Nail(ed) To the Couch: Second Look, First Love

When I first got this color, I really didn’t like it. Lately, this color has been making me extra feisty and I actually really, really like it. It is E-Nuff Is E-Nuff by Essie. I have also gotten a lot of compliments on it - which doesn't happen too often with my nails in general - not because it's bad, just, no one comments. 

I was getting feist enough that Bob had me put on another polish - 'cause he's a fantastic guy. I put on Ladylike which was also not a favorite from before - I can say I do like it a little more now but not as much as E-Nuff is E-Nuff. 

This is also a really bad picture. But, I'm in a rush!

Products I Like Now

A while ago I did some type of makeup review post called Makeup on my Faceup. Well, while I am still using all that stuff, I did branch out to other items recently. Here’s the low down!

Laura Mercier Ambre Vanillé
I got two Laura Mercier products, actually. The first was the Ambre Vanillé.

I have been rocking Unconditional Love by Philosophy which is like a grown-up cotton candy.

Anyhow, I got the hand cream and perfume in Ambre Vanille – I really do like amber and vanilla isn't bad. I have been enjoying this perfume and it reminds me of something, but, I can’t remember what. All that my memory seems to be able to remember is pasta spilled on a book and this scent. Maybe it was from some book I was reading that got perfume spilled on it? The pasta was not my Mom’s.

I am not a huge fan of most vanilla because for a long time growing up, everyone bought me vanilla stuff and I got burnt out on in it. The vanilla is more of a base note, so it’s just lightly there. Very nice. Fresh and warm. Yep.

I have also been pretty happy with the hand cream. I got the little version of it (you know, for $18) thinking it was going to be sort of a watery whatever with some perfume it in. It actually is really nice! My hands are skill soft after two applications. Sweet!

Burts Bees Tinted Lip Balm
I have been avoiding Burt’s Bees for a long time. It had been over-hyped in my world and I didn't want

another hippie-non-working oily-wax product that did does nothing but everyone is, like, so OMG about.

I was actually in the grocery store and I saw a selection of tinted chapstick. I have slowly become a fan of this type of product but of my chronic lip biting. I really had crewed the hell of out my lips to the point I can’t wear lipstick  (not that I really do) because it would sit in the scabs but not the untouched skin – or scars (nothing sticks to scars).

I’m a winner.

I made a choice to get the tinted lip balm in rose. I was not originally going to get that color because I thought it would be too red and – you know – stick to the scabs. I ended up going on an impulse because I would love to wear a red lip without worrying about my condition being highlighted.

Yes, I want my cake and to eat it to. Buster.

Love it. I love it. The color is perfect – just a tint that adds a little dewy rose to my lips without being weird looking. It also really has been healing my lips. I found after a week of ripping them to shreds, the recovery was faster.

M-16 Thing
I got a sample of the M-61 Power Glow Peel and decided to get a box. Because I'm a sucker for stuff with witch hazel in it. Why spend $.50 on a whole bottle when I can spend $60 on this?

It comes in a box.

I wanted something that could help clean out my pores with summer being here and with me biking more. I get bugs, dirt, sweat and tears all over my face and having a little extra something might help.

I will say, the only thing you “peel” is the package open. I don’t know why they call it a peel. The instructions say:

Apply peel (a pre-soaked towelette) to clean, dry skin. Gently move over face and neck while avoiding eye area. Do not rinse off.

So, you don’t peel anything. There’s no peel, M-16. Who approved that?

I still use my ProActiv, and love it. I find this is a nice little end-of-the-day rub for me. I felt my skin was a little sticky after I used it – but very much refreshed (probably do the witch hazel which you can buy on its own for your face and/or hemorrhoids). I do feel less. . .dirty with it. It’s pretty nice!

Things I Eat: Sweet Beet Salad

As much as I don’t like Bed, Bath and Beyond, I also love it. I have been wanting to get a better  spiral veggie cutter for a while – ever since I figured out the Veggetti Spiral vegetable cutter was not good on harder veggies like sweet potatoes.

