December BP

 

Weekly Resolutions

 Well, I'm really quite disgusted with myself. I am just short of 230 pounds. I was as low as 205 pounds back in July. I have been steadily climbing to this point ever since.

Actually, I think I did a pretty good job of maintaining my weight through September. Then I let myself go.

I don't like making New Years Resolutions because they never last. So I'm going to work on Weekly Resolutions and see if the shorter term goal works better.

By next Saturday, I will be at 220 pounds or less.

Finally, a Walk

 I haven't walked all week. I guess I'm still recovering from skiing on Monday. 

I went out this morning and walked my one mile route. Most of my neighbors have shoveled their sidewalks but there are a few scofflaws that made the walk a little challenging. The worst part was crossing the streets. I almost went down at one intersection.

But, I made the mile and then sat for half an hour. It must be great to be in shape.

SKI DAY # 1

 I had a ski day today, my first of the year. It was exhilarating and debilitating. I got up there before opening at 9AM. That means I got good parking which is important to my stamina issues.

I planned to ski at least the morning and perhaps into the afternoon, depending on how I held up. I did not hold up well. In the middle of my fifth run, I realized I was out of gas. Unfortunately, I was on the Number Four Face, skiing under the chair. The run was pretty well infested with moguls which I no longer ski well.

At one point, I slid to a stop and lost my balance and fell. I could not get back up. I was really struggling and just could not get up. I was underneath the Number Four chairlift and I became really aware that people were watching me.

I waited to catch my breath and for the chair to be empty of on lookers.

I struggled and struggled to push myself up. I finally succeeded but was totally out of breath. I decided I was done.

So I got in six runs and my ski season has begun.

 But it wasn't pretty!

Snow Stake Accuracy

This picture was taken at 5:52 PM. It was snowing when it was taken and about a half an inch has fallen since 4PM. So they are not fanatics about maintaining the accuracy of the snow stake.

I am so anxious to be skiing that I'm looking for something to be angry about. I'm over it now. 

Breakfast Walk

I was hoping to wake up to snow but no such luck. It had been raining but that meant it was snowing on Mt. Spokane.

We went on our walk but stopped for Breakfast at Kabot's. I had a tastey but chewy steak.

I walked the mile and a half route and todays license plate was from Texas.    

Debating the Hill

Susan had the day off so she joined me on the morning walk. We elected to go the short route (1 Mile) because it was so cold. I also had concerns because my blood pressure was 104/53 this morning. I have noticed a definite drop in my stamina when my blood pressure is low.

When we got to the turn at the bottom of the hill, I decided to go for the hill but not go the whole mile and a half route. I would say we did 1.25 miles.

The hill was pretty brutal and I stopped for a couple of minutes at the resting place in front of Kabot's Kitchen. The winner of the License Plate Game was Florida.

We completed the walk and I feel like I accomplished something.

You gotta take the little victories.

Weird Thoughts

 It was a cold and chilly walk this morning. It was hard to tell whether my nose or my eyes watered more. I'm very interested to see what happens to me when I get on the ski hill. I might completely dehydrate myself out on the mountain.

I came across an interesting phenomenon this morning. In two instances, I came very close to encountering another walker who was using the same course as I. I realized that I did not want to be walking with or near anyone else. "Walking with" makes sense to me. Who wants to walk with a stranger?! 

But "walking near" someone shouldn't make me feel uncomfortable. But I don't like walking with someone who is half a block in front of me and I would feel very self conscious if someone was walking behind me.

It's not like there are so many walkers out there that there is no way to avoid others. It's just one of the many weird thoughts that crossed my mind while walking.

There was no winner in the License Plate Game today. Perhaps because I walked so late in the morning. The motel parking lot has a lot more cars in it when I walk earlier.

More Grip, Less Slip

 My walk this morning was much better than yesterday. Most of the snow has melted and the streets weren't icy. It was a little warmer too.

Yesterday was pretty treacherous. I took me much longer than normal just because I had to be careful with every step. The streets were very icy and I had to watch myself. Even some of the sidewalks were a mess.

I got to thinking about the people that don't shovel their sidewalks. There are a lot of them out there. I don't like to be judgmental, but let me be judgmental. 

I feel that people that don't shovel their sidewalks are sub par neighbors. They are also the people that don't take care of their lawns and don't really care about the appearance of their houses. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not likely to be appearing in Better Homes and Gardens. But I do make an effort. And my walk is always clear of snow. In fact, my block is always cleared.

Just a little rant. I'll be falling in front of one these sub par neighbor houses and there will be nobody to sue.

I had lots of entries in the License Plate Game today. There was Oregon and British Columbia and Alberta. But the winner was New Jersey, the Garden State.

Yesterday I had slim pickins'. I think the only out of stater I had was Oregon. Who cares!

White and Wonderful

 It is white and therefore wonderful outside.

I woke up to snow falling. It's not a lot and I don't think a lot is forecasted. But it is snowing and that makes me happy. I think I will get out there with the snow blower but I want to know that it is done snowing for the day before I go out.

The newspaper, which is mostly useless when it comes to weather says that today there will be "a little snow."

I'm thinking of taking the truck out so I can see how it does in the snow. I haven't really used the four wheel drive in this vehicle yet.

I managed to get my morning walk in between snow falls. I only did a mile today. My eyes get really watery when I am out in this cold weather. I hope it is not a problem when I am skiing. 

I've been meaning to chronicle my neighbors display of Flying Snow Unicorns since they first came out last week. I managed to capture them today.

Rain and Snow

 It's a wet, sloppy day so I limited my walk to one mile.

The good news is the rain here is snow up there.

Lots of rain is forecast for the coming week so maybe I'll be getting my wish.

Walking and Festooning

Susan has the day off from work so we slept in until after 8 and then went on a walk. We chose the mile and a half route but stopped at Kabot's Kitchen for breakfast. 

I have to knock that off because I weighed 223 pounds this morning. It's only a week after Thanksgiving and I'm already a butterball.

I think we are pulling out the rest of the Christmas Festoonians and getting the place decorated. I have pretty much completed the outdoors looks but it needs a few tweaks here and there.

