Similarities and Differences

     Here are some similarities and differences between the two houses: the one I live in now and the one I'm going to live in. I will refer to them as Now and Then.

Similarities at first sight:

    Now and Then were both built around the same time (1968-1970), and they are both brick, or what is called brick veneer. I usually just say brick. They both have wood siding around their tops and over their garage areas. They are both ranch-style one-story houses, and they are both attractive. There is nothing overtly ugly or unattractive about either. When you approach them or see them from the curb, they are nice. They are welcoming. They have good paint and are free of entanglement in ivy or other distractions. 

Differences:

    Now appears smaller when viewed from the curb. It literally looks like a little pillbox house because the rest of the house is behind itself; whereas Then has a front "L" shape with the smaller portion sticking out in the front. You see the entire L.  Then has a two-car garage, but the doors operate independently, whereas Now it has a two-car garage, but only one door. The doors on Now are painted a lighter color; they don't match the house trim, but Then has a darker grey shade for all the trim, including the two garage doors.  Now's driveway is very, very long, made of dirt, grass, and gravel, and sits quite a ways off the street. Then has a normal rather good distance from the street as well, but of course, it's in a neighborhood, so nothing like Now's drive. Then fits four cars easily.

Similarities inside:

    Both houses have nine-foot ceilings, closets in every bedroom, a good-sized kitchen, open and airy. Both have the laundry room in the garage, both have one and 3/4 baths, meaning one of the baths is just a shower, not a tub. Both have original kitchen cabinets, both accommodate a smaller fridge rather than a larger one, and both have their mailbox at the end of the drive, making it easier for the postal service to deliver mail. When I was growing up, we had our mailbox on the porch. Both houses have laminate flooring and carpet throughout, and both receive ample natural light from larger windows.

Differences inside:

    Now has a back door that is hard to open and will need to be replaced. It was one of the first things we said we'd do when we bought the house. In fact, the front door's storm door also needs to be replaced. Then's front door is new, its back doors are new, in fact, they are French doors, and really nice. Now has standard windows, only one layer thick. They fog up with every rain. Then has new windows; that's always a big deal, and I'm very excited to see just how non-foggy they will be.  Then has lighter-colored laminate plank flooring of better quality than the laminate wood-look flooring in Now, which is also darker and shows literally every pawprint imaginable. (We have four dogs and two cats) Then has 4 bedrooms instead of the 3 that Now has. This is a HUGE and wonderful difference for us.

    Literally every appliance is new. Every toilet, every sink, and every faucet in Then is new. Now has a new dishwasher and a new stove, and that's it. All others were either older or original. The sink is new in Now, but it's the cheapest one you can imagine. It doesn't quite fit, and that's so annoying. It was on the list of things to replace, but down the road. Then has a storm shelter built into the garage, and it's not dilapidated like the one at Now is. It will actually be useful.

Similarities outside:

    There really isn't much to say. There are very few similarities between the two. Now has 14.4 acres of land, of which 10 were being taken away by the FHA, which stated it would not lend on land near oil operations. This is why we are moving. The seller won't split the lot.  The front of Now is very long, over 1/2 an acre long, and has several trees lining the way. It has hedges, ground cover, and three large stumps that used to be taller trees, but storms have had their way with them.  The two houses have some trees, some grass, and that's about it.

Differences outside:

    Now has a 1/2 acre front yard, whereas Then has a standard front yard. It's a bit larger than most, considering it's in a neighborhood, but it's not going to host any livestock.  The backyard of Then is good. It's a larger backyard, again considering it is in a neighborhood. It has private fencing, and interestingly, on two sides, it is double-fenced. Now isn't fenced for us; neighbors have some fencing. We'd have to build the entire thing if we were staying. We had temporary fencing up for the dogs and horses, nothing pretty, believe me.

OVERALL:  Now has neighbors, but they are acres away. Then has neighbors immediately to either side and behind us as well. Now is on the north side of town, just outside the area where the new fiber is being laid for the city's new internet connections. Then is smack dab in the middle of town and right where it needs to be for easy access to literally everything. In all, I'm pleased we're moving. I love the solitude, I love the quiet. I love the peacefulness, but it will be nice to have all-new things, all-new paint, and all-new everything. It will be nice to have four bedrooms, so Laura can have her bedroom and office, and I will have mine, like I do now. My bedroom at Then is larger. Laura's bedroom is the same, but she will have an enormous office! She's super thrilled about that.

    We're happy to say we're moving, but we'd be just as happy to say we're allowed to stay. We didn't want to have to move again, but as it turns out, we can't stay. The owner wasn't aware that the FHA wouldn't lend on the entire lot, so he's going to try to find a cash buyer. That is not me. I can't do that. He's probably not going to find one - but that is not my problem. We offered to buy the house and 4.4 acres - he said no. It is what it is... a fresh start.

