Hanging In

I was pretty overwrought this morning. I'm getting better now. The computer is a real bright spot on a Turkey Day because then I feel some connection to the greater outside world. Our newspaper is another bright spot, ditto. I haven't been on the computer all day; that's not what I mean. It just gives me some hope that there is life after Turkey Day.

I did do short parts of 3 different exercise dvd's so that gave me a needed boost. I still have to do aerobics - maybe I'll try a Leslie Sansone dvd.

I still need to do a complete foot workout routine. It will be interesting to see what exercises the Albuquerque physical therapist gives me for my feet and compare them with what Jemez Physical Therapy has given me. Exercise and education is included as well as orthotics in my Albuquerque visit. JPT hasn't given me very many exercises and I really wonder about the value of further strengthening my toe flexors by picking objects up with them. My toes are already very strong.

It's very eerie in The Last Season where Judi Morgenson has a dream two nights in a row that she can see underwater in a lake a man wearing a backpack . Why did Randy Morgenson have to die? I didn't even know the man and I'm very upset at his death.

I haven't yet gotten to the part that attempts to explain his death but it gives me pause, as a hiker, to acknowledge that there are life and death decisions out there in the wild and when you either accidentally or through ignorance or foolishness make the wrong one, the consequences for those who love and care for you are far-reaching.

Losing Randy Morgenson, who was so knowledgable about the outdoors and all the things that can go wrong, seems like a wasteful, unecessary death. Maybe, though, his being upset about the divorce papers his wife gave him, somehow distracted him from the ever-present vigilance that's necessary when you are traveling in a steep, snowy drainage in the Sierras.

So far, it's just overcast and raining here. Spouse is in his usual position on the couch, TV on, snoring away. I'm fairly content to be inside right now. If it's snowing this evening, it's possible that I could go out to walk in it.

Grandson's Dad and soon-to-be step-mom took grandson to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving. They may drop him off here later today and that will add some verve and excitement to life for both of us.

I will be very happy at the end of the day to know that daughter and son-in-law had a very safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving up in the Jemez Mountains!

Holidays -Bah Humbug

I've never liked holidays too much anyway. I spend the whole day wondering what will come in the mail and then reminding myself that the mail won't come today. To me, a holiday is like a mini-death - everything's closed, most importantly, the local library. It's like Dorothy says about the north caldera rim viewpoints - it gives people comfort just knowing the possibility is there even if they never drive that far to actually see the views. I like the idea of the hustle and bustle of ordinary life going on even if all I do that day is go out to the library and then take a walk on a forest road.

Where is all this coming from? Spouse decided this morning he didn't want to go up to the Jemez for Thanksgiving. He has good reasons - lots of GI side effects from the medicine including diarrhea, loss of appetite and a metallic taste in his mouth. Plus, he's worried that his inflamed appendix will become a medical emergency.

Then, to top off everything, I had been planning to go with my daughter to the YMCA's free Thanksgiving morning aerobic workout but at the last minute this morning, it was requested by "upper management" that son-in-law and daughter drive all the way to Albuquerque to pick up son-in-law's grandma. This plus a big winter storm coming in (no sunshine has to be affecting my mood as well) impelled me to loan them my Suburu in hopes that they would be safer. When I say impelled, actually, it made me very happy to loan them my car because I feel they'll be safer if they encounter snow-covered, icy roads. Besides that, they both looked very good in my car!

I'll probably take a walk, do an exercise dvd, exercise my feet and read. I'm reading The Last Season by Eric Blehm. It's about a backcountry ranger that goes missing and the search for him. I know it doesn't end well. It's a heartbreaking story. It really makes me love and respect all those who devote their lives to the outdoors.

This weekend, if spouse remains stable, I'll drive to Albuquerque by myself on Saturday and Sunday. This will be to get orthotics. We had planned to stay in Albuquerque overnight but we're cancelling that now too. I, however, am very motivated to finally get orthotics. Thanksfully (the first show of thankfulness in this Thanksgiving blog), the appointments are in the afternoon so I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn!

Spouse Health Newsflash

Per the CT scan, spouse's appendix is thickened and inflamed. He's going to Santa Fe Friday morning to see the doctor who took out his gallbladder to talk about what to do. One possibility is to see if the antibiotics improve the situation.

Physical therapist in Albuquerque emailed that he has appointments this weekend to get orthotics. They cost $275 for 2 pairs which sounds good to me! Unclear now what will happen with spouse being sick. If spouse is stable but doesn't feel like going to Albuquerque, I could drive down on Saturday for the fitting and drive back another time to pick them up.

