Super fun weekend

This stretch of October through December is easily my favorite time of year. Not only is the weather (usually) starting to cool down and the holiday treats are in full swing, but we have football and basketball games to attend, assorted parties and the typical holiday fetes as well. See, so much good stuff!

This weekend was jam-packed with stuff, which left little time for sewing or reading, but was really fun all the same. After a mellow Friday night at home, Saturday had both of us early - Jim was off to play 2 rounds of golf with Dubber while I stayed at home and caught up on some DVR shows, cleaned up the house, did a crapton of laundry and started yet another baby gift. [I know, I know, for someone who doesn't have any kids, I sure do make a bunch of baby stuff. Yes, well, this is what happens when you know close to 20 babies being born in one year. Mmmm hmmmm.] By the time he got home, it was about time to head out for Dubber's surprise birthday party his wife was hosting at their house.

Dubber's wife Girlie is entering her last month of pregnancy and is naturally busy with a bunch of other stuff, but still put together a lovely, low-key get together at their house. The menu of pizza and cake was, as she described it, "a 5 year old birthday party, just with alcohol." Perfect for a Saturday night. A total of 5 couples and one precious 10 month old were there. Once the little one was fed and passed out in the bedroom, the rest of us proceeded to eat, drink and play Taboo, which led to a brouhaha of laughter, screaming, yelling, and general craziness. Seriously, I can't remember when I laughed that hard and for that long. Such a great night!

We both opted to sleep in on Sunday, knowing that our night was going to be very long. After hanging around the house in the morning and early afternoon, we were off to the Rosebowl to see U2! We had received numerous emails to make sure to arrive early as there were close to 100,000 people expected for the event - the largest concert ever held at the Rosebowl. We are such goody toeshoes, so we arrived around 3:30pm (keep in mind, The Black Eyed Peas, who were opening, weren't scheduled to go on until 7:00pm) and had fun milling around the entertainment and food tents. We grabbed some grub and some drinks and enjoyed the scene until it was time to go in.

I knew that we had paid a pretty penny for our seats and was hoping they were decent, but seriously, I didn't realize they were this good! (Please pardon the crappy iphone pictures. I completely forgot my camera and was kicking myself all night!)
The concert was fabulous - The Black Eyed Peas kicked it off with a bang and did a good job of firing up a group of fans that didn't seem to be all that into their music and U2 was really great. Even though attending a concert that large is kinda nutty, there is something really special about being in a stadium with 100,000 other people who are all singing and cheering and swaying along with you. Really powerful stuff.
Once the concert was over, we just sat down and let the 93473947257 billion other people clear out a bit before making it back to our car. I was amazed to see that we still got home at 12:30am - you have no idea how happy I was to live locally that night!

One funny story - so as we're waiting to let everyone clear out, a bunch of young people are crossing through our row and while the seats and rows all around us are completely empty, they still decide to pass right by us so that we have to stand up to let them go. I mean, come one, just walk around us! I roll my eyes and make some comment to Jim and he turns to me and says "Wow, you can sure go from 0 to bitch in about 2 seconds, huh?" Now, if you know my husband, you know this is something so out of character for him to say. I started cracking up and said that while it's completely true, I never in a million years would have ever expected him to say something like that. It's been two days and we're still laughing over it.

This upcoming weekend is going to be pretty mellow - just a work dinner with Jim on Sunday night that is amazingly just up the street from us. And thank goodness because once November starts, it's going to be go go go. :)

----------------------

Completely off-topic from the weekend fun, but I've been back at the gym, pounding away for 3 weeks now and can I just tell you, it's effing hard as hell! Whatever stamina and muscle tone I had built up over the summer just up and disappeared while I was sick. I knew it was going to be hard going back, but holy crud - it's really tough! Thankfully, fun instructors and good music makes everything bearable and I can see flickers of my old fitness level coming back. But yeah, I'm pretty much dying 3-4 nights a week. Pertussis - the gift that keeps on giving. :)

Back on the wagon

For the past year, life has been hectic at it's best and down right insane at it's worst. Between looking for and ultimately buying our first house and then the death of my father, I've spent the last year feeling like I'm barely eeking by. Something had to give and unfortunately that was eating well and working out - two things that likely would have helped me feel more centered with everything. No use in beating myself up over the past, but I have made a concerted effort since June to really step it up. To start eating better and to recommit myself to the gym. Over the past few weeks, the changes are starting to pay off. The scale is moving in the right direction and I'm feeling stronger and healthier. It's all good stuff.

