@Feathers11 just seeing your post and the possibility of hiking a marathon distance.

What is the surface of the trail? Footing is important as it involves different footwear, muscles flexibility and endurance.

What is the expected length of time to do the hike? 1 very long day or?

The rule of thumb in distance training is you can do double what you have trained for . Of course the caveat is doing it and finishing it in what condition physically and mentally?

The other rule is one needs to do the distance in training so your body remembers what to expect.

On a comfortable non racing ” easy” trail I avg a 9-10 min mile jog . So your distance of 26 miles would be 4-5 hrs if jogging and steady . Add rest stops and if you are walking then more like a 15 min mile on an easy trail. 7-8 hrs with rest stops.

Hope this helps you decide what training would look like. Having fun with a friend is the most important part. 🙏c

I am out of a full boot and into a surgical shoe. Which is a boot without the upper part.

My toe is is a good position and it moves, but I can't move it more than a few millimeters.

It's almost 8 weeks on the crutches but I don't think I will be completely off them at 8 weeks.

I completely wore through a set of caps on the ends of my crutches

My systolic blood pressure was over 100 at the visit. I think there is nothing I can change to make it not be higher than it should other than a personality transplant.

What is kind of interesting is that in the cast I started sleeping on my side with the foot elevated, which is essentially a pillow or two between my knees, and then with two pillows under my head to balance the others and I have been sleeping all night in one position and not having the bad shoulder pain and numbness (yes I probably need surgery on my shoulder too)

I used to sleep with the pillow between my knees and I don't know why I stopped.

Squee, 0.3 lbs from my (latest) goal weight. Well, at least what has been my ideal goal for like 25 years. I am not sure when i last weighed this much, but I think early HS.

Now that I am essentially here, it is a big surprise to see that I am not a perfect specimen! Whaaaat? After all.this.work. This never occurred to me. 😆

So, I will prob set a new goal. Not a huge difference, maybe another 5 lbs.

BTW have you noticed suddenly everyone is getting thinner? It is actually kind of crazy in my circles. Are we going to reset beauty standards again? Just my luck.

Sue, I hope your surgery goes well and that it resolves the issue. I have never heard of a salivary gland stone either.

Jo, what a rude comment by that woman. I am shocked that anyone would make a comment like that. You are beautiful inside and out. You have dealt with many challenges in the last few years, so maybe you have eaten more than normal for you. The real measure is how you feel inside. As women, society puts so much pressure on us to look a certain way. Hopefully you can let her comment go and focus on what really matters-your health and how you feel.

My bestie and I now joke that we are the only ones in our friend group not on a GLP-1. I saw a friend whom I haven't seen in a few years, and IMHO she has gotten way too thin on the one she takes. It has aged her. That being said, I would never ever make a comment to her (or anyone) about her weight. She did mention that she no longer has sleep apnea, so that is a huge win.

I am feeling good about my eating and exercise, but the heat and humidity here is so draining. My energy is pretty low. We usually leave in August, but were unable to do so this year. Already thinking ahead to next summer-Iceland? Ha ha!

I may be in the minority here (we shall see) but I have no problem with lab created. I like the look/sparkle so I don't really care if it came out of the earth vs lab. If the cost is the same, I'd pick natural but it's not the same.

Now having said that, my DH completely disagrees and the last couple of presents have been real/natural even though I told him lab created is fine with me.

Lab-grown diamonds aren't fake--they're actual diamonds.

I know a couple of recent brides whose engagement rings were lab-grown diamonds. One did it for ethical reasons, as the diamond industry is really seedy, and the other for cost. Jewelry is not a good investment, and given the divorce rate (just being real here), I would advise young couples to buy lab-grown for engagement/wedding purposes.

RNmom, your occasion is more sentimental, so I would say get what you want (and happy bday!). But for myself, I'd go with lab-grown and use the money I'd save for travel or something else. My sister has worked in the jewelry business most of her career, and I have some really beautiful diamond pieces that she sourced for me. But I've never been enthralled with diamonds.

No problem here with the lab grown. I even considered having Mom's ashes made into a diamond, but then I thought again and said no. But an interesting concept...better than keeping a loved one in a dusty urn somewhere. And Mom was a real gem for sure!

"Turning cremation ashes into a diamond involves extracting carbon from the remains, purifying it, and placing it into a high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) machine that mimics the earth's natural diamond-growing process. Prices typically range from $750 to over $17,000 depending on size and color, taking several months to complete. [1, 2, 3]The Process

• Carbon Extraction: Labs like Eterneva or Algordanza take about 0.5 cups of ashes, heat them in a crucible to remove unwanted elements, and isolate the carbon. [1, 2, 3]
• Graphite Conversion: The isolated carbon is transformed into graphite, which serves as the base material inside the diamond growth cell. [1, 2]
• HPHT Growth: The graphite goes into a machine that applies extreme heat and pressure over months to grow a rough diamond crystal. [1, 2]
• Cut and Polish: The rough lab-grown diamond is faceted, polished, and certified just like a natural diamond. [1, 2, 3]" (AI)

"Its' all a convenience until it's not, and it's all about crime prevention until it's not."

Exactly. And it's all just make believe in the movies until it's not. Terminator and AI/thinking machines or Minority Report and precrime arrests. I'd say you can't make this stuff up but obviously someone did.

Map of cameras so far:

https://maps.deflock.org/?lat=39.8283&lng=-98.5795&zoom=2.50

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flock_Safety

”Much of Flock's initial investment came from private venture capital funds associated with Peter Thiel …”

I don't tend to be an alarmist about these things, and in general shrug and think, "Well, the benefit outweighs the negative aspects," but I am beginning over the last few years to feel that there is more nefarious activity within our government than I had realized. My son is a software engineer and will not participate in any social media, 23AndMe, etc. because he knows firsthand what happens to our data.

