Day 59: Warmer Quiet Day

 

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 ? At this point, probably not but I'm going to keep trying. My original Day 59 blog can found here. I had lost almost 40 pounds at this point and with my cold on the mend I got myself back on the treadmill. It's 2:32 pm now .. can I get to the treadmill today ? No reason I can't !

I was awake near 7:30 and I'm glad I didn't linger in bed, as mama cat was waiting for me. Fortunately it wasn't quite so cold this morning, 11 degrees vs. yesterday's 5. As of 2:32 pm it's a more seasonable 29 degrees. The high for today is 30 so we're about there ! The low for tonight is 21 but Tuesday through Thursday will brings temps in the upper 40's and low 50's ! Unfortunately there is also rain in the forecast, which we don't need on top of melting snow. Hopefully it's just some light rain. That could help accelerate the snow melt. Downpours or heavy rain could be disastrous since the snowbanks can impact the ability to run off.

I spent the morning going the usual YouTube and online slots. I'm watching the Big Bear eagle cam as 2 of their 3 eggs are showing signs of hatching ! This is such happy news as their eggs failed to hatch the last 2 years. I can't wait to see the little babies. I did manage to get a shower and skincare done and I got myself dressed. Those are big accomplishments these days !

Breakfast was a 180 calorie cinnamon roll. Later I had some vanilla sandwich cookies. Lunch was 2 hotdogs.

I checked in on my bank account today to ensure all my bill payments were on track and the check my account balance. All was good ! I also scheduled a one year renewal for my cell phone plan. I'll pay $165 on 4-17 and not have to make another payment until 4-17-26 ! I am so glad Michelle brought up switching carriers and I'm so glad Rich recommended Mint Mobile. I also went online to certify my unemployment claim. After 6 months of severance it's nice to have 26 weeks of unemployment to cushion the blow. If I'm offered this job at Digital Direction I'm thinking I won't start until sometime in late May or early June, since Teresa isn't retiring until the end of June. I'm hoping to have a good long overlap so I can soak up all of her knowledge before she departs. Honestly though, I won't be sad if I don't get the job. I think I'll happily ride off into retirement. With my luck, I WILL be offered the job and if I am, I have no choice but to take it unless the pay is ridiculously low. I would like to believe Teresa wasn't working for peanuts. I know I won't get $100k, but I'd like to get $70-80k. We'll see ! I can always retire for good when I hit 65 and am eligible for Medicare. After all, the cost of medical insurance is the biggest issue when people hit retirement ! If I get this job I'll be just over 2 years away from 65 ... so I don't really have to keep it for long. However, if I love the job and am doing well, I'll keep on working. Why not ?

With the warmer temps I'm looking forward to putting my living room arrangement back the way it usually is. I move the couch after Christmas to ensure both radiators are fully exposed, to maximize the heat. I have to say, my heat has worked beautifully this year. This is the first time I didn't need a service call and that boiler never faltered once. I think setting the downstairs at 68 and the upstairs at 65 made a difference. The boiler didn't have to work quite so hard, though it rarely hit 68 in the laundry room. Next year I may set the laundry room at 65 and see how that goes. I'm not 100% sure what rooms are on that thermostat, so I'll have to check that before I turn the heat off for the summer. If the kitchen or bedroom is on that one then I can't set it that low. Regardless, I'm really happy with how it performed this year. My electric blanket was enough to take the initial chill off when I went to bed and the space heater in the living room helped keep me and Minnie warm ! If I am working this summer I plan to set up shop on the front porch like I used to do ! I am going to soak up every ray of sun I can.

We had a little bit of sunshine today but it didn't hang around long enough to melt much snow. I expect we'll see a lot of melting the next 3 days and I can't wait. I'd like to get out there and scrape away what I can along the sides of the driveway. It needs to be warm out there for a little bit before I even try. I'm looking forward to being able to wash my car in the driveway. I won't do that until most of the snow is gone, along with the threat of freezing temps. 

I need to update my weight loss ticker once I get myself back on track. I put the link in this blog to try and motivate me and so far it hasn't helped. I really think I'll have more luck once it warms up. I just can't function in the cold. Even though winter is on it's way out I still plan to purchase the light therapy unit. I'd like to make a daily dose of that part of my routine long before winter comes back ! Once a delivery driver can reach my front door I'll place the order for it. For now, my sidewalk is still impassable.

So tomorrow is Day 60 of what was supposed to be my fresh start. I started the original journey in the winter and never expected it to be so hard to start again in the winter. Losing my job and the anxiety about what comes next may factor in to my difficulties. Can I use day 60 as launchpad for 2025 ? I know I won't lose 100 pounds by 12-31, but I'd be happy to lose at least 50 between now and then. I feel like that's a reasonable goal.