THURSDAY, May 23, 2019

Weight: 138.4
Macros: Calories - 1,387, Carbs - 128, Fat - 46, Protein - 106, Fiber - 33
Sleep hours: 7.5 hours
Veggie/Fruit Servings: 8
Water glasses: 1
Exercise: 10,500 steps

Wow! SHEL ... thank you so much for the GPS dot and connection yesterday. As you will see from yesterday's thread I went hog-wild following you up and down the mountain. By day's end I was pretty tired, imagining your exertions and watching your elevation gains and losses. My dear, do you have any idea how incredibly awesome you are?!

And of course, that last sentence makes me appreciate the awesomeness of other people I know who get up every day and do what needs to be done. Like have a baby before breakfast! Yesterday Bonnie gave birth to little Charlotte. Bonnie, what a great day it was for you and your family!

Every day I watch all y'all get up and do what needs to be done--at work, for your family, and for yourselves.

Today's theme: We are the champions! You know what's coming!

1. Within Range: yes
2. General Wellbeing: 9 on SS
3. 10,000+ Steps: 12,779
4. Fitness: trimming, mowing
5. Self-Care: staying hydrated
6. Play/Leisure: enjoying the yard
7. I learned...: Hard work and determination pay off ! (Shel) There is a circle of life (DD & BB)
8. Intentions: Seek balance & relax, rejuvenate, & recalibrate !!

First, congratulations go out to BB and Shel who have birthed dreams ! You ladies rock ! Shel, your dot and Ann's updates were so exciting ! Can't wait to see the pictures ! BB, the picture of Becca and Charlotte is too cute !! They will love that, when they are best friends ! Positive thoughts to DD and Liz as they continue to face challenges with grace. Diane, continued recovery with those hands ! I can't wait to hear what happens when the pizza is gone ! Miss Bonnie, hope you are feeling better every day ! Shirl, eager to continue to hear from you. Peps, sounds like you navigated thangs well ! Your ten day adventure sounds fabulous !

So proud of youngest DD. She had to navigate a difficult professional dilemma, and she did so with class and integrity. She took her responsibility to her residents very seriously and challenged a man in a power position in order to do the right thing. After telling her that she had ruined his life (actually, his choices ruined his own life) he made her life hell. She is moving on to a better position in a better hospital AND she can hold her head high and know she did her personal best for the program.

Yeah to DD for being a strong woman (like her Mom)!

I am so impressed with your DD. I know how much work and commitment a great residency program requires. From what I know from my work place, and what work info you casually post on OH about DD's job, she is a HUGE talent. Congratulations on a promotion well deserved.

These young people like your daughter are going to change the world! Their courage inspires. We are in good hands.

Weight 134.5, calories 732.

BB had a baby and Shel climbed Mount Saint Helens! Wow, the rest of us would have a tough time topping those wonderous events! I can't wait to see more of Shel's pictures to show DH. Climbing Mount Saint Helens was one of the most memorable events in his life so he still remembers it and was excited to hear that a friend of mine was doing it.

As you can see I weighed this morning after seeing my weight at my physical yesterday. The weight I posted yesterday was adjusted for clothing and coffee on-board. Today's weight is a "true" one. Strange how the mind works, but I knew I was way over 130 and hoping that I wasn't broaching 140. Being in the middle made me feel like I hadn't messed up too much. I have my 3 year Bariatric check up next week (delayed due to Florida), so maybe I can drop a few more prior to that (I hope).

DH is at daycare today. The barriers held again for a second night though it looks like he tested them. Other SIL arrives today for the holiday weekend and DD arrives tomorrow night for visiting and delayed birthday celebrating.

Have a transformative Thursday (like BB and Shel)!

139.8

Added another 4 inches of rain last night. Enough, already! Forecast has the area clearing up some, and about time. Not being of the fish species, my out and about time has been limited-

Not the same for our resident Magnificent Mountain Goat, Shel- way to go, adventurer supreme!

And then there is B Bonnie, who turns out the most beautiful babies - all the while looking the cover girl of the month!

Do the adventures and explorations never end for this group? So much going on on all levels- Amazing!

Thinking of you all with awe and wonder at the courage, compassion and joy in life expressed here.

