Friday Conundrums

What's new, you ask?

:: As of yesterday, Izzy is up to a whopping 2.6 pounds. That's a pound in three weeks. The vet said she's doing well, but noticed her lack of, shall we say, manners and boundaries.

Conundrum – How can something that weighs less than one of my shoes have the whole house wrapped around her little paw? Don't believe that's true? I'm trying to get photographic evidence of her favorite new pastime – laying on the couch with Oliver and chewing his tail! As if that weren't evidence enough of her ability to charm and tame, he is more gentle with her than he is with me!

:: I need a haircut. If you've ever had a really good haircut from a sweet gay man who made you feel that the haircut he was giving you made you younger and cuter you know the issue. He moved to Georgia.

Conundrum – Short of a roadtrip to the Peach State, where do I go in Findlay for a young, cute haircut? (That doesn't cost a whole paycheck!)

:: For fear of jinxing myself by actually writing about it and ruining it, I've been exercising and eating healthier for the last few weeks. Since I only weigh myself about as often as Fox News does an unbiased story, I know that in the last decade or so, I've lost about seven pounds. I've really always wanted to run so I started the Couch to 5K program, designed to get you off your ass very gently. So far I've done the first two weeks and I'm loving it. I don't so much love the running part but I think that will come. What I love right now is how proud of myself I feel when I set a goal and really push myself to finish. Now, the problem. My left knee hurts. A lot. Like, so much that when I go down a step it feels like it might not hold me up.

Conundrum – I don't want to stop running. But I also want to be able to walk. My insurance deductibles are so high it would put me in the poorhouse to get it checked out, just to have them say, "Don't run." What do I do?

:: My boss keeps changing my hours. Three months ago I got my day shortened by an hour. That got me home from cleaning around 5:30 with plenty of time to eat and still exercise in the evening. In a week, I have to go in a half hour later every morning, but add an hour to the end of the day. Translation - by the time I eat dinner it will be close to 7:30 and I will be too tired to exercise.

Conundrum – What to do? Obviously the answer is exercise in the morning, but the track where I've been running and doing stadium steps doesn't open until 7:00 am. I like the routine I'm in and now it's all going to have to change. And, all I'm getting out of the deal is 2.5 hours of pay (which is still 2.5 hours less than I was getting three months ago). And that's not enough to cover a membership at the Y where everything is open in the morning. . .And just plain old walking doesn't raise my heart rate enough to be all that effective as an exercise. And what if I can't run anymore because it hurts my knee so much? Blah. . .blah. . .blah. . .

So, there you have it. All the petty, whiny, unimportant stuff that's on my mind this first Friday of fall. Aren't you glad you asked?

EDIT

:: I finished this post and pressed publish before leaving the house for work. Going to the back door to let the dogs in, I was greeted by Oliver who had the body of a headless squirrel hanging out of his mouth. He was on a post-kill high and insistently tried to bring it in the house.

Conundrum – Will I forget about this horror by tonight when he's all cuddly on the couch and tries to give kisses?? What a way to start a Friday. . .

Even Bigger Conundrum – Why did I ever think a hunting dog would make a good pet??