Yet Another New Year's Resolution

So I had another visit with my urologist today in the never ending battle to prevent kidney stones. My fluid intake and output are great, I need to maintain what I am doing in that area. I have lowered my sodium count, but it is not where she would like it, and the daily maintenance medication does not seem to be doing its job, so I no longer have to take that, good news right?

Well not really from my viewpoint. She would like me to cut out high purine foods from my diet which means mainly red meats (and of course the low sodium intake I am already doing). Oh Boy!

I am not the person that eats steaks and massive amounts of roast beasts, but I do love my burgers, all thick and juicy and loaded with various delectable toppings. I don't have to give them up entirely, but it has to stop as being part of my regular weekly diet.

So I will have to join everyone else and start a diet for the New Year. How mainstream...

It will be a resolution that I will have to keep for my own health. Unlike the HBM I started two years ago now, which I still have if I take the time to groom it. Add in exercise and I may lose some more weight. But it all seems so trendy...

So wish me luck...

Carrie Fisher, aka Princess Leia

2016 was a rough year, we have lost a lot this year. 

Bowie, Prince, Ali, Fidel, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman, "Carol Brady" (why can't I remember her real name), Harper Lee, Arnold Palmer, Glenn Frey, Morley Safer, Leonard Cohen, Kenny Baker (R2D2), Dave Mirra, Ron Glass, Gordie Howe, Kevin Meaney, Ken Howard, Keith Emerson, George Kennedy, Vanity, with all those and more, it is Carrie Fisher that is hitting me the hardest.

I guess being a bit Jedi myself and stuck here on this planet, it may be the disturbance in the force that is throwing me off. 

I grew up in the Star Wars era. From the very first one, seeing it in junior high with my friends, not knowing much about it and walking out of the theatre wanting more. Introducing my kids to the trilogies and now waiting for the last features to slowly roll out, it has had a part of me the entire time and still holds my interest.

Princess Leia is the one of the first important characters we are introduced to in Ep. IV (the original) and was slated to continue to play a pivotal role in the yet to be released (and finished) chapters. Chewy is already angry with the loss of Han Solo, now having to add in Princess Leia...I feel sorry for anyone that gets in that Wookie's way (Kylo Ren are you paying attention, I would run if I were you). 

But seriously, I am close to tears with Miss Fisher's death and I do not even know the woman personally. I have a couple of friend's who have lost fathers very recently, so maybe it is a bottling up of all they grieving and emotion, but it is real. So "Thank You" Carrie Fisher for making my childhood a better experience, you will be missed.

Colorado-isms

So far my travels to see my daughter has truly been an adventure. So here are some things I have come across while in Colorado so far...

• This is the land of the bearded, I have much competition, not that it is a competition.
• If you think following self involved people on the sidewalk is annoying, try downtown Aspen, they are now self involved wearing and walking in ski boots. (Raise the ante because some are carrying their skis and poles and have no special awareness)
• They do not use cardinal directions or map position here, up means up in altitude and down is down in altitude. I am used to down meaning south....so you go up to Aspen even though it is located south of Glenwood Springs.
• There are many old time cigar ads still on the sides of the buildings in Aspen, but it is not a cigar friendly town.
• The people here a very friendly and the locals know everyone and their business...
• Their idea of snow removal is a lot different then back east, roads are made passable and sidewalks are not salted, traverse with caution on both.

Will post more as I come across them.

Yampah Vapor Caves

Glenwood Springs is known for its hot springs, there are several pools in the area with hotels and spas built around them. There is also caves with the geothermal water and minerals bubbling up in them. So we decided to try the Yampah Vapor Caves. http://www.yampahspa.com/

Totally worth the money and time spent. Came out feeling relax and rejuvenated, and didn't e'ven have to have one of the message experience offered. Even my daughter found it relaxing and she is high energy all the time.

The Caves have been in use as a spa for almost two centuries, and have been visited by many well known people including Doc Holiday and Teddy Roosevelt. The caves have not changed much and have marble benches with water worn depressions in them that take many many years to carve, so we're probably used by Doc and Teddy along now with me.

The caves have a sulfur smell to them that you quickly get used to, your first 10 minute session releases all the dead skin and toxins in pores. You can take a break in the solarium where there is pleasant music and bird sounds piped in, along with large urns of ice water to refresh yourself with.

The next round your aches and muscle tension, along with my sinuses were taken care of. Our last session was the relaxation and rejuvenation period. All of this was finished with a shower complete with a lemongrass body wash., and of course followed up with a nice hot cup of tea.

