Sunday Coffee – A Perfect Day

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Thistle

I had a really good birthday this year, so I wanted to document it in detail. Feel free to ignore me, heh.

Morning time was taken up by the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K, which of course I already talked about. And as I said in that post, the 5K was followed by gluten-free pancakes with nutella on top. Mmmm.

I didn’t have any big plans for my 41st birthday. Of course, last year was my huge Buzzard Party, and after that, I figured we’d just have a nice, quiet day this year. Jason and I watched a few episodes of the Great British Baking Show in the late morning/early afternoon, and I made deviled eggs for my afternoon event.

My hiking group was founded on March 2nd last year, and so the group got together for an anniversary potluck on Sunday afternoon. I only joined the group in December, but it’s already made a huge impact on my life, health, and emotional wellbeing. Even though it was my birthday and even though I really don’t like driving long distances to unknown places, I knew I had to go. The potluck took place in a nearby town called Boerne, which might not have been such a long way away (45 min drive!) if the entire trip hadn’t been under construction. Oy. I’m just thankful my GPS got me there in one piece without any real trouble! Food, speeches, gift exchanges, group photos…it was worth the drive. I love these ladies.

(Sadly, I had to leave before the big group photo was taken. Photo courtesy of the SA PS Women’s Hiking Group.)

One really cool thing happened there that I have to write about. I didn’t expect to eat much at the potluck (gluten free and all), but one woman, Alia, made this Middle Eastern chicken and rice dish called biryani. Lebanese food is my favorite ever, so I got a little of this dish to try. Because it had onions in it, I didn’t think I could eat it. I haven’t been able to eat onions since my anosmia distorted in October 2018 and made everything smell of rotten onions. (Thankfully, it’s now only oniony scents that smell this way, not everything!) Indeed, much of the food at the potluck must have had onions in it, because the whole area smelled rotten. BUT. The onions in Alia’s dish tasted sweet and caramelized and exactly like they’re supposed to. Maybe it was just because my nose was partially stuffed up, I don’t know, but you can believe I went back up and got a bunch more of the dish!! Onions were my FAVORITE before this stupid anosmia issue!

I ended up eating enough at the potluck that I decided not to go out for dinner that night like Jason and I originally planned. Our birthdays always include one special prepared meal and one restaurant meal. Nutella pancakes were obviously my prepared choice, and I saved my restaurant for later in the week. So instead of eating out Sunday, we had cake for dinner. Mmm, cake…

You might notice the sloppiness of the above cake. That’s because this particular dessert was an experiment of Jason’s and Ambrose’s, chosen by me. None of us are really huge traditional cake fans. Morrigan always chooses a cookie cake, Ambrose likes pie, Laurence likes muffins, etc. This year, I wanted an entremet cake using my very favorite dessert, chocolate bavarois. So this cake had four layers: a gluten free shortbread crust, a blood orange curd, a chocolate bavarois, and a chocolate-orange mousse. Extremely decadent! Unfortunately, the curd didn’t set. Boo. That’s what you see slopping around in that photo. But messy or not, the cake was amazing and the sort of dessert where a little goes a long way, meaning there were lots of leftovers to enjoy all week! (And yes, I did eat all my layers separately, so that I could save the bavarois for last. If it wasn’t SO bad for me, I’d have asked just for a bowl of bavarois for my birthday “cake.”)

Then there were the gifts. Jason is the most amazing gift-giver and always has been. This year, he decided to theme my gifts. He called them my “year of adventure.” There were glass coasters with photo inserts so I could celebrate my past adventures. There was a Pop doll of Anne Wheeler (love her!!) from The Greatest Showman, to share others’ adventures. (It’s also kind of a wishful thinking adventure, as I’d LOVE to be able to do acrobatics one day!!) There were hiking poles, a map of the nearby countryside, and a membership to REI for my current adventures. Last but not least, there was a travel guide to Hawaii to plan for (distant right now) future adventures. It was so perfect.

I also received a few other great gifts and cards from friends and family throughout the week. Plus I won free leggings from my Lularoe dealer (ha!), and got gift cards and movie tickets from various businesses I frequent. It was all quite nice.

My birthday night ended quiet and calm. Lying on the couch with Jason, watching more silly baking shows, getting my legs and feet rubbed post-5K, enjoying my first birthday in our new home. It really was absolutely perfect.

Posted in Personal | Tagged | 1 Comment

Favorite Photos of February

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Thistle

I had a really hard time narrowing down my February photos to my favorite dozen. I tried to choose a wide spread rather than all wedding, all nature, all 5K, etc. In no particular order:

Top left: Jojo looking contemplative. Top right: Gorgeous Esperanza flower at early dusk. Bottom: Woodlawn Lake at sunset.

