Another Heatwave

I'm not at all happy that temps are rising into the high 80s and possibly 90s this week, especially after a refreshingly cool weekend with damp mornings in the 60s. I like temps in the 60s. At least the gym was cool enough. School is done and summer camp started today. The dogs and I watched a parade of cars stuck on the road outside the park as they lined up to enter and drop their charges off. Yes, it's that time of the year. 

Dogs were, of course, disappointed that with all those cars, no other dogs came to play. But the milkweeds are in full bloom in my yard and their fragrance is noticeable from the driveway. The Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies have certainly noticed and there are several feeding among big furry bumblebees. 

I got to the gym earlier and had a quick fantasy about doing a complete Cardio Day routine, but once I'd calculated the actual time I'd need, realized that I could only do the 35-min elliptical, a set of pull-ups and part of the core workout. And the latter only in the "functional gym" area because it's Monday and there's a Senior Class in the Aerobics Room. And I was still late to pick up my kid from the work shift but it was all good as we met in the nicely air-conditioned grocery store. 

Last week I'd noticed that individual packages of Shin Ramyun were on sale for less cost than a package of four. And this South Korean brand is definitely a step up from the more conventional Nissan or Top Ramen or Maruchen Japanese ramen. (There is absolutely nothing that beats fresh ramen though, and we all sorely miss the local ramen house restaurant that closed over a year ago.) 

It was a decent workout (made it past 2.8 and got a decent number of pull-ups), and definitely better than nothing. Especially since tomorrow I have to take my car for its annual NYS Safety Inspection. And on Wednesday, the chimney people are supposed to show up to do an inspection and maybe a cleaning. It's been a few years and it's always good to make sure everything is in good working order before you actually need to use the wood stove for the winter. The oil burner is always on because the hot water relies on that. Apparently that means it's an old system because it's not electric? I remember having an Instant Hot water system in the kitchen some years ago but with really hard water, the heating element didn't last very long. We have very tasty water with a high mineral content. But it's hell on pipes and mechanical equipment.  

I got lazy and decided to let my bangs grow out and it's making me crazy because now my hair is at that annoying length where I get poked in the eyes a lot. I don't know how people do this! Most of the time, (between spraying on picaridin to go to the dog park, washing it off when I get home, and spraying more on when the dogs go for their evening walk) I've wet my hair and washed my face and then applied moisturizers and sunscreen multiple times, and tried to convince my hair to stick to the sides of my head. Sometimes it works. 

30 June 2025 11:21-12:24

Monday — Some Cardio et al 

Blistering 86°F

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5508

Distance: 2.81

Cal: 311

Avg Hr: 151, 186-78

New FB: 41-140

(11:58)

HGPU 19

20 Hip Bridges (12:09)

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 30

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Curses and Benefits of Tactile Sensitivity

the tick nymph

This post title makes it sound like a research paper, doesn't it? Apparently Blogger has self-corrected whatever errors persisted in disabling the photo import function for the past few days. Meanwhile, back to the point, I've been blessed/cursed with skin that is highly sensitive to tactile irritants, much to the frustration of my mother when I was a wee child. Because I would complain and ultimately refuse to wear most of the "cute lacy" dresses she favored -- they were itchy, stiff, abrasive. They actually scratched and made me bleed.  

My sister did not have these issues and my mom could dress her like the little girl fashion model she wanted. I preferred to have soft comfy clothes, preferably pants, with lots of pockets. I still have those preferences and routinely cut the tags out of the necks and side seams of my clothes. If I'm not careful, the cut fabric of tags themselves become sharp edges that stab and jab me. I turn socks inside out or wear seamless socks because my toes become sore and abraded from rough threads. 

I don't deal with tight fitting or compression either. That is probably due to the defects in my skin's structural biology, with the most obvious effects being super dry, flaky, scaly skin and an inability to regulate body temperature very well. But it also means movable, compressible blood vessels and a sensitivity to physical pressure. So my limbs go numb and tingly easily and often. (I've started taking fish oil capsules to see if that'll help reduce inflammatory responses that aggravate my sciatica, oral gum tissue, bug bites, glaucoma...)

Not sure if I have more nerve cells or just really sensitive nerve cells. Most of the time it's annoying. I'm annoyed that my baby fine hair elicits a stinging rash on my neck because it's like having fishing line tangled against flesh. I can feel ear wax trickle through the my middle ear. And I have pretty much felt every tick that has ever bitten me, while they're biting me. Like last night. 

My foot suddenly itched between two toes and I wondered, "Am I developing Athlete's Foot?" Weird. I scratched and then went to apply some drug store hydrocortisone cream because I've gotten several tiny insect bites lately, culminating in red itchy welts. These "no see-ums" manage to pass through the window screens and might be thrips, a tiny insect I first encountered in Spokane, Washington around this time of year. Imagine my surprise when I spy a tiny dot, no bigger than the mark of a pencil tip between two toes. That's not supposed to be there! I determine it's not one of my ever increasing number of "age spots" that magically appear on my arms, legs and everywhere else. It's got a hardness to it that says this is probably a foreign body. A live foreign body? Uh oh. 

