1. I spend an inordinate amount of time sorting things. Most of my job involves sorting and organizing. When I get home, I have to sort laundry, silverware, groceries, etc. I am just a biologically based sorting engine.
2. Free time escapes faster than work time. If I sit down to work on something at work, chances are I will finish in a fairly timely manner. (Phone calls and meeting room bookings notwithstanding.) If I sit down to work at my desk at home, a million other squirrels will appear and need to be chased.
3. Working out really does feel good. Not so much when you first start, but by the time it's done, you feel a lot better about yourself. Like you accomplished something.
4. Laundry expands so that you never really get done with it. Laundry is an ongoing battle.
5. When we are resolved to eat healthy foods, the grocery list becomes longer and more complicated.
6. I admired James Spader's acting even before he started doing the Blacklist, wherein he wears a Fedora a lot. (Did I mention I really like Fedoras?) (And though I am OVERJOYED that Ron Perlman will be on the Blacklist next Sunday, WHY has there been no Shatner? Shatner and Spader play off one another SO well.) (Hello, Boston Legal?)
* Ron being on the Blacklist is what has motivated me to start catching up on the episodes I have missed. Thanks again, Mr. P, for helping me find a good show!
7. Stay away from Pinterest if you are on a diet. People persist in posting really good-sounding, EASY, decadent dessert recipes. I have tried a few. They ARE good, easy, and decadent. And they will make you fat.
8.Even among geeks and nerds, I'm a misfit. I and my obessive fandoms do not fit neatly into anyone's idea of what a geek girl is like. I have MANY areas in which I have a generous amount of knowledge and experience, (like baking, cross-stitch embroidery, Star Trek TOS, gardening...) I do not specialize in one category of geek behavior. Also, I can interact with Mundanes without anxiety on either side. According to the book Geek Girls Unite! I am even atypical in my music geekness. I like a wide variety of stuff, from grand opera to Sinatra, to bluegrass, to Scottish folksongs, to some current pop music.
9. Once you start collecting Pop vinyl figures and Gipsy Danger figures, you can't stop. There are now three Gipsy Danger figures in my office, and Two Groot figures, as well as a Rocketeer, a Clay Morrow Pop vinyl, and action figure, and a Pop vinyl Iron Giant. (Of course, my husband has the 18" Gipsy Danger, and she's in the living room!)
10. A random tweet from someone you admire can brighten your whole day. Even if they tease you about your typos in said tweet.
11. A hug from Matthew can fix almost anything. And he can nearly ALWAYS get me to smile, and laugh, even.
12. Some people are so organized that they really are ready to file their taxes in January. This is why they get upset that we have no tax forms at the library until February. I don't even have my W-2 forms yet, people, nor the interest reports we will need. (Also, if I'm going to pay, I'm gonna keep that money earning interest in MY bank account as long as I can before I send it to Uncle.) We do have an accountant, and she's worth her fee, because we have gotten refunds most years that are more than her fee. (Also, her fee is cheaper than a penalty if we screw up)
13. I am reluctant to number any substantive point in this post 13. I guess I have a bit of latent Triskadecaphobia.
14. My obsession with office supplies must mark me as a partial Luddite. I love technology, and use quite a lot of it, but I sit here in an office that has no less than two mugs full of pens, half of them fountain pens, and two mugs full of pencils, half of them drawing and colored pencils. (Oh, and one pencil has a pewter dragon sitting on top of it, with its tail curled around the pencil, and one has a plastic Garfield on top, and another has Odie.) There are also styli that go with my touchscreens hiding out in at least two of those mugs. There's another mug full of bookmarks. I do an awful lot of my reading on my tablets now. Ebooks. No bookmarks needed. Yet, I have a collection. As for other office supplies, there are drawers and shelves filled with paper, stationery, card stock, paperclips, ink, stamp pads, decorative stamps, tape, and calligraphy pens.
15. No matter when I start these blog posts, I never seem to finish them until fairly late at night. On rare occasions they will get themselves written earlier, but not often.
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Not Much Going On...
Pretty much into the "put your head down and slog" part of the New Year. Still working out the kinks of the resolutions, working on other goals that need to be met, trying to avoid the flu that seems to be running all over the place.
