7 Quick Takes (Volume 169)

1) I gotta give credit where credit is due. Kevin and Ladies Man are still working hard at P90X, getting up each weekday at 6 to do their routine. They are seeing more and more results (dang it!). Ladies Man has new ripples in his triceps and chest and bigger biceps. I told them I thought it probably helped that they were doing it together.

Ladies Man: Yeah, I feel like I can't skip it because I don't want Dad to think I'm a pansy.

Kevin: So if I stop?

Ladies Man: Yeah. You'd be a pansy.

Yes! The good habits may continue!

2) The guys are inspiring me enough to join in with them. I told you last week about doing yoga (See #4). Since then, I've tried kempo-x (which is similar to kickboxing without the bag) and Plyometrics. I really enjoyed kempo-x, but probably could have had more fun with it had I been awake and included all the YAWs with my kicks. If you drive by our house next Saturday and hear ninja noises, it may be me engrossed in defeating my imaginary enemies. Enter at your own risk! The host describes Plyometrics as the mother of all the workouts. I would call it thigh purgatory. How many squats and jumps and lunges can any human complete in one hour's time? TOO MANY! I worried I wouldn't be able to climb the stairs the next day after that workout, but I wasn't as sore as I thought I'd be. And really, even if I was, do you think I'd admit it to them?!

3) Ladies Man was pretty excited when he noticed new definition in his chest. For years he's complained of having "man boobs" or "moobs" for short. Now when he flexes his chest you can see new muscles forming, definitely NOT of the saggy booby variety. Even Miss Innocent One noticed the difference.

Miss Innocent One: Good. Bye. Moobs!

4) And speaking of Miss Innocent One, do you think she has too much time on her hands?

Yes, that's an angry bird she painted herself on her fingernail. Don't ask me how. It's super cute, don't you think?

5) I have submitted myself to a new torture discipline. For years I have watched my kids and others jump on the sudoku craze and frankly I wasn't impressed. I didn't need one more thing to suck my time away. But while stuck in an airport for a few hours last fall, Kevin picked up a book of puzzles and I tried one for the first time. It didn't take long for me to get hooked, but not in a good way. I couldn't believe my ineptness! My teenagers were doing these! Why were they so hard for me? Then while I'm muddling through the EASY level, my friend told me she wished you could get a book with only HARD levels because the others are to easy and she feels like she's wasting her money on the book.

GRRRR. I became obsessed. I have a bachelor of science in mathematics, for crying out loud. Isn't that a smart person's major? Shouldn't I have superior logic skills? Why do I struggle?

It's the same feeling I get when I play chess. I go in hopeful, ready to out-strategize my opponent because I'm supposed to be smart, only to make a stupid move early on and hear "checkmate." I've gotten so frustrated I've actually flung the board and pieces into the air. On more than one occasion. Kevin refuses to play chess with me now because I can't admit he may be smarter than me and just get mad whenever we play.

But if I'm nothing else, I'm persistent. So I work on those stupid sudokus every night. And I am getting better. I can complete a HARD puzzle in my book at home if given enough time. I tackle the ones in the paper each morning, but so far I can only solve the EASY ones. Yesterday morning Kevin laughed as I tackled the INTERMEDIATE.

"I have to," I said, "I will not be stupid. I will not be stupid. I WILL NOT BE STUPID!"

Yes, I realize this is a pride issue, but doesn't research show that keeping your mind sharp is important as you age? I will not be stupid and I will not be old. There. I said it. Judge if you must.

6) I'm sighing right now, wishing I had some hysterical encounter to report about Drummer Boy and Drama Queen, but alas, I haven't seen them (insert droopy lips, sniffs and boos). I did go to plan B and stalk their Facebook pages, but nothing seemed noteworthy there. I even tried to hook up with them while in Lincoln the other day, but they both had class. It just doesn't seem right to complete a Friday Quick Takes without mentioning them so here's a shout out to my college kids. LOVE YOU GUYS!

7) Remember the planking phase our family went through? Ladies Man gave us a new one this week. It's called ostrich-ing (think sticking your head in the sand).


Yes, we are a strange lot, but we enjoy life, my friends. Hope you do too. Check out more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.