SORE!!!

That is the word of the day. I went to the gym yesterday with my friend Jen. She's tough! I kept telling her that I was going to have a tee-shirt made especially for her with the word KILLER across the chest. Of course, Jen has been going to the gym for 4 years and has been weight lifting for 2, so no wonder I'm sore. At least I can still walk. Barely.

I am very proud of myself for continuing my fitness routine into this new year. At this rate, I may just lose that last bit of weight and fit into the size jeans I want by the spring! WOO-HOO! Wouldn't that be delightful?

Subject change.

(Thought I'd be kind and warn you this time!) :-) I woke up very crabby this morning. As Marn would say, The Spousal Unit was not pleased. I have a right to be crabby today. My legs were so sore that I did not sleep well last night. Poor guy. He was trying to be sweet and wake me up with kisses and so forth and I grumbled at him that I wasn't getting up until 5am. (it was 4:30 at the time)

I am extremely proud of him though. He got up on his own and put in the Gilad Fat Burning video and went to town. GOOOOOO BEN! Since he's at work when I go to the gym, he's decided to continue to work out at home with the videos we have. I don't mind working out with him, but I was just too sore and too crabby to have any motivation today. Besides, I'm going to Tae-Bo today anyway!

Then, I looked at the calendar after he left for work (which i had since apologized for my earlier crabbiness and was forgiven)and realized that today marks our 7th year together. Not our wedding anniversary, but it was 7 years ago today that we went on our first date.

There's a story for ya'll!

Can I set the stage properly to do the story justice? I'll try. We were both stationed in cold Great Mistakes, uhhh, I mean Great Lakes, Illinois. At the time, he dressed in tight white tee-shirts, Levi's and a black motorcycle jacket. (Good thing I buy his clothes now, huh?!?) <--just teasin'!!! Anyway, he also drove a 1960/62 Chevy Apache pickup truck with a step-side. (For all you classic car enthusiasts)

So, on with the story. I was dressed in my military uniform and had a two-hour dinner break. He picks me up in that old Chevy and took me to the Full Moon diner. We had coffee. We talked. And talked. We both had just gotten out of not-so-great relationships and agreed to only be companions. (Little did he know that my charm, my wit, and my beauty would lure him into my seductive web....wait, isn't that how romance novels start out?) Anyhow, he drove me back to the base where I resumed my post at the gate. He says he'll call me tomorrow. He does. We go to dinner.

I think we ate at the Full Moon Diner. (Hey, it was cheap and he was on a budget!) Afterwards, we're driving around the COLD suburbs of Chicago when he says to me, "I don't feel much like going back to the base and sleeping in the barracks. Do you?!?" (he was trying to be a gentleman) I say, "I guess not." He says, "Would you mind if we got a hotel room? You can sleep in your own bed. It's not what you think. I just don't feel like going back to my barracks room." I'm very skeptical at this point, but think, what the hell. We drive over to The Great Lakes Motel.

And as you are imagining <--sp? this place as a little bit of a dive, you're right. It was clean, but dumpy. He tells me, "You stay in the truck. I'm going to go register but I'm going to tell them that I'm the only one staying in the room so it'll cost less." Right here I'm thinking to myself, "Oh my goodness...what have I gotten myself into?!?" (he has since not lived this down...i've repeatedly teased him for saying that to me and he has totally apologized for being a goof!)

Back to the story. So, he pays for the room. Comes back out to the truck and helps me out of my side of the vehicle. (He really IS a gentleman) Then I notice he's got a duffel bag packed along with a portable radio. I say to him trying to catch him in a lie, "So, looks like you had this planned all along!" He stumbles over his words and says, "No, no....Really it's not like that. I always keep this in my truck incase it breaks down which it does quite a lot." We go into the room. Room #22. I remember it well.

The next part of the story you can all just use your imaginations........ the rest is history, as they say. We've been together ever since.

Did I mention that it was COLD there in Great Lakes?

Ben really was and always has been a kind, considerate, thoughtful, patient, understanding and LOVING man. I am very lucky to have married him. Or, wait... maybe he's lucky to have married me. Otherwise he might still be wearing those clothes! Ha, ha, ha!!!

Thought Of The Day:"The best proof of love is trust." --Joyce Brothers

Thought Of The Day #2:"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."--H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Until next time... peace, love & HEALTH!!!