hope to see you there.

red grapes and black grapes are not the same thing. those are black grapes. and they are spectacular.

after two slices of pizza for my late lunch, i still wasn’t really hungry at dinner. enter, a smoothie. the consistency of it wasn’t very impressive; it was too runny for me. but it tasted great.

• cup of unsweetened almond milk
• no-sugar-added chocolate carnation breakfast essentials
• < tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 banana
• 3 ice cubes (i think a few more, and a frozen banana, would have fixed the consistency)
• 1/8 tsp guar & xanthan gum
• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• wheat germ on top for some texture

i am off to shower, after looking over some more biology throughout tonight (and this morning before work). i don’t want to get burnt out studying before classes start. but i figure, if i’m interested, and having a good time, i might as well try to milk it for all its worth.  ;-)

sea turtle protection area, for the little ones to hatch

biggest maple syrup ever

grilled cheese + ketchup! suggested by the other resident vegetarian. tasted like a mozzarella stick!

modeling for a fudge photo shoot! a legitimate, random, photo shoot.

found biscoff on the ride home

we had to head out on friday so the owner could board up for hurricane irene.  but my car was leaving friday anyway, so i didn’t miss out on anything.

somewhat boring eats today

• oatmeal with banana and whole foods peanut butter
• frozen black beans, rice, and cheese
• hormel vegetarian chili with bread & butter and romaine lettuce leaves

i still haven’t unpacked

but…!
the lame eats tonight and small pile of leftover clothes are being deemed acceptable.

i. am. studying! i wouldn’t say i’m “going back to school,” but i did sign up for two classes. dietetic foundations and biology i for science majors. i’m a little apprehensive about biology, but i’m going to insist on happy-thoughts-only.

complete with school supplies (!!!),

tea for studying,

and the first season of friends during blogging to unwind, make sure i stay mellow, and don’t freak out about taking classes.

i’m excited.  i’m trying not to get too crazy planning and over-thinking, but it’s good to feel in-motion, toward whatever it might be.  :-)

i stayed at my parents’ house last night. we watched many episodes of big bang theory. i went to bed after finding out “tornado warning” didn’t necessarily mean the terrifying things i thought. i slept like a rock from about 11pm to 7:45. i woke up to hear the ceiling fan still whirring, meaning we did not lose electricity.  i’m at my computer, following the current path and feeling a little bit connected.  2 million houses have so far…

two people near me lost power around 8:00 last night. my brother had a huge tree fall in his front yard, which missed my nephew’s room by inches. we are so lucky right now.

my parents lowered the pool last night, so it hasn’t overflowed yet.

they just set to work drying out the basement. there isn’t a solid coat of water yet, but they’ll vacuum throughout the day to try to stay with it as the water table gets settled.

right now, i’m going to make some instant espresso, from the hurricane kit i brought to my parents’ house.  the kit also included books and jenga.  big bang episodes were already here.  my parents had what we actually needed for emergency.

maybe make a couple of eggs. watch the weather channel. and keep everyone in my thoughts and prayers until we find out that irene is on her way out. i hope everyone is doing alright.

random photo for the morning: a comic my dad found that i taped to his door. we’re pretty cute together.  my door got a comic about how much i love alex trebek (which, i assure you, is incorrect).

i still have a little bit to share from topsail island, but that will come later.

the following sandwich was a breakfast sandwich: grilled peanut butter & banana, with a belgian nutella & a cookie spread.

everyone went back in the water, including some on surfboards.

xbox360 kinect games were played long into the night. this included a dancing game, which i refused to play for 2 nights, and then completely loved and played for hours.  this went un-photographed.

more luna pops. a second trip was made today.  2 trips totaling 7 popsicles for me. pretty excited.

i was pretty enamored with amazing things on a walk on the beach. i stood under a pier and watched the water break for a while, and i found some amazing surfers just on the other side.

we just came back from our one restaurant dinner during the week, and i was just presented with a second glass of wine. happy wednesday.

we got 4 bunches of bananas, and they were gone in perhaps 2 days.

MINI tour of the house:

breakfast eats were brought from home, and pretty simple: oat bran, cocoa powder, peanut butter, and banana. made more delicious eaten by the window looking at the ocean.

this photo would lead you to believe the weather was anything but 800 degrees already at 9:00 am. really, brian is just sweating away in his hoodie to try to protect his sunburnt right arm.

simple lunchtime salads, too… a small head of romaine with sharp cheddar cheese, a grillers original veggie burger, and light balsamic vinegar

luna pops! i raved about these popsicles because of emily’s trip to topsail last summer. they didn’t disappoint.

i had a sea salt caramel pop while sitting in the store, and a strawberry rhubarb one in the 40 seconds it lasted on the beach before it melted all over my arm. the caramel was my favorite. and a brown sugar walnut is hopefully in my near future.

this is just before we had popsicle juice all over ourselves.

i have to go now. i have a lot to do. things like napping and laying on the beach, taking a walk, eating more popsicles, and doing a little reading.

i went the first few hours without coffee, thinking maybe i could nap.  silly me.

i found a canon rebel t2i twin!  benn and oz just bought this camera recently, but oz took photography in college, and is an art teacher, so i was asking her for some explanations during our road trip.

what trip is complete without seeing a statue of liberty…?

we took a route that included the chesapeake bay bridge-tunnel, which i remember being terrified of 6 years ago.  this time, it was fun and pretty.  i thought it was a mile of bridge & a mile of tunnel, repeated 6 times.  i don’t know how i made that up.  we stopped in the middle for a bathroom break, and i didn’t hyperventilate once.  :p

subway for lunch, of course.  we’re out of wawa country, so it was the best option along the road.  we almost gave in and turned around for a pizza hut.

everyone threw everything inside and immediately ran into the ocean.

