Thursday, December 31, 2009

Last day of 2009

Got my last walk in on the last day of 2009. Austin is getting ready for First Night and the news media said 100 thousand people are expected to downtown tonight. Festivities start at 4pm and run until about 3am. Hopefully 2010 will be a great year for everyone. I know we could use a good one. I'm currently reading John Adams by David McCollough (a gift from Krys) and it's very good. I really like John and Abigail Adams. So live a long healthy life and prosper in whatever manner you hold dear be it money, love, self help, etc. .

Happy New Year 2010!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Monday, December 21, 2009

Monday of Christmas week

Did my walk this morning, 3 and half miles. It was coolish and sunny. Today it should get to 67 for a high. Then we did a bit of Christmas and grocery shopping. Just finished helping my mom get out a few Christmas cards and now we're going to do a little more grocery shopping. Oy.
We saw The Road yesterday with Viggo Mortensen and it is an excellent film. It puts people in an apocalyptic situation seemingly without hope and leaves you with the feeling that not only can the earth renew itself after a cataclysmic event but that human beings can retain their humanity and desire to go on living in such a situation. Go see it if you get a chance.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Stuff




Walked 3 days this past week and did okay. Krys and I saw New Moon and it was better than the first film in the series. Today we plan to see The Road at the Alamo Draft House. This morning I watched part of the Shawshank Redemption (based on a Stephen King short story). It's a very good film, full of hope, and one of my favorite film adaptions of King's stories. This week I got a phone call from a dear, dear, friend and it made my heart smile to hear from her.


We watched most of the Cowboy game on the nfl.com, had to get on and off the site to keep the play going because if you just let it run they switched to the studio. Guess that's what you get for the 'free' showing no matter that it has lots and lots of ads just like the regular TV showings. Glad the Cowboys won but wish they would do better in every game and not just the ones they 'have' to win.


Took the photo on the Hike and Bike Trail. Thought it was sweet that someone decided to decorate the tree for Christmas.




Saturday, December 12, 2009

Don't send stupid stuff to me

What do the following people have in common: Eliot Spitser, Mark Sanford, Newt Gringrich, David Letterman, Alex Rodriguez, Shaq, Kobe Bryant, Micheal Jordan (and the list goes on and on) have in common with Tiger Woods. Yep, they've all had affairs. And all you numnuts who think you're so cute and funny by spreading your stupid jokes around the Internet can just stop sending them to me. While these people did bring on the situation they are in through their own actions, their families did not and I'm sure reading all this garbage does not help any of them heal from the public humiliation they are suffering through. Last I read Mrs Sanford filed for divorce. They had a lovely family and now it's broken up. Not such a funny thing is it? So yuk it up and hope you or a loved one doesn't wind up in a similar situation because I'm sure you'd think differently if the shoe was on the other foot.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Past week

Got in 5 days of walking last week. 4 days were cool and sunny. Friday it was rainy but I got my time done between the rain storms which came and went most of the day. I'm looking forward to seeing Pam, Lauren, and Rick over Thanksgiving. Krys and Lauren will get to celebrate their birthdays together. It'll be fun.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Walking

Only got 4 days of walking in this week but each of those days I did at least 3 and half miles. It was cool in the mornings. Friday I just couldn't drag myself out of bed.

Saturday, October 31, 2009


Happy Halloween everybody. Hope you get lots of treats and no tricks. Here it's sunny and cool which is what a lot of people call a beautiful day. Frankly at my age I call any day I'm alive to see beautiful. :-) I kept up with my walking since my last post (time off when I was ill) and after a short while of doing 2 miles, I'm back up to my 3 + miles again. Sometimes I wonder why I keep this blog when there is posting I can do on Facebook and Twitter. And sometimes I wonder why I post on any of kind of page. Guess I like the blog because you can write as much as you want and have your pictures too. I still haven't figured out how to keep things aligned but it'll come with time. Here in Austin they have passed a resolution or a law or something banning texting while driving in a school zone. Exactly how they are going to enforce it I haven't a clue. We were behind someone texting on their phone on our way to the grocery store this morning. Their car was weaving from side to side and going 30 in a 50 mile an hour zone. Morons. I'm now home and watching football with Frank. When I get bored with the games I'll watch a movie on my laptop or write or paint some. Always something to do. Anyway ta ta for now.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Spotty week

Ah here it is the weekend and I've only had 4 days of walking in. The long weekend we took cut into my walking schedule or at least that's what I'm blaming it on. I did try to walk a lot while we were away to make up for it.
While we were away I was amazed by the fact that even though I had taken my laptop with me I did not even unzip the bag and get it out. Didn't miss it. I did use my cell phone and text and called the family a few times (and once our friend Karla got an errant message from me) but I didn't feel the need to check email or read the news, etc. As it turned out I didn't miss much email wise because when we got home I checked it and out of 57 emails only two were from people I knew. One friend and one family member, the rest was newsletters, sales ads, and garbage...of course the spam folder was full. Gotta love that delete button.
This week we've been enjoying cooler temperatures for a couple of days. We were at 95 on Thursday, 81 on Friday before the front moved in along with some much welcome rain, and today it's nice and cool without rain.
It's fantastic that President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize although it caught me by surprise. My thoughts on it are that the world was sick of us throwing our weight around and kicking sand in their faces and just were plain pleased and happy that diplomacy is back on our agenda for getting along with the rest of the earths inhabitants. I think it was a we're happy with the new path of your country award rather than an individual award. Anyway an award for peaceful endeavors is a nice thing.
The photos below were all taken in Butler Park which is located between Barton Springs Rd and Riverside. Since the recent rains the flowers have been spectacular. Click on the small pics to see the large ones. They make wonderful background photos for your desktops. :-)

























Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Middle of the week


Day of the Dead Art Show
Host: Dandelion Botanical
Artist: Evie
Date:Saturday, October 10, 2009
Time:6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:Dandelion Botanical Company
Street:5424 Ballard Ave NW
City/Town:Seattle, WA

Walking has been pretty good this week. I did 5K on Monday and today. On Tuesday I only did 2 miles because my walk was cut short by a rain storm. I don't mind getting wet but the air to ground lighting is a downer. ;-)

Walked by this house on Lamar and it's all decked out for Halloween. A bit early for it but it still makes you smile.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Obesity Growing as Cancer Risk for Women - Science & Health News Briefs | Newser

Obesity Growing as Cancer Risk for Women - Science & Health News Briefs Newser
AP Summary) – Being fat could become the leading cause of cancer in women in Western countries in the coming years, say European researchers. Being overweight or obese accounts for up to 8% of cancers in Europe. That figure is poised to increase substantially as the obesity epidemic continues, and as major causes of cancer, such as smoking, drop. Colorectal cancer, breast cancer in menopausal women, and endometrial cancer accounted for 65% of all cancers linked to being fat.
"Obesity is catching up at a rate that makes it possible it could become the biggest attributable cause of cancer in women within the next decade," a researcher says. Between 2002 and 2008, he says, the number of such cases almost doubled to 124,000. Scientists aren't sure why being fat boosts your cancer risk but suspect hormones play a role. As people become fatter, they produce more hormones such as estrogen that help tumors grow.