I'm unsuccessful in trying to get a cell phone pix. I can't actually feel any tiny legs and worry that this is a tick nymph embedded in the folds of my dry skin. I slather the area with hydrocortisone cream and then a topical analgesic cream with menthol and pramoxine hydrochloride. Because I remembered how a tick released its grip on me once I got injected with a tiny amount of lidocaine in the ER (the tick was attached to the underside of my nipple and the ER doc didn't want to yank it off and risk an infection). 

Just as magically as with the lidocaine in the ER, the tick released. It's tiny enough to be killed easily and I snap a few photos. Meanwhile, my toe is red and sore but not itching anymore. And how did I know about the tick that sent me to the ER? It was because I felt it bite me and the intense pain sent me to the bathroom mirror to find out what was happening. Have I mentioned that I'm super sensitive? 

I finally made it back to the gym this week although later than I'd like. Still, it wasn't very crowded, probably because temps have dropped into what I think is a very pleasant 65F although it did rain this morning. I'm very happy to be fully clothed but not have to wear a jacket or socks. Still, did not make it to 2.8 on the elliptical probably due to my chronic sleep deprivation. Going to bed at 1:30 and waking at 7:30 isn't enough time. I find myself dozing off around 5 pm but not always. Managed decent number of pull-ups. 

Sleep deprivation is bad. It messes with your memory, coordination, endurance, temperature regulation, and even your strength. I blame discovering really fun old TV shows. Lately, I've been watching Blindspot, along with Almost Paradise, the original Leverage (with Timothy Hutton), and of course, NCIS. Last night had Robert Wagner guest star as Tony DiNozzo Sr. Yes, I watched It Takes A Thief as a child, and Hart to Hart as a teen with my parents so I was thrilled. Yes, this sleep deprivation is partially self-inflicted, but even if I don't set my alarm I never get more than 6-6.5 hrs... 

While I was at the gym, my husband texted me (from the Planet Fitness he attends) a pic of some new equipment they installed yesterday. One being a purple (cuz that's the color of all their equipment) Stretch Cage. That's nice if I ever plan to dump my gym for PF, but not likely. I don't like their locker room or showers. 

It's not very crowded at my gym. Except I can't find any Nautilus benches to use. Which means I'm not doing the DB Shoulder routine. Instead, I drag a regular bench out from one of the cages and do my backup routine: Triceps & Lateral Raises & Alt DB Curls. None of it feels particularly hard, even with added reps. 

I don't have to pick up my kid from work until 3 pm so I have enough time to do a complete routine, and then off to the Aerobics Room. Because it's nice outside, the room itself is not super chilled, which is kind of disappointing. I do 90% of the routine and skip Side Lunges, Walking Lunges, and Wall Sits. 

I admit that the vision loss in my upper right eye is bothersome and I'm not able to compensate for it, at least not where it becomes unnoticeable. It continues to throw my balance off, and makes me tired, as if I'm always trying to focus on that blurry gray fringe in the upper quadrant, especially when I'm reading. I'm very frustrated by this. At least the dog park is soothing.

27 June 2025 12:23-2:02

Friday — Cardio & …?

Pleasantly Damp & Cool

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5410)

Distance: 2.79

Cal: 306

Avg Hr: 155, 190-86

New FB: 42-130

(1:01)

HGPU 18

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls (1:11)

30 lbs x 24 reps x 4

S/s with

DB Alt Curls w/u 10 lbs x 12 ea

15 x 12 x 3

S/s with

DB Laterals w/u 10 lbs x 15 reps x 1

15 x 20 x 3

20 Hip Bridges (1:42)

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 40

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

 

Super Abbreviated & Hot

Temps have been in the 90s for the past two days, unusually hot and humid for New York in June, although I do recall being utterly miserable as a child in primary school. Head on the desk with nary a breeze through a half open window during the last days of the school term. Air conditioning was reserved for the main office where the principal and other officers held court. Even the auditorium was stiflingly hot and airless, all the worse on Assembly Day, always a Thursday when we arrived in our crisp white shirts and blouses, red ribbons or ties, and navy slacks or skirts. The rest of the week there wasn't really a dress code other than to be decently attired. 

Google is still not letting me import photos

The dogs are not happy about the heat, preferring the crisp winter air. Forty degrees and colder suits them just fine. We go to the park every morning, regardless. Today is hotter but the dog still have playmates to socialize with. But it's too hot for much romping. After a cursory chase and sniff, everyone is splayed out on the synthetic turf or the cool soft brown dirt that used to be piles of wood chips many seasons ago. 

I didn't make it to the gym yesterday. Instead, we spent three hours at the dog park, and then, once we got home, I had a fellow show up to give me an estimate on replacing the oil tank in my basement. While the tank is whole, the legs have rusted off and there's a good possibility that the tank will eventually suffer a horrendous breach, spewing fuel oil into my basement and the sump pump and the wetlands behind my house, and the stream that rambles down to the lake that's a back up to NYC's West Branch Reservoir. 

Today it's hotter and the air is thick. I make it to the gym with little time for a full routine. Instead, I do an abbreviated cardio routine, a set of pull-ups and a few basic hip stretches to keep the sciatica at bay. Then it's time to change and shower and pick up my kid from the barely air-conditioned retail job in town.  

