My Afflation

Sunrise view of Boston from Peter's Hill on Monday Morning I used to be able to walk a 5K every morning in 45 minutes when I lived in NoHo, played Ingress, and was maintaining my weight between 160-170lbs (ish). After a … conversation over the weekend and much nagging, I have been taking Pluto out with me. Zoe doesn’t do cold and she doesn’t walk as fast as she did 3-5 years ago.

Well, color me surprised. An impression was made after doing the 3-Day Refresh . We feel a bit lighter and our brains aren't in total revolt anymore. We planned some of the meals out on the train yesterday, now I just need to go grocery shopping or have someone do it for me.

Can I lose 42lbs by the time I'm 43?  My Fitbit stats from the time  I started using one.  The weight has kept creeping up on me, despite weight training. At one point I hit my almost interim goal weight and decided to be happy between 165lbs and 170lbs, allowing for water weight and the monthly ups and downs that come from being a woman, but then the creep started and never stopped.

I’m coming to the point where I tell myself, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Being a do-er means that shit gets done. And I get things done. I’ve had this rant rattling around in my head for almost two weeks. The biggest critique that they came up with is that I am do-er and not an achiever. And that’s apparently a bad thing. Who the FRAK else is going to get shit done?!?  You need do-ers . People who are conscientious and hard-workers and not just out for their own ambition and climbing over and on the backs of others. People that make things happen in the background so those so-called achievers shine. People with a work ethic and humility and who don’t mind just getting the work done so they can pay their bills and maybe have some mental and physical energy left over for their hobbies.

I have flown through a few episodes of LeVar Burton Reads on my commute, and it has made it so much more enjoyable. If you happen to follow me on twitter , you know exactly how I feel about Boston drivers. And yes, I know that I am so very late to this particular podcast party. Flip side, I get to binge, which is how I have been consuming most of my media lately.

Unfortunately, not R.E.M nor Denzel related. I just don’t have enough time in the day to get things done. I need a few clones of myself. So here I am, taking a few minutes at the end of the work day, before I start my commute, trying to scramble on menu planning and debating the energy-draining thoughts of driving my commute, grocery shopping, and then cooking dinner.

Days 11-20 I continue the cannibalization of my blog and social media (mostly G+ for this second post).

I didn't want to completely re-invent the wheel so I scavenged my blog and social media posts for recipes with photos. Almost everything here should be able to prepped and cooked within 30 minutes or less.

TBB Asks: February - All About Love I have very strong feelings about Valentine's Day, though I guess with February being the worst part of winter, it's nice to have a justifiable reason to stay in, indulge in way too many chocolate-covered treats, and binge movies

To make new mistakes or fix yesterday's I told myself "February's Goal - No Unnecessary Spending ." I wasn't going to spend any money this month (on shopping) and that I was going to get my budget under control.

This is a guest post written by Nat Smith, Rover.com community member. Rover is the nation's largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers. Me and Zoe, my best girl for the last 11 years. She's a rescue mutt who saves me from bouts of depression, agoraphobia, and anxiety. Photo Credit: Halcyon's Serendipity Depression and anxiety persist by pulling you into downward spirals. Symptoms like fatigue, social withdrawal, and the inability to concentrate actually fuel the depressive episode that brought them on. This is why, in addition to medication and therapy, treatment often includes “disruptors.” These are relatively simple habit changes that can break the cycle. Of course, these changes aren’t easy to implement. When you’re at a low point or subsumed in panic, do you really want to stop and take a deep breath? The recovery process at its best is often described as “two steps forward, one step back.”

Driven to finish  (and the photo used for the prompt "Alone") All of my photos for January 2018 were taken using my current phone (and the camera that is always with me) - a Google Pixel 2XL and edited using Snapseed. I was going to compile this post using Storify, but with their impending demise, it was suggested that I use Wakelet . So far, I like it. There are 31 photos being pulled from Instagram, so give it a minute.

As mentioned previously , using a meal kit delivery service to stay Whole30 compliant isn't the easiest thing to do without some forethought and planning. On Instagram, the Whole30 account was touting their partnership with Blue Apron, so we thought we would try them out.

