78 degrees this morning.
Good to walk again, after the rain yesterday morning. Something about the walk the first thing int eh morning just gets me going and thinking, plus I enjoy the chance to listen to an audiobook again. I definitely feel the need to start weight lifting again. My weights (I do free weights) are buried deep in some boxes and they will eventually come out. I’m not a heavy duty weight lifter anymore, just try to keep my arms in shape.
I started weightlifting years ago in Harrah, Oklahoma. Several firefighters asked me if they could start working out in a gym across the street from City Hall at lunch and I thought “a great idea”. Of course, I did it until the gym closed, the Firefighters never really used it, at least during lunch hour. I took it seriously and started riding the exercise bike and lifting free weights (I never could get into machines). I read about lifting weights, including my favorite book on the subject “Muscle” about a person who got too much into weightlifting, similar to Beck Weathers about mountain climbing in “Left for Dead”.
I even went to several “bodybuilders” contests (which is really not just about weight living) and got to the point that I could bench press well over my weight.
I had already been walking (I started seriously walking in about 1987, and swimming daily where I could find a place) and weight lifting was a good counterpoint to just walking and running. While I “ran” in some 5K races, I was always more of a walker than a runner, primarily because I have exercise induced asthma (I didn’t realize “asthma” was spelled that way and looked it up to check. I found that asthma originally meant “ breathe hard”, which makes sense.) I actually didn’t realize I had exercise induced asthma until just a few years ago when I described the symptoms to my Doctor and she prescribed an inhalant which actually solved the problem. Wish I had done that years ago!
I took up bicycling in 1999 and have loved it ever since. Aliene and both bought similar bicycles and rode together some, although I rode a lot more. I continue to love bicycle riding to this day and wish I had started years ago, but at least I started when I did!
There have been gaps when I didn’t exercise (moving, travel etc.), but it always feels so good when I get back to it, including weight lifting. I am going to try the “heavy bag” and punching bag again and see if I do it. If not, I’ll close that chapter of my life and give it away. I actually started walking and running in the Air Force and in graduate school and then kind of got away from it on a regular basis until about 1987.
(shortly later): I adjourned to my favorite McDonalds for coffee and a breakfast parfait. Actually, for the first time I got a “senior coffee” (I didn’t ask for it), which apparently means “free coffee” Whoo! Life is Good!!!
Actually, I really do enjoy this McDonalds, the music is great, the atmosphere is wonderful and the coffee and parfait are delicious. Throw in free coffee and who knows what I will do! My only problem is a slight guilt at asking for a free refill to free coffee! However, i gave it 5 stars on “Yelp” and I feel a little less guilty.
We took down a bird’s nest over the weekend, it is right over our front door, with some obvious distasteful results right on our front door stope. This morning I really felt guilty when I saw the bird (a Bluejay, which is aggressive enough not to be lovable) shivering in the partially rebuild birds nest. In this case, we were there first, so the bird will have to go. If the bird were in a tree (which there are none anyway) that would be a little different, or even it it was at the side of the house, we would welcome it. But right over our front door??
This morning I saw a rabbit in the front yard. Perhaps it is a sign. I used to see deer all the time, now all I see are rabbits, and a single solitary one at that. At least it isn’t likely someone will be at the back of my house shooting at the rabbit like they did the deer.
Yesterday we spent some time with Kali and Katherine. They are fun to be with. It is good to get the viewpoint of an 11 and 14 year old. We took Kali’s Apple Computer (my old MacBook laptop, which is a “vintage” 8 years old at least). Apparently not only is the cord broken, the battery is also dead. I never replaced the battery, so that is a good life for a battery.
Lunch at a local restaurant (with both gluten free and vegan fare) and then Aliene and the girls got their nails done and I got a horrible hair cut. Looking on the good side, I know one less alternative for getting my hair cut. Sometimes I think many barbers and hair stylists just don’t really listen. I won’t go into details at this time.
Looking forward to the Family Reunion, which kind of starts today, at least it starts for us today. Family Reunions are a little like conferences, I always learn something new!
(NOTE: Just got a refill of coffee, and they didn’t blink an eye.)
There is something magic about sitting here listening to music, guzzling coffee, eating a parfait and watching the world come alive. Perhaps this will become part of my morning routine. Perhaps not. Change happens. Not as good as sitting on my Lakeland patio looking at the forest and watching the day begin, but it may be the next best thing.
That’s life and that’s it for now, Thursday, July 10, 2014.
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