Air Conditioners

(This post has affiliate links.)

 We need air conditioners, they aren't a luxury!

Today's high was 36C, with humidity at 65%.  Without an air conditioner, it's difficult to do anything!

I would love to buy new ones, but of course, we don't have the money.

So I decided to be brave and open up the air conditioners that are here. They were installed when the house was built 33 years ago. The big problem is that they have never been cleaned.

One of the old air conditioners

To work efficiently, air conditioners should be cleaned at least once a year. In the old house, I would clean out the air conditioners before using them.

The one in the tatami room was rather clean, I think it was only used once a year, when we would gather for Obon in August.

The one that I was worried about was the one in the kitchen/dining area. I really didn't want to use it, but without it, cooking is difficult. Even with it, cooking is difficult; the machine is the wrong size for the room. But at least I can go and sit near it while I'm waiting for something to cook! Gives me a bit of a break! Also, this is the place where the cats hang out, and for the past couple of days, David has been sleeping on the sofa there!

I got Christopher to open it up. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think my mother-in-law didn't really use it!

Christopher took the front filters out and washed them, wiped down what surfaces he could get to. But I know that the deeper part of the machine needs to be cleaned. So I bought some spray that cleans out the deep part of the machine. It helps to kill off any mold that has grown in there.

This is what I use

This really helps to clean out the deep part of the air conditioner

This is the link to it on Amazon.

https://amzn.to/4eC9nkq

I don't know how long these old air conditioners will last or how expensive they are to run. Newer models have an eco mode on them. The old one in the kitchen/dining area doesn't have a remote control. I'm not looking for to the electric bill.

But it's better than nothing. This heat is going to continue to climb; next week is forecast to be up to 38C. Help!

My Health

 I think I have to make my health a priority over the next few months!

I've let things slide, I'm eating too much junk (just had a couple of small donuts!), not exercising, and not sleeping properly. I'm stressed and frustrated about our money situation. I want to do a lot in this house, but there is no money at all. I know it doesn't help, but stress makes me eat, I find comfort in food!

At the beginning of June, I had my yearly check-up. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my A1c number was good, which is the test for diabetes. I was told that the number should be between 4.5 and 6.00. When I was diagnosed, my number was 7.2; the last test I was at 6.00. Which is good, but I need to get it lower. I know what to do, but doing it seems so hard.

For me, dieting, eating healthy, and being proactive about my health is more about my mind, my thinking! I know that it would be a lot better to have a salad with some low-fat protein for dinner, but I'll have a sandwich or noodles instead. If the bread was a good whole wheat bread, it might be alright, but the bread in Japan is white and has very little nutrition! Another excuse for my bad eating is the price of food, especially anything that is healthy! As summer starts, the price of vegetables goes up. The other day I was shopping and came across a bunch of grapes for 5,000yen, that's about £25!!

Expensive grapes

Fortunately, that isn't normal, but food prices are going up. The things that are cheap are the more unhealthy choices: snack breads (my big weakness), snacks, and cup noodles. They aren't bad as a treat or if you are too busy to cook, but eating those kinds of foods every day will add inches to your waistline and make you unhealthy in the long run. Japan actually has a problem with diabetes, even though obesity is low! I was surprised when the doctor told me that my mother-in-law had diabetes, even though she only weighed 48kg, about 100lbs!  

I also have to start exercising more! I thought that living here, I would be outside in the garden or walking to the other fields. I did it a few times, but not consistently! Now, it's too hot to be outside. I get up early, between 5 and 6am, to get chores done and start lunch. I think I might be able to do a few things outside at that time, I should try!  By 8am, it's already 30C! I should go back to doing the chair exercises; they are gentle and do help. At the moment my lower back hurts if I'm standing for more than 20 minutes, I know it's because my weight has gone up a bit. There's a certain weight that once I go over it, my back is very painful! I've noticed over the past few weeks that it has started to hurt again, so I checked my weight and sure enough, I've put on about a kilo! That doesn't sound like a lot, but I know that one kilo will lead to another and another if I don't make changes now!  Again, I know what to do, but doing it seems difficult! 

Another area that I'm struggling with is my sleep patterns! I sleep too much during the day and then spend most of the night tossing and turning! I have sleeping tablets from the doctor, but the few nights I've taken them, I've had bad dreams! Maybe I should just take them for a couple of weeks to get my sleep pattern in order!

I really need a lot more energy to get things done! I also have to stop thinking that my life is over, that being in my sixties means that there is nothing new for me, nothing to look forward to except old age. I have a friend who is 70, and she is talking about saving money to start a new business!  I need to change my mindset, get my health sorted, and start living, doing things that make me happy and make the people around me happy.

I will try to update on any progress I make! My first goal is to drop about 7kgs before my next appointment in September. Also, I need to be able to walk more by then, as Hannah and I have tickets to see Les Misérables at the end of September!

Wish me luck!!