Why?

Why, oh why, do I have the lyrics to the "pirate song" (yo ho! a pirate's life for me) from Pirates of the Caribbean been going through my head to the tune of "Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling?"

I think I'm in love (aka: "The Fit is Go!"*)

I have a 13-year-old car, affectionately named Phyl.

It's a wonderful car with 142,000 miles, and I never want to give it up. It fits into the tiniest Chicagoland parallel parking spots, and it gets between 31-39 miles to the gallon.

Unfortunately, it's starting to need more and more repairs as it ages.

So I've been beginning to think seriously about a new car. I'd thought about another Civic, but they've gone more-and-more upmarket, and they've become larger and larger over the past few years. I don't want a big car.

It was if Honda read my mind: at the Detroit Auto Show it revealed plans for a new compact car: the Fit. It even comes with a crazy-cool Space Invaders promotional Web site.

At least now I know for what I'm saving up my down-payment.

* Anyone want to tell me what "The Fit is Go!" means?

Three words

Bond, Jimsie Bond.

"Hello, my name is ..."

I went to my town's "newcomers and neighbors" group tonight with a friend. I have never felt quite so out of place as a single, child-free woman.

I'm really glad I went with a friend.

About half the group's activities require a spouse (and although the language was gender-neutral, it seemed to be heavily implied that said spouse be of the male variety).

When we asked whether single people were welcome at the round-robin meals, there was a qualified "yes, but won't you feel weird among all the couples?"

Tonight's program presenter kept referring to "ladies" and "your husband." I very rarely find myself in gender-specific groups, so to be referred to as one of the "ladies" was very awkward. And I most certainly do not have a husband.

My friend and I are going to go to one of the "girls' night out" events to see how we like it.* I have very low expectations.

* It seems "go and see" is proper in British English, but "go to see" is proper in American English. Anyone who's lived in England want to help me out? My beta reader keeps changing my "go to"s to "go and"s.

Hardest Workout Ever

(Tonight's Workout Accompaniment: Paste Culture Club Podcast)

Thank God for sports bras that don't chafe and REI dividends.

I love my new gym. The layout keeps you moving. You have to use the running/walking track to get from the stretching room to the fitness equipment to the weight machines and back, which makes it easy to do a couple laps between sets.

Tonight's workout:

• Full large and small muscle group strength training
• 20 minutes hard cross training on the elliptical trainer
• 1.5 miles of fast walking on the track
• 100 crunches

I may regret this tomorrow.

Spoonerisms Ahoy!

I love Ship of Fools.

This is one reason why. (Mac users, you'll need to download the Windows Media Player. But it's so worth it.)

Note: May not be work-appropriate. Depending on where you work.

Tonight's Workout Accomplishment

Tonight's workout accompaniment: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as read by Jim Dale. Chapter 29.

After not visiting the gym for two months, and being a sporadic visitor prior to that, I feel like I could finally be back to working out every day.

The racquet sports coordinator at my new gym called me at work today to tell me there's an informal women's evening league and that she's pass my name along to the coordinator.

I'm still easing into working out again, but I really feel at home at my new gym.

Tonight's workout:

• 30 minutes on the stationary bike
• 1 mile (fast walking) around the track
• 80 crunches

Update

Just joined the other local health club, which has more amenities than you can shake a stick at, friendly staff and even an in-house tennis league. Woo-hoo!

A new year and the book of doom

I don't make New Year's resolutions, per se, but I do appreciate the opportunity to mark the turning of a new leaf.

2005 was a bad year for me, and I self-medicated by skipping the gym and indulging in comfort foods.

2006 will be the year I get healthy again.

Here are my two daily goals for the year:

• Goal: Pack a lunch to eat at work. Four days a week. This involves waking up early enough to make a lunch. Reward: Get to read fiction over lunch.

• Goal: Get thee to the gym. I've been slacking off, ever since the tattoo, after which I had to abstain from germ-filled environments for two weeks. I never went back. Solution: Perhaps join the other health club in town. There are more people (and male people) my age that work out there; and there's an in-house tennis league. Reward: Look damn fine by this fall.

In other news, I picked up Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book on Saturday and have been completely sucked in by it.