While surfing the internet yesterday I came across a site that wanted you to test your physical fitness. It didn't give you any results, but rather its goal was to get you to test a few things and then go back again in a couple weeks and test again and then go back a few weeks later and do the same. It was more of a way you could see your own progress over a period of time.
Now, I didn't think I'd ever find the website again, but I wanted, just for the heck of it, to take the test. It was, after all, really short and I had time.
The first test was how many sit ups you could do in one minute. I didn't do them quickly, but I was proud of myself. The second test was how many push ups you could do in one minute. I did the "girl" push ups - actually, I tried the regular push ups and found I could do zero no matter what time I was given. So, I cheated a little, but I did them. The final test told me to go up and down the stairs as quickly as I could for 3 minutes and then check my heart rate. Minute one was great, I was flying up and down the stairs. Minute two I was slower, but I was still keeping a steady pace. Minute three would never have happened if I didn't have a handrail. I was pulling myself up the stairs and I thought my chest would explode. But I did it. I completed everything. I felt good. I wasn't as bad off as I thought.
Until today. I found climbing stairs today to be excruciating. My muscles were locked in position and refused to lift my foot to go up the stairs. After some begging, the muscles let me move but they spent the rest of the day reminding me that I really owed them.
Ok, maybe I am as bad off as I thought.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Deck the Halls
It's the first weekend in December and traditionally this is when I put up the Christmas tree and any other Christmas decorations that I am going to put up. But it's Sunday evening and I haven't even opened the closet to look for the boxes.
Last year I put a holiday runner on the table and set a pre-lighted small tree on top of it. And that was it. I thought about putting up the big tree, but just didn't. I'm not depressed that my kids aren't here on Christmas any longer. I do get to see them either on Christmas or a day or two following. And I picked this - I wanted Thanksgiving, I've given the in-laws Christmas.
No, it's not depression. It's a matter of scheduling. I seem to have time to put up the tree, but in the last several years it has become harder and harder to find the time to take it down. The last year I put up the big tree it was mid January before I found time to take it down. And, while a decorated tree makes you feel festive in mid December, coming home to the same tree in mid January makes you feel nauseated.
So, at least for this year, there won't be any decking the halls. Maybe next year.
Last year I put a holiday runner on the table and set a pre-lighted small tree on top of it. And that was it. I thought about putting up the big tree, but just didn't. I'm not depressed that my kids aren't here on Christmas any longer. I do get to see them either on Christmas or a day or two following. And I picked this - I wanted Thanksgiving, I've given the in-laws Christmas.
No, it's not depression. It's a matter of scheduling. I seem to have time to put up the tree, but in the last several years it has become harder and harder to find the time to take it down. The last year I put up the big tree it was mid January before I found time to take it down. And, while a decorated tree makes you feel festive in mid December, coming home to the same tree in mid January makes you feel nauseated.
So, at least for this year, there won't be any decking the halls. Maybe next year.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Grocery Store
I have been working on my grocery list tonight. I should go to the grocery store tomorrow, but will probably wait until after my meeting on Monday night.
I'm not putting it off because I dread it. I just need a day of hibernating and getting chores accomplished. No, I never dread doing the grocery shopping - I love it.
I'm not sure why. Maybe it has to do with having a very "lean" childhood when it came to food on the table. We always had food, just never any to spare. My mom would open one quart of her home-canned green beans or corn as the side dish to feed a family of 5. This might have something to do with it.
But it could just be because I love food. I love eating it. I love cooking it. I love walking down the aisles and seeing all the possibilities and potential meals. I love living in an age and in a country that allows the selection we have -- I'm sure we have at least 8 varieties of apples and five shelves of crackers. I don't have to buy peanut butter (although there are about 15 brands and styles) because I can buy almond butter. It's crazy!
Now that I think about it, this is probably why I watch the Food Network too.
I'm not putting it off because I dread it. I just need a day of hibernating and getting chores accomplished. No, I never dread doing the grocery shopping - I love it.
I'm not sure why. Maybe it has to do with having a very "lean" childhood when it came to food on the table. We always had food, just never any to spare. My mom would open one quart of her home-canned green beans or corn as the side dish to feed a family of 5. This might have something to do with it.
