Island Calm

Hello lovelies. I'm having a BLAST in Ocracoke. I don't want to spend too much time inside typing or in front of this WICKED box. Instead, I will leave you with some photos that perfectly capture the essence of this place and the brilliance of this vacation up to this point. :)

Be back in a few days....


LOVE it here!!!!

XOXO
Ildie

Picture Perfect

Hello bloggies. Today has been a SUPER long and busy day so this is going to be a be a pictorial recap only. A super duper informative, picture perfect story of foodie perfection.

I wish I had more time to elaborate but it's late and my bed is calling out to me.



That's all she wrote today. I hope to be back with a full post tomorrow. Have a great night.

TOMORROW IS FRIDAY! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! I seriously can NOT WAIT!!

XOXO
Ildie

Random Deep Thoughts...

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

Sing it Johnny, sing it!! Even though your brilliant lyrics are full of lies and deception. Today was another dreary and wet day in Northeastern suburban paradise. Gone are the days of sunshine, warmth and bliss.

I better change the subject before my disgust of all things gloomy scares you away. Be gone evil Wednesday spirits! Be gone!

INSERT EMERGENCY ADORABLE KITTY PICTURE!! Strategically timed to keep you interested. Seriously! OMG! I want it! I want 10 of them!


BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 9:30am.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 wheat bran
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Splenda
• (Microwaved, EXPLODED, cleaned up (sigh) and topped with 1 tbs Chocolate Better N' Peanut Butter and cinnamon)

So uhm, I do NOT care for the Chocolate version of Better N' Peanut Butter. IT'S BAD! NEVER TRY IT! You all know that I'm a fan of the original. However, the chocolate one tasted super artificial. A bit like sugar free chocolate syrup, but WORSE! YUCK! Seems as though my breakfast was just doomed from the start today. HA!

RANDOM DEEP THOUGHTS: I have yet to pack anything and we leave this Saturday. I realize it seems like I have plenty of time, but in FACT, I barely have ANY! Time, such a funny thing. It seems like everything in life has a specific time and a chosen place. Constant schedules based on suns and moons, hours and minutes, seconds and moments. I so long for a place without the ticking.

LUNCH (meal #2) at 12:30pm.

Another salad. I bet you're not even surprised anymore are you?

RANDOM DEEP THOUGHTS: Repetition, though mind numbing, provides comfort and embraces you gently with the familiar.

Spinach + Avocado + Leftover Eggplant + Cherry Tomatoes + Spray Butter + Sriracha sauce + a toasted Thomas's English Muffin on the side.


A bit later Ann and I found ourselves at Macy's again. What is it about this place??? The ALLURE is uncontrollable. As is my inability to stay away from the junior department. I am NOT a junior. What is wrong with me?

RANDOM DEEP THOUGHTS: Denial is the fountain of youth.

I bought 2 shirts..... from the denial department..... ??

SNACK (meal #3) at 5:20pm.

Nope, no delicious yogurt snack today. I lost track of time again today and worked clear through snack time. Instead, I inhaled this Granny Smith apple in the car on the way to the gym.


WORKOUT!

Free Weight Squat (with straight bar)
45lb x 15
55lb x 15
65lb x 15
Stiff Leg Deadlifts (with straight bar)
45lb x 15
45lb x 15
65lb x 15
Leg Extensions (plate loaded)
100lb x 15
100lb x 15
90lb x 15
Seated Leg Curls (plate loaded)
100lb x 15
90lb x 15
80lb x 15
Inclined Leg Press (plate loaded)
180lb x 15
180lb x 15
180lb x 15
Outer Thigh Machine (cable)
85lb x 15
85lb x 15
85lb x 15
Inner Thigh Machine (cable)
75lb x 15
75lb x 15
75lb x 15
Treadmill
Long story short, I was going to run for at least a mile but a certain SISTER was whining to leave already so we could go feed the cats. I guess she was in a hurry to get home? This translates into a pathetic 6.5 minutes, .57 miles and a lot of frustration.

Total time at gym = 1:02
Max HR = 180
Average HR = 142
Total Calories Burned = 517

RANDOM DEEP THOUGHTS: Coffee makes everything better. Sweet, delectable, aromatic beans of caffeine heaven. Take me away...

SNACK (meal #4) at 7:30pm.

LARGE espresso + dried apricots + butter pretzels + a Fuji apple. I actually did NOT eat the apple. It sounded good at first but in the end, I changed my mind.


After my MUCH NEEDED coffee break, I took a nice, long, EXTRA HOT and relaxing bath. I washed this stupid day right out of my hair and felt a million times better.

DINNER (meal #5) at 9:30pm.

We're working with slim pickins at the moment. I didn't want to buy more than we could consume for the week since we're leaving on Saturday morning. I think I grossly underestimated how much we would need though. This translated into Nick having boxed Mac & Cheese and me having Thai Kitchen Bangkok Curry soup + a Flat Out wrap with the last of the leftover chicken breast + swiss + spinach + honey mustard. It was actually quite tasty. Disaster averted.


