Scaling to New Heights

Remember that time when I almost killed my buddy Carla? Well, today she tried to get even. She convinced me to go rock climbing with her:

And all I can say is we had FUN!

For less than $20, we learned how to climb up and down walls covered with little fake rocks. Of course, we had to sign a waiver that released the facility from liability if we fell. Or if someone fell on us.

Luckily, no harm came to either of us. Not even a broken nail, and that's saying something. Carla has very extravagant nails. Dillypoo, not so much.

Here I am doing my best Spiderman impression:

And here is Carla making her way down:

I was supposed to guide her back to the ground gently, but I wasn't so good at that part:

Good thing the ground was padded with rubber!

We did this for two hours. Up, down, up, down, giggle uncontrollably, up, down, giggle more, try not to pee from giggling, up and down. It was a lot of fun!

Monday nights are Ladies Night. We're going to try and convince some more friends to join us.

Because this is something I could definitely do again!

Football Fever

Dillypoo's worst dreams have come true. The Super Bowl is coming to my hometown!

Have I ever mentioned how I'm NOT a football fan? The Professor isn't either. It's one of the things I love about him.

Although I did catch him watching his alma mater, this year's Rose Bowl champs TCU, play a game earlier in the season. I asked him if he knew what was going on and he muttered something about "That guy with the ball...mumble fumble mumble."

My ex-husband, on the other hand, was a huge Huge HUGE football fan. He would watch the local high school teams practice on weekends and we didn't have any kids. That's how addicted he was.

I had my lawyer add a clause to our divorce decree that said I never had to watch football again. EVER.

Fast forward 20 years and Jerry Jones builds this in my backyard:

Now my sweet hometown is about to be overrun with cheeseheads and whatever-they-call-the-Steeler fans. Steelheads?

I live about five minutes from downtown, where ESPN has moved in and set up shop. Roads are closed to traffic and hotels are almost at 100% capacity. Super Bowl souvenir stands are popping up everywhere. Even Dillard's is selling t-shirts.

I know this because I saw security unpack the boxes while I was checking out Mr. Dillard's sale racks yesterday.

Fort Worth has become a football mecca.

Me, not so much. I'm just hoping I can find a parking space when I meet my running group after work next week. One of the football teams will be practicing across the street from where we gather.

I wonder if they'll let us train with them?

This post is part of a newsworthy (?) blog hop sponsored by Casey over at Poodleism!

Boot Camp Bites

Coach Molly is going to be the death of Dillypoo.

I'm holding my own with the running. In fact, I seem to be one of the faster runners in my group, which really surprised me.

I'm up to 4.0 miles now. We'll add another .5 mile this Friday. And I don't collapse in a heap after a run.

I call that success.

No, it's not the running that is killing me. It's boot camp.

Lunges. Jumping. Skipping. Stretching. And the evil core exercises.

I voluntarily paid for tiny Coach Molly to torture me every Wednesday night. She says it will make me a stronger runner.

Coach: "Nothing worthwhile comes easy!"

Dillypoo: "We do this after dark so we can't see your evil horns, right?"

Coach: "15 second rest then do it again faster!"

Dillypoo: "Don't take this personally, but I don't think I like you anymore! Grrroooaaaaaaan!"

If I'm limping tomorrow, you can blame Coach Molly.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Smoothiepoo

Dillypoo has a new toy:

Ever since I started training to run the 10K next month, I've been trying to figure out how to get more protein and fiber into my diet without blowing all of my WW points. My weight has stayed pretty constant since reaching goal in October, even with all of the increased exercise:

I'd like to lose another 3-5 pounds so I can be under my goal weight but I can't get the scale to budge. I'm beginning to think my body isn't being fueled properly for the amount of exercise I'm doing. Protein and fiber seem to be what runners need and what Dillypoo is lacking.

Following the lead of two bloggers who run that I like (Smaller Fun Pants and Prior Fat Girl), I bought a Magic Bullet at Costco.

And I'm in love!

I bought it this afternoon and immediately took it home to give it a spin (pardon the pun):

Unfortunately, tomorrow is grocery day, which means I didn't have ingredients for any of the recipes that came with the box.

Not to be deterred, I improvised:

A can of pineapple in juice, a handful of fresh blueberries and 4 oz of vanilla yogurt. Most of the recipes call for a banana, but I think The Professor ate the last one yesterday. Or maybe I did.

Anyway, I was out of bananas. Crushed ice would have to do and I crossed my fingers the yogurt would make the thing creamy:

It was very blue! It reminded me of the blue juice Aunt Beru served Luke at the opening of Star Wars Episode 4.

