Good Intentions Meet Reality - LOL

I had every intention of being on the treadmill this morning, but my thigh muscle is still bothering me, so I'll give it until Friday, swim my usual Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, and give myself this one additional day to recover and heal. It's a LOT better, but I think that being on the treadmill might set me back in my healing. Friday gives me a few more days to heal, and my swimming exercises my muscles quite differently than the treadmill does. 

I always have my hands on the side bars when I'm 
using my treadmill. I'm also fast-walking, not 
actually running. I'm not allowed to have that much 
impact on my crappy bones, but getting some is 
actually a good thing, so we thread the needle for 
what's good and what's too much. 

I wanted to re-do the master for a reporting sheet that we use daily at the shop, so I brought a copy home to reproduce. I was certain that I had a type-font ruler here. But, I was mistaken. So, I'm taking the form back to the shop with me, and I'll have to see what I can do off the cuff on my laptop instead. I had a clean master copy of the form that we used for years, but it's disappeared *sigh*. It's not the end of the world to reproduce the form, but it's a lot harder to do without the font-size ruler at hand. If I can find one that doesn't cost a lot, I might buy it on Wednesday. 

I used to have a typefont ruler. The fact that I can't find 
it isn't a surprise - I haven't needed it for many years. 
But ... I need it now. So, I'll end up buying a new one 
because it's rather essential for what it does. 

I made one of our favorite dinners last night - a request from DH who wanted my pork loin. It's easy enough to do, although I do have to be careful when basting the roast in the last hour of cooking - the glaze that I baste with is sugar based, and if that falls onto the oven door, it can be a total PITA to get scrubbed off. So I always use a sheet of foil that I pull under the baking pan when I'm applying the glaze every 10 minutes during the final stages of the roast. The one time I didn't do that took a LONG time to get the drippings cleaned off my oven door and base. I learned quickly. LOL

I love making my braised pork loin recipe. It's 
easy - it starts out in the crock pot for several 
hours and then finishes in the oven where the 
glaze is applied. It cleans up quickly, it tastes 
fabulous, it's a total winner. 

So, not a lot else to discuss. I'll be pulling our trade beads off our Etsy sales offerings at DH's request. He wants to have them available back in the store again, and I'm absolutely fine with that. We'll leave the Swarovski crystals up for the time being, but eventually we will pull those listings also. 

So, not much else to chat about today. I hope all of you have a wonderful Monday and I'll be back tomorrow - hopefully with a bit more to say on my way to the swimming pool. Slava Ukraini. 

A Treadmill Saga and a Scissor Lift? Fancy Equipment!

I didn't get quite my full 45 minutes on the treadmill this morning. I can't run/walk without tunes. I don't know about other people, but for me - tunes are essential to take my mind out of my room and into the virtual reality scenery on my screen. Running is, essentially, one of the most BORING physical activities EVER. But I do it three days a week for my health and general fitness. I can't be in the swimming pool more than three days a week because the chlorine is complete hell on my skin. So I run/walk for three days and I swim for three days. It works out well. 

I'm only on the treadmill three times a week, and in 
the pool for three days as well. That gives me six 
days of solid activity to start my days. It's keeping 
my weight under control and I'm at the weight that 
I want. 

But to run, I need two components. I need the treadmill to be hooked up to my virtual scenery films, and I need my Sirius XM tunes. Today, I needed to re-log in to Sirius, so that took a bit more time than usual and I ended up with about 40 minutes instead of my usual 45. Still, both DH and I (and probably Chickie too) are running on empty. There's SO MUCH to do before the closing sale begins. 

I've subscribed to SiriusXM for years and years. It's what 
I have in my car and on my phone. I also consider my tunes 
an essential part of my treadmill days. For swimming, I 
listen to audio books. 

So far I'm very impressed with Travis. He's massively organized, very much in contact, and is keeping us to a schedule that will allow this whole "Going Out of Business" thing to actually work! While I'm working with Travis, getting him whatever information or doing whatever action required, DH is working on the shop making sure that everything is correctly labelled, priced, and actually in inventory. What a job! 

A scissor lift would make putting the sale banner at the 
store front a LOT easier than ladders would. I know 
they're available for rent. I'll have to look into it. 

