Saturday, June 7, 2025 – Day 298

Saturday, June 7, 2025

Good morning to you all.

Cindy and I made a rare return to the health club yesterday. It’s been so long since we’ve seen the inside, we almost needed a guided tour. We completely missed the New Year’s resolution window—no promises to eat better, drop a few pounds, or start a new workout plan. We skipped the guilt and jumped straight to June.

It was a gorgeous day—sunny, 70s, not too humid—so we headed to the outdoor pool. Technically, this counts as exercise. The water’s good for resistance training, and more importantly, the risk of falling is mostly eliminated… unless you count getting to the pool deck, into the pool, out of the pool, and back to the lounge chair. So basically, all the parts that aren’t swimming.

Yesterday’s visit was mostly a reconnaissance mission—to see how well the facility can accommodate my ever-growing list of limitations.

Step one: parking. Nailed it—we snagged the handicap spot just 10 yards from the outdoor access gate. The usual check-in route is a full cardio workout: walk to the building, scan in, weave through locker rooms and slippery tile floors, pass the kiddie pool, and finally reach the adult pool. That might not sound like much, but for me, that’s like doing another 5k.

Luckily, Cindy worked some magic at the front desk and got staff to let me in through the special pool gate—saving me from the indoor obstacle course. A short, straight shot to the adult pool. About 50 yards total. Manageable. I made it to the lounge chair and flopped down… then had a moment of reflection: How exactly am I getting back up from this thing? It was one of those low-to-the-ground, saggy-butt hammocks disguised as patio furniture. But I figured, “Future Andy problem. I’ll deal with it later.”

With no plans to swim (the water was too chilly for my taste), we opted to read and soak in some vitamin D. It was a quiet morning crowd—mostly seniors, all of whom looked older than us. So, people-watching was a bust. Reading it was.

Then came the real workout: Operation Get Andy Off the Chair.

I rocked forward a couple of times… nothing. Cindy grabbed one arm while I tried again… maybe got two inches off the seat. Still stuck.

So we reset for plan B: Cindy took both arms and braced herself like she was entering a tug-of-war championship. “Okay… 1, 2, 3… PULL!” Still no dice. I didn’t move—but Cindy nearly pulled her back out. Careful now…we definitely can’t have that happen.

We paused for a strategy session. We considered pushing the chair toward the fence so I could pull myself up—but moving 165 pounds of dead weight seemed like an unnecessary test of our marriage.

Plan C: I rolled off the lounger onto the pool deck like a sack of potatoes, got into a kneeling position, and—with the chair and Cindy’s help—slowly worked my way upright. Success, but not exactly graceful. It raised a new question: Are we nearing the point where we need outside help for these kinds of predicaments?

As I shuffled back to the car, I turned to Cindy and said, “Next time, we’re bringing the walker.” We’ve got one on loan from SCVN, and it’s time to start using it—not just for safety, but for independence. If it helps me stay upright, get upright, and avoid calling the fire department, I’m all in. I’m not looking for a square-jawed, musclebound guy to scoop me up. But if a couple of young, fit fire-ladies show up to assist? I could be persuaded.

So next time we go to the pool, we’ve got a better plan. The only thing left to figure out is how to get in and out of the pool itself. As I sit here thinking about it… I think I can still swim well enough to keep my head above water. That would really suck if I can’t.

Other than that we had I quiet day. I kept Cindy company while she ran a few errands. I chose to stay in the car for all the stops. After an hour of doing that, we got back home. I hopped on the chair lift and headed up stairs to lay down and rest my legs. They may not have done much, but they were still tired. So I read and napped for the afternoon.

We are headed to our neighbors, Mike and Beth’s today. They have an outdoor pool. I think I’ll stay off the chaise lounges after yesterday’s experience. It’s always good to know your limitations and stay inside them.

Have a great Saturday.

Love you guys! ❤️