The weather this weekend is amazing. Spring is here. We spent the weekend outside…cleaning up, getting things ready for Summer, just doing whatever…as long as it was outside!
The hospital had its major fundraiser for the year last weekend, and we bought a pair of electric bikes at the live auction! We are ready for our trips to the Black Hills! Normally we take our regular bikes, but it will be “sweet” covering more territory with these bikes! There are always things to see in the Hills, and we stay in a place right by the Mikkelson Trail, so we can just jump on!
Even Dakota has been getting bored, wanting to spend more time outside. She has chewed as many of her toys inside as she can! She is ready to take in the nice weather too. Went for a couple walks already, and she is leading the charge every time!
Sarah got the garden tilled and planted her potatoes now. She is the master gardener here! That is her escape throughout the Spring and Summer! The views lately, especially this past week, have been amazing! Even caught a rainbow a couple nights ago.!
Spring is here! Take it in! Even though this Winter was not that bad, it was still Winter! We are all ready to spend more time outside. Get out and move! Get out and just sit and enjoy! Do whatever…just get outside! Go explore…there is plenty to do and see. Keep moving everybody!
We got back from a family vacation in Zion National Park. We stayed in Laverkin, Utah, and it was only a 30 min drive to the park. What a trip. I took sooooo many pictures…literally “thousands” of them! The scenery was awesome! The hiking was even better! I will give you a brief tour of what we did, in picture form. Many of these views do not need any words. Just take them in. So, here goes!
The hiking and views were amazing. In the next series of pictures, you will see what it was like hiking up there, and some views of us hiking as well.
One day we then took a drive from there and went to Page, Arizona. We got to see Horseshoe Canyon, and then Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon was incredible. It is on Navajo land, and so we had a tour by a Navajo guide. Wow! I am still in awe of the scenery, and to think this was all created in sand by wind and water…and thousands of years! So, hang on…here comes this tour!
Horseshoe canyon was only 7 miles from here, so of course we had to go there and hike also. Well worth the stop!
Each day we spent out hiking somewhere. Things overall had some similarities, yet they were all different views. Here comes your next tour!
I have always said a picture says a thousand words! I can’t say it any better than actually showing you the views. This is why we exercise every day. This is why we take care of our health. If we would not stay in shape, we would have missed out on so much of this scenery. You have to become a part of it to be able to appreciate it, and really be able to see it. Of course, there were several times in Laverkin where we went to the top of a mountain to take in the sunsets! I can’t miss out on great sunsets!
There you have it. A very brief, but picturesque view of what we saw on vacation. A trip to remember forever! Appreciate each day for what it is. There is always something to see no matter where you are at. We are just now taking advantage of different areas to appreciate. You truly are only seeing a “fraction” of the pictures I took. I have been looking them over for a little bit each evening to take me right back to where we were. Loved it! Seize the moments. And remember, keep moving everybody! There are lots of things to see out in this world!
The latest new consecutive exercise streak did not last very long. I made it a whole 8 days. Monday night I developed a fever of 103 and had to be admitted back to the hospital because we did not know if I had an infection that may have been related to the kidney stones, or the stent. I don’t think it was related to either but took 2 days to figure it out. I was still on IV antibiotics and sent home on oral antibiotics for another 5 days. My new streak started again on February 28. February has been a very tough month for me. I was so glad that Friday was March 1. I would just as soon forget all about February.
I missed out on the big temperature drop on Tuesday, as I was discharged Wednesday. I have been starting out slow with the activity, walking 1 to 1.5 miles. Those first few days it did not take much to feel wiped. I can now feel like I want to eat again. At least with this, I can start gaining some strength back again. The bike trails have been very appealing these last few days with the temps near 50. It is just so strange to not have snow everywhere yet. I love this!
Dakota loves it too. It does not really matter for her what the temp is though, she is willing to go anytime! It is always nice having company!
The Lake really is the only reminder that we still have snow. It can lead to some very nice pictures though!
