Tabatha Deans

LIVING IN A SITCOM
My life has become a sitcom. Actually it’s become the sitcom of of my friends’ lives, and I play the role of the friend/sister/neighbor who is always in the scene of family activities/discussions, exchanging witty comments with everyone, being the cool “aunt” with all the children, and just generally being a part of everyone’s lives. I used to watch sitcoms and wonder in what world it would be acceptable for an outsider to play such a role in the lives of people, and now I know. It’s a privileged role I play, and I actually started playing it nearly ten years ago when I agreed to be a nanny for Mr. and Mrs. S. Little A was just over a month old, and they didn’t want to send her to daycare. I was newly diagnosed with diabetes and struggling to learn how to manage the disease and continue living a normal life. So I began spending up to ten hours a day at the S. house, sometimes dragging Jess along with me after she got out of school. I spent time with Little A and her older sisters, as well as Mr. and Mrs. S. I found it was pretty easy to be assimilated into another household, maybe even a little bit comforting. Now, as I sat in the same kitchen at Mrs. S’s house, with Mrs. G and all the children for a ladies’ night out, I realized I was that chick on the sitcom. The one who is privileged enough to spend time with everyone, independently, and get to know them as individuals.

INSANITY
Fall is in the air, and the cool, crisp mornings and evenings bring with them a brisk breeze that seems to wash away the old and brings with it the promise of something new. It has worked well for my workout routine, in fact I daresay I may have become a workout fanatic. Of course the underlying motivation is the positive effect exercise has on helping control my blood sugar, and the amount of insulin I’ve had to take decreases steadily each day I maintain an exercise routine. Thirty minutes, or about 2 miles, on the treadmill each morning is my staple, and with the introduction of my iPod into the routine, I find myself enjoying it more each day, rather than dreading it. I walk to John Denver, jog to Deana Carter, strut to Superfreak, skip to Glenn Campbell and sprint to Lady Gaga. I’m feeling great and looking good physically, which only increases my mental, emotional and spiritual happiness and motivation.

But Insanity has set in. By insanity, I mean the new, brutal workout videos that Mr. and Mrs. G and I have been doing. They’re naturally pretty active, healthy people, but with a cruise date quickly approaching for them, they’ve decided to step it up a notch, and I jumped on the workout bandwagon. The video series is actually called “Insanity,” and comes with an opening disclaimer that says it’s an intense workout, not for the faint of heart, followed by specific warning to heed the warning. Perfect! I haven’t worked out seriously since I played ball in junior high and high school, but if I could do it when I was a teenager I could certainly do it now. And I did. Mostly. Okay, almost mostly. Out of a 40 minute workout from hell, I’m proud to say that I actually managed about 30 minutes of workout hell, as did Mr. and Mrs. G. We’re all pretty proud of ourselves, although the children may very well have to come retrieve us from our beds in the morning and dress us for the day because our muscles are already feeling the soreness that comes with pushing ourselves. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little easier.

September 29, 2010 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized