A couple of goals I am setting for myself.......

So I have just checked on my calendar and it seems I have put on 10 lbs since last September.  It's funny how those pounds just creep on; though I was pleasantly surprised it was only 10lbs.  Mind you I have known about those extra pounds for a while now, as I could feel it in my clothes.  So I am in a frame of mind again to do something about it, and have set myself a couple of goals.

• Lose 30 lbs by the beginning of September.  Now that will translate to losing 5 lbs per month, which I think is doable....well I hope so.  If I lost 20lbs I would be happy.
• One of my weaknesses is eating on a night, so another goal is to not eat anything after I have had my supper.  We at 5pm on the dot and are finished by 5:30pm.  I normally eat breakfast around 7am.  I have been doing this for four nights and so far so good.  I drink either water or herbal tea, on a night but no food.
• Then my exercise of choice is walking.  I will admit to being terrified of slipping on the ice and snow, so that may be another couple of weeks until I pick that up again, as we still have a lot of snow around here.

One thing I am doing to stop myself eating on a night is keeping busy with my cross stitch.  

Do you tend to snack on a night?  Or do you have another time of day which is bad for you?

Doctor's appointment

I had my telephone appointment with the doctor yesterday to go over my blood work that I had done last week.  The one thing about getting blood work done through Life Labs here in Canada is that you can look up your results online, so technically you don't need the doctor to tell you the actual results.

So I already knew my blood sugar results were a lot better; so much so, that they are more or less in the normal rate.  The doctor was very pleased about that.  He did say my cholesterol levels are still a little high, so need to work on that.  At the end of the day getting my blood sugar levels back to normal is the whole end goal of all this.

I achieved my weight loss goal of 25lbs, I have actually lost 26lbs.  Now he was surprised about that and even more surprised when I told him that dh has lost 24lbs.  He did tell me that you should only lose 10% of your body weight at a time, then take six months off and not gain any weight.  Then lose another 10% of your body weight, then take six months off and maintain that weight, then repeat.  That way you will not gain the weight back. 

I am on a roll at the moment with the weight loss, so I do not want to lose momentum and lose interest in doing it.  So I am going to carry on doing what I am doing for the time being, as I am quite content with how I am doing it.

BUT....I have gone and pulled my hamstring and it is flipping well painful.  It was my own fault, I did not warm up properly while on the treadmill and with the incline I was doing the back of my knee is killing me.  I am hobbling around like an old women.  So as far as exercise is concerned one short walk after supper is about as much as I can handle at the moment.  It's been over a week or more now and is ever so slightly better, but this is going to take time to heal.

I keep meaning to tell you what I eat in a day as it is pretty much similar most days.  So for today I will be eating the following:

Breakfast: 1 cup multigrain Cheerio's with 1/2 cup 1% milk, cup of herbal tea (no milk)

Mid morning snack: Banana, large cup coffee with 1% milk

Lunch: hummus, rice crackers,  a pot of Motts Fruitsations unsweetened apple sauce, large coffee with 1 % milk

Mid Afternoon snack: Cup of herbal tea (no milk), mini package of cookies, click here to see them

Supper: Turkey Pasta stew/soup, (ground turkey with veggies, left over kraft dinner mixed in it, it will be my own recipe and will last a couple of days), sugar free jello with fruit in it and a fat free yogurt (40 calories) on the top.

After supper snack: 2 fat free yogurts and a granola/protein bar.

I also drink at least 32 oz of water.

Is my diet perfect, absolutely not!  However it is what is working for me.  I do make a lot of veggie soups.  Made a cauliflower one that I had for supper for the past couple of nights.  Cauliflower makes the most creamy of soups without using any cream or milk.  I have cut out a big chunk of carbs and a lot of sweet stuff like cakes and biscuits/cookies.

So my next goal is to lose another 25 lbs by the end of March, as that is when I am getting more blood work done and will go in and see the doctor in person (covid permitting).

I am in this for the long run, and I am of the mind set that slow and steady win's the race.  We shall see!

