One Size Can Vary Greatly

Dressing
room lighting

After I got the laundry and dishes sorted, and my gym gear packed, I drove up to the Home Depot to pick up charcoal and salt for the water softener. My hubs and I had taken a Scout course on Dutch Oven cooking and my hubs was so excited by it that he immediately purchased one on Amazon. Now we just have to season it, and get some charcoal briquettes. I haven't used charcoal briquettes in over 20 years so like an old dog who can see a new staircase but doesn't acknowledge its existence (yes, that was one of my dogs), I walked right by the bags of Kingsford and bought two bags of the Royal Oak lump charcoal. Because that's what we normally use. But Scout Dutch oven cooking is all about putting the right number of briquettes on and under the cast iron pot, so....

My son is at that age where half his clothes don't fit him anymore. Like underwear. I like to buy him colorful cotton briefs because whites are boring, and show stains too easily. But I'll be dammed if I can find anything other than boxer-briefs or boxers. My son won't wear boxers, and not boxer-briefs because he's got sizeable thighs (like his mom). I go to three different stores, and if they have regular briefs, they are in monstrously large sizes. Ugh. While I'm at Marshalls, I see a rack of sports bras and grab a few to try on. Clothes wear out and mine are no exception. Marshall's has the best prices for these items, averaging $10 give or take, vs. the ridiculously expensive $30-$70 per item at sports retailers. All the bras are size L from different brands. The only S size is a bright neon orange tank, because I'm that weird body who wears both L and S simultaneously.

left to right: neon tank, navy bra and gray/navy bra, stars bra, puffy bra/strappy bra,

The S tank is the first to go on the discard pile. While I like the color, there are too many seams and the fabric is too sheer for my liking. It doesn't look that way in the photo, but in real life, I can see my bra through the tank, and that's not me. Even though all the bras are size L, they all fit differently. I'm surprised at the ones that fit well and comfortably, one boring solid navy and one gray/navy piece. I like the cute B&W stars and stripes (made in Australia!) but the band is a tad too big. You can see how it gaps at the side. But it's really comfortable and well-made and I opt to keep it anyway, figuring I can wear it under something heavier than a gym tank. Then there are the losers: a strappy black number with weird cutouts across the back. It's too tight and the straps don't have enough give to them. The next item is really cute, but there's something odd about the bust area. The pads are too puffy and make me look like I've gone up 3 cup sizes. It's not the right bra for me. Experiences like this are why brick and mortar stores will never truly disappear. There are certain things you really need to try on. Like bras. And shoes.

Post-workout

I get to the gym by noon. It's Cardio Day so I reluctantly climb onto the elliptical for Intervals. But only 20 minutes. I'm a bit stiff from yesterday and my legs take a long while to loosen up. I probably should've started with a different piece of equipment! Oh well... Right afterwards, I hop on the Step Mill for 15 minutes. Now I'm really starting to bust a sweat! Then I'm back across the gym to the Expresso bikes. The one bike that adjusts down to my size is the closest to the front door so every now and then, as people are entering or exiting, I get a chilly breeze. I choose a new ride called Titan Time because it's a short distance at 1.75 miles, and has weird graphics of aliens and spaceships.

What I don't realize until I'm in the thick of it, is that there are portions of this ride where the grade goes up to 17% and I'm pedaling as hard as I can. I opt to close the gap between me and the screen pacer, from 75 to 55 meters. Eventually I pass "him" on the course, and by the time I'm finished, he's several yards behind me. I'm done in a little over 10 minutes, and the computer program seems surprised and congratulates me on my excellent time. Of course, I haven't logged in so there's no record of my ride, but that's okay. I'm perfectly happy being anonymous.

My hubs is taking us out to dinner tonight to celebrate my birthday belatedly. We're going to Char, a local steakhouse we frequent on special occasions. They have short ribs on the menu! I don't cook short ribs so that's what I'm ordering! My son loves their truffle oil mac and cheese. My hubs is still gamely eating low/no carbs, but he's had to cut back on calories and protein. So, it's basically a fat-based diet that is suppose to help maintain blood sugar levels. I'm curious enough to read up on it, but since I have a lot of issues digesting fatty foods, this type of eating isn't for me. The cops will be out in force tonight and tomorrow because the St Pat's holiday weekend is notorious for drunken behaviors. At least my hubs is responsible enough to do his drinking safely at home, although I'm sure he'll have a glass of white with dinner.

Cardio Friday

20 min elliptical + 5 cd
Intervals
Calories 238
Miles 2.12

15 StepMill level 6
Calories 119
Steps 814
Floors 50

Expresso Bike
Titan Time 1.75 Miles
Calories: 59
Time: 10:24

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

most of a Mat Stretch