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Walking has been nice so far the past few days. Sprinkled during my walk again this morning and it was a cool 65 degrees. I'm lovin' this!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

More Rain!


More rain last night and this morning made my walk much different from yesterday. It could have been 5 to 10 degrees cooler to be perfect but I won't complain too much since the rain is so very nice. While traffic was heavy the hike and bike trail was almost deserted. No dogs running around, no young moms pushing huge strollers, and no people sleeping on the benches. Loved it! Froggy would have liked the puddles. :-)

Monday, September 21, 2009

Monday, Monday

Felt really tired last night and found myself making excuses not to walk this morning. When I woke up I still felt the same but I got up and got dressed and left for my walk around 7:45 or so. It was very humid and in the 70's with almost no wind making the air feel close and well just plain icky. I only did 2 and half miles but I guess that's better than nothing. Cool front on the way tomorrow so maybe it'll be better. Cowboys lost last night. :0( Chalk it up to bad execution and some bad luck. Lots of odd bounces of the ball went the Giants way. People are already calling for Romo's head. Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

More than halfway through September

Did great in my walks this past week. 4 miles one day and 3 to 3 and a half the rest of the week. The cooler weather makes me feel more energetic so I go do a little more. The recent rain brought out lots of flowers, most glorious, the School House Lilies shown growing around the pagoda in the back yard. The lilies are popping out every where though along with lots of other flowers. Also pictured are the back doors of the house. I cleaned and taped the windows off, Frank sanded and painted. Football season is here and in Austin you would know it. Lots of Longhorn and Texas Tech fans in town along with sports news crews and the blimp. The Horns won, avenging a bitter loss to the Red Raiders last season.


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Mussings

My walking routine has been more pleasant since the temperatures have dropped to a more comfortable level. I did 4 miles yesterday and 3 and a half today. At the park this morning while I was getting a drink of water I suddenly found myself surrounded by several young men dressed in running shorts and shoes. They all looked fit and were friendly. I walked a short distance away from the group and was going to take a photo but alas I was too slow and they all took off again after they had completed their water break. An older man dressed in shorts and a burnt orange windbreaker was shouting at them to move it. Perhaps they were distance runners for the Texas Longhorns since the coach was wearing Texas Longhorn colors.
Lots of flowers have popped up since the heavy rain we had a couple of days ago and our area is starting to look like Austin again.
I had one of my check ups and my blood work numbers were pretty good except for some border line blood sugar and kidney numbers. The doc wants me to go back in three months and have them repeated. Still not diabetic which is great and he said that he was pleased by my holding the line against diabetes because he himself had no patients 65 or over that had high blood pressure and high cholesterol that were not diabetic except for me. He reiterated that my walking 5 days a week was a big factor in my fighting off diabetes. Me weight was the same as the last time which is okay although I would be happier if I had lost a few pounds. I also had a bone density test and that came out normal so no osteoporosis. Yea!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Old sayings are sometimes true

I've always heard be careful what you wish for and today I got a taste of what that means. I've been crying, no, begging for rain for months now. We've been getting dibs and dabs lately but today we got the big gulp. 3 inches in less than an hour. It was great! The only problem is that the house we live in is split level and the living room can get flooded in a heavy rain. The back yard tilts down from two angles which sends water flowing towards the base of the house plus the gutters were overflowing and couldn't do the usual good job they do keeping the water away. So Frank, Krys, and I were out in the pouring rain digging out and widening the area beside the house where the water was running and sweeping debris like leaves and bark from the raging rapids swirling around the base of the house. The good things were that the room didn't flood and we also got our Saturday night baths early which was quite a treat. ;-) Also it cooled the temperature off a lot and we didn't have to turn on the AC at all today. The bad thing was all this beautiful rain didn't fall on the lakes which supply water to the city so it didn't do much for the drought. We're very happy it rained so much but we're ready for more. can't wait for the fall season to get here.
The Horns won in Wyoming and Bama is winning as I write this. Also loved seeing Tiger get back to his usual spectacular, record setting, golf playing ways. Hope he does the same tomorrow.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Tuesday feels like Monday





Well the summer is officially over and I wish that Central Texas paid attention to the calendar. Alas triple digits are in the forecast for at least a couple more days and only 10 percent chance of rain. This is not good. Summer, summer, go away, don't come again til June 2010. Took a couple of pictures of a display near the Hike & Bike Trail. It's meant to encourage people to clean up after their pet and I hope it has good results. The hill shown is dirt that represents the collective poo that all the dogs in Austin proper produce in one day. Ick! Had a nice walk yesterday and today despite the heat.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Saturday had its up and downs

Frank enjoyed watching all the football games on Saturday including the Alabama/Virginia Tech game. It was a hard faught game and a close one until the last ten minutes or so. His little elephant mascot started out watching the game just fine but would up on his side from all the action. The Longhorns was a yawner.























Friday, September 4, 2009

Into September already

"No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree, please post this as your status for the rest of the day." A nod to Barbara for the above message.
Only got four days in so far this week. Had a doctor's appointment and a bone density test on two different days. One was early enough so I could get my time in before it got hot. Sadly we got into the 100 range again for two days and maybe some more on the way in the coming week. Summer will be over one day soon, I hope.
Seems Pres. Obama can't do anything right for some people. Pres. Reagan and Bush both spoke to school children without sparking an outrage. Also I don't know where this 'socialism' thing comes from. Do the people spouting that garbage even know what socialism is? I'm inclined to think they do not. The dictionary definition is "a system of society or group living in which there is no private property. a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done." No way, no how is the Obama administration supporting anything like that. Health care reform would be like Medicare, Medicade, CHIPS (administered by states), and Veterans Health Care. All of these programs have problems but for the most part they serve the people well. Horror stories of private health care denying claims and people dying as a result of these are too numerous to mention and it's weired to see people standing up for these giant health insurance companies who make a profit off of peoples ills. People being shouted down at meetings and carrying guns to town hall meetings. Hateful comments and slurs demeaning the President and his family are spewed out every day and wait for it...no one's getting arrested for it like they did when people were arrested for wearing t-shirts saying they didn't like the previous president. Preachers praying for the death of the President!! It's all crazy and I'm horrified and angered by it at the same time. I had hoped for a change but not this decent into madness. I don't like people for the most part and the actions of many are proving to me that I'm right to stay away from them. Whatever happened to do unto to others what you would have done unto you?

