Monthly Archives: July 2022

A Full Decade Of Blogging (or I Do Love Milestone Anniversaries)

Posted on July 15, 2022 | Comments Off on A Full Decade Of Blogging (or I Do Love Milestone Anniversaries)

I know it’s a day early, but I’ve been blogging for 10 years! It’s crazy to think that it’s been a decade since I put my first post out on here. Since I typically write the day before the post goes up, that means that 10 years ago today I was writing that very first post.

I know I’ve said this so often, especially on blog anniversaries, but I still can’t believe I’ve been able to keep this up for so long. I know I wanted to keep this up as long as I could, but I never knew what amount of time that would be. Obviously, I’m glad that I’ve been able to write for 10 years now, but I know if I was able to keep it up for a few months and then stopped, I would have been proud of myself for the work that I was able to do.

10 years of posts means that I have written about a lot of things and a lot has changed in my life. I have written about so much that I’ve learned about and how I have figured things out that work and don’t work for myself. When I started this blog, I was in a very different situation. I was not in a regular fitness routine. My day job situation wasn’t as stable as it is now. I lived in the same place for almost the entire time that I’ve been blogging, but I have written about condo hunting over the years, even before we really got serious about it. And now, I live in a much better place than I was in before.

I’ve written about a lot of fun things and adventures that I have gone on in 10 years. I love finding fun (and sometimes random) things to do around LA. One thing I love about living here is that there are always things you can go out and do. I don’t always go out and do them and I’m working on that, but whenever I want to find something to do and I feel motivated, I know I will find something to do. And it will usually make a fun post on here. I haven’t been able to travel as much as I would have liked, but I do love getting to write about a place I haven’t been to before or a place I haven’t been to in a long time.

And I’ve written about some tough stuff over the past decade. I don’t think anyone would expect that they could go 10 years without some sadness. I think I’ve been lucky because I haven’t had to deal with too much hardship over the last decade. There have been hard things I have gone through and that I have watched others go through. But for the most part, the people in my life have been able to stay safe and healthy.

Because the pandemic has been going on for about 2 1/2 years, I guess 25% of my blog has occurred during a pandemic. I wrote about some of my struggles with isolation and my fears around getting sick, but I have been lucky and I have been ok so far. And now, I have this record forever of going through a historic time and what I was doing and thinking. I don’t know if I would remember as much if I had to just rely on my memory and not my past posts.

And I have used this blog as a record when I can’t remember when something happened or a specific point about an event. So when I want to look up something, I can search my past posts. It is a bit weird sometimes to think about it, but it’s also really cool. And I have tried to be as open and honest about the good and the bad so I have an accurate record of my life as I have been writing.

10 years of blogging and just over 2600 posts is a lot. But it’s also amazing. And I am so grateful that there are people who read this blog. I love knowing that others enjoy these posts and I’m not just writing into a void. I have gotten support from people who have read my posts and that is always incredible. And again, having a record of what I have gone through in the past 10 years can also provide help and advice if someone looks up an old post.

I’ve said this over and over again, but I have no intention of stopping my blogging. I’m sure at some point, I will stop or cut back on how many posts I do a week. But I don’t have a plan for that just yet. 10 years ago, there was no way for me to know that my life would be the way it is. And there is no way for me to predict where I’ll be 10 years from now. But I’m excited to see what happens and I will be sharing about it on here just like I always do!

You Might Also Like

Default Thumbnail9 Years Of Blogging (or Just Keep Writing) Default ThumbnailMissed Milestone (or 1,009 Posts!) Default Thumbnail19 Years In LA (or The LA Anniversary Between Two Big Milestone Anniversaries) Default Thumbnail1500 Posts (or This Really Is Just A Part Of My Life) Default Thumbnail8 Years In (or Another Blog Anniversary) Default Thumbnail900 Posts (or My Next Milestone Is A Big One)

Comments Off on A Full Decade Of Blogging (or I Do Love Milestone Anniversaries)

Posted in Celebrations, Fun Stuff

Tagged , ,

Feeling Like The Summer Is Slipping Away (or Trying To Make A List Of Things To Do)

Posted on July 14, 2022 | Comments Off on Feeling Like The Summer Is Slipping Away (or Trying To Make A List Of Things To Do)

There are so many things that I love to do around LA. Not everything is specific to certain times of the year or seasons, but there are a few things that can only happen during the summer for example. And I usually have been good about making plans to be able to do at least of few of these. But the past few summers haven’t really been that way.

The summer of 2020 was really spent being at home and making sure I don’t get sick. Yes, I missed out on doing a lot of things that I love, but it was more important for me to stay safe and not get sick. Last summer, I did a few things that I usually try to do, but I was still being very cautious about where I went and who I was around. I also didn’t get out as much because so many of my friends had moved away from LA. It’s tough when you are used to doing certain things with specific friends, and I wasn’t doing a very good job about just asking around to see who was free and wanted to go do something.

This summer, I’ve just been busy. Moving and getting settled into my condo has taken up a lot of my time, although that is something that I’m glad I have been doing because I want to make my condo feel like home. I have also been busy with work. I am still getting used to working more hours than I did before the pandemic. And I am enjoying the work that I’m doing now, especially since I have created my own new position at the company, but it still is taking up more hours than I am used to having for work. For example, I no longer have Mondays off, which used to be the day that I went out and did a lot of fun things. Now, unless I take a day off of work, my only day without work is on Sunday. And I usually spend a lot of Sunday getting things ready for the week.

But I know that saying I’m working more can also be an excuse. I do have a lot of things in the evenings, but that’s not every evening. And I do work on Saturdays, but that’s only in the morning so I can plan for more things mid-day or later in the day. And I know that if I can more fun things to my schedule, it won’t feel as tiring as adding more work hours to my schedule. If anything, it might be a little refreshing to have more time with friends and to get out of the rut that I tend to be in during the week.

