Happy Friday the 13th

It's true Autumn weather with mornings in the mid 40s, hiking to a pleasant high around 70 mid-day. I haven't been able to find any signs of the white caterpillars since Tropical Storm Nate blew through here, but there's been an abundance of woolly bear caterpillars. This morning I found one squished in the roadway. Not everyone survives. There's always a lot of roadkill during the transitional seasons of Spring and Autumn. Baby animals in the Spring and Fall just don't know to get out of the way. Possums, squirrels, woodchucks, frogs, and occasionally the unlucky bird, cat, snake, earthworm, caterpillar...

I still hadn't decided whether today was going to be a Pull Day or Cardio but I put on my new Saucony trainers to test them out. I had no issues wearing them on the elliptical for 35 minutes, although the roomy toe box meant my hammertoes were in danger of crossing each other. Luckily that didn't happen. Luckily, I only have hammertoes on my right foot—the foot with the bunion. There's a guy on the Smith machine so I take my time doing pull ups, push ups and some basic core moves. If he stays, I can always resort to the cross-trainer and call it a Cardio Day. But he leaves so it's a Pull Day.

I had yogurt this morning to help wash down all my vitamins. I don't really have a problem swallowing pills, not in my throat at least. It's the tori inside the bottom of my jaw that's causing issues with pills getting caught between them and my gum. The hard little B vitamins can be awfully painful! If I use yogurt or applesauce to carry the pills, they don't backwash up against my teeth. Water is my least favorite vehicle for taking pills. I'm the only one in my family who has tori mandibularis, at least as far as I know. I look it up and it's apparently more common in Asian and Inuits, and more men than women. Figures... (Click here to read more about the condition.)

The Smith has been serviced, and the tract glides smoothly. I don't have any issues doing routine sets of RDLs and RG BB Rows. At some point I'm going to cut reps and up the weight. Just not sure when. I'm quite pleased that the Sauconys are comfortable, and provide the necessary stability for doing a Pull Day. (I'll probably hang on to the Asics for a while. Maybe they'll be okay for just walking around?)

I need to change my routine, so I cut the Seated One-Arm Cable Rows. That's been bothering my elbows anyway. Instead, I go back to a movement I haven't done in over a year: DB Rows. I know how much I used to row, but that was a long time ago. So I start light just to get a feel for what I can do now. The 25 lb DB seems like a good starting point. But it's too light. Seriously. I grab the 35 lb DB and wonder if I'm letting my ego get the better of me. But, no, it seems light too. So, throwing caution to the wind, I grab the 45. Not the 40, but the 45. Because, WTH. Worst that's going to happen is I can't do 12 reps.

I do get 12 reps, but I don't feel like freaking out the few guys in the free weight area (because they're already trying not to stare), so I don't look at the 50 lb DB. Instead, I just do sets at 45 lbs. Done. Next time I might start at 45 lbs and see if I can't get 8 reps at 50 or 55 lbs. We'll see how the joints hold up. The Grande Dame is in the stretch cage so I skip that, and just do my mat routine. She's about 85 years old but in phenomenally good shape, and I don't like to rush anyone. I see a middle-aged woman at the Assisted Pullup/Dip machine. She's wearing bright pink sneakers, flaring black pants, and a strappy tank dress that falls to her knees. Okay, so she's worried about her butt but not her exposed arms and shoulders? She can barely inch herself up or down, but at least she's trying.

There is one older woman who seems to be making great progress just walking on the treadmill every day. She's gone from morbidly obese to just overweight. She's still got a good 50 lbs before she's a reasonable size for her height, but I bet being able to wear nicer clothes has been a great incentive. The fellow she sometimes shows up with, someone I secretly call the Fat Indonesian (even though I don't know if he's Southeast Asian or not) has made very little progress. He still wears a lifting belt all the time to keep his belly from flopping about. But I probably don't look like I've made any progress either. I could certainly be leaner, if I were inclined to diet rigidly. But I'm not. Not yet anyway. Of course, I do keep a watchful eye on the scale because pounds do creep up when you're not looking, especially during the Holidays.

Friday

35 elliptical
Program 2
Miles 3.48
Calories 301
Average Heart Rate 154

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Crunches 50

Smith RDLs
Bar (30lbs) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25 reps
100 x 25
120 x 25

DB Rows
25lbs x 12 reps per arm
35 x 12
45 x 12 x 3 sets

Better Than You Think

I stayed home yesterday, expecting to get some work done at my computer. Instead, my hubs came home early and brought me a yummy roast beef sandwich from an award-winning sandwich shop. It was his peace offering for being an ass the night before. He's one of those guys who can't bring himself to apologize for anything. I think it's a "guy of a certain generation" thing. Only I'm teaching my son that it's okay to say Sorry. That apologizing doesn't make you less of a guy. It makes you a fallible human being.