Monday, August 31, 2009

Not in the hundreds is good

Ah what a difference 10 degrees less makes. 72 this morning, light breeze, lower humidity. Fabulous. We had some real measurable rain last week and the grass has greened up a bit. Yesterday the temperature stayed in the 90's and that made it so much nicer than it was the last two or three months. The only way it could have been better is if it had been raining. The evil high pressure system has moved away allowing for the change. Now on to other things. Frank had his check up with his urologist and it was good and he will see him in three months for another one. I have an appointment tomorrow, my first since going off of private insurance. School has started and Cyndi has her students back. Krys is already deep into her studies and our niece Olivia is a high school student! Where does that pesky thing called time go? Got my walking in today and will have to adjust for tomorrow since my appointment is early. Maybe I'll use the dreaded 'treadmill' to get it done since the afternoons still get hot. We'll see.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Obesity May Shrink Your Brain - Science & Health News Briefs | Newser

This is yet another reason to keep your weight under control. Of course this was a small study so who knows if it's true or not. Even if it's not there are plenty of reasons to keep fit. On the walking front I did my usual last week. I woke up shortly after 7 this morning and didn't feel all that good and laid there and debated with myself about whether or not I should go for a walk. Finally I talked myself into doing it and did okay. Guess I'm just sick of the heat (105 yesterday) and humidity. Only a few more days and we'll break the 68 or 69 days of 100 plus days set back in 1925. Sigh, not a record I'm happy to be witness to. :0/

Obesity May Shrink Your Brain - Science & Health News Briefs Newser

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Monday, August 17, 2009

Remodeling the Front Door


Frank did a good job of redoing the front door. At the moment I can't find a photo of what the front looked like but it was sort of yellowish and had no glass in the top two panels. The door was getting cracks and showing it's age and we had looked at solid core doors with glass panels to let light in but still be secure and they were all expensive. So as Frank remodeled the door for about 80 dollars as apposed to 300 to 1,300 for a new door. I think it looks great. :-)
I did do my walking last week and today but didn't enjoy it very much because of the humidity and heat. Enough with summer already! I'm ready for some cool, crisp, fall days.




Wednesday, August 12, 2009

It's raining, it's raining!!!

What a fabulous afternoon! We're actually getting some rain showers and thunder storms. :-D The unsteady clip below shows RAIN WATER coming off the patio roof and some of the yard. You can see the big brown swath cutting across the back yard due to lack of the wet stuff and only being able to water it twice a week, and sometimes only once a week. We are loving this even though it won't make a dimple in the drought conditions we've been having. For this moment, it's wonderful.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Same o same o

Still hot here, 105 and no rain. :-( Yesterday Frank called me to come to the front door and when I got there the precious smell of rain was in the air but alas it came from miles away because we didn't get any of the precious wet stuff. The seven day forecast calls for more of the same 100 plus temps and very isolated showers. I realize that having an unrelenting heat wave and drought is not the worst thing that can happen to a region but since I'm living with it and in it I think I will lose what's left of my mind if this weather doesn't break soon and we get some relief.
Saw some of President Obama's town hall meeting and was happy to see people behave like civil beings. Screaming, shouting, acting like an ass so others can't get their questions asked and answered is not exercising your 5th amendment rights it's stupid, rude, and asinine. By all means ask your questions and speak your mind but do it in a way that reflects respect on your up-bringing.
On a brighter note for me we enjoyed Tiger winning his 5th tournament this year and being a gentleman and speaking with respect about his opponent. We look forward to him winning the next tournament. Also it was good to see a football game again even if it is only pre-season. And all this hoopla over Michael Vick. Let the man play in peace. He payed his debt to society and is doing his community service with quiet dignity. He's not a murderer, drug user, rapist, etc...etc..so lighten up and let him play. If Peta has to have someone to beat up on go after those people slaughtering horses in Florida of hunters hunting game from helicopters, the list goes on and on and on.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Tuesday feels like Monday

We're back home and I took my walk this morning. It was hot but I stayed in the shade and thankfully there was a breeze that gave me some relief from the heat. 104 expected today. Lots of laundry to do so I'd better stop messing around and get to it. The following article was written by Viggo Mortensen and I thought it was a good one so I'll share it here with you.
In the U.S.A., at this time when at least an incremental step is being considered by Congress toward legally guaranteeing that all citizens have some form of health-care coverage, the pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies are spending record sums to advertise the benefits of the status-quo. This would be the same status-quo that has enriched insurance companies for many years while leaving millions of citizens young and old uninsured or cheated out out of the often unreliable and over-priced coverage that they might barely afford. The same status-quo that has allowed pharmaceutical companies, with the collusion of our government representatives (most of whom are heavily-lobbied and campaign-funded by these very companies), to make huge, unjustified profits. What does this massive surge in public relations spending by the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, to the tune of millions of dollars a day on all media advertising, tell you? Does it perhaps beg the question of why so many members of Congress are dragging their feet, trying to dilute and delay legislation until it amounts to a practically meaningless change in the national health care system? Does it explain the resistance from mainstream television and radio spokespeople to real change in the system, or the voice given to disreputable hack doctors and scientists that have suddenly been enlisted to resist this change? Does it throw some light on the motivations of extreme right-wing corporate shills like Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck, Medved (and too many of their clones to mention) in their efforts to vilify President Obama or anyone wanting to at least try to set up a slightly more equitable and efficient health care system in this country so that we might take another step toward becoming a civilised nation? V.M.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

In San Angelo


Visiting in San Angelo with our daughter Pam and her family. We had a nice ride up from Austin and were amazed at how green the countryside was after you left Llano. I'm a wee bit green-eyed with envy but I know that water is a precious commodity in most of the world so I don't begrudge the rainfall to anyone. I didn't walk yesterday s0 I walked this morning and did 3.19 miles to get my five days in. It was 72 with a very nice breeze. Pretty sites along the way like the ponds pictured and the various ducks and maybe geese?



Thursday, July 30, 2009

No rain, too much sun.


