Staying the Course -- 08--21--17

[Superbob]

Monday -- Day of the Apocalypse -- oh wait, not that, thank goodness. Day of the Eclipse. Partial starting in Oregon now, soon totality there, and then will flash across the country with totality through the heart of South Carolina around 230 -- 245. Awe-inspiring happening -- sun is playing peekaboo with the clouds along the coast but I think we will be good to experience it. Have solar glasses on hand.

Woke up to thunder this morning. A lot happens here along the Grand Strand. You've heard of thundersnow; we could have a thundereclipse.

Well, wherever you Coursers are (total, partial, or not in on this one), hope you have a great week.

I will be back later... off to my solar adventures, (Time to exercise my flying skills....)

Cheers all,

Superbob

Oh and we are at 99% totality in Myrtle Beach. 100% farther south in Georgetown and Charleston. For an extra 1% I did not care to battle the traffic and people texting while driving while watching the eclipse while texting....ugh.

 

[epstns]

I'm sure it was quite a show at 99% coverage, SB. We, here in the flatlands of the Midwest, only saw IIRC about 86% coverage. My daughter ordered enough protective glasses for the family to view, wherever they were. They were at home, I was at work. A group of viewers from my office watched it, as the clouds permitted. The radio stations said that the "best" time to view from our area was about 1:00 to 1:20. I went out at about 12:40, and the view was better than it was later on. Even at 86%, it was still quite interesting, although not the "spiritual" experience some seem to call it.

We're hoping that home will now begin to settle down for the rest of summer and early fall. The "Traveling Circus" loaded up and rolled out of our driveway at about 6:30 PM yesterday as the kids and grandchildren headed out on the first leg of their trip back East. They plan to get home by late Tuesday evening, and we will keep in touch as they go.

Now comes the task of putting the house back into "adult" order. All the tiny furniture has to be dismantled and stored until next time. Toys have to be stored (after not a few made their way into the van to go home with them) or donated if the little ones will outgrow them before their next visit. Kind of a bittersweet experience for me, although I'm sure my wife is happier with her house back as her own. Somehow having two grown "children" a 2-year old and a 2-month old is just too much in our little abode. The house seems "too quiet" but we older folks will soon, I'm sure, be calmer for it.

 

[dornole]

We drove from MN down to Nebraska and camped overnight in the prairie to see totality and I'm glad we made the drive. IT WAS AMAZING. No comparison between "almost" total and total. It was like someone threw a dimmer switch in the last 5 seconds before totality -- a few stars came out, there was a "sunset" all around the horizon for 360 degrees and we saw the corona. Everyone gasped "whoa!" Even the kid who complained nonstop about the camping abruptly changed her mind about whether it was worth it. Glad we went to a very rural area though. No worries about crowds. Will totally make the effort again in 2024.

Lost 1.3 pounds last week - I might have subsisted on doughnuts and cheese and s'mores while camping though, just sayin. I have the rest of the week to get my act together.

Glad you had a nice visit, Steve and yes, peace and quiet are nice too!!

 

[honeybunny]

I watched it online from Casper, WY and was very impressed. Can't wait for 2024 when totality will be here in Houston.

Lost 1.5 lbs. since my last weigh-in. I don't count it as a true lost until I see consecutive decreases over a few weeks without creeping back up. I'm fighting my sugar addiction and having some success. Fighting a cold and losing my appetite last week didn't hurt.

 

[pellicle]

..."best" time to view from our area was about 1:00 to 1:20. I went out at about 12:40, and the view was better than it was later on. Even at 86%, it was still quite interesting, although not the "spiritual" experience some seem to call it.

