I think I'm recovered

On Saturday Sandie Dixon and I drove over to Quartzsite for bloggerfest.  Three hours drive each way.  We were both tired folks when we got back.  I'm just now surfacing.

Bloggerfest was fun.  Even though I did very little to get the word out we had 11 people show up, 5 from the US and 6 Canadians.  Even though Sandie had been one of the founders of Bloggerfest she hadn't been to one for a few years so we went around and again introduced ourselves and told a bit of our stories.  We discussed our sorrow at losing George Yates.  Those of us who had known Rod Ivers spent some time telling some of our favorite Rod stories, and there are many.  The Roomba post on his blog is a classic that I see referenced in unrelated places it is so funny.

My heart just wasn't much into doing much preparation for the event this year, for which I apologise.  Next year I will get the word out more and get the banner available for folks to put on their blogs earlier.  I admit that I usually let George do most of the advertising in previous years.  Time for me to step up in that area.

Thank you to all who showed up.  Next year, same place, the last Saturday if the big tent.

BLOGGERFEST

I am about to get on the road to Quartzsite, once I swing by and pick up Sandie Dixon.  I neglected to grab the Bloggerfest signs when I was up at my storage unit.  We will be at the shelter house at La Posa South around 1pm today.  Hope to see you soon.

Bloggerfest this Saturday

I will be at the shelter house at La Posa South in Quartzite this Saturday, January 25, to meet with anyone who cares to show up.  I believe there will be at least 3 of us.  I have no agenda other than being there at 1pm.

The loss of George Yates last week to cancer has been another jolt to the blogging community.  I feel it as another punch to the gut to get me to look at how I'm living my life and retirement.  I live year round here where so many folks drive long distances to see the wonders and enjoy the beauty of the area.  I go from wanting to get out and see and do to looking at what I need to take care of in my life.  I do have some preparations made.  I have a will, I have a burial plot next to where my Dad, and eventually my Mom will be interred.  I haven't made the arrangements yet with the funeral home which I need to do as my plot is in MO.  I have a lot of stuff to get rid of.  I have a vision of a stranger backing a dumpster up to my storage unit and tossing it all in.  I need to handle it and get the usable things back into circulation.

I am walking every day, although I haven't been to the gym for awhile.  I'm still working on eating healthy.  I have a doctor's appointment next week to start checking some issues that are bothering me.

And I have some survivor's guilt.  I'm a cancer survivor.  I had cancer lite.  A quick surgery, 3 weeks of radiation, and I'm good as new.  Since then I've lost several friends and my Uncle to this disease.  I'm ready for the sickness and death of people I care about to stop.  We have too much living to get on with.

Answer to Ms. B's question

The Instant Pot (brand name of the first one out) is an electric pressure cooker.  Because the basic setup works for other types of cooking it is called a 7 in 1, or now 10 in 1, cooker.  All I have to do is plug it in, put food in and press buttons.  Depending on what I tell it to do (which button I press) it can saute, slow cook, pressure cook, etc.  The stainless steel inner pot is removable for cleaning.  Oh, and once it completes the cooking cycle it goes to a keep warm state until I turn it off.  It makes it possible for me to pressure cook without needing to figure out of the weight is jiggling properly or how I need to set the stove burner.  It could help you cook when you have electricity but not a lot of propane.

Didn't go to the gym today but did 3 walks around the park.  I wore my repaired tennies but I realize now that the other sole is totally worn out.  There is an actual hole forming under the big toe on the other shoe.  I'm going to declare this pair worn out as well.  It was an interesting process to attempt to fix both pairs of shoes and maybe I can catch others before they are so far gone.  A lot of my shoes are old even if I never wore them much.  Part of getting rid of excess is starting to wear what I have.  Seems a lot of it is just plain beyond repair.  Then again, I have a lot of clothes and such old enough to vote and drink legally.

I'm planning to head up to my storage unit tomorrow to get some things I need to boondock out of my car at Quartzite.  I hope to make it over there at least for one night before making the trip the next week or so for RTR.  Friends are starting to arrive.

Bloggerfest lite change of date

I'm changing a few things around to try for a better fit.  First of all, I need to go back to Saturday, January 25 to meet at the shelter house at La Posa South.  The one person who's talks I want to see at the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous is speaking on Sunday so I will be over in Parker at the fairgrounds on the 26th.  Last Saturday of the big tent.  1pm as usual.

