Frannie

I’ve learned in the last year that even though I don’t mind exercising, my mind has a habit of stopping my body from pushing itself. If my mind says “you’ve had enough”, I stop. I realize I need someone else to be in charge of my body.

Last week, I got a 7-day pass to a woman’s only gym and I went to 4 different classes this week. Track, cardio, ball and Pilates. I’m happy to say I didn’t quit. I pushed myself, even if I wasn’t comfortable. During a step/dance exercise, I must have said “I can’t do this” outloud because the instructor said “Yeah, you can – and you are”. Everyone heard because she had her little microphone on….I sure couldn’t quit after that!

Last night, I did Pilates for the first time. My mind was fighting it – in my head I heard “you can’t sit up, your legs are weak” – but my body wasn’t listening. My body was doing (or trying to do) what the instructor was telling it to do – not me. Just what I was hoping for.

This entry could go under a few different goals but the end result of it is that my physical comfort zone is expanding. My body is learning it can do things my mind never thought it could do.
Here’s hoping someday my mind will take the lead.

Althought I did have some trouble with the tube at first. The instructions on the tube said to puncture the inner seal. I knew what that meant but I didn’t understand HOW to do it. And puncture it with what? I’d read instructions on-line which mentioned some tubes had inner seals and some didn’t, but it too didn’t say how to get to the seal. Typical. Instructions written by someone who already KNOWS WHAT TO DO.

I found the 800 # on the tube and it said “Got a question?”. Why, yes I do…so I called…and proceeded to spend 10 minutes on hold with Muzak before being disconnected. Ugh! But I was determined. I called again, and finally got someone. I explained my question to the woman who clearly did not understand.
“You need to puncture the inner seal” she said. Think she was reading the tube?
“Yes, I know that, but how? How do I get to the seal?”
“Maybe a nail?” she said hesitantly. Way to sound like an expert….
“A nail is too short”.
She responded with silence…then “Please hold”....then Muzak….then dial tone.

I could’ve gotten mad and called back but why bother? I sat at my desk and stared at the tube. Maybe unbending a paper clip? I grabbed a big one, stretched it out and pushed it into the nozzle. Pop! Inner seal punctured!

Next I practiced with the gun until I was comfortable with the amount of pressure to exert on the trigger. It was kind of like icing a cake (funny how my thoughts still go to the food). Armed with my gun, water and rags, I started. I did pretty well, keeping it light and straight, using my finger to smooth it out. I got a little sloppy in some spots but it was clear so who cares,right?

When I saw my friend to return his caulking gun, I told him about my calling the 800 #. His response? “That is such a chick-thing to do”. I had to laugh because THAT was SUCH a guy-response.

All in all, the caulking helped but I’ve got one more step. Plastic around the air conditioners. Thankfully, I know how to do this…no 800 # needed.

Tomorrow my sister and I are going to take the kids to the movies. We’d planned to see “Where the Wild Things Are” but the kids really want to see the MJ movie. So…that’s what we’re going to do.