Weight-ing Around

Back in early February I signed up through my health care plan for an online program called Daily Challenge. I thought I'd give it a whirl, probably get bored and drop it in short order. Well, that hasn't been the case. I've completed 52 challenges, am on a 32-day "streak" and have made a lot of new friends. I also feel a lot better these days!

Today's challenge was as follows: "Strengthen the muscles along the back of your rib cage with 10 alternating weighted arm pulls." I usually try to complete each challenge before going to work, which gets the day off to a good start. This morning I didn't have any real weights in my room, so I had to improvise! I chose the heaviest thing I could find, which just happened to be a carved and painted replica of a pharaonic head that I had purchased a couple of seasons back from a roadside artisan!

It worked, but it wasn't wholly satisfactory, so I was determined to get to the exercise room on the third floor of the residence after work to do a real weight workout. It was probably about 5:20 when I reached  the roof, which is a bit of a workout in itself--there are 47 steps!
Since I was using only dumbbells, I could bring them out to the "terrace" to do the workout. I know I will be the object of much sympathy when I show you the view I must put up with there!

After I finished my workout, which really flew by, I decided to check out the rooftop on the other side of the exercise room and perhaps see what the kites who live in the large eucalyptus tree were up to. One of them was dining!

And I had to take one more photo of the pre-sunset vista from that angle!

Thanks to all my fellow DCers for their encouragement, support, and good humor! This one's for you, guys!