What's a PBB?

 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012 – What's a PBB?

What a difference a good night’s sleep can make.  I got up early today, i.e. shortly after 7, which I would have considered decadently late less a year ago.  The weather was so refreshing when I walked outside to pick up the newspaper that I decided to alter my usual routine of oatmeal, email/newspaper, workout at Lifetime.  Instead, I wolfed down a PBB and was out the door within minutes for a morning walk. 

In case you’re wondering about that PBB….  If you said peanut butter and banana, that wouldn’t be a bad guess.  In fact, a peanut butter and banana sandwich would make a good PBB.  In my lexicon, PBB is pre-breakfast-breakfast, the mini-meal one eats prior to eating the “real” breakfast.  Today was the perfect occasion for partaking of a PBB.  I didn’t have time for oatmeal and green tea, but I needed to hydrate and get some healthy protein and carbs into my system before I went for that walk.  Hence, the PBB.  The main requirements for a PBB are:  quick to prepare; quick to consume; doesn’t involve tearing open an energy bar wrapper. 

For example, today’s PBB consisted of a microwaved egg (spray a small shallow bowl with olive oil, crack an egg into it, cover with waxed paper, zap for 33 seconds), served on top of a toasted piece of whole grain bread.  Garnish with a generous spoonful of salsa, and you’ve got a PBB!  Remember to sip a glass of room temperature water (quicker to swallow than the super-chilled stuff) along with the meal. 

Thus fueled, I was on my way by 7:45 a.m., while most of my route was still in the shade.  After sucking in a few lungs full of the crisp morning air, I cranked up my speed and started pumping my arms.  It didn’t take long to settle into a rhythm as I traversed the hills of Mantua, our subdivision, which bears no resemblance to its namesake city in northern Italy.  I enjoyed a thoroughly delightful walk, free of school buses, trash trucks, and road kill.  A mere 25 minutes later, I was back at my front door, filled with a sense of physical and mental wellbeing, and ready to tackle the challenges of the day ahead. 

Speaking of challenges, there were a few.  I declined Elliott’s invitation to this afternoon’s pity party, an event I suspect was precipitated by my placing an order for one of those medical alert devices.  He insisted he didn’t need one; I thought it would be a good idea for those times when I’m not velcroed to his side.  Seriously, there are many times when he’s on his own and there’s no one within shouting distance.  I see it as a way for him to maintain his independence, but he obviously thinks there’s a stigma attached to wearing one of these devices.  However, it will be on a wristband, like his watch, so it won’t be as conspicuous as those pendants I see people wearing.  We chose this particular service, called Medical Guardian, because it includes a GPS-based locator.  It works anywhere in the country, so we’ll be able to take it along on our San Francisco trip.