Category Archives: When Real Life Interferes

Snorkel, Not Scuba…..

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In missing Jan and Feb for diving, yesterday turned out to literally be the only day I could go in March. I was all set and realized my wrist is still a bit “twingey”, and wrestling with thirty pounds of dive gear probably wasn’t a good idea. I am so close to being fully healed, it would be distressing if I messed this up. Snorkeling is a good alternative, although the chop was a little heavier than ideal. Visibility was good though and with the shallow reefs, the sites are good for snorkeling. I did see a turtle swim leisurely past on his way up for air on the first site.

That was the only really special creature, although several of my favorites were split between the two sites. I saw a French and queen angel as well as a couple of rock beauties and a puffer at each site. Barracuda and a nice size grouper, butterfly fish, a juvenile trumpet, midnight and blue parrot fish and the little chromis I always enjoy. There were quite a few moon jellies; some quite small, and the usual array of yellowtail snappers, squirrelfish and so forth. Since timing means I probably won’t try to go out again until the latter part of April, my wrist should be fine by then.

The only other drawback was I thought my 3mm wetsuit was in the dive bag and it wasn’t. The 1mm wasn’t quite heavy enough for the water temperature and it took a few minutes to stop feeling the chill after I went in. That did mean I cut my time in the water to like 30 minutes the first time and only like 20 at the second site. I generally use a 3mm through the end of April, then swap to 1mm, and in late July-mid-Sept, I use the skin. Ah well, at least I did get wet.

Two puffers from previous dives; don;t remember when.

 

Where Did the Week Go……….

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Ah, the usual answer of course with some extra deadlines thrown in and forgetting to check when I did the last post. This week isn’t really any better as I have to line up an interview to ensure I have an article for the paper while we are away. It’s a nice story though – I think – as it is a Barber School which has opened downtown and promises a career in nine months. As anyone who follows the blog knows, I am a big supporter of the trades, or in this case, personal services, that provides a path to at least start on. I hope they also have some data as to hires after graduation.

Anyway, shifting onto the personal writing side, even though I’ve never had a commercial success, there are a couple of paths for writers like me who have a large body of work available. One way is to have some celebrity pick up a book and start talking about it. Not very likely to happen. The other is having a book picked up for film or television which then generally will drive sales. I receive weekly cold calls/emails offering a package about getting more attention for one of my books. In one case, it’s a company I did open an account with and never opted for their service. They recently sent a special offer for a significantly reduced price and since I didn’t publish last year, I thought I might as well have a conversation. That led to me agreeing to do a submission. What I didn’t realize was the offer was actually for five “pitches”, not one. Since each pitch requires about three-four hours to prepare, it has been time consuming. The focus will be my two scuba-themed mystery series. The first two are for Shades of Truth and Shades of Gold, then the first three in the Chris Green series. Those are Deadly Doubloons, False Front, and Georgina’s Grief. (If you’re new to the blog, everything is at https://www.charliehudson.net/books.html) I still need to complete one step to activate the other four and it’s a graphics thing I have to get help with. I can’t say I expect any real success, but as has been my approach all these years, I might as well try.

No Scuba This Month Either…….

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In all fairness, I don’t usually have the chance to dive in February and often not January. While the water is colder, I can generally handle that. The issue more often is wind. Hubby has had some really tough days on the water the past three weeks and  was even if my schedule was better, the odds are I wouldn’t have gone out. Yes, those of us who live here do get spoiled. The amusing part is for divers who come from the Northeast or the Great Lakes area consider these conditions to be almost balmy.

Added to the weather aspect, I did take a tumble Jan 6 when I was in a hurry and didn’t notice the uneven paver. My hands were full so when I fell, my right wrists didn’t take the full impact. The sprain was manageable as were the scraps and bruises. It isn’t completely healed though and I suspect trying to wrestle with dive gear for another couple of weeks wouldn’t be a good idea anyway. I am working my way back to being able to do my toning exercises where I use 5-pound hand weights. I do that three days a week with a series of eight different exercises starting with 32 reps per arm, then 34 on the second day, and 36 on the third. I managed four exercises yesterday and stopped. As much as I would like to be completely healed, I know I have to be careful not to push too hard. A friend who was in physical therapy a few times following surgeries was bad about, “if some is good, more is better”. One of the therapists finally convinced him that, no, they set up his schedule for a reason and trying to “do extra” would do more harm than good.

