I Could Really Be Somewhere Else Today

OK. Sunday's Cross Country Training is all set for Sera Valley. It is only about 15 minutes from Cathy's place, so we don't have far to take the ponies. This farm is new, and last week I saw all the cool looking jumps. Can't wait to go! And, being the glutton for punishment that I am, I am going to do the Horse Trials at Legacy Stables on April 18 - a show to get me in the mood for Rolex. Well, that's not really necessary, but it's a good reason to do the show. I'll take any excuse.

After we ride I'm putting a leg of lamb in the oven for our Easter dinner later on. The plan is lamb, roasted potatoes, a veg and apple pie for dessert. That's it. No extravagant dishes that are calorie-laden!

I decided that I needed to take a break from exercising today. My knees hurt, my leg hurts and I'm just really tired. Think my body needs a break. Tomorrow, back in the gym!

A Riding Weekend

Photo of Sara and me at our riding lesson two weeks ago when it was really, really warm! Bella loves Satchmo, but Satchmo wants nothing to do with her whatsoever. (We think he's gay; well, not think we know he's gay!) Satchmo is on the right; see how he's avoiding looking Bella in the eye? He just tolerates her and puts his ears back and tries to bite her every time she gets near. Does she get the message? NooOOOO. She's such a floosey!

Saturday I went to a dressage schooling show at Legacy Stables. The good news is my ride time was 2:40 and 3:20 because I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn, and I didn't have to ride in the freezing cold. Around 10:00 I went out to the barn, got Bella out of othe muddy paddock, pulled her mane, did some of her forlock, but not a great success at that, clipped her nose and made her look pretty. Since her feet were caked in mud, I got a bucket of water and washed off as much of the mud as I could. I know the water was cold, but there was nothing else I could do unless I ran up to Cathy's and got hot water from the tap; no way that was happening; I would have spent half the time just going up and getting water! Anyway, got several layers of mud off and we could even see her hooves, and her feathers were somewhat white. At 12:30 or so we loaded up Bella and took off for Legacy Stables. The distance wasn't too far, but since we went back roads, it took almost an hour to get there! We went to get my number, etc., and found out I was riding at 3:10 and 3:50 instead of the earlier times. What can you do?

We sat around, chatted, and finally got Bella off the trailer to tack her up; we went down to the warm-up ring, and Bella was in a great mood. Did not need the whip at all. Did my first test and I got positive feedback except for the bad canter depart on the right lead. I told the judge, "Here's the story. I pulled on the reins, gave her leg, and she didn't know what to do." The judge thought it was funny; I was just telling the truth! got a 61.30, but no ribbon. Second test I rode and afterwards, the judge said, "What about that second test?" I thought I had done a horrible job! On the contrary, she said I did a much better job of riding and not being a passenger. Whew! Got a 63.57 and second place. Two personal best scores EVER!

Had a riding lesson with Sara yesterday. For all the years I've been riding, it's finally beginning to feel comfortable, and I'm feeling more confidant. Only took about 9 years to get there. Sit back, I tell ya, sit back.

Busy Weekend

Saturday - Horse Show! Ride Times were finally posted and I don't ride until 2:40 and 3:20 - 50 minutes apart. Just enough time to get off, but not really relax after the first ride. Better than 9:00, when the show starts. So, I will go out to Cathy's and pretty up Bella the best I can. I think it will be too cold to give her a bath, which she despearately needs, but I will do what I can. Saturday shows are mostly a pain for me. I really like have Saturday to get ready and not have to run around Friday night getting all my gear together. Such is life and the burdens we have to bear. Not sure where my clippers are; I think they are in the bucket at the barn. However, they are close to being on their last legs. Think I'll go to Target and get some on the way.

Sunday will be a riding lesson with Sara at 9:00! Dave's parents want to take us to brunch, so we will have to go an hour earlier for the lesson so I can get back to shower and leave around 11:15 (?) I think. Anyway, Sara got out of going, and the only saving grace is I will get something to eat after riding.

Leg is feeling better, but still getting twinges when I move from side to side. The front-to-back movement is ok unless I've been sitting for awhile, but at least I'm on the mend. That first step is a real killer!

Knitting Report: I'm at the point where I will change from the bulky yarn to the worsted weight yarn. Unfortunately, because the yarn and needles are so much smaller, I have to increase stitches to a whopping 210 stitches. Better than I thought; I thought it was 300 stitches. Always a bright side to everything!

Will This Week Ever End?

