I feel the need to tell you a few facts that you may or may not know about me. Maybe you can relate. I don’t know. Shoot, you may not care but here goes:

* I get super nervous before class. No matter what, I have butterflies. I feel like I’m 12 years old and going to the dentist and today is the day I found out if I have to have teeth pulled. (Sidebar – I had baby teeth until I was 15. I had several pulled. I had braces put on and wore them for several years. So I have a horrible fear when I go to the dentist) I’m nervous right now thinking about it.

* I like sweets and desserts. I like them too much. I eat them to the point that I get sick. I really don’t think anybody understands the realm of my love for sweets. Ask my husband about the Dairy Queen Blizzard of 2008 incident. I have never and will never pass up dessert. When I go out to eat with people and the waiter says “Anybody care for dessert?”, I look down at the table, pick at my fingernails and never ever answer. When there is a collective “No”, I am immediately mad at everybody and mumble “I guess not”. I always want it but I don’t want to look like a pig.

* I don’t like to talk during class; however, I love to listen to others. Now 99% of the time, I can’t breathe. I just like to focus on getting through the workout. It’s the one hour where I don’t have to think about anything. There are some people that can carry on conversations like they’re at a dinner party. How in the world can they do that?! Even if I tried, I can only say a few words. So, I just like to shout out a sentence here or there for comedic relief – mostly my own.

* I don’t share food well. Shoot, I don’t share anything well. If I offer you a bite, that’s one thing. Don’t eat off my plate unless I give permission. Oh & I have no problem eating off your plate and don’t tell me to back off. Yes, I see the double standard here. The food on my plate is mine and the food on your plate is mine. My husband will be the first to tell you this is one of the motto’s I live by.

* I wish people would pay attention during class. I know it’s the one hour in a day when some people don’t have to think. I get it. I just wish people would listen. Say this is shouted out: “Do 1,000 jump ropes, carry my car up the hill and then do 1,000 sit ups”. People start yelling out “What?! I’m confused…carry 1,000 sit ups. huh?!”. I just can hear what we’re doing and go. I realize that for some people it’s not that easy. Last week, in the middle of instructions I harshly blurted out “Just do it!!!”. Then I had an internal discussion with myself that it was rude and inappropriate. I’ll try to keep my mouth closed.

* I’ll explain the DQ Blizzard incident of 2008 since you’re dying to know. We were celebrating the anniversary of when we went on our first date. We ate somewhere on 280. He suggested we split a Blizzard at home (refresh yourself with the fourth bullet point above), I agreed. So we went through the drive through and got one. I held it and took a few bites. We were going from the DQ on 280 to Highway 459. Think about the distance. Maybe 2 or 3 miles? I don’t know. When we were at the traffic light turning onto the interstate, he asks for a bite. There was nothing left. He thought

I was kidding. I was so mortified and embarrassed. The moral of the story: we don’t split Blizzard’s anymore.

* I have a secret mission to establish a partner. We’ll call this person Buddy. Men need not apply. Buddy is somewhere near my workout speed. I will never come in first, but I will never quit. I need Buddy to be on that level. I get sad if, for whatever reason, Buddy can’t come back the next month. While I completely understand, a part of me feels like Buddy is figuratively saying “We can still be friends.” or “It wasn’t you, it was me”. I immediately have a desire to listen to REM’s “Everybody Hurts” on the way home and begin the vicious cycle of finding a new Buddy.

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop for now. Believe it or not, I really do love boot camp. I know it might not seem like it from what I listed above but I do. It’s a great workout and different every time.

Maybe somebody can create a boot camp for eating right. You meet at every meal, show what you have and then you are pushed to fight temptations! I’d call it Extreme Eating but then people might get the wrong idea. That sounds like a competitive eating group. The way I’ve been eating lately you'd think I'd be auditioning.