Twenty-five minutes of cardio and I'm drenched even though the gym a/c is running full blast. My fingers have been swelling intermittently so rings are no longer an option as it's become too painful, like wearing a garrotte on your finger, and risking amputation? Pull-ups are okay. Not great but not horrible. I'm disappointed that the Aerobics Room isn't colder, but I only have time for a few basic stretches. And even then, I'm late to pick up my kid: I text them to meet me at the grocery because 1) it'll have decent a/c and 2) there's a few items I need to buy anyway. When I arrive, they've already started shopping, but neglected to actually get a cart. Because, kids don't always plan properly. That's what parents do: teach kids how to function IRL. 

24 June 2025 11:39-12:22

Tuesday — Super Abbrev Cardio

Day 2 Heatwave 96°F

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 20 + 5 (3918)

Distance: 2.0

Cal: 222

Avg Hr: 142, 179-80

New FB: 44-128

(12:08)

HGPU 18.5

20 Hip Bridges (12:18)

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

Skip DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Summer Solstice & Sore from the Chore

Well, Google is being a pain and won't let me drop photos into my blog post. This has happened before. It wants to drop cookies all over my browser and even then, it doesn't complete the task of importing photos. Ugh. 

According to Google, the Summer Solstice will occur tonight at 10:41 pm. I have no idea how that's calculated, especially since it'll be night, but okay. I'm not going to argue with the internet. We've had a spate of hot humid weather so we're all happy to be wherever there's air conditioning. I had errands to do yesterday, and I got them all done in spite of the surprise soreness in my quads. We're talking serious DOMS and I have no idea where that came from. The last time my quads were that sore I think I was adding plates to a Leg Press machine, and I haven't done that in more than a decade. Could it have been from scrubbing the jacuzzi tub? Sore from household chores? 

I'm not as sore today but I'm having second thoughts about doing an all cardio day. I'd really rather push some weights around. At least I caught up on my sleep deficit by napping with the dogs yesterday, and then forgetting to set my alarm for this morning. Thank goodness my kid didn't have work today, but we'll be up early tomorrow.  

The gym wasn't that crowded, not surprising since the morning was very pleasant. I got on elliptical #1 and started pedaling. There was 7 minutes left on my program when I noticed Wind Breaker in my peripheral vision and I secretly hoped he wasn't getting on machine #2. He seemed to hover for a few seconds, and then got on the next machine, #3. Whew!

I'm happy that in spite of painfully sore quads, I did make it past 2.8 today. Yaaay me! Pull-ups weren't as good as Wednesday but good enough. The free weight area was almost empty so I had my pick of benches. Today's routine is one that is not served well by the Nautilus bench even though I like its narrowness. But it's situated too close to a squat/bench rack that makes me paranoid about collisions. After one set of everything, I grab all my stuff and move over to an older bench that's sitting in the clear. 

The Nautilus bench is immediately occupied by a HS kid. There's a smattering of other people, but it's not very crowded. When I was done, I slipped into the Aerobics Room through a side door next to the DB rack. There's no one inside and the a/c was on full blast. I do most of my core routine, cutting the push-ups by 10 reps and skipping side lunges and wall sits. I still have grocery shopping to do later and can't spend all day at the gym!

Our lake association is having their annual potluck gathering tomorrow, and we promised to bring Jamaican jerked chicken (Walker's or Busha Browns jerk seasoning). Which means I have to buy chicken today. My kid will be off work by then, and I told them to invite their friends to come eat and hang out, or just come by to grab some food. We'll see. I'll be doused in skeeter repellent but I'll probably still get bit. 

20 June 2025 12:00-1:50

Friday — Cardio & …?

Summer Solstice Heatwave

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5496)

Distance: 2.81

Cal: 310

Avg Hr: 159, 196-80

New FB: 43-134

HGPU 18

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls 

30 lbs x 24 reps x 4

  S/s with DB Laterals

10 lbs x 15 reps x 1

15 lbs x 15 reps x 3

  S/s with Alt DB Seated Curls

10 lbs x 12 reps x 1

15 lbs x 12 reps x 3 

20 Hip Bridges 

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 30

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Are Push-ups A Flex?

I am happy to report that I was right about using calming chews on the dogs before taking them for their annual checkups and vaccine boosters. The vet-recommended mix of gabapentin and tramadol never worked very well, was expensive, and needed to be started the night before. And after all that, it wasn't very effective during the actual exams and then the pups would pass out with exhaustion at home. (Dogs appear to be healthy with lab tests results pending and have put on weight in spite of being the pickiest eaters in the canine world. I'm shocked.)

There are many different brands but I got these NaturVet Quiet Moments Calming Aid with melatonin from the Tractor Supply store. It works well when the one dog is freaking out over thunderstorms and fireworks. Available on Chewy.com, but I've seen it in places like CVS as well. While the dogs were still rambunctious during the car ride, still whined and paced while waiting to be examined, they were easier to handle by the vet staff and they even got their nails trimmed. I have recommended it to doggy friends at the park, but of course, every dog will react differently, just like people. 

