Hi T,
Sometimes we find good new objectivity and inspiration in places we don't expect to. Perhaps your stinky dark male gym place is going to offer some new experiences and discoveries for you. Contrast can bring new awareness. If it's a convenient time and location, it will at least keep you excercising more often. Perhaps you'll absorb some of the testosterone in the air there and rise to spectacular new martial arts heights!

I rode bike yesterday only 12 miles- so cold at 23F. I *should* have ridden today, but like a fool I believed the weather report that said rain all morning, so I walked 3 miles instead. Turned out it was 40 and perfectly lovely and sunny for a bike ride! A missed opportunity, and now supposedly 3 days of sleet ahead of us. At least I walked.

I had an interesting snowshoe occurance today. We live a 1/2 mile from Main st here in our little rural town. While walking through town today, I saw a flyer in the window of the land conservancy office that told about upcoming snowshoe classes right near me! I wrote down all the info excitedly. At home I saw on my calendar that I would miss all 3 dates due to guests here and also an upcoming vacation in early Feb. I was devastated!! But then I did some thinking- the first clinic was setup for a week from now- and clearly there would not be snow here for it, so I called the Land Conserv. office to see what they were planning to do about that problem. The lady in the office was the one who was going to give the snowshoeing classes! She said they had already canceled the first one, and weren't too sure about snow for the other ones either. Then she said the most amazing thing- she said she keeps her snowshoes right there in her office and when there is snow she often goes out snowshoeing on her lunch break etc. She said if there is at least a 3" snow anytime time on a weekday, I should just call her and she would come meet me right 2 blocks from my house where one of their nature trails starts! This was the trail I had planned on trying my snowshoes out for the first time. She said she's be glad to get me started and give me a little lesson anytime! This is all just a couple of blocks from my house!!! Am I lucky or what??

Now I have a snowshoe mentor to help me get snowshoeing when we get our first big snow!
Yesterday we actually did get our first "real" snow- but only 2". By this morning it was down to 1" and spotty coverage. That's at least breaking the jinx of no snow at all I guess. I feel pretty dopey talking about snowshoeing so much and never even having done it yet! Well, I *did* at least try my snowshoes on in the bedroom once! Coudln't walk around the house though or I'da ruin'd the oak floors!

We do our taxes pretty early, usually Feb. DH is a very efficient man, which suits me just fine.