Brrrrrrrr Cold Rewards

Sometimes, when you brave the cold weather, you get rewarded with sun dogs!

 Cute little rainbows on either side of true sun! 

Ice crystals are perfect for sun dogs!

You also get rewarded with frostiness!

Even on your eyelashes!!!

Wear enough layers and you hardly feel it. Move enough and you even break a sweat!!

Stay warm and keep moving!

Everyone Needs a Boost

Yesterday I got one of the biggest compliments ever.  I was making the treadmill my bitch, I mean walking on the treadmill, and my athletic therapist comes over to check in and introduce me to the student AT working with him. He says "I know you can't tell from looking at her now, but Lori has just had a hip replacement."   She looked impressed!! Yup. That happened!!

This is week 14 since new hip day and I somehow really needed to hear someone say that.  My leg muscles had been feeling tight and not stretching well.  I was feeling down a bit about still using a cane and still not being able to do a leg lift with that new hip... Blah, blah, blah....pity party ensued...

You know what? It has only been 14 freaking weeks! Time to check my unrealistic expectations at the door and look at the facts and the accomplishments!

1) I have a new hip. That means a surgeon has cut through my muscles, sawed out a piece of my bone, hammered in a titanium replacement, drilled into other bone to make an acetabulum, lined it, used 2 giagantic screws to hold it in place and sewed and stapled me back together. I think it is just fine to be where I am right now. There will be days the muscles are angry and feel weird.  There will be days I want to be able to do more and not get tired doing. Calm down! It will get better. (Turns out walking in the softer snowy surfaces causes shorter stride lengths which most likely contributed to the tightness I was feeling.  I will have to get on the treadmill a little more often to keep my stride length longer) 

2) I am able to walk over 2 km every day, and I do! Just. Because. I. Can. Sure, I'm using a cane outside or the rails on the treadmill, but I can walk! Today I posted my fastest km in ages while walking outside! The second split time is 12:55!

3) I can stretch and move in ways I haven't been able to for years and it feels awesome. Seriously. To get a hamstring stretch, or bring my knee up to my chest (getting closer)..... AMAZING! Yesterday, I put a sock on my left foot, without help or using the sock aid! WHAT? (Before the sock aide, I would have gone sockless if Hubby or the Boy weren't home....)

Look what I can do!

4) I still sleep lots. Lots. Fit bit told me I slept 9 hours and 41 minutes last night.... I still nap too... But hey, recovery! Sleep means healing....or so I'm told.

5) I am trying to get back into the kitchen more. Today I made soup! It was a tasty chicken and wild rice soup.... So good. 

6) I have some of the nerdiest drinks around, thanks to some AT AT ice cubes!

Feeling pretty good today! 

Sometimes we need to be reminded how amazing we are!

Until next time, stay warm and keep moving!

Merry Hipmas and a Hippy New Year!

I do believe the snow is here to stay! In the last week Mother Nature has more than made up for the lack of snow. I am forever grateful for the extended nice weather so I could walk outside as long as I did. The last few days have got me using the treadmill at the gym. I do find the treadmill extremely boring but I can walk pretty darn fast (for me) on that thing. 

While our sidewalk clearing has been pretty darn fast, there's now a layer of icey snow and mushy snow. Your foot never seems to find traction. Oh well, I will keep on moving whether it is inside or outside. 

Today's walk was cold but my fastest kilometre outdoors in ages! 

We had a low key, quiet Christms here in the Little Kitchen. Christmas Eve was board games and movies. It was quite fun.  Holiday Fluxx was awesome! Christmas Day, the 3 of us ventured out to the movie theatre to see my long lost love, Star Wars.  We awakened the force! I am a Star Wars geek and have been forever. This was awesome. I am a traditionalist with my Star Wars and do not speak of the 3 movies that shall not be named. Ever. Except there.  That was it. It was an awesome movie that has returned to the proper roots of The Star Wars story telling genre.  Loved it. 

Only true Star Wars fans have this measuring cup set waiting under the tree for them!

In the mean time, stay warm and keep moving!

Up Next

This morning I'm with my dad at a hospital. No need to panic, he's having his pre admission clinic because he is having his hip replacement next week!  We like to stick together with our joint replacements!  Lucky for us (him) in done with all sorts of things like the walker, the crutches, the grab bars, the seat raisers...he can have it all!!! 

I haven't been up this early in ages!!  I just might fall asleep at the athletic therapist this afternoon.... Who am I kidding, he would NEVER let that happen! 

Stay warm and keep moving! 

Tired

Me thinks I overdid it yesterday.  I was in bed before 10pm and am finally getting up at 11:15.  They warned me there would be days I just slept and rested. Wow! 

I'm going to take my time getting ready for my walk too. The middles school by my house just let the kids out for lunch.... I shall have some breakfast first. 

Good thing I have nothing else planned for today!

Stay warm and keep moving (or sleeping).