A Relaxing Day in Ocala

After a late night picking up Meg and Cal at the airport, I decided to sleep in this morning.  By the time that I got up, Cal had left for a long walk.  He was still out when Meg and I ran to get her a big pop at Circle K.  We were impressed when we saw Cal walking close to my bank.  He already had 10,000 steps when he got home.

Meg had to work today, but the three of us still had time to get lunch at Tijuana Flats and do a little bit of Christmas shopping.  Cal and I then spent the rest of the afternoon at Sholom Park.  It wasn't quite the long walk that he took this morning, but it was still very nice.  The new added Zen Garden was extremely impressive and I was glad that he got to see it.

Tonight the three of us met Phil for dinner at Crazy Cucumber.  Meg said that it was her favorite place to eat in Ocala, so I was very glad that we made it there during happy hour.  I tried one of their salads for the first time and really liked.  The conversation at dinner was a lot of fun as well and it was warm enough to eat outside.  

Tonight, I checked in with Cameron, Doug and Bret several times as they left Bloomington for Ocala.  They hoped to make it past Chattanooga before they stopped for the evening.  While they were driving, Cal and I watched the IU basketball game.  It wasn't anything like the game on Tuesday as IU got ahead early and won easily.  Before it was over, Cal and I started the movie Rebecca.  He had never seen the Hitchcock classic and liked it just as much I did.  

Nick arrived by shuttle van from the Orlando airport around 10 p.m this evening.  It had been a long day of traveling for him, so he and Meg were happy just to relax and catch up tonight.  By the time we all headed to bed, I had helped Doug find a hotel south of Atlanta.  I was very glad that they had made it that far.  It would make their trip tomorrow a lot easier.  

Home Alone

With Doug leaving first thing Monday morning for Indiana, this has been the first time that I have been completely alone in Florida.  I was so busy on Monday that I didn't really mind it too much.  Yesterday, I missed Doug more, but spent so much of my day cleaning and grocery shopping that the time flew by through the afternoon.  At night, I watched IU come back from a 14 point deficit to beat Morehead State.  Everyone in Syracuse was relieved as a loss would have looked pretty bad to the tournament selection committee.  Once the game was over, I spent the rest of the night watching White Christmas and talking to Meg about how good Love Actually really was.

I slept in today and then turned on Holiday Inn.  It had been a long time since I had watched the movie.  I had forgotten how good it was.  Afterward, I picked up my blood pressure medicine and finished up the rest of the cleaning.  I was pleased to see that my blood pressure had already dropped by the time I finished lunch.  The afternoon was spent running errands.  I then ordered dinner and had just enough time to wrap the last three gifts before leaving for Orlando to pick up Cal and Meg.

Being home alone for the past three days wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.  I kept busy and enjoyed watching television and shopping.  In saying that, however, I was more than happy to see both Cal and Meg this evening.  I am so glad to have them here and will enjoy their company very much.  

Bad News

I went to the doctor today to review my blood test results with her.  The good news was that for the first time in a long time, I was not anemic and my Vitamin D level was normal.  I was happy about that, but concerned about the rest of my results.  My cholesterol level was double what it was two years ago and my blood pressure was extremely high.  The doctor then gave me the bad news - I would have to start on a cholesterol medication and start taking Hydrochlorothiazide for my blood pressure again.  I had taken it after I had Cameron as I had blood pressure issues then as well.  I would also have to change to a Mediterranean diet for my cholesterol.

I was completely bummed out when I left the doctor's office.  I had spent so much time worrying about Doug's health the past two years, I hadn't really thought about mine.  I had also spent a lot of that time period following Weight Watchers and exercising daily.  I couldn't believe how bad my cholesterol was in such a short period of time.  

After beating myself up all afternoon, I finally remembered what Dr. Mulry had told me after I overcame thyroid, blood pressure and edema issues when Cameron was born.  He said that I wouldn't have to worry about any of those health problems again until I went through menopause.  I did some quick research and found out almost instantly that he was correct as usual.  The articles all stated that a majority of women developed cholesterol problems the year after menopause.  That information along with the fact that I had a family history of high cholesterol made me feel a lot better.  Diet and exercise had always been a big part of my life, now it will just be adding in medication.  Anything to live a healthier and longer life will be completely worth it.  

Reconcilliation

When I joined the mission group at church in October, one item that they talked about was making sure that we all went to reconciliation before the Dominican Friars arrived in January.  I realized that I hadn't actually been to "confession" in over a decade.  In fact, I couldn't remember if I last went when Cal, Meg or Cameron took First Communion.  Thus, I decided that I would make it a priority to go to confession at some point before the first of the year.  

I didn't really think about my resolution much more until yesterday when we went to mass.  The church was hosting an advent season reconciliation for the entire congregation tonight and were bringing in sixteen priests for the event.  Once I read the information in the bulletin, I knew that I should make every effort to attend.  I told Doug about it, believing if I said it out loud, then I would follow through on my promise.

This morning after I dropped Doug off at the airport, I headed to Epcot.  There were a few Christmas items that I still needed to purchase and I really wanted to spend the Disney gift card that Cal gave me.  I also planned on checking out a few rides and eating lunch as well.  I had a lot of fun on my solo trip to Epcot.  I rode Soarin', ate a chocolate covered banana, finished my Christmas shopping list and found the perfect Lounge Fly to buy with my birthday gift card from Cal.  While I was there, I also had a lot of time to think about tonight's reconciliation event at church.  I decided that I had to make sure that I was home in time to make it.  I knew that I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't.

