Halloween cake

"We used to go around tipping outhouses over, or turning over corn shocks on Halloween. Anything to be mean." ~ Loretta Lynn

I baked a Halloween cake tonight because all the chocolate candy was gone. We bought the Halloween candy the middle of October so the only thing left is the non-chocolate candy.  I added chocolate pudding and chocolate chips to the cake to ensure I got more than enough chocolate for Halloween night. 

Brownies

Charlie Brown is the one person I identify with.  C.B. is such a loser.  He wasn't even the star of his own Halloween special.  ~Chris Rock

I'm a sucker for a brownie. Make that mote than one brownie. I can't walk past a plate full of brownies without having one. Tonight was no exception.

Photography, laundry

"Whatever you are be a good one." ~Abraham Lincoln

I spent the first half of my day walking campus taking photos.  I spent the second half doing laundry and organizing the mess in the storage room.  Being good at whatever you are is a lot of work and wears a person out. 

Giving thanks for today, Fighting for tomorrow

"Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow."  ~Fernanda Miramontes-Landeros

I love this quote.  I always forget to give thanks for what I am now and too often I stop fighting for what I want to be in the future. 

Love me some grilled chicken salad, not once but twice

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. " ~ C.S. Lewis

It's been a good day. In fact, it's been a great day.  

I kick started the day with ten minutes of yoga. It was a great way to wake up. I really should do it more often.  The stretching and the breathing actually does wake me up. 

I also ate healthy all day long. I had eggs and ham for breakfast. I had a spinach salad with a grilled chicken breast for lunch while dining at Annie's Station.  It is my favorite new salad.  And for dinner, I had my other favorite grilled chicken salad at Chop House. 

As I said, it has been a great day!

Small decisions

Sometimes its the smallest decisions that can change your life forever. ~ Keri Russell

Today, I made a small decision to exercise more and eat less.  I'm really hoping it changes my life forever. 

Chocolate chip diet?

"As for those grapefruit and buttermilk diets, I'll take roast  chicken and dumplings." ~ Hattie McDaniel

I'm considering a chocolate chip cookie diet.  I know I could survive on it and I would certainly be happy!

Fit me for a Santa suit

"You're going to disappoint the children.  They expect a fat Santa." ~ Mrs. Claus, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. 

As much Halloween candy I am stuffing in my mouth, you would think I was preparing to fatten up for a role as a department store Santa. 

I didn't exercise today but I did make sure that I parked further from the door and I used the bathroom on the opposite side of the building so I could get in more steps today. 

I ate well too. I had whole wheat bread with my eggs for breakfast.  I had a banana with my oven roasted chicken sandwich at lunch.  I had a salad with my grilled chicken strips for dinner.   It was the blasted Halloween candy that brought me to my knees. 

Just give me time and I will fit into the Santa suit.

Lazy Sunday

"Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge; others just gargle." ~ Anonymous

No drinking from the fountain of knowledge today. I've been on the sofa watching TV. The most I've done today is loads and loads of laundry. It's been a lazy Sunday. 

Walk, hike and roll

"You're in pretty good shape for the shape you are in. " ~ Dr. Seuss

I believe this Dr. Seuss quote says it all.  I am in pretty good shape for the shape I am in. 

Logan has been wanting to walk the golf cart path ever since we got here.  I believe he was more interested in strolling by the ducks to torment the poor creatures.  

I agreed to go for a walk with him before the sun went down.  I was correct about the ducks.  He tried to get close to one and of course they weren't having it.  They dove in the lake and quickly swam to safety. 

I reminded Logan we were on a walk.  He recommended we walk up the hill towards the club house.  I agreed, although our stroll was quickly becoming less of a stroll and more of a hike. 

We talked golf and tees until I was gasping for air and couldn't speak.   We walked around the club house and headed back in the direction of the condo. 

As we are descending down the driveway, Logan recommends I run with him to the bottom of the hill. 

"Seriously," I said. "Don't you think we might fall."

"Not me," Logan laughed. 

So, against my better judgement we ran down a hill paved in asphalt.  I was expecting a tragic end with me rolling like a boulder to the bottom of a ravine. Luckily, I survived!

Let's eat

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. " ~ Dr. Suess

Today was one of those days when the diet was completely put on hold. 

We are on a weekend trip to Branson.  We started our day with homemade biscuits and gravy.  Then it was off to Silver Dollar City where I munched on chicken strips and French fries.  After a dip in the pool, we had steak, baked potatoes and green beans.  

I ate it all and enjoyed it guilt free. I'll exercise tomorrow. 

Skipping breakfast

      
“But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified Top Secret.” ~ Ronald Reagan

Today is a special day. Instead of one blog post there will be two.  Yesterday's post didn't make it to "print".  