But today is February 6th, and the clock is ticking down. There's still a HUGE amount of things that need to get done/finished before our "Going Out of Business" begins. I had been hoping our landlord still had access to a scissor lift - I had seen him working with one in the past. But, I had a chance to actually ask him while he popped in to the store yesterday, and no. He no longer has access to that equipment, and also is running his business solo these days. A LOT of work for one older guy who has usually had minions of one sort or another to help him with odd jobs. So, we'll have to figure this one out on our own. It'll happen, I just don't quite know how/when. Have a great day. Slava Ukraini. 

Whoops! I'm Out of Time

I thought I was doing fine on time, but forgot that I have to put a deposit into the bank today, and that cuts my time down by 1/2 hour. So, you get this quick note to say I'm fine, I had a nice weekend, and I'll be back tomorrow with a more normal posting because it's a swimming day. I had a great run on the treadmill this morning, though, so even though I'm running late, it's going to be a good day. Enjoy your Monday, I'll be back tomorrow.  Slava Ukraini. 

You Brighten My Days

I finally had a good night's sleep, and after a week of no virtual reality on my treadmill, I'm back up and running on that as well. It was pure delight to be on the treadmill for my 45 minutes looking at scenery I've seen many times before, but that doesn't matter to me. What's important to me is that I have something other than a computer screen of nothingness to look at while I'm using the treadmill. I'm back up and running for another year now, and I'm VERY happy. 

There are actually a lot of virtual scenery runs out there on 
the internet, and I have internet connectivity with my treadmill. 
So one of these days I'll explore accessing new runs on my screen. 
But for now, my Treo Wellness videos are pretty extensive and 
I enjoy them. It's just to keep my mine occupied while fast walking, 
because "running" is a rather boring activity. 

I've always been a fairly active person - not much for sitting in a chair for 8+ hours a day, day after day, week after week. I'm not a fitness guru, and not a fitness junky, I'm just someone who enjoys being active because I'm stuck in front of a computer screen and keyboard for far too many hours every day. So when I turned 60 and could get an inexpensive membership to the YMCA, I joined and started swimming again after decades away from the pool. It was a re-learning experience but I loved it. I also used their gym where I used the bicycles and the treadmills most often. 

There's a lot of great equipment that I can use at the 
YMCA, bur I prefer to exercise at home except for the 
swimming pool. I really don't have room for a pool 
at my house - LOL. 

Being there often and meeting the same group of people led to friendships that I cherish, experiences shared, and stories exchanged in front of the doors as we wait for them to be unlocked every morning. I've seen Gate Gargoyles come and go over the years, and I'm still friends with several of them. I still swim, but I use my home treadmill because it's mine, it's a really good one, and I love it. But I learned what I wanted in a treadmill because of the treadmills I used at the YMCA. 

I enjoy keeping in touch with my virtual friends, many 
of whom I've had for decades now. You're JUST as important 
to me as any physical friendships, maybe (in some ways) 
even more important to my grounding and general wellbeing. 
*hugs* to all of you! 

I give myself Sundays off - I allow myself a bit of extra sleep and a longer than usual meditation time. It's a Sunday - I'm only in a rush on that day when we're heading out to the Renaissance Festival. Otherwise, I try my best to be lazy before jumping back into the rat race of commerce once again. But the other thing that I do regularly - six days a week - is post in this blog, which I copy over to Dreamwidth and LiveJournal. It's one of the ways that I keep in touch with friends whom I've never had the joy of meeting in person. When I don't post, people get a bit worried. It's comforting to have friends - in person or cyber - who actually care about me, and it's also flattering. I hope you have friends in your lives who brighten them as much as many of you, my readers, brighten mine. Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Saturday and I Need a Weekend

I had a good run this morning, even without my virtual scenery. I've been using the same system that I use in the pool - listening to my latest audio book. It works well. I'm watching the clock a bit more often on the treadmill than I do in the pool, but that's because it's right in front of me - hard to miss - LOL. I got my 45 minutes in, and that's what's important. I'm sure I'll have my virtual scenery back within the next week, but I might continue to listen to the book rather than my Sirius XM station. Hard to say ... I don't always think clearly when I'm exercising at 5:00 am. 

