Refugio en el Norte - Day 15

It is hard to believe that I’ve been in this apartment as of today for 15 days. I’ve settled in and developed little routines with breakfast and at my desk, just making myself a home in Houston. One of the things that I do every morning is go walking. Across the street from the apartment complex is a lovely, tree-shaded neighborhood called West University Place. It’s mailing address is Houston but it is actually a small city within Houston. When I go out at 7 AM, it is just before sunrise. The air is cool and so far the humidity has not set in for Houston. I lived here for years and I know that before long I will be peeling off sweaty clothes as soon as I return from my early morning walk. But it is lovely now.

This morning I passed several houses where a gardener had mulched flower beds yesterday and the smell of the mulch was pungent and earthy. The squirrels were already out looking for breakfast and they would jump to a tree trunk and peek at me from the other side to see if I was going to keep walking. Some houses had sprinkler systems that were busy spitting water on the lawn and flower beds so sometimes I felt the a light mist on my face. There were a lot of red-breasted robins on the lawns looking for the early-bird worms. One big blue jay must have had a nest somewhere close by because he spouted warning chirps at me. Of course, I knew it wasn’t were he had flown up into the tree because jays are smart and they try to distract you from finding their nest. 

Everything seems so normal at 7 AM. How could that be when we are bracing for, but hoping against, overloading our medical system and losing too many of our citizens.

2016

Yesterday I headed out for a walk. Not planning on a long walk, just a walk, but I think about things when I walk, solve problems and maybe sometimes it is even a meditation. Suddenly I found that I had walked through Rice Village and was starting to walk on the wonderful jogging/walking trail around Rice University. All the way around the University is almost three miles plus what I had already walked and I'd still have to get back to my son's house. Oh well, I thought, I'll go a little further and cut across the parking lot to head back.

My thoughts were about 2016. I just had a birthday and I'm starting my 80th year. Eighty years old. It is hard to believe. I remember when I thought 80 was old, really old and the people I knew in their 80's acted old. Do my kids, my grandkids, think I'm old? I dare not ask. Especially the grandkids. I might not like the answer. But here is the thing, I don't think I'm old. Yes, I do make some concessions for some things I use to do in my 40's, I'm not climbing ladders or moving bedroom furniture from one room to the other by myself, but I don't feel old. I feel healthy and happy.

When I thought about how happy I am, I remembered a TED talk I recently watched. It was a 75 year study of men from Harvard and men from slums and it had followed them for all 75 years asking questions about their lives and how happy they were. It wasn't money or fame that made them happy but it was family and friends and community that brought them happiness. I'm glad it wasn't money! I'm so blessed to have family, friends and community.

While I was striding along, I also thought about how good it feels to put one foot in front of the other, legs  strong, arms swinging, feeling the cold wind on my face and seeing the trees and traffic and other joggers and walkers. Last week a friend asked me if I was going to be younger in 2016. He was teasing about me writing about the book Younger Next Year. It will soon be three years since I read that book and I have to tell you I AM younger now than I was before I took some of the recommendations in the book to heart.

I really don't have time to be old. I still have so many things I want to do. Just this year, I want to join the Shootapaloosa friends I made last year in Port Aransas in Galveston for another B-12 shot of creativity, maybe a trip to Big Bend National Park with long, long-time photography friends, a trip to Nashville and beyond and hopefully a trip to Ireland. I bought a travel book on Ireland today. I'm doing some repair and remodeling work on my house and this year I want to finish the project I've been working on in Port Aransas. That project needs to go to the publisher.

So I'm walking and thinking and wondering, what word would describe how I am feeling about 2016 and the word I kept seeing in my head was JOY.  It is going to be a joyous year. And then, I realized that I'd passed the parking lot that I was going to cut across to head home. In fact, I'd almost gone all the way around the University. I laughed and kept walking. I walked 6.5 miles. Not too bad for someone heading toward 80.

PS I'm not sure how the picture above will look but I'm trying to coordinate several devices to add a photo. I think it may be dark but I can't tell for sure. I felt joyful looking at it as I walked along the walking trail. It isn't dark or dreary to me at any time of the year. At any rate it is a part of the campus at Rice University and I've always loved this forest of oak trees in the middle of the city.

What Makes Olga Run?

Last year about this time I wrote about reading the book Younger Next Year and how I drank the Kool-aid and was going to try to follow the recipe. I pretty much did what I set out to do since 2013, weight resistance training and cardio exercise weekly. Do I feel younger than last year? Yes, yes I do and not just physically but mentally as well.

A few months ago I heard about another book, What Makes Olga Run?: The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What she can teach us about Living Longer, Happier Lives by Bruce Grierson. Wow, the titles of some books are getting to be so long they take up the whole cover. At my age I'm interested in living a longer, healthier, productive life so as you have probably already guessed, I bought the book.

Grierson uses Olga's amazing success in the USATF Master's track and field events to explore the mysteries of aging. Not from the standpoint of the deterioration of our bodies but looking at the extent that we can influence the aging process and keep going full out longer. Seeing Doc Severinsen's musical performance this week is an example of someone in their late 80's who is still productive and creative. Grierson's research for the book reveals that there are many completed and on-going studies that are confirming what I got out of  the book, Younger Next Year.

