Baby It's Cold Outside!

OMG a blog about the weather, zzz...zzz...zzz. Possibly all of you but my mother should just switch the station right now!

Seattle has been abnormally cold the last week or so, but I've been surprised at how well we (the we in this house, the rest of seattle is bitching and and moaning and whining) have held up! I mean, I will be ready for it to warm up a bit, but I have not been as cold as I expected to be, let's look.

Dog Walks: Yes, I am out twice a day no matter how cold. In fact, it's been so bright and sunny that Otto can't believe it's not warm out and asks to go out more then usual. But, I seem to have the dog walk outfit nailed!  Typically the outfit involves at least 3 base layers (long sleeve shirt, warm workout type long sleeve layer, sweatshirt or sweater). Then I put on a light weight down coat, then a second extra puffy, extra old, very dirty, held together with duck tape (literally) down coat. The down on down puffy look is not only extra fashionable (the michelin man look is fashionable, right?) but cosy. This is all topped off with the piece de resistance.........

Faux fur, faux leather but not faux cosy!

Hanging at home: To all the naysayers, yes, I have the heat on, but my house is 105 years old! It doesn't hold the heat as well as it might. The kitchen is best. Fuzzy socks and the lightweight down coat are key. Gloves and hats don't seem to be necessary! (Note the three base layer/lightweight down coat combo does not leave my body unless I have to do something social. Occasionally, the bottom two base layers get changed!)

Sleeping: Talk about having it nailed, I have the perfect sleep coccoon - sheet, 3 blankets, lightweight down blanket, topped off with (again piece de resistance and key to the whole thing) down sleeping bag!  With this configuration, I can start the night with t-shirt and no socks! (I hate hate hate having things on my legs at night, when I start off with socks and pajamas, I don't sleep well).  Unfortunately, the house itself isn't doing so well. The heat comes on continually all night long which isn't doing much for my sleep.

Daisy: The morning after the first cold night, I had my bedroom doors closed (I can't leave the bedroom open when I'm at work because Otto will wreak havoc in there). Daisy stood outside my bedroom door yowling and yowling (usually she just curls up on the couch). So, I pulled the sleeping bag out of the bedroom, wrapped her in it on the couch  - she hadn't moved when I got home.

Daisy loves her sleeping bag.

Otto: Otto could care less. He walks outside with bare feet and no coat. He hangs out in the yard. He sleeps in the living room (even though he's invited to share the sleeping bag with me and Daisy). And the car, there have been a couple times I have had to leave him in the car for an hour or so. And I've felt super guilty. I've been leaving the puffy down coat for him to curl up in, but he never uses it!  And, in addition to all this, he's shedding. For real, he just started shedding a ton!

Otto sunbathing yesterday, 25 degrees, (I couldn't even go outside to take the picture).

But now we have the big challenge........

Bike Ride: I rode my bike to work monday and tuesday last week, but that was before it dropped below freezing. Since then I have happily taken the train. However, tomorrow if I want to go to the gym in the morning, I have to ride. I think I'm okay for clothes, but my hands GET SO COLD that it is insanely painful. But, I have seen pictures of my cyclocross friends riding in zero degree weather all weekend, so I don't want to be a wimp. I just dug this up, it's been in my house for years. I've got my fingers crossed that it makes the ride bearable.....

If it doesn't work, maybe I can try this!

Happy Winter Everyone stay warm!

Puppies and Such

I have gotten to the point that pretty much all I do when I have a day off is cook. I cook and clean and cook and clean and cook and clean. It is a never ending cycling of generating lots of very dirty dishes. Then wash. Then repeat. And it takes a lot of time. I wonder what I might accomplish if I didn't spend all my time cooking.

Anyhow, that's just a little aside. This exciting week - most of which I had off - has gone by in a whirl. The week started out with a little, sort of, vacation. I worked monday, but I went and hung out with Penny.

Oopsie, where is the nose.

As exhibited in this photo, Penny was just about to pop out some puppies. Her mom wanted someone there in case it happened while she wasn't at home. So I lugged over my computer (not a laptop) and Otto and I hung out with Penny for the day. I (sort of) worked and Penny and Otto sat around and looked cute. Penny did not have puppies, at least not on Monday.

There was a lot of this going on!

Penny did have puppies on Wednesday early am and on Thursday I got to hang out! Be prepared for major cuteness.