I also finally got around to scrubbing a disgusting mess out of our jacuzzi tub. It took a lot of elbow grease, rubber gloves and Zep spray cleaner. My forearms and abs are really sore today, not that I did any real ab work. It was having to drape myself over the edge of the enameled cast-iron tub and reach across to muscle the solidified soap scum, hard water, and stray hair that had crusted into a solid surface. Because the last time, my husband's version of cleaning the tub was to fill it with water and toss some bleach in. Changed the color and probably disinfected it, but didn't actually remove anything. That takes elbow grease. Maybe some core strength. My abs are sore under the rib cage from how I needed to position myself. Because I wasn't going to sit in the tub and crouch over when everything is covered in a caustic paste. For practical purposes, what would you wear on your feet?  

My kid didn't have to be at work until 10 today, so I got to the gym around 10:20 and was surprised at how crowded it was. Unexpectedly, there were a lot of kids in the free weight area. Schools are just about done but kids don't usually show up until later. The Precor elliptical machines were still available although half the Life Fitness cross-trainers were occupied. By the time I left the gym, most of the treadmills were in use as well. 

There was a Senior Class today so after cardio and weight lifting, I grabbed a mat and sat down in the Functional Gym area. I won't lie: cardio was hard and I didn't make it to 2.8. I was surprised to do better on pull-ups. I had been thinking about an All Cardio workout, but that would means three sets of pull-ups, and I wanted to rest them to avoid courting tendonitis. Maybe Friday. 

Directly after cardio, I was happy to claim a narrow Nautilus bench set up conveniently across from the DB rack. My abs were sporadically complaining, i.e., they're sore but not visibly bruised. And yes, I did increase the rep count for all my sets to compensate for not being able to increase the DB load any other way. I'm not tired when I'm done; just sweaty with an eye on the clock to make sure I have time to do some grocery shopping afterward. Come to think of it, I'm never actually tired when I leave the gym, no matter what routine. I might feel tired later though, when the chronic sleep deficit catches up with me.

In the functional gym area, a lean middle-age fellow in alternating between riding an erg bike and bouncing a large ball. The erg bike might be new since it's been placed right next to the weird flywheel machine (Cascade Raptor Functional Trainer) that I've only ever seen one person play around with. I think I'm actually too short to reach the levers on that machine so unless I'm really bored, it's not something I'm going to investigate.

Two tall skinny kids showed up and spent a lot of time chatting while occasionally smacking the heavy bag that's hanging off the Functional Gym station. I proceeded with my full core routine. When I'm done with push-ups and stand up to shake out my arms, I see the two skedaddle off to another part of the gym. Might've been a coincidence. Or not. Teenage boys are a weird lot. My push-ups are low to the ground and very quick because my short arms are spread wide to change the elbow angle. Otherwise those joints would click and hurt and I wouldn't get a lot done. But Air Squats are also quick. As are Side Lunges. The only thing I skip are Wall Squats. Because there's only the mirrored wall in this section, and I don't want to lean against it. (It already has a crack from some hapless kettle bell user.)

Temps promise to stay uncomfortably high (80s) for the rest of the week. Ugh. I did sign my kid up for driving lessons. After a few hours under the belt, I might encourage my kid to drive us to their job since it's very local at 7-8 minutes. Of course, having the crazy dogs in the back will be a major distraction, rendering use of the rear view mirror inoperable. Maybe I'll have the kid drive us back home from the job. Alas, backing into our driveway will also be quite the challenge... 

18 June 2025 10:34-12:41

Wednesday — Cardio & Shoulders

Rainy Cool B4 the Heatwave

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5382)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 305

Avg Hr: 154, 186?

New FB: 42-127

HGPU 20!

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 30/15/25 (11:32)

15 lbs x 30/15/30 (11:41)

20/15/20 x 30/20/30 reps

Set 1 (11:52); Set 2 (12:03); Set 3 (12:15)

20 Hip Bridges (12:20)

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 40

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Side Lunges 12 each side

Neck stretch / Eye yoga 

Super Quick

I really need to 1) get more sleep; which would necessitate me going to bed earlier and not drink any caffeinated beverages after 2 pm, even mild green tea; 2) ignore little annoyances that become time-consuming distractions when I'm trying to leave the house (like checking the mail!); 3) postpone checking emails and online news sites until after I'm done. By then, there's over a hundred emails, half of which are duplicates and a quarter are sales flyers. At least I've stopped answering the phone. Because 99% of calls are telemarketer robocalls and spam or phishing. And I'm on the Do Not Call list, but that's become a toothless entity since January this year. 

It is almost noon by the time I get to the gym. At least I made it, although I can't stay very long since my kid needs to be picked up by 1 pm, with an orthodontist appointment at 2. The bite is mostly fixed. Maybe just another few weeks? There's a Senior class in session but most of the gym is empty in spite of the faux holiday weekend. Yesterday was Father's Day and we did go out to eat steak and potatoes. After the appetizers, we couldn't finish and I now have enough steak in the fridge to last for days. 