I did finally go back to the gym and felt fine while there.  I even got àn errand run and then did my walk around the park here.  Then I came home and fell into a deep sleep for 2 hours.  I guess I just need.to work through this phase and up my calorie count without resorting to too much sugar.

The errand I ran was finally taking the stuff to the thrift shop to donate.  A lot of it has been riding around in my car for quite awhile.  I also took out the trash, basically walked it over to the dumpster.  I had some larger pieces, including a pair of shoes, so it was two trips.

The shoes...  I fixed the Keen walking shoes, I thought, first this morning.  I set them outside for the shoe goo to dry.  When I examined them later I found the real issue, a hairline crack along the smooth part of the bottom of the sole.  I also realized most of the rest of that section was ready to split.  At 10 years old, even though they had average wear, I decided it was time to cut my losses.  

I turned my attention to the Merrill tennis shoes.  The crack in the bottom of the sole (same place at the ball of the foot on my right shoe...) was larger and more flexible.  I filled the crack with the goo and have now let it dry.  I will test run it for comfort tomorrow.  Won't know if it is water tight until it rains again.  They are 3 years old and I wear them a lot.  Or did, anyway.

I ordered more propane.  It won't be here until Monday.  I'll be out by then.  Tomorrow I'll bring the electric heater back inside.  Luckily it is only chilly in the mornings and evenings.

I'm here

This blogging every day is a pain.  It makes me realize I really don't do much.  Gotta find some get up and go.

A good day

A problem with writing a post in the late evening is that I'm too tired to write.  I had a good day.  I went up and met Mom and her friend she drives to bingo each week.  D is losing her sight so can't drive anymore.  Mom drives but sometimes gets confused or overwhelmed.  The two of them together work well.  They bought lunch at Denny's where I had the berry crepe breakfast.  I must have been hungry because I all but licked both plates clean.

I managed to grab a couple of things from the storage unit to donate, including my full size iron.  I bought it at a thrift store in Platte City, MO a few years ago.  This year I found a much smaller steam presser in the shape of an iron at a thrift store out here.  I mostly don't even care enough to iron anymore anyway, but if I'm sewing or mending an iron can be handy.  The smaller one will work fine.

Plan is to go back to the gym tomorrow.  I did a couple of walks around the park today, one before I left and one when I got home, probably a mile total.  Somehow the treadmill and bicycle use different muscles.  I'll report on my progress tomorrow.

Better today

After coffee and donuts down at the community room this morning I ended up sitting with Sandie and Jim's dogs while they ran errands today.  That was an easy start to a slow day.  I put some lentils and leftover lamb into the Instant Pot before heading over and it was done and waiting for me when I got home.  They had gotten me a sandwich while they were out so I wasn't hungry right then.  I put most of the lentil stew into freezer containers and froze for later and put some for tomorrow in the fridge.  Then, I slept the rest of the day.  I did do a couple of walks around the park to wake up, and then I did the dishes.  Nothing else to report.

Tomorrow I go up to Payson to see Mom.  I want to find more stuff in the storage unit to get rid of.  I know some of what I want to get rid of, the problem is getting to it.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate and it won't be wet or too cold to work in the unit.

I am feeling the dive I take both physically and mentally when I increase my physical exercise.  I will lay low for tomorrow again and then go back to the gym on Thursday.  This is a marathon, not a sprint.  I have to allow for how my body works.

Nothing day

I went out to run some errands and spent the day just running around.  Nothing to report.

Slow day

Went to the gym.  I did a bit more on the treadmill and bicycle but it still is not much.  I'm not any more sore than usual, but my ambition, which is never great, is non existent the rest of the day.  I'm thinking about taking tomorrow off.  Or, maybe I'll drop down to the little amounts I did yesterday.  Depends on how I feel.

I did the last day of taking care of my neighbor's cats.  They are nice cats and I hope she and I can help each other out more in the future.

I did not fix my shoes.  I didn't do much but lay on the couch today.  I did get out and dump the tanks a few minutes ago.  This is one reason I may take tomorrow off from the gym, to regain some energy.

Not a lot goes on in my life, which is why I normally don't post every day.  Tomorrow I will either go up and see Mom or I will do all the stuff I should have done today.  I'll make that decision tomorrow.

I'm actually keeping up with some resolutions and goals

I  had joined the gym yesterday.  Today I dug out my gym wear and went back.  I only did a few minutes on a bicycle and another few minutes on a treadmill.  I exercised the most stubborn muscle to get into shape, the one that pulls the car into the parking lot of the gym.  So far, a streak of 1.

This is 4 days of blog.  Progress.

