The love of a dog...

Saturday, December 26, 2015

As I had been doing throughout the holidays even though I was off, drove to the farm to push up my ever growing manure pile.  The semi tractor trailer and operator who normally empties our pit is an independent cuss who does not think it necessary to return a phone call or come on times previously scheduled to do what he is contracted to do.  He may have a legitimate reason for not coming, but I have no way of knowing because he refuses to communicate.  He has been doing this work for the farm for many years and so is grandfathered in.  I have him categorized under ‘pain in the ass’ so I know how to find his number easily.

I was lifting a load of horse shit high in the air with my bucket when, out of the corner of my eye (do round eyes have corners really?) I noticed a human being.  I pooped my pants and then yelled, “ you scared the shit out of me and made me poop my pants!”

“I’m so sorry…I tried to get your attention, but you’re so focused on your bucket of horse poop,” Jinene said.

She is the Barn Manager and totally serious about horses and what she does.  As I am, of course.

“Could you help me fix the electric fence and then look at a wheel on the feed cart before you go?  I know you’re off, but I’d sure appreciate it,” she said.

“Well…sure…right after I change my diaper,” I said.

I helped her, of course, and then headed for the park and a Survival Workout.  Anyone reading regularly (most of the literate world) knows that I have struggled to get these workouts in.  And when I do get to them, my body reminds me that I have been irregular by not performing as many repetitions as I would like it to.  In any event, I pushed hard knowing I’d have that wonderful out-of-shape soreness the following day. 

As I was hiking, a dear friend of mine texted to tell me her dog of twelve years had died.  I have been down this path several times over the years and tears formed in my eyes and my heart ached as I thought of the special dogs from my past, the unconditional love and joy they had given me, and the anguish I knew she was feeling at that moment.  There is little to say to someone in these moments, so you listen and let them know you care.  In time you heal and in a little more time you find another pup to raise and to love because it is such a wonderful deal filled almost entirely with upsides and few downs.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm.

Calories burned:  600

A very merry Christmas to all...

Friday, December 25, 2015

And so this is Christmas

And what have we done

Another year over

A new one just begun…

 Gone are the days of staying up into the wee hours of the morning getting presents from Santa out and ready for a Christmas morning celebration with four young children.  Though I miss those times, I enjoy sleeping normally, too.

As I always seem to do, I was up and moving by 7 a.m. even though I had sworn I would sleep in.  Ah well…

I texted Savannah knowing, like me, she never sleeps late and might like to join me in the park for a Christmas morning hike with the dogs.  I wanted to keep the exercise portion of my exercise blog going and since I was on a pretty good roll for the month of December, figured Christmas Day should be no exception.  She was up and agreed to meet with her spastic dog, Copper.

We hiked for an hour, but since the family was due by 10:30, had to hurry home for final preparations.

“I have to go home and take a quick shower,” she said as we hustled across the Rugby field towards our cars.

“I showered a couple of days ago, I think, so I’m okay,” I said. She looked at me like I wasn’t funny…which we both know I am.

As we have always done, presents were opened slowly, one at a time, and with seven people in the room and multiple gifts from each to all of the others, this process took over two hours.  I get no greater joy than to give except maybe for seeing how much my own children seem to enjoy doing the same.  If I have done nothing else right in my life, this one thing is good. 

We had a dinner that included chicken stew, something I’m avoiding, and a special ten-pound turkey, made particularly for Jack, and me since it is our favorite meal.  I stuck to the turkey and again ignored desserts.  Okay…maybe I did have a small piece of banana cream pie.

And so…this IS Christmas and a new year is around the corner.  I know what I have started to do, at least, but realize how much more is to be done on my new life’s journey.  It will be a good one.

Hike duration:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  350.

T'was the night before Christmas...

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Christmas Eve and my oldest son’s birthday.  It had always proved to be a challenge to balance the two, trying hard to make Jason feel special on his birthday and not lose it in the Christmas festivities that my side of the family celebrated on this day traditionally. 

And then things start to change.  Last year Jason married and suddenly the holidays had to compete with the traditions of another person…his wife’s.  With three other children and now being divorced, I know the holidays will continue to evolve over the coming years.  Here is what I know for sure, though.  I don’t care so much about what day it is or where I am, but only who I am with.  If it means moving gift giving to another day or place (I will surely be living in a different house next year) then that is what will happen.  I will lament for a moment or two that time has not stood still, but get over that quickly as I relish in the present and how good it is to be with loved ones and who they are now.  Who knows what next year will bring and who might be in my own life by then?  If I care for them and them for me, we’ll work that all out as loving, caring folks tend to do. 

I hit Kleifelds for breakfast with Cecilia for company.  She was throwing a party later that day to replace the family celebration we’d once had at our parents’ house.  I was surprised she was there at all, though maybe her preparation time matched my own, which meant as long as I beat the first guest to my house, I was on time and ready.

