Staying the Course -- 06/04/18

[Superbob]

Opening a new Staying the Course week -- enjoyed all the comments last week. Not much to report here: After some brutally hot/humid days, we are catching a little break with lower humidity.

First day of taking core fitness (with same great teacher) at Core Fitness Cub instead of county rec center. It is a step up. We started the week with circuit training -- you move from station to station doing various exercises using different kinds of equipment. Stability balls, stretch bands, weights, a bosus, straps hanging from the ceiling etc etc etc (of course including planks) -- Anyway, it was a good workout to start the week. Cleared away any cobwebs from the weekend.

It was timely too. Yesterday, out of the blue, a woman in the store said she'd seen me walking my dog in the neighborhood and she worried about me falling on my face, for example if Ellie pulled on her leash. She volunteered to walk Ellie for me, and gave me her phone number. Wow! I was polite to her but I found it upsetting to be judged decrepit just because of (what?) --- my silver hair? Today's class was affirming -- I can still do stuff far more taxing than walking a senior dog. Anyway I have no intention of using substitute dawg walkers. I blogged about all this at steadfastdawgwalker.com if anyone's interested in reading more. Today, I'm thinking maybe it's actually a blessing that I have a willing substitute dog walker if I come down with the flu or whatever. But it was a strange encounter.

Sooooo,... what do yawl good folks have going on this week?

Cheers,

Superbob

 

[Agian]

Oh, come on SB. A woman gives you her phone number and you're complaining?

 

[Superman]

Open mouth, insert foot. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I’m sure she meant well, but clearly doesn’t know you.

I think I’m officially on the mend. Saturday I spun at my old rate, or close to it. I did a 14 mile ride outdoors towing a tag-a-along bike behind me on Sunday with my 6 year old on it. Threw in a couple long walks. Mowed the lawn. Hit nearly 32,000 steps on the Fitbit Saturday. Going to my first mid-week workout in over a month tomorrow.

It’s been over a month with this nasty cough. So ready to put it behind me.

My sunburn has moved on from blistering and oozing yellow stuff to just itching and peeling. I take that as a positive. Always use sunscreen, kids.

In addition to wearing Oofos (sandals) around the house, I picked up some high quality orthodic inserts (Powerstep Pulse) from the local running store. Both the Oofos and the inserts help immensely when walking. Maybe in a week or so I’ll risk a short run in them and see how it goes. Hopefully they mitigate the plantar fasciitis, even if they don’t cure it.

So far I’ve managed to limit the weight gain to 6 lbs during all this illness fun. That’s with baking two incredible cheesecakes. Have to be okay with that. Sitting at 203 right now with every intention of spinning at 6:30 tomorrow.

I need to to mix in some of that strength training like Superbob though. That funky high from the yellow sun only burns me, unlike my namesake.

 

[Superbob]

Man, 32,000 steps! I'd say you are on the road to recovery. Those inserts from your running store also sound promising, Hope it helps with your increased activity. And that cough finally goes away (as I'm sure it will; I've had nagging coughs like that, too.)

Agian, normally I would agree if a nice-looking young woman not only gave me her phone number, but went back in the store to borrow paper and pen to write it down for me, but on the other hand she kind of tipped her attitude that old guys are basically worthless -- can't even walk a dog, for goshsakes. (Besides, my wife was standing there throughout this whole weird encounter. ; )

 

[Agian]

BS aside, it sounded passive-aggressive to me, almost nasty.

 

[Superman]

BS aside, it sounded passive-aggressive to me, almost nasty.

Sounds like overly aggressive marketing from someone trying to start a dog walking business to me. Wouldn’t be surprised if the “volunteering” came at a price had the conversation continued.

 

[honeybunny]

I agree with Superman that the woman may be trying to start a dog-walking business. But no matter what her intention, she certainly was rude confronting you in that manner. I hope you trashed her number.

Not much to report on this end. I'm stuck at 153.2 again, despite taking a water pill yesterday. Which tells me that the gain is not from water <roll eyes> No excuses. Just the facts.

We've had a record heat wave for May. In fact, my power company sent an email to customers last weekend advising them to conserve power (primiarily air conditioning usage) because of the expected power draw. My first thought was, well, we pay you to supply electricy so you better figure out a way to deliver. I'd had an issue the previous weekend that scared me. My lights were flickering for several days and by May 27 were doing so continually. I had a electrician come out; he couldn't find a problem but assured me if it was a wiring issue that the flickering would be confined to just part of the house. I'd tried calling the power company but got those auto-message recordings. Long story short, I learned it was a power company issue and affected a great deal of my neighborhood. The problem resolved late that night, thankfully.

