Monday

It's Monday. Again. This means that today is also my Friday! Unfortunately, before I can experience the thrill of the three day weekend starting tomorrow, I must get through today. It's not that today is inherently bad, because it isn't. It's my work shift that drags me down. After that, I just have busyness to contend with, and possibly the headache that is beginning to form.

Sunday

It's been a good day!

Church was wonderful. The message was bang on. A lot of good stuff to chew on and swallow.

The sun was shining. Snow was melting, and it was +6!

I went for my first run in two weeks, which was a little challenging but good. My thighs might be a bit stiff in the morning though.

I got Sam to finish two of his missing English assignments. I cannot guarantee that he will hand them in, but at least they are completed.

My kitchen is reasonably clean at the end of the day.

Casey is going to have a hard workout for two and a half hours. It is exciting to see him taking charge of his health and fitness and his goals.

I anticipate a good nights sleep. Tomorrow is my "Friday".

To the Point

It's been a good day, but my feet are still sore, a headache is brewing, and I am exhausted. I have only recently been able to actually sit and relax, and I have to say that I really don't want to get back up. I did manage to get supper cooking, which is something that I usually don't do on a Saturday night. Still so much to do...

X-Weighted 2011

What a gorgeous day! I have finished work, and I am fighting the urge to go for a run in the warmth and sunshine. I probably shouldn't be fighting it, but I am. My back is a bit sore, I have plenty of things to do yet today, and tomorrow will bring a heap of body aches. It's been almost two weeks since I last went for a run. Another day or two won't make that much difference!

Tomorrow is the start of X-Weighted's 2011 National Challenge, and I am excited to begin. I took part in last year's challenge and did well. I surpassed the weight loss goal set for me, losing 20 pounds over the six months. I also lost about 12 inches and started running. It was good, but I have been bad the past couple of months.

I've gained a handful of pounds and a couple of inches here and there, because I have not been watching what I eat at all since October. I completed my first 5K and just let go of everything, except running. Well, I did also break my diet coke addiction, so that was a good thing. But, I have been eating too much and too poorly, and I need to incorporate more exercise into my life. Running is great; it's just not enough.

I don't know what I will be given as a weight loss goal, but I would love to lose another 20 pounds. Even 15 would be fine. And more inches! I'm ready to lose...

Thursday, the Tire, and the Tow Truck

I should have learned my lesson yesterday. I put off my run on Tuesday for Wednesday, and woke up to a whole heap of snow yesterday. Last night I deliberated on whether or not to enjoy a long, soaking bath at that time or have a short shower today after a morning run. Once again my plans fell apart in the light of a new day.

Kane wanted me to drive him to his book-keeping class this morning, which shouldn't have been too much of a hassle, being only a few minutes away. I was a little irritated though, knowing that even such a small disruption would wreak havoc with my plans for the day, but I still never anticipated just how big that disruption would be.

As we were driving to Kane's class, we heard a new sound. The streets were bad, covered with remnants of yesterday's snowfall and some fresh snow from the night. This noise sounded like a snow plow was riding on our tail, but there wasn't a snow plow in sight. We weren't far from our destination, so we kept driving, thinking that a bunch of snow must have accumulated in the wheel wells. Once we arrived, we discovered that one of the rear tires was entirely flat, punctured on the sidewall. Kane called for a tow truck, gave me instructions, and went to his class. I waited, first inside the building lobby for the twenty minutes we had been told to expect, and then inside the van for another forty minutes. Yes, I waited for an hour for a tow truck...for a tow truck that never arrived!

Instead of a tow truck, a service truck showed up. The driver said he could put our spare on for us or call in a tow truck which would require more waiting. I chose the spare, tired of waiting already. A half hour after that, the spare was finally on, and I proceeded to the nearest tire shop, where good news and bad news awaited me.

The good news is that I could wait in a warm building on a comfy chair, and I didn't need to wait too long. The bad news is that my tire model has been discontinued. The good news is they found me a tire. Bad news...it's in Vancouver and won't be here for 2-3 days. Good news is they gave me a 'loaner' tire to use until my new tire arrives. Bad news is that the service truck driver broke the pin (or whatever it is called) that holds the spare tire in storage (and didn't tell me). Good news is the tire shop people told me about it and fixed it!

