What I’m up to…

I’ve been laying low a little on the social media in recent weeks. I’ve honestly been trying to focus on relaxing a little; the last thing I want is the summer to go by and to not enjoy it as it happens.

One thing I’m working on is getting prepared for the next cooking class I’m teaching. It’s a number of weeks away (Monday, August 19), but little by little, I’m piecing together the recipes and hashing out a plan. I really went back to my roots for this one, and it’s going to be a lot of fun. I actually love preparing Italian food even though I don’t do it often any more, and this menu is a lot easier to execute teaching-wise. Stop in the store or visit the website and sign up!

I’ve been training hard. We’re talking ten or eleven times a week. I do my cardio and weights four times a week, FocusMaster three or four times a week, and three to five workouts from another program that I’ve been holding off writing about until I finish the 13 week plan. It’s pretty intense, but my body is feeling great, and it’s responding well to everything. If my progress continues as it has, I’ll pass 100 pounds lost on July 4.

I’m still working out vacation and wedding posts, and I’m pushing those out as I finish them. I’ve also started visiting restaurants for The Bob Cobb Quest. The timing of this overlapping with the enhanced training schedule is actually pretty convenient, as a Cobb Salad can be a pretty fulfilling and somewhat substantial meal for someone training like me. And I haven’t forgotten about Brilliant Bites, either. I’m working on a few of those too.

One thing that’s really intrigued me recently is listening to some of my favorite music, the body of work by Metallica. For the most part, for the last six years, I’ve focused on hearing some other artists in lieu of Metallica, which, at one point, was the only artist I listened to. It’s actually been really refreshing and enlightening going back and listening to Metallica albums now after hearing lots of other stuff, but I’m a lot more critical of them than I used to be. I think it would be fun to make a writing project out of this. Maybe that’s coming soon.

I have some fresh pasta recipes that I’m going to try soon. Depending on how it goes, I was going to compare recipes by Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Mario Batali, and Lidia Bastianich. Oddly enough, although the method is the same, the ingredients and ratios vary widely between those four. So I’m eager to see whose pasta is good and who is full of shit.

We’re welcoming a new member to our family this weekend.

She’s a French Bulldog named Freya. That probably won’t be the name we keep for her, but we’re really excited to get another puppy. It’ll give our little Emma a little playmate.

I’m sure there’s other stuff going on, but I’ll stop for now. Lots of things to do!