Earning Those Activity Awards

 Admits my over-the-top and off-track eating these last few weeks, I managed to also finish up my August Apple Watch Activity Challenge and earn a special award.

While we were on vacation, I finished up the monthly challenge logging 16 workouts of at least 15 minutes.  Our hike to/from dinner our first night in Tahoe sure helped.

I am really proud that I have managed to finish up each month of 2020 thus far.  I’ll know tomorrow what the challenge is for September.

Yesterday, there was an opportunity to earn a special award for the National Parks Challenge.  I had to log a workout of at least 1.6K or 1 mile.  I read the kilometers as miles in the very beginning so I set out to walk 1.6 miles and ended up walking 1.76 miles on the treadmill while I watched Outlander.  Nothing like over achieving!

It also felt really good to be back on track with both food and activity.  August is coming to a close and I am ready for September.

Lake Tahoe - Nevada & California Part 2

 I’m popping in today to share the rest of our Lake Tahoe Adventures.  

You can read about Lake Tahoe - Nevada & California Part 1 <- here

One of the attractions that caught my interest when I was researching things to do in Tahoe was the MS Dixie II Paddle Wheeler.  This is a large vessel that cruises from Zephyr Cove to Emerald Bay giving you scenic views of the lake area.  This sounded like a great way to get out on the water and see some of the sights of Lake Tahoe.  It was also causing only on the weekends as well as Monday.

While it is expensive and the visibility was limited by the smoke from the nearby fires, it was still a fantastic idea and an enjoyable 2.5 hours.

When I was having Kenyon take my photo, there was a ton of noise going on behind me.  I turned to look and hear afterwards that this boat of ladies “flashed” their boobs at our boat.  Ha!

We were starving by the time our scenic cruise docked and I had been wanting to try out one of the local breweries in the Tahoe area.  The menu had some amazing looking hot dogs that I knew I could get Kenyon to come along.  The Brewery At Lake Tahoe did not disappoint.

With the indoor dining restrictions in California, you have to sit outside and you also have to order food with alcohol.  We had a bird join us for our evening meal and I realized we should have gotten a table for three.

Tuesday was our final day in Tahoe.  We had driven/walked by this burger place with a line out the door the entire trip so I knew it must have been good.  We ventured back to Hard Rock for the free parking and crossed the street to Lucky Beaver Bar & Burger, which is known (and very popular) for their mixed meat burger patties based on where they source the meat from.  I guess it is some award winning beef.  None the less, there was NO LINE on Tuesday so we were in business for some very expensive burgers.

It hit the spot and fueled us through more time at the casinos where we lost Kenyon’s earlier winnings.  

WOMP:WOMP  

We decided to hit up a grocery store and buy in some food for the evening so we could have a low key evening at the condo and get ourselves packed up for the drive home.  On Wednesday, after a few stops in the Reno area, we headed towards home.  Lunch was at Winner’s in Winnemucca where we had hoped to win back some of our gambling losses.

That did not work in our favor either.  My Grandma Amos always said, “if you had fun…you won.”  We sure did have fun.  

I have a couple more days off as well as Phoenix’s 40th Birthday Celebration before I head back to work.

Lake Tahoe - Nevada & California Part 1

 Hello from Lake Tahoe - Nevada & California.

I can’t believe our vacation is about to come to an end.  While I am not ready to make the long drive home, I am glad that I have a few more days until I actually return to real life, aka work.

Every time I make a drive to Jordan Valley, I just have to pop in for some ice cream.  Being the responsible WWer I am, I got a kiddie cone sized Rocky Road.  It was delicious.

About 7ish hour later, we arrived in Lake Tahoe.  

It is an interesting mix of beautiful landscape and apparently it is also bear season.  Thankfully, we have not spotted any.

We were tried from our drive so on Saturday night we stayed close to the condo for dinner at Fox and Hound where we tried two types of BBQ and enjoyed every bite.  The corn muffin was also amazing.

