LOVE & KINDNESS (May 1)

Happy May!  Weather person says give us a couple of days and the weather will be doggone summery - promises, promises. I'm keeping my winter coat handy.  Of course (actually typed curse, may be more accurate) that means it's orange barrel season!  Although similar in size and shape their placement is a thing of theater. Near the road, on the road, on the middle line, in the ditch, topping a middle schooler's head.

 There is a Manual of Traffic Control codes that provide one a blueprint of road closures, tapering, warning signs and traffic control devices. The human traffic control devices are harder to see and easier to hit based on the fatalities thus far this year.  There is actual training that goes along with handing a worker an orange vest, hard hat and sign.  Some think they are semaphore flaggers doing ship to ship signals. Most use radios/walkie talkies. And some stand idly by unconcerned and get mowed down like ten pins in a bowing alley. In one City instance the guys told me "a crazy lady driver" (right) literally chased them up a hill and they had to cling to vegetation to keep from becoming road kill. 

All of the above to say I really shouldn't complain about the road closures that are slowly but surely cutting off all access to the outside world at this very moment. 

IDLE THOUGHTS As I was trying desperately to make a small amount of toilet tissue left on the roll meet the situation at hand (ahem), I had the thought that each square resembles a piece of bread off a loaf. Probably with peanut butter. Come on. We've all been there.

The OH finally set up his Aero garden he got for Christmas which consists of three teeny tiny tomato plants, fertilizer and  grow light. After a couple of weeks with said grow light running 12 hours a day little tomato plants have emerged with little tiny tomato blossoms.  One of the instructions said to set up  a fan to cross-pollinate the plants even though they live inches apart.  So I just blow on the little darlings when I happen to pass. Plants love carbon dioxide right? Seems to be working.

                                                         

POD PEOPLE A plethora of possibilities for podcasts. Gosh I like that word. Always zero to sixty in this biz as I juggle three separate interviews.  I also coined the phrase for one of the interviewees who wondered about my insistence on rough scripting. An "audio journalist" loathes dead air I told him.  Coming up - Lithium-ion batteries, Error Reduction and Mental Health in Construction. The last one is all the buzz recently. There is apparently a near-epidemic of mental health issues and suicides occurring among construction workers. I am about to find out why. Long hours, difficult work, lots of travel coupled with the "macho" image of a, mostly male, workforce dealing with personal difficulties in unhealthy ways. 

JOEISMS Enjoyed an afternoon with the grandson last week, bowling and dinner. He got an impromptu lesson from the resident bowling pro and also snaked extra chicken nuggets at Arby's from the cashier because, as he put it, he's a people person. When Grandpa ran short of his drink Joe offered some of his. When asked what he was drinking he said "something called Hic." He served himself his own drink at the dispenser and it dawned on Grandpa it was Hi C.  We quietly had hysterics later.

Second Joeism. We stopped at the house to get his bowling ball and he was taking forever to come back to the car. I went to check and he had let the dog out to do her business. He chided me by saying she's been cooped up all day. When I asked why she wasn't at doggy daycare today he said "Mama says she's old enough to be responsible".  OMG I love that kid! May we all be as loving and responsible as Joe and his dog in this world that needs both attributes so badly.  Peace Out....💚  💙💛

YES, BUT IS IT SAFE? (April 24)

IT'S SUMMER, AHH NOT Are we surprised that we have entered mid/late Spring again after a bout with "fake" summer.  Oh Michigan I love you and your little weather snarks. One minute I'm driving in my fancy croc sandals (yes they make cute ones) the next I'm hauling my winter coat back out and scraping Spring off the windshield. I swear I hear a diabolical chuckle as my optimistic humming bird feeder sways in the gale-force winds. 