Left top: blurry full moon taken while on a walk with Jason after we received some bad news. Left bottom: happy me on a hike with my group. Right: Laurence and Ambrose pose on the beach.

Top left: Jason and I the night before our 5K in matching hoodies. Top right: wedding kiss. Bottom: Periwinkle blooming in our new yard.

Left top: blood orange. Left bottom: giant hands sculpture at Morgan’s Wonderland. Right: shadow on bridge. (I love shadow photos. I’m not sure why, as no one else really likes them. But I adore them to pieces.)

That’s kinda my February in a nutshell – beach wedding, lots of exercise, 5K with Jason, flowers, and cats. Yup.

Posted in Personal | Tagged | Leave a comment

Race Report: Get Your Rear in Gear 5K

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Thistle

On Sunday, I walked a 5K with Jason and Stephanie. In my last Sunday Coffee post, I discussed the nostalgia aspects of this event. The thing I didn’t say, and the thing that makes this event double special for me, is that my aunt Cheri passed away from colorectal cancer in 2014, mere weeks after my family arrived in Boston. We were too broke for me to come back to Texas for her funeral services. It was one of the first heartbreaks of moving to Boston. So yes, this particular 5K and its cause is close to my heart for several reasons. And I almost didn’t get to walk it. –>

Rewind to last Friday. I went out for a walk at my normal trail park, and decided to take a benchmark running test. In September, I’d twice run 1.1 miles nonstop on a particular route, and hadn’t done the run again since then. With making a current personal best in last week’s Chocoholic Frolic 5K, I thought I should test my mile time as well. These tests are run on a 2/3rds downhill route at a comfortable pace, no pushing. And I did end up improving my September time by a significant amount. More relevant to this post, however, is that I injured something in my right ankle-knee-hip connection during the run. I didn’t feel any injury or pain or slip, but a couple hours later, the outside edge of my right foot began to hurt, and the pain traveled upwards. I foam-rolled and iced all those areas, and thought some movement would help. Jason and I went grocery shopping Saturday morning, and I had to go sit in the car for the last 20 mins because I could no longer put any pressure on my right foot.

So that’s where I was at on Saturday, foam-rolling and icing like a mad-woman, because I REALLY wanted to walk this 5K on my birthday!! Sunday morning, I immediately put on a compression sleeve over my ankle (see above photo), and made sure my shoes were on tight. A few videos of me walking barefoot and in my shoes showed me the issue. These shoes are made for hiking, and while they’re called trail runners, they’re not supportive enough for my troublesome feet when I run. I roll outward – a problem I’m trying to slowly correct – and so my foot is literally shifting so that I’m walking on the outside edge with the shoe almost diagonal on my foot. The compression sleeve (for support) and the really tight laces were crucial for the day’s 5k. And I still knew that I might not make it.

The 5K was very early. Jason and I were up before 6am, me with a whole giant glass of iced coffee, heh. (see above) We got to Morgan’s Wonderland (starting location) right as the announcements had begun, and met up with Stephanie. Everything ran fast after that – kid’s run, the runners’ start, and then the walkers were going under the starting arch without any real call for us to go yet. Heh. The walkers were untimed for this 5K, but both Stephanie and I put on our fitness devices for personal accuracy. Because of course.

(before the 5K)

The good news: After about a half-mile, my foot stopped hurting completely for the rest of the 5K. Clearly, that sleeve and tight shoe worked! So what’s the bad news? There isn’t any!! The rest is just more good news. We walked our 5K (or actually 3.2 miles) in 58:41, an 18:29/mi pace, and that’s even with stopping twice at water stations AND being stuck in a slow crowd for the first half-mile. Clearly, we’re getting faster and stronger!

(Why yes, we DID walk through a giant inflatable colon)

We didn’t stay long once we were done. Just long enough to get some bananas or breakfast tacos or cereal or granola bars and sit down to eat (below). (Thank you, sponsors, for having some gluten free granola bars, and thank you KIND brand for making so many delicious choices!) Then we all went off to the next parts of our day. Jason and I headed home to make some nutella pancakes for my birthday breakfast…but birthday celebrations are the subject of another post.