On my walk this morning I was hopeful that some rain would come, but it the beautiful storm clouds were just that...beautiful and impotent. Sigh. It's depressing and distressing to see trees, flowers, and grasses dry up to a crispy yellow and brown. I did walk a tad over 2 and half miles and will most likely stay inside again to escape the afternoon heat. I will say that I'm sorry for the Pacific Northwest people (our Evie among them) suffering through a heat wave of there own because while we've had more heat than they have and no rain all summer long we at least have air conditioning. To paraphrase an English nursery rhyme. Rain, rain, don't go away, come see us at least every other day, all creatures great and small would like to play. Rain, rain, do go to Spain, please, please show your lovely face again.
On a more serious note. Go here and please, please, read the health care point plans with an open mind. Why do people think it's okay to let people who can't afford to live a good life do without and die because of lack of good health care and other basic necessities? How anyone could not do something to care for the those who have the least among us is beyond me.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

July flying by

July is almost over and I'm hoping August will go by just as fast so we can escape the relentless heat of this summer. Lake Travis is 30 feet below it's capacity and three cars and one motorcycle have been found and pulled from the lake floor. The Perdenales River is dry and boat houses lie on sandy bottom of the river they once floated on. I know we're in a bad drought but the thousands of homes and commercial buildings built around the Highland lake and river areas have helped speed up the draining of the once beautiful waters of that area. Leave it to the human race to devour all the natural resources they can before abandoning them to move on and decimate another area. I'm sort of glad to see the people who rape the countryside lose value on their hideous Mac Mansions and would be gleeful if not for the devastation left in their wake. Not having any money to contribute to the green organizations that fight the developers I do what I can by signing petitions, writing letters to politicians, recycling, and picking up trash when I take my walks. I've not done as well on my walks this week due to allergies to the high mold or a head cold. So far I don't' know which one it is, only that it's annoying not to feel good. Enjoyed the Tour de France. Lance will the third on the podium which is not bad for a 37 year old man who has been away from competitive cycling for 4 seasons. Great job Lance!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Last Milestone BD

I did it, I'm 65, officially a recipient of Medicare. ;-) So many people do not make it this far so I'm happy to be still be here. Thankfully to reach this age is not as emotional as say reaching 30 was. To be called ma'am now is nothing new and no longer having men eye you with appreciation and interest is also nothing new. Happily my Frank still looks at me with a twinkle in his beautiful brown eyes even though I suspect that age has idealised my image for him making me appear much better than I really am. ;-) Thanks to the dear souls who sent me emails, texts, cards, and good wishes. You all are much better friends than I deserve but I'm very grateful for you each and every one of you. May all of you 'Live long and prosper'.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Start of a new week

Even though I haven't been posting my walking distances doesn't mean that I haven't been faithful to my routine. I have been doing at least 2 and half miles 5 days a week down from 3.1 miles. The distance reduction has been due to the extreme heat we've had here in central Texas and I expect to go back up to my usual when the days are cooler. Had another bummer when Lance Armstrong didn't pick up time on the first Alpine leg of the tour. True he is second, but a distant second. Guess you can't do at 37 what you did at 34...but I think the 3 year lay off had more to do with it than his age. Don't know if I'll watch it as much this last week since he's all but conceded the race to one of his teams other riders. Concerning Tom Watson's loss at the British open I think the sports casters are not being fair to Stewart Cink who beat Watson when they said he stole the tournament from him. He played better, therefore he won. Also Tom Watson is gentleman he's reported to be as his "I don't give a damn about Tiger Woods" statement reveals. Well, I don't give a damn about Tom Watson. Meanwhile there are other more serious things to think about like the fight for health care, which everyone deserves to have, not just the rich. And there is a young soldier being held captive who might lose his life and whose life or death plight is getting less air time than Michael Jackson's death. The entertainment news service these days only goes for ratings and not for the facts or truth in the stories but their opinions on the stories. It's a shame too because good, honest, reporting would be appreciated. Now for my pet peeve of the day. I'm often appalled by reading some of the comments by so called 'normal people' on stories found on websites. These people are mean spirited and downright hateful and they can't spell for taffy. It's scary and while there are times I would like to comment I don't because I don't want to get in an argument with some nut. But then again that's just my opinion. ;-)

Friday, July 17, 2009

Ack!

Alas it looks like my fav golfer will not make the cut this weekend. The worst part is having to listen to the pundits and non-fans gloat and talk about him being 'finished' in the game. I guess even the great ones must travel in the valleys to appreciate the peaks. This being said he has won 3 tournaments since his return from knee surgery but not a major. Oh well, he'll be back.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Doing stuff to stay out of the heat





Another hot day, 103 forecast, so I have thought of things to do inside besides working on my large paintings. Been having a bit of fun decorating an old purse of mine. Eddie fans should get it. Any thoughts on what other Eddie tidbits to paint on the little purse? Have been following the Tour de France on Versus and today the British Open has started. Tiger not starting off well but never, ever, count him out. Read this article in the local paper today. It lets us know how dangerous this unrelenting heat can be.

AUSTIN
"Man dies from heat, EMS says
A man died Wednesday of apparent heat-related causes after emergency crews found him unconscious in a car.
About 4:30 p.m., a man was reported as being unresponsive inside a car in South Austin, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services officials said. Medics found the man in cardiac arrest and performed CPR, but he died at a hospital about 5:40 p.m., EMS officials said. They did not release the man's name or age.
The man's body temperature was 108 degrees when he died, officials said.
"The individual appears to have spent long hours over several days working outdoors without proper hydration," EMS Assistant Director Frank Urias said."

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Social networking and other mussings


It's becoming quite a task to keep up these days with friends and family what with all the avenues now available to anyone and everyone. Now you can be followed or completely ignored by people you know or don't know on venues such as Twitter, Blog Sites, or personal web pages just to name a few. The way I handle it is to be more of a lurker than a contributor. Right now on Twitter I'm following Lance Armstrong as he rides in the Tour du France and Eddie Izzard when he does anything because he makes me laugh. Oh, and I follow Evie too. :-) On Facebook and by reading personal blogs, I keep up with my brother, children, grandchildren, and friends. I express my thoughts on my own blog when the spirit moves me and my creative endeavours on my personal web page when my artistic juices move me. I write (although not much as of late) poems and stories, and paint pictures because I enjoy doing it. I don't know why I focus on landscapes because I'm not much of a traveler but then again I travel in my minds eye so I don't have to do it physically. Besides, no real place could be as idyllic for me as the places I create so why should I go to the trouble of looking for them? It might mean something, or not, that my landscapes have homes, barns, etc..but no people. Does that mean I'm anti-social or that I just like to be away from the craziness that goes on around us in our ever changing world? Who knows, I certainly don't. ;-)Hopefully people will like the fruits of my artistic labors but if they don't then that's okay. The picture posted is of 'my studio'. Not a big space but I get good light and for me the art of painting is all about light and shadows. Hum..I got off the subject of social networking didn't I? Oh well, it's kind of scary but that's how my real conversations go, all over the place! Have a good day and stay safe and find a way to express yourself. You'll feel better for it. :-)

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Too hot, too hot


Haven't been blogging or doing anything much these days. I go out early on my walks and sad to say am doing less distance at this time. About 2 and a quarter to 2 and a half miles instead of the 3.1. They are predicting 105-106 today with a heat index of 110. The normal temperature for this time of year is 94. No rain. Heat advisories are in effect for most of Texas. In a way this weather is almost as debilitating as the cold is where my brother lives. I have been watching the Tour Du France now that Lance Armstrong is back in it and marvel at how far and how fast those men go on their bicycles. Have also been following Lance on Twitter and had to chuckle at this photo he posted. He said it was a little bit of home. The photo was taken in Barcelona. I would think it was done by a Longhorn fan because of the orange and white but then there is the owl...hum...could it be the collaboration of a Longhorn and Rice fan?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

