When I "restarted" things 60 days ago, I didn't actually realize that it was 60 days exactly from then until New Year's Eve. I wish I could say that I had hit some special fitness goal or that I had lost 15 pounds in that time. I did not. Much like the rest of 2004, I merely maintained. By maintain, of course, I mean, I re-lost and re-gained the same 5 to 7 pounds over and over again, just as I had all year.
When I looked back at the goals I set for myself in 2004, I see that I came up a little short.
1. I did not lose another 70 pounds this year (well, actually I probably did but I kept gaining it back too so it didn't really count).
2. Exercise at least 5 times a week -- this one I pretty much stuck to so that's not too bad I realize. Had I not done this, I know that I would have regained every single last ounce I lost in 2003.
3. Get our finances in order -- we're not out of debt by any stretch of the imagination but we're in a little better shape than we were 12 months ago. We are continuing on the plan we began in 2004 throughout 2005 and we have a meeting in the works with our bank manager to help move things even further along.
4. Get rid of clutter -- again, we worked very hard on this. Partly because the LOG was moving in and we had to give up a whole room, we did a lot of throwing out and donating to goodwill this year. Of course, there is still more to do but it all gets easier every time we tackle it.
Overall, considering the stress I went through at work (and trust me, it was incredibly stressful going through an organizational transition. I wasn't really for much of the year if I would have a job when all the dust settled), everything we had going on at home (with LOG moving in) and some other family stuff, 2004 could have been much worse. I am so relieved that I have not regained all of my 2003 loss (I even noticed today that I've re-lost most about 4 pounds of my holiday gain already so I'm guessing most of it was cycle related water weight).
As always, I'm going to try to paint a friendly, happy, fresh face on 2005 and make it mine. I'll post my 2005 goals tomorrow. In the meantime, I wish you a very very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!!
Friday, December 31, 2004
Thursday, December 30, 2004
day 59 - running around
I am totally pooped. We were on the run from about 7:30 a.m. I took my hunny to work but he didn't have to work (news to us) so we set off to do errands together. I never thought for the life of me that it would take us most of the day but it did and they are done. We got groceries, did some computer parts shopping, fixed my mum's computer, got more groceries at a different store, did banking, cashed in winning lotto tickets, picked up the LOG's prescriptions and in the middle of all of that, had lunch along the way.
LOG is feeling crappy. He has the same thing that we had earlier in the week but it's hitting him way harder than it did us. I'm not really surprised that it's beating him up so badly. It's a very nasty bug and it was so hard on us, I can't imagine how terrible he must be feeling, being almost 80 and all. He's been in bed all day (and most of yesterday) but is feeling better tonight (thank goodness!!).
While we were out, I picked up a four DVD set (with resistance bands) for Winsor Pilates. It is called the "Power Sculpting with Resistance Kit." I've never done pilates before but have heard good things about this set. I thought that in addition to the cardio and weights that I do in the mornings, it might be nice to have something I can do a few evenings a week, upstairs in my room. My hunny said he'd try it too so we'll see. Hopefully it'll be easy for me to figure out. I still haven't heard yet if we're going to be able to purchase discounted gym memberships at Good Life yet (through work) so I thought that this might be something cool/different to try in the meantime.
Tomorrow I hope to post some kind of year-end wrap-up. I cannot seriously believe that it's almost 2005!!
I am totally pooped. We were on the run from about 7:30 a.m. I took my hunny to work but he didn't have to work (news to us) so we set off to do errands together. I never thought for the life of me that it would take us most of the day but it did and they are done. We got groceries, did some computer parts shopping, fixed my mum's computer, got more groceries at a different store, did banking, cashed in winning lotto tickets, picked up the LOG's prescriptions and in the middle of all of that, had lunch along the way.
LOG is feeling crappy. He has the same thing that we had earlier in the week but it's hitting him way harder than it did us. I'm not really surprised that it's beating him up so badly. It's a very nasty bug and it was so hard on us, I can't imagine how terrible he must be feeling, being almost 80 and all. He's been in bed all day (and most of yesterday) but is feeling better tonight (thank goodness!!).
