What price beauty?

Okay, I know dentures are necessary to help one chew and speak clearly. I probably spend more time not wearing my upper denture than wearing it (but I don't answer the door, so don't come knocking on the spur of the moment), and it's hard to make myself speak clearly. Soft foods can be tasty.

With last week's extraction of four lower teeth and the immediate insertion of a partial denture, I'm beginning to question whether I want to fit into society again or not. Ever.

My face hurts. All the damned time.

I've been wearing the partial all the time, removing it only to clean it, but after doing a little research, Dr. Google says I only need to wear it to sleep in for the first night. (I thought my dentist said to wear it all the time, but I was in pain and somewhat traumatized that day, so I may have misheard him.)

I'm afraid if I sleep without it, I'll love the feeling of my face not hurting and then I'll never put it back in.

Dentures help you chew food, speak clearly, and look nice. I understand the first two. I really don't want to just eat soft foods the rest of my life. I'm not a hermit; I interact with people other than my husband almost daily.

He's stuck with me every day.

If the Etruscans hadn't developed false teeth in 700 B.C., someone else would have. But looking nice – normal – really is an arbitrary thing. The norm is to have teeth. Comedians make jokes about the toothless. If you don't have teeth, you're automatically thought of as poor, uneducated, malnourished, or a hillbilly … you've heard it. You might have thought it, or even said it.

My tooth and bone loss is genetic. My guess is a lot of people who wear dentures had good dental hygiene and were destined to lose their teeth no matter what.

Had dentures not been invented, would we automatically think less of those who no longer have their natural teeth? We don't think less of those who wear glasses. Vision loss – like tooth loss – is a function of aging.

I don't want to put dental clinics out of business. Really. I'm just thinking out loud and nursing a perpetual headache. Or face ache.

Be kind. Especially to the toothless.

Meltdown and fail

Major, major meltdown the last couple of days. I haven't done anything to create success with my intentions.

I'm going to the dentist today to have four extractions and get a partial denture where my lower front teeth used to be.

And I am freaking out about it.

Being an emotional eater, I'm eating whatever I want. I'm not walking or reading, either.

SO …

Whole 30 fail.
Mileage fail.
Reading fail.
Writing fail.

I don't even remember if there were other goals, but here we are, three weeks in the new year and none of the habits stuck.

And I don't really care this morning.

BECAUSE I AM FREAKING OUT.

It's not like I haven't had extractions before. I have a full upper denture. And it drives me crazy and I hate wearing it and now I'm going to have both jaws compromised.

I hate getting old.

Be kind.

Placeholder

Blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda

In other words … I have no words! But since I made the commitment, here are a few.

Be kind.
Be kind.
Be kind.

#MeanPresident

I saw 45's tweet about the marchers when I got home from the rally my husband and I went to, and that was a powerful impetus to continue working against him and his harmful policies. He is disrespectful and demeaning, and so divisive. 

I guarantee that no one was marching to celebrate anything he's claiming to have done. And for him to suggest it is just shameful.

I don't believe in "shaming" a politician. The WV Democratic Women had a "Shame on Shelley" campaign against Senator Capito a few years ago, and it just felt childish and ineffective to me.

However, when the President of the United States acts like a child, shaming may be an appropriate response.

I was energized about the resistance after our rally. When I saw photos of the crowds in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and other cities across the country, it really began to sink in that America can overcome this #ShitholePresident and that we will.

He's supposed to come to West Virginia for a GOP retreat at the Greenbrier later this month, and dozens of people are organizing protests for that event. I'll be there. It's not supposed to be an anti-Trump rally, but more of an anti-Republican policy statement. Which is fine.

But I'm pretty sure, underneath it all, the message will be that WE want OUR country back.

It's a good day to be kind.

It's been a year

I didn't watch the inauguration last year. I couldn't. Not only did America not elect its first woman president, something I'd hoped to see in my lifetime (and now seriously doubt it ever happening), America nominated and elected a sexist, racist, ignorant, opportunistic, narcissistic prick.

Yes, that's who the current occupant of the Oval Office is.

The list of Lies He's Told would take 2,000 blog posts. The list of Women Who Have Accused Him of Sexual Misconduct would take 22. The list of Golf Trips would take nearly a hundred. The list of Flip-Flops would have taken 10 back in April. Who knows how many now? I think people have stopped counting.

