So How's The Exercise Program Going?

I just peeked in here and realized I had not written in a couple of weeks. I guess the pull of daily life got a little stronger lately.

I have had a lot of things hit me lately, and am trying to figure out how I used to do this dance of cleaning house, running all the errands, doing laundry, ironing, mending, cooking, shopping, raising two children AND holding down a full-time job. As I get older (and weaker), I realize it's no mean feat! How in the WORLD did I do all that? By myself? Are you kidding me??? Nowadays, the boys help me out with a lot of it, but dayum... I didn't realize there was SO much to do. I have an upcoming visit from my aunt and uncle at the end of this month, and now the heat is on! I know they don't care about how things are in my house, but *I* care. I'd like to have the hallway finished by the time they get here, and have some of the clutter organized. I have been in the "Let's get rid of all this clutter" mode, but there is so much of it, especially since I got sick 6 years ago. My health has gone up and down since then, and it's become painfully evident that I can't do everything I used to be able to do, and that things have gone to pot.

But I digress...

We have been working on stripping the paint off the woodwork in the hallway so we can redecorate. We have lived in this house for the past 20 years, and have never redecorated. With raising the family and working, there was just never time or energy to do it. So I'm doing it all a little at a time with the guys' help. Last weekend we started stripping the paint in the hallway. This weekend (if they ever wake up... since it's raining, they're all still in bed) I want to finish that chore. Then we can sand... then prime... then paint. We did the study already (did that when I came home from Chicago in November). In the meantime, Rocky has decided to start tearing up the blinds in the dining room, so I will have to replace some of the slats today, along with everything else I have to do. Bless Steve... he works so hard during the week and only has the weekends to rest, and I make him either go on a bike ride or help out with these extra chores. I try not to overtax him, but he does everything at 200 miles per hour, so it's hard to make him slow down. Case in point... when we (and by "we" I mean Steve and I) started on the hallway last weekend, I wanted to just take it slowly and do a little at a time. He started putting stripper on all the doorways, not realizing how much work was involved in the scraping and sanding. So we pushed really hard to get it done, and all the refuse cleaned up before the dogs or cats could eat it. And they would have. Needless to say, it didn't all get done, and the hallway looks like it has cancer. Today, I'm going at it slower, whether he likes it or not. There's something to be said about working with your hands at a slow rate, focusing on quality rather than quantity.

I also have to work on the aquarium. It sprung a leak in the last few weeks, and I have to figure out where the leak is, patch it up and get a new glass top for it. Ugh... when do I have time for work? Oh wait... this blog was supposed to be about my workouts. That's going all right, I guess. With everything else coming at me, who can tell? I get up in the morning, have two cups of coffee, have some oatmeal, and then MAKE myself do my weight training. Or my yoga, if it's one of those days when I wake up in pain. Weight training is getting easier though. Okay, not easier. I'm sweating up a storm while doing it. I added a couple of extra exercises yesterday, so that's a good thing. But I'm still weaker than a newborn kitten. Okay, so maybe not THAT weak. But I'm a whole lot weaker than I used to be, when I used to go at this with guns blazing. I'm becoming aware that maybe I'm not as young as I used to be. But I'm trying. Watching The Biggest Loser this week put my mind right again, so my nutrition is back where it needs to be. Yeah, yeah, I know... The Biggest Loser is an unsafe program and not realistic for anyone who doesn't live on a ranch, all expenses paid, with nothing to do but eat and workout 8 hours a day. It's not that. I can identify with the pain the contestants have been through that got them in their present state of dis-ease. That helped me to get my focus back.

So how much weight have I lost? Practically none, if that's what my gauge is. But it's not. I'm all about gaining strength so I can get through the last third of my life without having to have someone help me lift a bag of groceries. And I want to be able to tend my garden out in the country. Yes, you heard it here first. We are moving to the country in the next two years. I have picked out a community that's about 30 miles east of here, and I love it out there. No water really, but lots and lots of fresh air. My doctor wants me to have lots of it. And I don't think civilization will catch up for a while. It's far enough that I will have to travel for about 20 minutes before I find a grocery store. We are looking for about 10 acres. That will give me enough space to have a vegetable garden, plant fruit trees and bushes, and landscape a flower garden with a path and bench (I've always wanted to do that). And most of all, I can BREATHE!!! Those of you who don't have trouble breathing have no idea how much cleaner the air is in the country. Once I get out there, I don't want to come back in the city for ANYthing. I'm afraid I might miss a bunny or squirrel.

Anyway... the crew is stirring, so I guess I'd better make breakfast. Oatmeal with raisins. Yeah, I know... but it's healthy.

Nazdrowie'

Paczki Puta