So I have been making an effort to make a plan for the second half of the summer. I know that I won’t be able to do everything that I would like to do, but if I could do a few things I know that it will be a benefit to my life. I’ve been looking back at things that I have enjoyed doing and seeing what is possible with my schedule and finances. For example, looking at the schedule at the Bowl or seeing movies at the Hollywood Forever cemetery. Those are a bit more time-specific, but if I find something that I want to see, then I can try to fit it into my schedule. And I’m also working on reaching out to more friends to see who would like to go do things with me. I’m rebuilding friendships that were more like acquaintances in the recent past and that’s been a really great thing for me.

I know that the summer will be over before we know it. Time always seems to move quicker every year and I know that if I don’t make an effort that summer will be done and some of the things I want to do won’t be options until next summer. If I don’t make it to anything that I would like to do, I want to make sure that I at least try. And maybe if I can’t get things done this year, it will help remind me to make plans for next summer so I don’t miss out on that time again.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailTime Is Flying By (or How Is Summer Already Halfway Over?) Default ThumbnailA Busy Summer (or Realizing I Have A Lot To Look Forward Too) Default ThumbnailWorking On Planning My Summer (or Really Hoping Things Continue To Get Better) Default ThumbnailAn At-Home Labor Day (or The Unofficial End To A Weird Summer) Default ThumbnailUnemployed Again (or Trying To Not Make It Feel Like Summer Break) Default ThumbnailDisneyland Bucket List (or One Last Visit Before The Summer Blackout)

Comments Off on Feeling Like The Summer Is Slipping Away (or Trying To Make A List Of Things To Do)

Posted in Fun Stuff, Tough Stuff

Tagged ,

Now I Think This Is The End Of The Renovation (or I Keep Thinking I’m At The Finish Line)

Posted on July 13, 2022 | Comments Off on Now I Think This Is The End Of The Renovation (or I Keep Thinking I’m At The Finish Line)

There have been so many points where I said the renovation on my condo was done. When I moved in, there were still a few things to do but pretty much everything was completed. Then when we worked on the fix-it list and discovered the floors had to be redone, getting the new floors felt like the end of the renovation. There were still a few things to get done after the floors, but that was the last really big thing that needed to be completed for the remodel. But now, I think I might actually be done with the renovation.

A few things happened in the past week. The contractor came back with a crew to finish the last few things on the list. These were all pretty minor things such as some paint touch-ups, repairing one broken tile that was in the kitchen, straightening a handle on a cabinet, and cleaning up some of the stuff they had left on my patio. These were all very quick and fast fixes, but they needed to be done so the project felt complete. And all of this work was able to be done in a single day, so it felt like it was done really fast.

The one thing that wasn’t done the same day as the rest of the work was getting the leftover stone from my kitchen counters. I now have that on my patio after it was brought over and we are looking at seeing if we can turn it into a coffee table for outside. But at least it’s off to the side of my patio and out of the way. But it was the last of the leftover materials that we were waiting on (I have the leftover paint and tiles in my storage space in my garage already).

I also finally got my curtains installed last week. This was separate from the contractor because I used a chain curtain/blinds store. I had picked out the curtains about a month ago and I knew the installation would take a few weeks. Fortunately, this was only for the back slider door because the rest of my windows have shutters. So I wasn’t lacking privacy in my place, but I wanted to have this done since I didn’t like having such a big open window that others could see into at night. This installation took longer than expected, but I was just working while they were doing it, so it wasn’t a big deal. And having curtains added really made the space look finished.

I still need to organize and get my new couch (and get rid of my old couch), but having curtains made a big difference. I didn’t know it would feel that big, but I think having something that feels homier and makes my place feel cozy is helping a lot. And I like that the sheers I picked don’t completely obscure the view so I can still see into my patio. Eventually, I’ll have furniture out there too, so that will be nice.

And the last step to the renovation was getting my place cleaned again. I had done this before I moved in, but since fixing the floors got this dusty, we asked the contractor to bring a cleaner in so I didn’t have to pay for another one. I am debating about setting up a monthly cleaning service (it feels like a splurge, but I think it would be worth it), but it was nice to not have to pay this time when the reason we needed the cleaning wasn’t something I was in control of. And of course, it was nice to have a super clean place, which is why I’m considering a regular cleaning service now.

My parents still want to see all the fixes and work before we officially say that the renovation is done and they will be back in LA this fall. So being officially done might have to wait until then, but I still consider the work done. There are no projects left that are not being done by me or by someone I might hire directly (such as building a murphy bed). The keys the contractor had to get inside were turned into me so they do not have access to my condo anymore. I’m making plans to change my locks, which I had to delay while the work was being done. And I’m buying new furniture and storage systems so I can finally get more things out of boxes. It really feels like it is done now.

And I’m so excited to see things coming together. When my new couch arrives, that will be a big change. I’m looking at getting a new tv and some nice display cabinets for my living room to fill out the space. There will be some things and projects that I have to wait on due to finances, but I’m taking steps to get them done. And every day, I’m feeling more and more like I am home and less like my old place is home. It’s been a process to get to this point, but I’m so glad it seems like everything paid off. And even if the renovation process took much longer than expected, I’m so happy with all the choices we made. Now, I think I can finally sit back and enjoy the home I have helped to create.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailOne More Design Choice (or I’m Ready To Be Done With The Renovation) Default ThumbnailSeeing My New Home Come Together (or This Feels Like We Are Starting The Last Renovation Stage) Default ThumbnailOne More Step Closer To Being Done (or I Can Finally Add In More Furniture) Default ThumbnailInto The Next Stage Of The Renovation (or Seeing Things Come Back Into My Place) Default Thumbnail2 Busy LA Days (or Getting More Renovation Planning Done) Default ThumbnailNow Things Are Feeling Real (or So Far, We Are Ahead Of Schedule)

Comments Off on Now I Think This Is The End Of The Renovation (or I Keep Thinking I’m At The Finish Line)

Posted in Fun Stuff

Tagged ,

Repeating Patterns In Dating (or Seeing Guys Reappear Again)

Posted on July 12, 2022 | Comments Off on Repeating Patterns In Dating (or Seeing Guys Reappear Again)

For most of the time that I have used dating apps, I have seen guys come up in my feed multiple times. Most of the time, they are guys that I never matched with and I usually swipe the same way on them that I did the previous times that I saw them. And occasionally, I would see a guy come across my feed that I had gone out with before. If I had gone out with them and didn’t want to see them again, I usually block them but occasionally I forget to do so. So if I see them again in my feed, I’ll block them that time. But sometimes, I see someone in my feed that I had gone out with and was ghosted by. That’s always a weird thing.

Getting ghosted sucks. There’s no eloquent way to say that. Even if I wasn’t sure about seeing them again, I respect someone more who can tell me that over ghosting. And I try to do the same for guys I go out with. I have only ghosted on occasions where I feel like that is best for my safety. I hate telling someone I don’t want to see them again, but I know they deserve that respect from me.

So when I see someone who ghosted me in the past come across my feed, it’s usually weird emotions. I usually am angry about what they did and I have no interest in hearing what they might have to say. Rarely, I will swipe right to see if we will match. I don’t know what I expect if I match someone who ghosted me, but for some reason, I will have a pull to consider giving someone another chance. And it usually doesn’t end in anything good. The best example of that is when I gave someone another chance and they ghosted me again. But it did give me a sense of closure that I didn’t have before. The first ghosting hurt and made me wonder what I did wrong. The second ghosting showed me that they really are an inconsiderate person and that I don’t have any interest in being with someone who would treat me like that.

For some reason in the past few weeks, I have been seeing more and more guys from my past on dating apps. Maybe they were seeing someone and it ended and they are all getting back on the apps now. I don’t know why it’s happening so much now, but I have also been a bit more open to giving people second chances or at least trying to hear them out. So I have swiped right on a few of them and have matched with 2. One guy technically didn’t ghost me, it was more of a slow fade but I think I was more interested in continuing things than he was and he never said it.

But the second one really did ghost me and I have always wondered what happened. But after matching with him again, I question if I care to see what his excuse or explanation is. He doesn’t live that close to me so when we went out it usually was a big ordeal to figure out traffic. And after matching with him again I realized that he was either lying about his age before or now. I think he’s lying now, but 4 years ago he had his age as 37 and now he has it as 34. I know that some people lie about their age, but it always makes me wonder what the end game is for them when they do that. They will have to reveal the truth if they want to see someone more than just casually and I would always wonder what else they were lying about. But since it doesn’t take me much effort to text with him and hear him out, I will give him a chance but proceed with caution.

I know that I have learned things from everyone that I have gone out with, but sometimes there is something that makes me wonder if our story was really over. There are some people who will never get a second chance (like those who have hurt me or lied about serious things such as being married), but I am trying to be open to opportunities in dating and elsewhere in my life. So giving someone from my past a potential second chance could lead to something. But I also know that giving someone a chance doesn’t give them a free pass either. So if they want another chance beyond matching and texting, they do have to earn it.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailDating App Patterns (or Losing Hope But Trying To Stay Hopeful) Default ThumbnailWorking On Rejection (or Why Can’t Dating Be Like Acting) Default ThumbnailStill Figuring Out Dating During COVID (or Phone Calls, Video Chats, And Social Distances Meetups) Default ThumbnailStill Figuring Out Dating During The Pandemic (or Some Things Are The Same And Some Things Are Different) Default ThumbnailMore Pandemic Dating Stories (or I Can’t Wait Until I Have More Normal Dating Problems) Default ThumbnailThe Same Dating Issues As Always (or Maybe It’s For The Best Things Aren’t Really Happening)

Comments Off on Repeating Patterns In Dating (or Seeing Guys Reappear Again)

Posted in Dating

Tagged ,

Dealing With Yet Another Bad Week (or This Felt Like I Was Cursed)

Posted on July 11, 2022 | Comments Off on Dealing With Yet Another Bad Week (or This Felt Like I Was Cursed)

Well, I went into this past week of workouts thinking it was going to be a good week for me, but my body decided that I didn’t need a good week. It wasn’t as bad as some of my bad weeks, but my cycle got messed up so I ended up having another bad week (but maybe I’ll get my normal 28 days between them this time). So I ended up dealing with quite a bit of pain and nausea during this past week’s workouts, but I was grateful that it was a bit easier than what it was like 2 weeks ago.

Monday’s workout was a bit of a choose your own adventure type of workout. We had 2 options for what we wanted to do for each section of the room.

For cardio, we got to choose if we wanted to do a strength or endurance block. I picked the endurance block. For those on the treadmills, they started with a .1 mile run with a 30-second recovery and then increased the distance by .1 miles each time. For the bike, that meant I started with .4 miles and increased by .4 miles each time. The recovery time was never very long, but because the distances weren’t too bad either it was a good cardio block for me even with how I was feeling.

On the rower, both of the options had a row and squats. But the options were either to increase the row each time or increase the number of squats. I chose to increase the row each time. So I started with a 100-meter row and 6 squats and increased the row by 100 meters each time.

And on the floor, we could choose either a strength or balance workout. Considering all my balance issues, I knew immediately I would be doing the strength workout. So I had lunges, chest presses, hip bridges, and double crunches. I did try to go heavy with the weights when I could, but I wasn’t able to do quite as heavy as I know I can do when I’m feeling my best. But I still tried to challenge myself as that was the point of picking that workout.

I was probably feeling the worst of the week on Wednesday, so I had a bit of a struggle getting through the workout. But fortunately, the workout seemed to work with how I was feeling and had an easier format than a lot of recent classes.

For cardio, we started with a 2 1/2-minute push pace. Then after that was done, we had 3-minutes to recover at a lower base pace (but not at our regular recovery) and then get back to our regular base pace. For me, I did my recovery at my base pace resistance level but just pedaled slower than normal. We repeated this pattern 3 times with an all-out at the end. Because of the extended base recovery time, I really did get a chance to take it easy and not push myself too hard.