I don't think that younger men have this issue, having been raised in an era where it's normal for women to have jobs, drive cars and be astronauts if that's what they want. Older guys are having a harder time of it. I see this especially at the gym, where old newbies stare like they've never seen women before. Seriously. There was one today. And it wasn't as if I was the only woman in the gym either. But maybe I'm the only one pushing some weight around, and not just hopped up on cardio, although I did my fair share of that before I hit the weights...

I didn't really have a plan for today, but I needed to choose footwear before I left the house so I had to decide whether I was going to do a Pull Day or not. Because I need to wear my old Asics for better foot support for RDLs. Otherwise, if I'm doing a Push Day or a Cardio Day, I'm in squishy, less structured shoes like the Rykas. Because those are easier on my feet, but definitely not good for RDLs. Decide to baby my feet today and put the Rykas on. Of course, after 35 min on the cross-trainer, I'm feeling much better and see that the Smith is free. So it's a Push Day. I would've been just as happy doing a Cardio Day though...

I did order a new pair of Saucony's from Zappos, because they carry wide-size brands, and have free shipping and returns. Plus prices are fairly decent. After winnowing down selections, I pick the highly rated Saucony Progrid Integrity ST 2 in black, size 6.5 2E. And then realize that I actually own this pair of shoes already. I use it to go hiking because it's one of the few leather shoes that has enough room in the toe box for my bunion and hammertoes. There's almost too much room so it's not good for Whacking the Machine Day. And oddly, my heels fit fine in these shoes even though I remember them being too loose originally. Can your heels get fat as you age? I have bony little fingers and bony little toes so I don't think I'm getting fat feet...

I order the 2nd pair anyway, because shoe companies tend to "improve" their wares, usually making the shoes narrower and stiffer. That's what happened to my beloved Asics. I can't wear that brand anymore. So before Saucony changes anything, I figure I'd invest in a second pair of a shoe I know actually fits me. For now. Because feet change too. My old Kean lace-ups used to be comfortable. Now they feel too stiff, and pinch my pinky toes if I wear them too long. Ugh... But got to baby the feet 'cuz nothing is more debilitating than having painful feet!

I knock out my BB and DB exercises without any issues. Then I pause to consider whether I'm doing Rip Skulls or V-bar press downs. There's no one at the Cable Station. And coincidentally, the V-bar is in place, and the weight stack is set to 40lbs. Weird. Or sad. Because I didn't see any women at this station, so I'm probably working the same weight as the last guy here... Oh well. It was probably that old guy who couldn't keep his eyeballs to himself. Whatever... 

Thursday

35 xtrainer
Calories 168
Miles 4.64
Average Heart Rate 151

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
60 x 25
50 x 25

BB Front Raises s/s Upright Rows
20lbs x 15/15reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 3 sets

V-bar Press Down
40lbs x 13reps x 3 sets

Finally It's Whack the Damn Machine Day

There's something a tad unsettling about having 70+ degree weather in October up in the Northeast. Because you at least expect some chill in the air. The leaves are doing their color show, going from greens to orange, yellow and reds. And then falling onto the roadways, wet and slippery from Storm Nate's downpour. We lost power for two hours yesterday, and the tree tops waved about quite a lot. That's the extent of our hurricane season so far, and I like that. Nothing dramatic up here. But it IS weirdly warm. And we're all tempted to turn on the A/C even though it's October...

I've been a bit disappointed that I've only caught 3 moths in 2 Meal Moth traps. Granted, these traps only attract male moths and in the first two days I installed these glorified glue traps, I did clap 3 moths out of the air because they were acting crazy. And I did smote another 6 moths outside the cabinet doors. But that's not unusual. I'll smush a good half dozen moths and think I'm done. Then three days later, a whole new crop of moths usually flutters out of a box or bag of something. That hasn't happened so far. I have found a few tiny larva on the lid of a container that holds bags of rice though... I'm still holding my breath to see if maybe I've finally eradicated my Indian Meal Moth problem. Fingers crossed.