Yes, I have other interests besides Harry Potter!

Hard for me to believe that all of that is only one point (for the yogurt), but I couldn't wait to give it a try!

Mmmmmmmm! It was delicious!

I'm adding bananas and protein powder to my shopping list. And strawberries. And maybe some frozen peaches.

Oh, this could become addictive...

I read it on the internet so it must be true

Dillypoo is wearing her blog hat today to participate in a non-Dillypoo centric activity.

And you thought this blog was all about ME. Well, it is. Most of the time.

My buddy Casey over at Poodleism wants everyone to spread some news around the blogosphere. Any news will do. She specializes in news about the weird, absurd and wacky things she finds on the interwebs. And she makes me giggle. A lot. Check her out.

Dillypoo is going to report on some WTF? items in the news recently.

WTF Number One
Some guy named Lumpy has cooked up The Intimidator, a seven pound monstrosity of meat and eggs that could easily feed the entire Duggar family. It's served at Lumpy's diner as an individual portion.

Chef Lumpy specializes in food more appropriate for Hagrid's dinner table. In addition to The Intimidator, he's concocted something called a Dog Pounder hamburger and a 12 egg Kitchen Sink omelet.

If you manage to eat everything on your plate, your meal is free and you get your name engraved on a plaque (appropriate since plaque is what will line your arteries after eating at Lumpy's). They hang it on the Wall of Fame. I call it the Wall of Shame.

WTF Number Two
There's a show on TLC called Toddlers and Tiaras. I've never seen it. Dillyoo has never understood the whole pageant circuit thing. The only time it crosses my radar is when they do something outrageous enough for network news. Like dressing a two year old in a Madonna costume complete with cone bra.

It was funny when Sue wore it but it's kind of appalling on a child. They tortured another five year old on a different episode by waxing her eyebrows.

Why is this show on the air?

WTF Number Three

Starbucks is about to unleash the 31-ounce Trenta on America. The behemoth will be available for iced drinks only, because let's be real. Who could drink a pot of hot coffee fast enough before it gets cold?

The company claims sweetened drinks will have fewer than 230 calories. I wonder if that's before or after cream, sugar and flavored syrups are added.

Chef Lumpy will probably be first in line.

Office Gourmet

Prior to starting this journey to a healthier Dillypoo, I ate out a lot. My favorite places were any diner that served gravy, cheap Mexican food, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bueno. And I loved it when a vendor offered to buy lunch because that usually meant a nicer restaurant and dessert.

Two years ago I finally realized I couldn't continue eating the way I was and lose weight, so I made some radical changes.

I stopped going to gravy places and fast food joints. I learned to make better choices at Mexican restaurants. And I started suggesting healthier places to eat when a vendor offered to treat. I also stopped ordering dessert.

Unless it was a really good restaurant.

But the biggest change I made was deciding to eat at my desk.

I'm not a brown bagger, though. I hate frozen dinners and I don't have the energy to pack a lunch each morning. But I do work in an office that provides a kitchen for everyone to use.

I have at my disposal two full-size refrigerators, a toaster, a microwave and a toaster oven.

So two years ago I started keeping a small pantry of food under my desk and in a corner of one fridge. At any given time, I have enough food to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at my desk for at least a week.

And if you've followed my blog for awhile, you know in the fall that's a good thing. I spend more time at work than home from September to the middle of November.

But bologna sandwiches get boring after awhile, so I've learned to cook with the limited resources at hand.

First, it's important to have a measuring cup, some measuring spoons and a vegetable peeler handy. I bought inexpensive ones at Target and keep them clean and stored in my desk.

Next, you need to get creative with what you've got. I try and keep fresh fruits and vegetables on hand, but let's be realistic. Canned goods are easier to keep when you're stocking a desk drawer. Here are some of my favorites (with calculated Club WW PointsPlus values for those following along):

Breakfast - 7 points

Cook 1/2 cup of quick oats, one small apple (peeled and chopped) and one cup of water for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes in the microwave. Add a sprinkling of ground cinnamon, 1T of honey and 4 oz of 45 calorie vanilla yogurt. I sometimes add blueberries with the apple if I have them. Yum!

Tuna Wrap and Soup - 5 points

Make a tuna salad with the canned tuna, 1T fat-free mayo and some dill relish and wrap it in a Flat Out tortilla. The Cup-a-Soup is only 1 point and can be made using the hot water tap on your office's coffee maker or water cooler.