RANDOM DEEP THOUGHTS: To sleep is to be free of woe, distress and the entrapment of the never ending tic-tocking. Sweet slumber wraps me in worry free ignorance and embraces my weary thoughts in a thick layer of darkness. Oh what dreams may come.

GOODNIGHT lovelies!

XOXO
Ildie

8th wonder of the world...

My morning started extra bright and early today. I had a fun and fantastical doctors appointment at 7:50am. Ladies, you know the one. The one we ALL love and wait for breathlessly every year. I was SUPER excited about it to say the least! (I just lied to you.....)

After my appointment I rushed to the office. I was both starving and anxious to get started on my work. I had a hunch that a lot of emails would be waiting on my arrival. I'm very popular you see!

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 10:00am.

I had the privilege of a very sexy "almost" empty Better N' Peanut Butter jar again today. YAY! Who knew empty jars could make someone so happy? Not I! Weeeeeeeeeeeeee.


This had 1/2 cup old fashioned oats + 1/4 cup wheat bran + cinnamon + pumpkin pie spice + Splenda + raisins. ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! I still can't explain WHY oats taste better out of a jar. I just can't. It's like the 8th wonder of the world. A great statue of an oat filled jar should be erected to honor its magnificence. Standing 50 feet tall with a massive copper spoon. Now that my friends, would be something magical!

Considering my late start today, work was semi decent. Could it be? Am I actually starting to get caught up? Do miracles really happen? I believe.... I believe....

LUNCH (meal #2) at 12:30pm.

I indulged in a delicious breakfast wrap for lunch. One of my favorites. 4 egg whites + spinach + vegetable hummus + Sriracha stuffed inside a honey wheat FlatOut. So messy but oh so good!


I also snacked one some Granny Smith apple slices. I forgot how much I love these sour little babies. Crisp, tart and delicious!


While on our break today, Ann and I received the most pleasant surprise. A call from Mama and Papa Babushka. It was the first call we've gotten from them since they left 2.5 weeks ago. Their cell phones don't work in Hungary so we've been emailing instead. I guess they just couldn't STAND IT anymore and had to hear our voices. They're so damn cute!! I can't wait to see them already. Sadly, it will be some time before I do. They come back SUPER late this Friday and I leave SUPER early on Saturday for vacation. It will have to wait until my return. Sigh.. :(

SNACK (meal #3) at 4:15pm.

Plain Dannon Greek yogurt with cinnamon and Udi's cranberry granola. My second of four Udi's granola bags is officially gone. :-O One is also going on vacation with me. I don't know what I'll do when I run out. The stuff is incredible! :)


After work it was time for the gym.

WORKOUT!

Advanced Chest Press (plate loaded)
60lb x 15
50lb x 15
50lb x 15
Lat Pulldown with V-bar (cable)
70lb x 15
60lb x 15
60lb x 15
Face Pull with rope grip (cable)
80lb x 15
80lb x 15
80lb x 15
Seated Chest Press (cable)
75lb x 15
60lb x 15
60lb x 15
Inclined Dumbbell Press
12.5lb x 15
15lb x 15
15lb x 15
One Arm Dumbbell Row
20lb x 15 (each side)
25lb x 15 (each side)
30lb x 15 (each side)

After the strength training we mozzied up to the cardio room only to realize that every single machine was taken. Neither one of us was feeling SUPER PUMPED or motivated today. The full room had us declaring the workout DONE in about 30 milliseconds flat. SHOCKING I KNOW! We never do that...

Total time at gym = 48 minutes (We didn't even break an hour. I think this is a 1st.)
Max HR = 135 (booo)
Average HR = 106 (booo)
Total calories burned = 220 (SUPER booo)

After the gym, we went to feed the kitties at Mama and Papa's and continued our "Mission Clean House" challenge. We're almost done. I know Mama will be very happy to come home to a sparkling house. REMEMBER PAPA, IT'S A SURPRISE... SHHHH!

We're such AMAZING daughters. HA!

SNACK (meal #4) at 7:30pm.

When I got home, I wasn't feeling a shake. Perhaps because I didn't really feel like my half assed attempt at a workout merited a smoothie? Whatever the reason, I didn't make one and instead snacked on some strawberries with fat free whip and a TINY sprinkle of crushed walnuts.


I love berries! I can't wait until raspberries are more affordable. They're my absolute favorite berry. Possibly even favorite fruit!

DINNER (meal #5) at 9:30pm.

I had an eggplant, spinach and avocado sandwich on a sprouted whole grain Ezekiel bun. I cut the eggplants into rounds, salted them and let them sit for 20 minutes before patting them dry to get the bitterness out. I sprayed a pan with PAM, coated the eggplant with a bit of parmesan cheese and basil and baked them for 30 minutes. So easy.


On the side I had a warm green bean salad with leftover green beans from last night, cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes and a bit more avocado. Great flavor and texture combo. The beans were hot and the tomatoes and avocado were cold. YUM!


It's been a long day. I've already been up for 17+ hours and I'm feeling it. Time to sneak in a quick recorded episode of Lost and then I must SLEEP!

Have a great night!
XOXO
Ildie