Here is hoping for this latest streak to last longer than 8 days. I still have missed less that 2 weeks total over the last 17 years, so not too bad. The exercise is part of me now. It is part of my routine. I usually do more than this too, but at least I am out moving. I have not been at run club for almost 5 weeks. I really miss this! Sundays are just not the same without being able to run. I will get there again, and soon. I was hoping to be back today before this latest setback, but it was definitely out of my hands. My daughter Megan just wrote on her blog yesterday about exercise, and not having any excuses. There are a FEW exceptions, but for the most part, by far and away, they are just excuses. What are you waiting for? Especially with this nice weather! Go take advantage of it and get out and move! Keep moving everybody!
Life challenges come in all forms. You never know when they are going to show up, and you certainly do not always have an answer to solve them right away when they do come up. But this is also what makes life interesting. We have to learn to “adapt and overcome” whatever is thrown our way. Some decisions as we go turn out to be the right ones, and others are not. We can’t change decisions after the fact, but we can learn to “correct” things, and try to get steered back on course. This was Sarah and I climbing up to the top of Black Elk Peak (Harney Peak) a year ago. It can be enough of a challenge just climbing, but then the clouds/fog moved in. It was very pretty from the top watching this, but then made it more difficult trying to get back down. You adjust. You alter your course. You alter your plan. You “go with the flow”! But one thing that can be a constant in this world of change and challenges is your family.
My kids continue to grow up. They were in college when this picture was taken. Now Molly is married with two kids, and Megan and Nick are getting married later this year. Time flies. Do we make mistakes along the way? Yes! Can we make up for them over time? Absolutely! Nobody is perfect. We all don’t have a crystal ball to look into and try to find out how something is going to turn out. That goes for work too. Sometimes I want to just fast forward and see how things will turn out. Am I on the right track? Am I following my gut for the right reason? Who knows? You won’t know until you know. Stick to your core values, and you will be right more times than you are wrong.
A recent photo of 2 of the many important people in my life. My wife Sarah, and my granddaughter Tessa. I just look at this and think about how lucky I really am to have them in my life. Stay focused on the important things in life, and by far and away the rest of life works its way out.
Dakota is always there with unending support and love no matter what goes on during the day, or week. Take advantage and appreciate it all. But, just remember…
…return the favor, and be there for them when they need you! Everybody needs support of those around them. Everybody likes to hear words of encouragement. We don’t have all the answers in life, but we keep trying, or at least we need to keep trying!
Tomorrow will be another day. No two are the same. Be happy you woke up to take on another day. Don’t miss out on the important things in our lives. Don’t get so focused on daily tasks and work that life just passes you by. One day we are not going to be here, and just like all of the people that went before us, life still goes on for the rest of us. Make a difference while we are here. Your memory goes a long way. Become the difference maker to other people, and you will always be present. Enjoy life and all that it brings. Get good at jumping hurdles and obstacles as they come.
6 very good rules to live by. Read them. Learn them. Live them! Become someone who stands out and makes a difference to someone else. The rewards of this are endless. Keep moving everybody!
Well, I guess it is time to restart a new consecutive exercise streak. It originally ended on March 24, 2019, at 4,196 days. The day I had a blood clot, and it went to my right kidney. I was out for a week. I started again March 31, 2019, and it then ended with the last day being Feb. 13, 2024. Again, all related to my right kidney. The last several weeks I have been sick more than healthy, having had multiple different kidney stones. Just after midnight Wednesday, the beginning of Valentines Day, I could not take it anymore. I was attempting to pass a stone that was unpassable. I ended up having surgery for it later in the day, and there was absolutely no way I was going to exercise that day. I am giving myself some days to recover, and then going to start again today, Feb 18. I had hit 1785 days on the new streak. During both of those times, I have exercised for 5,981 days combined, and missed 11, 7 in a row the first time, and 4 the next. My health is more important than the consecutive exercise streak, but what I can’t stand is having it be affected by something I have no control over. I am starting to think this right kidney does not like me, and it certainly wants to continue to make me go through pain and agony.
