Worry less, Breathe and Live in the Moment.

What is it about this time of year? For the last week I've had no idea what day it is. Of course being without my laptop with my schedule clearly mapped out on my digital calendar has been challenging. I am not entirely sure what day it actually is. I'm just assuming its Wednesday LOL

I got out and got my run in today. Wow was it a nice change of pace to do an evening run early enough that the skies were still bright and I could clearly see all the icy patches. It was a gorgeous run. Not chilly at all. Of course, I can dress for -30C easily. Its the -8C that's challenging.

I've been reflecting on setting some goals for 2010 but can't seem to focus on anything beyond my current running goals. I have only a vague idea of what I'd like to accomplish or make better in 2010. Things like getting the house organized. Journaling more. Eating cleaner. Spending more time with my husband. Enjoying my kids on a different level. Instead of always worrying about this and that. Learning to breathe and live in the moment.

As a matter of fact, I think that will be my chief goal for 2010. Worry less, breathe and live in the moment.

Monday

This will be an interesting week. I'm at the end of my cycle which means I'm likely to be a little PMSy and that's never fun. Especially, when it eclipses a week that husband has off. Poor soul, will be so eager to get back to work that he'll run for the door with or without shoes.

I figured today would be errand day so I got up with the expectation that I'd have a cup of coffee and something to eat then trot upstairs and get ready to head out. First part done I then discovered that I'm completely out of clean clothes! Like really, how does that happen?

So instead of doing errands as a family I'm sitting here waiting to put my clothes in the wash. Gahhh...we could really use to be out of the house right now. I think today is likely a very good day for a project. I was thinking of making a lavender filled eye mask. My room is pretty bright when I go to nap and I've been grousing about not having one and not wanting to shut the drapes. So today I think that's what I'm going to make. It requires a trip to the bulk barn for the lavender. Then the fabric store. Likely, this will chew up naptime. Oh well....busy hands equals happy family.

I also need to come up with an idea for dinner. There really isn't anything in the house that I want and we need new fruit. So that's another errand to do today.

Turkey Enchiladas are really good for breakfast by the way *wink* Thankfully, its a much lower fat version. Not so much low cal. Thinking that a neat asian noodle bowl or fish for dinner. Hmmmm decisions.

Oh and I'm also brainstorming my 2010 goals and the design of a new tiny tattoo (of course running related LOL)

Its all over, thankfully!

I woke up with the niggling desire to pack up the Christmas tree and all the holiday debris. Of course this also means cleaning out the fridge and purging anything that looks like holiday food (ok so not the booze). I'm daydreaming about spa food and green tea.

With that I'm going to purge the fridge tonight and set up a week of menus. Last night I didn't even bother with dinner because I wanted food that was decidedly not Christmas food. Thankfully, I was feeling too lazy to get in the kitchen and make it. I could only imagine what I would have made. Most likely lasagna.

I miss the sun. I just noticed that again today its grey out. And foggy which means its balmy out. I haven't seen the sun in days and it drags me down. I do like the warm temperatures but seeing the sun move its way across my kitchen over my cup of coffee is a simple pleasure.

Well off to guess at what the heck to wear for my late morning run. That's the part of cool season running that I don't enjoy. I'm sure its just a symptom of being a newbie.

Oh and just for note. My laptop died a horrible death. It was kicked from my lap and landed on its power cord pin and it caused internal injuries. It hemorrhaged and died shortly after. I'm hoping that someone can raise Lazarus. My whole life was saved on that machine and in its absence I feel slightly naked and at loose ends. Me without my calendar. Eeekk!

This is what's for dessert.....

For Christmas Day. I'll be recreating this baby tomorrow. Ok, after I finish up my Christmas shopping first thing in the morning. I love holiday baking. I just hope I have enough room in my freezer to store it. I might wind up needing to store it in a cooler, in the garage, to keep it from melting.

Gotta get this done tomorrow before Misty breaks me. Its been a long time since I worked out with weights seriously or have even attempted a lunge. I'm sure I'll be beyond sore just in time to shovel my turkey into the oven. I sure hope I can manage to get the cork out of the wine bottle. Oh hell I'll chew my way into the bottle, if need be. *wink*

Let the wild rumpus start!

