Funny Story and other Stuff

While I was in Wimberly for my friend's birthday bash, a bash of 3, I came to a very realistic conclusion, I'm sooo out of shape. It's not an epiphany, Lord knows, I have a mirror and a doctor who every so often tells me to exercise to control the cholesterol and diabetes. I'm unable to take statins for the cholesterol...in that 2% that develops muscle problems in the legs...fell flat on my face in front of the Liberal Arts building a few years ago while attending college while being on a statin for just 2 weeks. Yep, I ate granite and only one young man came to my aid while the rather large group of students just stood and watched. What was really bad was that as I fell, my heavy backpack hit me in the back of my head!! I shuffled into my Humanities class, all the while during the 1 hour and 20 min. lecture, thinking how I was going to get back to my car parked in what's called "Cardiac Hill," let alone just get up the hill to the Fox Fine Arts building. Cardiac Hill is the parking lot adjacent to the Sun Bowl stadium. My concerns were more important than what some dead Roman statesman had to say! I was able to get myself up the hill to the Fine Arts building where I called my hubby to come pick me up and take me to my car. Once home, I looked up the side affects on all the recently new meds I had been prescribed, and there it was...if you develop muscle pain, discontinue use and immediately call you doctor...great!! Long story already too long, I luckily didn't develop whatever complications I would have had I not had this little incident on campus. I also gave away my heavy, Doc Marten sandals to my daughter and stepdaughter...ya know what it's like to shuffle in those heavy things???

Anyway, as usual, I digress. So here we were in the lovely Texas Hill Country, and I do mean "hill," lots of them. Now I live in a hilly, mountainous area, but that's why I have a car!! My friend loves to take nature walks, me, well, not so much. So the majority rules, I went along, with great difficulty. I noticed certain activities that I could perform a couple of years ago, were either more difficult or almost impossible. The camp was very rustic, steps to the river were made of large stones and the walk down there was almost vertical...oy!! Later on that day, they wanted to go to the "Bamboo Forest," which was another vertical escapade. As we were going down the rocky incline, I noticed something on my right side, a female deer had heard or smelled us before we saw her and she panicked and attempted to jump over a wire fence, but her head got caught in it and she was struggling to escape. I freaked out...that poor animal was going to perish because of us! I started back up to the road and they followed. Fortunately, she freed herself and successfully jumped out of the small pen.

Sooo, I decided 2 weeks ago while struggling to breath as I walked along the piney and rocky roads, I had to do something about my physical condition. It was a major wake-up call and the Universe was not going to accept anymore denial and I certainly didn't want to push my luck, next wake-up call could be a heart attack or stroke. I came home, looked up a gym near my house, HerGym, and Monday went and joined. Due to a minor mishap, I was unable to go on Tuesday, so yesterday, I took my first Zumba class. Of course, the instructor was adorable, petite and moved like an exotic Vegas chorus girl. I loved the Latin/Tribal sounds and realized that the Zumba moves were very similar to the age-old high impact aerobics. I took high impact aerobics for 10 years between my mid-30's to my mid-40's. Stopped due to a little life change...a horrible separation and divorce, plus I was working, then returned to school. So as all those sweet young thangs were moving their bodies, arms, legs and hips in sinc, I modified back to the old aerobic moves. I sweated like a whore in Mass and I actually felt pretty energetic the rest of the day, however, moving very slowly! But by about 5 last evening, I was exhausted from the days activities. Well, in a bit, I'm going to start it all over again, except with a personal trainer, she's part of the price, no extra charge, is going to show me how to develop a weight training routine with the machines.

Well, my lovelies, I'm back and my hamstrings feel like butta and my arms, like rubba!! I'm actually liking this, really!! The trainer, another gorgeous, sweet young thang, was very helpful and showed my how to operate all the machines for both upper and lower body, then told me how create my own routine in the time I've allotted for my daily workout. So we'll see just how well I can move tomorrow for another Zumba class. Folks, I mean it, I'm dedicated to lose the weight and get most of this "fluffiness" off of me. I was going to join Weight Watcher, but, nah, I really don't have a big appetite (of course you should have seen me Sunday at this eatery in San Miguel, NM after we hiked and did some fossil hunting...I ate every bit of my 3, rather large tacos, didn't eat the refried beans and rice, though, but topped it off with a homemade cherry empandada..my soooo bad..hey, I hadn't eaten since early that morning!!) and besides, I really don't like those meetings.

