It's a great life....Connie Nuckols

Keto Diet, MCT Oil, and Fainting

2018-06-26T15:04:00.002-07:00

I have been eating Keto for a month tomorrow and have lost 7 lbs. After having thyroid issues, the weight had been creeping up, so I decided to go drastic. I also started putting MCT oil in my water in the mornings because I don't like BulletProof coffee or coffee for that matter.

Today, I went to the doctor to get my blood work done so I can see if my blood work improves when doing Keto. We talked about how I've lost weight, my blood pressure is good, and then we started talking about exercise.

I started to feel dizzy and the next thing I know, my doctor is in the room holding my feet up and there are four nurses around me. I was drenched in sweat. While I was out, they had checked my blood sugar which was normal, and attached electrodes to me and checked my heart which was also good.

I finished up the appointment and got my lab work done. After I got home, it really worried me as to why I would faint. I haven't fainted in decades and that was typically due to anemia. Typically, at that time of day, I'm on the toll road doing 70 mph on the way to work.

The only thing different lately is the Keto and MCT oil. I Googled that with fainting. I'm not the only person this has happened to. I think I fainted partially because I was fasting. As fast as I went down, it was very scary. I luckily fell back on the cushioned table. The nurse said that I said "I don't feel good" before I went down, but I don't remember it. Anyway, this is a precaution for anyone taking MCT oil. Start slow.

Pet Shaming

2017-09-26T18:57:00.002-07:00

I haven't blogged in a long time. I've been busy and my office moved so I now commute about two hours a day. Horrible commute, but my job pays well, good insurance and vacation plan. The bonus is that I like what I do, and I truly adore about half of my team. LOL.

Nick and I live with my daughter's two cats and my son's Rottweiler. I love them all. Just a side note, kids in their teens do not need animals that will outlive their time at home with mom when their apartments charge deposits, pet rent, and don't allow 'mean' dogs. And, they can't afford the vet and grooming bills.

We live in a historic district with no HOA. Woot woot. So our house came with a chain link fence in the front yard. I find that bizarre, but it also allows us to let our dog out front. It also makes people NOT come to our door which is an added bonus.

So my dog loves to run outside when joggers, cyclists, and dogs walk by which is all day long.

So we have been dog shamed. When a dog walks by, my son's 96-lb Rottie Mix goes ballistic (even though her tail is wagging). Well, this young, perky, in-shape lady walks her BEAUTIFUL Golden Retriever by the house every day. While our dog is pacing/running the yard and barking, she looks at her dog and puts her fingers to her mouth (in a shhhs manner) and that dang dog prances by, rolls it's eyes at me, and doesn't make a sound. It makes me and the Rottie looks like white trash. Urgh.

Cooking for One: Warm Beet Spinach

2015-08-06T16:04:00.002-07:00

I've been trying eat more diverse and healthier food. I know beets are very good for you and a good source of potassium and antioxidants.

World Healthiest Foods

Typically I add some chopped beet to a green/fruit smoothie so that you can't really taste it.

I decided to try a warm beet salad. What do you know? It was awesome.

Recipe for One: Warm Beet Salad

Salad:

A couple of handfuls of spinach/spring mix/beet greens
1 beet peeled and chopped
1/2 an avocado chopped
4 Marzano tomatoes sliced
1 tbsp red onion chopped
Pepper
(Feta and chopped nuts- optional - I just didn't have these ingredients on-hand.)

Dressing:

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
A dab of mustard

Put the chopped beet in a glass bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water and lightly cover. Microwave for 8-10 minutes and drain.

Put greens in a bowl. Top with avocado, tomatoes, and onions. Mix the olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, and mustard. Put the beets on salad and pour on dressing and add some pepper.

I don't know how long this salad will stick with me. I think this would be really good with chicken or shrimp added.

I always print out recipes or put them on stickys. Oh, and I never follow a recipe completely. It is typically a mix of multiple recipes or just using what I happen to have on hand. After I make the recipe, I decide whether or not to throw it in the trash (like my zucchini noodle chicken pad thai recipe...yuck). This recipe gets to stay.

Love me some Texas weather. We have 100+ degree weather coming up soon and a high of 108. Thank goodness for pools and air conditioning. It is hot enough that I have given up golf for a bit.

Cooking for One: Zucchini Pasta and Meatballs

2015-07-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

Cool tool and a boring zucchini

I love to cook and I'm trying to eat healthier. I'm not fond of leftovers and if I do eat leftovers I only want it once.....not for the next 3 days. I bought a new cooking tool at Bed Bath and Beyond. It's one of those "As Seen on TV" products. It's a really cool vegetable peeler. I used it to make pasta out of a zucchini.

Ingredients for ONE person:

1 small zucchini

4 ounces of ground beef (I section 16 oz packages into four baggies and freeze until I need it)

1/2 an egg (yes you can do it or your meatballs will be runny and fall apart)

1/4 c breadcrumbs

Spices you like (My faves: basil, thyme, oregano, pepper)

Roasted tomatoes or spaghetti sauce
Your favorite wine
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Rinse the zucchini and put it in the new cool tool or use a vegetable peeler or knife to make your pasta noodles. I also put the noodles on paper towels to sop up the water.
Mix the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs and spices and roll into balls. I made 4.
Pop meatballs into the oven on a baking pan. Total cooking time is about 20 minutes. I turn them once half way through so they are evenly browned on the outside.
While meatballs are cooking, have a glass of wine and contemplate what you are grateful for - for exactly 15 minutes and then sautee your noodles in olive oil and garlic for about 4-5 minutes depending on how you like your noodles. I like mine more al dente so I only cook 4 minutes.
Put the noodles on a plate. Use same pan (less cleaning) and add tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce. Add the cooked meatballs and heat up the sauce.
When the sauce is warm, serve over pasta noodles. If noodles aren't warm, you can pop them in microwave briefly. Eat.

I would love to have some homemade bread with this, but I am a horrible baker and I don't really need the bread. I attempted to make a coconut flour bread recently. My daughter laughed. It was a big pile of flat, stinky, goo. She told me she has no idea why I keep trying to bake.

The Colosseum Tour - Walks of Italy

2015-07-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

We decided to upgrade from a Colosseum Tour to the Underground Tour. It was worth it.

