Monday, December 21, 2009

Back on track (again)

217.0

It's so nice to start the work week on Monday morning after having had a truly fun and relaxing weekend for a change. Seems like lately I have been in the doldrums a lot, and my weekends have not been very enjoyable.

Friday afternoon was our office holiday party. This year it was lunch followed by a few hours of games at Dave & Buster's. It was a lot of fun!

After the party, I picked up my last few Christmas gifts: some small items for MM to supplement his "big" present. While at Old Navy buying him some boxers (which were on sale, woohoo), I noticed they had some GREAT sales and ended up buying a few things for myself as well.

Saturday morning I slept until I awoke naturally--10 hours in all--and then wrapped my remaining Christmas gifts and did some laundry. I had a mostly leisurely day: the most strenuous things I did besides laundry were Furminating the dogs and picking up their poo. I read and played on the computer and relaxed.

Saturday night we met friends for dinner at a teppan yaki place in Scottsdale. We don't see this couple often--not more than once every 2-3 months--but they are fun to hang out with. It was the wife's 40th birthday, so we also went to a couple of bars afterward. Fortunately, the birthday girl was nearly passed out by 10:00, and we were able to make an earlier-than-expected exit. Sadly, I am too old to stay our late anymore. . . ah well.

Sunday morning, I got up a little early to go hiking with my friend V in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix. I haven't hiked at all since the weather has finally been cool enough, and I hadn't seen V much in the past few months. It was a BEAUTIFUL hike, and the weather was absolutely perfect: sunny, around 70, an occasional slight breeze. I definitely want to return to that area and hike more trails there; it is about six miles off the main road via an unpaved road, so it is a little remote. . . which meant fewer people on the trails and near-absolute quiet. I love that feeling that I am totally away from civilization.

V and I had lunch after our 3-hour hike, and I got home just in time to relax for a little while before getting ready to go see the luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden. Having grown up in New Mexico, I *love* luminarias, so I was really looking forward to this event, and it did not disappoint. (MM even ended up enjoying it, though he only went to humor me.) We followed the luminarias with a visit to one of MM's favorite pizza places, and that was our evening.

Between trying on clothes Friday, thinking about my own upcoming 40th birthday (which is 15 months from today) and hiking Sunday, I began thinking--once again, for the bajillionth time--over the weekend about getting back on the healthier-eating-and-regular-exercise track. Actually, this topic is one that is never far from my mind. . . even when I'm doing little/nothing about it.

Today my gym bag is packed, and I intend to go to the gym after work today. It will be the first time I've been to the gym in about a month. Not sure how much cardio I will do, because I am just not feeling all *that* energetic, but I do want to get back on a regular weight lifting program, so I am going to start that today. I am going to lift weights three days a week and plan to gradually add in some cardio on my "rest" days as well.

Eating-wise, I am not off to a great start, having had nothing to eat at home and settling for a breakfast sandwich from Star$$ (though I did forgo my caffe mocha in favor of just coffee with cream & Spl.enda), but I did bring my lunch and plan to pick up a salad somewhere for dinner. Baby steps, I guess. I will have to make a trip to the grocery store sometime in the near future because I didn't go over the weekend.

So that's where I'm at. Guess I'm about two weeks ahead of most people this time in "resolving" to get fit. ;-)

0 comments: