Talk about the week from hell. Last Tuesday I flew to MI, best case I could get everything done and be back by Tuesday night. Well, I didn't get the best case which meant I was stuck overnight. On the way home Wednesday there was a storm and it closed STL, so I missed my connection home. I absolutely had to get home to get packed for my Thursday flight to Alaska. Thankfully there was a flight to Huston going out of STL, so I could get back home. I had two hours to pack after 3 hours of sleep. And then 9 hours of travel to get to Alaska. So I am toast Thursday night.

Friday I find out that the guy I was teaching with in Alaska could not make it because of a family crisis. So now I am teaching for 3 days, eight hours a day (plus mandatory social times). By Sunday I was toast.

Monday was the off day. Enjoyed a nice day a little hiking, fresh air and just enjoying the quiet. Tuesday another long slog to get home, finally in the hot tub around 2AM and then sleep.

Looking back I think I was justifying bad behaviors. I would have a drink on the plane. My rescue foods I carry with me are nuts and beef Jerky. I ate too many. I didn't eat horribly, but I also didn't track either. When you teach and present for eight hours, you certainly burn a great deal of energy, but no cardio workouts for a week?

I know your plans can get knocked around by circumstances. I think I would have stayed on my program if I had gotten home Tuesday or even Wednesday. If my fellow instructor could have been there (I usually run during his 2.5 hour blocks) and would have had more energy to do fun stuff on Monday.

So looking back, I'm trying to get some life lessons. No more of the "oh things are going wrong, you deserve a cookie" thinking. I think next time I'm going to have a motivational talk with myself - "dude, you really need to exercise and eat better than usual because you need all the energy you can get." I'm going to be 53 in nine days, I really do need to step up my game.

MI, Michigan? you lucky duck! I am so very homesick.

I think your future plans are spot on, and I appreciate you sharing with us, because it is so easy to think we are the "only ones" going through it.

I have had 4 crazy weekends in a row. The week days are also crazy due to being short staffed and so I am wearing 3 hats right now. it will take them 3 months to get anyone hired for the (3 out of an 8 person team) vacancies.

I have to plan the food/drinks on the weekend or it is very hard for me to stay on track. This weekend my plans are to stay home in a coma, and walk and recover. I hope you can do the same soon!

and an early Happy Birthday too you! I think your 50's are going to be some of the best years of your life!

@@OKCPirate ... been there, lived it for decades. My work life sounds very similar to yours. The only difference between you and me is that I just retired.

Did I mention that I'm newly retired?

But the last year and a half post-WLS (while I was still working), the deal I struck with my shrink was that (at his insistence) I did not track my food / drink while I was on the road. He insisted that, although (like you) I'm a master food tracker, I also needed to develop some instinctual eating skilz.

When you're the consultant leading a wagon train through strange territory, sometimes s**t just happens. Therefore, my take is that this last trip you were on was particularly fraught with cray-cray and that you didn't do so badly.

Of course, we can usually do better. And having Plans B and C and D are better than only Plan A. But sometimes we just have to say, "That was interesting!"

P.S. BTW, if the scales are up, blame the sodium in the extra jerky and drink lots of extra Water. Jeez, that salty jerky makes me swell up like a poisoned pup!

@@Christinamo7 - MI, Michigan? you lucky duck! I am so very homesick.

Yes Michigan. The weather was great. It was a fun project. I prefer the food in Ann Arbor, but it was a very nice trip to Lancing.

@Christinamo7 I think your 50's are going to be some of the best years of your life!

You don't know the half of it young lady. The last four years have been GREAT, the last 18 months EVEN BETTER

@@Christinamo7 - MI, Michigan? you lucky duck! I am so very homesick.

Yes Michigan. The weather was great. It was a fun project. I prefer the food in Ann Arbor, but it was a very nice trip to Lancing.

I am glad you enjoyed. I don't think I will *ever* get over having to move away from my Michigan. I go back as often as I can. I miss my beaches! I am from the Traverse City area, but have spent plenty of time in Lansing and Ann Arbor.