WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR APRIL 2019

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  • OregonMother
    OregonMother Posts: 1,591 Member
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    bwcetc wrote: »
    Felicia ... college tuition today is shameful regardless of whether it's a state or private school. Long gone are the days when you could work full time through the summer to pay for your next year's tuition. My son is finishing his 3rd year at a private school and he has had to take out the maximum amount in federal loans available to him and my husband and I have had to take out loans to cover the rest. A state school was not an option for his chosen degree program and we decided to bite the bullet and help him out. He's received scholarships to date, but they've only covered about 1/3 of the cost of each year. Frankly, he's receiving what would have been his inheritance now. I lose sleep over it on a regular basis.

    Beth

    Thank you for understanding. I do remember those days. I worked full time in the summer, part time during the school year, and had small scholarships and pieced together other things (singing group paid tuition one year. Being an RA paid for housing another year.) It makes me sad because that is not really possible now. I have a fantastic job, and it would take me six months of full time working to make enough to pay for a year of tuition and dorm expenses for 9 months at a state university. That math doesn't work. It is so stressful.

    Felicia
    Willamette Valley, Oregon
  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,377 Member
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    Hi all,
    WINDY today! We were supposed to have this weather yesterday at DH 's cricket ground further west, so he didn't make the journey, but, apart from a rain shower, they played all day. He was able to watch it on a live stream, but he was a bit gutted.

    London Marathon tomorrow. :D I love watching it on TV. Last year DH's niece ran it (too hot!) but I don't know anyone this year.
    I went for my 5k yesterday as I knew this weather was coming over. Otherwise I would have done the Parkrun today.

    My DDIL is taking up sea swimming, because she wants to swim on her 40th birthday next year, March 26th!! You have to prepare by swimming through the year and getting used to the temps. She has inviegled my son to join her in their dips, (they did one over Easter when it was hot) and now he has signed up for a full Triathlon in September. It's a swim around the pier, a 40k bike ride and a 10k run. :o He is a good swimmer since I used to take him every Saturday for Aqua Gold lessons when he was a child. He got his gold medal when he was 9 years old. So did his brother. He can run the distance if his Achilles heals up. Don't know about the cycling.
    It's good that he has a goal to work towards since he gave up alcohol. Unfortunately his Achilles did for his marathon ambitions. My DDIL is doing another 10k soon and the kids are doing the Mini Mile. Bea is doing the Toddler Trot. :laugh:

    Max is going to be in a Streetfunk show at the Brighton Dome in July. I am going, DH has cricket. He has been learning breakdancing for a while now. I think he is very good with great sense of rhythm. He will be 8 in a couple of weeks. Where does the time go?

    Much love, Heather UK xxxxxxx
  • bananasandoranges
    bananasandoranges Posts: 2,410 Member
    edited April 2019
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    Hi there 50s, I'm struggling. Nice to "meet you"

    I was first on maintenance chain, then as I gained went onto 5 lbs challenge chain, but I have not been successful in losing even 1 lb a month, so I figure the 50s chain is ok regardless of level of success. I hope my coming here is ok for you guys.

    I'm 55. 5'2", 60.8 kilos this morning, 134 pounds, highest ever in 30 years. The highest I remember ever weighing is 144 lbs about 30+ years ago, when I was in early 20s binging and exercising a lot.

    I maintained rather easily and rather naturally between ages 33 and 53-ish.

    For the past 2 years it's been rough.

    Motivation has been low, to track, etc.

    And I've been having hard time managing food cravings- to a degree I hadn't felt since my early 30s.

    Result: I've gained 5 kilos or so in 2 or 3 years. I track for a few weeks and then, at best, maintain or lose a pound or kilo and then go off tracking and don't care really, to a certain degree, and gain a bit more.

    My metabolism has long if not always been quite slow. It runs in the family. None of us are skinny minis. I was the only slim one. (at one point I was at 105 lbs naturally, but often 115-120 which I am ok with. I don't really like to be super skinny.) My mom was very obese 2 of my sisters have varied between slim and obese and the other sister between slim and overweight.

    I'm not really binging like I did in my 20s and early 30s but am just overeating too often with out caring that much, till I get on the scale, or see other signs like the mirror and tight clothes.

    I feel stressed or something and it seems like too much effort not to comfort some with excess of healthy food.

    Also I used to be really athletic. This has definitely declined progressively over the years with age. Last summer I had a tiny foot issue that made it not-recommended to run any more. Running had definitely been my easiest go-to exercise, contributing to weight maintenance and loss. I enjoyed being outside and getting to the park.

    So when I set my mind to losing weight, if I had gained a pound or two or three, I managed pretty quickly and well.

