working out for Disney

[StarWarsGirl]

I live across the river from Philly, so there are a lot of UPenn-trained healthcare workers in my neck of the woods, which is what I find frustrating. I think the issue I am/was running into is I was looking for a specific type of therapist. I was looking for a trauma-informed therapist. They are not as plentiful as regular therapists, because it's additional training and not everyone wants to do it. I know there are websites like BetterHelp, but I worry about those being sketchy.

BetterHelp doesn't take insurance, which is frustrating because with my insurance, my visits are $20 instead of $140.

I looked up UPenn in US News and World. They're excellent; Hopkins is a little better overall, though. Specifically in psychiatry. UPenn doesn't rank while Hopkins is #4 in the nation. According to US News and World that is. They've also ranked Hopkins the #1 overall hospital in the US for 21 years in a row. It definitely has an impact because we have several other hospitals that are also very good. One of the big reasons I've chosen to stay in Maryland in spite of the terrible allergies and the seasonal affective disorder is because of the healthcare here. I was especially grateful when I had my thyroid out. A Hopkins doctor did it, and apparently, they're some of the best in the world at that procedure. Other people have ended up with terrible scars across their neck, along with other complications from surgery like damaged vocal chords and damaged parathyroid glands, which impacts your calcium levels. I had none of that, and you can't even see my scar.

But now I'm really off on a tangent here.

I understand the frustration with finding a trauma therapist. It took a longggg time for us to get my brother with a therapist who works with autism patients. They're even more difficult to find.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I have depression and anxiety as well and I, too, take meds. I have talked about it in this thread here and there. I use a light box in the winter, etc. Mental health and addiction run in my family as well. I don't judge people for having depression or any other mental illness. I do feel safe talking to certain people in my life, but not everyone is understanding and empathetic. I get a lot of, "Don't be depressed--pull yourself up by your bootstraps" or "There is no reason for you to be depressed." There was someone this very message board who belittled people with depression back in Sept and I tried explaining to him that it doesn't mean you're "soft" if you have depression. He posted something back. I didn't engage, some people aren't worth the effort. I was on vacation at the time and I'd just gotten over COVID. I just wanted to have a pleasant vacation. People don't understand that you can have what appears to be a good life and still have depression. I do what I can to keep it at bay. About 90% of the reason I workout is for my mental health.

I've had people tell me that I'm faking my asthma for attention. To my face. One of those people was an ER doctor. At this point in my life, I don't give a rat's behind about what Internet strangers think about my mental health, my asthma, or whether or not they think it's real. It's not going to stop me from educating others. I'm not going to let stupid people have control over me. And as far as people like that poster who said you're "soft" if you have depression, I wouldn't have engaged. People like that are just looking for a fight. Not worth it, as you said.

 

[Lilofan]

I have depression and anxiety as well and I, too, take meds. I have talked about it in this thread here and there. I use a light box in the winter, etc. Mental health and addiction run in my family as well. I don't judge people for having depression or any other mental illness. I do feel safe talking to certain people in my life, but not everyone is understanding and empathetic. I get a lot of, "Don't be depressed--pull yourself up by your bootstraps" or "There is no reason for you to be depressed." There was someone this very message board who belittled people with depression back in Sept and I tried explaining to him that it doesn't mean you're "soft" if you have depression. He posted something back. I didn't engage, some people aren't worth the effort. I was on vacation at the time and I'd just gotten over COVID. I just wanted to have a pleasant vacation. People don't understand that you can have what appears to be a good life and still have depression. I do what I can to keep it at bay. About 90% of the reason I workout is for my mental health.

Working out whether one has mental health issues or not is very beneficial for all that are able to work out I believe. It makes my mind more clear to start the day and tackle the adventures of the day. Getting off my butt to get moving works wonders for me. I was obese, lazy and unmotivated back in the day. When I saw my bloodwork numbers that scared me straight and I knew I had to change my lifestyle.

 

[Sans Souci]

Good morning-

Checking in with a leg/glute workout. I used my new piece of equipment, again.

My husband's work trip to Tampa was cancelled. Thankfully, I had a flight on 24 hour hold the same day they canceled the trip; otherwise I'd be eating that cost or possibly receiving credit...but I'd rather have that money in my pocket. I was meh about going anyway.

I'm hoping to get out for a walk today. It's wet outside, but I think it's supposed to clear up.

