Starting the new year off on the right foot

I’m doing what I can to start the new year off right. I spent last evening participating in a tremendous celebration: I went to church. We started the evening around 8pm with some food, fellowship and games. Around 10pm, we moved into the chapel. The chapel was not at all what I expected, it was a large open room with several easy chairs and a sofa. We sang praises, heard scripture, and prayed in the new year. I can’t imagine any other place in the world I would have rather spent my new year’s eve. It was wonderful.

Today has been a nice, quiet day. A friend posted that she was going to yoga this afternoon. Yoga class may not be for me, but it did encourage me to get up out of my big, comfy chair. I synced my iTouch, put on my sneaker with arch supports, donned a sweatshirt and hoodie, and hit the pavement. I tuned into the The Gomers’ podcast. I am only a few blocks away from my town’s historic downtown area. The air was cool and crisp, fifty-nine degrees. My entire walk lasted about thirty-eight minutes. I took it pretty easy, since I am working my way back into fitness walking. I believe the distance is about 2.25 miles.

Now, I’m settled back into my comfy chair with my foot on an icepack. And I’ve popped another vitamin I – ibuprofen – and I imagine the lining of my stomach is being burned away. My foot doesn’t hurt, but I don’t want to wait until it hurts to take anything. I read about inflammation in the body. Taking the daily maximum dose of ibuprofen has been shown to inhibit the production of prostaglandin-E, which is the chemical your body makes that results in inflammation. So, for the time being, I’ll dose with it.