Down to two of us - fit and consistant

Marge and I continued our trek to the Brookfield Club 24 for over a year and a half, upping our rate to $20 per month so we can utilize all components offered at the gym, including our virtual trainers (available 24/7), listening to speakers, and they offered an additional class with a trainer. The trainer was helpful and provided regular exercises plus some tips for the machines, but a regular trainer costs extra.

Then, for us, disaster struck. Our virtual trainers were dying and the machines were not being fixed. We continued to exercise to the variety of trainers without the screen, listening to the voices of each model, and peeking at the three inch screen controlling the tape.  We were able to utilize this system for another five months and kept asking at the desk if the virtual trainer module would be repaired.  If someone was using the  training room, we did the bike, often the elliptical and sometimes split our time between the two machines. We rarely used the treadmill because too much pounding on my hip created a dull ache and Marge has a bum knee.

We came in one night to find the room torn apart. They were renovating the gym, rearranging the machines to maximize the space and doing away with the virtual. After our workout we stopped at the front desk to discuss our options.  Club 24 in Ridgefield still has the virtual module. The desk staff did not know if it was working or if the same trainers were available but our membership can be used at any Club 24 location so the next Wednesday evening we went to Ridgefield, mostly to compare the ride to the Club 24 location and timing to get there.  

There is a two minute difference between locations and the trainers in the virtual module are the same. We continued our routines, now going to Ridgefield, staying with our chosen schedule: Monday at 7 pm, Wednesday at 7 pm and Saturday at 7 am. Some nights we rode the bike, some nights on the elliptical and Marge added the Arc to her workout. We always had one night of virtual each week, discussing the parts of the body to be worked on as we drove to Ridgefield and running into the room as we got there.  

Zumba was added to the Club 24 schedule. The instructor would come in to set up just as we were leaving for the evening.  Hmmm, a new workout, should we try it?

Fitness at any age

I joined a gym.

Club 24 opened in Brookfield so Marge, Cookie and I decided that the price was right and we were willing and able to work out, aches and pains and all.

Club 24 offered us a $10 per month, no penalty for quitting opportunity. We could go as often as we wanted and they were advertising a Virtual Trainer, a video component to fitness that we can access whenever we want (24/7).

They also gave us a personal training session, one on one, to walk us through anything we have forgotten over the years. Joe, our personal trainer for the evening, started us on the bike stating that we should always start our sessions with 10 - 15 minutes of cardio. We huffed and puffed through 15 minutes and he then put us through the circuit, each set of 8 - 12 exercises repeated three times.We each received individual training, focusing on strength and mobility.  We were then on our own.

Our schedule is Monday at 7 pm, Wednesday at 7 pm and Saturday at 7 am. Easy to remember and consistency each week. The goal is to shame each other into always being able to work out. We do one day of cardio, either bike or elliptical, then the exercises we got from Joe, trying different machines and doing the basics, especially crunches and push ups. We became regulars I am proud to say and rarely missed a session.

Then we tried Karen, a virtual trainer, specializing in senior exercise.  Karen allowed us to enter a room with just the three of us and a life size screen that came down as we turned on the program. She starts us with leg raises, arm swings, step touches and some stretches. We add small weights, available in all sizes at the gym, the exercise ball for a variety in push ups and crunches, and we all brought out mats to finish up with many floor exercises. Karen offered three different videos, an easy 30 minute workout, a 45 minute workout and a mostly sitting video that the three of us modified to create strenuous workout.

We tried all of the videos, adding yoga with Jeff, a fun workout with Nick, who had better legs than we do, and worked our way up to Jack with his pretty assistant Stephanie. Stephanie would provide the modifications and Jack would work out so hard that he left puddles on the floor and the mat. We are mostly able to follow and keep up with Jack, modifying his moves as needed, including jumping jacks with one foot always on the floor, and we were able to include weights in our crunches, my now favorite exercise.

From these virtual trainers, we are reminded to breath, watch our posture alignment, and learn many new moves to assist in our daily improvements. Lyssa gave us a warrior yoga move that smoothly had us lifting weights into a fluid lunge and turn. I continue to do this move at home, both with and without the weights.

and a new year bringing the spring season

Another year, many more weddings, many changes, and of course my grandson, Tristan and grandpuppy, Bella. Today's entry is all about musings...



Right now cold season has hit our home. I got sick on Wednesday, went to work (sorry people but some of us have to get paid), did laundry, made dinners, basically my daily routine. He gets sick on Friday and by Sunday thinks he has pneumonia. hmmmm.

The constable saga has gotten quite interesting financially. When the term began, my constable George was making $30 for each serve upon receipt of first payment to City Hall. He also got 15% of the total receipt with his fee paid by the tax payer.

George was elected to a second term and with the term came a change in the fee structure. He now receive 135 of the fee paid.  He is still diligent about tracking the tax collector but his heart is not in the position. He adds that the tax collector could have called them in for a meeting to explain the differences. The office never even gave them direction, they are certainly not going give them explanations.