Two crab cakes and I'm pretty full! Add a big, perfectly grilled rib-eye,  and I managed to nibble the tasty edges. My hubs ate half his steak and half of the fried calamari. Our kid polished off the rest of that while inhaling a good-sized beet root salad, smashed spuds, sauteed spinach and a baked salmon. We got home with our 3 desserts in takeout containers, and only 2 are left today. 

I did my cardio. Didn't get to 2.8. Did some pull-ups. Made it to 18. Done. I need to shower and change and slather on moisturizers and sunscreen before driving back to town to get my kid. Over the weekend, I did celebrate with thousands of others by standing outside in overcast weather. Saw some interesting costumes, read lots of signs, listened to odd music and badly sung folk songs. Overall, had a pretty good time. 

My friend, who is 82 years old, wanted to know if I would go with her to a 50th anniversary showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in October. Sure! I have the soundtrack on CD. She wants to know if I have the lyrics so she can read them and understand what's going on beforehand. She wants to do the whole shebang: get tickets to the show with shadow performers and a prop bag. I remember doing this in college and it was a blast. She's never even seen the film -- something she can cross off her bucket list. After all, she's 82 years old and a Rocky Horror virgin. 

16 June 2025 11:45-12:29

Monday — Super Abbrev Cardio

Gray 70°F

Lots of Itchy Skin

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5400)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 305

Avg Hr: 147, 180-85

New FB: 46-121

HGPU 18.5

13 June Friday

It didn't actually dawn on me that today was a Friday the 13th until I sat down to type this. Shows you how preoccupied I am with other things. I made it to the gym much later than I'd like, but it wasn't very crowded and I was surprised. I didn't have a great cardio session, but at least I got it done. And I got in my set of pull-ups as well.

There was only a smattering of folks in the free weight area and I managed to lock down a Nautilus bench. That meant I could do my DB shoulder routine without having to contort myself on an oversized bench that's too tall for my short legs. Eventually the gym filled up, but I was nearly done with my program by that time. 

While cardio and pull-ups were ho-hum, I did feel enabled by the additional reps I could add to the DB shoulder routine. That included an additional 5 reps for DB Lateral. Those are my weakest movements because I have shallow elbow joints and tiny forearms that have resisted all efforts to grow them. 

Believe me, I have tried with endless wrist rolls of varying types. All I've ever gotten were sore forearms with no increase in size or strength. They are just genetic predisposed to being scrawny and I've accepted that, and figured out how to work around these limitations. Just like my tiny hands. I literally wear gloves ALL the time to improve my grip. I use the Stretch Cage for pull-ups because I can get my hands and fingers around those bars. That counts for 70% of being able to pull yourself up. Not even kidding. 

I've modified the core routine and cut back on push-ups. I'll keep the higher reps for abbreviated workout days. I also skipped Walking Lunges, Wall Sits and the neck/shoulder stretch. Because it's later than I want it to be and I still have things to do today... 

Yesterday, I went with a friend to see The Matchmaker at Hudson Valley Shakespeare. Not Shakespeare but it was entertaining, although I wasn't satisfied with how the play resolved all the conflict at the end. It did make me want to view Hello, Dolly with Barbra Streisand, but alas, I'd have to rent that from a streaming service. The best part was stepping outside after the performance ended and seeing the huge peach face of the Strawberry Moon at the horizon. My phone camera doesn't catch the details and makes the moon look like I'm shooting a pix of the sun. 

I did have the fuel oil company stop by yesterday and give me an assessment of the fuel tank in my basement. The legs have snapped and broken. There's considerable rust. None of this is good. The tank is full so at least it's not leaking. But I'm going to need to have the fuel pumped out, the tank cut apart and removed (and cleaned because fuel oil is an environmental hazard), and a new tank installed. This is going to cost a lot of money I wasn't planning to spend this summer. But as always with owning a home, it's always something. At least the roof, although mossy in spots, doesn't leak. Ssshhhh...  

13 June 2025 12:28-2:23

Friday — Cardio etc

Hot 75°F

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5410)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 306

Avg Hr: 147, max180?

New FB: 43-143

HGPU 19

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 30/15/25 

15 lbs x 25/15/25 

20/15/20 lbs x 
  Set 1 x (26/20/26) reps 
  Set 2 (30x20x30)

  Set 3 (30x20x30)

20 Hip Bridges 

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Abbreviated Humpday

I had an appointment at 1:15 today so even though my kid wasn't working, I still had to do a rushed abbreviated workout. Tomorrow I'll skip the gym to wait for someone from the fuel oil company to come look at my oil tank in the basement. It's not really that old since I remember when it got replaced... maybe 15 years ago. The problem is that we live on wetlands, with a high groundwater level and a slight stream trickling through. We are literally drought-proof. But that also means we are susceptible to rust. Metal rusts. And I noticed a few days ago that the fuel oil intake pipe at the front of the house had tilted and was now pressed up against the siding. It has always been a good 3-5 inches away. Always! 

I confirmed my suspicions the other day when I went down into the basement and saw that two legs had broken and the oil tank had rolled back against the cinder block wall. The tank was blissfully full as we had gotten a delivery two weeks ago. But obviously this needs to be looked at and eventually replaced. I'm hoping the tank will empty naturally with hot water usage and not have to be pumped. It's always something when you own a house. 