 

[Songbird76]

I have depression and anxiety as well and I, too, take meds. I have talked about it in this thread here and there. I use a light box in the winter, etc. Mental health and addiction run in my family as well. I don't judge people for having depression or any other mental illness. I do feel safe talking to certain people in my life, but not everyone is understanding and empathetic. I get a lot of, "Don't be depressed--pull yourself up by your bootstraps" or "There is no reason for you to be depressed." There was someone this very message board who belittled people with depression back in Sept and I tried explaining to him that it doesn't mean you're "soft" if you have depression. He posted something back. I didn't engage, some people aren't worth the effort. I was on vacation at the time and I'd just gotten over COVID. I just wanted to have a pleasant vacation. People don't understand that you can have what appears to be a good life and still have depression. I do what I can to keep it at bay. About 90% of the reason I workout is for my mental health.

I think that's the issue...people who have never struggled with that think it's just about being sad, or that you are weak because you should just be able to get over things and move on. But these are people who have never experienced it. It's like with misoginy or racism....people who have never been the object of discrimination don't understand how it affects a person. Like the thing with men getting mad that a woman got a job, or a minority got admitted to a good college, and they say "That person stole my spot!" Well, what made you think it was yours? Maybe you DID deserve it, but that doesn't mean that the person who got it DIDN'T deserve it, or that they didn't deserve it as much. But when you've never experienced the discrimination, it's hard to imagine what it's like. I've noticed that my husband needs to experience something himself to "get it". Like, when my daughter was a baby, he came home from work one day just as I was putting her in the play pen so I could go to the bathroom, and he was like "Oh....ok....nevermind. I'll wait." And I was like "What? Wait for what?" And he says "I need to go to the bathroom too. But you can go first." And I said "But we have two bathrooms....why don't you just go upstairs?" And he says "Well I don't want to leave E alone, so I'll wait." And I said "What do you think I do during the day when you're at work and I have to go to the bathroom? Do you think I hold it all day until you get home? She's been alone before....otherwise how would I ever shower or anything? She'll be fine." And he says "I never thought about it...it never occured to me." He had never given a thought to what it was like for me as a stay-at-home-mom and how I handled everything with the baby and all the other responsibilities/claims on my time. He wasn't experiencing it, so he didn't understand. And that's why he gets frustrated with me because of my anxiety and such....he doesn't experience it. He's completely confident. He's always been told he's going a good job, people are proud of him, he's smart, etc. I have always been told I'm not good enough, I need to change, I'm doing it wrong. And it doesn't matter that HE doesn't think I'm doing it wrong or that I'm incompetent, I'm PROGRAMMED to think or to at least question myself. The "What if?" or "what does he really think? He SAYS it's fine, but is it really, or is he going to be mad at me later?" And he says that I treat him like he's an a-hole even though he's not. That I'm projecting that onto him when that's not what he's thinking. But I feel like really, it's kind of a lack of empathy on his part. He has no experience with anxiety, so he doesn't know how that feels, and he doesn't think he should have to try not to trigger it. People who don't experience depression or anxiety seem to think they shouldn't have to deal with it because it's YOUR issue and therefore not their responsibility.

 

[Songbird76]

Good morning-

Checking in with a leg/glute workout. I used my new piece of equipment, again.

My husband's work trip to Tampa was cancelled. Thankfully, I had a flight on 24 hour hold the same day they canceled the trip; otherwise I'd be eating that cost or possibly receiving credit...but I'd rather have that money in my pocket. I was meh about going anyway.

I'm hoping to get out for a walk today. It's wet outside, but I think it's supposed to clear up.

I'm glad it's not super disappointing. I'm sure it would have been nice for you to get some sun, but it didn't sound like you were really looking forward to it that much. Do you do the thing (I do this ALL the time) where you kind of try to MAKE yourself get excited about something that you think you SHOULD do, even though it's not what you really WANT to do, so you work yourself up and convince yourself it IS what you want, and then when it falls through, you realize it's actually kind of a relief because you didn't really want to do it in the first place? I have a habit of that.

