Treadmill Tuesday

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Hmmmm, not sure if this is a good title, let's see where I end up with this.

Life can feel like a treadmill, the same missed deadlines, the same conversations, the same challenges, day in/day out.

Life can feel like a treadmill, my display shows a track and indicates me going around and around in circles.

Life can feel like a treadmill, with a timer getting higher and higher and yet it doesn't seem like you are getting anywhere.

The key is to look at the other parts of the display; there's a section that shows the distance. You are moving and it is up to you see if it is in the right direction.

Are your steps stronger today than yesterday?
Is your balance improving, can you walk without hanging on to the rails?
Do you have the stamina to move faster for longer?
Do you develop a rhythm that makes the routine seem easier?

If we are trying to improve our health, the first step is to 'show up' and get on the treadmill. Develop the habit of a bit of exercise each day to increase your energy level.

The same is true for our homemaking - show up each day and start working your system. Develop habits so that you don't even have to think about doing things, they get done automatically. And learn to look at the parts of the 'display' that show your progress.

In Scott Adams' book (How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Succeed in Life) he puts a lot of emphasis on systems and the number one system he focuses on is learning to increase your energy in order have the stamina to keep failing but still be happy, which is, after all, a great success!

Oh, and one more thing - motorized treadmills have a safety switch that shuts it off when you fall. There are times in life where we just have to say STOP! Be sure you know how to push yourself to just before you are about to fall and then stop gracefully and rest. The body's safety switch (which I've experienced multiple times) is no more graceful than the sudden stop of the treadmill. So pay attention to your form and if you sense you are struggling to keep up, slow down or even get off gracefully and catch your breath.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

If you didn't guess, I'm posting from the treadmill this morning!

And I do notice my increased balance and speed. I still can't type while walking at 3 mph but today most of my post was written at 2.9 mph so I'm making progress!

Still recommend the Scott Adams' book. It is a fun read and for those of us struggling with health it is surprisingly appropriate given that it was written as an advice book for young people embarking in life. Although he stresses he is not providing health advice, to take heath advice from a cartoonist would be a foolish thing to do!

I made it to bed by 11 last night. Dh hadn't started his bedroom routine so I spent the night in the second bedroom so I wouldn't be tempted to stay awake playing my WordBrain while he got ready for bed. Like I had the night before and then I didn't stop until I got completely stuck. At midnight. So I went to bed without my tablet even in the room (it had to charge) and then joined dh when I felt myself waking up at 6:30.

The bedroom is done for the day (Habit 1) and the spare bedroom is also put to rights (carryover from Habit 1 - thankfully I have to walk past that room so the unmade bed catches my eye.)

I've been on the treadmill over 30 minutes so far so will probably get off soon and s2s (my clothes for the day are laid out.)

Another advantage to the treadmill is that it encourages me to start the day with water.

BTW on Sunday there was no time for my tea (reg or decaf) and I found I didn't have to pee as much. In fact, I went from 8:30 until 1 p.m. Normally I pee on my way out the door and then again when I get to the church 40 minutes later and often after service as well. Even though I had reg tea at 11, water, diet soda, more water, and then another mug of reg tea, I didn't pee again until 4:30. And then again after dinner. I'm guessing something in my decaf tea is a diuretic.

[CathyS]

Hi everyone!

Went to bed early last night. Had an awful night's sleep most likely due to the full moon. Our large bedroom windows face west and we had the moonlight pouring in all night. I am used to sleeping in a fully darkened room and dh likes to see outside.

That has caused us numerous problems with the window treatments around here. He didn't like the thermal room darkening curtains I put in the bedroom and the library. I took down 3 of the 4 in the bedroom and put up 2 sheer panels in the middle of the bedroom window. Because of this, the moonlight affected my sleep, and therefore, with me tossing and turning, I affected his sleep. I know he spent some time on the couch. It wasn't fair, but I need a darker room.

I wanted the library to be like a dark cave and I don't want any of the books to get faded covers. He keeps telling me it's my room and it's my house but then he complains the my library is too dark.

Today I am heading to W mart and the store next door to try to get better curtains. I need to return the unopened ones as well. I can't remember the name of the store next to W mart where they have almost an entire wall of curtains.

Dishes from last night are soaking in the sink.

Yesterday I made a list of stuff I do or want to do around here. Besides the work, I added some other stuff like cross stitching, reading and photographs. There is also computer time. Yesterday I felt like I was getting bogged down on the computer and I really wanted to focus on books, but couldn't stay focused enough to finish what I was doing.

I might have to start using a timer to get other things included in my day. For now, to get to W mart before noon, I need to get to the dishes.

[DeeClutter]

Love the thoughts on 'treadmill', Kathryn. That treadmill of weight gain is really getting me. Even though dd/dsonil's generosity was wonderful last night -they brought us each a milk shake home from their outing. Not good for my BS (which was 150 this morning ) and weight being up!! Another 'treadmill' effect I seem to be developing is yelling in my sleep. Dh asked if I had another nightmare last night. I yelled didn't I? I was dreaming but not so scary but remember yelling to stop someone from going out a door, but immediately woke myself up, wondering if I'd yelled out loud. Evidently.

