Lesson Not Learned

My husband occasionally will sing for the kids a song he learned when he was young called "Animal Square Dance" or something like that (feel free to pipe in here, Holly, to correct me)(what you don't know about Holly, see, is that she knows every song ever written, no matter how obscure)(in fact, the obscurer the better)(and especially if it invoves animals of some kind; she knows all of those). There's a part of it that goes, "Then the tiger killed a gazelle, then the tiger killed another gazelle, then the gazelles finally wised up and killed the tiger," and something something something...big finish.

It often feels like no matter how many times I think I've finally wised up and killed the tiger, it comes back to life. Case in point: time of DVD workout today was 11:10. In the PM. So much for not putting it of, eh? But the victory is that I did it. My brain was even composing a "Sorry folks, didn't happen today" post, but then I channeled my inner Nike advertising executive (didn't know I had one of those, did you?), and just did it.

So I made it 6 days in a row. Tomorrow's my rest day, and I'm afraid I'm going to lose my momentum. My goal tomorrow is to plan out all my workouts for next week and try to set myself up for success. As much as I love me my rest day (woo! the one day a week I don't have to feel guilty that I'm not exercising!), at times I can be the embodiment of the definition of inertia, mostly the "tends to stay at rest" part. I want to see changes in my body though, and that's only going to come from work and consistency. Not exactly my strong suits. More tigers I need to kill. It'll come.

One last thought before I go collapse into bed, courtesy of my kids' school newsletter (the thought, not the collapsing into bed; that's Jillian's fault)(oh yeah, and my procrastination's):

We do not suddenly become what we do not participate in becoming.
William J. Bennett

Believe me, no one is more shocked than me

Not only did I do a DVD today, but I did it early. As in before noon. That's almost 12 hours ahead of my usual time.

It was nice to get it out of the way early. And extra nice now at 9:30pm when it's all I can do to stay awake.

Please don't tell my teenaged self how happy it makes me to get to go to bed before 10. She would die from the shame.

Is it possible to shake your fist at yourself?

Because I really wanted to do that tonight.

Today was my kids' first day of school, which meant that the whole day was consumed by getting everyone ready and out the door, sitting through a couple hours' worth of orientations, helping the Kindergartener finish up her first day, going back shortly thereafter for the other 3 (the K classes are on half days for the first two weeks, so eventually they'll all come home at the same time), hearing all of them talk at the same time about their days, filling out the SAME FORM 6,548 times, dinner, nighttime routines, putting everyone to bed, then having the 8th grader come home from a church activity, hearing all about that, helping her get all her stuff ready for tomorrow (please cringe along with me at the memory of having to change for jr. high gym; that's what we were packing for her), getting her to bed, packing the lunchboxes (I'm being nice this week; chances are good they'll be doing it on their own soon cuz me no likey), cleaning that up, and finally sitting down. And did I mention that I have a hangnail and wolves are chasing me?

Oh yeah. Still need to exercise.

And not just ride-my-bike-and-read, which I kinda like (you get to read! while you exercise! what's not to love?!), but a DVD.

Insert fist shaking here. Except that it was my idea.

Well, phooey.

In all honesty, I actually got online, signed into blogger, and almost started typing a post saying that it just wasn't going to happen tonight. Then I fought with myself some more. And then I went into my room, changed my clothes, put on a DVD, and commenced with the sweating.

I'll leave you with something I heard Jillian Whom I Love say while she was making me hurt tonight: "You want results? They're not coming for free!"

Which is unfortunate, really. Because some free results would be sorta awesome.

I don't seem to be capable of being clever right now

I've been sitting here for 15 minutes trying to think of a good way to tell you that I did a DVD again today, but I got nothin'.

So.

I did a DVD again today.

Bee tee dub, Mari Winsor also says "pellow" instead of "pillow." She sure can bring the pain though.

Putting Cal Ripken to Shame

Yes, that's right--two days in a row of doing a DVD.

I wonder when Guinness is going to call?

I blame Andrea

Hi! I hurt. Oh, and guess what (chicken butt)(sorry, couldn't resist; deep down I'm still 9-years old)! I did a DVD today! Today = 11pm. Hence, the pain.

I had it niggling (yes, that's a word; if I said it then it's a word) in the back of my head today that I needed to do it, but didn't quite get to it. I went hiking with my family this morning, and I rode my stationary bike this afternoon, and I went swimming this evening, but still no DVD. Honestly, by the time we got back from swimming, I had completely forgotten. But then when I was talking online with my mom, my inbox dinged and like the Pavlovian dog that I am, I checked my e-mail. It was Andrea's comment from my last post telling me that she had done a DVD and that I darn well better have had, too! Ok, was much nicer about it (and funnier), but that was the gist.

So here I am. It's almost midnight, I'm drenched in sweat, and I hurt. But I did what I said I was going to do, so I feel great.

I guess what I meant by the title of this post was, "Thanks, Andrea."

Technical Difficulties

I got this e-mail forward a few years ago that was entitled something like "What Men Say vs. What They Really Mean," and it had a long list of "translations" of things men say. I remember chuckling a little at a few of them, but only one made me laugh out loud. It was also, conveniently, the only one I remember (clearly, if you want me to remember something, it darn well better be funny!). It said: "What He Says: 'I can't find it.' What He Really Means: 'It didn't fall into my outstretched hand, so I'm stumped."

So when I say "Technical difficulties," what I really mean is, "The DVDs aren't falling into our outstretched DVD players and forcing us to exercise to them, so we're not so much stumped as still sitting on the couch."

Sadly, Holly and I have a long and storied history of inability to motivate each other. I was hoping that This Time Would Be Different, as I always do. But I've decided (and I've decided for Holly, too)(because I'm nice like that)(and also bossy), that instead of just letting this totally fade away like we usually do, we are trying a novel new approach called "TRYING AGAIN." What we aren't going for here is to exemplify Homer Simpson quote, "Well, son, you've tried and failed miserably; the lesson here is: Never Try."

Tomorrow (Friday) is the Sabbath here in Egypt, and that's my rest day, and Holly is traveling out of state for a family funeral this weekend, but come Saturday for me and Monday for Holly, we'll be in front of our TVs, DVDin' our little hearts out. Right, Holly?