A Healthier Reboot
Day 04

Program is going along smoothly so far. Granted it’s only Day 4, but I feel good about this one. It feels easier than past attempts and the typical obstacles are so far not presenting themselves. Knocking on wood so that I don’t jinx my progress. I’m achieving the step counts and managing to step away from work a reasonable amount of times just to keep the circulation and brain cells working, and even managing to get in some downtime to help keep the spirit going. So I’m going to keep this post on the shorter time in an effort to “get at it.” Have fun y’all!

✔ steps: 10,403
✔ Nice long telephone chat with cousin (not on list, but great all the same)
✔ weekly meal plan

This week’s remaining goals:

  • make ranch salad dressing
  • make tomato sauce
  • laundry
  • create home inventory list (more on this later)
  • 10,400 steps (Day 4)
  • 10,500 steps (Day 5)
  • 10,600 steps (Day 6)
  • 10,700 steps (Day 7)
  • A few knitting rows each day
  • A daily creative
  • Maybe some guitar practice

Don’t forget your comments, ideas and suggestions. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay alive!


Day 04 stats:

Scale: ##3.0
Difference from last reading: 0.0
Breakfast: banana and coffee
Lunch: tbd
Dinner: tbd
Steps: 2,403 (so far)

Yesterday’s stats:

Scale: ##3.0
Difference from last reading: -1.8
Total difference: -1.8
Steps: 10,403

A Healthier Reboot
Day 03

I know the perfect spot for this.

Today it actually feels like this healthier reboot is actually having an affect. Work is still quite overloaded, at least to the end of this week, but all the puzzle pieces are starting to fall into place and that makes it all feel worthwhile. The list, however, is not being checked off quite as quick as I would like, so I’m just going to give myself permission to change it from a “day” list to a “week” list. Ahhh—a sigh of relief. So here’s the list:

✔ steps: 10,324
✔ knitting
✔ paperwork filing (granted, this was not on the list, but I got it done at any rate)
✔ packed lunch salads for the week

Today sees only one addition to the list: work, but that “work” included several of its own child projects. So for now that’s my main source of stress.

This week’s goals:

  • make ranch salad dressing
  • make tomato sauce
  • laundry
  • create weekly meal plan
  • create home inventory list (more on this later)
  • 10,300 steps (Day 3)
  • 10,400 steps (Day 4)
  • 10,500 steps (Day 5)
  • 10,600 steps (Day 6)
  • 10,700 steps (Day 7)
  • A few knitting rows each day
  • A daily creative
  • Maybe some guitar practice

So with the change from “Today’s” to “This week’s” is I combined all the lists into one. More manageable this way. You’ll notice there are still a few “daily” goals, and that’s okay! I’m still molding the plan. Send me your ideas and suggestions and I’ll give them a try. Did I mention I want your suggestions?

And I leave you with one last thought: Tomorrow the state is partially reopening 🙂 We’re trying to ease our way out of this pandemic. Good luck to everyone, stay safe, and stay healthy!


Day 03 stats:

Scale: ##3.0
Difference from last weigh-in: -1.8
Breakfast: banana
Lunch: salad and coffee
Dinner: tbd
Steps: 6,254 (so far)

Yesterday’s stats:

Scale: ##4.8
Difference from last weigh-in: +2.4
Breakfast: eggs, sausage, coffee
Lunch: salad and coffee
Dinner: baked chicken and spaghetti squash
Steps: 10,345

A Healthier Reboot
Day 02

COVID-19 Pandemic, Day 68

While this is only Day 2 of the 30-day challenge reboot, it’s Day 68 of the COVID-19 Pandemic lock-down. And while the above drawing may or may not resemble how we are all looking now, it definitely illustrates how we feel when we discover that toilet is paper back on store shelves! It’s the perfect image for today’s post, and was the result of yesterday’s sketch/watercolor activities (turned into a Copic marker exercise from one of those adult coloring books).

I did manage to get done most of what I wanted to accomplish yesterday:

✔ steps: 10,144
✔ food shopping
✔ healthy foods only
✔ knitting
✔ Gollum (watercolor/sketch substitute)

Well, maybe only half of what was planned. That means today I will aim for the other half in addition to a few daily goals like step counts. So here goes:

Today’s agenda:

  • make ranch salad dressing (from yesterday)
  • make tomato sauce (from yesterday)
  • pack lunch salads for the week (from yesterday)
  • clean a few rooms
  • laundry

Today’s goals:

  • create weekly meal plan
  • create home inventory list (more on this later)
  • 10,200 steps (increasing)

Today’s activities:

  • a few knitting rows
  • a quick sketch
  • a quick watercolor
  • maybe some guitar practice (time permitting)

A big item that is not on this list that would normally be is the big Spring Cleaning/swap over. This usually consists of packing away all my winter cloths; unpacking summer cloths; removing, washing, and storing away the two extra blankets from all the beds, replacing storm windows with screens, turning on a/c units, starting up the grill, and all that fun “it’s almost summer” stuff. But this year it’s all been put on hold until my move sometime in mid June. It’s getting closer, but the urge is here now so maybe I’ll at least pull out the summer shoes—it’s not much, but at least it’s something.