Posted in Wellness | Tagged , | 1 Comment

February 2020 in Review

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Thistle

There are a couple months in the year that I expect to be insanely busy. Late November through December (holidays!), May/June (end of school!), October (October!!). What I don’t expect is for February to be absolutely nuts. February. Normally quiet, no birthdays in my household, only one small holiday, only one school holiday. It’s a month where I tend to recover from my headlong rush into goals in January, heh. No time for that this month, though. February was insanely busy. But also awesome:

  • Feb 1st: 3.8-mile hike on Cibolo Creek with my hiking group AND Jason replaced our back French doors
  • Feb 2nd: Super Bowl Party
  • Feb 8th: Laurence got honored at the rodeo for helping to set up the electricity for the booths AND I hiked 3.5 miles at Eisenhower Park with my group
  • Feb 9th: 3.1-mile hike at Comanche Lookout Park with my group
  • Feb 14th: sold our house AND hiked 3.2 miles with Jason at Eisenhower AND went out for Valentine’s Day
  • Feb 15th: Port Aransas for my cousin’s wedding
  • Feb 16th: wedding festivities part two AND a 2.7-mile walk around Woodlawn Lake with my group after returning to San Antonio
  • Feb 22nd: saw Howl’s Moving Castle in theatre with a friend while Jason took Laurence back to the rodeo (he got free passes for his volunteer work)
  • Feb 23rd: Chocoholic Frolic 5K AND the HPWU Community Day
  • Feb 26th: VOTING!
  • Feb 27th: abdominal ultrasound

And that’s just the events. It was a crazy month!

Books
With as much time as I spent doing other things, I didn’t get a lot read this month. To be honest, I did have several books out from the library from my to-investigate list, and they all went right back to the library as not-for-me. I guess after reading some really brilliant books this year so far, I didn’t want to add any that were just meh. So I ended up reading three books in February: a really good one (A Beginning at the End), a so-so nonfiction (Caffeine), and a re-listen to one of my favorites (Howl’s Moving Castle). I try not to choose rereads as favorites for the month, but I can’t help it this time. Howl is just the best.

Goals
Both my career and writing goals were 100% neglected this month. I did work quite a bit on health stuff, which I’ll talk about in my health section below. My other big goal category for the year is finances. There was of course some good progress here. We sold our house, so we no longer have two mortgage payments. With the proceeds of the sale, we were able to pay back any debts accrued from the several months of double-houses. We also got Jason’s annual work bonus and a small tax refund. Those paid off the credit card debt accrued due to unexpected vet and dental bills. They also paid for our May Planniversary vacation up front. Whew! Beyond that, we researched and found a car insurance plan that was more reasonable – our previous one skyrocketed 500% after the boys got licenses, even though one lives in Kansas – which cut down a major bill. And then we rebalanced our monthly budget to include the new circumstances and made a plan to pay off our debt consolidation loan by June 2022 (instead of October 2023). Faster if we put future work bonuses, tax refunds, etc toward it.

Health
Let’s start with the not-so-great stuff. I was tested for autoimmune disorders this month, and came back with all positive indicators and off-the-charts inflammatory markers, but no individual disorders tested positive, so my doctors blew off the rest. Then I learned that I need surgery on my wrist to remove a fibrous ganglion cyst. I also finally received my Lumen this month, a device I backed and purchased on indiegogo 18 months ago, only to discover that 1) it no longer gives the information it promised to give (basil metabolic rate), and 2) it advocates a combination of keto/low-carb diets and carb-cycling, rather than actually testing an individual’s metabolism. Grr.

On the positive side: I did great on my nutrition and fitness this month. Smashed all my 20-20 mini-goals! I ate tons of good fruits and veggies, avoided sugar, only had one glass of alcohol (at the wedding reception, of course!), exercised 20 days for 18:21 total hours, walked/hiked/ran a total of 45.2 miles, started to incorporate more strength-training, and kept my phone off after 9pm almost every night. I also walked/ran a 5K with Jason and smashed my previous 5K times (post-regain), and got a current PR for a one-mile nonstop run a few days later. Sadly, I didn’t get much further on my running goals this month between all the hiking on clear days and the many, many other rain days. But I’ve done some indoor running whenever I turn on old SVU reruns or other junk TV, so that’s good. I also removed gluten from my diet for a big portion of February, as autoimmune disorders tend to be exacerbated by gluten for reasons unknown. Better to be safe than sorry. I’ll admit, I definitely have felt better being off gluten, and each time I caved and ate it again, my throat/nose/sinuses would flare up and I’d feel like I was getting a cold. That seems a clear indicator that I’m doing something right by removing it, yeah? In terms of weight, I lost about 3.5 lbs this month at a slow, steady pace, so I hope this won’t turn out to be part of my normal fluctuation range!

