Sweaty Oldie

As I predicted my favorite trainer at the Y, M, had me panting and sweating within 10 minutes of the start of our session.  You know, I've always said that I didn't like to get sweaty but that turns out not to be true.  (I'm going to tell you a secret, I enjoy getting sweaty and even dirty [in the yard or garden], it makes me feel good even as it makes me smell bad.  I also whine a lot but that doesn't mean I'm not having a good time; I just like to complain, especially when I'm exerting myself.)  Now you know.  Today I could tell that I'm getting stronger, my leg muscles still ache a bit, but I had an easier time doing the things that M asked me to.  Made me do.  Encouraged me to do.  Whatever.  I did them all and I liked it.  Four more sessions before she goes off to start being a grownup with a real grownup job that doesn't involve making me sweat once a week.  Boohoo!  She picked out one of the other trainers who happens to have my "regular" workout time available so I hope to meet him next time.





 

When I got home from working out I went outside to store the seed that I bought the other day and to fill the feeders.  This chipmunk was quick to come out to see if I'd dropped anything, in fact, every time I went to go in for something I chased him/her off the step.  This is a terrible picture (I took it through the screen) but I love the look on his/her face; it's like he/she's saying, "what you looking at?"  (my fingers wanted to add "Willis" at the end of that.  Remember that old TV show?  What was it called?  Diff'rent Strokes; I looked it up.)




This pair of House Finches didn't waste any time getting into the platform feeder.  The male's heads get brighter every time I see them...






and this Goldfinch is yellower than the other day.  




 
 Spring is definitely on the way despite the fact that we had snow flurries most of the day.  The snow didn't stick around but it definitely flew around. (you can see flakes on the frozen part of the birdbath which stayed frozen all day)  All. Day.  April Fool!

The tax accountant called the other day so I stopped on my way to lunch today to pick up my returns and sign the eFile paper.  Except that when I got home and started reading through it I noticed that my last name was spelled wrong every time, so I called, they redid it, recopied it, and I stopped on my way home from the Y to sign again and bring home the corrected copy.  I am happy to say that the refund will pay for the replacement of the retaining wall.  Yay!

1 April--Tropical Obsession. 

Jack sat in the shade of the ruin of the plantation house up on the hill overlooking the dive site called Karpata. Since early morning he had sat there watching the trickle of diving tourists gear up and enter the water in pairs. He had thought when driving up from the villa in the pale dawn light that he would conceal his pickup somehow but nearly every dive site he passed had at least one pickup parked there, windows open and no one in sight. On an island this full of tourists, he realized, it was hard to tell why someone was parked where they were. And the number of divers on the island and their habit of independence meant no dive site was empty for long. Sooner or later someone was bound to drive up and park, ready to dive. Jack figured that very randomness was his ace in the hole for staying alive.

I realized this morning that I was starting to worry about getting to Madison on Thursday and getting checked into my hotel in time to find and be on time for my critique so I called the hotel and changed my reservation so I'll go a day early and stay on Wednesday night.  Whew.  That feels better.  Maybe if I knew where I needed to go, driving down on Thursday morning would have worked but I don't and I hate not knowing where I have to be so going a day early gives me peace of mind.  Plus I'll be able to take advantage of any speakers on Thursday morning.  Tomorrow I'm going to sit with the schedule again and plan out my time more precisely.

Today is the 3rd anniversary of breaking my ankle.  Happy anniversary to the plate and 7 screws in my left ankle.  One of the best things about working with M is that my ankle feels much stronger and stays in place better.  Yay!
--Barbara