Two and a half hours after leaving the house this morning, for a 15 minute excursion, I am finally back at home and able to start on my day! So, there goes my plan for a morning run. I still need that shower, but it will have to wait until later in the day now. I promised my son that I would make cinnamon rolls (it's a bribe), so I still have to get those started. I will need to go pick up my husband in a few hours. I had hopes of going for lunch with a friend today. Not gonna happen now. It's just one of those days when a rewind button would be great.

Snow Day

Oh boy, did we get snow last night! The snow on the deck is easily 6 inches deep, and it is still snowing, with another big dump expected overnight. It is lovely and beautiful and disappointing.

I put off yesterday's run for today, and now I don't think I'll be running today at all. I've run in snow before, but this is a lot of snow. I have no doubt that my poor feet would be soaked and frozen, wool socks or not. Guess that's a lesson for me not to procrastinate!

But, I did finish cleaning my kitchen!

Tentative Tuesday

This isn't the Tuesday I had anticipated when I went to bed last night. I slept well enough, I think, and yet I claw my way to semi-consciousness to hit the snooze button on my alarm clock at 7:00. Those nine extra minutes of sleep still weren't enough, but I had no choice but to get out of bed and get everyone moving.

Usually my first day off is more productive than the following two days off. Not today. It will be productive enough, though not necessarily the way I had planned. I had planned on going for a run, my first since the Resolution Run, but I am putting it off until tomorrow. Aside from the run, any other canceled plans were inconsequential in the long run. I just don't like not getting things done!

Laundry is in progress. I have some paperwork to do before my baseball board meeting tonight. There are my daily list of things to do: Bible reading, blogging, writing, and Bible study homework. And my kitchen is a disaster...

A Little Stone

Another week, another Monday. Or Friday, depending upon how I look at it! It is kind of like whether the glass is half full or half empty. In another hour I will be just about out the door for work, my sucky little Monday shift that I strongly dislike. It could be a good day or a long, not so good day, but a lot of that outcome depends on my attitude. It is rather easy to blame a bad day on grumpy customers, cranky co-workers, or a bunch of little speed bumps that catch me off-guard, but all those things are only as powerful as I let them be. I have the greater power.

In recognizing this truth, I have been making the effort over the past few weeks to be on the alert for my own temperamental mood changes. It isn't always easy to catch them as they arise, and I sometimes miss some completely, but, in general, I am getting better at taking those negative thoughts captive.

A number of weeks ago, everyone in our church congregation was given a small stone to remember the point of the sermon. Okay, so I don't recall what the exact point was, but I did take something out of that sermon, and I've been running with it ever since. That being that the words I say or the things I do can be for good or for bad. The choice is mine to make. The congregation was encouraged to carry that stone around for the week as a reminder. I have chosen to carry that stone on my body ever since. When I find myself feeling a little frustrated at work, I feel the stone and remember that my words, my attitude have long-lasting power, and, if I am able, I hum a few worship songs to myself and turn my focus away from myself. It's a much better place to be!

Junior

The year has only just begun, and I am not really ready to think much about baseball; however, I have no choice but to look baseball right in the face. Right now. Winter baseball has begun. And while Abby may not be interesting in winter ball this year, Casey has decided that he is ready to strive for the next level of baseball, to try out for the Junior Premier team.

This is a big step, an expensive leap, for him and for us, but I think the time may be right. Over the next few months, Casey will be practicing baseball three, possibly four times a week! He will also need to go to the gym and work on his own fitness and nutrition. Parents are discouraged from attending practices, which is both a relief and disappointing, at least to me. If he makes the team, the rigorous practice schedule will continue, and he will also have a heavy game schedule, with four games every weekend.

I think Casey can make it, and I hope that he does. This is a level of sport that is new to us. It is exciting and frightening!

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Saturday

Some days you just don't want to do much of anything! It has been a good enough day, but I am finished. I was so done about four hours ago.

I have a love/hate relationship with working on Saturdays. I would love nothing more than to have a full normal weekend off of work, but I also enjoy working on Saturdays, often more than I do the rest of the week. Saturdays have a flavour all it's own. They are frequently crazy busy, chaotic days, but that is part of the appeal. Busy days tend to pass much more quickly than slow days, and I find a wee bit of chaos to be a tantalizing challenge. I usually perform well under pressure. There is no staff drama on Saturdays, unless we hit a slow period and the teens start talking about their wild nights, and that is drama that I can tolerate. Give me a week full of Saturdays over a Monday shift anytime!