Like...I started a new job in November, and it wasn't really what I wanted, but I only got called for interviews for three of the jobs I applied to, and one of those three, the person who was supposed to interview me didn't even show up to the interview, and one of them didn't go well and he treated me like I was an idiot and he was obviously never going to even consider me for the position. So that left me with the other option, and I convinced myself that I was really excited about it because I felt like I needed a job. I honestly probably should have waited longer and kept looking, but I felt like I was in a hurry and didn't want to be without a job at all. So I took the job, and I had told the boss that I was looking for a job where I could stay, and wouldn't be looking for a new job again in 6 months or a year, and that's what she was looking for too....she was tired of training people only to have them leave right after that. But I ended up really not liking the job. The work was mostly fine, but I didn't like several of my coworkers because they tried to pretend they were in charge of me, and the boss had hired so many new people for the busy season that she didn't have the time to adequately train me. So I was the only one who didn't have the permissions in the system to do things like take returns, or give employee discounts, or take the register out at the end of the day to count money. There were people who had only worked there 2 weeks longer than me and they could do all those things, but I couldn't. And they were treating me like I didn't know what I was doing in my job because I didn't have those permissions yet. It just wasn't fun. My boss would ask me to do something, and I'd remind her that she hadn't taught me to do that yet, or that I didn't have the permissions for it yet, and instead of saying "Oh I'm sorry! Let's go do that!" or "Let's fix that", she'd say "Oh nevermind" in such a way that was like "How have you worked here for 2 months and still don't know how to do this?" like it was my fault. But I felt like I couldn't quit because I had said I didn't want to have to go through the job application process again and I had made a big deal out of wanting a steady job. Now, there's all this drama going on at my job, and nearly everyone has left or is looking for new jobs. I mean, I absolutely hate having to go through it again, looking for something, but it's the perfect excuse to get out of a position where I really wasn't happy. And I had applied for several places, and the ONLY one that I heard from was Aldi. I got through the interview and they called for a test day, and I did the thing and I was all excited even though it didn't really sound like it was entirely my thing...I'd really rather just work at the register, but there, they do EVERYTHING...they bake the bread, they clean the store, they stock the store, they work the register, etc....but it was my only prospect, so I convinced myself it was perfect. I worked my tail off and was ACHING by the end of that test run, and then the guy told me he thought it was probably too much for me physically because my knees are shot. And it was actually kind of a relief, because I really didn't want to have to do that stuff every day. Though now I'm back to square one and have no prospects. Though the new manager at my job is really happy...he desperately wants me to stay, and he's trained me to do all the things I couldn't do, and he gave me the permissions, but I think that's more because nearly everyone else has already quit and I'm the only one he has left than that he actually thinks I'm amazing at the job. And it's still not my favorite job, nor am I confident that the job will still be there in a year, but at least for now, I have a paycheck while I look for something. I just need to not do the thing.

All this to say, I understand being "meh" about something. I just wondered if you do the thing, too, or if that's just me. I know I'm kind of weird.

 

[Sans Souci]

I'm glad it's not super disappointing. I'm sure it would have been nice for you to get some sun, but it didn't sound like you were really looking forward to it that much. Do you do the thing (I do this ALL the time) where you kind of try to MAKE yourself get excited about something that you think you SHOULD do, even though it's not what you really WANT to do, so you work yourself up and convince yourself it IS what you want, and then when it falls through, you realize it's actually kind of a relief because you didn't really want to do it in the first place? I have a habit of that.

