2/28/10

Day 51: 6193

So much for not falling behind any more than I already have! The rain is getting really tiresome and now I'm almost a full day behind. Poop.

2/27/10

Day 50: 10,504

Not quite 16,324 steps, but I'll take what I can get. The rain has rolled in, so the weekend won't be easy. I really don't want to fall behind too much.

2/26/10

Day 46 - 49

I am not loving my poor blogging habits right now. I'm also having a hard time getting back into a good rhythm with my workouts. The weather is hit and miss, as is my energy and attention. I think I've been a little depressed lately. Spring is almost here and I'm 6324 steps behind.

Day 46 - 7388 (I took Ginger for a walk and then went to take my car to the fabric store only to find it had been broken into. Nice.)
Day 47 - 11,792
Day 48 - 14,852
Day 49 - 9129

Day 50, I've got you in my sights! Is 16,324 an unreasonable one-day goal?

2/21/10

Day 41-45 - 34,459

It's been a little more than a week since Ginger's emergency. She came home on Monday night in very good spirits with a lot of medication. She was sluggish for a few days and the vet said to take it easy on her, which was tough. Every time I want for my tennis shoes or moved her leash, she was sure she was going out and I didn't feel good going out without her-- I was still worried she'd fall over dead if I wasn't in the same room with her. I forgot to put my pedometer on for a few days but I tried. All in all, I missed two days and I'm now 9485 steps behind. I think this is as honest as I can calculate it.

Day 41 - 3204 (Totally not back in the swing of things.)
Day 42 - 5829 (We walked two blocks and I could see Ginger starting to droop and pant too much, so home we went.)
Day 43 - 11,895 (This was the first day Ginger was able to go on a 30 minute walk.)
Day 44 - 3891 (Rain, rain, rain.)
Day 45 - 9640 (This was the first day we went walking for an hour and she really seemed back to normal.)

So, it's time to get back to it in earnest, with my little buddy at my heals.

2/16/10

Back in business tomorrow...

This weekend was awful and exercise was the absolute last thing on my mind. Ginger is now home (she's napping on her favorite pillow as I type) and I'm looking forward to life getting back to normal.

2/14/10

Day 40 - 0

The pedometer did not go on, Ginger got into some Advil (which was entirely my fault) and was whisked away to the emergency animal hospital, where the workers are extremely kind and happy to talk with us, even at 2 in the morning. Ginger is going well so far and seems to have charmed the staff completely. We are hopeful that she will pull through this just fine and the only long-term damage will be to our credit card.

I'm alternating between guilt and acceptance and anger with myself like some kind of crappy oscillating fan. My carelessness (I left my purse open on the couch with the medication inside) hurt a creature I promised to protect. I'm feeling the need to change who I am and how I behave so that things like this never happen again but how this feeling translates into practical life application is something I need to figure out and soon.

2/13/10

Day 39: 20,158

Holy moley. 12 hours of Disneyland and California Adventure. My dogs, they bark.

2/12/10

Day 38: 10,431

I am so ready to be working again! Most days feel the same-- get up, make coffee, make Patrick's lunch, do a little computer work, clean house, walk the dog, do the dishes, make dinner, watch TV, go to bed, get up, do it again. When you're not bringing in any money, you can't go out and amuse yourself with a long lunch in a restaurant or an afternoon movie.

2/11/10

Day 37: 14,664

Yesterday was tough. Ginger and I went for a long walk in the morning and on our way home, we found a small dog, off its leash with no tags and no owner. I went around to various homes and did not find the owner, though I did find out where the dog probably lived. I was at a loss of what to do, so after knocking on doors, I tucked the dog under my arm and carried it home. I put it in the backyard, then took a note back to the house where the dog lived, telling them to call me. An hour later, the dog escaped from our yard through some means even I can't figure out. I searched for the pup but to no avail. I was told my some men working on a nearby property that he ran off in the direction where I had found him. I walked back to the house where I'd left the note, changed it, and walked home, feeling depressed. People, put tags on your dogs!

2/10/10

Day 36: 6939

I took Ginger out early, hoping to beat the rain, but we were only one block from home when fat droplets started falling. I tried working out with the Wii but felt bored as bored could be. At this point, I am only 803 steps ahead, which is kind of nice. Too much of a surplus makes me feel like it's okay to slack off, which isn't good in the long term.

2/9/10

Day 35: 9492

I'm getting old. Three beers = hangover. So not fair.

2/8/10

Day 34: 13,043

GEAUX SAINTS! And go me, for having the good sense to walk Ginger early and long.

2/7/10

Day 33: 7126

I spent the day working at a funeral and then a baby shower. A strange combo. I wore a dress I haven't worn in about 3 months and my waist looked so much smaller in it than it had before. I was thrilled!

This is going to be the last day of my "slacking". I don't want to get behind! Still 1329 steps ahead.

2/6/10

Day 32: 5144

Another low-step day, though I was on my feet for most of it, doing to baking for a baby shower and the Super Bowl. My friend Cori and I made cheese biscuits, truffles, muffaletta bread and king cake. It was also raining like crazy. Still 4203 steps ahead!

2/5/10

Day 31: 6365

My feet hurt. My toes hurt. My back hurt. I was tired. I needed to take it easy.



Even taking it easy, I managed to move more than I used to on a regular day before starting this experiment. I'm still 9059 steps ahead!

2/4/10

Day 30: 13,679

Wowie, I am on a streak! Patrick had to start his day at 6 a.m., so that's when I started mine too. Getting up early is never fun but it makes the day seem so much longer and full of possibilities. I took Ginger for her walk early, then came home and (while working on other things here and there) gave the kitchen an insane deep cleaning. It's amazing how many steps you can earn while staying in pretty much one room.

I'm 30% to my goal and have walked 312,694 steps in the last 30 days. I am 12,694 steps ahead of my goal-- more than an entire day!

2/3/10

Day 29: 10,948

I thought for sure I would have a do-nothing day after my record-setting day but walking around the neighborhood and picking up dinner on foot took care of my steps for the day.

I think a lot about what I'm doing here and I feel pretty good and like things are changing for me. I've always been the girl who prefers a book and a basketball. I've never liked to exercise but this is something I can do and something I want to do. I know people think of walking as "old people exercise" but if it's something I enjoy and actually do, who cares?

2/2/10

Day 28: 15,710

My energy finally came back to me! I spent the morning cleaning the house and the afternoon taking the dog for a mega-walk. I felt fantastic and could have walked for another hour but the dog was starting to fade. After dropping her off at home, I walked to the grocery store and came back carrying what was probably 20 pounds of stuff. Great day. And I'm now 8067 ahead.

2/1/10

Day 27: 8441

It was gorgeous out and Ginger was very well behaved but I didn't have a ton of energy or drive. We still went for a little walk and there was a gorgeous tree, full of flowers, that I stood underneath and just felt the sun on my shoulders while listening to the buzz of the bees overhead. I'll try and get a picture of it.

I need to stop slacking before I find myself falling behind again! I'm still 2357 steps ahead.