Ramblers are death traps

OK, my headline my be overstating my case, but I got your attention.

People who sit all day and watch TV all night — even ones who run 35 miles a week — have a higher risk of heart disease than people who move around all day. Mayo Clinic cardiologist Martha Grogan told the radio program “Here & Now” that sitting for more than four hours a day gives you the same risk of a heart attack as smoking. (Click here for the story.)

Today’s news comes on the heels of yesterday’s “Fresh Air” interview with author and fitness expert Gretchen Reynolds who said just standing for 2 minutes every 20 minutes can improve your health.

“Sitting for long periods of time — when you don’t stand up, don’t move at all — tends to cause changes physiologically within your muscles,” Reynolds told “Fresh Air’s” Terry Gross. “You stop breaking up fat in your bloodstream, you start getting accumulations of fat … in your liver, your heart and your brain. You get sleepy. You gain weight. You basically are much less healthy than if you’re moving. … If you can stand up every 20 minutes — even if you do nothing else — you change how your body responds physiologically.” (Click here for the full story.)

Which leads to me to this unscientific, self-serving conclusion: Two-story houses — with lots of steps — have healthier occupants than residents of ramblers.

I prefer the appearance of two-story houses, and all the houses I’ve owned have had two stories. (Heck, I think three- or four-story houses are impressive — I just could never afford one of those.)

But presentation aside, two-story houses win on function, too. To my way of thinking, single-story ramblers are a sign of resignation to being lazy or getting old. I’m going  into old age kicking and screaming, and all that kicking and screaming turns out to be very good for my health.

With my Beloved now working from his home office in the basement and me working in a bedroom on the second floor (alternatively known on some of our address labels as Suite 4 and Suite 2), I take the steps many times a day. Sometimes, I take the steps just to take a break. Usually the break involves a snack (sometimes a lower-calorie hug), but still, I’m moving. Our little 8-pound schnauzer is in good shape, too, what with all the to-ing and fro-ing.

I’m not ready for a stand-up desk or a treadmill desk, but the news that even a little movement is better than none is compelling. Compelling me to stand up and take a walk.

What are you looking at? Get moving!

Shave and a haircut, two biscuits

Before the groomer, a shaggy dog:

And after the groomer, a pretty puppy again:

Sun worshipper

Surrounded by piles of receipts and tax records on the living room floor, I tackled the taxman’s demands this morning. I was preparing for an ominous meeting with our tax preparer on Tuesday (yes, my Beloved scheduled a romantic rendezvous over the tax code on Valentine’s Day).

The little bearded lady, meanwhile, was chasing the sun. From one chair to another,

she moved locations as a shaft of sun did. The best location, though, was down on the floor with me. And my paperwork.

Well, at least one of us enjoyed our Saturday morning.

A quiz you can sink your teeth into

Quiz time:

Question No. 1: What is this common household object?

No, it’s not that. C’mon, my mother reads this blog. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Answer: It’s a doggy toothbrush that you slip on the end of your finger. Fortunately, I have a small doggy, and my finger is not in danger of being bitten off when I put it in her mouth. I don’t know how large dog owners (“large” modifying “dog,” not “owner”) do it. I’m 20 times bigger than my dog, and she’s a challenge to pin down.

Question No. 2: What habit is harder to commit to than flossing your teeth every day?

Answer: Brushing your dog’s teeth 2-3 times a week, or daily as needed.

This is the house of superior dental hygiene (regular readers are aware that I brush, floss and rinse twice daily to ward off the pests of periodontal disease), but Chloe is a recalcitrant participant. She is sweet in every other way, but her breath is anything but. When she was being examined recently, the vet suggested the canine equivalent of “scaling and root planing” to remove years of tartar for the low, low price of $200.

Um, no.

So, we’re starting with a $7.89 tube of minty doggy dental gel (“minty” modifying “gel” not “doggy”) and a regular schedule of wrestling matches.

I won today, and Chloe’s still got her cheesy grin. See:

Doggy thought balloon: "You and your minty gel are going down next time!"

