Archive for the ‘Exercise’ Category

I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. Scopa & Ms. Scribner-MacLean

Posted: June 4, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Mickey Miles podcast, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Walking, Weight loss
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I’ve mentioned before that I am lucky enough to call some members of the podcast community my friends. These are fine folks who invest a lot of their time and themselves into doing something they love and something that benefits the community as a whole. I feel blessed to know them and treasure their friendship immensely.

All that being said, I was totally flabbergasted when I was contacted by Michelle Scribner-MacLean, co-host of the Mickey Miles Podcast and a dear friend, who said they wanted to have me on the show as a guest so I could talk about my journey toward that 5K in January.

I was stunned.

Flattered.

Deeply honored.

See, I never thought I’d ever be a guest on a show that was listened to by fit people, unless it was a lesson in what NOT to do. I talked it over with Supportive Partner Woman (Still the best wife EVER!) and agreed… after all, while I might not think my story is that special, Michelle and her co-host, Mike Scopa, obviously thought there was something there worth telling.

Who am I to argue?

So, arrangements were made, Skype was downloaded, times were set, and at the appointed time, the “phone” rang. I had plugged in the old Skype headset, which apparently wasn’t working too well, so after we ironed out a few difficulties, Michelle and Mike laid out the plan.

Say what?!?!?!?

Say what?!?!?!?

Seems I wasn’t just a guest, I was THE guest and the entire show was about my journey.

That was a little bit of a shock. (For an idea of my internal response, picture Kyle’s mom on South Park saying, “Wha-wha-what?”)

I have yet to actually listen to the episode… it’s just been posted, or so I see on Facebook. Give it a listen here.

I hope that hearing my story can inspire some folks on the fence to make a positive change in their lives. It’s never too late to start. If I can think about completing a 5K at age 42, having never run much of anything in my life, with my pronated feet and blisters and missing toe, then, by God, anyone can. You just have to want to.

I want to do this. I want to complete that race. I want to be healthier and live a long time, because I have a reason to.

In short, I’d like to thank Mike & Michelle for the opportunity and for taking the time to create such a wonderful podcast. I’d also like to thank them for their unwavering support and friendship. They are two of the finest people I have the pleasure of knowing and I know that with their support, the support of my Team AllEars gang, the support of my family and especially the support of my lovely wife, I can keep moving forward.

Because retreat is not an option.

Song of the Day: Without Me – Eminem

Things went… swimmingly.

Posted: June 3, 2013 in Exercise, Gratuitously Naked Guy, Physical activity, Team AllEars, The Rec, Walking, Yard sale
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So I made it to the pool yesterday. The pool is actually part of the Rec, just a part I usually don’t go in, mainly because I kind of forgot where it is (don’t judge me).

I showered, got my suit on and went hunting, primarily by feeling the humidity level and smelling the chlorine increase. I made a wrong turn in the locker room and found the hot tub. There was also a Gratuitously Naked Guy sighting. A regular slice of life at the Rec.

As it was Sunday, they had half of the pool sectioned off for family swim. This left two lanes for lap swimming, one of which was occupied by a kid getting swim team coaching and the other occupied by two wizened women. I figured my best choice was to stay on the family side next to the lane rope and get my work in. Everything went well, until I was on my second lap, when I realized that granny had stationed herself about 20 feet from the wall, next to the rope, and was just standing there. I kept swimming, figuring she would see me coming and be courteous. Guess I thought wrong. Granny watched me swim toward her and didn’t move, forcing me to swim around her.

I kid you not.

After swimming around 300 yards, albeit slowly, I toweled off and headed back to the locker room. I was tired, but I still felt pretty good. I decided to hit the treadmill and did 20 minutes on there. Turned out to be a pretty good workout.

After that, I showered up and headed to the ghetto for the viewing. We weren’t there all that long, just enough to pay our respects. Afterward, I dropped off my mom and I headed home, hitting a torrential downpour that was mercifully brief. I stopped and picked up supplies to add a baked good table to the Dreaded Yard Sale. I got extra flour, sugar, chocolate chips and eggs… hope this adds to the bottom line and allows us to increase our contribution to Team AllEars and the Avon Walk.

