BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 06:15 PM

This article is about a friend of mine on campus. This made a huge difference in his life. Sleep apnea. Think about it.

Must call new insurance company tomorrow, ask about levels they didn't mention in our conversation that was paid for in the old policy. I'm looking at the form of levels that I need to sign and return, and along with it a questionnaire. This gives a glimmer of why the new price is low--doesn't include stuff. I was ready for a change anyway, but I want this to be thorough.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: maire-aine
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 04:21 PM

The weather was decent today, so I walked up to Main Street for a haircut (badly overdue), then picked up a few groceries before I walked home. It was only a little over a mile, but my knee held up well enough. I don't usually have a problem walking TO places, but the walk BACK often gets me, esp. since there's a very slight uphill incline.

M

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 01:26 PM

The hangover-- that's the ami's. 100% of it.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 01:06 PM

LtS - Sounds similar to what I have been enduring for a year now. Cardiologist could not find anything wrong with my heart from the 24 hour mobile heart monitor or from stress test. My blood pressure (when it is checked at GP) is only a bit high. Yet I was feeling bloody awful after minimal activity as well as several times a night and in morning. Bad like if I wasn't dying, I kind of wished I would, just to get over the bloody awful feeling.

I have been this way since I had a 3 month long respiratory meltdown last year. Flu, cold, flu and chest infection. I wonder if some virus is still affecting me.

Or it maybe another symptom of the autoimmune problems RA which has been treated and is being monitored and Sjögren's Syndrome, which GP and RA consultant and nurse completely ignore.

TSO wants me to see private doctor, because he NHS GP and consultants are not really addressing my issues. They tend to pick and choose what they will treat out of what is bothering me.

Example - went to GP last week complaining of not being able to sleep due to palpitations. As an aside I mentioned sudden frequent ocular migraines and itchy rash on my legs. I was given prescription to help me sleep which may help with any vascular probs (i.e palps and migraines) and referral to Healthy Living Team. Didn't even look at the rash on my legs. She just made diagnosis that I am old, out of shape and overweight and need to make lifestyle changes. No tests ordered.

Admittedly the tablets are helping me sleep better. But I still feel damned awful (hungover - like) in the morning.

Anyway after all that junk above. Push for tests or referral, or consider seeing a private doc for one appointment at least.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 10:00 AM

Sounds like it is time for another doctor, Liz.

Allergies are beginning to be apparent. Migraine like symptom for a while yesterday receded, but today it is back, with a tickle in the nose. Mountain cedar (the native juniper) seems to be pollinating.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: GUEST,LTS on the sofa
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 09:52 AM

Dunno Wys... when you go in with certain symptoms, they only look for zebras.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 09:24 AM

LtS, edema?

===

SRS, that sounds a lot like grantwriting deadline insanity. I used to enjoy it-- the mad dash to get bookoo pages prepped to fire off into money-space. Always worth it, too.

===

Animaterra, TODAY's wakie/"exercise" thoughts were even BIGGER. I said a long time ago that God would back me right into further ed, and that He would attract me to a collar. Not NOW, I am sure, but eventually-- when Hardi retires our deal has been that I go back on a payroll-- because this house needs only ONE collar at a time (our discernment says so).

Today's little slice of the tantalizing progress in that direction, though, was a Scripture reading that caught fire (not literally, LOL) in answer to a LONGstanding meditation about better ways of handling racism awareness in the Church. The result will go into a Good Friday meditation, and the result of THAT may go into a homily I am invited to preach at a farflung parish whose priest has invited me to come "play" with them anytime.

I did offer a meditation LAST Good Friday that went over very well, and I find that for me I need to write them out first. I'll PM it to you when it's done, OK? There is another one I owe someone else here, about a young priest whose ordination happened to fall midway through her last year of life. Want that one too?

