I'll keep trying to get more sleep to help the depressed part but not sure what I can do about the old and cold!
SF trip today. Stomach had the twisties while waiting in Border's for spouse who was checking out TVs at Best Buy. They never developed into anything full-blown but it was worrisome.
Don't go to Best Buy if you want to buy an LCD TV. Best Buy suggested that spouse could pay an extra $300 over the cost of the TV to have a technician come to our house to "adjust" it, plus they tried to convince him that he'd need to buy a sound system for it as well. Best Buy's 3 year extended service contract is $250 while Baillio's is $149. The salesman at Baillio's, per spouse, was much more honest. He showed spouse how easy it is to adjust the picture with the remote control! We haven't bought a new TV yet and frankly, I don't care if we ever do but spouse is busily researching all the options. I shopped at Vitamin Cottage while spouse trolled the TV section in Baillio's.
Had a late supper and didn't finish with everything until 9pm. This is because I had a late lunch on the ride home and then went out early to walk. Today I bought some raspberry apple sauce to put on warmed fennel muffins and also added some cinnamon. It tasted like cake!
Israel is acting like Hitler in its invasion of Gaza! When will the world care about the plight of the Palestinians?
I am looking forward to spouse returning to work on Monday while he is hoping for a snow day to extend the vacation!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Quiet Afternoon
Spouse and I walked five miles in the streets of White Rock and La Senda with the WRSC hiking group. I was surprised to see the mileage was that great. Eve had wanted to walk the trails near the Pojoaque Fitness Center, actually next week's hike on the schedule, but we voted to stay in White Rock as we had to pick up grandson before noon so son-in-law could go to work.
Gordon has a nice, new GPS that he was experimenting with. Our numbers were small - only seven of us. The walk was slow-paced but enjoyable. It was good to see spouse able to walk reasonably pain-free. His back hurt him a little but he did well to walk five miles.
Birds in White Rock were singing and flocking on trees like Spring had already come.
In downtown Los Alamos, the great melt is occurring and snowplows are clearing the roads of ice before the next big storm.
Spouse took grandson to McD's for lunch - always a winner and then to the Trans-Lux Theatre in Española to see Tales of Despereaux. I told spouse that he was grandson's friend and that spouse had better take care of his health. So far, grandson doesn't have a close friend but we're all hoping he finds one.
I took a sack of 1998 receipts to the bank's huge, heavy duty shredder and quickly made mince-paper out of them. Right when I finished, the machine jammed but they helped me un-jam it by putting it in reverse.
Then, kamikaze-like, I placed four bags of old magazines on the non-return shelves at the downtown library. I had already placed two at the White Rock branch. I'll have two more if son-in-law doesn't want the ones I separated out for him. Then, when spouse finishes reading the rest of the 2008 mags, I probably will have two more. Next time the airlines offer us magazines for our expiring miles, I don't want them because neither of us reads them! There were one and two foot piles in the office and now it's all clean!
On Monday, I check out the courses the Los Alamos Fitness Center will be having for people older than 50. That same day, an informational meeting for the Strong Women program is held. The Strong Women give you 24 classes for $60. I'll see how that compares with the fitness center. A Strong Men program will be starting too. They get a book but the women only get an email newsletter - not fair! ; )
Now to check Facebook. So far I have 5 friends - daughter, daughter's mother-in-law, sister, brother and a woman in town who writes a neat blog. I found out yesterday that you can chat in Facebook and I suggested to my brother that we do that one day. I may enjoy that better than phone calls!
Oh, one more thing that I thought of last night: Inauguration day will be like Christmas and New Year's all rolled up in one!
I have to admit to not being too excited, though, about Christmas this year. I don't know what it was but, now that it's safely over, I put on some Christmas cds last night while stretching!
Gordon has a nice, new GPS that he was experimenting with. Our numbers were small - only seven of us. The walk was slow-paced but enjoyable. It was good to see spouse able to walk reasonably pain-free. His back hurt him a little but he did well to walk five miles.
Birds in White Rock were singing and flocking on trees like Spring had already come.
In downtown Los Alamos, the great melt is occurring and snowplows are clearing the roads of ice before the next big storm.
Spouse took grandson to McD's for lunch - always a winner and then to the Trans-Lux Theatre in Española to see Tales of Despereaux. I told spouse that he was grandson's friend and that spouse had better take care of his health. So far, grandson doesn't have a close friend but we're all hoping he finds one.
I took a sack of 1998 receipts to the bank's huge, heavy duty shredder and quickly made mince-paper out of them. Right when I finished, the machine jammed but they helped me un-jam it by putting it in reverse.
