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Happy March! Apologies for the late post – I know you have all been shaking, crying, and screaming, “Where is the Weekend Update?!” at the sky. Well, I am a very busy woman, and we have a lot to cover this week. So, without further ado, here is the Weekend Update:

Pilates Review

Another week with lots of firsts! What I love about the Club Pilates* classes is that every class is different. Even if I go to the same class every week at the same time with the same instructor, it won’t be the same class. This week was no different, and I was really happy with the four classes that I chose. I’m approaching my 25th class at CP, which means I’m 1/4 of the way to being in the 100 club! (I get to write my name on a sign in my home studio, and I think I get a free pair of grippy socks – the Pilates kind, not the psych ward kind.)

*Note that whenever I type Club Pilates, I have to physically restrain myself from typing Club Penguin instead.

Monday: Reformer Flow 1 with Suzanne

I almost canceled this class multiple times. This class was at the Hybla Valley location (where my GPS took me to IHOP instead). I hated the last class I took there, so I tried to get in last minute at my home studio, but they were all booked. Then, on Monday morning, I put on a new continuous glucose monitor sensor before I left for Pilates, only to have the sensor fail while I was fighting traffic to get to the studio on time. (See last week’s Rant of the Week to learn more about my CGM struggles.) I almost turned around but realized that there was nothing I could do at home to fix it, so I might as well get a workout in and not let my diabetes completely derail my day.

I’m glad I stuck it out because the class was tough, and I needed that. I did feel bad for two older women who were at a class for the first time and were loudly confused and frustrated. If this had been my first class, it would have been discouraging. However, if I don’t know what’s going on, I try to figure it out before I yell at the instructor that I’m lost. One of the ladies just gave up and left halfway through class. I can respect it.

The class was good in that the moves were challenging and different, however, the instructor did not seem to want to correct people or tell them if they were doing it wrong. At one point, we were doing arm pulls, and half the class was pulling with their right, and half were pulling with their left. I was looking around, trying to get a count on what the majority of the class was doing, and met eyes with another girl who mouthed to me, “Which arm?” which I mouthed back, “I have no idea.” The instructor was watching all of us do different things and didn’t clarify until the other girl finally asked which arm we were supposed to be pulling.

Wednesday: Reformer Flow 1.5 with Maesy

My morning class on Wednesday was a 1.5 with Maesy, and it was a real workout. I was shaking, sweating, and my blood sugar was in the 40s by the time class was over, but I loved every second of it. Maesy had us try some new moves that she said were usually reserved for level 2, but she wanted to try them out on us. Unfortunately, she could not remember the name of the level 2 move, and when I described it to ChatGPT, she suggested it was a “side plank with leg lift,” which isn’t quite right. Please feel free to donate to my Venmo so that I can get a reformer at home to properly demonstrate these crazy things.

We also used the chair! This was my 22nd class at Club Pilates and the first time I used the Pilates chair. I honestly didn’t know we could do stuff on there, I thought it was just storage for the Bosu or maybe if you had to bring your child to class, they could sit there. It was kind of terrifying just because it was a level 1.5 so we were working on balance as well as strength and the chair is a lot higher of a thing to balance on than the reformer. Is it my favorite? No. Did I hate it? Also no. I am feeling cautiously intrigued in the way that I’m not necessarily looking forward to getting back on it but I won’t run screaming from it either.

My blood sugar did drop to 45 by the time class was done, so I had to have a little respite in my car, guzzling Capri Suns before I was able to drive home. But that’s how you know it was a good workout!

Wednesday: Control 1.5 with Wade

Yes, you read that right. On Wednesday, I took TWO classes. I’m on a roll! At Club Pilates, they have a variety of classes other than the typical Reformer Flow classes which I usually take. I have tried out a Center & Balance and a Cardio class, both of which I hated. Center & Balance because it was too easy and Cardio because it was too hard. I do plan on trying those classes again at some point but at different levels.

