Thursday, April 14, 2011

Wandering down to the road with the garbage.

Thursdays are garbage pick up days for me. One of the disadvantages of living way back from the road is getting the garbage cans out to the road. It is a fair distance. My front lot alone is a half acre that is only 60 feet wide. An acre is 43560 sq. feet so a half acre would be 43560 divided by 2 which equal 21780 sq. feet. Divide that by 60 and you get 363 feet and it is almost that far from the end of the front lot to my back door where the garbage cans sit. So I have to carry them a little over an eighth of a mile.


Never used to have a problem, just picked up two at a time and carried them straight down to the road without stopping. Two at a time is much easier to carry than just one. If I have to carry just one, I have to keep switching sides; carry it with the right hand for awhile then the left then the right then the left. . .

Well, I have noticed a change over the last couple of years. It started out where I would have to stop about half way and rest for a few seconds. Then, not too long ago, I was stopping two times for a rest. I now have been known to stop three times. I am NOT going to tell you how many times I had to stop today. I am not liking where this trend is going. I’m not old yet, heck no. I am not near 90, nor 80, in fact, I am not yet 70 and will not be for over another year and a half or so. So, I can’t be getting old, right? Must be that I am out of shape or have a medical problem.

If I don’t go to a doctor, then I will not have a medical problem. Wow, that was easy and it is a relief!! I was a little worried there. So, what is left? Yep, I must be a little out of shape. Yep, I bet it is because I sit in front of this computer for hours and hours writing and reading blogs, writing rhymes for cards, searching the internet for information on something that I need to know or am curious, and designing cards or projects. Guess I am going to have to figure a way to get an exercise machine in front of my desktop. Now, if I get it in front of the monitor, how am I going to use the mouse and the keyboard?

Dang, life gets hard and complicated as one ages. . .

12 comments:

  1. You'd thing with all your years of experience, you'd have a small pull cart to set the load in!!

    I got one that is collapsible and weighs almost nuthing and it folds up!!! You could carry it with you in the RV for that matter. Found mine at a flea market back when I used to do flea markets.

    Turn loose of some of your money, you ole tight wad

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  2. Just get a golf cart and be done with it. To heck with the exercising! You could even use your laptop while you were driving it like all the people do driving a car down th road and texting or browsing on their I-Phones. ;) Would probably be a lot safer to since there wouldn't be other people doing that on the same road.

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  3. The wife sent me an article from Men's Health, saying if you sit more than 6 hours a day, regardless of how much your exercise when not sitting, you're in danger for all kinds of heart and posture related issues.

    The answer, at least for a code monkey or desk jockey like me, a stand up desk. Something with the keyboard and mouse at elbow height and the monitor at eye level. It's something I want to play with.

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  4. Join a gym..lot's of not old guys there in the mornings..you would meet lots of people and live forever!

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  5. Thats a little over a football field length. Im reccomending, walk it EVERY day, without the load, maybe just part of it, maybe more than once after u get that down. And, i liked ben's answer too. Know IM out of shape, way too much sitting. My back locks up on me when i walk, have to sit down r lean over to relieve it. A weight loss will help a lot, i think. lololo,,,me,,not u.

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  6. Ben, My wife tells me to take it down in the back of the Jeep. I just can’t justify starting up a vehicle for that short of a trip. BTW, I carry it down for two reasons. The first is to give me something to complain about and the second is to give me some exercise.

    David, a good idea, but I think I would rather get an ATV, of course if I got a golf cart, I could use the batteries out of it in my RV when on a trip. Double use, right?

    Grant, dang, that is bad news. I guess I should be dead by now. When I was real busy with work, I used to work 14 to 16 hours a day at this old computer. If I were to design a stand up desk, it would have to be adjustable so that I could sit also. I made a large desk with a lower part to my right for a digitizer, now using a mouse of course.

    Frann, I have a lot of equipment here for gym use, just have to do it (grimace). I carry the garbage down and use a push rotary mower for grass cutting to make sure I get some exercise.

    Trouble, actually it is about two and a half football fields long just one way, then I can walk easy coming back. I usually go out and walk at least a mile a day at a brisk pace, but since it stated getting so hot, I have not been keeping up with it like I did over the winter. Maybe instead of writing my blog in the morning, I could go walking then and do my blob later in the day.

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  7. Sounds like I am overdue for some problems! All I do anymore is work in the garden, but I plan to start walking a bit more just for the exercise!

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  8. I'd walk more, if it didn't hurt so much!

    Well Dizzy, you might have to go nuclear here and get two smaller garbage cans. You'll have to make that long drive way walk twice, but it will be half as hard.

    A fat tire wagon would do the trick too. And those are really handy around the farm.

    I like 'Maxine', she joined a health club but it did her no good at all. Apparently she says, 'You have to go there!'

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  9. HJ, I think that brisk walking is the best exercise old farts like me can do. It lowers my blood pressure and gives me a good feeling. I used to walk three miles a day, but don't seem to have the time anymore. The main trouble is when you age, time goes by faster and you never seem to have the time to exercise when you need it most - Catch 22

    Ernest, yep I could but then what would I have to complain about (grin). And like you noted about Maxine, you have to do it for it to have any affect.

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  10. We have one of those large trash can's on wheels,no problem! Blessings jane

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  11. Jane, thands for stopping by. Yes, there is always a better way.

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  12. About the hair or lack of, I've been told that grass can't grow ona busy street, but maybe you are an exception.

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