Category: Health & Well Being

The Bunny Hop Weekend

This weekend was Easter weekend, which has carried different meanings for me throughout my life. Having grown up in a devout Catholic household, it signified the period of time where Jesus Christ was crucified and died on the cross for humanity’s sins, only to resurrect a few days later. It was an aspect of the Bible that I came to know quite well as a child, with religious movies representing Christ’s resurrection playing on the television all weekend and frequent sittings at our local church (sometimes more than one church). As I grew into adulthood and Catholicism’s hold on me released, I slowly forgot about Easter weekend. Hell, I didn’t even get to see it as a long weekend since, as a police officer, statutory holidays meant nothing for my work load.

In recent years, I’ve been lucky in the sense that I get that additional day off, making for a three-day weekend. That can be nice, especially from the standpoint of getting some additional rest. However, as I grew into parenthood, I came to realize that the weekend also came to symbolize bunnies, chocolates, candies and egg hunts. Having grown up with Type-1 Diabetes means that I didn’t experience most of those things as a child. One would think that this would mean I would enjoy going through it with my children but things of that nature are often less fun when you have to be the adult who cleans up after everything that’s done to entertain one’s children. Although I do very much enjoy the Easter jelly beans I received. They’re good times… But I digress…

Typically, my family would travel up to my in-laws, as they’re the only family we have nearby. With my family being all the way in New Brunswick, my wife’s parents are usually the host of our holiday travel plans. We’ve been pretty lucky in the fact that we’ve been the only ones who not only live afar and require accommodation when we travel but also have children. This means Grandma and Grandpa would not only receive the pleasure of our company but get to see their grandchildren for any given holiday weekend, as well. But as life moves forward, families expand and not only are two of my wife’s siblings married now, they also have children of their own. The conundrum this causes is that, much like at my mother’s home in New Brunswick, there is no longer any room to accommodate everyone.

Although getting together as a family is still important, not only over the holidays but as a general practice, fitting that number of people into one residence is not only impractical but can cause friction that one should not have to deal with over a holiday visit. With that in mind, my wife and I took things in a different direction this year and sent our oldest son, Nathan, up to stay with his grandparents for the long weekend. My sister-in-law was travelling through Regina on a trip of her own and offered to bring him up on her way back. He left last Friday and is scheduled to be picked up by my wife tomorrow while I’m at work.

With only one child to entertain and the fact he’s a toddler and doesn’t care where we go, we spent the weekend browsing designs for the bathroom renovation we should be starting soon. We took the opportunity to eat out a couple of times, one of those meals was at my favourite eatery: FatBurger. I consider myself to be a bit of a burger connoisseur and FatBurger has the best damned Mushroom Swiss burger I’ve ever had in my life. I had the opportunity to catch up on a significant amount of laundry and we even changed things around slightly in the living room. As an added bonus, I took today off as an extra day, although I know myself well enough to know I’ll likely check work later.

All in all, it’s been a pretty good and quiet long weekend. Tomorrow, I get to start back at a fresh new office as my location has changed. That should be an all-new adventure. It’ll be interesting to have my entire organization on one floor as opposed to spread out across three floors. As with all things in life, there will be some good and some bad. I’m looking forward to see in which direction this new office will tip the scales. Happy Easter to all those who celebrated this weekend. ☯️

When Your Get Up And Go Has Gotten Up And Gone…

I’ve noticed that I seem to be letting more and more time elapse between my posts… What with my last one being nearly a week and a half ago, I think I’ve become far too comfortable letting go of my compulsion to post on a daily basis. On the one side, I have the my oldest son who, like every other kid in modern times, has become obsessed with Minecraft and often monopolizes the laptop during the evening hours. Although it’s my laptop and I could easily object, watching Minecraft tutorials is far better than other, more nefarious activities he could be getting up to, so I tend to indulge him a bit. I’ve also allowed my work to consume me to a certain extent; something that I had always promised myself I wouldn’t allow. Given that my agency is currently moving to a new physical address, the entire staff has been sent home to work remotely. I never realized how easy it was to start work early and work through my end time, when I’m sitting in the comfort of my home. But I digress… My self-imposed increased workload has also had me working as opposed to writing.

