Catching up

I have some photos I have taken over the past few days that I've been meaning to post, but haven't had time to do. So, here you go:

First, this is a photo of the outside of the gym we belong to. It's pretty plain - a big steel building - which helps keep the costs down, I suppose. It has 24 hour access, which is really nice. We have a keycard that we use to gain entry during the hours no one is in the office. It doesn't have a bunch of fancy stuff like a swimming pool, racquetball courts, steam rooms, and such. It has a lot of free weights, a lot of machines for working every muscle in your body, and several machines for doing cardio exercises, like recumbant bikes, treadmills, stairclimbers, and whatnot. It now has a "studio" for classes like aerobics and martial arts, none of which I engage in. It is only about 3 blocks from work, which makes it very convenient. It costs us $39 a month for the both of us, which is pretty cheap. I try to go to the gym every morning at 6:30. I am not always successful. My husband almost never misses his workout, which takes place during his lunch break at 3:00 pm.




I took this photo on one of our brutally cold mornings. See how deceptively sunny and warm looking it is? Don't be fooled. It was about 10 degrees out on this morning.

The old plant

When I graduated from high school, one of the souvenirs I got at our Grad Night party was a clear glass mug with the, at that time, ubiquitous smiley face on it. I still have that silly mug. Part of the reason I still have it is that my sister, Kristi, planted a golden pothos in it shortly after I graduated. She is a plant goddess. Everything she touches grows like crazy. She has 10 green thumbs, at least. It's only fitting that she lives on an 80 acre farm with all sorts of things growing on it. She's as adept with animals as she is with plants. She is a dog trainer extraordinaire. Since we were in high school, she has obedience trained hundreds of dogs, some hers, most not hers. She is pretty darned amazing. Well, she planted this plant, and I carried it with me from home to my first apartment when I went off to college, and from there to every apartment, cottage, and house in which I ever lived. I finally repotted it about 10 or 15 years ago into a "normal" pot. It lives on my refrigerator. I have never cut it back, nor have I ever taken cuttings from it. It is the original, 34 year-old plant, just in a new pot. I suppose it should be a lot bigger, but I only have half a green thumb, so I'm just thankful it's not dead. Here is a photo of it growing up the wall in my kitchen above my fridge, my stainless pots, and around my beloved David Goines posters. Gosh, it has outlasted two husbands, countless dwellings, and is older than all my kids. I love this plant.



Cat nap

How can you not get all warm and fuzzy inside when you see a furry little bundle like this waiting for you to get home from work? Ali sits right here - the front door is to the right - and waits for me to come home every day. As soon as I open the door, she stretches, sits up, and waits for me to come pet her.



So... that's about it for now. I guess that catches me up. Next... ice skating!