Our Messed-up World

     Although I doubt that anyone looks at my blog (including me, apparently), I shall write a quick piece to prove that I am still alive and kicking (though not as high as I was 3 years ago).  

    Sooooo, did you know we're still living in a pandemic? Yes, two years and almost one month ago, life shut down as we knew it. Seattle went into a major shut down, and everyone (well, all of us who are sane and believe in science and democracy) began wearing masks, isolating themselves, and working from home when possible. Once approved vaccines became available, we all (again, by all, I mean all sane people) clamored to get ours. Twice. And boosted. 

    Life has slowly progressed around here, with modifications of masking and isolation, and we are trepidatiously entering back into group activities, hoping upon hope that we have enough safety to avoid serious illness and/or hospitalization or death. Fingers crossed.

    However, for anyone who might have been in a coma for two years, we have also been surrounded by insane, idiotic, and dangerous cult followers of FORMER president Trump ( EX-PRESIDENT, voted out of office legally and democratically) who endanger the very roots of our democracy and society. Oh, and Trump's idol, Putin, attacked Ukraine and is viciously waging an unprovoked war on that country, committing heinous acts of murder and destruction.

    Let's see, what else is there to update? Well, we do continue to destroy our ecosystem, extreme right-wing politicians in several states are banning books and trying to destroy voting rights, women's rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. Minor details.

    I guess the only thing left for me to gripe about is aging. Damn, but at 72 I am getting all sorts of reminders of the fact that my body is getting on in years. I believe I am mentally okay still (you'll have to take my word for that), but if you're only as young as you feel, then I am aging a lot quicker than I expected! So, let's raise a glass (wine, decaf coffee, Ensure...) to making it thus far, and here's hoping that 2022 somehow starts improving and that I'm still around to report on that in 2023!

Collector vs. Hoarder

There is a fine line between collecting and hoarding, but it is still well-defined. Hoarders cannot physically or emotionally part with anything, no matter how insignificant. Collectors simply are too lazy (or busy, in rare cases) to bother. I am in the latter category. I do not attach importance on items that would make it difficult for me to toss them out, but my inertia prevents me from doing so, and said inertia also nixes any chance of reaping a few bucks from a yard sale. That would require real work, and I'd much rather put my efforts into play.

Today I forced myself to spend just 90 minutes sorting through one of the myriad caches of old mail and other stuff, creating some new, but much better piles: recycling, sensitive shredding, and keeping (but not sure where yet). I certainly found some odds and ends that actually got placed in a permanent location (well, in the basement), and all the recycling is ready to go out to the bin. My "keep" pile, however, ended up in two small boxes: taxes (quite appropriate) and ...stuff. Still, it's a start, and who knows? Maybe by December I'll have gotten to the basement!

UPDATE: FIVE YEARS LATER and STILL all this holds true. But with three grandkids and more aches and pains, I have plenty of stock excuses for being lazy and procrastinating.

P.S. I had totally forgotten I even HAD this blog until I chanced upon it in an old iPad menu!

Another Year Bites the Dust...

Due to Facebook, email, Twitter, and honest-to-god interpersonal interactions, I have not bothered to write an essay for over a half year. One would think I actually live a busy life. The truth is, times flies by in retirement, and though you do not accomplish half as much as you did when working full-time, it takes you twice as long to do what you do accomplish.

This definitely works for me. I am by nature a rather lazy person, one who avoids doing anything unappealing, and so many activities do not appeal to me. Take for instance chores. Please. Take them. I can abide the grocery shopping (as long as it lasts no more than 15 minutes, preferably at my local neighborhood family-owned Ken's Market). I do simple household tasks such as food prep (dinner only--everything else is "fend for yourselves"), dishwasher ins and outs, and such by rote. I actually rather enjoy laundry, ever since we installed the machines in a closet outside our bedroom.  However, cleaning...? FORGET IT!

I cannot STAND to clean floors (dry or wet) and abhor dusting with a passion. Luckily, my disabled left shoulder gives me some leeway on these activities, and I have someone come help me a couple of times a month with these heinous drudgeries. My laziness does not keep me from doing activities that please me, however, and since retirement gives me both the time and the ability to explore intriguing prospects, I can and I do.

