working out for Disney

[Sans Souci]

I wouldn't want to go now, either. When this all started, I thought it might be over after a month or 2 and things would be back to normal by Summer vacation. The kids have 2 weeks left of school and most things ARE open here, but there's still the distancing and there are still some requirements. Our numbers are really low, but still, we won't be doing anything big for vacation I don't think. I had originally wanted to go to the Bavaria region of Germany (Füssen) and to Saltzburg, Austria. We went to Germany 2 years ago and just kind of traveled through, and it was wonderful. We spontaneously decided to go to Bavaria to the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, and we were able to book a room at this inn with a view of the castles. The kids were both enthralled and were so sad we had to leave because we could only get the room for one night. So we promised we'd come back and take longer to visit the whole area because there are more castles and some museums, and it's not that far from Saltzburg where The Sound of Music takes place, which my daughter really wants to see. So I thought we'd make that trip this summer, but now I don't think it's a good idea. Germany still has stricter restrictions than we do, though Austria is maybe a little more relaxed than we are, and I'm not sure how hard it would be to find restaurants, etc. Most places require reservations and have limited seating. The BEST restaurant in the town we stayed in is already difficult to get into because it's so good...with a reduced capacity, it might not be available. Next year, I want to visit Wyoming and go to Yellowstone and a bunch of other historic sites like Independence Rock and Fort Laramie and the Oregon Trail Wagon ruts. Disney just isn't in the cards for a few more years yet. But after this year of hunkering down and isolating, I really want a bigger vacation next Summer. We had on our news a few weeks ago that there should be a vaccine available around November. There's a hospital in Nijmegen I think that was doing human trials and it was showing positive results and they said it should be available within 5-6 months, and at that time I calculated that as October/November. So that would be good. Maybe we could even make a trip to Germany for the fall break, or spring break next year.

I could do a Disney vacation without the parades or fireworks as we don't really watch those much anyway, but I'd miss the park hopping. A refuses to set foot in AK, and for the rest of us, it's our least favorite park and we don't like to spend a bunch of time there, but E and my husband would want to do FOP, and I'd want to do Kali River so we'd need to be able to hop to a different park afterwards. It's just not going to happen for us for a few years. Have you done weekends away at all, just the two of you? We haven't done a whole vacation without the kids, but we've gone on a few weekends...we went to Aachen, Germany for our anniversary last year, and we went somewhere a few years ago....I don't even remember where now....maybe Den Bosch? And we did go to Paris for a few days when the kids were little because my best friend was there and as we're so close, I couldn't just not go see her. I can't imagine not going anywhere without the kids for 18 years! I hope you get to do something!

That trip to Germany sounds lovely. My husband would probably like to travel with you guys when you come here. He always wants to visit National Parks and historic sites! He watched some Ken Burns/PBS doc about the National Parks and now he wants to go driving out west. It looks so beautiful. I really don't like car trips. When I was a baby, my mom would drive me around to get me to sleep and I now fall asleep if I am in the car longer than 30 minutes and I am not driving. My husband yells at me when I do it. I swear, I can't help it!

Does your son not like WDW or just AK? AK is really humid and close whenever I go. I love it, but all the vegetation makes it feel so muggy to me.

My husband reminded me we have gone on two one night trips since our son was born. One was to Chicago for the Taste of Chicago and the other was this Hyatt in one of the Chicago suburbs that used to be part "Hamburger University" for McDonald's. It is located in nature preserve and has lots of paths and is close to many dining options. We just took a lot of walks in the preserve and kept it low key.

I feel kind of guilty about traveling right now. I don't want to make the situation worse, but people need to pay rent/mortgages and eat. Our hotel room can be cancelled without penalty and we're driving down, so we lose nothing if we don't feel safe traveling. We're not going until the end of September, so I am hoping it won't be too crowded by then. They had some sort of deal going, so we bit knowing we could cancel if things go belly up.

 

[Sans Souci]

Hello-

Checking in with 30 minutes of barre and then a walk. I went out early for my walk, since it's supposed to be 96. I think we're going to try dining out tonight. I am looking for something that is mostly cotton to wear tonight. The website said they are following guidelines set forth by the state--the tables are at least 6 ft apart, you have to wait in your car after checking in and masks are required. We were going to go to a crab house/bar the other day, but when pulled up, it was like pre-covid. People were packed in the outdoor areas and people were standing around mingling with each other without masks on. We got back in the car and left. I'm not trying to be a drama queen, but this virus is not a binary thing. Yes, you survive or you don't, but you can survive and spend the rest of your life with chronic fatigue syndrome, lung damage, kidney damage. Your life can be seriously altered by this crud. Or you can survive and shake it off, but nobody knows how the dice are going to land for you.