CONFERENCE TIME Weather worked out, however, for the Michigan Safety Conference. Often when sun and warm weather combine the halls of education get a little sparse in attendees. But this year, we had record crowds and exhibitors so that was good.  I am so glad we wear name tags as there is nothing worse than people enthusiastically greeting you and you're frantically and hopefully, not obviously, scanning their name badge. What was doubly embarrassing were several people I interviewed for the podcast assuming I recognized them.  After preliminary conversations, rehearsal and recording I do get to know them quite well...until I start on the next program.  I am sticking to the story that people look different in person than they do on ZOOM.  Not sure that one is going to play but it's all I have. 

Those who have been regaled with my arthritic leg stories can understand my concern attending a dinner at a restaurant outside the hotel. That in addition to running back and forth between my booth recording promos and the classroom moderating a speaker. In trying to figure out how far a walk it was (google says 8 minutes) I am contemplating grabbing a cab for a $1.20 trip and large tip.  Then I realize the restaurant is right across the street from the side of the hotel.  Ok - in my defense it's a pretty big hotel. Second issue - it's a seafood restaurant - which is not in my fan arena. They must have chicken right? No.  But I was able to settle on a blackened shark which though not spectacular was at least in the spirit of cooperation.  As others were waxing enthusiasm over the suspicious looking appetizers I tried to remain quietly aloof. The creme brulee for dessert, though, was right up my alley! 

Speaking of the hotel, those familiar with Grand Rapids may know of the famous Amway which was called the Pantlind back in the day located on the river. I prefer the Pantlind rather than the Tower side as it's closer to the President's after glow reception on the 9th floor so one can stumble back to their room without that long walk through the lobby. Though I had a king room, the king part pretty much took up the room. Actually the bathroom was bigger than the "crawl space" around the bed. And the spectacular view of the air handlers on the roof is to be expected as I insist on a room on the 5th floor or lower. Word to the wise-the firefighters do not have equipment that goes higher than that so hope you bounce. Rather a pain to hang out with safety people; they are real bummers on trivial facts.

Three days of talking safety and health with like-minded individuals-heaven.  Though we tend to focus on "famous accidents/injuries and fatals" we have known.  Several leads for the podcast so fingers crossed. I was wearing a new dress for the awards dinner and found a little more "exposure" than I had anticipated when I got dressed. This led to 10 minutes of frantic tugging, pinning (stabbing myself half a dozen times) and almost being late for said dinner. 

As I entered the gorgeous, chandelier encrusted banquet room (down a ramp and 2 stairs with 3 inch heels) the gentlemen at my table stood up. Their rapt attention was one of those where I worried "oh crap, do I have a stream of TP trailing my steps".  Or perhaps it was respect for my position on the Board of Directors and Podcast Host extradanaire. But as they scrambled to get me a drink it dawned on me. It's the dress. Oh well. At 71 might as well enjoy some of my last hurrahs. But I do need to fix it before the family wedding in a couple of months...

A small group was invited to an after dinner drink at an exclusive little bar in the hotel. Exclusive meaning tiny, dark and packed where a glass of water is $4 and a tip but served with flourish. The gentlemen agreed to the waiter's foreplay of aged whiskey with maple syrup smoked in flaming wood chips lit right at your table with sparks falling to the wooden floor. I said I liked whiskey but that was a little fru fru for me. White wine please. However, it was a french chardonnay of which I ceremoniously swhirled, sniffed and sipped before approving a glassful.  Delicious. Though the whiskey lighting was quite smashing.       Peace out 💚   💙💛

APRIL FOOLS (April 17)

FAKE SUMMER #1 Only in Michigan (well maybe Wisconsin). I have seen so many stages of undress this week as we cheat a little and enjoy "fake summer" for a few days. Shorts, crop tops, sandals galore! The flowers are buying into it though in a day or so they may regret their headlong rush into sunlight sporting their colors.  Team Daffodil, Thumping Tulips and the Hyacinth Huskies. When it's 50 and I see shorts I think that's pushing it; but 60 and sleeveless top lady riding on the back of a motorcycle is wrong on so many levels; road rash being only one. 

