Way Down Yonder…

Last night was one of those nights that I will remember for quite some time, if not forever. I feel like an old lady sometimes because Hubs and I are such homebodies. We go out to dinner all the time, but we don’t lead extravagantly exciting lives. Those days are in my past! Er… were in my past! Last night we went out with a group of folks country line dancing! There is a cute little bar on Oceanside called Davina’s Cabo Cantina that one of the girl’s in a military wives meet-up group I am in goes dancing at and she decided to invite the group out… with out husbands!

These are by far some of the most fun gals I have ever met! The first night I went to a meet-up, I felt like we had all been stationed together for years. We all met at 8 and ha a group there for line dance lessons. You want to hear about a workout? Get you ass out on the dance floor – don’t evacuate it. We learned a dance called the “Push Tush”. It was fun and fast and involved a lot of shaking the booty! I don’t know if you can tell from this picture, but I am “glistening” from all the shaking!

Pain Reliever and cantaloupe... Both, equally delicious! Please also note this is a cell phone picture brightened in picnik. Sorry for the poor quality.

 I have never been more proud of Hubs! He got out there with NO coordination and tried all of the dances. He ultimately took a stand on the side of the dance floor and just watched, but he gave it the good ol’ try! If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: I am the luckiest girl in the in the whole world. Hubs puts up with so much from me, and always does the things I want to do… all with a smile on his face!

My boots got a pretty good work out, and I can’t wait to get together with these folks once again and have some more boot scootin’ fun!

Happy Hump Day friends- we’re almost there!

Just Trust The Recipe

We all know I’m not Ina Garten, but I thought I wasn’t doing too bad. Ok, I mean, there was that one time I turned on the wrong burner and was confused 45 minutes later when my water wasn’t boiling… only to discover my favorite griddle pan was BURNED TOAST on the bottom. Other than that though, I do pretty well. Then Sunday and Monday I had two, YES, TWO, back to back recipe goofs!

Sunday night I thought I would try a recipe for red potatoes I saw and pinned on pinterest:

 

via: For The Love Of Cooking

A cute and different wat to make a great side dish. I usually just dice mine up and toss them with some oil. This will be so great. The problem? I only sort of kind of read the recipe (if you click on the picture, it should take you to it!) and thought the four regular sized red potatoes I had would make a great substitution for the baby potatoes. Boy was I wrong! After boiling those bad boys for 30 minutes, they were still not really tender. I tried to smash them anyway and got a crapshoot of a turn out.

The day was saved when I winged it (winged? wung?) and just tore into the potatoes with a fork and knife, cutting them into chunks and drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled them with some onion, onion. I threw them in the oven for about ten minutes, stirred them up and threw them in for another ten. I sprinkled some shredded cheddar over them and let it melt in the oven (for about five minutes) before our side dish was ready to go. Next time, I’ll be sure to get small “baby” red potatoes!

Was this mistake enough for me to read and trust recipes? No, friends… it was not.

The very next day I attempted to make a sauce I saw on Giada at Home: Baked Potatoes with Sausage and Arugula Sauce. (Sorry there’s no pic, but if you click, it will take you to the recipe!) I was doing good- had my onions and garlic going good, sausage was browned and sauce was in the skillet. I added my Arugula and was very deceived. I had never cooked any kind of “greenery” (like arugula or spinach) and while I knew it cooked down, I was mistaken by just how much it cooked down.

I added more sauce because I didn’t want it too dry. That was the moment I just should have trusted the recipe. I saved it though, just like I saved the taters. I added my mascarpone and parmesan (which I shredded by hand from a block! You will never have anything so good in your life!) and the sauce was done. It was just a little runnier than I thought would be good on the baked potatoes, so I boiled up some rotinni and we called it a meal.

It was delicious! I highly suggest this recipe to everyone! It sounded kind of “too fancy” for me at first because I had never bought arugula or mascarpone in my entire life – I’m so glad I tried it though and will definitely make it again, perhaps even as runny as I made it last night!