Anyway, happy Friday!

 

[Songbird76]

That trip to Germany sounds lovely. My husband would probably like to travel with you guys when you come here. He always wants to visit National Parks and historic sites! He watched some Ken Burns/PBS doc about the National Parks and now he wants to go driving out west. It looks so beautiful. I really don't like car trips. When I was a baby, my mom would drive me around to get me to sleep and I now fall asleep if I am in the car longer than 30 minutes and I am not driving. My husband yells at me when I do it. I swear, I can't help it!

Does your son not like WDW or just AK? AK is really humid and close whenever I go. I love it, but all the vegetation makes it feel so muggy to me.

My husband reminded me we have gone on two one night trips since our son was born. One was to Chicago for the Taste of Chicago and the other was this Hyatt in one of the Chicago suburbs that used to be part "Hamburger University" for McDonald's. It is located in nature preserve and has lots of paths and is close to many dining options. We just took a lot of walks in the preserve and kept it low key.

I feel kind of guilty about traveling right now. I don't want to make the situation worse, but people need to pay rent/mortgages and eat. Our hotel room can be cancelled without penalty and we're driving down, so we lose nothing if we don't feel safe traveling. We're not going until the end of September, so I am hoping it won't be too crowded by then. They had some sort of deal going, so we bit knowing we could cancel if things go belly up.

I'd say you're about due for a vacation!! And by September, I hope things are better.

Has your husband ever been to Yellowstone/Wyoming? There's soooo much to see. I'm lucky that I've seen so much because my mom was really interested in it and made sure we did lots of educational stuff growing up. We went to Washakie's grave, Independence Rock, Fort Bridger, Fort Fetterman, Fort Casper, Fort Laramie, the Wagon Ruts, and we were only an hour and a half from Devils Tower so we went there pretty much every year, usually en route to Mount Rushmore. We also went up to Montana a few times to the battlefield where Custer was killed. We went to Yellowstone a few times...I actually don't even remember all the places mom took us. I remember going to a geology museum, I think at the University, to see glowing rocks. And I know we went to a lot of forts and historic sites, and we went to the State Fair every year and went to the Pioneering museum a couple of times while we were there. If your husband is into nature and/or history, you can't do a whole lot better.... Yellowstone, the Bighorn Mountains, Sybille canyon, the hot springs at Thermopolis or Saratoga. I always fall asleep in the car, too because I always had to sit in the back because my brother had long legs, so my mother let him sit in the front, even though I got car sick. I had to take dramamine for the road trips, but it knocked me out. My husband doesn't mind though.

A likes Disney in general, but just won't set foot in AK. We have never had a good experience at AK, so he refuses to go back. He likes Disney, passively, but he's not really missing it like E and I do. There are some things he really enjoys, like Test Track, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin, but he's just as happy to sit in the room at the resort and play on the computer. He chose to do that several times on our last vacation instead of going to the parks. I think the parks overwhelm him and while he enjoys specific things, once he's done them, he'd rather be on the computer. But our first ever AK day, we did Kali River rapids because it was SOOOO hot that day, and it was really muggy, but he got a little wet...just a few spots, but he HATES that. Even one drop on his pants and he wants to change clothes because it's uncomfortable. Then it started storming that day and all the outdoor stuff was closed, and we had already done the FotLK and Nemo, so we went to It's Tough to be a Bug, which scared him to death, and he had to be taken out, screaming. Then it was pouring rain, and still storming, so everything was still closed, but we had an ADR at Tuskerhouse. We were too early and they wouldn't let us check in, so we had to stand out in the rain since all the covered spots were taken, and by the time we got in, we were wet, and they had the AC cranked, so we were FREEZING, there was nothing any of us would eat....so we left cold, wet, and still hungry....we just gave up and went back to the resort. Then the last trip, we tried again, but not even 30 minutes in the park, E got heat exhaustion and we ended up sitting in Pizzafari for 4 hours trying to cool her down and get her headache and upset stomach to go away. So we just have really bad luck in that particular park and he's never had a good experience there. I wanted to take him to the petting zoo because he LOVES sheep, but after E's overheating, he wanted nothing to do with AK and had no patience for it. Not even enough to get him to go to the sheep, which is saying something.

 

[Sans Souci]

I'd say you're about due for a vacation!! And by September, I hope things are better.