I have to think that most politicians lie. Many play golf. Most have changed their positions on issues at one time or another, and many have had inappropriate sexual relationships.

But for one man, who holds the highest elected office in our country, to have engaged in all these things, multiple times, is simply beyond the pale.

If Clinton had been elected and had done all those things, do you think she would still be in office, a year later?

If Obama had done one TENTH of those things, do you even think he would be alive?

Hypocrisy, thy name is Republican.

Hillary was right: You belong in a basket of deplorables.

I'm going to a rally today, to march with like-minded Americans who are sick about this man's policies and who are concerned about the future of our democracy.

All governments end. We may be watching the beginning of the end of our Republic. It makes me glad I'm closer to the tomb than the womb, but sad for my children and grandchildren, who will have to deal with the mess.

I want to hope we will recover. I want to think the damage won't be permanent, and won't take too many years to repair.

Most of all, I want to be proud to be an American again. I am not. Not as long as Donald J. Trump is President of the United States.

Today, I'm not going to suggest that you be kind. Instead … Be outraged. Be woke. Be strong.

Oopsie

I forgot to end yesterday's post with the words "be kind."

So I hope you were, and I hope you will be.

And if you need some ideas, click this link.

I need to make a few notes about state politics, if you don't mind, just so I keep everything straight and don't forget anything.

Heard last night that current delegate Shirley Love will be running for Congress, which would take votes away from current favorite Richard Ojeda.

Woke up this morning to see that Ojeda's biggest rival has withdrawn from the Congressional race.

This is good in so many ways.

Ojeda has the personality to win over a lot of people in WV … on both sides of the political spectrum. He will piss off a lot of far-left progressives, but there aren't many of those here, so that won't matter.

Love doesn't have a chance. He has no money and he's 84 years old. But his run for Congress precludes him from running for re-election in the House of Delegates, giving newcomer Selina Vickers an opportunity.

So, at least locally, WV politics is looking better than it has in a while.

Haven't walked in three days. Also haven't read any of my current book in three days. I'm supposed to walk outside with a friend this morning, but it's still damned cold. Might have to reschedule that for later today.

Still Whole 30-ing, but it's getting harder, not easier. Sometimes I wish I didn't have taste buds.

That's it! Be kind.

One week from today …

I'll have a lower partial denture as well as a full upper.

I don't think I'll ever enjoy eating again. Maybe I'll lose some weight.

Too depressed to write today. This is it … the bare minimum to meet the "write every day" requirement.

Something different

I took a yoga class yesterday. A chair yoga class, designed for those of us with mobility issues, that made me safe and secure during the class and pretty darned good afterward.

Parts of it were very easy. I've practiced yoga before, and was able to do very difficult poses. Probably still could, if I bothered to try.

But parts of the class were very difficult. I cannot, while seated, place my right foot (that's the artificial hip limb) on my left knee. I can do the opposite, but don't have the flexibility or strength to do right on left. So that's a challenge to work on.

And balancing on my left leg was a problem. I would have thought the right leg would have been more difficult. But I would have been wrong.

The chair class is only offered once a week. I'm not sure if I'll go again, or if I'll go every week. Drop-in classes are $10 each, and a class package (8 classes in 10 weeks) is $65.

At any rate … it was good to try something new.

It's quite cold today. I have a dentist appointment in Beckley at 2. The roads are ice- and snow-covered, and it won't melt because the temperature won't get above the upper teens today. I'll need to give myself plenty of time to get there. This is the impression visit. I'm honestly worried that one of my lower teeth will come out with the impression material. Ugh.

Other than that … nothing to report.

Be kind.

Oh, the weather outside is …

fucking cold.

Yesterday looked marginally promising for an outdoor walk with my husband. We waited until about 1:30, thinking that would be when the daytime temperature was the highest. And it was … but 28° really isn't very warm.

We walked 4.6 miles along the Greenbrier River, the edges of which were frozen solid. It was cold. Really, really cold. I was so cold my back ached from shivering and we (he's 74, I'm 66) managed about a 20-minute pace for the entire trek.

I was still cold when I went to bed last night.

I'm sure I've been colder, but I can't remember when. Seriously.

We're under a winter weather advisory here in southern West Virginia today and tomorrow. Doesn't look like the snow will start falling until I have to be in a meeting this evening. Two meetings, actually.

