The weather is finally changing here, just not as fast as some of you seem to be experiencing! Friends in Minnesota said they didn't have their normal two weeks of fall this year; it lasted a weekend, and then went right to winter. Reports from all over are saying if you normally have snow, expect some far sooner than normal if you don't already have some. Since the weather is changing, my preps will be changing too.
Changing Up
What is my normal winter gear? I add a wool sweater, rain gear and extra socks to my GHB. Water and food stay the same as last year, since I'm normally now a manageable one day walk from home. Rain gear and socks go in because it will rain here, eventually.
Checking Up
This is also the time I go over my car for winterizing fixes. I don't usually see temperatures below freezing, but I do travel to the mountains, so window washer fluid that is rated for just a little below freezing is on my shopping list.
Where I live now has very large pine trees that drop sap and pine needles pretty much all year, and so my car has little sticky droplets all over the body and the windows. I have to use a tar and pitch remover before washing and waxing or else I'm just covering up the mess. The windows are especially bad when sap is on them, since light hitting the drops wants to start a microscopic light show in my face. In the heat, the drops soften a little and just smear around: when it's cold in the mornings I don't get the smears, but the wiper blades take a beating trying to clear the mist over the hard sap.
Check Up
I went in to get myself looked over/at recently. It's been a while for a really thorough check up, so the doc went overboard (in my opinion) with what was done. I need to be in shape; not to look good, but to be a benefit to those around me. If you have ever flown, the boring Emergency Speech can be used as a wakeup call for me and others: the part about placing the oxygen mask on yourself and then others applies to life as well. I need to be able to help those close to me in an emergency, and If I'm not in as good a shape as possible, I'm failing what I think is my job.
So, the usual fluid was drawn and a probe was made in the usual uncomfortable place for men. Preliminary results say I'm doing quite well for someone my age: blood pressure is in the lower range, cholesterol is what they say is a little high but they don't want to listen to what I have as hereditary numbers -- my family runs well over 200, with a couple close to 250, and I can keep mine about 180 with a good diet and an OTC supplement. So far I'm blessed to be in fairly good shape, even after crashing motorcycles, Achilles tendon surgery, a dislocated shoulder, and bad thumbs from the crashes. What is important is checking on the diseases and health issues that seem to affect we men in particular. That's why I'm following a movement this month...
Movember
Yes, I'm growing a mustache this month. It's been most of 30 years since I've had a mustache and a friend challenged me to participate this year. There is more to this thing than just growing a mustache; the Movember movement is there to shine a light on more than just Prostate Cancer. Just a small sample from the website:
From the Men's Health sub menu:
At 50, talk to your doctor about prostate cancer and whether it’s right for you to have a PSA test. If you are African American or have a father or brother with prostate cancer, you should be having this conversation at 45. Know your numbers, know your risk, talk to your doctor.Something that also affects men disproportionately is suicide. From the Mental Health page:
Globally, every minute, a man dies by suicide. In the United States, 75% of suicides are men.
What can we do?
Talk.
Ask.
Listen.
Encourage action.
Check in.Look at the video on the above page. Think about who you talk to and who you can share problems with. I know that most men try to be the Lone Ranger, fighting the good fight by themselves, but having a friend to talk to can make a real difference.
Please look over the entire website, apply what you can, and encourage the men close to you to read it also. Even if you get a late start like me, it's never too late to take care of yourself!
Takeaway And Recap
- Nothing was purchased this month, but I've saved maybe $0.10 in shave cream.
- Take care of yourself first, so you can then care for those around you.
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NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.
Dude, you need to update your profile pic with the 'stache!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great article. You have to take care of yourself before you can think of helping others.
Thanks for posting.