Me in Place

Determined to get on that treadmill for at least 30 minutes today, I’ve been plodding around in sweatpants and old t-shirt, waiting for my opportune moment. This opportune moment happens, oh, say, once every 54 days, so I grabbed an inopportune moment and started away. I thought I’d describe my 30 Minutes o’ Treadmill Fun.

Minutes 1:00-5:00 go by with no interruption. I use the treadmill time to pick up an easy reading book I keep down there.

5:01 – A small rubber bouncy ball is dropped by 4yo and gets sucked into the tread on the mill!! A Crisis! We stop the treadmill, we cry loudly! We rescue the bouncy ball.

5:02 -7:43 – Tread is moving again. All is well.

7:44- 7yo is working on a puzzle about Groundhog Day. She can’t figure out how to unscramble the word “February.” She asks. I hint. She asks how to spell it. For the next three minutes, I spell F-E-B-R-U-A-R-Y… No… F-E-B-R-U-A-R-Y… over and over until I realize I’m yelling it.

10:45 – February is spelled. Bouncy ball still safe. Mom resumes reading about a mom who is overwhelmed with having a 6 month old baby. And Gasp! having to feed it lunch.Whatever.

13:48 – Fight erupts! Mother barks orders from treadmill to end fight. Fight ends.

15:09 – 2 yo seems to be out of bed and not napping. I hear talking. I yell up..determined NOT to get off that treadmill until I do my time. “Get in bed, please!”

15:15-19:15 – I discuss with my daughters the benefits of picking up after one’s self. It’s not going over well. They find a lot of benefit in Blaming Others. I realize I can talk without huffing and puffing, which, according to one magazine is a sign of being at an appropriate level of exercise. And, according to another magazine, means you are a wuss and should be going 10 mph faster.

19:16 – 24:00 – wow. Peace. I read.

24:01 – We finally allow 2yo to get up. He comes downstairs and adds to the noise level in my own personal basement gym. We notice a strange smell emanating from his behind. I refuse to stop working out. Must… do… exercise.

28:04 – Phone rings. Everyone gets excited. But I ignore. Must… keep… going.

29:23 – I note the green eruption slowly smearing up 2yo’s back. Must reach 30 minutes!

30:00!!! I have hardly made any progress in walking to Wrigley – but I’ve done it! I’ve done 30 minutes of exercise!

And we go up and bathe my little green poo monster.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.