Of course good weather means cleaning up the gardens and picking up sticks for hours. Then the clandestine burning when everybody's at work or school in the firepit grill. The way the wind blows and how the house is situated, normally "the stick stops here". My role is to be frantically on the lookout for complaints whenever the errant wet leaf creates a telltale smoke trail. It's usually white so apparently my cover story is I'm prepping for the next pope election considering Francis has been having some issues lately.

WHAT NOW? The conservatives have been busy with new restrictions.  Funny as they are always touting they are the party of freedom and less government control.  Guess attacks on religion, sex, books, teachers, people different from them, social security, medicare, segregation (Arkansas), throwing black congressmen out for voicing opinions (albeit with a bullhorn) and drugs do not count as restricting freedom and government control.

 As a woman who has suffered a miscarriage I can tell you medical treatment before the medication was a physical ordeal (on top of the mental stress). Of course in some States medical intervention may not even be an option.  If they can restrict one drug, by judge shopping, what is to stop them from restricting others?  Not viagra, of course. That's needed so the old congressmen can still chase down their young interns. Wonder how men would react if vasesctomy was outlawed. Apparently the procedure is happening in proverbial droves in the southern states as the men try to protect the women and themselves. Right on brothers.

QUIET WEEK Fishing season and we're ready. Got our licenses (though mine languishes most years). Got a new trolling motor that the S-I-L installed. Small problem getting the boat out of the garage however. My 2007 Pontiac convertible refused to engage. New battery so the problem is probably internal and costly. Edging the boat out without scratching my stubborn little SHESTOY took three people and guts. Thinking of calling my used car guy and asking what he'll give me for her but he has to come and get it lol.  It's all about negotiation. Maybe we can become those golf cart people who slip down the street at lightening speed of 15 mph. Of course they usually don't have the payload to haul a boat so that's out.

Couple of "bon mots" as Dad used to call them from the OH.  Due to my progressivly worsening arthritis and my whining about it, I have had a series of 4 (count 'em) 4 MRI's since August.  The OH says I schedule them like carnival rides but it could be the valium.  2nd witless i cism. Ever since I exploded my eardrum last Fall the tinnitus has become as noisy as a marching band in a nursery. I keep swearing that machines are running. The OH called it "No that's just the sound of your brain working".  Well good to know. The tests are to try to determine why the injection into my tattoo or my spine, I'm not sure which, did not work, but instead opened up new pathways of discomfort. But it only hurts when I move and of course, I will never play the violin. More's the pity. As I will be on my feet pretty much the next three days at a conference staffing a booth and moderating lectures, I am stocking up on mucho meds.

MSU has the best MRI machines size - wise and I think I know most of the techs by name by now and have the routine down. However one size fits all in the gown department so I always have to come out in my underwear to be tied in or out of said gown. Sometimes its a man, sometimes its a woman but its all part of the fun. I mean once you've seen the internal workings of my body the rest is just gravy or meat I guess would be more descriptive. Spartan Strong and Peace out.....💚  💙💛

                                         

                                                           

PEOPLE SKILLS (April 10)

Safety folks get a bad rap at times. Kill joy, expensive, unnecessary and my favorite "I've been doing it this way for 20 years lady" (usually just before the accident). One example is the dress code I advocated for  meter readers. As every one of them had been bitten by something - dog, cat, bird, otter, mink, owner -I insisted on long pants. After I left of course, freedom from dress codes prevailed with, no doubt, an equally escalating workers' comp bill for a more serious injury.  My thinking was nothing like a mouthful of denim to deter a ravaging beast. 

At the same place the safety folk (all 2 of us) did not approve of the white trucks the CEO wanted to buy for replacements. It was his trademark apparently. Our ugly bottle-green trucks stood out like an atheist at a prayer meeting. Again as soon as I left, white was the color of choice.  Ever notice how nicely plain white stands out in our Michigan winters? You would think those flashing lights would be a dead give-away, but with so many distractions available in the cockpit, the fact that a multi-ton white truck was in front of you does not seem to register. Of course, folks have been known to drive right into the back of a fire truck which are lit up like a Christmas tree. Usually alcohol is a factor and like moths to a flame they are curious to examine the pretty flashing lights. Fortunately most fire folk are paramedics as well, so win-win. 