I love sweet potato. And hard things.

Anyhow, I picked up the Gefu 13410 Spiralfix Slicer because it said “POTATO” on the box. And I was totally ready to return it, too. TOTALLY READY.

Let’s get down to how I didn’t return it.

What You Need

• ½ of a large beet
• ½ a large sweet potato
• Green beans (I had left over French cut green beans)

Beet Report
Have you ever eaten a beetroot? Maybe? Here’s the low-down. First, I got about three full beets – like with the tuber, stem and leaves – because you can eat the whole thing raw or cooked. The leaves are like any leafy green you might normally eat. The stems are also good. So, don’t throw anything you don’t use away right away.

The beet itself tastes very sweet and earthly. Normally, I have seen it as a slight garnish or served with a little cheese. Some people are turned off by beets because they can taste “like dirt” . . . that means “earthy.” It also tastes like sugar. Life is confusing.

Mixed with things, it really brings a great flavor out. Cheese, salad, meat. . .

Beets are pranksters. First, if you cut up a beet tuber, you’re going to find everything turns that red-purple of the beet. Beets love to color everything red. I suggest washing your hands a lot and don’t wear anything you don’t want stained – and/or be careful. Beets stain so well, they are used in clothing dye and as a natural food dye.

Beets don’t stop there, though. If you eat enough beets, you will turn your poop red. You are NOT dying; you are just being pranked by beets. In fact, in some natural health circles, they will have people eat half a raw beet after a bowl movement to see how long it takes things to move from top to bottom – if you get my drift. So, you know, if you eat beets, don’t be alarmed.

What You Do

Wash up everything – your equipment, you food. As my Dad says, “People with tuberculosis sneezed on this.” I would say, “TUBER-culosis?” 

Hahaha. 

Kidding, TB is a horrible diseases that killed many people (like 90% of people who got TB, died from TB and in Europe 1 in 6 people normally died from it) before a cure was found, and the first cure didn't really work and more people died. And people around the world still die from TB. It's a horrible way to go.

Even though I actually peel the first layer off of these things because. . .well. . .tuberculosis.

For this, I took the tuber part, the root, and just peeled it with my veggie peeler to get off the thin layer of skin. Then put it into my machine and (after savagely beating it with a can of cashews) got it secured into the. .mm. . handle part and turned it into noodle like awesomeness!

I cut my sweet potato in half, peeled it and did the same.

It was so pretty. Then I was like – “I like green” and threw in the leftover green beans since they were in the fridge, it was a nice cool salad!

Sure, you could add some spinach or other veggies. You could add the beet leaves. I did not add any dressing because there is a lot of flavor in this mixture already. Add some garlic, onion, seeds – go nuts! You can search for a raw beet and sweet potato salad online yourself and blend in whatever you want.

It was a nice cool salad just the way it was - I just ate this with gusto!! Totally didn’t need any oil or dressing AT ALL. You get so much flavor with these raw, cut gems.

Image Credits
GEFU Spiralfix Spiral Cutter from Amazon.com
The rest is from Wikipedia.
Crappy photos by me!

Texts with Melissa: Skillz

I know it seems like it's been a long time since Melissa and I had some conversations up here. Mostly because there wasn't anything too earth shattering. However, since the Texts With Melissa series was missed by some of you - it's back!

What's happenin'?

That's right - Melissia was promoted and I still managed to stay employeed. Let's review!

That's right - Melissa is moving through the ranks, taking on challenges and growing both personally and professional. I am slightly intimidated by the amount of work from the autistic kids who come into the office to make notepads. 

That's right - it's part of a program called Preparing Adolescents for Adult Life (PAAL). These kids - who I really like - come in about three times a week and have learned how to make notepads from scrap-paper. 

What?

I mean, I can't even do that. I watched them do it. They measure and glue and. . .I failed Kindergarten. But, there they are working hard and producing some excellent work. I'm. . .you know. .taking selifes. 

