Day 75 - The Crash

I was not (apparently) mentally prepared for the crash back to earth after returning from vacation. I thought I was, but the deep-dark-demented-me that lurks within was apparently unwilling to relinquish a life of indolence and leisure ...

Which means I stayed up too late not so much doing fun stuff as NOT doing useful stuff like preparing my food or getting sleep so I could get up and workout.
BUMP, Bump, bump.

AND I've been waking after not enough sleep, anxious about work. I should have spent more of my vacation clearing my head and less of it goofing off like a teenager :(

This morning I had enough. I woke after 6 hours of sleep (not enough) and this time I got up. I did not workout. I DID, however, spend a good chunk of time meditating and attempting to clear my head (like 90 minutes). It's impressive how big a monster something small can become when you refuse to look at it straight on and it sidles up into your periphery vision.


So I'm feeling better centered now and am ready to go to bed early this evening and KICK ASS tomorrow!

Day 73 - Back in the Loop

Having had no internet access for a week, I was a bit out of the loop regarding workouts and diets. - and after a long day of travel yesterday (to arrive home to 94 degree humid weather), I just couldn't muster the motivation to check my workouts, much less DO them.

This morning was different.

Kung Fu pushups ... I know it's not a great idea to start with a negative attitude as it colors the result in a bad way but my initial, gut thought was: NO WAY JOSE!

Oi!

Day 72 - My last day of freedom

Thought I’d share a couple of photos taken on my last day:

Here is the road to my oasis of calm:

The road goes over the hill – if you’re driving a 4-wheel drive vehicle or ATV. Ours is the last house on the road before hitting State Forest land, so anytime a vehicle comes driving past, unless loaded with mountain bikes, it’s only a matter of minutes before it comes driving right back down.

Here is my oasis of calm:

And here is how I feel when I’m here, nothing but clover:

Day 71

Another extraordinary morning. Had a great workout today, largely because it was (thank goodness) cool all day, which kept my energy levels up.

Must confess that my KFB diet has hit the mother of all road bumps …

Day 70 - A cool Change

Every morning here is different:

And every one extraordinary.

Day 69 - Perfect Blue

Some days just open up beautifully. This morning I again got up early and did my KFB workout. Unexpectedly, I feel more self-conscious about my KFB workout when I’m doing it out in the middle of nowhere. I guess it just seems more out of place than in the hustle and bustle of my everyday world.

That, and my neighbors are more likely to be interested in what I’m doing. Small town America – gotta love it J

After meeting with a driller, I drove up to Burlington (the biggest city in Vermont, it is still MUCH smaller than where I live outside of Philadelphia) and it was a gorgeous day:

Day 68 - Observing

Today meditating went well – and I found myself more open and observant as I took a morning stroll and noticed this tiny, delicate mushroom in the road:

It’s quiet here – not dead silence: there’s more bird calls, the whisper of wind through the grass and leaves, and (unfortunately) the traffic from the valley below carries all too well. But it’s lovely, and I don’t miss the perpetual sound of music, media, etc. of my everyday life. Not at all.

And this evening, after another blistering rainstorm, there was a lovely rainbow:

Day 67 - Helluva View

Old habits – waking early – don’t disappear because I’m on vacation. But I didn’t wake as early as I usually do. I did my stretches and meditation on the deck – but was a weeeee bit distracted by the view:

I missed most of the rest of my KFB workout, mostly because I decided to run up the hill and was enjoying it so much that I ran clear over and down the other side. By the time I got home, I was beat. Still, a lovely workout.

Day 66 - At last it's cool!

Vermont has also been undergoing a bit of a heat wave, according to my neighbors. On the plus side, a heat wave in Vermont is still a bit cooler than a heat wave in New Jersey (high 80’s and only occasionally in the 90’s). Today I did intervals up the hill instead of jumping rope.