Saturday I'm going to a dressage show at Legacy Stables. At first another rider from the barn was going with me. She's a senior in high school, but was apparently goofing off too much this week, so she's not going with me. Another solo trip to a show. Rats! That also means I have to pay for trailering costs/coaching fee by myself. This is going to be an expensive show. I better get a ribbon - at this rate - any color will do!

The firm has an unofficial book club which is meeting today at noon. I forgot about it and did not go to the gym this morning. I was going to bit the bullet and let it be a rest day. Having said that, I realized I'm having pizza for dinner, so the gym it is! I can't eliminate the gym when I'm having Dave's Famous Pizza for dinner.

My menu for lunch/snacks: veg. chili, green peppers, tomatoes, orange, activia with wheat germ, banana (maybe) and popcorn (maybe). Dinner: Pizza!

I'm still working on my self-evaluation. It is a royal pain in the rear end, and what will it do for us? The firm is cutting back on everything, except partner bonuses, so no one is expecting any type of raises this year. Blah!

Official Countdown to Rolex: 27 days.

Self-Evaluation??? This is nuts.

On the work side of things: Once a year we are compelled to do a self-evaluation, then our bosses get to read it and tell us we don't actually walk on water! I despise doing these things, and I, basically, repeat the same crap I said last year. How does one expand on printing, stapling, hole punching and filing? There has to be a way to make this all sound very executive-like and nobody else in the world could possibly do this job. Granted, there is a bit more to the job, but......

On the exercise side of things I 'm still working on the elliptical waiting for my leg to be well enough to run. I might be doing a 5K on April 11, so I'm not doing any running until I know if I will actually be doing this.

On the knitting side of things, I re-started the sweater because it just didn't look big enough around the armholes. I'm at the armholes and still it looks small; could be the stitch holders since they don't stretch with the yarn. Anyway, I'm forging ahead with it. Needles: Size 15; Yarn: Crystal Palace, Kaya, a bulky yarn. Should go fast (at least I'm hoping so).

No other side of things to talk about right now.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Saturday - The first day of spring and the temperature was wonderfully warm! Sara and I met (with Romeo) and did our 1 1/2 hour walk around the lake two times for 4.8 miles. Lots of people out walking and running with dogs and kids. Where were these people when Sara and I were out there in 17-degree weather and sliding down icy paths? Hmmmm?

We did a moderate walk, and was just enough to get the juices flowing. Romeo was mostly a good boy although he did snip at a dog. We're not sure, though, who instigated the entire event. Romeo or the other dog. Anyway, Romeo was a very tired boy when we got him home.

I had gone onto the deck in the early morning (7:30 or so) and it was really cold! I had a sweater and a jacket on. I guess living in the hills makes a difference in the temperature. Centennial Park's temperature at 9:30 was perfect.

We spent the day lounging and sitting on the deck enjoying the nice weather. Dave had to take some pictures of a business sign after dark and the sign with lit up. Don't know why, but the company wanted pictures of the sign lit up. We went to Bethesda, took the pictures, couldn't find the place that we wanted to eat; drove in circles, then went to Tysons Corner to take a picture of the sign there. We drove in circles trying to find that one, too. After Dave took the pictures it was 9:45! Still no dinner. We saw a Chili's sign, went in there and had a very disappointing meal - at least mine was. It was supposed to be a quaesadilla with chicken; Ugh!

Sunday was also very nice. Sara and I had a riding lesson. Bella was in a good mood, a very good mood, which makes it a good lesson for me. Sara and Satchmo had a good time and Satchmo even took the first jump instead of having to examine it first! A plus! Maybe he's realizing the jump won't all of a sudden spring upwards into his face! Stupid horse. We are planning a cross country training trip on April 4, which is Easter Sunday, but what better way to spend the day than riding?

After the lesson Dave and I went to Savage Mill to meet Lea and go to a "yarn thing" there. It was a room that had yarn vendors from local farms, etc. We had brunch first, and that was also a really bad meal. I ordered an omelette with crab, cheese and mushrooms. They didn't have mushrooms, so I asked for broccoli. Intead of florets, there were 3 giant stalks of broccoli in the egg. Sheesh! Not only that, the egg was lukewarm when it got to the table. I had never eaten there before, and I was very anxious to have a meal there. Not ever again!

Even the yarn displays were somewhat disappointing. I was ready to purchase yarn, but there wasn't the type I was looking for. Most of the yarn was sock yarn, hand painted, so hardly any solid colors. I did splurge and buy two skeins of alpaca - a beautiful creamy buttery yellow and a light grey for - you guessed it- a pair of mittens. They will be the most expensive and the warmest mittens I ever owned.