I drove home and hopped on the trainer for an hour ride and finished in just enough time to clean up and take Heidi and Jack to their grandpa’s house for a lunch of chicken paprikash.  Since we were heading directly to Cecilia’s from there to have more food and because my stomach still didn’t seem to like being fed, I went easy on the stuff.  My father-in-law, one of those pushy types who isn’t satisfied if you aren’t loosening your belt to make room for gluttonous behavior, tried to get me to eat more.  I refused, politely.

I only ate shrimp and vegetables at my sister’s place, passing on all desserts and dairy products.  I think I can safely say that I will survive this holiday season without gaining an ounce and quite possibly losing some weight.

We returned home with cousin Kimmie in tow and decorated the new tree I had purchased earlier that morning, realizing the ‘Charlie Brown’ tree simply wasn’t big enough to satisfy our needs.  Heidi and I concluded the night as we so often do by watching George C. Scott’s version of ‘A Christmas Carol’.  There is no better Scrooge in my opinion, which is the only one that matters…to me, at least.

Bike duration:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  850.

Jack's home...

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

I was taking a vacation day, but no matter.  I hurried off to the farm to push up the manure pile, which was flowing out into the parking lot because the Manure Guy had yet to come to take away the overflowing accumulation.  I had picked Heidi up before driving to the farm since she was coming home for the holidays and had never seen the place.  She declined to look around though, because she was concerned about her cat, Bellatrix, who was acting anxious during the car ride. 

“I’m going to push up the manure pile in my New Holland tractor, which is pretty cool and something I’d sure you’d like to capture on your camera,” I suggested. 

She was pretty sure that it wasn’t that cool and elected to stay behind.

I spent some time going over issues with the concrete the plumber had poured over the hole we’d dug the previous Saturday with the guys installing the new industrial washer after manuring.

“He only skim-coated this thing where there used to be four inches of concrete.  It’ll never stand up to this new washer,” the installer told me.

“Okay…so what do you want to do?” I asked, hoping they weren’t looking for me to go out and get concrete and pour the pad.  Jack was on his way from the airport and we were going to go from home to pick up Jason to do a ‘guy’ thing for his birthday.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said.  Sweet words.

Jack arrived home for a nine-day holiday visit, but with little time to rest from a long day of travel.  We drove to pick up Jason and headed for Joughlin’s Hardware, an old style hardware store in Painesville with all the great stuff any handyman liked to peruse.  We drove him there, handed him $150 in cash and told him he couldn’t leave until it was gone.

On the ride home, we stopped at Lowe’s where I was told there were still a few Christmas trees.  That had been two hours ago.  I stopped a clerk in the garden section and asked about trees.

“I think we have one left up front,” she said, indicating the door through which we’d just entered the store.  I couldn’t help but think it must have been pretty small.

“Yup…one left,” she said, grasping the tree and holding it up for us to examine.  It was about the size of the one in ‘Charlie Brown’s Christmas’, but I’d been to two other places and no one had any trees.

“It’s five dollars,” she said.

I was shocked at how little they wanted for it and blurted, “Five dollars?”

“Alright, alright…you can have it for three,” she said.

And so I loaded the tree into the glove box and headed for home.  I was sure I could get at least one strand of 25 lights on it and maybe half a dozen of our special ornaments, but that would have to be determined.  So much for procrastinating on tree purchases.  I’d learned another valuable, life lesson.

Bike duration:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  850.

Shopping or shopping Sherpa...

Monday, December 21, 2015

I have been giving cousin Donnie a hard time regarding shopping over several blogs and it’s only because I can.  He is a good target and makes for excellent fodder for my imaginative writing style…so I will continue in that vain. 

I went to do some shopping with Holly for the kids and reached the following conclusion on the subject.  If you are only pushing a cart and not really part of the decision making process, you are simply a shopping Sherpa.  If, on the other hand, you are weighing in on decisions about colors or softness or how things might look together, you are either a girl or a man soon to be losing your ‘man card’. 

We took a hay delivery at the farm, but it was only about 225 bales.  I stacked and carried and really got a workout.  It was cooler, but the sweat was flowing freely before we finished.  I’m so happy for hay deliveries because of both the light, intellectual conversation and banter between me, Steve and Eli – the two guys making the delivery, and the fact that I get paid for a good lifting workout.  The boys are always interested in my dating life, sure that I’m fulfilling their sexual fantasies and dating many gorgeous women simultaneously.  I don’t want to burst their bubble, so I play along.  They think I’m the hot, city slicker to their farm boy, aw shucks persona.  I let them have it their way.

Twelve Twenty...

