Miss Me?

Probably not…it’s ok, I forgive you. ;)

I know I’ve missed you though.

I’m trying hard to catch up on blogs to see how everyone Easter’s went!  I hope you had a great one and spent time with the ones you love!  I sadly was working and didn’t get to see my family (they’re in SoCali, which HAD A 7.2 EARTHQUAKE THAT I MISSED!!! SOOOOO PISSSSSED!)

Anyhow, this photo montage has been the being of my life the past four days.  No joke, it was 15 hr days of pure exhaustion and probably the hardest physical labor I have done in my life.  If my $100,000+ college degree fails me, at least I know I can take up a job in landscaping/lawn care because I am a beast with a hedgetrimmer.

It may have been exhausting, but I came out with some pretty freak’n hilarious memories…based on delirium.  Oh yeah, it was that kind of exhaustion.  Yes…to the point of running on auto pilot to get home, shower, skip dinner and hit the sack.

Start with this…

Do this for an hour…

and get this…

but remove all the clippings like this…

and then get smart and start using the boat to haul it out for less work.

 

oh yes, the trying to help the cuts on my feet

from getting any worse than they are…hot stuff no?

On top of the mowing, there is building these “houses”

which are technically shade houses…

but since they are so exhausting to make…

and it takes six people to make it in just under two hours…

by the end we hit delirium…

and laugh our butts off when all we can talk about is the Swamp Ape that is going to have parties in our “shade houses” we’ve put up till summer…

 

how am I still doing work?

at least we all had good attitudes, hilarious and sarcastic remarks to keep us alive and sane…

and of course fun on our airboats after everything is done.

At least I had a few good sunsets…

so I could end the day on a semi-good note.

And of course there was food…

In which I tried to consume my veggie during lunch…

because I ate a lot of these…

and tried to have these more often than not…

And there were treats like this…chocolate pb sandwiches…

more substantial meals were needed as the days went by…so veggie burgers were needed during lunch other than hummus…

and lots of pb was consumed in these past four days…

along with something other than oats, apple and pb for breakfast…like Kashi Strawberry Fields Cereal…which btw, doesn't hold over well AT ALL.

and this is how we celebrate Easter when you work…lots of them.  Probably six.

Ta da!  I know, probably boring pictures, I know…I tried.  It’s the best I could do for the past four day.

[[Side Note: Fuel for Energy

Oh the joys of work. 

And having to eat to do it.  The majority of my physical labor pretty much comes with running, long or short distances, so I don’t have to vary my food intake that much to compensate for the exercise.

But the past four days have been a doosy.  I mean, I don’t think I have ever eaten so much in my life.  And it killed me.

Not physically, but mentally.  The first day was fine, eating to work so we could get things done.  But by day two and three I was getting restless, and by day four I was almost a basket case (but this also stems off being so tired I seriously couldn’t think straight).

I knew the entire time that I was doing a lot of hard physical labor.  I was working on cutting grass with the hedge trimmer, lifting timber, pulling guide wires, pushing and pulling on everything, the works.  And even though I knew I was expending energy, I never felt like it was justifying enough to eat more food.

I still felt lazy.  Maybe I was tired, but I felt like I wasn’t do enough to allow it.  Stupid in actuality.  Even though every muscle in my body ached, I was walking around in muck that everyone sank into up to our hips, and so much more…it just never made me feel right.

Luckily by day four, I had Brit to talk to out in the field.  Everyone is drinking Gatorade to help with the labor, heat and dehydration.  I’m drinking water.  They’ve bought snacks for us like Snickers, Mini Reeses and Snickers and other stuff, I have a bit.  Everyone is chowing down, I’m not.  I’m moody as hell because I’m lacking the energy I need to work, but I can’t get myself to do it.  I’ve eaten so many granola/energy bars I think I might turn into one by the end of the day.  But after talking to her, rationalizing everything out, seeing how I was thinking and why I was thinking…I was finally able to calm my nerves.

And in reality, I’m pretty sure all that work, caused all of us to lose some weight.  If not, I know I sure did gain some arm muscles!  I’m freak’n ripped now! I bet my next ST session is going to be a breeze!

By the end I came out ok.  I’ve moved past the feelings that overwhelmed me and came out with a better mentality about it and how to deal with it if it happens again.

Thanks for listening to my rant.  It was a hard four days and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t thinking correctly.  At least now I feel better. ]]

I started off this morning with a nice hearty breakfast (1/2C KGLC, banana, strawberries and some PB) in anticipation of a nice slow and steady 9 mile run with Brit after she wakes up…I don’t blame her for sleeping in, we all needed it, but I can never sleep in when I start on a schedule.  Boohiss.

I need to do some serious grocery shopping today because the last four days have wiped me of all my food!  Eating for work like that is hard and you consume a crack load of food!  So Whole Foods and Publix…here I come to buy out your stock.