Calling all prayers/good energy/well wishes/white magick/happy juju

My 91-year-old grandmother is in the hospital, with a G.I. bleed. They're trying to find out where it's coming from so they can stop it. My 70-year-old mother is staying with her, overnight, getting no sleep, trying to take care of everything and tell the nurses and doctors what to do. This is all taking place fourteen hours (as the Ford flies) from where I live. I feel helpless, worried, and completely far away.

Please feel free to send up/out/along any good energy you can spare.

Thanks.

*** LATER NOTE***

It's working! The docs have figured out where the bleed was coming from, and they sewed it up and she's on the road to recovery! Thanks to all my blogfriends for your support.

Hope you brought crackers

The above photo is what I came up with after googling "intestinal virus". It sort of makes the whole thing look like a funhouse, eh? Well, that's about as far as it goes. That picture up there in no way represents the last ten days. Other than the fact that it feels like golf-ball sized versions of those pointy things have been rocketing around in my guts.

I've officially reached the point in this little drama where I'd like to get off the ride, thank you very much. I've taken two sick days from work, and still don't have word from the lab regarding the SIX SAMPLES I was required to provide (you know what kind of samples so I'm not even going there).

While my symptoms are somewhat less than they were before, I'm still having stomach pain and am not exactly back to normal in the lower pipes department, either. I'm getting tired of clear liquids and would like to eat some regular food before I turn into a pile of dust. I get impatient and try to eat regular food, and pay for it in the end. (PUN!)

Now I'm forced to decide whether to go to work this afternoon, or use up another sick day that I may need later on in the year. I suppose I'll call the doc's office and see if there has been any word from the lab yet. They haven't prescribed anything for me, as it would have been unwise to do so without knowing what is actually wrong. So I'm sort of left adrift here in virusland (or is it bacterialand or parasiteland?) wondering how to best use my time. Egads, I hate being sick.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed your whine and cheese!

Nine Years Ago Yesterday!

Look to this day:
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence.
The bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendour of achievement
Are but experiences of time.

For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
And today well-lived, makes
Yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day;
Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!

- Kalidasa

Cranked

My mom's visit went swimmingly. She got to visit some dear friends who live nearby, and I took a day off on her birthday to spend it with her. Bear and I took her out for a delicious dinner up in a historic seaside town on the north shore, and we spent the cool, sunny mornings enjoying coffee on the patio outside. I had, with Bear's help, managed to get the house and yards in order in time for her visit, there was lots of food prepped and stocked, and all in all it was a stress-free visit. She even came to work with me one day and listened to me work the radio for a while. A good time was had by all.

However... after she left, Bear and I both came down with a particularly nasty (and confusing) ailment. Basically, for the past few days I've felt on the borderline between queasy and just bone tired, and my lower guts have been working overtime, shall we say (without going into too much gory detail). I feel as if my abdomen has been put through a wringer. Also, a thready headache sort of hovers at all times.

We've gone over and over what the causes might be, trying to nail down a food item that may have been wonky, or some other cause. My mom is fine, and we all ate the same things while she was here. The only thing I can think of is it must be some kind of flu bug or something, but unfortunately it doesn't just last 24 hours.

It's taking away my appetite for any sort of real food - the only thing I've been able to eat the past couple of days is scrambled eggs and soup. The brand new jeans I just bought are already too big for me (am planning to return the one pair that still has the tags on), but trust me - this is not the way I prefer to lose weight! Yuck. I think about eating regular food, and then I just want to go lie down.

Whatever this creepiness is, I hope it goes away soon. I have loads of things I need to get done, and I want to enjoy eating again too. In the mean time, I guess I'll just drape myself over some furniture until I have to go to work this afternoon. Bleeehhhhhhh.

**** LATER NOTE ****

Bear has done some research and found that it is, indeed, a flu that's going up and down the eastern seaboard like wildfire. So wash your hands and don't share drinking cups, y'all!

Lest I sound like a whiny weasel completely, let me leave you with a recipe I made up for some vitamin-rich soup that soothes the grumbly tummy:

Marcheline's Spinach and Onion Soup

1. Melt half a stick of butter in a non-stick frying pan.

2. Slice up three small onions and a couple of cloves of garlic. Add to frying pan, and then sprinkle in some powdered cumin and a bit of curry powder (just a wee bit) and some salt and lots of black pepper. Sweat the onions and garlic over medium-low heat until they turn clear.