Sunday, December 20, 2015
I was driving down the hill in Willoughby to Daniels Park when it occurred to me that I had been driving on that very hill forty years earlier and in a blinding snow storm with my Best Man, Herb, in the front seat and Alaska Paul in the back.  We were looking up the far side and couldn’t help but notice several cars off the road in the ditches.

“I don’t think we’re going to get to the church this way,” Herb said.

“Just go.  I’ll get out and push us up,” Alaska Paul chimed from the back seat.

I thought better of it.  I reached the bottom of the hill, turned the car around carefully, and retreated the way I’d come, taking the longer, but safer route through downtown Willoughby.  We made it to the church with ten minutes to spare and so started a wonderful marriage of 39 years.

It is all so different now.  Holly has moved on and I have been forced to evaluate my life and steer it in an entirely new direction.  It has taken two years to right that ship, but I feel I am heading steadily on a course that will fulfill me in ways different, but maybe even better, than they otherwise might have been.  I hope she is happier with the life she has chosen, but we each are responsible for our own happiness and I am making mine.

I ran out to the farm to push up the manure pile and to be sure my work of the previous day…the hole from hell…had not collapsed or filled with water.  It hadn’t.  I drove home making plans for a spaghetti dinner for the family and once I had it loaded in the crock pot, chose to board the trainer and put some time in on the bike.  I managed a sweaty hour before dismounting and spending some time exercising the dogs.

The calls of cancellation started coming in and I found myself having a family dinner alone.  A co-worker had suggested I come to a candlelight Christmas service at a church in Cleveland Heights, so I decided I had time to fit something different in.  I cleaned up as best I could and drove to the church after dropping Copper off back at Savannah’s.  I pulled into the lot recognizing the building from a service I’d attended there many years ago.  My friend Kimberly and her daughter, Hilary, were getting out of their car as I arrived and we walked in together. 

It was a very unique service and like nothing I’d ever attended before.  Much of it was done with a simple preaching by Tony, the minister, explaining the true meaning of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and how we are all God’s children and made in His likeness and image and enjoy His unconditional love.

I bowed my head in the darkened room and thought about how I’d been in a church almost to the minute forty years earlier and taken sacred vows with Holly.  Tears sprang to my eyes as I contemplated what I had just heard about being a Christian, forgiveness and unconditional love.  I have work to do and I know it.  Forgiveness is a powerful healing tool and one I’ve not availed myself of entirely in this process.  Though I have totally forgiven Holly, I still have problems with another in the equation and, of course, myself.  We are none of us perfect and must walk the path of life in the knowledge that we will often get it wrong.  Admit, forgive, move on.  I will look to achieve these things…with the help of God…in the year to come.
Bike duration: 50 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 bpm.
Calories Burned: 640.

Digging holes...

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Let’s just say I skipped Friday because outside of some shopping and a reasonably active day at the farm, I didn’t do anything worth reporting in an exercise blog.  My shopping was done alone and out of Christmas necessity and though I did enjoy it at some level, I don’t think I’ve achieved the Nirvana that my cousin reaches when he’s out with his wife, Vicki, on similar excursions.  Maybe someday…

I was in Kleifelds before eight and being introduced to the new waitress, Sonia, by Andrea as she poured my coffee.  She’s a very pleasant lady, but if you don’t have your hand over your coffee cup at all times…and mean ALL times, she WILL find a way to refill it.  Personally, I like my cup to be at least three quarters empty before refilling.  Otherwise, the sugar is diluted to the point that I can’t rightly figure how many packets to add to get it back to the appropriate sweetness, which is something that keeps me awake nights searching for the right formula.  Anyways…keep your hand over the cup.

Neither Cecilia nor Bob could join me, so I left for the farm to meet our plumber.  We would be jackhammering through the Tack Room floor to tie a new 3-inch drain line from our new industrial washer to the existing drainage system.  He arrived 90 minutes late with the typical excuse.

“That damned truck is really frustrating me,” Chris said.

“You’re running an hour and a half late the weekend before Christmas is really frustrating me,” I said.

“Yeah…umm…sorry about that,” he said as we hooked up the jackhammer and began pounding out the floor.  Several hours later we had about twenty tons of gravel parked on the floor outside of a hole that reached down into the bowels of the earth. 

“There’s the tie-in, John, but I’ve got to stop now.  I’ve had four emergency heating calls in the last hour (it had snowed and he’s an HVAC man, as well) that I need to take care of.  We’ll get on this first thing Monday morning,” he said.

“Define ‘first thing Monday morning’ for me if you could,” I said.

“Oh…eight o’clock for sure,” he said seriously.  I knew better.

I went to the park for a short hike, stopped at BJ’s to pick up some salmon and then headed home for the evening.  I had Copper and Dakota waiting on me and knew it would be another night tucked away at home.  I decided that I needed a fire to accompany my dinner and a Netflix movie and with the dogs curled up on the floor, did just that.  Sometimes nothing to do on a weekend night can really be a good thing.
Hike duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories Burned: 350

Happy birthday, Hemi...

