.  Trekking poles were supposed to help with balance and stability for those suffering with arthritis in the knees!  Perfect!  But, the clincher for me?  It also has been helpful for people who have hands that swell while hiking!  Oh my word.  I was totally hooked now!
 
There are a ton of different brands out there.  I am an Amazon shopper so I immediately turned to Amazon.  I found trekking poles for as low as $20!  Awesome, it wasn’t going to break the bank!   But then I started to look at the reviews.  Hmmmm, flimsy and break after the first use.  I was not impressed.  I knew that I was going to be using these to help give me stability and a trekking pole that broke while I was using it was NOT going to keep me upright!  In fact, that sounded downright disastrous!   I went back to the research table and started to look at the top trekking poles.  I was so confused and didn’t know what way to turn!

Visiting A Trail Outfitter Store

We decided to stop into our locally owned trail outfitter to check out their options for trekking poles.   I was excited to see what they had in the store.  I was hoping that they had something in stock!  They were easy to find and we made our way right over to their selection.  I immediately grabbed a pair or women’s poles.  They looked snazzy.  I extended them and did a few steps.  Hmmm.  They seemed to bow a bit with very little pressure.  That didn’t seem safe to me.  I grabbed a pair of LEKI poles and we extended them to the proper height.  They were stiff and solid and seemed to have no bend or bow in them when I put a bit of pressure onto them.     
 
The sales representative came over and started to talk to us about the different brands and styles of poles.  They did not push one way or the other.  HOWEVER, they did talk about the warranty of each product. They talked about the superior customer service of LEKI products and the ease of receiving replacement parts for anything that wears out or gets broken.  LEKI is a company that specializes and manufactures two types of products, trekking poles and camp chairs.  Their R&R is not spread thin, all of their attention is centered on these two products and they stand behind their products. LEKI seemed like a great company that stood behind their products!  I was sold!   It wasn’t until I got my trekking poles home that I  read the documents to realize that these trekking poles have a lifetime warranty on defective material and product.  Furthermore, warranty parts are available for up to 10 years after the product is manufactured.   EVEN BETTER!

Using the LEKI Trekking POles

We immediately took my new LEKI trekking poles to an easy trail so that I could experiment with them.   Getting the motion down is actually more awkward then you would think, but after a bit it became more natural.  But the real test occurred when we headed to a portion of the Appalachian Trail that is uphill and rocky.
 
I headed out with some apprehension due to my recent falls and right off the bat we encountered our first rocky climb up some steps that have no handholds/trees.  I put those poles to use and marched right up those uneven rocky steps.  The poles gave me the stability I needed and helped my arthritic knees by taking the pressure off of them.  Oh my word, they work perfectly!

I used the poles with the glove type strap.  I wasn’t sure if I would like a glove instead of a strap, but when my hand was in the glove, it correctly positioned my hands on the grips of the poles.  The design allowed me to now have to grip the poles tightly and it helped to spread any weight or pressure in an ergonomically and efficient way.  We hiked for 3 hours that first trip where I really put the poles to the test and my hands and arms felt as comfortable at the end of the hike as they did at the beginning.  It was a painless learning experience!

The grips are great!  We were hiking on a day when the temperatures was 95 degrees Fahrenheit  with a super high humidity. I was wondering how the grips would handle a hot day.  I shouldn’t have been worried.  I never once had any issue where my hands felt slick.  The grips worked fabulously and even after 3 hours of a sweaty hike, felt dry and new.
​
These poles are easy to adjust for different heights.  When we started our hike, it only took me a minute  or two to extend and adjust the poles to the proper position for comfort and safety.  After hiking up the mountain we turned around for our descent.  After just one or two steps down a steep part of the trail I stopped and quickly adjusted the height of the poles for downhill trekking.  All in all, that adjustment took less than a minute.   There is no long adjustment or worry.  It is quick and easy.  SO easy in fact that when we were done with our hike, I returned the poles to their small carrying size while I walked across the parking lot toward my car.  It really is that easy and quick!

​I am totally in love with these trekking poles!  They will be going with me on all of my hikes.  I am planning on getting some carabiner clips for my backpack so that even when I am choosing to not use them, that they are there with me.  I felt myself stumble and trip once or twice during this hike but the added stability of these poles made the stumbles just that, a stumble.

 

Weigh in Time

It is weigh in time once again and a review of my week!   Some weeks are fun to share, some weeks are tough to share and others, well they are just mediocre with everything.   This week is a mundane so so week where I am not dreading to share my results but I am not overly excited either.  

Let me start with the exercise.  We got out and hiked in the heat twice.  The first time was at a regional park where we do a lot of mountain biking.  I forgot my camera and phone so I had Jason take a picture of me for posterity sake (well and because I am a YouTuber and Blogger and need footage!).   

Hiking At Little Bennett Regional Park

The next day we headed out to hike again. This time we hiked on the Appalachian Trail for a bit to hike to the Weverton Cliffs.  I was happy to really give my new Trekking Poles a workout and I love them!  The view at the top of the hike was fabulous!

Weverton Cliffs (Maryland AT)

We finished our hike and picked up subs/sandwiches on the way home.  I had calculated my food intake before we even walked into the sub shop.  I was sooo hungry though that I bowed to the 'fat thinking' and ordered a whole sub.  I ate that whole sub too! (At least it was Turkey...and one of the healthiest options there!) I at the chips that I bought also.  And why did they have to be nice and give me two cookies (they were stuck together) because you know I ate them both!   Furthermore, I was still hungry and ate more chips and some strawberries!  I was ravenous!  The next day my weight was up.  OOOPS

The rest of the week I didn't falter too badly, but my efforts were only lackluster.  I was never off the rails, but some of my choices COULD have been a bit better!

I pulled out the stability ball and I have been trying to sit on that for a few hours a day at my desk.  Do people even use these things anymore????  I haven't decided if it's doing any good, but it breaks up the monotony of my day so I will probably continue!

And with my lack of true grit and willpower, I managed to regain the 0.6 that I lost last week.  So yes, a wee gain!  

