The Town Line, Tideview Preserve Atlantic Beach, FL – September 1, 2021
On The Beach:
Rise and Shine, 10th Street Atlantic Beach, FL – September 3, 2021Rise and Shine, 10th Street Atlantic Beach, FL – August 30, 2021Sky Art Atlantic Beach, FL – August 31, 2021Sky Art Atlantic Beach, FL – September 4, 2021Sunset Storms Atlantic Beach, FL – September 2, 2021
In The Gardens:
Mammoth Sunflower, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 31, 2021Bumblebee Tomatoes, San Marzano Tomatoes, Gatherer’s Gold Peppers Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 30, 2021Gatherer’s Gold Peppers Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – September 5, 2021Eggplant Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 30, 2021
On The Streets Where I Live:
Painted Rock, Tenth Street Atlantic Beach, FL – September 3, 2021Neighborhood Love, Beach Blvd Atlantic Beach, FL – August 31, 2021Stop And Smell, First Street Neptune Beach, FL – September 1, 2021Stop And Smell, Beach Ave Atlantic Beach, FL – September 4, 2021Reduce Reuse Recycle, First Street Neptune Beach, FL – September 1, 2021
Howell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 31, 2021Tideview Preserve Atlantic Beach, FL – September 1, 2021Tideview Preserve Atlantic Beach, FL – September 4, 2021Jacksonville Arboretum Jacksonville, FL – September 3, 2021Fort Caroline Jacksonville, FL – September 5, 2021Public Art, Jack Russell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 31, 2021
Codee Cam:
Codee Coolin Off, Atlantic Beach Dog Park Atlantic Beach, FL – September 3, 2021“Are you sure this is okay?” – Codee Jack Russell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 31, 2021“Something doesn’t feel right here…” – Codee Atlantic Beach, FL – August 31, 2021
On The Plates:
Beet, Lentil, and Chickpea Salad; Mary’s Gone Crackers Super Seed Classic Crackers; Nancy’s Cultured Cottage Cheese; Mixed Spring Greens Yellow Bell Pepper, Grass Fed Cubed Steak, Coconut Milk Buckwheat, Parsley, Arugula, Blistered Grape TomatoesRaw Veggie Plate; Chicken, Cabbage, Egg Salad
Garmin Says:
Cardio Workouts – Atlantic Beach, FL August 30 – September 5, 2021
Keeping Guard at Town Center Atlantic Beach/Neptune Beach, FL – August 26, 2021
There were some rough seas this morning and not many people were braving the water, but our lifeguards were looking out just the same. Remarkably enough, I have not braved the water above my knees this summer, but I come to the beach almost everyday and it’s one of the places that I will miss the most when my time off comes to an end. I just keep reminding myself that I bought my condo and that it will all be here waiting….fingers crossed, of course.
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 26, 2021
In The Gardens:
Team Beautification, Beach Blvd Atlantic Beach, FL – August 26, 2021Dreary Day Sunshine, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 26, 2021
Back To The Beach:
Atlantic Beach FL – August 26, 2021
There was a break in the storms that made for a beautiful evening stroll and a little “bird” watching. I know it sounds a little like something an 8 year old boy would say, but I think that helicopters are so cool. We get a fair amount of air traffic over our beach because there is a Navy base 3.5 miles up from my place.
Atlantic Beach FL – August 26, 2021Atlantic Beach FL – August 26, 2021
Sweating It Out:
I had pretty mixed emotions about my cardio goal when I first set it. First, I thought it was too easy. Then, I was concerned that it was going to be too hard, but I think I hit it right on. The freedom of pace makes it not an overwhelming daily task and I think that I have found an awesome rhythm this week. I used to be so concerned with pace and distance. Right now, I am concerned with consistency, fun, and a feeling of accomplishment. Plus, it’s a truly great way to spend a rainy hour.
What I Watched:
I wouldn’t say that I am a fan of her music, mostly, because, well…I just never really listened to it. BUT….I am a big fan of hers. What is there not to love about a business woman, positive role model, and artist. I really enjoyed watching some of the story of her rise in the industry. I hate how right she can be about the perceived length of time that the American public will tolerate a woman being successful, but I hope that she sticks around for a few more decades. It turns out, she’s also a great storyteller.
