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FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux
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Subject: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 31 Dec 21 - 06:02 PM I ended the last thread with a screed about 2021. Rather than start this new year with all of that negative energy, I split the post between these two threads. Here is the last thread, coded to appear in descending order. Fitness in the title comes first this year, and it needs to come first this year for me. Over the course of the pandemic I've become much better at exercising at home now, using the Hinge Health app (paid for by insurance), and with this development I may go ahead and add the Silver Sneakers exercises as well. I started the Hinge program during the summer and they have you step up the exercises for the first few months. I am up to their full 15 minutes a day routine. I enjoy going to the gym, but COVID has made that feel like a reckless move, and while 15 minutes a day doesn't sound like a lot, it's a lot better than not doing anything. I'm not good at setting resolutions and following through; in fact, setting a resolution pretty much confirms that I won't do it just because of what it is. So I'm not an expert at inspiring others in this; I am inspired when people who have been lurking drop in to share their news of making a decision to clear out the extra and then go ahead and do it. They don't spend time telling us about it, just report at the end. I know that for Katlaughing, who was the originator of these threads, it started out as a process for her, but as her health failed, she stuck around for the camaraderie. It's a mix of that for most of the regulars here, and we are always happy to have new stories and descriptions of challenges come along. For many people, 2021 was huge self-inflicted wound. Many of the problems we are seeing now, the stresses on the health care system, are the result of that lack of care (and lack of sharing resources) for the world around. Hospitalized cases of COVID are about 90% unvaccinated. People who are fully vaccinated and boosted are also getting sick, though generally not as bad. What to do this new year? For now - I will stay home. 2022 will probably be best served by each of us making a list, a serious list heavily-weighted toward things that we want to accomplish in our homes that require little or no shopping or outside assistance. Finish old projects. Everyone needs to hunker down in place for a few weeks and avoid Omicron. What projects will you do? Mine will be two-fold - to start listing lots of items on eBay, and to do more sewing. I now have two holiday gifts and a bunch of masks to make. On nice days I'll finally start digging the hole and setting the post for the gate I want to install next to the garage. I have the posts, the concrete and the gate, and can order the hardware online and have it shipped. Stay healthy and be happy this year. More than ever this will be a personal project we each have to map out for ourselves. I look forward to reading each of your plans for this venture. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 31 Dec 21 - 10:36 PM The new year comes in with a bang (fireworks outside, never mind they're not legal) and a minor cooking miscalculation leading to a smoky house—I'm going to do my exercises, close the doors, and head to bed. Pepper is wearing her thunder shirt and has been hunkered down in the hall outside the bedrooms. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 01 Jan 22 - 09:57 AM The big-ass microwave left the building yesterday; straining every muscle and sinew, I hauled it up the basement stairs and out to the car. At Habitat for Humanity, it was greeted with glad cries and eager hands, and I drove away feeling substantially relieved. I weighed myself this morning and found that — despite all the booze and sweeties I could consume without making myself sick — I gained less than a kilo over Christmas. New Year’s Eve was spent cooking, and this morning I put two litres of jellied beef stock and four litres of ham-and-bean soup in the freezer. It’s grey and damp today in Stratford, with very little snow on the ground and none in the forecast. Everything is closed except the emergency pharmacy and one gas station. I think I’ll clean the bathroom and spend the rest of the day reading. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Mrrzy Date: 01 Jan 22 - 11:17 AM I somehow lost another 3 kg since August. I am not looking for them. I am, however, looking for the purple leather glove I dropped. I still have its mate... stole the pair from my mom in my college years. Google is not helping me replace them. Bought some presents but kept most of'm for me. Sevetal stuffed animals originally intended for various babies, notably. Oh, wait, *de*clutter. Oops! |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 Jan 22 - 01:19 PM I need to put a new battery in my electronic scale, I haven't used it in quite a while. The news won't be good if I do, but I have been making a diet shift in the last couple of months that should eventually show up. I'm making a concerted effort to have different colors of vegetables and fruits in my diet; not just green salads or broccoli, but red beets, oranges, yellow squash, etc. Broccoli is a good green, but so are asparagus and zucchini, etc. - getting different plant families in there. This has been suggested in the health notes part of my Hinge exercise program, and also turns up in places like the little Consumer Reports health book they send out to subscribers. Making this a personal goal was capped off after hearing a local NPR radio interview program with a science writer for Harvard and other places of note. Mark Schatzker's book is The End of Craving: Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well, in which "craving" was a good thing - it was your body telling you it needed something. Processed food, with so many vitamins added (a long-standing practice in things like milk and breakfast cereal, going back to before WWII) it short-circuits our own sense of what we might really need. I've taken several of the supplements out of my daily routine, so when shopping and the asparagus or the onions really appeal to me, I buy them to use. Spinach is something I'm eating more of because it really appeals to me. This process also means that getting off of sugar addiction, off of daily alcohol, etc., is important, because they become part of our routine and can be an unhealthy craving. Michael Pollan has been writing about this for years, and there are other authors out there who have been whistling in the wilderness. It took realizing that dietary supplements were a