Highlights of February
Of course, the big highlights are listed above – my cousin’s wedding, all those hikes with friends, Howl’s Moving Castle, my 5K, etc. But there were a lot more wonderful things this month that I don’t want to forget!

  • We completed our taxes and actually got a small refund this year. Nothing compared to before the asshat Trump took away credits for having dependents, but at least we don’t have to pay extra like last year!
  • Jason also got a decent bonus at work which helped us pay down our debts.
  • After two months, we finally FINALLY got the keys to our new mailbox!
  • Got to hang out with my longtime friend Nat for the first time in months.
  • After closing on the house, Jason and I used a small amount of the proceeds to upgrade our phones, so now we both have 11s and passed our iPhone 8s down to Ambrose and Laurence, who were still using (very broken) iPhone 6s.
  • Discovered how to make my own small batches of iced coffee to save both on money and on the environment (no more plastic bottles from the store!)
  • Found out we have a gorgeous variety of periwinkle in our new front yard, just started blooming this month
  • Early voting!!! (Even though in the end, my candidate dropped out before the main voting day, so my presidential vote was wasted. Ah well.)
  • That broom-standing stunt. Totally a hoax but so hilarious to punk my boys with it.
  • Jason got me a Choose Your Own Adventure board game for Vday.
  • We also bought together a 52-date-night ideas canister that we plan use each week. We’ve already had our first night, a “luau” involving Hawaiian music, a hula dance lesson, and really delicious virgin daiquiris.
  • Crossing off the first of my running bingo squares!
  • Seeing measurable progress in both my walking and running times this month compared to several months ago
  • Delicious GF treats like blueberry muffins and chocolate cupcakes (I appreciate the companies who make these things so much!)

Coming up in March
Birthday season! Not only was my birthday on the 1st this month, but my stepmom, brother-in-law, youngest son, and both of Jason’s parents have birthdays in March. Laurence and his grandmother actually have theirs on the same day! There’s also spring break this month – always happens the week of Laurence’s birthday, heh – and primary election day, and a whole heck of a lot of planned hikes and 5Ks, and the next Siclovia. So it’s probably going to be another busy month, which will hopefully be just as lovely as February has been!

Posted in Personal | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Sunday Coffee – Happy Birthday to Me!

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Thistle

Hello everyone! I’m pre-drafting and pre-scheduling this post, because at the time I’d normally be publishing it, I’ll be walking a 5K. Yes, another one! There’s a bit of a funny story behind this.

After last week’s 5K, I began looking for others that I wanted to do this spring. I already knew of one in May that my hiking group was planning to do together. I figured three in spring and three in fall would be perfect for 2020. (Forget summer. 100 degrees = no 5Ks.) So I started searching. (Side note: Do you know how hard it is to find accurate information about upcoming 5Ks? There are like five different companies that promote different ones, and the only way I could find to get most of the information in one place was to rely on Google’s event search. Oy.) One of the first races I saw was the Shamrock Shuffle, followed closely thereafter by the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K.

Flashback: In March 2010, I walked my first ever 5K with a group of friends. I had no real concept of the distance of a 5K and had no idea what to expect. Jason and the boys waited at the end as our cheer squad. Our group was slow – we had a couple little kids with us – and I have no idea how long it took us to finish. This was my first taste of 5K events, and the first stirring of my love for them. The event was the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K, its very first 5K event in San Antonio.

(look how cute 30-year-old Jason is!!)

Fast forward to 2011: In January and February that year, I completed Couch to 5K indoors and could now run for 45 mins straight. I signed up for a 5K in March to try to run one officially. A few fellow Sparkers (from Sparkpeople) also signed up for the same 5K. During that event, I discovered that 1) indoor running and outdoor running are very different things, and 2) I was running more up/down (like running in place) than forward. Still, it was my first 5K where I both walked and ran, and I came in with a time of 53:54. Ha. It was also a good marker for me in time/weight – I’d lost 25 lbs at that point from my highest weight. That 5K was the Shamrock Shuffle.

Furthermore, I signed up for a 5K in late March 2011, the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K. I didn’t try to run this one, due to bronchitis, but I walked it with my cousin Jen – the one who just got married on the beach! – while Jason and the boys waited to cheer me at the end.

Those were my first three 5Ks. In 2012, I looked for both the Get Your Rear in Gear and Shamrock Shuffle events. Neither existed, or at least, I couldn’t find them. (See note re: difficulty finding 5K events accurately above.) And I haven’t seen them again in the last decade. So now, I discover that both are happening this March, one of them on my birthday. I’m not ready to walk/run another 5K so close after the last one, but you can bet that in honor of my first 5K in 2010 AND as a personal birthday celebration, I signed up to walk today.