Food wise - Not the best choices I could have made this weekend, but sometimes it just works out like that. Redeeming myself by packing much healthier foods than I had yesterday.

I was making great headway on my sweater that I started, looked at it and (it is difficult to tell on the needles) it looked too small. I ripped it out and now I'm going to do the next higher number of increases instead of what I was doing. Now, I'm concerned if I'll have enough yarn. Maybe I should buy a few more skeins - "just in case." Ha ha.

Finally Friday! It's About Time!

When I got up this morning, I was so relieved that it WAS finally and absolutely Friday. Of course, it's not over, yet, because I'm at work and have to struggle through the day. Ugh!

On the exercise side, I am still working with an injured leg. Yesterday I did some stretches hoping it would help me. Not sure if it has because my leg still hurts when I stand up - that's when it hurts the most, but after I get moving, it's not too bad, not perfect, but not too bad. I would like to go outside, but I think I will stay in and hop on the elliptical since it is not so hard on my leg as running - even walking. I need those cardio calories.

We are going to have a great 70-degree Saturday - the first day of spring. I've been counting down since 45 days ago, and I thought it would never get here. Sunday is a riding lesson, then off to Savage Mill for a Yarn Experience or whatever it's called. Going to meet Lea and Betty there; Dave is coming with me so he can get out of the house, we'll all have lunch; Dave will walk around, and the three of us will talk/walk yarn for a few hours. I'm not even going to attempt to say I will exercise will power and not buy anything! It's just not worth it! I do have a sweater I want to make, but have been unable to find the right yarn for it.

I'm just about finished the tan/chocolate mittens. Just a few more rows on the thumb and I'm done. Then, the two have to be blocked so the stitches even out and look really smooth. One more pair of mittens to make with yarn I already have, thank you very much! It is a white yarn and a sock multi-colored yarn, which I'm hoping will look very striking. Better to knit them now, then I can give them away at Christmas time for gifts. Betty hinted that the tan mittens would really match her new camel colored coat. I'll save those for her and give them to her at Christmas. Her birthday is in January, so Christmas is the first occasion for me to give them to her.

Next countdown - Rolex! Only 33 days. April 21 flying off to Louisville, KY, getting in the van with Aileen, Cassidy and Sara and driving to Lexington, KY. I put a countdown tracker on my page; it actually works. Yesterday, it said 1 month, 3 days, now it says 1 month, 2 days. Imagine that!

It's Thursday, But Should Be Friday

It's quite interesting how I get to Thursday and feel as if the work week is over! It's been happening for many years; maybe, I'm a 4-day work week person. :)

There were many cupcakes left over from the Irish Bash yesterday that I took two home for Dave. It was a gutsy thing to do as they both were staring me down all night. I needed to use the small containers I took them home in, so I did taste the frosting on one - hey! it stuck to the lid of the container! What's a girl to do? In place of cupcakes are applesauce and cottage cheese. Better choices for the day. I packed 1 cup of vegetarian chili, 7 triscuits, 1 orange, and popcorn. On the way to work I stopped at Au Bon Pain and they had my favorite soup, Mushroom Bisque. I had to buy some, so I will eat that today and save the chili for tomorrow. Both have the same WW points value, so not a big deal.

My friend, Betty, is having work done on her house. She got a call yesterday afternoon that the contractors opened the door and one of her cats ran out! So far, the cat has not bee found. Unfortunately, the cat is an indoor cat and is probably scared to its last wits. And, she doesn't have claws in her front paws. (Another subject altogether, but not now.)

Exercise for the day will be the ellipitcal and some strength training. Must give my leg some rest. This is really annoying me, but what can you do? I guess, take it easy and let it heal.

St. Paddy's Day and Orange It Is!

Wearing orange on St. Patrick's Day is a tradition for me. I think I do it more to annoy people than anything else. I am neither Catholic nor Irish, and since everyone Irish shows their heritage, so I do with my orange shirt and scarf.

Leg is still bothering me, so today was a 47-minute walk outside. It really irked me that I couldn't run, but I couldn't run! Walking was as good as it got, and even then, still had muscle pain in my thigh.

Nothing earth shattering going on around here. I've started working on our E-filing system which saves our emails into our document management program. This is suppposed to get people to empty out In, Sent, Deleted boxes to cut down on the amount of data on the computer.

We had pho for dinner last night, and as usual, had a lot left over. Today's food was the leftover pho, celery, 6 tortilla chips with salsa, a small salad from Au Bon Pain, and an orange. I don't know if I'll eat the orange.

