My Life of Inconvenience

I took advantage of yesterday's sunshine and scorching heat, and dried my laundry on the line.  While TBG doesn't like his clothes stiff from the line, I do.  As a result, I did a load of my clothes and then hung them out.  When I do loads with his clothes, I give them a quick tumble to soften them up.  However, I prefer saving energy by using the power of the sun.  It's a lot more effort than just throwing the washed clothes into the dryer, but it's economical and environmentally friendly so I am up for the extra work.

Getting Smaller

I am starting to cut back even more on what we spend on food.  More to follow on that later in this post.  The basis for tonight's dinner was a whole fryer (chicken) that I got for .59 cents a pound at Save-a-Lot.  I bought the bird for $3.02 on Monday and got to work on it as soon as I got home.  Before putting it in the oven, I cut off the back and wings, then cut off all of the skin.  That provided two big meals for the dog.  I roasted the meat and then pulled it off the bones.  The bones then went into stock.  We did not have chicken for dinner on Monday as I had pork from the weekend, so I made that into burritos.  Dinner for us both and three lunches!

Loose Ends

We donated the old cabinet that used to be in this corner this evening.  It was a bit of a chore getting it downstairs and into the truck, but it finally freed up the space for the chest that I have used to consolidate the towels and  bedding.  The space is still not very "styled" but at least now we can open the window and appreciate a breeze and also have something to sit on in the hallway.  The challenge will be to not let it turn into a dumping station.

Consolidating

I have consolidated all of our linens into a cedar chest.  This contains a couple of sets of sheets, spare pillow cases, towels and bath mats.  Quite a lot of stuff needed to go in order to make this single source of storage work.  We decided we don't really like king sized pillows and no longer have any.  So those pillow cases went.  A number of top sheets went too.  Anything that was ripped was cut into rags. I don't like to donate damaged goods -- I think it sends a negative message.  I think people who  buy second hand deserve to buy good stuff.

It Looks LIke Dinner, but it was Lunch!

This was our Friday lunch.  I know, it looks a lot like a dinner -- and that is because it was made from left-overs!  The pizza from Wednesday only used 2/3 of the dough I made.  I knew that with the extra time I have on my day off, that I could use it for lunch.  The soup was leftover from my big batch early in the week.

Girls Morning

This morning I had a nice "girls morning," with just me and Teddy.  TBG went snow-shoeing with his GF Melissa.  We were intentionally separate!  There is no way I could treck five-plus miles, over hill and dale.  Plenty of snow was to be found at Chestnut Ridge park and I want my guy to  be able to take advantage of that.  I also wanted to spend the morning taking pictures of some of my favorite things in North Tonawanda, where I am now working.  I've been dying to share Cats Like Us with my readers.

My Recent "Win"

The greater distance I put between myself and my last job, the more convinced I am that I made the right choice.  My last day was officially 1/26.  Now that I am down to part-time and working in a healthier environment, I have noticed a number of things -- thanks in part to my FitBit.

First, I am moving more.  At my old job, there were days I only took about 2000 steps.  I am now over 7000 on most days and am no stranger to hitting 10,000.  My goal is set at 8000.

Un-Freaky Friday

 

For the most part now, Fridays will be my house-work day.  Last week, we were out of town, and the week before that, I broke the washing machine.  Having reduced work-hours meant I could catch up on clothes washing during the week.  Today I tacked beds.  I had two sets of sheets and pillow cases to wash.  In addition to that I picked a "project" task of washing the king-sized bedspread and a couple of pillows.

Winter Workout Gear

I dropped my gym/pool membership last year and even though I now have more time, I am not going to re-join any time soon.  While I do have more time on my hands, I don't really have enough to spare to go back to the gym full-boar.  Although it can be a challenge to get exercise in the winter, I have my own work-out -- walking the dog in the snow.  Yes, fitness is important, but keeping my life in order is a higher priority.

New Goals

One of my new goals, is to lose 25 pounds.  Being chained to a desk and stressed out has taken its toll on my health.  We gave ourselves a Sous Vide for Christmas so we could better cook meats and fish, and it's been a great gadget to have around.  The tool allows you to slow cook in a sealed, air-tight bag, with minimal effort.  We use a little bit of oil, but not a lot.  Tonight we made Ahi Tuna steaks. They were finished with a pan sear on the stove.  I baked up cauliflower and potato wedges in our convection oven.  While the picture from my phone doesn't do the plate justice, this was a meal that came in under 600 calories (including wine).