But it could just be because I love food. I love eating it. I love cooking it. I love walking down the aisles and seeing all the possibilities and potential meals. I love living in an age and in a country that allows the selection we have -- I'm sure we have at least 8 varieties of apples and five shelves of crackers. I don't have to buy peanut butter (although there are about 15 brands and styles) because I can buy almond butter. It's crazy!
Now that I think about it, this is probably why I watch the Food Network too.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Exhaustion
I'm totally exhausted. We had a work meeting today that began at 8:00 am (meaning I was up a little before 6:00 am) and went until after 5:00, at which time we reconvened at another location for appetizers and drinks, at which time we reconvened at a restaurant for dinner. Whew.
It's now after 10:30 pm and I've been home for only 15 mnutes. My head hurts, my dog is crying and practically sitting on the keyboard, and I'm ready for bed so I can get up and do the same thing tomorrow.
And I was the first one to leave - they might all still be sitting there!
I'm all for Stategic Planning - but do the days have to be so long? Couldn't we plan just as strategicly if we had 8-hour days? Maybe exhaustion is a factor. Maybe people are more creative on the brink of a nervous collapse. Or maybe its a plot by those 4-hour a night sleepers to take over. "Sure you agreed with this, remember, it was on the morning of the 2nd day that we all discussed it. You were there." Hmmm, that sounds plausible.
It's now after 10:30 pm and I've been home for only 15 mnutes. My head hurts, my dog is crying and practically sitting on the keyboard, and I'm ready for bed so I can get up and do the same thing tomorrow.
And I was the first one to leave - they might all still be sitting there!
I'm all for Stategic Planning - but do the days have to be so long? Couldn't we plan just as strategicly if we had 8-hour days? Maybe exhaustion is a factor. Maybe people are more creative on the brink of a nervous collapse. Or maybe its a plot by those 4-hour a night sleepers to take over. "Sure you agreed with this, remember, it was on the morning of the 2nd day that we all discussed it. You were there." Hmmm, that sounds plausible.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
My Kids
I have 2 wonderful kids. I consider myself blessed to have them and took it very seriously that I had to turn these little bundles of joy into decent adults . . . somehow.
I think they were adorable babies. They were cute toddlers. Precocious grade schoolers. And then came middle school and high school and they were . . . alright.
But no matter what they put me through, I still loved them fiercely and only wanted the best for them. And even when they were "lacking" in, well, basic civility and compassion, I would still walk through fire for them and I protect them like a mother tiger against anyone who dared to treat them badly. Even if in that instance, they had deserved to be treated badly. In fact, several times my son has asked me why I kept putting up with him. He didn't understand. I had no choice.
And I thought about all this today. Like I have many times in the past. But today I wondered . . . I wondered if they understand now. Now that they both have babies of their own, I wonder if it's clear to them how I kept putting up with them and loving them. I put up with them when they treated me badly, when they withheld their love from me, when they put me through torturous worry with bad decisions and late nights, and just when the acted like stupid teenagers. No matter what.
And as I think about this again today - I think that finally they probably do.
I think they were adorable babies. They were cute toddlers. Precocious grade schoolers. And then came middle school and high school and they were . . . alright.
But no matter what they put me through, I still loved them fiercely and only wanted the best for them. And even when they were "lacking" in, well, basic civility and compassion, I would still walk through fire for them and I protect them like a mother tiger against anyone who dared to treat them badly. Even if in that instance, they had deserved to be treated badly. In fact, several times my son has asked me why I kept putting up with him. He didn't understand. I had no choice.
And I thought about all this today. Like I have many times in the past. But today I wondered . . . I wondered if they understand now. Now that they both have babies of their own, I wonder if it's clear to them how I kept putting up with them and loving them. I put up with them when they treated me badly, when they withheld their love from me, when they put me through torturous worry with bad decisions and late nights, and just when the acted like stupid teenagers. No matter what.
And as I think about this again today - I think that finally they probably do.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Bathroom Chatter
Today I went to the restroom before lunch. No sooner had closed the stall door when someone from another office came in and immediately asked me a question.
What? You don't do that! There is no talking in bathroom stalls! I don't even know her and I've never spoken to her before. Why now? Why here?
