Cutting plans and cutting back

Happy New Years to one and all and sorry I’m a week late in that.  Between my back and at home PT and going in for PT, it’s been a lot going on.  My back is feeling a bit better and progressing.  The disc is still a bit bulged, but imaging shows a1/3rd improvement, so the docs and therapists think that the issue should resolve itself without surgical intervention…. I just gotta keep up on the work at home.  Stretching, weight management, and core strength.  I’m not complaining (much) about that, since it’s a daily reminder to stretch, move, and NOT have a extra snack.  I’m down 2.5kg in just the last three weeks making ONLY those changes; add in a stationary bike ride and planks 4-5x a week and cutting out soda and drinking more herbal tea with a fruit or veg for a snack and I’m hoping to come into spring about 7kg down and come into summer at a slim 77kg, instead of the 87.5kg I’m at currently.  Also, I’m going to note… I will be doing this all WITHOUT Ozempic (semaglutide) because weight loss should never be an injectable and I fear for the race not knowing the long term effects of that and/or the multigenerational effects.  We are headed towards WALL-E.

We also have our February planned.  A few changes to the itinerary, but for now I’m going to leave you all in suspense.  Check back middle February and see where we’ve been and where we are going next.  

Kiddo, after insisting that she would (quote on quote haha) “never cut her hair” and then deciding to chop it to her chin was complaining as her hair was growing out and getting longer.  J also needed a trim, so she set up and appointment and they left me to my own devices on Saturday 03 January.  I would have love to come with, but with my back and the trip into town via train and then home, it is beyond my limits right now, so I was at home and putzing around and cooking and things like that.  I thought it was going to be just a trim.  NOPE!  She went full on hair cut.

It’s cool though.  She looks good.  Kiddo to the max, but cute as a button.  However, she reported after going to school and showing it off that most people wondered if she wasn’t cold with no hair now.  Temps have been around 8C (46F) with lows of -1 or 0 with a northern wind.  It’s been chilly, to say the least, but at least it isn’t snow cold.  Or snowing.  We may see that before we leave in February, but I hope not. 

Kiddo, however, its a little Thai Girl.  Anything below 18C (65F) and she is FREEZING on the walk to school or going out to play.  Ideally, in her opinion, temps should be 26C (79F) as a LOW and when it gets to 40C (104F) it’s too hot.  Everything in between is good.  Then, with no sense of irony, she pops out of the bedroom a few nights ago dressed like this…..

So, it's too cold and so you dress in the thinnest blanket in the house and toga it and HOW ARE YOU SO EIGHT??????

We keep the house at 19-20C (65-68F) since we have blankets and sweaters.  Yeah, we could go 22C (72F) or something, but where the heater is and where it blows we constantly get it sitting on the sofa to watch a show, so it’s unnecessary there and otherwise we are in the kitchen after cooking, so it’s warmer in there.  Unless I’m just starting to cook, but I can take off a sweater as the kitchen and house warms, but too hot and them I’m in shirtsleeves and as soon as the cook is over I’m freezing.  

We’ve finished the Top Chefs that we own or have access to and that was a ton of fun with Kiddo.  She’s really thinking and talking about food in different ways.  We are now back to some nature docs.  Currently, we’ve been watching Born Wild on AppleTV+ and it was cool.  It’s about endangered animals and preserves where they are born and raised to be prepared to be reintroduced into the wild.  So far Kiddo has had a cry each and every episode, when the animals are released or one of the little ones and runts of the pack dies.  She was super excited for the episode the other night.  So far, I gotta say, cheetahs have been my favorite.  Super interesting and wow did humans decimate the population.  Good to see them protected and rebuilding.  Also cool to see the hands off methods bring used so the animals keep up their instincts to not rely on humans and to have some caution and fear and being truly wild.

Kiddo is ready for a break and we are all looking forward to February, but until we get there, Kiddo is living her best life.  On top of TogaBabe and short cut Kiddo, she’s also so full of imagination.  I walked into her room the other day to ask her something about snack before dinner and she was setting up things for Poley, Snow (another polar bear friend and Poley’s sister), and Clucksters to have a meditation and mentalist session.  Oh, in Ranza, a mentalist is a therapist.  They needed to talk out their issues; that Poley doesn’t like chickens, but Snow used to date Clucksters, but he had a gambling problem and he stole and spent 1000 books from Snow and so Poley wants to growl his face off.  

I know!

YOU figure it out.  HAHA

Too bad she’s so droll and serious all the time, lacks imagination, and can’t play independently.  

Some days, when she’s filling me in on the goings on of Ranza, I just shake my head.  A gambling chicken who dates a polar bear????  A TRex Dentist who is also a general in the army who needs to protect Ranza from invaders from Leaf Word, who are trees and speak in wind language, not words.  An ape with brain cancer who needs a “day of chemotherapy and then a brain transplant” and then will need to be “observed in the hospital for 3 or 4 days to make sure the brain transplant worked” before being cured.  Where… where does the child come up with some of this????   I just smile and love.  Telling her brain cancer doesn’t work like that has no effect.  “In Ranza, that’s how it works.  In the real world, things are different, but Ranza is magic and imagination.”  You got that right!

Let’s go, Kiddo….. It’s 3 weeks until break and you are doing great.  28 days until we leave and get some warm weather and get to see some new places and things.  It’s 2026 now and you’re doing great and I’m getting healthier.  Let’s keep it up together, you motivating me to do better and I can just watch you imagine, explore, grow, and change while you stay exactly the same Kiddo you’ve always been.  Love and hugs, Kiddo, and lets make sure the next 258 days kick butt as well.