My neighbor whose cats I'm watching gets back tomorrow.  It hasn't been a problem, and I go over about 4 times a day to check on them and give them pets and attention.  It has been fun to have more cats to cuddle.

Barney  left a comment saying I should try shoe goo to fix my tennis shoes.  I also have some Keen walking shoes I had started wearing when the Merrill tennies split that gave me a wet sock in Vegas when it rained there..  So, I went to Walmart and found a package and tomorrow I will commence operation shoe repair.  Nothing to lose at this point.  I just couldn't get myself to throw the shoes away.  I will either fix them or make them completely trash.

Tomorrow is home maintenance day.  Dump tanks, run trash over to the dumpster, mop and sort and that kind of stuff.  Not sure the what time neighbor will be home as she drove up to Vegas.  LIfe here is settling into a routine.  This is a good thing. 

Three days in a row

Today I did some adulting.  I verified with my Medicare supplement insurance that Mayo clinic is a major pain to deal with, as in I have to handle all the claims and money myself and make up any shortfall personally.  I pulled the plug on Mayo.  I then called a practice affiliated with Banner hospitals here and have an appointment for the end of the month, actually sooner than they were getting me in at Mayo.  The person Making the appointment was a lot nicer to me as well.

I rejoined Planet Fitness on the cheap plan.  They aren't in the town's where I tend to travel so I only go to the local one anyway.  After that I went and bought some new tennis shoes on sale at Big 5 sporting goods as my Merrill's are shot, as in a crack in the sole that gives me a wet sock the rare time it rains here.  Tomorrow I go to the gym and use the treadmill and/or bicycle.

I am taking care of a neighbor's cats while she is in Vegas.  She took care of Bosley while I was there last week.  The cat she said wouldn't climb into my lap to be petted did climb into my lap today.  The one she said likes to do that merely tolerates me patting him on the head a bit then walks away.  She will be back Sunday.

I'm planning a low key weekend.

Now for tonight's actual blog post

I did some administration earlier.  I finally took down the not great picture of me from 3 years ago.  The picture there now is 4 peaks covered in snow earlier this week.  This is on the edge of the area where I live.  The snow didn't make it all the way down to the Valley, but the surrounding peaks did have snow.  It is fun to look up and see white down to a specific elevation, like they have been dipped in sugar.  I had a different picture up earlier when I couldn't find where I'd saved the 4 peaks picture.  I'll post it here because it is a neat picture of the elk this summer.

Now to Quartzsite:  I will be at the shelter at La Posa South on January 26 from 1pm to whenever.  I will be in the area anyway, so on the very off chance that someone was planning on showing up at Bloggerfest this year, I'll be there.  This is a Sunday.  May or may not put up the signs, but probably will since I have them.

Temporary glitch

I will work on getting the right picture posted...

Test of new header photo

Getting this photo off the phone and onto my computer.  Figured I'd post as well.

New Year New Decade

Time for all the resolutions.  I almost let my first one slip by me.  I would like, at some point, to actually do a post every day for a month.  We will see if January is it.

I taking one from someone else as well.  My resolution for this decade is to clear out my storage unit by 2030.  Seems doable, maybe.  Not sure if buying a cargo trailer and using it to store my stuff counts.  It would probably be cheaper.

I have cooked the past 2 days.  Mostly healthy stuff.  That is an ongoing goal.  So far, so good.

I started putting together my expense tracking spreadsheet today.  I didn't spend anything today so it is working so far.  I put one together many years ago and spent at least part of most years keeping track of what I spent and what I bought.  Since I retired I have let it slip.  I will try to keep up with it again.  Who knows.

Planet Fitness has a special with no contract going on.  I may join again.  I joined originally because I thought I would travel a lot in retirement and use them for showers and sometimes actually workout, maybe.  Turns out that where I travel there are never Planet Fitness centers, so I quit last year.  However, I feel a need to exercise and there is one a little over a mile from my winter location.  With no contract I can quit during the summer and join the very nice rec center up in my summer town.  It's a plan.

Speaking of plans, I have a modest plan for Bloggerfest.  I will be at the shelter house on a date around the usual time, which I haven't decided on yet.  I will be there drinking coffee and if anyone wants to join me to stop in and visit, cool.  Enough of the folks who were showing up at Bloggerfest aren't making it down to the Southwest this year that I don't have the heart to make it an 'event' this year.  I will be there, though, as I said.  I'll pick a date tomorrow and post it.  That should give me 2 posts for the month.