culprit to help me shift my practices. I took a core of basic supplements, C, A, E, etc., but would never touch a product like those "Balance of Nature" things advertised on AM radio that are "a full day's supply of fruits and vegetables" in their doses (those are probably are going to kill people.) I'm surprised the FDA hasn't shut them down by now. This isn't something that is a new year resolution, I've been working on this for several months and plan to continue with it. Good job with the microwave donation, Charmion! They will find a good home (and perhaps on a counter or rolling cart so moving it won't continue to be an Olympic event)! The box I took to UPS yesterday was 16 pounds, it had a cast iron pot and lid. It cleared a couple of square feet of space in the front room, and now that my dining table is emptied (I put away the ornament boxes) I can use it to stage a few more items to list this week. The photo cube is in the front room but I can put the boxes and packing material in the den. Especially for the first couple of weeks when I'll isolate here to avoid Omicron, there will be no social occasion requiring a large table top. (A good note - so far my elderly friend and her son who were exposed to the daughter/sister's COVID have tested negative.) |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 01 Jan 22 - 06:57 PM Dupont: Grey and damp here today also. And was lightly drizzling when R went out after BF to de-clutter the back yard of the fallen tree. Now, the den is cluttered with several large piles of damp wood! (NOT on the wood floor!) At least a week's supply. And he enjoyed doing it! Pineapple buckwheat cakes for BF were great - unlike the pumpkin buckwheat ones yesterday which I shall snack on until they are gone! A new veggie stew is going well and we have almost finished the turkey! I have put off the pork roast until tomorrow when the planned overs are down to a lower roar. I seem to be improving; it does help that R was home parts of a couple days and in a better state, making a serious effort to help me find a way to cope with "no life at all!" The days are getting longer. I am concluding that omicron is probably here to stay and I will have to deal with it. But I will never be safe. The chronic cough which I thought I was controlling chose today to become incessant - though it has stopped for a little while. My #1 son finally phoned yesterday - instead of a little kid crying because mom was gone too long, mom was on the verge of crying because "you always phone on Christmas". They had a great Christmas with family in WA and I missed it/miss family. They are visiting friends who are like family in BC next week and I could not even bother going to the Ile today on such a drismal day - maybe tomorrow... Work is commencing on their new home and my #2 GD is visiting soon with #3 GGD and #4 (in the oven). The anti-vax GD is also an angry woman so a therapeutic environment is planned. I spent a long time today looking for a "tempo" sort of shed for the back deck - the right size was daunting but I found two possibilities; we have to wait until the stores open on Monday to see if one is actually available. The goal is to put the wood in it and still be able to walk from back door to back steps (12 feet) but not block the window and not be where the ice came crashing down last year. That's the way the world goes round, up one day, the next your down.... The plants are my therapy; each tiny blossom is greeted with delight. That I have some blue lobelia blooming in a geranium pot gives me joy. I looked longingly at an older G. Pyrenees on line. Too many hoops! Just as well. I guess that is a clutter of the nth degree! ... |
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Subject: RE: De-clutter & Fitness in a Pandemic: 2021 From: keberoxu Date: 01 Jan 22 - 08:38 PM In the week between Christmas and New Year's, the de-cluttering which I had put off for a long time, meant I had to book round-trip plane flights for the first time since before the lockdown (heck, it might have been 2019 the last time I got on a plane). Believe me, the airlines are between a rock and a hard place. The airport terminals are understaffed. Such flights, as are not cancelled, have got enough staff per flight, but of course everybody dreads being crammed close together in a tin can! When the departing flight starts the instructions to the passengers, along with all the other details about flotation devices and oxygen masks, they instruct you, when you eat a snack or a drink or a meal, to take the extra precaution of slapping the facemask back onto your nose and mouth IN BETWEEN bites and sips. Being after Christmas, there was no way to social-distance onboard as those flights were booked to capacity. I was very very careful indeed. Feeling well enough now. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 Jan 22 - 10:11 PM Dorothy, I moved several plants into the greenhouse this evening after setting up the heater. There were a few plants out there since late November that were protected enough just by being indoors, until tonight. Those put in now might not make it through a 21o night. This has been a strange winter - the last couple of weeks have had days topping out at about 80o. This evening one of my homemade pizza crusts was thawed, cut in half, and I made a great holiday dinner of sausage pizza (with onions and peppers) and asparagus on the side. The dogs have a good nose for vegetables that they get to share, so were there beside the table waiting patiently for the bottom parts of the asparagus (I break them before I drop the tops and bottoms into boiling water, then I eat the tender tops and let the dogs have the tougher bottoms of each stalk). Usually the night after the holiday is kind of noisy, as the neighborhood hoodlums use up the rest of their fireworks, but tonight it's really cold out there so said hoodlums are indoors for now, making it a pleasant holiday for us. Last night was incredibly noisy and completely miserable for Pepper. This afternoon I watched cheesy old Japanese monster films (Raymond Burr narrating a story of Godzilla, etc.) and did some picking up and laundry. The kitchen is looking better. The xmas lights that were out front were taken down, two strings rolled onto a holder, one string into the e-waste recycle bag (with a big chunk of lights burned out and no real way to fix them). I have boxes of unused lights I've bought on sale that I can use next year. But will I remember before I buy more light strings? I've bought lights two years in a row that I didn't use, so I probably will remember next December. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 02 Jan 22 - 08:36 AM Snowing in Stratford, and finally cold enough for it to hang around a while. Around here, people leave their holiday lights up most of the winter; it’s just too miserable a job to take them down when the wind chill is doing minus lots and lots. I have two measly strands wound around my stupid little mulberry tree, so I’ll just take in the extension cord and tuck the proximal end of the lowest strand out of harm’s way until we have another snow-clearing thaw. The cats murdered another mouse in the small hours of the night and left the corpus delicti in the middle of the bedroom rug, a Kirman that provides excellent camouflage. Having narrowly avoided stepping on it, I consigned it to the organic waste bin with a decision that, on the whole, the cats are earning their keep. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Dorothy Parshall Date: 02 Jan 22 - 10:25 AM Dupont: Beautiful snow falling! About 6 inches so far; -8C - not too bad. We may go to the Ile later if I feel the roads are ok. Told R I will not make BF until he chooses to appear. (Already 10am) Having a muffin for my BF but will need more soon. I love watching the snow fall. The back deck, of course, is lacking that "tent" we are hoping to acquire and R did not remove the wicker chair to the garage... He will later. It sat on deck all last winter but he seems to be taking more of an interest in home things. Fire in wood stove. Cosy. Last eve we watched old episodes of Dragon's Den - all eve! Fri, we watched several episodes of Escape to the Country. Whatever this is that #2 son installed for me when he was here (2 years ago), has been a great help, when I am far enough out of the doldrums to remember to use it. Popcorn as a pre-bedtime "snack" continues to be terrific - no nocturnal visits and less coughing in the night. No snowplow yet. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 Jan 22 - 03:42 PM A favorite zipper fleece jacket is wearing out fast, but much of the problem is just that it needs new elastic. I think if I replace it in the bottom hem and the sleeves, it'll have a lot more life in it, even if it's just for wearing around the house like today. And it's great for taking a nap - if I lie on the recliner I can pull the over-size black fleece-lined hood down over my eyes and it's perfect. Into the sewing room it goes. Better this, because chances are good that if I bought a new fleece zipper hoodie, I'd have two of them, not being able to toss this one yet. Sunny but cold, and I see I have to replace the batteries in my outside sensors for a couple of thermometers (both were gifts, and were deployed in different ways around the yard and garage.) And another battery needs checking soon - the SUV. One reason for backing into the garage is that if it needs work, just open the garage door and pop the hood, its facing the correct direction. Over the years I've had a number of AAA service calls for a dead battery in cold weather. Though I actually back in here mostly because I live at a 3-way intersection and exiting is easier this way, it's also easier for a service tech to jump the battery and then for me to drive to (used to be Sears, now it's Costco or the Nissan dealer) to get a new battery. I'm hoping to get another year on this battery before that happens. Dorothy, understood about the plants! I didn't pick one last crop yesterday and looked out on the garden spot to see my Swiss chard drooping. But since it hadn't thawed yet I took scissors out to cut it all, then trimmed and popped it into a pot with a steamer basket. You can freeze chard before cooking (though usually you would blanch it first), so I figure this is ok. I wouldn't wait until the day got warmer and do that, there was a very narrow window of opportunity to save this (and it's a pretty red stem - another color in my vegetable rainbow diet!) |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 03 Jan 22 - 07:08 AM Stilly - re the lights, try making a Note to Self on your Nov/December calendar to remind you about your surplus of lights. I was visiting my neighbour who has a lot more space than me, not just by having 2 bedrooms to my one, but by not having collections, sigh, or mess - another sigh ... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: pattyClink Date: 03 Jan 22 - 12:12 PM SRS, good thoughts on getting our nutritional house in order. It is a good time to take stock and set new plans in motion, in all aspects of life. I don't have them clarified yet. But I have had great success in the past with striving for the 5-10 servings of fruit and veg in a day. I saw an infographic that divided them into color 'families': reds, blue/purples, greens, whites, yellow/orange. If you try to get 1-2 of each group in a day, you're getting a wide range of micronutrients. If I do that, I feel better and have much less trouble getting weight off. And it's more fun to focus on what to eat, letting the bad stuff get crowded off the board, rather than focusing on no-nos. I routinely just stand in the produce area and look at the colors I am collecting, to be sure I have the right stuff on hand to try to get in 5 different colors in a day. Sometimes that spurs you to try different things and work with the seasons. And it helps to not be shy about just buying one or two of something, or pulling one small bunch of grapes out of those giant sacks they want you to buy. Of course SRS has a pantry of home-grown stuff to lean on, but I am stuck with what is in stores and fruit stands. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 Jan 22 - 12:23 PM Good tip, Sandra! Patty, if you're still in the RV that's quite a challenge to buy just enough so you have a couple of meals out but don't have more than will fit in the fridge. Do you keep an extra cooler handy for overflow? I have a mix of frozen stuff (I buy strawberries and blueberries in bulk at one grocery and freeze them), fresh (lots of greens, yellows, and a couple of reds), and the pantry is mostly red and green (tomatoes, relish, pickles, okra, etc.) I started this exercise a couple of months ago, so it isn't a resolution that I would tire of quickly. Somehow (dog managed, I think) a painted Mexican carved fish that I've had for 40 years was dislodged from a low shelf, landed on the floor and said dog chewed off much of the upper caudal fin. Now what to do with it? Toss it, or find some use that doesn't show the wounded tail? (Said dog got a scold when I found it!) Declutter by dog - another method in my toolkit. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 03 Jan 22 - 03:32 PM Today I am learning to schedule and host meetings on Zoom. I did not want to learn any more about Zoom than I knew already, but now things are different and I have to. Why are things different? Because the Omicron variant is surging in Ontario, and we're back in modified lockdown, that's why. As of midnight Tuesday, restaurants are limited to take-out again, gyms and schools are closed, and all kinds of other things are so inconvenient that one feels better off just doing without. Crap. I think I'll make myself a nice cup of tea. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 03 Jan 22 - 04:26 PM Omicron is surging here, too & with right wing pro-business National & state governments, we are in a mess. Our Prime Minister is famous for saying he "doesn't hold a hose, mate" in the middle of our 2019/20 bushfire season when he took his family to Hawaii for a promised holiday (he lied about his destination & was forced to come back early!) Cartoonists & satirists have added to the list of things he doesn't hold - including timely vaccine supplies, leading to the 2021 Word of the Year - Strollout. Rapid antigen tests will continue to be paid for even tho he made an off the cuff remark that some people can't afford them - but businesses have to be protected - even tho some are selling individual tests for far more than the kit price, Jan 3 cartoon In my state 20,794 new cases were reported yesterday from 96,765 official tests - a positivity rate of more than 21 per cent. Health workers are burnt out but the Premier says "our state is standing strong". Festivals have been cancelled, & fans & businesses are voting with their feet at a large regional Country music festival - accommodation bookings are cancelled, venues cancel live music, but the Festival goes on ... My fingers are crossed for festivals later in the year. sandra (masked, socially distanced & sanitised) - my new signature |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: pattyClink Date: 03 Jan 22 - 04:45 PM The chewed fish might make a cute addition to a Beware Of Dog sign! I've got a fairly huge (6 cubic feet) fridge. I just am determined to not waste food, so try to get just what I will use. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: JennieG Date: 03 Jan 22 - 08:07 PM Would the chewed fish work as an ornamental addition to a potted plant? The large regional country music festival is in my town, and we will miss the music. It's not all "Yee-har!"; some music appeals to us and some doesn't, so we pick and choose which concerts to attend. I am noticing, however, a certain note of paranoia creeping into news reports, which is why I don't read or watch them. We're not actively trying to get sick - heaven forbid - but we're certainly not wiping down and sanitising everything we own or touch, and we're not throwing up our hands in horror at the number of cases either. After all.....what is done, cannot be undone. Himself does the shopping, I stay home and sew and play music. I am having a lovely time in my sewing room. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 Jan 22 - 09:15 PM Today I talked my ex into getting a COVID test - he has complained about sinuses and congestion for a couple of weeks now, and if he's not going to treat his allergies with things like a 24-hour tablet (I use Zyrtec) because he "doesn't like long-lasting pills" then he needs to use some other way to determine if his stuffiness is from allergies or COVID. The symptoms of COVID (Omicron) for those who are vaccinated and boosted are milder, with some of his symptoms as part of it. He drove by and I handed out a box with two rapid tests and he has the PCR test scheduled on the weekend. I have another box of tests arriving any day now (but they don't come as fast as other Amazon sales - the vendors seem to have a backlog, not surprisingly). I'm not washing things that come into the house any more, but any time I go into a store, the post office, etc., I use hand sanitizer when I return to the car. I wear the mask. And for now, I'm not going into any businesses if I can avoid it. I need to get some dog food later in the week so I'll order online and do curbside pickup. It's a tough week here as we some up to the 1-year anniversary of the attempted overthrow of the U.S. Capitol. Politics and Pandemic are keeping our attention. It's time to escape into some good movies or an audiobook. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Jan 22 - 12:29 PM The calendar alert for my normal scanning appointment went off this morning, and while I'll leave those alerts in place to remind me of what day of the week it is, I'm not going anywhere with other people. I need to walk the dogs and this afternoon is forecast to be nice. Staying home for now means I have no excuse for not getting a few things finished that are on my list. Researching my prescription insurance, sewing projects, some work in the yard. Listing on eBay. They're all staring me in the face this week. U.S. reports over 1 million new daily Covid cases as omicron surges
Unlike 2020, when there was a curfew and there were rules about masks and going into public places, there is an opaque "Declaration of Local Disaster due to Public Health Emergency" in my county. No idea what it's about. This is apparently the ninth iteration of the document. One of the "Whereas's" includes "These measures include isolation, surveillance, quarantine, or placement of persons under public health observation, including the provision of temporary housing or emergency shelters for persons misplaced or evacuated." I'm not hearing about any of that happening now, but the county health officials have been putting out as many testing and vaccination stations as they can. That latest declaration is in effect until March 1 of this year. Hopefully by then Omicron will have subsided (but will it be replaced by something?) So I'm at home. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Donuel Date: 04 Jan 22 - 12:53 PM To prepare for possible power outage I made 2 gallons of vegetable beef soup that turned out great. Generators are on standby, devices charged but the unknowns are more clever than me. I watched a comic drama called 'Don't look up' on Netflix which is very timely. While many are without food fuel water and very frightened, we are in good shape. As for books I am finishing Mel Brooks latest lunch money submission on kindle. I am organizing an ebay sale of collectable toys called micro machines that made over a grand last time and should clear several grand for these 30 year old factory sealed toys. I knew the Gallob licensing executive in Florida and now even have the original wholesale catalogs that are the holy grail among collectors. Because several people are trying to corner the mico market, a sale is assured. The heavy 1:18 scale collection is not as desired. I don't know about the 'Cars' collection that includes all the signatures of the voice over actors at the original cast party like Jay Leno, Sharon Stone, James Taylor... Why toy collections? They are more fun than Widget Stocks. I hope to turn toys into a custom made cello from String Works in the USA. They are very accomodating with luthiers who are flexible and open minded. