I'm Running - Late and Out of Time

I'm running a bit late today because I had a lovely run this morning, and I'm still trying to build the treadmill into my schedule. I'm also troubled about the current LJ Idol challenge, due tonight. I've been trying various things without any success. This topic may have me defeated. It's just DH and I at the shop for the next two weeks (unless they don't need Chickie for Jury Duty that day, and that's a day-to-day thing). So far they don't need her today, but that's not really any help. It's her usual day off anyway. *sigh*

Omakase can be used in many ways, but the most 
familiar to people is with sushi when you rely on 
the chef to make a series for you from start to finish. 

So, this may be the end of my run through LJ Idol unless I have a miracle, or one of the other few things I can try pans out at something that doesn't deserve to be put on the virtual trash pile immediately. It's a PITA when time is short, but I suspect that's going to be my life for the next couple of weeks. 

This newest prompt may have caused me to fall short 
of the finish line. There are still a couple of things I can 
try, but I really don't have time to write while at work, 
and I leave for work in 30 minutes. *sigh*

One thing is certain, however. I'm totally out of time for today's blog post. So it's very short and semi-sweet, and that's how it will have to be. We did have a lovely Sunday, however, watching football. We even treated ourselves to Chipotle for dinner, so I didn't need to cook or reheat anything. That's a rare treat, but a welcome one. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. I should have a bit more time since tomorrow is a swimming day - LOL. Slava Ukraini. 

Mountain Peaks - Some Climb the Physical Mountains, Some Just Climb the Everyday Ones in Our Lives

I wrapped my week up with a virtual run through northern Italy to the back of the Matterhorn mountain, and then into Switzerland to get the front view. Of course, it being a mountain, there really isn't any "front" or "back" view. I term it that way because the Swiss side is the side I'm more familiar with. But it just took a quick glimpse and I knew exactly what I was looking at from Italy. Such an iconic mountain. 

The Matterhorn is so very iconic and recognizable. I loved 
seeing it on my treadmill screen this morning. I knew 
immediately what peak I was nearing. 

I admit that I've never quite understood those people who actually want to climb mountains in real life. I find the mountains we need to climb in our day-to-day lives to be quite challenging enough, but there are people, very talented and physically fit people, who want to challenge the physical peaks of the world.

K2 is the second-highest mountain in the world, only a 
small amount shorter than Mt Everest. It presents some 
very tricky climbs to summit, but it's a mountain, and 
for serious mountaineers, that's all that's important. 

 Expert climbers often want to climb the following five peaks: Mount Everest (of course), the highest peak in the world and K2, the second-highest peak in the world, and close neighbor to Everest.  The third peak is Kanchenjunga, also located in the Himalayas, but harder to get to which adds an extra challenge. Avalanches are a major problem on this peak, not just the altitude and general issues which are shared by all three of the peaks. Annapurna, also in the Himalayas, is the fourth peak for expert climbers. It is known for highly unpredictable weather patterns which can be so very deadly in those heights on those peaks. Finally, the fifth peak is ... the Matterhorn. Really? You might ask. But yes. the Matterhorn presents its' own serious challenges. It's incredibly steep and there is constant danger of rockfalls. 

Kanchenjunga is the third highest peak in the world. It's 

a challenging world of ice and snow with very unpredictable 

weather. In general, it's your typical Himalaya mountainside. 

It's a beautiful peak, though. 

Of course there are challenging peaks in every continent for serious climbers, but think about it. Are you going to toss a bunch of equipment into a bag, get a visa, and go and climb any of these? If you are, fabulous! I wish you the best of luck and skill at achieving your goal. But the vast majority of us will challenge our own peaks without having to invest in equipment and cold-weather gear. We're all challenged by the peaks and valleys of life. Life is just as unpredictable, holds challenges for each of us, and is every-changing from day to day. The best we can ask for ourselves is that we stick to the course, look at the longer goals while achieving the shorter ones, and be unafraid to reach out to others for assistance when necessary. 

Annapurna Masif is the fourth highest peak, and the 
fourth one in the Himalaya mountain range. It's also 
quite stunning. 

So, as we move into the weekend and I need to get into gear and get my latest story written and posted, I offer you this challenge. Live each day as an achievable challenge, and be unafraid to reach out to friends near and far for assistance if needed. We're all here for you, as we hope you will be here for us. Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday for the start of my "Two Weeks of Hell While Chickie is on Jury Duty" LOL. Slava Ukraini. 

Today is Time for ME!

