Odds and Ends

Birds of Prey? I was eating lunch at the beach Saturday and though I have seen this before, I was still stunned when the sea birds began swooping in for my food. Seriously, one of them actually hit my head with its wings! Now I don’t eat much and I only take out enough for one serving so by gosh.. that bird was NOT getting my lunch. I had to hold my sunscreen can and swing at them.. I was agog. How did these fowl learn that people on the beach had food that they 1) wanted and 2) could steal? Well from us I am sure. For goodness sakes... how does a sandwich attract a beast meant to eat fish?

Parents and Choices: Years ago, I was going to be a daycare teacher. I began college studying child development before switching to social work and later worked in child abuse and neglect for about seven years. I took courses on parenting skills and also taught them. One thing I remember very clearly which helped others and myself, is that one should never give a child or an incompetent adult a choice that doesn’t exist. Still a choice should always be given so the person is empowered. I.e., not “what do you want for lunch?”, but “which of these two things do you want?” Or, “what shoes would you like to wear to the store?”, not “do you want to go to the store?” And lastly, “which Assisted Living Facility do you think would be better for you?”, NOT “do you want to go and live in the ALF?” I thought of this over the weekend as an adult and elementary school aged child arrived at the beach. The adult said, “Do you want to put on your sun block?” and the child said…. “NO,” and bounded off for the surf. The better question? “Would you like to put on the sun block yourself or shall I?” Remember that the biggest risk factor for skin cancer is having significant sun burns as a child. [after this, I saw my nieces who had spent over seven hours at another beach the day before.. and there was not one spot of pink on them. They applied and re applied.. good girls!]

Medicaid: My mother told me about a radio show she had recently heard. From her description, it appeared to be related to long term care planning. Some of the information appears to have been sound but when she started talking about Medicaid in regards to long term care, I became upset.
Basically one should figure it this way. IF you have been unable to support yourself most of your life and the government has assisted you with health insurance and housing, it is likely to continue to do so when you are older. If you are independent and have had the good fortune to work, save and prosper... paying for a home perhaps or for housing and cars and the like, it is NOT expected that the government will suddenly pick up the tab for your housing in an assisted living or nursing home. Nor should they... unless the whole system changes.
I think that lawyers who can make your home and money “invisible” are cheating our system and are one of the causes for the health care crisis… similarly I am upset when lawyers make non disabled persons suddenly disabled enough for social security disability income. Really, I think it is bullshit. Needs based programs are just that – needs based.

Physical Therapy: Interesting statement made by a physical therapist this past week. We don’t usually see people who are active; we more often are treating problems due to inactivity.

700 calorie burn: I enjoyed an awesome spin class over the weekend. The teacher was great, energetic, skilled, etc... music good.…participants lively and helpful. There was just this one thing... At the end of our 45 to 60 minute class, the teacher said that we had just burned 700 calories…..doh!... As a former instructor, I take issue with any of us claiming a particular calorie burn for a class. One can not offer legitimate general data like that. Now to say that this burned more than walking or the elliptical or as much as running for 20 minutes, something like that, OK.. but numbers are based on well... numbers... YOURS .. I may have burned 200 in that class, and my neighbor maybe 400. I doubt that anyone burned the 700 but could be. I just worry that people hear that and then base their calorie INTAKE on it.

A Twist of Phrase: I recall three separate things that I heard this week that led me to think myself clever-
1) Some one was talking about French fries and said “But you can’t eat just one.” And I thought, “Oh, but I can eat just none and be the better for it.”
2) My auntie said, “You can’t live forever,” in a conversation where I was lamenting over her becoming a seeming recluse and I responded, “No, but you can live while you’re living!”
3) And lastly, I saw a magazine with the caption, “Eat better for less.” And thought, “Eat less for better.”

Oh that last one reminds me of my grocery shopping. Alert! Pay attention to your foods. There can be a drastic difference in price and calorie content for the same foods by different companies. Look at UPC labels on the shelf and calorie by gram on your foods.