I can't even think of funny captions, they are so stinking cute, who can do anything but say 'ahhhh'.

The rest of the week has been a blur of food. I cooked a bunch of new stuff this week. And it was all extra tasty. Let's take a stroll through the menu.

Veggie mash, aka I ate a parsnip!  What's up with parsnips?  I am pretty sure I have never eaten one before this week. They look difficult. And not necessarily tasty in any way. However, I saw a recipe for autumn veggie mash and thought, parsnip why not. It actually included parsnips, carrots, cauliflower and roasted garlic. AND was super easy. AND was extra tasty. AND, it's possible I made a lot!

Mash 

Look how cute, pumpkins now come in boxes!

Art shot

I also made much too much pumpkin pie. I took one to thanksgiving and ended up being the only person who likes pumpkin pie. Hmm. I also decided that the main reason I like pumpkin pie is the whip cream. Must remember to make whip cream next year.

Pre party piece, whoops! How gauche. 

And can I mention that the worst thing about making pies to take to a party, is that you can't taste them! If you make cookies, you can just eat one (or two) and no one will know. But if you have a piece of pie, whoops, you suddenly are the person with zero self control!

Taj Mahal chicken. OMG. I may or my not have mentioned that my favorite cook book writer just came out with her second cookbook (Well Fed 2, if you haven't bought it, or the original Well Fed, do so immediately your taste buds will be so happy, I promise). I have been slowly making my way through some of the new recipes. Her recipes sometimes seem super wacky, like she was just making shit up. For example, the above pictured chicken has applesauce in it? I mean what's up with that? It also called for 1 and only 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. I usually avoid such recipes because then I'm left with a lot of tomato paste!  But I jumped in despite these recipe quirks and let me mention that is is one of the more amazing dishes I have had recently............. SO GOOD!!!! Particularly when it tops her coconut cauliflower, which is her version of sticky rice.

Which brings me to this. Zucchini soup. Let me go on the record stating that I hate zucchini. I think it's worthless. It tastes bland. It grows too abundantly (meaning everyone keeps wanting to give you some, even though you don't want it). I don't cook it. I don't put it in salads. And I certainly don't put it in my garden. Well, lately I have been getting tired of my beef broth. I make it, then have to force myself to drink it, because I know it's extra good for me. Well, my favorite cook book writer, Melissa Joulwan (see above, Well Fed), has a zucchini soup in her new book. (It's actually called silky gingered zucchini soup.) And, well, I trust her. So my bored of broth self decided to whip up a batch of soup, even though it was zucchini soup. I was super dubious the entire time it was cooking, because it just looked like a bunch of broth with stupid zucchini pieces floating in it, but OMG, extra tasty. It's all creamy, as if it has a whole bunch of, well, cream in it, but it's just zucchini and a few spices and broth.  

And finally, let me leave you with some cuteness, a down coat on the floor makes for the perfect bed when your mom is sitting close by typing a blog.......

Meow!

Week in Review

Well, I may have lost all my viewers, but I did promise a new blog so I'd better step up. Of course, there is the issue that I don't actually have anything to blog about. So, I thought I'd give you the top 10 3 things on my mind this week (i'll stop at 3 because I seem to be going on and on). I doubt these are in any order. And they may not include the major work things on my mind, because those are extra boring!

1. Puppies!!! Regular and attentive readers of my blog will remember penny. She has visited a few times. Well, she went and got herself knocked up!  AND she's having puppies next week!  And I'm on the on call midwife if her mom is at work when she goes into labor. Ack. So Monday, if Penny has puppies, we're doing it together! (at least then I'll have a real topic for a blog).

pregnant penny

Penny as a puppy herself!

2. Back squats!  Every Monday at my gym we do back squats (usually 3 sets of 5 reps). And every monday we add 1k weight to the previous week's weight (that's 2.2 pounds). Unless, of course, one wasn't successful the previous week, and then you don't go up at all. And then at some point, after you've gone up and up and up and up and the weight gets so insanely heavy that you think you're going to die and you lose sleep sunday night because you're so worried about lifting on Monday AND, even more importantly, it gets heavy enough that your form goes to shit, after all that, you drop down to practice your form and start all over again. (Yes, I am sure that is a run on sentence, so sorry.) Anyhow, for the last, I don't know how long, I've been struggling with a hamstring injury. With this injury, I lost the ability to squat anything over 88K. Every time I'd try 89K (that's 195.8 pounds for those of you arithmatically challenged), my brain would explode!  I'd whine and moan and get extra miserable. There'd be lots of drama and at some point I'd drop the weight mid squat (ie drop on the floor because my brain would decide I couldn't possibly stand up).

