1. Please, if you're the paying type or the vibing type, please do me a favor. My Godfather/Uncle had surgery on Wednesday for mesothelioma. He had a lung and chest wall removed. Yesterday wasn't a good day. His vocal chords are paralyzed and he was draining more fluid from the surgial site than he should be and they couldn't figure out why. So he is in surgery again as I type this and they are trying to figure this out. Add to all this that he is in Boston for this surgery, far away from all his family and friends here in Minnesota. My cousin and his brother are out there now, with more poeple scheduled in and out in the next 6+ weeks until he can fly home.
Can you take a moment and say a prayer or send him good healing thoughts? Please?
2. I've been to the gym twice this week. I'm trying to get my groove back.
3. Do you know that they don't sell Ace Banadages any longer? I have to wrap my calf and when I went for an ace bandage I learned that all they sell is this stretchy sticky bandage thing. Makes me feel pretty old!
4. I'm headed back to the Farmer's Market tomorrow morning. Just me this time. I think I'll be using these Saturday trips as my quiet time.
5. Pete and I rode all day Wednesday. Sometimes there is nothing else to soothe a wounded soul thatn with the wind sliding over your face, the sun on your shoulders, the roar of the engine as you accellerate, the random music coming from your speakers and seeing the open road in front of you. I hope everyone has something like this to soothe their soul.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
206.2: I'm Funky
I'm in a funk.
I haven't shared this here, but Pete has been unemployed since March. He's had a bad string of weird employers in the last 2 years. He last worked in 2010 and was laid off when his work called him during our summer vacation and told him this. Nice, huh? He was hired in the fall of 2010 and worked for this company until December 2010. The owner called him into his office and said that they liked his work, but couldn't afford to pay him any longer. He could continue to work for them, but they couldn't pay him. Huh? Really? He's had some odd 6 week jobs through temp agencies since then. But in December 2011 he was hired by a small company to work mainly from home doing what he loves. It was as though the angels sang down! He was pretty straight froward though, tellling the owner of his past troubles and asking if she was going to end up doing the same thing to him. She laughed and told him no. Fast forward to the Friday after my surgery in March. Pete was called into the office she had rented to help her out with something. When he got there, IRS agents were in the office. She hadn't paid taxes in several years and they were seizing office machines. Pete was laid off that day.
All this has led to financial strain as you can imagine. Unemployment benefits is a godsend, but doesn't come close to what he was making at any of these jobs. He spends 5-8 hours a day looking for jobs, applying for jobs and following up on applications. It's pretty depressing.
Then you have my numbers up there in the titles of the blog posts. As you can tell I'm stuck in the 205-207 range and can't seem to move. It's kind of depressing.
Add to that I have a calf injury. My left calf muscle has been sore for a few weeks. I tried many stretches and different ways to exercise and it wasn't getting better. So I stopped sunning/cardio for 1.5 weeks. Again, nothing changed. Yesterday I did an hour on the elliptial because I just can't stand not working out any longer. The trainers at the gym have been helpful, but it's so hard. Yesterday one of them suggested heeping it wrapped while I'm awake so that the muscle is tight against the tendon/bone and warm all the time to promote healing. Just what I want to do in the 95+ degree heat.
Anyway, if it seems that I'm posting less frequently or that they're not exciting, this is why.
I haven't shared this here, but Pete has been unemployed since March. He's had a bad string of weird employers in the last 2 years. He last worked in 2010 and was laid off when his work called him during our summer vacation and told him this. Nice, huh? He was hired in the fall of 2010 and worked for this company until December 2010. The owner called him into his office and said that they liked his work, but couldn't afford to pay him any longer. He could continue to work for them, but they couldn't pay him. Huh? Really? He's had some odd 6 week jobs through temp agencies since then. But in December 2011 he was hired by a small company to work mainly from home doing what he loves. It was as though the angels sang down! He was pretty straight froward though, tellling the owner of his past troubles and asking if she was going to end up doing the same thing to him. She laughed and told him no. Fast forward to the Friday after my surgery in March. Pete was called into the office she had rented to help her out with something. When he got there, IRS agents were in the office. She hadn't paid taxes in several years and they were seizing office machines. Pete was laid off that day.