    I joined the gym last summer and I often go 2x a week for elliptical (no impact like jogging) and/or rowing machine and weights.
    But with age I'm definitely way lazier, physically at least. I find the gym often boring and often don't want to go.
    Sometimes I'm just so tired, too. I might do the elliptical for 15-25 minutes.

    When I was a young adult I was bouncing off the walls- the idea of being cooped up or sleeping late were out of the question : I'd hike, swim, bicycle, etc.

    Now I would often be happy to lie in bed much of the day, day after day, even on a beautiful spring day.

    I often get up take a shower and then feel a bit groggy or even slightly dizzy (but no key health issue has been found) and I want to go back and laze in bed on days/times when not going to work.

    Sorry if I sound a bit extreme.
    I do work and enjoy my work to a fair degree, which is both very social and somewhat creative and go to the gym a couple of times a week, buy and mostly healthy food : veggies, fruit, beans, etc, went for a walk with a friend last weekend...also to an exhibit...

    I have to work on a long term writing project on my own these days which probably doesn't help at all. (work-induced excessive solitude)
    Plus the usual sort of whinging stuff.

    On an up note : I love art exhibits and walking in the city or country.
    sorry I'm so whiny.
    hopefully I'll be more upbeat as of another post.
  • KetoneKaren
    KetoneKaren Posts: 6,411 Member
    edited April 2019
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    Machka In-state tuition for public universities in Virginia is $15,000-20,000 per year. Private universities and out-of-state tuition cost triple that amount per year. Shocking!

    Karen in Virginia
  • LisaInAR
    LisaInAR Posts: 2,020 Member
    edited April 2019
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    Morning, afternoon and evening, all,

    Wide awake at 3 a.m. this morning--of late, especially during the week, I've been able to convince myself to go back to sleep, but couldn't today.

    BananasAndOranges - glad you're here, don't worry about the whinging, we all do it on occasion. Without music, I find the gym completely boring as well, so I have my gym hat (literally). I have a small MP3 player, and have the earphone wires wound around the band of a baseball hat so that the earphones don't dangle, but have just enough room for the wires to reach my ears and not bug me. When I put that hat on, then I'm ready to walk, or to get on the rower. I'm not allowed to run, as well, having had a knee replacement, but with music on, I can bear the boredom of walking. Find ways that make it work for you. One thing at a time. Track today, exercise tomorrow. Give us a name and a location for you so we can place you, and join in the conversations wherever you see fit.

    Laundry's running in the washer and dryer already, pretty much my happy place with the domestic noises surrounding me.

    Had a mild little epiphany this morning, due to selling the trailer off yesterday. It's a 10-foot box trailer, nothing fancy, just a rectangular-shaped box on a two-wheel axle, which we've had up for sale for a month--we bought it to move our stuff from Texas to North Carolina, and stored it all in in the trailer in the back yard while we stayed with our daughter for the next five months. Then we brought it here to Arkansas, and used one more time to move from the rental house to the house we purchased last July. Then it came in quite handy to move eight trailer loads of trash (yes, that's 1600 cubic YARDS of trash for my fellow number geeks, as we packed it up to the ceiling each time. More than six tons, by the time was all said and done) from this place we bought and, obviously, cleaned up.

    When the trailer was sold (for less than we wanted, but still), it lifted a weight from both our spirits. Not just the cash, though we have plans to use that to a) have some fun and b) buy my husband the bathtub he's been missing, and get it installed in the half bath. The weight lifted though, is that by selling the trailer, I think we both feel we're committed to living in one place for the rest of our lives. It's a commitment to this place, this life.

    Or maybe not, I may just be a complete goober.

    For whoever said it (I think it was Tracey), I haven't been in this job a year - May 10 will be five months, so you're not losing track of time. April 14 was a year here in Arkansas. I didn't actually switch jobs to working for the local Girl Scout Council until December. :)

    Got a minor grant filed on an electronic portal this morning, and have another grant contract I need to get in the mail this morning, and my bits of work are done for the weekend. Time to wash the dishes - we were both just exhausted last night and did the proverbial "Netflix and chill."

    Edit - to add my two cents on school cost - I took out three and a half years of student loans to get my bachelor of arts degree in communication between January 1995 and May 1998, and the overall loan (unsubsidized even then--which for the uninitiated means it accumulates interest as you go) was total $26,000 when I left school. That was at in-state tuition in Nevada, living off-campus. Since then, most colleges have more than quadrupled. It took me 14 years to pay off the loan, even so. My graduate school work at Texas A&M was paid for by an assistantship (creating websites), a merit fellowship, and the Hazelwood Act, which provides Texas veterans with up to 150 hours of tuition at a Texas state college, so it cost me very little.