On the rower, we started with a 400-meter row where we were supposed to do the first 300-meters at a push pace and the last 100-meters at an all-out pace. Then we had lunges after doing the row. We decreased the row by 50-meters each round but always tried to do the last 100-meters as an all-out. I went a bit slower than normal on the rower, but I was happy with how I did and how I didn’t need that many breaks during the block.

And on the floor, we had 2 blocks. The first block was focused on work and active recovery with back-to-back exercises. We had push presses which were like shoulder presses with a little squat to help followed by lateral and front raises. And then we had single-arm hip hinge swings followed by cossack squats. And in the second block, we had back-to-back exercises to work on tempo. So we had squats with explosive tempo (which meant going slow down and fast back up) and then squats at regular tempo (which meant going down slow and back up slow). We also did explosive and regular tempo push-ups which I did as chest presses on the straps instead.

I’m glad I was feeling better by Thursday’s workout because it was a really tough one! For all sections of the room, it didn’t seem like we got much rest time, but I think it was the hardest on the floor.

For cardio, the first block started at a .2-mile push pace (.8 miles for me on the bike) followed by a 1-minute base pace. We decreased the distance each round. And the second block was the inverse starting the distance at .1 miles (or .4 miles for me) with a 1-minute base pace after and increasing the distance each time.

The rower was a similar idea to cardio. The first block started with a 250-meter row and then 12 shuffles after. We decreased the row by 50-meters each time. And the second block started with a 100-meter row with shuffles after and we increased the row by 50-meters each time.

And on the floor, we were timed by our coach, and almost everything was done in 30-second intervals. The first block had tricep extensions, chest flys, and shoulder presses for 30-seconds each. Then we had reverse grip low rows and had to do 6 of them and whatever time was left in the 30-seconds we could rest. But that only was maybe 10 seconds for me. We repeated this 3 times and ended the block with 45-seconds of high knees to mountain climbers. The second block was the same idea with lunges, deadlifts, and squats for 30-seconds each and then 6 plank taps and we could use the rest of the 30-seconds to rest. And again, we ended with high knees and mountain climbers.

Friday was pretty much a normal day for me. I’m glad that even though I wasn’t expecting a bad week, this unexpected one was much shorter than what I’m used to. And it allowed me to do a pretty decent workout for Friday.

For cardio, we started with a 2-minute base pace into a 30-second all-out. We had a minute to recover and then we repeated the pattern but added a 90-second push pace in the middle. And then we repeated it again but instead of just a 30-second all-out at the end, we had a 30-second push to all-out and then a 30-second all-out. It was a good challenge to make sure that I could maintain my base pace for extended periods of time and to still have a bit left to push myself to go harder.

On the rower, we had 3 blocks. Each block had a stroke drill with a medicine ball exercise. The first block had a 10-stroke drill with bicep curls with the medicine ball. The second had a 12-stroke drill with 12 squats holding the medicine ball. And the last block had a 15-stroke drill with isolated squats with bicep curls with the medicine ball. For the last block, I did have to split up the exercises so I did squats and curls separately. But I was able to get a lot of power behind each stroke on the rower and a lot of distance each time.

And on the floor, we had 2 blocks. I was glad I was feeling better because so many of the exercises would have made me feel very nauseous. The first block was all about ultimate burpees and breaking down the individual moves. I did still use the bench for my hands, but that was more due to my hip than nausea. So we had plank low rows, push-ups, pop jacks, squats to shoulder presses, and then ultimate burpees. It wasn’t easy for sure, but it was a good challenge for me. And the second block had plank jacks and plank kick-throughs with sit-ups at the very end.

I’m really hoping that this week is better for me. I don’t want to jinx it, but I should have a good week at least as far as my nausea goes. And then I can do a lot better than I did this past week. And I’m hoping that I get more of a break this time between bad weeks and my cycle is back to normal.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailThis Is The Workout Week I Expected (or I Knew It Would Be A Bad Week) Default ThumbnailA Short Workout Week (or I Guess I’m Glad This Happened On A Bad Week) Default ThumbnailSurviving My Workout Week (or I Knew It Would Be Bad, But Not This Bad) Default ThumbnailThe Week Before The Dri-Tri (or I Hope I’m Going To Be Ready) Default ThumbnailAnother Week Of Weekday Workout (or Getting Used To This Plan) Default ThumbnailThe Week I Expected (or Just Doing What I Can)

Comments Off on Dealing With Yet Another Bad Week (or This Felt Like I Was Cursed)

Posted in Fitness

Tagged , ,

Another Hip Surgery Anniversary (or Making It To Sweet 16)

Posted on July 8, 2022 | Comments Off on Another Hip Surgery Anniversary (or Making It To Sweet 16)

Yesterday marked 16 years since I had my hip surgery. I didn’t exactly forget about it this time, but I didn’t remember it in time to be able to post about it on here on the actual day. I was in my workout yesterday morning and was thinking about some upcoming events our coach was sharing with us. I was thinking about what day of the week some of those things would be on, and then I realized that day was the 7th and my hip surgery anniversary.

I know that 16 years isn’t exactly a milestone marker, but I think I’m always still in a bit of shock about how well I have done since having that surgery. I was always prepared to have one of the next ones that I would need pretty soon after the first one. My doctors thought I would need at least one more within the next few years. But somehow, I haven’t had to have any other procedures yet. This doesn’t mean I’m out of pain, but I’m not anywhere close to the amount of pain I was in before I had surgery. It’s been a while so I don’t remember exactly how bad the pain was, but I do remember how many painkillers I was on and how much I struggled to walk. And I do remember how little the pain after surgery felt compared to what I was in before.

