Health and vacation

I have put on some of the weight that I had lost.   I am up to 173 lbs.  Not happy about it at all.   I got out my old journal and measured myself so I could start a base line. I measured less than I did a year ago by 2 inches in my waist and hips.  That part made me feel a little better.  The fridge is darn near empty and I will need to go grocery shopping.  Maybe Sat morning.  I am going to stock up on fruits, veggies and different sources of protein.  I am a carbaholic so I don't ever have to worry about not getting enough of them.  I also studied up on portion sizes.  Although I have to say that I didn't heed them today.  My journal doesn't count calories as much as how many servings I get.  It was tailored for me a few years ago by a dietician.  I am allowed:  3 fruits, 7 oz of protein, 2 starches, 1.5 milk, 2 veggies and 3 fats.  Everything has to be a serving size except the protiens. They are measured in ounces and for the life of me I cannot remember how to log my morning smoothie made with protein powder.  It is time to log everything and pay attention to serving sizes so that I can get rid of some bad habits.  

Otherwise, I have felt good.  I am STILL waiting to hear back from the claims department of Sanford.  She keeps putting me off.  I will have to call on Monday.  It is getting frustrating.

Last week I went to see my good friend and former co-worker Nicole.  She moved to Arkansas with her family a year and a half ago.  Her brother's funeral was one that I missed when I was so sick.  I miss her being part of my daily life. It was good to just sit and gab and laugh.  Jim's comment to me on the way home was that Nic and I are a good fit as far as friends go.  I thought that was a pretty huge compliment. 

Now let me tell you about the trip down and back.  We drove from Fargo, ND to Centerton, AS. We left at 4:40 am, stopped 3 times and rolled in around 5pm.  Nothing major happened and I discovered that it is kind of an ugly drive (sorry, IA).  We spent 2 days in AS hanging out in the yard mostly.  Jim and Wayne got in a little golf and Nic and I took Ry and Alex shopping.  Her son Alex is adorable!  I discovered that the supposedly haunted Peel Mansion is near her and will go through that museum next time.  Nic and Wayne took us over to OK to a casino where I gave OK some of my hard earned money-dang!  AND I discovered that they live only 176 miles from Miranda Lambert's home town!!  We left for home around 6am.  I hadn't gone too far when it started raining hard.  By the time I was nearing the freeway, Jim was already curled in a ball on the back seat with a blanket and pillow.  As I entered the freeway, still on the entrance ramp, I took a rock to the windshield.  Couldn't see it but I recognized the sound.  Hoping it didn't leave a chip, but again, couldn't see between the dark and the rain.  We had used our GPS a lot going down and had eaten up a lot of data so I turned it off now that I was on the road, completely forgetting that in about 30 miles I switch to a different road.  Around 9 we stopped for gas and breakfast.  Got back in the car and got back on the road-yes, the wrong road, but I haven't figured that out yet.  Jim is in the back with headphones on watching movies and Rylee is awake and we are talking.  I say something about how I don't know what I was doing when I drove this part 3 days ago, but nothing looks familiar.  I am seeing signs for the Ozarks and the supposedly haunted Missouri State Penitentiary (I like my ghost shows, OK?  don't judge).   She agrees that nothing looks familiar.  I can actually hear the click in my head.  I grab the phone and toss it to her telling her to pull up Nigel (that's what I call my GPS voice since it is British).  Sure enough, we are in the middle of Missouri and headed to the Ozarks.  Ry quietly says "don't tell dad."  I quietly say "when I reach the top of the exit ramp, he's going to know".  Then all hell breaks loose.

 My Nigel says that I need to turn around and go back the way I came.  Jim opens his GPS and his Nigel tells me to snake through Missouri to get to my highway.  I say "tell me where to go and I will"  I have no leg to stand on here and am not about to argue.  I got us lost!  It is about this time that he notices the gigantic chip in the windshield.  OK, really, it's the size of a dime, but to me it looks HUGE!  He is NOT happy with me!

We choose to snake through Missouri.  As I get on the road that winds us through Missouri, I notice a car with Kansas plates in front of me.  She is doing 80 in a 55 and I think to myself that I should be able to get away with 70 since she'll be pulled over first.  Besides I have time to make up.  By the time we get back on the main road everyone is irritable.  We are officially 2 and a half hours behind schedule.  Here's hoping there is no speed enforcing camera picture of me headed my way because I did not obey the speed limit at all.  I really don't want the ticket.  I drove for 11 hours straight that day.  It was hot and I couldn't run the air because Jim was cold.  Hot flashing, menopausal, stressed out women need the air on!  Finally made it home at 9:10pm.

I have to say that the people down south are so sweet!  We stopped for coffee and the girl hands it to me and says "here you go sweetie".  I about gushed out loud!  How cute was she??  We got a lot of "you aren't from around here, are you honey?"  These people could be rude and I would still think they are sweet!

The other thing is that the back roads of Missouri are filled with sad little towns.  I can only imagine what the back woods looks like.  I saw homes made of whatever scraps were available and others with garbage piled around them.  Hollywood has exploited this image badly.  I'm sure these people are just as sweet as the others we met but I kept waiting to see the Hatfields and McCoys jump out shooting at each other or the guys from Deliverance sitting on a sagging porch.  I just kept praying that I didn't break down or get a flat.  Some of those little towns were scary.  It was feast or famine.  You would pass big beautiful homes surrounded by acres of lush green land and then shacks surrounded by dirt.  Quite the adventure that I took us on!

Nicole wants us to move down there and while I think I would love to be more south, I don't think AS is the place for me. Granted, that did not keep us from house shopping online while we were there!   It was people on top of people and the roads weren't built to handle the traffic they have.  You would be driving along and it was strip mall, Walmart, convenience store, grocery, gas, restaurants, Walmart, homes, gas, Walmart, strip mall, fast food, fast food, cows, Walmart, run down homes, convenience store, fast food, newer homes, Walmart, cows, grocery and so on.  It was as if the cities had grown so fast that they grew around the farms, the farms sold off some of the land and the zoning was changed but these small farm-ish plots were grandfathered in.  So seeing cows lying 15 feet from a congested road or stop light is normal.  And every road was congested.  All the time.  What I did like was that all homes had to be 85% stone or brick.  The newer construction is beautiful!

Now for my random thought of the day:  Are you a dishwasher reorganizer?  I am.  I'm not proud of it but I do it.  Up until last week I thought no one knew.  Yes, I am that naïve.  If I rearrange stuff, I can get more in and stabilize glasses better.  Last week, Jim went to start the dishwasher, stopped and asked me if I wanted to move anything before he started it.  He wasn't even being sarcastic!!  He was being completely genuine!  I was so embarrassed!  How did I think no one knew!  Insert eye roll here!

Have a great evening everyone!  Spread some joy and smile at a stranger!
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