Charles Schultz got me thinking about “doing it once.” Reading one of his “Classic Peanuts” comic strips got me to rethink my commitment to getting healthy through boxing, tennis, and yoga. It also made me reminisce about my too long-ago attempts at watercolor and stained glass.

The other day, I came across a “Classic Peanuts” cartoon. (I had torn it out of the Tribune a week or so ago and it’s been hiding under my laptop.) Linus, who did all of the talking in the four frames, was leaning on a wall next to Charlie Brown. In the first frame, Linus tells Charlie Brown that his father had started a new exercise program. In the second, he says that his father runs a mile every morning but then says that he cannot always get up to do it every morning. In the third frame, he says that “Sometime things come up and he’s had to miss a few mornings.” He then comments that “You know how it is ...” In the last frame, Linus exclaims “Actually, he’s done it once!” (My startled awake moment.) How often have I “done it once?”

In my last blog post, I compared blogging to exercise. Now, I am wondering if this is a broader commentary on life. But, let’s start with exercising.

I belong to an athletic club in my neighborhood and, rather infrequently, go to the classes, which are actually free with my membership. However, I do religiously work out at least three times a week with a personal trainer. We usually box for ½ hour (yes, I have my own gloves; they’re teal blue!) and then do ½ hour of strength and cardio training. I’ve been doing this for quite a few months now. While doing so increases the cost of my gym membership, I find that I do show up and work much harder than I do in the classes. I guess it’s because I am more accountable when someone is staring right at me. It’s easier to “hide” and take a lot of breaks in a class. I’ve been thinking of dropping down to working out with my trainer twice a week and then showing up for at least one class a week. That’s a thought … being a bit more self-motivated would save me money in the long-run. I am rereading what I just wrote, but realize that I am not convinced that I will make it to a class anytime soon. (I’m just being honest.) However, this would be a good goal.

Last month, in an attempt to get myself up and moving in the mornings, I signed up for tennis lessons through the Chicago Park District (Tennis on the Lake). I had signed up for four weeks of 9:00 – 10:30 am lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays. The night before they started, I got a call from the program director who informed me that my class had been cancelled, but that there were openings in the 7:30 – 9:00 pm class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Of course, I had already bought a nice racquet and had convinced myself that I did want to learn how to play tennis and, so, I said yes. We’re just finishing up the third week of lessons. While I am thoroughly enjoyed learning how to play tennis and am getting some cardiovascular work in, the lessons are outdoors near the Lake (and Chicago’s weather has not been all that nice this fall), I don’t get home until 9:30 pm and am all jazzed up, which does not bode well for getting to sleep early (and avoiding insomnia). Well, as Linus says, you know how it is. We’ve got one week to go. I have shown up for all of the lessons and plan to attend next week. So, it’s not that I’ve “only done it once.” It’s that I am afraid that I might just finish up the four weeks of lessons and my nice tennis racquet might then gather dust and ultimately go into storage with my rollerblades. Finding someone (ideally a beginner) to play with might turn this into a hobby instead of just a passing fancy.

As you may know, I did recently purchase two Groupons for four-weeks of unlimited yoga at two different studios. I found a CorePower location that is not too far away and went yesterday to my first beginning yoga class. The stretching part was great. The balancing part was challenging (although I caught myself every time and did not actually fall over). However, I was rather surprised that I sweated as much as I did; thankfully, they handed me a towel as I walked in. Only afterwards did I realize that this studio practices “hot” yoga. The room was warmed to 85 degrees! Apparently, the classes get hotter temperature-wise as you advance through the levels. (The room used for the next level is 90 degrees with 25-30% humidity and the room for the next level is 98 degrees also with 25-30% humidity. I am definitely a summer person; I love the heat. Admittedly, it’s really physically-challenging at the moment, but based on how soaked I was as I left, I am guessing that I will be in the beginner’s class for quite some time. The good news is that I went back today. I received one free week of unlimited classes before activating my four-weeks. At the moment, I am committed to going at least four times each week. It will be interesting to see if I can achieve this goal. Given that I have a second four-week unlimited Groupon for a different studio in the area (which I need to activate immediately after this one expires), I may actually come to love yoga (meaning that I will actually be able to do it without embarrassing myself by not being able to keep my balance). This plan just might work.

Leaving exercise behind (at least until it is time to leave for the gym later), I have been thinking about other things that I started but didn’t continue with in life.

Many years ago, I took watercolor lessons. I even have one of my paintings hanging in my kitchen. Watercolor is something that I love to hate. Watercolor is so unpredictable; the type of paper, the quantity of water mixed with the paint, and the humidity all combine to make it something that cannot be controlled. And, as the oldest of seven, I grew up wanting to be in control. Being unable to control it was the part I hated. However, when I did it, I really was able to live in the moment. I could lose myself in what I was painting and not think about the past, current, or future. That was the part I loved. When I moved last fall, I found the plastic bin with my paint. They’re here in a closet (rather than far away in a storage unit). I hope to find the time to take up this hobby again. I don’t want this to be “something I did once.” I need to carve out the time. Even though doing so does not seem possible now, perhaps a good goal would be next summer.

Years ago, I also took stained glass lessons. I don’t have something I made hanging here. It was a struggle for me. I got pretty good at cutting the glass but just couldn’t get the hang of soldering. I wanted the solder to look perfect as I applied it. Even though I know that soldering can be messy and still look fine, I just wasn’t happy with my efforts. And, when I moved, I also put that plastic bin with my glass and other equipment here in a closet. I have gathered lots of sea glass over the years and would like to incorporate it into pieces of stained glass. (A good friend who lives in Rhode Island does just that.) So, I also don’t want this to be “something I did once.” I think finding a soldering class might be the solution. Perhaps if I just concentrated on the soldering part, I could feel accomplished enough to turn back to stained glass. That’s an idea.

And, then, there is this. I looked at it and cannot find a name anywhere. It was something I bought after seeing an infomercial. It has been sitting by my couch since I moved in here last fall. It sat by my couch when I lived in Streeterville. Theoretically, I would grab the ends with both hands and shake it behind my head while watching television. My arms would be so toned! This is definitely a “done it once” thing.

I guess picking it up and using it would be a start.