While we were out, I picked up a four DVD set (with resistance bands) for Winsor Pilates. It is called the "Power Sculpting with Resistance Kit." I've never done pilates before but have heard good things about this set. I thought that in addition to the cardio and weights that I do in the mornings, it might be nice to have something I can do a few evenings a week, upstairs in my room. My hunny said he'd try it too so we'll see. Hopefully it'll be easy for me to figure out. I still haven't heard yet if we're going to be able to purchase discounted gym memberships at Good Life yet (through work) so I thought that this might be something cool/different to try in the meantime.
Tomorrow I hope to post some kind of year-end wrap-up. I cannot seriously believe that it's almost 2005!!
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
day 58 - clearing the way
I feel much better today. I can still feel a little tenderness where it used to hurt but other than that, I feel almost normal.
This morning after I took my hunny to work, I shoveled the driveway. Because we've both felt like crap for a few days, the snow had been piling up in the drive. It took me 45 minutes (because it was really heavy and wet) but it is all cleared up now. Given the irregularity of my workouts recently, I was sure that the shoveling would totally kick my ass but it's cleared my head and I feel better for it. To use my muscles and get lots of fresh air seems to have done me a world of good.
After shoveling, I came in and had a very healthy breakfast. Today is shaping up to be a great day so far. I am hoping that the rest of the holiday/break will be much the same.
I feel much better today. I can still feel a little tenderness where it used to hurt but other than that, I feel almost normal.
This morning after I took my hunny to work, I shoveled the driveway. Because we've both felt like crap for a few days, the snow had been piling up in the drive. It took me 45 minutes (because it was really heavy and wet) but it is all cleared up now. Given the irregularity of my workouts recently, I was sure that the shoveling would totally kick my ass but it's cleared my head and I feel better for it. To use my muscles and get lots of fresh air seems to have done me a world of good.
After shoveling, I came in and had a very healthy breakfast. Today is shaping up to be a great day so far. I am hoping that the rest of the holiday/break will be much the same.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
day 57 - much a do about nothing
Shortly after I posted last night, I looked out the window to see the police cars driving away. No lights flashing, no "perp walk" to witness. They just quietly drove off, into the night. I was happy to see that and figured that no one was injured. It was very weird all the same and it made the local paper today (I've posted it below).
Today I wasn't feeling that great. My hunny wasn't either. We both have something weird going on. Yesterday, we went out for a few groceries and stopped for a quick bite to eat. I've been trying to figure out if we picked up something in the restaurant or from someone in a store. It feels like a stomach ache but it's muscular. It's sort of below my stomach but feels like the way your muscles do when you have a hard ab workout. We're both feeling the same kind of pain. When we stand up or sit down it's very sore. Once you get seated, it's not too bad. I'm not sure what it is but ibuprofen seems to help. I don't want to take too much of that though. Yesterday, I thought I was just having a very very bad period but today, seeing that my hunny is experiencing a similar type of pain, I know now that it wasn't that. I don't think it's food poisoning because neither of us are nauseous or anything. Whatever it is, hopefully it'll clear up by tomorrow. It's really been a drag so far this holiday, feeling so crappy. At least I was able to drag my ass around this morning and get most of the laundry done and a banana bread baked for the LOG.
Anyway, I'm off to bed. Here's the article about the situation up the street last night:
Police use Taser on man who claimed he left bomb at hotel
By Ian Elliot
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Local News - A man with a history of mental illness led Kingston Police around the city last night before he was taken down and arrested outside police headquarters three hours after he first alarmed authorities with a call saying he was armed and suicidal.
The drama started when a 34-year-old man called police on his cellphone and claimed he was armed with a handgun and intended to kill himself and anyone who tried to stop him around 5:30 p.m.
He hinted he was at an address on Kingscourt Avenue. Uniformed units and the force?s emergency response unit surrounded a residence there.
After cordoning off the area, they found the man wasn't there.
Calls continued throughout the evening and the man made various claims that he possessed explosives and had left bombs at various locations.
Staff-Sgt. Mike Attwood, who said he has had extensive dealings with the man over the years, convinced him to come downtown where police quickly staked out an area around police headquarters and were ready to arrest him.
"He agreed to come down to the police station and see me and we'd have a coffee and talk," said Attwood.
"In his last phone call, he claimed to be at the Holiday Inn and so we had officers all around the area."
The officers saw a man matching the suspect's description enter the Tim Hortons on Ontario Street and walk out with a coffee.
Instead of going to police headquarters, he started to walk back in the direction of the hotel and police moved in, subduing him with a Taser.
