Today I went with some of the FHTV Health Nuts group to a fitness thing over in Jesse Owens Park. It was put on by a local personal trainer fellow named Ron, who talked a bit about nutrition, tested our body fat percentage, and then ran us through a circuit of exercises. My body fat measured at 25%, which is in the "acceptable" range for women my age. I did fine on the exercise circuit and we'll see tomorrow what new muscles I ended up using today.
I got home from that program at about noon, had some peanut butter on the delicious cranberry-pecan bread that I'd bought at Beyond Bread, and then proceeded to read newspapers and do email for the rest of the afternoon.
At about 5, John came by with Sam and we talked on my deck for a few minutes, before deciding to go out and grab some grub. Sauce was our destination, and we had a great pizza there.
Then we went to his place, where he has a big screen TV, and we got started watching Get Smart. It was funny (I love Steve Carell), but I wanted to get back to call Jack, so we stopped it early.
Jack's great, having enjoyed photographing Linda's wedding back in chilly Big Rapids. It was, as always, fun to talk to him, and I can't wait till we're laughing together, face-to-face!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
More Clearing
Yep! Yet another trip to Goodwill! I also took a small bag of food to the Community Food Bank. So .. where am I coming up with all this stuff to give away? Today's stuff was more clothes -- some jeans that were too tight and always made me feel fat, some pajamas that I got last season, but which always were just a little too warm. I gave away two throws (how many throws does a 400 sq foot house need? LOL) and an extraneous extension cord (that had no ground wire). A few more shirts that I won't wear, because I don't have them anymore. I won't miss them, either.
I managed to get the cabinets up above the bed against the (high) ceiling emptied. Of course.. LOL these are not exactly handy, but I didn't need any of the things in there. I cleaned out the bottom of my closet, too, moving my knitting (the 15-year afghan project that I can't bring myself to finish, and I can't bring myself to give away.. yet) and my origami stuff out of there.
While I was in there, I found my ocarina and my Irish tin whistle! So, of course, I had to take a break and remind myself how to play these. The tin whistle is just like the reed recorder that I used to play when I was a teenager. I wonder if Annette remembers that! LOL!
I got my little Christmas tree put up this morning, strung the lights and the bead garland. I think it looks cute in the window -- a little spartan compared to my neighbors' fabulous displays, but there can be only one "best," and I'll let someone else have that honor.
I have a comment about Comments. For those of you who add comments on my blog, you KNOW how much fun these are to read and to make. I love getting them. It thrills me to know that I'm writing stuff that's interesting enough for you to comment upon, and to know what you like to see and read.
For the rest of you who have yet to comment, I wonder if you've noticed the Comments link at the end of each posting. Click that word "Comments" and you'll get to the comments! You can see what other people have said about this posting, and you can leave your own comment, too.
You don't have to sign your name, but I hope you will. You don't have to have a Google account. But you do have to type in a letter "challenge." This is a test that I've chosen to add, in order to keep computer bots out of my blog. (Bots are programs that automatically send out advertising.)
I managed to get the cabinets up above the bed against the (high) ceiling emptied. Of course.. LOL these are not exactly handy, but I didn't need any of the things in there. I cleaned out the bottom of my closet, too, moving my knitting (the 15-year afghan project that I can't bring myself to finish, and I can't bring myself to give away.. yet) and my origami stuff out of there.
While I was in there, I found my ocarina and my Irish tin whistle! So, of course, I had to take a break and remind myself how to play these. The tin whistle is just like the reed recorder that I used to play when I was a teenager. I wonder if Annette remembers that! LOL!
I got my little Christmas tree put up this morning, strung the lights and the bead garland. I think it looks cute in the window -- a little spartan compared to my neighbors' fabulous displays, but there can be only one "best," and I'll let someone else have that honor.
I have a comment about Comments. For those of you who add comments on my blog, you KNOW how much fun these are to read and to make. I love getting them. It thrills me to know that I'm writing stuff that's interesting enough for you to comment upon, and to know what you like to see and read.
For the rest of you who have yet to comment, I wonder if you've noticed the Comments link at the end of each posting. Click that word "Comments" and you'll get to the comments! You can see what other people have said about this posting, and you can leave your own comment, too.
