Dukan – Yummiest Pork – And a Day Trip

Posted on March 16, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Thursday was a PP day 😀

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.22 kg
Total weight loss: 76.6 lb/34.81 kg

Went in to work for an hour before embarking on a lovely day trip… left home at 0730 and didn’t get home until after 11 p.m…. late for me, but worth it!

My amazing driver Jerry showed up promptly (as usual) at 0900 to take me, Dana & Jenni (Steve’s family) and Tracy (Steve’s assistant) for our day trip. First stop the Taoguang Temple near West Lake in Hangzhou. We had a steady rain fall to deal with (all day) but I had on my water-proof hiking boots from Chaco and a rain jacket.

Best hiking boots ever!

Dana & Jenni

The first of many Buddhas we saw.

After spending about an hour exploring the temple and lighting incense and praying for the safe journey earthside for my two babies that I am waiting for, we headed over to Tea Mountain. This is an area on the north side of Hangzhou where the local green tea is grown. I only got one picture because it was raining too hard to get out of the car 😦

Tea leaves in the mist.

From there we took a 1.5 hour drive north to the town of WuZhen. It is known as the “Venice of China”. The homes are on the water, they use Chinese gondolas for transportation and it really was quite quaint. The BEST thing about visiting here was I had the YUMMIEST PORK EVER in this little village!! OMG was it to die for. The pork is wrapped in lotus leaves and tied up and then steamed in a soy sauce that is infused with Star Anise, Cardamon and Cloves. I can’t even begin to tell you how yummy this dish was!!! There was a lot of meat and I left most of the fat… I have to admit I ate two pieces, lol, soaked in that amazing sauce… nom, nom, nom!!!

Yummiest Pork Ever!

We also had Chrysanthemum Tea… hot water with little chrysanthemum buds in it… it’s quite tasty.

Chrysanthemum Tea

There were 4 or 5 museums and active manufacturing in WuZhen… the wood carving museum, the bed museum and the rice wine distillery were just 3 of the places we popped into.

Carved into a piece of petrified wood.

Clay vats for wine distilling.

Working with silk...

Soaked to the bones in the Bed museum.

Not sure what the squeezer was... but the sign is over massive bags of rice... I love the signs I find all over the world!

I also love doors!

Cabbage Truck 🙂

So that was the end of our day trip… I then had the absolute pleasure to go hang out with my 2 year old buddy, Soren. His mommy is 4 days past her due date and was achin’ for some alone time with her hubby, so they went out to dinner and I hung with the love bug. He’s a very cool 2 year old.

First, he had me sit on his little Big Wheel and pushed me around… LOL

Getting pushed around by a munchkin!

We then played with cars and trucks, read 4 books and sang Baby Beluga 3 times… I recorded it and I’m hoping the upload works 🙂 Oooops, nevermind… need a “space upgrade” to do that 😦 It was cute though!
Here’s another pic of the little man…

Long, exhausting but fun day!!! Now I’m off for a run!

Ciao!

You May Be the World

Posted on February 27, 2012 by flamidwyfe

We often forget this in our lives. As a midwife in the States, I was on call 24/7/365, as you are when you are an independent midwife. One of the benefits to moving to Abu Dhabi was shift work. I worked 14 12-hour days a month. Bliss.

I am now in an administrative position at a hospital in China. However, I have a handful of patients and this quote popped out at me today because of a sticky situation I’m in. Two of my amazing women are due March 8 & March 12th and I HAVE TO DO A BORDER RUN… no later than March 10th! And you might say, “well priority says you do your border run”… but this isn’t what is best for my two ladies that are depending on me being at their birth, protecting them from an 80% c/section rate, and providing them with the compassion they’ve come to appreciate. And I, of course, want to be there for them.

Needless to say, we’re going to see if I can get an extension on my visa tomorrow, that will give me a month more to have to worry about it, which would be IDEAL… putting that out to the universe 😀

So, this is a reminder that we may just think we’re “someone” in this world, but we may mean the world to someone else!