On The Plates:
I don’t think that I have had this green drink consistency before. I am thinking about mixing it up once tour starts again and trying Athletic Greens. I don’t usually consume things with stevia because I have read some conflicting reports…surprise, surprise, right?…But convenience might win out a bit more on this upcoming tour. Drop me a line if you are an Athletic Greens supporter. I would love to hear your opinion of the product. Goodness knows that I hear all my favorite podcast hosts rave about it. Anyway, for the first food food meal of the day, I had chicken breast with roasted cauliflower, eggplant, and grape tomatoes. I also had a few extra herby bits kicking around, so there is a bit of basil and parsley in there as well.
See? Sometimes, I want to shout, “I eat things out of a package!!” 🙂 I’m just kidding, but it does happen. It’s a complicated food system out there, but I do think that a few companies are really trying to put out quality products. I really like the Applegate Organics Chicken and Apple Sausage. The chickens are raised in a certified humane way and the majority of the ingredients are organic which is about as good as it gets, barring knowing the farmer, of course. Plus, they are fully cooked and tasty. Tonight, I had one sliced into some coconut milk buckwheat and green beans. Less than 15 minutes to the bowl!
Okay, I’m going to keep working on it, but I have always had a difficult time getting these to photograph as delightfully as they taste. I pretty much end every night with a version of one, though, so…there you have it. I’m trying to get into this single ingredient pea protein that I bought and, it turns out that blending it with banana, strawberries, coconut milk, and basil helped me not care that it’s a little grainy. Like so many, I might be a little addicted to sugar…😉 and, like so many things in life, my recovery from it is a long and bumpy process. I like the way the addiction manifests itself in this phase, though and, historically, I have had very few regrets from indulging in natural sugars in whole fruit form. I can guarantee that my blood sugar wasn’t into the Jameson or the ice cream phase of my life, so progress, not perfection, right?
I don’t startle easily so much anymore, but this little dude, literally, came out of nowhere as we were leaving this morning. This is fair warning if you get squirmy with reptiles, this might not be the place for you. Come to think of it, I post a lot of insect photos, too, so…
Anyway…clearly, this little creature was having the exact same experience of being in the wrong place and, man, was she ever freaked out! Truthfully, I don’t even know where she got off to in the end. Right after I took this photo, she disappeared as quickly as she appeared. Fingers crossed that I don’t find her in an upside down state in a few days…
Cornered, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 24, 2021
Parks and Recreation:
Spanish Pond, Timucuan National Preserve Jacksonville, FL – August 24, 2021Spanish Pond, Timucuan National Preserve Jacksonville, FL – August 24, 2021
In The Gardens:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 24, 2021
I found a couple of extra trash cans in my guest room closet while I was looking for the right space to put a washer and dryer in the condo. I was about to put them in the Goodwill bin, but decided that I would re-plant some tomatoes instead. I’m going to have to start moving some of these seedlings to the garden soon. It might seem like I am planting a ton of plants and that’s because I am. The clock is ticking down to tour and the end of my time playing in the soil, for now. I think that the 9’ sunflowers will probably be my most successful planting endeavor, but I am looking forward to the fall season.
Mammoth Sunflowers, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 24, 2021
Sweating It Out:
It was such a nice “return from the rest day” pace and there was a good special on the TV, so I added a bonus mile.
What I Watched:
This particular Netflix special is one that I return to again and again. For those of you that don’t know of Brene, we must not be spending enough time together. She is one of my heroes and, by far, one of the most inspirational people to me in terms of trying to understand…well…a lot of things. She is a shame and vulnerability researcher, but she is also a professor, a business woman, an author, and a tremendous storyteller. Her books are all over my house and Kindle and her two podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare To Lead, are among my favorites. This talk is really grounding for me, so I was happy to keep at it on the treadmill while she kept talking.
On The Plates:
Goodness was all over the plates today! Brunch was, per usual this month, my standard green drink, but I had a pretty grain packed day after that. Supper was my new favorite meal of grass fed beef cubed steak with coconut milk buckwheat and green beans. I’m not saying that I licked the plate, but I definitely used a green bean to scrape up the last bits of yumminess. I meal prepped the buckwheat and steak yesterday and the green beans cooked in the skillet that I used to reheat everything. I’ll probably have the same thing tomorrow, but with a different veggie.
Dinner was equally fast, but not quite as successful due to a structural failure. This is my third package of this brand of sprouted corn tortillas and I haven’t had this problem until now. The tortillas seem to be much drier and more crumbly than the past packages, but the meal was good, so I didn’t care and ate it more like a salad. They were very well seasoned scrambled egg tacos with pickled carrots, red onion and green peppers on mixed greens. I ended the day with a pear that was close to the size of my head and two servings of cashews. Today is one of my two “Under 1700 Calorie” days for this week of my four week challenge. The other five days, my goal is to keep under 1500 calories.
