I really need clarification about the weather. I dislike the extreme cold, as riding a bicycle in the spring rain and floods is challenging. Then comes the heat of the summer. There are three months between early August and the middle of November that I really can enjoy biking. So, looking at the bright side of winter, at least in the tundra, it can't flood.
Even with the miserable weather, I have 59 rides (28 commutes to work) and 1,006 miles. The mileage is high now because the flood makes the trip 5 miles longer each way, adding 10 miles daily, 36 miles compared to the shorter 26 miles. A week ago, the river was just low enough. I had hoped to take the shorter route, but after a week of rain, the river is up about 2.5 feet! See the chart below that shows the river levels from the last time I could ride the short route, March 19, through today.
Even with the miserable weather, I have 59 rides (28 commutes to work) and 1,006 miles. The mileage is high now because the flood makes the trip 5 miles longer each way, adding 10 miles daily, 36 miles compared to the shorter 26 miles. A week ago, the river was just low enough. I had hoped to take the shorter route, but after a week of rain, the river is up about 2.5 feet! See the chart below that shows the river levels from the last time I could ride the short route, March 19, through today.
So, I await the weather and look forward to the day I can take a shorter ride!
Health-wise, I was doing great after the last iron infusion. Then, after a few weeks, I started to lack sleep again. I know I was still bleeding with the stomach pain and, well, you can imagine the other indicator. Last week, my average sleep was about 4 hours. I try everything, but insomnia is the first thing I notice when the iron is low. I think I will start eating more tofu, sesame seeds, and spinach, which seemed to help last time, but those combinations get lame quickly. I have tests on June 4, and another infusion is looming!
Work still needs to be solved. We remain about 20 percent below 2006 when the economy was in full swing. We have a more significant workload than we did then. Therefore, I work almost every weekend and miss vacation time. I have lost 32 hours of vacation and have an average workweek of over 50 hours. That is only the time at the office, which only includes a few remote hours. The stress is at an all-time high. If I were not close to retirement (a few years), I would leave and not risk my health.
My son has been traveling excessively for work lately. I have seen him once since going to Houston in early January. He was working in Germany for most of the spring. I need to find out where his next assignment is. I hope it is in the United States so he can get a sense of life again. His girlfriend works in Alaska, so he works remotely from Alaska.
That is good as he can spend some time with his mother. Alaska is a long flight, and he does make it work sometimes. I know his schedule is demanding, so for the past year, he has been in Alaska as much, if not more, than Minnesota (I think that is a good thing!). I hope he can continue to get up to Alaska more often, as I know he enjoys the time there, at least when there are 20 hours of sunshine a day!
My girlfriend has been very busy with work, and we spend less time together each year. She leaves for work in the morning about three hours after I do and gets home two hours later. So, I have breakfast at the office and dinner for about an hour before she gets home. It's funny how, during the week, we see each other for about four to five hours, and we live in the same house!
Then, I work every Saturday on weekends, and she is busy with the grandchildren. That is expected now with three grandchildren (ages nine months, 18 months, and four years old). She is GREAT with young children; if she could, she would see them as much as possible, but work gets in the way.
So, Porter and I often hang out, which is good. He has a very odd personality, so we get along just fine!
Health-wise, I was doing great after the last iron infusion. Then, after a few weeks, I started to lack sleep again. I know I was still bleeding with the stomach pain and, well, you can imagine the other indicator. Last week, my average sleep was about 4 hours. I try everything, but insomnia is the first thing I notice when the iron is low. I think I will start eating more tofu, sesame seeds, and spinach, which seemed to help last time, but those combinations get lame quickly. I have tests on June 4, and another infusion is looming!
Work still needs to be solved. We remain about 20 percent below 2006 when the economy was in full swing. We have a more significant workload than we did then. Therefore, I work almost every weekend and miss vacation time. I have lost 32 hours of vacation and have an average workweek of over 50 hours. That is only the time at the office, which only includes a few remote hours. The stress is at an all-time high. If I were not close to retirement (a few years), I would leave and not risk my health.
My son has been traveling excessively for work lately. I have seen him once since going to Houston in early January. He was working in Germany for most of the spring. I need to find out where his next assignment is. I hope it is in the United States so he can get a sense of life again. His girlfriend works in Alaska, so he works remotely from Alaska.
That is good as he can spend some time with his mother. Alaska is a long flight, and he does make it work sometimes. I know his schedule is demanding, so for the past year, he has been in Alaska as much, if not more, than Minnesota (I think that is a good thing!). I hope he can continue to get up to Alaska more often, as I know he enjoys the time there, at least when there are 20 hours of sunshine a day!
My girlfriend has been very busy with work, and we spend less time together each year. She leaves for work in the morning about three hours after I do and gets home two hours later. So, I have breakfast at the office and dinner for about an hour before she gets home. It's funny how, during the week, we see each other for about four to five hours, and we live in the same house!
Then, I work every Saturday on weekends, and she is busy with the grandchildren. That is expected now with three grandchildren (ages nine months, 18 months, and four years old). She is GREAT with young children; if she could, she would see them as much as possible, but work gets in the way.
So, Porter and I often hang out, which is good. He has a very odd personality, so we get along just fine!
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| He thinks he owns the bed! |
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| We found something good to do |
That is an update. Carry on, my friends, carry on!
