yet another gym adventure

for those of you that work out at a gym, has there ever been a piece of equipment that you wanted to try, but you weren't sure how and didn't want to look dumb trying to figure it out, so you just never did? that was my reality today--as if the giant fat picture of me on the wall isn't enough. the gym has been rearranged (which i'm not totally a fan of, but no one asked me) and some new stuff has been added, one of them being something that looks like an eliptical, but you know there's more to it than that.

this is pretty close to what it looks like, and no thats not me standing next to it. its new and shiny and unfamiliar and intimidating. i get on the eliptical a couple times a week, though, so i thought i could figure it out without too much humiliation. there are two of them side by side and there was a lady already using one. i walked up, threw my towel over the bar, put my water bottle in the designated holder, and hopped up there like i'd done it a hundred times. i started trying to move the pedal things and nothing was happening. they were swinging a little bit and although i'd never seen one in action, i didn't feel like that was the desired motion of the machine. i just kept going (again, trying to act like i knew what i was doing), marching on this thing which wasn't responding, so i marched and kind of glided my legs a little more aggressively, which i 'm sure was real cute. still nothing. there werent any lights coming on the display either so i thought to myself, 'it must not be on.' i got off and walked around to the front and bent over to turn it on (thats where to on switch is on the treadmills), except theres no switch. i bent a little lower, determined to find something to push or flip or plug in, because i know now that the lady on the machine next to me is watching to see what on earth i'm doing down there. nothing. i got back on. now its me against the machine. i will not walk away from this thing. so i tried plan A again. finally the lady next to me said, " you just have to start moving. it'll come on." so i say, "oh, ok. thanks." but i was really thinking, 'did you not just see what i was doing like 10 seconds ago?' i finally got it going, but even then i wasn't doing the right motion. that took me another 5 mintues to figure out. then it was hard and i wanted to get off, but after all that effort i wasn't about to give in and look like a weenie. it's the motion of running, but slow and with resistance. crazy, but i actually started to like it. the sore is already kicking in and i haven't even layed down yet. i'm glad allens out of town, so i can't get up and go at 530 in the morning. i can sleep in a little and nurse my sore muscles...and my ego.

speaking of allen, he's currently in north carolina peeing his pants about getting to see a duke basketball game tonight.

allen has been a fan of duke b-ball longer than i've been alive. really. he's never been to NC, let alone seen the stadium or the team play, so this is a dream come true to say the least. a friend of his has a 'connection' and got them tickets, and we had enough air miles to cover the travel.

its about time we used those things! we got this credit card to earn miles, but we never go anywhere because even if we get there for free we can't afford to get a hotel or do anything once we get there. seriously. so i'm happy that they were finally able to be put to use. i digress.

he called me at about noon today and was standing center court, giggling like a little girl. it was great. i'm so excited for him!! he swiped my camera so my tuesday thru thursday pictures for the week will have to be ones that he took. i'm sure they'll be great.

yesterday mom and i took the kids to the library and then to lunch and some shopping. after lunch i was telling mom about this place over in the shopping area we were going to called Nothing Bundt Cakes. isnt'that great?!? its not a place to sit and eat, just to go in a buy a cake for an event or whatever. anyway, so i hear colby in the backseat, "hahahaha, thats funny mommy. i want a butt cake."

they should change the name, since thats where its going. straight to my butt. and thighs.

on second thought, maybe not. they probably wouldn't sell as well.