So anyhow, this week I hit 89 again and, as you can imagine, I've been extra worried. BUT, it was easy!!!  I don't know how it happened. But it was very very exciting.

Of course, tomorrow is 90K.............

My guess is that is only slightly more than 89K

3. COLD!!  As in it got cold and I'm not ready to spent the next 3 months cold!  Some people don't seem to get cold. They live in super warm houses. Then walk quickly to their cars with spiffy heaters. Only to sit at a toasty desk. Etc etc. They wear light coats and look all cute stylie. But me, maybe I just spent too much time outside (bike rides to work, at the gym - which might as well be outside, walking the dog etc), but starting about now, I feel like i'm cold for the duration. Or, if I'm not cold all the time, then I'm on the verge. Or will be cold if I leave my kitchen (the warmest room in the house). (And yes people, I do turn the heat on in my house, it's on right now!)

And forget stylie. I'll spend 3 months looking like I woke up and layered 20 layers of sweat items on top of my sleep wear (hmmm, wonder why?).

And hats? Some people put on hat and look chic. I hate hats. And they hate me as well. Not to mention the hair issue they cause. (Probably another reason I'm cold - not a big scarf fan either.)

Or how about fingers and toes. I think my fingers and toes will be in pain every time I go outside between now and February! (and yes I do wear gloves and warm socks)

So, since it has gotten cold* this week, I have started dreading the rest of the winter. And it's been on my mind. A lot.

*disclaimer. I fully understand that on a relative basis it is not actually cold in Seattle at the moment, but whatever, it's what my body knows, so I say COLD!

This is me in my sleepwear + added layers. Sexy.

And one more note, I wanted to make a special call out to Jay, who made me realize I could change the battery in my car key without doing serious damage. It seemed like a big deal.

We Must Rectify This Situation

OMG. Where have the blogs gone?  I have hit a serious dry spell. And it's so sad. I just went back and reviewed two blogs I wrote around thanksgiving time last year and they are SO FUNNY!! (Thanksgiving and Whiny injury blog). How is it that I am depriving the world of this entertainment? Shoot, how is it that I am depriving myself of this entertainment? Yes, work has taken over my life and my brain and left my incapable of focusing on anything else (or at least incapable of using my brain for anything else).  But that's lame and it's just stupid because work is just a tiny piece of life and should be kept in the sidelines as much as possible.  (Why is it that people in this country don't buy into that idea? Sure it's good and rewarding and all that to have a job, but it's not a life!)

Anyhoo, I will try to rectify the situation this weekend with a fascinating blog. If I can come up with a topic (I think that is the other issue, sometimes there isn't a damn thing to write about). But, I will do my best to keep us all entertained during these dreary winter months!

And I'll leave you with some Daisy cuteness, curled up in front of the heat register! It's her new home, on the floor in the kitchen.

And maybe I will also leave you with the fact that there is a very large, very slow flying fly in my house. And every minute or two it whips by my face. And if I go to another room, it whips by my face in that room. AND it won't land anywhere so I can't kill it. Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz.......

Arghhhhhh.

And goodnight.

Z-Z-Z-Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z

I know it's a bit strange to be extra excited about sleeping until 5, but that was me this morning! Factoring in the demise of daylight saving time and the fact I went to bed at 9ish, that means I GOT OVER 8 HOURS OF SLEEP!  (BTW, I just learned it is saving time and not savings time, who knew and who gets it right??)

These last two weeks at work have been stupid. The project I'm working on went into overload and suddenly many people had many endless questions for me, each question more challenging to answer than the last. Each question requiring me to look in more places for the answer. Each question being extra confusing. AND, not only that, but it seems that the answer to each question needed to be found yesterday. All in all, this left me with endless brain swirl and detail juggle. Unfortunately, brain swirl and detail juggle doesn't just switch off when one goes to sleep - at least not for long. Even if I could switch off when I first went to sleep, it would switch back on sometime between 1 and 4 in the morning. And then I'd be awake.............swirling.

