Thursday, July 27, 2006

Hostage

I have your dolly. She is being well treated and as long as you cooperate she will not be harmed. Just show up at the gym each morning at 6 am and in 2 weeks she can come home - if she still wants to. I think she might decide to stay here permanently. Look how good she looks with all those pillows! Also, we let her eat junk cereal, which she says she never gets at home. Signed, Your Kidnapper

It wasn't my idea! Alexandra wanted a little extra incentive to get her butt to the gym for our early morning workouts, so while Jim and I were over at her house she decided to give us something to hold hostage. In order to work it had to be something she loved, but everything I suggested seemed to be something she loved TOO much. It finally came down to a doll version of Sophie's choice. You see, this doll has a sister, one that Alexandra clearly loves better. Squeezing shut her eyes she thrust this doll into my arms and covered her ears so she couldn't hear its tragic cries. I leave it to you to judge her cruelty. In her defense, she has VISITED the doll several times at my house and whispered reassuring words in its ear. AND she has been showing up at the gym, so soon the doll sisters will be reunited. All is well.

The morning workouts have been good. 6 am is freakishly early, but knowing that someone else is straggling out of bed too makes it a little easier. Actually, a lot of someones are. The gym is full at 6 am! What a lot of lean and motivated people there are in the world! Building a new routine feels good too. Over the past several years Jim and I have been adjusting our routine to rise earlier and earlier, arriving at this all-time early of 5:30, just to squeeze more time out of the day. Like toothpaste from a nearly empty tube -- you have to keep rolling it up to get out every little squish. Well, if we keep on like this, rolling up our days like tubes of toothpaste, we'll be getting up at 2 am by the time we're 40! Oy!

It occurred to me the other day to wonder at the strangeness of needing sleep. And so MUCH sleep. What is it in our brains that needs to be shut down like that for so many hours at a time? Any brain experts out there with the answer?

17 comments:

M said...

Loving the motivational techniques...never thought about kidnapping before as a tactic, might have to use that one!
I'm not sure why we need so much sleep either, but I know I love my bed and have been finding it so hard to peel myself out of it lately- and I don't get up till 7:15am! I do know that when I sleep for too long, more than 8 hours, I feel useless. Less sleep can be good for the mind. Then again, I feel a bit mushy today after a late night, so who knows!!

Alex S said...

Did you happen to notice me on the exercycle as you went over to the weights this morning??? You thought I left after the tmil but I stayed and did two miles! This is a very funny post but little did you know that I stuck a cell phone in her shoe and she called me and said you have been making her do all your chores. You even have her writing Silksinger! She has been relaying a lot of seedy, salacious goosip about what goes on over there and I'm deeply, deeply alarmed!

paris parfait said...

You guys are amazing, the way you're sticking to that routine. Bravo! But poor Alexandra, with her doll held hostage. I hope it's being well-treated. As for sleep, everyone's different. I sleep five or six hours only, ever since college. If I sleep longer, its only when I'm sick.

Amber said...

Oy, indeed! My hat is off to all of you. Crazy people.

:)

Deirdre said...

I have to say that I'm often awake at 5:30 or 6:00, but I am a terribly slow starter. I might be a danger at the gym that early. Now I have to admit something - the gym is one mile, two minutes from my house. And I haven't been there in two (?) weeks. That's on top of not working out for the last year. Oh my. You may get me motivated yet.

Anonymous said...

oh I am inspired! I think it is a bit easier to try the 6 am thing in the summer when it is light out-- I tried to go to a 6 am yoga class in the winter and oh god, that was not a good idea.

~bluepoppy

Lyrically speaking said...

I love morning workouts it's harder in the afternoon. Great post.

Darlene said...

This is just plain genius! The work of 2 very creative minds, very playful and so fun to see how you've introduced it into your real lives....

What a great friend you are!

((hug)) darlene xo

Frankie said...

Ha! I love this! What a good motivation, and I like the firm yet kind ransom note :).

Colorsonmymind said...

Love this post-congrats on sticking to the early morning routine-it sounds so delish-to start your day with all those endorphins.

GoGo said...

Ha, I just read about this on her blog. What fun

meghan said...

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I wish someone would kidnap something of mine to get me motivated!! Well done to all of you and keep it up! I've been doing 6am too and there is something special about it isn't there... xoox

SoulPony said...

I may have to use this sometime when I really need to motivate an unwilling subject to do my bidding.

kelly rae said...

so cute. i saw that very dolly at her house and thought to myself, "how cute is that?!" you two are going to be tri-athletes soon enough.

Roz Foster said...

Heh. You are too funny. Hilarious drama, you two. (Psst. Laini? Does the doll reorganize closets? Ship her north...)

LOVING your shoe post below. Man, those shoes look dangerous and snazz-AY! I definitely wouldn't mind the height help - however, very soon after placing myself upright in those babies, I would definitely tip over.

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