Time to Whip It

into shape!

Actually, way past time! The train left the station without me! As always, I made promises to myself about what I would accomplish before my upcoming Isla trip. And I haven't kept my resolutions. I was going to lose my excess weight and learn more Spanish in the lead up to our Isla trip. HA! Let's revise those ideas. How about changing the plan to getting healthier and learning a few more Spanish words when I'm down there! There -- that makes me feel all better.

The morning weather's been outstanding around here, so Monday morning after Saby's walk, I rode my bike over to the regional park across the road. They have three manmade humps over there, so I rode my 7-speed cruiser to the top of all three -- my little hill workout on the bike. (You have to see the hills to realize that's a joke!) But at least it was better than just riding in the flats. Kids are on break from school right now, so I noticed lots of parents and grandparents letting their little ones fish. I wish I'd had my camera because it was cute. And on the small hump I call Jackrabbit Hill, I once again spotted the lone jackrabbit racing away with those huge ears.

I love exercising outdoors because it gives me time to think and clear my head. I was thinking about this past year and a half yesterday morning while I was on the bike. It was the year and a half from hell, but it seems to be over now. So much happened in that space of time. Craig's mother got sick and eventually died, my aunt had the same health problems as his mother and died on Memorial Day, my mother had breast cancer, my sister-in-law had a double mastectomy, Craig was job hunting for that year and a half, I returned to the workforce for the first time in 30 years, I dealt with my own health problems, etc.... The list goes on. It was over a year and a half of stress and frugality. So I feel like our upcoming trip to Isla will be a much-needed time to throw off all that baggage! Stress just seems to melt away as the ferry approaches that dock.

This weekend, we caught up with our friends who are moving here from Washington State. They were here for a weekend trip, so we met for dinner once again. It's so wonderful to get to reconnect with a couple we've had so much fun with over the years. We also have close friends from the same group who moved here before us who live fifteen minutes away. They couldn't make it Friday night, but I meet her for coffee every few weeks along with another good friend I met through her. We're meeting for lunch this morning. I'm really fortunate that some of the old crowd are ending up in the same area.

And speaking of whip it -- the pedicure! An acquaintance from the gym had told me she goes to Walmart for pedicures because it's cheaper and she doesn't have to deal with all the add-on's. It seems to be a racket around here. $5 extra to remove callouses, $10 extra for sea salt rub, etc... Well, I got this chubby little Asian girl with a constant maniacal grin on her face. She didn't speak English and evidently wanted to prove how strong she was. The leg foot massage bordered on downright painful. And then she started beating on the sides of my legs and feet at the end. I thought to myself -- I'm going to have bruises. Sure enough -- I've got some black and blue spots. My son loves to mimic me saying this, but I bruise easy! And guess what! They charged $5 extra for callous removal.

In addition to the sadistic smiling little gal, the shop was a cubbyhole by the main Walmart doors with an explosion of tacky fall bows and dusty floral arrangements. But I had the view of the Walmart customers as they flowed in and out of the front doors, so that distracted me from the beating. HA! I guess I'll filter back to a regular nail spa the next time I need a pedicure!