The gym is crowded when I arrive, but that's because I'm here earlier than usual. I'm also here on a Tuesday, and so it empties out fairly quickly. After my 10 minute warm up on the elliptical, and shoulder exercises, I'm ready to whack the machine. But my right hand isn't quite right along the ring and pinky fingers. I'm having a hard time clenching my fist properly. But it's not nearly as bad as when I use my left fist for a Lead Body and watch as my wrist crumples down. Luckily I manage to pull the punch so I don't actually destroy my joint. OMG! WTF was that about? I need to be more focused when I'm tossing jabs and kicks or I run the risk of hurting myself. Ugh.

I have the best time during round 5 Intermediate because everything seems to flow. I'm in sync with both the music (which happens to be Billy Idol's Sherri) and all the blows being called by the program. It's like a wonderfully executed dance routine!


There are only a few songs that match tempo with movement so perfectly. I wish they were all like this one, but of course, that'd be quite a feat to achieve such a playlist...

The gym is virtually empty when I'm done. Not sure if I'm going to work out tomorrow though... 

Tuesday

10 warmup
Calories 94
Miles 0.83

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Band Pulls
Mid 15
High 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner
8r Intermediate

HGPU 26

Quickie Workout

There's no school today and my son went to a friend's sleep over birthday party yesterday. But I never know exactly when he'll need to be picked up. So after I get stuff done this morning and I'm about to leave for the gym, I get a text from him asking if I can get him between 11 and 12. I tell him I'll get him at 12 noon. It's 9:55 and I'd like to do something at the gym! It takes 15 minutes just to drive to the gym, and another few minutes to stash my stuff in a locker. I've narrowly missed the exiting aerobics class. Whew!

Again, I skip the cross-trainer in favor of the elliptical. I'm not happy with my old workout pants because the waist has lost it's shape and the weight of my iPod nano is enough to inch my pants down my hips uncomfortably. I resort to clipping it onto my tank strap. At least the ports are on the bottom of this model, which means it's less likely to be affected by sweat dripping off me. If these pants weren't so comfortable, I'd have tossed them into the GoodWill bag a long time ago. At least they don't hold onto the gym stink like they used to. No wonder Title Nine sportswear doesn't carry these pants anymore...

I'm getting used to the headphones, but I still feel spastic trying to adjust the volume. I have to press the buttons laterally against the earpiece against my head instead of just pressing down on the buttons. It's an ergonomic design issue, but at least they work and were reasonably priced. However, they're not really noise-cancelling, as I shove the earbud pieces deeper to block out the chatty people two machines over.

I have just enough time to do cardio, a set of pull ups, some push ups and maybe a few planks. Forget about stretching or anything else. There's no school and the gym is crowded today. My hubs has work though. And stores are open even if banks and post office are not. Go figure...

Before I shower, I step on the scale and hold my breath. 110 lbs is better than I expected so I'm happy. Tomorrow, maybe I'll whack the machine because I skipped it last week. I'm still debating getting a mammogram. It's been a year and honestly, I have like zero risk factors so I'm not really inclined to do this every year even though my Ob-Gyn insists that it's a valid test.

Of course, I can't get a hold of my son's dermatologist (because it's a holiday, ugh) so I've decided that I'm taking him off his acne medicine until he's done with this skin infection. He's been prescribed Mupirocin, a topical ointment, which seems to be working well, and an oral antibiotic, the generic version of Bactrim. And he only got prescribed the Bactrim after the attending physician read down to where I noted that my son had had a VRSA infection as a 3-year old. Because he was going to prescribe a cephalosporin. My son is currently taking amoxicillan-clavulanic acid (Clavamox, but for people instead of dogs) for his acne. Which makes me worried that he's brewing a resistant staph infection. It's probably time for him to stop taking that antibiotic, but I'm dreading the resurgence of his facial and back acne. Adolescence is hard enough without bad skin.

The tech wrote MRSA and I corrected her but she didn't write that down. Because she's a tech and I'm only a mom, and obviously don't understand the difference between methicillan-resistant Staph, and vancomycin-resistant. That difference meant an additional week in the hospital for my son, and a really really expensive antibiotic that, thank goodness, my insurance covered. Because it was a thousand dollars. And it was my son's pediatrician, Dr P (the man who retired last December), who made the diagnosis. My local hospital missed it. And the children's hospital downstate missed it after the first week and sent my son home, only to have Dr P say "Nooooo, get him readmitted." So, I don't have much faith in the docs who are now my son's pediatricians... Sigh.

