Z-COILS & FITBIT

TWO YEARS AGO WHEN I RETIRED, I THREW OUT ALL MY WORK CLOTHES INCLUDING THE SHOES. AFTER THE FIRST SUMMER WHEN I RETURNED TO MOHAVE VALLEY MY BACK WAS HURTING SO WE TOOK OUT THE BOOTH IN THE CAMPER WHERE I ALWAYS SAT, AND REPLACED IT WITH A CHAIR.

THEN LAST SUMMER ON THE MOUNTAIN MY BACK WAS BOTHERING ME AND I THREW OUT THE DESK CHAIR I WAS USING AND THE HUNTERS GAVE ME A SOLID STRAIGHT BACK CHAIR TO USE.

THIS FALL WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE RIVER I AGAIN THREW OUT THE CHAIR I WAS USING AND TRIED A DIFFERENT DESK CHAIR.  THEN IN JANUARY IT CAME TO ME IN A DREAM, TRY THE GOOFY SPRING SHOES LIKE YOU WORE TO WORK FOR 15 YEARS.

THE BAD BACK COMES FROM THE FRANKVILLE DAYS WHEN I WAS A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN AND HAD TO WEAR A PAGER ALL THE TIME. I CLIPPED THE PAGER ON THE BACK OF MY PANTS TO KEEP IT OUT OF THE WAY OF MY POCKETS. THE FIRST INJURY CAME WHEN A HORSE THREW ME AND I LANDED FLAT ON MY BACK AND THE PAGER. THE SECOND INJURY, JUST A MONTH LATER, CAME FROM A FISTY-CUFF IN THE OLD STORE AND I WAS BODY SLAMED ON THE POOL TABLE RIGHT ON MY BACK AND PAGER AGAIN. EVERY YEAR MY BACK WOULD GO OUT TWICE TO THE POINT WHERE I COULDN’T TIE MY SHOES, AND ICE FOR THREE DAYS WAS THE ONLY RELIEF.

IN 2000 MARY TALKED ME INTO BUYING THE GOOFY VERY EXPENSIVE SPRING SHOES, AND I ONLY HAD MY BACK GO OUT ONCE EVERY TWO OR THREE YEARS. A NICE IMPROVEMENT! IN 15 YEARS OF WORKING ON MY FEET AND BENDING OVER A CRAPS TABLE I ONLY HAD TO BUY TWO PAIR OF THE Z-COILS.

AFTER A MONTH OF WEARING THE NEW Z-COIL SHOES I’M HAPPY TO SAY MY BACK IS FINE, AND I HAVE QUIT THROWING OUT FURNITURE!

IN JANUARY MY FAT CLOTHES WERE GETTING TOO TIGHT, AND I STEPPED ON THE BATHROOM SCALE. I WEIGHED MORE THEN I HAVE EVER WEIGHED IN MY LIFE! I TRADED IN MY $12 PEDOMETER FOR A $100 PEDOMETER, THE FITBIT ONE.

I CARRY IT IN MY POCKET, NOT ON MY WRIST, AND EVERYTIME I GET NEAR MY LAPTOP IT SYNCS AND DOWNLOADS THE DATA INTO THE COMPUTER (I DON’T HAVE A SMART PHONE). THE TRACKING SOFTWARE AND THE FITBIT KEEP TRACK OF ALL KINDS OF THINGS, INCLUDING HOW WELL AND HOW LONG YOU SLEEP. I’VE BEEN TRACKING WEIGHT, STEPS, AND CALORIES AS I ATTEMPT TO REDUCE MY WEIGHT AND WEIGH LESS THAN 200 POUNDS BY THE TIME MIKEY COMES TO VISIT IN MARCH. SO FAR I’VE LOST ABOUT 10 POUNDS AND AT LEAST MY FAT CLOTHES FIT AGAIN.