Oh, and I finally found the SHORT version of that LONG doc I emailed you! In bullet points, in a skills-oriented resume style. I'm working on updating that now to include the more recent stuff.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: GUEST,LTS on the sofa
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 06:41 AM

Decluttered bank account yesterday.. cluttering sofa today. Seems I'm good for a 2 hour outing (with Limpit doing the heavy lifting in and out of shopping trolleys and cars) every 48 hours. It is totally ridiculous that I should be worn out after just 2-4 hours being upright and moving around.... and yet the ECGs show nothing unusual.

I am getting really fed up with this and am downright miserable today.

Still, on the good side, I'm getting a lot of sewing done for a couple of projects that have time limits.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 01:31 AM

Well, I'm ready to call it quits for the night. I've about finished editing an article that somehow went astray when I was writing it yesterday. My boss asked me to take another stab at it, so I have been.

But this was one of those days when the office machines all ganged up on us. A file I sent to one of the secretaries to print out wouldn't display properly. Her little ink jet printer had the best rendering of it, but we needed 200 copies. Couldn't waste that much ink on her desk printer, and the darned big one wouldn't receive it with corrections to lighten it (though I told it to) and it wouldn't copy the better print without turning it to a blob. I was at Office Depot twice today finishing this project. There is a print shop on campus, but they wouldn't have been able to drop what they were doing, they would have me come back and look at a proof, etc.

Traffic lights got the hang of the printer truculence and elevators languished on lower floors of the building, refusing to rise to the call button. I tell you, it was slow all around. On my way home from work I did a favor for a co-worker who lives in another direction from the university (and who picks things up and delivers them for me when I'm not on campus). The friend I took her softball registration money to works in the traffic equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle. But before the day was over I did hand deliver the letter to the insurance office that I'm not renewing two of my three policies with them. I did some of the shopping I needed to, and I have hopes the rest of the week will turn out better.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 10:46 PM

Allison, CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) is normally a go-away-for-12-weeks thing, done either on paid professional leave from some other social-work-type job, or during seminary; it's expensive, too.

I do have Red Cross "emergency interface" training I can re-cert at any time, and there is a former CPE trainer in our area who cobbled up a make-do program for two locally-trained ordinands-to-be.

His cert was not "the" cert, and I can honestly say that in one case, the trainee bailed on the part I most want-- the "verbatims" and group discussions post-pastoral-visit-- and still got his cert. I'm thinking how to beef that up so I can stay local and cheap-- audit some social work courses, for instance, IF I can get Gene to work with me as well. The other person he certed did do ALL the time he requested, and more-- and got the same "cert." [shrug]

I do not need the in-person "chaplain-on-call" visits-- we make enough of those that I can use past events for training discussions. And I do not want to wear a collar and parachute into unknown ERs. I just want to be able to cover that first 1/2 hour of a local visit while Hardi's coffee kicks in, and hand off to him with appropriate briefings. Not to cover for him on an all-night shift, but just be a better-prepared inteface with the hospital.

They can be picky about who comes into ICU "after hours," or a death watch, an ER death, etc., to interface with patients or families. Not becuase of the kinds of worries people might expect-- confidentiality concerns, etc.-- I pass muster on all that on a daily basis in these parts, and I interview diocesan ordination candidates on THEIR boundaries, etc.

Nope, what they actually worry about is that people who have not done CPE are said to be both lightweights not up to blood and gore (I am), or "agenda-driven" inapproriate (Pentecostal variety) proselytizers.

The thought is, they want a person they can "control" if a visit goes horribly wroing. CPE is no guard against that-- Hardi has a file full of horror stories about dumb stuff "certed" colleagues have done over his many ordained years who just did not have a gift for that kind of work-- but it does reassure the hospitals and the diocese. It makes you a "known" quantity unto them.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 08:44 PM

Feeling much better today after an amazing piano lesson. I'm lucky to have one of the very best in the biz as far as contra dance and English country dance piano goes. Cross that out- The Best! Peter Barnes is AMAZING!


Thanks, VT- I am doing it cold turkey, but with guidance. Sheesh! I really look forward to knowing what my body really feels like! I'm generally in excellent health, and agree with the Horizon show - for me at least!

