Another successful produce run down to Gentile’s, today. It’s becoming my grocery home-away-from-home. Once I finally learned how to get there using back roads, the trip takes no time at all. Gotta love Google Maps.

The trek to Gentile’s was after the trek to the gym – Week Four has started. I went alone since Victor had to wait for Nonna’s Nurse Practitioner to arrive. Nonna has a heat rash on her upper torso – caused from sitting under a throw in a hot room – and, while she was getting her shower this morning, she was complaining to Alisa – her shower lady – that she was feeling nauseous. The NP was scheduled for her routine visit on Friday, so we called and they moved it up. All is well – Nonna doesn’t feel nauseous, and the heat rash is treatable with medicated powder. We surmised that the “nausea” was her way of trying to get out of taking a shower. Alisa – who may be one of the nicest and sweetest people on the planet – won’t fall for the excuses and made her take her shower, anyway. She seriously needs her showers – and seriously hates taking them. Welcome to the joys of having a 92 year old living with you.

So I went alone to the gym and had the crap beat out of me and then spent almost 30 minutes on the treadmill. I have found that I can walk like hell on that thing as long as I have music playing. I cannot watch the TV screen in front of me. I made a huge playlist yesterday – 313 songs and 18 hours of music – spanning every genre imaginable. I just hit “shuffle” and let it go. I really do have some interesting music – and lots of music from musician friends. At first, I thought I would want all fast-paced music, but I really like the mix – and the totally unknown aspect. I can go from Phil Ochs to the Bee Gees to The Doors and back to Duke Ellington. It’s a very entertaining way to spend 30 minutes sweating.

Victor went after lunch just to walk and has a make-up session with our Trainer scheduled for Thursday. He’s also a believer in treadmill music and is making his own playlists to keep the feet moving. It’s whatever works, ya know?!?

And speaking of working, tonight’s salads worked really well! We’re keeping a couple of grain, bean, and fruit salads in the ‘fridge for lunches and side dishes, so putting together a dinner salad is pretty easy. I make different salads during the week and at any given moment we have a couple of healthy options to choose from. It’s like magic, only better!

Tonight it was mixed greens, bean salad, corn salsa from dinner last Wednesday, radishes, tomatoes from the garden, fresh berries, grilled chicken, and a simple dressing Victor made – olive oil, a hard-cooked egg yolk, red wine vinegar, a drizzle of honey, a minced garlic clove, oregano, salt, and pepper. Perfection.

I’m getting used to not having crusty, crunchy bread at dinner every night but I think that come wintertime I’ll be figuring out how to add it back in now and again.

But that’s another time and another day. In the meantime, we’re both feeling well and that’s the important thing!