Places I Want To Go Someday (in no particular order)

India

Tibet

China

Norway

Scotland

Ireland

London

Spain

(yes, I would totally go see the bullfights)

Rome

Athens

Safari in Africa

I'd better start saving my pennies. 

My Staycation

Today is the last day of my staycation (Stay Home Vacation) but I try not to think too much about that. Not that I've done anything exciting the last five days--sometimes it's nice to do nothing. And I have. A lot of nothing.

I've done some shopping (definite non-scale victory with sizing!) spent some time with family (I totally dominated at Scrabble) and read a few books, watched a few movies, knit, worked out and...that's about it. Rough weekend, I know.

It's been a little challenging on the weight loss front. My schedule at work allows for a nice, structured meal plan and I behave myself more than when I'm home or out with friends/family for meals. Our final weigh in for the Biggest Loser competition at work is in about three weeks.

Time to get my game face on. 

How To Train Your Dragon Widget

Why Spinning is the Bestest

Fabulous facts about spinning:

• you can burn 500+ calories in one session [WAY more than doing just about anything else for the same amount of time]
• anyone at any fitness level can do it because you control the tension of the bike [and its low impact]
• I personally get a way better workout with an instructor there pushing and encouraging me and there's a class full of people to keep up with [the instructors also make sure you're riding with good form so you don't injure yourself]
• it's free with most gym memberships
• it sculpts your legs and your booty [not to mention what it does for your heart and muscular endurance]

Meanwhile, I've got a serious sweet tooth and it's been rearing it's ugly head ever since the annual appearance of girl scout cookies. The sugar monster is getting out of control. So I found a chocolate chip cookie recipe (along with some others) I think I'll have to try. 

Low Calorie Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Cooks.com

1 c. sifted flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. butter
4 tsp. sugar substitute
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips (3 oz.)

Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream butter, add sugar substitute, vanilla and eggs, blending well. Add flour mixture and beat well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by level teaspoons on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a moderate oven, 375 degrees, for 10 minutes. 

Makes 36 cookies, each 48 calories.

...mmm, cookie dough...

My New Roommates

So I have some new roommates. My place is pretty small but they don't seem to mind that. In fact, they've been moving the whole family in. Goody for me.

Yep. That's right. Carpenter ants.

Have I mentioned I don't like bugs?

It started with one or two ants [apparently they are the scouts for the colony] here and there and didn't think much of it. Until suddenly there were more, and more and more and they were getting bigger and bigger. My response was to declare war.

I bought ant bait/poison and sprayed *Raid around the window they seemed to find appealing [just so happens to be the window closest to my bed]. The next morning I woke up, rolled over and looked down at the floor where I found what looked like a small battlefield...little bodies everywhere. But they just kept coming.

Finally a few nights ago I decided I was losing the battle after I heard them falling from the window to the floor in the middle of the night and promptly relocated myself to the couch. I called my landlord the next day and he's evicting my roommates.

Good riddance!



*FYI an exterminator told me not to use Raid ever ever ever. It can make it harder to get rid of the problem.