June Health Challenge

[Lou]

I went for a 3-mile walk. I usually just walk around the neighborhood without using the car. but I really liked getting out yesterday so today I drove to the bay. It was really windy. I was surprised on how many families were out walking and bike riding. I stopped and took some pictures too. Saw some kiteboarders and windsurfers, too.




BTW, that is San Franciso and the Bay Bridge. I had to zoom in to make them recognizable.

 

[silva]

Now I wish I'd driven up to the lake!
I've been better about exercise and talking walks, but not eating healthy!
The weathers been pretty great, but my allergies have been awful! Nose is all red and irritated now

 

[Lou]

I walked to the Dollar $tore. Two miles roundtrip. Bought some batteries and some cruelty-free shampoo.

 

[KLS52]

I walked to the Dollar $tore. Two miles roundtrip. Bought some batteries and some cruelty-free shampoo.

I’m jealous. That’s what I would love...something to walk to that would be just two miles, there and back.

 

[Lou]

I’m jealous. That’s what I would love...something to walk to that would be just two miles, there and back.

Yeah. I live in a good neighborhood for that. A lot of destinations are just a half-mile away, including a grocery store, a pharmacy, some restaurants, and the library. There is a commercial neighborhood that is 1.3 miles away that has restaurants, a coffee shop, and a weekly farmer's market. Of course, all that stuff is closed now. Going the other way there is a strip mall that is about a 1.5 miles away with some more stuff. And I have at least 4 parks in walking distance for taking it easy and reading. And a handful of friends all live within walking distance.

For running there is a tree-lined lane without stoplights. I can't do it now but I used to be able to run all the way to the end of it which is about 2 miles away. I'll include a picture next time I go out there.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

I’m jealous. That’s what I would love...something to walk to that would be just two miles, there and back.

I assuming that you live in a country side?
Aren't there some forest areas or lakes where you could maybe walk to?

If I'm wrong... I'm sorry.

 

[KLS52]

I assuming that you live in a country side?
Aren't there some forest areas or lakes where you could maybe walk to?

If I'm wrong... I'm sorry.

Yes...but I was talking about being able to walk to some kind of store, or deli or restaurant, etc. Lou mentioned walking to a dollar store.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

Yes...but I was talking about being able to walk to some kind of store, or deli or restaurant, etc. Lou mentioned walking to a dollar store.

Oh! Okay... I'm sorry... I didn't understand. Thank you for explaining.
Damn... That must be frustrating...

 

[KLS52]

Oh! Okay... I'm sorry... I didn't understand. Thank you for explaining.
Damn... That must be frustrating...

It’s not like I don’t enjoy my nature walks. They are lovely. It would be nice though if I could actually walk somewhere too. I shouldn’t really complain. I have a really nice walking route.

 

[silva]

There's a park just about 2 miles from from my house, very nice, but once I get 2 mile out I know I'd better start back!
I do have places I can stop at- even the Asian grocery is just over a mile, the produce market, drug stores
My darn ankles swollen again and acting up

 

[Deleted member 3018]

It’s not like I don’t enjoy my nature walks. They are lovely. It would be nice though if I could actually walk somewhere too. I shouldn’t really complain. I have a really nice walking route.

I have this freaking HUGE pine tree in a middle of a forest, that I go to hug sometimes (even if there were two of me, I could reach all the way round). I consider that as a destination.
But yeah... It isn't the same. You can't really get the things you need conveniently from a forest. You need a store for that... And I get it... I used to live in a contryside too. Sometimes it's okay to complain.

 

[Lou]

I left my house with the intention of just taking a short walk to Starbucks. I have Stars that need to be redeemed before they expire.

But then I thought I should go to that little commercial neighborhood and see if there are any restaurants that have outdoor dining. There were a few but there were a lot of businesses boarded up- I guess they went out of business. Then I wanted to find a good spot to take a picture of the tree-lined street I mentioned a while back. But I didn't spot any good locations. I think maybe a different time of day might work better.

I noticed there were a lot of stores open in the new extension to the mall and that some of them had outdoor dining or take out. So I did a little exploring in that direction. Finally, I made it to Starbucks and got a soy latte frap. I headed over to the little nearby park and sat and had my frap and read a little. I got home and had clocked 4 miles.

Here is the little park.

 

[KLS52]

I left my house with the intention of just taking a short walk to Starbucks. I have Stars that need to be redeemed before they expire.

But then I thought I should go to that little commercial neighborhood and see if there are any restaurants that have outdoor dining. There were a few but there were a lot of businesses boarded up- I guess they went out of business. Then I wanted to find a good spot to take a picture of the tree-lined street I mentioned a while back. But I didn't spot any good locations. I think maybe a different time of day might work better.

I noticed there were a lot of stores open in the new extension to the mall and that some of them had outdoor dining or take out. So I did a little exploring in that direction. Finally, I made it to Starbucks and got a soy latte frap. I headed over to the little nearby park and sat and had my frap and read a little. I got home and had clocked 4 miles.

Here is the little park.

Ok, now you’re just bragging.

