Since my stem cell transplant in April I've been doing my best to improve my strength. And while my recovery has been fairly quick, I'm not as strong as I'd like to be. From time to time I go for walks around the block. We have a big block. It takes about half-an-hour to get around it. I'll go for a swim in the pool. I'll go shopping with my wife. Wow, I sure get a lot of walking in then. But to be honest, most days the only thing I really exercise is my fingers...on my keyboard.
Writing three blogs and contributing to several others keeps me fairly occupied. My creative process is aided by music. In the morning I'll plop 5 CDs into the CD changer and I'm good to go for at least half a day. Used to be the exercise I got was walking from the family room, through the kitchen to the music room to choose my day's music and then back again. When my doctor asked me if I was staying active, I'd say "You betcha". Now though, I keep a stash of 15-20 CDs next to the CD player so my trips to the music room are less frequent.
But I think I may have found a better routine. My LPs - for those younger readers these are "long-playing" vinyl records from the 60s, 70s and 80s - are in the basement. I've decided to give these venerable but vital varietal vinyl platters a listen after many years of neglect (wow! Sopwith Camel!!!). And here's the great fitness aspect about this. Not only do I have to go down the stairs to get these distantly discarded danceable discs and back up the stairs to get to the stereo - great cardio - but instead of changing 5 CD's every 5 or 6 hours, I have to jump up off the couch every 15 minutes to flip the record over.
Wow. What a workout. I've got my own, less strenuous, version of sweatin' to the oldies. Eat your heart out Richard Simmons. I'm an evangelized, exercised, energized, expert. I'm a genius. Um, can you pass me those cheese doodles?
Writing three blogs and contributing to several others keeps me fairly occupied. My creative process is aided by music. In the morning I'll plop 5 CDs into the CD changer and I'm good to go for at least half a day. Used to be the exercise I got was walking from the family room, through the kitchen to the music room to choose my day's music and then back again. When my doctor asked me if I was staying active, I'd say "You betcha". Now though, I keep a stash of 15-20 CDs next to the CD player so my trips to the music room are less frequent.
The dufus Wall of Sound
But I think I may have found a better routine. My LPs - for those younger readers these are "long-playing" vinyl records from the 60s, 70s and 80s - are in the basement. I've decided to give these venerable but vital varietal vinyl platters a listen after many years of neglect (wow! Sopwith Camel!!!). And here's the great fitness aspect about this. Not only do I have to go down the stairs to get these distantly discarded danceable discs and back up the stairs to get to the stereo - great cardio - but instead of changing 5 CD's every 5 or 6 hours, I have to jump up off the couch every 15 minutes to flip the record over.
My vital vinyl
Wow. What a workout. I've got my own, less strenuous, version of sweatin' to the oldies. Eat your heart out Richard Simmons. I'm an evangelized, exercised, energized, expert. I'm a genius. Um, can you pass me those cheese doodles?
Comments
Dick: I guess it looks as if you're reorganizing your records. What is this though? Chronological?
Rob: No...
Dick: Not alphabetical...
Rob: Nope...
Dick: What?
Rob: Autobiographical.
Dick: No fucking way.
I'm not that elaborate. But I file my music by genre. Then within each genre, alphabetically by group. Then in the case of multiple releases from each group, chronologically.
Look at that CD collection!
I'm salivating.
And look at those vinyls!
My shirt is soaked now.
Impressive, my friend, very impressive.
And it eggshausted just thinking about having to flip over a record. And you still have a turntable. Wow.
I am a-wowed this morn.
*grin*
Ha! When I bought my first stereo system some twenty-odd years ago, I had to buy the turntable separately. Oy!
Sgt Pepper - on both vinyl, CD as well as CD Box set
Moon River - nope
Jefferson Airplane - vinyl
Any other requests?
My first ever 45 (that I bought with my own money) was "Sweet City Woman" by the Stampeders (give me a break - I was young). Got it at "Sam the Record Man".
Speaking of old Hi-Fi's, we have an old Fischer cabinet stereo that plays all three speeds and has a pitch control! I don't dare turn it on anymore as it uses vacuum tubes and god only knows where I would find replacements these days.
The Stampeders? They used to play at my high school!
First 45 was an Elvis EP from the late 50s/early 60s that I bought at a record store at the Golden Mile Plaza in Scarborough.
Oh man, I'm dating myself!
I swear I vaguely remember (42 years old) a feature like that where the albums were stacked on top of the spindle in the center and when the first album finished, the needle lifted, went back to the original spot, the album dropped down and the needle started at the beginning.
Is that how it works?