Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go,

They just determine where you're starting from.  I like quotes.

I asked my friend Kim why I wasn't lean and trim yet with all the swimming at working out I've been doing, tongue in cheek!  I know it's a routine now.  I just need to keep it going.  A life style, It's become.  Change was needed.
My fit exercise counter and food calorie recorder has been frozen the last two days.  Ironically, the one at the gym has been down too.

Time to squeeze some o.j. From my tree oranges, and toast the lat piece of my wheat berry bread.  I'd be sad if it started growing!  It's too precious to toss.  Making bread takes a lot of effort. I ignored it for oatmeal!
Caro told me to reduce the 1/2 hr cooking time of steel cut oats, to soak them over night, and si I have.  I can see them absorb the water like the wheat berries do.

The days are long now, but the years are short... Unknown

After swimming, I met Jack at a Korean restaurant in Santa Clara for dinner, Korean Palace.  It was o.k., not great, but they can keep the kimchi.  The short ribs were good but I was not knocked out by the soup.  I liked the glass noodles a lot. What we loved was the dipping sauce too.  Sometimes at the food trucks I get short rib sliders.  For the taco festival, I get short rib tacos.  The little bit of sugar sweetness is nice.  I liked the grilled onion last night and slid them in the rice bowl once the ribs were gone.

He  treated me to some salted Caramel Pinkberry frozen yogurt for dessert.  That was my first time there.  Kim raves about it.  Organic, Greek option with fresh fruit options.  It's a big step up on the industry, but is pricy too!  Without toppings, as all cup was $7. For 2 cups of regular, not Greek frozen yogurt.  On Wed between 11-2 Greek fro-yo is free advertises a sign... We'll see if we ever get back to try that!

I brought the scraps and bones home for the deck cat/possum/rat, and they were gone by 12. Yesterday I put a chicken carcass out there.  The whole carcass was gone!

I sent him home with care packages of left over chicken enchiladas and 1/2 a whip cream yogurt pie teeming with fresh strawberries and blueberries, I made this morning. Glad to share the wealth.

I got two types of new yogurt to try. I made a smoothie with just regular plain yogurt, strawberries and banana.  I have to try integrating some flax seeds in too.
An article said Oigos, organic Greek yogurt was the best, so I splurged and got a container and Chopini was on sale too.  I'll see if they are worth double the price!

Farmer's Market's I love them!

Here I CA we have some of the best I like to think!  I want to get up to the one in S.F. Again, the ferry plaza building one is written up in Sunset, and quiet famous.  One Sat., David I and I drove into the city to go to fast track, ended up having lunch in Chinatown, and briefly stopped at the market.  I was intrigued and wanted to spend more time!

Here in the Santa Clara Valley, as perhaps everywhere, we are supplied by vendors from hrs. Away who pick the night before, load up in the cold of the morning rain or shine, year round and are there to set up by 9 a.m.  Each market is unique.  I like the Indian food, eggplant and tikka Marsala there.  At ours in Evergreen, there is a vendor for fish and dolmas/ humus, falafels and gyros.  Don't forget the beautiful flowers twice a week.  I love the sweet peas and sunflowers. These beautiful orchids are there every week!

On the weekend, a baker adds to the mix.

Earth day

It started out quiet.  I made breakfast for Bobby, who was out removing my lemon tree at 7.
I went into work. I barely got in a hurried swim and was back at work until 6:30.

It's tough to fit it all in when you work full time. I had dinner, supervised Bobby's clean up up the squashed lemons in the street! I was so angry and tired when I came home!  He had sprayed down my driveway and a lot of things were wet including the boxes.  I yelled and as tired as I was went about sorting out the mess he left behind.  I finally gave a primal scream in the car, had him move my mower so I could park and went to eat.  I was so hungry.  I felt better after that.

 I have 3 buckets of lemons!  My poor orange tree got decimated too.
The lemon tree tried to take over the navel orange tree.  Unfortunately some of the branches had to go.  Now, the lines of each tree are better.  The orange actually has sunlight!  They all look traumatized!  It will take dime time for them to releaf.

So much for earth day!  I cut trees and did plant seeds for flowers.
I wrote an essay on conservation of water too.
Today I have a friend coming for dinner and someone to interview at 8, another full day.