Had a very lazy weekend so far, and so tomorrow I have to play catch up. Even the laundry has been allowed to languish a bit because the appliances (including washer and dryer) had their annual professional tune-up and maintenance checks yesterday.
So far, the resolution to up the exercise is going pretty well. Have done at least an hour of exercise most days, split between walking and the elliptical, or all on the elliptical, depending on weather. One of the things I need to do tomorrow is figure out how to get my weight routine back into the mix. (Gotta tighten up these flabby arms!)
On the plus side, I must have looked really skinny on Friday, because at least four different patrons asked me if I'd lost weight. That helps the motivation a LOT! Friday was also good because I heard from some Twitter correspondents I don't always hear from, and it brightened up my day. (Even if I DID get teased about my notorious typos.)
Have to start watching the diet more closely, as the checkup with cholesterol checks is next month. Guess I better plan now on low-fat, and more fruit and veggies. Gotta cut back on the caffeine, too, so the BP won't be high. (More sleep would also help this, but hey, I have a hard time turning the brain off any earlier. Of course, less caffeine would probably help that, too...)
Speaking of turning the brain off earlier, it's working on midnight, so I guess I better cut this short and start trying to shut the ol' brain down for the night.
I hope all who read this are finding success in this new year, and encouragement, and progress toward your goals.
Never give up, never surrender! (To quote a very good parody.)
Had a very lazy weekend so far, and so tomorrow I have to play catch up. Even the laundry has been allowed to languish a bit because the appliances (including washer and dryer) had their annual professional tune-up and maintenance checks yesterday.
So far, the resolution to up the exercise is going pretty well. Have done at least an hour of exercise most days, split between walking and the elliptical, or all on the elliptical, depending on weather. One of the things I need to do tomorrow is figure out how to get my weight routine back into the mix. (Gotta tighten up these flabby arms!)
On the plus side, I must have looked really skinny on Friday, because at least four different patrons asked me if I'd lost weight. That helps the motivation a LOT! Friday was also good because I heard from some Twitter correspondents I don't always hear from, and it brightened up my day. (Even if I DID get teased about my notorious typos.)
Have to start watching the diet more closely, as the checkup with cholesterol checks is next month. Guess I better plan now on low-fat, and more fruit and veggies. Gotta cut back on the caffeine, too, so the BP won't be high. (More sleep would also help this, but hey, I have a hard time turning the brain off any earlier. Of course, less caffeine would probably help that, too...)
Speaking of turning the brain off earlier, it's working on midnight, so I guess I better cut this short and start trying to shut the ol' brain down for the night.
I hope all who read this are finding success in this new year, and encouragement, and progress toward your goals.
Never give up, never surrender! (To quote a very good parody.)
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Now Is The Summer Of Our Discontent
Now is the summer of our discontent
We end each workday aching and spent
The loud gales of noisy childhood
Pierce our eardrums, chill our blood
The endless parade of picture books
That need sorting and critical looks
To ensure no damage has been done
Them on their journey's run.
But also a summer of renewed hope
As yes, we struggle to cope
Though to find ourselves needed,
Our help and services pleaded,
Helping young ones make a new start
Does much to soften the heart.
And seeing a child excited to read
Makes us all very glad indeed.
Summer is our busy time at the library. We are THE place for kids to go for activities, books, fun, movies, and a place to cool off and relax for a bit.
It is a good and glorious thing that our library is so important to our community, especially to our children. They have a safe place to come to, a place to learn on their own, meet their friends, or just fool around on the Internet for a little while.
We are also a resource for the entire community. We have business services, and all sorts of computer classes for adults, book clubs, teen activities, many community groups have meetings in our meeting rooms, we're the happening place in town.
