Recreational Pursuits?

It was again -5º F outdoors this morning. That's cold, and colder still when there is a strong breeze. But it's ok, because I have snow to occupy my attention, and I do love snow!

That Spouse o' Mine and I went to a party last Saturday night. A whole lot of locals, most of whom we are only nodding-acquaintances with. There's something about foreigners (us) moving in to a rural community (them) that is interesting. The locals can brag about multi-generational ties to the land, to their homes, and to each other. Even though we have lived here nearly ten years, we still are not "one of them".

A year or so ago that Spouse o' Mine took apart the falling-down part of the chicken house and re-built it in a very master-craftsman way. It looks good! I call it the Bike Barn. Ducks live in the south half of the dwelling, and tool cabinets, saws, and tables fill the new, north half.

At the party Saturday night, someone asked me about our ducks. We manage to lose ducks annually, but last year's loss of sixteen Indian Runners all in one fell swoop of a day really set a record for...poor animal husbandry? I don't know. I do know most people around here can't lay claim to losing sixteen animals in the course of 24 hours.

The conversation moved very quickly to the subject of the "new" chicken house. "So-and-So told me your husband put a hot tub in there!"

A hot tub? Really? I smiled replied that while it is indeed his "man cave", what it holds is a bunch of bikes and tools and a trainer. (A trainer is something you can attach your bike to and cycle away as if you were out on a long road in the middle of summer.) So rather than throwing wild parties in a hot tub in what had been an nasty old chicken house, that Spouse o' Mine is pootling about in his happy man cave, making things with his saw and tools and tuning up his bicycles.

So much for rumors, heh?

Speaking of trainers (I was), after I fed and broke ice and whatnot in the -5º snowy sunshine this morning, I drove to the Rec Center on the university campus. (I should insert here that this was also after I ascertained that the doors of car #1 were still frozen shut, (Day 2), so I moved to car #2. All was well.) The Rec Center at K-State is a nice facility, even nicer in the years when it is not under re-construction, but things are still active and the place is an oasis from the cold and wind outside. The population at the Rec includes university students, faculty, retired faculty (they're the ones who get the free parking), and some military types.

I spent the first half hour playing around on an elliptical (I don't know how that comes out as a noun), and then I moved on to some fun machines that entertain muscles and balance and such, all under the guise of "weights". The machines are fun, but I am a simpleton and wimp, so my time spent on these fun machines could be viewed as elementary.

As I moved on to a machine which mentions "abdominal" in its description, I dutifully moved the weight limit to its lowest set, and proceeded to abdominate. All of a sudden, right beside me, is this Air Force fellow, knocking off a kabillion push-ups. I am thinking, wow, he must get in trouble a lot, if he can do so many push-ups so fast. Drop and give me a hundred, soldier.

This evening it is 24º - a heat wave! And not much wind to speak of! When we were out feeding and whatnot, I did not even don my snowsuit; I simply put the requisite cotton in my ears, hat on head, gloves on hands, and I felt good to go!

And we had a gorgeous beet red sunset to watch as we trudged through the snow...