Jason and I are walking this one together. This is pure nostalgia and celebration. Can’t wait to tell y’all all about it!

PS – Not only are we doing this 5K this morning, but my hiking group is getting together for a potluck to celebrate their one-year anniversary. Lucky me to get to celebrate in so many different ways with so many people I love today!

Posted in Wellness | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Caffeine, by Michael Pollan (audio)

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Thistle

Well this is apropos, listening to a book on the history and science of caffeine while doing my own experiments with the stuff. This short book – what’s the novella equivalent of nonfiction? – discusses how the human race discovered and spread caffeine in the forms of coffee and tea across the world, and how that spread changed our culture and biology. Coupled with that are Pollan’s own experiments with caffeine abstinence and re-introduction.

A couple thoughts on this book. First, it could have been much longer and encompassed a whole hell of a lot more information. I’ve enjoyed most of Pollan’s food-history books in the past and this one felt like it barely skimmed the surface of the subject. I suppose that’s what you get for a two-hour long audiobook. Because of the short length, I didn’t learn nearly as much as I would have liked. I’d hoped to use this as a supplement to my own research into caffeine, but other than a few facts about bees and caffeine-infused nectar, I didn’t really learn much. It was definitely beginner’s nonfiction.

Second, I’m not sure I react to caffeine the same way as most people. Pollan described his reaction to caffeine after three months without it as an insane drive to go-go-go. It reminded me exactly of Alice’s reaction to coffee after a week without it in What Alice Forgot. I’ve never had any kind of intense energy or drive to do stuff after drinking caffeine, not in the beginning, not after going without it for longer than normal. I thought that was just something that happened in fiction, to be honest. It was interesting to hear about this happening to someone in real life, especially as it apparently happens to Pollan every week as he tries to abstain every day except Saturday. Do you all experience caffeine as a jolt or rush? I’d love to hear about those experiences. I find that quite fascinating. For me, drinking a cup of coffee is no different than drinking a glass of water or a cup of orange juice. (Or a cup of decaf coffee, for that matter.)

Altogether, I’d say that this book was okay. Could’ve been better/more, but I did get something out of it.

Posted in 2020, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Wellness Wednesday – My Reasons

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Thistle

Back in 2009, when I began losing weight the first time, I didn’t have any solid reasons behind my attempt. I’d been trying to lose weight on and off for a decade at that point, since my tooth infections had started causing giant gains and losses at random moments. Before that, I’d grown up in a household that put a lot of emphasis on body weight/size/shape, not in positive ways. I’d never not been trying to improve my body in one way or another.

After a year of mostly-fruitless attempts to lose, I suddenly had a very specific motivator and reason to reach toward my goal: shame. My body-shame was so great that it even infiltrated my dreams. I wanted so badly to be able to blend in again, to be invisible or not at my own will, to look like myself again. Just existing felt humiliating from minute to minute. Shame is most definitely not the best reason to lose weight, mental-health-wise, but it was a potent motivator. And I was honest about my reasons up front, even when people protested that I should be doing this for my health or to be there for my kids or whatever. (Even while losing weight, people will complain that you’re doing it wrong, that’s how ridiculous our fat-bias is!)

Fast forward to now. I still have moments of body-shame. I’ll probably always have them. The first time I was pressed to be concerned about my body fat was when I was about four or five years old, and that continued at home, at school, in society, etc – even though I grew up as an underweight, undersized child with a massively distorted personal reality. Time and therapy and hard work can only take you so far, and this is where I am now: body-shame still taunts, and I fight every moment of it. I don’t hide anymore. I run in front of other people even if they think I look ridiculous. I post pictures that don’t hide my size. I wear clothes that don’t render me invisible. Yes, I still want to lose weight and I’m actively working toward that goal, but shame is no longer my reason.

I want to lose weight because my body gets in the way.

It sucks when the size of your belly or chest means that you can’t tie your shoes without holding your breath. Shaving is difficult. Scrubbing a bathtub is difficult. Clipping your toenails is hard. The seatbelt buckle digs into your hip. Random body parts go numb when you sleep or sit in the same position for too long. These are all things that get better as you lose weight.

