It was yet another glorious day to walk down at the beach. It’s funny because yesterday I was doing some work with a senior and she mentioned she walked the promenade at the beach most days. We got to talking about how much we liked walking the beach. Seems we both appreciate seeing things like the beautiful bay, wildlife, even the pigeons and seagulls. We both agreed when you do that walk it is just so interesting.
I have tried to do everything over the past 10 months while waiting to see the specialist to help my ankle heal. I have better shoes, I wear my brace, got new orthotics, I avoid high impact activities, etc. And yet it is still swollen all the time though some days more than others. I really need to come up with a new plan that doesn’t involve giving up walking or my beloved fitness classes.
I’ve decided I need to start getting diligent about icing my ankle a few times a day. The biggest concern I have is we are only about 2 months before my sister and I go on our cruise and I don’t know that I will be able to my dress shoes on. Yes, I have some flats and sandals that might work but one of my favourite things about cruising is dressing up for dinner and shoes are an important part of that.
I have been pretty good about daily doing the exercises I was shown by my physio therapist and I know that has had some impact because I am no longer in constant pain. Any thing in a fitness class that seems to irritate the ankle I stop doing (interesting that the angle of my feet when doing a plank is an issue). In general I think I have done everything that I can except the using ice.
Here’s hoping that adding ice to my routine will help shrink my foot.
I know I have done a good workout at bootcamp when near the end I think I’m too old for this shit. Not to worry, I’ve felt worse and often times it has been with the same instructor. But really I am always happy when I feel that way because it means I had worked hard. When I checked my FitBit when I got home I realized it had really been a good workout based on the number of calories that I burned.
As I am back out walking about 3 hours a day I thought now would be a good time to review crosswalk safety. This is once again because in the past 2 weeks on several occasions I have had near misses. In each of these I could have been seriously hurt if I had simply asserted my right of way instead of always being of defensive.
Let’s start with pedestrian responsibility because we do have to be diligent as well. Always try to cross at a crosswalk and if there is not one nearby, cross at an intersection. It is imperative that you make eye contact with approaching drivers to ensure they see you. Never, ever assume they will stop simply because you are in the crosswalk, you would be surprised at those that speed up to try and beat you. This is particularly true at controlled crosswalks (the ones with the flashing amber lights), make sure cars are going to stop before stepping out into the street. At intersections with stop lights, only enter the crosswalk when you see the white walking symbol. Do not enter the intersection if you see the red hand regardless of if you see the time ticking down and you think you can make it to the other side. Please remember some of that time is for cars that have a green light and are turning right/left through the intersection. The seconds ticking down mean how much time you have to finish your crossing. NEVER enter the crosswalk if there is a flashing or solid red hand, period. These are not just about you being safe but also about being a courteous pedestrian.
As for drivers, if you see a pedestrian approaching an uncontrolled/controlled crosswalk JUST STOP. Really it is that simple. Walking home the other day a woman sped through a controlled crosswalk that I was trying to use. She had ample time to stop but instead saw the flashing lights and sped up intentionally looking forward so that I guess if she hit anyone she could say she didn’t see them. And if there are pedestrians in the intersection, wait until they have completed the crossing before you turn into or go through the intersection.
I can never get my head wrapped around how drivers losing a minute to patiently let pedestrians cross is worth this risk of injuring or worse killing someone. And for pedestrians, is it worth risking you life by not obeying the rules of the road? I don’t think it is hence why I am always careful.
Be safe out there!
It was a nice day for walking today. I got in an hour after my bootcamp class early this morning. I then did an hour walk each way to an office where I do volunteer work. While I love my 2 hour walks to the beach and back sometimes it’s nice to just break the walking into small segments as I tend to do on Tuesdays. The important part is that I got it all in today.
Yesterday was a fun day with my sister. We belong to a 55+ activity centre and through out the year they do all sorts of excursions. This can be anything from a local wine tour, seeing a live theatre production, traveling to one of our many islands and much more. During the summer it becomes even more fun when they do their ‘mystery’ tours. Literally you buy a spot on the bus and you have no idea where they are going to take you. We tried one last year and had a blast so signed up for 2 more this year and yesterday was the first one.