The Sunshine Award

Posted on February 27, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Words cannot even express how humble I feel by being nominated for the Sunshine Award by Olive. Olive is a brilliant writer and can her blog can be found here http://olivetwist.wordpress.com. I found her site recently and work myself through a couple of posts an evening. Her writing is from the heart and I love that!

As part of accepting the nomination I am required to post the answers to the following questions 🙂

Favorite colors: Purple and Green (ironically those are also Olive’s favorite colors!!)

Favorite Animal: Cat

Favorite Number: 13

Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beverage: Skinny Cafe Latte

Prefer Facebook or Twitter? FACEBOOK

My passion: Lowering infant and maternal mortality through education

Prefer getting or giving presents: GIVING

Favorite Pattern: Circles

Favorite Day of the Week: Pajama Day 😀

Favorite flower: Gerbera Daisy

And now the hard part… choosing 10 bloggers to pass this on to. Oh My! I read SO many amazing blogs! This is a real tough one for me… I didn’t like to have to pick teams on dodge ball!

http://wwangel.wordpress.com/ Mel keeps me motivated to get out and run.. and she has an adorable dog to boot!

http://charlottesdukandiet.com/ Charlotte is the first Dukan blog I followed… I love reading her quippy posts and her honesty about struggling to stay on this program!

http://dukandiet-journey.blogspot.com/ Moonday’s Philosophy is permanently attached to my fridge!

http://soniadukandiet.blogspot.com/ Sonia has done an amazing job on the Dukan diet!

http://dukandietress.blogspot.com/ I also follow this amazing blogger who has great advise about Dukan and her success!

http://thechunkygoddess.com
Cyn tells it like it is… I’m new to her blog, but loving it! She says what we’d all like to say, but are afraid to say it… LOL

http://lipomachia.wordpress.com
She has some fabulous recipe ideas on her site… her Mega-Power omelet is amazing!

http://apetcher.wordpress.com/ Have Bag, Will Travel
Lots of great travel writing and PICTURES here!! I have just started to enjoy this blog and I’m glad I stumbled upon it!

http://thesandytongue.wordpress.com – Warning, some may find his stuff offensive… I find it raw, funny and he speaks his truth!

http://hapacouple.blogspot.com/ And although they haven’t posted in a couple of weeks, this blog has some of the best Dukan friendly recipes on it. The pictures, descriptions and instructions make cooking delicious Dukan foods easy!

Olive… again, thanks!

Dukan – Day 189 – Shanghai with Kitty

Posted on February 24, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Friday was a PV day.

Daily Weight Loss: +0.9 lb/+0.40 kg… a gain 😦
Total Weight Loss: 71.3 lb/32.41 kg

So here I was up early on my day off to go to Shanghai. My friend Lucy shipped some boxes here and I needed to go clear them with Customs. I know, I know, I’m a glutton for punishment!

Driver here right on time at 730 a.m…. grabbed a couple tea eggs and then off to pick up Kitty. Kitty is my personal assistant (at work) and accompanies me to deal with paperwork because I have little patience to deal with stupid people (read: people who don’t want to do their job) and she keeps me out of jail 🙂 So here we are in the taxi, bright and early…

Hangzhou Taxi

It took us 45 minutes to get to the train station across twon here in Hangzhou (I might add that this is 3 minutes longer that it takes to get to Shanghai on the train 190 kms away!). Purchased tickets, got coffee and jumped on the train, as it was boarding when we purchased the tickets! Here we are in our 1st class seats. First class costs $5.71 more than 2nd class… worth every penny!

Kitty and Sandi

It took 42 minutes at 304 kph to get to Shanghai… I read my novel “The Wire In the Blood” by Val McDermid while Kitty napped… the girl can nap anywhere, at any time, it’s amazing!