He was carrying a white plastic bag containing an extra pair of boots but possessed no explosives or other weapons.
After he was arrested, the man claimed that he had left a bomb in the pool area of the Holiday Inn. That area was cleared while uniformed officers swept the area and cut open a locker but no explosives were found.
The individual was questioned by police but was intoxicated and difficult to make sense of.
"He was very intoxicated and we've dealt with him before," Attwood said of the man.
"He?s mentally unstable with violent tendencies. Our dealings with him have been fairly consistent over the years."
No one was hurt during the arrest. He was not charged last night, but was taken to hospital for a psychiatric assessment after being taken into custody.
Shortly after I posted last night, I looked out the window to see the police cars driving away. No lights flashing, no "perp walk" to witness. They just quietly drove off, into the night. I was happy to see that and figured that no one was injured. It was very weird all the same and it made the local paper today (I've posted it below).
Today I wasn't feeling that great. My hunny wasn't either. We both have something weird going on. Yesterday, we went out for a few groceries and stopped for a quick bite to eat. I've been trying to figure out if we picked up something in the restaurant or from someone in a store. It feels like a stomach ache but it's muscular. It's sort of below my stomach but feels like the way your muscles do when you have a hard ab workout. We're both feeling the same kind of pain. When we stand up or sit down it's very sore. Once you get seated, it's not too bad. I'm not sure what it is but ibuprofen seems to help. I don't want to take too much of that though. Yesterday, I thought I was just having a very very bad period but today, seeing that my hunny is experiencing a similar type of pain, I know now that it wasn't that. I don't think it's food poisoning because neither of us are nauseous or anything. Whatever it is, hopefully it'll clear up by tomorrow. It's really been a drag so far this holiday, feeling so crappy. At least I was able to drag my ass around this morning and get most of the laundry done and a banana bread baked for the LOG.
Anyway, I'm off to bed. Here's the article about the situation up the street last night:
Police use Taser on man who claimed he left bomb at hotel
By Ian Elliot
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Local News - A man with a history of mental illness led Kingston Police around the city last night before he was taken down and arrested outside police headquarters three hours after he first alarmed authorities with a call saying he was armed and suicidal.
The drama started when a 34-year-old man called police on his cellphone and claimed he was armed with a handgun and intended to kill himself and anyone who tried to stop him around 5:30 p.m.
He hinted he was at an address on Kingscourt Avenue. Uniformed units and the force?s emergency response unit surrounded a residence there.
After cordoning off the area, they found the man wasn't there.
Calls continued throughout the evening and the man made various claims that he possessed explosives and had left bombs at various locations.
Staff-Sgt. Mike Attwood, who said he has had extensive dealings with the man over the years, convinced him to come downtown where police quickly staked out an area around police headquarters and were ready to arrest him.
"He agreed to come down to the police station and see me and we'd have a coffee and talk," said Attwood.
"In his last phone call, he claimed to be at the Holiday Inn and so we had officers all around the area."
The officers saw a man matching the suspect's description enter the Tim Hortons on Ontario Street and walk out with a coffee.
Instead of going to police headquarters, he started to walk back in the direction of the hotel and police moved in, subduing him with a Taser.
He was carrying a white plastic bag containing an extra pair of boots but possessed no explosives or other weapons.
After he was arrested, the man claimed that he had left a bomb in the pool area of the Holiday Inn. That area was cleared while uniformed officers swept the area and cut open a locker but no explosives were found.
The individual was questioned by police but was intoxicated and difficult to make sense of.
"He was very intoxicated and we've dealt with him before," Attwood said of the man.
"He?s mentally unstable with violent tendencies. Our dealings with him have been fairly consistent over the years."
No one was hurt during the arrest. He was not charged last night, but was taken to hospital for a psychiatric assessment after being taken into custody.
Monday, December 27, 2004
day 56 - neighbourhood excitement
Right now, as I type this, the police are across the street (and down a few houses), surrounding the home of one of our neighbours. We had a call about 20 minutes from a friend who heard that some guy on our street has himself barracaded in the house with a 9mm gun and some grenades. From our bathroom window we can see the police going from their cars to the house and back again but not much else. I really hope that no one is hurt tonight. Whatever is going on, it's kind of scary.
