working out for Disney

[Sans Souci]

Hello! I've been trying something a bit different with my workday fitness over the last week or so. It's not the most ideal thing, but it's better than nothing. Every 30-60 minutes I'm making myself get up to do something. Yes, there are some times where I really can't step away for long and it may just be walking across the house to refresh my cup of water. If I have a little extra time, I may put in 5-15 minutes of working out. It could be anything from dumbbells, kettle bells, resistance bands, step bench, squat machine, planking, barre type leg work, or even some marching/dancing in a small space.

As for the busy...it's mostly good busy. Although, even good busy can become overwhelming and stressful when there's little downtime. Still, K is finally getting the academic and music recognition she deserves, and Sam is over the moon happy with her new team. It's making me see that we could really use a small trip to decompress. I just don't know if it's in the cards. We are popping into Uni for a few days in November before Thanksgiving with family, but I could really use some nature. We've already talked about adding some into summer ball travel, since we know we'll be in Colorado and there's a possibility of California. Still, that's a long way off. I have an idea for February break, but we'll just have to wait and see.

This is a really good approach. So many people have an all or nothing approach to fitness. They think you need to workout 60 minutes at a time, when it's good to take little fitness breaks throughout the day. I read somewhere this type of exercise is called "snack workouts."

It's good to read about great things for your girls. It seems they've have their fair share of trials and tribulations, so you all must be really pleased.

 

[Sans Souci]

This week has just been one thing after another. My FIL had surgery on Thursday and they sent him home too soon and he had to be taken to the ER on Friday night, then back home, then back to the hospital by ambulance on Tuesday morning. My husband is staying at their house for the week because his mom can't be left alone since her stroke in March. My daughter has Tonsilitis and is MISERABLE....probably also has an ear infection, but the doctor doesn't want her to come in to check because she's coughing and people will think she has covid, even though 3 selftests in the last week say she doesn't, but he also won't prescribe anything for her. She's been out of school since last Thursday when she came home after her first hour of Physics because she didn't feel well. I have a choir competition on Saturday that I really don't want to do....I don't like competetions, but the choir voted and I was the only one who said no, I didn't want to do it, so we're doing it. And there's a neighbor who has some problem with us but she won't tell us what that problem is. We're not loud, we don't share any walls or property lines with her....there's a house in between us, we don't park in front of their house, we don't have pets to bother her...actually she has a yappy dog. We're at a loss. She was mad at us because we were gone on vacation and some wasps took up residence in our back yard and she kept knocking on our door to ask us to fix it, but strangely enough, no one answered the door while we were on vacation and that angered her. As soon as we found out, we got it taken care of....we hadn't even been home for a week, but apparently that wasn't good enough for her and she still has a beef with us, but won't talk to us directly about it, but wants us to take time off of work to meet with her and a mediator so she doesn't have to give up an evening. And A's bike seems to have been damaged at school when some kids were playing something with a ball and the ball hit the bike at a high speed, so now I need to find time to bring the bike to a repair shop, but he still needs the bike to get to school and chess and tennis. And they are changing everything at work and they only scheduled me for one 4 hour shift this week, which is weird because they usually schedule me for whatever I have available. So now I'm worried that I'm not going to get hours anymore, and I might have to look for a new job. I'm just a ball of stress this week and being in pain from the rotator cuff infection is not helping!!

Good grief. Your daughter has been sick with tonsillitis for over a week and your doctor won't do anything for her? Ridiculous.

That neighbor, omg, shut her down. Once you entertain her, it will never stop. And...hiring a mediator? For WHAT? You took care of the wasps, end of story. Nothing else needs to be done. Who the heck hires a mediator something like that anyway? I'd tell her to jog on. WTH? This is the most bizarre thing I've read today.

