Hey, friends. How the heck are you? I’ve been really good but busy at work and with this train wreck of an administration running the country right now (poorly, I might add), time just gets away from me. I nearly forgot about the time change. Really? That again??
Right Now:
As always, I’m about to hang with my students at church. With three services back to back, it makes for a long morning. Some mornings are more challenging because A) Sugar or B) Lack of sleep affect students. Ha! Also, that 6 7 nonsense. IYKYK.
This Week:
I have a routine doc visit. No biggie.
Unrelated, but I joined a walking challenge at work. It’s SO unlike me to do this. I am not a big fan of challenges, especially work ones but I have been chained to my desk for hours at a time and it’s not great to be sitting for that long.
So, I joined. With a minimum of 6K steps my team gets points. With 8K, more points. 10K, even more. I find it easy to get the 6K and most of the time even 8K but 10K a day has been challenging due to time.
Besides carving out time to walk I’ve been exploring new places to walk. Parks and trails. It feels good to be outside. Music and audiobooks have been helping me out.
Reading:
I mentioned falling down an Atwood rabbit hole. Yep. I chose Cat’s Eye for book club. Then a different group of us read Oryx and Crake together. That was a tough subject matter so some bowed out.
I carried on and read the next book in that trilogy, The Year of the Flood. I’ve always liked Atwood’s writing but reading her work now with all of THIS going on? Unbelievable. Truly. I should have my review of Flood up soon.
Watching:
Not a darn thing. I got my Halloween movie fix in and now? Nothing. Not itching to watch anything. Although Stranger Things drops the week of Thanksgiving.
Grateful for:
- Local parks
- Cool mornings
- My little pup who continues to rally at age 16
- Friends who make me laugh
- Funny videos or reels
That’s it from me. I hope to continue my walking. My most recent hospital stay for all that kidney nonsense was like a huge red flag going up. Like the brain tumor and pulmonary embolism weren’t enough. Ha!
Book Chatter 
A walking challenge is a great idea since we don’t tend to want to let the team down. I sit a lot all day, too, with work so try to get a walk in each morning (it’s so darn early and dark these days!) before I start work.
I am not competitive but seeing the rest of the team clock miles does get me up and moving. Even if it’s just taking the long way to the restroom. I feel that physically I am back to my pre-brain tumor self. The challenge has been four weeks and this last week I noticed how much easier it all was to do. Gotta keep it up.
I get motivated seeing other people’s progress, too. I am feeling so much better now that I walk every day and go to the gym a few times a week.
Keep it up!
Time really does seem to fly these days, doesn’t it? I felt like we just finished October and now it’s already the second week of November. Gah!
I learned about 6 7 from a cousin who has a middle schooler. Glad I don’t have to hear that random reply all day! Kids are so funny.
I typically get 6-8K steps in a day, but those last 2K take more effort and thought. Tougher when it gets dark early. But audiobooks help. I just need to stop whining about the rain and get better gear so I can walk all winter. Yes, those hospital visits can be big motivators, can’t they? My husband was in the ER a few nights ago. I call the paramedics when we thought he might be having a stroke. Turns out to be Bell’s Palsy. It’s annoying for him, but we’re both glad it wasn’t a stroke!
Enjoy your day and have a great week, Ti.
I am glad it wasn’t a stroke too. It can be so scary. How is he now?
Now that I’ve been tracking steps, 6K is pretty easy for me. 8K is better and achievable with a little effort. 10K is doable if time permits. I did walk so much though I did something to my foot. LOL. I took a day off for that and fell behind. I am nearly back in the lead. Challenge ends in three days but I will continue.
10K a day! I admire your resolve. I do at best just over a mile a day, if the weather permits.
It snowed today for instance, and the roads are wet and slick. No walks in the mall, for instance.
I am glad your husband is doing okay and wish him the very best.
Harvee https://harvee44.blogspot.com
I assume your good thoughts were for my husband and not Ti’s. 🙂 Thank you, Harvee. He’s had Bell’s Palsy once before, so he knows it may take a bit before the symptoms fade away.
Oh lord, I had Bell’s once. It took months for it to return to normal. For me, anyway. I also had a brain tumor though maybe it was never Bell’s.
Good luck with your walking challenge, Ti! I think that walking is one of the best things I’ve done for myself in the last several years. So good for my mind and attitude. I will admit that I walk at a couple of local rec centers on indoor tracks most of the time, but that means I don’t have excuses for not going due to weather, etc. And I also listen to a lot of audiobooks. Glad that your pup is still around and hope you have a good rest of the week!
Our weather has been difficult to walk in the past week but I still made it happen! On campus I can walk inside the buildings or the parking structures but at home, I just get soaked. LOL. I am a huge fan of walking. I was walking so much but then that pulmonary embolism after brain surgery sucked the life out of me. One lung is not enough to live on, IMO. It took 6 months and it was slow going after that. But, I am back!
I think we all are feeling challenged these days to find moments of joy or relief from today’s world. I like the idea of a walking challenge, and I wish you continued success.
Enjoy your walking regime! Sounds good. I just had my second knee replacement which will take about 12 weeks to recover from, so I need to be a bit patient, grrr. Our Lab Stella is +13 now and getting wobbly but is so dear to us. Like Otter Pup who I hope is still doing okay …. I know she is a ray of sunshine to you.
The Otter Pup is slipping daily. She gets to the point where we need to make a decision and then she rallies. She had a bad day yesterday but a good day today!
Knee replacement. I absolutely wrecked both of my knees a year apart and they insisted I could heal from PT alone. I did not believe them but here I am. Good as new. Hope you heal quickly!