Words:  glasses – salad – tiger – headlamp – soft

A Few Extra Pounds Is Fine!

Ginger tried to push the bicycle pedals faster, but it was a struggle. When had she gotten so out of shape? When had she become so soft, so wimpy?

She’d gotten a late start coming home from the park after riding up there to watch her nephew play soccer. The tigers were the best team in the area, and Toby was a star forward. The match had been wonderful, and she’d hung out with the team players, fans, and family longer than she should have.

The sun had just crept below the skyline, and it was getting hard to see. She stopped for a second to turn on her bike’s headlamp. For a teeny, tiny moment she considered just walking the bike home. But that would just be even wimpier. She needed to toughen up.

Pulling in a determined breath, Ginger climbed back onto the seat and forced herself forward. She could do this!

Another block later and she was fighting her entire body. Her calves were screaming from having to ride uphill so far. Her lungs ached from struggling to suck in air. Sweat streamed down her face and made her glasses keep slipping down her nose.

And her stomach was growling. All she’d eaten today was a piece of toast and some yogurt at breakfast, plus that stupid salad for lunch. She wasn’t a fan of salads; she wasn’t a grazer. She was a meat-and-potatoes girl. But she’d wanted to lose a few pounds because some of her jeans were getting a tiny bit too snug.

Heck with that nonsense! If she made it home, she was selling the bicycle, never eating another piece of lettuce, and buying new jeans.

Finally, finally her house came into view. She called on her limited reserves and sped onward. Victory was hers! And so would be a big dish of the white chocolate raspberry ice cream she bought yesterday.