Sometimes a Restart is What's Needed

Bryn of House Rhosmund

It's been an odd day.

I woke up this morning determined to go to Crossfit- I had some sadness that needed working out, and intended to do just that- work it out by working out.  Unfortunately I also had some abdominal cramps- some seriously bad abdominal cramps.  But I thought, Screw you, cramps.  Exercise will take care of you.

(I really, really wanted to do Crossfit- I needed that post-workout-high.)

So I got to the gym and I started the warmup, and as I was doing the first of my scheduled 200m runs, my cramps were all, "Think you can get rid of us this way?  Oh ho ho, we think not," and I kind of wanted to cry- not so much from the pain as from the frustration.  But I didn't because I was even more determined not to be a baby- especially not a "Woe is me, oh look at how pitiful I am and give me special attention," baby in front of my trainers and co-Crossfitters so I sucked it up.  (That is one of the ugliest flaws in my personality- the attenion-craving-drama-queen-whiny-baby.  I hate it more than just about any other of my weaknesses.)

But Aubrey, she is observant.  She'd asked me earlier how I was doing, ("Not my best week ever- but I'm here now!") and when she saw me trying to grit out the cramps during the explanation of the WOD she came over to talk to me again.  I admitted to the cramps, and that I was thinking I might have to go home.  She agreed that was probably a good idea- that I really didn't look good.

So I went home.  And almost started crying again, from the pain, frustration, and humiliation of giving up before I even started.

Then I crawled back into bed with Nathan and slept it all away.

When I woke up again it was like a chance to re-start the day.  We puttered around the kitchen making brunch, then loaded up the dog and headed down to the Farmer's Market, where we spent two hours socializing the hell out of her.  She got to bounce on a couple of great Pyrenees, a great Dane, and a very patient grown up pit bull (gorgeous brindled boy)- and then she was wonderfully polite with a pair of tiny dachshunds.  It gives me hope that one day she'll make the same sort of connection about tiny humans.  Not that we want her bouncing on any humans, but especially not the little ones.  Although she did, for the very first time today, sit for pets from a stranger without being told.  Progress is made!

I tell you what, though- if you don't like people, you'd better not get a pit bull.  Everyone loves her, and just about everyone wants to pet her and talk about her.  Doesn't matter the gender, race, socioeconomic status, able-ness, or culture: my puppy bridges them all.  I really like it, actually- I think the world needs more opportunities for people to interact on a positive basis.

So that was two hours of sunshine and happiness, and although I ended up being pretty sunburned (it always happens once per year- that's how I know when it's sunscreen season) I came away feeling much better about life and myself.  And I did a couple of pullups when we got home, so that helped, too.