Life is Good

* I’m still following the Couch to 5K program. Today, I finished Week 2. Steve went with me and we ran along the canal. He got ahead of me, but I expected that. I did it dammit. I’m doing it. I normally don’t finish things I start, so we’ll see how it goes.

* I still don’t have confirmation that my SIL is actually running these days, so for now, I must continue my quest to outrun, outwit, and outlast her. As long as she outweighs me, the universe will continue to function normally.

* I DO, however, had hideous pain in my knees today (and yesterday) though. I’ve had issues with my knees and ankles since I was a little kid, so it doesn’t surprise me. But tonight, cutting off my legs from my knees down to get rid of the incessant aching is something I considered.

* Hannah’s daisies are growing quite well in the little cartons on our windowsill. We all water them and we check daily to see how many new ones have poked through the dirt. There’s something magical about spring and the growth it brings.

* I painted two walls in our middle room today on a whim. I didn’t want to spend money to paint a shitty room with pieced together paneling, so I used the “leftovers” from the greenish color we originally painted our kitchen (and then painted over). The room was just WAY too dark and depressing in it’s dark burgundy color, and I felt the need to change it.

* But I’m sick of painting now and asked Steve if he minded 2 light green walls and 2 dark red ones. He said no, so we’ll see if I finish. LOL!

* Oh. And I ran out of paint, so I hope WalMart can match it with a different paint brand or we really WILL have 2 green walls and 2 red walls.

* I have every intention of bribing Grace tomorrow with a Webkinz or something in order to avoid a bowling party she was invited to. I spent 2 hours in a bowling alley last weekend with Hannah and 20 other 4 and 5-year-olds, and I just think asking me to do that 2 weeks in a row is just wrong. Especially when I have two walls to paint. So I fully intend to use gifts to make her not force me to go. (Don’t you roll your eyes at me. The rest of you with kids want to do the same thing… you just don’t have the balls to actually DO it. I’m an innovator.)

* Of course, Steve won’t be here all weekend for the most part, which means I’m on full-time kid duty. Yeah. Painting those other two walls ought to be a real fucking blast. Sigh.

* I was questioned face-to-face by a person whom I didn’t add as a friend on Facebook. Do people really do that? Confront someone who has rejected/ignored you? Wow. I mumbled some bullshit about not being on Facebook much, but I don’t think she was buying it. Tough shit. I can’t talk shit about her anymore in my status updates if I add her, and, well, what fun would that be?

* I inadvertently became one of the coaches of both Hannah’s t-ball team and Grace’s coach pitch team this spring. I honestly don’t know how it happened, but I’m now committed and I’m not sure if I’m excited about it or if I should start contemplating now how to kill myself with the least mess.

* Steve was also signed up (unbeknownst to him) as an assistant coach for both teams. This means the L-------‘s are going to rule the little league. Watch out, you little shits on other teams, because we’re kicking ass and taking names. When they name the field after us, I’ll let you all know….

I’m going to now finish my beer, hobble upstairs on my bad knees (if I can make it) and crash. Because I’m tired and have painting and shopping and Girl Scout cookie sales, and bribery to deal with tomorrow. That’s enough to exhaust anyone…

Who are you and what did you do with Allison?

So. I’ve been pondering how to blog about this without feeling like I’ve betrayed myself and the people that know me well. We all know how I feel about exercise. I hate it. I know it’s good for you and all that shit, but I never understood (still don’t) why people willingly make themselves breathe heavy and exert themselves. So it is with deep regret to inform you all that I’ve started doing just that. [hanging head in shame]

It’s something I had been thinking about a lot lately. Not because I wanted to lose weight or be buff or any of those other usual reasons. It was because I was sick and tired of always feeling tired and panicking daily that I was going to perish rather young and leave my 2 gorgeous daughters with a father who, although he tries desperately, just can’t make their hair presentable for school every day.

