Twenty Eighteen

Ho Ho Ho!!

Oh wait, that was last week.  This week is Auld Lang Syne time; a time to ask that haunting question about old acquaintances. Time to reflect on the previous three hundred and sixty-four days that covered twenty-eighteen.

For me, twenty-eighteen was mostly consumed with my daughter's accident in January and the physical and financial difficulties that followed for both of us. Our personal financial difficulties were exacerbated by the homeowner's association ineptitude and our building's perpetual state of disrepair.

There were times that I didn't think we'd make it here but with the help of generous friends, luck, and grit here we are, looking forward to twenty-nineteen, planning for a future for even beyond the next three-hundred and sixty-five. Well, cautiously. One. Day. At. A. Time.

All the troubles aside, there were good things about twenty-eighteen that are worth remembering.

Meeting two blog friends in real life and experiencing the city of my birth through their eyes was one such thing.

Another was my son being cast for an episode of a network TV show. And seeing him on screen. He's been acting professionally since his second year of college and while I've seen him on stage many times, and even on the small screen a few times, this time seemed somehow...extra. Maybe because this job made it necessary for him to join the screen actor's guild, which means he'll be compelled to go out for more screen work. Let's face it, screen work means not only visibility but also money. It IS a business. It is a profession.

All-in-all, I guess twenty-eighteen sums up as a break-even kind of year.

May your days be merry and bright and may all your christm...oh wait, that was last week...
Cheers and Happy New Year to all!

"we'll take a cup o'kindness yet, for days of auld lang syne"

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A Whole New Month

Since our last meeting, I had an annual physical which included all the annual screenings women my age are advised to . . . endure.

All is well on all those fronts. The mammogram turned into an expensive bit of drama but turned out, ultimately, all good.

In the midst of these screenings, re-screenings, and additional sets of tests, the group insurance changed. The new insurance has 'wellness' incentives called Motion. Within Motion is a taking steps incentive called F.I.T.

The object of FIT is to get up and move. The incentive, earning a buck for each goal hit each day. The dollars are accumulated and may be used toward deductibles and co-insurance balances.

When you sign up for the program you are sent a tracker that tracks and uploads your steps to your profile.

As the graphic notes; The F in the FIT is for frequency. The daily goal is to take (at minimum) 6 brief walks--the walks must be at least 500 steps within 7-minutes. The walks only count if taken at least an hour apart.  This goal is harder than you might imagine.

The I in the FIT is for Intensity. The daily goal is to step off 3,000 steps within 30-minutes. Your 500 steps may be counted within your 30-minute interval if you step off at least an hour after a previous 500 step block. I now know what 3,000 steps look like. I now know what 3,000 steps within 30-minutes feels like.
This goal is even harder than you might imagine.  For me, anyway.

The T in the FIT is for Tenacity. The daily goal to meet the T is 10,000 steps. One would think this goal would be a snap after the F and the I; I mean only another 4,000 steps are needed to hit the mark.
But one would be incorrect. As it happens, since focusing on the F and the I of the FIT I hit the T fewer times than when I was just using a trusty pedometer to count steps and just focusing on 10,000 a day.

However, all that said, since going in MOTION about six weeks ago I have logged over 100,000 steps and have earned about $60.00. Okay, so if you're doing the math, $1.00 for each letter goal or $3,00 a day multiplied by 7 days a week, multiplied by 6 weeks means I'm am well below the potential earnings. But note, to earn one must 1. wear the tracker and 2. get snow boots that are better for taking hundreds of steps in succession.

There are other programs attached to FIT / MOTION getting and staying healthier; eating more vegetables, drinking more water than sugary beverages, getting more and better quality sleep, to name a few. Some of the stated goals are easier for me than others. But to reach the overall top of the mountain, so to speak, I'll have to pull all these things and then some together.

2018 hasn't been a stellar year on many fronts. I'm looking to step my way through this new month, the last of this year right on into the next whole new year.

And away we go.





 

Well. Well. Well.

My stress ball continues to make a nuisance of itself by going missing every once in a while.

That? stresses me out.

On the real.

Forty Questions in Parts - Part Three

A Bug On A Sun Roof 

The first five questions.  The second five. And now these. These kind of 'getting to know you' are full of ~favorites~. For the purpose of getting through these questions I've relaxed by aversion to naming favorites. In the case of these five questions, not that difficult. Changing the format a bit, rather than re-imagining the questions, showing the original in red and the new thought in blue.  Turns out, not that much has changed in the years since my original responses.  Easy set.   



