A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

My world

Podcast review: Overview

I’ve gotten into podcasts quite heavily as of late. 

Over the past several months as I’ve started walking more and trying to get the health under control, podcasts have been what I use. As much as I love music, sometimes the tunes aren’t enough for me. Insert podcasts, which I’ve always liked but I’ve always kept just a few. 

There’s one or two geocaching ones; a board games one; and a couple of professional wrestling ones. 

Some of them are just too long, though. As much as I like listening to them, I’m not into it taking me 3-4 days worth of walking to get through a podcast (and my walks, for the record, are usually in the 30-50 minute range). That made me search for others – ones that I could finish over the course of a day (I usually take two walks a day). 

Podcasts are definitely not everybody’s cup of tea, so to speak. Some people love them, some hate them. The big part is having to download them, or remember to. I don’t like everything on my phone, for example, so all of mine go to my iPod. 

This series is basically going to be my thoughts on podcasts I listen to. These reviews could be monthly, or a little more often, all depending. There won’t be any set days, so basically when I can sit down with my thoughts. I’ll give my positives, negatives, and anything else about the ones I’ve listened to, or tried to listen to. Most of them will be positive reviews, however, being if I am going to listen to something, I need to like it at least a little!

Currently, I’m deep into some true crime ones. I love true crime stories, especially when they are cases and such you might not know a lot about. There’s a few other “real life” ones I’ve been into as well, which have made my walks a bit more fun.

I also have been listening in the car to and from work, though once baseball season really takes over, that won’t happen as often. 

But with this, I’m interested in what some of you might listen to when it comes to podcasts. Despite not having a ton of extra time to add podcasts, I am interested in what might be out there that might draw me in. I’m not into the ones that are very current event-like, if not just for the fact that I tend to like to be able to get to them when I can. 

I’ve also learned a lot from these podcasts, which has been good as well. The world is a crazy place, as I’m sure most of us would agree. So, it’s nice that we can kind of see a different slice of it in other areas. 

I always wanted to start my own podcast. I thought it would be cool as I had friends who did them, but didn’t garner huge followings. I now realize, though, the amount of work podcasters put into these things. From the research to the recording, to editing and everything else, it’s crazy. There’s no way I would have the time or drive to do a podcast. Truthfully told, I likely wouldn’t have enough to say about one subject to get people interested in it anyway. 

Instead, I’ll keep listening. There are some great ones out there and I love the ones I’m subscribed to, and I can’t wait to find more that interest me. 

How about you? Do you listen to podcasts? And what are your favorites?

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

On the Trail: Wapta Falls

As I start to work on a few of these newer features on my blog, one thing I’ll be doing is occasionally going back in time, so to speak. 

This feature is one that will have that regularly. 

My thought process for this feature will likely be once a month. If I can get into a rhythm and have enough spots for it, then I might go twice. But for now, it’s a once-monthly feature, so I’ll be bringing back past trips and hikes. 

Today it was from the geocaching trip this past fall, which took me throughout the Pacific Northwest – in the United States and Canada. 

One hike I looked into was Wapta Falls, as there was an Earthcache there. Mix that with a waterfall that was supposed to be simply amazing, and it was put on the “must do” list. 

The thing about geocaching trips where there are so many things to see and do, some things get skipped. This trip was no different. While in this part of Canada, we had to skip several things to make sure other things were done. I don’t regret it, but it definitely makes me want to return to explore more. 

Anyway, Wapta Falls. 

Wapta Falls in her glory. Simply amazing!

This hike followed a long day of travel and other stops. This day began in Kamloops, British Columbia and brought us closer to Banff National Park. Several things had to be skipped to give us a remote chance to get into this area, make the hike and see the falls. As we pulled into a drive up spot to get a pass to the park, we asked the girl working if we stood a chance at doing this before dark. 

Absolutely, she said. But bring flashlights – the odds of making it back out in the light would be slim. Excellent advice. 

The hike out was only supposed to be a bit more than a mile (though add more in the winter when the gates on the road are apparent;y closed). And, that’s probably about right. For the most part, the terrain isn’t too bad. But on normal walking, I can do about an 18-minute mile if I am pushing it, but usually I’m in the 20-minute range. 

