Month: May 2003

Terry and I ran outside yesterday because it was so beautiful outside. Well, it was kind of overcast, but it was cool! Probably in the high 70s, low 80s. It won’t be like this for much longer, so we thought we’d take advantage of it. We ran on the track at the base, which was cool for me because I’d never run on a proper 1/4 mile track before. I knew it would be more difficult to run outside after running on a treadmill for so long, and boy, was it. I could barely run 1.5 miles without needing to walk. Sheesh. So I’ll definitely be doing some more running outside. All long runs – outside, for sure.

I think I’ll probably be going to Dallas without George this weekend. I emailed Kristie to see if she wanted to go with me. We used to go on all sorts of road trips in college. Austin, Houston, the beach…this could be our last chance for a girly road trip for a long time! But even if she doesn’t or can’t go, it’ll be good to have some thinking time. Plus, George got the Hobbit on CD for his birthday, and I could finally “read” it. (Because I know I’ll probably never read it otherwise.)

Brief workout last night. One last chance to lose 40 pounds before my 10 year reunion. Ha! Didn’t work. Not after a mile on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the bike (while reading InStyle) and 15 minutes of strength training. Ah well, I did what I could…

Am very excited, couldn’t sleep last night.

Last night Terry and Ross and Raul and I went shopping instead of working out. Well, I needed a shirt for the reunion… They convinced me to buy a shirt I’d never have bought on my own, hmmmm. My god, I think I’m turning into an airhead. I really am intelligent, sheesh. All I talk about here is working out and shopping. I suppose this isn’t really the forum for deep thoughts, anyway. Plus, I think my brain is turning to mush. I need to pick up a non-fiction book soon. A biography. A historical biography. A very serious historical biography. Political would be best. Or maybe I should brush up on my calculus. Or physics. Maybe some of the people at the reunion will rub off on me. The doctors, scientists, and lawyers.

Okay, so onto a less happy subject…today is the fifth anniversary of my father’s death. Funny that it was on the eve of my five year high school reunion. Obviously didn’t make that one. I really miss him still. It surprises me that I still dream about him, I still cry sometimes, I still can’t really believe that I’ll never see him again. Sigh. It’s really going to suck when I get married. Talk about rubbing it in. No dad to walk me down the aisle, no dad to dance with. I’ll have to borrow an uncle.

What a start to my fundraising…got another $50 yesterday from Terry’s boss. Unbelievable! Today I am bringing the letters to the TNT office so they’ll get mailed. Hopefully I’ll start getting money in next week. I’m also getting a gift certificate to the Pelican Club, the restaurant George took me to for my birthday. Terry’s company (Where magazine) is donating it for the silent auction. Who knew? This is all terribly exciting.

Went to the Navy gym with Terry yesterday. Started off for a few minutes on the elliptical trainer because all of the treadmills were taken. But then some people finished on the treadmills and I did 30 minutes, 2.5 miles on the treadmill. With hills. I hope the real training starts soon. I would like to see what my training program is going to look like.

Update: Yay! I just got my first donation! $20 from a girl in the office, and I wasn’t even trying!

Worked out on elliptical trainer for thirty minutes yesterday with Terry. Then did some arm stuff. Blah, blah blah, nothing exciting to report. I’m waiting, waiting, waiting for the people from TNT to contact me again about mailing my letters. About our kickoff meeting. It’s really hard to get started when I have no information from them. Sigh. I have 75 letters ready to be mailed. Ready to start my fundraising. In two weeks, my article will be in the Algiers Point newspaper. I have a PO Box. I’m going to give out letters at the reunion this weekend. I am so ready! But I can’t afford the postage on 75 letters, and they’re supposed to send out the first hundred for us. I’ll email them. But I think I’ve already been annoying, so I’m not sure if I should. As it is, I’m going to go to the next meeting and they’re going to say, “Oh, so you’re Pam,” and I will be embarrassed because I can say things in an email that sound all authoritative and demanding, but in person, I get all shy and nonconfrontational.

Exciting news about reunion…we’re going on Friday after work instead of Saturday morning. Can’t wait to see everyone! I need to get film. Will have to take a ton of pictures.

Pretty relaxing weekend. Except for the first half of Saturday.

