Not a day

I just finished watching another Dr Who special

The Bend Memorial Clinic Health and Wellness Expo was today.  I spotted the notice in the "Health Events" in the newspaper, and hustled myself to The Riverhouse to catch it. 

It reminded me of a wellness expo my oldest daughter and I had attended at the Senior Center a few summers ago.  That one was memorable due to the huge inflated colon that was at the center, and the barbeque lunch, wherefore  I had scheduled my route to be at Larkspur Park so that I could attend.  Of course, the head of the whole park system was in the line right behind me.  Beautiful day, that was.  Both events were well attended.

There was no inflated colon at this, and though Parks had a booth set-up, it was manned by people from the Juniper Swim and Fitness, notably Monica, a local celebrity and head of the fitness programs who is always dressed in a pink top, always chipper.

I took almost every test that there was.  I had had breakfast and a snack before I went, but my blood sugar test was okay for not having fasted.  I had my blood pressure tested a two different times,  one when I had just arrived and a bit stressed, and then again a half an hour later, with expected lower results the second time.  My ear canals looked beautiful, I was gently chided for not having had my colonoscopy yet, I do not have an allergy to juniper pollen, and my Ankle-Brachial Index Test screening showed I was in the normal range, 1.06 for the left, 1.09 for the right.  At another test, where I stood barefoot on what looked like a large scale, I was given a print-out of numbers that said I am overweight and a bit dehydrated.  A quick stop at another booth showed my oxygen levels are great.  I have no idea what some people were doing lying down with inflated cuffs on their legs.  I look forward to "Walk With a Doc" (on Tuesday mornings FREE!) which meets at the Riverbend Park dog park, probably because the parking lot there is less crowded than the one by the restrooms or the administration building.  I asked about the breath test for pancreatic cancer, and was informed that it hasn't been researched and tested enough to be considered reliable. And, oh, yeah, someone handed my an "Advance Directive" planning guide, all thirty-one pages of it.

I did not win any raffles, especially not the mountain bike.  I also didn't get a free tote bag, but that was partly from not getting there early enough for the health insurance company's freebie bag, that looked the size of the ones at Costco, and I didn't want to attend a Whole Foods lecture to get the other one.  I did get a bottle of free hand sanitizer and a teeny tube of lip balm, both with BMC logos on them.  I did not buy a fashion hat that had a nice SPF; I did not see anyone who did.

I enjoyed wandering around the rest of the convention building.  It has great views of the river through its windows, and large copies of photographs of Bend from 1900 to 1916, including two different blacksmith shops, a 1914 parade down Bond Street for the Fourth of July, and fishing men holding up trout the size of salmon. Another part of the building was set up for an event that required round tables, pink table cloths, crystals and tall vases of pink silk roses, which would take place later in the evening.  I did not snoop downstairs, although every fiber of my being was whining, "But the Doctor would go there!"

Day 41: The pool, again

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Spiderman bath hoodie

Really short blog today.

I spent an hour and twenty minutes in the pool, and got a good workout in the class and a half. 

The most entertaining thing that happened was seeing two little kids in their superhero bath hoodies. One (pictured) Spiderman; the other, Captain America.  The colorful towels went almost all the way down to the floor on them.

Day 40: Eight in the class is great!

I went to the pool later this morning, missing the arthritis class I've been going to, and got in for the last 15 minutes of "Fit For You!" which was next and a large class  At the end of it, the instructor cheerfully complimented us on not colliding with each other.

The next class was "Win With Water."  The program describes it as An exercise program done in the therapeutic environment of water. Designed for individuals looking to step back into health and Win with Wellness. Beneficial for people with chronic conditions.

Okay.  So there were only eight people in the class.  Which was very nice.  And it was more like water supported simple yoga with some water walking exercises tossed in.  There were only eight people in the class! 

I could see the hot tub was full of people, the steam room and sauna could have used revolving doors.  On the other side of the pool, I could see parents tossing their toddlers around in the swimming pool, and beyond them, through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the juniper trees whipping around in the storm, snow flurries flying around, and patches of the grey sky.  Once, very briefly, the sun shot through and brilliantly lit up the trees, but the sky stayed grey.  

The place gradually got less and less populated, so by the time that the other seven got out of the pool, I asked the life guard if it would be all right for me to have some free swim time, and he agreed, noting that there was hardly anyone in the pool.  There were two people lap swimming in the one lane, a couple of people working out, and father and a toddler wearing a life jacket, all in the shallow end. 

I dove into the water, did side strokes, plunges, got out, dove in again, swam, got out, jumped in, and swam some more, enjoying the feeling of buoyancy, something I'd been looking forward to all week.  It was such a luxury, to have the whole deep end to myself.  

Then it was to the hot tub (only two other people in it!) and the sauna (two!) and the empty dressing rooms.  Whoo-hoo!

Juniper Swim and Fitness Center - Picture by Audrey Kirchner 
Imagine this with only one lane marker, set to the right, and every where else is open pool!

Day 39: Store laps (outside)

I promised myself to walk today.  I didn't promise myself a snow storm. 

What it looked like from inside the car. (Internet photo)

I decided to walk laps outside of Fred Meyer, from the Grocery door, around the front of the building to the Home door and back again.  The wind was blowing but the building kept the worst of the blasts away, and the flakes fell thick except when I was under an awning.  I quickly trudged back and forth.  I wondered if anyone inside the smaller shops or in the Mongolian BBQ noticed my walking by over and over, but then decided that I would at least provide some amusement if they did.  I walked some distance past the doors on each lap.

