Planning a Staycation

I have had to sacrifice my vacation time all year long, pushing off two other windows and one backpacking trip that would have begun today in the Sierra Nevadas. It looked like I was not going to be able to enjoy any time off until mid September but a window of opportunity has opened in mid-August. Yipee.

I am really trying to figure what to do for ten days. My limitations are Mistress has a broken ankle so I will most likely not be able to leave for more than 48 hours if at all, we have a newborn that compounds the need for me to be at least somewhat home and Mighty Mo starts 1st grade. Plus Mistress no longer works, so while I have the ability to do some fun things I need to remember that whatever I do must be Pay-Go and not on credit.

This is what I have on my mind.

• This fall I have a overnight one way backpacking trip over the Superstition Mountain Range. It has three legs, one from trail head to top of range, then walk across mountain range, then the last leg is back down to the ranger station. On back to back days, I think I will walk the first and then last routes, plugging waypoints into my GPS. This leaders recon will allow us to not get lost amid the various cross trails and I can work on my mapping skills.
  

• I may go and get my PADI dive license. I have dived in the past but not officially. Its nice having friends that are Navy SEALS.
  

• I may go and get my CCW permit.
  

• I'd like to go to a state treasure. If I can get Mo and I to go to Tombstone or Kartchner Caverns that would be cool.
  

• Maybe get the whole family to go to Sedona or Jerome or something like that for a day of tourism. Hard to say if Mae could handle all the driving in one day or how Mistress could handle all that with her bum ankle. But I've never been there.
  

• I am a National Park fan and there are several I have not been too in this state. I'd like to take my passport book and stamp a couple parks.
  

What do you think? Any other ideas?

Homeward Bound

I was able to work something out with my partners that allowed Mistress and I to have her become a stay at home mom. We know we can make this work for several months but are really hoping that it can become permanent. She could not be more happy. Mo has three more weeks of summer, so those two plus Baby Mae will be able to have some serious bonding. Then when Mo goes to 1st grade it will just be mom and daughter.

Its been one month since Mistress broke and sprained her ankle. As any of us who have damaged our ankles know, a break is preferable to a severe sprain and it has really caused her some pain. I truly feel sorry for her pain and lack of mobility. Now with her being home full time, it has freed me from doing all the choirs around the house and I am able to finally get back to a more stable and balanced day myself.

And that includes training. Good God, its too hot for me to train outdoors right now. July 2009 has been the hottest July on record in Arizona, 110* average daily temp. My training this week has thus far been a mix of resistance training, dreadmill and stationary bike. I will begin to re-introduce myself to the outdoors over the next several days but in all honesty its all I can do to pound the water and keep myself hydrated without running or biking outside included.

Food Confessions.

Okay gang, I am really going to make some heads spin here. I have never, ever, eaten a Peanut Butter and Fruit Loop sandwich. I have never, ever, eaten a double Quarter Pounder with (or without) cheese. I have never eaten at Carl's Jr. I have never drank a Red Bull, Monster or Rockstar. I had my first frozen lasagna last month. Last month! And I don't even know how to cook, you would think I was a drive-thru King.

Compared to some of my friends, heck my very relatives, I have a completely boring palette. I don't eat ice ceam or drink milkshakes. I don't like fries very much, (shock, horror).

Look. I am not some tofu, soy, organic panty waist here. I eat pizza and Dots almost every Friday night, I eat nachos a couple times a year. I love sandwiches. I love homemade tacos. I love boneless hotwings. I drink beer. I am a big fan of Diet Coke. It is tortorous for me to imagine a cinema movie without buttered popcorn. I have a ever rotating two week supply of dehyrdated backpacking meals; just add water, stir, seal and 10 minutes later I dig in with my .3 ounce long handled titanium spork. I have my bona fides in bad food.

That being said, I love oatmeal with nuts & honey for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Lunches are usually a homemade turkey & swiss early, then a PB&J late. My favorite afternoon snack is an apple, cheese, bread and hummus. Dinners are a pasta, a lean protien and pile of veggies. In fact I eat fruits and veggies and nuts throughout the day. The more color the better, green, blues, oranges, reds. I pour a steady stream of water down my gullet all day long. I love seltzer water.