*******************

I was really sad to leave my old gym last year when we moved. It was the first time I had been a gym member where I really enjoyed the facility, the instructors and the classes. One of my favorite instructors, whom I now consider a friend, knew that I was looking for a gym with good classes and gave me the names of two places to try. One of which, was a brand new facility, not yet open that was run by a friend of hers. Hmmm. In my experience, good instructors tend to know other good instructors, so I swung by to check it out. I actually signed up that day, months before the club was even open. I just had a good feeling about. Best thing I could have done.

I LOVE MY NEW GYM! LOVE!

Now that I got that off my chest, let me explain. It's a brand new facility, privately owned by a very cool husband and wife team, has a full schedule of amazing fitness classes, fabulous instructors and a friendly group of members to boot. While I miss one instructor in particular from my old gym, I'm so much happier with this new place. I was going a couple times a week for the first half of the year (again, was still trying to get myself back in check), over the past couple of months, I've really stepped it up. I'm there 5 days a week and can truly say I drive out there with a smile on my face each night.

I have a small group of instructors that I truly adore and that make that 1-2 hours at the gym a real pleasure. In becoming a real 'gym rat' I've also found a group of other members that are on a similar schedule and we have become friendly with one another - chatting before and after class and keeping tabs on how the others are doing. There was one week in there that I was gone on vacation and not only did the other members ask where I had been when I returned, but the owner of the gym even sent me a message on FB asking if I was alright. It's evolved from just a fitness thing to a social outing - something that I feel keeps me motivated to get my butt there even when I'm tired or would rather go home. Whoever said peer pressure died in high school obviously isn't a member of a gym like this. ;)

In addition to all of this, I've come to realize that I really admire and respect the wife owner of the gym. I think it's rare at this stage in life to find other women that you can look to as a role model, but this woman more than fits the bill. She is a wife, mother and small business owner and appears to be doing it all with aplomb. She is extremely outgoing and always has a kind word and a smile for everyone. You can tell she loves what she does and I think it really influences the vibe of the gym. I feel lucky to have met her and to be able to take her classes several times a week.

On the fitness side of things, all the time I'm putting in is really paying off. I'm getting so much stronger and have more energy during the day. I'm sleeping better at night and waking up easier in the morning. All things that would have been quite useful earlier this year, but I'm just grateful for them now.

I'm reluctant to post the gym name here (though it wouldn't be all that difficult to figure it out), but if you're at all interested in this place, email me. It's really such a motivating and uplifting place, something that I don't think you'd say about most gyms out there.

********************

In addition to the crazy exercise schedule, I'm also back on my cooking kick, which I know is also working to help me get my weight back where I want it. The great thing - my healthy meals are yummy and interesting and are far from resembling rabbit food. Take a look:

Chicken Shawarma
Greek Steak Pitas
Cedar Plank Salmon
Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos

See why I miss when I have the time to cook - because then I get to eat yummy stuff like the above and I know it's not hell on my health. Yay! :P

There's a first for everything

I've taken dance classes since I was 6 years old. Various styles and from a variety of instructors. There is an etiquette that governs dance classes in which I am well-versed. I won't go through it all here, but a biggie is that you don't leave in the middle of class unless you're seriously injured or sick... and even then, depending on the instructor, you might still think about sticking around. When I started taking fitness classes at the gym, I stuck to these same rules. And I'm proud to say I've never left in the middle of a dance or fitness class in my life.

Until tonight.

I headed out to my usual Monday night hip hop class at the gym, a bit sad because it was the last time I'd be able to take this particular class since we're moving this week. However, instead of our regular amazing instructor, there is a sub. We exchange pleasantries and then head into the studio. I was the only student there tonight, which I love because you usually wind up with a private lesson for free. The sub informs me that she's going to do a "hiphop style" workout, basically moves that you'd do to prep your body to do hiphop. M'kay.

The music choice is slow and well, sorta boring. We start with some stretching which seems kinda long, but whatever. Then we move to a series of center squats that go...on...for...ever.... Then we switch to another set of squats. Same thing. Then leg lifts. Same damn thing.

