Fitbit

My Fitbit finally arrived! Due to some production problems on their end, I've been waiting 4 long months. (Pardon the photo quality-- it was taken with my phone)


In the first two days since having one back in my clutches, I've already gone over my workout goals by a good third, burning off about 3000 calories a day. I had a lot of errands to run and the weather was nice, so I was able to get in quite a bit of walking. I do love being in a walking-friendly city.

I hit a small plateau in the weight loss for a couple of weeks, but luckily I finally broke it a few days ago. Hopefully, this will make it all even easier. I'm interested in the way it tracks sleep, as well. I'll be posting a much more thorough review when I've had some more time to assess its functionality and accuracy, etc.

Spring!

Spring is hitting. Sure, we may have a few more wintery days ahead, but the weather is great at the moment.

I got my wish on the flip flop season of my last post. We had several days of 50s-60s in the city during which the gash on my foot could finally start to heal over. As of a couple of days ago, even walking in shoes doesn't bother me one bit.

I've been in Ithaca since Friday, headed back home tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to being apart from P, but it will be nice to be back in the city. Hopefully it won't be too awfully long between visits.

While here, we went to Moosewood on Friday night. We had an incredible meal, appetizers through dessert. I had a Russian vegetable strudel in whole wheat phyllo dough that was out of this world. And whole wheat phyllo! It hadn't even occurred to me to try it. I found a recipe, but considering the size of my kitchen, I'm more likely to hit Whole Foods' freezer section for pre-made stuff first. What I also liked about the Moosewood pastry was that it wasn't too oily. They had to have used very light brushes of olive oil between layers and very little, if any, on the outside. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

The work front has been going decently. I'm doing a small consulting project, which is keeping my brain moving. I'm using some coding muscles I haven't stretched in a while (pretty simple stuff- I'm so NOT a hard core developer).

I've been reaching out to a few people, otherwise. I'm holding out for the right fit when it comes to a more permanent move.

Feet, Don't Fail Me Now

I hurt my foot on vacation, which is really unpleasant. So even long walks in new places aren't as exciting as I'd like. I can walk okay, but it hurts and shoes seem to keep tearing at the wound, regardless of how tight or loose the shoes are. As much as I like winter and spring, I'd be okay with it being straight up flip flop season for a week or so to give this thing some full-on healing time. Otherwise, it's tempting stick to my barefoot-friendly apartment (which, of course, would drive me completely bananas, so not really an option). Of course, it's also on the foot that already has bad circulation, so it's taking foreeeevvvveeerrrr. Should I go to my podiatrist? Probably. Am I trying to hold out until our already-scheduled appointment so that he doesn't put me on crutches? Absolutely.

In the meantime, I have a new writing project and some music I want to dive into. Luckily, the foot is fine with the pedals on my piano. I have a few irons in the work fire, as well.

Down in Birdland

Things are picking up again on the post-holiday scene. I just snagged some tickets for Tierney Sutton at Birdland next week. I love seeing her live. She's not only a very fine singer, but a remarkable musician, so very fun to watch (and hear). I really dig her drummer, Ray Brinker, too. He can do some crazy magic with brushes. Then again, the whole band is fun. I'm thinking I need to hit Cleo's again soon, as well. It's been a while.

I'm thinking of a vacation in February, but haven't booked it yet. Warmth? Sand? Water?... Bueller? (notice I left out "sun", ha ha)

I have to say, so far, 2010 pretty much rocks. There are some things that are less than ideal, but when isn't that the case for anyone? Overall, we're in the black.

I've lost some weight, I've had a ton of energy, exercising regularly, good friends are having babies, others seeing some fresh starts, I'm spending time with people I care about (though very much missing some who aren't here), and I just have that overwhelming sense of good things ahead. Those things that were more daunting near the close of '09 just don't seem as weighty.

Color me optimistic.

It's Because of You We Can't Have Nice Things

So, over the weekend, I received my long-awaited fitbit. It's a lovely little device. I've been looking at my life in charts for days now- sleep patterns, eating habits, exercise habits, etc.

Well, last night, after I showed it to my dinner companion, I must not have put it back on properly. I was careless. And on the way home, it fell off. I know exactly when it happened, though didn't know that's what it was at the time. The woman in front of me and I both thought she'd dropped something small... that I saw bounce into the subway grate.

