Early yesterday afternoon, we had our first cocktails in 2½ months. Tom had brandy and water, and I had two small glasses of low-alcohol white wine. Before all this medical stuff was exacerbated in the past year, I hadn’t had much wine, only a few glasses here and there on special occasions, but nothing at all since we left Minnesota on August 25.
Tom, who doesn’t drink much or drink alone, joined me. It was pretty pleasant, and it almost felt like we were “on a date.” We were celebrating that we could leave Cleveland in 38 days as we made our way via a road trip to Lake Las Vegas, Nevada, while we waited for our flight to Africa at the beginning of March, yet to be booked.
After our drinks, we had a lovely dinner and settled in for the evening, streaming a few shows until about 8:00 pm to watch the election news. Tom faded about midnight, but I kept watching the news on my phone long after I went to bed, using earbuds to avoid bothering him.
I’ve always watched presidential elections. Regardless of our preferences for the winning candidate, we can only hope and pray for our country’s many domestic and international issues. We shall see what transpires over the next few years.
When I finally turned off my phone, I struggled to sleep. I brought up a sleep app on Fitbit, and I nodded off in no time. I awoke several times during the night and never had adequate sleep. My Fitbit says I slept eight hours, but it was actually only about five hours. Sometimes, when lying very still in bed, the Fitbit “thinks” I am sleeping. I barely move around to avoid awakening Tom.
I won’t go to the fitness center today since I feel sluggish and don’t want to stress my body after so little sleep. Instead, every 15 minutes (I set the timer on my phone), I’ll get up from sitting and walk around our hotel room for 250 steps at a good pace. At this pace, I can do 1000 steps per hour and do this several hours a day until I reach my goal.
If I start this process by 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, I can get to 7000 steps. The new “magic number of steps” for seniors is 7000-8000 daily. This isn’t necessary to accomplish in one fell swoop, which is difficult for me right now. Also, in a way, I feel more of a benefit, getting up from sitting every 15 minutes instead of walking all at once and then sitting for the remainder of the day.
Today, we have delicious leftovers for Tom, and I will make a new dinner for myself, which is very easy. I roasted a pile of veggies yesterday and will have those with a turkey burger and a side salad. Easy peasy.
Have a lovely day.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, November 6, 2014:
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