Staying the Course -- 08--14--17

[Superbob]

Welcome, dear Coursers. Hope this new week of August goes well for you and yours.

We are in the about the longest spell of high humidity I can recall. I know, it comes with August, and I remember living in D.C. area, and before that Richmond, August humidity was oppressive. But this South Carolina summer beats them, I think. Even at midnight you go out and air is thick and perfectly still. Humidity still approaching 90%. Glasses fog up the minute you step out the door.

As for morning dawgwalk, at 10 a.m., it's usually been 85F with heat index close to 100F because of the humidity. I know plenty of health books that say old folks should just stay in AC in such conditions, but my senior rescue dawg and I have just pressed on anyway, not enjoying it much, but getting it done. This morning, the one saving grace for we two old dawgs was the presence of puffy dark clouds looking as though they could deliver a cloudburst but in any event giving us protection from the sun. Kept hoping one would let loose and soak us. Never did -- til 5 minutes after we got home. I ran out to the car to close a few windows that had left slightly open -- and then I go drenched!

Speaking of sun, the solar eclipse at 99% totality where we are will occur next Monday afternoon. Ten pairs of eclipse-viewing glasses arrived today with company info saying they have been tested and are safe. Separately got a message from Amazon saying because the company had never gotten a rating from NASA, Amazon couldn't stand behind their use. Oh well, we'll work it out -- most likely it will be cloudy here anyway. Seems like it has been for the past month.

Exercise teacher returns tomorrow after being there for her mom, post-surgery. Wondering if she will ease us back in it or kick our butts since we haven't done a core workout in a week.Yikes!

Cheers all,

Superbob

 

[FredW]

Hi All,

Missed everyone last week. I was disconnected.

First I was on a trail with my son for three days. We hiked 30 miles over three days (Wed - Fri) and a total of over 6,000 ft elevation gain (not much). It was tough on my 73 year old body. Late day 1I had a big toenail issue and that continued for the next two days. Day 2, my right knee started acting up and that continued through day 2 and 3 and still gives me trouble after being back from trail for three days.

My son described this hike as 'mouse nuts', an expression that I rather he change, but it is descriptive. He is the son that hiked the Colorado trail (500 miles) last year and does 14 K mountains for fun. He was patient with me being slow and having to rest often during the climbing sections. Thank goodness for trekking poles. By day 2, I was using them like a walker to hike up and down hills. If I get a chance to write a trip report, I'll post a pointer it later.

I will share with everyone that I expected some weight loss after such a "suffer-fest", but when I got on the scales when I got home, I was just two pounds lighter than when I left.

When I got back, I had family to deal with and wanted to set a good example to stay disconnected so I could expect face time instead of cyber time. That is a topic of it's own.

 

[jwinter]

Good Morning and a little late to the party here. Good to see someone "disconnected" also. We get too wrapped up in the virtual world of the internet sometimes!

All is good on my end and doing well on the Lasix this go round. Only had one night of leg cramps so far.

INR check next week and meeting with gastroenterologist the following to line out my tests for blood loss. Nothing finer than that prep work for colonoscopy (ugg)......"they can send a man to the moon so..........why can't they make this less "crappy"!? lol

Trying to get lined out to head to the Black Hills of SD this weekend. We shall see but sure could us a short get-away.

The posts about you guys exercising and hiking are inspiring. I guess that is what this thread is all about.

Have a great week all!

 

[dornole]

Sounds like a great hike!

I'm back on track, lost 2.9 lbs last week. About 8 lbs total since I started about a month ago. Nice progress.

 

[epstns]

I'm still around, too. I think I've lost a pound or two, but partly for the wrong reasons. We have a "full house" right now. My daughter, son-in-law, 2-year old grandson and 8-week old grandson are visiting us for a few weeks. Our house is not built for so many people with so much stuff, so there is stuff and people everywhere. It is driving us "old" people crazy, but that's what comes with little ones. The 8-week old spent Sunday and Monday night in the hospital with some undefined virus that kept him from keeping his formula down. Mommy and daddy stayed with him, while the 2-year old stayed with grandma and grandpa. Since I am still working, my DW took the brunt of that one. Needless to say, tempers are thin, and being home is like walking on eggshells.