Then, kamikaze-like, I placed four bags of old magazines on the non-return shelves at the downtown library. I had already placed two at the White Rock branch. I'll have two more if son-in-law doesn't want the ones I separated out for him. Then, when spouse finishes reading the rest of the 2008 mags, I probably will have two more. Next time the airlines offer us magazines for our expiring miles, I don't want them because neither of us reads them! There were one and two foot piles in the office and now it's all clean!
On Monday, I check out the courses the Los Alamos Fitness Center will be having for people older than 50. That same day, an informational meeting for the Strong Women program is held. The Strong Women give you 24 classes for $60. I'll see how that compares with the fitness center. A Strong Men program will be starting too. They get a book but the women only get an email newsletter - not fair! ; )
Now to check Facebook. So far I have 5 friends - daughter, daughter's mother-in-law, sister, brother and a woman in town who writes a neat blog. I found out yesterday that you can chat in Facebook and I suggested to my brother that we do that one day. I may enjoy that better than phone calls!
Oh, one more thing that I thought of last night: Inauguration day will be like Christmas and New Year's all rolled up in one!
I have to admit to not being too excited, though, about Christmas this year. I don't know what it was but, now that it's safely over, I put on some Christmas cds last night while stretching!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Souped Up
Now I now the trick to walking fast. Walk six miles one day with a heavy load; the next day, walk, sans heavy load, a shorter distance and you'll feel like you're absolutely flying!
Flurry of Busy-ness First Day of 2009
Did three loads of laundry, made four dozen fennel muffins (after this, I'm through with muffins for a good, long while!) and did New Year's Day chores. New Year's Day chores consist of bagging up receipts from 1998 to take to the bank for shredding, creating a 2008 shoebox with last year's receipts, starting a new date book calendar and, most importantly, motivating spouse to get rid of the 2007 magazines that he never read to make way for the 2008 ones that he also won't read!
It's late afternoon. I'll go out this evening and walk under the starry skies. My energy came back today but my stomach is upset about something and threatens to twist. Let's hope it goes away.
Weather service says it's 43 degrees at the Los Alamos Airport - pretty darned warm!
Tomorrow we hike in White Rock with the White Rock senior center group. This will be spouse's first hike since the inflamed appendix business started. We'll see how he does.
After the hike, we'll pick up grandson at noon and spouse will take him to Trans-Lux in Española to see Tales of Despereaux.
Please, dear God, let Barack's administration contribute to world peace and to the health and prosperity of those who are less fortunate!
It's late afternoon. I'll go out this evening and walk under the starry skies. My energy came back today but my stomach is upset about something and threatens to twist. Let's hope it goes away.
Weather service says it's 43 degrees at the Los Alamos Airport - pretty darned warm!
Tomorrow we hike in White Rock with the White Rock senior center group. This will be spouse's first hike since the inflamed appendix business started. We'll see how he does.
After the hike, we'll pick up grandson at noon and spouse will take him to Trans-Lux in Española to see Tales of Despereaux.
Please, dear God, let Barack's administration contribute to world peace and to the health and prosperity of those who are less fortunate!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Dietetic Meal
When I eat at a sushi restaurant, I really am not able to get enough to eat because I refuse to eat white rice sushi. I ordered a separate bowl of brown rice (why can't they also make the sushi with brown rice?), a cucumber salad (I ate the rice and cucumber salad together - was good), miso soup and a yellowtail martini which is thin slivers of smelt egg speckled yellowtail sashimi alternated with thin slices of avocado all around the edge of a large martini glass and some marinated red cabbage in the middle. Was good but after 6 miles, I needed more. Ate two Clementine Cuties for dessert when I got home but still hungry!
Daughter and son-in-law enjoyed going to the sushi restaurant, though, for their first anniversary celebration and we enjoyed taking them there. They stopped by our house afterwards for some Gruet champagne. I drank a drop but it was too dry to taste good to me although it was a pretty dark pink.
Daughter and son-in-law will drive to Albuquerque tomorrow to eat at the Melting Pot fondue restaurant. Son-in-law says that his brother-in-law proposed to his wife at the one in Denver!
Daughter and son-in-law enjoyed going to the sushi restaurant, though, for their first anniversary celebration and we enjoyed taking them there. They stopped by our house afterwards for some Gruet champagne. I drank a drop but it was too dry to taste good to me although it was a pretty dark pink.
Daughter and son-in-law will drive to Albuquerque tomorrow to eat at the Melting Pot fondue restaurant. Son-in-law says that his brother-in-law proposed to his wife at the one in Denver!
Exhausted
Walked on side of West Jemez Road to the Back Gate from Camp May Road. Took just over two hours for six miles.
My modus operandi for bathroom stops is to walk into one of the trailheads and hide behind my golf umbrella, timing it so I don't hear any vehicles. No one was parked at any of the trailheads.
