Archive for the ‘Just for me’ Category

I’ve never been a gym rat. Not even close. In fact, I’d be the exact opposite of whatever a gym rat might be. A practice room flamingo perhaps. The point being, I’m not terribly athletic, have never really felt the pull to join a gym, and have basically la-dee-dahed myself right into my mid-30s.

And now I’m paying for it with the OneHundredAndHolyHellIAteAToddler! number on the scale.

Last November I starting attending fitness classes at our incredible community rec center with a friend. I went several times (even on Saturday mornings!) and then signed up for a healthy living challenge class that started in January. Love the class, and have only missed a couple because of illness or being out of town. But I’ve stopped going to the group fitness classes. I really don’t like them, though I do enjoy the endorphin kick that hits me a little while later. I have, however, been taking a group weights class as well (offered cheap to free for those of us in the challenge class), and am loving the heck out of lifting weights.

Let’s review.

Hate group fitness classes.

Hate the treadmill/elliptical/stairmaster machines.

Love lifting weights.

Love yoga.

Love walking/running (oh, did I mention I signed up for a Training for a 10k class?) on the running track.

Anyone see any kind of correlation with that list? Anyone? You in the back, drooling onto your planner? No?

Control.

See, I’m a raging wee bit of a Control freak. Yes, this is the BFF of Perfectionism (the bitch), but I’ve already vamped on her, so today it’s Control. I’m a freaky Control freak, though. I only CF on myself, very rarely on others. Same with Perfectionism (see, this post wouldn’t be Perfect if I didn’t keep mentioning Perfectionism and her attempted Control over my life…sigh…).

Fitness classes, moving machines…I’m not in Control of the workout. Someone or something else is. Plus, I really hate feeling like a hamster on a wheel when I’m on a treadmill. Yoga, lifting weights, running track…I’m in Control. I may take a yoga class, but the teacher I have (and I love her) insists we do what we are able to do, and thus I’m back in Control.

I doubt I’ll go to many more fitness classes; they’re really not my style. And I just can’t get over that hamster wheel thing. So you’ll find me blissing out in yoga, lapping you on the running track, and adding more weight every week in the weight room.

Because some Control is good.

Dear 2006,

What did I do to you? Seriously, did I pee in your Cheerios one morning and not know it? February is over, 2009 has blessedly passed, and yet…things are still askew. Thinking back, waaaayyy back, I came to the conclusion that things started going awry when it was your turn to lap the sun. Let’s recap, just in case you plan to play all “Wha?” with me.

I started off that year with a month-long regimen of Prednisone, for a sinus infection I didn’t have. Oh? When in that year? February, of course. I packed on 20 pounds in that short month…and my body has grabbed onto an additional ten, just for giggles. I’m fairly convinced that was the trigger event that pushed me into gluten intolerance, and am starting to believe that the drug managed to jank up my metabolism so well that weight loss may be harder than it should be. I’m working out more than I ever have, don’t eat crap, and yet I can’t drop the pounds. Pretty pissed here, 2006.

Once the doctor determined that it wasn’t a sinus infection giving me such face pain, but the fact that I was clenching my teeth so hard in my sleep that I was pushing a tooth into my sinus cavity, I got a bite guard. I have now chewed through aforementioned bite guard and will need to replace it this summer.

I trained for a 5k that year. Walked one in September because, dear 2006, I couldn’t train once A was in school. I was spending too much time in carpool. That changes this year. I signed up for a class at the rec center, training for a 10k, and a friend is talking me into run/walking a half marathon with her in August. I think I may do it.

Speaking of A, this was the year from hell, when all things hit. He started kindergarten (which wasn’t really prepared for a gifted kid), began occupational and vision therapy, had his tonsils out, and began ADHD meds. All.Of.This.Is.Still.A.Concern. You suck, 2006, for bringing this on. Really? All in the same year? I suppose you find it amusing that we’re still dealing with the vision therapy, that I now carry deep regrets about the ADHD meds and his growth, and that behavior/emotional concerns are still an issue?

Oh, and let’s not forget who came into my life that fall, dear 2006! Princess the PMSing Laptop! She sashayed into my home in November of that year and almost immediately started causing trouble. Bitch. But her reign of terror is now over, and in her place is a shiny new MacBook Pro (name TBD, though I really do like MacDreamy).

These were just the low highlights, 2006! There was so much else going on! We finished our basement (still paying for it), celebrated our ten year anniversary (miraculously still together), and started a home-based business (have since left). But the best part, dearest year from hell, was this blog. This little writing project was born that year, and has brought me more friends and supporters than I ever could have imagined. You can’t take that from me. Ever. The people who read here, who leave me comments, who carry me through the hard days when I just can’t do it myself…they are the best part of that year. And they have stuck around, God love ‘em.

So go blow it out your ear, 2006. You’re done here. I’m moving on. I will drop the 30 pounds you piled on me, I will run a half marathon, I will support and love and fight for my son until the day I die, I will dropkick Princess off the roof give Princess to my husband, and I will reach out to the people who have reached out to me. I’m no longer your pawn. So tell your little year friends, in particular 2010, that I’m back. And I’m not taking any more crap.

Love and kisses,

Jen

Last night Mile High Mamas hosted a night out at Boulder’s Sephora. Now, I’m not a girly-girl…one look at me will pretty much tell you that. I wear makeup to keep from frightening animals and small children, and shoes are for keeping my feet off the pavement, not to make a style statement. Yes, please insert your snarky Crocs comment here. I do know how to dress well, but would rather wear jeans and a top than part with my remaining brain cells to try to do more than that. God help me if I actually do find some sort of part-time job that requires me to be more professional. I can do it, but there will be much gnashing of teeth involved. I got away with khakis and loafers as a band director…not so sure I could pull that off in an office setting.

So anyhoo, I attended the MHM shindig in Boulder last night. The Apple Store next store to Sephora nearly pulled me in with its shining, promising hope of a better computing tomorrow (soon, my precious, soon…), but I stayed strong and avoided its siren call. (Yes, I would prefer to drop money there than on cosmetics, I admit it). Despite my non-girly girl status and comfy shoe preference, I had a fantastic time last night. I got a hand massage with extra lotion, because my hands went all sponge on the poor lady and sucked it all in (that would be the loud slurping sound everyone heard last night). I had a facial with the Clarisonic skincare brush (nice and soft, and I glowed afterwards). I had makeup applied. I found a lipcolor I not only liked but would wear and it came home with me (seriously, I never wear lipstick. Ever. Too many years of lip balm as a flute player. But this was a fantastic lip gloss, not too shiny, in a lovely color (sandy), and it tingled and made my scrawny lil’ lips plump up. Win win.). I had a professional head shot taken at a “Tom will not kill me because we’re trying to cut back” price. I really needed the head shot; my last one is at least ten years old and I’m holding a flute. Not exactly up to date.

I got pampered. And I liked it.

Many thanks to Mile High Mamas and Sephora for hosting the gathering last night. I had a wonderful time with all the moms there, and can’t wait for the next event. I hear it has something to do with wine. Now that is my kind of event!