    Love y'all!
    Lisa in Arkansas
  • ginnytez
    ginnytez Posts: 1,363 Member
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    BananasandOranges--I have found the more I force myself to move, the more I end up wanting to move. Also, without daily logging, I can go off track very easily. Yesterday I took a vacation day and just strolled around doing some shopping and little household chores--didn't feel very energetic. My steps were pretty low mid afternoon. When I logged my snack, realized I didn't have any exercise calories and figured I wanted to eat more than the calories left for the day (I love an evening snack and wouldn't be able to fit that in). Went for an hour and a half walk (don't run due to both hips being replaced). Ended up getting my energy up to finish up the day and was able to have my snack (and over 14,000 steps and 90 active minutes).

    I really believe I have more energy at 64 than I did at 54--when I am logging and moving.

    I feel for those of you struggling with college costs--they are outrageous. I started college in 1972 and ended up with my Ph.D.--I think I was in debt for all three degrees less than 15,000. I did have scholarships and graduate teaching assistantships. Can't imagine what cost would be today. It makes it really imperative that the student has a pretty good idea of what they want to go to college for. Some of the technical certificates can get them a better paying job much quicker and cheaper than some of the 4 year degrees.

    Hope everyone has a good Saturday. Going to get grocery shopping and meal prep done and a few other chores that have been staring me in the face.

    Ginny in Ohio
  • bananasandoranges
    bananasandoranges Posts: 2,410 Member
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    Reading back I found ginger's accountability post inspiring. Is it ok if I borrow it ginger? If so I'll adapt and probably modify it as I go a long. If that's too much copying, I'll find another way.

    Accountability Saturday, April 25th
    ✔️1. weighed self: 60,8 kilos (134 lbs)
    ✔️2.a tracked breakfast

    Remaining:
    - 2.b track rest of food
    - 3. Get 30 min of exercise.
    - 4. 5 minutes meditation
    - 5. Spend at least 2h on long term writing project (produce at least 2 pas per day)
    - 6. Take care of at least one short term (1 pagish) writing or administrative task/bill.
    - 7. At least 15 min/day filing/cleaning.

    These last 3 are more work/task- oriented but when I keep up on this stuff in really helps my well-being and one thing influences another.


    • Overall Feeling: at 11 am : stressed and dragging- have not done much today. concerned about weight gain. got a snippy weird mail from my hairdresser yesterday. but he offered to reimburse me. I avoided responding to wierd snip and accept the reemboursement.
    • Tracking: I tried to weigh cereal, but it was on ounces and not grams and I got confused, so eyeballed it.
    • Exercise. I haven't been to the gym this week, just little walks. 6500 steps max on Thursday.
    • Long term writing: Did about 2h yesterday I think and about 2 pages probably (Was rewriting a part so it was getting longer).
    • Short term writing/admin : haven't dealt with any since Monday, but did an online work promotion thing yesterday and the day before that got a fair bit of reaction whereas I've been pretty much inactive in social media as of late. (so algorithm thingy is slow)
    • Bright Spots today. Healthy breakfast. tracked breakfast.

    • Today and yesterday I’m grateful for:
    1. Longish days with some sun.
    2. Healthy breakfast
    3. Available corrector
    5. Pleasant café to write some in for a change of space.
    6. Pro tool bag (I had a low-cost metal tool box that I really disliked for decades-it scrapes the floor)- I bought a new, quality tool bag and sorted all the dusty old nuts and bolts etc. I sometimes do handiwork.)
    7. Silverware organiser (i also had one I really disliked for 15+ years and just changed it out- it was hard to find the right dimensions pre-amazon- the drawer size is slightly below standard size).
    8. New light brown sheets (the ones I had ordered online were giving me grief)
  • bananasandoranges
    bananasandoranges Posts: 2,410 Member
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    @OregonMother

    "Same goes for higher ed. We are going through that with my 18 year old right now. The federal government estimated that we could afford to pay $52,000/year for him to go to school, so he is not even eligible for subsidized student loans. For context, I don't even bring home $52,000/year... (I won't end up paying that much, because he is going to a state school, with estimated costs of $26,000/year, and his birth dad is supposed to pay half, so I am on the hook for only $13,000/year, which is still more than a $1000/month. And that's if his dad comes through with his legally obligated portion. Gasp.)"


    I wonder if there is something that can help in terms of your child being independent or dependant of one of you only that could help his or her situation in terms of receiving financial aid and if there is some other financial aid (grants, work-study, etc) available - if not need-based, merit based. I recall when I was a student(80s) there being many options to look into. I just got the usual (pell grant, work-study, student loan-max 10,000 for 4 years was very common at the time). There were services and books that could orient one.
  • bananasandoranges
    bananasandoranges Posts: 2,410 Member
    edited April 2019
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    I hope there is tuition reform in the USA.
    People can get degrees for very low cost or free tuition in Europe (they still have to pay for living and having time to study). Some scientists are trained in Europe and then are tempted to move to the usa for higher paying jobs.