I made sure to leave Orlando by 2:30 so that I could pick up groceries and shower before I had to be at church.  I also listened to several podcasts from Father Mike that talked about confession.  The one that helped the most was intended for people like me - "Going to Confession for the First Time in a Long Time."  As always, he was extremely helpful and I felt a lot better prepared than I had earlier in the day.

Tonight's event was different than I was expecting as the congregation gathered together as a group beforehand, singing songs, listening to readings and receiving instructions from Father Pat.  We said the Act of Contrition together and then lined up by one of the sixteen priests, waiting our turn for confession.  I was very nervous, but had a lot of time to think while in line.  I knew that I wanted to participate and knew that I would be very happy in the end if I did.  After forty-five minutes of waiting, it was finally my turn.  The experience was even better than I had hoped for and I was very happy that I pushed myself to participate.  I appreciated the encouragement that I had received from Doug and my children before and after the event.  The beliefs of the Catholic Church aren't for everyone, but I do realized that they are for me.

Ten Things I Have Learned Since August

Doug and I spent a good portion of yesterday and today in the house due to a rare December tropical storm.  It didn't cause a lot of damage in our area, but there was flooding along the coast.  The high winds and three inches of rain that we received kept us indoors more than usual during a weekend.  While we were watching television and playing games, I had a lot of time to think about all that has happened since August.  Here are the top ten things that I have learned:

#10    Moving is a lot of work.

#9      Sweatshirts are required during the winter months in Florida, especially at night.

#8      People in the south are friendlier then they are in the Midwest.

#7.     Cleaning is not so bad when there are only two bathrooms in the house.

#6.     Grass in Florida just isn't as nice as it is in Indiana, no matter how well you take care of it.

#5.     Insurance is extremely pricey in Florida.

#4.     Having only one car is not that bad.

#3.     We can watch movies almost all year long on the projector outside.

#2.     The void that being an empty nester leaves is hard to fill.

#1.     I can still be involved in my adult children's lives no matter how far away I live.

 

IU Basketball Then and Now

Last night, Doug invited Phil over for dinner.  It was a nice night, so after we ate they decided to get out the projector and watch something outside.  I suggested watching The Grey as Phil had just been talking about wolves.  He didn't want to watch anything intense so that movie was out as well as Doug's pick, Die Hard.  I asked about Christmas movies, but the only one that Phil was interested in was A Christmas Story, which was my least favorite.  That was when I suggested watching an old IU basketball game.  Doug and Phil instantly agreed on IU vs UNC 1984.

I didn't remember very much about the famous game except that Dakich always took credit for holding Michael Jordan to minimal points in the game.  At first I only recognized him and Steve Alford until I saw Uwe Blab head to the free throw line.  I definitely remembered him as he was my Mom's favorite IU player.  Mike Giomi, Marty Simmons and Chuck Franz were just names to me, not players that I remembered long term.  Stew Robinson was hurt, but did get into the game.  He was always fun to watch and tonight was no different.  IU led most of the game, although North Carolina made it extremely close in the end.  As the game ended, I realized that it wasn't Dakich who stifled Jordan.  It was his own coach, Dean Smith.  He sat the star player after only eight minutes in the first half had gone by as Jordan had two fouls.  In retrospect, that decision and Alford's phenomenal play for the Hoosier were the factors in Indiana winning the game.

Doug and I headed inside after Phil left.  It was still early, so we started searching for something else to watch.  With not much on to television, I suggested that we try another vintage IU game.  We agreed on IU vs. LSU 1992, which was Shaq's last college game.  It was even more fun to watch than the first game as I knew every player on IU's team.  Of course, Calbert Cheaney was my favorite without question and he had the best game of the night, even outplaying the future NBA Hall of Famer.  IU won a close game again and both Doug and I had fun reliving the experience.

With all of the IU basketball history last night, Doug and I had low expectations for this afternoon's game.  The Hoosiers were playing #2 Kansas, and even though the game was at Assembly Hall, we all knew that they had no chance of winning.  They had just gotten destroyed by Auburn which helped to lower our expectations for this game.  The Hoosiers must have been hyped up from the games that we watched last night as they came out on fire.  They led the entire first half and well into the second.  I really thought they were going to win, but in the end Kansas won by 4.  Cal was super bummed about the game, but Doug and I were actually happy.  IU is so much better than they were three years ago.  They aren't the 1992 team, but definitely a fun team to watch.

Gift Wrapping

 I have decided that I must be the slowest gift wrapper in the world.  I spent a lot of time this week, organizing gifts, buying gift wrapping supplies and getting the gifts ready to wrap.  It took me almost all  morning and afternoon to actually wrap the gifts.  I couldn't believe how time consuming it was as there were a lot less presents than in years past.  

Thankfully, I finished and cleaned up the living room before dinner.  The tree looked absolutely beautiful with presents underneath it.  I definitely cannot wait for everyone to get here.  I know that Christmas isn't about the gifts, but it sure is a fun part of the celebration.