So we get on the bus and the tour leader hands us each an itinerary which goes like this, leave for stop 1 at 9:50, spend 30 minutes. Leave for stop 2 at 10:45, spend 1 hour, etc. Really, you don’t know where you are going until you get there and quite frankly I think most of the time the volunteer bus driver had no idea where he was taking us. But hell, that is all part of the mystery.
We started out at a lovely park to explore. It had just stunning foliage including a greenhouse with all sorts of tropical plants. We then went to an animal rescue organization that focused on reptiles. Seriously, we saw every type of lizard imaginable but they also had things like tortoise and most importantly baby bunnies. Then we were off to lunch at a deli at a turkey farm so we had, wait for it, turkey sandwiches. Next we went to another amazing rescue organization that focuses on alpacas who’s fur they harvest to make all sorts of wearables. Besides the alpacas they also had llamas, donkeys, ducks, chickens, pigs, a turkey and 2 camels. We even got to feed most of the animals so it was a riot. Finally, a quick stop to a greenhouse where we were all treated to beautiful bouquets of flowers.
I have to say it was just an awesome day full of fun and a ton of learnings. While it was an all day event I still managed to get in bootcamp and 2 hours of walking which I figured was pretty good. Bottom line, it was nice to just have a little fun with my big sis’. Can’t wait for the next mystery tour in August.
We went to a Celebration of Life today (more on that below). The reception was held only about 4 blocks away from us. My husband and I had opted to drop my sister off there and leave our car at home and walk to the reception. Of course, that meant we all had to walk home. I am so impressed my sister managed to walk that 4 blocks unaided! She needs to get up to 8 blocks before our cruise which is 10 weeks from now but given how well she has done in her recovery I am confident she will get there.
Today we went to the Celebration of Life for our good friend’s step son. Our friend had been in his life for 31 years, since his step son was 3. We were there because we did know the step son and it was important that we supported our friend. It was the right thing to do and none of us had any qualms about doing so.
We heard today from numerous friends and family. What we learned was this young man was so giving to everyone whether that be his family, friends or the community. It didn’t matter to him about his own issues, he just needed to help everyone. We watched as family and friends cried remembering how much he impacted their lives. The services itself was lovely and my heart broke when 3 of his siblings and his Dad spoke. His Dad in particular struggled at the loss of his son and I just wanted to leap on the stage an hug him.
Loss is sad but this one to my is even more so. He had struggle for many years with mental health issues which lead to substance abuse issues. Sadly he died from an overdose. He leaves behind not just his parents, siblings, friends but also his young daughter. I had met him many times and was well aware of his struggles but never thought there would be such a tragic ending. Still today those issues were brushed aside to remember an amazing young man.
This once again brought home how our system is failing those that need us the most. Maybe it would have helped if there was support there available for him. Maybe if there was a safe place for him to go for consumption he would not have od’d. Maybe if we found a way to help treat addiction with dignity his daughter would still have her father.
When we heard this young man had passed my husband and I were devastated for our friend and his family. It was even more so today when we realized he died on our anniversary. I plan each year as my husband and I celebrate our anniversary that we will remember this young man.
I really want all levels of government to come up with a way to support both mental health and substance abuse. No young child should ever have to lose a parent because of this again. Please let’s find a way to make this stop.
This morning was a glorious morning to walk the beach. It was beautiful and sunny when I started out though I admit a bit cold in she shade. The water was lovely and calm and I so enjoyed saying good morning to many people. As I walked along the promenade I looked up and saw a bald eagle perched on top of a tree. Then when I got to the end of the pier there were 2 more perched on top of a cellular antenna. Really, what an awesome way to start the day.
