use it or lose it

and, again

2009-01-14T17:17:00.001-08:00

New year, recommit. Such a cliche, I know. I've been hovering at around 12lbs (a couple up, a couple down) over where I feel best for months and months. Pants tight or abandoned. Flubby feeling.

As usual, it's not the exercise that I have problems with, but rather the eating. I love me my food. Unlike so many other bloggers, I don't have a problem with fast food and snack food - I can take it or leave it. I generally eat really well, healthy foods, whole grains, lots of veggies. I prefer non-fat dairy and love plain yogurt. My downfall? My sweet tooth. I love chocolate and pastries and homemade cookies. I have no problem passing up packaged treats, but homemade or bakery items? Step aside. So, it's recommitting to BFL eating - treats on Sunday only. If I eat sugary stuff, I want more sugary stuff. If I avoid it, I don't crave it. On Sundays, I try to get it out of my system - I save up the stuff that I want to eat and give myself permission to indulge on Sunday. More often than not, I'm not all that into it by then.

I also enjoy my wine. One thing I noticed this fall was that, if I have wine with dinner, not only am I consuming those ("empty") calories, but that my resolve to eschew after-dinner treats is diminished (can you say "nonexistent"?) So, I've been limiting alcohol consumption to weekends and drinking lots of my very favorite tea as an after-dinner treat.

Fitting exercise in every day is a challenge. On my dedicated boy-free work days (Monday and Wednesday), I ride to work, work out at the gym in my building for 1.5 hours (weights, elliptical, stretching), Pilates, then ride home. It's good. I love the freedom. Tuesday and Thursday, I'm in charge of boy drop-off and pick-up, so I try to squeeze something in. A half-hour of kettle bell swinging, bicycling to drop-off or pick-up with a lap up to Tabor. Friday is my day with the boy. When the weather is nice (or at least, not horribly nasty), we ride up to Tabor. If it's crappy, we (try to) go to the gym. Unfortunately, the boy has meltdowns more often than not and my workout is cut short. Weekends, we bicycle or walk. Last weekend, I dusted off my running shoes and did a 35-minute loop (and felt great!).

We joined a new gym (what an awesome deal) with a much nicer play area (climbing structures! how novel!) and the childcare costs half of what I used to pay. I'm hoping the boy will settle in, but the problem is that we don't go consistently enough for him to feel comfortable (different gym than my M/W gym).

I did get a new HRM (in green) and I like it a lot. Very motivating to see the last several months worth of exercises all summarized on my wrist. I also have a pedometer that measures "moderate" activity - great motivator for taking the stairs or walking at lunch.

So. Re(-re)(-re)(-re)commiting.

We saw Michael P0llan last night (fantastic) and I'm inspired to finally read his books.

What are you doing different for the new year?

hilly

2008-09-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

I don't know when it happened, but I've become a hill climber.

When we were training for that Century (back in '05), I eschewed hills like the plague. But this morning, I realized that I love hooking up the chariot and climbing, climbing, climbing slooooowly up the hill. Maybe I'm addicted to seeing the number on the HRM edging perilously close to my max target rate?

I'm still petrified of the downhills, though.

Speaking of HRM, I'm in the market to replace my old Polar A5 with something new. If anyone is still out there and has an opinion, I'm looking for these features (that the A5 does not have):

Polar (to work with the machines at the gym)
Store more than one workout - preferably 10+.
Ability to see running HR average during a workout.
Measure calories burned even if your HR is under 100.
Some kind of upload ability.

Do you love your HRM? Why or why not?

back on track

2008-07-10T13:01:00.001-07:00

OK. Since last I wrote, I:

Got in 35 minutes of elliptical on Tuesday (until the boy decided it was time to escape the childcare area at the gym).
Rejoined Pilates and had the first session on Wednesday.
Had a great 40-minute Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT) session at my regular gym this morning.
Did most of my physical therapy exercises (for my heel pain) this morning. (I wasn't sure if I could do plank what with my elbow, but it was fine holding my weight.)
Weighed 5.5 pounds less than I did on Monday.

I'm sure the drop on the scale is mostly water weight as the carbo-bloatage reduces. But some is probably from being back on track with eating. No desserts. Good balance of protein and carbs. More salad, fruit and Greek yogurt for breakfast.

I sure do like me my routine.

Tomorrow? Maybe gym-elliptical (if the little dude abides), maybe Tabor walk (if my heel abides), definitely PT exercises. Go plank!

but, seriously

2008-07-07T12:34:00.001-07:00

Ok, it's time to get serious.

I can't remember what was going on when last I posted, but here's the current situation:

Three weeks ago, the bike trailer got caught on a gate coming down from Mount Tabor and I went down. Fractured my left elbow (also skinned my left knee and bruised my left thigh).
I was riding (instead of running) because the heel pain ("not Achilles tendinitis") persists and the PT kicked me out since I wasn't getting any better.
No workouts for the last three weeks: no cardio, no Pilates, no strength training. Oh wait, there was that one hike to the top of Black Butte last week.
This last week, I have experienced something akin to TMJ (according to the dentist at the family reunion): swollen left cheek and jaw, pain in the joint, recent dental work on that side.
Also, this last week: sinusitis gravitating from one side to the other, with accompanying splitting headache.
Family reunion/vacation = eat-fest.

I stepped on the scale this morning and discovered that I NOW weigh 19 pounds more than I want to (although I'm hoping that some of that is carbo-bloat from the eat-fest). Nevertheless, I'm afraid to try on any of my clothes. I was wearing my fat shorts and the reunion, feeling huge, and avoiding the camera.

The good news is that on the Black Butte hike, I hit my groove in about a minute and cranked up the mountain (2 miles, uphill), leaving my companions in the (literal) dust. All that stroller-pushing up to Tabor must have done something and I haven't lost ALL of my cardio fitness during this broken arm fiasco.