Monday

35 elliptical
Program 1
Miles 3.01
Calories 342
Average Heart Rate 151

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

End of the Week

I actually didn't make it to the gym yesterday. Instead, I spent hours online looking for a display case for all my son's Cub Scout items, and his Arrow of Light. He's the type of kid who never really makes much of a fuss about anything so I never quite know if something is important to him or not. Several of this year's teachers have had the kids make projects about themselves to give the teachers a better idea as to who they are. It's probably because my son and most of his friends are in the "looping" program which means they get to keep the same teachers from 7th to 8th grade. These teachers appear to be extremely enthusiastic (unlike a few of last year's crop). 

So I was surprised when my son asked how he could represent his Arrow of Light without actually bringing it to class. He had included it as one of his Life Changing events. Secretly, I'm proud of that in him. But it also means I should gather all the patches and pins he's accumulated, and put them into a display for his bedroom wall. I find something suitable, but not from Amazon. Instead, I can purchase it on Etsy, and I do. And then, because they've rewarded me with $15, but in $5 increments toward 3 separate orders, I spend an hour looking for items my son might like for Christmas. Because I hate having coupons (that are actually worth a substantial amount of money) expire.

My son shows me a rash he's developed under his pants and I'm horrified enough to set up an appointment with a pediatrician immediately after school. He tells me they're bug bites. Not like any I've ever seen! The dermatologist isn't open on Fridays. (Later he's diagnosed with impetigo, a skin infection that can be attributed to staph or strep, and easily treated with antibiotic ointment. Ugh.) Which means I don't have a lot of time this morning. I go to the gym, but I'm not in the mood to whack the machine. Shocking! And I'm also not feeling like it's a Cardio Day, mostly because I woke up with my pinky toe throbbing for no good reason.

Instead, I do cardio on the elliptical, and then proceed with my 2nd Push Day of the Week. It's a light workout, at least for the Inclined Benching. When I see Gym Owner, I mention the sticky tract on the Smith and he tells me he's on it. Later, he tells me he's fixed the Smith. That's cool.

At the gym, I see a few regulars and some new middle age guys. There is one man who comes fairly regularly around lunch time, and I'm worried that he's trying to catch my eye. Ugh. It's not that I don't like having guys around, it's just that I'm not terribly interested in talking to them. Or specifically, I'm just not interested in talking. (And if they're not nice to look at, well, what's the point? Seriously.)

I move from the DB area to a breaker bench and drop my hoodie on it. I'm setting up for Rip Skulls and I see a new old guy strut around the cable stations. Sorry, I have no respect for guys who wear lifting belts for every exercise. It's like they're using it as a girdle to keep their tums from flopping out. This guy in the red shirt has a decent physique. Maybe he worked out in his younger days. He sees me grab the 40 lb BB and drop it on the bench. Probably thinks I'm going to bench this, like I've seen some girls do. He's smiling to himself. Except I'm not benching this. I've got my dead man's grip on the bar, then bend the elbow so the bar comes close to the forehead, then extend the arms so the barbell drops down behind the head. Use one long powerful motion to sweep the barbell back up and over. Repeat 11 more times. The smile is gone from Red Shirt's face. He seems uncomfortable. I smirk to myself. Two more sets and I'm done.

Today is my wedding anniversary. Been married for 16 years. We've known each other for 20. Seems like forever. Except for a whole 'nother life we've both had before. I'd almost forgotten except a friend sent me a card today, and I was like, Oh yeah... And yesterday I'd made online reservations for 3 for a local steakhouse. I'm looking forward to a glass of pinot noir.

Friday
Quick Push

35 elliptical
Program 3
Miles 2.99
Calories 339
Average Heart Rate 152

HGPU 26
Push Ups 50

Smith Inclined Bench
Bar (30) x 13
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12

BB Front Raises s/s Upright Rows
20lbs x 15/15reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 3sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12reps x 3sets

Skipping A Day and Calling It Rest

I skipped yesterday's workout and tried to get more things done around the house. Like cleaning. Not my favorite activity. Actually, I got more done today, like sorting my son's room out, before I went to the gym. Which means I got to the gym around noonish, when it's nice and empty. My feet and knees have made their displeasure known, so today I do 35 minutes on the elliptical instead of the cross-trainer. There's no arm involvement. The glide is smoother. And even though I seem to do less in mileage, it appears that I burn more calories. Appears. Because I don't punch in my weight or age for the machine to tell me that I'm not making the proper cardio range. But at least my foot doesn't fall asleep, and my knee doesn't ache, at least until I get to the Smith to do RDLs.