Photo Credit: Shutterbox.com

We Viewed The House!

     One of the most exciting things a person can do as an adult is to see their new home for the first time. I say their new home, perhaps I should say their potential new home. After all, nothing is set in stone until it is carved. Right now, if we're staying with that analogy, I have the stone in my hands, and I'm picking up a chisel to begin the process.  It's thrilling, and it's bittersweet at the same time, because Laura and I did this exact same thing about nine months ago. I hate that we have to move, but it really isn't my choice.

    Our new home is so very similar and so very different from the one we believed we would be living in for years to come. Like the one I am in now, it is older. It was built originally in 1968, two years before the house I am currently living in. It has the same vibe as other houses built in the same era in the same general location. It's a ranch-style brick-veneer house with some wood siding on the front elevation and a two-car garage. It has an enormous front yard compared to newer builds, and an awesome backyard as well... fully fenced. 

    Other similarities include the kitchen cabinets being original but modernized in the new home. The counters are certainly modernized in the new home, as well as the flooring in all the rooms. The current home was patched up a bit with new things to make it more attractive to a buyer, but we have to be honest, it lacks so much in terms of attraction when you look up and see the popcorn ceiling with heavy cracks that have been spackled over; not a good look. Of course, when the inspection took place, we found a few things that needed fixing, and the seller jumped on them immediately. It took a while for them to be completed, but he did at least set them in motion.

    I'm hoping, of course, that because of all the renovations and modernizations of the new place, the inspection will not find anything we can't deal with. That is the hope. This new house is the epitome of move-in ready. Regarding anything that may need fixing, the fence will require the most attention, and only about 10 slats of wood will need to be replaced. I think I can fix that relatively quickly, and with Laura's skill set, we can get it done in one afternoon. (She's amazing)

    It feels great to walk through the house for the first time, to take in all the nuances, to check out which light switch operates which light or ceiling fan. Speaking of ceiling fans - there is one in every bedroom and living area. The two bathrooms have grey and white marbled porcelain tile all throughout on the walls of the bath/shower and the floors. Every toilet, sink, and appliance, right down to the faucets, are new. It has actual water pressure, something I don't have in the kitchen of the house I am currently living in.

    To be really honest, I'm so excited about it for another reason; well, three other reasons. One, the house became available literally within one hour of me being told that I had to move. That really was God, I know it was. Secondly, no one called the broker about it. We were the first. Thirdly, I saw it with Laura and our realtor and knew I'd put in an offer immediately. We did. She crunched the numbers, which are a little less than what they are asking, but very reasonable, and now we wait.

    By this evening, I should have an answer. That's another really good feeling. They can counter if they want, I'm prepared to give them exactly what they asked for, but I think it's good to start a little lower, just in case they agree. We should be able to close in less than 30 days - that's the hope. As soon as they say yes, I'm hitting the Go button on the Walmart online order for the 30+ boxes, packing tape, and big marker. I'll begin packing even before they arrive, donating what I can and throwing out what I can. If anything will be efficient in my life, it will be this next (and last) move.

    Back to the similarities of the two homes. They are both precious to me. I believed I would be in the current home for years, but it was not meant to be; however, it has been awesome and amazing for us. We love it. We love the land, we love the area, we love the house. The new home is equally beautiful in a nostalgic and traditional way - it has a quiet and active neighborhood, which is different, but it has character and has stood the test of time. God is just too wonderful. He is now, He will be, and He always has been. 

    My new chapter begins soon.

Photo Credit: Magnific.com

End of a Dream (Start of a New One)

     I am not going to lie, I was hurt. I was upset, I was close to being gutted, but the entire time I was thinking about being that affected by the news, I knew God had a plan. I haven't been quoting Jeremiah 29:11 my entire life for nothing! I mean it. The  Bible is clear, and it doesn't matter which translation you use, God said, "I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

        God is not going to take me somewhere and leave me. He is not going to set me up to watch me fail. He is not going to tease me and give me only a portion of my blessing. I may not agree with Him, but that only proves just how amazingly stupid I can be. When God sets out to do something, He does it in His timing and perfectly. I can't tell you how often I've been smacked right up side my head over and over again with that fact, because time after time, I still fail to trust Him when I should have.

    Well, this time is no different. We found what we thought was our home. Everything just really fell into place, and despite all the uphill battles and financial obstacles I had to maneuver to get to the closing of our new house, it just didn't seem to be happening. FHA just wasn't willing to loan me a penny for something outside their regulations or rules, and the thing is, none of it was known to me. My realtor and my lender should have made me aware of the situation long before now, but they didn't, and now I'm being asked to leave the very house I intended to buy.

