Soul Searching

I will not go into all the reasons, but I've been doing some soul searching lately.  I am searching for that which we all want - answers.  The problem, much like in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, is that I don't quite know the questions I should be asking myself.  And before you hint at it, 42 is not involved in this equations, except perhaps at the periphery. 

I renamed this blog The Path Forward and in doing so I've set goals for myself on things like fitness and healthy eating.  I blog periodically about running, or skating, or new years resolutions.  Still...I ask myself, what have I done in the last year?

• Mass - I've managed to reduce my mass a bit - I have gone from that scary number I had never seen before, back to about where I was in 2006 when I started trying to lose weight.  So...all told, I've really managed to gain weight and go back to baseline.
• Fitness - I've accomplished a 5 mile run and another rollerblade marathon - those are the goods.  In the not so good catagory - I didn't get 12 times in at the Y for at least 4 or 5 months last year.  Just 12 times...Oh, I can tell myself I have extenuating circumstances - I belong to two gyms, and I play outdoor sports.  But still, golf and softball take time, and are good activities, but they don't help me lose weight or achieve better fitness.  Climbing helps, but the 1-2 days a week i do that aren't going to cut it...  To sum up - I moderately improved my sedentary lifestyle.

 Hence - the soul searching.  What am I really trying to accomplish here, and what are my barriers?  Why am I not making progress.  My soul searching is revealing some answers I'm not too happy about, though I'm not ready to share....except - do I need or want this blog anymore. That is one answer I'm working out.

Running and walking along

My workplace is offering some incentives for us to become healthier.  I am partaking in a few.  One is 'have dental exam, enter to win gift card'.  Easy enough, and check mark.  Another is a team challenge.  I am part of an 11 person team that will be walking, working out, and slimming our way down.  You can pick 1,2, or 3 of the challenges, and I chose walk msot steps and work out most minutes.  This starts in March, but there is no reason not to get started early.  So...away I go to the gym. 

I have begun working on my running again.  If Miss Karin and Mr. Nate are game, Trev and I will join them for a 5 mile run this spring near their Hometown.  If I'm going to run 5 miles this spring, I had better kick it into gear.  So, to the gym I go tonight, with my little music player, to do week three of Podrunner Intervals and see just how out of running shape I am.  I did the workout last night too, but night two is always the challenge. 

After the Y I will go home and make a healthy dinner, and then see if I have the motivation to do one of the 8,000 projects that sits there staring at me each night.  Maybe I can set a timer and work on something for just 30 minutes?

Week 2...

New Year's resolutions are so easy when you are not doing them.  I've never really been a fan.  I make them, but I don't go all out to complete them... I mean, they are usually things one should be doing anyway, so why should I have to resolve to do them and start on a specific day?  (Especially eating more ice cream, worked on that one this weekend!)

Still, the premise of a fresh start when you've 'oopsed' on a goal is a good one. With that in mind, I made my resolutions to cook more at home, go to the Y mroe, eat more icecream (favorite resolution) etc.  I've been really enjoying to cooking, and have another set of recipes ready to go in my head, just have to get the groceries.  I am headed to the Y tonight, much easier when it's not sub-zero out.  And yes, I have had ice cream, eating a giant bowl of home-made mint chip this weekend to finish off the batch.  I think I'll try to make pomegranate sorbet next....

New Blog to satify a Resolution

Remember resolution: cook one new recipe a week?  I am well on my way to completing it, in that I've prepped for this week's recipe, and made one on new year's day!  (I know, too early to tell, right?)  But, to help me stick with it, and because some friends are helping too, there is a blog:

Go to 2010.52.3 to learn more and see the recipes that have been cooked!

The best laid plans...

...never survive the first encounter!

