u/Diane98661

The only Crunch Fitness left in Vancouver is now doing a big remodel/move to the next-door Regal Theater which has closed. It's the location near the Vancouver Mall that has a Target, Barnes & Noble, and other stores.

I used to be a member there, but ended my membership because machines were breaking and they'd take forever to fix them. The last straw was when the sound system broke, and they played local radio stations for their music, stations I couldn't stand. They kept telling me they'd fix the sound system, but after several months, never did, so I quit.

I wonder how they have the money for this big remodel/move when they couldn't even afford to fix their sound system. Maybe I'll rejoin them.

I received an inherited US Savings I-Bond from my father who recently passed, and I'm named as a beneficiary on the bond. I took it to my credit union, and to Wells Fargo, where I have an investment account (but not a checking/savings account), and both refused to cash it.

I really don't want to mail it to the US Treasury for redemption, due to worries about theft or federal inefficiency. Does anyone know of banks that will cash it either without an account, or, failing that, would cash it right away if I opened an account with the bank? US Bank, CitiBank, Chase, and Bank of America are large banks that are in my area.

I am also a woman over 60 and want to compare notes. I have fond memorlies of the time around July 4, 1976, but I wasn’t in the continental US at the time. I was on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, a US territory and 16 at the time. They had a huge fair with games where you could win cash and I remember spending a lot of time at that fair. They probably had rides, too but I don’t remember for sure. I also think they had a USO show, but I didn’t go to it (you had to pay for those).

I really remember that fair and how much fun it was.

I’ve always wondered what the 200th US birthdsy was like stateside.

I live in Vancouver, and want to take public transit into downtown Portland for a class on Fridays. Is it safe to leave you car parked at the Expo Center MAX stop? Also, will there be parking available there at 8-9 am?

Interesting article. Basically explains why the Multi-Cancer Early Detection blood tests aren't useful.

I absolutely hate to cook but want to provide my husband with healthy meals. He buys dinners from Trader Joe’s but I don’t think they’re very healthy. For me, I just est pre- prepared chili (that I cooked on a large batch and froze) and cook up some veggies.

I know these meals are expensive but maybe I buy 3 a week for him (we go out to dinner twice a week). There are so many companies making them now. One that’s particularly interesting is Tovalo where you buy a special microwave that cooks each meal portion separately (you tell it what meal type you’re cooking).

Has anyone used these meals? How healthy are they really?

Can anyone recommend a good, trustworthy dentist? I had a really good one who suddenly retired last month (she couldn't have been any older than her 40's). I have recommended her a couple of times here, but now that's moot. I don't really like the guy who bought her practice or have a good feeling about him.

I go in for twice yearly tooth cleanings, and have several crowns, which occasionally break and need fixing. I've heard some dentists will recommend unnecessary work just to pad their paychecks, so I'm looking for a dentist who won't do that.

I'd even be willing to go into Portland for a good dentist if anyone knows of one.

For a while, a Raging Moderates episode was promised every day. But, this week, I only got an episode on Tuesday. Are they back to once a week now?

I read this on the diabetes subreddit and it sounds like great advice for older people trying to reduce A1C.

“The first thing I figured out was never eat carbs alone. Sounds obvious in retrospect but nobody said it to me directly. A banana by itself sends me past 180. Same banana with two tablespoons of almond butter and I barely move. I remember standing in my kitchen genuinely shocked the first time I saw that. Fat or protein with every carb, every time, no exceptions.

Walking after dinner was the other one. Not a workout — just around the block. I ran two weeks of alternating walking nights vs. couch nights because I'm the kind of person who doesn't believe something until I've tested it myself. Walking nights were 25-40 points lower at the one-hour mark, consistently.

Eat in order was the weird one — vegetables first, protein second, carbs last. Same food, same amounts, just rearranged. I kept thinking it couldn't be real so I tested it more times than I want to admit. It's real.

Stress and sleep messed with my numbers more than I expected. I blamed food for everything at first. Then I had a rough week at work — bad sleep, running hot — and my fasting numbers were wrecked every morning despite eating the same things. Cortisol apparently signals your liver to release glucose on its own. Once I understood that, a lot of confusing readings started making sense.

Last thing: check the arrow first, number second. A 160 trending down is a completely different situation than a 160 trending up. Used to just see 160 and feel bad. Now I look at where it's going before I react.”

I’m asking this based on Episode #69 of the podcast Live Long and Thrive by Dr. Bobby Dubois. The title is “Physiology Often Beats Insight”.

Here’s a quote that describes the episode: In this episode, I explore a difficult but important idea: when it comes to depression, anxiety, fear, and emotional suffering, changing physiology often works better than understanding the story behind the pain. 
I begin with a simple question: why do we assume insight should heal us? As human beings, we naturally look for patterns and explanations, but explanation is not the same as relief. I share two personal examples—my years of dysthymia that lifted quickly with Wellbutrin, and my exercise-related fears that insight alone never resolved—to show how biology can sometimes succeed where understanding falls short.”

Basically, he had tried therapy, meditation, and many other things to relieve his dysthymia, with no results, but Wellbutrin relieved it and brought him happiness. He’s been on it for 20 years. This had made me consider trying it. I have been extremely skeptical about SSRI drugs and other psychoactive drugs, believing they don’t really work.

I have tried Prozac and Lexapro in the past with no results.
I really respect Dr. Bobby. He’s a real evidence-based doctor, not some influencer or grifter.

Has anyone else ever used Wellbutrin?

If I decide to try it, I’ll set a time limit (maybe one month) and if I see no results, quit (or taper off).