I've managed to go to the gym and work out for an hour 4-5 days a week for the past few weeks. I've been doing a half hour or so on the treadmill (experimenting with the different programmed workouts has been interesting), and 25-30 minutes on the circuit training machines. Yesterday, I broke down and finally tried the Quad Press machine, and I'm feeling every bit of it today!

The other thing I've been doing for the past two weeks is keeping a food journal. It's been interesting, because I've been noticing certain patterns, like how a pre-bedtime snack appears to be part of my nightly winding-down routine. That, and I eat a lot of cheese! One thing that I'm finding helpful is knowing that I want to get in 4-5 workouts a week, and making sure I fit them into my schedule. For instance, when I know I have an appointment, I plan a workout for on the way there or on the way home. I also know that whenever I go out with my sister and the kids for the day, I'm not getting in a workout at the gym, so I need to make sure I get one in another day. So far, this has been working out well, pun intended.

Today, I have two "career development" workshops to attend with the outplacement service my former employer has provided me with. I'm torn between wanting to go and meet some new people, and not wanting to schlep all the way into the city. Since I'm awake, caffeinated and semi-alert, I plan to go. It's the whole rush hour trek idea that's causing me to drag my ass. I have a Resumé Development class and then it's on to Interviewing Strategies. If nothing else, I'll get to meet at least a dozen people I've never met before, and possibly work my life coaching magic on a few before I leave for the day!

What the hell am I doing up and awake at this hour on a Sunday morning??? Not only am I up and awake, I've been up and awake for two hours, and I've taken my air conditioner out of my livingroom window! I'm fully dressed, have cleaned out a bunch of old e-mails, and have updated a few of my mailing lists and am now on my second cup of coffee. This is what happens when I'm wiped out early and actually go to bed at 8:30 PM. Why can't I do this when I have to catch an 8 o'clock flight and have to be at the airport by 6AM???

I don't even know why I was so wiped out last night. It's not like I did anything yesterday. I sat around the house like a slug until around 1 o'clock, went to the gym, and then went to the VFW for a while. Maybe it was the Bacardi and Diet Pepsi I was drinking that knocked me out. Whatever it was, I was in bed, asleep before 9 o'clock, and wide awake at 4 o'clock.

Getting back to the gym... Yesterday, it was a real struggle to get out of the house and go for my workout. It was one of those days where I really had to force myself to go out and do something. It's very easy for me to get hooked into doing stuff on the computer, lose track of time, and then wonder where the day went. Yesterday was one of those days, and I had to pry myself out of my computer chair. I did it, and made it to the gym in time to get a 45-minute workout in before closing time. It's amazing how different a 45-minute workout feels from a full hour. It almost feels like I cheated and didn't work out, which I know isn't true. That extra 15 minutes on the treadmill really makes a difference! I'm not sure if I'm going to the gym today, or if I'm actually going to allow myself to just do stuff around the house today and not go anywhere. I'm certainly entitled to the day off, although I have a feeling I'll be spending it de-cluttering and cleaning, and not sitting around watching TV all day! I've worked out 5 of the last 7 days, and will be working out at least 4 days in the coming week. I guess I'll see how I feel around noon, and then decide.

I drove my sister's Jeep for the first time today! I was a bit nervous, because up until now, I've been driving little tiny cars that are low to the ground. I also haven't been out driving since I failed my road test two weeks ago. My sister was a bit nervous, because this was the first time she had ever been in a car with me driving, and it was her car that I was driving. I did lots better than I thought I would. I didn't hit anything, although I did get a bit close to the cars parked on the right side of the street at one point. I was surprised at how easy it was to drive such a big car, and it was a much smoother ride than any of the Toyota Corollas and Chevy Prisms that I've been used to driving. I even did well on my turns for a change! Maybe I'll be able to talk her into letting me use the Jeep for my next road test, whenever I get around to scheduling it.

It's been a while since I've updated "As the Rose Wilts", and lots has happened in the past few months. I guess the most significant change has been that, as of August 31st, I was "separated" from my job of over ten years, due to a merger/acquisition and re-organization. Gotta love the new jargon. "Separated". Makes it sound like I was married to my job. Then again, in many ways, I was! So, forget about a "separation", let's just consider me officially "divorced". I mean, it's not like the job and I are going to reconcile and get back together anytime soon, right? I've even gotten "alimony", in the form of a severance package! It was an amicable "divorce", and I'm free to find another and wed again, should I so choose. Right now, though, I'm enjoying being "single again", except for the dating thing. Now I have to go through the job application process. If having a job is like being married, and leaving one after ten years is akin to getting divorced, then looking for a new job is like taking out a personal ad and going out on a series of blind dates in the hopes of finding "the right one". I shudder at the thought!

However, being unemployed has allowed me to have some fantastic adventures, like flying out to Park City, Utah to be personally trained as a North Star Life Coach by author and monthly O Magazine columnist, Martha Beck and her team, Stacey and Kim. I also went hot air ballooning for the first time.

I've also decided that now is the time for me to get serious about getting all this extra weight off. The key motivating factor in this took place during my North Star Life Coach training. We had a visit from John, a really good personal trainer, and I volunteered to be the first "guinea pig". Long story short, something about that day changed me, and got me motivated to go back to the gym and start working on my eating issues. I've been going to the gym and working out for an hour four days a week for the past two weeks, and have started working with my therapist on my food issues. I'm keeping a food journal (don't worry, I won't bore you with tales of tofu), and working towards being more fit and healthy. So, stay tuned for future episodes of "As the Rose Wilts"!