Crone Cronies - You Know What the Nice Thing About Winter Is? Neither Do I! Jan 26

[Laura S.]

It was a busy and nice day. I applied to several jobs. I also found a volunteer opportunity to speak to a high school class about why being proficient in Microsoft Office is important for their future career. It's only for an hour and I think it will be fun. I also attended an online job fair and found some companies to apply to.

For exercise, I needed to move after sitting most of the day, so I walked downhill to the end of the street and then walked back uphill to the other end of the street. Our street isn't really steep, but it's a steady uphill grade.

Paula - I thought of you and Beth and Dede this morning. Adriene was on Today. DH had it on while I was applying for jobs. I think one of the people on it did her 30-day program.

Anita - Yeah, that's a big difference with handbell music. You pick out only your notes. Once our director in the handbell quartet got music that only had our part. So, the upper bells only had the upper notes and the lower bells had only the lower notes. We couldn't do it. It freaked us out too much to not know what everyone else was doing... The house and the messes will still be there when you get to them!

[Paula]

Good evening. Workout this morning was Jessica Smith Chair Cardio followed by PT. Walk a nice walk with DH around the lake. I had PT today so I'm done for the day.

Anita, I would like to watch you do rope exercises too - I bet it was awesome! Nice that your unwanted exercise equipment went where it would find a new home.

[ddj]

Laura, I can imagine it would be difficult to find a good time to talk to your brother with that time difference. It's great that it worked out for you. I remember when you played handbells for the salvation army, yes? A whole new spin on bell ringers.

Anita, I'm sorry your hip didn't respond to the cortisone. It's nice that your exercise equipment was appreciated. When I want to give something away, I always hope it finds a good home.

Paula, I need to check out Fightmaster yoga. I like the stretchy routines.

Today I did ICE Chiseled Lower Body Blast and Adriene's practice. Tomorrow is the last practice. I always hate the last one because it's one of the longer ones and she doesn't instruct. She plays music and does her own thing and encourages you to do yours. Um, Adriene, if I wanted to do yoga on my own, I'd put on some music and do it. I follow you because I'm looking for someone to show me what to do. I'll do the practice anyway because I don't like skipping any practices from the challenge. I want to do the program exactly as is. I'm sure there's a word for that, but I'm equally sure it's unflattering, so I'll leave it at that.

Everyone have a great day tomorrow!

[sciencelady]

Good morning!

Planning on working at the WRC this morning, giving Gus a good walk, cleaning up and joining some friends for dinner and a classical music concert.

Laura, nice that you talked to the high school class - you're right in that knowing software in Office will help the students. I think my mind would struggle not to play the notes on the music page, but I can see not seeing the entire melody would be confusing also.

Paula, in the day, those rope workouts were truly awesome!

Dede, I like your new avatar - cute pup! Yeah, that's weird to have an innovate your workout on a workout that you pay for on DVD or downstream - not good. I can see that happening for a few minutes in a live class, but not in a packaged class.

Waves to all!

Anita

[ddj]

Anita, Adriene's workouts are free on YouTube. She does have a subscription, but I'm not part of that. So I can't complain. And it's only one workout. Unfortunately, I was right about the length. It's 42 minutes long. Most of her practices are between 15 and 30 minutes. I guess I'll take her advice at least part of the time and do my own thing.

I slept in until eight this morning. I never do that. I have just been so tired lately, and the last two workout days were tougher ones. I can remember when those workouts would have been easier ones for me and I would add on to make sure I got a good workout. Boy, times sure have changed.

I guess I should get to it. I'll be doing my customized upper body workout, Adriene's practice, and half of Imax 4 (with no step). I might add a Leslie mile if I'm feeling frisky.

I hope everyone is enjoying their day.

ETA: I did it. The Adriene practice lost its dread factor when I decided to do my own thing if I wanted. It was more enjoyable and seemed to go by faster that way. Also, I did the practice using my phone instead of the computer and I propped it against furniture on the floor. That way, I didn't have to yank my head up trying to see the computer. I also did the Imax 4 premix and the Leslie mile.

One more yoga with Adriene challenge in the books. I don't know when I'll do yoga again.

[Laura S.]

It was a nice day. I went to the YMCA this morning and did a strength workout. Then, I went to lunch with Mom and Dad at a Mexican restaurant. I still feel stuffed! It was gooooddddd. Then, we went and wandered around Barnes & Noble.

I did do one work type thing. One of the companies I applied to yesterday requires applicants to answer three questions through recording answers via webcam.

Dede - Good memory. Yes, we rang for the Salvation Army around Christmas several times. We said that at a time - we were the ultimate in bell ringers... It sounds like you earned your sleep last night. You needed the rest and your body decided to cooperate.

Anita - I think that it's what you're used to doing. If we had only the one part from when we stared playing, it would have been different - that would have been normal. It sounds like you had a nice day planned as well.

Paula - a walk aroupnd the lake sounds nice.

[sciencelady]

Sigh. What started out as a good day turned out for in the future. My hip is out - like really out, walk with a cane as there's no other option to float around. I did call my doctor and he'll have me in for a MRI probably next week to see more detail of what's going on in the joint. I did walk Gus a bit shorter than normal, but it wasn't fun for me. I also will be becoming bat lady for the next month doing bats M, W and F. Of course the hibernaculum (which was a big wine cooler) taking care of about 40 sleeping bats gave out so they are back to being fed in the bat room by me. Also we just had a food company bring in 47 new bats that were found in their facility for us to take care of - unfortunately several died, but that will be another twenty or so new bats to take care of and to teach how to eat mealworms (hand feeding). Before there were about 15 bats... Yikes! I'll be having a busy February!

