Grand Gifts and Working Out

Monday – last day of February 2005. I have 24 minutes before I head home, and then onto the gym. I'm thinking that I'm going to up my cardio to about an hour, as it's the only way to lose weight (supposedly).

The weather forecasters have been predicting a shitload of snow for the past 24 hours. It was supposed to start last night and we were supposed to have 4-6" by early this morning. Nada. Then they said (early this morning) that it was supposed to start in time for the morning commute. Nada. It's grey and nasty looking out there, but now they're saying 4-10" starting tonight. I guess I'm just happy it held off so that I can go to the gym. Never thought I'd be saying that!!!

I got the most fabulous present ever this weekend. My friend Jason got me the most thoughtful gift that I was stunned and speechless!!! Last night at Glen and Julie's Come Over and Watch the Oscars party, Jason presented me with a bottle Hattrick, the first wine created for (by?) MyIgor. Not only is this an exclusive bottle of wine (only 224 cases in the whole world, and only 24 cases here in the States – the little blurb on the label says so, regardless of what one of the websites claims), but it's signed by MyIgor and TO ME!!!!!!! Yes, you read that correctly. MyIgor signed the bottle of wine in a lovely silver pen (he must know that his biggest fan is a silver girl and not a yellow gold girl) with his number under his name (#8) and To Kathleen across the top of the label. If any of you are big Igor fans, Merchants does have more signed bottles since he was signing mine he decided to sign the whole case. You have no idea how incredibly cool that is. Or how it makes me feel so incredibly overwhelmed.

It will make a nice addition to my other wine signed by my favorite sports hero – My Arrivederci Mario wine from 1994 when Mario Andretti retired from Champ Car racing. I have two bottles but one is signed. I was pretty stoked that day, but I think I'm more geeked about MyIgor's wine and autograph as I don't see him six times a year at races (not that I see Mario anymore now that his PITA son when to the evil IRL, but I used to see him all the time).

Tuesday – First day of March – We got about 4-5" of snow over night and more falling. I think everybody in southeastern Michigan is pretty darn tired of this white shit that falls from the sky. It's doing it constantly this winter and it's just tiring!!! I did get to the gym last night. I did an hour of cardio (32 minutes on the treadmill, 15 minutes on the elliptical and another 15 on the Stairmaster) and then I did arms. I think the entire world was there last night in preparation of missing tonight due to the expected snow. I had to wait to get on a number of the weight machines. I'm jacking up my cardio as that's what they say you need to do to lose weight and I want to be a size 6 again by June. I want to be able to fit into my old racing jeans with the patches at Milwaukee – one of the few races where it's cold enough to need to wear jeans. That's my goal and if I don't achieve it I will not be happy!!!!!!!

My mother pissed me off last night. She had a pain clinic appt. yesterday morning at 6:30. When I talked to her on Sunday I told her that the forecast was for 4-6" of snow by early morning, so she decided to get her friend to drive her instead of her nephew. When I talked to her last night, she said to me in this snotty tone, "Well, you told me it was going to snow." I'm sorry, but has she ever heard of "Don't kill the messenger." I mean, For Pete's Sake!!! If I hadn't warned her, we probably would have gotten the snow and then where would she have been? I said something about me not being the weather forecaster and just repeating what I heard and she got conciliatory and tried to act like it was a joke, but it didn't sound like it. This is what I get for not being perfect like my sister. And she just called for a favor as she needs a ride to the pain clinic on Friday. Her appt. is at 10:00 and last a couple of hours which means no yoga for me on Friday. She's going to ask my cousin first though as I really don't want to miss yoga or the rest of my workout. Last Friday I worked out for three hours (yoga, cardio and weights) and I like doing that as I have the time, normally. I told her I would do it if my cousin can't, because I'm not going to leave her hanging, but if there's someone else who can do it, that would be cool.

This Friday is my first DSO concert in a month or so. I had tickets for this past Friday but I sold them to some friends. I wonder if they enjoyed it. Anyway, I'm taking my cousin (younger brother of the cousin who might take Mom to the pain clinic) to dinner at TJ's beforehand and if he didn't give up dessert for Lent, I'll take him back afterward for dessert. It'll be his first DSO concert and I think he's pretty excited about it – it'll be his birthday present as he's turns 17 this month. We'll be hearing Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky which should be wonderful. The DSO is doing Mahler's 5th next year and even though they're not doing it on a Friday night I'm going to get tickets for it anyway and I'll take my cousin back and it is my favorite piece and I've converted him to it!

Nothing much going on otherwise – just working out like one of those insane people I'd never thought I'd be and not even getting that much knitting done. I am taking my car to the garage tomorrow as I'm getting SHITTY gas mileage. For some reason, my low gas light comes on at 230 miles on the trip odometer instead of the normal 290. That does not make me happy at all. I hope they find something and that it doesn't cost a shitload of money to fix. Cars suck. I love my car, but they all end up costing money and making you want good public transportation – but only when it costs you money. The rest of the time you love the freedom it gives you – or at least I do.