Saturday, September 17, 2011

Rocking On

There have been times when the significant man in my life has hefted my handbag and asked me "Whatcha got in here anyway?  Rocks?"

Today, the answer was "Yes, I do.  You wanna make something of it?  'Cause I'll hit you with my purse if you tick me off."  I took a stroll through an outdoor art show, and bought something made out of a fist-sized stone.  I cannot tell you exactly what it was because it's a gift for someone who may read this post, and I want it to be a surprise.

I bet everyone reading this post is now hoping that they are that person.  Oh boy, a rock!  I sure hope it's for me!

Trust me, it is a very nice rock.

It was a big treat to be out and about today.  It was the first time I've gone out and purely enjoyed myself for a couple of weeks.  Blue skies, interesting people, lots of cute dogs and babies, and a variety of neato created objects.  The prices at most of the stalls were a bit out of my range, but it was cool just to see it all.

Last weekend Ken and I went to my cousin's engagement party.  I'm glad that I went to wish her and her man Mazel Tov, but unfortunately my body was not cooperating.  I felt faint and we couldn't stay long.  I went back to work on Wednesday, but I'm not at 100%.  I still have that attractive ancient-person shuffle-walk.

Of course I have continued to obsess about ME.  I think it's going to be a while before I'm done rabidly consuming all related information on the internet, and speculating about how I can apply it to my situation.  For example, I have heard several ME people say that wearing a heart monitor is helpful in that it helps you to listen to your body and avoid overexerting yourself.  So naturally I immediately purchased a heart monitor.

A little research revealed that, ironically, the place with the most selection in wristwatch-style heart monitors is The Running Room.  Ken drove me to the nearest location.  A helpful saleswoman approached us.

Saleswoman:  Can I help you?

Me:  I'm looking into getting a heart monitor.

Saleswoman:  What length of marathon are you training for?  Does it need to have GPS?

Me:  Er... not so much.

I explained that I wanted something to monitor myself for a medical condition.  She brought out a number of options.  Let me tell you, the wrist units for all the available heart monitors are freaking HUGE!  I mean, they'd be big on an average-sized person, let alone on my dinky wrist.  There was one in particular that looked like a tablet computer.  In the end I got the simplest and least eye-catching one, in case I ever feel the need to wear it out in public.

Even the "simple" monitor comes with a mind-boggling array of features and a thick instruction book. I haven't cracked open the package yet.  Maybe tomorrow.  I need to get psyched for this.  At least I don't have to worry about learning how to upload my workout stats to the online fitness tracking spreadsheet.  My "calories burned" rating will probably be in the single digits.  It appears that there is no way of activating the heart monitor function without creating a whole "exercise file" with all the associated stats and crap that I don't need.  I guess it could prove to be interesting.  If it is, you can bet I'll let you know.

10 comments:

Warped Mind of Ron said...

Well.... if you ever get caught wearing it out you can tell them it's a GPS unit and a condition of your probation. ;-)

DarcKnyt said...

The GPS could come in handy if you're out and about and an attack sets in. The authori-tahs can find you lickety-split. Not to mention you can never again hide from the all-seeing eye of Them.

I hope it does help, and that you don't suffer ramifications of your rock-buying excursion. :)

Jameil said...

I'll take a fist-sized jewel! I gleefully await the mail! Wheeeee!! When the recipient receives it, I wanna see this rock. I mean, I'll post a picture of my giant jewel when I receive it!! I want a heart rate monitor badly! But it's not in the budget right now. Can't wait to get it! And I hope it does great things for you!

LL Cool Joe said...

Well I think I'm fairly safe in saying the rock isn't for me. Can't see you posting that to the UK in a rush. Can you tell I'm relived? Remember I already have 2 rocks from the Great wall of China that I wasn't very impressed with. :D

Granny Annie said...

Your first few paragraphs were exhilarating and made you sound whole. Then you reminded us that you are broken. So hoping your life will take on more events you can "purely enjoy" as you begin to get a grip on your illness. God bless.

Lynn said...

I've always wondered about those monitors. I'll be interested to hear.

Jenski said...

Hopefully the fall weather will allow you to do more without stressing your body too much!! A friend of mine once spent a pretty penny on some rock ducks for her cottage. :-) Good luck with the heart monitor!

Anonymous said...

Well, I hope you start feeling better and beat whatever illness you have. You sound like a strong person ...dont know what a heart monitor is will have to look it up...hope things continue to get better and brighter...zman sends

Tracy Moore said...

You crack me up with your perfectly vivid descriptions...I love it. And hey, the rock...I have been collecting rocks since I was a kid and love them to this day. I've got rocks everywhere lol...yes that includes the ones in my head ;) The voracious reading on the ME is completely normal and trust me it never completely goes away. Even after all these years I still go out there and look for new developments and tips.

DarcsFalcon said...

A very nice rock? Hmm, to me that says either "precious, or semi-precious." ;)

The heart monitor looks cool actually, very techno gadgety. Hopefully it will encourage you to actually sit down and rest when it tells you to, and not ignore it like a nagging mother.

I thought it was cool that it wished you a happy birthday. As do I!

Happy day, Spark, I hope it was all you wished for! :)