So, I need to devise a plan of attack for getting this weight off, preferably without further injuring myself.

I can now bend and almost straighten my left arm, so I think I can go back to the elliptical and Pilates. I might be able to push a stroller. I doubt I can ride the bike. So, the current exercise plan is elliptical and Pilates and maybe Tabor walking.

The food plan is to recommit to Body for Life eating.

I will try to post here more often to keep myself honest.

Wish me luck.

riding

2008-04-04T20:20:00.001-07:00

The Mr. has been in Californ-eye-ay, so I've been on boy drop-off and pick-up duty. Since the weather's been fantabulous (up to today, that is), we rode on Wednesday and Thursday. Well, I've been riding, the boy has been in the chariot.

The trip from home to day-care to work takes almost exactly an hour (including chit-chat and chariot disengagement). My HR monitor goes crazy for this ride - it's all uphill to daycare, mostly downhill to work. Then, the reverse: mostly uphill to daycare and then downhill home. The cyclometer says approximately 7.5 miles each way (a little longer on the way home because we take the long way through the park). The HR monitor says I burned 440 calories on the way to work and 540 home.

Not too shabby for two days when I thought I'd get in no exercise whatsoever (aside from Pilates) since I have no time for the gym.

eschewing chocolate

2008-03-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to me that I can eliminate the chocolate snacking during the day and the nightly dessert ritual and make sure I eat enough fruits and veg and whole grains --- and my body responds. The jeans are fitting better, the scale is going down (7lbs from the post-cruise high).

Pilates is a breath of fresh air. I forgot how much I enjoy the concentration and feeling all stretchy and bendy afterward. I even enjoy the abs, oblique, and gluteal soreness the next day. I think the body awareness is helping me maintain my commitment to healthy eating.

I've figured out that I burn about 100 calories give or take on the ride to work (downhill) and about 200 on the way home (uphill, natch). That's not a huge amount, but added to the 30-40 minutes of gym-cardio on M-W and the 60-85 minute walk-jogs on Tu-Fri, it's working.

I haven't done the day-care drop-off routine since last I wrote because the last two Thursdays (my day-care drop-off day), the boy has SLEPT IN. Well, this morning, he woke at 5:30 for a snack, but went right back to sleep when I told him it was too early, too dark for little boys to be up and about. The Mr and I woke at 7:20 and got ready for work, letting the boy sleep. He finally woke at about 7:40 - too late for getting ready + the hour round-trip by bike. There will be other days, with better weather.

recommit redux

2008-03-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

It's Spring and I'm back!

My fall and winter were filled with steps forward, steps back in my health and fitness journey. I had worked my way up to a decent exercise regime of 4 days a week (weights and elliptical on MW, 5-6 mile jog-walks - with stroller - up to Mount Tabor on TuFri). I was getting my eating under control (but not completely).

Then, in early Nov (the day before J's birthday, I threw my back out something fierce and couldn't stand up straight for two solid weeks (despite three visits to the chiro and a serious massage). Needless to say, exercise went out the window since I was unable to walk a block, much less a mile. I finally asked Dr. Google what to do and started a stretching program (psoas, hamstring, piriformis). The stretches worked and I'm able to keep the lower back issues at bay.

I got back on the wagon and had a couple of good weeks until an intestinal virus hit our household. J's childcare provider came down with the barfy-poopy flu, then J, then my husband, and finally me. (The upside? I did lose several pounds. The downside? They were mainly water and came right back once I started eating again.)

The holiday season was upon us. I kept up the exercise, but my eating went to shit. Once the holidays were over, I got back up on that wagon until heel pain hit. I ignored the pain for three or four weeks until one day I woke up with a swollen and painful Achilles tendon which sent me screaming to the podiatrist.

Diagnosis: Achilles tendinitis. Prognosis: physical therapy. My chronic post-partum hip pain appears to be related. Now I'm doing PT two days a week and exercising every day to strengthen lower back, hips, core.

In mid-February, we went on a cruise and bellied up to the dessert buffet all week long. No exercise to speak of (except silly PT exercises in the hallway while the boy was asleep) and a little walking (managed to avoid the elevators for the most part). Came home to a two-pound gain (over the approximately 12 pounds I packed on since giving birth - I'm one of the few who dropped all the baby weight in a month (thanks to post-partum depression) and then gained a bunch back the first year).

The weather here has been gorgeously springy, so we got back on our bicycles (with the boy in the chariot) about a month ago. Ever since, I've been riding to work on MW. Last week, we figured out how to get the boy to daycare a bicyclette, so Thursday morning, I rode up Mount Tabor to J's childcare, then downtown to work. The whole trip took 1:00 door-to-door (and burned 465 calories according to my HRM). In the evening, I rode all the way back up, picked up the boy and chariot, then over Mount Tabor and home. Homeward took 1:10 and burned 520 calories. The ride was hard (oh my god, at times my HRM had me about 30 beats above my target), but I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

A couple of weeks ago, it occurred to me that the PT exercises were so very similar to Pilates that maybe I should just ... uh... go back to Pilates (after a 2-year hiatus). So, I signed up for the beginning class with my former instructor which started Wednesday. So nice to be back in the Studio, breathing and pulling up the transverse abs and pulling down the shoulder blades. I forgot how hard it is to keep all that in my head and then do the exercise.

So, my current plan of action is:

Eating

Body for Life (whole foods, good protein, not too much M-Sat, Cadbury mini eggs on Sundays only)

Activity

M, W bike to work, weights, PT exercises, 30 minutes adaptive motion trainer, 10-15 minutes Cardio Wave, walk at lunch
W Pilates
Tu, F Physical Therapy, 4-6 miles walk-jog (hill training)
Th Bike-commute with trailer (10 miles)
Sa Swim lessons with the boy :-), easy rides to park, shopping

I feel pretty committed. In the last two weeks, I've dropped about 4 pounds and all my last-ditch pants (which were starting to feel tight) are loosening up. I still have a closet full of small 14s and 12s that don't fit, so that's my goal. 15 pounds or nicely fitting wardrobe, whichever comes first.

