Michelle, I go back and forth with myself about getting a cat, but I have a very small and very formal apartment, in which it's hard to envision keeping a litter box. When my mother comes to visit and brings Fritz with her, the box sits in the middle of my hall between the bedrooms and it's very much evident & underfoot. I have trouble getting around that problem.

Saturday, Cinco de Mayo

60 minutes Stairmaster step mill, resistance at seven, aerobic intervals, with me keeping my hands folded behind my back for about half of this, whenever the intervals were easy.
15 minutes Pilates routine afterward

I love my pets. But I think every pet owner has to be able to handle the destruction of things. Breakage, chewing, clawing, peeing/puking/pooping on - it is all done. I think your place has museum quality one-of-a-kind furnishings saef. Litter box placement aside you have to be willing to have those damaged in some unbelievably creative ways.

As I post Mudpie is puking up grass on my office carpet for the third time today. I never buy any solid-coloured rugs any more. I think I am the only tourist ever to come home from Morocco without a carpet. I fell in love with several there but knew they would get the "Mudpie" treatment if I brought them home.

Unless I hung them on the walls. Then she would jump, rip them off, and then claw them. I did have a lovely tapestry hanging before I got Mud.
We also don't buy curtains any more. DH found Mud caught by her front claws in the front room curtains about 10 years ago. I think that was the day when most of his hair turned grey.

I love Mud and will cherish all my good memories of her too. She has brought much amusement and love to our lives. And we are now dedicated IKEA shoppers.

Dagmar

May 5: after going to San Francisco with dd and indulging, I forced myself to go to the gym. Hopefully, I'll make bikram yoga tomorrow to flush some of it out.

40 minutes stairclimber

Totals:

5 days
260 minutes

Sunday, May 6th:

15 minutes Stairmaster step mill, resistance at seven, aerobic intervals
60 minutes shoulders, biceps and triceps routine


Feeling deeply guilty for not also fitting in the usual 45 minutes of cardio afterward. But I had to hurry home to shower and get on the road to Pennsylvania, to pick up the tall chest of drawers that's been living in my aunt's carport with tarps pulled over it. It really needs to be someplace drier and safer. What didn't help was that the gym did not open at 7 AM, as it was supposed to. People started gathering outside, waiting & waiting. Some left. Finally, just after 7:30 AM, a trainer in the crowd (who didn't have keys) managed to get hold of someone at another branch who came & unlocked the place. I was really annoyed by this. Of course it was on a day when I had the Pennsylvania trip planned & told my mother I'd be ready at a certain time.

May 6: 90 minutes Bikram Yoga

Totals:

6 days
350 minutes

Hi. I was 'lurking' but had to drop in re the 'pet comment'. My kitty is my best little buddy, and I would not trade her in for the world. BUT It is difficult to keep things in um....showroom condition. There's always some little bit of something where it doesn't belong. I'm thinking of transforming one of my closets into a 'litterbox' room to get it out of the way (my bathroom is too narrow).

But all that seems insignificant as I watch her curled up in an amazon shipping box, as she keeps an eye on me . . .

Still, the only way I could have anything white in the house is if I got another (white) cat !

Monday, May 7:

90 minute endurance spin class, with me inevitably wondering if not doing more than 15 minutes of cardio the day before made this class harder than usual, or if it was the instructor pushing us, or if it was me pushing myself. Whatever it was, I was on the edge of maybe not finishing, maybe stopping. But I made it through the entire ride. Everyone in class was talking about the Mountain Goat run in Syracuse the day before.

May 3: 30 minute walk, shoveled cheeseburgers into my face
May 4: Almost nothing - just some crunches and planks in my office
May 5: 12.6 mile mountain hike with boyfriend in the Adirondacks, took 8 hours.
May 6: 3 1/2 walk with mom

May 7: 30 minutes body pump, 30 minutes strength training.

Totals:

7 days
410 minutes

Tuesday, 8 May:

15 minutes Stairmaster stepper, resistance at eight, aerobic intervals, pouring sweat at the end due to high humidity from the all-night and all-morning rain
60 minutes chest, shoulders and triceps workout, with me bench-pressing my ridiculous little plates. I do a lot of reps, though -- I try to get in 16 or 17.
45 minutes Stairmaster stepper, resistance at seven, aerobic intervals, again really feeling the last 10 minutes

Exhale 15, that's a good idea to keep the litterbox in the closet -- but I've got a prewar apartment, dating from when people had few closets, usually for linens. (They owned fewer clothes and kept what they had in freestanding wardrobes or folded in dressers.) So I'm pretty sure my blouses and slacks and dresses would smell catt-ish.

But I do love my mother's cat very much. He's one of the few good things about my sojourn Upstate.

I've always kept the litterbox next to the toilet. We've had cats so long that I don't even notice the box. It really doesn't take up much room....

May 8: 60 minutes U-Jam

Totals:

8 days
470 minutes

Wednesday, May 9:

45 minute spin class, a tough one with several tabata intervals
15 minutes Pilates routine

May 9: 40 minutes stair climber.

leaving today for dd's graduation and won't return until Monday night. I packed exercise clothes and shoes, but I'm not sure how much, if any exercise I'll get in. Crossing my fingers that I can get some in at least.

Totals:

9 days
530 minutes

Thursday, May 10:

45 minute spin class, also difficult in its own way, though this is a different instructor who's into more riding while standing, in position No. 2 and No. 3
15 minute Pilates routine afterward. The Hundred was harder this morning & I don't know why. Also I dislike the corkscrew.