Tag Archives: walking

Modes of Travel in Thailand

This is an alcove area between the bedroom and, living room and terrace.

I think I will use this kind of like an informal desk area. It is a very pleasant area to sit and look out the window. I may try to do some drawing here, too, or simply sit and dream…

I am amazed at all the ways you can get around in Chiang Mai.
A lot of people walk. We do, too, if it’s not too far for “old mom” to keep up. This is one of the reasons for joining the gym is so I can gain the strength I lost from Flu A, low oxygen level, sudden heart problems and installation of my pace maker in February. Walking on the treadmill every day will allow me to concentrate on the walking, rather than trying to avoid falling on my head from tripping on the uneven sidewalks etc.
You can have a car if you enjoy living on the edge. Even Harvey saw, before his stroke, that this incredible traffic was too much for us to handle.
A “Tuktuk” is a tiny open vehicle with a small bench seat behind the driver. If one is parked in the area, you can ask him if he will take you where you want to go – that is, if you speak Thai… We took one the other day, more for the experience for me than anything else. It’s fun. 😊

There are also motor scooters and bikes that will give you rides. I really wouldn’t feel safe doing this. They dart confidently in and around really heavy traffic, many times in between two or more lanes, with a bunch of other motor scooters and bikes right there with you. Whew!

The mode Brian and I take most often is called Grab – their version of Uber in the U. S. He calls, tells them where he is and where he wants to go. They come almost instantly. He pays through an online service.
All this happens at the same time on the road, with people driving on the wrong side, all driving fast and confidently. I get in , carefully saying, “Hello,” as Brian says something equivalent to, “Blessings be upon you “ in Thai. I strap myself in and try to keep my mouth from hanging open as we “fly” through the traffic. As I get out, I say a somewhat strangled version of “kawp coon, ka!” Hoping I didn’t mangle it TOO badly… 😂

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Saturday 11-9-2024

Pikbest

My hair is blowing as this month blows past. I can’t believe it’s already the 9th! It seems like November just started yesterday. Hold on to your hat!

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LINDA’S CRAFTINESS – I’m having a clearance sale on all totes on HandmadeHavenbyLinda with 40% off the original prices. The link takes you to the main totes section, but they are also in the “Christmas” section. Priced at $11.00 with free shipping. When they’re gone, they’re gone, so please take advantage now while they last.

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Spiralizer

This is the type of spiralizer I have. There are fancier ones, but this one works just fine for me. I got some zucchini yesterday and processed it to make ‘zoodles’ – an alternative for spaghetti and other pastas. My husband won’t eat zucchini, but this works wonderfully when I make spaghetti sauce for us. (I make regular spaghetti for him and I use the zoodles.) I bagged the zucchini in individual meal portions and froze them yesterday. Today I’ll process cauliflower, making ‘cauli-rice.’

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key chain blanks

I have all kinds of fun ideas for wood-burned designs on key chain fobs and earrings. I’m trying to clear the decks so I can start spending time in my art room playing. I’m starting to dream about shapes, designs, and the actual wood-burning, so I would like to get up there soon.

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Big Stock Photo

Now that the rain has stopped, I’m looking forward to putting on my jacket (it’s 58 degrees F. outside now) and walking around our yard. I will probably find many things that are calling for my attention when I do, so I’ll take a survey of them first, and then go back out again later. NICE!

Have a great Saturday!

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Monday 10-21-2024

Cartoon Stock-Kate Taylor

Yesterday I was deep-cleaning the center section of our Entertainment center where hopefully our new DirecTV system will be installed today. Saying I was appalled at what was behind the TV and all the books, electronics, ETC. that I have ignored, due to 1) being unable to access the shelves behind all this stuff and complex wiring going from one of the shelves to another, and 2) the ‘out-of-sight-out-of-mind’ syndrome that aids a slob like me, is a vast understatement. We actually have our TV tied with rope to anchors in the back of the center-most shelf to keep it from being bumped enough to make it topple.

Since the wiring will change, we untied the TV and put it down on the floor beside the fireplace, putting a sling chair in front of it, almost touching, to keep the cat and dog from making it fall over. It will stay there until the installer is ready for us to put it back, rewire, and tie it up.

Meanwhile, all the dog hair and dust was there for all to see. It was embarrassing, like when you change appliances and want to rush to clean the area before the new one goes in. (If you’re like me.)

I started at 10:00 and finally finished at about 4:30. I took some Tylenol last night before bed, but I was still hurting and didn’t sleep well. First thing this morning I took some Ibuprofin. I still hurt when I get up, but things are easing. I plan to do several walks today and follow that up with a nice session of yoga stretches.