Happy daylight savings time!

recommit

2007-08-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

I was all set to post here about discovering that a pair of pants that fit not two months ago caused physical pain a few weeks ago.

And how, I got on the scale to discover I had somehow gained almost 10 pounds since my post-partum low.

And how, I realized that dessert every night perhaps was not being completely counteracted by my commitment to br3astfeeding.

And how, I recommitted to B0dy f0r L1fe eating, but still holding steady at two weight workouts and two interval cardio workouts a week.

But then, I went on vacation. To Iowa. Land of pork and peach pie and Dutch treats.

And so. I need to recommit. Maybe I'll figure out how to post a bit more often.

very hungry caterpillar

2007-06-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else find the binge subtext in The Very Hungry Caterpillar disturbing?

This quote from that wikipedia article is also quite disturbing:

In a 1999 survey conducted by Pizza Hut, George W. Bush listed the book among his favorite books from when he was growing up. This caused some controversy among media commentators since Bush was twenty-three when the book was first published.

mother's day (the first)

2007-05-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

Holy crap, I'm a mother! (Of course, I spent my first Mother's Day shopping for window coverings for The Boy's room at H0me Dep0t.) The bouquet is from my MIL (who is thrilled to be a grandma, unlike my mother, who barely acknowledged the day). La dee dah!

The best part was hearing The Lanyard on PHC yesterday.

Hope your dia de los madres was splendid.

question

2007-05-06T13:54:00.001-07:00

If olive oil is made from olives...
and coconut oil is made from coconuts...
just what is baby oil made from?

str0ll0meter!

2007-05-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

After wondering how fast, how far, what time is it anyway, we finally invested in a stroller pedometer...I present to you, The Str0ll0meter!

We now can determine:

speed (current/maximum/average)
trip distance/time
daily mileage
temperature (!)
and time

No more wondering what time it is when The Boy (aka Rocket Man) lifts off...

on a bad week...

2007-05-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

...and, on a bad week (such as last), I get to the gym once for 1/2 hour of elliptical intervals and not much else (besides the nightly walk). I'm having issues with my wrists (fallout from lugging an ever-increasing bundle of joy (approx. 18lbs at this point!) and maybe from all the contortions of breastfeeding and pumping), so no weights for me right now per the chiro.

Last week was a drag because the Mr. was in SF and had to stay over an extra day, so I was sole childcare driver (and our childcare is only provided from 8am-5:30pm so, with commuting, that doesn't leave a lot of time for working out).

But it's OK. I think the nightly walks are saving me. I'm not anywhere near my peak cardio fitness level, but I'm not that bad, surprisingly. Two more weeks and I'll be taking the little Mr. to the auxiliary gym!

Woo hoo!

swing low

2007-04-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

since you asked...

chariot of fire

2007-04-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth again. I've been writing posts in my head for weeks, but...

Things are going well, but I haven't much in the area of health and fitness to report. On a good week, I lift weights on Monday and Wednesdays and bicycle to work on Wednesday (the only day I don't have to lug the pump to and fro) and go for a long walk with the boy and the Mr. most every evening. On my non-paying-work days (truly, the work is harder than any work I've ever been paid for), the boy and I walk a lot - around the neighborhood, to the library, up to Mt. Tabor, around T@rget.

Bicycling? Not so much. The rule of thumb is that you can't take a baby out on a bike (trailer, seat, whatever) until they fit into a helmet - and their necks are strong enough to support their (enormous) heads+helmet. I've heard that some kids completely reject the bike trailer (we actually inherited a burl3y-like carrier from some friends who had this experience).

To this end, we invested in the Chariot of Fire (seen without any of the attachments). You buy the base carrier and then buy different kits, depending on your need. Right now, we have the jogging stroller kit. When the boy gets a little bigger, we'll get the bike carrier attachment.

The good news is that the little Mr. likes it. The bad news is that it cost an arm and a leg. The good news is that we got it with our 20% off coupon from R31. We justified the purchase by giving it to each other as our 10-year wedding anniversary gift (aluminum, you know).

I realized the other day that, once the little guy turns 6 months old (in three week's time), all kinds of possibilities open up for us including:

My auxiliary gym has childcare for kids over 6 months old (!)
Swimming lessons at D1shman (!!)

So, it's spring in Portland. The sun shines (at least some of the time - except last week when the little guy and I got caught in a hailstorm/deluge. Fortunately, he was in the Chariot so stayed mostly dry) and the lilacs are blooming (I never realized how many different kinds there are!). Life is, as they say, good.

back

2007-02-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the absence. I didn't have much to say. In early Jan, I was hit with what seems to be post-partum anxiety (depression manifesting as anxiety). I lost interest in almost everything and pretty much stopped exercising (except for long walks with the boy in the Bj0rn, trying to alleviate the crippling inability to breathe).

I went back to work last week. Half-time. Is good. I feel much more grounded with stuff to do and a schedule. I also went back to the gym, doing quickie weight workouts. I haven't yet integrated any kind of cardio (except the aforementioned walking) into my routine. And not sure when Pilates will make it back.