11. What is your favorite hobby? Toss up Bicycle. Drawing. Writing. Of late, I haven't been doing much of either of these things. It has become clear that the absence of these in my life is wreaking some kind of havoc. Things must change. 


12. Do you have ADD?  No. The answer is still no, though I'm beginning to have...something. 

13. Do you wear glasses? Nearly 24-7. Trying to break the habit of sleeping with them on. (Still) And yes, still wearing glasses and yes, still falling asleep with glasses on. Certainly leaving the television on is connected. I need a radio. Or something that is not a television. 


14. What was your favorite cartoon? Flintstones  And to this day (though I haven't seen it in years) I remember with great fondness watching Fred, Wilma, Pebbles, Barney, Betty, Bam-Bam and of course Dino. One of the kids even bought me the live action film. John Goodman, Rick Moranis, Elizabeth Perkins, and Rosie O'Donnell as the Flinstones and Rubbles, classic.  Well, I liked it. 



15. Name three things you did today. Woke up. Worked. Ate. Woke up. Walked. Worked. 
Rinse and repeat.  ~And happy for it. 




Welcome to another edition from the random blogger.  

Hair You Have It

Don't know if you were aware but for thw last several years I have kept my hair verly closely cropped, nearly bald.

There were several factors that led to that choice and most of those factors are in play now. Yet, for the last several weeks I have allowed my hair to grow.

It remains to be seen how much longer I will be able to stand it, but I can say it is beginning to grow on me.

Except for the gray. I don't mind gray the color, but gray the texture is wrong. I shall need a remedy for that sooner rather than too much later.

These Days

Haven't posted from the mobile device in a while. (Ever?) Anyhoo, as the image implies I have days and to a slightly less degree, art on my mind.

Until we meet again.

The Next Step, Someday, Maybe

Melody, for many reasons, is no longer. 

I've given some thought to the next phase 

The cruiser is my aesthetic and likely, most logical choice. 

But I've wanted a trike for a while now and pause only to muse about what choosing a trike says. 

It's like downsizing one's bed. 

Turning a corner, so to speak

All of it is moot as I have neither the money or space for a replacement personal transportation

vehicle.

I do love thinking about it. I hope I can do more than think about it by this time next

year. In the meantime, what to name her. 

hmmmmm. 

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Update Status

What hasn't been said in nearly a month:

1. My daughter had knee surgery nearly a month ago. She's frustrated with . . . well, most everything really. Doing my part to keep her spirits up takes nearly everything I have.

2. I failed to commemorate my mom's birthday mostly due to being caught up with concern and care for daughter. It was the 26th of May. She would have been 78. I miss her--still.

3. My bike broke. Thanks to that and other factors I haven't pedaled at all (well, except for gym bikes--sparingly) at all this spring season. I have no doubt not riding is impacting my psyche.

4. I participated in a free web series designed to get my sketchbook mojo ticking. I'm trying to commit to sketching every day.

5. Remember the letter writing month project? I continue to receive lovely letters from members of that group initiative.

6. In addition to re-dedicating myself to sketching and writing (creative endeavors in general), I am also re-dedicating myself to health (I won't say weight loss, though that is the ultimate desired result) goals.

7. I dreamt that I went to a party. I was in a party dress. I woke up in sweats. (Literally and otherwise) ;-)

8. My skin has been on a tear. Atopic dermatitis. Frustrating. Painful. Annoying. Nearly healed--not nearly fast enough.

9. I miss this space/community. I want/need to make the time and effort to write (and visit others) more often.

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Squee!

It has been years and years since I've met fellow bloggers (for the first time). 

Agora, art installation Grant Park. 

But this past week I met not one, but two real live bloggers!! 

A portion of Rush More 

They came to the city of my birth for this thing or that thing. The opportunity presented itself for us to walk-about, talk-about, see some public art as well as that on display in a world-renowned art museum. It was a great treat and an extreme joy to meet-n-greet them.

Thanks, Y'all!!  Next time, a trip to Garretts!