I decided not to snowshoe in the area south of Pajarito Canyon trailhead today because it was too warm, the snow too old and getting thin in spots.
What I meant yesterday by feeling weak is that I'm sore all over. Maybe it's just from the resistance work I've done the past few days. In the what was I thinking department, I was pretty tired today wearing my 5 pound weight vest AND carrying a heavy daypack - dum, de, dum, dum!
I'm starving and will be pretty much a vegetable at the Origami dinner, for which I must get dressed soon.
My modus operandi for bathroom stops is to walk into one of the trailheads and hide behind my golf umbrella, timing it so I don't hear any vehicles. No one was parked at any of the trailheads.
I decided not to snowshoe in the area south of Pajarito Canyon trailhead today because it was too warm, the snow too old and getting thin in spots.
What I meant yesterday by feeling weak is that I'm sore all over. Maybe it's just from the resistance work I've done the past few days. In the what was I thinking department, I was pretty tired today wearing my 5 pound weight vest AND carrying a heavy daypack - dum, de, dum, dum!
I'm starving and will be pretty much a vegetable at the Origami dinner, for which I must get dressed soon.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Brain Dead
We took grandson today to Bradbury Museum exhibit, Brain Teasers, on loan from the Explora Museum in Albuquerque. It had a pretty lively crowd trying to do the puzzles. Neither spouse nor I showed any startling adeptness at solving the puzzles. Grandson gave up pretty quickly too. I went to the front desk and asked for the solutions. She gave me a 3 ring binder that had the solutions and hints. I managed to solve one from the hint alone but then tried a second one and just gave up and looked at the answer.
After that, I decided to turn in the book and go study the aerial photo of the Pajarito Plateau and the raised relief map of New Mexico in the Bradbury's lobby. We're so lucky to live in such a geologically astounding and mountainous part of New Mexico - right on the eastern edge of the Valles Caldera!
Meanwhile, spouse was watching with grandson a movie on stockpile stewardship. Grandson liked the graphics and computer animation but was less interested in the talking heads. I'm totally amazed that grandson watched the whole 15 minute movie!
In the history room of the Bradbury, I enjoyed the portraits and bio info on 5 hikers I know who worked on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos.
Walked to Diamond Drive and back tonight. The sidewalks get better each night. I could see the lights of the grooming machines working on the slopes of the Pajarito Mountain Ski Area.
I'm not sure if I've picked up some germ or not. I'm getting chills and feel weak. I'll see how I feel tomorrow.
After that, I decided to turn in the book and go study the aerial photo of the Pajarito Plateau and the raised relief map of New Mexico in the Bradbury's lobby. We're so lucky to live in such a geologically astounding and mountainous part of New Mexico - right on the eastern edge of the Valles Caldera!
Meanwhile, spouse was watching with grandson a movie on stockpile stewardship. Grandson liked the graphics and computer animation but was less interested in the talking heads. I'm totally amazed that grandson watched the whole 15 minute movie!
In the history room of the Bradbury, I enjoyed the portraits and bio info on 5 hikers I know who worked on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos.
Walked to Diamond Drive and back tonight. The sidewalks get better each night. I could see the lights of the grooming machines working on the slopes of the Pajarito Mountain Ski Area.
I'm not sure if I've picked up some germ or not. I'm getting chills and feel weak. I'll see how I feel tomorrow.
Monday, December 29, 2008
More of the Same
Santa Fe trip. Spouse will see surgeon again in a month and remains in a waiting pattern. It's really up to spouse; if he feels he's still having symptoms after about 2 more months, he can decide to get an appendectomy. For the meantime, he does feel better.
Spouse got glasses adjusted at Pearle Vision. My car got free rotation and balance at Discount Tires.
Shopped at Whole Foods. Got told off by employee about my sampling of olives, probably because I took too many samples and ended up not buying any olives (but made up for it in the rest of the store!) I told her thank you and didn't argue but next time I will still take samples but try to take less. Would be nice if they had samples out for people who don't want to eat cheese.
Took walk downtown to library. Pretty icy but didn't slip. Night sky beautiful.
We watch grandson tomorrow. Will take him out and about in downtown Los Alamos.
Almost done with Helen Thayer's Walking the Gobi. I like her simple, direct writing style, her sympathetic portrayal of the Mongolian nomads and how she makes you feel like you're along on the journey with her. Also, I like the way that she does her very best to take nature on its own terms and doesn't try to fight and conquer it. I need to remember that the next time I'm cursing a headwind when I'm snowshoeing! : )
Amazing that her husband was 74 when this adventure was undertaken! Those two really love each other to be able to get along so well through all the hardships of their journey. I ordered Three Among the Wolves today from interlibrary loan. I wish there were more than 3 books by her to read.