Plenty of time to get a walk in during the day.

On the treadmill.

Don't forget: Bundle up and be kind!

Just this, today

The best-laid plans

No movie after all yesterday. My late-morning workout + icy-cold weather + WVU basketball game combined to tip the scales toward staying home. We lost the game by one point, our second loss of the season, and we'll slip back down in the national rankings. It was good to be #2 for a week, though!

I roasted vegetables and sliced chicken/garlic sausage for dinner last night, which is always good and Whole 30-compliant. I needed to bake a cake (for Mike to take to his church dinner) while we ate dinner, but we ended up eating by candlelight. The electricity went out suddenly just as I was putting the cake in the oven.

It took a couple hours for a crew to arrive. Ours was the only property on our road that didn't have
power. Turned out to be a part on our electric pole that just happened to be on their truck, or who knows how long we would have been sidelined.

So that's the second time this month (and year) we've lit the candles in the fireplace. Our home is all electric, so we had no heat, and while candles aren't big providers of warmth, they do offer a bit of relief, and they're lovely to look at. The indoor temperature went down rapidly, and we were wearing two layers of clothing by the time Mon Power arrived.

(We have no idea if the fireplace has ever been lit, and we're not willing to experiment until it's been inspected. Fireplace inspection is on the 2018 to-do list.)

I had a bit of a panicky moment looking for my auxiliary phone charger. Finally found it in a messenger bag in a closet and put it to work. I'm so utterly dependent on my phone. The charger has been deposited in my purse, fully charged and ready for duty the next time I need it.

And there will be a next time.

Today is Day Seven of the Whole 30. Nearly a quarter of the way there. I feel like I have a little more energy, not so much to accomplish tasks, but having the motivation to accomplish the tasks. The empty bookshelves we moved into the bedroom were only empty for a few hours. After dinner Friday, I moved three shelves of my books from the living room to the bedroom. I normally do nothing after dinner except load the dishwasher, so I felt like that was a major accomplishment. And I didn't feel tired or cranky about it, either. I'll give clean eating the credit.

I finished reading Tips for Living and started the second (of 26) book for 2018. Goodreads is giving away a Kindle copy of Tips; click the link before January 31 to enter.

We'll get out to catch The Post soon. The coming week is pretty busy, but we'll figure it out, and since it's such a hit I imagine it's not going away from the local-ish theaters any time soon.

Today would be an excellent day to be kind.

Is it ever finished, though?

Yesterday I said the house was done, referring to interior redecorating. As I loaded books onto the shelves of the new-to-me pieces in the master bedroom, I realized that the decluttering will most likely never be done. Those three pieces of furniture – two tall bookshelves with closed shelving below flanking an armoire – will store a lot of "stuff." My goal is to make sure the stuff is worthy of storing.

And already, as I placed old pilot logbooks (my father's and mine, he's been dead for seven years and I haven't been pilot-in-command in more than 20) on a top shelf, I wondered who would ever want to look at these? Why am I saving them? Am I that sentimental?

Apparently, I am. For now.

When I wasn't playing a mind-numbing game on my phone or making meatballs (these are seriously delicious, with or without the "gravy") or vacuuming or moving books, I was enraged at President Shithole. Toward the end of the day (my end is usually around 9 pm) I got a text from my daughter who told me to RIGHT NOW go watch Letterman's show on Netflix.

I couldn't watch RIGHT NOW because I was nearly asleep. But I watched it FIRST THING this morning. She suggested I might want to have a box of tissues handy, and she was right, but don't let that stop you from watching it. No more spoilers from me.

We're going to see The Post today, if the roads aren't still icy this afternoon. If I love the movie as much as I think I will, I'm going to print that poster image (from yesterday) on photo paper, mount it in the center of a much larger frame, and hang it in my living room, where I can see it every day. Décor be damned. Maybe if I played with the image in Photoshop I could make it less grey/more brown. Even though I realize the grey is all part of the whole newspaper image (if you squint at a page of newsprint, what color is it?).

I didn't exercise yesterday, unless you count carrying armloads of books from one room to another. I managed to get to about 70% of my step goal just doing that. It did, however, feel good to take a day off.

Still doing well with the Whole 30. See ^^^meatballs^^^. And one more thing.