I'm bouncing the theme for the current LJ Idol writing challenge around in my head, but nothing is floating onto the surface yet. I have little nibbles, though, and hope that if I can get some free time today on my "day off", I'll get a chance to sit at a keyboard and pull something together. It's an interesting prompt this time, one that's pulling me into several directions. I have to make up my mind rather quickly because my "spare" time, as always, is minimal. 

I'm going to enjoy this, my last "day off" for two weeks. 
Hopefully I'll get my latest story written, and maybe some 
house cleaning in as well. But I'm determined to enjoy what 
I can of this day because I won't have another day off 
until the second week of November. 

I did start the day out with a lovely virtual "run" on the treadmill for a solid 45 minutes. I'm absolutely loving it. I plug in my earplugs, turn on my music (Sirius FM Turbo) and get down to good music and beautiful locations on my screen. In general, I'm averaging 3.5-4.0 miles/hour and a 3.5-4.0 incline. Since I'm not allowed to actually run - just fast-walk - I'm meeting the criteria my physician wants me to stay within, and still getting a nice workout. Pure and simply, it's just fun. Today I wandered through Europe and ended up with a couple of walks in New Zealand. Beautiful scenery. 

I have always enjoyed virtual scenery while running/walking. 
I like having something to watch while I'm listening to 
music. Treo has a vast catalog of virtual runs, and I get one 
free year with them as part of my treadmill package. I'm taking 
full advantage of that. 

I enjoy virtual scenery for walking on my treadmill. Just using it plain is WAY too boring, even if I do have good music to listen to. My treadmill came with a one-year membership in Treo and they have a large catalog of virtual reality runs as well as lots of different instructors to help with fitness, sprints, and workouts in general. I'm getting a lot of use from the app, and suspect I'll renew when it comes due next year. 

I am NOT looking forward to the next two weeks. 
It's unlikely that she will have to be at the courthouse 
for each day, all day, but her schedule will be sporadic 
and unpredictable, which means DH and I are on two 
six-day weeks in a row. GRRRR

Today is a "day off" though, and I have a million things on my agenda - not just writing my latest installment for LJ Idol. I won't have a "day off" for the next two weeks while Chickie is on Jury Duty. Wait ... you might be thinking ... TWO weeks? Yeah. I looked at my calendar at work, and she's actually on Jury Duty for TWO weeks, not one. My service was only for one, but I was carried over a couple of days into a second week. She's scheduled for two weeks. She needs to phone in every evening to find out if she's required to be at the Courthouse or not. If not, she can come to work (unless they call her in mid-day which is what happened to me on my one "day off"). *sigh* I am NOT looking forward to working two six-day weeks in a row. 

I'm off and running today. Lots to do before I'm stuck 
working two six-day weeks in a row. ARGH. 

But I have plenty of food made and I think I'll be fine. Cranky and a bit crabby, but fine. DH will be angry and upset because he always seems to be angry and upset when he's working. It'll make for an interesting two weeks. *sigh* On that note, I have many things to do today so I'm off and running. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini. 

Yesterday I Cooked Up a Storm!

I cooked like a bit of a crazy woman yesterday, making soup and a main dish so that I won't starve while I have no days off when Chickie is doing Jury Duty next week. I made a double-batch of Spicy Kielbasa Soup. It's a lovely soup that goes together quickly and cooks in my large crock pot. I finally got it dished into containers at 8:15 pm last night. 

I have a large oval crock pot similar to this one and 
I use it more than I ever thought I would. I love 
it for this soup. Just put in the ingredients and let 
the crock do the cooking. So easy! 

The other dish I made was called "Healthy Sesame Chicken" (https://themovementmenu.com/healthy-sesame-chicken-paleo-low-carb/) and it has a lovely sauce that just clings to the chicken pieces. This one called for a bit more kitchen time, and it was rather fun seeing it come together. I have two smaller containers with the chicken now, ready to be reheated for a nice dinner. '

The sauce on this recipe is lovely. It clings to the 
chicken pieces beautifully. I'm looking forward to 
my meals of my Sesame Chicken. 

I still have some of last week's soups to eat before diving into these, so that'll easily take me through next week. It's always a challenge to eat properly when I work a six-day stretch, but I think I'm totally set except for my "Ogre Juice", and I can make that on a Sunday when necessary. It only takes an hour of my time - I have it down to a fine art by now - LOL. 

Mulling over my thoughts. It's a bit frightening - LOL. 

