It’s been a long, long time
My husband recently asked me why I don’t blog anymore. I have been concentrating on writing books (before the thought crosses your mind to wonder or ask they sit nicely completed in iCloud waiting for me to take the time to send them to agents), raising my boys, painting, being a wife, being a friend, full time work, commuting, being a daughter, reading, slight obsession with foreign detective shows from Scandinavia and England and of course travel and social engagements. Holidays, prep for holidays, daily meals, laundry in masses that baffle and of course milestone celebrations. So yeah why wasn’t I blogging?
I used all of that above “woe is me” as if I don’t enjoy it all. As if it is beyond my control. Then I tore both my meniscus (menisci, meniscuses?) in my right knee. Sounds really painful, mostly is annoying. So tennis needed a 7 week, gasp as is only exercise I ever liked, break. Then came the Physical Therapy. Twice a week for 6 weeks. Hey I do not like exercise. In fact the only one I have ever liked was tennis. The idea of machines, sweat appeals to me for about roughly 2 - 3 months, at which point I then believe I have somehow moved beyond my real muscle tone and can do you know double of whatever it is I am doing. I am usually quickly humbled, sweaty, red in face, looking around to see if anyone actually saw my arms or legs quiver like a bad cartoon as I tried to lift say 80 pounds. You judged, I know, I would too if I was in the shape some of my friends are in. Thank you to those who read that and were impressed by the weight mentioned.
I have also tried the occasional foray into exercise classes. The cheery instructor, a Jekyll Hyde person who will turn that smile into a vile grimace as they yell you once they ensnare you into the class, the other women (the occasional male) who seem to understand this left right concept. Is it my left or the instructor’s left. I mean really people there has got to be a better way. I liked yoga, then I didn’t, apparently there is a state of mind component and my mind was on how do I get out of this position and to the end where I can lay on mat in the dim light.
I tried a kenisis class. That is this 5 machine class, no intimidating weight numbers just blocks which you can move and feel the difference without concentrating on the number. You do as many reps as you can in the space of timed interval. Sounds lovely, I got this. Except there is no such thing in exercise, there is the push to have you do more, the mild competitiveness induced by watching the 70 year old woman next to you seem to have that weight button much heavier than you and her posture is straighter. You know she is 70 because she will drop that tid bit on you several times during any conversation. She will take advantage of your inability to breathe as you tried to keep up with her, while you are laying in fetal position, red faced to ask in dulcet tones if you are ok and tell you her age. I get it, you win, I may never make 70, hell I wasn’t sure I would make it out of the class. I tried Pilates, I liked it, then the next day came. My ass didn’t hurt that much the few times I was spanked. No thanks, not a bdsm aficionado or whatever acronym covers pain is these days.
I love tennis and I liked PT. Maybe it was the warm towel at the beginning on my knee, the fact that they didn’t push me to pain (no pain no gain is bullshit, it’s job security for PT staff my own lovely PT person told me) but to slight discomfort. Ok the discomfort was that I cannot lift beyond the grocery bag of weights. Now that is an Olympic medal worthy event if you see me, I can stack so much and walk so fast to my door from the car as to not make the second trip that I put those strong men competitors to shame. I learned to like the exercises, except for clams, those I prefer raw with a touch of mignonette not as a hostage bound victim trying to bust the rubber bands around my legs.
I got back to tennis, I am sad to not have PT, there is this thing where I am supposed to go to the gym and continue to them. No warm towel, no massage of knee after .. umm not sure how that’s going to work as you may have gleaned if you read the above.
So I thought maybe I will blog about it. Maybe after reading the article in the Washington Post that was about not exercising but adding activity, with same benefits (ok so I may have added that last bit and it may have just said benefits), is the way to go. I mean I have paced while writing this, moved several times, gotten up for a coffee refresh. Blogging may be my new exercise....yes.
