Thursday Morning

My haiku challenge has ended.

On Tuesday the last one was composed and posted.

You'd think that after a solid year, those few minutes

would still automatically beckon.

Nope.

No topics clamored for expression as I walked to work

and back yesterday.

No snippets pushed their way into my

consciousness as I woke this morning.

Seems odd that something so vital to your

everyday rhythms for that length of time
could so easily stop.

 

I am thinking of planning on a new

- but less formal -

challenge.

How to go about it

will require some thought and

coordination.

It will take me waaay

outside my comfort zone, as they say.
 

But I can remember thinking

that kickboxing/gymrattery was waaay

outside said zone.

A new ten-week session has begun at the gym.

There are 60+ students

and four of them are part of our regular

class time. 

I've agreed to be a coach, assisting

a woman who has done this

for previous sessions.

We're not instructors.

 

We help/support the newbies as they
sort through all the terms and techniques,
 easing them into the mainstream
of class activity.
Four days in and so far, so good.

I'll get back to you with that other project.

 

 

 



Monday Evening

It was snowing

- unexpectedly -

this morning as I got ready to

 leave for the gym.

It snowed most of the day.

 

I ran errands in the snow.

Found some bargains

shoveled the driveway

checked the mail

brought in garbage cans

made granola

did laundry

brought in firewood

created new Pinterest boards

put away the Christmas dishes

surfed for beret patterns

shuffled stuff for the new shelves

and a surprising number of

other things

while it snowed.

 



Change of Plans

 

Charlie and I are waiting for it to warm up a bit

before we take a walk

and as my run to Webster City has

been cancelled,

I have what amounts to a free day.

Yippee!

 

What to do!?

As with any free time - it will fill

much too quickly

and seem much too short.

 

It struck me, yesterday, that we

are half-way through November.  How that

happened is a mystery, but it

means that I need to get started

on Aidan's advent calendar which is

traditionally delivered

at Thanksgiving.

A tradition that started when we lived hours

 and hours away

as a way for me to share the

holiday anticipation with him.

 

One year he received fancy envelopes

containing a carol for each day.  His dad

sang them at bedtime.

 

Another year it was the pages

of a lovely story of a pine tree

 rewarded for its

kindness to other forest creatures.

 

His own tree and ornaments one year.

 

Last year his reading skills

allowed me to mark off

pages for him to read everyday

from a schmaltzy cute paperback

about a homeless dog looking

for a family during the holidays.

 

Other years have been a combination

of whatever

school supplies

trinkets

gum

coins

bills

games

puzzles

will fit in the chosen container.

 

Pinterest

 

It's time to choose a container and theme -

a task that gets harder as he grows older.

If I want to keep the containers manageable

the content is pretty limited.

He doesn't like chocolate

which eliminates an easy default.

He's a boy - cute stuff only goes so far.

 

So today will be dedicated to strategy.

Making plans and lists.

Sorting through materials on hand.

Necessary groundwork

for productivity

if this Christmas project

 is actually going to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Rainy Day

It's raining today so outside activities and

projects have been postponed.

There are a couple things calling for my attention

before work but they can wait

a few more minutes.

 

I baked gingerbread cookies yesterday

using a maple leaf cutter.

I love the mellow combination of molasses

and spices.  We enjoyed our portion and the rest

will go to work with me today.

 

This is the view outside my bedroom window.

It creates a gentle rosy glow throughout the room

but the leaves are thinning quickly

and soon we'll be surrounded by bare branches.

 

Hard to believe from this shot, but Charlie

seems to be having some anxiety issues.



I'm working to incorporate more exercise into his day,

hoping it will have the same positive effect

for him that it does for me.

 

This is the new bracelet. 

It's going to work with me today, too.

Final Report

My ten week session at Farrell's is history.

We finished with testing in the morning

and a party last night.

Monday morning it starts all over again.

 

Here's my final tally:

14.6 pounds - lost.

16 total inches - melted away.

4.03 minutes shaved from my mile

bringing it under 12.

Sit-ups, push-ups and flexibility all increased.

 

I will also add,

 with some relief at the thought that my photos will remain private,

that it was not enough to win the $1000.

I'm honestly thrilled for Katie,

who was in my 9:15 class.

The money will be used for college expenses.

 

 I am more than pleased by what I've

accomplished in these past ten weeks.

And look forward to what comes next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A good day

I'm tired.

My back/shoulders hurt.

I worked today - just got home.

My day isn't finished yet.

 

The day started with a special class.

6:15 - 7:30.

Our ten weeks is soon to end,

so this gave us a taste of how the other half lives.

It was a combination of

strength and cardio

bags and bands.

I can see why it is a favorite.

 

 

 

But - for me - it involves an alarm clock

set for 5:00.

Gone (long gone) are the days of

rolling out of bed and into the car.

I need to wake up

get everything going the right direction 

eat breakfast

prepare myself.

 

When I left the house at 5:50 am

I needed a jacket.

A jacket!

 

Week eight begins Monday.

 

I spent last weekend altering

waist bands, thighs and shoulders because

I don't want to buy any new clothes

to finish out the summer.

 

Busy days ahead...

 



Monday Morning

We had some rain yesterday.

There could be more today.

It would be good to have a nice rain

but this time of year it tends to come as a

hard, fast storm.

 

Another round of moisture should

be enough to bring the

green beans to eating size.

 

Last night Tim grilled:

 potatoes

from the garden

with mushrooms and onions

and

shrimp in the shells.

Delicious.

 

Today it's back to routines:

laundry

gym

sanding.

 

They've upped the ante

at the gym.  I come home tired

in the way I was tired during the first

few weeks when everything

was new and

challenging.