Sometimes it's best to not be thinking with great 
clarity when hitting the treadmill after my morning 
meditation - LOL. 

DH has been in a foul mood for the past few days, and that's been problematic, since I wanted to discuss some things with him and he closes his ears to me when he's in this type of mood. But I'll keep myself primed to discuss when the time seems optimal. No telling when that will be, but it (hopefully) will be soon. 

Sometimes we all can get into a foul mood. I'm not an 
exception to this either, but right now, it's DH's turn. 

The garden is starting to wind down. I got a great crop of beans from my pole bean plants, and they're still bearing and will until a hard freeze. I'm still getting some herbs from my plants, and some of the peppers are still bearing. But the tomatoes have given up for the season now, and it's apparent that our crisp mornings are slowing the growth of the plants, in general. Autumn is here, and even though we won't be losing leaves until late October into November, the colors that she is showing this year are spectacular. I do adore autumn colors. 

We're not at peak color yet in the Twin Cities, but the 
North Shore, along Lake Superior is glowing. So beautiful! 

I'm calling this short and done today. I have too much on my mind to spend much time writing my blog today. I hope all of you, my friends both near and far, have a wonderful weekend and I plan to be back at the keyboard on Monday morning. Slava Ukraini. 

Making Lemonade - the Treadmill, Books and Life Lessons

What's the old saying? "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"? Well, today I'm making lemonade, or rolling with the punches, or finding new pathways out of the forest, or any other way of switching directions on a dime. I don't often have to do that at 4:00 am, but today seems to be one of those days. 

I've never really been fond of this saying, but I 
certainly seem to live by it often enough - LOL. 

I decided that even though I'm not able to access my virtual reality scenery and runs on the treadmill until I speak to Treo and renew for another year, that I couldn't use that as justification for skipping a second day. So I decided to listen to my current audiobook instead, which worked out just fine. I use my audiobooks when I'm swimming - swimming can be a very boring activity and I've found over the decades that I thoroughly enjoy the swim when I'm listening to a book. (Then again, I thoroughly enjoy life in general with a book in my hands, so expanding that to audio wasn't much of a stretch.) 

I love listening to audiobooks while on the treadmill. I'm 
a voracious reader in any case, always having a book on 
my phone that I can grab and read at any time. Teachers 
used to have to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention 
when my head was in a book. I should have been a 
librarian just like Sharon was, but archaeology called to 
me instead. 

So I grabbed my headset for swimming and listened to my current book on the treadmill this morning and it worked very well. The time just flew by. I also ended up finishing that book today, so it's time to load the next one. I've already converted the format of the next book in the series to MP3, so I just need to load it onto my headset to be ready to listen to the next book in the long series. I think there's only one book left after this one before I'll leave Drizzt Do'Urden and Menzobarrazon behind me and start a new, lengthy series for my swims. 

The character of Drizzt Do'urden is complex, tortured, 
sometimes happy and triumphant, often confused, and 
possesses a strong moral compass and a stream of 
compassion that simply didn't work well with his heritage 
at all. As a character, he's complex, a bit super-human, and 
shows unexpected angles that make him interesting and 
an excellent focal point for a LONG book series. 

I'll contact my treadmill people today and renew my virtual runs, although I really didn't mind listening to my book at all while on the treadmill. That actually worked better than I could have imagined. I still enjoy looking at scenery instead of a white-screen with advertising on it, however, so I'll re-up the virtual. Usually I listen to Sirius XM while on the treadmill, but I might switch over and listen to my books instead, while looking at my scenery. The only thing I'm addicted to in this life is books, and I have no intention of attempting to overcome that addiction ... nope! Not at all - LOL. 

There are many things in this world that I could become 
addicted to. Books are my addiction of choice, and having 
audio books as well as the ability to download my books 
to physically read onto my phone, means I always have a 
book available at any time. It's nice to not have to carry a 
physical book along. Since I always have my phone with 
me, I always have a book that I'm reading without the bulk 
of a physical copy. These modern times are a book 
addict's dream! LOL

So, I'm wrapping this up and grabbing some breakfast. DH awakened more than an hour early, which also doesn't help me get grounded and into work mode. So, breakfast and some tea will have to suffice. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

SOMETIMES OUR MODERN "CONVENIENCES" AREN'T CONVENIENT AT ALL!

