Back about four years ago, Biker Dude and I were gym rats. We went every day and I was in killer good shape. So was he.

But then he suffered a shoulder injury, and then a knee injury. And then I got elbow tendonitis and hurt my shoulder. And then one thing led to another and we stopped going to the gym.

Big mistake. Big. Huge. (Do you know what movie that’s from? Answer at the end of the post) *

Over the years and a lot of hours spent sitting at my computer writing books, and a lot more hours spent with my ass parked in front of the television watching a hell of a lot of my favorite tv shows, I’ve gained weight. A sedentary lifestyle is not conducive to a buff body. Who knew? :giggle:

I haven’t weighed this much since I was pregnant with my kids. I mean like way pregnant with my kids. I don’t sleep well, my joints hurt. My back hurt. We’d been eating too much really craptastic food (oooh high fat food? Yes, I love it, thank you). Other than chocolate, which I can’t have anymore since I had to give up caffeine last year, there’s not a dessert I don’t love.

So anyway, I started getting flabby, jiggly parts. Ew. Don’t like those. At. All.

We bought a treadmill last winter that we’d pretty much ignored (they make great clothing racks). But we needed to get back in shape and just thinking about getting in shape doesn’t do much to get you there. Huh. Imagine that.

Finally I’d had enough. It was time to start exercising again.

So we have been. First few days on the treadmill my back was killing me. So were my knees. I thought…well, crap, I’m not going to be able to do this. But guess what? After the first few days my back stopped hurting. Turns out my back and knees were hurting because I wasn’t exercising. (Duh)

I also started working out to Jillian Michael’s (From The Biggest Loser) 30 Day Shred. Killer workout. Or kill me workout. Lifting weights too. I get bored easily with a workout so I need to mix it up. Every day I work out I get stronger and my endurance increases so I can do more and more.

I’m sleeping like the dead at night now. My stomach is flattening. I have energy again. And I’m losing weight. My clothes are looser. It’s all incentive to work out the next day. And the day after that.

I still hate exercise, but it does make me feel better, so I’ll kick my own ass and make myself do it because I have to. I don’t like the alternative. I hate feeling miserable.

We’re not really on a strict diet, but we’re not eating desserts and we’re cutting the heavy fat meals. But we do eat. We’re just eating sensibly. For example, Biker Dude cooked burgers on the grill yesterday. We ate them without a bun. Had cottage cheese instead of fries. I made a salad. When we ate at a buffet over the weekend, I had salmon and green beans. For dessert I went to the salad bar and filled up on fresh fruit instead of hitting the dessert bar. The fruit was awesome and very sweet. I’m not big on denial. I like food. You do have to fuel your body when you’re trying to lose weight, or your body will start eating muscle to fuel itself, which is bad. So you have to make sure to eat so you can burn fat.

So far so good.

Anyone else trying to lose weight out there? Always interested in what y’all are doing.

*Pretty Woman, one of my all time favorite movies

Ever have one of those weekends where you actually look forward to Monday so you can rest?

Yeah, it was one of those weekends. I’m tired.

I like my weekends to be quiet and uneventful. Not too busy, just quiet and uneventful. This weekend was exhausting.

Saturday we did a poker run for a cancer charity. A poker run is a biker event where you ride to 5 locations, get a poker hand, and if you get a great hand you have a chance of winning some money. We did not get a great poker hand. Alas. The weather was in the 50’s in the morning, winds out of the north. Brrr. I freely admit I do not like riding when it’s cold.

It’s May here, people. The weather is supposed to be warming. Not in the 50’s. It’s supposed to be hitting high 70s and 80s by now. Dressing up in leathers is a giant pain in the ass. Barreling down the highway with a cold wind slapping my face is not my idea of a good time. Getting home 5 hours later, I’m wind burned and wiped out. But then we had to go to the grocery store to get food for Mother’s Day, because #1 son and the grandkids were coming over on Sunday. So off we went.

Yesterday morning we went over to my mother-in-laws to wish her a Happy Mothers Day and spend some time with her. Then we came home and I started to make cupcakes. Got everything out and realized I had no eggs. Doh! How could I have no eggs? I always have eggs. So had to hop in the car and dash to the store to buy eggs. Made the cupcakes, #1 son and the grandkids came over. (daughter in law had to work yesterday. She’s a bartender at a restaurant. Poor baby).

We barbecued chicken, had beans and corn on the cob. And of course the cupcakes, which oldest granddaughter helped me ice.

Played with the granddaughters. Lots of fun. Very tiring. Heh. They spent the afternoon here and it’s always so enjoyable having them around.

By last night I was utterly wiped out. I got no writing done this weekend. Bad me.

So yeah, I was actually looking forward to Monday because I don’t have to be anywhere today. It’s laundry and writing day.

How sad and pathetic am I? :giggle:

Hope all you Moms out there had a wonderful day yesterday!

How’s my garden project doing?

Pretty damn good, surprisingly.

Here it was when we first planted on April 10th:

And here it is today (notice the mini-lake behind the garden? It rained all freakin day yesterday and into last night. We’re having a very wet spring. Good for the garden and all our plants, flower & trees so I’m not complaining, but does it have to rain EVERY freaking weekend?)

These are my magic beans. :giggle: Actually they’re green beans that I planted from seed. I’m so excited to see them sprout!

And our potatoes have come up. Well, green stuff has come up. The potatoes, of course, are under the ground:

And the tomato plants (we have three different tomato plants. This is just one of them) seem to all be doing well:

As mentioned in my previous blog post, we have many other things planted. Onions and green peppers and cucumbers and strawberries, as well as a few herbs: Basil, oregano, mint, parsley, rosemary and chives.

Who knew that planting in rich organic soil and manure would help things grow so well? Less than a month in and so far, keeping fingers crossed, I haven’t killed anything yet.

How’s your garden doing?