Thursday, December 17, 2015

It was my cousin Donnie’s birthday and when I saw his name pop up on my phone at the end of the day, I was pretty sure he was calling me to thank me for the nice things I’d written about his shopping fetish. 

“You son of a bitch!  Perfect!  Now everyone thinks I LIKE to shop!” he said.

“Well, Donnie, it’s what you’re always telling me you like to do,” I said, nonplussed.

“I said I hate that shit and only do it because I have to,” he said.

And then I reminded him…because he forgets a lot…that something changed.  “You’re sixty now Donnie, and, speaking from experience, you’ll start to forget things you’ve said all the time.  And yes…you like to shop and talk about it and that’s why I wrote about it.  I can…you can’t…and that’s all.”

At least that’s settled.  I did receive a text from him later in the evening saying that the stores were closing and he was heading home to try and catch the end of the CAVS game and to watch LBJ in action.

I did manage a short hike following the completion of a painting job I was doing.  Dark settles in shortly after the sun comes up this time of year, so there is little opportunity to do exercise in the park or on the bike.  The shortest day (well…actually they’re all 24 hours long) is just around the corner thankfully and so by mid-March I may be able to have enough light to ride outside after work!  I suppose I don’t mind the trainer too awfully much, though my company, such as it is, must really like my bike set up in the middle of the family room with old sweat towels hanging all over it.  I suppose it will have to move when I bring the Christmas tree in, though I could just put a string of lights on it and leave it.  That’s a decision for another day.

Hike duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories Burned: 350

Shopping will fix it...

Wednesday, December 16, 2015
“John…I read what you wrote about me shopping and of course it’s all true.  I know you’re dating and let me give you this little piece of advice…when all else fails, take them shopping,” Donnie offered on our morning call.  He has offered sound advice in the past and I know he has my best interests at heart, but I’m not so sure I could pull off ‘liking’ shopping.  It is part of his DNA I suppose – he always was in touch with his feminine side – so it probably just comes more naturally to him.  “You could build it into a workout, too.  Think of all those steps you’ll be taking.  You can carry all the bags of the wonderful gifts you’ve helped your lady purchase and that would add to the calories burned and up your training heart rate,” he concluded.  I think I’ll stick to my workouts for now.

Which wasn’t much on this day.  I did plenty at the farm, at least, including a visit to the local John Deere dealer where I placed my order for our new 625 4-wheel Gator.  I was glancing through the brochure while placing the order with the salesman when I commented on one of the pictures of two guys in cowboy regalia lifting a bale of hay into the back of the Gator.

“Actors…are you kidding me?  I lift 300 of those things alone.  John Deere should be ashamed of this picture,” I said.

He laughed agreement, but that wasn’t enough.  “I want you to throw a ‘John Deere’ hat in like the one my brother Jim used to wear on the farm.  I’ll get it dirty and look like you’re supposed to look when using one of these vehicles and then you can take a picture of me.  I’m sure that’ll sell lots more of these…especially to the ladies,” I said.

“Um…sure, John.  One hat…one picture,” he said.

Thank you to the mysterious donor willing to come up with the 11K to make the purchase possible.  Again, testament to the mission of Fieldstone Farm, TRC, and the way it is implemented by over 200 volunteers and staff.  Like payment for the washed out carriage trails this past summer, someone recognizes the value of what we do and always steps up to help. 

I went to Fran’s place after the farm and painted for the next two hours.  By the time I arrived home, my feet were killing me from ladder work and my stomach was upset from who knows what.  I took Dakota for a hike regardless, but once back from that, put my feet up for the rest of the night.  I had some baked salmon, but nothing made the stomach any better, so I turned in early hoping sleep would do the trick. 

Hike duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories Burned: 350

95!

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

I’d made another rice concoction on Sunday which included scrambled eggs, sautéed onions, mushrooms and spinach, fresh garlic, corn and a pound of ground meat.  I ate that for lunch and was surprised when my stomach just wouldn’t settle later.  I left work headed to meet Holly so we could do some Christmas shopping for the kids. 

Walking around stores looking for presents, holding hands with his wife Vicki, is something my cousin Donnie loves to do and, in fact, uses a whole day off so that he can maximize the experience.  He likes to go back to work and tell the construction crew he works with how he’s spent his time and is surprised they don’t do it, as well.  Not me so much.  In fact if he continues in this vein, I may have to revoke his Man Card.  Sorry, Donnie.  Consider yourself warned.

