Stepping Up the Pace

I did something entirely new to me today. I went to a step aerobics class at a local gym. Saturday morning, 9:15. Twenty women, each standing in front of a plastic "stair," stepping up and down onto and off the stair. Loud unending music keeping us in rhythm. Our fearless leader calling out directions, most of which I was able to follow.

I went with my daughter. She's been going to Zoomba, but a schedule conflict on Friday morning means she can no longer attend that class, so she's adopted the step class as the next best thing. She invited me to go along with her. Having no good reason not to go and wanting to keep up with my resolution to get in shape, I went.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We started out slow, with easy moves, stepping forward and back and sideways on the floor. We worked up to moving on and off the step. By 9:45, I was hoping the class would be over at 10, but my daughter shook her head. "No, it goes till 10:15. Hang in there!"

Then, blissfully, at 10:05, the music changed to something soft and soothing and we were in the cool down stage of stretches. Ten minutes of that and the class was over.

I paid $9 for the drop-in session. I got my money's worth!

Later in the day, I walked two miles on my treadmill. I walked at a bit slower pace because I was reading a 30-page article from an academic journal and wanted to see if I could multi-task. I walked a bit slower and read a bit slower, but it worked!

It's never too late to get in shape. If you made a resolution, stick with it. If you didn't, today's a great day to make one. Who said New Year's Day is the only day to make resolutions? Today is the first day of the rest of your life! Make the most of it!

What's on your Reading List?

I was very busy over the past few weeks and the holidays reading many things, and tonight, I got several recommendations from a good friend for other books to add to my "Some Day" list.

In the past few weeks, I've devoured several of Michael Connelly's crime novels. I'm not sure why I like this genre. Maybe it comes from watching Perry Mason when I was a kid, or later, Peter Falk as Colombo. I like the courtroom dramas, and the detective work is just a prequel to that. The Narrows and Blood Work were both excellent. Detective Harry Bosch seems like a real person, with strong points and weak points in his character. I see that Blood Work was made into a movie with Clint Eastwood, but I haven't seen it. The Scarecrow was riveting and a bit scary; I brought it home from the library at around 5:30 p.m. and stayed up till 2:45 a.m. to finish it, even though I had to be back at work at 8:30 a.m. That's how good it was! I'm missing one in the series, though; it had already been checked out of the library. I'm waiting for The Poet to hit the shelf so I can take it out. Of course, I've asked at the library for Connelly's new book, The Drop.

I'm also reading Truman, by David McCullough. It's a giant of a read at about 980 pages. Recently, I saw someone in a movie reading this very book!

Recommended to me were the following: A Thousand Splendid Suns; Two Pence to Cross the Mersey, The Glass Castle, Half-Broke Horses, and Sarah's Key, which has now been made into a movie. I have now added these to my "Some Day" list.

Books can take you into another time, another place, another culture, another person's life. It's a great boon to be able to pick up a book and travel. What's on your reading list?

Another New Start!

Judging from my last post, less certainly was . . . less. Something happened . . . I'm not sure what . . . but it seems as if my writing self ceased to exist! Since today is a day of new beginnings, I thought I'd make one.

2012: I can hardly believe that all that panic about Y2K was already more than 12 years ago! We were 12 years younger! Oh well, from this point, it's onward and upward.

I bet you're wondering if I've made my list of resolutions. Not formally, but I have some ideas floating around in my head. I'll try to get them out here in some random fashion:

In 2012, I would like to:

1. Drink more water. I have an off-and-on relationship with water, and in the cold dark days of winter, it seems especially hard for me to quaff down tall glasses of cold water, but I keep on trying.

2. Write more letters. My granddaughter gave me two packets of postage stamps for Christmas, so this is a big boost in the right direction.

Oh dear, I just went back to the Jan. 1, 2011, entry on my blog, and I have to report that I didn't do very well on my resolutions from last year. Here's what I said then:

In 2011, I would like to . . .

Spiritual
Finish two courses for my Master’s degree [just finishing up the second one now]
Read through the Bible at least once [probably got half-way]

Physical
Walk or bike to work [I did do this a lot this year, more biking than walking]
Drink at least four glasses of water a day [Can't vouch for every day, but I was conscious of it, and many days I did]

Intellectual
Take Creative Writing [Yes! I did do this, and took French 101, also.]
Read more poetry [A bit . . . but I read and listened to lots of novels and lots of book on Creation]
Write more on my blog [Got off to a great start, but fell off the wagon halfway through the year.]

Environmental
Keep up with the recycling [I did okay on this, but now it's ready to be taken again!]
Be more conscious and careful of water and electricity use [Yes.]

Household Projects
Patch and paint stairwell [Never got to this, but had a big downstairs project.]
Clean filing cabinets (aim for two empty drawers) [There are two empty drawers.

In General
Live lean (this means spend less money frivolously) [I guess it depends on the definition of "frivolously." I don't think I did very well on this one!]

Okay, so that was last year. This is this year. Another new start!

1. Drink more water.

2. Write more letters.

3. Walk more (treadmill, outside, to and from work and church).

4. Finish the book I've started writing (more on this anon).

5. Go to bed earlier (I'm surprised this one isn't on the list from last year!)

6. Read the Bible through.

These six things don't sound very ambitious, but I heard that it takes 21 or 40 days to make a new habit. Maybe if I keep it simpler, I'll have a better rate of success.

Whatever your resolutions and dreams and hopes are for 2012, I pray that God will give you the strength and determination to accomplish them. Happy 2012!