Christmas was nice and, fortunately, not that exciting. Actually it was a very nice day. We stayed up kind of late on Christmas eve. I got to feeling a little better (finally) so I did a little more baking (just one more batch of cookies) while we watched "Bad Santa" (which was bad but in a good way). I had a little bit of wrapping to finish up Christmas morning but that was okay, we didn't have to be at my mum's until later in the afternoon.
My brother and his girlfriend arrived mid-afternoon (from Ottawa) and we had a really nice visit with them and my parents. The meal was terrific and I really didn't pig out. We had eaten a light brunch at home, mid-morning so overall, the caloric consumption for the day wasn't terrible at all.
Yesterday was a good day too, foodwise. We went out of town to my aunt & uncle's for a Boxing Day Open House. There was tonnes of food (and mucho sweets) but basically, I ate very well. I piled up my plate with raw veggies and some smoked turkey and pickles. Again, I think I did pretty good.
Last week, when I was sick and in the throes of PMS, and the last week I worked, were a bit of a wash out. I didn't record my meals and, although I drank gallons of water, I really wasn't careful about anything. It would have been easy to do the same thing today. My period started and the cramps had me rolled up in a ball, with the heating pad (seriously, they are never THAT bad) all afternoon. I could have used that as an excuse to pig out but I didn't. I feel good about that.
This morning, I felt really brave (and a little scared) and stepped on the scale. Honestly, I expected to have gained 15 pounds, maybe more. I had gained but it was a 6 pound gain. I was relieved and vowed to do better this week. Today was a pretty good eating day. I won't say it was perfectly clean because I did have a couple of Christmas cookies after dinner tonight but it was much better than it had been last week. I know that I'll be able to re-lose that 6 pounds and get seriously back into things and I don't have to wait until January 1 to do it. I hit the grocery store this morning and picked up some seriously healthy snacks and stuff. I'm definitely back on the right track again. Thank goodness!!
Right now, as I type this, the police are across the street (and down a few houses), surrounding the home of one of our neighbours. We had a call about 20 minutes from a friend who heard that some guy on our street has himself barracaded in the house with a 9mm gun and some grenades. From our bathroom window we can see the police going from their cars to the house and back again but not much else. I really hope that no one is hurt tonight. Whatever is going on, it's kind of scary.
Christmas was nice and, fortunately, not that exciting. Actually it was a very nice day. We stayed up kind of late on Christmas eve. I got to feeling a little better (finally) so I did a little more baking (just one more batch of cookies) while we watched "Bad Santa" (which was bad but in a good way). I had a little bit of wrapping to finish up Christmas morning but that was okay, we didn't have to be at my mum's until later in the afternoon.
My brother and his girlfriend arrived mid-afternoon (from Ottawa) and we had a really nice visit with them and my parents. The meal was terrific and I really didn't pig out. We had eaten a light brunch at home, mid-morning so overall, the caloric consumption for the day wasn't terrible at all.
Yesterday was a good day too, foodwise. We went out of town to my aunt & uncle's for a Boxing Day Open House. There was tonnes of food (and mucho sweets) but basically, I ate very well. I piled up my plate with raw veggies and some smoked turkey and pickles. Again, I think I did pretty good.
Last week, when I was sick and in the throes of PMS, and the last week I worked, were a bit of a wash out. I didn't record my meals and, although I drank gallons of water, I really wasn't careful about anything. It would have been easy to do the same thing today. My period started and the cramps had me rolled up in a ball, with the heating pad (seriously, they are never THAT bad) all afternoon. I could have used that as an excuse to pig out but I didn't. I feel good about that.
This morning, I felt really brave (and a little scared) and stepped on the scale. Honestly, I expected to have gained 15 pounds, maybe more. I had gained but it was a 6 pound gain. I was relieved and vowed to do better this week. Today was a pretty good eating day. I won't say it was perfectly clean because I did have a couple of Christmas cookies after dinner tonight but it was much better than it had been last week. I know that I'll be able to re-lose that 6 pounds and get seriously back into things and I don't have to wait until January 1 to do it. I hit the grocery store this morning and picked up some seriously healthy snacks and stuff. I'm definitely back on the right track again. Thank goodness!!
