Why is working out so much work?

April 24, 2010

I know what you are thinking, that Steve was at the gym doing his cardio, then some weight lifting, then some stretching... whew.  If you know me or have seen photos, you are ready to comment that for me to look this good, I must already know that working out takes effort.  Well, there are several  issues with that thought process.

1.  I have touched up my photos so that I look that good.  To see me at the pool would actually make you subconsciously want to run home and iron everything.  (I am that wrinkled, you see)

2.  My gym membership called and asked what it did wrong.  "How come you don't like me anymore?", it wondered.   "Was I not there for you after you paid for me for the next two years?"  Thanks for rubbing it in, Ms. gym membership.

3.  The effort/work I was referring to had nothing to do with working out.

Here is what happened.  I was sitting on my arse playing a video game, when I started to feel guilty.  I felt like I should be at the gym.  But then I realized that the gym is at least 5 minutes from our house, and they frown on members who show up in their pajamas.  You see my gym clothes were all the way in the basement.  I know you are feeling me here.  So I came up with a solution that would take away this feeling of guilt, and get me in better shape, and allow me to stay home.  So I flopped down on the floor and told myself to give myself 20.  Proudly, I gave myself 25 push ups.  Here is where the problem arose.

As I did said push ups, I noticed that there were quite a few dust bunnies under the couches.  How did this happen, I wondered.  Did I not just vacuum in February?  We do not have pets of carpeting, so where did this dust come from?

So the next thing I know, I am hauling out the vacuum.  When I vacuum, I do the whole first floor.  We live in a cape cod totaling 1100 square feet, so to say I do the whole first floor is not equivalent to saying I had to vacuum the floors at Target.  It is a project that takes about 30 minutes, but hopefully Beth thinks it takes an hour.  Beth is not a fan of vacuuming, so she kinda digs me when I do this chore.  Plus, I recently put sliders on the bottom of the couches and ottoman, so moving the furniture around is not so bad and leaves less scrapes on the floor than before.

So there I was having a suck fest.  I take the 3 floor mats we have on the first floor, shake them on the back porch, and then vacuum.  I usually "forget" to put the mats back so that Beth will notice that I vacuumed.  I am pretty sure she sees right through this, but doesn't say anything.  Did I mention she is not a fan of the vacuum?

Anyway, it may be awhile before I work out at home again if cleaning becomes part of this routine.

Speaking of working out, I challenged CJ to give me some push ups last night.  I said I would give him one dollar per push up.  He struck the pose, and I now owe him approximately zero dollars.  He lay on the (clean) floor moaning, when I accused him of being 135 pounds of jelly doughnuts.  He replied that he was actually 130 pounds of love, 4.5 pounds of doughnuts, and....  Before he could finish, Beth finished for him.  .5 pounds of brains she said.  He immediately backed this up as I asked him if CJ stood for Cindy Jo, due to his push up prowress.  "I think not", he said, "Cindy starts with S".

That .5 pounds may have been a little high.