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New lifestyle - Feeling good - Moving on
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Oh Sass, another forumite with fibro. Wow. After seeing what Patootie puts up with, you all have my unending respect. 18 symptoms sounds like a stinking lot---hope it eases off soon!
Patootie, enjoy the snow! (How lovely to know you can look out from a WARM house this year!) And snow was MADE to encourage you to kick back, relax and just enjoy the view! (And if I know you, you'll have some wonderful tales about things you noticed in the snow--squirrels, birds, foxes, people, whatever, it'll be be interesting!)
B, BEEEG respect for running in that weather! You deserve all the glow you can get from that! And I do so agree, it's lovely to have some time to just relax and 'do nothing'. This is in pretty short supply around here, but I discovered years ago that if I have to choose between that 'nothing' time and sleep (which I often do), the nothing time is more important. Enjoy yours every chance you get.
Nearly 11 pm here, and thought I didn't run I did cycle 10 miles in the cold so I'm falling asleep. Happy dreams, all! xx
Awww *Sass* sorry to hear you are a fibromite .. dratted syndrome .. and 18 symptoms .. wow respect .. !
Yes I do have a small tale to tell .. I was sat here watching the snow coming down and noticed the pigeons were flying madly around as usual .. they tend to perch on the little lower story roof near my windows .. well one of the pigeons did just that ... but taken by surprise with the slippery snow suddenly skidded down the roof on his bottom .. bounced in the guttering .. then tumbled downwards but flapping madly managed to get himself going ..
My first reaction was a gasp of 'horror' that he was sliding off the roof .. then peals of laughter at his antics .. he came and sat in the tree for a few minutes .. head cocked on one side seemingly looking at the skid mark he'd left on the roof ... well blow me if he didn't fly back to the roof .. and moving on to some fresh snow did the slippy slidey thing again .. only this time he was ready and flew straight off the end of the roof .. have I got the first 'skiing pigeon' ..
Oh Patootie, what a wonderful story! And how extraordinary that he seemed to have 'learned' how to deal with the sliding down, and even to enjoy it! (And I must say, if you really could slide down and then fly off at the end, so you never hit bottom, it would be pretty good, wouldn't it?!?)
Seems to be snow all over England this morning, judging by reports on the forum, so hope everyone is sensible and doesn't try to make heroic journeys. Here it's still cold, but the wind has abated a good deal. We're due for snow and sleet later today (oh goodie) but nothing like what there is at home. I'm divided about snow: it's so lovely to see, and if you are in the country and not in a hurry it's such fun; but in a city it turns into dirty slush so fast, and causes such massive disruption to everything (took C1 3 hours to get to work yesterday, and after 2 hours they sent her home because so few others made it in).
Stay warm and happy and watch out for Percy the Pigeon---Cambridgeshire's answer to Eddy the Eagle, right?!?
So plodding along slowly on my old desktop .. bless it .. sitting cramped up in a corner of the bedroom .. balancing the keyboard on my knee ... hence briefer replies for a for days perhaps ..
Been to the docs today .. lost another 4 kilos .. that's 14 kilos in all since I moved here in June ..
.. but got to go and have my thumb xrayed now .. always something falling apart on me hahahaha !!!
Oh dear, ANOTHER forumite with pooter problems! The lurgy seems to be making the rounds of the computers as well as the people. But as you said, if it's only six months old at least you should get it fixed for free.
But waaaayhaaayyy! Four kilos?? And FOURTEEN KILOS since June??? That's two stone, Patootie---bliddy well done you! Have you been on a very restricted diet? Because with the fibro and all that's doubly impressive. I don't know how this interacts with the fibro, but I would hope that having less pressure on the joints would help overall? Anyway, big respect, that's really great!
What's with the thumb, though? Is this something new, or is it another fibro-thing? I mean, an X ray sounds like something they think might be broken?? (OUCH!)
