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At the endocrinologist’s office while he studies a bone density report on me:
Dr F: Do you have any shooting pains down your legs?
Me: No.
Dr F: Maybe down the back. They would be strong, shooting pains.
Me: Um, no.
Dr F: Well, if you ever do, give this to your GP and he’ll know why.
Me: Great.
Dr F: But it’s completely unrelated to your condition.
Me: Ah.
I admit it, I love exercising. You wouldn’t be able to tell this by looking at me, but… Wait, actually I don’t like exercising at all and often want to quit while I’m doing it, but I feel so good afterwards that it makes the exertion worthwhile. About 12 years ago I started running in a group and loved it. We ran a long, hilly loop and the faster runners would encourage the slower (me) as they passed time and time again. And when I actually passed someone else, wow, what a feeling. So here I am about to embark on a solo campaign. Over the last 25 years I’ve attempted to start running on multiple occasions and failed miserably. Now I have an iPhone, so I’m totally certain I’ll succeed. The only problem I foresee is wanting to stop to take photos.
Last year JM bought one of those Nike+ sensors that goes into a running shoe to track runs. He had started a program only to be waylaid by injury. Too much, too soon. Earlier this week I decided to do the Couch Potato to 5k and even downloaded a handy application for the iPhone which gives me voice prompts when to walk and when to run. The first day went great. Yes, I was tired and ready to be done after 30, no, 15 minutes, but I stuck it out the entire time. Then I went home and uploaded my run to the Nike site with the ease of my iTunes account. It even showed me a little graph of how tired I got at minute 15 and how my workout declined thereafter. Joy.
Today was my second excursion and, hello, suddenly it’s summer in Perth and I was miserable. I rallied around the 15 minute mark again and then it all went downhill, figuratively mind you. I would like to add blame to the music because who can run to the Dave Matthews Band? Certainly not I. Or me. Whatever.
I came home all aflutter to upload my workout again and see the graph showing my steady decline, but lo and behold, the whole Nike+ site had changed (but, yes, the graph was there as well). Now they offered me their own 12 week ‘walk to run’ training program which really pleased the couch potato in me. I’m ditching the 9 week Couch to 5k program for Nike’s even though I don’t have voice prompts. Hmm, I may reconsider this in the morning. That’s the one drawback to Nike’s program–they haven’t updated the iPhone software to include these new coaching programs which means I’ll have to keep pulling the iPhone out of my bra to look at what time it is. This may not work for me at all, however at the moment I am undeterred. Check back in another week…
I got my copy of Snow Leopard* this afternoon and installed it immediately. I haven’t noticed a huge difference except one that makes it all worthwhile and if you’re a photo bug, you might like as well: when in icon view in the finder you can now resize your thumbnails up to 512 x 512 which is wonderful beyond belief. Of course it helps having a 30-inch monitor.
* It’s the new operating system for Mac just in case you haven’t heard… There might be two of you and now you know. My good deed for the day is done.
To explain to you the depths of cold inside my house, my house without heating (Australia, WTF?), if I want an ice-cold can of Coke Zero all I have to do is go to the kitchen and grab one from the box sitting next to the refrigerator. Not inside, but right next to it.
“It’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be gray, and it’s gonna last you the rest of your life.” That’s where I’m at.
I woke up at 5 this morning without an alarm which is a grand feat for me owing to the fact that I usually get up around 8 when JM is away and I need a chorus of beeps in order to do so. Getting in bed by 8 last night though might have had something to do with it.
I didn’t immediately get up at 5. Being slow to wake, I like to linger in the warm sheets especially during winter which we are in the throes of here down under. Sometimes I’ll start meditating as I have on and off for the past twelve years. This morning though, a particular thought introduced itself and struck a chord: I wouldn’t be meditating if I didn’t want to. Hmm, the act of meditation is also a product of desire. Want, want, want. I don’t know where I’m going with this except that maybe I really woke up so early this morning because I’m hoping my copy of Apple’s Snow Leopard will be delivered today.
