Jerry and I Answer Questions About Each Other

I've been seeing things like this going around Facebook as a fun way to pass the time, and I find it interesting to see just how much a spouse or child knows about someone. I was curious just how well Jerry knows me, so I came up with a list of questions for him to answer about me. And then I had him answer the same questions about me.

After each question, we will each reply with our actual answer. While I was searching for some photos for this post, I came across this video, which definitely highlights Jerry's personality. It cracks me up!



Anyway, in these questions, Jerry will answer what he thinks *I* will say. And then I'll reply with my actual answer.

FAVORITES:

Color -
J: Orange
K: Orange

Food -
J: Pizza
K: Pizza

Scent -
J: Curve (for men)
K: Curve (for men)

Part of my (Katie's) body -
J: Your eyes
K: My eyes, I guess. Right now, I don't like anything :(

Animal -
J: Squirrels--duh
K: Squirrels or cats--it's a tie!

Place to visit -
J: Portland
K: Portland

Pastime -
J: Playing your game on your phone
K: Woodworking

TV show -
J: Shameless
K: Shameless

Movie -
J: Forrest Gump
K: Forrest Gump

Activity to do with the family -
J: Watch a show
K: Watch a movie

Actor/Actress -
J: Tom Hanks/Susan Ward
K: Tom Hanks/Cameron Diaz

Clothes to wear -
J: Yoga pants and gray sweatshirt
K: Loose jeans and a baggy sweatshirt

Restaurant -
J: El Camino
K: Amigo's

Type of wine -
J: Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon
K: A bold Zinfandel

Phrase from a movie or TV show -
J: "IN LONDON?!" -Friends
K: "This way we don't have to sleep with our heads in the mud" --Forrest Gump

Book -
J: "A Million Little Pieces"
K: "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett (FYI- I've never even read A Million Little Pieces)

QUESTIONS:

What is my greatest talent?
J: Running Coach
K: Organizing

What is a phrase or word that I say a lot?
J: "No"
K: "No no no no no!"

What is one thing that I really dislike about myself?
J: The hump in your arm
K: My weight (Bahahaha! The "hump in my arm" is something I've complained about my entire life; it's a ring of fat around my bicep that is there no matter how much or how little I weigh!)

What is one thing that I really like about myself?
J: Your compassion
K: My compassion for others

What do I (Katie) love most about you (Jerry)?
J: That I take care of you
K: Your unconditional love (seriously)

What is my biggest vice?
J: Ice cream
K: Ice cream

What is my guiltiest pleasure?
J: Games on your phone
K: Ice cream

What profession would I have chosen regardless of school, money, etc?
J: A forensic pathologist
K: A forensic pathologist

Which of our pets is my favorite?
J: Phoebe
K: Phoebe

What is my goal weight?
J: 140 pounds
K: 133 pounds

If I won an enormous lottery, what would I spend it on?
J: A truck for me
K: Buying gifts for my family, paying off their loans, etc.

What are three words that you would use to describe me?
J: Kind, compassionate, overwhelmed
K: Empathetic, shy, awkward

What is one food that I absolutely hate?
J: Italian sausage
K: Yogurt

What is my biggest fear?
J: Spiders
K: Getting Alzheimer's disease

What is something I worry about on a daily basis?
J: Everything
K: You or the kids getting hurt somehow--choking, an accident, etc.

What is something that I (Katie) would change about you (Jerry)?
J: That I'd be more of a handyman
K: That you wouldn't feel bad about yourself, for any reason

What is my biggest pet peeve?
J: There is a list... I have a list on my phone that's alphabetical. Basically everything.
K: Sounds of chewing or things like that

What am I most proud of?
J: The work you did on the house and your weight loss
K: My weight loss

What is a talent that I wish I had?
J: To be fluent in American Sign Language
K: To speak multiple languages

What would I order at McDonald's?
J: Filet O Fish with extra tartar sauce, fries, and a diet Coke
K: A Filet O Fish with extra tartar sauce, fries, and a lemonade/Sprite mix

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And now, for Jerry... in these questions, I (Katie) will answer what I think JERRY will say. And then he'll reply with his actual answers.

