Exercise Makes You Fat

At least according to an article on time.com and maybe even in the actual physical Time Magazine, does anyone still read that? Anyway, like I need another excuse to not rejoin the gym or take up running again! The point of the article is definitely true for me though: exercise makes me extra hungry and I eat way more than the calories I burned. Exhibit A: college. We would go out and run two laps around the lakes and then eat everything and anything we wanted for breakfast on the weekends (or dinner on the weeknights). Ah, the convenience of the dining hall... no food shopping, no food prep, no need to decide what to make, if you pick something bad you just go back and get something else.... oh and let's not forget, no clean-up! (Okay, except for those years when I worked in the dining hall, I did my share then to say the least). Yes, feeling nostalgic for those days as I clean up the kitchen for the 5th time today.

Anyway, I was discussing this concept with a friend who also agrees with the research and she took it a step further. She thinks our houses would be cleaner if we didn't work out and get too tired to pick up the crap laying all over the place. I contend that picking up all that crap would be enough exercise to lose weight since I don't sweat doing that and then think I deserve 2 desserts in exchange. I can't really test this theory for a few more months since no matter what I am expanding in every direction, but I will keep you posted. I can assure you that cleaning is a workout though since I was really sore on Saturday night after getting the house totally cleaned. My hips hurt so bad that I couldn't walk to the kitchen for more cake..

Way too polite...

I just heard Sean on the phone with some ER doc from rural America and I had to make sure I kept my laughter quiet. Sean was giving him an anatomy lesson apparently... explaining what the various organs shown in the study were and yes, they were the right size and in the right places. Perhaps a new doc who thought that the radiology coverage was based in India where they don't always get docs reading the studies? Nevertheless, makes me a bit nervous to think that guy is treating patients.

So for everyone who doesn't think standardizing health care treatments is a good idea, well... not all docs are equal and some treatment plans are outdated. And sometimes patients get x-rays when they come in for bug bites on their legs. True story. Hmm, perhaps there is some waste in our current health care system, everyone who pays an insurance premium is paying for all those unnecessary studies ordered. Let's not think about the tax dollars that are wasted when those are Medicare or Medicaid patients. Don't worry about Sean's income... there will always be plenty of work for him. He is more concerned about having plenty of golf...

Ball Hoop

This is Patrick's favorite phrase and I hear it nonstop all day long. Thankfully our porch is pretty shaded so we can tolerate long hours of ball hoop. And then there are times when he takes a break to push the balls in the doll stroller. Not even two yet and already rejecting dolls.

Wasting away again on Ft Riley

Not nearly as fun as it sounds either, it is not Ft Margaritaville, after all. I made my second attempt today to get my military ID renewed. The first time the nationwide DEERS computers were down indefinitely and after an hour of waiting- and an hour of Sean missing work- with no end in sight we gave up. So, got the sitter again today and headed back down there only to find that it was a mere 3 hour wait. Well, she was lying to me of course as that 3 hours would run into lunch hour and these are government employees, so that 3 hours is paused for a 1.5 hour lunch hour, so make that 4.5 hour wait. At $13/hr for a sitter? Hell no. If I am waiting 4.5 hours for something, it better be for a baby to arrive. In fact, those 4.5 hours would be only slightly more painful than waiting in those horrible chairs listening to people on their cell phones having the world's most boring conversations. I even brought a book thinking it would be a hour wait and I'd need something to do. Ha ha, so naive!

It was also military police fundraising day based on the number of people I saw pulled over getting tickets. I was followed most of the time I was on post and since we've been in the Army 8 years now I know that 30mph means 30 mph, not 32mph. Is this how the Army pays for the stuff they want but aren't given? It was body armor and better Humvees a few years ago, surely there is something else as necessary that they need now but isn't in the budget. Oh but our fine Defense Appropriations chair Rep. John Murtha has tacked on $80 million to the budget for an antimissile defense project (based in his district) that Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants killed. I think that means the military doesn't want it? Yes, let's have lobbyists and their bribes, kick backs, and kick downs determine what this military (and country in general) needs. If only I had the same attitude I could have slipped the reception gal at the ID office a $20 as I informed her that she might want to check her schedule again to see if I had an appointment this morning. But no, I merely made an appointment in 3 weeks, her next opening. I really wanted to punch someone and the guy with the huge smile announcing that it was his last day in the Army... well, he was looking like a great target.

HURL

I am reading Julie and Julia finally and having a hard time stomaching the descriptions of the French food she is making. Why in the world would you ever boil a calf's foot to make some sort of gel to put a poached egg in?? I think this book is bringing my nausea back. I am definitely more in line with Barefoot Contessa where you take good (mostly healthy) ingredients and use simple instructions to make delicious meals. If only I could find all those ingredients here.... my wish may come true next Tuesday when a hopefully better grocery store opens up. Cross your fingers! I am tired of not finding such things as skim milk and chicken breasts on the bone at our usual store. I don't expect them to have the vinegars or herbs I need, but come on- skim milk?! The perils of shopping on a Sunday night I think.

It's Not the Dells

But we did go to the new splash park here in town, with a very interesting crowd I might add. Couldn't quite figure out the older lady doing her choreographed dance in the middle of it all but it looked like she was really enjoying herself.

Topeka Day O' Fun

Kind of depressing that everything we did in Topeka after an hour drive, used to be 10 minutes from us in San Antonio... we do like the Topeka Zoo better than San Antonio's though (except for the kid's area in SA, nothing beats that) because it is very easy to walk through in an hour and they only have the big name animals. Don't waste my time with 30 different kinds of deer/antelope type animals. Then we did the usual, rode the train, played at the park, went on the carousel, ate at Red Robin, went to a real bookstore, then enjoyed a quiet ride back with a napping Patrick. Today would have been the day to drive to the Dells if Sean had been able to get time off work and that thought scares us. 14 hours of Patrick in the van?!