Bad TV and Me

Did you know that there is a show on TV called "Rock of Love Bus"? It is some aging rock star called Bret Michaels (I have no idea who he is) that wears way too much pancake makeup and a silly bandana across his forehead. He is "looking for love and perhaps the next Ms. Michaels" (there has never been a first Ms. Michaels) on his tour bus full of skanks. It is too much. Here are a group of at least a dozen diseasy (small pun there)-looking women who, in the episode that I saw, had to dress up in porn star, lingerie-like wedding garb and give him some Bret-"like" wedding vows which for these women included what they would do with him on their "wedding night" (I don't think that some of them were legal in all states). The reception for the "winners" (re skankiest vows and sluttiest clothing) involved each bride giving Bret a lap dance. As you can imagine there is a lot of "bleeping" on the show as these jealous (dare I call them) ladies cat fight and bicker over who loves Bret more (I think that they have talked to him about 10 minutes total) and who is a bigger ho. Oh my God!!! To think of what I have been missing while To Doing in the land of the healthy!

Speaking of healthy - I am still not though yesterday's viewing entertainment certainly helped me on the road to recovery. I did my Pilates class in the morning, stopped at CVS for more cold meds, did some cardio and then worked out with trainer Little John. He really is terrific ... and sadistic in a very cute way. I was so hungry that I grabbed some grocery store sushi and ate it in the car. A few more errands and then, home. By the time that I got home I was so beat that I barely made it into bed. All thoughts of my To Do list were banished. I awoke 3 hours later groggy and unmotivated ... the couch and TV called.

Consequently I am so far behind for the week that I am in "Do Your Best Mode". I have a client in a few minutes and after that I will have another nap which doesn't help cross things off the list. On a happy note, I have been eating pretty well these past few days but haven't seen any nudge on the scale yet.

For today:

• Copy key to BA House and tag
• Email CS re cooking classes
• Do 1 German lesson
• Update blog
• Install basement door knobs
• Step / Abs class
• Enter Items in food journal
• Read Brian Tracy newsletter
• Coaching client
• Do any other things on each days' list that I have the energy to do
• NAP

Have a terrific day!

Ella

Starting with a Fizzle

I am dragging around this morning. My cold is kicking my butt (I realize that I had the flu before and now I have a cold) and I have Pilates today followed by a trainer session (with some cardio in between). My To Do list it reads like the cleaning of the Aegean stables. I don't feel like doing ANY of it. I just feel like laying on the couch under a blankie with the fireplace on and watching bad TV. It is a pity party moment for sure!!

To further the pity party moment I overate yesterday big time at dinner. I made this Cooking Lite breaded chicken recipe that I ate perhaps 3 portions of. Thank goodness it was Cooking "Lite". I also ate popcorn yesterday - full butter - full bag! It was GREAT! Until I had to record it in my food journal that is.

I did most of my To Do list yesterday and have added the things that I missed on to today's list. I didn't finish the door knobs because the existing ones had some screws rusted into place. I oiled them and then had Pongo give them a try and he managed to get them off. Yea Manpower)

I will keep poking at my To Do list today until I finally decide that the couch is too appealing. I am not going to push it today as I am leaving on Saturday for Japan and want to make sure that I am better by then.

• Telephone Mulan
• Copy BA's house key and tag both copies
• Do 1 German Lesson
• Update my blog
• Investigate Tilt Shift Photography
• Investigate iPod to Computer transfer
• Email ELH re Prince Charming's 50th
• Decide on a stock to buy
• Take box of books to 1/2 Price Books
• Filing - 15 minutes
• Look for receipt for garage door opener
• Set up automatic backup for desktop to portable HD
• Complete transfer of My Document files to HD
• Reorganize portable HD
• Email CS re cooking lessons
• Pilates class
• Little John trainer class
• Enter items in food journal
• Grocery shopping
• Install bike lights
• Go to home depot
• Plant basil plants
• Tell contractor about basement doors
• Email JC re decorating appt
• Intall basement door knobs
• Read Brian Tracy newsletter
• Complete coaching model

And we shall see what actually gets done!! Off to Pilates!