We have no clue when the installer is supposed to come, so we’ll have to postpone errands until tomorrow. We’ll gather the trash and take it down, but that’s it.

I’m running a 25% off sale on all of my hand-painted, one-of-a-kind tote bags on my Etsy site right now. (The link takes you directly to my totes page.) I hope you find something you like – for yourself or for gifts. :0)

Our weather is so glorious these days it’s hard to stay inside. I hope your weather is beautiful, too, and that you have a fun day today.

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Sunday 10-20-2024

Liang Binbin

I think this is beyond lovely.

After fighting with our computers, TV, and a bit with each other for over two days now (after no TV since Oct. 7th and the latest announcement that our Internet/TV service provider was dropping the TV service immediately) we have admitted defeat. We were TRYING to get YouTubeTV to work on our television. All we managed to do was uncover the HUGE amount of Amber hair that was behind the equipment in our entertainment center. (I did manage to get it on my phone, but couldn’t get it to communicate with computer or TV or anything.)

We researched Dish and DirecTV and decided that DirecTV had the better deal for us. My husband spent a long time on the phone starting the service and arranging for installation tomorrow. (They wanted to come on the 31st, but my husband insisted on faster service.) HOPEFULLY, now that we’ve solved the reason for all the strife and anxiety, we can just sit and comfortably watch something on TV tomorrow evening.

Pinterest

To that end, my main ‘exercise’ for the day will be moving stuff back and forth in the Entertainment center shelves so that I can remove several whole dog’s worth of hair. I even dreamed about it – it was so bad. When I get the Entertainment center shelves under control, I’ll vacuum the tiled areas and carpeted areas on the first floor, plus the three dog beds.

Yesterday I didn’t log as many steps as I wanted, using most of the day to try to help my husband with the TV issue. I only got one walk in, but then I went back out when he went down to get the mail and managed to blow the leaves out of the truck side of the garage, the driveway pad, the front sidewalk, and the front rock bed. That, combined with a good yoga session, was it for exercise yesterday.

Today I have a LOT of vacuuming to do. Add to that another good yoga session and my walking for the day, and I’ll have ‘moved’ my lard a good amount. :0)

Lara Clevenger

I tried a new recipe last night for a “Keto Ground Beef Casserole.” The source is Lara Clevenger, a registered dietician and personal trainer. Since we were going to be busy and I knew I wouldn’t be in the mood to start cooking later in the day, I went ahead and prepped all of it to the point of pre-heating the oven and cooking. I kept it covered in my fridge. That worked out really well. My husband’s reaction was, “This is yummy. You can serve this any time.” I will definitely go back for more of her recipes.

I hope you have a really nice Sunday.

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Tuesday 10-15-2024

Ayse Cakan-Pinterest

Good morning! I’m having a slow start getting to my blog this morning. I had a note on the chat program from our son, asking me to open a PDF file. It’s from the IRS, saying he owes them money. Since our son lives across the world from us, I wrote the check, signed the form and will mail everything later today or tomorrow. Our son pays us back right away, so it isn’t a big problem.

I started a new account on Facebook two days ago because I wanted to read a new blog there. Someone hacked my account years ago and Facebook wouldn’t help me, so I closed my account. I started looking at things there, joined a few local groups, tried to find some of my old friends, commented on a few posts, etc.

I received a notice in my email later from Facebook saying my account was suspended because I hadn’t followed their rules. They didn’t point to anything, so I have no clue. I appealed the decision, saying if they would let me know what I had done, I would make every effort not to repeat it. I haven’t heard anything since, and I’m still suspended, so you MAY be reading the words of a ‘terrorist,’ though, from what I’ve read elsewhere, Facebook allows THAT…

Montgomery Child Care Association

We don’t have anything scheduled today. I’m hoping that things will be quiet around here. I’m working on a couple of signs in my art room, have ideas for two more, and am getting supplies gathered to try to paint some new stationery and/or note cards.

Freepik

I’ve been trying to walk more, to add to my weights videos and my yoga stretching. I ordered a competitor of the Fitbit watch. I don’t need the brand name and all I really want is for it to track my steps so that I can keep track and try to increase it each time. I should get it Thursday, I think.

Source Unknown

I’m on a bit of a plateau on my efforts to lose the lard since I started the protein shakes. I’m tweaking what I’m eating otherwise. I’ve read that eating too much protein can knock you out of ketosis, but I’ll keep doing this until my body has a chance to settle. It’s important that I increase the protein, so the tweaking and increasing movement will continue, hoping for the best.