FAVORITES:

Color -
K: Baby blue
J: Blue

Food -
K: Pork chops and rice
J: Pizza

Scent -
K: Love Spell (by Victoria's Secret)
J: New car smell

Part of my (Jerry's) body -
K: Arms?
J: Eyes

Animal -
K: Cats
J: Cats

Place to visit -
K: NYC
J: Petoskey, MI

Pastime -
K: Disc golf
J: Playing softball

TV show -
K: Friends
J: Friends

Movie -
K: Something Star Wars
J: Top Gun

Activity to do with the family -
K: Play a board game
J: Play a board game

Actor/Actress -
K: Brad Pitt/Julia Stiles
J: Tom Cruise/Natalie Portman

Clothes to wear -
K: Shorts and a t-shirt
J: Jeans and a band or Star Wars shirt

Restaurant -
K: The Point
J: El Camino

Type of wine beer -
K: IPA
J: IPA

Phrase from a movie or TV show -
K: "IN LONDON?!!!" - Friends
J: "There is no try; there is do or do not." -Star Wars

Book -
K: Anything Star Wars
J: Plagueis (Star Wars)

Thing about me (Katie) -
K: My (Katie's) butt
J: That you appreciate me

QUESTIONS:

What is my greatest talent?
K: Making people feel comfortable in an awkward situation
J: Random trivia

What is a phrase or word that I say a lot?
K: "I love your butt"
J: "How's your day, Boo?"

What is one thing that I really dislike about myself?
K: Your stomach
J: My lack of confidence

What is one thing that I really like about myself?
K: Your work ethic
J: My work ethic

What do I (Jerry) love most about you (Katie)?
K: Other than my butt? Probably how funny I think I am.
J: Your compassion

What is my biggest vice?
K: "Fancy" beer
J: Beer

What is my guiltiest pleasure?
K: Again--"fancy" beer
J: Hamm's (the most "un-fancy" beer, hahaha)

What profession would I have chosen regardless of school, money, etc?
K: A history teacher
J: Professional wrestler

Which of our pets is my favorite?
K: Estelle (If Chandler was still alive, it would be Chandler for sure)
J: Estelle

What is my goal weight?
K: 170?
J: 170

If I won an enormous lottery, what would I spend it on?
K: A trip to some Star Wars thing
J: Pay off our house

What are three words that you would use to describe me?
K: loyal, funny, laid-back
J: hard-working, loyal, easy-going

What is one food that I absolutely hate?
K: Mushrooms
J: Cucumbers ("You could make a salad the size of this house and put one tiny little speck of cucumber in it, and I can tell you exactly where the fuck it is! It overpowers everything."

What is my biggest fear?
K: Dying
J: How I'll die

What is something I worry about on a daily basis?
K: Letting your family down
J: Not being good enough

What is something that I (Jerry) would change about you (Katie)?
K: "Nothing." But since you're making me answer... you would be happier with yourself.
J: That you wouldn't have so much anxiety or stress.

What is my biggest pet peeve?
K: The fact that *I* (Katie) have so many pet peeves.
J: When people add an "S" to the names of stores like "Target's" or "Walmart's", etc.

What am I most proud of?
K: Completing Insanity--three times in a row
J: My family

What is a talent that I wish I had?
K: Doing household things like plumbing, electricity, etc.
J: Play guitar (or x-ray vision)

What would I order at McDonald's?
K: A Big Mac with fries and a Coke
J: A 20-piece McNuggets with 10 slices of cheese, fries, and a Coke  (Note: Jerry used to work at McDonald's when he was a teenager, and he would regularly eat this!)

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This was so much fun for us to answer! We did the answers separately, and then compared them. I was surprised how many of them matched. Clearly, Jerry knows ME better than I know HIM. But there are several of this answers that I almost wrote down and then changed my mind on!

