Just Get Me to the Church on Time

Sorry for the late post today. It's been a another whirlwind weekend.

As I mentioned yesterday, our string quartet played the second wedding of the weekend yesterday afternoon. I got in a good workout yesterday morning, including the Swiss ball workout. (To answer the question, 'How do you get in the starting position?', you first sit on the ball, then lean back slightly as you walk your feet out until the ball "rolls" up your back.)

Late this morning, I went to the golf course with DH and hit three buckets of balls before joining my mom and her DH for lunch. A quick phone call to our agency's harpist led me to believe everything was on go for this afternoon's wedding - for which my only responsibility was to contract the musician...or so I thought!

After a good C25K outside workout, I came back inside hot, sweaty, but feeling good. At 4:20, no sooner than I had sucked the first sip of a frozen orange protein slush, the phone rang.

On the other end, a somewhat panicky bride reminded me the wedding rehearsal was scheduled to have started at 4 p.m. I reassured her the harpist would arrive in plenty of time to begin playing the prelude by 5:30 for the ceremony at 6 p.m.

"But you're supposed to officiate, and we were expecting YOU for the rehearsal," the bride explained slowly and distinctly while I frantically searched my contract folder to make sure I hadn't overlooked something.

Regardless how it happened, my mission was to calm the bride and guarantee that I could arrive within 30 minutes to conduct a rehearsal and subsequently perform the ceremony.

Sweat still rolling down my back, I took a 30-second shower, blow-dried my hair with the sweat in it, powdered appropriate areas, donned my ministerial garb, grabbed my liturgies - plus a food bar and a bottle of water - and hit the road. (Pant! Pant!)

The wedding went fine, everybody loved it, and I finished with 20 minutes to spare before I was scheduled to meet my DH for a 7 p.m. movie.

After tomorrow morning's workout, I'll catch up on my blog reading!!

Inspiration: Our Gym Hero

Whew, it feels good to be home - sleeping in my own bed, cooking in my own kitchen, sitting at my own desk, working out in my home gym. On my birthday!

Tomorrow morning, I'm scheduled to interview a man who, without knowing it, has inspired me to train consistently, even when I don't feel like it. Each time he walks into the gym, he yells, "Mornin', everybody! (Waits for response.) How's everybody doin' today? (Waits for second response.)" For the next few minutes, he strolls around the gym, pumping handshakes like a seasoned politician.

I watch as he unzips his gym bag to retrieve an unwieldy contraption which he slings over his shoulder. With one hand, he buckles a strap around his chest. Next, he wraps a towel around one handle of a spin bike. Finally, he locks his prosthetic hand over the towel and begins his workout.

Folks who've been around a while tell me he was injured in the war. I'm not yet sure which one. I'll find out in the morning.

After I learned his name, I called our gym hero this afternoon to schedule the interview. He agreed, but said he needed to be finished by 10:30.

"A group of us meet over at the St. Joseph Chapel to pray for our service personnel serving in Iraq and other areas of the world," he explained.

This is going to be a good story. I'll keep you posted.

P.S. Thanks to everybody who sent get-well wishes to DH. He's recovering nicely!