Sarah was once again by my side through it all. My forever training partner. I will start off slow and work my way back to the routine again. I will still continue to control my health for what I can control. The rest is out of my hands. What will be, will be. I think I can safely look back and say that whatever happens overall in regard to my health, it will be something that I do not have any control over. I will still always be a pusher of taking care of yourself. We are all for the most part in the driver’s seat of our own health. There will always be issues on the “road” that we can’t control. My kids were all checking up on me as well, and this time my daughter Megan was home and was up in the hospital with me. I don’t care who we are, what we do, or what we have going on, but when we are sick enough to be in the hospital, we are all afraid, and appreciate it when we are not left alone. The staff at Prairie Lakes Hospital were the greatest in all aspects of what I had done: ER, lab, Xray, med/surg floor, preop area, and the operating room. Thank you to all of them. This was a perfect example of what and how a team works for the care of patients. You will always have my appreciation and gratitude. You all helped me when I was at my worst. Thanks just does not seem enough. Keep doing what you do. You are all great examples of “doing what is right!” We have great health care in Watertown! So, as I finish writing this, I am going to go for a short walk…on the treadmill…and start the next exercise streak. I just got another reality check that I too am still only human. Exercise for the health of it! No excuses! Keep moving everybody.
Well, it has been a week. Lots of things going on. Started last Sunday with my granddaughter being baptized (the good!), then came down with the stomach flu Monday and Tuesday (the bad), then topped it off with a kidney stone Thursday (the ugly!). Let’s start with the good!
Our granddaughter Tessa got baptized on Sunday. We were originally going to do this in December but got snowed out. She could not have been better. She just smiled and giggled the whole time!
Our daughter Megan and her fiancée Dan were the godparents. They were thrilled! Our grandson Connor came down with the flu Saturday night, and he had been doing great prior to then. There has been a ton of stomach flu going around. Then, unfortunately, everyone started dropping like flies as the week went on. I felt bad for Connor. It is not fun being sick but is especially not fun when you are 2! I came down with it on Monday, and by Tuesday I had to go to the clinic and get IV fluids. I could not keep up. I felt much better after that, and even went to work on Wednesday.
Thursday, I felt really good. I was at a meeting and about 9:30 became really sweaty and felt nauseous. I had to make a trip to the bathroom because of it, and then started having right lower back pain. It would not let up. I drove home and got halfway and had to stop and get out because I had to vomit. I then made it the rest of the way home, and continued getting sick, and Sarah had to bring me to the ER. This was similar to 5 years ago when I had a clot go to my right kidney. I thought this was happening again. This time was a kidney stone. I have never had a kidney stone before. I think this episode came about more because I got dehydrated earlier in the week from the flu. I passed the stone late Thursday night, but literally felt like I got run over Friday. I slept most of the day, and then continually got better. Now, other than my energy level, I feel much better. I was trying to make an effort to push more water already, but now I really have to work on it. I do not want another one…EVER!
At the beginning of the week, even Dakota knew something was going on. She was hanging by my side. Checking on me at night. I stayed in one of the spare bedrooms because Sarah initially did not get sick, and I was trying to avoid having her get this. (It did not work. She came down with it on Wednesday!)
She has kept checking on me this weekend as well! Protective!
She likes to be close and be petted, but she was even more clingy than usual. She was just going to make sure everything was ok. Who says pets are not part of the family? They know when something is not right. They have a sense. I have to say, I appreciated her attention too! I am, and we all are, now on the upswing. Hopefully things can get back to normal for next week. So, there you have it. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly! I still managed to keep my exercise streak alive. I got so achy just laying around that I went on the bike and just pedaled, nice and easy. I just had to move a little. I did not do anything like I normally would have. I actually felt better each day after doing this. You don’t have to do anything strenuous, just move a little. It gets tough on the back just laying around. Here is to a good week coming for everyone! Keep moving everybody!