And then, of course, the next day as the questions continued, dealing with them on an exhausted brain became virtually impossible. By the end of the second week I was apologizing to people in meetings because my brain had stopped working.  I couldn't form sentences. Really, I could no longer care.

So, this weekend I canceled all my social plans. I have spent the weekend watching bad tv shows and romantic comedies and sitting on my ass.  I decided I was going to wear nothing but comfortable clothes and soft pants. I did a couple not very intense workouts. I took a restorative yoga class. I basically shut down.

And it's been awesome. Two nights now of normal/better than normal sleep and I almost feel like a new person!

I've got my fingers crossed for next week.

Some sleep cuteness to get you in sleep mode....

And, of course, my two favorite sleepers!!

Over Analysis.

For those of you living under a rock, activity monitoring has become a big thing. There is a rage to attach a device to ones body. These devices can track every movement, heart rate, calories (taken in and expended), sleep quality and god only knows what else.  Me being me, I recently started thinking I might need one of these devices. However, as I started trying to look around the web for the perfect device, prepared to shell out $100 to overanalyze myself, I suddenly realized I already had it!

Ah, the magic of the smart phone..... Those regular and attentive readers will remember that a little over a year ago I got a sleep app (Sleep).  Well, since then I have been monitoring my sleep nightly with a similar app. And as the year has progressed, my sleep app has gotten progressively fancier (sleep app upgrades). Now it will check my heart rate, record every step I take, tell me when I have been idle for a certain amount of time, compute calories burned and even has a recorder that can monitor if I have sleep apnea or snore.

OMG. I had a monitor in my hot little hand for months and remained unexamined?

As you can imagine, I quickly rectified the situation.

10,000 steps - check. If you're under that rock, you might not know about 10,000 steps. 10,000 steps is another thing. Every 'fitness' event we have at work hands out step counters so you can try to get your 10,000 steps per day. I was recently hanging out with a friend, and her kid had one, he'd been given it at school. Everyone is trying to step 10,000 times in theirday. Not to be left behind, I decided to track my every step for a week. The results?  Otto = about 6000 steps per day!  Work = about 5000 steps per day (including walk to train (1000), train to desk (500), meetings (about 600 to and from), bathroom (400 to and from) and then back home. Days off I'm much more of a slacker (and I also tend not to carry my phone every step). Fun fact, I average 100 steps per minute!

Snoring or sleep apnea - nope! The last two nights I decided to record my sleep to see if I talk, snore or whatever. The app records only when you make a noise. In my case it mostly recorded when I turned over. Every once and a while I would sigh/moan. No snoring. No talking!  It was actually a little weird, it felt like I was eavesdropping on private time!

Heart rate - yep, got one. Actually, it's funny. I have been taking it at night before I go to bed and it varies from 51 - 60. That seems like a pretty wide range. These were all nights when my pre bed routine was very regular and relaxed.

The final verdict - probably TMI. It was fun, for a minute. But, in general I really don't care how much I walk, how many calories I burn and what my heart rate is. I do however, find the sleep monitor very reassuring. I have no idea if it is accurate when it tells me I spent most of the night in deep sleep (or conversely that my sleep sucked), but somehow I feel better just knowing. Mind you, I am not dismissing these devices. I think for someone without an Otto or for someone less active than me, they would probably be a great motivator.

AND In other really exciting news, they do of course, make them now for dogs...... Otto?

Yes, blog.

I know, I know. It's been far to long since I've blogged. And I promise a real blog this weekend. However, just to get you ready (it's best to ease in after a long fast), a few cute pictures!!

In reality, we've all been mourning the disappearance of summer and the loss of warm. Otto stands around whining and asks to go out. Then I let him out and he sits in the yard staring at the door, giving me the evil eye, as if I was the one who took the sun away. Without sun, he doesn't relax.

I'd like to go out please!

(he will look at me like this all winter long!)

What the &&%%$# did you do with the sun?

Last weekend, there was a brief resurgence of summer! And we all rejoiced!

There was a party on the porch!!

And then we went inside to sleep it off. Otto squeezed as much of his body as he could in a sun beam. Daisy, small enough to take full advantage of the beam took a bath.

Pictures?  Can't you see I'm bathing here!

 And finally, there are still flowers, though they're starting to get a bit droopy! I'll leave with this dahlia, resting on the porch (not mine, dahlias and I don't seem to get along)!

Real blog tomorrow!  I promise!!