Friday, December 24, 2004
day 53 - weather report
I just finished watching "Me Without You" (which I totally enjoyed -- I absolutely love Anna Friel). The snow is falling quite softly right now but the flakes are huge. Quite a change from yesterday. We woke up to snow yesterday. The snow was followed by freezing rain. The freezing rain turned to regular rain (which made everything an icy slush) and, by the end of the day, the precipitation had ended but we were experiencing 72 km/h winds. I could barely get the door open the wind was blowing that hard. The weather has been pretty freaky around here lately. The local paper said to not get your hopes for a white Christmas. Right now, looking out the window, it looks pretty darned white to me.
Yesterday afternoon I did a little more baking, some butter tart squares and some fudge bars (which I totally ruined). This morning, I awoke with good intentions of doing more baking. I also awoke with a pounding headache and achey joints. So far today, I haven't done any baking. I did do some wrapping though, in bed, this morning, while watching, "Anything Else." We sure get our money's worth as far as the cable goes when we're sick. Depending upon how I feel tonight, I may make a couple of quick batches of cookies, we'll see. Right now, I have (I think), just 2 more gifts to wrap and then at least one thing I started will be finished.
Being sick sucks. This has been dragging on for a week now and I'm really tired of it. The upside of it (and yes, I have managed to find one) is that my appetite is sort of shot. That almost never happens to me. If I'm not feeling any better tomorrow I plan to take huge amounts of cold medicines and ibuprofen and have a good day, regardless. We're planning to go to my mum & dad's. It'll be a lovely, peaceful day (or should be -- I can't imagine why it wouldn't be) and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.
For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. To those of you who don't, have an enjoyable weekend. I'll probably post again on Sunday.
I just finished watching "Me Without You" (which I totally enjoyed -- I absolutely love Anna Friel). The snow is falling quite softly right now but the flakes are huge. Quite a change from yesterday. We woke up to snow yesterday. The snow was followed by freezing rain. The freezing rain turned to regular rain (which made everything an icy slush) and, by the end of the day, the precipitation had ended but we were experiencing 72 km/h winds. I could barely get the door open the wind was blowing that hard. The weather has been pretty freaky around here lately. The local paper said to not get your hopes for a white Christmas. Right now, looking out the window, it looks pretty darned white to me.
Yesterday afternoon I did a little more baking, some butter tart squares and some fudge bars (which I totally ruined). This morning, I awoke with good intentions of doing more baking. I also awoke with a pounding headache and achey joints. So far today, I haven't done any baking. I did do some wrapping though, in bed, this morning, while watching, "Anything Else." We sure get our money's worth as far as the cable goes when we're sick. Depending upon how I feel tonight, I may make a couple of quick batches of cookies, we'll see. Right now, I have (I think), just 2 more gifts to wrap and then at least one thing I started will be finished.
Being sick sucks. This has been dragging on for a week now and I'm really tired of it. The upside of it (and yes, I have managed to find one) is that my appetite is sort of shot. That almost never happens to me. If I'm not feeling any better tomorrow I plan to take huge amounts of cold medicines and ibuprofen and have a good day, regardless. We're planning to go to my mum & dad's. It'll be a lovely, peaceful day (or should be -- I can't imagine why it wouldn't be) and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.
For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. To those of you who don't, have an enjoyable weekend. I'll probably post again on Sunday.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
day 52 - baking away
Finally, I started my baking today. This morning I made up some Drop Sugar Cookies (taste like the cut out ones but without so much fuss) and a pan of chocolate chip squares. This afternoon I'll do a little more. Things feel pretty organized right now.
I'm feeling a little better today and was actually up quite early (I started baking at around 6 a.m.). I'm still blowing my nose and coughing a bit but I'm hopeful that it's on the way out.
Oh, for the record, I didn't lick the bowl or try any samples, for "quality control" this morning. One of the benefits of having the LOG around is that he's totally ready, willing and able to be my taste-tester!
Finally, I started my baking today. This morning I made up some Drop Sugar Cookies (taste like the cut out ones but without so much fuss) and a pan of chocolate chip squares. This afternoon I'll do a little more. Things feel pretty organized right now.
I'm feeling a little better today and was actually up quite early (I started baking at around 6 a.m.). I'm still blowing my nose and coughing a bit but I'm hopeful that it's on the way out.
Oh, for the record, I didn't lick the bowl or try any samples, for "quality control" this morning. One of the benefits of having the LOG around is that he's totally ready, willing and able to be my taste-tester!
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