It's true all year, but especially hectic in Summer. The kids set goals and read books, or are read to by their parents, and so we have a lot more traffic both of people and of books in and out of the building. Also, we have many special programs during the summer, and on program days (like today was), things can be pretty loud for a library. I made six new library cards today in my two hour desk shift, and replaced several lost ones. Summer is also the time for lots of that. Many fines were paid, and since this is Fine Forgiveness week, some people actually got NO FINES on their very overdue items. (It's all good, we get our stuff back, and they save some money. )
This summer I am finding myself discontented because I have been having trouble losing any more weight, and indeed I have gained a few pounds. I have about 14 pounds left to my goal. I find it harder to stick to my diet because I want to eat more sugar to have more energy. I also find it harder to work out as much as I should some days because it is so HOT outside. Today went better, but last year, it seemed easier, seemed like the weight came off faster and easier, too. Maybe it's just because I'm older. Harder to get the old metabolism going fast enough. Who knows? Whatever the reason, it's bumming me out. And I STILL haven't made it to the Farmer's Market yet this year. Must try to go this Thursday during my "dinner" break. It is, most conveniently, right next door to the library, in the Community Center parking lot.
Here's to Summer, a time that actually means more work for me, but a time that also allows us to spend more time in our gardens, relaxing and watching the birds and squirrels and rabbits that come by to visit our yard.
We end each workday aching and spent
The loud gales of noisy childhood
Pierce our eardrums, chill our blood
The endless parade of picture books
That need sorting and critical looks
To ensure no damage has been done
Them on their journey's run.
But also a summer of renewed hope
As yes, we struggle to cope
Though to find ourselves needed,
Our help and services pleaded,
Helping young ones make a new start
Does much to soften the heart.
And seeing a child excited to read
Makes us all very glad indeed.
Summer is our busy time at the library. We are THE place for kids to go for activities, books, fun, movies, and a place to cool off and relax for a bit.
It is a good and glorious thing that our library is so important to our community, especially to our children. They have a safe place to come to, a place to learn on their own, meet their friends, or just fool around on the Internet for a little while.
We are also a resource for the entire community. We have business services, and all sorts of computer classes for adults, book clubs, teen activities, many community groups have meetings in our meeting rooms, we're the happening place in town.
It's true all year, but especially hectic in Summer. The kids set goals and read books, or are read to by their parents, and so we have a lot more traffic both of people and of books in and out of the building. Also, we have many special programs during the summer, and on program days (like today was), things can be pretty loud for a library. I made six new library cards today in my two hour desk shift, and replaced several lost ones. Summer is also the time for lots of that. Many fines were paid, and since this is Fine Forgiveness week, some people actually got NO FINES on their very overdue items. (It's all good, we get our stuff back, and they save some money. )
This summer I am finding myself discontented because I have been having trouble losing any more weight, and indeed I have gained a few pounds. I have about 14 pounds left to my goal. I find it harder to stick to my diet because I want to eat more sugar to have more energy. I also find it harder to work out as much as I should some days because it is so HOT outside. Today went better, but last year, it seemed easier, seemed like the weight came off faster and easier, too. Maybe it's just because I'm older. Harder to get the old metabolism going fast enough. Who knows? Whatever the reason, it's bumming me out. And I STILL haven't made it to the Farmer's Market yet this year. Must try to go this Thursday during my "dinner" break. It is, most conveniently, right next door to the library, in the Community Center parking lot.
Here's to Summer, a time that actually means more work for me, but a time that also allows us to spend more time in our gardens, relaxing and watching the birds and squirrels and rabbits that come by to visit our yard.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Further Reflections On My Trip and Return
One thing that amazed me is how many people ignore the view out the airplane window. Do they fly so often that it now fails to amaze them? I can understand if it is night time, or there are lots of clouds (though I enjoyed the cloud formations we flew above on Saturday morning), but on a clear, sunny day? I'm glued to the window, watching the miniature world scroll by. Farms, towns, factories, suburbs, vast stretches of apparently empty space. It's all interesting to me. I don't get to fly all that often, and the perspective gained by viewing our civilization from a distance can be heady stuff. Our world really is pretty small, no matter how big it feels from down here. What we do to the land matters, it shows up even from a distance.
Though I like flying, and I like seeing new things, I don't like being away from my base of operations that much. It unsettles me. I guess I haven't found a good way to take it with me yet. Ever since I got back, this song has been playing in my head, and refuses to be exorcised, no matter what.
