Day 37 & 38: No End In Sight

 

Here we go ! It's a new year. Time to get back on track with diet and exercise. The goal is 100 pounds by 12-31-25. Can I do it ? Well, I won't know unless I try. My original Day 37 & 38 blogs can be found here and here. Day 37 I tried to use the treadmill for the first time but couldn't figure it out. Day 38 (6 years ago today!) I figured it out and completed my first workout ! My only goal for today is snow removal, but I may make an extra effort to get on the treadmill. More on the snow in the next few paragraphs.

So to catch up, I didn't write yesterday. I spent the entire day on the couch playing online slots and watching YouTube. I did get a shower in at 4 pm, but despite my best intentions I never got dressed or went near the treadmill. It snowed on and off all day and I am SO over it. I feel like I am literally being buried alive, as the snow is up to my windows and beyond ! This is only because what slides off the roof naturally piles up along the house, but I still feel like the walls are closing in ! I do check periodically to make sure the vent for the boiler is clear. I had to put all my security cameras on tall makeshift pedestals so they can "see" beyond the piles of snow ! I don't think I've ever experienced a winter like this, where the snow just keeps coming and coming. I'm so grateful for Doug out there plowing ! My official exercise for today will be shoveling snow since I haven't done it in a while. I'm sure there is a lot along the driveway that needs to go !

I gave myself the grace to play the slots yesterday, but today I really do have to shovel snow. Since I showered late yesterday I went ahead and put on clean clothes, so now it's just a matter of bracing myself and heading outside ! It's 24 degrees, so it's not super cold. It's going to be 30 tomorrow but the overnight low is 9, so the roller coaster of temps continues ! There is more snow in the forecast, so the end is nowhere in sight ! If this stuff melts fast we could see some major flooding. I'm just hoping the outlet for my sump pump hasn't been damaged by the weight of the snow. It's just PVC pipe, so it's easy enough to fix and I already have a new adapter for the outlet that comes out of the wall and the extension pipe. Hopefully we get a slow melt !

Despite being closed in I'm still making small changes that are sticking. I've managed to wash dishes every day and keep the kitchen sink and counter area clean and dry. I've also kept the cat food prep area clean and dry. Those are little things but I want them to become habit, so I can't let up on ensuring I keep up with both tasks. With my gross long hair gone, it's also easier to keep up with showering every day ! I was avoiding the shower partly because I didn't want to deal with my hair and I couldn't/wouldn't wash it every day. With it shorter I can wash it more frequently and it's an easy couple of minutes to comb it out.

Today I was awake while it was still dark as the village came through to clear the sidewalks, but I managed to go back to sleep until just before 8. Doug plowing the driveway might have woke me, but it was time to get up anyway ! Mama cat was not waiting to eat today. I guess she didn't want to trudge through the deep snow.

Breakfast was a 180 calorie cinnamon roll and an 80 calorie yogurt. Around lunchtime I had 2 Eggo waffles (180 calories) with peanut butter. Lunch ended up being a can of minestrone soup (240 calories) with some romano cheese and crackers.

After breakfast I started checking in on my online slots. In a surprise, Lightning Link suddenly decided it wanted to pay ! I haven't played it much because of the lack of coins. It's possible this is because it's the start of a new week of challenges. The game is just throwing coins at me left and right ! In an ironic twist, the first game I played I accidentally set the bet at the lowest level and won 125 free spins ! I ended up getting over 27M coins and the winning just continued ! In about an hour I completed the daily challenges and my coins are at 65M ! It's just after 10:30 and I'm going to head outside and get started with the snow !

