Trapped at home

As some may know from Facebook or one of my other blogs, my dog was not feeling well Sunday night and I was messing around with her and ended up with a nip right on the face. Really was totally my fault, she went without eating for two days and I should have known how bad she felt. She is now better, but I have a couple teeth marks and a swollen face. Since it is right below my eye, it looks (to those that don't notice the teeth marks) like someone hit me. In fact, I even received an email from someone on facebook that was concerned that the dog story was a cover. That is why I haven't left the house since Sunday -- people automatically think things like that and I don't want to have to explain to everyone I meet what happened. I certainly don't want people to waste time worrying about me when there are women out there in abusive relationships that actually need people to be concerned about them. It is very irritating because normally I don't care what people think, but I do care that they might think I would put up with a relationship like that. Not sure exactly why, but it really bothers me that someone might think that.

Anyhow, so I have been trapped here at home and it sucks! I told Britton to bring back some food when he went out earlier and he brought back TV Dinners. I know he was trying to be nice, thinking that way I wouldn't have to cook, but I would rather make a 12 course meal than eat that crap! I didn't eat it. I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead.

I miss the spa and swimming too! Surely my face will look good enough by Friday to swim a bit and be around for happy hour. :-)

Free eclairs at the health club!

So after 5 days of swimming a few other activities I finally weighed myself again. I was happy to discover that I had lost 3 lbs! However, I then stayed for the "tennis party" and probably gained it all back. Yes, there at the health club they had trays of fattening food. Seafood salad, chicken salad, veggies with ranch dip and so on. Worst of all though, they had these fabulous dessert trays with one of my favorite things - eclairs! I had a chocolate one and a caramel one, oh, and a fruit torte too. Mind you, they were about 1/3 the size of regular eclairs and tortes (maybe even smaller), but likely I should have only had one. Did I mention the wine? Bottles and bottles of it. I probably drank down 3 glasses before we left. No, I didn't bother to weigh myself again. :-)

The miracle of swimming!

I didn't join a gym (health club or whatever you want to call it) for anything other than hoping to lose a few pounds. Yes, there was that day when I got dressed, looked in the mirror and asked that age old question (to myself), does this make me look fat? Well, immediately I realized that it didn't make me look fat, it merely didn't cover where I am fat well enough.

That was probably 2 years ago. I have quite a lot of exercise equipment here at the house and thought I would quickly work it off. The problem with exercising at home is that there is always something to distract you and keep you from actually doing it. So I ended up doing it for a few minutes, maybe once a week or not at all.

So last Monday, we joined a very nice - I would even say swanky - health club. This health club is right at the base of the mountains, with a beautiful view and a huge outdoor pool. As hot as it has been we were immediately attracted to the outdoor pool. So for the past 3 days I have been swimming. Well, swimming is really an overstatement. I have been paddling around for about an hour a day. Just from 3 days of that (though actually two because I noticed it yesterday) something miraculous happened. No, I didn't lose the extra 10 - 20 lbs. What happened is that the constant pain in my neck, that I have had since a car accident several years ago, has totally disappeared. The pain in my back, that I have had for even more years, has decreased by at least 70%.

Seriously, I have been taking 2 -3 Advil tablets at least 3 times a day for years. The past two days I have taken 1 dose and that was when it was pouring rain and really super humid -- which totally freaks out my back. I can even turn my neck without it sounding like I just poured milk on a bowl of Rice Crispies! Truly, I am amazed!

OK, now if I can just lose a bit of weight I will be even happier. However, even if I don't lose a pound I will be there, paddling around. Exercise really does do a body good!

A Totally Girlie Day

Today was a totally girlie day, and it was great! My friend "Lola" who lives fifty miles from me, is a full time student, works, a mom and wife -- we don't get the chance to see each other like we used to. But today was a fun, totally girlie day. She was in town, visiting with a relative from out of state. Lola has been trying to get us to meet all these years, and I can see why; as soon as we met, it was like we've known each other forever.

So Lola gives me a call this morning, tells me they're getting pedicures at the mall, and for me to join them.

I've never had a pedicure! Not ever. I always thought they were too bourgeois or something. But I went and did it and got the manicure too. It was great! Soooooo relaxing. Now I'm hooked and plan on doing this all the time. Naturally we had to get more girlie and take pictures of our feet. (I'm the one with the green nails.) Then we had lunch. Then we browsed a few antique stores -- earrings and a Dean Koontz book -- and then we went back to the mall and shopped. Not only did I do something I've never done before; the pedicure, but bought a ridiculous pair of Fossil "Reesa" style sunglasses with rhinestones and metallic glittery things in the tortie frames for five bucks (usually retails around $35.00) I love them!

A perfect girlie day in every way; good friends, pretty feet, silly shades.