Honestly, I am not upset about my gain.  NO, I'm not happy.  BUT, I can see that my efforts did not match the weeks before and I can see that I need to focus more.  So I had  a week gain to teach me a lesson....Lesson learned!!!!!

Think Thin

Over the years I have somehow managed to forget about one of the most important aspects of this weight loss journey.  I totally forgot to 'Think Thin".   How in the world did I forget this?   There is no telling why, but I remember now! 

A week or so ago, I was filming a segment for my youtube channel.  I was talking about my choices in this weight loss journey.  More specifically, I was talking about my question "DO you want to eat this food and be fat or do you want to not eat the food and be thin."   I immediately jumped in and said "ok, not thin now...but thin in the future, but thin up here in my head so that it will trickle down to my body.  That was enough for me to remember my old motto!

Yes, I used to have a motto!  That motto was "Think Thin"  and I wrote about it as early as February of 2007.   It was the concept of thinking as a thin person thinks.  You see, thin people do NOT think like a fat person!   This was startingly clear to me when I had a really thin manager who ate cheesecake for lunch quite a bit.  Ohhh yeah, I hated her to for a while because I would LOVE to be able to eat cheesecake for lunch every day!  But one week I realized what was really happening.

This manager arrived to work on Monday and talked about how she had brought some cheesecake for lunch.  I didn't say anything but  inside I was seething and asking myself why could I not have cheesecake and be a size zero?  On day two she left for her lunchbreak and once again talked about her cheesecake that she was eating for lunch.  REALLY????   Again?  Life is not fair!!!!!  Every day that week she talked about eating her cheesecake at lunch!   on the fourth or fifth day she brought her cheesecake down and eat it in the office.  THAT is when I realized that she was thinking thin.

You see, She sat down and opened her container.  Inside was a half eaten piece of cheesecake.  Half eaten??  Who leaves a piece of cheesecake partially eaten?  I watched my manager pick up her fork and take a tiny bite of cheesecake.  You could see the absolute bliss as the taste hit her taste buds.  She loved it!  She took another tiny bite and moaned in delight.  She took a third bite and her eyes closed as she reveled in the taste.  And then something crazy happened!  She closed that container and took it right back to the refrigerator! 

She ate three bites and stopped.  She thoroughly enjoyed those three bites too!  But she stopped!  For a whole week she worked on ONE PIECE OF CHEESECAKE!  Me, I would have eaten the whole piece in one sitting and licked the plate clean....literally!   And right there is the difference.  Thinking fat....thinking thin.  

Thinking thin is the art of making wise decisions.  Stopping after the bliss of the first taste dies away and putting it away for the next day.  Thinking thin is deciding to do what is good for your body versus what your mind tells you to do.  Thinking thin.  

Thinking fat....well that is eating something until you are sick, long after the good feelings and taste fade away.  Thinking fat is eating everything in sight, because you can, not because you are hungry or craving something....just because.  Thinking fat.

Which do you want to be?   I do not want to be fat.....so I have to really work on making my thoughts and my actions match that of a thin person.  I need to THINK THIN!

Hiking in the Heat

We have been allowing this heat wave to derail us from our outdoor activity.  We both love to be out in the woods on a trail (hiking or biking).  It has been a large part of our relationship.  It is where we go to unwind, destress and exercise.  But the heat this past month has been relentless! We have tried to stay inside as much as possible.  But this weekend we just got tired of it and we went hiking.....twice!

The first time we went out was on Saturday.  We had spent a portion of the day running errands and taking care of some of those mundane things that pop up in life, like grocery shopping.  We decided to head to a regional park, Little Bennett.  This park is a favorite of ours for mountain biking, but we were going to go do a section on foot.  It was hot!  But we didn't die. (Obviously)  We each carried a fair amount of water and it wasn't too bad.  I somehow left home without my phone, so I only have this one picture that I had Jason take!   We found some berry bushes that had a few straggler berries.  They were delicious!   We hiked for a bit over and hour and had a great time!

On Sunday it was just as hot (ok, maybe hotter) but we were feeling confident after our successful hike on Saturday.  We decided to get outside again!  We talked and I did some research and we finally settled on a visit to Weaverton Cliffs off of the Appalachian Trail in Maryland.  I knew it was going to be an uphill, but I was even more excited about that because I really wanted to try out the trekking poles I purchased a few weeks back.  (I wrote about the purchase here.)     

The climb was uphill and it was rocky.  Perfect to try out my LEKI trekking poles!  Oh my word!  I love them!   I did feel myself stumble a few times, but that extra anchor kept me steady as a rock!   Climbing up and down rocks was a cinch.  The poles helped take the pressure off my arthritic knees.  The decision to buy these poles was a good one! After one 'real' hike with them, I am convinced of their worth!!!

The climb up is about a mile and a half and at the top, you come to a fork in the road.  You can go left to stay on the Appalachian Trail or you can turn right and hike 0.2 miles to the cliffs. Of course we went to the cliffs.  

After we enjoyed the view at the top of the cliffs, we turned around and made our way back down the mountain and back to the car!  It was a great hike.  We may have only been our for an hour or two but it was exactly what we needed!!!!

Weekly Weigh Results and the word ONLY

Where does time go???  It feels like I was just reporting  my weigh in results last week and here we are on another week!!!!!  

Worried about my weigh In results

This week was rough.  I was worried and stressed about it from the very beginning.  I was worried because I broke from my internet fasting to go to breakfast on Saturday.  Even though I broke from my fasting schedule, I still kept my calories in check...but I did have pancakes for breakfast....so some extra complex carbs!     I made a pasta salad to have with our grilled dinner on Saturday night.  That pasta was delicious!  I swore it would be a one and done thing for me.  BUT, I got into the pasta salad at least 3 times for my lunches.  Once again, I stayed within my caloric range!  I SHOULD have been ok.  However, I was worried!

You see, I know from past experience that if I have too many complex carbs.....potatoes, bread, pancakes and pasta then I typically don't lose weight!  I've talked about it for years.  As early as 2006, my first year of this channel I was talking about 'lessons learned' in regards to carbohydrates!  

