Ringing In the Year of Fitness

Remember back on my birthday, when I stated that this would be the year of fitness for me? And that I was signing up for a triathlon?

Well, I had to postpone the triathlon, though I haven't ruled one out in the beginning of November - does anyone have a bike I can borrow?

Either way, it was shaping up to not be the year of fitness for me.

And then, little things kept happening. I kept reading articles about people setting goals and reaching them. Or seeing examples of life being too short. Or watching videos of my favorite CrossFit athletes talking about pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone.

Then, one of the guys at the gym told me about a competition that he had signed up for in November. There is a scaled category. I went back and forth, and finally decided that at some point, I was going to have to push myself outside of my comfort zone. And now seemed like that time.

Well, Nov. 16. The Saturday after I come back from a week of vacation.

Clearly, I've taken leave of my senses.

In an effort to not make a total ass of myself, I have stepped it up a little at the gym. I'm going in on Wednesday evenings for extra help with rope climbs, and to work on some other weaknesses (like rowing and pull-ups). 

Traditionally, on Tuesdays, we work on gymnastics skills and then do a WOD with either rowing or running - sometimes both. This past Tuesday, we were supposed to work on muscle ups, atlas stones, and max height box jumps - rotating through the stations as we progressed.

I am HORRIBLE on the rings. Literally, the only thing I can do on them is hang. People are getting upside down and doing dips and all kinds of crazy, and I'm like, "la, la, la, I'm a monkey..."

So, the coach had me working on the short rings, and just doing static holds with a band. I do that and he says, "That's too easy. Try a dip." So I go down in a dip and as I'm pressing back up out of it, my muscles start to fail. Rather than step out of the band and onto the floor, I just start falling. Nearly face planting on the floor of the gym. 

I honestly have no idea, how I managed to land without hurting myself, but I did. And I looked up at the coach and he said, "Are you ok?" I answered that I was, in fact, fine. And he said, "Next time, when you are approaching that redline - go ahead and just step out of the band."

Advice he probably never thought he'd have to give.

Here To Pump. You Up.

Disclaimer: I sat down to write this post last week and then quit. I have had lots of thoughts since Sept. 3 about posting, but by the time I get to the computer, it's like writer's block has creeped in and I stare at a blank page. I am honestly trying to work out an evening routine that includes sitting at my computer to write for at least a half hour a night. Bear with me as I transition.

I went to get a pedicure a couple of weeks ago, it had been months since my last full pedicure and I was very excited about the relaxation that was about to commence. I brought the book that I was reading, I had a bottle of water, life was going to be great! It probably wasn't the worst pedicure I've ever had, but it certainly wasn't great. I felt like the woman was in a rush to complete it and she was not real gentle. She was moving into the reduced tip category in a hurry.

Then it came time to put lotion on my legs, one of my favorite parts of the pedicure. As she started to rub the lotion in, she made an ugly face and said, "Muscles..." I nearly kicked her and said, "How do you like them now?"

Needless to say, she didn't get a tip.

Going Postal...

As you can see in the post below this one, DVL and I looked DAMN GOOD at the wedding we attended together. And when you look that good, you print and frame that picture!

So that's just what I did. Printed a copy for me and a copy for DVL. And I framed his and put it in the mail to him so that he would get it when he got back to town from a work trip to California.

My plans were foiled by the USPS. They have lost the package. Seriously, it is gone.

I don't really understand how it can happen, but I had to call the Customer Care line last week to see what the story was.