Oh I forgot for the month of December, I have been having my one chocolate a night from my Lindt advent calendar as well......I could murder a full size chocolate bar though..LOL  That will be my treat when I get my next 25 lbs off!!

(I will post a photo of my turkey pasta veggie stew/soup when I get it made)

Two weeks later

 no I have not left the blog world again!

I have been busy with one thing and another.  Which includes the treadmill and walking.  I did slip and fall last week on the ice, so have been cautious with my walking.  Luckily I didn't really hurt myself.  My knee is all bruised up, but really my ego/pride was more bruised.  So because of that I only logged in 25 miles last week, I normally log in around 30 miles.

I have decided to try the treadmill again and have figured out a way of walking, burning calories on it, without it trying to kill me...LOL  I start off at incline 5, working my way up to incline 7 then working my way down to incline 5 again.  I can burn 400 calories in 40 minutes and walk 2 miles doing that.

Anyway, it means I have managed to lose 24lbs in 11 weeks, so I have 1lb to lose before I have my telephone appointment with the doctor on December 21st.  Hubby has also lost 21lbs which is a bonus.  This 25lb goal is of my own setting, not the doctors.

Could I murder a chocolate bar.....of course!!  We both have Lindt chocolate advent calendars to help with my sweet tooth.  I look forward to eating my one chocolate every day.

(image credit)

I will say there are more mini chocolate balls in it, than anything else.  It's a bit of a disappointment when you open the day's door and all you get is a mini chocolate ball.  I had hoped they were all full sized truffles.....

So there you go, a bit of an update.  I have blood work done this week, so it will be interesting to see if my numbers have come down for my diabetes.  I am guessing so due to the weight loss.  You can tell now that we have both lost weight, so it is encouraging.  We just have to keep on with it.

10/5-3-30 Challenge Day 10

I managed 20 minutes at incline 10 this morning, before dropping it down to incline 5 and working my way back up to incline 7 for the remaining 10 minutes.  So things are improving.

It snowed again, so more shoveling to do; therefore more exercise!  Also managed a small walk in the morning.

Something interesting.  The other morning I did my blood sugar when I got up before I went on the treadmill.  I then did it again after I had been on the treadmill.  It went up for 8 to 10.  All I had done was that exercising.  Someone suggested it was something to do with all the sweating you do when exercising hard?  Is that true?

So all in all on Tuesday, I did my 30 minutes on the treadmill.  Did two walks and shoveled the snow.  Plus pottered around the house.

Fitbit Stats:

Miles walked: 5.17

Step's: 12,500

Minutes of Exercise: 93

Water 16 oz x 3.....this is my good place to be with water, so that I don't spend half my life in the bathroom😊

10/5-3-30 Day 9

Well back at it this morning.  Did my 30 minutes on the treadmill.  15+ minutes at incline 10 then dropped down to incline 5 and worked my way back up to incline 7 for the remaining 16 minutes.  I think doing this Monday through Friday will work for me and having the weekends off, just doing walking.

I also had to shovel snow.  I always count that as exercise, as depending on how heavy the snow is, it can be a good workout!

I didn't take a photo with how long I was on the treadmill for?  Took two of the distance instead?  I was on it for just over 30 minutes though.

Exercise today was 30 minutes on the treadmill, shoveling snow, 40 minute walk after supper, and walking round the mall.  Making up for the quiet weekend I had.

Fitbit Stats:

Exercise: 118 minutes

Steps: 14,200

Miles: 5.89 miles

Water 16 oz x 4

10/5-3-30 Day 8

It was a snow day on Sunday.  It snowed all day.  Exercise was only a 34 minute walk round the subdivision.  Even then I puffed and panted all the way, which was not normal for me.  So it was a quiet day for us both.  I plan on trying to be back on the treadmill on Monday.

Fitbit Stats:

Exercise 34 minutes

Steps: 6,800

Miles: 2.89

Water 16 oz x 3

10/5-3-30 Challenge Day 7 Weigh in day!!!