It's much chillier today than it has been all week which is a good sign if it decides to drop some moisture out there. There is no rain forecast for today but there's a chance for some tomorrow. I shall continue to watch the mountain.

Walk Report

 I got in my morning walk today and I did the mile and a half route. I haven't walked that route in over a week because it involves the hill and I just haven't felt up to it. 

Those were days when my blood pressure was low and today it was 140/88. So I took a chance and went up the hill. I rested at Kabot's Kitchen.

Todays winning license plate was from Newfoundland.

This is very sad to me. Mt Spokane set opening day for December 4th. That's not going to happen. They had 12 inches but it all washed away.

Not the year to buy a season pass.

November BP

 

Beard Progress

Here is how my beard growth looks after three weeks. 

Activity Day

 I did not get out and walk today. It was a really warm day for November and a walk would have been nice.

Instead, I decided to fix the rain gutter at the back door. The old roof had a wider drip edge than the new roof . I had the gutter attached to a couple of blocks that positioned it better. But with the new roof there is a gap between the drip edge and the gutter.

It was easy enough to remove the gutter, pull off the blocks and reattach the rain gutter to the trim.

Then I grabbed the rake and some bags and headed for the front yard. I harvested three bags of leaves, That's like 90 gallons or 6.75 bushels.

I'm just saying that I got my exercise for the day.

Cold Watery Eyes

 My walks this week have been chilly. My eyes water really badly during most of the walk. It makes my wonder how I will do with skiing this year. I hope my goggles will be somewhat protective.

Here's todays photograph from Mt Spokane.

I have managed to walk my mile and a half course all week which means I am on track to have another record breaking week of walking mileage.

I got my first international license plate today. There was a car from British Columbia in the parking lot at the motel. Actually, there were two cars from BC and three from Oregon.

What a life I'm leading!!! 

8.7 Miles

 I had my best walking week since I started back in July. I walked every day from Monday through Saturday and I logged 8.7 miles.

My daily route has expanded to 1.5 miles. I'll probably keep on that distance through the winter. I have managed to walk every day this past week, dodging rain or just living with it and wearing a hat.

The hill up to Division street continues to be my biggest obstacle. It can be a tough slog for my delicate stamina. I try to make the whole hill without pausing, but some days are better than others.

I now have a new number to try and beat as far as mileage goes. Havong goals like that helps me to be sure I get out there every morning.

Chimney-Walk Man

I have had a really good record of walking. I go out at least five times a week with an occasional sixth day tucked in. Each walk is at least a mile.

I was out this morning for my first inclement walk for the season. It was just a light rain which my Cowboy hat accommodated nicely. It's getting colder too. I'm trying to put in some miles this week so I've been walking a 1.4 mile route. If I add a block it turns into a mile and a half.

I came up with an exciting contest for me as I reach the Motel portion of the walk. Find the license plate from farthest away. Today it was Oregon. Yesterday it was New Jersey.

So far today, I have messed with the carpet shampooer, cleaned the front porch, and played a little piano. But my big job today is to wait for Mr. Chimney to show up  and clean our chimney. I was given the time block of 10AM to 3PM. It is currently 2:08PM.

3:59PM: Mr. Chimney has just left the building. He arrived  about 2:50. A chimney sweeping costs $199.00. That is, if there are no problems. Everything went very well with cleaning the fireplace flew. However, we had a problem.

Susan reminded me to ask about the wall on the left side of the chimney. I gets very warm. That flew is used by the furnace. Upon inspection, they see a pile of debris, possibly a squirrels nest.

The guy went up to see if he could clear it. He could not. With the day getting late and not anticipating this issue, they had to call it a day. 

I'm not sure what the next step should be. Mr. Chimney is booked solid through December. He is recommending a new boiler and just bypass the old one so we don't have to use that flew.

This chimney cleaning is turning into a $10,000.00 bill.

Here are some pictures.

Nice Van!

   

TMI

 Sometimes in the morning while lying in bed, I will realize that I have certain urges prompting me to go to the bathroom. Once I am out of bed and vertical, those urges sometimes become more necessitous.

This morning, I came very close to making it to the toilet on time. A little solid waste clean up was required.

Now, aren't you glad you checked in on this Blog today!?  

Season of the Beard

It is the time of year for me to start growing more facial hair, specifically an beard, which shall become an goatee.

Here's how I look on Day Two. 

Hot Tub Walk

 I made a critical mistake this morning. 

I got out of bed about 6:30 and I started my morning in the hot tub. It was great. It was warm and relaxing and very peaceful.

But I can't stop sweating. Plus, I feel very lethargic.

I'm going to go out on my morning walk and try to invigorate myself. Let's see how that goes.

8:16AM: That was a tough walk but not a killer. I don't feel as good as I felt yesterday when I finished my walk. I stopped on the hill for about a minute and a half but otherwise had a good walk. It took me about 30 minutes to walk the 1.25 miles.

Walking Report

What a difference a day makes. 

Yesterday I was struggling on the hill during my walk. Today, I breezed through it. Don't get me wrong. It was still tough. But I didn't have to stop for rests and my thighs weren't burning when I reached the top.

I did the 1.25 mile course. And I managed to get it in between rain storms.

Autumn Addition

 Today was a tough walk. The hill climb really took it out of me. I stopped for a brief respite at the top of the first hill. Then I stopped again at the Kabot's Kitchen sign to set a spell. It probably took me three minutes to recover.

I ended up making the walk a little bit longer by walking down Euclid, all the way to Post Street and then down to Waverly. That addition turned my 1.25 mile walk into a 1.4 mile walk.

I hope the walking is helping me but it doesn't feel like it. In any event, it's not hurting me.

Let's Go Brandon!

I have just returned from my morning walk. I walked the 1.25 mile course which takes me up a hill to Division street and then half way up the Division street hill. The trip back down is a very steep hill which is surprisingly difficult to walk down. You're suddenly using different muscles and it's tough for a pussy like me.

I have noticed for the last two days that it has been difficult to climb the hill. I stopped and rested for about a minute today. There is a good resting place a little more than half way up the hill.

I could probably make a two mile walk but I don't think I could get much farther than that.