Walks of Italy Colosseum Underground Tour

We got to go down to the VIP section. This tour was a lot of walking. It took approximately 4 hours or more.

Standing around outside waiting for the tour.

I don't remember what this was. Oops.

Nick made fun of me for having two sets of glasses, but they were both prescription and we would go from inside to outside a lot, so both were nice to have.

Pedestal system for lowering elephants, tigers, and other large animals in their crates.

This is where the Gladiators entered for most likely their last few minutes alive.

We saw Palantine Hill, the Roman Forum, the Temple and gardens of the Vestal Virgins and we got to go down inside of the Colsseum to see where the gladiators and large animals entered the arena. This tour is not for the weak.

We walked for hours and up and down the steps of the Colosseum. It is fairly fast paced. Angela, our guide was wonderful. An archealogist and very knowledgeable.

Nick and I took hundreds of pictures, but I will not post them all here. He was always getting behind the tour and I was getting worried and made it a point to tell him. He said not to worry. He just looked for the bright pink hat and could easily catch back up.

The Papal Address, Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica

2015-06-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

I would like to say that 'skip the line' tours are awesome. We used three different tour guides in Rome and all were wonderful. Second day in Rome was Vatican day for us. We got up early and saw the Pope. He rode his Popemobile around twice and kissed all the babies. We know this because they have big screens that show Pope Francis making his rounds. We had a close up shot of Pope Francis.

The Pope and his associates repeat the Papal Address in every language of the people in attendance. Your name and address goes to the Vatican a week before your visit so they can track everyone. It was hot and we listened to the same address in about 10-12 languages, but he blessed all of us there speaking English and all of our friends and loved ones. So most likely if you are reading this, you were blessed by the Pope on May 13th, 2015.

So back to the room for a brief rest and food. Next up....we are back at the Vatican and some ladies talk us into the Vatican tour. A little unorganized at first, but what a great tour. I took about 300 pictures in the Vatican. From there, we went to the Sistine Chapel (not allowed to take pictures) and then on St. Peter's Basilica. What a moving experience. There is nothing like being there and going to the Prayer Room to pray for friends and family. I'm going to post a few pictures from the hundreds I took.

The paintings on the hallway just before the Sistine Chapel.

Laocoon and His Sons Antiphas and Thymbraeus being

crushed by sea serpents.

No pictures of Sistine Chapel which was amazing. Next on to St. Peter's Basilica. Everything was so beautiful and it was just a moving experience to be there.

This is a painting done to look 3D.

Relais Navona 71 in Rome's Piazza Navona

2015-06-22T17:30:00.001-07:00

Nick and I left Isle of Capri fairly early in the morning. Our Australian friends gave us some hints about Rome. Buy a hat and a selfie stick right away so you won't be hassled the entire trip. We got to Naples and realized the train that we took down from Rome doesn't leave for three hours. Naples is not on the 'favorites' list, so three hours in Naples was not where we wanted to be.

We found another train Italio that didn't go to Roma Termini, but went to Roma Tiburtina that left right away. We barely got our tickets and bolted to the platform. This train cost more, but it included drink service and free Wifi. Oh, and we get to Roma Tiburtina and it was so much nicer than Roma Termini, but a little further away from hotel. Found a cab and was quickly at Piazza Navona which is where we stayed. Piazza Navona was built in 1000 AD. That is old.

The hotel is hidden. I'm including pictures at the bottom of the page in case someone else decides to stay there. We stayed at Relais Navonna 71, which 71 is the address. It is located between two restaurants.

Piazza Navona. I could upload pics of fountains for the next week or so if I wanted...I don't.

Day one in Rome. Decided to just walk around. We went to Pantheon.

Pantheon

Next up, buy a selfie stick. Decided to venture to the Spanish Steps. I used to think I could follow a map. I never got my bearings in Rome. The street signs are missing and all roads somehow lead all squiggly back to Rome. So after asking no less than 20 persons for help, we found the Spanish Steps. We found we could get around Rome by only knowing the following Italian and this is probably wrong, but at least it worked.

Quanti Euros? (How many Euros?)
Dove e.. insert well known place here? (Where is Colosseum?). If they do not know English, they point. So basically we had to ask at each intersection so someone could point for us.
For cabs, Quanto a airport? Quanto a colesseum?

So here is me NOT figuring out how to use the selfie stick. Nicky figured it out and did a very fine job of it. The stick is not supposed to show. I will say that having my camera on this stick did not stop the hassles. Now men try to sell me a SECOND selfie stick.

After a long day of walking, back to Piazza Navonna.

You can't even tell Nick is holding the selfie stick.

Look for this black door between two restaurants for Relais Navona 71. You will see the address 71 in upper right corner above door. Ring bell to get buzzed in. The room was fine, but the location is superb.

Add caption

Mount Solaro, Villa San Michele, and Del Faro on Isle of Capri

2015-05-27T15:25:00.001-07:00

Last day on Isle of Capri. Decided to walk from Hotel Carmencita to the chairlift that goes up Mount Solaro. It was very peaceful and tranquil. I had to laugh when one guy passing me on his way down answered his cellphone.

It could have been rough or windy, but it was actually quiet, smooth, and peaceful. It takes about 30 minutes around trip.

I don't like to shop and I took one small carry on so my shopping was limited. I bought two small dipping bowls for olive oil, an apron, and a wine stopper.

For 7 Euros we decided to stop in at Villa St. Michele. Awesome. It was absolutely beautiful and an interesting story.

Rubbing the sphinx for luck

Headed to the beach in the evening for sunset, seafood, and cocktails. We went to Del Faro which is beautiful.

Isle of Capri and Hotel Carmencita

2015-05-26T17:31:00.001-07:00

The Isle of Capri is beautiful. This was the laid back part of our trip. Our room at Hotel Carmencita (Anacapri) was perfect. It was close to the bus stop, the city square, and the family that ran the hotel are wonderful. See photos below.

Our 2nd day in this beautiful city, we decided to take a boat tour. It was only about an hour or so long. We bought the tickets at the hotel. We went around the entire island and stopped at the grottos. The famous blue grotto was packed to the gills with tourists boats so we were not able to go inside. Well we could have, if we wanted to sit in a boat and wait for three hours. We were fine with viewing the Internet photos and having the three hours to ride the Funicular and have a nice lunch.

