Category Archives: Ambling

5-Year Anniversary Of Busting My Knee & Needing Surgery — THE BEST THING That Happened To Me In 17-Years! You Should Bust Your Knee Too.

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by Anura Guruge
on February 28, 2024

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5-years ago TODAY. Coming home from ER after over a 6-hour stay.
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I am so, so, so GLAD that I slipped, shoveling snow, on February 28, 2019 & SNAPPED my Quad-tendon. I did NOT know I had a quad-tendon.

Today the temps were in the 50s Fahrenheit. 5-years ago we had had a MAJOR snow storm. Ditto last year. This weather, CLIMATE CHANGE, is crazy & scary. I know we will get WALLOPED before this winter is over. Of that I have no doubt.

I postponed surgery for a week, because we had a mini-vacation booked in the Cape, & had it done on March 8, 2019.

CHANGED MY LIFE — for the better.

I am so glad I busted my knee. I am a new, better man because of it.
I am 30 pounds lighter than I was 5 years ago!

It was a wake up call. I was, prior to it, exercising daily & watching my diet. But, I had become lazy & complacent.

My pre-surgery blood work said my blood glucose was 102. I started crying. I was so distraught. All the nurses are saying it is FINE. It is FINE. You don’t have to worry till it gets close to 125. Heck with that.

From the very day of the surgery I changed my life.

I went on a much, much, much stricter diet. I lost 20 pounds. I STILL NEED TO LOSE ANOTHER 25. But, losing 20 was a START.

And I started AMBLING, each & every day, even while I was on crutches. They had me on crutches for 6 weeks. The day I was allowed to ditch them I started ambling in anger.

The rest as some of you know is history.

In the 1st year after surgery I walked 2,250 miles.

I now walk at least 3,000 miles a year. SMILE.

I have walked at least 10,000 steps, EACH & EVERY DAY, since April 17, 2020.

That is an unbroken 1,412 day STREAK.
3 years 10 months.

So, each February 28, in particular, I thank my lucky stars that I busted my knee.

I Have The NEW ‘Garmin CONNECT’ APP — Kind Of Cute.

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by Anura Guruge
on February 9, 2024

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I had seen news items saying that a NEW CONNECT was going to be available in March.

About an hour ago I got a notification, within the old Connect APP, asking whether I want to Beta Test the new version. I thought about it for a second. Nothing to lose. At some point, whether I like it or not, I would HAVE TO USE the new APP. So might as well bite the bullet now. So, I agreed.

It was painless — so far.

Looks pretty nifty. Kind of like ‘Windows 11‘. I like it — so far.

I will keep you posted. Fingers crossed.

The Deer Of ‘Acadia’ — January 2024.

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by Anura Guruge
on January 26, 2024

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‘Mount Desert Island‘ (MDI), which houses much of Acadia, has a huge — & apparently thriving — deer population. On my last few trips I have been seeing lots of them — including, alas, a second accident with a car.

On my quick, 2-day trip earlier this week I saw a total of 7 — though I didn’t go looking for them. One was an impressive, large buck with a magnificent set of antlers. Alas, I could not get a picture of him.

These show above, were all near ‘Bass Harbor’, on ‘Seawall Road’. I invariably see deer on that road — in the afternoons. They are incredibly TAME. I saw three going up and standing, tamely, next to a householder as if they belonged to him. I am sure he doesn’t feed them. They have just got used to seeing him. Amazing.

Using A Summer Straw Hat To TRY And Keep The Snow Away. [Didn’t Work Too Well.]

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by Anura Guruge
on January 24, 2024

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I didn’t want to wear rain gear with a hood. Was just looking for something with a WIDE BRIM that would go over my (now ESSENTIAL) TRUSTY Russian fur hat. I wanted to keep as much of the snow off the fur. The fur hat is BULKY. So, didn’t have anything that would properly go over it.

This straw hat was the biggest I had. It also had a strap — which meant I could make sure it stayed on.

Well, as you can see, it didn’t work too well. But, I was OK. Light snow. It wasn’t that bad.

112- Year Shipwreck On ‘Acadia’ ‘Sand Beach’ — My Pictures From Jan. 21, 2024. Wreck No Longer Intact.

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by Anura Guruge
on January 24, 2024

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From ‘CNN‘ via ‘Google‘.

I went to Acadia, this Sunday, for a quick 2-day jaunt, in the main to see this shipwreck. I knew that the second storm we had broke up the remains further, BUT due to other commitments I could not get there prior to the Sunday. I wasn’t sure whether there would be anything visible. There was.

It was now badly broken up — in TWO separate sections — on either side of the famous, concrete steps leading down to ‘Sand Beach‘. One set is very close to the right hand side (as you come down).

Unless you knew about the wreck you could easily just think that it was random driftwood washed up. Yes, you can see the BIG, TALL nails but they are so rusted that they don’t look like nails. There are also some neatly drilled holes. You can see them in two of the pictures.

