and feeling kinda wiped out after 8 days of traveling and caretaking.
A word to the wise: if you have an orthopedic problem of some sort that cannot be corrected nonsurgically, suck it up and have the operation sooner rather than later. The longer you wait, the more serious the problem will get, and the more prolonged your recovery time will be. My MIL was first told she needed foot surgery some 20 years ago, but it wasn't until her feet became deformed to the point that she could no longer wear shoes that she finally had the operation. She's 75 now, and a 75-year-old body simply doesn't recover as quickly as a 55-year-old body. Not to mention, if you've got problems in your feet you inevitably are going to develop compensatory movement patterns that over time are going to cause problems elsewhere in your body.
My MIL lives in the southwest corner of Virginia, in a little town called Marion. Marion is not without interest. When Nolan Ryan was in the minors, he played briefly for the Marion Mets. The first contestant voted off "Survivor: China" was a Marion man. Marion boasts one of only three Art Deco Mayan Revival Style movie theaters in the country, and very possibly the only one that contains murals of General Lee reviewing the Confederate troops and other scenes from local history.
They don't build 'em like that any more, and it's a shame, really, because if the movie sucks there's nothing else in the theatre to keep you amused.
As it happened I was only able to work out twice while I was away. Since I was mostly eating on other people's schedules I didn't have much success with getting in a meal every three hours, but I at least was able to keep my calories at an appropriate level. A few people did feel it necessary to comment on my food choices (mostly fruits and vegetables, nonfat dairy, small portions of fish and chicken when available, no bread, potatoes or desserts) which is always tiresome but I can handle it.
My last kettlebell workout was 8 days ago, and I kind of liked it. I did a reverse ladder thing: 3 get-ups R/L, 3 pullups, 30 swings, 2 get-ups R/L, 2 pullups, 20 swings, 1 get-up R/L, 1 pull-up, 10 swings, repeated 3x. I might repeat it again today. I've also got ballet class, which should be interesting. It's 8 am and I have already been up for 4 hours. Thank goodness I don't have any clients this evening!