Has your husband ever been to Yellowstone/Wyoming? There's soooo much to see. I'm lucky that I've seen so much because my mom was really interested in it and made sure we did lots of educational stuff growing up. We went to Washakie's grave, Independence Rock, Fort Bridger, Fort Fetterman, Fort Casper, Fort Laramie, the Wagon Ruts, and we were only an hour and a half from Devils Tower so we went there pretty much every year, usually en route to Mount Rushmore. We also went up to Montana a few times to the battlefield where Custer was killed. We went to Yellowstone a few times...I actually don't even remember all the places mom took us. I remember going to a geology museum, I think at the University, to see glowing rocks. And I know we went to a lot of forts and historic sites, and we went to the State Fair every year and went to the Pioneering museum a couple of times while we were there. If your husband is into nature and/or history, you can't do a whole lot better.... Yellowstone, the Bighorn Mountains, Sybille canyon, the hot springs at Thermopolis or Saratoga. I always fall asleep in the car, too because I always had to sit in the back because my brother had long legs, so my mother let him sit in the front, even though I got car sick. I had to take dramamine for the road trips, but it knocked me out. My husband doesn't mind though.

A likes Disney in general, but just won't set foot in AK. We have never had a good experience at AK, so he refuses to go back. He likes Disney, passively, but he's not really missing it like E and I do. There are some things he really enjoys, like Test Track, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin, but he's just as happy to sit in the room at the resort and play on the computer. He chose to do that several times on our last vacation instead of going to the parks. I think the parks overwhelm him and while he enjoys specific things, once he's done them, he'd rather be on the computer. But our first ever AK day, we did Kali River rapids because it was SOOOO hot that day, and it was really muggy, but he got a little wet...just a few spots, but he HATES that. Even one drop on his pants and he wants to change clothes because it's uncomfortable. Then it started storming that day and all the outdoor stuff was closed, and we had already done the FotLK and Nemo, so we went to It's Tough to be a Bug, which scared him to death, and he had to be taken out, screaming. Then it was pouring rain, and still storming, so everything was still closed, but we had an ADR at Tuskerhouse. We were too early and they wouldn't let us check in, so we had to stand out in the rain since all the covered spots were taken, and by the time we got in, we were wet, and they had the AC cranked, so we were FREEZING, there was nothing any of us would eat....so we left cold, wet, and still hungry....we just gave up and went back to the resort. Then the last trip, we tried again, but not even 30 minutes in the park, E got heat exhaustion and we ended up sitting in Pizzafari for 4 hours trying to cool her down and get her headache and upset stomach to go away. So we just have really bad luck in that particular park and he's never had a good experience there. I wanted to take him to the petting zoo because he LOVES sheep, but after E's overheating, he wanted nothing to do with AK and had no patience for it. Not even enough to get him to go to the sheep, which is saying something.

He really hasn't been out west. That's really fortunate that you lived near all of those parks and monuments got to see them. I think my husband would really like that. He always talks about taking the California Zephyr, because he loves those types of landscapes.

I think my husband gets bored and has nobody to talk to during long drives. My son falls asleep like I do, too, so he's on his own here and there.

My son is the same way about staying in the room on the computer! LOL That is what we've basically been doing with him for other trips. You don't want to go to the Air and Space Museum? Ok, we're going without you. Just make sure you text me back quickly, so I know you're OK. Obviously that works now because my son is older than yours, but we'd get frustrated when we paid for adult admission (at 10) to the parks and he wanted to spend all day on his laptop.

My son is the same way about water. When he was about five, he tipped over a glass of water on the table and he just lost it. I tried to dry his jeans with the dryer in the restroom, but I saw quickly that was a losing battle. I tried to get him to settle down and it wasn't happening. I asked the server for our food to go, settled the bill and waited in the car until our order was ready. At least he wasn't bothering anyone with his crying in the car.

I could see how it would be easy to overheat in AK, like I said earlier, it's a really muggy place in the summer. That didn't sound like fun for your daughter. Hopefully that was a one-off for her on your trip

 

[Sans Souci]

Happy Fourth of July!

Today I did a barre workout that was leg focused. It was fine. These workouts pack a lot in at 30 min.

We went out for dinner last night and even though it was in the 90s, it wasn't bad at all. It was breezy and they had fans going. I never turned into a sweaty mess. The only thing that bothered me was I am not sure the tables were 6 ft apart. Some seemed like they were maybe 3 ft apart, others were on top of each other. I feel like they were trying to see how many tables they could fit without getting into trouble. But honestly, it didn't look any different than other times I have dined there. I am hoping neither one of us gets sick.

After day, I am going back to better eating. Ugh. I was a little loose with my eating this week.

Take care, everyone

 

[Songbird76]

He really hasn't been out west. That's really fortunate that you lived near all of those parks and monuments got to see them. I think my husband would really like that. He always talks about taking the California Zephyr, because he loves those types of landscapes.

