December BP

 Here we are at the end of this horrible year. It's pretty clear that no one has been a fan of 2020. I am ending the year with my weight up and my blood pressure down. My Resolution is to reverse that. That's always my resolution.

Ski Day Number One

I started the day with a Doctor's appointment to look at my left eye. A cataract has been building for over a year and I am done waiting for something to be done. I met with Dr Jansen and he agreed it has gotten worse and he is referring me to Spokane Eye Clinic. So now I have to wait for them to give me a call and schedule another round of the exact same appointment I had today. That's efficient.

Part of the examination is to dilate my eyes. Supposedly, it makes me sensitive to light. I didn't really notice a big difference. Until I arrived at the parking lot of Mt Spokane...about two hours after my appointment. It sure was bright out there with all the snow.

Perhaps I skipped ahead too far.

I took the day off due to the Doctor visit and my many vacation days I have accrued. I decided that because of the early hour of the visit, I had time to go skiing.

So that's what I did.

Many thanks to my longtime friend, John who allowed me to use his Corporate Pass. That means that all it cost me was the gas to get up there.

Having the pass made it much easier to leave after only four runs. It was really foggy and it made the light flat...which made it very hard to see the terrain. At one point I stopped and almost fell down as I came to a stop because I couldn't tell if I had stopped. I had not! I was still moving and it made me a little disoriented.

But now I have a ski day in the books for the 20-21 Ski Season and that makes me happy.

Soap Records

Through meticulous record keeping, I have learned that a bar of soap lasts me a month in the shower. This may seem like useless information to you. But to me, armed with this valuable knowledge, I am able to more efficiently plan my soap purchasing activities. It becomes even more efficient with the realization that I buy my soap in the 20 Count Costco pack. So now I know that I only devote about 2 minutes every couple of years to purchasing soap.

This is an example of how good my life is.

We are painting the final sky walk today. And it's only the fifth of December. We have the whole rest of the month to procrastinate on Christmas stuff. That a lot more procrastination time than we have had in the past.

Another example of how good my life is.

Before painting, we are off to church to decorate the building for Christmas.

12:20PM: We were looking forward to some Gonzaga basketball. But the game was canceled due to Covid. The news said one player and one non player for Gonzaga tested positive.

So we headed downtown to finish our last sky walk.

We completed our painting about 5:00 and came home for a celebratory dinner of Grilled Cheeses sandwiches and Chicken Noodle soap. I shall continue to keep meticulous records and see how long that lasts.

Day Off Hi Jinx

It is just after nine on Friday morning. I'm just getting my morning started. I have my coffee and the biscuits and gravy are in my stomach. Next up, clean up, shower up, and get out and do something.

I've done something. I fixed my brake lights. It wasn't very difficult to figure out how to access the bulbs and I ran over to the General Store and purchased two new bulbs. So all is well in that area and I'm ready to move on to the next project. 

Susan left me a note this morning that said the floor in the bathroom was not heating up. I've never been happy with the connection of the wall mounted thermostat for that floor. It has never fit snugly and sometimes does not make contact.

My fix for that was to stick a little dollop of JB Weld into the screw hole. While at the General Store, I bought found some tiny washers which I hope will make the control box clamp down a little tighter. It appears to have worked. The floor is heating as I write. I will now go check it.

Can't tell. The display says it's up to 72 degrees but the floor doesn't feel warm yet. 

I was going to go to Costco but I think I'll wait as it is getting close to the time the tow truck is coming to remove the Escape. It's been sitting in the driveway for a year now and it is time to say good bye.

Good bye!

I made my trip to Costco although I forgot to get bacon bits and Irish Creme. 

Now it is time to head downtown and decorate sky walk number se7en.

Stuff to do

It's Thursday night and I have successfully made it through another week of work. I have tomorrow off.  I find I'm counting the days until the weekend more than I ever have before. I can see the light at the end of Retirement Tunnel.

I have many things I want to accomplish and I thought I better write a list so I remember.

Costco: I have a few items I need to get there, including beer, cheese, Bailey's Irish Cream, and new underwear. It's been a while.

Brake Lights: My brake lights aren't working and I'm hoping it's the bulbs. Upon cursory examination, I can't figure out how to access them.

General Store: Stuff I can't find at Costco.

Goodbye to the Escape. More tomorrow!

Skywalk Painting: We have eight skywalks to decorate this year and we have completed six of them. Only two more to go and hopefully, we'll finish number se7en tomorrow afternoon.

November BP

 

Day After the Ass Scope

The good news is I have survived. The bad news is that they removed four Polyps. The other news is I won't know anything about the polyps for four or five days.

So in the meantime, I'm going to go about business as usual. Today I want to attach an extension cord to my electric roof. It's a job I usually wait until snow has fallen to do and it's a good warm day to do it. It will be an uncharacteristically proactive thing for me to do.

Below is a scanned copy of the report they gave me with beautiful photographs of my colon. 

That's a nice looking Colon. This is more for me, having easy electronic access to the report, than for you, my faithful reader. 

And what's wrong with you that you faithfully read this?!

Day of the Ass Scope

The morning hath cometh all to sooneth. I awake to a sloppy wet rain-snow mix falling. Shortly I will begin drinking the rest of the prep juice and something else wet and sloppy will begin falling. I must say that I'm very happy about having a bidet. For this situation, it is quite commodious for the commode.

