Everyday Life in Middletown: Tuesday, October 1, 2019
3:33 a.m. I awaken with the need to use the bathroom. I then go back to bed, and quickly back to sleep. I often have trouble getting back to sleep, and when I do, I recite the 66 books of the Bible from memory in my mind, forwards, and backwards, until I fall asleep, which usually doesn’t take long.
6:31 I awaken, and decide to get up, go to the bathroom, get dressed , and start my day.
I am a 74 year old retired male, who lives with my wife of 54 years, and our Italian Greyhound dog of 8 years. Our daughter, who is self-employed, and who recently moved in with us a month ago from out-of-state, along with her two beautiful cats, is residing with us until she finds the house of her dreams in the Muncie area.
6:39 I go to my home office. My day starts with a morning prayer of thankfulness, and my prayer for people and concerns of which I am aware, and generally for God’s will in His timing.
6:42 I do my morning stretches, which includes a routine of 21 repetitions of 15 different stretches. The 21 repetitions from 7, the perfect number in the Bible, and 3 for the Trinity, so, 7 X 3 is 21.
6:56 Using my laptop, I check our financials, including my daily balancing of our checkbook, then save the file to update again tomorrow.
7:37 I check my email inbox to see if there are any messages that have appeared since I went to bed last evening. I also read the Muncie newspaper online. I check my phone that has been charging all night to see if there are any new messages there. I check my Special Appointments list to see what is ahead on my agenda. I am known for being a list maker at home, and in every position I have held. It just makes sense to me. Still does. Always will. These days, now that we both are retired, I maintain a list of scheduled appointments, which includes medical appointments, meetings, or gatherings, and then once a month I transfer the current months birthdays to the list from my Master Birthday List.
7:51 Usually, with the company of my wife, I have devotions. I begin my daily devotional time today by reading the assigned chapters that will result in reading the Bible through in one year. I have read the Bible through many times, but I especially like this version because it involves readings in the old and new testament each day, which can be split between morning and evening, if I like. I have read the Bible straight through from start to finish, but with that version, I am in the old testament for ¾ of the year. Today’s scheduled assignment is Ephesians chapter 4 in the new, and Isaiah chapters 11-13 in the old testament.
8:05 Next, I read the chapter in Proverbs that matches the day’s date. Today would be chapter 1. Yesterday’s chapter, chapter 30, is one of my favorites because verse 31 mentions the only dog breed mentioned in the Bible. Referring to things that are “majestic in pace” and “stately in walk”, it mentions in verse 31 “ A greyhound”, and it so happens that we have an Italian greyhound, and the description fits her perfectly.
8:09 Next, I read our church study lesson, and make notes, to be ready for discussion this week at church.
8:17 I keep a daily written prayer log, including answered prayers. Often, people forget to say “Thank you!”, and I try not to be one of those individuals.
8:24 I recently purchased a book titled, “One Question A Day Book”. Today’s question is “What experience changed you?” After thinking of the question, I write my response in the book.
8:28 Next, I read the scheduled reading for the day from 2 different daily devotional books, and we often share our thoughts regarding the day’s readings.
8:42 I step outside and pick up the Muncie newspaper, and often fix breakfasts for my wife, myself, and our dog. My breakfast is often a smoothie, since I am a vegetarian. Today, it contains almond milk, protein powder, chia seed, arugula, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, kale, beets, and granola, and it is absolutely delicious. I also eat a probiotic yogurt. I usually drink around 80 ounces of water a day, or half my weight in ounces, though usually not with meals.
9:11 I typically eat breakfast with my wife and dog, and also use the time to catch up with family and friends via texting and conversation. These days, our daughter is living with us, which we love, and it is an opportunity to commune with her. I often connect with my best friend who lives in Kansas. We met in Muncie at church in 1970. He was attending Ball State to obtain his Master’s Degree. We both have moved around the country a lot, and remain best friends.
