Exercising

Things I liked about exercising:
- I LOVE my ipod
- I enjoy the quiet when few people are there
- The shower after a hard workout is a joy to behold – my shower at home may be “prettier” but there is no show quite so enjoyable as one after a strenuous workout
- I enjoy fresh towels – which actually cover me, unlike the ones they had originally, no doubt designed for the severely anorexic or exhibitionist
- I enjoy putting lotion on my calves, firm to the touch – lotion being a practice which I skipped until I found myself scratching, itching, flaking and leaving claw marks that my kitties would envy
- In particular I enjoy the svelt feeling that I have, at least for awhile, even though it is faux and disappears when I see myself in a full length mirror

When I walked in to the exercise club today it seemed like I was the only one interested in exercising. The quiet of the change room was very pleasant. When I walked to the cardio area, the usual blare of two televisions within ten foot of each other was missing-pleasantly so. There was only one other fellow in the cardio room, on a bike; he seemed intent on his workout and basically ignored me. Later I discovered he was listening to his ipod. We toiled away in our own separate worlds to be joined by another fellow who seemed to know Mr. bike. The new guy was quite intent on locating the remote to “flip the TV on”. He did not ask he simply turned it on and LOUD, too. In response I cranked up my own ipod and I presume Mr. ipod did as well, as it was then, as he fiddled with the dial, that I became aware that he was using one. Mr. ipod/bike wrapped up in a few minutes leaving “I-must-have-TV” (IMHTV) and me slogging away. He too completed his routine before I finished, blithely sprayed his cross-trainer and sauntered away with the TV going full tilt. I called out to him saying: “Excuse me, would you mind turning the TV off?” and he was most accommodating regarding this request and seemed somewhat surprised.

Now tell me …. “he” walks in to a room, the TV is OFF, two people are working away without the TV, “he” turns it on …. why oh why would he not at least turn the DAMN thing off when he was finished? What kind of


is he?

That gentle-folk, is the only thing I did not like about exercising today.

Mid Thoughts

If you need evidence that the Christmas season is about miracles then consider the following events – beyond the major one, celebration of the virgin birth of Jesus.
-Christmas eve: there I stand, peeling leaves from Brussel sprouts until more than a small mound is evidenced and the heads are pristine in their beauty
-Christmas Day, with tons of stuff yet remaining to be done before the family dinner, there I sit, in Church and had I known that it would be THE ONLY quiet respite of the day I would have relished it more
-Boxing Day: Me, I, am in a shopping mall … IN, I say! To all the clerks with whom I had contact I, freely explained I intended to buy nothing, but I had a parking spot, so there!

We are about 1/2way through the Holiday Season and I am most grateful for all that is. My niece-the-librarian arrived safely from Houston and of course I did the “dance of joy” at “Greeting Station D”. She is now off in Edmonton visiting with other friends of which she does not have a shortage. For Christmas, among many other things (mmmm…. hot sauce …. mmmmm …. salsa – the real stuff from TX) she gave me a book with a tin cover. It is quite striking in appearance and I wondered how best to preserve this item, not hidden away but serving a purpose for which it might be intended. My big-sister-the-artist declined to fill every page with pencil sketches and then return it to me and my niece admonished me in that the gift was not suppose to result in work for mom. Big sister suggested it might be used as some kind of guest book. While not pooh-poohing the idea outright I was more bemused than convinced. Now, the break in between Christmas and New Years has always been somewhat of an “Advent” time for me, just as the period before Christmas. However this Advent is more personal as I try to get the keel squared away for easy or at least more straight sailing in the year to come.

“YES” I thought, that is EXACTLY what I will use that little book for. In the new year I will try (yeah Yoda says there is no such thing as “try”), to be more accessible and more willing to include folk in the new year – this and a number of other sorts of personal enhancements usually forgotten by the end of the first week and certainly by the end of the first year.

It is snowing out at the moment, reminding us that it really is winter AND the days will grow longer to the point that there is visible dusk even past 11:00PM. Yes, Percy Bysshe Shelly was right .... “If winter comes can spring be far behind”.