Hence, water aerobics 3-5 times a week. Or the occasional leisurely walk in one of the many fascinating neighborhoods of Seattle. Or traveling! Not so much out-of-country excursions, but in and around the PNW, down to California for friends and Death Valley, and of course all the way to Brooklyn, New York to see and be entertained by our darling granddaughter (OK, and her parents, too).

And so, when I look back on why I have not written anything for almost 8 months, I have to say it is due partly because of my innate laziness, but mostly it is because I have been wrapped up in the joys of traveling. Two trips to Brooklyn, a cruise to Mexico, multiple travels in and around Seattle, and several family gatherings here. Oh, the water aerobics, too. Seems that by the time I get home from them, have my lunch, and finish doing my daily puzzles in the newspaper, I just don't feel like doing anything else.

Go figure.

Walking the Neighborhood

One of the joys of living on the Crown of Queen Anne Hill is that as long as I stay on or within the crown, I'm pretty much on level terrain. Any diversions and it is one steep downhill incline! (Not to mention the joys of returning straight uphill.) Today, with the sun out and the temperatures not too unpleasant, I decided to traverse the top of the hill and explore my neighborhood rather than go to an indoor pool for water aerobics. Always good to change up the old exercise routine.

I max out at about three miles of continuous walking, and I can keep a fairly steady 2.5 MPH pace. This affords me enough exertion to make an impact but not so much as to cause me stress. I prefer to recover in one day, not two or three.

After having a bad experience the last time I did a major (for me) walk, I have learned an important lesson: I must remember to rehydrate and consume a few calories or I risk fainting. My solution this time was simple: stop at Starbucks for a nice iced decaf tea and a quick check of emails at about the 1.3 mile post. Then at Ken's, around the 2 mile mark, buy a Six Strawberries scrumptious blueberry lemonade artisan ice pop, savor it slowly while sitting outside, and then buy a few supplies and tackle the last half mile.

This plan worked like a charm, and it has encouraged me to try other walks on and even down the hill. I do believe that rewarding myself with a special beverage and a tasty bite or perhaps some sushi will spur me on to try out some new routes. Healthy foods make great motivators for me!

Traveling and Health

I just returned from a wonderfully rejuvenating, fun visit with all my crazy cousins and sibs back in the Chicagoland area. This was a short reunion of all 10 of us, and since I'm one of the "babies," it didn't surprise me that many conversations centered around our health (or the failing thereof). 

I traveled back and forth between Seattle to Chicago by Amtrak, luxuriating in my own little first-class roomette on The Empire Builder. This route features spectacular scenery, and the service on the train both ways was top-notch. What pleased me about the whole trip, including the train travel, was that I maintained my healthy lifestyle even though I had little control over my dietary options. My good health habits that I have developed over the past two years are in fact, just that: HABITS! I didn't have to dwell on food decisions. I simply did what is now the norm for me, and that was just fine. Did I splurge on some extra special treats? Of course. Did I then fall prey to the "Oh, what the hell, I've blown it anyway" mode and binge afterward? No. Didn't do it, didn't want to do it. 

I am in my last phase of losing weight and will soon transition to maintaining weight. I get the feeling I am not going to be making any real changes except adjusting my calories. I intend to do that gradually, perhaps adding a small amount each week until I get to a good stopping point. This will keep me from panicking and thinking that I am "off" somehow or disrupting my routines too much. 

I honestly don't care if it takes three months or six months to lose the last 12 pounds. That's not the magic goal for me any longer. I just want good health for life.