12:01 P.M. Now is a good time to do my workout for the day. I start with riding my stationary bike for 1 mile. I had back surgery about 10 months ago; therefore, the emphasis of my physical workout.
12:05 Next, I use my weight exercise piece of equipment, by doing 7 different parts of the equipment, for 21 reps each.
12:11 Next, is my rowing machine, which is my favorite part of the workout. I set my machine for me to row 2000 meters, or about 1.25 miles. In my personal rowing workouts from when I started rowing on machines, I have rowed precisely 18, 838,000 meters, or 11,705 miles which exceeds the perimeter of the continental United States, plus Hawaii. I continue to keep track of every meter rowed, and maybe someday I will have rowed enough to include the perimeter of Alaska also.
12:26 Then, I do step and leg exercises to try to relieve my Restless Legs Syndrome.
12:29 Then, I do abdominal crunches.
12:33 Since my wife and I have appointments with a hearing specialist today at 2:00, I now head to the shower, and then to shave, prior to our doctor appointment.
1:21 I eat a vegan lunch, and we both head to the doctor for our hearing tests.
1:57 Check in at the doctor’s front desk.
2:05 Doctor calls us both back.
3:39 Upon completion of our evaluations, the doctor informs me that I need hearing aids, and that the least expensive option would be $5,100. When done, we leave, planning not to make the purchase.
When we left Muncie in 1974, it was a pretty robust city, but every city we have lived in since 1974, until our return in 2017, has been larger than Muncie. One obvious difference we noticed is that in the other cities our Primary Care Physician and Medical Specialists were in, or near, the same town where we lived, which was awesome. Now, our PCP is in Muncie, but, we usually make the drive to Indy for specialists.
3:49 We arrive home, and I go over next door to inquire of our neighbors regarding one of their dogs. They had two, but we have only seen one in the last couple of days. They tell me that they had to put their dog down because of some complications she had been having. They thanked me for my inquiry.
4:10 My wife indicates that she would like to head to the mall. And I say I can drop her off at her store, then head to my store.
4:25 We arrive at the mall, and I drop her off at her store.
4:56 I am done at my store, so I return to her store to pick her up.
5:06 We arrive home, and I do some yardwork, including picking up lots of acorns and walnuts.
5:36 I replace the batteries in our garage door openers that we keep in our cars.
5:47 I check the mailbox, then sort and open today’s mail.
5:53 I do some additional yardwork.
6:38 I return to my church lesson studies.
7:48 With our daughter, we make a recipe of “Healthy banana bread chocolate chip oat breakfast bars” which are vegan and gluten free. We ate a treat of this “health food” while discussing homes for sale with our daughter.
9:47 I take my night medicine.
10:11 I gave our dog a back scratch.
10:24 I have a night prayer with my wife, and then I slept well all night.
I was born in 1944, and my wife in 1945, both in Muncie. Our daughters were born in 1967 and 1969, both in Muncie. The company I worked for in 1974 as a programmer/system analyst transferred me to a subsidiary corporation in Kentucky, so that I could convert them to being computerized. So we sold our home in Muncie and moved to Kentucky. I was able to complete the conversion in less time than anticipated, so I was transferred back to Muncie after 3 months. Since we did not own a home in Muncie, we rented, then decided we could move. So we did. We lived in Kansas for 13 years, then Tennessee for 19 years, Kansas again for 6 years, and finally, Arkansas for 4 years. Then we decided to move back to Muncie for family, after being away for 43 years. (1974-2017). It is good to be home. So many good memories as we traverse around town.
I had graduated from Ball State University in 1968. After leaving Muncie, both my wife and I continued to add more college throughout our careers. The route that my life and career has taken was a total surprise to me. I feel especially blessed to have our two beautiful daughters, and 4 grandchildren. I also feel especially blessed to have my beautiful wife of 54 years, and to be back in Muncie, where it all began, and each day I specifically thank God for His blessings, and our talented family.
Everyday Life in Middletown: Tuesday, October 1, 2019