My computer locked me out yesterday morning, just one more example of me and my issues with modern technology. I had a post all ready to load up, but it disappeared into the ether and I had no additional time to spare. Today is almost as bad, but on the back end. I'm working on about three hours of sleep, maybe four hours at a stretch. DH kept me up an additional two hours last night while we were dealing with a customer service rep regarding his website, and I finally gave up. Apparently he got a couple of hours of sleep, then got up again and worked through a bunch of things. 

Of course, I'm usually up by the time indicated on the 
bedside clock here - LOL. Still, I'm running on fumes 
today. 

Our issue? It's actually a pretty simple one. We renewed our SSL certification a month or two ago, but it was never changed by our website host. We contacted them yesterday and worked with a lovely lady to get everything figured out. Because DH can't hear, I opted to chat with her via keypad on his phone - not my favorite way of dealing with customer support, but effective. Eventually she found two large lines of code that needed to be plugged into our SSL certificate to make it valid through June of 2026 (the date we had extended it to a couple of months ago). 

I don't know why everything to do with DH's website 
is difficult. Renewing an SSL certificate should be a 
breeze, and it's turned into a tornadic nightmare. 

Of course, that code was total random BS letters and numbers, and I lost the connection with my customer service rep shortly afterward. I was exhausted, and unable to pull the texted phone conversation back up on DH's phone (he uses a Samsung, I use a Google - they operate very differently). I went to bed, and he went upstairs, but kept fiddling with his phone. 

Customer service and I had been texting back and forth for 
almost 30 minutes when this happened and I couldn't bring 
back the conversation. She had just sent me two very long 
lengths of code that needed to be put into our website to tell 
it that we were good for another year. I gave up at that point and 
went to bed. Better to get four hours of sleep than to waste 
my time any more. 

When I got up this morning to run on the treadmill, DH said he had found the entire conversation and the codes and was going to do something or other with it today at the shop. So ... OK. I moved to the treadmill, which suddenly was asking me questions instead of bringing me straight to my treadmill options. GRRRRR I knew I needed to re-up for another year this coming week, but I couldn't get anywhere in finding out who to contact. I'll dig down through that later today, and/or call my sales rep and friend Elizabeth and get some phone numbers from her. Actually, I think Treo Wellness has a Coon Rapids office that I've contacted in the past. If so, I'll try to reach them to update my payment information and, hopefully, have virtual by Monday. If not, I'll skip my Monday run and work on things while I'm swimming for my three days in the pool. 

I've been pretty happy with Treo Wellness on my treadmill. 
For me, I can zen out a lot easier if I'm looking at 
scenery and pretty things than a clock. Right? LOL

Sometimes our modern "conveniences" just aren't convenient at all! *sigh* Have a great weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Shifting Into Housecleaning Mode - Sharon Arrives at the End of the Month!

It's Friday, which is great! I get a "day off" to clean house - Sharon arrives at the end of the month, and I want a clean shower room, clean bathrooms, a clean kitchen (which I'm always cleaning anyway), and I want to get her bedroom vacuumed and dusted. I won't set her bed up for another couple of weeks, but I can get the preliminary work done. 

It's time to get into gear for Sharon's visit. I don't want 
to be pushed into a corner with housecleaning, I'd rather 
take the necessary time and just leave the bathrooms for 
the final sprint. 

I have two small pieces in their frames, ready to get the glass installed and the backs put on. I think we brought some brown paper from the shop, and if we did, I can do the final backing also. That will leave putting on a hanger, and they're small enough that sawtooth hangers would be best. Those are easy to put on. 

For small artwork like these, any of the above 
hangers would be fine. I tend to choose the 
second one - the sawtooth - it's the easiest to put 
on and it's easy for the customer to use, also. I have 
to remember to get some clear bumpers at Dick 
Blick, too. I am out of bumpers. 

While I'm in that room, I also need to lube the treadmill. I do this once a month. When I first started, Jake taught me how to loosen the belt enough to get lube under it. And, of course, I screwed it up and he had to come back out and get things back together once again. I figured there should be an easier way to do things, and after a lot of computer surfing, I found a bar-style lubrication device. I put lube onto the velcro-like fabric, push the bar underneath the treadmill belt and the platform, move it up and down a little bit, then turn the treadmill on and let the belt self-lubricate. It doesn't put quite as much lubrication on as the standard method, so I try to do this once a month. 

I'm quite happy with the treadmill lubrication system 
I found on Amazon. I don't have to loosen the belt 
at all, and can still get it lubed efficiently. I do it more 
frequently because it's a much lesser amount of lube, 
but it's so easy, doing it once a month is not an 
issue. 

I also have to decide on a frame for a larger piece I finished matting this past week. I had this one done, but didn't like what I had, so I started again and I'm much happier now. If I have a chance, I'll take a quick drive up to see Rook at the framing place and get a frame chosen and in the works. I want something minimal for this piece. 

While I'm working in the kitchen today, I think 
I'll make another batch of pesto. I'm harvesting 
herbs today, and the basil is huge once again. Time 
to harvest and pulverize. I do love my vegan pesto. 

So, lots on my agenda today, not including a serious shop at the grocery store and making a new batch of "Ogre Juice" for next week's lunches. Of course, there's always housecleaning too. Sharon arrives at the end of the month, and I need the cobwebs taken down and the light allowed back into my home. LOL Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back on Saturday. Slava Ukraini. 

 

Hide and Seek - Sometimes It Pays to be Patient

I found my missing eyeglasses. I'm not sure if I had spoken about them, but I misplaced a set of my eyeglasses towards the end of last week. I looked here and there, but simply moved to the next set in my rotation to wear those until I found the missing pair. Today I found them - in the well of the treadmill. I had been going to run on Friday, but decided to skip it and get over to the shop so that I could get a shipment out to California. I'm glad I did, despite a few more bumps in the road, the shipment went out and should be delivered any day now. But, I misplaced my eyeglasses. 

I spent a fair amount of time looking for my eyeglasses, but 
I do have four sets that I rotate through - one week at a 
time. I just moved to the next set and trusted in the Spirits 
that I would find my missing set soon. And I DID! 

So ... FOUND THEM! LOL

I am pleased that I found my missing eyeglasses in the 
treadmill well this morning. The treadmill has a well on 
each side where you can put earphones and various other 
items for storage until the next workout. I don't wear my 
glasses when I run/walk, but usually put them there. They 
weren't sticking out, so I didn't see them until I pulled out 
my earbuds this morning. Voila! 

LJ Idol is starting up again. I've got to get my head in the game, despite everything else that pulls on me. We're getting a bit of extra time (which is nice and appreciated), but I'd really like to have my entry signed, sealed and delivered by mid-week. I've got scenes curling in my head for this one - the prompt is "Quality". Lots of directions open for that one. 

LJ Idol is starting up again. After a rocky start (I'm really 
stupid sometimes with sign-up instructions), friends of 
mine steered me correctly and I think I finally joined 
properly. *sigh* Sometimes these electronic things just 
defeat me - LOL. 

I have no idea how many of us will be signing up for writing challenge/torture this time around. But it's through this challenge that I've made some really great online friends and I enjoy the process. It's a bit nerve-wracking, but I've always enjoyed tailoring my vision to meet a prompt. 

Chickie and Chickie Mama are on the road again, heading 
back to the Twin Cities. They spent quite a bit of time in 
Montana, then took a quick trip down to Salt Lake City to 
visit another cousin, and now they're crossing the Rockies 
to get back to the Land of Lakes. Safe travels! 