Anyway, even if the answers don't reflect it, we can typically finish each other's sentences and know what each other is thinking in the moment. It feels like we've been together for 50 years! But in May, it'll be 21 years.

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RECIPE: Chili Mac

I had completely forgotten about this recipe until last night when I just couldn't think of what to cook for dinner. I started looking through cookbooks, and I came across a cookbook that my kids' elementary school had put together in 2012. All of the kids were supposed to submit recipes, and then the recipes were turned into a cookbook for each kid to keep.

Out of curiosity, I looked for Noah's and Eli's recipes, and Noah's was for "Chili Mac". I hadn't made it in AGES, and I had the ingredients to make it, so I made it for dinner last night. It was really good! I think the thing that makes it slightly unique is the addition of the condensed tomato soup.

Anyway, "chili mac" is basically just macaroni noodles with some sort of chili on top. When I worked at Steak 'n' Shake in college, I used to love eating their chili mac! And this dish really reminds me of the Steak 'n' Shake Chili Mac.

Here is my (well, "Noah's") version of it.

Here is a printer-friendly version!


Chili Mac

Ingredients:

16 oz. macaroni noodles
2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. minced garlic from a jar, or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder)
1 lb. lean ground turkey (or beef; my family prefers turkey)
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 (15 oz) can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the macaroni noodles per package directions.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and the ground turkey, stirring to break up the turkey. Increase heat to high and keep stirring until the turkey is browned.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the macaroni) and stir well to combine. Simmer on low until the pasta is done.

To serve, add some macaroni to a bowl, scoop some chili on top, and then add some cheddar cheese (and/or onions, sour cream, etc.) to top it off.

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3-Day Challenge Recap and Plans for Another

As I wrote a few days ago, I'd finally gotten on the scale and faced the number I'd been dreading for a while now. I really want to work on getting the extra weight off, but I'm tired of not following through on any of the goals I set for myself.

I love to make challenges for myself--and they always involved 30-, 60-, or 90-day commitments (or even a year). I rarely last more than a few days. A week, if I'm lucky.

So, I had the idea to try a three-day challenge. Since three days is usually when I start to wane on any challenge, I thought it sounded like a good amount of time.

My challenge for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was as follows:

*Drink a quart of water immediately when waking up. Get dressed in running clothes.
*Run 2 miles, starting within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a two mile walk.
*Knit, crochet, do a puzzle, play a game, or anything else that is "hands on" in the evenings to avoid snacking.
*Cook a family dinner each day.
*Get dressed in "real" clothes and do my hair and make-up every day. Even though I'm not going anywhere, it makes me feel better about myself.
(Bonus): Write in a journal. I'm not sure I'll be able to stick with this one, but I will try. Maybe if I make it a routine to do while I eat breakfast after my run.

I wrote about Day 1 and Day 2. They went really well!

Day 3 (yesterday) was almost as good, with the exception of cooking dinner.

I went for a run first thing in the morning (well, after I took photos of the squirrels' antics!):

I showered, dressed, and did my hair and make-up.

I drank a quart of water as soon as I was done with my run.

I took Joey for a two-mile walk.

My back has been in a lot of pain lately, and when it was time to make dinner, I just asked Jerry to pick up Jimmy John's on his way home from work. I couldn't stand the thought of being on my feet any longer. When he got there, they were closed. He tried a few more places, and nothing was open.

Finally, he ended up getting McDonald's. We NEVER eat fast food for dinner! But by that time, we were starving and I was just desperate. I really need to start making my kids cook dinner sometimes.

Anyway, other than the McDonald's for dinner, the day went well.

Thoughts on my 3-Day Challenge:

*I love that it's only three days! If there is something that I really don't like about it, I know that after three days, I can alter my plan.
*It pushes me out of my comfort zone, but not so far that it's miserable.
*I FEEL a lot better about myself--going for runs, doing my hair and make-up, walking Joey... it just makes me feel like I'm doing something healthy for myself.