Traveling Wilburys: Inside Out
The weeds in Alabama could probably rival the plants in Australia for vindictiveness and danger. Most of the vines I had to remove from in and on my mother's azalea hedges had HUGE thorns. They are carnivorous, actively seeking the slight bit of bare skin between my long pruning gloves and my shirt sleeve. I have multitudinous scratches and puncture wounds on my elbows. I also ran afoul of the top of the chain link fence. I was grateful over and over again for the tetanus shot I got shortly after the tornadoes. At least I knew I was protected from disease. Much antibiotic cream and cortisone cream have helped the scratches start to heal. I also have bruises all over me. Branches that argued with me, things that poked me through the sheet we used to transport our clippings to the curb, the abominable fence, my own pruners, these are the things that bruised me. Stumps of old shrubs bruised my knees when I tried to kneel on them to reach the roots of some weeds. Also, I don't know if it is the bending and lifting I did while at Mom's or the vigorous workouts I've done since I got home, but my leg muscles are sore. Something has worked them hard!
As hard as my sister and I worked every day, I still missed being really active. I missed my walks and my elliptical time. I listen to music and just move it when I am walking or using the elliptical. Gets my blood pumping, and gets my heart rate up. All that yard work was not aerobic. Didn't benefit my heart or lungs much. (In fact, being up close and personal with so much pollen was not so good for my allergies. I am still living on antihistamines and eye drops.)
I also missed my regular clothes. I had only yard work clothes at Mom's, except for the outfit I wore on the plane to and from. None of my yard work clothes is the right size any more. Most are about two sizes too big. I felt really odd wearing those clothes every day. (Although it was a bit of an ego boost, knowing how tight those clothes USED to be!)
REALLY missed my singing. I just get lost in my songs and in the challenge of making my voice do what it needs to do to function properly. Just couldn't do that at Mom's. (Sister's snide comments didn't help, either.) Voice lesson today was a challenge because I went so long without practice, and haven't really had time to practice much since I got home. Once I found my groove, though, things went pretty well.
Since I got home, we have been OD-ing on the Pacific Rim Blu-Ray. Lots of really neat extras on that set of discs, and we've been working our way through all of them. I really love that movie. It's just NEAT!! (Added bonus, Ron Perlman is in it, and his daughter Blake composed and performed a song for the closing credits .)
Matt framed our art posters that we bought at Dallas ComiCon Fan Days. They look good in our hall. Finally have art that really reflects our lifelong interests.
A Hellboy as an adolescent painting, and Gipsy Danger fighting a Kaiju by Devin Kraft of Cheshire Cat Art. We met him at the con, and gave Ron Perlman a smaller print of the Hellboy painting as a token of our esteem. (We thought it was cute.)
Here is a picture of a frog on the back wall of Mom's house. May be a little blurry, it's zoomed in.
Here's the front of Mom's house after we got done taming the azaleas.
When I got home, my Boot Campaign boots were waiting for me. These boots are sold as a fundraiser for a program that gives aid to servicemen and women returning from overseas. I bought them to support the cause, and to reward myself for a 30 pound weight loss since I started this effort in January.
Speaking of my weight loss, here are some before and after photos to give a little perspective on how much difference 30 pounds makes.
This is me at 168 pounds.
And this is me at 138 pounds. BIG difference, eh? Biggest difference is in how I feel and in the numbers on my health records. BP lower, Cholesterol lower, everything looking good!
Guess that's about all for this outing. I have wandered around in the wilderness long enough. Hope you enjoyed the trip.
Though I like flying, and I like seeing new things, I don't like being away from my base of operations that much. It unsettles me. I guess I haven't found a good way to take it with me yet. Ever since I got back, this song has been playing in my head, and refuses to be exorcised, no matter what.
