Ice cubes, cybex and 2 hours sleep....

Morning!!! At least that is what I think it is here (9am to be exact). Still working on getting my body to realize we are in a different time zone. I fell asleep about 2 hours ago. Regardless I have a busy day planned (Sderot with Laura) and decided the only way to get on schedule was to get at it.

Started out the morning with an amazing Israeli breakfast. The cheeses and vegetables here are always so fresh and wonderful. They are the first clue I am a long way from Minneapolis. The second clue is the lack of ice cubes. I never realized til I started visiting here how American it is to put ice in drinks, it just doesn't happen here. With the scarcity of water and everyone used to eating things at a warmer temperature you get really strange looks when you ask for ice. Never the less you can hardly complain about a breakfast watching the surfers and the surf!!!

Then it was off to the gym. The hotel has a really well equipped (albeit small) Cybex fitness center, complete with trainers and a killer view of the Mediterranean!!! I have to admit it would be a lot easier to get to the gym at home every mornnig if it overlooked the waves.

I made my best attempt at keeping up the "heavy weights" cycle we were doing when I left. I must have been doing pretty well, as the trainers only came over and corrected me once. I will say it was kind of hard to enjoy watching the cute Israeli trainers when you still have the voice of the cute Brazillian trainer screaming in your head (lower....2 more....let's go....stick your butt out....drop your right shoulder.....see Gui I do listen *grin*). I was able to get a pretty good upper body work out in. I don't feel I did as well on legs but felt the machines were a lot more limited for that. I am sure had I had my trainer with me I would have gotten more out of it, but overall I am happy with how I did.

I do have one issue I need to deal with this morning. The room came equipped with a scale, and I totally remember now why I don't have one at home! I have been on that thing more times in the last 19 hours than I care to admit to. I need to either come to peace with it and stay off it, or I need to have them remove it. Removing it seems like wimping out, but not sure it still isn't the best answer! I will say it made me pretty happy that I have lost enough weight that I can use a cheap bathroom scale without maxing it out (even one in kg's).

Well time to shower and get ready to meet up with Laura. I am looking forward to seeing Sderot through her eyes! It still amazes me the irony of being here and hanging out with her after meeting her at the start of my personal journey last February!