Vacation time

In the spirit of using up the rest of my benefit time before leaving my job and moving on to the next phase of my career, I took a week of vacation this week. The original plan was to go to Paris (I requested this time off back in the summer) but we couldn't get it all together in time and make it work. No matter. I've decided to spend this week trying different classes at march wellness, my wonderful gym, which I will sorely miss when I leave Portland. There are tons of classes there and I've either been intimidated by them or just didn't think to try them. Today I took a spinning class for the first time, which was surprisingly fun, although it made me sweat in a most unladylike fashion. I was going to take "Gentle Yoga" in the afternoon but the class was full. Boo. So, I swam 30 minutes instead. Tomorrow I'm taking a 12:15 Yoga class. Wednesday I think I'll take Pilates. There's a Power Vinyasa Yoga class I want to take, but I want to try a more basic class first. I'm excited about it! It's really time to shake up my workout routine. I'm not really bored with it but I think my body is.

Here's an NSV for me: I got my first pair of knee high zip-up boots today! I ordered them from Aerosoles and they took 2 weeks to get here, and I wasn't sure they would zip up, but they do and they are awesome! I'm so excited. My calves have always been too big for zip up boots. I had one pair of long boots a few years ago, but they were stretch and pull-up. They always fell down, since they didn't go all the way to my knees and they were pretty tight. Finally the seams just wore out and I had to throw them away. These are also stretch, but they fit nicely and are great quality. I have an Aerosoles obsession. Their shoes are so comfortable, and they make lots of lovely high heels that I can wear AND walk in comfortably. Not every pair is perfectly comfortable, but most are, and I can wear them all day without complaint. I'd rather spend a little more on shoes that I feel like walking in than half the price on shoes I don't want to walk more than 5 feet in. I usually get them on sale, so they tend to actually cost me $30-40 per pair. I'm totally obsessed with their shoes! Really, it is a problem. At least my husband thinks so. But in another month, I won't be able to buy shoes anymore for quite a while. I'm "living it up" a little now.

Another NSV: I wanted to get a pair of size 12 jeans today because my 14s are getting a bit big and soon it will be time to go to 12s. I tried them on, and they zipped up--they are definitely snug, and I need to lose 5-10 lbs to be comfortable in them, but I was a little surprised that they zipped up all the way. I also got a fall dress (on sale) and a sweater (on sale), both mediums, and they fit perfectly. Super cool!

I realize this is all pretty banal. Weight loss sort of has that effect. It's such an artificial thing to focus on, and yet it really is so important. The perks of improved appearance and buying fun clothes are nice, but the real goal is being a healthy old woman who can still walk and be active and care for myself. I have a lot of confidence in my constitution; I come from pretty healthy people, and I don't have a lot of concern for heart disease or diabetes based on my family history. But I want to keep my joints in good shape, and...well, hell, we all know the reasons for maintaining a healthy weight. The best thing right now is my physical fitness is improving, and I enjoy exercise. I have a lot more energy than I used to, I don't take my antidepressant anymore, and my mood is great. So while it's nice to get clothes in smaller sizes and have people compliment me on my appearance, how I feel is the best reward. My next scale victory: 40 lbs weight loss. I hope to get there in a couple of weeks.