Day 230 - Riddle, Tuna, Snow, Fitness Warrior & Meow

December is off and running and we need a picture riddle to keep it going properly, don't you agree? What oh what could that picture above be? Have an idea; then tell us what you think it is. Have no idea; then take a guess anyhow. Have fun and I'll get you the answer tomorrow.

Let us see here, I think I will keep things on the lighter side today just because I can.

Speaking of lite, here is a picture of my lunch from yesterday; tuna steak over sauteed veg & brown rice. Oh and a huge dollop of cucumber sauce which I punted. Amazing how the cafeteria can put out some really great dishes on some days and them some horrific messes on others...

This was taken earlier this week from one of our office building cat-walks. Snow flurries teasing and taunting us. This Saturday the weather folks are calling for 2-4 inches; I've procrastinated long enough in cranking over the snow blower and be sure it is ready for the season...

 

THANK YOU Bobbie!

Recently I was one of the lucky ones whose name came up as winners of a give-away Bobbie was having. And here it it, my very own Fitness Warrior towel from her recently launched line of Fitness Warrior gear. If you are not familiar with Bobbie of her line of goods, check out those links!

And we will wrap up the post with a gratuitous cat picture. Zinger & Nacho here, can you tell that they want the cat nip I have in hand...

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 125 - Ask Me Anything

Source

Happy Friday Everybody!

First order of business, get your motivation fix HERE, Misunderstood and Admired did it!!! A marvelous journey's milestone achieved, just marvelous!

For the most part a solid day, I exercise - had a great workout actually. You know when a workout is just going well, the reps are movements of art, the breathing is symphonic, the timing is precision. Well, maybe someday I'll have a workout that pristine but last nights workout was the best I've had in a long time, like years and years ago long time.

Food, good, not great. You can see I had a slight cave in at the end of the day. Not sure if that workout stoked up my appetite or if I simply let my guard down and let my gut make decisions on eating vs. my brain. If that is my stumble for this week and no more, I'll be just fine.


As promised yesterday's log looked like this....

• 6a - Tomato Juice, Peach, Greek Yogurt
• 8a - Milk
• 10a - Pear, Cheese Stick
• 1215p - Garden Salad w/ Tuna (canned) and Sesame Oil Dressing
• 245p - Muscle Milk Light (vanilla flavor)
• 530p - Exercise: Home Gym Routine, 5 sets of Crunches & Push Ups each
• 7p - Grilled Chicken Wings, Burger Patty, Coleslaw w/ Salsa (leftover night, the burger 5 oz. but not needed; but was aiming for protein after the workout.)
• 830p - 100 Calorie WW Ice Cream bar (hit by a sweet tooth attack and I caved)

A few weeks ago I had an exchange with a blogger where they asked a few questions of me about diet and then a few off topic questions. Nothing improper, just a blogger being curious about another I suppose. At the end of that exchange they suggested I do an 'Ask Me Anything' post. Having seen a few bloggers do this before I replied, sure, someday I'll do so.

Guess what, today is someday. So, Ask Me Anything, and I'll pop back in later with answers, or answer them tomorrow at the latest. You can ask anything, ask more than one question if so moved; I reserve the right to not answer something of course - I'm quite thick skinned so not likely I will abstain.

I'll seed this with a few of the questions I recall the previously mentioned blogger asking...
Q: How often did you exercise when you started?
A: Actually I didn't exercise the first week of my mission; that week was about changing my mindset and eating habits. After week one I exercised as often as I could make time, and then only for as long as I could handle it. I knew I had to get moving, but I also knew didn't need to run a race on day one. Short walks, short periods of time on a treadmill was all I did to get moving.

Q: When you were younger did you have problems with your weight?
A: Nothing more than being a bit chubby in high school, but that was corrected my senior year as I knew I was going to enlist in the USMC. It wasn't until my mid-twenties that I let life get in the way of making healthy choices.

Q: Do you like the beach and if so, do you prefer tanning lotion or oil? (recall I said he asked a few off topic questions, this was the oddest)
A: The beach I can take or leave. I don't make a beach a priority when planning a vacation, if one happens to be there, so be it. I am a white male of Irish-Scottish heritage, I don't tan; I burn. I use sun screen when I play golf, or attend outdoor sporting events. Never do I recall buying real tanning products.

Also a few of the blog awards have asked me to respond with 'x' number of random or unknown facts about yourself, these might be found interesting, or funny, maybe odd; they are quickly referenced here.

So, if interested, Ask Me Anything and have a great Friday!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 119 - Dose Of Perspective

Yesterday my wife & I took the kids out to lunch for a back-to-school feast. They start back at school next Monday; yep summer is all but over for them.

They got to choose the place and chose a sushi place near where I work, I met them there. This was also my wife's first time behind the wheel since her surgery last week. She is healing very well and is mentally ready to resume everything but not quite there physically yet.

For my lunch I chose the Tuna Salad you see there. Simply some seared tuna on a bed of lettuce with some avocado & tomatoes. You also see a smaller dish there of bacon wrapped cherry tomatoes & jalapenos. I love that side, but didn't eat all of the bacon. The kids claimed up what bacon I chose to not allow myself to eat. It was a healthy lunch and a fun way to celebrate school's return.

When I was a young boy, teenager; I recall my Grandma talking about how Uncle Arthur was visiting. When I was real little I didn't get it and she'd have a ball trying to explain it to me. But since I didn't see a man in the house to put to the name I was lost and naturally lost interest in her efforts. Later on I came to know that Uncle Arthur was her name for her bouts with arthritis which came and went as the winds across the Illinois prairie she called home.

Arthritis is something I have never given much attention outside of witnessing her bouts with it. She passed on sixteen years ago, wow how time flies, and I've given arthritis near zero thought since. This week we've learned that arthritis has returned to the family in the form of rheumatoid arthritis.

So, we've been learning swiftly what this disease is all about; especially my sister. She is beside herself, flush with the uncertain questions that overcome anyone who has learned unfortunate news; why has it come to be, what can be done to cure, provide relief, what does it mean for today & tomorrow, etc...

As with just about everything these days there are volumes and volumes of information on the internet. Which is good and bad, good that it is there and bad that there is so much way-to-general text to burn through to get to that which is really useful.

For now oral medications are being used to treat the disease and if they don't provide the relief needed then cortisone shots will be next. Two stats are consuming our minds right now; one is that there is a 20% chance this actually can self cure itself someday. This is per the specialist, we've yet to see any documentation to really support the claim. Still, 20% is a number which suggests we learn how to cope with for the long haul.

The other stat is that 1% of people are afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis with women being three times more likely to suffer from it and the majority of those who do are diagnosed after age 40. My sister is 3 years younger than I which makes her 42, but her age is trivial here. These stats consume us in angst as it is her 8 year old son Michael who now suffers from this disease.

We never know where the next dose of perspective in our lives will come from, and from whom we will realize them.

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!