So, things are better so I might just start posting again. How are you?

pro-ductive

2006-12-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

Today I:

Posted here (twice!)
Did three loads of laundry (2 me, 1 baby)
Worked out (need to add abs)
Walked to and shopped Le Fred for after-xmas stuff
Listed maternity stuff on ebay
Sterilized a bunch of stuff
Ate both breakfast and lunch
Pumped twice
Filled all my various water pitchers (ok, this is getting ridiculous)

But see how much I can do when the boy SLEEPS for good chunks of time?

weights (both kinds)

2006-12-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

Let's see. I'm down to 4 lbs below pre-pregnancy and I'm almost certain it's due to loss of muscle mass. That in mind, I've started a little weight program, with my small collection at home:

Squats
Bicep curls
Tricep extensions
Shoulder db work (lateral, front, shrug)
Overhead shoulder
Lunges

I started Friday and suffered excruciating butt (glute, hammie, quad) pain all weekend. Skipped yesterday for the holiday and just finished two sets of the above. Looking forward to more excruciating pain tomorrow. Weirdly, no pain in upper body - probably all those baby boy curls I've been doing.

3 weeks, 2 pounds

2006-12-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

(this is a fitness blog, right?)

I weighed myself yesterday. I'm exactly 2lbs over what I was when this whole pregnancy adventure began. I can't believe it, given how much ice cream I've been eating (although, this will be cut way back now that the acupuncturist has advised me to avoid cold foods - for increased milk production). Probably muscle loss accounts for some of that loss. The scale at home consistently read higher than the one at the gym (where the start weight comes from). The scale at the doctor's (middle of the day, fully clothed) consistently read way higher than the one at the gym (morning, nekkid). The difference between the last reading from the doc's and today's home reading? 35lbs. Yowza! (I successfully avoided breaking my pre-BFL high weight during pregnancy - my goal met!)

No fitness news. I get up. I feed the boy. If I'm lucky, I get a shower before noon. I feed the boy. If I'm lucky, he naps rather than fusses. I feed the boy again. I pump. I do another load of laundry. If I'm lucky, I leave the boy with the man for 1/2 hour and walk down the boulevard, doing errands.

It sounds worse than it is. The boy is beautiful (at least I think so) and usually only fusses when he needs something (food, clean diaper, to be held, to be burped, to jostle the gas). When I look at him, my heart feels like it can't fit inside my chest.

A while back, we bought a weight set from a friend ($60 including a rather fragile-looking bench). I didn't think I'd be using it (given that I have two, no, three gym memberships - the work-sponsored one downtown, the $10/month addition to the Mr's at B@lly's, the punch card at the local grunt-gym, L0prinzi's), but now I'm thinking we should set it up so I can get a few curls and bench presses and squats in, in between feedings.

That's the news at 3 weeks, 3 days. Hope you are enjoying the winter weather (it's gorgeous here - my favorite winter weather: cold, clear, and sunny. Really, I should live in Colorado rather than the Pacific Northwet, huh?)

he's here!

2006-11-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

J@sper Ch@nce B* arrived Sunday afternoon, November 12, at 3:12pm. He weighed in at 7lbs 15oz (proving he was listening in every time my yoga teacher said 7lbs is the perfect size for a baby). More later.

relief

2006-11-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

I think I was holding my breath all day yesterday. Whooosh! Can those election results get any better? (Well, I guess a decision on Virginia would be nice.)

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Ayup. Western (what accent?) it is. Being as I grew up in CA (and lived my first 30 years there, followed by a stint in Orygun), this is not surprising.

Baby? Was transverse (sideways), but is now back to breech. C-section likely next Tuesday at 7:30am ("be at L&D by 5:30am"). (Whoo hoo, one more week of enormously pregnant!) Will try to upload a belly shot before then.

Update on Spuddy's age: while searching for pictures for her memorial page, we found several photos dated 1987, making her not 18.5, but 19.5.

rip

2006-11-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

My old cat died last night. She was 18 1/2 and in declining health, so it wasn't unexpected. And still. I realized that it's been a long time since I was touched by death. Almost 10 years ago, there were a lot of deaths: grandparents, mentors, fiance of a friend, babies. But, not a lot since then.

Anyway, she was an old cat and she lived a good long time. Her kidneys were failing her and she hated the special diet food we had to give her, so she had lost a lot of weight in the last couple of months. Her mind was going (gone?), along with her hearing and she had pretty severe arthritis in her back hips and legs. She was the Chat Lunatique.

She was a crotchety old cat. She was born during the Reagan administration and lived through George the first, the Clinton years, and well into the reign of George the second. She outlived her namesake (Spalding Gray) and all of her contemporaries. She had many devoted fans in several states.

I found her by myself this morning (the Mr is out of town). I think I was in shock then because I was able to compartmentalize it. All I felt was relief that she was no longer in pain and that we weren't forced to make that hard decision. I was able to deal with her body, and call the Mr for advice on what to do. But now, I can't stop thinking about her and how I wish I could have been with her when she died and made her last hours more comfortable. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, but I can't stop crying. (My new cube neighbor must think I'm losing it - I've cried three or four times in the three weeks since he started.)

Our furnace has been out of commission since Thursday (they discovered a CO leak and the part had to be ordered), so we've been heating little sections of the house with a "radiator-style" oil space heater. Last night, Spald was parked in front of that heater with her nose poked in between the sections. She looked so funny, praying to the heater god, that I took a bunch of pictures of her.

RIP Spald. We will miss you.

missing

2006-10-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

I miss...

wearing jeans
drinking wine
sleeping on my back
sleeping deeply
peeing more than a trickle
working up a sweat
running - or even walking - up stairs without gasping for breath
bicycling
the ritual of coffee (I lost my taste for coffee 5 months ago and now I can't stand even the smell)
Pilates
my appetite
wearing my Ib3x green wool coat

Today marks week 36. The baby is still breech (I think) but moving around a lot. Last night, there was something pointy sticking out of the middle of my upper stomach - an elbow or a knee. Very strange. Yesterday, my doc left for her China vacation for two weeks, but not before scheduling a C-section ("just in case") for November 14 (39 weeks). So, he's got three weeks to turn-turn-turn. I'm still zen about the whole C-section thing. Everyone I talk to who's had one is very positive about the experience and everyone who's had a natural delivery is all freaked out about the possibility of a C-section (like my MIL).

