Happy Halloween

Workout Wednesday-Morning Workouts

Workout Wednesday is back...for a special edition to discuss morning verses evening exercise.  Generally speaking, I workout in the evenings, with the exception of my water aerobics class, which is Saturday mornings.  I feel my best working out in the 4:00 to 5:30 time range.  Its right after work, so it is easy to get there.  It is before dinner, so I am not too hungry while exercising.  And I seem to have a good amount of energy at that time of the day. 

Over the past couple of weeks, I had to workout in the mornings in order to fit exercising into my schedule.  It is a hard adjustment, although there are some nice benefits to working out in the morning.  First, I get the responsibility completely out of the way.  It is really nice to get off from work and have the whole evening to myself (minus treatments).  Second, I can watch the sunrise while I workout.  It makes for a pretty nice view.  I also enjoy working out in the mornings because it is a great way to start the day.  The energy feels good and continues through out the day. 

The biggest struggle I have with exercising in the morning is eating breakfast.  If I workout on an empty stomach, I really struggle with having the energy to get in a good workout.  But if I eat prior to exercising, I feel too full and it upsets my stomach.  I am trying different types of energy bars to see what works best.  I like the Luna Bars that are high in protein.  They seem to provide the proper nutrients for the right balance of energy, but are not filling. 

Another minor set back to morning workouts is having to take all my stuff to the gym to get ready for work.  Its a lot to remember and a lot to lug around.  I have been successful so far at packing the night before, so I am not rushing around in the morning trying to remember everything while I am half asleep. 

For now I am going to stick with my usual evening routine, although I am finding morning workouts are not impossible. 

Recovering from a Fever

Last week, I had a 36 hour fever...and the prescription was not more cow bell.  The fever started on Monday afternoon while I was at work.   At first I thought I was just tired.  But after about an hour, I realized something was not right.  I took my temperature and it was about 100.  I took three advil and within an hour of that, my fever spiked to 102. 

I was nervous about the fever being the only symptom.  Was this a sign of a bacterial infection, as opposed to a virus?  I call the advice nurse, who transferred me to an on-call doctor.  I really don't like talking to a non-CF doctor, but this doctor did the best she could.  She sent me for blood work and a chest x-ray.  She also prescribed a anti-biotic, just in case. 

The next day, in the later evening, my fever broke.  It is amazing how 3 degrees difference in body temperature can make me feel so horrible.  In addition to being sick, Ethan was away on a business trip.  I had to try and take care of myself, the dogs, and the house with no help.  Uggg. 

Even though the fever was only 36 hours, it took nearly five days to really recover.  I had little energy, felt dizzy if I got up too fast, and had very little appetite.  I certainly was not exercising.  I am thankful I am feeling better now.  I am also thankful the fever seemed to be viral and not a serious bacterial infection. 

Fall, October and Zombies

Fall is here and October is just a few short days away. This weekend I am planning on decorating for Halloween, one of my favorite holidays.

Last November, I posted a craft blog about a zombie cross stitch project that I was starting.  I wanted to complete 9 cross stitch pattern and put them together in a wall-hanging by THIS Halloween.  I have been working really hard and officially finished the 9th project this week.  After the decorations are set out, I am going to work on the wall hanging next.  It really should not take long, so I am hoping to have it done by next weekend.

I actually found cross stitching to be a great craft.  I have never done it before.  It was easy to learn (I taught myself) and never frustrating.  I found it to be very relaxing and comforting.  It does not require a lot of energy and I could just sit on the couch at night and work on my project.  But it requires just enough concentration, it helped take my mind off of stress or anxiety in my life.  I am already thinking of ideas for my next project.

Here is a look at my Zombies!

These are not my original designs. I used an instruction book to create these crafts. These are scans of my finished project.  If you own the rights to these designs and don't like that they are posted, please tell me and I will remove this post.  If you are interested in creating these Zombie craft, please purchase the book...don't copy them from my blog.  It is simply titled Zombie Cross-Stitch.  Thank you.

CF Chef

I came across a website that I have not seen before called CF Chef.  It is an online resource for nutritional guidelines for people with CF.  They also have a few recipes online.  Although right now there are only four recipes, there is a promise for more recipes coming soon.  They are also having a CF recipe contest, which looks like fun! They are seeking for recipes used by the CF community to stay healthy.  Recipes will be judged on nutritional value, taste, creativity, appearance, ease of preparation and the story behind the recipe. Entries are due September 28.  Winners will be featured on the website and the recipe will be included in a 2011 CF Chef Cookbook.  I know a lot of CFers out there who love to cook and eat healthy, so why not share you favorite recipe? Good luck.

My Hawaiian Vacation

From September 9 through the 16, I was on Maui, in Hawaii.  We had a lovely trip.  The weather was perfect, the food was great, and we had good company too.  I spent many peaceful mornings on the beach, drinking coffee, swimming, and snorkeling.  Most afternoons, we would sip Mai Tais during happy hour and catch the sun set. I avoided getting sunburned.  The only bad parts of the trip was my back hurting most mornings due to a really hard bed and seeing a still-born baby dolphin.  The mother was circling the baby trying to revive it. Horrible.

Here is a list of the good memories I will keep for this trip.

Beaches

Happy Hour

Luau

Maui Tropical Plantation

Ali'i Kula Lavender Gardens

Grand Wailea Spa Grande Massage

Snorkeling at Molokini and Turtle Town

Yummy Desserts

Sun Sets

Platypus Plus Bottle

I found a new water bottle, which I am actually really excited about.  It is called the platypus plus bottle. It is a flexible plastic bottle (BPA free) which, when empty, will be completely flat.  It is great for traveling because it takes up very little space and does not weight much at all.  I am leaving for Hawaii on Friday and this will be a great resource for the trip.  I can easily fill it up before boarding the plane, take it to the beach, the fitness center, and just have it with me to stay hydrated.  I also like this water bottle because the water tastes really good and does not have a plastic-y taste to it.