Sometimes you encounter a day when its not a weekend and yet there are absolutely no errands that are critically demanding attention. This is the case for both Kim and me today. Don’t get me wrong…there are always things that can be done to fill up the day, but sometimes there is nothing that is in desperate need of attention. In our case today, the Christmas decorations are all down. The repairmen have fixed or adjusted all the things that needed fixing. The garden is not growing particularly fast, given that its January (despite the forecast for a high of 80 degrees and sunny skies). And the only thing on the social dance card at the moment is a self-induced invitation for tomorrow night for three other couples to come over for a game night after dinner. What that means is that we have some odds and ends that we can occupy our day with, but that we can do it all very casually and with minimal sense of mission. This therefore become a bit of a puttering day around our hilltop.
I did a four hour ride into the desert yesterday and while my middle back can feel a full day in the saddle, all of the recent increase in exercise has started to strengthen my core and it doesn’t feel too stiff this morning. People don’t tend to think that riding a 600-pound motorcycle and throwing it around countless mountain and desert roads is too much work, but I would challenge that assertion. It was a good workout which I supplemented with 30 minutes on the treadmill, so I slept well last night. Today I plan to do more time on the treadmill, knowing that we are also likely to take a long neighborhood walk in the afternoon. I don’t want to do too much weight work given that tomorrow I have my trainer for an hour of more rigorous weight training, but I do have a new gym toy to try out. I decided I needed kettlebells to supplement my collection of dumbbells. Kettlebells are versatile weights used for dynamic, full-body workouts that combine strength training with cardiovascular conditioning. What makes them distinctive is that kettlebells excel at ballistic movements like swings, snatches, and cleans where the weight moves explosively. These exercises build power, endurance, and work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. They’re also great for traditional strength exercises like goblet squats, presses, and rows, plus core work and mobility drills. The off-center weight distribution (the handle sits above the ball) requires constant stabilization, engaging your core and smaller stabilizer muscles throughout movements. This makes even simple exercises more challenging and functional. Kettlebell training improves grip strength, builds explosive power, enhances cardiovascular fitness, and develops real-world functional strength since the movements often mimic natural human motion patterns like lifting, throwing, or swinging. They’re also extremely efficient. It is said that a 20-minute kettlebell workout can provide both strength and cardio benefits. You can get an effective full-body workout with just one or two kettlebells, making them space-efficient and practical. I managed to find at Home Depot a multi-weight kettlebell that ranges from 7-22.5 pounds in an efficient single adjustable unit. I think I have to try that puppy out this morning.
My other two non-urgent tasks that I want to accomplish today involve a pause I took on the patio yesterday. I noticed that the wind had blown down my cantilevered spa umbrella. I removed it from the spa but recognize that it is now officially shot and needs to be replaced. I had anticipated this almost a year ago so I actually have a new one in the garage ready to go…except that I have to figure out if it needs retrofitting to the concrete and steel base that I have in place next to the spa. That could be an easy project or it could involve getting in a welder to fix the base…to be determined. Then there is the ever-troubling issue of how to get rid of crap like the old umbrella, which can either be dismantled and put into the regular trash or dumped somewhere that probably involves a dumping fee. That’s project #1.
The other thing I noticed was that one of my large potted cacti by the side of the house has gone and curled up and died…very unusual. Cacti are incredibly resilient and they rarely just die from something as simple as lack of or excess of water. I’m not into forensic plant analysis (they grow too easily and are too plentiful out here), so I will just need to find a decent replacement cactus and go through the prickly process of removing and replanting the pot. That will be project #2.
Usually, Kim and I go our separate ways during the day. I do the gardening and she does whatever she does (including most of the shopping and household errands). Today, since we have declared it to be a puttering day, we have decided to do our chores in tandem for a change. While she gets herself ready for the day, I will go explore the wonders of kettleballing. We will then go with Buddy in tow to do whatever grocery errands she needs to do for our game night soiree while I sit in the car keeping Buddy from feigning attack on all passersby. We will then go to one of the better nurseries like Waterwise Botanicals or Oasis and find the right cactus to replant that big pot off the patio. I’m guessing that I will be left on my own to wrangle the spa umbrella project, but that’s OK since I suspect that might well be a multi-day affair involving unpacking the new one, dismantling the old one, and finally, figuring out how to set up the new one on the old base. Sounds easy, but I am expecting complications at every stage of that project. I am hoping not to require the grumbling of Handy Brad to sort this one out, but if welding is required, all bets are off.
These are all good problems to be facing on a warm sunny day in January. New toys, new projects, simple tasks, fun purchases, family togetherness time and a mild sense of accomplishment which says that puttering away a day once in awhile is a worthy endeavor.