I Ain't Scared of No Stairs

When my fellow gym rat, John, asked me to participate in the 2012 American Lung Association Fight for Air Climb, I was a bit leery.  After all, stairs are supposed to be the nemesis of people of my advanced age, and this event involved running up the 23 floors of a downtown skyscraper.  So I decided that I would run up 598 steps, and that if I could still walk afterwards, I was in.  

That Saturday I ran up the stairs in my house – 46 times.  Of course, this meant going back down 46 times – which is actually much harder on the knees.  I felt a slight twinge the first two times up, but after that, I was warmed up and there was no pain at all.  I signed up for the Climb.

Time to train!  I had been doing my treadmill time working on speed.  (You can’t win races with a nine-minute mile – even if you are over 50.)  I slowed down a bit and upped the elevation on the treadmill to get that uphill practice.  I took advantage places where I could run more than 13 steps at a shot – a hotel with three floors gave me 54; the path to the upper condos gave me 42.

When John asked me how many times I intended to run the steps, I once again shamelessly pulled the over-50 card and told him I’d start with once and see how I felt.  But – when he asked me if I wanted to be identified as a “multiple climber” – I said yes.  And when I picked up my race packet, I saw that he had put a “Strive for Five” sticker on my envelope.  The encouragement worked.  I actually ran the stairs 5 times. 

 

The event itself was amazing! Hundreds of climbers, some in costume, ranging in age from 5 to over 70, climbed the 23 flights of stairs.  The climbers encouraged one another all along the way.  Most inspiring were the firefighters, who made the climb in full gear – that’s an extra 50 pounds!   On the top floor, once a climber was finished, there were food and drinks and – get this – massages!  It felt wonderful to have a massage therapy student rub down my quads.  I felt like a real athlete.  

I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had the second-fastest time in my age group – and was only 30 seconds behind first place.  Next year – 10 climbs and first place!

And by the way, when I told John and Rob my real age, both told me they had me pegged for mid-40s.  And that, my friends, is what I love about running!

Non-electronic Correspondence

We’ve been able to arrange for most of our correspondence to come electronically.  Still, there are several items that we still receive from the good ole U.S. Postal Service.  Many of these items are fairly important correspondence addressed to our children, who still consider us their “permanent” address.

Even though we’ll be coming home at least twice a month, I hate the idea of leaving mail in the mailbox.  It’s become way too risky.  I also hate the idea of asking any of our neighbors to pick up mail for us every day for three months.  That’s pushing the limits of friendship.  The kids have their own lives.  They’ve agreed to come over occasionally to check on things and – get this – to mow the lawn.  (They’ve never mowed the lawn – but that’s a different story.)  But again, I hate to ask them to come over every day.

USPS to the rescue!  Turns out they will forward mail temporarily – and, get this, you can set it up online.  I could forward the mail to one of the kids, or I could get a post office box, have the mail forwarded there, and give the kids each a key so they can check for mail they’re expecting.  I’m thinking the post office box will be the best option.  I can do this online as well.  

I was totally impressed by the professionalism and the ease of use of the U.S. Postal Service’s web site, www.usps.com.  Our tax dollars – working well.

Reflecting on History

I didn’t care much for history when I was in high school.  Who cared about what happened in the past?  That was sooooo long ago.

I’ve discovered that now that I’ve lived a bit of history, I really quite like it.  This revelation came to me in college – the second time – in Engineering 101 class.  I was giving a presentation to the class on the changes in technology over the past 90 years, and as a part of the presentation I shared my own experience watching the lunar landing in 1969.  As I spoke about watching the landing on TV and hearing the words of Neil Armstrong, I realized that the room was silent and that every eye in the room was on me.  I had them!  I even got applause.

My favorite way to get my history “fix” these days is to read historically-based novels, in particular those of my favorite historical fiction author, Ken Follett.  I learned about the Danish resistance in WWII in Hornet Flight.  I learned about the war in Afghanistan in Lie Down with Lions.  I learned how cathedrals were built in Pillars of the Earth.   Currently reading Fall of Giants, and with half the book down, I now know more about WWI than I ever had before.

I want to write like this.  I want people to view history through the eyes of the people living it. 

Reinventing our Eating Habits

I ate very poorly this past weekend.  My “five a day” on fruits and veggies turned out to be less than five for the weekend – and that’s counting the beans in the chili.  (No, I didn’t count the corn in the cornbread.)  And I felt it this morning.

I actually do a lot better on the weekdays.  Why?  I control what I carry with me to work.  My friends and co-workers always laugh at my “food drawer” but it really does help me make healthier choices.  An apple in the drawer beats walking to the vending machine for a candy bar or a bag of chips any day.  