The biggest hit I’ve taken lately is my fitness routine, which has taken a seat to make time and room for other obligations and daily necessities. While I would be the first to admit that when something is as important as one’s health and fitness, one can find the time no matter how busy they are, I also recognize that there are a finite number of hours in a day and time is the only commodity that humanity can’t create. Therefore, by the time my work day is done, meals and children are seen to, which includes homework, baths, laundry and dishes, this leaves me precious little time to flop down on the couch and let me head cool as I contemplate the events of the day. Wash, rinse and repeat.

For the most part, I was on a pretty good track with performing a brief, 10-minute circuit in the morning that helped wake me up, increase my circulation and give me some get up & go before I even cracked my first energy drink. You can read about that here. Although my first went swimmingly, the second week was a bit like a worn out commodity and I haven’t been quite as effective at getting out of bed early enough to do the circuit and shower before I need to plop down in front of a keyboard for the day. Given that my evenings are filled with all the daily requirements of family life that outlined in the previous paragraph, it leaves one to ask: When will I have time to work out?

One of the biggest things I consistently hear form most fitness sources is simply this: show up. Even if you’re tired, show up. Even if it hurts, show up. Even when it gets tough, show up. Great words. Putting them into practice can often take an effort that can be difficult to nail down. I consider myself to be a reasonably committed person. So I would like to think I can rise above this. And I likely will but that doesn’t change the fact that at the moment, I feel a bit like a smashed piece of ass with no hopes of getting myself off the floor if I fall. Ironically, my blood sugars have honestly been pretty good, considering the lack of fitness. Of course, my continued lack of appetite may have a little something to do with that.

The lesson here is that if you find yourself in this type of situation, it’s important not to get hard on yourself. Let yourself have the time to rest and heal, if it’s what you need. Obviously, you don’t want to sit around all sedentary for an extended period of time as that will start to seriously affect your overall health, especially if you have type-1 Diabetes. And if you feel that you’re lacking energy or that your emotions are what’s affecting your fitness, consider the possibility that you may want to speak with your doctor or medical practitioner. Winter blues can sometimes be more than winter blues. Food for thought… ☯️

Sleep, Painful Sleep…

It’s no secret that people with Diabetes will often have poor or lessened blood circulation in their extremeties. This can be attributed to a number of different complications, including but not limited to poor dietary choices and high blood sugars causing fatty deposits in the blood vessels over time. This will result in the hardening of your blood vessels, which will lessen blood flow. there are a bunch of other reasons for it, as well but one can hit up WebMD for the comprehensive list.

Sleeping with Type-1 Diabetes also comes with a pretty long list of difficulties, from fluctuating blood sugars to dehydration, all the way up to general feelings of unease, including restless leg syndrome or any of the vast plethora of colds and flus one catches because they’re living with a compromised immune system. It can mean that getting a full, uninterrupted night’s sleep is damn near impossible but when it does happen, it’s almost like twenty pounds of weight has been lifted off of one’s shoulders and one feels SO much better.

Since Diabetes has an unfortunate domino effect where one complication will feed another, such as dehydration affecting one’s blood sugars, it can mean that spending half of one’s night awake is not only a very real possibility, it’s almost the norm. Which sucks. Royally. Some obvious solutions come to mind. Consuming proper amounts of water to stay hydrated, monitoring one’s blood glucose closely and making adjustments prior to bed… Doctors have been telling me for years to sleep with a pillow between my legs to prevent disrupting the circulation in my legs but I’m way too violent a sleeper to keep a pillow between my legs.