His latest collection has provided us a cruise in May. I'm so excited.

weddings, weddings and more weddings

It has been an amazing year of weddings. I had three weddings in January and five in February, two of them on Valentine's Day (love is in the air <3). Alaina and Tony wanted to get married before the baby is born in May.  They chose their beginning on February 14 and asked for a second marriage in July with all of their family and friends invited to be there.

The deluge of weddings continued with five in March and seven in May, ten in June with three on the 29th (oh those June weddings) and eight in July, including Alaina and Tony with the new baby coming down the aisle in a little red wagon. He slept through the whole ceremony. Their wedding also included his son playing the piano and her nephew reading from Dr. Suess. It was a great wedding, and there was not a dry eye in the place, including mine.

Now it is August 11 and I performed a beautiful ceremony among the family and friends of a young couple starting a fresh life with with a built in family. Mom was walked into the room on the arms of her two young sons. While waiting for the bride's family to arrive, there was a lull and a bit of a wait. I asked the groom for the license. After some searching and a frantic call to the bride in another part of the restaurant, I received a large envelope containing my payment and....... wait for it...... the application for a marriage license.


I told the anxious groom I would perform the ceremony because everyone was waiting and stressed that the marriage is not legal.

The groom and I discussed the arrangements to rectify this situation. The couple are leaving tomorrow and will return on Friday. Hmmm, I'm not even sure who they are. All my contact was with the bride through an email exchange. They will contact me at the end of the week, hopefully with a license in hand, and I will renew the vows.  I don't have a license to turn into City Hall, but I did get paid, it is their problem for now.

My next wedding has a rehearsal in two weeks, with the ceremony the following Saturday, another rehearsal in three weeks and August ends with a wedding on Saturday, the 31st. I love weddings.

Life is one big party lately, happy birthday Ben - Aug 1st with a party August 17, I'll be there!

Good bye my friend

Travis, with book as posted on website for author, Janet Evanovich.

Travis, my muse, my cat, my baby, my friend, passed away a few months ago.  I could not write until now.

Travis was the star of my cat tales, providing me ideas and always supplying the antics to create my smiles.  He was a never ending bundle of energy, but as he became older he became a house cat, which truly made me happy. No more dead birds, no more jumping 15 feet to the lower roof, and no more pollens in his fur. He still jumped from the planter to whatever piece of furniture he chose, still ran from room to room and still adored looking outside from his perch.

The last few month had Travis slowing down. His appetite was disappearing and he just wanted to be held.  The hardest part was listening to him. After eating, he howled. I'm not sure if it was from pain, or want of something different, but the  howling was loud and mournful.

Then he started losing weight.  His long hair hid it well, and he still looked beautiful, but Travis was getting thin.  Finally he could not hold his own weight. He dragged himself from room to room.  It was a Sunday and we decided to bring him to the doctor the next day.

I could not sleep. I lay on the floor next to my Trav, hoping for a miracle.  He moved to the kitchen, I crawled along with him, keeping my hand on his soft, warm back.  He then crawled his way into my bedroom under my bed, letting me know that he needed some alone time.  I climbed onto my bed and slept fitfully for the next two hours hoping that we will still have a cat in the morning. 

Five o'clock came quickly and the vet did not open until eight that morning.  I called at 8, hoping that I would be told to bring him right in.  "The doctor will not be there until ten, can you bring him in then?" was the response I got.  Travis and I settled on the couch for the morning, just waiting and sitting as comfortably as he can.

The vet loved Travis and spoke to him with concern in his voice.  Travis, as usual, just sat for the attention, taking it all in. The doctor took blood and returned in a few minutes.  His blood count was all wrong and even if we gave him a full transfusion there are no indicators as to what is causing the problem and whatever he has may just move onto the new blood. There is nothing he could do for Travis. 

With tears is our eyes, we said our goodbyes to the best cat we have ever owned.  Butch could not stay, but I held Travis tight as I could as the needle was plunged into his skin. Travis closed his eyes less than two seconds later on September 28th at 10:15 in the morning, and my baby was gone.

Travis was a true politician, giving time to both of us before settling to my side each evening.  He knew how to get what he wanted and who would satisfy his needs of the moment.  King of the neighborhood, king of  our home and most importantly, Travis was king of his own world, and that is what was most important to me.

I love you to the moon and back

I believe in happily ever after, happy endings and so much more taught by the movies, fairy tales and Disney.  I am a true romantic, with a touch of cynicism.

I read "Great Aunt Sophia's Lessons for Bombshells" by Lisa Cach (Gallery Books, 2012) and would like to quote a life's lesson for those in love:

(p 295, Sophia) "God help me. Did you ever tell that girl that you loved her?" (p 295, Declan) "No, of course not. I... I didn't know I loved her. But she's never hinted that the feelings might be returned." (p 295, Sophia) "Forgive me for being a senile old woman hopelessly behind the times, but are the ways of women so different now that it is now their job to declare their affections first?"