Spouse got glasses adjusted at Pearle Vision. My car got free rotation and balance at Discount Tires.
Shopped at Whole Foods. Got told off by employee about my sampling of olives, probably because I took too many samples and ended up not buying any olives (but made up for it in the rest of the store!) I told her thank you and didn't argue but next time I will still take samples but try to take less. Would be nice if they had samples out for people who don't want to eat cheese.
Took walk downtown to library. Pretty icy but didn't slip. Night sky beautiful.
We watch grandson tomorrow. Will take him out and about in downtown Los Alamos.
Almost done with Helen Thayer's Walking the Gobi. I like her simple, direct writing style, her sympathetic portrayal of the Mongolian nomads and how she makes you feel like you're along on the journey with her. Also, I like the way that she does her very best to take nature on its own terms and doesn't try to fight and conquer it. I need to remember that the next time I'm cursing a headwind when I'm snowshoeing! : )
Amazing that her husband was 74 when this adventure was undertaken! Those two really love each other to be able to get along so well through all the hardships of their journey. I ordered Three Among the Wolves today from interlibrary loan. I wish there were more than 3 books by her to read.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Well Lathered in Oil
Ate dinner at China Moon. I managed to find enough seafood, vegetables and fruit in their buffet to fill me up. It was good but all the seafood and vegetables had a sheen of oil.
All six of us enjoyed the dinner.
Grandson was ecstatic with his Star Wars Lego set.
Have to wake up at 7am tomorrow. Hard when you've been sleeping in until 9am! Spouse's appointment with the surgeon is tomorrow.
Sure hope the snow lasts until Wednesday and Thursday! That area west of West Jemez Road looks so inviting to explore on snowshoes!
All six of us enjoyed the dinner.
Grandson was ecstatic with his Star Wars Lego set.
Have to wake up at 7am tomorrow. Hard when you've been sleeping in until 9am! Spouse's appointment with the surgeon is tomorrow.
Sure hope the snow lasts until Wednesday and Thursday! That area west of West Jemez Road looks so inviting to explore on snowshoes!
Elk Playground
Walked West Jemez Road today, starting from Camp May intersection and going to TA-16 signs. Saw lots of signs of elk in area just north of Pajarito Canyon trailhead. It's almost like they are playing fox and hounds in that area!
If the snow holds for Wednesday and Thursday, I'd like to snowshoe the area south of Pajarito Canyon trailhead. It's open, with glades and bowls.
Closer to Valle Canyon, it gets really steep but I'd also like to try snowshoeing north from that area. I saw a diagonal ramp with some elk tracks going up. I was only in road walking shoes so couldn't explore it further.
The ridge on the west side of West Jemez Road is so wall-like in places. I wonder if it's a continuation of the Pajarito Fault. To explore beneath that ridge, I'd have to start early (for me) because the area gets in shadow in early afternoon and thus is very cold.
The walking was very pleasant as there weren't too many vehicles like there would be if the lab was open.
As I approached Valle Canyon, I saw a snowshoer coming out with his little dog. It was Bart and his mini-compact dog, Bridget. Bridget looked cold and wet. Bart didn't have any poles. He went up on the south side of Valle Canyon but said that they (referring to him and Bridget!) would have to do too much trail-breaking so he didn't go very far.
Soon we go to China Moon with daughter and her family and her father-in-law. It's to celebrate the last night of Hanukkah. Grandson will get final gift tonight which is a big Lego kit that he really, really wants!
If the snow holds for Wednesday and Thursday, I'd like to snowshoe the area south of Pajarito Canyon trailhead. It's open, with glades and bowls.
Closer to Valle Canyon, it gets really steep but I'd also like to try snowshoeing north from that area. I saw a diagonal ramp with some elk tracks going up. I was only in road walking shoes so couldn't explore it further.
The ridge on the west side of West Jemez Road is so wall-like in places. I wonder if it's a continuation of the Pajarito Fault. To explore beneath that ridge, I'd have to start early (for me) because the area gets in shadow in early afternoon and thus is very cold.
The walking was very pleasant as there weren't too many vehicles like there would be if the lab was open.
As I approached Valle Canyon, I saw a snowshoer coming out with his little dog. It was Bart and his mini-compact dog, Bridget. Bridget looked cold and wet. Bart didn't have any poles. He went up on the south side of Valle Canyon but said that they (referring to him and Bridget!) would have to do too much trail-breaking so he didn't go very far.
Soon we go to China Moon with daughter and her family and her father-in-law. It's to celebrate the last night of Hanukkah. Grandson will get final gift tonight which is a big Lego kit that he really, really wants!
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