Friday Randomness – 5 Things
Happy Friday everyone! It has been a busy week for me, so I didn’t get around to writing my normal Friday Randomness in time to post this morning, so hey, afternoon will do! What’s new with J? Let me tell you.
I bought a new purse!
I got sucked in by this ad on Facebook, and I bought myself a new crossbody purse. What is it about these videos, watching someone load up a bag with a perfect place for everything that I find so satisfying? I don’t know, but I do. I bought it (not through Facebook, I have learned my lesson about counterfeits there) and have had it for several weeks now. Verdict? True love. It’s just what I’ve been looking for. I bought it in the green that is in the ad. The best thing for me is the glasses pocket, where I can keep both my sunglasses and my readers available without having to dig, or carry a case.
BFF Time is the Best Time
Tuesday my BFF Rosemary was in town (She lives in Pennsylvania, near the Delaware border. We’ve been best friends since we met Freshman year of High School.) Her son Henry was in a wedding in Santa Barbara over the weekend, and she flew out so they could drive up and spend a couple of days in San Francisco. I took the day off and we had a lovely trip down memory lane. Their hotel was in Japantown, which was handy because we lived there for a while, so we got to see our old apartment. We went through the little mall there and oggled books and kimonos and dishes and so on. We went to Haight Ashbury and had lunch, then went through several thrift stores. We went to Golden Gate Park and walked around, and took in the view from the observation deck at the de Young museum. We checked them into another hotel downtown, and met some friends and family for drinks, then ended up staying for dinner. We had such a wonderful day, and I spent about 11 hours with them, walked almost 21,000 steps, and finally hopped on BART to head home at 10pm, which is much later than I would normally take public transit alone, but all was fine. I considered taking a Lyft or an Uber, but honestly I feel safer on public transportation than getting into a car with a stranger, though I don’t have those worries about taxis.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Their second hotel (they had to switch hotels for complicated reasons back home that changed their entire plans for their trip) was the Palace downtown, which features this amazing painting in their beautiful Pied Piper bar. There is an urban legend that the artist, Maxfield Parrish, painted it in payment of his massive bar bill. While I like that story, the truth is that it was commissioned for the rebuilt Palace hotel after the earthquake and fire of 1906. It was almost sold a little over a decade ago, but people raised hell, and they ended up having it restored and reinstated instead.
Loaves and Fishes
Thursday my company had a volunteer event at one of our local Loaves and Fishes locations, which was fun and rewarding. We sorted canned goods, prepared and served food, and helped out with the pantry. I thought it was solely a soup kitchen, but they get a lot of donated food that people in need can take home with them as well.
Gluteal Tendinopathy
A quick internet search tells me that the sharp leg pain (specifically in my quadriceps) that wakes me in the middle of the night is likely gluteal tendinopathy. It can be caused by either overuse or underuse of your muscles and tendons in that region, and not enough rest in between strength workouts. It started for me after I increased my hand weights from 10lbs to 15lbs, and was doing strength training 5 days a week, so I suspect overuse is the issue in my case. What sucks is that while anyone can have this problem, menopausal women are more prone to tendon issues because of the lack of estrogen and collagen. Stupid hormones are really bugging the crap out of me lately. I’m going to see a doctor next week and see if it’s too late for me to get Hormone Replacement Therapy. The best time would have been about 10 years ago (I’m 60), but it was considered pretty dangerous when I was in perimenopause. Research has come out since then that says the risk of cancer for women taking HRT was severely overstated. I could go to a doctor for the tendinopathy, but instead I’m cutting way back on my yoga (the stretches I was doing to loosen up my hips was making it worse), being more careful with my strength training, and doing specific exercises to strengthen the tendons.
So now you’re caught up with me. What’s new with you? Have you ever heard of gluteal tendinopathy? Have a new bag/purse that you love? Spend quality time with your BFF?
37 Comments
Lisa’s Yarns
I love your new purse. It was very pleasing to watch the video. It looks like it can store quite a bit. If I hadn’t recently bought a new travel purse, I would be tempted to buy it. Although I wonder if it would fit 2 iPhones. I annoyingly have 2 – one for work, one for personal.
The day with your friend sounded wonderful! It was worth your later return ride home on the BART to make the most of your time with her and her son. How fun to retrace the areas where you lived when you were younger!!
J
I had two phones with me yesterday at the volunteer gig. The back pocket only holds one, so I had to put my work phone in the main compartment. It was fine, but I’m glad I don’t have 2 phones with me every day.
Spending the day with Rosemary was SO fun. I wish we didn’t live 3,000 miles apart, it’s really stupid.
Suzanne
Oooooh what a great purse! The sunglasses portion has my interest for sure.
What a fun time with your friend! Sounds like you packed a TON into your time together!
Ugh, the tendinopathy sounds rough. It’s especially frustrating to suffer injury when you are doing something beneficial for your body!
J
SO FRUSTRATING SUZANNE. Especially the yoga. I love doing yoga, and now I am being SUPER careful and not sure whether I can do warrior poses or not and so on.
