Gonnachange

I think the arc is in a positive direction, but the slope of said arc is virtually flat and the situation is still not good. There are still multi day benders and he's still not employed. One of the reasons we're going to the house today is to help my MIL with some gardening that he can easily have taken care of. If the past is any guide, he'll be indignant about our presence and taking care of something that he should have done; to the point where he perceives it as a personal affront. This usually leads to him drinking himself into a stupor while trying to maintain a semblance of normality. Eventually he'll disappear and pass out in his room.

It's hard to know what awaits us, but I do know that he's already in a bad mood because my other BIL didn't want to take at least 3 hours out of his day to drive him somewhere.

I'll follow up on this tomorrow. Thanks for asking.

SoberLeigh

Hope that the visit goes as well as possible, GC.

SoberLeigh

Two gorgeous Sand Hill Cranes just landed with a screech, a hoot and a holler.

We have become buddies!!!! I talk to them and tell them how beautiful they are and they study me and listen - they are captivating creatures.

Gonnachange

Thanks SL. The visit went very well; as far as I can tell he was sober and was definitely engaging.

That's a fine way to spend some time. Coincidentally, my wife put out a couple of bird feeders yesterday and I've spent some time watching our "customers" come and go. Nothing nearly the size of your cranes, but still nice to look at it.

Today

After warm ups and stretching we had a solid all around workout:

Four circuits of:

Mountain climbers
Lateral box runs
Kb Turkish get ups
KB 2 point rows
Planks with hip touches
Kb swings
Kb forward lunges
Push ups

We wound up eating at my MIL's yesterday and I won't be cooking again because we're going to a fund raiser which will include dinner. My daughter is the main organizer of the event.

Gonnachange

Got a run done in a soft rain.

Gonnachange

3 rounds of:

Incline Bb bench presses
Incline Db flyes
Incline Bb skullcrushers
Incline Bb chest presses
Lat pulldowns
Seated rows
Pushups
Standing Bb curls
Up/downs
Planks

Dinner tonight is going to be pastrami served on rye bread and a side of cole slaw.

SoberLeigh

Great workout, GC.

Dinner sounds scrumptious.

Gonnachange

SL, my triceps especially were pretty fried, but I'm okay with that. I'm in the gym to work and I get out of my time there what I put into it. I was somewhat disappointed with my pushups and the pace of my up/downs on the third circuit, but I know I left the gym with an empty tank. I'm also glad that I won't be moving any iron tomorrow, but plan on going for a run.

Thanks about dinner; I finished smoking the pastrami about one hour ago and will start steaming it shortly. Fortunately for you and others who read here as well as on the The Recipe Thread, other than a possible brief recap of how the finished product turned out nobody is going to be bored to death anymore with my pastrami saga. Until next time , but that won't be for a couple/few months.

Gonnachange

I'm not as sore as I anticipated, so that's a good thing. For exercise I went for a short run. Of course when I went it was 55F/13C and raining pretty hard and now the sun is shining.

Dinner tonight is going to be fish tacos that another SR member inspired me to make. I'm not going to batter and fry the fish; instead I will use more traditional taco seasoning and pan sear. I also won't be using a classic white sauce but instead the toppings are going to be green cabbage, homemade pico de gallo, and sliced avocado. This whole cook is a first for me, but I'm confident all will go well.

SoberLeigh

It sounds absolutely wonderful, GC. A mango salsa is also delicious on fish tacos!!!!

Gonnachange

Believe it or not I have two mangos that are ready to be eaten. I hadn't thought of going the fruit route to counteract the spice of the taco seasoning; I know that would taste great because I've made something with similar taste contrasts using pork tenderloins. Thanks for the idea SL!

Gonnachange

It's been one of those whirling dervish days, but things should start to settle down going forward and I can check off some items from my "To Do" list so everything is fine.

I was at the gym in the AM for a solo workout. Squats, deadlifts, calf raises, and leg extensions were on the menu.

Dinner tonight is going to be chicken francese with a side of either barley, rice, or couscous.

Gonnachange

Another 2 mile run this AM; no Garmin so no data. My next run will be this weekend with an increase in distance.

Dinner tonight is going to be a beef chuck roast I got on sale yesterday that is being simmered in my slow cooker with various seasonings. Sides are going to be a garden salad and tri color couscous.

Gonnachange

Musings

A portion of the afternoon was unexpectedly spent teaching my 8 year old next door neighbor and his friend some very fundamental aspects about hitting and catching a baseball. Both are soccer kids, which I could not give any advice about, but they've recently taken an interest in baseball. I know they're young, but clearly they have not gotten any good coaching from their parents or Little League coaches. It was fun and something I haven't done in a long time, especially with kids this young; the last time I coached kids was when they were in high school for one of the town's travel teams.

There's a chance that I won't be cooking for the next three days, although there's about a 50/50 chance I will on Saturday. Tomorrow my wife and I are going to Manhattan for dinner and to see an Off-Broadway show. On Saturday we're going to a Matisse exhibit which is local so I'm going to push to eat at home. If we go with friends we'll eat at home, but if it's a group we'll be dining at a restaurant. On Sunday we're meeting cousins of mine for brunch, a Broadway show, and dinner.

None of this will interfere with our exercise plans.

Gonnachange

Today's going to be an "active rest" day. I did pushups and planks at home and I'll be going into Manhattan in the afternoon to walk around for a couple of hours before going to dinner and a play with my wife.

Gonnachange

My wife and I had a very nice time in NYC last night and, as planned, I went in early and walked around mid-town for a couple of hours.

This morning we were at the gym for our usual strength and stamina class.

SoberLeigh

So great to hear that you had such a nice time.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Gonnachange

Thanks SL and you do the same.

My plan was to get up early, go for a short run before it got too hot, and then hit the gym before going into Manhattan. Fine plan, but poor execution as I didn't go for the run. I will, however, be at the gym.

Gonnachange

After yesterday morning's time at the gym there wasn't much in the way of movement. After parking the car in NYC it was less than a mile roundtrip between the restaurant we ate brunch at, the theatre, and the place we went afterward. There was a dog walk last night, but it wasn't very long.

I was at the gym today and did:

Usual warm up stuff and then three rounds of:

Stability ball knee thrusts
Heavy rope fun
Db squat presses
Kb swings
Ab wheel rollouts
Ball slams
Decline sit ups

I've been hydrating extensively because aside from the weather I'm feeling bloated from the restaurant meals yesterday. Tonight I'm going to be making a weather appropriate cold chicken salad using boneless chicken breasts I'll shortly be grilling. I'll also be serving a to be determined cold side dish.

SoberLeigh

Ah, Summer days!!!!!!!

My favorite Summer cold side dish is an apple cider vinegar based cucumber salad!!!!