Change of pace today as I didn't get up until after 7am.  So I didn't do my 30 minutes on the treadmill before breakfast like I normally do; thought I would do it later in the day, but didn't.  So I have failed the challenge...not sure how I feel about that.  Maybe it should be a Monday through Friday thing going on the treadmill?

I did go for a walk in the morning.  It was cold and slippery but I was careful.  We then went for a walk after lunch, by then it wasn't as slippery.  We also had a walk after supper, so three walks all in all.

So the all important news for today, did I lose weight this week?  Yes I did, I lost 3lbs, so I have lost 20lbs in 9 weeks.

I have set a mini goal of losing another 5lbs by December 18th, which is a month away.  I have a telephone appointment with our family doctor on the 21st, so would love to tell him I have lost 25 lbs in the past 13 weeks.

Fitbit Stats for today:

11 k steps

4.7 miles

78 minutes exercise.

10-3-30 Challenge Day 6

I should change the challenge title again.  It should be 10/5-3-30 as I once again just did the inlcine 10 for 15 minutes then dropped it down to 5 for the remaining 15 minutes.

I was talking to a friend today and we were talking about exercising and due to a thyroid problem she has to exercise 5 times as hard as anyone with very little reward.  So she was saying life is way too short to be worrying about it all, and she will do the best that she can and eat that bar of chocolate when she feels like it.  I really do not enjoy those first 15 minutes on the treadmill, they are hard flipping work.  The second 15 minutes I can deal with.  It does make me question why I am putting myself through this.  I guess when I jump on the scales on Saturday we will know if it was worth all this hard work and sweat?

I guess on the upside I am nearly one week down on this challenge, so that is good.

I made this recipe for Mushroom soup.  Actually I used it as a base and made it my own.  If you read the comments you will get many ideas of what other people did.  Her recipe for Cauliflower soup is the best; and I did follow her recipe to the letter that time.

I didn't feel too good all day on Friday.  It took me until after lunch to realize why; I had my flu shot the day before.  It never normally bothers me, but for some reason I felt off all day.  I attempted to do this exercise class online, but only managed 20 out of the 30 minutes of it.  I was just too tired to do the rest.

We went for a quick walk after supper, once again though it was slippery, so pretty nervous throughout the walk.

Fitbit Stats:

12,500 steps

5.15 miles

93 minutes exercise

Water drank 4 x 16 oz bottles

10-3-30 Challenge Day 4

The whole idea of me keeping track here is so I actually do the challenge, and not bow out of it.  Saying that I wasn't wanting to do it this morning.  However knowing I would have to write that here if I didn't do it, made me go downstairs and do it.  I know in my heart of hearts this is doing me good, I am just not a fan of walking 30 minutes on a treadmill.  

So went downstairs, shouted at Google to put on Fat's Domino and off I went.

The photo above is taken before I press the stop button.  The one below is when I have pressed the stop button, that is why the calorie count is different.

As you see by the photos, I actually walked for 32.46 minutes, I wanted to listen to a song.

I burned more calories though, as this time I did 16 minutes at incline 10, then dropped it down gradually and the lowest I got was incline 6.  So obviously the higher the incline the more calories burned, I guess?

My numbers for today were:

1.64 miles walked

32.46 minutes on the treadmill @ 3 miles per hour

Incline 10 for 16 minutes, dropping down gradually to incline 6.

I managed to do another two walks, the morning one longer than the after supper one.  

My stats as per my Fitbit:

Steps walked: 13,665

Miles: 5.56

99 total minutes of exercise

Water drank 4 x 16 fluid ounces

I am struggling with the water intake.  It's cold and the last thing I want to do is drink water.  Still anything is better than nothing.  It was suggested that I add some sugar free flavouring to the water; that doesn't excite me either😏  I am still keeping my food and blood sugar diary.  I will share a page with you over the weekend.

10-3-30 Challenge Day 3

I have to admit, I wasn't as enthusiastic about getting up this morning, but I did.  Had a pee and jumped on the scales and discovered I had lost weight.  So that perked me right up!!