8:00AM: First glass is down. Here comes the fun. It's much better when it's not warm.

9:51AM: I finished the juice by 9 and have been off and on the toilet since. It's just a great way to spend the morning.

112:54PM: Well, I think I'm mostly done. Time to get ready to go down to the Medical place for the procedure.

Colon Blow

4:30PM: I just drank my first glass of the Prep Juice for my Colonoscopy tomorrow. I have to drink eight 8oz glasses over the next two hours. That should be about half the solution.

Then I drink the rest of the juice in the morning. I don't check in until 2:30 and the procedure is at 4. I'm going to be powerful hungry when I get out.

We are talking about going out for pizza afterwards. I'm just hoping I won't be too groggy to enjoy a night out.

4:45PM: Okay, I'm on glass number two. It's really not very pleasant. First of all, the instructions said to use luke warm water. Secondly, while it has a slight hint of lemon flavor, it's really heavy feeling, kind of oily. In other words, not very pleasant.

5:00PM: I downed number three really fast. Now I'm feeling full. Hopefully the fullness will pass before I have to drink the next glass.

5:15PM:

5:30PM:

5:53PM: This is the first chance I've had to sit here at the computer in a while. I'll be heading back in soon, I think. I've got two more glasses to drink. Yup, here I go.

8:30PM: I think I am mostly done being perched on the toilet. I am certainly not feeling full. I drank my eight glasses and all went as expected.

Now I have to finish up the juice in the morning.

Vacation Day One

It is my first full day of vacation. I slept in until 7. I made myself my favorite guilty breakfast, biscuits and gravy. And now I have just finished fixing the kitchen space heater. 

I'm getting good at this. It only took me 20 minutes. The most tedious part of this process is removing about 25 sheet metal screws. It just takes a while.

I just plugged it in and am waiting for the thermostat to engage the fan. I was pleased to see the switch light came on. That's a good sign. Ah! The second and more important good sign...the fan is on and heat is coming out.

I would normally now sing the praises of me and my ability to fix something. I have found that sort of pride often leads to a mighty fall somewhere else. Go find my post about cutting into the gas line by mistake.

I have made a call to the Union Gospel Mission to come and pick up the car. It has sat in the driveway for almost a year waiting for me to decide what to do with it. I have decided to follow the road of least resistance. Just get rid of it!

Later: After a high quality nap, I have pretty much given up for the day.

That's one vacation day down.

Tuesday or Friday

I rolled out of bed this morning knowing it's a Tuesday but believing it's a Friday...at least for me. After today, I have the next three days off. Throw in a Saturday and a Sunday and I'm ambling down Vacation Lane.

When I got into the bathroom and gazed out at the chilly morning about to begin, it was all covered in snow. We only got about two inches but that's enough to make it the second significant snowfall of the season.

I had no time to snow blow before I left for work but it all worked out because it had all melted by the time I got home...as I expected.

I have no major plans for the next five days except for the Colonoscopy on Friday. I have lots of little projects I plan to complete.

1) Get a little organization going in the Carriage House so I can use the space over the winter.

II) Donate my old car to the Union Gospel Mission. I need it the hell out of the driveway.

Three} Try to finish up the trim on the TV Room front window.

D] Clean my closet.

5) There must be a five but I don't know what that is yet. Oh Wait! I need to put a new switch in the kitchen space heater. The cheapo switches I bought on Amazon last year last only a few months. It turns out it was a good thing they come in a pack of 5.

Monday or Thursday?

 Susan's alarm goes off at Five AM. She gets up around 5:15. So I'm gently jostled awake which prepares me for my alarm at 5:30. When it went off today, I sat up on the side of the bed, and with a tone of disgust in my voice, I said, "Monday!"

I got up and started into my morning routine. As I was about to step into the shower, I realized I was taking some vacation days on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 

So one could consider this as my Thursday. That little realization brightened my day (and my shower) considerably.

But in the back of my mind, I still know that it's Monday.

Another reason for discontent is that my Friday will be spent prepping for a Colonoscopy at 4:00. I don't know why I accepted an appointment so late in the day. My only defense is that I made it a loooooooong time ago and didn't consider the time.

October BP

Perhaps you will notice that I have augmented this month's Blood Pressure Chart with the Daily Sunrise-Sunset times. I did it for no particular reason other than it is fun to watch the progression of the time changes.

Dr. O'Connor Appointment

 I saw Dr. O'Connor today for a regularly scheduled appointment. I didn't have any issues really and the only questions I had pertained to the Colonoscopy I'm getting in a couple of weeks.

Everything seems to be working still and they made a note that I'm still alive.

Dr. Byazrova Appointment

I saw Dr. Byazrova today. It was a regularly scheduled appointment. I had to go to Post Falls for the appointment. everything went smoothly except for having to wait for the Boston Scientific Technician to show up and download all the info from my Dephibrillator.

All seems well and I am still alive.

Flu Shot

 Just checking in to report that I went in for a Flu Shot today. I went over to Walgreen's at lunch and got the shot for free. I was there all of 30 minutes. When the Pharmacist gave me the shot, I did not even feel it. Now, three hours later, my arm is little sore. I know if I had waited to get the shot from my doctor, it would have cost me $40.00.

