Another day older and 320 steps
Saint Peter ain’t a callin’ cuz he knows I can’t go
My legs are like jelly and terribly sore
If you are not familiar with Tennessee Ernie Ford’s hit song “Sixteen Tons” a version from 1956 can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Joo90ZWrUkU
A modern version by Jeff Beck and ZZ Top with the 1956 film above playing in the background can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2aqvKY6zLc
Laurie’s parents gave us Fitbits® for Christmas. These little devices track your steps, how many floors you climb, calories burned, active minutes, total miles, and log your sleep among other things. Laurie and I have gone a little nuts with daily goals and challenging each other. She’s been climbing the stairs in the buildings at UNM between classes to get stair climbing in, leaving me in the dust on the floors. So today, I talked Bruski into walking over to the New Mexico Bank building and climbing the stairs with me. There are sixteen floors, but my Fitbit logged 18 floors because there are two flights of stairs from the lobby to the first floor. We got in 6 active minutes from the lobby to the 16th floor, according to the Fitbit, and it about did me in. Brusk said he could feel it in his legs. Climbing sixteen floors also gave us a nice view to the west above downtown Albuquerque.
Off Center & Not Even 
Tired????? 😉
No! Not really. I did another 10K steps on the treadmill while processing photos and writing the blog.
Wow, I admire your commitment! The terrain is mighty flat around that area.
Thanks, John! It’s really flat in the valley and downtown, so the tall buildings, and parking garages offer the best sources for climbing. Although, we do have the west mesa and volcanoes on the west and the east mesa and Sandias at almost 11K feet on the east. So there’s plenty of outdoor climbing close by if we choose.
Wow, nice! Volcanoes? There are one or two dead volcanoes in the Baker, California area but I’ve never seen them in person. They have been dead for about 800 years according to those who study them.
We have lots of old volcanos and lava flows all around us. The Valle Grande in the Jemez is the world’s largest caldera, I believe.
Oh Lord this made me tired and I had to go take a nap.
It was very refreshing! Thanks! 😉
I agree with sunsetdragon!
I may have to break down at some point; I’m still holding out for the HR monitor one, which is on a 2-3 week back order. (In the meantime, I discovered my phone will log steps, but not stairs per se, and of course [thank goodness 😉 ] cannot issue or accept challenges).
Good blog piece!
Thanks, Susan! Last Sunday between yard word and doing my photos and blog on the treadmill, I got over 36K steps in, about 17 miles. Laurie and I are each getting over 20K steps a day, so we are doing pretty well.
That’s really impressive, because you guys were in good shape before!!!
That is some view from up there! Interesting to hear the two versions of “Sixteen Tons”. Some songs are timeless.
Thanks, Lavinia! I really like Billy Gibbon’s voice on the modern version of Sixteen Tons. They also did a version of Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix. I never cared much for Foxy Lady, but there is something about the way Gibbon’s sings it that I like their version of it.
It sounds like the Fitbit is encouraging activity which is a good thing. I have a fitness tracking app on my cell phone which I use when I walk/jog. It’s fun to compete against past workouts 🙂
You need to get a friend, one of your kids or spouse to compete with you. That really ups the ante. Thanks, Janna!
True, I did ruin with my twelve year old a couple weeks ago. He was nice and didn’t leave me in the dust… And I worked harder so I didn’t look like such an old lady, haha!
If you have an iPhone and get a fitbit, you can compete with Laurie and I. For some reason everyone else in the family has droid phones, and their fitbit apps don’t seem to sync like our iPhone apps do. We can challenge, congratulate and taunt each other, and we see where we stand against one another all the time, so it makes for real competition.
Haha, that does sound fun, but I have droid! Friendly competition is a good thing 🙂
I love seeing the tall buildings where you live! They have a southwest look as well! So wonderful! 😀
Thanks, Michelle!
Wow…16 floors. I walk up two flights to get to my studio and that’s enough:) Well done.
Thanks, Janet!
What a coincidence! My colleagues gave me a similar device when I stopped working last December. It’s fun to use and it motivates me to leave the car home (if possible).
Well! Maybe we need to get a little kitty-type competition going! 🙂
Holy macaroni! I’m speechless…
Okay, so i no longer think my day-to-day stair-filled life gives me a lot of climbing. 😀
I always thought the Tennessee Ernie song had a fun sound to it, despite the hard working lyrics.
Hugs!
Thanks, Teagan!
I’m exhausted just reading this post!
Thanks, Julia!
My legs ate burning thinking about it! Phew .. Great job 🙂
Thanks, Julie!
Oh boy… I don’t think my knees would’ve liked that!
Surprisingly, my knees didn’t complain. Thanks, Lari!
I have an app on the phone that records how far and fast I walk. It works very well except when forget to turn it off as I get on and off the local bus…
The thing nice about the fitbit is that you don’t have turn it on or off, just charge it every week or so.
(340 steps)
It was a quick estimate and 320 fit the tune!