The whole time she is setting and checking a stopwatch that is hanging around her neck. Thus, the sets aren't based on the music or basic 8 counts, it's more like, just go til the stopwatch bings. Oh, and did I mention that she is never on beat. Like, ever. Hell, I know I'm Whitey McWhite, but even I've got more rhythm and musicality than this chick.

15 minutes in I'm bored stiff, annoyed beyond belief and ready to tear my hair out. Normally, I would have just sucked it up and stayed, seething the entire time. Instead, I stopped her and said I was really looking for a dance class tonight, but even more importantly a cardio class and that I needed to get going.

Please remember that I was the only one there when I decided to up and leave just a few minutes into class. :/

I shocked myself that I actually had the cajones to bow out early, but I'm also really bummed out that not only did I not get my normal hip hop class, but I didn't even get a good workout in tonight. Ugh! She was seriously the worst fitness/dance instructor that I've ever encountered. Really, really makes me appreciate all the great teachers I have/had the pleasure of working with throughout the years.

Tidbit update

So, all that pride that I had earlier in the week about almost being able to do a real push-up? Yeah, about that....

My right arm might have been very sore on Thursday and even more so on Friday. And I might have woken up Saturday to a swollen lower arm and elbow. And possibly after a quick trip to urgent care I might have been told I have a lower bicep strain :/

Yeah, not so sure how happy I am about those push-ups now.

Tidbits

It's been sort of a boring week. Which, quite frankly, I've loved. Although it doesn't provide a whole lot of blog fodder. So, instead, how 'bout some random thoughts and comments! And yup, I'm still stuck on bullet points! :D

* I started watching Eli Stone when it debuted a few weeks ago and I still really enjoy it. Yeah, it's not a 'real' lawyer show and it has it's cheesy moments, but I find it quite charming. So sue me.

* I had a weights session at the gym last night with my trainer. It was much harder than normal and I'm still really feeling it today. One happy note: It's only taken me 2 years, but I'm thisclose to being able to get to 90 degrees doing real push-ups! He hasn't let me do "girl" push-ups for weeks now, saying that I'm strong enough to do real ones and what do you know, I guess he's right. It's a stupid little thing, but I'm feeling pretty proud of myself this morning.

* I lost my darn mind this week and signed up with an amazing group of girls in OC and LA to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon in the fall. Nothing is set in stone yet, as it's a lottery system on who will be allowed to run, but I'm excited about it nonetheless. I'm by no means a runnner, but what better way to prove to myself that yes, in fact, I can run, than with a group of other similarly motivated women. I'm stoked!

* As if the above isn't crazy enough, I'm also working with another blogger friend, Alyssa, to get signed up to do the 3 day breast cancer walk in November. I'm equally excited about this as I've wanted to participate in this event since college and just now have everything together enough to actually join in the fun. Again, so stoked!

* Monday afternoon I picked up my husband's 30th birthday present! There is a long story behind it, but I don't want to share details quite yet. I promise one heck of a blog entry about it next week though. I honestly can't figure out who is more excited about the gift, me or him. :)

* It's almost Friday! Thank God!

Ho-hum

I've had a bit of writer's block the past week or so. Lots of fun things going on, just no motivation to write about it that night or the next day (or the day after...) I blame this on trying to get prepped for our trip next month and tying up loose ends before we leave.

Bullets are all I can muster right now. Sorry.

*Went to the Clips game last Wednesday. Jim scored tickets in the company box, which he never passes up... even if the game did feature 2 really bad teams. We had a few friends there as well as some of fun colleagues. We actually spent most of the game watching the Lakers game on TV instead of the game actually being featured at Staples Center that night. Oh well.

*Finally got around to getting the eyebrows waxed. It had been weeks. Even the tech remarked "Wow, it's really grown in, hasn't it?" Why, yes it has, thanks so much for noticing. :/

* My poor sweet mother-in-law broke her elbow :( She had surgery yesterday and everything went well, but still. I feel so bad for her. And I totally wished I lived closer so I could run food over when I go on my marathon cooking sessions. Instead, we sent her fancy chocolate strawberries until I can get down there with something more substantial.

* I'm finally getting back to my regular gym routine. Did back to back classes on Saturday and it sucked for the first 30 minutes or so, but after that I felt great. Yay!