We're gettng bigger, not better

It seems Americans are gung-ho on the dangers of smoking but are ignoring the dangers of obesity. While I'm not slim by any stretch of the imagination (in fact my BMI puts me in the moderately obese range) I do try to keep my weight under control and do some physical activity to keep my healthy and my fat cells at bay. Smoking does cause a variety of health problems but so does obesity. Eating healthy and staying active is something we can all do to make our quality of life better. Oh and I'm almost one of the 65 and beyond they are talking about.
AP Summary) – Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers. It's time for the nation's annual obesity rankings and, outside of fairly lean Colorado, there's little good news. Obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year and didn't decline anywhere, says a new report.
And while the nation has long been bracing for a surge in Medicare as the boomers start turning 65, the new report makes clear that fat, not just age, will fuel much of those bills. In every state, the rate of obesity is higher among 55- to 64-year-olds—the oldest boomers—than among today's 65-and-beyond. That translates into a coming jump of obese Medicare patients that ranges from 5.2% in New York to 16.3% in Alabama, the report concluded. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-07-01-most-obese-state_N.htm

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Thoughts from an acheing head

Laying in bed with a raging headache but unable to rest. Took a couple of Excederin and hope they work sooner than soon. Meanwhile I'll blog to take my mind of the ache. Had a bit of a conversation with my brother while he was here about the ways of communicating today. He says that his blogging, face booking, has kept him in touch with his old friends and made him some new ones. I am in touch with friends I made on the Internet and met in person but also with those I had as snail mail pen pals and have never met. While email, twitter, face book, etc. is certainly faster, snail mail is far more personal. The pleasure of finding a letter from a friend or loved one in the mail box is not the same as reading an email. Also it required more commitment because the letter had to be written, put in an envelope, and mailed! There is not much effort put into dashing off an email. Granted the web cams and voice chats which I use quite often can put you in the here and now and I wouldn't want to do away with them. I also recognize the fact that devices such as cell phones and laptops can keep the world connected and show us much more of the world than all the news shows combined. Witness the turmoil in Iran. Twitter and Youtube has been a life line for those protesters in Iran whose freedoms have been so brutally repressed. So yes I see the good in instant communication. I also see the bad side of it when I read about someone who has lied about who they are and caused great harm to those who believe them. It's not perfect, but then again nothing is. I do miss getting personal mail though. The pleasure of finding a letter from a friend or loved one in the mail box is not the same as reading an email. Grabbing a cup of tea or coffee and settling into a comfy chair, opening the envelope that just days ago was sealed shut by a warm tongue, unfolding the sheets of stationary that were folded by loving hands and catching the scent of the person who wrote it can be a very sensual experience or a comforting one depending on who sent it. I miss that. I fear the personal letter has gone the way of the dinosaurs, and that is a shame.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Saturday catch up

Not my usual routine this week. Frank, Krys, and I got a rare chance to trek to Shreveport for some R&R. We didn't break the bank but we had a good time anyway. Also got to visit with my brother who came for a nice but brief visit to pick up his daughter for her summer trip to his home. While my brother loves Austin I don't think he's used to the heat anymore. It's been in the hundreds or close to it for a couple of months now and strangely with not much rain we have high humidity to further make you feel blah. It makes for good swimming weather though and if you get out early in the morning you can get a nice run or walk in. Kind of embarrassed to say here that my walking routine has been erratic this week but I did get in three days this week. I guess two out of three isn't bad. I'll be back on track come Monday. On Sunday we plan to go out to our son's house for a cookout to celebrate Father's Day. It should be fun.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Sunday, Sunday....

Enjoying my brother while he's here on a visit. We watched W. yesterday and I liked it. I had heard of the film and couldn't imagine Josh Brolin as GW but he did a good job and it was very believable. On the walking side I've kept up my routine. Hopefully while my brother is here we'll go out together one morning and he'll help me rev up my pace that I'll do one day out of the 5 I walk. I want to walk a 5K in under 50 minutes. A modest goal that I think is doable. My left hip is a little tender right now but that comes and it's not so painful that I can't deal with it. Also while my brother is here Frank and I (along with Krys) are making a trip on the cheap to Shreveport to stimulate the Louisiana economy. ;-) It'll be a nice change for a couple of days. No dishes to wash, no bed to make, now that's the life. :-) The pic I included here is one of some figures used for the Texas Click It or Ticket campaign. Why they used the figures of Elvis, Yosemite Sam and the others I don't know. They are cute though.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Lazy Sunday

Wow here it is well into June and hot. We're expecting triple digit temperatures today. Ugh. I love Fall and Spring but Summer and Winter not so much. I've kept up my walking routine since my last post with my usual 3 mile average 5 days a week. With the days longer and hotter now I try to go early in the morning and get it done. I've been working on my painting and I'm thinking I'm getting better at it. Please see the posted photos. 1 is entitled Sunrise, 2 is The Lake House, 3 is The Boathouse. I hope you like them. I've also done some reading, the latest being Duma Key by Stephen King. I enjoyed it very much. Krys and I have seen two movies so far this summer. Star Trek which was super fun and Drag Me To Hell which was okay. We also took a trip last weekend to see our youngest granddaughter graduate from high school. Boy are we old! ;-) The battle to save the trees (mostly older pecans) at Barton Springs has been been won. Only 8 or 9 trees will be removed as opposed to the 28 they wanted to cut down. Yea!







Saturday, May 23, 2009

Memorial Day Weekend


2009 is flying by with the summer months coming up. It's already been hot here in Austin and not much rain but somehow things are pretty and green. It's been up and down for walking weather but I've managed to keep up my usual 3.1 miles a day, 5 days a week. There is a Triathlon on Monday but I decided not to enter that. ;-) Didn't want to embarrass anyone, mostly myself! Things are kind of quite which is not a bad thing. We're going to Frankie and Sandy's for Memorial Day to visit and try out his new grill. Should be fun. Cyndi and Pam are visiting their sister up in Seattle and by all accounts are having a great time. We talked to them this morning using Skype and it was fun. The photo is of Sammy, Pam, Rick, and Lauren's new addition to the family. He's a cutie!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Playing catch up again

The weather here has been hot, terribly humid (90% one morning), and just plain icky for outdoor activities but I've kept up my walking regimen. Since I know the distances of the different routes I take I can safely say that I'm getting a 5K in 5 days a week. Sometimes a wee bit more, sometimes a wee bit less. No pictures available yet from the Texas Roundup but I'll post one or two when I get them.
Meanwhile I'm posting a photo of the first green beans of the summer from Frank's garden. They were good too. :-)
Also (and please forgive the poor quality) some photos of Krystal getting her certificate from the honor society.