It took less than eight minutes to make a lap, and a little more than thirty minutes to make three and a half laps. I went inside.  My hair was dripping wet, my coat was soaked, but I felt triumphant for keeping my promise to myself.

Day 38: Rubber duckie....

The class I'm in is the arthritis class.  It meets at 9:30, which is a convenient time for me, and I have friends in the class.  Most importantly, it has fewer people in it.  The more rigorous classes I've been in have had so many people in them, it's uncomfortable as much of the time is spent making sure I don't plow into someone or dodging someone else. 

The teacher today was working on a number of things, including posture.  For that, she put out a half a dozen of rubber duckies, and suggested we put them on top of our heads and do our shallow water exercises while keeping them balanced.  I tried one that wore a police uniform and went across the pool and back and decided that was enough.  Another classmate kept his on top of his head for a while, while others dropped theirs or decided to forego the experience.

Afterwards, it's time to his the hot tub to warm up and to the sauna to dry off.  By the time I'm done, the locker room is wonderfully empty.

Day 37: Back to the swimming pool

I went to the 9:30 class swim fitness class, where some of my friend are regulars.  It was a nice, low-key work-out, using the shallow and then the deep end, followed by the great hot tub, steam room, and sauna.

I felt like a wrung out wash cloth afterwards, and it was so good to feel that way.

Another friend goes water-walking in the afternoon, and has her own swim belt.  I like that idea, not having to sort through the collection at the pool, looking for one that fits among the dozens that don't.

 

Day 36: Taking my monster for a walk

I know I've walked since the last post.  But if it's not posted, it doesn't count.

I've been staying inside too much, not going out much.  I saw the DVD "Inside Out," of a girl's emotions, and I thought it interesting that her mom's main emotion was Sadness, until you realize that that is where empathy and compassion come from, and then it makes sense.

I saw this cartoon elsewhere on-line.  The monster looks like it could use a good walk.  I thought for a while and imagined me and my monster, in the apartment.

Me:  I want to get outside.
Monster:  It's cold outside.
Me:  It isn't that cold.
Monster:  There's a lot of traffic.  We could get hurt.
Me:  You're right.
Monster:  There's some M&Ms in the cupboard.  Yellow ones are nice.
Me:  They're calories.
Monster:  They're peanut M&Ms. They have protein.

So then there's more discussion.  And M&Ms get divided up, one for the monster, one for me, and I get some milk to put them in to soak, and then drink and eat them, and then I rediscover the mint Milano cookies, and I like the texture as they melt in my mouth with some more milk.

I thought about taking the monster for a walk.  What would its totem look like?  A sock puppet?  A yarn doll?  A balloon from The Dollar Tree?  

Monster:  The balloon would be good, so that you wouldn't get run over at intersections, and you could be one of the town eccentrics, roaming around with a different balloon every day, giving them away to parents of small children and random strangers on the street,
Me:  How about a stuffed toy from Goodwill?
Monster:  Goodwill is on the other side of Powers Road.  It's a dangerous intersection.  You could get a toy there, but the sidewalks aren't on this side of the street.  And then what would you do with an extra toy.  Popcorn? 

This morning I decided on a blue stress ball that is shaped like a brain that Bend Neurology passed out at some community event last year.  I called it "monster" and put it into my pocket and headed south to Wal-Mart to return an item and get breakfast sandwiches.  From time to time I slipped it back out of my pocket, gave it a squeeze or two, and slipped it back in.  I walked on the east side of the street, where the sidewalks are, but away from Goodwill.

I'd been at Goodwill a few days earlier and spotted a beautiful brooch.  I thought about how wonderful it would look on my steampunk costume, the black and white one that I haven't made yet, because I'm too fat.  On my walk back from Wal-Mart and Sonic, I thought about the brooch and the costume.

Monster:  You aren't going to loose any weight.  When you did all that walking on Pilot Butte,   nothing changed. You aren't going to make your costume.
Me:  But I went down a pant size and I was strong and I got my name on the board. 
Monster:  Big deal.  That was then, this in now.  Look, it's too far off the road, and there's no sidewalk, just fence and the bike path.  We could get hurt, get killed!
Me:  The brooch would look great! I could wear it at my neck or on my hat.  Not a stovepipe, something shorter, with a jaunty brim.
Monster:  No one says jaunty anymore.  That's stupid.  You'll look like Mary Poppins.  The sandwiches are getting cold.
Me:  Look!  The fence only goes half the block, and then we can cut across the Greg Gibson car lot spot and get to Goodwill that way!
Monster:  It's probably not there anymore.  Someone else probably bought it. Or it's got pieces missing.
Me:  Maybe there'll be a nice cloisonné piece I can use for another outfit.
Monster:  I bet if it is there, it'll be like thirteen dollars, which is too expensive.
Me:  ....  I've got you in my hand, and I'm going to Goodwill.

I went in, and while the one I was looking for wasn't there, another one was of black onyx and "black diamond" rhinestones in a darkened silverish backing, two inches across, intricate star design, not a piece missing.   I wasn't going to use any cards to buy it, but the money from the return and a few quarters in my pocket paid for it ($6.99).  The brooch represents hope, which is part of Joy, the hope that I will someday wear my steampunk creations the way I imagine them to be.  I put my monster totem back on the bookshelf and had my sandwich.

Time note: I left the apartment at 11:30, and returned back at 12:50.