August 2020 - Week 1

SUNDAY - Josh made BBQ chicken for dinner and I made scalloped potatoes and biscuits. Ed and Grandma joined us, as well as Ryan and Amanda. Amanda also brought some frozen popsicle treats for dessert, too. We played "Cover Your Assets" with Amanda & Ryan after dinner a couple times and I showed everyone the correct way to play, after learning the right rules when I played with Jen's friends the previous week. When they left to go to Hannah's house, Josh and I took a long nap. I love Sunday siestas! After our 2 hour rest, he took me up Carmen Creek in the Jeep. It was a really hot evening outside, but it started to cool down when we got back from our ride, so we made a fire in our outdoor pit and I cooked apple pie fry pies and we had starbursts and smores, too. It was nice chillin' with the family around the fire! Amanda and Ryan came back and hung around the campfire with us before we went inside to watch the most recent episode of Yellowstone. Afterwards, Amanda joined Josh and I for a soak in the hot tub.

MONDAY - I drove for River Shuttles on the Carey Creek crew. There were 9 guys and me! We got back by 9:30 again, which was nice, and Josh surprised me with my new phone which arrived earlier in the day. Josh had taken it to town to activate it for me, and I was so happily surprised to come home and find it there, let alone be able to already use it! What a guy!

TUESDAY - I drove again for River Shuttles, but this time on the Cache Bar/Corn Creek and Boundary Creek routes. It was a really long day, but when I got home, I felt sluggish after sitting in cars for 2 straight days, so I wanted to take a walk, and Josh surprised me and said he'd go with me, which was awesome. I enjoy his company!

WEDNESDAY - I only drove in the morning to Cache Bar/Corn Creek with River Shuttles. There wasn't a rig for me at Corn Creek, so I got in with Conny, and when we stopped at the Confluence to use the bathroom, she had me drive her and she slept all the way to town. I felt trusted and I was glad I could help her out--she really needed to sleep! It was my last day driving for River Shuttles for the summer. We got back to town in decent time, so I took lunch to Josh, which we didn't do very often this summer. That evening, I went to the Eagles to play BINGO with Darcy for the first time this summer. I did it once last summer, too. I got lucky that night! I won a raffle drawing, won 2 BINGOS, and would've won a 3rd but I missed a number on a card and when I realized it had arleady been called, I yelled BINGO, but you can only yell it on the number that had just been called so it didn't count. I won $29 and paid $25 to play, so I came out on top! Josh came with me and hung out with Phil in the bar by the pool table. We had a fun night out! 

THURSDAY - When Josh got home from work, we drove down to Mud Lake with Kanyon. We dropped off my car at the tire place there to get the air conditioner recharged before our vacation on Saturday to Zion National Park in southern Utah. After we dropped it off, we walked over to the fairgrounds for lunch. Josh and Kanyon had never been to the Mud Lake Fair before, so I was glad to take them. I had a horchata and a Mexican meal, and Josh and Kanyon got cheeseburgers and loaded fries. I like the way their fair is set up, especially how their fair food booths are laid out, and it was nice to see people out and about acting like normal without face masks! The Babcocks came while we were there. We get along with them really well, and Kanyon stayed with them while Josh and I walked back to get my car. We picked up Kanyon, and then Josh dropped me off at work so I could get some work done in my classroom while he took Kanyon to Idaho Falls to do some school shopping and grocery shopping. I didn't get as much done in my classroom as I wanted--of course!--because as soon as I got there, Blythe (the school's new secretary) informed me of some changes with my class list, which really upset me! Shelby was also there, and I talked to her for a bit and we moved some things around between classrooms. I met with the band group outside about 3:30 to practice our songs again. Then we transferred the band equipment from Jeff's flatbed trailer to Stan Babcock's giant flatbed tow truck (which I drove around the parking lot and backed up on my own, which I was proud of!). We got it all transferred just in time for the parade. I'd never been to their parade before: the route is on the highway between the school and the fairgrounds. We alternated between both our songs the entire route, and then we performed them again at the fairgrounds after the parade ended. I had so much fun singing, dancing, and seeing the parade viewers that I knew--especially my previous students! Josh and Kanyon came back from shopping in time to watch the parade, and even helped us take down the set before we drove back to Salmon. I loved performing! Especially my own songs with my band! It was a cool experience! 

FRIDAY - I swam every Friday for over a month at the Bear Country Inn, because I love doing water aerobics, and the city swimming pool was closed this summer due to COVID. My independent water aerobic sessions were pretty intense and were such a good workout for me! I went to my last summer swim on August 7, and when I got home, I weighed myself and was ECSTATIC!!! I was finally under 200 pounds--which is one of the goals on my 40 Things list. In fact, I've had that same goal for many years to be under 200 lb. I got close 5 years ago when I lost weight before going to Mexico, but I haven't been under 205 since I don't know how long...maybe 10 years or longer? It's been hard for me to lose weight, even with exercise and diet, and finally I realized why: I am glucose intolerant. I've been on medication for 2 years to help with it, and this summer I found something that my body responded to in order to help with my weight loss: intermittent fasting daily with my eating time cut to a 6-hour window, 24-hour fasting once a week on top of that, and daily exercise, too. I walked all summer, did water aerobics on Fridays, and went on bike rides multiple times, too. I was beyond elated that all that hard work paid off to meet my goal a week before my birthday!! I got my new Star Card Drivers License that same day, and even HONESTLY put my weight as 199!! When I got home, I relaxed in the Triple S, and when Josh got home he joined me for a while, until I started getting ready for us to leave the next day on our family vacation to Zion's.