I got to the gym and an old guy I've never seen before is pedaling elliptical #1. Ugh. I get on machine #3 and after 5 minutes, the old guy gets off and maybe heads to the Senior Class. Oh well. I'm already pedaling my program so I'm not going to switch machines even though it's a bit distracting with how oddly the console flashes the display. I don't quite make it to 2.8 but that's okay. 

My left foot has been achy for the past day, as if I'd hit the side against something hard. But I haven't. I suspect the ache is from the sloppy ligaments holding my bones together not getting enough support. I wore house shoes and slippers for most of yesterday while doing chores. Oddly, the left foot is the good foot, the foot not afflicted by a bunion, hammer toes, and sciatica. That's the foot that's been painful all day, but cured with a good pair of trainers. 

I laced up my widest, most supportive sneakers (NB of course) to do my workout. By the end of the rather short routine, my foot felt normal again. Yaaay me. I just had time to do a set of pull-ups and I could've just showered and changed after that. But I had to squeeze in some hip stretches for sciatica, dead bugs for core, cat/camel for lower spine, bird dogs for hip joints, push-ups for core chest triceps, air squats for glutes and quads. Now I'm done.  

I'm planning to hit the gym on Friday since my kid won't have work and I don't have to rush. That's now a luxury, but I don't mind. I'm just happy my kid learned from last year and got a preemptive jump by applying to local shops while still in school doing finals. And still making Dean's List for each term. I have no complaints about my kid whatsoever. But I gotta set up driving lessons... 

Elderberry flowers

Meanwhile, the elderberry shrub overhanging the mailbox is in full flower, the honeysuckles have bumblebees, there are tiny white buds in the privets, and the milkweeds promise to be quite fragrant in a few weeks. Also, eating a daily banana appears to be working. At my doc appt today, my BP read 110/80, quite normal. 

It never reads that low, especially after me cursing out lunchtime traffic in order to make my appt on time. The only problem is that I like my banana layered with a bit of peanut butter on an English muffin. So, it's making me fat. Ugh. Maybe I shouldn't blame the banana? 

11 June 2025 11:35-12: 33

Wednesday — Abbrev Cardio

Back to Heat 80°F 
Preemptive wetting skin

Precor elliptical #3

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5408)

Distance: 2.79

Cal: 307

Avg Hr: 146, 190?

New FB: 42-127

HGPU 18.5

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Push-Ups 40

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Abbreviated Monday

I'm finally starting to get a handle on the abbreviated workout routine although I still need to leave the house even earlier so I'm not late for pick up. (I feel like we're in school again.) The parking lot wasn't crowded so I wasn't sure if the Senior Class was happening. No matter. I got on the elliptical and pedaled. The lower temperature is more comfortable, but my skin isn't retaining moisture and always feels dry and itchy, even when slathered in creams and oils. Which meant I was scratching a lot during cardio, even as I warmed up enough to start sweating. 

Pull-ups weren't quite as good as last week and I blame that on sore forearms. I took some time over the weekend to lop back the massive overgrowth of wild roses along parts of the property. While individual blooms don't offer much of a scent, an impenetrable hedge row of wild roses is an impressive barrier (lots of thorns) with a distinctive floral fragrance. Also coming into bloom are the Japanese honeysuckles in the driveway hedges. And there's over five dozen milkweed stalks that promise to bloom in the next few weeks.  

I assumed that the Senior Class was in session although I didn't actually look. Instead, I just grabbed a mat off the railing and found a spot at the front of the gym. It wasn't too busy, with a familiar young dude taking advantage of the cables on the Functional Gym Station. He has some great arms, shoulders and back, and he's just at the age where he pretty much knows it. There was another older regular with a lot of tats on his arms working with the kettle bells. I don't think I'd ever trust my grip with my tiny hands and fingers. There's a cracked section of the wall mirror where someone else might've lost their grip. I did most of the Aerobic Room core routine and stopped after Air Squats because I ran out of time. 

Luckily, I can meet my kid at the grocery near his job as he's usually hungry and in search of lunch. I'm always tempted to buy more maple syrup although I already have a jug in the fridge, and two unopened ones in the cupboard. Why? Because I read an interesting article that suggests maple syrup has a lot of benefits over plain ol' table sugar. While I'm not thrilled to put it in my cappuccino, it's awesome in plain Greek yogurt and on breakfast cereals like oatmeal, or even GrapeNuts. Especially with fresh berries and bananas... 

At the dog park, I stumbled across a peculiar orange growth reminiscent of errant crab pinchers. Of course I have to snap a photo and search Google images for an ID. It's most likely Clathrus columnatus aka "stinky squid" mushroom, in the stinkhorn family. That figures. It's one of the more interesting-looking fungi I've ever come across... 

9 June 2025 11:28-12:27

Monday — Abbrev Cardio

Rainy Cooler 60°F

Lots of Itchy Skin

Precor elliptical #1 (12:05)

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5507)

Distance: 2.81

Cal: 310

Avg Hr: 157, 190

New FB: 43-142

HGPU 18+2/2 (12:13)

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Skip Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 40

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Making Hay While The Sun Shines

It was hot even before the dogs and I got to the park. You know it's hot when you can see actual dog breath emanating as steam. No one was at the park, unlike yesterday when unexpectedly, a few dog friends showed up and there was a lot of canine socializing. Today, there was no one. Except something that caught my dogs' attention so much so that one tried to dig under the fence and the other stood up to peer over the top. It was a slow moving football with a long tail and a snake-like neck. 