That about does it for the day. I plan on mixing dough tonight and getting ready for Bake-a-Palooza. I really hope the sale does well… maybe my cookies will gain new fans.

I can hope.

Song of the Day: Avenida Revolucion – Chickenfoot

Things we do for the family

Posted: May 31, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Exercise, family, Footwear & socks, Little Victories, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Yard sale
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Greetings from cow country!

As I drove to the gym this morning, I was stuck behind a slow-moving tractor pulling a manure wagon. It made me think that there aren’t many places left where this is a common occurence. However, smell aside, I like living where we live. On a quiet night, we can here the cattle lowing at the farm down the road. It’s peaceful. It’s bucolic. It can stink to high heaven. But it’s our home now.

I took a half day vacation to handle a few projects for my mom (and to get a blessed haircut), so after my gym session with the boys (totally killed it, too… had the treadmill up to an 11° angle and up to 3.7 mph for a stretch) I headed to the bustling metropolis of Reading, PA.

Now Reading is somewhat infamous for being among the most dangerous towns in Pennsylvania (per capita). It’s a city of around 75,000, lots of city issues, i.e. unemployment, drugs, gangs, prostitution, political corruption. It’s a regular ray of sunshine. My travels did not take me downtown today. I spent part of the time in the suburb where I grew up, and I gotta say, it’s a lot scarier than I remember. Old mom and pop places that I remember have been replaced by tattoo parlors, check cashing places, Walmart, etc. Farm fields plowed under for housing, all the typical stuff you see these days.

It made me sad… I’ve only been out of high school 24 years and the mall I worked in is now I place I will not willingly set foot in.

But, I still have family in the Reading area, as does Supportive Partner Woman (Photographer of great skill!), so it’s a necessary evil that we visit there from time to time, and no, the evil is not seeing our familes, but seeing what has happened to our home town.

One of my daily routines is to visit the Reading Eagle website on a daily basis just to see if I know anyone who got shot, stabbed, or otherwise. I do this every day. There’s just something wrong with that, ya know?

So, I got to my mom’s, moved a big flowerpot for her (and didn’t throw out my back FTW!), and put in her window screens. I don’t see mom as often as I should, but she was really surprised with the changes in me since my operation. She even liked my Beasts. I was very proud of her as she didn’t try to push food on me, as she used to. She understands that my capacity is limited and I appreciate that.

After that, off to work. Now, as for the weekend, SPW will be working (and I might have to work Saturday… the jury is still out on that), but she will be taking time on Sunday to shoot pictures of her parents’ class reunion. As for me, I have to take my mother to a viewing. In a surprise move, she’s not really thrilled at the thought of having to drive into the hood by herself, but since the deceased was the mother of a close family friend, I’ll do it. Dolly was a sweet lady and will be missed.

Next weekend, though, is the Dreaded Yard Sale. This year, all proceeds from the sale are going to Team AllEars and from there to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Should make for interesting writing at the very least. Maybe the fact that the proceeds are going to a good cause will stop some of the cheap bastards from trying to haggle over a nickel.

I doubt it.

Song of the Day: You Just May Be the One – John Flywheel

P.S. As I was at the gym this morning, the “music” channel was playing something from Justin Bieber, prompting me to say, “Is there a volume setting lower than “mute”?

Long weekend

Posted: May 28, 2013 in Cooking, Cruising, Exercise, Holidays, Supportive Partner Woman, Travel, Walking, Wegman's
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So, after a long holiday weekend, I’m back to the grind. However, it’s a Tuesday that feels like a Monday, it’s raining and I’d still rather be off.

Got to go to Wegman’s yesterday and I saw that the price of truffles was up to $999.99/pound. I commented to SPW that even with that price, it’s still hard out there for a pig. We picked up another piece of Copper River salmon which I roasted on a wood plank. It turned out very good. I added a spice mixture called “Mural of Flavor” which I had received as a gift. It’s a nice blend for fish… gives it a nice bit of flavor without drowning out the taste of the fish. Special thanks to Lori and Matt for providing the spice… and the best part is that it’s salt-free!