This took a bit more. 

One thing I realized though, that despite going into a different time zone from where we started the day, there were no issues with daylight. I was actually shocked. Being from upstate New York, when the sun sets at a certain time, it doesn’t take too awful long after to get dark. And despite being in part of the Canadian Rockies, when the sun went down, it remained light for quite a while. 

The hike out wasn’t too bad, with a little incline. When you get to the end and are near the falls, you have a couple of options – stay up top and view the falls in all their glory and call it good, or head down the hill with a few switchbacks to get up close and personal. 

Well, we didn’t come all this way to stay up top and head back. Down we went. There were three others down there and they were indulging in some herbal enjoyment. They waved, but weren’t too close, basically giving us the run of the falls. These were impressive. 

Wapta Falls from above. Really amazing to watch that water flow.

Wapta Falls is situated inside Yoho National Park. Part of the Kicking Horse River, these falls are nearly 100-feet high, and almost 500-feet wide. 

From the top, the falls were amazing. But from the bottom – despite the hill that sits in front of them – they are simply breathtaking. The sound and rush of the water is incredible. The mist that comes off of the falls, too, is powerful. We were going to attempt to get to the left side of the hill as I wanted to try and get a wild photo, but with as slippery as things were, we stayed to the right side. Still, it was pretty amazing to be up that close to these falls. 

The hike back was a bit more difficult. Getting back up to the trail took some work (remember, I’m not in perfect shape), but it wasn’t a bad hike back. And the girl at the booth was fully correct – a flashlight coming back out was smart. In the end, we did about 3.5 miles and it was definitely a good workout.

Final thoughts: 

Positives: The trail isn’t too bad, and it’s quite easy to follow. Hearing the falls as you approach is impressive, though when you get to the end, it’s even more amazing. This is a very remote area, so you likely won’t find a lot of casual onlookers – it’s likely people who really want to see the fall. 

Cons: Depending what you consider a con – but once you get out there, no bathrooms and you are in nature. I find this to be a positive – but some might avoid it because it’s remote. Finding the road in wasn’t easy. 

Overall: If you like a hike in the woods with an amazing payoff at the end… and you are in this area? Make this a must stop. 

Geocaching note: There is one geocache out here – an Earthcache (GC7W35A) with a rating of 1/3.5. This can be your goal as well, but what it brings you to is even more amazing. No traditionals or anything along the trail out or in the parking area. 

To watch a Relive video of this hike, please see below!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Living with Diabetes: Medications and the ups and downs of it all

There are days when I want to scream when it comes to diabetes.

Like, top of my lungs, off the mountain tops, and filled with profanity sort of screaming. You know, the type that makes zero sense, but at the same time makes you feel a whole heap better. 

I mean, if it’s just for you, it’s not often a few cuss words won’t make you feel better … right?

Let me back this up a little to explain. 

At my last A1C test in November, my numbers had come down. I was happy about that, but the unfortunate part is that the past two tests had gone up … so I hadn’t been doing well. This made my primary and my diabetes educator each have a chat with me about kind of looking at what I was doing etc. I made a lot of changes since then and things are going well.

Living with Diabetes logo

They also suggested I might want to look into an injectable medicine – not insulin, but one of the weekly ones. I agreed to do my research and that I’d let them know. 

So I kind of went headfirst. I read about these medicines, such as Trulicity and Ozempic. I read reviews. I looked at all the possible side effects. I looked at the positives and negatives. I watched videos on how they worked and how I would have to use them. I emailed the diabetes educator with questions. 

I did my homework. 

In the end, I was actually highly interested. Knowing at least one of my medications would be cut in half and the hopes it would eventually be taken away because of using this medicine, I decided to give it a try. 

I chose Ozempic. 

I liked some of the studies and things to go with this medicine a bit more than the others. It just seemed like the right fit. I took the first dose in late December, and have done it weekly ever since. 

And I like the direction it’s going. 

My numbers as I check throughout the day have noticeably gone down. One app I use – mySugr – gives an estimation of your current A1C, based on the numbers you have in there. If this is remotely close, then I’m going to be stoked next time I go, which will be in about 2.5 weeks. 