Good work, friends. Good work. I am delighted my company works with this program and I am happy these kids and I get to spend a little time together. I mean, I never met them formally. It's cool. I so make sure no one is in that room on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. These kids got real work to do, corporate America!

Biking Update - Going Good!

Biking has been going pretty good. I'm just not in a super great routine as I have been in previous training segments.

I feel as if I am doing a lot of speed and flat-road work and less hills. I am totally into riding my bike to work now, so, that becomes my "short ride" during the week. It's not hilly - while there is some of an incline during this ride, it's not a "real" hill. Maybe I'm too picky.

This weekend I did go out with my lover and a friend - I also decided I needed to really get into my zone rather than hang back and make sure everyone is there and ok and not hungry or thirsty. . .

Yeah, I booked it. Felt good to really open up and zip up to about 20mph through the sunshine. AHH! That's living. So far, the longest training run is about 37 miles. I felt like I could do 50.

Here is my week mileage from good ol' Runkeeper!

Eating is going well, but, I think I messed up a bit this weekend. I am going to make sure to take good care of my eating this week and not making any slip ups. As I get older, I know I need to really watch this stuff. I don't want to cause damage over and over again. Sometimes, I cannot prevent it. . .I need to work on not having "just a taste" of the foods I can't eat.

I do feel stronger, better and more with it during this training. I also feel a little frustrated - won't lie - that I have more people coming out with me on rides and the speeds and challenge seem to have been dropped. I am working on this. :/

Things I Eat: Desk Snack Edition

Who doesn't need snacks at their desks? Everyone loves snacks - I like snacks. I like to stock my world with foods I can eat. Delicious foods. Sometimes, people also enjoy  my selections, most often, they do not. I don't know why. Maybe they believe nuts are bad so they eat a snack bag of chips. Maybe cheeszy, sugary foods bring them joy and comfort. . .

I like joy and comfort. I do not like fun. Big difference.

Since I am biking and eating and living (the dream) I stocked up my desk with treats. These are treats to me. I don't know what other people think of them.

Juice
I am not a huge fan of juice. I do have these little cans of prune juice - mostly left over from when I had that gut infection. I normally take these little bottles and mix them with my large water. .thing. I have no idea how many ounces it is. A lot? Cutting packaged juice with water is how I like to roll. Unless I am making my own blend. You can live how you want.

Nuts
I do like nuts. I got these Raw Pecan Halves from Trader Joe's. I have a lot of pecans at home and I love the way they taste. Give you peanuts a break for some other nuts. I also love walnuts but I save them for my banana ice cream a lot. Or just when I'm sitting on the couch.

I also got these candied Spanish walnuts from Wegmans (Forevercheese.com) and totally love them to bits. I mean. .I want to save these for a while and savor them, but I am eating a lot of them. These are made with walnuts, sunflower oil and sugar. The package does warn that there can be cross-condemnation with everything. I'm not as worried as these are a sugary snack treat for me. I won't buy them too often in order to keep the consumption down.

People say nuts have a lot of fat or bad stuff, but really, they are a great raw, natural food. I know some people eat 15 almonds as a snack for some reason. I don't understand. Eat more if you are hungry. Nuts are good and good for you.

Majool Dates
LOVE LOVE LOVE dates. I get them from all over but my favorite places as Wegmans and Trader Joe's. They have extra squishy and sticky dates. I do buy them in other places - normally it's the Sunsweet Growers brand. They are a little smaller and less sticky - but still good. If I do get the Sunsweet brand, I tend to get them pitted. Might as well.

I also can eat the dates and nuts together for an awesome treat.

Fruit & Veggies (not pictured)
I am lucky, there is a Wegmans right around here where I can get some fresh fruit and veggies. It might be a little more expensive rather than buying the non-snack pack type. But, I'm paying for the convenience.

Whenever I have the option to eat fresh fruit and veggies, I'm all for it. I think I demolished an untouched veggie tray a few weeks ago that was sitting in some buffet at work. I was then mocked for eating broccoli. Maybe it was because I was just walking around with broccoli and eating it.

