Day 86 = Jogging + Max Eggs

Oh, I wish I had taken a photo of the Max Eggs I ate for brunch this morning. I met Amy at Austin's new (yes, I know there's one in Houston - you, the fat city that gets everything) Max's Wine Dive. They're open for brunch! Wait -- that's a double!! Here's what it was like: put a piece of Texas toast on a plate, top it with prosciutto, sauteed greens and two poached eggs with a truffle cream sauce on top. I ate all 650 calories of that bitch. (I had calculated this before I left the house.) I don't know you, Max, but I heart you and your menu.

This was followed by a calorie-burning jog around Town Lake with Amy.

I decided to kick this blog in high gear by hiring a personal trainer. I've had them all my life at different points. I had two in college and then another one after college and then at least 4 since my divorce. I am seeing some results and want to continue. With my marathon training underway, 90 days will just be the first milestone.

Day 85 = Running + Champagne

Been thinking about the Thursday "90-Day" mark. So I bought a bottle of yellow label Veuve Cliquot at Spec's this afternoon. My favorite champagne. I plan on completing my run on Thursday evening and coming home and popping that cork (although I hate popping champagne corks as much as I hate bluetooth ear pieces). I am honestly amazed at my discipline. I made a commitment to myself and kept it. Now who's saying I avoid commitment, hmmmm??? Not this girl [me, with the thumbs pointing at my chest].

I ran 5 miles tonight. I started around 8 pm because Texas thinks it's OK to be stinkin hot right up until the sun goes down. I was going to hang out at my friend's house at her pool and drink beer, but after waking up around 11 am and getting such a late start, it just wasn't gonna be a pool day today. Too many errands to run. And I got to see some really tiny baby deer. There were two little ones in a yard that I ran by tonight. I mean, they were not much bigger than a small dog. And they were spotted. Like Bambi. Curious and adorable. Like me. (haha)

OK... back to champagne. Funny that this idea I had all started after listening to an Augusten Burroughs audiobook about rehab and what it must be like to go to AA meetings. And here I am planning to cap off my adventure with champagne. I've had some good times with you, champagne. I've even been in a champagne room in Brussels, Belgium. You know, there are red light districts all over the place in Europe. My friends and I stumbled on this one after "crashing" a bachelor party of Brits in Brussels....

Day 84 = Walking + Star Trek

I think I get it. I think I might understand the Star Trek craze. I do realize that I'm over 40 years late getting on this bandwagon, but the movie I saw tonight makes sense to me. I still can't form my hands into their shocker-style sign. But I think I get it. After I took an evening walk and Skyped my mom, I went to see Star Trek with a friend.

It's an all-star cast. Kind of. You've got Audrina's (The Hills) boyfriend as Kirk. Sylar is Spock. Harold is Sulu. The "Run Fat Boy Run" guy is Scotty. And the hot version of King Henry VIII is the bad guy. One of the most sci-fi acting choices was Winona Ryder as Spock's mom. She is 3 years older than me. Winona, please!

As I was listening to the subtle tones and pitches of the soundtrack, I stopped to wonder if Jack Shepherd or Kate Austin was about to pop out from around a corner or something. Oh, so JJ Abrams directed and produced. That explains the "LOST" sounding music. And the Bad Robot logo at the beginning. Geez, I love that show.....

Day 83 = Running + Face Transplants/Aphrodisiacs

Today I came home from work and just wanted to be lazy. I lay down on the bed and almost didn't want to go for a run. But I'm so close. This is the home stretch! I knew it would make me feel better, so I got up, got dressed and headed out with the old iPod. I had to switch off the music for this run and listen to a podcast because I'm a Pisces and listening to music would just make my mind wander into details that I don't need to think about.

Podcast 1 from "How Stuff Works" was "How Do Face Transplants Work." On my run, I was completely fascinated with a story about how a French woman's dog chewed off the bottom of her face because he thought she was dead, and she was one of the first face transplants. Then I saw a deer in my path. It stopped and looked at me. We made eye contact. I slowed down and got closer. I said, "shoo, deer." And y'all, its little furry tail wiggled. I couldn't help but wonder if that deer was about to sneak up behind me and try to maul my face off.

Podcast 2 was "How Do Aphrodisiacs Work." You know the stuff. Spanish Fly. Funky Cold Medina. Wine. Ok, the last one is my personal favorite, but I had to throw it in there. For men, the scents of lavender and pumpkin pie raise the blood flow by 40%. Also, exercise is a good aphrodisiac. It increases endorphines and emits pheromones. I'm just sayin. I'm on Day 83, people. You do the math.

