Playing Hookie

Future Me

So, I have been playing hookie un poco. It’s why there hasn’t been much action around here.

Around mid-day — when I already have put in at least six hours at the computer — I think about all that I still could do, and I say: “Pal’ carajo.”

I head to the pool. The water is 87 degrees. The temperature outside has been in the 40s.

I jump around for nearly an hour by myself, singing old dance songs — “I Will Survive!” — to myself to keep motivated while I “jog” and frog jump and cowboy kick my way back to feeling spritely again. Sometimes, I take the water aerobics class with the old folks, who are so cranky they are a blast.

The old ladies who hang at the back of the pool mutter under their breath, talking trash about the young instructor they refuse to get used to. They miss the old instructor. And, truth is, the young one does have a few things to learn.

“You can’t do that if you have a hip replacement,” one old lady hisses, looking around at her cohorts, who nod in agreement and keep bouncing.

I love them. They make me feel young and positive and help me remember the reason I am playing hookie — to keep myself feeling young and positive.

I’ve been a little cranky lately. Tired and cranky. And my hips have hurt from so much sitting. And, you know what gets wider when you sit too much, si?

So, I took a personal inventory and realized I am out of balance. I need to work smarter, have more fun. And, driving Maria to birthday parties does not count as leisure and fun.

In the past, I made time for Zumba, belly dance and the treadmill, but early this Fall, I hurt my knee. I was sprinting on a river trail. It is something I had absolutely no business doing. I don’t run. But, it was a gorgeous Fall morning and I got all inspired — and desperate. The injury assessment guy said I could have a torn meniscus and likely would need an MRI, and possibly surgery. That’s when I headed to the pool. It is only in the last week or so that my knee feels better. It likely was a sprain and not worse.

But everything happens for a reason, right?

It took some overwork, some major cranky, and the knee injury, to remind me to get off my ass. And it isn’t just about exercise. I like playing house. I like baking bread and playing with scrap booking supplies. Hell, I even like mopping.

Since I started doing the aqua thing, and taking the time for myself (I have baked three loaves of bread in two days!), I am working smarter and I am so much more damned cheerful. And you know, when Mami is happy, everybody is happy.

So, if I am not around here much, now you know why. I’m doing underwater grapevine with the viejos.

What are you doing for yourself?
Need inspiration. Check out this Tiki Tiki post.

*photo from Flickr by Mike Fischer.