Hey Endorphins! Where You Been?

I had another 6 am workout this morning. It was 12 degrees when I pulled out of the garage onto the sheet of ice that is our driveway.

Once again, I got to the gym and did what the trainer told me, chatting all the while. And then before I knew it, it was 7 am, I was sweaty and my legs were already sore. Bonus: I'd already finished a bottle and a half of water.

It's a strange feeling of relief to realize my workout is done at 7 am. There's no more, "I know I should go but I'm so tired/hungry/busy," all day long, taking up valuable space in my brain. It's done. No more thinking about it.

This is a real revelation to me, because even back in the day when I ran four or five days a week (those mid-twenties were fun years), it was always after work. I only did long runs on weekend mornings, and back then 8 am was early to me.

On the way home from the gym, I cranked the radio - you wouldn't believe how good the sound system in a minivan can be these days - and enjoyed the endorphins. It's been too long.

NYC Brunch - March 20th!

Hi everyone,

The fabulous Gilly and Joey will be hitting New York in a few weeks. We're planning a brunch at Dos Caminos on March 20th, time TBD.

Please let us know if you can come and we'll figure out reservations. Can't wait to see everyone!

Snow Days Are Killing Me

This weather, and the subsequent housebound-ness, is wreaking havoc on my eating. For one thing, we're doing lots of baking to while away the time and keep the kids busy and interested in something other than TV and video games. For another, it's just so easy to snack.

In order to minimize the damage, I'm sending all baked goods out of the house as soon as the roads are passable again. I sent a dozen and a half chocolate chip cookies to my husband's office a few days ago, and I'll do the same with the Barefoot Contessa's red velvet cupcakes we made today.

We also tried the No-Knead Bread recipe from the Sullivan Street Bakery via the NY Times. It's out of the oven but I haven't tasted it yet so can't render a final verdict.

Tater Tot Hot Dish**

Here's the recipe, courtesy of my friend Stacy:

Heat oven to 375.

Brown 1 pound of ground meat on stove (beef or turkey).

Mix in casserole dish with two cans cream of something (I've used cream of celery, cream of mushroom), half bag of tater tots and 1/2 bag frozen peas or beans (optional).

Layer remaining tater tots on top.

Cover and bake 45 minutes until it's bubbling, then uncover for a few minutes while top layer crisps up.

Enjoy!

PS For other hot dish variations, see the Congressional cookoff Al Franken hosted recently.

**Caveat: Just had some, it was kind of bland. Not sure why it's not as good as last year. Hmmm.

Playing Dress-Up

My daughter is completely obsessed with my husband, and at 20 months old she is *extremely* persistent. So if he's trying to, say, build a car with our 8-year-old for the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, I need to take her elsewhere in the house and distract her.

Last night the two of us went through things in my closet and tried on old dresses I haven't worn in ages. Guess what? Some of them fit, and all of them zipped. Sweeeeet. There's a sundress hanging in my closet that I last wore in the summer of 2000 right before Hubs and I moved in together. It fits, although it'll look better in a few pounds. (Daughter is a withering judge. "No," she said, glancing up as I oohed and aahed while zipping a dress. Can't wait to hear what she has to say when she can form sentences.) There are also three formal dresses that look pretty decent. Now I just need to find a formal event to wear them to...

Snow and freezing rain here today, so we're hanging around the house. Hubs is traveling again; I swear he's got some kind of sixth sense that allows him to plan trips around snow days. It's uncanny.

I'm making Tater Tot Hot Dish for dinner tonight. It's a fairly band-friendly, mushy dinner, but isn't remotely healthy, which is why I make it just once a year. The recipe is from a midwestern friend I worked with. She always wished someone would open a casserole-only restaurant in New York City. She swore it would be a hit, and based on Tater Tot Hot Dish, I think it would have been. (Stacy has since moved back to Wisconsin, but not before converting lots of New Yorkers to the wonders of hot dish.)

The picture at the top of the post is from my birthday last week. Please note I did not eat the entire dessert by myself. My sister was with me, and actually neither of us finished it. But I love the sombrero candle!

My Legs Are Sore

Not crazy sore. Not just-ran-eight-miles sore (as if!). But definitely just-worked-out sore. I guess that's good.

Seriously, once I was out of bed and in the car (so cooolllld this morning), the rest was cake. I got to the gym and did everything the trainer told me to do and then came home.

I had a nice NSV too. In 2007 I went five days a week at 6 am to get into shape for my sister's wedding. After that, I went sporadically but I had a pregnancy and miscarriage and then another pregnancy and c-section in that period, so it was just once in a while.

This morning one of the trainers I used most often (but was booked this morning) yelled over, "Hey! Where've you been?" I said I'd been home eating bon bons, and he replied, "Doesn't look like it."

So that was the highlight of my gym day, actually.

The Gym

I've had a few workout false starts since my surgery - I'd go back to the gym and then stop after once or twice. Life is just busy enough that it's easy to make excuses and skip the exercise.

My husband asked the other day if I wanted to go back to the gym, and offered to juggle his schedule to cover kid duty and make working out easier for me. So I really don't have a decent excuse anymore.

Tomorrow morning I'll be at the gym at 6 am. I have a trainer appointment to make sure my lazy butt actually gets there.

Wish me luck.

Barbara's Loss

I've been waiting for something meaningful to come to me, but nothing has. So I will just say to Barbara: I'm so sorry. You have my deepest sympathies. I am thinking of you and sending my love.

Linda mentioned this already, but it amazes me how personally I take it when something bad happens to a blog friend. Our circle of support is meaningful to me in real life, and I really didn't anticipate that when I started blogging.

38 38 38 38 38

Well, friends, I weighed in this morning at 205.2. So I didn't meet my goal of weighing 199.8 on my 38th birthday. Which didn't upset me as much as you might think, since I've eaten pretty well lately so I know with all confidence that it's not real pounds.

I've had a great birthday; my sister drove up yesterday from Pennsylvania with her newborn to hang out with me. YAY! We got manicures and had lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant (where I ate a few chips with salsa and half a serving of beans, and boxed the rest up for later). Best time ever.

Which was good, since when I took my first bite of dinner tonight, it became abundantly clear that my band has snapped shut in anticipation of the arrival of my period. (Sorry, Patrick, if you're reading and this is icky to you. Just be glad you're a man.)

Three days from now, I'll be rejoicing at the scale. (I hope.)

At Least It's Moving in the Right Direction

Weighed in at 203.8 today. To be precise, twice at 204 but four times at 203.8 so I'm taking it.

That means four pounds stand between me and my 38th-birthday goal deadline tomorrow. After reading your comments from the last few days, I know you're right - the NSVs all add up to a huge improvement over my 37th birthday. And I'm not beating myself up about the unlikelihood that I'll hit my birthday goal tomorrow. I will get there, and I'm having a pretty good run lately with the band. (That doesn't mean I won't be chugging Gilly's magic spa water like crazy today. Can you blame me? I have to give it a shot.)

Thanks so much to Bec, Annie and Sam for the blog awards - you're so kind. I'm not the most organized person God ever put breath into, so I don't even begin to try keeping track of the details. Thank you, though.

Stay warm, everyone!