Day 82 = Gym + X-Ray

I've been having a slight hip problem. It all started back in February when I was walking to my kitchen and I felt a little pop in my right hip. I didn't think anything of it because it didn't hurt and wasn't loud, but I did remember a cautionary tale of a friend who popped her hip and long story short, she can't run anymore. Later in February, I went skiing in Vail and gracefully fell on my right hip a couple of times in the back bowls. I had a big bruise for a while.

Fast forward to this morning when I got this sweet x-ray of my hip. All bones are in tact, but there is some swelling and soreness so I've been given an Rx of anti-inflammatory pills and a physical therapy rehab workout that I have to do for the next 14 days. There are 12 workouts on this sheet. I tried them out tonight at the gym in addition to some cardio and core work.

So I've been thinking about what I will do for my 90th workout, which will be a week from tomorrow. I'm scheduled for a 45-minute run/walk according to my marathon training. Honestly, that's probably what I'll do. Maybe I'll have a glass of champagne or a beer or a piece of cake afterwards to celebrate. Then I'll start Day 91; I can't imagine stopping at this point. I feel like working out has solidified itself as part of my daily routine. I go to work and come home and workout, cook dinner and go to bed and read. I don't really have anything else to come home to. I don't have a boyfriend or kids or any pets and all my friends have their own lives during the week and we only get together on weekends. Surprisingly, I find myself totally content with this. Maybe I'm growing up.

Day 81 = Running + Back to Work

Two-day weekends are never enough. But three-day weekends are not enough either. Sometimes I feel like all I do is work, work, work. But I can't complain. And I'm not complaining. I feel very challenged with my work and feel lucky to work with my co-workers.

And as usual, after work, I came home and worked out tonight. It's just a habit now. And I made a commitment in 2009 that I wouldn't work late as often. At my office, they shut the lights off at 7pm, and there have been many nights when that is when it's occurred to me what time it is. Time to get the heck outta there for the night. Time to get out and run!

Day 80 = Resistance Bands + Yelp

Last night, after the Hula Hut shakedown, I got a sweet message from a sweet guy. Yes, if you're reading, you know you are sweet! Or I think the consensus is that you rock. Anyway, I stayed up late watching "Angels and Demons" and completely could not point out the disparity between the movie and the book, since I haven't read it in like 5 years. But I stayed up late because I don't have to work today.

I woke up and enjoyed my Memorial Day. I kept meaning to work out but got involved in cleaning. And then I had to meet said friend from yesterday at a Yelp party at Max's Wine Dive. Had a great time with great wine and loved spending time with my friend. I intended to do yoga at home, but alas, it was a resistance bands night.

Day 79 = Running + Men

I ran my obligatory 30-minute distance today and then met my friend for drinks and dinner at the Hula Hut on Lake Austin. Well, of course we expected a long wait, so we thought we'd sit at the bar next door - a new edition of Cain and Abel's, which is a popular college bar near the University of Texas campus. In the photo, the Hula Hut is the dock on the right and the new "Abel's" location is the blue dock on the left.

Now, my friend and I are both cute. I think so. Annnd, we're single. And my friend, who shall go anonymous in this blog, maybe needed a wingman that day. (I love you, girl!) So naturally, we took a seat at the bar and kind of scoped out the room. I heart people-watching. Almost as much as I heart margaritas on a Sunday before a Monday when I don't have to go to work. I sized up the room right away in our central location. Allow me to paint a picture for you...

1. On one side of the bar, there were two guys. Not our types, but they weren't looking to mingle or they wouldn't have been clear on the other side of the bar.

2. On the other side of the bar, there were three guys. And there were some girls kind of hanging out near them. The guys were probably in their mid to late 30s. The girls were probably Tri Delts. It was, oh, 6 pm and one girl with bleach-blonde hair was completely hammered. She could barely keep her eyes open and head held up as she was furiously texting on her Blackberry. Classic.

3. A little ways down the bar past the Tri-Delts were a couple of guys, probably mid-30s. Two, normal-looking, regular guys. And hey, there were two of us. I made eye contact, but for the most part, I was more into the conversation with my friend and the margaritas, not being the best wingman on the planet. Then about 5 new girls, probably Chi-Os, sat down on the other side of us.