Be kind.

I. Want. This. Poster.

We're going to see the film either today or tomorrow. 

The poster costs $50, which is far more than I want to pay for it. But as a graphic designer, I absolutely love it. I guess I'll console myself by knowing it would not fit in with my decor anywhere except the eclectic and cluttered upstairs office. And really? This poster deserves better than that.

I began painting the interior of the house almost four years ago, and with a morning furniture delivery I will be able to say my house is done. During that four years, all the walls and woodwork have been painted (walls going from soft grey to vanilla, taupe, and cocoa, and woodwork from dark grey to pure white). Nearly all the interior doors, formerly bifolds that frustratingly came off the tracks regularly, are now six-panel wooden doors with lever door handles.

The entry door was a heavy slider that took two men and a boy to open and close, due to some kind of internal breakdown. It's been replaced with a real door with a fixed side window.

The flooring was replaced many years ago, going from carpeting to laminate flooring. I'd rather have hardwood, but I'm okay with the laminate and have no plans to change it. The guest and master bedrooms are carpeted.

The only minor project left is refinishing the master bathtub, which has to wait for warmer weather because the chemicals are vicious and the window has to be open. And I might replace the guest bath flooring, but I recently scrubbed it and it looks good, so maybe not.

Having an armoire and bookshelves in the master bedroom will give me tons of storage space. The ongoing decluttering project will likely never be complete, but I'm going to attempt to live by this rule:

And with that, I leave you for today, not thinking about #PresidentShithole, oh, no, not me, but thinking about how we can all …

be kind.

Every January …

My husband and I, every winter, say we're going to close up the house and go to the beach for a couple months. Or weeks. Depending on which one of us you're talking to. Last year we couldn't go because his mother was sick. This year we can't leave the dog, and she doesn't travel well.

It's always something.

Winter took a hike yesterday, however. It was warm enough to be outdoors without a jacket, and today will bring a high temperature in the 50s again, although it'll be cloudy. Yesterday was a glorious day to … go to the dentist.

Hah!

It wasn't as bad as I anticipated, however, and we are moving right along in Denture Adventure, the Sequel.

I signed up for a dental discount plan with very reasonable monthly premiums which will end up saving me about half the cost I was originally quoted for all the work I need done. I was so skeptical, for no reason, apparently. Maybe the dentist is inflating prices and the discount plan brings fees down to "normal." Whatever that is.

I've never had dental insurance and have always (fortunately!) been able to afford dental services as they happened. And I've had a lot of work done, including braces as an adult, root canals, periodontal treatment, a permanent bridge, cosmetic bonding, and an upper denture, along with routine cleanings.

But I'd much rather pay half the quoted fees than full price.

Since I'm home this January and since it's going to be mild and since my Tuesday walking-by-the-river date got cancelled due to ice, my friend and I rescheduled it for today. I've been consistent with the treadmill and not hating it, thanks to that resolution to read some of my Kindle books. I've almost finished this one. Trying to decide on the next.

Day 3 of the Whole 30 went well. Each successful day builds on the previous one, and I'm already 10 percent done and haven't been uncomfortably hungry except last night, because I skipped lunch. I would have eaten something mid-afternoon, but I was otherwise occupied in a dentist's chair.

I had planned ahead, though. Dinner was in the slow cooker when I got home and I didn't have to do a thing except fill my bowl.

It's not very kind of me to refer to the president as #PresidentSnowflake, but I can't help myself any more. He is coming apart at the seams, blaming everyone and anyone to see what might stick instead of manning up and offering to fully cooperate. And I think it will get worse before it's all over.

That said … be kind. And I'll try harder.

The benefits of aging

I have been on Medicare for more than a year now. My supplemental plan includes lots of benefits Medicare doesn't, many of which are preventive. My gym membership is free, which is pretty cool, and I found out late last year that I'd signed up for a rewards program that I promptly forgot about.

By the end of the year, I had enough reward points – even though I'd done very little to earn them – to "buy" a pedometer. The only reason I got it was to earn more points. I've had a FitBit that tracks my steps for a couple years now.

At the rate I'm earning points this year, I can "buy" a new FitBit – I have the clip-on kind and I've been wanting a bracelet – by the end of February.

