Old Habits Die Hard

Where has the time gone? We’re in the last week of June already, almost time to prepare for Halloween.

However, with no Residents’ Activity Committee — because Red Light moved away, The Baker recovering from knee surgery, no one else willing to step up and assume the responsibility of bingo and events, not to mention we can’t count on management to arrange a Costume Party, I’ll probably not be needing a cosplay outfit this year.

Registration is open for the Mission Inn 5K, but I’m not sure I should register. I may have aged out of that event — unable to handle the hills and mountains this year.

Trainer says I need more cardio outside of the Pain Cave.

Tell me something I don’t already know was my response, but I can’t motivate myself to walk ……… not around the complex, the neighborhood, the mall, anywhere outside, because outside is too peopley.

The Walking Club motivated me for a minute but, when Activity Director didn’t show up that last time, my motivation went back to sleep.

Trainer suggested walking up and down the stairs leading to my unit as good training for the 5K hills/mountains.

Not a bad idea, it’s only 18 steps, but "It’s outside where the people are" whined I and came up with a way to train inside where the A/C has the room nice and cold and there are no people ……… new equipment.

Cardio Climber Elliptical Trainer

When I was in the working world, I used my lunch hour and after work to train on the elliptical in the agency's gym, could do an entire hour no sweat.

Now I can barely eek out 2 minutes but, if I keep at it and can build up the stamina necessary to compete in the Mission Inn 5K, I’ll give that race another go.

If not, I'll close that chapter and be satisfied to be getting in extra cardio in the privacy of my own space.

As for old habits, I’m back on coffee. However, instead of a pot a day (4 cups), it’s one cup-a-day and drinking plenty of water during the day.

Speaking of water, when marketing, I generally pick up six 33.8 fl oz bottles of Smart Water @ 2 for $4.

Buying into the myth it would be more economical to purchase in bulk, I picked up a pack of six — going for $11.99, but then in my head calculated six bottles @ 2 for 4 — a total of $12.00 is less than a penny savings for having to go through the work of bringing down the dolly to load and get the pack upstairs, whereas I can easily climb the stairs with six, split up three in two separate bags.

A penny saved is a penny earned not worth the effort, so I put the pack back and purchased the usual six.

What a racket, but it gets worse ……… Smart water at the drug store is 2 for $7 and 2 for $9 at Sprouts. I’ll have to check Costco next time in the area to see if they offer a better price — single bottles and bulk.

I’m not the only one for whom old habits are dying hard. Talker tells me her downstairs neighbor, the Karen character, is at it again.

No surprise, because you might recall I’d speculated Karen would nut up over Talker having my little stalker and her entire family going up/down the stairs, heading to the pool, walking overhead on that weekend I’d blogged about their being here in force.

Sure enough, Karen accosted Talker, but not about the group, her beef was that the little stalker had awakened her at 1 or 2 a.m. by supposedly running back and forth across the room.

Talker said she told Karen that was ridiculous because little stalker and she had gone to bed at 9:30 p.m. on the night in question. Told Karen "You’re hearing things and I’m not going to go through what you put me through before", that she’ll get management and Corporate involved again and "We’ll see how that works out". Whereupon Karen had nothing else to say and walked away, because she's on the short list with management and doesn't want Corporate to have to talk to her again about complaining/harassment.

I’m proud of Talker, and told her it’s about time she took up for herself, rather than roll over, walk on eggshells, unable to enjoy her place in an effort to continuously try to please Karen.