Jack Sprat…

I’m sure that many of you have heard the following…

Jack Sprat could eat no fat.

His wife could eat no lean.

And so between them both, you see,

They licked the platter clean!

We have two dogs that are under our responsibility.  Old geriatric dog of mine and dad’s little middle aged new favorite daughter.  Mine is battling the war with old age and Brixi is making her prognosis of dead with cancer by December 2008 look like a joke.

I’ve been excited lately as Baxter is months since his last episode of explosive poohs and has actually been putting on a few pounds since he’s keeping his food inside of him a little bit better.  (Not great, he still leaves pooh in inappropriate places if you’re not paying attention, but at least they’re not splatter paint-like in effect.)  He was so bony for a while there it was like looking at skeleton dog, so I’m glad to see less of his ribs and more of his butt.

Brixi on the other hand is growing with leaps and bounds… around her middle.  She is a rolly polly jolly old gal and we’ve taken to calling her Fatty Patty.

I can’t help laugh at our odd couple.  Both on special diets.  One has his movement a bit restricted for the benefit of his hips and the other is now on an exercise regimen with the hopes she’ll trim down enough to fit in the RV for dad’s trip to Alaska in a few months.

He’s decided that as is she would be like having an extra person in the vehicle and that is just TOO many.

I’m too fat to ride a mule in the Grand Canyon and Brixi is too fat to ride in the RV.  We’ll both be amping up our workouts this spring.

It’s a good thing this is all funny or it would all be sad.

Says me.

The moments in between…

I’ve been able to travel more than usual in recent months.  This past year has had me on a plane enough to use and earn a round trip with frequent flier miles in addition to trips up north to Lutsen to ski.

I’m a VERY fortunate individual when it comes to getting around.

I think there are a lot of people in the world that work really hard and get to live in the spaces in between.  For me, it often seems that I’m living all the time and just working in the spaces in between.  Whether or not that is the best answer remains to be seen, but I’ll take it and appreciate it.

At the beginning of the month our family had the chance to hike into the Grand Canyon via the Kiabab trail, spend the night at the Phantom Ranch and then to hike back out again on the Bright Angel trail.  I had never been there before and always had it on my list of things to see, so I went.  I cannot believe how little you hear about the Grand Canyon.

When we arrived at the rim the day prior to our hike I was struck silent by the view.  It is really hard to keep perspective of how large it really is.  From the south to north rim where we were standing spanned over 9 miles across.   That distance makes a helicopter in the middle of it look like a dragon fly.

Trying to put my head around the fact that I was going to walk to the bottom and then back out again just left me feeling slow and overwhelmed.  I found myself standing at the edge just trying to imagine how far down it goes…

You have NO idea how far down it goes.   Hell, I was standing there and I had NO idea how far down it went.

While trying to cheerlead myself into a good head space about the hike ahead of me I heard the most amazing thing…  laughter…. like bells on a breeze.  It brought a HUGE smile to my face so I had to turn around to see where it was coming from and ended up meeting the eye of a woman with bright eyes and a huge grin.

While still laughing she said to me, “Isn’t it just the most amazing thing?”

Yup… it is.  Anything that can shut me up and bring a grown woman to spontaneously laugh like that must be pretty stinking amazing…

and it was.

It was amazing to see the different levels in the rock and dirt, it was amazing to see the trail maintenance teams that walk 2 hours to get to work, often up hill, it was amazing to see the vistas, to see how extensive the trails are, to watch the mules so patiently look at each others butts for hours on end, to realize that the base of the canyon is lush and growing, how much the Colorado river looks like hot chocolate…

it’s amazing how after more than 15 miles of hiking and avoiding mule poop, it all the sudden is the only way to keep your traction on the ice at the top of the Bright Angel trail.

More amazing is the thought of ever putting on those shoes again.  Whew!  My feet looked like hamburger after I was done hiking.

I should have done some more research about what we were going to actually be doing before I went; however, I’m guessing that I might not have gone then, and would have missed how amazing it was.  I have a few little blips about the hiking we did that might give you an idea…

The way down we did the South Kaibab Trail:

Brief Description:	A ridge-following trail that offers spectacular views while decending. Best for decending due to no water along the trail.
Length (approx):	5.62 miles
Starting Elevation:	7188.00 feet
Ending Elevation:	2694.00 feet
Elevation Change:	4494 feet
Average Grade:	21.00%
Trail Head Location:	Yaqui Point
Trail End:	At the River Trail

Then you still have to hike to where you’re going to stay, either the campground or the Ranch… tak on another few miles…

It was gorgeous down there.  We really took our time heading down and spent about 7 or 8 hours on the trail.  We kept stopping to just look at the view, chat with a few people, ponder what the heck we were doing.

The Grand Canyon really jars your perception of where you fit in the grand scheme of things.  It’s a reality check no matter who you are.

To get back out we hiked a couple of miles to the Bright Angel trail head and here’s some info about our ascent.

Brief Description:	This drainage following trail persues an ancient Havasupi Indian route. Camping (permit required), water, and shade at Indian Gardens, 4.5 miles below the rim.
Length (approx):	9.70 miles
Starting Elevation:	6782.00 feet
Ending Elevation:	2519.00 feet
Elevation Change:	4263 feet
Average Grade:	14.00%
Trail Head Location:	North of the Kaibab Lodge and West of the Bright Angel Lodge. Look for stone the burro corral.
Trail End:	Bright Angel Campground

So, how much is 4494 feet of elevation?  Well, a mile is 5280 feet.   We left at about 7am that morning and I made it out in just over 9 hours.  I hiked for 9 hours people.  That still baffles me.

We hiked  over 19 miles in 2 days into a hole nearly a mile deep and back out again.  We are NUTS!

Dad says that we now having ‘bragging rights’ and that about sums it up for me.  I know what I’m capable of.  I can hike… a really long way… at steep grades.  I was not the fast one out there… or even in the middle of the pack… but I did it and that is enough.

I’m not sure if what changed for me in there could be considered scarring or just growth, but either way the Grand Canyon is really something you should try to see if you get the chance.

I’d like to start taking vacations with my family that are NOT based on a dare.  I know it was a whopper when dad called me last week and while giggling asked me, “Hey… do you remember when we went to the Grand Canyon?”…. “Doesn’t that seem like ages ago?”

Um…

No, dad… it doesn’t.  I still have bug bite marks all over my legs and my blisters are still crazy gaping holes in my feet… but I’m glad we had fun.

Says me.

Venison sticks… circa 2005…

The other day I saw some venison sticks in the freezer wrapped up in butcher paper and thought to myself…

“Oooh!  Now there’s a treat!”

Today I went to pull a few out since Fred was having a bloody mary and there is nothing like having a full meal in your cocktail.  Pickle, olives, meat stick, the works.

I re-read the stamped on description to confirm, yes, they were tasty venison sticks and then the horror… a second stamp saying November, 2005.

But they are tasty venison sticks!!

We ate them anyway, so if later either of us collapse to the floor, start vomiting uncontrollably or make a mad dash for the bathroom; that is why…

venison sticks circa 2005.

I’m in Arizona.

Again.

It’s warm with gorgeous blue skies.

I’m with my family.

I’m going to see stuff I’ve never seen when we go to the Grand Canyon in 8 hours.

All in all, I’d say things are really good for me.

This pretending I’m retired mentality RULES!

S.

Vintage Ski Movies…

Recently the hold that I have had on Netflix let loose and I got a bunch of movies that I had forgotten were in my list.

Oddly enough, they were all vintage ski movies.  I’m not sure if that is the correct terminology for movies made in the 60’s through the 80s, but regardless…

I have been watching these movies in fits and bursts.  Initially it was just too weird to see 80’s and 90’s hero’s on straight sticks tumbling down hills and calling it good (I must admit that the day glow one piece suits didn’t help with my attention span), but then I popped in a movie called, “The last of the Ski Bums” from 1967 and discovered heaven.

These movies have great music, epic snow footage, some kind of Monkee’s madness montage stuck in and occasionally matching outfits.  The ski bum movie is narrated by a guy with a keen sense of humor and the acting barely counts.

As the early 60s movies turn to late 60s/early 70s movies you get things like t-shirt contests that would make your mom blush and guys who in their 20s look like they are in their 40s. (See K2’s promo video, The Performers for 30 minutes of sheer nonsense.)

These classics are a must view for any skier needing something to refresh the season for them and to add a good laugh.

Happy viewing!

Says me.

Holiday Greeting without the Card.

So here we are a year later and it’s once again time for the deluge of holiday greetings.

I still love getting and reading them.   Here is my tree friendly cost effective contribution.