And then it happened. The two normal-looking guys made their move. One walked toward us and I smiled. They walked right passed us, tried to chat up the young uns (as Oprah would say) and proceeded to get rejected. I just thought, we are right here! My friend made a good point: these guys just want to put their tab A into slot B, and well, we're ladies so we just don't need that.

When our buzzer alerted us to our table back at the Hula Hut, we sat near the bar and watched the same two men get rejected again. I kind of felt sorry for them. It must be hard to be a dude sometimes. I mean, really hard.

Day 78 = Running + Lake Austin

Got to sleep a little late this morning, but somewhere around 8:45 am, my internal alarm went off. Woke up, created a lovely breakfast of apple, peanut butter, and migas made with egg whites, onions, corn totilla and salsa. I was pleased with my solid restraint to add cheese. Then I went for a 4-mile run in what felt like running inside a cave in hell. In Texas, this kind of heat and humidity is what you might call spring/summer/fall or in today's case, the calm before the storm.

This afternoon, I met some friends on Lake Austin. Found this picture online and as you can see, this is the boat ramp where they met me ...and ...subsequently informed me of the boat problems. Their boat had just been rewired because a rat had eaten up the wiring during winter storage. Apparently, the rat had gotten to some wiring that hadn't been updated.

I said I was happy to just sit in the boat and drink while the guys fiddled with the wiring. Then they gave up and we sat around some more. And then the rain came. It pour rain. [sic] We pulled the boat in and I drove home, thinking I'd go out to my friend's house and meet up. But after my shower, I looked at the bed and heard the rain beating down outside and next thing I knew I was awoken by a text message at 7:42 pm. Mom calls this a "lake hangover."

Day 77 = Walking + Burger Club

All week, I've been following the jumpstart portion of the "Flat Belly Diet" - something invented by Prevention magazine. It has been easy to follow so far, and I figured since I have 5 months left of my free online service of the BodyBugg and I'm doing all these workouts, I should probably start counting calories. But I need structure when it comes to this task, so the FBD was something I could easily plan and follow for 4 days. And it has paid off. It's supposed to decrease bloat, and I've lost almost 2 pounds.

Tonight for marathon training (and every Friday for that matter), the assignment was walking. I took a 40-minute walk after work and then met some friends for my first night of Burger Club. What is Burger Club, you ask? Only the yummiest club ever. So yummy that I am inspired to create a Chicken-fried Steak Club or have a queso crawl (like a pub crawl but this would sample all the good queso around Austin). My friend's Burger Club has been in action for about a year. I had never really given burgers a thought because normally I don't treat myself to such pleasures. But you know, there are a lot of good burgers to sample right here in Austin, and I'm just now getting started.

I know what you're thinking. Well, stop it. I was not intending on sabotaging my FBD progress with a burger and some beer. I had thought I'd only eat half of what is seen in the photo above (taken at the new location of Hill-Bert's on Burnet Road), but no. All that you see in the pic ended up in my belly. Plus a couple more beers I put back at Shangri-La. They have sparkly rocks, y'all!

Day 76 = Running + Biker Fox

Just when I thought I'd forgotten about Biker Fox, something triggers the memory. In this case, my new webcam triggered that memory.

Biker Fox is a gem that my friend Kristina introduced me to about 3 years ago. I was at work one day, minding my business and doing work stuff, when an email pops up from Kristina with the link to Biker Fox's home page. Back then, it was nothing more than an extensive gallery of this guy. But now, he's got a professional-looking web presence - complete with online shopping where you, too, can purchase a pink thong that is embroidered with "Biker Fox" on the crotch. But God love him, he is an interesting man with lots of tenacity and zest for life.

Back to the triggered memory moment...Kristina was teasing me for taking a pic with my web cam and sent me this link. So I reminded her of Biker Fox, which she said never ceases to entertain her. I agree.

Oh, and I ran for 35 minutes today per the marathon plan.

Day 75 = Resistance Bands + Webcam

Yay!!!! My new webcam arrived today. I bought the Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks for me and the desktop version for my mom for Mother's Day. Now we can chat and see each other on Skype. I highly recommend the Logitech webcam. The quality and sound are great for such a small camera.

But before I could get home, I had the daunting chore of searching for, trying on and purchasing a new bathing suit. I won't get into those details, but the point is I not only found one, I found two. It's like pennies from heaven today.

Since I spent most of my evening shopping and setting up the webcam, I didn't make it to the gym like I'd wanted to, but I did do a workout with my resistance bands. My biceps are starting to pop out like little Popeye muscles when I flex. It's cute.

