Remember the pebble jar calendar? Here it is as of October 1st... you can see that there are only three "to go" months in the 2022 year, and the center jar of "spent days" is getting full!
The shell holding October's pebble-days was a souvenir from the kids' trip to the Jersey Shore last May.
I woke Sunday morning to messages from my daughter in law to be related to their honeymoon plans. I'll get another week-long Carl visit as my consolation prize, while they go visit Colorado. I'll pray for the weather, because I know the end of April can still be snowy season up in the high country.
This started me thinking about "will I be up to it?" Better be diligent about the healthy diet and gentle exercise... which I have not always been over the cold months.
And what about the vision? I put off having the cataracts looked at by the eye surgeon, thinking I'll be examined again in February by the regular eye doctor. Maybe I want to have that behind me before I deal with Carl for the honeymoon?
Anyway, it's another thing to ponder over during the next month or so.
I took a couple of photos of the trees in the park on my Sunday walk, just because I want a baseline as the colors have not yet turned. Just the slightest bit of gold/yellow is starting to show at the very tips.
Tuesday was workout day with the trainer. He has a brand new granddaughter!
Then it was "set up appointments" day.
Tuesday afternoon I also got a joyous phone call from my dentist, the one who's married to a marathon runner. She had promised she would call me if he got accepted to run the Boston Marathon next April (which one finds out in September)... he made it! So they will be Boston bound next Spring. I have to make a list of places to recommend that will be appropriate for a family with two kids. There are some fine places that I remember from trips past.
One of the things I find most enjoyable about getting "old-er" is the excitement for younger folks entering into new phases. I swear I'm almost as excited as she is! I have an appointment with her in January, so I have time to contemplate.
Wednesday the HVAC company came do my heating check. One more check box ticked off. Gee, the seasons are flying by.
As the HVAC guy finished up, Barnaby the rough-coated collie was being walked by the front of the house, so I chased him and Bill (his human) down, to offer a dog cookie. Barnaby has been working on his manners and he looks full grown, but I know there's still puppy in him. I asked after Amber, his house-companion dog, as I had not seen her in the walking group, and Bill sadly let me know that they had to put her down. She was 17 years old (human years, that is... which is a very old medium breed dog). Sad, but probably the kindest thing they could have done. I'm glad they have Barnaby to still take care of... because I can tell Bill and his wife are hurting from Amber's going.
The Ironman world championship triathlon on Kailua Kona is being split into two days. The women and some of the men competed on Thursday, the rest of the men will go on Saturday. I have six or seven locals plugged into the tracker app so that I would know they made it through the grueling course. I know I shall never work up to that level of endurance event, and have backed down to the "I'm glad I did what I could while I could." I do miss that level of fitness, but I also know what it took to get there and I just no longer have the drive to do it.
I wrote this paragraph at 10 p.m. local time; subtract five hours for Hawaii, and that makes it 5 p.m. there, and my locals were still out on the course. It looks like one of them probably tapped out after the bike leg, but the rest will finish sometime between now and 1:30 a.m. here. I doubt I'll be awake for them all, but as of the moment, I have the live feed of the finish line running on the TV. I tripped out over the professional women's race which was very exciting, but a race that lasts 8 hours for the pros, and 11 hours for the faster age groupers (my vintage, anyway) is long even for spectators.
I ended up staying up until 11:38 to watch my friend across the finish line.
I will end up in spectator / tracker overload over the weekend, as a friend of my brother's is going to be running the Chicago marathon on Sunday.
Anyway, I've dribbled out the week's events, and I need to get ready for the Pumpkin viewing outing, which will be in about an hour. We are under a freeze warning overnight, and I have brought the hoses in, but now it's time to get ready for the outing.
Trust everyone is remembering to take care of their health, physical, mental, and spiritual as we are entering the season of waning sunlight!
Life is good. Spark on!
🔥✨💖
Your life is so action packed. How ever do you manage? To paraphrase Yoda: Amazing you are...no try...you do.
ReplyDeleteIf this is your first cataract surgery, you will be totally surprised at the change in your vision, especially at night. Recovery takes about a week: no eye make-up, no bright sunshine without dark glasses and sleeping with a protective eye patch for 2 or 3 days. It will probably be the easiest thing you've done this year. ;-)
Frost on the pumpkins tonight or so the warnings say. Driving home today I noticed we have some nice color. Not as brilliant as some years, but I'm grateful for what there is.
Looking forward to seeing photos from the pumpkin outing. Have a splendid time!
Brrrr! It's chilly this Saturday morning. I'm glad I got those hoses into the garage. It was pretty chilly tramping around the pumpkin display, too... blog to follow.
DeleteHave a great weekend.
You've got lots going on! It'll be good to have your eyes worked on soon. You'll be so happy to have it done.
ReplyDeleteColorado? Where? Yes, we still can have some heavy snowstorms in April especially up in the mountains. It's almost a given that there will be snow falling until May up in the high country.
Our weather has changed and its cold here, our high was only 48 today. It's supposed to warm up for the next week. Enjoy your pumpkin outing with family.