 

[Sans Souci]

As far as I know, she can't do anything. It's completely voluntary. We're not going unless it's at a time that works for us. They wanted me to go by myself, without my husband and he was like nope, not happening. We have no idea why she still wants to meet when we took care of the problem months ago and she knows that. There must be something else bothering her, but rather than just saying it, she's trying to make a huge deal out of whatever it is, involving other people. To me, it just sounds like she wants an audience. The more I get to know her, the more I think she's kind of a drama queen. She's estranged from her parents, has no friends...I'm thinking she's just one of those toxic people who thrives on the drama and drives everyone away eventually and then tells anyone who will listen how she's the victim and everyone is so mean to her. She just seems very narcissistic. I've been nothing but nice to her and this is how she acts? I have no time for that kind of immaturity. If she had a legitimate complaint of something we were doing that was negatively impacting her, I'd already have fixed it, like with the wasps. But even the note she left about that was so snippy like "I've knocked several times in the last several weeks to try to get you to take care of it, but you haven't bothered to answer the door. This is one last effort before I complain to the city." Like we were just looking out our window and "Oh, it's her...everyone be quiet and she'll go away." But we weren't even home! So to act like we're horrible for ignoring her...it's just...I don't even have words. But as far as I know, the only thing she can do is call the city to complain, but even if they sent someone to our house, there's no wasp nest anymore, and we haven't done anything wrong. Our grass is dead and there are weeds, but there are no regulations about that, so I don't think she can do anything to us. But she does seem to be the type who is...superficial, I guess? Always wearing designer clothing, etc. Very into appearances, so I imagine my front yard doesn't meet with her approval.

Yeah, there are tons of red flags here--she only wants to meet with you, hiring a mediator because she can't talk to you directly. I swear, hiring a mediator when she won't tell you directly is the biggest drama load. She sounds like she should be living in the US in a neighborhood with an HOA. What a pill.

 

[Sans Souci]

Hello-

I have been doing my usual strength training and walking. Today was triceps and shoulders. It was kind of boring, tbh, but not all workouts should be super intense.

I think we have seen the last of the feral cat, Callie, who was living in our yard. She had been coming in and taking naps on a cushion we put next to the patio door, so she could leave if she felt threatened. She had also been wanting to come in to eat as it got colder. I went up to my husband's flat Monday night, so it was just my son here. She came around at 9 PM for dinner and was pressing her head against the screen to come in. She ate and afterwards, starting sniffing about the immediate area--which was typical for her. Then, she decided to go downstairs, which is the furthest she had ever been in the house. The lights were off down there, so she started meowing. My son turned the lights on for her and she freaked out. She ran upstairs and under the couch, where she stayed for 3 hours. My son said she was meowing non-stop and he had tried to lure her out with cat nip and treats. He eventually got tired, so he moved the couch a little bit and she tried to go out the door. She jumped up on the screen and climbed to the top before jumping off. My son quickly opened the door for her and that was the last he'd seen of her. I hope she is OK where ever she is. We were just trying to help keep her warm when the temps started to dip. My son bought her a small house and filled it with straw, to keep her dry and warm throughout the winter. He really misses seeing her and he feels badly about what happened. I miss seeing her cute, little face, too.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Wow, feeling sicker than covid? That's sounds awful. I felt icky half-way though my WDW vacation. I felt like I was coming down with a sinus infection, pressure, post-nasal drip, slight sore throat from said drip. What was really weird was the site where I'd gotten my covid booster injection 2 weeks prior was sore and slightly swollen. I took a test and it came back negative. It was odd.

Yeah, COVID wasn't too bad for me. I didn't have any breathing issues with it, which is what I was obviously worried about, and the worst parts of it were the sore throat (we went through like a bottle of honey because I was drinking so much tea and honey) and I had a headache. I was definitely sicker the times I've had the flu. My grandma had it, and the only reason she even knew she had it was because she was around my aunt, and my aunt got it, do she tested herself. She didn't even run a fever.

I was pretty sick with the bronchitis on the other hand, though.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Good grief. Your daughter has been sick with tonsillitis for over a week and your doctor won't do anything for her? Ridiculous.

I've been going to urgent care instead of my doctor's office (not that I have a primary care doctor right now; mine died a year ago and the office STILL won't reassign me. They're filling my prescriptions and they'll do everything I need to be done, but they just won't assign anyone. *sigh*) for that same reason. They are also ridiculous about COVID. My mom went because she had a sinus infection and they wanted to do a video visit with her IN THE PARKING LOT and then have the doctor come check her out as soon as she was done. Urgent care if you've got suspected COVID, they'll ask you to wait in your car, call you when they're ready, and take you straight back to a room, and then the provider will put on a bunch of gear before they see you. When I was reading my insurance info, I found out it's the same copay to go to my primary care office, a specialist, or urgent care. I've been going to urgent care lately; you can schedule a time online and I've never had to wait long.