So, spill the beans, friends: I know I can’t be the only one who has a lack of talent for reading recipes! What are some you messed up royally or saved gracefully?

Hungry Like… [the wolf]

Image by Todd Huffman via Flickr

Now that I am feeling 100% again, I got to go have my blood work done this morning. YAY! (NOT) I do blood work about as good as I do sick. Not well.

I rode into the hospital with Hubs so I could have the car. As we were getting ready to leave (fixing to go coffee, making sure he had snacks and I had my I.D. card to get back on Base this afternoon) I grabbed my “blood work buddy” – a teddy bear Hubs got me for our first Valentine’s day as Husband and Wife. Hubs just kind of gave a funny look and asked what the heck I was stuffing into my purse. I explained, much to his entertainment that I need a buddy with me, since I enjoy blood work so much. 

We got to the Hospital around 6:30 and I figured I would go right on over to the blood place since they opened at 7. Well, there was a line outside when I got there, so I just parked and called Nan. The line stayed there and grew, and grew, and grew! I got out of the car and into line around 7:30. Around quarter to eight a gal came up in her scrubs, frustrated and in a rush. The 7:00 gal never showed. Upon opening the doors, the waiting room was already full for her.

I sat and waited for doom’s day. Soon my name was called and I sat in the chair with my little blood work buddy. Of course, I’m fasting for this blood work and have been starving hungry since I woke up at 5! Any other day of the week, I don’t eat that early- not even by 6. Today- I could eat a horse.

The gal who did my blood work was a doll and I barely felt the needle! She was in, got her FOUR tubes of my sweet blood and was taping my arm up. I was in and out in an hour (which you know never happens at those places where you get seen on a first come basis!) and feel fine. Now we just wait for the results 😦 They are running a whole slew of tests and I sure hope they find an answer. Naturally, I will keep you posted and appreciate your thoughts during this time of uncertainty. I am hoping it is not diabetes. I am hoping it is lazy-itis… or something simple to fix like an iron or vitamin deficiency.

Onward to the commissary… AND BREAKFAST! Happy Monday, friends!

Fit & “Flab-U-Less” Week In Review | Week 4!

Hubs: work out buddy, cheerleader, best friend!

It is hard to believe we are four weeks into our new lifestyle. Mostly because this week was DISASTER! It started with me going to the Doctor on Monday about my fatigue. Blood work was ordered and I had every intention of going Tuesday morning. By Monday night I was battling the sniffles and the good old sicky germs Hubs brought home from work last weekend. By Wednesday I was in full-blown misery, suffering from the worst fever I’ve ever had which induced death-bed calls to Nan at midnight (EST). I was convinced I would not wake up Thursday, but I did. I didn’t get out of bed much, but I awoke. It was not until yesterday I began feeling slightly human once more. After a week of drinking my calories via Rain Berry Gatorade, we laced up our shoes bright and early and headed to the track for a very interesting morning with our photographer: Jessica from Giles Smiles Photography. Get ready for picture overload, folks. We narrowed it down from FIFTY awesome shots to these.

I never really looked at pictures of myself and thought “oh my goodness, who is that fatty?” Some of the pictures taken today made me think this for the first time in my life! I hope they inspire me to never give up, to pull through, and to work, work, work at this. Without further ado:

Lace them up and get ready!

Once we got laced up and ready, it was time to stretch it out:

That building is the Hospital- you know, just in case my heart can ever not handle it.

Sorry ladies, that sexy man beast is spoken for 😉 I like how his tat is totally sneaking a peek!

Let it be known, Hubs thought of this pose with his hands being down in the dirt. We did not do this to him involuntarily.

We found we could do sit ups much easier with a little teamwork 🙂

We applied this same philosophy to chin-ups 😀

This one is one of my favorites! It took a couple tries and a few “almost falling on our faces” to get us both balanced, and kissing in time for the click, but I LOVE it!