BUT-


----- MARY!!!! BITE YOUR TONGUE, YOUNG LADY!!!!!! (be grateful that b and i are the limits of my html knowledge!)




As for you, dear WYS, when I saw this:
- I am going to see if I can take CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education)
I nearly shouted "Halleluia" out loud- this rings true and clear and I really hope it can happen for you!

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 07:27 PM

VT, you CAN take both (I recommend the diph for better sleep with less drowsiness the day after, and take ONLY ONE), but..... the pharm instrux will say not to do it, so when I did it I made sure hubby knew to keep watch till I was sure how it would hit me, and I did NOT take them at the same time but took the ami 2 hours earlier tha the diph so they did not both "kicj in" at the same time.

And MAN was I out cold. I CANNOT guarantee you will wake up enough to pee... (where you prefer to pee)..... OK you asked! :~)

I'm actually gonna cut a diph in half to see if it does the job.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 07:24 PM

Animaterra (Allison?) I'd guess going off the pill probably nailed you. I was on a form of HRT that is no longer available (turns out the FDA never approved 1 part of this combination for this use) so after 10 years, in which the last two years were heavier because of the need to switch brands, it took me weeks to wean myself off of the old one. Stopping cold turkey isn't necessarily easy or the best way to do it. Stepping back will feel a lot better and the mood swings aren't nearly so uncomfortable. I switched to a simpler HRT, one ingredient, but still had to work to leave the other behind.

I might have trouble going to sleep once or twice a year, if I drink a caffeine soft drink or something. It's usually off to sleep within a minute or two of lying down. I wish I could tell you how I do it, but there it is. My daughter is even faster. It's like she's out mid-sentence of telling her goodnight. A friend told me he usually lies in bed for an hour before he goes to sleep. That sounds astonishing. Do any of you read until you're tired, or do you lie there resting, and eventually drift off?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 05:47 PM

Susan

I only eat fresh fruit (lots of it). Never ever eat tinned fruit and very very rarely dried fruit (apricots or cranberries on cereal). Pout - Grape juice with lots of ice is my dessert after dinner. It has to be better than cookies or icecream. Maybe I will go for half glass of juice and even more yummy crunchy ice.

Girl you go for that certificate, especially if you think the training will help you take stock and cope better in the ministering situations that are heavy on the emo.

Maryanne - way to go!   I still have a long way to go toward organising the paperwork.

Wish I could figure out what this damned rash on my lower legs is. Only bothers me in the evening. Please don't tell me it is the grape juice. I love my Welch's purple.

Can I take a benedryl (which turns me into a super hyper mouthy meanie) with the amytriptyline (which helps me sleep and leaves me feeing a bit dozy)?

No more googling... Alarming hits linking leg rash to tuberculosis which showed links to immuno-suppressant drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Doesn't bear thinking about.

Just watched Horizon - science on why some don't age as others do. Findings show that along with genetics, and attitude of not thinking too much about health contributed to the longevity of some subjects.

Think I am going to take a decision to just fell better regardless of what my body is telling me. Whatthe hell does it know anyway. It's not the brain. It is only the body.

I will be in real trouble when this happens.

Where's the bloody Lancet

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 04:57 PM

Thanks, M, but it's more like three-four nights at a time.

In this ministry life, it's the details that can get so screwy that it's hard to see the patterns. Without a deacon-on-call, this means that there is no one to cover for emergencies, so we have to figure out for ourselves how to phase in some rest for him as well as non-craziness for me. And unfortunately, lay parishioners cannot cover this base.

(I used to BE on call for Red Cross (mostly housefire response to families, and also late-night communications calls for military fam emergencies), but I had backups scheduled..... and I know too well that if my own routine goes too far off-plan, I'm no good to myself, no good to Hardi personally OR professionally, and ultimately no good for regular or emerg. pastor-ees, either.

But I have made a big decision that will affect all that-- I am going to see if I can take CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education), the certification required to do crisis hospital/nursing home/funeral pastoral care in our denomination. I have the flair, I am told, and I have lay peer counseling education and experience. But I want the CPE training. I may also take some Heart Assn. crisis-care courses-- not so that I can be a "wacker," (make ambulance runs), but so that I can function better in juxtaposition with that whole environment.

