I am a Lazy Exerciser

I am trying to be healthy and that includes exercising.  Who isn't trying to be healthy this time of the year, right?  One of my new year's resolutions last year was to lose weight and get in amazing shape.  I looked through classifieds for a week or more trying to find an exercise bike.  It was the only piece of exercise equipment that could be squished into a small corner.  My house is small at best, a petite bungalow built in the 1950's.  I finally gave up with the classifieds.  It was a hot time of the year for exercise bikes and they would be sold in just mere hours.  Instead I headed down to my local warehouse store with Persephone in her car seat.  I found my brand new exercise bike, giddily paid for it, and then tried to figure out how to get it home in my mid size family car.  I was in a hurry to began losing that weight.  I couldn't waste another minute more being my frumpy self!  The employees were quite perplexed.  They stared at the bike and then back to my tiny trunk as snowflakes danced around us.  "We can make it fit right" I said. 

I had a horrible mom moment right then and there.  I placed Persephone's infant car seat in the front seat.  I buckled it in and made sure it was rear facing, but knew that if we hit anything the airbags would go off and she'd be toast.  I pushed that thought away.  That would never happen.  The bike, baby and I were going to be safe.  The employees did their best to push the box further and further into my car.  They tied the trunk down with twine and I headed home.  The roads were snowy and slick and then the anxiety began to well inside of me.  We were going to die.  We were going to slide down the road, get hit by oncoming traffic, and die horrible deaths in a fireball of unimaginable proportions.  I could see the blond anchorwoman standing by the charred car saying "Mother sacrifices her and her baby's life...All over an exercise bike.  Oh the vanity".  With my eyes glued to the rode I prayed over and over to make it home safe.  I promised God I would never do anything so stupid again. 

I did make it home safe and overflowing with guilt I confessed to Max just how stupid I had been.  The words tumbled out of my mouth so quickly I don't think he knew what to say.  He didn't judge me too harshly, but he did leave me to put my very heavy bike all together by myself.  It took hours of looking at diagrams, lifting heavy metal pieces and mumbling to myself.  When I was all done I was so proud of myself, well at least the whole putting the bike together, not the baby endangerment.  I got my exercise clothes on right away and began peddling.  Oh the Joy!  I was an exercise goddess.  That night we had pizza.  I'd worked hard!

Well here I am again this year, determined to get in shape.  I am learning I am a lazy exerciser.  I love the bike.  Yes it helps me be healthier, yes I feel more energetic when I exercise, but more importunately it allows me to read, all alone, at 6:00 in the morning.  I sit on my bottom, pedal my legs, and pour myself into a book.  The ecstasy of it!  No work, no kids needing my attention.  It's just me the bike and my book.  Max asked me the other night if I wanted to do kickboxing with him.  I said no.  It sounded like way too much work.  Besides I had a bad arm from falling on the driveway, really, I did!  Can't I just sit and exercise?