Blast away the Blubber cruise!!

[lmhall2000]

Don't be fooled by the 80 pound clippie below, yep, that is how much I lost before my last cruise (2.5 years ago)...I put some back on...ugh. I was only 25 pounds from goal..the cruises ALWAYS motivate me to lose because they are a wonderful way to reward yourself. If only I could afford a yearly cruise, I'd likely stay at goal weight .


This picture was taken when I was about 30 pounds from goal weight last year, racing to get back!

I have 4.5 months before our cruise and I hope to get within 20 pounds of goal. If I work hard, I might be able to hit goal (anything below 160). Dh has started working from home so we made a deal, I will do my treadmill in the am, and he has to match my mileage in the pm...that way, I feel like I'm also walking for him to help him get below 200..that's his goal. Our kids are fit and healthy, but working on eating cleaner than we have in the past with our on the go lifestyle.

The trick is we can't book our cruise until GT rates come out..so we'd prefer the May 3rd cruise (BWAHAHAHA! updated page 2 at the bottom...sticking tongue in cheek and rolling eyes), so I'm setting that as my goal date, but we may end up on the May 10th (Nope, not this date either...) because it's the Fantasy and they may have deeper discounts than the smaller Magic. The Magic was our first cruise ship and we'd love to return to her! Update (Just hoping at this point it's in MAY!!)

The players:

Grumpy: dh...really is grumpy unless he's on a cruise, then he's just giddy.
CB: (me) I really should earn an honorary trucker license, I have put over 165k miles on our Prius in 3.5 years. Three teenagers, 6 day a week rowing practice for 3 years, and now traded that for 2-3 day a week Irish dance driving..but it's in another state...hence also how the pounds crept back up, but now I am planning to walk each class instead of sitting and waiting
Tall Man: Our oldest ds (19)...he is still growing in college, think he's 6'4 now.
Galadriel: Our oldest dd (17)...she's a budding fantasy fictional author who is in a state of grief with the end of the Hobbit series.
Irish: Our youngest (16)..loves all things Irish.


Galadriel, Tall Man, Irish...need to recreate this pic in May!

I refuse to weigh, so I had Grumpy record my weight last week, and I'll weigh January 1st to see the 'real' damage and to keep me honest until then! I'll then weigh weekly and give updates here...for both Grumpy and me.

Our past cruises have been to the Mediterranean (crazy deal unheard of since), Mexican Riviera (KSF), and Eastern Caribbean (VGT)....dh cashed in his unused vacation days, so I've got to make this trip worth all those 5 years of working through vacation! He loves nothing more than cruising, literally, I can't even get him off to see most ports, luckily Galadriel and Irish are eager to explore with me

 

[lmhall2000]

Bah humbug, no treadmill yet. Cleaning house for four hours, now need to go run get a gift before a party tonight, 2 hour drive to party, will be back by 9pm..will I have the energy/drive to do my walking? Please say "Yes", dear body!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Bah humbug, no treadmill yet. Cleaning house for four hours, now need to go run get a gift before a party tonight, 2 hour drive to party, will be back by 9pm..will I have the energy/drive to do my walking? Please say "Yes", dear body!!

And, a clear resounding, "NO"...ugh. Maybe those 4 hours of cleaning house kept me active enough that day to be a losing one. I can always start my day off perfect, it's around 3pm that I just get lazy and don't want to fix healthy stuff...meaning, I'll opt for a baked potato with butter/cheese instead of broccoli salad, just so much easier to pop a potato in the oven...or chop onions, rinse broccoli, chop broccoli, find the ingredients for the dressing for the salad, make bacon for the salad...it's a delicious broccoli salad but I get so busy...ugh...I have salad in the bag and should just do the spinach smoothie, but want to 'eat' something. On a good note, I did buy all good foods on my grocery run, bad news, is we just had 45 teenagers over to the house for our annual silly Elf party...they are sweethearts and of course gift me with amazing homemade treats...oh this season wrecks intentions! We have traditional prime rib for Christmas, the only day of the year we can afford it (always on sale at our local grocer) so I'll fix a chopped salad, baked potato again and the prime rib...then my mind will need to focus on spinach smoothies, the good news is my kids are older and not so into all the sweets for their stockings, so no stockings full of Reese cups or M&Ms..I think I got each kid some tic tacs and one chocolate item...and no time for cookies this year for Santa, it'll be carrot sticks for the reindeers

