Crone Cronies - It's the 4th of July or, as we call it, Exploding Christmas. 7/3

[sciencelady]

The Cronies is a place for women who are mature in age or attitude. The group is highly diverse in that we have ages ranging from 30s to 60s, some are moms, some are single, some are teachers/professors, and some have jobs and work outside the home and some don’t. We do our own thing and are happy when life doesn’t get in the way too often. Some are training for a marathon, some don’t even do vids, you get the picture.

Life and exercise are what we report. A thread is started every Sunday. Some report every day, others whenever they can.

Bottom line: we are a diverse group and very supportive of each other’s goals. Oh, and we’re funny as heck. If you’d like to join us, just come on down.

[sciencelady]

Good morning!

Yesterday I had a fantastic time going to the big dance presentation at the Xcel Energy Center - big show, with literally 100's of folk dancers from 4 years olds to grandmas and grandpas out on the floor! Many of the dances were new choreography compared to what I learned when I used to do it some 40 years ago. I didn't run into anyone I knew yesterday, but the local lady working and organizing the volunteers found me and now knows I'm in town if more hands are needed for something. Today I'll be going to the festival for a huge choir event. My friend staying with me is returning home today so I get my house back! Poor woman stayed late last night covering the balls and now is on her 12th or so repeat of her morning alarm! I'll be taking the bus in again today - it is kind of nice to get my walking steps in also!

Vantreesta, I do hope you find an alternative to surgery for your feet that works! Do you ever go to the Ren Fest in Shakopee, MN? It's in fall here. I enjoy it! One of these days, I'll need to try your pancakes!

Laura, glad DH is feeling better! I'm masking up at the festival - I have a chronic cough that I don't think is related to Covid, but wanted people sitting around me to feel a bit more comfortable. There have been some Covid outbreaks at the festival.

Paula, The enhanced driver's license was pretty hard to get here in MN - special places downtown. When it gets more available, I might get one - right now I just have the regular license. I've pretty much gotten rid of my exercise DVDs - I just have 2-3 now. I've seen a few episodes of Game of Thrones whenever Directv would expand their services (this was years ago), but I've never seen a series of episodes that follow each other - I've thought about trying to find a season of DVDs through my library and watching those.

Waves to all!

Anita

[Vantreesta]

Anita, yep, we go at least half the weekends of the one in Shakopee. We have also been to the ones in Omaha, Bristol and Des Moines and several smaller ones around MN and WI. I've also been to the big one in AZ but I was visiting family and hubby was at home. We pretty much go to all of them that we can! This year was our first time at the CO one.

[sciencelady]

Vantreesta, do you dress up for the Ren Fests? I don't have anything medieval, but did dress up in dragon leggings and carry a whip one year .

[Vantreesta]

Anita, yes, we dress up! We don't worry about period correct. Love that you took a whip! I dress as a bellydancer, even though I'm too self conscious to dance in public. There was a troupe last year that invited me to come practice with them but they met over an hour away. I do really enjoy it though. I have a lot of different pieces so I can mix and match to have different outfits. So fun!

After blowing off the first two days of the month I kicked my own butt into gear and actually worked out on a Sunday! Another long string of short ones (pre and post run stuff take just as long whether I run one mile or four!): PT exercises, glutes with Caroline Jordan, feet with Jill Miller, lower legs with Caroline, 1.09 mi run, piriformis and hips with Helen Clare and my usual Yoga for Runners post-run practice with Matt Giordano. I need to do tendonitis exercises and PT stretches later.

[Laura S.]

Thanks for getting us started, Anita. I love the theme. I think it's a quote by Stephen Colbert.

Today has been more productive than yesterday, but still really restful. I mixed up a slow cooker dish this morning for dinner and cooked an easy lunch. I also did some card making. This afternoon, I did a pick-up at Wegmans. I have something to get done on the computer this evening, but it shouldn't take long.

Paula - I want to go away and stay somewhere, even if it's close by. I'm considering staying in Durham or Hillsborough. Even though it's close, there's a lot to do. But I'd also like to go a bit further as well. I'm considering New Bern or Elizabeth City or the Charlotte area. I don't want to go to the mountains because once again I want to try to go to Asheville during the Christmas season - November most likely. I'd love any ideas you have.

Anita - I hope the concert is/was really good. Enjoy getting your house back. You may have some opportunities with the volunteers coordinator.

Vantreesta - Sounds like you have fun at them.

[Paula]

Good evening. This morning's workout was Pahla B Body Shaping Day 27 Cardio Toning and a neighborhood walk with DH.

Grocery and food prep day for us, plus some laundry but DH took care of that while I was cooking.

Anita, thanks for getting us started. Glad you're enjoying the festival and it's close enough you can take public transportation in and not have to fuss with trying to find somewhere to park. I had to renew my Driver's License a couple years ago so reserched what I needed for the enhanced Driver's License. It was really easy, I took in the required documents and I don't think it took any longer than getting a regular license. DH didn't need to renew his license but got what they called an enhanced CA ID card at the same time - it's basically just like the enhanced DL for travel. I still have my exercise DVD's but I only use three stretching ones.

Vantreestra, I checked out what's needed to get into Canada and you're right, the enhanced DL is acceptable. Not sure whether we'll go this year but it's good to know. You're a belly dancer! Good for you, sounds like fun. My younger sister used to have several exercise hula and belly dancing DVD's she loved to do - she had much better moves than me. I tried to do those with her sometimes and it was pretty funny.