We were heading to dinner after shopping to celebrate Holly’s dads’ 95^th birthday with the kids.  We were meeting at Petti’s Pizza and I was mentally debating whether I’d have pizza.  When we arrived there and after walking past a number of tables with that delicious smelling food, I bent – but did not break.

“I’ll have the Caesar’s salad with the chicken,” I choked out after the pepperoni and sausage pizza with milkshakes had been ordered around the table.  “And just give me a glass of water,” I concluded; final nail in the coffin.

And then there was leftover pizza, which I simply admired but did not touch.  My stomach was grumbling by now and I elected to go home and head to bed rather than go back to grandpa’s house for dessert.  I hated to do it – he’s such a wonderful guy, but I was in no shape to be good company.  It had been a very active day though I still had guilt over not doing a workout.  Well…he looks great at 95 and never really worked out.  There’s some consolation in that.

A day off...

Monday, December 14, 2015
I had some comp time to use before the end of the year and so I had taken the day off.  Now…I had been to Kleifelds the morning before, but somehow it seemed wrong not to start an off-day with a visit there.  I contacted my sister and told her I’d be there early.

Since the pancakes had not agreed with me the day before, I went back to my vegetable omelet.  We ate and talked for an hour and then I told her I was headed for the farm.

“But I thought you were off?” she said.

“I am.  But if I’m not there to push that manure pile, no one’s going to and it’ll be all over the parking lot when I get there tomorrow.  Besides, I want to see how the tractor is running and I kinda like going there knowing I can leave anytime I want to,” I said.

I pushed the pile and the tractor again started to overheat.  That told me what I’d be doing the next day – a radiator flush and maybe replacing a thermostat.  I spent an hour tinkering around and talking to Mitch before heading on a mission of mercy to Mimi’s.

“I was in the family room and heard a ‘snap’ and figured we’d gotten one.  I didn’t want to look at the other right away,” she had told me a day earlier.

In fact, she’d nailed two little mice in our traps and had deposited trap and mice in the garbage…something I could not abide. 

“I hate throwing away perfectly good traps,” I told her and stopped over to rescue and reset them.

I pulled them from the garbage, said a few words over the corpses, and reloaded, having Mimi do one herself.  After almost snapping her own fingers, she kind of had it right.

Christmas shopping followed, which entailed a lot of walking and then home where I began cataloging all the pictures I had taken since last April on my external hard drive.  I needed a break at some point, and chose to spend some time on the trainer since it was raining outside.

I made pork chops for dinner, which I shared with Savannah during which time I was reminded that I would have Copper as a house guest over the weekend.  “I’ve got to work on Saturday and Sunday putting a new drain line in at the farm,” I said, but she assured me that my neighbor would be over to take Copper out and help entertain her.  I need assistance with that moose of an animal.

Bike duration: 45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 bpm.
Calories Burned: 640

A moving workout...

Sunday, December 13, 2015
“Hey everybody…this is George.  He just started today.  That over there is John…”

I listened as Andrea named all the regulars at the three occupied tables at Kleifelds.  I had some moving to do, but felt it important to start at least one day a week with a breakfast here.  And the introduction to the employee is one of the reasons I come.  Andrea actually knew the name of every patron in the place and they were more than pleased to be recognized and introduced to the cook.  Why not?

I had the blueberry pancakes with my own maple syrup.  I’m trying different things now to see what, if any, impact they have on my digestive system.  Cecilia joined me and we went over the upcoming wedding of her son, Nathan, and the challenges facing an outdoor affair on February 27^th.

“I still think he’s out of his mind,” I said, but was truly looking forward to seeing it happen.  Diane is a wonderful girl and fits right in with the Duer/Rolf crowd.

I left there and drove to Diana’s apartment in Chagrin Falls.  She was moving about ten minutes away and would be occupying the basement of her parent’s new condo.  She was hoping I would be able to take her sofa, roughly the size of a minivan, down those basement stairs and into her living area.

“I am not hopeful, Diana.  I’ve measured and it will be extremely tight.  Prepare yourself for the possibility it will not make it though,” I said.

I was wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt and by the time I’d made several trips, was sweating profusely and needing a head band.

“It’s December 13^th and I should be in shorts!” I commented.  It had to be in the sixties and was quite humid.

After two trips, I came to the moment.  Bob, another friend, had been enlisted and we were unloading the beast and moving it into the front room of the condo.  The stairs to the basement were just off it.  He reached the stairs and to my delight, I could not make the swing to get it lined up for a shot down.  End of story for the couch and back into the van for a trip to Habitat or anywhere that wasn’t going to have me trying to get it down those stairs.

I continued to sweat heavily for the next several hours and finished after about five hours of work.  Rosary, Diana’s mom, had insisted I eat and had put together a plate of raw vegetables and fruit with a homemade meatball and a glass of lemonade.  I’d told her several times I wasn’t really hungry, but gave in because I knew she wouldn’t stop.  And it was very good.

