Day 468 No Egg Nog---Shhh! and Jogging Into The Store

Day 468

No Egg Nog---Shhh! and Jogging Into The Store

Today has been a very lazy day after Christmas around here. We didn't accept any of the leftovers from yesterdays dinner, notably the pie, but I should have grabbed some turkey. Turkey omelets were so wonderful after Thanksgiving, what was I thinking? I really need to cook a turkey every now and then. I cook one twice a year, that's it. I have no idea why I wouldn't do it any other time, it just doesn't seem natural for some reason. It's so good and such a wonderful calorie value—I think I'll go get one right away!

We skipped the egg nog on Thanksgiving and decided to enjoy some at Christmas. You know what? We completely forgot to have the egg nog. Didn't even buy any egg nog. And, shhhh! Nobody has mentioned it yet. I can totally do without that horrific calorie value. It's good, but not that good!

I jumped up this morning ready to hit the treadmill for a 5K. OK, I wasn't really ready, but I needed to get it done. I decided to write my Christmas Day post first. After posting yesterday morning, I decided to lounge around a little first (big mistake) and I ended up going to sleep. This wasn't what I needed to be doing! I did make it to the fitness room for 3.1 miles and it did feel good, real good. I completely ignored the elliptical...pretended it didn't even exist. I was there for a 5K---not a quad burn. The elliptical and I still do not care for each other, even though we know we're good for one another. It's a love/hate relationship at best.

I made it to Wal-Mart today for some grocery shopping and wow---that place was crazy busy! I didn't have anything to return, good thing, I was just there to grab a few items. It was cold and slushy in the parking lot---so I navigated around the puddles of slush and lightly jogged into the store. That's right, lightly jogged into the store! Imagine that. Me, lightly jogging into the store after parking really far away. It wasn't always this easy. Remember Day 7? Here's an excerpt:

I made a trip to Wal-Mart this evening. Normally I drive around the parking lot until a space opens up as close as possible to the front doors. I've driven around that lot for ten minutes or more before, just to save a few extra steps. That's crazy! Today I found myself doing that exact same thing again! Old habits die hard huh? When I realized what I was doing, I immediately drove out to almost the Murphy Oil station and easily found a space. It was a nice little hike to the store, but really it wasn't that bad. We all have those moments when we know that it's time to really do something about losing weight and getting in shape. It's funny because one of mine happened just a couple of months ago in the Wal-Mart parking lot. I found a space not too far from the front doors that day, I got out at the same time a nice, little old lady was getting out of her vehicle. We were almost side by side. As we walked I noticed she was starting to get ahead of me! I was walking as fast as I could, and she was beating me!!! She was at least 80 years old and she had more spring in her step than me, a 36 year old man. I tried to catch her, and almost did, but as if she knew of the race I had created in my head, she accelerated as she approached the door, leaving me in her dust. “Wow”, I thought...”Did I just get beat by her?” Yes, yes I did. I don't remember what I was going to Wal-Mart for that day, but I'll never forget the realization that I really needed to do something soon. Oh, yeah, I remember...Ice cream and Coke-A-Cola. That's what I was after, and yes, even after getting beat by the nice older women, I still bought what I was after. Well, I did say “do something soon”. I've used the word soon way too much in my life. “I'm going to do that soon”...What is “soon”...How much time is “soon”. When does “soon” end? Not soon enough, I know that! My “soon” ended a week ago. Soon is here and NOW my friend.

I think of that little old lady every time I go to Wal-Mart these days. Every time I jog into the store. Every time I reach the front door without the slightest feeling of being winded. I think about her and how she beat me that day. She probably has no idea that I even exist, not to mention what kind of wonderful motivation she sparked in me that day.

Tonight was Team Radio night at the Festival of Angels. Several station employees volunteered to greet the cars and accept the donations at this most wonderful holiday tradition. It was good and cold. With the snow on the ground and the roads still pretty bad, the turnout wasn't great---but expected. I was so cold, and honestly I didn't dress warm enough at all---my fault, so no wonder I gave in and enjoyed some high calorie cider.

You know me---I do not like spending calories on drinks. Yeah, yeah, yeah---the coffee creamer issue...whatever! Let me re-phrase: I don't like spending calories on drinks unless it's a vital part of my morning routine. There. But it was so cold out there! And the apple cider packets were looking real nice. I picked one up and turned it over to the nutrition label. 80 calories! Ouch. For a small cup of cider? A hot steamy cup of cider that would warm me from the inside out? OK, I'm in---let's do it! Before my two hour shift ended, I spent 160 calories on hot apple cider. Hmmm. That's fine really---It's not like I do that all the time. ---OK---enough with the coffee creamer issue! Yes, if you're just now tuning in---I'm arguing with my conscious over my coffee creamer consumption issue. I spend entirely too many calories on that stuff, I do.

Courtney is taking me to the store tomorrow to buy me a couple of shirts for Christmas! She didn't get a chance before the blizzard struck, so we're doing that on Sunday! Have a great rest of your weekend. Goodnight and...

Good Choices,
Sean