Yesterday I had a very nice evening ceremony where I received a retirement speech and school bell award ( pretty cool, actually a bell on a pedestal. Family and friend around me, it was the perfect ending ritual. I am ready to go save for the two weeks I am still with the kids!!!! Time should fly pretty quickly now.
Exhausted, though and I really want a day with no desserts. That is my goal for today.
Curly: for better or worse i am person who needs 8 - 10 hours of sleep. That might change when i quit teaching. Luckily, I usually go right out to sleep.
BBE: I have cavities fro 50 years ago. Pretty good investment.
Joy: A salad is always a good idea.
Silverbirch: I bet Sonoma is like the moon to you. In another life, I'll be able to grow an English garden. BTW. Thanks for the idea of cardboard for my rock beds to hinder weeds.
I enjoyed a Dear Brother Hot Tub Therapy Session this morning. That's a weekly pattern for two weeks. It won't last. We're trying to get some sessions in before it gets too hot to do it at all for a few months.
Exercise: 55, 1695/1800 minutes for May
90% of Ideal Food Day
curlyjax: My main reason for exercising is to improve sleep. There's some evidence that exercising in the early evening is better than the morning for that, so that's what I do and it usually works for me. I also think 10-15 minutes of yoga stretching helps my sleep recently. There are routines on YouTube for yoga at bedtime that I use if I don't get it done earlier.
maryann: Congrats on the retirement and a perfect ritual to celebrate it!
silverbirch: I'm thinking of you being done by now with the barrowing and packing. I hope your travels go well!
BillBlueEyes: My sympathies for the fat bill of dental work. I share your gratitude that my recent work is now done and paid for, and the final step (a crown) is one that I can afford. I'm still waiting for the healing process to complete before the final step commences.
Busy day at work but I got into the chocolates again, ugh, and really ate too many of them. I started reading the pink Beck book again last night so I could remember what to write on my cards, and was interrupted by my aunt's caregiver calling to discuss places she had looked at; my aunt seems to be worse and really needs to be in an assisted living type place. Then I called two other people who know her, including my aunt's friend who oversees her finances (I trust him and he can't actually touch her money), and started looking at places online. I'm going to visit my dad this weekend anyhow so I'll try to squeeze in a visit to a place or two.
Gardenerjoy-that's interesting about exercising in the early evening. I will look into the bedtime yoga. thanks!
Maryann-I can't believe you're so close to being done!! Glad you had a nice retirement event.
Thursday - RIP 19-year-old Joan of Arc, at the stake (1431, Rouen, France)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Excitement was picking up the (8 yo) DGD from Second Grade. She did cartwheels on the lawn with other kids running about in circles. She turned down the offer to go for a walk along their town's delightful bike path. Then changed her mind when we told her that we'd turn around at the ice creams shop after stopping for a cone.
It's a short walk from her house to the path; she led the way doing cartwheels as if they took no energy. Even offered us a choice of the long way or the short way to get there - a difference that turns out to be a few feet. Lots of young kids on the path on their bikes. Pre-school kids were out with their fathers learning the basics of baseball. Junior-high kids were playing basketball. I ordered the smallest cup of ice cream. Ouch! It was a full scoop. A lot of ice cream for an unscheduled snack only two hours before dinner. I got my calories worth by having 'Very Turtle': vanilla ice cream mixed with chocolate, caramel, and cashews. CREDIT moi for the walk part, anyway, LOL.
Super joy watching her when she was asked to leave a note for her mom telling her where we were. She easily produced a slip of paper and pencil and left a cogent, readable note on the kitchen counter. I just marvel that she's mastered all of that. Congrats to all the teachers of the world that each generation learns how to participate in society.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Great to get in your Dear Brother Hot Tub Therapy Sessions before it's too hot for a hot tub. I remember that you're in the jaw healing phase of your implant. I'm spared that wait because I'm simply replacing a crown whose base is still good.
maryann – Congrats for being able to feel the compliments of your retirement ceremony. You can ring your school bell to announce when dinner is ready.
curlyjax - Congrats for getting your lawn mowed because it's raining today. Pretty healthy on your part to get it done in one go.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 1The Key to Success
How Cognitive Therapy Works
Are You Like Sue?
She also learned how to prepare in advance for stressful times. She got to the point where she was able to stick to her plan, no matter what was going on in her life.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 22.
Today was a nice teaching day. The final days will be nice to remember. The Juniors are debating "Should we invest in Nuclear Energy" while the freshmen are finishing Oceania travel brochures. No gardening becuase it is too hot in the afternoons now. I will wait for the weekend but yoga at lunch.
Food is at a ridiculously high maintenance but right now I am the boy with his thumb in the dam. Minimize the damage I will have to repair after June 7.
BBE: I have never been able to do a cartwheel but I have always wanted to do so. I suppose it goes in the next life category unless you count the ones I can do in the pool. Joy: I 100% agree my sleep is dependent on my exercise. Curly: Your Dad and Aunt are lucky you have an eye out for them. So many don't as you well know.
My plan for today keep changing, but my food plan has gone about like normal, so far. I wrote down the food plan for the rest of the day so that, no matter what happens, I have that target to shoot for.
