I am so SORE!!!  After 13 days of no activity, I am back to teaching.  I taught Body Pump yesterday and then today subbed Spin and taught my Tuesday night Body Pump.    Although I've enjoyed teaching all three classes and getting back into my fitness teaching groove, my Tuesday night class is special.  I think I finally figured it out after reading Kristy's blog last night and her attachment to her Tuesday class- this was my first class for Body Pump with me getting back to teaching the format.   When I took over the class, they were getting 8-10 people per week, we now get a minimum of 15, but almost always close to 20 people and at times a full house up to 24 or more if they use non-Body Pump equipment.

I received such a warm welcome tonight.  Everyone was so excited to see me back, eager to hear about my vacation, but happy to just have me back leading them through an awesome workout.  I had several come up to me afterwards and thank me for a great class and a long conversation with another member saying how great it feels to be pushed to her limits and encouraged to find new limits.  WOW!   I feel the same about them, they make me be better, they make me push harder for them.  It's a pretty cool feeling- we are all in this together.  We are a team, we are one tribe.  

I am back to my normal weights again, darn near killed me yesterday and today my quads were screaming- so naturally I told them to SHUT UP!   I am very happy to report that my cranky elbow is not cranky, although it is still wise to ice up after a workout.  Like the Chiropractor said, baseball players ice after each game as preventative, so I get it.  My foot, well I still need to see the P.T. and I will get to that, so for now I do lunges with no weights so that I can still give them some range - my left foot just hurts when lunging.

Travel work has been very busy but I made great progress today, so tomorrow I am working until 1030am and then I'm cutting out for the day to see the Giants play.  Very excited that I found someone to go with me, my High School buddy Marion is going to join me and I think it'll be a blast!   The boys in Orange & Black better win if I'm taking the day off to see them play!   Hoping to go dancing tomorrow night- Country Get Down Wednesday is having DJ only this week, which has great appeal to me- that means non-stop good line dancing music and I am going through withdrawals for dancing.  I'm overdue and I need to see how my foot behaves.  Wednesdays are a bit  more low key, so I think I can wear my dance athletic shoes with my inserts to help protect my foot. Need to get back in the dance groove.

Mom is doing pretty well.  I think the infection on her ankle and leg are doing better.  I have been changing the bandages daily and she is on the heavy duty antibiotics and they seems to be doing the trick.  I am keeping a close eye because her Doctor is on vacation in France, so nothing can go wrong while she is gone and we really need this to heal so mom doesn't lose the foot.  Good Lord- that cannot happen.   Mom goes through her ups and downs- one day she's depressed and the next she seems to be happy.  It's a very hard adjustment for her and I need to see what I can do to get her out into the bigger community that is Redwood City and St Pius Church.  Get her connected to others.  I am starting to get a little afraid of what will happen when baseball season is over because mom looks forward to the games and when she doesn't have those games to listen to, what is she going to do with her time?   I know she is most upset about losing her freedom, her ability to go out and drive to her coffee shop, etc.  I did ask her if she wanted to try to drive in Redwood City instead of selling her car and she said that she was ready to give up driving.   Sigh.

Life at the Horst House with our extended family is going pretty well.  Right now my brother and nephews are away for a short vacation in Tahoe and a much needed escape for all of them.  I am happy that the three of them have this chance to go away and do something as a family and leave all the stresses of everyday life behind them here in Redwood City.  Also a good time for my brother to recover from his surgery.  From the text messages I've been receiving, it sounds like they are having a great time.  In just two weeks we lose one of them to college.  I'm starting to get a little nervous for Michael, very nervous for my brother (this is going to be very tough on him), but also a bit sad for me- I'm going to miss that kid, but on the other hand so incredibly proud of him and excited for his new adventure to college.  This weekend we will celebrate Michael's birthday (19 already!) and his going away to college party...my sister will be hosting, so it will be nice to just be a guest.    I think it is safe to say that our house guests will be with up long term.  My brother has a plan and Bill & I stand to benefit in the long run and it's really not that bad having them here with us.  You learn to adapt pretty quickly and the bottom line - we have lost a bit of freedom in our home, they have lost so much more.  I continue to be amazed by my brother and how he can remain faithful, hopeful and optimistic.  He is typically a very negative person, but he is trying to turn things around and is realizing that things happen for a reason.

Now off to bed for me, I still can't seem to go to bed early.  Sigh.   House is too darn quiet, I usually have a few Harpers up at this hour with me.