 

[lmhall2000]

Flipping pancakes! When will the holiday eating stop?? I am going to post here my daily consumption, this is Baaaaaad. I always start out great, water with fresh lemon...after pittering around kitchen waiting for kids to wake up (first year ever to rise before them on Christmas Day) and downing my water, I split a banana with my dh. Not bad.

Then I convinced myself that I could eat a Kit Kat out of the stocking since I 'only' had 1/2 banana for breakfast, and AFTER all it IS Christmas...oh these mind games we play!

Then the kids popped up, we opened presents...we don't do lots of presents especially since we're planning this cruise...so that did not take too long, but everyone was happy and cheerful. Which means, time to start planning lunch!! I marinated the prime rib (always on sale this time of year and it's tradition) and started the homemade roll dough....I knew this could not end well.

These rolls are so soft, so full of milk, butter, flour, sugar (pretty much skull zone on most trendy diets these days)...but it's Christmas, right?

So, during all this 'prepping' I get hungry, I ate a few Cheese Doodles left over from the Elf party. We never buy these, and it's Christmas, right?

Then I feel guilty so I drank some more water to feel better. ha.

I put the roast in after it's at room temp and the room is smelling of garlic and thyme...means I need to get that horseradish sauce started.

Lots of prep work that meant I needed to steal little bites of goodness to secure my energy...which instead of reaching for the fresh blackberries and strawberries I have in the fridge, I ate a Lindor ball and a York peppermint pattie. UGH! Oh, what's a few more cheese doodles?

Boiled the potatoes, snapped the green beans and cooked those...rolled out the roll dough into crescents, it's time to eat real food!

Everything came out perfectly, fixed a plate of sensible portioned food and ate it all. But with the extra snack size kit kats...(4 in total) I really felt stuffed. I did limit myself to 1.5 rolls...in the old days, I could manage 2-3...so little graces.

Five hours later I'm hungry for dinner, so what's my choice? About 20 Cheese Doodles...ugh...I've had more water and now feel like a bloated whangdoodle! I am EAGERLY looking forward to attacking my 4.4 months of sensible eating and attacking a lifestyle dedicated to honoring this temple...no more CHEESE DOODLES...as Galadriel sits next to me munching on her dinner of Cheese doodles as we take in the Christmas showing of Downton Abbey...I'm off to make my goal chart so I can earn my daily stickers...whatever it takes!!

That CRUISE is my golden pot at the end of this rainbow...the first half of this rainbow is all uphill, but the last half, will have the cruise clearly in my sights!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Oh well, cheese doodles deserved to be topped off with a coke float...I did manage to only put one spoon full of ice cream and 1/4 cup of coke, so no more than 1/2 cup...but it hit the spot and I am officially done with sugar for the next few weeks...January 6th is Grumpy's birthday so I might have a bite then of cake, but limiting myself to birthdays and Valentine's Day for sugar until May...now on to the planning...

As I see it now, the best price I can 'imagine' for the May 3rd cruise:

$770 per adult in IGT
$560 per child
Total $4060

Kids sail free pops up
Total $4100 for one Verandah that fits five

Oceanview on Fantasy that fits five likely would be
$3800

Any way, I guess the days of sailing with our family for under 4k are long gone...but at least this gives me hope that we can save 2k which we desperately need to replace a deteriorating fence that's been through thirty years of weathered abuse.

Now, off to make that chart and dream of my spinach smoothies tomorrow

 

[lmhall2000]

Day ONE of my 28 day LOSE IT challenge...I will either lose my mind or lose these crappy pounds that represent poor food choices and a sedentary lifestyle due to choice and/or injury.

