A spoonful of sugar

And you know the rest. The medicine in this scenario is working out (I don't enjoy it--yet), and the sugar? My cell phone. I don't have tivo, or even TV for that matter. Since I can't workout while watching 30 Rock and The Office (both shows receive 2 thumbs up from Mary Poppins), I entertain myself by chatting with friends and family (never strangers) while working out. There are some obvious benefits to this, the multi-tasking, killing-two-birds-with-one-stone aspect being chief among them. It makes the time pass quickly and I get to feel like I'm actually being productive while on the phone. Normally I lie on the couch, sometimes I mix it up and lie on my bed. Almost never am I actually doing dishes or picking up toys or scrubbing the toilet or something like that. So if you're one of those people who is grossed out by the thought of someone cleaning the toilet while talking to you, rest assured--I've never put you through that. I may have used the toilet while talking to you, but I always turn on the water first so you think I'm doing the dishes or washing my hands--not urinating.
So you may ask, "what's there not to love when it comes to working out/catching up on phone calls" system? Unfortunately my research has uncovered one major drawback to this method: there's a lot of heavy breathing on my end of the phone and in some circles, I could be mistaken for "Monique" or "Candy" from some 900 number. I suggest that while elevating your heartrate through cardio, you use this time to call siblings or old friends (and by old I mean "long time friends," not the elderly. Those who are hard of hearing might not be your best conversation partner in this situation). This would not be a good time to conduct business phone calls, contact an ecclesiastical leader from your church, reconnect with your ex-boyfriend, or set up a play date with the single dad who you sometimes meet at the park with the kids. In short, choosing an understanding audience (one who won't misread your tone) is key.
And the best part? When I'm panting, the person on the other end of the phone knows with assurity that my feet are firmly planted on the elliptical pedals and not occupying the spot in front of the toilet.
And now for the workout recap:
Monday (Bert's bday)--no
Tues (my bday)--no
Wed--a resounding YES
So, we got off to a bad start. What can I say? I was too busy celebrating (i.e. eating). But the goal was 4 times this week. Admittedly that puts a lot of pressure on Thurs, Fri, and Sat, but I'm confident the latter part of the week has got my back on this one and we'll hit it out of the park.