I stopped at the farm to push the manure pile and ended up doing some maintenance on the tractor.  Family dinner wasn’t going to be happening at my place, or anyplace for that matter, so I went home and turned in early.  Though not an official workout, the move more than met my criteria for an elevated heart rate and level of sweat.

An Adirondack Party...

Saturday, December 12, 2015
Whether from what I’d eaten the night before or maybe because I had a slight cold coming on, I slept poorly and was up after only three hours in the rack.  I spent some time in the bathroom before taking Dakota for a walk and then trying to eat some cereal with Almond Breeze.  I have not missed milk in the least since starting to drink the vanilla Almond Breeze.  It’s kind of sweet and almost like dessert for me, which is good since I’m taking ice cream out of the equation.

I ended up walking about three miles, which would prove to be the extent of my workout for the day.  I continued to feel lousy throughout and other than a little shopping, did nothing of note with the possible exception of talking to John and coming up with a plan for a party.

“I’m going to be leaving this place soon and I want to have a party or two here before I do,” I said.  “Don’t want to do it around the holidays, though, because everyone’s got plans.”

Then a plan formulated in my brain.  “How about I do a party for everyone who’s been to the Adirondacks?  We could talk about camping, and buying camping stuff, and eating camping food and looking at camping pictures, and telling lies about things we’ve climbed and animals we’ve subdued…” I said.

“Hey…and we could get ‘The Grizzly Man’ and watch that crazy bastard while we’re doing all that other stuff,” John added.

It was a plan and only needed a date.  I started with a call to Kim who screwed things up by being busy the two weekends I was considering.  “I can’t do it without you, so I’ll figure out some other possibilities,” I said.

Wow.  Now doesn’t that sound like a great party?  Maybe I should have everyone bring sleeping bags with them and I’ll build a fire in the fire pit so we can sleep under the stars in the winter and freeze our butts off.  I’ll keep you posted on the date.
Hike duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories Burned: 525.

A good Survival Workout...

Friday, December 11, 2015
It was a reasonably hectic day at the farm.  I was planning to be off on Monday, which meant there were certain things that had to happen out of the ordinary on Friday.  I’ve been trying to line up having our different carpet people come out to measure our main conference area, figure out the best option on the new ATV, get my security cameras up, have the manure company come out for a pick up and along with the typical daily stuff, it was a full day.  I left knowing I’d need to be in for a brief time on Sunday and Monday, but knowing I’d have plenty of time to myself.

I drove to the park for a Survival Workout and managed an exhausting one.  I put in 18 sets, though all were below my standards.  I’ve lost some strength along with the weight, but mostly because I just haven’t been making it a priority.  And with winter on the way – I think, it will become more difficult.
Survival Workout: 60 minutes
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 bpm.
Calories Burned:  600

Happy birthday, bro...

Thursday, December 10, 2015
It was my younger brother’s birthday, but I knew he was out of the country so I sent him a text.  ‘Happy birthday, old man’ it said.  He replied, ‘almost as old as you.’ And I finished with ‘and don’t you wish you looked half as good.’  Ah well…brotherly love.

Jeff has faced a battle with prostate cancer and for the time, has won.  I’ve talked to him about it at length and know that it changed the way he looks at life.  He has a big job with Parker Hannifin and travels away from his family extensively.  He probably would have continued to do that throughout his sixties too, if not for the eye-opening bout with a disease that reminds you of the fleeting nature of our existence here and what is truly important.  He bought a boat shortly after and now spends all summer with Bonnie, his wife, and their daughter at that boat and enjoying each other and the simple, important things life has to offer.  Like me, he plans to retire earlier too and maximize whatever time we have with the ones we love.

So…I continue to work…and to plan for when I’m not.  I figure the more I talk about the things I want to do and places and people I want to do them with and see, the more likely I’ll get them done.  I don’t know if it works, but I know my cousin Donnie, for one, is likely to hold me accountable since he wants to join me for some, if not all, of the adventures.  Alaska Paul will have something to say about it as will John.  Good.  Not that I think I’ll need a push, but it’s good to know they will be there and join in the adventures making them better than they would otherwise be.  For it is certainly time with loved ones that matters most regardless of where I find myself or what I’m doing.  Right, Jeff?

Oh…and I did manage another ride on the trainer for 45 minutes while watching a wonderful episode of ‘The West Wing’.  Can’t get enough of that series.
Bike duration: 45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 bpm.
Calories Burned: 640

"Oh...not hungry? How about some..."

Wednesday, December 9, 2015
At some point, you just have to stop procrastinating and do some Christmas shopping.  Yet it’s still like a couple of weeks away and so really…what’s the rush? 