Today is C3's 18th birthday, but I have spent the evening at the British School. It's Careers Evening and I do the Law desk for them, so I've talked to loads of kids about what it's like to be a lawyer, and done two presentations and all. It's always fun, cos I really love what I do.
Tomorrow C3 and Mr C go to England (weather permitting) since C3 (who will go to uni in September) wants to look at Exeter AND he has an interview there for their Law with German Law programme. The interview is in German---ulp!!! Keep your fingers crossed for him on Friday, please! (I think he'll be fine, he's bilingual Dutch/English and is doing A level German, but still, it's quite a challenge.)
Happy birthday C3 and good uck for the interview - in German what a challenge!
Wow Patootie 14 kilos loss is sooo impressive - well done
I have a few pounds to lose and have made a start, about another 10lbs to go ...
I try not to think that I am 'dieting' as such .. more eating healthier and watching the portion size ..
Long, long ago I stopped eating things like cakes, biscuits, creamy desserts, rich pasta sauces .. sigh .. in fact anything that's really nice to eat and tastes good ..
.. for me it's a trial to try and match my intake of food to the output of activity .. the less activity you have .. the less calories you use up .. so the less you must consume .. to a point .. have to have enough to keep proteins up and such like .. 
But .. it's so difficult to 'under eat' to achieve weight loss when your activity level is (or has been) at prectically zero .. I am medically classed as 'severely sedentary'
.. and that means your metabolic rate is pretty bad .. and another reason I have to take this exercise malarky slowly .. to allow muscles, joints and vital organs to 'build up a bit' before I do too much exercise and strain or damage things .. everything had got so weak and in need of use .. no wonder I was so 'low' mentally .. my whole body had got to such a low point .. 
I am particularly pleased to have lost this last 4 kilos as I had to have a heavy dose of steroids the week before Christmas .. so it seems my 'little exercise plan' is paying off .. getting my metabolic rate up .. and gently coaxing my body to do just a little more each day .. but being very careful not to do so much as to exacerbate the fibro, osteo-arthritis, asthma or heart murmur ... hahahah
Well done B .. losing weight is such a pain isn't it .. !
My thumb has swollen up badly .. it's my walking stick hand and I think all the years of using a stick is finally getting to it .. I've tried various styles of handle .. different shapes .. sizes etc etc .. so the x-ray is to see how much joint damage there is .. and what can be done about it ..
Happy birthday to C3 .. Gutes Glück mit dem Interview! ... thank goodness for online translators hehehe ..
We are getting equal quantities of snow followed by rain .. it's one big slushie outdoors here
My laptop is very poorly and has to go to the computer clinic to be healed under warranty .. so I am trying to manage on my big old. slow and clunky desktop .... I once said I'd never get a laptop .. horrid things ... but once you get one .. you'll soon find you love them ..
Me again ...
Just got my first 'task' as Volunteer Estate Inspector ... very important role .. I am in 'charge' of calling out the emergency gritting team over the weekend ..
So tomorrow morning I will go outside and see how slippery it is .. hahahah ... no, no, no .. I can see all the pathways from my windows .. so no need for me to go outside and try sliding along the pavement to see how slippy it is ..
.. mind you that could be fun 
Oh well done, Patootie! In this weather, having the authority to get the paths gritted is terribly important. Last week we had just a few inches of snow here, but it lay in the road for several days and was a real nuisance cos it was so slippery. And for your residents, many of whom are probably not so nimble, it's even more important. What did you decide this morning?
And when do you get the thumb X-rayed? I can imagine that years of using a stick are pretty hard on that joint. Is there any other kind of support you could use that is less wearing? You need your thumb for manual activity as well as support so hopefully they can relieve the wear and tear somehow?