That makes sense.

So, there you have it. Desk snacks!

B.B. King - Going Home

Poetically, on May 14, 2015 - both Riley B. King, known and BB King - and BB King, now known as Tank went to their forever homes.

My little foster cat, who had to go to the store (which breaks my heart) found the best home ever. He and his boy bonded in about two seconds. Warmed my heart! The above picture is Tank with his new cat-mom.

It was quite a roller-coaster with this one. From my cat HATING him and having to keep one of the cats isolated at all times, then having an adopter come forward, set up a time to get him and canceling hours before -I hope Tank soon forgets all his life before his happy homecoming.

Falls, Spills & Getting Up

I have never really played sports. Not the type that people seem to care about, anyway. I did play sports where the underlining philosophy was "when you get hurt" not "if you get hurt."

The phrase, if you didn't know, goes something like this - "What are you going to do _____ you get hurt?"

"If" comes from sports like baseball, basketball or soccer. Sure, you can get hurt pretty badly doing ANY activity, but, most kids don't walk away with life-altering injuries. Else little-league would totally be shut down, amiright? Even football, which has a higher "if" - and higher and higher with people suddenly realizing you can't smack your brain around too much without suffering deadly or life-altering situations - still remains an "if."

"When" comes from sports like hockey and equestrian sports. The odds of you taking a hit and not getting back up is probably on the higher end. All "extreme" sports fall under this, too. You are probably not going to "walk off" the field and you probably are not going to return to the sport with any ease.

Cycling is one of those sports with a "when." 

Now, before you lock up your kid's equipment and ban the precious cherubs from ever engaging in these "when" sports - there is a lot to be learned from "when."

There are a number of lessons in life you learn when you play a "when" sport. At least, in my opinion - 'cause it's my blog. Here they are:

• You understand that courage means something more than "give it your best." It is actually looking at the worst thing that ever happened and making a decision to do it again assuming you'll get different results.
• You learn to act or not act - you learn never to hesitate (that will almost always result in disaster).
• You need to be able to think four steps ahead - you need to be able to quickly predict everyone's actions and behaviors and maneuver yourself in a matter of seconds.
• You must learn how to be uncomfortable. You learn to play through some pain.
• You learn how to rest - too many people power through injury or play scared and that will only result in failure. You learn to rest, to take it easy to recover. 
• You must always be paying attention and focused at all times.
• You learn not to panic because panic will kill you faster than any action out there.
• You must focus on skill and technique to keep yourself and others safe.
• You must be resilient.
• You learn to respect fear - not in the irreverent way it is depicted on t-shirts - but as something to acknowledge, listen to or power through. 
• You learn to take a hit. 

So, I took a hit. I did have to peel out the gravel from my arm, that was about the worst of it. I fell because I stopped moving and I couldn't get my feet unclipped. This is a pretty common when it comes to biking. 

This is a few days after - here is my knee. I didn't have a matching bar-bruise on the other side of my leg. 

Here is my elbow - hardly anything to write home about.

Still can't wait to get back on the bike! You gotta get up. You need to get up to continue or get up to be standing - life lesson.

Things I Eat: Stocking My Pantry

It’s difficult for me to find prepacked foods to eat. A lot of preservatives and flavorings are made up of items I cannot eat. What’s worse, “ingredients” tend to be regulated by the government and not by logic. Something listed as “dairy-free” can still be dairy. You can check out a nice rant I had on this situation in my "Dairy" "Free" "Is" "A" "Lie" post.

Be warned my little allergy-brethren!

A lot of my recipes and whatnot revolve around these foods because I mostly always have them on hand. I do like to build off these, of course. Got to keep variety!

I try not to take more than I need or that I can eat in a given time. Some stuff doesn't go bad, but, I hate when food goes bad because it’s a waste of money and time AND I think about people who don’t have food. I did have periods in my life when I couldn't afford a lot of food and was hungry a lot, so, I try not to let food go bad.