So as I plan how we will spend our first summer in retirement, I can think of the fifth wheel as a giant food drawer.  If it’s not in there – we won’t eat it.  We’ll shop once a week and eat what we bring with us – there will be no sports bar around the corner to pick up wings and beer.  We will simplify our food choices – no room for the dozens of bottles of sauces I have in my refrigerator.  We have a number of Dutch oven recipes, some tried and true and some brand new.  And just think – fresh trout pretty much whenever we want it – providing our fishing skills are up to par.  

Paul’s been talking about eating our main meal earlier in the day when we retire.  Not possible with me working 9 to 5, but in our retirement we can set our own schedule.  Even on our days off, we can take advantage of early bird specials.  

He’s also proposed we not drink any hard alcohol except on our days off.  That’s easy – we just won’t put it in the food drawer, er, fifth wheel. 

My "Bucket List"

Two years before Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman made “the bucket list” a household term, I participated in an activity called “100 things I want to Do-Be-Have-See-Accomplish-Experience before I die.”  It was a life-skills class taught by a dear friend Mary to a group of teenage mothers attempting to earn their high school diplomas.

The objective, Mary stated, was to expand their possibilities.  She stated that the mere fact of writing them down would drive the girls to accomplish many of the items on their lists.  She asked the girls for 100, warning them that while the first 20 or so would come easily, finishing the list could take a lot of thought.

She was right.  While I set my goal at 50, by the end of the class period I had only written down 33.  I put the folder away.

Fast forward six years.  I found the folder a few days ago while looking for a tax document.  As I read over the list, I found that I’ve already accomplished eight of the items on the list, and after having learned more explicitly decided against doing one of the items.  Checking off 9 out of 33.

What was first on my list?  Write and publish a novel.  “Spend a summer as a camp host” was number 18 on my list.  And just so you all know – skydiving is not on my list.  I still have no intention of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

A New Year's Goal

It’s December 31, which means five months to go!  Paul and I reviewed our 2011 income and expenses this morning over coffee, and everything still looks good.  Santa Claus must have heard we’d be spending next summer as camp hosts, because he brought us a round outdoor table, an iPod, and a rechargeable iPod speaker system.  I find it interesting that as family and friends have heard or read our news, they are far more interested in how we will spend our first summer in retirement than in the fact that we are really and truly retiring.

It’s also New Year’s Eve.  As I put the finishing touches on the table for tonight’s annual New Year’s Eve dinner, I thought about New Year’s resolutions.  I usually don’t make resolutions.  I think they’re like Mary Poppins’ pie crust promises – easily made, easily broken.  So this year I am setting a goal.  In 2012 I will write my first novel.

I should have plenty of time to work on it this summer in the quiet of the mountains.  I have an idea that is rehearsing in the back of my mind, waiting for its chance for center stage.  I’ve even named my main character.  Next steps including outlining the story, researching times and places, and of course, researching publication options.  Lots to do!

Here’s wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year!

Reflecting on Christmas

This morning Paul made aebleskiver for breakfast.  Aebleskiver is a Danish round ball “pancake” that is made in a pan explicitly created for this – and in my understanding serves no other purpose.  It was our traditional Christmas morning breakfast when I was growing up.

I love Christmas.  I’ve always loved Christmas.  I love to decorate for Christmas, to shop for Christmas, to write my annual Christmas letter and to send cards.  I love Christmas music. I love Christmas parties.        I love Christmas lights.  I love baking Christmas goodies and giving them away.  I get teary-eyed at the season’s Hallmark card commercials, and still cry over that old Folgers coffee commercial they bring back every year.

And I truly love Christmas traditions - those I’ve grown up with and continue to keep, and those my own family has created through the years.  The traditions I grew up with came from the Danish – my maternal grandfather’s tradition.  We celebrate on Christmas Eve.  I have the Nissa Men – mischievous Danish elves who are Santa’s eyes and ears – scattered throughout the house.  We make kliner – a Danish Christmas cookie that is rolled, twisted and deep fried to make beautiful and delicious little knots.

On Christmas morning we make and serve Eggs Benedict to family and friends.  Our tradition for over 20 years now, this started when two of our neighbors had just gone through divorce and were alone on Christmas morning.  Since then both have remarried, but they keep coming to our home on Christmas morning.

Here’s the good news – the way that we have traditionally spent Christmas will likely not change as we retire.  We’ve never been extravagant spenders, so we won’t need to transition to a more frugal Christmas.  And the traditions of my childhood – and that of my children – will live on.  Merry Christmas!