I have also been  a wee bit thirsty and the female scourge may be upon me shortly so I worried about dehydration and water retention.  But those are excuses...I was trending the same weight all week long on the scales so any worry was not due to water retention!

The Weigh in Results

So, what were the results?  How did I officially do???

This week I showed a loss on the scales.  Thank heavens it was a loss!  It was a loss of 0.6 pounds.  So just about a half of pound gone from my body!   I have to admit.  I was a bit disappointed.  I ate within my calorie range.  I kept my calories at about 1300 calories.  I SHOULD have seen a nice number on the scales.  That was a lot of work for a measly half pound wasn't it?  

But then reality hit me.  Oh yes, it was 'only' a half pound loss.  But how many weeks (especially recently) had I been posting gains? Quite a few if I want to be totally honest with myself!   How many weeks had I only been halfway attempting to lose weight.  Talking big but eating even bigger?   Way too many!  How many weeks had a squeaked by with a maintain????   Lots!   Sooooo, having a loss, even if it is "ONLY" a half pound is still a victory!

Plans for the Upcoming Week

First and foremost, I shouldn't have anything that upsets my intermittent fasting schedule this week!  Secondly, I will be a WHOLE lot more diligent about my intake of complex carbs!!!!  I know that is what caused it. And since I know what the problem is, I know how to fix it!  Here is to a fabulous weigh in for next week!!!

Taking my measurements during my Weight loss Journey

I finally broke down and did it!  I took my measurements!   I know, I know…this is so important to do during a weight loss journey!  You don’t have to tell me why I should be doing it, I know!  I actually got on the measure myself bandwagon back at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020!  I was doing great with it!  I was measuring myself every month like clockwork!    And then Covid happened.

Like so many people, my life was turned upside down when our world basically shut down.  I started to work from home, Jason was furloughed.  All of my normal routines were wiped away in one fell stroke.  And I gained.  Oh yes, I gained.  I came clean with that on Monday when I posted the results of my first week and a half.    I have been doing very well thus far with getting back on track.  But I was still nervous with taking my measurements.  Without measurements I could 'pretend' that I didn't look like I had gained almost 20 pounds....RIGHT????

Today I called myself out on my excuses to NOT measure.  Oh they were probably quite valid.  "Who knows where the tape measure is?"   "I don't have time!"  And my personal favorite, "I better wait and film it for youtube!"   Ok, so maybe they weren't at all valid!  OK, ok ok, so they were all me trying to delay the inevitable!   But eventually I just did it  Yup.  I did.

The results weren't that bad.  My legs have actually dropped inches almost everywhere.   My arms and my belly increased and all else remained pretty much the same.  It could have been MUCH worse!

I am glad that I faced the numbers!  I think Jason's words that morning gave me courage.  He touched my chin and said "skinny. You see, like so many people I drop my weight in my face.  I've been thinking that my face looked thinner, but I had been thinking that it was wishful thinking. I guess not....it must be true!   So onward and upward......time to lose some more weight!  Here's to me not only remembering to do it but actually DOING my measurements next month also!!!!!

Tips to Avoid Emotional Eating

OK guys.  I am  a total emotional eater!  I can't lie and I can't keep it a secret.  What is the problem with that?  Emotional eating can wreak havoc with a weight loss journey.   Emotional eating is a sure fire way to derail me from achieving my goals on the scales.  I (we) can't let that happen!    When I'm stressed and emotional I turn to food.  It is my comfort and my go to and I fail a lot.  But with an arsenal of techniques and tips to avoid emotional eating, which I have listed below we may just be able to avoid that pitfall of emotional eating!

Emotions with Weight Loss

I had a situation occur about a week ago.  It came out of the blue and was completely unexpected.  It was something that if you know me you would know that not only was it a shock for me but anyone that knows me is shocked.  Jason's words were "Me, I would expect it but with you?  No way!"  The situation totally demoralized me and sent me into a tailspin in terms of my emotions.  It wasn't pretty! I wanted to run to the kitchen with all due haste!  I wanted to shovel in piles of chips and pretzels.  I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies and eat half of the cookie dough and bake the rest and eat those cookies!  I wanted to drown my sorrows in food!

But I didn't!  I stayed away from the kitchen.  Oh my, let me tell you....it was difficult!  But I did it!   Jason came home from work and we headed out for our walk and I talked to him (and cried).  Midway through the walk I realized something so important!

I didn't cave to Emotional Eating  

NO.  I didn't cave!  I won that round!!!!!  I did  not eat my emotions.  I took a different route to handle my emotions and it worked!!!  So what did I do????

1.  I asked myself,  Do you want to eat and stay fat or do you want to not eat and get thin???   I talked about this a week or so ago.  This is a choice and we just need to look at the LONG term benefits and consequences versus the here and now benefit!

2.  Write write write!   I pulled out my journal and I wrote about my emotions.  I have kept a journal for years.   I find that I tend to write more when I'm dealing with emotions and turmoil.  It really is a great way for me to destress and get those emotions out!

3.  Go for a walk, run, bike ride!  It doesn't matter what you do, just get out there and move!  The physical exertion will release endorphins and will help negate the emotional upheaval you are in.  The sweat will help wash away your issues.  Jason got home from work and he had me out walking within minutes!  And I felt better when we got home!!

4.  Talk to a friend.   During my walk with Jason I just opened up and poured out my heart.  He is a saint.  He listened, held my  hand and just supported me as I talked and cried.   Sometimes just talking to someone and having them listen  is all you need to let out those emotions in a healthy manner!

5.  Stay out of the kitchen!  One of the biggest tips is to just stay out of the kitchen.  Don't walk in to put a plate in the sink.  Don't put yourself in near proximity to food.  STAY AWAY from the kitchen!   Find something to do that will keep you out of the kitchen. Pick up a book, watch a movie, write a poem or work on your hobby!  It doesn't matter what you do.....just stay busy!!!!!

