Sugarloaf Ridge SP (4)

So 2022, thus far, has been all about laser focusing on my health in an “I hope it’s not too late” way. With several years, let’s say since 2016, of fairly sustained stress during the school year, I have developed an abundance of unhealthy coping strategies. Combine that with about two years of very few in person doctor visits (except when in urgent care due to Spider Bro), and now I’m all like “oh sh*t.” Winter break was largely spent building systems and gathering tools for changing things in a serious, but sustainable, kind of way. For me, that means calorie tracking apps and new settings in Blue Apron to select lower calorie, lower sodium recipes. It also means a hated new blood pressure monitor that is going to take me some time to get used to. I got a cheaper one initially, and after one reading that made sense, it then started telling me I was going to EXPLODE! RIGHT NOW!! It sent me into such a panic that I’m pretty sure the stress sent my blood pressure through the roof for several days. But then it said Richard was also going to explode and that’s when I knew it was full of crap. So we got a better one. The first reading represents what my blood pressure is when I have become phobic of measuring my blood pressure. Richard and I both knew that was going to be the case, so he pressed all the buttons and I did not look at the numbers. We did it that way the next couple of times until I started to calm down. I’m getting better at it and this machine seems legit. This is the new normal. Until the next thing.

So that was where the focus of my attention was all weekend long. Luckily, we also got out for a long hike on Saturday with beautiful, although windy, weather. We’ve done the Planet Walk at Sugarloaf a couple of times now. This is a fun out and back hike that has signs placed along the trail representing the planets of the solar system. They are placed at scaled intervals from a large Sun sign to show you how far the planets are from the center. Like, the inner planets are all within about a hundred yards of the starting point. Jupiter is a lot farther ahead. And then it starts taking forever to get to Saturn and Uranus. This weekend, we made it all the way to Neptune. I’ve said it before, but Neptune is really really far away, and all uphill. But it does have cell service and a nice view. There were a couple of places on the trail as we got close to Neptune, where trees had fallen and it took some effort to scramble past. There was also a tree near to the picnic table just past Neptune that was marked with a big sign sayin, “Warning! Bee hive!” So it was an adventurous journey into space. Pluto was a lot further out, and you have to scramble up a steep climb to the top of a peak. But it’s not a planet anymore anyway, so we didn’t feel compelled to get there. All told, it was about five miles to Neptune and back, so that was plenty.

There is not much else to report. Our site was primo in that it could hit the wifi at the Visitor Center. However, it works well at times and not at all at others. It might be because, in the mornings for example, all the campers go stand outside the Visitor Center to get wifi. We noticed it didn’t really work in the mornings, but did work quite well at night. Otherwise, there is no cell service in the park. Except at Neptune.

It was a good weekend, despite my own stress. And when you are measuring things that reflect how stressed you are, it compounds everything. It’s like having someone whack you on the head and scream, “YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN IMMEDIATELY!!” right before you take a reading of exactly how not calm you are. I know everyone is going to suggest mindfulness, and I’ve got that on the list. And I’m also trying to be careful not to change so many things that I give up, say “f*ck it,” and just wait to explode. Baby steps. Well, maybe too late for baby steps. Toddler steps. I can take wobbly, unstable toddler steps. I’ll fall down a lot, throw a giant tantrum, and then get back up. Maybe with a low sodium treat.

Total miles: 63.0, 15.4 mpg, 2 hours 24 min. Site 1 no hookups. Pretty good solar. Can just hit the Visitor Center wifi, which is sometimes awesome and sometimes nonexistent. No dump. Need to dump at Shell in Sonoma, which is fine and $10 and on the way home. Neptune has cell service.