EXERCISE

Today I walked the dogs. Now that might not seem like a big deal to you. Months ago I would have agreed but since my surgery I have been forbidden to walk them. This week the physical therapist said "walk the dogs" do today I did. I was going to yesterday but Lucky got so excited so jumped up in the air, fell on her head and got all grumpy and went after happy, teeth a blazin. I had to break them up and after that no one deserved anything but me!

Today we were so excited to walk we could barely contain ourselves. It was a good walk and my ankle is okay so far!

Until tomorrow...

Bourne Legacy

Just saw a pre showing of Bourne Legacy. It was good. It has a complicated story line. There is a great chase scene that I won't ruin for you. I heard some places gave it a low rating. I would say it is average.

Until tomorrow...

WATCHING THE OLYMPICS

Have you been watching the Olympics?  I have.  Not in an obsessive way but in a fan-type of way.  There are some sports I like and some I can do without.  I like the fencing, synchronized diving, gymnastics, shooting, and archery.  I wanted to see judo and taekwondo but that was never shown on TV when I watched.  I am not a huge fan of the sports that show all the time like basketball, soccer, volleyball.   I was excited that NBC had the Ipad app but I rarely ever used it after the first weekend.  I did use the Team USA app to get ready for the Olympics.

I am just so impressed with the athletes.  Most of them are happy when someone wins a medal even if the person is not from their country.  I don't see bad attitudes when folks lose.  Well, I saw one in the girls gymnastics.  But what can I say...

I am always so excited for the Olympics when it starts and so happy when it is over.  It is so intensive for two weeks, I am exhausted.  About this time I can't wait for it to end.  I feel disappointed that I didn't get to see the sports I wanted to see and I am ready to get back to watching regular TV or a movie without feeling like I might miss some spectacular moment in sports. 

I can't believe I am watching the USA playing the USA for the gold medal in women's beach volleyball. Seems kinda wrong in some way.  Does it matter who wins in some way?  The USA will win gold and silver.  Done.

Have you been watching the Olympics?  What is your favorite sport?  Favorite athlete?  Favorite moment?

Health Update: I got a call from my RA Doc to tell me my creatinine is high.  From the MayoClinic:

A creatinine test reveals important information about your kidneys.
Creatinine is a chemical waste product that's produced by your muscle metabolism and to a smaller extent by eating meat. Healthy kidneys filter creatinine and other waste products from your blood. The filtered waste products leave your body in your urine.
If your kidneys aren't functioning properly, an increased level of creatinine may accumulate in your blood. A serum creatinine test measures the level of creatinine and gives you an estimate of how well your kidneys filter waste (glomerular filtration rate). A creatinine urine test can measure creatinine in your urine.

Friday I go for another blood test and a urine test to make sure everything is fine.  My creatinine was high in May too.  I am sure it is nothing.

Until tomorrow...

CROHN'S AND THE OLYMPICS?

I have Crohn's disease.  There I said it.  No one wants to hear it.  Either people don't know what it is or they know what it is and they don't want to talk about it.  Who wants to talk about gas, diarrhea, and bowel issues?  No one, I assure you. 

Then this week there was this timely article about the Olympics and Crohns Disease.  I know I thought the same thing: what could they have in common?  There is a kayaker named Carrie Johnson who was diagnosed with Crohn's while training for the Athens Olympic Games.  She had horrible fatigue, severe weight loss and anemia.  Not the things a person training for the Olympics needs.  She was put on the right medical plan and finished 10th in her race.


Of course when Carrie first heard Crohn's she went to the internet (what do doctor's tell you not to do?) and read everything she could find.  All the worse case scenarios!  Surgery, short life span.  Crohn's can be caught early and with the new drugs those worse case scenarios do not have to happen.

I remember when I thought I had Crohn's and I was so scared.  I had never heard of it. Then the doctor told me I had it.  I didn't want it.  Could I give it back?  I am sitting here right now with a stomach ache not being able to eat anything but some white rice and sprite.  I don't know how she gets in a kayak and competes.  

Carrie is competing at the London Olympics in the kayaking single flatwater K-1 500m and K-1 200m. She has been eliminated from the K-1 500m in the semi-finals but still has a chance in the K1-200m.  I wish her the best Friday when she races!

It takes so much courage to speak out about Crohn's disease.  I appreciate Carrie Johnson for being a champion for Crohn's disease.

Have you been watching the Olympics?  What is your favorite sport?  Who is your favorite athlete?

Until tomorrow...

Remembering Birthdays

Each month I look at my calendar and see the birthdays that occur that month.  I put the information in the back of my mind.  I try to remember to buy and send a card or send an email to each person on the list.  Most times I remember but sometimes I forget.

This month I forgot my good friend Elisa's birthday.  I thought about her birthday each day this month but two days before and on the day, it completely slipped my mind to mail the card and to send the email.  I don't know what it is.  Why I forget to send the greeting. Now I find myself writing about birthday greetings in this blog.  

Do you still send greeting cards?  I love getting cards in the mail.  I love opening a card especially when it is a funny card.  I have a friend who always sends the best funny cards.  I shop for cards for him all year long to find the perfect card for his birthday.  I want him to fall on the floor laughing.

