Neighbors

Blizzard? Well, not quite - at least not in the city, but still, cold and windy. The temperature had dropped a degree and it seemed that the wind had died down for a bit. I figured that it was as good a time as any to get some shoveling done. I brought a shovel up from the basement and went to put the coat, hat and gloves on in preparation. I looked out the front door and saw that one of the young men from The Children's Home' facility (Endeavor) next door had almost finished shoveling my driveway! As I went to work, another youth came out and asked if I needed help. I thanked him and said I was fine. A few minutes later, another youth came out and offered to salt the drive. I thanked him and said that I had plenty of salt in that I had stocked up early.

Endeavor, and the many boys who have made their home there, have been my neighbor ever since I bought this house. These may be (or have been) troubled youth, but over-all, they have been great neighbors over the years. Thanks, guys!

A Blogger Yet?

I can hardly call myself a blogger anymore. I really wish I could. Facebook, groups, forums, twitter, Linkedin have all taken over. I have accounts in "networking" sites that I never even go to. I look around me and see all sorts of issues that I could write about, but I just don't seem to have the motivation. Crime in the streets - plenty of people write about it. East Village TIF proposal - I went to the meeting last night and can see both sides, so I am still arguing with myself on that one. Economy - yeah, it sucks pondwater, but what's new? So one out of 8 Americans are receiving SNAP (new name for Food Stamps), someone will go on a stereotypical rant about "those people". Museums, hotels, etc. - seems I have lost that battle.

Crazy drivers - well maybe that is worth a post now that we have to get retrained for winter driving. I learned to drive under the motto of "watch the fool driving the car behind the idiot in front of you". That has served me well for some 50 years. I can't change other drivers, but I can drive defensively.

I have written about my conflicted feelings in reference to retirement - that's old news. I don't write about work anymore and I don't think family likes me to write about them, so that limits my options.

I have told the saga of the home improvements - down to four glass block windows in be basement and I am done with the house (at least the outside), the yard (new fence) and garage (siding, door & roof). I don't want to belabor that again.

Christmas shopping is done and my wireless mouse is driving me nuts. Are those worth a new post?

Where Is Eye When You Need Him?

I tend to be careful of when and where I go in the neighborhood. I have never been threatened and other than a window being broken, have not been victimized, but.... This has not been a good week in the East Bluff. Normally, I am one of the first to defend the neighborhood and say that it is not as bad as public perception. I still believe that to be true, but this has not been a good week in the neighborhood. Sexual assault in Glen Oak Park Sunday night, robbery at the local Dunkin' Donut Shop, robbery on North Indiana and murder at the Big K. I know I missed some events, but these are the ones I noted on the PJStar site this evening. It has been relatively quiet in the neighborhood for awhile, so this really makes me mad.

I figured that "Eye In The Sky" would beat me to the news, but he didn't. I thought it only fair that I mention the problems we have had this week. I am not oblivious to the problems in the neighborhood, but I still have hope and I do not plan on leaving!

Success!

I am talking personal success. Success at work is defined by others. I'm talking winning a battle in an ongoing personal war. I have lost and gained myself numerous times over my lifetime. There were issues when I was in grade school that had me crawling in a hole and trying to fill the hole in my spirit with food. In 4th grade, I was kinda skinny. By the end of 5th grade, I was one of the heaviest girls in the class. For some reason back then (in the olden days), the teacher weighed the kids at the end of the year. It was the only grade I remember them weighing us in. I remember the number, 128 pounds. Not bad for an adult, not good for a young kid.

I yo-yo'd for many years. I starved myself while going to Weight Watcher's so I would not have a gain any week. Did the same thing in TOPS. No taking off pounds sensibly for me! I couldn't have a weight gain in front of people! I'm too competitive for that.

And I had new holes in my spirit to fill.

Through chemo and radiation, I lost about 30 pounds. I needed to loose them, but, good grief, what a way to do it. With that good head start, I kept on going. Adkins' Diet, South Beach Diet, a combination of the two, the cabbage diet, etc., etc., etc. I dieted back down to 128 and looked like death warmed over. It was a psychological milestone for me. I felt good, but looked gaunt.

I started eating again, sensibly at first. Gained a little and stabilized for a couple of years until I gave in to the carbohydrate addiction that I have struggled with for most of my life. One won't hurt, will it? If I could have stuck with "one", I might have been O.K., but that is not how addiction works.

I had donated most of my larger size clothes, and I am talking plus size here. I was a regular at Lane Bryant, Catherine's and plus size departments everywhere. It was such a thrill to be able to shop in the "regular" size department. When I fit into a pair of size 2 slacks from the Gap, it approached an orgasmic experience. Never in my adult life had I done that.

Time passed and finally it was time to donate the "skinny" clothes that I could no longer wear. Figured I would never be "that size" again. I saved a few items that have been hanging in the back of the closet for a couple of years.

I didn't panic until I stepped on the scale and the needle stopped on a number that I had never wanted to see again. Then I went into a tailspin. I have dealt with most of the holes in my spirit, that wasn't it. That damned sugar addiction was winning again. Time to get real with myself and get back in charge.

I had been going out to eat Sunday Breakfast almost every Sunday. That had to stop. I pretty much stopped going out to dinner too. That had become a Friday night event. An occasional candy bar, a couple of donuts....what the heck! Well, the heck was reaching that number I never wanted to see again.

I have gone back to what I know works for me. Breakfast in the morning (cereal with fresh fruit, some juice), lunch (usually a salad with maybe a slice of melon) and dinner (grilled meat - heavy on the fish & chicken or fixed in the slow cooker and green veggies) and snacks (fresh fruit, pork rinds and mini rice cakes).

I reached my goal! I have pulled the clothes from the back of the closet and they fit. There is a weigh range I want to stay in and a BMI that I want to maintain (a few 10ths one way or the other). I have no clothes that need to be donated because "I will never be that size again".

I don't know if this will be my last battle with the sugar addiction or not. I know I have lowered the "number I never want to see again".

Eating Good In The Neighborhood

I took the day off for a Dentist appointment and had the opportunity to meet some friends for lunch. Opening day at the Hick'ry Stick was the chosen destination. There was a steady stream of customers during the hour that we were there. I hope the business is a great success. I have lived in the East Bluff long enough to remember when the brick building at the corner of McClure and Atlantic was the local coin laundry!

The food at the Hick'ry Stick was really good. No one complained about the food or the prices and we all went away stuffed. I really must go back for the peach cobbler - it looked yummy! This business can serve as an invitation to come to the East Bluff for people who talk about the area but rarely visit. The Hick'ry Stick certainly is a locally owned business worth supporting!

East Bluff Good News

For all that is said in the media, I still love the East Bluff! My house is taking shape, my yard is taking shape, the garage is next on the list and I have new neighbors behind me. I met them yesterday as they were out cleaning up their back yard and getting the weed trees out of the fence line.

They trimmed and they piled and they swept up the mess that they had trimmed along the last remaining vestige of sidewalk that once was the "Public Walkway". They even reattached a portion of fence that now has the trespassers seeking a slightly different route. For all the naysayers concerning rental property, I may very well have gotten some of the best neighbors I have had in a long time and to top it off, they are Section 8 Voucher holders. There is no broad brush that paints everyone alike

It was such fun to watch people approach their usual path, only to turn around. Yesterday, a young male walked up to it, looked intently then retraced his steps. He then walked three houses back up Republic and cut through there. This means that he still walked along my property, but a little further away from my fence-line.

Message to the East Bluff: Keep your spirits up and don't give up! Keep the lights on, I'm staying!

Old Houses

For quite some time, the water pressure in the bathroom has not been what it should be. I decided to get it repaired. My "handyperson" thought it would be a fairly simple fix. Replace the old galvanized horizontal pipes with some nice shiny copper ones. Not so fast here! Those were replaced with little improvement - in fact no improvement. It got worse! So now, it is time to try to replace the vertical water lines that run up to the second floor. Part of a wall in the basement stairway has been removed along with some pipes. Part of the kitchen ceiling will most likely have to be removed to make the necessary turns and fittings. As it stands right now, I have no water in the bathroom!

Good thing I have plenty of buckets. Water to flush the stool sits in buckets close by. I will have to carry hot water from the kitchen sink for a bath. No such thing as a shower tonight or in the morning. I do not like washing my hair in the kitchen sink, but I will make an exception until I have running water in the bathroom.

The handyperson and the assistant handyperson will be here tomorrow after work. Hopefully they make good progress.
Demolition is underway!

Just never know what you will find when you try to make repairs to an old house.