We're BAAACK...

from vacation.  To an empty fridge.  I'm still figuring out what we are out of.  Like ketchup.

We spent two weeks on the east coast.  I'd say glorious, but man, we had the worst weather ever.  I enjoyed visiting family, but seriously - rain and thunderstorms every day in PA, then 90-95F and 90% humidity in NY.  Where you just sit, in a non-air conditioned home and sweat...

We've been back for half a week.  We muddled through the week and did a fair bit of eating out on the weekend, including eating at the French festival (man, $54, what a racket).  Yesterday was our anniversary (17!!) and we did nothing special, just hanging out with some great friends who were visiting from the Bay Area.

I have been getting back into the cooking groove.  For the first week of vacay, I did all the cooking.  Not much of a vacation eh?  Week two: nothing.

This weekend I have been trying to get back into the weekend prep during nap times.  I return to full time in a week (yikes) and those 8 hours a week have to come from somewhere.  Hopefully not sleep.  Or exercise.

Here's what's on the menu:
Crockpot tri-tip (yesterday)
Crockpot refried beans (today)
Salad

Fruit!

Pasta salad with homemade pesto, chicken, and vegetables (carrots, zucchini, roasted red peppers from last summer, tomatoes).

Lots and lots of dishes today. 

On to my fitness level: in a word: it sucks. Okay, that was two words.  I seem to have found 20 lbs since last October.  I decided to join Biz in her latest diet bet, but my computer was on the fritz - so I decided to do it on my own.  I need to lose 7 lbs in 30 days.  I put $25 in an envelope.  If I do it - I keep it.  If I don't - I donate it to the YMCA.  Boy, calorie counting is hard work. 

I am limited in the exercise that I can do right now.  I have achilles tendonitis that makes running and long walks painful.  So I figured I'd try more biking and swimming.

I want to get back into riding my bike to work 2x a week (Mondays and Fridays).  Right now with summer camp, it makes pick up/ drop off hard.  So today, I drove to work with my bike on the back and biked home (10 miles).  I will bike in tomorrow.  And it will hurt.  A lot.  Because today hurt, a lot.  In the prime of my fitness level (2009-2010), I could bike to work in about 45 minutes.  It would take 50-55 minutes to get home (bigger hills, tired at the end of the day).  Well, today, the bike home was 66 minutes.  Yucky.  Hopefully in a month the bike to work will be closer to 45 min.  A goal to shoot for! (In addition to the 7 pounds.)

Okay, is it me, or does it look like the photos from my new phone are actually better than the ones from the camera??