I think my husband gets bored and has nobody to talk to during long drives. My son falls asleep like I do, too, so he's on his own here and there.

My son is the same way about staying in the room on the computer! LOL That is what we've basically been doing with him for other trips. You don't want to go to the Air and Space Museum? Ok, we're going without you. Just make sure you text me back quickly, so I know you're OK. Obviously that works now because my son is older than yours, but we'd get frustrated when we paid for adult admission (at 10) to the parks and he wanted to spend all day on his laptop.

My son is the same way about water. When he was about five, he tipped over a glass of water on the table and he just lost it. I tried to dry his jeans with the dryer in the restroom, but I saw quickly that was a losing battle. I tried to get him to settle down and it wasn't happening. I asked the server for our food to go, settled the bill and waited in the car until our order was ready. At least he wasn't bothering anyone with his crying in the car.

I could see how it would be easy to overheat in AK, like I said earlier, it's a really muggy place in the summer. That didn't sound like fun for your daughter. Hopefully that was a one-off for her on your trip

Yep, we were careful the rest of the time to stay hydrated and to take regular breaks to cool down. And it sounds like our sons are a lot alike. But he's old enough now that as long as you leave some food for him, he's fine in the room. He has AC, food, and entertainment and bathroom access....he's good to go. So it's kind of a waste to buy tickets at those prices if he's not going to use them!

 

[Songbird76]

Happy Fourth of July!

Today I did a barre workout that was leg focused. It was fine. These workouts pack a lot in at 30 min.

We went out for dinner last night and even though it was in the 90s, it wasn't bad at all. It was breezy and they had fans going. I never turned into a sweaty mess. The only thing that bothered me was I am not sure the tables were 6 ft apart. Some seemed like they were maybe 3 ft apart, others were on top of each other. I feel like they were trying to see how many tables they could fit without getting into trouble. But honestly, it didn't look any different than other times I have dined there. I am hoping neither one of us gets sick.

After day, I am going back to better eating. Ugh. I was a little loose with my eating this week.

Take care, everyone

People here are really not distancing. We went into Arnhem for the first time today. They have a primark there, and that's about the only place I can get tshirts for A, who has grown a lot in the last few months and was in tears because all the tshirts that fit him were in the laundry the other day. So I needed to get him more. But while we were making sure we were 6 feet behind other people, they weren't doing the same. People right in back of us, or cutting right in front of you where you have to back up suddenly. I know our cases are going down majorly....we only had 78 new cases one day last week, and the next day was less than that and then they stopped doing daily reports and they will go to weekly. So I know we are headed in the right direction, so it was probably safe, but still. I was a bit miffed at the guy in the women's bathroom...I had to stand there for about 10 minutes waiting for the only stall in the women's bathroom and then when the door finally opened, it was a guy! I don't know if he just didn't see that it was a women's bathroom, or if he didn't want to wait, so he went into the womens or what. But given he was in there for about 15 minutes, it smelled really bad when I finally got in there. And they had no seat sanitizer, either! It was really gross! If I hadn't been in desperate need, I would have just left.

 

[Sans Souci]

People here are really not distancing. We went into Arnhem for the first time today. They have a primark there, and that's about the only place I can get tshirts for A, who has grown a lot in the last few months and was in tears because all the tshirts that fit him were in the laundry the other day. So I needed to get him more. But while we were making sure we were 6 feet behind other people, they weren't doing the same. People right in back of us, or cutting right in front of you where you have to back up suddenly. I know our cases are going down majorly....we only had 78 new cases one day last week, and the next day was less than that and then they stopped doing daily reports and they will go to weekly. So I know we are headed in the right direction, so it was probably safe, but still. I was a bit miffed at the guy in the women's bathroom...I had to stand there for about 10 minutes waiting for the only stall in the women's bathroom and then when the door finally opened, it was a guy! I don't know if he just didn't see that it was a women's bathroom, or if he didn't want to wait, so he went into the womens or what. But given he was in there for about 15 minutes, it smelled really bad when I finally got in there. And they had no seat sanitizer, either! It was really gross! If I hadn't been in desperate need, I would have just left.

That's good your cases are going down. At the risk of being called a drama queen, I am a little distraught and majorly frustrated about the lack of federal coordination to mitigate this virus.

That is so wrong about the dude who used the ladies' room. Maybe he was unwell? It's still not pleasant to deal with that sort of aftermath.

 

[Sans Souci]

Good morning-

Yesterday was a core workout and today was a lower body workout. These workouts are not exactly calorie burners, but I did something to my lower back a couple of weeks ago and I am trying to do things that won't aggravate it even more. It's a pain that is just to the left of my tail bone. I really don't want to go to a doctor right now and I definitely don't want to go to PT, either. Any other time, no problem.