Like...I started a new job in November, and it wasn't really what I wanted, but I only got called for interviews for three of the jobs I applied to, and one of those three, the person who was supposed to interview me didn't even show up to the interview, and one of them didn't go well and he treated me like I was an idiot and he was obviously never going to even consider me for the position. So that left me with the other option, and I convinced myself that I was really excited about it because I felt like I needed a job. I honestly probably should have waited longer and kept looking, but I felt like I was in a hurry and didn't want to be without a job at all. So I took the job, and I had told the boss that I was looking for a job where I could stay, and wouldn't be looking for a new job again in 6 months or a year, and that's what she was looking for too....she was tired of training people only to have them leave right after that. But I ended up really not liking the job. The work was mostly fine, but I didn't like several of my coworkers because they tried to pretend they were in charge of me, and the boss had hired so many new people for the busy season that she didn't have the time to adequately train me. So I was the only one who didn't have the permissions in the system to do things like take returns, or give employee discounts, or take the register out at the end of the day to count money. There were people who had only worked there 2 weeks longer than me and they could do all those things, but I couldn't. And they were treating me like I didn't know what I was doing in my job because I didn't have those permissions yet. It just wasn't fun. My boss would ask me to do something, and I'd remind her that she hadn't taught me to do that yet, or that I didn't have the permissions for it yet, and instead of saying "Oh I'm sorry! Let's go do that!" or "Let's fix that", she'd say "Oh nevermind" in such a way that was like "How have you worked here for 2 months and still don't know how to do this?" like it was my fault. But I felt like I couldn't quit because I had said I didn't want to have to go through the job application process again and I had made a big deal out of wanting a steady job. Now, there's all this drama going on at my job, and nearly everyone has left or is looking for new jobs. I mean, I absolutely hate having to go through it again, looking for something, but it's the perfect excuse to get out of a position where I really wasn't happy. And I had applied for several places, and the ONLY one that I heard from was Aldi. I got through the interview and they called for a test day, and I did the thing and I was all excited even though it didn't really sound like it was entirely my thing...I'd really rather just work at the register, but there, they do EVERYTHING...they bake the bread, they clean the store, they stock the store, they work the register, etc....but it was my only prospect, so I convinced myself it was perfect. I worked my tail off and was ACHING by the end of that test run, and then the guy told me he thought it was probably too much for me physically because my knees are shot. And it was actually kind of a relief, because I really didn't want to have to do that stuff every day. Though now I'm back to square one and have no prospects. Though the new manager at my job is really happy...he desperately wants me to stay, and he's trained me to do all the things I couldn't do, and he gave me the permissions, but I think that's more because nearly everyone else has already quit and I'm the only one he has left than that he actually thinks I'm amazing at the job. And it's still not my favorite job, nor am I confident that the job will still be there in a year, but at least for now, I have a paycheck while I look for something. I just need to not do the thing.

All this to say, I understand being "meh" about something. I just wondered if you do the thing, too, or if that's just me. I know I'm kind of weird.

Yes. The most recent example I can think of is my quest to get a flight attendant position. I did that year before COVID hit and once things stabilized after the worst of it, the airlines started hiring again. I was meh about reapplying, because it's honestly a time suck. I couldn't be bothered to prep for the video group interview. I did the interview and knew it wasn't going to happen for me--and it didn't. Out of the blue, months later, I got an invite to interview and I hadn't even applied. I set up an interview time and as I got closer to the day, I just thought, "No. I am not feeling this." and I withdrew my application. So many things when into that decision. It is a time and money suck. I made sure to get my hair and nails done prior to the face to face interview. It's traveling 4 hours to Dallas and 4 hours back. It's the half-day interviews with the stupid "icebreaker' where they watch your every move and do things like evaluate your gait. But it was also how people are behaving on flights post-pandemic. It's like we've devolved as humans. I don't wish to get punched in the face and lose teeth. People are trying to open emergency exit doors in flight. It's become more about baby sitting people who don't know how to behave anymore and less about customer service and keeping passengers safe. So, yes, I was applying for a job I wasn't sure I wanted anymore and was relived when it didn't work out for me.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Good morning! I wanted to check in. I had been doing really well, but the last week or so hasn't been good for workouts. We had some issues come up with Sam's health and the coaches. I swear...I feel like I'm nothing but issues! I'll spare you the novel, but the coaches have made it clear that their philosophy is to heck with the mandatory code of ethics and win at any cost. In other words, our kids are disposable. Sam is now out for at least 6 weeks due to cartilage damage in one knee and tendon damage in both. How we got to this point is a very long and deceit filled story. Apparently, safeguarding your kid's health is an act of selfishness and we should feel guilty for not being willing to destroy her physically. Sam also isn't the only kid being hurt by their gross incompetence and ignorance. We have not escalated it at this point because we're learning that this is the norm and we need to play our cards very carefully in this matter.

So, no real workouts for the last week or so, but for the part where I was in town, my eating was cut way back due to the stress. I know, not the healthiest of approaches, but operating in a calorie deficit for a short period while physical activity is limited has to be better than stress eating, right? K and I traveled to Arizona for a very short trip, so that became my physical activity over the last few days. Walking Houston's big airport and the one in Phoenix has to count for something! We also walked two college campuses during our short trip and popped into Saguaro National Park on Friday which added some extra walking to the day. I'll share some pics at the end. I'm hoping to get back into biking later on today. Oh yea... While K came away disliking both UofA and ASU, we finally have a decision! I don't want to announce anything though until we go back over her paperwork and make it official.

On a side note, I saw some of the mental health posts. Several years ago, I tried finding someone for K. Our pediatrician gave us several recommendations, but none of them could work us in for a visit in a timely manner. She had issues she wanted to discuss right then, but the soonest appointment we could get was nearly 2 months out. I had digital options through my employer that we could have seen right away, but she wanted something in person. It was right after things had started opening back up from the Covid closures and she really needed human face-to-face time.