Yep, it's snapper season. Unlike the deer or geese, the turtle refused to move until the perceived danger was over. So, it didn't walk into the woods until I had moved the dogs away from the fence. Later, the dogs wanted to visit the area to sniff out where this strange creature had gone. They're hunting dogs and this is different from the erratic movements of squirrels and chipmunks. I literally had to drag them back to the car, and then they kept looking out the window back toward the area where the snapper had disappeared. 

I got to the gym just as the Senior Class was starting, so the parking lot was crowded. The gym seemed crowded too with a lot of middle-age regulars who squeeze in a workout between the early morning shift people and the lazy afternoon teens. There's no one on any of the elliptical machines so I got on #1 and pedal program #3. I'm almost done with the elliptical when Wind Breaker arrives and gets on machine #3. Suddenly I smell the unpleasant odor of old paper and dried mushrooms. Normally, I like the smell of dried shrooms, but that smell should not be wafting from a human. All I can think of is that he's got some sort of fungus either in his clothes or on his body. Ewww. 

My legs felt a bit leaden and I had no delusions of setting any personal best records. Imagine my surprise when I made it past 2.8. I was even more surprised to knock out another 20 rep set of pull-ups. Okay, that was the first set. There's always diminishing returns when it's successive sets. 

As expected, I get less reps for each set, but still more than the last time I did this routine. That was a few weeks ago because I've had less time to exercise. I'm just glad that my kid has a job locally; his friends have promising leads to summer jobs that are several towns over, but they drive and have their own vehicles. My kid has the mom taxi. But driving lessons will be in the works as soon as we can determine what the best time would be based on past work schedules. 

My kid didn't have work today so I didn't have a time constraint. Which meant I could actually finish a complete routine. The Aerobics Room had the a/c blasting and that was quite refreshing. The only movement I skipped was Walking Lunges because I still need to tackle some yard chores over the weekend. But even Side Lunges were okay and less clumsy than I remember. The Wall Sits, the very last item on the list, did elicit quite a bit of muscle trembling, something I've never experienced before. 

There was an amusing article about women and men in endurance sports. Something about the abundance of slow-twitch fibers which rely on fat metabolism, vs fast-twitch glucose-fed muscles. I wish my fat-fed slow-twitch fibers would eat more fat. While I might be stronger, I'm also heavier now and for a short person, that's not reassuring. 

6 June 2025 11:27-1:38

Friday — All Cardio!

Blistering 85°F

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5538)

Distance: 2.82

Cal: 312

Avg Hr: 140, 178-89

New FB: 42-135

HGPU 20 !!!

Matrix StairMaster (L)  

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (50-48) / 2 (33) / 1 (29)

Steps 450

Floors 28

Cal 67

Hr 115

HGPU 18

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3  

Program Manual L1

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.27

Cal: 113

Avg Hr: 120-123

HGPU 16.5

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 40

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Side Lunges 10 each side 

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90 sec

Successful Time Management

I got my gym gear together last night so I was ready to go once I dropped my kid off: today is unloading and restocking. Which meant I got to the gym earlier than I've been in years. And it wasn't horribly crowded because it was between the morning shift crowd and the afternoon HS kids. But there were more people on both the cross-trainer and the elliptical than I've seen in a long time. 

Both elliptical #1 and #2 were occupied so I hopped on #3. It has some minor problems, like that the elevation indicator is frozen at level 7 regardless of what level the pedals are at. The only time that's inconvenient is during the 5-minute cool down where I like to bring the level halfway to 7 regardless of where the program has ended. Today is program 2 and it ends at level 1 or 2 so I pop it up a few taps and guess that it's at level 7 because that number doesn't budge regardless of what the console shows. 

I did make it past 2.8 so that was good. Also good was my one set of pull-ups. Since I haven't had time lately to go back and forth between cardio and pull-ups, I decided to test whether I could get one good set every day without stressing those tiny tender tendons in my forearms and elbows. (I'm done with those forearm braces for tennis and golfer elbow tendonitis!) 

I have time today to finish a decent weight training routine so I look for a flat bench. Even though the free weight area isn't very crowded, most of the benches are either occupied or lodged in inaccessible squat cages. I drag an old flat bench out to the middle of the area and plant my BB and pair of DBs. People (it's literally all guys at this point) will just have to work around me. I get all my sets done and realize that even with the high reps, I'm not pushing myself terribly hard. But then again, with "vision loss due to glaucoma" constantly in the back of my mind, perhaps I should be satisfied just to finish.

Because it's Wednesday, there's a Senior class between 11:30 and 12:45. Which means I'm unable to use the Aerobics Room to do the rest of my core routine. Instead, I wedge myself between some guys working out at the front, in the Functional Gym area. There's a few things I won't do here, like Walking Lunges (there's no room) and Wall Sits (there's only the mirrored wall as everything else is a half railing). 

