Wait? What Was That?

So I was reading a post where the writer (who is transgendered) wonders if Brienne from A Song of Ice and Fire is transgendered. For those of you not watching A Game of Thrones (where she appeared for the first time last week) or familiar with the books, she's a woman warrior who is better than many of the men she faces. She's built like a warrior. She looks like a warrior. She is not, at least as far as I got in the books, transgendered. However, there's nothing wrong with wondering and speculating about fictional characters. I think we might all do that from time to time. *winks*

However, one of the people commenting to the post said this: "I agree that she is living the only way she can. Women in Westeros who want to be soldiers or knights have to wear the clothes and walk the walk. There are several women, like the She-Bear of Mormont, who are strong female figures and not afraid to be strong. I wonder how many of them would transition if that was an option." Maybe it's me, but I find that statement appalling because of the suggestion that "strong female figures" who are "not afraid to be strong" must naturally want to be men and not strong, empowered women. I guess, if I follow the broadest assumptions in that statement, women aren't inclined to, aren't able to, or don't desire to be strong and empowered. Also, by selecting only women of a certain body type, profession, and physical features, the implication is also there that women who are more stereotypically feminine (I'm thinking here of Dany) can't be strong or unafraid of their strength.

I find both those notions more than a little unsettling.

Dear Barb...

Dear Barb,

You had to go to class toniight. Didn't you? Granted, you felt conflicted. It was not an upper-body class, so you'd get to keep resting everything that was worked on Monday. However, it was core and cardio night, neither one being a particular strength of yours.

And yet, there was more resistance band work with partners, and while Robin (your partner) was nice and someone you got to know better tonight, the presses and lifts and pulls, well, they were going where you were on Monday, weren't they?

You're going to regret this in the morning.

No love,
Your Biceps

Ripley vs. Maintenance...

The maintenance man arrived at 8:00 AM this morning in order to put new batteries in one of my smoke detectors that had been chirping its displeasure at its low battery state. I was naked and had one leg in the shower at the time I heard the knock. The office said he'd be there around 9:00 AM. They were wrong.

So I tossed on a house dress, let him in. Ripley was in the bedroom, so I had the door mostly shut so she didn't have to face the terror of the stranger in her personal space. So the dude and I chatted while he changed the batteries in the office, and when we came back down the hall, there was Ripley. Standing in the middle of the living room. Watching him. He paused. They eyed each other for a moment, then he said, very soothingly, "Aren't you a cute little thing?"

At which point, she took off liike he'd zapped her with a cattle prod and hid under the bed.

It took me 10 minutes to try to coax her out. In the end, I just took my shower, and she emerged and was lying on the bed when I came back into the bedroom.

Tonight, I needed to stop at Petco for food, and I got her two wee toys, some of the gingerbread bones she likes, and two bags of her bison treats. I think that more than compensates her for her extreme emotional distress.

Hell and Hydration...

Class tonight was cardio and core. Two of my least favorite things. They're weaknesses of mine, I know, and while I know that making them stronger is key to moving them from weakness to strength, I hate knowing that I'm in for an extra-daunting session where I'm even less able to keep up with the rest of the class. I know that is my crazy competitive side talking and that by the end of class we're all going to be sweating and straining. I guess I'm still struggling a bit with the dynamics of doing this in a class. Maybe a little.

Tonight was mostly jogging sprints (and I jogged more tonight in 30 minutes that I have in like the last decade) followed by band work. So it looked a little like this.


* Jog
* You and partner stand side by side facing the same direction. Each of you hold one end of the band at chest level so it's taut between you. Then you chest press out and hold it.
* More jogging.
* Same sort of chest press, but with you and your partner turned facing the wall that was at your back in the earlier exercise.
* More jogging.
* Similar position with partner and band, but this time it's a straight overhead lift and you hold it.
* More jogging.
* You and partner stand side by side facing the same direction. Each of you hold one end of the band at chest level so it's taut between you. You assume a lunge positon, and do stationary lunges while holding the band at chest level.
* More jogging.
* More lunges, except you and the partner are facing the wall that was at your back for the earlier ones.
* More jogging.
* You and partner stand side by side facing the same direction. Each of you hold one end of the band at chest level so it's taut between you. You extend the band out in front of you and each pull out to the side, pulling againt each other, then back in. Out and in.
* More jogging.

Various bits of that repeated so that we ended up doing all the band things at least twice. Some of the jogging bits were quick high-knee marches.

After all this there were plank circuits.

In other news, I've been consuming about 80 ounce of water a day the last three days. I know that I tend to run underhydrated, and I'm not sure if it's the water, getting back to class, or both, but I'm generally feeling more alert. I'm also getting up and walking around more at work. No taking the first bathroom break after noon for me this week. ^_^