Mindy Gledhill Music

Ever wonder what I do when no one is watching? I won’t tell you everything, but I will share what I did whilst staying at a host family’s home in Las Vegas a few weeks ago.

I was down in good old Sin City with two back-to-back performances on a Thursday and Friday night. I secretly wish I could tell you that I was performing to sold-out audiences at The Colosseum, but these were church-girl performances (don’t get me wrong guys—we had fun! Right?) I stayed with my friend Liz who always makes me the tastiest homemade beef jerky when she knows we’ll be seeing each other (thanks Liz).

This was the first time I had stayed in Liz’s home. It’s always interesting staying in someone else’s home. I’m fascinated by how other people live—how they cook, their DVD collection, the way they decorate, etc. One can tell how much Liz values spirituality by all of the inspirational quotes on her wall and the family pictures that adorn her shelves.

Before going to bed the night before, Liz informed me that she would be leaving for work early and to make myself at home when I awoke in the morning. I habitually exercise in the mornings, so the first thing I did after awakening was peruse the DVD collection for some kind of aerobic workout. All I could find was a copy of Richard Simmons’s “Sweatin’ to the Oldies. “ Nah, I thought to myself. I scanned each shelf again. There’s got to be something else. Zilch. So, I put on my workout duds and decided to give Richard Simmons a chance. After all, he had sold a gazillion copies of his workout videos. I would soon find out that this fact alone might be the greatest mystery known to man.

It started out with a skit where Richard Simmons is searching everywhere for his mother. He finally finds her making illegal copies of his workout tapes in the back room of an obscure warehouse. He wails as the police haul her off to the Big House, “Oh, Mother!!! How could you?!!” All of this is of course, an attempt to prevent people from ripping off his videos. Oh brother, I think. Let’s get on with this.

The workout takes place in a high school prom-themed gymnasium with a live band and mullet-headed lead singer on electric. I sway side to side with Richard and his out of shape comrades. Then we start shaking our hands like we are flicking water off our fingertips. I look around to make sure no one is watching me, even though I know I am alone. Can you stop and just picture this? Yes, Mindy Gledhill all alone doing a Richard Simmons workout? Too funny. Needless to say, I didn’t make it through five minutes of the workout, not because I was sweating, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. I’m sorry Mr. Simmons. I guess I can’t endorse you.

I gave up on working out and scouted out the kitchen for breakfast. I found the avocado salsa that I had eaten the night before and ate a bowl of that (and two others later on for lunch and dinner). Now THAT is something I can endorse. Seriously amazing stuff. I’m off to get the recipe from Liz to post for you all.