Just slightly over three more months left in Tennessee! Time is starting to fly now, and everything has come together for our move to Oregon. Brett and I are currently evaluating the apartment and every day we find things that we can sell or donate. Our daughter-in-law will move to her new apartment in downtown Nashville (a short, walkable distance to the consulate) in late June so we will effectively be living on our own here after she goes. She has taken the bookcase and the big (artificial) plant for her new apartment.
May has been a great month with lots of good weather, although it is starting to get hot now. Brett and I walked almost daily and we’re now up to over two miles (Brett gets in a lot more mileage though from taking the dogs out throughout the day). We ate like healthy, fit people (well, not so much in Philadelphia) and mostly did not fall off the wagon. At the beginning of the month I read about people taking a daily Pepcid-Allegra combination to potentially relieve inflammation and relieve pain, and since I already take Famotadine (Pepcid) daily and also Zyrtec for allergies, I decided to give the combo a try and switched to my allergy medication to Allegra. My results have not been as dramatic as some have reported, but I’m moving more than I had been with either zero or far less pain than I had been experiencing in my lower back and hips. Allegra seems to be better for managing my allergies as well. I was kind of getting desperate about the pain, so hope this combo continues to offer relief. ***I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE TRYING THIS UNLESS YOU SPEAK WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST, OR ALREADY TAKE THESE MEDICATIONS.***
We had a fantastic time in Philadelphia with our daughters for YaYu’s graduation. Post is coming up about that!
Here’s how we did with our goals in May:
- Get my hair cut (short again) and also get a manicure and pedicure. I want to look presentable at YaYu’s graduation. I got a great haircut at of all places, Fantastic Sam’s, a “British bob” this time instead of short. The stylist took one look at my hair, cut off a bunch and lightened things up in around 15 minutes and voilà! I love it – still curly but lightweight with no more frizz. And, it only cost $30. I ended up doing my nails myself but never got a pedicure.
- Purchase YaYu’s graduation present (at the beginning of the month). We got her a Maika canvas tote bag for work, to carry her laptop and other needs to her new job.
- Read Careless Love, a book about the start of Elvis Presley’s career that we got for our anniversary. It’s a big book with tiny print so I’m thinking it may be all I’ll be able to finish this month. Did not even open this. Maybe I’ll get to it this month.
- Book a moving service to Oregon. We signed with a mover (Allied). The cost came in just slightly more than we had budgeted, but we know we can both lower our weight by getting rid of more stuff and squeeze another couple of hundred dollars off the price. Everything is now set up for our move!
- Try a new, healthy recipe. I made a very easy and delicious Moroccan eggplant dish that we both loved. I’m already looking forward to having it again.
Here are our goals for June:
- Continue to walk every day and increase our distance a little more. Also, I want to find more ways to add steps throughout the day. Right now I’m getting around 7,500 to 8,000.
- Do something special for Brett on Father’s Day.
- Read at least three books
- Finish emptying the pantry and food stockpile.
We spent a little over $400 last month on groceries and enjoyed a lot of wonderful, healthy meals so will stay with that amount for June. Below are the meals that will be in rotation in June:
- Spaghetti with meat sauce
- Pork chops with sauerkraut
- Miso cod with sweet potatoes
- Mahimahi burgers
- Shrimp or fish tacos
- Potsticker tacos
- Cheese & charcuterie platters
Here’s hoping June goes by quickly and easily!
You will definitely appreciate Allied Van Lines they are very professional and I felt you get what you pay for. Also I will mention try walking after every meal the fresh air is wonderful. Sitting a lot is the worse. I love the tote bag.
We’ve been very impressed either Allied so far. They were far and away the best we interviewed.
I walked a lot last week when we were in Philadelphia- it wore me out! But I’m back at it and walking again after lunch and dinner.
Fingers crossed on June passing by very quickly! I think it will because May was gone in the blink of an eye. Good luck on getting in more walking and I am glad your medication combo has been working thus far!
May has gone by fairly quickly, so we’ve got our fingers crossed June does as well – time will tell. We don’t really have anything on the calendar to accomplish in June either so hopefully it will be a relaxing month.
More than anything, the additional medication has made my allergies bearable. I rarely think about them these days.
I’ve been making my own spaghetti with meat sauce lately and like it so much better than what’s in the stores. They’re all too salty. The baked eggplant dish looks amazing. Do you have the recipe? I’m decluttering to prepare for a move, but I’m not moving probably for at least another year. It’s good you found a mover. Did you find a place to live in Oregon? $30 for a haircut is great these days. I pay around $80, which is crazy, and the color is worse.
I’m going to add 1/2 pound of ground beef and a pound of Italian sausage to a jar of Rao’s that I want to use up for my meat sauce. It should make enough for this month AND next month as well.
Here is the link for the eggplant dish: https://www.recipetineats.com/moroccan-baked-eggplant-with-beef/ I’m planning to make it again next month.
It’s still early to nail down an apartment in Oregon. The decision now is coast or Portland. The coast is expensive but the location ideal while living in Portland would cost less and allow us to do more as well as travel and get out to the coast every month. The beach calls but money matters these days. We’ll probably have an address nailed down in early August.
I was shocked when the hair stylist finished so quickly but I absolutely LOVE my hair right now. All for $30. Everyplace else around here wanted $85 (and said they were “affordable”) or more.
I love recipetineats, have both books and cooked hundreds of Nagi’s recipes and never had a bad meal. Looking forward to exploring Oregon through your eyes. Lisa
I have been going through the recipes on recipetineats and there are so many things I’d love to (and should) make! That eggplant recipe is a keeper though. Funny, I LOVE eggplant now but when I was a kid my mom had to pay me to eat it!
We are looking forward to being back in Oregon. So much to see and explore there, and great food too. I just hope I can get through the winters and gloomy weather, but at least this time I know what I’m up against.
That tote is beautiful. And nothing feels better than a good haircut. I delayed mine for a birthday dinner next week, and I’m about ready to start hacking it myself again.
Interesting combo of meds and I hope it works for you. My DH has been using Voltaren faithfully again. It usually takes 3-4 days to feel some relief, and he says it kicked in on schedule. That said, once we have arthritis, we have the gift that keeps on giving. 🙂 He is determined to not have knee replacement, and still has another cortisone shot in his back pocket if it gets worse. Ah, the joys of aging. 🙂
As I said to JJ, I LOVE my hair right now, maybe for the first time in my life! Such a great cut. It’s still curly, but less so than in years past – more wavy I guess rather than ringlets. Hopefully it will behave in Oregon.
Arthritis truly is the gift that keeps on giving. I especially feel it in my lower back, but my left knee is starting to give me some trouble as well. It’s the one I broke 28 years ago and until this year has been trouble free, but now hurts when I go up and down stairs (something to think about when looking for a new apartment). I see cortisone in my future, although I would rather hold off on that.
Getting old is a wild ride. Lots of fun but lots of (painful) surprises too.
I’m again/still enjoying your blog. Thanks
Howard – so happy to hear from you! I’m enjoying this new version of blogging and once a week has turned out to be the sweet spot.