I had the opportunity to interview two younger safety folk for the podcast this week and I asked them about the "safety cop" reputation we sometimes have. Their perspective was enlightening and gratifying. It may be a generational thing (which we debated) but I admit the next generation is much more cognizant of interpersonal relations and rewarding postive behaviors. Carrot over stick so to speak. One quoted studies proving positive recognition among peers meant more than the pizza parties thrown for no accidents in the quarter; an old practice that management loved, but safety folk knew just led to a bit of dishonesty in reporting mistakes and accidents. Or not reporting problems at all. When an employee feels safe to express his or her views and not be throttled or told to MYOB good things happen. 

I was humbled by the interview in which they expressed their appreciation to me as a mentor (read relic) of the olden days. Also good to know some things haven't changed as we agreed a sense of humor, asking questions, really listening and taking it on the chin sometimes, are skills that have remained. They were surprised that just 25 or so years ago I endured a certain amount of derision for being the first female president of the local chapter of a national professional safety group. I just wished more women were involved in the sausage factory I oversaw. LOL. Hopefully that is changing. 

EGG TIME  Easter weekend brought the boy out to color eggs. He was then tasked with finding 15 of them strewn around the yard.  I thought at almost age 11 the egg hunt was passe but he was all for it, however I am going to have to be more creative in hiding places. He was done in minutes. 

And at this holiest of times, Passover, Easter and Ramadan overlapping how does the world react to these holy events - bombing the crap out of each other...... Peace, really, Peace out  💚 💙💛🙏

SPRING BREAK (April 3)

That happy time of year when a young man's and woman's fancy turns to .....Spring Break! Though when I was in school during the Ice Age, it just meant a week away from school which was a celebration in itself. In the days when I could sleep in as opposed to my reality of 5 am these days, just because. Got to get those steps in. Plus after the second or third time hitting the "john" one might as well arise and embrace the dark of dawn.

  Today folks plan quick trips to outer Mongolia or Antarctica dragging the kiddos including auto-sized perambulators with them. Remember when air travel was so special and expensive only the adults indulged? Yeah me neither.  People take their kids everywhere and at great expense. What inflation? I was in a Florida airport one time hearing a couple arguing with the ticket master when he told them the tiny puddle jumper to the Keys was not large enough to carry a boat-sized baby stroller. I never did discover which of the three got left behind. I hear it's a beautiful drive though.

Spring breaking with the 10-year old grandson was certainly active and expensive and we didn't do anything except mucho fishing (sometimes in a snowstorm), bowling, arcade, shopping at Cabela's (for fishing stuff of course  and new waterproof redhead boots) and the Air Zoo. I don't know about him, but I was tired at the end of each day. He refuses any reference to "Kids" menus and orders off the expensive adult one often resulting in those little white boxes that proliferate in the 'frig after a hard week.  

As the sun appeared periodically he was hepped up to get some sunglasses that would make him look "Top Gunish" his latest obsession. After Nana rejected the expensive model (knowing I would be committing "kidricide" when he inevitiably loses them), he settled on some more reasonably priced lenses -aviator style.  He immediately went into a strut mode which he thought made him look tough. Mistake number 1. 

Visited the Air Zoo in Portage which has every flying machine from Kitty Hawk to the Stealth bomber. He was fascinated especially as they had an indoor amusement park. Not realizing my ruptured eardrum was a real and present danger to life and limb I agreed to accompany the boy on the first ride. It went around in circles; and up and down; and round and round (amidst much screeching). I thought I was going to barf all over my young pilot.  Geez! Finally someone in the family to ride on rides and my balance abilities have been shot to hell. Which of course put the "kibosh" on my trying out the flight simulator which could not only turn one upside down and sideways but also necessitated being enclosed into a confined windowless space. So much for my dreams of becoming a pilot. 