A Friday in October

 I worked last Sunday. I drove up to Sandpoint with Mick, another Screen Tek employee, and we did a repair job on a damaged Litehouse trailer. In addition, we installed some decals at the offices of a construction company. With the drive up, the work and the drive back, we clocked in six hours.

So I am taking a day off today. It's been a great day.

I started by sleeping in until 7:30. I got up and put the sheets in the washer. I made myself a hearty breakfast of artery clogging Biscuits and Gravy.

It was delicious. I also had a nice cup of decaf coffee with a shot of Bailey's in my favorite coffee cup. I had to go to Iowa to get a cup that says "I Love Washington".

I consulted with my neighbor Lou about the door issue I'm having in the TV Room. He's going to help my fix my faux pas, which will be chronicled in the other blog.     www.my-life-as-a-house.blogspot.com

It just so happens that Lou picked today to close up the pool. So I went over for a final swim. The temperature was 65 degrees. That's cold but not intolerable.

With that, I jumped in the shower and prepped for the day.

My next task was to try and get some organization with our filing cabinet. I am not good at filing bills and stuff in a timely manner and it was well past time.

I threw away a garbage bag full of old statements and bills. I still have some work to do up there but I am satisfied with my progress so far.

I made a trip to the store for a couple of things and then returned here to help Lou cover the pool. There is no mo swimmin'!

I'm waiting for the sheets to finish drying and then it should be time for Friday afternoon cocktails.

September BP

 

Air Quality Update

The smoke has stayed around for a week and there was no rain to knock it down. Until today.

It rained last night, just a touch. But I can see the sun again.

I was saying that I have not been effected by all this smoke but I did notice one thing. My eyes watered a lot. Especially at work when I was bent over working on a job.

So it did cause me a little discomfort.

Air Quality-Shitty

After weeks of hot and sunny days, we have a major change in our weather. Smoke!

Fires in Washington, Oregon and California have all sent their smoke to us.

Since I am in a category of persons susceptible to health issues from bad air, I am pleased to report that this hasn't had a terrible effect on me. I'm not coughing or wheezing and I don't feel congested or short of breath.

This is the second day of this smoke and it's supposed to last at least another day. There is a possibility of rain later in the week but that remains to be seen.

Bike Day

I don't know how many days I've ridden to work this year but it's a lot. I did so again today for the first time in a week and man...it was cold. It didn't help that I wore shorts, a light shirt and no jacket.

It takes me a while to adapt.

The ride went well although the hills are tough.

It was sure nice getting on a warm bus when it finally arrived.

August BP

 

Busing Day Two

I am holding to my challenge of riding my bike to work every day this week...because of my failing brakes.

It was another chilly morning today but I felt really good on the hill climb. I managed to coast to the very end of the second bridge this morning. With a little more speed coming down the hill into the park, I could get a little further but not much. But it's a fun game to play every morning.

I had the bus all to myself this morning. There were three of us on the extra long articulating bus yesterday. I'm not sure how S.T.A. affords running buses with this low ridership. My $2.00 fare can't possibly come close to running a bus from downtown to Liberty Lake. 

A Week Of Biking

I rode my bike today even though I have permission from my Doctor to drive again. My brakes are going and I'm not getting them fixed until Friday. So no driving this week. 

It was chilly this morning on the ride downtown. Summer is definitely waning.

I did okay on the hill climb but had to shift to the highest gear towards the top. The ride through the park is always pleasant. I can get enough speed heading into the park to coast almost to the end of the second bridge.

On the Road Again

My long national nightmare is over. I have official permission from my Doctor to resume driving. And so, I'll be driving tomorrow.

To recap the nightmare, on December 11th, 2019 I passed out and my defibrillator went off on me while I was heading to a haircut appointment.

Out of an abundance of caution, Susan and I went to the Emergency Room at Sacred Heart to be told that my defibrillator went off. $1100.00 please.

The next night, we were painting the STA sky walk when I felt a dizzy spell coming on while up on the ladder. I got down immediately and safely got myself to the floor when the defib went off again. 

I was in to see Dr. Byazrova in the next couple of days and at that point, she told me not to drive for six months.

The six months ended in June. She told me to reduce the Amiodorone I was taking by half for a month and then go off it completely for another month.

When I called in yesterday about my breathing problem, I also brought up the driving issue. Dr. B's nurse, Jan called today to tell me it is okay to drive again.

I'm going to continue to take the bus. I still have $32.00 on my SmartCard. But I'm going to drive when I feel like it too.

Sick Day for Breathing

After a rough long night, I woke up this morning with a heavy chest. Breathing was difficult. I could take a fairly deep full breath, but it didn't seem to fill my lungs.

I did my own self diagnosis and took a couple furosimide pills. That's the diuretic that my Cardiologist took me off of last month. 

Back then I was dry. Now I am wet. 

I called in to my G.P. and my Cardiologist and told them what was going on. When their nurses got back to me, they agreed with my diagnosis. They don't want me back on the diuretic every day. I guess I need to gauge it day to day.

It's only been a couple of hours since I took the pills. I can already feel a difference. In any event, while I'm waiting for my breathing to return to what's normal for me, I'm taking the day off.

