It May be a Mini But it Maxes Out Our Garage!

     If you have been following my blog you know that we bought a Mini-Cooper a couple of months back. Our desire was, for the first time ever, to be able to put our car in the garage. That meant we could buy a Mini-Cooper, a Smart Car, or a bicycle built for two. 

George drives Minnie carefully in. There is about an inch of space on each side for "Wiggle Room."

     We opted for the Mini, which has been a favorite of ours but only a skilled driver can drive Minnie into the garage and back her out. That would be George. Observe...

There is one little cleared area for George to get out.

Even so, it's a tight fit.

I have never been one to care about putting the car in the garage. Somehow Minnie seems different.

What's New in the News?

  

Le Wiener

Hot Diggety Dog!

More pictures have surfaced of Congressman Weiner, this time on the treadmill at the Capitol naked, filming himself for posterity (sorry, accidental pun). In my humble opinion, Weiner is a wiener and they need to kick his naked butt from here to Timbuctoo. People have been very vocal on the situation, mostly, I suspect, because they like to call him a Weiner. Picketers on both sides of the issue have lined Washington D.C. government buildings bearing signs such as "Weiner needs to be "mustered" out of our government.", "Weiners are bad for our health!", and "We love the Weiner. Leave his buns alone!"

Gas Prices Are Out of Control!

Is Hugh Through?

     It's a nice change from terrorists, the war and the economy. In addition, I noted Hugh Hefner is having his own problems. Seems as if his future bride sandbagged their upcoming nuptials. Hurray for her I say. She must have gotten a look at his wiener. (Sorry, I couldn't help it).

Blessings to the Fig Leaf.

Something seems missing!

     Last but not least I see in the international news that there is an increased interest in nude hiking in some of the European countries. Germany has a number of clothing optional trails, which are clearly marked so as not to discourage or freak out tourists. From some of the nude hikers that were pictured, and who obviously had indulged in a bit too much beer and "wienerschnitzel," the nude aspect of the hiking was not that appealing.

     And that's the news.

Arnaldo Returns

He's coming again?

     Being that it is Saturday, it is time for Arnaldo! Usually, I get this panicky realization that once again the week has passed and I have done little in the way of exercise.


By the time I get my motivation moving, he's here again and I have done very little.  And he's been reading my blog. 

Oops! Caught in the Non-Act!

So he read about the day where I was supposed to walk after he left and I didn't. 

     Today was pretty pathetic. He wondered where my set of 5 pound weights were that we had used previously. Darned if we could not find them. We were all over the place looking for them. Then he wanted me to find my gloves.

Missing in Action

Oops! Wrong Gloves!

     "Are they in a place that you could get them now?" he wanted to know.

     "Well, how long are you staying?" I asked. So now in addition to my workout assignments I have to find the rest of my "equipment." However, I got a bonus point because I had purchased a foam roll that he had asked me to get. However, I forgot I had it and when George was helping us look for the weights he found it. Score 1 for Jeanne. Sort of. 

Buff Jeanne

     This week will result in a new and improved Jeanne with an Attitude for Exercise. I'm going to get myself buff! 

Balloon Man

But don't worry! I am not going to go crazy like Balloon Man!   

    

Trampoline Update

     All's quiet on the Trampoline Front.
    "How can that be?" you ask. Let me tell you.
    Yesterday, when the family came home and the little boy who owns the trampoline came outside, there was a line of kids waiting outside the fence. It looked like a returns line at Wal-Mart the day after Christmas. This time, Daddy came out and informed the neighborhood kids that there would be no trampoline jumping. Since then...an eerie calm hangs over the yard.
     I have no life. I should be exercising.

I feel like Gladys Kravitz on Bewitched!

Updates on My Life

Teachers are worn out about now.

     For those of you who avidly read my daily blogs, all 6 of you, I thought you might like an update on what is going on. First of all, the last day of school (half day) for the kids is tomorrow. Teachers are walking around like tired zombies, but they all have these grins on their faces. They are ready for a well-deserved vacation.   

     For those of you who read about the trampoline that was erected in the yard behind us. Here is the update. Within 5 minutes of the first jump on the trampoline, every kid in the neighborhood had found out about it. Yes, it is certainly a kid magnet. As a matter of fact, there are so many kids jumping on it that I am wondering when the first injury will occur and rules will be enforced about how many kids at a time. I see kids lying in wait for the family to come home. I am not sure this trampoline is going to last very long. But it is entertaining watching.   