About a year ago I got to have a great conversation with some old-time friends of a friend (long story) - Rebecca and James Hicks on  The Geek Questioner Podcast . Rebecca is the author of the webcomic " Little Vampires ". This week we interview the dynamic duo behind the Tiny Little Vampires web comic and geek out over all manner of things. From a close encounter with Carrie Fisher to space vampires, rogue space probes, superhero TV shows, games like the Witcher 3, summer homes in Rivendell, living in the Cars universe, and more!   Have a listen and don't mind the giggling:

No, this post is not about a new recipe nor a new dance. The burn! It hurts! My shoulders are on FYRE! I really need to book myself a hot stone massage.

I am currently thanking the scientists who came up with NSAIDs. And to whoever figured out that caffeine + painkillers = easing of a migraine. Today's breakfast chaser was a venti long shot flat white and 2 Aleve. The pressure in my brain has subsided enough that I feel alert for the first time all week and almost energetic enough to try this. Just skip ahead to Tom Holland at 1:44 . Why can't I stop watching this?!?!? I really can't. Having energy and clarity of thought is so energizing. I didn't realize how much energy the low-level headache I have had all week was draining me. Didn't help that I started the week slightly depleted from the weekend and it went downhill from there. And now I feel like dancing!

Courtesy of Google I've been using the Pixel Buds for the last few months, and I have to say I'm largely impressed. But let's get the negatives out of the way first.

I am officially tired of winter. More than that, my SAD is kicking in hard , despite 8-12,000 IU of Vitamin D nightly. I started writing this post on Sunday, had the draft, found the links to the pretty recipes (need to remember to do that again for next week), and here it is Wednesday, and I am dragging ass. You can check out my Fitbit stats if you don't believe me. via GIPHY

I just don't have the energy to be a perfectionist all the damn time anymore. From a conversation with a friend: I'm going to treat this like Whole30. I'm a failure (according to their standards), but that's ok, this is what a work in progress looks like ... Scratch that, I am not a failure, I am not a perfectionist. I've been slacking. Not quite the procrastination bug, but something like that. More like the "I don't know where to get started" bug. I jumped on the Passion Planner bandwagon , got my Staples Arc folder (and now I found another one that's more perfect), and printed out the first month. Here we are in week three, and I am still looking at other's planners at least once a week and going to the tips section of the Passion Planner website to see why I am having so much trouble "getting it." I mean, pens, washi tape, post-its, color coding, the list goes on and on. Where is a practical, no-nonsense, non-artistic person

After I got out of the shower this morning I noticed a burning sensation on my neck. The only time I have that sensation is when I wear a less than pure or top-quality necklace. However, I did just color my hair. Crap. I lifted my braided bun and ... Irritated skin right at the base of my neck.  Not quite hives You might have to zoom in, but at the base of my neck is the irritated area. No, that is not a dye stain, which I kind of hoped at first. It feels different to the touch from the surrounding skin (patchy and angry, not smooth and soft). I have to wonder if it's the interaction of the dye with my necklace because my hands and scalp feel fine. It's just that little area that burns like the dickens. And this chain is pure silver. I've been wearing it almost everyday since 2010. The Importance of Patch Testing Well, beyond the obvious opportunity to avoid a severe allergic reaction (just google it ), I will now have to take allergy meds until this clears up a

Honestly, at this point in the year, it's kind of nice to not have to come up with new things to cook. I am not one of those people who can eat the same thing all the time, or have a "night" for a specific meal, but even with the internet, I am running out of quick, tasty, and healthy dinners. We are heading into week two of Plated and only having to grocery shop for the weekend is a load off my mind. One less thing to schedule time for. I did forget to go in this week and change everything to be Whole30 compliant, but I think we will be ok since it's only one serving. One more gushing thing that I am not being paid to say, Plated is letting me travel through my mouth! I know there is no way I would have been able to find the aji paste for last week's Peruvian's Aji Chicken around here. As of this week, I have five referrals available via email, so let me know if you would like to try a week of Plated at a deep discount ( like free ). Plated Menu C