Tuna Melt - 5 points

Spread a wedge of Laughing Cow light cheese on one slice of 45 calorie bread and spread a pre-packaged tuna salad on another slice. Toast in a toaster oven until the cheese is gooey and the tuna starts to get toasted.

Tater and Tuna - 6 points

Cook a 4-5 oz potato in the microwave. Top it with the cottage cheese and a 3 oz can of drained tuna. This is a really filling lunch, too.

Arroz Con Pollo - 7 points

Prepare the rice as directed and dump it onto a paper plate. Top with the canned chicken, some salsa and a slice of cheese. Pop it back into the microwave for another 45-60 seconds or until the cheese melts and then stir it all together.

Cheesy Tuna Mac - 8 points

I usually save this one for those days when I'm in need of comfort food. Macaroni and cheese with tuna and peas is something I used to eat in the college dorms. Drain the peas and tuna and mix with the mac & cheese in a bowl. Microwave for 60-90 seconds or until cooked through.

And I always add a piece of fruit (or two or three) to my work meals.

These "recipes" may not be culinary genius or found in traditional cookbooks, but they're quick, easy and relatively healthy options for when you're stuck in the office and hungree.

They also helped me lose 55 pounds.

Maybe they can help you or at least get you thinking about creative ways to cook at work without piercing a plastic wrapped frozen tray.

Down She Goes!

It's almost the end of Week Three of Dillypoo's 10K training, and I'm feeling pretty good about it.

The longest distance I've run so far is 3.5 miles, and I did it under 40 minutes. I've actually completed three runs over three miles in the past week and I feel like my breathing and stamina are holding up well.

Practice makes perfect, right?

Tomorrow we add another .5 mile to our run but I'm a little anxious about it. I'm really sore because I took a tumble down the stairs yesterday morning on my way to feed Stella:

Thank goodness for hand rails! I caught myself near the top and avoided any serious injury. Except for  cutting my hand on the dog dish I was carrying, I felt pretty good all day with only a little bit of soreness.

But then I went to my running class after work. Wednesday is boot camp night.

That maybe wasn't the smartest idea. I can barely move today. I could barely move last night.

Dillypoo (groaning while lowering to sit on the couch): "Owwwwwwwwww."

The Professor: "What?"

Dillypoo: "Stairs. Fall. Boot camp. Owwwwwwwwww."

The Professor: "Maybe you should take some Tylenol."

Dillypoo: "Owwwwwwwwww."

We'll see what happens tomorrow. I have to run four miles.

Wand Lore

So you want to see Dillypoo's wand collection?

I admit it. I'm a die hard Harry Potter nerd. I've read the books more times than I can count. I've been to a three-day Harry Potter conference and I'm about to register for another. I also have personalized license plates on my car with a Harry Potter reference.

And I collect wands:

Two of them are replicas of Harry and Hermione's wands from the films. One has a secret compartment that conceals a magical core:

The little black one is my pocket wand for when I travel or need to be more discreet:

Mad Eye would disapprove of this carrying option. What if it ignited?

But one in particular is the wand that chose me:

Fifteen and a quarter inches, Bois d'Arc with a strand of hair from my beloved at it's core. This is the wand I take to midnight movie releases and carry around my office.

Yes, I've been known to take my wand into meetings. My co-workers are used to it. It's good for maintaining order when things get out of hand (or dull):

I also have a sixth wand:

I wear it almost everyday. I consider it my good luck charm. It wards off dementors and is like a secret handshake to identify other Harry Potter fans.

Because who else but a HP nut would wear a wand?

Maybe next time I'll show you all of my golden snitches.

Eau De Dillypoo

Dillypoo has a tendency to collect things. So does The Professor. If left unchecked, we'd end up on one of those tee vee shows about hoarders who yell "Marco!" "Polo!" just to find each other.

So I work on curbing my enthusiasm for buying too much stuff. The Professor does, too, but genetics is against us.

Which leads to a confession. I had a mini relapse.

One of my collections is perfume. I love, Love, LOVE perfume. Daddypoo used to buy me a new bottle for Christmas every year when I was younger.

He's a fragrance enabler.

I love having a variety of scents and the different bottles are beautiful. I've been known to pick up perfume at estate sales just because I liked the shape.

I have a lot of favorites: Chanel No. 5. Samsara. Shalimar. Giorgio. Tuscany. Tresor. And others.

But my very favorite is Lou Lou by Cacharel.

Last week I realized some of my bottles were getting low. So I did a little shopping and replaced a few. Or four.