Sorry I didn't get in yesterday but C3 and Mr C flew to Bristol on Thursday night and then drove to Exeter to be there for a university interview for C3 yesterday. Unless you have been living in a cave, you know about the weather and travel conditions down there, and yep, our lads were right in the middle of them. Luckily they got to Exeter OK (pitched up at the wrong hotel, but Mr C decided to stay there anyhow rather than wander in the snow trying to find the first hotel), the interview went well, and they managed to get back to Bristol Airport, but after 6 hours of waiting around their Easyjet flight was finally cancelled. Luckily Mr C (who is great in an emergency!) managed to leap to the KLM desk and get the last two seats on the only flight to leave Bristol last night. Cost an arm and a leg, but less than staying in a hotel for another two days would!
In the meantime C2 arrived from Liverpool for a half term break at home. I picked him up while we all sent each other SMS's and tried to figure out who was where.
But we're all home safe and sound, and it's lovely to have both the boys here. Now all I have to do is get things organised....
What an eventful few days you and yours have had ..
Yes, some of the worst weather was in the south west for a change .. but glad Mr Chuggles was so dashingly quick and resourceful
Sounds good for Chuglet 3 too .. well done thqat son !!
I did take a few peeps outside through the night when I was in and out of the bathroom .. ice very crunchy on the roadway (watched the milkman arrive) but the paths stayed clear .. 8am I peeped out again and saw the paths still had a good covering of salt and were quite dry .. no gritting required .. sunshine throughout the day meant most of the snow has gone and roadway is finally snow free and dry . . expecting -7C tonight tho .. so tomorrow morning will need my attention perhaps ..
Good for you Patootie. I'm not very familiar with the technology of gritting, but from what you wrote it sounds as if things are likely to stay OK as long as it stays dry. If there's rain, I guess it washes away the grit and you have to lay it down again? Would snow also require fresh grit? Thsi is not just an academic question, because if the press is to be believed, there is now a serious shortage of grit so if you need more will you be able to get it?
And -7 is very chilly by any standards! I hope your nice warm new house STAYS nice and warm in those temperatures!
We are all still recovering from the excitement of the last few days so I'm off to bed for now. Sleep tight!
I think they said that about a 1,000 tons of gritting salt had been distibuted across England in the last week or so .. it's a lot of salt .. and snow could need more grit as the grit becomes water logged and inefficient !!
I don't have to actually go outside and physically do the gritting .. I just have the emergency phone number to ring to call the gritting team out if I judge that gritting is needed .. so far it's still 2C outside at 11.30pm .. it's dry .. very little wind ... so it should be ok .. !
My little flat is cosy and warm .. and unbelievable I do NOT have any of the lounge radiators on .. lounge area is 25ft x 10ft ... the only radiators I have on in the whole of the flat is the one in the bathroom .. A4 sized radiator .. and another A4 rad in the hallway .. what with the hot air rising from the downstairs flats .. and the pipes under the floorboards there is no need of extra heating .. and I promise you I AM very warm (roughly 22C throughout the flat) .. even got the bedroom top window open about 6 inches .. I think there is so much hot air inside my flat that the cold outside air doesn't get a chance to get in
Moving on is great -
Never saying never - Feeling good is great - but it's also storing the good times in ones mind - too cope with any future bad times
but i find the worst of all evil is not to become too compleacant in life
a little at a time - bit by bit
to my mind - outdoors in the fresh air just letting life tick by - maybe watching the clouds, maybe listening to the birds, maybe feeling rain drops fall, sending my mind to a different place where no one can bother me -
it's something that i can only find for myself out doors- oh, people think i'm mad, but i don't care what they think -
you have to be either ill, or disabled or care for someone who is ill or disabled 24-7 to appreciate it all
i am lucky - i'm not sick or disabled - but caring for someone who is has left me sick with depression and physcological problems - something that no medication can put right
So, yes - it's good - feeling good and Moving on - i like that - WELL DONE
Thank you Mick and Phil ... along with other Runners World forummers you have given me lots of warm fuzzy hugs and kind words, the occasional 'get it sorted woman' remarks and all the encouragement I needed to 'feel good and move on' ..
