Nope, I am still not exercising. That 20-minute walk on the treadmill I took last night while my husband watched TV? That wasn’t exercise, I informed him.

See, Halloween is just around the corner and that means the rest of the holidays are on their way, too. This year I think my mother’s coming for Thanksgiving, and since she’s never visited us in this house before I want the place to look perfect. Or, at least as perfect as I can get it without having to tear the place down and rebuild.

So, knowing I have plenty of cleaning, de-cluttering, reorganizing, vacuuming, mopping, polishing, painting and drinking ahead of me, I figure I’m going to need all of the strength and stamina I can get. And don’t get me started about the near-marathon sales shopping I’ll be doing come 2008 Black Friday, the one day on which I’m guaranteed my mother won’t be interested in “together time” since she can’t stand crowded stores.

Those dumb bells I dusted off this morning and moved downstairs near the TV? The exercise bands I took back from my kid who’d been using them as tethers for the fort he’d built in the guest room? The sneakers I finally fetched out from under the bed and wore for the first time today? Those have nothing to do with exercise.

I’m training for all of that work and shopping the holiday season will require this year.