Life After 50

Exercising For Emotional, As Well As Physical, Fitness

2012-01-02T11:12:00.002-07:00

One of the areas where I've needed to get unstuck is physical fitness. The frustration, depression, and apathy of the past six months or so have immobilized me. As a result, I've put on enough weight to make all of my clothes uncomfortable, and my joints hurt. This is not who I am! I've always been fairly active and athletic, and being sedentary like I've been depresses me even more.My first step

The Obligatory New Year's Blog Entry

2012-01-02T09:35:00.003-07:00

Everyone seems to do a New Year's blog entry. I hadn't thought specifically about it, but today I felt like writing, so here's mine.Overall, 2011 wasn't the best year for me. Without going into details, I'll just say that I suffered some setbacks emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially. The end of the year found me battling depression and anxiety, lacking in confidence and at a loss

Of Past Cats

2011-11-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

I wrote this essay in 2001, but it was recently brought to mind once again and I decided it needed to come out of the mothballs: As night thins into morning, I feel the familiar warmth of Lenny beside me. With my eyes still shut, I roll onto my side to curl my body around his, slipping my arm over him and pulling him close to me. Lenny was the cat I hadn't wanted, but who had come into my life

I'm Somebody!

2011-09-19T13:32:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm somebody. I know it's true because of something I did yesterday. You know how you'll hear people say, "Somebody should fix that." "Somebody should clean that up." "Somebody should make some changes." "Somebody should DO something." Perhaps you've even said or thought it yourself. I know I have. Well, yesterday I was out bicycling when I came upon a broken branch lying halfway across

Why Slow Travel?

2011-08-06T14:03:00.003-06:00

I like to travel slow. To some people, that means going by car or bus instead of flying. But I prefer to go even slower. My favorite ways to travel are by bicycle or on foot (horseback would be good, too). Some would guess the reasons I enjoy those means of travel have something to do with physical activity, or challenge, or just being outdoors, and they'd be right. But there's something more --

Let Freedom Ring

2011-07-06T16:04:00.001-06:00

While most everyone else in the country was grilling, drinking, and preparing to go watch fireworks, I attended an alternative Fourth of July event. A local resident had the idea of ringing bells to celebrate our country's freedom and remember those who fought to win that freedom for us. He didn't have much time to get the word out, but we went ahead with it anyway. There were about 20 of us who

A New Life

2011-06-05T13:59:00.002-06:00

I've just welcomed a new granddaughter to the world. I'm happy to say that mom, dad, and baby are all doing well. I traveled 1,460 miles to be present at the big event, and even though the process did not unfold as the prospective parents had planned, we are all just happy that little Brooke is healthy. The birth day was quite emotional for me, and I worked hard to keep the tears in check.

Saving Money

2010-09-26T13:53:00.000-06:00

I find that I can no longer justify the expense of a domain name that doesn't produce an income to pay for itself. Besides, I don't go on adventures anymore, and I don't have the time to keep up with writing here. I am letting the domain name ohmygodim50.com expire, but I think this site will still be available by using ohmygodim50.blogspot.com. If not, check in with me from time to time at

Emily's Excellent Excursion

2010-07-05T08:35:00.000-06:00

This morning my niece drove off to begin a new adventure. She has quit her job and will be driving around the country with no real plan or schedule, just to see what she can see and learn. She's been preparing for quite some time, and I've been passing on all the hints and tips I could think of from my own adventures on the road. Image via WikipediaIt was exciting and sad at the same time to

Time

2010-05-11T05:31:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaTime has just evaporated since I got home, and especially since I started to work. I've only been to work one day, and already my spirits are drooping. I see my life slipping away as I hang out doing piddly work for someone else eight hours a day. I'm exhausted, and there's no time to pursue my own fledgling online business. The car I was expecting has not yet manifested, so I

Settling In

2010-05-06T07:06:00.000-06:00

Image by lisacchamberlain via FlickrI've been home a week now. I was excited to be coming home, but it was hard to leave Culebra. I was okay as I squished myself into the little plane with seven other passengers. I was okay as we climbed above the harbor. But as the plane banked and I looked back at the little town, I suddenly felt as if I were leaving home. It was different from when I arrived

Pinot Grigio Dreams

2010-04-26T08:11:00.001-06:00

Image via WikipediaRapid-fire flashes of unrelated scenes while I am half awake and half asleep... Sneaking into my ex-husband's house to get something Meeting Bo Duke of Dukes of Hazzard I keep thinking of him as John Larroquette, even though I know that's not right Riding with Bo on a motorcycle Suddenly driving the motorcycle myself with a group of people The motorcycle has a knob on the