3. Take a bag of spinach leaves and empty it into the frying pan. Use a spatula to turn the cooked onions over on top of the spinach to help it wilt faster. Add a splash of white cooking wine, which will add great flavor as well as help to steam the spinach leaves.

4. Dump the contents of the frying pan into a large soup pot. Add two large containers of chicken broth, and bring to a simmer. Five minutes or so of simmering should do. If you want an added shot of protein, drizzle a couple of beaten eggs into the soup while it's still simmering for an "egg drop" version. Also, if I'd had some mushrooms in the house, I'd have sliced them up and put them in the frying pan with the onions and garlic.

5. Enjoy! (Sprinkled with some parmesan cheese, this stuff is too heavenly!)

A git'er done day

Whew... and it's not even over yet! Just taking a breather between:

1a. Cleaning out the shed and storage room, loading all extraneous stuff in my truck since I had to cart the old lawn mower to the dump today.

1. Taking the old lawn mower and a truckload of other junque to the town dump. My little old pickup truck felt downright dainty perching in line between those massive garbage trucks and tractor trailers! Damages? Six bucks. I'd have paid them ten to just let me in without waiting in line. For passenger vehicles, you think they'd have a separate line or a minimum dump fee, just to move things along a bit more.

2. Putting windshield washer fluid in my truck.

3. Grocery shopping.

4. Getting the mail.

Now I'm going to make myself a fat free greek yogurt smoothie with blueberries and raspberries, then I'm going to:

1. Fix the backyard fence (got torn loose by big branch falling in the next yard.)

2. Caulk my truck to see if I can stop it leaking inside every time it rains.

Tonight is "movie night" with our friends, but happily they are both hosting the event at their apartment AND cooking dinner! That means no cooking, cleaning, or doing dishes for me today.

Puzzle of the day: I seem to have misplaced my two-handled shrub lopper. I keep it inside, in the storage room, right next to my two-handled long shears, to keep them from rusting the way our old ones did out in the shed. Looked and looked, outside, inside, and upside down - can't find the dang things! Bear has no idea where they are, and I'm pretty sure the cats haven't been using them lately, so.... I guess I will give it one more look-see and then I'll have to give up and buy new ones. Directly after which I will probably find the original ones.



I am VERY excited - just got books 2, 3, and 4 in the new series I'm reading. The first book, "Game of Thrones", was so delicious and exciting I fear I gobbled it down fast enough to give me hiccups.

I've never read anything by George R. R. Martin before, but I adore his writing style. His stories are deep enough to catch your heart, but not so dense that they get confusing. There are just enough characters to keep things interesting, but he doesn't hit you with a million similar-sounding names (a-la-Lord of the Rings). There are swords and dragons and fair maidens, but the characters feel very real. It's easy to sink into the landscapes... to feel the dust of the road, hear the sound of wolves in the night, and taste the sweetness of summerwine in a drinking horn.

I heard of the HBO miniseries based on these books, but as books are usually better than the film version, I felt I should try reading the story first - and boy, am I glad I did!

Off to find out what happens next...

R.I.P. Andy Whitfield... aka Spartacus

From the CNN website:

"Spartacus" actor Andy Whitfield has died, CNN has confirmed. Fans of Starz Entertainment's original drama "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" know Whitfield as the titular gladiator.

According to the New York Times, the 39-year-old passed away on Sunday in Sydney, Australia from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Whitfield leaves behind his wife, Vashti, two children, and a sister.

You fought well, gladiator. Rest among history's champions.

Marcheline's new project

A dear friend of mine who lives in Italy has a birthday coming up in October. She loves vibrant color, and so I have just ordered this yarn to make her a neck warmer, or cowl. You can wear it around the neck like a scarf whose ends don't come unwound in the wind, or pull it up over the head like a hood when the winter winds blow.

Like dees:

I haven't done any crocheting in a while, and I've got the bug again. I hope the yarn is a soft as the ad says it is, because when you're wearing something around your neck, it's gotta be snuggly and comfortable. Nothing worse than a scratchy scarf/thingy!