This year I went to Arizona, my dad went to Arizona, Matt went to Arizona, Matt and I came back, the whole family went to Mexico, some of the family skied a lot, part of the family went to Alaska, grandma went back to North Dakota,  I grew tomatoes, and then the whole family ate them.  I went to Arizona again, then grandma did and then then dad.  Dad and I both came back.  Only dad is sorry.

I worked, Matt worked, MacKenzie tried not to work and dad blatantly avoided work.

My dog barked, dad’s dog did not bark, both dogs are dying and we are all kind of sad about it.

Matt bought a house, dad helped him destroy it, I steered clear.  Matt and dad tried to put the house back together, I, yet again, steered clear.  MacKenzie put up with the mess.

I bought a new used car, Matt bought a new used car, dad continues to shop for a new used car, Fred would like a new used car and thankfully, MacKenzie is still too  young to drive.  He appears to be content with video game systems.  (Whew.)

He dressed up as Stephen Corbert for Halloween.  You start to worry about him growing up too fast when that is his idea of a great Halloween.

Dad turned 60.  He did grow up too fast.  Nearly everyone showed up to celebrate and mock him and we all ate too much and drank just enough.

Grandma came for Christmas and is most likely regretting it.  (Wouldn’t you?  It’s frakkin cold out!!!)

I’m dating, Matt’s dating, dad is weirded out by dating and MacKenzie is still not thinking about dating.  (Again… whew.)

I like that Fred guy.  I think I’m going to continue on with that dating thing a while longer.

So my wrap up of 2008?

Well, I had hoped that it would bring positive change when it came to mourning my mother.  I can now pretty confidently say, nope.

Still stinks.

Still don’t like it.

Still missing her in huge ways that make me feel like I’m choking.

We all still well up while speaking of her.  We all still have a million things we wish we could share with her, ask her, show her , experience with her.

We are just now starting to admit how wrecked we are without her, so maybe it will be better in 2009.

It would appear to me that we are starting to move forward again in life.  Starting to look forward, instead of just trying to breathe.

I would say that we are making progress.

We are healthy.  We are together.  We’re building our lives for ourselves.  We are heading in the right direction…

I hope.

S.

Baby it’s cold outside…

and for some reason, everyone is freaking the heck out.

Not me.  Minnesota is cold, but has not been HUGELY cold for more than a few days a year for the majority of my adult life.  This is one of those cold days, and this too will pass.

Rather than complaining, maybe we can all start using these days as an excuse to give ourselves permission to stay in for a day/night.  Cuddle under a down throw with the loved one of their choice, or by ourselves to just get centered.

I went out to a meeting, nearly rear ended a neighbor, and then had a laugh with her about it rather than getting snitty.   I’m glad I slid into the next lane next to her in a semi-controlled fashion, rolled down the window and said while laughing, “Appears to be a little icy.”   It gave us the chance to laugh about something that could have been horrible and relieved the adrenaline that was rushing through me. I REALLY did not want to rear end my neighbor.

After the meeting I came home and worked out.   Now bear in mind I wasn’t working out to get fit, I just am too cheap to put the heat over 63 degrees and I was aiming for natural warm up.

Tis the season for long underwear.  I’m personally a fan of both polypropalene and silk long underwear.  Silk doesn’t bulk up under clothes and the poly is just so dang warm.

I’ve taken out the smart wool socks and am wearing them religiously.

I’m drinking hot tea and eating apples like they are going out of fashion.

I’m cuddling with the dog, as Fred is gone and the dog is toasty.  (Fred generally smells better… don’t nark me out to Baxter for saying so.)

I’m enjoying blue skies and sunshine.

I’m not going to complain about our cold snap.

Have you found an excuse to hibernate today?

Says me.

S.

Freaking the Heck Out Gauge.

I’m not always aware that I am on the brink of freaking the heck out.  It seems like I should see it coming, or be somehow conscious of it’s buildup.  Others can plainly see it apparently.

I, however,  remain in the dark til it’s too late and I need to apologize.

I want a gauge that shows the level of Freaking the Heck Out buildup so that I can monitor it’s daily progress and adjust accordingly.  I want to prevent blowing up and being utterly surprised that I’m at that point.  I want to have a heads up that I’m walking on thin ice emotionally.

I want a system that will show me where I’m at, and maybe offer suggestions of what to do to lower the level.  I’d like to check it 3 times a day to see if I should be avoiding touchy situations for fear of my responding at a level not proportionate to the conversation.