The pain that I deal with now is a combination of issues with my hips. On the side that was operated on, I am bone on bone. The next surgery I need on that side will be a total hip replacement because there is nothing else they can do to get me out of pain completely. The pain I feel is when my bones hit and when things get out of place. I can’t really describe what that pain is like, but it’s not a sharp pain. It’s a weird dull pain that just feels wrong. But when things get out of place, I do have some tricks to help make that better. On the side that wasn’t operated on yet, the pain I feel is due to the damage that is still there. To remove the damage would make that side be bone on bone, so my doctors said that maybe the next step would just be a hip replacement instead of the surgery I had on the other side. Nothing was really decided or planned since we had no clue how long it would be until I needed the surgeries. And when it came time for them, then we could come up with a plan.

The only plan that was really discussed with me was that the end result would likely be total hip replacements on both sides and that in an ideal world I would not have a hip replacement done before I turned 40. Replacements don’t last forever so the longer you can wait until you get one, the better it is and the fewer future surgeries you might need. And even though I can’t believe my age at times, I’m only about a year away from that milestone birthday. So there is a good chance that I will make it to 40 before having a replacement.

I remember when I had the first surgery 16 years ago that turning 40 seemed like a lifetime away. While I always hoped I would not need surgery before then, I also worried that things would be so bad that I wouldn’t be able to wait that long either. I’m seriously so grateful that while I have dealt with pain, it has never gotten so bad that I considered that I would need a hip replacement. I thought maybe my other side would need that first surgery, but when I had my last exam and x-rays on my hips, the doctors could see some damage but it was not that much worse than what it was like before. And that does make sense since the pain I’ve been feeling over the years has been pretty stable and hasn’t gotten much worse over the years. I have good days and bad days, but they are still pretty similar to what they have been like for a long time.

Next year’s hip surgery anniversary will be right before I turn 40. And as long as things continue the way they have been going, I should still be fine without having to have another surgery before then. And I don’t plan on getting surgery after I turn 40 unless I really need it. My goal has always been to go as long as I could before the next one because that will help me have the best results long term. But it will be nice to know in a year that I have made it to that big goal my surgeon set for me so many years ago.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailAnother Hip Surgery Anniversary Down (or I Wonder What The Pandemic Means For My Hip Issues) Default ThumbnailMy Hip Surgery Anniversary (or Lucky 13) Default ThumbnailAlmost Forgot My Hip Surgery Anniversary Again (or 15 Years Down) Default ThumbnailHip Surgery Anniversary (or This Feels Like A Milestone) Default ThumbnailSurgery Anniversary (or I Guess It’s Good I Almost Forgot) Default ThumbnailMore Hip Problems (or Thinking Out Of Order)

Comments Off on Another Hip Surgery Anniversary (or Making It To Sweet 16)

Posted in Health

Tagged , , , , ,

I Support Healthcare (or I Will Always Be Pro-Choice)

Posted on July 7, 2022 | Comments Off on I Support Healthcare (or I Will Always Be Pro-Choice)

If you follow me on social media, you likely have seen me post quite a bit of pro-choice content since the overturning of Roe v Wade. I am very pro-choice and have always felt that way. And I am very vocal about my feelings. Things have been getting worse over time, but when the Supreme Court made its ruling, so many people lost their rights to healthcare that is so necessary.

I know that there are people who say that the ruling didn’t make abortions illegal, it just left it up to the states. But why should the state you live in decide what rights you have over your body? Not everyone has the luxury to be able to travel to another state to get the healthcare they might need or want. And for people who say that if you want to have rights you should just move to a state that allows it, that is a very privileged point of view. It’s very expensive to move (even for my move which was only 3 blocks was expensive). Not everyone has a job that they can transfer to a new state. They might live near family and not want to leave them.

And leaving it up to the states doesn’t have the best history. In the past, some states felt it was fine to enslave others. Shouldn’t everyone have the right to be free no matter where they are in the country? And what if other states want to create other rules. Maybe some states will require vasectomies unless someone is married and can prove they can financially care for a child. I don’t think a lot of people would be ok with that. How about some states not allowing for blood transfusions because some religions do not believe in those? Should you only get life-saving care if you live in a state that happens to allow it?

And I don’t feel like abortions are only ok if they are medically necessary. While I have not ended a pregnancy, I have several friends who have. And they all have had their reasons. Some were needed to save their lives, some were because the fetus had a condition that wasn’t compatible with life and they did not want to continue the pregnancy, and others did not feel ready or able to have a child. All of those are valid reasons. I know that there are adoptions, but that is an alternative to parenting, not pregnancy. Pregnancy is a risky time and can cause changes to someone that can last years or the rest of their lives. It is not right to force someone to go through that if they do not want to. And for everyone who says there is a waitlist for babies, that’s not a good reason to force others to go through a pregnancy. Nobody owes you a baby. And if you really have it in your heart to open your home to a baby or child that needs it, there are thousands of children in foster care that need homes. There are options to help children outside of adopting a baby.

I know some people say that if it’s medically necessary, it’s fine to end a pregnancy. But some of the new laws are very unclear about when doctors can save a woman’s life without risking their medical license or jail time. Ectopic pregnancies are not viable, and some states now require people to be actively dying to terminate the pregnancy instead of doing a much simpler surgery when they are still stable and not bleeding out. That’s already happening with some patients where the doctors have been meeting with lawyers and it can take hours before it’s approved for them to save the patient. There’s also someone who is early in pregnancy and just was diagnosed with cancer. She cannot receive cancer treatments as you cannot go through chemo while pregnant and it was not approved for her to terminate her pregnancy as her life is not at immediate risk. So if she could not travel to another state, she would have to delay life-saving treatment and by the time she could start her cancer may be too advanced to treat.

There are also cases like mine, where pregnancy could be very dangerous and life-threatening for me. But that’s only if my tumors rupture. What if they start to grow if I’m pregnant but they aren’t ruptured? Would I just have to wait around to see if they will and I bleed to death? Would I just wait to see if I get to live or if I will die even though there is a procedure that could save my life? And of course, there are cases of assault that result in pregnancy and there aren’t always exceptions for that, no matter how young someone might be.