The bus ride anywhere on the island is approximately $2 USD each.

This is the Arch of Love. We made sure and kissed as we went through the arch.

Funicular

Hotel Carmencita

We did not buy a selfie stick until we got to Rome....so this is the old fashioned kind of selfie.

Rome to Naples to Capri

2015-05-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

Our Italy trip was the yen and yang of trips. The relaxing beautiful waters of Capri followed by running around Rome chasing 25-year old archaeologists/tour guides for 8 hours a day. The first part of the trip was to Capri.

We arrived in Rome from London about midnight. There were no shuttles, cabs or hardly any people at the airport. Five of us jumped into a 'gypsy' cab. Nick and I alone paid $35 for a five minute ride, but we felt like if we didn't take this cab, we might be stuck at the airport overnight.

We stayed at the Hilton Rome Airport. The room was fine and we had free breakfast in the morning. After breakfast, we hopped in a cab to go to Roma Termini (train station). London had Audis, BMWs, Mercedes. Rome has tiny clown cars and there is a reason for that. Traffic is terrible. Nicky and I had a conversation about what would it take to get a traffic ticket in this country. We are pretty sure they don't have them. All the cars are dented and crashed. This was quite the ride. It seemed we were going about 90 mph on the highway and our driver was tailgating other clown cars. However, in Rome, they are polite about it. When someone is tailgating, the lead driver pulls into the middle lane and lets the tailgater pass. What a concept. I would love to see that happen on the Bush.

View out train window

Roma Termini is crowded and lots of beggars. We paid a woman $10 to show us how to get train tickets and find our platform. I think this train was about $100 for the both of us and no frills. This was the Frecciarossa train. The ride was a little over an hour. You get assigned seats in a specific car. Each train ride we had to walk a mile as our cars were always at the end.

We got to Naples. The traffic is scarier here than Rome. We took a cab to the port. I'm wearing my capris for Capri. Plus, I heard Jacqueline Kennedy always wore her capris in Capri with her custom-made sandals. I'm wearing my super comfortable Skechers with memory foam that are washable. I bought two pairs just for this trip and that was a great investment, but not real cute.

The large boat that says SNAV is the fast ferry.

Next was the high speed ferry to Anacapri which took about 45 minutes. This ferry had a bar onboard. The one on the way back did not.

We arrived in Capri. We had no working phones.....or so we thought. We needed to call for the hotel shuttle, but instead we stopped at Limoncello Cafe where we had Limoncellos and connected to their Wifi.

My man with a smile on his face

Italian lemons are HUGE

So I'm sitting there and I hear a familiar sound. Bruno Mars. It's my ring tone. I answer the phone and its my son wishing me a Happy Mother's day. My phone was accepting Wifi calls in Italy. We decided to just take a cab because we were too challenged to make a European phone call. When we told the cab driver where we were staying, he called the hotel shuttle for us and wouldn't take our money. Everyone was super friendly and nice in the Isle of Capri.

Shuttle ride to hotel

For dinner, we went to Materita. It is on the square by the church. The church bells go off every 15 minutes. Kids, dogs, babies everywhere in the square. Kids run around chasing pigeons. Me and Nick joked the entire trip that we were going to "kick a pigeon". No worries. No animals were injured or kicked on this trip. Nick had Margherita pizza and I had pasta with shrimp. The pasta in Italy is very al dente which was okay with me. So the shocker here. I've only had pickled olives out of a jar. Here I had a 'real' olive not pickled and it was awesome.

Dallas to London for a Day

2015-05-20T11:54:00.001-07:00

Thursday, May 7th we flew from Dallas to London (9 hours). We left at 3:40 pm and arrived around 7 am. The intent was to sleep on the plane. That did not happen.

The original plan, which seemed okay before this flight, was to store our luggage at the airport, tour Windsor Castle, and have lunch before boarding our flight to Rome later in the day. It was going to be more than $60 to store four bags for a few hours and then car service was going to be about $80, and did I mention we were tired?

We went to guest desk at airport and asked if they could locate a room that we could check in at 8 am and leave later in the afternoon. Well, hello Heathrow Marriott Hotel. We went to hotel, brushed our teeth, and took a nap.

After the much needed nap, we asked the concierge where a good place for lunch would be and he suggested The Pheasant Inn. We walked there and ate with the locals.

Everyone was dressed in suits or business casual and drinking quite a bit of alcohol (mostly Stella Artois). We were in hoodies and jeans.

We couldn't figure out the lunch thing. There was a separate area for table service in a swanky looking area (we read that to mean expensive) and there was not a single person in that area. We wanted to eat on the patio.

We decided to do what the locals were doing...if we could figure it out.

The place was like a zoo. After some people watching, we figured it out. I stood in a line at the bar to get beers and Nick stood in a very long line to order food. Nice teamwork.

After you order the food, they give you a spoon with a number and bring your food to your table when it is ready. Kind of like McAlister's Deli, but two lines. It took an hour to order and get food, but it was worth it.

Nick had Bangers and Mash and I had an open-faced roast beef sandwich with horseradish sauce and lots of sides. This was an awesome meal. With a couple of large beers it was about $40 USD.

Later in the afternoon, we went back to London Heathrow to get checked in for our 8pm flight to Rome.

I had no idea that I was supposed to take my tablet out of my backpack. I thought it was only laptops. There were no instructions at security. My tablet was fine in my bag at DFW. Au contraire in London.

My suitcase made it through unscathed. This little bag held all my clothes and shoes for a 10-day trip. I packed my clothes in gallon baggies and smooshed the air out of the bags. I think that helped.

I also brought a small backpack for my toiletries, tablet, phone, books, a sea of adapters, books, and chargers. Anything I might want easy access to while on the plane.

My backpack went to the 'secure' area. I had to wait behind the other losers who were tagged. The TSA agent eventually dumped everything out of my bag. She individually swabbed every item in my bag. Then, she took my tablet and sent it back through the x-ray machine and informed me, not very nicely, that the next time I came through Heathrow I needed to take my tablet out. Did I mention that Nick had his iPad in his backpack and his bag went through fine? But don't worry, Nick's bags might have made it through security, but Nick got his turn at a body search at Heathrow. I laughed as I typed that.