July BP

Empty Bus

This was the scene on the bus as I rode to work this morning. It was one of those extra long articulating buses and I was the only passenger. That has happened a lot lately. The buses are still not running at the number of riders before the Pandemic.

On the plus side, it was a very pleasant commute to work.

Heat Wave Ride

We are in the midst of a heat wave. At least, it's been hot for Spokane. We always have a stretch of hot weather every summer just like we get a stretch of freezing temperatures in the winter.

We were able to take advantage of our neighbors pool last night. That made the heat a lot more manageable. However, I ended up drinking too much beer. I definitely felt it at 4 this morning.

The reason I'm writing today is to describe the wonderful bike ride downtown I had this morning. It has been chilly on the morning ride every day up to today. It's been so hot that there was a wonderful warm breeze that blew across me all the way downtown.

I paused on the bridge and gazed at the river for a couple of moments. 

The hill climb was still arduous and my breathing was labored. Even so, it was a very nice ride

Dental Report

I have an appointment with my dentist this morning. I was in a couple of weeks ago and they discovered I had cracked a tooth and I had some decay starting in an old filling. Hence; today's visit.

I'm never thrilled about going to the dentist but I know it's one of those things I have to do. 

I shall report back in the very next paragraph about how things went.

4:15 PM: It was very difficult to eat lunch. The anesthetic had pretty much worn off and my jaw was sore. It was hard to open my mouth enough to take a bite of chicken. Perhaps I should have had yogurt or something soft.

They got me right in at 8:00 and immediately shot me full of novacane...or whatever they use now. Once I was numb, they brought me the Consent Form, which I thought was a little out of order.

Anyway, they had to hit me with the anesthetic a couple of times because I definitely felt it when he was grinding on my tooth. Apparently, he had to grind it to a nub so that the crown would fit.

They set me up with a temporary filling and sent me on my way. But not before charging me $431.00. That's my deductible for this procedure.

Still Riding and Still Breathing

I am continuing to ride my bike downtown to catch the bus to work. I am continuing to struggle on the hills. I am on drugs that prevent my heart rate from getting too high. Consequently, when I do exert myself, I tire out quickly because my heart is not speeding up to compensate for the activity.

This morning, my hill climb was brutal. Once I got to the top of the hill, it's pretty much down hill the rest of the way and I need it. It takes three minutes to get my breathing under control.

The street in front of the STA Plaza is torn up as are the side walks. The city is doing some work on the street so STA decided to do some work on their sidewalks, which are about 25 years old. That is ancient in Sidewalk years.

It's a mess but it cuts down on traffic down there.

Another Bike Ride to Work

I have long lost track of how many times I've ridden my bike to work. But I can tell you that today marks one complete week of riding the bike every day. I've usually had some reason to drive at least once a week.

I rode the bus home from downtown last night and determined it takes about five minutes longer than riding home from downtown. That is because of the wait time for the North Monroe bus. 

My ride downtown this morning was pleasant, made more pleasanter by my powering through my morning hill climb. My legs were burning and I was well out of breath at the top, but no chest pain and I recovered in due course.

Fingy Report

It's been three weeks now since I ran the Rotary Knife into my fingers. I'm finally to the point where I don't need to wear a bandage everyday. Today is the first day that I am bandage free. I really should have gone and had the wounds stitched up. They are healing okay but the side of my thumb has a kind of numbness to it. 

I'm assuming the feeling will return but I don't know that at this point.

June BP

Free Busing Ends

Today is the last day to ride the bus for free. It has been free since March in order to keep the drivers safe from being infected with the Covid 19 virus. 

Riders enter and exit through the rear door and have no access to the front of the bus or the fair box. Therefore, no fares.

To solve the problem, they are building a plexiglass enclosure around the driver. I saw my first one on the bus ride home last night. The driver complained that it creates an awful glare on their right field of vision.

I have long lost count of how many times I have ridden my bike to the bus. I actually am starting to feel like I'm building some endurance. The hill climbs are the hard part for me and I am well out of breath when I crest the hill. But then I get to coast and rest and get my breathing back. The important thing is that while I have very low stamina, there is no chest pain.

The biking shall continue even though I have to pay for the bus ride. I just seems so unfare. Get it! 

By the way, that was sarcasm.

Mo' Cyclin'

A couple more days of bike riding to work. I rode yesterday and today. Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment (A sure sign that things are returning to normal.) so I'll be driving. I'll be riding again on Thursday.

When I got home last night, I saw Susan at the sink with quite a grimace on her face. She came around the corner and I saw two bloody knees and a scrape on her arm. One knee was much worse than the other.

She had been out running and took a fall at the far end of the park.

I suspect an uneven, possibly communist sidewalk is the culprit.

She now has a really good reason to not run ever again.

Another Incident with the Rotary Blade

I have been using this rotary cutter at work for years. Never had a problem with it. Suddenly, within the span of a few weeks, I have nearly lost my fingers to it twice.

The latest was today.

I have been weary of it and given it a lot more respect since my first run in with the thing.

Today I was cutting down some prints on Lexan. It's a thick plastic substrate that we can print decals on. I needed to cut it down so it can get flood coated with white ink and then I can laser cut them.

