Saturday, November 29, 2008

Day 3 of very restful weekend (10m)

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Chocolate bar (Whole Foods), lemon pie slice, almonds, fudge

Dinner: Lasagna with meatballs and olive oil. Some Pistachio bread (Whole Foods), almonds, pistachios, raisins.

Drinks: One hot coffee, Propel, Three glasses red wine, cup or two of Kahlua and egg nog

Walked 23,500+ steps

Took long walk along Ten Rod Road this morning with dog through the Estabrook woods. Then spent good part of afternoon hunting down Christmas lawn ornaments. Found a decent 7 1/2 foot tree at Sears Hardware to put in yard along with spotlight for yard. Seasonable day today, hit the low 40s with a low of about 28 degrees. A lot of neighbors have their Christmas lights outside now and it is starting to feel like Christmas time.

Thanksgiving Rewind

Friday, November 28, 2008

Breakfast: None

Lunch/Dinner: Cashews, almonds, pistachios, turkey, stuffing, gravy, cheese, cookies, lemon pie, fudge

Drinks: Several glasses wine, dessert wine, italian liquer

Walked 15,000+ steps

Took dog walking this morning along Bedford/Billerica rail trail for about 9,000 steps. Then did a "Thanksgiving Rewind" with my sister and her two kids as we ate the other half of the turkey and basically did Thanksgiving all over again. Another decent walk at night but ate more today than on the real Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving Day 2008

November 27, 2008 - Thursday - Thanksgiving Day

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch/Dinner: Roast turkey leg, stuffing, cauliflower, gravy, cookies, cashews, almonds, couple of rolls.

Drinks: Propel, four glasses red wine, two glasses dessert wine, one glass italian liquor, one cup Kahlua, one cup egg nog

Walked 15,800+ steps

Didn't do too badly (on food) this Thanksgiving Day. Kept it under control and got three solid walks in with the dog in the process to keep the metabolism going. Had a very quiet and restful Thanksgiving Day. I did the bird and stuffing as usual and my wife did the rest of the cooking. The kids slept until nearly noon and the afternoon and evening went very well. Never even got in my car. Weather was about normal for this time of year, 28 in the morning and low 40s during the day. Lit fire in the fireplace for first time this season. Last night ordered four Mannheim Steamroller tickets for the family to attend on Dec. 7. No wonder I don't go to concerts much anymore, everything is close to $100 a ticket these days!

One a scale of one to five, this Thanksgiving is pretty close to a 5. No stress whatssoever.

Looking forward to three similar days coming up.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Kickoff to Thanksgiving 2008

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Hamburger Helper with pasta, rice, raisins, crackers, cheese, tortilla chips

Walked 15,000+ steps

Drinks: Two Propels, one hot coffee, two Pilsner Urquells, two glasses dessert wine, one glass of Italian liquer

Short day at work today as the Thanksgiving weekend is now underway. Cool day with temps down to 29 degrees by 8PM.

Rainstorm

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Crackers, raisins

Drinks: One hot coffee, four Pilsner Urquells, two glasses red wine, one cup Kahlua

Walked 10,100+ steps

Pouring rain nearly all day and had trouble getting my minimum walking miles in. But rains stopped around 6PM and was able to get out there for a while. Getting in holiday mood right about now and not doing anything ambitious at the moment. Got mostly through "Whiskey Rebels" and hung a few more Christmas lights in the living room.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Rain on the way (10m)

Monday, November 24, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Wheat pasta w/olive oil and tomato sauce; raisins, peanuts

Drinks: One hot coffee, two Pilsner Urquells, two glasses red wine, one cup of Kahlua

Walked 20,400+ steps

Very busy day at work today, still cold but felt warm as temps got in upper 30s. Got a lot of walking in as well. This week is already flying by!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Victory in War Against the Leaves (10m)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Cheese, crackers

Dinner: Chicken soup, crackers, raisins

Drinks: One hot coffee, Propel, four JC minis, one Sam Adams Winter Lager, two Pilsner Urquell, two glasses red wine

Walked 20,100+ steps

Went with dog for walk in some of my favorite woods (Harold Rich State Forest, Groton) only to find that it was taken over by logging trucks. Trail was widened into a road and hundreds of trees were already felled. Still got my walk in but it appears that it will never be the same again.