Took my phone and water downstairs and got too it!!  I started at incline 10 and managed 15 minutes before I dropped it down to incline 5.  Left it there for 5 minutes, then upped it by .5 every minute until I got to incline 7, then dropped it down to incline 5 for the remainder as I was pooped by then!!

I was enjoying a song, so ended up doing just over 30 minutes.  I had shouted at Google to put on Fat's Domino again for me, as that 50's beat is the best walking beat.

You can see in the photo below the yellow and orange cup.  It holds 16 oz of water.  I managed to drink 6 of those on Monday so that is my goal to try and do that every day.

So my numbers for today were:

Incline 10 for 15 minutes, incline 5 to 7 for the remaining 16 minutes.

Calories burned: 340

Distance walked: 1.569 miles

Time on treadmill: 31.20 minutes

We also had our first "real" snowfall of the season with around 4 inches of wet, heavy snow laying.  So set about shoveling that, so by 9 am I had logged over 5.5 k in steps.

I did another 30 minute walk after supper.  So all in all my numbers from Fitbit were:

5.06 miles, 90 minutes total exercise and 12.5 k in steps.

I only drank 5 containers of water, just didn't find the time to have more.  I did a little bit of shopping and put up the Christmas tree today so that accounted for the rest of the steps for today.

12-3-30 Challenge Day 1

Well woke up raring to go just before 6:30 am.  So this challenge is incline level 12, speed 3 miles an hour for 30 minutes on the treadmill for 30 days.  Sounds simple enough right?  I have been walking consistently for the last eight weeks, so I should do okay.

Went downstairs to discover my treadmill only goes up to incline 10?  Okay so I will have to rename this challenge 10-3-30 now.  No big deal, right?  Set everything up.  Shout at Google Home to put on Ritchie Valens on Spotify; as I figured that music might have a good beat too it and off I go.

Now to be fair, remember I am an overweight 57 1/2 years old.  I am not some fit and healthy 30 year old.  So when I say I thought I might die I am not exaggerating!!  I managed 11 minutes at incline 10 before deciding that if I wanted to finish this I needed to drop it down.  So I dropped it down to incline 5 and carried on.

When I finished I was drenched through with sweat.

(image credit)

Now I forgot to bring my phone downstairs to take a photo to show you what I did on the treadmill monitor.  I will in future though.

I walked 1.505 miles

Burned 320 calories

Speed 3 miles per hour

11 minutes incline 10; 9 minutes incline 5

Okay, so day 1 of the challenge done and I am still alive.  Big high 5 for me!!

I also managed a walk and in total 76 minutes of exercise, just over 4 miles and just over 10k in steps as per my Fitbit for Sunday. I have an Inspire 2 Fitbit watch, nothing fancy but does the trick.

Okay back again

It's been a miserable couple of weeks.  I went back to the dentist and my tooth was cracked.  So they put me on antibiotics for a week, then removed my tooth on Friday November 12th.  Now because I have had a dry socket before he decided to put a stitch in it to prevent that.  Naturally it wasn't pain free, but this isn't the first time I have had a tooth out.  However by Wednesday I had, had enough.  Got an emergency appointment and he took the stitch out (thank goodness) and packed my socket with medication.  It was swollen, but he said it was healing.  As I am writing this on Sunday morning, it is still sore but manageable.

Due to all this pain and a few other things that have gone on, I have had a personality transplant, and miserable doesn't even begin to describe how I have been....LOL  Poor dh has been ready to move out, but I do feel I am on the other side of all of this.

Adding to all this misery I have been dealing with an issue with my fridge.  It's a simple issue but it's a $200 part and warranty will cover it.  However dealing with the warranty folk is making me lose the will to live at times😏  Suffice to say, if you are thinking of buying appliances, DO NOT by KitchenAid they are not worth the money.  Our fridge is less than 3 years old.  I paid over $5 thousand for it and the ice maker bucket is rusting out.

Hopefully this will get sorted out this week, but I am not holding my breath.  Thankfully the fridge is operational without this part as this mess has been going on for over two weeks now.

