Saturday, August 27, 2011

Come on, Irene

I can't take credit for the clever (at least, I think so) heading. It was one of the team's names from last night's trivia @ Hooters...yes, at Hooters. I think they lowered the intellectual standard for the questions based on the venue. Questions were ridiculously easy. Case in point: Garmin and Tom Tom are brand names for what types of devices?

Anyway, I realize it might be fucked up, but natural disasters excite me. I think I like the fact that there is all this panic and anxiety surrounding their arrival, and there is NOTHING anyone can do to stop the event from proceeding.

We're so used to making alternative plans and having solutions to various complexities. Natural disasters are Mother Nature's resounding cries of "Fuck you!"

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Spin Class Thoughts II

The instructor was a fucking spazz. I guess she thought that the peer pressure route would work to motivate all of us. We were supposed to "pretend" that we were on the open road, on a trek together as a "team." Bullshit. It's times like that that I am so grateful that I do not have the ability to roll my eyes...

At one point she said, actually screeched, "Keep up with us! Don't screw this up for everyone!" I guess that was supposed to motivate all of us---kind of like, "Come on, we don't want anyone left behind." All I could think in my mind was that if we really were on an open road together, I would have gotten off the bike by now and hitch hiked.

There were a few points during the class that I muttered the word "Fuck"--- 5 times. If I ever try spin again, I will strive to say "Fuck" less than 5 times...that's the true assessment of whether or not I am improving in a gym class...

Toward the end of the class, the instructor said, "Two songs left, two songs!" (She lied!!! It was three songs). When she said that there were two songs left, I was at the point of exhaustion. Bear in mind, I was at Michelle level of exhaustion...which means I could have totally gone for another hour or so. "Work hard, play hard" is a common phrase I hear. It doesn't apply to me when it comes to the gym though... I think I deserve utmost credit just for getting my ass there in the first place.

My spin fairy godmother must have been looking down on me and must have seen my levels of "exhaustion." For the second to last song, I suddenly heard the speakers blaring: "Yeah, can you feel it baby? I can too." Marky Mark!!!!! I got my ass back up into the "pretend you're going uphill" position and kept working through the entire song. When the last song came on, however, I slooooowed down. It was a shitty song:(

Another pinnacle of the spin was when I "lost" my keys. There was a quick resolution though. I had forgotten that in order to get the ticket for the step class, you had to hand in your keys....

I think the likelihood of me doing spin again is about 50%. I know I am lazy with working out and that during spin class I didn't "challenge myself"--- but the stream of consciousness in my mind was amazing!!!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Spin Class Thoughts

This morning, motivated by the bathroom renovation and lack of shower facilities, I went to the gym. When I got there, I saw a montage of shiny spandex leggings and sports bras. I realize that those clothing items are not rare for a gym, but they just seemed to be in particular excess today.

I looked at the schedule and saw that spin class was scheduled for 9:30. It was 9:15...

Typically, gym classes never work out too well for me. While I generally will stay for the entire class time, most within the allotted hour or so, I utter "Fuck" several times, take mini-breaks (when everyone else is working their asses off), and generally think about anything possible OTHER than focusing on the exercise in the moment.

I have always wanted to try spin, but I've seen the "spinners" post-class. Their faces are beet-red and they are literally dripping with sweat. Those looks of complete fatigue might intrigue other exercisers, but not me. Still, I decided to give it a try.

I took the bike directly in the back of the room. Two "moms" helped me with the whole bike set up; they were also swathed in shiny spandex.

As the class began, the lights went out and purplish black lights went on. I guess you're supposed to be in the zone, but my spot in the back of the room distracted me. I was half-bathed in black lights, and half-bathed in the regular light of the gym. I spotted a hot guy on the treadmill and kept looking to my right to check him out.

The most interesting thing about spin (or any form of exercise, for that matter) is that it brings out the ADD in me. At home, I can easily be attentive to a bunch of episodes of a TV show. I can be attentive to a book for a long amount of time too. When it comes to exercise though, I have ADD. There could be music in the background and a TV monitor in front of me. I'll still move my head around the room in a circular manner, looking at people, even looking at the various ceiling fixtures.

