Finally made it to the gym Wed night after a 2-month-long vacay...from the gym :)
I did free weights for 30min then treadmill for 20min. I felt great when I was done. All energized and healthy - I know I've only gone one day this week but it's a start. I'd have gone tonight as well but it that time of the month and my cramps though manageable with Midol are still present. Also have some muscle aches from my workout Wed but no more than I expected after my long absence. I had my yearly physical/gyno appt this week as well. That was as much fun as you can imagine (grimace). I haven't gained any net-weight since last year (since I lost the extra lbs I gained over Christmas by March). I'm lucky in a way that my job entails me being on my feet and walking around, up and down stairs several times a day.

I've also decided to make an effort to get at least 5 fruit and/or veggies a day. My current diet was sorely lacking in these areas. I might have been getting 2 serving of them at most a day if that.
I cooked a huge pot of lamb stew Mon night into which I put potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, coriander, bay leaves. I also cooked acorn squash separately and chucked it in at the end. it came out really great. I even skimmed off the top layer of fat the next day and then froze it in portions. Normally when I make lamb stew I don't skim it off, I just portion it out incl. all the yummy congealed fat which turns into deliciousness when reheated :)
I also bought several packs of frozen veggies for stir-frying and also bought this nifty spicy stir-fry sauce. Well they weren't kidding about it being hot. I don't like to use the stir-fry sauce that comes with the frozen stir-fry veg b/c it's usu just high fructose corn syrup, coloring and other artificial nonsense which always seems to have very little flavor and too much salt. I have to add additional noodles (Ramen ones) to it to make it edible. I like Ramen noodles but don't use the packets of "salt" that come with them. After the whole too-spicy dish, I also got some of this regular stir-fry sauce. Maybe a mix of the two will give me just the right mix of spiciness and flavor that I seek :)

Went out Thurs night for drinks with a friend from work. It was fun, we hung out with her roomies' bf and his friends. It was a local bar known for it variety of beers on tap. It was standing room only, literally wall-to-wall people. We stayed out till 11:30 or so. I was so exhausted when I woke up this morning, I felt like crap and I thought I'm too old for this shit. I only had one beer. Maybe I should have left at 10. I didn't get there till 8:30 but still 1 1/2 hrs is more than enough time to socialize. Plus most people there have probably not already worked 40hrs by Thurs night like I(and my friend) have so being out late is not a problem. It was fun though.

This morning, it was a little rough going. I didn't accomplish much today at all. Our group went out to lunch at PF Chang's. It was delicious. Plus we left at 11:50 and didn't get back until 2:30m. Takes a while for 11 people to have appetizers and entrees :) Took care of a big chunk of the day and the rest of it went by in a blur.
I'm tired. I think I'm going to bed now.

snow snow snow

I'm excited for the snow storm that's coming. I'm also kinda dreading it b/c I will be expected at work regardless. The only way they cancel work is if the power goes out...a rarity.

I'm going to bed soon b/c I need to be up early to shovel out my car if necessary. Also need to get an early start to avoid the crazies on the road who drive like condition are perfect regardless of how much slush/ice is on the road.

I skipped the gym tonight, it was just too cold (currently it's 9°F, wind chill 0°F). I wanted to get home early to get a decent parking spot.

Instead of boxing class at the gym, I did 20min of this kickboxing video I bought a while ago. When I first tried it, it seemed impossible and I couldn't keep up/follow her moves. But tonight I was able to keep up with most of it. I'm very sore now though - she did this drop down push-up thing that looked impossible at first. I tried it and found it was possible - my hip really aches now though so I don't know how great an idea it was to try it. I feel really good about being able to do it - finally! Plus I'm glad I didn't totally wig out on my exercise for the night.
Even made it to yoga on Mon - lots of aches/pain during. I think I've been away from it for so long that I've lost most of the flexibility I gained from it.
Time for bed.

cold

Finally figured why my apt was so damn cold all the time...my windows were partially open at the top. Landlord told me that if i wanted to open the bottom window half-way or fully that I needed to prop up the top window or it would drop down and break. That's all he said to me. I interpret this to mean that I would only opne the windows less than half-way and everything should be fine. Right? NO! The top part of the stupid window opens a little whenever you opne the bottom part, even if you only open it 1/4 way or 1/8 of the way. I only realized this last Thurs b/c I cooked and needed to open the windows - yeah kinda heated the pan too high, burning eyes, etc....That's when I noticed for the first time that the top of the stupid window was open. On seeing that, I run around my apt checking every window - all open at the top. NO wonder, insects have been crawling in at their leisure. I've been wondering how they are getting in so frequently...they had an engraved invitation...open unscreened top windows everywhere and all. So I had to do major climbing up on step-stools and window sills to get the damn things closed completely. That night was the first time that the bathroom mirror fogged up after my shower.

