Not to complain, but I am rapidly becoming a human barometer. I can usually tell several days in advance that we're going to get damp or cold weather. First my wrist starts to hurt, then my knees join in, and before long, my hips and back are joining in on a rousing chorus of "How Sore I Am."
Larry is having some of the same problems, having slipped on some ice before I met him. He did some severe damage to one of his knees and now must provide for extra time at the airport to explain that no, he's not a terrorist, just a klutz with a plate and some screws in one leg. I've accused him of having a screw loose a few times, but this is much more serious.
The dogs also seem to be showing their age. In the morning, when we get up, it almost gets musical:
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"Ouch." That's Larry when he first stands up.
"Ooomph." That's me, when I bend over to pick up something that fell on the floor.
"Yaoooh." That's Buster, yawning because he got rolled over when Larry got out of bed.
"Moaaaan." That's Toby, as he stretches back and then forward, working out all the kinks.
Add a drum player and a couple of backup singers and we'd have a No. 1 hit.
Daniel, of course, is impervious, being young and limber and not at all aware of the unpleasantries to come. We try to shield him from such things except when he starts getting too bouncy, at which point we tell him to make himself useful and bring us both our heating pads. This is one of the benefits of having children.
I look at a couple of my nieces who are very dedicated to several forms of exercise. One runs and bikes everywhere. The other gets up and goes to the gym in Des Moines at 4:30 a.m. She kick boxes, takes spinning classes, jogs and lifts weights. I admire her dedication. But 4:30 a.m.? I guess with our busy lives, we need to get the workouts in when we can.
Larry has started going to the gym at work, in hopes of getting things moving a bit more freely, though he admits it's been hard going at first, especially with all the fit people making it look easy, while he huffs and puffs his way to his first 20 minutes on the stationary bike. I've started using the Wii Fit, a workout session that one can play on the Wii game system.
Sometimes, the hardest part is finding some "me" time to get this accomplished. Sometimes, it comes down to do I do the laundry and the dishes, or do I exercise. Sometimes, it's fighting the sedentary urge to just sit there.
As a matter of fact, I'm going to start as soon as I finish this column. Oh look, "Dancing with the Stars" is on. And then "Cupcake Wars." Well, as soon as I get done watching I'll get started. There's that motivation factor again. You can see where this is going, right?
I?fight through the urge to just sit there and grab a leash to walk Toby. And guess what - both of us feel better. I gain a burst of energy and he gets some outdoor, tail-wagging time. That's heaven for both dog and owner.