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edit: it was a simple  day, i was able to sleep in. after lunch, i was sleepy after reading and totally fell asleep for another half hour in the afternoon. all good. it was a nice day off and not rushed.

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slept till about 7:30am which was a good amount of sleep especially after my workout last night :)

8:30am Breakfast: oatmeal with almond milk and some stevia/cinnamon/pinch of saffron 170, siggis yogurt 140, kombucha 60. 370...

10:30am snack: peanut butter 150

11:30am lunch: i have leftovers - my own wrap 150, sausage200 /peppers/onions/leeks 150 small amount from buffet yesterday that i bought specifically to eatat home today. 500 and chips 150

snacks: raspberries 100, water

5pm dinner: tastes of my sauteed greens 100, sauteed string beans 100, an egg/avo wrap i had already prepared in fridge 300. 500 total. healthy.

exercise: i make take it mostly as a rest day, aside from biking later, but may also decide to walk a little bit. not sure. i have a lot of errands to do and possible dr appt...so we'll see.

after exercise later this evening: plum 50

not sure, but quite possibly a protein muffin in microwave since i bought two at the supermarket today.we'll see....they also have quite a bit of sugar in them - not a great brand but i like how easy they are to make just at 1/4 cup water and mix. 270cal

2120 :)

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I was supposed to go to Splish Splash water park  today but the weather is forecasted for possible rain.  so, we changed the day to Saturday. but, i am still taking a sick day as planned bc i had it in my head all week i was taking one and really don't want to go in after knowing i was going to sleep in tomorrow and planning on exercising till late tonight, which i did. 

so at home today, i of course have things i can do. i'm glad i got the workout out the of the way though last night and it feels so good to have slept in today.

i want to cook, put $ on my laundry card, possible dr appt since now i have to cancel it for Saturday bc of change of plans, possibly cooking muffins...completely realizing i could go to work...but taking a slow day.

i could also pick up groceries at the supermarket, as well as detergent/fabric softener as well as yogurts and seltzer.

later i'll bike with ricky. sounds like enough to me, plus reading.

cooking greens and an asian string bean recipe. 

i want to make a cupcake recipe soon - i think on Sunday - i'll be skipping my weights workout this Sunday to free up some time... 

One foot in front of the other. At the movies today. Seeing Peanut Butter Falcon for some downtime... from not doing much of anything. At least it feels that way. I woke up at 6am to a custom kitty good morning, cleaned the house and did laundry before it got hot, went and got breakfast and did my OT homework plus read a chapter in my “Take Back Your Life” book while dad had an in home visit from the bereavement counselor so he could have some privacy, then hit the post office and the grocery store, brought groceries home, finished laundry and made dad’s bed, picked up the patio, checked the bereavement counselor notes, and sorted out the mail. So a fair amount of stuff even though it wasn’t actually “work”. And it is 12:30 so I am entitled to take a lunch break. Just an RX bar from my bag. This theater doesn’t have salads.

So after this, Starbucks for one of their salads and wifi... Goal is to figure out which classes I will try to crash at the community college tomorrow, finish all my unread mail, setup my calendar for september, and cross one thing off my “critical to do list”.

Tomorrow, I get back to yoga and cardio.

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After watching the movie I suddenly felt like I needed to take my dad to the grocery store. I guess it was spiritually uplifting and I felt like being a better human being. Or something.

Called dad, he was down for going to the grocery store, but by the time I got home he was in bed sleeping with the blankets on in 90 degree weather.

Scary.

Did at least figure out what classes to crash. There is only one I can try to add by crashing. Everything else I would want to take is distance education only.

Had a terrible time sleeping last night.  I kept dreaming that my alarm was going off!  The first time, at 1:27a, I realized I hadn't put on my FitBit - left it in the charger, so I got up and put it on, but I woke up at least 3 more times thinking my alarm was going off, and it wasn't.

Yoga was fun last night, but I wore the wrong shirt, so I was a bit uncomfortable.  Also, because I had my daughter with me, I chose a different area, so on the other side of me, I had a man, and that was a little distracting (not that he was handsome or anything, but rather, that I was more self-conscious, which kind of defeats the whole purpose).

There was a lot of hissing and growling with the cats, too.  Last month, it was also noticeable, but I thought it was because the weather was so hot and humid.  I don't know if there's bully cats or if having all these strange people in the room is stressing out the cats.  My daughter said it was all too "Lord of the Flies", which was sad to think about.

