Last week, my first week of NOT working at Costco, I thought..this will be great- I'll totally get to make working out part of my everyday routine (I know Costco had a gym but towards the end there I really didn't feel like getting sweaty during my lunch break). So, on Thursday morning I packed my gym bag- book, yoga pants, swim suit, swim cap, goggles (I have pictures of me in my swim "gear" but I refuse to share- picture a smushed forehead because the goggles and swim cap are so tight they practically cut off circulation AND who thought a swim cap would prevent your hair from getting wet? Well, it doesn't so I think I'll avoid the dirty looks for taking myself too seriously from now on.)...all ready to go here! Then I drove Jeff to work and headed up 99 towards my north seattle gym (thank goodness Ballard is getting one soon and it's going right above Trader Joe's- what's not to love about that?)
I arrived at the gym- the plan: do the elyptical for 40 minutes while I finish Kite Runner (anyone read this? I just finished and had mixed feelings...) and then swim for 30 (don't want to get too pruney). But wait...what is this? No sneakers!!! All that preparation...all my workout dreams...looks like simply swimming will have to do....I think I'm ok with a "swimmers body"- at least I don't have to carry my own weight ;)
Everytime I swim I'm reminded of my Uncle Dick- he wasn't truly my "uncle" but that's what I grew up calling him. Uncle Dick was a friend of my father's- actually, he was more like a father-figure to my Dad and there has been a huge hole in our lives ever since his passing.
I learned to swim when I was 3- Uncle Dick had a pool! I remember the day I first swam without a life jacket very vividly....I waited until all the adults had gone into the house and I thought "i know I can do it...they'll just never let me" so as soon as the last one went through the slider door I tore off my life jacket and jumped right in. Of course, it caused kind of a commotion..but when they came running outside they were surprised to see a little doggy paddling jenny..."i did it!"
Swimming at Uncle Dick's is one of my greatest childhood memories and I can't wait to sing to my children the song Uncle Dick would sing to me without fail, upon request...
Down in the meadow in a itty bitty pool
Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too
"Swim", said the mama fishie, "Swim if you can"
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
13 comments:
Great job Jenny- what a fantastic outlet! Cute song too :-)
thank you for sharing this post Jenny, I haven't heard much about Uncle Dick, I love the story of you as a little girl, you have always been quite determined! Your Uncle sounds like a wonderful man!
Lucky you that the new gym will be over TJ's!
Thanks for babysitting last night the boys LOVED it! xo
i loved reading this post, jenny. and your story of learning to swim...and jumping in all by yourself...i can just picture you! :) your gym membership sounds so nice...it will be great when the gym opens in ballard!
another uncle dick story- he was a "larger" man and would sit at a picnic table in swim trunks and an open Hawaiian shirt while all of us were swimming in the water...one day, young jenny, got out of the water and innocently asked, "uncle dick, why do you let your boobies hang out?"- i'm not sure what he answered.... ;)
Great story! I can't wait to meet you at the gym sometime . . . Wed or Fri mornings??? I won't even tell you how few times I have been in the last month . . . wait, have I made it at all?!?!?! Yikes! Lets plan a workout date soon!
When you mentioned those tender memories of Uncle Dick, I couldn't help but think of your mother's experience in his kitchen while doing the dishes...I much prefer the boobies and swimming stories.
Jenny, here's a side note:
Your Costco email rejected me...send me an email from your other email...I can't stand not being emailly connected. You'll never guess who contacted me through facebook. Think Swedish reporter.
good for you for working out! hope your energy rubs off on me a little :)
you are funny and I'm glad you're my friend. I love picturing you when you were younger-- realizing you had to jump at your chance to swim-- right then-- or they wouldn't let you.
ps-- PLEASE share a picture of you in your goggles and swim cap. preferably tomorrow mid-morning when i am surrounded by cranky, smelly teenagers and i need a good laugh!
oh katie..i wish i could, but truly, I can't bring myself to do it...make me show you in person, before i lose my nerve...
that was fun to read Jenny. Thanks for sharing!
I always tell myself 'If I had a gym membership, I'd go everyday' HA! yeah, we all have good intentions, but there's always something more interesting to do than work out :) Why is that?!
God bless Uncle Dick! He just laughed heartily when you asked him about his boobs hanging out and retold that story to everyone! Remember how you used to sing the "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee song for him and all of us hanging out at his pool?
Hey Jenny, Happy Easter and nice post...
If you get bored swimming laps, or the idea bores you, you might look into a handy little gadget called a SwimP3. It's an MP3 player that you can listen to in the pool, it hooks around your goggles. It can shuffle about 40-50 songs for you in WMA files (music from your Windows Media Player).
The only brand I know of is made by a company called Finis. I got mine at Sylvia's Swimwear in Bellevue, at NE 20th & 140th Ave. Around $150.
Anyway, those are the thoughts for the day... good job with the new house, I hope you're enjoying it!
Also, your singing would make Uncle Dick /Gramps proud!
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