I'm aiming on the latter!! I feel soo pumped! I have looked at pics of the potential islands for our possible cruise, I know we'll go on one, just have no clue which one for sure...really hoping for Magic, that was our family's first cruise we'd like to return to it! Lots to celebrate this year!

Tall Man finishing first year at college...he went in fearful of the load and demands, but after one semester is confident and earned all As/Bs...he's a competitive rower so the demands on his time for practices could have hindered that...college rowing is much more demanding than the past 3 years of rowing...very proud of this kid. He suffered a crisis of faith at 15 after realizing our state would not pass the Tim Tebow bill (we homeschool) and that ultimately meant he would lose his love, football. There was one homeschool team locally, but it required long distance traveling for games, just not possible for us (we thought!)...God came through in a miraculous manner and introduced him to rowing...within 6 months he had lost 65 pounds of 'linebacker' bulk and was asked to row on the varsity team as a sophomore...he was hooked!

For me, hopefully getting into the Normal Weight Zone for my height, can't wait!!!

For Grumpy, being able to work from home is a joy, we miss him and being able to spend meals with him each day is a huge boost to us all, even on his Grumpy days!

Galadreil...she's finishing her first novel, completed her 50k words for NaNoWriMo month (a writing contest in November)...and is now on 80k words, she hopes to finish it by March...we'll have it published (you can pay to have a copy published for your own personal collection) with a coupon of course and it will serve as a reminder that her ideas can be fleshed out on paper and she completed a dear goal herself!

Irish...she's working really hard to break through to the next level in Irish Dance...she has 3-4 competitions before then, and she's really hoping this is her year to break through the top two levels...I know she can do it, but all the hours she puts in for practicing, the cruise will be a great mid-year mental break and encouragement, hopefully she might meet another ID on board and they can share practices and stories while on the ship

I'm off to start my calendar and Grumpy's..he's on board to get these pounds off, I told him I would be an angry bear this next week with no sugar...I really don't eat it much (except holidays) but just knowing I can't eat it, makes me cross...but I know it's best to help jump start the losing...but I will eat fruits in my salads/smoothies, just in moderation... So natural sugars are all okay

I need to buy a swimsuit on sale now to hang up for inspiration..but I find we never put them on during the cruise, we will board in our swimshorts/swimguard shorts to ride the slide first thing, but then we're so busy we don't manage it again...so maybe just a bottle of sunscreen to remind me to stay the course

For all those fellow cruisers wanting to lose some pounds, stick with it! Just envision yourself walking on board having met a challenge, you can do it!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Calendar UP!!! Raspberries, whole grain toast and green tea for breakfast, now off to do my 4-6 mile walk, will see how I feel when I get to the Greenway! Day one is much better than Cheese Doodle Holiday!!

 

[lmhall2000]

90 minutes walking on the trail, a bit nippy, hips started to hurt 1 hour in, but made it to the end! Hope I can get another 30 minutes of yoga meltdown in tonight to stretch these weary muscles out...

Good day on food! Roasted chicken (no skin), olives and potatoes, I had to go to the store to replenish my greens...will have good food the next few days after the big grocery run...redneck caviar, and sun dried hummus using carrot sticks for dipping...good veggies!

 

[lmhall2000]

CHEESE DOODLES!!

I am completely ignoring the fact Irish just jumped in my bed with the remaining bag of stale Cheese Doodles...I will NOT eat one, this day has been a GOOD eating/exercising day! must think BEACH!

 

[lmhall2000]

The Bag is EMPTY

I survived a very tangible threat to my blubber blasting goal...there are no more cheese doodles in this house. What are the odds that 3 teenagers would all choose Cheese Doodles to bring to our Elf party? Did they not know that is like Kryptonite to my self-discipline...so glad it is gone!

Survived my first day, did my exercise, did my eating on plan, only 100+ more days to complete

Trying to plan this trip although we're not booked.

Cozumel or is it Grand Cayman?...would love to rent 2 Seadoos and see Stingray Cove...think that's the plan...but we'd also like to do ziplining..we may just let the kids use their 'cruise cash' to choose to zipline...but we can only afford one as a family. We typically let each kid have $50 to spend on what they'd like, I bet when it comes down to it, they'll opt for souvenirs rather than the experience of ziplining, but hope they'll consider it...it would be a memory they would not forget!