    It's a really long story, and I've decided to not only blog about it, but to actually write a fiction retelling of the entire story; one that will definitely tell the truth about what all we've been through, and just who to lay the blame on, and where to start with finger-pointing. Right now, we have another hurdle to jump, and God has this - I'm just letting Him shine right through all the muck these other people caused. It's not easy! It's about as nerve-racking as it could be, but again, I'm hit right squarely between the heart valves with the words "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." (ain't that the truth?)

    OK, so I have a new chapter to start very, very soon. Tomorrow we look at two houses, and I'll make an offer on one. I think I'm OK to be honest and say that I'll see one and make an immediate offer. The house, "coincidentally," became available less than one hour after we were told we had to move. Less than one hour after being told that we were no longer going to be allowed to buy the house we've lived in for seven months, and thought we were not only under contract to buy, but when the contract ended with FHA denying us the loan, we were told that somehow it would work out for us. Until it didn't. (But, God did)

    We'll put an offer on the house. It will be accepted. We'll put a contract on the house. I'll pay an escrow amount. We'll start packing, and someone will do an inspection. There won't be a damn thing wrong with the house because it went through a total and complete overhaul over the past 9 months. It is the epitome of "move-in ready" -- and we could not be more grateful. We'll hopefully close at the end of July and hire a couple of big guys to move the boxes and furniture 1.6 miles from where I live now to a regular home without land. I know; it's really sad, but true.

    Yes, we had to sell the horses. Yes, Laura will have to leave her garden where it is (in the ground). Yes, we will miss the land, the quiet, and the solitude we've experienced in this semi-rural spot, but you know what? We're happy to gain a lively, happy, clean, and safe neighborhood. We're excited to be within walking distance of so many other places we like to go to and have gone to. We are gaining an extra bedroom; Laura will have her own office - a real office. I'll find a way to make the new place my home, and it won't take an hour. God's love and His guidance are just too amazing.

    Keep an eye out for the new book - it will be titled "The Trust" and will be a suspense thriller. I'm sure someone will die. Someone always dies in my books - even in the romances; geez, what does that really say about me? 😁😕  I'll keep you posted. I'll post photos when we go under contract - which will be very, very soon.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

My First Actual Pair of Prescription Glasses.

     Well, at 64.5 years of age, I'm finally breaking down and getting my first-ever "real" pair of glasses. By real, of course, I mean that they aren't readers. They have an actual prescription. The lenses have the poly whatever it's called, a good thickness, and blue light protection, along with the scratch resistance. These days, lenses are all "built-in" with the standards; you just have to say whether you want single or double vision and whether you want transitional or not. There is, of course, the bifocal thing and the progressive thing. I opted for the reader vision, 1.59 poly something, and standard blue light. 

    The exam took almost an hour. The doctor was fantastic, very lovely to work with, and she was very funny. She's been in the business since 1980, so you know she's been doing this for a minute. She and her husband own the clinic, and they do three days in our town and two days a week in a neighboring town. They have a good practice, and I really love the other people working in the office. The two up front are even a grandmother and her granddaughter. You have to love that.

    Well, turns out my right eye (the one I thought was better) has a greater astigmatism than the left, but the left is actually blurrier. It has the floater, while the right is just "less than great" in terms of optics. When we did the exam, it was very obvious which eye was stronger - it's the right. My left was having a field day with some of the gizmos I was looking into.

    When it was all said and done, we couldn't get the lenses and frames down to the price I wanted. It would be around $290, and I really wasn't thrilled with the available frames. This was after my discount, mind you; insurance paid some, but they just didn't have the cheaper frames.  My $5 readers had better-looking frames than some of the ones I saw in the office. I asked if I could bring those frames in and was told yes, but here's the thing: they send it off to a lab, so why not just go to the lab myself online? It was going to be $210 with my frames.

    The lady who sells the frames told me that I could do that, and if they didn't work out, I would be stuck. No, that's not the case at all. I found that GlassesUSA offers 30-day returns with no-questions-asked returns. If you don't like them, you return them. If they don't fit, if the lenses aren't transitioning, it doesn't matter; they'll replace them. I found a pair I liked, and after I entered the required information, the price was $208. They had the same thickness, the same protection, the same blue light, and the same everything, but I got to pick my lenses. 

    I picked a frame that over 30,000 people have picked and reviewed with a 4.8-star rating. The company has more than 133,000 reviews with a 4.8 rating, so I'm guessing I'll be OK. If not, I have 30 days to return them. I also bought the same 2-year protection program. I bought the same smudge resistance; nothing is different. I think maybe buying online is the way a lot of things will go these days - it makes sense.