Cronometer:
Garmin Says:
Easing back into it and feeling strong heading into Week 4! I’m keeping the goals the same for the last week of the challenge. A minimum of 15,000 steps per day, including a 5 mile stretch of any pace over 4.0mph or a 15minute/mile (meaning 5 miles of exercise, not activity), plus three days of resistance training. I think I can nail it. Everything is started to get a little more routine and moving, in general, is easier as my body re-adapts to purposeful movement. I remember how this becomes addictive again.
Riverside Arts Market Jacksonville, FL – February 20, 2021
Saturdays are farmers market days, or is it “farmer’s market?”…either way, this week, I went to the Riverside Arts Market before heading to the Dig Local Market in Jax Beach. I like some of the produce farmers at the Riverside Market and it’s great crowd training for Codee. We typically cruise through all of the lanes before heading to the veggies. We came home with an eggplant, a small butternut quash, a small spaghetti squash, and a few zucchini. Like most outings, we aren’t there for terribly long and I try not to get too close to people, but it’s nice to hear some live music. If you can believe it, there was a gentleman playing a Kenny G. song on his saxophone this week. I was glad a had some tip money.
Riverside Arts Market Jacksonville, FL – August 21, 2021
In The Gardens:
Another sunflower has fallen, or rather, was pushed over by me before it could fall over on its own. It’s hard to believe that two months of joyful entertainment could come from a handle of small seeds and a little patience.
Mammoth Sunflowers, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021How The Mammoth Have Fallen, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021
On The Beach:
It disappeared behind the clouds shortly after I took the last shot, but it was a clear enough evening to have a beautiful view of the Blue Moon rising.
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021Blue Moon Rising Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021Blue Moon Rising Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021
Sweating It Out:
What I Watched:
I got my baking fix in TV form today with Christina Tossi’s Netflix series Bake Squad. The special guests rarely choose the entry that I would pick if the Bake Squad was baking for my party, but all of their desserts are so creative that I certainly wouldn’t turn any of them down.
On The Plates:
Some things aren’t exceptional photography subjects, but are so yummy and so fast that I don’t care. I had my standard green drink as my first small meal of the day and I continued with two ridiculously fast and simple plates. The carrots and tomatoes were raw when I started, but the chicken and the broccoli were cooked and standing by in the fridge. I cooked the carrots for a bit solo and then added the rest to reheat and bring it together. For dinner, I had a Chickapea spiral bowl with mushrooms and green beans that I sautéed while the noodles were cooking. Dessert was a favorite combo of fresh blueberries and raw cashew pieces. I could have used a handful or two of greens somewhere, but an otherwise excellent day….
Cronometer:
Garmin Says:
An all around solid day. I like that 20,000 is fairly consistently normal again. My treadmill desk helps.
Saturday Night Snoozing, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 21, 2021
Happy hump day! Is that still a thing? If I had to choose a hump day on the road, it would be Friday. We’re typically settled in the city by that point and hitting the groove before a weekend of shows. They’ll be plenty of time for that madness soon enough, but around here, it’s still summer vacation. Codee’s path to fitness is not quite as quick as one might like, but he is showing significant improvements in his overall energy as we continue to drop the daily dose of prednisone. He’ll always be my food dude, though.
“So…this is not a food thing, then?”, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021
I was reminded that I have to work on his manners when people come and go from the condo in a big way this morning. I had a contractor come to give me an estimate for some renovations and he gets worked up now when people come to the door. He calms down fairly quickly, but the whole process starts again if they leave and then re-enter his line of sight. He wasn’t protective before and he’s not in the least bit aggressive, but he is loud and it stresses him out a bit. On the other hand, it stresses me out a lot, but I remind myself that adding to his nervous energy is the exact opposite of helpful and take a deep breath. It’s a delicate line because, as I am sure you can imagine, I do, kind of, like that he responds, but we’re going to work on fine tuning it.
In The Garden:
Heavy Headed Mammoth Sunflowers, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021
From ginormous flowers to tiny trees to naturally hideous kale plants, it’s a weird in between time in northeast Florida. I think the tallest of these guys has given it everything he has, though! I wonder if the massive amounts of rain that we have had recently just soaked the whole thing. Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers, but when they get droopy, I feel like it’s sad for everyone to keep them around. Like, I should let the poor plant keep some dignity and go out with no one watching… Also, I am afraid that it’s going to come down during a thunderstorm unexpectedly. I don’t want any complaints from the neighbors about a 9’ sunflower blocking the driveway. I wonder if I’ll need my tiny hacksaw. Tune in tomorrow to see how I fold it into the Rogue.