Temperatures "rose" into the mid 30s today and it actually felt warm. I was out raking leaves most of afternoon but this will be the last time of the season I do any serious raking. The yard is mostly scrubbed clean and no more leaves to fall off the trees except maybe a few blowing in from other yards.

This weekend went by very fast.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Mid-Winter Day in November! (10m)

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Bread Pudding (Whole Foods), crackers, cheese

Dinner: Crackers, flatbread pizza (Whole Foods), raisins

Drinks: Propel, half a hot coffee, one Sam Adams Winter Lager, two Pilsner Urquell, two glasses red wine, one Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout.

Walked 20,100+ steps

Frigid mid-winter day with windchills in teens all day long. Started out around 16 degrees and only made it to 28 degrees as a high but it felt much colder with the constant brisk winds. Nevertheless, spent a good amount of time outdoors as I like this weather. Got through a bunch more Christmas music and hung a lot more Christmas lights after dinner. Did raking in the back and aside from the front yard, raking for year is just about over as the trees are totally bare. However, the ground is also completely bare as we have had hardly a flake of snow despite all the cold. Very good day today and got a lot of much needed rest.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Cold wave strengthens

Friday, November 21, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: One hard-boiled egg, raisins, (Mexican Restaurant) Nachos, tortilla chips, beef, cheese, beef enchilada, two beef tacos, rice, refried beans, lettuce and tomato

Drinks: One hot coffee, one Pilsner Urquell, one Dos XX on draft, one Sam Adams Winter Lager, one large margarita

Walked 13,400+ steps

Very busy day at work after having a slow week! Was 16 degrees this morning and barely got to freezing. The lake I walk around near work is now completely frozen over. Earliest in the year I've ever seen this happen.

Ice Forming

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Raisins, one hard-boiled egg, (Longhorn) Chicken nuggets, Ribeye steak, salad w/olive oil, mushrooms

Drinks: One hot coffee, four JC minis, Silver Lightning margarita

Walked 17,000+ steps

Another quick day at work, took long walk at lunchtime. Lake I walk around is starting to freeze up! Barely got out of low 30s today and was 18 in the morning.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Quiet Wednesday

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Crackers, cheese, peanuts, raisins

Drinks: One hot coffee, two Pilsner Urquells, one Sam Adams Winter Lager

Walked 16,800+ steps

Deepening cold today, barely got out of mid 30s and was 21 degrees in morning. I do not mind the cold so far, spending plenty of time walking outdoors in it. Went to bed somewhat early tonight. The book "Whiskey Rebel" is pretty good.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Transition to Winter

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Shells, tomato sauce, olive oil, cheese, raisins, rice cakes, some crackers.

Drinks: Hot coffee, Propel, four JC minis, two glasses red wine

Walked 16,000+ miles

Much colder day today. About 27 degrees in morning, barely got to 40 and down to 25 degrees by bedtime. Definitely winter is setting in. Sun is low in sky and long shadows during my walk around 1PM. Have listened to over 1,500 Christmas songs so far since Nov 1 and have downloaded close to 80 new Christmas songs so far this season. Have about 800 more Christmas songs to get through before I start listening to the best of them only.

Squirrel on the loose (10m)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Chili, cheese, crackers

Drinks: Propel, one large coffee, four JC minis, one glass red wine

Walked 20,000+ steps

Temperatures cranked much lower today, started out around 31 and barely got out of 40s. Down to freezing just after nightfall. Very windy again. Squirrel got back in house again, caught it and drove it about 3 miles away and tossed it in woods. Work was pretty slow.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Chili Cookoff

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Rice cakes, chili, peanut butter & crackers

Dinner: Lasagna, raisins, cheese

Drinks: Propel, one Sam Adams Winter Lager, three Pilsner Urquells, one bottle Mead, one glass red wine

Walked 19,200+ steps

Checked out the new bike trail today but it is still closed (until next spring). Took detour to top of Robin Hill Road and finally discovered the fire lookout. Tallest place in Chelmsford. Spent most of afternoon raking leaves again. Finally, the leaf raking is about over for the year. My yard is ready for snow cover and it is starting to get cold today as temperatures tumbled through the 40s and into the 30s by early evening.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Reading and Raking

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Two hard boiled eggs, slice pecan pie

Dinner: Crackers, two chicken & broccoli cutlets, squash, bread, olive oil

Walked 13,000+ steps

Drinks: Propel, one hot coffee, four JC minis, four Pilsner Urquells

Felt a little better today and spent much of day outdoors (after a good night sleep). I raked most of the yard completely clean today and have a piece out back and on the side to rake tomorrow. Never has my yard been raked so clean this time of year. The leaves have pretty much stopped falling so this will be the last weekend of heavy raking. Cloudy with rain showers most of day and very, very warm. It is still 65 degrees late at night! However, there is some much colder weather coming in for next week and may see first snow. Even had time to hang more Christmas lights.

