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likethebeerThe used VCR I bought, probably, 8 years ago finally died on Thursday night. It refused to give us back our videos and kept shutting itself off. So I went downstairs to the basement to get another used VCR (mda had retrieved it from one of the local dumps on trash day1), which I use for my exercise routine. That VCR runs downstairs on a little b&w tv that mda picked up somewhere (probably a dump). I've been doing aerobics with it for almost 2 months.
There were 2 reasons why I wanted to get a new-used vcr. First, it turns out that the basement VCR runs ok on a b&w tv, but not too well on color--bands of darker color scrolls up the screen on a constant basis. And, yes, we have a lot of DVDs, but we have enough videos, including mda's new score of the "Cosmos" series, so we do want to keep using it. And secondly, I really do need to exercise downstairs. I'm extremely self-conscious about jumping around and cursing the people (ugh--Billy Blanks) on the videos and sweating and stuff, and I hate making all that noise. Even if I don't make all that noise, I think I do and I worry too much about every little thing I do. Down in the basement, I'm tucked away and on a concrete floor (w/a mat, of course).
And I know myself well enough--give me an inch on exercising, and I'll take a mile. Then I'll stop at the end of that mile, smoke a cigarette, drink a beer, and get a car ride back. I have managed, in the last 2 months, to get up Mon-Fri at 6:30 or 7 am2 and work out (giving myself the weekends off--I've got to look forward to something). So I was afraid that if we hadn't replaced the vcr this weekend, I would just stop exercising.
But I wanted to spend as little as possible on a vcr, so I went to a Goodwill after going to the First Unitarian Society this morning and picked out an RCA for $15.81 (w/tax). It doesn't have a remote control, but the ones there that did were either no-name brands or from 1987 (literally--someone had nicely written the date on the VCR's manual).
Well, it works, it didn't eat the tape I put into it, and the color's nice. Hopefully we'll get our $15.81 out of it.
Oh, and at the FUS this morning, they talked about "right relations," which just sounds silly, although I know what they were getting at--good, meaningful relations w/people, both friends and acquaintences. The chorus sang, actually quite nicely (and I do really like the guy who leads the chorus; he also plays the organ & piano and he's just a nice, excited guy, but not in a creepy way). The right relations did keep going through my head during the hymns because sharing the hymnal w/me was the absolute worst singer I've ever actually encountered in my life. She fit the definition of "tin ear." It was quite amazing, and quite unintentionally humorous, although I tried to happily share the hymnal 'cause this is a place where you're supposed to be a welcoming, open-hearted soul. And, as I said, she was certainly humorous. I'm not a mean person; that's how bad she was. whoa.
1At the dump, mda has picked up this vcr, probably the b&w tv, a nice pair of name-brand sunglasses with a case (Oakley?), a lawnmower, and his computer, "Sanford" (long live Sanford).
2Yeah, as always symptomatic of my money grubbing, when I decided to take up exercising again, I just went to my old videos, one of which was the Tae-Bo advanced workout. Billy Blanks sucks as an aerobics teacher, but Tae-Bo actually is the only aerobics I've ever done where I've seen a difference. In the last 2 months, I've been v. excited to notice: more noticeable collarbones, a bit of definition on my stomach (as much as there can ever be), more energy walking up stairs, less partial wedgies (yay!) and considerable more roominess in my clothes. As an example, I have this pair of light green pants that were feeling tight on me in the summer, and I wore them about 3 weeks ago w/long underwear under them, and they weren't as tight as they had been 5-6 months ago when I wasn't wearing long underwear at all.
So these are all part of the reason why keeping up w/exercising is so important to me. I do the aerobics/floor work part one morning (about 35 minutes), then the floor stuff the next morning (about 20 minutes I suppose). So I'm not doing the whole thing everyday, coz that's just insane.
There were 2 reasons why I wanted to get a new-used vcr. First, it turns out that the basement VCR runs ok on a b&w tv, but not too well on color--bands of darker color scrolls up the screen on a constant basis. And, yes, we have a lot of DVDs, but we have enough videos, including mda's new score of the "Cosmos" series, so we do want to keep using it. And secondly, I really do need to exercise downstairs. I'm extremely self-conscious about jumping around and cursing the people (ugh--Billy Blanks) on the videos and sweating and stuff, and I hate making all that noise. Even if I don't make all that noise, I think I do and I worry too much about every little thing I do. Down in the basement, I'm tucked away and on a concrete floor (w/a mat, of course).