Sunday was our first full day in Tahoe.  We ventured to the casinos in Stateline, Nevada as there was free parking at the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel.  

The wait for food was way too long so we crossed over to Harrah’s on the other side of the roadway where the wait at their restaurant was more reasonable.  I had the best Ruben sandwich which I asked to be served on the in-house baked pretzel bun.  Oh man was it delicious!

We did some gambling at both Harrah’s and Harvey’s, the casino next door, and left after Kenyon won about $180 and I had lost about $80.  

Later that evening, we ventured back “downtown” crossing into the California side.

We parked in the Heavenly Village area, which was bursting with people on a Sunday evening.  It was a bit too expensive to ride the gondola which was right in the center of the village.

Our dinner selection was a German restaurant called A Taste Of Europe.  It was ah-mazing.  I was so ready for a German beer and boy did it hit the spot.

Afterwards we crossed over to the Village area where I spotted a speciality ice cream cookie shop called The Baked Bear.  We also took home a dozen of the day old cookies.  Oh yum!

I’ll recap the rest of our vacation soon. 

Slipping Into Vacation Mode A Wee Bit Early

 Even though vacation doesn’t official start until Saturday, I have been enjoying my days off.

On Wednesday, Kenyon and I met up with Phoenix and her son Kaycen to try out the new Spring Creek Brewing in the Avimor subdivision.  It has been a year and a half this company has been working to open and they have a very limited menu.  The have wood fire pizzas available which make the whole brewery/restaurant smell fabulous!

The verdict…just okay.  I didn’t love the beer, which they only have three in-house beers on tap so far.  I thought the pizza was very good but $15 was a hefty price tag.  I don’t know that I’ll be back, however, they have other menu items that weren’t discussed with us when we were seated nor were on the menu.  So, it might be worth a trip back.

Thursday, although not planned, Kenyon and I met Phoenix and her boyfriend Stacey at Loose Screw Brew Co. in Garden City.

They took over the old Bella Brewing spot and have 10 beers on tap.  I enjoyed trying both a wheat beer and a blond ale.  We had not planned two days in a row out drinking but since Pints Up Idaho was postponed in April, various breweries are now giving away glasses.  They only had eight glasses left and since I ordered a beer for Kenyon, we were able to snag a pair of glasses to take home.  They are really great glasses this year.

It has been a fun and relaxing few days off so far.  I still have full week to go.  Yippie.

Weekly WI: A Small Gain

 I have every intention to pop in yesterday with an update on my Weekly WI.  The day got away from me at a rapid pace and here were are on Wednesday.

I peeked at the scale Monday so I knew I would show a gain.  It was small and stretched over two weeks so I have no complaints.  By Tuesday morning, the scale dropped a bit more, despite still showing a gain.

I am very happy with my scale results and my commitment to getting back on track after skipping the scale last week.  As we move into vacation at the end of this week, I am a bit stressed about keeping that scale number down.  I swing between “stay on track” to “enjoy the splurge.”  Some days I don’t know which will win and often it is a minute-by-minute decision!  Regardless, I won’t be able to step on the scale next Tuesday.  When we return home from our vacation, getting back on track ASAP is always key.

In looking over my weight record for the last month and three months, it sure feels very up/down and all over the place.  When I step back further and see the six month, one  year, and all time weight graph on the WW app that is where I really see my commitment to myWW plan, the program, tracking, activity, and overall health and fitness.

We discussed in our WW Virtual Meeting yesterday that there is only 19 weeks left of 2020.  That just blows my mind.  We were to set a goal for where we want to be 19 weeks from now.  

I would like to end 2020 back under 200 pound and STAYING THERE!  The staying there part is where my focus really need to be.  I have seen it, I’ll see it again.  The challenge is how I get there and stay there.

Have a great Wednesday.

It's Monday And Hopefully New Tennis Shoes

 It is Monday…and my Friday! WhoooHoooo.