The blog is going to change a bit for the next 30 days as I am embarking on a 30 day challenge on the treadmill.  So I will be posting daily and using this blog as a diary to write how I get on.

I have lost 17 lbs in the past 8 weeks.  It's been a hard slog, but I am determined not to give up.  This challenge I am hoping will spur me on as I have a goal of wanting to lose 25lbs (total) before I talk to the doctor sometime during the week of December 20th.

My sugar levels are improving.  My clothes are fitting a whole lot better, some are even looking too big😁  I am trying to do two 30 minute walks everyday, and they are up and down hills.  I am trying to walk around 30 miles a week, as that is my preferred method of exercise, but the weather is getting worse as we head into the end of November.

So it will be interesting to see how this challenge goes.  I hope you can follow along.

Back walking........

I am back walking again.  I managed just under 24 miles last week, which wasn't a bad start.  I just got a new fitbit, the Inspire 2.

(photo credit)

It's one of the low tech one, I have no need for anything high tech and so far so good.

Despite having new walking shoes I am suffering with extensor tendonitis which is a pain, literally😒  

(photo credit)

It's because I have just started walking and I suffer from tightness in my calf muscles.

The only problem with all this walking is how much I notice around the subdivision where we live!!  Gosh some people need to tidy up there places.  We are lucky our immediate neighbours make an effort.  It would drive me potty living next to untidy people.

One new thing I am seeing with walking is the amount of discarded masks.........I counted 5 the other day on my walk.  Not sure if it's from the kids or the adults.  As they are not just discarded where the kids get on the school buses?  

When the weather is bad I go on our treadmill.  At the moment I am watching Glow Up on Netflix while on the treadmill, it makes the time go faster!

Both kids have bought Peloton bikes which look really neat.  However as I am not a huge fan of exercise at the best of time........I am not going down that path and investing that amount of money!!

What is your preferred form of exercise?

One week and 3lbs down........

So I am one week into this eating better and losing weight.  Now will admit I haven't been stringent in the exercise department, but I have had a few 10,000 step days.  With it being a long weekend, I didn't get the walking in, but was busy otherwise.

My eating is a whole lot better, but of course could improve, but with losing the 3lbs, I am happy, as it's 3 lbs in the right direction, and slow and steady wins the race as they say.  I have another 9 weeks before I see the nurse practitioner, so losing the 20 lbs by then seems to be doable.

I am finding life busy at the moment with the gardening, the walking, the business and just the general day to day things and when I am busy I don't have as much time to eat!!  There is always room for improvement and I want to concentrate on walking more this week, as that is the best way for me to lose weight.

So my goals for this week:

Up the walking.

Cut back on my sweet things.....had a bit of chocolate mousse cake on Tuesday as it was someone's birthday.  But did have an hour in the swimming pool with the grandkids......so that should count for something....LOL

Remain positive!!!

"If I don't do the work, then I will pay the price."

So I haven't been well for a little while.  Nothing exciting, just niggly stuff that is more annoying than anything else.  Anyhow, I was back at the doctors the other week and ended up having to go and have my blood work done.

I got a call and had to go in too see the nurse practitioner.  It turns out I am on the verge of being diabetic unless I do something.  I have two choices, I either lose weight and exercise or they will put me on medication for diabetes.

So I have decided I will go with the changing the way I eat and take up walking again.  I have until the end of August to lose some weight and get my numbers down before I see the nurse practitioner in September.  I have to have my blood work re-done at the end of August.

We are going to see a dietitian and someone who will educate us on diabetes.  I am saying we in this, as I figure there is a good chance if I am on the verge of being diabetic is, dh will be as well.

So wish us luck.  I have been watching what I eat since Tuesday and have managed to walk over 10,000 steps everyday since.

I'm back and you'll never guess what I am doing?

Just looked it was the end of March when I last posted???  Crazy, crazy, crazy.  So I'm hoping to be back to posting daily because I am doing something that the long term readers will say, "No way is she doing that!!"