I mentioned in my last post that everyone seemed to need to meet with me and were piling on the work. I am literally getting so stressed out over my to do list. It is bad enough that I have work outstanding for clients but all of my volunteer organizations have piled it on. I have done volunteer stuff every day this week and still have things outstanding. On top of that I have things I need to get done for the family. I swear right now I need to have 30 hour days to get it all done. On top of all of this we have a neighbourhood get together tomorrow and we are supplying and cooking the food.
So how to get out of the stress? Well for me I am finding ways to decompress. For example, a lot of walking is happening right now. Just heading out for even an hour really seems to help. I am also taking some breaks to get everything ready for the upcoming cruise my sister and I are taking. Again, this is a distraction for a little bit just so I am not obsessing on what I have to do (I’m really good at obsessing in the middle of the night). I also have been trying to get through a task for one organization then do a task for another organization.
I realized at the end of the day today that I had knocked 3 pretty big items off the to do list in the last 4 days. Oh, there are still some big ones left but at least I am making progress. I think if I can get rid of at least one more by the end of the weekend I can consider it real progress.
So if you are stressed, find a way to decompress to help you manage it. If you are like me and have more things to do than you have time for, just keep moving forward with the work and it will get done. Of course, also keep yourself moving, a walk outside may be the best remedy.
Well, arrived back home late Saturday after my longest trip ever away from home. 2 1/2 months is a really long time to be away though I don’t regret doing it. The challenge I have now is that everything I wasn’t working on while away needs to be dealt with. Many people waited until I came home to start piling stuff on me and now that pile has gotten huge. I’ll just simply work on it each day until I get through it.
I was pretty good at the condo in terms of trying to work out every day. I admit the last week I was a little slack by not doing my online classes but I made sure to walk at least an hour every day. The problem with that is it really isn’t enough for me. I need to keep moving and that means a hell of a lot more than just an hour a day. In my defense, when we left it had gotten really hot so even walking at 5:30am it was 28 degrees and super humid. That always tends to discourage me because when it is that hot you are just constantly sticky and wet with sweat. It is not a pleasant feeling.
I also realized that at the condo I do not really have a way to challenge myself as much. Sure, this time I found that local gym and would go there a few days a week to work with heavier weights (the ones at the condo are only 10lbs) but I don’t believe that is a sustainable solution while there because of the costs. I’m just going to have to work on finding a way to keep myself up to my normal level while I am there because if not when I come home I have to fight to get myself back to my normal fitness level.
Despite the late night Saturday I was determined to get even a short walk done. I opted to walk up to the local Farmers Market to meet my husband and sister and hopefully pick up some local fruit (which I did). This is when I really noticed the difference. You see, you are not getting to the City centre from our house without going up an incline. I got part way there and thought ok, my legs are just not used to that now because all the roads around the condo are really flat. Still I kept going because I have a limited amount of time before my next trip to build up again. I got through it though.
Yesterday I was back at my gym and determined to push myself. I think I did fairly well. Then it was walking time. I decided the best was to do it in segments, 2 one hour segments with a rest break then a 1/2 hour walk. It was the most I had done in 2 months (remember that whole foot issue that made me have to cut back). Since I got through that ok, today I again did a class 1st thing but it was 3 one hour walks. Tomorrow I have to cut back a bit because of my schedule but it is probably a good thing to allow for a little recovery. My goal will then be to push myself Thursday and Friday.
I can’t deny it, I do like walking when the weather cooperates. There’s just something about hitting the pavement, listening to a good book that seems to clear my head a bit. I guess after 5 years of being in motion I finally have to acknowledge it’s a good thing.
I have a very fixed routine that I follow every day. I start with checking my Facebook memories to usually see where I was traveling because I did a lot of that when I worked. Today I saw the first post on my memories and immediately closed Facebook. Today is the day I have dreaded this entire trip. It was one year ago today that my little brother died in my arms. He was my best friend and losing him shook me to the core. I still, a year later, struggle with him not being with us. So much of my life had been about protecting him and taking care of him. Trust me I still get angry when people tell me he is in a better place because of all his health issues because to me the ‘better place’ would be still being with us.