Lazy Saturday morning

A shaft of sun, a bone to chew and thou.

My adorable little miniature schnauzer knows instinctively how to spend a Saturday morning. Pretty and pretty smart.

It happens so suddenly. We are going about our own mundane tasks when a phrase of music, a shaft of sunlight on a snowy roof, a handful of yellow butterflies or the arc of a bird diving to the earth, pierces us. For one brief moment, we are lifted out of our daily routine into the untold realms of light and beauty. Then the moment is gone. We are back on Earth — but we are not the same.

~ Unknown

A rug that tugs the heartstrings, is comely to the eye

 

“The dog’s happiness comes first.”

~Greg Forte

My mother-in-law has dressed up my dog’s “dining room” with a beautiful rug hooking project.

Rug hooking is an art/craft whereby rugs are made by pulling loops of yarn or, in this case, cotton fabric through a stiff woven base. Back in the ’70s, I received latch hook rug kits for Christmas, and the end result was a yarn shag rug with the face of a dog or a clown.

My mother-in-law’s creation is a neater, sturdier version. The process is a cross between hand sewing and crocheting. Her latest project is as functional as it is pretty.

She made a rug with Chloe’s name to define the area of kitchen where my miniature schnauzer’s dog food bowls reside.

Thank you, Nani! Your work is pulchritudinous (that’s today’s thesaurus entry for “physically lovely”), and both Chloe and I appreciate it.

 

Finding happiness

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting what we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

– Frederick Keonig

I went looking for happiness today and found it in …

... my neighbor's tulips.

... a well-composed salad.

... the sweetest dog on the planet who is petite enough to sleep on the back of the couch.

... a sliver of blue sky peeking between the clouds.

Miniature zebra is all the rage

 

Fashionable miniature schnauzers wear faux zebra fur to get on the best dressed list. My mother-in-law was Chloe’s couturier — thanks, Nani!

First snow

Saturday morning's view of the back yard.

I woke up this morning to a Caswell snowfall.

My 16-year-old stepson, when he was living with us, loved falling snow, especially in the morning, perhaps because it held the possibility of school closing. Though today is Saturday, he would have loved waking up to the weather today. He’s gotten his fair share in Minnesota, where he now lives with his mother, but today’s precipitation is the first measurable white stuff of the season here in Hampshire. Looks like we might be in for a white Christmas.

Eight-pound Chloe, the miniature schnauzer, is less of a snow fan. Perhaps because even a couple of inches covers her up to her chin.

Tyler and I ventured out into the weather this morning (in the Durango with its four-wheel drive and deep treaded tires). We stopped at the new pet store in town and found the cutest little hoodie for our poorly insulated doggie. She may now enjoy the falling snow a bit more, at least from the comfort of inside the house.

Canine fashion plate sports her latest winter duds.

A work in progress

Where's Chloe?

Thanks to a week’s worth of the Beloved’s elbow grease, the 1983 Pace Arrow has been outfitted with 2010 carpeting.

View to the back. Where's Chloe now?

The improvement in appearance and smell is immeasurable. The dark taupe floor covering complements the 1980s harvest gold decor. At one point last week, Tyler had all the old carpeting laid out on the driveway like puzzle pieces, and in the light of day, that 27-year-old shag looked so disgusting! It was so matted and dirty! The RV had been home to the previous owner for several years in California, so you can imagine how much dirt and sand was tracked in over the years. Tyler thinks he removed several pounds of silt that had been trapped for years underneath the practically nonexistent carpet padding.

We invested $368 in a 288-square-foot carpet remnant and padding, and Tyler invested about 25 hours in sweat equity (he called a couple of pros, who refused to take the job). He can’t even count how many corners and cut-outs exist in a 36-foot camper! Plus, he tightened every loose screw, hid every inch of wiring and tightened every bit of loose trim as he worked his way from front to back.

A year ago, Tyler bought this gem of a vehicle for just $3,200. A few repairs and improvements have made it shine, a comfortable place to hang out. Nice work, Honey.