My mom called to tell me the story of my birth. 5 hours labor, start to finish, no medication, L@maze (in Holland) and I (first baby) came out (8+ lbs) no problem. My brother (three years later, natural childbirth, two weeks early), took 7 hours. My doc thinks this bodes well for me (if the C-section thing doesn't happen).

Some friends threw me a(nother) shower on Saturday (did I mention the surprise shower last month?) People have been so very generous. This baby boy is going to be so well-dressed and warm and outfitted with all the bells and whistles - at least for the first 6 months.

stuff and nonsense

2006-10-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post for days. Weeks even. But distractions keep me from it.

Lessee. I'm still here, still pregnant, still working out.

The last few ultrasounds have revealed that the baby is breech - butt down, head and feet up. People keep reassuring me that babies turn at the last minute all the time, but I'm still a little freaked (well, I wasn't until my doctor described the manual turnaround procedure). So, I'm seeing an acupuncturist, doing Moxa treatment, doing handstands in the pool, visualizing turn-turn-turn. Help me out here and visualize this baby turning head down, will ya?

People have a hard time believing I'm 7.5 months pregnant - I think I hide it well with my height, long waist, and baggy clothes (left over from my fat(ter) days). I was at the library a week or so ago, talking to a woman I used to know when I was a volunteer. "When are you due?", she asked. "November 21," I replied. To which she asked "This year?"

A friend threw me a surprise baby shower with the gals from work last week. Complete and total surprise. Amazing fun. I still get teary when I think of it. Another group of friends is throwing me a low-key brunch shower in a couple of weeks. And some friends gave us a bike trailer and breast pump. Two big ticket items on the list that we don't have to worry about. Woo! We're almost set - just need the big stuff - crib and dresser - but the crib can wait.

We had our birthing class. Learned a lot. It both freaked me out and inspired me. I was feeling very zen about the breech baby business and accepting of the possibility of a C@esarean, but now I'm really inspired to do a v@ginal birth. I hope this little guy spins around so we can try.

My pool has been closed the last couple of weeks, so I've been going to a different pool (and regular old water exercise, not prenatal). Different instructors, different students. It's been a nice change of pace, but I'll be glad when my pool reopens on Monday.

We're having most of our upstairs painted (with the super-low-toxic paint, don't worry), so our lives have been in upheaval for weeks. Packing and shuffling so that we can transform one office into a room for the baby. I cannot wait for this project to be finished. Agh.

Work is heating up, so I better get at it.

on my mind

2006-09-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Things on my mind lately:

This excellent post from skwigg.
How much spinach I ate early last week.
Labor.
This 4lb 5oz baby squirming in my belly.
The end of summer.
Peaches.
Anne Lamott.
Tom Cuthbertson, a former colleague who, I just learned from my alumni newsletter, died last year. He will be missed.

I seem to have crossed over a line and now everyone is noticing and commenting on my pregnancy. Almost everyone tells me that it's noticable only in my belly, that my face and the rest of my body seems unchanged. Perhaps its all the excercise. I've been weighing regularly and I'm now up about 22lbs from pre-pregnancy.

Week 31, 9 more weeks to go.

pilates of the caribbean

2006-09-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

loud sigh of relief

2006-09-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I went for my 28-week checkup. As you may (or may not) know, that's (usually) the week where they screen for gestational diabetes (not to mention testing for anemia). Basically, they give you this super-sweet glucose liquid and then test your blood an hour later. If your glucose comes in at under 140, you're fine. If not, you get to take the three-hour glucose tolerance test (complete with a 12-hour fast beforehand). I asked my doctor if it made sense to take the three-hour test if you failed the 1-hour test (I had consulted with Dr. Google on this beforehand and read that perhaps you should just adopt the lifestyle changes if you fail the 1-hour) and her response was definitely. I guess the screening is really imprecise, designed to catch everyone at risk, including lots of false positives. She also tried to convince me that you have no control over whether you develop gestational diabetes or not, that it a genetic luck-of-the-draw whether your pancreas plays well with the pregnancy hormones and inevitable weight gain. Convinced? Me? Naaaw.

Before the screening, I was freaked, convinced that I'd fail. And guess what? I did. My glucose came in at 147. (I did pass the "you're not anemic" test, so that's some small consolation.)

Diabetes, even "temporary" gestational diabetes, really freaks me out. My paternal grandmother (a slender tiny woman) had type 2, but no one else in my family does/did, not even the person who I most resemble, my plump maternal grandmother. Dr. Google kept telling me stuff about how some people continue having diabetes even after giving birth (and I've read the blog of someone for whom this is true) and having gestational diabetes puts you (and your child) at risk for developing type 2 later in life. Not to mention the risk of gestational diabetes on the fetus and pregnancy complications and on and on. And, I freak myself out even more, reading stuff like this.

So yesterday, back to the lab I trudged, having fasted since 8am. The phlebotomist drew the first vial, tested a drop on one of those machines like you see with diabetics, and said (I think) 105. That's what I heard, anyway. In retrospect, I really should have asked him point blank. But, I didn't. And, since I had googled normal glucose levels, I was pretty sure I came in high (95 is the cutoff for normal). I downed my second glucose drink of the week and settled in for a three-hour wait (in a very crowded waiting room) and three more punctures. I had pretty much worked myself into a frenzy, thinking that, if I failed the first, why bother continuing.

So convinced that I bombed the test, I had a cinnamon roll for my breakfast this morning, thinking it would be the last of the bad carbs for the next 11 weeks. So convinced that I didn't tell anyone (except the Mr) about the test, not even the pregnant ladies at water ex last night, not even my long-lost pal that I called to talk babies with yesterday, not even you all.