Now to begin with all the agenda chores. I welcome your comments, insights, encouragements, suggestions, suggestions, suggestions, and invite you to join me in my quest (virtually for now). Let’s start a discussion!

Did I mention I want your suggestions?


Day 02 stats:

Scale: ##?.?
Difference from last weigh-in: ?.?
Breakfast: Eggs, sausage, coffee
Lunch: salad and coffee
Dinner: tbd
Steps: 3,853 (so far)

Yesterday’s stats:

Scale: ##4.8
Difference from last weigh-in: +2.4
Breakfast: Steel-cut oatmeal with raisins and bananas, coffee
Lunch: skipped
Dinner: Ground beef and spaghetti squash
Steps: 10,144

A Healthier Reboot
Day 01

poem/creative (to be created)

I can not put it off any longer—day 01 has arrived. Well, technically I could put it off as long as I wanted. Luckily I don’t want to. It also happens to be a Saturday—the second best day to start a new program (Mondays still hold the “best day to start” title). For me this is a preferred start day because I can prepare some of my week’s meals in advance without worrying about time constraints. So let us begin!

Today’s agenda:

  • food shopping
  • window shopping at Home Depot (ceiling fans)
  • make ranch salad dressing
  • make tomato sauce

Today’s goals:

  • buy only healthy and on plan food items, and maybe a few other household items like the highly anticipated return of toilet paper!
  • 10,000 steps

Today’s activities:

  • pack lunch salads for the week
  • a few knitting rows
  • a quick sketch
  • a quick watercolor
  • maybe some guitar practice (time permitting)

So I begin this day, and will have you all in my thoughts as I plow through. I welcome your comments, insights, encouragements, suggestions, suggestions, suggestions, and invite you to join me in my quest (virtually for now). Let’s start a discussion!

4 p.m. Update:

  • Food shopping done
  • Home Depot scratched in favor of Boot Leggers (the Keene, NH store is OPEN!)
  • Steps: 4,989
New Slippers 🙂

Day 01 stats:

Scale: ##4.8
Difference from last weigh-in: +2.4
Breakfast: Steel-cut oatmeal with raisins and bananas, coffee
Lunch: skipped
Dinner: tbd
Steps: 1,813 (so far)

A Healthier Me
COVID-19 Edition | Day 30

Last day of this round,
It was most stressful at best,
New cycle starts soon.

At last—Day 30! And I’m so happy to be on the last day of this round! It was the most stressful of all rounds for the most obvious of reasons: we’re living in a pandemic world and everything has been flipped on its head. But while the pandemic may not be over, this round is, and no “phasing in” period either, which typically adds 10 additional days to the end of a round. I’m just going to take a week off.

But not to worry, I won’t go overboard. I just need to recenter and reground myself for the next round, and I promise to bring in something new. Perhaps I’ll swap out the haiku’s for a different poem format? Perhaps I’ll add an “art of the day” piece? Or something else completely different. Throw me some suggestions and I’ll see if it can be worked in. I will be bringing back the daily stats from previous rounds as my plan for the next round is to get back to the more strict format. But at this point, please toss in your suggestions. I want to hear from you all!

A Healthier Me
COVID-19 Edition | Days 28 & 29

Two days in one post,
Time flies when you’re having fun,
Old burdens are gone!

I find myself in catch-up mode once again, but in my defense it was a very very busy Two days. Well, one of those days at least!

Wednesday started out at a steady and manageable pace, but as the day progressed my need to put on the blinders to enable working on new code increased. Under normal conditions this would probably not have been the case, but there was an event to happen on Thursday that seeped into every conscious thought—a good event, yes, but seepage regardless.

So on to Thursday, and the big news for those that haven’t been following me on social media: CLOSING DAY! Yes, my former, beautiful townhouse is mine no longer! And, interestingly enough, even though I loved living there and was very comfortable in the space, this is not a bittersweet moment. I’m glad it sold. I’m glad I am no longer faced with paying the mortgage and condo fee each month. I am glad the responsibility is over! But I’m moving on up into a single family home that is twice as big as the townhouse with no one to dictate whether I can have a pet or not, and demand money to do so. Yes, there was a pool. Yes there were tennis courts. Yes they mowed the lawn and cleared the snow from the walkways and roads. But I only used the pool a few times a season, never stepped foot on the tennis courts, and can hire someone to do the snow removal and mowing in my new place (or do it myself). Well, maybe I’ll miss the pool, but the two dogs already on my list far outweigh the loss of a pool!