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Jan 22 - 02:20 PM Over the years I've read (often here at Mudcat) about the solid quality of some of the older receivers compared to what is produced today. And in general, they go for a nice price on eBay if they work or if you sell them "for parts or repair." Finding them is the trick, and getting them into the hands of those who do the repairs means some profit for me and probably a lot more profit for them (after they add the value of the repair). I find (online) and include the owners manual and usually find the remote control, if there was one (they're all sold on eBay). There are other smaller things also. You have to stick with what you know there is a market for. The beauty of smart phones is that while in a thrift store or at an estate sale you can look up and item and find if there is a reasonable market for it. I was watching one of those cable house remodeling programs this weekend and cringed when they took a nice antique brass chandelier and painted it chartreuse. Yuck. But someone probably sold it to them and made some money doing it. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Donuel Date: 04 Jan 22 - 05:05 PM Take a toy out of the original packaging and it can lose 90% of its value. wierd A Mississippi couple have a show my wife watches about their house makeovers. She watches it like I watch old STNG. My handyman skills pale in comparison but I can grout. In fact "I am groot." |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Jan 22 - 09:52 PM Yes, that's probably the same program, set in Laurel, Mississippi. They're a cute couple who work well together. That town, like Waco, TX, with the Magnolia folks, is getting a house-by-house makeover. With the new year I'm trying to put some things into use around here. Case in point, a smart bulb that was free with something else I bought but never added to the network. I already have one smart bulb in the kitchen, this one is in the den, but I'm having trouble naming it so that Alexa can find it. I can use my phone to turn them on and off, but Alexa is easier. In the last week there were too many things sitting out on the kitchen peninsula, resulting in accidentally leaving a couple of containers with food out overnight that had to be tossed into the compost. So I've cleared off the counter. An ongoing task, clearing horizontal surfaces. Running the dishwasher and the laundry, ok for now, and waiting for Amazon to deliver the foaming root killer that I need to run down the drain every couple of months to prevent another backup like I had last month. I've seen that image but never actually heard of a "groot." Lots of views on that clip, so apparently I'm in the minority. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 Jan 22 - 11:42 AM Today is our last sunny day before a sequence of cold descends from the upper Midwest, so I'll go scoop the leaves from the street gutter and drop them onto the lawn to mulch in. There will be more leaves, this is the first of two or three such operations during the winter. Hospitals in regions of Texas are at 100% capacity in their ICU units; the next step is triage. Day five of the New Year and of staying home is involving phone calls to friends for a social boost each day. My radio plays public radio, and right now the administrator (the Tarrant County Court at Law Judge who is elected and who isn't really a judge) of my county is on the radio saying that the governor has taken away the county's ability to act, the governor is calling the shots (and he doesn't believe in closing down or restricting activity for COVID, etc.) so the judge can't close businesses, call a curfew, curtail school activities, etc. "Trust your physicians, quit reading some of this crap on the Internet" he says. 34% of COVID tests in Texas are coming back positive during this Omicron surge. That is HUGE. I need an excuse to turn on and drive the SUV to keep things running, so I can take some recycling over to the village bins (outdoors, not monitored) and take a drive past the outdoor donation spot for Goodwill (set the bag into the canvas collection rolling hamper thing with no contact). The last time I left it parked for days on end I ended up with wasps nests underneath making it sound odd until the mud dropped off. No mud daubers this time of year, but still, it needs to run about once a week. Did I mention the set of jersey (t-shirt) sheets that I've decided to donate? I don't use them often, they feel good when first put on the bed, but they're so stretchy that it's almost impossible to get in and out of bed without a struggle and the blankets bunch up too much. These sheets stay in the linen cupboard until I decide to give them another try, and am reminded again why I don't really like them. They've been laundered and to Goodwill they go, with some twine around the set and a note indicating the size. Good luck in their next home. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Mrrzy Date: 05 Jan 22 - 01:04 PM Well, day 3 of outage means I am going to deepclean my fridge when the power comes back on! |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 Jan 22 - 03:12 PM I had to do that last year. I tried not to open the freezer so at least things were still very cold and could be cooked and used. Is your outage weather related? |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Donuel Date: 05 Jan 22 - 06:31 PM The heaviest snow in 7 years. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Jon Freeman Date: 06 Jan 22 - 08:45 AM "Take a toy out of the original packaging and it can lose 90% of its value. wierd" Seems a shame to me and I don't see the point in a toy you can't play with. I got a couple of steam engines (Mammod traction engine and Wilesco steam roller) a few years back and I read of collectors having them never used but the fun to me is that you can (even if only occasionally in my case) fire them up and see them working. I got one of my brothers a toy for Christmas btw. Some Fishertechnik - this tractor kit. It's great stuff. Tim, who had a set or two back in the 70s, said it was a great "blast from the past", was reminded of how he enjoyed playing with it and that he had fun making the models this Christmas. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Jan 22 - 12:56 PM Nostalgia has a price, and it's much higher if the toy you want to buy has never actually been played with! Toy sellers probably make a killing with all of the toys bought and put on a shelf to collect dust. My kids had Beanie Babies and kept the tags and played gently with them; good thing they enjoyed them as toys because the bottom eventually fell out of that artificial collecting marketplace. When selling family antiques on eBay it's clear that there are target audiences for some things. I had an interesting bulky Bakelite-case hearing aid (with the box and the instructions and the advertising brochure) that was purchased by a physician who probably did audiology for a living. I still have stuff around here that my kids probably need to revisit to see if there is anything they'd like now that they're adults. My home isn't a museum, so I'm glad to look closely at most of this then pass it along to someone's collection. Breakfast this morning looked more like a lunch or dinner, but it's part of my healthier eating program I started last fall. A Bartlett pear, a medallion of sweet potato, and two homemade rolls with a small patty of sausage each. The colors of the plant part and the protein of the meat part with a bit of a bread. No dairy this time, but most of these have some calcium in the nutrient list. We're into cold weather now so I'll start setting up the little crock pot for my overnight oatmeal (with dates). Then I'll eat that with milk and fruit on the side. Since I reduced the amount of supplements in my diet I was sometimes getting leg cramps when exercising, but by paying more attention to the variety of colors in the foods in my diet that is clearing up. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Jan 22 - 11:58 AM My sister is a fan of the stretch/exercise program called Essentrics by Canadian ballerina and fitness guru Miranda Esmonde-White. I found it on one of the second string PBS stations this week, various broadcast times, and catching it again last night realize they play the same episode all week. That said, this is the first time in ages I've wished for a DVR to catch these programs and build up a backlog. (I have a virtual DVR on Sling TV, but they don't broadcast any of the PBS channels that I could record.) Each year's set of exercise broadcasts comes in just north of $50, a monthly subscription is about $16 with access to all broadcasts ("cheaper than a gym" says my sister). She doesn't know that the gym I go to is paid for by Silver Sneakers (it's a big full-service gym, so that is a nice benefit). #Frugal I have lots of options - Silver Sneakers is the big one, offered through my insurance. Hinge Health I've used for months, it's a phone app. For now I'm cobbling together routines that are free (broadcast TV, insurance, retiree benefits, etc.). The gym isn't a safe choice for now, but walking and gardening are a usual routine. Another freeze overnight, followed by a sparkling bright day. There's a little hyacinth bulb on my kitchen windowsill to perk up the new year mornings (it's only a couple of inches tall so far, no sign of what color the flowers will be.) There are daffodils sprouting in the front yard (also just leaves, no sign of the flowers yet). The daytime temperatures will be in the 60s most of the week. I had a bowl of hot oatmeal from my little 1-quart crockpot - when it cooks overnight it's super creamy and the dates are soft and caramelized (this pot makes enough for four breakfasts that reheat in the microwave). Welcome to winter in Texas. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 07 Jan 22 - 01:05 PM Crisp and cold in Stratford, with bright sunshine today. Normal winter weather for southwestern Ontario. One of the cardinals resident in my hedge gave me a rousing performance of his slide-whistle impression this morning, so I know all is well in his little world. Not so much for me. On Tuesday, I had a car accident in which I T-boned a perfectly innocent Ford in broad daylight, the result of failing to stop at a red light. In something like 45 years of driving, I have never done anything like that before; in fact, I’ve never had so much as a speeding ticket. I hit the Ford on the passenger side and I was in third gear, doing about 45 kph, so the poor driver was flung against the door. She was properly belted in, and suffered only bruising. The passenger side of her car was all stove in. My car is probably a write-off because its air-bags deployed, and I spent several hours in the emergency room being investigated for a lot of things it never occurred to me to worry about. The air-bag hit my hands, so they look as if I had punched somebody’s lights out. Apart from that, I’m physically fine. Mentally, I’m still badly rattled. The police constable was downright sweet to me, which I did not expect and remain very grateful for. I guess it helped that I accepted responsibility and expressed remorse as soon as she told me what I had done. She gave me a ticket for running the light but did not charge me with anything else. The insurance people are efficient and kind, as well. I have a rental car until they decide whether my poor VW is toast. Doing without a car is not an option as long as I live in this house; the nearest supermarket is four kilometres away. So life goes on, as it does. I need milk and veg, so I have to crawl out of my hole whether I want to or not. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 07 Jan 22 - 01:25 PM Sometimes it's just plain your fault and denial is useless. This end, even if you're bang to rights, insurance companies don't like it if they hear that you've admitted liability on the spot. I got into hot water on one occasion when I'd done just that. It was OK in the end, thankfully. I can't remember now which of my rather numerous accidents it was, but they've all been minor, thank goodness! It's always a nasty thing to happen, so keep yer pecker up and take it easy for a bit. I find that evening access to a corkscrew can help... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Jan 22 - 02:46 PM I'm so sorry! Your great little VW! Several years ago I missed taking my turn properly at an intersection that was broken and was blinking red all directions. I was t-boned, rear seat on my side, low speed, but being out of turn, it was on me. I don't think I said anything at the time, just took photos, exchanged information, and a police officer made notes and had the other car towed. No ticket. I got a new (to me) vehicle shortly after learning my unibody SUV was totaled. The difference in how you're treated can be in the insurance company you have - I use a very polite insurance company. They raised my rates for several years, but I am back in good standing with them. You might want to have those groceries delivered. Every muscle is going to be stiff for a few days, and getting into a car (rental or other) and driving may be difficult at first. You'll revisit the accident - wondering how you missed that light? Don't beat yourself up - accidents happen. There were probably factors involved that you can conclude contributed to missing the light. Was the sun in your eyes? Did you look at the radio for a moment? These are things that can be corrected. I had a passenger and turned my head just long enough to not realize I was following another vehicle when I should have stopped. I try to be all the more careful, and taking the defensive driving course really again helped. Understanding that you did a great job in the past (and will again) also does help. The worst of 2022 is over. The rest of the year will be much better! I queried Google about actuarial figures on driving accidents and came up with this from Quora: So if you got your license at age 16, the odds are quite good that you’ll experience some kind of crash by the time you’re 34, at the latest. Over the course of a typical long, driving lifetime, you should have a total of three to four accidents. You've already beat the odds on your first accident, so you'll do fine for the rest of your driving life. ❤ |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: keberoxu Date: 07 Jan 22 - 04:33 PM When I was in the accident that totaled my car years ago, I was not at all at fault. It still scares the bejeebers out of you, AND one hates losing one's car. I still mourn for that car, I was partial to it. And they don't make 'em like that model any more either. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 07 Jan 22 - 05:24 PM I got my licence late as I was a nervous driver & only drove for 3 years, short trips only as driving also tired me. I (slightly) bumped into the car in front in my first week! Repair cost $50 & I was only earning $25 a week. My father was a mechanic & got my 15 year old car from a friend in the trade ($150), & did repairs for wholesale cost of parts, so when he retired I happily sold it for $100, bought a shopping trolley & have used trolleys & public transport ever since. Speaking of exercise programs, a friend in her mid 80s was using the stretching exercises of one of Britain's major ballet companies, & is now using Lucy Wyndham-Read's Fitness exercises Yes, Lucy in Martyn's daughter, & my friend used to sing with him in the early 60s when he lived in Australia. videos- 7 to 15 min. home workouts My friend has lost weight, gained muscle tone & altho she (sensibly) still uses a stick to guard against falls, is very happy with the program. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 07 Jan 22 - 06:42 PM I ran four unavoidable errands today without damage to anything except my wallet, so I guess I’m on the mend. Every time I approached a traffic signal, I took care to note how visible it was to me behind the wheel. With the sun visor down, they vanish from sight when I’m still anywhere up to 150 metres back from the intersection. Tuesday was bright and sunny, and I had the sun visor folded down. That’s why I didn’t see that the light had changed. I guess I had better get a good set of sunglasses and stop using the visor. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Donuel Date: 07 Jan 22 - 07:09 PM Blue blocker (orange beige colored) polorized glasses work well for me . They enhance color, minimize glare and add contrast. Sometimes there is no avoiding sun blindness. 2 days ago someone almost T boned me because they could not see the traffic light due to afternoon sun low in sky this winter season and chose not to stop but they did slow down honking as if they had the right of way on red. I drive defensively and imagine every tenth driver is intoxicated or challenged. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: JennieG Date: 07 Jan 22 - 07:09 PM Oh, Charmion! So long as you are O.K. Pity about your car, but cars can be fixed or replaced. Main thing is that you are all right. I have only ever had one accident, over 30 years ago. I was all set to make a right hand turn into a side street when a motor cyclist came straight at me from ahead. I slammed on the brakes but we still collided. Fortunately neither of us was hurt, the car had fixable minor damage and so did his bike. To this day I don't know how it happened. The sun wasn't in my eyes, but there were parked cars and a pedestrian crossing to watch out for.....I just didn't see him. A decent pair of sunnies would be a Good Thing. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 08 Jan 22 - 09:07 AM All over Christmas I've had a sore foot, now healing nicely, that's stopped me from going for walks. The weather has conspired too, and, as ever, I've stuffed me face (we're back on healthy food such as veggie pasta dishes and fishy things now). The upshot is, er, several extra pounds around the middle. I'll be taking steps... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 08 Jan 22 - 11:17 AM Steve, I think most of us feel a bit porky after any festal season, but especially Christmas. And those who live in northern climes, like you and me, have good reason to limit our time outside. Sorry about your wonky foot — I have one myself. My arthritic foot has a certain daily number of pain-free flexions in it, depending on footwear, so I try to keep my winter excursions limited to hikes (with stick) to the bank or pharmacy. Snow boots are heavier and stiffer than the sneakers I usually wear, so they reduce my range. Besides, every footpath (sidewalk) in town has at least a skim coat of ice, if not jeezly great lumps of the stuff. One of the pleasures of life in this part of Canada is access to niche products from the Niagara wine region. This year, several vintners are selling “orange” wines — that is, white wines that are fermented on the grape skins. I cracked one last night with my humble supper (chicken cutlet and green beans), and it was … interesting. More body than the same grapes would have yielded in a more traditional vintage, but not enough fruit flavour to balance it quite the way I like for quaffing without food. One glass was fine, but the rest is in the fridge under a vacuum cork for future reference. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: pattyClink Date: 08 Jan 22 - 11:24 AM Similar here Steve, a joint bugging me. Yesterday I ventured out and found an aquatic center with a great pool. Got in a great workout, no weight-bearing. But, can't do that every day, so now outside I go to get in a few moves with the weight bar before too many people wake up and are available to stare. There is a lot to be said for a 'don't-break-the-chain' approach where you just determine to do Something every day, regardless of how little or how odd it might be. Yes, there should be a 'day of rest' but that can translate down to 'ambling scenic walk' instead of something more focused. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 08 Jan 22 - 11:35 AM There's nothing worse than opening a bottle to find that you've got disappointing wine. As it's usually my fault for buying it, I end up punishing myself by finishing the bottle and giving Mrs Steve something nice instead. It's the kind of guy I am... ;-) My foot issue was a split in the skin under the ball of my foot. I try to keep the skin thin but there must be something in the way I walk that keeps making it go thicker and liable to split. Sorry, too much info there! Anyway, I can go for a walk now. Oh, except that we have driving rain and a gale-force wind... I use two hiking poles now for all except short walks. The ones I bought are Black Diamond brand, pretty expensive but really good (I've had adverse experience of cheapos). No shock-absorbers for me, and I use rubber tips on hard surfaces so it doesn't sound as if Blind Pugh is around... They're great for keeping an upright posture and I don't have to keep stopping on account of my dodgy back. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Jan 22 - 12:29 PM The Nissan Pathfinder I drive has a huge windshield and I usually have the visor in the down position versus having the seat in a higher position. And I have wrap-around sunglasses that I always wear when I'm driving, even on cloudy days, because of the glare. But that visor - managing to keep sun from coming through the gap by the mirror, etc., does offer up a distraction. Thank you, JennieG, for saying what we all should have: "So long as you are o.k." Allergy symptoms are going full-tilt this morning, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes. Except for itchy eyes, this could be describing some of the Omicron symptoms. This is why I'm staying home. (I was at the grocery store briefly on the 5th; I made a note now for my own "contact tracing." I went in because the parking lot was almost empty and I was out after about 10 minutes. In this day and age, that is living dangerously.) Before Xmas I bought a large bag (8 pounds) of navel oranges; I've given oranges away, over Xmas family was here and we ate a few, and today when I ate yet another I see I have three more to go. This has seemed like an almost bottomless bag of oranges. It serves as a reminder to me that I'm trying to eat fruit and vegetables in lots of colors. The Swiss chard in the fridge is the variety with a red stem; there are asparagus spears and a yellow bent-neck squash along with broccoli and cauliflower. Beets. So much of what I eat is in the cruciferous or tobacco families so I'm making a point of getting other plant families. Yesterday I used up some tag ends of things (three varieties of cheese, diced ham, some sliced hard salami) in a batch of macaroni and cheese. The pasta was a rice-based gluten free one that I've had around for a while (it keeps). I added turmeric to give it a bright yellow color and a grind of black pepper and some thyme to give it a nice herbal bite and it was amazing. I haven't tried to lose weight in a while, but I'm enjoying managing to eat healthier. Finally, yesterday I admitted defeat on the 750-piece holiday puzzle I had set up in mid-December. The dog demolished the corner I had assembled and I could never get up the interest to work on it much. I had a few edges and a couple of larger more charismatic features put together, but I wasn't going to finish this till Michaelmas at this rate. Before I set out another puzzle I need to set up some kind of barrier that will cover the puzzle when I'm not working on it, to keep that pup from destroying another one. For the time being I had propped things around the edges so I could see if it was disturbed, but the goal is to prevent her having access at all. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Donuel Date: 08 Jan 22 - 12:43 PM There are more speeding accidents on these pandemic roads, watch out. Also there is more drinking. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Jon Freeman Date: 08 Jan 22 - 01:17 PM Jigsaws... I got some thick A3 card before Christmas and (the one he's doing now aside as that is a new one I got him for Christmas) I'm asking dad to do his 250 piece Wentworth jigsaws on this stuff. The idea is that I can stack any (and hope no one clumsy knocks them) that have missing pieces in their nearly completed states and hope to finish them if the missing bits turn up. One bit of good news is that the missing piece from the church one I had custom made has turned up. I've also been able to box a couple of others up as checked and complete. Other than that, so far we have. One jigsaw with a missing piece, 3 pieces waiting to find the jigsaw(s) they belong to and one box and its bag without any pieces. The last of these might be interesting if dad has put the pieces for two puzzles in another one of the bags. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Jan 22 - 11:10 AM I'm going to poke around to see if I have a sheet of that clear acrylic sheeting that I used to put on the wooden table tops to prevent spills on the wood (sometimes I put a table cloth over it, sometimes I put it over the table cloth). Chances are I have a piece I can trim to fit this table, and then clamp it down on the sides, and remove one side and roll it back when I want to work the puzzle. I think I might simply use a couple of those extra-large binder clips for this. The mid-century table top I use for puzzles has a beveled edge, no trim to make the edge too thick for this. Jon, I am curious if those puzzles were commingled by your father. The only way to sort them is to work them side by side to sort the pieces. A lot more complicated than a game of double solitaire, etc. By default, January ends up being a "no spend" month—as the bills from the holidays come in the resolve to do better is typically at the top of my To Do list. I see that UPS stocks are listed on the NY Stock Exchange, and I certainly contributed to this year's profits. Sigh. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Charmion Date: 09 Jan 22 - 05:45 PM Well, the « orange » wine turned iut to need aeration, like a red. I guzzled the rest today, and it was just fine. And my phone has reverted to French. Whatever. |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: JennieG Date: 09 Jan 22 - 06:43 PM Peu importe....... |
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Subject: RE: FITNESS & Declutter 2022 - Pandemic redux From: Steve Shaw Date: 09 Jan 22 - 07:38 PM I've often found that the rocket-fuel wine, earlier regarded as unpalatable, isn't half bad...as long as you've had a glass or three of the good stuff first... |
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