My stems are killing me

Hello, hello! 

The last few days have been full of puppy snuggles and adjustments as we get to know our new little friend

Tuna is definitely a sweetie.. But just like any puppy, he needs to be watched every second. For the most part he has been really good… and seems to be fitting into our home just fine.

Workouts 

I’ve been walking Tuna every morning around the neighborhood for 45 minutes- which is great for the low impact cardio I’ve been ignoring.

 Tuesdays are run days- I did 3 miles at 9:40 pace and then moved on to some upper body strength stuff.. Basically just did some biceps curls, triceps extensions, shoulder raises (front and lateral) rows, and flys. I totally spaced on marking down the specifics- but I felt it the next morning, so I guess it was effective enough!

I knew Wednesday was going to be a long day- and Paula and I only had 45 minutes so we did some leg stuff

Immediately after or workout, I headed out to give a Thai Massage. With Thai massage, you use your body to stretch another person- so its kind of a workout too! It took about 80 minutes- and believe it or not, I was actually sweating! 

I also had a client (who showed up 30 minutes late) which allowed me to do a little workout with the class that was going on.. The focus was squats- my legs were already burning from earlier in the day so this was super intense. After working out and the client, I also taught a 45 minute yoga class. Needless to say, my body was exhausted and I was VERY happy to drink a glass of wine to seal the day :)

Thursdays are run days too.. but first I walked Tuna as my warm up and then headed to the gym for some treadmill speed work 

This run was tough.. not because it was particularly fast (and definitely not fast compared to other bloggers and athletes! You guys are amazing) but because my legs hurt so badly from yesterday. I think the walk with Tuna really helped, but my legs were cramping durning the two “speedy” 8:12 minute miles. 

I came home and immediately chugged some Mocha Recovery milk. I used 3/4 cup of whole milk, 1 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk with 1 tbsp each of coffee syrup and ovaltine.. it was absolutely delicious!

SIDE BAR: 

I realize that most of you are probably not from Rhode Island- so you have absolutely no idea what coffee milk is.. or coffee syrup for that matter- Believe me, it’s delicious. Apparently coffee milk, and coffee ice cream are native to RI only? I dunno.. but you need to get on board. That coffee syrup is from Wholefoods- and doesn’t have any weird crap in it.. so you should totally run out to buy some now. 

I wish I could chill out on the couch for the rest of the day to rest my stems.. but I have to take Tuna to his first vet visit.. Followed by a client and teaching yoga tonight.. Hmmm.. I think I need to grab another bottle of wine ;) 

Have you ever had coffee milk or ice cream?

Do you like Ovaltine?

Are you training for any races?!

A couple of suckers

Hello Monday! 

I’m very happy to start a new week- last week was rough. 

This weekend was spent working an extra long Saturday, followed up with trying to convince myself to like Shrimp

(Yeah, I still don’t like it- but I forced 5 of them down for the protein anyway)

And some Sammy snuggles

Sunday 

I woke up pretty early, had some coffee and a banana with almond butter before headed to the gym for the next training run on the calendar

When I started, I wasn’t into it- but I felt good about checking it off. 

After I got home, I made omelets for James and I, we had more coffee and hung out for a little bit. James got some work done in the basement and I did some writing. A little reflecting on dogs I’ve had in the past- and the lessons they have taught me- but mostly thinking about Hydro-face

I found this awesome picture the other day while I was trying to figure out how to un-erase a video I had of him saying I love you. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful :(  

James and I have been talking about going for some puppy therapy.. You know, going somewhere to smother a wiggling little fur ball with some extra love to brighten our spirits..  We had been looking on Petfinder.com just to look- both of us saying we weren’t ready for another dog, but it doesn’t hurt to look, right? 

Well we ended up at the shelter

And we are a couple of suckers

Needless to say.. we brought someone home

Meet Tuna!

Tuna is about 6 months old and 40 lbs. and super sweet. However, he is still very much a puppy, so we have some work to do.. House training and manners here we come.. Lets hope Hydro taught me some patience, I’m going to need it. 

Even though we hadn’t planned on getting another dog so soon- I know Hydro would want us to be happy- and Tuna seems like a really good friend for Sammy too.

The last few days

    There hasn’t been a moment in the last 4 days that I haven’t thought of Hydro. I’ve shed more tears in these days than I have in my entire life I think. I keep looking over at the chair he spent the last months glued in,  expecting to see him there

I’m not really sure how this whole grieving process is supposed to go. I’m pretty sure running on the treadmill at the gym, increasing the speed each time I start to cry, probably isn’t it. But it did help

Yeah, I was one hott mess- thats for certain. Especially when a dog commercial came on. 

