Gonna Make You Sweat while Walking on Sunshine ~ Happiness Project Phase Two ~ Exercise

(i.e. get up off your butt and move)
“I intend to live forever…so far, so good”.

After completing the sleep phase, I moved on to my exercise phase. I did the sleep phase first so I wouldn’t be too tired to exercise, which has commonly been my excuse in the past.

The first step (of many) was to go buy a pedometer. Nothing like a gadget to motivate me. My goal was 10,000 steps a day, 5-6 days a week. I found that walking 2 miles is only a little over 5,000 steps, but was pleased to find out that the difference was commonly made up by a few errands where I parked way out in the parking lot for bonus steps. Surprisingly, a trip to the grocery store and Walmart or Target takes quite a few steps.

As some of you might know, Jim decided some time back to start exercising more so he could lose weight. I made the mistake of accepting his bet that he could lose 10 lbs before I could. He started before I did (I was still focusing on sleep), he has had an easier time losing the weight (of COURSE that wasn’t because he had more extra to lose), and I’m pretty sure some of what he lost was water weight. BUT..actually, I take that back about the mistake. I benefited all the way around (pun not intended). He feels better and since he’s lost some weight he snores a bit less, which is great.

What I discovered is though I’ve lost some weight, most of my weight has just repositioned. My pants fit better, my endurance has improved immensely, and I feel great. That bit of weight around my tummy just stays, but a book I read says lots of women my age have slight hormone imbalances which make it very difficult to lose weight, especially there. According to one book, the slang term for that bit of toxic fat that accumulates around the waist is the “menopot”. Maybe sit-ups would help firm that up.  I also have not gotten sick since I've started this phase, and I've been watching what I eat more, especially at night (quoted one book, "Eat after 8, pack on the weight").

I've lost most of my 10 lbs, but Jim did win the bet, which means I have to do his dish job for a month. Now that he’s made his goal and won, he’s gone back to some of his old eating habits, including Dr. Pepper and big late dinners and ice cream.  He is still running.  A friend of Jim's runs, and does marathons.  When people comment on how much he loves to run, he says, "I don't run because I love running.  I run because I love to eat."  Honestly I hope Jim goes back on the healthy kick or at least maintains, because I don’t want him to start snoring again. :P

Danny and I went to a family reunion in Tennessee in June. It was a nice break and I got to see my grandmother Kathlyn that I was named after. She just turned 90 this year and she is still doing awesome. I also got to spend time with my sister Laura and her daughter Kira. We got to see my great great great great grandfather Zachariah’s house, visit the Tennessee Children’s museum (which included a Grossology exhibit), ride the Incline Railway (steepest railroad tracks in the U.S.), float on a musical riverboat, hear jazz at Riverbend while we ate huge turkey legs and drank lemonade, hike down a canyon to a waterfall, and make gravestone rubbings of my ancestor’s tombstones.

Me, my grandmother Kathlyn, my sister Laura, Danny, and Kira

My great great great great grandfather Zachariah's house

Kira and Danny on the Southern Belle riverboat

Danny at the waterfall

Danny and Kira at the Chattanooga Children's Museum

After the reunion, my sister Becky brought 5 of her 6 kids to stay with us while she and her husband went to Virginia (where they are moving) to deliver a sailboat and look at houses. We swam, went to the park, played games, and generally had a fun time.

Jim signed Danny up for day camp while we were gone to Tennessee, without telling me which camp and didn’t keep any paperwork. All he knew is that he paid $50. After he and I asked around with no luck, he said he thought it was the 11yo day camp. I got in touch with the Stake Primary president, and she gave me all the information on that camp. After she did, she checked her paperwork and said Danny wasn’t on her list but that she had a scout drop out and Danny could take that slot if we registered. When I filled out the papers, I noticed the fee was only $30. I figured he had missed the other camp, so paid for this one and he went and had a great time. During the week he was at camp, my friend Kim called me and mentioned that Danny was on the list for Webelos twilight camp. “Oh really?”, I exclaimed, “Just out of curiosity, how much was the registration fee?” $50. Mystery solved. Danny went to his second camp in two weeks.