The weather here has gotten so much cooler in the mornings and nights that not only have we turned off the a/c, but we wait to open the doors until closer to lunch time. What a welcome difference! Monster Cat is a bit ticked because she likes going out on the back porch. In the early evenings there are some bunnies running around and she fantasizes about catching them and eating them. Amber enjoys lying on the tiles right in the doorway to catch the nice breezes.

Our terrific tree guy wasn’t able to take the stray pup who has been visiting us. I didn’t see the pup yesterday, though, so I’m hopeful he’s moved on.

Hope your Tuesday is a fun one.

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Weighty Friday 4-12-2024

Amazon

I’m having to shift my exercises once again. My elliptical trainer is flashing a ‘motor error’ message and won’t run, so it’ll have to wait until further notice for me to mention it to my husband. I don’t want him anywhere near heavy, complicated stuff until he’s fully healed. Meanwhile I’m finding some information online that may help when that time comes.

I decided that I would benefit from some guided, timed practice with the weights, so I went back to Mike, a ‘seniors’ exercise specialist online (https://morelifehealth.com/) and found a 10-minute video he leads with exercises with weights and just finished that. I changed from the 5-lb weights I was using to 3-lb for this, since it looked like that was what he was using and I didn’t want to not be able to do it next time due to my arms being too sore. :0)

With that, my 30-minute yoga practice, and either working in the yard or simply walking out to the shop, then back and around the house several times, that will be my exercise for the day.

I’m re-reading Suzanne Ryan’s Simply Keto Recipe Book. I find new information each time I read it, plus renewed motivation to lose the lard. I’m going to fix a chef salad for our dinner tonight with leftover roast beef.

I have also decided that Mission Zero Tortillas may save my life. (Each has 7 carbs. Each also has 7 grams fiber. You start with listed carbs and subtract the fiber count plus alcohol sugars to determine the net carbs. In this case, it’s zero, and there are only 25 calories in each tortilla. I’m using one in place of the dinner roll I used to have with dinner. I use one rolled up to eat a hot dog. I use two for a ‘sandwich.’ Since bread has always been one of my favorite things, I really missed it – so these are a miracle for me.

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Wednesday 2-7-2024

pexels-prasanthdas-ds

Today is a big day for us. I’m taking my husband for his first haircut in several weeks. Since he usually gets one every third week, he is really feeling ready to feel a bit more in control again. He continues to heal well, though his black and yellow bruising from his left shoulder down almost to his waist is still quite impressive. He is in MUCH less pain and is getting around by himself now.

ClipartLibrary
pexels-IngeWallumrod

Yesterday afternoon I did my yoga practice for the first time in quite awhile. Even though I was really stiff and sore, it felt good. Now that my husband is more steady, I’ll try to do this every day. It was fun to put a sparkly silver star on my desk calendar yesterday. :0)

istockphoto-Leslie Lauren-Leslie Achtymichuk

I’m down 18 pounds from my worst now. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to concentrate on getting MYSELF under better control now that our crisis has passed. With our weather being super nice in the afternoons, maybe I can take advantage of the unusual February weather and start walking around in our yard, as well as the yoga stretching.

I hope you’re doing well today.

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Pat, Pat, Pat

Tenor

I did three short exercise videos this morning – ‘warm-up,’ ‘stretches,’ and ‘weights.’ (30 minutes total)

I JUST finished doing the week’s ‘2a workout’ from morelifehealth.com – 30 minutes.

So I’m patting myself on the head a bit. :0)

Soon I’ll walk out to the garden to see what needs doing, then back out to the tomato planters and further out to where our greenhouse used to be, then back again. I’m trying to do that several times each day when the weather is cooperative to round out the mix of moving more.

Later I’ll do 30 minutes of ‘senior’ stretching yoga to finish off my exercising for the day.

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Exercise?

“Exercise” –

ekser,siz – verb

a verb, believed to be a myth

Tiebreaker

I love this picture. I’m still smiling. :0)

Penn Fitness Warehouse

My elliptical trainer is in our garage. It’s the only place we could put it where it would not be on carpet and wouldn’t take up too much room. Therefore, the outside temperature affects my willingness to use it. Most of the year, this is not a problem. My husband mounted a nice box fan on the wall in front of the elliptical. I can turn it on all spring, summer, and fall to make it more comfortable to be out there. I have a problem when it gets too cold in the winter.

Right now it is 27 outside. Even with the effort on the elliptical, I freeze. I use that as an excuse not to do it. That works for today, and possibly tomorrow, but my excuse won’t be good when it warms into the 40s and 50s by the end of the week.