But anyway, as it regards my own wellness, I figger two good nights' sleep per week is already more than a lot of people-- not to mention emergency responders-- get.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: maire-aine
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 04:18 PM

For all of the household clutter around here, I was actually able to find something when I needed it. I needed to find documentation of the purchase & sale of a few shares of stock in 2004, and I did it! I've always been pretty proud of my filing system, regardless of what the rest of the house looks like.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: maire-aine
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 02:43 PM

Sounds like you've got a good plan set up, WYS. Take it one day (night) at a time and see what works & what doesn't.

Concocted culinary catastrophes this morning. Tried to combine fruits & veggies in the blender, but it didn't work out as well as I had hoped. Plus the gasket leaks, so I need to replace it. I think I'll keep the fruits in desserts and the veggies in salads for now.

I went thru a very brief exercise video; at least I did some stretching. Right now my shoulders hurt more than my knees.

M

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 02:22 PM

VT, that can be related to a metabolism getting back on track. It also can be a sign that your tumy is shrinking and not liking it (TOUGH!). It just expects and thus requests "more." But you do not need to give in-- just tell your tummy it can have some more a little later, and go right on with your activities. Most times that hungry sensation will ebb till the next planned snack time.

Beware fruit juices tho. They dump glucose into your system (even if unsugared) MUCH faster than raw (or even canned-in-lt-syrup) fruit. The fiber in the fruit is SO GOOD for you; try to transition over to real fruit if you can. It will make you hungry (the fructose wakes up metabolism), but if you have even a tiny bit of cracker and milk with it, it counts as a mini-meal and will digest much more slowly.

===

Tho a couple hours short on sleep, I'm REALLY enjoying the wide-awake and perky feeling-- no ami last night (diphenhydramine, the ingred. in Tylenol PM).

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 02:19 PM

Alright, Allison. I will ask the obvious question - off the pill, cranky, emotional, etc.
Is knitting little booties in your near future?

SINS, on her way to the CELLAR!

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 02:04 PM

Slept better again last night! Had only the healthy foods again today. It is so weird. I only actually feel hungry immediately after I eat. But most of what I am eating is raw veg and fresh fruit. I am ignoring this weird sensation.

Up and down the stairs and end to end of the building 3 times today and minuted 2 meetings. YAWN!

Going to have my grape juice with extra ice and kick back and play puter games.

Love you guys!

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 10:46 AM

Well, Hardi and I had a nice talk yesterday, about the amitryptiline (Elavil). He hadn't realized how zombie'd his wife had become.

So we greed to stop the daily use of this as the primary sleep aid. I'll use it on a schedule that works for our combined weekly schedule, which includes two nights per week when he takes an aid for an extra-long, recharging sleep-- because I need to be able to wake up fast and clear to drive if he gets an emerg. call.

Those will be my nights to wake fast but ALSO be able to go back to sleep as needed, post-emergency-- Thursdays and Sundays-- making for deliciously lazy Fridays and Mondays, for me. I should be a lot less draggy the rest of the week.

Monday (or Tuesday, LOL) I hope to post new goals including dissolving the weight I gained while on this daily-- it made me WAY too hungry for the too-sedentary days!!! As I had just spent three years shrinking my stomach AND re-learning to eat when hungry, that too-hungry thing was too confusing!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 10:44 AM

Woke up in a foul mood today, after a wonderful opening-night rehearsal. Tired, grouchy, unable to focus on anything.
Could it be-
~the news I got after the rehearsal of the death of the mother of one of my dearest friends?
~normal post-rehearsal let-down?
~my body reacting to my decision to go off the bleeping Pill once and for all?
~mid-winter cabin-fever and getting desperate to have my house finished (sometimes it seems DH is dragging his heels, but today we had a Good Talk about getting the work done, so I have to trust that it will).
~all of the above??

