Treading the mill

I wasn't able to do any intentional walking yesterday at all, so called it a rest day and gave up the guilt about it. Even so, I logged more than 6000 steps. Not bad for a rest day.

I downloaded an audiobook yesterday from our library commission and set up everything I needed on my phone to listen to it. Heading to the treadmill since the roads are icy and it's f-f-f-freezing outside.

The big mystery I alluded to a couple days ago is that our Medicare Advantage plan covers the fees to join the local gym. I had every intention of getting there one day this week, but the apple cart called Life kind of got turned on end, and that never happened. But it will … I printed out the membership card and my plan is to use the weight machines for a couple months and then move to free weights.

I also want to use the bike, to help build up my leg muscles. The only equipment we have is a rowing machine and a treadmill. The rowing machine is difficult for me to get on and off, because of the artificial hip. I think strengthening my leg muscles will help. I like the results of rowing WAY more than I like rowing, and I'm hoping as time goes on and I lose some weight that the desire for results will motivate me to actually row.

Today, though, all I have to do is get from the house to the second floor of the garage. Which is where I'm headed now. Hope your day goes well and your apple cart runs smoothly.

Okay, so it's been a while

The break felt good. The daily posting streak continues, thanks to photo-a-day, but I just didn't have it in me to write much of anything the past few days.

To be honest, I don't have much to write about even now. It's been too windy to till (I don't care for all that dust blowing up my nose and in my eyes), so the garden remains fallow.

The walking streak continues … 26 days straight now, averaging more than five miles per day. I was bitten by a dog last Thursday on my favorite road (third bite from the same household of dogs) and haven't been back since. That road is flat and shady and follows a little creek and is absolutely lovely for walking.

My road is hilly and not shady and follows a bunch of empty fields. I'm not saying it isn't lovely, because we do have some beautiful views here, but it isn't lovely like Indian Creek is. But after a conversation with the dog owner we just don't feel as though we can safely walk there any longer.

So sad.

It's amazing that it took seven wheelbarrows full of mulch
– and two hours of labor! – to cover this small space. 

That's the bad news. The good news is: The rowing machine is FIXED! I'm very happy about that, and I put it to work yesterday afternoon. Yesterday, in fact, was one of my more active days of late. I walked four miles in the morning, spread seven wheelbarrows full of mulch around and between two trees while my friend was working on the rower, rowed for 30 minutes later in the afternoon and walked another two miles after that.

I'm still doing the Whole 30 with Gingerzingi. And I still haven't lost any more weight. But all the other benefits of eating this way are still with me – energy, good sleep, lack of pain – so I'm sticking with it.

The graphic design project I've been working on for several weeks if at the printer. I have some web design projects to do, but I think I'll wait a couple days before I plunge back into "work." The blog break was nice … I think a work break also is in order.

No such thing as a workOUT break, though. I'll be tiptoeing between raindrops and thunderstorms today, but I WILL add at least five more miles to the total. I'm OBSESSED with that 1,500-mile goal. I guess there are worse things with which I could be fixated, right?

Plan the plans …

Well, replacing the pulley on the rowing machine proved to be more than I could handle. This old brain simply can't remember how I did it the last time. I have an instruction sheet, which assumes one has much more skill and intuition than I do. I've put a request in for a friend's husband to have a look at it. If he can't, I'll ask a neighbor who is handy with things like this.

I hate to admit defeat, but there you go.

Today's plan is to walk first, finish mowing next and then meet my husband at his mother's to prune her Chinese maple tree. The one that's never been properly pruned and is so overgrown it's blocking the sidewalk.

I've no idea how long that job will take.

While I was at the garden center getting pruning advice, I picked up a few herbs – rosemary, cilantro and parsley – hoping for a bit of gardening inspiration. The herb bed I so lovingly built a couple years ago is overgrown with weeds and the lemon balm has spread everywhere. It's discouraging. The comfrey, chives, rhubarb and marjoram (or is that oregano?) are doing well. Some cilantro has reseeded but that lemon balm spread into the cilantro area and I know I'm going to have to rip everything out.

I'd much rather be working on my herb bed than my mother-in-law's tree, but that tree is blocking access to the sidewalk in front of her house. It must be done.

The herbs can wait.

Anyhoo … busy day on tap and I'm going to get it started! Hope your Sunday is pleasant and peaceful and as productive as you want it to be.

We're in for it now

A great weekend on tap, weather wise, and not much in the way of commitments. My to-do list might actually get to-done.

One thing that got done last night was the endless garter-stitch cotton scarf I've been working of forever. Well, it seems like forever, as that's the nature of both garter stitch and scarves. But it's very cool and I'm glad it's done. I've never worn scarves as accessories, but these little floaty ones are fun and flattering, and I think I'll get a lot of use from this.

If I don't give it to my daughter for her birthday, which I'm seriously thinking of doing. I have a huge cone of this slubby cotton yarn and could make another one for me. Someday. Maybe.

I can't even remember when I started knitting this one. Seriously, though, if I don't have something compelling to watch on television, I don't knit. And I especially don't just sit and knit endless garter-stitch scarves.

It's good to have options, though.

I need to mow later today, when it dries up a bit. We had a lot of rain yesterday, including thunder and lightning and a brief blip of a power outage, while I was working on that annual report – another seemingly endless project that is sooooo close to being done. Fortunately a career in computer graphics teaches one to save, save, save, and I didn't have to redo much of the work.

My chore list includes fixing the rowing machine, and I do believe that's going to happen today. Using the rower for 20 to 30 minutes a day would accomplish more than simply hoisting dumbbells, and it's a shame for that equipment to just sit in the garage unused. I don't mind letting go of the elliptical at all. But when I was working out in a gym 20 years ago, I got a lot of benefit from the rower. I'm not quite ready to give up on using mine.

Fixing it is a messy job and one I've put off far too long. I hope that making it an intention here, in public, will spur me to actually make the repair – which should only take half an hour or so.

Later this week we're supposed to have a lot of rain, which will be a good time to take care of the "sewing" section of the to-dos. We rarely have rainy days where there isn't at least a brief window for walking outdoors, though, so I expect to keep that streak going.

And now that spring has truly sprung … the herb bed and vegetable garden need a lot of attention. Tomorrow will be the perfect day for that.

I hope you both have a great weekend. I'm planning to.