Not much else to report today. It was supposed to be gloriously sunny and beautiful on this, my "Saturday".... it's gloomy and cloudy and misty instead. To round out this powerhouse of excitement, here's my to-do list:

1. Buy a lawn mower. Our old one rusted through and actually fell apart while I was using it the last time.
2. Cook sausage (to go with the peppers and onions that Bear cooked yesterday).
3. Go to the gym. (This list is obviously not in order.)
4. Trim the cats' toenails.
5. Wow, this list is really sucking, isn't it?

Remembering my cousin, Michael Otten

Tidbits

Am in an odd frame of mind lately - restless. Like I'm waiting for something to happen. Well, I suppose I am. My mother is coming to visit next week.

While I look forward to seeing her, there is always that pressure I feel when she comes to visit when I'm not on vacation. Having to go to work in the afternoons, leaving her to fend for herself all evening, makes me feel weird. Not that she's incapable of finding things to do, it's just... I'd rather be free to visit with her and go places, do things. I suppose I just have to roll with it.

Now that September is here, my favorite season of the year has begun. The sun is back out today, but I can't seem to sit still and enjoy it. There are still too many mosquitos out in the garden from all the recent rain, and they keep me swatting and slapping instead of reading and sipping. Also, the continuous rain of late keeps the trees shedding leaves and detritus all over the patio, so even though I go out there to try to relax, I end up grabbing the broom and doing cleanup work (which will be undone within the hour at any rate).

I am spectacularly unmotivated regarding my gym attendance lately. What is up with that? Perhaps it's time to watch "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and "G.I. Jane" again. Bad-ass movie heroines always motivate me.

Am of two minds regarding all the 9/11 memorialization going on in the media lately. Part of me knows we should always remember what happened and honor the people who lost their lives that day, and part of me thinks that it's just another excuse for the media to exploit an emotional topic. It happened, it's over, let's move forward and focus on not letting it happen again. The desperate sadness of that day was a long time in the shaking off, and somehow wallowing around in it (or being forced to by the media) just seems unhealthy somehow.



On a happier note, I was able to score two incredibly cheap tickets (less than half price) to go and see "Cirque du Soleil" - ZARKANA! This is going to be our way of celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary, which takes place at the end of this month. These incredibly cheap (yet great) tickets were purchased through Groupon - if you haven't signed up yet, it's not too late!

Bear and I have wanted to go see "Cirque" for ages, and it's just been too pricey to think about... I am so looking forward to this! There's something Tim Burtonesque and even steampunky about their productions... something mysterious and macabre and magical. I basically abhor regular circuses, with their caged animals and awful clowns (quel horror!), so I'm looking forward to seeing elegant acrobatics paired with music and ambiance and panache.

For those who'd like a little taste of delights to come, watch the Zarkana trailer below. Don't forget to click the "full screen" button on the lower right corner for best effect!

A new favorite!

Hello, blogpeeps. Meet my newest blog addiction - Diary of a Spinster Aunt. Her name is Hannah, and she is one of the funniest people I've had the pleasure to unearth on the blogosphere lately. She's only been blogging since last year, which makes it possible (if you are as obsessive as I am) to read through her entire blog in one sitting, in one day. Hey, give me a break - I worked a 12 hour shift today! The Spinster Aunt gave me my best moments during that twelve hours - I laughed out loud a couple of times, and my coworkers gave me the crazy side-eye. It was totally worth it.

Of course, as with any new blogger, I always look for things we might have in common, whether personality-wise or things we've actually done/said/seen/heard/thought/snorted. Here are a few I found with Hannah:

1. We've both read (and loved) the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, Harry Potter, and Pride and Prejudice.

2. We both have cats.

3. We both live (or have lived in) places where things being broken or wonky is de rigeur.

4. We both use words like "lest" and "swoon" in modern conversation. As often as possible. Especially in front of people that it will annoy, and double-especially in front of people who have to go and google it to find out what it means.

5. I once drank beer while eating Oreos. She drank gin and juice in a claw-footed tub while reading circulars. Thing is, she posted a picture of herself doing this, which makes her so much cooler than me. Or it makes me so much smarter than her. Probably both.

6. We both regularly wear crazy pajama pants around the house with semi-normal upper body wear.

7. We are both unafraid to make complete fools of ourselves at parties and weddings, and if a microphone is involved, so much the better.

8. We both look on houseplants as members of the family, and have chosen to leave dead plants in their containers for abnormally long periods of time rather than admit they actually died.