THE SCOOTER PROJECT WAS DELAYED AGAIN THIS WEEK AS WHEN THEY STARTED THE ACTUAL OPERATION A BRAKE SPROCKET WAS MISSING FROM THE MANUFACTURER IN TEXAS. HOPEFULLY I’LL BE GOING TO PHOENIX THIS NEXT WEEK TO PICK UP THE LONG MISSING SCOOTER……

GEOCACHING

STILL NO SCOOTER, SO TODAY I’M OUT ON THE DESERT GEOCACHING. I DIDN’T FIND THE FIRST ONE AND THE SECOND ONE TOOK ME A GOOD HALF MILE INTO THE DESERT.

BUT IT WAS THE THIRD ONE THAT HAD ME CLIMBING STRAIGHT UP THE BOUNDARY CONE. I CLIMBED THAT MOUNTAIN UNTIL I COULDN’T, I COULDN’T CLIMB NO MORE, AND I WAS ONLY 133 FEET AWAY FROM THE TREASURE.

I’M ALWAYS INCLUDING PICTURES OF THE BOUNDARY CONE, SO TODAYS PICTURES ARE TAKEN OF THE VIEWS FROM UP ON THE CONE.

THIS IS THE FAMOUS CHOLLA CACTUS. ALSO CALLED THE JUMPING CACTUS, OR THE TEDDY BEAR CACTUS.

THE SPINES SEEM TO JUMP RIGHT OUT AND ATTACH TO YOU, IN FACT THE WHOLE PAD EASILY ATTACHES TO YOUR CLOTHES OR SHOES, AND THAT’S THE PROBLEM AS THE WHOLE PAD IS COVERED IN SPINES MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE. NOW BROTHER NEIL WOULD LOVE THIS CACTUS, AS OUT HIKING WITH YOUR DOG AND A TANGLE WILL INCLUDE A HEFTY VET BILL….

   “SUNNY & 80”

BULLHEAD CITY ROCKS

THIS LOCAL FACEBOOK GROUP RECENTLY HAD A FRONT PAGE STORY IN OUR MOHAVE VALLEY DAILY NEWSPAPER AND THE CRAZE HAS GROWN. FOLLOW THIS LINK TO LEARN ABOUT BULLHEAD CITY ROCKS:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1832483413693809/

I’VE BEEN TO ROTARY PARK FOR A WALK-ABOUT THE LAST THREE DAYS AND FOUND THESE THREE ROCKS. YES, THE SCOOTER IS STILL IN THE SHOP AND I’VE BEEN REDUCED TO LOOKING FOR PAINTED ROCKS, AND MARY FOUND THE PRETTY BLUE ONE YESTERDAY.

I JUST KNEW IT …….

I JUST KNEW IT ……..

I TOOK THE SCOOTER TO PHOENIX LAST WEEK TO BEGIN THE PROJECT OF TURNING IT INTO A TRIKE. THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO DO THE THE RECALL IN DECEMBER AND THE TRIKE PROJECT IN JANUARY, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED IN DECEMBER AND SO NOW I’M A MONTH BEHIND SCHEDULE.

I JUST KNEW IT …..

NOW HERE IT IS FEBRUARY, THE WEATHER IS “SUNNY & 70” AND NO SCOOTER TO RIDE!!

HONDA

YESTERDAY WE TOOK THE HONDA INTO LAS VEGAS FOR THE 100,000 MILE SERVICE. PRETTY EXTENSIVE LIST, LIKE TIMING BELT. ALL BELTS ACTUALLY, REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, AND ON AND ON. FIVE HOURS OF WORK, AND THAT’S A LONG TIME TO SIT IN THE WAITING ROOM, OR  JAKES TAVERN ON EASTERN. THEY OFFERED MARY A LOANER CAR, COOL. WE WERE FLOORED WHEN THEY BROUGHT UP A BRAND NEW HONDA CIVIC AND HANDED MARY THE KEYS. ACTUALLY CARS DON’T HAVE KEYS ANYMORE IT’S A THINGIE YOU HAVE TO HAVE IN YOUR POCKET. SO WE BUZZED AROUND TOWN IN A PRETTY WHITE CAR, HITTING TRADER JOE’S, WINCO, BOULDER STATION, AND JAKE’S TAVERN ON EASTERN. WE PUT 80 MILES ON THE NEW CAR.