I’ve been intrigued by the Control classes because the description says, “This class puts the “fun” into functional training!” and I wanted to be the judge of that. But whenever I see Control offered on the schedule, they are always level 1.5. I learned my lesson with the Cardio 1.5 class that I can’t just assume I am ready for the mid-leagues on my first try, so I was waiting to find a level 1 Control. Unfortunately, after searching through the next couple of months at all of the studios around me, I could not find a level 1. However, this Control 1.5 class had “Beginner Friendly” in the description. Again, I would be the judge of that.

Apparently, “Control” just means lower body. All legs and glutes, baby. It was tough but made even tougher by the fact that I had already done a 1.5 full-body class not 5 hours earlier. The absolute hardest move was leg circles with only one foot in the strap. It is becoming glaringly obvious that my left leg is basically useless. I was shaking so much that my reformer was practically vibrating. It’s mortifying, but I can only go up from here, right?

This class was also the first class I’ve attended that was taught by a man. I thought I would hate having a male instructor, but he gave off a funny flight attendant vibe. I can’t and won’t explain further. I will definitely be back to Wade’s Control 1.5 class!

Friday: Reformer Flow 1 with Relika

Friday’s class was at the Kingstowne location with a new-to-me instructor, Relika. She was funny and upbeat, which made the class fun, even when her class was killing my abs. I also got the low-down on the specialized classes like suspend and control. Apparently, they are all level 1.5 classes, and you know that you’re ready for them when you’re able to do the reformer 1.5 classes. This was great news because I have been killing it in the reformer 1.5 classes so I feel much more confident booking the suspend and control classes.

I don’t have another class booked until Monday, which may be a blessing in disguise of a shattered routine. My body is pissed at me for taking a 1.5 reformer class and a 1.5 control class on the same day. Wade warned us that we may experience some DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) after the control class, and he was not lying. The amount of shaking I did in Friday’s level one class was borderline embarrassing. Lucky for me, though, I’m working on accepting that phrase my sponsor and therapist love to use: “Other people’s opinions of me are none of my business.” So, this embarrassing display of weakness in a class with first-timers was perfect practice.

Anniversary Festivities

One year ago, I asked Alex, “Do you still like me?” he said he did. I said great – follow-up question: “Then why haven’t you asked me to be your girlfriend yet?” Thus, I tricked Alex into becoming Boyfriend Alex. And one year later, he remains Boyfriend Alex, so I guess it wasn’t really a trick.

For our actual anniversary, February 25, we went to dinner at the restaurant where we had our first date, Mia’s Italian Kitchen in Old Town Alexandria. We started with meatball eggrolls, which are exactly what you think they are – giant eggrolls filled with ground beef and cheese. It came with a sweet and sour sauce like you would dip normal eggrolls in, but we asked for a marinara instead, which was *chef’s kiss*. Alex got the chicken parmesan, and I got the linguine and clams. The waiter believed he didn’t do a very good job, which we didn’t agree with, but he gave us a free tiramisu to go anyway. The food was good, but it was more of a sentimental experience to go back to the place where we first met. After dinner, we walked down to the water to sit on the same bench that we had sat on a year ago. We only stayed for a few minutes because it got pretty cold, and we remembered we now live together, so we don’t have to sit on a bench to talk when we could just go home and sit on the couch.

On Friday, we packed up the car and Penny and headed for our Airbnb – a cabin (with a hot tub) on the river in Capon Bridge, West Virginia.

We got to Capon Bridge around 8:00 on Friday and decided on dinner at the Mexican restaurant in town, which, upon further inspection, also hosted a “casino” – a back room with eight slot machines and a few old office chairs. Alex ended up winning $50 after we had our $40 dinner, so we’ll count that as a win. When we got back to the house, we hit the hot tub (more like warm tub) and watched the new episode of Yellowjackets before hitting the hay.