Day 74 = Running + Progress!

Finally. Some progress. Ok, not that I was actually setting out to make any progress when I started this 90-day experiment, but positive progress is always welcome. After my 35-minute run this afternoon, I had my first BodyBugg coaching session (my one free session with my BodyBugg) over the phone. We went through the program and I learned a lot more about it. A lot that I had no idea existed. I am no longer a BodyBugg novice user; I am a BodyBugg intermediate user. (Disclaimer: I just made up those terms. To my knowledge, BodyBugg does not endorse such terminology.)

One new feature that I hadn't yet stumbled on by my own volition is the measurements section. Turns out, I've lost 6 inches overall. This is since I last measured myself in January, but it is pretty safe to say I wasn't on any fast track to losing inches between January and March when I started this experiment. The pic in this blog shows how BodyBugg calculated the number of calories I burned back on April 30. The goal is to eat fewer calories than I burn, preferably at least 500 fewer.

Day 73 = Gym + Flat Belly Diet

It's time to get serious, people. And by serious, I mean no more queso and chips for me. No more cake. No more samples at Costco. No more beer after work (or wine or vodka or Tuaca or Jager shots; and yes, I do keep all of this chilling in my freezer for spontaneous shot time). Which reminds me - I used to live near a train and I'd joke that I'd take a shot every time the train passed by....Annnnnd, here we are with this blog and the bodybugg and the diets. See a connection?

The "Flat Belly Diet" (by Prevention magazine) focuses on having a "MUFA" (mono-unsaturated fatty acid) with each meal. A MUFA includes olive oil, nuts/seeds, avocado, and dark chocolate. That's right. Not a typo. CHOCOLATE. But really for me, I just need a plan to follow, and this one seemed doable and just as good as any other. My meals today have been pretty decent so far with Cheerios, milk, string cheese, tomatoes, turkey, sunflower seeds, apples... normal stuff.

Tonight after I spent about an hour at the gym, I came home and made this lovely flat-belly-diet-approved meal of grilled chicken, green beans and roasted potatoes. Yes, I measured this stuff, and it filled my plate as seen in my lame attempt at food photography.

Here's my recipe for one serving of roasted potatoes:

1 small potato (red or white, about 3 oz)
1 tsp olive oil
Salt-free herbs (I use herbes de provence from Williams Sonoma)

Preheat oven to 350. Wash potato and dice into cubes. In a bowl, drizzle the olive oil on the potatoes and toss with the teaspoon (the one you used to measure the oil!). Sprinkle a pinch (or to taste) of the herbes de provence on the potatoes and mix well again with the teaspoon. Spray a shallow baking dish with Pam, and then pour the potato mixture into the dish. Bake about 20 minutes, turning once after about 10 minutes with a spatula. Bake the potatoes until they are fork tender. Bon appetit!

Day 72 = Running + Recon

I ran this afternoon the obligatory 30 minutes, which is basically the "recovery run" for my current marathon training. I'm still dragging my feet about registering and buying my ticket to Greece. But I'm not stopping the training. I like the routine.

Today a news story popped up in my RSS feed about unique celebrity baby names. It got me thinking of the most unusual name I know: Scharmel. I tried to find the meaning of it on a baby name web site, but according to the site, no such name existed. So I Googled the name, like I've done many times before. I found out that the Scharmel I know still works for her church and she likes doing things like, oh, breathing and spending time with her son, who is now a police officer. Too bad he's not a cop in my hometown because I'd suggest he try to solve my father's murder case once and for all. He wouldn't have to look far; just go visit his mom. At her house. Where she lives and sleeps and eats and talks to friends and probably, dare I say, even laughs. I'm just going to put it out there: my former stepmother, Scharmel, is a murdering bitch.

The photo in this blog is me and my father and brother circa 1992 when I was 18. It was one of the last photos we have together.

Day 71 = Running + The Broken Spoke

Ran three miles, ate breakfast, showered and had a massage all before noon today. And I ran just in time because "it pour rain!" [sic] And rain was the perfect setting for my nap, which I needed because I knew I was going to be taking a dance lesson followed by more dancing tonight at The Broken Spoke.

It was my first visit to the Spoke, and I've lived in Austin for four years now. The Spoke is an Austin landmark. It was so much fun dancing to the Derailers. And I found out that the Spoke is kinda famous for their chicken fried steak (which I will have to sample one of these days).