DILEMMA FOR THE DAY: There is an "Everybody Is Irish Today" party at 3:00 in the office. I knew there would be cupcakes, but just found out there will be small corned beef sandwiches, there is a large bowl of fruit salad, and of course, cupcakes. Drink: Soda, Water, Beer, Wine. It is so tempting, but I am still full from lunch since I only ate at 2:00. Since I'm attempting to keep the food down to a minimum, I don't know if I'll even go.

Did go to the "do"; ate a few pieces of fruit; talked with some people; left. I'm done. I know now that I can overcome the temptation to eat food just because it's there. And, thankfully, I didn't have people forcing me to eat or trying to convince me to eat. Eating is a personal thing, but people think they can tell you want to do.

Oh, saw on the news that a lady wants to get in the Guinness Book of Records as the fattest woman/person? She weighs 700 pounds now and has 300 pounds to go. This just really makes me sick. She'll be lucky if she lives long enough to get the 300 pounds on her! Gross.....with a Capital G R O S S!!

Opened Up Email and Patterns on Sale for $4.75 Each

What a surprise when I got to work and saw that Butterick, Vogue and McCall's were having another sale on patterns! $4.75, this time instead of $5.75. WhooHoo! Of course, I bought some more patterns because at these prices, it's worth it to have them at the ready. These patterns range from $15-$33 each! Unbelievable!

Nothing exciting on the exercise/food front; still plugging along making sure I don't ever turn into a blimp! Yesterday was a light exercise day for me because I ran the 5K on Sunday. I was on the elliptical for about 10 minutes and the remaining time (about 20 minutes) was core work, etc. Not many calories burned, but I did need to get the strength training in. Today I am planning on TM work (with the hopes my leg doesn't give out on me) and see if I can ramp up my speed. I'm working on being able to run at a faster pace for a longer period of time than I do now. Gotta keep pushing or it will never happen. Suck it up and go for it, I say. Of course, I could be in the hospital by the time I'm finished.

AI night tonight. Haven't been truly impressed with the singers, and I was truly amazed with Lilly was not one of the top 12 and the teenaged-Katie was put in. I could see from Lilly's face that she was really shocked; I think she thought she was a shoe-in, which goes to say that one can never be sure of anything.

P.S. My gym training had to be modified. After I walked for 5 minutes on the TM, I pushed up the speed and started to run. Not happening! The mucle in my leg was still not cooperating with me. I switched to the elliptical; put it on hill/interval, level 5, for 35 minutes. I really was able to push myself and worry about the impact on my leg as I do with running! 250 calories burned; I used to burn more, but age is ever creeping up on me. More the reason to keep my weight and fat content down!

Weekend Wrap-Up

OK, so Saturday was a total wash out for me (weather wise). Pouring rain, no riding lesson. Even taking Romeo out was a chore; I practically had to push him out the front door and he walked around as if he were on his death bed. Sheesh! Ya know, find a place and go for it!

Did some fiddling around with my sewing and knitting. I really wasn't in the mood to do much of anything. For dinner Dave wanted to go out, but wanted to go somewhere close by. We ended up going to 5 Guys, which is not WW friendly, but I muddled through it. They serve regular hamburgers (2 patties) and little hamburgers (1 pattie). I got the Little Hamburger, then ate 1/2 of the bun only, had a diet Coke and some of Dave's French Fries. I must admit the burger and fries were delicious! But, I held back and did fairly well, considering where we were.

The forecast for Sunday wasn't too great; we thought it would be pouring rain and wouldn't be able to run the St. Patrick's 5K in Baltimore. Fortunately, no rain, but it was very chilly. We picked up Sara, got our numbers, etc., then had to wait around for another 2 hours for the race to start. We drove to the parking garage (had a coupon for $5 parking instead of the usual rip-off rate!), and went to Panera Bread to wait it out. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea; I don't think they've seen that many people at one time in the place.

Sara and I shared a bagel with cream cheese, then started off on our .8 mile trek to the starting line. We didn't really know where it was, but we just followed all the green shirts. What a mass of humanity - 4500 participants (most of them wearing green shirts, green hats, green hair, green stockings, you name it) in this race.

Once the race started, it took us about 3 minutes to get to the official starting line for our chips to be activated. I was able to run for a much longer period of time before I walked, which was at the water station. Kept on going and when I got to the finish line, the clock said 37:something mintues; my own timer was 34:50-something. Anyway, that certainly was the 3 minute difference in the start of the official clock and when I hit the starting line.

Later on I checked the stats from the race which said I had a 12:00 minute mile, but I think that was wrong or I would have had a later race finish. Oh, well, it doesn't really matter. We ran, we finished, we went home and collapsed.

