MDW Re-Cap

Good morning gym rats! I hope you all had a nice long Memorial Day Weekend and got to enjoy some fair weather, good eats, and QT with family and friends. It’s so nice to have an extra day to get all those chores done that I usually procrastinate on during the typical 2-day weekend. There’s always something that gets tacked onto my “to-do” list and saved for the next long weekend or PTO day.

In keeping with the 2014 tradition, this weekend’s weather was anything but predictable here in Portland. It rained off-and-on making outdoor plans a little dicey but I still managed to be ultra productive. Saturday morning began with my scheduled back sesh (owie sore traps!!) and then off to get my groceries for the week. Yay sale on watermelon! I actually haven’t sliced into it yet but I just love the fresh fruits that pack the store shelves this time of year.

After heading home and getting cleaned-up I picked up my Stepmother and took her out for brunch and pedicures (a belated Mother’s Day present). We went to the Front Room for eats which I was really excited to try since everyone raves about their brunch but I was less-than-impressed and won’t be returning. I ordered the spinach and bacon gnocchi with poached eggs and got the vegetable gnocchi (also with poached eggs). I detest tomatoes and mushrooms which my plate was piled high with. The place was packed though so I just kept my mouth shut and ate the rest as I knew that if I tried to send it back it would be another 30 minutes for the server to return and then another 30 minutes to get my correct order (with a side-order of snot most likely). I had an unsatisfying dinner there a few years ago so I’m 0-for-2 at that place. I will say they make a delicious blood orange mimosa though!

After our post-brunch pedi’s (I got a summery pink-coral color) I drove out to Bridgeton in middle-of-nowhere Western Maine to check-out a sale on a kayak package I had found while perusing Craigslist. Kayaking has always been one of my most favorite outdoor activities. Being out on the water on a calm, sunny day with no distractions is the most relaxing place I know of. Even better than a massage (IMO) since no one else is there to interrupt your train of thought. Unfortunately I had sold my beloved pink kayak of 20+ years last Fall (long story for another day) so I needed another. I’m a big fan of the sit-on-top variety (perfect for sunbathing) and this one was about $325 for the kayak, paddle, and lifejacket. Not a bad deal! It’s an Ocean Kayak which is a reputable brand and it’s small and light enough for me to load and unload on my own. I’m so excited to break it in!

Even better, the Thule roof-racks and roll-bar I had saved in my shed from 3 vehicles ago fit my new Jeep perfectly! I contemplated taking it out for a spin yesterday but the clouds kept rolling-in and I just knew that with my luck by the time I got out to a lake or pond somewhere it would either be down-pouring or worse. Crossing my fingers for next weekend!

Sunday morning began with a lengthened bicep sesh instead of yoga class. I didn’t want to aggravate my shoulder issue but also didn’t want to lose a day of fitness so I split-up my combined bicep/tricep day this week. Then, after a delicious (and typical) grilled chicken salad lunch I decided to take Mugsy out for some exercise. We ended up at the Eastern Promenade where there is a long paved walking path as well as a dog-friendly beach. Of course, Mugsy is only selectively dog-friendly so I took him to the far end before unleashing him and letting him retrieve a stick from the frigid ocean waves about a thousand times. The dog never tires of this game and absolutely LOVES to swim! Apparently that is unusual for a boxer.

That afternoon I headed over to my Dad and Stepmother’s house for a MDW BBQ. I wish I had taken a pic of the sausage and kielbasa platter. It was pretty impressive! I sampled some Lithuanian sausage, chicken & chorizo sausage, and some kielbasa. I’m not much of a sausage fan but I do appreciate the high-protein options for once! I also enjoyed some sesame-glazed grilled shrimp (my request).

Yesterday was by far the most productive of the 3 days. After my tricep sesh (they are sooo sore today!) I took Mugsy to Macworth Island in Falmouth. It was still early enough in the day (about 9:30) so I knew it would be the best time to be able to walk around the wooded path without too many dog encounters. There’s also limited parking on the island so waiting until the afternoon would likely mean having to park on the mainland (too much travel for my poor shins!). It was a gorgeous, sunny and warm walk and we spent a long time playing fetch again on a little secluded beach on the far side (my secret spot). Mugsy will never show his exhaustion while outside but once we get home after that much running and swimming, he is out cold for the day which makes me one happy Momma! After two days in a row of sand and salt water though he was in dire need of a bath so once we got home I plopped him in the tub (which needed a good cleaning anyway) and soaped him up with some peppermint dog wash. He’s so soft and cuddly now…and his white spots are so WHITE! Haha

After cleaning all the dog dirt & grime out of the tub I was on a cleaning kick so I decided to drag the vacuum out and give the interior of my Jeep that thorough cleaning I’ve been procrastinating on since I bought it…5 months ago (insert embarrassed face here). You know I’m not the first owner when you find a French fry under the seat. Gross! By the time I was done with this chore my shins were aching terribly. This doc appointment cannot come soon enough. I really pray they can accurately pinpoint the issue(s) because I am so sick of constantly popping painkillers. Not to mention, my constant (perhaps irrational) fear of getting fat from lack of cardio.

The rest of the day I pretty much just lounged around, watched some mindless TV and read a bit. I’ve been hooked on the Gillian Flynn books lately. I plowed through her most famous, Gone Girl, a couple of weeks ago and thus had to rush out to purchase her other two, Sharp Objects and Dark Places. I highly recommend these if you like a suspenseful page-turner. I only wish I wasn’t such a fast reader; these were supposed to be my summer beach reads!

Anyway, this post has gotten long enough and I really must be on with my day. I’m going to attempt to do shoulders tonight. Praying my right deltoid can handle at least a light load! We have a work offsite on Friday so thankfully it’s only a 3-day workweek for me. I can handle that. I think.