It is official; I’ve actually managed to avoid ironing ANYTHING for more than a year. This fact is confirmed by the presence of my Christmas napkins hanging on a hanger, more than on the wrinkled side. Wow, how time moves along.

Since my home is also my office I was not inclined to decorate until the last of my clients had been seen. In fact, I thought I might not bother putting up the tree at all until I saw the look on my niece-the-Liberian’s face when her mother, my big sister, tried that trial balloon during my birthday lunch. Speaking of my birthday, my family bought me an ipod, 80G (go big or go home) and I am absolutely THRILLED. Secretly I had been lusting after same for a number of months, more so since I started exercising regularly and became subject to the noise of the TV while in the cardio room. Yes, the exercise club is going to go with earphone counsels on the new cardio equipment but that isn’t until MAY and I may be a basket case, a deaf one I might add, before that happens.

Now I can report my first “freeze” (I unfroze it myself) and I’ve got tons of pictures on it and around sixty songs and I’ve not even STARTED on MY stuff, just free stuff that they had at itunes. Videos, apparently, are a different kettle of fish and I’m hoping another friend, a guy who transports aluminum will help me come to terms with the mysteries of downloading video stuff. Already I’ve come across a book that I would like to download and may do that in the New Year.

The tree is up without the help of the cats as they were traumatized early in the process by my knocking over a cat candle holder, followed rapidly by the grill of the gas fire place. Run for your lives, run for you lives, worse than the killer vacuum. Every cat for itself – no rescue attempts were directed my way. They scattered and have since returned to doze in their favourite places. Like any home with youngsters, the breakable stuff is at the top; the lower layers devoted to unbreakable wooden or stuffed ornaments.

Tomorrow I “do” the dinner. My big sister has done a yeoman’s job of this for many, many years and I am pleased to step up to the plate. Every time I have a meal at her and my brother-in-law-fixer-of-all-things home I marvel at their ability to pull these things together with what seems little effort and it is always delicious.

To all who read my writing: MERRY CHRISTMAS, may there be peace and joy for you and yours.

Zoo Lights

Had the opportunity to attend "Zoo Lights" compliments of the son of a friend of mine. It was a family event, two little ones - always more fun to travel with little ones and they walk slower than most of my friends thus compensating for cold air and asthma. We were well fortified by "tube steaks" and cocoa prior to hitting the trail. Many pictures were taken and I'm including a few. Just to prove it was the zoo, note the picture of the camel!

TAGGED BY Q

Nothing like wasting time because I’ve been invited to do so!

A: Available or single? Aren’t they the same?? Available but long past the “Best Before Date” and very picky!
B: Best Friend? Spook and Precious, particularly if there is FOOD involved. Probably Lil,who puts up with MY weirdness; Merv in his own way, Ian – I put up with THEIR wierdness, for sure my sis and niece. A number of other folk who I don't see nearly often enough and wish I did!
C: Cake or Pie? Sugar Pie!
D: Drink of Choice? Fresca
E: Essential Item? Glasses
F: Favorite Colour? Orange
G: Gummi Bears or Worms? Bears
H: Hometown? Manistique, Michigan
I: Indulgence? Mmmmm…. Crème Brule
J: January or February? February because it is shorter … man I HATE winter!
K: Kids and names? Whose? Mine?? Spook and Precious
L: Life is incomplete without? Friends, family, spiritual foundation
M: Marriage Date: Yeah, right – like that’s gonna happen! NOT
N: Number of Siblings: ½
O: Oranges or Apples: Depends, nothing like an icy, cold orange after exercise with the peels going in the garborator, BUT, nothing as easy to eat as an apple
P: Phobias: Bees/Wasps/Yellow Jackets/Hornets and the like
Q: Favorite Quote: From Invictus by W.E. Henley
I like the whole poem but particularly the last stanza:
It matters not how straight the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
R: Reason to Smile? when I see “softness”/gentleness in the world.
S: Season? Spring-Summer
T: Tag Three People? Paksen, Coffee (she’ll always be “Coffee” to me, Amelia Earhart – if she ever gets her damn blog fixed!
U: Unknown Fact About Me? When I was born I only weighed 3lbs 6oz.
V: Vegetable I hate? Beets
W: Worst Habit? Use to be smoking, now? Ummmm …. Jeez…probably dropping my belongings where ever when I come home, like a trail …
X: X-rays I’ve Had? Face/head, lungs, back, ankle, teeth, innards …
Y: Your Favorite Food? ALBERTA BEEF – preferably as a rare done steak!
Z: Zodiac? Sagittarius … I’m having a birthday, I’m having a birthday, I’m ha