I am grateful it was no worse and am respecting the fact that we don’t heal as quickly as we did in our younger years.

No Same Timeline……

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Emotional content alert. For those who follow the blog, I touch into serious matters at times and today is one of them. The recent loss of a friend was not unexpected in one sense. He had a couple of different health issues and apparently another one or two that hadn’t quite manifested. Without getting into unnecessary detail, the rapidity of his decline is what took many of us by surprise.

For anyone who has dealt with the loss of a spouse, that, and the loss of a child (not something I have personally experienced) have dynamics that cannot be truly understood without having suffered that particular loss. People may care deeply about you, offer sympathy and support. That does help, is appreciated, and and it’s good to do. The irony is, of course, the one single thing you want is to have the individual back and that is the one single thing that can not happen. After the initial “buffering of shock” passes, there are so many actions to be taken and then there is your life in the new stage. One of the things difficult to grasp is there isn’t a “straight line” in dealing with the grief. I don’t recall how long it was after the famous “Stages of Grief” was published when the author explained she never intended for it to be taken as a “timeline”. There is no – “okay, it’s been X amount of time, so you should be at Y.” Other people around you get on with their lives and most of us adopt a public facade for the sake of those people. How one feels and deals with the grief in private depends on the individual. There is nothing good about having cared for a person in long-term decline and while that loss might be “expected”, it doesn’t necessarily make it less painful. The finality of death is what can be difficult. The lingering scent of someone’s clothes, the favorite foods you no longer buy or cook; the act of now cooking for one. These are things that seem small and yet can be emotionally draining. Time does help, if you allow it to do so. However, you can’t dictate how much time it will take.

How Many Names?……

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I covered an event the other day I wasn’t originally schedule for – another of those reasons I’m behind on posts. It was a “re-naming ceremony”. For those who aren’t familiar with this area, there is a peculiarity about street names and numbers. For those who know, it may be worth a chuckle. We have County and Municipal systems as well as potentially State and Federal. In this county, certain cervices such as Fire and Rescue are at the County. There are also the property records. Anyway, the County designates streets in their system and each municipality in theirs. Since Miami Dade County is north of here, this is why NE 8th in Homestead is also 312th using the County System. It is named Campbell Drive. To complicate matters, sections of a street may be further named in honor of someone. I’m not sure how long a section is permitted and in all fairness, the sign that goes up is not entered into any of the navigation databases nor is it placed on the regular street sign. It is in talking to people where confusion can happen. I was interviewing an individual once whose uncle (maybe great uncle) had a section of one street named for him and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where he was talking about. It was maybe five or six months later I was on that street and happened to notice the extra sign showing the honor.

Anyway, in the case of the very well-attended Street Renaming Ceremony I covered, it is not a major street and probably won’t cause much confusion. The problem I had was for some reason, my navigation system wouldn’t accept the address on the press release and defaulted to a similar street in another direction. Fortunately, the route took me close enough to the correct place so after I passed it, I managed to work my way back around.

Extra Long Lapse….

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As those who follow the blog might have surmised, things have been even more hectic than usual. It’s a combination of circumstances, events, overlapping deadlines, and the finally fading effects of a sprained right wrist. I took a tumble 3 weeks ago and while I can’t say I was happy about that, I was happy for a sprain as opposed to a break. I am also taking the unusual step of not attending an annual event this weekend in order to actually have one day for the first time in three weeks to not have an external commitment. Or maybe it has been a month; I am losing track a bit. Not that my to-do list has diminished by much; any amount does help though.

It’s Rodeo weekend and Hubby has to teach today and tomorrow and will be at the Rodeo Sunday for the photo shoot. I can’t recall how many years he has done this now, and it is very different from covering races at the Speedway. He does get some incredible action shots and some adorable kid shots as well as capturing the enjoyment of the crowd. The weather is supposed to be great this year and it is the 75th anniversary. I think all three days – well, one night and two days – are near capacity in ticket sales. Allegedly, approximately 20,000 attended last year when everything was combined. I don’t recall ever seeing an economic impact statement although I imagine someone has that.

