Colorado Springs - 4 July 2011

Vacation day 1.

Well technically not. Since it was July 4, it actually counted as a holiday.

The holiday was spent in Colorado Springs and included:

Sleeping in! Always a good thing whether on vacation or on holidays or on any days.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: many giraffes, lots of pine cones, naked mole rats, wallaby petting, the Mountaineer Sky Ride - just a bit scary, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun and more. The entrance fee included a quarter to give to support efforts to protect an animal. There were six possibilities - I picked the African Penguin.

Garden of the Gods: lots of red rock, some hiking, many pictures.

A good day - sore feet, sore knees, sore back - we will see what works tomorrow when the vacation actually begins.

See you along the Trail.

Of the tube and goals

Managed to wake up earlier today - 9:30 or so. But spent most of the day vegetating in front of the TV. Started with a portion of The Alamo - the 2004 version with Billy Bob Thornton and Jason Patrick and some others. As with True Grit, I prefer the John Wayne version.

Football followed - a disastrous day for the Big Ten. A great win for Texas Christian. SEC domination. Penn State started well against Florida but faded. I still wonder if it is not time for Jon Pa to retire; I have been wondering that for a few years.

The evening brought the Winter Classic hockey game - and the Penguins lost. That means both teams I care about lost. Connecticut appears a bit overmatched against Oklahoma - knew that going in.

Played Scrabble once again. Eric won two. I did pick up one. But Eric has won more than his share - or at least some of my share - over this vacation.

Another day of overeating with pizza ordered in and cookies sought out. My plan is to adjust my eating starting on Monday. We have folks coming in to watch the Steelers tomorrow - well later today.

Goals for new year - starting Monday
Daily - eating well
Daily - 10,000 steps
Weekly - 5 times of exercise
Monthly - 10 pounds weight loss
Monthly - 333,333 steps
Monthly - 90% normal blood sugar readings
Annual - 120 pounds weight loss
Annual - 4,000,000 steps

The daily steps don't add up to the monthly or yearly steps - I will have to figure that out.

Not sure what the rewards will be - have to figure those out.

See you along the trail.

Not the best day

Overate - but did avoid eating foods with large quantities of sugar. There was this doctor who used to say that it is better to eat apples than Oreos.

Did not make it to the gym - still nursing a blister. But it is getting better.

Did walk for 10,102 steps.

One out of three.

The Penguins lost. I suppose i can't really set a goal for a situation in which I have no control, but it would have been nice for them to win.

Did catch the end of The Outlaw Josey Wales on the tube after the hockey loss.

Tomorrow will be another day.

See you along the trail.

Three

Quick post tonight - had planned to go longer - but need to post on the Peacemaking Program blog about folks who are going to the Philippines as election observers. Say a prayer for the people of the Philippines and those who plan to serve as election observers.

A good day

Went to gym for first time in long time. 40 minutes on treadmill. Remembered how to use it.
Ate well
11,359 steps

Pens won.

See you along the trail.

Two

That's right. Two.

Two days of focused walking.
Two days of healthy eating.
Two days of over 10,000 steps (10, 565).

Two.
Two days in a row of achieving my goals.

It has been a long time since that happened. And it feels good.

Not so good was the Cavaliers game. Here's hoping that things change there. And that things change tomorrow for the Pens.

A great show about Harry Pickens and his music on KET took some of the sting away.

Denzel Washington is on in Bone Collector at the moment. However, I am going upstairs and read as a way of resisting eating.

To be continued . . .

Success - at least for a day

I made it! Or at least I will shortly.

A day of eating well, some focused walking, and 10,045 steps!

Defenses are weakening and I am going to head up to bed and read - that should be better than eating.

And I did it on a day when the Penguins lost! Watching the Kevin Costner Robin Hood on Netflix. It appears to be a director's cut or an extended version - definitely noticing some differences.

Now if I can start stringing a few days together . . .

Super Bowl Sunday 2010

Hey - the Saints just scored - a pick-six from Manning. It has been hard to engage in the game as the Steelers are not playing. But we had a really good time in New Orleans at Christmas - so I guess they would be my choice to win.

Made it back to the gym today - am fighting blister issues on my foot either again or still depending on the perspective. I walked 2.41 miles; did a mile on a stationary bike and spent a minute or so on the elliptical. Step total - 14, 355.

A friend has loaned me a netbook to try. Thinking that I might take it to Chicago, I have been playing with it. However, there is enough going on in the world that I need to be sure to have email access, so I am taking the laptop with the air card.

I also watched the Penguins play today - a Pittsburgh team playing on Super Bowl Sunday seems only fitting. But they lost. They started well, but Washington just outplayed them in the end. Such is life.

I was in New Orleans a couple of years back when the Saints won their first playoff game ever. I spent some time on Bourbon Street in the aftermath. It was great fun. Tonight should be even better! The picture is of St. Peter's Street off Jackson Square - don't have one of Bourbon Street itself. Guess I have to go back and get one of those.

Dances with Wolves is now on AMC. It is the 25th anniversary. Time has this way.

But time is flying in other ways and 5:00 comes early in the blessed AM. Off to Chicago tomorrow - as implied earlier.

Almost forgot - Bilbo and the dwarves are under siege in the mountain.