I'm on it, doggone it! It's very motivating to me work for a little goal like this. Not so little, really. The retail price of the FitBit I want is $150. I wouldn't spend that much money on a device that duplicates something I already have that works. But I would definitely spend points on it.

Of course, there are disadvantages of aging, as well. Body parts wear out (and you don't have to be really old for that to happen, I realize that). I'm going to the dentist again today for the first step in replacing four teeth, one of which I think I could pull with absolutely no problem. Before the extractions happen, I have to have major scaling and planing (deep cleaning) on the remaining teeth which will eventually support the new partial denture.

Today is day 3 of the Whole 30. Yesterday's meals were on plan. Intentional activities also went well. Because of the dentist appointment this afternoon, I have to be super organized this morning in order to:

• Get dinner in the slow cooker
• Do a load of laundry
• Clean the floors
• Walk on the treadmill

I guess if I'm going to be on-it-doggone-it for today, I'd better get busy.

Don't forget to be kind. Today and always.

That went well

Yesterday went really well. I walked on the treadmill for an hour and read a lot more of my book, I wrote a boring blog post, I completed a perfect first day of the Whole 30, and I cleaned up a large area of the upstairs office. Two more sections to declutter there and I'll be satisfied.

Today is going to be super busy, and could go in any of a number of directions. Fortunately the outside temperature is warmer than it's been for a week or so. We had some ice yesterday, but it actually melted overnight. I've been walking with a friend on Tuesday mornings, but we haven't been able to get together for three weeks, so I'm looking forward to that.

This afternoon, we are either having furniture delivered for the bedroom OR I'm spending some time helping my husband with a project. Then at 3:30 there's an old-lady yoga class I want to try. (It's chair yoga, which means there's a chair handy if you feel like you can't hold a pose.)

I like yoga. But I don't love it. I realize I would benefit greatly from practicing, just as I would (will) benefit greatly as I continue to do some light strength training (don't want to go overboard here!). A friend is strongly encouraging me to try the chair yoga class, both for me and for the instructor, who she says is quite good. Then a short meeting after yoga.

Busy, busy day.

We'll have leftovers for dinner. Yesterday's pork tenderloin was enough for two meals, and I'll pair it tonight with sautéed mushrooms and onions (instead of cabbage) and more applesauce, which I made overnight in the slow cooker.

And that's it for today. Be kind.

Moving on

I was up most of the day yesterday, and then collapsed at 7. Could not keep my eyes open any longer. I slept from 7:30 pm until 5:30 am, and I feel pretty good today.

Really ready for the Whole 30 to begin.

Yesterday I filled one kitchen trash bag with Things I Don't Need from the pantry. I moved all the non-paleo baking items and all the crackers to an upper shelf. Coconut oil, canned tomatoes, ghee, pickles, olives, coconut milk, tuna – all are front and center and easy to reach. Paleo flours are also accessible, but I won't be doing any paleo baking during the Whole 30. Clean and simple for the first month.

Okay, are you ready for some news? You might want to sit down first, and make sure you're not mid-sip.

I lifted weights yesterday.

Three sets of 10 curl/squat combo, with eight-pound dumbbells. Baby steps!

I weigh more this morning than I have in many, many years. I've decided I need to begin like those morbidly obese people on My 600-Pound Life. To me, three sets of 10 is probably like someone who has 400 pounds to lose making it from the front door to the mailbox and back. (If the mailbox isn't attached to the house.)

I haven't had breakfast yet, but will soon have some scrambled eggs and an avocado. Lunch is a chicken soup that is just chicken and broth with vegetables. Dinner will be this.

Walking will be on the treadmill because, while the temperature is a bit warmer than it has been, there's some freezing rain/sleet/wintry mix headed our way.

Tonight is the NCAA football championship game. I'll watch as long as I can stay awake. I really don't have a dog in that hunt. And as much as I hope Trump gets booed at the game, that thinking really doesn't square well with my daily message to …

be kind.

Still sick

But improving. Two days of sneezing and wheezing is plenty, thankyouverymuch.

Everything I wanted to do two days ago – mostly clean out the pantry to prepare for a Whole 30 – will be done today. It's still going to be too cold to walk outdoors, and we might be going to a movie this afternoon, if I feel up to it. If we don't, I'll read more of my book while walking on the treadmill.

No matter what, though, clean eating and resetting my system begins tomorrow.

Tomorrow also is the first day candidates can file for the upcoming primary and general elections (May and November, respectively). Last day to file is January 27. Four years ago I went on the very last day, because I couldn't decide if I was going to run for a seat on the Democratic Executive Committee or not. This year I'll definitely file earlier, and for two positions – county and state committees.

The state committee determines who chairs the state Democratic party, and we need new leadership. West Virginia has gone from reliably blue to blood-red. Clearly we need some fresh ideas and new energy.

So what can I say about Trump today that hasn't been said already? Not a damned thing. Seriously, the guy is demented and immature and unfit. What's left?

This is so boring. I know it is. But I'm tired and sick and it fulfills the requirement of writing something every day.

Be kind.

Sick

No. Really. I've been sick since about noon yesterday. The only reason I'm up now is the dog (aging, frequently incontinent dog) woke me up whining to go out. She has me trained very well.

While I'm up, I'm gulping another Alka-Seltzer Cold Plus (citrus-flavored), checking in here (because two paragraphs counts as writing every day), and making sure the world hasn't blown up overnight (always a concern with Trump in the White House).

That is all.

Too soon

It's much too soon in the year to consider abandoning the writing intention. But that thought seriously went through my head yesterday.

Now I don't have to write about my goals or progress, but that seems to be how I've begun. And I'm not doing so great on any front as of the 11th day of Christmas.

It's so too soon to stop trying.

Moving on.

Dinner last night was lovely. I lit tons of candles, which actually added warmth both in atmosphere and in temperature. We've never had a fire in our fireplace, and neither my husband nor I know anything about fires in fireplaces, so I put a bunch of white candles in there a long time ago. It's beautiful when they're all lit; we just don't light them very often.

My original plan was to make a couple different kinds of pizza, but then I found this soup recipe and switched gears entirely. Oh, my, was it ever delicious. In addition to chopped peanuts and cilantro as garnishes/flavor enhancers, I offered crispy bacon bits, which were a perfect topping for the peanutty flavor of the soup, which was thick and layered with flavor.

It also was good to serve something light(er). With good bread and pumpkin (a vegetable!) pie for dessert, we were satisfied, but not stuffed.

And the Whole 30 begins today, an opportunity to reset my appetite after too many holiday indulgences. I'm seriously looking forward to it. I'll go through the pantry today and clear out anything I won't be using. Whether I box it all up and donate it or just box it all up and store it out of sight is a decision I haven't yet made. But it will be boxed up.

Today is a good day to …

be kind.

The undone intention

Treadmill walking is barely
tolerable with a Kindle book.
But intolerable without one.

I am doing pretty well with my intentions. In order to walk 1500 miles this year, I need to average about 28 miles/week, and I probably won't get that this week due to the weather. But I've been on the treadmill twice this year, and will hit it again today. (Tuesday was just too complicated to make it happen.)

I've decided the Whole 30 begins tomorrow. We're supposed to have guests for dinner this evening, and that may or may not happen. It's cold and snowy, and they have to come from their mountain to ours – not an easy trip in good weather. So we'll talk later and decide whether to reschedule or not. If the make-up date falls during the next 30 days, I'll deal with it by serving a Whole 30 meal. Honestly, there's not much difference from what I would serve anyway. We always offer dessert for guests, and that would be the only thing I would forego.

The undone intention is strength training. I brought the dumbbells over to the house from the garage, but haven't picked them up yet. I haven't done any kind of bodyweight workout at all. I have a severe mental block about this, and it's definitely something to work on. Both the mental block and the workout plan.

The weather outside truly is frightful. Wind chill is zero, with sustained winds of about 15 mph. Sleety snow is falling. It's a great day to stay indoors. At some point in the next couple weeks I hope to finish the master bedroom redecorating project that began in November. The walls have been painted a lovely soft cocoa brown. New carpet was installed just before Christmas. I haven't brought any of the things I moved off the dresser and nightstand back into the room, because I'm waiting for two bookshelves and an armoire to be delivered. Right now the bedroom looks like a hotel room: clean surfaces except for lamps and a clock, coordinated bedding, a picture above the headboard.

Today would be a great day to organize and finish that room, but without those pieces of furniture, I'm loathe to clutter it up. Maybe I'll cull some cookbooks today. It feels like a good day to purge something.

Hope your day is a good one. Be kind.