Ironically, my biggest issue isn’t with my legs… It’s with my arms. I’m an odd sleeper, finding myself on my stomach more often than not, with my right arm tucked at my chest and my left arm above my head. I have no idea what prompts me to sleep this way but it tend sot inhibit the proper blood flow to my arms. I’ll often wake up during the night with an odd pain in my arms, until I realize that I’ve lost circulation. You haven’t lived until you’ve had that fun experience of feeling the blood slowly start flowing back to your fingertips. But I digress…

Eventually, as I get older and Diabetic complications start to become more prevailent and serious, this could potentially become harmful and cause permanent damage. I’ve slowly trained myself over the past few years to sleep on my back but my sinuses don’t always like to cooperate with that one. But circulatory issues can lead to worsened complications. If you find yourself with frequent numbness in extremities or your limbs are often cold, even when the temperature is warm or moderate, you may want to consult your family doctor or health practitioner to ensure it isn’t something that will cause permanent damage. ☯️

Rise And Grind…

I’ve never been much of a morning person in general. I know what you’re thinking; is ANYONE ever really a morning person? But in my case, it’s pretty much always been an issue of consciously forcing myself to function for the first few hours of my mornings. I’m often surprised that my posts are so coherent. During my school years, I always attributed it to just being a teenager. I mean, what teenager DOESN’T fall asleep in class, right? But considering it’s carried on into my adulthood, it’s pretty clear that I just can’t handle morning in general. At least not without several hundred milligrams of caffeine pumped into my system.

For years, I’ve tried to find a way to incorporate fitness into my morning routine. The thought behind this is pretty simple; increased fitness first thing in the morning will increase blood flow, raise my heart rate and start my day off with a kick. I may even potentially need less caffeine, if I’d manage to get my little dynamo pumping. But most attempts I’ve made have failed. What usually happens is when m,y alarm goes off, I’ll roll over, nope the fuck out of it and reset the alarm for an hour later.

The root of the issue is it has to start with you. No matter which way you look at it, you have to show up. Tired? Sore? Don’t feel like it? Too fuckin’ bad! Keep showing up and do it. It sounds ideal but most people, myself included, often can’t bring myself to do this. I’m not suggesting that you should work out if you’re injured or ill but otherwise, “pushing through it” is a very necessary part of a successful fitness routine.

A few months ago, I had this bright idea to get a membership for. A local swimming pool, since they have lane swimming that starts at about 5:30 in the morning. I figured I could sneak in there in the morning, hammer out 30 minutes of laps, grab a shower and make my way into work. I recall from my academy days that lap swimming is an incredible cardio workout and works almost all the muscle groups in the body. It would have been fantastic. Would have been. Had I been able to get myself out of bed to start doing it.

I needed to do something simpler. Something more straightforward. Something that allowed me to just jump straight into it without thinking about not and didn’t involve dealing with the public, first thing in the morning. This is where I came up with a simple circuit that I could do as soon as I woke up. It only takes about fifteen minutes, or closer to twenty, depending on how exhausted I am, I can do it in my basement before grabbing a shower and heading to work. I have a set group of exercises for Monday to Friday and I do it despite whatever structured workouts I do in the evening when i get home from work. I call it my “tragic warm-up to help embrace the pain.” Here it is:

Monday
– 30 jumping jacks;
– 30 push-ups;
– 25 high knees;
– 10 burpees; and
– 25 crunches.

Tuesday
– 20 squats;
– 35 push-ups;
– 35 crunches;
– 35 jumping jacks; and
– 35 high knees.

Wednesday
– 30 jumping jacks;
– 30 push-ups;
– 25 high knees;
– 10 burpees; and
– 25 crunches.

Thursday
– 20 squats;
– 35 push-ups;
– 35 crunches;
– 35 jumping jacks; and
– 35 high knees.

Friday
– 30 jumping jacks;
– 30 push-ups;
– 25 high knees;
– 10 burpees; and
– 25 crunches.

It’s reasonably gruelling, especially first thing in the morning. I’ve also had days where I’ve simply skipped working out in the evenings by virtue of having done this morning gem. But it’s had the desired effect, in that my caffeine intake has lowered and I have a bit more energy and drive. granted, I also bottom out and get tired as shit by the time the end of my day comes along, but this is when you should be winding down and getting tired so you can sleep a full night, right?

