More ripples

I walked into the hairdresser's yesterday afternoon and one of the owners looked me up and down and said, "Debbi, you've really been dropping the weight!"

Followed, of course, by the inevitable, "How'd you do it?"

The funny thing is, I'm wearing the same sizes I wore last summer and fall. I'm not smaller at all. But as Jen said in her comment yesterday, I'm leaner, and even I can see that. I also know how to dress to camouflage my most unfortunate parts.

Yesterday that meant a pair of black slacks, a beige-and-white striped tunic top with a wide neckline and three-quarter length sleeves and a pair of beige suede sandals. [I'm a neutral. Heh.]

According to most fashion consultants, in print and on the tube, the "right" length for a top for someone my height [5'2" on a good day] and weight [mumble-mumble] is high-hip. To me, I look like I don't really care that I'm six months pregnant and if you don't like how I look it's your problem. The right fabric in a tunic-length top skims over all those lumps and bumps, making me not only look better, but feel better, as well.

Anyway, everyone at the salon knows I'm a runner [Hey! I'm a runner!], and they weren't surprised when I gave running the credit for my transformation. But for the first time, they were curious. How long had I been running, when did I start, is it hard and, most surprising of all, how could they – all of them – start?

So I told them about the Couch to 5K plan at Cool Running and they're going to check it out. I made them promise to call me when they decided which 5K they were going to run so I could go, too.

Ripples, baby, and I'm not talkin' about wine. [Do they still make and sell Ripple rotgut wine?]

I did my weight-training when I got home from the haircut appointment. No running yesterday, but today is a six-miler, and I'll do it on my hilly road instead of driving to a flatter route – partly because it's more convenient and partly because I have a flat tire. I started out last night for the prison and heard this unusual noise coming from the rear of the car, turned around as soon as I could and limped back into the garage. Triple-A can be here anytime I need them today, so I think I'll run first, while it's cool, and then give them a call.

May all your tires stay inflated, as long as you need them.