Well, it's 4:30 now and I'm about dead. I started my snow removal around 11 am with the side door, which had probably a foot of snow against it. I then started on the driveway, which had a lot of snow on each side. I've mentioned below I like the driveway to be extra wide. It took me about an hour. I also cleared away the pile of snow that was obstructing the window my security camera is in. I can now move it back down to a more normal spot. When I came inside I had 2 Eggo waffles with peanut butter. I was starving and needed something substantial. About 12:55 I geared up to shovel off the front steps and the sidewalk in front of my house. That only took 15 minutes. Later I had to tackle the snow outside the door that leads to the back step. I was clearing away what had tumbled off the roof while more was tumbling down ! I like to keep the area around the door clear for the cats and because it's an exit. The last task of the day was clearing the mountain of snow that was blocking the view from my kitchen window. So much snow had fallen off the roof and piled up there that it was blocking half the window ! If I stood at the sink all I could see snow. This was the most difficult job of the day, though not the most strenuous. I managed to climb up the pile of snow where the porch ends and started moving the snow away from the windows. I gradually climbed until I was basically on the top of the snow pile. I could touch the roof ! Unfortunately, one leg ended up sinking to my waist and I was a bit stuck. I managed to get both legs into the hole and basically sat on top of the snow pile as I cut it down. In the end I couldn't go back the way I came because I couldn't turn around. I had to shovel my way off the pile and into the yard, where the snow was up to my waist. I slowly made my way but ended up falling and basically sitting on my butt. I'm lucky I was basically in a seated position. I sat there for a minute trying to figure out how I was going to get up, since I couldn't use the snow for support or leverage. I ended up laying the shovel down and put my hand on that to push myself up. I was able to get up more easily than I expected ! Then I had to push my way around the snow that has basically buried the porch. I made sure to keep my body leaning forward so I wouldn't fall again. It took a couple minutes but I finally made it back to the porch and inside to warmth ! I was freezing to death. I stripped off my leggings and my feet and legs were bright red. l put my nightgown back on and settled on the couch with a blanket. I couldn't get warm so I got up and made myself a bowl of minestrone soup and a cup of hot tea. That did the trick ! Moving around probably made the most impact but soup and hot tea helps warm your insides ! I also took 2 Tylenol to head off the muscle soreness I know I will have. I already feel the stiffness in my wrists. There will be NO treadmill today, that is for sure ! While I was making my soup I happened to see the exhaust from the boiler ! I was a little worried that I might have pushed snow over it, and if it gets blocked the boiler would stop. I'm going to guess the exhaust is warm, so it must keep the snow melted in that area. I was so happy to see it, because I didn't want to have to fight the snow again. I have to wonder if any of my neighbors saw me out there. They probably think I'm a nut. I think I'm pretty amazing ! I had my Fitbit on while I was doing the snow and my heart rate hit a high of 152 while I was working on the driveway. That's actually not bad and it didn't stay that high for long. It's a healthy 62 as of 5:50 pm.

I ordered some Nutrisystem gift cards today and also certified for my unemployment benefits. I'm so glad I had the benefit of 6 months severance pay and the ability to continue my medical & dental benefits. I plan to start using them once this freaking snow is gone ! I'm also grateful to have a pension, be social security eligible and have a healthy IRA balance. I'm also glad I eliminated all credit debt and have kept up with that. Although I was forced into retirement, I'm in a good financial position and I hope to have many years left to enjoy life !

It's 5:42 now and I plan to spend the rest of the evening relaxing. I may try to shovel more of the snow off the back step, but that's something to think about tomorrow. I'd like to just chip away at that a little bit each day. I'm hoping the snow slows down soon so that it doesn't pile up against the kitchen window again ! If I chip away at the snow on the back step I can work my way towards the window and keep cutting that down. We do still have a lake effect snow warning in effect until 4 am tomorrow, but I'm hoping it goes north or south of me. I don't think we've ever had snow like this since I moved here in 2005.

I know one thing, I will have NO trouble sleeping tonight ! Also, I really would have liked chinese food today but they're closed on Monday's. I may get some tomorrow. Tomorrow is also the day to go to the grocery store if I want anything, since there is pretty much snow in the forecast every day after that. They say the snow is because Lake Ontario is not frozen, so any storm that blows this way is picking up moisture there. Regardless, I am sick to death of it and can't wait to get out of this house as soon as it's gone ! Today I was so over the snow and wanting to eat all my favorite comfort foods. I briefly thought about doing an Instacart order, but that was just a passing thought. Stuffing myself is not going to help or make it go away !