If I were to suffer from high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels there would medication, or change in diet and exercise.  There are tests to show what your levels are so you’re aware if you need to go buy more Cheerios, or take an aspirin.  My father has this amazing doodad that checks his blood pressure via his wrist in about 5 seconds… and tracks his levels on a chart so he knows how it compares to the last time he sat down and crossed his heart for science.  Diabetics know when to drink juice from an ever shrinking finger stabber.

Is there a Freaking the Heck Out -ometer?  I’m thinking not.

But there should be.

A meter that would help me avoid getting completely yelling upset at my dad for offering advice on how to do my job.  I’m nearly thirtyf…. cough… I’m over 30 and I still have not figured out how to keep him from digging under my skin until I want to run to the furthest reaches of the universe to be rid of him.  I love my dad.  He’s loving, fun and brilliant and sometimes totally unaware that he is offering advice that is unneeded, unappreciated and at times condescending.  It’s not a new thing.  You’d think I’d have adjusted by now.  Nope.  I lost it in the car last night and needed a 20 minute time out before I could hit my next appointment with a clear head.

Was my response to his insensitive response warranted?

Um… yeah.. that would be a resounding NO.

I had reached the level of Freaking the Heck Out before I even knew I was heading that way.

Last Friday I had a conversation with someone I care about who had a legitimate question about something I had communicated to him.  I freaked the heck out within minutes.

Really.

You techno geeks out there… please get on this.  I’m not sure how long people are going to keep accepting my apologies for being stretched too thin again… or still… or always.

Says me.

Sarah

Sugar update…. I am thankful for….

I survived Thanksgiving.

I didn’t miss anything.

I didn’t feel like I was denying myself anything.

I had minor sugar consumption… and I mean MINOR.

Better yet, it wasn’t a focus of the day.

While I’m not sure that sugar is really the culprit of my inflammation, it’s worth the experiment just to find out that it’s easy to manage a big meal situation without going over board… and without feeling like I was having to miss out on the meal or a treat… or a reward.

I passed on the pie, and didn’t obsess about the decision.

I miss the sugar, but I’m grateful for more mindful eating.  So I guess there’s that.

So far so good.

S.

Interesting information about water.

So on this renewed quest to see if I can modify my lifestyle to feel better I came upon a website called SparkPeople.com.  Some guy had a web business kind of like e-bay, who bought him out.  As his own personal quest to help people have healthier lifestyles he has poured some million plus dollars of his new-found wealth into this online program.

I’m looking into it because it’s free and Weight Watchers, who does a similar online program, is around $30 a month.  I’ve had success with Weight Watchers, I’ve had issues with paying for it.  This guy’s thinking is right up my alley… and my pocketbook.

So as I’m reading some of their articles and information I stumble across an article that talked about a study that came to the conclusion that over 30% of people have a really weak sense of thirst, and often mistake it for hunger.

I don’t drink much other than coffee… some tea… some water with meals.  I’m guessing about 5 cups a day total liquids, but much of what I consume has caffeine in it …and caffeine is a diuretic, so it’s leaving me quickly.  I’m hungry… well… all the time.

So I keep reading to find out that if your body is not getting enough water, it retains the water it does get.  It even went so far as to say where you retain it.

I retain water like a camel… in places they mentioned.

So… it is possible that not only am I eating because I think I’m hungry when I’m actually thirsty, but I’m retaining water because I’m dehydrated, not because of inflammation.

Very interesting stuff.  I feel like an idiot for not knowing this sooner.  I thought I was a pretty informed person when it came to diet and general health.  I’ve heard a million times that dieters should drink lots of water, I never heard a good reason why… or at least a good reason why never stuck with me.  It was just a rule that was out there.

While this may seem like I’m just posting yet again about my current health obsession, really this particular post is more of a vent.

I’m just now learning that it is possible that I have been fat for the last 14 years largely in part because I have been dehydrated for the last 14 years.

Bear in mind that I have also been battling this bulge for over 14 years… fighting my weight and eating habits for most of my life.  I have been kicking myself for not being able to manage this part of my life when so many of the other parts are well in check.

This has been a MAJOR issue in my life for nearly ALL of my life.

Talk about rude awakenings.  I’m going to drink my stupid 8 cups of water for the rest of my sugar month to see if it’s true and if it is I might just have to lay on the floor screaming and kicking my feet in frustration.

It is quite possible an IDIOT… although currently a well hydrated one.

Says me.

S.