Mighty Mouse is back! Look at those muscles!

I'm happy to say that the grumps disappeared! Why? Because I went to the gym today and worked out. It felt so good to feel so tired.

I did something not nice to my back a year ago October, so I went to physical therapy. As I worked there harder and harder, I started to like it, and the last month, they prepared me for going to a gym. I joined my local Y in January, and have been going ever since. Somewhere in October, I started to find excuses not to go. I had been lifting a lot of weight for my size, and everything started to ache afterwards. Not the usual muscle tiredness, but really unhappy knees, back (uh oh), everything. Not a good thing to happen. So, me being me, I kind of gradually dropped out. And the other thing was that I was at the gym longer and longer. It was taking over my life.

But now my body is ready for a workout again. However, this time, I'm doing things differently. Instead of 3 sets of 12 reps apiece, I went down to 2 sets. Same weights as before, but half the repetitions. And I felt so good afterwards. It felt like fun again. So the exercise mojo is back. Finally!

By the way, when I say that I've been lifting a lot of weight for my size, you have to understand that I'm 5' tall, and 108 pounds. I'm not exactly Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'm a squiggy little thing, more like Mighty Mouse. And I'm not exactly young. So me doing a chest press of 35 lbs is like chicken shit to a big guy. But for me, it's significant. Anyhow, folks, I have muscles. Not great big, testosterone muscles, but nicely toned ones. And thanks to all for your supportive comments. It did a lot to get me out of my mood.

You know that sock I was working on yesterday, the one with the thousands of frogged stitches? I frogged some more today, but now I have a neat pattern. Some things take a lot of work.

Shameless commerce note: I'm going to do a sock club. I'll post info at the beginning of January, so folks will have Jan and Feb to sign up, and then I plan on sending out the first yarn in the middle of March. I'm going to keep it to 10-12 people. I don't want to overextend myself, and I want to do a good job, so this seems reasonable to me. Three months, reasonable cost, 3 yarns, 3 patterns; I'm really excited. I'm planning on giving people some choices, and all the yarns will be dyed individually. The thought of dyeing 10 skeins exactly the same makes me want to hide in a cave. But individual skeins, now that's fun. If you're interested, I'm on Ravelry as Ruth.

A question: Why am I having trouble reading the last Harry Potter book? I can't seem to get into it. Tell me I should finish it, please.

Happy Winter Solstice! May your days get longer and brighter! Sunset will be a teeny bit later every day, but sunrise will also be later. It really takes effect later on in January. The things a retired librarian knows. Amazing.

Good night.

It's now almost 10 am, and I have to tell you that my muscles are awake and aware. I am sore in some very odd places, like my butt. But it's not pain, just a "I used those muscles" sorenes. Feels good in a very strange way.