Let me go look... Mesa Verde national park, with a stay in Pagosa Springs, and one night in the Denver area before heading home.
DeleteWe had quite a chilly night here... I got by with a single jacket and gloves at the pumpkin display, but stopped taking pictures so I could wear those gloves and put my hands in my pockets before we got done. We certainly took our time and got the kids' money worth, and it was just awesome... talk about skill... every one of those 4000 pumpkins was hand carved, to make up the huge displays.
A friend went to the AZ-UT boarder/area and sent me a pix of the trees changing colors and said: It’s Fall. I took a pix of the street I was driving on at the time with the very green trees and said: Not here 😁 (CA)
ReplyDeleteMy chiropractor did the Ironman in Santa Cruz🤔I think. He’s in his early 50s. I haven’t run since my car accident in 2017, haven’t been in a pool to swim since 2020… Seeing his photos gave me such a rush though. I keep thinking, one day, but I’m in no rush to injure myself. I remember each part being painful in it’s own way. I’ve had enough pain for now, don’t need the self-inflicted kind.
-RunKeeper Dee
I understand completely. There comes a time to hang up the cleats, and even though you have those little "gee, I wish" moments, wisdom governs. I have the body-marking of the professional men on a YouTube live stream just now, as I'm checking out the comments!
DeleteBy the way, it was a CA woman (and a mom, no less, met by her toddler in the finish area) who won the pro women's race on Thursday... in her FIRST Ironman at Kona. (Obviously she qualified in other races.) First American woman to win in about two decades. There's a limited time the human body can compete at that level.
Oh, so many win categories for her!
DeleteDefinitely agree with your last sentence, much like the limited time we get to become a Mother.
I’m hoping my testosterone days ahead of me 😉 give me some type of second wind/chance though.
-RunKeeper Dee
💖
DeleteHer win came in via e-mail in some article, with photos, of course… the baby is so cute, such a great memory for them both!! I could feel the excitement. So great.
DeleteSomeday, that baby will grow up and have the confidence to forge her own path, because she knows mum did this!
DeleteHow exciting, a Carl visit! I have a very clingy Chewy between my calves on my recliner footrest. His hu-mom and dad are in Mexico for a week. He will be picked up Monday and I can go back to the bed I share with a less clingy human! This time he reminds me of a toddler not letting go of mom's leg. Nighttime has been annoying as he's taken to laying partially on top of me...not allowing me to escape? I've also been the recipient of several full body runs where he jumps on my legs and ends with his nose 'huffing' my face to wake me up. Happily, no face licking! Yeah, I'll miss it a bit as it's funny.
ReplyDeleteAh, your running days. You prompted me to resume my workouts. I'm in better shape than I was 10 years ago. T.Y.
Make your decision on those cataracts! Neither DH nor I regret having them done! Yep, there are a few people who have had problems but the odds are about 99.9% in your favor. Better than the lottery and you'll see all those beautiful colors clearly.
Hugs.
That's what everybody who's had the surgery for cataracts tells me! I'm just trying to get all the pieces sorted, in terms of scheduling as I don't like to overbook myself (that's exhausting).
DeleteGlad my being public about those running days helped someone else! I'm just grateful I did some of these things while I could. Next year they are planning to do a 2-race-day Kona IM, and I'm toying with the idea of going to spectate, but there are steps between now and then that simply must be taken care of, and I might not make it next year. As with many things though, "sooner better". Not getting younger.
If you need a guide, I'd be mighty glad to go with you. I'd go back again and again...
DeleteIf it becomes more real than a weekend "drunk on coverage" thought... I could take you up on that. Don't be surprised if I do.
DeleteYup, very busy lady, I nearly needed a nap after reading all your things going on. Sad about your neighbours dog but 17 is very good old age. Better warn your kitties about Carl coming back ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's six months off (that Carl visit), but yes, gently reminding them they have a canine cousin. LOL... btw, I may sound busy, but it's spread out over many days.
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
Hmmmm . . . you may want to have the cataracts done prior to CarlWeek. Just a thought. I can only say for me, it wasn’t anything but an easy peasy recuperation and made such a difference in my vision.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to your trainer on the new granddaughter and your dentist on being accepted into the Boston Marathon! Awesome.
Awwwwww, sorry your neighbor lost their precious Amber. 17 is advanced age, for sure.
Freeze here overnight, too. But all prepared for that.
hugs
barb
1crazydog
That is my hope, to get the cataract done prior to the Wedding, which is in April. But my next eye appointment is in February, and based on prior surgery scheduling, I'm a bit concerned about having enough time between the two! Thus the "thinking about it".
DeletePreparation is everything... I'm so grateful for the weather forecasters, who tell us in time to prepare!
Hi Barb - the Ironman was so exciting! The woman who won lives nearby (in Davis, about 20 miles west) and what an amazing finish! hope you are well, sounds like you are busy. - Betsy
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting... I love it when I get that "two degrees of separation" from the big name athletes, and Chelsea certainly is becoming one! Judy, up in Canada, lived for a while in the area where Lionel Sanders lived and trained, and claimed him as a local. It's just one of those little points of human connection that make it more exciting!
DeleteHope you're doing well, too!