I am agog of some of the pure crap, I witness my family and friends eat on a daily basis. Look I am not going to wag my finger in anyones face unless its understood I am being mostly sacrastic. But one person should not be eating 20 chicken nuggets for dinner. Or brownies and kool aid for breakfast. Or think there is any benefit of a venti caramel whatever its called at Starbucks. And yes I have never had anything close to a frapacino near my lips. I may have one latte a year, pumpkin (yummy). Heck outside my house, I buy 95% of my coffee at a gas station.

All I am saying is that my nutrition is as unprocessed as possible. Is it perfect no, there is no such thing as a perfect diet. Don't delude yourself. But I will put my salmon, brown rice & asperagus lunch with club soda up against your supersized #3 combo meal washed down with Mountain Dew.

Now...chew on that.

From the "Never too late" file

The pretty pink cast still remains firmly in place on the leg of Mistress. Thus I have really stretched my limits in several areas of our household that were formally forbidden to me, namely fixing things and cooking.

I know lots of people who are my parents age who did not pick up the hobbies I know them for having until they were my current age, (35-39 Age Group). So I was always sort of waiting to see if at some point in the near future, the impetus or even neccesity of focusing on mechanical/electrical/culinary tasks would become easier for me to handle.

I am not what you call a 'fixer'. As often implied, I can destroy anything but can put together very little. But this weekend I fixed my lawnmower. I know, I know, normally I would have just got a new one, this one is getting old. But instead I diagnosed the probable causes and dadgum it I got it running again. Saved myself a couple hundred dollars.

Which I pretty much thought was going to be put onto my deductible after I got done cooking dinner Saturday. (After soon to be Comms started fire was put out). Well I didn't follow the directions exactly but I used a BBQ, two burners on the stove and the microwave, at the same time even, and the meal turned out pretty damn good. I know- Shock! Mo even put down the fire extinguisher, which he got out himself and carried behind me the whole time, and declared that he liked it. Mistress had no choice but eat it, she couldn't get up to get something on her own anyhow. And she seemed sincere about it.

There's treasure everywhere.

Single parent capacity

I do not think I have stated on CMS that Mistress broke her ankle a couple weeks ago. This is the reason for the lack of posts. I went from a husband/father just starting to hit his stride with a Mighty Mo, a newborn daughter, balancing his training load, his workload and his wife to having to be the sole adult 'mover' in the house.

I am now completely unbalanced and my capacity to care for everyone is sorely lacking. Way behind the power curve. Every moment from well before sunrise to well past sunset is taking care of both kids and providing for Mistress at home. The damage was such that its not even a walking cast, its non-weight bearing and we have a two story house. So I have to help her up and down the stairs, and shuttle Baby Mae from place to place and take care of all her needs. Luckily Mistress is on the couch with her leg up so for the most part once she is set, I can give Mae to her and she can entertain. She has never broken a bone before and after a weekend on crutches she rented a four wheel deally that looks like a razor scooter and it has a padded cushion knee high for her to put her knee on.

Cooking. Oh god, I have started cooking. Wait. Actually I have started using appliance in the kitchen. No one calls it cooking. I had my first Stouffers Lasagna ever. Did you know you can cook those in the microwave? I didn't. My stomach was not happy the next day. All the food is stuff that can be microwaved or done with minimal work on a stove, like pastas and sauces. I did fish sticks and tots one night. Um. Yeah. The household eating has not been great. Luckily we have eaten at my folks quite a bit.

I have had to do all the housework. We had a really good balance in the past. I will admit I do much more than other husbands so I have only had to increase by 50% not 100% but it finally got to much for even me and Mistress got a maid to do the bathrooms and vaccuming once a week.

Needless to say it has left me physically and emotionally drained. I have asked Mighty Mo for his foregiveness many times for snapping at him for little reason. It is not anyone's fault it is just reality, but it seems like every time I sit I have to get up and get something for Mae, or assist Mistress or work with Mighty Mo.

My capacity is getting better, much like new parents are completely unprepared for the first few months of a new child, eventually the systems work and stress becomes managable.

Thank God for my hot tub.