Fit Five Friday: A non-traditional Thanksgiving menu

We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and me for another Fit Five Friday link-up!  

I love Thanksgiving.  My favorite thing about it is being with family.  The food, not so much.  I am not a big fan of turkey.  I’ll eat it but it isn’t my favorite.  I do like the corn, corn bread, and mashed potatoes.  That’s it.

So, what have I eaten on Thanksgiving?

• Tamales.  Those are popular during Christmas.  There are a variety of them but I prefer the green ones with chicken.  My cousin is planning to make them for Thanksgiving.  

• Pollo enchilado.  As I mentioned above, I am not a big fan of turkey.  I prefer chicken.  Add chile and it is ever better!  It does look like a turkey, right?

• Pozole.  There is a place close to my house that makes it really good too in all 3 colors – white, red, and green – and they’re all delicious.

• Mole.  It doesn’t look tasty but it is delicious.  Mole is my mother’s favorite meal.  She is always telling me that we should make mole.  A few years ago I learned to make it thanks to my mother.

• Chinese food, hamburgers, hot dog, etc.  No pictures but you get the idea.

So that is my Thanksgiving menu.  Yes, eating food is part of Thanksgiving, but to me it is more important being together with family.  I don’t need the turkey, gravy, corn bread, and everything else that goes with a Thanksgiving dinner.

The topic for next week – Five reasons you are grateful for running or fitness.  Feel free to write about this or any fitness topic you’d like.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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Tuesday Topics: Five Tuesday Prompts, Part 2

TT 5 Tuesday PromptsHappy Tuesday!  Thank you for joining me and Jenn for another edition of Tuesday Topics.  Remember to link up with us!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Don’t forget to come back for later linkers!

Here is another post with some interesting prompts in the Jetpack app.  Ready?

•Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live?  I would re-live my college years.  I think about if my life would be different if I would have paid better attention to my studies.  I went to college to be an Accountant.  It was competitive to get into the program, and well, I didn’t get in.  Then I went back home and transferred to Loyola University because their Accountancy program wasn’t difficult to get in.  After one semester, I transferred back to Northern Illinois University.  In college I had fun and made the best of it.  I went to my classes but didn’t do the best work that I knew I was capable of (my GPA wasn’t that great).  I graduated with a degree in Marketing and another one in Spanish Translation in Business. 

• What’s the biggest risk you’d like to take, but haven’t been able to?  Quit my job or retire.  You all know about the struggles I have at work.  I’ve had challenging years, but this year is worse.  I don’t think things will get better.  There are days when I don’t want to go to work.  I know I need to change my attitude.  

• Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?  Definitely rested!  I don’t know if this is considered lazy days, but when I stayed home because I had Covid, I stayed in bed all day and read books.  During the weekend, I spend a few hours doing school stuff (I know I shouldn’t but the project I am working on helps with two of the classes I teach) and then spend hours watching TV or reading a book.

• What have you been putting off doing?  Why?  This is my 3rd year in my school.  When I moved, I brought with me a few boxes full of books.  Some of the books are mine and some belong to the District.  I didn’t unpack them because there is no time in our curriculum for the students to sit down and read a book (only the ones that are part of the curriculum).  The boxes are all in a corner shelf and drive me crazy.  It is messy and I could use that space to put other things.  I also didn’t unpack them because I don’t have space to store those boxes of books.  I should have done this before, but I asked my brother if I could store the boxes in his garage.  He said yes!  I also have a book shelf and a desk I don’t want in my room.  Basically, I need to declutter.  My goal is to finish before the end of the year.

I opened my boxes yesterday and have already made some progress.  Photo on the left is before.  Photo on the right is after (11/11).

• What would you do if you lost all your possessions?  I would cry for a few days.  Then, once I let it all out, I will think about what was that hurt more to lose and then get it again.  I am sure there are some things I will not miss.  Possessions are material things and can be replaced.  It will be like starting over.  At least I will have my health, family, friends, and cats.

The topic for next week – Holiday gift guide for runners.  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

New Tuesday Topics

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Tuesday Topics: I am grateful for …

Happy Tuesday!  Thank you for joining me and Jenn for another edition of Tuesday Topics.  Remember to link up with us!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Don’t forget to come back for later linkers! 

What a day yesterday was for me.  I had parent/teacher conferences and it was a long day for me.  I planned to meet with 23 parents, but met with 19 of them.  They went well, but it was a long day for me.

November is a good month.  It is my birthday month, I have a few days off, and it is Thanksgiving.  I may not have everything I want (does anyone), but I am thankful for what I have.  I am thankful for my job, my family, my cats, my health, and my friends.

