10/18/2014 Challenging house chores, Tearin' Up the Sheets (Literally. Don't get too excited), Time Check

I changed my sheets  today, which is a little job in and of itself, but when you have two mostly-white Turkish Van cats, with 5" long super-super fine fur, and you prefer black sheets... it is a real major task, and a bit of a workout! 

That hair sticks to every fabric like velcro, on contact. And then it forms little balls. Just throwing it in the wash is not gonna do it. 

With regular cats, a good fluff-n-dry will de-cat-hair anything. 

Oh, no. It takes a brush - brushing the whole top sheet on both sides, and the fitted sheet on the top - thoroughly - to get them even ready to wash. 

Don't evenTALK to me about sticky fur rollers. I go through an entire one before I'm half-way done. 

There is no keeping two feral-born kitties out of the bedroom (They like to cave under the bad - it's their most secure place - but they like to be  ON the bed too... and one will even cuddle with me, but only when i am IN the bed. So... unless I want to be heartless, no. 

But dammit, the sheets are clean again and bed will be fresh and cozy tonight! (Everything is physical therapy, right?)

Also - a funny little after- effect of the Post-Surgery times last year - this particular set of sheets has obviously been washed and used again several times since - but I think this was the fitted sheet I used most when I was doing the in-bed physical therapy exercises the most (though I still do them on a lesser basis to keep things healthy and limber) - a few nights ago, suddenly I moved a foot across the sheet turning over - and it tore right through! That spot between the knees and feet, where I moved my feet across it the most doing the PT repetitions just gave up the ghost! 

I had to chuckle. I think with a repair, and putting it one the other way-round I can probably get a few more uses out of it... but I had to laugh! 

Never wore through a sheet before!! 

Just for the record, it is 1 year and two months since Hip Replacement #1. 10 months and two weeks since #2. 

I just keep on rolling ahead. Not every day is great ( this has been a bit of a low week), but I keep at it... I'm on the 'bike at least 6 nights a week, and though I had a little issue with my right knee for a couple of weeks, I started giving it really good attention and regular Ice and stretching/strengthening, and it's getting back to well again... I hope to get a good walk in tonight for the firs time in a couple of weeks! 

It's slowly becoming Autumn here, far behind schedule, but almost there, so it should be a lovely night for it. 

No walk tonight after all, but just completed a nice, half-hour vigorous exercycle session. Whew! 

10/3/2014 Fatigue, Fun, Food, and Exercise

A little check- in - 

Its been a long week, but pretty decent. My spirits are great! Gratitude continues to be the rule of the day! 

After my weekend of fun, I admit, I've been a little sore - and I have been SO tired - but I don't think that's just because I was out playing. 

That might not have helped, but I the season is turning - always na interesting time, when the air swirls in warm and cool zephyrs chasing each other's tails and feels so intense on one's skin. Fall making her appearance, and Summer just... holding ... on... we went from a couple of storms to 90+ degrees in a few days! 

I have made many attempts to get to bed earlier. I am such a night person, and getting to be before 1:00 am is so difficult for me, even when I am not in rehearsals or performances. And several nights, I DID get to bed earlier - I was just so tired! and I have been dragin' my behind all week! Last night, I was out with a friend for dinner, and got home around 9:30 - by the time I was settled, it was just too late to get on my exercycle, and certainly to walk. 

I haven't been walking all week - very frustrating - due to fatigue... but besides last night, I've been on that bike, half an hour!! 

This weight MUST go down. 

I need to get my blood pressure well- normalized so I can get off the meds. My doctor is dubious. That just pisses me off and makes me more determined. 

I also am dealing with the oddest, most counter-intuitive thing - I don't eat enough calories. like, by a LOT. 

I looked and researched thoroughly and carefully, and confirmed it with the weight loss group with my medical plan. 

Proper weight loss calories for me - 2,000 calories a day. maintenance, 2,500. 

Do you have any idea how hard it is to each 2,00 calories in a day, when you eat properly and don't eat junk or processed foods? 

The ONE time in the last six weeks, since I've been monitoring/tallying calories,  that I have exceeded 2,000 calories was the wedding day last weekend, when I had a glass of wine at brunch, two classes of sparkling rosé and a good bit of (incredible!) cheese at the cocktail hour. Even the reception food was amazing - and healthy!! Seared Ahi, Brussels Sprout leaves, asparagus, lean roast beef - and the desserts were even amazing, little petite things. I could eat the mini-truffles and a tiny one-bite blood orange parfait (do die for!!) 

Even after all of that - I only ate about 2,200 calories. 