You don't have to sign your name, but I hope you will. You don't have to have a Google account. But you do have to type in a letter "challenge." This is a test that I've chosen to add, in order to keep computer bots out of my blog. (Bots are programs that automatically send out advertising.)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A busy day
Yes, I was busy today! I awoke early, and I'm not sure why. Oh yeah.. LOL it was because Jack called! He's 2 hours ahead of me, so it was 7:30 am there, and why was I not up? He was sending me a photo of their 17" of snow!
So I went back to sleep and got up at 7, showered, and dressed. As I was eating, John came over and sat and watched me eat. Then he decided that it was time for us to get that built-in desk unbuilt-in. Jack and I had discussed the idea of having that gone, so that we could put in a proper dining table and then be able to have OTHER people over for dinners. What a concept!
So John and I unscrewed about a thousand screws and ripped the caulking stuff off the wall -- the stuff that was gluing the desk up there. There was no way that desk was going to go willingly; that's for sure. And, once we got it off of there, it was heavy, so it took two of us and all the muscle that we could muster to get it out the door. Jack and I will have some patch work and painting to do. I'm thinking that we'll paint the dining alcove in a different exciting color, and I don't know what just yet.
We moved the little dining table and chairs that I have into that space and I like it! Jack and I will shop for a more reasonable dining table, for more than 2 people, and also for another couch for the living room. Now my living room seems cavernous!
John asked where I was going to put the boxes of stuff that I'd stashed under the desk. This was a few things that I'd absconded with from Bloomington -- tax papers and .. other things. I said that I'd like to put them into our shed, but... of course I don't have one of those yet. So we went to Home Depot and Lowe's and had a look about at sheds that are portable and wouldn't really count as the one shed that we are allowed to have -- one 10 x 12 shed with a real foundation and floor and stuff.
We were looking at Rubbermaid affairs that are like 7 x 7 square. I think that one of these would be great for Jack's tools and workshop, and then we could use the 10 x 12 one as a sort of hobby space and guest house / casita. In this casita, we could have photography and matting supplies, art supplies, a work table, and a couch that would make into a double bed. We could also store our hiking poles and cycling stuff in that room.
Bikes? Hmm... Not sure about bikes. We may consult Harold about building a bike rack for them. We could pop them into the casita then when we travel, or are gone for the summer. Anyway, these are just my musings for now. Things will become clearer when we see how much stuff Jack has.
I took a second big bag to Goodwill today, too. I'm "down" to 14 T-shirts, but that's still one for every day... for 2 weeks! LOL that's too many, I know. I just have a hard time getting rid of.. my IU shirts, my PB & J Life is Good shirt, my myJanee.com shirt, My Lenny & Joe's Fish Tales shirt, etc.. (I did end up keeping all of those. I did give away, however, a brand new, unworn shirt in a color that I never wear from Cabela's.)
And then.... we went to the mall and I got my hair cut! Audi at Regis cut my hair. It's chin-length in front, tapering up to a wedge in back. Tell me what you think!
And here are some photos of our hike from ydy. Yes, Tuesday is still hiking day! We went up into the Rincon Mountains, to the Bridal Wreath Falls. Beautiful hike on a gorgeous day!
And here are some blast-from-the-past photos I took on my way here. These were at the West Memphis Tom Sawyer RV Park, right on the river -- the Tennessee River, I think.
So I went back to sleep and got up at 7, showered, and dressed. As I was eating, John came over and sat and watched me eat. Then he decided that it was time for us to get that built-in desk unbuilt-in. Jack and I had discussed the idea of having that gone, so that we could put in a proper dining table and then be able to have OTHER people over for dinners. What a concept!
So John and I unscrewed about a thousand screws and ripped the caulking stuff off the wall -- the stuff that was gluing the desk up there. There was no way that desk was going to go willingly; that's for sure. And, once we got it off of there, it was heavy, so it took two of us and all the muscle that we could muster to get it out the door. Jack and I will have some patch work and painting to do. I'm thinking that we'll paint the dining alcove in a different exciting color, and I don't know what just yet.
We moved the little dining table and chairs that I have into that space and I like it! Jack and I will shop for a more reasonable dining table, for more than 2 people, and also for another couch for the living room. Now my living room seems cavernous!
John asked where I was going to put the boxes of stuff that I'd stashed under the desk. This was a few things that I'd absconded with from Bloomington -- tax papers and .. other things. I said that I'd like to put them into our shed, but... of course I don't have one of those yet. So we went to Home Depot and Lowe's and had a look about at sheds that are portable and wouldn't really count as the one shed that we are allowed to have -- one 10 x 12 shed with a real foundation and floor and stuff.