*Went to a going-away food and fun 'fest for Winnie on Sunday. Sad reason for getting together, but I had a great time hanging out with everyone. We'll miss you Winnie! :(

*I'm currently obsessing about a pair of dark brown leather heels from Cole Haan for work. I have a couple different sizes on order because no one actually has narrow widths in stock. They are exactly what I've been looking for, but now I'm just worried that they might now fit right. Stupid think to be stressing over, but yeah. I still am.

And that is about it in a nutshell. The next few weeks before our trip are jam-packed with stuff and I'm in full list-making mode to make sure I don't forget to do anything. All good things, of course, but still a lot of get done.

Gym Tales

• It's almost 2 weeks into the new year and I still don't feel like there has been an onslaught of new year resolutioners at the gym. Sure, I've noticed a small uptick in the number of folks there on a given night, but nothing close to what I was expecting. Yay for that.
• After 2 weeks away, the hip hop class at my gym resumed Monday night. There was a new girl in the class that looked very much like she was trying to be in a hip hop music video -- midriff top, bell-button ring, baggy pants, tons of make-up, quirky hairdo -- but the girl could dance! Having someone like that in a class usually filled with folks who haven't danced before is a lot of fun and really inspires me to step it up. Add to that the fact that almost all the music played was from Mr JT and it made for one kickass class!
• Trainer workouts are still in killer mode. If you ever want to have your gluts say hello whenever you move, I highly recommend front lunges with the addition of touching your front toe on each one. 15 on each side, 3 sets. If you want to shred your quads, squat thrusts with the addition of a push-up in the middle and a jump at the end will do the trick![insert evil grin]
• I really need to start doing the stair climber at the gym, but it intimidates me like no other. Sigh. I just need to suck it up and try it already.

2008 is definitely off to the right start!

After a really fun NYE, we woke up fairly early on the 1st to get the new year started. I caught a little of the Rose Parade and then it was football, football and more football on the TV for the rest of the day. However, it was also time to finally take the tree down, pack up the Christmas decor and get the apartment cleaned and organized again. This took us most of the day, but by the evening our place looked fantastic and it was nice to know that the holiday clean-up wasn't hanging over our heads anymore.

Hubs also finally got around to transferring his itunes music from our old computer that was barely revived enough for him to get the music files off of it (really, the poor thing is begging to be put out of it's misery) and onto the new pretty pink one. We picked up gigantic back-up hard-drives during our latest Costco adventure so we can have all of our important music and pics stored on another, separate location in case the new computer ever decides to randomly bite the big one. As he was getting this all organized, it was time for a trip down music memory lane. Seeing my very white husband bumpin' to Tupac and then crooning to Frank Sinatra within seconds of each other is beyond hilarious.

For dinner, we tried out a local Chinese restaurant for takeout and sadly, it was just okay. :( We're still trying to find a good Chinese takeout place that is close to us, but so far, we're failing miserably.

Yesterday it was back to the grind. Not much to report here. Everyone is still trying to get back in the swing of things. After work, I hit the gym to meet with my trainer for an hour. The first 30 minutes were pure hell. It went beyond that burning sensation in your chest to full on 'OMG I'm gonna puke'. And yet, as awful as it was, I felt really good afterwards, like I had really accomplished something. We're keeping this schedule up until at least the Peru trip, but I might just vote to keep going like this even afterwards. We'll see....

And now, to the best part of last night -- dinner! In order to make the healthy eating a bit less boring, I told myself I was going to try out a bunch of new Cooking Light recipes that I've had my eye on for the past month or so. Last night it was Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce with a simple green salad on the side. I followed the recipe to the letter with the exception of using the Barilla Plus penne instead of just the regular stuff. I cannot tell you how absolutely amazing this dish was!!! No pics of my version because we dug in as soon as it was done, but this stuff is just so good. And it doesn't taste like you're eating a "diet" dish, which makes it even better. I highly recommend trying it out for yourself. Easy enough for a weeknight meal, but fancy enough that you could even make it for company and they'd think you slaved over for much longer that it actually takes :)

While I'm sore this morning, I feel really good and slept like a baby last night. So far, 2008 is shaping up to be a pretty good year.

Getting a jump on the new year... a few days early

I have a favorite fitness instructor at my gym that has been out on maternity leave since October and I've missed her humor and friendship as well as her ability to kick my ass in class (even when she was 8 months pregnant!) Friday was her 2nd day back to work and I drug myself to class even though I haven't worked out in a couple of weeks and I was beyond tired. It was great to see her again and she looks fantastic. I figured it was a good way to jump back on the gym-going horse before the full onslaught of new years resolutioners start up next week.

