It’s an interesting word vacation.  When you spend time out of a regular workday it’s considered a vacation but is it a vacation or just a different experience when one is no longer working a regular job?  I had a wonderful trip to AZ, and visited a friend in NM and is was all just living my life, and enjoying every day in a different way from maybe a routine that I’ve established while at my home.  So I wasn’t looking to vacate my normal life, but was enjoying different days, and still having a ‘routine’ in my daily living.  Anyway, whether you are on vacation or just living life in a different way for a while, enjoy each day.

I am working on my eating - what I eat, when I eat, how much I eat, in an attempt to lose some fat that I've accumulated.  I have researched nutrituion a lot and it's like a hobby to me in a way so I know some things but I'm not sure what will make the difference for me, so I've become an experiment of one.  

One thing I am trying is to manage when I eat carbs.  I ride my bike 5 days a week and so before I go on a ride, it is good for me to have some good carbs.  If I can keep to that for a whiile I'll see if it makes a difference.  I want to be able to perform on my bike, and not bonk, so having some carbs before and during my rides will be helpful.

I think I need to increase the amount of protein I eat, but it needs to be non-fatty meat.  I like ground turkey and chicken so I'm good eating those in the majority.   But in order to get enough protein for what I've figured out for myself, I also have a protein shake after my rides (with some fruit and fat) to help with recovery.

For snacks I am trying to head for celery, carrots, broccoli and hummus or something similar - I get the crunch and salt that I used to give myself with potato chips, and it is healthier to have the veggies.

I've also figured out if I don't eat enough I'm not helping because then my metabolism slows down, which is not helpful, so 3 squares, and some snacking is what I'm moving forward with.  

In addition I do a strength and balance workout 2 times a week.  I'm going to start adding another day.  Having more muscle, should help - both for increasing metabolism and for my longer term health.
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Yesterday we had a nice taste of Spring - it got up to the mid-50's.  I rode my bike outside and it was so nice.  I explored some of the new neighborhoods that are springing up all over the hillsides near where I live - lots of new families and parks being built, and it gets me off the main highways, and it's fun to discover how the roads go through or don't!  

No matter the time of year I find myself getting into a rhythm with my days. I suppose it starts from my sleeping habits - I'm regularly going to bed the same time of the night and getting up around the same time also - without an alarm even.  I find I prefer to workout / exercise in the morning and that really starts my day off on a good foot.  After working out and lunch my days are more varied, depending on what I need to do that day or want to make sure I get done.  Yesterday I spent a great deal of time trying to get my printer to work - connect to the wi-fi, and was unsuccessful, so I hard wired it to my laptop to get the things I needed to print printed.  Today I was lead to the printers website where there was an admin module to try.  I downloaded it, watched the video on what to try, and voila!  My printer now works wirelessly, and it's so great.  I guess I know enough to try things and this time I was lead to the right solution.

Welcome to February, 2023. I wrote a card to someone a few weeks ago and put the date 2022...so that was in January, and still getting used to the new year I guess. But now that it's February, no excuses!  I am busy collecting papers for tax preparations, and it's an interesting time to reflect on how my finances have shifted over the past year. We think things stay pretty much the same from year to year, but when we take the time to reflect back we can see many subtle changes that don't hold a spot in our thoughts, but they are there and it's nice to see sometimes.  I notice the days getting a little bit longer, but so far not much warmer!  It's been good skiing weather, and good for snowshoeing as well.  Nice to have that variety of activity.

It's the same every winter isn't it - we can't believe how cold or snowy or not sunny it is!  But here we are, in winter, and it's snowing and it's cold.  Today the sun is out and it is a rather nice day.  I've been snowshoeing and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the outdoors, with only the deer and Canadian geese to keep me company.  I do enjoy a good book, and the fire in the fireplace, so cozy.  See there is a lot to like about wintertime!

Yesterday it snowed, through the night and into the day.  Neighborhood schools were closed and I got a knock on my door to see if I wanted my sidewalk shoveled!  I said no, but got the persons name and address so in case I have a need sometime I will know who to look up.
It continued to snow all day, so any clearing of the path would have had to be done again anyway!  I waited until after 5 to clear my path and in front of my garage.  I am lucky now because my 'driveway' is in the sun so it often melts on it's own!  
I've been riding my bike inside on the trainer, and watching Australian Open tennis.  

Just getting back to engaging with my website. I plan to be blogging once a week and will blog about things that I'm thinking about and wondering about.  And I hope that it will be inspirational and engaging for those that read the blog.
Retirement is just a transistion out or working for a living to living for others and exploring more of the world.  It also will be a time for me to invest more in relationships.  I'm looking forward to the adventure, and all that it brings.

Want to get the habit of working out?  No matter what just every day get up, put on your gym clothes and go to the gym.  Even if you don't end up working out because you don't have the energy, you have the habit of going to the gym, and more than likely once you are there you will find the energy to do at least something.  But if not, you take a shower and head to work.  Try it.  It might work for you.

My words for this year are not picked yet.  But I'm thinking about what I will choose to help me have a successful year.  I'm in a contest with two of my brothers for getting fit.  We are also reading at least one book a month - I'll probably read about one book a week, but that's ok.  I'll be logging my books on the book tab of this website.

Last year I moved to Colorado and so it's a new experience for me to be living here, and I'm looking forward to all that it brings, and all the new experiences I'll have, and make for myself.