These tips are ways that I was able to navigate the pitfall of emotional eating in a successful way that did not derail me from my weight loss journey.  When emotions hit, you have to have a plan.  You have to have a plan of attack.  You have to do whatever it takes to avoid the emotional eating. Emotional eating is a temporary fix that will only lead you to be more angry with yourself...it will NOT fix the issue and will NOT get you to your goal of being fit and healthy!   I will be working to keep these tips first and foremost in my mind because I want to conquer this weight loss journey!!!

Weigh in Results from my recomittment

I have made a complete recommitment to my weight loss journey.  This journey has been long.  It's been crazy with ups and downs.  It's been full of victories and failures.  But through it all, I have ALWAYS wanted to lose the weight and the desire has never left me.  So over the July 4th weekend I decided that it was time to stop thinking about it and get back to losing!  I wrote about my plans and my thoughts on July 6 for the first time and I got to work actually living my plan.

Surprisingly, it wasn't that difficult.  I've done this so many times in the past and for so long that it was more like a 'welcome back old friend' existence when I started to really focus on my efforts. I didn't publish my beginning weight.  I did not want the focus to be on what I regained but rather working with the here I am now and this is what I am doing to correct it!

The Numbers on the Scale

A week ago I wrote about how I was starting to see the results of my changes and that I was feeling empowered with the success that I was having.  Yet, I still did not post any definitive numbers.  I did not post my current weight nor did I post even a number about how much weight I lost.  I just alluded to the success that I was having.

I did this for a few reasons. The first was that I was embarrassed to get to this point of having regained....again.   I wasn't ready to share my true regain until I was well on my way toward regaining control.  I wanted to have a nice success behind me, I wanted to pair my weight gain failure with a weight gain victory.    Yes, I know.....incredibly vain!  But while it may have been vain and prideful, it was what I needed to do for my emotional stability was I first embarked upon this recommittement.

So why didn't I share my numbers last week when I was seeing some success? Quite simply I wanted to get past that first week when the weight is just flying off so easy and get into the true nitty gritty of weight loss.  I wanted to navigate my first weekend successfully...and weekends are tough for me!  My standard mode of operation for the past few years is to lose fantastically during the weekdays and revert back on the weekends and thus show a maintain or maybe if I'm lucky a slight loss. I wanted to get one successful weekend behind me!  

The Weigh in Results

Sooo, how did I do?????  On July 6,  I weighed 248.8 pounds.  As of this morning I weigh 242.4 pounds.  That is a 6.4 pound loss for the 10 days!  I will take it!   I am over the moon happy with what I have lost.  I know that I am on the right track now and that I can continue in this direction!  I have this!!!!!

Fixing problems in my weight loss journey

It is so hot!  Holy cow, it’s been hot!   I am trying my hardest to not let this heat wave affect my weight loss efforts, or more specifically to affect my efforts to get fit and stay active!   This past week we had a set back in our activity but I also experienced a victory when I took steps to correct a separate issue with my fitness options.

Bike ride issues

Over the weekend we planned to go out on a long bike ride!   We got dressed, checked the air pressure in our bike tires, and loaded the bikes into the car.  We were happy and looking forward to our ride as we drive the 30 minutes toward our destination.   All was well!   Until we went to take the bikes off the rack.   One of Jason’s tires was totally flat!   We already run tubeless...so it  wasn’t just a thing of changing the tube.  We pondered the options.  We could pump the tire up, but there was obviously a greater issue than just needing air, especially since the tire had been full of air only 30-40 minutes earlier.   We ultimately decided that heading out for a 3 hour ride was probably not wise.  So we reloaded the bikes and went home!

We didn’t let that stop us though!  We took the bikes back inside and we immediately headed out for a walk!   We had already taken a chunk of our day with the bikes so we headed for a local segment of the C&O Canal to take a nice walk.  The cancelled bike ride might have been catastrophic to our activity levels, but we didn’t let that stop us!  We had a nice walk. 

We were out for about 2 hours on our nice long walk.  We checked out a few of the side trails that led down to the river and enjoyed the architecture and buildings on the canal.  It was definitely a good time....even with the flat tire AND the heavy downpour of rain that occurred at the end of our walk!

Fixing a hiking problem

I have been very open about the fact that I have been having issues while hiking this year.  I seem to be falling....a lot!  Or maybe just a lot more than I feel is normal!   I fell in January on a hike on the Appalachian trail   I fell again in February on a really easy trail that we were walking and exploring abandoned buildings in attempt to protect my tender back!  I was actually filming video footage during that fall which you can see on my YouTube channel.  There have been a few more falls also!   It’s been quite concerning!

The concern and worry escalated recently when we were hiking a New River Gorge.  We were in a trail that I desperately wanted to hike!  But I felt that it was much too risky in light of my recent falls!   I wanted to find a solution...I needed to find a solution!   The solution...or at least the attempt to find a solution has come!   

I started researching trekking poles almost as soon as we got home from that hiking trip!  The more I read, the more I was sure that trekking poles were going to be the solution!   I researched and this past weekend I bite the bullet and purchased a pair!   I went with the brand LEKI   I like the warranty that they offer and I have heard that their customer service is top notch!   They were a bit pricy but I wanted poles that I could feel confident with while using!  LEKI has a range of options and I chose the middle of the road in terms of price. (Amazon link). We have gone out to an easy trail for me to use them.  It’s going to take time to get used to them!  I have read though that in time it will become second nature!!!  I hope to get out again this weekend on a trail so that I can use my trekking poles again!

Getting fit, losing weight and being healthy is a constant journey of navigating and overcoming challenges.    This past week was the perfect example of how these challenges hit us and how we can work to overcome them!   I will not let’s these things keep me from my goals!

Being honest about my weight loss efforts

It is no secret that I have been struggling for a few months.   I have been pretty open about my ‘lose one week and gain the next weeks struggle.  It had been a tough journey.  I was floundering...but was I really being honest with myself?  Upon some reflection, I found that I was not being honest with myself in terms of this weight loss journey and it was holding me back!

