April 13-19

wiredkell

Good morning Ladies!
It's beautiful sunny day here, but it's pretty chilly unfortunately. -15C with the wind (5F) It doesn't look like it's going to warm up until Friday, when it's supposed to be 12C (53.6F). I do find that regardless of the temperature, my mood is much better when it's sunny rather than overcast. It snowed a bit yesterday but only a skiff.
It's the 2nd last day of my shift and then I'm on my days off again. Feels like the days are flying by in one aspect, but then are very slow in others. Last night I made an Easter supper for Shawn and I. I made an M&M turkey (just a mini one), mashed potatoes (for him), gravy, brussel sprouts and a cauliflower cheese bake. Everything was delicious and I'm looking forward to the leftovers today.
I managed to get on the treadmill for a bit yesterday, so that's good. I miss walking outside but it's just been too chilly.
I sure do miss people these days. And I miss the option of going out. We used to go and walk through the malls, just for something to do during the day and now we can't do that. I miss going to restaurants too. Yesterday was our first day where we had 0 positive test results in our province. Crazy. We'll see what the next week brings.
I hope everyone had a good Easter and you were able to touch base with family in some manner.

Lastchancelj

Happy Monday and happy belated Easter everyone. Hubby and I made cloth masks ALL day....not sure if they'll really help, but it's a small barrier. We made some for us and for the kids... we're mailing theirs out tomorrow. I rediscovered and that I really do not "enjoy": sewing. I can, as long as you don't require a straight stitch, but I don't really enjoy it. When we first started we were on a roll, I cut, hubby pressed, pleated and pinned and then I final stitched it all - we also had to make tie strings as I didn't have a ribbon or anything to use and elastic was no where to be found. Our masks have little openings to add a filter (which I'm hearing coffee filters or the blue shop towels are effective).

Sheesh - I'm dying not being able to hug and snuggle little Rhea. Facetime just isn't the same - at all. And at least she still smiles a big big smile when she sees us - so she hasn't forgotten who we are. And with the kid's work schedules with both of them working from home and Rhea being home, they work from morning to night time so weekday facetime is impossible. We've been pretty much to ourselves with minimal shopping exposures and the kids have also been minimal exposure and Clar's parents as well. We're hoping to be able to see one another and be a family of seven next weekend. Maybe 5 one day and 5 the next as all four of us grandparents are going to be tugging for some lovin of the littles. We are all concerned about the virus - me with my asthma and hypertension isn't helpful (especially since I'm not near as active or as healthy overall as I have been in the past years) and I believe Clar's mom also has hypertension. I was chatting with my other daughter in law last night. Kelsie is having some adjustment and attitude issues and didn't want to chat and Cameron was at his dads so I didn't get to chat with either of them. It's been the hardest part of all of this for us. Which again, is not horrible when compared to those that have gotten ill. So I can't really complain too much.

For the first time in 36 years, i did not hide easter eggs. I didn't even pull the decorations out. I had challenges finding Easter mass on tv as my church was supposed to livestream the 10am service and it never happened =( I did find the tail end of another but I do enjoy the mass and missed smelling the incense and feeling the sprinkle of the holy water. This past Saturday was also the one year anniversary of mom's passing, and so I was feeling her love when I pulled out her sewing machine she gave me shortly after my dad passed, this was the last machine he had bought her. We ordered brunch from a local restaurant and then ordered dinner from the Cheesecake Factory. I just didn't have it in me to do any cooking. And then we got so involved in the production of the masks that we were still working on masks and clean up when the food was delivered at 7pm

Monday is starting off to be busy so I'll check in later.

BTW I did get in my one mile walk before work this morning.

SarahMaxx

LW: 143.4
TW: 143.6

So--pretty much the same. If my goal were to maintain, I'd be a raging success. Big if.

Hope all of you gals are doing okay. I have to admit that my mood is veering toward cranky more often these days. I have not been outside my immediate neighborhood in more than a month, and the weather makes days that I can even get out in the neighborhood rare ones. I think it's finally beginning to get to us all. I know people with kids who are home schooling are having it a lot worse than I am. I have talked to coworkers who are at their wits end with trying to work at home, help their kids with school work and zoom classes, and work around all the inconveniences of needing to cook at home more, but not always having all the ingredients needed, worrying about missed doctor's appointments, etc. One coworker called me today and said she was literally hiding out in their master bedroom because that was the one place that wasn't being used by some other family member. One kid was in her study; one kid was in the den; hubby was in the dining room, all of them were in the kitchen sporadically. So there she was, setting up a zoom meeting from the middle of the bed.

Lois, good for you for continuing to walk to work and then back home. I am trying to get on the treadmill for at least a half hour each night, but I know that is not going to cut it. I didn't realize how much running errands and doing volunteer work added to my activity until suddenly it wasn't there.