So today was a good enough day. Sales are typically slower at this time of the year, and we were slow enough today, with about two hours of crazy to keep us hopping. My feet are throbbing, my back is sore, and I am physically wiped out. As much as I love Saturdays, they suck the life right out of me!

Next up is Monday. Yuck!

Snapped. Shot.

I am not much of a photographer, although I like the idea of taking great photos. I love my Nikon D40, and I don't even mind our little Olympus digital camera. I keep telling myself that I will learn how to use my Nikon more effectively and technically, but I still feel lost in a sea of f-stops and aperture numbers. What's what?! I don't know.

Spurred on by my success with my goals last year and a friend's 365 day photo blog, I am attempting to get to know my camera by taking on my own little daily photo blog challenge. (Click on the link to go to that blog.) I see-sawed back and forth for several days over the idea of doing the year, a month, and whether to start on January 1st or wait. The bullet was eventually bitten, and I started on January 1st, still battling the voices telling me that I won't succeed. Every day has been a struggle, and the photos are nothing to get excited about; however, I can feel a slight tingling of excitement and possibilities growing in my extremities. Like my running goals last year, I just need to keep plugging away and eventually all the pieces will fall into place.

I do hope to learn how to use my camera properly. Of course, first I need to find out what is wrong my regular lens. It has been stuck since January 1st, when Kane was taking photos during my Resolution Run and the battery died. I've tried charging the battery, removing and inserting it, and removing the lens, etc. The lens still won't move. Maybe some dirt is stuck inside? I will have to see if I can take it somewhere next week, because I can't use it the way it is...not unless the focal point is at just the right distance! I do have my zoom lens, but that won't work for close-up shots. Until I get that lens fixed, I've been using the Olympus camera, which is okay but just a point and shoot.

My goals for this photo challenge are not too stringent. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew, or shoot.

• One month...at least to start.
• Photos taken by me, unless it is a photo with me in it, taken by my family.
• I will strive to take each photo that day, but I reserve the right to use a photo taken on a previous and recent occasion.

So, that seems fairly simple and easy. The point of this exercise is to get me taking photos. Practice makes perfect, right?

R&R

It's been a lazy kind of day, and I have enjoyed it. It's back to work tomorrow, for two days, then a day off and work for one day, then three days off again. Even though I did work this past Monday, it seems like I have been off work for a long, long time.

I am enjoying a week off from running. It isn't that I really need much physical recovery time, but I'm taking it anyway. Without a specific goal on the calendar, I fear that my running may become sporadic and unfocused, but I have yet to find a local race that works for me. Something will probably pop up in the spring, and, if not, then I can always do my own thing. I am hoping to do the 10K in October, but I don't know if I want to attempt a 10K in the spring or just do another 5K. I think it will come down to the fatigue factor, which is why I am not rushing out for a run this week.

I did see a 30 day challenge to run 30 miles on MapMyRun.com. I use that website a lot, and that challenge looks appealing, even though I am not eligible to win any prizes because I'm not American. 30 miles works out to slightly more than 48 kilometres, which is more than I currently run in a month; however, I think it is entirely doable.

A Good Day

My birthday was a good day. Low key but quite good. A birthday is always best when good friends are involved, even if only to express good wishes, and so I have indeed been blessed. I went out for dessert with two good friends on Monday night. I received lots of birthday greetings via email and Facebook from good friends and acquaintances, and another good friend took the time to phone. I am generally not the sort of person to expect a lot of fuss and fanfare, but, unspoken or not, there is always a hope that I won't be forgotten. It's good to know that I'm not!

39

It's been a good day, busy and productive and ordinary. Sometimes ordinary is quite enjoyable! After two weeks of school holidays, Christmas, New Year's, and sickness, it was wonderful to do regular things once again, and to have nothing but silence in the background.

It might be a quiet birthday, but I am just fine with that. I think there will be ice cream cake in my near future...and a gift. Maybe I can even strong arm my affection-resistant son into giving me a hug. Sounds like a good way to spend a 39th birthday!