Probably stay on board for the other port just to have a relaxing day without the ship moving...my dh loves to do that, I'm not quite sure he'll even get off at GC or C...on our Med cruise, I think he opted out of 3 of the 7+ ports...I thought he was nuts...we may never see Italy/Med again...how could you stay on the ship?? Like I said, these ships keep him in a giddy mode, it's almost as if the ship has a force field that he struggles to abandon...even for majestic scenes.

Would love any tips on these Western Caribbean ports...if any of you could recommend best ones and which ports are best for cheap beach excursions, please share! Thanks for all the help and encouragement!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Day Two BATB

I think day two is the hardest of any lifestyle adjustment....I'm starving from the exercise from day one, ready to take on the day and start with my hour of Yoga Meltdown (after I kick Grumpy off the video game he's started)...very proud of Grumpy, he did not match my miles but did get on the treadmill and walked 2 miles last night! We can keep this going!! He also avoided the leftover chocolate ice cream, he did admit he checked to see if any was left, but kids had scarfed it...way to go Kiddoes!

Today is cereal/milk and piece of fruit for breakfast, then red bell pepper slices for snack, then spinach smoothie for lunch, piece of fruit for snack, then meat and two veggies for dinner, I may just do a tuna salad for that...will be too tired to cook anything...I start each meal with lemon water or at least a glass of water, oh, and I do get a cup of coffee today (dh made it, so I get it ) Not a big coffee drinker, maybe 1-2 cups a week...but I do like one cup black If I get weak from the exercise, I'll eat a boiled egg instead of fruit for the snack, that seems to hold me over.

Update: My red bell pepper never made it from grocery store , so had a Halo clementine for snack, instead of tuna salad I'll be making broccoli salad...forgot I had two heads of broccoli I did not make for Christmas...so tuna can keep I did complete 35 minutes of Yoga Meltdown, just waiting for Grumpy to finish the treadmill so I can get in 2 miles on it

I highly recommend Jillian's Yoga Meltdown or Fat Buster videos...they really helped get me down the last time, really hoping for quick results this next 28 days, may not get back to my low of 1.5 years ago, but hopefully, by 2/3 the way through I will be pretty close...not stopping until I get Normal weight goal which for me is 164...Ideally anything in the 150s is my ultimate goal, if I can make it down to 147...I would be thrilled! I weighed that on my wedding and wore a size 5...I just want to get to size 10 and then focus on cardio/strength training to maintain...see where my body levels out...

Grumpy needs to hit around 190...my son has put on 10 pounds in college but his clothes are looser, lots of muscle mass added, not sure how much muscle mass I can increase at my age (47) but my goal is to make sure I have some

On to my high fiber, low sugar (less than 6 grams), of multigrain cereal

Oh! I also earn a sticker for my 28 day chart for yesterday! Off to fill in the first square....EARNED

 

[lmhall2000]

CHEATS?

It's the holiday season, we have no commitments, no school, nowhere to be, which means later than usual nights playing board games and hanging...which also makes you STARVING hungry at 11pm...I had about 20 peanuts and 6 chocolate covered craisins...they were dark chocolate so less sugar..but I had to have it...I missed my 100 calorie snack today so I'm hoping it's a better than Kit Kat snack I earn my sticker if I stick to my eating and keep under 1500 calories a day...I earned my second sticker tonight..even with the 'cheat'...I feel better already, just the increase of fresh foods and whole grains is a great boon...

I had to take 2 Aleve because my feet are killing me from the pounding I gave them yesterday and today...newish walking shoes that must have a different sole compared to my old Asics...it honestly feels like little stress fractures in my feet..I tackle my walks like I'm 22, not 47...it takes a few weeks for my body to respond..so meanwhile I walk with painful swollen feet...hope the Aleve will kick in...no fun stepping out of bed to 'ow-ow-ow'....tomorrow's food will be egg omelet with onions/green bell peppers, snack will be one of those Halo clementines, lunch will be spinach smoothie again (today had blackberry, strawberry, spinach, pineapple) and tomorrow's will be apple, pineapple, avocado and spinach...dinner is likely redneck caviar...the best thing you've ever tasted that is soo healthy..the trick is keeping the whole grain chips down to less than 10...