Subway to our first destination and because Kitty is so amazingly efficient we got there without getting lost and she had all the paperwork ready, it was forthwith stamped (the Chinese stamp everything 457 times!!!) and money was exchanged and then we were cleared to go to customs.

But it was lunch time, so on to the subway to go to my favorite hamburger joint, The Blue Frog … woo hoo 2 times in 1 week! What a lucky girl I am. The server actually asked if I wanted what I had on Sunday and repeated it verbatim… am I really in China?!? I was pretty darn impressed, and yes, I wanted exactly what I had on Sunday 🙂

Lunch at the Blue Frog

Kitty had a HUGE burger, which she deconstructed and ate with a fork and knife. She also tried ketchup for the first time… and liked it… poor girl is getting Americanized by me.

After lunch a quick stop off at the City Shop grocery to pick up fat free yogurt (can’t get it in Hangzhou anywhere, and the City Shop online delivery warehouse didn’t have any last week. I got 10!

Then off to the customs office where the lady didn’t want to do her job (no big surprise) and as I wound up to start running my mouth, my sweet, naive, soft-spoken Kitty says, “I’ve got this” and lays into the lady, with a sweet smile on her face, but an angry voice and the lady did her job. We were in and out of the Customs office in under 30 minutes.

Back to the train station by way of 3 different Lines and train headed back by 436 p.m… The sad part, it took 1 hour and 17 minutes to get to my flat from the train station.

Dinner was stir-fried steak chunks with onions, squash and garlic stems.

I’ll tell you where the 0.9 lbs came from… I had NO WATER, at all. I had 1 cup of coffee in the morning, 1 latte in the train station in the morning, 2 diet cokes with lunch (something I rarely drink anymore, and don’t miss to be honest), a latte at the Shanghai train station, and 2 cups of yellow label tea at home. NO WATER… it makes a huge difference. And I noticed my urine was concentrated last night… hmmm, do you think that could be from drinking no water!?!? 😀 I also didn’t get in my yogurt and bran. I had no appetite for it last night.

Exercise… Kitty and I walked up and down every single stair there was in the subway system. We didn’t take the escalators, even with my back pack full of yogurt and a few other groceries, I climbed the stairs. It felt great and accomplished… Kitty, ever the trooper, went along with it, but told me on the train that her legs were tired. Bless.

All in all a good day. Here’s one last pic… a family sculpture in Shanghai that we passed, and as my driver Jerry reminds me FAMILY = Father And Mother, I Love You… pretty cool, huh?

FAMILY

Ciao!

Quote of the day: “You don’t always get what you wish for, you always get what you work for”

Life Is a Book

Posted on February 23, 2012 by flamidwyfe

A lot of people ask me how I am able to travel so much. The answer is simple. I just do it. I make an average amount of money and I spend it on travel. Saying you don’t have enough, is an excuse. I was dirt poor and managed to scrape enough together to do a medical mission trip to Vanuatu in 2005 (I had to pay for flight and 30 days accommodation). Was it hard to come up with the money? Hell yeah, was it worth… every damn dime!

At this point in my life I am not married and the mom to 3 adult kids. I make a decent living working overseas. This puts me closer to a lot of places I’ve always wanted to visit. I don’t own a house, a car or very many “things”. I would rather spend my money exploring… and that’s what I do. Sometimes you just need to put on your big girl panties, pack up a back pack and walk out the door… You only live once!

This picture was taken by me, with my iPhone, while sitting on the beach on Phi Phi Island, Thailand in November 2011. I had an amazing vacation with my friends Cathy (from Illinois), Karen & Dominique. Karen & Dominique are Brits living in Abu Dhabi. Make memories… take the time to see something new… Step 1 get a passport and explore!

Ciao!