USPS: Thank you for calling Customer Care, this is Nick, how can I help you?
Me: I am fairly certain that a package I mailed last week has been lost.
USPS: Oh no - do you have a tracking number?
Me: Yes. (Reads tracking number)
USPS: Yeah, it looks like it was scanned in Peoria, but it never scanned again. Let me get some information from you. What's your name and address?
Me: (Give him my name and address.)
USPS: And who was the package sent to?
Me: DVL
USPS: What's the address?
Me: (Give him DVL's address.)
USPS: What was in the package?
Me: A framed picture.
USPS: Of what?
Me: Two people.
USPS: Could you be more specific?
Me: Ummm - me and DVL.
USPS: Ok - so a man and a woman.
Me: Yes.
USPS: And were you wearing formal clothes? Or casual clothes?
Me: He is wearing a tux and I'm in a black dress.
USPS: Wow - that's specific. Is is a color photo? Was it taken indoors? Or outdoors?
Me: Yes. Indoors. And I'm wearing orange shoes. And I look good.
USPS: Do the orange shoes pop?

I can see that this exercise is going to lead us nowhere... And I'm not surprised that the USPS is broke.

Deep In The Heart of Texas

I can't believe it is already Thursday. I think the full moon threw my world off of its axis this week.

Seriously, since I got back from Texas, I have not been able to pull it together.

That is why it has taken me this long to write this post.

As you can see in the picture above, I headed to Texas this past weekend to attend a wedding as DVL's hot date. (Can you think of a better person to fill this role?)

I arrived at the airport on Friday morning in time for my 7:00am flight. Boarded the plane, taxied to the runway, and sat... Something about a computer issue, and we had to return to the gate, where we were deplaned and made aware of a three-hour delay. Not a great start.

So I had a cocktail and prayed.

Luckily we took off a little ahead of the delayed schedule and DVL picked me up in just enough time to get back to the hotel, change our clothes, and head to rehearsal. 

From there, rehearsal dinner. From there, North Texas State Fair and the Josh Abbott Band Concert.

One of the things that I love the most about DVL is that we have very similar opinions about most things. Fashion included. Which makes people watching with him excellent. And what better place to people watch than a state fair in Texas?!?!

We spent the evening drinking beer and judging questionable fashion choices. I will admit that I was a little disappointed by the lack of "big Texas hair," but there was plenty to keep me busy. Including a girl chewing tobacco and one smoking a Swisher Sweet.

Saturday was pretty chill until we realized at noon that we had to be at the wedding location at 2:00pm and that we still needed to get lunch and get ready for the wedding.

But clearly, we managed.

The wedding was beautiful and the couple was gorgeous. We got to the reception and realized that somehow, we were seated on the kids side of the table. Which was pretty ironic because I don't know two people who dislike other people's children more than DVL and me. We ate quickly and stole other people's chairs on the other side of our table to enjoy the remainder of the reception.

Some of my favorite parts of the reception:

- During the slideshow, there was a picture of the bride and her sister and they had some pretty crazy eye shadow on and DVL said, out loud, "Yikes!" The bride looked over at him and smiled, and I told him he should probably just think those things next time.

- While the band was on a break, the DJ was playing some "booty music" and a couple of bridesmaids and I were dancing, when one of the girls went and got the videographer and started shaking her butt in front of the camera and saying, "Just like TRL!" DVL's former intern was also there and she, at 22 years old, said, "What's TRL?"

- Towards the end of the reception, I was sitting in a chair next to the intern, watching DVL dance with the bride when a woman walked past everyone else and right up to me and said, "I just wanted to come over and say hi. It was so great to see you. How are you?" I said, "Hi. I'm good. Good to see you too." Then she walked away. The intern looked at me and asked, "How do you know her?" I had to admit, I had never seen her before.

- When the wedding was over, everyone went outside to wish farewell to the bride and groom. We were standing on the steps of the venue figuring out what we were going to do next and DVL had walked inside to get his tux jacket and I was standing there with one of his other friends from DC. One of the girls at the wedding, who I had deduced was from DC earlier in the night was saying goodbye to the other gentleman and then she turned to me and said, "Bye. See you back home." Ummm, I don't think you will. Unless you have moved to Arizona.

- Finally, I had to go inside to get the intern so we could go to the bar and as I was leaving I ran into the bride's sister and brother-in-law (who I had met only the day before). They went on and on about how great it was to meet me and then practically begged me to come back and visit them.

