Thursday, December 4, 2008

The Yarnarian is Virtuous and Cheap.

What? It's not what you think.

Here's the deal: both the Hubbo and I need to exercise. We need it for the health aspects as well as losing weight. He has a bunch to lose. (Did you read that, my Honey?) And I have about 4-5 lbs that have crept up on me, and I'd like to get rid of, and I don't need to diet, just exercise. Trust me on this one.

So we've been looking for positive rewards for exercise. I decided that for every 10 times in the gym, I'd gift myself with $20. Doesn't work. If I want to buy something, I go ahead and do it. The reward system is not working any more here.

Well, at 2 AM Monday morning, the Hubbo woke me up with a brilliant idea: we set an exercise goal for the week, and if one of us poops out and doesn't do the workout, he/she has to Paypal the other $25! Now you see where I'm going? We're both amazingly cheap on some things, and the thought of having to give him $25 just because I was too lazy to go to the gym is dreadful.

So yesterday, in fear and trepidation of having to give the Hubbo my hard-earned dollars, I went to the gym.

I haven't been in so long that they had to reboot me into the system. I'm not a total dummy, so I started out slowly. The goal is not to be in such pain that I can't move the next day. So 20 minutes + cooldown on the treadmill, and then half of the machines was just fine. And I have felt so virtuous ever since. Clearly the carrot ahead of me doesn't work, but the kick in the behind does.

Knitting news: No pics today. Yesterday I worked on one of my scarves for an eventual lace scarf club, and knitted and frogged 4 times until I finally decided that I should put it away for the evening. It's not a particularly hard scarf, I was just in one of those "it's not meant to be tonight" moments.

This scarf I'm knitting in my Alexa yarn because I want a cuddly winter scarf. The others are in lace yarn. Both scarves (this one and the Zephyr one) have interesting construction techniques, and are very pretty. I'm thinking about the last scarf and have some ideas.

Does something like this interest you? I'm thinking 3 times/year and am working out the cost.

Tamar - Interesting question. My feeling is that if we both fink out, we have to donate $25 to the family pot.

Do you like klezmer music? I love it. but I want a Jewish carol not in a minor mode. giggle.


Linda and Tamar - So far we have done week one; it pays to be cheap, um frugal. Tamar - I asked the Hubbo about it, and we have not yet come up with a solution.

Ria - Where's that radio station? I have normal, non-subscribing radio.

Sharon - I love Deck the Halls; it's zippy and cute. Not much for jazz, although I like Dixieland mostly because it's contrapuntal.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What if both of you fink out?

P.S. re Music: maybe you could try writing holiday words to Klezmer tunes.

Ria said...

I will have to check my xm radio for you - I just found out they have a hannakah channel for the month.

Linda said...

I love your encouragement strategy. Not sure it was worth being woken up at 2 AM, but a good idea. That would keep me going, too. That's yarn money going to waste!

SharonO said...

Great idea and having to pay good money for being lazy, great incentive.

I love Klezmer music, such fun. But I understand wanting carols in a major key. I bought a cd one year called "Crescent City Christmas" by Winton Marcelus (spelling?) I thought it would be interesting background music for a get together and I love jazz. Oh, my, if people get depressed at Christmas anyway, this would drive them over the edge. Stuff was in minor modes, odd rhythms and harmonies and ... well, I just began to feel like it was time to start running the hot bath and sharpening the razor blades. I have never played it again. I am afraid to put it in the thrift store pile, I don't want to feel responsible for what might happen when someone listens to it. Give me a good jolly Jingle Bells any day, it may drive you crazy but not over the brink.

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