Have to grab breakfast and be out the door. Have "Willing Workers" at church at 9:30 and dh wants to be there early. It's an outreach for our women's group and we work on things to be sent to the Congo. He decided earlier this year to join us.

Have to get running and not on a treadmill either. They still scare me.

[CathyS]

Other than the pots, the dishes are done.

Dinner will be some sort of pasta. The meat is defrosting in the fridge.

Dh used to have a treadmill, but it had been collecting dust for many years. He got rid of it just after I moved in with him. I think we took it out to the curb.

[helia]

Good morning! I can pop in here quickly.
DawnElise, I was so happy to see you again! I'm sorry for what you're going through -- but happy to hear about the last report. I've missed you.

I am woefully behind prepping for moms group teaching. I REALLY have to get that going in a serious way today. Ideally, the teachers email out a draft of their handout to the other leaders Tuesday night. I'm nowhere near being able to do that. So, a lot of my day will be spent on that. There is also payroll, which will take a decent chunk of my day as well, about 4 hours with commute time and prep time thrown in. I'm behind with things at home. Now, dh wants me to join him in SF this weekend, so I'm going to look into doing that. I'm not sure it's even possible. He says court is not in session on Fridays, so I could theoretically fly out Thursday night and fly back Sunday. Leaving Th. night would require a lot of prep and planning on my part - and I'm going to be pretty focused on teaching at the moms group until I actually do that Th. morning, so I wouldn't get to other things until Th. afternoon. And I work Th. afternoon.

I have almost 6 hours before I need to leave for work today. I have had my QT and done some emails. I need to be moving faster on my treadmill.

It is gorgeous out today! Sunny, clear skies, with a forecast high in the 40s. I might try to get in a jog, if my teaching prep is going well.

We are forecast to get a storm tomorrow. One forecast says 7 - 11 inches. Another says 2 - 6 inches. There's a big difference between those 2 forecasts. Which is it? There's a possibility of no school for the school children Th., which would mean no moms group Th. morning. I'll still have payroll, though.

[Harriet]

Hi to maxsgrandma! Hope you are well.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I've s2s and tried something different for my breakfast - whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter, apple, shredded cabbage. Yes, I'm weird. I'm just getting tired of eggs for breakfast and didn't have any peppers (or else I would have had a ground beef/onions/peppers/cheese in the tortilla.)

No tea for me this morning. There's something up with my bladder (I think) so I ran lemon and hot water through it this morning. It started a couple of days ago when I stayed in bed all night but had an overfull bladder in the morning. Each step to the washroom was excruciating but I felt fine after lying down after as everything relaxed.

Yesterday I noticed that I was feeling a milder version of the pain as if something isn't quite right. Have started in on cranberry pills in case it is an infection although it doesn't feel like a UTI, it seems much more internal than that.

The emergency system is being tested today so I either have to go out (and try to write at a cafe) or just do housework until it is time to go out. At least the music they are playing is pretty good this time. But the fidelity of the speaker is awful so there's a hiss. Our apartment has been inspected now (they come in and listen in each apartment.) The fire trucks also arrived this morning so I suspect someone forgot to disconnect the automatic response from the fire department when they tested the alarms. It is alarming (no pun intended) that it took about 7 minutes for them to arrive. That seems like a long time when one lives in the city (but perhaps the response came from a farther away station.)

[blessedw2]

A quick hi- hi!

Wishing u all a great day

Dh wants to do errands- I have to visit uncle- he has a precarious eye dr appoint at 12:15 - leave at 11:45- and we leave for the evening at 3:30 for family dinner

Hoping
Today is kitchen floors and front hall floors
Kitchen weeklies

Saturday flying to Minnesota for a day as part of a class

[Elizabeth]

Good morning! Yesterday, I finally had a chance to get the buttons for the baby sweater that is finished except for buttons. I still have to figure out how to do the eyes and weaponry of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. For the moment, I have returned to a Barbie dress project I keep in the background. This morning on the commute, I had to figure out pattern corrections. It snowed on us. Bleah. Sometime today, I need to plan my week. I was up too late finishing a library book that is overdue. After Girls' Night, I will return it and some others. Girls' Night will not be fun tonight. DD14 is stuck helping me clean house. She called me a jerk Sunday and this is what happens. I won't make it too awful, no toilets or catboxes. Just annoying enough she remembers not to call her mother names.

Elizabeth's Own Plumbing Service unclogged the master bathtub drain. I emailed the people who came to see foster cat, Briggs, but they probably are not going to adopt him. He showed very well, doing the ankle rub and lapcat procedures like he had known them forever.

At payroll, I am going to set a timer and do an hour of transcription, no delays, no excuses. Must get that done before everything leaks out of my brain. Our usual 9 am meeting is cancelled, so there will not be any interruptions.