That said, my weight loss is probably from missing meals while getting everyone back and forth to the hospital, etc. It is also from not being able to snack, since what a 2-year old sees, he wants to eat, and mommy says "No" to most of it. So maybe that is the good reason. My exercise program has taken a hit, too, as there are endless things to do and only so much time in which to do them.

The family goes home next Monday, and I'm sure grandma and grandpa will see this with mixed emotions. You love them to death, but you can't share their lives with them when they live almost 1,000 miles away. Another couple of weeks and things will settle down some. My wife is newly retired, but hasn't had any chance to enjoy it yet, since she's been chief cook, nanny, housekeeper and all that since her last work day. There is light at the end of that tunnel, though. She and I have some things planned for the rest of the year, so we will be able to kick back and feel in control of our time again, even though I'm still working. (I am also "working" on that - trying to work out a plan to retire sometime.)

 

[FredW]

For Steve, I relate to the visitation of family. My son came to drop his daughter off at a nearby college. Then my daughter from Western MA came and she brought with her two device attached children, two dogs and a friend. It was just five minutes after she arrived that the dogs ran out the back door, up the hill, into a corn field. I live in the country. It was three hours later before the two dogs were found. They had been skunked and one had about a dozen porcupine quills in her mouth. That caused a quick trip to the emergency vet hospital about an hour and quarter away. Got home at 5 am, my daughter $400 lighter. The next night I drove my son to Pittsburgh (two hours away) to catch his 4:30 am flight - got home at 5 am. This was just after I abused my body by hiking 30 miles.

My daughter and her clan left yesterday and my wife and I looked at each other from the first time in two weeks. We realized we hadn't really talked since then too. We love our family, but it is nice to have our home back to ourselves again. Between the noise, meals, cleanup, unusual sleeping arrangements, dogs running off, clutter all over and trying to keep the young'ens off the Internet it tested my patience. This mean old grandpa did shut down access to the Internet for a while. Made them go outside, cut grass, fly kites, play with the dogs, take a walk through my grass maze and do other work. Trying to get a teenager to work today is like pushing a rope up hill. But, that is another topic.

I understand well what you go through. My wife's father had a saying: "Never stay so long with family that they will be as happy to see you leave as they were to see you arrive."

Do enjoy your alone time.

 

[honeybunny]

My oh my! Some busy people on this thread! Fred, glad you have your home (and wife) to yourself again. Steve, it's coming. My daughter and two of her three children lived with me for 2-1/2 years and it was a mixed blessing. Overwhelming but lonely when they were out too long. But I live alone so sometimes an empty house is OK, other times it's too quiet. Good thing I'm an introvert and enjoy my own company!

Still doing my line dancing. No weight loss yet though but I'm having fun!

 

[epstns]

Say, Fred - We both have daughters who live in Western MA. Which town/city does your daughter live near? Mine is in the Holyoke/Springfield area. She works in Springfield (at a health insurance company) and her husband is finishing his PhD at UMASS/Amherst. We have no idea where they will go from there, as western MA may or may not be their ultimate home. At first, my daughter hated it there, having lived in the hustle and bustle of Chicago for nearly 10 years prior to relocating for hubby's education. Now, after 4 years, she says she has come to like the slower pace of life in the smaller town atmosphere, and wouldn't mind living in a small town long-term. We just kind of wish they could relocate to their small town somewhere more within driving distance from us. Right now they are two days' drive from here, so we can't run out there for the weekend.

And, Fred, I also "get" your analogy to "pushing a rope." I liken getting this herd into cars to go anywhere to trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.