IN WHICH FATE CONSPIRES

For about the past week, it's felt like Fate has been conspiring to keep me from working out, and today I received confirmation in the following ways:

1. It is true that I am not much of a dancer OR a runner, but it is NOT true that I have two left feet. Yet I managed to bring only running shoes suitable for the aforementioned.

2. Seconds after making this discovery, this disgusting specimen skittered out of the shoe which I thankfully had NOT tried on:

And before all you Floridians start in with "Oh, it's just a Palmetto bug,", save your breath, my friends. I am from Texas and know what a cockroach looks like. Besides, the rest of the country knows that Palmetto bug is just a cute euphemism to help you feel better about the fact that among the many amazing and beautiful lifeforms that inhabit your lovely state are millions and millions of COCKROACHES. A number of them, apparently, inhabiting my apartment and ignoring all the roach traps I placed on day one.

3. (No photographic evidence) The slightly run down but adequate gym at the apartment complex features a TV which apparently only gets Martha Stewart, and some show about a lady who makes pot roast. I require much more entertainment to keep me chugging away on a squeaky elliptical machine for an  hour. Fortunately I had my IPod and phone and was able to entertain myself by making snarky FaceBook posts about Palmetto bugs and the quality of local television viewing.

Well, I am here in Florida, after a three day trip and a previous week spent packing (evidently somewhat haphazardly) and rehearsing Spotlight on Opera's Valentine's concert. I did not work out once and we ate out a lot, with the result that I left for Florida feeling like an overfed slug.

It was a lovely trip. I particularly enjoyed the colorful billboards throughout Louisiana:

And the moon module replica at the rest stop in Mississippi, which looked like something out of War of the Worlds coming to get you and ruin your picnic:

But my favorite part of the trip was stopping off at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, and seeing the wild manatees! We spent a couple of hours walking around and enjoying this beautiful park, which rehabilitates Florida native animals and houses some of those that can't be released back into the wild, including a number of manatees; but the wild ones also come into the park to enjoy the warm waters of the spring, and we sighted a few. We also enjoyed the park's abundant other wildlife.

Here in Sarasota, I am finally getting settled in. There's a nice condo and it does have a small, basic fitness room; there are some bike trails around, but street riding here is pretty dangerous and I don't think I want to risk it. I had hoped to bike to rehearsal. However, I can take my bike in the van down to the beach and ride there. Eric and I went for a nice long walk along the beach.

Views like that are a pretty good incentive to get yourself outside and moving!

I feel I've never been so far off track since I started this journey, but I continue to fight hard to get back on. It's a step by step thing. Last night, I wanted to snack for no other reason than I was bored and missed Eric (who went home yesterday). I did not. Today, I had a healthy breakfast and I got up and went to the gym. And after my shower, I'll have a big salad for lunch. This is yet another reboot,  and I'll reboot as many times as it takes. I will not be defeated! 

Comments

[Cindy]

Thanks Mike ... but the Texas roaches would've eaten it. Everything's bigger in Texas, you know. ;)

[Karen]

Oh, how I wish I was, but there's still too much stuff to do with the house so alas....I will be braving the "winter" to the north. Which looks suspiciously like spring right now.

I'm sending oodles of positive juju your way, and mentioned to Mom and Papa Jim that you would be gracing the stage there. They were intrigued.

[Mike Hawley]

Honey, you could've slapped a saddle on that there Palmeeter Bug and ridden that sucker home to Texas. They do get big in Florida. Keep on going. You look great and you sound great! (on paper, that is).

Mike

[Cindy]

Thanks, Marta. Thanks, Natalie! Good luck with your exams! Karen, are you visiting Mom and Papa Jim anytime soon? :)

[Natalie]

I'm in the middle of exams at the moment, and I was SO happy to see a new post. And so relevant! These exams are massive, and I've put on about 6 pounds with stress eating and not finding the time to exercise, but you inspired me to get out and fit in a 20 min run this morning. I'm pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE for my life :) Thanks for the reboot inspiration.

[Marta]

Always look forward to your posts. You're inspiring. Keep on truckin'!

[Karen]

Mom and Papa Jim are outside of Tampa avoiding the "snow" up north. Y'all are practically neighbors!