Saturday morning, we headed into town to explore. We started at a trading shop where I got some honey, a new spoon rest for the stove, and a West Virginia magnet to add to our collection of places-traveled magnets. We explored the town a bit and started heading up the mountain when we spotted an antique store. I scored pretty big when I found they had an entire section of Coca-Cola merch. I have been collecting my Coca-Cola girl trays for years now – they are my pride and joy. I was able to snag a soldier tray as well as a *gasp* Pepsi Cola girl tray. Not my usual, but I’m hoping the girls will accept them as one of their own. However, the plethora of Coke-themed items was not the true treasure here. The owners, who I’m assuming are married, were so sweet and walked us around the store, pointing out weird and interesting items for 45 minutes.

After show and tell was over, we went to one of the few other restaurants in town, which was also the butcher and little general store for burgers and to get our steaks for dinner. The town’s website pointed out to us that there were multiple alpaca farms in the area, and one, Kismet Acres, also had a store where they sold things made from alpaca fur and other alpaca-themed items. We showed up at the address only to find that the “store” was just a house. Alex called to ask where the store was, and the woman who answered informed us that the store was in their basement and we could come on in. We parked in the driveway, and the woman let us in the house and led us downstairs, telling us that she was a little out of sorts because her horse had died the previous day. We walked past their couch and TV and browsed the “store”, picking out a sweater for Penny, some alpaca yarn, and a little alpaca figurine.

When we went upstairs to pay, another couple was in the living room. They had come to visit the owners to console them about their deceased horse. So, we essentially walked in on a horse wake in order to buy some alpaca swag. There was a slight hiccup in the fact that the woman couldn’t get her payment app to work, so we hung out and talked alpacas with the two couples while Alex tried to fix her phone. We eventually paid and were on our way.

After a brief nap, we decided to head up the mountain to go for a little hike in hopes of watching the sunset from the mountain. We were not expecting the hike to be so cold or to be at such an angle, so after walking downhill for about 20 minutes, we turned around and walked back up, sunsetless and freezing. It was fun, but next time we will bring hats. We headed back to the cabin where Alex grilled our steaks and we watched Cabin in the Woods while in a cabin in the woods.

It was a much needed relaxing weekend and it was fun to take a break from the suburbs and sort of cosplay living in a small town.

Health Queen

As I have been evolving into my Pilates Princess persona, I have been loving the effects of working out and eating more mindfully on how I am feeling mentally, physically, spiritually, etc., but it has also taken a toll on my blood sugars. I have never felt like I’ve had a good grasp on being diabetic since I was diagnosed, and these lifestyle changes that I’m making are throwing what little grasp I had on it right out the window. The other day I went into a Pilates class with my blood sugar at 300 (that’s bad) and left at 45 (that’s also bad). My instructors now know my pump alarms and check on me during class, which is very thoughtful, but it is also embarrassing that I can’t keep my diabetes under control for an hour and it has to disrupt class.

The other day, I was on TikTok and came across a profile of a woman who is type one, talking about her wellness journey with diabetes. She actually started a company for one-on-one coaching for type one diabetics by type one diabetics. I perused the website, and it sounded like a great idea: who better to help someone than someone who has been through the same thing and knows what it’s like firsthand?

I signed up to have a call with a representative to learn more about the program and for them to see if they could help me with my diabetes goals. The call went great, and I was sold. I’m going to have a personal diabetes coach for three months to help me learn the things I was never taught how to do, lower my A1C, and just be an all around better diabetic. I’m really looking forward to starting and really praying that I have not fallen into another scam or pyramid scheme as I am want to do. We will see, but here’s to hoping that I will soon elevate my status from Pilates Princess to all-around Health Queen.

Entertainment Weekly

Last week, Boyfriend Alex and I got our AMC A-Lister money’s worth by going to two movies in the theater. Well, this week, we didn’t go at all. None of the movies showing were really singing to us, and he ended up going to two shows this week, which gave me plenty of time to tackle Kingdom of Ash.