And I can’t say if it’s Ozempic, but things are going in the right direction. That leads me to believe the medicine is working and working in a positive way. It’s easy to use and I’ve not felt a negative side to it. I also like that it’s easily stores.

One thing the medication is supposed to help with – suppressing appetite. I know this much – over the past few months, I haven’t been eating as much. I get full much easier, which is a good thing. I’m not usually one that gets excited about a new medicine. I’d rather subtract than add, but this has been really good for me so far. Here’s hoping it keeps going in the right direction and allows me to fully drop one other.

I’ve also been walking a ton more than I used to. I always made sure to walk, but I’ve been really good about getting up and doing the 5 am walk (during the main work week), and then one at night. 

Add all that up, and things are going very well in the right direction. 

Let’s go back to the screaming part, though. 

My one issue is the morning. Recently, my overnight readings have been awesome for my standards. It’s always been my hard area. But it’s been good. I get up, check my numbers and go for a walk. I can’t eat beforehand, as I have a medicine I take that needs to be in me for 30 minutes before I eat. So I go take a walk, come home and get ready for work and then eat. 

Now, I realize because there’s nothing in my body, my numbers could rise (they usually do a little), but there are days where it goes way up. I don’t understand how one day it pops way up, other days it goes up a little, and other days it stays the same or goes down a little. 

It makes no sense. 

If there was a small bit of fluctuation one way or another, I get it. Or if it always went flying up. But it’s so random how things go. 

I’ve tried getting up earlier, taking the medicine, going back to bed and then eating before my morning walk. That didn’t work out well. For one, there’s no time for the food to digest, so walking isn’t the best. But my numbers never improved all that much from it, and oftentimes – again – got worse. 

So I am at a standstill. I’m not sure how to approach this or what to do. I have appointments March 3, so this will be on my question list. 

I know this is an endless fight. I know there are times I’m going to want to scream and there are times I pump my fist knowing I am going in the right direction. But I also realize there will always be frustrations with this battle. 

For anybody reading this … do these things happen to you? And if so, what do you do about it? I’m open for ideas and suggestions!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Masks and beads and food and drinks OH MY!

In all the years I’ve been on Earth, Mardi Gras is … not something I’ve known much about. 

Sure, you heard it every year. 

And supposedly it’s one hell of a party each year in New Orleans. 

There are beads. And colors. And drinks. And food. 

So.

Much.

Stuff. 

A bit on the backside of this – when I was younger, I didn’t mind going out for drinks and basic shenanigans. But I wasn’t much on massive parties and craziness. I never wanted to go somewhere south for spring break and I had no interest in places where the main objective was partying and getting, well, shitfaced. 

As I’ve gotten older, I look at things differently. I’m not into that shitfaced part, still, but I look at the whole Mardi Gras thing as an experience. And though I’m sure I’ll never do it, it’s still a bit more interesting to me, even if just for photography purposes. 

But what the hell is Mardi Gras? 

And why do I care about beads? 

I set out to find out, in easy terms what this day is and what kind of things you might be able to expect. 

So what is Mardi Gras? 

Also known as Fat Tuesday, it’s the day before Ash Wednesday and is the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before Lent season. 

Basically, stuff your face and live it up before giving up certain things for lent. 

This is not something observed throughout the United States (it’s different throughout the world, but being I’m in the States, I’ll stick with that), it is something you see in traditionally ethnic French cities and regions. New Orleans is one of the biggest and probably best known. 

Costumes are often part of these celebrations. Masks, costumes, and bright colors – often yellows, purples, and greens. Nowadays, the costumes can become elaborate, using feathers and capes as well. There sometimes are themes with the costumes. 

I know a few people who have done the Mardi Gras trip in New Orleans and one thing they pointed out is that some ladies like to go topless, which apparently has been documented since 1889 according Wikipedia. The French Quarter is seemingly a big place for this, where people will expose themselves on balconies, getting a crowd to form on the street below. 

And this is where the beads and trinkets apparently come into play. I was always curious about this and what the point was. Again, according to Wikipedia, it seems the rise of producing commercial videos catering to voyeurs has helped this, so the tradition is women bare their breasts in exchange for beads and trinkets. A study in 1991 found 1,200 instances of this happening!

