Saturday, May 3, 2008

Blah-de-blah

More gym time, and biking to campus. Does anyone know if I should trust the machines at the gym that tell me that a less strenuous workout (c'mon, folks, I'm slower than the geriatrics) is actually better for weight loss than the slightly more strenuous "cardio" level? All I know is, it's better than sitting on my butt.

No male eye-candy the rest of the week; instead I was next to one of those profuse sweaters--the ones who spray droplets all over themselves and everyone around. One paragraph of my magazine got so smudged I couldn't read it. Gross.

Why do men generally ignore the warm-up and cool-down? All the men I watched got on the machines and cranked them right up to high, went full out for a few minutes, and then got off. The women, of course, did everything "right" in the recommended sequence and intensity.

I found myself following a tall, handsome firefighter from a neighboring municipality around the supermarket the other day. I'm sure he was thinking, "Why is this frumpy matron stalking me? Did I rescue one of her 87 cats from a tree last week?" I am now plotting to move to said n.m. and set my house on fire, once I make sure he is on duty.

Widowhood is hard on my friendships. When I had my husband to count on, the vagaries of friendship weren't so troublesome. A minor betrayal was...minor. A falling out was unpleasant, but not earth-shattering. Now, however, every conflict makes me feel bereft and unloved.

I am going to get my tattoo. It's the small design that was on our wedding invitation--what my husband called our own personal dingbat. It apparently has to be bigger than I had anticipated (a quarter-sized area, at least), which has me rethinking its location. I want to be able to see it often (my other tattoo is on my left shoulderblade, and I tend to forget I have it), but not have others see it much. I don't want it on a body part I loathe (ankle, stomach) or one that is going to droop, sag, or jiggle (pretty much all of them, at my age). Suggestions?

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11 Comments:

At 5:08 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

what about the inside of your wrist? One of my coworkers has one there and I didn't notice it for months!

 
At 5:21 PM , Blogger Snickollet said...

Our parallel lives continue in that I've been (finally) exercising this past couple of weeks after months of sitting around and doing nothing. Granted, I'm doing an infomercially DVD in my living room, but as you said: it's better than nothing.

And now you will get your tattoo. I hope you find the experience as meaningful as I have. Location? I'm not sure. I love having mine on my ankle--my two main requirements were "easily visible by me, not saggy." That leaves precious few areas.

 
At 6:57 PM , Blogger Julia said...

Hm, as I have no tattoos, I am pretty useless here. But I admire the dedication to exercising. And was wondering whether just twisting your ankle in the store wouldn't be good enough to get the firefighter's full professional attention? You know, as opposed to going through all the trouble of moving house...

 
At 8:02 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

anon: that's actually one of the prime candidates, along with the outside of my collar bone.

snick: sigh. I can't exercise at home, because, well....I won't. And I've always had a thing about my wide ankles, although I love ankle tattoos on others.

Julie: In my present condition and age, it would take more than an ankle turn--oh, wait, I was thinking of a dainty 19th-c. flirtation, not the part where I fall down clumsily and get hurt!! You are a genius; next time I see him I will hold my breath until I pass out! {He's probably 15 years younger than I am; I have a problem recognizing my "dating pool" when I see them--hairy ears, drooping jowls, and bifocals) :)

 
At 8:03 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

(oops--Julia, that's a typo; I do know your name from your comments, and how to spell it! Curses that I can't edit comments...)

 
At 11:07 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

What about the hip area? You know, way off to the side where sagging is kept to a minimum. Well, in theory.

As for exercise, I've always been told lower intensity but longer amounts were the desired amount for weight loss. I remember seeing that 3.0 MPH on the treadmill for sixty minutes was ideal for "standard" female weight loss. Personally, I need slightly more than that. PCOS has made me a "fit fat" aka a size 14, but a healthy eater and regular exerciser who just cannot lose weight, even with diet, exercise and medication. If I stayed at 3mph, I'd never lose weight, but at around 3.4-3.7 I start to get better results. Same theory for weights, according to a friend who is a personal trainer - low weights, high reps.

- Andrea (mostly lurker, rare commenter, always a fan)

 
At 2:18 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

Andrea,
Hi! Glad to meet you. My only issue with the hip area is that it requires me to look at other, less appealing areas to see my tattoo! :()

And thanks for the fitness info; 60 minutes!! Sigh. Adding weight training is my next step, so to speak.

 
At 7:56 AM , Blogger Elle said...

Mine is a small design on my left hip. I've had it for 11 years, and it's in the perfect spot -- pretty much immune to sagging, visible to me, but not visible to anyone else unless I want them to see it.

 
At 2:53 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

Darling! Shoulder? Front of shoulder? Side of shoulder?

xx

Mme X.

 
At 8:16 AM , Blogger K said...

I wanted to see my tattoo too, so I had it done just above my right knee on my thigh. It's visible if I wear a short skirt, but easily coverable if I need it to be.

 
At 8:50 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have many a tattoo. The place I love the best (but hurt the worst!) was the top of my feet. Love seeing them as a paddle around the house. Another option is the inside of the wrist. Not as painful to receive but harder to heal. You can read about my tattoo experience after my husband died here: http://geepatty.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=34

Glad you are posting again. Your blog has been very helpful in my own journey. I am glad you are beginning to feel better...gives me hope that I will reach that place someday!

 

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