100 (now 99) Days.

It would have been 100 days until my 65th birthday if I’d posted this yesterday, but, eh, I did not. So, 99. Welcome to my 100 99 Day Plan!

Back in the day, when I was skinnier and healthier I used to walk daily. Once upon a time, I used to get my ass out the door and do 2 miles a day, either before or after work. A daily walk is a habit I want to get back into my life. I’m not sure whether mornings or evenings will work better for me, but there will be at least a 30 minute walk every day, until my pace improves and 30-40 minutes is at least 2 miles.

I’m swearing off diet apps for now, because I’m just fucking sick of counting shit. My life is governed by spreadsheets and reporting systems at work and I’m just not able to do it in the rest of my life without getting all stabby. Instead I will eat a mostly plant based Mediterranean diet, drink all the water and the tea, snack on fruit, and get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. That is all I have in me right now, and I really think that will be Enough.

Back in the Before Times, my corporate employer did a thing at meetings: “30 for 30” when every 30 minutes we would stand up and stretch for 30 seconds. That’s one of the things that fell away when we all went remote, and my back and knees and entire body misses the reminder to get my ass up and move regularly during the work day. I was talking with a coworker (online, we all work from home) and I wondered if I could ask Alexa to remind me to do that, because I really need it.

I didn’t find a programmed routine and didn’t have the energy to teach Alexa, because we still have words about not waking me up at 5:30 if I take a day off during the week.

Me: “Alexa, cancel my 5:30 alarm for tomorrow.”

Alexa, cheerily: “Okay! Alarm canceled. Would you like to cancel this alarm for every weekday?

Me: “Alexa, no, I said cancel it for tomorrow. Only tomorrow.”

Alexa: ::sulks silently::

Alexa and I have this conversation at least once or twice a month, and she asks every single time whether I’m canceling my alarm for every weekday. The concept of “Tomorrow” apparently confuses her. She’s really good about turning the lights on and off when told, but yeah, otherwise, the girl is dim and not as teachable as advertised.

So, while I was figuring out how to set an at home version of a 30 for 30 reminder I found an IOS app called, cleverly enough, “Stand Up!” which does exactly what I wanted. I was able to set it for a reminder to get my ass up every 30 minutes between 8 and 5 on weekdays, and unlike our gal Alexa, it took less than a minute to set up and does not talk back. Every 30 minutes my iPhone and Apple watch ping and vibrate quietly. I can ignore it if I want, it’s not intrusive at all and I don’t have to argue with it to make it stop. It’s a reminder, not an eager but dim assistant that annoys you until you respond. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks and love it.

And no, I’m not being compensated for this plug, it’s just a useful little app if you sit a lot, even if you aren’t sitting at a desk for work. (Even knitters and readers need to stand and stretch regularly. Just sayin’.)

So, my variation on 30 for 30 will be something I can’t do in an office meeting: I’ll add a plank every 30 minutes, or every other 30 minutes, whatever works. Stand, stretch, get down slowly and creakily into a plank, because yeah, the deterioration from sitting all the time is real. Hold a plank for at least 30 seconds. Get back to work. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

And walk. Eat plants. Drink water. Get sleep. That’s the plan.

Alexa will get to aggravate me again with the alarm cancellation stuff this week, because I’m taking Thursday off to hit Epcot Flower and Garden with my daughter.

My daughter is on a break between jobs, she starts the new, higher paying 20 minute commute gig in April, so we are doing our annual tradition of playing hooky for Flower and Garden sans Kid. We’ll take her another day. I’m hoping that if we’re going on a random weekday we’ll have a better chance to get the virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy. I’ve tried off and on for months, but no luck.

I may take Friday off too, just because I need a catch up on life day. Good Friday is a holiday for my employer, so I may take Thursday or Monday and wrap that into a 4 day weekend, I haven’t decided. Either way I need a day or two of catching up on life.