Sewing and Sinks

In February one of the two yoga instructors at our health club told us she was leaving for an ashram in Hawaii this month. I know. I also wondered how she could leave the winter wonderland of Wyoming for Hawaii. Even more, why would anybody choose to leave Wyoming in March and miss the opportunity of winning the city-wide pool of “whose planned trip will be postponed when the spring blizzard shuts down the interstate?” You don’t believe me? Dang.  You’re right. There is no city-wide pool. But now that I’ve thought of it, I feel I should suggest that money-maker to the city council at their next meeting. Maybe that slush fund (get it?  slush ... snow ... slush fu ... oh forget it) could be used to supplement the budget so somebody would plow the snow from OUR street one day. I realize it’s important to know how to navigate while driving in six-inch deep frozen ruts or control your car during a spin when the snow covering the street has evolved into an ice rink, but I’ve had enough practice over the years and I’m pretty skilled at both techniques now.

Anyway, this means the Tuesday night classes have been cancelled until a new instructor finishes the training and is certified. And while I would love to give myself the gift of Tuesday night off from working out, I still see Christmas cookies, fudge, and candy taunting me every time I accidentally get a glance at my belly. I don’t mind telling you that I’m annoyed with those cookies. I’ve given up my work-night wine, I hardly ever eat anything sweet, I eat smaller portions and still there’s a very stubborn gob of Christmas goodies that seem to have taken up permanent belly residence. I’m so annoyed that even though I love, love, love licorice, recently I’ve been letting Dean eat the stash I had squirreled away in my desk drawer. The stash Santa brought me at Christmas. The stash I hadn’t even opened yet. “Please, eat some more of that black, chewy, mouth-watering licorice. It’s okay. Go ahead. Open it. Somebody might as well eat it. No, really. I don’t want any. I have a little pile of raw almonds and raisins right here. They’re delicious.” So the thing is, if I ever want to be able to eat licorice again – partially guilt-free anyway – there is no Tuesday night off for me. I had to find an alternative to the Tuesday yoga class.

I could have sweat on the dreaded elliptical, but I hate the elliptical. I’m not sure why I hate it so much. It can’t be the sweating because contorting my poor body in a 95 degree room for 75 minutes generates way more sweat than repeatedly pushing my feet up and around on a stationery machine. I suppose it could be partly because my toes always seem to start falling asleep no matter how loose I tie my shoes. I’ve considered going shoeless but I’ve yet to test that and honestly, I hope I never have the opportunity. Who knows why I cringe at the thought of stepping onto an elliptical machine, but be that as it may, the fact is I’d do just about anything to get out of working out on that evil machine, including walking outside in gale-force winds.

So, since when I got home from work tonight, the temperature was in the 50s and the sidewalks were no longer ice traps, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I didn’t have to choose the elliptical even though if I’d chosen it I could have watched a guy eat a sugar cane rat or termites.  Instead I chose to walk hard and fast outside for 45 minutes so I could experience the gentle Wyoming breezes rip the scrunchy out of my ponytail and feel the dirt polish the enamel of my teeth. But, even though conditions weren’t ideal, I walked with a spring in my step and a (mostly closed-mouth) smile on my face because last night I had discovered the Best · App · Ever.  (Notice how I'm using all that smart phone jargon after only two weeks.  Cool, eh?)

It’s free and there are podcasts and radio stations and live stuff and it streams quickly and it’s so easy to figure out even I know how to use it. Me. An iPhone greenie. And you don’t have to sync! Let me repeat that. There is no syncing! Out on a walk and you wish you had remembered to sync “Wait Wait” – it’s there! Need a little mood music while you plan a trip to Scotland but you forgot to sync Fiona – it’s there!

So for all of you out there with a droid or a Blackberry or this awesome, “I can’t believe I love it this much” iPhone, I say download that app! Do it now. You will love it. And for those of you without a fancy phone, you can download it to your computer.

Who knows, maybe it will help you choose the elliptical one day. I highly doubt it will influence me to choose the elliptical. Actually, I can pretty much guarantee you it won’t make that wicked machine any more attractive to me. But maybe it will be all YOU need to step on that machine. Or not.◦

Sewing and Sinks