But if you only think abortions are ok when they are due to assault or when someone’s life is at risk, then that is saying that you feel like an unwanted pregnancy is a punishment for having sex. That’s not right. Why should someone be punished for having sex when they don’t want to have a child? If you only believe in sex as a part of procreation, do you not believe in married couples having sex if they do not want to have a baby? And you can be on birth control and get pregnant, so using protection isn’t a guarantee. So do you want to punish someone who tried to not get pregnant but their birth control failed? How about in the states where they are trying to make some types of birth control illegal? I have heard people say that they are only trying to make some types of birth control illegal, but a copper IUD is on the list that they are trying to ban and that is the only type that I can use.

And then, there are the new issues that people are encountering because of the bans on abortions. There are medications that some people take that either can cause a miscarriage or cannot be used if someone is pregnant. I was on one of these medications in the past and had to sign paperwork agreeing I wouldn’t get pregnant. But these are necessary medications for conditions such as arthritis or lupus. But because of what they could do to a future fetus (not one that currently exists), there are some women who are being told they can no longer take the medication their doctors want them to take. Men can take them, but a woman cannot even if she’s not pregnant and signs paperwork saying they will not get pregnant. A non-existent fetus is causing people to lose the right to use medications to manage their medical conditions.

I know that I live in a state that is protecting the right to terminate pregnancies, but that’s just because of the leadership we have in our state now. What if that changes? Without the right to not be forced to carry out a pregnancy being a right for everyone in the country, anyone in any state is at risk of losing that right. And as so many people have said for so many years, banning abortions will not end abortions, it will only end safe abortions. I know people who would do anything they would need to do to end an unwanted pregnancy, no matter how risky it is.

I want to be hopeful for the future of this country, especially with a huge majority of citizens wanting abortions to remain legal. The few people on the Supreme Court do not represent the will of the majority, even if they did get to make the decision for us. Maybe there will be enough changes politically to restore this right. But I don’t know. It’s scary seeing how little some politicians understand about healthcare and the decisions they are making. They have said things such as ectopic pregnancies being viable and able to be moved to a uterus, even though no doctor says that and they all agree they are non-viable. Some do not understand that fertilization does not mean an embryo will result in a pregnancy because it might not implant. And there are some politicians who believe that there has never been a time when pregnancy put someone’s life at risk despite all the stories of when exactly that has happened. People who do not understand pregnancies are the ones making laws about them and because of their confusion, the laws make no sense and will result in deaths.

I just hope that things can change before too many people die because they are not allowed to be saved by doctors or they do whatever it takes to end an unwanted pregnancy. I will always fight for the right for people to choose what they want to do with their bodies. Not just for abortions. If you are diagnosed with treatable cancer but decide to not use any traditional treatments, I believe you should be able to do what you feel is right. If you prefer to use prayer over chemo, I want you to be able to do that. If you don’t want to be forced to donate an organ or blood, I agree and you should not have to do anything to your own body that you do not want. And nobody should be forced to go through a pregnancy and all the life-altering things that can come from that either. Even if you do not parent, pregnancy is not a punishment and nobody is an incubator.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailThese Feel Like Scary Times (or This Is The Time To Fight For Our Rights) Default ThumbnailI Support Depression Screenings (or Why Must People Shame Others?) Default ThumbnailAdventures In Healthcare (or Trying Not To Be Too Political) Default ThumbnailGuess Stopping The Medication Was The Right Choice (or Maybe I Should Have Read More Into The Side Effects) Default ThumbnailLearning A Lot About Healthcare (or More Union Education) Default ThumbnailI Have To Be Political (or Hoping My Healthcare Stays The Same)

Comments Off on I Support Healthcare (or I Will Always Be Pro-Choice)

Posted in Health, Tough Stuff

Tagged ,

Moulin Rouge! (or The Last Show Of An Extended Theater Season)

Posted on July 6, 2022 | Comments Off on Moulin Rouge! (or The Last Show Of An Extended Theater Season)

The 2019-2020 season at the Pantages and Dolby theaters has been going for quite a while. I had no idea when that season started that a pandemic was going to hit and that everything would shut down. And I had no clue that my friend Dani would be moving away before the season ended so I would be going to the last half of the season with different friends. But, as we all know, so much was not planned or the way we thought it would be. So I have just been glad that I have been able to go back to the shows again when they started up.

And this past weekend, I finally went to the final show of that extended season. This time, my friend Woody came with me and we got to see Moulin Rouge. This was my first show back at the Pantages since 2019 (since the first show in 2020 was at the Dolby), and the theater looked amazing as soon as we walked in!

And it was my first time back in my old seats since 2019 as well. But not only was it the first time back in those seats, but it was also the last time I’d be sitting there. Because of how season ticket renewals work, I wasn’t able to get my old seats back since I am not the ticket holder of those seats. But I am excited about my seats for next season because they will be a bit more centered. And even though they are further back, the theater isn’t that big and I’ve sat all the way in the back and it’s still felt close. But it was a bit of a bittersweet moment knowing that this show was the last time I’d be sitting there when we’ve had those seats for so many seasons.

But that bittersweet feeling went away as soon as the show started because it was amazing! I already was excited to see it because Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies. But I know that sometimes a movie I love doesn’t always turn into a great musical. But this time, I think the musical might have been better than the movie! And I think that is pretty rare!

It is the same storyline and plot as the movie with a few little changes in it to make it work better for the stage. But the biggest change was the music. In the movie, most of the songs were popular hits that were not original songs for the movie. The musical was the same, but they changed up the songs to use a lot more current ones. And the songs they picked were so perfect for each moment. It was a jukebox musical but it was from all different artists and genres. And the choices were so entertaining and everyone in the audience was laughing and getting a kick out of each one.

