Who Needs A Gym?

Indeed.  Not me! 

Although I have often thought of how much better I would feel if I would get up every day, and be faithful to a gym workout program... or at least A workout program. 

I mean, I could just do some sit-ups, and that would be better than nothing!   Right?


But... I have lots of excuses for not working out... and they are really good ones.  Like...

I just don't feel like it today.... 

It's snowing... 

It's too cold ... and I'll have to plug in the truck to start it to take it to town.... 

I can't leave the fire cause then the house will get really, really cold... 

The dogs look so sad when I leave, how can I leave them out in the cold? 

I haven't even figured out what's for dinner yet.... 

I really need to clean today...

It wouldn't hurt to dust today too... all the dust from the wood fires burning constantly.... 

I've got a really good book to read.... 

Do you know what I'm talking about... the never ending excuses that we easily come up with to AVOID exercise at any cost!

Well.  In the winter I do have an excuse .... right? 

There is just too much snow on the roads to walk, and walking through deep snow puts waaay too much stress on my legs and heart.   That doesn't sound healthy at all.  Reading a book sounds much better...

Ha...I wonder if you know what I mean...  it is so easy to let each day pass by, and watch the beauty outside from the window, but never actually GET OUTSIDE and move!

Well, I had great excuses to stay indoors the other day.  It was snowing...  hard.... and you couldn't even see the little mountain just outside my window. 

Even my dogs didn't want to go outside.  They would rather stay inside close by the fire, and keep their little paws warm. 

I still don't know what made me do it.  I really don't.  Oh yes.  That's right. I remember now what it was that started this whole business.

I needed to get the mail. Well, in order to get the mail, I had to walk through about 2 feet of snow.  That really required more than just boots and a jacket.  I needed to put my snowpants on in order to wade through all that snow, just to get my mail. 

So, since I was waiting on an important piece of mail, it seemed appropriate that I get all dressed up with boots, hat, scarf, mittens, snow pants.... the whole shebang.  Just to get the mail.  Wow. 

Don't you want to come live in Idaho where it takes ten minutes to get dressed just to get the mail? 

Ok. Welll maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but you get the picture.  I'm not running out to get the mail in a tee- shirt because it is 18 degrees outside and two feet of snow on the ground! 

So, I get all dressed up and head out the door. 

Great.  The steps are covered in two inches of snow with a layer of ice under them.  Someone forgot to put the ice melt on last night. 

So, I go back inside and find the ice melt, grab the snow shovel, and scrape the excessive snow off my steps.  My German Shepherd, who is still a puppy and loves to play in the snow... decides she needs to help me.  She sticks her nose under the shovel and pushes it up and then backs away playfully.

Ok, I get it! She wants to play.  How fun!  Playing in the snow when its snowing really hard outside, and cold too... no problem.  I can do this.  So, I pick up a shovelful of snow and throw it towards her, and the game is on.  I end up chasing her all around the yard with shovels full of snow.  I only manage to land snow on her once or twice.  She is really quick!  And she loves this game. 

I begin to shovel the steps once more, and then realize that my mission was the mailbox...  so I begin to shovel a path to the mailbox.  Once I get to the mailbox, I realize I could make the path just a bit wider.  So, I shovel a path back to the house from the mailbox.

Then I forgot that I didn't get my mail. So, I push the shovel again all the way to the street, to check my mail.

Crash! Whoa!!   Ok, great.... as I tried to pull down on the little door handle on the mailbox to check my mail, the box falls off.... right into the street! 

What! Not again!!

I stare angrily down the street.  That stupid snow plow!  He knocked my mailbox again this morning, and it was hanging by one tiny screw, and when I tried to open it, the whole thing just fell off. 

Well great. 

Here I am expecting to get my important piece of mail, and now the mailman won't deliver to a box that is not secure. 

So, I realize I need to stay outside until the mail comes, so I won't miss her. 

Hmm. Well, I guess I could shovel the driveway some more.

And you know what!  That is what I did!

I shoveled a path for our car to easily get into the driveway in a little over an hour.  My dogs stayed right beside me the whole time... jumping, rolling, and playing in the snow.  It was a game to them... but for me.... it was work.... no a workout! 

Whew! I was exhausted.  I lay down in the snow for a minute to rest, and the dogs pounced on me, and got so excited thinking this was a new game I was playing.  NOT! 

Well, just now I heard the mail lady coming.  I gathered myself together and headed for the end of the driveway.  She wasn't too happy when she saw my mailbox.  She said, "If you don't have it fixed tomorrow, we will not deliver your mail."

Like it's "my" fault the mailbox is destroyed? I can't help it if the snowplow driver assigned to our road gets his daily kicks in destroying mailboxes all up and down our street.  (I guess the hardware store doesn't mind either... more business for them!) 

But I knew what this meant...  This means another trip to the hardware store hoping they have the plastic bottom part I need to re-attach my mailbox to the post. 

Oh well.  I survived, and then I remembered.... I don't need the gym for a workout.... I can always get out and shovel my driveway... now there's a happy thought! 

(I think tomorrow, I'll just wait for the kids to get home to run and get the mail for me.... ) 
 

I don't need a workout gym... no not at all!  I have the great big wide cold wet snowy outdoors to play in, and really... none of my excuses change the fact... that there really is nothing more exhilarating to do than just get outside and have fun wherever you're at. 


Well... Toodle.de.doo for now .... (Interpreted.... until we meet again)