So... I've been neglectful of my site here, going far too long between
entries...
I always mean to write more frequently. No, not daily, not day after day without missing, but three or four times a week... Ah, but Robert Burns has told us about that: The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley,
In a typical day, I probably make comments at half a dozen places on the
Internet, comments that together contain more words than would make up
one or two postings here. Maybe that makes me feel as if I have communicated?
Plus -- I tend to be busy with a whole bunch of stuff -- including, of
course, actual work. Oh, in theory I should only be putting in three days
a week now (because of my employer's "transition to retirement"
program). Well, I've been trying to be more methodical about it this year.
That was supposed to be what I did during the second half of last year
but I had slipped so far behind in taking days off that I ended up taking
off the last six weeks or so of the year. (Of course that fit in nicely
with my foot surgery, but since I work from home anyway, after the first
post-op week I was sufficiently mobile with my crutches that I could have
resumed working... but I had to use up those days off.)
This year I have made a point of taking every Friday off. I also began
to add a second day off each week as often as I could. This month there
was a surge of extra work that kept me from being able to have that second
day off, but I think from now on I will be able to do that most weeks.
But I am also busy with other stuff -- such as the various webpages I do
for local groups -- and also some activities with these groups. For example,
working the historical society table (signing up new members, etc.) at
public events (this being the 125th anniversary of the Town of Narraganset
-- which, until 1888, had been part of the Town of South Kingstown). And,
in a few minutes, I have to go to attend what I think will be an interesting
presentation on the history of railroads in Rhode Island -- and I have
to be there early because I am going to be trying to get people to sign
a petition about preserving a recently discovered pre-European contact
village site.
And my attempt at getting a bit of physical fitness is becoming more serious
(and more time-consuming). Actually, I've been pretty good about getting
in my "daily" workouts -- averaging five workouts per week. When
I say "more serious" I mean I think I really am going to attempt
a triathlon this summer (no, not an "iron man" -- just a "sprint"
triathlon: quarter mile swim, 11 mile bike ride, 5K run) and have even
been working with a fitness coach at our local YMCA.
I have now managed to swim a quarter of a mile in the Y pool -- of course
that does not mean in one long swim -- it means I have been able during
the course of one session to swim enough 50 or 100 yard increments that
add up to that total distance -- and have been doing it a couple of times
each week. I've got four months to work on doing four or five hundred yards
non-stop.
And, of course, I can ride a bike I have done that distance on an indoor
exercise bike several times in the past month. (And yesterday Jill and
I did an 8 mile ride on the local bike path -- brrrrr!) Not saying that
I can beat anyone in bike race, but at least I can cover that much distance.
What I've not been able to do is to run. I did get in a half mile slow
jog outdoors, but it did not feel comfortable. I'm thinking that I should
do my walking/jogging on a treadmill at the Y because it is a much more
"giving" (and "forgiving") surface than a street. I'm
hoping that will let me begin to slowly work my way up to a mile, mile
and a half, two miles, etc. -- and maybe by then we will have nice mild
spring weather and my foot will have adjusted to running.
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