I will try to remember to weigh in tomorrow morning, but TOM is about to start, and so... my mindful eating results might not be quite so evident (if there are any actual results) due to hormone issues.  I'm not expecting to see anything, because...

I put on a pair of fall/winter pants today, because the weather is cool enough, and they still fit.  Not baggy or saggy or any signs that I've lost weight or tighted up...  Well, that's OK, because I'm supposed to be on maintenance, anyway, right?  Right???  

Fall is definately in the air...trees beginning to turn and the ferns are all dying...a sure sign that fall is pretty much here.  Bath done, hair washed and ready to start the day.......breakfast was all protein.........funny...I had just watched a youtube video about OMAD carnivores....LOL...and went straight to the kitchen and had an all protein meal...and coffee...LOL...the power of suggestion!   Apprently I am easily led. 

Supposed to be a higher cal day (1400) since it’s cardio today, but since I’ll be having higher cals on Sat and Sun, I’m keeping it lower. 

Menu:

B: soy yogurt & blueberries, tea w/soy milk

S: black coffee, cranberry & quinoa bar in the gym cafe

S: coconut/almond milk cappuccino

L: 6 veg salad w/liver pate & cheddar

D: veg & bean chili, tonic water

S: dry roasted peanuts

Total cals: 1114 Carbs: 56.5g

Gym: 

treadmill - (intervals uphill and speed) - 10 mins

elliptical - 10 mins

rowing machine - 10 mins

recumbent bike -  10 mins

Leg press (20kg) - 3 sets of 10

I was supposed to go to Splish Splash water park  tomorrow but the weather is forecasted for possible rain.  so, we changed the day to Saturday. but, i am still taking a sick day as planned bc i had it in my head all week i was taking one and really don't want to go in after knowing i was going to sleep in tomorrow and planning on exercising till late tonight, which i did. 

so at home tomorrow, i of course have things i can do. i'm glad i got the workout out the of the way though...

i want to sleep in, cook, put $ on my laundry card, possible dr appt since now i have to cancel it for Saturday bc of change of plans, possibly cooking muffins...completely realizing i could go to work...but taking a slow day. i could also pick up meat at the supermarket, as well as detergent/fabric softener as well as yogurts and seltzer. later i'll bike with ricky. sounds like enough to me, plus reading. 

someone at work was shocked i'd still take the day off and even though i love the lady, she said the thing i dislike said to me which is "you have no kids, you aren't married, you have no responsibilities....i don't get why you have to take days off like this!"....LOL. it is also relaxing me before 2 hours each way of driving Saturday to a water park and busy day on Saturday. for this reason is the biggest reason i'm still taking Friday off. it's a way to lower stress before a longer day. i know it's a good choice and good way to end the summer. In total, i took no days in July and 3 in August, so i'm not guilty of taking days off all summer.  i'm not mad, at all, of the woman who said it because she didn't mean it to upset me, but she just really thinks that way just like many people do. but really to me, more when men say it, i find it rude and not understanding that we all do not have to feel / act the same as other people all the time. It's my choice to not have kids and kids shouldn't be the only excuse why someone needs to go home on time / not work OT...etc. I used to work a ton of hours, and people would feel i could stay later than everyone bc i didn't have kids...it would truly upset me to hear men talk like that around me....anyways, i'm just glad i will stay home tomrrow, after thinking that was the story all week i wasn't about to change things.

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 Good Morning!

kombucha (been drinking but haven't really used the bathroom now in almost 2 days yuck!) 60

breakfast wrap/egg/avo/coffee 350

snack: lily's sugar free dark choc 120, almonds 100

lunch: leftovers, plus possibly extra veggies from buffet - chips/fried shrimp/extra veggies 550

snack: plum / almonds 150

Before workout / During Workout: plums 100, pb on cracker 100, coffee 50 pb on cracker100, aminos 50

After Workout: bar

1950 total

6 day 1965, pretty awesome ;)

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Tonight is strength workout....i will refrain from writing more until what i have to say is finalized.

also, i have decided to stick with my typical hours as i do like waking up at a normal hour and do not need any stressors that aren't necessary. i am better right now and feel better right now with the hours i have. so keeping my schedule and not going earlier anytime soon.  maybe i'll change hours at another point, but not now.

kombucha 60

breakfast healthy wrap and coffee 350

snack: almonds 100

lunch: need to pick up a protein at buffet, but i have veggies cooked from home :) around 600 - veggies, seafood, chips.

snack: almonds / plum 100

late dinner: blueberries 180, plum 50, yogurt 170. 400. forgot the craisins 100

1700 total

5day: 1970

exercise: maybe walking of 1 mile, but nothing overdone today is a rest day / early to bed.  just commute walking, walking at lunch as usual and a mile after work.