So, I'd like to continue these 3-Day Challenges! Today, I was totally unprepared to start something new, so I didn't. But it gave me an idea. I think I'll do two back-to-back three-day challenges, and then take one day off. That will work out to a week at a time.

By taking a day off, I don't mean going crazy by binge eating and wearing pajamas all day. I mean taking the day off of running, wearing my black stretchy pants and an oversized sweatshirt, and skipping the hair and make-up. Maybe getting Jimmy John's or something for dinner instead of cooking.

So, for my next plan (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), I'm going to write different goals for each day. I'm starting back up on my half-marathon training plan, so I'm going to follow that schedule plus add in some walks.

Tuesday -
*Run 2.5 miles within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Drink two quarts of water.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a one-mile walk.
*Work on insulating the garage.
*Cook dinner (salisbury steak and mini potatoes).
*Start knitting a sweater.

Speaking of insulating the garage, the insulation and drywall was delivered today! I even started working on installing the insulation. I'm so excited to get this project done. And to have heat in my garage in the winter!

Wednesday -
*Run 2.5 miles within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Drink two quarts of water.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a one-mile walk
*Cook dinner (unstuffed cabbage)
*Work on clearing out inbox.

Thursday -
*Take Joey for a three-mile walk within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Drink two quarts of water.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Cook dinner (baked ziti)
*Work on sweater or another project.

It's very similar to the last few days, but I rearranged the running/walking a little.

I really like this 3-3-1 Challenge idea (3 days, 3 days, 1 day off). I feel like breaking it up into chunks as small as three days really changes my mindset! And then I can look forward to taking a day off after the second round. :)

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An Easter Surprise (so funny!)

This morning, I got up at around 7:00 and got dressed to go run. I went in the kitchen to get some water, and I happened to notice one of my squirrels outside on the deck, eating something that looked odd. I was curious what it was that she was eating, and I grabbed the camera just in case it was something interesting.

Well, it was interesting--it was hilarious.

To backtrack, last night, at around 11:00, Joey started barking. He never barks unless someone is on our property, so we thought it was odd. Just then I got a text from Nathan saying that if I heard someone outside, it was probably "the Easter Bunny".

I forgot about it until this morning, when I realized exactly what it was that the squirrel was eating.

(Here is a photo journal of my ideas as to what was happening...)

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So, last night, the "Easter Bunny" left plastic eggs with candy and even money inside of them for Noah and Eli to find when they woke up. Thankfully, I got up early, at around 7:00, otherwise I would have missed out on all these photo ops.

I took a bunch of pictures, and then I collected all the eggs--poor kids!--so that the squirrels wouldn't get ahold of any more. I wish I'd have thought to leave eggs with walnuts inside for my squirrels--next time for sure ;)

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I did good with Day 3 of 3  for my challenge today--I'll write a little recap tomorrow and I'm going to set some goals for another 3-day challenge. I really like the short challenge of just three days.

Happy Easter! I hope the squirrels made you smile :)

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Day 2 of 3

Today was day two of my three day challenge.

I did really well with my goals for today! I really like this three day challenge. Knowing it's just for three days is so helpful with sticking to it. And after three days, I may make another challenge, changing up a couple of things.

For a quick recap of Day 2:

I got up at around 7:00, and dressed into my running clothes right away. I think making the "run within 30 minutes of waking up" rule has really pushed me to get going without even thinking about it. And it's so nice not to have the run hanging over my head all day! By noon, it feels like the run happened yesterday.

Anyway, I went a little slower today because I was a bit sore from yesterday. I wasn't paying attention to my pace until I was pretty close to home, and I noticed that if I really pushed myself, I might make the two-mile mark in under 24:00, meaning a sub-12:00 pace.

I tried hard, but I didn't do it. Oh, well! It was close.

Once I finished my run, I went inside to shower and do my hair and make-up. I was dreading doing my hair and make-up more than I usually do running! Haha. But I did it, because it's only a three day commitment...