*Tales From the Mild to Moderately Oppressed, North American Style

*Apologies to those who are truly oppressed in N.A., elsewhere and in the 3rd World.

So here I sit after the week that was and wondering how can a person, dedicated I might say, to living “A Day At A Time” be steam rolled by several days attacking all at once? On the other hand, I'm not quite in the same predicament as these guys!

So ... a few of things on my plate that are "amusing" me today… What ever did we do before "BEST BEFORE DATE" (BBF)? This morning I discovered I had forgotten to buy bread for toast so I decided to have one of those instant breakfast thingies that I had bought with coupons "a while ago". Slurped it down with my coffee as I read the paper and happened to glance at the container just before tossing it to read the Best Before date as some some in 2004! I DID say I had purchased them "a while ago". Good heavens I can expect to expire any second??? I think not. The interesting thing about BBF's is that initially I think they were developed to prevent unscrupulous grocers, etc from selling poor quality, stale and perhaps spoiled goods. What I think has happened is that we are now experiencing the tyranny of BBF. If we see an expired date we chuck the goods and I suspect some perfectly good stuff ends up in the trash.

On a more personal note ... where, in this house, presumable, did I put the great pix I had of Canadian's 747??? It was given to me by an aviation buddy whose husband was very involved in photography. Anywhoo it is Christmas time and people are asking "What do you want for Christmas/Birthday?" (dates are close together). Hhhmmm what I would have liked is to have THAT photo of the 747 framed so I could put it over my desk. No need for, since I have no "clue in a carload" as to where the photo is so it would be pretty tough to frame the darned thing. From time to time I've looked around for it but sometimes locating stuff in my filing system resembles an archeological dig

The other teeny-tiny oppressive event: Here I am, planning a laid back sort of Saturday; I'm cruising around in my night shirt cum oversized tee when I hear a knock at my neighbour's door. Being curious, (read down right nosey at times) I peered out my little door peep hole to espy two very neatly dressed young men ... only one explanation for that! Being slow of motion in the morning, they move to my door and ring the bell and knock on the door. I'm trapped as I am still staring at them through the peep hole. Eventually they wander away, no doubt to save more available souls, but seriously.... what makes ANYONE think I would be interested in entertaining matters of such importance on a Saturday morning while dressed in my night shirt? Get a Grip Guys!

Links Test

Well you were warned ... this is a test only a test. For instance The Calgary Flying Club is a cool site where I actually have a little bit of an article under "Why We Started". So, if I followed the instructions correctly, everything should turn out, yes?

Good Luck With That ....

Not quite THAT bad but ...

This could have just as easily been put under “Mysteries of the World” category. How DOES that cat know when I am preparing to give her eye drops as prescribed by the Vet. While we were at the Vet they were easy enough to administer as she was conveniently located on a table and I could simply approach from the rear as she gazed, more than attentively, at the Vet. A couple of times at home were easy, but not any more. Often, as soon as I walk into the room Spook escapes elsewhere. If I stoop down to pet/grab her she slithers away like a wet bar of soap. So …. Just how necessary are these things. Perhaps I should just wait until she starts bumping into furniture?

In addition to annoying things … this morning I piled out of bed at 0500 so that I could do my exercises and get back in time for my client … yeah, the one who “forgot” the appointment.

