Gustav

I got up early this morning because I was worried all night about New Orleans. I know that sounds silly to loose sleep over something you can do nothing about but I love New Orleans. It looks like it may have been spared a major hit from Gustav. I have very many happy memories of New Orleans. Jim and I spent our honeymoon there and my brother lived there for many years and we always went for Mardi Gras whenever we could. We would get up early, early on Fat Tuesday and drag a card table, lawn chairs of a couple of hampers of food and cold
drinks and set up on the median on St. Charles Avenue and watch
parades until well into the afternoon. Such fun!

Jim was stationed there his last tour of duty before he retired and that was where we were living when Nicky (our Brit Granddaughter) came to stay with us for 2 years instead of 9 months that was the original plan.

We lived on the West Bank not too far from the Naval Station and she and I would often ride the ferry over on Saturday mornings and wander around the French Quarter and Market. Our first stop would always be for Benoits and then before we came home we would go down to the French Market where there was/is a great Greek restaurant and get a Gyro (aka Donner Kebabs in the U.K.) for lunch.

Kathrina was heartbreaking and I was so afraid that if Gustav hit the city full bore that it might not be able to bounce back again. I am sorry for the folks in Houma and Lake Charles but can't help being happy in a little corner of my heart that it wasn't N.O. I am praying that it's luck, not to mention it's levies hold.

I know I am rambling this morning but N.O. has been much on my mind.

Jogging Backwards

I am going to therapy two days a week now at the University of Arkansas Medical Services Spinal Center. Attached to the therapy center which is situated in the basement of the building is a very large swimming pool. It's huge. It may even be bigger than Olympic size. I am free to use the pool as part of my treatment any time I want during the hours of operation. Since the UAMS complex is only 7/10 of a mile from my driveway this a deal for me because if I was asked what it was that defined me as a person two things that would be high on my list would be that I am a reader and 2 I am a swimmer.

This pool is a bee hive of activity all day long. One of the good things that Blue Cross/Blue Shield does for those persons who have their Medicare Supplemental insurance with them is to pay for seniors to use the pool facilities as part of the UMAS Wellness Program designed for seniors. As a result the pool is always full. There usually two are water aerobics classes going all day long. Low impact in the deep end and more intense classes in the shallow end. In addition, the pool has a jogging track built all along the sides that is designed so that the water will always be approximately waist high
to the average person.

The last two times I have been there have been the same two ladies who jog for about 30 minutes around the pool. The funny thing about them, and what inspired me to write this rambling post is that one of them will jog backwards so that they are always facing each other and the talk the whole time. They have it all worked out, they alternate every lap and the one facing forward always tells the backwards jogging one when they are approaching the corners of the pool. Good for them I say as they look like they are really enjoying themselves.
Personally, after a lap or two I would be so short of breath I
probably couldn't breath much less chat.

But still, I think jogging backwards is showing off! But aren't people fun to watch?