Getting Fit
Change #2: Get healthier. One of those things we Americans seem to have the most trouble doing. For some reason, we’ve created a culture that sits around burning no calories, even though we eat some of the highest-calorie diets in the world. Well, I’m sick of feeling tired all the time, and I’m sick of my stomach being upset at everything I eat or drink.
So what am I doing about it? I’m setting a goal. I have a membership to a lovely gym that I just don’t use much because I’m lazy, but my husband and I agreed last week that we will start going together at least once a week. I’ll also go on my own once or twice a week. Pilates and yoga, here I come!
In pursuit of another outlet for fitness, last Saturday we spent the afternoon investigating golf pro shops and discovering a driving range less than a mile from our house. It was brimming with such character that I loved it upon sight.
The building reminds me of a seafood restaurant by the coast — wooden siding that needed painting, a wraparound porch and the long window blinds that open outward, not to mention an array of cute tropical plants that are not unkempt but not the pristine quality kept by fancy country clubs.
As we climbed on the porch, we stopped to lean on the railing and look around. I burst into laughter as I saw the old shell of a Trans Am driving around, pushing the ball collector. I’ve never been to a golf course before, so although I am told most of the cars used for that purpose are — shall we say — buckets of rust, it was not at all what I had expected.
On our way in something huge streaked past me — a big spotted dog. After my initial surprise I decided he looked right at home, and he was a very laid-back dog, not prone to hand-licking or barking. He looked mildly curious from one of us to the other for a moment, then proceeded to ignore us completely.
The man at the counter was a very friendly, down-to-earth man who looked like this place was truly his passion. We checked out the rates and hours of operation, then decided to go shopping for clubs.
We sought out what I can only call a golf superstore not far away. We bought a DVD so I can learn the basics, but with the array of sets to choose from we decided to do more market research before shelling out $800 for two sets of clubs.
The three pawn shops we tried turned up nothing but clubs at least five years old, which were not complete sets, being sold for more than the brand-new ones even at the superstore. So we went to Academy and found reasonably-priced sets. It was quite a chore to find a women’s set that was not Pepto-Bismol Pink, but after a careful search of the sets on a shelf far above our heads I succeeded in finding one that was blue.
We feel so guilty about spending hundreds of dollars that now our consciences will force us to continue going to the driving range. As a matter of fact, we have a date to go again tonight. Or we might opt for mini golf instead, to practice putting. I am so much better at mini golf than I am at chucking a ball more than 10 feet. Of course, I can’t expect to be a pro after only one try.
As for food, I’m just going to refuse to eat fast food altogether. If I don’t have the energy to cook something, then canned soup it is. I just can’t keep gaining weight and feeling miserable all the time.
