The Look

You know the one - the look from your significant other that says, "What is wrong with you?" The look that cuts into you and states emphatically, "Shape up." Yes, I'm positive that most of my male readers here are nodding that yes, they know exactly what I'm referring to. I had managed to endure one of my tougher summer's to date - Greek, Site Directing at Camp, living apart from my wife - and, unfortunately, the busy times called for something to give - and you guessed it, Life-in-Tents was given the boot.

With camp over as of last Saturday, I am home in St. Anthony, chilling with the wife and the fam again, doing nothing. Rebecca gets up for work and I get to roll over and go back to sleep. When I do get up, I usually eat some breakfast, check up on the baseball scores on my Fantasy team and lounge around, restlessly lazy the remainder of the day. I'll get a little exercise in, but mostly I do nothing. That is until I am on the end of "the look." Suddenly I realize just how pathetic my existence has been since finishing the summer at camp and crashing at home. It dawns on me that camp ended five days ago and here I am, still recovering. She need not say anything really - that one look pretty much addresses all the questions I need to be asked: "When are you going to start running again? When is the last time you wrote in your blog? Do you have things to do while you're here?" Ahh, yes - yes, I do need to step up to the plate once again and get back in the game. Break time is over.

Thank goodness for the look. I think we all need it more than we think we do. Camp helped me to realize how much I missed my wife while living apart over the summer. Being a bachelor again definitely had its perks, don't get me wrong. Allowing my clothes to clutter my room throughout the week, going on self-grooming autopilot and staying up later than I should have were fun to indulge in again - but letting myself go like that also had its many pitfalls. Sure, I never really enjoyed the look that said, "Stop eating" or "slow down" - but, God Bless her - she was right. I ate too much and too fast all summer long. Now my waistline is slowing me down when I exercise and I don't feel quite as buff as I once did.

Next I found myself looking for ways out when it came to dessert and eating ice cream - I haven't eaten this much ice cream over the last 6 years than I did this summer at camp. For a kid who loves ice cream, I can't tell you how painful it was to find myself trying to cut back on its frozen delicious intake. The look may not have been directly in my face, but I could feel it everytime someone said the words Dairy Queen to me. As much as I told myself I wouldn't, I always caved to my bachelor alter-ego and said, "sure, why not?" The only positive thing to come of this has been that my cool treats consumption forced me to experiment more with the menu. Which means that I now have several options other than the standard Reeses Peanut Buttercup Blizzard - please, save your applause.

Yes, discipline was a tad lacking this summer in absence of the look. Receiving it last night was long overdue. I must say that creating a to-do list is needed for me - and I went much too long without one. "Yeah, I know honey - I've been meaning to write in my blog again soon, really..." That just doesn't cut it. I am proud to say that I am making my way back. The look has reignited my self-discipline and a comeback is imminent. So long bachelor Keith, it was fun while it lasted, but I like Married Keith much better.