Ella

Cold 2 Ella 1/2

My cold/flu is still winning although DayQuil is allowing me to delude myself that I might just be gaining ground. I am so glad that I decided to take it easy yesterday as I think that this might also have helped. Plus, I got all my goals work done and so I feel much better about that.

This year I decided that I was going to take my coaching and cooking businesses completely out of my 2009 goals. I want to give myself time and space to work on me, this house (Ike & builder recovery), the cottage (my "baby"), and the various traveling that I will be doing. It was really when I wrote down my travel schedule that I started thinking about my business building and how it would fit in. Every time I thought about it I felt pressure and a little panic. I finally decided that I didn't have to worry about it and that the skills required to be a coach and a chef didn't go away. As soon as I gave myself permission not to work on my businesses I felt much better and ... immediately got a new coaching client and a new job teaching cooking. Funny how the universe works!

Prince Charming leaves tomorrow for Japan and whereever else so today we have a lot of "what needs to be done that I don't want to lift, haul, etc. while he is away so I need him to do it before he leaves" jobs. A lot of that list centers around the storage area downstairs. This area used to be so organized before me piled it high (again) with stuff that used to be in the Sweet (the room that we built that we now call the "Sweeeeeet") or outside on the patio or that we just got lazy about putting in their designated places. It kind of looks like an oversized junk drawer. Today I also want to reorganize my cottage-bound boxes stored there.

Other than that I am going to rest, rest, and rest once again.

Oh, before I forget, I am going to get a Wii Console and Wii Fit. Pumpkin convinced me that I would really enjoy it. Her roommate got one for Christmas and they have been "playing" it ever since. It sounds like it makes fitness fun which is something that I crave. It also sounds competitive which I think that I will respond well to. I am hoping to convince my sister-in-law to get one also so that we can "compete" against each other. I think our natures are such that that kind of competition would spur us on ... in a good way, of course!

Doing my food journal I realized that I added 440 calories yesterday with the juice that I drank!! Even though it is 100% juice with no sugar added it packs a lot of calories. I was trying to drink lots of fluids for my cold and the juice helped me do this (I wouldn't have drunk as much water although I did drink 2 bottles). Unfortunately, it also helped bring my calorie count for the day up to 1899!! A 699 calorie deficit as I did NO exercise yesterday!!!!! Ackkkkk!!! I can hear Prince Charming (in my head) saying "Lighten up Francis" :) It is good to have that mental check but I can tell you I won't be sucking back the juice today!

Have a terrific day!!

Ella

Vanquishing My Cold

Last night I started to come down with a cold :( I had been so active and efficient all day long and when I finally called it quits my body decided to let me in on the secret ... "You are getting sick" (said in a kind of gloom and doom voice in my head). I immediately took the osci..cilli..something homeopathic medicine that I take that helps me when I have a cold or flu and began mentally letting my body know that being sick is unacceptable. Today I am still sick but I think that I can lick this thing or at least not suffer from some full-blown cold or flu. To that end I have purchased all that I need to make a chicken soup. I am still going to make my Shrimp Gumbo (from the menu) but as an evening "snack" I will have some good chicken soup available.

Oh a happier note, I am soooo pleased with the My Calorie Counter journal feature on the Everyday Health site (http://my-calorie-counter.everydayhealth.com/Journal.asp). Now that I am over my initial psych crap about scarcity I am really interested in making sure that my calories are less than my outlay (for that is the only way to actually lose weight - right?). Keeping the journal and also knowing that I had to show it to trainer Little John kept me from eating at least one snack yesterday ... maybe even two. Between that, this blog, and my sister-in-law I can't help but keep on track!!

I am so pleased that my pantry, Tupperware, and book cupboards are back in their usual organized way. It makes me ridiculously happy when things are orderly like they "should" be. I started working on my office yesterday (it will take some work) and I finished organizing the freezer. The world seems right once more :)

I love keeping track of my To Dos here for the "world" to see. It definitely keeps me motivated. So here we go for today:

• Mail Perdita's mom her shirt back
• Make roasted chicken soup
• Rough draft 2009 goals
• Meet with contractor 1pm
• Spend at least 1 hour organizing downstairs storage area
• Iron "sweet" bedding and make bed
• Min 45 minute walk with Jack

Wish me luck with my cold!

Ella