Traveling Wilburys: Inside Out
The weeds in Alabama could probably rival the plants in Australia for vindictiveness and danger. Most of the vines I had to remove from in and on my mother's azalea hedges had HUGE thorns. They are carnivorous, actively seeking the slight bit of bare skin between my long pruning gloves and my shirt sleeve. I have multitudinous scratches and puncture wounds on my elbows. I also ran afoul of the top of the chain link fence. I was grateful over and over again for the tetanus shot I got shortly after the tornadoes. At least I knew I was protected from disease. Much antibiotic cream and cortisone cream have helped the scratches start to heal. I also have bruises all over me. Branches that argued with me, things that poked me through the sheet we used to transport our clippings to the curb, the abominable fence, my own pruners, these are the things that bruised me. Stumps of old shrubs bruised my knees when I tried to kneel on them to reach the roots of some weeds. Also, I don't know if it is the bending and lifting I did while at Mom's or the vigorous workouts I've done since I got home, but my leg muscles are sore. Something has worked them hard!
As hard as my sister and I worked every day, I still missed being really active. I missed my walks and my elliptical time. I listen to music and just move it when I am walking or using the elliptical. Gets my blood pumping, and gets my heart rate up. All that yard work was not aerobic. Didn't benefit my heart or lungs much. (In fact, being up close and personal with so much pollen was not so good for my allergies. I am still living on antihistamines and eye drops.)
I also missed my regular clothes. I had only yard work clothes at Mom's, except for the outfit I wore on the plane to and from. None of my yard work clothes is the right size any more. Most are about two sizes too big. I felt really odd wearing those clothes every day. (Although it was a bit of an ego boost, knowing how tight those clothes USED to be!)
REALLY missed my singing. I just get lost in my songs and in the challenge of making my voice do what it needs to do to function properly. Just couldn't do that at Mom's. (Sister's snide comments didn't help, either.) Voice lesson today was a challenge because I went so long without practice, and haven't really had time to practice much since I got home. Once I found my groove, though, things went pretty well.
Since I got home, we have been OD-ing on the Pacific Rim Blu-Ray. Lots of really neat extras on that set of discs, and we've been working our way through all of them. I really love that movie. It's just NEAT!! (Added bonus, Ron Perlman is in it, and his daughter Blake composed and performed a song for the closing credits .)
Matt framed our art posters that we bought at Dallas ComiCon Fan Days. They look good in our hall. Finally have art that really reflects our lifelong interests.
A Hellboy as an adolescent painting, and Gipsy Danger fighting a Kaiju by Devin Kraft of Cheshire Cat Art. We met him at the con, and gave Ron Perlman a smaller print of the Hellboy painting as a token of our esteem. (We thought it was cute.)
Here is a picture of a frog on the back wall of Mom's house. May be a little blurry, it's zoomed in.
When I got home, my Boot Campaign boots were waiting for me. These boots are sold as a fundraiser for a program that gives aid to servicemen and women returning from overseas. I bought them to support the cause, and to reward myself for a 30 pound weight loss since I started this effort in January.
Speaking of my weight loss, here are some before and after photos to give a little perspective on how much difference 30 pounds makes.
Guess that's about all for this outing. I have wandered around in the wilderness long enough. Hope you enjoyed the trip.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Some Thoughts on a Friday Night
"Friday Night in the Big Town!" Gary England always says. Yeah, well, Moore isn't really a big town. It's a nice little suburb, and full of great people, has a fabulous theater, a Harley Davidson dealership, and a wonderful library. (And lots of other shops and parks and restaurants, but you get the idea.)
Oklahoma City is considered "the Big Town" around here. To a girl who grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles County, it's not so big, either. A few Friday nights when I was in high school, (in the late 70's when things were pretty wild), my friends and I used to gas up Kathy's old Delta 88 and head to Hollywood for "Hollywood Boulevard Safari." That's what we called cruising Hollywood Boulevard. We had rules. All doors must remain locked and all windows rolled up for the entire cruise. There was to be no interacting with the nightlife, we were only there to observe. And observe we did. Drag queens so fabulous, the women looked less like women than they did, generally funky people out ambling around, the odd cop or two questioning people. We never told our parents where we were going. We'd all still be grounded if we had. We lived in a nice middle class suburb in the San Gabriel Valley called Hacienda Heights. Our school's band and football team won all kinds of state titles the four years my friends and I were attending. At least four of us were in the Shakespeare Club at school, and all of us were Honor Roll students. Going out to cruise Hollywood Blvd. was our only real vice. None of us had boyfriends that year, so we had fun being "just us girls."