Tracking food honestly

I was tracking, for the most part.  Admittedly, I had days and even weeks when I failed at tracking, but i was open and transparent about that!   I am talking about honesty in what I was tracking.  And when I think about it, I honestly think I was being pretty honest.  I think my issue would be with the fact that when I would look for something on myfitnesspal I would play and find the ‘best possible option’ for me.   There is a huge database on my fitness pal (which is one of the reasons that I have stuck with that app versus switching to something else).  With that huge database comes multiple options for your searches!   I can look up something like mashed potatoes and find hundreds of options!   Where I went wrong is that I found the lowest mashed potato option and used that!  I have changed and gotten honest with myself.  If the item in question is more subjective, I am finding the middle of the road option.  For example, if I found mashed potatoes with calories ranging from 200 calories to 600 calories, I am not estimating the 200 calories in my count but rather the 400 average!  I am also taking the time to once again enter my recipes to get an exact calorie count.  Thus, I am being much more honest with my tracking!

Acceptance of my body and my limitations

Another big change is that I have finally not just admitted but more importantly accepted that my body does not lose weight at anything over 1400 calories.  I’ve accepted the fact that for me to lose weight I can’t eat my earned exercise calories.  I’ve been admitting this for a while  but I didn’t want to accept it!!!   I didn’t want to restrict myself down to 1200-1300 calories!  So I resisted.  There were some weeks that I did great with that and kept my calories low.  (and lost). But then the next week I would eat 1500 calories on most days of that week and boom my weight would simply maintain my weight or worse, I would gain!  Then I would say ‘but by the numbers, I should be losing weight.  And then I would cry and whine about it a bitZ.  I wasn’t being honest with myself and my bodies particular weight loss idiosyncrasies!   I had to not just admit that for my body and method that I chose to lose weight that I have to keep my calories lower....I had to accept it! 

Limitations of Sweet Treats

I have been saying for months ok probably years.  ‘I refuse to give up my sweet treats.  And that is all good and fine.  I am whole heartedly still behind that statement!   I can’t give up everything and live a life of total restriction!  However, I was indulging in the sweet treats more than once a week.  I am ashamed to admit it!  But I was!   Oh it was tracked....but that sweet treat frequently took my calorie count (which as I already mentioned was Most likely estimated way too low) way over my daily goal (which as I previously said was not a good goal for my body!).   Being honest with myself, I had to admit and accept that my sweet treats really need to be more restricted!  So cakes, chocolate, cookies...whatever I chose to indulge in, is much more limited.  I did indulge once in the last week and I felt ok with it!  Even better,  I haven’t seen any adverse affect on the scale!!!    I am not counting occasional snack of a banana in the evening toward that ‘limited food’ even though I add some chocolate syrup!  A banana is healthy!  The chocolate syrup is sweet but minimal! 

I had to get really honest with myself in order for my weight loss efforts to really take off.  I had to stop trying to stretch things as far as I could while still being ‘healthy’.  The dishonesty wasn’t hurting anyone but myself!!!   Luckily, I have opened my eyes and I see where I was wrong.  I can’t go back and take the past away.  But, I can move forward and operate with totally honesty to myself!

Empowering weight loss

I drew the line in the sand for my weight loss journey.   I made my plans for weight loss.  I decided that weight loss is a choice that I have to ask myself each day.....do I want to eat this and be fat or do I want to eat something healthy or forgo it totally and be thin?   It is working is the question though?

Ask yourself, Fat of Thin 

I can definitely say that asking myself this long term question each time I am faced with temptation has worked like a charm!  I don’t ask myself if I want to I indulge at that moment.  I don’t ask the here and now question., which would be done you want to indulge and enjoy the pleasure or just delay your weight loss journey a day’.  I ask the long term question for you want to eat that and stay fat or do you want to not eat that and get thin.  And oh boy does it work!!!

I knew we had leftover roasted squash in the refrigerator that I had planned to eat for lunch.  I had planned my lunch and I was determined to eat that lunch.   I reached into the refrigerator to cleavage the squash and my eyes lit up.  I saw the holy grail of leftovers!   I saw a container of leftover macaroni and cheese!   Ahhhhh. Just saying the words macaroni and cheese makes my mouth water!   That is what I was having for lunch!   I could eat that with my roasted squash.  No problem!!! I pulled both containers out of the refrigerator.

I even opened the container.  But then I remembered to ask myself that all important question.   Do I want to eat this macaroni and cheese and stay fat or do I want to skip it and stay with my planned lunch which will help me get thin?   

I put the Mac and cheese away. I want to be thin!

Successful weight loss breeds empowerment

I made healthy weight loss choices all week long. I had one or two more close misses, but I stayed solid as a rock with my food choices.  I kept my calories/food budget exactly where I wanted it to be.  And slowly but surely, I have started to see the numbers on the scales start to drop!  I can not tell you how relieved I am.  I can not write words that convey my happiness and excitement!  Yes, I’m excited!

But beyond being excited, I have been infused with a feeling of empowerment.  I have taken control of my weight loss journey.  I am in charge.  I am doing well!  I haven’t felt deprived.  I am starting to see the results. That has filled me with pride and that pride has turned into feeling powerful.   I may only be a few pounds down, but I feel successful and on top of the world!   I have faith in myself again!!!

Choices in a Weight Loss Journey

Last weekend I had my epiphany and drew that line in the sand. I said no more of this sitting on the fence and talking about losing weight and floundering on the scales.  I said no more only putting half the effort into my weight loss journey.  I was going to go all in   No ifs ands or buts.  It was happening!  I am quite proud to say that I did exactly what I said I was going to do.  I got serious.  I got serious and part of my success this week has been by asking myself one simple question.

Do I want to be fat or do I want to be thin?

That seems like such a simple question doesn't it?  Do you want to be fat or do you want to be thin?  It's a yes or no question, right?   You can make it a yes or no answer, but I dove deeper.   Every action that I complete has to have that question applied to it.  

*Should I go for a walk?   Well...do I want to be fat or thin??

* I really want to eat that piece of cake.  Hmmm....do I want to be fat or thin???
* You want me to go for a  bike ride?  In this heat!  Are you nuts?   Well......do I want to be fat or thin???

**Crackers  and Cheese, that sounds so delicious for a snack right now, even though I just ate a snack 5 minutes ago!!!  But......do I want to be fat or thin????