63 and Loving Life

Today, on my 63rd birthday, I am healthier and happier than I have been in many years. I've now dropped 105 pounds, am eating sensibly and enjoying it more, and I am finding ways to keep active and control pain better. Best of all, I have great friends and family all over the world, so I can think of nothing more I really need or want for a birthday present. Even the sun has been shining and the rain has not fallen today, as if to say Happy Birthday to me. (sounds a bit narcissistic, but meant to be poetic in nature) :-)

A Pattern

Over the past ten months I've seen a pattern develop with my weight and my cravings. I tend to lose weight in a bit of a two steps forward, one step back way. This is one reason why I do not record my weight every week but rather only when it goes to a new low. That doesn't mean I don't get on the scale often! Now, though, I don't react negatively or in a panic when I notice weight creeping back up a bit even though I am eating correctly, carefully accounting for my intake, and exercising religiously. My body just lies to drop, then hold, then creep up, then suddenly drop, drop, drop to a new low. At the same time, right before the drop, drop, drop occurs, I tend to be hungry rather continuously. I've worked hard to overcome the urge to say, "To hell with it!" and eat poorly, because although there is no logic to the creeping weight, I have learned that my body catches up with my behaviors given enough time. Fruits, veggies, and healthy carbs really help with snacks, and these periods of hunger are well-suited for my occasional red meat meals. Whatever my body is doing, it seems to do it in its own little way, and by tracking myself and paying attention to these patterns, I am learning to trust my hard-earned healthy habits.

Surprise Phone Call

I love caller ID. It can warn you if you're being bugged by  telemarketer. It can let you know if it's the call you've been waiting to receive. Today caller ID signaled that a childhood friend from Illinois was on the line, and so I was able to avoid awkwardness. I hadn't talked to my friend Pam for years and years. Strangely, the way the conversation progressed, you would have thought we were in the habit of calling each other on a regular basis. 

Pam had found a huge biography on Rudolf Nureyev, the incredible ballet dancer that we idolized as teenagers. We saw the Royal Ballet while we were in high school, and seeing Nureyev and Fonteyn dance "Giselle" truly ranks as a life highlight. Both of us even got ourrograms personally autographed by the two stars!  Reading the biography simply compelled Pam to call, and we chattered about all sorts of mundane things. 

Pam's poor phone connection cut our conversation off rather abruptly, but hopefully we can share a call a little more often now. :-)

Lefties Unite!

August 13th is LEFT-HANDERS' DAY, so please honor all of us by trying to remember some of the following tips:

1) NEVER use ladles with only one lip unless you want punch spilled everywhere.

2) DON'T try to "teach us" by attempting to do things leftie; we automatically mirror your examples (watch us knit). I always found it easier to help guide right-handed third graders with cursive writing one-on-one because of this!

3) DON'T EVER TRY TO FORCE A PERSON TO BECOME A RIGHTIE! We didn't "choose" to be special, we just are. :-) 

4) Don't worry about left-handed scissors; the vast majority of us cannot use them because we adapted to your scissors in pre-school & kindergarten. Trust me, I know. It's a scream to watch me try.

5) Don't bother trying to share sports equipment. We really cannot use "regular" golf clubs except for putters, so unless we're only doing putt-putt golf, we need left-handed clubs. This goes for baseball mitts, shotguns, and a whole slew of things YOU never realized were customized for right-handed users.

6) Always seat us at a corner of a table with no one on our left. It saves on us having to endlessly say, "Sorry as we attempt to eat, drink, and be merry. Shere's  all of us lefties. We may be only 10% of the population, but we are a mighty group!

Bragging Rights

An old Danish belief is to stay humble and not try to place yourself above others or show off. I'm thinking, however, that perhaps adopting good health habits is a reason to brag since it also fits into the lifestyle preferences I noticed each time I visited my ancestral homeland. Therefore, today I am bragging. Since making some changes in my daily habits in October, I have lost 66 pounds and dropped 4 sizes in pants, and best of all, I feel better.

No, my Ehlers-Danlos, hypermobility  has not miraculously been cured (and sadly, that genetic defect came from Denmark), but I certainly feel younger and more capable and energetic. So much so that I overdid it four days ago in a new water aerobics class and really bummed up my back. Serves me right for trying to show off how limber and flexible I am in the water. Duh, that's what my syndrome IS. I've been paying for my transgression for four days now, but I'll be back in the water by Tuesday, for sure. Lesson learned: I can brag about my improved health and better habits, but NOT about myself! ;-)