9. We both have a weakness for smutty romance novels featuring men in kilts. I married one. (That would be a man in a kilt, not a smutty romance novel.) I highly recommend it!

10. We both regard our interior decorations as a valid method of expressing our derision for actual interior design.

Go check out her blog, and please drop in and say hello with a comment. Her box is empty.... and also, no one's leaving comments. Hahahaha! Spinster humor!

This one's for Libby

I know I've mentioned the way Bear and I are eating now... known as "paleo" or "primal". I have made a concerted effort NOT to become a soapboxer, an evangelist, or to shove this down anyone's throat. But I will tell you, it's hard to hold back - because it works so well, and makes you feel so great.

Oh, and that little equation at the top there? That's how much weight Bear and I have lost so far... the equivalent of a Rottweiler or an elementary school student. Remember those "skinny jeans" I was so excited about getting back into? I can put both fists in the waistband - with extra room - right now. Soon I will have no choice but to go buy a smaller pair! Also? My butt looks amazing. I haven't thought my butt looked amazing since college, but there you have it.

My blogfriend Libby has expressed some interest in "going paleo". I'm so excited, because eating this way does so much! Losing fat is just one of the great benefits... there are so many more. (Interestingly, depression is one of the ailments people are finding this diet is helping with.)

So, Libby, this one's for you. (And, sneakily, anyone else who chooses to read the rest of this post, plus anyone who's tired of waddling, cramming themselves into pants that barely button, folks who are tired of getting acid reflux every time they lie down to sleep, folks whose knees and joints are howling, people who... well, you know who you are.)

For a basic "what is this?" introduction to eating paleo, I direct you to THIS. It's Sarah Fragoso's frequently asked questions page. It lays out the simple points of getting started. The rest of her website is chock-full of delicious paleo-friendly recipes, and letters written by people who have been transformed by eating this way, plus helpful hints and tips. One last thing about Sarah... if you leave a comment or question on her blog, she will answer you! Very personable and on the ball, this chick.

Robb Wolf also has a fantastic site, as does Mark Sisson.

This is how I categorize them:

Sarah Fragoso is the most down to earth, "regular-guy" source of info on this way of eating. She's a mom, and she's basically into coming up with great recipes that keep life delicious and interesting while staying paleo. She's not talking science or molecular-level stuff, she's just DOING IT and sharing how. Very cool, very low-key, very "real".

Robb Wolf is great for those folks who really like to get down to the medical and scientific benefits of eating this way. He knows his stuff. He's got credentials out the wazoo, and he's happy to delve way, way down into the depths of how and why eating paleo is the way to go. Bear loves this kind of stuff - he loves the science of it all. Happily for me, his website also features a great "testimonials" section, which is basically just letters from regular folks like us who have found that eating paleo has improved their lives immensely. I like reading these, because so many different kinds of issues are being dealt with. Folks with diabetes, chemical imbalances, overweight peeps, those with fibromyalgia, migraines, joint soreness, and a host of other ailments have written in to tell about how much better they feel since "going paleo". Very interesting stories.

Mark Sisson's website is more geared towards the paleo person who is fitness centered. He also likes to explore the human condition - why we do the things we do. He starts a lot of really great comment conversations, because he's not afraid to bring up topics that stir folks' imaginations. For those of us who prefer to stay on the lighter side of paleo, there are some great recipes on his blog, as well.

One of the fear factors I have about any life-changing plan is the big merchandising monster. The "Want to know how? Buy my book/DVD/membership!" ploy. As soon as I see that, I'm out the door. The nice thing about going paleo is that you don't need ANYTHING. You go to the grocery store, make your choices based on the information freely available on the websites I've mentioned, and you're good to go. I don't know if I've said this yet, but I've found we're saving money by eating this way... you won't believe how much money you're blowing every week on junk your body is just throwing in the toxin pile anyway!

That being said, sometimes the best way to get a lot of information in one place is to put it in a book. IF you're interested, and IF you want to, these are two books that I've personally read and found to be really informative. They are in no way necessary, just really great.

1. Sarah Fragoso's cookbook, "Everyday Paleo". (That link is to the UK Amazon site, for you Libby.) Fantastic, varied, exciting, and best of all - EASY ways to keep your family looking forward to every meal without ever feeling like they're "on a diet".