Mistake 2 was exiting the museum hall right into the souvenir shop (do you suppose that is by design?) The boy would not relinquish his new aviators and was thrilled when someone commented on them and then he saw ....THE JACKET!... Abort Abort.  All is lost.  Oh well happy birthday early. Newly equipped with flight jacket and shades he became 6-foot tall and dangerous sporting a menacing curled lip as he strutted. Of course he got noticed, but he was cool, well sometimes.  He would just get so excited. I tried to get him to understand to let the admirers come to him as he definitely stood out, We ended our visit at a second building where he got to sit in real helicopters and chopped up jets. With that outfit the Tom Cruise vibe was unmistakeable and people noticed.  What's a few bucks for that much happiness.  This spoiling business has its perks.

BRIEF COMMERCIAL PAUSE You know how slime can shift, shimmy and ooze through small cracks and crevices? Well the events of this week were kind of like that.  Could be another "nuttin burger" but for one shining moment we believed that threats, violence, lies and intimidation can be overcome and no one is above the law (if only for a moment). 🙈🙉🙊

A STAR IS BORN In conclusion. A young boy had his dreams fulfilled, again if only for a moment, life is good.   Peace out....💚  💙💛

                                                      

 

DRIVING ME TO...SOMETHING (March 26)

Drivers! Can't live with them and can't live, well with them-no positive side! 

Sparking the rant is the ongoing proliferation of tailgaters. Living in the same area for 40+ years, I have traversed a particular road 100's of times. As usual when one is traveling east with a speed limit of 25 for a mile or two, someone is always drafting on my tail feathers. In the old days one would brake suddenly or wave a "happy" finger to get them to back off, but with so many packing heat, and more importantly, thinking their travel is necessary at high speed I just put it in cruise. What makes this road even more fun is the other side of the street is 45 mph! I am not kidding. When traveling west, one skinny painted line separates the two as eastward drivers whiz by 20 miles faster. 

Even more humorous, though our trusty driver's guide prohibits speeding up until one is even with the actual speed sign, upon questioning my local constabulary I was told I can speed up when I see the sign. Ok as a compromise, when I am at the top of the hill I let nature run it's course and allow the car to do the speed-up thingee on its own so we're doing the posted speed at the bottom where the 45 sign sits. Not that it placates the Busch team wannabes sucking my exhaust however.

To keep myself relevant I was moderating a forum at a construction safety conference this week. Two attorneys were discussing the marijuana laws and after an hour or so of back and forth I believe we are essentially screwed as employers. Test and have no employees or monitor and document the heck out of behavior while hoping said structure does not fall down ahead of schedule. Nice to know we have the same issues with substance abuse we did when I put a drug and alcohol program together for my CDL drivers more than 20 years ago.  

Just for fun I was questioning a few folks at the conference about the most unsafe behaviors they have seen behind the wheel.  Reaching in back; driving with your knees; eating; putting on make-up; literally reading a newspaper and the winner -tablet mounted on the steering wheel with the driver scrolling. One dude who worked at the Michigan DOC (Corrections) mentioned a perfect murder could be performed by a driver taking out another driver with a built-in fast get-away-just, kidding. I know he converses daily with some bad guys, but I didn't linger.  

 Now I contend that Michigan drivers are some of the best. If our northern brethren could put skis on their wheels in the UP they would absolutely do it-who needs brakes "hold my beer and watch this"  However anyone driving the SE Michigan corridor or that piece of I-94 going into Indiana requires stellar moves and reflexes. When I traveled in my job I dreaded those areas. It's not so much the traffic, which is bad or even the 85 mph that seems to be the challenge. I think it's the lack of the po-po creating the "blue creep" I call it as we all pretend we are following the rules when we see particularly marked cars.