Moving on to other topics, I  am getting used to the new Escape even though some functions still confuse me. I haven’t figured out how to pre-set music channels or really try the sun roof. The gas gauge indicator is odd as it has tick marks instead of a dial. On the other hand, there is a digital readout of how many miles until empty.

Oh, and one of our lovely orchid is in bloom again. The only ones we have luck with are the outdoor ones.

Orchid in Our Front Yard

 

 

Rain in the Sunshine State……

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In an unusual twist, we are in our fourth day of rain and gray skies, plus significant winds at times. A number of holiday events have been postponed or cancelled and most of us are trying to stay tucked in. As annoying as this is – and I always feel badly for events that have been planned and have to be changed – the fact is we had a mild hurricane season. The other factor is visitors who came here and cannot enjoy the outdoor activities, which of course impacts the businesses as well.

Our hope, of course, is that not only will “normal winter” return, but we that we also get a little extra warmth so granddaughter can enjoy the pool as much as she wants. She is of a height and age now one of us doesn’t have to be in the water with her if she doesn’t want a companion. Kids can generally be fine in water a few degrees cooler than we adults. Last year was the best in a while and there was really only one afternoon I was uncomfortable. I am usually the one in the water with her as Hubby is often working and the kids like to have a bit of a break.

The other point of good weather is because most of the options we’re looking at are outdoor activities – after all, that is why people come to Florida in the winter. I think I mentioned previously I especially want to take granddaughter to Coral Castle; she’s the perfect age for it. She is curious about things like it and is still the right age to enjoy climbing all over the “furniture” made of coral stone. Hubby is supposed to be off two days for a change because otherwise, we’ll have to juggle a vehicle in order to let the kids have a “date day”. Now with the Nutcracker done – and it apparently went well – they will give some thought to what activities they want to do.

Unplanned Events…..

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Okay, this week is usually kind of calm with the second week of December being jammed. Not so much this year. It started out as going to be extra busy anyway, then last Thursday as I was headed to a luncheon, I was in a wreck. I have been in one bad wreck many years ago, but how things are done have changed considerably. On the good news side, neither of us was injured although my air bags did deploy. Having never been through that before, I did have a great deal of bruising and aches until a couple of days ago. Bruises are getting better, too. Vehicle was totaled, but because it was taken to a different facility since the intersection had to be cleared, that set up a disconnect between getting the vehicle picked up. Now, a dear friend came to rescue me and stayed with me as got rental car, then made first trip to the facility where the vehicle had been taken.

The main difference since last time is so much is supposed to be done on-line or “by app”, and as anyone who follows this blog knows, that is not a strength for me. I have lost count of the texts and emails and needing to get “unconfused” (I know that’s not a word) with the processes. I did check yesterday into perhaps getting a Ford Edge this time, but decided to get another Escape instead. I am really short and not all vehicle seats are designed for someone under 5 foot. You can adjust a seat up, down, back, and forth; yet not the way it hits the back of your legs. This new one is missing a couple of features I liked and has a couple of new ones that Hubby likes. What we will miss is the “memory seat” setting since we obviously need different positions for the driver’s seat.

Guest Post and Gap…..

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I’ve been longer than usual in posting due to an unavoidable situation that will be resolving soon. In the meantime, I have a guest post here. In writing for the paper, I’ve covered stories occasionally of women who have come through the trauma of domestic violence. Abby Holt, the guest blogger, is also familiar with such cases, and while it is an intense topic, her points have application to those who may be facing major changes for other reasons.

The Key to Using Major Life Transitions to Your Advantage

Going through major life transitions is a fantastic opportunity to change things up, start fresh, and replace bad habits with positive ones. Taking on a new job, moving to a different area, and other transitions are challenging, but they can also help us realize our true potential. Below, Abby Holt of Craftability explores five major life transitions that you can leverage as a domestic violence survivor to nix bad habits and adopt good ones.

Take Stock of Your Bad Habits

Before you can begin replacing your bad habits, you must first take the time to understand what they are. CoughPro suggests starting by making a list of every bad habit you can think of and the situations or triggers that lead to them. Then, you can develop a plan to overcome them.

Leave Toxic Relationships

Relationships do a lot to shape our behavior, both positively and negatively. That’s why it’s essential to take a close look at the people in your life if you’re trying to break a bad habit.