About twice, I have reached 2,000 calories. 

it is crazy. And, again, SO counter-intuitive. But the body needs *healthy* calories to burn to fuel weight loss... good fats (coconut oil, olive oil) are required, and they burn first... good carbs, protein - all in balance. You have to keep the engine firing if you are exercising, as I am. It's about 3 weeks since I weighed in at the Dr.'s office, shocked to have gained weight after 3 1/2 months consistent exercise half an hour 6-7 days a week. 

I'll give it a little more time to kick in and see if I can get this weight gear moving... I want to keep these smooth and silky hips joints dancing for a very, very long time. 

9/30/2014 A Great Weekend - So Much to Do, People to See, Poetry to read and hear, a Lovely Wedding and... DANCING!!!!

I danced last evening - I DANCED!

For the first time in about 4-5 years! I have *craved* dancing - I really love it! - and I fully intended to have a dance party, but my venue fell through, and I am not in a position to afford renting one right now, so, que sera.

This was at a spectacular, delightful wedding in Shenandoah Valley (California)  Wine country, on a winery,  overlooking rolling hills covered with trees and vineyards.

The band was terrific, and they had a great, eclectic playlist. We freestyle danced to rock - a little "Shout", some Elvis and such… The we fox-trotted to some Sinatra - I was very rusty, and my friend Michael was too, but we got the hang of it after some hilarious stumbly reminders, and getting the rhythm back our bones!

A bit later a gentleman asked me to dance, and we danced essentially a one-step to a wonderful Latin tune I love, Sway. He was a very strong lead dancer, which helps a LOT - and he was patient with my occasional stumbles! It was delightful.  

I was tickled to death when I left the floor for a breather at one point, and the woman dancing behind me took my arm and said, "You are a wonderful dancer!!" I am not deceived that I don't have a long way to go, but it was great to know that after all this time, I can brush off enough moves to appear to know what I'm doing, and have a really great time doing it!

It was a very active, lovely weekend, in fact!

I haven't been up to so much activity and gotten through it just great in SO long.

Saturday, I participated in an annual poetry event, 100,000 Poets for Change. A full day of reading and hearing poetry with friends.

I was nervous about mine - I haven't been writing much this year… but I came across on I wrote on December 9, 2013 five days after my second surgery - and it I had completely forgotten!! And it was perfect. My friends really enjoyed it, and at least one of them - Whom I respect the most - was very complimentary. Kudos from him are precious - he holds very high standards.

There was a lot of very good poetry read, and good to see friends in the poetry community.

Then dinner with a few - and home for the evening to finish the wedding gift - for the wedding Sunday! …

Sunday was *GREAT*! Farmer's Market, brunch with more dear friends, home to get ready for the wedding and off to *just!* catch the limo shuttle buses taking us all up to the venue about 40 minutes away in the foothills!

As mentioned, the wedding was fantastic. Beautiful place, people, and ceremony. Delicious and elegant food, spectacular sunset, great weather, lots of laughter, seeing friends from out of town, meeting the bride's new family - all from Australia. Like 25 people flew over!

We were so happy to see what a great family she is marrying into - hers is wonderful, too - so it was all about the love.

And the DANCING!!!!!  It was such a joy to just say Yes to several fun activities during one weekend, no disclaimers, and go - to ALL of them. And feel just swell afterward!

Today, I'm a little sore and tired. But still, happy! 

9/8/2014 One year Surgeon's Follow-up Appointment, A Lovely Walk in the Moonrise

I had my one-year follow-up with Dr. Smith, my Orthopedic surgeon today.  It was actually a year and fourteen day- check... It went so well... x-rays first, of course, then up to floor 3.
Whenever I go in now, I see people on walkers and with canes, and all I can think is, "If you're here for a new hip or two, you are in for the happiest change of your life!!"

Dr. Smith was his usual friendly self, and he took a look at my X-rays and declared that they look *great*! Everything is rock-solid, and he feels really good about how I'm doing. A+!
As always he asked me how I ma feeling, and I told him about my last three month's (since our last appointment) improvements. He said, "You look like you've lost some weight."
I haven't weighed myself  - in fact, I forgot to have them do it in his office, where the scales tend to be reliable. Mine are crap.
I told him how I am walking or cycling or both, most every night. He was glad to hear it, "well, if you're on a bike for half an hour every day and walking, that'll make you lose weight!"

My clothes aren't feeling it in the fit quite yet, but they certainly are not getting any tighter! I expect I'll notice it more, soon.
I forgot to ask him a few questions but they probably aren't his area anyway. We did discuss the "Antibiotics for every dental appointment *forever*(at this point)" issue. Oh well. I think they are not helping my auto-immune issues, but then, I don't want any systemic infections to cause issues with my replacements, either. So there it is.
We hugged - I really appreciate that a professional who has had such a profound effect on one's life has the warmth to be a hugger :) - and he said, "OK! I'll see you in a year!"
So it's on the calendar!