I'm still mulling over my thoughts for "omakase" - the next writing challenge. It's due tomorrow, so my mulling time is exiting quickly. Hopefully I won't be so swamped at the shop and can get a bit of time to mull and keyboard on something other than price tags. But I know DH left me a TON of price tags to do for an order we just got in on Tuesday. 

I'll be back tomorrow, for my last 
"Day Off" for more than a week! 
*sigh* LOL

So, I'm off to the pool for the final swim of the week. I love swimming, but I'm already looking forward to being back on the treadmill again tomorrow. It's SUCH a relief having a treadmill back in my life again. It's back to a learning curve on another piece of electronic equipment, but I'm absolutely fine with that - LOL. Have an excellent Thursday, I'm off to the pool. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I Survived Again - Thank You! and a New Prompt

I survive to write another week, thanks to all of you who were kind enough to vote for me. And, of course, I end up with a new prompt, which once again pushes me to the internet to find out what the heck the word means - LOL. That's often the case with Gary. He'll see an unusual word and glomp onto it for a possible future topic. Often those words are in a foreign language, or have deep roots in anther language. This new prompt is no exception. Omakase - it can be a noun or an adverb/adjective. 

Omakase is often used in sushi restaurants, when it 
refers to a series of small servings or courses offered 
at a fixed price and with the selection being left to the 
chef's discretion. 

How interesting it would be to live a life of omakase. To allow others to make the choosing for you. But where would you be if you had done that? What if you had chosen the school your parents or relatives wanted you to attend? What if you had gone into the profession they had wanted? What if you had married the first person to attract you? All of these different things could still fit into the broader definition of omakase. I'll have to put some serious thought into this - LOL

Thank you to all of you who took that extra step 
and voted for my entry. I live to write another 
time, and I've never made it this far before. I'm 
stunned and filled with joy. THANK YOU! 

But the best thing is, because you took the time to vote for my previous entry, I live to write another day. We've had a dear friend pull out, and another friend of a few years eliminated, so I'm feeling as if I'm without anchors and rocks today. I still have friends among the group, and I'm still in the competition and this is the longest I've EVER made it in LJ Idol, but I'm going to miss Murielle and Bloedeswean. I'm DW friends with Bleodeswean, so I'll know what she's up to in the coming months, but Murielle and I don't cross as frequently. It's been a joy writing alongside them, however. 

So many thoughts running through my head 
right now. It's a good thing I'm heading to the 
pool. I can get some of the extraneous thoughts 
out of the way in the water. 

So I'm diving into today, a very busy "day off" with thoughts running through my head. Possible themes, structures and locations for the current prompt are hovering in the background. I'll figure it out before the deadline, which is Monday. But until then, I have two swims, and three runs on the treadmill to look forward to and to allow my mind to wander. I hope I'll find some fruitful thoughts in all of that time. Plus, Chickie is on Jury Duty all next week, so I'd better concentrate on cooking right now - I'll need meals for next week cooked and in the 'fridge before the weekend. Enjoy your Wednesday, I'm headed for the swimming pool. I'll be back tomorrow. And once again, if you were kind enough to vote for my tale, THANK YOU. I live because you cared enough to vote. Slava Ukraini. 

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

Happy Tuesday to all of you. It's a pool day, so I'm here, perched in front of my desktop computer, writing my daily blog, dressed in my swimming skinsuit for the day. My clothes are packed, my laptop is ready to go to the shop with me, and I'm psyched to have a day without DH, but with Chickie. I'm totally dreading next week, but nothing at all that I can do about Chickie's jury duty. I'm sure she'll find it horrible because she'll be massively uncomfortable. She doesn't sit well for long periods of time, and their chairs are less than wonderful, especially if she's in a courtroom. I do think they specifically hired designers to make attractive chairs that would be as uncomfortable as possible so that the jurors would stay awake and alert. 

I think they hired designers who would design the most 
attractive looking, but bodily uncomfortable, chairs in the 
universe for jury boxes. I know when I was seated in one 
for my in-depth interview, I was horribly uncomfortable 
after only 15 minutes. Thinking of spending entire days in 
those chairs would be tantamount to torture in my opinion. 

The bill for the treadmill arrived in yesterday's mail, so I wrote the check and DH will send it on its' way today. It's MINE! WHOOT! Totally MINE. I'm beyond thrilled. I still need to get used to the sign-in procedure. I'm bringing a couple of the "How To" booklets along to the shop with me to review them again. And, somewhere and somehow I've managed to lose my favorite ear buds and the chest strap that I was able to use once. *sigh* I know they'll turn up, but it's a PITA until they do. 