We had long planned on doing something for my brother today. And so we have arranged for a group of our friends to do what we did a few days after we lost my brother, gather pool side and celebrate him. While we had planned on having Chinese food for dinner in his honour we learned that the place we order from in Playa is closed for staff vacation. Instead we have arranged for my brother’s favourite restaurant to deliver some pizza, also something he loved. Not to worry, good friends are going out with my sister and they will be having Chinese food.
I decided I have to choose between 2 paths today, being sad or being happy. I have opted to be happy and celebrate an incredibly kind human being. I am going to stick to happy memories and while out walking thought of some great ones that I plan to share at the pool party this afternoon. Like his 40th birthday where I surprised him with a trip to Reno but his friends had taken him out the night before and he was so hung over he didn’t even remember the flight getting there. Or our last trip to Reno which he had treated me with after settling Mom’s estate and how we had just an awesome time. How knowing how much seeing his stump disturbed me (only because it seeing it made me devasted at the fact he lost his leg) so when I walked into a room he would hold up his leg and waggle the stump at me. I’ll remember how hard he worked to recover from the amputation because he just wanted to come home. I will always think of the fact that if you were his friend he would lay his life down for you. And, I know everyone whose life he touched will remember him as a genuinely kind person despite what he went through in life.
Yes, there will be tears today, as a matter of fact there are some as I write this, but that is ok. What I hope for is that there will be more laughs as we toast him and think of happy memories. Just as we did when we celebrated him a year ago the Canadian Club will be flowing as will the tequila. But at the end of the day I hope he is looking down at us with his twisted grin toasting along with us.
Miss you lil’ bro’ but thanks for making my life better for having been your big sis’.
Yes, we are still finding concrete dust in the condo. We’ve been working on a list of little jobs we want to get done before we leave like cleaning all the power outlet/light switch covers, cleaning the decks and repainting the outdoor bistro set. Today it was the tops of the cupboards in the kitchen and trust me they have lots of concrete dust. However, we have cleaned them and will keep looking for more to clean up.
I got up at the usual time this morning planning to do my daily 5:30am walk and realized a big storm was making its way through. It was pouring rain and the wind was really blowing. Now, having made the mistake before of thinking I should go for a walk and the storm would pass (remember the September incident when by time I realized it wasn’t a squall and I had to walk back to the condo in water halfway up my calves?) so maybe it would be better if I just had another bottle of water. I also realized with the weather the way it was my kitties were likely not to be around looking for food. Then I thought you know what, we’re planning on having some fun later today, why not give myself a break.
I’ve been pretty good while I have been down here including yesterday doing 1.5 hours of walking, a 1 hour bootcamp class and 1/2 hour working out at the gym. It is time to give myself a bit of a break and so I canceled my online class and other than cleaning the cabinets (which is already done) I figure I am giving myself a me day. Later my husband and I will head downtown to walk the length of 5th Avenue then head out for dinner. On the way home it will be a quick stop at a grocery market for some much necessary supplies and a nice relaxing evening. Just a fun day with some mental recharging.
Not to worry, I’m back at it again tomorrow with similar time working out that I did yesterday. Not bad given that I have been here nearly 8 weeks and haven’t missed a single weekday of exercising. But you know what? I’m quite content with doing a fun day.
It is once again a super hot day here in Playa. My weather app is predicting some rain this afternoon but quite frankly it tends to say that every day. We would welcome some rain here as it is quite dry. Having said that, if the forecast is wrong and I get to hang out in our pool this afternoon I am ok with that too.
I am an avid reader, I always have been. For a long time most of my reading consisted of labour case law fitting in e-books when I traveled. I should note, even the case law, unlike many I knew. I would read the whole case instead of just skipping to the decision. I ended up hooked on e-books because when I traveled I would often go through several books and didn’t want the weight (or necessary room) with taking hardcopies with me. Once I retired books became fair game once again. We actually have a library set up down here at the condo and I have dozens of books that I have read here while floating on the pool.
