Alone on Cougar Mountain

Today I decided to give myself a nice walk. No dogs to wrestle with or fight along the way, just me, my camera, and a small backpack with water and a rain jacket.  I had a great time.

If anything, it has made me realize that I should be doing this A LOT moving forward if I plan on making it as a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago this fall. The camino will require roughly eight hours of walking a day, and unfortunately, it’s not exactly flat! The first few stages will be through the Pyrenees mountains. SCARY!!

 Anyway, here are some of my favorite pictures from the day.

And here are some more (click the pic to see a larger view)

 

 

 

I seemed to have forgotten how fun it was to take pictures. Sorry if I caused any of you any sensory over-load. I am usually more of a word-gal. Today, it seems, not so much.

until the next time…

My pups!

I haven’t posted in a while and I bought a used Canon DSLR camera to help give me a much needed creative outlet – so…I have been playing around a bit. I thought I would post some pics I took last night of my pups. They are SO freaking cute.

Anyway – just wanted to share that. I suppose since this blog is also about food, I will show you what I made for dinner last night!

It was a pasta with a light cream sauce, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, squash with a side ceasar salad and some garlic naan bread. YUM!

oh, and don’t worry, I did have a nice glass of red wine to go along!

Glutton

Ok. I have eaten entirely too much tonight after doing SO well all week long. I am on a mission to eat better and live a more heathly life all around. Lately I have been counting calories and using my bodybugg in order to make sure I have the deficit needed to lose a safe 2lbs a week. I log my food, workout (at home) and try to stay away from the scale during the week. I have allowed myself to weigh in only once a week. On Sunday evenings. Starting weight…yikes, can’t believe I’m gonna post it, but something has to keep me accountable right? So…starting weight: 185lbs.

I did really well with calorie intake and burn last week but somehow managed to gain weight. Sundays weigh-in revealed a weight of 185.8lbs. I am going to give myself one more week in seeing results as I’m going to blame last weeks gain on “the time of the month.”

I hope by next Sunday I see some positive results or I will be sorely discouraged. I will admit, I have blown it today, however. I have eaten some really unhealthy things. Pop tarts for one. Tortilla chips, nachos for dinner, washed down with a prickly pear mojito and followed by a caramel chocolate brownie with ice cream. I’m miserable now. So full and yucky feeling. I will also blame this days nutritional short-comings on the “time of the month” as well.

Tuesdays were created for do-overs anyway right?

So – tomorrow will start with a light healthy breakfast, followed by a workout, a snack and a day of movement and calorie burning!!

I will keep everyone posted on my progress. (as if you all care!!)

Here’s to Tuesdays!!!

Best $10 I Ever Spent!

I spent $10 today and decided it was the best $10 I ever spent!! I found a Juiceman JM400 on craigslist.

1 orange, 2 satsuma and 2 small apples later…I’m in love!!!

Juicy!!

2010

January 1 – 2010

Fit in Body, Mind & Spirit.

Today. The first day of a new decade. I feel as though i should have done some better planning. I want to have a mission statement for this year. But, I dont think i knew that until just now. And, being that it’s 8:53pm and I am in my pajamas and laying in bed with three spoiled rotten dogs, I believe that won’t get written tonight. So…here are tonight goals:

1: write a purposeful mission statement within the next 7 days. Due Jan 7.

I have never written one, thus I am giving myself a full week.

2: I also want a list of realistic albeit challenging goals to be completed by the years end. Not resolutions, per se, but goals. This list will be a bit more flexible as I will be able to add and modify the list throughout the year. This initial list is also to be completed with in 7 days.

3: I would like to have a 1,2 and 5 year plan in writing. I have never truly had one of these either and but I feel as if this may help me get that sense of direction in my life that I have never truly had, and therefore, quite possibly my life may begin to head somewhere.

So….there it is. Tonight goals and a short introduction for the days and months to come.

I wish all those reading this a blessed 2010!!

Candlelight

I have always loved the christmas eve candlelight service, and loved it again tonight. Merry Christmas!!!

Say a Prayer for your Local Law Enforcement

It’s un-nerving for me to turn on the television tonight and learn that two more officers in the puget sound area have been shot this evening. Names have yet to be released, but two pierce county sheriff’s deputies have been shot in the line of duty while responding to a domestic violence call out near Eatonville. Both have been transported to hospitals and are in critical condition.

I am not sure what is happening around here. On Halloween night, Seattle police officer, Timothy Brenten, was assasinated while completing paperwork in his patrol car along with his partner, Officer Britt Sweeny, who was also injured in the shooting.

A few short weeks later, during Thanksgiving weekend, four Lakewood police officers are gunned down at a local coffee shop during a pre-shift meeting. All four of these officers also lost their lives.

And now, two more are shot tonight. This really hits me at home as I have two family members currently serving as Texas State Trooper’s. Both are married to first cousin’s of mine and both are hero’s in my eyes.

It takes a special person to put on a uniform like that and serve the communities they live in and protect those that live alongside them. Their families must not only sacrifice the time and devotion that law enforcement officers commit to their careers, but also live with the fear of the possibility of losing their loved ones each and every day they go out the door for duty.

I think it is only right to ask that you say a prayer for your local law enforcement officers. Lift up the men and women who put on the uniform each and every day and leave their families to protect ours.

May God be with those two officers who were shot tonight and also with the families of those who we have lost. God bless our men and women in “blue.”

Car repairs

Ugh!! Isn’t it about right that about the time I become unemployed, I have $2600 in car repairs!!! Geez!! When does it end?

Cactus

Ok this will be a short post and i hope i can figure out how to add a pic from the blog app on my iphone. I am lunching at Cactus in Kirklamd, WA today and I’m eating he most amazing special soup!! Butternut squash bisque with crutons and cilantro oil! I couldnt help but share! YUM!!!

Day 9, and counting…

It’s crazy how different you can feel from one day to the next. Two days ago, i felt sure I had a new job at Apple…and now, I’m here, with an email that they are pursuing other candidates. What? Did i not just have a successful hiring event and a succesful hour long interview. Was I not called back for the “formality” of the second interview? I just wish I knew what changed everything. Why would they call me back only to send a rejection email? I don’t get it, that’s all I know.

So now, tonight I lie in bed blogging from the iphone, a bit bummed out. Wondering what my next move should be. I wish I didn’t have to have a job at all. I wish I could just start my own business and get this unemployment crap behind me. But, alas…would I fail at that too? Probably so.

Anyone, if you are listening/reading this…what the hell should I do with my life…because I sure can’t seem to figure it out!!!