Exercises did not go well today. The trainer has switched to “compound” exercises. She thinks that this means doing or training two different groups of muscles at the same time. The “compound” as far as I am concerned, means instead of inflicting pain only one way, I am now capable of inflicting pain two ways at the same time. Joy! Not too, too long ago I use to think that I was coordinated but I’ve discovered my level of coordination is inversely proportional to my level of fatigue and if not fatigue, then the degree of difficulty of the exercise! When I came home I had to spend a fair amount of time surfing around on the web looking for examples of the various contortions which are suppose to melt the weight off my body …. Ha! Unlikely!


Anywhoo lots to do today and a meeting tomorrow ….

Musings

Used with the kind permission of Chris Madden who only asked that I provide a link to his site: http://www.chrismadden.co.uk

As the old Higgins-Overstreet song says, there will be a change in the weather and in fact there IS. It is down right pleasant out there. Funny thing about the cartoon, usually I just use stuff with gay abandon but when I found this particular cartoon the page there was a button that said “use this cartoon in a publication”. There is great debate, at least in my mind, as to whether or not my blog represents a “publication” or just drivel that is accessible by the general public. Not wanting to cheat anyone out of due recognition I followed the links hoping that there was not going to be a charge for use of the cartoon and ended up learning a whole lot more about cartoons and cartooning.

Further mysteries of the world:

Would someone kindly tell me how it comes about that the car radio is turned way, way up when you first start the car? Seriously, I am sure that I do not listen to the radio at the volume it comes on at after the car has been turned off.Is there some little gremlinthat goes around with a master key, entering parked vehicles and fiddling with the volume control?

The second mystery for me today is, how does it come about that after a hard workout, like today, I can walk to the car, feeling skinny, all the way home and so on, and continue to think of myself as svelte and potless, a veritable Venus – with arms I might add, right up until I go to put on some jeans. What is that about???

How Cute Is This?!?

The weather has taken a turn, decidedly for the better – that is, if you don’t mind driving in slush and so on. I did mention to a friend of mine, with whom I had made travel arrangements to watch out for a small car cleverly disguised as a lump of dirt! This I can take way, way better than the -40C stuff. Molly is “in the shop” for her first servicing, the good thing being, they will wash her before she is returned to me.

One of the pictures shows Precious laying on a stand behind my couch next to a row of stuffed cats usually used to cut down drafts from doors where weather stripping is less than effective. Along with the line of cats, various stuffed critters have been added to the line up as they have been acquired – the University of Houston Cougar, for instance. Precious looked so much like “one of the gang” I couldn’t resist snapping the shot. The other shot – well I was just struck how the snow on the mountain ash berries looked like some kind of fancy dessert for the birds. Speaking of which, on a trip back to Calgary from just south of the city I had the opportunity to witness thousands of Canada Geese mustering for the trip south. It was really spectacular and I’m guessing a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Provincially we’ve “elected” a new Premier – that said tongue in cheek in that one ought not to have voted if one were not a member of the party with whom this fellow is affiliated. ON THE OTHER HAND, it seemed to be the ONLY way to have any say regarding the future of the province, so I confess, I became a “Two Minute Tory” in order to cast a vote – not so much FOR someone as against the other two who he was opposing. The Liberal leadership convention was a bit of a surprise with the selection of Stéphane Dion as leader; of all the candidates in contention, the ONLY one with credibility. It will surprise me if the two top candidates even bother to stay in active in politics. My heart of course was with Ken Dryden as he gave his all for the country in Olympic Hockey and played for the Montreal Canadians as a very apt goalie. However THAT in no way prepares him for leadership of the country. There were some interesting others and we shall see how time seasons them. Stephen the egg-head and policy wonk, meet Stéphane the egg-head and policy wonk!

More cat chat – Spook had her shots and nails trimmed today and complained mightily all the way there. The Vet, who was in another room at the time of our arrival, thought someone was abusing an animal hear Spook’s complaints without the visual. She might have a food allergy – ssshheeessshhh. He “gave me” some eye drops for the cat and of course, made it look easy to put them in. hhhhhmmmm might be wise that I donate plasma and such as I may require some of it back if she cooperates to the same degree as she does when she is being transported anywhere!