stalled. sad.

Two of my three brothers died this week.

Three siblings in three weeks.

I haven't exercised since Sunday and I have been feeding my pain unhealthy food. Why can't I just cry like a normal person.

This must stop.

I must pull myself out of this funk and just do it.

Hopefully in next's weeks post I will have done just that. Sadness can't win.

i can't believe i did the whole thing

 A pun on the old Alka Seltzer commercial. Like it?

Actually I thought today's arena climb was much easier the the 53 flight straight up. The downs and walking to the next concourse really gave you a nice break.

A couple of weird things. Pat volunteered to ride along. We stopped for lunch in Wilkes Barre before going in. Of all the places to eat (and there was many several who I had coupons for plus they were giving a donation of the sales to the Lung Assoc.) she picked Cracker Barrel. I was kind-of thinking salad. Not today. I went to the rest room, looked down and discovered I still had my Birks on. Shit. This was not an event for Birks.

I don't know why Pat went along. She sat out in the car for the whole thing. It was 70. She was wearing long underwear, l.s. tee shirt, sweatshirt, and winter coat.

I left her in the car and grabbed my camera, gum and 32 ounce aluminum water bottle. When I got to the door the door person wouldn't leave me bring in my water. I had to walk it back to the car. "They have plenty of water inside" he said. But the point was I didn't want to use a plastic bottle. I drank three.

When we arrived there was a hockey game being played. It was still being played at the start of the event. Like it was part of the program.

The fire people started, wearing full gear including air tanks. Then the elite climbers. Then us. The event started at 14:00, I hit the steps at 14:29:47 and finished at 14:49:48. That's pretty dang good if I must say so myself.

When I got back to the car, Pat was still alive. She didn't suffocate in the car. By then it was 75 out.

a solution to my bp woes?

My sister Barb sent me an article from today's Courier-Journal touting the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. It claims that your BP will drop dramatically in two-weeks. I have spent the entire day reading stuff on the internet about it. Of course someone has written a book  about it and has their own site.

I don't see too much different here than any other diet plan I've seen. Actually, it could be the generic "insert disease here" diet. Heavy in fruits and veggies, whole grains and fiber. Low fat dairy and lean meats. Tons of chicken and fish. Minimal sugar and fat. Their slant is that it's very low in salt and high in potassium. So no pickles, olives, kraut, condiments, ect. Those italic sentences are my Achilles heel.

I'd like to give it a try but my family would go bonkers. I've been trying for two years to get more veggies on the table. Mostly I buy them, and they get thrown in the compost bin. They aren't cooked, or worse, my sister who does the bulk of the cooking will cook six spears of asparagus for the whole family. I can't tell you the number of times I've shouted make the whole damn pound for pete's sake.

I perused the recipes in the booklet I downloaded (red link) and for the most part I already do many of these things. I was surprised that they used celery in the chicken and tuna salad because it has 88 milligrams of sodium per serving. Maybe it brings other things to the nutrition table. But their recipes also call for 6.5 tablespoons of no-fat (yuck!) mayo for two cans of tuna or 3.245 cups of chopped chicken. I think I'll stick with my three tablespoons of real mayo or none at all. Even yogurt would be better,

I've never made a zucchini lasagna, but I have made veggie lasagna. They use part-skim mozz and fat-free cottage cheese (ick!). I use mozz and ricotta fresh from Calendra's that's part-skim. So except in fat, it should be equal or better than theirs. Another one is potato salad. I've been making a red-skinned potato salad like that for decades.

Then I read out loud the receipe for turkey meatloaf and my sister nearly vomited. (Well they do put ketchup in it. That's gross.) She doesn't realize that frequently I've been giving her 50/50 beef/turkey ground meat. So don't tell her.

Bran flakes and whole wheat toast in the same meal. Whole wheat cherrios and whole wheat raisin bagel in the same meal. If I ate that much at 6 am I'd explode. One or the other and ever brand flakes. I'd rather eat the box. And  let's not get me started on skim milk. We drank that nasty carnation stuff when I was a kid. Milk water. Been there, done that, survived. Ain't doing it again.

I searched the net There's got to be more interesting recipes than in this booklet. The some on the Mayo clinic page sound better. And on the Mrs Dash site. I wonder if that's where they got the name, from the diet? I found a few more too.

I love to do the immersion and lower my BP in two weeks but that won't happen. A) my family will revolt and B) I won't stick with it. Maybe I can sneak one DASH recipe in a week. Then maybe two. More than likely it will take three years to sneak in the plan at lunch and dinner. Breakfast, on the other hand will be the ultimate challenge.

i've turned into a pedestrian

Usually at this time of the year I'm still posting weekly or so. But the sun is out and the temps passed 60 today. I went walking in my Birks. It was a good thing.

My first discovery was the "Indian on the mountain". (She's so old, politically correct terms are not accurate. She was and all will be the "Indian".)  She's all decked out for St Patty's day. What a photo op!

My second discovery was not as good. They built a new middle school two blocks from the old one. Many kids needed to cross Wyandotte (Rt 378) to get to the middle school. But since the school moved further down the hill, the school district/police pulled the crossing guard. Fools. There was a mass of kids trying to cross a highway by themselves. I'm scared crossing that street. All they have protecting them is a crosswalk and a pedestrian crossing sign. By the end of the term one will get hit. The lawsuits will be large. Penny wise, dollar foolish.

Lucky for the kids, they did leave the crossing guard at Brodhead and 4th. But he's not needed there. There are lights and traffic is controlled.