I came home, texted Mariam and asked her if she was available to go to our traditional "post-surgery Ice Cream at Gunther's", and she and our friend Eddie were! Eddie is having some pretty amazing successes as a professional actor right now, and it is very exciting! Eddie Ray Jackson...  a very talented home town guy, and I'm proud to see him really taking off!!

Home again, took a nap (I've been up late knitting a gift for a young friend who is having heart surgery this Thursday) and the evening was so stunningly beautiful, I had to get out into oit to walk. No excuses about the heat, and I was charged by Dr. Smith's enthusiasm!

So after dinner, out into the evening I strode. I decided it's time to break my personal best "since" (since before my hips crumbled several years ago) and walk ten blocks. My previous best was 9 blocks, so I did a good, solid ten.
As I rounded the last corner near home, I saw the moon, GIANT and bright, peek up over the houses in the darkening neighborhood. I was happy i'd brought my phone and made this rather sweet photo!

It turns out I'd lost track, and tonight was the Harvest "Super" Moon. just gorgeous, up there hollering for attention! 

Then home, more knitting, staying up too late. and that was a lovely day. 

9/3/2014 Better...

Better today.
My Facebook status tells it:

"Better... it was just enough cooler this evening to get out and walk seven good blocks, which can never fail to help lift the spirits... Met four friendly people with lovely dogs on their walks, and visited with the very cool neighbors across the street - I saw people painting and hand to go say hi! 
Making a colorful backdrop for an urban use awareness day going on in a couple of weeks - very cool women! 
Time to get some dinner together and later, half an hour on the 'bike, and maybe a few chores... maybe even finish the current knitting project..."

I did get that half hour in on the bike, dinner... 
chores, not so much... 
And worked on that knitting a bit.  

Getting out is enormously helpful. 

9/2/2014 You Can't Let Up. This is Frorm Now On

I won't dwell - but here's a cautionary thought:

If you have a slump, you're going to want to do whatever you can to get out of it .

The more you walk and bike (Or swim, or whatever your choice of keeping your body moving...)
You MUST keep it up.

The more you do, the better you will feel, and you will be pain-free.

The less you do, you will feel like you'll never walk easily again. And eventually, you might be right.
It can be reversed quickly, but it cascades... you feel bad/down/uncomfortable to walk in the heat, etc.. so you don't go walking.
The phone rings 15 minutes into your 30 minute bike session, so you cut it short...
you will feel worse.

Trust me on this.

The more you can get your butt out the door or onto that bike, just DO it - the better you will feel.
I'm workin' on that part tonight. i will NOT waste this chance to change my life nad keep it moving upward!!

We live, we learn.
But the point is, to live well.

Get moving, my friends. USE those new hips, now that you''re got 'em.

8/31/2014 Working it Out...

I didn't make it to the Farmer's Market this morning - stayed up too late knitting on a beautiful pair of fingerless "writer's gloves" with lovely wool yarn brought back from Dublin by a friend last year. Glad to be creating again...

So this morning I realized at 10:30, before my shower, that I hadn't time for the Market. 

But I met a dear friend for brunch, and it was tonic to see her. Se get each other... this is a very god thing. 

I am finding that part of my lonely feeling has to do with my best friend Deb being gone... a somewhat delayed reaction almost a year after her death, as I am back to the mobility I had in the days we spend a lot of time together, as well as, even in the days of being very busy, needing to make time - she would give me a Christmas gift of a beautiful calendar and a page of stickers :"Time with Deb". She had the same, and we would make sure to get a date on the calendar very month, using those stickers.  simple, beautiful gift. 

And so, I realize that one of the elements of my boredom and lonely feeling has a lot to do with the hole she leaves in my heart. 

I am deeply grateful to have many lovely friends, but in life, people pair off and group up... and my closest group has disbursed somewhat. 

It is a little difficult. It is also a touch harder when you are single, as I am. I have very important male friends with whom I get to spend time as often as possible, but time and distance being what they are, sometimes, that is not often enough. 

Still a bit in that arroyo of - if not self-pity, at least restlessness. So many things I would do with more money and more people to spend time with. 

I am also craving cooler weather to get out of the house and walk in. I took a nap, and the light was pretty much gone when I woke up... not the smartest idea to walk alone in the dark... it i a pretty safe area, but sometimes summer gets a little crazy. 

And so it goes... a three day vacation with nothing planned, and frustration. 

Sorry that this isn't the happiest and most Hopeful of posts... it is something others may run into, and I am simply working on a way to re-insert myself back into the world better. I'll let you know what I figure out!!