Yes, you will notice my Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor there- it looks like a watch! Well, it is a watch in addition to a HRM. Review perhaps in next weeks review!

Of course we’re competitive whenever we hit the track…

Of course, it’s important to stay hydrated with all this activity:

Of course, there is exhaustion when you’re done, but it’s so worth it!

You might even need some refreshment:

KISSES are the ultimate reward though:

As a matter of fact, Yes, Sports Illustrated, we are available for your modeling pool.

Our photog did something really cool when she edited them, and made two of the pictures into “motivational” posters, kind of. This will be perfect for our little workout corner! (Oh, because did I mention we bought a sweet stationary bicycle? It’s on back order and I can’t wait to share it with you all!)

This awesome shade of Nail Polish would be "I Eat Mainely Lobster" from O.P.I.'s new Touring America line.

I wanted this to have our wedding rings in it, because like I’ve said so many times before: It means the world to me that my husband is my biggest fan, my workout buddy, and with me 100% on this journey. I know I could never do it without him right by my side.

This is one of the first pictures I have looked at and been ashamed of myself. This image, along with the motivational quote Jessica put in, will get me through the journey to becoming half the woman I am right now. Go beyond what feels comfortable. Go beyond where I’ve gone before. STRETCH myself to the person I want to be.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our photos! I know I had a blast at the shoot and a billion thanks go out to my wonderful Hubs, for all he puts up with and with a smile on his face!

Here is to another fit and “Flab-u-less” week, friends! We can get through this and be one week closer to the healthier, stronger versions of our current selves we so long to be!

All images are property of Giles Smiles Photography. Don’t be a douche.

Coming to you LIVE from Sickville

I don’t “do” sick. I never have. When I was a kid I would get sick about once every other year, and it was always in October… it was also always strep throat. I was miserable for a week and then perfectly fine for the next year. When I was very little I got chicken pox. I got them so bad they covered my entire body- in my ears, in my nose, on my little eyelids. I remember my mother taping oven mitts on my hands to keep me from scratching my entire body. I also remember lots of bath time in a goopy oatmeal substance. Life is not fun when I get sick, friends. I am the “typical male” when I get ill.

My last time in sick bay was October 31, 2009. The day hubs and I were wedded. I was feeling fine! We handed out candy and I even went a few doors down to babysit! While babysitting, it came on out of nowhere and it came on strong. I spent the next three days passed out on a couch where we were dog sitting, in and out of consciousness, as my brand new husband ate leftover Halloween candy as a means of sustenance.

Last night my healthy streak was broken and for the first time in almost two years, a sickness swept over me. It started with a sniffle and I knew I was catching what hubs had over the weekend. My preemptive chicken noodle soup did not help.

Cuddling with Boscottie and some tissues

I guess it is time for me to recognize my husband works somewhere where there is sickness. He will be bringing home cooties and sicky germs. Let’s get used to this now, so the rest of his career will be easier on both of us 😦

How do you handle sickness, friends? Are you a big baby like me or do you sleep it off swiftly and move on? For me, looks like I’m hitting more Gatorade and hitting the covers.

Fit and “Flab-U-Less” Week In Review | Week Three

This week was a pretty hard week for me. I’ve developed an overwhelming exhaustion which I am going to the doctor tomorrow to set up some blood work for. My initial thoughts were: iron deficiency, lupus, or cancer. That is where my mind goes. This was re-inforced when hubs suggested I look at WebM.D., which I hate because the site is so dramatic- of course you’re dying. I went to it, typed in my symptoms and of course cancer is the first through tenth thing to pop up. GREAT. Furthermore: one breast was larger than the other, noticeably, recently. Tumor, anyone? That’s what the irrational me says. The rational me says, no- it’s either where your body is losing weight first or your period, get over it.

