RantWoman's consumption of bananas has everything to do with how she COPES with everything there is to cope with. Details matter, both the product and how the product gets stowed in shopping bags to come home.
RantWoman's banana preferences: on the small side, slightly green so that a bunch will last several days without heading toward banana bread. These details are not to be found when ordering online.
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| Banana happiness |
A couple weeks ago, RantWoman had an opportunity to bananas across the street from an event she participated in. Buying bananas there would have made bus travel home a breeze via one easy transfer. The bananas were perfect size. The transportation realities were perfect. The bananas were already way to yellow AND the price, even considering the time savings from not having to travel, was through the roof. So no bananas that time.
Things went much better Friday, but first the other point of the journey.
Friday, RantWoman had a long-awaited physical therapy appointment in theU district. RantWoman, thankfully, was able to walk from the bus stop to the clinic without massive pain. Thank you, YouTube coaching; at the time of the referral RantWoman had been in too much pain even to think about an outside referral. The therapist observed that RantWoman "walk(s) like someone with arthritis. Right. So glad you noticed.
RantWoman's experience is that physical therapists are VERY good at analyzing what might need stretching and what might need strengthening. In a couple cases RantWoman came home with suggested exercises that amounted to "Do what you are already doing but add resistance." RantWoman can do that! RantWoman is going to have to schedule in a little more time daily to add new exercises.
A really cool angle about the exercises. First step: demonstrate and practice at the clinic. Second step an email exercise routine from a resource called Medbridge. RantWoman happily gave permission to send email. The link arrived. Heaven. Each exercise labelled with the recommended frequency and number of reps. The images were presented in clear simple graphics, with both audio and text. There is a browser version and an app version. The app even appears to hound the user and RantWoman is dutifully going to figure out the data recording as well as which exercises to rotate on which days. RantWoman is SO excited to try things.
RantWoman is getting ahead of herself though. Physical therapy takes a lot of energy. RantWoman clearly needs to do her exercises because even before the PT session, RantWoman has trouble standing too long. RantWoman left PT a little sore but energized. RantWoman thought of tackling a couple errands but did not argue when her body thought that was not necessary. Instead, RantWoman walked out of the clinic, found the bus stop, hopped one bus that took her to a bus with a perfect connection to a favorite banana buying option.
Here we come to...RantWoman's recommendations about packing bananas.
1. Bananas NEVER belong on the bottom of the shopping bag.
2. Never make a bunch of bananas rest only on the back of one banana.
3. Excellent banana packing is a little bit of an architectural exercise. Pack the bananas on top of other grocery items so that both the stem end and the other end bear the weight of the whole bunch. Pack the bananas over something sturdy enough to support the banana bunch.
RantWoman also has been encouraged to look for a water exercise class. Figuring this out and scheduling will take more time. With banana needs well metand well packed for the trip home, RantWoman is on it.