This was the same group who when I was trying to get in to get my knee checked out wouldn't let me book an appointment until I have a negative PCR test. Well, you can continue to test positive on a PCR test for months after having COVID. I ended up going to a different group, which ended up being fine because they work with athletes, including the Orioles and Ravens, so I figure they're probably better anyway given that this is technically a sports injury.

 

[Songbird76]

Good grief. Your daughter has been sick with tonsillitis for over a week and your doctor won't do anything for her? Ridiculous.

That neighbor, omg, shut her down. Once you entertain her, it will never stop. And...hiring a mediator? For WHAT? You took care of the wasps, end of story. Nothing else needs to be done. Who the heck hires a mediator something like that anyway? I'd tell her to jog on. WTH? This is the most bizarre thing I've read today.

E seems to be getting a bit better now. She's coughing less, and her throat isn't sore anymore, but now her ear is getting worse. But she doesn't have a fever anymore, so hopefully it's not a full-fledged infection. But now I've got that feeling in my chest/throat like it's full of gunk and my voice is all raspy. At least I waited to catch it until AFTER my choir thing. And I haven't gotten a really bad bout since I had my adenoids removed, so hopefully this will pass quickly. I took an expectorant this morning, and that does seem to have helped a bit, and I'm taking zinc to boost my immune system, took a bath to steam my sinuses. I don't have to work until Thursday, so I've got a few days to relax and get better. And if E's ear isn't better tomorrow, I can take her to the doctor finally. They said if it wasn't better by Monday, he'd want to see her. But we're hanging in there.

And yes, the neighbor is something else. I've never seen her do anything but walk her dog around the neighborhood, or get groceries, and every time I see her, she's standing there talking to someone in the neighborhood. I think she's honestly really...needy I guess? Like...she needs attention and needs drama. The first time I met her, she told me her whole life story about how she was estranged from her parents, and was bullied in school, etc. I think she just really needs to feel like she's a victim so she can get sympathy from people. I'm done with her. If I see her and she says hi, I'll wave, but I'm not going to stand there and have a conversation with her anymore.

 

[Songbird76]

Yeah, there are tons of red flags here--she only wants to meet with you, hiring a mediator because she can't talk to you directly. I swear, hiring a mediator when she won't tell you directly is the biggest drama load. She sounds like she should be living in the US in a neighborhood with an HOA. What a pill.

Oh, she definitely fancies herself the authority, which is odd as she has only lived here for about a year or so, and everyone else here has been here for over a decade. But whatever. She also seems to idolize America. "Oh, I want to go there so badly!! I hope next time you go back, you'll think of me and bring me some treats!" You want me to spend my money on treats for you, and then you treat me like this?? What kind of delusional, narcissistic doink are you?

 

[Songbird76]

Hello-

I have been doing my usual strength training and walking. Today was triceps and shoulders. It was kind of boring, tbh, but not all workouts should be super intense.

I think we have seen the last of the feral cat, Callie, who was living in our yard. She had been coming in and taking naps on a cushion we put next to the patio door, so she could leave if she felt threatened. She had also been wanting to come in to eat as it got colder. I went up to my husband's flat Monday night, so it was just my son here. She came around at 9 PM for dinner and was pressing her head against the screen to come in. She ate and afterwards, starting sniffing about the immediate area--which was typical for her. Then, she decided to go downstairs, which is the furthest she had ever been in the house. The lights were off down there, so she started meowing. My son turned the lights on for her and she freaked out. She ran upstairs and under the couch, where she stayed for 3 hours. My son said she was meowing non-stop and he had tried to lure her out with cat nip and treats. He eventually got tired, so he moved the couch a little bit and she tried to go out the door. She jumped up on the screen and climbed to the top before jumping off. My son quickly opened the door for her and that was the last he'd seen of her. I hope she is OK where ever she is. We were just trying to help keep her warm when the temps started to dip. My son bought her a small house and filled it with straw, to keep her dry and warm throughout the winter. He really misses seeing her and he feels badly about what happened. I miss seeing her cute, little face, too.

Aww.....that's sad. I'm sorry she got scared. Maybe keep putting stuff outside where she can access it without coming in? She might come back but not be ready to come inside again yet?

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Oh, she definitely fancies herself the authority, which is odd as she has only lived here for about a year or so, and everyone else here has been here for over a decade. But whatever. She also seems to idolize America. "Oh, I want to go there so badly!! I hope next time you go back, you'll think of me and bring me some treats!" You want me to spend my money on treats for you, and then you treat me like this?? What kind of delusional, narcissistic doink are you?