As I carried my groceries toward home I made the third discovery. They curb-destroying teams are back at work. This time at the five points. So I had to walk in the street at rush hour.

I've turned into a pedestrian. Just look at the things that bother me. That's a good thing I think.

Sunday I went to the gym with Sharon. Carmen is petering out. Not surprised. Rode the bike about 20 minutes and did 5 on the eliptical.

Yesterday I went up the stairs at Acopian. I plan to do the same thing tomorrow. The six flights seemed like nothing after the 53 flights in Philly. The stadium climb is Saturday. Hopefully someone at the end will take a pix for me.

Finally, I'm working on organizing a walking club for my March challenge. The name will be "every two feet".  More on that in another post.

another weekend, another nor'easter

I had great plans to really pack on some miles this weekend, after kicking off 'Walking 2010'. The week has been so sunny and warm and bright.

Yesterday the rain came.

Today the Nor'easter came. Heavy downpours, high winds, the whole nine yards. At least I don't live at the shore. With the tidal flooding the beaches have to be gone. (Maybe Mother Nature will take some of those multi-million dollar beach house too. Stupid fools for building on the ocean front.)

I walked, at least a little everyday this week. It was crazy at all my jobs, so free minutes are fleeting. Thursday, I got to the College early and did the walking path in my heels, while talking to my sister on my cell. I really need to wear my pedometer again.

Hope the storm ends by Monday. I need to walk every day this week at least three miles. My 2nd stairclimb is Saturday in Wilkes Barre. I need to get in shape!

This time it's at the Wachovia Arena, so it will be more like when I climbed the stadium this summer at Fisher Field. There are 22 sets (or pairs) of stairs- 22 down, 22 up for a total of 44 — 1,224 total  individual steps, both up and down not counting the walk in-between the sets of stairs to the next set. Those in-betweens will be a nice rest point. This is for the American Lung Association and several members of my family have lung disease. Most of them self-inflicted by cigarettes. They take a finish line photo. Or at least that's what it says in the email update.

The email update also says spectators will have an area to sit and watch, and they'll be able to take pixs. So maybe I'll ask Bonnie to come along. They even gave us coupons for Red Robin. I think that's funny. A burger joint and exercise in one package!

Avon update:
Beth made reservations this week for the host hotel. So we'll be right in Times Square. That will be cool. I'm working to get our team established.

Achey feet update:
One of the reasons my feet hurt so much last weekend was an ingrown toenail. I got that taken care of Tuesday to the tune of $225.Wow what he pulled out was big. (And yes, I do support universal healthcare. If they don't give us that then there should be two-tier pricing one for us cash payers and one for the insured. I too realize that hell will freeze over before either happens.)

winter feet

My two hour walk yesterday really tore up my feet. I guess over the winter the callouses faded. I haven't been walking much. I also had clogs on which probably didn't help. Clogs with worn out innersoles. I have lots of blisters where my toes join my foot. It hurts.

But it's 50 again today, and I need to go out again. So I will try. My sister is still at her daughters house so maybe I'll just do a quick mile or two there.

I might have a sweater on, but I've got bare feet and wearing my Birks. My feet are happy, at least for now.

blood curddling scream

Yesterday spring sprang. It hit 50 F. I don't care if spring is two weeks way. I was itching to hit the streets.

My friend Angel emailed me that some work was ready to be picked up. I replied, and as an afterthought said I was going walking.

She replied back that Wilson had a new trail, and did I want her and her daughter (on bike) to come along. Sure! This would be fun.

I got to her house and everyone was ready to go. The little one was confused because we were walking to the trail head. Daddy usually drives them. We told her all about the new one six blocks from her house. Coolest part is is connects to the old one.

So we were off. Since it was the first ride for her of the season, she was wobbly and her steering off. Angel reviewed the safety rules many times. We arrived at the trail, go about two blocks in and it was covered with snow. It go worse the deeper we went. At five her daughter couldn't ride in it, so we turned around and went back toward the old trail.

Because this is an urban trail for a couple of miles there are streets to cross. Busy streets. We patiently waited for the "little white man to scratch his butt" before crossing. Once I tried to cross early and the wee one said "The red hand means stop!". Scolded by a five-year old.

We had fun, we walked for nearly two hours. Part of what we discussed was names for the walking club.

Coming back we decided to get off the trail and walk on the sidewalks. It was a quicker route home and the child was running out of steam. I think I even heard a suggestion of let's call daddy for a ride. We should have.

As I said earlier, her steering was off from the long winter break. With all the riding, she had gotten better, but was still going kind of curvy. We had crossed 25th street (a super busy intersection) safely and started out Butler toward the school. The sidewalk was uneven and had curb cuts for driveways. She was no more than twenty feet in front of us. (I of course was looking down most of the time. Like I always do.)

As I looked up I heared the childs name as part of a blood curdling scream.

She was stopped on her bike, out on Butler street, looking very puzzled. Then as the cars zoomed by with both her mother and I screaming, she was scared and crying.

Angel saw the whole thing, but the words were stuck in her throat. Apparently she steered crooked, and got caught on a steep curb cut and flew out in the street. She threw on her brakes. Thank goodness traffic was light and she didn't get into traffic. Although the green mini van slammed on his brakes anyway.

After Angel calmed her down we continued. She didn't want to ride her bike until we got to the school where there was no corner cuts and a smooth side walk.

As we approached Angels street, Angel fell. (hey that's my M.O.!) The child kept going. I had to scream for her to stop.

Boy was I glad when we reached her house.