Billboard fun

Shut up and put your money where your mouth is!

I was just thinking of places I would like to go (and Ken's 50th is next year, so I have to do something for that...), and so I am going to start a list.

Places I have not been and would like to go:
US: Las Vegas, New Orleans, Southwest (Grand Canyon, Sedona, Sante Fe), Napa

Canada: Quebec City (lurved Montreal), Vancouver

Other: Paris, Barcelona, London, Munich, Florence, Amsterdam, Australia/New Zealand, Cape Town, Bali

More I am sure to come.

Places I have not been and have NO desire to go to:
Anywhere in Alabama or Missisippi. Fresno. Detroit. Dallas. Oklahoma City. Lincoln, NE. Salt Lake City. I'm sure also more to come.

Trainwreck!

Okay, not really, but Ken did wreck my car last night. We had switched cars yesterday because I was off and he needed the emissions inspection done (because he is incapable of doing it himself) on his car, so I voluteered to do it for him ($30 in late fees, yay, on a $14 inspection, grrrr).

So, short story long, he had to go to his Dad's after the gym last night because Dad was having wireless issues (the Vonage phones wouldn't work). On his way home, he was at a red light next to a left turn lane, and the turn lane changed, and he wasn't paying attention and pulled into the interesection striking a car turning left from the other direction. I TOTALLY know that he was checking email at the time on his crackberry, but everytime I bring it up, he gets pissy, so this is a 'pick your battles' kind of issue. The "good" things about it is thank God no one was injured in either car, and the car, while looking like crap, is still drivable (and the top still goes down, so there's that).

The bad side is our insurance is SURE to go up, because he is at fault. And, since it was my car, MY insurance in particular will probably go up. You know, because paying $1100 dollars a year isn't enough. Ugh.

Other good news is that I went three time to the gym in the past week since I joined. Now, some would say that sucks, but I used to have a hard time doing it. So the goal is to keep it up. I can definitely feel it, although working my biceps is a little challenging. I am working them to failure, starting curls with 30 pound dumbbells, and then doing "upsets" with 35 pound dumbells, but today, *nothing*. No pain, no fatigue, no satisfying yeah, worked them hard feel... my chest, on the other hand, might fall off at any moment today. :)

Um, note to self

So, if you ever decide, after 9 months away from the gym, to go back, let me advise:

Do NOT think you can lift the same weight you stopped with. You will be able to do it, but will wreck your muscles so much that you will not be able to get out of bed the next day.

Do NOT think since you were running about 2-3 miles a day just for fun before that you should run the half mile to the gym, 4 miles on the treadmill, and then run home. Because if you do that, you will be mentally and physically dead the next morning. I barely made it in, and considered calling in sick this morning.

On another note, I look damned sartorial this morning. I have on a seer sucker suit, white shirt, pink bow tie and cuff links, white bucs, and a dark blue leather belt. Smokin, and yeah, GIANT HOMO. Everyone keeps asking if I have a performance tonight. LOL

Life

So, Ken's mom passed away in early May. We always thought his dad would be next (my dad was LAST may), and the moms, well, we thought they would probably outlive us.

But alas, she got pneumonia and was in the hospital, they made all the right decisions (ventilator, but only because she might get better), then when it was either time for permanent ventilator (with very little quality of life) they took her off, and she passed away a couple days later. It was tough on Ken, but ultimately brought us stronger. I mean, its a "who the hell cares if he puts his coffee cup in the dishwasher, we are dealing with death here" kind of feeling. We both have relied on each other in these times.

So, now, the tough part; dealing with his Dad, who, while in a retirement community, doesn't have assisted living care or anything like that, is still dealing with Parkinson's related mobility issues (think: walker), and has never prepared a meal for himself in 55 years of marriage. It has been a struggle, and except for last weekend at Rehomo, which really recharged our batteries, we have been taking care of Dad on the weekends. I am not complaining, having Dad's sister and Ken's sister to take care of him weekdays has allowed us to, well, work.

But what's the alternative? A nursing home? Hells no. So, in the meantime, I will work out not as much as I'd like, run hardly at all, but do what needs to be done. We owe this at the least to those who took care of us all those years.

Thankfully, the other side of things, my mom, is still strong as an ox, even while dealing with Lupus and blood clots and whatever the hell next. I'm hoping to get her genes.