Do us a favor and keep her there. We don't want her.

 

[Songbird76]

Do us a favor and keep her there. We don't want her.

How about somewhere else? I don't particularly want her here either.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

How about somewhere else? I don't particularly want her here either.

I hear they're recruiting for a one way Mars trip...

 

[Songbird76]

I hear they're recruiting for a one way Mars trip...

Would she qualify, though? Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus....

 

[Sans Souci]

Aww.....that's sad. I'm sorry she got scared. Maybe keep putting stuff outside where she can access it without coming in? She might come back but not be ready to come inside again yet?

I would keep stuff outside, but the raccoons would eat it. I keep having issues with them making their homes in my attic and no matter how many trees I get removed to prevent them from accessing the roof, they find a way in. They are so nervy, too. In the summer evenings, they would come over to my sliding door, stand on two legs and mooch like they were a couple of street urchins.

 

[Sans Souci]

Oh, she definitely fancies herself the authority, which is odd as she has only lived here for about a year or so, and everyone else here has been here for over a decade. But whatever. She also seems to idolize America. "Oh, I want to go there so badly!! I hope next time you go back, you'll think of me and bring me some treats!" You want me to spend my money on treats for you, and then you treat me like this?? What kind of delusional, narcissistic doink are you?

Think of her on your vacation and buy her treats? Yeah, make sure you get right on that.

 

[Sans Souci]

This was the same group who when I was trying to get in to get my knee checked out wouldn't let me book an appointment until I have a negative PCR test. Well, you can continue to test positive on a PCR test for months after having COVID. I ended up going to a different group, which ended up being fine because they work with athletes, including the Orioles and Ravens, so I figure they're probably better anyway given that this is technically a sports injury.

The next time I get an injury that requires physical therapy, I'm going to a sports medicine group. I once had an issue with my shoulder and I went to a PT who mostly worked with older people who are getting PT for a joint replacement. We would do mobility exercises and deep tissue massage and I asked her about doing overhead presses again and she said, "Don't do them." OK? I feel like if I went to a sports medicine group, someone would have created a plan for me to follow on my own time to get to a point where I could do overhead presses.

 

[Sans Souci]

Hello-

I am doing an eclectic mix of workouts, but mostly kettlebell.

Callie came back. I had a feeling she would, since she always wolfed down the food we gave her. I figured her stomach would lead her back. She was gone for a week, then she was waiting for us to get up one morning, then she stayed away for a few days and and now it seems got back into her regular schedule. It is like nothing ever happened. My son is very pleased.

Tomorrow is my son's 21st birthday and I have made his cake today. He wanted me to use this recipe from my MIL. I don't know what was wrong with me, but she wrote 'SR flour.' Obviously that's self rising flour, but it didn't register at the time. I thought it was shorthand for strong flour, which is bread flour in the UK. Anyway, I made the batter and as I was pouring it into the cake pans. I realized there was no leavening in it. THAT was when I realized that SR flour was self rising flour. I thought it was weird to put strong flour in a cake. So, my son and I had 2 very delicious chocolate pancakes and made another batch of cake batter. This time I added 1.5 tsp of baking powder and they rose nicely. I am going to frost it tomorrow.

 

[MinnieM123]

Hello-

I am doing an eclectic mix of workouts, but mostly kettlebell.

Callie came back. I had a feeling she would, since she always wolfed down the food we gave her. I figured her stomach would lead her back. She was gone for a week, then she was waiting for us to get up one morning, then she stayed away for a few days and and now it seems got back into her regular schedule. It is like nothing ever happened. My son is very pleased.

Tomorrow is my son's 21st birthday and I have made his cake today. He wanted me to use this recipe from my MIL. I don't know what was wrong with me, but she wrote 'SR flour.' Obviously that's self rising flour, but it didn't register at the time. I thought it was shorthand for strong flour, which is bread flour in the UK. Anyway, I made the batter and as I was pouring it into the cake pans. I realized there was no leavening in it. THAT was when I realized that SR flour was self rising flour. I thought it was weird to put strong flour in a cake. So, my son and I had 2 very delicious chocolate pancakes and made another batch of cake batter. This time I added 1.5 tsp of baking powder and they rose nicely. I am going to frost it tomorrow.