I sat watching the snow falling a couple of nights ago .. millions of small droplets of icy water, frozen into ever changing beautiful patterns of pristine white snow .. never the same pattern twice .. each flake breathtakingly beautiful on it's own .. yet so disruptive en masse .. life is strange, yet wonderful isn't it
Especially for GC ...
West country snow report .. so that's what Mr C and C3 nearly got stuck in
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/02/08/mcveigh.uk.harsh.weather.itn
* ignore short ad at start of CNN report!
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/02/07/hollenhorst.ut.dog.makes.good.ksl
Apologies for the ad at the start of the video report .. short and clean tho .. just wanted you to know there was one .. dog report follows directly after ad !
What great videos, Patootie! It was horribly fascinating to see those poor people who were stuck south of Exeter--must have been pretty scary, I think. I haven't had to drive in snow very often, but I hated it when I did it, you can so easily lose all control.
As to the dawgie....with a round trip of nearly 12 miles, that was one determined pooch! (Must be pretty smart, too
))
It's brill that your house is staying so warm. I remember last winter you weren't very comfy, and with the weather we've been having I was a bit anxious that you might be getting cold, but clearly now. Hooray! Three cheers for your new home!
But what about snow? They say there's more on the way, so I guess you have to stay on duty as grit monitor?
Grit monitor only at weekends .. Scheme Manager will be on duty Mon-Fri
So .. after a full day of doing pretty much nothing at all I shall retire to my bed for some well earned rest .. goodnight all !
Nice that you get some time off from your duties, Patootie
But seriously, I guess that over time you will become a contact point for other residents too. It's incredibly comforting, especially for the more fragile and older peple, to have someone on site that they can turn to if they need support. And I can't imagine anyone more reassuring than you. Even if you didn't know what to do, I'll bet you'd find someone who did!
How's the fibro holding up in this weather? Or are you able to stay warm enough that it isn't too bothered (ie it isn't worse than usual just because of the weather)?
Only occasional snow showers here, luckily, as I don't like cycling in it when it freezes. They grit the main cycle paths, but the side roads can be nasty. But this winter we've got off pretty lightly: a fair bit of cold weather (some very cold) but not much snow and not the awful winds that have been battering France last night. As long as we don't get floods the Netherlands seems to be pretty lucky at the moment!
Time to go see how the cycle paths are today....have a good one, Patootie! xxx
Absolutely .. that's been my whole lifes philosophy .. no need to know everything about something .. just know who else will know what I don't know ... and how to find them
Fibro is worsening with this awful weather and I am about to be severely tested .. because today I am off on my Interviewer training course .. gulp .. driving myself there (only a few miles away thank goodness) instead of taking a taxi .. fingers crossed I 'survive' as I have to do it all again tomorrow too .. I'm raring to go right now .. but .. well .. I'll let you know later how it went ..
Oh dear, is that likely to be difficult, Patootie? Is it the cold, or the vibration, or what that causes the trouble? Whatever, I really hope it goes well, because your independence is so valuable. And this interview training is a great step too.
If you feel carp when you get in, don't bother with it now, but when you're up to it, please let us know both how the journey goes and also what you think of the interviewer training!
(((((((((((((((Patootie)))))))))))))
Pheweeee the training was mentally hard .. I am amazed at how much things have changed since I was in the work force .. so many rules and regulations to get your head around .. so many ways to 'gaffe' and drop your firm in the 'mire' legally ... faded a bit in the afternoon .. but perked back up after 45 minutes or so .. and we have a sheaf of paperwork to bring away so I can reread all at my leisure and before any interview takes place ..
.. tomorrow we start putting into practice what we 'supposedly' learnt today .. 
Air pressure .. !! That's what causes me most problems .. especially when the barometer makes sudden changes .. so a big drop or a big gain .. small gradual changes can be acclimatized to .. but sudden changes whack me out of kilter ..
