What I'm Reading This Week #2

Hello all and happy Friday to you!  We have been settling back into our routine after traveling for the holidays this year.  Of course we miss Vermont and are always hoping for a rich distant relative who thought of us fondly to leave us enough riches to buy a house there.  Sounds totally reasonable right?  I just want 10 acres for us in a 1600 sq ft home with a walled garden where we keep fit chopping wood, mowing the lawn and hiking.  You guys can come visit.  I'll make you homemade jam.  😁

I got the final round of my shingles shot Monday.  (Nothing like getting right back to reality, eh?)  I wasn't sure what to expect since the Mr basically got horrible chills and was unwell for a few days his first shot but nothing bad the second.  I didn't have that with the first just the worst sore arm I've had in my life to the point even clothes rubbing against it hurt for 3 days.  This day also coincided with a dump of snow in our area and if you think I'm missing out on the chance to shoe, you're nuts.  So I got the shot at 3:30pm and by 4pm we were nordic walking the park with the poles which already makes my arms sore.  I just wanted to get the activity in before any side effects had the chance to set in and take me out against my will.  I'd already gotten 4K "cycle steps" in that morning so I wasn't going to push myself too hard.  (Insert chuckle from body here)  We ended up doing a lap on the long trail and two around the auxiliary trail which was more than I anticipated.  Luckily my arm didn't bother me at that point and it waited for about an hour before the extreme soreness kicked in.  I lucked out and got the cutest little Asian dude about 60 years old and it took everything in me not to squeeze his cheeks, especially after he gave me this:

I didn't even have to ask for it! 😁

Fast forward to overnight since I drank normal amounts of fluids than I did on holiday and it initiated what I refer to as "sodium release night."  This is where my job is to pee every 90 minutes all night long, after my muscles have started revolting post getting in 9200 steps my first day back at it and severe injection site pain is in full swing.  On the final sodium release of the early morning, I had to literally massage my IT band to get out of bed because I am an idgit who flippantly said "if you think I'm not shoeing after a rare snow dump, you're nuts!  I'll deal with the consequences!"

Hello consequences! 👋🥴

So what did I think was the best course of action?  Do it again the next day when my vaccine symptoms REALLY kicked in.  We did 2 full laps on the main trail and that was about it.  After 2 hours between my body fighting the shingles skeevies from the vax (fatigue, achy lymph nodes and general soreness) the middle back and shoulder soreness from using the poles set in and I needed to take a lava shower and used a lot of lotion to massage my muscles which helped the next day.  It was going to be my 'rest' day so obviously I started off with cycling for 4500 steps.  SMDH  Since the snow was still trickling, let's make it day three of shoeing.  I will say, I was surprised that I was able to do three laps on the main trail and in nowhere near the amount of pain I was in two days prior.  I don't know if I beat my body back into submission or what but I was thankful for it and told it to hold on because that was going to be the workout schedule the rest of the week!  However the next day I woke up with a severe headache from the tension caused by using the poles.  Do you think that kept me from pushing on for day four?  Nope.  We did 3 laps last night at sunset but I didn't do the floor bike yesterday so I wasn't full blast every single day and held back to 6000 steps.

I really know how to 'ease back in', do I not? 

Now let's ease into:

Does Barre ‘Count’ as Strength Training or Is It More of a Cardio Workout?  (All I know is after we do Fitness Blender's version, the Mr and I are both like newborn baby giraffes for 3 days)

The Cancer-Fighting Vegetable That Can Also Boost Your Kidney Health  (So yummy!)

7 Tips for Exercising During Menopause, According to Experts  (Definitely work on balance training because my Lord one day it's just gone if you don't!)

Explore science-backed ways to recalibrate your mind and thrive  (I need a serious overhaul and my therapist agrees)

This One Mobility Exercise Loosens Tight Shoulders  (If you have perimenopausal shoulder pain, this can help but know it will hurt until you do I daily.  I sometimes use the ab roller on the wall in the basement or grab both rails on the stairs and lean forward for 30 seconds)

Create A Simple Cover For Your Electrical Box Using A Budget-Friendly DIY  (I've been wanting to cover that nasty monstrosity)

Tea for Two Menu (Always down for afternoon tea!)

Do Americans Swear More Than They Used To?  (This one does.)

Top 50 New Wave Songs  (Awesome list!!)

21 Wildly Juicy Events In '80s Movie History That Are All But Forgotten Today  (Some real gems you may have forgotten about)

I suppose we should get any trip stuff that is lingering put away.  I don't have anything planned so we'll see where the weekend takes us other than restocking the fridge with healthy stuff and coming up with a plan going forward to get right back into formal exercise and tweaking food stuffs.  Oh speaking of which, remember how I said my Christmas cookies to send were flat?  I totally forgot the past two years I used Einkorn flour for them because I wanted to use a healthier flour.  The problem with that is it needs to be chilled for like two days to absorb the extra liquid since Einkorn has a lower gluten structure.  So if anyone is looking to switch over to a healthy flour,  remember that if you're making Christmas (or any) cookies this year.  There's my PSA.  

Oh crap, wait.  

Uh...our bathroom reno restarts Monday (though I haven't heard crap from them) according to my calendar soooo yeah.  I guess we'll be ripping the bathroom back apart and moving the vanity back in the Mr's office readying ourselves for the saga of them ripping out everything they installed so I have zero expectations of the roller coaster ride that awaits us.  Though I must say I now have a pit in my stomach of...

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Anything good brewing for your weekend?

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