I am eager to get my shift tonight finished so I can enjoy some time off with my husband.  I fear it won’t be work/stress free but maybe we will get lucky and not have the best cell service.  Kidding…maybe.

I ordered some new Hoka Clifton 6 as they have released the new Clifton 7 and discounted the 6, which is my favorite so far.  I wasn’t able to get any from the Hoka website so I had to order from Zappos.  It was my first time and so far, UPS appears to be delayed while shipping so I’ve been waiting since August 8th for my new shoes to arrive.

I really like colorful shoes, especially when it comes to workout and activity footwear.  Sadly, they have not had bright bold colors in a while.  I tried out a pair of the Hoka Rincon model, which is slightly cheaper than the Clifton model and came in a BEAUTIFUL purple, blue, pink combo.  I just didn’t feel they provided as much cushion as the Clifton, which my poor old feet really need these days.  It was a very tough decision to return them because I just loved the color too much.  I also typically don’t like a light colored show as they show dirt quicker.  I went for the Clifton 6 in this light blue/teal color.

Now, if UPS would just get there already!  I have done a treadmill walk today forgetting that it was Monday and I might have some brand new shoes to take for a stroll.  So, if they do arrive today, I’ll have to take them for a stroll on the treadmill tomorrow.

Have a great Monday.

It Has Been A Rough Week For myWW Program

 It has been quite the week so far, and the work week is just beginning today.  The good news is I only work four days and then I get 12 days off.  Yippie!  I think I have become a little too comfortable with this staycation/lazy attitude I’ve developed.  It has been rather nice and stress free!

We decided to forgo our trip to Tennessee due to the heat, humidity, and the mask requirement.  It all sounds quite miserable.  That coupled with having to wear a mask indoors at museums…just doesn’t sound appealing right now.  When I really think about it, the thought of travel just make me so sad.  I really miss it but I also realize that I miss what travel used to be.  It was so enjoyable and freeing.  Now it is masks, social distancing, reduced hours, and business closures.  Ugh.  It is all just so terrible.

We have decided we will visit Tahoe.  I have actually never been and I hear it is quite beautiful.  We will be staying in Stateline, Nevada and will also be able to visit a couple of casinos while we are on our mini-vacation.  We booked a timeshare through Sapphire and since we are able to make the drive, we got our TN flights refunded and the credit is good through 2022.  We will also save money as we won’t be having to rent a car and the timeshare was only $199 for the four night/five day stay.  We are looking forward to our vacation.

I’ve been back on track since Tuesday in hopes of at least showing a maintain from two weeks ago and any temporary Girls Weekend Staycation weight will be gone.  So far the month of August is lacking in the blue dot category.

Yesterday was a struggle.  Kenyon hasn’t been feeling well with allergies and really painful headaches.  I bought in some carbs as he always craves them when he doesn’t feel well.  I ended up snacking on chips, dip, and pretzels in the late afternoon and early evening.  I wasn’t even hungry!  About 8:30pm last night, I laced up my shoes and went out for a walk followed by a beer on the patio, which was cut short due to a mouse running onto the patio to hide behind the trash cans.

It really helped combat the snacking and made me feel so much better.  We ended up going to be early due to Kenyon still not feeling well so that saved me from any further damage to my WW day.

I also got in my required workout this afternoon for my August Apple Watch Activity Goal with two quick FitOn WW Workouts, one upper body and one lower body.

I’ve got my food prepped for work tonight and a meal plan for the few work days.  We will have a couple days before we leave for Tahoe so I’ll have to make sure I keep those in check and then enjoy vacation.  We are planning to take some food with us and prepare a few meals at the condo as well.

Hero Nite At The Drive-In

Last week, the Hubs and I had a Date Nite at the drive-in movie theater.

 

I have only been to the drive-in once, and that was a kid where I don’t even remember.  Apparently, according to my parents, I feel out of the suburban and onto my head!  I sure don’t remember that.  We have two local drive-in theaters in our area and the Parma Motor Vu was hosting a Hero Night for law enforcement.  There were two nights to pick from and the event included free admission for a car load of people, a raffle ticket, and a concession voucher.  They also had glow necklaces and bracelets for giveaway.

