Just Fine!

Blame it on my workout playlist on my iPod, but this song always gets me going and I love it, especially the part where Mary J. sings, “I like what I see when I’m looking at me when I’m walking past the mirror…”  I don’t know if it’s the spring weather or the regular working out but I’ve been feeling just great lately.  I’ve got less than a week before my half-marathon.  I still wonder what I was thinking when I entered but too late to back out now!  I think its the endorphins that regularly working out brings me a positive, happy feeling.  I wonder if these scientists had it right all along when they say you get improved self-esteem by working out- go figure!

A lot’s been happening lately – crazy busy at work, school, study group, training and …. wait for it … I may have started seeing someone.  Dang that sentence is hard to say.  I don’t know if I think I’ll jinx it or if I’m truly a commitment-phobe.  I will say he’s very sweet and very easy-going.  And the best thing of all – he’s seen the Facebook page of “The Skinny …” and seen all the pictures, read all the stuff, so I didn’t have to explain anything.  It was a non-issue which was a great relief to me.  I will share something that happened last week at my friend, Beth’s house.  She had a party so I invited my friend to come with me.  It never occurred to me I’d be seeing anyone I hadn’t seen in a couple of years, but just when you’re not prepared for something, surprise!  There was a man that Beth works with at the party who, shall we say, is not known for his tactfulness.  Okay, I’ll admit it – he’s pretty clueless.  Anyway, who do we run into when we walk in Beth’s house, but this guy and his wife.  He takes one look at me and says to me (in front of my date), “Kathy!  You look great!   (to his wife) Honey, you remember Kathy — she used to be about five times bigger than she is now.”  I was stunned into silence and those of you who know me know that almost never happens.   As he and his wife walked away and I was left standing there recovering by the drive-by shooting that just occurred, I came back to consciousness and looked at my date, shrugged my shoulders and said, “Well that was special,” not really sure what else to say.    And he couldn’t have responded more perfectly.  He smiled, bent down and kissed my cheek and said those three little words I really needed to hear right then —- “He’s an idiot.”  I tell you it almost brought tears to my eyes.  It was the perfect thing to say and the perfect time to do it.  We’re continuing to see each other and it’s very nice.  That’s all I’ll say about that right now.

It’s a gorgeous day today and I’ve also done something today I never in a million, gazillion years thought I’d ever do.  I laid out in the sun today in shorts and a bikini top!!!  Now, before you have to excuse yourselves to go throw up, let me explain.  Thanks to Dr. Fowler, it is possible for me to do just that.  My stomach is flat now and my breasts actually sit up where they’re supposed to, so the top fits.  I was nervous Nellie at first – I mean staying inside with one on is waaaaay different than actually going out my door where my neighbors might see me.  Heck, I remember a time when I didn’t even want to disrobe to take a shower!!!  However, I took a deep breath and just did it – I walked outside and it felt great!!  And the way I figured it, I was paying my neighbors back for all the things I’ve had to put up with over the years- verbal fights between my neighbor and her ex-husband on quiet Sunday afternoons, the new people who are renting the house behind me who have 8 (yes I said 8) King Charles Spaniels in the house and when they let them out, come yapping incessantly at me when I’m outside.  So, I figured they’d just have to put up with me in my shorts and bikini top and deal with it.  Okay, maybe I’m being the brutal one with the far worse offense, but again, I don’t care!!  It’s true freedom baby!!

So, wish me luck with my half-marathon next week.  Here’s hoping I can live through it and still be able to function.  I’ll have my beautiful friend, Candy, and my beautiful sister by my side as companions in the race.   All the rest of my friends who are coming in for the race are going to kick me off at the start of it, then go and drink until I make it to the finish line.  I told them I don’t care if they’re too intoxicated to stand and if they’ve taken down the finish line by the time I get there, I still want fanfare even if they have to hold up crepe paper or police line tape for me to run through!   I’ll also have my iPod playing and I’ll definitely be listening to Mary J. Blige telling me I’m “Just Fine” ’cause I do like what I see when I’m looking at me when I’m walking past the mirror!