Day Two - Stroll 30 minutes

Right - NOT. I strapped on my iPod and headed to the YMCA track - 13 laps equal one mile. I didn't wear my pedometer but walked for 45 minutes, or through all 14 of my songs on my playlist. "Venus" is first, then "I'm Too Sexy," and my opinion is that if you can't walk to THOSE songs, well, you maybe just shouldn't be walking. It felt good - my tight chest loosened up. I'm tired of having it freeze up right before I head out to Bismarck. I'm not even very interested in WHY it happens, just interested in NOT having it happen. I'm probably still remembering the trauma of last summer with Mom and almost losing her, but I won't let my fears rule my life - I just won't. So I step out boldly, in SPITE of my fears.

I woke up at 4AM last night, in a panic. Then some creepy thoughts starting, well, creeping in. Awful images and icky scenarios. "Isn't that interesting?" I told myself, "That I'm having these thoughts? They don't even feel like thoughts I'D be thinking. I don't think I'll think those anymore," and eventually got up, typed my High Plains Reader column for the week (which you can now see at www.hpr1.com), watched the end of "To Kill a Mockingbird" (I have a crush big-time on Gregory Peck circa 1960 or so...), unloaded the dishwasher, made Bill's lunch, then kept reading "Three Cups of Tea." Greg Mortenson is going to be at Concordia College a week from Friday for their Peace Forum, so I'm buying tickets for all of us to go hear him. I hope I get to meet him - I'm going to ask if he'd like some of my children's books to ship to any of his schools overseas. Who knows? We can only offer.

It feels good to move my body, good to feel the air in and out of my lungs - I walked a whole song doing breath of fire - breathing in and out as fast as I could through my nose (try it, but keep some tissues nearby - that's a whole lot of snot going on - sorry - visual). Then just took a lap of deep breaths. I know some people think it's boring to go 52 times around a track, but for me it's almost a meditation in and of itself. So I'll go again tomorrow, because I can go early, and hopefully I can sleep tonight - I'm admittedly a touch crabby, but will manage to stay awake long enough to get through "The Biggest Loser" tonight.