Rule 1: We wake together and go to bed together. Sometimes our schedules are hectic and we often wake and sleep at different times. These past 10 days we have made a serious effort to get up at the same time and go to bed at the same time. This means that Jeremy is waking about 2 hours earlier than he is used to... because of this his day feels longer and he literally has more time. We've achieved this 10 out of the 10 days.
Rule 2: We must do a cardiovascular exercise every day. Either running, biking, squash or swimming. We've achieved this 8 out of the 10 days
Rule 3: We must take time out everyday to meditate. Meditation is a practice that we started about 2 years ago and it consists of us sitting in a quiet space, together, in complete silence with our eyes closed and focusing on our breathing for 5 minutes. We've done this 9 out of the 10 days.
Rule 4: We must keep an "I love" thread. Everyday and sometimes several times a day we add another thing we love to an email thread. Some include,
"I love that there are seagulls on our street."
"I love the thought of being able to x-cty ski on my street."
"I love that Max loves it here."
"I love having fun with you."
No matter how busy the day is we take the time to add to the list, reminding ourselves of the good things in life. After all, it is the little things that matter most.
All this may sound corny, but exercising, taking the time to express the things you are thankful for (you can even keep a gratitude journal) and making a point to be mindful in all that you do will lead to a happier life. Being married isn't easy, anyone will tell you that. It takes hard work. When we make a point to be healthy and mindful we bicker less, listen more and spend more time enjoying each other.
This experiment has been so good for us in so many ways. I don't want it to end.
Onto today... Max is in daycare today and I took advantage of the day the way I always do, cleaning. But first, we needed to start with some cardio. We headed out to Back Cove and ran 3 miles. It was harder than it needed to be mainly because it was hot and a little because we are out of shape. Once home, I cleaned a bit, hung out a bit and unpacked a little (yes, it is true, we are still not completely unpacked). And then I sat down to prep for our glorious gourmet meal... Beer Can Chicken!
Last weekend Jeremy and I were trying to figure out how, by not breaking any rules, we could treat ourselves to a beer. I told him that the only way we could buy it is if it was an "ingredient" in a meal. Jeremy quickly came back with a recipe, "Beer Can Chicken!!" He exclaimed. With little to no more discussion I was in the store buying us some beer, for our beer can chicken recipe. And today is the day that I will make said chicken. I rode my bike to the butcher shop and got us a 3.20 pound bird.
-Preheat grill and set for indirect heat (the outside burners on, the middle burners off, no fire directly under the chicken)
-Wash the bird and dry with paper towel. Rub him down with olive oil and some dried herbs. I used salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, onion powder, thyme, tarragon, celery seed.
- Take a beer, drink 1/2 (that's the fun part) shove the beer can up the bird's butt.
- Stand him up on the grill in the center. Close the lid. Cook for 1 hour to 1.5 hours.
- Test doneness with a thermometer, 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh. Let him sit for 10 minutes before carving.
I barely noticed that it took over an hour to make. I was busy bathing Max and cleaning up. Before I knew it, it was done! I served the bird with roasted potatoes and carrots. It came out juicy and very flavorful. We will definitely be making this again!
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