Writing and CrossFit

The other day I was reading some Q&A from one of my favorite bloggers and authors. Someone asked her what the best way to become a writer is. She answered, "write for yourself." Among other things.

But most importantly she said, "write for yourself." Don't worry about what other people want to read. Don't worry about whether or not they will be entertained by your writing. Write what you feel.

One of the girls I work with was telling me that I should write a book. I was complaining that I didn't know how to start or where to go with it.

She said that she always hears that writers just sit down and write what is in their head and worry about organizing and refining later.

Perhaps I'll try that.

###

I was going to go a different direction with the second part of this blog, but I just got a text message from a girl that I CrossFit with and it changed my line of thinking.

I believe that I have told you before about people who tell me things that they "never tell anyone." 

Another phenomenon is that people want to hang out with me. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes I don't understand it.

When I moved up to the CrossFit class, there wasn't a 5am class that existed. Three of us who were moving up couldn't do a later class so they started the 5am class. From that point on, people have come and gone, but we have a pretty steady group of regulars that I have grown to know and love so early in the morning.

There are two ladies in particular that I see on a fairly regular basis. A couple of months ago there was a new girl in our class and one of my friends asked what her name was. I said that I didn't know, I have to see you commit to 5am before I can put any early morning effort into meeting you.

She said that she remembered starting 5am and being scared of me. 

Tonight - she texted me, "Don't tell anyone, but I think I may be pregnant."

Wait, what?!?!

I'm the person you tell that you think you are pregnant? How did that happen?

Two weeks ago, the other lady was getting ready to go on vacation to San Diego with her husband, who also comes to 5am class. Earlier in the week she was telling me that she was sad because normally their children go with them to SD, but this year it was just her and her husband. So on the last day of CrossFit before she left, we were walking to our cars together and she said, "Hey - if you have free time next week, come to San Diego and see us. We have space in the house we rented."

I don't even know how to respond to that.

Absolutely No Fear

Last week I was talking to Sissy about my conversation with Trainer and our upcoming dinner. Which prompted her to ask about the other gents in my life.

I was telling her a story about one in particular and she said, "AIRPLANE! If that doesn't show you that he is afraid of rejection, I don't know what will!"

The following day, Match and I were talking about that conversation.

She agreed with Sissy.

Me: I can't baby him forever. It's not that hard to communicate.
Match: For you.
Me: For anyone. Are you thinking of someone? Call them. Send them a text. It's so simple.
Match: You would think that. It's not that easy for people who are afraid of rejection.
Me: I'm afraid of rejection too. But it doesn't stop me from communicating.
Match: There is a BIG difference between not wanting to be rejected and trying to avoid it and having an absolute fear of it.
Me: So you're saying I'm in the first category?
Match: (rolls eyes)

Match keeps telling me that I'm different and other people aren't like me. And I don't understand it.

I mean, is it that hard to communicate?

I mean seriously, folks, I'm scared of rejection. I do believe I have talked about it before.

No one likes hearing "no." In any context.

Certainly there are times that I have avoided sharing my feelings in order to avoid a potential rejection, but I don't think I've avoided communication entirely.

I'm Not a Policeman, I'm a Princess!

I do believe I am living in the Twilight Zone.

Ok - maybe that is a little dramatic.

It's just that strange business is going on in my life.

I know I've said it before, but it is so very true that when it rains, it freaking pours.

I believe I mentioned that I was at a conference last week and there were a few potential suitors.

So yesterday, I get a text from Trainer, "I'd like to take you out for sushi and drinks."

Umm - what?

That sounds like date talk to me.

I agreed because I'm always complaining to Big T that all I want is someone to buy me dinner every now and again, so I would be a hypocrite if I turned down the offer.

His response, "Where would you like to go, my princess?"

Excuse me?!?!

Who you calling princess?

I was telling one of the girls at work about it and she said, "Someone should tell the others to watch out, a new guy is coming up from the rear....

...Wait, that didn't sound right."