So, I'm going to have my breakfast and get moving. Lots to do this Monday morning. Chickie should be on the road again soon. She's due back at the shop on Wednesday morning. It looks like she's had a great time from her Facebook photos and posts. But ... on that note, I'm out of here. See you tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Exercise, Treadmill Maintenance and the Family Memorial

My appointment with Jake, to get my treadmill operational again, went really smoothly. He needed to reset the back screws. They go through a two-sided bracket that holds the rail, and I had missed hitting the back side of that bracket when tightening those screws back up again. It's a common thing to happen, and an easy fix. The belt actually was straight - I had done that properly, so one win for my team - LOL. When we turned the treadmill off and then on again, however, the code for "Lube" came up on the screen once again. Jake figured out that it was a distance-generated code and actually is reset through the maintenance portion of the main screen. I'll have to play a bit to get comfortable with those settings, but it's an easy reset. He thinks that 300 miles is the trigger point for the "Lube" code to appear. We'll have to see. 

I had actually done everything right to lubricate the belt, but 
the screws in the end blocks hadn't gone through the front 
and back brackets properly. It's a good think I'm under warranty 
for a year. It's going to take me that long to get used to the 
machine and it's requirements. LOL

It's a swimming day and I can hardly wait to get into the water. I have my new book loaded up. I was able to do that quite quickly on the main computer on Sunday while DH was planting some of the new flowers and herbs we have purchased. I am getting to the end of the series (more than 30 books) but it's still got a few volumes left before I switch to a different series for my next batch of listening while swimming. "Why listen to books?" you might wonder. Don't most people listen to music? Well, maybe. But when I tried out music, I found my stroke changing to match the rhythm of each tune. When I listen to a book, I can work with the rhythm of each stroke style instead of a beat - much more effective for my routine. 

My next book is loaded up and I'm ready to listen to 
the next part of the saga. I'm just starting book 32 out 
of a total number or 38. Then I'll switch to a different series 
that I purchased a month or so ago. It's all good! 

We have the family memorial get-together on Saturday and DH is already complaining that I'm closing the store at 2:00 pm instead of 3:00 pm. I figure it will take up about an hour to close, print out the end of week reports, and drive up to the far northern area where the event will be held, so we won't be there any earlier than 3:00. The event only goes until 6:00 pm. DH thinks the family may all gather together and go out to dinner together afterward, and that has happened in earlier years, but we're a huge crowd of people now, and I just don't see that happening. However, I did text my oldest niece who is the person arranging everything, to ask her. I can always print out new signs if necessary and push our time out by another hour. 

Exercise is essential in my life. I live a stressful life 
with DH, and I need outlets for my frustration. Exercise 
gives me those outlets, and helps my body feel better 
all around. I miss is when I'm not exercising almost 
every day. 

So, I'm off to the pool. I really need to swim some of this stress off. I haven't been able to exercise in several days and it's making me cranky - LOL. Additionally, it's COLD outside. We had a really warm winter, but our summer is starting out damned cold. We have less than 12 days before the outdoor pool is open, and I really won't enjoy swimming out there if the outside temp is in the upper 40's to low 50's (Fahrenheit). The water will be great, but getting in and out of the pool will totally SUCK. So ... have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Monday and I Need Everything To Mesh Smoothly

Good morning one and all, and happy Monday. I've got my treadmill repair guy scheduled for 8:45-9:00 am this morning. I needed to lube the belt some more after the last time he was here (he only had a small ampule of lube in his equipment bag and I didn't have the small bottle that I had been given when I purchased the treadmill - I have no idea where I stashed the MASSIVE amount of paperwork and booklets I was provided at that time). As soon as Jake was finished with the treadmill I had run over to Dick's Sporting Goods and purchased a bottle of silicone lube. So I now have lube. 

Lubricating the treadmill requires loosening screws at the back 
of the machine on each side. They have to be absolutely even - 
ten turns left side means ten turns right side too. I did that, but 
then things got screwed up and I'm sure I messed that up totally. 
*sigh*

Why have Jake come out again? Well, I was still getting a "LUBE" warning on my treadmill screen, so the small amount he had put on was insufficient. But ... we had worked on that together and I knew how to loosen and tighten the belt. Which I did. My problem came in the application of the lube. The long straw-like extension from the lube bottle didn't work worth a damn, so I just used the bottle which worked great. But I had to life the belt higher for application which pulled it off-center and it needed to be centered again before the treadmill could be used. That was the problem - no matter what I did, or how I adjusted it, that belt was NOT getting aligned properly and wasn't 100% straight. The treadmill was giving me sounds it shouldn't have. I finally gave up, told DH he couldn't use the treadmill for a few days and called Jake to come out again. *sigh* 

I adore Dahlia plants - the flowers are simply spectacular. 
We now have several in the garden to make me happy, so 
that was a good buy. 

