Happy Hour Chatter

I've been going non-stop since 830 am.  It's 6pm now.  I'm tired. Yesterday I had two yoga classes then picked up an ICAP dog and visited Chris K.  He's had so many health issues and is having a difficult time.  Bringing a dog was meant to cheer him up...and it did.  But what ended up happening was him listening to me vent.  He just listened.  No advice, no judgement. .just an ear.  I'm going to make it a point to visit him more often and bring a dog with.  Today I was up early cleaning and doing laundry.   Then I tackled getting rid of stuff from the basement.   Four boxes ready to go to goodwill.  And there's plenty more. I even went for a bike ride at the Pipestem.  It was brisk, but the north Ridge trail is what I needed to clear the mind and burn off some steam.  So...I'm going to eat, take a bath, drink some wine and relax the rest of the night.  Maybe.

I'm tired, I'm bloated from too much salt, I drank my weight in wine..but it was great. This was the first Thanksgiving in 25 years that I hadn't cook for the Schutt family.  With Ella gone and Bill in NM, there really isn't anyone to cook for. My sister Peg invited us to join the Beckman-Weatherly feast at her house.  At first I wasn't sure about crashing her table.  But I knew sitting at home would make me sad. So we accepted. The food was delicious, the conversation was witty, wine flowed like a river and we felt welcomed. And you know what?  It felt just like the Thanksgivings we used to have at home at the (Schulz) farm.  It brought back memories. I have to admit, I excused myself to go outside on the pretense of having a hot flash...but really needed to shed some emotional tears.  I missed Ella and the Schutts...but Mom and Dad too.  Today would've been their 75th wedding anniversary.   So it was a good Thanksgiving.  Thank yo...

I'm tired and the weather isn't helping much.  The gale force winds are crazy and exhausting.  I always try and look for a positive in everything,  so I guess the positive is that the temperature is above zero and we don't have snow on the ground. I am looking forward to the weekend already.  Stress load has been high this week and I need a little recovery time.  Other than yoga Saturday morning, I have nothing planned. I ran in to my friend Chris Kodiak  (double amputee) yesterday at the grocery store.  He's a prime example of why a person needs to take care of their health...diet, exercise, pay attention to health concerns, etc.  He asked about the service dogs we train.  As he was doing so, you could see the longing in his eyes.  Depending how my weekend plays out, I may pick up an ICAP dog from the prison and go visit him in his apartment.   It'll give him time with a dog, company and help get his mind off of his worries...

My mood matches the weather today. ..dark and gloomy.  I haven't slept more than 4 hours each night for the last two nights.  I'm tired and just a little on edge.  The only bright spot is that I get some artificial sun today and I get to work out with my trainer tonight.  He's pretty good about reading my mood, so hopefully he'll be able to help me work out some of my frustration and anxiety.

Today was my half day at work.  I left work and headed to my first yoga class of Seniors at The Legacy Cneter.  We worked on balance today.  The whole time they were saying it was going to be easy, they were sweating it out.  Balance isnt as easy as it looks.  I keep telling them that as we age, the most important thing for us is to keep mobile and stable.  Maybe they'll understand this winter when they slip on the ice and stay upright rather than fall and break something. My second group was at the Heritage Center.  My numbers there are dwindling.  Several that have been with me through the last three years have died or are too injured to make it to class.  Those that do attend are my faithful followers.  They keep asking me when I'll be back.  I've contemplated stopping going there but I know they look forward to it and so do I.  In truth, it's a stark reminder to me to stay active and not to become sedentary.  Use it...

Woke up today feeling Ok.   Headed to town for a coffee and then my yoga class.  It was supposed to be a gentle, relaxing class but somehow it ended up more of a power class.  I had one guest from another town attending with her sister.  As she was leaving, she stated to me, "that was a great class, thank you."  Small words but it made me feel good.    I headed up to Anytime Fitness for my class there.  Small group of three, but it was good.  Less movement but still good. Now, the best part of my day - I got to spend a couple hours with my stylist Eva.  I feel human again after receiving a cut, color and manicure.  She and I have a good friendship as well as a customer/client relationship.  A couple of weeks ago we unloaded with each other, vented and cried.  We were both emotional I guess.   I've been going to her for 12 (?) years now.   When you find someone that you're that comfort...

Some days are better than others.  Today wasn't a good day at all. I woke up and, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't turn myself around. Until I went to the gym.  I was able to work out some frustration with the help of Nick...the other man in my life. He didn't crack a smile when he said, "let's go!". Yessssir! So here I am, drinking some wine after just having a hot bath to sooth sore muscles. I'm not going to worry about tomorrow. .because I'm confident I'll be in a better frame of mind. Know why? Because I have people in my life who truly love me and will make sure I'm ok.

I find myself in my recliner this evening.  I'm tired, my mind is blurred with thought, yet I do not know what to write about.   This is when I start to ramble and hope that it all makes sense. Friday was the start of my 5th annual yoga retreat.  True to form, I had a list of preparations, including packing clothes, buying groceries and wine (a necessity) and washing the rig.  A true procrastinating perfectionist, I didn't even attempt any of these things until Friday morning.  But first I went to a volleyball game.  My college friend, Jody, was in town to see her daughter play volleyball at the U of J.   I hurriedly rearranged my timeline so that I could attend the volleyball game and catch up with Jody.   We are getting reacquainted after many, many years of not having a lot of communication with each other.  Although we aren't as close as we once were, it's still good to see her.  She introduced me to her son, Aaron (...