As those folks who read my blog know, I have been working on my year two goal in the new forty (the best body ever) for about a month now.  As part of my new goal I have been exercising a lot more – typically in my bedroom (although there are very few places in my home at this point that have not been utilized on the mission).  I like to lift weights in front of my dresser mirror so that I can see the muscles I am working. I typically workout for a minimum of an hour and often extend it to two hours (as once I get in full swing it is hard to stop – it is kind of addicting).

I like using my bedroom as my weight workout area because my iPod docking station is there and when it is on the music keeps me moving – indeed, it is difficult for me to stay still any day or time when my iPod is on.  So, if I am getting dressed, putting away laundry, vacuuming – you name it, if the iPod is on I am dancing around (and I use the term dancing very loosely).

The area where I workout in my room – the same area where I tend to do my most elaborate dance moves – is an open area between the bed and the dresser.  This area is adjacent to a large window where I have had the wide-slat blinds set at the same angle and opening for years (which is pretty much – closed).  The blinds are pulled about 10 inches up from the bottom of the window sill to let in light.  Photo frames are scattered across the window sill in that open area.  As I said – the window has been set this way for years.  When I first moved in and set the blinds I went outside in the backyard and looked at them to make sure I wasn’t going to be flashing the neighbors.  My assessment at that time was that my proverbial fanny was covered.

Two days I ago I was cleaning my closet.  This activity required me to try on many items.  Of course, my iPod was on so I was trying on items and dancing and checking out how they looked in the mirror and dancing some more and taking them off and dancing some more.  I was about 45 minutes into this project when I caught out of the corner of my eye through that 10 inch window space not covered by my blinds a flash of my backyard neighbor looking intently toward my house while standing in his pool. That realization came while I was doing some quite energetic booty popping in my underwear and bra (and if you understand that move it requires bent knees and compacts the body).  Yeah…I am thinking that my neighbor was trying to figure out what I was doing there – perhaps wondering if I was having a seizure – heaven knows what he might have concluded (but I have a fairly good idea about the parts of my body he saw moving erratically).  One thing is for sure, it caused me to think long and hard about that 10 inches which I had always believed were essentially viewless.

Adjustments have been made to the blinds, but it got me wondering whether the viewing had been worth the price of admission – which was essentially free (at least monetarily – who knows what scarring may have occurred).  Alas, whether it was worth the price of admission or worthy of the collection of damages for emotional distress will hopefully never be known as I am not bringing it up to him – ever.  And as for booty-popping in my underwear and bra in my bedroom in the future…well, I am thinking that activity will have to move into the hallway where there are no windows.

Day three hundred and ninety-five of the new forty – obla di obla da

Ms. C