Five months left of 2020, the weirdest year. March and April seemed to last forever, but the summer has gone by quickly for me.
Because the future is so uncertain and it’s hard to plan anything out very far, I’m trying to live in the moment and focus on what I can do today, this week. Not worry about what things will look like a few months from now.
Virtual race, part 2
I signed up for another virtual race, this one an 8K (or 5 miler) to encourage myself to continue trying to run longer without walk breaks. We had a stint in July where every single day was a heat index of over 100 degrees, and that made this goal very difficult. I’m not sure that we are completely past those temperatures for the year, but it’s been significantly cooler lately and I can almost smell the pumpkin spice around the corner. Well, maybe not quite. But Labor Day will be here before we know it.
Vacation, all I ever wanted
It had been seven months since I left the Shreveport area at all – a pre-Christmas trip down to Luling in late December. I just didn’t happen to go anywhere the first few months of the year, and then Coronavirus hit and we didn’t have anywhere to go. When things started opening up a bit, we planned a trip in driving distance to Oklahoma – a vacation cabin in the woods, where we could stay and be away from people as much as we wanted. The local attractions include Beavers Bend State Park with hiking and other socially-distanced activities available.
Another plus was that we could pay a deposit to bring our cat, who is diabetic and needs shots twice a day. I didn’t want to have to try and board him or ask someone to give him shots for us, so being able to bring him was such a nice perk for my peace of mind.
We went July 24-26 and just enjoyed some time away in nature. The weekend went by quickly and we mostly just hung out in our cabin, sitting out on the back deck, and using the hot tub. We did go to the park on Saturday for most of the day, driving around looking at the scenery and hiking. I’d love to go back in a couple of months when it’s cooler, too.
DietBet
I first tried DietBet back in 2013 and was able to lose 6 pounds, meeting my goal. Then in 2016 I needed a jump start again after gaining weight, so I ended up doing DietBet three times over a five-month period, losing weight and meeting my goal each time. Fast forward to 2020 and pandemic/quarantine weight gain hit me like it did a lot of people. I did a DietBet last month and once again met my goal – I’m undefeated! I signed up for yet another one this month.
The thing about DietBet for me is it’s not a fad diet or some trick that isn’t lasting… I know how to stay in shape and lose weight, it’s just a matter of motivation for me. Knowing that I’ve put money into this and that if I meet my goal I’ll get my money back plus a little more is very big motivation for me to eat healthy and exercise regularly. It’s why I’ve won every single time. (Hope I’m not jinxing myself for this current game!)
DIY
One benefit of not being able to do very much besides go to the work and the store is that I have gotten some projects done around the house – mostly just organizing my closet, pantry, cabinets, cleaning, etc. I’ve sorted out so many clothes, shoes, books, DVDs, random stuff we don’t need that I can toss or donate.
I also decided this weekend to paint our picnic table that has gotten pretty weathered and ugly. I bought wood stain and white paint, as well as a weather-resistant protective sealant from Lowe’s this weekend. Then I spent Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours sanding, priming, painting, sealing.
I like the new look! I also want to get a canopy or umbrella of some kind so we might actually want to sit out at the table without the sun beating down on us.
Deep South Runner 