Happy Birthday Elisa!

On a sad note, I am sending my thoughts out to the families and friends of those injured, killed and the survivors in Oak Creek, Wisconsin where the horrible tragedy occurred this weekend at the Sikh gurdwara.  As John Lennon sang, "give peace a chance."

Until tomorrow...

JUST A FUN BLOGGER CHALLENGE WRAP-UP

JUST A FUN BLOGGER CHALLENGE WRAP-UP

This is the  Just a Fun Blogger Challenge Wrap-up.  It has been really fun doing this challenge because I had a topic to write about every day.  

What did I like?  I liked that the topics were interesting and didn't take a bunch of time to think about.  The some of the topics were a fun way to think back on my life.

What was my favorite topic?  Well the pizza topic made me hungry and pine for NY pizza.  The best memory from college made me think of a great concert I went to (The Tubes). 

What was my least favorite topic? Favorite flower. I didn't have a favorite flower so that was hard. 

Would I do it again?  YES!  I loved having people write in questions and topics.  That was what made the challenge so much fun and so interesting.  So thank you for the great questions!

Challenge Complete!

Until tomorrow...

JUST A FUN BLOGGER CHALLENGE - Day 35

Winter or Summer - reasons for /against

Summer: I love the summer. When the winter doldrums end and the sun comes out, I am the happiest person!  Like a butterfly coming out of the cocoon.  I spark up and get happy.  I love being in the sun but having some lupus symptoms means I have to be careful.  If I spend too much time in the sun, I don't feel well.  Summertime means I get to put the top down on my car and turn the music up. 

But then wintertime is when Christmas occurs.  Christmas is a magical time.  The beautiful snow scenes, the ice skaters and the horse drawn carriages. These are images that make us think of  the holidays. Over the hills to grandmothers house we go.

Summertime wins! I don't have to shovel snow in the summertime!

Tomorrow: Challenge Wrap-up!


Until tomorrow...

JUST A FUN BLOGGER CHALLENGE - Day 34

Favourite game or puzzle

My favorite type of game is a word game. I like Word Search games. Boring I know. My partner does not like board games so even though we have a ton of them, we never play them. So I end up playing games by myself. Word Search type games.

I also like Wii although I hardly ever get time to play it. I am pretty good at bowling. It is funny that today at physical therapy I was pretty good at balancing on one foot. I attribute that to Wii fitness. You have to do a fitness test and one of the tests is balancing on one foot.

Do you have a favorite game? Something I should try?

Just wanted to give a fireplace update: we had a chimney sweep (do they still call themselves chimney sweeps?) come and clean out our chimney. He found "an impressive size birds nest" in the chimney. No bird; dead or alive. He said the cap on the chimney is not the right kind to keep out birds. For $295 he will replace it. I will think about it. We don't use it that often and in four years this is the first time a bird got in.

Tomorrow's Challenge: Winter or Summer - reasons for /against

Medical Update: 
Went to my first physical therapy appointment today. The therapist is nice. I went in thinking I would got to one or two appointments then blow it off. I am walking better and it is feeling better. Then she started assessing my ankle. I realized I still had a way to go. Tonight my ankle is a bit sore. I have a list of exercises to do several times a day. Plus I get to start riding my incumbent bike again! Hopefully I can start losing this weight!

Until tomorrow...

JUST A FUN BLOGGER CHALLENGE - Day 33

Funniest website/clip

Other than my own dog videos, I don't really surf the web looking for funny videos. It just isn't my thing.  Sometimes Good Morning America has some funny videos on in the morning.  I looked for a funny dog video and found this one. This dog is pretty funny.

Sometimes I talk like this for my dogs. I give them little accents. Especially the little one. I give her a French accent. I call her Madame Poo Poo or Missy PooPoo.  Sometimes they have British accents. I crack Brenda up.

I ponder things as if the dogs are thinking. "when are they going to feed me?  I am so very hungry.  Did they forget about me? Those selfish two-legged creatures."

Do you have a favorite video or website?

Tomorrow's Challenge: Favourite game or puzzle


Until tomorrow...

JUST A FUN BLOGGER CHALLENGE - Day 32

Best cartoon character

Some folks probably say Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown or Lucy.  Or maybe you are into Superman, Wonder Woman or Batman.  Maybe you are younger and like the Nickelodeon group like Rugrats or Dora the Explorer.  Maybe you like Tweety Bird and Sylvester or Tom and Jerry.

I am a purist.  I like the old school cartoons back from the black and white days.  Back when his name was Mortimer Mouse.  Can you guess it?  He debuted in November 1928 in a short film titled "Steamboat Willie".  By now you know I am talking about the one and only Mickey Mouse! Like they say Mickey isn't just a cartoon character, he is an icon!

From Wikipedia

My second favorite is Mr. Magoo. Do you remember him?  He could not see and kept walking around anyway!  He would always get into everything.  He was funny.

From Wikipedia

If you are interested in reliving 50 of the greatest cartoon characters, click here and see how many on the list were your favorites!

Tomorrow's Challenge: Funniest website/clip

Medical Update: Turns out Brenda's eye is not an infection like we thought but an allergic reaction to something.  So she has drops to put in and she should be fine in a few days.

Until tomorrow...