Our Big Fitbit Competition!

The best view from my hot tub

I’m sitting in my hot tub at 5 PM on the first day of fall feeling guilty because I'm indulging myself rather than trying to stay fit!  Now, you KNOW there has to be a story behind this remark!
 Here goes:

The ambiance isn't much, but the beverage and the comfort is great! 

It all began when Carla gave me a new Fitbit last spring. I wore it faithfully for several months and basically used it for a watch and an alarm clock for waking up in the morning. One day early in summer I saw an invitation to join a challenge for the work week from Marianne. I guess she got a new Fitbit for Mother's Day and actually checked out many of the uses for it!  I accepted the challenge as did some of the family and friends. I then realized ( or remembered) how competitive many of us are!  For several weeks Kathi kicked our butts but then Marianne crept up and was getting close. Carla couldn’t sit back so she moved on up. I of course held down last place (except once when Carla didn't wear her Fitbit for several days).  I used the excuses of sore knee and being too old, not to mention a fear of meeting up with a moose or mountain lion!  Carla was complaining that Marianne would wait to see if she (Carla) was ahead and then would go out after dark just before deadline to beat her out!  Marianne insisted she and Brendin had Pokémon Go things they had to do at the park. Anyway, suddenly there was a new person on the list and she kept beating all of us. Apparently Kathi had accidentally invited her and she became the person to beat! I actually had some competition for last place with a friend of Marianne’s who had just had surgery and had to take it easy!  HA!

Here were the standings at the end of last week.
  Very typical with me at the bottom of the list!

June and July went by and I stayed comfortably in last place. Then I went up to Burlington WA for a few weeks.  Marianne’s stomping grounds!  Nothing would do but I had to walk with her. This included four miles on the levee plus a walk with the dog who has knee issues too so can only go to a nearby park (about1/2 mile) and do the Pokémon thing!  Marianne made sure she did a lot of walking at work so I couldn’t keep even! We did some great walks up in Bellingham WA along the bay.

A great sunset on our walk along the bay

A little further down the pier 

 I took lots of great pictures of the sunset there one night.  I still couldn’t catch Kathi or her friend!  One of the events we did while I was there was to attend the Mount Baker Blues Festival! I danced at the concerts and at the after hours jam sessions and got in way over my 10,000 steps goal each
day but still never made it to first place!

Walter Trout at the Blues Fest!
Marianne and I were right up front at the stage!
 I was dancing!
A few weeks after I returned home I went up to Carla’s home in Casper for the Eclipse. Carla had been doing 6 mile walks through the parks. We did a lot of walking around downtown since parking was at a premium.

Carla, Jim, Paul and Caroline viewing the eclipse in Casper

 I did the parks walk and then danced until 1 AM one night at the eclipse festival and then one afternoon at the river festival!  It was dang hot and lots of fun. I got in lots of steps but was never a winner!  I even walked and danced 20,000 steps one day and was still behind!

This was my biggest day when we
 were dancing on Eclipse weekend!
I still didn't win

Dancing to one of the bands at the Eclipse Fest.
Lots of steps!

Now that fall is here and things have settled down I think I have found a secret weapon!HEHEHE!!!  Nobody is going to want to go out in the rain and snow for their walks least of all me!  Besides, after my bear scare I am not wandering too far from the house!  The first two years after I retired, Bob and I stayed up at the cabin most of the winter. I did some snowshoeing but the mountain lions were out and about as well as moose and hungry coyotes.   I envisioned myself trying to run in my snowshoes away from them and decided I needed to exercise in the house! So I got a CD called something like walk away the pounds. I faithfully did it through blizzards and blowing snow right in the comfort of my home!  I really felt in good shape!  So I have now dug out that CD and will see how many steps it has!  Look out everyone!  I might even have to break out my old Richard Simmons Sweatin’ with the Oldies!  I actually loved doing those exercises. 

They are really old school but still get the job done!
 I don't need a Gold's Gym to stay in shape
when I'm off the grid!

This was a few years ago in winter.  The ambiance looks better!

Here I am in Phoenix AGAIN--In summer!

The cookie jar in the lobby.  I guess everyone hit it pretty hard. The chocolate chip cookies were delicious!

Here I am back in Phoenix.  Annie has had her surgery and because it was more extensive than they thought, they had to put her in a rehab center for awhile.  I am staying at her house about a 20 minute drive away.  The rehab center is really nice.  The food is well prepared and there is a nice selection. They have a pleasant dining room and they vary the seating so you get to visit with a variety of people. I eat my dinner here every day. Each day they also have an afternoon activity.  So far we have seen a movie with popcorn and soda, had sundaes at the ice cream social, and today we are headed out to play bingo. The beauty salon was open this morning and a lot of ladies got their hair done. I feel really lucky when I hear some of these people's stories. I sure am grateful for good health and staying in shape! 

This is "our table".  We park ourselves here and then they bring others to sit with us.

This brings me to my walking adventures. Marianne got me to put the Runkeeper app on my iPhone, so then I had to set some goals. They really do keep me walking. Just before I found out I was coming to Phoenix I set a goal of 30 miles by the end of August. When I got down here I couldn't see walking in 100 degree heat and wondered if I would meet my goal. Annie suggested mall walking so yesterday I tried it and it was fun. There were quite a few people walking at 7:30 in the morning.  There was music and several food places were open including Starbucks.  A security guard was driving around keeping us safe.  A group of women were doing Pilates and another group of people were having morning coffee together in the food court. I did 4 circuits of the mall and then had an iced frappuccino out on the patio of Starbucks.

This is the sitting area in the lobby with the registration desk in the back.  The chairs are really comfy.  I've tried them out!

The next day (today) I met Amy (Skyler and Colton's aunt) and we did the same walk.  We had a nice visit and then we had our Starbucks.  My Runkeeper went nuts on me and said we had walked 4.5 miles and the map it drew was really crazy!  It said we walked at a pace of 12.43 minutes per mile!  That's better than JJ and Carla did with their running.    Anyway that put me over my 30 miles so I had to set a new goal.  I am going for 40 miles by the end of September.

The dining room.  There is a private dining room for families to eat in.  They also use it for movies and bingo.

Well, they just told us they cancelled bingo!!!  How dare they!  Guess I will see if they have some cards. One thing about these places is that it gets pretty long and lonely between meals on the weekends for those who don't have family or friends who come to visit.  Not much therapy goes on during the weekend.

Another view of the lobby.  In the background is a large aquarium and the library.

That's about it for now. I'll try to come up with a recipe for my next blog.

Here are some pics of the fish in the aquarium.  They are so friendly and they love to pose.

This fish loves to get real close to the glass when he sees a camera!

Mr. Stripes

I love anemones! These pale pink ones are so delicate.

These orange, black and white fish love the anemones too!