My mission is to apply that question to everything I eat and everything that I do.  Is this choice going to make me fat?  Or is this choice going to make me thin?    I started to write this post and I was only thinking about this weight loss choice in terms of my eating.  BUT.....I didn't ride my exercise bike at lunch on Thursday.  I didn't ask myself that question when I made the decision to skip the ride. I'm pretty sure if I had asked if I wanted to sit and relax and work on being fat versus getting on the bike and work on being thin, that I would have chosen thin!   EVERY thing I do applies to this choice.

I have written about weight loss being a choice so many time in the past.  This isn't a new concept for me.  But I seem to have forgotten about it somewhere.  I wrote about it in 2019  in regards to working out.  I wrote about how choosing to wake up early to work out was a choice.  I needed to decide to make the choice to commit to early morning workouts.   It was a choice. It’s always a choice.  The problem is that sometimes, ok most of the time, we either forget to ask the question or we only as part of the question.  We are only saying ‘do I want this cookie right now’. We are not giving ourselves the alternative.   Well sure I want that cookie right now.  I’m not thinking about the tomorrow or eating that cookie!   But if I as myself.  Do you want the cookie and be stay fat? Or do you want to forgo the cookie and work on being thin!   And no..I’m not saying a cookie will make a person fat...but on a weight loss journey we really have to choose our indulgences with care!!!  

Ask the whole question.   Weight loss is a choice.   Every thing we do is a choice and those choices will cause us to gain weight, maintain our weight or to actually lose weight.  It comes down to this, doyou want something bad enough to give up or delay your end result of being thin?   Ask yourself the question.  Do you want to be fat or thin? 

Intermittent fasting begins

I am now officially on day three of my nice and simple plan for weight loss.  This is a reboot, a re-commitment to this journey and I’m excited about what lies ahead.

My plan is simple and easy    I wanted to keep it that way.  Less to worry about in the grand scheme of things.  But the biggest change is that I really am excited about this.  I feel mentally strong and capable of resisting the tempting call of the foods that I need to limit. I feel excited about the change.  I wish I knew what caused the change in my thinking.   Maybe it was the thought that came into my head about what would happen if I got seriously injured while hiking and had to be carried out of the woods.  It would take a fair amount of people to carry me. (If that isn’t mortifying, tell me what is?).  Maybe it’s the constant feeling of being weighted down and always achy and tired.  I KNOW it’s my weight that causes that.   I could keep going on and on, but last weekend something clicked into place.     I know I’m only two days into this plan, but let’s see how it is going!

Intermittent Fasting

I have easily slipped right into the intermittent fasting plan that I have chosen.  I am following the 16:8 plan. This means that I only eat within an eight hour window.   There has been no problem with this one.  On the first day I had a fleeting thought at about 10AM thinking about food.  But like I said, it was a fleeting thought.   I still do drink my 24 ounce glass of water in the morning.   And I do put a flavoring pack into it.  (Affiliate links) and I also add a packet of vitamin and mineral powder (Affiliate link).  But otherwise, I haven’t had a single issue with dropping breakfast!

Tracking my Food

I have tracked my food, each bite!  I have managed to keep my calories down near that 1200-1300 goal that I have set!  I’ve even had the calories in my budget to indulge in a sweet treat of banana ice cream one night and a chopped banana with chocolate the other night.

My eating had been spot on!

Exercise and Movement

I managed to ride the exercise bike both days at lunch. I am pushing it hard on the bike.  I have it set so that I’m riding at a resistance level that even while sitting and pedaling I am getting out of breath.  But that’s not all....I push that resistance higher ever few minutes to push myself further.  The resistance is so high that I have to be out of the saddle to push those pedals.   My rides aren’t long, but I’m doing it...and something is better than nothing!

We have also managed to get in a walk on one of the days.  So I’ve not been a total slug!

Healthy Wage

A few months ago a friend of mine emailed me.  She works for the same  company that I do (although a different division of the company and she lives about 8 hours away).  She asked me to join her healthy wage team.   This healthy wage is being sponsored by our employers so there is no cost to join.  But there is a financial payout if we meet our goals.  Sounds like a winner to me!  I was in!    It started at the beginning of July!   I did my verified weigh in just yesterday!  So now I have a monetary reward to work toward!  Oh yeah, that is a win for me!!!!  It goes from the beginning of July through the end of September.   I am so ready to rock this challenge!!!

I am determined, motivated and utterly focused.   The time is now and I need to get this weight off!  Losing weight is definitely a want but it is also a need!  My life depends on getting this weight off of my body!!!

Simple weight loss plan

It is time to draw the line in the sand.  It is time to stop sitting on the fence in my weight loss efforts.  It is time to stop the self imposed plateau on the scales  and start losing weight again.  Now is the time and I have been thinking about it all weekend even while we had a little get-a-way.  We are home now and  I know what I’m going to do.  It is a combination of exercise, intermittent fasting, tracking my food and mental aspects to stay motivated. and of course I’m going to share it all, starting with our little trip and ending with my plans and ideas to get this weight off once and for all!

Weekend getaway

We have had a great weekend.   It was a long weekend so we researched, plotted and planned and figured out a wee little getaway that would still offer us social distancing safety but also allow us to go away for a bit to relax.   What did we do?   We went to Berkeley Springs, WV.   Berkeley Springs is a neat little town and we did go into one or two stores.  But for the most part we explored and roamed.   The state park with the springs is small but we spent a fair amount of time wading in the warm spring.   It felt fabulous on this stinkin’ hot weekend!!!

We of course drank some famed Berkeley Springs water.

And we walked through the museum.

But honestly, the real reason we went to Berkeley Springs? It was one of the only places that I found an outdoor hotel pool that was open!!!  We wanted to swim!!!

We had a great time!   But as I mentioned earlier, the whole time we were there and relaxing, my mind was in a whirl.   I am not happy with my increasingly  pudgier face nor with how my body feels.  I am disgusted with the numbers on the scales and how my clothes fit (or don’t fit as the case may be).   One thought was positive this weekend while I pondered my predicament and that was that it was time to change.  I have no choice!