I would like to conclude by saying that my headline for todays post has nothing to do with the information held in the post. It's just a popular euphemism going around right now expressing ungraciousness to President Joe Biden, of whom I am not a fan.

October BP

 

Thoughts on Me from Myself

I have beat the sunrise. It looks to be a glorious day. I'm going to try and make the most of it.

Today is the last day of my Covid Quarantine. I feel completely free of any Covid symptoms. In fact, I feel fantastic.

I was at Costco the other day and bought a three set of plush wool socks. These socks are amazing and totally contributing to the fantasticness of my well being.

I have a couple of errands to do this morning and then I will get to work on some painting. But first, a random thought I like.

And now, it's time for the morning walk. 

The walk was brisk. I have to do some acclimating to colder temperatures. The day is not warming very quickly. It's 37°, expected to reach 63°. I have already run over to church and got the Power Point presentation ready for Sunday. I stopped and got a couple of bagels which I heated up here at the house.

I have a couple of phone calls to make and then I'm off to the General Store for some ScareCrow supplies.

9:38AM: Okay, Pool World has told me a fix to try with the hot tub. The breaker keeps tripping in the tub. That shuts off the heat. The guy told me to pull the filters and run it and see if that stops the tripping.

I need to drain that tub. It has a lot of spooge in the water. That's not right.

Only one more phone call to make. I'm checking on Season Pass Refund Insurance. 

Refund Insurance has been purchased. I hope I didn't waste $39.00. Actually, I do hope I wasted it. That will mean I skied the whole season.

12:35PM: I am now ready for lunch. I think I'll go ride my bike over to Geardo's for a taco or two.

4:30PM: Well, I finally got around to painting the trim. It could probably use another coat but I think I'll wait until Spring.

The hot tub has not tripped the breaker since I pulled the filters and ran the jets. I'll check it in the morning but I think I'm going to have to buy some new filters. It's been a while.  

September BP

 

Covid +

I was out doing some running around yesterday when I decided to treat myself to an A&W Rootbeer.  A couple sips in, I realized I couldn't taste it very well. So I drove down to Kaiser and waited in their Covid testing line. That took about 45 minutes.

I got the results this morning. To no surprise to me, I'm positive. So now we have to wait for Susan's test results although she feels fine.

She didn't go to work today and is doing some stuff from home.

So I'm in quarantine here at the house until next Friday.

This is going to get old fast. Especially since I don't really feel that bad. I'm a little stuffy and I can't taste or smell anything. Otherwise, I feel like going on a walk.   

The Return of Driving Privilege's

Today is the three month anniversary of my Heart Event which put me into retirement. I should call it a Heart Attack but I choose not to.

What this means is that I can drive again. Of course, I have been driving for the last few weeks. The one concession I have made is to stay off the interstate. 

I finally had a good night and feel a little better today. I'm just going to hang around the house and do some cleaning.

I should say that after a full month of using the C-PAP machine, I am not much of a fan. It dries out my mouth like nothing I have ever experienced and it becomes uncomfortable the longer you wear it. The longest I have worn it in a night is se7en and a half hours. I've only had one night where I didn't wear it at all. Not surprisingly, that was last Friday night. 

Dr Harwood - First Visit

I had an appointment this morning with my new Heart Doctor Guy. His name is Dr. Mark Harwood. He appears to be in his mid 30's so there is little danger of him retiring in my lifetime.

It was a good meeting and everything looked good with my device. He made a couple of adjustments to my meds. 

I had complained that my right eye was periodically becoming sensitive to light. Amiodorone is a drug I am taking to prevent V-Tach but a side effect is that it may cause problems with the eyes. So he told me to see my eye guy and check it out.

I'm still feeling kind of small. I'm sniffly and my head feels stuffed up. Of course, in these days, any time you feel crappy you have to wonder if you have come down with Covid. I can still taste and smell so I'm not too concerned. Neither was Dr. Harwood.

Mark had the day off so we went out for lunch. I almost canceled but rallied in the end. We went to Dave's Bar and Grill in the Valley. Neither of us had been there before which is why we chose it. Forty dollars later, we were laden with beer, burgers and what Mark said was "the best French Dip he had ever had".

My burger was good but not the best I've ever had.    

Smalls

I drank too much yesterday. I am not hung over but as Susan would say, "I'm feeling the smalls!"

Susan and I were at the Hub for our usual Friday beers with Mark. I think we were on our second large pitcher when into the bar walked Jim and Jill Cathey. They are friends I know through Susan. They live waaaaaay out in the valley but were on our side of town. They decided to stop by for a visit. When we didn't answer the door, they went to the Hub.

Nothing like being predictable.

After another pitcher we all came home and lit a Pitfire.

We enjoyed conversation, s'mores, and wine.

I drank too much yesterday.   

August BP

 

CPAP Day Four

I walked the better part of a mile this morning and included a major hill climb. I stopped briefly in the middle of the hill to rest, but it wasn't any longer than thirty seconds. I think I walked every morning this week.

I just spent my fourth night with a CPAP machine. I managed to wear it for slightly over six hours. I can't say I'm feeling much more rested than before the CPAP, but I am adapting to it better. At some point during the night, it just becomes uncomfortable to wear. I take it off for a while and then put it back on for a few hours.

The worst part of using it is the very dry mouth I often wake up to. I mean, dry! My mouth is so dry I can't immediately produce any saliva to moisten my mouth. I now keep a water bottle on the night stand along with some Chapstick.  

CPAP Day Two

The smaller mask was definitely the way to go. I wore the mask for just over 5 hours. That was not in one session. So far, I've had to wear it, remove it, wear it again. It gives me a dry mouth which is not pleasing to wake up to.   

CPAP Day One

Well, that wasn't very pleasant. I wore it for 3 hours and 33 minutes. I think I used the wrong mask. I used the large one and had a lot of trouble with air leaks. I'm going to try the small one and see how that goes.

It's definitely going to take some getting used to.

C-PAP

 I have just returned from picking up my CPAP machine. I will be using it tonight for the first time. We shall see how this goes. Just so we have all our terms identified, CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.

I have a manual to read and a machine to assemble.  