Journey was fine .. took me just 18 minutes .. so I am happy with how that went .. tried my new Sat Nav out .. very pleased with it .. ultra cheap .. on offer and free accessories .. and was actually 100% FREE because I used some of the various 'points' and 'tokens' I get from doing online surveys to get it with .. best of all it also works as a walking GPS so I shall be able to use it on my scooter as well as in the car .. phew .. tired now .. got to get some quality resting time in before I get myself ready for tomorrow .. !
Poor interviewees .. fancy getting me asking questions
Apparently I made a fairly good impression on the other staff members .. seems I was being scrutinised as being suitable for doing interwiews by some of the staff .. my 'team manager' or whatever he is called had asked them how I was doing and if I was going to be 'professional' enough to take part in interviews .. and I saw him chatting to the training chappie .. seems they all said I had done very well and was able to converse with all the other staff whatever roles they had within the company, polite and keen ... doesn't that make you feel valued and a 'part of things' .. phew .. need to just sit and rest for an hour or so now ..
Oh WELL DONE, PATOOTIE!!! Great going!!!!
Polite, keen, professional---yup, that sounds like you. And even though it may have been a bit of a stretch (the regulations sound horrible) you obviously aced it, AND enjoyed it, AND impressed the staff including the 'team manager'. In a residential system like yours there is always a need for people who understand the legal framework, but who are also kind, interested and perceptive. Sounds to me as if this is a role that might well grow further!
Also good that the journey itself went so well, and the navigator works. That will make it a lot easier for you to get out and about. Remember the suggestion a week or two ago that you might use these winter days to plan some nice outings that you can take as soon as spring arrives? Well, now you know that's feasible, so go for it!
I can't really imagine being sensitive enough to respond to changes in barometric pressure, but if you are vulnerable to that, this winter, with all these storms passing over, must have been very unpleasant for you. Now I hope even more that we will have a pleasant, more settled period to lead us into spring!
It's not snowed here like it has in England, but it's frosty every night, and every day it's cold and wet (sleet, snow, freezing rain) which tests my gore-text cyclewear. But the snowdrops are there, and the shoots of the daffodils have come through, so spring is on the way!
Hi all,
Haven't been around for a while as I have been soooo busy.
Great new thread though Toots - good on you, so glad to hear about the bath and that your mobility has improved!
And GC is most certainly a Forum Treasure
Screamy! Welcome back! Haven't seen you for a while, but I have total, but TOTAL, sympathy for that 'sooooo busy feeling'!
You'll be delighted and impressed, if you have a minute to read back, to see what our Patootie has been up to.
But how's things with you??? Do tell!!
Lovely to see you again Screamapillar .. I do hope all is going well in your life .. and so much going on in my life right now too .. and isn't that amazing .. I'd never have thought 18 months ago I would be doing all this ,, I keep coming to dead stops and thinking .. WOW ... grinning inanely .. then plunging happily back into this new lifestyle I seem to have discovered ...
Awww, that's brilliant, Patootie. And believe me, you inspire and cheer the rest of us much more than you have any idea. As I've said before, you are and remain a runner, with all the stick-to-it-iveness and camaraderie that that entails.
Have you recovered from the escapades of last week yet?? And do you know what they expect you to do now? Come on, we want every disgusting little detail
)
Weeeeeelll ... now let me see ... ummmm ..
Friday I got up late at about 11am .. sat around for a bit .. went back to bed for the afternoon .. got up and sat around for a bit .. then went to bed around 9pm .. and so far today I have sat around trying to 'kick start' my brain and body .. a little bit of me is willing .. the rest of me is still pretty exhausted from the course .. should be much better by tomorrow though
As for the rest of it .. I have a further afternoons training on "Diversity and Equality" on March 2nd .. then they will put me on a real job interview session before the end of March ... GULP
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PS ... will have to go out tomorrow .. batteries just gone on my mini mouse for laptop .. and I simply cannot get used to this funny little onboard mousepad and button things .. GRRRR ... taking me 10 times longer to do anything ..