And We're Back

It seems like we are all over the hump and on the road to feeling back to normal, although I know that my gut is still roiling throughout the day. While I had to return to work today, the kids did a bit of housework. There is still plenty for me to begin catching up on over the next three days, but any progress is wonderful and appreciated. At least that sticky spot on the dining room floor is now gone!

Work was crazy busy, and we were short-staffed. It wasn't quite the day I had hoped for, but neither was it as bad as I first thought it would be. The time went by fairly quickly, which is always a good thing for a Monday.

Stalled

I have so many good goals and plans for 2011, and here I sit, stalled. Even though I am feeling better, I am still essentially unwell. Thankfully, there are no more explosive episodes, but my belly still churns. There are moments of feeling shaky, too hot, and flushed. It's been four days now, and I sure hope to get back to 100% soon!

Resolution Run 2011

January 1st, 2011

about the 2K point

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Sicko

This wasn't how I planned on spending my New Year's Eve, and I am not thrilled that my plans for New Year's Day might be in jeopardy. Late yesterday afternoon, I became sick. I have spent a lot of time in the bathroom since 4pm yesterday. Casey joined me shortly after midnight.

I am feeling somewhat better this morning. So far I have managed a piece of toast and a couple of digestive cookies. My gut still seems to be churning but only once in a while. There is a headache in the background, but I feel perkier than I did last night. I am desperately hoping to be over the hurdle and on the way to wellness.

Tomorrow is my 5K race, and I would really hate it if I could not take part. If the need to spend time in the bathroom doesn't return, then I should be okay. I don't need to run fast. I just want to finish. At this point, I just want to be well enough to get there and start.

A New Winter Running Jacket

I picked up my race kit yesterday afternoon, although to call it a race kit is somewhat generous. The only things in my race kit were a new jacket and my race bib. Still, the jacket retails for $90 and is really nice, though rather bright neon orange. I wore it for a test walk this morning. The temperature was -5 Celsius, which is close to the projected forecast for Saturday. I put on my usual long sleeve winter running top and then the jacket and went for a walk to see how cold I would be.

I was only slightly chilled, but I think I would be just fine while running. The coldest part of the walk was into the wind, and that affected mainly my face. If the weather is the same on Saturday, I will probably wear another thin layer top and my performance long johns. I might feel overheated by the end of the run, but I should be warm enough at the beginning and then after.

My biggest concern now with the run is the route. I have learned that we will be running through Mission Creek park, which I assume means we will be running along the Greenway trail. I don't mind that route; I ran it quite a few times over the summer. However, I expect that the ground will be covered with compacted, lumpy, icy snow. I can wear my grips, but the lumpy would really work my legs hard. That is the reason why I did not go for a run today! My legs are slightly sore from the extra effort of Tuesday's run, so I don't want to push them too much, knowing that they'll be required to work harder on Saturday. So, I walked roughly 2. 7 kilometres.

The Comfy Couch

Kane and the boys picked up a 'new to us' sectional sofa this afternoon. They are all excited about it, while I am merely lukewarm. Yes, it is comfortable. Yes, we now have more living room seating, though not by much really. I am just not completely sold on how well it fits into the space or my plans for it.

I feel like I am frequently the one who is called upon to let go of my plans, my wants. That's happened a lot over the past year, and it gets a little frustrating. I gave up my craft space downstairs, because Kane and the boys wanted my stuff out of there. Kane moved the shed, knowing that I was not on board with his plan. Kane told his brother that we would store his RV in our backyard for the winter, even though it had already been in our yard for a year and I wanted it gone. Every time there is a clear space in the house, Kane wants to fill it up with his junk. I don't want junk crammed into every corner. I want to get rid of clutter. I want my living space to be neat, tidy, and functional, not crowded, cluttered, and perpetually messy. I fight a losing battle, and it drives me nuts.

So, the new sofa is nice, but it limits my ability to re-arrange furniture on a whim, as I like to do from time to time. The coffee table doesn't fit now. I'm not sure I like the way the sofa cuts off part of the room either. I can live with it, though I really don't have much choice. I could have put up more resistance before the purchase, but I didn't. I will, however, not relent on my stance regarding the boys' hopes of putting the futon, folded down, in front of the sofa downstairs!