I am exercising.........I know what the heck, for someone who is allergic to exercise (honestly I am!) even I can't believe I am doing it.

First a bit of a back story.  You may or may not remember back at the end of September/beginning of October of 2016, I ended up in hospital with blood clots on both lungs and I was lucky I didn't die.  Now no one in the medical field blamed it on my weight or lack of exercise, but other people said that.  I was a sick bunny until the beginning of this year and have felt better and better with time.  I did the occasional walk, but nothing exciting.

As I live in Canada, we spend half the year bundled up in layers but eventually by May/June those layers come off and up pops our Summer body.  I saw my neighbour back at the end of June for the first time without those winter bundles on, and what a change, she had lost 27 lbs doing the Weight Watchers programme and looked great.  So that is what inspired me to get off my backside and start exercising.

My method of torture exercise: walking.  I put on my dh's Fitbit Flex and off I went.  I then decided to watch what I eat, as the word DIET for me has the following meanings:

• starving
• failure
• not a happy bunny

I was going to join Weight Watchers, but I was not into the whole "lets talk as a group and see who is doing well or not."  Plus I couldn't be bothered trying to work out all those points etc.  I have no issue with people doing that, but it just isn't for me.  So I am doing my own thing and as I said I am not dieting (bad word), I am watching what I eat.

Back to the FitBit, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.  Did I mention I LOVE it?  Who knew walking so you could reach those 10,000 steps could be so addictive.  Add friends/family to your FitBit account and then you add a whole new level of competitiveness to the mix.

As I said I borrowed dh's FitBit flex to start with, then our son gave me a FitBit Alta, which I loved, but as I walk a lot of hills (I know hills!) and I wasn't getting credit or badges (YES you get badges 😄) I decided to upgrade to a FitBit Charge 2.

I should be paid by FitBit for all this praise shouldn't I 😏

So how well is all this working for me you ask?  Well here are some figures for you; since June 24th, 2016, I have:

1. walked around 250 miles total
2. averaged over 10,000 steps per day
3. averaged 70 minutes of exercise per day
4. lost 18 1/2 lbs

I have a long way to go and what I am doing works for me and may not be the way for other people to do it.  I am into my eighth week of doing this.  Over the next few weeks I will share with you what works for me and what doesn't.

Personally, as someone who hates exercising I am amazed at how much I love doing all this walking.

A gorgeous sunset and my brother............

We had a beautiful sunset on Monday evening, and I took a couple of photos.

My dear brother is not known for his exercise abilities, but had has surprised us all and has made a new best friend out of Molly and walked her three times on Monday.  Even going down the back field and back up again.  Not sure who was puffing more my brother or Molly!!  I took this photo as evidence for my other brother to prove yes our dear darling younger brother did walk the dog!!

My mam brought me a few British cookery magazines so I'm going to enjoy looking at those.

Only 4 more sleeps until the wedding!!!

Cleaning the toilet and exercising.........

Got a parcel in the mail on Friday.  I am a Bzz Agent and I am testing the One Step Toilet Bowl Cleaning System for them and that was in the parcel.

The blurb says:

"Do you hate cleaning the toilet? It can be the most disgusting task in the house. Might not be the most difficult task, but it is never ending. Wouldn’t it be nice to remove yourself from toilet-cleaning duty?

Introducing Scrubbing Bubbles® One Step toilet bowl cleaner—the toilet system that works hard to keep your toilet clean and smelling fresh so you don’t have to!


Start with a clean bowl and it will easily keep it clean with just a couple of sprays a day. The powerful cleaner tackles tough stains like toilet rings, hard water marks and lime scale – and helps keep them away.


Simply clip the nozzle over the rim inside the bowl—it securely fits all types of toilet bowls. Then effortlessly spray the bowl with the tap of the foot pedal and walk away! The 360 degree spray will cover the complete bowl, even under the rim."
 
Well I will say it was easy enough to clip onto the toilet, and it smells okay, but you do have to still clean the toilet seat, the part of the toilet that the seat sits on and outside of the toilet bowl, so it doesn't actually do away with all of the cleaning of the toilet.
 
