Fun Friday – From Buffet to Barbell: A Cautionary Tale

 

Are you old enough to remember the old TV show, Gilligan’s Island? The lyrics of the song went like this, “just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a faithful trip…”

This is a story about the moments when vacation ambition meets reality. My faithful trip started with good intentions. I preplanned in my head, that I would workout and make healthy eating choices.

The first day of my trip was a travel day, a twelve-hour ride in a van, with stops for gas, food, and the occasional restroom break. I packed healthy snacks to sustain me throughout the weeklong trip. I had done so much sitting that I was happy to spend time in the hotel fitness center the next morning.

I stepped onto the elliptical for a ten-minute warmup.  Panting and puffing I made it through the warmup, then walked around the room to steady my breathing. My eyes locked on the sign on the wall that read, Fitness Center Rules. Let me break down some of those rules.

Rule #1              This facility is not supervised. Use of the equipment is the responsibility of the guest.                               

The first mistake the hotel made was to assume I am responsible and to trust me to be unsupervised.

Rule #2              Guest is responsible for knowing his/her own physical limitations.

Hmm. My physical limitation is that I need to learn how to put my fork down and push away from the dinner table.

Rule #3              Please, no wet bathing suits or bare feet.

First of all, I’m not about to put on a dry bathing suit (let alone a wet one), until I can transform some of my flab to fit. And bare feet? I know better than walking around a fitness center with bare feet. I hesitate to walk bare foot around my house. I’ve stubbed my toes enough to know how to walk cautiously.

Rule #7              Use at your own risk.

This rule should have been listed first. I had already broken several rules before reading number seven. The moment I waved my room key and entered the fitness center; I was on my own.

During my weeklong vacation, I was in many buffet lines. I enjoyed sampling the flavors of the area I was visiting. I ate meals without regret because I also walked a lot while visiting museums and other attractions.

From the buffet line to use of the barbells in the fitness center, finding balance is key. I caution you…don’t stress over being perfect. Laugh a little, have fun, and keep showing up for yourself.

Share a humorous tale you have experienced.

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday - Humor Happy Hour - The Church Meeting

 

YouTube Video: The Church Meeting - When your face looks different

Wordless Wednesday - Humor Happy Hour - The Drive-thru

 

YouTube Video: Humor Happy Hour - The Drive-thru

Monday Musings – From Grumpy to Grateful: Flipping the Switch on a Bad Day

 

Grateful for an abundance of shoes; frustrated that they all remain at the front door.

Grumpy is easy to achieve, but so is being grateful…well, it should be easy. Now that I think about it, expressing gratitude can require practice, especially when frustrating circumstances pop up. I like to flip the switch on a grumpy day by using humor and expressing gratitude that the situation was not worse.

My son once told me, “Ma, you’re the most positive person I know. If I tell you, I broke my toe, you’ll say, ‘at least you have nine other healthy ones.’”

That is not a totally true statement. I strive to practice positivity, but there are glitches in my system. Sometimes complaints flow from that hole in my face, called a mouth, like a waterfall.

I’ve come home from work to dirty dishes in the sink, mail scattered on a table, and so many shoes at my front door that it looks like we’re part owner of a Footlocker shoe store. Before I even make it to my bedroom, I stop to straighten couch pillows, straighten shoes, and move random dishes to the kitchen. I do all of this mumbling and grumbling.

Instead of stressing myself over the little things I decided to flip the script. I set my mind to resolve this situation with humor tactics. The President of the United States has the State of the Union address, I created the State of the House address, and it’s not the House of Representative.

My State of the House address would include the following (directed to my offspring)…

Fourscore and 20 years ago we moved into this house. A declaration was created, giving you unalienable rights. However, those rights were under the discretion of “The People” hereafter known as “The Parents.” Article 7 Clause 2 says Honor thy mother and father…oh wait, that statement is from a different book. But follow it anyway.

If you look at the photo attached to this article, how many people would you think reside there? If you guessed any more than three, you’d be wrong. The reason they are so neatly arranged is because I organized them for the photo.

I no longer get frustrated when things are out of place. I enjoy the company of laughing with my son and turning his shenanigans into comedy. And I wish him well when he has kids. Just to prepare him for what is to come, I demonstrated when I visited his house.

My son had a few pair of shoes neatly lined up at his front door. I said, “Oh, your shoes re so neat.” I gave each pair a little kick, “Now that’s better.”

My son looked at me and rolled his eyes.

You may have heard it before; Laughter is good medicine; it can turn your day around. The next time you’re having a grumpy day, stop, take a deep breath, then engage in something that will make you laugh.