I'm Not Lazy, I'm a "Fan of Convenience"

A small, but significant, milestone this week:

218.5.

Yep, I've lost seven and a half pounds since January 1.  Pretty cool.  Not sure if it was the exercise or not (there has been plenty of that); it may have been weight that was coming off anyway just because I'm eating at least a little better.  But that is not the real subject today.  No, today is a post about my enjoyment of doing nothing...

I hate lazy people.  Drives me crazy.  Not really sure why, since I AM one.  Totally.  Notice how it's been a week or so since I last posted?  Did you think to yourself, "well, he's back to work after a vacation and has a lot to prepare for, what with a concert this week and solo and ensemble festival coming up, etc., etc."?  You did, didn't you?  Yeah, it's not really that true.

See, there are many, many times that I could (and, perhaps, SHOULD) be doing something besides what I am doing.  Fact is, I sit around a lot.  And I enjoy it.  I think it keeps me from stressing a lot, but who knows?  

Sure, school gets busy.  But the bottom line is that I'm not a "regular" classroom teacher, so the grading of papers, the intricate lesson plans, all that stuff that they do, isn't happening.  My most intricate lesson plan usually involves writing which part of the music we'll be rehearsing that day.  I can't even fathom being an elementary classroom teacher.  Friend Angie says there are times it takes her longer to write the lesson plan than to teach the lesson for her fourth graders!  And this is FOURTH grade!!  I can't imagine a room full of nine-year-olds.  But anyway, back to me.

Former student Tim coined a phrase that I really like.  I was telling a group of kids several years ago of my lazy tendencies.  He said, "Walker, don't think of it as lazy, think of it as being a fan of convenience."  Perfect!  And I'm a big, big fan.

And that has a bearing on my lifestyle - trumpet practicing, teaching, exercising, eating.  Eating?  Oh, yeah, eating.  Why do you think they call them CONVENIENCE foods???  They're for guys like me.  I don't go grab a good healthy stash of ingredients out of the fridge and make a tasty, low-cal meal.  No, if it's football season, you can find me at McDonald's on Mondays after practice, and somewhere else Friday after the game.  Conveniently eating whatever's in front of me.

So I think (other) lazy people bother me because I reflect on myself in their actions.  

And the real point of this writing?  That it's so easy (ohhhh, so easy) to not exercise and not eat right.  And society has helped make it that way.  (I'm not blaming anyone but myself here, so don't get all crazy on me...)  But seriously - "convenience" store, "fast food," "drive thru," - come on!  When did we lose our capacity to do any work whatsoever?

When I get home from school I like to take some time and relax.  Put my feet up.  Take a load off.  This past week was going to be a challenge for me, and I faced it pretty well - Monday and Friday at TB's Gym (he canceled Wednesday or I would have been there), and trainer rides Tuesday night and Saturday morning (here's a couple shots of me in my lovely basement).  So I only missed Wednesday and Thursday.  A good start.  Let's hope I can keep it up.  Looks like it might be paying off...

my favorite tribute to laziness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FZtN7T5PXM