Choosing to be healthy versus being fat

Ok first of all, I do have a choice. Everything I do is a choice.   The choices I make with my food are choices that allow me to be fat and to possibly gain even more weight.   I most frequently chose being fat with my food choices, at least lately.   Admittedly, I wasn’t sitting there thinking, ohh I’m going to eat  this piece of cake because I’m choosing to be fat. But if I look deep enough I knew the cake wasn’t in line with my goals for living a healthier thinner life. I CHOSE to eat it anyway!     It was my choice!    Every bite I eat I need to start focusing on the choice and I need to put it into words.  I need to ask myself, “is this a good choice for your long term goals of losing weight or will it only give you a fleeting momentary flash of pleasure’.   I know from when I lost the weight before that my energy levels and general happiness and feelings of well being were sky high without this excess weight....so I know how awesome I will feel in the long run.  Every food choice is a question of receiving a short term rush of pleasure or obtaining a lifetime of goodness.

Intermittent fasting

I have dabbled with this in the past.  It seems to happen naturally when I am actually going into the office.  For me, the concept of a 16:8 fasting schedule has merit.  I have never been a big breakfast person so it’s not a stretch for me to naturally fall into a 16:8 system of intermittent fasting.   What is the 16:8 method of Intermittent Fasting?  It is the art of fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8 hour window.  The plan just flows naturally for me due to my own natural tendencies.  But I also like the plan due to the f act that that is calories saves and one less meal I need to worry about!     I have thought about doing a One Meal A day style of intermittent fasting, but I fear that I would lose control and just eat absolutely crazily during that one meal.  For my own personal diet issues, OMAD would not work for me.   

I will also say that I am not going to be super strict about this.  If we decide to go for a big hike or bike ride and leave before my window of eating is open, I am NOT going to stand firm and say “no, I can not eat because it’s not time’. That is foolhardy.  I will break my fast early because I know that fueling my body before those activities is important.

Likewise, I have been talking about my lunch break plans (and we will get to that in a short bit).  If those plans end up to not fall in line with the intermittent fasting method, I may have to adjust.  This is the loose and flowing option in my plan....the one most subject to change!

Tracking my foo

Typically Intermittent fasting  is only eating within the window of opportunity and no tracking is needed.  A person just needs to limit their eating to that available window of time.  But I know that I can do a lot of damage in 8 hours.  So therefore, I WILL Continue to track my food!!  I also know that when I actually track my food that I am so much more cognizant of HOW I am eating and much more inclined to pull in the reigns.

Exercise

My big thing is my lunch break.  I started last week with a spin on the exercise bike during my lunch hour.  I pushed myself, I was out of the saddle and really pushing myself hard.   I plan on doing this regularly.   My ‘easy’ goal is 3 times a week for 20 minutes of my 30 minute lunch break.  I would preferably like to do it 5 times.  But let’s start with an easy goal of 3!!!

It is a super simple plan that I have set up.  Why is it so simple?  It’s simple because in theory  weight loss is simple.  Limit calories and/or expand how many calories you burn.   My plan does both of those things but is nothing outrageous!  Now it’s time to implement the plan and lose weight and get my healthy life back!!!

Setting Goals for Weight Loss

I am a firm believer in the practice of setting goals for myself.  I do this in every day life.  I have to do lists and lists of goals and dreams in the works all the time.  Even more importantly, I like to create goals within my weight loss journey.  There is nothing better than the satisfaction of attaining my goals.  It spurs me on to accomplish bigger and better things!   I have done this for many years and in the beginning of 2019, I started to set monthly weight loss  goals for myself.

How to set a good Weight Loss Goal

When I started to create my monthly goals, I really put a lot of thought into my goals.  I came up with a few ground rules for my weight loss monthly goals

**Not to far fetched and easy-  I wanted to make sure that these goals were somewhat attainable yet still would make me have to push myself in order to be successful.

**These monthly weight loss goals had to be crafted and designed in such a way that if I did have a day or two of not being strictly adherent to my plan that I would not ruin the whole month.  I know that it is human nature to mess up and realize that there is no hope of reaching a goal so we give up.  In a weight loss journey it happens so often.  We mess up with our eating and instead of starting over right then and there, we continue to eat like crazy and say "I'll get back on track on Monday".  OH yes, we have all been there I imagine!  I wanted to avoid that mentality at all costs!

And with those simple rules, I came up with my monthly goals.  I have tweaked and adjusted them from month to month.  I have had to lower and raise the step count accordingly.  When I was NEVER reaching the 10 thousands steps per day, I decided that I needed to lower it to 5K steps. When five thousand steps was too easily attained, I raised the step count to 7500 average per day.  This is a constant adjustment from month to month.  And it works.   Sadly, a few months ago I got out of the habit of a monthly goal.  And that is changing right here and now!  

Monthly Weight Loss Goals

1.  Track every bite of food!  It doesn't matter what the actual results it, I must track.  The act of tracking my food makes me cognizant of my eating habits and seems to naturally bring my eating under control.  I currently track on MyFitnessPal (and not so consistently on the WW application) and would love to have you friend me there. (mfclingan)
2.  Put money into my savings.  Ok, not exactly a weight loss goal, but a worthwhile one nonetheless!
3.  Weigh less than I do now!  I don't care if it's a measly ounce...I want to weigh less!
4.  Do something active (a walk suffices) at least 3 times a week and aim for at least three sessions of formal activity a week!  It could be something as simple as a walk or as tough (for me) as a session on my Exercise bike.  (affiliate link).  What exercise and activity I actually do does not matter as much as the fact that I am moving!

5. Keep my eating in check for at least 6 days a week.   

7.   Walk and average of 5000 steps  per day. (total monthly steps divided by the days in the month....bike ride days on the trail are exempt from the 5K step goal, simply because it shard to get  steps when you are riding)  

8.  Transparency with my weight...even if it goes up!!

So there you have it.  My goals for this upcoming month.   Will it be easy?  Probably not.  I have been a bit crazy with my eating of late.  I have been a bit lax with my exercise recently.  In short, I have been struggling.  Step one to stop struggling with my weight loss journey is to set clear defined goals for weight loss.  I have set my goals and now it's time to soar!