I parked at the Ocean this afternoon and walked in the woods alongside Camp May Road up as far as Guardrail Hill and then turned around and walked Paintball Road. Amazing how much harder my 5 lb. Ironwear CoolVest makes it! I hope it really does help to strengthen my bones as advertised. The zipper is really shoddy but, when it breaks, I can replace it with Velcro. I still have 10 more pounds of weight to work up to wearing in it! When you can sweat in it on an autumn afternoon, though, cool it ain't!

Have to get to work now washing celery, carrots, potatoes, peeling onions and slicing them all up in the food processor for tonight's beef stew production. I'm using some of the veggies for a bean stew for me. It will be so good! Daughter asked what I wanted for Christmas and I asked if she would make me a vegan meal one day. She's a great cook! She made grandson lasagna last night. That's his favorite because that's what Garfield, his hero, eats!

Done With Dentist for Another 6 Months!

Dentist appointments went smoothly. Afterwards, looked at Schwinn Airdyne Evolution exercise bike at Home Fitness Warehouse. Including delivery and tax, would be under $1000 but I was reluctant to open my piggy bank. Spouse thinks that even he may use it if we decide eventually to buy one.

Glenn, my PT, gently hinted yesterday that I should walk less. Using the exercise bike a couple of times a week would fit that requirement. Also, I suspect I could improve my cardiovascular performance as the bike is so joint friendly, I would be able to really get some elevated heart rate.

In addition to dentist appointment and Home Fitness Warehouse, we took car to Acura dealer and he confirmed that the exhaust pipe going to the muffler is properly installed but the muffler itself has a small hole. We saved fixing that for another day.

We went to REI and made some returns and an exchange but otherwise bought nothing.

Picked up Key Lime Pie for Thanksgiving and talked two other women at Whole Foods into buying one when I assured them it was delicious (even though I've never tasted it but my family certainly loved it!)

Tomorrow spouse gets abdominal CT scan. He's feeling better with the antibiotics. In the afternoon, we make beef stew for when daughter and family come over on Friday. Busy, busy, busy!

Spouse's Doctor Visit

Dr. Daly has ordered a CT scan for Wednesday. He suspects either diverticulitis or appendicitis. Spouse had slight fever in doctor's office so Dr. Daly prescribed antibiotics. Spouse not feeling tip top yet.

Pajarito Mountain Ridge

Went to PT this morning. The usual - ultrasound, then massage, then electrical stimulation of my right foot. Glenn showed me a stretch for the calf and soleus - the one where you hang your heel over the back edge of a step. He also taped my foot. It feels all right and may make it more stable. The tape felt pretty binding on my heel at first but loosened some. Glenn said that a physical therapist in Albuquerque only charges around $100 cash for orthotics. He doesn't deal with insurance. Hope he contacts me one day to make an appointment.

Drove up to Pajarito Mountain Ski Area. Hiked Cañada Bonita Trail out to the old Baca Location fence. Went out on upper, main XC Ski Trail and back on lower, old Quemazon Road.

As I walked out, I observed how the parking lot is not really the base of Pajarito Mountain but the mountain keeps going downhill beyond the parking lot into Los Alamos Canyon. Also, up close, Pajarito Mountain looks more like a really long ridge than a mountain.

Started out feeling lonely, longing and nostalgia. Stopped in Cañada Bonita meadow to listen to the silence and admire the gray, leafless aspen trees and splendid golden grass of the meadow. So quiet I could hear a raven's wings flap! Felt better at the end. So lucky to have Pajarito Mountain even if it does only look like a ridge!

Early Start to Thanksgiving Vacation

Spouse did go in to work this morning but may not stay as he's still having some stomach discomfort. He sees Dr. Daly this afternoon. He only went in to work to check on a computer run. The colonoscopy he had a few years ago had showed diverticulosis so it's possible that these flu-y, crampy gastric episodes are diverticulitis. I'm sure that tests will be ordered to determine the cause.

Tomorrow is an all-day event in Albuquerque with our dentist appointments (always nice to get those over with!) and a stop at the Acura dealer to have them check the exhaust pipe installed last week by RPM.

I need to dress soon to leave for the PT appointment.

I took a 500 mg niacin capsule this morning and yesterday too. It bothered me not at all yesterday but today was a different story. I started feeling itchy all over and my face got red splotches. Dr. Stephen Sinatra in his book Reverse Heart Disease Now suggests niacin to increase HDL cholesterol. I'll continue to try the niacin but if the extreme reaction doesn't eventually stop happening, I'll return it to Vitamin Cottage.

Could Be Worse

Sometime after 9am this morning, an ambulance and fire truck showed up in front of our neighbor's, the Gibson's. I don't know what happened and I hope they are both OK. It's sad to look in their driveway and only see the one car there all day and not know how they are doing. Leaves a hole in the neighborhood.

Spouse is feeling ill. In the past two months, he's had 4 bouts of "food poisoning". We really don't know what it is. He feels flu-y, his lower right abdomen is tender, his stomach feels like someone punched him and he's lost his appetite. He'll go to the doctor tomorrow.