(2011 – able to actually help with manual labor)

Beyond just simple space or contortion moments, my body prevents me from doing as much as I like. I can’t run as many errands or do as many chores, because I get tired out and have to rest more often. When we were moving, I couldn’t lift as many boxes and I couldn’t paint as long and I had to take frequent breaks while steaming carpets or scrubbing walls. I can’t stand having these limitations. I’ve worked my butt off to get fitter, stronger, and more flexible over the last few years, but regardless of all that, I still carry 75 lbs more than a person at a normal body weight. And anyone carrying a 75-lb weight on their body will tire faster than someone who isn’t.

I want to lose weight because my current weight is killing my messed up feet.

I was born with crooked feet that were corrected with casts when I was an infant. To this day, I still have a ton of problems with them, and those problems translate upwards to ankles, knees, hips, back, and neck. Physics are physics – the more weight on my feet, the more pressure they have to bear, and the more prone they are to injuries. It’s not just my feet, either – that’s just the extra bit for me. My size affects so much in my body. My big chest gives me back and neck pain. Sleep positions cause problems with shoulders and neck. I get nerve pain like sciatica from the pressure of my weight. These things can only be alleviated by weight loss.

(2014 – thrift store finds are the best)

I want to lose weight because plus-size bras are awful.

Seriously. Can’t any company get it right?? Torrid bras are stiff and irritating, Lane Bryant bras have no support, online bras are hit-or-miss and way too expensive to take those chances. The last time I found a PS bra I liked, part of its front-clasp exploded apart one day while I was sitting in public, even though there was no strain on it. That damn bra had cost me $75! And speaking of costs, what is it about plus-size clothes being twice as expensive as other clothes? It’s just another way we tax and shame fat folks. I don’t really care if I’m ever super skinny. I just want to be out of plus-sized clothes again. I want to be able to shop in normal stores and pay normal amounts of money and to actually find stuff my size at thrift stores.

I want to lose weight so that I don’t have to worry about weight or size restrictions.

Do you know what happens if sit on a lawn chair without checking the weight limits first? It’s not fun. I’m thankful to have not experienced this myself, but the cost of this small mercy is that I’m hyper-conscious of weight restrictions. I have this cruise coming up in May, and once again, I’m going to have to choose shore excursions only after checking weight limitations. Back in 2012, Jason and I took our first cruise, and in Costa Rica, we did a zip line tour over the rain forest. That time, my weight was under any restriction for any excursion on that trip. I didn’t have to worry about it at all. Now, I do. I have to worry all the time – weight restrictions, size restrictions, space restrictions. Can I ask for a booth at a restaurant? Do their tables move or will I have to wriggle into place and have the table shove up under my ribs? Will I fit into an airline seat, and will I be able to buckle the seatbelt without an extender? Can I squeeze into a bathroom stall built so poorly that the door opens inwards and gets stopped against a toilet, or will I have to use a handicap stall? Can I get into my car if the car in the next parking spot is parked too close or will I have to climb in from the passenger side? It is not fun to worry about this crap all the time.

(2012 – zip-lining in Costa Rica)

I want to lose weight so that my doctors will leave me alone.

(2020 – I’m FINE, thank you!)

Blood pressure: normal. Blood sugar: normal. Cholesterol: mostly normal, and the same as it was when I was thin. Heart rate: normal. Oxygen levels: normal. Thyroid: normal. Hormones: normal. Diet: healthy. Fitness: above average. And yet, my doctors treat me as if I’m on the cusp of dying, or like I’m lying about what I eat and how much I work out, or like I’m a hypochondriac with all my symptoms. My PCP keeps trying to get me to take Metformin even though my blood sugar, A1C, and insulin are all NORMAL. Just because I’m fat. Other doctors think that if I “just lost weight,” my other symptoms would magically disappear, even if those symptoms appeared when I was thin. And it’s not just doctors – dentists treat me like I’m bound to have crappy mouth health when I’m like the only person in the world who has never had a cavity and who flosses daily. Gym employees treat me like I’m a great target to prey on, or like they can’t believe I would possibly want to exercise. Fitness instructors ask me if I’m sure I’m up to their class before ever seeing my abilities. I even had one health professional, on hearing that I was doing walk/run intervals, say, “You’re not ready to run yet.” Like WTF, dude? How would you know?

This is all part of fat-bias in our culture, and it drives me insane. Fat does not equal unhealthy or unfit. And frankly, I don’t think this should have to be one of my weight loss motivators. In an ideal world, I wouldn’t have to worry about my doctors treating me differently because of my size. But it’s not an ideal world, and I don’t have access to weight-neutral doctors or other health-care professionals. And one of the things I despise most of all about being fat is the constant need to reassure people who are taking care of you that you’re working on losing weight.