Here's the funny story that I have to share, at least I think it's funny. So I went into my nearby Michaels to get a jar of fixative, was running out, and decided to also get some of the Fall coloured flowers for my paper mache masks for next year. I go to the floral section and there, singing her little heart away, is a young mother. As I listened, she was singing her praises to the Lord. Ok, I have no problem with people who are enthusiastic about their faith, I admire it. I turned to look at her and there she was, Crazy Eyes! I smiled politely then began sorting through the flowers hoping she wouldn't start a conversation. Well here is how it went; I'm G and she's CE, for crazy eyes:

CE: Hi, isn't it a beautiful day?
G: Yes, it is (then I looked away again)
CE: Have you found the Lord?
G: I wasn't aware He was lost!
CE: Are you a Christian?
G: (ok, this is where I decided to mess with her, if I believed in Hell, I know I'm going there)I'm a Nanist.
CE: What's a Nanist?
G: We worship the great Goat Goddess , Nan. (inspired by "nanny goat.")
CE: (eyes even crazier and her voice goes up several decibels) You mean you worship a "BEAST!"
G: (Me trying not to have an accident in my undies) Not just any beast, she's very special, she's the great Goat Goddess, Nan!
CE: I've never heard of such a thing.
G: Oh yes, it's a very ancient religion...older than "Rambo." That's the worship of the great Ram God, Rambo.
CE: (backing away from me slowly) Well, I've never heard of such things, I hope the Lord forgives you. God bless.
G: Thank you and Nano-Nano. (Hoping she's never seen old re-runs of "Mork & Mindy!")

After she backed away and couldn't leave the floral department fast enough, a woman who was on the other side of the display, came over and asked me if I was really telling the truth, told her "Nah, I'm Catholic." We both laughed and she said this woman had been singing away and had asked her the same question about her religious beliefs and she said she was Jewish and that the girl just turned away. I suppose her religious group are intolerant of Jews and Nanoists!

Sat. Oct. 15.

So I decided to finish this blog and send it out to the blog world while I can still move my fingers. After 2 Zumba sessions, Wed. & Fri., and one hour of learning the machines, I found myself almost immobile yesterday. After two days of energy to spare I totally crashed yesterday. I came home from Zumba and I thought I wasn't going to make it to my front door. I sat a bit to cool down then drug my very sore body to shower. After that, I just sat on the couch and decided I was going to just veg for the day. I watched two wonderful movies on TCM, "Far From the Maddening Crowd," based on the novel by Thomas Hardy...read his work in my senior year of high school...what a depressing bloke!! The next one was "The Three Musketeers," the 1973 version with Michael York, what a babe he was...was soooo in love with him. He's now an old creepy looking guy!! LOL The other day on the radio, the host of the program I listen to was talking about the new version of the "The 3 Musketeers," and what a flop it was. I told my hubby- guy that my favorite was the one done back in the 70's. How lucky I was to have the opportunity to watch it!!

Today I 'm going to stay put in the studio while my honey and my son attend a children's birthday party. How lucky am I not to go!!!! LOL I really have to hunker down and complete the rest of my work to send out to the gallery in Chandler, AZ next week. Due to my mother's illness this past summer, I was running a bit behind. I didn't make as much this year as last, but I'm gearing up for next year thanks to Judah of http://judahsleep.blogspot.com , who sent me a dozen paper mache masks from a Michaels in Atlanta, GA and my daughter who also found paper mache coffins at her Michaels in Austin, TX. Hey Judah, if you're reading this....send me your address...I have your return address in Atalanta, but don't you live in TN?? Anyway, let me know which address to send the reimbursement. Sent you a message on FB too.

During my very energetic moments on Thurs., I put up my Halloween tree up:



My little ornies are a collection of prizes I have won throughout my time on Blogger. The doll was from a doll exchange last year and created by the lovely Marfi from http://marfibradford.blogspot.com/

Also, here are my little coffins I created for Xico, Inc.'s Dia de los Muertos celebration next week and into Nov. I bought these coffins a couple of months ago and didn't know what do with them till one Benedryl induced night, I dreamed these up. I wanted to make more, but as usual, our local Michaels were out of them and didn't anticipate any more inventory. They are from l to r, Daniela, La Danzarina (the dancer), Chepa, La Chismosa (the gossip) and Ceci, La Sirina (the mermaid).



Well, time for me to check out and make some art. Sorry about this blog being a bit long, but that's what happens when life gets in the way and you have to write about your "happenings" in increments! Peace out...NANO-NANO!! LOL