I’m such a nerd. I was so in love with the look of a tan (a heretofore unknown phenomenon for me) from the free moisturizer I used on the weekend that I went and bought moisturizer with tanning stuff in it today. Hey man, we’ve broken frickin’ records for snowfall and winter weather here this year! Winter in Toronto 2008 is officially the worst in like 70 years! So sue me if I want to pretend that it’s actually spring and not Still. Effing. SNOWING.
So, my elliptical is in my bedroom, and in order to hear the television over the machine without deafening the neighbours (I have to be able to zone out when I’m on the elliptical or else I concentrate on how much work it is and I want to quit. I find that if I’m absorbed in a TV show, I can stay on longer and not notice how much I HATE exercising), I wear wireless headphones.
Of course, because it’s ME, the TV in my bedroom doesn’t have a headphone jack, so I have to plug them in to the living room TV and tune both TVs to the same channel. This means that there’s no changing the channel on the commercials (which took some getting used to, let me tell you), or when the show ends. This is exactly how I ended up accidentally watching two episodes of “Dancing With the Stars” – there is NO WAY I would watch it otherwise. Nuh-uh. Ahem. Anyway… moving on.
Tonight (it came on after Jeopardy, which I was exercising to – and kicking ASS at, I might add. I think I would have won about 3 million dollars. Fo sho’, homes) there was some musical guest on that I’ve never heard of – The Jonas Brothers? Who? And what are they, 12? Honestly, I don’t think they’re finished going through puberty. I’m such a geek that I had to Wikipedia them just to figure out who the hell they were… it didn’t help. Apparently they’re big with the TeenyBoppers in the US. Oh, oh, oh! They’re like a darker-haired, better coiffed version of the Hansons! HA!
They did a cover of “Take on Me” (by a-ha and one of my first-ever crushes… ah, Morten Harket. Hoing Forever!) and MASSACRED it. Truly, it was a musical bloodbath. The actual music bit was okay, but as I said, the singer hasn’t finished puberty yet, so he had some key issues – mainly that his still-cracking voice wasn’t able to keep in key, or FIND the key when he lost it. Ack. It was audio assault on my poor ears. If only Morten had been there… it would have been hoing-worthy again.
So, I’m sure you can tell by the numerous mentions of my elliptical that I’m trying to lose weight (the problem is that all the weight I lose seems to always find me again, AND bring friends. Har, har, har.). I’m also trying to get in 10K shape for the MS Walk in April… last year I had a kidney infection (lucky me!) and only managed the first 5K before needing to sit down. This year, I’m hoping to hoof the whole thing in one go (because if I get the chance to sit, I likely won’t get back up again – I’m THAT lazy). Wish me luck!
Another reason to get used to walking a whole lot (or ‘elliptic-ing’?) is the looming TTC strike. Inexplicably, the transit workers in Toronto seem to feel justified in holding the city hostage and walking off the job on April 1st if they don’t get their ransom money new contract deal. Apparently the greedy bastards don’t think that $26.58/hour is enough and are holding out until they make more than the other kids (namely the $26.62 that Mississauga Transit workers get – that’s right, it’s a FOUR cent difference).
I understand that there are other concerns and that some of the TTC employees experience violence or bad behaviour, and I agree that something needs to be done, but I don’t think throwing money at people will help it. I also think that they shouldn’t be allowed to do this every two years or so – remember 2006? The city dissolved into chaos – I saw it on the news on the other side of the country! How they’re allowed to even entertain the idea of a strike is beyond me – teachers aren’t allowed to strike because they’re considered “essential”. So… people getting to work or getting to school or to doctors’ appointments or what have you ISN’T any more essential than educating children? There’s something REALLY wrong with that. I can tell you that I CANNOT afford to not go to work – while the TTC strikes, THEY will still get paid. I WON’T.
So (enough ranting – sorry about that), if they walk off the job, I’m going to find some other way into the the hell-hole (a.k.a. my office) in the mornings, because we all know that I won’t be forgiven ANY time because there’s no TTC. Sure, I have a car, but we’re talking about downtown Toronto, kids. Parking here is MYTHICAL. So, I looked it up today and it’s about a 5Km walk from home to work (all downhill, thank the Gods), so I’d better get used to the walking (especially the fact that it becomes all uphill on the way home) and soon. What I’d like to know is if they’ll reimburse me for the money I’ve spent on the Metropass that I won’t be able to use if they go on strike. Bastards.