So, Jake should be here between 8:45 am and 9:00 am. Normally that wouldn't be any problem at all. I could leave around 9:15 am and still get to the shop on time, DH could oversee things. EXCEPT, DH apparently has a pre-scheduled call with our broker for his monthly analysis of his portfolio, and he doesn't want to be interrupted when he's dealing with finances. So, I'll stick around until 9:30 am, but then I'll HAVE to leave. Hopefully Jake can get things completed within that time frame or I'm screwed. *sigh*

I have my herbs in several hanging baskets that we hang on 
an old wrought iron display we used to have at the shop 
years ago. I have rosemary and oregano and thyme and 
others, all of which will be harvested all summer and dried 
in the dehydrator, then pulverized and stored for use over 
the winter. I love my herbs. (I also dry and chop up my hot 
peppers - which line the edge of the patio. Lots of wonderful 
flavors for our winter months.) 

We had a nice Sunday, though. We started by going to Home Depot for three Dahlia plants and an assortment of additional herbs for me. We also got chicken wire to help guard my trellis, and other miscellaneous items. DH and I spent most of the afternoon getting things planted, putting up the chicken wire guarding layer on the trellis, and he planted while I put ribs into the slow cooker for dinner (which was very tasty). We needed a relaxing day and we actually got one that wasn't horribly labor intensive, and the weather was PERFECT - not too warm and not too cold. Have a great Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Sleep, Treadmill Updates and a Book Series to Recommend

I'm exhausted, but I couldn't sleep. It wasn't overly hot, although it's beginning of summer warm. I didn't have anything to worry about, although with the world as it is right now, worry is subliminal and constant. I have no reason why I couldn't get more than four hours of sleep last night, I just know I'm going to seriously regret that over the next few days. 

I awakened shortly after 2:00 am and simply couldn't 
get back to sleep. So I finally gave up, did my morning 
meditations for an hour, and now I'm here, writing my 
daily blog at least an hour early. *sigh* I'll be dragging 
by the end of the day. 

What do you do when you can't sleep? Usually I just turn over and tell myself I'm being ridiculous, that I still have X hours left in which to sleep before I have to get dressed for the pool/treadmill. I then turn over and return to sleep. Not last night, however. I'm quite frustrated and rather upset at myself, but it's the way it's going to be today. I'm just going to look like death warmed over. I can't even catch up tomorrow because I have to work for Chickie who has appointments at Mayo Clinic. *sigh* *grrrr* 

When my treadmill is in the full upright position, it 
locks into place using that metal piece that sticks 
out from the left side of the frame. To release that 
lock, you pull up on the orange handle that you 
can see peeking through the arm closer to you. 
One thing I really love is the full panel on the 
underside of the machine. We pulled that off, as well 
as disassembled other parts to make sure everything 
was ok, and it's really nice how clean the interior 
of the machine was because it has this full panel. 

My treadmill repair guy, Jake, came by yesterday./ We took the treadmill apart looking to replace the part that is sticking out of the treadmill on the right side. But ... apparently it's actually supposed to stick out. It's a retractable doorstop, in essence. When I move the machine to an upright position (for cleaning or for maintenance), this piece fits behind a metal bracket on the base which locks it into that upright position until a lever is pulled to release it to vertical once again. It's actually rather nifty and interesting. I'm not sure why I hadn't noticed it earlier, but I've been using the treadmill much more since my recovery from cancer, so that's probably the reason. 

I was really grateful that I had Jake there to talk me through 
lubricating my belt. I had watched the video online, but it's 
much easier to do it with someone else familiar with the process. 
My #8 Metric Allen Wrench is the perfect size for the back 
screws that need to be loosened to slacken the belt, and I 
now know how much lubricant to apply. After Jack left, I 
took a quick trip to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought my 
silicone lubricant. I'm ready for the next time I need it. 

