{"id":95625,"date":"2026-04-13T07:26:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=95625"},"modified":"2026-04-14T07:50:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T14:50:58","slug":"oh-my-cold-and-rain-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=95625","title":{"rendered":"Oh My, Cold And Rain Today!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Life really does go by too fast\u2014now we’re basically speedrunning time.\u00a0 We wake up Monday, blink, and suddenly it’s Friday afternoon, like, “Welp, there goes the week.”<\/p>\n

We have absolutely no clue how we ever survived working jobs, because now we do errands every day\u2014and it somehow takes hours.\u00a0 Apparently, the grocery store alone requires a full episode and a commercial break.<\/p>\n

Being Monday, I found myself hiding in the closet, refusing to come out when Mary called me.\u00a0 \u00a0Not even Mary saying\u00a0 “Come on, Champ, you can do it!” would work.\u00a0 I knew that within two hours, I would be lying on a hard concrete floor with my “personal trainer” laughing hilariously at my various moaning sounds while I attempted to get back up.\u00a0 \u00a0Then, adding insult to injury, I would be placed in a torso being machine with 500-pound weights pulling my little muscles until they creaked.<\/p>\n

The only machine I like is the rowing machine because my trainer gets into his\/he Viking costume with the helmet having horns and using a whip while yelling “Row, Row, Row my boat… quickly down the stream!!”<\/p>\n

This image strikes fear into my heart every time I think about it!<\/p>\n

But all is NOT lost, I finally found a machine at the gym that I like: the vending machine.<\/p>\n

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First class, all the way!!!<\/p><\/div>\n

Now, on a serious note (yes, I do get serious): Led by\u00a0Antony Mitchell<\/strong>, with over\u00a030 years<\/strong>\u00a0of expertise,\u00a0Peak Performance<\/strong> delivers personalized fitness programs designed to achieve real, lasting results.\u00a0 We prioritize proper form, safety, and balance, guiding you through tailored workouts in our exclusive, private facility.\u00a0 The staff is amazing and really cares about you, carefully reviewing and selecting exercises that will help you meet your goals.\u00a0 Mary and I feel a lot better since we began going there several years ago.\u00a0 I do not feel like I am in the 80s.\u00a0 Thank you, Antony and crew!!<\/div>\n

Peak Performance’s Fearless Leader, Antony, is an amazing person!<\/p>\n

\"\"

Thank you for adding years to my life and putting a smile on my face!<\/p><\/div>\n

Today’s goals:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Clean up my desk so I can see the top!<\/li>\n
  2. Go to Home Depot to get flowers\/acid soil for the front of the yard.<\/li>\n
  3. Troubleshoot my security cameras and properly rename them!<\/li>\n
  4. Go to the market and get goodies for this week’s meals.<\/li>\n
  5. Fall more in love with my amazing wife!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    After the gym, we stopped by Home Depot and filled up the “truck” with bags of goodies, including flowers, posts, parts bins, etc.<\/p>\n

    \"\"

    The Silver Fox does NOT like being called a truck!!<\/p><\/div>\n

    Mary fixed a great breakfast.\u00a0 I’m glad I don’t have to hunt for my own food.\u00a0 I have no idea where sandwiches live.<\/p>\n

    \"\"

    Mary makes the best turkey bacon.<\/p><\/div>\n

    Bottom line: Turkey bacon is not a health food, but it can be a reasonable swap for pork bacon if you pick a brand with lower sodium and saturated fat, which Mary does!\u00a0 Mary fixed an Egg McMommy, one of her specialties!<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"

    After this breakfast, I am ready to work!<\/p><\/div>\n

    So, I get ready to head to the garden, and then Mother Nature decides to give us an unexpected bath.\u00a0 The skies opened up, and the water came tumbling down.\u00a0 It is easy to see if you watch the pool!<\/p>\n

    \"\"