See? That's not good workmanship!

See? That’s not good workmanship!

So, after a weekend of living in the Beasts, I’m thinking that I now worship at the altar of Brooks. My feet feel so supported and comfortable that I don’t even really notice the extra space at the toe of the right shoe. I plan on consulting with my foot doctor to see if there’s anything that can be put in there as a spacer, just in case. Apparently, SPW is digging her new sneakers as well. I did send my New Balance trainers back to the company, though… there’s a plastic lace guard on the 856 that broke after only two months of wear and the lace is digging into the leather. I emailed the company and they said they would send me another pair. It will be nice to have the trainers available for sessions in the gym and leave the runners for the roadwork.

Grandeur of the Seas showing fire damage

Grandeur of the Seas showing fire damage

In sad news, though, Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas suffered a fire over the weekend that resulted in the passengers being flown back to Baltimore. It was a really nice ship and we had a great time aboard her. It was sad seeing that pristine white hull with fire damage. Hopefully she will be repaired and back in service before too long. The good news is that there were no injuries reported and the ship retained full power and was able to make port in the Bahamas without too much inconvenience.

That about does it for today. Hope that you all had a safe and happy Memorial Day.

Song of the Day: Round and Round – RATT

Getting seriously serious

Posted: May 23, 2013 in 5K, Cooking, Digestive issues, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars
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Greetings!

It’s been good to be wearing a regular shoe. The Toe. That. Will. Not. Heal. is now the Toe. That Would. Not. Heal. That’s right… the Boot of Shame has been put back in storage until the next time it’s needed.

My first stop after leaving the foot doctor on Tuesday was at Inside Track. This place is apparently THE running store for central PA and I can see why. The owner, Mark, took one look at me and knew I was dealing with overpronation and hammer toes and knew which shoe would work for me. I picked up my Brooks Beasts today and I can’t wait to start breaking them in. He was able to fit me up, knew exactly how these shoes ran in terms of sizing, and was able to get a pair of size 13 EEEE shoes in just two days.

Speaking of our upcoming 5K, I’ll be posting some information regarding fundraising in the coming weeks. I’ll be raising money for the Avon Walk through Team All Ears. Too many of us know someone who has been impacted by breast cancer, whether directly or indirectly, and it’s my hope that we will have a cure in my lifetime. Keep your eyes peeled.

My new Brooks Beasts

My new Brooks Beasts

I’ve always struggled with shoes… I think I kept trying to squeeze my feet into smaller shoes, not for any reason other than I hated trying them on. Plus, the last time I tried a size that was a little wider then what I was sued to, I could feel my ankle grinding. Not a good feeling. But, I figure if I’m going to do this 5K, I’d better have decent shoes for it. Mark assured me that while my trusty New Balance trainers were fine for general use and working out, these would be a far better option for any serious roadwork. I was sold the second I slipped them on and walked around outside (Could you see Foot Locker or Dick’s let you wear the shoes outside?). These have plenty of cushion and the motion control insoles really cradled my feet. I was concerned about the length difference in my feet, but they seem OK to start. If there’s a problem, Brooks will even create a mixed-pair order for me. Good to know.

So, speaking of shoes, I’m in a wedding on Saturday. I went to Men’s Wearhouse to get fitted and was presented with the dreaded rental shoe problem. Is there nothing worse than rental shoes? I mean, they don’t fit, they feel cheap, and they want to charge you $20 extra to torture your own feet. I was worried that I would have issues, so I went in search of my dress wingtips, which I might add I wore to my wedding almost nine years ago. They aren’t the greatest fit ever, but they should be enough to get me through the day, and Lord knows they are a better fit and quality than the rental shoes. I mean, seriously, bowling shoes are much more comfortable and don’t cost $20 to rent.