Shhhh. Don't tell The Professor.

_____

In other news, Dillypoo got another award!

Sweet Laryssa thinks Dillypoo is stylish!

By accepting this award, I have to:

• Post and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
• Share seven things about yourself.
• Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers (or as many as you can).
• Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won!

So now I have to think of seven things I haven't already shared about myself. Hmmmm....

1. I've been to London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow and St. Petersburg, but I've never been to New York.

2. I hated peanut butter as a kid, but then I discovered Reese's peanut butter cups and heard the angels sing.

3. I don't like margaritas.

4. I fell down a canyon when I was 10 and broke my leg in three places. Yeah, that hurt.

5. I own five wands.

6. I loved the Bay City Rollers when I was 13.

7. My ex-husband was short. It's one of the reasons I divorced him.

I'm going to pass this award on to two bloggers: Casey over at Poodleism and That TOPS Lady over at Dream Big {Just Do It}.

Thank you, Laryssa!

Life Lesson No. 8

Don't get dressed in the dark or you may end up wearing mis-matched clothing and accessories, like two different earrings:

One blue, one black.They looked identical when I left the house this morning.

What was I thinking?

As I was running with my training group last night, I was trying to figure out what my next exercise goal would be after I finish the Cowtown Marathon 10K at the end of February.

Maybe I'll take a yoga class or try Pilates. Both would be indoors where it's warm and I'll be able to feel my face and legs.

Unlike running in frigid temperatures. My thighs were numb by the time I finished the final lap.

Later I thought that maybe taking a yoga or Pilates class might've been a good first goal for 2011 and training to run a 10K a better second goal.

Hindsight is always 20/20, right?

North Texas has been pretty lucky weather-wise this winter, especially compared to the rest of the country. But 23 degrees is still cold even without snow and ice!

I've been drinking a lot of hot tea and turning to comfort food to stay warm. I made meatloaf for dinner the other night and I'm eating a lot of this:

Oatmeal. With apples, cinnamon and honey. It's what's for breakfast.

And sometimes dessert.

I Am a Runner

Week One of my 10K training is complete and Dillypoo's legs are like Jell-O.

On Monday we ran 2.5 miles.

On Wednesday we ran 1.5 miles followed by something evil called "core exercises."

Yesterday we ran 3.2 miles.

And have I mentioned that the course we run has hills? Um, yeah. Hills. More than one. Hillzzzzz.

In truth, I'm loving this! I have never pushed myself so hard physically, and I am still amazed that I'm doing it and doing it well. I'm keeping up with the group leaders and I'm not stopping to walk or rest.

I even bought a book about running for women, and I found this quote:

"Running is the thing she craves. Within it is a new sense of wonder at the power of movement - whether labored or light - over ground, the rise and fall of breath in her chest. When a woman knows this feeling, she knows that she cannot do without running. And thus is born a runner."

I have become a runner.


For fun, my Club WW leader did a local news segment yesterday. She's pretty awesome!

The TMI Post

Dillypoo is melting.

I've blogged about The Phoenix Effect before. It refers to that time in a woman's life when she bursts into flame without warning only to be reborn a few minutes later.

I've been a phoenix since November 2004. That's when a very cute emergency room doctor informed me I was going to need a blood transfusion if I didn't take care of some pesky fibroids soon.

Not something you want to hear while lying on a gurney with Dr. McDreamy staring at your ya-ya. I called my doctor the next day to schedule their removal.

The funny thing about fibroid surgery, though, is that sometimes they're excised with other parts. Like ovaries and the uterus. (Apologies to my buddy Pot Pie for using the "U" word. And ya-ya.)

Anyhoo-hoo, one of the side effects of a hysterectomy is instant menopause.

Oh sure, you can take hormones to artificially stave off The Change, but Dillypoo was allergic to HRT. I broke out in a full body rash after a month of treatment.

I tried a hormone patch next, which made me a raving lunatic. Just ask The Professor. He timidly asked if I wanted to go shoe shopping one Sunday in an attempt to appease the tempermental beast I'd become.

So I gave up on hormones and decided to take my chances without them.

Now The Professor says he feels the temperature changes with me. He gets hot when I get hot (mainly because he gets buried when I throw the bed covers off me) and he gets cold when I get cold (I leave the ceiling fan on even when the thermometer hovers around the freezing mark).

But after six years, I was hoping the hot flashes and night sweats were starting to subside. And they were. Until recently.