We were looking at Rubbermaid affairs that are like 7 x 7 square. I think that one of these would be great for Jack's tools and workshop, and then we could use the 10 x 12 one as a sort of hobby space and guest house / casita. In this casita, we could have photography and matting supplies, art supplies, a work table, and a couch that would make into a double bed. We could also store our hiking poles and cycling stuff in that room.
Bikes? Hmm... Not sure about bikes. We may consult Harold about building a bike rack for them. We could pop them into the casita then when we travel, or are gone for the summer. Anyway, these are just my musings for now. Things will become clearer when we see how much stuff Jack has.
I took a second big bag to Goodwill today, too. I'm "down" to 14 T-shirts, but that's still one for every day... for 2 weeks! LOL that's too many, I know. I just have a hard time getting rid of.. my IU shirts, my PB & J Life is Good shirt, my myJanee.com shirt, My Lenny & Joe's Fish Tales shirt, etc.. (I did end up keeping all of those. I did give away, however, a brand new, unworn shirt in a color that I never wear from Cabela's.)
And then.... we went to the mall and I got my hair cut! Audi at Regis cut my hair. It's chin-length in front, tapering up to a wedge in back. Tell me what you think!
And here are some photos of our hike from ydy. Yes, Tuesday is still hiking day! We went up into the Rincon Mountains, to the Bridal Wreath Falls. Beautiful hike on a gorgeous day!
And here are some blast-from-the-past photos I took on my way here. These were at the West Memphis Tom Sawyer RV Park, right on the river -- the Tennessee River, I think.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Pitchin' & Tossin'
Today was a little cooler than it has been. I think that the high was about 62, which was, of course, not horrible! LOL! We got a few little sprinkles of rain, and the skies WERE cloudy all day. I did my walk along the Pantano River Park, and it was the first time for me to do that without Maddy, ever, I think. I don't know if I've said it in here, but it's been very, very difficult for me to live without Maddy. I hope that she's happy with D, and that D's happy with her. I just have to think that she's better off now, because I am not. I cry a lot these days.
This was sort of a difficult day for me, parts of it. I was working on clearing out stuff in my files and I found things that Michael had written -- notes about business stuff that he'd called about, things like that. And I found condolence cards that wonderful people (maybe you!) had written to me, sweet notes telling wonderful things about Michael. And I found a big stack of thank you notes that I'd written over a year ago, thanking people for making memorial donations in his name. Sheesh. I wonder if it would be lame to send these out now.
I put a bunch of things into recycling, and I have another 4" stack of papers to go into the shredder. I have to say that it's gotten far easier for me to throw things away, but it's still wrenching. I found some of those smashed penny souvenirs that Michael and I had collected together. Shared memories when the other person is gone...
But on a happier note, I did the Sudokus in the Tucson Sunday paper, and that was fun. I like trying to do them without notes.
And I did manage to get some things put away and better organized. I now have one of the filing cabinets completely empty. I have a couple of cabinets in the living room empty. And I have the stuff that was in there put away (or thrown away) in such a way that nothing is crowded. I don't like having too much stuff crowded into a space. I still have work to do with my clothes. I got a bit "spread out" during last winter here, when I moved out Michael's clothes and took over his side of the closet! :)
This was sort of a difficult day for me, parts of it. I was working on clearing out stuff in my files and I found things that Michael had written -- notes about business stuff that he'd called about, things like that. And I found condolence cards that wonderful people (maybe you!) had written to me, sweet notes telling wonderful things about Michael. And I found a big stack of thank you notes that I'd written over a year ago, thanking people for making memorial donations in his name. Sheesh. I wonder if it would be lame to send these out now.
I put a bunch of things into recycling, and I have another 4" stack of papers to go into the shredder. I have to say that it's gotten far easier for me to throw things away, but it's still wrenching. I found some of those smashed penny souvenirs that Michael and I had collected together.
But on a happier note, I did the Sudokus in the Tucson Sunday paper, and that was fun. I like trying to do them without notes.
And I did manage to get some things put away and better organized. I now have one of the filing cabinets completely empty. I have a couple of cabinets in the living room empty. And I have the stuff that was in there put away (or thrown away) in such a way that nothing is crowded. I don't like having too much stuff crowded into a space. I still have work to do with my clothes. I got a bit "spread out" during last winter here, when I moved out Michael's clothes and took over his side of the closet! :)
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