Improving

Dear Family and Friends,
I've just come in from a few minutes of total peace. I happened to be in the back by the lake and the sun was preparing to set over the palm trees on the island, Lois was feeding ducks and my dogs were watching, my cats were also out there. We chatted about owning pets and younger years. I sat down in a chair that used to have a cushion 10 years ago but the cushion has failed yet the plastic chair is remarkable comfortable on its own.
Ken was not able to walk this morning, it is tax season and he is working very long days and nights. I have been listening to this marvelous book, Younger Next Year. It really puts it all together for those of us who are getting a little older, just outstanding science, advice, inspiring stories and the bottom line is 1 hour of exercise 6 days a week for the rest of your life, on days when there is no exercise the body stores fat, becomes inflamed in the cells and makes us older, exercise changes all of that. Well in light of what I'm learning I decided to dust off the Nordic Treadmill. I've never enjoyed it more. As I watched the tragic news conference for the missing miners I walked, never letting my heart rate get much more than 110. I managed to select a program that changed the pace of the machine and also elevated the angle so part of the time the working was harder. I only went 30 minutes but it felt great.
I had a breakfast that included something produced by Kashi, sort of a combo of weeds, puffed rice and who knows what else. The package says it is a great healthy breakfast so I ate it. Its OK.
After breakfast I left to inspect the head quarters of EAS, the windpower company located in the Altamont Pass area. Knowing the manager from last time we caught up a bit on the business and I learned the government is messing with them also. Their 10% of the total wind machines in the area are aging fast and within 3 years will need to be re powered, that is all new machines need to be installed at a cost of nearly a million dollars for each new windmill. So they have the company on the market but he expects no buyers. The industry is waiting year by year to see what congress is going to do about tax breaks for investors and such. But the congress is only dealing with one year at a time, far too short for possible investors who want to know what is happening in the next 10 years. He showed me the machine shop where they create many of the parts that wear out, they create them using lathes, presses and other machines. It was totally fascinating to see up close.
The last time I did this same appraisal they were being offered money by the golf course that is adjacent to their property. The principal owner turns out to be a crook. The golf course is worth about 6 million dollars and this guy has investors money close to 22 million dollars for the golf course. He just kept selling to willing investors with nothing to back it up. So the golf course is locked up solid and will sold at a court house sale soon. Greed is not very pretty and it hurts so many trusting people wiping out life savings or retirement funds. Malof over and over.
After finishing the inspection I drove back home and started a relocation appraisal. Then at 12:45 I picked up Keanna. She was full of ideas and comments. She was bummed that she was not able to have a cupcake like all the other kids due to possible allergies.
We went to McDonalds and this time she had both fresh fries and apple pieces, it was Nikki's suggestion and it turned out to be a very good one. She ate the apple pieces and the dogs at the fries. We went by her house so she could change into cooler clothes, the day had turned warmer than expected. We got to see Steve for a minute, he was painting cabinets for his master bathroom remodel project. Then we hit Blockbusters, she rented a movie, the post office to mail an appraisal and then we headed home.
Upon arrival she needed a jello, crackers, strawberries and water. She settled in watching the movie she had rented and I went back to work. I felt so weak and frail for most of the afternoon but I stayed with the plan to head to the club after I dropped her off. While the machines were a challenge and my muscles burned as I neared the end of the 3rd rep of 12 I felt better as I moved from machine to machine. Once I left I felt like a human being again.
Once I arrived home I decided to fire up the little weed eater / rototiller machine and I worked in a flower bed in the front yard for a bit. It works really great, that was fun as soon there will be some color there, I love flowers blooming, to me it says life. Steve and Jason both love to plant things and see them grow and I usually just dream of it, not make it happen, maybe this time I can follow through.
I feel the best I have felt in a long time this evening and that is encouraging.
I just can't recommend the book, Younger Next Year enough. Yes you need to prepare yourself for some talk about evolution yet even in that there are things to learn. Such as, in nature other animals do not overeat even when there is plenty of food. When a modern human being eats too much the body thinks there must be a famine coming and quickly stores the extra food to head off the crisis. When day after day the person eats too much the fat is stored. On the other hand when someone exercises the body responds by sending help to repair the slight damage that the exertion has done and ends up repairing the muscle to make it a tiny bit stronger than it was before the exercise. There is a web site, Younger Next Year.com, at least the book says that. I've not looked yet. This book is inspiring, hard to refute and lays out a pathway so even people in their 50s and 60s can be younger next year. For me I see myself behind the boat on my water ski and coming up out of the water to enjoy jumping the waves and being back. I can see myself heading down the mountain on snow skis laughing and loving the show and nature all around. Or in spin class without being concerned about still being alive at the end of the 40 minutes of hell.
Can I ask you, have you given thought to where you are heading with the habits you are promulgating? Is there life after this year? Better life!
My purpose in writing this blog is to be as transparent as possible while preserving some items of a personal nature. You've been with me in the pit of gloom and depression, with me when all seemed lost, you've been along for the ride when I've questioned my faith or fragments of my faith, when I've complained about the bland experience of being alone, alone, alone. And now I'm urging you to find inspiration to examine yourself, don't lie, don't promise that you'll do something about inactivity later, don't say well this is just the way it is, I'm destined to be heavy or I can't change at this age. Calmly conjure up an image of yourself doing what you would really like to do, it can happen, there are amazing stories of people starting to move again, to walk, swim, bike, ski in their 50s or 60s and then continuing to do so until they are 90. Only 10% of men exercise after age 50, that is appalling and has been totally true for me for years.
My low point came slightly after Nan had passed away and thanks to Steve and Sylvia's kindness with miles for a ticket I found myself in Kona with the kids for a few days. We even had Christmas there at the timeshare. One evening we decided on a luau and we walked downhill to the setting by the water. Afterwards thinking the car was still in the same place I climbed back up the hill to the car only to find the car was missing, Steve had gone for it and was waiting for me by the luau so I wouldn't have to make the climb. Once I saw the car I lumbered up and sat down. I was wet with sweat and my heart was beating hard. I actually thought I might die on the spot.
Time magazine did an article several months ago taking a hard look at health and fitness of people here in America. After examining all the diet plans, the fitness books, the latest studies on primary point emerged on why some people are carrying extra weight and why others don't gain extra pounds. The overriding difference was whether people moved or not, whether a way of life they found ways to be stingy with their movements or enjoyed moving about. For years I found having to walk a ways after parking the car a big pain, about having to carry something heavy as torture instead of celebrating movement.
I hope we can all bring fitness to the forefront of our minds as we move into the spring season.
For me I used to weigh 236 or 237 on a bad day. Now I'm running about 221. The new medicine I'm taking has dramatically reduced my constant craving to be eating something, that was just the break I needed, I've often prayed about it, asking the Lord to help me find a trigger to break habits and move in a new healthy way.
If any of these ideas prompt you to consider how precious your life is, how much your kidos love and need you, how nice it would be if you could keep up with them, how impressive it would be to drop some pounds and puff less when moving then go for it. Our bodies rapidly respond to change, muscles quickly adapt and grow, pounds melt away when we get rid of junk out of our diet. Make oatmeal or steel cut oats your friend again, find free foods, like pinto beans or tomatoes, or mushrooms, or celery (which I can't stand), Romaine hearts are great and packed full of goodness. And the starting point is find a way to drink water all the time. For me it was seeing a sports bottle of water in Nikki's car and thinking, well thats a good idea. I buy them by the case at Costco, little blue lid, opens easily, seals perfectly for no leaking, easy to hold and so so good.
We are here, lets make it as good as it can be while we are here, join me in choosing life.

love

tim