Day 70 = Running + Pony Tails

Tonight was "girls night" at Kristina's house. I offered to host the next "girls night" so ladies, hold me to it! Maybe we'll all learn to play bridge...But before I picked up two bottles of champagne and bottle of peach liquer (which I would later use to concoct a cocktail at Kristina's house for anyone who would drink it), I went out for a quick run around the neighborhood.

I guess now might be a good time to come clean about a beauty secret of mine. Well, come clean may not be the best way to put it. In other words, I'm going to open up here: I don't wash my hair every day. I've heard before it's not even the best thing to do for your hair, that is, washing it every day. It started out as a "how long can I sleep before I have to get up to go to work" strategy, but now I view it as being green. I use less shampoo, less water washing and rinsing and less electricity drying. And the added bonus of shaving off my time to get ready in the morning. Sometimes I wash my hair at night and let it dry while I sleep. Then I roll it in hot rollers the next day. If I wash it in the morning and straighten it, I can get a good three days out of that. If I take advantage of my natural curls, I can get a couple of days out of that look, too. But I was getting bored and my obsession with the bump style pony tails that every UT co-ed and the girls on "The Bachelor" wear finally got the best of me, so I looked online for a little tutorial. Turns out, all you have to do is tease the crown.

Today was one of the curly days - the third day in a row. So I fashioned my curls into a bumped up ponytail. Maybe it's a warped sense of reality I have, but I think I'm getting pretty good at this.

But to make one major point of clarification: I DO BATHE EVERY DAY! I just leave the hair cleaning out of it sometimes.

Day 69 = Running + the Underwater Jesus

Still working on the first week of marathon training 2009 (part deux). Remember, I was training for Seattle at the beginning of this blog, and now I'm working toward - kinda - the Athens Marathon. So tonight, I did the prescribed 30-minute walk/jog around my neighborhood.

This morning, I was listening to my iPod on the way to work. I have a lot of music, and the song "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys (from the movie Cocktail) came on. Normally, I would skip right through a song like this, but instead I let it play. I remembered what the Memphis waffle guy said and just stopped. Relaxed. Enjoyed my drive. Let the Beach Boys take me back to a nice sweet memory.... [insert harp music here]

Last summer, I took a mini vacation with a dear, sweet man, Paul. We spent 3 days in Key West, and it was fantastic. It was so much fun spending time with him and so relaxing. I'd done some pre-trip research about the Florida Keys (there isn't really a little place called Kokomo off the Keys, by the way), and I learned about the Underwater Jesus statue. There are actually several in the world, and they've been placed underwater as monuments to honor all the men lost at sea. So it was my mission to go snorkeling around this statue and see it for myself.

OMG. The picture and the video of the Underwater Jesus is so creepy, I couldn't even bring myself to post an actual photo of the statue itself. Its creepiness to me is right up there with the creepiness of the first time I ever saw a KISS tribute band, as well as the Jack-in-the-Box "mini sirloin burgers" commercial. I'm not saying Jesus is creepy; but the statue is. Just standing there underwater looking all surreal. Just watch the video and you'll see. So here is a pic I took of it on our way back to Ft. Lauderdale. I was bummed because we were being rushed off the Keys due to Hurricane Fay, but Paul was gracious enough to humor me and pull over so I could take a photo of the site.

Now you stay put, Jesus statue. I'm coming back for you!

Day 68 = Resistance Bands + LOST

Tonight was the monthly happy hour for my running group, Twenty-Six Two. Love that group. Love running. We met up at 219 West in Austin's "warehouse district" and it was nice to catch up and get to know some people better. But I had set my cut-off time at 7:30 pm because my real priority for the night was to watch the two-hour season finale of LOST while doing a resistance band workout.

LOST - oh, how I love thee. Let me count the ways. First, I thought Jack was hands down the hottest survivor of Oceanic Flight 815. He's this hot doctor who kind of saves the day, but then his character inevitably goes through some transition, and that is when I really started to like Sawyer. He's rugged. He makes up nicknames. He looks good without his shirt on. He can probably install a ceiling fan. But honestly, I just don't think Sawyer and I would ever really make it in real life. He's too much of a wild card. And then when I wasn't even looking, I totally started liking Sayid. I know, right? Who'da thought? Me and Sayid? But he is so smart and he can fix stuff, too! Of course, no one could ever fix any kind of communications device that would actually get them off the island.