I guess though for people who hate cleaning the toilet, it sort of helps with the cleaning?  I will let you know if I like it.  Do you mind cleaning your toilet?

Have you heard of that expression: "An elephant never forgets."  Well I must be an elephant.  Let me explain.......

Back in the early 90's I got some of Richard Simmon's exercise tapes, "Sweatin' To The Oldies."  I loved them and I used to do them all the time.  Fast forward to this year and dd mentioned she had seen a dvd set of Richard Simmons "Sweatin' To The Oldies."

The kids bought it for me for Mother's Day.  I decided to "do" the #1 dvd, and do you know what I knew all the moves, it all came back to me.  Which is actually funny as if you were to ask me what I did on Thursday I would have no idea!!!!

By the way it took me nearly as long to try and figure out how to turn on the dvd player.  Do you know we have three remote controls for the tv and dvd player?  No wonder it is so bloody complicated.

I enjoyed the dvd and was sweating like a pig doing it with Molly looking on. 

You will be proud of me..........

I did 30 minutes of exercise on the Wii Fit.  Very proud of myself, I even managed to score a couple of more games for completing certain exercises.  I have discovered though my sense of balance is way off, as it keeps telling me I am "unbalanced."  What the Wii doesn't know is how "unbalanced" I really am!!!

I have fallen in love with the ski jump thing on there and am not too bad at that.  I did the basic running game, thought I was going to collapse while doing that, but I did manage to keep up with the fella in front of me though.

The music and talking irritates the heck out of Molly though.  She doesn't do a full howl but just whines while I have it on.

Also I was busy snow blowing today, as the bloody wind was blowing a gale and filled in the driveway again, so more exercise for me.

So I would say an hour of snow blowing + 30 minutes of being on the Wii = plenty of exercise for one day!!

How many Quality Street did I eat...........I could say none, but we all know that would be a big fat lie, now wouldn't we!!

Okay whose bright idea was it to come down here when its a zillion degree's???

For someone who is normally allergic to the heat and humidity and who whines constantly about it when in Canada, this wouldn't be the best place to go, now would it? Oh well never mind, I should come back looking thinner if nothing else as I think I managed to lose 10 lbs in sweat walking about Charleston. Not sure whose bright idea it was to park at the market and then trek the 20 miles to the visitor information centre???? The tourist information person told us we had only walked half a mile, it sure was a long half a mile that's all I can say........and who said I was allergic to exercise!!!

How do you spot a tourist in Charleston?..........They are the only idiots out walking in the heat of the day with bright red faces and sweat dripping off of them.....yep, that would be me!!!

So we had lunch today at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company today, and being the adventurous sorts that we are, we had fish and chips..............don't you want to just smack us. Anyhow we saw these t-shirts and dh was saying he knew a few co-workers that should wear these:


We were told about a dreaded Wal-Mart, so off I trot in there to pick up some beach chairs, now a beach chair has very, very short legs, who knew that?



Which is all well and good, but who is going to haul us out of them??? We need a bit of height to get us hoisted out of them, so we plumped for regular old lawn/deck chairs. At least I am guaranteed to haul my butt of of them, and not end up like a beached whale on the beach.

Oh and I forgot to tell you, there is a special deal on for these units to rent with a 20% discount from now until the end of October. I thought I had paid full price, so off I trot to the rental company this morning to get my extra discount. Turns out they had already given me a 15% discount, but to shut me up I got another 5% discount and $6 credit for the rotten Internet, so it's ended up costing us nothing for the Internet.

So I only took a couple of photos in Charleston today, as honestly I was sweating like a pig and couldn't see anything. This is a photo of the United States Custom House by the port.



And another shot:



Now the posts should get a bit more exciting when we go places. I'm not sure if its the sea air, the heat, or the journey down, but we are pooped. So we may be a day or two before we really get into our visiting places modes. We have bought a few tickets to places, so its just a case of us getting off our butts and going.

And finally a nice shot of the waves.........