But I have also become a bit of an addict to audio books. Many years ago I had set up an account to download books but that was really for my Mom since she had lost most of her vision so could no longer read. Then of course my sister lost her sight so I kept the account once Mom had passed so that my sister could listen to books. Then, when I started doing hours of walking in 2020 I started listening to books. Let me be clear, if I find a really good book it makes the amount of time walking just fly by. When I was running I would often force myself to focus on the book to distract me from how much I hate running. I also have this bizarre rule that once I start a book I have to finish it whether I am enjoying or not.
I’ve been fortunate to find some authors lately that have written series of books. One of my most recent finds is Diane Saxon who is a British writer. I love her mystery novels and am on my 4th one since I came to Playa. Another is David Rosenfelt who has a great character who is a lawyer but also a dog lover so you know that keeps me interested. Once I find a good author I try to listen to all of their books and right now I have plenty in my library just waiting for me.
The power of books is amazing. To me it brings me peace and joy when I find a book that can totally engage me while I am out walking. I know it is a really good one when I can walk for over an hour and be surprised that my walk is over.
I hope everyone out there has something that makes them as happy as reading books does for me. Starting a new hardcopy one on the pool today and I can’t wait.
So the alarm goes off at 4:30am this morning and I think, screw this (may have been due to the wine and tequila celebrating our anniversary yesterday). I reset it for 5am and when it went off a 2nd time I was more than willing to go back to sleep. Then of course I thought about all my kitties waiting for their breakfast and hauled myself out of bed. Once back from my walk I tried to set up for my 7:30am online workout but technology was definitely against me. Instead I cleaned all of the windows in our condo and given the heat toady I am pretty sure I got a better workout than I would have done in the online fitness class.
I have tried through this blog and posts on social media to help motivate people. That might be to get fit, deal with mental health or just to be decent human beings. But there is a young man in the UK who is truly an inspiration to me and thousands of others. Today he is accomplishing such an impressive feat and I have done my best to support him on his journey. I truly hope my words of encouragement have helped him.
Marcus, known as @thehullboy on X, is a 17 year old who 2 years ago tried to end his life. He has been very public and transparent about his struggle with mental health made even more difficult by the fact that his dad suffers from dementia. A year ago Marcus decided to run a mile a day to raise awareness for mental health. Now, he was a big guy and so running could not have been easy but he did it. That lead to him running his first marathon in September. Wow, I thought, good for him for pushing himself all the while telling his story about his personal struggles but that was only the beginning, his ultimate test was still to come.
About 2 months ago Marcus set a goal that was pretty remarkable, he wanted to be the youngest person ever to have run the entire length of the UK. In doing so he set a goal of raising 20,000 GBP for mental health. Now this is a pretty big venture and I have followed his journey as he ran a marathon almost every day. There were a few setbacks such as a twisted ankle (I sent him a reply advising to take a couple days off to recover) and a car accident that totaled the ride along car which caused a bit of a delay but he kept going. I was proud a few days ago when he acknowledged his body needed a break and cut back a bit to do so. Every day when I see his posts I like or comment, always with as much encouragement as possible because I am so inspired by what he was trying to do.
Today is his last day on this journey and he will have met his goal. His fundraising has been going crazy the past few days especially yesterday when an anonymous donor kicked in 20k. As of yesterday he had raised 100,000 GBP all to help those who struggle with mental health. What an amazing job this young man has done. Even better, today all over X I saw such heartfelt messages of support from people who have never met him, they are just as impressed with him as I am.
I’m anxiously awaiting the final post that he has crossed that finish line though I know he will do it. I can’t wait to reply with how proud I am of this courageous young man in accomplishing a goal few of us would even consider. I truly hope this journey will put him on a path of enormous success because that is what he deserves.
So, be a Marcus. Inspire people around you and if you can’t do that, encourage those that do inspire others to keep doing so. Trust me, the past few days watching him closing in on his goals have made me feel better than I have in a long time.
gwennefarrell 