I have a piano lesson today and this morning I've been trying to make up for lost time and practice the lovely tune I'm working on: Turning By Threes. It's coming along, but I keenly feel the lack of practice over the past few weeks of getting Animaterra ready.

I think that today I want it ALL and I want it NOW!! Grumph!

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Maryrrf
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 10:32 AM

Yes it would be easy to make your own. Here's a recipe which could be adapted to make enough to fill a small jar, then you'd have it on hand. Pumpkin Pie Spices

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 09:54 AM

Circuit training again tonight!

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: maire-aine
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 09:46 PM

Welcome to the de-clutter thread, Pistacio. The spice mix I used was cinnamon-ginger-nutmeg-allspice, so I imagine you could find something similar.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Maryrrf
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 09:36 PM

Pistachio, when I was in the UK (Scotland) I picked up something that looked like cinnamon that was labeled simply "Spice". It tasted a lot like Pumpkin Pie Spice - I think it contained the same mix.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Pistachio
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 06:46 PM

Pumpkin Pie Spice - can I buy that in UK?? I brought some back from a USA trip in 1997 and have forgotten all about trying to replace it, but remember how lovely it is.
The decluttering is starting here, I Promise! I've got pals coming round on 13th so need to find the dining table, and before then I dash to Scotland to sing at a friends wedding and will detour to my Mum and sisters to drop off some of my clutter that they (might) want ... it's a slow process..
Well done to those who are succeeding with tasks, every little helps,
I'd better head to the gym too! Time to check todays to-do list!
Hx

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: maire-aine
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 06:26 PM

I just lost my post. Anyway, I was starting to say that I made a batch of waffles for the freezer. The last of the batter only made 2 sections, so I had that for a late lunch. I have stopped adding sugar to the batter; this time I added pumpkin pie spice and used whole wheat flour for 1/3 of the flour. I've been thinking of making a savory version, with fresh herbs in the batter. The chives in the planter box are really taking off, along with the parsley & rosemary. I wonder what I'd top it with—maple syrup just wouldn't go.

I'll probably make an omelet for supper—I've got mushrooms & onions, and I'll find a few other things in the fridge.

It's been snowing a little bit this afternoon/evening, just enough to make the streets a little slippery, so I think I'll skip the session & stay home tonight.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 03:23 PM

Joining you all in the wish for less clutter, more exercise this month. Add fresh air to the exercise- now that there's more light, I want long walks, but it's icy out here in the country! So, I slide my way to the mailbox and back (about 1/4 mile round trip) and try to bring in piles of wood several times a day for the wood stove.

But yes, like WYS, I'm also trying to be mindful of the rhythm of the season and not mind too much that I feel rather blob-like.

Good for you, Jeri- our health club is a 30-minute drive away, which means planning about 2 1/2 hours for the adventure, which is hard to do these days.

BUT- the DH is working on the upstairs (bit by bit) and the LR isn't as squalid as it was a few days ago. And we're having a small group here for brunch on Sunday, so we'll need to make the place look decent for them, which is good for another few days at least!

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 02:42 PM

Depending on your size, the 10mg of amytriptyline sounds microscopic. My son started out on 10mg when he was about 8 years old. Now, at 170lbs or more he's at 50mg. This is for migraines. This is still considered a very low dose.

Penny, I use all sorts of rock and rock-like objects for building, stacking, supporting, and edging in the garden and I don't dismiss the extremely utilitarian applications of your urban conglomerate. Concrete can be quite beautiful, especially as statues and objects, like benches and bird baths. I've thought that I might enjoy creating molds and making some of my own paving stones or garden tinaja (shallow catchment on the ground for birds and wildlife to drink from, it's a term from the Sonoran Desert).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 01:37 PM

PennyS - Didn't the purchaser of the middle house turn out to be from HMRC? (IR dequivalent).

Yep! That's the one. It was very funny little series. Really enjoyed it. The more recent serials have not been very good.