We watched Hamilton this weekend. My husband has been wanting to see this for the longest time and I didn't. So, he finally got to watch it on the couch and I didn't have to deal with driving up to NYC and crowds. It was much cheaper than 2 tickets, too. Win-win-win.

I am going out for a walk soon, we have a heat advisory that starts at noon, so I want to get out before it's too unbearable. LOL

Have a good day, everyone.

 

[Songbird76]

That's good your cases are going down. At the risk of being called a drama queen, I am a little distraught and majorly frustrated about the lack of federal coordination to mitigate this virus.

That is so wrong about the dude who used the ladies' room. Maybe he was unwell? It's still not pleasant to deal with that sort of aftermath.

Well, the Dutch CDC has now indicated that they made a mistake in calculating cases or something and are expecting a 2nd wave. I guess we'll see.

It's entirely possible he was unwell....and that may explain why I'm having stomach issues today. If he had some stomach bug, I was definitely exposed to it. I wish they had had some sore of sanitizer in there!

 

[Songbird76]

Good morning-

Yesterday was a core workout and today was a lower body workout. These workouts are not exactly calorie burners, but I did something to my lower back a couple of weeks ago and I am trying to do things that won't aggravate it even more. It's a pain that is just to the left of my tail bone. I really don't want to go to a doctor right now and I definitely don't want to go to PT, either. Any other time, no problem.

We watched Hamilton this weekend. My husband has been wanting to see this for the longest time and I didn't. So, he finally got to watch it on the couch and I didn't have to deal with driving up to NYC and crowds. It was much cheaper than 2 tickets, too. Win-win-win.

I am going out for a walk soon, we have a heat advisory that starts at noon, so I want to get out before it's too unbearable. LOL

Have a good day, everyone.

I had been wanting to see Hamilton, but obviously it wouldn't have been performed over here. I watched it this weekend and to be honest, I was underwhelmed. With all the hype about how amazing it is, I guess I was expecting more. The costuming was amazing, but I really didn't like Eliza's voice, and the woman who played Maria Reynolds was just very slightly under the pitch the whole time and made me cringe. I do want to watch it again though to maybe follow it a bit better, since I didn't really know much about Alexander Hamilton's life in particular, and then I missed a large chunk when my husband came in and was asking for stuff for Dutch taxes and I was having to look through a bunch of paperwork instead of watching. Maybe I'll enjoy it more when I can follow it better. I also didn't feel like there was any melody....the lyrics were good, but I am not a fan of rap at all, and in a "musical", I want to be able to sing along. The more atonal approach doesn't speak to me. To each his own, but it is not destined to be a favorite of mine. I'm glad to have watched it for the historical aspect, though.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Just checking in...

I've been in a funk of late. Last week, I didn't work out once. Sure, I was on allergy and sinus meds most of the time because the grass pollen and dust in the air was wreaking havoc on my sinuses (yea...Saharan dust is nothing new to this area), but I have so many loose ends right now that are weighing on my mind. It's just pushing me into mental shutdown. I got some of this stuff squared away today and if I'm able to get my vehicle back today (been in the shop for almost 3 weeks) that will really help my mind. Texas is a hot spot (although, it's not like what the news is showing) and they are scaling back some of our reopening, but it doesn't have much of an impact on us...although there are a few things that are probably weighing me down. We don't go to bars, we'd previously decided to stick with outside dining after reassessing our enjoyment levels in the current environment, we don't belong to a gym, we don't do a lot of in person shopping, youth sports are still allowed, and we've been wearing masks for months. Masks outside is something we hadn't been doing, outside of certain parts of our zoo visit...so that is going to be interesting. We are supposed to be in a tournament this weekend and we're supposed to be right around 100 every day this coming weekend. It's also impacting my walking and running. We're required to wear them now if we can't distance while exercising outside...which has proven to be impossible on our greenbelts. I wouldn't have to wear it the whole time, but it's one more thing to worry about out there and I wasn't planning on investing in anything fitness grade...until now. I think I may also be mourning the trip we were supposed to have this summer. We should have been in Pensacola right now and checking into Disney on the 11th. I guess at least I was able to get tickets and park reservations for Disney in February. It is what it is...and unless something changes, we'll be hitting the road at some point next week for the trip I've dubbed Plan E/F. Who knows...maybe I'll even share a little trip report.

I did get up and work out today. Biking was just kind of meh, but I did get in 15.25 miles. After that, I got on the climber. I hadn't been using it because it can aggravate my knees...which was bad for my running, but that thing is a beast. I used to be able to do 30 min on there. Today...I just did a couple of fun Lady Gaga songs and then did some arms before logging in to work.

