Good News, Bad News

The past few days have been filled with highs and lows, ups and downs, good and bad.

I was headed to Dallas to spend three days at a Junior League national training conference, called the Organizational Development Institute.

Good news: I squeezed in a workout before I left for the airport, and hit no traffic during the entire 90-minute drive.
Bad news: I was really early to the airport, and while on the shuttle from the parking garage, I learned my flight was delayed 90 minutes, so now I am really early.

Good news: I found a place in the airport to get food, charge my electronics, and order a 9-ounce glass of wine to kill time.
Bad news: That 9-ounce glass of wine cost me $16 and someone decided to turn on the AC.

Good news: After three hours of delays, we finally boarded the plane.
Bad news: The pilot came on the loudspeaker to tell us the storms in the Midwest and the headwinds were working against us. What is normally a four-hour flight was going to take five or longer.

Good news: The movies on the flight were free instead of $5, and there was actually one I hadn't seen yet (Chasing Mavericks).
Bad news: I couldn't sleep at all. Or read. The turbulence was way too rough for either.

Good news: Even though I arrived much later than planned, my good friend from grad school - Christina - still met me for dinner at my hotel.
Bad news: She had to sit in the hotel lobby and wait two full hours for me to get there.

Good news: I got a room on the top floor - club status, baby!
Bad news: My bed had a divot from multiple bodies laying (hopefully alive) in the same place where I like to sleep. My sink continuously dripped, and my toilet never stopped running because there was a leak in the tank.

Good news: Room service was the same price as the buffet breakfast downstairs, so I ordered room service for the first time in my life!
Bad news: They forgot my potatoes and toast, and gave me cream when I asked for skim milk.
Good news: They sent someone up with my potatoes and toast. I had milk in my fridge that I brought from home (relax, it's shelf-stable).
Bad news: They forgot butter for the toast.

Good news: Breakfast the following day was included in the conference.
Bad news: "Breakfast" meant fruit, pastries, coffee, and juice. No protein in sight.

Good news: We got morning and afternoon refreshment breaks throughout the conference.
Bad news: The "refreshments" were coffee and tea.

Good news: My flight home was far less eventful with no delays.
Bad news: We had to circle Logan for almost an hour because of the snow in Boston.

Good news: My suitcase was one of the first onto the baggage claim and the shuttle to the parking lot came quickly.
Bad news: I had to clear several inches of icy snow off my car since I parked on the top level of the garage.

Good news: There was no traffic on the roads from Boston to Woburn (I stayed with Julia since it was late).
Bad news: the backroads were so bad that I spun out and nearly missed a stone wall, and then continued to slide down a hill sideways.
Good news: I avoided the wall (by about 3 inches) and no one was coming as I slide into what would have been oncoming traffic.

Good news: I drank many glasses of wine over the course of my trip, ate every meal in a restaurant, and never worked out (except walking around) and still managed to lose a few ounces.
Bad news: I had to stop my workout DVD after 20 minutes today. I was so winded and my fascia were on fire.

Bad news: I didn't get to see much of Dallas except for my hotel (Sheraton North) and the Galleria/Westin.
Good news: I did manage to cross something off my bucket list - dancing with a cowboy at a honky tonk in Texas! Several cowboys! Hot cowboys!

Bad news: We cried a lot this weekend. Some parts were really raw and emotional, and the girls from Ft. Myers and I shared a lot we may not have otherwise.
Good news: The girls from Ft. Myers and I bonded so much. I learned something about each of them that I didn't know before, and probably never would have had we not been far from home with only each other. I made some great new friends, learned a ton, and can't wait to visit Dallas again. And Ft. Myers!

Busy Bee

What a week! Last Thursday, my best friend got engaged. I spent the next 48 hours eating and drinking like it was nobody's business. And planning and getting our nails done and doing what girls do. Fortunately, I only skipped one workout so I didn't completely fall off the wagon, but I didn't lose any weight last week either.

This week was much better. I still haven't lost any weight, but I did up my calories again - this time to 1,650 - and I know it takes a few days for your body to adjust. It basically stores them because it thinks you're going to nearly starve yourself again. Once it realizes it's getting 1,650 every day, it will let go of the reserves. Or this is how I understand it.

I saw my dietitian on Tuesday morning. She is pleased with my progress so far. I saw in her notes that my ideal weight is 100 pounds. Ha! I weighed about 105-110 pounds when I was ripped yet skinny in high school, and it would've been unrealistic for me to weigh any less without sacrificing muscle mass. So she's dreaming a little too big (or little) for me. She is a stick with no curves so it's easy for her to use BMI as a guideline when I have been told by all my doctors that BMI is good for general populations but not for individuals, especially ones who tend to be more muscular. Which is not me now, but will be when I reach my goal measurements and weight.

After the dietitian appointment, I went and saw my orthopedic surgeon - the one who performed my knee surgery a million years ago in 2005. He no longer operates (I think I noticed some tremors) but said he would be willing to evaluate my suspected shin splints. When I got there, the first thing they did was X-ray both legs in about 14 different positions and angles. Alas, no stress fractures. Just severe shin splints, so he prescribed three ibuprofen three times a day and physical therapy. I didn't know the dosage of ibuprofen until his medical assistant told me, and I don't know why I didn't speak up, but I will not be taking that much. That's how I ended up with an ulcer in 2011. And it hurt a LOT. So no thanks. However, I start physical therapy Monday evening, and he wants me to go twice a week for four weeks and then reassess. I'm hopeful they won't tell me I have to stop running, because I'm really starting to enjoy it for the first time in my life. I ran Wednesday night before my regularly scheduled session with Jillian Michaels, and it wasn't so bad (minus the cold).

It doesn't look bad yet, but believe me,
running in it a whole other thing!

I ran again this morning, but as soon as I put on my running shoes, the snow began. And it's not going to let up for another 24 hours or so. I'm glad I managed to squeeze in a run, but it was so blinding, cold, and slippery! I have a newfound respect for people who run year-round.

I also signed up for a 5K, but it wasn't until after I paid the $20 that I realized it's the same day I'm taking my mom to the American Cup in Worcester. The race starts at 10 a.m. and the meet starts at 11:30 a.m., 90 minutes away. So I can't run. Which is OK because there will be plenty of other 5K options this spring and summer, but I kinda want my $20 back. I think I'll just have to consider it a donation to the food bank.

My trip to Dallas is officially booked, and I leave two weeks from yesterday. I'll be there for three full days and three nights, and can't wait to meet other Junior Leaguers from around the country. And hopefully I'll have some time to catch up with a good friend from grad school who I haven't seen since we graduated, which is insane to think about!