Jeri - I am on 10mg of Amytriptyline in order to help me sleep in spite of the palpitations. I was told that it helps relieve vascular occurrences such as night time palpitations (I have had for over a year) and migraines which (which have plagued me this last month). Actually am sleeping much better. And because of this more energy during day. That's got to be good.

Meals today

breakfast - coffee, one sugar single cream, 1 and 1/2 wheatabix, small banana, skim milk

morning snack - 2 low salt whole grain rice cakes

lunch - carrot, 3 cherry tomatoes, 15 red grapes, 4 inches of English cuke with peel, two tiny tins of tuna (say that 5 times fast) with table spoon of low fat mayo

afternoon snack 2 clementines and 1 apple, cup of coffee 2 sugars and low fat whitener

dinner will be small poached salmon fillet with lemon and dill and 3 or 4 plain anya potatoes (boiled).

pudding aka dessert - glass of purple grape juice with lots of ice to chew.

Actually I am not hungry, but will eat anyway so metabolism doesn't get all confused.

Exercise - nil so far unless you count shopping this evening. Too much work to do at my desk. Overflowing in tray and email in box bursting at the seams. Maybe I will take a turn on the mini tramp.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: maire-aine
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 11:43 AM

I'm afraid our local groundhog must be very confused-- it was snowing, and the sun was out. Personally, I'm expecting an early spring. Just got back from the dentist, and everything is cool.

I moved the old tv/vcr out of my bedroom and into the music/computer room. I have finally cleared enough floor space, they I should be able to do some exercise; I can play the old VHS tapes on the old TV. I figured I'd sleep better if I didn't watch TV.

I went to sleep about midnight, and-- sproing!-- I woke up again at 2am. Wide awake for 2 hours, and now, no TV to lull me back to sleep again. Too clever for my own good. So I laid awake and rehearsed song lyrics in my head. Actually remembered them better than I would have in the afternoon-- they just came flowing back. Very encouraging, actually.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Jeri
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 11:41 AM

Virginia, the amitriptyline can cause palpitations. (You probably knew that already.) I got them when I took the stuff for migraine prevention.

I spent a long time at the gym yesterday. 15 minutes on bike, weight machines and 30 minutes on the eliptical. Slept great last night. It's becoming a lot less difficult to get my lazy ass in there because I know how happy and full of energy I'll feel when I leave.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Penny S.
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 11:24 AM

Didn't the purchaser of the middle house turn out to be from HMRC? (IR dequivalent).

I've worked out that if I put the old tank in the raised bit, I won't have to dig such a deep hole! Though I have to work out how to put an amphibian ramp in - tank is the size of half a beer barrel.

The broadband wireless connection seems a bit iffy. I'm using a cable now, and it's much better.

Today's bad news is that the fitting of the new fuse system has a snag - it keeps tripping, two old heaters are probably dead, but the electrician needs to come back and check everything tomorrow. DIY electricals - things connected to fuses with two sets of wires - 7 fuses where there should be at least 10.

The garden has a good supply of stone - not local, which is chalk, but someone's collection. A lot of white vein quartz, some slate and Shap red granite (I know that from my OU course) and other stuff. This is all mixed in with what the geo tutors knew variously as Wimpeyite or urban conglomerate, i.e. concrete, as if of equal value. Some of the concrete is nicely mossed, though. I have added my own specimens, where weather resistant. Normally I would go for Kentish Rag, which is a rough limestone and does a good rockery, but this collection is going to be interesting.

There were a lot of shrubs with variegated foliage, but I have taken them out and replanted in the garden I am leaving, as a gift, so I have room for veggies and smellies. I have a promise of cuttings of honeysuckle and a rambling rose from the cottage that was my grandparents'. I have a lovely musky rose that was the rootstock of a neighbour's rose. There is, already, I think, a philadelphus - my other granny had one in her garden. There is a juniper and a forsythia (I think) again. I am going to prune the Virginia creeper to allow space for runner beans, either side of the mirrors.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 11:08 AM

Good for you, Khatt! I need to take my dogs for a walk today now that it has warmed up a little. Still heavily overcast, like I never left the Puget Sound area in winter. We probably won't go more than a mile, due to time constraints, but we need to get back into that routine.