Laura, now that you mention it, back when my brother had a minivan we all piled in and went to New Bern for a day. It's was October or November and it was darn cold. But New Bern is a cute town. It would be a good place to go for an overnighter. We drove through Charlotte once but honestly I don't remember anything about it. We went to Washington, NC on a long day trip once and that's a small historic town you might enjoy too. We went to New Bern and to Washington to check out the boating, so we were focused on the water. I do think there's more to do and see in both places than we had time to check out. Of course Kitty Hawk is interesting, DH was in seventh heaven seeing where the Wright Brothers first flew. It is windy all the time there though (which is why the Wright Brothers chose it). I remember Ocracoke was interesting as well. Hope this helps.

[sciencelady]

Good morning!

Today is a rainy holiday morning - there's still a breakfast at the festival, but I'm not going - I'm done! I can take a few days here to relax before heading to Mineral Point, WI, to be crafty with high school friends. I leave Friday for that! I'm signed off at at the WRC for that day. The concert yesterday was fantastic - I wondered if there were more singers on stage than there were in the entire Ordway theater watching them - it was pretty even! One of my childhood friends sang a solo and I got to catch that on camera for her.

I'm not sure if I'll take a walk in the rain - don't need to now, but I might go to a mall and try walking that way. I'm kind of proud of myself for taking the bus downtown for all of the festival events - that added to my walk score of the day!

Vantreesta, nice that you've been to so many Ren Fairs! So fun to dress as a bellydancer! I wonder how many people stick to the Ren Fair all year round moving from place to place to perform. Are your foot doctors aware of how many athletic activities you do consistently?

Laura, I hope you can get us started next week when I'll be traveling. No grocery shopping for me this week - I had bought extra expecting my friend to eat something here, but she just had coffee in the morning and ate at the festival for all her other meals. I don't think the volunteers coordinator has my contact info yet, so maybe I'll still enjoy some freedom here . How is Asheville for the Christmas time? I liked that city when I was there a few years ago, but I was there in summer.

Paula, I really lucked out with the buses in that the cash payment machine was broken three times out of six, so I got free rides also! It's been a few years since I need to renew my driver's license, but back then the special equipment needed for the enhanced license weren't in all of their license facilities - I'm hoping that will change the next time I need to go renew, but frankly, I don't travel enough to really require the special license. It's cool that DH got to visit the fields that the Wrights used to develop airplanes!

Waves to all!

Anita

[Laura S.]

It has been a quiet day here. I've done some laundry and we've mainly hung out. It is hot and very humid and Polly has spent more time than usual inside during the day. We think the heat has gotten to her today. Right now, she's curled up asleep on DH's lap. Last night, she spent much of the evening after it got dark under my chair because she was afraid of the fireworks being set off in the neighborhood. I figure we'll get a repeat tonight.

I continue to look at places near by for vacation. It occurred to me why I'm not making a decision. My MIL needs surgery on one of her feet and DH wants to go in around that surgery to help out. And, of course, they haven't made a decision yet. My MIL has a doctor's appointment tomorrow and they are going to ask for a recommendation to a doctor. The podiatrist she has now uses a surgical center near Charleston and they don't want to go that far. Until we know when that is, there's not much sense in making any decisions.

Anita - I'll start the thread this coming Sunday. That's assuming I can remember! Sunday is a long way away. It's nice you got to see your friend sing. I'd go to Asheville during the Christmas season to go to Biltmore. They do it up extravagantly, from what I hear.

Paula - Now, I'm looking at Elizabeth City. It's inland and, according to my parents, is a fun place to go. It's also about an hour to the beach and 30 minutes to other quaint historic town, so we could take some day trips from there. But, who knows where I'll check. Thanks for your recommendations. I'll check them out. It's always good to know what the options around us.

[Paula]

Good evening. Workout this morning was some yin yoga and lots of walking with DH.

We decided to drive to Seal Beach walk around and enjoy the 4th of July atmosphere. We had fun, now we're just waiting for the fireworks to start at 9:00 pm.

We spent some time this afternoon making reservations for a two night stay in San Luis Obispo. We're going on the 13th and returning on the 15th.

Anita, good for you getting in all that walking. Plus fun to see the concert and your friend sing. When you go to WI for crafting what are you going to make - did I miss that. The enhanced license is good to have because then you don't have to carry your passport to fly. You now need a passport or the enhanced ID to fly even domestically. I would hate to lose my passport and am happy to leave it at home. When I went to the Biltmore it was November and they had the mansion decorated for the holidays and it was beautifully done, just spectacular - not in a flashy way, very tasteful. I could have moved right in. Unlike the Heast Castle which is spectacular in a gaudy and generally garish way. Heast had money but he didn't have taste. The Biltmore is much nicer.

Laura, I have another suggestion for you to put on your "visit someday" list which is Wilmington, N.C. I haven't been there but I'd like to go, I hear it's a beautiful, historic town on the water with touristy stuff to do. I hope you get to Elizabeth City. I understand about not being able to plan anything due to medical stuff. We booked this trip at places where we could cancel with no penalty up to 24 hours ahead. He has a check on the 7th, if that's clean we're good to go for a while, if they find another tumor, we're back on the medical rollercoaster. Fingers crossed. We'd like to go to Fort Collins, CO next month and visit friends who have recently moved there and are anxious to show us their new house. We'll see. Home things start moving for your MIL soon. The summer has a way of drifting away while you're waiting on this king of stuff.