I was using my straight edge that has what I thought was a big protective lip on it. Suddenly, the blade hit something on the straight edge that made it jump up and into my fingers. It wasn't enough to slice through my thumb. It had to hit my index finger as well.

I wasn't about to report this to the bosses and get another ding on the company from Labor and Industries. 

Like the last time, they bled a lot. However, I was able to staunch the flow and nobody who doesn't read this blog is the wiser. I got them bandaged up. We shall see how well they heal.

Low BP Morning

The first time I took my blood pressure today, it was really low...90/63. I had just climbed the stairs and was feeling a touch dizzy. I showered and retook it and it a little better...104/64.

Now that I'm up and moving around, I feel better and assume my blood pressure is back to a respectable level.

I'm Biking in the Rain

Despite the fact that the forecast was calling for rain for the second day in a row, I rode my bike to work for the second day in a row. And I missed all the rain for the second day in a row.

So now I have ridden my bike to work (via the bus) for the four hundredth time this year. That's pretty good and way outpaces my past bike riding to work (via the bus) adventures over the past few years.

Of course it is all driven by mean Dr. Byazrova who is keeping me from driving and the even meaner Mrs. Burke who is enforcing the driving ban...for the most part.

Heart Health Update for June 2020

I had an appointment today with Dr. Byazrova over in Coeur d'Alene. I saw her last back in December when she told me no driving for six months. Since June 11th is the 6 month anniversary of my "event", I was anxious to get in to see her and get her blessing to drive again.

Note: I have been driving for most of the six months, but on a very limited basis. I drive to work once a week and I'm not too restrictive of myself on weekends.

Well, no such luck. I have been on a drug called Amiodorone (44 mg) and she wants to start weening me off it and see how I do. So I'm reducing the dose to 22 mg for a month and then discontinuing it altogether for another month. Then I will be back for the blessing.

Finger Update

It has been two weeks since I nearly sliced off the tip of my finger. I am finished going to the Occupational Therapy Store where they have been monitoring it on behalf of State Labor and Industries.

I guess I haven't documented the event here which is a giant blunder on my part.

I was cutting some vinyl for an eight inch vehicle strip using our rotary cutter. It looks like a pizza cutter. As I moved down the length of the straight edge, I placed my hand so that my left middle finger was just over the edge of the ruler. I drove the rotary cutter right into my finger and sliced just the tip of my finger along with the corner of my finger nail.

It was not that painful but I could not stop the bleeding. And it bled a lot.

So I notified the bosses and Scott drove me over to the Urgent Care place located here in Liberty Lake.

I was there for about two hours, most of which time was spent filling out paperwork and they got me fixed up.

I've had three visits to the Therapy Store and they have discharged me saying the healing is on track as expected.

I have been wearing a finger tip bandage over the wound but they come off so easily. it's still a little tender but as of today, it doesn't hurt to type.

May BP

Bike Ridin'

I haven't kept track of how many times I've ridden my bike but I know I rode it yesterday and three times last week. So I'm up to at least four times for this year.

I did not ride today as there was a threat of rain that came true on my bus ride to work. My bike is just not set up for other than fair weather riding. The main thing is I have no fenders.

I mentioned in the last post that the format has changed here in the Bloggerverse. However, when I went to post the other day on my other Blog, my-life-as-a-house.blogspot.com, the format had not changed. So I don't know what's going on. The main thing is that I am still able to post.

New Format

I haven't logged on in a few days. I got on today to discover that Blogger has changed the format of the Blogspot website. I'm wandering around trying to figure out how to navigate this site. It's nothing like it was and now I have to learn a whole new system. I am speeding head on for the wall of Grumpy Old Man and I'm going to hit it HARD!

It is Thursday and the end of my work week. I have three days to do whatever Susan wants me to do.

My plans include power washing Mom's patio, doing some vacuuming, and drinking beer. Not necessarily in that order.

April 2020 BP

Margie Arndt Pool Plunge

I rode my bike again today but cheated mostly. I rode over to Monroe and caught the bus downtown. Then I transferred over to Good Ol' Number 74 for the ride out to Liberty Lake.

The quarter mile from where the bus dropped me off was hard going because I was riding into the wind. I felt pretty spent when I got to work.

This will mark my fifth day of riding the bike this season.

I went out for a good ride at lunch so I did actually get some exercise. I'm going to try and ride home from downtown rather than take the Good Ol' Number 4 up Monroe.

Tonight is the annual Margie Arndt Pool Plunge over at my neighbors. We're doing it there because they have a pool. Also, we're doing it there because Marge would jump in the pool every year on her birthday. It's been about six years since she died but Tammy has wanted to keep the tradition going. 

Because of all the Covid stuff going around, I'm not sure who will be there or exactly how we'll do it. Maybe well spaced out and a couple of starts.

Fourth Bike Ride of the Year

I believe this is my fourth day riding my bike for this year. However, I'm not sure I can really count it. 

I hopped on the bike this morning and rode over to the bus stop next to the Mosey Inn on Monroe. It doesn't take more than 3 minutes to get there.I caught the bus there and rode it downtown where I transferred to my Liberty Lake bus. So, I didn't really ride all that much.