Anyway, because I believe that variety is the spice of fitness, I thought I would share this with you. To be honest, I printed off the sheet this workout is on so long ago, I can’t remember if I found it somewhere or created it, myself. But it suits the purpose. Tomorrow is Monday and I will once again be seeing if I can’t “rise” to the occasion and make my way through the circuit. But it’s definitely worth trying, if you’re looking for something quick and effective to kickstart your mornings. Enjoy! ☯️

Life Is A Lemon, May As Well Drink It Up…

I’ve been making a point recently of trying to consume more water. In general, the average male should drink just shy of four litres of water everyday. That being said, a lot of that will include the water contained in the foods one eats. But one needs actual water for proper digestion, immune health, blood pressure and even mood. Although drinking water should be reasonably straightforward (open one’s mouth and gulp), it can be challenging if you’re not thirsty or have other, more “fun” beverages to consume, like sodas, energy drinks and juice (and sometimes whiskey, sue me!).

Staying properly hydrated is incredibly important for someone with Type-1 Diabetes, as well. Considering I’ve spent most of my life dehydrating at the drop of a hat, I still have a lot of work to do, and my fitness routine also makes staying hydrated all the more important. My point is that I need all the help I can get, which is why I make a point of adding some lemon juice to my water. The jury’s out on whether there are any real and measurable benefits to consuming lemon water but I know one thing for certain; it’s tasty as fuck and makes it easier to guzzle down mass quantities. let’s take a brief lemon-flavoured journey…

I found a number of articles that outline the benefits of drinking lemon water and they all pretty much list the same things. According to an article posted by the Cleveland Clinic, benefits can include better hydration, better digestion, helps with weight loss, provides Vitamin C and Potassium and may help to prevent kidney stones. Those all sound like positive benefits, to me. The article also goes on to state that drinking lemon water may help prevent oxidation and contains phytonutrients, which will help your body against disease. Definitely a strong benefit for someone with an autoimmune condition like Type-1 Diabetes.

Another article posted by one of my favourite websites, HealthLine, also provides all of the same benefits listed by the Cleveland Clinic but one aspect I like is that they break down the specifics of what drinking a glass of lemon water provides your body. here’s the breakdown:

A glass of lemon water containing one 48 gram lemon, squeezed, contains:

  • 10.6 calories;
  • 18.6 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, or 21% of the Daily value (DV);
  • 9.6 micrograms (mcg) of folate, or 2% of the DV;
  • 49.4 mg of potassium, or 1% of the DV;
  • 0.038 mg of iron, or < 1% of the DV;
  • 0.01 mg of vitamin B-1, or 1% of the DV;
  • 0.01 mg of vitamin B-2, or 1% of the DV; and
  • 0.06 mg of vitamin B-5, or 1% of the DV.

Drinking lemon water will help one to avoid sugary drinks and less healthy alternatives but if any of you know anything about me, you know that I’m also going to provide the negative side for all the positives. First and foremost, if you’re anything like me, you may overdo it a bit, once you find something you like. I consider lemon water to be delicious and I drink it out of my 1-litre water bottle. I can easily rip through four or five of them sum-bitches throughout the course of a day. There is such a thing as too much water… Doing so can cause Hyponatremia. What is Hyponatremia? Hyponatremia is the medical term for a sodium imbalance in the body. A sodium imbalance can occur when excessive amounts of water are consumed, flooding the cells. I’ve had it a couple of times. It sucks.

There’s some limited information as well, that the citric acid in lemons could potentially damage the enamel of your teeth. The HealthLine article I linked above recommends drinking your lemon water through a straw to prevent this, followed by rinsing your mouth out with plain water afterwards. Granted, other sources state that since you’re watering it down, the risk is minimal. Providing you aren’t constantly sucking on lemons, your teeth should be fine. Granted, I’m not a doctor. Or a dentist.

So, there you have it! Suck back some lemon water for all the reasons above. The benefits far outweigh the possible negative aspects and will help you stay hydrated throughout the day. And the most important reason above anything else is that I enjoy it. And that just makes everything else icing on the cake. Or lemon in the water. Whatevs, it’s all the same comparison. ☯️

What’s The Use?

Everybody, Diabetic and non-Diabetic alike, is usually aware that insulin is commonly used by people with Type-1 Diabetes to control their blood sugars, since their own bodies no longer produce it as a result of their immune system attacking their own body. Most of my life, I’ve had people ask why I don’t just manage without it? After all, if food makes blood sugars go up and insulin and exercise make it go down, can’t I just eat less, eliminating carbohydrates and exercise more to keep my body’s blood sugar’s in check? The simple answer is no. No, I can’t. Besides the fact that one’s body needs carbohydrates as a source of fuel, it turns out that insulin has a number fo functions in the body that we need besides blood sugar regulation.

