Exercising My Right to Speculate

A few years ago, I made a resolution to lose weight by exercising regularly and eating better. 

While I've been slacking on the eating part of the equation (damn you, Golden Double Stuf Oreos), I've been pretty good about exercising on weekdays (and sometimes Saturday).

Let's face it, though, exercising can get pretty boring, especially when you're watching the same DVDs over and over. So every now and again, I pick up a different routine from the library's collection and give it a whirl.

This week, the not-so-young but fit-as-a-fiddle instructor and her band of merry workout sadists performed their routine at Red Rock State Park in Arizona. I confirmed this in the credits, because I wanted to make sure there weren't any green-screen shenanigans involved in the production.

The reason I was so curious about the setting was that as I exercised, I noted one of the women kept moving backward and seemed dangerously close to the edge of a cliff.

In hindsight, I believe this was a genius move. Rather than worrying about sore muscles, I was watching avidly to see how close she would get to the edge without tumbling off. Would the other two women notice that she wasn't there anymore? If she did a reverse step into the abyss, would the production continue and her screams simply be removed from the audio?

These are the kind of dark thoughts I have while I push my body this way and that to keep up with the instructor. 

Sadly, this isn't the only video in which I've pondered the fate of the instructor and/or her minions.

Many of the DVDs I possess are Leslie Sansone walking videos. She started doing these in the 1980s and from what I can tell from googling, she now has her own exercise app. She's easy to follow, and done right, I can get in a good workout. (Yes, I realize uber-fit 20-somethings won't find it challenging enough, but I don't need to blow out my knees at this point.)

Anyhow, as I go through my paces on one of the routines, my mind starts to wander. Leslie seems to be flirting pretty heavily with "Nick," one of the backup exercisers. She asks him to show her how to jab and punch, after which she says, "I never knew that was called a jab." To which I called "BS" because she'd been jabbing for at least 20 years before that video was made. She then attempts to deflect any hint of favoritism by calling out the names of the other exercisers, but her giggly, girly repartee with Nick doesn't fool anyone, I'm sure. 

Okay, so I know what you're all thinking at this point. I have a sad little life. Granted, none of this is earth shattering, but frankly, given the state of the world, I'm okay with focusing on dumb stuff. If I talk about all that's going on around me that I can't control, I'll just put myself into a downward spiral. And that's not productive.

Instead, I'll just continue to speculate on Leslie and her posse. 

And wonder how, unlike me, she's managed to avoid getting that flap of skin under the triceps – the one that goes "wocka, wocka, wocka" every time I move my arm.

Decade Dance

Some may say, "Has it been 10 years already?" Others will opine that it seems like 20. The truth is probably a little bit of both.

My initial goal was to write because I needed to. When I began my blog, I wasn't doing much creative writing for work, and I wanted to improve my skills and tackle topics that had meaning for me. Or, quite frankly, just to have a little fun wordsmithing non-events in my all-too-boring little life.

Scouting for cake. (Not me in the photo.)

Mr. Ginley pointed out that this would also be a good way for future grandchildren to know me. (No pressure, J&J, just looking ahead.)

Whether you've been with me since the beginning or you came to the party a little later, thanks for reading. I hope you find something in my meanderings that makes you laugh or think or roll your eyes. 

So have a piece of cake or raise a glass and think of me today. 

And while you're raising that glass, I'd like to do a shout-out to Erin O'Brien. It was her talk at the Lakewood Library that got me started writing this blog in the first place. So, in a way she's partly responsible.

But please don't hold it against her!

Photo credit: Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Library, Reimagined

Last Saturday, Mr. and I attended the long-awaited grand re-opening of the West Park branch of the Cleveland Public Library (CPL). 

There were balloons and face painting and refreshments, and the atmosphere was very festive. The new décor is delightful. We chatted with John Skrtic, Chief of Special Projects and Collections at CPL. John posts a lot community shout-outs on Facebook and Twitter, along with some cool historical articles and such. If you don't already follow him and you're a Cleveland booster, I highly recommend a look-see.

Getting back to our narrative...John introduced us to Michael Ruffing, a gentleman who's worked at the downtown library for 40 years. Michael was there when they started to transition from the card catalog to computers, so he has a fascinating take on how the library has changed over the years. He's responsible for a wide range of things, including some light fixtures he was tasked with replacing. It may not sound like a big deal, but these luminaires are nearly a century old, and they were originally gaslights, so the fixtures had to be hand-made, requiring a talent that's extremely rare. He ultimately did find an artisan in Rhode Island, but it took a lot of searching. Other anecdotes were shared, too, and we had a lovely chat. Michael should write a book.

Meanwhile, back at the grand opening...

New entrance, which
was the original

The whole downstairs area is now accessible and features kid-friendly rooms. There's a place for children to go after school with computers, games and a play area. Oh ya, there were some books there, too.

I'm going to put on my old man hat and grouse just a bit. Yes, they still have books at the newly-remodeled branch, but there are about half as many as there used to be. I understand that times are changing, and the library is about more than reading, it's about community. So I'm not grousing too loudly. I'm just a little sad that there aren't more books there.

And yes, one can order books from the downtown library and have them shlepped over to our branch. And yes, there's a cool new locker room, where you can pick up said books 24/7, and that's a wonderful thing. 

Still, there is something to be said for browsing. Many times in the library, Mr. Ginley has picked up a book that caught his eye, and it turned out to be a real treasure. When you order a book online, it's a specific title you saw elsewhere. There's no serendipity involved.

I guess all that means is that we have to make more of an effort to frequent the downtown library, which is not a bad thing. And it's definitely something we'll do when the weather warms again. (Taking RTA in the cold weather and walking around downtown is not much fun.) There are so many treasures at the main library, and the building itself (which dates from 1925) is worth the visit. It's one of the best libraries in the country, but sadly, a too-well-kept secret.

Summing things up...I'm happy our branch library is open again. It was great to see our favorite librarians (Phil and Cathy) back home. And I look forward to strolling over there to check it out when it's not quite so busy.

Read on!

A Puzzling New Year's

After stocking up on groceries last week, I've pretty much been hunkering down to work, binge watch TV and read a lot.

I also spent a fair amount of time working on the 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that was a Christmas present from the kids.

The first hurdle was the size of the puzzle. It didn't fit on our card table, even with the extender board we put on top. So, on top of THAT we added the two leaves from my parents' mid-century table. (The rest of the table fell apart years ago, but we saved the top because it's real wood and quite thick.) The only trouble is that it's in two pieces, and given its age, they don't line up very well. So that was a little extra challenge, as there was a ridge running down the center of the puzzle that puckered the pieces.

Also, given that 1,000 pieces is my go-to, I was a little concerned about doubling the challenge, but Mr. Ginley helped. After the initial phase whereby he started telling me how I was doing it wrong and I just ignored him, things went pretty smoothly. 

The one problem I have with jigsaw puzzles is the time discipline. Left to my own devices, I will work on a puzzle until way past my bedtime, thus throwing off all my circadian rhythms. So I established boundaries and quitting times, with mixed success. 

On the fourth day of New Year's, the puzzle was finished. I took photos as proof that we completed the task, in spite of all the challenges that might have suggested an alternative outcome.

And just to show we're generous about sharing, we'll be passing this number on to Chris and Kirk so they can work on it.

You're welcome!