I did this because I am noticing my failing stamina. It's really getting bad. My legs begin to burn as soon as I start peddling. When I get to the top of my hill on the ride downtown, I am good and well out of breath. It takes me five minutes to recover when I get to the bus downtown.

I guess I should keep doing this as much as I can. It just doesn't feel like I'm seeing any improvement in my endurance. The next time I write, it could be from the gutter where I collapsed.

Bike Riding

I rode my bike to work today for the third time this year. I don't know if I have mentioned this somewhere in one of these posts, but I am woefully out of shape. By the way, I am well aware that I have mentioned it many times.

So far, the weather has cooperated...until today. When I left the house there was a light gentle rain tickling my face. It was more like a mist.

Once I got on the bus, the clouds got a little more serious. My bike was drenched to the chain when I got off at Liberty Lake. I just wiped down the seat and rode the quarter mile to work.

End of Lent - 214.8

Today is the last day of Lent...for me. Susan considers Easter the end of Lent. Others say that Good Friday is the last day of Lent. I'm ending it today because it is convenient for me. I'm drinking my first beer at noon.

I expect it will be fabulous.

I reached my lowest number in weight loss during this season of Lent. Today, I am 214.8 pounds. That's all going to be ruined when I drink beer but I still would like to get to 210. I would really like to get to 200 but that requires dedication that I do not possess.

218.6 - Bike Day One

One of the first signs of Spring is when I ride my bike to work. Generally it is a late first sign of Spring, as I have never ridden my bike to work in April. It's usually late May at the earliest.

I rode my bike today. At least, I rode it downtown and rode the bus out to work. It was a chilly Covid-19 free ride and it took about 13 minutes. The total distance from the house to downtown is just about two miles.

I intend to keep this up. I need to get myself in shape. I was sucking wind when I got to the bus stop. The good news is there was no chest pain.

The other good news is that at no point in the ride did I have to get off the bike and push. That was a concern. There is one hill on the southbound route that is steep but only a short block long. The north bound route has a gentle hill that is three regular blocks long.

They both tap me out. I want to improve that. But I was able to peddle up the hill this morning without pause. But I sure was breathing hard.

The other thing I learned is I can leave at 6:35 AM and still have plenty of time to catch the bus.

So I've got that going for me.

Flattened Out at 218

The "Stay Home" order has officially been extended to the first of May in Washington State. That is not surprising. The buses continue to be empty as I ride to work in the morning. Streets are pretty sparse of traffic. Toilet paper continues to be the hottest commodity on the market.

The biggest thing this has brought to light for me is how often I touch my face. I'm trying not to but it is hard.

I have been making regular use of my Netty Pot. Not every day but at least a couple times a week. The result of the Netty Pot are fabulous. I can breathe clearly and feel very unplugged. For about 15 minutes. By the time I'm getting dressed after my shower, I feel the sniffly nose again. Oh well, I think it's better to clear that crap out every now and then than to do nothing.

I even heard today that clearing your sinuses is really good for combating this virus. 

I have leveled out with my diet. It doesn't seem as I will loose much more weight. Easter is just over a week away and so I am really going to concentrate and eat correctly and sparsely.

March Blood Pressure

218.6

I don't have much to say today. The era of the Covid-19 Pandemic continues and probably will for the next six weeks. Even that may be optimistic. The thing is, nobody knows.

Susan and I watched a YouTube video last night from a New York City Emergency Room Doctor. He talked for about 30 minutes and answered a bunch of questions. 

The info he gave was reassuring.

I'm trying to follow the guidelines this guy espoused. Namely, wash your hands...a lot. Don't touch your face. Keep other people at a distance.

I want to get a mask. The main reason is to remind me not to touch my face.

I'm still riding the bus to work 3 out of 4 days. Here's what the extra long articulating bus looked like this morning.

I was the only passenger.

219.8

I gained poundages and I deserve it. I broke into a bag of Robins Eggs yesterday while on my day off. For the uninitiated, Robins Eggs are malt balls with a hard candy coating. They are only available at Easter and I have been stocking up. I have eight bags stashed. Well, I have se7en and a quarter bags stashed.

So I knew my weight would go up. I feel properly ashamed of myself but I must say that they were REALLY good.

Staying Home

My weight got as low as 215 yesterday. I'm at 217 today. Other than a walk around the park, we weren't very active. And we didn't eat a lot either.

We are well into this "Stay at Home" phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. There is a headline in this mornings paper that says they project 1,400 people will be dead in Washington State by July First. That means the Stay Home order will definitely last beyond the original two weeks. 

Whether or not it will become stricter is yet to be seen. People are doing a pretty good job. You can park anywhere you want downtown at any time of day. There's just nothing to do once you park.

I see lots of people walking around the park, but they are all keeping their distance. Traffic is dramatically reduced also.

Oh, and gun sales are up.

The grocery store remains the one spot of human gathering. There is no authority driving around asking why you are out. At least here in Spokane. Other areas, such as California and New York are a little more battened down.

I have always thought that what we need for our church is another 9-11 event. That brought lots of people back to churches. Of course, I do not want anything like that to happen again and this event is far different. All the churches are closed.

We have decided we might as well get to work on the house. If we are stuck here at home, we might as well make the best of it.

218.0

Hallelujah! I have broken the very difficult 220 barrier. That of course means I need to be vigilant and not eat the wrong stuff today. 

