I have been on the struggle bus this week with exercise. This weekend was fun, but long and I managed to walk over 10,000 steps in a single day, which is quite an accomplishment for me. We went to a few casinos and toured a historic mansion, and even did a little shopping. By Monday, I was just not getting out of bed. I did go to the gym yesterday for my personal training session and managed to make some real gains there, but this morning I feel like I spent the evening being smothered by a walrus.
     My husband and I decided to scrape up the money to send me back to the Riordan Clinic. They are based out of Wichita, but have had a clinic in Hays since 2014 which is so much more convenient for me. If you've never heard of them, I'm not surprised. They practice alternative medicine and I'm quite often confronted with the "that's a load of hippie malarky" or "she's a witch!" (you must read that with the voice of Monty Python from Holy Grail). The general medical community, at least in my neck of the woods, does very little with vitamins and nutrient levels. They'll check for B and D deficiencies and beyond that, there's no point because it doesn't matter? I have a hard time believing that vitamins and minerals don't matter, I also have a hard time believing that feeling like crap all the time is indicative of a healthy, functioning human being.
     I'm hoping that I can still cash in on their Spring discount, because you can bet your butt cheek that insurance doesn't cover a dime of "weird hippie voodo" (again, insert the voice of Monty Python). At the very least, the tests can tell me what isn't wrong with me. For now, I'm off to dry a load of laundry so I have pants to wear to work. It's supposed to get up to 60 degrees here today, and I'm so very excited. Happy Spring Everyone!

     I did it! I managed to get up at 5:45 am every single day last week and either exercised at home, or at the gym. I stuck to my food guidelines for most of the week, but soon realized that taking on that much exercise while drastically changing my diet was a recipe for disaster. The exercise is the most important thing to me right now. Getting my endurance and strength back are priority number one, so I'm going to be more flexible with my diet. That doesn't mean I get to binge eat truffles or deep friend nom noms. It just means that I'm going to continue drinking Soylent, utilizing my Lose It app, and eating as many fruits and veggies as I can. It also means that I'm not going to beat myself up when I eat a crab rangoon. I'm just going to walk it off and get back on the horse. This isn't all or nothing. It's a lifestyle change, and it isn't going to be easy, but I'm finding ways to make it more enjoyable.
     Enter Pokemon Go. I'm so in love with this game right now! There are some very specific features that really make me want to get outside and walk. If you've never played the game, there are little critters called Pokemon that roam around in the wild. There are hundreds of different kinds. You throw Poke balls to try and catch them and that's the basic premise. In order to get these Poke balls, you either receive a gift from a friend or go get them from a Poke stop. It doesn't matter what town you are in, there are almost always Poke stops. They are located at parks, historical sites, and places of educational interest. This means that I have to go out and walk to these sites. Our downtown (not far from my house) is loaded with them.
     Pokemon critters can evolve into new and different versions with the proper amount of stardust and candy. In order to acquire these items, I have to visit more Poke stops, catch more critters, and walk. Adventure sync allows you to track your steps with the GPS in your phone when you are not using the app. When you log back in, it will add your steps and award you candies for the distance you have walked. There are also eggs, and the only way to hatch them is, you guessed it, to walk some more! I'm sure there are ways to cheat the system and not do so much walking, but I'm not interested. I want the exercise! My goal as soon as the weather gets nicer is to map as many Poke stops in Hays as I can.
     In July, my friends and are a walking a 5K Bubble Run in Kansas City, and I want to be ready! This game is going to help me do it. My ultimate goal, whenever I am able to build up the stamina, is to be an ultra nerd, put on one of my husbands lighter hiking packs with a water bladder, and spend an entire day "hiking" Hays and mining Poke stops. Motivation is all that matters, and I've found it baby!

     I find myself filled with nostalgia for the bygone days of my early twenties. As the another impending snow storm approaches, I sit in front of the electric fire place and think of the few years I lived in Manhattan, Kansas. So much happened in such a short time span, and a particular birthday party has my heart filled with warm fuzzies.
   It was the eve of the notorious 21st birthday bash. Do you remember where you were on that milestone? I bought several brown bags full of liquor, a cake, and all the cheap snackies I could afford and asked everyone to come help me celebrate. In total, if memory serves me correctly, about 10 brave souls showed up. Those were the days before everyone had a cell phone, and no one had even dreamed of social media yet. It was word of mouth. The few pictures I had have since been lost in one of my many moves. 
     I remember at least one feather boa and a few cheap plastic Mardi Gras masks. There was laughter and music and a feeling that these few hours of our lives would last forever. Here I am 16 years later looking back on what seems like another life. Many of those party goers have long since been lost to the sands of time and I wonder where life took them. I can only hope that they are happy. Too the friends of yesteryear, here's to you. I hope fortune has smiled upon you.