Month: November 2022

Ouch, but yay!

Well, I still feel a bit like I have the incomings of a cold, and my muscles are still achey all over, but we got our shopping all handled this afternoon and I passed my test with flying colors this morning. We started at eight and finished almost exactly at noon. Some stuff was a touch harder than I’d anticipated, just for my tiredness and soreness here and there differently so than usual, and other things went much more smoothly than I’d anticipated. For my katas, our instructed regularly shared how she “doesn’t give twenties” on the scoring of them (points are between five, ten, fifteen, and twenty, and she always writes in an eighteen of you do a really good job, which I usually do for my katas). And yet, somehow, today, I got not one but three twenties out of my six katas (the other three were 18s, as usual, of course). Now that was cool and unexpected. Thank you, God, for my effective performance there this morning.

Post-a-day 2022

Body

Still not feeling great tonight. I slept around eight and a half hours last night, before the squirrels woke me*. I awoke feeling much improved, but it still wasn’t enough. I had soup today, and other healthy food, with only a few bites of not-super-healthy stuff. I exercised at midday, then attempted my 1.5-mile run for the karate test this Saturday, which I failed. It had to be under 13 minutes, and I did it in 13:15, and felt like I might actually throw up the cheese stick I’d just eaten. It was so cold when I started, I felt I’d get such without and outer layer of good warmth. That flannel shirt and scarf and gloves proved to be my downfall (on top of the cheese, that is), making me too hot with it on normally, and then being heavy and still-hot when I’d taken them off and just tied them around my waist. I was also still tired as a whole, but extra worn down from the workout at midday (which, by the way, was practically the Murph workout, with a mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, and another mile run. We only did 800m runs, instead of the mile on each end, but we added a 400m in the middle, and split the three movements in half on either side of it, doing 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, and 150 air squats twice, once on either side of the 400m run. Not an easy workout, even with modifications.). So, it makes sense. I’ll just do it again tomorrow, but normally and much better than today’s run. I don’t typically feel like vomiting when I run, yet I felt that way most of the run this afternoon, and I just felt heavy.

And, tonight, I still feel a bit sick. I was coughing up the occasional bits of icky bogey-like saliva earlier, which supports the ill feelings. So, at that, I go to sleep now. Thank you, and goodnight.

* You see, we have this wooden picnic table squirrel feeder that my man keeps moving around. The past couple days, it has happened to be atop this metal shelf thing outside. So, of course, as the squirrels climb the thing, the bars all jiggle against one another, making the sound of metal pipes bumping each other. Then, once the guys are on top, they then messily spill corn etc. all onto the metal shelf thing, and the lands not just the once on top, but regularly tumbles down to the bottom level or the ground, tinkling all the way on the metal… over and over and over again. Not the greatest to have next to one’s window at six in the morning, I tell you.

Soup

I made a paleo/Whole30 chilli on Sunday evening, and then ate it yesterday and today. (I froze the majority of it, as my man is still on his juice cleanse he wanted, and he even stops day away from me, so he could have two three-day cleanses, instead of one five-day. [Recall that he wanted carbs for the 10k Sunday morning, so we ate food Saturday night and on Sunday, then he resumed the juice cleanse Monday.]) And, golly, is it good! I had never made chilli before, and was totally nervous I would make a pot of mediocre soupy stuff that I can’t stand for more than a few bites. Instead, I ended up with a vat of one of the best chillis I’ve ever had. Gratitude, God! Yay! Thank you, Heavems, for giving me a good recipe and for helping me actually do well in a super complex recipe. The more steps and ingredients they have, usually, the more likely I am to make it turn meh. So, this was a wonderful surprise.

The not-wonderful surprise was the massive trail of ants that attacked the cornbread when I’d left it (covered) on the counter yesterday for a couple hours. It was kind of terrible. Plus, we lost the cornbread… and I only get Jiffy cornbread when we want that down-home southern feeling, which we did for this meal. With its being so cold and wintery right now, that was exactly the feeling we’d wanted. And I’d left out the cornbread so that I could pack it up and freeze it after I’d had lunch. So much for that idea… :/ Anyway, the chilli is now frozen and waiting patiently for my man, and that’s a positive.