Yowza!

So let’s flip this a little – to something a little more tame. 

Food and drinks. 

When I was originally looking at something for this challenge, my initial thought was to find a recipe and make it. One thing I noticed, though, is what the foods that seem to go with Mardi Gras are like – and that would be not very kind on my blood sugar! Have you seen the King’s Cake? It looks divine, but … it wouldn’t be good for me! 

The drinks… they look strong but tasty. Try a hurricane. I’d say it would be super delicious!

Mardi Gras is an interesting holiday. I honestly can’t say I’d head to New Orleans for this celebration, but I’d like to try some of the food and drinks. 

How about any of you? Have you been part of anything with Mardi Gras in the past? This year it is Tuesday, February 25.

Blog With Friends: February 2020
Blog with Friends is a themed collaboration challenge where a group of bloggers get together and publish a project based on a theme. Please see the others who have taken part for this month’s theme Mardi Gras. Links to their posts can be found below the image!

Check out what the others did with Mardi Gras!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen here, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! Starting up is the Food Photo Challenge and the Can of Corn Challenge. We’d love to see you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Secret Subject Swap: The new position

The post is for the Secret Subject Swap, a monthly blog challenge. Information about the swap can be viewed at the end of this post, as well as links to all others taking part. Have a peek at some of the other bloggers and see what they had to come up with. If you are a blogger, consider joining up for future months!

My theme is “You get to bypass the job application process and start your new position with your favorite company, which is …” and it was submitted by Tamara over at https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/.

This is my first time taking part in the Secret Subject Swap. It’s an interesting concept for blogging and it really can make you think outside the box. 

Of course, my first theme is by a blogger I know, so a bit more interesting. And the theme is a bit longer than my headline … it is “You get to bypass the job application process and start your new position with your favorite company, which is …” 

Interesting, right?

This can go so many ways. Think about when you were a kid. What did you want to be when you grew up? What did you want to do? 

Did you want to be a fireman or a policeman? Go to the moon? My imagination as a kid likely had me doing different things every day. I know I wanted to do all the things most kids wanted to do and I wanted to drive a school bus or a garbage truck; I wanted at one point to be a teacher or a baker; there were so many things. Heck, being a professional wrestler was high on my list, so much so that I looked into training schools for it when I was a junior and senior in high school!

But I always wanted to be a baseball player. 

Keeping score… this would be my type of job!

My skills, of course, never matched up with that one. I was average – at best – in high school and when I graduated, I didn’t want to attempt to be a bench guy on the local two-year college team because they practiced at 6 a.m. 

No thanks!

It’s almost ironic now that as I get older, I find myself up at 5 am most days to go for a walk that ranges from 1.5 to 2 miles … 

Anyway, I digress. 

When I was younger, I found my talent somewhat was in writing and photography. Maybe that’s the imagination thing again. I loved newspapers and the whole news thing. My first story, along with a photo I took, appeared in a newspaper for the first time when I was in seventh grade. 

I always dreamed of being in public relations. A sports information director at a college was the ultimate goal. Note – I never reached it. But it was one of those things I aimed for. Believe me, over the years, I applied for these positions but they never panned out. 

Now, I like where I landed. It’s in PR and there are massive amounts of benefits that go along with where I am. 

That being said, if I could skip the interview process and such … 

I’d be heading to the Philadelphia Phillies. Baseball is my sport. The Phillies are my team. And that would be the place I’d consider my favorite company. The position? Could be in public relations, or it could be some sort of in-game announcing. But I’d truly love it to be the scorekeeper. That, to me, would be where it was at. I love the nuances of scoring and have done it for years and years. 

Especially if I could skip the process and start right up. 

Alas, we know it’s a dream world. So, I’ll have to stick to my amateur scorekeeping and carry my book along with me when I go to games. The dream never dies!

Eight others have taken part in this challenge, so go check out the other posts and have some fun reading their secret subjects!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen here, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! Starting up is the Food Photo Challenge and the Can of Corn Challenge. We’d love to see you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!