    Raindrops keep falling on my head!<\/p><\/div>\n

    At noon, I came in, cleaned up, and got ready to visit the cardiologist!\u00a0 I like visiting Dr. Cobb; he is outstanding and quite funny.\u00a0 He enjoys talking to Dr. Mary since they are in the same profession.\u00a0 I told him about my chest pains, and he was a little worried, so he scheduled me for another nuclear Heart test in about a week.<\/p>\n

    \n

    A nuclear stress test uses a small amount of radioactive tracer (usually Technetium-99m) and a special camera to create images of blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and during stress.\u00a0 The test takes roughly 2\u20134 hours, helps detect blockages, and can be used for patients who cannot exercise.<\/p>\n

    Nuclear Heart Test Trivia & Fast Facts<\/p>\n

    How it Works: The radioactive “tracer” allows a SPECT or PET camera to track blood flow, highlighting areas of the heart with reduced blood supply or damaged tissue.<\/p>\n

    Radiation Dosage: The radiation exposure is very low, generally equivalent to what a person might receive over 2 to 3 years of normal life.<\/p>\n

    The “Decaf” Rule: Patients must avoid caffeine for 24 hours before the test (including coffee, tea, chocolate, and some sodas), as it can interfere with the results.<\/p>\n

    No Exercise Needed: If a patient cannot walk on a treadmill, doctors can use medication (such as Lexiscan) to mimic the effects of exercise on the heart.<\/p>\n

    Duration: While images only take about 15\u201320 minutes, the entire process takes about 4 hours due to the required waiting periods for the tracer to circulate.<\/p>\n

    Safety Profile: Serious complications are extremely rare, with fewer than 1 in 10,000 people experiencing them.<\/p>\n

    What it Shows: Beyond just blockages, the test can show the size of the heart chambers and how well the heart pumps.
    \nCommon Names: Other names include a myocardial perfusion scan, nuclear stress test, or SPECT MPI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    On our way home, we stopped at Trader Joe’s for essentials, including a case of wine and three bags of goodies.\u00a0 I brought them into the house, then went outside and planted two boxes of strawberries with the Hone Depot acid-loving potting mix.<\/p>\n

    Mary was inside fixing a great dinner and finishing off her supply of Bat Leave we plan to give to our friends.<\/p>\n

    Bay leaves come from the bay laurel tree (Laurus nobilis), which is grown mainly in Mediterranean climates (parts of southern Europe, including countries like Greece and Italy).\u00a0 Our laurel tree is doing quite well!<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"

    We have at least four jars, which we plan to give to friends who cook.\u00a0 These leaves will be good for almost 3 years if kept in an airtight container.<\/p><\/div>\n

    My iPhone lit up, and I got a message from my good friend and co-worker George Lee.\u00a0 He lives over in West L, A, about two miles from where I grew up.\u00a0 Great guy, and we get together with Robin and share stories.\u00a0 He is a grandpappy also, so we share pictures.<\/p>\n

    \"\"

    George was assigned to me from the finance department.\u00a0 I never found out why they would pair such a nice guy as him with an old reprobate like me.<\/p><\/div>\n

    While waiting for dinner, I decided to see why the plants along the house in the front yard seemed to be having problems growing.\u00a0 Well, after a little digging, I would say they were planted in solid clay soil.\u00a0 We are talking icky sticky muck!\u00a0 Starting tomorrow, and for a little while each day, Mary and I will dig up this “soil” and mix it with bags of soil amendment so the flowers will grow without issue and the plants will thrive.<\/p>\n

    We want to place the large yellow vine in the corner to “hide” the water pipes, but without proper soil, the plant will not grow well.<\/p>\n

    \"\"

    Hang on, little guy, mommy and daddy are going to fix your bed!!<\/p><\/div>\n

    Dinner was wonderful, and we retired to the TV Room where we saw “Kindergarten Cop” again.\u00a0 This memory loss is a great thing because it was like a new movie to us.\u00a0 We laughed and giggled throughout the show.<\/p>\n