Who the Heck Knows? Maintainers Chat for 2021
 

Welcome to the new maintainers chat thread! There was certainly very little "foresight" about what 2020 brought! Glad that's behind us. There aren't many posting here, but new folks are certainly welcome to join in.

Whether you're at goal weight or still working on it, we're glad to see you posting.

We had a quiet evening at home, although we of course had to hear all the fireworks around us. I feel so sorry for the animals.

Love the title :)

Yes, we had fireworks and shooting of guns. I got some hiking in today. Things are all quiet tonight.

Happy New Year to all you guys.

The new title is the best.

Happy New Year Bill, JayEll, Alice, and anyone else who lurks and/or posts infrequently. :newyear:

Love the thread title.

Dagmar :goodscale:

Alice, shooting of guns? Ye gods. Do people think bullets just evaporate?

It's a big football day! :cheer2::cheer3: My partner and I are fans. It has been a weird, screwy season, just like with everything else.

I have some good snacks lined up--snacks that hopefully won't increase my waistline too much.

We had the last of our holiday snax - gingerbread cookies covered with chocolate - with our tea today. House is clear of sweets and other treat foods!

Dagmar :sumo:

I think shooting guns at midnight on New Year's is a hispanic tradition. I don't like it and neither do the dogs.
Dagmar, I've never had chocolate-coated gingerbread, but it sure wounds good!

Happy New Year everyone! May this one be much better than the last!!!!

No resolutions this year. Doesn't seem to be much point. :shrug:

I am going to wait to weigh myself and see how far I've strayed in December. I'll probably weigh in January 15 - makes sense to wait a couple of weeks and stay on plan as much as I can. And I find weighing on a Friday is a much more accurate reflection of what I weigh. Waiting until a Monday pretty much guarantees I'll be up a bit from weekend indulgence.

Dagmar :goodscale:

Welcome to crazy town. :dunno: Events in Washington DC make me angry and sad.

We're planning a taco salad dinner soon. This meal is easy to make and not loaded with calories (unless you get carried away with sour cream and cheddar cheese). We like romaine lettuce as the salad part. Campari tomatoes cut into wedges are perfect.

I love taco salad! I make it a couple of times a week. In addition to romaine and tomatoes, I add a few pinto beans, a little ground beef, and half an avocado.

Dagmar, hope the scale is not too unkind when you finally weigh. I've been avoiding mine :)

We have another big lockdown coming, to add to our already locked down status. I wish they would start concentrating on being proactive, rather than reactive, and getting the initial dose of vaccine into the arms of as many people in the "hot" areas as possible. Want to reduce transmission? Reduce the number of people that can transmit, as well as using the other safety protocols.

I know a lot of frustrated people right now who, like myself, are starting to really lose ground economically.

At least I'm not eating to relieve stress as much as I was. Hoping that won't change as the provincial government continues to play political silly buggers rather than doing anything concrete to stall the second pandemic wave. Not much else to do but eat. SIGH.

Dagmar :rollpin:

They are saying here that we'll still have to wear masks, social-distance, wash hands, etc. even after we get the vaccine--for quite a while. I don't know how many people realize that.

I hope your government gets its act together, Dagmar. We are going to have a rough several days down here.

I hope your President's inauguration goes smoothly with no interruptions by idiots. :congrat:

We have 2 levels of government - federal and provincial - which are NOT working together on the vaccination roll out. Health care is generally left to the provincial governments to administer but our premier here in Ontario is an incompetent populist who got elected who knows how. He also has a major chip on his shoulder about Toronto - long story :blah:. So far only 860 people in out entire province have received both shots. The head of the rollout is blaming the federal government, who is co-ordinating the vaccine supply. The federal government is blaming the individual provinces for not working together.

And the COVID case numbers are rising rapidly. People will die while the admin is being sorted out. It's not like they didn't have any advance warning that the vaccines were coming . . . SIGH.

Dagmar :rollpin:

That's not too unlike what's happening here, Dagmar. The rollout is left to the states. Our county had 3,000 vaccine doses arrive, and all appointments have now been filled. The population of our county is just under a million. Of course, the first doses are to go to those at greatest risk. I'm holding off even though I am age-qualified. There are people who need the vaccine more than I do--I don't have a "front line" job, and I'm healthy. And, I follow the guidelines religiously!

I ate way too much yesterday while watching football. But, today is a new day.

Did my first weights workout since before Christmas. Messed up my back on Christmas Day - no idea how - and have been waiting until things felt healed enough to resume the weights. Boy that felt good! :lifter:

Dagmar :woohoo:

Did the second (different) weights workout this week. :woohoo: Back on the healthy eating track too. Weigh in was 139.6 lbs. - not so bad! :goodscale:

Dagmar :yay:

Good for you, Dagmar! I find that deadlifts, done the right way, help my back as long as I keep the weight low. And they help my leg strength as well.

Today, though, my exercise will be running the weed whacker.

Dagmar, glad your back is feeling good again! Not bad with the weight either. I know I've gained a pound or two in the last couple of weeks. Stress eating.

We are signed up to get the first dose of Covid vaccine next Friday!! The second doses may never materialize seeing as how the Feds made them disappear somewhere, but one dose is at least better than none.

I hope you get the second shot within the approved time window Alice. Since so little has been studied because a vaccine has never been rushed out so fast I hope the departure from the suggested dosage works out OK. No idea if only getting one dose will provide immunity. I hope they get everyone the second shots in time so the first ones won't be a total waste if the one shot is not enough. Kinda stupid IMO to mess around with the dosage the manufacturer has developed.

My cousin, a doctor, got his second shot last week. Canadian vaccination has been at glacial speed up to now and now apparently we are slowing down even more.

I'm hoping to get the first shot in probably August and that there will be a guaranteed second shot. SIGH.

The alternative is a whole lot worse so I'm trying to steel myself for another summer of isolation and masking etc.

Dagmar :tired:

I'm still going to wear my mask until the cases really drop. Here in Central California they are sky high. I didn't mean to say we wouldn't get a second dose, in fact I'll start asking about the second appointment at our appt on Friday. In three weeks' time, the Feds might have their act together enough to come through with the second shots!

I hope Canada speeds up to where you can get vaccinated a lot sooner than August!

I'm so relieved - just spent 10 minutes weeping over Springsteen's performance last night. Stress relief - tears of relief? I was afraid someone would try to assassinate Biden and/or Harris yesterday and that civil war would get started in the US.

The pandemic is making me a little crazy :crazy: no? But I think a lot of people shared my fears, and ate and drank waaay to excess yesterday while it all played out (see how cleverly I stickhandled that into 3FC material :lol:). So glad it worked out!

I'm going to do my partying this weekend as I'm able to work again without fear of bylaw fining me $5K. Now I can seriously start taking off the Trump/COVID stress weight.

Dagmar :yay:

Dagmar, what did I miss about the "bylaw" that would fine you $5K for working?

We are in a serious state of stress relief here in the USA. We have PTTD (figure it out).

JayEll Ontario has declared a state of emergency due to rapidly rising COVID cases. There are specific rules about what people should be doing.. Most people are supposed to stay at home and work remotely from there. Doesn't work so well for my job and I can't stop working since there is no financial support for self-employed people. If someone reports me for working I could be fined $5K, Someone sensible took a look at what dog walkers were doing, classified us as curbside pick up , and now we can do our jobs. :yay:

Dagmar :sunny:

Great thread!
​❤️❤️❤️😁😁😁

Welcome, Flexxy! :wave:

Dagmar, I'm glad someone had the sense to categorize your work so you could still do it! "Curbside pickup" works! And I know you take precautions.

Alice, good luck on getting your first shot! :cheer2:

People in the over-65 group here are still spending hours on hold and on the computer trying to get appointments. I hope things do get straightened out with the vaccine supply soon. People don't need any more stress.

