Fitness Update (after the brownies!)

Of course, right after the brownie recipe above, I feel the need to give an update on the Physically & Fiscally fit pledge I made to myself on July 1.

I’ve been using an exercise tape for half an hour about four times weekly. Only half an hour because I lose interest after thirty minutes. I get bored, I wonder what the kids are doing, I wonder what is happening in the house because I don’t know what the kids are doing… and I am just not very patient. In my mind I am thinking this doesn’t really add up to much and was regretting proclaiming to Blogland that I am taking on this self challenge.

Until today.

This afternoon I was at the hairdresser’s getting my hair done. Sitting in her chair, after work, in front of her full length mirror… I saw it. My knees had changed. They looked different peering out from under my skirt.

Right about that moment my Mom stopped to see me on her way to the mall.

“Mom, look, my knees have changed.”

“Honey, they look the same to me.”

“No, Mom, look, they’re more muscular!”

"Tara, I don’t think knees can look muscular. They’re knees.”

My hairdresser nodded in agreement. “No, look,” I explained, “They used to be knobby. Now they are rounded.”

"You’re sitting down, how can you tell?” said my Mom. She was losing patience with me. My hairdresser grunted in agreement.

“Because these knees have never looked this way before, they look different, I’m telling you!”

“OK, honey, they look great. Do you want me to wait for you and you can come to the mall with me?” Now at this point I feel she should be able to see the difference. She gave birth to these knees, after all! So very maturely I responded, “No, I’m going home after my hair is done.”

“We’ll talk later”, she said and, as she left, she and my hairdresser exchanged glances.

Determined I am not crazy, I came home to show my family my new, muscular knees.

When I walked through the door, my husband was putting the ravioli on the table for dinner. My eldest daughter was grabbing utensils, the youngest iced tea from the frig. I walked right to the table, sat down and faced them.

“Do you see anything different?” I asked them.

They all stopped in motion together. “No”, was the unison response.

“Look how different my knees look from working out.”

"Mom, what are you talking about??”

“They are more muscular….see? Right on the sides? They were never like this. Look how rounded they look, they aren’t the same!”

My eldest daughter literally threw herself on the floor guffawing. “Who has muscular knees?” she shrieked.

“Tara, that’s kinda crazy”, said my husband trying to suppress a smile.

“Papa, is something wrong with Mommy’s knees?” asked my 7 year old, wide-eyed.

This whole conversation made me glad my son was away at college. He would’ve been on the floor with my daughter.

Now I was miffed. Where was the support? “They ARE more muscular and they have changed. I see an improvement!” I went off to change out of my work clothes. You could hear giggling voices, my husband’s light admonishment.

Well, after all, I see the change. That should be enough! I am sure I do not even know what my mother’s knees look like so would I even notice if her knees changed? Why should my kids, husband or mother? Feeling proud of myself, I returned to the kitchen and we ate dinner catching up on the day.

As I did the dinner dishes I was feeling good about my little half hours of exercise. They were really adding up!

The phone rang. “Hey, Mom,” said my college son, “I hear you have the knees of the Hulk!”

Darn those cell phones.