Friday photos

Just one today, taken by a reporter for the local paper near my hometown, Michael Duffy.  Please don't rat me out for posting it.  Yesterday, my hometown rededicated the industrial park that was named after my father.  When my father was First Selectman (New England-speak for Mayor) of our Town, he negotiated the purchase of a large tract of land (600+ acres) to be used by the Town for an industrial park.  His thinking was that the commercial use would provide a strong tax base, many jobs and draw little on services - especially compared to the possibility of a residential development on the property.  When he died while in office, the Economic Development Commission that was overseeing the development of the property voted to name the industrial park for Daddy.  The Town recently decided to change the title to "business park" and so had a rededication.  We were invited for a ceremony.  It was so very nice.  We saw people we hadn't seen in many years.  But even nicer was hearing the tributes to my father for his tremendous vision.  The park has been open since the mid 80s and has generated over $20 million in tax revenues for the Town.  So, I'm there in the photo, in the white shirt.  That's my mom in the aqua shirt, with my nephew behind her.  The gentleman on the left is the youngest son of another man honored yesterday.  His dad was the chairman of the commission that guided the development of the park from it's inception until his death about 18 months ago.  They planted a tree and placed a memorial park in honor of the late chairman.  It wasw a nice day, a nice ceremony paying tribute to two men - one who had the vision and one who made the vision reality.

Happiness is...

....having a job.  That isn't what I originally planned for this week's post.  It was going to be about color in nature, but then I got an e-mail this morning that changed my mind.
Yesterday, I served on an interview panel for a municipal entity in a city near where I work.  It was for an accountant's position.  The last candidate of the day was a gentleman, probably in his mid to late fifties, who has been out of work for a couple of years.  It was a painful interview.  His interview skills are lacking, though based on his resume, his accounting skills are not.  There were long pauses between the questions and his answers.  I could see, as the interview progressed, that we were all trying to softball the questions and trying to coach him to good answers.  This morning, he sent me an e-mail thanking me for the interview - standard stuff.  I felt so bad.  His skill set isn't really the right one for this job - but I'm sure it will be for some other job - but with his poor interviewing skills, I think he may continue to be out of a job for a while.  I am very lucky to have a good job that I like and that is secure.  I am very happy not to have to be out there pounding the pavement.

Friday Photos

Lots of pictures of the garden - and there are more to come in the future.  And, of course, Boomer.

 These are two rose bushes that I transplanted when we had the driveway done.  They are surviving and blooming.  Yay!

 I'm not sure what this is, but I liked the orange blossom.

 I could do a whole study on this plant.  It's an ecinachea, aka coneflower - and the colors are great.

 A new garden area we created.  We got rid of some Rose of Sharon bushes.  The middle plant is a lamb's ear.  I love it!  Soft and pretty.

 Another addition last summer - decorative grass - that "bloomed" for the first time this summer.

 I love the changing colors on my hydrangea.

And - who else rounding up the photos but the Boom Doggie!

Happiness is....

....the solitude of the early morning.  It's going to be pretty hot today, so rather than wait until after work to get my exercise (usually a 30 minute walk) I decided to do it this morning.  It was lovely being out there in the early morning, with only a few other walkers and joggers and the requisite animal life.  It's such a peaceful time of day.  I plan to do the same thing tomorrow - going to be even hotter - and may keep it up through the summer.  It also has the added benefit of allowing me to come home from work and jump right in the neighbor's pool, with no guilt since I've already exercised!

As expected, I'm up

I expected to be up a couple of pounds after my week away, and I am.  Weird thing though, when I weighed myself on Sunday, I was only up a pound.  Could I really have added a pound since Sunday morning?  I suppose it could be the weirdness of water weight.  Anyway, I did indulge while away.  My biggest indulgence was alcohol.  If I drink more than 1 glass of anything a week, that's unusual for me.  Last week, I was drinking every night.  I did limit myself one night - because the line for the bathroom was so long!  I did get some exercise in.  Instead of cabbing it from the airport to the hotel, I took the L, then walked.  I got more exercise going in than I planned, as I turned the wrong way twice and walked probably 24 extra blocks in the hot Chicago sun.  I also hit the gym one day and walked a good mile one night with colleagues to see someone back to their hotel safely.  I had larger meals than normal, but did not eat in-between meals, which helped keep the gain to a minimum.  So, after all that, I do not regret what led to my gain this week.  I know I will get it back off, I'm back on the wagon.

Happiness is....

.....sleeping in my own bed.   I was in Chicago for almost a week at a conference.  While the hotel was lovely, it's not the same as sleeping in my own bed. 
Later today, happiness will be "welcome home" doggy kisses from Boomer.    Boomer has been on a doggy vacation while we were away.  Luckily, he loves the place he goes to for his vacation.  He recognizes what's happening when we bag up his food.  Amazingly smart that animal.  Of course, then he gets kind of hyper because he knows what's going on.  I pick him up this afternoon.  He'll be freshly bathed and happy to see me! 

Happiness is....

...trying new things - and liking them.  I am a creature of habit.  I find things I like and I stick to them.  I will occasionally venture out, but I do like the tried and true.  The town that we live in has a lot of restaurants and A & I always say that we want to try new ones. This past Sunday was our chance.  There was a fund raiser where you bought a ticket and then got to go to all sorts of restaurants in town and try samples.  YUM!  I'm not sure which was my favorite - maybe the barbecue place.  But we found a great place to go for breakfast, a great pizza place, the barbecue place we had wanted to try, a new Italian eatery, an awesome ice cream parlor - so many.  So yummy!  Dangerous to the diet, I know - but I think that once I get past my conference, I'll hit my goal not long after and then maybe a night out every other week will be manageable financially and diet wise.

Still the Same

I'm not sure if that's good or bad!  No scale movement this week.  Okay - maybe there was like a tenth of a pound - but that's as good as no movement.  So, reflecting on the week - it's probably not bad.  I certainly didn't get in the exercise this weekend that I normally do.  During the week I mostly got my exercise in.  I did cheat.  There were three birthday celebrations and one retirement party.  I wasn't bad, but I wasn't good either.  And then there are the lifesavers.  The gummy version can be addictive.  I need to stay away from them because I can eat a whole bag by myself in one day.  Not so good for the diet.  Sometimes I feel like I need something little to get me through from one meal to the next - and that's ridiculous - especially because I have planned snacks between meals.  I also slacked off on drinking water this week.  What I need to do is drink some water whenever I feel that urge for a little something between planned meals or snacks. 
Now, I'm really wishing I had lost the last two weeks, because I expect to gain this week.  I will be away from home with multiple awesome eating opportunities.  There will also be drinking opportunities.  So, my plan is to limit my alcohol intake.  That's not just for the diet, it's also so I don't get stupid and so I'm not hungover in the morning.  At the meals, I think maybe the best thing to do is to try to leave something on my plate.  I'll also try not to eat too many carbs and to avoid snacking between meals.  The snacking thing I should be able to do for two reasons - one, the snacks won't be that available and two, when I'm occupied - as I will be in seminars - I don't have the urge to snack. 
So, there you have it.  A plan.  I expect to gain a pound or so, but I hope to limit it to that.