Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Exercise snacks! Love it. I should try the marching. I do some balance stuff at yoga but it doesn't seem to help much. I still have to lean on something to put my pants on.

It should be warmer in Key West, no? Nice tradition to have with your friends.

Today was kind of lazy, but it did involve some swimming and walking. Sadly, my right hip is causing me a lot of pain, especially the movement required to climb stairs. I was all free of hip, knee and ankle pain, until I wore some boots in December with a bit of elevation. They have REALLY good lug soles, so I was wearing them because they are great on ice, but they must have thrown off the mechanics of how my glutes and abductor and adductor muscles work together. I've tried many stretches, massage with a tennis ball, massage via patient husband, Aleve and Advil, rest, strengthening like clam shells, and will almost be gone, then come screaming back. Yesterday was decent, today, pretty painful.

Not because of the hip/leg pain, but we are doing a couple's massage tomorrow. I had my Brazilian brother take a look at the website to make sure it's legit, as in therapeutic, because the others exist openly too, and will come up on a Google search. They said it was a normal spa. It's 2 hours of treatments, face, reflexology, body massage and they serve you lunch and champagne. The cost total for the two of us is under $200. One can live well here!

In theory it should be warmer in the Keys since they are further south but the persistent north wind is the issue and the forecasts for here vs there look identical. Right now it looks like it will be unusually cool for our first 3 days there, then warm up somewhat. Not sure it will be beach weather at all when we are there. We will be on Big Pine Key btw, which is about 30 miles east of Key West. Though staying right in Key West is fine for a couple of nights we prefer to stay where it is quieter (though we will go into Key West once or twice).

Enjoy the massage today! I hope it does help with your hip even though that isn't the main reason you are going.