In Februrary 2007, the 10 lbs I had put on since my September 2005 wedding finally became so upsetting to me that I really commited to trying to take off at least some of that weight. I joined Spark People and by summer had taken off about 10lbs through eating healthier, counting calories and working out consistently. I kept track of how many workouts I had each week and looking back, I actually averaged working out 3 times a week the entire year! That is such a huge feat for me and it's something that I'd like to do even better with in 2008. No, it's not a resolution as much as a goal that I'd like to reach. I've put a few of those lost lbs back over the holidays, but I know that over the next month or so, I can get it off again. I'm feeling just as motivated as I did when I started this journey almost a year ago.

From past experience, I've found I'm more consistent in my workouts and healthy eating when I am working towards a short-term goal. And conviently enough, I have one of those in reach right now. At the end of March, hubs and I are going with our good friends M & T to Peru! And no, this is not going to be a civilized luxurious trip. We're spending 5 days in the middle of the Peruvian Amazon in a lodge that is a 4 hour speedboat ride from the nearest road and 3 days in Cusco and Macchu Picchu. This is sure to be an experience of a lifetime, but one that is filled with a lot of physical exertion and in the case of Macchu Picchu, a shortage of oxygen due to the altitude. I just want to make sure I'm in good enough shape that I'm not struggling physically so that I can fully appreciate everything we're sure to see there.

My trainer has already been made aware of this little trip and his workout plan for me is brutal. No really, my co-worker (who is training for a half-marathon, btw) was at the gym with me a couple weeks ago and she said that she looked over at what I was doing and was suddenly quite thankful to just be on the treadmill running. :| It's gonna be a rough few months, but I'm sort of curious to see what he is going to put me through and then be able to prove to myself that yes, I can do it and I'm stronger than I might think I am.

I'm back full-force this week with hitting the gym and not eating crap all day and I know it's gonna suck, but I also know that my body is ready to be healthy again and March will be here before I know it!

Thursday Thoughts

So many things to write about, but I've been too busy to actually get to a computer to write them. blah!

* I've been the biggest gym slacker these past few weeks. Sure, I've made it once a week for weights, but besides that, it's been dismal. This week I recommited to actually getting my bum there at least 3 times a week. I'm proud to say that I went after work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and have plans to go again on Friday! Amazingly enough, I feel really good and I'm sleeping better.

* I'm not usually one to shower at the gym after working out because I literally live 2 blocks away and it's just easier to drive home right quick and shower in my own cozy bathroom. However, I had dinner plans Monday and Tuesday nights after I was at the gym, so it was easier to just get ready there and not have to go home first. And I have rediscovered that jumping into a hot shower immediately after working out is one of life's little pleasures. I practically melted into a puddle both nights as my entire body seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Since I can't afford a massage every week, this seriously might be the next best thing.


*Have you guys seen this? It's a curling iron cover bag - you pop your still hot curling iron in it and the bag insulates it so the curling iron can be packed and not burn whatever it is touching. I'm not usually one for buying a new bag that only has one purpose, but this little gal is genius! I tried her out twice this week and I have no idea how I've lived without it. Oh, and it works for flat-irons too. :)

* I was killing some time before meeting a friend for dinner on Tuesday night and I felt like something hot to drink. I wandered over the Coffee Bean (yes, I'm usually a Starbucks girl, but I was trying to branch out a bit) with the intention of trying the Gingerbread Latte (the monkey swears it's better than Starbucks version). When I got there, I just wasn't in the mood for coffee, so I opted instead for a Double Vanilla Tea Latte. Oh. My. God. How have I never tried one of these before? It was unbelievably delicious and much lighter than a coffee latte - perfect for a pre-dinner drink. I'm not trying to figure out how I can get another one of these this weekend....

* I met one of my BMs for dinner around 7:30pm. We finally had a break in the conversation and looked down and it was almost 10:30pm! On a work night! Granted, we've been known to close restaurants before, but still. We wrapped it up shortly thereafter, but it was great to catch up with her and just talk about everything.