I think it's my stance that's screwing with my knees. Today it's my right knee. I inch my foot back slightly and try to set all my weight flat on my feet. If I don't have the proper stance, my lower back will hurt as I straighten up. At the heavier weights, I find it difficult to breathe, not that I'm holding my breathe throughout the entire set. I get all my reps and all my sets. That makes me feel better. I follow the same routine for the RG BB Rows. The gym is starting to fill up with HS kids. And middle age men. Or at least I think they're middle age. I'm always surprised to see someone's photo in the news and find out that they're in their 40s or early 50s, while I thought they were closer to 70. Good thing I don't talk to anyone.

I stay with the lighter weight for Seated One-Arm Cable Rows because I'd like my elbows to feel okay. I haven't really decided whether I'll try another set of pull ups. I'm okay with not. I don't even do push ups today! Guys are hovering around me, trying to be nonchalant. I'm so glad I have working earbuds and music so there's no awkwardness. Because I refuse to make eye-contact. So not interested in chatting with anyone. Seriously.

I saw the Mayor's BMW in the lot as I came in and realized that it's not a sedan, but an SUV that looks a lot like a hearse. However, I don't actually see or hear the Mayor at the gym today. Weird. I do see other regulars like WTC, Square Jaw, Loud Mouth, Big Mustache, Little R, and Ponytail Braid, whose long silver braid comes to his waist. Since he's much bigger than I am, I can only conclude that his hair is also much longer than mine.

Yesterday's hectic dinner consisted of reheated, store-bought fried chicken. It was tasty, but invariably well-seasoned, i.e., salty. It's either that or pizza on a night when my son and I have only 30 minutes between walking in the door from kung fu and leaving for Boy Scouts. We scarf down a few pieces before Scouts, and finish the remainder when we get home at 9 pm. So I'm not surprised that I'm a bit puffy today, and the gym scale confirms this with a 111.4 lb reading. I'm actually not trying at all to get leaner, and that's going to have repercussions. Some people bulk for the winter. I'd just like to maintain an overall healthiness. And being over 110 lbs isn't it.

Tomorrow will be better. Because tomorrow is probably Cardio Day. Unless I decide to repeat Shoulders. Nothing is set in stone so I'm free to change my mind if something doesn't quite feel right. But Friday is always Whack the Machine Day. Unless I make that a Cardio Day.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around Tom Petty dying at age 66. That's not very old. The report of a DNR order suggests he knew he had heart disease or another terminal ailment. I remember listening to him during my HS and college years, although I was always more of a NewWave/Punk kind of kid... but I am a fan of REM, U2, The Wallflowers and Simon & Garfunkel, so go figure.


Wednesday

35 elliptical
Program 1
Miles 3.03
Calories 344
Average Heart Rate 144

HGPU 26

Smith RDLs
Bar (30lbs) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80lbs x 25
100 x 25
120 x 25

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
45lbs x 12reps x 3sets

Keeping It Together While Falling Apart

It's starting to feel more like Autumn. Mornings are chilly but brilliant sunshine warms the day to a pleasant 70F. I like it. Yesterday was the the town's annual Columbus Day parade. Normally we skip this event, but since the Italian American Club asked our Boy Scout Troop to be their flag bearers, and to march at the head of the parade, we had to attend. Between the actual march itself, the walk through the street fair, and the long long walk back to the car, we covered over 5 miles.

In the past this hasn't been an issue. Consider it an urban hike since it was all paved roadway. But my joints aren't young anymore. The back of my left knee started to ache on the walk back to the car. Normally I only feel it on Cardio Day, when I've abused my legs with lots of cross-trainer and elliptical pedaling. I was wearing my Ariart Fat Baby western boots which are immensely comfortable because they have a wide toe box. But the bunion started to get weird and the toes on my left foot started crossing each other rather painfully. I had to slow my gait just to keep moving. Which leaves me with the dilemma of finding a shoe that's "just right". Too wide and unstructured and my toes have a free-for-all. Too tight and the bunion is exacerbated. Ugh. I need "Goldilock shoes"...

I get to the gym late again. I'm actually getting up even earlier than before because the school district has finally hired more bus drivers to provide more buses. My son's new school bus is suppose to arrive 10 minutes earlier than the original overcrowded bus. New bus driver means the bus will be late. Because they don't know the route. Or the stops. It actually arrives about a minute ahead of the original bus. But at least my son has a seat going to school now. And I can stop pestering and complaining to the Transportation Department.

