As commanded, the Huntsville geeken shall do the dance of joy today: Elijah Clark Granade 7 lbs., 5 oz. Born oh, right around an hour ago - 8:13 a.m. Central time. No photos yet. Something about the parents wanting time to spend with their newfound kidlet before just handing him over to the local geeks. (Who knew?

According to today's measurements, we've seen progress. I received my periodic sniping from Laura-the-trainer today about my wanting to weigh myself once a week. Actually, come to think of it, I think I got a finger waggled at me. I haven't had that happen in a while.

So, as justification and completion of the half-torture, half-improvement that is this new exercise regimen, I've been poring over Misty's copy of Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone, and shaking my head at the amusement that inevitably follows.

If you ask me, I'll tell you that I'm not a picky eater. Really. As long as you don't try to feed me anything with cucumbers, that is.

Don't get me started on cucumbers. The smell: vile. The taste: vile. Texture? Vile. Net effect on salads? Vile. They have that nasty green skin, and ... ugh. Pickles are worse. Pickles are an abomination not to be tolerated on this planet. As someone who lives with me can attest, I may not like the smell of cucumbers, but the smell of pickles can make me flee a room.

See, I told you not to get me started on cucumbers. Nothing good comes of it!

We set out on a Saturday afternoon to conquer the wilds of the furniture stores, a few days after Misty and I had performed our scouting mission for sectionals. I consider furniture shopping an occasional, horrific necessity, similar in scope and pain threshold to car shopping.

Do not mistake me: like the purchase of my car two years ago, I will celebrate the purchase of this sectional once it is completed. We are both looking forward to the furniture shuffling that will take place once the purchase is made, but the process....Well, the process of getting there, I could really and truly do without. Okay, perhaps not the entire process, but I think I'd be happier if I were at least allowed to superficially wound the furniture salesmen that annoy me.

Sure, you've been enthralled by my Tales of the Gym, but those of you who really just come around for the kitty pr0n have been feeling sorely ignored as of late. Luckily, I've had a few ... uh, gems (?) ... stashed on my camera's memory stick, and finally got around to downloading them after today's Marathon Gym Session.

Sometimes we don't slip through life quite so unnoticed as we might like to think.

For now, Wednesdays are my most difficult days at the gym. Each Wednesday, I either increase all exercises in my weight training regimen by one set, or am on the receiving end of a new weight training regimen from Laura-the-trainer.

I'm at the beginning of week three. On my first day, Laura walked with me from machine to machine, demonstrating how they were used and adjusted. (At 5'1½", I am by far one of the shortest people using these machines, and most machines have to be adjusted down to accommodate torsos, arms, and legs as short as mine.) She coached me through each machine, trying to determine how much weight I could handle on each machine.For most machines, a set is fifteen reps; machines working abdominal and back muscles get 20 reps each. On that first day, I struggled to complete one set on each machine.