Great Day in the Morning

I didn't think I had much to talk about yesterday until I sat down tonight to write.  We've been having very humid weather here lately and it is stirring up thunderstorms.  We got blasted Thursday night with a good storm, I could HEAR the rain on the roof.  The thunder was clapping right over our house or at least it certainly sounded like it.  Was God was pissed for some reason?  When I checked the rain gauge, we didn't have more than half an inch Thursday night, surprisingly with all that racket.

I did notice out of the corner of my eye, a limb had fallen on the lawn.  A very large limb from the backyard Oak.  Dragged that sucker off and laid it to rest in the woods with all its predecessors.

Checked the tomatoes, made sure the storm didn't cause any harm to them.  Nope, they're good!  I have more tomatoes turning orange.  I'll have to do another picking in a day or two.

It was still overcast and humid.  They were calling for more storms last night.  As it turned out, we did get more rain, minus the noise thankfully - I got some sleep.

Almost 90% humidity at 10:30am!

John stayed home from work on Friday to burn more leave rather than lose it.   He also wanted to avoid any traffic troubles.  Expected through our area were 1500 motorcyclists in observance of the tenth anniversary of 9-11 riding from Shanksville, PA to the Pentagon to New York City.  They came through Friday afternoon and spent Friday night just outside the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.  The news said they were leaving early this Saturday morning headed for New York City.

I had my Saturday morning Walking Group this morning.  When I awoke at 6:30am, I looked outside to see what the weather was.  More rain was expected overnight.  It must have rained, the deck was wet.  It was overcast and cloudy.  Turning on the TV and the coffee pot, the weatherman said the overcast skies were expected to move out and be replaced by sunshine by 9am.  Our group meets at 8:30.  I finished my coffee, got dressed, brush my teeth and hair.  I was out the door by 8:15 and taking about 15 tomatoes in a bag for Pam, the Trainer, who was expected back from her European tour.

Pam travelled with her husband to Europe (he's English, she's South African).  As we walked together, she told me they landed in London and went onto Munich.  I'm getting ahead of myself....back to the Walking Group.  We had a new member this morning, Kristie from Richmond. 

Kristie is a mother of two sons and a daughter, I believe is what she said.  She is from Annandale, Virginia, but move to Richmond about 20 years ago.  She's fallen on hard time and moved back to the area to move in with her mother in the house she grew up in.  Kristie indicated that she'd lost her house and moving home was her last resort.  She said she'd been in the printing business where she'd met her husband.  Kristie had taken a job in Richmond as a nanny.  She felt three children gave her qualifications, I certainly agree.  That job only worked out for six months.  Kristie was working for a first time mother who wasn't sure if she could handle a new born and working from home.  Then new mother felt she needed help with the baby, grocery shopping, cleaning and the meals.  As time went by, this woman decided she could handle it all by herself and let Kristie go.  Kristie made the decision to pack up and move back to her mother's house.  She sold most of her things, the rest is in storage.  She said she starts Monday as a nanny for a woman with a six month old.  She's been living at her mother's for a month and it hasn't been easy.  When I asked Kristie if her husband found work, she oddly replied "I'm not married".

Suddenly, I didn't feel like the only unemployed person in the world anymore.  I knew someone else who has suffered at the hand of this horrible economy.  Kristie mentioned her mother is very critical of everything she does.  Kristie is having to adjust to living with her mother.  Pam decided to walk and talk with me.  I encouraged Pam to walk with the others who walk the longer route and much faster than I walk.  Pam said she gets her exercise at the gym, she was also running with her husband this afternoon.  For now, I take the shorter route, it was another humid morning.  Kristie is in the back in the striped shirt shown below.  Pam hung back behind me when I took this picture of the group.

As the morning wore on, it did indeed clear out and the sun became stronger and brighter, not a cloud in the sky, a Great Day in the Morning!

Pam went on to discuss her trip of accompanying her husband on his business trip of ten days.  As I mentioned, they flew to London and onto Munich then she said they landed in Copenhagen.  This flight was one day of travel (London, Munich, Copenhagen).  While her husband worked, Pam enjoyed bicycling around Copenhagen.  She said the majority of the population uses bicycles to travel rather than cars, a very GREEN ECO society.  Although the trip was ten days, two were traveling, Pam says it went quickly, she enjoyed herself.

Pam asked how I was doing.  I was honest and frustrated, I told her so.  The fact that I can't walk in the humidity because it effects my breathing makes me upset and frustrated.  I had made such great strides in the beginning, so pleased with myself.

Pam is a personal trainer, as I mentioned before.  Pam works a couple of days a week conducting cycling classes (stationary bike) at a local gym.  I mentioned we had one, which I used for a month with no impact on my weight, once again, no results.  Pam asked what my routine was.  I explained that I followed a program on the bike when I worked out for 30 minutes three times a week.  I did a ten minute warm up, then I increased the peddle pressure for another ten minutes (which is the part that made me sweat) and then a cool down for the last ten minutes.  Pam explained that it takes the body about a month just to get use to exercising. After that, then you have to increase your stamina, push the body a little harder.  Pam said I needed to change the exercise up, my body got use to the same routine.  I needed to bursts of pushing myself, bursts of 30 seconds to a minute, whatever I could do.  I disgust myself, I want to drop this weight so badly, I'm taking all this in.  Next week, I'm adding the stationary bike again.  I want results, I'm still stuck in my rut!!!

After the group walk, we usually head over to the local shopping center where there is a Caribou Coffee.  I've had my three cups before I left the house.  I have my water with me, I enjoy the conversation.  Some of the girls get breakfast or juice or just coffee.  Today Mary Ann tried iced coffee for the first time, she said she wasn't a fan.  While I was waiting for the others to arrive, I snapped this shot of where we  usually sit outside.

The door is on the right under the sign to enter the store.  Sara who usually brings her dog, Ruby, along on our Saturday Group Walk had company visiting her this weekend.  Sara and Ruby didn't join us this Saturday morning.

It was a nice evening, we grilled steaks on the grill tonight with a baked potato and green beans.  I thought about making a salad instead of baked potato and decided against it.  I'm saving the salad for my lunches (and tomatoes, since John doesn't eat tomatoes).  There's only one bag of salad left.  I'll pick more salad up on next week's grocery run.  I finished the dishes, visited some fellow bloggers and decided I'd better get my blog written before another day passed that I missed writing.

Rain expected here again tomorrow afternoon.  I checked our rain gauge this morning, it was almost an inch we got Friday/last night.  Yay, tomatoes are getting their drink from Mother Nature!  I'm hoping it won't be humid in the morning and I can get another walk in.  Enjoy your weekend.