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tonight i will prob stop at 2 places on the way home - fruit stand for plums and any other fruit that looks good as well as buying some amino protein powder of a new flavor since mine are almost used up. 

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I am contemplating changing my working hours from a start at 8:30am to a start at 7:30am! The reason is because with school starting, my commute is going to start getting longer with more traffic on the road. I KNOW i can shorten my commute if i start an hour earlier though i KNOW it will be hard for getting up so much earlier (though i realize i can get used to this again). 

I also figure that when Winter comes, it will be nice to leave work at 4pm and not 5pm and i can get started a bit earlier on my workout when i get home, too, as well as (hopefully) going to bed earlier. 

For some reason, i feel traffic will be better at laest in the morning and i'll just have to get used to leaving earlier. It means i'll be leaving home somtime between 6:30-6:40 or possibly even 6:45am to get to work by 7:30am. we'll see how that works. Currently, i have to leave a bit over an hour to get to work, but if i start earlier, it will prob just take 45min to get to work....might be worth it. i already discussed it iwth my boss who is fine with it. so i'll start this in September.

Up at 5am. I set a series of Alexa reminders for what I need to do inthe morning while I was mad at myself last night and woke up to hearing “Get your ass up and walk the pets” among other things. I’ll change the words in the reminders to be a little less verbally abusive, but loud verbal prompts really helped me get up at 5, take meds and sugar, walk the cog, take a shower and leave the house for a cup of coffee. I write this from my favorite breakfast spot where I ordered a super veggie omelette and swapped the hashbrowns for black beans, drank two glasses of water, and saved coffee for after my meal. I get 2 cups and 8 creamers but from now on I will bring some Lairds Superfood Creamer so I can have a healthier option. Those little cups of half and half have a lot of cholesterol and trans fats.

May this meal make me healthier and better able to take care of my dad.

——— Cat lovers only below this line

Major milestone walking the cat this morning. He volunteered for his harness this morning... and when my dog pooped, he pooped. He’s peed on his walks, but this was the first time pooping. I took this as a sign of him generally being more comfortable. Also, he did not pee his kitty sling. He actually looked like he enjoyed the exercise later at home... super extra communicative and chill.

Last week's average sleep - 7 hours, 22 minutes

 I went for a bike ride after work yesterday instead of cutting the grass ;)

Then I lounged on the couch for a bit, washed dishes, did some laundry, and packed my stuff up for this weekend. BF will be coming early Friday morning to pick me up and then we are on our way to Femsport.

So TODAY I need to cut the grass, LOL, and hope that it doesn't rain before I get to it!

I biked to work this morning, so i'll be staying through lunch. I have my nutrition exam I want to take today, so i'm kind of hoping my lunchbreak will be enough time to get it done...i'm not sure if that's a completely outrageous idea, but i'm giving it a try anyways. But at least at work I can close my door and have some quiet time to get through it.

It's supposed to rain most of the weekend. Femsport is an outdoor event. This should be fun.

Signed my husband and I up for the Library Chair Yoga on September 11th.  I registered him first, so as to be sure he had his seat reserved, but there's still enough room for me too, so I did it, too.

Had reservations about taking more time off, just for Chair Yoga, but being that it will be 9/11, I already know that I'm probably going to welcome anything that is positive, calming, and uplifting.  It's a difficult day.

 Cat Yoga tonight with the daughter!  I hope she likes it!  I want to introduce her to George, if he's still there.  I'm quite smitten with him.  He's orange.

Looking forward to the weekend - even though there won't be a family party.  Might go to the cinema Saturday if there is something good. Still going to log my food.  Sunday we'll go to Edinburgh to the botanic gardens - supposed to be a sunny and warm day. 