For grins, I went to the Active.com website since I got an email asking for comments. I didn't write any comments, but it was interesting to read that people were complaining about the large crowd (4500 participants, about which they knew) because they could not make or improve their 5K time. Sheesh! This a fun run; it's not an official marathon; it's not even a marathon! It's a run/race to do because it's St. Patrick's Day and people want to have fun. Then I saw someone wants all the slower people to be put in the back of the line-up according to their pace because he couldn't get a good enough run time. Half the people there, I would guess, don't even know what their pace is; they are there for fun. Again, this is a fun thing, people! I'm not going to the back of the crowd just because some ego maniac wants to show off by running a 5K in record time! If this were a national race, money on the line, yadda yadda yadda, then people are asked to go to their place in the line-up according to their pace. Get a grip, people. OK I'm done now.

By the time I got home, I needed something to eat, so I had some noodles with sauce, and I had some cereal for "dessert". Dinner was hamburgers again, but no fries. I had a hamburger and broccoli; a cup of tea for dessert. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it was enough to get me through the evening.

Bedtime came very quickly yesterday and the alarm went off even earlier. That darned "change your clock"!

Got a call from Richard from Johannesburg whom we met last year in South Africa. He and his wife had invited us over this year to go on safari, etc., but we finally found that he is busy for a year with his brother's business. Now, we don't really know what to do with ourselves.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

The weekend is here; I've been looking forward to it all week, and now it's pouring, and I can't go riding. I don't think I'll be running the 5K, either on Sunday.

Sara came over last night, and we had Dave's famous pizza. We were sure to cut the pizza into normal servings than our usual giant pieces, and then we would have another piece. We did have a second piece, but we cut the small portion in half, which was a great compromise. Oh, had a salad to go with it. We watched the last BL show. It is inspiring to see people who weight 300-400 pounds exercise 4 hours a day, but like the show portrayed, people who are in a daily routine of getting up and going to work, don't that the luxury of a 4-hour workout. It was quite interesting in the show when Sam forgot his lunch and SO CONVENIENTLY, there was a Subway store around the corner. How staged was that? How else would Subway get its advertising on the show? And, what's with the last hour of the show being a sob fest? {Rolling eyes}

After Sara left this past week's episode of Project Runway was on! Another Score! I forgot to record it Thursday night because I was watching Ugly Betty. I love having DVR. No tape, no DVDs to worry about. Just push a button, and there ya go!

Being inside is going to be a challenge for me. Since I was planning on riding and getting exercise that way, another plan foiled. Even Romeo doesn't want to go outside in this weather.

Staying OP this time has been easier. It's nice to have another person to compare notes with and to keep me on track. I was tempted to have a cookie from our Services Department (who, by the way, has a tin of cookies and a container of candy at all times filled), but I remembered I had already given her my menu for the day. I couldn't let either one of us down! LOL

Time for tea; Romeo needs breakfast and later we will have to brave the rain so he can do his "biznezz". He hates the rain, and we practically have to kick him out the front door.

P.S. I wll never buy Veggie Straws again. they are soOOooo good that I cannnot put them down. My co-worker went to COSTCO and bought a bag for me. She brought them to work. I vowed not to open the bag, but I did; then I could not stop eating them. I would eat a few, say that's all, then open the bag up again, say, that's all. Finally I had to STAPLE the bag shut so I would not eat any more Veggie Straws. They are delicious, but WW point-wise? Not so hot. They are 170 calories, 5(?) grams of fat and only 1 gram of fiber for 38 pieces. 3 points for 38 pieces. I did eat them in increments of the serving size suggested, but when I got home, I went straight for the bag as a pre-meal snack. Why? Because they are good. THESE ARE DEFINITELY A RED LIGHT FOOD FOR ME. I'm not putting myself through that again because I can't afford 3 points for junk food, which is what they are, when I have only 18-20 points a day. :(

It's Friday and Rain is Forecast for the Weekend! Bummer.

I don't mind it raining today, but on Saturday AND Sunday? Sara and I have a riding lesson set up for tomorrow at 11:00. Rain forecast is 100%. It doesn't seem if it is a continual rain or if it's going to rain, quit, rain again. Not much we can do until we actually get up tomorrow morning. Ack! Then, Sunday is a St. Patrick's 5K that we signed up to attend. We might be able to tolerate mistiness, but if it's pouring down, then that's another story altogether.

