The Monday Rundown: June 25, 2012 Edition

 I’m baaaack.

I have returned to the land of the living or at least the land of the gainfully employed, and it feels wonderful. I’m still waiting for the pressure in my ear to subside, but all things considered I’m doing pretty good. And ya wanna know why…..

Not only did I go into the office today, but I also went to the gym. Hallelujah!

The heavens opened, the angels rejoiced, and the trumpets sounded because I went back to the gym after nine very long days away; it was fabulous, and I am over the moon excited. It’s like going home after being away for too long. Now, I really wanted to jump right in and do a funky, sweaty, crazy spinning class, but I’m not a complete idiot, so I took it nice and easy and banged out three miles on the elliptical. I went slow, it was tough, and they were hard earned miles, but it still felt AMAZING. And maybe, just maybe (hopefully), I’ll be up for a spin class tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me.

Other than getting in a much needed and fulfilling workout, I went back to the office and put in a solid day’s worth of work, and even that felt pretty good. It’s crazy what you miss when you are too sick to participate. Work flew by, and I never felt rundown or tired, so while my ear may be a little late to join the party (what’s that you say?), my energy is back. Bring it on baby!

After work, I took care of some minor maintenance around the house like paying bills and balancing my checkbook (still in the black; always a good sign). Normally, I pay bills within one day of receiving them and the same goes with keeping my checkbook in balance (not sure where that comes from…Thanks Da), so being a week behind was starting to make me slightly nauseous, although it could be a side effect of my antibiotics. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s the number one side effect, but whatever.

I watered all of my indoor plants and for kicks, I decided to count them. I (I’d say “we,” but the Hubby has no involvement here) have 23 indoor plants, 3 indoor herbs (it should be 4, but the cilantro bit the dust last week), 2 clippings, and 1 jar of green onions (yes, if you put the butt ends of green onions in a cup water, they will grow). Now, this is just the indoor plants and herbs. Outside, it’s a whole different story, and we have a ridiculous amount of flower beds (they were here when we moved in). Combined, it’s way too much work, but for some reason I enjoy it. Flowers make me happy, and working outside really makes me happy (it might be my vitamin D deficiency). I even enjoy pulling weeds; picking clover is my favorite, and I could do it for hours. Yes, I know I’m sick but it’s all about what makes you happy…so long as you’re not a homicidal maniac. I don’t encourage killing sprees of any type, for any reason. I’m a lover, not a fighter (except for that one time in high school and then again in college). It’s all peace, love, good food and fitness from here on out.

Gardening can also be super satisfying, especially when you are rewarded with these beautiful berries. I’m thinking I may have to whip up some pancakes with these puppies tomorrow. And, so you understood just how monumental this is, these are my first batch of homegrown raspberries in three years. The last two years, I watched eagerly as the bushes grew and the buds started to form. I even saw the berries start to turn to red and then just when it came time to pick them, they all disappeared. I suspect the neighborhood birds; bunch of derelicts living off the fruits of my labor (literally). So, I got smart and let the cats outside. I may not be a homicidal maniac, but my cat Samantha definitely is. She brings me decapitated chipmunks, and I still haven’t figured out what she does with the heads. In my defense, if I catch her mid-terrorizing, I’ll break it up and set the chipmunks free, even though the Hubby thinks I “should let nature run its course.”

I hope you’re not getting sick of seeing these salads because I’m not sick of eating them yet.

We had an easy dinner tonight: more green salad, some Lemon Lovers Asparagus and fried eggs. I know I’ve been eating a lot of these salads lately, but the flavors really are spot on, and it helps we get an abundance of lettuce in our CSA share. Along with the greens, I added carrot shavings, diced cucumbers, red bell peppers, green onions and Asiago cheese. I like color in my food just as much as in my wardrobe. The bolder and brighter, the better. If I could eat glitter, I’d probably try, although I doubt it comes in organic.

One last thought before signing off for the night…on two separate occasions today, I caught both my cats sitting in the corner staring at the walls. I’ve heard of this phenomenon, but never witnessed it and certainly not with my furry friends. It was creepy and a little Blair Witch-esque. I’ll be honest; I’m slightly scared to go bed tonight, especially since I intervened in the great chipmunk chase.