I have tried over my many years to embrace gym exercise, classes, etc.. it never took. I find it boring and tedious. So I stop which is worse. I love walking, not around the suburbs which always freak me out with space/trees there is definitely a horror undertone to the burbs. I like walking in the city, loads of energy, people, shops. I am a speed walker there, in the burbs where I live I am slow walker, constantly looking around, torn between listening to music or for the footsteps of crackling branches as an attacker... ok you get the picture and I am totally aware this is my issue not reality.
The gym is still a nope and at my age not sure that will change. The things in this article that I read I can do. I could use some weight training somewhere in my life, I park my car further in most lots. If everyone found a way to add activity, reduce portions instead of give up food groups, if we could eat seasonal foods rather than processed ones I bet we would be healthier. For those who love the gym .. well that’s pretty awesome. This isn’t one is better, this is pick one that you can stick with.
Thanks for sticking to the blog, without me writing for months it still got read, is it retro to read blogs from a few years ago? Still fascinated how people find it - love that they do. I left this at 28, 000 or so reads and today it is almost at 32, 000, months later with no additions. I missed blogging. I mean only child, imagination, a place to stick it (I know where I can stick it). It's adding activity my arms and posture as I sit here and type (rationalization is key component of my personality - I told the doctor when I tore my mensicus that Hagen Dazs never tore anything besides maybe a button on jeans). I hope you enjoy it. I am not sure of the cadence yet, see first paragraph, and I love doing all that stuff. I wanted to thank my husband for not giving up on this blog, I used to think he didn't read it. Yet he did, he just did it like he does a lot of things, quietly without needing to talk about it.
See you soon.. and I mean soon.. cause we all know if I need a "should I go to the gym or look blogging" excuse I am all over that.
Here is the article, I think it is ok to post as it was publicly posted on social media but I don't have "sue me money" so if it is not, a threatening note from the Post lawyer will have me take it off in like a minute. I don't make money of this blog so think ok. I obviously have no legal counsel so this was my disclaimer.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/if-you-build-more-activity-into-your-day-you-might-be-able-to-skip-the-workout/2019/04/29/8755dd2a-61f1-11e9-bfad-36a7eb36cb60_story.html?utm_term=.acdada23010f
https://www.facebook.com/Blonde-By-Choice - I am trying to see if having a FB page is a good way to get this out there.
I used all of that above “woe is me” as if I don’t enjoy it all. As if it is beyond my control. Then I tore both my meniscus (menisci, meniscuses?) in my right knee. Sounds really painful, mostly is annoying. So tennis needed a 7 week, gasp as is only exercise I ever liked, break. Then came the Physical Therapy. Twice a week for 6 weeks. Hey I do not like exercise. In fact the only one I have ever liked was tennis. The idea of machines, sweat appeals to me for about roughly 2 - 3 months, at which point I then believe I have somehow moved beyond my real muscle tone and can do you know double of whatever it is I am doing. I am usually quickly humbled, sweaty, red in face, looking around to see if anyone actually saw my arms or legs quiver like a bad cartoon as I tried to lift say 80 pounds. You judged, I know, I would too if I was in the shape some of my friends are in. Thank you to those who read that and were impressed by the weight mentioned.
I have also tried the occasional foray into exercise classes. The cheery instructor, a Jekyll Hyde person who will turn that smile into a vile grimace as they yell you once they ensnare you into the class, the other women (the occasional male) who seem to understand this left right concept. Is it my left or the instructor’s left. I mean really people there has got to be a better way. I liked yoga, then I didn’t, apparently there is a state of mind component and my mind was on how do I get out of this position and to the end where I can lay on mat in the dim light.
