Ow.

As y'all know, The Mayor of Spiffytown and I have a little bet going that we'll each lose 35 pounds by July 4th, or else.

Else what, I have no idea. Perhaps the "else" will be to post our "before" pictures on our blogs. While that's a fine idea if BIFF should happen to not reach goal (because Lordy, don't we all want to see a "before" pic of the Mayor?), it is not such a hot idea for me, for I am not terribly photogenic to start with (unlike my younger brother, who has never had a bad picture taken of him. Ever), and have a very skewed self imagine to continue with, and have never really cared for any pictures of me to finish with, even when I was in shape and sag-less.

So, no, some other "or else" will have to manifest itself, because I cannot have any frank and honest "before" shots of me slathered all over the bits and bytes of the interwebs. Something important might break!

Where was I?

Oh yeah, the smackdown.

There's now a blog about it.

And I started working out with an exerball this weekend.

And today, we have the Ow.

Outer thighs? Ow.

Abs? Ow.

Pecs? Ow.

All the other muscles that I've forgotten then name of? Ow also.

But, you know, it's a good Ow. It makes me feel like my body isn't just a lump of flesh and bone that I use to carry my head from one place to the next. I makes me feel more alive, somehow. Ain't that somethin?

Of course, some of the Ow may have to do with the whopping 1.5 miles I walked yesterday around the local high school's track before telling myself to stop so that I wouldn't keel over and subsequently be found Tuesday morning by the track coach somewhere on the far side, over by the guest grandstand, under the pines, a light coating of chats on my sweatshirt and scrub pants, my cold fingers still clutching my car keys and now-dead cell phone.

And yes, y'all, that was both a real sentence and exactly what I was thinking, as well as a pathetic and lame excuse for distance, but it's all I've got so just sit back and take it, soldier.

I'm proud of myself. I'm glad to have the Ow. I'm happy to have walked. Today is another day, and here we go again.

Which, BTW, is the sort of the title of my new favorite song in the whole world by OK Go. Who I love. Muchly.

TOPIC CHANGE ALERT

Got 6 new CDs in the mail the other day.

Double CD set from The Eels (Blinking Lights and Other Revelations)
One from The Pogues (Essential)
One from Thomas Dolby (Retrospectacle)
One from The Gorillaz (Demon Days)
One from OK Go (Oh No)

Hells YES! I'm-a reclaiming my music, y'all. On the list that's yet to purchase (though not yet in my queue because YourMusic doesn't CARRY THEM, dagnabbit, so I must go elsewhere for the fix):

Imogen Heap - not decided which CD yet
Laurie Anderson - not decided which one yet, though prolly will be the one with "Oh Superman" on it.
Peter Gabriel - "So"
The Decemberists - the newest one
4tet - whichever one has "smile around the face" on it
Of Montreal - haven't decided which one yet

And I'm just getting started!

Question of the day - what new music do YOU suggest I get, and why? Don't be afraid to suggest something you think might not me on my playlist based on the above - I enjoy and can appreciate most kinds of music (except, you know, 20th century orchestral stuff), and love finding new stuff.

Especially if it's got a good beat and you can dance to it. Or sing along in the shower. Or car. Y'all know.