You're Kidding, Right?

I checked into the hotel at about 10:30 last night and there was a new guy at the desk. I must admit I've been a bit spoiled being recognized as I walk in and having the check-in half done before I even get to the desk. I even had to show my photo ID this time... Why do you care? You probably don't, but if I don't set the stage then what happened when I called the front desk this morning won't have the same impact...

Me: "Can you please send down an ironing board?"

New Guy: "Certainly, I'll send one right away." and he hangs up, I think it's settled and return to my morning routine (mostly email, with a little Facebook thrown in). Had this been the usual front desk staff, the story would've ended here. But no...

45 seconds later, New Guy calls back, "Did you check in the closet?"

Me: "Did I what??"

NG: "Did you check in the closet for the ironing board?" I heard you the first time, I just wanted to make sure you really thought I was that dumb.

Me: "Yes. I checked in the closet for the ironing board." This isn't my first trip to the circus, Skippy. I've stayed in my fair share of hotel rooms. Know what they ALL have had in common so far? The frikkin ironing board has been in the frikkin closet! Now I'm curious to know where you think I was looking. If Rhys had been looking, the ironing board could've been in the middle of the room wearing a pink tutu doing Lord of the Dance and he would've missed it. Granted, I can't always find what Dawn sends me into the pantry to retrieve, but I am very confident in my ability to find an ironing board in a hotel room.

When he came to the door with the ironing board, he was trying to inconspicuously scan the room to see if I had already found the elusive board which should've already been in my room. He's lucky I didn't smack him with the board he dropped off...

6 Weeks Later

I made it! I finished my 6-week kettlebell program, the first time in my life I've ever done a 6-week anything program. Feels good  :)

Over the past six weeks, I moved up from the 12kg to the 16kg kettlebell (and could probably almost move up to the 20kg bell in some areas), lost 1/2" on my waist, gained 1/2" on my chest and arms, and lost 0.8lbs.

What worked:
-Having a target each week for the workouts, even if they sometimes seem designed to kill me.
-Daily reporting & accountability
-Learning I can actually workout in the evening. It gives me time to talk myself back into exercising, when I wake up in the morning I don't often feel like working out.

What am I going to change for the next round?
-For tracking purposes, I'm going to work on 4-week increments rather than 6-weeks. It's easier to fit everything in on paper...
-Add more cardio exercise to the routine. I need to spend more quality time with the treadmill or the exercise bike on my "off days"
-Do more of what Jesse calls "complexes". Not sure how I'm going to fit those in just yet, but I'll work on it. I need to have more of the "praying for death" exercise days
-Be more conscious about what I eat. Let's face it, I'm never going to be a health-food nut. Part of my motivation to exercise is to allow me the joys of indulging in my love of ice cream without any of the associated guilt. But I don't have to make that a meal, if I keep it as a dessert where it belongs I don't see a problem. I can make healthier choices for meals, but the train isn't going to jump the track if I occasionally grab a less-than-healthy meal on the road.

What I've noticed in myself:
-I'm generally in a better mood
-My recovery time from my quarterly cold/sinus congestion has decreased significantly
-I have to say I've noticed my food cravings have started to change, I don't always default to the burgers any more. I'm trying to drink juice more often than I drink pop. I'm not going to say I'm not going to drink pop any more because I'm not ready for that step, but I am consciously cutting back.
-There is a noticeable difference when I do things like help people move. Hauling freezers and couches is a bit easier than it used to be.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some Lego to build :)