Eclipses are very cool aren't they. We had one in our area back some years now and one of the things that struk me was how all the birds just stopped. Hush

 

[Superbob]

Honeybunny, thinking about you with approach of TS (soon-to-be Hurricane) Harvey. Be safe! (We have any other Coursers in that area?) Tropical here -- heavy thunderstorms overnight, late night, wee hours of morning. Meltdown on morning dawgwalk from humidity -- but we are supposed to get a three-day break from high humidity and 100-plus "feels-like" heat before possibly dealing with our own tropical storm middle of next week. Got to get serious about replenishing our hurricane supplies -- extra water, batteries, etc.

Re-upped for core fitness for another 3 months, taking me almost to Christmas. Have cardio appointment next week. Last time the nurse confessed that their scales weigh 7 pounds high. I am doing to ask for to that to be erased from my recorded weight. (Lotsa luck with that!) I don't feel as though I've lost significant weight but I must be doing something positive with all the exercise. Maybe biceps. As my teeshirt of the day states, "Education is important but big biceps are importanter." : )

 

[honeybunny]

Thanks for the shout out, SB! Harvey is all anyone is talking about here. Houston is on the dirty side of the storm so lots of expected rain and wind. I'll hunker down with my dogs. I expect to lose power but hopefully not for days.

On a weight-loss note, I read this article last week about walnuts and weight loss (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/well/eat/walnuts-for-weight-loss.html?mcubz=0) and decided to try it. For me it seems to work. Two days in a row I added walnuts to a protein shake for dinner and didn't have snack cravings when I went to bed. I have confessed here how much late-night snacking I do. And I've munched on a few during the work day when I felt hungry. Today, for example, I wanted to get a BLT from the downstairs deli for breakfast but the walnuts curbed my appetite. I add a handful to shakes, and gobble about 10 by mouth when needed.

 

[epstns]

Well, SB, maybe I can send you some of our weather for some relief. These last two nights, the temps have gone down into the 50's, with daytime highs only around 72F. After so many days in the 80's, that feels like October weather! I do hope, though that it doesn't mean an early, cold fall and winter. I need to have some more warm weather to replace the "play time" I missed out on while the kids were here.

I am finally within 1 pound of my summer target weight. Not sure how I got there, as I really didn't try to change anything. I can only guess that having the little ones with us for a few weeks cut into my "unrecorded" snacking. When a 2-year old sees an adult eating, he wants to try it all. So we put the snacks away, to avoid getting him amped up on sugar and to avoid ruining his appetite before meals. I should probably leave it that way. . .

 

[Duffey]

Lots of excitement with Mother Nature this week. We were in the zone of totality and will be again in 2024, so I will keep my solar eclipse glasses in a safe place. We are watching Harvey's advancement and hoping our southern neighbors stay safe. We will probably get the remnants of the storm system, but it will be minimal by comparison to the Texas and Louisiana area. I learned today that I have to have a wisdom tooth cut out next month. I was scheduled to have it done before my valve replacement but it was considered "iffy" at that time. I've had no trouble until this past week but it's acting up big time, so it has to be done. Anyone had dental surgery with a tissue valve? I had my tonsils removed two years ago and had no issues. I had lots of pain, but no complications related to the valve.

 

[Superbob]

Sorry you face that wisdom tooth extraction, Duffey. I, too, get nervous about dental work and possible impact on our valve replacements, but I have had quite a bit of work in the almost 13 years since my heart surgery -- some extractions, root canal, more routine stuff, and over past few months the prep for a bridge and now the implanting of the final bridge. I wonder if the 4 500MG Amoxicillin pills I'm told to take one hour prior to a procedure really have a protective effect, esp since I have been taking this same med either before or after dental work for, oh, maybe 30 years.Just got to thinking, I should ask if I should switch to a different antibiotic in case my system is too acclimated to this one.

In any event, whether just luck, or the med, or careful work by my dentist, I have had no heart problem post-dental. I have a cardio visit next week and I am going to discuss all this with her. I really was paranoid after my bridge implant, and I started worrying if every little ache or pain was a symptom. I even took some extra amoxicillin just in case.