So the next time I went through Heathrow, I took my tablet out and guess what? They 'secured' the bin with my tablet and a few other assorted items and swabbed it all. Oh, and Nick's iPad was just fine again. He did not get body searched the second time around. I think they hate me or Samsung tablets. Urgh.

Before boarding, we went for dinner at the airport. Again, this restaurant had two sections: table service and NOT table service. We sat in NOT table service. We went to the bar to order food and drinks and the bartender brought the food to the table when it was ready.

This was the only day that we did not follow our itinerary.

Toilets, Electrical Outlets, and Wifi in Europe (England and Italy)

2015-05-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm here to give some practical information about toilets, electrical outlets, and Wifi in Europe. I was smart enough to know that I needed an electrical adapter for Italy. That is the only thing I was smart about. In photo, the adapter is behind the three-outlet tap.

We borrowed two adapters for our trip. In Italy the outlets are two round holes. I decided one outlet was not enough because we needed to charge two phones, two tablets, and a camera each night. A quick trip to Family Dollar fixed that. I bought a $2.25 package of two three-outlet tap thingys to attach to the two adapters so we could charge up to six items simulataneously.

I did not realize that London has different electrical outlets. They have two rectangle holes. We did find one outlet in the bathroom that fit our Italian adapter so we were able to charge our items. The hotel was also kind enough to offer to loan us adapters to use while we were there.

The first day in London I declared that our toilet was not working. No water was flowing. I had a little toilet paper in the toilet and it wouldn't go down. I flushed about 10 times and was getting ready to call front desk. Nicky, in is infinite wisdom, let me know that I had to pump the toilet. Wow. So this toilet had a cylinder in the wall and you pumped it a few times and then flushed. The next toilet I encountered in London had a handle on the toilet, but you also pumped it up and down a few times before flushing. You can't pump too hard or you do a bad flush. Dexterity is a must.

In Italy, the toilets are similar to US toilets, but the tanks are behind the walls. No pumping is involved, but they have a number one and a number two button. Number one (small button is for just that). Number two (large button is for just that).

I have cheap MetroPCS in the states. I did turn on International calling (not sure what good that did, but it is only $10). All hotels have Wifi and almost every restaurant we went to except one had Wifi. This made it a breeze to map things, load pics to Facebook, and even make Wifi calls to the states. On Mother's day, I was sitting on the Isle of Capri and my Bruno Mars ring tone went off. It was my son calling me to wish me a Happy Mother's day. I was able to call my mom while sitting on a patio having lunch overlooking the ocean with a Limoncello.

Another tidbit, have cash. Lots of cabs didn't take credit cards. You also need a credit card with a chip in it at most places. Many hotels let us charge the room, but wanted cash for all other charges. Some places had a minimum amount in order to use a credit card. We spent plenty of time at ATMs.

European Vacation 10 days

2015-05-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

We almost look Photoshopped in with our bright colors.

I have been wanting to visit Italy for the past 20 years and no one would go with me. Must be my charming personality.

Anyway, Nick agreed to go with me (as he is my boyfriend and it was my 50th birthday request). That is me giving Nick a thank you kiss at Lido Del Faro beach in Capri as we do a selfie.

Lido Del Faro beach

I had told my coworkers a few months how long I had wanted to go on this trip, but it was just too much work to plan it. I was ready to just throw in the towel and go to the British Virgin Islands, drink PainKillers, and lie on the beach. My coworkers convinced me to get my act together and plan my dream trip. I thank them so much for pushing me. It was a wonderful trip.

Due to both of our jobs, we had to wait a while to book flights and we had to move the trip up a week. After the wait, we could no longer get nonstop flights between DFW and Rome. We went May 7 to May 17th, 2015. I got home three days before my birthday, but that is fine by me. It was an awesome trip and the weather was absolutely beautiful.

I'm going to blog over the next few days as time permits with reviews, pictures, and prices of the hotel rooms, food, and tours.

Below is a rundown of the transportation and hotels.....urgh.

Flight to London Heathrow (9 hours and TSA hates me there...details to come later).
Stay a few hours during the day at the Marriott to nap off jet lag and have lunch with the locals.
Flight to Rome (2 hours).
Arrive late at night and cab it to Hilton Rome Airport.
Wake up and cab it to Roma Termini (central train station).
Take train Trenatalia to Naples.
Cab it to port Molo Beverello.
Fast ferry over to Isle of Capri.
Take hotel shuttle to Hotel Carmencita. This sounds like a lot of traveling, but only took half a day.
Spent three wonderful days in Capri.
Shuttle back to port Marina Grande.
Fast ferry to Naples.
Train to Rome, but this time took Italo (with wifi) to Roma Tiburtina (much more laid back than Termini.) Again about half day of traveling.
Stayed three chaotic, wonderful days at Relais Navonna 71 on Piazza Navonna.
Flight to London Heathrow late in evening so stayed overnight at Double Tree Westminster.
A few hours to slink around London.
Cab it to Heathrow airport (Again they hate me).
Fly to Chicago (eight hours?).
Fly to Dallas (2.5 hours).

This vacation was the Yin and Yang of trips. Yin was the hectic running around trying to catch up with 25-year old archaeologists as they run you through the ruins. We were on our feet for hours at a time. As Nick said "My dogs are hurting". Yang was the most beautiful relaxing water and beaches of Capri. The people were friendly in Italy, but even more friendly in England....except Heathrow where they hate me.

Boomerang Kids and Mylar ballons

2015-03-20T09:54:00.001-07:00

When my daughter's lease was up she moved in with me in my tiny apartment. This is temporary until she finds a job as a hair dresser and knows where she wants to live. We both work a lot. We don't see each other too much, but when she is there, the TV is always on Comedy Central. I've seen more of TOSH.O than I ever wanted to see.

Having my daughter home after a year on her own is so different. She's funny now. She used to be mean all the time. Now, she's only mean some of the time.

Last night she said she an elementary teacher that used to call her Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. I said your teacher obviously thought you were a drama queen like Marcia. She said it was only because she looked like her. She proved it to me. Hayley on right. Marcia on left. Then, she pulled up a recent unattractive picture of Marcia and said "Mom, that's me in 30 years."