Needless to say, I’ve made an appointment to see my therapist (whom I haven’t seen since sometime in November) and have been emailing tattoo artists (to talk about the tribute tattoo I plan on getting soon) and staying out of the house as much as possible. It’s far to silent around here.

Food has been pretty boring, but delicious

Monday I spent the day with a couple of friends. We headed to Ikea- that place was a crazy. We left completely empty handed because the line was all the way to the back of the warehouse- no kidding. Instead we grabbed some lunch, which was surprisingly awesome.

If only it had been cheaper- thats a $16 salad!

Today started with another training run while watching The Biggest Loser on my iPad. I’ve had 3 cups of coffee, eaten 5 times (and it’s only 3pm) did some laundry, dishes, and went for a walk- then brushed up on my Thai Massage skills

I have a massage set up for next Wednesday, and since it has been almost 2 years since I’ve actually given one, I need to practice- but first I needed to look over notes. I’m kind of nervous! At least it’s a distraction. 

So tell me what you’ve been up to

Saying good- bye to Hydro

Seven years ago the most wonderful little soul was born. Three months later while visiting my brother-in-law and sister-in-law in North Carolina, I found him. Living in horrible conditions with 7 brothers and sisters jammed into one kennel. He was skinny, scared, and soaked in feces; but beautiful. Half Boxer and half Lab. It was love at first sight

We named him Hydro Dakota 

After only two days, he stopped eating and drinking and was coughing so hard he could barely breathe. I took him to the emergency vet (he was difficult from the start!) He was malnourished, dehydrated and had a severe upper respiratory infection. A couple hundred dollars, saline between the shoulder blades to hydrate him,  antibiotics and a couple of weeks to come back from the brink of death, we started to discover the real Hydro.

Hydro was the most frustrating puppy in the entire world. He chewed everything in sight- the baseboard molding, a hole through the wood floor to the sub floor, towels, collars, a bunch of dog beds.. He took 6 months to house and crate train. I’d put him in the crate, he’d poop, then roll in it before eating it! One day he got 4 baths…yup, even dog moms have to wake up in the middle of the night.

But through all of that- there was one thing you couldn’t deny.. This kid had spirit and spunk. A silly goober.. Always tail wagging, sloppy kisses, excessive hyper activity..  You just couldn’t look at that face and stay angry. 

As he got older, he grew out of the poop eating (thankfully!) and the chewing, but the puppy playfulness never went away- He even did forward rolls!

And was never without a toy or a bone in his mouth- even when sleeping

His tail was a whip- it dented our friends car door, our stainless steal refrigerator.. gave people bruises, and hit many men in unfortunate places. 

Hydro enjoyed the finer things and always believed he was the king of the castle 

He ate his fruits and veggies without any trouble

He never took life too seriously

 He had manners- he knew how to say please

 And wait patiently (kind of)

 About a year ago, Hydro started to live up to his name and took up swimming

Hydro lived life to the fullest, every minute of every day. 

In June of 2012 Hydro underwent a surgery  it turned out he didn’t actually need.  

While everything seemed to be ok at first- the weeks and months that followed proved otherwise. (That picture above was the last time I would ever see that smile post surgery) 

All of the life had gone from his eyes

No more tail waging, toy playing, zest for life. 

We were heart broken- unsure of what was wrong. I took him back to the vet 3 times, and when they didn’t help at all (or take responsibility for whatever went wrong) I took him to 2 more vets- all over the course of 6 months. In total we would spend over $1200- that we didn’t have. I changed his diet to raw food, put him on a liver cleanse, made him chicken broth- anything to get him to drink water and eat. The last vet we went to finally told us that he had brain damage from the surgery- that we were never going to have Hydro back. 

On some level, we already knew that.

 But I couldn’t help waking up every day and hoping that it would be the day he would wage his tail, or give me puppy kisses.

We walked him (something that he used to LOVE- and at least seemed to still enjoy at some level)

Bought him new toys, let him sleep with us on the bed. 

We didn’t know if he was in pain or distressed.. But he started to do weird things.

He would walk into the corner and just stand there, staring.

 Hide behind the shower curtain or the toilet howling and crying

 He just always looked so sad. He was held prisoner in his own mind and body

We spent a lot of time talking about what was best for him. All of that time crying and being pissed off at the vet. 