So there you go. My top five reasons for losing weight that have nothing to do with getting healthy or getting thin/pretty/socially-acceptable.

Posted in Wellness | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Race Report: Chocoholic Frolic 5K

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Thistle

The Chocoholic Frolic is the first 5K I’ve participated in since the Elf Run 5K back in early December. To be honest, I was hoping to be at least halfway through Couch to 5K before getting to this particular race. Ha. Ha ha ha. Ha. So…I got to the end of Week 2 of C25K at the end of January…and haven’t done any outdoor running since. And I’ve only done indoor running twice since then. The weather and my schedule haven’t cooperated. So I went into this 5K without too much in the way of running practice. Hey, why not, right?

(hoodies the night before)

Complications: On the morning of the 5K, three things happened. 1) The weather was extremely humid and muggy, and in that in-between temperature where it might be too cold for short sleeves but too warm for anything longer. 2) My body decided it was time to remind me that I’m female. 3) Stephanie wasn’t able to make the 5K due to a combination of factors.

I’ll be honest – when Jason and I arrived at the start location (Morgan’s Wonderland), I was in two minds. Part of me really wanted to push hard and beat December’s 5K time of 51:45, and maybe-just-maybe get under 50 mins (a feat that I’ve never accomplished at my current weight). The other part of me knew that my body, the weather, and my lack of training were all going against me, and thought I should try to just enjoy myself. Honestly, until I crossed the starting line, I wasn’t sure what would happen.

(before the start)

I began running. Slowly. While Jason walked beside me. And I kept running for five minutes. Then I walked for three, and ran for another five. My pace was so slow – probably around a 14-min mile in the running sections – but I felt okay. Midway through the second mile, there was a giant hill. I did NOT run during the incline. But otherwise, I kept up the 5-3 intervals through most of the 5K. All totaled, I ran just under 30 mins of the 5K, and Jason and I crossed the finish line at 46:21!!! Not only did I beat my previous time and my maybe-just-maybe goal of 50 mins, I SMASHED any previous time I’ve ever managed at this current weight. This feels amazing!!

(medals)

Here’s what I learned during this 5K. I haven’t been able to do a lot of run-training over the last couple months. Since January 30th, I’ve run indoors (a very different exercise) twice and not at all outside. On the other hand, I’ve walked and hiked 35 miles in the 3.5 weeks since my last run. Some of those hikes have been intensive and challenging and strength-building. And clearly, all my non-running training in the last two months have vastly improved both my strength and my endurance. The improvement is clearly visible: I weighed the same at both of my last two 5Ks, and in December, it was my legs that held me back, far before my lungs or heart could protest. In this latest 5K, my legs were fine, and it was my lungs and heart that stopped me at the end of each run. It’s only a matter of time before I can go further and faster.

This race was awesome, and not just on a personal level. Morgan’s Wonderland is a fun place to run. The volunteers handed out water and M&Ms along the course. (I declined M&Ms. I didn’t think that would work on my stomach!) Everyone got a finisher’s medal, and it was easy to check our times, pace, and places. (Note: I came in 522nd of 725 folks, 359th of the 519 females, and 94th of 142 in my age group. I couldn’t give Jason’s stats. His chip didn’t register his actual start time so it says he finished a minute after me, going based on clock time instead.) There was also a large area filled with various kinds of chocolate and candy for the runners. There were bananas there at one point, too, but we didn’t get there in time. Which is sad, because the ONLY time I enjoy bananas is right after a big run like this! I had to settle for squeezy applesauce instead. And Oreos, of course. Heh. (Note: I did not eat any giant marshmallows. Yuck.)

I don’t know if this particular 5K benefitted any, or if it was purely a for-profit run. Hopefully, some of the proceeds will go toward Morgan’s Wonderland or associated charities. But either way, the cost was totally worth what we got out of the event, and I’m happy to cross off my first Running Bingo category (chocolate/sweets). Now to go find my next event to run…

More photos and slow-running-video available on my Instagram.

Posted in Wellness | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Sunday Coffee – Howl’s Moving Castle

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Thistle

I love Howl’s Moving Castle. I read the book for the first time in 2012, after years of trying and not getting beyond a few pages. (Thank you, audiobook and Jenny Sterlin, for bringing me this story, and thank you Karen for continuing to insist on me trying again and again!) After the first read, I became obsessed. Obsessed = a dozen reads in a row, plus multiple reads of the sequels, plus other DWJ books, plus watching the movie version. If I had to choose between book and movie, I’d definitely go with the book version in terms of best. In my experience, whichever you see/read first tends to be the one you like better with this story. Either way, both are awesome as long as you don’t expect them to be the same. I love them both.