In July Danny and I got on a plane again and flew to Utah for the Jackson family reunion in Fremont. While we were there, we played Carrom, Monopoly with speed dice, Rage, Rook, and Ticket to Ride with family and friends, as well as helping my mom put together about 4 puzzles and helping Aunt Laura make a lot of cookies for the reunion (Molasses Crinkles and Lemon Bars). I face painted at the reunion, sang in a small group, and Danny got to know his cousins a bit better. We stayed with Brit and Christian in my brother John’s condo while we were there, and we got to meet Chris Williams, a friend of theirs. We went to Seven Peaks where Chris W, Laura and I rode a triple tube down the Cave-in ride and turned over and cracked our heads in the middle and came out dazed, dizzy, and bruised. Laura couldn’t hear out of one ear for about a day due to water getting trapped inside her ear. Chris and Danny got along very well. Chris now loves Danny just like a brother, which meant Danny got shut in the pantry a lot.

My dad took several groups fishing, and Danny caught 6 perch one day, and 4 trout another day. He released the perch, but got to clean and cook and eat his very first rainbow trout, which he actually enjoyed! My dad is a Fishing merit badge counselor, and Danny’s well on his way to completing the requirements.

Laura and Kira on the bridge at Twin Creeks, Fish Lake

Danny with the rainbow trout he caught, cleaned, cooked, and ate

Danny and one of the perch he caught all by himself

While at BYU we randomly ran into Brett Clarke, a friend of Sarah’s from Houston, who was visiting extended family in Heber. He had been at the Y all day and was waiting for his aunt to finish teaching there so they could go back to Heber. We were having a family gathering up Provo Canyon that night to celebrate Danny’s cousin’s birthday and we invited him and his cousin Eddie along. After feasting on fried chicken, fruit, bread, cake and lots of other goodies, we noticed there was a BYU FHE group that had set up a slip and slide down the side of a hill, made of long clear heavy duty plastic from Lowe’s. They anchored it at the top, ran a sprinkler on it, and put a bit of dish soap for more slippage. There were a lot of college guys with their shirts off, and Brett and Eddie quickly suggested to Sarah and Leslie that a hike would be a good idea. My dad drove the boys back to Heber that night and talked politics to Brett all the way back. He thinks Brett will be a politician and was impressed that he stood his ground on controversial topics.

Brittany, my mom and I also hit a couple of garage sales. Some things we bought were a brand new 5 quart crockpot still in the box for Britt and Christian, a $2 Ikea floor lamp with brand new bulbs, a $20 TV that works great, some rubber stamps, and the old Disney video Summer Magic (Hayley Mills, Burl Ives, and lots of dancing bugs), I also bought a water balloon slingshot. It takes 3 people to shoot it and the balloons go up to 200 yds. It’s labeled for ages 21 and up. I left it with Brit and Chris to use with their BYU ward.

We got to see the baby kitties at my brother John’s house, met Sarah's pet bunny Taco, and ate some amazing stew (and of course my brother can not remember everything he put in).  Sarah got a job when she first got out to Utah at a dog "resort" which turned out to not be a very good place.  Her employer yelled at her a lot and she didn't like the way the dogs were treated.  So after a few weeks there she applied at Petsmart and got a job there as a bather.  She's very happy there so far. 

Sarah with one of the baby kitties

Danny holding Taco

It’s nice to be back home, even though the last couple of days when I went out for a walk/jog around the greenbelt, it’s been over 80 degrees and about 100% humidity. I’ve become one of the regulars on the greenbelt in the mornings, and I say good morning to those I see often as they pass. This morning, a young man said “Good morning” and I said “How are you?”. And he said, “Trying to be like you when I grow up”. It made my whole day.

This recipe is from one of the nutrition and exercise books I’ve been reading lately. I had cherry tomatoes and basil growing in my backyard garden pots so it was really good. I’m writing it from memory. Use equal amounts of mozzarella and tomato, basil to taste.

Mozzarella Basil Tomato Salad

Combine in a bowl:

Fresh mozzarella balls or slices

Fresh basil leaves

Fresh cherry tomatoes

Toss with a little olive oil mixed with some seasoned salt and coarsely ground pepper

Easy and delicious!! I like this with whole grain toast to dip up the leftover flavored oil. You could use regular mozzarella cubes if you want but they will be saltier than the fresh. Supposedly this is good for you and will not make you fat.