I spent the entire day working on cleaning out the garage. I ordered insulation and drywall a couple of days ago, which will be delivered--hopefully soon--because I'm going to insulate and drywall the garage! I'm excited about doing that. But it means I have to take everything off the walls and get it all prepared.

I had a Skype date (game night) with my high school friends (the third week in a row) at 8:00, and I finished the garage at 6:15. I still had to walk Joey for two miles! I quickly grabbed his leash and started walking him, and a mile in, my back was hurting SO badly. I was in tears. When I'm on my feet all day like I was today, my back pain is horrible. I'd been on a route that would've been 2.5 miles, but I called Jerry to pick me up as soon as I reached my goal of 2 miles.

When I got home, I had to help Jerry set up his Skype for our call (and cook dinner in the process). I was DYING to sit down with my heating pad on my back. I made an old favorite soup of mine--Spinach and Tortellini Soup. (I'll post the recipe soon!)

So, I finally got on my Skype call at 8:00. We played a game called Scattergories Categories (Amazon affiliate link). It's a very easy game to play via video chat! Everyone just needs a notepad and pen, and one person needs to own the game. It was fun! (Jack is missing from the top right)

Now I want to just chill and watch a couple of episodes of Nip/Tuck with my heating pad. I hope my body is feeling better before my run tomorrow. Two days down, one more to go! :)

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Day 1 of 3

Thank you all SO very much for the comments on yesterday's post. It sounds like so many of us are in the same boat! Gaining weight just plain sucks after spending so much time and effort to take it off. I will try to reply to comments tomorrow.

Like I mentioned yesterday, I'm going to do a three-day plan to just make myself feel better in general. I've been feeling terrible about myself lately, and I think these things will help. I started them today:

*Drink a quart of water immediately when waking up. Get dressed in running clothes.
*Run 2 miles, starting within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a two mile walk.
*Knit, crochet, do a puzzle, play a game, or anything else that is "hands on" in the evenings to avoid snacking.
*Cook a family dinner each day.
*Get dressed in "real" clothes and do my hair and make-up every day. Even though I'm not going anywhere, it makes me feel better about myself.
(Bonus): Write in a journal. I'm not sure I'll be able to stick with this one, but I will try. Maybe if I make it a routine to do while I eat breakfast after my run.

Today was Day 1 of 3, and and I have to say, going into it knowing that I'm only shooting for three days helped a lot! So here goes...

First thing in the morning, I woke up and dressed in my running clothes. My body isn't used to drinking a full 32 oz bottle of water first thing in the morning anymore, so I drank half of it and saved the rest for after my run.

I headed outside for my run (one of my unspecified goals was to do my runs outside rather than on the treadmill). I'd put on just a t-shirt, but I was freezing, so I went back inside to change. I don't have any long-sleeve tech shirts that fit me right now, so I put on a sweatshirt.

I got about a half mile into my run before I realized I hadn't turned on my music. I was wearing ear pods, but listening to nothing!

I ran at what felt like a semi-comfortable pace (it was hard, but I didn't want to die, so I just ran at a pace that felt kind of hard but do-able).

I know a perfect two-mile lollipop route, so I did that. I didn't check my Garmin the entire time, because I really didn't want to know what my pace was. I just wanted to get in the distance, and that's all I cared about.

I felt so good afterward! My day hadn't even started yet, and I'd already accomplished something :)

It wasn't actually 6:52 when I started. It was 7:52--forgot to change the watch forward. I was actually kind of surprised to see that I ran at a 12:00/mile pace. I expected it to be slower.

After my run, I jumped in the shower. Then I got dressed in jeans and a gauzy sweater top rather than my black stretchy pants and a big sweatshirt.

I can't even tell you the last time I blew my hair dry or curled it or anything like that. I ALWAYS wear a messy bun! I was a little irritated about taking the time to do my hair and make-up (it felt like a big waste!) but I'd promised myself I'd do it and I knew I'd feel better about myself.

So, I blew my hair dry, and while I was waiting for my curling rod to heat up, I put on some make-up. (Now, I am not a make-up artist by any means, and I don't do contouring or use a million different brushes or colors or anything like that--I keep it super simple!)

Once my make-up was done, I used the curling rod to add some soft curls to my hair. I have to admit, I felt a LOT better about myself when I looked in the mirror. My weight hadn't changed, obviously, but I think I looked better and it gave me a little mental boost.

(I totally didn't intend to match my shirt to my couch, haha!). The necklace I'm wearing (I never wear jewelry!) was a gift from Jerry--it's a squirrel inside of a heart. I love it :)

I spent the afternoon cutting down some boards that my brother gave me--I think I'm going to build some shelves for my bedroom with them.

Later, I took Joey for his two-mile walk. I liked the thought of listening to a podcast while walking. We walked to my parents' house, where I stopped and chatted with them in their driveway (keeping a good distance away).

Then I walked down the street to a park that has a boat launch--Joey loves to run in there and wait for me to throw rocks for him *eye roll*. I just wasn't in the mood to throw rocks today, so I kept walking. I let him off leash at the park because nobody was around.

I could see a couple heading toward us with an off-leash dog (who looked like it was a black lab or a lab mix) and I leashed Joey before the other dog noticed us. Joey was DYING to play with him. I asked the couple if their dog was friendly with other dogs, and if they could play together. They said sure, so Joey made a friend today!

When I got home, it was time to start making dinner! I decided to make Italian-Style Lentils & Rice. This is a different take on the Taco-Style Lentils & Rice I shared the other day. You can find this recipe here: Italian-Style Lentils & Rice.

It may not look like much (I used crushed tomatoes instead of diced, which makes it look mushier, but that's what I had on hand), but it's SO good! Jerry and I both love this dish. My kids don't like Italian sausage, so they aren't into it. But this is a must-try if you like Italian sausage (I like the hot kind).

I counted my calories all day--I'm still going to have a snack in a little while, though. But I did great with that!

The only think left on my checklist today is to do something to keep my hands busy this evening. Jerry and I are about to watch a show, so I'm going to get out something to knit while I watch.

I'm pretty impressed with myself for making through the day and getting everything checked off! Feeling positive for day two tomorrow :)

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Finally Facing the Scale

I'm really going to be vulnerable in this post, so please be respectful (and I know you will--my biggest cheerleaders are people I've never even met!)

I'm also not looking for dieting advice. This is just an introspection on my part. Anyway, with that said...

When I lost 125 pounds back in 2009-2010, I never imagined that this is where I'd be today. Until a minute ago, I didn't even have any current photos of myself to share because I haven't taken any in months. So, I just now went into the bathroom to take a selfie.

This is my "quarantine uniform"--black stretchy pants and a baggy sweatshirt. (At least my hair is clean... I just got out of the shower)

Back in 2010, after having lost 125 pounds, I was ecstatic. I was wearing a size 4, which is something I never even thought was possible. I had started running--first just 30 seconds or so, and then minutes, and then double digit minutes, and eventually, I was following a 10K program. The October before I reached 125 pounds lost, I ran my first 10K race at a 9:23/mile pace. That was just about five months after I started running!

I felt in complete control of my eating habits and my weight. I was still scared to death of gaining the weight back, but I think that's normal for anyone who loses a large amount of weight. I had planned to continue counting Weight Watchers Points for as long as I needed.

A big change that happened at that time was when I broke my jaw. It really screwed up my eating habits and caused a HUGE restrict/binge cycle afterward. When my jaw was broken, my jaw was wired shut so I couldn't open my teeth at all. I had to have nothing but liquids for SIX WEEKS.

I had a lot of smoothies and puréed soups. When the wires came off, I still had a hard time opening my mouth, and it took me forever just to eat a few minuscule bites of food, but I wanted to eat it ALL--cookies with frosting, ice cream, pizza, all the things I missed out on for so long.