And this is what I get....

for saying "F#@k it, I'll run that route". I started out around 10 am. Eager. Well rested. Well fed, and dressed for the weather. I had some zippy tunes and some interesting podcasts to listen to. Got about 2k into my run and encountered one of the nastiest routes I've ever preplanned. Of course when I planned this route I didn't bother to look at the grading of the terrain. Why would I? Ha...idiot!

What I encountered was the steepest hill I've ever come across. Its on Lyndebrook Road at the mouth of Huber Downs. Mountain Goats and all. I was running it but I had slowed to the point where I swear walking would have been more effective. Oh the lovely language that came out of my mouth in between gasps.

I hadn't gotten but 3K and change into my run when I seriously started contemplating digging out my cell phone and calling husband to rescue me. The only thing that stopped me, I suppose was the thought of him needing to stop everything he was doing and dress both boys (one of whom is sick) and put them in a cold car to come and save my lazy, intimidated ass.

So I didn't. I just dropped my pace by a few seconds and plodded on. The whole time searching for one of those podcasts on my ipod. Of course, I couldn't find it. I spent the better part of the first leg listening to the most boring broadcasts. Oddly, they aren't boring when I'm in the car. Just boring when I'm frustrated and running.

Got to Winchester and contemplated going across the highway until I got a drift of the amount of traffic. Decided to save that energy for the trip back and headed back down Coronation, in that nice downhill route that Ian had promised. Bullshit. Its not so much downhill as UP and down the same damn hills that I just crossed over.

By this time two svelte conditioned runners took up position behind me and followed my whole route back to Taunton. Oddly, they never lapped me. I didn't speed up to avoid it, my ego wasn't a factor. I kept reminding myself that this was my run, my pace. I wasn't going to let their presence intimidate me. I wound up running the mammoth hill that they didn't! When we finally met up with each other while waiting for a green light at Country Lane and Taunton, they were friendly. Full of compliments (they liked my jacket and commented on the hill I ran) and swapping comments about the crazy hills.

I love being a runner. I have never accomplished so much in such a short period of time, in anything else that I've taken on as a hobby. I love the community that I've joined. I am one of the many crazy people who run a route like this for the first time and think. "Cool....I may be insane but I rule!"

I've got a route burning a hole in my pocket. Seriously! I planned a 12-14K route for Boxing Day Morning (I am taking Christmas Day off to recover from Misty's workout/torture sessions). I mapped this run about a week ago and I've been really excited about it ever since. OK, so how weird is that?

I've got a race in Ajax tomorrow but I'd skip it in a heartbeat to go and run that route. Its killing me not to just say "f-it, I'm running it". When did I become this person? I used to lust over new expensive nail polish. A coveted pair of shoes. Jewelery. Now its running routes, training programs or gear. I've peppered workouts through out my holidays the way I used to schedule holiday parties. I'm even working my cooking/baking spells around being able to escape outside and go.

I don't recognize myself at all any more.

I Will Win!

I purchased a spritz cookie gun the other day when I went to Michael's for the sole purpose of picking up beading supplies. Of course, I had to travel down the cake aisle. Of course, I couldn't stop myself from snatching the best one off the shelf and stuffing it in the cart.

I justified that purchase by saying that it would be an easier cookie than my usual heavily, artistically decorated sugar cookies. So with a skip in my step I pranced into my so well organized kitchen *roll eyes* and started whipping up batches of the soft buttery dough as the Kitchen Gods smiled with pleasure. Pulled out the cookies sheets, wire cooling rack and offset spatula with determination. Got the gun out and loaded it like I was going for the kill. The first couple of squeezes of the trigger produced some very odd looking shapes but I wasn't going to be distracted. Then I got the feel of the tool and got a couple of sheets pressed out and into the oven.

Lovely little cookies. The smell was beautiful (or what I could actually smell through a very plugged nose). Then to refill the gun and press out more because I was in the groove. Ha! That's where I was stone walled. No dice. Couldn't get the dough to stick to the sheets no matter what trick I tried. The Kitchen Gods chuckled.