I gotta tell ya, I am Jonesing for something sweet. I have already started hoarding my favorite Easter candy, Robins Eggs. I have four bags and I will be buying more.

So we are well into the season of Covid-19 mania. I haven't seen a stocked toilet paper aisle in weeks. Cold and Flu remedy aisles are also looking sparce but you can get stuff. I bought some Nyquil last night just to make sure we've got it. Most everything else seems to be available. 

The Governor has decreed a "Stay at Home" order which goes into effect tonight at 6:00PM. Both Susan and I are able to still work because our businesses have been deemed "essential". 

I'm not sure that is true but I'm happy to keep working. 

Fortunately, we have our saving to dip into and a good size tax return coming so we are not feeling too anxious about the next few weeks.

It seems to be a good time to be trying to lose weight. It's a bad time to be craving sweets.

220.4

I continue to stumble along the slow road to weight loss. I'm down a pound today after being up a pound. I would really like to break that 220 mark...replace that middle two with a one.

The one thing I have noticed that gives me any indication that I'm losing weight is that the tool belt I wear at work seems to be sliding down my waist. I'm not quite ready to make an adjustment to it, but a couple more pounds and I think I will be.

Now, all I need to do is lose a couple more pounds.

221.6

I seem to have plateaued. It's discouraging to know I did a bunch of yard work and didn't eat anything until dinner yesterday and still have gained a pound. It makes me want a candy bar really bad. 

But I shall persevere in the face of this minor setback and continue with the struggle, because that is what it's all about. Not the goal, but the journey. And hopefully, a little character building in the process.

The only encouraging thing is that after weighing myself this morning, I stepped on the old scale and immediately lost five pounds. I love that old scale.

Winter & Lent

Winter is like Lent. When it's over , you really have something to celebrate. Today was a great day to celebrate the return of Spring weather-wise. We have just returned from three laps around the park on our bikes.

Today's weight is 220.8 pounds. That means I've lost almost 12 pounds in 25 days. I bounced back up to 225 earlier this week and slowly made it back down to 220. I hope I can continue.

221.0

I seems as though I'm past the easy part of weight loss and now I'm at a point where I have to work harder at it. The problem is, I don't know what that means. 

The only thing I can do to work harder is to exercise more. I admit that is something I'm not doing enough of. So I'll up my efforts in that area.

However, everything I've read tells me that weight loss (or gain) is effected more by what you eat than by the amount of exercise you do.

I've been eating lots of meats, lean cuts of steaks and beef jerky. I'm also eating a lot of nuts. Pistachios and cashews.

I might need to lay off the wine, which I started drinking again on Friday.

But wine makes me so happy.

220.8

I am now a good two weeks into this diet and I'm down 11 pounds.

Last night was the first time I was able to drink wine since I started the diet. That of course did not include last weekend when we went off the diet during our ski weekend.

The CoronaVirus pandemic is top of mind for everyone now. All large concerts, sporting events and gathering have been canceled for the foreseeable future. Our church has canceled services for tomorrow and I guess we'll see from there.

So far, there are no confirmed cases of it here in Spokane but it's only a matter of time. Hopefully, all these precautions being taken will help to ameliorate the spread.

We plan to stay in today and watch the snow that fell overnight start to melt.

223.2

I seem to have bottomed out. I'm stuck at 223.2 pounds. I should give it a couple of days before I start complaining.

I went on a bike ride today and ran into the same issues I experienced on the ski hill. I have terrible stamina. I'm going to continue riding the bike after work every day and see if this is something I can get back.

Results from Decadence

We have just returned from a decadent ski weekend where Susan and I went off our diets. We ate forbidden food, we drank beer and we swore a lot. 

We returned last night, weary and ragged.

This morning, to my surprise, I weighed 223.2...the same weight I was on Friday when we left. I am pleased by this result but surprised as well.

One thing that skiing on Saturday brought to light, I am waaaaay out of shape. We only skied 5 runs. We started at 11. We were done by 2PM. 

Usually, the worst part of skiing for me is getting from the car to the lodge. Once I'm on the hill, it's all gravity and life is good.

This time, I felt the burn in my legs after just a couple of turns.

I have to get out and walk more and start riding my bike.

225.4

I am se7en days into my Lenten Diet and I'm down se7en pounds. That pleases me greatly. I think the main factor in my weight loss is not drinking beer. I take in a lot of carbs with my beer drinking.

The other portion of my diet is going well, I think. I'm not starving but I am craving sweets. I'm trying to be tough about it. I haven't fallen off the diet at all except I had some low fat yogurt that might have had too much sugar in it. The fact that it had any sugar is the bad part. After all, the diet is no sugar, no grains.

My goal for this diet is to get down to 210 pounds. I will settle for 215 but if I can get to 210, I will eat my face off with joy.

Start of Diet-232.1

I weighed in this morning at 232 pounds, which seems appropriate since yesterday was Fat Tuesday. Now that it is Ash Wednesday, it's time to buckle down and lose some weight.

I'm going to follow the South Beach diet that we have followed before in the sense that I am giving up beer for Lent, and alcohol for the next two weeks. 

I am also following a diet based on eating No Sugar and No Grain. (NSNG) So there is going to be a lot of meat in my diet. Protein baby! Bacon and Eggs!!