Other than that, I’ve been managing to keep food down today. My lunch was a crab burrito that we found at the store last night. It’s pretty spicy, not too much rice and loaded with beans, crab meat, and salsa. Oh, and Supportive Partner Woman (Still the bestest wife ever!) located some Copper River salmon and picked up a small piece. If you’ve never had this salmon, it’s easily the best you can find. It’s wonderfully red with no added dyes like the farm-raised stuff. (Also, I love seeing “Atlantic salmon – product of Chile… guess nobody ever looked at a map to see exactly where Chile is) I’m looking forward to plank roasting it and just having it melt in my mouth. The season only runs about a month, but,  well, damn.

We also attended the Friends of the Library book sale at Franklin & Marshall college. Gotta love when you can score three big bags of books for around $35. Plus, all the proceeds benefit the library. After we read the books, we wind up donating most of them back to the library, so they can be sold again. I would prefer to keep them, but storage space becomes a premium in a townhouse.

At any rate, I have an appointment with the boys tomorrow. I think I’ll be breaking out the Beasts and seeing if they get Ryan approval. I’m also going to invest in some decent socks that should help the blister conditions. The guys at Inside Track said that cotton socks are a bad choice because of how much moisture they hold. We will see what happens.

Hope that you all have a great day!

Song of the Day: Nineteen Forever – Joe Jackson

Sixty

Posted: April 22, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Weight loss
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Well, 59.8 pounds, but I think I can round it to sixty.

That’s a pretty big chunk of weight. It also represents about 37.5% of what my weight loss goal is. When I first met with Dr. McPhee, we thought 160 pounds was doable. I’m hoping it still is, especially when I can get back to the gym on a more regular basis. It was a good session with the boys this morning, foot or no foot. I did the X-Ride, 30 minutes of 30:30’s. They are insidious, but they really get the heart pumping. You don’t burn near as many calories, but the cardio is worth it. Also spent 30 minutes lifting weights. I’m noticing the loss of muscle mass since my operation, and the forced inactivity during my recuperation.

Speaking of the toe, I made a small modification to the Boot of Shame that I hope will hasten the healing. My logic is that since the hammer toe rubs on everything, add something that lifts the toe off the surface of the boot. I took heel pads, turned them upside down and put them under the ball of my foot. It seems to give just enough clearance to keep the toe out of harm’s way. I’m nothing if not creative, ya know?

So, I’m ready to head back to work tonight. It’ll feel strange, not having been there for four weeks. I’m actually looking forward to it, though. It will be nice to have something to do. Granted, I’ll probably be ready to be off another four weeks after a couple of hours. It’s how the cookie crumbles, I suppose. It will be nice to see some of my coworkers again after all this time.

In other news, I’ve had plenty of time to think and I’m probably going to start the 5K training (when the foot is healed) with a Couch to 5K program. I realize running the entire race is probably out of the question, but I’d like to run/walk. Maybe I should say “lumber” instead of “run”? Important thing is that I still am looking forward to doing it, especially with my teammates. And Supportive Partner Woman, of course. It’s gonna be epic!

At any rate, that’s what I have for the day. Hope I have more exciting stuff after a night at the office.

Song of the Day: Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd

A wide range

Posted: April 21, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Boston, Cooking, Digestive issues, Exercise, Foot issues, Formula 1, home improvement, Neil Diamond
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Good afternoon!

Neil at Fenway

Neil at Fenway

It’s been a few days since I’ve written. A lot has gone down. First of all, they took care of those two jokers in Boston. That’s a good thing. Granted, it’s not much solace to the folks who lost their lives or were permanently maimed, but it means they won’t be hurting anyone else. Secondly, Neil Diamond showed at Fenway Park to lead the crowd in Sweet Caroline. Granted, he was singing along with himself, which has to be a little awkward, unless you’re Bieber or any other of those modern-day hacks who can’t perform live to save their souls. At least he wasn’t lip-syncing.