2. Robb Wolf's book "The Paleo Solution" (again, a UK link). He's a funny guy, and the way he writes keeps you laughing while learning at the same time. If you're one of those folks who wants to know why eating this way works, and why certain foods affect our systems the way they do, then this book will float your boat.

Final book comment: Obviously, check your local library for these first. Free is always better. Our library has both of them, so hopefully yours will too.

Libby, I hope this puts a little spring in your diving board, and that you give paleo a try. I hereby offer you (and anyone who's read this far down) THE PALEO CHALLENGE: Eat paleo for thirty days, straight up, no cheating, and tell me what you see and how you feel on day thirty... if you can talk while jumping up and down and clapping, that is.

Yes, but not today thanks

I know I haven't been to the gym in over a week, due to the "red coats" riding roughshod across my abdomen. I know that they have gone now, and I should have gone to the gym this morning. I also know that I am paying for the gym membership every month, whether I go or not.

But I also know that the stress of the past week - an earthquake followed by a hurricane - plus the fact that I have to go to work this afternoon no matter unmotivated I feel, would result in a paltry workout and possible injury due to mental distraction.

I think that just because something stressful is over doesn't mean the stress itself is over. I feel almost like I'm recovering from the flu. When the shit hits the fan, you stay over-alert and watchful, don't sleep well, and use all your energy keeping things together. Once the danger has passed, it's like the body is allowed to fall apart and feel it all... takes some time to get back to any semblance of normalcy.

So I'm not going to the gym today. I'm trying to relax a little bit, give myself a bit of a break, try and get myself together before going to work and getting on the radio.

The gym will still be there when I get my groove back.

Hurricane Evacuation - The Pictorial

Home at last!

We drove home today through a vista of bright sunshine, beautiful Pennsylvania mountains, rather high-on-their-banks rivers, and loads and loads of beautiful New Jersey traffic. Beautiful because it meant we were getting closer to home!

One of our friends called us last night to let us know that she was actually at our house, walking around the yard, and that nothing had been damaged. No flooding, no trees down, and only minimal small branches and piles of leaves on the ground. We were immensely relieved, of course... but we didn't really really believe it until we pulled in the driveway this afternoon and ran around looking at and touching everything ourselves.

It was all okay... it is all fine... I still can't believe it, and we are so very grateful. We love this house, every tree on the property, every flower, every shrub... we've put our souls into it, and it's part of us. One earthquake and one hurricane in the space of one week, and everything is FINE. Amazing, and wonderful.

When we got home, we let two very disgruntled kitties (one of whom screamed and yowled the ENTIRE FOUR HOURS - both ways) and they trotted out of their carriers like they'd never been away. A few crunchies, a drink of water, and then off to lounge on the stairway. All in a day's work, they seemed to say.

We, on the other hand, set about reconstructing our entire first floor, which had been hastily flood prepped before our departure, and cleaning off our patio and re-assembling our tile-topped table, bird bath, and fire pit.

Now we're just de-stressing, sending out messages to our nearest and dearest to let them know we've returned to roost, and soon we'll nom some leftover chicken and freshly steamed home grown green beans from a friend's garden, and collapse on the couch.

Thank you all for your good wishes, prayers, and thoughtful comments. I appreciate your support and knowing you guys were out there pulling for us.

All is well.

Jeez, Louise... I mean, Irene.

I got home from work tonight at 11PM to find out that our town has declared a MANDATORY evacuation for my neighborhood, starting at 8AM tomorrow.

This is not great news to get at any time, but especially not at eleven at night when you think you're getting up the next day and having a leisurely breakfast.

Leaving the cats was not an option, and as there is not one single hotel room of any kind available on this island, nevermind one that will allow pets, we decided it was time for a road trip.

After spending an hour and a half on the phone, calling every "pet friendly" hotel/motel/no-tell in several states, we finally found one in Pennsylvania that had a vacancy. Whew!

So, tomorrow morning, we're putting the cats in their carriers (purchased today, luckily... $43 a pop - gah!) and attempting to drive off the island to safety. We spent another hour downstairs, pulling everything of value off the floor, unplugging and lifting all electrical wires, in case of flood. Damn, did we have a lot of stuff on the floor!

Bear bought sand and bags today, so before we leave we will be sandbagging the door in hopes of preventing any flooding.

Jeez, this is stressful. The poor cats are going to be horrified at a four hour car ride, and we're both in shreds worrying about what we'll be coming home to after the hurricane passes.

