Fitness, Progress, and Video

Well, I don't know where you are, but here it has been getting a little warmer during the days. It's a delicious little teaser for Spring. Friday is forecasted to be 74 degrees! Woo Hoo!

So, February has turned out to be a deceptively busy month for me. I'm not sure why, but there seems to be a lot of kinetic energy abounding ... though it does seem to be pretty disorganized energy for all its busyness. After FINALLY recovering from all my bed-confining illnesses, I have been able to get back to the gym (and, occasionally, outside!) for my workouts. I actually missed doing them during my convalescence. Who'd have guessed? I even have a pretty steady routine down now. I'm going at least every other day, and including toning work, cardio and stretching with each session. I try to throw in a little sauna time when I can, too. Good stuff.

I've also been continuing to change my dietary habits. This has always been an area of big challenge for me. I love food. I love sugar. I love bacon. I am a snacky style eater. In fact, I graze ... all day long. At least, that's been my tendency in the past. Now, I am trying to cut severely cut sugar from my diet. I am only eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. I am eating these in five small meals a day. (Well, I must confess that my last meal of the day can become a little drawn out still, but I'm working on it.) Then, the way I manage to stay sane through all of this change, is by following Jackie Warner's plan of eating cheat meals on the weekend. I get one meal on Saturday and one meal on Sunday where I can consume what I want. It's when I can embrace all of those long-loved goodies that I say "no" to all week. Which usually means that it's when I get to have chocolate and booze. And sometimes bacon. Yum. Now I want chocolate, booze, and bacon. And it's only Wednesday. Bummer.

All this new physical activity, coupled with my new dietary habits, have my body shifting and contorting into a detoxing machine. It's all very necessary, and very good, but it's not always enjoyable for myself or others. I'm producing excess ear wax, so my ears feel plugged up and sometimes filled with sloshy water. That makes hearing and balancing fun. My skin in breaking out in these little tiny bumps. They aren't terribly noticeable to the casual observer, thank goodness, but I notice them. Then there's the sweating and the smelly aftereffects of the sweating ... which often happens even if I haven't been hot or doing a lot of movement. My body seems to be performing its own kind of exorcism. I'm glad it's happening, but I'll be glad when it's over, too. And if I happen to be around you sometime soon, I'm sorry if I am a sweaty, smelly, bumpy, ear waxy mess. (And for you delicate types out there, I apologize for the graphic update, but that's just how I roll.)

On the more personal side, I have been reflecting more on my attachments to my material possessions. I'm finding myself more and more eager to part with more of my 'stuff'. (Of course, that will happen next month as I sort through my storage units.) I have been having a great many strange and vivid dreams. Some even about people from my past trying to bury me alive ... which seems like it would be really scary, but wasn't so much in my dream. I'm thinking it's some sort of image play on my rebirthing myself into a new woman and making peace with my past and such. I have been reflecting a lot on my inner experience versus my outer reality. I have always had a very rich inner life, and looking back, I am realizing just how ridiculously incongruous my inner understanding of myself has been when compared to the way I have been perceived by the outside world. Yes, it's very heavy stuff, but I am sitting with it for now. As it marinates and percolates, I suspect some great wisdom will leak out of the vapors.

I'm going to have to leave soon to make my dinner date, but I'll give you the briefest of updates on some progress I've made lately: I mailed off my tax returns today. I also mailed out my passport renewal application. I am more than halfway through the personal trainer study guide book. And I even managed to make a little video of Rosy the Argosy for you all to see what she looks like. Please forgive the terrible quality of the video. First of all, I don't really know what I'm doing with video (YET!), and secondly, I was in a hurry, so it's a rush job ... a quick and dirty tour, if you will. Let me know what you think!

And, lastly, I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Joseph Campbell: "We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us!"

Happy Day!

PS: Am having difficulty getting video on here. Will work on this and post when I can. :(