Frozen Staples
I always have frozen fruit and vegetables on hand. I’m a big fan of frozen things because I don’t have to worry as much of things going bad if I don’t get to them in time. Some people worry about nutrition and think if something is frozen it's not as healthy. I suppose fresh can taste better, but, when things are frozen they still retain their nutrition but hopefully a lot of bacteria died in the process of freezing.

Consumed daily!

Berry blends: I get a blend of berries for my smoothies because I can get more variety in one pack. If I am at Trader Joe’s, I will get the Fancy Berry Blend and maybe some Frozen Mango Chunks if I am feeling it. I believe Trader Joe’s can be more expensive in this department for what you get, but, I like Trader Joe’s and I’m lazy.

I also get the Essential Everyday Berry Medley if I am not at Trader Joe’s. They do sell larger amounts and a giant bag can last me a week and a half or two weeks.

You can always throw these little treats into pancakes or something if you are into breakfast like that. They can even be little plant ice cubes in drinks - mm. Drinks.

Brussels Sprouts: I love some good sprouts but sometimes I have to be in the mood. I have bought them fresh and then totally forgot about it and that was sad. I find these little guys are pretty good warmed in the microwave or roasted. I like to have a couple options in prep when I buy food, so, these normally fit the bill. And I find not a lot of restaurants you go to these days actually serve these little guys. It's a nice diversity.

Check out this plate of sprouts and 'gus!

Asparagus: My guy also loves the ‘gus. I get a package from Trader Joe’s and it can normally last through a few meals. I like asparagus because I can take out as many spears as I want from the package to make. I am not sure what I would do with fresh asparagus, actually. I don't think I ever bought or made asparagus.

Hmm.

Asparagus makes for a nice presentation and can be cut into rice dishes or meat dishes. Thug Kitchen sums up the good points of this awesome spear.

It's on FIRE

Trader Joe's Fire Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions: These are great and give a great flavor for fajitas or just a southwest type dish. They are NOT spicy - just have that nice smokey flavor.

Everything is cut and seasoned. I use these with chicken a lot. You can either thaw them or I just throw them into a pot right out of the freezer. They really hold their flavor and texture.


Non-Frozen Staples

In my belly!

Gourmet Garden: I read some reviews on these spices and a lot of people said it was lazy and easier/better to make your own.

They had me at lazy!

I started using these and really love them because of the quality I get and the convenience. I can make rice and add a blend of these guys for a kick of flavor and I even add them to my smoothies. Even on leftovers or as rubs, I really dig these guys.

Keep in mind, I can only eat the ginger varity - it is the only vegan variety as the others contain dairy.

I get dry spices too even though my man-meat grows buckets of herbs - you do to need about three times the amount of fresh herbs as dry. I use like half a bottle of dried basil – that’s a lot of basil.

I am, also, a big fan of bouillon cubes because I don’t always have the foresight to make broths – this adds extra flavor with just added water. Remember, packaged broth goes bad after about 3-5 days.

Tinkyada Rice Noodles: Noodles, right? Everyone has a package of pasta somewhere. It's a staple that can be added to anything from pasta to salads to. . .ok. .I guess that's about it.

When you can’t have wheat or egg, it can be a little difficult to find a good pasta. It has gotten easier in about the last 5-7 years.

I really like the Tinkyada noodles because they don’t get weird when you cook them. They also have a pretty big variety of pasta types.

True, they tend to be more expensive than wheat or egg noodles but I can find them cheap at Trader Joe's.

These are also gluten free, my friends!

Tomatoes: Unless the garden is in bloom, I totally buy my tomatoes in a can – often the ones that claim to have hints of other flavors in it. I am not sure, though, because they often all taste the same. Then again, you can see my thoughts about spices above and draw your own conclusions.

Sometimes the brand I use

I like having a couple cans of diced, stewed or whatever tomatoes on hand. There are endless options and I have totally used them to bulk up a meal before. Put them in rice or a meat dish or in a smoothie. Good stuff!