2 cans black eyed peas, drained/rinsed
2 cans black beans, drained/rinsed
1 can Rotel (crushed tomatoes/peppers)
1 can shoepeg white corn
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup cilantro, I just do the whole bunch, love the stuff
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
salt/pepper to taste
6 T red wine vinegar
6 T olive oil

Mix all together and chill, serve with whole grain tortilla chips or blue corn tortilla chips (my faves) any chip will do Fritos were recommended but not on my diet

On to day three!!!

 

[lmhall2000]

The Long and Winding Road*

*Just for fun, I'll use song titles from my youth to start out the messages...songs are a great way our family remembers vacations, we come up with song lists for each vacation and play them on our long travels to/from destination

Maybe I'm crazy, but the Magic cruise on the 3rd would be ideal for us, I won't be disappointed if we find a better deal on Fantasy the next week, but celebrating Mother's Day on the cruise would be pretty cool either coming or going Here's how we'd make it happen...it never is 'simple' with our family ventures!

Get up EARLY Friday morning with Irish (3am)...drive the 10 hours to Marietta, Ohio to pick up son...move his college dorm items to a storage center for the summer...or pack them in the car...eek!

Drive the 9 hours to get to Atlanta by 10pm (yes, 19 hours in one day...hmmm) then spend the night so Irish can attend the Atlanta feis (fesh...Irish for festival...what they call their competitions)...she needs to compete in this one..not many close to us...drive the 7 hours to Orlando after the feis to pick up Grumpy and Galadriel from their one way ticket to the airport, stay at a hotel there, then get up the 3rd and head to port...

It will be crazy..but doable...another option is to try and see if son can get friends to help him move his dorm stuff then fly him one way down, but his college is 1.5 hours from nearest major airport...not sure logistics of getting him on flight for one way...oh the details! Especially when you have no cruise booked yet Momma's instincts for feathering the nest wherever the winds may take us never quell!

 

[lmhall2000]

Taking it to the Streets!

Instead of all those miles, we think we have a solution to the travel enigma...fly son directly to Orlando (if he can find locals to store his dorm stuff in or a local storage unit)..then the rest of the family goes straight to Atlanta for the feis on Friday night, just means we'll need a housesitter for longer than we thought...or just skip the feis altogether (if she does well in the feis next month, she might can skip it)...and drive up on Saturday to pick ds up at airport. That is probably the best plan...

I am fearful of long rides after the cruise, I had food poisoning (think it was the shrimp, I was the only one who ate it) or possibly one of the sauces on our last Disney cruise...it hit on my birthday, I was completely out of it for a whole day...had energy on Friday but then on Saturday all that junk in my stomach made its way down and our 11 hour drive home turned in to over 14 hours, we had to make over 15 stops and I felt sooo awful for anyone who had to hear the awful mess that was bad shrimp...the good news is I actually lost weight on that cruise

TMI, I know, I was following the theme of the thread "Taking it to the Streets"...

Just finished the Yoga Cardio by Jillian...it was tough, I have to modify a few of the moves, my shoulders are going to be ripped by May if I keep her workouts up, half the yoga moves you're in plank mood and kicking up your leg or twisting putting all the weight of this body on one or both shoulders...geez! Going to do treadmill as well, will likely take a rest day tomorrow..aiming for just 5-6 days a week of 60 minutes or more...ideally, I'd love to reach 2 hours 5-6 days a week by February, I know the first 20 pounds will melt off then it's like battling a flooding dyke trying to get each add'l 10 pounds off...

 

[lmhall2000]

Walk This Way!!!

Shout out to Aerosmith on this one, but it's 10pm and I am JUST now finishing my workout for the day, 45 minutes on treadmill, completed 35 minutes of cardio yoga this morning..made the redneck caviar, it was divine...had 10 blue corn chips with it, will probably eat leftover for lunch but no chips, it's fine just by itself...

Off to complete my workout, that means THREE days in and I'm 100% for my food and my exercise!! If I can keep this pace, the weight will be tumbling off!! That keeps me pumped!! Grumpy has not managed his treadmill today but he did not cheat on the food, but I did see him choose a corn muffin that wasn't on the plan, but he's still under the calorie load CORRECTION!! Grumpy DID his walking!! He snuck it in when I didn't notice so that's 3 wins for both of us...this might hold!! Galadriel did the yoga with me, she was not happy, it was painful...our bodies just can't move some of those ways early in the a.m. but she's happy now she did it

On to day four!! After I get this walk in!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Taking Care of Business!

Where has Skinny Pop been all my dieting days?? Just found a bag of it at Sam's Club, tastes just like my homemade kind and I don't have to do the popping, only 39 calories per cup...so essentially 2.5 cups is 100 calories and a perfect snack when I need a carb pick me up. Happy to find it!

Today was supposed to be my rest day, but completed 35 minutes of Yoga Meltdown...I wake up very stiff and sore in the morning so it helps warm everything up and I do feel better...I'll try and take a full rest day tomorrow. I have to drive Irish to dance (about a 1.5 hour drive each way) tomorrow and loads of errands to run tomorrow, but since it's the holidays, I might be energetic enough to get moving...it's turning chilly here...sorry for all you S. Dakotans...my chilly is dipping below 32 for a night

Cruise updates: Playing around with options..ideally we'll book May 3rd. It's the Magic and goes to Cozumel, Cayman, and Falmouth (assuming this is the Bahamas? Haven't even made it that far yet)...Cozumel we'd love to rent 2 Seadoos (that fit 3 each) and ride to Stingray, none of us have been on seadoos!! Then Cayman, I just want to snorkel somewhere...we have our own equipment we bought for our cruise a few years ago...just need to be pointed in the right direction...hoping to not spend too much here...seadoos will run us $300 for the day..not bad! Well, I think that is 4 hours for 5 people on 2...we really need to lose weight or those puppies won't be able to pull us!

Even MORE reason to hit goal by May, dh's insurance plan changes with the new job (same company but different office)...we get a huge discount if we're at goal weight and we have until November 1st to attain it and all benefits are retroactive, so we'd get a hefty check back just in time for Christmas...but I'm hoping to lose the bulk by this cruise so I can go to my yearly visit and floor my doctor Just another way, we're taking care of business!

 

[lmhall2000]

Just the Way You Are!

I can feel it, that mini-mid crisis when I start a weight loss plan and all these thoughts start creeping into my head...
simply because I was only 28 pounds from ultimate goal and let it creep back on,
because I know how hard it is to stick to a 28 day plan in the first place and start doubting I can do it
that little fiber in me that visualizes my old self at goal weight and how the new self will feel to be fit and healthy for good...it has the power to blast away the anger and doubt.

People always tell you to love yourself just the way you are, baloney, for me it's not about the size, it's about the ability to do things I want to do without the extra baggage, honoring this temple by treating it the way it should be treated for the miracle it is...the size simply means I am no longer carrying extra filled flabby cells that represent the lesser side of discipline/courage/responsibility...I want to reach a size 10 or below so I don't have to battle these battles anymore. Something's got to give, and this time it will be those chubby little fat cells

To help encourage me, I went to Sierra Trading Post and used my big old coupon to find swimsuits for the family for the cruise...scored some amazing deals for under $10...I bought them in size 12 just because suits are usually made small and these are meant for performance swimming so they usually do fit snug..got a large for Grumpy and found some swim shorts for Galadriel..she is the hardest to buy for..she wants comfort but pure modesty...very hard to find in swimsuits these days...