* Last night Jim and I went to get our tree. The original plan was to get it Friday night, but since weather report has been claiming lots of rain this weekend starting late Thursday evening, I thought it best to get the tree early so we wouldn't be dragging home a soggy mess on Friday. Our original stop, Home Depot, had no 4-5' trees to speak of, so we headed down to a nursery down the street. There they had an abundance of smaller trees and after 5 minutes of looking around, we found The One. It's more expensive than Home Depot (obviously), but this is by far the nicest tree we've ever had and it's in fantastic shape (hardly any pine needles came out in the car during transport). It's at home all naked right now, but by tomorrow night, the apartment, including the tree, should be fully dressed for the holidays.

And I've been a total slacker about pictures recently, but lots are coming this weekend. Promise!

hey motivation, where did you go?

I've been back in the real world now for almost 3 weeks and I'm still having trouble motivating to get back to my schedule of eating right and exercising most days of the week. I figured this might be a problem before we left for vacation, but I felt good when we got back and was ready to jump back into things. Or so I thought. Ever since, I've been stuggling. I've worked out some, I've sort of been eating healthy, but really it's been half-baked attempts at both. I gained a few lbs. on vacation and while I haven't gained anymore, I also have lost those extra souvenirs I brought home with me either. And I'm starting to get bummed about it.

I know that I just need to do it and stop making excuses, but for some reason this is a real challenge right now. I was feeling really good about the strides I was making before we left and now I just feel schlumpy (is that even a word?). Okay, vent over. Hopefully I'll have a more uplifting update next week.

On a brighter note, last night I was working out with my trainer and instead of just doing weights, he added in a set of shuttle runs. Now, I've never played sports so that term sort of went over my head, but a good definition can be found here. I am usually reluctant to want to do cardio stuff with my trainer b/c the idea of paying someone to watch me run just seems silly. At least with the weights we are always doing something new that I haven't seen before and would likely not be doing on my own. However, these shuttle runs were *gasp* actually fun! Those of you who have played sports and had to do these are probably thinking "sure, they're fun for a few sets... try doing them for an entire practice and then talk to me". Which, I'm sure you're right. But, it was nice way to shake-up our session last night.

Sometimes it just takes one

I had plans tonight to meet a friend at Runyon Canyon to catch up and get a cardio workout in at the same time. I changed at work and drove straight there. I got a voicemail message after I already found a parking spot that told me she had a family emergency and that we'd have to re-schedule. I was a little bummed, but hey, stuff happens. And when it's family stuff, of course that is going to trump a silly evening hike. I got back in my car and started for home.

After getting about 3 blocks down the street I thought "this is silly! i'm already here, dressed and ready to go. why am i driving home?" So, I turned the car back around, re-parked the car, grabbed my water and ipod (thank god I remembered to throw it in my bag) and off I went! I cannot explain how proud of myself I was for continuing with my original evening plans even though it meant I was solo. I had a great time enjoying the view, getting some fresh air and watching all the dogs exploring the trail.

My friend and I are going to re-schedule our joint hike for later this week, but somtimes things happen for a reason. I am now totally comfortable going there for a hike by myself and it's something I'm looking forward to adding to my usual line-up of workout activities!

Motivation

As I've already mentioned, Jim and I are off to Hawaii for 12 days at the beginning of September to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. I am beyond excited about this trip as it is turning into a very luxe vacation on a beer budget (thank you frequent flier miles, credit care points and retirement association benefits!) I think in some ways it may even wind up being more lush and relaxing than our honeymoon which is pretty exciting! But, I want to look good. Like hot sexy wife good.

It is pretty amazing how the anticpation of this trip has totally re-energized my motivation for working out and eating healthy. Some may say I'm a woman obsessed right now. That may be true, but I figure you've got to strike while the iron is hot, right? The goal was to lose 8 lbs in 8 weeks and so far, my body is cooperating quite nicely. I've been really good about eating healthy during the week, which has offset my dips into yummy (re: non-healthy) foods on the weekend. And I'm hitting the gym/dance class with renewed vigor. My goal on SparkPeople has been to burn at least 1500 calories a week ... though lately it's been more like 2000+.

The side effect of all this eating well and working out is that I am feeling really good about myself lately. Jim has been very supportive of the fact that there are several nights during the week that I run off before he's home to catch a dance class or am there just long enough to say hi, hand him dinner and then jet to the gym. I figure in the end, it's all worth it though; I will be not only healthier, but pumped that I'm at my goal weight and he will get a confident and sexy wife on the trip. hehehe! Kind of like the icing on the cake for this already awesome vacation!