I had a chance to get some cleaning done on the machine, though, and Jake taught me how to loosen the belt for lubrication and tighten it back up again, as well as how to adjust the belt from left to right so that it runs straight. All in all, it was a successful visit, even if we didn't really accomplish a great deal. 

The first book in the series is "Born of No 
Man" which is actually the story of Merlin, 
not Arthur. It's an outstanding series, she's 
really done her research into the history of 
the realm at the time, and she manages to 
bring all of the more "supernatural" aspects 
of the legend into a more realistic framework. 

Finally, to end up this post, I'm recommending a series of books to all of you. It's the "Once and Future Hearts" series by Tracy Cooper-posey. Right now there are 11 books in the series, with two more planned and in the works. It's King Arthur with solid research, a vast cast of characters, the politics of the day and times across the British Isles as well as in Normandy, and it's killer! She's done her research, she knows her characters and she knows her history. Everything of the legend is plugged into the history of Britain and it rings true. If you enjoy Arthurian literature (and I've read just about every book published in that genre over the decades), I highly recommend this series to you. And with that,  I'm off to the pool and my final swim of the week. Have an excellent Thursday and Slava Ukraini. 

Swim Gear, Appointments and Which Shirt?

It's back to the swimming pool today, We've got a bit less than two weeks before the outdoor pool opens and the indoor pool closes. The indoor pool will be open if it's thundering/lightning outside, but other than that, it'll be swimming outdoors until Labor Day (early September for those not living in the USA). I'm still working on an efficient routine for my swim gloves, but I do like them and they're making a HUGE difference in my skin. I have old hot spots on my hands that would split open every week because of the drying effect of the pool chemicals. Since I started wearing my swim gloves, my hands have been healing and they're in great shape now. It might be a bit more fussy to get on and off, but it's worth it. 

I purchased a set of swim gloves a while 
back to help protect my hands from the 
pool chemicals. They're doing a terrific 
job and I'm very pleased with them. 
I can't use my hand paddles with them - 
the fingers are too large for the paddles, 
but they work pretty well as a paddle 
on their own, and I haven't had cracked 
skin from the chlorine since I started 
wearing them. Total WIN. 

I have an appointment on Wednesday with my treadmill repair guy. He'll be replacing a side rail cable, and he'll also lube the belt (and teach me how to do that). The treadmill is requesting "Lube Me, Lube Me" and (1) I'm not finding the tiny bottle of silicone lube I was given with the equipment, and (2) I'm a little leary about loosening the belt for the lube and then re-tightening it properly once again. Having Jake show me exactly what to do and how will be a great help. 

I love my treadmill, and DH is using it too (although his back 
isn't liking it at all). There's one part that needs replacement, 
another that I'd like to have replaced, and I need instruction 
and guidance for lubricating the tread since it's telling me 
I need to do that. 

I don't get my Friday off this week, so it will be a more hectic Wednesday than usual because I'll have to get everything done within one day. I'm sure I'll manage, but I'm already trying to schedule things in my head so that I can accomplish everything I'll need to on my single "day off"this week. 

Losing my nephew Michael has left a definite hole in 
our family. I know he'd approve of either Doors 
shirt I might choose, but I'm just not sure. I'll launder 
both of them tomorrow, then ask DH's opinion. And 
maybe I'll actually wear his choice - LOL. 

The "Celebration of Life" for my nephew Michael will be held on Saturday the 24th, so I have almost two weeks before the gathering. In accordance with requests, we'll be wearing Rock 'N Roll shirts to the event. I'm not sure what shirt DH will choose, but I have two Doors shirts that I'm deciding between. I love both of them, so either one might win this time. 

This shirt may be the winner for the memorial. I'll be 
washing both shirts this week, then trying them on to 
decide. This one is four pics of Jim Morrison, the other 
has one pic of each of the guys. They each have their 
reasons for being chosen. I might just end up flipping a coin. 

But ... it's swimming for me today, and that's always a good thing. Armed against the chlorine in every way I possibly can be, I'm ready to swim my laps and have a great workout. The outdoor pool will be open within two weeks and that's a WHOLE different style of workout. I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow for a very busy Wednesday. Slava Ukraini.