From KT – July 6, 2015

Yo Good Caregivers all,

It is Monday night, about 9 pm.

Yesterday I started the day with about 2 hours of email and planning.  Then we did a WONDERFUL 9 mile hike, with 1900 feet of vertical.  We packed a picnic lunch, hiked to a mountain lake.  The food always tastes so amazing when you are tired and hungry and outside in a beautiful spot.

I also got in 20 minutes of quiet time.

On the consumption front I only had 1 serving at breakfast.  1 serving at lunch, the fruit we packed for our lunch.  Dinner was 2 servings of veggies, so I did not make it!  Darn it.

Today Monday I had my shredded wheat produce.  But then a major event took place.  My wife made me a smoothie.  A full banana, a cup of strawberries and blueberries, and some almond milk.  Was really good!  and 2 servings!  Wow.

I then had a full cup of broccoli (that I planted in our little greenhouse, and re-planted once it could handle the Colorado outdoors!), and a serving of beans, with my turkey chili (and an all-meat wisconsin hot dog blended in), for lunch.  So I am already at 5 servings and we have not yet sat down to dinner.

Today I did calls from 7:45 or so until noon.  Originally I had hoped for last Thursday and Friday, and today and tomorrow, to be vacation days.  This did not work out so well.  In general, however, I am quite good at getting my vacation time, I think it is so important.  Anyway at noon I went out for an awesome 85 minute mountain biking ride with some significant vertical.  Then did a thorough set of PT and stretching.  So a total of 115 minutes of healthy exercise.  Then Denise and I took a 45 minute hike.   After that I returned to work until 7:15 pm.

Today, Monday, I only got 10 minutes of quiet time.  It was interesting, I actually felt like having more.  In the beginning it was hard to get me to go quiet for 10.

Tomorrow the Texas branch of the Thiry family joins us up here in the mountains.  9 of them, plus 2 other sisters and one niece.  They will arrive in the late afternoon, they have been in Colorado since the 4^th, staying at our house while they visit my mom in her nursing home.  We will have dinner with them, then we take off early the next morning to return to Denver.

I hope you all had a great weekend, including achieving your health goals.  3000 of us are rooting for you!

Ciao.  KT