1 for every 12

The crushing thing about doing two-a-day workouts is the monotony. Wake up, go to the gym. Go to work, go to the gym, go to bed. Repeat. Effectively, you are in the gym at least one hour out of every twelve.

Sometimes this is great in that it makes things very stable and predictable. The routine can act as an anchor; a stabilizing effect on the chaos that normally is life. And let us face it, who doesn't need a little monotony from time to time?

For me, this routine is really helping me cope with missing my babies and the pressures of working in a hostile environment. One of my good friends encouraged me the other day with his perspective on how I've been changing. The fact that he would notice is in and of itself, remarkable.

In the past, it has been easy for me to dismiss the apparent shallowness of certain locales. As with many things, prolonged first-hand experience has altered those perceptions in subtle ways. For one, I harbor an increased respect for the vastness of knowledge and experience sheltered in the heterogeneity of this particular locale. The insightfulness and value I've gained from my associations here are not to be lightly dismissed. There can exist realism amidst the glitz and glamour. Oh yes.

Even though I am at best a novice in the emotional field in which I currently find myself playing, it brings me great confidence to have such sophisticated and senior players on my side. Even if only circumspectly and fleeting. After all, with so little to lose, why not risk it? It is like your first apartment with all the crappy furniture. So what if it all burns down? You would only be out a few bucks at the most. Being willing to let the chips fall, let the dice roll, is a trait for which I have to come to have a deeper appreciation. It's definitely harder than it looks.