Guess I am not writing in a very reassuring way, except that, hey, this old hearty survivor has had a ton of dental work and he is going okay. Wishing you smooth problem-free sailing with your wisdom-tooth extraction, Duffey.

 

[Paleowoman]

Anyone had dental surgery with a tissue valve?

Hi Duffey - I had a wisdom tooth extracted just over a year after surgery and I've got a tissue valve. I took the requisite antibiotics prior to extraction and had no problems with my valve. Wishing you well with the extraction and that your gum heals well and quickly.

 

[Superbob]

Another shout-out to you, Honeybunny -- see the Weather Channel projects a possible 30 inches of rain in the Houston area as slow-moving Harvey wobbles over that way. Hoping and praying you will be spared any major problems in your home and neighborhood.

And thanks for the walnut tip. I sure need ways to curb snacking. Snacking at midnight or later is certainly my downfall. Walnuts would easily be more palatable than celery! But I am possibly hooked on peanut butter and crackers (I know, BAD) -- and have been for 75 years, so it is a hard addiction to break.

 

[honeybunny]

I've been munching on PB and crackers this past week SB. In fact, bought more in anticipation of losing power and being unable to cook. Got 'me at Walgreens and the gentleman standing next to me at the checkout decided he wanted some too; said it brought back memories
Oh, and fine here in Houston so far. Rain, no sting winds, power still on.

 

[Superbob]

Good! I hope the most dire forecasts prove to be miscalculations or Weather Channel (owned by NBC) hype!

 

[Duffey]

Thanks for the replies, Superbob and Paleowoman. Surgery won't occur until October to give the antibiotics time to work and the infection to clear. I hope I fare as well as you two have. Honeybunny, glad to hear that so far all is good in your part of Texas.Everyone have a good weekend!

 

[FredW]

Wishing my Texas heart valve friends safe and sound. Wow, I can't imagine 30 inches of rain.

My wife and I are heading to SuuperBob's area tomorrow for a weeks stay at a friend's home in North Topsail Beach, NC.

Now that company is gone, we are back to our predominantly plant based diet. However, next week, I do plan on eating a fair amount of seafood. Weight wise, I'm down two pounds from my post hike weight, so I guess that is a good thing. Next week will be challenging weight wise. Vacation eating is always challenging, but I plan on doing a fair amount of walking on the beach so that may help.

Hope all is good and happy.

 

[Superbob]

North Carolina seems to have a lot of peaceful little beach towns. Not saying South Carolina doesn't have them, too, but our home town is busy, very busy, and getaways are nice. So last October, wife, son, daughter, and I spent a delightful week at Ocean Isle, NC -- very peaceful. Took the dogs too for some great early morning beach walks. We also love occasional visits to Southport, NC, a charming little city with great scenery, walks, and fishing. So anyway, just wanted to wish you and your wife a very pleasant stay with your friends at North Topsail Beach, Fred. Latest weather: we do have some chance of the development of a tropical disturbance moving up the coast mid-week, but it looks not to have the makings of a hurricane and maybe not even a tropical storm. Hopefully nothing more than a few showers and some refreshing sea breezes.

So anyway enjoy, Fred -- by all means enjoy that seafood AND the walks on the beach!

 

[Superbob]

Flash flood emergency going on in Houston right now, this Sunday morning after rescues all night and ongoing! Praying for Honeybunny and any of our other friends in southern Texas who might be affected. Bad in many places besides Houston. Terrible: some places have had two FEET of rain with another two FEET expected. Roads impassible, people on rooftops -- Hard to fathom.

 

[Paleowoman]

Hope people in Texas/Houston manage to keep safe.

 

[Duffey]

Hoping we soon hear that Honeybunny is doing well in Houston. Enjoy your vacation, Fred. We leave Wednesday for northern WI. I hope my wisdom tooth settles down before then. I have long stretches with no pain, and then from out of the blue, I have a wave of pain that stops me dead in my tracks.