We had a relatively uneventful 4th of July weekend. Our friends called off their big annual get-together and the local bike parade we were hoping to do was also canceled last minute. So, we sat home...watched Hamilton, watched the Voices of Liberty, watched some old Ft. Wilderness 4th of July golf cart parades (only just learned of this), and watched fireworks across the nation on tv (as well as some local ones that came dangerously close to the house).

Brisket

The kids kind of made a mess of these...

Jellybean fireworks...it's a thing!

13 yr old's attempt at icebox truffles

Gluten Free attempt at my shrimp and feta pasta salad

And apparently the basic cookies I bought for the gluten eaters wasn't good enough.

 

[Songbird76]

Just checking in...

I've been in a funk of late. Last week, I didn't work out once. Sure, I was on allergy and sinus meds most of the time because the grass pollen and dust in the air was wreaking havoc on my sinuses (yea...Saharan dust is nothing new to this area), but I have so many loose ends right now that are weighing on my mind. It's just pushing me into mental shutdown. I got some of this stuff squared away today and if I'm able to get my vehicle back today (been in the shop for almost 3 weeks) that will really help my mind. Texas is a hot spot (although, it's not like what the news is showing) and they are scaling back some of our reopening, but it doesn't have much of an impact on us...although there are a few things that are probably weighing me down. We don't go to bars, we'd previously decided to stick with outside dining after reassessing our enjoyment levels in the current environment, we don't belong to a gym, we don't do a lot of in person shopping, youth sports are still allowed, and we've been wearing masks for months. Masks outside is something we hadn't been doing, outside of certain parts of our zoo visit...so that is going to be interesting. We are supposed to be in a tournament this weekend and we're supposed to be right around 100 every day this coming weekend. It's also impacting my walking and running. We're required to wear them now if we can't distance while exercising outside...which has proven to be impossible on our greenbelts. I wouldn't have to wear it the whole time, but it's one more thing to worry about out there and I wasn't planning on investing in anything fitness grade...until now. I think I may also be mourning the trip we were supposed to have this summer. We should have been in Pensacola right now and checking into Disney on the 11th. I guess at least I was able to get tickets and park reservations for Disney in February. It is what it is...and unless something changes, we'll be hitting the road at some point next week for the trip I've dubbed Plan E/F. Who knows...maybe I'll even share a little trip report.

I did get up and work out today. Biking was just kind of meh, but I did get in 15.25 miles. After that, I got on the climber. I hadn't been using it because it can aggravate my knees...which was bad for my running, but that thing is a beast. I used to be able to do 30 min on there. Today...I just did a couple of fun Lady Gaga songs and then did some arms before logging in to work.

We had a relatively uneventful 4th of July weekend. Our friends called off their big annual get-together and the local bike parade we were hoping to do was also canceled last minute. So, we sat home...watched Hamilton, watched the Voices of Liberty, watched some old Ft. Wilderness 4th of July golf cart parades (only just learned of this), and watched fireworks across the nation on tv (as well as some local ones that came dangerously close to the house).

Brisket

The kids kind of made a mess of these...

Jellybean fireworks...it's a thing!

13 yr old's attempt at icebox truffles

Gluten Free attempt at my shrimp and feta pasta salad

And apparently the basic cookies I bought for the gluten eaters wasn't good enough.

I'm betting there are a lot of things eating at you that you don't even realize. There are all the restrictions, there's having to give up your dog, there's the loss of a vacation, a change in routine, and there's your daughter's hand that you probably have residual guilt about even if it's completely healed, because that's just the way moms are. (how is she, by the way?) It's good that you were able to work out though.

What are icebox truffles?

 

[MinnieM123]

Just checking in...

I've been in a funk of late. Last week, I didn't work out once. Sure, I was on allergy and sinus meds most of the time because the grass pollen and dust in the air was wreaking havoc on my sinuses (yea...Saharan dust is nothing new to this area), but I have so many loose ends right now that are weighing on my mind. It's just pushing me into mental shutdown. I got some of this stuff squared away today and if I'm able to get my vehicle back today (been in the shop for almost 3 weeks) that will really help my mind. Texas is a hot spot (although, it's not like what the news is showing) and they are scaling back some of our reopening, but it doesn't have much of an impact on us...although there are a few things that are probably weighing me down. We don't go to bars, we'd previously decided to stick with outside dining after reassessing our enjoyment levels in the current environment, we don't belong to a gym, we don't do a lot of in person shopping, youth sports are still allowed, and we've been wearing masks for months. Masks outside is something we hadn't been doing, outside of certain parts of our zoo visit...so that is going to be interesting. We are supposed to be in a tournament this weekend and we're supposed to be right around 100 every day this coming weekend. It's also impacting my walking and running. We're required to wear them now if we can't distance while exercising outside...which has proven to be impossible on our greenbelts. I wouldn't have to wear it the whole time, but it's one more thing to worry about out there and I wasn't planning on investing in anything fitness grade...until now. I think I may also be mourning the trip we were supposed to have this summer. We should have been in Pensacola right now and checking into Disney on the 11th. I guess at least I was able to get tickets and park reservations for Disney in February. It is what it is...and unless something changes, we'll be hitting the road at some point next week for the trip I've dubbed Plan E/F. Who knows...maybe I'll even share a little trip report.

