Ramblings of a Retiree

Tech Me

I love technology.  In the old days I was delighted to transition from my enormous Day Planner to a PDA.  Cell phones came next. No longer was I stuck in an office setting up appointments. In like manner, the smartphone came on the scene replacing PDA and cell phones.

Yep, technology is a wonderous thing.  As long as it works.  That’s the ugly.  In my house I am the tech whiz.  I don’t mind.  The Man keeps the cars running.  He chops wood.  He is stumped by tech.

When a tech misfire begins in the morning it will often fill the day.  From tech support to forums to trial and error.  By the evening I’ve ignored every Fitbit reminder to move. My head is spinning and my joints have frozen in place. But the issue ultimately is resolved. And life goes back to normal.

Run, Karen, Run

Technology comes in handy for something else I love.  Running. I don’t really “run”.  I move quickly on two feet.  My preferred area to run would be a winding trail through a wood.  I can listen to music or work on a story I’m writing.  It is my sanctuary.  Weather permitting.

That brings me to winter.  I am a cold weather wimp.  To run in the cold means I have to wear more clothes.  Lots of clothes.  Cold weather makes my nose run; faster than my feet.  I load my pockets with tissues.  In cold weather there is no joy in running and I often don’t do it. 

By Spring I am ready to retrain myself to move quickly again on two feet.

Easing Into It

My favorite method for starting over is to run a half mile then walk a half mile.  Thanks to my Fitbit, I can get half mile cues through my earbuds.  I gradually lengthen my run time and shorten my walk time. I do this until I can run 30-60 minutes in one shot.

It is a beautiful thing.  At least until my Fitbit fails.

Rambling On

Several months ago I agreed to be part of a Well At Home program provided by my insurance carrier.  I received a box in the mail with an in-home blood test for Hep C.  This surprised me. How is that related to Well At Home? I decided to follow through with the detailed instructions.

Instructions and More

“Best to perform test in the morning”  Wondered if I should caffeinate first. 

“Take the test tube out of the box.  Stand it on a solid surface.”  Test tube?  It’s the size of a pencil stub. 

“Remove lancets from pack. Choose your finger.  Run that hand under warm water.  Wipe fingertip with provided alcohol wipe.”  Definitely should have caffeinated. 

“Twist top off of lancet.  Hold fingertip up”.  Should use middle finger and add a selfie to the package.  

“Press Lancet firmly on fingertip until it clicks.”  I didn’t hear the click over my screams. 

“Wipe first drop of blood with provided gauze.”  What gauze? 

“Hold fingertip over test tube.”  It’s ¼ inch in diameter! 

“Squeeze finger”.  Blood on counter. 

“Massage finger and squeeze more.”  Blood all over both hands. 

“Fill tube to line marked on test tube.”  There are two lines.  I chose the lowest.  Scraped blood into tube from hands and finger.  

“Follow packing instructions and mail.”  Time to opt out of this program.

In closing, I look forward to the day my Fitbit will read my blood profile through my skin.

Until next month, Au revoir!

Note: This blog is sponsored by me, Karen J Adams. Any recommendations or suggestions are purely my own opinion without the exchange of money.

 © Karen J Adams March 18, 2021