500 Calories in 47 Minutes!!

I've been slacking lately...not going to the gym as much as I should, watching too much TV...but today, I was back in the saddle.  Went after work, and my goal was to keep going until I hit 500 calories.  I was hoping to do it in 40 minutes, but it ended up taking 47.  Not terrible I guess.  It was more than 3 miles, and I hit a record speed of 5.5 mph at one point.  All in all, I'm making improvements.  The bigger accomplishment in my opinion was what I was able to do AFTER.  I dropped off my dry cleaning.  Came home, got the mail, went next door too feed my neighbors cat, came back to my house and did my own cats' litter boxes, emptied the dishwasher, reloaded it, wiped down the stove, swept the kitchen floor, did a load of laundry, took a shower, made some dinner and now I'm writing in my much neglected blog.

That might not seem like much to normal people, but for me...that is a LOT.  So maybe there is something to the whole "exercise gives you energy" theory.  I'll tell you one thing.  Knowing how long I have to run on that stupid elliptical machine to burn 500 calories really makes me think carefully about what I choose to eat.  So I guess that is also a positive side effect. 

I'm heading to Pittsburgh this weekend to see the Madeleine Albright Pin exhibit at the Carnegie with my mom, grandma, and my aunt.  I'm looking forward to it, because we don't get to do things like this all that often.  And I fully intend to turn my email off.  One thing is for sure, this year, when I am taking my personal vacation time, I am really going to be out of pocket.  I deserve that. 

I am also contemplating giving up pop (aka Soda in Philly, aka Coke-Cola in ATL) for Lent.  I don't always give something up, but in the spirit of getting healthier, it can't hurt to try.  My biggest fear honestly is the caffeine issue.  I drink PepsiMax, which has more caffeine per serving than a Mountain Dew.  Sheesh.  I could be in trouble on that account.

Finally, I bought some much needed new clothes this week.  Since I ordered them all online, I'm not sure how they will work out in the long run, but I'm looking forward to them.  If I am going to be all professional looking at work, I should invest i some classic pieces that I can mix and match.  Parker (my style guru) has advised me to avoid black and white (my previous go-to colors) in favor of brown and navy, and jewel tones, and some softer beiges, browns, and pinks.  I'm making an effort here!

So, that's all for me for now.  It's already nine pm, and I still need to change my sheets....