2000:
Netstock
Ends
Books Read in 2007 My Favorite Video Blogs Missbehavens (for others, see Links page)
Hero Pit Bulls Opening Night, "The Big Voice" (part 1) "Imagine" Peace Project College Conservatives on Iraq Book Trailer for "Schuyler's Monster"
Family Stories Vlog New on My
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IT MUST BE A GOOD THING 7 August 2007 I hobble across the family room floor to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I realize that there are parts of my body which are sore which haven't been sore in a long time. It must be a good thing. Walt has been dragging (and I do mean dragging) me to the gym. It's not like we're going daily. He's lucky if he can coerce me into going with him one day a week. We went two days ago and so I was peacefully checking out my friends on Flickr, confident that I wouldn't have to answer the question "do you want to go to the gym?" for at least several days. (The answer is always "no," by the way, but I don't say it.) He surprised me, his head popping into my office with that big encouraging grin on his face. "Do you want to go to the gym this afternoon?" grumblegrumblegrumblegrumble. "Sure," I said, brightly. grumblegrumblegrumblegrumble. I know I need to do this. I know that we'll be in D.C. next year. I know that I get short of breath going out to get the newspaper. I know I need to be at the gym. But I hate it, hate it, hate it. The weird thing is that once I actually get my shoes on and get there I don't hate it so much. I finally decided that what I hate isn't so much going to the gym as putting on shoes and leaving the house. The iPod is a big help. When we went to the gym on Sunday, I watched a video of David Steinberg interviewing Jon Stewart (Very funny. Available on iTunes. I recommend it...that one and Steinberg's interview with Robin Williams). I hardly noticed the 30 minutes I spent on the treadmill. I was laughing a good portion of the time and I wonder if anybody wondered what I was laughing about. Of course when you are watching a teeny TV screen, you don't walk as fast as when you are listening to music. Today, I didn't have anything to watch on my eensy weensy TV screen, so I listened to one of the podcasts that I have which I haven't listened to yet. That kept me moving, but then I decided to switch to the gym playlist. When you listen to music when you walk, it's hard not to walk to the beat, and so where I usually saunter along at an easy 2.0 mph by the time I got to the end of my half hour, I was up to 2.6 and had walked .15 mile farther than I usually walk. The women on either side of me were jogging, and drinking water and panting and sweating, but I just kept plodding along and tried not to pay attention to them. Who exercises to John Denver music? Hey--it works. He has some snappy tunes. Really! The first three songs on my gym playlist are Denver's "Potter's Wheel," which has a steady beat that works for 2.2 mph and speeds up to 2.4. Then I switch to Kellie Pickler's "Red High Heels," which you cannot possibly walk at less than 2.6 mph.
Next comes one of Steve's songs, "Redemption Avenue," which has a good, solid beat which I can use at either 2.4 or 2.0 mph and alternated back and forth, depending on how much sweat was dripping into my eyes. I reached 30 minutes before Chris Webster's "Circles in the Wind" started. I didn't listen to the beat, I just slowed down and eventually stopped. But I felt good. Not good enough to get on another machine, of course, but we take these little baby steps. And baby steps are what I'm taking tonight. I guess my body was all set for a 6 day rest before being asked "wanna go to the gym?" by a bright-eyed, well meaning husband whose suggestion can't be denied, in good conscience. And I suppose that's a good thing. Pain is good, right?
Review by the San Francisco Chronicle of opening night of The Big Voice. Also check the Videos of the day for opening night videos of the show. As of today, only part 1 is up, but I'm sure Steve will have part 2 soon. |
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
My Flickr friend James
saw this and took a picture. He wrote: |
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This is entry #2688