Summer is Waning

The morning walk was a little chilly today.  I wore a fleece vest for the first time in a long time. It's been so hot for so long, the cool mornings are refreshing and invigorating. 

I did the mile route and did not keep time.

It looks like it's going to be a nice day with a high in the 80's. I'm going to be inside for the morning though. We made a mess of the house over the weekend because of the Hub Fun Run.

It's my job to clean up. I might get some mowing in this afternoon but vacuuming comes first.

Jurassic Jog

Today was the third annual Hub Tavern .08 Mile Fun Run. The course starts at the Hub and heads two blocks south on Monroe to the Mosey Inn Tavern. There, participants must drink a beer and then return to the Hub...as fast or slow as they would like.

This years theme was Jurassic Jog. There were lots of dinosaurs, dinosaur masks, a lawyer on a porta potty but only two cave persons.

Amazingly, we ended up winning the costume portion of the event. 

We made the outfits last night. We went to the fabric store and bought the leopard skin fabric, and Susan went to town with the sewing machine. My club is Styrofoam and took about an hour to carve and paint. 

It was a fun event with about 50 people taking part. We ended up drinking too much beer.  

New Walking Route

I just returned from my walk. I tried a new course today and I haven't yet measured the distance. I am assuming it is on the proud side of two miles. It took me 44:47 to complete it. I didn't try to go after it very hard so I will be able to beat that number when I try.  

However, I'm not sure that beating the number is all that important. The main thing is that I'm walking and I'm doing it for at least 20 minutes.

The new route threads its way through the neighborhood. I leave the house and walk east to Atlantic. I head north up to Cora. I walk up Cora until Dalton angles into it and I walk all the way down to Wall Street.

At Wall I head south one block and turn east on Euclid and follow that all the way back to Atlantic. Then it's south one block to Park Place and back to the house.

I had one incident worth noting. There is a menacing looking young Rottweiler that is running free just as I turn onto Dalton. It came across the street towards me and circled behind me and started to growl. I turned around and yelled, "Hey!" looking directly at it and that seemed to do the trick.

I may take a walking stick out with me next time.   

G-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-A-L ! ! !

One of the things I've noticed about my short sprints is I tend to do them in front of houses where I know the owners. I guess I must be feeling that they'll see me and really be impressed with the gusto I give to my morning walk.

The short sprints and a new set of gel insoles are what I am attributing to my recent goal achievement. I did two laps around the park (1.6 miles) in 29:48.

I am blown away that I reached that goal when only a few days ago I was doubting I could ever achieve it.      

Short Sprints

With the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan just having ended, it feels appropriate to rate my walks with the presentation of a medal. I'm giving myself a bronze. It was really more of a magnesium performance but they don't give out that medal.

Today was a really good walk. I took over a minute and a half off my previous best time. I definitely feel a bit winded and just the onset of becoming sweaty. And yet, that thrill of victory is a strong motivator. 

Yesterday, I didn't think my goal of twice around the park in 30 minutes was possible. Today, I think I can reach it.

I employed a new strategy I call, "Short Sprints". I pick a spot up ahead of me, maybe a tree, a driveway or a heaved sidewalk and I increase my gate until I get to that spot. Then I slow down a touch and recover. A couple of times this morning, I even extended the spot.

Getting my walk in first thing in the morning is a great way to start my day. I feel like I have accomplished something and it's only 8:36. 

I have another milestone I would like to proclaim to the heavens if modesty didn't prevent me from doing so. I weighed in this morning at 203 pounds. I'm going to make 200...and then gain it all back!   

Good Walk

I'm just in from my walk and today, it was good. Susan and I walked on Saturday and that was a good one as well.

My time was 32:20. That's my best for twice around the park.

I'm not sure I'm ever going to be able to hit my goal of 30 minutes. It would take a pretty fast gate to achieve that and I don't think I have a fast gate in me. At least, I don't now. 

I guess the deal is to keep walking and not worry so much about the time. However, I like to see improvement and timing my walks is the only gauge I have.    

Bad Walk

I'm trying to get out every morning and get in a walk. I had what I consider a bad walk today, even though I took three minutes off my previous time. The problem was that my feet were starting to go numb and I had a pretty good sweat going, which is only now abating, 15 minutes after my walk ended.

However, I think a bad walk is better than no walk at all.

Today's stats are: I walked 1.6 miles in 33:48. My half a lap time was 16:58. The temperature at the time of the walk was 77°.   

July BP

 

Scheduling and the Tracfone Blues

I have finally figured out that I need to develop a schedule for myself in the morning. In this way, I set a morning routine for myself that I currently don't have. I can get stuff done that I want to get done and still have free time for whatever.

I have been getting up at 7:00 and that seems to be a good time for me. I have set my morning walk, which is an essential activity, for 8:00AM. Today I increased my walk from one mile to 1.6 miles. That is twice around the park. My time was 33:17. Once I get below 30 minutes, I shall increase to two miles.

I am scheduling some time at the piano for 9:00 to 10:00. I don't know that I will spend the whole hour but that will be my goal.

Beyond that, I will do some little bit of house cleaning and/or organizing. Then I will try to establish a project for the day. It might be something simple like, move all of Mom's pictures upstairs so they are out of the way. 

There are a ton of pictures to go through. My plan is to go through them, sort out the keepers and scan them in to my computer, and then to a DVD. The really difficult part is deciding what needs to be thrown away.

That project is a way off yet however.

I just got off the phone with my cellphone provider, Tracfone. My old phone is getting very crappy reception here at the house and I think it is time to upgrade.

I bought an LG Rebel which is also the model name for my Canon Camera. The big upgrade I am making is memory. I have been stuck with 8 gigs in my current phone and that is simply not enough. The new phone has 32 gigs.

Okay! It is after 9 and I'm not at the piano.

Good day!

 

Gaining and Losing

Since getting out of the hospital, I have lost 11 pounds. I have done a good job of keeping it off...until last night. 

We went to the Texas Roadhouse for Susan's birthday and I gained three pounds. I've gained almost six pounds since Saturday. Time to reverse this trend.

I'm heading out on my daily walk and then getting to work on some basement organizing. My new (to me) beer fridge is coming today.

