Due to COVID-19 my gym is closed. As a result I reorganised the garage and created a small gym space. (The previous owners of our house left this strange piece of exercise equipment. I figured I’d try to utilise it. Not quite sure how though.)
I don’t have much equipment. Just an abmat, a yoga mat, and some exercise bands. So I’ll be mostly doing body weight and cardio workouts. In the future I’d love to have a full home gym complete with kettlebells, barbells, weights, and a wallball. Maybe even a rower. But, that’s way down the road, once we are in our “forever” home.
Why does winter feel like the L O N G E S T season of them all? None of us like being cold (including the boys). We hate the dull greyness of winter. We are all longing for warmth and sunshine and all things green.
Hopefully we have an early spring this year though I’m not holding my breath.
Anyway, here are some random life moments from the last couple of weeks.
I joined a new CrossFit gym.I bought this at Joann. Each time Melissa and I visit a state I paint it in. Ohio is gold because that’s where we met, fell in love, and got married.
Rusty has been doing much better with his anxiety issues now that he’s been on medication. He still struggles sometimes and is still very nervous around new people but he’s improved by leaps and bounds since Melissa first adopted him in Sept 2018. We are very proud of him and his progress.
Toby went with Me (Jessi) to CrossFit tonight. He wanted to try to do a 5x bodyweight lift but I talked him out of it. Then he was so anxious about me leaving him periodically to do my runs that he had to be carried home (we walked to the gym).
I had to work a very long day on Thursday so Mumsy took Toby with her when she left my house on Wednesday night. I missed Toby but, apparently, he didn’t seem to miss me.
If you never have before, you should try FaceTiming with a dog.
FRIDAY
My whole heart.
Watching and wishing he could go play with the dogs next door.
SATURDAY
I introduced Melissa to Young’s Jersey Dairy. We got milkshakes and visited the petting zoo.
SUNDAY
We took the boys to the BarkPark. Because of the extensive abuse and trauma Rusty endured during is puppyhood, he has some severe anxiety about strangers and new places. Though he’s never bitten anyone, we decided to muzzle him just as a precaution. He did so well at the park. The amount of progress he’s made in just 8 short months is amazing. It’s taken a lot of patience and consistency from us, which has tried our patience and resulted in our losing our cool sometimes but, overall, it’s been an amazing journey with this little boy.
He looks like Bane.
MONDAY
Every Memorial Day, Jessi’s gym does “Murph” a hero WOD in honour of Michael Murphy. It’s mentally grueling and physically challenging but so worth it. Plus this year Melissa was there to cheer her on. A great motivator.
Jessi with her friend, Eric. Post-Murph. #Twinning
Tornadoes were spotted close to where Jessi lives. Since her apartment building (an old Civil War era Victorian house) doesn’t have a basement, she had to improvise and go to the first floor and hide under the stairs near the main entrance. It was terrifying.
The first CrossFit competition Melissa will cheer me on for. She also met some of my gym friends. Despite our dislike of large grounds and being around strangers, we both did smashingly.
I felt like death. I had a sinus infection and an upper respiratory infection. I was on my second round of antibiotics and had zero energy. I wanted to impress Melissa though so I pushed through. Probably one of the most painful experiences of my life.
An Awfully Big Adventure 