[bee]

Hello! Sorry to be a bit MIA the last couple of days. I did do Pahla's Day 17 yesterday -- cardio + balance work -- great blend -- and then went to my live yoga class after a walk with a friend. I noticed my balance at yoga was a bit better -- thank you, Pahla! Today I felt like my lower body was going to complain too much if I did a total body weights, so I did Cathe's LITE stacked upper body. Good workout and done quickly, too. I have posted in GD about trying to figure out lower body work to do that doesn't leave my butt so sore that I can't get in and out of a car! I am open to suggestions if anyone has any.

Everyone has been busy! Anita, so sorry about your hip!! I hope they figure out something (easy) for you. Wow, bats! They are so cool.

Laura, handbells are so pretty! I never thought much about the challenge in playing them -- knowing when to come in and all.

ddj, that Adriene workout sounded so intriguing. Congrats on finishing the month long challenge! When I noticed it was the 31st today, I realized Pahla will be done filming her WLC videos, but I am still busy doing them.

Had a couple of strange days. One of my cousins passed away -- I haven't seen those cousins since I was a little kid, but it made me sad reading her obituary and realizing I've completely lost track of that part of the family, and it made me miss the family I am close with. And then my niece who is in her 20s and struggling to make it in this world had her water heater burst and leak water all over, so I had to help her get out of that mess. She lives rent free and still is not able to have enough money to survive, because she had no insurance and I pay the property taxes on the condo where she lives. So I had to pay for a new water heater. I need to have a talk with her about doing something different -- it's just not working. Ug. It's a tough world we are leaving for these younger people.

[Paula]

Good evening. No workout this morning. We got up early to fly to Death Valley with a friend. It was a lovely day for it but I'm tired. I may try to do the PT routine before bed or I may just skip it and go to bed early.

DeeDee, like the new avatar - really cute. Don't give up on yoga just because Adriene's 30 days is over. Tim Sense always does a 30 days of yoga in January too - you could check out his channel, I think it's Yoga Dose - used to be Yoga with Tim. I also like Yoga with Kassandra and Fightmaster Yoga - there are lots of options on YouTube for excellent yoga practices. Also, Adriene posts new practices regularly.

Anita, so sorry to hear about your hip - I can relate but yours sounds much worse than mine. Although the cortisone shot I got didn't seem to do much either. The PT is helping though. I hope you enjoy bats cuz you're going to be spending lots of time with them. I realize they eats lots of insects and I think they're cute from afar, but now sure I'd like to see them up close and personal.

Laura, I remember when you did handbell concerts at Christmas too. I love Mexican food, it's a favorite.

[sciencelady]

Good morning! It's finally sunny outside!

We've had about two weeks of no glimpse of sunshine - now wow! What a difference!

The concert last night was good, but music I hadn't heard before. Composers were Benjamin Britten, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (JS's son), and Beethoven symphony No 4 in B-flat major, Opus 60 - didn't recognize that one. I don't listen to any classical music these days, so all was new to my ears.

Dede, beat you sleeping this morning 8:30! Didn't get home till about 11 from the concert, so makes sense to me. Yay on sticking with Adriene!

Laura, at least you've had practice with the webcam nowadays preparing your videos. Good luck!

Bee, I'm sorry your cousin passed without your knowledge. I'm not in contact with many of my cousins, but hope to hear major events through the ones I am in contact with. Sorry about your niece's financial problems - it is tough on the lower end...

Paula, my hip seems to be bad arthritis - pain varies a bit step to step - don't know if my cartilage is broken down and I've got floaters in there catching or the arthritis is pulling on it - that's why they now want a MRI to see the cartilage. Yesterday was a bad day . It's gotten worse since my cortisone shot - probably just coincidence, but now I feel pain when I pick things up like grocery bags or buckets, shovel snow, or turn in bed in addition to the walking pain.

The bats we have up here can be 4 different species - most common are called big brown bats. They don't have a scrunched face, just covered in really short brown hair. Their bodies are about 3" long, but about a foot wide with wings spread. They are in aquariums when we start teaching them to eat (easier for us to see them) - they have cloths to hide in on the sides and bottom of the aquarium as well as a thin rubber pad underneath (kind of like what you use on kitchen shelving) to keep them out of liquids and droppings. We wake the bats up in the morning and do teach the bats to eat the mealworms by pulling off the worm's heads at first or getting them wet. If hungry they get enthusiastic grabbing them from our forceps. We are wearing thick gloves and plastic medical gloves underneath the thick gloves. Once they learn to eat the mealworms from us, we teach them how to find the container with the worms and guide them to eat there. Once they can eat from containers, we can move them to cloth kennels where we just change their food and water dishes through a zipper door in front. Once they get to a certain weight and body composition and heal from whatever was affecting them, we let them hibernate the rest of the season by putting them in a cool humidified hibernation chamber - this winter it was a wine cooler unit . Come spring when the bugs are back out we'll release them. We are rabies vaccinated, but if they do bite us through our medical gloves (check for leaks), we get a rabies booster if they are found to have rabies (they are euthanized to have their brains tested for rabies). The vets and vet techs directly handle the bats so are more at risk of being bitten than us feeding them.

Waves to all!

Anita