Forgot to mention that the Impreza needed an oil change, so I dropped it off on Morris Avenue and stoppedy by the Shop Rite. Walked back with two paper-cloth bags full of groceries. Then when the car was ready, I walked over, stopped by the Shop Rite for two plants, and carried them over to the car repair shop so I wouldn’t have to deal with parking at the Shop Rite on a Saturday. My back started to cramp up, but dashing across Morris Avenue between cars quickly loosened it up!
Keeping Fit
Still haven’t gotten in the habit of exercising on a regular basis, but I passed my Deep Water Test to help supervise swimming this summer. The hardest part was holding a heavy ball in the air while treading water. When I complained that my knee hurt, they passed me after 25 seconds instead of 30. That was much better than some others of my generation, who don’t like to be in deep water – one didn’t take the test because she can’t swim at all!
I also passed my physical to get a Commercial Driver’s License. Our Primary Care Doctor didn’t test for peripheral vision, so I stopped by Dr. Eisenstodt’s for him to check that and fill out the eye form, based on a recent exam. It was very non-technological: he held an object outside my range while I stared at his nose, and I told him when I could see it!
Steel Magnolias
Finally got to see this film on TV when neither JJ nor Jim were around to distract me. I enjoyed it, but would not buy it. Occasionally I was able to forget who the actresses were and identify with their characters. Sally Field’s performance had me in tears. Glad to see that she’s going the character actor route and not getting face lifts. Dolly Parton, who was born the same year as Sally and I were, looks the same as ever (or did, when the movie was made). Dolly is no actress, but did a good job as a character who fits her persona.
The other truly great actress in the movie was Shirley MacLaine, and I had to keep reminding myself who she was! Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts have been recognized for their acting, but in this movie I felt they were playing themselves. Daryl Hannah did her best to act out of type, but I never lost her in the character.
Have you seen the movie? If so, what did you think?
Body Electric
Well. we are in our first heat wave, and summer hasn’t even officially arrived! I’ve discovered that an old favorite exercise show is on WNYE at 6 AM on weekends, which is just after I’ve had my morning bagel. It is a low-impact, isotonic/isometric exercise program designed for middle-aged women. For all that, I find it more tiring than a 30 minute walk, just because I’m not accustomed to it! The advantage is that I don’t have to get dressed to go out, and although I’m a bit winded, I don’t break a sweat in our non-air conditioned living room.
Logging In
Hi, this is Mom/Mary Lou logging in for my first weblog post! Have always been wary of public posts, but suggested to Melissa that a family post might be a good idea. Nancy started it all by suggesting we call each other once a week to motivate each other to exercise, but I thought timing the calls would be awkward (she’s 2 zones over, not to mention where Lyda is!), so we were e-mailing. This will tie everything together.
My exercise this week was mostly shopping – what Nancy calls “the thrill of the hunt.” My preschool educational theme this week was “Dinosaurs and other Reptiles,” and I discovered I didn’t have a copy of Danny and the Dinosaur by Sid Hoff. Easy reader books are great for preschoolers because of their short attention spans. I’ve also been trying to complete my collection of dinosaur models. I have some skeletons, and have been matching “skin-on” models with the skeletons. It’s a great matching game for the preschoolers! Make this an exercise by parking at the far end of the mall and walking the length, to and from the stores I needed. I do not recommend walking across parking lots in NJ!