    I got an automated message stating my order was received and will be set up and worked on within the next two hours. I will expect my glasses to be here this time next week, and that's not rushing it. At the office, I was told 2 weeks. That's because they have to send off my frames to that lab. Why? Why can't that lab have them in stock? That's the difference. That is the actual difference. If I need them adjusted, I'll just send them back and buy some at the office - but I'm going to give this a go. It's 2026. 

    I think I'm doing pretty well at 64.5 years of age, having only readers to use in the recent (3 years) past. I'm hoping I can still drive in the new glasses, I may not be able to - distance is another thing entirely, and I'm not going to lower my head like a buffalo to see out the top part. If I can't see to drive, I'll let Laura take the wheel. 

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock

REDUCED BOOKS - KINDLE EDITIONS

     Well, I haven't done it yet, but I'm about to. I'm about to use Zeely AI to promote my books, and when I do, the first thing they ask me to do is lower the price of the book to just about nothing, so you can promote them without costing readers much at all. That's fair. I want to get the books out, so for the next 90 days or so, throughout the summer months, I'm going to lower the prices on all of my EPUB (Kindle) books online. The only one that is slightly higher is my first Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book, and that's because the system wouldn't let it go below $2.99. I have no idea why, but it may be the same system issue that prevents me from lowering "Pinball" in Australia.   (I changed their prices today!) 

    For all the Nick Posh books and the other novels I've written, I was able to get the system to accept their lowest price of $1.99 per download. In Canada and the European Nations other than the UK, it's $2.99 (but not USD). In Australia, some are $3.99, two are $7.99, and I can't figure out how to lower it. I'm checking into it, but it's crazy weird.  It throws up a red triangle and says I can't. So, I guess I can't.  The books are pretty cheap, though! You'll be able to buy more than a few. (Please do!)

    I just finished "The Mother Road," and it will be published on June 22. The Kindle edition will be out around June 30, or as late as July 6. It takes time to convert it from print to EPUB, and I don't do the heavy lifting. I just pay them money to make it happen. They tell me to wait 3 weeks, and I do. I'm a very obedient author.   I'll be honest with you; not having to spend $$$ on publishing is awesome. I pay zero for Ingram Spark to accept my book and upload it to Amazon for print and publication. I could promote my books through Ingram Spark, but I'm going to try Zeely AI first.

    This week is a learning week. I'll get on the computer and figure out things - and share them with my readers. If I can get the books out to the readers better, faster, or in a really cool promotion, I'll do it.  This week, the murder books are selling more than the other novels. I can't say "romance" anymore because "Dion" is not a romance book - it, however, is the best-selling novel so far. Tells me what I need to know; people like creepy things -- I guess it's also a romance, but it's creepy. I had to step way out of myself to write it.

    First, I'll do the Zeely AI thing, and then, I'll try another method, probably another AI tool - it seems to be the fastest and most dependable way to promote. If I do end up being a millionaire, I'll probably still work where I work now. There's no sense in giving up the fun I have every day. I could, I suppose, offer to buy the company, but it would take a few more $$$$ than I can hope to earn in the next few months. I'll put that thought on the back burner, circle around, and come back to it.

    For now, suffice it to say, I'm in the mood to lower book prices, get them into the hands of millions if I can, and hope for the best. If you like one, you may like the next one. If you need to know the order of the Nick Posh books, they are:

• Murder Book
• Pinball
• 1211
• Mesa
• Stratford
• Cask
• Amicus Curiae
• Cumberland
• The Mother Road.

The other books are:

• Of Kilted Pleasure (1700s Scotland / Romance)
• Edinburgh (Modern romance)
• Bay Sorrell Ranch (Modern Drama / Romance)
• The (Modern romance)
• Dion (Modern creepy romance)

There you go - tell your friends!!  The new pricing hits tomorrow, I think.

Photo Credit: Minot Public Library 

Calories Count!

     I've been on my "diet" now for 6 full days. Tomorrow will be a week. I'm really good with things like that. I know, almost instinctively, that  Friday usually follows most Thursdays. The sun sets in the west all the time, but when you're in New Zealand, that may or may not be true. The toilets flush differently, from what I'm told. I think I went down a little rabbit hole - I should get back on track. I've been dieting, or eating better, for just under a week.

    I don't like the word "diet" because of all the times we used it and tried to force it on others, as well as ourselves. We think it means we're separating ourselves from the crowds or the "others" somehow, when really we're not. If we're honest, we should always be aware of our diet. If we're honest, we'd see that doing so is a better choice - we'd know, and yes, instinctively, that making the better choice is usually almost always better.

