YES, Man!

Remember that Jim Carrey movie, Yes Man? You should, because it was awesome. If you haven't, then you should totally watch it. Right now.

I'll wait.

Seriously, though, the idea of the movie is that his character says yes to everything, opening him up to a wealth of opportunity and, naturally, eventually, love.

I've been really busy the last couple of years, and opportunities to experience new things don't generally fit into my schedule. However, my beloved husband (can you tell I miss him already?) is working in Texas, and so I have tried to fill up my spare hours by saying yes to all reasonable opportunities. Obviously, the less time I spend with nothing to do, the less time I spend desperately missing my husband (which I do regardless, but it's still good to keep busy).

It started with the oft-voiced promise of my friend Regan and I to "get in shape, for real." My sister is a hardcore workout queen, and notified me of Monday through Thursday meetings of the Nevada Fitness Club. Every night is a different workout: Monday is Combat Cardio, Tuesday T 25 (it's really T 30, and don't let anyone tell you differently), Wednesday is Insanity, and Thursday is P90X.

I have turned down the "opportunity" to work out with the Club 100 percent of the time for the last, I don't know, 18 months. No more. This time, I said yes. And then Regan and I made ourselves go with the commitment of Monday and Tuesday only (she works Wednesday nights, I have class Thursday nights).

Oh my God. So much pain. So much moving. So little rest. At the end of both workouts, I felt a lot like I felt the time I tried inhaling a cigarette. My throat is a pit of fire and pain, breathing hurts, and I'm actually sweating. Not pre-sweat. Not glow. Real, runny, sweat.

So weird.

And I LOVE it.

Last night I let it slip to my sister that I could actually go on Wednesdays, I just didn't want to go alone. She challenged me. I had to say yes. So tonight, I will go to Insanity solo.

That's ridiculous, right?

Then a friend of mine from the Vernon County Cancer Relief board texted me and asked if I would be interested in dinner with a small group Friday night at this crazy expensive eatery I have never been to precisely because of the price.

I did a quick budget in my mind, remembered my upcoming tuition installment payment and car payment, took a deep breath, and texted back "yes!"

This is a temporary experiment that will last a total of one week, but it has yielded ultimately positive results, and it fits in with my viewpoint that life is a series of collectible experiences, and that one should collect as many as possible for the most well-rounded stay on Earth.

*shrug*

Whatev. We'll see how it all shakes out. But for now, I have to say, I love the workouts. I forgot what instant endorphin-boosting that exercise is, and anyone who's on the fence about working out in front of other people, these classes are ideal, because you're too busy trying to force air into your lungs to care about how well somebody else is doing high-knees. I mean, I'm not telling you what to do, but sometimes going outside of your comfort zone shows you that there's a lot more to life than tucking yourself safely inside a comfort zone.