After I did some ellipitcal exercising yesterday I was still wondering if my leg would hurt. For some bizarre reason (and I'm not knocking it), my leg is better. It didn't hurt at all last night, and this morning, it has a different feel to it, but stil a l ittle soreness to it. As a result, I am still not running until Sunday, the day of the 5K. I will get on the ellliptical so I can get cardio in (pizza for dinner) for the day.
Sometimes I look at the food I've "prepared" for the day and wonder if it is enough to get me through the day. Once I count all the points, I see that the points have added up fast. I guess looking at the food doesn't seem like much, but after eating it, I am quite full. I guess our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs.

The HR manager wants to have a St. Patrick's Cupcake Day next week! Ack! I guess these types of challenges will never end. Apparently, Georgetown Bakery (not sure of the name) makes the best cupcakes in the world, or so I'm told. They baked 15,000 cupcakes for Valentines' Day. How many cupcakes can one person eat? Anyway, I think they are on the smaller side, but still, sugar, butter, more sugar? It can't make for a really good choice. The HR Manager said everyone will be Irish that day; I said, can I wear my orange, anyway?

Another Day, Another Challenge

Good news! My new yarn arrived last night! I am so excited; going to make a sweater out of a bulky purple/green/blue variegated (how do you spell it?) yarn, along with some worsted weight in different plain colors for the sleeves, collar and button bands. Getting new yarn is always good news.

Dave made lamb shanks for dinner last night; I had steamed asparagus and broccoli to go with it. Oh, and a small amount of rice. Dave put too much rice on my plate, but I'm learning how to divide stuff up and push it away and then not eat it. Before I would have muddled through and eaten it all until I was really feeling stuffed! I definitely should pat myself on the back for that!

MARC Train: Today we arrived at Union Station 8 minutes ahead of schedule, which the conductor was sure to announce after yesterday's debacle.

Exercise today: I would like to go outside and run, but I want to save my leg for Sunday, so I will do cardio on the elliptical. Not the same, but at least I'm not pounding my leg into the cement for 30 minutes. I'm going to see if I can make it a bit longer than 30 minutes today. Want to be able to eat dinner tonight.

Work: Definitely a four-letter word. So far, it's been quiet. I do have to work on my training manual that I've been asked to put together to train secretaries in the firm how to file court pleadings, paper and e-filing, proper procedure, etc.

Is It Time To Go Home, Yet? It Should Be.

Today started off as any other day. 1. The alarm sounded off. I swear it gets earlier and earlier. 2. Got up did my "thing", had breakfast; didn't have to make lunch as I'm going out with a friend today. 3. Dave and Romeo drove me to the Dorsey MARC station; waited for said train; got on; left Dorsey on time. 4. The train moved slowly, but was moving; we got to Muirkirk and a freight train is stopped blocking the walkway from the parking lot to the side of the tracks so people can get on to go to DC. 5. We sit. 6. In their infinite wisdom the decision is made to uncouple the cars and move the freight train up so the people can get on the MARC train. 7. Said cars are put back together. 8. We take off. 9. Five mintues later we stop with the announcement that said freight train is now on the move and we have to wait for it to pass us. It must have been a 90-100 car train for we sat and sat and sat. 10. We finally get to move, slowly, once again. 11. We stop; announcement: Said freight train is now being stopped and will move off the tracks shortly. {Shortly? What the heck is shortly? My impression of shortly probably, and I'm sure of this, is not the impression of CSX's impression of shortly.} 12. We haven't even gotten to Greenbelt! 13. Arrive Greenbelt; pick up passengers. 14. Trudge to College Park and on to Riverdale. 15. Finally, after Riverdale train picks up speed - too little too late, I say! 18. Arrive Union Station at 8:00 a.m. {I got on this stupid train at 6:34 a.m.!!!} 19. Go down to Metro; platform is filled with MARC train passengers - 3 trains arrived at the same time including my late train. 20. I wait for 3 metro trains before I can get on. 21. Arrive Farragut North without much mishap. 22. Get into office at 8:37!

Ya know, I think it's time for me to go home now! I definitely need a little "somethin', somethin'" in my coffee today.

I was going to go to the gym this morning since I'm going out to lunch as mentioned. Last night, though, I made the decision not to go in and use today as a rest day. I'm so glad that I made that decision. It would have been only one MORE thing for me to be annoyed about.

On a good note, I started my new second mitten on the train, knitted until I couldn't stand it any more. Even I have my threshold of knitting time.

Now, all I have to do is survive working with attorneys all day. That could be worse than the train debacle. Ha ha.