Which means I was really excited that Alamo Drafthouse was going to be showing Howl’s Moving Castle on screen in a pajama cereal party. That is as awesome as it sounds – you wear your pajamas and there’s an all-you-can-eat cereal buffet laid out for everyone. My friend Stephanie is also a huge fan of Howl – she saw the movie first, and would definitely go with the movie version in terms of best – so I got tickets for both of us to go together. The viewing was yesterday afternoon.

So…both of us forgot entirely about the pajamas-and-cereal portion of the show. Heh. We actually got together early so we could go collect our packets for the 5K we’re doing this morning. Then we got some iced coffee and hung out until movie time. While chatting over ice coffee, we discussed the dinners we were planning to get at Alamo Drafthouse (one of those dinner-and-movie places). I got myself all psyched up for fries, because fries are one of my biggest addictions ever. And after I was thinking about fries, cereal just didn’t sound all that good. Heh.

It’s silly to go to a pj-and-cereal party without pjs or cereal, but that we did! We sadly also missed the little build-your-own-Calcifer craft table (boo!). But other than that, we had an awesome time. It’s been awhile since I saw the movie and there were little things I’d forgotten completely. Plus I’d never seen it on a large screen, so it was a whole new experience. Stephanie first saw it in theatre when she was quite young, so this was a bit of a nostalgia trip for her as well. It was awesome!

Sadly, I forgot to get pictures of us at any point during our afternoon out. I’m sure to get some at the 5K today, though. Which speaking of, I need to end this post so I can get ready to go! Happy Sunday, y’all!

Posted in Book Talk | Tagged , | 10 Comments

Cold Brew the Easy Way

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Thistle

Once upon a time – aka the fall of 2015 – I began to make my own cold brew iced coffee. I love iced coffee, and I’d found a recipe from Pioneer Woman that talked about how to make your own cold brew in large batches that would keep for some time. And she was right – it really is the best cold brew ever, an amazing recipe that I highly recommend. However, the recipe took a large amount of time, some giant equipment, quite a lot of cheese cloth for straining, and sometimes two people to have enough hands. Perhaps I’m just not as coordinated as the Pioneer Woman! In any case, I eventually discovered that the cost of the beans plus cheese cloth was roughly the same as getting pre-made cold brew in 1.5-liter bottles from the store. It definitely required less work to buy bottles, and less storage room for the giant mixing bowls that held several gallons of liquid each. The only major drawbacks of buying my cold brew was the plastic waste and the fact that I couldn’t get it decaf (as I’d been making it, since I tended to drink it in the afternoons).

(the first time I made cold brew, with baby Gavroche getting in on my attempt to photograph it!)

I’ve been doing a lot of research on coffee and caffeine these last few weeks. Since coffee is a suspect in my current health issues, I’m trying to determine exactly where the problem lies: in the caffeine, in the quantity, in the hot/cold factor, etc. During my research, I came across an article that talked about the differences between hot coffee and cold brew coffee. The article was great and had a lot of information in it that, with other research, will form the basis for some personal experiments. But that’s not the subject of this post. This post is about cold brew. The other thing this particular awesome article gave me was a quick, easy, effective way to make small batches of cold brew without all the hassle, cost, and mess of my old recipe. It’s simple:

(iced coffee in the garden, April 2019)

Measure your coffee into a glass jar, pour water over, stir, leave it overnight, and then pour through a coffee filter the next day. Even easier if you have a french press: measure your coffee into the press, pour water over, stir, leave it (plunger up) overnight, then push the plunger down to pour auto-filtered cold brew coffee the next day. And hey, since I prefer my pour-over to french press for hot coffee, the press just sits around doing nothing unless I’m making coffee for multiple peeps…might as well put it to use, eh?

I tried this out for the first time two nights ago. When I make hot coffee in my french press, I use four scoops (roughly 7 grams each) for the whole pot. That gives it the perfect concentration for me. (Every person has their own recipe for the right coffee ratios!) Since four scoops worked for hot coffee, I did the same for the cold brew: three regular and one decaf. I left the pot overnight in my fridge, sifted with the press-plunger, poured out perfectly-concentrated cold brew directly onto ice with some cream to top it off.

It was perfect. No plastic waste, much cheaper than buying, and tastes delicious. Now my biggest challenge will be not to drink the entire press of cold brew each day! Did I mention that I love iced coffee?

Posted in Personal | Tagged , | Leave a comment