I went to Half Price Books to try and locate a couple of old movies I wanted as gifts.  They didn’t have them so I drove to Willoughby and went to ‘The Exchange’, which, after searching myself and using two different clerks, was able to locate.  There.  I’m done.  I wish.

I stopped at my father-in-law’s place on the way home.  He’s 95 and still making dinners twice a week for his grandchildren.  Wednesday is Jason’s night and he was there with Theresa and they were eating lots of good stuff, none of which I could eat on my current diet.  Besides, I’d already eaten my chili dinner and washed it down with a smoothie while visiting with John before shopping.  That didn’t stop my dad.

“You want something to eat?” he asked.

“Thanks, but nope.  My diet doesn’t allow this food and I ate already,” I said.

Now…he heard me, but never processes the meaning of ‘no’ as it relates to eating in his house.  “How about some home-made bread and butter?”

“Dad…no disrespect…but just because you made it doesn’t make it ‘gluten free’ and butter is dairy no matter where I get it.  Besides…what part of ‘I’m full – I had dinner an hour ago’ didn’t you understand?”

We banter like this every time.  He only smiled like I’m the class idiot as he tried to pass me dessert and said, “how about a cream puff?”

I drove home, changed and mounted the bike.  Jason had given me the old Kirk Douglas movie ‘Paths of Glory’, which I loaded and watched as I pedaled.  Though my heart rate was high, the ride seemed too easy.  I reached an hour and quit only from boredom…something that never happens when riding outdoors.  If the days were only longer, I’d be doing these rides there right now.  The temperature continues to hit the low fifties each day and would be ideal riding weather.  No snow though, and that works for me.

Bike duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 bpm.
Calories Burned: 850

Beans, beans, the musical fruit...

Tuesday, December 8, 2015
I continued to follow my boring diet, though Kathy had provided some wonderful vegetarian chili for me the night before and combined with the amazing chili experience from Terry’s dinner party, I was in a bean and gas-passing mood.

I stopped at a side job and painted for three hours before going to Heinens for my six-bean chili/soup thing that I make.  I like lentils, black beans, kidney beans, chili beans, navy beans and, well, any kind of bean.  I bought the cans, grabbed three pounds of ground meat and headed for home.

I diced onions, mushrooms, spinach and fresh garlic and sautéed it all.  After browning the meat and spicing it up, I dumped it all into a pan with the beans, tomatoes and two cups of chicken broth.  It was a large soup pan, but it was to the lid.  After boiling it for ten minutes, I simmered for another twenty and it was ready.  Scooping a large quantity into a bowl and grabbing a glass of Almond Breeze, I was ready for an episode of ‘The West Wing’.

So…I ate lots more beans.  I live alone and that is a good thing when you consider that I’ve likely eaten a couple of pounds of beans since last Saturday.  I did not find the time to do a workout, though it was an extremely active day for twelve hours and, according to the health application on my Iphone, I still managed over 10,000 steps. 

Our rights...when can they be usurped?

Monday, December 7, 2015

Pearl Harbor Day…and I must admit that not once during the day did it occur to me that it was the day, 74 years earlier, that FDR claimed would ‘live in infamy’ as it surely has.  I had spent the evening at the movie ‘Trumbo’, which was based on the life of Dalton Trumbo and his battle to overcome a ‘contempt of Congress’ charge and prison time to be able to practice his constitutional right to be a member of the Communist Party and still live and work in America.  His story, and the story of many other Hollywood Americans, were forever altered when their Constitutional rights were violated in the interest of national security and the effort of select members of our Congress to protect the American people from the ‘red menace’ from the Soviet Union, which was, we believed at that time, hoping for world domination and possibly the nuclear annihilation of the United States.  It was a real fear and a very possible threat and to not have been living during that time and experiencing the level of fear and tension in the population makes it difficult to judge the actions of those who did.  Still, just as during WWII following the Pearl Harbor attack and the following internment of American citizens of Japanese descent, Constitutional rights were being violated and in hindsight, which is often 20/20, quite needlessly. 

The movie was well written and acted and taught me a great deal about the era, Trumbo and the nine other screen writers jailed at the time on the same charge, black listing, and American icons who stood on opposite sides of the fence.  ‘The Duke’ came down heavily against ‘the commies’ whereas Lucy Ball and Kirk Douglas, who would pull Trumbo out from under the black-list rock by having him write the screenplay for ‘Spartacus’, supported the rights of these people.  However you feel, it is a movie to see and one that should always have us asking the question ‘should the Bill of Rights ever be held in hostage?’

I went with Kathy, which always means a hike first.  We did 90 minutes, mostly in the dark, in the Rocky River Reservation after eating some of her vegetarian chili.  The famous 132 steps leading from the Interpretive Center to the cliffs high above the river have been taken down for safety reasons.  Kathy, like so many regulars to that park, are sorely disappointed as they used those steps regularly for their workouts and to enjoy spectacular views and sunrises and sunsets from the top.  The park is raising the money to bring them back, but must deal with shifting shale cliff rock to make them safe.  Whatever the cost, Kathy is willing to donate and feels many others will, as well.