I’m kidding. That’s really cool and the park looks nice!

I just got an email that I have points that will expire July 1. But I don’t even have a Starbucks in town. Although I think the closest one is only five miles away. And another one is 7.5 miles. I don’t see myself going there specifically though. Maybe if there’s an interesting store in the area.

I really need the world to get back to some kind of normal, whatever normal means. I feel cheated because the week I retired, March 23, is when everything went into social distancing mode. And then moving during all of it. This is not how I imagined this phase of my life...the stress and fear of some unknown virus and the isolation. Oh woe is me. And at the same time I do realize how lucky I am and that keeps me going and from wallowing in self pity for more than 90 seconds.

*Breathe in breathe out*...and just like that, it’s all good. I’m fine.
Sometimes I shake my head at myself wondering how I started out with walking to Starbucks and then ending up talking about the things I do, lol.

 

[Lou]

I actually have a Starbuck literally around the corner. It is still closed because of Coronavirus. The local chatter is that it was already on a list for closing so it may not ever re-open. There is another Starbuck that is open around a half-mile away. It is in a grocery store and does not redeem stars. You still earn them but they don't redeem them. You have to go to a real Starbucks for that. They don't have tables and chairs any more cause of social distancing. I used to go there once a week to meet with some other old retired guys. That's why I have so many stars. I went to the Starbucks in the mall for my free birthday treat and then again to redeem stars. It's only a 10-minute walk. There is even another two Starbucks within walking distance. They are both way over a mile away.

I don't feel cheated but I feel something. Just a week after my last radiation treatment the county went into official Shelter in Place. Although it sort of didn't matter. I had put myself into self-quarantine the week before and I was still sick as a dog. If it wasn't for the Coronavirus I would probably be doing more stuff by now.

Meanwhile, back to the June Health Challenge. My little detour into the hospital but a damper on my training. I had just gotten back into jogging in May. I was doing the Couch to 5, and I was already in Week 3. Going to start it back up today with a walk/jog to the little park pictured above and back

 

[silva]

I used to have a house in the country on 4 acres! That was with my husband, and my kids were little. It was a real fixer upper, and I came to realize we got it so cheap because the guy was trying to pull a scam-- which didn't work out for him! We had done some kind of financing with him, but were able to refinance soon after. It was so beautiful--we had a deck and two old willow trees. Tall pines lined the long driveway, and they would climb them in the winter and fall into the snow. There were woods in the back. Anyway, the nearest thing was a gas station 7 miles away, and work was a 40 minute drive and day care was always messing up, and it was so hard to get the older boy to school and try and do anything with them after work
Sure can't have everything!

 

[KLS52]

That sounds really nice, silva. Did you get very far with the renovations? It seems sometimes you buy a house and have all these plans but then life happens and you don’t end up doing it all. That’s why I’m pushing to have some stuff done now. Once you start putting things off they fall by the wayside.

 

[Raven]

I really need the world to get back to some kind of normal, whatever normal means. I feel cheated because the week I retired, March 23, is when everything went into social distancing mode. And then moving during all of it. This is not how I imagined this phase of my life...the stress and fear of some unknown virus and the isolation. Oh woe is me. And at the same time I do realize how lucky I am and that keeps me going and from wallowing in self pity for more than 90 seconds.

I keep thinking how lucky it was that I was so organised at the start of the year. I kept various routine medical appointments, bought flea and worm stuff for my animals for the entire year and I got allocated my NHS therapist. In some ways it was good timing to have a global pandemic, lol.

 

[silva]

That sounds really nice, silva. Did you get very far with the renovations? It seems sometimes you buy a house and have all these plans but then life happens and you don’t end up doing it all. That’s why I’m pushing to have some stuff done now. Once you start putting things off they fall by the wayside.

I did so much to that house! My husband died there and I ended up with everything but the bathroom. Haha, I just realized that was all before youtube or internet searches! While I do learn a lot there, I probably would have gotten less done from being on the computer all the time! I relied on books and hands on. The layers of wallpaper wouldn't peel off and I ended up doing a stucco style on most walls with texture paint. I did plumbing, tore out a very stupid garage divider wall and floor, and put money into waterproofing the basement that had everything on skids! I did make money on the sale, but then lost everything on the sale of the last house! Long story there.... oh well.
I've painted so much yet now balk at just doing my little kitchen! There really is little to paint and would be so easy! The wall paper is one layer and the part I did take off came off easy, just needing the paper part washed and scraped off, not a lot of glue.
Now my bedroom is a different story! It had super old paper that smelled of old cigarette smoke. I got it off, but it has tons of hard glue I've had to use hot water and scrape the sludge off. I still have lots to go- but it doesn't smell anymore! It was faint, but I could smell it
Here is a picture of the kitchens wall paper. I really like it so it hasn't been a real drive to paint, though I'd like a nice wedge wood blue!
It's Bobby in his typical Bobby sprawl--yes, the water bowl says "Good Dog"

 

[Raven]

I love ginger cats!

 

[KLS52]

Bobby is a real beauty!