More Blog Goodness

Forty Questions in Parts - Part Two

First Daffodils on the Block 

About a year ago I posted the first five of the forty questions and today, the next five: 




6. What is your favorite TV show? First and foremost may I remind you all that I am not a fan of "favorite" anything. Secondly, I love TV. There have been a great many shows over my over 50-year fandom that captured my heart and remain buried in my soul. But, as for what is among my favorite currently running program (which is what I presume the question is asking) the answer is: "The Good Fight".  


7. What is your favorite movie? Again with the favorites. And here again, a great many films over the years have reached favorite
status. But, feet to the fire to choose one, I choose, "A Raisin in the Sun". 
 
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? No hard a fast rule or particular preference as to the morning beverage. It usually winds up being whatever it on hand. I may have, at any given time, a variety of teas (herbal or green -no black teas give me a headache) coffee, milk, juice, and/or (of course) water. If I happen to have tea, coffee, milk, and juice on hand, I'd likely choose the tea over coffee. (Remember my experiment? Well, turns out I can operate just fine without coffee in the morning) 


9. Can you do a push-up? In short, yes. I can do one. Probably not more than that unless it is of the modified variety. 



10. What's your favorite jewelry? Well, look...another favorite.  This, however, is an easy-peasy answer because I am not a big jewelry person and don't have very many pieces. Until recently, my favorite piece was a silver thumb ring that I sometimes wear on the middle finger of my left hand. Presently, my favorite piece is a hand-crafted bead bracelet gifted to me by a friend. It isn't fancy, which is just my style. It was created with a purpose, which is also my style. I'm pleased and honored to wear it in support. 

    

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A Week's Worth

A Pop of Color from a neighbor's yard! 

Gargoyle may not have lead to evacuation and city's notice. 

A lunchtime stroll in nearby, "funeral park" as my daughter calls them. 

The morning moon is in this shot. 

Late season (surprise) snow. 

Time change = sun on the way home. 

The first pet, Pete celebrated his 12th birthday! 

                                                             

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Photo Memory

sun not quite up, moon not quite down. (da moon)

A year ago today (the 6th) it was Monday. A year ago today (the 6th) I posted this, a photo of an ominous looking tree set in my neighborhood.  The tree featured front and center, has since been cut down. There is an ominous blank space where the tree once stood.

I am pleased to have snapped a picture of that tree on that morning and several beyond. Until it was gone.

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And Oh, By The Way

My son spends a good amount of time in schools.  He's employed by a theater as a teaching artist, going into schools to guide high schools students in preparation for various monologue competitions and festivals. The idea that he may encounter anyone with a lethal weapon, let alone a mass shooter is horrifying.

The idea that any of the overworked, much stressed, educators that he encounters would be further burdened with the responsibility of carrying, securing, with the possibility of having to defend the class is beyond horrifying.

In the vernacular, "I can't even with these people . . . "

More to Enjoy! 

Snippet

A Neighbor's Tree 

A dream:  anxiety rising to the point of overflowing, looking for the milk. It isn't in any of the usual places so I began looking in some rather unusual places. Finally relief and then, immediate confusion. Why is there a gallon of milk in a dresser drawer? 

And then I am awake. 

Are you watching the Olympics? Loving it? Not? Somewhere in between? 

More Microblog Offerings

In My Head

This song (not particularly this version) has been roaming about my head for days now. The days have not been particularly lovely but it has been pleasant to hope, feel, think they would be. 

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Challenge. Project.

Tree of Heart

Did you know that February is International Correspondence Writing Month? No, I didn't either until recently. I'd heard of it some years ago, meant to take note but never did. And now suddenly (but not really, sudden) here it is again.

I plan to take some part. I won't go out and say I'm going to write and send a letter a day for 28 days straight. But, I will take some part.

And now, from this point forward, I shall mark the calendar, mark the links, and prepare in advance for future events.

A. Letter. (handwritten) A. Day.

Woot.

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Unfrozen Drafts

Thanks to the high winds in recent days this jaunty fellow lost his topper. He has also in even more recent days, lost his footing due to even higher winds and quite possibly critters meandering about in the middle of the night. He now lies forlornly on a neighbor's lawn, unlit. Serving no visible purpose. Waiting to be relieved of duty until the next holiday season.

He's in good company. Many neighbors have yet to remove their holiday decorations. Maybe due to the kind of weather we've been having over the past couple of weeks. Maybe due to each of their personal preferences regarding such things. Maybe due to not having the time or energy. Maybe some combination of all those things.

Whatever the reason I am looking forward to the vestiges of the season to be gone.

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