Later, on the way to Texaco (also known as the local wine store) she is telling me about The Office when the mylar balloon finally lost its air so the whole office went to the warehouse to finally retrieve the balloon and realized how sad their lives were since that was the most exciting thing that had happened to them in a while. I have no idea why she was telling me this story. I'm trying not to put a lot of thought into it. Could be random chatter, or maybe our lives are too boring. Did make me think of the movie The Heat. Mine and Nicky's favorite quote when the cat is missing. "Your cat got one look at your s***** life and said, 'no f******* thanks, man."

After picking out licorice and Cheetos, Hayley asks me to show her the fitness center at the apartments. We go there in a our work out clothes. She takes a look at the equipment and goes home. I guess walking up the stairs to the fitness center was her workout. I stayed and worked out.

I told Hayley I was going to make Chicken Alfredo with spinach and mushrooms. She tells me she just pinned a recipe for Moroccan chicken and she wants that. So okay...change of plans.

I still had mushrooms and spinach, but we also made Moroccan chicken with lemon rosemary potatoes.

http://tamingofthespoon.com/moroccan-chicken/

You are supposed to refrigerate the chicken in the spices for 2 hours. We did 20 minutes in the freezer because we were hungry. It was good, but not earth shattering.

So as my cat's scar is healing, it has turned into a black heart.

I hope everyone enjoys the wet Texas weekend we are going to have. I know we need the rain, but I need a golf fix soon. Nicky and I went to Florida a few weeks ago to play golf during the Texas ice storm. We can't afford to hop on a plane every time we want to play golf.

Easy Low Carb Meals for One (Steak with Bearnaise and Mashed Loaded Cauliflower)

2014-10-28T17:19:00.003-07:00

I've been trying to eat healthier and I joined the gym. Thanks to all my hard work of 5x a week, I have gained a whopping 4 lbs in 4 weeks AND my clothes feel tighter. I'm just going to keep on doing the right thing, and hope things turn around. I mean I was doing nothing and now I'm walking at least 8 miles a week and doing weights 4x a week. Urgh.

I also did a fitness assessment with a personal trainer. I never thought I was in that bad of shape and I'm in my government BMI range as normal. But yet, I scored below average or poor in every category for my age of 49. Well, I think the system is flawed. I know that I sure didn't want to do a fitness assessment at my age, but curiosity got the best of me. I think the numbers are skewed because the only people who agree to do assessments at 49 are those who do marathons and triathlons, which makes the somewhat normal people look really bad.

So I love Bearnaise sauce, but with my old recipe, there was a lot going on to make it including a reduction. Well, I found a much easier way for the lazy empty nester.

Microwave Bearnaise Sauce
Ingredients:

Egg yolk
Onion 1 tsp chopped
White wine vinegar
Tarragon
Butter

Instructions

Plop some white wine vinegar into a microwave bowl with some butter and chopped onion. Heat it up a little to soften the butter and onion.
Add the egg yolk and tarragon. Stir it up and reheat.
DONE!

Steak

Having a grill is ideal, but since I moved to an apartment recently, I use the cast iron skillet method. Put steak on med-high for 4-5 minutes on each side so it is still a little bloody, but has quit mooing. Oh, and this sets off my fire alarm every single time. Drives me batty.

Mashed Loaded Cauliflower

Ingredients:

Cauliflower
Butter
Coconut or Olive Oil
Bacon bits
Cheese
Chives

Instructions:

Chop up cauliflower in small pieces. (I only used about 1/4 of a head...cooking for one and still had leftovers.)
Boil for about 30-40 minutes until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork.
Drain water and add some butter, and a dab of oil.
Use a mixer to beat the cauliflower until smooth.
Serve and top with bacon bits, cheese, and chives.

Black and Decker Green Smoothies and The League TV Series

2014-10-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

After a turbulent year....kids moving, me moving twice, commuting, etc., I joined a gym again. I went to visit several of them and due to traffic concerns (which might prevent me from ever showing up at the gym), I chose the closest gym to me which is LA Fitness. Previously, I was a member of 24-Hour Fitness for years in my old location. Well this weekend, I woke up and went to the gym at 7:30 am Saturday and realized, my gym is NOT open 24 hours a day. It opens at 8am on weekends. I was forced to go to Walmart and kill 30 minutes.

Before

So I'm making Green Smoothies every morning for breakfast. Not sure what got me on this health kick, but I guess it's a good thing. Some of my friends have those $400-500 blenders. Well that is not my style being that I am a cheapskate. I found a beautiful red Black and Decker for $29 at Walmart and I love it. I figured if you can make power tools, you can probably make a mighty fine blender. I was correct in my thinking. The Black and Decker rocks.

So here are my typical ingredients, but it varies on what is available in my house.

After

Handful of spinach
Handful of kale
Cucumber
Strawberries and/or 1/2 banana
Lemon or lime juice
Cinnamon
Chia seeds
Carrots/Avocado/Zucchini (maybe)
8 oz of Almond Milk unsweetened
Handful of ice

It's not like I really enjoy this drink, but you don't really taste if because its cold and you chug it. At least, I'm getting a lot of healthy fruits and vegetables without having to eat yet another salad.

I watched a documentary years ago about curing diseases through juicing, but I prefer to have the entire veggies and fruit with the fiber. Gerson Therapy

I made a green smoothie for Nicky. He said he felt like he had been given some type of stimulant. I don't seem to have that reaction.

So I'm back to doing weights and cardio. I get so bored with cardio, but I found a way to make it happen for me. I watch Netflix on my phone. I have been watching The League. Each episode is about 21 minutes long. I watch two episodes while I do cardio. I have Nicky to thank for that find.

If you don't know about The League, it is about a group of friends in a fantasy football league. It is a very raunchy, super raunchy, but hilarious. I'm sure people probably wonder why I'm laughing hysterically while on the treadmill or elliptical. My daughter who knows nothing about football or fantasy football is enjoying watching it. I only have 2 seasons left, so I need to find another comedy TV series for the gym.

My daughter has suggested I start the entire series of The Office.

Melia Golf Resort in Cozumel September

2014-09-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

First time to Mexico during Hurricane season and it turned out awesome for us in Cozumel. See the crowd in the picture. Not so much for the peeps in Cabo San Lucas. Yikes. Nicky and I used all our combined points to pay for the airfare and all-inclusive hotel. Yea! Several years ago, I had about 48K points and American expired them for me. Thanks AA.

