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On Monday and Tuesday I am sick and get comments from a number of people regarding how I sound and how I look, so I make an appointment to see the doctor. There are other symptoms that I want to discuss with him also. But I get in a very heavy session with the weights on Monday and another on Tuesday after I've visited the doctor. How can I be sick, have a cough, have a slight fever, and lift as heavy as ever?
When I visit the doctor, the same one who helped me through the Hepatitis B, we talk about how my primary care physician died - it was pancreatic cancer. And we talk about how great a doctor and a person he was. And that there are no real risk factors for pancreatic cancer. And then we turn to my symptoms of cough, recent high blood pressure, fever, lethargy, weakness, pain in the knee and right calf, and disturbed sleep. And to be complete, I tell my doctor that I felt realy sad during March and April (even though things were going well) and how I've felt really bored in June and July. Besides ordering a blood test, and wanting to see me again, he gives me antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory without sodium, suggests the use of glucosamine chondroitin, and suggests that I make an appointment with a counselor or a therapist. He says that if I am falling on the brink of depression it will only get worse as the days get shorter.
Thus I make the follow-up appointment, fill the prescriptions and buy the glucosamine, note that I have to take the blood test when fasting, and try to make an appointment with a therapist. But the appointments cannot be had for 30 days (because they are booked up), so I just leave and will decide what to do later.
On Tuesday evening after lifting heavy and mowing the lawn, I watch the epic alpine stage of the Tour de France. On this stage they climb over the And then there is the famous climb up l'Alpe d'Huez where almost cheer on the cyclists. I get tingles up and down my spine watching and now I have lots of tape for a subsequent viewing.
On Wednesday I walk in, get blood drawn, and walk out of the clinic almost as quickly as this sentence can be read. And have a lazy day at work and afterwards as I just veg out.
On Thursday and Friday I have productive days at Northrop Grumman and follow up with reasonable sessions with the weights. The weights are very near the maximums but I struggle with them a bit more than I should. As I finish for the week on Friday I start thinking that maybe I should take a few days off and concentrate on aerobics for a few days. I'll give it some thought.
On Saturday I get out for the aquarium ride early in the morning because it is supposed to be very very hot today. After the ride and a shower I do the laundry and head over to the ATM. On the way to the ATM I am feeling like I am going to be sick. I have to park a blcok away from the ATM because another special event has Atlantic closed. As I'm walking to the ATM I decide that I am not going to make it, so I stop by a tree and throw up. I stand there for a few minutes and continue on to the ATM and realize that I am not going to make it again. So I turn into an alley near the parking structure and throw up again. Now I feel better and I'm able to go to the ATM machine with dignity without embarassing myself or others. When I get home I lay down and relax and put some neutral food into my stomach to stabilize it. I get some paperwork done and I get in a trip to Goodwill and the liquor store (for a lottery ticket). But, for the most part, I don't do a whole lot during the heat of the day on Saturday.
Later on Saturday evening I get out for a 40 minute walk and cool off with a brief cool shower. Late in the evening I see lightning blazing across the sky. This has been a weird July in more ways than one.
On Sunday morning I sleep late but still get out for just the aquairum ride before it gets too hot. But I still sweat up a storm during the ride. Near 11 am I start driving to do some errands (including cashing in a winning lottery ticket) and the it starts raining pretty hard with thunder and lightning. This has been a weird July. I get home and watch the MotoGP race from Laguna Seca (the one that I rode up to last year). This year I'm glad that I didn't go because they keep talking about how hot the air and track is. An American wins the race and looks like he'll be gaining enough momentum to win the World Championship this year - Rossi having had two engine failures and a tire chunking problem along with the fractured wrist.
Late on Sunday I get out for another 40 minute, sweaty walk and follow it up with a cool shower.
I look forward to Tuesday or Wednesday when the temperature is supposed to be at a normal range for the year - about 10 degrees less than it has been for the past week or so.
Monday and Tuesday are productive days at Northrop Grumman. And rpoductive days afterwards. I lift the heaviest weights on Monday and Tuesday and feel that there is still a bit left. After lifting on Monday I edge, mow, and trim the lawn. After lifting on Tuesday I clean up more tree branches, water the roses, and get out for a 40 minute walk. Both Monday and Tuesday are very hot and humid, so I turn on the air conditioning at home after 7pm when the inside thermostat still reads 86 degrees inside the house.
On Wednesday I get out cycling for the aquarium ride after work. It is still hot and humid outside so the ride saps my energy. But every bicycle ride is a good ride!
Thursday and Friday are moderately productive days at work as the customer is in town. We have to be available to discuss with the customer the technical, cost, and schedule implications of our replan effort. Thursday and Friday see heavy sessions with the weights. Both sessions are struggles - maybe the heat and humidity continuing to sap my strength and energy.
On Saturday I get out for the loop ride along the Los Angeles and San Gabriel river trails, do the laundry, watch qualifying for the German Grand Prix, and relax. Early in the afternoon I'm feeling tired, so I lay down for about an hour nap. Though it is still hot the nap re-energizes me, so I grab my skates and head for the ocean. I just take my time skating and enjoying the sites though there are not as many people out recreating as I expected. (And compared with the execssive number of runners and walkers who were out during the morning bicycle ride.) As I'm skating back towards the car I see one of the parasails blowing out of control across the bicycle/skate path - the bicycle riders and skaters have stopped in order to stay out of the way of the parasail (or kite). I look back from where the parasail came from and I see two guys being dragged along the sand by this same parasail as they struggle to get control of the device. They're just being dragged along, eating sand, and struggling to bring down the runaway kite. A kiting instructor (I assume) is also running after them and finally the three of them get the parasail under control and the cyclists and skaters can get past the obstacle.
Person C_T meets me at my house and we have dinner and watch a DVD to close out the Saturday.
On Sunday I sleep late and watch the (boring) German Grand Prix. And then I get out for the aquarium bicycle ride as Person C_T grades papers and does other things. After 5pm Person C_T and I drive up to the walk among the trees and flowers and to attend TerraByte, described as
and infrared space-technology at Terra-Byte, Sunday, July 30, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Be transported to a realm of heightened sensory experiences through the fusion of art, cutting-edge technologies and nature.One of Person C_T's friends is involved in TerraByte and between the hiking and listening and observing, we run into her and have a brief discussion. The music is okay (though a bit monotonous) and the visual effects are pretty good once the sun goes down. Pictures from the event are available I drive home and relax for a while before the weekend ends.
On Monday I'm a bit lazy, but I do mow the lawn after work. When I go to the grocery store there is a guy making eyes at me as he stands in line at the Chinese restaurant (inside Vons). I keep teasing him by smiling and then walking to my next grocery stop - sometimes looking back at him and smiling again. Afterwards I work on abdominal and core strength by doing weighted crunches, leg lifts, and forward bends. Can't be too carefull with the lower back these days.