Kelly, when you mentioned malls, I had that sad feeling about my mall. I bet in your area of the world malls are used more because there's more months when people want out of the weather. Toni and I are wondering if our mall will ever reopen. All four anchors have closed in recent months, and we already knew that the intent was put something else on that valuable land. Mentioning Toni, I haven't checked in with her in days, and I need to do so. She lives alone, so I can only imagine what this is like for her. And she has a mother in her late 70s who also lives alone, so I'm sure she's worried about that.

Sheesh, I'm glad your daughter is not terribly upset about moving the wedding. She sounds like a level-headed young woman. And I'm glad that you and your hubby are able to get out and walk sometimes. It's so lovely where you are with those awesome mountains.

I will try to get back later to come up with some goals for this next week. I really think I need to do that. Make some goals, state them here, and let you ladies keep me accountable. But now it's 7:45 and I need to check on dinner. I have hardly left this desk since 8:30 this morning.

GaGasheesh

SW: 156
LW: 130.6
TW: 131.4

OMG. I'm just so mad I'm up over 130 AGAIN! I've done my 10K steps every day so far this week, and one weight training session yesterday. So, it's obviously my intake, which I know is too high with stress and boredom eating.

We had a quiet Easter. We sent baskets to our families, and they all loved them. But, I miss them all so much.

Tonight, I had a Zoom "happy hour" party with my friend who is quarantining in her Palm Springs condo, and our mutual friend here. It was so good to catch up with them! Everyone has similar issues and problems with all of this, and we just drank wine, complained and laughed about this situation. We all took our bras off since we've gotten used to not wearing them, lol! We decided that's the one good thing about all of this.

Kelly, please please post your cauliflower cheese bake recipe. That sounds yummy. For Easter, I made "Poor Man's Lobster" out of halibut (hubby's Alaska fishing trip). You just cube the halibut, boil in water with some sugar and Old Bay seasoning, and serve with melted butter for dipping. Served with some rice and salad. Easy. But, dipping in butter . . not exactly diet friendly.

Lois, I can't wait to feel little kids arms around my neck again! It's definately the hardest part of all of this. So, I just try to stay distracted and busy. We had some nice weather and got out for a couple of walks. I actually got some sun on my cheeks. . but, now the weather turned to clouds and rain, with snow on the way. Guess it's the old dreadmill again.

Sarah, I hope your able to steal some time for yourself these days, and even though the mall is going dark, still get out for a walk when you can. Those late night treadmill walks are awesome too. You mentioned goals for next week. . my goal for next week is to log my food and keep it intake in deficit, and to keep up the walks and workouts. I do pretty well with movement, but staying home is wrecking my intake.

SarahMaxx

I had planned to log on this morning and say that after looking at my calories in and net calories in, it seems a good place to start with a goal would be to try to get in two 30-minute treadmill session on work days to offset the extra sitting. And I had planned to say that I was going to take a lunch break and do that today. But I'm glad I didn't because it's 4:30 now, I have several hours of work to go, and my lunch was eating a baked sweet potato (which makes me think of you, Lois) while listening in to a meeting.

So the best I can do is to try to get an hour on the treadmill after work. And I'm saying that here for my own accountability. I'll be back to let you know if I made it!

Hope you're all okay. I'm still fighting dark moods that I think are a combination of being tired, not sleeping well, missing my normal routine, and worrying about people who are in much worse situations than I am.

Lastchancelj

Happy Friday ladies. The workweek is just about over and I AM READY!! Nothing spectacular to report, I'm just happy to be done with work for a couple of days that is all. HOPING we still get to see Rhea tomorrow.. If not, expect me to be in a super funk next week.

SarahMaxx

Yes, indeed. Happy Friday, everyone. It's such an odd time. With the usual milestones, it feel like we're in a time warp. Easter came and went without the usual gatherings. Our pool normally opens the first of May (the heated one near our house), but I don't think that will happen. Hard to think about pools today anyway. It was 27 degrees when I got up this morning at 7:15. Not a walk outside day! (At least not for me. I just realized that Kelly might consider that warm!

But I am happy to report that I got in my 62 minutes on the treadmill last night. I wanted to put some thought to a different goal for today, but I didn't get a chance to stop and think about non-work stuff very much. So for accountability, I'm promising to put in at least 65 minutes tonight. That's 3 minutes of progress. LOL

wiredkell

Posting quickly from my phone:

Sarah- 27 degrees is too cold for me right now. That's around -3 Celsius. I cant wait for summer already. It's currently trying to snow here right now

Sheesh - I just washed, cut all the leaves off the cauliflower and washed it. Then cooked it on manual in the instant pot for a minute. After it was done, I cut it up and just put it in a pan and sprinkled shredded cheese on it, then put it in the oven until it was melted. Simple.

Lois - hope you were able to see Rhea!