I am to blame for my weight

Where has time gone?   I can hardly believe that it is almost the end of June!   In some ways it feels as if this year has just started.  But wow...in other ways how much have we packed into the last 6 months!   My weight loss efforts are the same.  It feels like it has gone by fast but wow has a lot happened in this first half of the year.  I made some amazing strides toward getting my health back in check over the last six months and I have struggled.  So here it is, a mid year check in!

Weight

Let’s just start with the bad.  My weight.   I started the year at 239.8.   I worked hard and got that down as low as 232 in early March.  I was on fire.  Nothing could stop me.  Well, nothing except Covid and the drastic changes in our life that occurred with the virus.   For us that included me transitioning to working from home and Jason being furloughed from his job.  The stress and changes were not good for me.    Not good at all!   Within a month of these changes taking place, I had gained almost ten pounds!  We went away for a weekend and I was put on some medication on a short term basis and my weight popped even higher.  Luckily, that weight has mostly dropped.  But I am still sitting higher than I was at the beginning of the Covid mess and honestly, right now I’m a few pounds higher than I was on January 1.  

Exercise

I have been hit or miss with exercise.  Formal exercise each day has been what is hit or miss. I walked at work regularly on my lunch breaks until they sent me home. I ran on my lunch breaks the first few weeks while working from home and then it just kinda died away.    I have made plans to get back to it and even started new routines but then things happen. I was riding the exercise bike religiously in January, and then I messed up my back.     A bike accident derailed  me from yoga.   Plantars Fasciitis struck right when I started to run again.    I suffered numerous falls and tumbles that caused bruises, aches and pains.  It seemed like it was one thing after another to keep me from any hard core exercise!   One stroke of bad luck after another!    Luckily, we took a fair amount of evening walks.  We also hiked and bikes on the weekends....so I wasn’t totally sedentary!

I can clearly see that the first half of the year wasn’t a colossal failure but it was not a raging victory either.  It could have been much much worse.     There is only one thing to blame for the lack of success.  And it’s not really a thing...I alone at to blame for my lack of weight loss.  I am the only one to blame for my lack of great progress in the fitness arena.  I can see my face getting pudgier and I’m not happy.  But I alone am the one that can change that!!

Relieved....just a bit

We are coming to the end of the week and what a crazy week it has been!   Vacation, breakdowns, return to work, new toys, weight gain and healing just to make a few!  Seriously, this week was nuts! 

We grudgingly came back from vacation on Sunday night.  We could have extended that vacation a few more days and been so happy!  But alas, life responsibilities called.  So back home we came.   Mertz was happy to see us!  The fish too!  (Yes the fish was excited....the hermit crabs didn’t even notice we were gone!).  Ok the fish was probably just hungry!  Mertz really missed our company I think!  Poor lonely kitty cat!  I wrote about the mini vacation in my last post here   But at the end of this post I will include some links to a few videos that I posted about the vacation.  There is one that gives a brief overview of the whole vacation and three other videos that really show in depth some of the places hat we visited.

On Monday, I weighed myself. I had gained 10 pounds in 4 days!  Crazy!   I had hoped that it was water retention!  I am happy to say that my weight has dropped...and right now I am sitting about 3-4 pounds up.  That is still too much and doesn’t make me happy, but it is easier to accept 3-4 pounds versus 10!!!   I am still hopeful that my weight will continue to drop a bit as water weight drops off since I am still on prednisone and will be through Monday.   

My leg that had some poison/bug bite that got infected is doing well.  I have completed the full course of antibiotics and the wound area looks really good.  

What a difference!!!

On Monday my old laptop died.  I knew it was coming for a while and been fighting the laptop for a while.  It was slow...sluggish and crashed a lot.  I was limping along.  I had actually almost purchased a new one a few months ago, so I had already done research and it didn’t take me long this week to hit the buy button when the old one went belly up.  I also purchased what I hoped would be a temporary fix for the old laptop so that I could extract my files.  Both the fix and the new computer arrived on my doorstep on Wednesday evening.   The fix worked!  (Thank heavens) and the new computer is a dream!  I also bought a lot of new software...my software was old old old.  So I upgraded to a newer version of photoshop and I decided to switch from my old video editing software to adobe premiere.  So I am learning a new software.  Should be interesting!  My videos may be a bit rough for a bit as I figure it out. But I can already definitely see a huge difference in the quality output!   See if you can tell which two were created with the new software/computer and which two were on the old software/computer from the links below!

In the midst of all of that, Jason was called back to work after being furloughed for three months. He went back on Wednesday of this past week.   Yes, it was just about three months to the day that he was off of work due to this virus.  So we are trying to adjust to a new routine.  It is a routine of me working from home and Jason going to work.  It is also a routine where he won’t know always be able to walk with me after work.  I’m on my own and responsible for my own motivation to get out there and walk!  (Yikes...I’m not good at that!)   Mertz was so upset the first day he went back to work.  She literally followed me around.  If I went to the bathroom she walked with me.  She was my shadow and was never more than a foot or two away from me. It has been an adjustment.  Even though I have been working at home, Jason and I have been in very close proximity for almost 24-7 for the last few months.   We were happy and had absolutely no problem being near each other almost constantly....but man it’s weird not being together now.

I have walked a wee bit after work...a few days at least.  But I’ve been so caught up in the computer woes (I also tried a fix on the old computer on Tuesday..that didn’t work). So between the death...the attempt to fix...the actual temporary fix.....getting my files safe and sound....waiting for the new computer delivery....setting up and learning the new computer...well, I let my fitness goals I had set for the week fall aside.   There are no ifs ands or buts,  I am hitting it hard for this next upcoming week!  

It was just a crazy week all around!  But craziness is a way of life! We are surviving and moving forward.  We are happy for the weekend.  We have no real set in stone plans, other that get groceries. Who knows what the weekend will bring!!!!  Crazy or relaxing...we are ready!!!

The video for the weekend in its entirety

A video about the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

A short video on the Museum of American Glass

A video about our visit to an abandoned town