Well, I am glad to see what I saw. Not sure how long the timbers will stay there. Definitely a safety hazard for kids. So, most likely, the Park will remove the remains before the Summer.

The LITTLE THINGS In Life That Make Me Happy & Content — Another Year Of 500,000 Step/Months.

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by Anura Guruge
on December 31, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. From my Garmin Connect.
Click to ENLARGE. Posts about MY STEPS on this blog. Check the highlighted dates.

I, contrary to what some believe, lead a very simple & modest life — as behooves my modest circustances.

I don’t have fany bucket lists or strive for posh vacations.

Walking at least 500,000 steps a month makes me HAPPY. Very happy. Content too. It doesn’t, however, seem to do much for my health. But, that is OK. I am happy.

So, this was my THIRD full year of walking 500,000 steps a month. It is also my THIRD full year of walking at least 10,000 steps/day — each & every day, without FAIL. That is a 1,095 day streak. This might be easy for some, but it is quite a challenge for I. But, it makes me happy. And in my life that is all that matters. The little things that make me happy.

I Reached Garmin Level 6 — The HIGHEST Level When I First Got A Garmin In 2017.

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by Anura Guruge
on December 15, 2023

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LEVEL 6 was THE HIGHEST Level until a couple of years ago.

I think they now have 10 Levels.

I am UNLIKELY to make it to Level 10. Not sure I will even make it to 7.

636 points to get to 7. Given that I only WALK, I don’t collect that many points. Maybe about 12, IF I am lucky, a month. So, it would take me nearly 5 years. LoL.

Not sure I will be wearing a Garmin for that long. SMILE.

But, I am CHUFFED. Getting to Level 6 was my GOAL. I did it. I am cool. Thanks.

I Met The ‘Garmin’ 2023 Walking Challenges For The Year With 72-Days To Spare. It Was Trivial.

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by Anura Guruge
on October 20, 2023

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My recent badges, all in the last month.

In a few months, with luck, I should make it to Garmin LEVEL 6!

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Last 12 months.

When you walk 240+ miles a month, meeting a 31-mile/month challenge is TRIVIAL. Beyond trivial.

Click to ENLARGE. From Garmin. 2022

Kind of trivial for I.

But, it does amuse me. A challenge is a challenge.

For the longest time, at first, I never bothered about Garmin badges. Didn’t even KNOW who to sign-up for them. Then, I noticed I was getting them — automatically. Got me interested.

Last 2 years or so, I have been making an effort to get badges.

I want to keep on going UP through the the Garmin Levels.

When I started paying interest, I was at Level 4.

In early 2024 I might make it, with luck, to Level 6. I gather that this is rather special. SMILE.

I will let you know. Promise.

I am still MAINTAINING my 10,000(+) steps/day & 500,000 steps/month goals.

I Walked 2,918 Miles In A Year, My 69th Year — Should Have Walked A Hundred More, But I Am Still Chuffed.

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by Anura Guruge
on October 1, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. From Garmin. 2022

Getting old.

I used to do more than 3,000 miles in a year. C’est la vie.

I am still MAINTAINING my 10,000(+) steps/day & 500,000 steps/month goals.

I am cool as long as I can meet those.

This ALL started when I busted my knee, slipping & falling while shoveling snow, on Feb. 28, 2019. Had major surgery on knee on March 8, 2019. Off crutches in April, 2019.

I then decided I am going to get as FIT as I can via walking — or ambling.

In 2019 I walked 1,736 miles.

In June 2020 I decided I was going to walk at least 500,000 steps each month.

In 2020 I walked 2,822 miles.

In 2021 I walked 3,214 miles.

I Wish I Didn’t Have The IRON Self-Discipline I Have — Life Would Be So Much Easier — & Drier — For I.

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by Anura Guruge
on July 2, 2023

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Stats & GPS track from my ‘Garmin Epix 2’.

I really wish I could be less hard on myself!

I can’t remember HOW I ended up with this unwavering, IRON, self-discipline I have.

I was in the cadets (in the U.K.) BUT never in the armed services. Yes, my adoptive father beat me to a pulp, regularly, when I was young, BUT that, as far as I can remember, was never a big reason for the self-discipline.

I KNOW I HAD IT by the time I was 16.

That is why I never did drugs, never smoked & only started drinking 7-years AFTER I was legally able to.

NOW, I am too SCARED to make any exceptions. I know that if I do it would be DOWNHILL from then.

So, yet again today, as has been too often the case this Summer, I had no choice but to walk my daily, morning 4-miles in the PELTING, SOAKING RAIN.

I wore heavy, solid rain gear. I still got drenched. There was no part of me that was dry.

The DOGS refused to walk.

So I walked on my own, which was good because I can walk faster.

So, this is my life.

I wish I could be a slacker.

In the snow in Demeber.

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