Exercise: 45, 11740/1800 minutes for May
95% of Ideal Food Day
At the DD's. Food was off kilter today as I ran out of milk before leaving so had to have bolognaise sauce (made by me) and pitta for breakfast. Not the right start for a journey. Not for me at present anyway. A couple of shop cakes en route (remember I think I don't eat them). I declined lemon polenta cake (made by the DD) when I arrived CREDIT and we had beef with apricot sauce and rice with lettuce later - also CREDIT.
Hoping for a good night's sleep. I am older and a visitor so I get the bed not the floor which is an advantage. Also hoping for muesli for breakfast and some walking tomorrow although I have to get DD's car's brakes sorted out tomorrow somehow.
Friday - Ramesses II becomes 19th Dynasty Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (1279 BC)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – After several rounds of trying to break through the 'friendly' chain of options offered by the robot who answered the bank's phone, I finally got an email from the manager that I was trying to reach telling me that he was no longer a manager there since he was promoted to corporate headquarters. Back to the chain of ... "Push 5 to return to the main menu". I finally abandoned the phone to go back to the generic web site where, if one searches long enough, one can find the option of making an appointment to get something notarized. In a few button clicks my quest was satisfied. My problem was believing the manager who'd shaken my hand while handing me his card a year ago with a serious, "We value your business; just call me directly if you need anything." Expecting people on phones may be Neanderthal thinking. Will know at 4:00 pm today it this works.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with more snacks than I think I needed. Excitement was hauling two baskets of laundry from the basement to fold with DW after dinner. I pulled out a dish towel, "Odd, this feels wet" before I noted the obvious: that whole basket hadn't gone through the dryer. I've never been sent to the basement to get the laundry when some of it wasn't done. I hadn't looked; I'd just hauled it up. Have to add it to my duties in life to check if the laundry is done before bringing it up. DW's day had been so over-scheduled that she not only didn't finish the laundry, she didn't even notice that she hadn't.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Keeping your food plan when everything else changes is pretty good.
Silverbirch - Your DD welcomes you with quite a dinner; I assume you get some credit for teaching her those cooking skills. Good luck with the brakes on her car.
maryann – Terrific that you have your kids thinking about investing in Nuclear Energy. It's such a polarizing subject. When I recently took a course on the subject I was amazed at how much energy we use in the U.S. At our rate of use, we don't have the option of dropping nuclear or coal either one. Using less energy is not a discussable option.
curlyjax - Rereading Beck's pink book works for me, too. Your aunt is so lucky to have attentive people working to find the right place for her while she can still contribute to the choice.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 1The Key to Success
How Cognitive Therapy Works
Are You Like Sue?
She broke out of her yo-yo dieting cycle, lost more than 55 pounds, and has kept it off for more than 12 years.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 22.
Very busy day yesterday, I ended up staying later than I thought. I'm trying to help someone with a complicated Medicaid application and have called in someone else to assist, only I can't be there as its today and i'm leaving to see my dad, so hopefully it will all pan out. Most of the day was OP until I got home and got into the chocolate covered pretzels etc. It's going to be much easier when DD isn't here to stay out of treats and I won't have them in the house, but for now I need to deal with the present.
In the past I have given myself the "treat"of munching on candy as I drove to my dad's house which takes me about 5 hours including stops.I'm bringing popcorn and gum and will listen to podcasts and see where that gets me.
I probably will be offline until Monday as its hard to type on my phone, so wave to all!
A kind of dispiriting day yesterday as another student was led off by security in my classroom with the worst language slur ( i won't repeat it) ever addressed to me. Sigh!! I am the adult. I cash the check. His mother supported the suspension of 2 days. My job is not feel good but to teach boundaries. As all adults knows , boundaries are often painful to set which is why many parents don't. Oh Well! best to retire without romanticizing the job. Who knows, It could be the best lesson I teach.
So - food was not desperate. I did yoga at lunch. Same plan for today.
BBE: Good to know most of the students realized that nuclear energy should be on 'the menu" but not draw so much attention from other solutions such as reduction. Silverbirch: LOL I am older and a visitor. Isn't that the truth. Although when I am with peers I will volunteer for the floor. It is good practice for the backpacking.
Writing 2000 words a day is proving to be great for my writing. And not so great for everything else in life. It feels like a struggle to get the basics done, including sticking to a plan that seems like it should be thoroughly engrained.
I'm on a roll and it's working, so I'll keep it going for another week or so and then I'll reduce my daily goal to something that is more compatible with the rest of my life.
Exercise: 40, 11780/1800 minutes for May
95% of Ideal Food Day
It's been a busy few days here at the DD's. The car only needed a new battery (££) so all is well mechanically. It needs a good wash but that is beyond the DD, me and the local area at the present time (time, physical ability, availability of car washes etc etc). I've done half (it's a long story) and will do the rest on the way N again. Food has been quite good as I've been so busy, I suppose. Sleep - not that good as I've been waking at 4am, possibly as the dawn chorus gets going (lots of big trees around the house). Exercise - morning exercises.
Off to the S house this morning (Saturday) to be greeted by the SO and another meadow of long grass. The person who was cutting it for my mum is very unreliable and I haven't managed to get our inherited mower to the place to be serviced. That will be the next priority.
Wave to all as we wrestle with our different challenges!
Last edited by silverbirch; 06-01-2024 at 03:16 AM.
Thursday - RIP 19-year-old Joan of Arc, at the stake (1431, Rouen, France)
