Happy Birthday America....and ME!

Yep, I was born on the 4th of July.  This is a big weekend for me, and it starts this morning.  Heading over to my weekly meeting and weigh-in.  Last week was great, a 3.4 pound loss.  This week, eh, probably not so good.  It's been a rough week for me in the eating and tracking category and I'm just starting to get some activity in at the YMCA (only went twice this past week), but it's okay.  This is the rest of my life here.  The scale will go down; the scale will go up; I will adjust; the scale will go back down. 

I have been following doctor's orders for the past week and a half, no running, no skating, but the foot is not really feeling much better.  I think I might have to rest it a little more and stay off my feet more.  I'll try that after this weekend.

So after my meeting, I have to rush home, make salad, get chicken breasts prepared, hopefully relax in the garden with another cup of coffee, and then head off to family picnic and huge fireworks display!  Can't wait to spend the day with everybody.  Of course, taking the hula hoops and jump ropes with me.  Hope it's not too hot though. 

Tomorrow is going to be hot, and we're having a very "unplanned" picnic at our house, kind of thrown together.  Should be fun though.  My honey went down to my favorite bakery of all time and ordered a birthday cake for me (haven't had a real birthday cake in years, and decided I wanted one this year).   One piece, that's my goal.  Just one piece of birthday cake and then the rest is fair game for everyone else. 

I remember this cake when I was a kid.  My mom went to a local bakery in town (no longer here), and they used to make a very special birthday cake for me.  It was a white sheet cake, decorated red, white and blue (of course), but the big deal was that right in the center of the cake was a homemade jelly roll stood up on it's end and decorated like a firecracker!  Then my mom would put a sparkler in the middle of the "firecracker" with all the candles around it!  I'll never ever forget that cake. 

So my plan for the weekend as far as food is to "get through it".  Today I'm taking chicken breasts to marinate and throw on the grill and a big tossed salad.   That should keep me away from the pulled pork and baked beans.  Tomorrow I'm cooking boneless chicken thighs, sausage, burgers, salad, and the usual picnic fair.  I'm planning on having the chicken thighs and salad...AND cake! 

So I hope everyone has an AWESOME JULY 4TH WEEKEND!  Have lots of fun and get lots of activity.   Enjoy the festivities and play with the kids.  That's my plan.  I no longer sit around the food table and eat.  Once I've had my plate, I get away from the table and go have fun, play ball, hula hoop, jump rope, croquet, bocci ball, whatever.  Just have fun.  It's not about the food!  It really, really isn't.