" I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth.  But rather, by some means, excuse the fault I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasion speak all the good I know of everybody." Benjamin Franklin

Miranda's and I made a poster for her dolphin report.  It was my first poster board complete with adhesive letters, traced dolphins in grey and pink and black and a list of facts. There were fish and water drops to stick to it for decoration.  It was fun.  Her oral report should be interesting for a 2nd grader!

Sleep wonderful sleep

I love my sleep, my bed, pillow, sheets, everything.  I do wish my new matress was a thermarest v. on line sealy.  it isn't the same.  I was dreaming of swimming and scrabble last night!  It happens whenever you are absorbed in something new. The mind works over time to figure things out.  The same happens when I swim.  I work out problems, remember things on my shopping list, just let the brain idle,  There is always something to fill it.

I have 2 big bags of clothes, linen, shoes to clear out of here.  Fortunately, if I can get it to the curb they will pick it up.  I was up early, slept in and then finished some garage things.  I didn't get into the pool until 3:30 -5.  It was nice to get a later start.  I got a red, 50,000 fitness point t shirt today which was a nice reward.

  I came home to the Gardener in the garage!  He also trimmed my lemon tree dramatically.  I have bee wanting to do that dramatically for a long time.  Each year I hack at it but he really pruned it.  I have lemons galore.  I'll have to take some to the food bank.
It's nice to have all the bushes trimmed back too.

It was nice to have a relaxing evening.  My arms ache and I'm exhausted.  The weather has been perfect in the low 80's every day.

Aqua zumba

I like that class but it is hard after swimming laps.  My arms felt like they were going to fall off.  I like the land Zumba class be tater but the water version offers less stress.
It's offered so early on a Sat.

Afterwards, I got some shrimp for a stir fry tonight.  I came home for a few minutes then went. Gfor an eye exam and to pick out glasses.  I can't believe how expensive they were.
I think there is a huge markup in the eye glass industry and it's a rip off.

After getting up so early, I grabbed a nap.  I got up in time for dinner.  I picked up a bah Minh earlier from a new place I discovered.  The man was so nice, he came me one for Jack and 2 garlic rolls for free.  we will be back.

For dinner I made tea, iced, i need to plant and get some mint; and put out imperial rolls as appetizers.  Yum!  Afterwards, we stir fried shrimp marinated earlier in soy, cilantro, jalapeños, rice wine, fish sauce, rice vinegar and then sautéed 2 kinds of mushrooms, garlic, ginger, shrimp,  yellow and red peppers, sugar snap peas and daikon.  I made some brown rice.  It was quick and delicious.

With only water I gained 2 lbs.  it's water weight.  Fluxuations like that happen.  That's why you weigh once a week.  I drank a whole bottle of water.  That was 2 lbs. easy.  In addition to Zumba, I'm starting a body flow, body pump, group cycling, yoga and yogalastics class.  I need to work in a core conditioning class too.  The dance class interests me too.  Now they have ballroom, but I like salsa, mambo and samba.

Tonight is the t.v. Trifecta.  First at 6 is Mad Men, followed by Hallmark movie, the Midwives, then Selfridge's on PBS. I'll take left overs over to John's to watch on the bid screen and cable.
We like our tube time as much as our walks.  He' comming to the gym with me as a 3 day guest.
I pretty much so my thing, so I'm not sure how he'll take to me swimming for an hr.  hopefully he will find other things to do. I haven't even been in the weight room, the courts, cycling in the main equipment room Is limited to the treadmill and cycling so far.

Progress

After a sellar start in Jan. A sick Feb, and a pretty good March, I've actually lost 15 lbs.  I finally have a good scale to use at the gym.  I thought I was feeling a difference in my clothes.  It's about time!  I thought I just wasn't doing it right and had to step up the exercise and consistency, which I do, but, I'm glad to see some progress.  I do track my exercise and food online on Fast track.  That helps too.
I'm determined to get another t shirt.

I need to find my swimming cap too.  Washing it every day after swimming and that chlorine is hard on it and my skin.  Today, I put on sun screen.  My skin just drinks up the moisture.  There are so many products.
I got a massage tonight which helped, body and spirit.  It really helped to have swim cap and goggles.  My arms are so sore.