So frustrating. These little cookies are anything but low maintenance. I've never been foiled by a baking obstacle before. I will conquer the stupid little cookies. I will....nothing will stop me. Even if I have to press that damn dough through the disk with my freak'n thumb!

*hair flip, pout*

Stupid Cooties

So another week kaput. I was waylaid by the cooties again after my long run on Sunday. I could tell I was sick about an hour after I came home. So for the better part of the week I've spent the hours trying to breathe through my nose.

I was out in my new running gear tonight. LOVE IT...makes me sing. Could have gone further, definitely a mark of a good run. I would have but I had marked down my route and didn't want to deviate in case husband came looking for me. Just as well, sigh...it was dark out and I should play it safe. I need a running buddy :(

So now I'm catching up on some of my favourite shows. Vampire Diaries. I'm on the second episode and its distracting me from completing this so I'm going to sign off.

Oh I'm down 5lbs. Nice....

Living Vicariously

Winter has arrived. I woke this morning to the sound of ice tapping at the bedroom window. It sounded cold and gusty outside. I sat on the edge of the bed for two minutes, as I usually do each morning. I take this time to transition between sleep and "awake". During this time I process the ends of dreams before they are forgotten or take stock of what I'd like to accomplish during the day. This morning I just sat in the dark grey and listened.

It sounded beautiful. Over the tapping and blowing I could hear L. and E. in their rooms, singing, chattering, both in wonderful moods. Once my moment of reflection was over I jumped up and went in to pull back their drapes so that they could see their world's transformation. Wow, its really something to be able to experience their enthusiasm for winter. As adult, I think of the drudgery of winter more often then the splendor of it.

Christmas is much the same. When I first hear the "days till" count down I just shake my head and say it's too soon. Bah humbug. I actually hate shopping so Christmas feels like work. I get to be reminded what Christmas is actually about when I hear L. singing "Jingle Bells" and "Frosty the Snowman" in his perfect broken articulation. For them Santa is the best thing next to sliced bread with peanut butter.

So today, once the rain stops. This old little girl is going to put on her coat and hat and roll around in the fluffy white stuff with her kids. Perhaps she'll grow up long enough to shovel the driveway.

My Husband *sigh*

I don't write too often about how much I love my husband and I need to make amends for that. Clearly, I'm an idiot. Now I hear other women boast about how great their husbands are because they don't have to be told a third time to take out the garbage. My husband however, takes the cake hands down.

Tonight while I write this blog. I'm drinking me tea from the couch with the laptop humming. My husband has cleaned the kitchen (while I bathed the kidlets). Then he pulled out the vacuum cleaner and passed it, diligently. He also plans to wash the carpets after the kids are put to bed. I mean really....! Washing the carpets! He's the best.

He does so many things for me. Then he shakes his head and says that I must be crazy cause I married him. Because I chose him. Now clearly he's nuts cause I'm the lucky one.

Running Addict

Ok so I'm obviously feeling better. I've been thinking about summer runs all morning when really I ought to be doing the housework. I've been eyeballing the Toronto Island Runs and wondering if I should register. Not that there is a big gap between my May half and a would be Aug/Sept half. LOL Like that isn't a problem at all :D It would just mean that I'd have to keep my kms up at a decent point so that I can train back up to 23K in a few weeks time. That doesn't seem hard. LOL

Then snap back to December. I realize that perhaps an intervention is due :D

When will it end?

So this cold has put down firm roots. I'm still stuffed up and coughing. I sounds like I need fur ball medication. This morning I am especially dizzy. I'm not sure a run tonight is in the cards after all.

I'm so tired of seeing the inside of my house. Even decorated for Christmas its tired. I need to get out and stretch my legs and get a change in scene and society but it looks like today is not that day. I think I'll scratch lessons off my list of stuff to do today too. Zero patience.

Did I mention that I am also potty training one of the most stubborn boys in the world? Well I suppose it just feels like it. Right now he's sitting on the potty refusing to try and pee. Its been an hour since his last "tinkle". At this point, I'm just waiting for the accident. I need to review the manual to see how to get past bullheadedness but I haven't had any time to sit and read it. Believe it or not the manual is 87 pages long.

Its the first of December. Happy Christmas Season to everyone. Just 24 more days.