The kids around here think cruising 12th Street in Moore is a big deal. I don't get it. Nothing interesting to see here, certainly nowhere near the entertainment value of our forays into Hollywood. Yet, for YEARS the kids in this state would come from all over to cruise 12th Street. The cops have pretty much put an end to it, well, their presence and the much higher price of gas these days. Neighbors have told us of being unable to leave the subdivision for the traffic on cruise nights, and the NOISE was something awful. Thankfully, the cruising had been pretty well shut down before we moved here.
These days, my Friday night is seldom more than a chance to really relax and not worry too much about how late I happen to stay up writing. I do have to watch the clock tonight, though. I have to get up and get the weeding and mowing done before it gets too stinking hot tomorrow. The yard looks disgraceful.
On another tangent; our quest to lose weight and be healthier is going pretty well. Matt is back in size 36 slacks, and I am back in my size 10 jeans. It is hard to log everything we eat and all the exercise we do, but worth it. Both of our recent blood tests have come back with excellent results. Matt has even been taken off one of the heart medications they put him on since he has done so well losing weight and keeping his blood pressure in control. I am proud to say that I take no prescription medications at this time. My numbers were all really good, and the doctor knows my high blood pressure readings in the clinic are white coat hypertension. (I had a very bad experience in an emergency room as a young child, and hospitals and doctor's offices have freaked me out, at least on a subconscious level, ever since. ) I have to really concentrate on my breathing and relaxing myself to get a near normal reading in a clinical setting. My numbers here at home have been going down as my weight goes down.
It makes me feel good to be able to wear clothes I haven't fit in for a long time. I also need to start my workout with free weights again, as I need to strengthen my muscles and prevent bone loss. I know I will never recapture my lost youth, but I think I look pretty good, and I'll settle for looking good for my age and being healthy. Very excited that Matt is starting to look like the man I married again instead of a much too heavy man.
To start yet another topic, I am so far behind on the books I want to read that it isn't even remotely amusing. I have several things on my Nook that I really do want to read, but I keep getting distracted. Maybe now that the weather is settling down, and life around here is settling back to something like normal, I'll be able to concentrate on my reading again. I have been reading, but have had to backtrack and re-read a lot because my mind wanders off in the middle of things. Not that the books are not interesting and engrossing, just that my ability to concentrate hasn't been too great lately. Have also been distracted by trying to catch up with some movies and TV shows that I have not been able to watch. Netflix is a wonderful thing, but boy, you can sure overdose on it if you aren't careful. I try to save stationary chores like ironing for the times I want to watch say, Sons of Anarchy, so I won't be so inclined to watch more than I can absorb in one sitting. There is a lot going on in that show that is not immediately apparent. Layers upon layers. My husband doesn't like it, says it glorifies outlaws, but he hasn't really watched it, I don't think. I do know there used to be a motorcycle club that hung out across the street from where he bought his house in San Bernardino. They were pretty small-time, and mostly pretty amusing, but I didn't hang out with them too much, only with Saundra, who ran the Star Trek fan club we belonged to. (Yes, a biker chick who liked Star Trek, they DO exist.) In fact, I think it was Saundra who told Matt he really ought to ask me out. His Mom was in the club, too, and SHE actually introduced us to each other. (Yeah, my mother in law wrote sci-fi stories and sometimes called herself "Granny Space". She was a good writer, had a wonderful sense of humor, and I really miss her.)
Anyway, that and the dread of the hot, humid hours I must spent dealing with weeds and grass tomorrow are what has been rattling around in my brain this evening. Hope everybody has a great weekend.
