July Stats, August Goals

Total exercise time
July goal: 40 hours
July results: 32.3 hours
August goal: 40 hours

Average daily time
July goal: 80 minutes
July results: 61.87 minutes
August goal: 75 minutes

Number of days exercising
July goal: 31
July results: 30
August goal: 31

Number of days walking
July goal: 26
July results: 17
August goal: 26

Total distance walked
July goal: 80 miles
July results: 57.75 + 39.94 = 97.69
August goal: 100 miles

I didn't hit all my goals this month. I can blame some of that on my fall and my rib (which is pretty much totally better now, so I'm thinking it was just bruised instead of cracked). And I've set some pretty lofty goals for August, but that's the only way to do it, right?

I'm going to try to do two things differently this month:

1. I'm going to do less of the Free Step on the Wii. I've noticed that it seems to get "hung up" occasionally and doesn't count every single step. I might actually try the Free Run and see how that goes.
   
2. I'm going to start keeping track of crunches, lunges, squats, etc. I'm even going to try a plank this week.
   

Also, I realized that when I couldn't walk one day this week, I really did miss it. It's good to have that feeling back.

Song I've had running through my head all week, that needs to go on my iPod ASAP: Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now."

No Yoga for You!

Last Friday, I tripped over some uneven pavement and bit the dust, hard. At first it looked like the only consequence was that my knee was spectacularly skinned. I even thought how lucky I was that I hadn't damaged my teeth, eyes, or ankle (those who know me know that this is a valid concern).

The next day, my ribs on my right side were a little sore, but not too bad. Maybe I drove my elbow into my ribs as I fell? Don't know, but it started getting more painful Sunday and Monday. I even Googled "cracked rib" because of my suspicions.

You know what the treatment for a cracked rib is? TIME. That's it. There's nothing you can do but wait it out. WebMD did say that you should be checked out by a doc to rule out other stuff, but I was reasonably sure that I hadn't done anything else.

Then I talked to my mom (hi, mom!) on Tuesday morning, and she got me to promise that I would go to the doctor just to make sure, so I made an appointment for that afternoon.

My doc said she wasn't sure if it was cracked or just bruised, but she wasn't going to send me for an x-ray, because it just didn't matter. The treatment for both bruised and cracked ribs is exactly the same. That treatment? Yep, TIME.

She did say that I shouldn't be doing any big stretching, which wasn't a hard sell. I'm still trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in, and there are a dozen different ways to move that make me wince.

So all this, combined with this miserable heat, has really done a number on my exercise regimen. I had been getting walks in twice a day, and was starting basic yoga and strength training on the Wii. Now I'm barely managing half an hour of Wii Basic Step. It's supposed to cool down a little this week, so I'm hoping to get back to at least one walk a day, although I know it'll be slower than before.

In spite of all this, it looks like I finally broke that miserable plateau I've been sitting on for a couple weeks. As of this morning, I've officially lost 75 pounds!

Tried and True

I was reading at Eat at Home this morning (a food blog I check regularly), and this week's ingredient spotlight is smoked sausage. The call went out for recipes and as a matter of fact, I do have one we love. It's one of those "measure? huh?" recipes, which I do pretty frequently.

Kielbasa, Potatoes & Peppers
That's kind of it--the whole recipe in the title. Oh, there's also red onion & some oil, but you get the gist. More specific?

• 1 pound Kielbasa or beef sausage, sliced about 1/2" thick (why is it that the ones that don't have turkey in them so rarely go on sale?)
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 red, orange & yellow bell peppers, sliced into strips (you can use green too, if you have no taste buds)
• 4 or 5 redskin potatoes (size depends on how much you love potatoes)
  
• olive oil

The thing here is that you want everything crispy, and everything done at pretty much the same time before you throw it all in a big bowl and put it on the table. For me, there are two tricks to achieve this.

First, you want to par-cook the potatoes. I usually microwave them earlier in the day and then let them cool down. When you're ready to cook, cut them up into chunks.

The second trick is to use two pans. Yes, it makes more dishes. But since everything is served in just one dish, I figure it evens out in the end. You can use one skillet, but it will take twice as long. You don't want to overcrowd the pan.

I used a griddle pan for the sausage slices. Lay them all out and cook on medium-low heat, turning once they brown on one side. I cook the peppers & onions in about a tablespoon of oil in a big non stick skillet. Let them get brown, too. When they're done, put them in the serving dish and set aside.

Turn the skillet up to medium high and add another tablespoon of oil. Let it get hot. Add the potato pieces and swirl them around a little to get them coated. You only want one layer of potatoes here--too many and they won't get crisp. Then wait a few minutes so they can get really crispy. Turn them so the other sides get crispy too. The thing to remember is that this takes time. If you're constantly moving them, they won't crisp up. Once they are crispy, add them to the serving dish with the sausage. (This part is all about the crispy, in case you missed that.)