 

[Sans Souci]

Good morning

I ditched the program I was doing. The workouts were too long for me. I was dreading the workouts. I was procrastinating starting my work out and I am not a procrastinator. So, I did a 40 min full body workout this AM. I am feeling energized, instead of depleted.

I made a really good Korean-Italian fusion pasta dish last night. It was so good. My husband inhaled it and I wasn't sure he'd like it. Here is the recipe if anyone is looking for something simple to make, but different for dinner https://aaronandclaire.com/creamy-kimchi-pasta/

Callie has started coming towards me after she eats indoors. I was sitting about 5 ft away (on raccoon patrol) and I was talking to her. She slow blinked and walked to my hand when I held it out. I was scratching her chin and the area between her shoulder blades. She was purring and kneading. She was giving me lots of head bumps, too . I think she appreciates what we're doing for her on some level. I am glad she came up to my patio door that first time, she lifts my spirits when I see her.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Good morning! I wanted to check in. I had been doing really well, but the last week or so hasn't been good for workouts. We had some issues come up with Sam's health and the coaches. I swear...I feel like I'm nothing but issues! I'll spare you the novel, but the coaches have made it clear that their philosophy is to heck with the mandatory code of ethics and win at any cost. In other words, our kids are disposable. Sam is now out for at least 6 weeks due to cartilage damage in one knee and tendon damage in both. How we got to this point is a very long and deceit filled story. Apparently, safeguarding your kid's health is an act of selfishness and we should feel guilty for not being willing to destroy her physically. Sam also isn't the only kid being hurt by their gross incompetence and ignorance. We have not escalated it at this point because we're learning that this is the norm and we need to play our cards very carefully in this matter.

So, no real workouts for the last week or so, but for the part where I was in town, my eating was cut way back due to the stress. I know, not the healthiest of approaches, but operating in a calorie deficit for a short period while physical activity is limited has to be better than stress eating, right? K and I traveled to Arizona for a very short trip, so that became my physical activity over the last few days. Walking Houston's big airport and the one in Phoenix has to count for something! We also walked two college campuses during our short trip and popped into Saguaro National Park on Friday which added some extra walking to the day. I'll share some pics at the end. I'm hoping to get back into biking later on today. Oh yea... While K came away disliking both UofA and ASU, we finally have a decision! I don't want to announce anything though until we go back over her paperwork and make it official.

On a side note, I saw some of the mental health posts. Several years ago, I tried finding someone for K. Our pediatrician gave us several recommendations, but none of them could work us in for a visit in a timely manner. She had issues she wanted to discuss right then, but the soonest appointment we could get was nearly 2 months out. I had digital options through my employer that we could have seen right away, but she wanted something in person. It was right after things had started opening back up from the Covid closures and she really needed human face-to-face time.

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Ouch to the knees! Having one bad knee was bad enough; I can't imagine having both knees!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Yes. The most recent example I can think of is my quest to get a flight attendant position. I did that year before COVID hit and once things stabilized after the worst of it, the airlines started hiring again. I was meh about reapplying, because it's honestly a time suck. I couldn't be bothered to prep for the video group interview. I did the interview and knew it wasn't going to happen for me--and it didn't. Out of the blue, months later, I got an invite to interview and I hadn't even applied. I set up an interview time and as I got closer to the day, I just thought, "No. I am not feeling this." and I withdrew my application. So many things when into that decision. It is a time and money suck. I made sure to get my hair and nails done prior to the face to face interview. It's traveling 4 hours to Dallas and 4 hours back. It's the half-day interviews with the stupid "icebreaker' where they watch your every move and do things like evaluate your gait. But it was also how people are behaving on flights post-pandemic. It's like we've devolved as humans. I don't wish to get punched in the face and lose teeth. People are trying to open emergency exit doors in flight. It's become more about baby sitting people who don't know how to behave anymore and less about customer service and keeping passengers safe. So, yes, I was applying for a job I wasn't sure I wanted anymore and was relived when it didn't work out for me.

I felt the worst for FAs during the pandemic when they were having to enforce the mask regulations. It was a federal law, yet the amount of people who didn't want to comply was just insane. I had one flight where the woman next to me kept pulling down her mask when the FA would walk away, and then she'd fall asleep. I pushed the call button and the FA would come over, see the woman, and ask her to put her mask back up, and the woman would do it, only to pull it back down as soon as she walked away. Then, I'd call her again, and she'd tell the woman again. I think by about the third time the woman finally got the point. After the flight, the FA (who was only about my age) and I were rolling our eyes together at that woman.

