Heeeee's baaaaack!

Hooray!  Dude came home from his business trip today!!  That's two days earlier than he was scheduled to be home so I am SUPER happy to see his smiling face! 

In order to "celebrate" we went to the gym together! :)  Yaaay!  Kind of a weird way to celebrate, right?  Well, we're weird like that together :).  We are Crossfit junkies...we love it.  I actually ENJOY going to the gym now, whereas before I dreaded it.  Going to 24 Hour Fitness to run or walk on an eliptical or treadmill for 30 minutes was always mind numbingly boring, even while watching TV or reading a book.  I didn't really like Spin class when I tried it, and I just had what I like to call "gym ADD" when it came to anything else at the gym.  I didn't know what to do, how long to do it, etc., and I felt awkward.  Even though probably no one is paying attention to anyone but themselves at the gym, I was still really self concious. 

Enter Crossfit.  A good friend of mine told me about this new gym thing she was doing with her boyfriend and it sounded INTENSE!  She was doing pull ups, weight lifting, all sorts of crazy things!  She always was more fitness minded than me, so it didn't surprise me but I was about 100% sure that I wouldn't be able to do those kinds of things.  She told me that my husband and I should try it, because she was pretty sure Dude would like it.  So I googled it, found out there was an affiliate literally a mile down the street from our house and they had a free Saturday morning class, open to everyone.  So one Saturday morning in April 2009, Dude and I (and my friend and her rooomate) went to Crossfit Richardson.  That previous Thursday, Dude and I had gone to the regular gym and I had jacked around doing a little of this and a little of that...including 10 "girl" push ups (on the knees).  That Saturday morning I was still sore from the 10 push ups I had done on Thursday.  The workout we had to do included 40 push ups (plus some other stuff I don't remember...obviously the push ups left the biggest impression).  FORTY!  IN A ROW!!!  I thought I would NEVER make it.  But I did...and I was hooked.  It was brutal, I was COMPLETELY sore the next few days, but I felt like I had DONE something!  The gym owner/trainer was SUPER nice and had something planned out for us to do while we were there.  I like being told what to do in the gym...I need instruction, guidance, rules...when left to my own devices I play around and don't get stuff done.  Crossfit was perfect b/c there's a set "workout of the day", it's usually timed so you just have to do it, no dilly-dallying.  And it's in a class setting, so you end up making new friends and encouraging each other instead of trying to ignore everyone around you like at the Globo-Gyms.  So if you ever wanna try it, I HIGHLY recommend it!  Great stuff!

Okay, off my Crossfit soap box.  After Dude and I got done with our workout, we came home and made dinner...I had already taken out some filet mignon to thaw for dinner tonight, so it worked out perfectly to where it was a yummy "Welcome home" dinner for Dude.  We wrapped a piece of bacon around the filets and grilled them and they were GRRRREAT!  Dude is a great griller...my steak was perfectly medium and tender and delicious.  For a side we had some homemade sweet potato chips and green beans (cooked with pastured lard that we rendered from our farmers' market bacon).  All in all, this evening has been WONDERFUL!  So glad to have Dude home, and so grateful for good food and good health!