Simmer Until Desired Tenderness Reached

Neat, huh?

Cooking instructions from the back of my lentils package.

Had to go to work today even though we had a huge snowstorm.





This was what the streets looked like on the way home. I really wanted to work from home today, but everyone else made the trek in, so I felt like I had to do the same.

Couldn't bring myself to hit the gym tonight, so I made a deal and told myself I could do a workout DVD when I got home.

Naturally, I can't find either of my two favorite DVDs -- my 20 minute Pilates workout that I bought after PastaQueen recommended it, and my NYC Ballet Workout recommended by Cindy Sadler. I love to do them, and best of all they don't require a lot of jumping up and down on the floor.

I have a ton of DVDs to pick from -- including a series of Dallas Cowboy cheerleader workouts that I can't believe are in my house (but in my defense they were freebies handed out at work, not things I bought). I selected a low-impact one and started it up.

After a scant 10 minutes, my neighbor from downstairs knocked at my door. I guess I was bothering her. I had to stop. Darn it!

Now how am I going to do my DVD workouts if the only two I have that don't require jumping up and down have gone missing?

But they can't hide forever -- an all-out search will be launched this weekend. As Daniel Day Lewis once said, "I will find you!"

Day 3 of clean eating. So far so good.

Update on my little cat: no visible tumor came up in the ultrasound. Thank goodness. But he's not out of the woods yet. Vet picked up signs of trouble in the intestines and possibly around the spleen/kidney.

The vet did a needle biopsy that *may* yield enough cells for a tech to test them, and determine if it's a slow-spreading lymphoma cancer, or an inflammation that can be treated with meds. Please please please let it be the latter.

It was a pretty wild trip to the vet though, and extremely stressful to get him there. My lovely B/F actually took an hour off work and came home to help me catch our little cat and put him in the carrier, bless his heart.

By the time we got to the vet, my cat was beside himself. The vet took one look and said, "Can we give him valium?" That did the trick. Without it -- forget it. It took three of us just to hold him in the table. There would have been no way to do the ultrasound or do a needle biopsy.

He was groggy throughout the procedures, but conscious and relaxed. It took about two hours after we got him home for him to fully regain his balance. But he's fine today, healthy appetite. Always a good sign.

Me ... well, the stress of taking him to the vet had me craving a glass of wine, so I had one (a rather large one).

That made me kind of tired today and draggy. I still wanted a glass tonight as well, but I know I should not develop that habit. Too easy to get used to a glass a day, and that's not a road I want to travel.