Monday, August 22, 2016

Being Brave

I had a great night sleep last night.  Better than I can remember for at least 6 months.  Added bonus....when I woke up 5 minutes before the alarm, I had a sweet kitty all curled up in the crook between my stomach and thighs.  Lovely way to start the day.

Got 2 kids and 1 husband off to work and school by 7:40am.  I had a chiropractor appt at 9:00, so I quickly paid a bill that I screwed up (ugh....I looked at the calendar wrong!!!), loaded up the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, picked up a few things and hit the shower.  I had started laundry as soon as everyone was awake (the washer and dryer are right outside Sassy's room), and had one load in the dryer and another one in the washer before I left for my appointment.

After going to the chiropractor for a month now (3x a week), I am finally starting to have some progress.  I am not in constant pain, but still far from pain-free.  However, I am at a point where I can start doing some stretches and strengthening.  I came home with a set of exercises to do 3 times a day, so I am hoping that in the coming weeks I will start to feel better.

So...where is the brave part?

Here is the brave part:

1)  I weighed myself.  We moved the scale into Bossy's bathroom a while back, so I never really had the temptation to check it.  But if I am going to move forward, I need to know my starting point.  As a pleasant surprise, it wasn't as high as I thought.  By no means was it good.  But I mentally prepared for a higher number.  Ok, so we know the starting point now.

2) I am working on a numbers update. I roughly know all the numbers without looking.  But when you add them together....sigh. 

Also....time to come clean.  One credit card is higher than I have admitted to.  You will see it tomorrow.  So why did I hide it?  It was an expense from a very long time ago, and it wasn't a priority.  So I just kept throwing a few dollars at it and mentally ignored it.  Well, as you will see tomorrow, I moved things around, so it is harder to ignore it now. 

3)  Our cars are almost paid off!!!  YAY!!!  But I am toying with using that freed up money for our family's quality of life.  Both G-man and I have had a few come to terms with our age and health talks in the past months.  Add in our teenagers who don't struggle with weight or health....but we also don't want them to get to that point.  So we are debating using that money towards health and fitness....aka, exercise class.  G-man would like to get back into karate (he has a 2nd degree black belt and was a state champion back when we were first married), and maybe that would be a good outlet for Bossy.  I would like to go back to yoga (chiropractor and I talked about it today, and he said in a few weeks I may be at a point where I can try a modified class).  I know Sassy would love to go with me.

I know using that money for something other than debt would not be the popular decision.  It is still in the thinking stage.  But we will discuss the money in more depth tomorrow.

So....today is a brave day.  My delicious smoothie (which I need to get some protein powder for, when I pick up a physioball later today) and I are going to go fold the laundry in the dryer that just beeped, and then finish my money post.  I will then do 3 of the 4 exercises (need the ball for #4), and then will see how I am feeling.  I work at 3pm, so I still have plenty of time left in my day.

Brave days are good days.

15 comments:

  1. Spending money on your health can be a wise investment. Obviously the 'wisest and best' thing would be to do yoga at home with youtube videos and send G-man out in the back yard to do karate. But some people (including me) don't have what it takes to do that and need the class. If you have the money to pay for it, I don't personally think paying for health-related activities is a bad decision even if it means debt pay-off takes a bit longer.
    Erica

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    1. I can't speak for G-man, but for me.....I need an instructor at this point. I risk re-injury if I don't do a pose correctly. Additionally, we are both struggling to meet people and make friends, so a class would help with that as well.

      Eventually I would like to incorporate yoga and mindfulness into my morning routine.

      As for the money...more on that tomorrow.

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  2. You sound upbeat for the first time in a long time, that's wonderful. As for the exercise classes, perhaps use some of that freed up money towards debt as you both have older vehicles that will eventually need work and or be replaced. Your health is important too so using some money for that is smart.

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    1. We save money toward repairs now, but you are right....both cars will need replacing eventually. We keep debating what is the best course of action. More on the money tomorrow.

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  3. I would start with a yoga DVD until you know it's gonna be a habit.

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    1. I used to do yoga years ago and loved it. Due to my injury, I need someone to make sure I am in correct stance so I don't hurt myself.

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  4. So good to hear you upbeat - I'm glad you all are settling in. How is school going for Sassy? And Bossy? ... I think you sign up for exercise classes for all of you and count it as a medical expense. It will be good for your physical well-being as well as your emotional self. Good for you for working on your health. I need that kick in the pants myself.

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    1. We only have 1 week under our belt for school...but so far so good. They both feel comfortable getting around for their classes (and the school is over a mile from end to end, and the whole campus is 100 acres!). Sassy has had a few quizzes and has done well so far. Bossy is excited about the bunny in the agricultural science class (this is a pre-req to animal science, which he wants to take next year).

      I know through our insurance, there is a small refund for taking classes.....thanks for the reminder!

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  5. Good for you, nice to be brave, I hate being brave maybe you will give me strength you have before!

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    1. I think you are way more brave than I am.

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  6. I think you should do a yoga class. Are any gyms in your area offering a promotion for one? It is so hard to meet people and I think it would be a great start.

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    1. I have to find one that is a modified class. We have a YMCA but the cost to join is probably more than we can swing. There are a few yoga studios in the area though.

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    2. Sometimes the Y offers geared-to-income memberships, although you may be in that grey area where you don't qualify for subsidy but can't afford it without. They also offer free memberships if you volunteer, or at least used to. I know the local Y saved my sanity at one point. Volunteering there gave me social connections, and access to free exercise. Just in case you need more to think about:).

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  7. Have you ever tried tai chi? When I could not do yoga, I could do tai chi.

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  8. I would check the ymca. Our local one is less than $100 a month for a family and has many different classes you can attend.

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