My menu (dinner meals): original - what happened
Monday: pasta and maranara - check!
Tuesday: tacos - did't happen, ended up going caving and eating two wonderful meals at a friend's parent's house (not out to eat, good!)
Wednesday: short ribs and egg noodles plus veg - we'll see, but as I have a 5:30 appointment 30 minutes from my house and these take 3 hours in the slow cooker....I'm thinking we'll adjust to leftovers or frozen pizza
Thursday: leftovers plus apps at New Year's parties - if we eat the leftovers tonight, we'll do the tacos tomorrow so we're full enough we don't gorge on apps
Friday: Chicken pizza - NEW RECIPE! - I have off, this should happen
Saturday: Pot roast & fixins' w/ homemade bread and homemade ice cream for dessert
Sunday: Spiced pork loin w/ peach sauce - NEW RECIPE! (also a starch and veg)

Friday - Sunday breakfast/lunch meals w/ be eggs and toast or french toast or pancakes. Generally make one meal at brunch and then have dinner.

I think I need to work on eating more fish and turkey and lean meat.... I have a fish cookbook...some of those 52 new recipes are going to be fishy!

Almost the end of the decade...

We are less than a week to the end of 2009, and the first decade of the 2000 era. Hrm. Makes a person think, doesn't it? In my own personal little history, it makes me reflect on the first almost three decades of my life. All doldrums aside....it's been a pretty good first 1/3 of my life.

But, as it's also almost new year's eve, I got to thinking about resolutions, and hopes for 2010. I do have a few resolutions:

1. Get Fit.
2. Landscape my front yard a bit more to my liking.
3. Eat healthier by cooking more at home, specifically try one brand new recipe a week for 52 weeks.
4. MAKE, and eat more ice cream.

Fit. I changed the title of this blog, and it's purpose sometime last year. I got the ball rolling, and then it rolled to a stop. There wasn't a wall or a hill that stopped it....more of a loss of momentum. So I need to get back on track. Specific goal is to go to the Y my 12 times a month 10 of 12 months this year. I'd say 12 of 12, but that is entitlement....W/ trips and such, I'm hoping to hit 10. So, guest passes, friends with Y passes...this is a call to action. Classes, lifting weights, training for races...let's hop to... I can do it alone, but I'd love company when I go.

Landscaping the front yard. I really, really hate that very small rock. It will take some time, some preplanning before spring, and some muscle to get rid of it, but I want to at least make a DENT this spring/summer/fall. Along with that I'd like to reclaim my grass from the weeds that are my lawn, and make sure my garden(s) flourish again this year!

Eating better...sigh. Part of getting fit, but hard to do with limited time. So, this year I will find the time to make dinner. I started this week. Today I made a menu for the week. Tomorrow I will go shopping for things I need for the rest of the week. This week's new recipe: Spiced pork loin w/ peaches. The rest of the week has recipes to use up what is in the cabinets and offset w/ some other things.

Last year I resolved to eat more ice cream. I failed miserably! I didn't eat more, I barely ate any! But, there is hope! For my birthday this year I have been given an ice cream maker as a present, and so far I have made two batches ice cream. This bodes well for next year's resolution... Make and Eat more ice cream!

ANd now, I have been up way to long, have to go to work tomorrow after a week off, it's time to go to bed.

Tis the Season!

Tis the season of Christmas, and I find myself with an over-abundance of holiday cheer. I very much desire a Christmas tree, decorations about the house, warm cookies and hot cocoa. Yes, today I officially began 'hot cocoa' season with a lovely cup whilst at work. Today is <20 F our, and tomorrow and Wednesday we are expecting snow. A true early winter blizzard and walloping, if one believed CNN, which I don't. After all, CNN has become a sensationalist news entertainment channel/website/organization anyway. I don't doubt some areas will have a nice blizzard though, and I certainly wouldn't mind the beginning of snow season.

Tomorrow, hopefully before the snow flies, the Window Guys will be coming to finish the install of our front window (read fixing a factory oops), and installing two others. I certainly hope they finish the front window tomorrow, because then I can pick out a christmas tree and make w/ the decorating!

I am trying to decide what has caused this plethora of good cheer and good will towards my fellow man (most of them, anway). I think part of it has to do with finishing my CIH exam, but also, I think I'm just due for a non-bah, humbug type of year.