Worked out after work on Friday, 2.5 miles on the treadmill, and then arms. After that, went to party at George’s school. Good food, at least. Met some of the people he works with. Then we went to the pub for a birthday party. But the person who the party was for wasn’t there. He’s in California. Everyone had to dress like him – cowboy hat and suit. Well, it looks better on David than it sounds. I don’t have a (men’s) suit or cowboy hat, so I got a thrift store suit coat and a borrowed cowboy hat for the picture. I stayed for a little while, but then had to leave because I had to get up early on Saturday for a haircut in Baton Rouge. Some pictures from the party:

Saturday morning, got up too early for a Saturday and drove to Baton Rouge to get a haircut with Catherine. Asked her to donate something for the silent auction, she said okay. Yay! Then went back to New Orleans, ran some errands, then went to the gym in Metairie. Ran five miles (in a bit over an hour because I walked to warm up at the beginning and cooldown at the end, and, okay, a bit in the middle) on the treadmill and then did some weights. Went to Walmart. Went home. Crashed. Went to George’s, watched a movie, worked on the music for the reunion which is next weekend.

Sunday went and saw “Down with Love” alone. Liked it. Ewan, grrrrrrr! Yum. Didn’t do much else the rest of the day.

Can’t wait until next weekend!

Went to the gym yesterday after work. Did not-quite two miles on the treadmill in 25 minutes. Well, I ran the first mile, then walked the second, but on “hills” on the treadmill. Increased the incline by .5% every thirty seconds. Was quite difficult, really, at 4-5.5%. But DC isn’t flat, so I’m going to have to get my hills in somehow. Now I just have to try running them.

Today I’m planning on attempting five miles. No hills or anything. I know I can do five miles, it’s more like can I take the treadmill for that long? Especially since I don’t have a radio or anything. Just the closed-captioning on the TVs to keep me occupied. Maybe I need to get a magazine before I go. That might make it more bearable.

Am getting a haircut tomorrow morning in Baton Rouge. I can’t believe I’ll make a 150 mile round trip to get a haircut.

Didn’t work out yesterday, as planned. Went home, cooked dinner for George. Got very sweaty and dirty in the process, much like workiing out. I made steaks in the new cast iron skillet I got him. Which is why my house smelled like fried grease the other night. I had to bake the pan in the oven for an hour after covering it with Crisco. Lovely.

After dinner, we went to the pub, where Robert and Terry and a bunch of their friends were. Was fun, Polly and Colin were there, Lindsay was working, we had cake, it was chocolate, yummy yummy yummy.

I came to the realization today (okay, actually, I realized it a long time ago, but now I’m panicking a little) that I’m hopelessly addicted to sugar. This is not good. It’s no wonder my teeth have been rotting out of my head, and it must be at least part of the reason why I can’t seem to lose any more weight. I know I could do something like Sugarbusters, but honestly, I’d rather die. Of course, that is just the addiction talking. Ha ha! So here is how my day usually begins:

Bagel (sometimes whole wheat, sometimes plain – isn’t white flour the same as sugar?) with either jam (sugar!) or cinnamon-sugar (sugar!) and orange juice (sugar!) and coffee with sweetened creamer (sugar!) and sugar (sugar!)

Ack. And my addiction to chocolate (sugar!) is well-documented. The only things I can say in my defense are that a) I drink Diet Coke and b) I chew sugarfree gum. The answer to all of this is definitely not this sugarfree chocolate I see in the stores. Ew. That is a travesty, unless you’re a diabetic, in which case, hey, it’s better than nothing. Which brings up my foremost fear – that eating all this sugar is going to cause me to become diabetic. Is this an old-wive’s tale, or does it really happen? I don’t know.

Maybe I should start off by having non-sweet breakfasts. I think that might help. I just crave sweet when I wake up. Unless I’m in a Denny’s or IHOP, I rarely feel like having a savory breakfast. But maybe I should start forcing myself. Something easy. Even if it’s just toast with a bit of butter. It’s hard for me to not put the jam on it. And I will stop with the sweetened creamer (actually, already have) and will have to bite the bullet and start putting artificial sweeteners in my coffee. I can do this…I can do this…

Note: If anyone seriously suggests I do Sugarbusters, I will bite.