Tuesday Things
It’s official. Barley made more money than me this month. When I left my SEO consulting job, I told the puggles they needed to pick up some slack, and lo and behold, Barley understands English and booked a modeling gig. One of Aaron’s clients was having a tough time finding a dog model for their ad campaign, and happened to see a photo of Barley. Unable to resist his good looks (and personality, of course), Barley beat out the professional dog models.
I was a very proud puppy mama on set, as Barley patiently sat and turned on the charm for his half an hour in the limelight in exchange for pieces of organic apple. He has a very sophisticated palette, with a focus on nutrition and the environment.
Honey came along to the photo shoot for moral support, but was quickly taken with the giant open space and instead spent the time running circles and browsing bin after bin of what she thought were dog toys but were actually photography props. Unfortunately, Honey lost this freedom when I found her contemplating an economy-size bag of Lindt chocolates (another client of of the photographer). She spent the rest of the day on the leash whining and pouting, while I listened to people on set say “Wow, she really does cry a lot. Is that a breed thing?” No, that’s a Honey thing.
…
Speaking of chocolate, I think I need to stop buying it, at least for a while. I used to be a chocolate chip junkie: a small handful after lunch, another in the afternoon and after dinner…and before I knew it, the bag was gone. I have nothing against chocolate (clearly), but I do better when I don’t have it available to me all day every day. The problem is that Aaron gets seriously offended when I tell him “no chocolate” at the grocery store. The conversation is similar for other things I try to keep out of the apartment (chips, cookies, sugary dried fruit, other candy, etc.) and goes something like:
Aaron: “Did you want to get some {insert addictive food}?”
Me: “No, I’m really trying not to eat that. It’s really not good to eat {insert addictive food} so often because of the {insert questionable ingredient}. Did you know {insert disturbing food fact}?”
Aaron: “Dammit, Amanda! You ruin all my favorite foods!”
Shopping trip over.
…
I am in such a workout rut right now, which pairs fabulously with the over-consumption of chocolate, as you can imagine. With the exception of when we lived in SF, I have had a gym membership as far back as high school and regularly worked out either on my own or via group fitness classes. For the last few months, though, I’ve felt totally uninspired to get my butt to the gym. I went through a phase where I was obsessed with bodypump and bodyattack, then spinning when my knees decided they hated me, and now I’m lost. I’ll be really dedicated for a couple of weeks and then lose all motivation. I’m considering swapping my gym membership for a yoga studio, but I can’t decide if a regular yoga practice only excites me in theory. Then there’s this other part of me that loves the idea of not spending the money on a gym or studio and trying to get into running (and by running I mean jogging). I’ve done brief stints with running in the past, although I’m not sure my knees will cooperate now thanks to all that bodypump. Also, running in the Boston winter? Yeah…
Where is Jillian Michaels when I need her?
I want to find a form of exercise that (mostly) feels like fun, or at least rewards me with some kind of endorphin rush/mental calm at the end.
Any advice? Have you been in an exercise rut, and if so, how did you pull yourself out? Somebody help me, and please take away the chocolate.
xo
Amanda