Obviously no one ever taught her that stall conversations were a no no (except to ask for extra TP if yours is empty) and so I politely answered her. But she kept chatting and kept asking questions. I'm trying to do "my business" and she's asking me about the temperature on my side of the building and whether people in my office have to wear sweaters. (According to my bathroom mate, her office could hang meat - which I assumed to mean it was as cold as a meat locker, but I'm not really sure.)
Although I was aghast, I held up my side of the conversation and just waited for her to leave. I could outwait her. And I did, but it wasn't easy. She took her time washing her hands and then stayed to finish her thought. But she did finally leave and I set to finishing "my business" in silence.
Or . . . is it just me?
What? You don't do that! There is no talking in bathroom stalls! I don't even know her and I've never spoken to her before. Why now? Why here?
Obviously no one ever taught her that stall conversations were a no no (except to ask for extra TP if yours is empty) and so I politely answered her. But she kept chatting and kept asking questions. I'm trying to do "my business" and she's asking me about the temperature on my side of the building and whether people in my office have to wear sweaters. (According to my bathroom mate, her office could hang meat - which I assumed to mean it was as cold as a meat locker, but I'm not really sure.)
Although I was aghast, I held up my side of the conversation and just waited for her to leave. I could outwait her. And I did, but it wasn't easy. She took her time washing her hands and then stayed to finish her thought. But she did finally leave and I set to finishing "my business" in silence.
Or . . . is it just me?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Parking
I love living in the city. I love the sidewalks. I love being close to everything. I love the noise. I love everything . . . except the parking.
Because I live on a narrow, one-way street, there is parking only on one side of the street. And because the city was late in establishing rules that if you turn a single family dwelling into a multi-family dwelling you better have the parking places to back it up, that one side fills up really quickly. So, driving home at almost 8:00 pm I was not at all surprised to find no parking spaces empty. I was lucky enough, however, to get the first spot around the corner. But I had to walk.
Tonight I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from work. I had with me a work bag, a college bag (I taught tonight), a water bottle, a purse, and 5 grocery bags. (BTW: I didn't buy that much but these days they put only one or two things in each bag so that you end up carrying more bags than necessary. Why is that?) Oh, and as you remember from the earlier post, I hate to make more than one trip.
Anyway, I manage to put the college and work bags on my left shoulder (precarious because both are filled thick and sticking out from my side) my purse on my right shoulder, my water bottle in my left hand, the grocery bags all in my right hand, and my keys in my teeth (see earlier post.) I managed to close the trunk and started the walk to my house - leaning slightly to the right so the overstuffed bags don't slide down off the shoulder. I had to stop about halfway and get a better grip on the grocery bags, but made it.
But, of course, once I make it to my porch I look up a couple spaces from my house and there is an empty parking space. While I was finding a way to grab everything, someone had pulled out of a parking space. I hate it when this happens.
Because I live on a narrow, one-way street, there is parking only on one side of the street. And because the city was late in establishing rules that if you turn a single family dwelling into a multi-family dwelling you better have the parking places to back it up, that one side fills up really quickly. So, driving home at almost 8:00 pm I was not at all surprised to find no parking spaces empty. I was lucky enough, however, to get the first spot around the corner. But I had to walk.
Tonight I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from work. I had with me a work bag, a college bag (I taught tonight), a water bottle, a purse, and 5 grocery bags. (BTW: I didn't buy that much but these days they put only one or two things in each bag so that you end up carrying more bags than necessary. Why is that?) Oh, and as you remember from the earlier post, I hate to make more than one trip.
Anyway, I manage to put the college and work bags on my left shoulder (precarious because both are filled thick and sticking out from my side) my purse on my right shoulder, my water bottle in my left hand, the grocery bags all in my right hand, and my keys in my teeth (see earlier post.) I managed to close the trunk and started the walk to my house - leaning slightly to the right so the overstuffed bags don't slide down off the shoulder. I had to stop about halfway and get a better grip on the grocery bags, but made it.
But, of course, once I make it to my porch I look up a couple spaces from my house and there is an empty parking space. While I was finding a way to grab everything, someone had pulled out of a parking space. I hate it when this happens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