Today I will tell you a few things I am grateful for but in no specific order.

• Celebrating a birthday.  I don’t make a big deal about my birthday, but I am always happy to be able to wake up and know I still get to celebrate a birthday.

• Books.  They transport me to a different world.  Sometimes I want to get away from this world and be in a place where I don’t have to think about issues or problem in my life or in the world.

• Hulu and Peacock.  Similar to books.  I also watch shows on Hulu and Peacock to relax.

• Three-day weekends.  Sometimes I wished I worked 4 days.  That is not the case so I always look forward to these weekend.  An extra day off always feels good.

• Chocolate.  I love it!

• Coffee.  I look forward to that cup of coffee first thing in the morning.  Sometimes I enjoy a second cup at work or in the evening at home.

• My coworkers and boss.  They’ve been supportive and helped me get through some ugly days at work.

• My doctor.  A friend had recommended another doctor at the same office Doctor B. worked, but I wasn’t able to get an appointment with her, so I was given an appointment with Doctor B.  I have been with her since then.  A few years ago she switched hospitals and I also switched mine just so I could continue to see her.

• My parents.  They came to this country to make sure their kids could have a better life.

• My body.  It can do many things.  My body can run, walk, laugh, take care of people, eat delicious food, teach, etc.  There are too many things to list here.

The topic for next week – Tell us about your holiday fitness challenge.  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

New Tuesday Topics

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Fit Five Friday and November 2024 Ultimate Coffee Date

New Ultimate Coffee DateWelcome to the November edition of the Ultimate Coffee Date hosted by Coco and Deborah.  It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by My First 5K and More, Running with AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and me!  

Now, grab a mug of your favorite beverage, and let’s chat briefly!

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I am not a big fan of Halloween but I get into it because of my students.  Most of them dressed up and 4 stayed at home because they do not celebrate Halloween.  In my lesson plans, I had that we would do work in the morning and then spend the last 2 hours doing fun activities.  Nope, the whole day was full of fun activities.  A few said that it was a fun day.  Mission accomplished!  But I went home even more exhausted.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you I saw this figure early one morning.  It was dark and it FREAKED ME OUT.  

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that it doesn’t bother me that I am losing my Starbucks stars.  I don’t go there often so I knew it would be a matter of time.

Screenshot

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I signed up for a few more half marathons next year.  I am already going to Fargo, ND at the end of May.  I will be running in Myrtle Beach (SC) on March 1st, Albuquerque (NM) on April 5th, and Olathe (KS) on April 26th.  I will be crossing off 4 states from my 50 states +1 list.  That leaves me with 3 more to go (Wyoming, South Dakota, and Idaho).  Yay!

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I had plans to go to Boston in April to spectate the Boston Marathon.  I waited too long.  The tickets that are available are either not convenient or too expensive.  So since I am not going anymore, I am now able to go to Kansas for a half marathon.

The topic for next week’s Fit Fit Friday – 5 reasons to run a turkey trot.  Feel free to write about this or any fitness topic you’d like.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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Tuesday Topics: October 2024 Review

This week’s Tuesday Topic is a FREE topic.  Feel free to post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

Let me tell you how October went for me:

Mileage:  In October I ran 27.84 and walked 9.92 miles.  I have plans to run a couple of half marathons next year and I began following one of Hal Higdon’s half marathon plans.

Run the Year 2024:  I signed up to run and walk 2,024 miles this year.  So far I have completed 467 miles (per the RTE Tracker).  I know I will not reach this goal.  I am curious to see how many I actually do.

Current Book:  I finally finished reading “What Could Be Saved”.  Now I am reading “These Silent Woods”.  So far I am liking it.  It is my xx book this year.

Injuries:  I haven’t haven’t had too much issues with plantar fasciitis.  It could be because I am seeing a chiropractor to help me with my back.  Last week I mentioned my tight hips and they had me do a couple of stretching exercises to help with the tightness.  I know I should be doing these anyway.

Races:  None.

Health:  I am still dealing struggling with hot flashes.  The number on the scale isn’t going up so I am happy about it.  Now I just need to lose the weight!

School:  It is the same song here.  I have OK days, bad days, and awful days.  Next week is parent/teacher conferences and I am not looking forward to it.  It is a LONG day for me.  I have to say the same thing to the parents of half of my students – “Your child cannot read or write”.

A parent went to administration to complain about me.  I am annoyed that she went straight to administration without talking about it first with me.  I have talked to this parent before so she could have come to me.

What I am looking forward to next month:  My birthday and Thanksgiving Break.  My sister will be in town for a cotillion and I am excited about it.

The topic for next week:  What are you grateful for this year.  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

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