I've rediscovered swimming, thanks to an astoundingly obvious revelation that I stumbled on just before Halloween: The family pool is six degrees or so warmer than the lap pool. This makes all the difference for me, and my routine at the gym has shifted accordingly.
For now, I'm content to swim a quarter mile when I go, not worrying about time or distance until after I have the routine re-established. I'm beyond happy to have this back. When we were in Richmond on Friday, we had a lovely time and walked over three miles, but still, I missed the pool.
My evening routine has become:
Swim: 440 yards
Hot tub
Sauna: 15 minutes
Shower
I'm thinking of dropping the hot tub, since it doesn't really seem to have as much benefit as I want it to, and the staff are keeping it wicked-hot these days. I'm a fan of 102 at most, preferably 101, and the time in the pool is ultimately more satisfying.
After the gym last night, we came home to our routine of dinner and cards. There was fish and roasted root vegetables, a perfectly autumnal offering of food.
We watched the penultimate episode of The Five, and then we were both tired enough to call it a night. The Five is good enough that I expect to see a review of it in the newsletter soon. That, along with current seasons of Poldark and Mr. Robot are all on the calendar. We can barely fit in an episode a night, and sometimes we can't do that, so three a week is about maxing me out.
We were asleep before 8:30. Of course I woke up at 3:30 to go to the bathroom -- we can change the clocks all we want, but my body knows what time it is.
Today, I'm reading my classmates' offerings, writing a bit more, and feeling blessed to be in the program. I'm also reading Learning to Walk in the Dark, and while I'm not very many pages into it yet, each one speaks deeply to me, intimately so. I read about four pages at a time before I set it aside to let Taylor's words settle into me a bit further. I'm looking forward to voting this evening after working up my critique for November's offering from the Writing Pod. I have enough new material for December's submission already, and that makes me feel solid. I'm not certain what has turned the creative taps to the Wide Open setting, but each time I sit down to write just one small thing before it slips away, I have a page or three before I get up. I'm not complaining; far from it. It's lovely and I'm blessed and deeply grateful. I'm also clearing my calendar of at least one item a day before 3 in order to help accommodate it, because I want to know more about what comes off the nib.
The routine continues to hold me.
If anything is able to see me through this patch in my life to the other side, it will be the routine combined with deep gratitude, acceptance, and a willingness to meet myself on my own terms.
For now, I'm content to swim a quarter mile when I go, not worrying about time or distance until after I have the routine re-established. I'm beyond happy to have this back. When we were in Richmond on Friday, we had a lovely time and walked over three miles, but still, I missed the pool.
My evening routine has become:
Swim: 440 yards
Hot tub
Sauna: 15 minutes
Shower
I'm thinking of dropping the hot tub, since it doesn't really seem to have as much benefit as I want it to, and the staff are keeping it wicked-hot these days. I'm a fan of 102 at most, preferably 101, and the time in the pool is ultimately more satisfying.
After the gym last night, we came home to our routine of dinner and cards. There was fish and roasted root vegetables, a perfectly autumnal offering of food.
We watched the penultimate episode of The Five, and then we were both tired enough to call it a night. The Five is good enough that I expect to see a review of it in the newsletter soon. That, along with current seasons of Poldark and Mr. Robot are all on the calendar. We can barely fit in an episode a night, and sometimes we can't do that, so three a week is about maxing me out.
We were asleep before 8:30. Of course I woke up at 3:30 to go to the bathroom -- we can change the clocks all we want, but my body knows what time it is.
Today, I'm reading my classmates' offerings, writing a bit more, and feeling blessed to be in the program. I'm also reading Learning to Walk in the Dark, and while I'm not very many pages into it yet, each one speaks deeply to me, intimately so. I read about four pages at a time before I set it aside to let Taylor's words settle into me a bit further. I'm looking forward to voting this evening after working up my critique for November's offering from the Writing Pod. I have enough new material for December's submission already, and that makes me feel solid. I'm not certain what has turned the creative taps to the Wide Open setting, but each time I sit down to write just one small thing before it slips away, I have a page or three before I get up. I'm not complaining; far from it. It's lovely and I'm blessed and deeply grateful. I'm also clearing my calendar of at least one item a day before 3 in order to help accommodate it, because I want to know more about what comes off the nib.
The routine continues to hold me.
If anything is able to see me through this patch in my life to the other side, it will be the routine combined with deep gratitude, acceptance, and a willingness to meet myself on my own terms.