Menu:

B: soy yogurt & strawberries, tea w/soy milk

S: coconut/almond milk cappuccino, cranberry & quinoa bar

L: 6 veg salad w/liver pate & cheddar

D: veg & bean chili, tonic water

S: dry roasted peanuts

Total cals: 1102 Carbs: 57.1g

Home muscle work: doing 2 sets of 5 or 10 for most things & will work my way back up to 4 sets

Lunges & squats using dumbbells

Upper body weights - only 3kg - (shoulder injury)

Abs

Planks

thigh/bum exercises with ankle weights

Weight: Upswing to 226.3, but not stressing about it. Fasting blood sugar may have been high because of dental surgery yesterday and also I waited to check till I’d already been up a few hours and walked the cog (cat and dog), which can spike my sugar. Still, 1 foot in front of the other. I am super proud of myself for jumping out of bed and going for a walk like a productive adult... and for then going straight to the shower and then out to breakfast. I didn’t get sucked into what I used to call “The Circus”. Is it still a circus if it’s one crazy old dad and not both of your crazy old parents? Part of me feels terrible about not sticking around and making him breakfast and showing him love. The rest of me is grateful to be out and getting some daylight.... a healthy breakfast of chicken, beans, broccoli, guac, and corn tortillas... A cup of coffee while I read a book I bought at CVS yesterday called “Take Your Life Back” It is actually pretty good... It hooked me with a discussion of the older brother of the prodigal son who stayed home and did service to his father and then was angry he didn’t have the life he wanted. Food for thought.

So it's D's 71st birthday today...and his meal picks are anything but diet food.....so today....no dieting for me...although I will use some care in serving sizes.....he can mainly eat up leftovers after today...so it's fine.    The morning will be spent prepping his potato salad and cole slaw...so that will keep me busy for awhile.........They state forrestry is doing burns up here for the last 2 days...so we will be in a smoke /fog situation..........He will be taking his hounds out to do some training......most likely....so it will be a quiet day....( his phone has been ringing from his siblings all day yesterday.......and already today.....everybody knows he is up way before dawn.........He has gotten cards and lottery tickets to scratch...we really don't give each other gifts anymore because we just get what we want when we want it....it does take the shopping out of the holidays......and we give our kids/and grandkids checks...so celebrating is a bit different from the old days...and a lot more relaxed........and we like it that way.....so today will be about his favorite meal...and then doing whatever he wants......

I will be cooking...LOL

Salads are made......just waiting for him to get home from training the hounds........having a nice little break right now.....I used to really love cooking when there were so many in the house....but for just the 2 of us....i just don't do it as often...took me 2 hours to get the potato salad and cole slaw made and run the dishwasher........glad for the little rest now.

 Last week's average sleep - 7 hours, 22 minutes

The Triathlon

Swim:

Not a great start; they decided it was mandatory to wear wetsuits, and I had only practiced a couple of times with mine. Also, I was scrambling around with BF's glasses before the start, trying to find a way to get them back into transition for him (long story) so he had them for his bike ride and run, and they were calling my division into the water already! It was chaotic. I got into the water right in the nick of time, then about 200 meters into the swim, the lady next to me started hyperventilating. I stopped to stay with her until she got to a boat, and then re-started my swim, but the choppy waves kept crashing against my face every time I came up for air, and I was having major issues breathing without taking in half the lake. A kayaker noticed my distress, came up and undid the back of my wetsuit - ah, sweet relief! I managed to swim back to shore much more easily. 28 minutes. Ugh.

Bike:

After struggling to get the wetsuit off (I now officially hate wetsuits) and burping up lake water (so gross), I got my bike out of transition and started the first climb. When I was on the straight-a-ways, it was fine. I would get my breathing under control and be able to pick up some speed. I passed about four girls in my division. On the hills, I struggled. I was already so out of breath and exhausted from my efforts on the swim, I didn't have much left to get up those hills. But in the end, I didn't have a bad time for 20km - 55 minutes. It was certainly not my best time though, especially being my strongest skill for the day!

Run:

When I started the run after ditching my bike, I didn't think it was going to go well. I knew I had been struggling hard so far, and the run was my worst nightmare. Having to run 5km after a tough swim and a rolling bike - I knew i'd be on the struggle bus for the whole run. When we hit the first climb, I stopped halfway up and started walking. I grumbled to a bystander about the hills, and he said 'this isn't the only one!' which only made me even more angry. Then, I thought of my grandma and told myself that if I wasn't even going to try, I could have been spending my weekend with her instead. And that got me running again. In fact, that kept me running the entire way! I was amazed! I was doing it! This turned out to be the best run during a triathlon i've ever had, hands down! 35 minutes.

After a bit of venting about how i'm never going to do an open water swim ever again, and some serious thoughts about training - I feel I have something to prove here. I know I can do better, if the swim conditions were better. Even if I had trained for the choppy swim it would have gone better. I could do this one again, that's all i'm saying.

