Thursday, March 5, 2009

Getting back into routine is tough!

This senior fitness stuff isn’t supposed to be as hard as it’s turning out to be. I had been doing quite well with my twice weekly exercise routine at a physical therapy place. That was back in January. Then, as you know, I was forced to take a month off while had had a surgical procedure dealing with my heart. My doctor still has some restrictions on me, especially the use of my left arm. Those restrictions continue until the end of next week and then minor restrictions for two more weeks.

I’m finding, however, that the month off has put a lot of my systems behind. I am able to use a leg lift machine. Before the break, I was easily doing three reps of fifteen lifts, both side and knee, with both legs. Because I was just back Tuesday, I cut those lifts back to ten reps each and reduced the weight by five pounds. I thought my legs would fall off.

Today I used the same routine and, although not “quite” as bad, it was a long way from where I was. I’ll get there, but it’s going to take longer than I had hoped. I wonder if age has anything to do with it. At least it gives me an excuse.

I couldn’t find my half balance ball today. Even though there were two physical therapists, one athletic trainer, and an intern there, I couldn’t find anyone to ask where the ball might be. Oh, gee! I did add a couple minutes to the stationary bike from what I had timed out Tuesday.

They have a new, at least new to the collection we had at the old place, rowing machine. I can’t wait to give that one a try just as soon as I can pull with my left arm. I can see lots of places that device potentially could help. The weight machine will have to wait a little longer. My main goal right now is to be able to go longer than 20 seconds without a shortness of breath.

It’ll come if I am simply patient and work on it.

The weather this morning is a little cold but the forecast calls for it to beginning warming up today. A messy start tomorrow will turn to rain and then this weekend will bring some much wanted warmth.

I stopped listening to Rush Limbaugh a while back. Quite a while back, actually. I don’t remember now what it was that caused me to return to the Oldies Music station. I also like W-Bach and listen to it probably more than any other. I guess I’ve got to give Rush another try. What I’m reading about the growing power struggle between him and President Obama is getting fascinating.

From what I’ve read, Rush is accused simply of hoping the President will fail. The often quoted statement attributed to Limbaugh would seem to say that no matter what the President does, the conservative talk radio host wants failure to be the result.

Apparently, though, what Rush actually said was much more detailed and limited than the broad statement most people now repeat. I have not heard him directly but have been doing some reading from various sources about the statement. If what I’ve read is correct, Limbaugh actually referred to the socialistic tendencies of the President.

What he said was words to the effect that the President’s policies would lead America into being a socialistic state and turn America away from the greatness of our forefathers who first wrote the adopted Constitution began for this country. It is what Rush feels is the attempt to turn this country into socialism that he hopes fails.

I don’t want socialism to succeed either.

I’ve ranted on the spending in Maine for generational welfare programs that are costing us more and more taxes. No one I know objects at all to helping someone through hard times or truly infirm folk to live a good life; but many of us object to our taxes being used for generations of people who could and should be providing for themselves.

I saw a neat cartoon the other day. It was about all the government handouts now taking place. Four people were walking away from a “handout place.” The first was saying how he had been a CEO of a huge company being paid his salary by the taxpayer. The second was an auto maker saying now his cars could be developed with government money. The third, a home owner, was climbing up the steps of his posh mansion saying, “Phew! Now we can live here a little longer.” Trailing was the fourth shouting, “I played by the rules and I’m broke. Who’s going to help me out?”

There are many others of us who have already given our share for heating oil. My oil supplier gave several thousands of dollars to a charitable organization to provide free oil for folks getting cold. The company couldn’t return any of the huge sums they got last spring with early contracts. That money had already been committed. But the company could find funds to give away. I wonder where that money came from, and there’s nothing they could say that would make us think a lot of it didn’t come from last spring.

There’s more on Rush Limbaugh. He’s also being touted as the head of the Republican Party. That’s a story for another day.

GiM

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