The gym is virtually empty. I'm surprised to still see The Mayor though. Ugh. He's got plates on the Smith machine, but he's so busy talking that I'm not sure he remembers what station he's at. I do my cardio warm up. My right foot goes numb. The bunion, which is the top of the first metatarsal, actually hurts a little. I'd like cushier shoes, please! Ideally, I'd try on shoes until I find perfect ones, but that's nearly impossible since brick-and-mortar stores rarely carry Wide sizes. And online shopping is never really free, especially if items don't fit properly and need to be returned! Brands keep shrinking their sizes too. Ugh.

Pull ups are okay. They've been easier, or I've been stronger. Push ups are easy because I only do 50. There are still plates on the Smith. I do my entire core routine. The Mayor is still gabbing. Ugh. Too late for him. I march over to the Smith and remove the plates, grab a flat bench and set up for benching. The shoulder is still wonky so I'm cautious. Worse, the Smith itself needs servicing. The right side feels as if the tract is off because there's a noise, and a vibration that shouldn't be there. As I add weight, I feel my right bicep complain. Which is weird because Bench Pressing is a Push movement, meaning pectorals, front delts and triceps. Biceps should not be part of the equation. Ugh. I go easy and don't chide myself for only 6 reps at 120 lbs. I can't even get 25 reps at the lower weights either. Double ugh.

Well, at least the knot under my shoulder blade is gone. Yesterday, after I spent a good 10 minutes using my knot killer on the floor, I got my hubs to press the remnants out with his fingers. So the back feels much better today, and I've regained most of my range of motion in my neck. Because a knot under the left shoulder blade tightens shoulder and neck muscles on that side as well!

I stick to weights in amounts I know I can do. These feel okay. Unfortunately, the gym is starting to fill up with HS boys. Ugh. Shoulders and then triceps. I'm done! In the locker room, I often play a game with myself after the weekend, where I try and guess how much my bad eating habits have cost me. Okay, banana nut bread with peach jam, apple ale and pulled pork with sauteed cauliflower. Chinese lotus seed cakes. Liverwurst and Swiss cheese on crackers. British chocolate pudding from the UK Gourmet store. I timidly venture 112 lbs and hope that it's less. The scale tells me 110.8 lbs and I breathe a sigh of relief.

When I exit the locker room, I'm surprised to see The Mayor chatting at the front desk. Because he's wearing street clothes. Like he went home, showered and changed, and then came back to the gym. Weird. His car, a distinctive black Mercedes sedan, isn't where I saw it this morning when I came in (he likes to park in the upper lot, away from all the riff-raff of the shopping plaza). I tend to keep an eye out for people I don't trust. Probably just because I grew up in NYC...

I'm trying to come to grips on having eye surgery as early as next year. My glaucoma doctor tells me that I'm better off taking the risk of blurry vision than losing my sight. That last visual field test, which I knew was going to look bad, has her worried. My pressures are both, remarkably, 14. They've almost never been the same value simultaneously. But 14 isn't good enough. Everyone wants my pressures below 11. Drops aren't enough. I tell my doc I'm extremely resistant to having the bleb surgery, where they cut a flap into the eyeball to drain the fluid. There's a lot of issues with trabeculectomy or sclerostomy, and I'm paranoid enough to think I'll develop complications. She tells me that the newest techniques involve implanting drainage shunts, and have better success rates. But she recommends I have cataract surgery first. What?

Okay, apparently everyone, by the time they're 50 years old, has thickening lenses due to exposure to sunlight's UV rays. I noticed a slight color difference in my eye chart tests where one eye sees a yellow tint instead of the white background. The cataracts are probably why I have trouble seeing in low light, and why my vision is a little blurry upon close reading. My eye doc says that cataracts take up room that she needs to utilize for implanting a glaucoma shunt. Artificial lenses are thinner. And the shunt is made of the same material as the lenses so there should be no issue with rejection or inflammation. So after I manage to wrap my head around this, I'll need to see how much my health insurance will cover. Because it always comes down to that: how much is it going to cost. Sigh.

Monday

35 x-trainer
Calories 166
Miles 4.47
Average Heart Rate 149

HGPU 26
Push Ups 50
Scissors 50
Bicycle 50
Crunches 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Superman 3 x 30s

Smith Flat Bench
Bar (30lbs) x 15
80 x 12 right arm
100 x 12 still some rt bicep
120 x 6
110 x 12
90 x 20
80 x 20
Right pulley is grinding

BB Front Raises s/s Upright Rows
20lbs x 15/15reps x 3sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 3sets

V-bar press down
20lbs x 12
30 x 12
40 x 12