After Walk: Ahhhhhh, that was a good walk and I accomplished my first goal. I walked the mile in under 20 minutes. That means I'm going to expand my distance. I can feel that it was a good walk because I am sweating. My time was 19:33. That beat yesterday's time by a minute and a half. It must be from the energy all that salty meat gave me last night.

SSA Application

I am well into my second week of retirement and I don't think I'm doing it very well. I'm not completing a task a day on the house, like I hoped. I am getting little things done but I just don't feel the stamina to do anything major. Today, I'm cleaning out the basement refrigerator because I'm bringing in a better one from Mom.

I'm going to pull it out of the basement and put it one Craig's List for free. I have to remember to time it and see how long it takes before it is gone.

I finally got through the application for registering for Social Security. The on-line application is pretty straight forward but it won't allow you to continue until you have completed all the questions. I kept passing over something and then it was hard to find the spot to fix.

Now that I've had the experience of signing up. I would probably do better the next time.   

Retired Person

It's been two days since the ablation and there has been nary a bad heart beat. They are setting me free today. I am still weak and sore but looking forward to my own bed.

In the course of all this going on, Susan has made an executive decision. I am retiring. I was planning on it in eight months but I'm not fighting her on it. I would like to keep working but I am not sure I can. Also, I think that if I had not made the decision, Screen Tek would have made it for me.

So, on top of dealing with all the stuff concerning cleaning up Mom's affairs, I shall be applying for Social Security.

Additionally, I'm not allowed to drive for three months.

Ablation Day

 Today was ablation day. We just didn't know when. Turns out, they took me down into the bowels of the hospital about 5:00PM. It took about 2 1\2 hours. They thought it went well but it was hard to tell.

They would observe me for a day or so and see what's going on.   

Hospital Continued

I have been in the hospital for three days now. There have been no events. The heart cath showed that one of the heart grafts from the bypass in 1998 was nearly closed. They wanted to schedule an ablation but it was Friday heading into the Fourth of July holiday weekend. It was looking like an ablation would happen on Tuesday.

They moved me out of ICU and into a double room late Wednesday. Over the course of the next few days, I would have three different roommates.

It was a long and boring weekend with a very sore chest. Fortunately, no ribs were broken.

They decided they would fit me in for the ablation sometime on Monday.   

June BP

 

Heart Event 2021

 I was getting ready for work this morning and felt a little dizzy spell. As it passed, my defibrillator shocked me. Then it went off again within 30 seconds. About a minute later it went off again.

We decided it would be a good move to go to the Emergency Room.

Dr Kadel, my cardiologist, retired last year. I still have Dr. Byazrova, who installed the defibrillator, but she only practices out of Coeur d'Alene now.

So we thought it was prudent to go to Cd'A and have someone familiar with me on scene. I went through the ER pretty quickly and they put me in a room. The plan was to schedule a Heart Cath for the next day and see what's going on.

I was stable with an occasional dizzy spell, which meant an occasional bad heart beat. (Ventricular Tachycardia) Susan left me to return tomorrow. 

Throughout the afternoon, my nurse, Charles would come in and ask me if I felt that. It was a dizzy spell and a thump in my chest. I said that I usually felt it. 

Suddenly he comes in the room and says, "You're about to get hit!"

Sure enough, the defibrillator went off. And then it kept going off. Seven times with a 30 to 45 second interval in between shocks. Plus, they shocked me once externally.

I remember being concerned, but not scared. There were people working all around me including the guy giving me CPR.

They finally got me stabilized and moved me to ICU.

We had trouble getting ahold of Susan as she went in to work and turned her ringer down.

She ended up spending the night in the ICU with me.

So now, my chest is very sore from the chest compressions. AND, we were told after we got to the ER that Dr. B had suddenly retired for medical reasons.

So that was Day One.

Trudell Diane Harvey Burke Robinson Jensen

 

Reasons Not to Buy A Truck

I came across another reason NOT to buy a truck. 

Before buying my truck, I considered all the pros and cons of truck ownership.

The main con was the added expense of gas. It has a larger tank and gets lower mileage. I've gone from a $40.00 weekly fill up to a $60.00 weekly fill up. That's only $20.00 a week but it's $80.00 a month.

A con I didn't think about is how much more difficult it is to park. Parking lots aren't too bad but you have to be much more careful and I find I'm going slower.

The con I came across today involved the tires. Well, one tire. The flat one!

I have been lucky over the past few years. I cannot remember the last time I changed a tire. Mark today as the last time I changed a tire.

I was able to figure it out. I already knew where the jack was. I had a little trouble getting to the spare but the manual helped me out.

At the time I was changing the tire, it was raining.

The only real difficulty I had was getting the flat tire off the axle. It was on there tight. I ended up putting the lug nuts back on but loosely, lowering the jack and moving the truck forward and back in hopes of coaxing the wheel off the hub. Even after that, I had to give it a few swift kicks to get it to pop off.

The main reason this is a con is because truck tires are heavy. Lifting it and throwing it into the back of the truck took some effort. Effort my 64 year old body is not happy to offer. 

There is a big bolt in the tire. I'm afraid it's not fixable because the tread is pretty worn on this particular tire. I knew I was going to be buying tires soon. It just got sooner.

No Phone

I have come to a horrible realization this morning. I left my phone at home and it kind of distresses me. I'm really out of contact with the world.

I never have wanted to be the kind of person who depended on his phone and was really out of sorts without it.

I'll be okay today but I don't have my podcasts to listen to. That is the worst part. The phone diverts my attention when I'm doing mindless repetitive stuff.

Those little devices are sneaky.    

May BP

 

New Rig

 I bought a truck. I got it about a week ago. I've already taken it to the dump. It worked great.

It's a 2007 Nissan Titan. It has 160,000 miles on it but it seems to be in pretty good condition. I ended up paying about $12,000 with tax and license, which was a little more than I wanted to spend. But, I'm mostly happy.

I've named it BTM. That stands for "Black Trucks Matter".

Passwords & the Idiot Fee

The current cost of an Idiot Fee is $71.82. That is what it cost me to get back in my computer. 

I decided to add a password at start up just in case this computer ever got stolen. There is lots of information in here that I would rather not fall into the hands of evil doers or terrorists.