I also buy other tomato products. I love me some tomato paste which is such a secret weapon. I don't know how people get along without it. You can make a seller sauce with it or use it to thicken up anything. Forget ketchup, my people, get yourself some tomato paste to capture the best flavor ever.

I also get my sun-dried tomatoes in a jaw – mostly packed in olive oil because then I get some sun-dried tomato oil as a bonus.



What I Don’t Buy Prepackaged
There are a lot of things I don’t by in packages – no matter how pretty the package is or how many types of packages there are. Most of these are grains which I buy in bulk. They are cheaper in bulk and you have complete control over how much you take.

Rice: I eat a lot of rice noodles, so, I don’t eat a lot of rice. But, sometimes you gotta crave it! Chicken and rice is like the universal human comfort food. Not noodles and chicken.

My favorite is sticky rice and I get it at Whole Foods in their bulk section. A lot of people go for the brown rice because it’s "healthier" but I’m into white, sticky rice right now.

Also, when I went to fill the bag with some for sushi – it came out so fast I have about 10 years worth of it in my cabinet right now.

Quinoa: This has been a staple grain to me but I have not been getting as much because there’s a food craze going on with it which is devastating the areas that harvest it.

Quinoa is a staple food source in many countries. It is very cheap, healthy and available in many countries and has been for thousands of years. I think it's called "Warrior food" by someone.

Due to demand by nations like mine, quinoa has become more expensive and a lot of people in the nations that grow it can't afford to eat it because of the demand.

So, I have relaxed buying as much of it as I use to. It's sad because it is a complete protein, super easy on temperamental tummies and just saturated with healthy stuff your body would love.

Buckwheat: Does anyone know about buckwheat? It's funny because while it is called "buckwheat" there is no buck or wheat in it. It's actual classified as a fruit - so if you are wheat free or gluten free, this is a good. .whatever it is for you.

I love it. I buy the buckwheat groats because I can make my own flour from it. I eat the groats raw or soak them and put it into smoothees or sauté it in coconut oil for breakfast.

I have and do buy the flour - even though I said I can make my own from the groats. I make pancakes with buckwheat and applesauce. I won't lie, it can be an acquired taste.

I get this in bulk at Whole Foods.

Pasta Sauce: Nope. I use to, but, I found a lot of those sauces tasted metallic – anyone else ever have that? I like to stick to more homemade sauces that are rustic. I just use tomato paste for thickening and diced tomatoes or raw tomato. A lot of people think this takes a lot of work – it really doesn't and it’s so much better and you can control more of the flavor and texture. Seriously, who buys pasta sauce anymore?

Spinach: I like my spinach raw. It looks weird when frozen and. . .it disturbs me.

I use a lot of spinach almost every day in my smoothies and in my dinners and as a "lettuce," so, it’s best for me to get this fresh because it hardly lasts. If my spinach goes bad, it’s been a really bad time for me.


Guacamole: I know you can get packaged guac for about $4, but, I prefer to buy avocados and make my own. I mean, you can do a lot more with a raw avocado than a package of smooshed up avocado and I bet it will last longer.

Image Credit:
Berry blend from soniahunt.com
Fire roasted veggies from cooktj.com
Spices from gourmetgarden.com
Rice noodles from vitacost.com
Rice from wikipedia.org
Quinoa from wikipedia.org/
Buckwheat from helynskitchen.com
Spinach from secretlyhealthy.com
Tomato can from karaloutopia.blogspot.com

Lyme Diseases Awareness Month

That’s right! May is (among other things) Lyme Diseases Awareness Month and people are encouraged to take the lime challenge – you just bite a lime.

Maybe chase it with a margarita?

As someone who has been devastated by Lyme and also was fortunate enough to come out of it pretty damn ok, it’s sort of an odd feeling when I think. . .people are doing this for me? Not just ME but. . .people like me.