I thought it would be easier to meditate while on vacation – fewer things to obsess over. So far, no dice. But it is prettier:

Although there was a rainstorm to end all rainstorm this afternoon. You could barely see 50 feet away:

Day 65 - The day AFTER my first day of vacation

Friday was a real busy, running-around-with-my-head-cut-off kind of day at work - busy in addition to the expected madness of trying to get things done before taking off for a week - so I didn't leave work until late :(

But now, for the next 8 days it's all about ME, baby!

Yesterday I did not get my KFB workout in, as I didn't get to bed early enough to get up and do it before driving north, and (frankly) it was so hot that I probably wouldn't have done it anyway. UGGGGhh.

You have no idea how fondly I'm looking back to those days of jumping rope in the snow in January and February. I'm a cold-weather baby, and my body is super efficient at creating heat. Which is marvelous for being outside in the winter - and is miserable in the weather we've been suffering under for the past month or so.

Whine. Whine.

Last night it took me almost 2 hours to fall asleep and I lay immobile, damp and sticky, with my arms and legs splayed hoping to fall asleep. But a joy of being on vacation is a flexible schedule, so I slept in and then got up to do my KFB. Which felt great - except for the fact that I'd run out about 3 miles before doing it and by the time I ran back, it was HOT HOT HOT. (I was also facing the sun, which makes a bigger difference than you'd think)

I sense a theme here. I'll try not to whine any more. I know that it's not just us that are suffering:

Heat wave - and I gather they are experiencing heat waves in Europe and elsewhere as well.

Drink lots of liquids everyone!

I'll have intermittent access to the internet for the next week - I mean to be better about blogging, but may end up posting them all at once!

See you on the other side!

Day 63 - And the time goes by!

Okaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy

So I had that long weekend that I spent mostly working. After, I was bummed, but figured it was over and I was back to "normal" amounts of stress and running around madly.

I was wrong. I just blinked and a week has gone by with no posts! As one of my colleagues said (likewise swamped and sinking fast) Wow, it never rains, but it pours!

On the plus side - we got shortlisted for the proposal I was working on and I'm going on vacation in 2 days (yay!)

On the minus side - KFB has been a bit short-sheeted and I'm looking forward to getting back into the game with, really, nothing else on my mind for a week or so!

Day 55 - The Sauna

Well this morning it was cooler when I got up and stepped out doors. Only 78F. 56% humidity, but still ...

It's like living in a sauna. Working out ... well, I've been doing that at the gym.

I'll 'fess up to not being as tough as I'd like to be and went there purely for the lovely A/C. Still hot and sticky, but I'm sure I didn't dehydrate myself nearly so badly.

Also - now I'm drawn almost exclusively to raw foods. And my gazpacho. And my new favorite salad:

Apples & Celery tossed in a dressing of yogurt and lemon juice with a sprinkling of walnuts and freshly ground black pepper.

Sweet. Tart. Spicy. Cold.

Easy, filling, and refreshing. The recipe calls for the skins, but I'm more allergic to the skins than anything else, so I peeled mine.

Day 54 - Heat, Stress, Holliday

For those in the States, we've just come off a holiday weekend. In my case - a very non-KFB weekend.

Sigh. I'm disappointed, but am proud of myself for cutting myself some slack.

One - 2, 6-hour drives
Two - Hotter than HELL (OMG not comfortable. This morning it was 86 at five am)
Three - Spent most of the long weekend and yesterday working on a proposal. When I wasn't, I was driving or doing chores for my Mom
Four - Stressed and anxious about the proposal (and about the lost holiday) I didn't sleep well.

Today is the first day in about a week where I feel normal amounts of stress. Yay! So I feel better prepared to get back in the game.

Thank goodness I'm going on vacation in 9 days!

Day 48 - At last, a cool down - and a KFB diet meltdown

For the first time in nearly 2 weeks I was able to sleep with the windows open.

For the first time in nearly 2 weeks I've had a comfortable street run (yay!!!! - That's AWESOME for my mental health)

On the minus side ... a friend of mine at work (and her mother) were having a meatball contest. And everyone went all out: sauce, bread ... cannolis ... . Let just say I was a good friend and a not-so-good KFBer :)