A.... Personal Post

I know I didn't update much in the last bit (I've been kinda busy). But I'm updating today with, well, a personal post. For those who don't want to read that's ok. Feel free to pass, hopefully later today/tomorrow I will have something else for you to read.

Today I went bathing suit shopping. 'nuff said right?

Lets see. I found out in the past few weeks that my bathing suits are readable. And by that I mean I can read a book through my bathing suit! That's bad hey? I'm sure you have experienced that at one point in your life or another. But it's true, one day, a bathing suit will get to that stage in it's life. This, for most older people, can be after a few years, or sometimes just a few months, depending on the suit.

For me it has been a few years and months! I have one bathing suit I bought I would guess 3 years ago, right after Q was born, that is now see-through. Also one I got just a few months ago is now see-through as well! This seems to be happening alot at the same time due to my training. It's ok. I knew it would happen but I was hoping I could get through my tri and training before I had to bite the bullet.

Obviously those 'gods' of clothing thought I should have to deal with the horror of buying a bathing suit now.

Today I started my day by having a nice 'healthy' breakfast. To give me that feel of being a good girl and working on my diet to lose weight. Then I went for a swim, adding to that 'good girl' feeling by working out. And finally I went out shopping.

I hit the 'end of the season sales' (another vent that the 'end of the season' is in the middle of the hottest month of the year!! My kids, and I still need new 'summer season' clothes next month you crazies!) and managed to find a large portion of the store with bathing suits.

Now it's not that they hide these sales at the back of the store. Away from people wondering through to get something and hit the tills. NO! these racks are right across from the tills. I guess if you know what you are looking for it's easy to go and grab a suit and head out ASAP but for those of us who have to try them on (oh the tragedy) it's sucky. People can watch you checking each size, trying to figure out if that suit will actually fit you.

One of my pet peeves (you will notice alot) is that every company who makes swimming suits make them in their own size grade. Now really, how hard is it for EVERYONE to have the same sizing. If I try on a Nike one (which I did at the beginning of the year) I would need something around a 30! But if I try on a Speedo I need an 18. So not only do I have to scour the sale swimming suits but I now have to find about 3 sizes of each brand. You need the size you 'think' you are then one higher and one lower. Just too make sure you haven't gone into the change rooms only to be stuck with one that isn't even CLOSE to what you thought would fit you.

This brings me to the change-room. And it did, with 8 to 10 different suits. I had the multi size ones, the ones I thought were cute, the ones that didn't have sizes and one I just thought I'd try. I got there and *thankfully* there was no one else in the change-rooms. I got a room, locked the door and said a little prayer that I could handle this.

You have to deal with the embarrassing lights, mirrors and everything else that comes in the change rooms. Then you get undressed, while standing in front of a full length mirror (really who likes that?), and begin the process of trying on your finds.

If you are anything like me you pull out the first suit. Being in a 'good' mood after having had the 'healthy' breakfast, and working out you try on the smaller of the 3 sizes. You pull on the suit, squishing my body into this lycra material that wants to suck all life out of you. Huffing and puffing you get on the suit, check it out in the mirror and say, "Hell no am I doing this every time I want to go swimming and in a change room full of people". Off goes the suit. Around this time I firmly believe that each change-room should come with some oil of some sort.

I always try to think of those people who go and jam on a ring to their finger and can't get it off. Aside from sticking the ring finger into their mouth and getting it off you can use oil or soap. Sometimes I personally wish the change-rooms had this option so I could get the suit off without feeling like my body was being 'pealed'.

Next comes the size you "thought" you were. You pull that one off the hanger, try to give yourself an encouraging look in the mirror only to see... sweat! No way! You have only put on 1 bathing suit how can you be sweating? Sorry! But you are. Try to ignore it. Pull on that next suit. You get it on and think, "ok not SO bad. I can do this each time I want to swim". You take off the suit and put it in the 'maybe' pile.

Around this point of my shopping trips I begin to wonder why doesn't the department store offer some sort of relaxant drug? Something to keep me happy while I'm trying these on? And that's only after 2 suits!

As you make your way through the pile of suits you have and begin to sweat even more you realize this isn't how you wanted to spend your 'kid free' time.

I love this part at the same time. It's around the time that most people who are trying on their bathing suits as well start the 'sighing' part. Before, once on and after the sighing happens. You sigh when you look at the suit you have to 'sausage squeeze' yourself into. Once you have it on you sigh for all that work and realizing it is or isn't the one you want or thought it would be. Then you sigh once you have it off. Realizing this may or may not be something you want to do. And to add it it all you have more suits to try on!

This is what I did today. Then I did it again! I checked out another place for bathing suits and found one set I thought was super cute. After texting my hubby he agreed to let me buy it! I hope he likes it too!