Margaret
That purse looks intriguing. It would force me to carry less JUNK in my bag. But could I do it?? What a great time with your friend. It’s a shame that she lives so far away although that makes the time together even more precious. Our bodies don’t seem to like us much after menopause. 🙁
J
There is no room for junk in this purse, which I consider a bonus. If I have a big purse, I will fill it, and then it hurts my shoulder.
Coco
Ah yes, tendons. That’s exactly the reason I started HrT for my knee area tendon. I don’t know it helped or not but I’m okay now, probably strength training helped. Hope you find a doctor to help with that.
Spending time with BFF is the best!
J
Yes, the treatment for tendon injuries is exercise, but one has to be careful to not aggrivate it. So that’s what I’m trying to do. SIGH.
I hope the ship hasn’t sailed for me regarding HrT. I worry that I’m too old for it to be very beneficial.
AC
I think men can get over-the-shoulder holders when pockets are no longer enough.
J
Absolutely!
Sarah
I think SO MANY midlife lady concerns (sleep! plantar faciaitis! frozen shoulder! shitty moods!) can be solved with HRT.
J
This is my hope Sarah!
Nicole MacPherson
I have so much to say! Buckle in.
First of all, I was just writing my Fave Things and talking about HRT. I have been on it since May and Julie, the difference cannot be overstated. I feel like I was on an energetic downward trajectory for months before this and I didn’t notice. I was also all achy and fatigued, and, worst of all, I had developed plantar fasciitis. It has now gone away. Of course I was doing all the stretches/ exercises/ wearing of good supportive footwear that is supposed to treat PF, so that would be some of it, but GONE. Also my cognitive function is way better, I am sleeping great, everything is coming up Milhouse. It makes me so mad that so many women would have foregone HRT because of a bad study that said it caused cancer (although if you have a uterus, you MUST take progesterone in conjunction with estrogen, because otherwise there really is a big risk for uterine cancer. But progesterone helps you sleep, so it’s all good).
Okay, what else. I have to scroll up to see!
Best friends! What a wonderful day you had! I don’t share your fear of Ubers, although I have had my share of strange taxi drivers through the years.
Your purse! I love it. I love seeing “what’s in your purse” things and that reminded me, I desperately need to clean out my bag.
J
I’m glad you have seen so much improvement with HrT! I am hopeful, but I keep reading that when you are over 60 it doesn’t do much good if you haven’t been on it already. HOWEVER, I asked in a facebook group about it, and some women in their early 60s said they JUST started taking it, and it is helping. So there’s that.
nance
There is real joy in finding the Perfect Purse. I like the one you got, but I can’t have anything pressing on my shoulder/neck area. I would love not carrying a purse at all, but needs must. Purses have to last forever for me because I DETEST finding a new purse that meets all my stringent criteria. Sigh. I know; I’m a project.
Hooray for BFF time! I’m so glad you got to spend so much time with Rosemary. Hanging with a truly Best Friend is always restorative. That Pied Piper painting is magnificent.
I hope you can get some relief from your tendinopathy. It’s a sin how much women’s health is put on the back burner. As someone once said, “We are 50% of the population and responsible for 100% of it” ; it’s high time we were treated that way!
J
Thank you Nance! I’m working on the tendinopathy. The things I cannot do are stupid. I cannot sit with my legs crossed (pulls on the tendon), I cannot sleep on my side (I do anyway, it’s the only way I can sleep)
Time with Rosemary is always so wonderful. She was supposed to spend more time in SF, but there was a death in the family and they had to switch everything up. The original plan was for me to go on Thursday and spend the night, so to have 2 full days together. Which maybe I could have done anyway, they ended up staying longer than I thought they would, but I didn’t know that when I left my house to meet them. SIGH. ANYWAY, it was grand.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I love that you got to spend so much time with your BFF. What a fun day. If I ever make it to SF I want you to show me around Japantown. That wuld be so amazing.
Haveing a new purse one loves is the best.
Hope you get the hormone thearapy. I hear a lot of good things.
J
Tobia, I hope to be able to show you around San Francisco someday! It’s a beautiful city, and there is SO much to see and do.
Elisabeth
I got so much satisfaction out of watching the purse video. I love, love, love watching people organize things. It calms my brain down.
I am so glad HRT is getting so much attention; I feel like it has become far more mainstream in the last few years and while I’m still a few years out from menopause, I feel a lot less dread knowing that these supports will be available.
J
I don’t know why that purse video got me, but boy it did! And thankfully, I love the bag.
Jenny
Okay, well I’ll be eagerly awaiting an update on the HRT situation. We’re in the same boat- i’m also 60, and wondering if it would be beneficial for me or if I missed my chance. I definitely have plenty of aches and pains- never really considered if any of it could be caused by lack of estrogen.
That sounds like SUCH a fun day with your friend! And you have known her a long time. I’m not friends with anyone from my high school days. It must be nice to have that much history together!