Hike duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories Burned: 525.

"It's the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off your shoulders..."

Sunday, December 6, 2015

I cheated over the weekend.  More than once.  I ate French toast twice and then went to Savannah’s for dinner where I scarfed down five pieces of pizza.  I did not drink any milk however, and so the sum total of my dairy consumption for the past week has been the cheese on the pizza.

My stomach has been better.  There were not repercussions from the gluten or small amount of dairy.  I will continue with the diet however, and then introduce dairy with about a gallon of milk over the course of a day to see what reaction my body has.  At this point, I’m wondering if I didn’t have some kind of temporary stomach ailment that cleared itself up over time.  I’m happy to be on the diet though, and feel my choices are much healthier in the long run.  I have now gone nine days without dessert!  Utter madness.

I drove back to Ohio and straight to the North Chagrin Reservation where I exited the car, stretched the legs from the five-hour drive, and began doing push-ups.  I maxed at seventy and went through the entire routine, struggling to hit reps on the second and third sets.  My strength is down, but my commitment level is up.  In a short time, I will be on track and back to normal.  I received a call from Alaska Paul at about the time I returned to my car. 

“Hey Paul…trying to reach you to talk about my trip on the Continental Divide.  Two more people were attacked by a grizzly in the Canadian Rockies and I’ve been thinking about whether I should carry a hand gun when in grizzly country for that hike,” I said.

“Hmm…Wyoming, Montana…yeah, definitely heavy grizzly country.  I carry a .44 magnum, but it’s heavy.  Maybe seven pounds loaded?” he said.

“Holy shit! That’s heavier than my pack (empty, that is)!”

“Yeah…maybe I’m off on that weight, but it’s heavy.  Still…not much else will stop a grizzly that’s anywhere near easy to carry for twenty miles a day,” he concluded.

“Maybe I’ll just have you walk with me and you can shoot them if they come for us,” I replied.

And he is very likely to join me for part or all of the trip.  I’m also hoping others from my life will walk part of the journey, as well.  Kim, John, Kathy, Donnie, Eric and others have expressed an interest and it would make the walk that much more epic.  I could also get them to resupply me along the way…not a bad ‘two for the price of one’.

I still have my sights set on Minnesota and walking a 400-mile trek some time over the next two years.  It will be the perfect trip to determine what I need to carry and how my body will react.  Testing gear is so important to a long distance hike and that would be the ideal situation.  Patience is all I need right now.  That, and to be retired.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes. 
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 bpm.
Calories Burned: 600.

A long hike...

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Terry’s property backs up to the Monon Rail-to-trail path, which starts in downtown Indianapolis and runs north almost twenty miles.  It is paved and used heavily by hikers, runners, cyclists and rollerbladers.  I walked out onto the path through a gate in her back yard and turned north.  I was walking in my dockers and wondering the wisdom of that move, but didn’t have anything else suitable.  My heel had been feeling better lately and so I was truly curious whether shoes would make a difference.

My plan was to go half an hour and turn around.  When I reached that point, I had other ideas of course.  I made it to the one-hour point and figured I was pushing my luck.  My heel still felt fine, so I turned and headed back. 

I managed around 16,000 steps according to an app on my Iphone and I calculated the distance at a little over 7 miles.  It was the longest hike I’d taken in a very long time and my heel felt fine.  I kept working around the outside of her house doing odd jobs that needed my ‘fix-it’ skills, but never felt any pain.  I have worried about my heel constantly while formulating plans for a long trail hike with a backpack, so this was the most encouraging day I’ve had in over a year. 
Hike duration: Two hours.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories Burned: 700

Road trip...

Friday, December 4, 2015
It was to be a travel day and so I had to get in what exercise I could before getting on the road.  That meant doing it at the farm and with a hay delivery on the way, I was all set.

I caught and stacked hay for 45 minutes before heading back to my shop and changing into travel clothes.  I was heading for Indiana to spend some time with Terry and to attend her Rotary Christmas Party.  I also had as a goal continuing to follow my diet routine.  We arrived at the party and I got a diet Coke before checking out the buffet line.  It was at a swanky country club and the food was prepared accordingly.  Salmon, chicken, rice, green beans and salad all found their way to my plate over two trips to the table.  For some reason, I was famished.  I think my stomach is finally feeling better and I took full advantage, though continuing to avoid both gluten and dairy.  I’m not sure what is making the difference and it may not even be the diet.  Time will tell and I’ll stick with the program to find out, though I may detour tomorrow for some French toast.