I did get up and work out today. Biking was just kind of meh, but I did get in 15.25 miles. After that, I got on the climber. I hadn't been using it because it can aggravate my knees...which was bad for my running, but that thing is a beast. I used to be able to do 30 min on there. Today...I just did a couple of fun Lady Gaga songs and then did some arms before logging in to work.

We had a relatively uneventful 4th of July weekend. Our friends called off their big annual get-together and the local bike parade we were hoping to do was also canceled last minute. So, we sat home...watched Hamilton, watched the Voices of Liberty, watched some old Ft. Wilderness 4th of July golf cart parades (only just learned of this), and watched fireworks across the nation on tv (as well as some local ones that came dangerously close to the house).

You've had a lot on your plate lately, and it's understandable that you're a little down. Just take everything a day at a time, especially with all the various restrictions and keeping up with the continual updates. Kinda sounds like what we went through up here in the Northeast for months, when our area surged in cases.

Things will improve in time, and just keep that thought in mind to help you get through everything. Anyway, glad your car is back now, as that will help you get around and see things outside of the house. Even if you're just going to the grocery store, it's a brief change of scenery and can give you a little lift. Hang in there.

P.S.: Love the jellybean 4th of July cake, and the icebox truffles and cookie!!

 

[Sans Souci]

I had been wanting to see Hamilton, but obviously it wouldn't have been performed over here. I watched it this weekend and to be honest, I was underwhelmed. With all the hype about how amazing it is, I guess I was expecting more. The costuming was amazing, but I really didn't like Eliza's voice, and the woman who played Maria Reynolds was just very slightly under the pitch the whole time and made me cringe. I do want to watch it again though to maybe follow it a bit better, since I didn't really know much about Alexander Hamilton's life in particular, and then I missed a large chunk when my husband came in and was asking for stuff for Dutch taxes and I was having to look through a bunch of paperwork instead of watching. Maybe I'll enjoy it more when I can follow it better. I also didn't feel like there was any melody....the lyrics were good, but I am not a fan of rap at all, and in a "musical", I want to be able to sing along. The more atonal approach doesn't speak to me. To each his own, but it is not destined to be a favorite of mine. I'm glad to have watched it for the historical aspect, though.

I am not into musicals at all, which is why I kept telling my husband I didn't want to see it live. I enjoyed it. It was a nice, little distraction from what's been going on. Would I watch it again? Probably not. I've been listening to the soundtrack for nearly 5 years now in my husband's car, while my husband showers, in the kitchen, so I know what the musical "looks" like now.

I liked the rotating stage and how quickly it moved. King George III's songs made me chuckle a bit. I don't care for LMM's voice. But he wrote the musical, sooooo...

 

[Sans Souci]

Just checking in...

I've been in a funk of late. Last week, I didn't work out once. Sure, I was on allergy and sinus meds most of the time because the grass pollen and dust in the air was wreaking havoc on my sinuses (yea...Saharan dust is nothing new to this area), but I have so many loose ends right now that are weighing on my mind. It's just pushing me into mental shutdown. I got some of this stuff squared away today and if I'm able to get my vehicle back today (been in the shop for almost 3 weeks) that will really help my mind. Texas is a hot spot (although, it's not like what the news is showing) and they are scaling back some of our reopening, but it doesn't have much of an impact on us...although there are a few things that are probably weighing me down. We don't go to bars, we'd previously decided to stick with outside dining after reassessing our enjoyment levels in the current environment, we don't belong to a gym, we don't do a lot of in person shopping, youth sports are still allowed, and we've been wearing masks for months. Masks outside is something we hadn't been doing, outside of certain parts of our zoo visit...so that is going to be interesting. We are supposed to be in a tournament this weekend and we're supposed to be right around 100 every day this coming weekend. It's also impacting my walking and running. We're required to wear them now if we can't distance while exercising outside...which has proven to be impossible on our greenbelts. I wouldn't have to wear it the whole time, but it's one more thing to worry about out there and I wasn't planning on investing in anything fitness grade...until now. I think I may also be mourning the trip we were supposed to have this summer. We should have been in Pensacola right now and checking into Disney on the 11th. I guess at least I was able to get tickets and park reservations for Disney in February. It is what it is...and unless something changes, we'll be hitting the road at some point next week for the trip I've dubbed Plan E/F. Who knows...maybe I'll even share a little trip report.