First and foremost, let’s discuss what insulin actually is… Insulin is a hormone that was created in the 1920’s by Dr. Frederick Banting, a Canadian of course, and Charles Best. once injected into comatose children who were thought to have Diabetes, they would regain consciousness and regain some augury of health. Insulin was originally made by extracting the required from the pancreas of pigs or bovine. Modern versions can be synthetically created or made from human sources. Insulin is usually taken by injecting it into the interstitial tissues beneath the skin.

So, this brings us back to the key question of what insulin is used for, in someone without Diabetes. According to an article posted by Endocrine Web, insulin helps your body turn food into energy. Further, it “controls the amount of glucose in your bloodstream at any given moment. It also helps store glucose in your liver, fat, and muscles. Finally, it regulates your body’s metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.” All those fancy words are to say that your body needs insulin production for a number of different functions in the human body.

To be honest, finding articles that list what a non-Diabetic body uses insulin for that doesn’t involve blood sugar control is surprisingly difficult. But it is required to prevent conditions like ketoacidosis, which can occur in anyone whose body can’t turn glucose into fat. plus, the bottom line is a healthy body’s pancreas WILL produce insulin, allowing for glucose to be processed and stored in the appropriate places in the human body and that body’s immune system doesn’t attack itself, which is the difference between someone WITH Diabetes and someone WITHOUT. So there you have it! Even if you don’t have Diabetes, your body still needs insulin. Don’t be afraid to hit up your friendly, neighbourhood endocrinologist for a deeper list of non-Diabetic uses for insulin. ☯️

Some Salty Facts…

I don’t think I could sit here and try and convince anyone in general that salt is good for you. For the most part, the average person goes on with their day, knowing that the consumption of salt can cause some pretty serious health complications in one’s body. That being said, it’s important to recognize that salt has its place in a person’s diet and isn’t ALL bad. This would seem like a good time to point out that I’m not a doctor or a health practitioner and the post that follows should not be construed as anything by my own option. Moving on…

First and foremost, salt will cause in most folks what I like to call the “diabetic endless cycle.” As you consumer heavier quantities of salt, you’ll become more thirsty. As your thirst increases, you’ll consume more fluids, which will kick your kidneys into overtime to expel the excess and you’ll urinate more often. Wash, rinse and repeat. This is about the closest someone without Diabetes could come top understanding one of the issues that happens to someone with T1D, as it relates to blood sugar, drinking water and frequent urination.

realistically speaking, the human body does need salt. Salt is typically composed of roughly 40% sodium and 60% chloride and people will often use the terms “salt” and “sodium” interchangeably. Although too much can cause harm, salt is used by the body for good muscle and nerve health, proper balance of fluid levels in the body and to help absorb certain nutrients that we need to stay healthy. For example, while consuming too much salt can lead to dehydration, so can too little salt. Since you need salt to balance the fluids in your body, cutting out salt completely (or trying to) can lead to some issues.

In fact, one of the issues that too little salt can cause, is a condition known as hyponatremia. This is a condition where your sodium levels are too low, which will cause bodily pain, nausea and a score of other health issues too numerous to name. I had a bout of this condition a couple of summers ago, where I went on a near 100 kilometres bike ride and guzzled down water for the hours I was out. The sun was blazing and it was hotter than hell. I was sweating profusely and expelled too much of my body’s mineral salts, which caused the symptoms of hyponatremia.