SarahMaxx

Well, I got my 65 minutes in last night, although the last 5 or so were after midnight. I do have to start going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. I think it was close to 2 a.m. when we got to sleep last night. I am struggling with a lack of energy and I know that not getting enough sleep is most likely one of the reasons. I got 8 hours sleep only 3 times in the past 30 days. Most nights are between 5 and 6 hours. I would really fuss at anyone else who told me this is their routine!

Hubby cooked a "special dinner" for me last night, which was pretty high in calories, and today, I had some M&Ms, so I am going to have to watch things carefully over the next few days. And we are still cold and windy here today so we couldn't get out and do yard work, which I was hoping to do as that works muscles I usually do not use and it also burns extra calories.

I've had kind of an "interesting" day. My parents adopted a special needs kid after both my sister and I were married and gone. I didn't think it was a good idea because it kept them from being able to travel during their retirement years, and because frankly, they were a little old to be taking on an infant. He really needed parents who would alive and well for a longer part of his life. He was only 25 when my Dad died.

Well, he's now in his 40s, is low IQ, and has mental health issues. And today, I ended up having to address some problems he is creating for himself. It's a tough situation. One thing I like about my walking buddy, Toni, is that she has almost the same situation in her family, so she's a good sounding board. Makes me sad. Hubby's only brother died of a kidney disease several years ago, my sister's health is so very bad, and this young man's mental condition is such that we feel like we have no siblings who we can count on for mental or emotional support or that we can enjoy doing things with. Oh, well, I digress.

We have a zoom meeting at 7 p.m. with one of our volunteer groups so I'll be able to see and hear folks who remind me that I'm fortunate to have a strong network of friends who help keep me centered. And I need to get downstairs on the treadmill. I'm not sitting as much today (even cleaned some floors), but I am still going to try to match yesterday's 65 minutes. I want to start looking at calories burned through activity and not just time or steps, since that's what is going to get me out of this 142-144 rut I'm in. I hope to have some activity calories goals for next week.

Hope you're all enjoying your Saturday.

GaGasheesh

Great job getting more time on the treadmill, Sarah. I know it can be so boring, so what do you do to be able to add more time? Especially with no baseball to watch while on the treadmill? Setting some activity calories goals is a great idea. . I may also do that this coming week.

Kelly, I’m so glad the cauliflower cheese bake is simple . . my kind of cooking! I plan to try it when I do my next online grocery order. I really don’t like not making quick runs to the grocery store for items. I’ve had to turn into a good menu and ingredients planner. Our local store is running 5 - 6 days of waiting after ordering to have the pick up ready. We can go in with rules followed, but I’d rather plan and wait than risk going into the store.

Lois, I’m thinking about you today and hoping you got to see Rhea this weekend, as I get ready to “see” our little ones virtually. It’s what I’m looking forward to today, along with an outside walk this afternoon as the weather has warmed and it will be 58 degrees. Taking my mask . .

Well, let’s stay safe and healthy and set some goals for the coming week.

Lastchancelj

Well it's Sunday and YES!! I did get to see Rhea for quite a while yesterday!! So so blessed and forturnate. My vertigo was triggered last Tuesday evening and it was mild-medium case and I refused to go in for the treatment for fear that I would have to wait an additional two weeks to see and play with her. She was so much fun! She melted my heart. Son sent me a text when we got home that she fell asleep quickly on their shortened walk last night and thanked me for tiring her out.

I did quite a bit of bending and picking her up and triggered the vertigo a bit more and then even more as I slept last night. Today has been limited movement as it is quite touchy today so I'm taking it easy. I'll schedule to see therapist tomorrow if he has an opening. We have homemade cloth masks (pics attached) and were able to order some n95 inserts from tyrtactical.com that were delivered Friday so I feel better about seeing the therapist. If the kids feel I'm ok to be around them afterwards, I'm trying to alter my work schedule to go over for half a day on Fridays and then bring Rhea home Saturday mornings and back to them to give them some time to get work done, housework, work work and just give them some time alone. It will start when they deem it safe for me to be around them after my procedures. The other grandparents are unable to help as my DIL's mom is required to work in her office and has been exposed to someone who was sick (not covid), but the kids won't take the chance so they have to wait two more weeks. I feel so bad for them...I thought they were going to be there when we went over yesterday.

Yesterday, my friend and I did a virtual 5k around our own neighborhoods. It was quite funny. We were both going bonkers because neither of us had been walking "that" far at one time in quite awhile...not sure why - we have had beautiful weather (not rubbing it in guys) and we each have our own treadmills so we have no excuse really, but we haven't. We were texting one another and sending pics of the painted rocks we found and then got silly with curbs being "hillls" and wet pavement were "water hazards". Remember - we both prefer the trail to asphalt and concrete. ANyhow, an hour or so later, we got it done. Depending on my Rhea plans next week, we are planning on doing it again. I was tired but it felt good. And I feel good today - sore more from playing with 25lb Rhea! I will take that soreness any day of the week!!