It didn't take long at all for my weight to jump back up. And from then on, I had SUCH a hard time committing to getting back to counting my Weight Watchers Points.

And you know the story from there... I started Runs for Cookies in April of 2011, when I was getting back up in the mid-140's.

For the next seven years or so, you know I've had more ups and downs with my weight than Oprah. Until a couple of years ago, though, I felt I had it under control for the most part. I never imagined that I would be here, right now, weighing 179 pounds.

Yes, folks. One hundred seventy nine pounds. 179.

I would scream in caps lock, "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?" But I know when it happened. It happened each time I made the choice to "start tomorrow" or "just this once won't make a difference". It happened when I decided to go against my "Golden Rule for Weight Loss" a couple of times.

It is terrifying for me to admit that number on the scale. I'm extremely embarrassed and I feel like a failure to myself. I worked SO DAMN HARD for so long to lose the weight and then to keep it off.

And the part I feel worst about is that Jerry had gained right along with me. I make most of the food choices in the house (I choose what to cook for dinner, I do the grocery shopping, I ask him to pick up pizza on his way home sometimes after I've had a busy day.) He's at his heaviest in 10 years as well.

We have said several times that we "need to get it together" and "make a plan". We'll do good for a day or two, but then it's right back to where we were before.

When I was losing 125 pounds, I was thrilled with the little goals I set for myself--hitting new "decades" of weight loss--the 240's, 230's, 220's, and so on. And you know what? When I reached 179 pounds (today's weight) back then, I was ecstatic! Getting under 180 was such an enormous accomplishment.

I want to feel that way again. Ideally, I would wipe my slate totally clean, not looking at the past at all, and just start from here. Today my weight is 179. Maybe next week, it'll be 177--and that's something to get excited about. Maybe in a month, I'll see 169.

Even if I don't lose weight, I want to at least feel like I'm giving it my best. I don't want to cheat myself. I know it will be hard to adjust to eating differently again. But there is no better time than now, with this "Stay At Home" order (which was just extended to April 30th).

Something else I did a lot of when I was losing weight was to use my hands a lot--playing cards, knitting, crocheting, etc. That kept me mindless snacking.

I also used to get my runs done first thing in the morning, so their weren't weighing over my head all day. It helped me feel so good! I used to run before I even ate breakfast. I miss being a morning person.

I know that this post is sounding very repetitious. I write a post like this about once a month or two months, with goals and plans for getting my weight back down. I want this to be different.

Instead of challenging myself to 90 days, or a month, or even a week, I'm going to challenge myself for just three days. For the next three days:

*Drink a quart of water immediately when waking up. Get dressed in running clothes.
*Run 2 miles, starting within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a two mile walk.
*Knit, crochet, do a puzzle, play a game, or anything else that is "hands on" in the evenings to avoid snacking.
*Cook a family dinner each day.
*Get dressed in "real" clothes and do my hair and make-up every day. Even though I'm not going anywhere, it makes me feel better about myself.
(Bonus): Write in a journal. I'm not sure I'll be able to stick with this one, but I will try. Maybe if I make it a routine to do while I eat breakfast after my run.

FOR JUST THREE DAYS, I should be able to do this! My hope is that I'll feel good enough to want to continue. If I can eventually get a two-week streak going, I just might be able to go long-term. It's just starting that's the hard part.

Just like running, once you get your foot out the door, it's not so bad.

I want to do this. I need to do this. I'm tired of feeling bad about "letting myself go". The number on the scale was a shocker (but again, not really--I'm certainly not invincible to junk food!)

I'll revisit this after three days and we'll see how it goes!

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"Lockdown" DIY

I'm am totally at a loss of what to post today!

Right now, if not for the coronavirus, Jerry, the kids, and I would be in San Francisco. Tomorrow, we would go on a fishing charter in the Pacific, and Friday we had tickets to check out Alcatraz.

We were able cancel everything with refunds except for our Delta flights. They won't give us a refund, but they gave us credit for our tickets--and the credit won't expire until May of 2022.

