Took the Bike for a Spin Today

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. after our 5.2 km walk/run

My bike, ready for shopping.

What a great day for moving! Not the furniture, house moving kind but rather our muscles. My husband and I started our morning with a 5.2 km walk/run with the dog. When we got to the rugby pitch I started my run around the field (500 m). To my surprise my husband started to run as well. For those of you who know K, this is somewhat surprising and not because he’s just finished all his chemo rounds.

A little background on my husband: Shortly after we were married K decided to start running again. When in high school he was a very good cross country runner and in fact he was the team. He always had to go to meets on his own and place himself amongst runners from another school.

He quickly found his stride again and decided to join a running club. To make a long story short K literally became a world class runner and was ranked 8th in Canada in the marathon. After a number of years of packing up the kids to go to races and running 110 miles a week in training K decided to make his family and job his priority and he stopped racing.

He continued to run a little bit but he obtained a knee injury and the running stopped. Periodically he would go out and give it another try but the pain always returned.

Over the years as happens with so many of us K put on weight and lost touch with the running community.

At the moment K is on a fitness kick and works out every other day with weights and walks everyday with the dog. Until yesterday I didn’t know that he was slowly starting to run again. Of course he couldn’t stay with me, he had to run ahead of me (I don’t blame him, I’m so slow).

I decided to make a game of it and was determined that in my 4 laps I wasn’t going to let him lap me. When I started my 4th lap K was well into his 5th lap but he hadn’t passed me. I could feel him gaining ground on me near the end of my 4th lap and I don’t know where I found the energy but I put on a mini burst and finished before he could pass me.

When we got home we decided to get out the bikes, rather than get in the car and run a few errands in the neighbourhood. I loved it. We cycled several blocks to a house where the owner was selling fruit from his driveway and we bought so much we had to cycle home to drop it off. Then we cycled up to the main drag and did more shopping and browsing and before we headed home (we took the long way) we stopped and had a coffee at the local Portuguese bakery. From the picture you can see that K enjoyed a sweet with his coffee and I shared a slice of vegetarian pizza with him.

Upon returning home I went to the computer to track how far we had walked and ridden our bikes. Much to K’s surprise we covered 5.5 km with the bikes. Not bad for the first time on the bike this summer.

Later in the day I drove downtown and picked up my girlfriend, D, and we went to our friend, M’s birthday party. We decide to eat before the party and stopped at a cute little Vietnamese restaurant where we shared 2 dishes and 2 fresh rolls. We drank clear tea and didn’t have dessert. I knew that the scale might show an increase because I tend to retain water after eating Asian food. Sure enough I was up 1/2 pound this morning but I was down 1 yesterday so I’m still going down.

At the party I literally had 1 shrimp, 2 pieces of cheese and drank water. I even passed on birthday cake. Feeling good about my food decisions. I have another party this afternoon at my daughter’s house but I’m confident that the food won’t be an issue.

Have to get ready to go. I’m literally sitting here in a towel as I write this. TMI??

Holding Steady at 25

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. still down 25 pounds but experimenting with new foods is stalling my weight loss

I feel great, my clothes are looser and my size 16 pants are baggy around my waist but I’m learning that certain foods, even in moderation, stop or slow down my weight loss. Those foods that I need to avoid or limit even more are sweet potatoes, potatoes, nuts and dried fruit and pork products.

I have started running again and went out 2 days in a row while up at the cottage. I was all set to run again this morning but I took too long getting ready and as I was leaving the house, K returned with the dog from their walk and we had to get ready to go to the hospital for K’s follow-up check-up. On that front I’m happy to report that he’s doing well and the doctor’s only concern was his need for some vitamin supplements.

Later in the day it got too warm to run and frankly I was exhausted and fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon. I have to admit that I was disappointed that I didn’t lose more weight over the last 5 days, especially after all the exercise I did but I wasn’t completely surprised either. I do get very involved with my summer reading and even though I walk, run, swim and rake the grounds, I also am very stationary for hours at a time while I get lost in my books.

The last book that I finished was recommended by my good friend, B. I had a hard time getting into it but I couldn’t put it down either. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman is set in modern day London, England and is written in the voice of a 12 year old boy from Ghana who witnesses the murder on a young boy in his neighbourhood. Together with his friends he tries to gather evidence for the police while at the same time avoiding the bullies and the pressure to join a gang. The language is colourful and at times difficult to understand. The book is often compared to Room in it’s writing style. The author combines humour with the harsh realities of living in a new country in a state of poverty. At times the story is endearing but disturbing and funny but sad. I would rate this book 3 out of 5.