All this has led to financial strain as you can imagine. Unemployment benefits is a godsend, but doesn't come close to what he was making at any of these jobs. He spends 5-8 hours a day looking for jobs, applying for jobs and following up on applications. It's pretty depressing.
Then you have my numbers up there in the titles of the blog posts. As you can tell I'm stuck in the 205-207 range and can't seem to move. It's kind of depressing.
Add to that I have a calf injury. My left calf muscle has been sore for a few weeks. I tried many stretches and different ways to exercise and it wasn't getting better. So I stopped sunning/cardio for 1.5 weeks. Again, nothing changed. Yesterday I did an hour on the elliptial because I just can't stand not working out any longer. The trainers at the gym have been helpful, but it's so hard. Yesterday one of them suggested heeping it wrapped while I'm awake so that the muscle is tight against the tendon/bone and warm all the time to promote healing. Just what I want to do in the 95+ degree heat.
Anyway, if it seems that I'm posting less frequently or that they're not exciting, this is why.
Monday, June 25, 2012
205.0: Farmers Market
I believe in farmers markets. When I was a kid, my grandparents lived on a working farm. They had livestock and crops along with a huge garden. My grandmother was known for her sweet corn. I have memories if running through the rows of the garden and bending down to pick strawberries and carrots and radishes. When I was a bit older, I helped my Mom can vegetables from our garden. We'd also spend a day or so picking stawberries from a local farm to make jam for the winter.
But there wasn't Farmers Markets. What you had back then was random trucks sitting at the end of streets or corners, selling out of their trucks. After my Grandmother sold the farm, there was one corn seller that was the best, parked about a mile from my parent's home. We'd buy corn by the dozen and eat our hearts content.
When I've lived in homes that I owned, I've tried to garden. I have some of the knack from watching and helping my parents. But neither yard was condusive to gardening. My house had 2 big dogs running around in the yard and I had to container garden in huge containers. Even then the dogs were knocking fuit and veggies off before peak. My townhouse now has a small patio with full sun. It's nearly imposible to keep containers moist even with daily watering.
My solution for all this is farmers markets. I looked into a CSA the last few years, but decided against it. Mostly because up until this year we were so busy that we weren't home on weekends. With packing and working, I was cooking fresh meals about twice a week. The amount of produce that would have gone to waste wasn't a good thing. Now, we have time and I cook better, fresher foods. Only Pete eats about 1 cup a meal and isn't anywhere near a vegetaian - in fact he dislikes most vegetables. My goal is to either find someone to share a CSA with (like my parents) or find one that gives a pretty small portion.
This was my haul on Saturday. I got all the veggies/fruit for less than $20. Pete thought it was expensive. But really it wasn't. The basil would have been about $3, the lettuce would have been about $4, the tomatoes about $3, the strawberries about $5, the carrots would have been about $6, the peas about $6 and the corn about $6. All totalled, about $33. When you add in the rolls from the German bakery, it was $35. So not a bad deal.
We've eaten from this bounty every meal since Saturday morning. I've made crepes with starwberrys, stawberry shortcake, green veggie salads, grilled corn, roasted carrots, creamed peas over potatoes and some salads for lunch this week. Tonight I'm going to use the basil, some tomatoes from the Thursday farmers market and make a quick fresh pasta sauce to go over pasta.
So what's your latest haul from the market?
But there wasn't Farmers Markets. What you had back then was random trucks sitting at the end of streets or corners, selling out of their trucks. After my Grandmother sold the farm, there was one corn seller that was the best, parked about a mile from my parent's home. We'd buy corn by the dozen and eat our hearts content.
When I've lived in homes that I owned, I've tried to garden. I have some of the knack from watching and helping my parents. But neither yard was condusive to gardening. My house had 2 big dogs running around in the yard and I had to container garden in huge containers. Even then the dogs were knocking fuit and veggies off before peak. My townhouse now has a small patio with full sun. It's nearly imposible to keep containers moist even with daily watering.
My solution for all this is farmers markets. I looked into a CSA the last few years, but decided against it. Mostly because up until this year we were so busy that we weren't home on weekends. With packing and working, I was cooking fresh meals about twice a week. The amount of produce that would have gone to waste wasn't a good thing. Now, we have time and I cook better, fresher foods. Only Pete eats about 1 cup a meal and isn't anywhere near a vegetaian - in fact he dislikes most vegetables. My goal is to either find someone to share a CSA with (like my parents) or find one that gives a pretty small portion.
