Walking with my Pedometer

This is the longest I've ever gone without posting on this blog.  What's up with that?  Life?  Been busy keeping up Bridge and Beyond, kick starting the Traveling Suitcase for up coming April A-Z Blog Challenge and this one has just gone silent.  I've not been knitting much either, and typically blog about knitting.

These are the wild shoes I got primarily for work to help diminish the swelling I have in my knee, thanks to Arthritis.  They're very supportive.  Got fitted at a running store, Front Runner which was suggested by my physical therapist.  He thought better shoes would be helpful.

Because these puppies were rather expensive, I've been reluctant to wear them anywhere but to work......until lately.  I'm not as active as I used to be.  Aside from gaining a few LB's, my cholesterol has jumped and one of the best ways to bring it down is exercise.  Sooooooo me and my Mizuno's (shoes), and my Feetures (socks) have been putting in some miles.  I LOVE these socks.  There is no seam to rub, they're very stretchy and almost massage your feet while walking and or at work.  They fit so well, there's no extra fabric to cause problems either.

I've had more pedometers then I can count, and they just don't last... so loaded an app on my phone called Pedometer Master.  There's a free version (the one I'm using) and one you have to pay for that does more.  I have a windows phone and there aren't nearly as many apps to choose from.  Hubby like's one on his Droid phone called Cardio Trainer that really does a-lot.

Todays stats:
Distanc:  2.48 miles
Duration: 41 min 38 seconds
Steps: 7,138
Average speed 3.57mph
Calories burned: 162

Wow, not many calories burned, but from what I've read the way to burn more calories is walk faster.  Maybe I'll work up to that?  I don't like to overdo, then the knee hurts and swells.  Arthritis doesn't do well when you over do, but it also doesn't do well when you sit.  The balance of it, apparently is the key.  I'm looking for the key.

I'm also not totally convinced I've got my stride correctly measured and will re-do it a couple of times to see how that goes.  Currently my stride is listed as 22 inches.

Parents Failed Her!

Did you read my previous post, if not please scroll back.

A book is suppose to make  you think, stick with you awhile right?  Well, that book surely did.  I find myself thinking about it off and on too much.  I find my emotions continue to be mixed.  Anger, sadness, and more.

I mentioned I couldn't accept her (her being the authors) perspective that her parents weren't to blame, that she didn't blame them....they simply didn't know.

• Maybe she's not being honest with herself, maybe it's easier to think that way, maybe she's a better Christian and has forgiven them?  But, to say they didn't know?
• Parents have 1 primary job and that is to take care of, to keep their children safe.  They most certainly failed to do that big time.  Why?  Too interested in climbing the corporate ladder to think what was right for their children.  Does anyone really think moving every 2 years, pulling kids out of their neighborhoods, making them start over in school, making them try to fit in and make friends every 2 years is a good idea??

1. They didn't have many close friends, couldn't.
2. They didn't really know neighbors, couldn't
3. They didn't really know teachers well, couldn't

Likewise, the parents didn't know their children, their children's aquaintenances or their teacher...why, they couldn't and or choice not to.  They didn't participate in school functions, didn't attend school activities their children participated in.  If they had, they might have conversed with other adults to realize something wasn't right.

Your daughter, your young 15 year old daughter creeps out of the house at all hours of the night and early morning for a period of 2 years and you don't hear it?  Seriously, you don't hear her on the steps once she 's left her room, you don't hear the door opening or it closing when she leaves?  You don't hear the door opening or closing when she comes back?  The door opens and closes 4 times on each occurrence and this happens over 2 years and you fail to hear it every single time?  Wait, lets back up a little....prior to her creeping down the steps, the phone rings, so you don't  hear the phone, or the door? night after night for 2 years? So ok, maybe that night you're really tired and you don't hear it,  but neither you or your spouse EVER hear it?  WOW!  I can not accept that.

But, there's more.  You don't hear the phone because you don't like to answer the phone and talk to any of your children's friends, so to keep your distance you buy them personal phones for their bedrooms.  Perfect solution to staying un-involved in your kids lives.  Even had nothing horrific happened, this would be a parent fail.

In my dating years, back in the dark ages; our house was left un-locked and when we returned from our dates we locked it up.  I can guarantee you my parents heard each and every-time I came home, knew what time it was and whom I had been with.  We had a specific time to be home, often they would ask as we passed by their bedroom door...did you remember to lock up?  Yes, they heard us, heard me and my two parents every time we left the house.

There's more to consider though.  I grew up in a nice small house; her parents were climbing the corporate ladder.  She lived in a large house so hearing might have been a bit harder.  Wouldn't that just mean you had to work at hearing a little harder?  Her parents "entertained" a lot, apparently that was part of the work of climbing, so often weren't without the influence of adult beverages.  This was eluded to when the police brought her home..........so perhaps under the influence keeps you from hearing on some nights......but still night after night for two years two adults don't hear their children.  Don't check on their children?  Unacceptable.

Wait, so the police brought her home, so they did know she was "out"?  That's another whole rant, please pop back in to find out about the police and their involvement in this tragic story of human trafficking.

Ipads, Reading and eBooks

I got an ipad a few months back as a birthday gift from my DH.  I'm still feeling very much like a newbie at it; but am enjoying having it.  Normally I don't read all that much ....beyond knitting or crochet patterns, or blogs...lots of blogs; but since getting the ipad have found I read more then I did before.

Why?  Maybe it's the novelty of the gadget...if so, no doubt that will wear off at some point.  Maybe it's the ease of having things at your finger tips.  You don't have to go to the book store, you don't have to go to the library.  In fact you can spend 10 minutes or less and look through what Amazon has to offer pretty quickly.  I narrowed my search to free or $0.99 cent books, then selected a genre I like wow......the number of offerrings is pretty staggering.  Then through Amazon, I saw something called Book Bub.  It's even better.  You don't have to know what you're looking for, or who the author is.  Again you plug in a few things, like how much you want to spend and what genre's you like and each day in your email box you get a notice of 2-4 books...Generally I've gotten 3.  There's a snipet about the book and how much it costs you click buy or not.  You don't need to buy a certain number of books in a certain time frame like a book club.  Selecting books couldn't be easier.  Once you click in your email, you're taken to your amazon page, where you click buy with one click...AND you are DONE!

Each time you turn on your ipad or Kindle or other e-reader the bok loads and you're ready.

The above book is one I recently finished.  I paid 0.99 cents for this book; not the normal price but it was the special of the day.......another advantage of Book Bub.

Have you read this book?  I'll be doing a review, prbably in several different blog posts, as there is much to discuss about this book.  Please join me.  Its a serious topic, one that needs to get attention and truly needs to be discussed.

Though in my last post I mentioned I joined a new blog challenge, that has gone by the wayside.  I'm trying to get back into blogging with more regularity and that challege wasn't going to do it for me.