We had Marvin the glass man in yesterday to replace the first two of four windows. He did a really nice job. It’s so nice to be able to look at the window and see more than just moisture between the panes. There’s one tiny hole where the gasket doesn’t fit the frame perfectly, so I went downstairs to find some caulk. What I found instead was a big puddle under the water heater. The water heater is not fast, though, however, the feed pipe has a pinhole in it. So, I’m waiting for Rob the handyman to show up and fix it. I always say that it’s important to have a stable of people who can do this sort of stuff, so you can get it fixed promptly by people you trust.

Other than that, the food intake has been improving, even if the toe isn’t improving that much. I’m still pretty bummed about that, but what can I do? No matter what I do, the tip of the tow rubs against the sock, the floor, or the Boot of Shame. I think I might have to have the podiatrist release the tendon that’s causing the toe to curl. Better than losing another toe. Back onto food, I managed to eat more scallops yesterday. They go down well and, more importantly, stay down. This is good. I’ve not had anything come up for two days, and I’ve had scallops and pulled turkey BBQ. Pretty yummy stuff. I can’t consume a lot of it, but that’s a good thing.

Weight has continued to decrease. Am down to 321.0 this morning. That makes 59 pounds lost, which is a good thing. I can’t help but think how much I’d be losing if I could actually work out. I know… nothing I can do about it, but I really REALLY want to get back to it.

Speaking of going back, I go back to work tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. I’ll be glad for the work and the paycheck, but it’s the busiest two weeks of the year, so it will be a little crazy. Plus, I have to hope that my food continues to stay down. That would be awfully embarrassing. I’ll keep you posted.

I did manage to get up this morning to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel ran away with the race, but the two other podium spots belonged to Lotus, which made me happy, especially since Kimi Raikkonen finished second. He’s become my favorite driver, mainly because he spends more time drinking the giant magnum of champagne rather than spraying it. Gotta love it.

Have a great Sunday!

Song of the Day: Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond (It really couldn’t be anything else)

At last… I got to break a sweat!

Posted: April 11, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, Weight loss
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I did! I did!

See, I had my follow up with the surgeon yesterday and I was cleared to move on to more real foods and also to go back to working out. So, even with the Boot of Shame, I still managed to get some decent cardio in and also lift weights for the first time in three weeks.

It. Was. Awesome.

I had an appointment with the boys this afternoon, so when they heard about the Boot, they sat me down on the X Ride and had me do 30:30’s. That’s 30 seconds flat out, 30 seconds slow, repeat 5 times, rest for three minutes and do it again. I couldn’t do my usual level (12) but did manage to do Level 10. It’s a start. After that, weights. Not lifting for weeks will certainly make you hurt a bit… and I’m paying for it. I know I’ve said it before, but once you get started with exercise and develop the habit, well, it kind of sucks when you can’t do it. I guess I will go to the Rec tomorrow and see what I can do other than the bike. I hate the bike. If it wasn’t because of the toe, I would take the chance to hop in the pool. I know that kind of all over workout with low impact will do wonders for me.

The weight… came in at 332 this afternoon. I’m anxious to see what regular workouts do for it.

Speaking of changes, I tried an egg again today. This time it stayed down. Maybe the egg white was just too much protein or something, but a regular egg, scrambled went quite well for breakfast.

The foot issue has me taking oral antibiotics. That’s all fine, except that they come in capsule form and capsules don’t work to well with Joe (the pouch). So, I have to open the capsule, sprinkle the contents in some applesauce and choke it down that way. It’s really gross and now I understand why they don’t market chewable Keflex. Just 500 mg of this stuff can turn a sweet applesauce into the taste equivalent of wallpaper glue. I don’t recommend that.

At any rate, I’m going to call it a night. Tomorrow I think I might take on the boredom that accompanies recuperation.

Talk to you soon!

Song of the Day: Cult of Personality – Living Colour

Back to it… kind of

Posted: April 8, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, Digestive issues, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, recipes, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Wayne, Weight loss
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Greetings!

I got to go back to the fitness center today. I had to take it easy, on instructions from Ryan and Cory, but that might change after I see the doctor on Wednesday. Here’s hoping I can sweat next time I’m there.

