the exercise bog

stopwatch

this was screen grabbed on the 15th, more than two weeks ago.

it was the last time i exercised.

it's a familiar timeline.

begin the year strong — three days on the first week.

second week, two days. bad weather scrubs that third day.

third week is pictured here. there was time spent helping kris with a publication for her work, then getting prepped for a performance review.

fourth week, i got sick.

used to be, i'd work out sick. now i'm just tired. i can't lay down, though. let's see how we respond.

also

sissy gives birthday boy a gift.

this will probably be one of my favorite photos of them at this age.

these guys

church league hoops game selfie.

who the boy reminds me of now.

they keep growing. and turning into people.

he's losing teeth like a fool. that gap-toothed grin only lasted a couple of weeks before turning full-on toothless.

and she's ... turning into a princess. not sure how that's happening. and she keeps getting taller. i have no idea how.

trying my best to keep up.

this guy

cupcake face.

we weren't sure what we were going to get when we saw that little image on the ultrasound, but damned if he isn't the distillation of who we are, as a couple and as a people, right now, in america in the early 21st century.

mlk

martin luther king day at the capitol.

we wanted the kids to be aware of the man being celebrated and why he was important. we used some concrete examples of how their parents and friends wouldn't be where we are if not for his efforts.

take care now

up, up and away; away with dental decay.

this is what i buy with my birthday money.

used to be music or maybe something bad for me, like a breakfast biscuit or a bacon cheeseburger.

i bought an electric toothbrush.

now, as i am firmly entrenched in middle age, i'm making a halftime adjustment to see if i can get myself healthy enough to weather old age.

i'm walking, hoping to run. getting ahead of myself in trying to strengthen my core. and ... taking care of my teeth and gums.

my dental hygienists have told me that even a four-dollar electric is better than a manual. so with birthday cash burning a hole in my wallet, i first reached for the $4.99 oral b 3d white, but decided to splurge on the $12.99 oral b pro health.

then, since i've been meaning for years to stave off gum disease — and potential heart ailments linked with it — i took dental care to the next level and bought a two-pack of fancy floss.

if i can manage to floss a few times a week, plus improved brushing with an electric toothbrush, well, maybe i can avoid the awful scraping of plaque on my regular check-ups and stem the recent uptick in cavities.

it's not sexy, but it's a start.

studious 54

introspection.

our security guard said to me, "have a good evening, young man." i told him i appreciated being called 'young man.'"

then i got id'd for a wine purchase and got a special greeting; i'd lost all track in the rush to get home in time for supper.

aside from that, the most memorable thing about today, apart from a delicious dinner of roast drumsticks, oyster dressing, brussels sprouts, rainbow chard, and pecan pie, was waking up to find the girl making our morning coffee.

kris said to me yesterday, "i did it. i taught our daughter to make coffee by herself." i remain a little flabbergasted.

she's going to get quite the kick out of it for the next few weeks. not sure when the novelty's going to wear off.

lil barista.

day one

bedding and pajamas.

on the extra day of our long new years weekend, i ... did laundry. about six loads. lots of folding and hanging.

became aware i'm known as the child of mom's four who uses the dryer extensively and is shrinking his family's clothes. i am now presently hanging clothes left from a damp dry.

i took a break of approximately 23 minutes, 25.46 seconds to take about a 1.4-mile walk around the neighborhood. (a pace of about 16.5 minutes per mile. yeesh.)

it was right around 15 degrees. i remain a big fan of exercising in the cold.

winter gear.

i stretched after i got home and did three push-ups (meh) and three, sad, not even half sit-ups. my core is nonexistent.

not necessarily encouraging, but i hope it's a start.

the hardest part of exercising remains: put on your shoes.

yes, it's winter, but don't make a fuss. layer: wicking t-shirt, cotton t-shirt, polar fleece jacket, gore-tex anorak. gloves. toboggan. simple.

this may have been one layer more than i would have worn in my running days when i would really generate heat. (cotton tee being the possible extra layer.)

i'm now aware of arthritis in my left knee that barks when the weather gets cold and dry. knowing what it is — as opposed to what i used to think was some sort of injury — gives me the hope that i can gut my way through the pain and medicate it if need be.

with any luck or an infusion of cash from kris' new part-time gig, i'll have access to an indoor pool. maybe by the time spring arrives, i'll be fit enough to do a 5k.

work officially underway to accomplish resolution no. 4. fingers crossed.