Super Quick And Done

I had a super quick workout today because the chimney sweep was due to arrive at my house anywhere between 10 am and noon. It's been several years since we last had the chimney cleaned and inspected. Firewood burns every year in our old wood stove. Our thermostat is set to 63F and the heat kicks on regardless of the season if temps fall low enough. No, we're not one of those households that keeps the heat turned off until October 31. (Only cheapass landlords do that in my book.) As it is, the fuel oil company wanted to send a delivery tomorrow but I still have half a tank so we can wait a few weeks.

I'm cold when I start, but always happily (and thoroughly) warmed by the end of 30 plus minutes. My legs are slightly sore. They feel heavy on the elliptical, and my hamstrings are tender when I'm in the Stretch Cage. It must be yesterday's Smith RDLs because nothing else would've stressed those muscles. Hard to imagine that increasing the weight by 10 lbs would have such an effect! I skip pull-ups (did two sets yesterday) and side planks. My hips feel out of sorts and there's no reason to exacerbate minor discomfort.

There are no inclined benches in the DB area so I use one of the breaker inclined benches. It's a bit more cumbersome, and in the middle of it all, Shiny Shoes wanders through putting weights and plates away, straightening up equipment and realigning the benches. Which is fine, except I'm using that particular one and if he'd just get out of the way, I'd be able to finish my set. Ugh. And that's all I have time for if I want to shower and get home with a few minutes to spare.

The chimney guy shows up a half-hour later and tells me that my chimneys are pretty clean. He pulls apart the metal chimney jutting out of my wood stove and shows me a slight amount of creosote lining it. We go into the basement to check on the oil burner and its flue pipe. Looks good. He spots a large dark green frog in my sump pit. Oh jeeze! There's no way the critter can get out and neither of us wants it to die in there. I retrieve my son's butterfly net and he captures the lucky amphibian to release outside the basement.

My firewood is old and well-seasoned. He's not exactly sure how much better or worse the kiln-dried supermarket firewood is. All of it is better than burning green, newly cut wood. Neither of us knows if seasoned wood has a different chemical breakdown from kiln-dried wood.

Then he tells me that he'll just charge me for the trip out there since he doesn't have to clamber up the roof to look at the chimney. That's $100 instead of $235. And perhaps, to justify the fee, he pulls apart the top of the woodstove because it makes a weird noise when the flue is closed. "That's not aligned right," and then he shoves his hand into the top of the stove and fidgets with it until the flap seats where it's supposed to be.

"Do you have the owner's manual?"
"Somewhere."

It's true. I have all my owner's manuals, but this stove is over 20 years old so the manual is most likely buried behind 20 years of manuals and warranties to newer appliances. He looks online although neither of us is certain as to who the manufacturer is. Meanwhile, we are being dive-bombed by brazen chickadees and tufted titmouse birds on their way to the feeder newly filled with black-oil sunflower seeds. The nutty suet is okay. The sunflower seeds make them crazy happy.

Thursday Shoulders Plus

30 + 5 cd elliptical
Program 1
Miles 2.89
Calories 323
HR 143-188 (79, 87, 93)

Cage Stretch

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Skip (hips) Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

DB Shoulder Press s/s Front Raises
10 lbs x 12 reps x 2

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flys
20lbs x 12/16 reps x 3 sets

Skip Stretch