PS:
I don't even want to talk about Venezuela.
Blog note: from now on, if you come to my blog to challenge me, but don't have the guts to use your name, your comment will simply be deleted. I think you are a coward.
Tim and I got Y memberships. When we lived in town, there were a lot of places to walk. Here, not so much. The highway has very heavy semi truck traffic and I don't feel comfortable.
Tim does not own sneakers. He wears boots. Working boots, hiking boots, muck boots, dress boots. Boots are not good for the gym. A bit of shopping was required for him. But we got him a comfortable pair of sneakers.
This morning. I got up and headed out. I did a solid hour work out. Tim did not go with me today. He decided his comfortable sneakers would be more comfortable if they were a half size larger.
Sounded suspicious to me too.
But I am glad to be exercising again. Something that I have noticed is that I am seeing a lot of obituaries of people younger than I am, which is a little sobering. I have also begun to notice that a lot of people my age are looking pretty rough.
Use it or lose it.
My weight loss was a good start. But I need to stay the course and I need to keep active. I walked the track today, and watched people playing pickleball. I don't know that my knee would take that lunging and twisting, but we will see. Everything feels possible.
I had a couple errands to run. I did them as quickly as I could, because they were calling for freezing rain. I decided to use the restroom before I left. I nearly collided with an elderly woman struggling to open the door while managing her walker.
I held the door for her and she left quickly saying her daughter had left her in the car and would be concerned if she had finished her shopping and returned to the car only to find her mother gone.
I felt that little fear as i watched her struggle: use it or lose it.
I turned to enter the bathroom and it was literally covered in excrement. The toilet seat, the tp holder, the floor. Even the sink. I turned right around and left.
A young mother was approaching with her toddler. I said, "Listen, you do not want to go in that bathroom. It needs attention."
Her daughter was potty training. I said, "There is a family restroom at the back of the store, but you seriously do not want to use this one."
I let them know at the service desk, and felt very sorry for whoever got assigned to that. I checked out and headed to the car. I figured that my bladder could stand the 20 minute drive home.
Off I went. About half way home, a little car suddenly jerked out into my lane to pass one of those semitrucks that I was telling you about earlier. On a curve. In a clearly marked no passing zone.
It was a close one, but my bladder held.
It is raining like crazy here, but the good news is that it is too warm to freeze.
We’ve had a very close call with people passing toward us in our lane. Really close. Yes, keep active however you may.
ReplyDeleteIt is all one can do.
DeleteOur traffic here in central Florida is so heavy now. The snowbirds are here in full force. People can also drive golf carts on the streets and that is a problem, people come from different states and laws are different, they just say that is the way we do it up home. There are accidents every day and people killed a couple of times a week. I live in a small town too.
ReplyDeleteIt was so shocking to suddenly have a car in my lane. He whipped out from behind that semi, and while he could have jerked the car back in behind the semi, he didn't. He floored it and kept right on coming. I slowed down and eased to the shoulder to give him as much room as possible, but it was a bit sickening. It was over in short order. It took me longer to write the this than the event lasted but, ugh!
DeleteI suppose the mess wasn't deliberate, but it would be good to tell someone, even if you didn't own up to it.
ReplyDeleteThis woman had some pretty significant mobility issues. As I watched her struggle through the doorway, it was if the worst case scenario of the infirmities of old age was playing out before my very eyes. That was before I even saw the bathroom. I know that it wasn't intentional. I know she must have been so ashamed. I also think that the effort of walking to the service desk to report it was beyond her scope of capabilities.
DeleteThere are some things I don't want to talk about, like filthy loos for instance. Reading around on how to approach being an 'elder' and it seems to be saying live on your own, listen to what your body is telling you, eat properly and don't over-exercise.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I will ever be up to the level of, say, pickleball, although I admired the players greatly. But I walked out of the gym red-faced and sweaty and tired, and I did feel that anything was possible. It was a real mood lifter! It was so overheated that I ran my two errands in my shirt sleeves.
DeleteOh Lord. I worked at McDonald's when I was a teenager and I dealt with some messy bathrooms, but I don't recall any that reached that level of filth. Thank goodness you managed to avoid the irresponsible driver.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see the challenging comments, but it's interesting that Trump's minions often seem to feel like they have to hide their identity.
I left the comment. Answered it. But I am not going to bother with it again. Something that I have noticed about these 'minions' is that they ALWAYS deflect using the exact same tactics: 1) they bring up something from a past administration that (in their mind) normalizes what is happening right now or 2) they paint some apocalyptic picture of what is going to happen if their hero doesn't 'protect' us. I mean, focus! Can we just stick to fucking current events????
DeleteYes, they always employ "whataboutism."
Delete(Defined as: "a form of deflection, often used in politics and arguments, to shift focus, avoid accountability, and imply hypocrisy in the accuser, rather than addressing the original point.")
A sad sight..and you just know the embarrassment that would have been felt. And the previous embarrassment of not wanting to tell her daughter that she needed to go....
ReplyDeleteRegular exercise of any sort is vital. But so easy to get busy with life that you miss out on doing any.
Glad you got home safely. Fortunately I have two bus routes with a stop 200 metres from home..and if they aren't running, it certainly isn't fit for me to drive..and if it is slightly dubious..I go by bus!!
Oh my god! I know she had to have been mortified! How awful it must be that self care becomes an issue. All those things did occur to me after the initial horror.
DeleteUrgh..messy toilets. I once went into a public loo cubicle which was similarly unpleasant and immediately backed out. Another woman had just come in as I was leaving and I felt compelled to say "That wasn't me!"
ReplyDeleteYou know, on the way home, it did occur to me that a gray haired woman telling a young woman that an elderly woman had had some difficulty in the restroom, that it needed attention...well...I wondered if she did think it was me!!