The difficult part is weaning myself off sweets. I love cookies, candy, chocolate, bags of sugar, brownies, cakes and pies. The question is; can I muster the self discipline to abstain from the sweets. I believe I can but it is going to be tough...especially over the next week or two. I think that once I have detoxified my system of the sweet stuff, I'll stop craving it like I do.

So stay tuned to this Blog as I'm really going to keep track of how I'm failing.

That's not very positive.

Important News

I hate to make this horrible admission, but I have only today published my Blood Pressure Chart for January.

We have a new Printer/Scanner and I'm still learning how to use it. And yet, I figured it out and now I have a BP Chart for January.

Earlier this week, we had a meeting at work where I was informed we were henceforth working a 30 hour week. Starting last Monday.

That's about $200.00 a week. I'm not sure what I can do to make up that amount of money. I can do some free lance stuff but that's going to be spotty unless I can find something that is a regular gig.

Anyway, I'm going to try and make the most of it since I have no other choice.

Hip News

Good News! My hip pain has disappeared. I'm not sure what was going there but I'm glad it went away.

In other news about me...I've had an interesting  event take place at work. I've been reduced to 30 hours a week starting now. I'm not really thrilled about this now that I've had a chance to think about it. I have nice chunk of money I need to replace somehow.

I get to keep my insurance which is really important to me and the only reason I'm not planning to retire now. 

More Mystery Pains

I woke up this morning with a pain in my left hip. It has given my a slight limp when I walk. This came out of nowhere. I was fine and pain free when I went to bed.

I first noticed it about 3 AM when I got up to go to the bathroom.

I am hoping this pain is temporary and not going to hang around like my left shoulder pain, which continues to vex me, but is not really painful.

Drivers License Renewal

I went out early this morning to go to the Department of Licensing to renew my Drivers License. It expires in about a month. I decided to get the Enhanced Drivers License which will allow me to fly within the states, Canada and Mexico.

I gathered all this information I needed including my birth certificate, proof of address, proof of Social Security Number, my vehicle registration and my old license.

I was expecting it to take an hour or more just because it's the Dept. of Motor Vehicles and they are notorious for long waits.

The biggest problem I had was driving to the office on the north side of town. That one is closed on Saturdays. So I Googled Wa. D.O.L. and confirmed the Valley office was open until 2:30.

So instead of getting there at 8:30, I arrived about 9:45.

The amazing thing is that I was out of there in about 20 minutes. It was a breeze. I waited about 10 minutes before I was called up and then another ten minutes to do the paperwork and take a picture.

I considered darkening my beard because of all the gray. In the end, I decided I'm just not that vain.

January Blood Pressure

Heart Monitor Results

I got a call today from Dr Byazrova's nurse, Josh. He said that Dr B. had looked at the downloaded info from the heart monitor and everything looked good.

I hope that leads to my getting my driving privileges sooner.

Heart Monitor Recap

Two weeks ago, I had the heart monitor attached to my chest. It expired at 9:15 this morning. I peeled it off my upper left chest and placed it in the postage paid box that came with it.

So now it goes off to the place that made it. They will download the information and pass it on to Dr. Byazrova who will then tell me I'm dying.

The reason I had this thing attached to me for two weeks was that I mentioned to Dr. B that I have dizzy spells all the time. She asked me how often I had them and I could not really give her an answer.

Hence, the monitor.

There is a button on the monitor that I was supposed to push whenever I felt a dizzy spell or other related heart event. Over the course of the two weeks, I never had an occasion to press the button. I am attributing that to the new drug I'm on.

Countdown to the Countdown to Retirement

In just over two years, I will be 65 years old and at that tender age (providing I'm still alive) I would like to retire.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately and I liken it to how I felt at age 19 wanting to turn 21. It might actually be more intense now. I seem to think about it all the time. I'm really ready to be done working.

As I was riding the bus to work this morning, and thinking about retiring, it seemed so far out. It seems like it is never going to get here.

I'm looking forward to looking back on this post in a couple of years and realizing how fast it went by.

I'm Being Recorded

Last Friday, I went to Heart Clinics Northwest downtown office and had a Heart Monitor attached to my chest. I had one of these several years ago and it was a big thing I wore around my waste with a bunch of electrodes stuck to my chest. I had to wear it for 4 days.

This thing is the size of a key fob with two electrodes that make contact with my skin. It's just below my left shoulder and just above my defibrillator.

I'm having some issues with the adhesive wings. It's still fairly secure on the top part but the bottom part is loose. I'm using a big band-aid pad to keep it secured.

I have to wear this for two weeks so I'm a little concerned as to whether it is going to go the distance.

I'm supposed to press a button on it if I feel any dizziness and then log it in a little book they gave me. So far, I haven't had to hit the button.

2020

I have showered, shaved, shampooed and brushed my teeth. So I've got all that covered for the year.

We are having a lazy day on January First. I'm going to go out and do a couple of yard related activities but beyond that, I think we are laying low.

I used the new printer we got to scan my December Blood Pressure chart and I e-mailed it to myself. Unfortunately, it sent it as a .pdf and I can't seem to upload it to Blogger so I can post it. I'm going to try it again and see if I can send it as a .jpg.