It's like my body has suddenly gone into a nuclear meltdown. I drive with the windows down and the air conditioner on when it's 40 degrees outside. Our drafty old house is cold this time of year, but I sleep with a desktop fan blowing on my head from the night stand. That's in addition to the ceiling fan.

The Professor has taken to sleeping in the other room with Stella so he can be warm.

I wonder if this sudden increase in flaming misery is like a fireworks finale? Maybe my inner phoenix is putting on one last, grand show before dying for good.

I sure hope so! We're going to need new air conditioners come summer if not.

All of the fire images in this post were painted by The Professor.

Goal Setting vs. Making Resolutions

'Tis the season for making resolutions for the new year, which is quickly followed by the season for breaking resolutions for the new year.

Raise your hand if this holiday line-up is on your calendar.

Last year was the first year I actually kept my resolutions. They were:

• Reach my goal weight of 148 before summer.
• Continue my walking and jogging routine on the treadmill, increasing the time and distance spent jogging.
• Find a walk-a-thon to participate in the spring.
• Explore new exercise activities that increase my overall flexibility, strength and stamina.
• Continue blogging.

The only one I missed was the first. I did reach my goal weight, just not before summer.

But I've been thinking I don't want to make resolutions this year, because, quite frankly, I forget about them. I didn't remember making those resolutions until I re-read my January post for the Year in Review recap. I kept them purely by chance and not by design.

No, I think what I want to do this year is set some goals.

I've been reflecting on my newfound respect and love for exercise and running in particular, and how both of those activities were motivated by my desire to reach a goal (hitting 148 on the scale by my birthday).

It was easy to get up early for a run before work or to push myself to go faster or try something new, like stair climbing, because I had my sights set on something. But once I reached that goal, my motivation to get up and move waned a bit.

Until I had other reasons to get up and get out: Thanksgiving dinner, holiday parties and a Christmas Eve feast.

I tended to skip a day or two or three after each of those events.

Which means Dillypoo needs a reason to get up and exercise. So I'm going to start setting goals to work towards, and my first goal is to run a 10K at the end of February.

I had my first training session with my new running group last night and it was pretty awesome. We ran 2.5 miles. I completed it without stopping to rest or walk in 27 minutes and 41 seconds. And there were hills.

My thighs kind of seized up later last night, but it was so worth it!

After I run the 10K in February, I'll find a new goal to work towards. It may be another 10K. Or it may be something else.

So maybe I am making one resolution this year. I resolve to set short-term goals for working out and maintaining my new healthy lifestyle.

The Power of Positive Thinking

This post is brought to you by Flartus, who had the barmy idea that we should look for positive things around us. (She actually got the idea from Happy Frog, a blog that I need to peruse a bit more.) So, here is my list of positive things from December (in no particular order):


1. Dillypoo has fabulous readers! I've been blogging for two years and I don't always know who, if anyone, is reading. But in December, I got some new followers! I love new followers.

2. Visitors to my blog left 40 comments in 17 days during my Comments for Cans drive to collect food for my local food bank:

3. I hit 900 wins on my iPhone solitaire app. The Professor may see this one as an addiction rather than a positive, though.

4. I went shopping with a friend and bought two new pairs of pants. They're a size 4. OMG!

5. The cherries from Chile are here! Fresh cherries are my favorite snack, and I'll happily pay $6.99 a pound for them this time of year. Crazy, I know, but they're delicious!

6. I baked eight dozen Wicked Hot Chili Cookies. I ate three and gave the rest away. (Clarification: I ate three cookies, not three dozen.)

7. One of my co-workers became a U.S. citizen and we celebrated with apple pie and cupcakes:

8. I managed to lose weight two weeks in a row, and those two weeks were the final two of the month. During Christmas.

9. Stella and the cats didn't kill each other.

10. I got rid of the Disney Christmas village! A good friend with small children was delighted to take it and I was delighted to see it go. The Professor, on the other hand, was ecstatic to get it out of the dining room. Now he has more room for his stuff.

11. I went shopping on an empty stomach two days before Christmas and instead of snacking on something crappy, I ate this:

12. The Professor gave me a pair of new boots for Christmas. I lurv him!

13. I baked The Professor a pumpkin pie in the middle of the month just because he likes pumpkin pie. And I lurv him!

14. I got up at 1:30 a.m. to see a total lunar eclipse from my backyard and saw a glorious shooting star, too!

15. I had a wonderfully relaxing six days off from work after Christmas. I slept late, read two books, had lunch with a friend, did a little shopping and saw a movie. It was a fabulous way to end the year!