10 minutes bites the dust!

        I've moved on to  Week 6 Day 2 - Warm up walk 5min, Run 10min, walk 3 min, Run 10min, walk 1min, Run 5min, then cool down walk.  I totally kicked 10min Ass again today.  There were even a couple hills thrown in and I freaking did it!  People probably thought I was a psycho woman, with the jumping and the fist pumping!  10mins, I did 10min, TWICE!  I'm totally excited.  Still not sure 35 minutes is ever going to be in the realm of reality, but I'm going to trust my trainer and just keep on going.  I can't quit now because I've actually registered for my first 5K!  It's Jan 6th in Manassas - called the Frozen 5K!  Supposedly it's flat and fast, I figure that's a good one to start with.  I talked everyone into running with me... Brenna, Zack and John, so now the pressure is really on.  Now quitting, no giving up.  I don't really even care if I run the whole thing, I'm just going to do my best.
     
        I also went ahead and registered the whole family for the Zombie 5K!  Got the early bird registration fee and now there's no going back!!  We've got to get training, because I am NOT getting eaten by zombies!  Thank goodness I have until Oct 5th to get ready.  I already sent a challenge out to the Mt. Burnside Crew and we'll see if we can get a big team together and beat the Zombie Apocalypse!

The end of an era....

    For the first time in over 7 years, the Hyzy House is Snake-less...  I'm feeling a little sadder than I expected to be.  It certainly feels like the end of an era.  I've loved having these snakes,  I've loved being known as the "snake lady," I loved taking the snakes into classes and preschools, but it's just gotten to be too much.  I never even knew I like snakes until John made us get one "for Zack."  And suddenly they became "my snakes."  I've always said snakes make the best pets, not guilt, no pressure...but now even the snakes are making me feel guilty.  Nobody does anything with the snakes anymore except me.  I'm not sure they even remember we have snakes.  We're all just so busy with everything, we never have time to take them out, so I agreed it was probably time for them to go to new homes. :o(

     Brenna took Hephaestus back to Radford with her.  Hes found a nice home with one of Brenna's friends who already has a boa.  I felt pretty good about that, she's a snake owner and knows what she's getting into.  He'll be much happier there.  We put Baby Snake (who's no longer the baby) up on Craigs List and she was snapped up in no time.  She's going to be a Christmas present for a girl who's wanted a snake for a long time.  The dad came by today and seemed very nice and very excited about Baby Snake.

    Now it's very weird.  The cages are gone, we've moved one of the bookcases, it's just weird and sad.  I didn't realize how often I reflexively check on the cages to see what the snakes are doing and every time I look in the room and they aren't there it's startling.  It was a good run and maybe some day we'll have snakes again, but for now I guess I'll just get use to this new norm.

Our first baby - Orio

2nd baby - Maize, one of my favorites

Blaze

Baby Snake

Our final baby - Hephaestus

It was a good run.  I think it's pretty funny, that I'm sad about snakes.  But my babies are my babies, cold-blooded, warm-blooded, minimum effort, maximum effort and I'm sad when they are gone!

8 minutes is my Bitch!

I AM STILL RUNNING... can you believe it.  I'm still, slowly but surely, making my way through my my 5K trainer app!  It's taking me longer than the prescribed 8 weeks because I'd rather repeat days to make sure I can really run them before moving on and I have kicked 8 mins Ass!!!   I know to most people 8 minutes probably seems like it's nothing to brag about, but considering I've NEVER run before - I am pretty damn proud of myself.  My catch phrase has always been... "I don't even run to the bathroom!"  Proud of myself for sticking with it.  The last time I tried to do one of these programs, 90sec did me in and I quit at that point.  So, 8 mins is looking pretty damn good to me.  Next step is 10min and I'm a little daunted by that.  The last day of the program, supposedly I will be running for 35mins!  No way in Hell that's ever gonna happen, but I'll keep after it.  I actually went out and got real running shoes, some running pants and some cute tops.  I figure if I look like a runner I might become a runner.  Fake it until you make it!  When I went into VA Runner to get my new shoes and I showed them the ones I'd been running in, it was all they could do not to look horrified and laugh at me! :o)  But, I got my shoes and I'm off and running! Literally!

