oh, boo hoo..

Hard to believe we have been in AZ for almost a month. Last time I sort of reported on the weather--there isn't any really important health stuff to report, thank goodness--because it was its usual nice self here. To add to that, we have had several days this week, prior to rain due today, where one could bask by the pool, mid-afternoon. Mid and upper 70s briefly. 

I only mention this to bring up another matter: I think we have grown accustomed to the warmer weather here. I note that in Cache Valley, before we left, it felt more cold to me than it had in years past. And this was before the icebox weather that they have been in since then. The first year here in AZ I was in shorts and tee shirts anytime it was over 60 degrees. Now not so much. Those temps now feel kind of cool. Have we adapted? More than likely. More often than not one is resorting to a cover up in the house and out and about. Blame it on the chemo or just old age, or a combination of those. In any case, it doesn't feel as warm here to me as it has in past years.

Since everyone knows that 25% of body heat is lost via the head the best thing to warm up or to cool down is to put on or take off a hat. Since my cabeza now shows more skin than ever this is a third variable in my heat regulation. I occasionally think I look like one of those kids who wears a toque all year. Or maybe I am beginning to understand why they do it.

It will be a quiet one for us this evening--not just because it is rookie night out--but also because we are too old to want to stay up late enough to see in the New Year. It'll be there tomorrow, if we are, and that's soon enough.

Happy New Year!

in the nick of time...

My faithful reporters in Cache Valley tell me that it has been very cold, with some snow more recently, and good air. The air here in the Valley of the Sun looks pretty good, but looks can be deceiving. We are not perched--as we are at home--in a position to see the inversions. Today the forecast is for moderate air quality.

Yesterday was the first workout day at the new place (LA Fitness). They have several of everything so there was no problem getting in a good workout. Notably, their equipment is all of the Nautilus variety, that is, weight bars and pulley systems. The problem with such systems is that once one starts the weights moving in a particular direction the actual weight being lifted reduces due to inertia. (My physics friends can tell me what this should be.) I realized how fortunate we are at Aqua Werks in CV to have the  compressed air systems that keep the resistance of the chosen weight the same through the arc of movement. But, mustn't be picky. Silver Sneakers (can you say Medicare?) pays for it. (I wonder how long that will last?) So I am very happy to have such a place within a few miles.

The only reason I bring this up is to say that I dressed to work out in shorts and a Tee with just a thin fleece to get from the car to the building. By the time the work out was finished the fleece was unnecessary. I stayed in the shorts, Tee and sneakers for the rest of the day. I was fully reminded why we come here each winter. Today it is supposed to be 73. 

Happy days..

heigh-ho, heigh-ho....

It's off to AZ we go!

Saw the opthalmalogist yesterday morning. As I type this I am doing so without any glasses! Good outcome. My eye pressures were normal (13 mm). I have a wee astigmatism in each eye and correction at about 2.00+. No longer do I require glasses for driving. (That has been lovely.) Now I have to decide how to proceed. One pair of glasses in which the astigmatism is corrected and they are single-readers; or bi-focals in which there are the above plus some strengthening of far distance. Or how about one of each? 

If I just do readers, I am back to always carrying them and needing to remember where they are; whereas the other pair would be worn all the time. We'll see.

I have been fighting the usual upper respiratory infection that always seems to get me in the fall of the year. I have been closely monitoring (on doc's advice) and don't think it is headed to my lungs. As yet, I have taken nothing for it, and it seems about to resolve itself after one week. You may recall that last year, such a bout headed into pneumonia. I believe that I am much healthier this year and, therefore, more able to fight off disease. (Mustn't get cocky.)

We left home yesterday and will reside in SLC for a couple days. Then we will keep going south before the next scheduled storm. 

Happy holidays!