First day was a day of swim up bar. Learned that a Margarita at this all-inclusive was about 3/4 cup of tequila, a splash of another liquor (Cointreu?), and a splash of margarita mix. Awesome....well, if you don't need to be anywhere early the next day. The hotel staff was super friendly and helpful the entire trip. We had a beach view room, but were upgraded to a beach suite for free with a walk out room to our own personal Jacuzzi and the beach.

Second day was golf. The Cozumel golf club is awesome. The workers are so nice and accommodating. The course and the greens were amazing. We were warned multiple time about the crocodiles, but were disappointed to NOT see any of them. You are not allowed to retrieve lost balls that are not on the fairway or near water so we brought 50 refurbished balls with us. We were too embarrassed to count how many were left at end of the round. We both had to walk the walk of shame after our round and the score card was surely eaten by an invisible croc. The golf course is also a bird sanctuary so many colorful birds. Our hotel stay included green fees which are expensive there...at least $150 a person. We only paid $62 for the both of us....I think that was cart fee and club rental.They provided herb smelling moist towels at the end of the round.

Third day, we rented a clown car to drive around the island. We stopped at the Money

Bar. It has a nice little beach and you can snorkel on a reef nearby. The food....meh. The prices..meh. We kept driving on a road that had a bicycle symbol, but so was everyone else. Later found out that it was a bike only lane for the Ironman that was taking place over the weekend. Oops to us and a lot of other people. We were looking for the lighthouse and couldn't find it because the sign said Point Sur. I told Nicky "Let's pull over at 7-11 to get directions...said no one ever in Cozumel". Anyway, we finally figured it out.

We then did the snorkeling trip from hell. I am a certified scuba diver and have dove in

Cozumel in the past. They drop you in a reef and the current floats you down the reef until the boat picks you up at the end. Easy peasy. I have also snorkeled in Chankkanaub right on the beach just floating around.

At the lighthouse, a guide said he'd help us. He told us we'd have to snorkel out to the buoy WAY out in the ocean. You can't even see the buoy in the picture. It seemed really far and we were skeptical. We decided we could swim that far. Bless our hearts. We get to the buoy and this was the START of our snorkel trip. We are almost 50 years old. We swam against currents for an hour or more. Then, it was time to swim ashore, we are against the current again. Our legs and feet are cramped by now. For every two strokes you take to shore, you are taken back by the current 1.5 strokes. We finally get to shore and now we have to walk a mile back to where we started. Oh, and after all that huffing and puffing, I joined the gym tonight. My gym has a pool. Told Nicky I would probably never swim again.

After the snorkeling trip from heck, we stopped at Coconuts on back of island. Coconuts dropped off the photo books at our table. Back in the day, it showed bad Polaroid photos of boobs. It now has clear photos of much more graphic images. Almost pornographic, but not quite. Also, bring cash. They still don't have electricity over there and do not take credit cards. We also had two friends join us for lunch.

Next day, fortunately, we had scheduled a couples massage on the beach. Awesome. They even massaged our faces. Aaaawwww. We ended up on the beach and at the swim up bar. Note to self.....love Nick when he is tipsy. He repeatedly told me that I was "smoking hot".

Speaking of only taking cash...you need it if you lose your customs paper. Gosh darnit. I'm the most organized person ever and my fancy paper disappeared. Had to go to immigration at airport and then go to ATM to get pesos to pay my $27 USD ($300 peso) lost paper fee. Ugh.

So my Citibank lets me make purchases in Cozumel, but Saturday night, when I'm back to Arlington (where my credit card is registered), I order a pizza and my card is declined to credit card fraud. Really? It is fixed now, but REALLY?

Inexpensive low carb nachos

2014-09-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Go Cowboys! Nachos sounded awesome but I'm trying to keep my carbs low, so tortilla chips are out and bell pepper is in. This recipe as I made it serves one.

My total cost of ingredients was $6, but I only used about $2 worth of them.

Bell pepper $.99 (used entirely)
Refried beans $.85 (used about 1/4 of a can)
Cheddar cheese $3 (used about 1\6 of bag)
Sliced jalapenos $1.50 (used just a few of them)

If you want to really low carb, nix the beans and replace with ground beef or shredded chicken. I was using what I had in my house today.

If you follow this recipe, it ends up being about:

204 calories, 11 fat, 15.5 carbs, 5 fiber, net carbs 10.5, and 11 protein.

Cut bellpepper into small pieces.
Top with beans or meat.
Add cheese and jalapenos.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Personally I prefer tortilla chips, but lets just do a quick compare.

My new favorite website.

What I've Learned from Crime Shows

2014-08-07T20:25:00.001-07:00

Ocassionally, I get insomnia. My eyes are too tired to watch TV so I listen to crime shows. Every word is broadcast with lots of drama so need to watch. I've learned a lot. Keep in mind that these helpful hints are based on true events.

How to get caught:

Leave your cigarette butts at the scene.
Leave your beer cans at the scene. (Side note: beer cans are tracked by 15 minute lots)
Video tape your crime taking place.
Talk to your incarcerated partner about the crime on a recorded phone line.
Go into a store that has video surveillance and buy duct tape and bleach.
Return to the scene...especially to help locate a missing victim.
Google "how to commit the perfect crime"
Kill your spouse while you are on Match.com.
Leave your cell phone on with its GPS capabilities when commiting crimes.
Drive your vehicle with a body in it across toll roads or bridges with surveillance.
Burn victims remains in your back yard barbecue pit.
Just happen to have replaced the carpet, washed the car, or cleaned the entire house with bleach when the cops show up.

Things to ensure you do not easily become a victim of a violent crime:

Don't be a stripper.
Don't have an 'estranged' husband.
Make sure your bra and panties do not match.
Never open the door to:

strangers
your stalker
your troubled teen and their signficant other that just got kicked out of another home
your troubled niece or nephew
your own grown overly entitled children

Never talk about:

the money you have in the bank or the big check you just got
the money you hide in your house.
your big life insurance policy

Never have enough life insurance that the beneficiary will never have to work again.
Be wary of all your neighbors or anyone with a view of your living quarters.
Never let any one in the house to use your phone.
Do not walk up to talk to a stranger in a car, or especially a van. As a matter of fact, never associate with anyone that owns a van.