Thursday, April 30, 2009

Good news all around. Frank's surgical procedure resulted in good news. No tumor found. Whew! That gave us all a big lift after a over a week of worrying about this new 'thing' the doctor had seen on his last visit. Next visit for him is in three months. Also Cyndi was offered her teaching job back, same school, special education department. It starts in August but meanwhile she's working as a sub at the same school and full time at the IRS. Don't know where she gets the energy.
It happened to me again! Another lady came up and talked to me and said she had seen me walking down So. 1st Street all the time. She was very pleasant.
The photos in the slide show below were taken in the house and yard where we live. Hope you enjoy our springtime show.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Who knew?

While out on my walk this morning I was approached by a women who said she aways noticed my walking when she took her grandson to school in the morning. She said she would tell her grandson 'there goes the lady with the cane', and he would say 'grandma you always say that'. She said she wanted to meet me and she wished that she was as strong as I appeared to be. We chatted for a few minutes and she told me she used to walk until she fell and hurt her knee and that she will have to have surgery on it. I told her that she should be just as good as new after surgery and would most likely be able to walk like she used to. It was a pleasant surprise and it just goes to show you that you can affect peoples lives without ever being involved in their lives. I'm happy that it appears I affected her in a good way. Glad I got my walk in early this morning because now we're in the middle of some rain storms which are most welcome. I got my 3 miles in.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Things worth reading again.

In talking with my brother about a group of new walkers he is mentoring I mentioned to him this post I blogged about in March of 2008. It's long but it has some good stuff in it.
This article from the Mayo Clinic website with my additions added in red.Benefits of walking. Walking for fitness can help you achieve a number of important health benefits. For example, you can:
Reduce your risk of a heart attack. Walking keeps your heart healthy by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol). A regular walking program also reduces your risk of developing high blood pressure, a factor that also contributes to heart disease. Can't say this has been true in my case.I take two different cholesterol medications. The doctor tried to reduce the dosage after a year of walking and good tests but my cholesterol and tryglceride readings shot up so I'm back on the old dosages.
Manage your blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, walking may reduce it.
Walking may have helped my blood pressure because it has been so low at times that instead of the two pills I take I only have to take one of them, this I do of course on the instructions of my doctor which include monitoring at home with a unit that measures blood pressure.
Reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you're a woman, overweight and at a high risk of diabetes, walking can improve your body's ability to process sugar (glucose tolerance).
Walking has helped me in this instance for sure because the doctor said if I hadn't started a walking program and stuck with it that I would now be on diabetes medication. He also said that walking was better for me than any pill he could give me. He didn't say I would never get diabetes but that I was doing a good job of staving it off by making this change to my lifestyle.
Manage your weight. Walking burns calories, which can help you manage your weight. For example, middle-aged women who walk more than 10,000 steps a day have lower levels of body fat than do women who are less active. Can't say that walking has affected my weight at all except for the recent 3 pound loss during my 'Hillary' activity and it might turn out that this weight loss is due to a malfunctioning thyroid rather than my physical activity. The jury is still out on this point for now.
Manage stress and boost your spirits. Going for a brisk walk is a great way to reduce stress. Regular walking also can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.
Sometimes I've cried and cried, usually when I'm trying to get myself up, dressed, and out the door. At times I've felt at peace while walking but not often because I find myself resenting the fact that I'm walking because I HAVE to and not because I WANT to.
Stay strong and active. As you get older, walking for physical fitness can prevent falls, help you stay mobile and maintain your independence.
Staying fit can help you grow older more gracefully but lather on the sun screen and wear a cap or visor because your body might love the exercise but your skin will suffer if you don't.
Don't let falling off the exercse wagon make you feel like a failure and give up on your plan for better fitness. Use these tips to get back in the groove.

Think positively. Don't let negative self-talk, such as "I'm a failure," get in the way of starting again. Shrug it off as a temporary break in your walking program. Wish I could say this was one I followed but I'm not a real positive thinker. I am a plodder though and get the job done, even while grumbling about the unfairness of it all.
Re-evaluate your goals. If your goal is to walk two hours a day 365 days a year, you might be setting yourself up to fail. Set realistic goals for yourself, such as 30 minutes five days a week. I try and most often succeed in walking 5 days a week for at least an hour a day. 6 days a week was a bit too much for me and my right hip hurt. Cutting back corrected this problem.
Get going. Build walking into your schedule today. Just do it. Walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break.
When I worked in I used my break time to get in a few minutes and the boss helped by giving me errands to do that involved walking and that worked until I retired and then I fell into not exercising at all. What got me back on track was the doctor telling me that I would get diabetes if I didn't do something sooner than later. So far my current plan is working fine. At least once a year I take part in a organized walk like the Texas Roundup.
Continually plan. If you're taking a trip or working overtime, think of strategies for incorporating short walks into your day to keep your plan on track.
When we go visit our daughter in San Angelo I have a route I use in the neighborhood and when we go gamble I use the hotel gym to get a session in on the treadmill...if they have one. If not I take breaks from the one- arm-bandits and walk several times around the outer edge of the casino floor to get some movement into my day.
Hope you find these tips and information helpful. Now get out there and move it!!!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Texas Roundup Results

Had a nice time even though it was humid. Lots of people. My time is as follows. My chip time from last year was 56.01 and they broke it down on the charts to 17 min. miles. They didn't do it this time. I guess any improvement is a good one. :-)
5
Rose Carr
Austin TX
4462
64
530-on the overall chart I was 529 so not sure why I'm 530 here, not that it matters.
53:54.31
57:22.00
03:27.00

Friday, April 24, 2009

Day before 2009 Texas Roundup

I'm cheating and posting here the little blurb I posted on Facebook today. Lazy huh? I walked to the convention center which is about 2.8 miles from here to pick up my packet in an hour and 18 minutes, than I walked back to Barton Springs and 1st where Frank picked me up. It wasn't too hot, around 74 but it was way humid. Ick. Don't look to improve on my 5K time tomorrow cause I'm just slow, slow, slow, but I'll have a nice time.
Anyone watch 24, the CSI shows, NCIS? I'm getting a little bummed about the possible loss of some favorite characters. Evie will be MAD if Lt. Flack is axed from the show. On 24 the bodies drop like bowling pins so with the exception of Jack anyone could go. NCIS says it is losing a character but it isn't. Talk like that is annoying. As for CSI Miami and the original CSI no one is leaving so that's good.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Rain, rain, has come again!