Tiny Plants, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021
I think if I can keep these guys alive through the heat, they might make it through the fall. The big pepper plants still have peppers on them, but the kale is in pretty rough condition, however, it is still growing new leaves and in my garden, that means hope. I think it’s growing back from the last big harvest in a really unique way. None of the other plants in the garden have side offshoots. I hope she makes it.
Lacinato Kale and Gatherer’s Gold Sweet Peppers Dig Local Communtity, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021
Sweating It Out:
Feeling hot, hot, hot… I am grateful for the luxury of my treadmill for so many reasons. It’s a much better practice to spend some evening time on the treadmill than on the couch. The silver lining to living alone is that I can watch whatever I want while I trot along. To boost the calorie burn a bit, I held my 3lb dumb bells for four of the five miles.
Okay, I swear that I am not completely obsessed with Jason Bateman, but since they mentioned this movie on Smartless, I wanted to check it out. It’s entertaining, but I’d watch Ozarks again before re-watching this one, for sure. I definitely know people that have that seriously competitive spirit, though!!
On The Plates:
If it ain’t broke…the green drink brunch continues, but in some shocking news…today, I mixed it up and added some bonus cucumber. A co-worker of mine called it “crunchy water” one time and I think that it’s a much better name for them. I like to be fancy and buy the English cucumbers when they aren’t too soft. It often feels like I am the only one who eats veggies as a snack…I mean, I also love a pickle, but maybe it’s that the fresh cucumbers always seem so refreshing. Maybe, I don’t drink enough water. Does anyone else love to eat salted slices of cucumber? At the end of the day, I thawed some plums from a farmers market a few weeks ago that I had tucked in the freezer and I added cashews back into my life for the first time in four weeks. I missed them so much. Nuts are definitely my binge weakness though, especially since it’s really easy to lose count of how many I have had. I’m going to keep measuring, tracking, and for sure posting because that accountability really helps me make better choices. Thanks for that. 🙂
On to dinner. I had a Hot Chicken Arugula Salad with Chickpea Leek Squash Fritters. It sounds super complicated, but it’s not. I mean, it could be but it wasn’t. I added some Seite hot sauce to a cooked, shredded chicken breast that I had in the fridge. Then, I used what was left of my over cooked spaghetti squash and mixed it up really well with some chickpea flour, sautéed leeks, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper and tucked that back in the fridge alongside the mason jar of marinating chicken…is it still marinating if it’s already cooked?… hmmm… Anyway, they both joined the already roasted cauliflower that I cut into bite sized pieces. When it was time for dinner, I cooked the fritters in some avocado oil on the stovetop, chopped some celery, put the arugula on the plate, and piled on the chicken. I cheated and filled in a fake sauce because I thought it would look better and because most people have a ranch or blue cheese dressing that they like. I wasn’t in the mood for a dressing, but you should use one of those if you are.
We took a road trip to Wildwood, FL today to take care of a few projects for my mom. She recently purchased a house down here, but since she is still working in Connecticut, I am very grateful that I am not. It’s nice to be able to help HER for a change. It takes about three and a half hours to get there because I take my time and enjoy the views of the farms along the way. There are so many pieces of property for sale and I find myself daydreaming about having some land of my own. A micro farm, a tiny orchard and a General Store Cafe. It’s a nice dream, right? I had a mostly successful trip from a to do list perspective and, despite a wicked downpour on the drive home, we made it in time for a peaceful beach walk.
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 16, 2021
On The Plates:
A day on the road meant a ton of raw veggies and fruit during the day. Who am I kidding? I always eat a lot of fruits and veggies, but they are perfect for car snacking. I brought a cooler with some extra things with me in case we ended up staying and, more importantly, because I like to keep my coffee cold. I had a jar of Ground Pork Smothered Cabbage that had started to thaw on the trip and when we made it home in time for dinner, it was quick to reheat in a skillet. I used my tiny cast iron skillet to make a couple of sunny side up eggs to put on top because the day had been fairly void of protein. Also, they make this dish really feel like a meal.
Cronometer:
Ah…travel days. Not terribly different from other days when it comes down to it. They just require more ice.
