climate crisis

We (finally) saw An Inconvenient Truth last night. I realized that I've been resisting (too depressing, preaching to the choir, too far to drive, etc.) but it was time. And, it was hard. At one point, I got really really down (I think the drowning polar bears got to me). But, the movie ends on a hopeful note, with actual do-able things you can do to reduce your impact on the planet. Definitely worth seeing. (I wish they'd shown Gore taking the bus or on a bicycle, just once, though.)

It did make me very happy to have visited the glaciers before they melt completely (even if it wasn't the most efficient way to travel).

back in the lower 48

We got back last Friday, just in time to experience record-breaking (like 98F) temperatures in Seattle.

Hung with the Mr's family Friday night, then visited with an old friend on Saturday and headed home to more beastly temperatures.
The cruise was lovely, Alaska gorgeous, the weather fantastic. We had mid-60s and clear most days, even in Ketchikan (4th wettest place on the planet). We saw whales and otters and sea lions (yawn, I know).


Did I mention the cruise was chartered by A Pra1r1e H0me C0mpan1on?
The entertainment was not your usual cruise fare, but instead featured mini-PHC shows, complete with Guy N01r and Ketchup. On more than one occasion, we ran into The Man (GK) himself. And, we got to see Fr3d N3wman up close. And the music was so much more interesting than you usually get.

I had grand plans to work out every day in the ship's gym (which was very well appointed, with lovely free weights and elliptical machines looking out the front of the ship), but ended up napping instead. Somehow, the exhaustion women report during the first trimester has hit me in the second (or maybe it's just that I don't sleep much at night anymore). Regardless, it's getting old.

It's nice to be home and settled back in my routine. Working out and working and watching reruns of House with my feet up. Riding the bus sucks, though.

And, how are you?

the final frontier

My (g, nf, xh, no vanilla, no whip) hot chocolate cup this morning had this to say:

Recipe for happiness: an insatiable curiosity, a joy of discovery, quick to forgive, hold no grudges, love without condition, stay loyal to the death, see the best and ignore the rest -- wow, we can learn a lot from man's best friend! -- Nick Bolletieri

So, yeah. The pregnancy was planned, orchestrated even. (Oy. If you only know what we went through to get this far.) I've started telling the folks at work. So strange to have been living with this secret for over 20 weeks and now to start revealing where my head (and body) have been at.

The Mr and I are off to Seattle tomorrow, where we'll board a ship headed for Alaska. 7 days of gorgeous scenery and much less thinking. Maybe I'll actually sleep.

Bon Bastille Day!

140 bpm

OK, I promised to tell you (all two of you) what's up with me, why I haven't been posting and telling all about training for this year's century. The truth is, there is no century. While I've still been lifting weights and doing the elliptical, I haven't been on my bike (or done Pilates, or run) in months. But, I've got a good excuse. Really.

I'm pregnant. 21 weeks on Tuesday. Hence the scaled back workouts and de-emphasis on eating plan details.

The morning sickness (I just had nausea, no barfing) threw off my healthy eating and drinking, but I'm back on track, getting in the water (2-3 liters per my doc), ramping up on protein, back to the healthy carbs and big salads. I'm terrified of diet-related issues that go along with preganancy at my "advanced maternal age" - gestational diabetes mainly, but I suspect pre-eclampsia has roots in diet as well. And, my weight gain thus far has been a little excessive (about 15lbs). The books all say that from here on out, I can expect to gain .5 to 1 pound a week. A week!

It's hard to keep reading all the weight-loss/fitness blogs, with your triumphs and successes, seeing the numbers on the scale go down while mine go up. I take comfort in the knowledge that I still know how to lose the fat and I will lose it again.

So, there you have it. More excitement in about 19 weeks.