Oh geez, I wrote a bunch of crap and saved it each time but still I lost it all trying to post these stupid pictures. Don't know if I can even remember what I wrote. I did update that I'm still walking and keeping up with my distances on Google Pedometer which I will recommend to anyone who wants to keep track of their walking or running data. It's so easy to use even I can navigate it. It is raining this morning as the title of this entry indicates and it is most welcome. The picture looking out the window on the rainy streets in front of our home was taken with my laptop camera as were the photos of my paintings. Regarding my walking endeavors I had planned on signing up for the Texas Roundup which is next Saturday. I'm not known to be very social but if it's taking part in things like organized walks I can do it because you're not expected to interact with those around you except to stay out of the way of the fast runners and walkers. ;-)I'm not sure I can do this Roundup though because idiot Perry is going to be there and I don't think I can stomach his preening stupid face and still concentrate on the mechanics of getting through the walking course. Ugh. About the paintings. One is just of a lake front with trees and cabin in the distance. It's not yet finished but I'm happy with it so far. The other one is a cartoon like version of a Dia De Los Muertos figure. It also is not complete but I'm not sure if I like it or not. I tend to use bright colors and paint places that I would like to be even though they are just a composite of different areas of the country I have seen or thought I remember seeing. Memory is a funny thing. Some memories I'm not sure are things I actually remember or things that have been described to me by someone else and I just think they are my memories. Okay now I'm getting a little goofy here, must the the rain. ;-)






Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Bad case of 'I don't wannas'


Did my usual 3 miler on Monday which was nice because of the cool and windy weather. I think we got down into the high 30's last night which is not normal for this area this late into the new year. It's good though because the high temperatures are going to settle in soon. But I digress from my original thought for this blog. I found myself tearing up and whining to myself that I didn't want to get dressed and go on my walk. It's not that I wanted to stay in bed either, I just didn't want to go outside. Am I becoming agoraphobic? Seems a bit far fetched to think that but I suppose anything is possible. I gritted my teeth and put on my big girl panties and forced myself out into the world. It was pleasant weather, sunny and cool, and there were not many people out and about so it made for a peaceful time for me. One question to those who get out and walk or run. What's with people, both men and women, who bundle up with ear-muffs, jackets, knit caps and scarves paired with shorts! I saw a lady yesterday dressed like that and it puzzled me because her legs were beet red from the cold wind. Do people not think about their legs getting chapped or frost bitten (not much chance of frost bite here) but you know what I mean. It seems kind of silly to me to cover your top half and leave your bottom half to suffer the elements. I very seldom wear shorts in the summer to wearing in the winter is not something I would even consider doing. Anyway...it's just something that made me go 'hummmm'.

Came across this other piece of art that is in Butler Park. It's a forged metal sculpture by an Austin artist named Colin McIntyre.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

April fooling around


Did my walking this past week, averaged 3.2 miles a day for 5 days which is good for me. Weather was perfect for it too, 50's with a light breeze every morning this past week. Wish it could stay that way all year long. We had nice visit with Frank's brother Richard who stopped by for a few hours on his way to San Antonio. They had a good time telling on each other. ;-) Cyndi and Frankie got to stop in and visit with him too.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Spring has sprung

As you can tell by the date on my last blog entry I have been lazy about blogging. I have been walking though and doing at least 3 miles a day 5 days a week. I've posted some photos of things I've seen this past week. Spring is bursting out all over Austin thanks to the bit of rain we've had recently. I hope you enjoy viewing the photos as much as I have enjoyed taking them.
1. A tree putting forth brilliant yellow buds in front of a stone wall that fronts the St. Hose Hotel on South Congress. 2. Wisteria climbing a pergola in the court yard of the old St. Jose Hotel 3. A pictorial history unfolds for you along the newly constructed pathway on Cesar Chavez that overlooks Town Lake. 4. Bluebonnets growing along the edge of South Fifth. Doesn't my cell phone take great photos? It's a Motorala Razor too...not a fancy Iphone. :-)











Sunday, March 15, 2009

Getting normal rhythm back is hard

Getting back to my normal walking rhythm has been difficult. I was doing okay until this past week when the weather turned cold but joyfully wet replete with lighting and thunder storms. Loathe to get back on the 'dread mill' I made excuses not do do so. I did a routine of walking in place with a video each day but it's not the same. Hopefully I'll get back to my routine and get my groove back. ;-)

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Getting walking patterns back

Found this interesting: "There's a spike of 5% in heart attacks during the first week of daylight saving time, according to another study published last year. The loss of an hour's sleep may make people more susceptible to an attack, some experts say. When daylight saving time ends in the fall, heart attacks briefly become less frequent than usual." I hate DST because I'm an early to bed and semi-early to rise person and having daylight until almost 10pm and sunlight streaming in your window when you're still trying to sleep is most annoying. Also I hate losing an hour of sleep which made a big difference when we were working and not so much now.
I've been doing 5K every day this week on my walks and not having any ill effects from doing so. Haven't gone in a used my Internet distance measuring tool because I pretty well know the distances my usual routes are now. My speed hasn't increased any but that's just me. I think my spirit guide must be a turtle. ;-)

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Back to normal, whatever that is.

I'm getting back to normal after having surgery and took my first walk outside, by myself yesterday. Did three miles too and was happy about that. The wind was fierce and it was cool, a welcome relief from the 91 degrees we had the day before. Thanks to all for the lovely get well cards and good thoughts and wishes, they were and are much appreciated.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Setbacks but still ticking

First of all let me state here that I'm so very thankful that my husband and I have such good health insurance. I don't know what people do who don't have any. We're hoping the new administration will fix this problem so all Americans have access to good health care. Frank and I have had some medical problems that joyfully are not life threatening but still troublesome and in some cases quite painful. On Thursday the 5 of February I was brought down by acute cholecystitis, which translated is a common gall bladder attack. More painful than childbirth pains because at least they come and go and you have a bundle of love at the end of it, this pain is long and hard and has no rewards. When I went to the ER they thought I was having a heart attack since I have a history of cardio problems. After a battery of what I'm sure are outrageously expensive tests, the diagnosis was the gall bladder problem. On the advice of our primary physician I'll be seeing a surgeon this next week to get it taken care of. Frank has been undergoing a second round of BCG treatments and had a scary reaction to the second treatment in the round. Sigh of relief it was nothing serious, at least that's what his doctor said and who by the way I'm impressed with. He called him not once but twice to check on him. Usually doctors leave the calls to the nurses but in this case he handled it personally. So, you can see why we're so happy to have the health insurance we do have even though it's expansive to maintain. At least we have the resources to keep it current. When I turn 65 I'll have to drop it but we will still have good insurance to take care of our needs. My advice here is to exercise, eat healthy, and get a good night of sleep. Even all the money in the world can't buy you good health if you don't take care of yourself.
Speaking of exercise my schedule is in disarray but I've managed to keep some in and keep track of it! 2-5-09 I felt great and did 3.246 miles that morning, by 11 that night everything changed. :-( 2-6 thru 2-7 in the hospital so no exercise. 2-8 none. 2-9 two fifteen minute walking routine with a video I found on Real Age. 2-10 thru 2-13 30 minute walks on the treadmill.
Re: the Stimulus package-guess the Republican Party can be the Party of NO after all.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Treadmill 1, Rose 0


Now the problems I've been having are minor when you consider what's going on in the rest of the world but they are annoying...to me anyway. I've been talking about the cedar problem plaguing central Texas that forced me to do my walks indoor where you think it would be safe. Alas this was not the case for me. It's no secret that I abhor using the treadmill because it is boring. The machine must have heard me and decided to extract some vengeance because I fell on the darn thing and got spun off. I was attempting to adjust the elevation of the platform and my feet drifted off to the side putting my right foot half on the sidebar and half on the moving track and this is not a good thing. The little plastic 'key' that's supposed to stop the movement of the track just slipped off the bottom of my t-shirt and didn't work this time. The upshot is that I now have a pair of lightly bruised knees,arm, and a darker bruised ego. Of course I'm blaming the treadmill because this couldn't have happened due to my own clumsiness. ;-) Anyhow that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Walking stats January 26 to January 30, 2009. All but one day was on the evil treadmill. 50 minutes, 53 minutes, 4 rounds around a large store-did about 1 mile and a half, 52 minutes, treadmill, 49 minutes treadmill.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Getting better

Wow it seems like ages since I've blogged. The cedar got the better of me and it surely messed with my walking schedule. Some days I just pushed through it but with my eyes watering and so swollen it made it difficult to see clearly and then it got to where I had no energy and finally had to go to the doctor. He gave a cortical (s) steroid shot and some Zyrtec and did my usual lipid blood work since which I was overdue for. Good news is that my cholesterol is 180 and my triglycerides are 107, LDL 92. Didn't get the rest of it but the upshot is that I'm stable and doing okay. The bad news is that I'm kind of housebound with my air filter going until the cedar eases up. Seems I can combat the low to medium readings which are like 50 to 600 grains per cubic meter but when it hits over 4 thousand per cubic meter it's an unfair battle. So here are my stats: Jan. 13-Jan 25. none, 3.155, 3.135, 2.897, none, 3.018, none, none, none, none, first day I felt strong enough to exercise and did 55 minutes on treadmill, 58 minutes on treadmill. I found that if I put a movie in my little DVD player and put on headphones to hear it I didn't get as bored. I was happy that I stayed strong and found that it wasn't hard to walk that long.
Have some photos to post but I may do that tomorrow.
Oh I saw a piece on 60 Minutes about the Israel/Palestinian situation and it doesn't look good. So much horror and trouble on both sides.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Special Day Indeed


I was moved by President Obama's speech which is not unusual for he has always been a great orator and well able to move people with the power of his words.America the Beautiful has always moved me and sung by Aretha it was really memorable. I confess here that Rev. Lowry's speech made me smile and I heard myself giving him a hearty Amen for which I hope my brother will forgive me. ;-) For a moment during the singing reality reared its head when the camera panned to the men dressed in black stationed on the top tiers of the capitol building...not all of them were holding cameras. But it's a joyous time for us and I did truly feel a dark cloud lift from my heart when I saw former President Bush and his wife Laura leave. I wish them both peace. It's comforting to know too that President Obama's staff is already hard a work and that really difficult task of getting our nation now starts in earnest. I know things won't change overnight but at least now we have people who no strangers to long hours and hard work and if only two or three promises are fulfilled in the coming year that we will all be the better for it.
A non-inauguration topic here. The dreaded Cedar pollen is over 4 thousand grams per unit which means it's very high. My eyes are swollen to mere slits and doctors are warning people who are affected by this scourge to stay inside for now. I'm following their advice. The photo above shows the pollen coming off the trees be they shaken by hand or wind. I'm sure the woman doing the shaking of the tree branches is not affected by the pollen because if she was she would never, ever do such a foolish thing.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Results Day

Frank had his follow up visit today and that pesky patch of irritation was indeed a superficial, non-invasive bit of trouble. He's going to have another 6 weeks of BCG treatments starting in February. It is not unusual for these things to be stubborn and hard to eradicate or to reoccur. The doctor is being super-duper cautious and this is a good thing. So things could be much, much worse and we're very positive that things are proceeding well. I know you'll keep him in your good thoughts and or prayers.U
Walking Stats January 4 through January 12, 2009: CEDAR HIGH-NONE, 3.057, 3.106, 3.023, park walk with Krystal 2 miles, Frank's biopsy-no walk but did ride stationary bike for 15 minutes, 2.501 cut walk short because cedar made my eyes water so bad that it affect my vision, none, 3.107 windy but cold and thankfully cedar on the low side.
For those of you not familiar with 'cedar fever' it is an allergy to mountain juniper that affects central Texans. From late December through late February and sometimes early March, many people experience an itchy, runny nose, sneezing, nasal blockage, excess tearing and itchy eyes. Others complain of itching of the palate, throat, or ears, and postnasal drainage. Some have fatigue, mild headache, facial discomfort, sore throat, partial loss of sense of smell, and sensation of ear plugging. My allergy meds keep the post nasal drip and sneezing under control and it's the itching of my eyes and in my ears and sometimes elsewhere that makes me crazy. Short of living in a bubble with a really good air filtration system you can't escape the effects of this potent and prolific pollen. Alas conventional therapy with antihistamines is not for me because they make my legs hurt really bad. The good thing is that it is seasonal.
Was a pleasure to see Hillary Clinton at her hearing today making her case wit nary a wink, a 'you betcha', or "I'll get back to you with some" quip. I wonder that anyone could watch her and marvel at the breadth and depth of her knowledge and then somehow throw their support to the governor from Alaska. To say that they are as different as night and day is putting it mildly.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Biopsy day

Frank got through his biopsy A okay. No results until mid-week but the doc says he thinks things look fine and that he's just being cautious which is a good thing when it concerns a persons life, don't you think?
No walk yet today but I'll get something in.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Back to serious business

Please think about Frank tomorrow. He's having another biopsy done on his bladder. The doc say a spot of inflammation during his checkup on Dec. 29 that he thought needed to be checked out. We'll keep you posted.
Walking stats later but I did have a nice walk this afternoon with Krystal. We went to the park that is close to us. It was hot for this time of year.
Found the article below and thought it was something that should be shared.

Teen Obesity Can Cause Liver Disease, Cancer
Posted Sep 8, 08 4:16 PM CDT in Science & Health
(AP) – In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teens have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants, the AP reports. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in kids in the US, Europe, Australia and some developing countries. Experts warn that pediatricians to be more vigilant.

An estimated 2% to 5% of American children over age 5, nearly all of them obese or overweight, have a condition called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. As fat builds, the liver can become inflamed and scarred, leading to cirrhosis, a condition mostly caused by hepatitis or alcohol. Liver failure or liver cancer can follow, but fatty liver disease can be reversed through weight loss