All of that being said and like all things in life, balance is key. While one needs salt to remain healthy and too little salt can cause significant issues, too much salt can cause bloating, dehydration, blood pressure and cardiac issues, kidney disease, kidney stones, stroke and a partridge in a pear tree. The key is proper balance and a healthy intake of sodium/salt that helps to strike that balance. Since every person is different and may have pre-existing health conditions that would contribute to this, you consult your family physician or health practitioner to determine what a healthy level of sodium may be for you. ☯️

Taking Care Of Oneself…

Self-care is undoubtedly the most important step one can take for self-health and a better life. Unfortunately, the shoemaker’s kids often go barefoot, which is a fancy way of saying that the average person will always focus on others’ wants, needs and expectations before dealing with their own. The result of this can include things like chronic exhaustion, burnout and depression, which can ultimately lead to nasty things like alcoholism, drug use and a score of other mental issues to numerous to list.

I’ll admit that I’m guilty of neglecting myself and am likely the worst one, when it comes to helping others and doing more than I should. By the time I finally decide to throw in the proverbial towel and take a break, I’ve usually crashed and need almost more time to recover than what I used to take care of others. This is why it’s so important to take care of one’s own mental health before anything else. I recently found a poster at my work that was provided by the Canadian Centre for Occupational health and Safety. They listed 10 healthy habits for mental fitness and I found the list interesting, so I thought I would share. here we go…

1. Schedule some “me time,” daily…
I’m a big fane of this, and make a point of trying to do so. Whether it’s ten minutes to myself when I get home to decompress or an evening workout, it’s important to have time for oneself. This isn’t selfish and in fact, will put you in a better state of mind to help care for others.

2. Reward yourself…
Stuffed-crust pizza, anyone? In all seriousness, whether you’re trying to save money or simply don’t abide having too many belongings, rewarding yourself for your accomplishments is important as it keeps you motivated and hungry to accomplish more.

3. play to your strengths…
This is a tough one, especially if you’re like me and believe you can do anything you set your mind to. But let’s be realistic for a moment… I’ll never be a theoretical physicist. I love and excelled in maths and physics, but I didn’t have the time, money or resources to study to the degree that was required (pun fully intended) to achieve that particular dream. I’ll never be an Olympic swimmer because my body encompasses at least two swimmer’s bodies and I have the centre of gravity of a rock. I am, however, quite adept at the martial arts and I’ve played to that particular strength in a number of ways. So while one shouldn’t be discouraged from trying something, it’s important to recognize one’s strengths.

4. Ask for and offer help…
This one isn’t just important for good mental health but for life in general. It would be ignorant to believe that one would never need the assistance of another person in life. It would also be wrong NOT to provide help when someone else asks it of you. Not to be confused with being UNABLE to help, of course. But we’re all trying to muddle through life as best we can; helping each other should be something that comes naturally.

5. De-stress your diet…
Honestly, I don’t know what the fuck this is supposed to mean… maybe it just means don’t eat buffalo chicken bites an hour before bed because you’ll spend all night roiling and in pain. Maybe it simply means making sure you eat healthy and from the proper food groups and try not to eat like a seagull…

6. Press pause once in a while – downtime is good…
frankly, I love this list but I can’t help but feel this is a repetition of #1. I mean, maybe not; downtime and time to oneself could be interpreted as two separate things I guess. Whatever. Go re-read #1.

7. Get regular physical activity…
That’s the gospel, right there! And likely the solution to a vast majority of mental and physical health problems that people face. And I don’t need to remind all of you how often I’ve written about exercising regularly. yet another aspect I could stand to improve on.

8. Set goals and stay on target with a journal…
Meinh… journals can be a good thing for some people. I believe quite deeply in setting goals and working towards them. If using a journal or some form of documentation to track your progress, it can’t be anything but good, right? But setting those goals and keeping your eyes on the prize is extremely important.

9. Practice relaxation techniques and get enough sleep…
I consider myself well versed on the former but I could certainly use some work on the latter. Meditation or even just deep breathing will help will lowering blood pressure and calming you. getting a proper night’s sleep is valuable for a variety of reasons that I’ve written about often.

10. Choose a positive attitude…
This is probably the most difficult one, if I’m being honest. having a positive attitude or outlook on life can be difficult, especially if you;’re constantly dealing with the negative aspects of life. it’s absolutely possible but as humans, we tend to bitch, whine and complain about things watt faster than choosing to be positive.