this is actually where we’re staying.  on the beach.  for a week.  way too incredible.

our first night included a birthday celebration for brian…

and a unicorn, proudly exhibited to everyone.

all rounded out with some snes and mario brothers.

twenty-second history: i grew up more-than-chubby.  i lost 40 pounds in high school.  i gained 50 pounds in college.  i lost it again.  i joined weight watchers because i always struggle when i have fewer pounds to lose.

twenty-second current…sy: some days i have good food days.  some days i have bad food days.  my favorite days are the ones where i don’t think about counting components of the food i’m eating, but enjoy it, enjoy my time with it, enjoy myself, and enjoy the people i’m with.  i’ve not stayed at the specific healthy weight i was looking for.  i’ve reached it once or twice, but always struggle with the same issues and watch my weight go back up.

i don’t mind if my body is happier with a couple extra pounds, but i mind the constant fluctuation.  and i mind not feeling my best.  i know when those few pounds come on, it’s after i’ve spent a week eating poorly, and probably not enjoying.

so i’ve had a few of those less-than-positive bouts recently, small ones, with no great effect on me.  but i wanted to feel good and good about myself before vacation.

vacation: saturday morning, i will be heading to topsail island, north carolina, with 15 of my closest friends!!  or, a great handful of my closest friends, and their large group of friends.  i cannot wait for this trip.

it’s hurricane season, and someone won’t be able to come along with me because the plans were all made several months ago… but there are a lot of Disney movies tagging along if we get stuck inside, and there better be some cell phone reception to alleviate the other downfall.  let me please repeat, though, i can’t wait.  :-)

~~~
i’m falling short on the food and exercise plan, but i’m not going to let myself feel like it’s the end of the world.  since i’m not planning on out-of-control eating on vacation (like i’ve done in the past), it’s ok.  it will find a balance.

it was still a good meal plan…

breakfast: 30 grams oats, 3/4 cup water, big scoop of pure pumpkin, 1/2 banana, cottage cheese, & flax seeds.

apple or cherries or pear

lunch: romaine & iceberg lettuce, feta cheese, tomatoes, light red kidney beans, mango salsa, olive oil, balsamic vinegar

wheat toast with peanut butter

dinner: this one was more free-form, but probably with a protein, a whole wheat wrap, a lot of veggies, and some laughing cow cheese wedges.

~~~
i like the basic idea because i got a good protein & grain in every meal, and wrapped the whole thing around fruits & vegetables.

i don’t know how this goal slips form my mind sometimes.  ummm, eat the food groups?  done.  :p

dinner didn’t quite pan out, since i had foods i wanted to use before i left…  like vegetarian sausage stromboli from the boy scouts.

and tofu, which i used for a “TLT” (tofu, lettuce, and tomato)… a very poor substitute for the bacon my parents were eating, but still pretty good.

breakfasts didn’t yet finish up the pumpkin and cottage cheese, but only because i had so many delicious cherries to eat.

the lunch salads also went on to be simplified, and include shredded sharp cheddar cheese i found at my parents’ house during lunch.  it turned out even better than i had thought.

~~~
i’m all packed (one day early), and it’s time for bed.  i will not get stressed out over packing.  final things go in the bag tomorrow, and then i get to spend the whole night chilling out, being excited, and curling up…  good night!

Truthfully, the love is always there. But for some reason, it took me all summer to spring for them at the store. And then I couldn’t stop springing for them.

My favorite breakfast during last week was a pot of nonfat Greek yogurt, a packet of Truvia, a serving of fiber one original, and as many cherries as would fit in two handfuls.

And then I ran out of Greek yogurt, and realized I should work on the rest of the food in my kitchen instead of buying more.

~ ~ ~
Inspired by Ashley’s recipe (which I’m making her way this morning), I made a bowl of cherry vanilla almond oatmeal.

 Ingredients:

• 30 grams rolled oats [somewhere around 1/3 cup. i like to measure by weight, and that changes the liquid ratio.]
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup no-sugar added organic soymilk [any milk]
• 1 tsp vanilla extract; dash almond extract [a really small dash.  mine was still a little bit much and made it taste off.]
• 1 tsp Splenda [or any sweetener, or none, to taste]
• gigantic cup of halved and pitted cherries

 Steps:

• combine oats, water, soymilk, extracts, and sweetener to taste.
• microwave on 50% power for 3 minutes. standard instructions ,which work perfectly for a full bowl of regular oatmeal, call for 5 minutes.
• half and pit cherries while oatmeal is cooking, to save time during 15 minute morning break.  i really don’t mind this – take a knife around the middle of all the cherries [and a plastic butter knife at work was perfect.], twist them apart, and pop out the pit with your thumb nail.  only one stained finger.

this allows for chewing & reading time at work.

i made some hodge-podge burritos… turnips, tofu, onion, laughing cow cheese wedges, taco seasoning, and a big flat tortilla.  not out-of-this-world, but they taste pretty good for a monday night.

i settled in to watch ER season 1 just as i heard something rumbling in the distance.  there’s something interest about not having cable.  i don’t know that i’m watching much less tv (it’s definitely reduced).  but i need to consciously decide what i want to watch. dare i say it, mindfully watching tv…?  haha.  this was not what i was thinking about during meditation (which i also did yesterday), but it’s still interesteing.

i settled in with a mug of pero (a la kath), with some sweetened condensed milk (a la ree), followed up by a little bowl of cherries.

i tried to decide what would make me feel cozy and at home, while reading about andie and a cake mailed in from her mama. i decided on my favorite blanket and my mala.

i actively chose not to post, in favor of getting lost in others’ blogs for the night.  it made me feel connected.  :-)

and i survived beautifully for a monday night!  like the brave little toaster i am.