Just home from getting the first shot! It was at the fairgrounds. Very well organized with no waiting in line. Now to see what happens supply-wise for the second shot in 3 weeks.

I'm mostly a non-crier, but I will admit to getting misty-eyed when the first woman VP took the oath. Now let's see if things will calm down and at least some of the people will stop believing the crazy nonsense.

:bravo: Alice! I hope the second shot is available soon and getting it goes as well as the first.

:wel3fc: Flexxy!

I am back down under 140 lbs. after a brief fling with a box of chocolate cookies I found stashed away in the basement. That "40" on the scale really made me stop and look at what I have been doing. I haven't been in that number range since around 2008-2009.

The pandemic is going to go on for probably another 7 - 8 months. I'm going to stop using it as an excuse to stress eat and drink alcohol (which I haven't really done since 1991).

I didn't realize how much anxiety :eek: (about the US, getting COVID, my job and being fined what is a large amount for me, and some issues with 2 of the dogs) all these factors were causing until it lifted. I have a weird way of dealing with stressful situations. I get through them and then eat as part of the relief afterwards. :hungry: The stress eating will probably never entirely stop but the alcohol will. It's something a really don't need to do any more.

Looking forward to getting back into my summer weight range by summer!

Dagmar :goodscale:

Big football games yesterday! :cheer2: :cheer3: Great fun watching them! The two winners will now play in the Super Bowl: Tampa Bay Buccaneers versus Kansas City Chiefs! Even more exciting because it will be held in Tampa! (No, I will be watching at home. I have never liked being in crowds, even before the coronavirus.)

Plumber is coming shortly--I think one of the elements has gone out on our water heater. The water is hot, but the hot runs out too fast.

I'm slipping into some old habits - blaming the pandemic for most of them. I was out in blowing snow and freezing rain most of the day yesterday and then had to shovel snow in the evening too. I was exhausted :faint: and used that as an excuse to eat all sorts of junk after dinner. I've regained 6 "real" lbs. Doesn't seem like much but it's almost 30% of the weight I lost and kept off initially. Viewed as a percentage that's quite alarming. :eek:

My country's non-planning for vaccine rollout is not helping boost my morale either. I might not even get the darn thing this year. :rollpin:

Dagmar :tired:

Stress really can lead to weight gain--sometimes even without much overeating. Years ago my partner underwent radiation therapy and our life was disrupted for months. I gained 10-15 pounds over those months, maybe more. In retrospect I should have asked for and found more help for us.

The vaccine distribution here is more methodical, but we never know when it's going to be available or how much. Panicked people jump on every chance to play "vaccine roulette"--some make appointments in other counties and make the drives. I know someone whose elderly brother came from another state, and she managed to get him residency so he could get a shot. It seems unfair, but if the goal is to get people vaccinated, maybe it's not.

Dr. Fauci says the vaccine "prevents illness, not infection." In other words, these masks are gonna stay on a long time.

JayEll I'm fine with wearing the mask and might even do so next winter. I've had another form of the flu and would willingly comply with any measures to stop it happening again. The physical distancing at the grocery store and the early bird hour for seniors are things I'd like to see continue as well.

Most of all I'd like to feel relatively safe going out in this City again. That's what Toronto is about for me - crowds, cultural events, shows, movies etc. Without all of those there isn't much point to "living" here.

What we are doing now is certainly better than risking being physically incapacitated for the rest of our lives, or even dying, but it's something I'm finding hard to sustain. I am very much of the physical world and looking at everything on a screen is not natural for me. Like reading - I want a physical book in my hands, rather than a box with a screen.

I like to touch animals and things and hug my DH. I wear clothes made from natural materials because synthetics irritate my skin. I cook and eat food from scratch whenever possible. I like flowers with scent.

On screen is just not satisfying for me. Kinda like eating a meal from small tubes of paste, rather than food from a plate.

Dagmar :shrug:

I'll wear a mask as long as it's mandated. I've always been careful about washing hands and using sanitizers/disinfectants, because I have never had a regular flu shot. I don't get the flu much in spite of that. I think it's been once in ten years or more--I can't remember the last time. I don't get colds much, either.