I highly recommend that you run - don't walk - to your nearest Netflix account and take the next 8 months catching up on every episode of LOST from start to finish. Then you will have the same questions as I: What is with that statue? What is the smoke monster? When/why did Jin buy that panda bear? Is Charles Widmore the bad guy or is Ben Linus?

Day 67 = Running + Crepes

I was in meetings pretty much all day today. Didn't even leave the office until after 7. The BodyBugg graphs were a grim reminder of this; the activity was pretty flat. I'm wondering if I'm wearing my BodyBugg too tight. Sometimes, it's a little uncomfortable. I had a 30-minute walk/jog tonight after dinner (a low-fat crepe recipe with chicken and spinach that I concocted) so I could get back just in time to watch the latest elimination on "Dancing with the Stars." My crepes didn't look nearly this fancy; both of my crepes broke when I added the filling.

So I mentioned before that I am planning my workouts around a Jeff Galloway marathon training plan. It's nothing personal to my regular coach, who is fantastic; it's just that I don't want the pressure. This is how my week looks:

Sunday: 30-min. walk/jog

Monday: Cross-training

Tuesday: 30-min. walk/jog

Wednesday: Cross-training

Thursday: 30-min. walk/jog

Friday: Walk

Saturday: 3 mile run

Going forward, the workouts stay the same except for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Those workout times/mileage gradually increase each week. Each Tuesday and Thursday are always the same and increase by 5-minute increments each week (I think the most is about 90 minutes). The mileage increases by one mile a week until a certain point and then once I build my base, I'll start staggering the miles. It's a good rule of thumb to not increase weekly mileage by more than 10% each week.

You know I'm only sticking to this plan so I can go to Greece.

Day 66 = Gym + Greece

Tonight, I met Amy (Austin Amy, that is) at 24 Hour Fitness to work out. She has a trainer, and we have been thinking of getting partner training. But tonight when we worked out, it dawned on me that we might just be all each other needs. I mean, I can commit to the gym a few times a week, and it's fun to workout with a partner.

I'm still thinking of Greece. I even asked for the time off at work already. Now it's just a matter of deciding on which travel package to go with....

Day 65 = Running + Mamma Mia

Mamma Mia! Here I go again....

This morning, I was hell-bent on getting my notes together to move my invention idea forward, which I hope will one day become a prototype so I can sell it for millions of dollars and then be all over the Oprah and Donny Deutch shows inspiring people. Seriously! You are gonna want to get in on this venture early. First thing's first: conquer procrastination.

It's Day 65, and not that I'm bored or anything, but as a little distraction from my invention pow-wow at my dining room table, I started to plan out my workouts. When I trained for my first marathon in 2007, my friend Amy (see previous blogs) sent me the book by Jeff Galloway called "Marathon." It's kind of dated, but the information is still substantial. I pulled out my old 30-day dry erase calendar and filled in a workout for every day for the next month based on Galloway's training program for running a marathon for weight loss. Starting today, all I gotta do is walk/jog for 30 minutes. I've proven that I can do more, but I will never forget that there used to be a day 8 years ago when I couldn't even run one minute without stopping. Now, I can run miles without even thinking about it.

So here I go again, training for a marathon it looks like (or at least following the plan). Out of curiosity, I looked up what marathons might be going on about the time this Galloway program ends, and there is a lovely marathon in Athens, Greece. And it just happenes to have a Galloway tie in! I am seriously considering signing up. What is stopping me?

The pic is of us at Christmas; somehow we (me, mom, Courtney and Pat) all ended up with "Mamma Mia" DVDs. Happy Mother's Day, mom. I love you.

Day 64 = Running + Saturday Mornings

6:00 am: Woke up; had breakfast and the rest of my Sprite Zero; got dressed; brushed teeth; applied sunscreen, etc.

6:42 am: Left the house to drive to meet my running group. I like the sunrise just a tad more (just a tad) than the sunset, but I'm not what you'd call a morning person.

* Little random fact about me: One song that gets me pumped up and singing in the morning on my drive to these early runs is "Badd" by YingYang Twins. Bet you didn't see that one coming at you.

7:05 am: Started off with my running group. Let me paint a picture for you. I'm basically the slowest person in the group. I'm not out there to be the fastest or the best or the most graceful. In fact, I score pretty low in all those categories. But when I get going, I am at least consistent. And consistency counts for something, I figure. So as they were all running ahead of me, I was consistently chugging along behind them.