I went to the gym at 8am today. Crazy right? But you know what? It was practically empty!!!! Anxious Introvert heaven! Locker room - empty. Floor - like three people. Cardio machines? Only two in use! I had my pick! The elliptical seemed like a good choice again. 45 minutes on an interval program and I did the majority of this week's video lectures for a Coursera course. I was feeling productive even though I hadn't had any coffee yet. Trying out this thing called "Time Management." via GIPHY Not too bad if I do say so myself, considering how I feel about cardio. I guess I was more relaxed today. Max HR only hit 154 according to the machine Fitbit has different stats I felt good as I got off the elliptical and then I had a brilliant epiphany. I had enough time to try the sauna! My trainer has been encouraging me to use it ever since the weather turned but I never make time for it. That is going to change STAT! I'm going to have to get over

Resolutions or No Resolutions?  I don't make resolutions, but I do try to maintain any good habits that I may have picked up in the previous year. Currently, that's journaling. I started in April 2017, and I haven't been consistent, but I am working on it. That, and going to the gym.

This morning's pre-coffee adventure involved looking for something that I have seen time and time again and yet couldn't find. My reserved Zipcar ! In this case, one reserved at the Rozzie Village Commuter Rail stop. I have seen the cars multiple times as I ride the train. You look out the window, and there they are. I swear, I couldn't find the car this morning. Part of the confusion, now that I am looking at the map, is that in the app it just says  " Fit Bride / Roslindale Village Commuter Rail"  The actual website has detailed information, but who would have thought to use that????  I was, of course, in the lower (South) lot. It was the only one I knew from driving into the Village Square. If you follow me on twitter or Instagram , you may be thinking, "Wait, you have a Jeep, why do you need a Zipcar???" Well, sometimes you just need a second car.  H needed to travel today for work, and normally in the spring or summer, commuter rail would

I've been more than a little skeptical of the home delivery meal kit plans for various reasons.

OMFG I don't know if I'm really unfit or if I had a minor anxiety attack, but I could not get beyond the warm-up of Ropes and Rowers . I was dizzy and felt a fainting spell come on. I hate fainting in public. Left the class to get some breathing room and water and never went back in. Sat for a while and my heart wouldn't stop racing ... Right. Ok. No sense in wasting this trip to the gym. So I went downstairs where it was warmer and quieter and I knew no one would be looking and judging. via GIPHY via GIPHY Since I had signed up for a class I didn't bring my headphones. From now on, I will always bring headphones. But it was kinda nice to just zone out on the elliptical for another 30 minutes. Listening to the hum of treadmills and just letting my brain wander while my body did its thing. I feel more relaxed than I have in a while (though while I wait for my ride to finish his workout I'm starting to freeze and seize up) and I got a few more ideas for this blo

I need your help. Please don't be upset or offended by the demographics questions. I'm asking because Google Analytics says that the majority (over 60%) of my readers are white males aged 30-55 with an income over $100,000. I'm fairly certain that my content is not aimed at that demographic, but hey, I could be wrong. This really is for research and I would appreciate honest answers. And if you do happen to fall into that demographic, what makes me so appealing? I need to know so I can keep doing it! Create your own user feedback survey

I'm sitting here asking myself why did I sign up for this? Nothing like a little ambition to start the new year. The #cook90 Starter Guide https://t.co/uoxYtYZbRy #fb — Annette (@daNanner) December 25, 2017 But the madness works out because we're doing another #januarywhole30 . The last time I attempted this was three years ago . I was over it pretty quickly. But, here I am again, in solidarity. I didn't lose weight or feel anything other than pissed off at the world last time, so we'll see if it's different this time around. Since I'm still mostly Paleo menu-planning is easy enough. And you can follow me on Instagram since I will be posting for both the Cook90 Challenge and Whole30. This is going to be a fun month.

I made it! Had to add in a few audiobooks that I had forgotten to, but it all counts, right? My 2017 in books. You can see my whole list here . What was your favorite book of 2017? What are you looking forward to reading in 2018?