All posts by New Britain Bo

Bo’s Running Hartford

One of my friends recently completed running all of the streets of West Hartford - took her from Jan-Nov last year.  She used a map+spreadsheet to track her work and plotted it out on a map of the city.  Cool project.

Yesterday, during my run, I decided to run all of the streets of H’istan.  So I found a good street map of the city, went to FedEx, and had them print it out poster size: https://themdc.org/app/uploads/2022/09/HartfordStreetMap2022.pdf

This morning, I began my challenge in SoWendHa (South West-End Hartford), and did 3.2 miles covering 5 complete streets and parts of 8 others.  This neighborhood is predominantly Puerto Rican, Portuguese, and Brazilian.  My finds included some historical curiosities, awesome road bling, and a Portuguese bakery with almond-crusted croissants.

In thinking about the overall task, I’m looking for completeness (every street, entire street) as well as efficiency (not covering the same stretch more than necessary), but I need to take into account that I can only do 3-5 miles each time out.

If the city streets were perfect squares, and tiled the plane perfectly, I could take inspiration from something like the Dragon Curve (which doesn’t cross it’s own path).  Four of these, each rotated 90 degrees, completely tiles the plane. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_curve

But a city is not a perfect plane - has dead ends, boulevards, greens, cul-de-sacs, islands, curves, roundabouts, etc.  And I need to return to my car after each segment.

When I go to a museum, in order to see each piece of art, I follow a simple pattern of go to the left, until a room is completed, then take the next left turn, etc.  This gives me completeness, but would not take into account segment lengths.

Any thot’s on how to approach this?

Walk With Bo

After I got out of the hospital last summer (Duodenal Ulcer with Complications), and was relearning how to walk, I started this deal where I would get different people to go for walks with me.   Most of the walks were from my house up and around the paths in Elizabeth Park (just down the street) or down 199th St. in Scandia.

After more than a year since I started WWB, I've walked with 64 different partners (including 4 dogs) - of course I spreadsheet this.  Many of them have walked with me multiple times, usually 2.2-3.2 miles - I try to vary the route each time, and we go out rain or shine.

Let me know if you are around and would like to join me (Hartford or Scandia).

So Nation, what are you up to for exercise lately?

Coins, Golf Balls

Since my hospitalization last year, I've been trying things to build back stomach and other muscles.

The first exercise was 20 Coins.  I have a dish of miscellaneous foreign coins that I pour on the floor, and have to pick up one at a time, alternating hands.

The most recent one I'm doing now is picking golf balls out of a bowl at the base of the stairs, the "cup" being exactly 4 inches deep.  So I have to bend down further than I'm used to.  I found that on a recent trip to Vail that I didn't have the range of motion to get the ball out of the cup after putting.  So after 3 days now I'm up to 6 golf balls!  My goal is 18 balls.

Better Know a Citizen – Rhubarb Runner

(Slightly adapted list of Q&A from Colbert's Questionert):

Best sandwich? - Peanut Butter and Jelly.

What's one thing you own that you should really throw out? - Almost anything in the basement (esp. most screws/bolts/nuts).

What is the scariest animal?  - Alligator

Apples or oranges? - Allergic to raw apples - prefer rhubarb.

Have you ever asked someone for their autograph? - lots.  (Joe Nathan, Rod Carew a long time ago, etc).

What do you think happens when we die?  - Not worried about it.

Favorite action movie? - Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Window or aisle? - Window, left side of aircraft.

Favorite smell? - Harvest time.

Least favorite smell? - a chemical from Organic Chem in college days.

Exercise - worth it? - Yes! senior fitness class 3 times/week.

Flat or sparkling? - Flat.

Most used app on your phone? - Trainstation2.

You get to listen to one song for the rest of your life - what is it? - Some instrumental soundtrack piece.

What number am I thinking of? - 75 (nope - it was 27).

Who is your favorite Twin? - Rod Carew.

Favorite top 5 Minnesota athletes? - 1) Joe Mauer. 2) Arlo Brunsberg. 3) Rod Oistad. 4) Gene Washington.  5) Dan Patch.

 

 

 

Better Know A Citizen(‘s wife)

I did the Colbert Questionert with NBBW and here are her responses:

Best sandwich?  Reuben

What's one thing you own that you really should throw out? Old running shirts

What is the scariest animal?  Bear

Apples or oranges?  Apples

Have you ever asked someone for their autograph?  No

What do you think happens when we die?  Go to the next stage

Favorite action movie?  New Star Trek with young Kirk/Spock/Bones/Urhura/Chekhov

Favorite smell?  NBB’s kitchen smells

Least favorite smell?  Skunk

Exercise: worth it?  Yep

Flat or sparkling? Sparkling

Most used app on your phone?  Messaging

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life:  what is it? Coldplay- My Universe

What number am I thinking of?   5 (it was 27)

Describe the rest of your life in 5 words?  More of the same thing

And I added:

Who is your favorite Twin?  Harmon Killebrew

Favorite ballpark music?  Da da da da, da da! (Charge!)

Do I stay or do I go?

So.

Before the medical thing happened in the first part of the year (duodinal ulcer, 6 1/2 weeks in the ICU), I was thinking about retiring on June 1st.  After I came back to work it seemed prudent to keep working and see how things settle, don't make any major changes, etc.   So I came back to work after the short-term disability was done.

But there's  been a bunch of reorgs, job eliminations, people retiring, etc.  I'm in a new area that I don't really like, and a new boss I don't really like.

I've been interviewing for another position in the same company but a different area - 2nd interview today seemed to go O.K.

So I have to decide - 1) stay in the role I'm in (nope); 2) try out the new role (if they decide to hire me);  3) quit and go on my wife's benefits; 4) go to 4-day week and enjoy slacker Friday's while keeping my benefits, or ??  I'm having 1-1 with boss's  boss tomorrow so will discuss with her.  Maybe she has other options as well...  Wish me luck and send over any WGOM advice you think useful.

Inspiring

So I'm at the club swimming yesterday, and there's this lady in the lane next to me, swimming with a snorkle.

When we both finished a lap at the same time I asked her why the snorkle.  She said it was because of arthritis, so moving her head to breathe out of one side of her head would give her a lot of pain.  I asked if she was on any medications.  She said no.

I've been swimming now for 4 weeks since the hospitalization, and its going good - breathing is strong, good SWOLF (see Garmin) and it's really a relaxing exercise.

I showed her my belly scar (jagged rip from sternum to belly button) - warning, people with scars always want to show them off - and she gasped (they always do).  She asked my age, and then told me she was 75.  She was swimming a mile!  What an inspiration!

 

Back in the saddle

After being in the hospital ("big-house") from January 3rd thru most of March - most of it in the ICU and all of it on my back in a bed, I did 20 days in a re-hab hospital (the "hotel"), and now have been home for about a month.  Still a lot of healing in my wounds.

I can walk now (without a walker), averaging 1.5mi and don't get winded.  Also, on Sunday, I swam for the first time this year (2 laps), and on Tuesday 4 laps.  Honestly, I cried after the first half lap I was so happy.  My arms are weak (like a little girl), but they do the job and my SWOLF (google Garmin for this) is only 10 points above where I was before IT happened.

So Nation, how are you keeping active/healthy?