So convinced that when Nurse Carol called, I braced myself for the bad news.

The first thing she said was "You must have nearly passed out by the third hour, your glucose level was so low". (Still, I was convinced I failed.) Then, she said my hour 3 level was 56 and they like to see it "below 140". Big sigh. My results:

Interval	Me	Abnormal
Fasting	85	95
1 Hour	137	180
2 Hour	108	155
3 Hour	56	140

So, yeah. The morale of the story? Don't count your glucose before it's attacked? I don't know. I wish I could set aside my health anxieties and wait for the definitive news, but I just can't seem to do it. Any tips for me?

pregnant lady routine

2006-08-31T10:48:00.000-07:00

In the last week, I've received a bunch of compliments about how good I look. I guess at 28 weeks pregnant, I'm not looking tootoo huge. A couple of women at the gym said it's all in my tummy (which it's not, but I'm happy it looks that way). I've gained about 20lbs and hoping to keep it in check for the next 12 weeks. (12 weeks doesn't seem like a long time until I put it into "months" and then it seems like forever.)

My workout routine has evolved into:
Monday: AM weights (fairly light, 2 sets, 15-20 reps, superset opposing muscle groups)
PM prenatal water exercise (:55)
Tuesday: Elliptical (:30, HR around 130-135)
Wednesday: same as Monday
Thursday: rest - sleep in if possible
Friday: Same as Monday except no water exercise
Saturday: Prenatal Yoga (1:30)

I keep thinking I should be doing more cardio, but I'm just loathing the cardio machines at the gym right now (even with such entertaining audio books as Augusten Burroughs' latest to distract me, I watch the clock). When it's not too beastly hot, I try to get out and walk at lunch, but it's not the heart-pounding that I really think I should be getting.

Speaking of beastly hot, what's with the weather? We've had three weekends of 90+ degree heat followed by pleasant-to-downright-cold weather mid-week. For the first time in my life, I'm dreading the heat. I've always been a lizard, soaking up the rays (bad for a fair-skinned, freckly person, I know). Now, I can't stand being out in the sun (My skin feels like it's getting crispy in minutes). The heat makes me feel sluggish and slow. So, why can't we have the 90+ weather during the week when I can escape to airconditioned comfort? (We have air at home, but the Mr is reluctant to turn it on, since he's not affected by the heat. Or something.)

My checkup yesterday was good. Fundus measurement on target (I consistently measure 4cm big, which the doc attributes to the fibroids rather than a monstrously large baby). Blood pressure: 108/70, so no immediate concerns there.

more mutts luv

2006-08-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

power snack

2006-08-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to get in my three serves of dairy a day and, since I'm not feeling much like a meat-eater lately, using them to pump up my protein intake as well. And, you know what that means, don't you? Cottage cheese (well, that and the fabulous Fage 0% yogurt).

I never used to like cottage cheese because it tasted so dang salty, so when I started eating the BFL way (and BP extoles the glories of cottage cheese), I searched high and low for a brand that I could stomach. I found it at Tr@der Joe's (natch) in the regular fat-free TJ's brand, but I've heard that Spaceway sells a lower salt cottage cheese.

Since it's peach season here, I've been enjoying my super-snack: cottage cheese and a sliced peach. Did you know that peaches are actually quite low in carbs (10g), have a wee bit of fiber (probably more if you eat the skin), and even include protein? 40 calories of goodness.

small world

2006-08-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

At the pool on Monday, a familiar-looking woman asked me if this was where the pregnancy water exercise class met. Surprised (thinking she was familiar-looking from the class), I told her yep and then said that she looked familiar. She said she hadn't been before, so I asked if she was in the Saturday prenatal Yoga class in SE. Turns out, she was. Small world.

the summer dish

2006-08-14T20:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, the Mr came up with a new dinner concoction. I lovedlovedloved it so much, I had the leftovers for lunch and still I raved. He finally made it again last night (and I had it for lunch again today). It takes about 20 minutes to prepare (basically, cooking the pasta is the critical path). Here it is, for your enjoyment:

1lb chicken sausage (we get the house-made sausage from our neighborhood grocery, New Seasons)
fresh Farmer's Market tomatoes (as many as you want)
fresh Mozzarella (Trader Joe's had these "pearlini" - tiny pearls of moz, but you can use any chopped into little pea-sized bits)
fresh basil (preferably harvested from your backyard garden), chopped (as much as you want)
garlic, chopped and sauteed in olive oil (optional)
whole wheat (or gluten-free rice or quinoa) spaghetti
Parmesan (not really necessary)

Start the water boiling and add spaghetti when ready.
Saute the garlic in olive oil and transfer to a little dish.
Saute the sausage until cooked.
While sausage is cooking:

Chop the tomatoes into little chunks.
Chop the mozzarella (if necessary).
Chop the basil.

In an individual pasta bowl, plop the spaghetti, followed by a scoop of sausage and garlic, then sprinkle mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Top with parmesan and enjoy.

1lb of sausage is enough for about 4 servings.

Yum!

stretchy and bendy

2006-08-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

... and sore.

I went to my first prenatal Yoga class yesterday. Ow! It was hard. I realized that I haven't practiced Yoga for about four years - and no Pilates since January. No flexibility work (aside from the regular leg-stretching I do after the elliptical and post-water-ex stretches) for seven months. Hmmm.

The class was packed - maybe 20 women in various stages of pregnancy, from not showing at all to 39.5 weeks pregnant. It was pretty intense to be in that room with all that life. At one point, I thought "there are actually 40 people in this class". Wacky.

I thought I'd feel old, but some of the mothers were definitely older - in any case, the class wasn't filled with 24-year-olds. I got the sense that the majority of the women were having normal, low-risk pregnancies. It'd be nice to find a community of women who've had and overcome issues, but I'm guessing those women don't end up in prenatal Yoga (or water exercise) classes.