Oh, and I’ve had soup yesterday and today both. I think I’ve been fighting off a virus or cold, as I’ve been absolutely exhausted – couldn’t even do almost anything Monday. This evening, I started getting a headache after I’d napped, and then started getting progressively colder at karate class. I ended up going home after we realized that everyone else found it on the warmer side there, and they were actually sweating. Likely that I was building a bit of a fever there. They told me to go home and eat some soup. Little did they know that I’ve basically been doing that the past two days already. 😛

Nonetheless, I need to be ready for the cold, outdoor test Saturday morning, so I need to heal up and eat well (in addition to preparing for the actual test, which includes performing a weapon kata that I haven’t quite yet created…). At that, I bid you a good and blessed and rest-filled night!

Post-a-day 2022

10k

Do our run, get an event shirt that’s retail value is only one dollar less than your entry fee. Eat some bananas and RX Bars and churros after the finish line. Do our free yoga class afterward to stretch yourself out, and take the $88 mat you used home for free.

Not bad, lululemon. Not bad at all for your first effort at a run in Houston. We accept ad we thank you for the event.

P.S. My man got himself the fastest time he’s ever gotten on a 10k today, and he didn’t even prep. He signed up late, did a two-mile run earlier this week, and hoped for the best in his shorts, tank top, light sweater thing, and gloves in the sudden near-freezing temperatures. And he did his best, quite literally. Super proud of him, and grateful to have him be with me in this beautiful, wonderful, awe-inspiring life.

Post-a-day 2022

Cold

Usually, by morning, the ice in my YETI tumbler – no lid – is long gone, with only a hint of cold to the water still in it. Sometimes, when I go to bed earlier, the water is barely cool by morning. Today, however, even with the heat on in the house, as I am going to bed at nearly 11pm, there is still a huge chunk of ice sitting in my tumbler from last night… clearly, it has gotten cold here.

I whipped out my ski pants and winter coat and wool beret and SmartWool socks – and I even tested those in my tennis shoes – to wear tomorrow morning for this run. My man is running in it, and I am volunteering for it. I am so glad I had the karate thing at the park this morning, so I was clear on what was warm enough and what wasn’t. (Three layers of pants was okay, as were three layers on top, including a casual winter coat. The warmer socks were nowhere near enough. The cotton knit beanie made all the difference.) So, I think I’m ready for the weather tomorrow, which will be even colder than it was today – today was 41/5, but tomorrow morning is forecasted as 39/4 degrees. Since I’ll be doing a lot of standing around outside, possibly even in the wind, I think the winter costa Ms ski pants are a good move. My man, however, might not have the right gear for his run… the plan at present is for him to wear high socks and a warm top and gloves, plus a pair of sweatpants that he’ll pass off to me just before he starts off… We certainly shall see how that goes, shan’t we? 😛

Say a prayer for us, if you don’t mind, please. Keep us safe and appropriately warm, God. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

Holy Mary, Mother of God

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Tonight just feels like the right kind of night to pray… just to pray.

Oh, my love and my life, God, may your will be done. Help us to pursue your will fully, and grant us the courage, purpose, grace, and ease to fulfill it. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2022

P.S. Happy Veterans’ Day, and thank you to all who have given themselves in service to the safety and livelihoods of others.

Juice Cleanse

“How are you feeling today?
I’m feeling dreadful. My stomach hurts, I off and on feel like I might vomit, and my body is miserable.
Talk about detox.”

We have been eating loads of junk we don’t usually eat, mostly because of the season – candy (Halloween), pumpkin pie (Fall), eggnog (almost Winter), pizza (because we get it at Costco, where we get the pumpkin pie), and chocolate milk (because we’re already drinking the eggnog, which is dairy!). So, we determined that a juice cleanse was in order. And we started it today. And I have never had such a struggle with a juice cleanse in my life as I had today. Goodness, I felt dreadful. And I also was freezing all day long… and I might have actually had a fever… :/ Like I said, it was rough today.

Post-a-day 2022