Datebook: Monday, September 23rd ~ 2007
Yesterday heralded the arrival of autumn and like the rest of the country I can pack away the beach towels, white shoes, and damper down my taste buds from their quest of fresh tomatoes and strawberries.
Most of us find we have less time in these days where daylight vanishes like the surf at low tide. With the ever-increasing rise in skating expenses, and the reality that both of my children are living either at college or “at skating”, I agreed to take on a second job two nights a week at an alternative school—with this think more of ankle monitoring devices and less making clay sculptures in lieu of writing an essay. I might be able to eke out a feeling of satisfaction in this role but on a different parallel of my brain I am aware that I am making one-third of the hourly rate of my daughter’s secondary coach—and in fact, still less hourly than what my daughter makes giving skating lessons several times a week. This could make an ambitious person hurry to order a pair of Klingbiels and download an application to the PSA, but in the hierarchy of sports, skaters and their coaches still garner pocket change compared to even third-string football players.
Since I now have less time to ponder the inequities in our world, I was amazed to read that President Bush is able to read 2 books each week and follow an exercise program that burns off 2000 calories a day.
Okay. Anyone that knows me knows I am not going to be getting an infomercial hawking exercise equipment anytime soon. I do know however that any program that burns that many calories is into quantum numbers—I mean you are talking running ten miles, doing 10,000 jumping jacks, doing 200 levels on a stair-master, swimming five miles. That is amazing.
And then, on top of this man-of-steel work-out, the President reads two books a week?
My work week consists of working about fifty hours, buying groceries, feeding the cats and dogs, a little thing called “straightening-up” which seems to have a great deal to do with the mail and daily newspapers, preparing food that may or may-not involve calling Applebee’s Carside-To-Go, checking various sites on the internet, talking 3.5 minutes to each of my kids, eating ice-cream while watching a few minutes of The Biggest Loser, TiVoing shows I like to watch but usually don’t, talking to myself about my kids, and talking to my dogs (the cats won’t stay around for it) about the logical processes employed by the USFSA and/or the ISU on a litany of matters.
Occasionally I read for a few minutes before falling asleep.
Now, perhaps if I had an advisor there might be some ways to trim down my hectic schedule, but I still don’t see how I would have the time allotment that would allow me to exercise enough to burn off 2000 calories—that has to be about a 3 hour work-out—I would have to actually walk on the treadmill while doing another activity such as watching “The Biggest Loser” and eating ice-cream, which seems as self-defeating as thinking the Free Dance or OD you started early in the year to be ahead of the game is going to closely resemble anything you actually have by the time Sectionals rolls around (please—our OD costumes now look like we changed continents). But I guess the President doesn’t have to worry about feeding the animals or preparing or ordering food. Still, I think his “straightening-up” category might be a bit more involved than sorting pre-approved credit card offers and tossing Bed, Bath, and Beyond 20% off coupons.
Since I am a voracious reader, I guess I am feeling a bit blue by the fact that he is getting, well, level 4s on his reading while I am apparently getting level ones.
With his standard as my template I am now on a mission to read 2 tomes each week as well. I am starting with Edward Jones’ The Known World and hope to have it finished by Wednesday when I believe Dorothy Hamill’s new book is coming out. I’m not sure if this is on the President’s reading list but I will finish it by Friday and shoot off a quick review to his Pennsylvania House abode.
And I thought that could be a good goal for all of us. We can bring our books to sectionals and have a big book club meeting during the Zamboni times or after practices.
Let me know what good books you are reading.
Maybe we can read while doing jumping jacks?
Mombo
Most of us find we have less time in these days where daylight vanishes like the surf at low tide. With the ever-increasing rise in skating expenses, and the reality that both of my children are living either at college or “at skating”, I agreed to take on a second job two nights a week at an alternative school—with this think more of ankle monitoring devices and less making clay sculptures in lieu of writing an essay. I might be able to eke out a feeling of satisfaction in this role but on a different parallel of my brain I am aware that I am making one-third of the hourly rate of my daughter’s secondary coach—and in fact, still less hourly than what my daughter makes giving skating lessons several times a week. This could make an ambitious person hurry to order a pair of Klingbiels and download an application to the PSA, but in the hierarchy of sports, skaters and their coaches still garner pocket change compared to even third-string football players.
Since I now have less time to ponder the inequities in our world, I was amazed to read that President Bush is able to read 2 books each week and follow an exercise program that burns off 2000 calories a day.
Okay. Anyone that knows me knows I am not going to be getting an infomercial hawking exercise equipment anytime soon. I do know however that any program that burns that many calories is into quantum numbers—I mean you are talking running ten miles, doing 10,000 jumping jacks, doing 200 levels on a stair-master, swimming five miles. That is amazing.
And then, on top of this man-of-steel work-out, the President reads two books a week?
My work week consists of working about fifty hours, buying groceries, feeding the cats and dogs, a little thing called “straightening-up” which seems to have a great deal to do with the mail and daily newspapers, preparing food that may or may-not involve calling Applebee’s Carside-To-Go, checking various sites on the internet, talking 3.5 minutes to each of my kids, eating ice-cream while watching a few minutes of The Biggest Loser, TiVoing shows I like to watch but usually don’t, talking to myself about my kids, and talking to my dogs (the cats won’t stay around for it) about the logical processes employed by the USFSA and/or the ISU on a litany of matters.
Occasionally I read for a few minutes before falling asleep.
Now, perhaps if I had an advisor there might be some ways to trim down my hectic schedule, but I still don’t see how I would have the time allotment that would allow me to exercise enough to burn off 2000 calories—that has to be about a 3 hour work-out—I would have to actually walk on the treadmill while doing another activity such as watching “The Biggest Loser” and eating ice-cream, which seems as self-defeating as thinking the Free Dance or OD you started early in the year to be ahead of the game is going to closely resemble anything you actually have by the time Sectionals rolls around (please—our OD costumes now look like we changed continents). But I guess the President doesn’t have to worry about feeding the animals or preparing or ordering food. Still, I think his “straightening-up” category might be a bit more involved than sorting pre-approved credit card offers and tossing Bed, Bath, and Beyond 20% off coupons.
Since I am a voracious reader, I guess I am feeling a bit blue by the fact that he is getting, well, level 4s on his reading while I am apparently getting level ones.With his standard as my template I am now on a mission to read 2 tomes each week as well. I am starting with Edward Jones’ The Known World and hope to have it finished by Wednesday when I believe Dorothy Hamill’s new book is coming out. I’m not sure if this is on the President’s reading list but I will finish it by Friday and shoot off a quick review to his Pennsylvania House abode.
And I thought that could be a good goal for all of us. We can bring our books to sectionals and have a big book club meeting during the Zamboni times or after practices.
Let me know what good books you are reading.
Maybe we can read while doing jumping jacks?
Mombo
posted by ice-dance.com @ 4:16 PM
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