I'm trying to keep fit this year, and by doing so keep my doctor and his nurse happy. I tell Molly, "Geez, you've put weight on me again this year." She says, "Hey I didn't shove the food in your mouth. It's not my fault." I say, "I bet your husband has a hard time living with you." She says, "Not as bad as you." It's like this every year.
My doctor is a great internist, and I just have a little cholesterol problem that he watches and medicates. Otherwise, I'm Michael Phelps - NOT. It's not horrible, but I have been on a cholesterol medication for several years now. Probably because my wife likes red meat and pizza (her cholesterol is disgustingly low). If it's not Molly's fault, it has to be someone's, so Charmaine is it. I can't help what she feeds me, and that I like oysters and shrimp and bbq, and sausage biscuits. Lord, eating Cheerios all the time is just boring (but good and good for you). I know how to avoid the lawsuit from General Mills.
I asked the doc, what can I do to get off of the meds, now that everything is within tolerance? He said sometimes is not what we can control by diet and that at my age.... blah, blah, blah, it may need to be controlled by the pills. I'm probably a nightmare patient, because I'm going to have some say-so. He said come back in six months and we'll relook. Swell.
So, anyway, I'm walking 3 times/week for my 3.25 miles/day for 50 weeks a year and it equals about 500 miles a year. From our house to the front building of the Lowman Home and back is 3.25 miles. I can hear my wife and Molly now, "Well, walk by the drug store and pick up your pills."
Well think again, because the pharmacy is not on my route! Just be glad I'm not walking down to the Rusty Anchor for a cold one and some hush puppies.
I must have walked and driven by these signs 1000 times without paying much attention to them. I do try to keep it slow and easy when driving through, though, as it is The Lowman Home Assisted Living Facility in Ballentine, SC. I like it because it's quiet. Sadly not many of the residents are ever out, and you can enjoy the solitude.
I have met a couple of the folks that live there. They are the ones with dogs, and they come out to walk their pets. One little couple has a golf cart and they can be seen poking along from time to time. I met a spry gentleman who told me once, "I'm going to sit here and rest a minute." I saw him again a little later sitting on a different bench not too far away. He called out, "Walk a little, and sit a little! I'm 93 you know." I want to be him one day (in my own home).
But as I exercised today, the signs suddenly jumped out at me. You read them and make your own call. The interesting thing is that they jumped. After walking I went back with a camera.
Did I notice because of the screaming headlines of Wall Street?
Did I notice because I got a twitter message from the SC Realtors Association at 11:15 at night saying the Federal Reserve had wanted to borrow 40 million dollars from the Treasury Department? Another one this morning says Treasury Secretary Paulson unveils Fed bailout plan to buy up 'toxic' loans, warns plan will cost 'hundreds of billions'.
Did I notice because of the election news ad-naseum?
Is it strictly because of the power of suggestion?
A mind is a terrible thing!
As far as the economy, we may not be able to do anything but take our medicine. Who knows?
Enough of that kind of thinking. On to bigger and better things! It is almost pecan season. These trees that are on my walking route put out a nice crop every year, and we get our mistletoe from them at Christmas time. We can walk right up under one of these grand old trees and pick the mistletoe right from the lower branches.
Have a great weekend, keep fit, keep living!
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