Tuesday Ketchup

It feels SOOOOOO good to be even starting a post!  I've been genuinely busy, but didn't intend to take such a long vacay from blogging!  I've managed to read and comment on a few of my 2,000 favorite blogs, and been composing posts in my mind since whenever my last entry was;  but finally putting fingers to keyboard has been hard to work in.  I planned to post yesterday from work (blogging being a most excellent way of goofing off between doing legitimate stuff) but ended up having a day from H - E - Double Hockey Sticks!  I'm the only nurse for 135 clients at this adult day program, and yesterday we had two 911 calls!  We've had one many times - but 2 is new.  In addition to the 2 bona fide emergencies, there were several other Monday mini-dramas unfolding at various points along the day.  I felt like a REAL nurse, instead of the glorified medicine pusher that this job often allows.

Actually, I love when things get hairy and crazy as a nurse.  Reminds me of my days working in hospitals where I routinely utilized skills and nursing judgement for which I was well trained.  It's hard to believe I used to function at such a high and intense level of patient care, and I always loved it.  But it's been 25+ years since my hospital days and I know I'm rusty, if not petrified, when it comes to high tech patient care.  Anyway - days like yesterday put me in mind of how much I love nursing as a profession.  And while I'm glad to no long be in a hospital setting where there are chronic nursing shortages, mandatory overtime and round the clock shift work, I do miss being called to perform at such an optimal level.

Now the above was a tangent upon which I didn't expect to travel!  Whatever.  I've been doing pretty well - a fact belied from my recent absence from blogging.  Usually when I don't post for more than a couple of days, I'm doing the wrong things regarding food and exercise.  But since Friday's weigh in of 208 (a one pound loss for the week), I've done pretty well.  Not perfect, but absolutely no bingeing, which is a big deal for me.   And each day from Saturday on, I've done better.  I got in a 5.5 mile walk Saturday and Sunday, and about 2.2 miles yesterday.  The first 2 were with a friend, and the endless talking really gets my mind off the speedy walking!  Yesterday on my own with the dog, forgetting my ipod, I felt every step, was copiously sweating (an attractive image), and ready to be done.  I'd intended to go much further.  Oh well, it was still a good walk and better than the nothing I could have done!

From yesterday until Thursday (maybe Friday), I'm home alone as youngest son is away with friends at a lake house, and the mister is on a business trip to Chicago.  I'm insanely jealous of the husband because he's staying with our older son who's been living in Chicago for the last year.  Actually son #1 is getting ready to come back and embark on some interesting volunteer work (you'll hear about that in the coming weeks).  He and Tom are going to a Cubs game tonight and hubby is thrilled.  I'd love to be there with them!

Being alone gives me the opportunity to really have the house empty of all crap and junk food, which greatly helps my eating efforts.  Also, I can just make small meals for moi, and not feel compelled to boil potatoes or cook some other starch products for the men folk.  Can you say simplicity?  Love it! 

I've recently started making myself a sandwich that is a throwback to my single and skinny days - this has been my Sunday and my dinner last night.  I'm using the 100% wholewheat sandwich thins, and using 2 tsp of lite mayo, lettuce, a BIG handful of alfalfa sprouts, chopped up scallions, avocado and a slice of swiss cheese.  Here's a couple pics over to the left.  Not only do these taste delicious, but they take me back to 1976 when I was in my optimal state of flat stomached, bikini wearing youthful health!  I'd forgotten about this yummy concoction until I saw sprouts at the farmer's market.  I used to be a sprouts addict!  Hey - I could (and have been) addicted to a lot worse.  Wonder why I got away

from them? 

The other new food thing I just found is at Trader Joe's...it was being sampled the other day.  It's a clear plastic container with chopped salad - cabbage, carrots, radishes, celery, and probably other stuff cut up in small chunky pieces.  I realize I can do that chopping myself, but since they were sampling this the other day with their Goddess dressing (delicious but calorie excessive so I didn't buy the dsg) I bought some.  It's a great starter for a big yummy salad where I add tomatoes, cukes, scallions, etc.  Here's pic of my salad yesterday, plus some okra fries I tried for the first time ala

KERF.  They were yummy!  I'll be doing more of them this weekend if I can find good fresh okra.  It's not as available in the northeast as in the south, where okra is a part of everyone's backyard garden!

Well, that's about it for me today.  I'm feeling very grateful that for right now, my inner binge-er seems to be lying dormant.  She's in there, for sure - but she's not kicking my ass today and keeping my mind stuck on visions of sugarplums and saltines with butter!  And with a nest that is empty of even the father bird, I think I can have a really good and losing week.