I have another doctor appointment tomorrow morning. The second toe on my left foot (the one next to Wayne) developed a corn/blister that seems to be hanging around. I’ll probably wind up back in the Boot of Shame. So, I’ll let Dr. Miller take a look at it and see what’s what. Maybe I’m being alarmist, but I’d rather not take the chance on there being a problem. After losing the better part of one toe, you tend to be a tad overprotective.

I also am able to start puree foods today. I attempted to overreach and tried some scrambled egg white this morning. That didn’t go so well. The end result was that the egg white’s residence in my digestive tract was short-lived. Hey, I knew it had to happen and I’m glad that it did, in a way. My pureed turkey chili stayed down, though, and actually tasted pretty good. It’s not the consistency that I like from chili, but it was full of flavor and, most importantly, protein. Supportive Partner Woman (not a real lover of chili!) had a bowl of it and pronounced it to be edible, so that’s always good. I also baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies yesterday so she could take them to work and share the awesomeness with her boss. Apparently they went over well.

I think I’ll share the recipe… it’s bariatric-friendly!

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (I only had red ones… they work, too)
6 cloves of garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup yellow corn
1 lb. ground turkey
1 can of red or kidney beans (15.5 oz) (I use kidney)
1 can of diced tomatoes (I found some with chipotle peppers in the can… perfect)
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 squirts of Tabasco
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium soup pot add some olive oil and cook onions, garlic, corn and bell pepper over medium heat, about ten minutes. Separately brown the turkey meat, drain and set aside. In a food processor, blend the vegetables and return to the soup pot. Over low heat, add the beans (drained), tomatoes, turkey meat, Tabasco, cilantro, cumin and chili powder. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. Should serve 4-5.

It’s a nice, healthy dish that will serve up a lot of protein. 3 oz of ground turkey has 23g of protein and a cup of kidney beans comes in a 16g of protein.

If you make it, feel free to customize it. If you’re a bariatric patient, feel free to throw it in the food processor and puree it. Just remember to eat slowly and stop when you’re full.

Have a great day folks!

Letting it sink in.

Posted: April 5, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
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By now if you saw last evening’s post, you know I lost a bit of weight.

This is a good thing.

It’s also not the end.

There’s a long weigh (get it?) to go, a lot of pounds to be shed and many years of poor food decisions to be atoned for. It didm’t go on overnight and it sure as hell won’t come off overnight.

So, last night was support group. Our guest speaker was a medical doctor specializing in non-surgical weight loss and he talked about vitamins. I’ve alluded that I would be on vitamin supplements for the rest of my life, now I learned more about the what and why. I’ll spare you the details, but simply put, post surgically, my body cannot get the vitamins and minerals it needs from food alone. This is primarily due to the bypass of the majority of the stomach. I’ll be short on B12, calcium, iron, D, and folic acid. It’s just how it works. When I return for my followup on Wednesday, I’ll get more information on dosages and such. There was also clam chowder that Dr. McPhee prepared. I did not have any of it, but it smelled awesome. Also met up with a guy in group who is the younger brother of a high school classmate. Small world.

I also stopped at the fitness center to see Ryan and Cory. I do get to go back there next week for some walking. No weights until I’m cleared by the docs, but it will be a nice change of scenery. Plus, I know that they’ll be able to offer some other exercises that I can do and won’t be too hard on the gut. In the meantime, back to the Rec for more walking, at least until it warms up.

That is the real downer, being cold all the time. I was never really cold… now I’m walking around with my hands up my sleeves seriously considering gloves. In the house.

Something is NOT quite right with that.

At any rate, time to get the day underway. Off to the gym for some treadmill time, then off to Mom’s. I picked up 10 pounds of apples that she’s going to turn into applesauce for me. It will be nice to have once I transition to purees next week. The store bought stuff is just too sweet and loaded with extra sugar that I don’t need. Plus, Mom makes some banging applesauce.

 

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