My Abundant City Garden

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….lost all track of time while I worked in the garden yesterday and my plans to head up to the cottage vaporized

I love the garden but it is a huge commitment and requires love, care and TIME.

I had packed my clothes, shopped for the necessities to bring back to the cottage BUT I needed to do one more little thing in the garden before I left…..

Well that ‘one little thing’ turned into many little things and before I knew it I was on a roll and couldn’t stop. It felt good to tidy up the weeds, trim the hedge (again!), cut the grass and pick the ‘fruits of our labour’. That evening I sat outside with my husband enjoying a lovely dinner of grilled vegetables and salmon fillets. Looking over the garden from our deck gave me a great deal of satisfaction and a feeling of pride.

This morning I walked around the garden and took pictures of the flowers and some of the vegetables that will be ready for harvesting in the coming weeks. If you remember my post from May where I showed you the beginnings of this garden I think you’ll agree that it’s come a long way. NOT BAD for a garden in the middle of Toronto.

Raised vegetable bed, ready for planting, May 21, 2012

My Garden in the Morning, July 22, 2012

Down 2 1/2 More Pounds

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. was hoping for 1 or 2 but that extra 1/2 is definitely a bonus

After being at the cottage for 5 days I took a leisurely trip home and stopped at numerous places that I usually pass by because I’m in a hurry to catch a ferry or get to an appointment in the city. I checked out several stores in downtown Midland and made a stop over at the outlet mall off the 400 (used to be called the Cookstown Mall).

In Midland I tried on some designer clothes, very funky and fun and ‘on sale’. Such a treat to put on an XL and find it too big. Unfortunately the dress didn’t come in a large and I thought I would be pushing it if I went for a medium. I’ll go back at the end of the summer and try on the smaller sizes after I’m down another 10 pounds.

The last 3 pairs of pants/shorts that I’ve bought have all been size 16. I thought I was doomed to always wear a size 18/20 when it came to pants because that’s where I carry most of my weight. My next goal is size 14.

At the outlet centre I treated myself to 2 new pairs of sandals. I need to go through my closet at home and start throwing away some of my older shoes that I haven’t worn in awhile.

When I got home last night, K was prepping for his colonoscopy so I quietly warmed up chicken I had pre-cooked the day before and arranged it on a plate with raw vegetables and dip and sat on the deck and enjoyed my dinner by myself.

We got up early this morning and as usual when I’m home I got on the scale and was thrilled to have lost 2 1/2 more pounds. I’m down a total of 25 1/2 pounds. If I keep going at this rate I might be very close to reaching my next goal by my birthday on August 28th. By the way I finally got an appointment for a complete physical. The first available date was August 28th. I’m not thrilled to be spending part of my big day at the doctor’s but the next appointment was on the first day of school. No one takes the ‘first day of school’ off, ever!

Now that I’m feeling better I’ve started to think about running again. I think I need another race to motivate me. I’m going to look into what’s happening in September on the running circuit. If I had someone to run with me it would be even better. Any takers out there?

Cheers!

New Sandals

A New Haircut and a New Lease on Life

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. at least that’s how I feel tonight

I came back from the cottage yesterday so that I could get my hair cut. I went into school this morning and managed to clear away all my ‘stuff’ so that the caretakers can clean my room. Well I guess it’s not ‘my’ room anymore.

I’ll probably go back next week to sort through some more papers and move some of my things to the library. I could leave it for the week before school starts but I think it’ll be too big a job and then I’ll start the school year tired and not refreshed. I have to come back to the city next week anyway to drive K to his doctor’s appointment.

I stayed at school until 3:00 and then I went home, showered and drove downtown for my hair appointment. After listening to the radio I thought I would be spending time in traffic but I actually got to the appointment early. They took me right away and in the next 45 minutes Dee did her magic and gave me a new hair style.

I called K and told him we needed a date night. We ended up going to a restaurant we hadn’t been to in almost 2 years. The owner recognized me right away and I brought him up to date on K’s health while I waited for him to join me. The restaurant has undergone a few changes, one of them being that Tony no longer does the cooking. He has hired a new chef who is passionate about good old fashion Italian cooking.