I skipped breakfast yesterday morning which wasn't wise for many reasons.  I was on edge most of the morning and showed my frustration with co-workers.  By lunch, I was so hungry I made unwise and unhealthy choices such as a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a medium French Fries from McDonalds.

Even my dinner didn't satisfy me and I ended up eating way too much Halloween candy. 

Let the holidays begin

"When the bold branches bid farewell to rainbow leaves...welcome wool sweaters." ~ B. Cybrill

If the cold snap we are having is tge beginning of winter, this means I must put away the short sleeves and get out the winter clothes. I certainly hope I have a sweater that fits me.  

Rainbow leaves aren't the only thing bidding farewell. I'm bidding a farewell to dieting.  Bags of Halloween candy showed up in our house and the stitches came out of my mouth today, so the holidays have officially started.  

First it is the Halloween candy, then it is the turkey and pie and finally it is the Christmas cookies.  I usually eat my way through the last ten weeks of the year and eventually gaining ten pounds by the New Year.  

Perhaps this year that won't be the case. 

Still hungry

The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again.  ~George Miller

The trouble with my Italian lunch today was that it wasn't very satisfying.

Is Chicken Marsala really suppose to be deep fried?  I believe mine was left in the frying pan too long.  

I hope I cut some calories by not eating the breading.  I was expecting better. 

Next time we eat the cookie dough

"There is a peculiar burning odor in the room, like explosives. the kitchen fills with smoke and the hot, sweet, ashy smell of scorched cookies. The war has begun. " ~ Alison Lurie

I should have known making chocolate chip cookies from scratch was a mistake. I haven't done such a thing since, I don't know, the summer of 1984. 

As I was mixing the ingredients Logan was right beside me.  He was questioning my baking abilities and rightfully so.  He laughed when I was stirring the stubborn, stiff ingredients that eventually became my cookie dough.  

"You are really getting a workout stirring that cookie dough," Logan said.  

"If he gets in his workout making the cookie dough, then he can eat more cookies," said Caleb. 

Sounded like a plan, until the first cookies came out of the oven flat as pancakes and hard as dog biscuits. I should have taken Caleb's other advice and just ate the cookie dough. 

Chopping wood

“People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results.” ~ Albert Einstein 

The Einstein quote appropriately describes the day for my family and I.  The boys and I joined Paula, my Mom and my brothers, Kevin and Jeff to cut down several dead trees in the woods. 

It was a beautiful day for cutting wood but now I am exhausted.   I believe it was more intense than my workout I did yesterday. 

I hope I worked off a whole pound!

New use for an old ball

"Believe you can and you are half way there." ~ Theodore Roosevelt 

Logan is fascinated with the exercise ball that didn't sell on the rummage sale.  He isn't using it to do situps instead he is outside shooting hoops with it.  At least someone is getting some use out of it. 

I stopped using the ball at home. I have been using the exercise balls at the gym.  I'm not sure that I'm doing it properly because I'm still carrying around this gut. 

Let's have some pizza

      
“For the first time ever, overweight people outnumber average people in America. Doesn't that make overweight the average then? Last month you were fat, now you're average - hey, let's get a pizza!” ~ Jay Leno 

It's always a good Friday night when   the family and I have dinner at Dave's Pizza and Wings.

They offer salads, which are very good but I wasn't all that interested in diet food. It's a pizza place for goodness sakes. I had pizza! 

Love the pizza!

PB&J

"My mom used to make everything. She had a great garden and composted and made everything from scratch - peanut butter, bread, jelly, everything. I don't know how she did it because all those things take time and love and labour." ~ Julia Roberts

Mom raised four boys. She also planted a garden, a gigantic garden and she too made everything too. I don't how she found the time and love either. 

Julia's quote caught my attention because it was about food and it made me laugh.  Seriously, your Mom made peanut butter.  I can imagine her delivering the line, so that made it even funnier.  

I love Julia Roberts.  She is my favorite actress of all time.  I would pay money to watch Julia Roberts eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Anyone else hungry for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Reaching a goal

"There is nothing to be intimidated about - it's just another long run where a few more people show up and they happen to wear numbers."
Wesley Stafford

I am going to take this opportunity to brag and explain why I ate so much pizza at CC's Pizza. 

I went to CC's Pizza to celebrate with the St George Cross Country team. The boys and girls had an awesome season. Boys came in second place repeatedly this season and the girls finished first several times.  

Tonight, Caleb hit his goal to break into the top ten. He came in 10th tonight. Last year his goal at the same meet was to come in 30th. Major improvement from a year ago. 

Awesome season. 

Run, Dad, Run

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." ~ J. R. R. Tolkien, British scholar & fantasy novelist (1892 - 1973)

While dining at McDonald's with Caleb and Logan, we talked and laughed and ate our dinner. 