Phi Phi Island, Thailand November 2011

Travel – On My Way Again

Posted on February 7, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Well, I’m sitting at Denise’s, 24 minutes until Jenni picks me up to go to the airport. I love that one daughter picked me up (Tiffany) and another is taking me back. It has been a LONG 3 weeks and packed to the gills with fun, family, friends and traveling.

My vacation didn’t start or end the way that was planned, but that’s OK. I’m a fly by the seat of your pants kind of girl. I’m also intuitive and trust my girlfriends and by doing so you learn a lot about yourself and others.

Jammin’ Jensen 3 Thursdays in a row was the best. I have some AMAZING friends! The trip to my mom’s up in Gainesville and my hike with Mary at Devil’s Millhopper. The park with Sydnie, Shane, Sofia, Jose, Celeste, Lelani, Asa Kai, Lina and Koa… All babies I welcomed into this world, and their mommies was a fun morning and a highlight of my trip. Morning walks alone or with my friend Jamie kept me active. Walking across the many bridges that surround this wonderful place I call home as the sun came up, nearly every morning of my vacation, was magical. The weather had been PERFECT and only today did the storm clouds begin to roll in. I know this is in protest of me leaving 😀

My lunch down in north Miami with the birth workers. Missed several of them, especially Janice. I just don’t seem to get enough time for everyone. Visiting with my niece Charity, who is a midwifery school graduate, following in the footsteps of her Aunt (me) and her great-great grandmother Sofia. She sits her board exams in a week and I ask for prayers and positive energy be sent her way. She’s amazing!

Ping pong with my baby Sadie, her beating me 3 out of 4 games, BBQ at Jenni and Chris’s, 2 visits to Melborne to see my amazing son Nick, backgammon on the beach and the Super Bowl on Sunday (my team won!!!) made for a fantastic vacation.

I’ll miss home and everyone here, but I’ll be back in August… Off I go!

Ciao!

Quote of the day: One should eat to live, not live to eat. ~Cicero, Rhetoricorum LV

Dukan – Vacation update

Posted on February 3, 2012 by flamidwyfe

So a quick update since I’ve received numerous emails about not blogging 😀

I’ve lost weight. I met and exceeded my goal to lose 70 pounds by February 11th. I’ve stayed true to my Dukan life-style during my 16 days so far on vacation, with the exception of a glass of wine x 2 and a bit more bacon than I should be eating… LOL

I’ve been walking with a friend nearly every morning before sunrise, which has been awesome, it’s cool, dark and quiet… About 4 miles or so.

I’ve seen just about everyone and have really enjoyed my visit home. Trip ends in a few days and I’ll be back in China and back on my tea eggs and back to daily blogging.

Ciao!

Quote of the day: You can always take the easy way out & give up but real strength comes when you decide to keep pushing no matter what the circumstances are. ~ Unknown

Early morning drive from Gainesville back to Stuart…

Early morning view after morning walk…

My niece Aja serving drinks at the Seafood Festival…

Lunch in Miami with some birthing buddies, including my niece Charity…

Dukan – Day 157

Posted on January 25, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Tuesday was a PV day.

No weigh in. My mom has a manual scale and if it’s correct I’ve gained about 2 pounds, regretting not packing my scale and hauling it to Florida.

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and then off to pick my mom up from rehab to bring her home.
Lunch for both of us: Chicken sausage with sautéed onions and a handful of mushrooms.
Snack: practically fat free Turkey slices and what I’ve vowed to NOT eat today, 3 slices of low fat provolone cheese.
Dinner: Stir fried sirloin with onions, mushrooms and asparagus
Snack: FF Greek yogurt with Splenda and flax seed meal.
Total water: 2.5 liters (1500mL with Crystal Lite added… No carbs, fat and barely any calories, my life has been changed, lol)

Its nice just hanging out, but I didn’t get enough exercise in today. I’ve done the research on the flax seed versus the oat bran and they are pretty equal. I can’t find the oat bran meal here and the stuff I bought made me feel like I could just go out and eat grass… Yuck! I think if I have true weight gain, it’s from the cheese. I’m trying to stay away from the Atkins mentality… I’ll be in search of a better scale on Friday, when I’m back in Stuart.

