Lily asking Daddy a question.
25 March 2007

HotSchedules, Matt’s work, started a corporate wellness program.  The company pays for Matt’s gym membership to a really nice gym, Lifetime Fitness, and we pay for mine and the kids’ memberships.

Before Matt and I got together, we both led very active lifestyles.  Then, like many couples who fall ecstatically in love, our life became about enjoying each other, and absolutely everything else faded into background noise including proper exercise and diet.

Over the past six years, Matt and I have become sedentary and our diet has detiorated into fast food and easy meals.  (Well, I always ate badly, but Matt had a decent diet before me.  He was introduced to the American diet when he moved here in 2001.)  At first, we didn’t notice our descent into this very unfit lifestyle — it was slow and subtle and easy to miss in the day-to-day minutiae of living.  It was only after a few years and 50 extra pounds that we said, “Hm, maybe we should do something about this.”

So when Ray, Matt’s boss, told us about the gym membership, Matt and I were excited and hopeful.  We had been talking about exercising for so long, and here was the opportunity literally handed to us by fate and kindness.

We have just finished our fourth week at the gym.  We go four times a week, doing both cardio and weights.  This is also our fourth week of no fast food (well, very little; we still go out once a week).  And in just four weeks, the psychological shift has been amazing!  I have greater patience with the kids and am enjoying my time with them more.  Matt said he can focus better and can concentrate longer.  I swear, even my vision has improved.  All this in just four weeks.  It’ll be interesting to see what other things happen to our minds and bodies as we continue with this exercise program.

In my teens, I used recreational drugs a lot.  It was a combination of fun, disaffection, withdrawal, and ignorant youth.  I quit using drugs when I was 20-years-old, and I really dislike drugs now.  I have been on drugs and off drugs, and I can tell you from actual experience, you live a half-life when you habitually use drugs.  Everything is muted.  Your vision, your hearing, your memory, your ability to change and adapt, your brain — everything.  Muted and muffled and covered in cotton.

And here is the amazing thing I just discovered: when you live an unfit lifestyle, the same thing happens.  Sure, it’s to a lesser degree, but it still happens.  Your world becomes muffled; a thin, white haze settles down over your life, and you don’t even realize that you’re living in a world of dull edges and muddy colors (not to mention you’re moody and your brain doesn’t work as well).  I had no idea that eating badly and not exercising could have such negative psychological and physical consequences.

So there ya go.  Choose life. 🙂

Lily being her normal fabulous self.
08 April 2007

Have you ever had an idea that demands attention?  An idea that keeps nudging you and pestering you?  An idea that desperately wants to be released into the world to begin its own life?

That’s what has been going on for the past week or so with me.  The idea of creating a podcast of romance stories has been constantly in my head, constantly reminding me.

I want to do it soon.  I can contain desires for only so long.  Sewing, writing, creating a podcast –  feeling creation.  Creating is cathartic and fun.  And I miss it… very much.

Somehow I have to create a podcast of romance stories and sew and raise two small children and keep a house.  Not an easy task, and certainly not one that I have figured out how to accomplish yet.  But I have hope.  I always have hope.