Making forward progress on various fronts, and was able to tell an acquaintance in the UK that I could mail a box to her.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 09:22 AM

4 mile walk and an hours circuit training last night.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 02:53 AM

I love the flavour of air popped corn with nothing on it so long as it is hot and fresh. In the UK they serve sweet popcorn in the cinemas. And it is cold. No hot buttered popcorn here.

Booooo!

Had a rough night again. Palpitations twice. But I was able to fall right back to sleep instead of wandering around the flat. Feel pretty tired today. But it is a good tired. Like I did good hard work, kind oftired and the I am ill kind of tired.

Hope I can stay awake at work today.

Shopping this evening, so I hope I have something left over for this evening either work or exercise wise.

This damned rash on my shins is annoying.   Itchy only in the evening. Started as little pinprick blisters last Wednesday. Now they are bright red and some are getting bigger. Spreading to calves.

Started 2 days before new meds, no new foods, detergents, or body care products have been introduced.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 12:50 AM

AND the air popped junk! It needs oil to taste best. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 12:50 AM

Sounds like a fascinating story, Mary! And yes, an organized filing system is a valuable tool. Good for you!

I made a pan of popcorn for myself and the kid this evening. I haven't in a long time, and there is simply no better popcorn than that popped on a stove in a metal pan with a good lid at a bit of an angle. You can keep all of that microwave junk.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Maryrrf
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 08:38 PM

I need to start decluttering and getting fit too. My younger son was home for a few days between trips (he just got back from Africa where he was an intern at the West Africa Trade Hub, and is headed to Chile to visit his dad, then plans to settle for a while in Massachusetts where his girl friend lives...but that's another story). He helped me get started sorting through old pictures, so I need to continue that. Also need to organize CDs, and have gotten together a lot of clothes that will go to Goodwill. But we've had so much snow, and more is forecast - so it may be a couple of weeks. I go through spurts where I'm pretty good about going to the gym, but then things get busy and I slack off. I've slacked off for a couple of weeks - er..almost a month really. Must make a committment to go at least three times a week. Here's a good thing to report - a couple of months ago I organized my papers and documents and put everything in file boxes, with labeled. So, when Tom needed some documents I was able to put my hands on them right away. I was really glad I'd done it. Now I have to make sure I maintain the system.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 06:02 PM

If you wait too long between meals you'll feel your blood sugar go low and end up snacking on something you shouldn't. Stop and eat even if you don't feel really hungry.

Am ready to change insurance companies. All research done. Yes!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 03:06 PM

Penny's deal with gardening neighbour reminds me of a BBC4 radio comedy I heard some years ago. Several elderly neighbours in row houses combined gardens and had cellar food canning enterprise to supplement their retirement income. Neighbour in the middle passed away and the house and attendant garden went up for sale. And the others were looking at being caught earning income they were not reporting.

Something like that.

I am a really low dose of the amitryptiline. I am sleeping better and hence had loads of energy today.

All of the ironing is done and I bounced around and danced while doing it. 2 sheets, 4 pillow cases, one duvet cover, 2 pairs of TSO trousers, 2 pairs of my slacks, 10 TSO shirts, 4 of my tops, one pair of my white cotton PJs.   About to put fresh sheets on the bed and have a shower. Can't wait to get into those fresh PJs and snuggle into fresh sheets.

It got to 4:38 pm and I noticed it was still quite light outside. WHOOHOOT!

Oh! Only 1 peanut better toast, banana and 2 clementines fo breakfanst and fresh fruit, raw veg and orange juice for lunch. Still have not had dinner. Too busy and did not feel hungry until now. It is now 8:04 pm.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 02:30 PM

I can see the wood top of my computer desk. Looks pretty good!