    Starting last Friday, I decided to stop eating as many calories as I was. No, I can't tell you how many calories I was eating because I didn't count, and if I were counting, I would have known the truth. The truth was the last thing I wanted to face - it wasn't depression; it was denial. I did not want to have to admit to myself that I was doing all the damage that was happening and continuing to happen to myself. It was me!

    So again, as I've done a number of times in my later adult life, because I tend to drift from the better-choice wagon, I decided to make it stick. I decided to COUNT the calories and to keep track of what goes into my mouth. I never did that before. I just sort of kept a running tally in my head, but this time, it's different. I really am writing it down. I really am checking, and I really am running the actual tally from the online calorie counter if I can't find the calorie total on the package of whatever I'm eating.

    For instance, you're not going to find the calorie count of a medium-sized egg on the carton. You will find it on the back of a frozen sausage patty bag. You will find it on protein bars, but not on a plum. You will find it on just about everything that is sold in the store that isn't produce, but you won't find it on a Little Caesars pizza box! Today, after six great days of dieting, my daughter decided to go to Little Caesars, and yes, I did eat two pieces - but I counted them! I wrote them down and decided not to have anything other than a handful of peanuts for an evening snack, and I ended the day under my 1500-calorie count by nearly 300! Good on me!

    According to my Renpho app, for a 64-year-old woman at my height and weight, I'm allowed 1,500 calories a day to meet my goal of 160 by January. I stayed within it. I did it. I'm doing it, and I'm not missing the "good stuff". I'm eating what I want, but I've changed my mind about what I want. I still eat all that I want - it's a good thing. I eat better, I eat less, and in just six days, I've lost over 4 pounds. Yes, I know it's probably all water weight, but I'll take it.

    Calories do count. They count for us, they count against us. They are not good or bad -they are what they are. We need to figure out what is needed, warranted, wanted, and good for us. We don't need the doctor shoving it down our throats; we need to figure it out on our own. That's the only way it will stick. That's the only way it will matter, and I, for one, have me to take care of - and of course, I'm counting on God to make it happen. He knows me. I quit too easily - He won't let me. I love that about Him.

PHOTO CREDIT: Cleveland Clinic

Blasting! (Music in my ears)

     If you know me, you know I was born in 1961, and though you can turn that number upside down and it is still the same number, that is not the coolest thing about being born when I was born...but it is pretty cool. For the past 64 years, I have known that I was born when music was music. It was something to talk about; something to brag about. I don't have to prove it; it just is. I'd take the music of my youth over anything they call "good" these days. No, just - no.

    I am happiest, and I should never forget this, when I am sitting by myself with my earbuds in with my music just a little louder than maybe it should be. If I can't hear Steve Perry scream the way he was meant to be heard, there is no sense in turning up the volume. I am there again -in my happy (very happy) place. I'm at home, at my computer, and not watching videos. I am rocking my head off - and I am in Heaven. 

    After Journey, there will be .38 Special, Kansas, Loverboy, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon, and yes, yes, there will be Bee Gees. I can't live or breathe without them. They are my haven, but I do have to spin a little Head East now and then, and put Boston up to 10 or 12 for at least an hour. I typically have the music going when I dance, and since I was injured two years ago, I've really not done it - I've not put the music up like it is today. I couldn't dance. I won't say I was depressed, but I can freakin' guarantee you that tonight -- I am NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT depressed. I couldn't be. I'm dancing, but not traditionally. 

    I bought a recumbent bike - yes, I blogged about it. Laura put it together, and I've gone 5 miles already -- it only takes 20 minutes, and with my earbuds, I could do 10, but Laura would put the kibosh on it as soon as she realized I was still going. I promised her I wouldn't overdo it. I will, however, ride when she's sleeping in the morning. She won't hear me (Ha!).  I'll ride at noon for 15 minutes, after work, and then again at 9:30 p.m before bed. Yes, and you know what? I may keep the earbuds in while I'm working tomorrow. I could get so much done -- it's literally so much better than caffeine.

    Again, if you know me, you'd know I worked for Concerts West for several years. Concerts West was a music industry promotion company. I wasn't paid a dime. I was allowed into all the concerts, worked backstage, ran errands, drove people places, got them meals, and made sure they were comfortable. Yes, I was offered a few things you may imagine would go along with the job, but nope...I was THAT girl - the one who said no.

    I dated Alex Van Halen and hung out with a few more, including Steve Walsh and Brian Adams, but I preferred to have control. I said no - A LOT.  The music is the reason. The beat, the words, the fire, the atmosphere, all of it. I went to and worked over 300 concerts, and I was, by no means, among the ones who worked the most. I stuck pretty close to Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. I wish now that I had taken the extra legs and worked California, but nope, it is what it is. I think I had enough fun - made enough memories. 