Saw movie tonight with wife called 88 minutes. Quite intense. Also have about four books I'm reading right now and just started "Whiskey Rebels" tonight which is historical novel about the Whiskey Rebellion.

Sick Again

Friday, November 14, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Raisins, cheese, crackers, wheat spaghetti w/olive oil and bread.

Drinks: Propel, one hot coffee, one Sam Adams Winter Lager

Walked 10,400+ steps

Sick again today but made it through work today. Started day in Boston. Didn't get much walking done. Cloudy, off and on rain, mild.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Flu!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Knockwurst, baked beans

Dinner: Quesadillas, prime rib, bacon, shrimp, scallops, asparagus (Outback)

Drinks: Propel, one hot coffee, four JC minis, one Patron Silver Margarita

Walked 11,400+ steps

Another long day of meetings at work. Really getting bad flu so will turn in early. Mostly cloudy with off and on rain today.

Jars of Clay Downloaded

Wednesday, September 12, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Flatbread pizza (Whole Foods); crackers, raisins

Drinks: One hot coffee; one glass wine, four Pilsner Urquells

Walked: 10,700+ steps

Mostly cloudy day with almost full moon. Very busy day at work with meetings most of afternoon. Hung some more Christmas lights in house after work. Started Eisenhower's book called "Crusade in Europe".

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Rumors

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - Veteran's Day

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Two slices pizza

Dinner: One hard-boiled egg, one slice pizza, raisins

Drinks: One hot coffee, Propel, one glass red wine, 4 JC minis

Walked 20,800+ steps

Another quiet day at work (it was holiday) and traffic was on light side. Took long walk at lunch. Skies mostly cloudy and looking very much like early winter out there with all the trees now mostly bare. Not feeling too good today (flu coming on) so will go to bed early.

Monday, November 10, 2008

When Southern Bells Ring

Monday, November 10, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Crackers, cheese, two hard-boiled eggs, raisins

Walked 15,670+ steps

Drinks: One hot coffee, two glasses mead, one glass red wine, three Pilsner Urquells

Not a bad Monday at all. Started out warm but cool front came through and temps tumbled through the 40s in the afternoon into the 30s by 8PM. Work went very smooth today. Hung some Christmas lights when I got home and finished the Eisenhower biography.

Another fast weekend (10m)

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Breakfast: None

Lunch: Raisins, crackers, peanut butter, four hard-boiled eggs

Dinner: Roast, sweet potato, peanuts

Drinks: Propel, four JC minis, two glasses mead, three Octoberfest, One Pilsner Urquell

Walked 20,300+ steps

Started day walking the Nashua Trail bikepath in Groton/Dunstable area. Then another afternoon of raking and bagging leaves. Still a bunch of leaves left over, first time all season I couldn't get them all. But they are just about completely off the trees so I should get caught up next weekend. Another mild day but it got a little cooler in the afternoon.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Incredible amount of leaves (10m)

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Bread pudding (Whole Foods)

Dinner: Swiss cheese & crackers, cheddar rice cakes, raisins, chicken legs and thighs, peas

Drinks: One Propel, four JC minis, four glasses red wine

Walked 22,500+ steps

Started day by walking with dog on 10 Rod trail in Carlisle/Concord. Still a ton of leaves coming off the trees but trees mostly bare. Went to Apple Store to look for new protective case for my 2-year-old iPod but they aren't stocked anymore. SO guess I need new iPod (which is fine by me). Spent most of afternoon until about dark raking and bagging. This is the big dump of the year and I barely made headway. Another day of raking tomorrow and I have to do it all over again next weekend. At least most of trees are bare now. Still extremely mild for this time of year - up in 60s. Still no sun and it rained most of night.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Traffic Jams

Friday, November 7, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: Chicken soup, crackers, raisins, cheese

Drinks: One hot coffee, three Pilsner Urquells, One Octoberfest, one glass wine.