I'd decided early on that I was not going to be running the typical 7 miles with them. I was just going to do my own thing, and my Garmin Forerunner would tell me where I would end up. I took some route detours and ended up running 5-1/2 miles. Not too shabby, and I felt good.

8:35 am: Voted for mayor at my local elementary school.

9:11 am: Enjoyed homemade migas with egg whites, shallots and low-fat cheese.

10:03 am: Plugged in my BodyBugg and had taken 12,029 steps already.

This is how I like my Saturdays to begin.

Day 63 = Running + Sprite Zero

I know it is insane to put any hope into winning the lottery, but you have to play to win, people! Evidently, I have more of a chance of being struck by lightning or consumed by flesh-eating bacteria than winning the lottery. But you have to admit, if those were your choices, you'd keep on trying to win that money, wouldn't you?

After chatting with my aunt on Skype, I decided to get my mother (and me) web cams so we can chat Jetsons' style on Skype, too. Although mom needs a microphone it turns out.

For my run tonight, I took an alternate route to an alternate convenient store tonight and bought a Sprite Zero and a lottery ticket. Meanwhile, I am still listening to my podcasts. Gotta get up early tomorrow to meet my running group for the first time in weeks.

Boring blog today, I know. But is anyone out there reading?

Day 62 = Resistance Bands + Optimism

Another late night. I gotta stop that. Just "stop," as the waffle guy put it. Well, this time it wasn't due to work; I "stopped" off at happy hour because despite all my working out, I was stressed and needed to get away from flourescent lighting and closer to a drink in my hand. Well, I needed something else, but this is a G-rated blog. And let's just say that any effort on the latter part of what I want continues to be a fruitless pursuit for me. Haha... I said fruit. Or should I say nuts.

Anyway...since I got home after 8 pm, big surprise: I got out the resistance bands tonight, but I have at least noticed some improvement with using them. I've got a whole mini workout area in my living room of resistance bands, free weights (albeit, I need something stronger than 2 lbs), a yoga mat and a core ball. My resistance bands are pink, and I used them while watching (and tearing up) that show about Michael J. Fox. I like to think I'm an optimist, too.

Day 61 = Running + The Gettys

Running. That's what I did today. I was itching to run. Get outside and make the Texas heat my bitch (92 degrees at 7:30 pm). Some people make excuses for the heat and not getting outside. Well, as much as I love being in the snow and skiing down a mountain, feeling the cold air on my cheeks and the warmth of my coat, I would rather actually live in a warm climate. You can always go inside and sit in the A/C or jump in some water to cool off, but frostbite just seems like the most uncomfortable thing. I take comfort in the fact that I am probably burning more calories when I sweat. Hmmmm... wonder if you burn any more calories if you freeze?

When I got home from work, I was sucked into dorking out with Facebook. After 45 minutes of that and sitting on my bed half dressed, I realized it was almost 7:30, which did not leave me a lot of time to run, shower and catch the first few minutes of LOST. I ran for about 25 minutes and listened to music. I have just about everything on my iPod - The Beatles, U2, Muse, Jane's Addiction, The Cure...as well as Springsteen, Snoop Dogg, Marley, Van Morrison. I will listen to just about anything; all depends on my mood. Even my brother's band, The Gettys, made it on my iPod. They charge $50 to learn new songs. I've got a good mind to send him a check for $50 to learn to play "Freebird." All 10 minutes and 8 seconds of it. I'd just like to see him do that.

Music makes me smile.

Day 60 = Dance Workout + "Dancing with the Stars"

It is so official. Steve Wozniak is a better dancer than I. Well, maybe. Goodness gracious! If I think of all the times I've been out dancing and most likely the victim of people-watching (one of my favorite past-times), I cringe to think of how I looked.

Worked late tonight and didn't get home until after 8 pm, and I had really wanted to go for a run and raise my heart rate -- do something really active and cardio. Watching "Dancing with the Stars" while eating leftover pizza inspired me to find the "Dance Off the Inches: Fat Burning Jam" workout that I streamed on Netflix. I will rate that only 3 stars.

My coordination is awful. I already knew that I should stay away from step aerobics because I have a freakish fear of tripping and falling over the step in the middle of the routine in a class with strangers where other strangers in the gym can see me through the window. I am so far away from being on "Dancing with the Stars." How do people on that show even get started? I have a new respect for Lil' Kim (who was kicked off tonight and it almost made me cry; not because I am sad for Lil' Kim but because it really seemed emotional).

