Fall 2006

Cool weather was the general rule here for the last several weeks, so I was pleased to get up the other day and find it was 81 degrees at 4:00 a.m.! It felt like Summer again! This was after a series of 59 degrees, 55 degrees etc. in the morning.

I count winter is here when I switch to my heavier workout clothes. So far I have stuck with my shorts and t-shirts, so I feel Summer is still here!

Saturday, September 23, it started out warm, although cloudy and windy. I was riding my bike early afternoon, when the wind, which had been heavy (for Lakeland) from the south, suddenly switched to from the north and the temperature literally dropped 10 degrees just in a flash! We got some rain, but most of the storm was south.

After months of riding my bike without being affected by rain, I had to cut my bike riding short due to rain the last two days. Today, Sunday, it is nice again, although still windy.

I don't mind hills when I bike, but I really don't like wind! That is one reason I like to bike in Tennessee is that here usually isn't much of a wind.

I found I probably have "acid reflux" a lot worse than I realized. The Doctor took me off Prevacid (kind of an antiacid), but then put my right back on when I started coughing all the time. What I thought were allergies actually was probably acid reflux.

I realized that after I ate some bacon and coffee and was coughing a lot. The Doctor put me right back on Prevacid.

Now I realize what is causing my hoarseness and coughing bouts, at least partly!

I have drastically changed my life style to avoid the consequences of acid reflux. I walk at least a 1 1/2 mile every morning, bike on the stationary bike at the gym, and then usually ride my bike for at least 45 minutes and hohpefully an hour. I had already been walking in the morning, but now I am serious about doing it fast every morning.

I have also changed my eating habits, reduced coffee, don't eat fatty foods, avoid large meals etc.

Thus far I have lost about 20 lbs (from the Counter Reunion time), but I still have a ways to go.

The Sedway incident bruised Aliene's arm. She will probably be in some pain for a month or so from the arm. She still says she would do it again! She can do everything except she doesn't want to take a chance on riding the bike (she does walk as before), so I miss my riding partner!

In August, I went over 25 years as City Manager, since I first accepted a City Manager job in 1981, and 32 years working for cities as a career. Time goes fast!

November 1, 2006, I will have been in Lakeland for 5 years. Time goes so fast!

Water for Elephants

I don’t often write about a book, but if you have a chance to read “Water for Elephants”, do so! It is a wonderful and interesting and funny book!

Cool weather has come to Lakeland! Several weeks ago it was 85 degrees in the early morning, now it is 66 degrees!

I have been riding my “Trek” a lot more (still no name for it). Aliene has been riding the first half hour or so with me, so it has been fun. I am also walking (about 2 miles) each morning plus another 18-28 minutes on the stationary bike, and about an hour on the Trek, so I am getting more exercise! (That is not every day when I have a meeting etc.)

I don’t know if I already mentioned this, but I had my physical several weeks ago and the Doctor found I had a “low” thyroid, so she gave me some medicine to speed up my thyroid. This, in addition to my increased exercise, is helping me lose weight a little faster.

We had a nice visit with Aliene’s mother in Lakeland and then took her back to Oklahoma City last weekend.