The Answer to Five Truths and a Lie…

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humor, James Garner, lie, pet cemetery, sled dogs, The Rockford Files, truth

Earlier this week, I posted “Five Truths and a Lie.” I listed six items, and asked you to pick which one was the lie. So here goes!

1. I once got a pencil lead stuck in the upper left corner of my scalp. This one is TRUE. When we were little, my brothers and I were playing sled dog, and decided it would be cool to make a whip out of a string tied to a pencil. One crack of that sucker implanted the pencil lead in my scalp and the story is now part of family lore.

Right after it hit…

2. One snowy night, we drove my friend’s mom’s Grand Prix almost through the back of their garage. This one is also TRUE. Thank goodness I wasn’t the one driving…

3. One of my earliest jobs was a grave digger at a pet cemetery just outside town. This baby is FALSE. This was actually one of my husband’s first jobs. Good thing he didn’t reveal that on our first date…

4. I once wrote a school paper for a friend in exchange for 20 packages of Bubble Yum gum. This one’s TRUE. Man, did my teeth ache after that one!

5. I had a secret mini-crush on James Garner when he starred in “The Rockford Files.”  TRUE

6. I never played Ding-Dong Ditch-It or toilet papered anyone’s house. Several people picked this one for the lie, but it’s actually TRUE. What can I say?

So there you have it – thanks to Susie, Erica and Peg (and my parents, who already knew the answer…) for guessing. It was fun digging back in the archives of my life!

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Five Truths and a Lie

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Bubble Yum, cemetery, childhood memories, Grand Prix, Happiness Project, humor, James Garner, Jess Witkins, lie, truths

Inspired by Jess Witkins over at The Happiness Project, I’ve decided to do my own version of her game “Five Truths and a Lie.”

As Jess explains it, I’ll share six random things about myself, and you decide which one of them is a lie.

To take it a step further, I’ve decided to run with a childhood theme. All the items listed below come from my misspent youth.

I’ll announce the winner this Friday. As Jess says, the winner gets bragging rights, and a smug sense of satisfaction that comes from knowing which of my random items is nothing but a big ol’ fib!

1. I once got a pencil lead stuck in the upper left corner of my scalp. Yes, I say “corner” because if I ever go bald, it ain’t gonna be pretty.

2. One snowy night, we drove my friend’s mom’s Grand Prix almost through the back of their garage. Notice I said “almost.” It was just a few boards that got dislodged, for Pete’s sake.

3. One of my earliest jobs was a grave digger at a pet cemetery just outside town. Creep-E.

4. I once wrote a school paper for a friend in exchange for 20 packages of Bubble Yum gum. It was a transaction my teeth soon regretted…

5. I had a secret mini-crush on James Garner when he starred in “The Rockford Files.” C’mon – tell me that smile isn’t adorable!

6. I never played Ding-Dong Ditch-It or toilet papered anyone’s house. Ever.

Feel free to guess below. Share your own list, or write your own post and link it back here – either way, it’ll be fun to guess which one’s the lie!

Me and the Wild Rider Fitness Challenge

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Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilding, exercise, walking, weight lifting, winter, Wisconsin

Last month, Susie at susielindau.com challenged readers to her 90-day Wild Rider Fitness Challenge. It’s easy, really – exercise at least two or three times each week, and make one of these an outdoor adventure.

I’ve talked about my exercise routine before. It’s not always easy, but every morning, I lace up my shoes and head out, rain or shine. Or snow. Or ice. The only thing that stops me is lightning or extreme cold.

And since it’s July in Wisconsin, you’d think I wouldn’t have to worry about that. Did I say July? In Wisconsin? When it’s normally in the 80s and slightly humid? Not today, happy readers.  (Bottom number was the outside temp this morning…)

According to the chirpy TV weatherman, living near Lake Michigan brought luck, though: inland areas of Wisconsin were close to the freezing mark. I felt really good about that – not!– as I put on my winter hat and headed out.

Over the years, I’ve found that walking itself wasn’t enough. It brings many benefits, and is worth every step. I just needed more. So I added Pilates and really enjoyed that for a few years. Then I heard that a local school offered free use of its workout room to employees and area residents. My half-Hollander genes, the ones that have my radar keenly honed to freebies, kicked in, and I checked it out.

Not me. Really.

At first I thought weights would get me looking like some female Ahnold, which I didn’t want. But the more I learned, I realized that at my advanced age – cough, cough, 50 just around the corner – I really needed to incorporate weights into my routine.

Six days a week, I head to the weight room after my walk. I alternate – upper body one day; lower the next – and have Saturdays off. I’ve noticed a difference in the way my clothes fit, my posture, and my overall strength.

I use www.bodybuilding.com, which posts lots of motivational videos and workout ideas, to keep things fresh and interesting. Any kind of workout routine can become boring after a while, so mixing things up helps.

And thanks to Susie, my goal this summer is to try paddleboarding. I’m looking forward to this – when it warms up. I can’t imagine paddleboarding with a winter suit on, but I may need to. Stay tuned…

Wisconsin summer…