One big problem I had was with the breathing. My Pilates breathing (in through the nose, out through pursed lips) is so ingrained that I do it all the time (on the elliptical, when I lift weights, in the water exercise class, even on brisk walks). It was hard to switch gears and do Yoga breathing (nose only). Not to mention that one of the pregnancy side effects I'm experiencing is increased mucous production - when I put my head down, my nose fills with snot - making it difficult to breathe, eh?

So today, I am sore. My hammies, my shoulders, my pecs. Owie!

Observation of the week: pregnant women/partners measure their pregnancy in terms of weeks, non-pregnant people measure in terms of months. 26 weeks on Tuesday.

i heart mutts

2006-08-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

bed rest

2006-08-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

So, right after I wrote that last post, I had my regular prenatal checkup with my doctor. All was going well, but then I mentioned this discharge (TMI) I'd experienced on Tues and again on Thurs. She assured me that it was probably nothing, but decided to do a test just to put our minds at ease. She said, if it comes back negative (and of course, it will), it's extremely unlikely that you'll go into labor in the next two weeks. But if it comes back positive, your plans for the weekend will change radically (there's a 13% chance of preterm labor).

As it so happens, we had a big weekend planned. First, the Mr's new company was having its summer "retreat" at Skamania, starting Friday night. Then, we planned to skip out early to see Pink Martini at the Zoo on Saturday night. So, from the doctor appointment, we head out the gorge and mingle a bit at the retreat until the Mr's cell phone rings. It's another doctor in my doctor's practice. The test? Positive. She tells me to go to bed for the weekend and to call the office on Monday to schedule an ultrasound.

I freaked. I had very little data on what this meant. Did it mean bed rest until the baby is likely to thrive (32 weeks)? Did it mean preterm delivery was imminent? Yes, babies delivered at 25 weeks have a chance at survival, but not a very big one.

So, I spent the weekend in bed and on the couch, first in the hotel room, then home, getting progressively more freaked. Thinking about how much muscle mass I'll lose if I have to be bedridden for 7+ weeks. Thinking about how much we've already been through to get to this point. Thinking about all the people we've told about this pregnancy. Thinking about how I'll definitely lose my battle with depression if I can't exercise regularly.

Well, we just got back from the ultrasound. My cervix is long (very - the doc said it's the longest he's seen) and closed (no funnelling). The baby's fluid looks good and there's no indication of any kind of impending preterm labor.

I'm cleared for resuming regular activities and EXERCISE. Can I just say "whew!"?

water ex

2006-08-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

When we first moved to Portland, I was addicted to water exercise. I was working from home, had gained a lot of weight, and needed to get out into the world. I don't know how I settled on water exercise - maybe the group class setting with body underwater.

Anyway, I did it two or three times a week, seeking out the harder teachers and the deep water class (with leg floaty things rather than the floatation belts). I don't think it helped much with weight management, but it did seem to keep my cardio fitness at an acceptable level. I think I stopped when I quit that work-at-home job (1999) and started bike-commuting downtown.

My recently no-longer-pregnant hairdresser strongly recommended that I take a prenatal yoga class - both for the relaxation and stretchy-bendyness, but also for the connection with other pregnant women. (And I have been feeling a little alone in this pregnancy business.) I've got a yoga class lined up (Saturday mornings, starting next week), but she also got me thinking about water exercise.

So, I decided to start it up again. I looked up the schedule at my old community pool and found two classes (M, W at 5:30pm). It means I have to drive to work on those days (oh, the shame!), because I'm not supposed to be cycling and it takes several bus transfers (translate: hours) to get there from here. But it's only for another couple of months.

I went to the first class on Wednesday and had a great time. I've been so BORED with the Elliptical, the stationary bike, even The Wave. (I've been skipping around, 15 minutes here, 10 minutes there for a total of 30 minutes/workout.) Those machines are just no fun unless you're going all-out, drenched with sweat and breathing hard. I can't really do all that and keep my HR under 140.

But the water exercise class was fun, even if the teacher wasn't all that inspired. I was able to get my HR up (not sure how far, I didn't wear my HRM and we never stopped to take our pulse), but I was breathing hard. Just being in the water, using the resistance to work my muscles, felt great. I imagine, as I get bigger and bigger, the support of the water will be a welcome relief from gravity.

new low

2006-08-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

I've reached a new low in complicated drink ordering. My *bucks order this morning:
Grande
Nonfat
Extra hot
2 pump chocolate
No vanilla
No whip
Hot Chocolate

(The vanilla and additional 2 shots of chocolate make it just too sickly sweet for my palette right now.)

climate crisis

2006-07-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

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.

not dead yet

2006-06-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not dead (yet). I've just got a lot of stuff going on (in my head, in my life) that I'm not quite ready to share. Sadly, I haven't been cycling, but I have been pretty regular with the gym. MWF weights, TTh elliptical, Sa something. Boring. Sorry. More soon, I promise.

the wave

2006-05-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

My gym got a new cardio machine (well, they got two of them actually) called the Cardio Wave. I tried it out this morning (after 20 minutes on my second-favorite elliptical). First impression? It's hard!

The motion your legs make is side-to-side, like in-line skating. The trick is to keep the "pedals" from hitting the end of their range or you get a clunky ride.

I kind of liked that I didn't bounce up and down (as on the elliptical, even though it's a low/no-impact kind of bounce) - when I looked up to see myself in the mirrors, I could barely tell I was moving.