And with all the craziness going on in the country, it was so nice to have a little escape from reality. Even though the plot is a bit sad, it was still such an upbeat show to watch. And one of my favorite things about some musicals is when you can tell the cast is having a fun time performing. And there is no doubt this cast loves their job and that they were having just as much fun performing as we did watching.

Considering how this very extended season went and the reasons why everything shut down, I’m so glad that the final show this season had such a positive note. And I’m ready for the next season, which will be starting after the summer. The next season will be a bit different from my past ones since I will be sitting in a new location and have a new friend to go to all the shows with, but I know it will still be an amazing time. And I can’t wait to see which shows in the 2022-2023 season become new favorites of mine!

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailOne More Show At The Dolby (or Almost The End Of A Long Musical Season) Default ThumbnailAn Unexpected Musical (or Seeing A Show At A Different Theater) Default ThumbnailKicking Off A Musical Season (or Seeing A Cartoon Brought To Life) Default ThumbnailAll Set For Another Musical Season (or I’m Glad I Can Continue This) Default ThumbnailMore Musicals! (or Another Season At Pantages) Default ThumbnailFunko and Frozen (or The Last Pantages Show For A While)

Comments Off on Moulin Rouge! (or The Last Show Of An Extended Theater Season)

Posted in Fun Stuff

Tagged , , , ,

A Pretty Traditional Holiday Celebration (or Still Pretending To Run Through Sprinklers)

Posted on July 5, 2022 | Comments Off on A Pretty Traditional Holiday Celebration (or Still Pretending To Run Through Sprinklers)

Normally on the 4th of July, I go to the same party each year. The party isn’t always on the 4th, depending on what day of the week it is, but it’s always around that day. This year, it was a few days before so the party was on the weekend. And since the pandemic, things have been a little different, but they have been getting closer to normal.

Last year and this year, there was still a party, but it was a much smaller group than it used to be because of the risk of getting sick. Obviously, any gathering can be a risk, but keeping the numbers lower and making sure everyone is vaccinated and not sick helps. And I think knowing everyone at the party I go to helps because I can feel like everyone is taking all the precautions that they can. Some people still wore masks, but not everyone did. And nobody made a big deal out of anyone who did wear a mask, which was nice to see that it was normalized. I can see wearing a mask in the future if I’m about to see people who are immunocompromised or if I felt like the risk was higher. And I’m glad that I’m friends with people who don’t mind that or think someone is overreacting.

And it was a pretty standard summer party. A few of us discussed how weird it felt celebrating when so much is happening in this country. But I think all of us also were just glad to be hanging out together and didn’t think too much about it being the 4th of July. It is always nice to be together and able to catch up. And of course, enjoying a bunch of food. I have made drunk watermelon in the past, but this year I didn’t get the ingredients in time and I couldn’t make it the day of. But I hope that there will be another summer party so I can make it for that one.

And as it seems to be at parties, I didn’t take a ton of photos. I was more focused on being present with my friends. But there was one photo that I knew we would need to take. In 2014, it was really hot and a few of us ran through the sprinklers. We took a really funny photo and it’s become a tradition to take the same photo again each year. We’ve never had the sprinklers on except for that first year and the photos always come out awesome. And this year’s photo didn’t disappoint.

And I love how all the photos look together.

When I was putting together the collage, we were looking at all the past photos. We knew why we didn’t have a photo for 2020, but we were all confused about why we were missing one for 2019. We couldn’t figure it out and I thought maybe I missed the party that year. But I then realized I should look at my past posts and that’s when we realized they didn’t have a party that year since they had just gotten their dog. But considering we’ve done this since 2014, only missing 2 years isn’t that bad! I did think this year about how I should have asked everyone in 2020 to take a photo alone pretending to run so I could combine them. Too bad I didn’t think about that back then, but missing the photo will always remind us of going through the pandemic.

Even though the party was a few days before the 4th, there were still people setting off fireworks in the area. Some of them were right on the other side of the fence and the sparks were coming toward us. I had one get my arm, which stung, but it wasn’t too bad and didn’t even leave much of a red mark. And it was nice to see some fireworks since I wasn’t sure if we would.

I always try to stay at these parties as late as I can, but I’m also always mindful of my drive back home and how other people driving might not be the safest. So I usually leave before it’s too late. This time, I left around 10, which was later than I was planning but I was just having a good time with my friends and lost track of time.

I felt like this was the perfect way to celebrate the 4th. I didn’t really feel like celebrating, and doing something a few days earlier felt better. On the 4th, I didn’t really do much, which was fine with me. I had some errands to run and I took advantage of having a day off and being able to do them. And even though I didn’t do much on the 4th, I still got all my traditional 4th of July things in a bit earlier and I didn’t miss out.

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailAnother Union Holiday Celebration (or Being Social And Working Social Media) Default ThumbnailBirthday Party Adventure! (or Another Traditional Celebration) Default Thumbnail4th Of July Weekend (or An Early Holiday) Default ThumbnailFinally Seeing Some Friends (or Having An Almost Normal 4th Of July) Default Thumbnail4th Of July On The 1st (or Another Awesome Party With Friends) Default ThumbnailA Chill New Year’s Eve (or Getting To Have A Little Celebration)

Comments Off on A Pretty Traditional Holiday Celebration (or Still Pretending To Run Through Sprinklers)

Posted in Celebrations, Fun Stuff

Tagged , , ,

Some Surprises In My Workouts (or This Wasn’t A Normal Week, But In A Good Way)

Posted on July 4, 2022 | Comments Off on Some Surprises In My Workouts (or This Wasn’t A Normal Week, But In A Good Way)

This past week of workouts wasn’t exactly the same as they normally are, but for the first time in a long time, I think the difference was a positive thing. My classes were during the same times, but I had one that wasn’t what it normally was and a surprise sub coach.

For Monday’s workout, I was glad I was feeling normal. Like I had said before, it’s always tough when I’m expecting to feel awful. It’s so much worse when it’s not expected. But I was ready to work out on Monday and push myself like I know I can.