We had a great meal. I had the baked bass and a Mediterranean salad. I have to admit that I did have one glass of white wine. While there a young family came in and sat at the table next to us. The woman recognized me from when I taught at Hilltop. I was her Family Studies teacher and taught her how to sew and cook. Her partner and K had a long discussion about soccer.

It was a perfect evening and I felt like a princess. I’ve decided to use the picture that was taken at the hair salon as my first official ‘after’ picture. As I write this I’m not sure what I’m going to use as my ‘before’ picture but anything that was taken in the last 3 years will do the job.

Before After

Friday, July 13, 2012 – 23 pounds lighter. Who said Friday the 13th is unlucky?

Cheers!

17 More

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. only down 1 1/2 pounds in 10 days

I don’t have a scale at the cottage. I was anxious to weigh myself this morning. My weight has been fluctuating up and down; a pound up, 1/2 pound down, etc.. Before I left for the cottage my weight had levelled out and I was were I was on the July 3rd.

So in actual fact I’ve lost another 1 1/2 pounds since Sunday. The good news is I’m down a total of 23 pounds and weigh less than I have in over 4 years.

It’s going to be a scorcher today. I’ll probably sweat off another pound at school trying to finish cleaning my room. Keep you posted.

Cheers

Morning at the Cottage….coffee, views of the beach and a ladybug

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….morning is my favourite time at the cottage

Sleep! I sleep so well at the cottage. I think it has to do with the darkness, the silence and the fresh air. I rarely stay up past 11:00 and I sleep soundly for 8 to 10 hours.

I love mornings. I make coffee, prepare a simple breakfast of cereal and berries, sit in the sun on my deck and leisurely enjoy eating my morning meal, all while I’m still in my pyjamas. Often I read a good book and relax with a second cup of coffee.

Currently I’m rereading Half Blood Blues. I’m pretty sure I didn’t finish it the first time. Most of the ladies in the book club really liked this book. I’m giving it another go. Much better, so far.

Everyday since Sunday I’ve been walking along the back road or on the beach. Today I decided to go for a long swim. I can honestly say that I have never had such a great swim and it’s the longest distance I’ve ever covered. The conditions were perfect.

I look forward to going back on Saturday. I’m sharing some of the views I see when I’m on the beach at the end of our road. The beach looks out over the north bay of the island. It was an exceptionally beautiful morning and as usual it was quiet and under used. Weekends is another story.

Normally this thorny thistle is an unusual and somewhat unwelcome addition to a sandy beach; however, upon closer inspection I discovered a lovely little ladybug nestled on one of its spiny branches.

Off to the Wilderness

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….makes me laugh when I say it because there’s more wildlife here in the city than at my cottage!

We don’t have these at the cottage!

I won’t be posting for a several days because I have no access to electricity. There is electricity on the island just not at my cottage. If K has his way there will never be electricity in our cottage unless we invest in a renewable energy source. More on that another time.

I’ll be at the cottage by myself. I’m hoping I’ll have time to reflect, re-energize and refocus on my weight loss goals. I’m holding steady at my 20 pounds plus weight loss but I need to move forward for the next 20 pounds. Long walks/runs on the beach, swimming, raking the lot and cleaning the cottage should help with the fitness goals. I’m bringing my kettle bell as well.

Cooking for myself and not worrying about other people’s dietary needs is helpful as well. The only problem is I tend to forget the time up there and eat at odd hours. I’ll be fine as long as I get in my three meals before it gets dark. I also have to make a concerted effort to stay hydrated. The spring water we draw from is excellent but it wasn’t working when I opened the cottage last weekend so I’ll be bringing large bottles of water just in case.

I do have a phone at the cottage and a battery powered radio so I’m not completely isolated from the rest of the world. And before you think I’m living the life of a hermit I do have neighbours and there’s always someone close by.

I need to get a move on. I still have to buy the water and propane to run the fridge and BBQ. Looking forward to a few days of R&R.

Cheers!

The Heat, the News, my Classroom

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Mama Cormier

.…. it’s all getting me down

I’m not used to being in the city this long at the beginning of the summer. I forgot how much the heat keeps me from moving. That depresses me. My classroom is taking much longer to clean than I planned on. That depresses me. The news about teachers is all bad and once again the ‘hate on’ for teachers has begun. That depresses me.