I saw a video of a FA who was explaining to people that it is not the job of an FA to help people show their bags in an overhead compartment. I am only five feet tall and have never expected this of an FA. I can usually get the bag in myself, but if I have trouble, there is usually another passenger around willing to help. They have other things to do when people are boarding besides stowing luggage, but apparently people will leave their luggage in the aisles and be like "oh, let the FAs get that."

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Ouch to the knees! Having one bad knee was bad enough; I can't imagine having both knees!

We're really hoping for a full recovery. She's doing all of her stretches/exercises, icing, rest, and compression. The school trainers are also able to do red light therapy. It's amazing how much damage two clueless coaches can do in an evening. At this point, she's just hoping to regain her speed and agility.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

We're really hoping for a full recovery. She's doing all of her stretches/exercises, icing, rest, and compression. The school trainers are also able to do red light therapy. It's amazing how much damage two clueless coaches can do in an evening. At this point, she's just hoping to regain her speed and agility.

That's good, although sitting in school all day has to be rough. That was the worst for me, having it bent 90 degrees. I bought a gaming chair with a footrest, and even now, that's still the most comfortable way to sit.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

That's good, although sitting in school all day has to be rough. That was the worst for me, having it bent 90 degrees. I bought a gaming chair with a footrest, and even now, that's still the most comfortable way to sit.

I'm guessing she's found ways to get comfortable during the day. Walking in between classes has also helped. She seems quite fond the knee compression sleeves I got her, so that may also be part of the added comfort. I do understand where you're coming from though. I didn't pay for extra legroom on our flight to AZ. K has knee issues and sitting like that for 3 hours was pretty miserable.

 

[Sans Souci]

Good morning! I wanted to check in. I had been doing really well, but the last week or so hasn't been good for workouts. We had some issues come up with Sam's health and the coaches. I swear...I feel like I'm nothing but issues! I'll spare you the novel, but the coaches have made it clear that their philosophy is to heck with the mandatory code of ethics and win at any cost. In other words, our kids are disposable. Sam is now out for at least 6 weeks due to cartilage damage in one knee and tendon damage in both. How we got to this point is a very long and deceit filled story. Apparently, safeguarding your kid's health is an act of selfishness and we should feel guilty for not being willing to destroy her physically. Sam also isn't the only kid being hurt by their gross incompetence and ignorance. We have not escalated it at this point because we're learning that this is the norm and we need to play our cards very carefully in this matter.

So, no real workouts for the last week or so, but for the part where I was in town, my eating was cut way back due to the stress. I know, not the healthiest of approaches, but operating in a calorie deficit for a short period while physical activity is limited has to be better than stress eating, right? K and I traveled to Arizona for a very short trip, so that became my physical activity over the last few days. Walking Houston's big airport and the one in Phoenix has to count for something! We also walked two college campuses during our short trip and popped into Saguaro National Park on Friday which added some extra walking to the day. I'll share some pics at the end. I'm hoping to get back into biking later on today. Oh yea... While K came away disliking both UofA and ASU, we finally have a decision! I don't want to announce anything though until we go back over her paperwork and make it official.

On a side note, I saw some of the mental health posts. Several years ago, I tried finding someone for K. Our pediatrician gave us several recommendations, but none of them could work us in for a visit in a timely manner. She had issues she wanted to discuss right then, but the soonest appointment we could get was nearly 2 months out. I had digital options through my employer that we could have seen right away, but she wanted something in person. It was right after things had started opening back up from the Covid closures and she really needed human face-to-face time.

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Good grief. That's ridiculous about those coaches. They sound like they are in it for their "winning reputations" and like you said, making the girls play without regard to injuries to win. This is softball, right? Did these coaches go after you for pulling Sam out? What were they even doing that caused these injuries to Sam and other players.

I started out going to ASU. I had a medical issue that caused me to withdraw for a semester and then I went back. I really didn't like it. I loved living in Tempe/Phoenix, though. It's a very large, party-centric school. I knew that going in, but I thought I could work with it. So many of my classes were in large lecture halls with multiple TAs per class. I did not return to school to finish my psych degree until about 10 years later, after I got married and had my son. Fun times. I went to a smallish Jesuit university with small classes few blocks away from the apartment we were renting and it felt like such a better fit for me. Even though it was a Jesuit school, it was pretty diverse. There was a Hillel International chapter on campus, there were prayer rooms for Muslim students and organizations for Hindu students. I liked that, because it led to great in-class discussions.