    The thing is - when I hear "Jump" I don't think what you may think. I don't hear what you're hearing. I go back to the studio where (and when) it was created, and I'm there. I watch the mistakes and relive it over and over again. I think Journey holds the record for me. I saw them at least 10 times. Kansas was next with 6, I think. I only saw the Bee Gees and Andy Gibb (separately) 1 time each. I'd love to have changed that. Again, it is what it is -- the music kept me smiling. It still does.

    So, here I am, riding the recumbent bike, hard and fast, and I have to watch myself because, believe it or not, I'm not 22. I wish I were again sometimes, but I am not. I have to stop and think before deciding to go another mile - but I can be talked into it. This will be the way I escape this big fat body -- in time, and not too much time, I will be svelte again -- ready to take on 10-12 miles a day, and able to do it without my watchful overseer.  (God, I love her!) 

Photo Credit:  Pinterest.com

The Mother Road - Up for Print

       It is up! I have submitted my 22nd book, the 9th book of the Nick Posh Thriller series, for print. That said, I will approve it in a few days once they tell me it is ready. Then I'll order one copy, have it printed and sent to me, read it in hand rather than on the computer, and make all final corrections or changes. It's a process, and it's one I follow each time I write a book to be sure I can hold it in my hands, go through it, and mark what needs to be changed.

    No matter how many times I go through it before I send it up, there is simply no way to catch all the mistakes. I won't catch them all when I get it back and go back over it. I will, no doubt, produce yet another book that has a few errors. It is what it is, and I just won't complain about it. I figure that if I can write it and overlook a little mistake, the reader can too. I own books by famous authors with mistakes. I'm good.

    This book was fun to write. I think it took me right at two months to write, and then of course, it always takes another month to produce. I can't control how long it takes them to print it and send it to me. I will order one as soon as I approve it in a few days. I would say it takes 4 or 5 days to get to the printer, another 5 days to mail, and by say, June 14th I should get it in the mail, and start the process of going through it and making the needed corrections.

    June 19-20, I'll go through it, make those corrections, and send it back up. It usually only takes one day to approve it at that point, and I've set a publication date for June 22. It is my best friend's birthday, and I can remember it better if I can publish a book on the 22nd. I was born on November 22, my father was born on April 22, my son was born on March 22, and my dog Faith was born on December 22. If I can get a book out on that date, it does make me happy, but I will be honest. I don't remember when my books were published. I have to look every time I'm asked. I just like the 22nd.

    This book is 316 pages. I decided to leave it in 12-point font (Georgia) because it's easier to read. I know I could have added another 8000 words and made it 11-point, but to be honest with you, I don't like reading books at 11-point. It's just that much too small, and I don't like it. I want things to be easy, and I think books, of all things, should be easy and relaxing. It's my thought anyway - you may disagree.

    My next book is another criminal thriller, but it takes place in Baltimore and in the current time. It's a modern book, not one with time restrictions and political views that don't play fair.  One of the setbacks about writing in a noir-style book is that you have to remember that not everything was as good for everyone back then as it is now. It's sometimes hard to give those traits to my characters, but it has to be done to remain authentic.

    The book will be available on Amazon in about 3 weeks. I hope it is a good one! 

Photo Credit: Me

    

First Impressions of the Renpho scale.

     OK, I said I wasn't going to constantly bore you with the news on how things are going with the new recumbent bike, and I do mean that. It hasn't arrived yet, so I'm not breaking my promise. I will, however, tell you about the new scale I bought, so you can decide if you want to buy one too. This blog is not sponsored in any way, so you don't have to think that the one I bought was the best. It's just the one that fit my budget, and because I've never tried something like this in the past, I wanted to be sure and get something that was in the middle; not too cheap, but not overly expensive either.

    I ended up with the Renpho Smart Scale. It's about $39 on Amazon and has Bluetooth capability. Now, I suppose, anyone in the big wild wild world can hack me and find out just how much I weigh! The really cool thing is, it will go down, then further down, and one day they'll all know I have met my goals! I don't care if anyone knows what I weigh. It's embarrassing, sure, but it's not something that would ruin me if it got out and everyone knew. Besides, once I reach my goal weight, I have every intention of spreading that good news!

    OK, so the Renpho is light, flat, made of glass, and has sensors. It weighs me, of course, but it has about a dozen other things to report too. I'll rattle them off so you can see them. 

• weight
• BMI
• Body Fat
• Skeletal Muscle
• Fat-Free Mass
• Subcutaneous Fat
• Visceral Fat
• Body Water
• Muscle Mass
• Bone Mass
• Protein
• BMR
• Metabolic Age

CRAZY!!  Now, I don't know how a little device can tell me all of that, but even if it's not 100% accurate, it gives me a really good place to start. The scale weight number is the one I'm most concerned about, but I'm also very interested in the other things.