I gave myself the usual excuses… I’ll start in spring when the weather is nicer… I’ll do it after I quit smoking… I’ll just park in the last spot in WalMart, farthest from the store and walk a bit… etc.

But then, well, that ONE motivator in my life occurred over the weekend. Steve was talking to his brother on the phone. When they hung up, Steve laughed and said mentioned that his brother said he had to hang up because the kids were wild and “Jen is out for her run so I have to reign them in.” Jen? Running? On a regular basis? Son of a bitch! We ALL know how I feel about my SIL. Although there are no obvious issues between us anymore, I know that secretly, we’re still fiercely competitive. There is no way in HELL I’ll EVER let her be in better shape than me (which isn’t saying much) or thinner than me (something that has never occurred since I’ve met Steve). I mean, can any of us forget when I was told she joined a gym, prompting me to do so? And then, when months later, found out she never joined a gym? ARG! But I have to admit that the last time I saw her (a few weeks ago), she DID look thinner, so I truly believe she’s started running/walking. Dammit to hell.

Anyway, that was enough motivation to convince me to do what I’d be contemplating for the past few weeks. Quite a few of my friends have started the Couch to 5K program, and have had decent success, so I had been thinking about looking into it myself. Once I heard the evil, comma-eyebrow-painting SIL was running, I felt I had no choice. Sigh.

So on Monday, I did it. I followed the Week 1 “rules” and did what I was supposed to. I didn’t cheat. I didn’t walk when I was supposed to be running. And I DID it, dammit! I was so proud of myself! I smoke about 1/2 pack a day and drink WAY more than any person should, and yet, I completed Day 1. I hate to admit it, but towards the end of it, I was ready to pack it in, but found that if I just chanted, “Jen. Jen. Jen…” every time my foot hit the ground, I could muster through it.

So today was my second day (you do it every other day), and it was a bit easier. My legs were much more forgiving, but it was colder, so breathing was a bit harder. But I DID IT! I didn’t cheat at all and I did what I was supposed to do. Steve’s proud. My mom was asking me about it. And my Facebook friends have been nothing but encouraging. But most importantly, I’M proud of myself. Exercise and I are not friends, so the fact that I’m pushing myself does give me a bit of pride.

And I won’t lie…. come this summer, when the family’s all at my FIL’s house to swim in his pool and I can rock my bathing suit better than my SIL, I’ll smile to myself and inwardly thank her for being a bitch, which is what motivated me to do what I needed to do anyway. Ahhh… life is good….

I’ve decided that tomorrow, I’m going to take a “Before” photo of myself and post it so I can show the “After” as I go along on the program. It’s NOT something I really wanted to do, but at the same time, I like to take comfort in the fact that I’m extremely comfortable with who I am now. I really am! It’s me. Take me or leave me. If you don’t like it, don’t look. And I think it will be fun (and motivational) for me to post a photo at the end of each week or two and see what I look like at the end of the 9 weeks.

Again, I’m not doing it to lose weight. I’m more than happy with the number that shows up when I step on a scale. But the distribution of that weight (HELLO butt, stomach and thighs) could probably use a little work, so we’ll see how that changes as I continue the program.

So sit back and enjoy the ride. I figure that even if you have no interest in the exercise portion of it, at least I can keep you entertained with half naked photos of myself and updates on the comparisons between myself and my SIL. Because I KNOW you all have that ONE family member that you feel the need to better than. Don’t lie. You do. You just don’t want to admit it…

Could it be?

Could it be that spring is finally here? Yesterday was GORGEOUS! We spent the entire day outside. Now I’m not so naive as to think we won’t have any more cold weather (it’s supposed to go back down to 40 later this week). But yesterday was awesome and a little teaser for what’s coming (hopefully) soon.

So we donned short-sleeve shirts and we ran:

And we fed the birds:

And we explored:

    And we sat:

And we had a few meltdowns:

And we got wet and muddy feet:

And we drove the lawnmower:

And we played ball:

And it was a fantastic day. :)