Exercise

I find it really hard to exercise when the streets are packed with ice and snow and the temperatures hover well below freezing. Three times in my life I have decided that some type of home exercise equipment was the answer. We got an early ski machine knock-off that was just plain stupid. the NordicTrack cost more and quickly inflamed my shoulders. So much for that. The last attempt was a stationary bike that I obtained via Craigslist for $50. Though the belt got jammed and it couldn't be adjusted for resistance, it did offer one highlight: Sally and I worked together to move it from the basement to the driveway to offer to a good home. When we lifted it we felt some real resistance. Then there was an explosion and glass raining down everywhere. Unbeknownst to us we were directly beneath a light fixture. It was cool... like being in a Schwarzenegger movie.

Today we took another approach. We intended to sign up for a 14-day free trial at a neighborhood fitness center. We changed into our duds and drove over, only to find that there was absolutely no place to park. We drove around several blocks before deciding that, if we were going to go for a walk associated with exercise, we might as well take the dogs. So we returned home, strapped on our yaktrax ice walking gear and headed out. Both dogs expressed their strong preference for this latest strategy.