Over the last couple of weeks, he really started to decline. He wouldn’t eat at all unless I fed him- sometimes only if I held the bowl, or put it in my hand. He nipped at James, growled and barked at us (something Hydro would have never ever done. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body) he started howling ALL THE TIME. He paced around the house.  He always wanted to be close- and I think I knew he was trying to tell me something

After more talking and a million more tears, we decided we had to let him go. Choosing what was right for him was easy- it had been a long, painful and stressful 8 months for us all- but going through with it was a whole different story. 

We were killing our baby. 

No matter how humane, or painless it would be for him (we actually believe it was pain relief for him) it is still an unthinkable option. He had only just turned 7 on Valentines day. I wasn’t ready- but he was ready. So You suck it up and be strong for him. 

On Sunday Feb. 17- held him close on the floor of the vets office, whispering in his ear “I love you Hydro” “Your such a good boy” “Mommy loves you” Stroking his face and his velvety thick ears. 

And then he was gone.

Finally he was at peace.

I cried on his shoulder and held him tight. I felt so numb, but so raw all at once. I had to get out of there. I slid his collar off with shaking hands. Rubbed his face and ears and kissed him one last time on my favorite spot- The flat spot between his eyes, slightly on his forehead, before running out the door. 

And then I got really drunk 

To my beloved Hydro.. You touched my life in ways I could never express.. Amazing spirit, Puppy snuggles, forward rolls, so many kisses I can't count, personality out the ass, furry feet, swims in the pond, tail whips, singing, and more love than the world could handle.. You brightened my life from the moment I saved you- you saved me..forever in my heart and on my mind. I loved you more than you could even know.. Be strong my love- mommy loves you.. RIP ♥

Happy Valentines Day!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY FRIENDS!!

Hope your spending the day surrounded by people you love!
(And eating some chocolate!)

Paleo Oats-Oats+ packed lunch

Breakfast yesterday was part creativity and part “even though I went shopping twice last week we still have very limited food options left” I don’t know man- I can’t handle the cost of food. I’m either going to need another job or to maybe half my portions.. Maybe some intermittent fasting? I’m open for ideas. It doesn’t help that the restaurant is so slow I walked out with $30 after a full shift. I could have bigger problems though.. I am thankful that I at least have a job. 

I love eating the way we have been- but I’ll be honest, brown rice, beans and oatmeal are a whole lot cheaper than wild caught fish and organic salad fixings. Sorry, I had to get that out.. Moving on to breakfast

Paleo Oats-Oats

1 Cup riced cauliflower (about 1/4 of a large head)

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup milk (you could use coconut or almond- but all I had was whole dairy)

1 1/2T flaked coconut

1/2 banana, cut into thin slices

2 whole eggs- whisked

How To:

 Grate Cauliflower with a box grater, or food processor

Combine cauliflower, water, milk, coconut and banana in a small saucepan over medium heat. 

Bring to a low boil- for 10 minutes- stir often and break up banana slices..

After 10 minutes, remove from heat, adding in whisked eggs. (I really used some fluffing muscle action here!)

Now it’s time to add your toppings!

I used:

1/2 Tbsp Kerrygold butter

Almond butter

other half of banana sliced

1/2-1 Tbsp honey

cinnamon and salt to taste

Ok, so now your thinking- there is no way this tastes like oats.. Actually it totally does! And even better, you can’t taste the cauliflower! This kept me full for hours plus, Veggies added to my breakfast= WIN

Tuesdays are always run day, which works out well with my work schedule- I don’t have to be there until 10 so I have plenty of time. It was quick- just 2 miles- and I was back home.

I packed my lunch for work right away

Spring mix, tomato, carrots, cucumbers, half an avocado, raw pumpkin seeds and Sardines.

Lunch was the highlight of the workday.. believe me.

I ended the night with a PT client, wine, and dinner- while catching up with the Gilmore Girls

Today is my favorite day of the month- Massage day! Nothing says a good day like much needed deep tissue work <3 nbsp="" p="">

So I told you guys last time that I really love my massage therapist Jess- and today I love her even more.. She asked me about doing a little bartering- I’ll give her Thai massage and she’ll give me regular massage.. No money needed.. While I haven’t given a Thai massage for a bit and I’ll need to brush up in the next couple weeks (Read- James gets a couple free massages) I’m super pumped up about our new deal. 

Before heading out I made a killer omelet for breakfast

Two eggs cooked in Tropical Traditions coconut oil

Stuffed with Mozzarella and spinach

Topped with 1/2 an Avocado and a good blanket of Franks Hot Sauce

I tried working out- but I just wasn’t feeling it. I have slept a total of 12 hours over the last 3 nights, so I’m not stressing it. Plus I teach yoga tonight- built in workout! 

