Worse Than A Puppy

There's a wry adage along the lines of "No good deed goes unpunished." Right now that's how I'm feeling. Perhaps it's because I could hear the dog sniffing the window this morning, before the sun rose. I expected a mess there but it was well-papered. No mess. Whew!

However, there was a big mess in the hallway. So big that it trailed into the living room. Ugh. Twenty minutes of cleaning before needing to rouse my son for school. I'm glad I packed my gym bag the night before! My coffee is in a to-go mug, and my hair clips are in my pocket because I haven't had time to comb, braid and clip the mess out of my face.

I finish my coffee and read my emails in the parking lot. I have to remember to stop at the store after the gym because boys will need lunch while manning stations at the Thunderbird Games, a Cub Scout event where Boy Scouts create obstacles and challenges for the younger kids. Although there will be a food truck or two selling burgers and chili, people usually bring a bag lunch.

My sister is also driving down around lunchtime in her new Tesla 3, ostensibly to bring me leftover wee-wee pads and dog treats. Her dog passed away last month and she is decluttering. I can always use extra wee-wee pads! She's worried that her car is so quiet that she'll have issues with the deer. It is that season after all. I tell her to get deer whistles and she runs off to the auto parts store to get a pair. My husband had them on his last car and said they worked. I think I should probably invest in a pair for my car, and another for his. Because deer are unpredictable.

This means I can't dawdle at my workout. In fact, I'll probably sacrifice a few exercises. What I don't want to give up is cardio and the pullups. And Core. Which means skipping Leg Curls and Walking Lunges, and doing a rather quick cool-down stretch at the end. In spite of little rest between cardio exercises, the pullups remain strong. Perhaps that's because I took yesterday off due to the downed power lines and tree branches. I'm perfectly happy staying home when the weather's not playing nice. Today, I even spent time on the recumbent bike because I needed to check my email and text messages. Still a good workout!

I had intended to sautee some mushrooms and onions to make a savory scrambled egg lunch for my sister. She informed me yesterday that she's gone low-carb. But when I get home, there's the stink of rotten cabbage and a mess in the hall. Again. Clean-up achieved just in time, but there's no time for a fancy scramble. (Mushrooms take a lot of time to do properly!) Plain ol' eggs will suffice. We joke that the dog should be named Garbo, as in Greta. After an hour, my sister leaves because it's a 3-hour drive, and like me, she avoids driving at night. She doesn't have glaucoma, but her night vision is poor.

I'm busy cleaning dishes and getting the laundry going before my son gets home from school. Again, I smell the awful stench of rotting vegetation. Stink bugs? It is that season! But no... Another mess in the hallway. Ugh. Well, at least this time the trailing mess was contained by 3 out of 4 wee-wee pads. I'm going through these so fast (and these are the XL size!) that I ought to buy stock in the company.

It has been suggested that the dog might be sensitive to the boiled chicken breast I've been giving him in tiny amounts as a treat. It's boiled chicken breast! Isn't that what everyone says to give to dogs with the poops? Do I need to give him white rice too? Maybe get some plain canned pumpkin. Not sure I can find any that's not seasoned pie filling. (It is that time of the year!) The kibble is "deboned chicken and oats" while packaged treats are "chicken" flavor. Some people have suggested that there might be large amounts of antibiotics or hormones in those fresh chicken breasts. But none of the (treat or dog food) companies state they use organic chicken raised free of antibiotics and hormones.

Or maybe he's allergic? Ugh. I've never had quite such a sensitive dog before. My sister brought him a blue elephant dog toy with a squeaker, but he eyed that suspiciously before turning his back on us: a true sign of dislike. Now he's going to need extra time to decompress. Especially since my husband is due home in a few hours.

Abbreviated Cardio Friday
(4.97 miles)

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.85
Calories 316
HR 147-200 (84, 91, 87)

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Leg horizontal scissors 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 114
Total steps 718
Floors 44
HR 137

HGPU 22

15 recumbent bike
Level 1 Manual
Calories 88
Miles 2.12
HR 123-133

HGPU 22

Quick Stretch