New Exercise Plan

Today the day started really early, I had to go in town, during morning traffic rush... where all those people were going to? Never mind there is a really bad word that come back from my past w-o-r-k.

I can't believe last week I spent over 20 hours on the road coming back from Florida and today a small round trip of less than 3 hours and I'm beat. Maybe I'm already into nature mode where the traffic in front of my home has been mainly deer. Downtown, there were cars, buses, traffic lights, stops... it's crazy, why people lived in city?

I am so excite about this Exercise that I found by myself. If everyone start doing it, it will be so good... It involves bending down and coming back up, some walking is also required. What is it? No one ever ask... Before end I'll just describe the scene:

I had to picked up some stuff that was store at my daughter's condo. The sun was shinning, birds were singing. I had a tune playing in my mind: “it's a beautiful day” behind me Walt Disney castle was... oh wait is it too much?

Any way as I was walking back and forth, I noticed on the ground a piece of discard paper. I stopped, slowly bend down, pick it up, and slowly get back up. I walk a few more feet, same thing happen, someone had through out an empty pacs of cigarettes, walk further more papers. The more I was doing it the better I felt. So I though what a great way to exercise, I'm outside and picked up trash. I'm getting in better shape from someone offensive action. SCREW THEM I keep all the trash to myself.

I looked across the street, there was a lady doing exactly the same thing, I hate competition and I wanted to run to the outer side and tell her to find her own exercise (I'm going to copywrite my new exercise plan) but I run this scenario in my head first and chasing away a women might not be perceived for it's worthwhile value. 

 

Sunday Humor

Good morning, afternoon or evening. Today the weather in my part of the world will be gorgeous and should take a big bite out of the snow.

I want to keep Sunday light so from now on, I'll only post things that made me laugh in the previous week. Enjoy!

Walking... Dead

Sometimes (some people may not agree that it's only sometimes) I'm not that smart! In a moment of weakness I subscribed to Netflix. For most people this is not a problem, for Richard a TV junkies it was a life changing event.

I don't know how I would be able to enjoy regular TV anymore. On Netflix; no advertisement, no schedule to check if my show is playing, no game that kick out my shows and that the following day, I checked my recording and it's missing. I have full control, I can watch as many shows as long and at the time it please me. You might think those are advantages but let me say this again... I AM A TV JUNKIES!

So for my weekend post, I'll talk about TV shows. The first one in that series... The Walking Dead.

For years, I have from time to time, surfed the TV programming and notice that show. I thought what the heck is wrong with the persons watching something so stupid! I can answer this, I watched all 5 seasons on Netflix, and I can't wait to see Season 6 that is currently on TV.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, let me without spoiler, describe it.

There was a virus that spread in the U.S. Once someone get the virus, they died. What about the walking part Richard you might ask. Well they come back from the dead but they are not human anymore. They just walk aimlessly. Wow if I had read this before, I would have never watch the show but it get better, stick with me.

Those walkers has no purpose, they don't even seem to feel anything; you could cut their arms, open their stomach and pull out their entrails, no problem, it might slow them down but like the energizer bunny, will still keep going and going.

It seems that the only thing they are motivated to do is to eat living people (also known as not dead). I don't really understand why they don't eat dead people but hey I'm not in their shoes.

I'm not watching the shows for entertainment, I'm watching to learn: What would I do if this ever happen in Canada?

I have learned so much already, I'm the type of person that would have tried to reason with them. Maybe let them chew on a finger while explaining how wrong this is. THIS IS THE WRONG APPROACH! What you have to do is stick something in their brain to kill them indefinitely. You can stick: a knife, a sword, a bullet, you can even bash their head... it will do the trick. Ouf! I'm so glad to know that, bring them on! I'm ready, I'm keeping my Swiss knife at the ready.

If you don't want to watch the show, it's OK, when you start to see walking dead people coming for your limbs, hurry up come to me, I know what to do.

This is a test if you fail, you are doom. One of those two is dead, can you guess wich one? 

Have you watch it?

Hardship or is it?

I own 2 homes.

One is in Florida and is the perfect get away from our Canadian winter. It's locate in a retirement community.

The other is in the province of Québec, Canada. I live there 7 months per year. It's in a camping where you can buy your lot. 

Do you see me waving in the window... I hope not, I'm taking the picture, can't be at 2 places at the same time LOL 

During summer, on weekend there is a lot of people but once Sunday arrived, I have pretty much the whole place to myself.

My view is spectacular; I'm by a lake and across the lake is a small village (Val-des-Bois). I also have a view of the mountain. I can sit on my sofa and take it all in for hours and be so blissful. As a bonus, in early spring and late fall, the ONLY traffic in front of my home are deer. For entertainment, there is about 10 strays cat begging me for a free meals.

 The view from my sofa at 6:30 AM, the sun hasn't rise yet!

I have satellite TV and High speed Internet. My propane tank is full and I'm not freezing to death. But because this is a camping, there is no running water until the weather is warm enough to prevent the in-ground pipes from freezing.