(p 304, Grace) "What are you doing here?" (p 304, Declan) "I'm dancing with the woman I love." (p 304, Grace) "Don't tease me." (p 304, Declan) "I've never been more serious. Grace Cavanaugh, I love you. I love you with every fiber of my being, and going through life without you would be dying a new death every day that I wake up without you beside me. I love you," he said sweeping her into a dizzying spin. "I love you, Grace. I love you."

The story continues as he asks her to marry him, she says yes, and the dramatic (p 305, Declan) "My Grace," he whispered, and she heard the crack of emotion in his voice. He stopped, and wrapped her in his arms, bending her backward and kissing her thoroughly as the crowd erupted in cheers.

While this may be a bit over the top, the general feeling of being the most important person to the one you love, provides the dramatic feeling of hope, love ever after, and this can happen to anyone.  As I marry the many couples who come to me, I wish for them the fairy tale ending that we all deserve.... and the sappiness that comes with a great love story.

Great Aunt Sophia's Lessons may not be Gone with the Wind, but what a fun read.... happy endings are all they are cracked up to be.

Back to George Savicky, Constable

I thought about the collection last week.  I walked into the law offices of Fred Plimpton and walk out with a check for $5500.  The secretary didn't even blink when I showed her my badge and explained that Mr. Plimpton owed back property taxes. She asked if she could give me a company check.  I shrugged and said sure, "Money is money." She smiled, apologized for making me come out and wrote a check for the full amount.  She said that the money would come out of petty cash, "wow," I whispered under my breath, "I wish I had that kind of petty cash."  I looked forward to my 15%, thinking $825 isn't bad for fifteen minutes of work.

I delivered the check to the tax office at Town Hall, but there were no new collections waiting in my mail box.  I went home to catch up on the paperwork of the unfinished cases.  I sat at my desk to review the open files.  I still have four outstanding collections.

Gracie, the young owner of the boutique on Main Street, is almost finished with her payments.  She only owed $1200, and has been paying $100 every Friday.  Looking over the file, I realized that after tomorrow's collection I should check in with Kaye at Town Hall for a final payment amount.  I should be able to drop off the last check next week, if Gracie pays tomorrow.  The three months went by so quickly, I'm going to miss visiting with her each week, Gracie is such a cute girl. I hope she survives this economy. A small clothing business, especially for such a targeted market is difficult in a good economy, but the odds are against her in this type of downturn.  A young women's boutique, with bright colored clothing, flashy shoes and jewelry galore. She has a good head on her shoulders so hopefully she will be able to make a decent living and come out successful as the times get better.

The more difficult case in the file is the property tax collection from Alfred Stottlemeyer.  Alfred owes on his trailer and is living on a disability check he receives the third of every month.  He expects me to drive to his trailer parked at the outskirts of Danfield after the third of every month for a $100 check. The trip to his home, back to the tax collector and the cost of gas almost negates the effort to collect. With a $9000 total and 1.5% added back each month, Stottlemeyer will never catch up with his taxes.  Last month he gave me an extra check to pay his current taxes. He said that I was going to Town Hall anyway, and that it is difficult for him to get around. The tax collector actually refused his check, stating that he had to pay by money order due to unpaid back taxes.  I just shook my head. Here I am to drop off an Alfred Stottlemeyer check, and the tax collector refuses an Alfred Stottlemeyer check.  Now, who am I to judge?

The next case, The Laundromat, is an interesting case . I remember stopping by the first week and to talk to the manager, returning the next afternoon to talk with the owner.  The owner, Jose Miguel, claimed he did not owe any taxes since he just bought the business.  I explained that he bought a business with taxes due on the equipment and his lawyer should have straightened out the tax mess before the closing.  I explained that any questions should be through the tax assessor's office and provided the contact information.  I left him my business card and a promise to return for money on Saturday of that week.  At least the payments are coming in regularly now. The amount due will continue to increase with the 1.5% each month, and with the additional arguments that the sister-in-law,  a partner in the business, should also be paying have somewhat subsided since I repeatedly explained that his name is on the warrant.  I stop by the first Saturday of each month to collect $500 of the $5600 tax bill.

The best of the ongoing receipts is my newest case with a $8400 balance.  After the first visit, which was actually held at a stairwell in a building on the west side of Town.  I am receiving $500 every two weeks by mail.  Brad Jackson was just leaving his office the day I stopped by with the warrant for the condo complex water tax.  After receiving the explanation with the hard copy warrant, Brad asked that I not stop by the office for any reason.  Saving gas money seems an added bonus, and the money is coming regularly.  I do not have to see Jackson again until I have to explain that he still owes a certain amount due to the 1.5% interest accruing each month.

Enough paperwork for now as the saga continues.