This is what happens when I can't exercise

In the interests of healing my stupid shoulder, a one-week break was taken from any and all gym activity, along with anti-inflammatory meds (er, Advil) and regular icing of my shoulder. Ice, rest, and Advil are my heavy hitters where inflammation are concerned, and since it was determined that my shoulder injury was likely inflamed bursae and not a muscle pull or tear, I have been smacking down the inflammation ever since.

A week ago, it was still painful if I accidentally forgot and slung my purse over my right shoulder instead of my left. This week, it's only mildly annoying. MUCH BETTER. And as such, I'm back to the gym.

Still no weights, still no yoga. I can do cardio without jolting my shoulder painfully, though, so that's what I'm sticking with. Elliptical machine, mostly. I bring my mostly-working iPod (it may be time for a new Shuffle, because this thing has the hiccups) and rock out. It's soothing. And, considering that a lack of exercise PLUS limited amounts of walking (have you seen the weather report for Chicago? it's been too cold to go outside without wearing your own HOUSE for over a week, man) PLUS having a Superbowl party which resulted in having too much carby food around the house means... hellooo, extra two pounds on my ass. Ah, well. I'll fix it.

I've been analyzing my evening habits, and mostly they fall into the please-God-make-my-brain-numb activities. TV is dangerous, because it matches up with mindless eating, and with this much crap in the house it's just no good. Surfing the 'net, playing a video game, or reading are all alternatives, but for the most part I've figured out that I'm fine doing something as long as I don't have to think. So, in order to improve my at-home productivity, I will have to a) figure out how to make more things fall into that brainless category, and/or b) figure out why I seem to require brainlessness behavior in order to relax.

My dad, I know, relaxes by doing things. Building things, in particular. After his day job, he goes and builds houses and room additions for people, and this is his way of kicking back. I know that I used to write for relaxation, but I seem to lose the knack of relaxing with it on a regular basis, so... clearly, I need to relax.

Again, I think that part of being able to do and relax at the same time is to have had enough sleep, because when I haven't had enough sleep, NOTHING is relaxing.

So. Get enough sleep. Learn to relax. Look longingly at the yoga classes.