I prefer to see a therapist in person, too. I need to see the body language when I am talking. It's part of my evaluation of a therapist. If I see lots of crossed arms, pursed lips, jaw tension when I am speaking, it's not going to work. I am seeing someone who is not open or not believing what I am saying.

 

[Sans Souci]

I felt the worst for FAs during the pandemic when they were having to enforce the mask regulations. It was a federal law, yet the amount of people who didn't want to comply was just insane. I had one flight where the woman next to me kept pulling down her mask when the FA would walk away, and then she'd fall asleep. I pushed the call button and the FA would come over, see the woman, and ask her to put her mask back up, and the woman would do it, only to pull it back down as soon as she walked away. Then, I'd call her again, and she'd tell the woman again. I think by about the third time the woman finally got the point. After the flight, the FA (who was only about my age) and I were rolling our eyes together at that woman.

I saw a video of a FA who was explaining to people that it is not the job of an FA to help people show their bags in an overhead compartment. I am only five feet tall and have never expected this of an FA. I can usually get the bag in myself, but if I have trouble, there is usually another passenger around willing to help. They have other things to do when people are boarding besides stowing luggage, but apparently people will leave their luggage in the aisles and be like "oh, let the FAs get that."

I think it was on a Southwest flight that a woman repeatedly punched a flight attendant because she kept asking her to put her mask up. This is the flight attendant who had some teeth knocked out of her skull. I don't know if these people are aware that assaulting a FA is a federal offense? IIRC, this woman got a serious fine and some jail time. I would hope she is on the No Fly list. There is no excuse for assaulting a FA who is trying to follow a federal mask mandate.

Yeah, the FAs do not get worker's comp if they get injured putting a passenger's bag in the overhead bin. I try to help when I can, because I'm 5'8'', but on some of the wide body aircraft, it's even an issue for me.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I'm guessing she's found ways to get comfortable during the day. Walking in between classes has also helped. She seems quite fond the knee compression sleeves I got her, so that may also be part of the added comfort. I do understand where you're coming from though. I didn't pay for extra legroom on our flight to AZ. K has knee issues and sitting like that for 3 hours was pretty miserable.

I paid for upgrades when I flew to Hawaii and I had a bad knee. It was expensive but worth it. I'm not sure what I did for BWI to Houston, but from Houston to HNL I paid for United's premier plus, which is basically like regular first class. Their first class was lay flat seating. It was like $250 and so worth it. It also paid for my bags on there plus they fed me twice and they provided alcohol, so I felt it was worth it. And my knee was happier.

Yeah, those compression sleeves never worked for me. My legs are so short that they don't hit me correctly; they just dig into my skin. The best braces I found were off of Amazon. I can imagine walking around during the day helps too.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I think it was on a Southwest flight that a woman repeatedly punched a flight attendant because she kept asking her to put her mask up. This is the flight attendant who had some teeth knocked out of her skull. I don't know if these people are aware that assaulting a FA is a federal offense? IIRC, this woman got a serious fine and some jail time. I would hope she is on the No Fly list. There is no excuse for assaulting a FA who is trying to follow a federal mask mandate.

Yeah, the FAs do not get worker's comp if they get injured putting a passenger's bag in the overhead bin. I try to help when I can, because I'm 5'8'', but on some of the wide body aircraft, it's even an issue for me.

It's sad because, at least from what I've observed, the vast majority of passengers are polite, but it's the few who are making life difficult for these FAs. And they were probably bad before COVID but are now worse.

And the thing is that most FAs genuinely want to be helpful. Last time I was on a flight, I got very dehydrated. Ever since I lost my thyroid, it seems like I need about twice the amount to drink as a normal person. And then suddenly I'll be like "oops, dehydrated" even though I wasn't feeling thirsty. I'd had a lot to drink before the flight (water, not alcohol) but got on and it was like, oops, I'm dehydrated. I asked the FA to bring me the entire can of water. He quickly realized I was dehydrated. That man brought me four cans of water in an hour and a half flight. I sent Southwest a note saying he went above and beyond.