After eating my grilled chicken sandwich sans the mayo, I told the boys that a chocolate chip cookie sounded good right about now. 

The boys recommended I purchase not one cookie from McDonalds but a whole tote full of chocolate chip cookies. They sell those in a cute little Baker's Dozen Tote. 

I discouraged the purchase only to have the boys recommend I stop by the grocery store to buy those break and bake chocolate chip cookies. 

"Seriously, I have done really well on my diet today," I said. 

"You can go for a run while the cookies bake," said Caleb. 

"And again after you eat the cookies," said Logan. 

As hard as they tried, I didn't purchase the cookie tote or the cookie dough.  The cookies would have tasted delicious but I wasn't thrilled with their solution...run,then run again!

Worry more, diet less?

"I highly recommend worrying. It is much more effective than dieting. " ~ William Powell

It's been another uneventful day of dieting.  I didn't get out of bed to exercise. I ate too little for lunch and too much for dinner. I ended my day eating three scoops from the cookie dough container and when I was given the time and the place to exercise, I only walked thirteen minutes.  

Yeah, I'm over the dieting and ready to give worrying a try. 

Dusty hayride

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter." ~ Carol Bishop Hips

It was a beautiful day for a hayride. It could have been a little less dusty and I could have ate a little less food.   No leaf-kicking but the leaves are certainly changing.

Explore, dream and discover

 "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  ~ Mark Twain 

 I really like this quote by Mark Twain. It may be my favorite new quote. I'm not sure how it relates to eating less, exercising more and losing weight. I'm sure it applies somehow. 

Stealing bases

"Progress always involves risks.  You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first."  ~Frederick B. Wilcox

I wish the Cardinals baseball team all the best tonight.  I have high hopes that any base stealing will be risks worth taking. 

I'm taking a risk that if I eat less and exercise more I can reach my weight loss goal by Christmas. Thirty pounds in 78 days.  I can think of no better gift to give myself for Christmas and my birthday! Sounds risky to me!

Now, let's steal some bases.

Positive changes coming soon

"Don't keep pushing off a better life to "next week", start making positive changes today." ~Bob Harper

In a few days, seventy-eight days to be exact, it will be my forty-second birthday.  I really want to reach my goal weight by my birthday.  

Unfortunately I keep pushing off a "better life" for more sleep and another chocolate chip cookie.  It's ridiculous.  It really is time to make some positive changes. 

Rice cakes?

Eating rice cakes is like chewing on a foam coffee cup, only less filling. ~ Dave Berry

I have never ate a rice cake in my life but I am considering it.  If it will help me lose weight I willing to give it a try.

Accept yourself, extra pounds and all

      
“Accept everything about yourself--I mean everything. You are you and that is the beginning and the end--no apologies, no regrets.” ~ Henry Kissinger
 
I suppose today's quote means that I should accept the 30 extra pounds I'm carrying around.   According to my BMI, I am overweight and borderline obese.  I really need to do something about that.  Perhaps I shouldn't be eating my lunch from a paper bag that was served to me through the window of my car.  

Better luck tomorrow!

Dust off the thigh master

"Not everything should be displayed at a garage sale. There are items too embarrassing to sell on your own property.  It is not the place to associate yourself with any exercise device sold by a celebrity on a late night infommercial." ~ Rick Dickert

I guess that means I won't be putting the ThighMaster on the rummage sale!

Actually, I could use a thigh master gadget right about now.  I consumed entirely too many calories today, especially carbohydrates.  

I started the day off really well. I exercised for 42 minutes. I ate a really healthy breakfast.  Then it came to lunch at McDonalds and it all went downhill from there. 

Enjoy the food

"Each serving contains 17 grams of WHO CARES, 22 grams of MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS and 54 grams of SHUT UP AND LET ME ENJOY MY FOOD!” ~ Randy Glasbergen.

I ate plenty and enjoyed every minute of it.  There was scrambled eggs, fruit and yogurt for breakfast.   Then, a delicious turkey sandwich loaded with veggies and a little mayo.  For an afternoon snack, I enjoyed my Mother's homemade chocolate chip cookies.  And for supper, I enjoyed a grilled pork steak, baked beans and a baked potato.   

As I said, plenty of food and I enjoyed every last morsel. 

Wiped out

"I learned about stress management from my kids. Every night after work, I drink as much chocolate milk as my stomach will hold, eat handfuls of sugary cereal straight from the box, then run around the house in my underwear squealing like a monkey." ~ Randy Glasbergen

I'm exhausted.  I started the day with twenty minutes of weight lifting.  I walked up a hill and down main street to participate in a parade. I stood on a concrete floor for a few hours serving sausage for the fall festival.  I am wiped out.