Which reminds me of how "extra" careful I had to be when driving a government-marked car. People are watching (which is another type of distracted driving) One particular legend forced me to caution my emps to be sure if you stop at a location that serves alcohol it should also serve food.  One clueless traveler (not one of my folks) was spotted front and center late in the evening at an, ahh, adult entertainment venue. No way they were serving food, at least not anything I would be interested in eating....

Another acutal incident was so egregious it required even more documentation on all our travel paperwork to denote exactly where we were at all times-addresses and time spent- which they would then check against mileage charts.   (Does that count stops at McD's for a potty break?) Apparently some yahoo used his "work time" and work car to play golf boldly parking in full view of a roving reporter who promptly took pictures.  A master criminal indeed. I am not saying the employee was not guilty but I also have to question his superiors for not catching on that he never got anything done in the summer.  Noticing missing paperwork or occasional ride-alongs are, kind of, part of the job.

With driverless cars and Uber/Lyft some driving issues may be alleviated. Reports are indicating that young people are not "itching" to get that old license. Not in my day. A license meant freedom and if you could wrangle the car, no bus to school! I passed up a trip to Florida with my sibs to make sure I got my driver's training in the summer before I turned 16. On the momentous day of my road test, I drove my Dad to the SOS. His final words of encouragement to me were "Well, thank goodness I never have to ride with you again". Since I can count on one hand (or finger)  the number of times I drove my Dad anywhere it just goes to show some wishes do come true..

I come from a line of professional drivers. My brother was all about motorcyles. My mild-mannered, loving flower child older sister drives like Mario Andretti with scant respect for slow-pokes. My Mother used to drive through the winter on our Free Press route with only skinny me to get us out of snow drifts; but she was a master of the rear-wheel drive station wagon in addition to her quick get-aways in dicey situations.   As my brother used to say "she could have been a wheel man for the mafia". 

Also my Mother's oft-told story was she never took a driving test to get a license. She claims an Irish cop was so impressed with Shirley Muldoon's beauty he cooed "I'm sure you'll be a safe driver lassie".  (I made the irish and lassie part up, but she did get a license in the mail with no testing much to her father's surprise). My guess is at the final crescendo of WWII, Detroit cops were too busy stopping German U-boats creeping up the Detroit river and persecuting weiner dogs. 

                                                 

Also took the opportunity to attend an interesting presentation this week, as one must get out of the house when the professionals are doing their cleaning thing. A food safety practictioner (yes they exist) made me afraid to eat anything out of my refrigerator unless I incinerate it first basically. And if I did not wash my hands thoroughly before I am now a believer. One little factoid is "have you ever had the 24-hour flu?" No such thing-food poisoning.  Not the killing kind just the loose bowel kind.  Makes you think. Also I may never use my countertops again to put, I don't know, food on.  Peace out...💚💙💛

SLICE, DICE AND STAB (March 20)

TREED Paul Bunyan and crew have savaged our yard at the lake.  Whether in retrospect, this was a good move,  only time will tell. That tree has been the "proverbial" thorn in our side since we moved in the place.  Constantly "weeping" it's branches and leaves all over the yard I at least got plenty of exercise picking up sticks and not in a good way. Pro-tree offered good shade to a mostly unused portion of deck. Cons-everything else. Home to woodpeckers slowly cleaning out the insides of branches; ominous creaking and branches dropping during windstorms. Threats to the fence below and diving board for escaping squirrels. An ominous lean toward the canal just a little more noticeable each year. Constant complaints from the neighbor who's house was in the line of fire if ole weepie actually lost the battle with gravity. 

It's a neighbor's tree company so an offer of a great deal of $xxx for removal. Oh, you want the wood removed? Duh? Another $Xxx. Whoops-can't bring my super-duper topper/lopper in the yard another $XXx. Licensed and insured, well $XXX! Damn so glad it was a benevolent neighbor ripping me off. Much better than a stranger. Easier to complain whenever I see them. 

No doubt the grand dog and grand son will miss it. One liked to lay under its shade and contemplate squirrel incursions; the other liked to pee near it when he could get away with it.  Guess which is which.