If any of you can spare a hug or a kind thought or prayer or any sort of good vibe to send our way, we could sure use it right now.

Paws crossed.


Before I go, here's a song that has the word "evacuate" in the title - just to keep things upbeat.

On shaky ground

I was lounging on my couch, watching some design show on HGTV (don't all of you go into shock at once, please) this afternoon. Our black cat was behind me on the back of the sofa, with his front feet on my shoulder - it's one of his favorite spots lately. He acts all affectionate, but I think he secretly just likes the view of "House Hunters International" from there.

All of a sudden I felt the back of my head thumping... and I thought the cat had sat up and was scratching, bumping into me. Then I realized the entire ROOM was bumping.

I saw a swaying motion out of the corner of my eye, and I turned my head to see my huge wrought iron baker's rack moving from side to side. My hanging lamps (there are many) were swinging softly, and I felt dizzy and seasick. The cat sat straight up and his eyes got huge.

I ran to the door and looked outside, but everything looked normal out there. The motion had stopped, but my sun catchers, hanging bird houses, and pendant lights were still swinging for five minutes afterwards.

Flipped on the news, and sure enough there was a 5.9 earthquake near Washington D.C. - we felt it all the way up here on Long Island! That was one of the creepiest things I've ever experienced, everything moving under and around me like some bad dream. Can't imagine what it was like for those poor folks in Japan, and other places in the world where everything came down around them.

This was just a little tremor, really - but it makes you feel so odd, so untrusting of your own senses. For just a second I wondered if it was poltergeists, or just my imagination. Everything outside the house seemed so normal.

As above, so below. Got a call from that family member of mine whose marriage is on the rocks, and things are not getting better. I wish I didn't feel so helpless. I want to offer advice and sympathy, and also to jump up and down and say "don't take this crap, grow some cojones and get a divorce and live the kind of life you deserve." But of course that's never helpful, really, is it? It just makes me crazy to see someone in a bad situation and not be able to do a damn thing to help.

After the earthquake, and that phone call, I just felt like I had to get outside and do something - clear my head, work up a sweat. I pulled out the trusty lawn mower, and headed for the front house lawn. Noticed that every time I tilted the mower up to turn it around, it was making this funny metallic buzzing sound. It does that sometimes when the grass builds up inside the mowing chamber and pushes on the blade, so I turned it off and emptied the bag a little more often to keep it from clogging up.

The noise kept happening, though. I finished the front yard, and headed back behind the cottage to do the side yards. Buzz, buzz.... CLUNK. The mower stopped dead. When I tilted it up to inspect, I saw that the body of the mower had actually rusted completely through near the rear left wheel, causing it to buckle... and the blade had embedded itself several inches into the metal surround around the bottom of the mower!

Turns out the "trusty old mower" had one too many "t"s.

I am now embracing the fact that this day is just one of those days. No more projects involving spinning blades. No investing large sums of money. No juggling eggs. I was thinking of taking a shower and washing my hair... think it's safe?

What a day this has been, what a rare mood I'm in... it's almost (or actually) like being in love!

Bear and I "stole" a day together today. He took the day off work to spend it with me... it's a thing we do occasionally, so that we can partake of a whole day off together (something that most couples get to enjoy every week - two whole days in a row - unheard of bliss!).

The weather is fine, sunny, and warm with cool breezes blowing every few seconds. The sky is bluer than blue, and we have been enjoying the hell out of every second. We had coffee together this morning, and listened to our favorite baroque music program via the internet. We went grocery shopping, planned our paleo meal for tonight (marinated pork chops, with garden-fresh green beans courtesy of a guy I work with who brings baskets of veggies in with him nearly every day), and picked up a movie to watch.

When we got home, we put away the groceries, lunched on some leftover chinese chicken and veggies and ribs, and took off hand in hand down to the local dock (pictured above, but not photographed by me). There were lots of folks out and about - people taking their kids to the swings at the waterfront park, throwing tennis balls into the water for their happy dogs to paddle after, dads teaching their kids to fish off the dock, and people on cell phones, talking to whoever was not lucky enough to have this gorgeous day off.