    I stood on it the first time, but didn't have my phone paired. I had to do it again. You'll need to download the free app and keep your Bluetooth on for it to work properly, but once I did it correctly, I was a little more than impressed. I was NOT impressed by my body weight. No, that was literally about 20 pounds more than I thought it would be, and how I could be so far off is beyond me.  My daughter stood on it, and I know her weight, so when it rang true and gave her the exact number, I knew. I am that much overweight, and that solidified any doubt I had that I had lost control...again.

    A lot of people are like me. They get comfortable and start eating more. They start eating more of the things they shouldn't eat, which leads to less exercise, which, of course, leads to poor health.  My bone mass and my muscle mass are good, I can say that, and I can say that I have to agree with what the device tells me I should be eating; my BMR. I was not doing the right thing; in fact, I was close to double what the right thing was. It's a miracle I'm not bigger than I am!

    What to do? OK, so I checked in with my new "doctor", Chat GPT, and it told me to follow the rules, do the right thing, and to keep records of all the things I ate, as well as the size of portions. I was to change what I eat as well, which actually won't be a problem. When I am shown the truth, I listen; it's just that I was refusing to look -- my bad. My fault, and my bad, and my choice. I was the problem; no one else could be blamed. So, to fix that, I need to make the effort. 

    I need between 70 to 90 grams of protein every day. I was not getting that. I need about 1500 calories a day, and I was doubling that. I need 100 ounces of water a day, and I was close; maybe 70-80. I don't drink alcohol, smoke, or vape. I don't use recreational drugs or anything resembling a prescription. I have that going for me. I gave up coffee over 8 months ago, and have been drinking mushroom coffee - that's a plus as well. It should not be too hard to get back into shape, but it will take 40-50 weeks to reach my final goal of 155 pounds.  At a shade under 5'7", that's not a bad weight. Supposedly, you're supposed to be 100 at 5 feet and 8 pounds more for every inch. 

    I took myself to the grocery store and literally walked past all the sweets. I walked past the breads, the bakery, the frozen foods, and the other aisles with things in or on them that would make me pause and think about giving in, just a little. I walked past them, I thumbed my nose at them, and I headed straight to the produce.  I love fresh vegetables and fruit; why not make them the biggest part of my diet? I'll have to find a fish I like. I can do tuna, but I'm not doing bread, so I'll have to dress it up and eat it with a few carrots, apple bites, and pickles.  I can do this. 

    The other thing I did, and I'm glad I did, was ask ChatGPT about the many liquid supplements I take for the betterment of my body. I was taking liquid turmeric, aged garlic, green tea, and a berberine mix with cayenne pepper and chromium. I had chromium gummies too, but no matter what I was taking, I was still fat, and now I know why.  I already told you that Chat GPT advised me that pushing through the pain when I exercised was actually reversing my attempts, and causing my body to create more cortisol, making it not only fat, but also retaining the fat.  I'm so glad I finally have a real source I can trust. Doctors want to keep you on supplements, pills, and so many of them are funded by Big Pharma; no, thank you.

    OK, so the liquid supplements are gone. I'll maybe take the green tea extract in my tea and the multi-vitamin, but I'll only use B12 and D3 over and above the others. I don't need the chromium, I don't need the berberine. I may look into aged garlic a little more deeply, but knowing I don't need to use all the other stuff feels really good, too. I should, if ChatGPT is correct, get all the truly good nutrients I need by eating better and doing the right exercises that don't cause my body to become inflamed and create the opposite effect of what I want in the first place. 

    That's it. My daily routine started today. Today is the first day of the diet, and when the bike gets here, and Laura puts it together for me, I'll start that process as well. I have ordered protein powder and bars for the snack part of my day - breakfast will be the biggest change since I rarely eat it. I'll load up on eggs and sausage to start the protein going and keep up the water intake throughout the day -- it may be that I see more salads in my future, but I'm OK with that. I happen to be happy about it—if I'm honest.

    Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Recumbent Bike - Yes, Please.

     I don't know about you, but I have been somewhat reluctant to go to the doctor and tell them everything about myself, only to have them pass me off to a P.A. I pay, or the insurance company pays, for a doctor. The code they use to charge my insurance is for a licensed physician, so I get a little peeved when I'm told my need or condition can be dealt with by the P.A. OK, fine - but don't charge me the same rate, and don't write on my permanent record that I was seen by a doctor! It's fraud. 

