Sorry. Again.

Yeah, a bit of a lag between updates there. Sorry about that. There was a death in my family last week -- one of my aunts -- and even though it was far from a surprise, it's still knocked me for a loop in ways I didn't expect. She was my father's older sister, but when I was a child and a teenager I tended to think of her as my unofficial third grandmother. I lost all my grandparents early on, and she stepped in to do grandmotherly things like teach me to bake, take care of me when my parents were out of town, and generally spoil me rotten. With her goes a major part of my childhood, another link to my dad, and a woman who was a real linchpin of my family in ways I didn't even realize until after she was gone. I walked around after her funeral thinking "This is probably the last time all these people will be together like this," and it hurt.

And I honestly couldn't bring myself to give a good goddamn about eating well or working out. I did both to an extent, but I wasn't as diligent as I could have been on either score.

I've gotten back to caring this week, though. I've had three clean eating days in a row, which probably sounds pitiful but is a major achievement after last week. I've also declared this Cardio Week after getting a couple of wake-up calls about how badly my aerobic fitness was beginning to lag (all of a sudden, the stopped escalators at the Metro were getting really hard to climb again). I did the first week of Couch to 5K on Tuesday, and I was appalled by how much I was sucking wind by the end. But it felt good to run again; I can tell from the way I'm eating and moving that my body is seriously ready to get back on track. It hasn't even felt like a battle this week.

And because it wouldn't be a new year without me developing an interest in new and goofy (for me) forms of exercise -- last year it was Dance Dance Revolution, for those of you who weren't around -- this year is going to be the Year of ... Bowling. I know that this isn't as calorie-burning as, say, swimming laps for an hour, but according to SparkPeople it burns a surprising number of calories as long as you aren't scarfing down pizza and beer between turns. Which we don't.

My husband and I have gone bowling with friends of ours for years, and after every game we'd say "Y'know, that was actually fun. We should do that more." In the past couple of months, we finally got around to the "do that more" part. In fact, we started going to a nearby alley frequently enough that my husband finally brought up the idea of getting our own bowling balls and shoes.

Which was fine with me, as the rental shoes tend to gross me out and I could never find balls that seemed quite right. (And I'd often wonder whose fingers had been in those balls before mine. Yuck.)

The thing about me and bowling, though, is that I completely stink at it. I'm horrible. And I'm not just saying that to be self-deprecating. Little kids who blithely hurl the ball through the air in the general direction of the pins tend to do at least as well as I do. Even so, I still have fun. I've picked up a book or two for some pointers, which is good because it turns out that I was such a hopeless nitwit that I was actually using the wrong fingers in the ball. Was my face red!

And tonight, we finally made good on the idea of getting our own equipment. Since fifth grade, I have had a shameless Hello Kitty fixation. So when I spotted this ball in the lobby of an alley that had a pro shop, it was only a matter of time:

(Click on the picture for a larger image.)

So I'll probably continue to stink when we go bowling. But at least I'll be goshdarn cute while I stink, and surely that has to count for something.

Comments

[Lisa]

I'm so sorry for your loss! Even when you know it's coming, it's still affects you in ways you never expected.

I too suck at bowling. Bad. Like the gutterball queen!

[amy]

I just found your blog the other night and am so happy I have. You are an inspiration and I mean that truly.

I will try to become more physical as you did in the beginning and hope I too feel the need to exercise with time. Just know my body is NOT feeling right and time to do something. I too will accept the challenge of 'in the 30's' but confess I am 40 ;) No worries, it can be done and you have proved that to me.

I am currently around 30 pounds overweight. I can DO this. Thank you.

[Debbi]

Okay, that's the cutest bowling ball I've ever seen. I didn't know they made balls like that these days!

Nice to have you back ... I, too, am sorry for your loss.

[Michele]

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your aunt. That bowling ball is one of the cutest things I've ever seen!!!

[Salma Gundi]

So glad you are back, but so sorry for your loss. The movement from being part of the younger generation to part of the older isn't something that is talked about often enough.

That is quite possibly the cutest bowling ball, ever :)

[jodi]

sorry to hear about your aunt... i've lost all my grandparents as well so it must be hard losing someone that was just as important...

on a fun note, cute bowling ball! :o)

[PastaQueen]

I would take up bowling myself if I had a ball as cute as that.

[Marla]

OMG, you and the bowling bowl are the funniest thing I've seen all week! Up until that point I was picturing you more like Janeane Garofolo in Mystery Men, with someone's head embedded in your ball, but this is too perfect.

Also: I'd never thought about the public finger-holes before. Ew. Really ew.

[D]

Sorry about your aunt too.

Love the bowling ball. I agree, bowling is so much fun and it's something that we should 'do again' but often don't! Good for you for doing active things! D

[susan]

Um no...you don't stink if you can bowl 100. We joined a bowling league this year (even though I HATE bowling my dh really wanted to do this with his BFF and wife, so I say okay). So far I have broken 100 once in 18 games -- and the other night I bowled a 30. Yes, a 30.