I am slowly preparing for the Florida trek- what to take, route to follow, time to spend- Sometime between now and then I must-Must-MUST figure out my Medicare enrollment. Yetch- just the thought of diving into that necessary mess drives me into a comatose state of utter procrastination. Birthday June 28th- Must Work On This .......... TOMORROW! (Please, someone do it for me....

Bonnie, what driving route are you taking to Florida? Because if you're coming ANYWHERE near me I'd love to rendezvous just to say howdy. :)

EDIT: P.S. You all must be about ready to float away. That's SO much rain in a few days!

Good morning!

Ann, thanks so much for all your info yesterday. I plan to dig into the links myself. I stopped by the Visitors Center but was too crazy antsy to concentrate. I left after talking to a ranger whose words of wisdom were "hope you have rain gear and crampons." (I didn't need the rain gear, by the way)

I am amazed by this group's enthusiasm. I feel so supported. Thank you!!!!!!!!

My most impressive stat from yesterday: I peed at 4:25am and not again until 9:25pm. When I unpack my pack, I will see how much I drank. I carried 4.5 liters of fluid. I regularly drank from my hydration pack.

Woo-wee am I fatigued today. By stats, this wasn't that much higher or longer than some of my usual hikes, but it was clearly a climb rather than a hike. I also have no appetite. None.

It just occurred to me that I don't have pictures of The Snow. That's cuz it doesn't occur to me to take pictures when particularly challenged. The snow was soft. Not slushy, just soft, slippery. I felt like a cartoon, stepping forward, sinking, sliding back to almost my start, stepping forward again. Over and over and over.

It was better to have crampons on than microspikes, so I used my crampons for the first time outside my living room. They worked, but I didn't get the left one on correctly so it would wor****il it fell off. I had to reset in maybe 15 times or so? Every time, I would first have to take off gaitor, then bend over on a deep incline into a deep twist, and then work hard to try to securely put it back on then replace the gaitor.

At first I did this with my pack on my back but realized I was going to do a number on my back. So then, the process included taking 30 lb pack off, and then putting back on, steep, slippery slope.

The crampon thing was so time consuming! But, I knew I needed it so I kept at it plus I wanted to learn. I think that I wasn't getting my foot squarely into the crampon, probably the heel since it is REALLY HARD to twist to see where your heal is placed in that environment.

I can feel that twisty crampon stretch today...one of the few distinct muscle pains I have today. Otherwise, I feel like a 100 year old, or so I imagine. (There is a 95 year old next to me today at breakfast. His family told me he climbs stairs easier than anyone. I asked him for his secret sauce and he said "just keep going."

It started out clear and sunny. On the mountain, weather changed and changed again like Ann creating outfits for her spreadsheet. :)

This climb is over the worm flows, the winter route. I hope to learn a bit more about them. I am sure it has to do with lava flows and imagine that it is related to the up-high visual of spiney lava ridges separated by snow gullies. I was on both. I do not like either one. (Liz, I am sure that Paul did the summer route but they both end up in the same spot.)

Below, the first view of MSH as I started to emerge from the forest, but not quite to chocolate falls.

The hike started in the pitch black, climbers headlamps bobbed like giant fireflies. The moon added ambience.

First sun kissing the mtn

Skipping to the top, I arrived after the main group of hikers had already descended. Surprised to be alone, I was totally freaked out. It was cotton ball conditions, and I couldn't see much in any direction. I couldn't see anyone, anywhere. There were sounds up there...snow creaking?

I was profoundly worried about getting back down safely. I spent most of my time on the top making sure that the Gaia navigating app was working. It was, so I should be able to follow the same path down as I took up. But I was still freaked out to be so alone, so vulnerable, so stupid, so full of false confidence, to be doing this solo. I had my in-reach device so I could call for help but I didn't want to become a report on the all-volunteer volcano rescue team facebook page.

I hastily snapped the one pic, blindly because there was too much glare to see what was on the screen. This was at the crater's edge. The sticks are the "don't go pass here" boundary because there is a cornice overhanging the crater that might break off with the weight of your fat azz.

Well, I did make it down. I'll finish my story tomorrow, tho there isn't much else to say. I am so glad I did it! Much learning, some that I didn't want to know. That's ok, too.

Just keep going,

Shel

Jeez Louise, honey! I don't think I breathed while I read your whole post.

Post more pix. More anything!

I announced your achievement this morning at yoga class. Twice. They were awed. Twice.