Okay, I can live with a mistake- things happen. But the really difficult part is that I was in queue to get one because I ordered months ago (they didn't go into production until Sept- I ordered before released). Ordering today, they're not shipping until Jan 31 :(

Well, it would have been nice to know my stats on vacation, but at least since I already bought one, I can at least use all the online tools and enter things manually. I may pick up a cheapo pedometer to at least keep me honest.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good... well, it's night somewhere :-)

G I Think You're Great

I went in for a very minor upper GI thing today. It was mostly just to have a look, though they fixed a couple of things they found while they were in there. It wasn't much at all, though I do kinda' feel like Roto Rooter had some fun in my esophagus (very mild- no big deal).

I had a chat with the doctor afterward, though don't know too terribly much until labs are back, etc.

What I really learned to day is that I love Propafol. No, really, I do. Those who know me well know I'm not big on drugs, especially anesthesia. Opiates and I don't play nicely together, whether a Vicodin for bone fractures or the heavier stuff for surgeries. I always need a heavy dose of anti-nauseant in the IV before any sedatives. So, a non-opiate sedative? It rocks!! I was out in about half a second and was semi-lucid upon waking. By the time my friend got me home, I felt fully aware of my surroundings and everything I was doing. After a nice, long nap (and food, not having eaten for about 16 hrs.), I felt fully awake and fine. No drug hangover, no nausea, nothing. I'm a little tired, but it's not a fuzzy, dopey kind of tired.

All in all, not bad.

Work-wise, it's hardly slowed, but post-launch makes it easier to get help from my teammates who weren't "in the know" beforehand. Still, things have been coming at a steady clip. This not having been my first time to the rodeo, I expected as much. It's all manageable. I do enjoy making good on a deliverable before it's anticipated (even by myself). This week I had one such an occasion. I had a site that I expected would be a bigger job than it was. There are a few minor cleanup things to take care of, but I left it in a good state for the weekend. I practically had one hand typing as I was on my way out the door. I hate leaving loose ends, so it was a relief, especially with a couple of our UI guys out today.

I'm looking forward to getting back on the social scene in the next few days. Tomorrow I'm heading to CT for a b'day party, then a few things planned for the week. Later in the week, a few of us are going out with some folks from the JC office, which should be fun. We always have a good time.

Countdown

I'm all prepped for my single-day weekend tomorrow. I plan on doing as little as humanly possible, but will probably squeeze in a bit of productivity and, at the very least, a good walk. Sunday, work-wise, we pick up where we left off and Monday ends phase 1 of the current project (woo hoo!!). I can't wait for the exhale! If all goes as planned, that exhale happens in just a few short days.

Nothing new on the health front. I'm still being incredibly cautious about everything put in my body. I haven't gotten the results for last weeks tests yet, which will determine just how careful I have to be. Basically, we need to know if it's just the liver and the definitive root cause. I haven't gotten word of a cancellation for my GI doc, so I'm assuming I likely won't get there until the beginning of August, which is when I'm scheduled. I've been on the cancellation list for weeks. The stomach is the least of my worries at the moment, though.

Can we just stop with the body issues now? I think I've reached my quota of physical problems, especially for things that happened ages ago.

The easy part of this is that I've basically returned to how I was eating when I was still in California. I'd loosened the reins a bit since getting out here, since my friends are all great foodies, but it's a way of eating I'm at least used to. And I already wasn't much of a drinker, so cutting out alcohol completely isn't that great a challenge. I'd miss the occasional glass of red wine with dinner, but the dinners for which that'd be most applicable aren't in the picture anyway. One hitch is fine dining here. I feel like in California there was always at least one or two options everywhere I went since it's a little more health-focused out there. It was more the exception than the rule that I couldn't eat somewhere. It's a challenge here, but not impossible with certain modifications. I just feel more high maintenance here. Ah, well, my health comes first.

Who knows? The nutritionist may unlock even more. I'll be seeing one after my next doctor appointment, based on certain test results. I'm predicting that I'll be a rarity, showing up to my appointment, full food diary in-hand. I've kept one off and on for years, so the nutritionist can already see how I eat, complete with nutritional breakdown, etc. The only fault I would find in my current habits is that I slightly under eat, which is a problem. I'm having trouble eating as much as I should, but I think I just need a bit of time on that one. It's tough going back to old habits with a new lifestyle and daily routine. I just don't live like I did in California (having several large supermarkets and health food stores available in a short radius, for one). One positive change to my current daily life, however, is that not only am I a block from the gym here at home, it's also the same building as I now work.

Okay, time to curl up with my Kindle and get some well-deserved sleep!!