Update: Went to lunch with my friend to Cafe Asia. This is a nice place because it's not just limited to Chinese. There is Japanese sushi, Indonesian, etc. I had the teriyaki chicken, which came with a coleslaw-type salad, lots of chicken and a bowl of rice. After the waiter gave us our meals, I asked for a doggie bag right away. I put half the chicken, half the rice and half the coleslaw into the doggie container and closed it up. I'm so glad I did that! Not too full, not too hungry - just right! Go me!

Tooosday

Knitting News: First mitten out of tan/chocolate is almost finished. 3/4 of the way on the thumb and done, done. Second mitten on its way.

Ordered some more yarn. What a surprise! I want to make a sweater out of bulky yarn, which has worsted weight yarn for the cuffs, collar and button bands. Hard to describe. I can scan a picture of it, I guess. I'll work on that later.

Health/Nutrition News: The weekend was a success. Hopped on the scale today and downto 145.5. Yesterday I was 147, so by sticking to my guns, things are working. The core work I've been doing is also paying off. I don't feel so flabby and my slacks/jeans are fitting me better. I refuse to be the the "old lady with the round waist".

Exercise: Yesterday was ellipitcal and core work. Today I am going to take a chance and go outside and see how my leg does. Why does everything take so long to heal? I swear, the older I get, the longer it takes to get better. Then, when one pain is recovered, another one takes its place. Kind of sounds like Simon & Garfunkel's "Cecelia". They say, "When I come back to bed, someone's taken my place." My version: "When I recuperate from one injury, another's taken its place."

Work: We have all been trained on a new E-Mail Filing process. I don't think it is really that difficult; it's just going to be time consuming. Getting the attorneys to do theirs will be a challenge, I'm sure. We've been given 6 months to complet the task and after that everyone's mail box will be limited to 2 gigs. For people who keep thousands of emails, this will be hard to deal with.

Change of Plans for Dinner -

So, after studying Famous Dave's menu for a long time and deciding what to eat, Dave picks me up and says he doesn't want to go there because it's too noisy. I said, where do you want to go? He says, I don't know. Well, I didn't know either because I had planned on going to FD. We decided to go to Pazani's off Route 103, where they have good pizza.

Oh, the best part - we get to Pazani's and there is a horde of little girls celebrating a birthday and they are having a great time, but it was loud. So much for quiet. All in all, they were well behaved for 10-year olds. They left while we were eating and we saw them go into the Nail Spa down the shopping center. I guess they all got manicures???? I pity the poor people who had to deal with 10, 10-year olds.

Since we had just had pizza the night before we ordered pasta dishes. I saw Chicken Primavera and chose that. When the meal came, it had a cream sauce (does it usually?) I saw it and thought, "Damn!" The dinners came with salads and since Dave doesn't eat salads, I ate mine and his. The salads were small, so the both of them made a decent-sized salad. The meal was, I would say, OK. I put some red peppers on it and little bit of salt, and it still didn't wow me. Their pizzas are the best things they make. I ate only, and make note of this, I ate only half of the pasta! What self control. I'm finally getting into the proper state of mind. Put the rest into a "doggie bag", but the doggie didn't get any of it and brought it home. Not sure what the point count was on this meal, but it could have been worse. I could have eaten it all AND the rolls they gave us, but I did not. {A BIG PAT ON THE BACK FOR THIS SHOW OF CONSTRAINT!}

Dave has left to go on his photo shoot with some people who are setting up a photography shoot. They are going to Conawingo (SP?)Dam. Apparently, bald eagles go there in the morning when the motors are turned on because fish are spewed through and they just pluck the fish out of the water. Hope they are able to see some birds today.

Breakfast is 1/2 bagel from Bagel Bin; they make really good bagels (or sort of, the knife slipped and it's not really half, but I'll call it that or I will be shaving slices of the bagel all morning!) with cream cheese. After I have that Romeo and I will go outside for a nice long walk. Leg still acting up, so walking it is.

Have a 5K on Sunday in Baltimore for a St. Patrick's celebration. As usual, I will have to wear my Protestant orange, just to make a statement. Ha!

Tomorrow Sara and I have a riding lesson. I think I'll be able to ride Bryce (and if that isn't a name for the Horsey Gay Pride Society, I don't know what is!). He is, allegedly, trained to either training level or first level dressage. There is a horse show on March 27. If all goes well: he's a good ride and Cathy can get her trailer out, we will go to Legacy Stables for a dressage show. I think Cassidy might go, but other than the two of us, I don't know.

Went for a 58:01 walk and burned 166 calories. It was a good walk; Romeo is exhausted! Sleeping already.

Let's See....

Today is Friday ( a good thing). Went out to lunch instead of the gym today for a much needed break! Lunch was a bowl of black bean soup and a field greens salad. The soup was very good and with the salad, not overly filling.