The thing about this machine is that the higher the effort setting, the less resistance the pedals offer, so your legs move faster. I tried the "Weight Loss" program (not recommended for your first time out on The Wave) and it started at level 3 and by minute 3, I was up to level 9 or 10, dripping sweat and panting (remember, I'm still trying to kick this bronchitis thing). I had to start over with the manual controls for fear that I'd be up to level 25 by minute 6! I did another 6 or so minutes before I started hearing the muscles around my knees and upper thighs complaining. The motion is so different from walking, jogging, elliptical, and cycling, I think it's something I need to work up to.

Anyway, it was a nice change of pace from the elliptical and the morning gym-goers seem scared of these new machines, so they're all mine.

back on the (wheel) hoss

2006-05-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry to disappear. I was sick for nearly three weeks. I'm not sure I'm quite back yet, so I'm pushing that envelope. I rode my bike in this morning and did a light workout with weights. Felt OK, not great. I'm not looking forward to the ride home, but at least it's looking sunny and warmish out there.

I was a complete basketcase last week. Tired, depressed, ugly, sick, and flabby. Mostly depressed. I couldn't really get enthused enough to do anything. I blame the lack of endorphins that I'm used to getting with my regular exercise program. But, I went out yesterday for an hour-long walk, and actually accomplished stuff this weekend (mostly that winter-to-spring clothes-closet transition). And two movies ("Inside Man" (a Spike Lee joint) and "Friends with Money" (a depressing story of a bunch of dysfunctionals, much like the director's other movie "Lovely and Amazing" which I like to call "Crazy and Delicious")). (See, you can tell I'm feeling better by the proliferation of parenthetical remarks.)

apropos of nothing

2006-04-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

I just received the best compliment - and I want to write it down so I can refer back to it in the dark days that is my work life (today's word origin of the day is "working stiff" - hah!).

An engineer stopped to tell me that mine was the best documentation he'd ever read. After going on about how it had helped him do his job (learn about the feature for which he was fixing bugs), he said "This is documentation worth reading."

Aww. Warm fuzzies all around.

no immunity

2006-04-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Folks, my immune system is shot. Back in early March, I got a cold which went south after a week. Last week, I got another. This time, it started with a cold sore (the harbinger of sickness), then the cold, followed quickly by a sinus infection, another(!) cold sore (oh joy!) and finally, Saturday brought deep gurgly coughs producing a rainbow of colors. Lovely.

Needless to say, no exercise has been done. I wake two or three times a night to empty the sinuses, lest I drown in my own snot. So, it's all I can do to drag myself up out of bed (at least it's better when I'm not lying down) and out to work.

So yeah.

Eating has been somewhat unhealthy, but in weensy quantities, so who knows what damage I have wrought. I've been subsisting on roasted tomato soup from Parad1se Bakery. And garlic bread. And super-thin, extra salty L@y's chips. It's all I feel like eating. I'm uninterested in water, but gulping peppermint tea by the monster mug.

I know what brought this on. The weekend before this last one, we went with some friend's 3yo twins and 6yo to OMSI, that petri dish of infectious diseases. Oh, and this weekend? My brother and 3yo niece visit. What delights await me?

eat my words

2006-04-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

Of course, the next mailing I get from The Splendid Table is for a healthy-looking Lemon-Chicken stirfry...This looks pretty good. If you try it, let me know.

Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry

Makes 4 servings

Lemon chicken most often appears as pieces of chicken battered, deep-fried and topped with a thick, lemony sauce. While tasty, it's tricky for the home cook to get just right, plus the dish is laden with calories.

By stir-frying strips of chicken and adding asparagus, then adding the lemon sauce toward the end of cooking, this recipe becomes a true one-pot—or one-wok—dish

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon plus 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger, plus 2 teaspoons minced ginger
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons canola oil
Three 6- to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 1/4-inch strips
1/2 pound thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths
2 large carrots, peeled and cut in 2 x 1/4-inch strips
1 small red onion, halved lengthwise and cut in 1/4-inch slices

Stir the lemon juice and honey together in a small bowl to dissolve the honey; stir in the lemon zest. Mash the 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic with the salt using the back of the tines of a fork to form a paste; stir the paste into the lemon mixture along with the grated ginger. Stir the chicken broth and cornstarch together in a separate small bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a wok over high heat; swirl to coat the sides. Add 1 teaspoon of the remaining garlic and 1 teaspoon of the minced ginger to the wok and stir quickly. Add the chicken; stir-fry until the chicken is no longer pink in the center when cut with a knife, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil to the wok; swirl to coat the sides. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and the remaining 1 teaspoon minced ginger; stir quickly. Add the asparagus, carrots, and onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the lemon mixture and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring often, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the reserved chicken. Stir the cornstarch mixture to blend; pour into the wok. Bring to a boil; boil until thickened and clear, about 1 minute. Serve with rice to soak up the lemon sauce.

splend1d table

2006-04-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday (although I could swear it used to be Tuesday), I get the Weeknight Kitchen mailing from the Splend1d Table and every week I skim the recipe, thinking maybe I can glean some ideas for new quick dinners. And, (almost) every week, I'm disappointed. The recipes almost always have ingredients like a cup of cheese, a stick of butter or, in the case of today's recipe, a cup of heavy cream.

Do people really still eat like that on regular weekday nights?

raw onions

2006-04-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

Wondering....
Does anyone really like raw onions? It seem like I used to tolerate them, but I can't anymore. I picked some off a salad last week and just the smell of them in the trash haunted me for the rest of the day.

poem

2006-03-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

The Rider (by Naomi Shihab Nye)

A boy told me
if he roller-skated fast enough
his loneliness couldn't catch up to him,

the best reason I ever heard
for trying to be a champion.

What I wonder tonight
pedaling hard down King William Street
is if it translates to bicycles.

A victory! To leave your loneliness
panting behind you on some street corner
while you float free into a cloud of sudden azaleas,
pink petals that have never felt loneliness,
no matter how slowly they fell.