March On!

Source:  Public Domain Pictures

GOALS, INTENTIONS, AND HAPPENINGS

GULP.  THE BIG ONE. MEDICARE.

Source:  PNGio.com

Talk about a bridge that can't be uncrossed.  I'm eligible today.  I've done the work.  Signed up for Medicare Part. A and B.  Purchased Medicare Supplemental Insurance and Part D Prescription Insurance.  Set up automatic payments.  Cancelled the health insurance I had through my retirement plan.  I'm ready as I can be, but not ready at all.  My birthday isn't 'til the end of the month, so I still have some time to bow to the inevitable. 

COOKING

Knife Skills:  Oh my.  Turns out to have knife skills proficiency, one needs...a sharp knife.  Even sharpened, my old knives just don't have the edge to do the things I see in on-line tutorials.  I'm thinking about taking out the Sharp Knife and trying it.  On a day when I'm well rested and focused. 

Source:  flickr

Side Dishes:  Turns out side dishes are generally represented with some sort of carbohydrate dish, like pasta, rice, etc.  Often, however, carbohydrates are already integrated in my entrees.  So I've started looking more at interesting salad-type side dishes, esp those with tasty DIY salad dressings.  

Meatless Meals: One of the REI Opt to Act suggestions is to incorporate meatless meals.  Already I have one egg-based meal per week.  I'm jumping on the meatless bandwagon for another meal during the week.  Many, many times I've tried meatless eating. Off and on for decades.  It was never quite right for me, and since I've gone to a higher fat & protein/lower carbohydrate way of eating and found it to be very suitable, that challenges meatless.  The meatless meals I have in mind will be suppers for Ron and I.  My suppers need to be nutritionally dense to help make it through the night.  That means meat and fat.  Dilemma!  The usual suspects of tofu & like proteins aren't satisfactory, and carb-based meals are a no-go for my current overall eating style.  However, I've been experimenting with bean meals, so far soups. Still higher carb than protein, but protein is present.  With some cheese or sour cream they appear to have staying power.

DIY No-Sugar Protein Bars:  The ones I purchase have the usual faults:  expense and a laundry list of WTH (what the HECK) ingredients.  I've tried one recipe so far.  Very tasty, but it won't hang together no matter what I add as a binder; it's crumbs vs bar.  I've chosen another recipe to try.  

COULD I BE MORE SHALLOW?

Yoga:  This challenge continues to DRASTICALLY challenge me!  As is typical with New Year's Goals, I did well in January; February not so much.  I've known the reason for a long time: I choose (for good reasons) to practice in the evening before bed. But by then, I'm tired.  I want to sit in my recliner and read, not do another thing on my list.  I also know that with persistence, change can and will happen.  In order to motivate myself, I mused & researched ways to reward myself.   There are some pretty extravagant ways adults can reward themselves described on the internet.  I've decided to be as shallow as it gets.  Yep,  chocolate.  I bought a month's worth of sugar-free chocolate candies.  2 bites each.  If I do yoga, I get a chocolate.  I've been rewarding myself for three days and must confess I'm as shallow as it gets.  Pavlov's dogs have nothing on me. I'm doing yoga and slobbering for that piece of chocolate! See any inconsistency with purchased candy and DIY protein bars?  Me too.  Live with it.

Source:  Amazon.com

SPRINT-TRI TRAINING

Source:  flickr.com

 

Run:  3.1 miles.  Bike:  12.4 miles.  Swim:  .5 mile.  Shooting for April 30, the day my Aquaplex membership expires.  I'm good for the swim.  I intend to start biking this coming Wednesday, but it's very weather dependent this time of year.  Whatever I can manage will be good.  I'm currently running ~2 miles; Tuesday I'll start in Week 4 of the Hal Higdon 5K training plan I started last year before I fell & split my knee open. Should be good for 3.1 miles by the planned date.

REI OPT TO ACT

One meatless meal per week.  Described above.

Repair an item instead of purchasing a new one:  we're trying mightily to have our washing machine repaired rather than buy a new one.  It's been to the appliance store once.  The appliance fixit guy has come out twice; no fix.  He was due to come out again Thursday; no show.  Maybe Monday???  In the meantime Ron has done a lot of research, and we have plenty of anecdotal reports that new washing machines aren't what one would hope.  Now manufactured to comply with federal water savings requirements, there are consistent complaints the new machines don't use enough water to get clothes clean.  Or even wet, in some cases.  Work-arounds include bypassing the water saving settings and running a full tub of water each time, and washing more, smaller loads.  We're not too hopeful we're going to avoid a new machine.  

Recycle snack wrappers:  REI just started a campaign to recycle snack wrappers at their stores.  Guess I'll be recycling all those candy wrappers I just caused with my Shallow chocolate reward for doing yoga.

Opt out of junk mail. I've done this before, too, but it could use a boost. Maybe I could get off the Medicare Insurance solicitation blizzard?   REI gives a number of places to contact to get off lists.

MISCELLANEOUS

• A sewing project.
• Travel plans, but keeping a sharp eye on how COVID-19 develops.
• Take a very wooly Jasmine to the groomer for a spring clean-up.
• Celebrate the first day of SPRING March 19!!!!
• Since it's a GULP birthday, figure out a nice/unusual way to celebrate.   

 March is a tomboy with tousled hair,

a mischievous smile,

mud on her shoes 

and a laugh in her voice.

     -----Hal Borland