Attitude

2010-04-20T10:38:00.000-06:00

I've been in a strange mood for the past several days. Just really blah and unmotivated, and today I feel very sad. I know this must be hormones, because I'm actually excited to be going home soon. I just don't feel the excitement. It's cloudy and drizzly, but that's not the problem, because I'm happy for it to rain here...when it rains, it's only 82 degrees instead of 85. Of course, the humidity

Birdwatching

2010-04-15T12:44:00.001-06:00

Each of our rental rooms has a clothesline strung under the porch roof. Yesterday when I went to paint the front of one room, there were some grasses hanging on a group of three clothespins on the line. The way the wind blows things around here, I didn't think much of it, and I knocked the grass off. Image by mostevens via FlickrIt wasn't long before a pair of little yellow and gray bananaquits

Party's Over

2010-04-12T11:16:00.001-06:00

It's been fun, it's been educational, it's been an adventure. But it's time to move on. Hey, what did you expect from someone who has been a seasonal worker for six years? Image by selkovjr via FlickrI gave notice this morning, and I'll be leaving the island at the end of the month. The boss said he's sad to see me go. I know come winter, I'll probably be wishing I was back, but I'll just have

Summer in Culebra

2010-04-04T08:09:00.002-06:00

So it's not summer yet, only April. But already it's so hot. We haven't had much rain, and the grass is almost all brown. The leaves on the trees are getting droopy and yellow. We hear that over the summer, the entire hillside covered with trees will be brown. I gave up trying to grow vegetables. They can't stand up to the heat. And the town is rationing water, shutting off the supply to certain

Chicken Group-Think

2010-04-02T19:27:00.001-06:00

Last week there was a new brood of chicks down by the office. I knew it was a new one, because there were still nine babies. The hen was one I don't remember seeing before, an interesting blond color. One of the chicks was a runt. Mom would strut along for a few feet, then stop and wait. All the other chicks clustered around her while the poor little runt struggled to negotiate the blades of

April Fool

2010-04-01T17:18:00.000-06:00

When I turned the pump on at the pool this morning, a heavy stream of water started spraying out of a valve between the pump and the pressure tank. I flipped it back off and sent a text message to the boss. He examined it and found that the plastic cap was cracked. Of course, this is Culebra, so it's not like we can just run out to the store and get a new one. That's why he has a big garage full

Mother and Son

2010-03-24T14:02:00.000-06:00

It seems that everywhere I go I'm accompanied by dozens of tiny peeping voices. Several of the hens are leading clutches of puff-ball chicks around. It started several weeks ago. I saw a hen with three chicks near one of the buildings. The next time I saw her, she only had one. They grow so fast. After a few days I started painting that building, and the little guy already had real wing feathers,

Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-23T16:16:00.002-06:00

Even though the temperature here in Puerto Rico is fairly constant all year -- I'm guessing a variation of maybe 20 degrees -- there are seasonal changes. Little signs pop up here and there, indicating the arrival of spring. Image via WikipediaThe first thing I noticed was the blossoming of the trees, my attention drawn by the steady bee hum. The entire tree seemed to shimmer with bee activity..

I Swim With The Fishes

2010-03-20T15:33:00.001-06:00

So yesterday I finally got a chance to go snorkeling, thanks to Tom. He had made some sort of trade with the tour company and got three spaces on the kayaking/snorkeling tour in exchange. This tour company operates from the main island of Puerto Rico. They bring the customers over on the ferry in a small bus, while a pickup hauls all the gear. At the appointed time, Tom's family and I went to

American, And Proud Of It!

2010-03-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

Image via WikipediaOkay, so this will only mean something to people from northeast Ohio. Our reservations are written on the room schedule by last name only. For a week and a half now, I've been looking at one particular name and wondering....could it be...? This afternoon I checked him in. His name is Paul Serpentini. As soon as we stepped into the office, he said something about this being

People Connections

2010-03-07T05:30:00.006-07:00

It started way back in 2000, when I was planning for my Appalachian Trail hike. I spent a lot of time reading trail journals online, and that's where I first came to know Deb. She was hiking the trail that year, and hers was one of the better journals so I followed her to the end. Her trail name was Ramkitten. She still uses that moniker online, much like I still use Shepherd of the Hills in

Animal Connections

2010-03-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

When I first came here, the only animals I saw much of were the chickens and the geckos. The presence of a stranger in their territory sent all the rest into hiding. After a couple weeks, I began seeing seeing iguanas and cats, but only at distance. Now they are getting accustomed to my being around and aren't so quick to run. At first, the iguanas would take off as fast as they could as soon

Universal Language?

2010-03-03T09:28:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaLest Americans get any more arrogant, I just thought I'd let you know that English is not the common language everywhere. A couple of guys stopped in today wanting to see a room and perhaps stay here. Jose met them on his way out and called me down to assist them. When I got to the office, I found out they were Italian and spoke very little English. They did, however, speak