I've recovered quite well and was back on the bike on Monday night for a gravel ride. 20km in almost the same time as it took me during the triathlon. Which, if you were curious, means I must have either slacked pretty hard or been really sucking air from the swim. Because gravel rides are much more difficult than road rides.

And yesterday I did an upper body workout at the gym since I was in town for CPR training anyways.

Tonight the plan is to clean and cut the grass - or maybe I will do that tomorrow.

And as if that isn't enough things in a week, i'm off to FEMSPORT on Friday!

With DH's schedule change I feel so rushed. I get home and fell I need to start cooking dinner right away so we can eat before 6:00 p.m. When he is working second shift I come home and relax a little and I may or may not even get started until about 6:30-7:00 and I take my time.

Last night I was trying to make my rosemary waffle grilled cheese sandwhiches - these turned out ok. I of course ruined the first two batches with the stupid waffle iron, that I believe eventually over heated and burned out at the  These turned out pretty good, however, I would add additional flavor to the waffle.

DH gets home and we eat, he then grills some chicken for tonight's chicken alfredo the girl wanted.

And as usual, DH is falling asleep at 8:30 and he goes to bed....seriously?? This is just a little too early for me. As I sit there I decided I would go to bed early as well. I crawl in about 9:00...Big Mistake.

I was wide awake at 2:30 in the morning, like lets get up and get the day started. I tossed and turned and then when the alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. I had the worst headache. I got up with DH and ate breakfast and then ...work!

B: frosted shredded mini wheats, vanilla iced coffee

L: grilled cheese sandiwhich, banana, gold fish

S: yogurt

D: chicken alfredo with brocolli.

PHOTO OF THE DAY!

Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to log in last night.  I had planned to ride my bike, workout 100% with my weight bench, and then log in.  I was so tired that I could hardly finish the bike ride!  Went to bed early, but woke up at 2:30a ready to start the day.  That is too early, so I tossed and turned for a long time...  I must have gone back to sleep because when the alarm went off at 5am, I was so tired.  But I got up anyway, because I still wanted to start the day.  The best way to shake that sleepy feeling is to get up and get started. 

So now I have the extra time to log in here.

It would have done no good to log in and write about yesterday anyway, because it was pretty much the same as Monday.  I'm so frustrated with my boss.  He's usually out at closings, that seem to be taking longer than usual, so I'm thinking he stops and shops or goes home before coming back to the office.  When he is in the office, he doesn't want to work.  But he doesn't want to go home.  He wants to sit around and chat, joke, gossip, etc.  He almost had Male Co-Worker write his attorney letters for him yesterday!  (I realized I could have done it, but then I would have been way far behind in my work.)  And I feel bad for our clients!  They shouldn't be getting bad news from one of us - that's for the attorney to do!  That's what they're paying him for!

Monday night I did a brief run with the weight bench, just trying out different settings, without using any weights.  I was very clumsy, so I put off doing a real workout, but as I wrote above, that didn't happen last night.  I need to move around some furniture so that I have more room. Tried to do that this morning, but it's going to require more effort than I was ready to put out this morning.  Besides, then I would have had the time to write here this morning, and I really did want to check in.

Please know that if I do not write or comment, I'm still reading your entries and thinking of you all.

Anyway, speaking of clumsy, the yoga studio from last Sunday's epic is having a FREE session where all 5 (or 6) trainees are teaching one session -- I think where they are switching off during the session.  Sunday's drill sargeant yoga instructor is included (of course, as she is one of the trainees).  I decided to pass on this, because if I do decide to attend the other sessions, I would like it to be with one instructor at a time.  So I will wait for the next free instructor session in September, and decide if there will be a Chapter 2 to my Yoga Adventures.

The yoga studio owner is offering a 5-session ticket for $100 on meditation.  The sessions are 1 to 1.5 hours long...  Unfortunately, they are in the late afternoon on Sundays, and that's family dinner, and calm down time for me, before I start the workweek.  (Yes, I need that down time on Sunday, starting around dinner, to mentally prepare for Monday.  Otherwise I'm a wreck of anxiety.)

Chair Yoga for Veterans is canceled for September, so I'm going to sign the husband and myself up for the other chair yoga offered at the library.  I'll have to miss half a day, but if nobody else wants to work at work, then I think I can take some time off too.

kombucha 50

wrap and egg with avo and spices 300, coffee 50

snack almonds 100, black pepper peanuts 100 (appetite has come back!)

lunch: all leftovers/seared tuna 150 from buffet yesterday and my home cooked veggies 150 which taste very nice from last night's cooking, also avocado 100, chips 100, 50 extra.550-600

snack: almonds/plum

before exercise plum and iced coffee 100, pb on cracker 100 and another 100 and aminos 50, and more PB

1900 total 

4day 2040.

