Hee-hee…I caught your attention with that title didn’t I?  🙂  My parents read this.  So do Marshall’s.  I’m not gonna get too real!  🙂

What I’m talking about is my insanely crazy fear of gyms.  I’m petrified of them.  Not only because of all the sweat and germs(seriously…that is so gross!), but because everyone else there is super-awesome fit.  And I…well, I look like this:

Not particularly super-awful, but not super-awesome either. 

But Marshall’s been going to the gym(at 5am when normal people are still sleeping), and he keeps telling me about this “Cardio Theater” where you can watch movies while you’re on the elliptical machine or stationary bike or whatever.  The best part?  It’s DARK.  Therefore no one can really see me!  The idea sounds great, right?  Yeah, I thought so, too.

Until…I went to the gym to check on rates and get a tour and such.  And while I’m on the tour, the (tanned and toned) personal trainer takes me into the group fitness room where a class is being held.  Horrors of all horrors: they stop the class when I walk in the door!  The teacher is one of the other moms from the kid’s school.  She stops, introduces me to everyone(all 5 of the super-fit-and-perfectly-toned women), and says how much they’d love for me to come to one of their “Body Sculpting” classes.  Seriously?  I’m more a clump of clay type of girl.  Not really a “finished product”.  You know? 

It really frustrates me that I get so weak in the knees about this.  I don’t know why I’m so scared.  I have sung in front of hundreds of people…without batting an eyelash or even getting the shakes.  Put me in a gym and I want to throw up.  Seriously.  I guess what I’m really scared of is going into “Body Sculpting” class and coming out looking like a first grader’s ash tray rather than a fancy, beautifully painted and glazed bowl. 

So, for now, I’m probably going to pass on the in-front-of-other-people classes.  If you need me, you can find me struggling to breathe on an elliptical in the dark.

Love him or hate him…you have to think this is cool.  President Obama, like most candidates, spent a lot of time in town hall meetings when he was campaigning.  Getting out to talk to “real people” is important when you’re trying to be elected to any office.  But it’s also important to try to keep in touch with those same “real people” once you are elected.  That’s not an easy thing to do as president.  It would just be a logistical nightmare from many angles.

But Obama really doesn’t want to lose touch with reality.  He had to fight to keep his blackberry, his email access is limited, he doesn’t have time to sit around and browse the web, I’m sure.  For someone who is used to having those things, I’m sure he probably does feel like he’s losing touch with the public. 

Anyway, the newest thing (that I discovered this morning while it was LIVE) is “Open for Questions”.   People were able to get on the White House’s website and leave questions(in written or video form) and ask the questions that were on their mind.  Then those questions were sifted through and pared down.  After that, folks were able to vote for the questions they most wanted answered.

Then at 11:30 this morning, the White House streamed live video of Obama answering these questions.  You can watch the whole thing here if you feel so inclined.

After reading this post you’re going to think one of the following about me:

• I’m an education snob.
• I’m a hypocrite.
• I’m cruel and insensitive.
• I’m right.

I am picky about grammar.  I cringe when I hear people mix up the words “well” and “good”.  Using the wrong tense of a verb is like nails on a chalkboard.  And if you’ve ever typed “your” instead of “you’re”, I probably noticed.

Like it or not, we are all judged by the way we speak and write.  You simply don’t sound as intelligent when you say things like “I don’t want no cheese on my burger” or “They was planning on going, but decided not to.”

In middle school, I was the dorky girl who actually liked to diagram sentences.  I like to read articles by Martha Brockenbrough and I thought the book “Eats Shoots and Leaves” was hilarious.  And while the TEAL folks might be going a little over-board(they did get in big trouble for messing with national park signs), I admire their determination.

And yet, after all of that, I’m the queen of comma splices.  I over-use the ellipsis… And I love to start sentences with “and” and “but”.  I also get sucked into using common phrases inappropriately.  Like “literally”…and “like”.  🙂  Oh!  I also say “might could”.  It’s a Southern thing.

And I might be a grammar snob, but these grammatical nightmares make me laugh every time:

see more dog and puppy pictures

see more dog and puppy pictures

see more dog and puppy pictures

see more dog and puppy pictures

My Carter, dear sweet Cartker, had his first “wee-ball” game tonight.  Let’s just say he might not have a career in athletics.  As a matter of fact, his only chance of ever being on ESPN may be if he’s in the National Spelling Bee Championship.  And since he’s of my gene pool, I’m thinkin’ even the chance of that is pretty slim.

I know, I know…it’s his first game…don’t be so hard on him…blah, blah, blah.  He played fine…he’s only four.  I don’t expect him to be ready for the major leagues!

But it would nice if he

didn’t cover his eyes with his hat

and

play in the dirt during the game.

And, honestly, it wasn’t all dirt and hats.  He actually played pretty well when he was paying attention.  See?

Lydia, however, is ball-playing girl!  The girl’s just built like a softball player.  She can hit.  She can throw.  She’s only 2.

Today she wanted to practice with me while I was trying to help Carter hit the ball off the tee.  I wasn’t looking for him to slam it into the neighbor’s yard, but it would be nice if he could at least make contact.  She begged and begged, and since we were running low on time, I promised her that I would play with her tomorrow.  Then came this conversation:

Lydia: Ah-we(are…she’s got quite a Southern drawl) we going to Cahtey’s (yes, he hates being called Cahtey) game at the ball field?

Me: Yes.

Lydia:  I wanna play they(there…she also can’t pronounce “r”s).

Me: You can’t play there.  You’re too little.

Lydia: But I’m wheely(really) good!

Why is it that when we get older we lose confidence in ourselves. We don’t feel like we can say “I’m wheely good” at something. Are we afraid of bragging on ourselves? Is it not ok to brag on yourself every now and then???

Heck…we’re all good at something.

I’m really good singer. There. I said it. That’s not self-centered. It’s just true. I am good at it.

What’s something you’re really good at? Leave a comment here to boost your confidence a little!