For cardio, we had 2 blocks and they both had rolling hills. That meant we had 1-minute at an incline and then 1-minute without an incline. And each time we added incline, it went down 1%. Both blocks had 3 1-minute intervals with inclines and the second block was a bit lower than the first. I used the resistance levels I should have been using for both blocks and tried to pedal a bit faster than normal to push myself.

On the rower, we had 1 long block. We started with 1 round of a 600-meter row. After the row, we had high knees. Then we had 2 rounds of a 300-meter row with the same exercise between each row. The last part was 4 rounds of a 150-meter row with the same exercises, but I didn’t get through all those rounds.

And on the floor, the first block was all about tempo and doing the same exercise with different tempos. We had 3 different tempos of a sumo squat and a chest press. And in the second block, we had all single-side alternating work. We had low rows with weights, shoulder presses, and plank reaches. And at the very end of the workout, we had pop jacks as a finisher.

On Wednesday, I had a nice surprise when I showed up for the workout. One of my coaches from the Brentwood studio, Lal, was subbing for that class. I hadn’t seen Lal since before the pandemic and it had been even longer since I was able to take one of his classes. It was so exciting to have him coaching me again and I knew I was going to be pushed hard.

For cardio, we had 2 blocks. The first block started with a 4-minute distance challenge that had a 1-minute all-out at the end. Then we had a minute to recover before a 90-second progressive challenge. And in the second block, the goal was the match or beat the distance from the first block. But this time we started with the 90-second challenge and ended with the 4-minute one.

On the rower, we were timed along with cardio. But for the 4-minute challenge, we had different stroke goals for each minute. And we increased the strokes per minute each time. That was a bit more of a challenge for me since it’s hard for me to be super steady at times with how quickly or slowly I’m rowing. But I tried to stay in the right range each time. I did have to take some breaks for both of the 4-minute challenges, but I tried to keep them quick and get back to rowing.

And on the floor, we had 1 block. I had to make a bunch of modifications because the floor work had a lot of balance exercises in it and I can’t do those properly. We were supposed to do half-kneeling shoulder presses to stands, but I did regular lunges and then shoulder presses separately. We were supposed to have single-leg deadlifts, and I did regular deadlifts. We had balance bicep curls and I modified those to be on my toes on one foot so I did a bit of balance work. And we had bear planks which I did as bird dogs. I didn’t love modifying so much of the floor, but it was the best option for me and I did essentially the same movements, just in slightly different ways.

And of course, I had to get a photo with Lal since it had been so long since we had seen each other.

Thursday had an interesting way to do the cardio work. Normally, after an all-out, we have a walking recovery. This time, we went from an all-out to a low base pace. For block 1, we had rounds of a 45-second push pace into a 15-second all-out. Then we had 90-seconds at the conservative base pace. For me, I kept the resistance level for the base pace at the same level I normally use, I just allowed myself to pedal a bit slower. But since I also use that same level at times for my recovery, I made sure I wasn’t going as slow as I would for a walking recovery. For block 2, it was the same idea but we had 30-second push paces into 30-second all-outs with 2-minutes at a conservative base pace.

On the rower, we always had 200-meter rows. But we had different exercises for blocks 1 and 2 between each row. For block 1, we did lunges and overhead presses with a medicine ball. And for block 2, we had squats with a front press and bicep curls. I’m glad the row wasn’t too long because I have been dealing with so much hip pain lately and the long rows are really hard on me. But I was able to do pretty well with 200-meters.

And on the floor, we had 3 exercises for each block. Block 1 had goblet squats, hip bridges, and sit-ups with rotations. And block 2 had seated low rows, bench pullovers, and mountain climbers. The only modifications I made on the floor were skipping the Bosu ball for the sit-ups and mountain climbers. But I was able to do everything else.

On Friday, we had Lal as our sub again, which was really nice since I didn’t realize I’d see him again after seeing him on Wednesday. I figured this class might be small since a lot of people would be away for the long weekend, and I was right. And since it was a smaller class, we had a 2 group class instead of a 3 group class.

For cardio, we did a lot of work with inclines. For the first block, we started with a 2-minute push pace at an incline with a 90-second base pace at no incline. Then we repeated that pattern by increasing the incline each time and decreasing the time we were in the push pace. The inclines/resistance levels got really high, but fortunately, we weren’t spending too long at the higher inclines. And the first block ended with a 45-second all-out where we could pick which incline we wanted to use. I went with 1 level higher for the resistance level on the bike compared to my normal all-out. And in the second block, we started at the highest incline and worked our way down without the flat road base paces in-between. We did the same thing with keeping the time shorter with the higher inclines and increased the time as the incline went down. But they were base paces instead of push paces. And again, we ended with a 45-second all-out where we could pick the incline.

And on the floor, the first block had 2 mini-blocks. The first mini-block had lunges and deadlifts to low rows. We did that 3 times before moving on to the next mini-block which had hammer curls to bicep curls and Arnold presses. And the second block had squats, lunges, and a 250-meter row.

I’m really happy with how this past week went. Things weren’t what I necessarily expected, but it’s nice to be reminded that this can be a good thing. And I know that this week will be a little different since today is a holiday, but maybe I’ll have some other surprises that make the week really awesome again!

You Might Also Like

Default ThumbnailJust A Normal And Good Workout Week (or Using My Workouts To Get Out My Stress) Default ThumbnailAnother Normal Workout Week (or Feeling Back Into My Regular Routine) Default ThumbnailAlmost Having A Second Hell Week (or Just Pushing Through) Default ThumbnailA Full Week Of Christmas Workouts (or Having Some Traditional Workouts) Default ThumbnailBack To My Normal Routine (or Working Through My Workouts) Default ThumbnailWorking Hard (or Some Normal But Tough Workouts)

Comments Off on Some Surprises In My Workouts (or This Wasn’t A Normal Week, But In A Good Way)

Posted in Fitness, Fun Stuff

Tagged , ,