I miss our concerts--we had season tickets for years. I enjoy live music with an orchestra. And we used to go to live theater often. I wonder whether those will ever come back. But in general, I avoid crowds.

Most people I know who have received the vaccine have had no side effects, even after the second shot. So that's good.

As far as food, my partner and I have settled into a routine. I do the grocery shopping about once a week, and we get takeout or go out to eat once a week or so, at restaurants we trust. My weight has stayed steady all this time, even though it's high. I don't think that right now is the time to address that! Ha!

My main problem with staying at home more is that I have completely gotten out of the habit of travelling. It seems like it will take a huge effort to visit my son near Tacoma, WA, even though I haven't seen my grandchild up there yet. And same with going to Arizona to hike. We'll see how it goes, but I really like being home. Our second shot should be coming up on Feb 12 if the supply holds steady.

Alice I hope the vaccine supply holds steady and you get your second shot as planned. And travelling? if you can safely do it great! Who knows what's going to happen next? See your grandchild!

Dagmar :cheer:

I doubt we'll be doing much traveling this year. Maybe some car trips within the state... It makes me sad because it's not like we have decades ahead of us for traveling.

I have a friend who has lowered her cholesterol using dietary changes alone. Her cholesterol was pretty high, but she was determined not to take the usual drugs, and I'm with her. She reduced her intake of animal-based foods (e.g., no butter, no whole eggs) and increased her fiber, and it's working. I'm glad that my cholesterol is not high!

just un-lurking to chip in where it's none of my business but JayEll ...why is your friend reducing animal-based foods if her aim is lower cholesterol? Does she know that eating a lower cholesterol diet isn't the same as reducing cholesterol in your blood? Fats, carbs, sugars etc are the main culprits to chop...which she's doing (with a twist). Low-nutrition food in general (sweets, refined carbs etc) would be a better target than the animal angle. Great that it's working for her though and i totally agree it's a much better approach than popping pills. The only issue with her angle is that maybe she's cutting out some stuff that has other nutritional benefits, eg protein, and not cutting the more obvious processed foods which are adding nothing.

Sorry for the unasked-for rant, but it's an area that i used to have the wrong idea about too, so i think there's a lot of general misunderstanding with people on the subject (not surprisingly since it's not intuitive).

Hi! Nice to see you, ange82much! :) Would like to see more of you.

I completely agree. I don't think my friend is doing herself any favors by avoiding those foods. Cholesterol in foods doesn't affect blood cholesterol that much anyway, from what I've read. I wonder about the nutrition angle also. She has limited her intake of carbs and sugar for a long time.

Upon my asking her more about it, seems she's now walking 3 miles a day for 6 days a week. She used to do only 3 days. I think that's more likely to be the cause of her lower cholesterol.

Speaking of which, I think it's time for me to go for a walk! 1-1/2 to 2 miles is plenty for me.

Nice to hear from you, ange.

Reducing butter and red meat will reduce your saturated fat, which is a driver of high cholesterol. Cheese is, too. But eggs are once again on the "good" list. I agree with you, JayEll, that exercise is a giant part of the equation.

Egg yolks contain important nutrients other than cholesterol. My partner and I never believed that eggs were bad. We insisted that we were going to eat them anyway--but then we realized that we only eat eggs maybe once a week, so it was a non-issue!

Tampa Bay Bucs won the Super Bowl, and people here are elated! :cheer2: :cheer3: Bucs' defense was excellent, but the Kansas City Chiefs also did not seem to be playing at their full ability. I like Kansas City, but can't root against the home team!

I bought "party foods" to have on hand, but we ended up not eating much of them.

I'm finding that I don't really want all the "party food" either. I ordered DH a birthday cake for this coming weekend and will also give him a really nice box of Belgian chocolate for Valentine's Day. I will eat a piece of the cake but probably only one. And I have my own box of Belgian chocolate but will eat one or two, rather than the whole box in a weekend.

Dagmar :goodscale: