Week 4

I'm beginning to feel like one of the trio from "Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?" when the blind prophet told them, "You will not get the treasure you seek on account of the obstacles in your path." Those fans of "Oh Brother" know that, of course, it is pronounced "ob-STACK-les." That's rather accurate, given how they tend to stack on!

But, first, some brief background information. AT my clinic, when a patient does not keep their appointment, we use the term "DNKA" (pronouced "dinka"). I am known as the DNKA Queen, which can be sung to the ABBA hit of a similar sounding name. In fact, I had a DNKA at my dissertation defense! Yeah! Can you believe it? My graduate representative, the only member of a committee who is required to be at a defense, was a no-show. But that's another story. Just keep in mind the title I have worn for many years.

Monday: I had a meeting with my personal trainer set for this morning. I got there, checked the office, no Jeremy. I started riding the bike like a good girl, looking over my shoulder to see him. Not there. He was a DNKA! I thought, "Oh, great. Now my personal trainer has so little faith in me that he can't even come to our sessions! I'm HOPELESS!" (Ob-STACK-le #1) Just when I was about to give up and get off the bike, I noticed that all of the treadmills in front of me had people running on them. Runners to the right of me. Runners to the left of me. Runners before me. Then I thought, "I wonder if this is what it's like to be a cop." So, I would focus on a runner, pedal really hard, and imagine myself whacking them as I went by. One by one, whack! By the time I had whacked all the runners, my time was up (as was my heart rate), and I was a much happier camper. (That is frightening.)

Monday Evening: Jeremy called this evening and left a message for me...He had broken his arm! I told my husband that I should just stay fat so everyone else will be healthy! (ob-STACK-le #2)


Tuesday: I got to meet with Jeremy. Broken arm or not, he kicked my tail! I only rode the bike 10 minutes (thank you, GOD!) and then we started on floor exercises and weight training. While I was on the floor doing different crunches (and abdominal crunches are much different from Hershey ones, let me tell you!), one of the Geezer Adonises decided to hang from one of the machines and work on his abs, too! (This is right after he sat there and listened to MY instructions.) SO, while I was crunching, his little black-nylon-sock-with-white-tennis-shoe-wearing twig legs were swooshing right in front of my face. Show-off! I think focusing on Jeremy kept me from feeling homicidal.

Wednesday: Ob-STACK-le #3. On the way to work, an 18-wheeler wrecked in the construction area, so my husband and I were parked on I-30 for 2 hours and I could not go to the fitness center. Darn! (Is that my tongue in my cheek?)

Thursday: Ob-Stack-le free day! Great work-out. Feeling more confident about myself and this whole process.