Oh, One More Thing...

I have recently discovered/remembered another random thing that makes me inexplicably happy to add to my list. Being exhausted and sore after exercising. It's a weird concept...thinking that pain can make you happy, but I'm fairly certain this isn't just a weird phenomenon that only I actually enjoy. I'm pretty sure a fair number of people enjoy it. It's not necessarily that the pain itself is enjoyable--quite the opposite. I guess it's more that the pain and utter exhaustion are a tangible sign that you did something good for yourself, something that will eventually pay off if you keep at it.

I have many fond (okay, "fond" might be a bit of a stretch) memories of tryouts week for soccer. That stiff-legged burn, going home, lying on the couch, and not being able to move until about halfway through the next practice, when my muscles were warmed up again. And then repeat that every day for about a week, until I was back in shape.

Well, after about 7 years away from intense workouts like that, I'm experiencing it (albeit to a slightly lesser degree) once again. I recently made a life-changing purchase.

These are my new Vibram FiveFinger KSOs. They're super comfy, and it really does feel like you're barefoot. I bought them for a few reasons.

1. They're perfect for biking/swimming in the canyon, one of my all-time favorite summer pastimes.
2. I'm trying to be more active this summer, spending less time sitting inside and more outside getting exercise and enjoying nature. And if I had a cool new toy to play with, I might be more likely to succeed.
3. My big brother has a pair and raves about them. And I always believe everything he says. (And if you believe that...) ;)

So anyway, I bought a pair about three weeks ago, and after deciding that the first pair I bought was actually too small and exchanging them for the next size up, I've fallen in love. I also recently discovered (on the advice of the big bro) that it's so much easier to run in them than in normal sneakers. They're so much lighter and less clunky.

That being said, there is a down side. The packaging warned that you will use different muscles than you normally do. David warned me of that, too. (See? One example of how I don't always listen.) So I did my running, and then I hurt. MAN did I hurt. My calves feel like every single muscle fiber has been stretched to its breaking point. I feel muscles in my feet I never knew I even had.

But it's a good pain. A pain that says I'm doing something right. And if nothing else, I'll have killer calves when it's all said and done.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

It occurred to me today, as I was standing in the office supply aisle of CVS, that many random little things can make me inexplicably happy. So I've decided to compile a list of some of these things for your perusal. Don't judge too harshly, okay?

• New pens -- you know, the really nice ones that write super smoothly and never gum up with ink at the tip like the cheap pens do.

• Notebooks, journals, paper in general
• Sharpies
• Cheepers on a summer night
• Books

• Puppies and kittens and babies
• When a customer says "May I please have..." instead of "I want..." or "Give me..."
• Coffee
• New clothes and shoes
• Thunderstorms
• Little kids' imaginations

• Seeing friends unexpectedly
• Blankets
• Crochet, knitting, or sewing
• Binge cleaning
• Being awake before anyone else
• Comments on my blog (ahem)
• Brothers

• Falling asleep on the couch after a big meal while watching TV with my parents
• Sisters-in-law
• New cosmetics--makeup, hair styling products, shower essentials
• Baths
• Family Guy
• Baby Susie and Pink Bear
• Bath, England

• British accents
• James Joyce

Okay, I'm getting bored, but I think that's a sufficiently random list. What strange things make you happy? I urge you to spend some time thinking about it, and then indulge in them, often.