Dr. J found a polite way to tell me I looked like ass. After explaining everything to him he suggested vitamin B6 or B12. I’m waiting until after blood work to start a supplement. I currently take no supplements or vitamins at all, and unless you’re a doctor, I’m just not interested in what you have to say. I’ll let you know what the doc says tomorrow. I’m going to ask about a pre-natal. They say the health benefits are out of this world. I’m afraid of sickness so many women say they get as a side effect. Oh, and no- we’re not looking to get pregnant… ever.

Let’s just say this week my main goal has been to simply come close to my calories. Most days I succeeded, some days I did not. When you feel like crap, it’s hard. I’m working on less fruits and more veggies. I still have the main goal everyday of drinking all my water.

I did not continue with the 30 Day Shred as my back has given me some pain. It usually happens around my time of the month, but this is unusual right now. Great, another thing to talk to the doctor about! Here’s my thoughts: slipped disc of pinched nerve. This results in a call to Nan asking if she can come keep me company after the resulting back surgery I now have to undergo. Nan has reassured me it is most likely a muscle. We’ll see when I’m laid up in a full body cast. Haha. 

from Fitfighter.tumblr.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

So let’s see the stats for this week:

Loss this week: 2.4

Total loss: 6.8 lbs! Feeling good for that- but still feeling like crap otherwise.

Hubs and I have slacked on working out with not feeling well. I’ve flipped and flopped since Thursday- up a pound, down a pound, up and ounce, down an ounce. This week we get back into it for real and see what the good doc has to say.

Here is to another fit and “flab-u-less” week! If you are on the journey with me, keep up the good work, friends!

We Saw It In Fallbrook | Put Your Hands Up!

Image via Wikipedia

This morning Hubs woke up with the worst chest congestion/runny nose/cough in the world. He is usually great when he is sick! He sleeps it off and gets better right away. There’s no whining or pouting or any of the “typical man” sickness stuff. I’m the one with those “typical man” symptoms of whining and needing to be taken care of. Today, hubby is full on man sick- whining and all!

I decided to force chicken noodle soup upon him (and some good old Jewish penicillin on myself as well- just to help ward off the spreading of his sick germs!) and made him ride with me to Panera to get it. Oh, you thought I was making him chicken noodle soup? Well, we got “soup for a group” from Panera, so technically I made it by filling his cup up!

I digress.

On our way back down the freeway from Temecula I was automobilically (yep, I just made that word up) harassed by the California Highway Patrol. This is not the first time Estrada has come out of nowhere (and I mean literally, where the hell did he come from?) and almost rammed my vehicle. No lights, no sirens, nothing. He came weaving through traffic on the 15 south bound and almost merged right onto my poor sick hubby in the passenger seat. (Yes, I made him go with me, I thought the fresh air and trip might make him a little better.) I was going about 73 and only recently accelerated as the jackleg in front of me was only going 67. (Speed limit of 70.)

After he almost rams the side of the car he gets over behind me and I swear, I think he touched my bumper. I wish there was a hotline I could call because I’d love to know why it was so important for him to get to the scene which we passed moments later:

Estrada put his lights on, but he put the blue and yellow ones on. He pulled off the Fallbrook exit just ahead of us and was exiting his car to approach a car where there were three youths (we say about 14-17 years of age) standing on the exit shoulder with their hands in the air! What did they do that they knew they were busted for? Didn’t they ever learn to sit in the car, play cool, and wait for the officer to tell the to get out?

Furthermore, he hd them all put their hands on the shiny black car- OUCH!

I think I’m going to investigate via the CHP website to see if I can get ahold of a police blotter somewhere- you know, since I’m a working, tax paying, resident of the state of California… oh, wait. Well, since I live here and don’t make trouble.

Have you ever seen anything crazy… or ever been nearly rammed by a state trooper?