Of course none of this would be complete, with out an anecdote with The Maeve, they have small basin tubs that allow for filling with cold water. Being the independent child she is, she helped herself, but not before turning on the hose and letting it loose spraying herself and those around her with cool refreshing water, no one complained and all had a good laugh.

Traveling Observations Part Two

So yesterday turned a much longer day then I could ever imagine, and something I will remember until senility sets in. Without further ado here is some more of my travel escapades...

• After arriving in Denver 3 and 1/2 hours late, I was lucky enough to be put on another flight to Aspen. It was delayed due to weather in the Aspen area. Once we were allowed to board, we ended up sitting on the tarmac for an additional 90 minutes of wait time, while they unloaded 40+ bags of luggage and rebalanced the weight on the plane. Once airborne we took the 26 minute hop to Aspen, but the weather has changed again and visibility was about nil. The pilot made an attempt to touchdown, but could not get a visual of the runway so the try was aborted. I am not one to worry about flying but I was nervous, his pull-out game was strong, and we did some aerobatics to get out of there without crashing into any peaks all the while flying practically blind through snow clouds (yes you actually see sprarkly crystals like glitter inside the clouds). We made another nerve wrecking run and once again scrapped the mission and headed back to Denver. Of course the flight that was scheduled after us left first and was one of two of the nine  daily flights that actually landed in Aspen yesterday...
• All the other flights to Aspen, were either cancelled or booked (none made it by the way), United decided to bus us to Aspen at 6:00pm. Usually this is a 3, 3 1/2 hour ride (but the weather predicted it was likely to take about 5 hours), we met the storm just outside of Denver that was preventing us from landing in Aspen. This turned into a 10+ hour tour, that included 15-20 mph speeds and treacherous road conditions the majority of the way. Including a slow motion bus accident. And when I say slow motion, I mean both buses were completely stopped and the one bus slid sideways into ours. This held us up an additional hour and forty five minutes waiting for a wrecker to separate us and get a small repair to get us on our way again. From there it still was an insane 3 hour ride from the Vail area to a closed Aspen airport.
• By the time I arrived at Aspen at 4:30 am, all the local buses were shut down and not scheduled to start for another few hours, and then it would be an hour bus ride down valley to Glenwood Springs. I sweet talked the bus driver from Denver who was going to Glenwood Springs for some rest at a cheaper hotel than what is found in Aspen for a ride. So after getting everyone unloaded and back on the road for another hour long trek to my daughter.

Total travel time with the time zone changes was 30 hours door to door from my house to my daughter, total sleep time during that trip...90 minutes.

Travel Observations

While I have a layover might as well pontificate on the "joy" of travel...

• I got through TSA still wearing my stainless steel watch, oops.
• The restrictions for air travel do not allow for survival if the plane crashes on a deserted tropical island ala Lost.
• United forgot to plug in the heater and the water and sewer lines froze.
• While defrosting and flushing that fun time, the hook got wet and froze to the plane...final result 2 and 1/2 hour delay and missed connection.
• Got later flight, but may be cancelled due to weather...

Look for more updates

Anticipation....

Tomorrow I am off to see my daughter for the holidays, I am excited to travel and get away for a while and super excited to spend time with her and see the adventure she has had and is having since moving west.

I am usually a night before (or day of) packer. This time I have been packed for several days now, even have gone and rechecked and double checked the packing. I was up early so I could check-in on line for boarding passes.

There are several things I am looking forward to besides being with my daughter; the home town of Hunter S. Thompson, the Rocky Mountains, the hot springs and vapor caves, and getting a feel for that area as I still am trying very hard to relocate there.

I nervous of the weather for getting out of CT, as we are getting a short Arctic Vortex with extreme low temps, just hope my car starts at 0 dark thirty. Of course there is the travel which can present snags, but I hope everything runs smooth.

Stay tuned for travel and daughter escapades...

A Seasonal Salutation

Seasons- Herb

Still More Random Thoughts Vol. 19 2016

I apologize for not posting anything in a while, so here is some random thoughts, ideas, observations, etc...

• I get that students with special needs need to be included with the population of all students in schools. It is great for everyone, but I have noticed that special need students spend about 2/3s of their time being pulled from the regular classroom environment for various interventional help. So how exactly is this including them in mainstream education? And I find this disruptive to the rest of educational environment.
• The beard and HBM survived the No Shave month.
• I am getting anxious to see my daughter for the upcoming holiday, so much so that I have started packing 12 days in advance. Usually I pack the night before any trip.
• I have also discovered that I will be able to tread the floorboards of one of my writing heroes. Woody Creek Tavern.
  

Hopefully I will have more to share soon...