what's in you wednesday

So, I've mentioned that Charlie and I have been feeling frumpy and in need of getting back in to shape. Or at least, in need of doing something more health-oriented than what we've been doing lately = nothing except loaf around and create beautiful hot fudge sundaes in our spare time.



Mmmm. Whipped cream.... hot fudge ..... chopped walnuts.

Charlie has been making good progress with his fitness goals. He carries the children back and forth down the hallway on his feet and recently joined a gym that he plans to attend at least three times a week. As for me, I've thought about how nice it would be to get in shape again but have done very little to progress that vision.



Until yesterday morning at approximately 10:45 AM.

Because yesterday morning when I was at the office, I happened to see one of my co-workers who I hadn't seen in about seven years. The last time our paths crossed, he'd had one too many whiskeys and confided that he thought I was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen and would I marry him? The answer was no, because I was very happily married and pregnant with triplets at the time. Laugh all you want. Think what you may: I considered his compliment sincere and I was very flattered.

Much like I was very flattered when in 1993, a very handsome stranger followed me off the highway (101 North, in Santa Rosa), and in to a shopping center to ask me out for a date. He stammered, and I believed him, that he'd never done anything like that before and it was totally out of character for him, but when he saw me he almost crashed his car.

I turned down his invitation for a date because ... yikes. Who would accept a date from someone who followed you off the freeway? Even if they were cute?

But then, I reconsidered and that my friends, is how I met Charlie.

Just kidding. (About the meeting Charlie part, not about the guy following me off the freeway and asking me for a date, part. That is completely and freakishly true.)

Anyway, I digress.



Yesterday, I saw my co-worker who I haven't seen in almost seven years and he doesn't recognize me. When I told him my name, he gasped and then looked at me a little more closely. "Wow, I would never have guessed it was YOU!" he said. "You've really, really changed." And then he pointed to my head and said, "Are you getting a little gray?"

NICE. YOU SWEET, SWEET MAN.

KICK BOOM BANG SMASH.

I'm not sure if it's worse to tell a woman that she looks OLD or to make someone pay before giving them a hair cut because you think they're HOMELESS?

Six of one, half dozen of another.

Sorry, I'm going to digress again...

In 2009 when we did the 3-Day Breast Cancer walk in San Diego, my two friends, Terrell and Cheryl, went in to a coffee shop. Now it's important to point out here that Terrell and Cheryl are approximately the SAME age. But as they are in the coffee shop, talking with fellow walkers, one of the walkers says to Cheryl, "I think it is so nice that you are walking with your DAUGHTER."

And Cheryl almost died right there on the spot.

Of course that story is so funny, because it didn't happen to ME. But the situation yesterday, when my co-worker couldn't even recognize me from just a few years prior was horrible. Although I believe it is important to grow old gently, gracefully surrendering the things of youth, I'm not ready to look old and haggard at 39.

I. Must. Take. Better. Care. Of. Myself.

So, I came home and took the exercise ball that I bought for myself over Christmas out of the box and ... OK, Charlie actually took it out of the box and blew it up ... lacking any form of grace or coordination, positioned myself to do 50 stomach crunches. I made it to 10. And today I sneezed and I kid you not, my entire abdominal section went in to the most severe cramp I thought for sure I was going to die. Honest truth: I fell out of my chair, directly on to the ground while moaning that Charlie needs to call an ambulance.

He didn't. He just looked at me and laughed which made me wonder, "What if this had been an ACTUAL emergency?" I'd be dead right now and my friends on the internet would never even know because my husband has no idea how to update my blog.



Ten minutes later I was fine and tonight I bravely squeezed out twenty crunches before my stomach went in to another fear of imminent death inducing spasm. But yes, we went from 10 to 20, so already I'm improving!

Now, let's see... what day is it? January 12?

So what if I'm two weeks late to start exercising in the New Year? I'm pulling my severely out-of-shape body in to the saddle again and my goal is to tighten up and shed 10 pounds by my birthday. That's three months away, so I believe it's entirely doable.

Perhaps I should take a picture of the scale and post it as an accountability measure?

Yeah. That sounds great. I'll do that tomorrow next week....

That reminds me, my next resolution surrounds the elimination of my procrastinating habits. As an FYI to our friends and family: it looks like our 2010 Christmas cards will be mailed out by the end of January. Valentine's Day at tops!