Went to the Turkey Trot today on North Mesa. Daughter did too. She came in 34th and I came in 84th. My foot did amazingly well. First, I predicted 47 minutes and 47 seconds for my finish time and then I crossed that out and wrote in 50 minutes. I don't know what my finish time was. I left before the prize drawings to see if spouse was OK. He's stable for now.

Indian Summer Lingers On

I thought sure I'd wake up to snow today but it was sunny and around 40 degrees. We hiked with the White Rock Senior Center group on the Perimeter Trail South, off West Jemez Road, that starts at the Pajarito Canyon Trailhead. The group surprised me and went all the way to FR181. I think they only did it because they kept thinking they could loop back and didn't have to go back the way they came. It was a small group. One regular hiker didn't come because his hip was bothering him and several others opted to eat Thanksgiving dinner at the Betty Ehart Senior Center.

I talked some with Dagne about genealogy research. She had tried it once but hit a wall of misinformation in censuses. I told her about the Latter Day Saint's Family History Centers in Los Alamos and White Rock. Dagne's Mom is 99 years old and married to an 85 year old man. I told Dagne that he's what keeps her Mom going!

I'm very tired today and was yesterday too. Yesterday, I had to wake up at 6am for the Dorothy hike and today at 7am for the senior hike. I didn't sleep well last night because my legs started cramping.

My foot did OK on the hike but I'm not sure about the Keen midcut hiking boots. So far, they are more comfortable than the Vasque's.

Thoughts on yesterday: The point of taking the forest ranger's up to the north rim of the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) was so Dorothy could lobby them not to close off certain logging access roads under their Travel Management Plan. She and Ed are hoping that in the future, a deal could be struck between the VCNP management and the USFS to allow people to look into the world-class beautiful Valles Caldera from the north rim, through some official "holes in the fence". People could drive in on the forest service logging roads and legally hike across the VCNP fence at several selected viewpoints.

Truthfully, I'll get little use out of these proposed north rim viewpoints but it may, as Dorothy and Ed believe, create a lot of goodwill for the VCNP in northern New Mexico. The forest rangers admitted that the north rim area off FR144 only gets light use. Dorothy and Ed are both amazing people to do all the legwork and research to promote the north rim viewpoints proposal.

I should have waited until the rangers weren't present to tell Ed that I thought some of the maze of roads were superfluous and it wouldn't hurt to close some, leaving only main trunk open for access to the viewpoints. In fairness to myself, though, I never saw the attachments he sent me that included a map and his comments on the Travel Management Plan because TextEdit opened them up as blank pages. I wish that PC's and Mac's could communicate better!

Some info on the rangers: Sandy formerly worked in Oregon as a ranger. He started out in firefighting. He's been in northern New Mexico for 6 years now. He really likes the mix of 3 cultures here - Indian, Hispanic and Anglo. Annie is a mother of two. She lives on a ranch in Pecos and commutes everyday to Española which is a long way to drive. She's been with the Española Ranger District since 1999 and before that worked for the BLM in Taos and the Tesuque Ranger District in Santa Fe.

I Go to the Hills

After Dorothy trip, went to FR181 (American Springs Road). I walked my 4 miles but didn't see a single soul. I heard some shots as I got to where the road swings east. I didn't get shot so I was happy about that. It was cloudy and cool. I couldn't see the top of Pajarito Mountain for the low clouds or maybe snow flurries hanging over it.

Foot was OK. It likes even terrain. On the Dorothy trip, I had to be really careful not to turn my right foot on it's side in the grassy hummocks on Garita Ridge/Hunter's Point. I was comparatively speedy on FR181.

The Dorothy trip was interesting but we hardly walked at all - less than 3/4 miles. The two Española District Rangers, Sandy and Annie were very kind people. They took the time from their very busy work schedules to go to the north rim of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to look at several caldera viewpoints. I'm going to make this a short blog and not even try to get into all the ramifications of this trip.

Dorothy, Greg and I had a brief discussion at the end of the trip. Greg asked Dorothy to give another rim trail talk at Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) and she agreed that would be good. I suggested that we should expand the rim trail effort and especially find someone to write a grant proposal to fund some of Dorothy's rim trail proposals (not my idea - the rangers suggested that to us as one way to get the rim trail going) and I mentioned Dave Menucci's name again, saying that I knew that Dorothy could do a lot if she had the time but she very busy.

We really didn't stop for lunch because we had to get the two rangers back. I passed out LaraBars to those who wanted them. Greg, who drove us in his Jeep Cherokee, seemed to really like the LaraBars. When I got home, I got 4 more of them (and the article in the Rio Grande Sierran on Marty) and dropped them off for him and Karen.