Promised recipe+ Weekend Recaps+ WO

Another Monday is coming to a close.. It went just as fast as the rest of the weekend

(The rest of) FRIDAY

I got some mail!

 Thats a whole lot of amazing coconut oil- I’m so pumped about this!

 (Sent for Review)

Lunch

Broccoli, Mushrooms and potato sautéed in coconut oil- topped with two eggs, half an avocado and Franks Hot Sauce- perfectly delicious! 

And as promised….

 My master idea/plan for gelatin?

Vanilla Coconut milk Jello

2 Tbsp Gelatin (I used Bernard-Jenson brand)

1/2 Hot Water

1 Can Full Fat coconut milk

1 tsp Vanilla extract

2 Tbsp Honey

How to: Mix the hot water and gelatin and stir until completely dissolved- Add in all the other ingredients and stir until well mixed. Pour into silicone muffin liners or into shallow dish. Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before eating. 

Healthy fats, Coconut and Gelatin for the WIN! What more could you ask for?!

(You can eat it as is, or trying putting it into your coffee or hot chocolate for an extra creamy treat!) 

We shoveled twice over the course of the night (trying to be on top of the storm- which didn’t work.. ) All that shoveling makes you hungry 

James and I had decided on Cauliflower Pizza for our night indoors from the Storm

 It was topped with Spinach, artichokes, sun dried tomato, mushrooms, garlic and more cheese of course!

We really enjoy the Cauliflower pizza crust- but it definitely gets stuck to the pan.. Good thing good food doesn’t have to be pretty ;)

Not too long after our pizza- we decided to brave the blizzard and walk to our friends house to hang out (They live about a mile away)

I made sure to bundle up like crazy- it was crazy out there!

 The snow was coming down-HARD but the wind was the kicker.. It felt like little razors sticking in your eyeballs.. 

It was good fun! Cold fun.. but fun none the less!

SATURDAY 

Work got canceled for the day- hurray! 

We woke up to 2 1/2 Feet of snow.. I’m not exaggerating.. We couldn’t get out of the doors. After coffee and breakfast we headed out to clear the driveway.. We shoveled the driveway like a couple of BEASTS for 2 solid hours- nothing like a functional workout for the weekend, hah. We headed inside for a little break, more coffee and a snack before heading back outside for more shoveling- with a little bit of sledding/tubing down our street. The neighbors grandkids came out to play too.. I have to admit that it was probably the most fun I’ve had in the snow since the before I busted my chin sledding when I was 10 (I ended up with 4 stitches and damned the snow forever) 

In 24 hours we shoveled for 6 hours.. 

After spending most of the day outdoors- I knew a veggie soup was the perfect way to warm up

(Topped with Kerrygold cheddar)

The rest of the afternoon called for a Harry Potter Marathon!

Dinner came- and we tried out a recipe for Salmon Cakes which we rolled in shredded coconut… because why not?

Pretty good stuff

SUNDAY

I didn’t sleep well the night before- but that didn’t stop me from making some Paleo pancakes- I woke up absolutely FAMISHED and didn’t take a picture… All that shoveling burns some calories for sure!

Most of the morning was lost- because honestly I was so exhausted that I didn’t do anything but lay around.. I wanted to get some stuff done.. but it was slow going. We did start a closet renovation project- adding some shelves and moving some stuff around 

Now my yoga/workout space looks like this mess

 We were supposed to paint it.. but instead I took a much needed nap. 

It was just what I needed to kick myself in the pants.. I had a training run on the calendar and I’m pretty proud of myself for getting it done. 

MONDAY

I started this morning with some coffee and a little breakfast (banana with almond butter and a scoop of yogurt) before heading to the gym.

I didn’t want to do anything to crazy- but Paula asked me to go- so we walked on the Treadmill for 30 minutes before doing a little strength stuff:

DB Snatches- Set #1 @ 25lbs- 12 reps per arm

Set #2 @ 30lbs- 10 reps per arm

1 minute Plank Core Push ups

1 Minute Barbell Row

2 minutes squats

1 minute Plank Core push ups

1 minute KB swing

1 minute Standing Russian Twists

2 minutes Squats

The rest of my morning included some mandatory training for work

LAME… and I had to pay $40.

Afterwards I got some work done while warming up with some Tea

Workouts made, blogs written and read, and lots of good web surfing :)