Mix it all up, take to the table and get out of the way. If I forget to put the ketchup out, one of the kids is getting it before I manage to pick up my fork.

This is not my healthiest recipe. In fact, I don't think I've made it in the last few months. But everyone does love it, and I do have beef sausage in the freezer, so I will be making it soon. I'll just have a smaller portion. And some salad. :)

Food is Boring

It's time to go grocery shopping again, and again, I can't think of what to buy and make for my family this week. Chicken is fine, but Jeff can't have it. Steak is great, but expensive. It's too hot to use the oven. I'm sick of hamburgers. I have yet to find a seafood recipe everyone really likes. No one likes beans but me.

We had spaghetti tonight and pork fried rice last night. We had pizza last week. We have breakfast for dinner all the time.

Wow, that was quite a whiny rant, eh? I guess it's time to buy pork chops or country style ribs again. They're versatile and cheap. I'll get some chicken, too, and grill it after the main meat is done so Lauren & I will have lunch options (Sarah's not a big chicken fan).

Aha! Finally, a suggestion that we haven't had in a while, is easy, and won't heat up the house: French Dip Sandwiches! There's ONE down, at least.

It's Only Money, Right?

Yesterday, the drain in the basement from the kitchen sink kept backing up, and Jeff couldn't snake it out for anything. I cringingly made an appointment with a plumber, knowing that we probably wouldn't get over to the pool today.

When they arrived, I was hopeful that it wouldn't be too bad because at least it wasn't the main stack they had to deal with. Did I mention that friends of ours recently had their basement floor ripped out because of broken pipes?

Yeah, about that . . . we have almost exactly the same issue. The only saving grace here is that we don't have drywall or carpet down there, and there wasn't any crap piled up in that area, so we didn't really lose any stuff.

It will cost over $3K to repair, but at least the kitchen sink is properly draining again, and I can finally run the dishwasher! Hopefully the insurance company won't give us any hassles.

And to really try to squeeze some lemonade out of these lemons, it will force us to move faster on donating stuff and throwing more stuff away. Purple Heart comes Tuesday.

Great

I fool around with the template, and lose a bunch of comments. Sorry, Snapper! Keep commenting, please!

Random

What to write about today?

That we probably won't go swimming tomorrow because we have to have a basement drain snaked out to the tune of about $150.

or

That I didn't get any exercise at all yesterday. Three days into July and I drop the ball on a goal. Oh, well. I'm going to start doing yoga on the Wii more frequently, and the strength training as well. I got a walk this morning, and will try to get another--shorter--one before dinner.

or

That I've recently discovered quinoa and like it quite a bit. I cooked up the last of the package this morning, and mixed some into my black bean salad with lunch. I'll have more with broccoli, chicken, and parmesan cheese tonight. Sadly, it's too expensive at Meijer to get on a regular basis, and Aldi & Randazzo's don't carry it at all. I could probably get it cheaper in bulk if I went to Zerbo's, but I don't get there too often.

or

That I've already thrown out three bags of crap from the basement today. I should buy stock in garbage bags, because there is a LOT more to go through!

That was some game!

Every year, we go to a baseball game for Father's Day. This year, the game Jeff wanted to go to was last night (actually, the one he really wanted was Friday night, but the girls were at my Dad's boat to watch the fireworks).

It was pretty toasty when we got to our seats. Even though the game started at 7PM (we got there about an hour early), it was 97 degrees. Sarah said she wished it would rain, and I said that just some clouds would do it for me.

After a disastrous first inning (I don't know who was pitching, but he let two home runs go, making the score 5-0), I noticed that it was clouding up. And, um, the clouds didn't look friendly. They looked like the clouds that precede a storm that pops up when it's insanely hot in the summer.

About halfway through the second inning, I saw the first flash of lightning. Hm. Yeah, we're in the upper deck, really high up. The clouds were still a ways off, but definitely moving in our direction. We frequently leave before the last pitch is thrown, but the second inning wasn't even over yet! As the second inning closed, we decided to head out. We stopped to see if my Dad wanted to leave (he & Sharon had come with us, but because he needs wheelchair access, they sat in a different area), but he wanted to stick it out.

We made our way through the concourse, and sure enough, it started to rain. By the time we got closer to an exit (went past the statues, on our way to the covered area under the fountains), the wind was gale force and the rain was driving. At that point, we were all trying to stay together, and not so worried about getting wet, because we knew there was no getting around it at that point.

We made it just under the covered area, but I could see the poor grounds crew getting the tarp on and people trying to get from their seats to a covered area. It was really packed in there, and we weren't staying dry anyway. Some people were shoving, and when a wheelchair could barely make it through, we decided to head out. By the time we got to the Nemo's bus, all four of us were drenched through. It took another 15 minutes or so before the bus was full enough to leave, and by the time we got back to our car, it had mostly stopped raining.

I really wanted our bedraggled selves as this year's family picture, but the stranger I grabbed to shoot it had a hard time with my camera, because it came out quite blurry, to my disappointment. Seriously, if it had been clearer, it would be my new Facebook profile picture.

