Happy Veterans’ Day!

I realize I’m a day early but I’ve been meaning to take a picture of this particular fence line for months now.  The homeowners have the flags up every day (barring inclement weather of course) and I think it is so picturesque.  This morning I decided to take a walk over there and finally do it.

I’m trying to incorporate a little exercise into my life.  It just does not come naturally or easily to me.  I’m a slug, what can I say.  Actually there have been periods in my life when I have been fit and exercised regularly.  And I looked great during those times.  I get into a nice routine of running every dawn and then something happens to my schedule and the next thing I know my fat clothes don’t even fit me any more.

Other programs I’ve started haven’t been successful.  Oh there is the Gold’s membership that I faithfully pay for each month and I’ve gone to exactly once in the past 11 months.  That’s $439.89 for 40 minutes on the elliptical trainer.

After my oldest son was born and the doctor said I could start exercising I decided to embark on a swimming program.  The community pool was right by my parent’s house so my Mom could watch after the baby while I swam laps.  I thought this was a splendid plan.  The night before I was going to start I decided to try on my bathing suit and see how bad things were.  I had a standard issue black Speedo.  My fat little thighs bulged out of the leg holes.  My squishy belly wouldn’t be smoothed down by all the lycra and I still looked like I was about four months pregnant.  Even my underarms looked fat.  Not good.

I tried on the bathing cap and goggles just to get the entire picture and had a fit of giggles.  It was so awful it was funny.   This was too rich not to share so I thought I would sneak down the stairs of our townhouse and just poke my head around the landing into the living room so Rick could have a laugh too.  He wasn’t going to see all of me, mind you – Good lord no. Just a peek at my head so he could see how funny I looked in a bathing cap and swim goggles.  So I quietly started down the stairs.  I rounded the first landing and because I had goggles on I miscalculated the next step and slipped.  And I slipped spectacularly, flailing and screaming the entire way down. 

I ended in a heap at the very bottom of the stairs, on my back, head first with the rest of my body twisting up around the bottom landing.  Rick, hearing my death cry, came flying out of his chair and over to the stairs.  I peered up at him through my goggles and looked up at his very dumbfounded face.  "What on EARTH are you doing??" he asked. Mustering as much dignity as I could I popped up, straightened my goggles and marched up the stairs and into our bedroom.  I can still hear him laughing. I removed my bathing suit, the goggles and the bathing cap and that was that.  So much for swimming.

If this nice weather holds out I hope to get a walk in just about every day.  It’s a start and there is less chance for public humiliation.