 

 

We're starting week seven

- three to go -

so here are three things I've learned:

 

hunger and boredom

are not synonymous

 

I can, in fact, push my body

further

harder

longer

than my mind thinks possible

 

tiger balm and ibuprofen

do me more good before class than after.

 

 

 

Woo Hoo!

Today marks the end of week 5 -

the halfway point of

my ten week kickboxing session.

Yesterday we did weights and measurements

and today will be the mile run/walk

push-ups and sit-ups.

 

According to the records I have:

lost a total of 10 inches

gained 1.5 inches of flexibility

lost 7 pounds

seen a corresponding change in my BMI.

 

I know that my clothes fit differently

I feel better

move more easily

hurt less

smile more.

 

I can do rowboats.

They may be leaky rowboats

but 5 weeks ago I had to prop on my elbows

and could barely move my legs.

(Rowboats are a combination of balanced sitting 

with back and forth motion of the arms

while your legs are pulled in and pushed out

mimicking the action of rowing)

google images

I'll let you know how the results of the rest of the testing.

 

 

Friday Morning

For whatever reason

today has a sort of Monday feel to it.

 

Yesterday found us working on the deck.

It needs to be stained.

And the already big project took on

ginormous proportions

when Tim stated replacing screws and removing boards.

There isn't much to show for our hours

of work yesterday.

 

But it's his baby now because

Charlie and I are heading to Minneapolis

after my morning class.

I can't wait to see what Naphtali

has done with her kitchen.

She mentioned an Ikea run so I've been

thinking about what I might

need here from there.

 

Holiday or not

we did have class yesterday.

It was a circuit class. 

Steps,

bags,

rings,

and medicine balls

all focusing on lower body muscle groups.

I was wobbly for quite

some time after it ended.

 

I might need to get a medicine ball...

 



Week One

Week one is in the books!

Can I get a hallelujah!?

 

Here's what I'm taking away -

besides the sore muscles.

 

When we started I hoped there would be some moves/exercises
 that I would be able to do.

Not do well - but do. 

And there were.

 

There are also some that give me trouble.

I expected that, too.

(it may seem like a fine distinction -
"not do well" and "give me trouble"
- but there is a big difference.)
 

So things didn't get ugly until I ran into one that

I could. not. do.

At all.

Period.

 

That's was when the tears threatened.

Laying on my back I'm thinking

"Don'tcrydon'tcrywaittilyougetotthecar"

And I held it together.

 

I also made it my personal challenge

to master that particular exercise

by the end of my ten weeks.

 

That was day 2.

 

Afterword one of the coaches

stopped to chat and mentioned that she left

during her second day.  Ran (waddled),

 to her car

and swore she'd never come back.

 

Someone else added that she'd cried all the way home.

Another one admitted that she couldn't do sit-ups

when she first started

which got a laugh and they all started naming

their particular wash-out exercise.

 

These were not canned motivation snippets.

They were sincere.

They came from instructors, coaches,

and the person panting next to you. 

 

Twice during the week it was necessary to attend a different session.

I found the same helpful attitude among

these strangers.

The same variety of ages, shapes and abilities. 

 

Friday was an all-out kickboxing extravaganza!

We worked.  Hard.  Non-stop.

and it felt like it the next day.  Oy.

 

Yesterday was a *slower* day. 

A one-time, two hour session to address form

both on the bag and with the bands.

Just newbies.

No less intense.

 

And tomorrow it starts all over, again.

 

 

 

 

Whoo-whoo!!

150/365!!

 

That seems like a significant number.

 

Today we have sunshine,

humidity,

and sore muscles.

 

So back to the boxing gloves...

The class I'm involved in uses a combination

of kickboxing and

strength training through resistance bands.

They also emphasize healthy nutrition.

Six days a week.

Alternating KB and ST

and rotating upper and lower body workouts for each.

 

Monday was LB KB.

Tuesday, LB ST.

Today was UB KB

 tomorrow will be UP ST

and Friday should be LB KB again.

 

I was told the class would include a variety of

ages,

shapes and

abilities

and that has proven true.

 

I was also told to expect a

community/camaraderie

among the participants,

which has also proven true.

 

This is so far outside any comfort zone

I've ever imagined.

The schedule/accountability

is just what I needed to get out of my slump.

The people are a good influence

in many ways.

 

I don't quite have the proper technique

for the hook

but I have a killer upper-cut!

 

More soon.

 

 



Appraisal

We all set a variety of goals

throughout our lifetime.

The inchoate daydreams of youth

give way to five-year plans. 

 

 We set our sights on desired

education,

partners,

possessions,

addresses,

fill-in-the-blank,

and we map out the strategies necessary

to get us from point A

to point B.

 

Childhood school lessons 

fostered a desire to live in Pennsylvania

and the years we spent there

are among my favorites.

 

As an young adult I came across

the word "inchoate" for the first time

and I have waited patiently for

the opportunity to use it.

 

 

Never, though, never

was there a time when even my wildest 

dreams included these:

 

google images

 

Yet, I now have a pair

and they will be a primary accessory

for the next ten weeks.

 

Check back and learn more...

 

 

 

 

As Promised

Charlie and Proton at play,

                                                                             

and at rest.

Have you seen the cute commercials or movie snippets in which the adorable puppy runs down the

 hallway trailing toilet paper?

Not so cute in real life.
By the way, Proton has really grown while he's been here.  A conservative guess is 3 - 4 inches in both length and height!
He's listening to commands and taking cues from Charlie.  He's learned to catch a treat in mid-air.
He abounds with the relentless optimism that only happy puppies can display.


This is my gym.

   Back...

and front views.

As promised.