So there you have it. I thought this list was pretty decent and offers up some good suggestions on how to better maintain one’s mental health and increase one’s overall happiness. ☯️

Slide Into This Feel-good Post…

Last Saturday, Nathan finally asked me to make our way to the sliding hill on the east side of our neighbourhood. I say finally because he’s usually spent the last few winters asking to go sledding as soon as there was snow on the ground. This year, he didn’t seem to be so into it, preferring to stay inside and melt his brain with his Netflix kids and Nintendo Switch. I’ve managed to get him outside to play in our yard, which is easy for him to come back inside and resume his hermit behaviour. So it was quite a surprise when he decided he wanted to go sledding.

The weather was quite mild at only -4 degrees and it was a perfect day to go hit the slope for an hour and get some fresh air. We slipped on our winter gear and made our way outside. Nathan had received a snow scooter for Christmas, which is basically a razor scooter with skis instead of wheels. I was anxious to see him use it but he refused, claiming he felt he would wipe out too easily. I brought it along anyway, in the event he changed his mind (and because I wanted to try it myself). We had the hill to ourselves as no one else was there. Not surprising as it was the weekend and it was before the noon hour.

Despite the mild weather, it was quite chilly once we got to the top of the hill and lost the protection of the houses and trees at ground level. Nathan had a blast, whipping down the hill and alternating his runs with his plastic toboggan and crazy carpet. I took a couple of short sprints down on the snow scooter and let me just say that I’m glad no one else was on the hill to see my sorry attempts. besides the fact that the handlebar was too low for me, the foot board was too small and I couldn’t keep both feet on it. This made it extremely hard to keep my balance.

At one point, we had a race with Nathan on his crazy carpet and me, using the plastic toboggan. My heavy weight, whipping down the hill, allowed my gratuitous posterior to feel every bump, groove and edge that was present on the slope. The result was every joint in my body objecting and asking what the fuck I thought I was doing… It was enough to get Nathan laughing at all the moans, groans and the sound of a hundred mousetraps closing as I tried to get up. Where has the time gone?

As with all things in life, despite the fun we were having, some negative aspects reared their ugly faces. The cold temperature and the exertion of climbing the snow hill over and over caused my blood sugar to drop below 4.0 mmol/L, which was a problem since we had only planned on being gone for an hour and I hadn’t brought anything with me. The cold also drained the battery on my pump, which is a bit more of a problem since having the battery go dead for more than a few minutes wipes out all my settings. I really should write that shit down somewhere. But it was fun and we got to spend some time outside, getting fresh air and exercise. ☯️

Are You just Listening Or Also Hearing…?

Relationships involve a lot of work. I’m sure that isn’t news to any of your reading this post, but people often forget that the Beetles were wrong… You most certainly and absolutely do need more than love. I remember a few months before one of my close friends got married. We sat in my garage and had a few cold ones and smoked a couple of choice cigars and talked about his upcoming nuptials. One of the things I explained is that’s although it’s extremely important to love the person you’re with, there are other important components that are required.

Arguably, compromise, understanding and the ability to communicate honestly and openly with the person in question are just as important as loving them and in some cases, more so. And this applies to any relationship in one’s life, friendship, marital or otherwise. Having the ability to be honest and communicate are integral to maintaining the relationship AND maintaining good mental health through it all. Often, relationship failures can be traced to a failure in one or more of these other components and not so much the fact the pair didn’t love each other. But I digress…

The important lesson in today;s post is that as one makes their way through the challenges of life, one needs to do more than just sit and listen. It’s important to actually hear what the other person is saying, as important as it is for them to actually hear you. Often, one person will be trying to start a conversation or impart a message that the recipient simply isn’t getting and this can often be attributed to a lack of hearing, or stubbornness. this can lead to misinterpreted messaging, hurt feelings and a general sense of misunderstanding that will often lead to a breakdown in effective communication. Certainly not conducive to any sort of relationship.

each person is a free-thinking individual with their own thoughts, opinions and positions on whatever matters of the day may be facing them. But the only way to approach such things is with an open mind and an ability to hear what the other person is actually trying o communicate and asking for clarification if you don’t understand. only then can you begin to truly communicate effectively and find the means to compromise and understand the other person’s perspective, which is important to maintaining good relationships. Food for thought… ☯️