I did get up and work out today. Biking was just kind of meh, but I did get in 15.25 miles. After that, I got on the climber. I hadn't been using it because it can aggravate my knees...which was bad for my running, but that thing is a beast. I used to be able to do 30 min on there. Today...I just did a couple of fun Lady Gaga songs and then did some arms before logging in to work.

We had a relatively uneventful 4th of July weekend. Our friends called off their big annual get-together and the local bike parade we were hoping to do was also canceled last minute. So, we sat home...watched Hamilton, watched the Voices of Liberty, watched some old Ft. Wilderness 4th of July golf cart parades (only just learned of this), and watched fireworks across the nation on tv (as well as some local ones that came dangerously close to the house).

Brisket

The kids kind of made a mess of these...

Jellybean fireworks...it's a thing!

13 yr old's attempt at icebox truffles

Gluten Free attempt at my shrimp and feta pasta salad

And apparently the basic cookies I bought for the gluten eaters wasn't good enough.

Just to reiterate what others are saying, this is a stressful time right now. There is so much uncertainty, they keep coming out with new and conflicting info on this virus. All of the little mundane activities we used to do are restricted and it starts to feel like we have no agency. Then add in the other irritations life throws at us and every combined just feels awful together. It's like they are saying right now, "It's ok not to feel ok."

Your 4th of July feast looks amazing! I love the jelly beans on the cake as fireworks, that's really clever. The feta shrimp pasta salad is right up my alley.

 

[Sans Souci]

Good morning.

I did a flexibility workout this AM. It was OK. The end of it had us going into splits. I did my own stretching at that point. I can't do splits and I have no desire to do them. My hips are unstable enough as it is. No need to tempt fate with another injury.

I'm going for a walk in a bit. I have been trying to find a time when very few people are out, but it seems like it's impossible. I'm tired of passive aggressive people who only move 2 feet away from you, even when you've gone as far over as possible. Am I supposed to walk into oncoming traffic? I'm waiting for winter, because that is going to separate the wheat from the chaff.

I'm firing up the old Crock Pot for Chicken White Chili. I have some avocados that are ready to be used and I think they will be perfect chopped on top of a bowl of chili.

Take care, everyone!

 

[Songbird76]

I am not into musicals at all, which is why I kept telling my husband I didn't want to see it live. I enjoyed it. It was a nice, little distraction from what's been going on. Would I watch it again? Probably not. I've been listening to the soundtrack for nearly 5 years now in my husband's car, while my husband showers, in the kitchen, so I know what the musical "looks" like now.

I liked the rotating stage and how quickly it moved. King George III's songs made me chuckle a bit. I don't care for LMM's voice. But he wrote the musical, sooooo...

Yes, King George was hilarious. He played it so well. I knew I recognized him from somewhere, but couldn't figure it out, so I looked it up and realized it was from Glee. He also voices Christoff/Sven in Frozen.

I love musicals, being a singer myself. I am not a fan of opera, but I do love a good musical. I've been in several, so I guess it's kind of turned me into a bit of a snob when it comes to that. I have very high expectations when it comes to paid, professional singers, and a couple of those singers really fell short in my opinion. I enjoyed watching it overall, but it certainly won't be something I put on in the background or in the car or anything.

 

[Figgy1]

Waving hi! All is well here except I sprained my ankle so I'm taking the week off. Today I'm hoping to do nothing but putter today because tomorrow I'm going to rope drop the fam market.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I'm betting there are a lot of things eating at you that you don't even realize. There are all the restrictions, there's having to give up your dog, there's the loss of a vacation, a change in routine, and there's your daughter's hand that you probably have residual guilt about even if it's completely healed, because that's just the way moms are. (how is she, by the way?) It's good that you were able to work out though.

What are icebox truffles?

That's probably it...all of it. Her hand is much better. She was able to play without restrictions last weekend. She was still a bit rusty since it's been months since she's been able to play in full game mode. Thankfully, the updated state orders still allow for youth sports, so barring any unforeseen issues, she should get to play this weekend.

It was a mix of sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder combined over heat. They were supposed to firm up to taffy consistency so you could roll them into balls after chilling in the fridge/icebox. My gut said she didn't get the right consistency, so I had her pour it into ice cube trays before going in to chill. That way, we could just scoop them out. My gut was right...they were runny...but tasty.