On the way to and from the docks, we wandered past the neighborhood houses, playing designer... we point out features of the old houses that we love, and dream up options for restoring or beautifying the ones that need some help. Somebody always stops and asks us for directions when we're out walking, and we say hello to folks we see washing their boats in their driveways, or walking their pups. Going out walking always makes me feel part of the community. It's impossible to go down to the docks without getting a friendly greeting or saying hello to a local. It's one of the best things about Long Island, in my book.

Now we're home, taking a little "computer siesta" - Bear wearing his headsets, me with a glass of red wine... then later we'll amble downstairs and cook dinner together, and watch tonight's movie: "Red Riding Hood" (starring Gary Oldman, one of my all-time faves).

Hope you're all having a spectacularly relaxing evening, wherever you are.

Awake... again...

I know you're not talkin' bout me...

Well, here it is nearly 4:30AM... been awake since 3AM. Probably shouldn't have had that evening cup of java at work, but I had such a headache all day and felt so groggy, no doubt due to the barometric pressure - stormy day! - I gave in and drank a big old cuppa at about eight o'clock.

I actually was asleep, but the fat fluffy tan member of the family decided to pounce on my head, and when I woke up she was staring at my pillow as though she'd just seen something run under it. Which does not make one feel like curling back up on said pillow and going back to sleep. Once the brain starts going, I'm done for.

While Bear snores happily in the other room, I am having an inordinately good time pouncing on my favorite blogs and being the first person to comment on all the new posts!

It's the little things.

I been asleep the whole time!

Marcheline's Muscular Mayhem

THIS IS NOT ME.

Now that we have that out of the way... these are photos of my personal trainer. If paying someone one time for one hour of personal training makes them "yours", then yes - she is my personal trainer.

I just got home from said hour of training, and it's all I can do to hold my arms up to type this. A lot of deleting and backspacing is necessary. That being said, I am so glad I decided to do this!

I think if you want to go somewhere and don't know how to get there, the best way is to find someone who's already where you'd like to be, and ask them. This chick is so incredibly in shape, I told her that "my current goal is to look (when my muscles are 'pumped') the way you look when you're relaxed." She laughed. And then told me to do another set of reps.



She so completely does not fool around. I told her that I am not a "treadmill queen". My goal is not to spend three hours at the gym, walking to nowhere, chatting with the neighbors. I want to get in, work my ass off for half an hour to forty minutes, and get the hell out. She nodded. And told me to do another set of reps.



I determined not to whine, not to complain, not to beg for any extra rests. I listened to her instructions, and did however many reps she requested, even if I had to grunt to get the last two finished.

The only weaknesses I revealed were medical (my right rotator cuff and neck injuries) so that she would know how to craft my workout to avoid further injury. She listened, and specifically told me how to position my body during each exercise to maximize the effect on the target muscle group and minimize impact on the injured areas. She frequently asked how I was feeling, and when I said I felt great, she smiled. And told me to do another set of reps.



My favorite thing about the session was that she never once had me do anything that I normally do when I go to the gym. Each exercise used a "new" piece of equipment, or a new motion with a free-weight that I hadn't done before. This is what I was looking for - fresh puzzle pieces to shift around when crafting my weekly workouts.

I had been doing the "same old same old", week in, week out, and frankly getting bored. I'm sure my muscles were getting bored, too. The body has an amazing way of getting used to things, and then ignoring them completely. A workout should shake up your body, make it pay attention, make it work.

She showed me some great "combo moves" wherein you do one exercise, but by tailoring your movement, you work out two or three muscle groups simultaneously... thus making a quicker yet more effective session! Exactly what I need.

Also, I had been completely ignoring my hamstrings and the tops of my shoulders, not to mention my abs. She remedied this situation - and how!



I thought she would go easy on me when I told her I was 44 years old - but she told me she's got two kids and she's going to be 40 on her next birthday ... and then she told me to do another set of reps.

As promised.... PALEO PIZZA!!!!

Yes, I made another one. Was dreaming about it all week. I added fresh green peppers and one chopped jalapeno pepper to the toppings this time, along with fresh basil. I think I'll try a mushroom topping on the next one.

And yes, we ate too much of it last night. Paleo pizza is no different from regular pizza in that regard... if you eat too much at once, you end up "food drunk" and feeling bloated afterwards. I was going to say at least there's no hangover the next morning, but actually that's not true. Neither Bear nor I ate breakfast this morning - still too full from the night before.

Moderation in all things, peeps. Even things as delicious as paleo pizza!