Stating the Obvious

Office/Gym/Music practice room

If you are a regular reader of my blog for a while, (I started writing it back in April of 2012), it is likely quite obvious to you that I haven't been posting on as regular a schedule as I have over the past nearly three years.

Due to my annual practice of considering whether any New Years resolutions  redirections should be made, I've decided to take a short step back away from the blog.  So for the immediate future, I'm making a conscious decision to remove the pressure from myself that tells me I need to write a post nearly every day.  There, I've done it.  I almost feel lighter already.

I've just stated the obvious, for the reality is that I'm not getting it done anyway, because other things are taking that time that I would have devoted to organizing photos and writing a post.  And that's OK.  Those other things are things that I've decided need to be done.

Oh, I'll still write a post, now and then.  Especially if we travel, or have other adventures I feel compelled to share.

What exactly are those other things (redirections) that I've been doing?

First, I've taken a part time job, as a personal assistant.  It is a perfect job for me, as I can work from home on my laptop, and my hours are flexible.  I can do the work any time that suits me throughout the day.  Although this job currently requires anywhere from one to three hours a day, I foresee that the number of hours I can work will increase down the road.  And that's a good thing - it means the business is continuing to grow and thrive.

Secondly, now that my heel is completely healed (full recovery was estimated to require up to 18 months following my June 2013 surgery), I can make fitness and working out a priority again.  With that in mind I've made a few modifications to my home office, and now I'll call it my office/gym.

My "gym" has plenty of light and a good comfy chair to collapse into.

And finally, along with getting myself back in shape, I'd like to reduce/limit the number of times each week that we eat out, and shift at home in the direction of healthier recipes.  That will require more careful recipe researching, meal planning, grocery shopping, and meal prep.  It takes time to do all that well, and as much as I like working on meals, sometimes in the past I've let the cupboards go bare, often requiring us to "wing it" or eat out.

Now, back to my home gym.  I've equipped it with the items I will need for the workouts I've been doing.  The available floor space is about 9 feet long by 7 feet wide, certainly enough to do what I need to do, standing, sitting, or laying down.

I've removed a large houseplant from the one corner.  Now I'm using that corner to store my exercise mat and cardio step and risers.

Another corner is now home to a barbell and a small assortment of weight plates for the barbell.

For my workouts I've chosen to use some of the home fitness DVD programs offered by the Beachbody company.  I store the kits and the accompanying fitness and nutrition guides nearby on my office bookshelves.  Right now I'm working through the Les Mills PUMP program.

I have a workout calendar hanging there, telling me which PUMP DVD workout I need to do on each day of the week.  For some reason I enjoy marking the calendar after each workout.  (As if my sore muscles weren't enough reminder that I'm doing something good for my body......)

I can set my laptop on the small table near the "collapse" chair, and easily follow the fitness routines from anywhere in my little gym.  Yes, those are trumpets, music stands and music books there in the corner.  This little room in the back of our house truly gets a lot of use.

I've got my sweat towel handy,

and in the ongoing attempt to determine the cause of my recent migraine headaches, I've got my blood pressure monitor nearby on the desk.  I use it every couple of days, at different times of the day, to keep track of my blood pressure between visits to the doctor.

I've shown all these pictures of my funny, little gym and its accessories, because I fully believe where there's a will to get healthy and fit, there's a way.  One doesn't need a lot of space or even a lot of fancy equipment to get in some daily exercise.  I lost 100+ pounds at home before, and I can do it again.

In summary, these three things - my new part time job, my commitment to doing a daily challenging workout, and my desire to prepare healthier, home cooked meals - will somewhat limit the time I have to write a daily blog post.

I'm not saying "goodbye" friends, just maybe "see you later."

I'll be around.  I gotta do what I gotta do.