2018 Summer August 21 Tuesday

66 degrees this morning,  34:09 minute walk, 89 % humidity 

Really thought it may be an unpleasant “cool” walk this morning, but instead it was a very pleasant walk, even in spite of the humidity and cool (for AugustI) temperature.  

Pleased again that I didn’t cough during the walk, not once.  

Pace was 7 seconds slower than my goal.  I really don’t know if it will do any good to lower my goal or not, my walk isn’t about trying to walk faster, although I do want to keep my walk enjoyable and not an exercise in how fast I can walk.  

I have recently increased by weights on the bench press.  I actually increased them by 50 lbs, which is not something I would recommend, but I was way too low.  (I am too embarrassed to say what I was lifting at first, but it was aimed at getting back into the bench press etc. so I started low.)  

I have been doing 40 setups and doing dumbbell exercises on a bench each morning (well normally 4 times per week) for years.  When we moved to this house, I bought a bench and bar bell set so I could do bench press and other weights.  I started low just to get back into it, but I probably had not increased he weights enough.  

I really felt the extra 50 lbs when I lifted weights and actually started at 6 reps (I do 3 sets).  I am up to 9 reps and frequently do my normal 12 reps.  

Realistically I’m not going to expand my exercises too much, at least during the present time pressures. 

One sound that for some reason really mades me feel rather melancholy, in a good way, is the sound of cicadas’ in the  summer.  It is actually a sound I enjoy, and when I hear them it brings back memories that seem enjoyable, but that I can’t visualize. 

It kind of reminds me of a story I read once about the soldier who was going on overseas to almost sure battle and the thoughts he was having about his life.  I think it was a story by William Saroyan, but I don’t recall for sure.  I’ll have to look it up

I still remember the feelings his story about the messenger boy who had to deliver news of the death of a son or husband created in me. I probably read it way too young to really understand the impact until years later.  One of those books I want to re-read.  

Anyway, the sound of cicadas’ brings back memories like that, not something I can visualize, but something I feel deep in the human experience.  

The theme of the Toastmasters meeting last night was “unexpected change”.  It bought a lot of interesting responses.  

I think, to some degree, life is about “unexpected change”  and obviously looking back I can see the impact of “unexpected change” at points in my life.  

That’s it for now, Tuesday, August 21, 2018.