One of my goals way back in January was to lose some weight this year. Age and hypothyroidism mean I’ve packed on a few more pounds than I am comfortable with. Then quarantine happened, and that regular exercise routine never really took off as I would have liked.
I had a bonus assignment at work and decided that I would use that money to get an exercise bike. With shootings, rough roads and rainy season, I haven’t been biking like I had before. So I figured a stationary bike would be just the ticket to burn some calories.
Shopping during quarantine was not easy. On one grocery store run at the Bodega, I found a bike that I was interested in at a price I was happy with. Of course, when we went back to get it, they were out of stock. I also tried all the empena (pawn) shops in town. I did find one, but it was in such a sorry state that I had to pass. My sister-in-law said they had treadmills at Coppel, but I didn’t want one of those.
On the way to the bank one day, we saw a weight machine in a storefront window. I copied the phone number down and had my husband call to ask about the price. The owner was willing to give us a deal, only $25,000 pesos and it was ours. Sorry, Charlie. Not going to happen.
Having exhausted the local options, I tried searching online. Amazon had just the one I wanted, but it would cost just as much to ship it as it would to purchase it. I checked Amazon Mexico for comparative purposes. The cheapest on that site was $50,000 pesos. I could buy a lot in La Yacata for less than that!
I put the bike idea on the back burner for just a bit. Then thought about it some more. I had already earmarked that extra check for this purchase and it would cover the cost of the bike and shipping from the U.S. So I bought it from Amazon, only to be informed that it was on back-order and they weren’t exactly sure when they would get a new shipment in. Well, drat! I guess everybody else was trying to get their home gyms set up, too!
In the meantime, I ordered some speakers for the computer. We have a tentative plan to try and get my son his U.S. GED since they are offering it online due to COVID-19. In order to take the exam, he needed a microphone, camera, and speakers–a headset wasn’t allowed. So those were purchased. He’s still working his way through the GED practice lessons, but I’m hopeful he’ll be ready to take the exam by the end of September.
Finally, Amazon sent me a notification that my exercise bike had shipped. It arrived two weeks later, which was two months after I ordered it, but hey, better late than never, right? I have all my Amazon shipments go to my sister-in-law’s house, since we don’t have an address here in La Yacata. From there, my husband strapped it on the back of his moto and brought it home.
My son, Fuzz, and I spent the afternoon putting it together. It took some doing as the instruction manual was poorly translated, but we managed. It’s exactly what I wanted. With the speakers, I can pedal away the pounds to the beat of some of my favorite tunes, or at least what I imagine is happening. I haven’t actually lost any weight yet, but hope springs eternal!
How are you staying fit while staying at home?
Surviving Mexico 