The 9th Friday of 2017

I just accidentally wrote “2016” in my title.  Good thing I caught it before I hit publish.  It still feels like it has to be 2016.  This year can’t be going by this fast, but it is.  Too fast!!!  March, already.  It almost seems unreal.  It does to me anyway.  Last month already got away from me, so before this week gets away, let me get my thoughts down, once again, for my regularly scheduled Friday post.  I don’t want to only be posting on Fridays, I promise, but lately it’s the best I can do.

I’ve had a few things on my mind this week.  Specifically: health, fitness, and new cars.  Let me start with the health part.  I felt a bit like a failure in the diet department this week.  It happens, I know, but I just can’t seem to get myself on track with this part of my life the last few weeks.  I’m trying to drop a few pounds, and I hate to even say that cause whenever someone not fitting the typical ‘overweight’ category mentions dieting, people get all weird about it.  Why in the world do you need to diet?  Is the most common reaction.  Well, a dictionary definition of diet is:

1. The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

 So technically, everyone is on some kind of a diet, right?  Lately, I’ve been on a low carb diet and I really truly dislike low carb diets.  I also don’t think that I do well on low carb diets.  I can get into the ketosis stage pretty quickly, but then I end up eating way too much cheese and nuts and start to feel like I am making no progress at all.  I don’t feel good and healthy on this diet, and the scale doesn’t move in the direction I want, lately it’s been going up.

I happen to do a lot of research into health and fitness, especially nutrition, and I don’t talk too much about that kind of thing over here on the blog, (maybe I should start?) but I know a thing or two about this topic.  I know how diets work, I also know and have learned that the scale isn’t the ultimate authority in dieting success.  In fact, when one is building muscle, the scale tends to go up, which is what I know could be happening in my case.  But, my body fat percentage isn’t dropping and all these muscles that I am working so hard on are not showing, thus the need for me to be complaining about being on this particular diet.  Anyway, in case you didn’t get it, I don’t like my diet and I need to do something about that.  I did very well when I was counting my macros and I think that is what I need to go back to.  Low carb dieting is just easier for my guy to do when I am doing it with him, and he is also working on losing some of his ‘winter coat’, so I am trying to be moral support.  Sigh!  I am going to have to do something different… Okay, dieting rant, over.

Next, I’ve had my mind on my car.  I can’t even believe I am thinking about this, but my Mini Cooper may have its days numbered.  (It hurt a little just to write that.)  When I got my car, almost seven years ago, I couldn’t picture myself ever driving something different; yup, Mini Coopers for life!   It’s not everyday you get to own one of your dream cars, and, yes, one of my dream cars is a Mini Cooper.  So once I got one, having something different was never a thought.  I’ve been questioning my stand on that thought recently.  It all started when I realized I, once again, need a new set of very expensive run flat tires.  (I know, I could switch to regular radials, but then I wouldn’t have a spare and once I didn’t have a spare, I know I would need it that very day.)  And I, once again,  currently have two leaks under my car.  The most recent thing being another oil leak.  The last time I had an oil leak, it wasn’t cheap.  I reckon this time won’t be either, and I have a hard time finding anyone willing to work on my car other then the overpriced dealer in Memphis.  I’ve done some research into my particular model, generation, whatever you want to call it, and I’m not the only one with these kinds of car problems.  I’ve read about a lot of them and even the Mini Cooper shuttle driver told me about several regular problems common to my specific model the last time I had my car in.  (I wonder if he still has a job?)  So, I am at a car crossroads.  Do I drive my Mini until it’s done for, which is what we’ve always done with our vehicles, in which time I will most likely be paying a high price for maintenance?  Or do I give it up while there is still something to get, and find something new that doesn’t come with such a high price tag for service?  Decisions, decisions.  I do really love my car though so this is a tough one…  Sigh!  Car rant probably NOT over, but instead to be continued…

And that is what I am thinking about this week.  I’m off now, it’s been a long day.  I took two of my favorite teenage boys to Jump Street and then there was grocery shopping on a Friday at Costco in Franklin, TN.  Lots of traffic, lots of people, and I am ready to kick my feet up and call it a night.  Until next time, have a wonderful weekend.  The three of us here are planting trees this weekend.  It’s gonna be another nice weekend outside, and I am looking forward to it.