Quiana Kicked My Ass Today...

I am so proud of my girl Miss Quiana Perkins-Kirch. I've known Quiana for a coons age (I can say that...cuz I'm black)...and for Quiana's entire life she's been a big girl. A few years back, she realized that while being a big girl isn't a bad thing...and that we should all love the bodies the good Lord gave us...that being too big...is a health hazard. Q-dumplin' decided to do something about it. She took it to the gym.

She began her path to better health by working it out...once she had a good pattern going to she got that good old gastric bypass surgery...and found the strength inside herself to deal with some of the other things she needed to confront that were coming out in her body...she has come through the other side an even more beautiful person...which is hard considering she is one of the best human beings I know.

Having said all that...she busted my ass today...figuratively.

She and I have been gym buddies for the last few weeks. I've been back to the gym in a super ridiculously serious way...and I feel great. Usually, for cardio exercises, I do spinning classes four days a week. Yesterday it broke 80 degrees here in the 612...so I naively thought it would carry right on through until today...WRONG. So...this morning...I walked over to Quiana's house through the North wind which popped up just to remind us that we only get warm cuz even the wind needs a vacation now and again. Q and I saddled up...she on her nifty bike...and me on this shiny bike that turned out to be cheap as hell (it was donated to a local charity by Al Roker from the Today Show...cheap bastard).

Q and I set out down the Greenway towards the lakes...it wasn't but two minutes on our way that I realized three things...the bike was cheap as hell...that spinning and road biking are two different things...and Quiana had replaced her legs with steam pistons. This woman never had to worry about me catching up to her at any time during our trek. We biked 14 miles...and the only reason I even saw her again is that she took pity on me on that pitiful bike and stopped every 20 minutes or so to let me catch up.

We got home and I was cursing everything and everybody...but I was damn proud of the progress Quiana has made physically, mentally, and spiritually. That's my girl.

And a special shout out thank you to Quiana's lovely husband Alex...who lovingly cut up an orange into deliciously sweet slices...for Quiana and me. They taste better when they are cut up with love.