    Students in Europe complain about paying 400 euros per year for registration fees.
    Now the rate for non-europeans will be going up to about 3000 tuition per year. There have been protests and petitions, signed by teachers and school directors against this raise in tuition for non-Europeans.

    Many (but not all!) westerners can manage with 3000 euro tuition per year, but students coming from Asia or Africa may have much more of a challenge.

    If only the well-off can afford college, that means that many people are not being able to compete equally, and loss of brain power.

    I have a couple of friends of whom the husband makes a good living but the wife can't work for health reasons. They have two boys in college and don't qualify for financial aid so have remortgaged their old house that they've had for 25 years, to pay for college. But they can't easily pay for house repairs like a leaky pipe, when I visited.

    It's true that with loans, grants, work-study, summer studies and a little help many people could rather easily go to college 30-40 years ago.

    Are there some niche grants one might be able to dig up?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,230 Member
    edited April 2019
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    KetoneKaren wrote: »
    Machka In-state tuition for public universities in Virginia is $15,000-20,000 per year. Private universities and out-of-state tuition cost triple that amount per year. Shocking!

    Karen in Virginia

    Yeah, that's what my Master's is costing me. It's supposed to be done in 2 years - 8 courses a year = $17,500/year. I would LOVE to be able to take a year off work and just finish this thing, but I can't afford to not work for a year, and I can't afford the year's tuition all in one go. :(

    I'd love to do a PhD after my Master's but unless I win a lottery, that won't happen. :( However, at my age, I guess I probably don't need it.

    M in Oz
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,230 Member
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    Home again!! We had a bit of excitement on the way ... the wind knocked a tree over the road. Fortunately it didn't land on any of us, and fortunately someone with a chainsaw turned up fairly quickly.

    3agscfo1rh94.png

    bjy1bsofuqid.png


    M in Oz
  • KJLaMore
    KJLaMore Posts: 2,837 Member
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    bananasandoranges- My oldest son (my step son) was an older student (21 through 26) and on his own when he went to college. Because he was on his own he qualified for all kinds of assistance and grants and ended up going to college and getting his degree for free. Such a blessing; but also a curse in a way. He is so ignorant to his own siblings (and other peoples) financial struggles due to school. KJ
  • okiewoman510
    okiewoman510 Posts: 1,300 Member
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    Good morning Ladies -

    All is well here in the Hill Country.

    I seem to be back on track food wise. I am weighing and logging every bite that I eat at home. Hubs is home so we have eaten out once a day and I log what I eat away from home the best I can. We are meeting our friends mid-way for a lunch catch up chat today. That is always a great day. We enjoy the drive and the time with them.

    I am having a few issues with heartburn again. I don't take the medication unless I start to have an issue (which the Dr. said is a great plan). I got cocky and figured since I wasn't having issues with having a daily diet coke (I know, I know, but I love them) that I would try red wine vinegar on my salad at lunch one day. It was so good I had it on my dinner salad that night as well. Bad idea....back down the rabbit hole I went. TOO MUCH ACID. When I have a flare with the acid, it takes me a week or more to get back to a good place. It's already better, but not back to normal yet.

    I am finding the same trend from when I lost my weight still holds true for me. If I log every bite, I don't overeat. I don't want that number to go red. I hope that holds true next week when we are in Cali for a week. Hubs is stateside for two weeks but needs to be in Cali for one of them so I am going with him. The advantage to my work from home part time job is I can do it from anywhere and my boss doesn't care where I am as long as what needs done gets done.

    Have a great weekend Ladies! Welcome to all the new ladies. Hugs to those that need them, high fives to those with accomplishments!

    Okie in the TX Hill Country

  • klanders30
    klanders30 Posts: 2,569 Member
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    <3
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,230 Member
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    What you need to succeed isn’t brains or talent
    THE most reliable predictor of success isn’t brains or talent. It’s something some of us are born with but most of us can learn.

    https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/what-you-need-to-succeed-isnt-brains-or-talent/news-story/37d8acfc769cc76b299a619254a4573c


    Interesting perspective. :) Might explain my long distance cycling a little. :)


    M in Oz
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
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    Machka: Grit is what we need for most every aspect of life. :star:


    My son talked me into leasing an iphone like his. I don’t like it very well at all and would prefer to get another like the one I gave away. I gave my previous iphone to my granddaughter for medical support and her insurance provider wouldn't cover the cost of the link between her phone and the doctor's office. Now my son in law has my old phone. I wish I had it back. Friends of ours gave enthusiastic support for T-Mobile. I’ve always had AT&T. Do any of you have strong opinions regarding these two companies?

    Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon

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