This was my haul on Saturday. I got all the veggies/fruit for less than $20. Pete thought it was expensive. But really it wasn't. The basil would have been about $3, the lettuce would have been about $4, the tomatoes about $3, the strawberries about $5, the carrots would have been about $6, the peas about $6 and the corn about $6. All totalled, about $33. When you add in the rolls from the German bakery, it was $35. So not a bad deal.
We've eaten from this bounty every meal since Saturday morning. I've made crepes with starwberrys, stawberry shortcake, green veggie salads, grilled corn, roasted carrots, creamed peas over potatoes and some salads for lunch this week. Tonight I'm going to use the basil, some tomatoes from the Thursday farmers market and make a quick fresh pasta sauce to go over pasta.
So what's your latest haul from the market?
Friday, June 22, 2012
206.4: Friday Fives
1. I'm trying really hard not to be discouraged that I can't get out of the 205-207 range.
2. First farmer's market of the season last night! I got beets, sweet peas, white & red radishes, local brats with pineapple in them and German pretzel rolls for Pete. Tomorrow we are headed to the big farmer's market in Minneapolis to walk around and find yummy stuff.
3. I'm trying to talk Pete into the drive in tonight. Which may not be in line with the farmer's market. The drive in is 3 movies and goes until about 4 am. I want to be at the farmer's market by about 7am... Naptime?
4. I just noticed this week that my hips are smaller than my shoulders. Wow. I think they've been that way for a while, but I haven't realized it.
5. I finally need new smaller compression shorts! YAY!
2. First farmer's market of the season last night! I got beets, sweet peas, white & red radishes, local brats with pineapple in them and German pretzel rolls for Pete. Tomorrow we are headed to the big farmer's market in Minneapolis to walk around and find yummy stuff.
3. I'm trying to talk Pete into the drive in tonight. Which may not be in line with the farmer's market. The drive in is 3 movies and goes until about 4 am. I want to be at the farmer's market by about 7am... Naptime?
4. I just noticed this week that my hips are smaller than my shoulders. Wow. I think they've been that way for a while, but I haven't realized it.
5. I finally need new smaller compression shorts! YAY!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
207.0: Firsts
Sunday Pete took my niece Alison for her first ever motorcycle ride. She's 10. Ever since Pete got his motorcycle 4 years ago, she's been fascinated with it. Kind of a love/hate relationship at first. She wanted to like it, but was scared of it. Each time he rode it and she was around, she'd ask to sit on it. She wanted a ride, but was scared.
This spring her legs fit the floorboards so that she was legal t ride on it. She spent the spring getting on it and talking to Pete about it a lot. She talked to me some also. Finally she decided she wanted a ride. But that meant talking to her parents and telling them why she wanted a ride. After pleading her case she was allowed to ride with the right gear; helmet, glasses, long pants and tennis shoes.
It really was a long process for her. But she was determined and kept moving forward with it, even through the long times.
She loved it. Had a perma-grin the entire time and never stopped talking to Pete. And Pete, in his loving way, answered her questions, encouraged her and smiled right along with her.
I love knowing that she is smiling, but I can't see it. I love knowing that she is talking, but can't hear it. I love knowing that Pete is careful and encouraging, and just as happy as she is that she finally made her decision and followed through.
Right now I love this photo so very much.
This spring her legs fit the floorboards so that she was legal t ride on it. She spent the spring getting on it and talking to Pete about it a lot. She talked to me some also. Finally she decided she wanted a ride. But that meant talking to her parents and telling them why she wanted a ride. After pleading her case she was allowed to ride with the right gear; helmet, glasses, long pants and tennis shoes.
It really was a long process for her. But she was determined and kept moving forward with it, even through the long times.
She loved it. Had a perma-grin the entire time and never stopped talking to Pete. And Pete, in his loving way, answered her questions, encouraged her and smiled right along with her.
I love knowing that she is smiling, but I can't see it. I love knowing that she is talking, but can't hear it. I love knowing that Pete is careful and encouraging, and just as happy as she is that she finally made her decision and followed through.
Right now I love this photo so very much.
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