I tried a kenisis class. That is this 5 machine class, no intimidating weight numbers just blocks which you can move and feel the difference without concentrating on the number. You do as many reps as you can in the space of timed interval. Sounds lovely, I got this. Except there is no such thing in exercise, there is the push to have you do more, the mild competitiveness induced by watching the 70 year old woman next to you seem to have that weight button much heavier than you and her posture is straighter. You know she is 70 because she will drop that tid bit on you several times during any conversation. She will take advantage of your inability to breathe as you tried to keep up with her, while you are laying in fetal position, red faced to ask in dulcet tones if you are ok and tell you her age. I get it, you win, I may never make 70, hell I wasn’t sure I would make it out of the class. I tried Pilates, I liked it, then the next day came. My ass didn’t hurt that much the few times I was spanked. No thanks, not a bdsm aficionado or whatever acronym covers pain is these days.
I love tennis and I liked PT. Maybe it was the warm towel at the beginning on my knee, the fact that they didn’t push me to pain (no pain no gain is bullshit, it’s job security for PT staff my own lovely PT person told me) but to slight discomfort. Ok the discomfort was that I cannot lift beyond the grocery bag of weights. Now that is an Olympic medal worthy event if you see me, I can stack so much and walk so fast to my door from the car as to not make the second trip that I put those strong men competitors to shame. I learned to like the exercises, except for clams, those I prefer raw with a touch of mignonette not as a hostage bound victim trying to bust the rubber bands around my legs.
I got back to tennis, I am sad to not have PT, there is this thing where I am supposed to go to the gym and continue to them. No warm towel, no massage of knee after .. umm not sure how that’s going to work as you may have gleaned if you read the above.
So I thought maybe I will blog about it. Maybe after reading the article in the Washington Post that was about not exercising but adding activity, with same benefits (ok so I may have added that last bit and it may have just said benefits), is the way to go. I mean I have paced while writing this, moved several times, gotten up for a coffee refresh. Blogging may be my new exercise....yes.
I have tried over my many years to embrace gym exercise, classes, etc.. it never took. I find it boring and tedious. So I stop which is worse. I love walking, not around the suburbs which always freak me out with space/trees there is definitely a horror undertone to the burbs. I like walking in the city, loads of energy, people, shops. I am a speed walker there, in the burbs where I live I am slow walker, constantly looking around, torn between listening to music or for the footsteps of crackling branches as an attacker... ok you get the picture and I am totally aware this is my issue not reality.
The gym is still a nope and at my age not sure that will change. The things in this article that I read I can do. I could use some weight training somewhere in my life, I park my car further in most lots. If everyone found a way to add activity, reduce portions instead of give up food groups, if we could eat seasonal foods rather than processed ones I bet we would be healthier. For those who love the gym .. well that’s pretty awesome. This isn’t one is better, this is pick one that you can stick with.
Thanks for sticking to the blog, without me writing for months it still got read, is it retro to read blogs from a few years ago? Still fascinated how people find it - love that they do. I left this at 28, 000 or so reads and today it is almost at 32, 000, months later with no additions. I missed blogging. I mean only child, imagination, a place to stick it (I know where I can stick it). It's adding activity my arms and posture as I sit here and type (rationalization is key component of my personality - I told the doctor when I tore my mensicus that Hagen Dazs never tore anything besides maybe a button on jeans). I hope you enjoy it. I am not sure of the cadence yet, see first paragraph, and I love doing all that stuff. I wanted to thank my husband for not giving up on this blog, I used to think he didn't read it. Yet he did, he just did it like he does a lot of things, quietly without needing to talk about it.
See you soon.. and I mean soon.. cause we all know if I need a "should I go to the gym or look blogging" excuse I am all over that.
Here is the article, I think it is ok to post as it was publicly posted on social media but I don't have "sue me money" so if it is not, a threatening note from the Post lawyer will have me take it off in like a minute. I don't make money of this blog so think ok. I obviously have no legal counsel so this was my disclaimer.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/if-you-build-more-activity-into-your-day-you-might-be-able-to-skip-the-workout/2019/04/29/8755dd2a-61f1-11e9-bfad-36a7eb36cb60_story.html?utm_term=.acdada23010f
https://www.facebook.com/Blonde-By-Choice - I am trying to see if having a FB page is a good way to get this out there.
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