I’ve moved to my own website and you are more than welcome to come visit. I am doing Blogging 101 too. I will have some samples of my writing and other creative endeavors.

Living In The Trees

I said “My hands are itching like crazy” and he thought I said “I’m watching the boats.” I said “Maybe I’m a faery” and he thought I said “You’re crazy.” Obviously, he is not listening. I’m not even sure how he so completely missed what I said. Out of “hands”, “itching”, and “crazy”; he got “watching” and “boats’. Too funny.

Most of the time, I will start to say something and get mid-sentence only to have him start talking about something else or pick up his cell phone and call someone.

Then there are those times I tell him something and I think he heard me. Later he will tell me the exact same thing only it was his son or friend who told him this great idea or information. I remind him that I told him that previously. Oh, yeah.

When I confront him on this major problem, I get the usual excuse that he has so much going on in his head and he is ADD. Don’t we all have so much swimming around upstairs. Welcome to the information age. I just don’t like excuses. I ask him if he thinks he might have a hearing problem. He doesn’t have any problems hearing anyone else. I just speak too softly.

Easy enough. I try talking louder. It’s hard but I persist. Maybe I do talk too soft. Now he is telling me to keep my voice down and that I sound like his ex-wife. You probably think she was loud so he would listen. No, she was always loud. I still remember how loud she was in high school. Yuck.

I still have a bit of a Texan accent so I try to edit it. You know, maybe that’s the problem. That doesn’t make any difference either. I try talking s-l-o-w-e-r. It’s quite funny but doesn’t work. All it does, is annoy me. I already talk slow (Texan slow).

So now I’m trying short sentences and only tell him what’s necessary. It’s pretty stressful to fight the same battle everyday. If I want to discuss something in length, I’ll hit my blog. And maybe someday, I’ll invite him to read it.

I’m interested in any ideas so post them in the comments.

My partner and I bought an unfinished home on the Oregon coast with the intent of finishing it and selling it. Yeah, a flip but not the “do it in 6 weeks” and sell it. We bought it for cash so there is no rush especially since the market is mush. It’s like a hobby, mostly my partner’s hobby. I prefer smaller hobbies.

So we are working on the kitchen counter tops. We bought oak butcher block counters from IKEA and were placing a piece between the stove and the wall. At right angles to that would be our Domsjo apron sink. We were trying to figure out how we were going to cover a two inch gap we thought was going to be next to the sink. (The sink is not in yet.) My partner goes to look at the sink and takes some measurements. The two inch gap is now gone! We are doing a happy dance. The counter tops look great and improve with each coat of mineral oil. We plan on starting the kitchen island tomorrow.

We end the day on a high note that everything is going to plan and looking good.

Next morning, my partner gets up and takes the dog out. I fall back asleep and wake to the sound of sloshing water. Sloshing water in the house! I throw some clothes on and rush downstairs. There is inches of water all over the concrete floor. The downstairs is unfinished – concrete floors, drywall up and painted. We borrow a Shop Vac from a neighbor and I suck up 120 gallons of water but it doesn’t make any difference.

We are not sure where the water is coming from and we don’t know what the original builder did when he did the concrete footings or the floor. Is there a broken pipe? We don’t hear running water. It is very quiet. Is it hydrostatic pressure with a rising water table from the constant rain and high tide of the river?  So another puzzle to solve.

We had to leave to go home for work the next day and our usual way was block for 10 inches of water over the road. So it was a long way home. The weekend started so promising and ended so badly.

I finally put the recumbent exercise bike I got for Christmas together. I placed it in front of the TV by a window with a nice view. That way I can watch TV, enjoy nature right out my window, or read a book. I haven’t tried balancing my 17″ laptop while riding yet but that may be a possibility too.

I managed 20 minutes without killing myself. I don’t want to overdo it right off the bat but instead work up to 60 minutes a day. I watch at least 60 minutes of TV everyday so I will have no excuse not to watch from the bike rather from the couch.

I tried using Tony Little’s Gazelle but that kills my hip. Not good for someone who has to climb in and out of a delivery truck. So I got a Wii with a Fit Board. It is set up in the bedroom. So not conducive to being used everyday especially when that little fit board character insults you daily about your weight. So I use it occasionally for boxing and tennis and some of the balance games. But it is not enough to lose weight with.

I knew if I could get something in the living room, not too intrusive, I would use it more often. The boyfriend likes me close by so I would have no argument from him. I tried several different types of exercise equipment in different stores and decided I would be most comfortable on the recumbent bike.

I will have to keep you posted on my progress. Hopefully, my weight will be impacted in the right direction with the increase in exercise. At least that’s the way it suppose to work, right?

I have needed to lose weight for a long time. I am hypothyroid so every diet was just another failure and very discouraging. On top of that, my thyroid medication was reformulated and wasn’t working as well so the weight was piling on. I was frustrated.

I decided to join the Veterans Administration’s Move On weight loss program at the Portland VA Medical Center. I went to the doctor to change to a synthetic version of thyroid hormone. I went to weekly meetings where I learned about nutrition, handling stress, physical activity, and just plain old fashion support from others in the same boat as I. I kept a food journal and wore a pedometer everyday recording my steps daily. I discovered I walked 7-9 miles when I worked. Wow!

I lost 15 pounds in three months which is astounding for me. I maintained that loss through the holidays which we all know is tough. Now I need to get motivated and put my new recumbent exercise bike together and use it. The key for my weight loss is activity since my diet is pretty good. I’m one of those who doesn’t eat when I’m stressed. Quite the opposite.

My weight loss goals are small goals instead of big goals. I like something more attainable to keep my motivation up. My food goals are to incorporate more raw foods into my diet and more vegetables as always.

This year has started off particularly stressful and I’m not handling it very well. Every aspect of my life seems off-kilter.

I’m losing control of my body gradually which makes everything harder. I drop things all the time. I move slower. I have an occasional tremor that I mostly hide, pockets are good for that.

My job is technically part-time but causes stress all the time. My physical problems cause issues and more stress. And the job is certainly not inspiring. Mostly, it is depressing. I work with a bunch of cranky people.

I’m a creative person and creating is how I relieve stress. It’s a spiritual thing. I’m not pleasant to be around if I can’t break away and work in my studio. You would think working part-time I would have lots of time. Yeah, right.

I spend ALL of my spare time helping someone flip a house. I have learned to tile and install an IKEA kitchen. But I have lost the rest of my life. There is nothing else but work and more work.

I’m socially isolated meaning I have no friends to speak of. No one to talk to. Not that anyone listens.

So the goal for the year is to get out of the dark hole I’m in and handle stress better.

One of my goals this year is to write and journal. To help with that goal, I’m participating in the DailyPost. I will use their inspiration and encouragement to post weekly. Hopefully, I can encourage others with their writing and my readers will encourage me.