So, the four of us will be taking a trip somewhere next year--we'll probably go to the Pacific Northwest, which was my original plan for 2021. I really want to take the kids to my favorite travel destination! We'll do Portland and Seattle, of course.

Even though we aren't on vacation right now, we've had somewhat of a "stay-cation" this past week. Jerry was put on official quarantine from work, due to a co-worker that he had contact with testing positive. Thankfully, it was paid time off of work. He hasn't had any symptoms, and tomorrow will be his first day back.

I'm really happy that he's been taking it seriously enough to wear a mask and gloves all day at work, as uncomfortable as that has to be. I went grocery shopping with a mask a few days ago and I couldn't wait to take it off--that was just a couple of hours. (It took SO long because I went to a different grocery store and I couldn't find anything--never again).  I can't imagine a 12-hour shift with a mask.

We haven't done much while he's been home, obviously, but it feels like a break from the "real world". I spent a ton of time sewing face masks, and I'm burnt out on it. I really want to think of something to make with wood--I'm dying to spend some time in the garage building something. Anything.

I've resorted to watching YouTube videos of people giving tours of their workshops--BAHAHA. I told Jerry that it's my version of porn ;)

I'm sure I've posted all these on my blog in various posts recently, so I apologize for being redundant, but these are things I've made so far during the "lockdown":

A crocheted cat hat for my friend Caitlin, who is having a baby very, very soon! She is a "crazy cat lady" and adores her kitties, so I thought this would make a fun photo prop for the baby.

A crocheted baby Yoda for Jerry. He's been obsessed with baby Yoda since November when some Star Wars TV show started.

A cross-cut sled for my table saw. This may mean nothing to most of you, but it was very exciting for me! It makes cross-cutting so much easier and more accurate.

A little table for my bathroom. I used to have a similar one there, but it was cheap and it broke, so I built a replacement. (I know you're all eyeballing that toilet paper!)

And my favorite... the picnic table for my squirrels. A couple of days ago, they finally took advantage of the umbrella! It was raining all day, and I was thrilled that I enticed a few of them to try it out. (I also posted a tutorial for how to make a squirrel picnic table.)

Face masks. So many face masks! (Here is a tutorial that I posted for how to make them)

My living room was a mess for several days while I made the masks. I watched two whole season of Nip/Tuck while I was cutting and sewing, too!

This post is incredibly boring and redundant (I even used that word twice, hahaha) but it's all I could come up with today. When staying at home in "quarantine", there isn't much to write about!

We did have a birthday "party" via Zoom yesterday--Nathan and Becky share a birthday, so my parents, Brian, Becky, their kids, Nathan and his super sweet girlfriend Alex, Jeanie, Shawn, Jerry, the boys, and I all got to interact together on Zoom. Fun :)

And speaking of Zoom, I have a date at 9:30 tonight with my SoleMates! Today marks six years since we were in San Diego after our Ragnar Relay. It'll be fun to "see" them all again!

My next crochet project? (I have to get the yarn for this, which is going to be expensive--lots of different colors--so it may be a while before I actually start)... But this will be a fun one! (Link to pattern is here: Tiger Joe)

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RECIPE: Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken and Beans over Rice

I included this in my list yesterday, but hadn't shared the recipe. This is a favorite slow cooker meal among a lot of my mom-friends. It's so easy to throw together in the morning and then have a healthy, hearty meal to eat for dinner. I like to serve this over rice, and with cheese on top if I have the calories to allow for it. However, it's also good on its own!

Here is a printer-friendly version!

Southwest Chicken and Beans over Rice

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 cup of salsa (or 1 can tomatoes with diced green chiles)
(Optional: 1 packet of taco seasoning, and/or 1 packet of ranch dressing mix)
(Optional: 8 oz cream cheese)

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken with two forks. Serve over rice.

If using cream cheese, place the brick of cream cheese on top of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Then stir it in when the chicken is done.

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