The new place? We still haven’t set a closing date as the sellers haven’t found their next home yet. I did offer to help them pack, however. They are downgrading into a rental so it shouldn’t take long for them to find a place. Even so, my need to “nest” has kicked in to high gear and I find myself already shopping for a new refrigerator. So now that’s the new anxiety: I can only window shop for now.

All-in-all, a great two days.

YAY!

A Healthier Me
COVID-19 Edition | Day 27

Creativity.
It’s sneaking its way back in.
Time to get started.

At last. A normal work day, albeit at home. A normal work load, a normal work spirit, … it’s just so nice to be almost back to normal.

And it was a pretty normal day in every respect. Got in my 10K steps plus a few hundred, had some very healthy meals, and spirit mostly relaxed and good-natured. Work was easy, sale of home going along smoothly, and sellers of my future home finally signed off on the inspection fixes. Yes, it seems like all the puzzle pieces are falling into place, and only three more days of the healthier me, pandemic style round. Good news: no weight gain. Better news: slight weight loss. Now my only short-term angsts include an extreme need for a hair cut, and a mani/pedi! I can live with the hair color, but the bangs that are no longer bangs are driving me crazy!

Do they still qualify as bangs?

My hope for the near future is to start sharing art work. Soon, my friend. Soon!

A Healthier Me
COVID-19 Edition | Day 26

Starting a new week,
Refreshed from a great weekend,
Bring on delayed tasks.

Yes, bring on all those other work tasks that were pushed to the back burner! The trumpet that speaks more about a well-rested weekend than anything else. On the positive side, these tasks now seem so much smaller than they did on Friday, and I am banging them out at a rapid pace. It feels like things are almost back to normal. Yes, there are still some bigger projects to deal with, but it just feels so good to knock out about 20 smaller jobs to help blow out the fog!

Another great Spring day, although not as warm as Sunday, so not as many peeps out on the sidewalks. Or could it be that everyone got a good dose of the outdoors on the weekend and don’t feel the need today? Either way, I’m good!

In summary: emotions—good; activity—good; spirit—great; productivity—way up; and finally, scale—minus 1 lb.! At Day 26 of this COVID-19 edition, as long as food choices don’t deplete any further, I can envision wrapping this round up on Day 30 and starting back on a more traditional plan. Yay.

A Healthier Me
COVID-19 Edition | Day 24 & 25

A pleasant weekend,
A welcomed, brisk walk enjoyed,
Getting back normal.

At last. This past weekend, with no work and few obligations was most needed. A little cabin fever remained, but was lessened with a long leisurely walk outdoors at dusk when very few other people were out and about. On any other day this would not be an issue, but living on Main Street in a small town becomes the main flocking spot for most people wanting to be part of the town life. But at dusk, everyone heads back to their homes so this is the best time for me to enjoy the warmer weather. Another bonus of walking at dusk on a warm spring day is that no sun block is needed, and mosquito season hasn’t quite started yet.

So yes, I got the whole weekend off, enjoyed some outdoor relaxation, worked on a hobby, got in 3 whole movies (but not uninterrupted), and allowed my imagination to roam free with regards to new home purchase decorating. The only frustrating part is not being able to buy any of that decorating, but that had nothing to do with the pandemic, it’s just common sense to not buy until I’m actually living in the space.

Still, daydreaming and anticipation does help jump-start the creative juices to flow again, so I welcome the process! Spring has finally arrived both outdoors and in my soul. At last!

A Healthier Me
COVID-19 Edition | Day 23

It’s almost over,
Just a few hours to go,
Relaxation time.

With just two days left of the massive work project, I can start to relax. Most of the work was done in advance so my part is starting to wind down, and I’ve entered into just monitoring mode, which is a breeze now that the development part is all done. My mental energy has already started to experience relief and Ican begin again to focus on other workplace projects that were set aside for the sake of this big one. Good news is that the efforts and work put into the project from the entire team appears to be paying off big time! Yay!

And so today was spent in the in-between from the mentally-draining, all-consuming project to the easier jobs and contemplation on what the weekend is going to look like, with the only stresser remaining being the sellers on my next property not wanting to address some of the electrical issues (advertised electrical box to be 100 amp, but inspection found it was only 90 due to an additional breaker in the garage that’s between the main breakers and the power coming in from the street). Their claim: it meets all licensing needs. My claim: but it was advertised to be 100 amps, and so that’s what it needs to be. Oye!

Anyways, the weekend is almost here, so I’ll put the housing issues aside and revel in a full weekend off.

Snuggle buddies: Janet, a black cat, and Biscuit, a yellow lab, snuggle together on the couch for a midday nap.
Janet and Biscuit: Snuggle Buddies