Sept 24

Griff went to football...and I grieve the loss of my walking buddy. I did the Crocker Park trail, hustled, even jogged half mile on the way back. Pout. Does not hold the joy. Have to rediscover working out alone! silly me.

Sept 23

I don't know if its the thyroid pill or what, but I have the most incredible sense of well being and energy. Dr. said if I feel jacked up I may be taking too much. I can't quite tell if I feel jacked up or if this is how one is suppose to feel all the time. I'm thinking to drop the coffee, that maybe it's an edge I don't need anymore?

Griff and I walked the marina across from Josh's school on Monday. It wasn't much like exercise for me, but sometimes it's just about being with Griff and having him enjoy the outdoors. He hopped onto the wall that's between the sidewalk and the bay. So of course I had to walk slower, but he was really enjoying it. Then he decided to walk on the "beach" on the rocks, which slowed down my walk even further, but it was very entertaining. On his side of the wall were these bigass jumping bugs. They freaking looked like cockroaches. They may have been, but I thought cockroaches liked dark places and these were just on the wall. Gross.

Yesterday we did the Crocker Trail. He was really pissed off that I insisted we walk as he'd just gotten a new game and certainly didn't want to stop playing. We got all the way to the top, the halfway point, and he decided to work his upper body--breaking the pompous grass spears and thrashing the anise plants with it. Like I said, part of the point is to see him having fun outdoors, so I just circled back when I could no longer see him and got a NICE long walk in. He discovered that the anise stalks were actually stronger than the pompous grass so reversed the plant torture. It's a long trail and there is lots of both plants so it was really an okay activity. Was bummed that I had to tell him to hustle, I had to pick up Josh and we were still 15 minutes from the car. He was then reluctant and disappointed that I was interrupting his newfound fun. hee hee. Love to see him outdoors. Before he discovered the thrashing, he was enjoying the blackberries again. And I got a very good 75 minute walk!

September 20 weigh in

We are progressing!!

Josh: down 21

Dea: down 5.5

Griff: down 4

Curtis: even

that's 29.5 pounds in 8 weeks. 2 months.

Did 3 walks with Griff this week and two nighttime strolls.

The first walk we did the Crocker park trail, and Griff discovered the joy of September---Blackberry season!!! We stuffed our faces, then he did the boy thing and squeezed berries for the joy of seeing the dark red juice run menacingly down his hand. And then enjoy the sticky walk back. The best berries are the far side of the hill, and mid week is the best time for them because less people are on the trail.

We did the same walk the next day with Lee. I thought they'd really get into the berries, but it was less.

Yesterday, once again with Lee, we walked on the Marina. Saw my beloved egret and a blue heron. The blue heron took off, and there is just nothing quite like the take-off of one of those big birds. It's inspirational. The Marina walk offers the joy of those birds; the Crocker park has my hummingbirds. I recognize their little chirp and strain my neck looking for the tiny guys.

Two evenings that I did not get a good walk I did enjoy Brisbane in September, when the wind is still, the weather is warm, the stars are as bright as it gets around here. I just walk down to the park and go around a couple times, maybe a mile, mostly to just breath in the mysterious night air and let my mind go, relax into empty space. It is good.

Actually, the big news of the week is that Griff is starting football camp. Once again, Dee is rallying Brisbane youth to a fab program by Boys and Girls Club in South City. The leagues have a weight limit which Griff and a few others exceed. So this camp teaches them the basics of football so when they go into the summer high school training programs, they have the basics down--literally, how to put on pads, etc. I had a long chat with the director and I was VERY impressed and I will be VERY curious to see how Griff does with this. They try to set the kids up prepared for the rigorous disciplined high school programs. Will he be willing to withstand the discomfort that accompanies football??

Whatever the case, it will be three days of practice for him. Three days of my doing workouts without him. Funny, I've gotten use to his company and I do not relish the idea of alone again!

September 10

It's back to school nights this week...very inconvenient, tho I'm really glad I went to both.

But missed working out. Last night Griff promised to walk with me when I got back, this time of year the evenings are beautiful, warm, still, stars bright when the moon's not yet out. Alas, he didn't get his homework done and homework trumps. We...discussed it....because I waited all day to do my walk with him, tho I wanted to do it earlier.

It's such a frustrating thing, I'd love to walk in the mornings. But am I ready to do 2 workouts? I mean, my body could handle it because my walks aren't that intense. But the TIME. Damn.

September 8

Griff wanted to walk yesterday, unusual usually lately he's been wanting to go to the gym. But there is no answers to my queries. I remember why I like summer so much better than school year. Griff is very VERY moody during the school year because of having to juggle what he wants to do and what he has to do. I believe exercising together is going to seriously help, however. As we walked I jabbered when I felt like it and finally we hit on a topic he liked and the stoic mute left and my chatty sweet boy returned. When he is in those moods I can ask him anything. So I'll have to keep that in mind and use it.

Sept. 6 weigh in

With Curtis and I gone for 5 days and all the prep, all but Josh have been a bit on a standstill.

So we'll compare from the start.

In six weeks we are down:

Griff 3

Dea 3

Curtis 2.5

Josh 18

Yup. Josh is down 18 pounds in 6 weeks. That's 3 pounds a week. Vigorous exercise certainly is the cause.

I took Griff and Lee on a walk on Saturday. It was a foolhardy walk. one I've been wanting to take for a long time. curtis drove us to the top of San Bruno Mountain and dropped us off. We walked the ridge trail across to Brisbane and down the service trail that drops behind Lipman school. No big deal. I figured it would be about a 1.5 hour walk and I was accurate. However, it was completely fogged in. We could only see 50 feet ahead of us. We set out with Curtis reluctant to leave use. About 5 minutes down the trail I thought I should check the exact time so I could track our progress. My phone was dead. No phone, no clock. I was actually a bit freaked out, but Curtis wouldn't be up at the parking lot anymore, so we may as well keep going. I tried not to think about the worst case scenarios---one of us falling on the loose graveled road that was very steep in some place, up and down, and spraining an ankle; meeting one of the coyotes that has been recently spotted on the mountain or a mountain lion that is very rarely seen; or simply an assortment of crazies that may be out on a foggy day.

Our hair was drenched within 15 minutes, the fog was so thick. At about 20 minutes I heard the most beautiful sound I've ever heard in my life--my cell phone rang. It's anew phone and I'd forgotten how to unlock it. Curtis was calling to check in on us.

The rest of the trip didn't feel nearly so scary. I was just a tad nervous about finding the service road that would take us to Brisbane. Before we got started I thought there would be lots of roads going down and it would be a matter of choosing which one. But we didn't see one at all until about 40 minutes. I debated it for a while but really thought it would be closer to a one hour walk before we saw the road so we kept going. Sure enough, at 55 minutes there was a graveled service road just as I had thought. Within 10 minutes going down the clouds parted enough for us to see the town. Tho it was a short distance down it took a full half hour to come down because it was so steep. The service road was heavily graveled which made it very slippery to maneuver. Griff landed on his butt twice; I thought I was going to a couple of times. About half way down Lee discovered a path along side the road that was well packed and it made it much much much easier to go down.

I had NO idea how many muscles are in your ankles!!! Shins, ankles, feet scream sore in the last 2 days!!!

I look forward to doing this walk again with Griff and Lee on a sunny day. It will be a kick to see all this stuff with a VIEW. At one point I knew we were close because the of the evidence of the fire on the mountain 2 summers ago. I knew it did not pass to the other side of Brisbane, and I was accurate.