Home Alone

Let me preface this post with this: I really do love being home with my husband. There is nothing better than a nice evening at home, with the two of us, quality time.

Now to the real heart of it:

I used to love living alone. My place, my space...my dog...my books...my relaxing zone. But I've never been one to spend much time there. Just every once in awhile when I want to escape. Which was, at most, 1-2 hours a week. The rest of the time, I'm on the go - hiking, biking, socializing, swimming, running, jumping (ok, not really jumping...you get the picture).

Now fast forward to married life. We both live in (formerly)my super small house, with two super sized dogs. Which most of the time, I'm completely fine with.

Except for the fact that I can count on one hand (actually - two fingers) - the number of times I've been home alone. Yep, TWO. We've been married 15 months. I repeat for effect - alone TWO times!

My husband is just a 'home' person. He'd rather be there than hiking, biking, or doing any other activity that you might find me engaging in at any time that I'm not working. He could be happy staying there for a number of days on end. (And sidenote - in his unemployment, IS doing just that). And while I love that he is home most of the time, with open arms to welcome me, I have to admit that those few, few times that I get some 'home-alone' time there, I am just in love with it.

One of those times was last night, and I'm still on a natural high from it! (Nothing like a little deprivation to make you appreciate something). He has decided to take a class, so this not only happened last night, but will happen once a week for the next 4 months! If I do basic math correctly (which I should, as it is my profession), this equates to approximately 16 evenings that I have to enjoy this time. Yay!

So, I have set some basic (this is debatable) goals for myself in this time:

1. Learn Spanish (didn't say I wasn't ambitious!) - I now have Rosetta Stone, so I'm thinking this should take me...what, 3 evenings? ;)

2. Study for the MCAT. This could be a whole new post, but I'm toying with changing careers to something that is more fitting to me than an engineer. So I'm thinking a Doctor. Never too late to learn something new ;) (maybe I need even more luck for this one)

3. Learn to use less parenthesis in my writing. (...I didn't say this one would be easy either!)

Just a little bit

OK, I hate to complain, but...

(Isn't that a funny phrase. People use that all the time. I hate to ...(insert action that you are about to do here)...then promptly negate all use of the word 'hate', by inserting a 'but' and proceeding to actually participate in whatever you supposedly 'hate')

So, anyways. Here I go, being a hypocrit and complaining...

I'm tired of my knee & toe hurting. There, I said it. I complained. Phew. It's off my shoulders.

I don't want to write about boring things, and reduce the even small number of people who happen to swing by...and I'm just under the assumption that my own knee and toe pain is one of those things that would not exactly be the most enticing piece of news out there on the internet.

But (there I go again), people - it hurts! My knee! My toe! Ouch! I used to do triathlons, and be fairly competetive at them actually! And I haven't run in OVER TWO YEARS! I just realized this fact on the New Year when I realized Jesse & I were celebrating two years together. Two years when I have, in fact, not run. Over a half mile, that is...which I'm pretty sure nothing under 2 miles or so counts as a "run" anyways.

And now it has not only spread to running, but to wearing heels. And that is when I say - enough is enough. I must fix this. So, probably five or six doctor's appointments later, here I am. Not much better off than I was, except for having seen five or six new doctors.

And still no running. Or heels. In fact, they've come up with the brilliant idea to take "three weeks off, and see how it is".

Ummm...did I mention that I've taken TWO YEARS OFF. And ANOTHER THREE WEEKS isn't going to do jack for helping me out? Do you think they listen?

Ugh.

Ok - that wasn't complaining "just a little bit". That was a lot. Sorry. Thanks for letting me vent. And now I'll go ride my bike...again...with no running and no heels...yet.

On Exercise...

The "experts" all say that it takes two weeks before you start losing muscle mass.

These same "experts" also say that it takes half the time to build up the mass you lost once you start working out again compared to someone who never had the muscle to begin with.

So...does this mean that since I've taken basically a year off from hard exercise that I'm going to take six months to get back in shape?

I wonder if they take into account the fact that I can BARELY MOVE the day after I do anything strenuous whatsoever?

And...finally...why in the world did I workout ALL WEEKEND in the gorgeous weather, eating healthy, and weighing myself this morning only to find I've GAINED 3 pounds? This is all seemingly pointing to halting the whole Operation Fit-Again-In-09.

I'm about to abort mission, people. Help me out.

GORGEOUS

It's absolutely beautiful out and reminding me why I live in one of the most desirable (ie. expensive) places on earth.

So far today, I have...

* walked to pick up a chai and muffin this morning and got a tan doing it! (albeit an 'office worker' tan...but whatever)

* went to lunch at my mentor's house and sat outside by her pool in her gorgeous backyard

* am changing clothes to go run stadiums at the college overlooking the beach

* planned BBQing with friends for the evening

* set up hiking with the girls tomorrow afternoon, after an ocean swim (or surf if it's nice) in the morning!

I am so, so blessed.

Maybe Someday...

...I'll ACTUALLY be better at this 'marriage' thing, rather than thinking I am one day, and flat out stinking the next.

...I'll get tired of hiking with my dogs - but no time soon.

...I'll actually decide to listen to my Rosetta Stone and follow-through with my goal of learning Spanish.

...I'll follow my heart on a real career that is also a passion.

...I'll be not just happy, but content, with an entire day.