I worked in my classroom for about 4 hours today. We’ve hit record breaking temperatures again and my classroom is situated on the south side of the school and we don’t have air conditioning. I need to clear away as much as I can so that the caretakers can come in and clean the room. I’m feeling the pressure and I couldn’t get it all done today. I need to go back. Sigh!

When I got home today I was so exhausted from the heat that I fell asleep. I need to exercise and I can’t find the motivation or the energy to do it. A few degrees cooler would help.

Our teacher’s contract is up at the end of the summer and for months we’ve been hearing the word “strike”. The provincial government has basically come in and told us that there would be a pay freeze for two years. Most teachers are not upset about that. It’s all the other things that they want to take away that took years to negotiate that upsets teachers. What’s the point of collective bargaining if the government can step in and do whatever they want without any consultation or ratification? The school board hasn’t even gotten involved yet and they’re typically who we bargain with.

Of course the media makes the teachers look bad and all the teacher haters come out of the woodwork. It’s always the same old arguments. Teachers get 3 months paid vacation (we get paid for 10 months of the year), they have a great pension (which we pay heavily into) and they only work 6 hours a day (too bad they don’t see the hours after school and on the weekend that most of us put in).

Retirement is looking better all the time but I love teaching and I’m not ready to let it go.

The Cottage is Open!

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. very little evidence of mice or water damage.

Every year I dread opening the cottage because I don’t know what lies before me. In years past I’ve had coolers full of water and dead floating mice or acorns strewn all over the place because squirrels had inhabited the place over the winter.

For that reason I don’t like going up by myself to open the cottage. Since June was so incredibly busy at school and with my aunt being in the hospital, I didn’t have a chance to get to the cottage earlier this year.

My good friend L, drove up with me on Saturday. I picked her up before 9:00 in the morning and we arrived at the ferry dock by 11:00. The drive across the island was uneventful and we saw little evidence of new cottages going up. The lot next to ours has been leased for 3 years now but building hasn’t started.

The outside of the cottage looked fine. The lot needs to be racked and a few branches need to be cleared from the winter fall out. After we removed the plywood that covers our main door we carefully entered cottage. Surprise! It was exactly as we had left it. There was very little evidence of mice. I forgot that we left cloves all over the place so initially I didn’t know what I was looking at. Apparently rodents don’t like cloves and will avoid the areas where they’ve been left out.

I think some water may have come in after the snow melted off the roof but the bowls and coolers that we left out were empty. So far I’ve found no dead anything. L and I moved the propane fridge outside (I don’t trust it), set up the BBQ, emptied the water barrel, swept the deck and the outhouse and took all the cushions out of the plastic garbage bags and set up the couch.

When we had finished all of this we had a nice picnic lunch on the deck and then we headed for the beach for a nice swim. The weather has been so warm this spring and especially in the last 2 weeks that the water was actually swimmable. Georgian Bay is such a large body of water that most people don’t go swimming until August because it usually takes that long to warm up.Yesterday the water was refreshing and a nice break from the sweltering heat. It was difficult to pack up and leave.

Did I tell you that we only went up for the day. We caught the 4:00 ferry back to the mainland and drove back to Toronto so that we could attend our book club meeting.

A Moveable Feast: the Restored Edition

The book that we were discussing was Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. Most members in the club hated the book and rated it very poorly. L and I, on the other hand quite liked the book and had a completely different perspective. As it turns out, the two of us read the restored edition that was published in 2009. This new edition had new chapters added, chapters moved around and sections of the book were replaced with Hemingway’s original drafts that the editors in the past had changed.

This restored edition is apparently how Hemingway wanted the book published. During our discussion it became clear that the two books are considerably different or at least different enough to give the reader a completely different perspective on the man himself. L and I quite liked the Hemmingway we read about and the rest of the group despised him.

Earlier in the year we read The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. I loved the connections I could make between the two books. McLain’s book is historical fiction and based on Hadley’s and Hemingway’s marriage and life together in Paris. In the restored addition of A Moveable Feast, it was abundantly clear that Hemingway truly loved Hadley. The group that had read the original version did not share the same conclusion.

I rated the restored addition of A Moveable Feast 3 1/2 out of 5.