I highly recommend Giada Beef and Butternut squash stew (link). I make this all the time.

We do eat lettuce, only hydroponically grown. If you can find local, even better.

Dont peel. they are forgivably thinned-skinned . thanks for the stew recipe— my kind of persnickety.😊

What a wonderful package to help your friend heal!

I always make the same stew (rosemary-shallot beef stew) but next time I'll try it with short ribs!

I never peel baby potatoes for stew and those look especially thin. I think you are fine!

Not normal aging. I do agree that doctor visits are brief and they can miss signs that the family is seeing.

Has the neurologist done a brain MRI? Has the neurologist recommended a consultation with a geriatric psychiatrist so the two specialists can discuss their findings?

Consider a 2nd opinion.

Most importantly, keep an eye on MIL’s safety at home if she lives alone and while driving.

ETA - has your MIL seen her primary care physician recently? Untreated health issues like mini stroke, UTIs, diabetes onset, and low calcium levels can cause symptoms that present like dementia.

The incidents you describe definitely point to cognitive impairment of some sort. One relative recently saw a decline his cognitive testing score. In-depth scans showed no evidence of dementia. A subsequent sleep study uncovered severe sleep apnea and prompted the use of a bipap device which has resolved the issue.

There are many possible reasons for cognitive impairment other than dementia like medication, sleep apnea and vascular blockages to name a few.

I missed this the first time I read the OP:

Her daughter takes her to doctors, and she agrees with me, as does my husband.

I think three of you is enough of a quorum to make this assessment that something seems off and you want her to see another neurologist. If you don't want to ask the current one for a referral, ask her GP. Her other loved ones can be informed but I would not ask their permission, especially if MIL herself is consenting to a second opinion. Plus at this stage it is just diagnostic.

I agree that the hotel safe rather than the in-room safe might be an option.

One time the lock broke to my hotel room and they had to call maintenance to get me in. I was shocked at how quickly he broke into the room. Since then, I *always* prop a chair under the door knob to prevent accessing the room as he did.

bbstx: Maybe the mammogram facility should offer bra fitting services? After all, we are standing there exposed…

Early service today, now on the way to pick up my mother for lunch and maybe a movie afterwards. We both love those kid packs!

Talbot’s linen shirtdress and this is one of the pairs of woven Cushionaire MJs that are so comfortable. The ”feels like“ high today is 98 degrees while the actual temp will be a mere 94. I am grateful on days like this for sleeveless, breezy dresses!

Beaded bags? Like this?

We are heading on one of those luggage-weighing trips at the end of the week. We will be gone for 12 days, and around day 7 we take a sea plane to Vancouver Island. Weight limit for luggage is 40 lbs each. We can leave some things in Vancouver mainland, but I want to try to stick with the 40 lb limit. I’m taking it as a challenge! I don’t need fancy dinner outfits or anything — everything will be casual — but I will need layers, and at least one pair of extra shoes. It’s like safari packing all over again! Fortunately my tried and true Athleta pants are very light. And they dry pretty quickly if I need to wash them in the hotel sink. (And, we have laundry for the last few days.)

This reminds me of the episode on Friends…… Monica in the Bahamas! Which is me during the summer months or vacationing in warm climates🤪 no need to bring a blow dryer or flat iron, just a waste of time.

I purged some very nice, dressy pairs of cowboy boots this week … a teen relative by marriage was visiting and they fit her perfectly. She was so excited (so was I). They took up a lot of room in my closet, so it’s nice having that space. And her big smile and twirling around in them made me so glad I didn’t sell them like I’d planned.

My next purge project will be our small utility room. I have a junk drawer in there that I cringe even opening. Ugh. I’m going to clean it and the cabinets in there. I need to order some organizing storage trays today.

This thread being active is helping to keep me motivated*. Thanks, 3katz and everyone. :)

*So is watching Dateline episodes. If they ever filmed my house, I‘d want the voiceover to say it was one of the cleanest, most organized homes they’d ever seen. “All of her hangers match!”

Turns out Elfa closet drawer parts are not out of stock at the Container Store. Spoke to a nice associate at the store and she said that they had changed SKU's and the website was not updated. She placed my order for all the necessary parts and I should have them in 10 days or so. In the meantime I did steal a few drawers from the guest bedroom closet, so I could sort my newly folded shirts (short sleeve, long sleeve, athletic, casual and dressy). Closet is now back to being neat and organized.

I noticed this thread title yesterday and it inspired me to do an electronics equipment purge this morning, including two phones, one ipad, one laptop, one printer, and one desktop computer — all ready to go to recycling! ty!

We have a Yorkshire trip this fall and an Italian destination wedding in the spring, so I think a trip even to Sarasota might be one too many. Even if it means I miss a fun Ring! Sarasota bell concert. (They really are a hoot) So put me down in the ”regretfully probably not, but ever optimistic” column. (and really hoping to go, as February in Chicago is the best time to not be here.)

One thing we are all very mindful of is to mingle with everyone and bring newbies into the fold. I think that's really important for events like this.

Echoing @jsk, I too can confirm! Tulipmania was my first GTG, and it was a bit like a homecoming because I already felt such a kinship with this forum. I’m looking forward to Sotafest and getting to know everyone better.

I’m hoping DH will join me on this trip—perhaps we can get the DHs together for coffee or lunch. And I'm optimistic about everyone in the "optimistic" column. Come on....you know you want to!

And as always, many thanks to the co-chairs, coco chairs, rococo chairs, and everyone else involved in the planning!

mtn had the good idea to check Philly. I'm about 1/2 way between Newark and Philly (slightly closer to Newark). Direct flight on American in economy (sigh) is a bit over $700. Better. I will keep checking.