I came up with something completely different than any of my other passwords. I wrote it down.

A couple of weeks went by and I used the password when required. Then, after leaving the computer alone for a couple of days, I could not open the computer. I had forgotten the password and thrown away the paper I wrote it on.

Hence, the Idiot Fee. 

I shall add another password. It will M@lifluou$!    

Mother's Day and KFC

It's Mother's Day!

We went to church this morning. Upon returning, I ran back over to a local car lot to look at another truck. I did take Susan over yesterday and we drove the Durango. We also drove a nice Ford F-150 that's over my budget.

From driving the vehicles I've driven, I have nailed down my list of features I require for a truck.

It needs to be four wheel drive. Trucks are light in the back and notoriously bad in the snow. I don't want to fight a truck when it snows so, FWD. 

I want an extended cab. The larger the better but it can't be a standard cab. Too small.

I've decided I want an automatic. I drove a really nice Subaru Forrester yesterday. It was really deluxe but a five speed. I didn't have any trouble driving it but since I have the luxury of making a list, no manual transmission.

It seems I'm going to have to push my budget up to $15,000.00 That  means I'm going to have to withdraw $20,000 from my 401K account in order to cover the taxes they remove, which is four grand. I think I'll get most of that back next April.

We're leaving shortly to go see Mom and bring her dinner, Kentucky Fried Colonel.  

Time for a New Car

Due to issues with my car, I have decided it is time for something else.

I bought my 2003 GMC Envoy in December of 2019. It had 170,000 miles on it but seemed to be in pretty good shape. I soon learned the passenger side window didn't work. The sun roof was iffy so I never opened it, and the suspension was shot.

But, it got me to and from work. I later put about $600.00 into brakes.

I noticed earlier in the week that it was not starting right up like it usually did. It took a couple of tries to get it started. Yesterday, on my way to work, it began sputtering and choking when I gave it any gas.

If I just took my foot off the brake and let the natural idle of the engine take over, the car would move. But as soon as I gave it any gas, it sputtered and choked. 

I managed to limp it back home, drove Susan to work and borrowed her car for the day.

When I got home from work, I idled it over to a repair shop on Monroe. They are two weeks out for any repairs, so I got myself an appointment and will take it over in a week and a half.

This morning, Susan drove me over to Mom's so I could borrow her car. I drove around to a few used car lots and looked at what they had.

I found a nice 2003 Dodge Durango with 90,000 miles on it for $9,000.00. I'm trying to keep my budget below ten grand. They also had a nice Ford F-150 extended cab for about $14,000.00. It was pretty deluxe although it was a 2 wheel drive. Two wheel drive pick ups are not great in the snow unless you put a bunch of weight in the back.

I don't feel the pressure to buy something RIGHT NOW so I'm going to look some more. I might take Susan over to see the Durango a little later.

    

April BP

 

Vaccinated

I am happy to report that I have no no ill effects from the Covid vaccine I got this morning. Not even a soreness at the injection site.

So I am now legal to go forth and never wear a mask again.

That's funny!   

Ten Days of Vacation

Today is the first day of Ten Days off. I have a lot I want to get done while I'm on vacation but I also want to have some fun as well. I'm taking it kind of easy for the weekend and then will go crazy starting Monday.

There is a possible glitch to my Monday plans. I'm getting my second Covid vaccine at 8:10 on Monday. If I end up like Susan, I'm going to feel like crap for a day. I'm not planning on feeling like crap and I am scheduling some things to do, but I'll put them off if I have to.   

Cold Showers and Ear Worms

I wake up with an ear worm every morning. Today, it was "To Feel My Love", written by Bob Dillon but covered by a lot of artists including Billy Joel and Adele.

Yesterday, it was the Smokey the Bear song. 

"With a Ranger Hat and shovel and a pair of dungarees, you can find him in the forest always sniffin' at the breeze. People stop and pay attention when he tells them to beware. Cuz' everybody knows that he's the fire prevention bear."

I'm old school so it is Smokey THEE Bear. I don't go for any of that Smokey Bear Wokeness.

It is official now. The Cold Shower Start is part of my morning routine. I've been doing it since the first of the year. My original intent was to bring a little discomfort into my otherwise comfortable existence. And it does do that. I kind of shudder every time I get in the shower and reach for the handle. But there's something else I've come to realize it brings me. A sense of exhilaration. It is exhilarating to stand under that cold stream and endure it. Especially while singing the Smokey the Bear song.   

Burnt

I worked in the yard yesterday and got quite a bit done. I was trying to get as much accomplished as I could because the forecast for today was not promising. Cloudy and windy while yesterday was warm and sunny and really quite awesome.

Unfortunately, they totally blew the forecast. Today was equally as nice. Even when the clouds started blowing in about 4:00, they were thin and wispy and it was still nice and warm out. We walked over to the Hub and had a couple of beers. While there, we learned more about the wrong forecast. There was a wind storm coming. Which never happened.

One thing that did happen to me was a sun burn. I didn't even know it until I combed my hair this morning. My head lit up when the tines of my comb hit my scalp.

I have to remember to wear a hat when I'm out there.   

Cold Shower Challenge

I have been continuing the ritual of stepping into a cold shower every morning, until today. For some reason, I didn't want to do it this morning.

I got to thinking about the reasons to do it. To bring a little discomfort to my life. To show me I can be tough. Those reasons didn't resonate with me this morning.

I'll probably continue the ritual tomorrow because it is a small thing, the discomfort does not last long and it does feel good to face it and overcome it. 

But again, it's a small thing.

NCAA Hangover

I have not killed myself. However, it's safe to say that things did not go our way last night. 

Gonzaga's storied season hit a brick wall called Baylor. They out played the Zags at every turn. They shot better, they rebounded better, they hits the three pointers. It was humbling.

So that means that it is time to move on and ring in the Spring.

I'm moping the front porch...something I tried to do Saturday but got sidetracked by the slow running kitchen drain.

I took care of that problem this morning by opening my door to the Roto-Rooter man. He had it cleared in an hour...or about $221.00 plus tax.

While I am mopping, I am also enjoying a beer. It's a nice day out there and just perfect for a mop. And a beer.    

G.U. Reckoning Day

Tonight is the night. Gonzaga's perfect season comes down to this final game with Baylor.

I feel butterflies in my stomach like no other game I have watched. If they win, it's the climax to an amazing, historic season. If they lose, it will be tremendously disappointing. I will feel a deep sense of loss and want to kill myself. 

In any case, we are off to a local drinking establishment to watch the game, cheer wildly and celebrate or drive into a bridge abutment.

If this blog entry ends here...

  

The Long National Lentmare

 Susan and I got up at seven this morning and had a beer. Lent is over and we needed a beer. I'll have another later. I'm not sure how much good Lent did for me this year in relation to weight loss. Of course, weight loss is not the reason to observe Lent but it's a nice by-product.

I started at 230 pounds and weighed in this morning at 221. I got as low as 216. I would have liked to get to 210. I'm going to continue to observe to No Sugar, No Grain Keto diet, but not as strictly. 

The Gonzaga University basketball team made it into the NCAA Championship game last night. They beat UCLA by three points at the buzzer in a nail biter of a game. The lead changed several times and the Zags never held a commanding lead.

The win came at the end of the first overtime when UCLA was down by two and had the ball with seconds left. They made their shot, tying the game at 90. Gonzaga now had 2.4 seconds to make a basket. It was passed to Jalen Suggs who put up a shot from nearly half court that drained into the basket.

The bar were we watched the game erupted. It was really amazing. I should also mention that the place where we watched was not even close to observing any Covid restrictions. Every table was full even though they are supposed to be at 50% capacity.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I think the restrictions have been too severe and really capricious. It was nice to see the place full and having a good night of business. Because of the severity and capriciousness, I'm not naming the establishment. 

Sleep Study

Just before 9:00PM last night, I pulled into the Valley parking lot of Aspen Sleep Center. My new doctor thought it would be a good idea to see how I am sleeping. He had asked if I snore or ever stopped  breathing when I sleep. I told him that Susan has never said anything and I always wake up rested.

So I checked in with this technician named Chris. He took me to a comfortable little bedroom and explained what was going to happen. He hooked me up to a bunch of electrical leads...many more than they would place on you for an EKG. So, with this gathering of octopus leads, I was immediately set up for a comfortable, restful evening.

Once prepared, he left the room and let me prepare to go to sleep. I watched a little TV and then shut down a little after ten.

I felt like it took me forever to fall asleep but Chris woke me up about 1:00 and told me I had stopped breathing several times. Which means of course that I have Sleep Apnea. It occurred enough times that their protocol allowed for him to place a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) mask on me. It only covered my nose but it was still a bit uncomfortable and definitely unusual for me.

It created a weird pressure whenever I opened my mouth. It almost felt like I couldn't get a breath. Sometimes the pressure would build in my mouth and then air would slip gently through my lips. It was a very weird experience. One that I suspect is now in my future. 

I continued to doze throughout the night. 

When Chris woke me up at 5:30, he said the CPAP mask had worked. He wouldn't give me any results. He said that had to come from my Doctor...which would happen within se7en days.

Even though I didn't think I slept very well, I felt rested when I got up.

So I used the shower in the nicely appointed bathroom in the room, stole their extra soap and shampoo packets and got ready for work.

I still had a good hour to kill before work started so I got some nutritious breakfast at Carl's Jr.

Doesn't it sound like a Good Friday?! That's a little religious joke there!

Out Like A Lamb

At the start of the month, I mentioned that March was rolling in like a Lamb. My observations on this last day of the month are that the month seems to be going out as a Lamb as well.

It's chilly out there right now but once the sun establishes itself, I think it will be a nice day.

With that brilliant and sagacious insight, I would like to mention that Gonzaga continues it's march to the national championship. They made it to the Final Four last night with their dominating win over USC, 85-66. 

Everything in Spokane is ZAGS right now. It's pretty cool.

March BP

 

Vaccine Number One

With only a week left before the end of Lent, my weight is going in the wrong direction. I gained two and a half pounds since yesterday. The French Dip sandwich at Jack and Dan's Tavern might have contributed to that. I will be able to drink beer again in less than a week. Then my weight will take off to the north again.

I'm getting my Covid vaccine today at 10:40. I have a few other errands to run after that. I need more peanuts and corn cobs for the squirrels. I need to stop by Cartoys and see if someone can give me instructions on my car radio.

After that, I have the day to myself. I might try to clean my closet. I've made a couple of attempts but never gotten very far. I have a shit load of clothes I hardly ever wear. Mostly T-Shirts that have some sort of significance. Gonzaga and WSU shirts, concert shirts or shirts with designs by me. I will end up keeping them but there are other shirts and pants I should jettison.

In the meantime, I'm going to make some breakfast.

5PM: I have had a productive day. I never got to my closet. But I did get the old mattress out of the upstairs landing. Through connections with my neighbor Ted, I found someone how wanted the mattress.

I tried to run a snake down the kitchen drain but didn't have any luck. I poured more drain cleaner down but that didn't do much. In fact, the drain may be worse.

My vaccine went smoothly although the site of the injection is pretty sore. I get number two in about a month.

   

Wind Advisory

The Weather Services are going nuts with advisories concerning the wind. Originally, it was going to happen about 5PM today. But it has since been revised to start about now. The wind is picking up but it's not anything that will cause our lights to fail. Not yet anyway.

I fired up the generator yesterday to make sure it was ready to be pressed into service if required.

In the meantime, I think I shall build a nice fire and then take a nap in front of the nice fire. Nice!

Returning to Posts

My home computer died on me so I have not been posting here even though I had many thoughts of posting.

So here I am today making a post. Todays' weight is 220.2 pounds. I seem to be stuck at 220. It's a hard barrier to break. I got as low as 218 but then had my birthday weekend in Wallace where I regained four pounds. There was beer and a lot of carbs. I had a great steak at the Wolf Lodge Inn on Friday the 5th.

The amazing thing about that dinner was that somebody paid for our meal. The waiter came up to us and asked if we wanted any dessert and we said no. He then told us that someone bought our dinner. It was nobody we knew as far as I can tell. It was just someone who decided to do a nice thing for a stranger. 

So we tipped the waiter $30.00 and gave him $50.00 toward the meal of the couple sitting next to us.

The skiing started out a little rough with little darts of snow coming down and stinging my face. But it mellowed as the day wore on and was pretty nice.

I ended up with nine runs for the day and felt pretty worked out.   

Partial Ski Day Number 4

At some point during my ski adventure last Friday, my glasses fell out of my snow suit. I did not realize it until I got home. I called the mountain and they had them in the Lost & Found.

I chose today to head up to Mt Spokane and retrieve my glasses. It seemed pointless to travel all that way and not ski. Fortunately, John allowed me to use his corporate pass. That way, I won't feel bad or ripped off to ski three runs and leave.

I ended up skiing only two runs. The conditions where not great.

It had been a bright sunny day and when I check the temperature on Mt Spokane's website, it was 42 degrees. So the snow warmed up and was melting all day. 

When I got up there at 4:30, the sun was over the horizon and the snow surface started to freeze. It skied  two runs on really hard packed snow and it was not enjoyable.

But I did get my glasses. 

In Like a Lamb

I made it through the whole month of February doing the Cold Shower Challenge. As of this morning, I extended the practice into March. I think it's my thing now.

I'm leaving right now for a walk around the park. I'll tell you all about in a paragraph or so.

There goes Susan on a run whilst I begin my walk.

That was not as effortless as I was hoping it would be. First , it took 20 minutes to walk a mile. Isn't that about three miles an hour?

Secondly, my feet hurt. It wasn't unbearable but there was discomfort. My hips weren't thrilled to be out there either.

Finally, I felt a little winded when I got to the house. I shouldn't be winded from walking on solid level ground.

I'll be bringing this up when I meet my new Doctor next week.

It was a pretty nice day today. A great way to greet the month of March. It's supposed to get warmer through the week. It looks like it might be a pretty nice weather weekend for a birthday celebration.

 

February BP

 

Ski Day Number Three

 I am not a fan of texting. It's usually a waste of time. I could get my answer quicker with a fast one minute phone call. So it was uncharacteristic of me to text my old friends Rob and John to see if they wanted to go skiing. I had been talking about it with Don at work so it only seemed right to invite him too.

We all agreed to meet at Mt. Spokane's Lodge Two at 8:30AM this morning. I bummed a ride with Robba and we all met as planned.

It turned out to be one of the best skiing days I've had in recent memory. The snow was great. The company was great. The weather was a little foggy at the top but not too thick. The sun even came out a few times.

We were all pretty evenly matched as far as a our skill level, except for my woeful stamina issues. We managed to get in 13 runs. We did nine before 11:45ish and went in for lunch. John needed to leave us at that point but Rob, Don and I went out for four more.

I'm beat.

But in a good way.

Cadillac Surgery Post Op

 All is well with my vision. I have just returned from my post op appointment with Dr. Day. All is well and he is happy with my eye.

Vision in my left eye is a little crisper than my right. Colors are a little more vibrant too. Now I'm anxious to get the other eye done but that is probably a couple of years down the road.

So I have the day off from work and I'm just goofing around the house. I'm going out shortly to apply some letters to a truck where Susan works.

I'm also going to clean the shower in the upstairs bathroom and I'm going to play the piano.

Cadillac Surgery

I have a Cataract in my left eye. Today was finally the day to get it corrected. I showed up at the Spokane Eye Clinic at noon today and I was home by 2:30.

I can't believe how blurry my vision still is.

I will be able to remove the bandage at 5:30, which is coming up.

It really is quite an operation they have going at Spokane Eye Clinic. The nurse that was prepping me said they do about 70 surgeries a day.

I was still a little loopy from the sedative they gave me when we got home. I took a nice two hour nap. I'm refreshed and ready to get this bandage off.

Okay the bandages are off and my vision is no longer cloudy. I am having double vision but they said that was normal. The vision in my left eye is at a 30 degree tilt from my right eye. It's very disorienting.

I have an appointment to see the Doctor tomorrow at 11:00. Hopefully, the different views will come together by then.

7:52PM: My vision is returning to normal. My eye is a little sore and itchy. It's hard to resist scratching but I can work through it. There is still a little halo around lights and the TV, but it's coming back.

Right now, the worst part is the eye drops. I have to take them every two hours until I go to bed. They really sting.

I guess that is a small price to pay for getting my vision restored.  

Vacation Over

It's back to work today. I'm slowly getting into the groove.

This morning I started my third week of the Ice Shower Challenge. I have not missed a day, except for Saturday when I just stuck my head under the shower so I could comb it.

I kind of cheated yesterday by turning on the hot water at the sink and priming the pipes. As I stated before, it does not make the initial hit of cold water any warmer. It just warms up sooner.

So, I guess I'm still a pussy. Even though I woke up this morning and shoveled snow.

It snowed all night. There was about 3 inches out there this morning. I broke out the snow blower and went to work. I got the driveway done and the sidewalk up to Cleveland done. Then as I was starting on my sidewalk, the damn thing died. I pushed it back to the garage, plugged it in and tried to get it to start. It started once but ran really bad and then died. I'm thinking the gas I used to top off the tank might be bad. 

When I get home tonight, I'll drawn the tank. Then I'll go get my Premium can filled up and see if I can get it started. 

Details to follow, probably.

Vacation Day Fi5e

Today is the last day of my vacation. Of course, I still have the weekend to enjoy as well. 

I have to go out and get some flowers for Susan and Mom. Sunday is some sort of Love Holiday...probably created by Big Gift Card. I'll show them. I'm making my own gift card.

It is cold out there today.  It is currently 15 degrees. We get a good cold spell every winter and it looks like this is it for this year. I should have planned ahead to defrost the freezer downstairs but maybe there's still time. The forecast looks like it will be chilly for the next few days but today is the nadir for temperatures.

Okay I have purchased and delivered Flowers to Susan. Tomorrow, we'll take a vase to Mom, along with some dinner.

For the rest of the day, I did some little odd jobs, I built a fire and sat in the Living Room for a while. We don't do that often enough.