J
I will keep you updated Jenny! I know the FB group I’m in, there are some ladies in our age group that have tried it and have seen good results.
Michelle G.
Your purse looks amazing! I really love the sunglass pocket, and all the organization is amazing too. Watching the video was a delight! I have a purse that I mostly love, but my sunglasses don’t fit in it well.
It sounds like you had a wonderful time meeting your friend. I’m also curious to know if HRT is beneficial!
J
I’m so happy with this little purse, and I don’t know why I love watching the video, but I do. LOL.
I will definitely report back if I end up trying HRT!
DB Stewart
Others’ happy reunions (with people and places) provide me with second-hand dopamine. Just sayin. Also, I am unafraid to admit I like man-purses, so I say yes to your purchase, but as for menopause-related thoughts…ha, nada. Sorry.
J
If it’s a man purse for you, is mine a woman purse? Hmmm.
Diane
“…can be caused by either overuse or underuse of your muscles and tendons in that region” OMG – it’s like a person can’t do anything right! I’m sorry about the pain – it seems really unfair that the things that make you feel good physically and mentally are the things bringing you down.
I really love the glasses compartment of the purse. Though I don’t know if I like the credit cards and all such being in the purse like that – I feel like I take my wallet out if my purse a lot (Why? I can’t even tell you….) so having the cards in my purse would annoy me.
The Maxfield Parrish mural is stunning. I love his work – such a glow-y dreamy quality to them. And it’s just there, in a bar!
J
Regarding the exercise, I KNOW, RIGHT? UGH. So frustrating. And when it started, I thought I was just too tight in my hips, and I probably made it much worse with all of my stretching. SIGH.
I LOVE not having a wallet in my purse. LOVE IT.
Oh, if you love the painting, you should read the link that I pointed to. Basically the painting was in pretty bad shape from being in a bar with smoke and moisture and some coating that was applied to protect it. They tried to sell it in New York, but San Francisco fans freaked out, so instead they had the it restored, having very recently restored another painting in the same city, then brought it back. So shipping it off to be sold turned out to be the best thing. I’d never heard of it, never had been to that bar before, but my BFF is a fan and was very excited to see it.
Mark T. Petruska
I love the mural! In answer to your questions: no, no, and no.
J
It’s cool, right? I liked it too.
San
Oh, I love when you get influenced on social media and it all works out. That looks like a pretty purse and I am glad you love it so much. And then you got to spend time with a dear friend in SF… ah, what a treat!
Ugh, isn’t it fun to be a woman? The thing we have to deal with in midlife! If men were going through this, we would have treatments and everyone would be talking about it… why is (peri)menopause still such a taboo? I brought up my issues with racing heart/dizziness with my PCP and was completely dismissed, although I think it might at least be hormonally influenced. I am glad you’re seeking help regarding the tenopathy and hopefully it’s not too late to get on HRT, if that might relieve the pain.
J
Thanks San, as the saying goes, ‘from your mouth to god’s ears!’ I hope there is relief in sight because this is some stupid bullshit.
Stephany
Ooh, I have heart eyes about that purse. I’m constantly on the lookout for my next great purse find. I’m bookmarking it, even though I don’t love spending that much money on a purse. Hmm.
Loaves and Fishes sounds similar to Feeding America, which is the organization my mom and I volunteer at once a year. It’s so rewarding!
Gluteal tendinopathy! That’s what I thought I had when I was having my psoriatic arthritis pain. I went down so many rabbit holes about that, lol.
J
I thought maybe this pain was my rheumatoid arthritis, but that usually hits me in the joints, and this is different. Of course, I’ve just self diagnosed and do not know for sure. I am on a facebook group for the arthritis treatment I use, and someone there actually suggested it might be GT. SIGH.
This purse is kind of perfect for my needs, I’m so happy with it.
ernie
Oh man, I’ve had glute tendinopathy. I was unaware of the menoapuse connection – I must update my ahem, PT husband on this. It’s painful. Coach was mind blown, saying most of the time tendinopathy happens to professional athletes. Take that as you will. I translate it to mean, HOW CAN YOU HAVE THIS AS YOU’RE FAR FROM A PROF ATHLETE. Well, the wind is removed from my sails, knowing that it was menopause – not my athletic ability. Ha.
I’m flying to NYC with Mini. She’s hanging with her besties and I’m gonna spend time with one of my best friends from high school. I’ve not seen him in a few years.
Congrats on finding the ideal purse. Nothing like that feeling. I’ve written about it before, but I struggle to buy purses, always fearing that I might find a better one later. I don’t like to spend a ton of money on purses. I’ve been carrying an Addidas athletic bag as my ‘purse’ for years. Since I don’t buy them often, it feels like a huge commitment I guess.
J
Oh, YAY! Enjoy your time in NY with your HS friends! That sounds amazing.
Regarding the the tendinopathy, yeah, I had no idea there was a connection for women in peri-or full on menopause. Your husband is a PT? I’m guessing he mostly works with sports injuries, not middle aged women. Tell him to read up, bucco!
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