Caffeinated & Still Drowsy

This has been a really weird week for me. Monday I started a ‘diet’ with Brian (more on that later). I was not allowed to have any dairy, yeast, sugar or caffeine. By far the hardest thing was skipping my morning coffee. I substituted decaf with rice milk and Stevia for the leaded, half & half with sugar I usually have. Not tasty, but I thought it would be doable for the 10 days the diet lasts. I was wrong. By Tuesday at noon, I was miserable with a headache and felt like I was going to fall asleep at any second. I broke down and gulped a Diet Coke in about 2 seconds flat. Aaah. It did help some, but today I am thinking that it may be a flu I am getting that was causing the drowsy feeling and headaches. So, I didn’t even make it 2 days! So much for moral support. “You can do it, Brian! Now give me my coffee with sugar. STAT. Oh, and a chocolate bar”
The diet is under Brian’s new voodoo doctor’s instructions. He is seeing him several times for a month and then (God willing) his terrible allergies and anxiety attacks will be no more. I went to the first visit with him and Dr. Salas determined he was allergic to wheat and several ‘airbornes’ (pollen, grass, dust, cat dander). He also has a Candida (yeast) issue – thus the no yeast diet for 10 days while he gets treated. It’s all really holistic and different, but our hopes are high he can help Brian out. His success rate is very good. Will keep you posted.
Other new items…
Next Saturday I am doing a Polar Bear Plunge for the Special Olympics. It is supposed to be in the teens at night next week--should make for a VERY brisk dip in the lake. Eeek! The day should be fun though - there are a few of us jumping together. I'll be sure to post pics...

I finally got off my duff and saw a doctor about my knee. My self-diagnosis was right – it’s my IT band. I have physical therapy appointments for the next few weeks and after that I hope to have this behind me and try for another half marathon this year. In the meantime, I am looking at doing my first triathlon (or two) this summer. My swimming technique needs some tweaking, so I am enrolling in a swim class in February. The biking portion is what makes me a little nervous. Since adulthood, I’ve never felt very confident on a bike. Almost getting hit by a KU bus in front of my dorm freshman year didn’t help. Quite embarrassing and painful! So, I’ll be out there on my big ol’ heavy mountain bike trying to keep up with the real racers. Should be pretty interesting!

HP is doing great – talking up a storm. Some of my new favorite quotes are:
When asked if she wants to do something her answer is “Oh! taaay”
When I go in to get her up from naps she usually calls me “Mama, blue eyes”
If anyone drops anything, she says “Oops, sorry” even if she was not the one to drop it or no one else is around
Her new favorite show is "Max & Ruby" - called "Max & Booby"(which always generates a giggle from me)
She likes to peek from behind things and say, "See you!"
And my fave: “Dada, Mama, Ha-pearl…..Team Brooks!” (The ‘Team Brooks’ portion is typically accompanied by a fist in the air)

Camera download

So, no really good ones of the new haircut yet(the apron pic is the only one sort of showing it), but here are a few I just downloaded off my camera...