I wrote in my last post that I was worried this 980-page brick would throw off my cadence of one book a week. Well, lucky for me, this brick was action-packed, and I could not put it down. This series has been a rollercoaster for me. I procrastinated finishing the series due to a tech-inspired lack of motivation (see more in February 16’s post). But once I got back into it, I was so determined on finishing the series that I didn’t think about how it would feel to actually be done with these characters. I just finished it moments ago and I miss them!

In my opinion, this was a perfect place to stop the series. I would prefer leaving it in a good place rather than dragging out a story just because it’s popular. That said, I need more. Another book could mean more trauma and hardship for the characters and they have honestly been through enough, but maybe we could get a little happy-times novella? Sarah J. Maas, call me girl.

The entire series was amazing, but I will say something a little controversial: A lot of the BookTok girlies talk about how Throne of Glass changed their life and is so much better than A Court of Thorns and Roses. Maybe it is because ACOTAR was the series that introduced me to the world of romantasy/fantasy and also brought me back from my reading slump, but I still prefer ACOTAR. But I still loved Throne of Glass, I swear! Please don’t shoot me!

Now that I’ve finally finished this behemoth of a series (5,000+ pages), the world is my oyster in terms of what I will read next. Of course, I still have The Crescent City series to tackle, but my goal is to get through some of the seemingly hundreds of books I have sitting on my TBR shelf before I invest in another series. I am sticking with fiction for now, and starting The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the prequel of the Hunger Games.

As stated earlier, Alex and I partook in some appropriately creepy entertainment for our cabin in the woods vacation with Yellowjackets and Cabin in the Woods.

I am really loving this season of Yellowjackets. It seems to be moving along faster than past seasons and more is happening every episode. This week, we saw the trial of Coach Scott, present-day Shauna almost get murdered, present-day Van and Tai almost murdering some random man, and present-day Lottie actually murdered. We also got another Jackie cameo so I am pleased.

When I put on Cabin in the Woods, I was assuming it would be just your typical serial killer slasher set in isolation. Boy, was I wrong. There are scientists and ancient Gods and zombies and rituals involved… It was a lot. I didn’t hate it, but I will probably have to watch it again to understand what happened.

Rant of The Week

According to Google’s AI Overview, the first recorded use of asphalt for road construction was in 625 B.C. in Babylon. In 1824, the first modern asphalt road was paved on the Champ-Élysées in Paris. In 1870, the first asphalt pavement in the United States was laid in Newark, New Jersey. And by the early 1900’s, 90% of American roads were paved with asphalt.

So you’re telling me that we have had asphalt roads for a minimum of 125 years and we still haven’t figured out how to make them not collapse into crater-sized potholes whenever the weather gets a bit chilly? Forget space travel or AI or whatever the scientists are working on these days – this pothole epidemic has been plaguing this country since the beginning! I am not suggesting that my little brain could figure out how to fix this issue, but maybe the big-brained folks could devote a little of that brain power to preventing a yearly infrastructure breakdown.

While the nerds power up their thinking machines, I have a suggestion in the meantime: National Fill a Pothole Day (still brainstorming the name). One day a year, for one hour, no cars are allowed on the road. Every citizen gets a bag of cement and tools delivered to their homes, and they go out and fill one pothole. Google says it takes 30 minutes to an hour and around $100 to fix a pothole. Small price to pay, government!

We could turn it into a big event where people go out days in advance and claim their pothole. We could have a festival set up at a park or something with food trucks. There could be a Pothole Prom… I’m just spit-balling here, but I think we’re onto something.

In’s and Out’s

In:

Alpacas

Non-alcoholic Stella Artois

Climbing down a mountain

Out:

Mexican restaurants that don’t have casinos in them

February

Climbing up a mountain

Have a wonderful week and I’ll see you back here on Sunday!