I adore my treadmill, but know I can use it more 
effectively. I'm delving into some of the instructional 
books that I was given along with the machine, while 
at work today. Now that I've used it for a bit, I have 
a good idea of how it operates. It's time to find out 
the specifics and fine-tuning. 

Still, the treadmill is finally 100% mine, and I'm extremely happy. This is why I saved my holiday cash and any other little payments for repairs and the shop from here and there - so that I could afford a BIG purchase every now and then. This definitely qualified as a BIG purchase - LOL. 

I've never been this close to the top before in 
terms of votes. I'm thrilled! It's entirely possible 
that I'll be dashed against the rocks in the next 
challenge, but it's been SO much fun and SO 
worth every flap of my literary wings. 

Voting for LJ Idol closes tonight. I'm in the top three, but not the top two. That's OK. I'm higher than I've ever achieved before, and I'm totally enjoying the rarefied air. Thanks to one and all who voted for my "Ode to the Phoenix" story. I absolutely couldn't do it without all of you. DH might read my stories (sometimes), but he never votes. *sigh* So, I'm off to the pool for a good swim today. I hope your Tuesday is spectacular, and if not, that it's at least wonderful. I'll be back tomorrow for the next installment of my life in blog. Be well, be happy, and Slava Ukraini. 

It's a Monday - Self Explanatory - LOL

Happy Monday to all of you. DH and I had a fairly laid-back Sunday watching football and working/playing on our computers (depending on the person). I did my usual Sunday clean of the kitchen, which desperately needed it. Then DH made something sticky in the oven for his dinner, and the container ended up messing up my cooktop which had been newly cleaned only that morning. *sigh* The story of my life - LOL. 

I have a black glass Westinghouse cooktop similar 
to this one (considerably older, however). I adore 
it - it cooks really well and looks great. Except ... when 
DH puts sticky things onto it. Then, the cooktop that 
I clean to a brilliant shine every Sunday morning looks 
like a POS by Sunday night. *sigh* 

Still, I had an enjoyable "day off" from the treadmill and those days of rest are equally important. I was back on the tread this morning for another three miles, this time hiking through Bavaria. I remember this hike from the gym years ago, and it's just as beautiful and fun as it was back then. 

I remembered this hike through Bavaria soon 
after I had started it. It was always one of my 
favorites - beautiful scenery and so many 
wonderful vistas. I set a good incline and a 
fast pace and had a lovely workout. 

I have to track down my Experian subscriptions. I have one for me and one for DH - it watches over out computers for malware, etc. Suddenly there is a third charge appearing on another card, and I have to track down which subs are active and which is either ending or was subbed to in error. That's on my Wednesday agenda when I can spend that kind of time. It's one of those things that might take more than an hour of delving to discover what is what. 

Apparently my thoughts on the resiliency of humanity 
struck a chord this week, I'm not at the very top of the 
voting, but I'm damned close to it. Thank you, everyone 
who was kind enough to vote for my story this week. 
The voting isn't over quite yet, but I'm fairly sure I'll 
survive to write another week. That's ALL due to your 
votes and I appreciate each and every one of them. 

I want to thank all of you who have voted for me in LJ Idol this week. Apparently my Ode to the Phoenix touched quite a few people and, although I'm not the winner this week, I'm breathing down their necks. LOL It's an unusual position for me, and I'm totally gratified that so many others feel similarly to my feelings. The voting isn't closed yet, so if you haven't voted, I'd appreciate a vote for this one. But whether you vote or not, I really love that you've read it and that so many of you have reached out to tell me that my views on this reflect your own. Mitakuye Oyasin, as we say in Lakota. ("We are all related" as a loose translation.) 

Mitakuye Oyasin is translated in various ways, 
the most common being "We are all realated". 
It's Lakota (Sioux) and used as a ceremonial 
or prayerful statement at the end of a talk. It's 
sometimes good to remind ourselves that there's 
not that much difference between human beings. 
The differences come in dogma and culture, not 
in basic design and function. 

So, it's a Monday, a day of working with DH (meaning I'm working the sales floor alone while he putzes in the basement or at his desk in the back). It's not the end of the world, but it's inconvenient. Still, it is what it is, and next week - with Chickie on Jury Duty all week - will be worse - MUCH worse. So, I'll take today as a prequel for next week and hope things go smoothly. Have a wonderful Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.