Garmin Says:
I remember writing last week that I was going to be more mindful of at least hitting my step goal on my cardio rest day, but I completely forgot that I was going to spend 7 of those hours in the car. We jogged a bit at the rest area and took a walk on the beach, but I still missed it by over 3,000. Glad I broke 5 digits, but better luck next week.
I’ll put this delicately…The little man had some digestive issues that caused a very early morning (2:54AM) trip outside. Historically, I am not known for my natural ability to wake, but luckily, I have woken up every time that it has really mattered when it comes to this guy…so far. Oddly, he doesn’t bark, but I must sense that something is different in the bed. Tonight was no exception and we made it in time. 3AM isn’t an unknown hour to me, but it did mean that I was awake for awhile after. No worries for Codee though. He was definitely my partner in sleeping in today and seemed to be just fine when we got a late start. We headed straight to the community garden instead of hitting the beach or the park. The garden is 1.75 miles from the condo and to get there, I go through an area, apparently known officially as the Mayport Road Corridor. Earlier in the year, Atlantic Beach partnered with the firm ArtRepublic to add about 15 murals to buildings in the neighborhood and this one is part of a large group of them on Mayport Road. They have been pretty controversial, as all good art should be. The other side thinks that they aren’t “beachy” enough, but I think that is why I love the project so much. It’s nice to have a little originality and diversity in our public art. Someday, I’ll try to find out more about the man in this particular mural.
In The Gardens:
Sprouts are so fun because, well plants are just awesome, but also because changes are noticeable day to day when they are this tiny. I’m going to have to break these guys apart pretty soon, I think. I still marvel at how all of these purple tomatillo sprouts popped up after an unripe fruit that fell from a plant a few months ago decomposed just right. Mother Nature carried on the most important part of the plant even if I have yet to taste one proving yet again that she does not need us. Maybe this season, the timing will be right. 🤞
Tomatillo Sprouts Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road Atlantic Beach, FL – August 6, 2021
Here at the condo, my sunflowers are just about to burst into color. I really didn’t expect them to get to 9’! This is going to be quite a compost run once the season is finished.
Mammoth Sunflowers, The Condo Atlantic Beach FL – August 6, 2021
On the other hand, I am not holding my breath about the fruitfulness of this pepper plant patch.
Codee Cooling Off, The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 6, 2021
Sweating It Out:
That’s right. It’s not a typo. I’m calling this category a Wog. It’s not quite a walk and not quite a jog…something immediately in between though it’s enough to give my heart rate a little boost. I’m sure I live in the Sunshine State, but I keep lining my timing up with our daily storm, so here we are…Well, here we are after Codee decided that I had had a long enough wog.
What I Watched:
Amazon released Season 2,Episode 1 for free, but the rest of the Season 2 episodes are on Showtime. It’s a guilty pleasure and I feel like that’s the only other thing I need to say about it.
On The Plates:
I had my usual Green Drink for brunch, but then it was a natural sugar landslide from there.
So many sweet potatoes this week!! I like to roast a few at a time and keep them in the fridge or the freezer…it’s a tiny amount in sweet potatoes, but more on resistant starch later. Dinner was simple and nice. I pulled everything cooked from the fridge, so I just heated it in a skillet with some avocado oil, starting with the baked sweet potato, then the cubed, skinless, roasted chicken breast, then the steamed broccoli. It only takes a few minutes to get everything up to a good temperature.
Maybe it was TOO simple, though. It was really good, but I kind of wanted it to have a sauce when it was all said and done…I don’t usually get into making one, but maybe a lemon vinaigrette or a mustard sauce? I got some nice color on the sweet potatoes, though. I won’t be surprised if I make this next week, so I’ll keep that note in mind.
Cronometer:
The day played out with me skipping supper and tacking a double portion onto my evening sweet tooth fix…My Frozen Peanut Banana. It was the second dessert day of the week…Go big or…never mind…I’ll see tomorrow what this does to my scale number, but I’m going to guess that it won’t move much in either direction tomorrow morning. This will more than likely halt that quick water weight drop I was experiencing. Two bananas and an apple are a lot of sugar to have at once at any point in the day, but especially two hours before bed…I know better, but it’s a splurge, so let’s make it worth it, right? Points to me for dulling the blood sugar effect a tiny bit by blending the bananas with peanut protein powder and full fat coconut milk. To be clear, the apple didn’t go in the frozen banana. It was it’s own crunchy craving after I had the “nice cream”…one is too many and two is not enough… It’s all good. I still think it was a successful day.
Garmin Says:
Not as active overall today, but I still hit the goals.
114 Days Until Load In…Stay safe and moving, y’all!!
