At midnight, my mother was waiting for me back at my place. That was after playing hockey, and my usual weekly regiment of work and exercise, including 5 spin classes and hot yoga. I was leaving those habits behind in Toronto for a week, and driving for 24 hours to the sunshine state.
The whole idea of leaving so late was to avoid traffic. The highway was empty but the weather was horrific. We passed through one blizzard after another, running on adrenaline. I checked my watch at 4:50 am. Neither of us was tired. The conversation was good. My job was to drive. Her job was to feed the driver.
We brought a bunch of wraps and trail mix. And soy milk for our coffee. The wraps consisted of humus for a spread, tofu fried up in curry powder, with onions and greens.
Are you going to write your blob when we get down there, asked my mother? It’s a blog, Mom, not a blob.
I had this persistent dry hack with no access to what was aggravating it. I didn’t want it to get worse from missing a nights sleep, and I downed 8,000 milligrams of vitamin C. My mother had some too, but not as much. Regular doses of vitamin C supplements can cause heartburn, but a big shot when you need it will turn you right around. My cough was soon gone.
Get out of the car with your hands up, I said pulling up to a pump. I demanded my mother get out of the passenger seat and walk around the car, and do deep squats with me. She couldn’t go as deep, or do as many, but when the locals stopped to gawk she shouted at them, “WE’RE CRAZY!”.
Whether it’s climbing the stairs of your apartment or doing squats at gas stations, integrating exercise into daily life puts you ahead of the game. Retirees have no excuse; now you can go for those brisk morning walks. and eat well. And cultivate a workout that caters specifically to your needs, as someone like me would help you with.
Do all that, and there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day, and watch the sun go down.
