Catching Fire?

No, not really, but catching up a little anyway.  With the weather and how we were feeling, we decided to forego the annual Christmas tree "hike and pick out a live tree" tradition, and instead put up our good old fake tree that we've had for like 15 years now.  Our living room is no longer an amenable site for a tree, due to the stuff we have up there, so this year the tree is on our deck.  So we've had a few changes this year.  I love a real tree as well as anyone, and I love the tradition usually, but this year just isn't cooperating with a few things, so we'll do something else and keep on trucking.

As everyone already knows, we had our first real snow event up here.  It's pretty enough, and not enough of a load to be incapacitating.  After Christmas it can feel free to melt, and turn into Spring.  That would be fine.

A couple of days ago our TV suddenly quit working.  We'd been getting channels, including high def channels, without a box.  Well, that ended.  Steve had to go to Comcast and pick up a box, and then we had a cluster trying to get everything working again.  The picture didn't fit on the screen right, the volume was goofed up, the high def channels were gone.  We called them and they activated the high def thing which was supposed to be but wasn't.  He spent time on the phone giving them his information four times, rather patiently if you ask me.  The fourth time they ask me for my social security number I can feel my teeth gritting.  Anyway, we still were having trouble.  He fixed the volume, but the screen size and high def...come to find out he was on the wrong channels for high def.  Well, that'll make you feel stoopid, but at least it's working, and it's good to have the TV back.  You can be totally used to the regular channels, but when that high def kicks in, it's like "KaCHOW!"  I can see pores, blades of grass, it's like getting an awesome new pair of glasses or something.  ;)

I'm getting old lady feet.  You know, when you first get up in the morning or when you sit for an extended period of time and then you go to stand up and walk and your feet hurt and you waddle for a few seconds?  I am starting to waddle now and then.  That is neither fun nor attractive. I tried to do a dutch jump rope in our kitchen barefoot, and every time I landed on my feet I killed myself, and I had to quit after like three jumps, twice in a row. That's pathetic.  This is like when I had the back/arm/neck strength problem, and just like that problem, this too must go away.  I'm sure it's activity and weight related, so I plan on adding to the exercises I did for my back and arm and upping my overall activity level and getting in a bit better shape, at least to the point where I can jump and walk and get up in the morning without hurting my feet, like a relatively normal 40 year old.  I really, actively dislike exercise, but I like feeling weak and feeble even less.

Speaking of getting in better shape, I had to make up a batch of fudgy chocolate brownies today.  I made them half the right way and half the wrong way, because Steve doesn't appreciate them the right way.  Kaylee and I had chocolate brownies with walnuts only half baked, so they're all gooey and yummy.  Steve had his brownies baked all the way through, no nuts, and no fun at all.  ;)  It had been too long since I had good chocolate.  That was downright necessary for my personal health and happiness, even though it also included the sin of corruption of a minor.

I've been reading a book of a compilation of scientific studies on exercise.  It takes a lot of former firmly held beliefs and says "Science doesn't back that up at all."  It covers a ton of areas, but one thing is in common with almost everything they are finding out: The body is an incredible self-balancing machine when you let it be, and when you listen to it, you will end up doing the right thing the majority of the time.  I can't remember them off the top of my head, but some are things like: Drink when you're thirsty, don't just cram down 120 oz of water a day.  Dulling the pain with cortisone not only doesn't heal the injury, it prevents it from healing as well as physical therapy. If your body can't feel it, it doesn't know to send resources to fix it. All those fancy running shoes?  They're causing more injuries than normal shoes.  A person's body adapts to however they normally walk or run over the years, so if you adjust that, the body tries to run like it did before, but now has the wrong things on the feet, and throws it off.  Stretching causes a reduction in performance, it doesn't help anything. Exercise alone doesn't really help with weight loss. Chocolate milk is one of the best post-workout nutrients you can take in, mixture of protein and sugars, to help rebuild muscle.   One that I can attest to--avoid injuries as best you can, because once you get them you will be more prone to getting them again.  They mentioned knees and ankles in particular, and I am ankles.  I sprained my ankle so many times, twisted it, strained it, and to this day my ankles are very weak.  Anyway, all sorts of kind of interesting things.  I read it on a recommendation, and considering my above-mentioned lack of interest in exercise, I'm surprised I'm enjoying it, but I am.

I don't think I want to hear any more about women being the emotional ones, as if they're the only ones--there are just as many (if not more) men who pout, stomp off, gripe, sulk, fly off the handle, make wildly exaggerated dramatic statements, snap at someone, etc.  A woman does it and it's an eyeroll and a mutter about "hormones".  A guy does the same thing, and it's not.  Baloney!  Face it--you men are just as hormonal, if not more so, than women are.  I think this is something most women know, but let you men get away with not realizing or admitting it.  I'm just figuring it out these last few years, and I have no problem telling you.  ;)

Kaylee and Steve have been busy getting Christmas presents ordered and on their way.  I will be doing some of that tomorrow.  We got the tree up and decorated, the decorations up in the house and deck, and the empty boxes back in the garage.  We did not get any outside lights up, but maybe tomorrow if schedules permit.   I've been pounding out laundry, and we'll have the house cleaned in a few days.  I'm still not ready for Christmas, but getting closer...