    Again, I don't know how you handle it, but I get a little vocal about it, and I also get vocal if I set an appointment for 9:15 a.m. and I'm not seen until 9:45 or later, and then, only by a P.A. It makes me wonder why I'm not being seen -- is the P.A. too busy? Maybe the doctor could step in to help? Maybe medical offices can stop overbooking. Wouldn't that be a hoot? I complain, but since my complaints hit the wall and never go anywhere, nothing ever happens, until now.

    I have AI mode on my computer, just like anyone else does, right? So, after deciding for myself that I shouldn't have to wait an hour, I shouldn't have to be shamed when I step on a scale - I decided to talk to ChatGPT.  It's a good decision.  I shouldn't have to wait to be seen. I shouldn't be talked down to if I am truly being honest with someone about what I feel is the problem that I'm experiencing. My computer doesn't do those things. I get right in without making an appointment, without waiting in a room with The View blasting all around me. I don't have to go up to a window and ask when I'll be seen. I don't have to drive!

    I have learned that using the best prompts is the best way to communicate with ChatGPT. What you do is simple; you type out the following: "You're a professional physician whose focus is on women's health for women over 60." You tell the AI what point of view it has, so it will search the correct fundamental and practical sources. You tell it exactly what you want. I wanted to find out why my belly fat wasn't coming off if I'm doing everything I'm supposed to, and it told me the truth.

    When the "doctor" asked me about my exercise program, I was honest. I told the AI that I'm only able to walk about one mile a day now, because my hips hurt if I go any longer. It's only been happening for the last 36 months, but it's real. It's a real problem, and I felt that without cardio, I couldn't lose the weight. I was honest about my calorie intake, when I eat, what I eat, and about my sleep habits. It asked me about my intake of drugs, Rx, alcohol, smoking, vaping, and even my coffee intake. 

    Then the thing told me how proud it was of my non-use of anything remotely resembling alcohol, drugs, weed, vape, etc, and congratulated me on giving up coffee 8 months ago. It felt great to see the words and to read just how much the thing was listening to me. I'm not asking it to heal me from cancer or to write me a prescription for pain. I'm seeking medical advice about a stubborn gut that simply will not go away. I wasn't the least bit surprised to see that my main issues are hormonal and that pushing through the pain to try and get another mile on the treadmill was actually causing me to stay fat! That surprised me.

    Apparently, when you get old, your insides change, and part of that change is the level of cortisol, estrogen, and other hormones that, after menopause, can really mess a woman up. I gained weight, most of it in the middle. Most of us look like I do, and it really bothered me. I didn't want that for myself. But if I can't exercise and make it go away, what can I do? It's a very good question. One that can be answered by AI, and it was.

    I can't walk - but I can ride. I can do a recumbent bike, and I can lift weights when I do, dumbbells. I can sit back, resist, pedal, pull up a resistance strap on either side of me, or I can lift dumbbells while I pedal. I only need to do it 2x a day for 10-15 minutes, and after taking in all of the information I gave it, the thing encouraged me to cut back my calories as well. OK, I can do that. I know I've been loose with the snacks, and when I'm honest with myself, as I was today, I know I don't need it. I just do it - which has to stop.

    I decided to not play the cheap card with my health. I saved about $200 today by not going to the doctor. I weighed myself, and I was honest. I have a scale that tells me what my BMI is and a few other things, so I told the "doctor" the truth. I took my blood pressure and used the heart monitor on my watch to give ChatGPT the same numbers my P.A. would have written down in my file if he or she had wrapped the cuff around my arm. Why pay them? Why wait? Why be embarrassed? Why be put off? Why drive? No, thank you.

    I bought a middle-of-the-road bike around $400 that had over 8.3K five-star ratings on Amazon. It will arrive Saturday, and I'll have my live-in handy-woman put it together for me. I knew I gave birth for a reason! She's the best! I wouldn't trade her for another! She's a keeper. I think she's excited about the recumbent bike, too. It's better than the treadmill for a few reasons. One, it won't hurt my hips! Although it's a Nordictrac with a great wide belt, it just hurts. She uses it, but I can't. I'm really hoping this will be the beginning of a good thing - better habits make better living. I believe that.

    I'll keep you posted on the overall - it will be 60 days before I do a full comparison. I don't want to try to push it. I want to give the entire thing a full 60 days, so on July 26th or so, I'll write about the changes, challenges, and accomplishments of having lessened my calorie intake, and my decision to do at least 30 minutes a day on the bike with dumbbells. Goal? I'll say 30 pounds, but it's more about size, feeling healthy, and getting hormones back in balance. If I need to get on an Rx for that, I'll do it. I just hope I don't need to.

 UPDATE:  ChatGPT advised me not to lift weights while I was pedaling, but to focus on my posture and to get the cycling in and lift the weights separately. I can do that.

Photo Credit: Amazon.com