continued admiration

admiration: \Ad`mi*ra"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. admiratio. See Admire.] 2. Wonder mingled with approbation or delight; an emotion excited by a person or thing possessed of wonderful or high excellence

rival: \Ri"val\, v. To be equal to in quality or ability.

new year, new writing to both admire and rival. i know i do this each time i see a new bit of written goodness on the site. i know i go off praising and borderline gushing and i know it must have gotten old eons ago, but i can't help it. to be able to come up with such written delights is such a gift and, dammit, i'm going to praise those gifts each time. it's my own little reminder to keep writing, keep striving and all of that goodness.

so. here i am, in proctor, enjoying my family-less house. the family is all in massachusetts, visiting loved ones and enjoying a mini-road trip. i am here, enjoying internet access, email and conducting research for the piles of stories i have waiting to be written. i've found that i'm not as strong a freelancer as i might like to be ... if i'm not in an office (newsroom, i should say), i decide to make my calls an hour later, the next day ... my procrastinating ways have started to show a bit too much for my own good. so this afternoon will be spent catching up and doing my freelancing like the best of them ...

it also means i don't have to engage in an excessive amount of physical activity, as i'm recovering from trying one item on the "victoria's list of things to do in life." i was at the gym yesterday morning, engaging in a typical get-up-get-moving mini-workout, when i saw a sign about a new class being offered. yes, it was the much-anticipated-never-tried kickboxing. so i figured it was about time i gave it a shot and got in touch with my inner kickboxer.

so i returned early yesterday afternoon, almost leaving three times before class began because i was nervous and figured everyone else would know what they were doing. but i forced myself to remain, calling my nagging doubts wretched names and waiting it out. after wrapping my hands and finding a set of boxing gloves, i began my hour-long introduction to all things kickboxing. i did my pushups and cardio. i learned the punches and kicks. i went through the intervals, where for 90 seconds, i continuously kicked a bag, worked on footwork, jumped from side to side and, finally, repeatedly punched at the instructor, who was cushioning each side cut with her hand pads.

90 seconds doesn't sound like a long time, but when you're punching at the rate of nearly two punches per second, it feels like an eternity.

after the class, i felt like a million dollars but, at the same time, wanted to curl up and die. i dragged myself home, had a nice healthy dinner and promptly sprawled out on my carpet because my favorite chair was, frankly, too far away. after relaxing and catching up with various people via phone, i curled up in bed and, after some difficulties drifting off to dreamland, slept as i feel i've never slept before. fatigue-driven deep slumber. how grand.

yet now i sit here, muscles aching that haven't ached since high school athletics, contemplating picking up a tae-bo tape so i don't rely strictly on a once-a-week class that i don't know if i'm going to return to. yet inspite of it all, i feel amazing ... it's about time i kicked my ass getting back into shape.

in other, less-aching news ... over the last couple of days, i've been fortunate enough to touch base with some people i haven't really talked to in ages. there's nothing better for my living-solo soul than to be able to laugh and chat with friendly voices from my not-so-distant past ... makes me feel as if i'm not in the hey-look-i'm-a-currently-solitary-writer haze ... which is a good thing. i had the opportunity to catch up with a friend i've known since freshman year of college on monday evening and discovered that we are both contemplating d.c. visits at approximately the same time ... i would be hoping to visit friends from my time there, he would be hoping to visit one of his close college friends (and a friend of myself as well) who has recently moved there (never fails: i leave and THEN people move there. figures.). we promised to keep each other abreast of plans if and when they develop so perhaps something could be coordinated. how much fun it would be to be able to go out on a weekend night in a group of friends and acquaintances-to-be-met ...

this month includes a much-looked-forward-to weekend as well ... as i believe i will be enjoying a great deal of concert excitement in several new england states. on friday the 23rd, i intend to enjoy virginia coalition, michael tolcher and gavin degraw at uvm. on saturday, i'll head down to massachusetts, where i'll meet up with various and sundry friends before heading to see averi at the living room in providence, rhode island. i believe i'll have the chance to catch up with my brother and (finally) enjoy some grasshopper on sunday before heading back to vermont. hurrah! music! fun! merriment!

speaking of averi, many congratulations to them on hiring a manager - best of luck with the label booking prospects ...

alright, enough procrastination. back to work.

xoxoxox - victoria

ps. i should note that last weekend envolved much merriment. my only regret is that i still don't have internet at the apartment, as one miss rebecca would have been in rare form for her second guest blog. it's amusing, as she was the one who drank like a champ and i was the one who woke up the next day with a 64-piece marching band pounding through my head ... what can i say? i'm so concerned about being a good hostess that i even take over hangovers that aren't intended for me. but don't get any ideas - i don't intend to be so selfless in the future. oy.