It is my firm belief that it is every responsible woman's duty to maintain toned arms, which can mean only one thing.
Weight-lifting.
I must get back to weight-lifting ASAP.
This was my thought as I plotzed under the load of my camera/computer/gadget backpack, trailing the tall lanky "bellhop" who inconveniently didn't have a trolly cart at the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort.
Rather he lumbered due to the weight of my suitcase in which were crammed my running shoes, gym tops, gym bottoms, and weight-lifting gloves, none of which were used on my trip.
And the bellhop jerked his body this way and that compensating for that weight, through trees and along windy paths to my room located at the far end of the resort and up a flight of stairs across the street from where our Brewster tour had just seen the black bear.
I was exhausted!
You should know that lugging heavy suitcases and carrying backpacks does not get you toned arms. It gets you head-aches, back-aches, and anxiety when you realize you're carrying too much stuff maybe with chocolate left somewhere in a backpack and you're in bear country, and how dear God would you run from a bear? And do you run from a bear? At that point, I wasn't sure.
Lugging heavy suitcases is also one way to lose otherwise new friends and part with hard-earned money, for one must compensate a bellhop very well for such an inconvenience, less he frowns whenever he sees you coming, which is not becoming when on vacation.
Things could've been worse.
Thankfully, I hadn't bitten on my not-too-clever-friend's suggestion before my trip began.
Molly--not her real name to save her embarrassment--Molly and I sat at a Mexican restaurant, her toned arms glistening in the Southern California sun, as we discussed remaining buff in the rough.
"Buy weights to bring on your trip," she'd blurted.
"And carry them?" I'd replied.
She elongated her sleek arm to lift our bottle of Pellegrino, as I imagined my suitcase.
"Yes!"
Really dumb.
Naturally, this woman wasn't a traveler, she didn't go anywhere east of the 405 or north of the 118 but she did take full responsibility for her arms.
Eventually, the bellhop and I made it up the twenty steps to my room, but who's counting, which was actually a suite with a bedroom loft, a window with a view of a nearby mountain and trees, a living room, and the best part, my very own kitchen with dining room and a table set for two, which immediately made me wish I were part of a couple. And yet there was my poor bellhop bringing me back to reality waiting for his tip, which would be ample, and that bedroom, waiting for my slumber, which would be ample, too.
And the next day, I'd sight-see and hopefully make time to take advantage of the resort's gym and pool.
I understood the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort had ample weight machines therefore my excuses for loosening arms had run its course.
And these were the things I thought about as I dozed off in Banff's beauty with thoughts of bears.
A bear can't jump through the window can he?
Instead of a black bear, slumber took me.
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