Now I’m off for a morning hike… Will tell ya all about it tomorrow 🙂

Ciao!

Quote of the day: Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do.
Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.
~ Ella Fitzgerald
My take… I’m loving my new look, I’m inspired by my fellow bloggers, the only thing that could go wrong is if I did give up… Not gonna do that!

Dukan – Day 154 -Slumber Party with my Girlies

Posted on January 22, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Saturday was a PP day.

Daily weight loss: +1.1 lb

Today was a fun day! Slept in to 520 a.m. Woo hoo! Denise and I went to the B & A flea market in Stuart, where I picked up a Life-Purpose-Passion t-shirt from Dave Williams.

Then had a burger at 5 Brothers Burgers with Denise. Then off to the party supply store for slumber party supplies and then up to Tiffany’s house to hang with the GRANDKIDS for a while. We went to a park where the kids ran around and rode their bikes and I got to see my pseudo-daughter, Ashley, and my pseudo-GRANDKIDS, Faelynn and Aireanna.

Then back to Denise’s to cook for the slumber party. I made Pork Lomo for dinner, using the recipe from The Hapa Couple, substituting the beef for pork. YUMMY! I am really enjoying cooking. There was tons of naughty food and I blessedly was able to resist. I even slept with a plate of THIN MINTS next to my head. The other thing I realized is that besides a cup of coffee in the morning, I drank nothing but water all day 🙂

There were 7 of us, and besides our new friend Shannon, we’ve all been friends for more than 35 years… How awesome is that? I started falling asleep at the beginning of The Sound of Music, and of corse got teased about it… Curled up on the couch surrounded by my girlies and slept feeling so happy and loved… I am so blessed to be able to hang with the best girls in the world!

Having a great vacation home!

Ciao!

Quote of the day: Best friends know all about you and love you anyway.

Dukan – Day 152 & 153

Posted on January 21, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Thursday was a PV day and Friday was a PP day.

Weight loss: Thursday I was down 600 grams from the Monday weigh in, today I’m up 400 grams from the Monday weigh in. All in all not bad for traveling 34 hours, on 4 planes and 13 time zones and I’m still trying to get my body’s time straight.

I left Hangzhou Tuesday morning at 140 pm and arrived in Fort Lauderdale at 1140 am Wednesday. 4 long flights including landing in a snow storm in Seattle and an overnight in New York City.

Wednesday, dinner out with friends and an amazing chat and a chance to see one of the women who blessed me 11 years ago by allowing me to midwife her, and then to bed by 11, up at 432 a.m… And out the door for a nice 4+ mike walk in downtown Stuart with a friend who is also an early riser. Some shopping and lunch out with my daughter and son-in-law at Longhorn where I had steak salad, then off to Jammim’ Jensen to hang with my besties…. So nice to be with friends you’ve known your whole life!

Friday… Up at 447 a.m., I guess this is better than 432! Out the door and a walk over the lower and upper Roosevelt bridges. A one hour 10 minute walk and then coffee with a friend while watching the sunrise… My home town really is a great place to visit! You decide for yourself…

View of the new bridge while crossing the old one.

View to the east while crossing the new bridge for the 3rd time…

Coffee and sunrise…

Bacon and eggs for breakfast and then early matinee watched the movie Red Tails good movie. Lunch was sausage and onions and a few peppers and by the time dinner rolled around I was falling asleep on the couch, so ended up eating hard salami, which although no carbs has too much fat… What to do? I think I was sleeping at 900! A big shout out to my best friend Denise for letting me crash on her couch… You are the BEST xoxoxo Now off to start my day (I slept until 520!!!!!)

Ciao!

Quote of the day: Everything will be fine in the end, if it’s not, it’s not the end ~ Unknown