Also found five great Tshirts in a beautiful blue (all men's sizes, though) from Old Navy for $4.00 a piece and free shipping! There is a lady on Etsy who makes great vinyl appliques for your trip and I'm hoping I can send her these to put them on...I have failed miserably in the past on tie dye, paint, etc...these will be keepers...I still kept the pitiful ones and we laugh about them, but this time, it actually is cheaper than what we had before Off to find some cool designs to make this shirt fun! And time to start my fifth day! Four stickers on the board looks awfully cool!

 

[lmhall2000]

She's Gone

If that don't beat all, I'll be a monkey's uncle, well I'll be John Brown, if it ain't one thing it's t'other!

My back is out.

All those stinking Yoga Downward Dogs have sent my back into a spasm of pain so great I had tears just trying to move..even with the back brace on.

This will not sabotage me, this is my scheduled no workout day, so I'm just resting and somehow managed to make the family some venison meatballs..an amazing friend sent me some venison sausage her husband makes and the kids had never had them, so I managed that much before I relegated myself to a day of rest today. They were great! I had 2 meatballs and leftover redneck caviar for my meat and veggies, raisin bran for breakfast, and dinner will be broccoli salad I keep meaning to make, hoping the kids can pull that off if I can't.

Walking and aleve are the best cure for my back issues...stemming from a 6 car pileup in my college days, I was the 3rd car and got hit 3x..not good. Another reason this weight is on and another reason this weight needs to GO OFF...it sure would be easier to move being 40-60 pounds lighter!!

And I just needed an excuse to post a Hall & Oates song...Irish has just 'discovered' them and sings them all the time...I get a kick out of that...She's Gone is one I remember well...and fits with my back going out on me

 

[lmhall2000]

What's Going on?

Marvin Gaye rocks.

Being bedridden with this stymied pain in my back has had me searching for cruise Tshirt designs...wishing I had a cricut machine to make really nice ones...the idea of sending tshirts off may not work..looks like we'll do homemade ones again...but it's also had me thinking....here I am planning an amazing family getaway and I've got a crazy world around me. Ferguson/crime/I highly recommend seeking out the short essay by GK Chesterton "A Piece of Chalk"..it really hits upon some threads of truth in our world.

Two years ago, my little corner of the world was afflicted with a night time burglar. We live on a small piece of land and across the road is a strip of homes on lots...about five of them had been hit over a week's period. They took it into their own hands (only 4 sheriff cars 'policing' a rather large county at one time) and bought guns and surveillance equipment. For several nights we heard shotgun firings...my horses (we have 3 mostly rescue horses) were freaked out and when they (the neighbors) chased the burglar into the woods behind my house I was livid...Sheriff would come but would not chase him. I guess the burglar had about 13 nights of thievery before I was led to him one early Sunday morning.

Something woke me up, I never wake up at 5:30 on Sunday morning, but something told me to get up and take the dogs out...the moment I opened my front door, I saw him directly in front of me walking on the main road. Not sure what prompted me, but I shouted out to him, "Hey, YOU, I need to talk to you right now!" He did just that, he was carrying two things on his shoulder and threw one of them into the ditch...he met me at our fence and I joined him with all my three dogs in tow. He didn't 'look' like a burglar, just an average joe maybe about 20 years old and he even kept saying, "Ma'am" to me. I can't go into it now, but he shared his life story in those 45 minutes at the fence. Let's just say it was tragic. We both knew he was the burglar, only later did I find out that the two things he held were actually from my own storage shed...sigh. He had robbed some items out of our unlocked car (work computers and electronics)...the ONE day my dh had moved them from his office to our home office. He also stole all our saws and lawn equipment, but left us the lawnmower...I digress...

I let him go home (he had been living next door to our property for 3 weeks and robbed pretty much every night) until I could figure out what needed to be done, first I had to tell my neighbor to come help me pray with him, this kid needed some hands laying on...my neighbor who had been shooting at him for weeks was not willing to lay hands on him in prayer but would lay hands on him...he made me chuckle at the sincere honesty of his words. I told him I would get Grumpy to do it and give us some time before he called the Sheriff. Grumpy was none too happy, he thought I was nuts. A Higher power called me out there that morning, these men with all their guns and expensive surveillance had yielded nothing, but God called out for this man...I had to give him more of God and less of man's response to crime...or so I thought.