Things to know about stalkers:

NEVER, I mean never, agree to meet with your stalker to talk about the situation. You will be killed immediately.
There is not much you can do when you have a stalker except be afraid the rest of your life.
When a stalker questions your whereabouts, be afraid. They have already installed a GPS tracking system on your car.
The judge may provide you with a protective or restraining order. This just makes your stalker really mad.
When your stalker breaks the restraining order, and you go to court, the judge will thoroughly peave your stalker by putting them in jail for 6-14 days. Then, your stalker will leave jail and kill you.

Happy Friday! Keep it safe.

Paleo breakfast casserole FAIL

2014-08-02T11:02:00.001-07:00

My daughter told me she wanted to do the Paleo diet so I thought I would do it too. As a side note, she told me she cheated the other morning. She ate three donuts and two Kolaches. I was like "That is not a cheat. A cheat is one donut. That was an all out binge".

I have been looking at new recipes. Well I found a breakfast casserole that sounded awesome on www.paleogrubs.com. I bought coconut milk and almond flour (because I could not find the recommended coconut flour). You are supposed to create a crust and bake it on parchment paper.

First, I accidentally spilled half of the egg/flour mix on the floor. I could not find parchment paper at the store so I just figured it was now called wax paper instead. I spread the mixture that did not land on the floor onto the wax paper and put it into the oven. Immediately, my oven started smoking, but a little smoke does not scare me. I quickly Googled "Can I bake on wax paper?" Ummmm. The answer was no. So now I have wax paper and have no idea what it is good for. I threw my burning paper and crust away.

My pizza cassserole has no pizza crust. So here is what I ended up making.

I cooked the bacon.
I wilted spinach in the bacon grease.
I added onions and garlic to pan and cooked it.
I put the bacon on a plate.
I layered diced tomatoes and spinach mix.
I then added sliced avocado, chives, black pepper, and a squeeze of lime.

It was way yummy. So much for the pizza part.

Fort Lauderdale Review....meh

2014-07-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hayley only gets two weeks the entire year off from school. For her summer break we decided on a beach trip. We didn't have enough time to get her a passport to go to Mexico...not entirely true. I wasn't going to spend $300 on an expedited passport. Typically, I do the Redneck Riveria.....Pensacola, Orange Beach, etc. The hotels were pricey this year. Flying to Fort Lauderdale and staying on beach was much less expensive than driving 12 hours and staying in the Redneck Riveria. Food was soooo expensive. Beach was nice, but no alcohol on beach, no frisbees and all kinds of rules. Lots of yachts and mansions. Will not go back unless someone gives me a free trip there.

We stayed at the Sheraton on the beach and I have to say that the staff were wonderful. Hayley and I had checked our luggage into guest services so we could run around while waiting on a beach view room to be available. Oh, and they upgraded us for free if we were willing to wait 2 hours..which we were.

We went to the pool and then went shopping. We got to the room and Hayley says we forgot our bags. "I'm like what are you talking about. We have our new stuff". She's like "No mom. We have no luggage." I called guest services and they immediately brought it up. They also brought me a bottle opener for my imported beer. Unfortunately, the hotel had no air pump, so we had to blow up our own air mattresses.

We went fishing, we went on an airboat swamp tour with the Gator Boyz, and laid around on the beach. We were the only two people who had air mattresses. We did a lot of floating in the ocean. And yes, they cut up my huge Blue Runner to use for bait.

Air travel was horrible. On our trip out early in the morning, I30 was shut down, and we were diverted off the highway. Got to airport and only ONE person working security. We wanted to get there early so we could have breakfast and buy magazines, but au contraire, we buckled in at 7:18 a.m. for 7:20 a.m. flight after RUNNING through airport and the plane pulled out at 7:24 a.m. We had no food and no magazines, but we made it. Whew.

Way back was worse. AA flight was canceled for mechanical reasons and all later flights were booked. We located a US Airways flight with connection in Charlotte. We got to Charlotte. Our plane arrived but the crew was missing. Another flight canceled.

So I've always heard that airlines put you up when you are stranded. Not true. I got a Desperate Traveler discount, so I paid a discounted rate of $75 to spend 6 hours in the Comfort Suites and I only had to wait on hold for 30 minutes with the Desperate Traveler program to find a hotel and shuttle. Blah.

We arrived at midnight and had to get back up at 6am for flight. See pic of hotel in Charlotte. We were waiting for the twins to appear. Very strange, but we immediately went into our room and turned on the TV. Deja vu. Family guy was on and immediately mentioned the Twins in the Shining. I got the chills.

So we get up for the free breakfast and Hayley makes Belgian Waffles. She says "I could live here". I said "Where? Charlotte or Comfort Suites". She said "Comfort Suites....just for the free breakfast and waffles".

Hayley and I got last two seats on morning flight and I got first class. I gave it up to a young man in an Air Force uniform. How could I not? It was 4th of July and I didn't pay for that ticket and I didn't need free drinks at 10am. When I told him I'd trade seats, I was hoping he had 8A or something not too bad, but nooooooo, it was 28D with a stinky guy next to me and a baby behind me which made me feel better that I gave him my seat. I would have felt horrible if he was stuck in that seat. I received free wine (at 10am) and many thank yous from the young man and the airline attendants.

We arrived home 4th of July. I asked Hayley if she wanted to stay the night at Nicks with us since her car was in Arlington already. She said "No". Nick asked "Why not?" The look on her face was priceless shen she said "If you spent 6 days with my mom, you'd go home too". She also said she wasn't flying or leaving Texas anytime soon.

Did I mention how there is NO southern hospitality in Fort L? We talked to two nice ladies.....both from Texas...go figure. Another deja vu, but one used to be a bartender at Blue Martini in Plano. I'm quite sure she waited on me before when I was that fun, single, Frisco girl that enjoyed half priced martinis in the Shops of Legacy. That, RA Sushi, and Gordon Biersch were regular hang outs for a few years.

Inexpensive Hair Coloring

2014-06-03T09:05:00.001-07:00

I have not blogged in quite a while. Been super busy lately. Busy at work and playing quite a bit of golf and not really getting much better. Blah. Shooting about 100 on most days. Me and my pitching wedge are at odds lately.