Here we go again

The dental hygienist asked me yesterday how long I'd had my upper denture. I was surprised to learn – after searching THIS BLOG – that it's been five and a half years. I thought three. Maybe four. But I've been fighting this damned appliance for going on six years now.

Sigh.

But I did think it was way cool that I'd written about the process and could go look it up. 

Considering that our bathroom floor is tile and the sink is Corian, I'm surprised it took five years to chip a tooth. I can't tell you how many times it's slipped from my grasp.

I'm looking at more dental work in the future (thus, the title of this post), beginning with scaling and planing next week in preparation for four extractions and a partial. I wanted a permanent bridge, but I don't want to pay $6,000 more for it than for what a partial costs. Call me crazy.

Or … you could call the president of the United States crazy. Because he is. And the sooner Congress wakes up and realizes it, the better off We The People and OUR democracy will be.

In case you haven't seen it, here's what I'm talking about. Not just crazy, but juvenile, petty, and narcissistic, as well.

And here is my reaction.

And I mean that: Congress AS A BODY needs to add a few parts. 

This isn't funny. At all.

I know it's kind of ironic to add this, after my graphic insult to Congress, but here goes: Be kind.

Pride, gratitude and compassion

When this headline

The Only Way to Keep Your Resolutions

pops up as you're contemplating how to create a new you in the new year, how can you not click it? I couldn't.

And it turned out to be an interesting piece, one I'll reread as I approach my start date.

Which I still haven't determined.

In the time between now and Day One of Whole 30 I don't intend to pig out or go whole hog eating unhealthy food. (Pigs don't get much respect when it comes to idioms, do they?) I don't do that normally, so there's no need to begin now.

When faced with tempting food, I've been able, over many years, to learn to remind myself that it will be there later. Or I can always get more. Which may or may not be true, depending on the situation. I don't anticipate staring down a once-in-a-lifetime food choice, however. Eating food that might derail my plan, however, can be postponed.

I guess I started using this mind trick during the first Whole 30. I'm not sure, but it would make sense to tell myself then that the end date is coming and I could wait for whatever it is I thought I wanted.

Looking back, I was applying these emotions – pride, gratitude, and compassion – to myself. And it worked. 

Today will be one of those days where food choices are out of my control and my time will not my own. But while I'm in a dentist's reception area, waiting for a denture to be repaired, I can begin reading one of those Kindle books I said I wanted to read. (I added a bunch of them to my Goodreads account. Now I need to remember to use Goodreads to monitor my progress.)

Yesterday I used the treadmill. For an hour. Which was the only way I was going to get 10,000 steps, which is the only way I'm going to eventually get 1500 miles. I may not be able to get on the treadmill today at all, or it may happen this evening. It's going to be that kind of day. Either way, I'm going to have some compassion for myself on a stressful day (keeping in mind that having a denture repaired is, truly, pretty low on the stress scale), and gratitude that I have choices about when, how, and even whether I fit a workout in today.

It won't be the end of the world if I don't. 

Thanks for reading. 

Be kind.

So here's an idea

Why don't I start writing again?

Okay, I will.

No minimum number of words (although that would be good discipline). Only one rule:

Write something every day.

So what I just wrote could be it. But it's January 1, and I'll add my intentions, just to keep myself accountable. (If you follow me on FB you already know most of these.)

Mileage goal for the year (walking): 1500. That'll be hard to accomplish unless I use the treadmill. Note to self: USE THE TREADMILL.

Strength training 3x/week, beginning with light weights. Something is better than nothing.

Food: Will start a Whole 30 later this week, after a couple of events that would totally derail the plan. Why start on 1/1 just because it's 1/1 when I know I will have to begin anew on 1/5? Once the Whole 30 is over, continue a paleo template and shoot for 80 percent compliance.

Actually READ at least some of the e-books I've acquired over the years.

Write. (I'm killing this one already!)

Take an online class. Here's the one I'm taking. Already registered.

My surgically replaced hip doesn't bother me at all any more, but I'm still less flexible than I'd like to be. (I have trouble putting on socks and tying my shoes, for example.) At some point I'm going to add some gentle yoga to my routine, but right now I'm just too fat to be comfortable doing yoga.

So far it's good to be back blogging. I guess when it's not good any more, I'll disappear again. In the meantime:

Be kind.