As Ever,
Katie
Oklahoma City is considered "the Big Town" around here. To a girl who grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles County, it's not so big, either. A few Friday nights when I was in high school, (in the late 70's when things were pretty wild), my friends and I used to gas up Kathy's old Delta 88 and head to Hollywood for "Hollywood Boulevard Safari." That's what we called cruising Hollywood Boulevard. We had rules. All doors must remain locked and all windows rolled up for the entire cruise. There was to be no interacting with the nightlife, we were only there to observe. And observe we did. Drag queens so fabulous, the women looked less like women than they did, generally funky people out ambling around, the odd cop or two questioning people. We never told our parents where we were going. We'd all still be grounded if we had. We lived in a nice middle class suburb in the San Gabriel Valley called Hacienda Heights. Our school's band and football team won all kinds of state titles the four years my friends and I were attending. At least four of us were in the Shakespeare Club at school, and all of us were Honor Roll students. Going out to cruise Hollywood Blvd. was our only real vice. None of us had boyfriends that year, so we had fun being "just us girls."
The kids around here think cruising 12th Street in Moore is a big deal. I don't get it. Nothing interesting to see here, certainly nowhere near the entertainment value of our forays into Hollywood. Yet, for YEARS the kids in this state would come from all over to cruise 12th Street. The cops have pretty much put an end to it, well, their presence and the much higher price of gas these days. Neighbors have told us of being unable to leave the subdivision for the traffic on cruise nights, and the NOISE was something awful. Thankfully, the cruising had been pretty well shut down before we moved here.
These days, my Friday night is seldom more than a chance to really relax and not worry too much about how late I happen to stay up writing. I do have to watch the clock tonight, though. I have to get up and get the weeding and mowing done before it gets too stinking hot tomorrow. The yard looks disgraceful.
On another tangent; our quest to lose weight and be healthier is going pretty well. Matt is back in size 36 slacks, and I am back in my size 10 jeans. It is hard to log everything we eat and all the exercise we do, but worth it. Both of our recent blood tests have come back with excellent results. Matt has even been taken off one of the heart medications they put him on since he has done so well losing weight and keeping his blood pressure in control. I am proud to say that I take no prescription medications at this time. My numbers were all really good, and the doctor knows my high blood pressure readings in the clinic are white coat hypertension. (I had a very bad experience in an emergency room as a young child, and hospitals and doctor's offices have freaked me out, at least on a subconscious level, ever since. ) I have to really concentrate on my breathing and relaxing myself to get a near normal reading in a clinical setting. My numbers here at home have been going down as my weight goes down.
It makes me feel good to be able to wear clothes I haven't fit in for a long time. I also need to start my workout with free weights again, as I need to strengthen my muscles and prevent bone loss. I know I will never recapture my lost youth, but I think I look pretty good, and I'll settle for looking good for my age and being healthy. Very excited that Matt is starting to look like the man I married again instead of a much too heavy man.
To start yet another topic, I am so far behind on the books I want to read that it isn't even remotely amusing. I have several things on my Nook that I really do want to read, but I keep getting distracted. Maybe now that the weather is settling down, and life around here is settling back to something like normal, I'll be able to concentrate on my reading again. I have been reading, but have had to backtrack and re-read a lot because my mind wanders off in the middle of things. Not that the books are not interesting and engrossing, just that my ability to concentrate hasn't been too great lately. Have also been distracted by trying to catch up with some movies and TV shows that I have not been able to watch. Netflix is a wonderful thing, but boy, you can sure overdose on it if you aren't careful. I try to save stationary chores like ironing for the times I want to watch say, Sons of Anarchy, so I won't be so inclined to watch more than I can absorb in one sitting. There is a lot going on in that show that is not immediately apparent. Layers upon layers. My husband doesn't like it, says it glorifies outlaws, but he hasn't really watched it, I don't think. I do know there used to be a motorcycle club that hung out across the street from where he bought his house in San Bernardino. They were pretty small-time, and mostly pretty amusing, but I didn't hang out with them too much, only with Saundra, who ran the Star Trek fan club we belonged to. (Yes, a biker chick who liked Star Trek, they DO exist.) In fact, I think it was Saundra who told Matt he really ought to ask me out. His Mom was in the club, too, and SHE actually introduced us to each other. (Yeah, my mother in law wrote sci-fi stories and sometimes called herself "Granny Space". She was a good writer, had a wonderful sense of humor, and I really miss her.)
Anyway, that and the dread of the hot, humid hours I must spent dealing with weeds and grass tomorrow are what has been rattling around in my brain this evening. Hope everybody has a great weekend.
As Ever,
Katie
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