Oooh, post #450!

208.6

Wow, when I first started this blog almost three years ago, I'd never have thought I'd have kept it going for 450 posts. Of course, there's a lot about my present life that I wouldn't have predicted back when I started this blog. ;-)

After this morning's session, I am officially halfway through my 4-week boot camp! MM and I went to the gym last night--my first trip to the gym since starting boot camp--and I did one of my usual cardio workouts. I walked briskly on the treadmill, jogging every fourth minute to get my heart rate up.

An interesting thing happened. I noticed that I had to increase my speed and spend more time jogging and less time walking fast in order to get my heart rate up to the desired level. In other words. . . . my usual workout was too easy for me. Yep, that's right! So even though the progress is not obvious to me at the boot camp itself, I must be improving my overall fitness level with these workouts.

Getting up so early is getting easier, too. Don't get me wrong: it's not SO much easier that I'd like to start doing it seven days a week from now on! But I no longer have to drag myself out of bed and drive to boot camp with that awful, icky-tired feeling, and I have more energy during the day than I did before (as long as I go to bed early enough to get at least 7 hours sleep on boot camp days).

Our landscaping is complete! Well, except for one item: MM and I paid extra for him to have a pygmy palm tree behind the spa, and it hasn't been planted yet (though it's obvious that it will be because there's a hole and irrigation tube for it). I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I am one of those people who has a bit of a hard time visualizing what something will look like in real life just from seeing drawings and diagrams, so I wasn't quite sure whether or not I'd be happy with the finished product, even though I picked everything myself. I like it!

The timing for the completion of the landscaping couldn't be better: my dad and stepmom arrive this afternoon. Plus, no one can walk on our newly-laid sod for at least 3 weeks, and it is a little over 4 weeks until the housewarming party I've been hoping to have. . . . which should give the grass plenty of time to get established before the party.

What else to tell? I will be busy with the parents all weekend. I got a summons for jury duty for next Tuesday, so that should be a joy. I seriously doubt that anyone is going to leave me on their jury--in fact, I won't be at all surprised if the judge dismisses me "for cause"--but I still gotta go down to the courthouse and go through the motions.

Hard to believe Halloween is only two weeks from today! This year has gone by fast.