In the end, I burned about 156 calories in my living room and worked up a sweat. I don't remember being so uncoordinated during four years of ballet and tap dancing, three years of Junior Cotillion and two years of cheerleading.

Day 59 = Resistance Bands + Waffle House

Home again today. First leaving Memphis and then leaving Little Rock; back to Austin. It's been a great time. And I got to sleep late three days in a row! That's huge to me! Again... it's the little things that make me happy.

Speaking of little things, I opted for a thorough workout with the resistance bands, which I packed and used in my hotel room. Then I followed my workout later in the day with a brunch of a pecan waffle, bacon and cheese grits from The Waffle House on stop during the drive back to Little Rock. I guess I just had to get it out of my system before getting serious with all the features the BodyBugg offers on its web site.

Then again, when you're in northeast Arkansas...dining options are pretty limited, so you really can't blame me. ;-)

Day 58 = Running + "Memphis in May"

Last night was one of those perfect nights and times that don't come around too often and that some people are never fortunate enough to experience. I had a great time with my family. And, there was a "Golden Girls" marathon on. I forgot to mention that yesterday. Some channel was running the "Golden Girls" all day, and it was still on after we took the trolley home from Beale Street. Since I gave up cable, this is just one more nice perk that comes with staying in a hotel.

This morning, I met my stepdad and my aunt and uncle for breakfast. Well, I wouldn't say I "met" them. More like I surprised them. And sat at their table while they chatted. My Oprah-style "a-ha" moment of the day came when I ordered a waffle. The chef's accent was soooo laid back and kon-try. I told him I loved his accent and that he sounded so laid back. He said that is something that he can do well -- be laid back. I said I have a hard time slowing down and relaxing sometimes. He said, "It's easy. All you gotta do is just stop." Ah, yes. Just stop. Gonna have to work on that.

One thing I love about traveling is running in a new city. I ran for about half an hour in downtown Memphis after breakfast. I ran down to Beale Street, which at about 12:30 pm was very similar to running downtown on a SXSW morning in Austin. On the way back to the hotel, I detoured through The Peabody; haven't been there since we took a family vacation in 1980 (?). Watched the ducks; they're a little fat. But I guess it's a better life in a hotel fountain. Although, you have to ask yourself: "are those ducks really living?"

It's been pouring rain all weekend and there are absolutely no rain boots or slickers to be found in a 50-mile radius. I ended up wearing jeans and my mom's sweater and flip-flops to watch about 15 minutes of Snoop Dogg in the mud at the Beale Street Music Festival/Memphis in May concert. As soon as he (er, I) sang "Gin and Juice," we were outta there. Showered and back in the hotel bar within two hours.

Day 57 = Gym + Beale Street

In Memphis, Tenn., with my family today. Staying at the Marriott downtown. It's like a mini vacation for me. I have my own room. I can come and go as I please. I can get room service. I like having the freedom to dirty up every towel in the place and leave the TV on and all lights on when I leave. Even though I'm a grown up and can do all these things in my own home where I have a mortgage and pay bills, it's these simple things I still do enjoy.

I took advantage of the hotel's workout facilities for my workout today. I was short on time, so I spent about 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer while facing out the window, where I watched 3 Gen Y guys each smoke their own blunt joints. Nice. Then I ran for about 15 minutes on the treadmill. Yep, that's enough for me tonight, I figured.

We're all going to dinner at Itta Bena's above BB King's on Beale Street tonight. Should be another fine time with my folks. Gotta be more entertaining than Toad Suck Daze in Conway, Ark., where we all converged last night. Somehow, all of us escaped without eating a funnel cake or gator on a stick.

(P.S. I did not win the lottery.)

Day 56 = Walking + The Lottery

One of my favorite things to do is walk in the morning. It is especially nice when I know I don't have to rush back in time to, oh, say, go to work. This morning I took a 20-minute walk up to the little shop to buy a diet Coke and a couple of lottery tickets. I didn't win the weekly grand, but I am hoping to win the $220M mega-million jackpot tonight.

So that made me wonder what I would do with $220M after taxes. I'd pay all my debt and my family's debt and maybe even throw a few dollars toward my friends to pay their debt. I promised Kristina if I ever won, I'd give her $20,000 or I'd take her and some friends and family to a nice spa weekend, like at Mirabel. I would quit my job. I would travel. I would give some money to charity. I'd volunteer more, since I wouldn't have a job. I'd focus on my secret invention and building an iPhone application. I would hire a personal trainer for every day and a personal chef. And I'd write a book.