Found a new massage therapist – a very good one!

2/20/2009 (Another old post - I've been writing offline when I have time at the airports and such - but then I get behind posting them - I'll get better, this is all new stuff for me)

Tamera Snelling posted her availability at our condo clubhouse. Turns out I had seen her walking with her husband the day before, on his arm with stick in hand - because she is blind. Such a sad story – she lost her sight in her early 20’s from a pregnancy complicated by diabetes. She lost her sight and her baby.

I don’t know how one would recover from something like that, but she has done it very well. She has a flourishing massage practice in Portland, Oregon where she lives most of the time. She and her husband bought the condo here initially as an investment, but liked it so much that they decided to keep it for themselves and family instead. So they live here part-time only, his career being in computers which he can do anywhere. Her massage style was excellent, with very good myofascial release, and some active stretching as she released the fascia in my neck and shoulders. Yeah! I’ll be making an appointment again when she is back in town, but will still keep looking for one here in town, as well.

Weekend Rod came to Tucson

(Sorry for the old post - I'm way behind with EVERYTHING! Luckily was able to get my taxes done...now for those pension rollovers.)

2/13/2009 - This weekend Rod came down from L.A. on Friday and had car troubles on the way down. A warning light had appeared on the dash. Before he even arrived, I made calls and found a place to take it to and, since he hoped to leave Monday morning, we decided to take it right away to the shop. On the way, the car broke down. Luckily I was following, and Rod has training in directing traffic. He was stopped dead, the first car at a red light, in the left-most of four lanes, in the left-most of two turn lanes.

Like the pro he actually is, he got out and started directing traffic behind us while I called the shop, their recommended tow service, then finally AAA who committed to come within the hour. Meanwhile, Rod with blue-tooth in ear, was directing all of the left-turn cars around us to the other left-turn lane. I updated him about the tow by cell phone as he did that – for about 50 minutes in quite busy traffic. With his insistent direction to all comers, the traffic flowed freely in spite of our block, and several people thanked him. Only two disobeyed his direction and my blinking hazard lights, and pulled up behind me before realizing what the trouble was.













Pics of my handsome, handsome, man.








Rod directing traffic, as seen from my rear-view mirror










Rod’s Disabled Car
















Rod directing traffic, as seen from my rear-view mirror






That was our big adventure. The rest of the weekend was spent quietly, running errands, checking on his car, which did not get finished until Monday afternoon, so his return was later than he liked.

My "Rod Shrine"

His recent cards to me. Rod has always dreamed of sailing around the world on a sailboat. Those plans may change a little now that he has found me - and the one time I was on a sailboat I turned green. And that was on the Chesapeake, not even on the ocean.



















Still, I love the image of us sailing off into the sunset together in our little dream boat.

My Commute Route

Today I took some shots for you to show you what it's like along my commute to work. It's all easy driving, 2-4 lanes, a few lights, light traffic, residential with many sprinklings of open desert between complexes. I set up a traffic alert weeks ago on my Blackberry GPS system, to have it instant message me about the traffic morning and evening on weekdays. It has not shown me a single incident along my route, so I'm just going to turn it off. The commute takes about 10 minutes.

Snow on Mt. Lemmons - and Cold is Cold

Snow on Mt. Lemmons today when I returned from Rod's. It has been chilly here, down to 45 at night, no more than 64 during the days. Those of us newly relocated from northern climes debate about whether this can really be considered cold, when we're used to such worse cold. But cold is cold. The body still knows it's cold at 45 degrees. I haven't been up in the mountains yet at all and am eager to go. Soon.

More pictures of what it looks like at my apartment complex

My mailbox area. If you get a package, the mail carrier puts a key in your box to one of the lockers you see at the right side. It has a number on it and you go to that locker, get your stuff, then the key stays stuck in it for the carrier to get the next day. Cool, eh?

The wreath Chris (sis) made for my door - looks good, huh.


My stairs.

Pity the men who carried my piano up those stairs, around the corner to the right, up a few stairs, around a tight turn to the left and in my front door. I couldn't watch. Good advice, Erica! They grunted almost as much bringing up the entertainment center because that thing is really heavy, too. They were great guys! And packers, dear packers, I had ZERO BREAKAGE! Must have been all that bubble wrapping you did, Jess!

Our "club house"

Our pool

More pool

Why I am Relocating - The Short Version, for those of you catching up

I have been looking to relocate since last winter, when the weather was so bad. I'd told myself the year before that if it was this bad again, I would have to go. And it was worse. I was losing the ability to function, care for myself, keep groceries in the house, do laundry, and get to work during the winters. I had missed so much work that I was starting to look towards a disability application if I stayed in Ohio. I decided to try warmer weather instead.

I had always said I would not go as long as my parents were in Ohio, but I had to do it for my own health and longevity. It was that bad that I was facing disability and having to take even more drugs than I already am, which already concerns me about the long-term effects and the effect on my longevity. My family has been stupendously supportive, as much as they hate to see me go. They know I need to do it for my health and have been as helpful as possible.

I am hoping that living in Tucson will keep me more at the level of health I've enjoyed in the last few summers. Since I've been doing acupuncture my level of fitness and mobility has improved a lot and I've even been able to hit a few golf balls without terrible consequences.

I have a job at Tucson Medical Center, doing the same sort of work I'd been doing in Columbus for Children's Hospital, using the same software and database. They paid my relocation costs, I thought, but it turns out that $8,000 is not enough, by a long shot. I start next week there.

My new contact info is -

Becky Miller

5051 N. Sabino Canyon Road, #2119

Tucson, AZ 85750