Special Days In Life | Lunch With Hubs

Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton Seal via NHCP Facebook Page

Today I went to the Hospital over on Camp Pendleton to have a special lunch with the hubs. The First Class Petty Officer Association was selling pancit and lumpia as a fundraiser. Some of the kids were from Hubs’ department, so it was nice to not only help, but support some of his own.

While there, I got a great tour of the department and was introduced to everyone while I waited for him to get back from a snack run. Everyone seemed so friendly, but we’re definitely not on a ship anymore! You can just kind of tell there isn’t the camaraderie in the civilian world that there was on the shipboard side. I guess when you’re not having hails and farewells every quarter and wardroom gatherings there simply isn’t the opportunity to build the relationships.

I was introduced to some folks on the military side. I was introduced to good old “Lady Boards”. (Remember he bought the female shoulder boards and didn’t realize it until the morning of his promotion. The closest shop that sells MSC shoulder boards is down at Miramar- quite the haul in morning traffic!) He’s a Cowgirls fan- no wonder he bought the female boards. I also was able to meet Hubs’ boss! He was a really nice guy who knew how to talk football smack on the college level. He checked in only a week or two before Hubs, so he’ll be here for the same length of time, which is always nice.

Along our tour one of the most breathtaking things was a back corridor: The Hall of Heroes. The hallways would be travelled if one was heading to the Executive Conference Room or one of the staff parking lots. Along the walls there were pictures and citations of those in the medical community who received the Medal of Honor. (Where Hubs’ great grandfather is pictured!)

One of the things was a glass enclosed bulletin board where the hospital badge of those deployed either IA or on various missions were hung. Hubs’ was outside checking a voicemail and I have to admit I got a little choked up by the sentiment. How important it is in this kind of environment to remember those who have separated from their command to assist the greater community of their military brethren. There were about 50 badges hanging in the case, give or take a few. Next week one of the Petty Officers from Hubs’ department will deploy and his badge will be placed in the case.

It was one of those moments in life that take your breath away and make you so greatful for the sacrifices of those so often overlooked beause they work in a hospital and not out in the heat. Another concept I have the Navy to thank for giving me… I will never forget the day I first saw it, and will say a prayer for all those everytime I see NHCP.

But Was It A Good Bite?

from google images

Over the course of the weekend we decided since I would be going into Temecula today, we would drop the pups off at Doggie Daycare. They enjoy the socialization and the get groomed on location! Bosco needed his nails trimmed and a good scrub down while little miss Lady Fiona needed a shave and a good soothing bath. Even though we’ve given her flea treatment, we’ve noticed some scratching lately and she’s been whiny. Hopefully, a soothing scrub and a closer shave will help!

This morning I left the house and we arrived around 9 am at Dogtopia. There was a woman who pulled in a few parking spots away from us and proceeded to release her six small, obese dogs from the cage of her SUV. One little fatty didn’t want to exit. As I was getting out of the car with my two over-anxious dogs, the woman calls for hers: “Come here baby!” Bosco tries to make a break for it and I inform him he is not the baby she is referring to. I let the lady go in first, as Bosco is a little… shall we say, aggressive, when he is around strangers.

The woman would not leave the lobby! So we sucked it up and went on in. Bosco was showing a little aggression before so I had picked him up. As he snarled and growled the woman commented that she could not believe his behavior. I’m sorry, what? Luckily for her, the Dogtopia gal said, “oh, he’s just watching out for mom!”

It was about 9:16 as I pulled away and left my babies there to be pampered and play.

An hour and a half later, while I was in a session with Dr. J, my phone started vibrating and it was Dogtopia. We were almost done so I did not answer it, but I mentioned who was calling. My first thought (which became a comment) was “Oh gosh, if Bosco bit someone I hope it was at least a good enough bite to make it worth my time!” You know, like if you have kids and one of them got into a fight on the playground, you at least kind of hope it was a good fight, maybe a little blood was shed even. You don’t want to have the pussy of a kid who slapped someone! Oh, is that just me?