 

I could have never imagined that the concession voucher would be for $75 per carload.  What?!?  That was very generous.  I really love popcorn.  We also go a pretzel, some nachos, and Kenyon got two hot dogs.  We had packed or own Coke Zero in case they didn’t have anything other than Diet Coke.  That was a good move on our part.

 

The movie was Sandlot, a really great classic, and we enjoyed laughing at all the good parts.

 

The drive to/from Parma was about 35 minutes so we will be back for sure.

 

Thank you Parma Motor Vu and all the amazing sponsors that helped make this evening so special for Heroes and their families. 

Weekly WI: Skipping The Scale

 I made the decision a few days ago to skip the scale check-in this week.

Mentally, it is what I knew I needed.  I started to convince myself that I “felt good” and maybe I would get on the scale.  The fact of the matter is that if I did have a gain of 2+ pounds, it would depress me.  I’ve been feeling “off” this week and so I need to just be okay with the indulgences I encounter over the last weekend and forge ahead from here.

New fresh week.  Clean slate.  Time to start earning blue dots again.

The months of August has not been great on the blue dot front.  I need to make a commitment to myself to do better with that.  I will get on the scale next Tuesday regardless.  I don’t allow myself to skip the scale two weeks in a row.  You never know, I might even step on the scale later this week.  But right now, it isn’t what I need.

Onward we go.

Saturday & Sunday Of Girls Weekend Staycation

 Saturday and Sunday of our Girls Weekend Staycation wrapped our our fun weekend in town.  As much as I love our out of town Girls Weekend, it really enjoyed seeing all my friends this this way.

Saturday started out with a trip to Linder Farms to see the Sunflower Festival.

Linder Farms usually had the corn maze and pumpkin patch in the fall.  On select Saturdays, they have a market with some craft/vendor booths and then you can visit the Sunflower Field for free.  You are welcome to take as many photos as you’d like and if you want to sip any flowers to take home, you can buy a bucket for $15 or each stem is $2.  We didn’t take any home but we did take a lot of photos.

We were all in the mood for ice cream and before going to The Stil in Downtown Boise, we went to the 34th Street Market in Garden City.  I was starving so I had some garlic chicken from the Thai food truck.  I’m alway down for anything that tastes like vacation.

We met up again at The Sil and enjoyed ice cream, a beer, and more talk of Outlander, the Netflix show I am watching which aired a few years ago.  Danielle and Rebecca both watched the series so I enjoy talking about it with them.

I took a quick nap on the couch and then got myself ready for a night in Downtown Meridian.  I was a bit sunburned from our Saturday adventures but managed to clean up nicely.

I met Stacey, Phoenix, and Brenda at Heritage Hop Haus, which had beers on happy hour. 

We then went to The Roosevelt, a new whiskey bar.  I am not sure what they put in the old fashioned but after a couple, I was sure feeling it!

Brenda took us to her house were we could drink for free and we snacked on crackers and cheese.  Kenyon picked up me as my whiskey was really taken effect and it was time for me to wrap it up.

Sunday started out a lot slower after a late night and lots of alcohol consumption.  Around noon, Rebecca and her girls met me at the park to play a little Pickle Ball while the girls played.  Danielle joined us a short time later and we all enjoyed a visit in the shade of an outdoor picnic table.  Afterwards, we went to the Albertson’s Market for a bite to eat as they have a food court with many options to chose from.

I was home for the night as I was exhausted.  I took a short nap and then watched many episodes of Outlander.  Eventually, I made a run for Little Cesar’s pizza.  I think I’ll be skipping this scale this week.  I am just not ready to get back on track yet.

It was an excellent Girls Weekend Staycation and even though COVID-19 ruined out plans to visit Salt Lake City, I am really glad a few of my friends wanted to come out and about for a visit and some fun activities.