BoredPanda.com

I AM doing my super gentle yoga for old broads daily, though, and that is truly helpful. Without it, I tend to fold up like a tent. I notice this in particular when I have monthly massages. My therapist spends a lot of time pulling on arms, legs, and head, trying to ‘pull my head out of my rear’ (if you’ll pardon the expression) because I tend to implode. Right now I’m not getting my massages because my therapist is recovering from surgery. I’m hopeful we will be able to resume in February or March, when she is feeling sassy again.

My yoga is not the ‘fold-yourself-into-a-pretzel-or-paper-airplane’ type. It’s good, quiet, long, gradual stretches that make my body say, ‘ahhhhhhhh!’ when I finally am able to relax into each pose. I move into it as far as I can, then just BREATHE. I can FEEL my body giving a bit at a time, stretching more and more. I started my practice a few years ago, when I was 71. I’ll be 74 in March, and I’m hopeful I can continue this the rest of my life. I want to get and stay as flexible as I can. It also helps with my back, plus my balance.

I am trying to do some walking, but again, the weather is a factor. I’m not desperate enough to get out my “Walking-with-annoying-Leslie’ DVD yet, but it may come to that as winter sneaks in.

I hope you’re trying to take care of yourself, too.

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Folding Myself Into a Paper Airplane

askideas.com

As part of my ‘get-my-act-together’ effort lately, I’ve started to do yoga again. I do “Gentle Yoga” stretches from the DVD “Gentle Yoga” with Cat Kabira through SixtyandMe.  Due to stubbornness and stupidity, I don’t make time for it as I should, even though it makes me feel better. That said, I’ve gotten started again, realizing that over the time I HAVEN’T practiced, I’ve stiffened up again and am feeling sore. DUH!

The fact that the pounds I’ve gained during “COVID-19 stay-at-home-mostly ” are starting to come OFF with our South Beach Diet makes me feel more like exercising. It’s as hot as an oven outside now, so the walking for 10 minutes three times daily they suggest to start is actually twice a day – in the morning and before dark.

It was really hard to get started with the yoga again. It took me several minutes to relax enough to actually lie still and breathe into lying on my back on my yoga mat. Whatever the muscles are behind my shoulder blades were screaming and not wanting to let go. Once I got THAT done, the rest was just moving through the poses I know help me, SLOWLY stretching me out and breathing into each pose, doing what I can do now.

I felt better – plus fairly virtuous – afterwards, so I’ll go back to putting a gold star on my calendar each day I complete the yoga and see if that keeps me going.

Less lard, more flexibility, gold star, and a happy face from me. A good way to spend part of the day!

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Getting the Lard Off Progress Report 12/13/2018

BBC

I MAY be making some progress again, after hitting a plateau and going back and forth above and below the 30-pounds-off mark. I’ve also lost about 30 inches, though that hasn’t changed in a bit.

I’m going to add the Wii Fit Plus to my regimen starting tomorrow. Yesterday I did yoga and abdominal exercises. Today I did 35 minutes on the elliptical trainer. The Wii tomorrow and the “Annoying Leslie Walking Video” will round out my routine for the next several days and I’ll see how I feel about things after that.  I’m determined to use my good tools, even though the person on the Wii insults my efforts, and Leslie Sansone is really annoying, telling me how GOOD what she’s doing feels and being truly annoyingly perky.

I AM feeling looser. More flexible. A bit stronger. I want to feel secure in my footing and I would like to feel more energy.

I’ll try this for a week and will report the results next Thursday. Wish me luck?

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Gold Star for the Day

My husband and I agreed that I should get a Gold Star for effort today.

He watched me as I kept up with 1 mile of the “Walking with Annoying Leslie” video this afternoon. I was holding my hips a couple of times, but it’s almost like someone had hit a half-mute button.  As annoying as she is, with her perkiness, non-stop talking and pretty awful laugh, she’s helping me slowly overcome the problems with my hips.

 

He then watched me as I went through a series of Yoga positions. At one point, when I bent over with my arms hanging down, he said, “You may have touched the floor recently, but it doesn’t look like you’ll do it today, as my fingers were at least 4 inches above the floor. I just held the position, trying to breathe and relax into it, and after a couple of minutes, I said, “Look at this!” He had to admit my fingertips were, indeed, just touching the floor.

theawesomedaily.com

These two things, combined with vacuuming the first floor carpet and tiles, plus doing two loads of wash, have qualified me – the old broad of the Lewis household – for a gold star. (I might actually see if I can FIND some. I need all the motivation I can get. There’s a calendar on the wall beside where I’m typing this now, that could be my ‘record’ of the days when my movement effort merits one…

 

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