Tire Day

...for my Toyota Sequoia--and it took nearly the entire day to get the job done! It's not even completely done either! I still need to take it back for a final balancing--just didn't have time today. However, it sure handles better than it ever has!

Overslept...
So my whole schedule was messed up from before I got up this morning! Actually, I just could NOT get up this morning for over two hours after my alarm initially sounded! Even though I went to sleep by 10:30pm last night, I could not keep my eyes open until 8:30am! Perhaps the raininess and clouds contributed to my lethargy...or I was just pooped from walking. I really don't know why, but it was so hard to get moving. Eventually I got ready to go walking, then realized I needed to check in with Billy about the tires. Seemed I needed to go ahead and arrange to get them--my WALK was in question, until Billy suggested that I walk on the downtown trail while the new tires are being installed! Problem solved! He can always seem to come up with good solutions! My brain's evidently used up or too old, or too "slow"--as a TURTLE--to think like that any more! Oh, well!

So, after I got the new tires set up at Firestone, I was off to pay our water bill at the city, which was across the street from the Crosstie Walk. After walking the trail a little while, I figured it must be about a mile long--I'm learning to determine distances based on my pace and the time that passes from my walking. Later, I learned from Billy I was correct. I actually enjoyed walking a different venue. However, I was a little self-conscious about "being watched" by a greater number of people. I also had to be quite alert when I used the cross-walks to traverse the few streets that intersected the trail. Initially, I was bombarded by several bumble bees whose territory around some white crepe myrtles I had invaded! I was ducking and dodging, even as a "Turtle"! :-)

As I finished up one loop, 
I knew I needed to check on my vehicle/the tires, so I went toward Firestone on the north end of the bayou, by Sunflower Road. Guess what I saw as I approached the bayou...YES, a LARGE TURTLE! Actually, I heard/saw a big splash out of the corner of my eye, and knew that it probably was a turtle. Stopping and waiting a few moments to focus on movement below the muddy surface, I eventually saw a turtle with a shell about 18" long! The distance down to the bayou from where I stood was about 20 feet, so it was a bit difficult to make him out initially. When I saw him, though, I felt a rush of adrenaline! Turtle Girl saw a big turtle today!


My walking wasn't done for the day either!
Billy met me at the Firestone, then took me home, where I made my lunch then got ready to work in the church kitchen for the afternoon. When Billy didn't arrive for 15 minutes after I phoned him to transport me to church (to which I was already late), I decided to just walk to church! I figured I would meet Billy on the way. About ten minutes after I left the house, while on 5th Avenue, my cell phone rang. It was Billy wondering where I was--he had been at the house for five minutes waiting for me! 8-! So he came to where I was, picked me up, and we went by Firestone to pick up my SUV. I finally made it to the church nearly 40 minutes later than I usually try to arrive! Tonight, even the kitchen was off-kilter! We essentially ran out of fried okra, and almost ran out of the corn-flake fried chicken, peas and cornbread...or so it appeared--there was more cornbread and a little more chicken in the kitchen when I returned after serving to help clean up.

The scales
are most certainly my absolute enemy! I had planned to NOT use them to gauge my "progress" from walking. Now I know why. Today when I weighed myself, it registered the heaviest I have EVER weighed in my entire life! It seems I am GAINING weight walking and eating less and eating healthier! Figures! I told Billy I suspected that might happen, because I already knew that I had gained my weight so very quickly and without any major life changes--I don't eat that much more/worse food than I have the previous several years, nor has my activity level changed from the previous several years! I just simply gained large amounts of weight! Even my lady-doctor asked me on my last visit why I had gained TWENTY pounds from visiting her the previous year! I responded that SHE was the DOCTOR, and I had NO idea why! It is VERY frustrating to me...makes me question why I'm even walking, when I could just sit home and weigh LESS! UGH!

Tootles,
Turtle Girl