Ever trwy to blog on a treadmill?
Don’t. EvEr try it. Your hands bounce up and down on the keyboard and you find yourself inserting words and letters into places, well, into places you never intended. And the CaPS sOMEetimes sticks makingyou look like you would be better offpracticing your typng.
It is realllly tough to walkan d chew gum but this is nearlyt imposissible.
I am doing this for a reason, you know. You see my old dog has a new trick. He refuses to go for a walk with me. Well, he will go 4 minutes down the path at the park. There are no hills at the park. Cooper has grown out of hills. I need to drive him to the park first, of course, picking him up to get him into the car and picking him up to get him out. I am not sure if that qualifies as weight lifting, even though he IS 50 pounds. I figure that equals 200 lbs of lifting when you add it all up. Sounds like a lot to me. Of course, since my husband John does all the lifting, I guess I don’t get brownie points for that. Maybe I could lift some brownies.
So I took my uninspired writer-self down to the basement. The man-cave, home of our treadmill. I rarely use it because walking to nowhere, looking at the debris left here by my 20-year-old candidate for “Hoarders” is just too depressing. But I felt particularly bovine today and therefore I was inspired — I put a board across the handlebars and made the treadmill into a walking desk.
Damn, I’m handy!
Trouble is, walking makes my arms swing, so I am constantly knocking the laptop off the board. Then I must lunge, while keeping pace with the treadmill, while grabbing at the laptop, wiping out any funny bits from my blog text. I feel like George Jetson, in the old cartoon series. You know that part in the credits where he’s walking his dog, and things don’t go according to plan? With me and machinery they rarely do.
Which leads me to a question:
Of all the gadgets imagined by the Jetsons’ creators, how come only the ones that make us look stupid have been invented? Where is my flying car? Where can I get that talking Robot that cleans house? And where the hell is that neat gizmo that turns frumpy Jane into glamorous Jane when Skype wants to take her picture for a video transmission?
I want one of those gadgets. I’ll trade the treadmill for it.
FiftyFourandAHalf 
Thank you for the fun post, Elyse!
Russ
LikeLike
Have you now read them all? My goodness! Thanks!
LikeLike
I want the gizmo that produces meals after you punch in what it is that you would like to have for dinner. Of course – that could be considered the telephone if you don’t live too far out for delivery to the door. But I wouldn’t live too darn far away from civilization if they could use a flying car so I guess we’re back to your request.
LikeLike
Another stick-dweller! If you get delivery it is always cold, so I want that dinner-fixing gizmo too! Besides, ordering out is soooooo expensive! Thanks for hangin’ out here.
LikeLike
A few days ago I saved a draft of a post titled “Where is My Jane Jetson Mask?” With Skype and video messaging I have felt a need to wear a mask if the computer ever ‘rang’ unexpectedly. Loved your post!
LikeLike
I have been thinking about this for a while too. We are all one — we all think alike and it is so much fun seeing how my thoughts come out in your blog and vice versa! The blogging community rocks! Or maybe it Jetsons!
LikeLike
You did the topic so much better… I have shelved mine indefinitely. Can’t wait to see what your next topics are b/c blogging is a community of minds. Like the Borg.
LikeLike
There is room for more about George, Jane, Judy and Elroy — oh and don’t forget Astro.
But I am delighted with the Blogging community I’ve found. People are supportive, kind, and interested in each other, our stories, our lives and our laughs. Perhaps we are the Borg — but with much more humor!
Thanks for coming back.
LikeLike
I just Googled “Jetson show gadgets” to find out if there were others I’d forgotten. Not many, but this was fun reading:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/442923/the_coolest_gadgets_on_the_jetsons.html?cat=15
LikeLike
I’m still waiting for the Food-a-rack-a-cycle (or however it’s spelled). Jane pushed a button and a set table full of food slid out all ready to eat. When dinner was done, they pushed a button and it all slid back into the machine. No cooking. No dishes.
LikeLike
How could I have forgotten that one. I wonder if it did Thanksgiving for 20!
LikeLike
this is a new high in multitasking…. i am sitting here choking on my morning coffee at the image of you walking on a treadmill and trying to type after gerryrigging your treadmill with a makeshift desk is hilarious…. even i, the uber queen of the muit task have never dared to try such a stunt. I am too filled with hatred and negativity while on the treadmill (because I want the workout to be OVER) to attempt anything other than walking and seething…. but kudos to YOU!
LikeLike
You’re right. I am truly special. Also time challenged! It is a bit of a challenge because you can’t really change stuff (and I am a compulsive word tweaker). Plus my touchpad is really sensitive and so I find myself whizzing to all kinds of other websites and documents, when all I did was hit the CAPS button!
Welcome back!
LikeLike
Oh Amen to that! Id be first in line for one of those improve-your-looks cameras. Why IS it they have been such a long time coming?
LikeLike
I bet they’ve been invented, but the cosmetics companies bought them all.
LikeLike
JANE!
LikeLike
ELROY!!!
Notice he NEVER calls for help from Judy. Sexist bastard!
LikeLike
Believe it or not, I was just wondering where MY flying car was. Yesterday! Really! I’m glad I’m not alone. This is one of your funniest blogs, Elyse. You just get better and better and better. And I’m not kidding about the flying car. Great minds, and so forth.
LikeLike
Betcha you were stuck in traffic when you were wishing for it! Thanks for your nice comments!
LikeLike