Back in the Saddle

After a week of battling some pesky vertigo, I am back at work, back to studying, back in the saddle.  I definitely ate last week, though not all of it as healthy as I'd like.  I managed to eat veggies and fruit... as well as pizza and cookies.  But I wasn't feeling well and wanted some comfort food.  Now I'm in the home stretch with school... it's finals week!  I can't wait for Thursday evening to roll around so I can be done!

I am so ready for the break this summer.  I need to get my body back!  It's been a semester with little vigorous exercise and eating on the go.  I've gained a few pounds, and worse, I'm totally out of shape.  I'd like to run again.  The problem is the heat is coming, which means running in the evening is hot, hard and can be dangerous!  Perhaps I can work in a morning run a few mornings a week and then on the weekend, along with some toning exercises in the evenings and maybe even some yoga. 

Speaking of toning, this weekend, we spent with family and my parents brought up some old stuff I had left in their house after I flew the nest... including an ab slider!  It's one of those contraptions that has handles and a wheel and you glide out and in on the floor, holding your balance and working your abs.  Kendall and I each tried it out a little, and we started to feel the burn.  I'll let you know how that goes!

In the summer, Kendall and I try to walk in the evenings, but we've noticed that even the 90* weather here is hard on Maple.  Her breed has a shorter snout and therefore cannot take the heat due to respiratory issues, so we have to be careful.  I'm sure we'll figure something out.

Summer heat also means a no-cook kitchen.  When it gets really hot, turning on the stove in the evening is a big no-no.  Not only does it heat up the room, which feels miserable, it also fights against our A/C, which works very, very hard in the summer.  Not so eco-friendly.  To top it off, how much warm food do you want to eat when it's 100*+ outside?  Summer means lots of quick salads, slaws, chilled soups and sandwiches.  Couscous becomes a bit of a godsend because I can warm up the water in the microwave and then pour it over the grain, letting it sit for five minutes before serving, usually with room-temp or chilled beans and veggies.  So I'm on the hunt for some great no-cook, meatless foods to have this summer.

Lots of studying and work to do.  I have photos from a fabulous BBQ this weekend... will post later!