Hayley gets only one week off this summer, so I decided to taking her to Fort Lauderdale for her break. I have never been to that side of Florida, but it was very inexpensive...well at least for airfair and hotel...the rest is yet to be seen. We may do an airboat tour, and a tour of the Intracoastal Waterway mansions.....depending on how we feel. We may lay on the beach with books. Hayley is easy going and spontaneous. We travel well together, so really looking forward to this trip.

Hayley has been coloring my hair for free for the past 6 months while in school at Aveda. She has done a really great job. Anyway, the 'free' part stops now. She has been there long enought that she can take appointments now. So if anyone, wants to book with her, please get in touch with me and I'll give you her information. Aveda is in Dallas off of 75 and Park. Half head highlights are $44, full is $50. Here is the full price list.

Aveda Student Prices

She loves to color hair and is ready to do anyone we know. However, she has informed me that she wants to practice cutting hair on complete strangers. I asked her to texturize my hair for me recently and she said if I had seen her mannequin after she tried texturizing, I would not have asked. Honesty is one of her endearing qualities.

It is amazing how many people go to Aveda Institute and get their hair done the day of their wedding. Hello, it is a school.

I hope everyone is having a great summer. The weather has been pretty mild and just plain awesome.

2011 Camaro Review

2014-04-08T07:36:00.002-07:00

In December I bought my car, Snowflake, off of a sheet of ice. I traded in my BMW Z4. I'd like to talk about the pros and cons of the Camaro SS.

Figures that my car pic has Nick in it and not me.

Snowflake is beautiful and so was the Z4. One of my favorites features of both cars is the heated seats. You can almost drive top down in any weather if your bootie is warm. I now have a backseat which would be perfect for a gym bag, but I quit the gym. Not big enough for people, but works for golf clubs, laptops, etc.

I love the Heads Up display in the Camaro. I love the speed and the little growl it gives you when you start it up. The Cons: It is clunky and drinks gas like an alcoholic drinks free vodka. The visors are tiny. Never thought I'd have a complaint about a visor, but it is the worst sun visor ever. There is some kind of cover thingy to use when the top is down, but it looks like it is going to fly off so I don't use it.

I was visiting Hayley recently. We were going to lunch on Greenville. Hayley tells me I need to "Bust a Bitch".....aka do a u-turn. Well, the Camaro does not whip around like a Z4. I had to pull into a parking lot, turn around, and then go back out. I need several lanes to bust a bitch these days.

I STILL can't park and it's been four months now. When the kids were little I had a string of SUVs. I don't understand why I cannot park this car. Every day I pull into my parking spot. I open the door and look out to see where the line is. Then, I shut the door, put it in reverse and straighten myself back out. Nick laughs at my parking most days at the house.

With that being said, I love the car and get compliments on how pretty it is weekly. The commute from Arlington is killing me. I have a small dent already (????) and I already have a chip in the windshield. For some reason, it doesn't matter how far out in a parking lot I park, I will come back out of a store or restaurant and will be surrounded by big white pick up trucks. Urgh.

So Nick and I are going to the Meacum auction in Houston this week. Look for us on TV.

Thursday April 10
Esquire: 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM Live
NBCSN: 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM Live
MECUM.COM: 6:35 PM - 7:00 PM Live

Friday April 11
Esquire: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM Live
NBCSN: 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Live
MECUM.COM: 6:10 PM - 7:00 PM

Summer is coming. Getting ready for some golf.

Feline Leukemia In Rememberance of Billie Jean

2014-03-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hayley got a new kitten the same month Michael Jackson died and she decided to name her Billie Jean. She's the gray kittie in the picture. Peaches is the orange cat.

Hayley took BJ to the vet for her shots and the vet told her BJ had feline leukemia and needed to be put down immediately. Hayley frantically called me crying. I told her that we would think about it and keep Billie Jean until she started feeling bad. We thought she wouldn't make it too long, but we wanted to make her happy while she was healthy.

The vet had a digital picture frame for client pet pictures. Billie Jean's photo was of her wearing a spiked collar, claws out, and yowling. We would laugh every time we saw it.

Billie Jean almost made it 5 years. She was not the friendliest cat, but she liked Hayley. BJ had a great life til the end. She had many dog friends that she played with over the years.

Hayley said she was going to get a new kitten after putting BJ down. In the meantime, she borrowed Peaches for a few days. I asked her this week about getting another cat. She said she "I can envision myself never cleaning a litter box again". So today, she said she's going to the animal shelter "Just to look".

Billie Jean is missed.

Aveda Cosmetology School

2014-03-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

So Hayley tells me she needs a 'model'. In reality, she needs a guinea pig to practice her hair stuff. A couple of weeks ago, I went in for a shampoo, conditioner, and blow dry. These are my before and after pictures. So how does this happen? According, to Hayley a boar's brush is key to smooth hair along with Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep.

So I'm going to "model" the next two weeks. After Saturday, I'm going to be a brunette for an entire week. Not too happy about that since it is time for my summer blonde. But, next weekend, I get a partial head coloring and will have blonde highlights. I've warned my coworkers in advance that my look will be changing weekly.

So the crying and wanting to quit school has finally stopped. Hayley was not quite fitting in with some of the girls. FYI, Aveda is a stone's throw away from Highland Park. Frisco is a little uppity, but it is primarly Californians who sold their homes and could afford the so-called Texas McMansions----cookie cutter, but good-sized homes. Highland Park is wealth. No comparison.

She has since found her clique. They call themselves "the funny group that can't stand anyone else". Well alrighty then. As long as she stays in school, I'm good. Today, I tried to call her on her lunch break, but she was too busy "going to Chipotle with the girls".

Many people have asked if Hayley likes doing hair. Below are assorted pictures of Hayley's hair in the past year or two. Sometimes I don't recognize her myself. Sometimes people say she looks a lot like me....well that depends on the day.

This Texas weather has been horrible. Well maybe not horrible, but the weatherman told me it was going to be 70 today. I drove the convertible and put on high heel wedge sandals. Guess what? It is not convertible or sandal weather. I've since donned a UT hoodie over my work clothes and my toes are cold. Very professional....NOT.

I hope all my buddies with children enjoy spring break!

So I have been out of my house a couple of months now. It was funny, but the last time, I ran into my former neighbor, he said he was wondering what happened. He said "you were just gone". He thought maybe we packed up and moved in the middle of the night for some mysterious reason. Everything did happen suddenly, but it happned at 10am on a Sunday.