Happy birthday to your son.

Regardless of whether the cake rose up or not, I'm sure it was still delicious. I rarely ever bake, and never even heard of SR flour. Recipes I've followed in the past (if they weren't a cake mix, that is -- ) all called for leavening agents in the ingredients list.

 

[Songbird76]

I would keep stuff outside, but the raccoons would eat it. I keep having issues with them making their homes in my attic and no matter how many trees I get removed to prevent them from accessing the roof, they find a way in. They are so nervy, too. In the summer evenings, they would come over to my sliding door, stand on two legs and mooch like they were a couple of street urchins.

Wow! I've never really had any experience with raccoons, so that never occurred to me. I've seen videos where they go an steal food from pet dishes on the floor....just walk up and take a bunch and walk away. Greedy little suckers too. Have you ever seen the Mark Rober Squirrel Obstacle Courses he set up in his yard? They are really fun. Not quite raccoons, but a creative way to deal with pests!

Think of her on your vacation and buy her treats? Yeah, make sure you get right on that.

Right? I thought it was a weird request at the time. I mean, obviously she knows I'm American, but when I go back "home" I need the suitcase space to bring back stuff for ME. And maybe that's pretty selfish, but I only get back every few years....and it's about visiting my friends and family and doing things I miss, not about looking for treats for my neighbors. I mean, of course I bring back stuff for people I'm close to, but this was like the first or second time I had ever spoken to this neighbor and she's asking me to bring her treats from my vacation. Just a little....overly-familiar I guess. I've lived in between 2 Turkish families for 15 years, there's a lady accross the street from the Phillipines, one around the corner from Iran, another around the corner from Poland....we live in a largely multicultural neighborhood and I have never once asked any of my neighbors in all these years to bring me something back from their country. Even my friends from the language school....we have had birthday parties for our children, we've gotten together to catch up, I've never asked any of them to bring me something back from their vacations and they are close friends. I might ask for a recipe, but they don't need to be thinking about ME on their trip home to see their families. Just....so strange.

Hello-

I am doing an eclectic mix of workouts, but mostly kettlebell.

Callie came back. I had a feeling she would, since she always wolfed down the food we gave her. I figured her stomach would lead her back. She was gone for a week, then she was waiting for us to get up one morning, then she stayed away for a few days and and now it seems got back into her regular schedule. It is like nothing ever happened. My son is very pleased.

Tomorrow is my son's 21st birthday and I have made his cake today. He wanted me to use this recipe from my MIL. I don't know what was wrong with me, but she wrote 'SR flour.' Obviously that's self rising flour, but it didn't register at the time. I thought it was shorthand for strong flour, which is bread flour in the UK. Anyway, I made the batter and as I was pouring it into the cake pans. I realized there was no leavening in it. THAT was when I realized that SR flour was self rising flour. I thought it was weird to put strong flour in a cake. So, my son and I had 2 very delicious chocolate pancakes and made another batch of cake batter. This time I added 1.5 tsp of baking powder and they rose nicely. I am going to frost it tomorrow.

I'm glad for your son that Callie came back. What a great birthday gift for him!!

Baking mistakes happen. When I moved over here, I didn't know there were different kinds of flour. And hey, you got pancakes out of the deal, so I'd say it was a win!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Hello...just checking in. I've been trying to get in those mini workouts in my office when I can, but I've been so busy of late and pretty darn exhausted. I also overdid it one of the days and pulled my lower back the other week. Still, just doing what I can. I'm thinking of ditching my gym membership because I just don't have enough time to go to make it worth it. Not that my husband is going much either, but the times that they do go coincides with my older one's library volunteer shifts. He thinks I'm just making excuses, and maybe I am, but the idea of leaving the house around 4:30 to get her to the library by 5, turn around and make a 45 min drive to the gym, just to have to leave around 6:15-6:20 to drive back to the library to pick her up by 7...well, it just feels like too much. So, I just don't know.

At this point, I'm just trying to find little shreds of sanity in the madness, but it's hard when even what should be drama-free downtime has drama. We've got all of the usual kid stuff (softball/choir/school) and the extra kid stuff (trip to the opera/competition trip/concert/NHS stuff/social media mgmt), to crazy stuff (live scorpion in my VRBO bedroom, prepping for a bday and dealing with a nail in my tire for 200+ miles), I'm absolutely fried! Whew.