I am pretty persuasive, so Grumpy obliged but was not happy about it. We walk over to him and just as we were starting to talk to him the Sheriff pulled up...more bizarrity happened when the Sheriff comes out of his car HOLDING this young man's license!! He had just arrested this man 3 weeks prior and forgot to give him his license...what are the odds that THAT sheriff would be holding his license? Some of you reading this may not be believers, but God was all over this in my mind.

Loooong story short, many calls to the District Attorney's office...this burglar was bonded/released 3 more times before he was convicted...over a 2 year period he had been arrested 15 times for burglary...I knew in my heart he would escalate...there was an emptiness..that tragic life he had led held no hope...he had 2 children by 2 different young ladies...but even they didn't curb his penchant for robbing. I was assured he would go away for a long time, I wasn't happy for the length but hopeful that the time would give him some element of hope in there.

Two weeks ago, an event happened with the neighbor who allowed this burglar to live with him, it made me start thinking of the burglar. He was serving a 15 year sentence in state prison. I googled, not the burglar's name but my neighbor's...but the first pop up was the county jail. I hit the link and there staring at me was that young man I called out that Sunday morning. He had been released from prison after only serving a year and a half...and just rebooked on burglary and now 1st degree rape.

What's going on??

Laying here in this bed, I can plan all these fun things, I can prep a week of pure levity and family time..while this young man is robbing others of their joys/security...his life was tragic...his father had been murdered by his own uncle..his mother was an alcoholic and lost custody of all her five children (all under five) the January before I caught him his older brother had committed suicide...he lived in foster homes most his life or extended family who would take him in...most refused to at this point. I called the DA again and wanted to cry out..how could he only serve 2 years?? I never got a return call. I may call back, but what will it do?

These cruises are a wonderful diversion to what life brings us. My heart is aching for all the lives ruptured through sin and strife...it's kind of hard to be pumped to plan a joyous occasion. But, I can keep my focus on good health and eating, they will allow me to be stronger to face these challenges and hopefully through prayer and petition, lives will be lifted and sins will be covered.

 

[lmhall2000]

Lean on Me...

Well, not literally today, but boy have I sure leaned on Grumpy, Galadriel, Tall Man and Irish...they have been great...I no longer have constant pain while in any position, but I still can't move...I have only managed to get up twice today and it's not easy...so loads of time have been spent on the computer at Cruise Critic, here, and Etsy/Pinterest sites trying to at least knock some fun planning out of the way. Breakfast was an egg, lunch was a grilled cheese and piece of fruit and dinner was Outback STeakhouse's chopped salad with about 3 ounces of sirloin...should be under 1500..but again, I didn't move most the day, so really should be a 1000 calorie day. I need to drink more water but hurts to sit up to drink...day 3 needs to improve.

1. What I've learned...
Cozumel: Paradise Beach or Nacho something is the go to spots...just watersports and fun stuff...think it's around $15 pp for watersports and $3 to get into Paradise Beach...that is pretty inexpensive.

Cayman: Stingray City...just not sure if we should hire a boat, join others on a boat, or rent Seadoos...

Falmouth: Really surprised how beautiful this little island is! Lots of folks like Blue something, where you ride about an hour and can jump from varying heights into it...I know the kids would love it but Grumpy may not like all the treacherous climbing to get to the jump spots...

My dream would be to find a nature trail with wildlife and flowers...but kids hate doing that when they could be 'doing' something....but they know how much I love it, so maybe they'll give a little

If anyone has suggestions of must dos at these ports...please share...I'm budgeting to spend a bit more at just one and sticking to under $100 at the other two...I would consider ziplining if I could hear it's the most scenic, beautiful to do it in..otherwise just ziplining doesn't appeal to me...

I did send a message to a Tshirt company and they said they might be able to put their design on my tshirts...found a great deal on them from Old Navy..under $4.00 a piece...have to buy from there to get Tall sizes for Tall Man...so I found all the same color...love this company's designs...and would save me the stress of failing at yet another homemade vacation shirt...