Sometimes Life Sucks

Yep, that's true.

Just when you think you've started doing things right, getting your shit together, exercising and eating better, you're thinking positively  . . . something comes along and knocks you down. Sometimes it's just a little nudge and other times it's like a huge horse came along and kicked you right in the head. You think you'll never get up. But don't give up! You'll be ok. Fight through whatever it is. Know that you have the power to push through. We are all strong.

Things like the excessive heat and humidity can take their toll too. We've had quite a few very hot runs lately. We've done well. Remembered our water. Cut our pace down a bit. Cut our distance on Sunday even. It was just too hot. A couple of tips for summer exercising: drink some extra water the day before and then hydrate again after you work out. During your workout don't drink too much that you end up with cramps. On the hot runs, I usually pour most of my water over my head and down my back/chest to cool myself off. Drink little mouthfuls only.

Kids are another stress factor during the summer. Out of school and back at home all day. You've got to find things for them to do, keep them active and cool at the same time. Playdates with other parents & kids is probably a good idea - a picnic in the park, a trip to a park with a river to play at the edge, throw rocks, find minnows and crayfish. Occasionally you need a complete break. Switch off with another parent - they take your kids one time, then you take theirs another day.  Or a "movie afternoon". Set the kids up with a movie and popcorn and a drink. Hey you could even have them make pretend tickets and money like a real theatre. I admire you mothers/parents who stay home all day with your kids! I'm not sure I could do it lol. Sometimes when I come home to mine the irritation starts immediately . . . maybe it's because they are teenagers and "should" be able to take care of themselves!

Eating, I find, is hard sometimes. You just run out of ideas! Or it's hot and you don't want to cook. Or you don't have the groceries in the house. Ugh! I do this all the time. It's actually easier to have the groceries and make up containers of already cut veggies and fruit to snack on. Yesterday I had company for lunch and it was so hot. I had no idea what we were going to have. I ended up grabbing a tray of veggies and some chicken breasts. BBQ'd the breasts with salt & pepper, garlic powder, oregano and a little bit of olive oil. Made a garden salad and potato salad. That was lunch. Even my kids raved.

MY kids are 19 & 16 yrs old and they are 100% capable of looking after themselves. But they don't!  I come home and they ask what's to eat, I'm starving, didn't eat today, nothing in the house, etc, etc. I tell them all the options they had all day and they look at me like I'm crazy . . . it's sooo much woorrkkk mom! Or oh wow, I didn't even think about that, I don't think about putting things together like that . . . blah blah blah.

It goes like this - open the fridge, take a look at all the food you have and just start putting things that you feel like eating on a plate. Then eat it! It doesn't have to be your standard "meals" or sandwiches or other stuff you buy from restaurants. It is supposed to be food. And that's what's in your house. Drop it on a plate, in a bowl, sautee it up in a pan and start eating! The worst thing that happens is you hate it and don't put that combination together or you LOVE it and make it again. I have a co-worker who "lovingly" calls my throw-together lunches "slop". lol.

This was such an all-over-the-place post but I'm at work and just felt the urge to post. I think that is what happened to me this year. All my emails from the past year were mostly composed at work and now that business is improving and we've picked up here, I'm not able to put so much time into it.  :-(  Too bad because I think we're all missing out! I know I miss it. But I'll try.

Have a good rest of your day everyone. I should really get back to work. Everyone is all over the place in the summer and I am out of town for my annual men's baseball tournament from Thursday to Sunday night. "My boys" weekend. Heeheee - I'm excited!   So enjoy your week and weekend and maybe I'll be back to post next week!

P.S. It's IRONMAN WEEKEND - GOOD LUCK CATHY!!!  You'll do AMAZING!