PERSONAL TRAINING

Yesterday was moving day.  And I should have blogged at the end, but frankly, I was so exhausted that I could not even think about it.   But the move took place and I did spend my first night in my new house last night.  And it was great.


I know I have recently blogged about George the Trainer.  But yesterday he took "personal training" to a whole other level.  I showed up at 9:45 for my work out. He had already agreed to help me move between 11 and 1.   I figured that would allow us two trips with his pick-up and my Rav 4.   We could get most of the bigger pieces of furniture in two trips.  I would take him to lunch between the trips.  Luckily, the storage unit with my stuff was 10 minutes away, and lunch would be at the good old Blue Toad, located between the storage area and my house.


So when I showed up to work out, George announced to me that my workout that morning would be a "pre-moving" workout.  And he was true to his word.  While the others had their more conventional cardio/weight/core workouts, George had me doing all kinds of different stretches to get my legs and back and arms ready for the moving ahead.


At 11:00 we went to the storage unit and loaded up big pieces including the bed. My goal. . . . get that bed built and made up and ready for me to sleep in!  Lunch in between loads.  Then the second load.  It's interesting moving with your trainer.  Even though he is strong as an ox, there were pieces that needed two people.  And I was person #2.   The whole time he was advising me how to lift.  At one point when we were struggling with the pillow-top queen-sized mattress. . . not be cause it was so heavy but because it was so awkward. . . .and the wind was blowing hard, and the straps for holding it were on the wrong ends.   So he told me to put my hands on both sides of the mattress an squeeze hard in order to lift it.   It worked!  What I didn't realize is that I've been in training for this move for three years!


After he left I built the bed. Which involved locating a phillips-head screw driver and some socket wrenches.  Luckily, Chad gave me a set a couple of years ago and they were easily accessible in the storage shed out back.  It took a lot of grunting and groaning, but eventually I managed to get it together!

The pieces of the puzzle.  Each one of these frame parts is VERY heavy and awkward.

Step one.  Figure out the order to construct this.  Lots of nicked fingers and grunting and groaning ensues.  I have attached the cross bar with the three "V's" only to find out that this one obviously goes in the middle slot.  Take it apart. . . start over.  More grunting and groaning!

Yes, I know.  A very dark picture.  That's because in order to get the frame together, I had to man-handle the mattress up against the sliding glass door to get it out of the way, which blocked the light.  But the frame is finally together in this picture.  Some people may find this picture "dramatic."   But I find it dark!

Let the sunshine in!   The problem?  I had stacked the mattress and box springs against the wall backwards so that when they fell on the frame they were upside down.  Much more grunting and groaning.   Also I learned:  If you store a pillow-top mattress on its side for 8 months,  all the "pillow" ends up on one side.  Kind of like having a Sleep Number Bed, with one side being hard and the other soft,  until it all settles back in!

Colors are off again.  And I haven't found all the pillows that go with this set.  But this is the finished product!  And I could crawl right in last night.  And after the moving and building day I had had,  it was pretty easy to fall asleep.


And this morning when I woke up. . . . I opened my eyes and this is what I saw:

This is what I "saw" the first day I came into the Crappy Little House a year and a half ago.  I imagined waking up and looking out of a sliding door (it was a tiny window at the time) and seeing the mountains.  And this morning. . . there they were.  Just like I contemplated.  Just like I planned!  Ahhhhhhh!


I grabbed some breakfast. . . harder than it sounds since I have not found the silverware yet.   I "drank" my cereal out of a mug.  Then I WALKED to 5 Star Health and Fitness, just like I've been imagining I would.  It was cold and blustery.  But the walk is all of 2 minutes.   And I arrived at my workout where George put me through a "post moving" regimen.    Now THAT'S personal training!   And I am home at last!