Sounds like you got lucky with that neighbor, Penny! A gardener, and a cooperative one! That sounds ideal! And I love the idea of reshaping the space and making raised beds. I always use the local rocks, bricks, etc, when I work on a place. I have tons of bricks and limestone that the previous owners dumped in the far back end of the yard after a structure was taken off of the front of the house. I've gradually rearranged those rocks and bricks, and this year will be the year I build a low wall in the front yard next to the berm I've been building for a while (to keep traffic from leaving the street and hitting the house, should someone run the sign at the intersection out front).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 02:15 PM

So... I need to re-configure my annual workout season/plan to reflect that in the SAD season, I AM gonna sleep a lot, recharge, nest, work on my house, work on aquatics materials, etc., and enjoy the offseason with some periodic evening pool trips with Hardi. And get back to the crazy-running laundry/kitchen routine in the winter that work so well during hockey games. I need to stop trying harder to do what does not make sense to do at this time of year, and DO what DOES make sense.

Winter-- clean closets, do spring cleaning in the kitchen, etc.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Penny S.
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 12:26 PM

The fence is high enough for the bikes, when I'm downstairs! And the neighbour is working on having a better place to store them - he was evicted from the place they were before. As he is a gardener, you can imagine it's not quite what he wants. We are actually going to work together on removing some vegetation - a thick stemmed ivy which is rooted on his side, but twines up mine and turns tree-like at the top, over both of us.

There's a lot of flagstones - more than half the garden is paved, but I'm going to use some of them on edge to border raised beds - I'll have to get some topsoil in. The problem there is that I will either have to drag it through the house, or wheel it a long way round to the back (unbolting first, of course.)

I'll try and post some piccies somewhere, now I can.

(I was trying to update my security stuff - the Antivirus was at 41% when I started this. It is now back at 5%. I'm packing up and going home.)

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 11:34 AM

A big thanks to amitryptiline, thanks to which I have put back TOO MANY pounds. That stuff gives great sleep-- but also all-day hunger and sloth!

The whole house looks depressededly cluttered-- isn't it funny that it's an ANTI-depressant, yet it makes me not actually give a sh*t about anything!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 10:25 AM

My goal for this month is to fill my body with lots of good nutrition and to get in at least 64 ounces of water each day so that I can face chemo with the odds in my favor.

My goal for taking care of our home is to slowly build back to being able to handle all of my chores on my own. In the meantime, I'm thankful for my husband who is taking on both of our chores and who is taking good care of me...YAY PETE!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: GUEST,LTS on the sofa
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 10:20 AM

Decluttered more money from the account today... recluttered Limpit's room with more clothes. At least I got her something she likes.

Had a shopping expotition today, coupled with some vital bank business, was out for a total of 4 hours (2 of which were sitting in the bank or Costa Fortune cafe) and I'm absolutely wiped... decluttering the computer room (remember all that fabric I was sorting last month?!) will have to wait til tomorrow. Or Wednesday....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 10:08 AM

Penny, it's always exciting to move into a new house and make that space yours, isn't it? I hope you'll post photos (do you use Picasa or Flickr or something?). I'd love to see what mirrors in the garden look like, and I'm sure between us we can make suggestions for the garden latch. Is this the house where they concealed the unsightly motorcycles next door (or something comparable?) Have you thought about your plantings to continue the barrier?

Phones are easy to wire, as long as the space is navigable to run the wiring. They have all of these components you can use (Leviton is the company who makes the ones I use here). Follow the color code on the wire, if you have the same kind of wiring.

Swimming is a great exercise for anyone, not just the disabled, but it is something a lot of us don't think about. I have access to a pool and a health plan on campus, but I don't have the time so far. When I'm not doing the kid running around I may go ahead and start going over two or three days a week.

To the office today, and then back home in time to pick up my son early at school. He has an interview with a college person.

SRS

Grumble grumble. . . Mudcat isn't letting me post, I had to open a new browser.

Subject: RE: BS: Healthy Feb-2010 Declutter & Fitness
From: Penny S.
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 08:18 AM

Broadband now working.

I hope you can find a decent pool. My local one has free parking but £3 entry, even for pensioners. And then there's the health club... not.

Penny