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Saturday, February 5, 2022

Week 5

Week 5 of 2022 is now in the books. I know it was a rough weather week for a lot of North America, and according to Punxsutawney Phil we are due for 6 more weeks of winter. I live in Alabama, so I am not buying that prediction. We will be well into spring before that, but I will feel sympathy for those in the more northern places. I know this last blitz with freezing rain and ice was not fun at all.



Once again my joys are small because I have been keeping mostly to myself, but on the upside, the new cases of Covid have seriously dropped in our area, so maybe we can all go about our business a little easier. 

Saturday: I messed around the house during the morning because TheHub ran into the office. When he returned we made a few plans for the month/year researching a few places we would like to go on long weekend trips. I am married to an accountant by trade, so we do extensive research. (Think hours) When we had finished looking at virtually the same thing over and over at all the interesting sites that we could find, we were getting hungry. I am normally not fond of restaurants, but I agreed to go to one if it was not crowded. Since it was about 2:30 I figured the crowd would be gone. We went to Ash, an out of the way wood fired grill. There were only 7 other customers and we were all spread out in a pretty decent sized space. The lunch was good but being out somewhere I felt  safe was wonderful.

Sunday: Sunday at about 2:30 in the morning I woke from a dead sleep feeling not so great. I was freezing and had a miserable headache, so I got out of bed and went into the den, sat in the recliner with a hot pad and a ton of blankets. I finally fell back to sleep (sitting up) at about 8 and slept for a couple of hours. TheHub got hot water ready for a cup of tea, which helped a little. I spent a lazy day in yoga pants and a hoodie watching ballgames, Yellowstone, and Ozark while sipping on hot tea. One of the biggest joys of the day was digging out a wonderful throw DIL2 gave me for Christmas several year ago. It was a perfect (and perfectly warm) feel better blanket. 

Monday: The headache and chills were gone and that was a huge joy. Top it off with a drop dead gorgeous 66 degree day, and things were looking wonderful. I had a small grocery list and managed to find almost everything at Aldi. Nothing beats finding most of the items at the store with the lowest price in town.  
I called my good friend C. and caught up with what has been happening with her.
TheHub and I had intended to watch the Auburn/ Alabama basketball game, but it was a runaway (Auburn is really good this year) and kind of boring so we watched an episode of Ozark instead. I am thrilled this is the last season because it has gotten a little long in the tooth!
After the game, and 3 oatmeal cookies (notice how successful I am at carb loading) I was ready to go to sleep, then begin the keto thing.

Tuesday: I got started on the 5 day keto intensive soup diet.  The soup actually smelled delicious when it was simmering. It was not delicious when I ate it for lunch, but it was not bad either. While stirring soup I had a nice conversation with my Texas cousin S. It is always so nice to talk with her! 
I never eat while I read, so I planned  to do a lot of reading during the five days of the soup diet. I love to read anyway and was able to read a book Tuesday. (Anything to keep me out of the kitchen)
When TheHub got home from work we watched Yellowstone. I am still undecided if I like it or not.

Wednesday: I had to have my car at the dealership early for its checkup. I am so thankful that My Beloved Sister could meet me there. I left the car and we came back to my house for coffee and a gab fest. We were not here but about an hour when they called to let me know the car was ready. Wow! I was impressed!
 Day 2 on the keto quick start was a little more difficult, so I read  most of the day.
After our respective dinners, TheHub and I watched Billions and Yellowstone. I think I may have glared at him when he brought a popsicle in the den to snack on.

Thursday: Somehow I actually listened and got dressed early so I could get my errands run before the rains came. When I asked Alexa what time the storm were supposed to start she told me it was to begin at noon. I was out and about early and home by 11:45. Though it rained some during the morning it was not bad, and I was settled in with laundry to do and a good book to read. The weather did get a little crappy later in the day, but unless a tornado is actively headed to my house, I  tend to ignore it.
Oh and did I mention how much I am enjoying TheHub being on his own for dinner? I could get used to only having to zap my personal bowl of soup.
After dinner we watched an episode of Yellowstone and then watched some of the Olympics.

Friday: Had a spark of light on an otherwise dreary day! I enjoyed a long conversation with Sluggy, which was great, plus it kept me out of the kitchen. 
This keto soup diet is doable for five days, but my mouth wanted anything but soup and eggs. I was even craving something as simple as cucumber slices. Oh well there is only one more day and then I will transition to an eating plan that will keep me in ketosis.
BTW this quick start really does work.
We go every year to Artblink, UAB's fundraiser for cancer research. Because of Covid for the past two years they have transitioned to an online auction with a "take out" meal. After TheHub got home from the office, we drove to Homewood (neighboring burb) to pick up our meal. They are smart enough to have it chilled and packed in containers to be warmed at home. (Filets, some type of potato, salad, a small charcuterie tray and two bottles of wine) It will have to stay in the fridge until Sunday since I am still in the land of eggs and soup!
After we got back to the house we both had a bowl of soup. I wanted TheHub's. It was just tomato soup but he had it loaded with delicious things. Mine was like soup from a gulag. But it is working so I can't complain too much! After our delicious meal we watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
And the best and most joyous part of my day was hearing that one of the participants where I volunteer is doing better and is off the vent! Damn Covid!

