Rearin' to Go!

I still have nine days to go before I get out to my cabin in the woods. A lifetime in my brain. As I had some downtime today, I have been searching for hikes in the area outside of just the mesa out behind the cabin. I found three possibilities, taken down to two if there is any threat of rain at all as that last one is along a streambed (not likely to be on my docket). I'm really out of practice--as in no real exercise since the end of last year. I'm going to have to take it easy, at least until I can get a gage for how much endurance my body has lost.

As per usual, I am planning on making my vacation food-limiting to keep myself honest and on my nutrition. I have to make sure that I take extra, of course, just in case something happens, but I can make that something I would rather not eat on a whim. Unlike when I was near Ruidoso, I can't easily hop down to the well-stocked grocery store for midnight munchies! The closest tiny market is about 20 miles south of me--did I mention tiny? Not a terrible drive, but a definite encouragement to stick to home, with the exception of when I go south for hiking. Besides, being on this whole keto thing can make spur-of-the-moment munchies rather difficult. I think I still have my packing list from my last trip, so this should even be easy to get everything into the car without forgetting too much.

Speaking of that whole eating thing, I am losing around a pound a week pretty steadily now. If I average out from where I started to this week, it is almost exactly one a week. Not too darn shabby, if not how fast I was hoping for. I consider it consistent and safe at that. 203 right now, and on my way back down to where I was pre-plantar-fasciitis in January (194 if I recall correctly)

I'm not sure what is going to happen at work while I'm gone, but I'm sure they'll manage. Only my boss is allowed to call me on my vacation, and even then it had better be good. I'm planning on two calls over the week-ish time I'm there. Only time will tell.

On a completely different note: I have started a new book! A sequel to the monster-slaying fantasy book. I guess that it is time for me to get off my rear and just publish my first on Kindle and start some advertising somehow. The second one is being read (and boy is it more polished than the first one.) Completely different genre, but I learned a lot from the first one. The sequel is a good thing for me to keep busy, even if it never turns into a fully fledged book. already 8,000ish words in three sessions of typing. I am having fun coming up with ideas for monsters--and tapping my friends' brains for new monsters as well. But it is a great diversion to get me out of the house. It will also be something good to get me relaxed while out at the cabin. Writing just feels good.

But I guess that my break time is over and it is time to get back to that paying job instead of digital scribbles.

Family Fun!

Yesterday my brother-in-law and aunt came in for a quick visit on their monster road trip across the US. It has been years since I saw my brother, and it was great to finally get to catch up after...8 years? 11? It may have been since Jason died that I had seen him. But we caught up quickly and hung out for the night. My aunt, who is the official chauffeuse for the trip, I had seen last year, so we were more up to date. Dog had to sit in his crate for a few minutes before he would calm down enough to just want to play instead of eating anyone. Then he wanted to play. All the time. And I took away his toys--gasp! I know. Mean Mom. I ended up having to call him off and make him lay down and pout instead. He 100% did not approve.

On an interesting note, Jason's grave is being lived in, and it's not by him.

This is his grave as of yesterday. Ventilated. The cross fell down a while ago and I figured that the wind would just take it down again, so I rested it appropriately. But the hole? The two and a half by four foot hole? That was new. And it looks like it is being lived in by...something. I think I need to call someone out to dump some dirt in there, evicting anything living in there at the same time. Not was I was expecting.

Last night we went to the New Mexico fixture, the Owl Bar and Grill, for dinner and the burgers have improved greatly since I was last there. Heck, the service was great too, which was its big downfall the last and only time I had gone there. Good dinner, complete with my aunt leaving the obligatory dollar bill with note. Used to be the note was just sharpied onto the bill and posted on the wall, but now they have dedicated slips of paper to make it easier to read...and to take off the wall when it gets too full so you can harvest the bills as real money!

Onto last post's news, my work grandma still doesn't know what is going on since they keep pushing back her tests despite it being a Bad Thing. We are muddling through work without her, but she is sorely missed, and I just flat out miss her!

And now it is the weekend and I have the days to myself. Perhaps to eat out again this afternoon to go out and write on the third book. (Yeah yeah, I know that I haven't done anything with the first two.)