And I know myself well enough--give me an inch on exercising, and I'll take a mile. Then I'll stop at the end of that mile, smoke a cigarette, drink a beer, and get a car ride back. I have managed, in the last 2 months, to get up Mon-Fri at 6:30 or 7 am2 and work out (giving myself the weekends off--I've got to look forward to something). So I was afraid that if we hadn't replaced the vcr this weekend, I would just stop exercising.
But I wanted to spend as little as possible on a vcr, so I went to a Goodwill after going to the First Unitarian Society this morning and picked out an RCA for $15.81 (w/tax). It doesn't have a remote control, but the ones there that did were either no-name brands or from 1987 (literally--someone had nicely written the date on the VCR's manual).
Well, it works, it didn't eat the tape I put into it, and the color's nice. Hopefully we'll get our $15.81 out of it.
Oh, and at the FUS this morning, they talked about "right relations," which just sounds silly, although I know what they were getting at--good, meaningful relations w/people, both friends and acquaintences. The chorus sang, actually quite nicely (and I do really like the guy who leads the chorus; he also plays the organ & piano and he's just a nice, excited guy, but not in a creepy way). The right relations did keep going through my head during the hymns because sharing the hymnal w/me was the absolute worst singer I've ever actually encountered in my life. She fit the definition of "tin ear." It was quite amazing, and quite unintentionally humorous, although I tried to happily share the hymnal 'cause this is a place where you're supposed to be a welcoming, open-hearted soul. And, as I said, she was certainly humorous. I'm not a mean person; that's how bad she was. whoa.
1At the dump, mda has picked up this vcr, probably the b&w tv, a nice pair of name-brand sunglasses with a case (Oakley?), a lawnmower, and his computer, "Sanford" (long live Sanford).
2Yeah, as always symptomatic of my money grubbing, when I decided to take up exercising again, I just went to my old videos, one of which was the Tae-Bo advanced workout. Billy Blanks sucks as an aerobics teacher, but Tae-Bo actually is the only aerobics I've ever done where I've seen a difference. In the last 2 months, I've been v. excited to notice: more noticeable collarbones, a bit of definition on my stomach (as much as there can ever be), more energy walking up stairs, less partial wedgies (yay!) and considerable more roominess in my clothes. As an example, I have this pair of light green pants that were feeling tight on me in the summer, and I wore them about 3 weeks ago w/long underwear under them, and they weren't as tight as they had been 5-6 months ago when I wasn't wearing long underwear at all.
So these are all part of the reason why keeping up w/exercising is so important to me. I do the aerobics/floor work part one morning (about 35 minutes), then the floor stuff the next morning (about 20 minutes I suppose). So I'm not doing the whole thing everyday, coz that's just insane.
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yay--VCR
Date: 2006-01-29 09:09 pm (UTC)Re: yay--VCR
Date: 2006-01-29 09:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 04:16 am (UTC)I hear you on the work out shyness, I have to hide out too and I get really pissy and paranoid if I think that anyone might walk in. Really, I am more secretive and private about that than I am a lot of other things that I probably should make an effort to hide. *L* congrats on the strengthening up and toning up! that's awesome! I loved tae bo, I did it for several years when I was in Fl and in the best shape of my life. Now I'm addicted to cardio pilates, want me to see if I can make you a tape to try it?
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 01:44 am (UTC)"pissy & Paranoid" is exactly what I become. I remember once mda showed up at my old apt when I was ready to work out and I was extremely pissy. I told him to just leave, I couldn't handle it.
I totally appreciate the cardio pilates offer and would take one if it's not too much trouble. There's always that point w/videotapes when I think, "If I have to do this one more second I am going to go completely insane." We'll just have to figure out a time for "the exchange." I think planning a night at the Bat Cave might work (although lap dancing is not my style *g*).
no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 04:27 pm (UTC)This cracked me up! Hahahaha! I feel the same way. Except with me, it's wine and a nice dessert. ;) :)
Oh, Thanks!!!
Date: 2006-01-30 05:06 pm (UTC)Re: Oh, Thanks!!!
Date: 2006-01-30 06:10 pm (UTC)