The only time a FA has ever helped with my bag was right after I broke my finger. I had done it in SC, and I was getting onto the plane with my 80 something grandmother. I had crashed a bike; that was how I broke the finger and mangled my knee. I was all bruised up. One of the male FAs helped with my one bag. It was appreciated, but certainly not expected. I would have gotten another passenger to help had the FA not helped. But it was clearly something he only did because I was visibly recently injured and also responsible for an elderly grandparent. I flew twice more with it after it was fixed surgically. The one flight another passenger helped me, and the other flight I was with my parents.

 

[Songbird76]

Good morning! I wanted to check in. I had been doing really well, but the last week or so hasn't been good for workouts. We had some issues come up with Sam's health and the coaches. I swear...I feel like I'm nothing but issues! I'll spare you the novel, but the coaches have made it clear that their philosophy is to heck with the mandatory code of ethics and win at any cost. In other words, our kids are disposable. Sam is now out for at least 6 weeks due to cartilage damage in one knee and tendon damage in both. How we got to this point is a very long and deceit filled story. Apparently, safeguarding your kid's health is an act of selfishness and we should feel guilty for not being willing to destroy her physically. Sam also isn't the only kid being hurt by their gross incompetence and ignorance. We have not escalated it at this point because we're learning that this is the norm and we need to play our cards very carefully in this matter.

So, no real workouts for the last week or so, but for the part where I was in town, my eating was cut way back due to the stress. I know, not the healthiest of approaches, but operating in a calorie deficit for a short period while physical activity is limited has to be better than stress eating, right? K and I traveled to Arizona for a very short trip, so that became my physical activity over the last few days. Walking Houston's big airport and the one in Phoenix has to count for something! We also walked two college campuses during our short trip and popped into Saguaro National Park on Friday which added some extra walking to the day. I'll share some pics at the end. I'm hoping to get back into biking later on today. Oh yea... While K came away disliking both UofA and ASU, we finally have a decision! I don't want to announce anything though until we go back over her paperwork and make it official.

On a side note, I saw some of the mental health posts. Several years ago, I tried finding someone for K. Our pediatrician gave us several recommendations, but none of them could work us in for a visit in a timely manner. She had issues she wanted to discuss right then, but the soonest appointment we could get was nearly 2 months out. I had digital options through my employer that we could have seen right away, but she wanted something in person. It was right after things had started opening back up from the Covid closures and she really needed human face-to-face time.

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Congrats on K having made a decision on college! That's exciting! Too bad she didn't like the two schools, but if it helped narrow it down, that's probably a good thing!

And I'm so sorry about Sam's injuries. What is it with the world thinking everyone is expendable as long as THEY benefit from it? That's the same problem I had with Aldi. In the end, they expect you to kill your body to get the work done faster. It's not healthy!!

 

[Songbird76]

I've been having a really hard time getting in my exercise. The weather is NOT cooperating for me to get outside, and our overly stuffed house with all the stuff we have cleaned out of my in-laws' house, plus the stuff we had to move for our own renovations means I can't do anything INSIDE. I used to get a good workout just going to work, but this job isn't far enough to really give me the bike ride, and while I'm on my feet all day, I'm not getting my steps in. I'll probably be switching jobs in the near future, but we'll see. I have an interview on Saturday for a store I shop at sometimes. They are a German company and they sell clothes, including larger sizes, and a bunch of household stuff like baking pans and storage containers, a few toys, etc. I also applied to a store I worked at YEARS ago and liked, and a sort of discount store that sells a little of everything. Hygiene/beauty products, kitchen products, novelty, party decorations, jewelry...but it's almost next door to where I work now, so probably wouldn't help a whole lot in the exercise department. Actually none of these would. I may have to start going out in the evening to walk, but I don't want to be walking in a wooded area in the dark.

We are also not eating as well as we used to. I work until 6 or 8 pm, depending on the night, E doesn't get out of school until 5:00 three nights a week, and my husband works until 5 every day. A has tennis and chess on nights I usually work, so we don't even get to eat together because he has to eat before I get home from work. But none of us get home early enough to go grocery shopping and cook a good healthy meal, and we keep having to eat seperately anyway because something comes up, like my husband has to go over to his parents' house to move a piece of furniture to their nursing home, or pack up the rest of their clothes, or a cousin is picking up the quilting supplies we won't use, and my daughter has a school thing she has to go to, like her friends have a music program, or there's exam training that's mandatory. Our schedules are just so wonky right now and I'm feeling so drained.