I feel the need to start this with a disclaimer that I am in no way a good cook. If you want advice on anything edible, listen to Elsa. Pay no attention to the instructions from the aproned chick who had to look up the word crudités last year. That said, I know how NOT to cook which brings me to tonight’s dinner currently in the oven: four boneless chicken breasts basted in a light vinaigrette with basil and thyme, okay, and a dash of chilli and cumin because I’m Texan and can’t help myself. It’ll be my usual bland fare (not all four pieces, mind you, but at least one, while the others will get recycled for lunches or put in a soup.) I heartily approve of this method, but what I don’t condone is something a college roommate introduced me to, or rather tried to poison me with.
Some backstory: my diet consisted mainly of Eggo waffles, apple sauce, ramen noodle soup, free tacos from Taco Bell thanks to the offer on the back of theater ticket stubs*, and any booze or chocolate I could get my hands on. I did not cook, I merely boiled water or reheated. My roommate for all intents and purposes was the same.
We were poor, innocent students on a budget and decided to splurge on some meat. Mmm, meat. We bought four smallish chicken breasts, similar to this evening’s meal which is what brought on this recollection. My roommate, I’ll call her Sparky for no reason at all, took those dear fillets and placed them in a baking dish and then proceeded to drown them in Kraft dressing, emptying the entire bottle’s contents. I was curious and horrified at the same time, this swift burial in the Seven Seas. Ugh, the wreck that was pulled from the oven when it was over! I gagged on the first bite, which, get this, tasted like a solid block of Italian dressing from a bottle; meanwhile Sparky happily forked it in. Knowing what I had paid, that this was a “special” meal, I choked it down vowing to never eat another thing she cooked ever again. Once we graduated and got jobs, boy, was she great at ordering pizza.
*I was a drama major and we would scrounge around the aisles after a show looking for discarded stubs. Cheap date!
After three spring-like days all in a row my spirits are substantially lifted. And to boot, I found a new sweater and top which I plan to wear for my 40th birthday coming up in three weeks. I’ve got the what-to-wear, now to figure out the what and where. I don’t think we’ll be able to top the 30th when JM took me to the Matterhorn, but I’m sure something will occur to me.
I’m also getting in some great walks around my neighborhood and enjoying all the old houses and tall trees. Perth, I think I love you. There are so many little parks, two within a stone’s throw from my house. I could get used to this if only we had central heating during winter…
Happy Swiss Day! To celebrate I made nachos because, hey, melted cheese, and I bought some Lindt chocolates. Mmm. Isch fein gsii. I really should have bought bread and fleischkäse as well, but I’m too tired after all this walking to hoof it to the speciality store to get it. En guete y’all.
The whole house feels warmer thanks to our new Swiss chimney sweep who came by this evening. After he cleaned out the chimney and started a roaring blaze, we enjoyed an evening of conversation that bounced back and forth between English and Swiss-German. In one fell swoop we’ve found an excellent new acquaintance and brought warmth and luck into our new home. I couldn’t be happier.
After 8 years with movabletype, we’re calling it quits, throwing in the towel, bidding them adieu. Hello wordpress, now everything that goes wrong will be your fault. Poor new patsy. At least comments seem to work over here, if I could just figure out this css with all the new tags…
JM just walked up behind me and said it’s kind of sad, but he’s so relieved! The many MT installs and problems fell to him and he rescued us on all occasions, however the latest comment breakage was the final straw. I’ll be slowly updating the design here when I can and fixing the many broken links as well. It’s like a fresh start, but with lots of baggage.
So not only have JM and I moved to Perth, but now Elsa and I have a new virtual home as well. Hope to see you, or you see us soon.
Found a note for a would-be entry created 26.11.2008:
“I have found the watch. It is going to beep at you.”
Huh? No wonder I haven’t been posting here much.
Elli
Elsa
