Letdown!

I am one of those people who always experiences a bit of a letdown after Christmas--all the excitement is over and the visiting of families and it's a downhill slide to BLAH!

This year especially I am worrying about keeping my own physical strides towards being a healthier person. During Christmas I eat too much of all the wrong things and I don't exercise enough. I was counting on my rehab sessions to help and then the physical therapist cancelled me for a whole week, when I go back for one session, and then not again for 5 days. That's not a lot of help for me.

I'm not a self-motivated exerciser. The word athlete has never been applied in reference to me at any time. I labored down the steps to the basement to check on the old exercise bike (Can you tell I'm feeling desparate?) but it needs a new pin in the seat. Yes, I can go buy one but I couldn't convince myself to do it today. Today is one of those days where I can't get warm and I huddled on the couch with a blanket. Of course if I were excercising, I might be warmer. Hmmm.

I went back to Weight Watchers two days before Christmas and they had the nerve to change everything while I was gone for six weeks. At least I had a note from my doctor and didn't have to pay for the weeks I missed. I'm glad I went back but doubt that I'll be posting a loss on my next visit.

I'm sure I'll pull it all together and have no intentions of sliding into a deep, dark depression. The days are getting longer, it's not snowing here except for the occasional lazy flake, and I am going out to dinner tomorrow night. It will all be well!

Trapped

My problem today is minor compared to the real issues but it's driving me crazy. I loaned my van to my son-in-law for the day, and I'm trapped at the house.

Now, it's snowing so I don't know that I would even go out today, but it makes me itchy to know that I can't. His car caught fire in his driveway yesterday afternoon, and I loaned the van so he could get back to work and make arrangements for the rest of the week. I have to have it back for getting to rehab tomorrow and Free for All Friday night so it's not a long term thing.

When I couldn't drive and was dependent on Joe, it was very stressful as well. One evening I had to wait for him to pick me up at the house so we could go to an event for the kids, and even though he wasn't late, I started getting really impatient. It made me wonder how my Mom stood it because she never drove (except during World War II) and was always dependent on others.

So I feel trapped. Silly, huh?

Weather Notes

Every year we get together with Joe's family a week or two before Christmas, either in Columbus or in Steubenville. This year it's in Columbus, nice for us, less than an hour's drive. It's always fun and I really enjoy Joe's family.

But every year the weather becomes an uninvited guest. Some members of the family get really paranoid at the mention of snow. It is December and there is a chance of snow, but the amount of attention paid to the weather channel seems excessive. This year it's all about freezing rain due Saturday evening, hopefully by which time everyone will be home and in their own beds.

Again, we're back to worrying about things that we can't control and that may never happen. This morning the local school district closed due to snow and my husband didn't want me to go to my rehab appointment. I don't know what it was like when the school closed at 5 am, but at 8:30 am the major roads were totally clear and even our road was just a bit slushy. I used the walker to go to the car just to be on the safe side and even made it early into my appointment.

Maybe it's because I am determined not to miss any rehab appointments, but neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor any of that stuff will deter me.

Wheels!

Hurrah! I'm driving again. Joe and I went to my first outpatient rehab appointment today and I rewarded myself for being tortured by driving myself on my own errands this afternoon. Rehab was much tougher than the in home physical therapy, but the results will be worth it as my leg still isn't straight by 15 degrees which Dave, my new therapist, says has to change. He started the process by pushing down my knee until it hurt and then holding it there for 20 seconds. His more aggressive style three times a week will definitely get me back in shape.

This afternoon I drove to the library, the post office, and Krogers. I was far less dangerous in the car than I was in the electric cart in Krogers in which I wiped out an entire display of hand sanitizer. Oops! I picked it all up though.

It's nice to feel independent and I already have plans for tomorrow. Joe is subbing Thursday and Friday so I won't have to listen to him lecture me when I take off for the big city of Heath and some Christmas shopping that I need to finish before his family's get-to-gether this Saturday. I will probably let Joe drive us over to Westerville for that though.

I am glad to have my wheels back!

Lost and Found

Ok, Joe's lost his teeth. He has a denture that he doesn't wear all the time, and when he's not wearing it, he stuffs it into a pants pocket or a coat pocket. Not a great place to keep something like that but I have at least broken him of the habit of leaving it on the table by the couch. I have looked through his clothes and his bed and his various lairs and I can't find the denture. I think he may have dropped it out of his coat pocket on his way out to the car but it's too cold to go out and look through the snow. I will do that tomorrow if he doesn't remember where they are.

Of course, he keeps asking me where his teeth are as though I could actually know. I am the finder of all things in our household, but once in a while, things are well and truly lost, and even I can't find them.

Free for All

Friday Night Free for All is a small group of friends that get together to sew the first and third Fridays of the week. People arrive whenever they wish as I am usually there from 9:30 am on, and we usually sew until 10 pm with a carry out dinner from one of the local restaurants. Often it's Clay's because they deliver really good subs, pizza, and ice cream!

Not driving yet, so Rosie picked me up about 4:30 and took me to the shop. Five of us worked on various projects and ordered dinner from Clay's. It was fun to just talk and sew and laugh! I spelled out the name of each grandkid on the front of a pillow case that I'll use as the wrapping for his or her Christmas presents. It's as inexpensive as the paper and ribbon and the kids will love them.

I faded early, and was home by 8 pm. I feel bad that I ended the night early but am so grateful that my friends wanted to come out even for an abbreviated Free for All.