DeleteA month or so before Christmas I made the decision to join the gym. We get so much rain it’s no longer practical to rely on just walking for fitness. It’s going so so!! When I saw someone from my primary class run on the treadmill for 30 minutes, I nearly didn’t go back, but I’m trying to rise above it, we are all at different stages and you are so right - use it or lose it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the aches and pains discourage activity, even though I know that working up a sweat actually eases them. I had that daily exercise in town. I miss the walking paths. The one thing I did notice is that it is very easy to fall out of the habit of taking care of yourself.
DeleteLynne, next year it will be you on the treadmill for 30 mins! Hang in there!
DeleteThis is why I go to the gym consistently, and do purposeful exercises and lift weights. Sitting is literally death, and leads to the walkers, canes and becoming an invalid. Ugh - public bathrooms - I cannot avoid them, cuz when you gotta go, you gotta go. Another plus from the gym and squatting with weight - I can easily "hover" if needed!
ReplyDeleteLol. The mental picture of that is hilarious.
DeleteLittle and often, as far as exercise goes. Build up gradually and don't compare yourself to others. Get stuck in a rut.
ReplyDeleteI'm good at passing out the advice . . . not so good at following it!
Something that I noticed is that I wanted to get to the gym early today. I woke up at 5, felt quite rested, got up, got supper in the crock pot, made my coffee, had a leisurely stroll through blogland as I drank it. I am about to shower and get ready to go. I did not hit it hard yesterday. Light weights and 5 miles between the treadmill and the laps in the gym. I know that I will have to work back up to things.
DeleteYes, Canada … come get him, please!!! Gotta keep moving especially as we get older. Been raining here so haven’t been walking much … but have been watching grandkids, which keeps me moving. Yucky bathroom scene. What a horrible mess to clean up. Glad you got home safely! Cali
ReplyDeleteIt is not up to Canada to get him, it is up to you all in America to vote them all out if you ever get to vote again. You didn’t listen to the warnings and this is what you got. I can’t believe that he legitimately won as everything he spouts is opposite to the actual facts. Gigi
DeleteGigi: You're correct, of course, but many, many of us DID listen to the warnings. We just got outvoted!
DeleteSteve they are finding evidence of votes destroyed...I haven't got the link , but it was a reputable source...and an awful lot of votes.....
DeleteThe thing is that if you keep moving, you can avoid some of the stiffness, but that's a hard sell to my more sedentary friends.
ReplyDeleteIt will probably be very helpful to my joints one I get past the muscle stiffness!🤣
DeleteOkay. Perhaps this is an excuse but I am one of those people who, if I exercise, I hurt more than if I don't. I'm not talking about sore muscles although of course that's to be expected. I'm talking about joint pain and ligament pain. I guess it's ligaments.
ReplyDeleteBut the honest truth is- I have GOT to get up off my ass. I have always been a constant exerciser, mostly walking, but also periods of time of using weights. And doing yoga. And was in pain almost all the time. I was much younger then too.
Sigh.
You know your own body. Everyone is different. As the kids all say, "you do you!"
DeleteShit happens:) Poor lady. I had a patient (an older lady) use the patient bathroom, the bathroom all the patients had to use, and she came to me and said she had peed a little on the floor. I told her thank you and went into clean it up. She had peed all over the toilet, the seat, the floors, and somehow on the walls as well. Not sure how she did that.
ReplyDeleteI was able to get out in the fresh air again to walk the dogs which we all appreciated. I liked going to the gym but my problem is motivation. Once I'm there, I enjoy it, but it's hard to get motivated enough to get there.
I go. I can't say I love it, or even that I am especially motivated. It just needs to be done. I will tell you though that I am a people watcher. I watched a very frail gentleman slowly make his way across the gym to a class. It probably took close to 5 minutes to shuffle to a chair for his class. Someone had brought all the equipment that he needed to set him up. Two elderly ladies were lapping. I walk faster and as I passed them, I heard one say to the other, "why does he think he has the power to take charge of other countries?" I broke pace long enough to say 'I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I could hug you both." Which sparked a short but lively exchange. Another elderly man in the weight room looked so done in that I stopped to ask if he were okay. 'Oh, sure!' He sat for a while longer, but he continued on. Determined. I like watching people and seeing their little stories.
DeleteWhat a day you had! Never seen a restroom that bad before. Exercise is good. I use a video to exercise with. Too far to go to a gym.
ReplyDeleteDid you read Tom's post from John Pavlovitz? https://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/2026/01/time-for-john-pavlovitz.html
I haven't, but I am about to wander off and have a read.
DeleteGood for you on deleting the anonymous troll, if one doesn't have the stones to put their name on their opinion, then they deserve to be deleted. Glad the "golden BB" missed you, close calls like that give a person chills. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteIt was so shocking. It also was so sudden. But all is well that ends well.
DeleteI'm lucky to get a free gym membership through my Medicare Advantage plan. When I can't get out, I will do some of the helpful workouts with April and Aiko on YouTube that Boud introduced me to. They have a wonderful variety of easy to harder ones depending on what you want.
ReplyDeleteWe both got free y memberships the same way. It is a good benefit.
DeleteThe more time goes on, the less tolerance I have for the ridiculous. I think often it is an AI robot programmed by who knows who. (I have my guesses). Good for you joining the gym! I bet I could come up with a better excuse, lol.
ReplyDeleteThis day has been a hard day.
DeleteAnd today ICE agents in Minnesota murdered a woman in broad daylight. Just shot her dead as she tried to drive away. Every single day the news makes me almost physically ill.
ReplyDeleteThey refused to allow her medical attention.
Delete