Unsurprisingly, during the "spin zone," my mind was focused on anything but the actual exercise. The instructor said, "Feel like you're on the open road. Feel your bike hitting the pavement. Connect."  In my head, I thought, "Agh. We're cycling, IN PLACE, on wooden floor boards painted black. Connect with what?"

All I could think during spin class was that I wished I had a notebook and pen with me so that I could write down all the thoughts circling through my mind...

Friday, August 19, 2011

Lazy Day

Our bathroom has officially been demolished. Layers of pink tile, mesh wire, and thick concrete have been smashed to pieces. Sheetrock has been removed to reveal dingy pink insulation. A light fixture has been removed and the remaining wires dangle haphazardly from the pseudo-ceiling. Water has been drained from the toilet and bits of rubble are scattered in the bath tub.

I feel like I am in an episode of Hoarders. The people on that show always have unusable bathrooms.

We do, however, have the "1/2 bathroom" in our bedroom to use (toilet only---sexy!).

To shower, we can go over Jen's apartment or John's parents' house or...my amazing idea... shower at the gym. It reminds me of the song "YMCA":  "You can get yourself clean..." Fuck! John goes to the gym daily, so it is logical for him to take a quick shower there. It is not as logical for me. I haven't been to the gym that much recently. Basically, our unusable shower will be the catalyst to get me to work out at the gym again.

Taking a shower there freaks me out though. Remember, this is the girl who NEVER changed in front of anyone in the locker room, opting instead to stand in a tiny bathroom stall and change into her gym clothes for high school PE class. The showers at the gym are individual stalls with glass doors and discreet curtains. I've changed in the stalls before but the idea of showering there makes me paranoid. I've had this semi-fear for most of my life---a  fear that someone is video taping me. Damn Lifetime movie Video Voyeur!!!

Conveniently, it is now raining outside... What is crazier? Not showering at the gym for fear of being videotaped or standing outside in my bathing suit and lathering myself up with a body pouf and body wash while the rain trickles down on me?




Sunday, August 07, 2011

Hoarders: The Trunk Version

My car has always been more of an abyss than an automobile. A few weeks ago, I cleaned out the interior of the car, unveiling such treasures as Christmas ornaments (6+ months too late), fake police accessories (from Labor Day dress up theme at karaoke), and mix tapes with such names as "Radio Mix: Volume I." Odd things seem to find their way into my car.

The trunk of the car has always been filled and was filled even moreso when we moved. As soon as we moved, some of the things in the trunk were cleaned out and moved into the house. However, as I found out today, I don't just have "junk in my trunk"---I have a tendency to HOARD in the trunk of my car.

Tonight is Midsummer Night's Dream theme at karaoke and I have been looking all over the house for this 10 pack of crafting butterflies that I have... I know they are somewhere. I decided to look in the trunk for them, but the search was to no avail.

I found tons of other miscellaneous things in the trunk though. Basically, searching through my car's trunk could be considered a form of entertainment. Some of the "finds":

****Animal Farm (an illustrated children's picture book that I wrote in 7th gr...no, I wasn't trying to make some witty statement on Orwell...the book was literally about a farm and its animals)
**** a size 22 Geisha girl costume (the ONE and ONLY Halloween that John said he would dress up was when he chose a plus-sized Geisha girl costume...my grandmother passed away that Halloween and the costume was never worn)
****Halloween make-up (the receipt for the makeup was dated 2005--this was probably the makeup John was going to wear with the Geisha girl outfit)
****a statuette of a duck in a ballerina/bumblebee outfit)
***ridiculous thick winter tube socks (a gift from my mother---wtf!)
***a Louisville slugger baseball bat
***pom poms (they were actually used once---for karaoke-ing to "Let's Hear it for the Boy"
***a dragonfly/hippie-esque window decal most likely from college (I graduated in 2002!)

I do have end-of-summer aspirations of cleaning out that trunk...some of the things I have are just ridiculous and, honestly, if they have been in the trunk for 6 years (like the makeup), perhaps they are unusable and/or I do not need them. I must remember the A & E Hoarders creed: throw it out if it is worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary:)