We got home and I called my Dad to see how they were doing. He was still waiting for a wheelchair to get through, and ready to start walking himself. (Note: he can walk, just not the kind of distances to get from the entrance to our seats.) They finally called us back about an hour later to say that they'd made it out and were on their way home.

So although this was certainly a memorable Father's Day game, it was in no way our worst. That honor still goes to "hood flipped up while driving on the highway, making it impossible to see and requiring the whole thing be replaced" 2008.

Bountiful Breakfasts

Sometimes I'm in a big hurry in the mornings and grab Cheerios or Raisin Bran for breakfast. Usually, though, I'm up in time to make something more substantial. There isn't a lot of variety in the meals themselves, but there are many possible variations in the "add-ons."

1. Chobani vanilla fat free Greek yogurt & fruit. Variations include different types of fruit, fresh pineapple, blueberries or strawberries being my current favorites. I also frequently throw a half ounce of almonds in as well, for extra protein & crunch. I especially like this one in the summertime.
   
2. Oatmeal & fruit. The fruit is usually apples, and I add cinnamon & brown sugar. Again, sometimes I throw in half an ounce of nuts. (Yes, I measure pretty much everything these days. It not only ensures that I don't get too much, but that I get enough. I'm as likely to underestimate as overestimate.) This one is best when it's cold out.
   
3. Scrambled eggs with green onions, mushrooms, cheese, peppers. Sometimes I throw meat, like leftover sausage or ham, in as well. It's usually two eggs, but if I know I have a lot of calories for the day and I'm really hungry, I throw an extra egg white in. Start with a little butter, saute the vegetation, toss in the eggs, save the cheese--not too much--for the end. For the love of all things good, do not overcook the eggs.
   
4. Fried eggs. This is generally the highest calorie option. Sometimes I have the eggs with an English muffin or toast (I'm dying to try Eggs Benedict over a grilled portobello mushrooms or polenta, too), but my drop dead favorite is potatoes. I cut up a smallish potato and throw it in the frying pan with a little water and slap the lid on. Once the water has evaporated, the potato is cooked through. (This is better than par-cooking the potato in the microwave, because then you don't have to cut up a steaming hot potato and lose the skin off it, etc.) Then add a couple teaspoons of olive oil and toss to coat. This way, you don't need a ton of fat, but you still get deliciously crispy spuds. Let them sit on one side so they do crisp up--if you're tossing them all the time, they don't have time to get brown. Once they're almost done, I toss in green onion, and leftover sausage or ham. (I don't bother with cheese in this version, because it just doesn't seem to "go" to me. Cheese is more of a scrambled addition.) Once it's all well cooked, slide it onto the plate and fry a couple eggs. Generally, I don't need any more fat because the pan is already pretty well lubed up. Over easy, slide them on top of the eggs, and inhale. Try not to lick the plate.
   

June Stats, July Goals

Total exercise time
June goal: 45 hours
June results: 35.17 hours
July goal: 40 hours

Average daily time
June goal: 90 minutes
June results: 70.33 minutes
July goal: 80 minutes

Number of days exercising
June goal: 28
June results: 25
July goal: 31

Number of days walking
June goal: 28
June results: 23
July goal: 26

Total distance walked
June goal: 75 miles
June results: 78.76 (102.23) miles
July goal: 80 miles

I hit some of my goals in June, but not all. My total exercise time, my days exercising & walking were all more ambitious than I could handle. However, I did hit my mileage goal, and I attribute that entirely to joining a fitness challenge at My Fitness Pal to "walk" 100 miles in June. That included steps on the Wii as well. Since I didn't have actual mileage to go on, I counted every 2000 steps as one mile. So that's why my June walking results have two numbers--the first is actual mileage I clocked around here, and the second in parentheses includes the stepped miles I got on the Wii.

I found that I got most of my walking in if I went very early in the morning. If I waited until after 7, it was already getting warm and the sun was too high. I've discovered that I don't much care for sunshine when I'm out for a walk--I'll actually choose which side of the street to walk on based on how shady it is.

I've also joined The President's Challenge, which I think will also help keep me moving. So for June, the most challenging goal is that I get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. No slacking because the weather is miserable or I'm having a bad day or I'm too busy. I'd prefer to walk outside, but if all else fails, I'll do 30 minutes of Basic Step on the Wii while I watch tv.

I'm still not looking forward to walking the way I expected. It's still something I do because I have to, not because I want to. I did have one rather stressful day where I went out for a walk after dinner, and it did help, but I didn't have the stamina to walk until I wasn't upset anymore. I think I used to enjoy walking so much more because the kids were small then, and I really needed to get out of the house solo more frequently. Now that they're more self sufficient, I don't crave alone time as much.

Today is July 1st, and I haven't gotten any exercise yet. Since it's almost noon, hot out, and I have a lot going on, it looks like it's Wii for Mii today!