     And for those of you following my workout progress, well I have some great leaps to report. On my last blog I mentioned that I bought a workout mat and a ball blower-upper thingy. I was quite pleased with myself and emailed Arnaldo that I had purchased EXERCISE EQUIPMENT. He was very happy about that, and came over today to see the new EQUIPMENT. He was extremely disappointed that it consisted of a mat and an inflater. He actually expected bigger stuff.  

     He was also disappointed in the quality of my workouts. In 4 days, I have done no more than about 15 minutes of exercise despite the exercise list he taped to my wall at eye level where I could not miss it. So we had another one of our conversations of despair.

     Arnaldo: What can I do to get you to work out? What am I not doing as a trainer?

     Me: You're a great trainer. I just suck as a human being. Remember that two other trainers have given up on me before you. I promise to try harder.

     Arnaldo paces up and down. "You promise. You promise. Then you never exercise."

     Real guilt was kicking me in the butt. "I will do better this week. You wait and see."

     Before Arnaldo left, he told me to take one more walk before quitting for the day. I said "OK!", took off my shoes and relaxed. I'm a tough case.   

Ahh. I like the After-Training Session Best!

Onward Toward Working Out

     Well, if you checked my blog a few days ago, you might remember that I had experienced a renewed determination to become healthier and more fit. That was about 10 days ago, I think. Well, I am moving now, no longer at the pace of a sloth, but of a Jeanne Kraus. 

     After my trainer, Arnaldo, chastised me for not working out during the whole 6 months he was gone, I felt really bad. The bad feeling did not translate into any kind of working out experience during that week. Except George and I walked around the block once.  
  

Huff Puff!

     So there I was last Saturday thinking, "OK, Arnaldo is coming over again and I still haven't done squat. What shall I do?" 

     My first thought was that I would lie to him and tell him I did work out. He'd never know, and it would make him so happy. But no, I didn't. He could tell that the exercise ball still needed more air, the equipment was dusty, he wasn't born yesterday.

     So I confessed to him that, while I was moving closer to exercise, I had not quite achieved Nirvana yet. I had not broken out in a sweat. 

Arnaldo was sad.

     This week will be different. Right after a disappointed, disillusioned Arnaldo left me on Saturday, we went to "Sports R US", not a place I had previously frequented, and decided to buy some Exercise Stuff. First was a mat since I needed a comfortable place to put my body on. Then we got a ball inflater thingy. 

These are squats. They leave ball marks on your wall.

       

This is not me.

     Well, I unfolded the mat yesterday and we inflated the ball. I actually did some squats (technical term for knee-threatening very difficult actions) with the ball. Then I put it away. Now that I am home tonight I am thinking of trying something else but I don't want to burn out. That's why I'm blogging instead.

Oh, my abs! My aching abs!

My Window Over the Years

     We bought our house about 9 years ago. The neighborhood was about 25 years old with nice sized lawns and lots of green everywhere. Our lawn is over-sized, a corner lot and we loved the openness of it all. For about 5 years we were very happy. We could go out on our back porch and watch the birds and enjoy the breezes.

OK so this was not our real backyard. But I can pretend.

Black links replaced greenery.

     Times have changed. Our neighbor behind us moved and sold his house. We really did not know them well and do not know the new neighbors either. They are nice enough people. The first thing they did that made us a little sad was to put up a chain link fence.

     The view was no longer really pretty and green but we still had the breeze. They started filling up their back yard with attractive porch furniture and a gazebo. Then a wooden swing set for their young son. In 4 years, we saw the outside BBQ and porch/gazebo used maybe once or twice. Now they have removed the swing set, the gazebo must have blown away in a strong wind. The unused porch furniture remains.  They have added a dog to the backyard. He started out as a puppy in the house and once the fence went up, much to his dismay, he became more of an outdoor dog. I now spend my time looking out the window and wishing they would let him in when he wants in. He looks so lonely.

     Well, he may not be lonely for long. Today they are installing a quite large trampoline. It is close enough to the fence, that we may get to see some entertainment on a daily basis. They are installing a big net around it to discourage people from hurtling into our yard like jet-propelled missiles. All of this just before the start of hurricane season. It could be an interesting summer.