Say, for example, you’re surrounded by people who engage in the same negative behaviors or enable your bad habits. In that case, it’s time to reevaluate. Leaving toxic relationships can be hard, but it’s a major life transition that can help you cut out negative habits and adopt positive ones.

Reexamine What You Put in Your Body

The old saying is true: we really are what we eat. So what you put in your body can make a big difference in how you feel. Relying on fast food and sugary drinks is a common vice that you can address by seeking out farmers markets and restaurants that serve whole foods.

If you drink several cups of coffee or espresso beverages a day in order to stay energized, take a look at the amounts of caffeine in each drink and cut back. You may be surprised by how much caffeine you’re actually consuming. And caffeine is both a stimulant and a diuretic, so too much can affect your sleep (hello self-perpetuating cycle) and dehydrate you.

Become Your Own Boss

Owning a business allows you to take control of your work environment and create an atmosphere that supports your mission to change your habits. It’s also an excellent opportunity to establish a fresh, healthy lifestyle for building something from the ground up! You can even simplify your passion project by leveraging online resources to streamline the startup process. There are services that can help with legal paperwork, name selection, and other important aspects of starting a business.

Further, you can also use online resources to research your competition, identify a potential customer base, and develop a marketing strategy. Doing so will accelerate your startup process and help set you up for success.

Moving to a Different City

Along with presenting the opportunity to break bad habits and adopt positive ones more easily, relocating can give you the chance to change your environment and start a new chapter in your life. Maybe you end up finding a new, more fulfilling job. Training & eTracking Solutions points out that a simple change of scenery can do wonders for your mental health. When it comes to overcoming bad habits, few actions are more effective than moving away.

Making Healthier Choices

Times of transition are an opportunity to make healthier choices. For instance, if you move to a city with excellent outdoor recreation opportunities, you might find that you naturally adopt healthier habits. Or if you relocate somewhere that has more walk-friendly areas, you might find yourself walking more than driving. New routines and environments also allow us to establish new habits more quickly than we would in the day-to-day lives we’re used to.

Embrace the Changes

As difficult as they may be, major life transitions provide you with a chance to take stock of your life and replace the habits you’ve been wanting to replace. Exiting toxic relationships, taking on a new career, making healthy decisions, and relocating are a few of the many waves to improve your quality of life.

Change can be scary, but it can also be thoroughly rewarding. Take this opportunity to start fresh and create the life you’ve always wanted. Approach your next transition with the right mindset, and incorporate positive habits into your routine!

End of post.

Doctors and Other…..

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Recent events and a conversation yesterday led me to thinking about the whole doctors, health, etc., Not about the abysmal health/medical costs in this country – well, that is perhaps tangential, but also a topic I won’t venture into.

At some point in our lives we all eventually make health and life style choices. Granted, there are households where healthy eating is not practiced and as I have posted before, growing up when I did in small towns, it was basic fare. Good and nutritious although I do have a friend who can’t comprehend those of us who used bacon grease as a prime ingredient. Anyway, once you reach a certain age or change in your environment, you can decide to also change the way you eat. Expand your tastes, become some variety of vegetarian – or whatever. The same with drinking, smoking, exercising; general factors that affect health. While there are people who genuinely don’t understand how these things are related, that is also a topic for another time (if ever).

In my case, as much as I disliked running, it was a requirement throughout my Army career. I’m fine with walking and once I retired, I swapped from one to the other. After an injury to my knee a number of years ago, I swapped from walking to a stationary recumbent bicycle. Like most women in my family, I struggle with my weight and I’m pretty sure I’ve posted about that before. I did start smoking during college and quit 6 or 7 years later when I was pregnant. I was never addicted and quitting wasn’t difficult. As for drinking, let’s say I definitely don’t agree with the medical profession’s general advice of only one drink a day. (I also suspect few of them adhere to that).

All right, barring genetic issues – and those cannot be discounted – as we get older, we will develop things we didn’t have to deal with in our younger years and taking medication is part of that. In some cases, making lifestyle changes can help, and in other cases, “better living through chemistry” is the answer – or the choice. I have issues with “Big Pharma”, but at the same time, there are simply things I enjoy that I don’t want to give up. And so, my follow-up to the doctor this morning means I will be taking yet another prescribed medication instead of continuing to rely on a supplement that no longer seems to be adequate. Sigh!!!