Tomorrow Romeo and I will go on a very long walk in the a.m. His last long walk was when it snowed last month. I was going to make it short, but we kept going and the next thing I knew it was an hour later! Oh, well, we both survived.


I started yet another pair of mittens with the tan/chocolate yarn I bought. AND, the very bright hand dyed yarn came in with the white yarn for another pair! These are so fast and easy; easier than socks mainly because I want to make knee highs and it takes longer to get the length of the sock before turning the heel, etc. I'm thinking I will start a sweater just so I won't be using FIVE double-pointed needles. Two regular needles would be so tame! Hmmm....

I'll see if I can get a photo of the new mittens in progress. I'll have to get Dave to show me how to do it. I know how to take the picture.... just don't know how to upload to computer.

Unfortunately, my leg is still not perfect! I'm not happy about that and there is a 5K coming up next week! Elliptical is a good thing, but not the same. Sara's ankle is bothering her, so we could both be casualties before the race even starts!

Dinner tonight is Famous Dave's, so I'm already thinking what I can eat. I'm thinking chicken with a small salad (which they say is a substitute for the sides). I had a salad there before which was described as something along the lines of "bbq" and "chicken". When the salad came out, it was a bbq salad dressing! Yuck! I'll never do that again. Another choice: Lemon pepper grilled chicken with a salad (no sides, of course.)

Gold Medal Winner

Yay! I get a medal! I gave myself a challenge to finish Sara's second mitten during the 17 days of the Olympics. I thought I had disadvantaged myself because I didn't start until 3 days after the Olympics had started. But, surprise, surprise, I finished the Selbuvotter NHM#4 black and white mitten. {Pats self on back.}

That's all I can say right now. I'm basking in my Olympiad glory!

Weekend Wrap-Up

So, Saturday, to sum up, was a clinic on equine first-aid, then to the LYS for DPs. I did found some nice yarn to make another pair of mittens while I wait for my other order to come in. I found a tan and dark brown combo of yarn for the next pair. Fortunately, my #3 DPs will work for this pair. I swatched, and at first the #3s seemed to be too big; I went down to #1s because that is what I have; way too small and tight. Back to the #3s, which when I really paid attention were perfect. Have no idea what I did, but there ya go.

I'm getting my knitting Gold Medal! I finished Sara's second mitten in a record 13 days, and most of the knitting time was on the train to and from work. My hands were very happy it was over since using a worsted weight and #1 DP needles made for very tight knitting. The mittens are very pretty, and I do like the weight of the mitten with the worsted yarn. Now that I'm using the right yarn with the right needles, it's almost not a challenge!

After my stop at the yarn shop, I went next door to the quilt shop. They have wonderful fabrics, and as I was wandering around, I found some Oriental fabrics. Just beautiful. I bought some fabric with black background and white egrets on it. I should take a picture of it; very pretty. Also, found some mostly gold fabric with Geishas on it which will be a perfect fabric as contrast for the egrets. Thinking: a blouse and use the contrast fabric for the cuffs and collar? Then, I found two panels of Geishas, each different from one another. The panel is almost full size, and I'm not sure what to do. I may have to use just parts of the panel or figure out how to piece a coat/jacket together. I did find

Stopped and bought a dozen bagels from the Bagel Bin. Delicious bagels there! I had one for breakfast on Sunday and the rest went into the freezer.

Sunday a.m. was a trip to Talbot Run and another lesson, but not on Lefty Louie. I rode a mare called, Indy, who is trained up to second level. What a nice ride she was! After ride Bella for so long, it took a few tries to get used to Indy. She is very sensitive in the mouth, and if I just barely pulled back on the reins, she would come down to a trot or walk. Lesson learned, the hard way several times before I got it right. Did some sitting trot on her, and my rear end is really sore. The saddle I used is not as comfy as Bella's and Indy's trot is different, so new sore muscles abound!

Cathy thinks her ring might be ready for riding on Sunday. She's been ever hopeful for several weeks now, but it's still not ready. I am excited to ride her new horse, Bryce,who is supposed to be a great dressage horse, does some jumping. I would like to do an event with him, and fortunately, the events are not until May or June when the weather is nicer.

Drove home, took a shower, and did a lot of vegging. Finally got the yarn cast on for the new mittens, made a Julia Child pound cake. It is delicious and has tons of calories in it. Had planned to make a turkey breast for dinner, but it had not defrosted enough to be able to cook it properly. So, dinner was noodles/sauce and a salad. Dessert? The pound cake, of course.

Monday - Back to work and the same ol' thing. To be continued.