My grandson graduated high school, so that was my biggest, happiest event

 

[MartinF]

Enjoying this weeks posts from SB getting hit on to Superman making a comeback to HB watching her grandson graduate. Nothing that exciting this week for me. The local fire is contained now but our local parks that we run in are closed for a few days. One was used as a staging area for the firefighters. The other one had the fire. No walking since Sunday. My wife took the dog for 3 miles but finished about the time I arrived from work. I can't make the Tuesday running group in time so I just meet for the food. Had a piece of baked chicken, vegies and mac-n-cheese at Whole Foods. Washed it down with an IPA. Perfect weather to eat on the patio. Back at it tomorrow. Martin

 

[Paleowoman]

Quiet here as a lot of problems with my son (who has autism spectrum disorder) occupying me and DH, having to see social workers, doctor, sorting things out. Plus continuing pain with my left shoulder despite steroid injection - seeing new physiotherapist now. The weather here is very changeable - cold one day, warm the next - we spent a few days staying with a friend and we had the central heating on which is quite ridiculous to need on in June !

 

[jwinter]

Nice to see the coursers checking in and full of news. Pretty quiet here at this time also. Just the way I like it. My numbers are all holding steady and slowly my INR is coming down to my new therapeutic numbers. I was surprised when my hospitalist at my last stay was able to take my ON-X model number and check it out to find it had passed the manufacturer plus the FDA approval for the lowering from 2.5-3.5 down to 1.5 -2.0. Lots of manufacture approve this change, but without the FDA they would not change mine. I was 1.9 last week

My hemoglobin had a small rise this week which is great news as it has been over a month since my last transfusion. Heart and liver is quite a combo for the docs to figure out. Liver doctor puts shunt in that slows pressure to abdomen and then puts more pressure on heart. I have low blood pressure though so when they try to slow pressure to heart with beta blocker I bottom out. They just shake their heads sometimes and commend me for a good sense of humor and attitude. I say what else can you do?

I would really like to get on the course with good exercise and nutrition. My weight has fluctuated 20 lbs over the last month. The nutritionist spoke to me and said I had lost muscle mass and she was concerned about such a weight loss. I told her she should look at the file closer as I was in a coma for 4 days and not sure if anyone cared what I ate. Ha I am just about healed now so will be watching for all the great tips from you all. (or is it y'all)

Thanks for including me in this fine group! Have a great week and never forget to be very thankful.

 

[tom in MO]

Superbob, maybe her dog died and she liked to walk and was lonely for dogs. When my dog died, my wife wouldn't let me get a new one until she had her knees replaced. I missed him. Plus, since I walk for exercise, I became the weird guy in the neighborhood who walks around early in the morning and late at night That made me miss him more. I considered asking my neighbors if I could walk their dogs, but thought that would just make me seem even stranger. Luckily my wife got both knees done and healed so we got another rescue pit bull after about 4 months. Now, once again, I'm just the dog walker with the pit, not the weird guy walking around the 'hood at 6:45am and 10:00pm.

 

[Superbob]

Superbob, maybe her dog died and she liked to walk and was lonely for dogs. When my dog died, my wife wouldn't let me get a new one until she had her knees replaced. I missed him. Plus, since I walk for exercise, I became the weird guy in the neighborhood who walks around early in the morning and late at night That made me miss him more. I considered asking my neighbors if I could walk their dogs, but thought that would just make me seem even stranger. Luckily my wife got both knees done and healed so we got another rescue pit bull after about 4 months. Now, once again, I'm just the dog walker with the pit, not the weird guy walking around the 'hood at 6:45am and 10:00pm.

Tom -- great story, and a perfect ending! Don't worry about being "strange" -- all of us who venture out in all sorts of weather to walk our dogs are probably viewed by some as oddballs. But we know the joys of life with a companionable dog that loves to walk (as most seem to)...

We have several theories going for my encounter with the nice lady. She was "hitting on me" (least plausible). She was laying the groundwork for a dawgwalking business and looking to start with my dog (a possibility). But I have pretty much settled on the scenario you offer -- that she just really, really yearns for a dog of her own, and so would love to at least walk my dawg Ellie. (She mentioned that she sometimes walks dogs at the local humane society.) So I think her motive was good -- I just wish she hadn't expressed so much concern for my physical ability to continue walking my dog. My tender feelings you know -- or male ego. I've gotten over it -- and, yes, HB, I did keep her phone number but only for use if I need an emergency dawgwalker. Honest!

So much else deserving reply. But just for now, jwinter, "you all," "y'all" or "yawl" are all good -- or just bless your pea-pickin' heart will do fine. : ) (From the late, great Tennessee Ernie Ford)....

 

[tom in MO]

I like Cesar Millan's catch phrase "Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, dogs gotta walk."