I'm Not As Young As I Used To Be

Or maybe not as resilient.  I came to realize quite suddenly yesterday that at age 61 I can't rely on my natural physical abilities.  Tanks are a lot heavier, distances are longer, 50 degree water is colder, and rocks are slicker and tippier.  I need to work on some things.  I need to re-lose the 15# that has crept back on.  I need to keep walking twice a week but add aerobic and balance games to my daily Wii activities.  Balance seems to be a problem lately, witness my graceful crash in Home Depot last Friday.  So, being uncomfortable in my gear yesterday which lead me to skip the second dive has me climbing back onto the eat right/workout wagon starting today.  Isn't it fortunate that today's July 1?  The first of a month seems like a good time to climb out of my cheating eating, slothful ways and get back to feeling strong and able.  Because I did not like that my BC was very hard to buckle and that I felt out of control in the water, especially in front of a bunch of customers.  That was not the way I wanted 7 of them to see me in the water for the first time.  No.  Time to change things.  *nods confidently*  In that vein I did one round of a balance game and 2, no 3, rounds of step aerobics when I was on the Wii this morning instead of just doing a body test (Wii-speak for weighing myself).  Good girl, Barbara, keep going.  As you can see it was a glorious day to be outside on the lake shore, sunny, warm, and breezy, just perfect.  I'm so glad I went.

July 1--American, Needlework Picture.  Naomi woke up thinking that it was too dark out for her alarm clock to be ringing.  She coughed herself awake and realized that it was the smoke alarm in the hall blaring.  She rolled out of bed onto the floor groping for her jeans, sweatshirt, and shoes.  She was not going out in the street in zebra-printed pajamas.  The smoke thickened as she fumbled into her clothes and she heard someone pounding on her door.  Her hand was barely an inch from the doorknob when she remembered to feel the door to check if it was hot.  It wasn't, so she opened it and peered into the hall.  Orange light flickered in the kitchen and she heard the pounding on the front door.  She dropped to her knees and crawled away from the crackling orange flames.  The living room was pretty clear and she glanced around for something to save.  She reached up and lifted Grandma Gemma's needlework from its nail near the front door, pulled on her boots and warmest coat, pulled open the front door, and stumbled out into the frigid night.

Okay.  See?  I can write setting AND action in one short paragraph.  I think people save silly things in situations like that, don't you?  Time to go set up the grill so that Durwood only has to light it later, eat some yogurt and granola with fruit, take a shower, and then go off to work like a good girl.  It's payday!  Yay!  Happy Second Half of 2013!
--Barbara