The schedule is different tomorrow and I will have less gym time. Maybe I won't go again until Friday when my kid has the day off, but working again all Saturday afternoon. I don't go to the gym on weekends (they close early on weekends anyway). But maybe I will go tomorrow since it'll be so hot that I refuse to work in the yard. I want to dismantle the compost bin I purchased a few years ago from the local Cornell U Cooperative Extension but I need it to not be raining. Or blisteringly hot. It's made of black plastic and while lightweight, it could probably give you a good burn. 

I thought it was just me, but when I went to the Extension program office last year about something else (probably milkweeds), I overheard people complaining about how poorly this composter worked, and I agree. It doesn't work. I need to empty it, pull it apart and put it in the trash... but not in 90F weather. Meanwhile, I have dozens of milkweeds in the yard. Some are already besieged by golden aphids. Others are untouched -- there are snails slithering up their stems. Once the blooms open and the air is heavy with perfume, I'll be waiting breathlessly for the fritillary butterfly show! Honeysuckle vines are also promising to bloom soon in the hedges in the driveway. A fragrant inconvenience. 

4 June 2025 10:32-12:17

Wednesday — Cardio et al

Summer Heat 83F 

Precor elliptical #3

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5472)

Distance: 2.81

Cal: 310

Avg Hr: 148, 178-98?

New FB: 44-124

(11:11)

HGPU 20 :-)

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls

30 lbs x 24 reps x 3

S/s with

DB Laterals 10 lbs x 20 reps

10 lbs x 12 Alt rep curls

DB lateral 15 x 15 x 2

DB Alt Curls 15 x 12 x 2

20 Hip Bridges 

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 40

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Ornery Aging

Well, the news is not promising from my glaucoma doc. I went for a pressure check yesterday, and in spite of initial readings some months ago showing a drop to a reasonable range (for me), the right eye has spiked up to 18, which is where it was before I had the Durysta implants back in December. Not one to panic, the doc suggested we do a recheck in a few months, and then decide on how to proceed then. 

It's not reassuring that I can actually see the vision loss in the upper quadrant of my right eye. It's like a fuzzy gray fringe hanging over the top edge of my vision. Yes, I can see my vision loss and it's very disconcerting. I'm just glad that it's not happening at the same rate to my left eye, although the Visual Field test does show some loss. 

Part of me wonders if I should cut back on vaguely exerting exercises. Has doing 40 push-ups causing this pressure spike? I think my IOPs were rising last year, before I added the additional reps. And I've been doing the cardio, pull-ups, and high rep DB routine for months now. This might just be aging, which really kind of sucks. It suggests that there are inevitable physiological changes that happen as we age, and that they are mostly unexplainable. Which means it's difficult to find solutions for. 

Not exercising is not an option. It's also not healthy. All data suggests that cardio and weight training are supremely beneficial to healthy aging. But it's harder when there are underlying conditions that need to be considered. I'm just glad I don't have additional health issues like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis...  

I've run out of the niacinamide capsules I was taking to try and mitigate the optic nerve damage. I have a smaller bottle but each of those capsules is a mere 100 mg, which means I'd be swallowing 5 at a time, twice a day. Instead, I went to the local CVS and found a different version of vitamin B3 (niacin) called inositol hexanicotinate, which it turns out, is much better for dealing with high cholesterol, especially LDLs. Coincidentally, my annual exam revealed that everything was great (even my BP, and I credit eating bananas) except for the elevated LDLs, which increased my total cholesterol level to higher than the cutoff of 200 mg/dL. Ugh. I wonder what happens if I take both versions of niacin? 

Again, my kid is working 5 days this week but each week's schedule is different from the last. It's hard to schedule other events, like driving lessons. And although I've gotten better at leaving the house earlier, it's still not early enough to give me enough time to do a complete routine. Today is another abbreviated routine, and I feel tired enough to not make it to 2.8. The only bright spot is that I'm able to do more reps in the one and only set. Of course, in the past, doing three sets meant more reps overall, even if each set was mediocre. 

The Aerobics Room has a few unfamiliar bodies in it, and I'm rushing to get the important items done. I skip Bird Dogs, a core exercise, because I have done Dead Bugs. But I keep the Glute Bridges, push-ups and air squats. Maybe, probably, I'll be back tomorrow to do cardio and other things I skipped today... 

I finally got fed up with the end of my braid and cut it off. Turns out it was roughly 7" and I don't miss it at all. In fact, even after being braided and folded up into a clip on the back of my head, that tail still dangled down onto my neck, got caught under shoulder straps and collars, irritated my neck as separate fishing line-thin strands stuck and crept into skin-folds. Yes, extremely irritating and generating a rash. I'll save the swatch for now. If I get fed up enough, I might just cut it all off and mail it off to a charity that makes wigs for cancer patients. 

3 June 2025 11:29-12:29 

Tuesday — Abbrev Cardio

Summer temps 68°F

Precor elliptical #1 (12:05)

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5418)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 305

Avg Hr: 145, 182

New FB: 45-138

HGPU 20

20 Hip Bridges 

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Push-Ups 40

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25