Vacation and things not vintage

I have been on "vacation" from my job as a server in a restaurant since the beginning of March. It is a planned shut down of the restaurant which happens every year and something all of us look forward to. Last year Scott and I got away to Eluthera in the Bahamas, but this year I have been held home because I have a 3 month stint on a grand jury. I was hoping to do a lot of catching up on projects during this time, but alas, I have felt very busy doing nothing.

The weather was rain, rain, rain for quite a few days here in the northeast last week which made me sluggish and not very productive. Now this week the weather has turned spring like and gorgeous and I just want to sit outside and gather some sun into my being to save for another cold spell that still may come our way. It IS only march and I DO live in a cold part of the world. So storing sun is a darn good thing.

Last night while waiting for American Idol to come on, I decided to sit down and read a book that a friend gave to me for Christmas. She told me I had to read it. But having had a few glasses of wine the night she gave it to me, I can't remember why she wanted me to read it so badly. It may be because we both turned 50 this year and she wanted me to get in better shape so we would all be around for many years. That sounds good!

I love taking bathes and so I drew a bath and got my reading glasses and settled in with the book.


I started reading the Forward by Gail Sheehy and remembered that she had recently come into the restaurant and I had been her server. I had enjoy her book Spirit of Survival which is the story of how she adopted a Cambodian refugee named Mohm, but I was not that familiar with the books she is most famous for.

Reading further I saw that it was authored by two men. First off what are two men doing writing about how a women can live longer? Okay, whatever. Then I looked them over again. Chris Crowley, Chris Crowley, Chris Crowley. The next thing I know I am laughing my butt off. I wait on Chris all the time at the restaurant. I knew he had authored some kind of book, but THIS book. It just gave me a big giggle.

The first hundred or more pages tell how we should exercise at least 6 days a week. What? Huh? 6? I don't mind exercise, well yes I do, especially when I am out of shape like I am right now. My honey has been trying to get me to take some walks outside, but I HATE the cold. HATE, HATE, HATE it and just the thought of it makes me snuggle under the covers more.

But the evidence put forth in the book is relevant and disturbing and not to be ignored. Exercise makes us feel better in hundreds of different ways. So I am writing this after just taking a one mile jog/walk. That is jogging until I feel I might collapse and then walking until I feel better. An hour and a half after doing this I still feel a little burn in my lungs, but it feels good.

So day one and counting...I plan on living to at least 100 years old, so that is 1/15600. Wish me luck.