Oddities of carrying weight

I've had an interesting eye-opener the last couple of days.

Not sure I've talked about it much here, but since the first of the year I've been on a Keto diet, and have lost about 22 pounds, to date, with more left to go.  A couple of days ago I was reading some research saying that wearing weight on your body if you do a lot of sitting can help lose weight, because sitting seems somehow to tell the body that it's lightweight, or something like that.

Even when I get good exercise in the mornings, I tend to sit a lot the rest of the day -- either at this computer, mostly doing genealogy, or plopped in a comfy chair reading or watching TV. Even without the new research, I know this isn't good for the body overall, or for weight loss. But if wearing weights can actually help lose weight? I'm all for it.

Yesterday I put my two hand-weights (5# and 4#, don't ask) into a fanny pack and wore it all day, walking around the building about once an hour most of the day. Thing felt heavy as hell, and it's less than HALF the weight of the fat I used to carry around on the body every day! I was shocked.

Today, I switched to only 5#, because somehow 9# was too much. Walked an hour this morning, drove to the nearby location where I buy food and where there's also a WalMart, with some distance between them. I needed to go to both, so as usual parked at the food store and walked to/from WalMart. Amazingly, even with only 5#, it still feels heavy. Is it any wonder I walk with a lighter step these days (when I'm not wearing the weights)?

I plan to keep doing it. All in all, the body will get stronger if nothing else, and maybe it'll accelerate the weight loss. I can stay on the diet -- hasn't been a big problem for me because I've lived low-carb for much of my life. But, Keto is low, low, low carb -- I'm getting max 15 grams per day right now, and it doesn't take much to reach that. Thankfully, I can still have some Keto chocolate chip cookies that I make, and 5oz of wine if I want it. Mostly, I prefer to use those wine carbs on other things, though.

Action out the window!

So -- after a nice 12 mile early morning bike ride, lunch, baking some cookies [Keto!], I was peacefully sitting at my computer when I heard an unfamiliar, loud and authoritative voice out in the parking lot. Finally, I looked out and saw a cop car, and a cop talking to a driver of an unfamiliar vehicle. Some back and forth, finally telling the guy to put both his hands out the window.  In short order, another cop pulled up, followed in another short order by two more.

Once cop # 2 arrived, they asked the guy to get out of the car. All professionally, and nicely. I like our Eugene cops.

Peacefully cuffed and arrested. Eventually cuffed to front of cop car, then eventually put into the car after some conversation.  Then the cops took everything out of the car and searched it. Don't know what they found, but I heard snatches like 'a lot of it', 'worth about $350' and once, 'marijuana'. Stuff is legal here, so wouldn't think there'd still be a big marked for it on the illegal side. But what do I know!?

A neighbor out on the sidewalk [not the one in the photo] who is braver than I asked them what was going on, and joked with them about adding a little excitement to our lives. He just said the guy 'needed to go to jail for some things'. No clue how they found him here -- had to be following him for some reason, 'cause this parking lot is not on the main drag. I presume they'll tow his car away eventually. That spot belongs to someone -- ironically, another black SUV.

Anyway -- a bit of excitement here for awhile, which is sometimes nice, to break the monotony.

Another new toy -- but oh, so useful

Hey, y'all,

Still alive and well enough here, hope you are the same. Weather warming up -- into the 90s yesterday, a little cooler today and for a few more. Hasn't been a problem for me, though. I like warm weather. That day back in Cedartown when it reached 113 in the shade of my back porch was a bit much, but this, I can handle.

A few weeks ago I bit the bullet and bought another new toy -- a really nice Cuisinart convection/rotisserie/toaster oven. Did a lot of research before deciding that this was the one, but I've loved it from the first time I used it, and I use it at least once a day, often several times a day.

Today, I finally got up the nerve to try doing a whole chicken on the rotisserie, which is really why I wanted it in the first place. It took me this long because I was a little afraid of it initially, when it comes to cooking meats. I wasn't sure how much smoke would be produced from the inevitable spatter, or if it would set off my sensitive smoke alarm.  Turns out, there's very little smoke, and if it didn't happen today with fat spattering and dripping at 450-500 degree temps, I think it's not going to happen.

Previous attempts with meat have been great, though a couple of them were foil-covered. As I said, I had to work up to using the rotisserie, but now I'm really glad I did. For one thing, it's just a small space that needs wiping out afterward, instead of a big oven. Secondly, that little chicken was juicy and tender just like commercial rotisserie chickens and very unlike oven-roasted chickens. I gobbled up a large portion of it, felt like I could eat the entire thing!

Still on the spit, too hot to remove just yet. Clearly, I still have a lot to learn about how to hog-tie one of these things properly (aka trussing), but this got the job done, even though it wouldn't pass any professional judgment. Those damned birds are slippery as hell, even dried off beforehand. The oven comes with a doohicky that lifts the spit out of its mechanism. It feels a bit perilous, but so far, it's worked fine. This is one time when it would be nice to have another person around -- one to hold a plate, and the other to use both hands to lift the spit out. But, I made it without much dripping on the floor.

So that's my story for today. Kinda lazy, aside from doing this. See you next time. Stay safe and well.

Happy Independence Day everyone!

Please stay safe and healthy. All is well here, and I intend to keep it that way, to the best of my ability. Not much going on worth writing about.