Most of my illness was shrouded in hushes as I pursued non-government approved treatments and I couldn't talk to it to anyone because my brain was gone and because. . .well. . .Lyme is often treated as some type of joke. Let’s not even talk about other tick-borne illnesses which are still a deadly mystery to the medical community.

The idea that these people who are Taking a Bite out of Lyme are showing not only their support and raising awareness but that somehow my struggle is being recognized.

So, here’s my bite out of lime! I would also note my lover and I donated directly to the American Lyme Diseases Foundation.

1: Here is my face!

[Image coming soon, sorry - we made a lot of drinks recently. Point two is MORE important]

2: Here are the facts!

• Children are at the highest risk of contracting Lyme Disease and are more vulnerable to central nervous system infections.
• Transmission of Lyme Disease and other infections can take place in a matter of minutes, particularly if the tick is not removed properly.
• Lyme Disease has been called “The Great Imitator” and can be mistaken for ALS, MS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism, and other illnesses.
• Research suggests that Lyme Disease and other infections can be spread from mother to baby during pregnancy.
• Studies show that standard laboratory tests recommended by the CDC to diagnose Lyme Disease miss approximately half of actual cases, leading to misdiagnosis and an infection that is more difficult to treat.
• Over 63% of patients treated for Lyme Disease continue to suffer symptoms that can be debilitating.
• The CDC estimates that there are 300,000 new cases of Lyme Disease each year in the United States. Some experts believe the actual number of new cases could be as high as 1-2 million new cases per year in the US alone.
• Lyme Disease has been reported in every state except Hawaii and has been found on every continent except Antarctica.
• Lyme Disease has 6 times more new cases each year than HIV/AIDS, yet it receives less than 1% of the funding.
• Fewer than 50% of patients with Lyme Disease recall a tick bite or any rash.
• There are no tests available to prove that the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease has been eradicated or that the patient is cured after treatment.
• Ticks can carry many different types of bacterial, viral and parasitic infections – some life-threatening – which can further complicate tick-borne disease diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

3: Challenge people -
What up, community? You taking a bite out of Lyme?

Bike Week Review

Here you go, world. I also slept for about 15 hours on Saturday...so, this is all you get!

Things I Eat: Natural Granola Brand Cookies

I was in Whole Foods - because I like their bulk section - and was looking for the Caveman Cookies and stumbled on these Naked Granola cookies. There were no Caveman Cookies. I looked. I like the Caveman Cookie, but they are sort of small. It's nice to feel normal picking them up and eating cookies.

Anyhow, I checked out these Naked Garnola brand thingy. I thought - how great would this be with a cup of coffee. I'd be like the Queen of England, sitting on my couch eating a cookie and drinking some coffee! I will be so normal!

That's basically how I think.

My Whole Foods only had the flavor called Taste of California and also a handly lesson in Spanish.

There I was, with my cookie and coffee. Sorry, it's not my Best Friend Mug because the husband put it in the dishwasher. Odd.

I did a double check on the ingredients because this whole situation is very odd for me.

Really, it's got a lot of good stuff and about 100 calories. Two of these would be a nice biking snack! 

You get a good amount of cookie - it's sort of lopsided but that's cool. I'm not into perfection too often. It is a chewy cookie - not crunchy. Crunchy and buttery are saved for the lucky people who can eat anything. Chewy, gooie and dense is my cookie species. 

It's pretty much the color of, you know, nature. Brownish. Perhaps not the bubblegum type color theme everyone likes. This is all nature stuff in there, not colored sprinkles or icing or bleached things. You know. Yum. 

I ate that thing. Yep. It was pretty good. I think I might get a couple of these for biking. The cookie was, as I expected, dense, chewy - not to sweet, not too crunchie. You can taste the fruit bits but overall it's smooth. It makes me think of a dense fruitcake or something. Very good!

Bike to Work: The Closest

It's really nice out and there are a lot of walkers, runner and bikers out there. If you are driving, be aware and don't distract yourself with other activities - any other activities.

Today, I came the closest to being hit by a car than I ever have. According to RunKeeper I have ridden about 2,678 miles in about two years.