This “little” inconvenient is enough to keep away all the other walking-on-two-legs campers. Personally, this is my favorite time. I have bottles water for drinking, I have Jerrycans (which I can re-fill at the main gate) for things like doing the dishes, brushing my teeth. And being beside a lake, I get buckets of water to flush my toilet. At the front office, there is showers. So I need nothing, it is just a little more work, but it's well worth it. 

You do whatever you want with your life, for certain a hardship is really just a small inconvenience that is worth to look over. I would use the analogy of the glass that is half full, but since I'm limited with my water I'll not going to. ha ha ha 

Now the best part... I retired at 52! you might think I'm rich or something but it is not the case. It is cheaper to live in Florida during winter than living in Canada... I don't have to pay to heat the place (which in Canada amount to a lot of $$), I don't pay municipal taxes on a house (still a lot of $$) but I do pay for food, cable and Internet but I would do the same thing back here. If you are interest to know more about my financial, let me know in the comment, I'll be more specific but I think that what the financial planners advised is a load of crap.

I don't know for you folks, but this weekend there will be a lot more snow melting going on in my area, I'm so excited about this.

An Ounce of Wisdom – 20 pounds of Baloney

Last year I was perfect! I was so dedicated to that health race track; nothing unhealthy touched my lips.

My main exercise was walking. I was walking all over, even one day in the excess of 30,000 steps. My vivofit counting every steps of the way. If there was no where to walk, I would go to Walmart and walk around and around, never looking back, never looking at what was on sale. I would bypass the bakery, didn't need to get those aroma to hunt my resolve.

At night, around the fire, I would have vegetables and enjoy a nice bottle or two of water. Meanwhile the pigs my friends would stuff their face with food that were off the chart calories wise. The pigs my friends would keep opening wine bottles and draining them down like they were a bottomless well.

I was so successful, I lost in excess of 50 pounds. Yes I was perfect. But there was an inner voice murmuring: “Richard you are a fraud, soon you will be back to your regular bad habits, you'll see.” I kept shutting down that voice and tell every one that it was a lifestyle change.

In the fall, I started to release my grip on my lifestyle... a little bowl of chips in the evening, a small portion of dessert, a glass of wine, once in a while won't hurt, right? After all now I had so much wisdom, I could manage something call MODERATION, couldn't I? Any way those small treat would be burn the day after on the pickelball court.

In insight I can stated that I thought I had so much wisdom, but the reality is that it was probably less than an ounce of wisdom and I can say I was full of baloney as a matter of fact I took about 20 pounds of baloney in less than 6 months.

Today I'm at one of those fork on my health road, do I need to get back on the lean wagon or do I want to ride the chips wagon?

I don't know! Last year I was addicted to pills... maybe addicted is not the right word :) I was taking a pill for cholesterol and one for blood pressure. I know I don't want to take those any more. That is all I'm certain of at this point.

On a less self-doubting subject... the sun is up, it's going to be a gorgeous day. Probably there will be some melt down of the white cold substance that is hanging around so late this year and I 'll be sitting front and center to keep an eye on the whole spring process. Youppi!

What happen when you keep driving North?

At one point you catch up with winter. Those are today pictures of my paradise...

The lake (just trust me on that one)

The road in front of my home (It's great if you don't particularly enjoy traffic)

Jo et André here is your space... just bring a shovel you will be fine... in July :)

A medical year in review

Last year, at the beginning of April, I had lost a lot of weight. I should have felt the gain of energy everyone talk about. But it was not my case. My right shoulder was giving me so much pain that I had problem to lift it over my head. My back was also acting up and once in a while I was taking pills (Aleve) for it.

I consult my doctor and he send me for x-rays. The verdict was devastating, I had degenerative bones problems and I was not to get better. The doctor even told me that I had to give up pickelball entirely.

I didn't like that, I keep playing but I was trying to only used my left arm, not an easy task for a right hand guy :) After a while, I decided to used my right hand but not smash the ball (because it involved bringing my arm over my head and I just couldn't do that without excruciating pain).

I was really down. There I was doing my very best to get healthier to find out that the quality of my life was diminishing as fast as my waistline.

The doc send me to see a physio therapist. At my first meeting, she said that what I had was bones of a 55 years old and was just the normal aging process. However I had a tendinitis to my shoulder. This could be fix, I need to get a doctor to removed some calcium in my joint.

By the end of the summer, nothing was medically done but at least I had hope.

I kept playing pickelball, always careful about movement. At one point the ball was just too perfect and I smash it without putting any strength to it. I felt a little discomfort but nothing that I couldn't manage.

As time past, I kept hitting the ball over my head more often and what happen; I started to feel better.

During the fall and winter, I started to gain weight (about 20 pounds), the strangest thing happen; I started to fell more energy and the pain is now almost gone. Even my back, with the extra weigh I would think that it would get worse but it's not the case.

Now I can smash the ball as hard as I want. I don't push it because I'm nervous about the previous pain and it's still a little tender but I'm so happy with where I am right now.

I'm about to get back on the health trail and drop the extra weight but I'm curious, does anyone out there ever had an experience when putting up weight made you feel better?

I keep talking about pickelball but I know many has no idea what this is, I'll post about it but here is a clip of it if you want to see more.

Pickelball Link 

I forgot to mention, I had some works done on my knees, here is the x-ray: