No Lite FM on MY iPod!

Before I tell you about Mexico I have to tell you a story of woe from the night before:

I don't think of myself as an OCD type of person even though I'm sure we all have leanings in that direction from time to time. Actually, when I think about it, I'm pretty sure I'm anti-OCD. If I could get a mild case it might help me be neater, pay my bills on time, and remember that sometimes Lost comes on an hour earlier on Wednesday nights. But if you ever saw me at the gym you'd think it was time for some psychiatric drugs. Evidence:

• Must run on Tony and only on Tony (aka treamill #3). When I'm with Tony I can look out the window at the three lamp posts in the Municipal Parking Lot. Don't ask me how or why, but some how I can run and concentrate if I look at those three posts. If I were to run on treadmill 1 or 2 I'd be forced to look at a blank wall or an annoying nature picture. How on earth is a field of wild flowers supposed to make you "feel the burn?"
• I must start my workout no later than 5:40 AM. After that I feel like I've messed up my day and it's not worth even doing. God help the Gym Guy who opens the door each morning. On days he's a millisecond late I want to hand him my planner and say "And how do you want me to handle the rest of today???"
• I must have my iPod and it must be ready and waiting with appropriate running songs. It's like my body is "sound activated"and when it hears the correct tempo it just starts moving. Put on music that is too slow and I can't handle it. My friend Christine works out to Lite FM. How on earth does she stay pumped when she's running to songs like "You've Got a Friend" by James Taylor and "Rainy Days on Monday" by the Carpenters??? When my body hears those songs not only does it not run, it makes a beeline to any padded surface and falls asleep!

Now that I've set the scene for you, get this. I go to plug in my iPod to charge it before my trip and...nothing. It's frozen! It's dead! It's useless. I now have no music for the long plane ride to Puerto Vallarta or the necessary music to run and/or bike! I actually considered that Tony or Bob had something to do with it - they were nervous I'd fall in love with a Mexican model and never come back. But the pain of that frozen iPod as I just left it lifeless on my desk as I zipped my suitcase and headed out the door...sigh....!

But, determined to prove to myself that I didn't need no stinkin' iPod, I hopped on that treadmill at the resort and 5 minutes later I hopped right off again. Not the slightest teensiest inclination AT ALL to do any workouts. I did a Tae Bo class but my heart wasn't in it.

And so I gave up. No iPod, no workout. My friend and traveling companion Jamie would give me "the look" and "the sigh" but I was determined. No working out for me on this trip. The mega woman of last week was finally on vacation.

Big shock: I was ok with it. It was really and truly ok to not work out for 5 days. Lesson learned: there is a time and a season for everything. This was my time to do the tropical locale thing. I decided that I didn't want any reminder of my daily schedule back home. So when the alarm went off and I survived the well-meaning "look" and "sigh" from Jamie, I rolled over and picked up my book, read for a few minutes, and went back to sleep. Viva Mexico!

Ok, now this is where I'm thinking God was involved. Those of you who know me well know I'm not much of a "it's a sign!" kind of Christian but this was freaky. Yesterday morning, I plugged that dang iPod in and it was still frozen. In a huff, I just plunked it down my desk, still attached to the USB cable, and started checking email. Would you believe that darn thing popped out of it's slump after about 5 minutes and now works good as ever? What the heck?! Did God want me to take the weekend off and just be? I don't know. But I'll take the lesson anyhow.

Needless to say, I'm not weighing in at Weight Watchers. Due to the all-inclusive (and believe me, I included all) meal plan and plentiful drinks, I'm sure I'm up a few pounds. Truthfully, I don't care. But I'm back with Tony tomorrow at 5:30 AM. And I may visit Bob as well sometime during this week but I'm not going to go nuts. Hopefully my family will be proud of me. Regardless, I'm proud of me. I took a trip I've always wanted to take and I didn't wait until I was at my goal weight. I earned that trip just by being a hard worker and I'm enjoying my life right now.

That Gym Guy had better be there on time.