Hobbled and Healing

I pulled a muscle in karate class yesterday. I took a step back, rolled a little onto the side of my foot and something went twang! and I've been limping ever since. I spent most of yesterday doing the very-elderly-lady shuffle – small, short steps, no striding down the sidewalk, no sprinting to answer the phone.

It's feeling better today but I'm still moving gingerly, visiting with my friend the heating pad, giving my leg some time to heal.

As you probably noticed, there was no Project Arse update yesterday. I am officially dropping out of the 5k Ass Project (gasp). Here are my two primary reasons: I'm bored with the pictures of my rear end and I'm no longer trying to change or shrink my dear old arse. Frankly, I like it just the way it is. I'm walking and studying karate in order to feel good, to make myself happy, not for the purpose of butt shrinking.

A million years ago, a boy, a summer romance, said something romantic and sexy about my ass. He said that I had the kind of ass he'd like to see walking from the bed to the bathroom every morning. (Thank you, Brad Herron, wherever you are!) We were teenagers and it was true, my ass was stunning.

I remembered this the other day and decided, I am happy with the ass I'm walking around with today. I like the way it moves me through my days and nights, providing a soft place to sit, cushioning falls and balancing me as I gallop (or hobble) through my life. I'm fine with it as is.

I may start posting photographs of things other than my butt on Wednesdays. While alternating ice and heat on my leg yesterday, I started reading my camera manual and I think it would be fun to sharpen my camera skills, focus my eyes a bit more on the world around me.

What I find myself thinking and writing about these days is the creative process and how we find time to do whatever creative thing we're called to in the midst of an average day, an ordinary life. That's the conversation I'm interested in having.

Project Arse Week Seven

What's up with the baggy linen shorts?

The Kid is home from school with what seemed at 3a.m. to be strep throat but turned out to be a viral throat thing. He is feeling much better now, thank you for asking.

We are in prep mode for Hurricane Ike. Now fully stocked with water, food and everything else the red cross suggests, we are wondering how bad it will get here in San Antonio. Magic weather channel eight ball says, ask me again later.

Project Arse Week Six

Same pants as last week (karate class this morning, more on that later). Basically same arse as last week although if you look closely you can see it's a little stronger, a little more confident than it was six weeks ago.

I'd like to take a moment and thank Lefty and The Kid for their patience and kindness while we took time on Wednesday mornings to take a photo of my butt. You guys were great!

Project Arse Week Five or "I'm a Stranger to Nirvana, I Don't Box Outside My Weight"*

You know it's going to be a good day when one of the first things you say to your family is this, "Can someone take a picture of my butt because it's butt day?"

Here's my rear end a la week five. To celebrate, I'm doing something very special - I'm taking my arse to a karate class. I've sat on the sidelines of the martial arts for years, first as Lefty's adoring fan and most recently as The Kid's. At some point this summer I decided it was time to get out on the mat myself. Or maybe I decided it was time to do something that scares the crap out of me because this sort of does.

Wish me luck.

*This is a quote from an ancient and arcane song and if anyone can name the artist and the song title, I'll give them a dollar.

Projec Arse Week Four

I know I said no more plaid, but we're off to the Leonardo exhibit at the Witte today and I wanted to wear my lemon lime shorts no matter how they make my butt look.

I did a bit more walking this week but managed to hurt my calf muscles and had to take a day or two off to let them recover. This is my standard m.o. with exercise - I get all gung ho and push myself (like I'm thirty) and wind up sore and hobbled because my body has not forgotten that it's forty six.

May the force be with your arse!

Project Arse Week Three

I really needed to get a Bionicle in there, you know, for scale.

To be perfectly honest, I haven't been doing much to diminish my rear end. I walked over our vacation but since we got home, not as much. Now, Lefty's out of town and The Kid's slow ambles around the block with me are not exactly taxing on the posterior. More exercise to come and yes, I may never wear these shorts again (even though they are wicked comfortable) because the plaid is not flattering me like it used to.

Project Arse Week Two

Vacation Arse with Bionicle

Project Arse: Week One

The beloved Mrs. G has resurrected her 5k ass project and I'm taking on the challenge. I thought I'd get my pre-vacation rear end in here for week one because to me vacation means "why yes I'll have another glass of wine and we would love to see the dessert menu".

You don't know how fragile your ego is until you ask your seven year old to take a picture of your butt.

Week One

I will walk everyday.