SINGLE FILE At least they brought a full crew for the woody demolition. Other tree folk I have engaged tend to work solo with fancy acrobatics and rope competencies on display. We would grab a couple of brewskis and lawn chairs to enjoy the show. Working alone was one of the issues I needed to negotiate when I was a safety skate. Much of the work on off-hours was more maintenance or observation-type.  Why send a crew when one set of eyes will do? Of course it never stops there.

One notable evening it was decided (by one appropriately named "trouble man") that the job could not wait for morning. So cranking up the old truck bucket with some sluggish hydrualic fluid seemed a reasonable idea at 3 am.  Up was fine; down not so much. After much contemplation and a non-functioning radio the result was an attempt to lower oneself from the edge of the bucket. Good plan except for not nailing the landing resulting in a compound fracture. Reconstructing accidents is always a game of hindsight 20-20. How to weigh economic issuses against a worker's desire to take care of the problem.  Which is why we try to design jobs and operations so failure does not threaten injury or death in a misguided decision. We make our employers crazy with our "what if" scenerios, but our "what ifs" is how we play the game.  Do not pass GO without your personal protective gear. 

Another challenge was the one-person and a truck checking canned lift stations which are part of the active sewer system located underground with one way in and out. I made the plunge, but with my claustrophobic tendencies it was a one-time deal to understand the problem.  Really good phone communication before and after as there are, surprise, no rules against working alone. Talk about your confined spaces.

YOGA-A GO GO Speaking of exercise (huh?) my option I guess. After meeting with the surgeon from Hell on my knee/hip/leg issues he asked if I was taking meds, engaging in PT and trying yoga. So finally made it to the third leg of the stool and hit a couple of yoga sessions at my local community center. Those who know me understand my total disdain for "group" exercise with a leader exhorting the girls to "keep going" "you've got it" "great energy" bleahh.  I'd rather cut my leg off than get involved with the rah rah BS.  Anyway for $2 a session I gave it a try.  

First off all the ladies are my age or older so that's a plus. The majority are in pretty good shape and in yoga you don't talk-you concentrate-all good. Being a crippled newbie when these gals stretch, I'm stifling my groans as I try to move extremely painful joints in some version of the "dancing coconut" or "bouncing ginko" positions these ladies are assuming. I usually start a movement and fall off partway through. As the room is dimly lit to better concentrate I'm straining mightily to ascertain the movement shown by the leader and usually get it wrong.  It seems rude to focus on those nearest (who may be performing their own unique version of the buttressing icicle) but one has little choice. The tingey tangey music is kind of nice too, but the cool-down relaxed breathing exercise at the end is totally lost on me as I just  want to get up and out of there.  And the namaste part makes me giggle. Like we were able to achieve nirvana staring up at the ceiling of an old classroom with insulation hanging out of it, which in my experience, is probably asbestos or silica-deep breaths, not so much. Chalk it up also to my normally impatient nature, though I will keep trying.

DR DR Latest medical intervention this week was a deep steroid injection into my spine. Another nail in the coffin of my arthritic body looking for relief (short of death obviously). Who needs sedation? I've done natural childbirth and ran where others merely limped. Valium is my go-to. Just enough to take the anxiety level down and stay fully conscious so I can wax hilariously with the medical staff during the procedure. 

One of my previous medical "bon mots" was during a colonoscophy where my surgeon also happened to be my breast cancer doctor who had the pleasure of attacking both ends of my problems so to speak. He had students in the room and courteously asked if I had a problem with it. Of course not I said and informed the room that Dr. X was actually my T's and A man.  Dead silence but he laughed, bless his heart. Young people just have no sense of humor. Thankfully I do not remember anything after that. 

At any rate, no pain so the next day I started back on my 10 mile a day walking although technically it was suggested to "ease into my routine" over a week or two-as if. Just a little numbness so hopefully I haven't screwed this up.    Go State and Peace out.....💚  💙💛