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tonight is strength routine.

Didn’t manage my muscle workout yesterday afternoon after doing a extra gym day. I’m really a morning exerciser. So this week will be off schedule - just Thursday for muscle workout because Saturday we’ll be away.

Got on the scale this morning even though I'm trying to stick to Saturdays only. Lost 1.2 lbs since Saturday. 

Menu:

• B: soy yogurt & blueberries, tea w/soy milk
• S: coconut/almond milk cappuccino, cashew and date bar
• L: 6 veg salad w/chicken & cheddar & mixed seeds, clementine
• D: curry with Quorn and mixed veggies, tonic water
• S: dry roasted peanuts

Total cals: 1346 Carbs: 56.5g

 Gym: (less energetic doing 3 days in a row - so MWF cardio and T Th Sat muscle work is ideal)

treadmill - (intervals uphill and speed) - 10 mins

elliptical - 10 mins

rowing machine - 10 mins

recumbent bike -  15 mins

Leg press (20kg) - 3 sets of 10

No weigh in today, I had dental surgery. I found the whole thing phenomenally stressful. The human body is terrifing... It shouldn’t be so easy to pop out a tooth and do things to a jaw. You think your body is solid and firm and then you get a reminder of how fragile it really is. And the office staff was like oh this is no big deal... Aaaack! I get from their perspective it isn’t... but my tooth, my jaw, my body, my life... Eek. 

Soft foods only, no cardio or inversions till monday. My goal for tonight is just to not overeat and get out to walk the pets. Monday I start living at the gym and doing all the yoga I can do on my all access pass. Beyond that... I don’t know. Just trying to put one brick in place at a time. I feel like my first brick is now in place.

Heading out to the grocery store this morning bright and early.....tomorrow is D's 71st birthday and I will pick up some of his favorites......I do feel like I may be getting over the "stocking up" thing....and I look at that now as kind of a stress reliever........I'm working on less automatic reactions...and instead dealing with things as they come up...instead of putting up that panic wall.....I did the math today...I see the food stockpiling coinsides with the earlier times of huge stress...................so it wasn't prepping for disaster as much as it was blocking my emotions about yesterdays topic I wrote about.  What started out as food stockpiling really was masking my need to avert diaster that really had nothing to do with what it looked like........I was laying in a ton of food to eat my problems away...and in that sense...it worked....I ate and ate........now.....finally seeing why.....and what the real cause was... I was just trying to cope with the overwhelming need to deal with my emotions and the realization that I couldn't change her and the necessity of removing her from our house for our own safety.........( we turned her back into the court system and they placed her back with her birth mother because they couldn't find anyone else within the foster care system that would take her).........that didn't last...she just ran away.....and got emancipated...so that ended all of everyones responsibility across the board. 

So.......while I was telling myself to stockpile to avert disaster.......I was just drowning my sorrows in food....well...look how that worked out!!! 

Now......I still deal with the stockpile......the good and healthy...and the bad and just plain unhealthy yet tempting.........LOL.....I can do this...because now I truly KNOW WHY.......

EDIT

Went to a store almost an hour away to get groceries for D's birthday tomorrow.

Leaving the forrest is always an adventure........gas tank filled?  Tires ok?  Phone charged.......bathroom first.......I saw two homes on the way there that I was determined to get pictures of on my way back...and then I couldn'r find them again.... Next time!!!

1 had signs all acrossed the front yard telling specific people where to park.....LOL...apparently someone keeps blocking Dad in....LOL

The other one had a sign out front proclaining it KOSY KOTTAGE.......and there was STUFF EVERYWHERE!!!!  Stuff covered the entire yard....decorative stuff....stuff hanging from trees. faded stuff....car parts....I have no idea how they manage to mow the few grass patches.......but it is their KOSY KOTTAGE and I want a picture to remember it by...it reminds me of a place down state that has covered their entire front yard with mirrors...all standing up or hanging from trees.......somehow when you look at it you feel like you have traveled to another dimension.....I want pictures!!!   Next time for sure!

The shopping trip was a success...much bigger store than we have here...and I was able to get 2 single serving little cakes...perfect.......and the other favorites for the dinner......and they had there there...i had seen them online but never in our store...well...i guess i have to out of the forrest to get this stuff......

They are sweet and delicious.