Have a great week and look for joys wherever you can find them. They are always there if you do a little searching

May all your weeds be wildflowers,
Anne


26 comments:

  1. The path of the tornado was straight to us! I do get a little antsy when this happens but did nothing except stayed dressed even with shoes on and my purse within an arm's length. I never thought about it, but I never eat when I read. I ignored Phil, too, since I know better. Spring will be here soon!

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    1. Our county is so big that the alarms in my area sound when tornados can be 20 miles away headed in a different direction. So unless they are bearing down on me, I ignore them.
      Luckily that one headed your way fizzled out.

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    2. Hale co had a tornado death and it went right by my friend’s house, taking almost the same path as the April 27. 2011 tornado 🌪 in Hale County!! Went through the Sawyerville area! Yikes Cindy in the South

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  2. That packed dinner sounds delicious, and a perfect treat for when you are done with your soup diet.

    For me, the week was really intense and frustrating at work, so I had to think pretty hard for the joys. They are there! There were some beautiful days, I took the boys to dinner last night as a treat,and we had some hilarious conversations. So, I suppose even though their soccer game was an utter disaster, it led to a bunch of funny comments. I also made a coworker in real life at the game yesterday. He & I work on a project together, and I'd never seen him in person. He was randomly at the high school where I was watching a soccer game. That was also nice.

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    1. Joys are always around us, even if they stay hidden until we look!
      If your kids do team sports there will always be an occasional disaster moment. I had never seen two women in a fistfight until one of my sons was playing in a tournament in another part of town. I had never understood the term catfight. Now I do!

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  3. You are so funny with the Gulag! If you don't mind me asking, do you eat like only one meal each day? Portion control is my Achilles heel!
    I've a dear blog friend who lost literally everything but the clothes on her and hubby's back in that awful Tuscaloosa tornado. We know bad things can happen anywhere, but her husband refuses to entertain the idea of living in Alabama again.

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    1. That particular tornado was a beast. When it came through was one of the few times I actually went to the basement and stayed for a while. It literally ripped through the entire width of the state and caused about 300 deaths.
      I am eating 3 meals a day. Breakfast is 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon and 1/2 avocado. Lunch and dinner are both a bowl of the swill, I mean soup.

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  4. Glad you all avoided the tornado. I laugh at whatever Phil sees because we'll have winter through April! You are an inspiration to try to get my diet improved.

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    1. I have to laugh at Phil every year, because spring could probably be here in 2 or 3 weeks

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  5. Love your joys (and assume that you are out of gulag by now). And your final joy of the post is most excellent.

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  6. Definitely a good week, despite the soup. I'm certain I wouldn't be able to do it for five days. I have some willpower but not that much.

    If I could send you several inches of the snow we got, I would. This morning it took over an hours to clear the sidewalks and driveway. It's good aerobic exercise, I suppose, but as I don't own a snow blower every pile has been placed by hand shovel. Good thing there is curling on this afternoon. I plan to relax.

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    1. I am glad you will get to relax! I think if I lived in a snowy area, I would invest in a snowblower

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  7. You always do a great job of finding the joys no matter how small. That keto kickstart sounds like a beast, but today is your last day, you must be so glad lol! Have a fantastic weekend!

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  8. When you say the Keto quick start is working, what do you mean? Do you feel better? Do you find that your tastes are changing? I've never done Keto and not very familiar with it.

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    1. Keto is not so much a diet as it is a way of eating to get your body in a state of ketosis. I was there by day 3. If I had just been following a regular food plan it might take a week or so. Except for the day before I started this journey, I had not been eating sugars since the first of the year, so I was already sugar detoxed. But I had been eating bread, pasta, potatoes, and rice.
      I don
      t think I necessarily feel better yet, but it will come.

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  9. I love how you manage to find those joys, every day. I bet you'll be happy to see the last of that soup!

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  10. Yes, this last batch of rain/snow/cold/ice was bitter cold, but I am hoping for warmer days sooner rather than later just like you are. :)

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  11. I figure we are about 2 weeks until spring really begins here

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  12. I figure we are about 2 weeks until spring really begins here

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  13. I figure we are about 2 weeks until spring really begins here

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  14. I figure we are about 2 weeks until spring really begins here

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  15. I figure we are about 2 weeks until spring really begins here

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