Only problem now is that I don't have any control of the heat. He told me to turn it off when I was out. I tried. It'd been in the off position all weekend. I've woken up several times the past couple nights b/c it's been so hot - feels like I'm stiffling. I had to sleep with my fan directly on me last night to get relief. it all seems so ridiculous to me. There is only one "thermostat". A generous term for a box in my living room marked "Lo/Off/High". At my old apt, they turned on the heat from the main, and I could open or closed the gas valve for each of the room's radiators. Here, not so much. They are painted in place so I can't adjust any of them. Plus I get heat from the front and bottom apts as well. I guess there's just no pleasing me is there? Too cold. Too hot. This'll be a good thing one it gets really cold out.

Saw "The Departed" Sat night. It was interesting, kept my attention. Too much senseless killing for my taste but my friends said that's Scorcese's trademark. Then went out for coffee.

Going for my yearly physical with my regular doctor this week. I haven't seen her in 9mths. A lot of time, Since I saw her last, I've lost 7lbs, 2 1/2 inches on my waist. I've also been exercising 3-4times a week most weeks. Big changes. I was very ambivalent when she first suggested I take tablets for my "anxiety". anything else seemed preferable to that. As is I have to take several meds for my asthma twice a day, every day. Just wasn't prepared to take anything else. Therapy seemed preferable. It' helped me more than I thought it would. I also think the exercise helps a lot as well. I find it difficult to relax normally. When I exercise, my mind can turn off for that hr and I don't have to think or worry about anything else. It's helps me just be in that moment. I need that break. When I miss a few days without exercising - I notice the difference. And it's not a good difference.

Did yoga during my lunch hr at work. 4 of us were there today. It was great. Several of my muscles/joints cricked and cracked during the session but they are no worse for wear.
Tomorrow's boxing. I skipped last Thurs b/c I twisted my ankle - stepped on it funny while walking down stairs at work. Ridiculour I know. I've iced it for the past few nights. Still went for my am walk on Sat and it was a little tender but on the mend. In any event I hope my doc is impressed with my progress. I can tell her that she was right even though it took several months before I believed her.

Feel much better now all that is off my chest.

things that make you go Ooof

I think I'm coming down with a cold or something - a guy in my lab has been hacking up his lungs since last Fri so it's probably due to him. I don't get colds very often. I hope it passes soon.

It's hurts when I cough, not just b/c of this stupid cold. Last night I went to the gym and after my regular weight routine, I took a boxing class for the first time. I've always wanted to try it out. I was talking to one of the trainers there and he convinced that it'd be great.

It was great. We all got boxing gloves and the instructor went around to each of us in turn (10 women, 2 men) and we had do series of punches. We all stood in a circle around him, he'd say - 6 punches - then we'd have to start with left glove (always left 1st - I wanted to ask why but decided to just keep quiet as it was my first day :) and hit the pads on his hands and he'd go around to each of us. After we each did it then he'd change the sequence. It was fun. He said I was a natural. He then asked if I'd done a kick-boxing class before b/c I really got the hang of it quickly. It really helps if you count :)

I really enjoyed it though it was tiring. He also made us jog around the room in between sets and I didn't like that at all. We'd punch for about 5min then jog for 2min. At the end, we did ab work. First on exercise ball. He had us all lined up, each of us reclined on a balance ball and he threw this medicine ball to each of us 8 times and we were supposed to throw it back to him, 4 times with our hands behind our head. It looked easy enough for the 4 people ahead of me. When he threw it to me I went "Ooof!" literally. I tried to catch it but it still hit me in the lower abdomen. I wasn't expecting it to be as heavy as it was. It was hard to throw it back to him. Every one else seemed to find that easy. Even the other new girl who was there.