Water Aerobics

Can you find me in the picture??? I didn't think so. So, it's a million plus degrees outside, as summer has started, and the thought of doing anything physical just about makes me want to gag. I have two friends insane enough to work out at an UNAIRCONDITIONED gym in Lufkin. Those girls need to take a trip to Rusk . . . permanently. But I digress . . .

A local gym in town is offering water aerobics classes at a pool that is, oh, roughly four blocks from my house or so. So I went to the demo class on Saturday. It was wonderful! I was sore all over, yet managed to never sweat (maybe being in water up to my chin and blowing bubbles during many of the moves helped with that). At the end of the "demo class," I eagerly signed up for class Tuesday-Friday (it's not offered any other days).

I had to work on Tuesday, so I missed my first official day of class. I woke up all gung-ho yesterday morning, eager to go and get a great workout. I get to the pool, and . . . well, it was a scene similar to the one above, except these ladies look more active than we ever did. Our instructor is a girl who used to be an accountant for my husband's office and has had no training in fitness instruction at all, except that she's now an accountant for this gym's office. Ummmm . . .don't think I'll be doing the Wednesday-Friday class after all. I am going to try the class today and see if there's a different clientele (I've been promised it's a different instructor).

Then I guess I'm going to call the gym and sign up for their booty-kicking, fat-burning, sweat-inducing Fitness Fusion classes at 9:15 MWF. What's another hour out of my day?? Wait a minute--I hate sweating! And I'm going to sweat! Oh, sigh . . . guess I'll go eat some leftover birthday cake while I ponder this through . . . .

Letting Go

Okay. So one of my closest and best friends in the world is leaving town tomorrow. With her husband. And her two precious babies. And the dog they adopted four years ago. And I have been bawling inappropriately and unexpectedly on and off for a couple of weeks now (as I did when I learned they were moving late in December). And they're only moving three hours away. That's all. But still. . . she won't be across the street for me to run to. Her house won't be open for my babies to intrude into at all hours of the day and night. Her wisdom, guidance, calm, cool nature and authenticity won't be directly across the street from me anymore and doggone it, I'm pretty devastated about that.

This friend, Alison, is an absolute GEM. I have met very few people like her in my lifetime and know there won't be many more. She is a rock, a cornerstone, and so many of us lean on her all the time. She has introduced my children to crafts, cheese balls, beading projects, shrinky dinks, and so much more.

Alison has been such a role model to me about how to be as a mother, what really matters in life, how important it is to be accessible and loving to all and I'm just going to miss her more than I can even imagine. When she came, her oldest was 3 and my oldest was almost 2. Her youngest daughter turned 2 three months after my little guy did. These girls served as his sisters long before the arrival of my daughter and Alison served as his surrogate momma on the days I thought I would lose my mind. They ran around in diapers together and now run around all over together.

So, this song I LOVED in college has been running through my mind all day, after an, oh, fifteen or so year hiatus--here it is: "Letting Go" by Suzy Bogguss--now I just have to figure out how to let them go tomorrow without throwing down on the driveway!

She'll take the painting in the hallway,
The one she did in jr. high
And that old lamp up in the attic,
She'll need some light to study by.

She's had 18 years to get ready for this day
She should be past the tears, she cries some anyway
Oh oh letting go
There's nothing in the way now,
Oh letting go, there's room enough to fly
And even though, she's spent her whole life waiting,
It's never easy letting go.

Mother sits down at the table
So many things she'd like to do
Spend more time out in the garden
Now she can get those books read too.

She's had 18 years to get ready for this day
She should be past the tears, she cries some anyway.
Oh oh letting go
There's nothing in the way now,
Oh letting go, there's room enough to fly
And even though, she's spent her whole life waiting,
It's never easy letting go.

Oh oh letting go
There's nothing in the way now,
Oh letting go, there's room enough to fly
And even though, she's spent her whole life waiting,
It's never easy letting go.