I watched as the driver of an SUV approached the curve of the road and then, reached down, checked his phone, drifted into the shoulder and barely pulled it together to avoid hitting me - I was stuck up against the guard rail going uphill with little place to go.

I wouldn't have come out of that collision easily. I was against the guardrail and not strong enough to get more speed than the car heading toward me. It would have been caught between the fender and the guardrail, or me trying to throw myself over the guardrail while still being clipped into my bike.

Cars are really big. I’m really small. If you hit a car with another car – it can be bad, but there’s a good chance with all the safety features and whatnot, people can walk away.

I have almost no proactive safety features – most of them rest with drivers. It rests with drivers, just like you, doing the best you can to stay in your lanes and being aware that you are driving a fast, solid machine capable of inflicting horrible damage in the world. There is little I can do if you decide to text, eat, put on makeup, fiddle with the radio, talk to your child. . .etc.

Quite honestly, all I got are my wits, helmet and a Road ID. That means most of my "safety" is for after an actual collision. The helmet to protect my brain for WHEN it impacts the cement and my Road ID is for WHEN the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) need to call my husband or parents to inform them of the state and location of my dead or alive body.

I do my best to avoid roads because I don’t want to be hit by a car anymore than I assume someone wants to hit me with a car. Currently, my Bike to Work route has me on a car-sharing road for about .5 miles.

One half of one mile, on a broad shoulder. With crosswalks. Lights. Cyclist symbols.

If you like me - or like someone who sometimes is on the road - remember the next time you feel it’s totally ok to do one other thing while driving, you could be the one responsible for a fatality or severely injuring someone you love.

The next time you see someone choosing to distract themselves while driving - think of what it would feel like to hear someone you love or like or only moderately dislike was killed when a distracted driver hit him/her.

I know I am guilty of checking my phone while driving since I use it as a music player. If I will take away one thing for Bike to Work Week - it is that the only time I will touch my phone or fiddle in my car is when I am stopped.

Let’s keep each other safe out there. We need to be each other’s heroes.

Bike to Work Week

Did you know May contains two of my favorite things - May is National Bike Month and Lyme Disease Awareness Month. WHAT?!

So, I decided I would bike to work - not just on Bike to Work Day - but ALL WEEK.

Wednesday is still Pantsless Wednesday.

Are you biking around town? Biking to work? Getting the cobwebs off the bike? What's your biking story?

More to come on this - pictures and whatnot as I try to join with a group from where I work to bike to our. . back doors? I think it's the back doors.

I feel like a lot of awkwardness is about to happen.

Don’t WebMD That: Part 3

Follow my exciting medical issues from Don’t WebMD That to Don’t WebMD That: Part 2

That’s right – let’s bring this around to full circle. I am doing sooooo much better. The anti-fungal totally helped get me eating. I actually gained about 3lbs in two weeks which is great! I can eat. Poops have been as close to normal as they have ever been. YES.

Also, I had my liver (and innereds) checked out via ultrasound again. This time, the gel warmer wasn't working. That’s some mo-fo cold gel! You get use to having these luxuries. I never had warm gel before.

Anyhow, the super-good news is my liver shrunk. It’s still “enlarged” but this means it can’t be something like cancer or a growing tumor. At least, my bachelors level education feels good about that statement. The doctor called me and said there was nothing to worry about, so, he’s done with it.

However, I am getting full copies of all the pictures and reports from both tests to send to my other doctor. He’s a little more concerned about the situation and wants to see the pictures. I like having two opinions on these things.

However, for the time being – I am eating again, poop normally again and in far less pain. These are all good things because I got a lot of miles on a bike to pedal and a lot of food to eat. Yays for foods!

I also learned the importance of hepatitis checking - you can see my post Re-post: Hunting a Silent Killer on the ways hepatitis can silently kill people and how easy the testing for it is. If you haven't, maybe you should pop into your doctor to get a blood test workup and make sure you ask for this test.