So, it looks like even if I do not have any plans to be a Master's athlete, I can't let up on my exercise schedule. Another thing I think it confirms is that it is important to be involved with friends and to always have plans for something in the future whether it is tomorrow, or next week or next year.

Most of the time, I think self-help books are kind of WooWoo---a little bit on the far side. Maybe I'm grabbing at straws but yeah, I'm drinking some more of that Kool-aid. It worked pretty well for the last 12 months.

2014 - Buy New Jeans

In January of 2013 I had lost a little weight and so my New Year's Resolution was to continue with a healthier diet and hopefully continue the trend in the right direction. I had been doing Yoga for a number of years and while it kept me flexible it really had not done anything to change my shape or help me lose weight. I decided to add some other exercise to my life.

Sometime in January someone posted on the Civil List that if enough old geezers signed up, Crystal Calderoni would start a beginners exercise class for them. Sounded like the way to get into an exercise routine so I said I’d be interested and I waited but I didn't get a notice about a new class. In February, I contacted Crystal and there had not been enough interest among us old geezers so I asked if I could come and observe one of her regular exercise classes to see if I could survive. She said yes. I observed and decided that I couldn’t keep up but at least I would start and see what happened. It had been a long time since I had done weight and strength training so I started with the lightest weights.

I bumbled through the classes for a while but started getting better. About the middle of March a few people asked me if I had lost some weight. I had but I don’t think most people noticed. Also about that time I read the book, Younger Next Year and realized I was on the right track but needed to add more cardio exercise so I started walking UP Pila Seca at least four times a week. I also realized that I was going in the right direction with the weight and strength training but two times a week wasn’t enough.

I had never worked with a personal trainer so I decided to sign up for a few sessions with Crystal Calderoni until I felt comfortable with working out in a gym on my own. Here it is months later and I’m still working out with Crystal, still going to her group exercise class two times a week and still walking up Pila Seca. It sounds like a lot of work and it is, but it has paid off. Now people aren’t asking me if I have lost some weight. They are telling me I look great and asking me what I’m doing.

I have to give the credit to Crystal. She is simply an amazing teacher, motivator and trainer. In a group class, she somehow manages to watch everyone for correct form so you don’t end up with an injury. This is quite a skill because she has people at different levels in the class but she knows that one person needs to do the exercise one way because of a shoulder injury or because they are new and the rest of us can do it the regular way. Her class is never the same which I really like because you are constantly using your muscles in different ways. Some days are weight classes and other days are with the TRX. Once I learned to trust the TRX, I love it. It is hard to do but oh so rewarding.

I also highly recommend Crystal as a personal trainer. She is constantly pushing you to do just a little more and then one day you realize that you have gone far beyond what you ever thought you could do. Again, she changes the routine constantly and focuses on different parts of the body. While I had thought about using the gym on my own, having Crystal there to plan my session, watch me so I don’t get hurt and pushing me beyond what I think I can do has huge added value. One of my sons agrees and he tells me not to think about the cost, just do it. So I try to think of it as a part of my health insurance expense but rather than paying if I get sick it keeps me healthy and strong. I am thinner, stronger and I feel younger than I did last year. Some health issues are gone. At my latest checkup my Doctor was very pleased with my condition and I'm able to delete or cut back on some medications I was taking.

So you may be wondering how much weight and inches have I lost. Let’s just put it like this. I haven’t lost as much weight as you might think but my shape has changed dramatically thanks to being Crystalized, I have had to buy all new clothes. I’ve gone down four sizes in jeans since December 2012.

So what is the plan for 2014? Pretty much the same as last year. Eat healthy and continue my exercise sessions with Crystal. Oh....and also buy smaller sized jeans.

Just Say Yes!

It was a Tuesday of  Firsts because I was saying yes. I'm trying to say more Yes and less No.

I usually take the easiest route to my Cardio/weight exercise class. But after reading Younger Next Year, my inner-self was telling me that I needed to step up to the plate and do some serious aerobic work. Finally I said to that aggravating inner-self, yes, okay, I'll do it. So Tuesday morning I walked from the bottom of Pila Seca to Salida a Queretaro. That worked up a sweat and got the old heart pounding. So I did it again on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm taking a break today.

I had some friends who asked me if I'd like to learn to play Mah Jong. Other than knowing it was a game and having read a novel or two where the women played Mah Jong, I didn't know a thing about it. But I said yes. Oh my! I think bridge is simplier. I had a good time and I'll be taking some more lessons until either my friends get tired of trying to teach the game to me or I am able to figure it out and play with a group of women who meet weekly. I'm not putting any money on which will happen first but if you are a gambler you will probably want to put your money on the friends throwing in the towel.

My last first and yes was on Tuesday night when I joined a life drawing group. You know I've told you before I'm not very good at sketching but I like to do it and I really like drawing from a live model. Henry Vermillion hosts the group but there is no instruction. It is just an opportunity to sketch. I loved it. I might even take some sketching classes. Surely I can do better.

Tuesday was a very busy but very satisfying day. I need to remember, just say yes more often.