Thanksgiving and then some

    I've finally emerged from my Thanksgiving day, Apple Pie food coma and can recap the wonderful birthday/Thanksgiving holiday. In a nutshell it was great.  For the first time ever I made 2 new recipes. Our family has NEVER been very adventurous when it comes to Thanksgiving day... traditional is what we are.  Turkey, mashed potatoes (I do make real - this one day), gravy (from a jar, but enhanced),  stuffing (of the StoveTop box variety), steamed green beans, rolls and that's it.  Nothing fancy, nothing adventurous - but yummy nonetheless.  But this year I jumped right out of my comfort zone and made 2 new recipes... Tortilla chip chorizo stuffing, for which I actually MADE my own bread crumbs and Whiskey-glazed sweet potatoes with apples.  Both were DELISH!  Definite keepers with a few tweaks.  The stuffing was really good, but not the right flavor profile for Thanksgiving, but would be really good with a pork loin or something along those lines.
     Everyone pitched in, Art and Karen did potatoes, Brenna did green beans and table setting, so it wasn't even stressful.  Then a rousing game of Pictionary, in which the boys actually won and the evening was complete.
 

     As if it weren't enough, it was also my birthday.  I woke up to a wonderful display waiting for me.  Brenna made me a fabulous birthday placemat.  Sometimes she's so much like me, it's frightening.  Everyone else has a birthday placemat except me, but now I DO TOO!  I'm taking it to be laminated immediately.  Lovely homemade cards, thoughtful gifts (bubble bath, iPhone armband, Lord of the Rings Collector's DVD set) and beautiful flowers.  A fabulous dinner and birthday pie!  I am so blessed by my wonderful family, my friends, my home and all we have.  I'm thankful that my children are growing into amazing adults who I enjoy being around, that I have a husband who continually tells me how much he loves me, that in the grand scheme of things we want for nothing and that I have an soaking tub and walk in closet! So much to be thankful for.

The soundtrack of Thanksgiving Break

...is coughing, hacking, nose-blowing and snuffling!  :o(  Last year, this year... it's developing into a pattern! Poor Brenna :o(

All is mostly right with the world.

All my chicks under one roof.  Poor Brenna has been sick for a week, medicating her way through all her classes and homework.  She's had what we think is the flu, low grade fever, aches, chills and everything else that goes along with it. She's been high on Alka Seltzer Cold and Afrin and Sucrets for so long that she didn't feel up to driving.  I didn't feel like it was a safe option for her either.  5 hours is a  long time to drive when you are feeling normal, let alone when you are sick.  So, I hopped in the car drove down and picked my baby girl up and brought her home.  It was a long day in the car, only hit traffic once.  The downside is I'll have to drive her back next weekend.  But, I think we'll go down late Sat to miss traffic and then have a sleepover at her house and I'll come home EARLY Sunday morning.    For now we're all together (listening to Brenna cough), Art and Karen arrive on Tuesday.   Yeah for Thanksgiving Break.  I can relax and enjoy, minus the cooking and cleaning and planning etc...

New Recipe Night - Perfect Portion Control

Lately, I have been craving Apple Pie.  I love me some Apple Pie!  It's funny, I never even liked pie until I started doing Weight Watchers 10 years ago.  I don't know what it was about Weight Watchers, maybe the depravation, but I started loving pie and dessert.  Anyway, the weather has turned cold and that always brings thoughts of warm apple pie and ice cream to the forefront of my mind.  At the same time, I am enjoying the successful weight loss I have been experiencing... so hesitate to embark on the deep, dark downward spiral that is having pie in my house.  Because once it's in my house then there's no moderation, there's no "just a small piece," it's all out Apple Pie Pig Out time!  But, I found my salvation...on Pinterest....

Bite-Sized Apple Pies

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 package (14.1oz) refrigerated pie pastry

3 Tbsp butter, melted, divided

2 medium tart apples, each cut into 8 wedges

      In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside 1 Tbsp.  On a lightly floured suface, unroll pastry.  Brush with 2 Tbsp butter sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

      Cut each sheet into 8 - 1in strips, about 8 inches long.  Wrap one strip around each apple wedge, placing sugared side of pastry against the apple.

      Place on parchment paper -lined baking sheet.  Brush tops with remaining butter; sprinkle with reserved sugar mixture.  Bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

1 apple wedge - 163 calories

These were soooo tasty! Just like a mini apple pie, paired with 1/4 cup of low fat ice cream and it was just perfect!  Now did I want to all 8 mini apple pies in one sitting... why yes I did... but I'm restraining myself.  It's all about portion control.  For some reason a whole apple pie sitting on the counter is fair game, but the individual apple pie wedges I can restrain myself.   Mind games, that's what it is, mind games!  Whatever works!