Walked 10,800+ steps

Another dreary day, more drizzle than rain but wet all day. Still on the mild side. Workday went pretty quick. Got new Christmas candles for the windows as the battery operated ones were not going to work out at all.

The Big Leaf Dump

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: None

Dinner: (Longhorn) Ribeye steak, broccoli, bread & butter, chicken nuggets

Drinks: One hot coffee, One Propel, four JC minis, two Silver Lightning margaritas

Walked 10,700+ steps

Dreary rainy day but mild. Didn't get much walking in today. Was a pretty good day at work though. The leaves on the oak trees really let loose today however and I have a full weekend of raking leaves ahead. This is the most leaves in the yard all year!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Long Day

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Two slices cheese pizza

Dinner: Raisins, three hard boiled eggs, a few crackers

Drinks: Two Propels, four Pilsner Urquells, three glasses mead

Walked 16,000+ steps

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day 2008

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Two slices pizza (Brothers, Newton)

Well, enough of the constant polls. This is the actual Election Day. I am sitting in my driveway after having voted. According to the polls, my candidates are not going to do well tonight, but I have one vote and all I can do is exercise it and the rest of it, I cannot control.

It was a very surreal day today. Woke up 4:15 due to phone/clock making random beeping noises. Took dog for a walk in the misty morning (mist was everywhere) and temperatures rose into the low 60s today. Left work at around 10AM to take a walk in the woods and didn't get back to office until about 12:15. Left office around 2PM so I could vote and spent the past couple of hours checking email in the car and driving around listening to Christmas Carols and talk radio.

Now it is about 5:30PM and I'm sitting in the driveway outside the house. I'm going to take dog for a long walk, maybe read a book and listen to more Christmas music and tune out the election for a while. I have a funny feeling that the election will end up much closer than the pollsters have been saying but we'll see.

Dinner: Two stuffed chicken loafs, rice, peanuts

Walked 18,300 steps

Drinks: One hot coffee, one Propel, four JC minis, four glasses mead

Well my candidates mostly lost tonight but so it goes.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Election Eve

Monday, November 3, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Sardines

Dinner: Crackers, peanut butter, two hard boiled eggs

Walked 16,200+ steps

Drinks: One hot coffee, one Propel, three Pilsner Urquells, four glasses mead

Had 42 bags of leaves out for first pickup and some kids dumped about 10 bags into the street so had to rake up again this morning. Down in the upper 20s but warmed up to about 50. Election is tomorrow and despite the polls, I think it is a toss-up and could go either way. Dog is sick tonight so never got it out for an evening walk. It threw up on its bed. Reading Eisenhower biography.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Late Autumn Settling In

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Cheese and crackers

Dinner: Assorted crap (at a family party), cookies, some chocolate, crackers, pepperoni, raisins

Drinks: Two hot coffees, four Pilsner Urquells, two glasses red wine

Walked 14,000+ steps

Didn't have a lot of leaves to rake today as I did most of it yesterday and not many new leaves fell. I did put out 42 bags of leaves for the first collection of year! That's not including all the leaves I raked into the woods. Was in mid-20s this morning and warmed only into the upper 40s. Clocks turned back last night and turned dark just after 5PM. Christmas candles are in the windows and soon it's time to put lights up. Listened to another 100+ Christmas songs today on the iPod. The election is only a couple days away and spent a lot of time on the Internet checking it out.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Christmas Starts Today (10m)

Breakfast: Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch: Some kind of "baclava" from Whole Foods (never again), Whole Foods chocolate bar

Dinner: Two hard boiled eggs, beef stew with wheat pasta, crackers, peanuts

Drinks: Propel, two Pilsner Urquells, four JC minis, two glasses red wine

Walked 21,000+ steps

Raked yard almost completely clean once again. Never have I been so caught up on lawn raking. Today starts Christmas music and the reason I start now is that I have over 2,000 Christmas songs in my collection and even if I listen to 50 a day from now until Christmas, I'll barely have time to hear them all. Also put the Christmas candles in the windows as I'll spend the next few weeks putting up lights.