I found a gym that is walking distance from our house that has cycling, yoga, and strength training classes. All classes I want to take. The best part? These classes are M,W,F during the hours they have child-minding. Now, this is not child-care because child-care requires a license. This is child-minding, like babysitting by someone who has a clear police-check and is first aid certified, with playtime occurring in a clean, well-lit room that has a cushy padded floor and toys, all upstairs from the gym classes.
Today I took the spin (I mean cycle) class. It was awesome. In my head, I was just enjoying a fairly fast-paced, hill-inclusive ride around the hills of the mid-Peninsula. Canada road, Woodside, Alpine, Portola Valley, Los Altos – all the places I will be sooo happy to get my bike back to next summer. Oh, and my best riding buddy was on the ride with me, at least in my head she was. The bikes in the gym are set up so six of the bikes face the other six bikes with the instructor in between. I think the woman across from me spent most of the class wondering why I had a huge smile on my face every time we went up a hill or did a sprint. In my defense, I was riding in California at the time, at least in my head I was, but how was she to know that?
I didn’t take Athena to the gym this morning for her child-minding because Adam was working from home today. Since Athena was well into her nap when it was time for me to leave, he just minded the child while I went to the gym and ran a few errands. Nothing says “free time” like a trip to the gym followed by a trip to the bank, the baker, and the local Italian cafe to get the family lunch. Since Adam is used to his work giving him free lunches on demand, I figured the least I could do was pick him up a panini on the way home. Athena got a chicken-veg pie, because she needs the calories and because she loves them.
A bit later in the afternoon, Athena started fussing because she wanted to go outside. Did I mention that it’s spring here in Sydney. Now, spring in the Bay Area varies between crisp and warm. Here in Sydney it varies between hot-and-humid and hotter-and-more-humid. I tried to distract her but by about 2pm she really wanted to go outside, so I agreed and told Adam we were going out in a bit. Not quite 30 min later, Adam heard Athena fussing and called down from the office:
A: You haven’t left yet? I thought you guys were going to the park!
L: We’re just about to leave.
A: What’s the hold-up?
L: Well, I had to change the laundry over, make a grocery list so I can make dinner later, look up a recipe for that grocery list to be sure I don’t forget anything, put sunscreen on me, put sunscreen on Athena, get water bottles ready for both of us, get Athena some snacks for the park, and make sure I’m not forgetting anything she’ll need while we are out.
All this because if I hadn’t spent that extra 30 minutes before we went out getting those things done, my carefully coordinated list of stuff to get done today would have fallen apart and we would have ended up having to order dinner in while listening to the washer and dryer go all night long.
On the way home from the park, we stopped at the butcher and ordered a turkey for Thanksgiving and picked up some ground lamb for dinner. Then off to the grocer, then home. I should mention here for anyone who does not live in a compact city, that all of these errands and running around today were done on two feet, not in a car. It’s really hilly here, so two feet and lots of leg power to get up and down these hills. For anyone who is curious, dinner was spaghetti and meatballs.
Meatballs:
-generally follow the Bette Crocker cookbook recipe for meatballs
-when you can’t find breadcrumbs in the grocery store, use Weet-Bix instead
-throw in some extra spices
-serve over spaghetti and homemade sauce with a good bottle of wine.