Back to Boscotti: Dr. J just kind of laughed. I said, “Yeah, we’ve been training him with puperroni on the neck, so I hope he didn’t let us down! I mean, we watched shark week while training him, so did he at least jump and twirl as he was biting, or was it a quick little sneak attack on the ankles? Did he breach?”

 When our session was done, I listened to the voicemail… yep, there was a voicemail- this couldn’t be good! To my relief it was just the groomer calling to make sure I wanted Fiona shaved closer this time than last time. *SIGH OF RELIEF* The five minutes or so between getting the cal, and hearing the voicemail were the most stressful five minutes since we adopted Bosco and Fiona (a year and a half ago!). My boy didn’t let me down!

Do you use doggie daycare? Have you ever gotten that dreaded call and instantly thought your dog did something that would get them banned for life? I know I can’t be the only one in need of Cesar Millan!

What Would You Do? | Support a Troop

Image via Wikipedia

I am the type of person who will react to a situation and then immediately think: “Is that how I should have reacted? Maybe I should have done “x” and “y” would have happened instead of “z”.” Yesterday I had two incidents of this nature where it left me thinking “what would have happened if I had acted, or reacted differently?” One involved a grandpa with a “support the troops” ribbon on his bumper, and the other involved a wounded warrior. What would you have done? I’m fairly certain I reacted right in the firs scenario, but it shakes me to the core not knowing if I acted right in the second.

As my tweeps will know, yesterday I was run off the road by grandpa who I am convinced was either on his way to or from the VFW. I was on my way to base to hit the track with hubby. The main road here in town has two lanes and curves shortly after I turn onto it. BOTH lanes make the left hand turn. I was in the right lane and grandpa started off in the left. I say started off because as he made the turn he merged over, almost right into me, and into my lane. I’m not going to lie, there was that split second where all of the following took place in my head: “Do I let him hit me? If I let him hit me will he do enough damage to make it “worth” my time and effort? What if he needs to pick up prescriptions for his elderly wife and she doesn’t drive and if he hits me he gets his license revoked? Oh screw it Elizabeth, get out of the way!”

I tapped on my horn a polite little “hello! Do you see me, sir?” He kept coming over. I laid on my horn as I shifted over into a kind of parking shoulder/the sidewalk. The first thing that popped into my mind was: If you want to support the troops, don’t run their wives off the road!

I made it to base with no more problems. This is where the second scenario comes into play. All my life, er, all my driving life, I have felt the undeniable urge to pick up young service men and women I see walking on the side of the road. You’ll see them making what seems like the longest trek to the NEX and just want to help… especially if it’s raining. My heart tells me to help these young men and women out. My rational side tells me “ARE YOU CRAZY? Just because they wear a uniform doesn’t mean they’re not a psycho killer!”

Yesterday, as I drove down the stretch to the Naval Hospital I passed a man with a shopping bag. He was in full camo uniform and walking with a cane. It pulls my heartstrings every time I pass the Wounded Warrior unit building, but for those who have been on Camp Pendleton and down Margarita Road, heading towards the hospital you’ll know it’s pretty desolate! Where was this man walking? How far did he have to go? Should I have pulled over and asked him for a ride?

Needless to say I did not because I am the “worst case scenario” thinker and in my mind this man was not only trained how to kill somebody 32 different ways using only his thumbs, but he was also a serial rapist and nobody would ever be able to find my body and the last thing I needed was to be an episode of NCIS. Yes friends: that is my thought process.

Are you the same kind of thinker or do you offer the man a ride? I can’t help but shake the feeling I should have offered. Hubs reassured me that in today’s day and age there is no reason a young woman driving by herself should put herself in that situation and you never know who someone is, but I still feel awful. I can’t say I would stop next time, either. Just because you have a cane and are in a military uniform does not mean, in my mind, you are not an infiltrator here to commit crimes of murder on unsuspecting motorists. Yep, that’s the way this brain works