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| Girly and festive in the same day! A big step for me! |
- It has been a while since my last post, and I have been busy! On Monday, I worked. I had a client that I was seeing in Toronto. We had the ice storm on Sunday, but Hamilton did not get it nearly as bad as Toronto. Specifically Scarborough. Even today, there are still 50,000+ homes without power. It is like a war zone with all the fallen trees and impassable streets. And I didn't plan my trip very well. I should have gotten gas before leaving Hamilton for the day. Instead I was hard pressed to find a gas station open. Then when I found one, I had to wait 20 minutes for gas, and was only allowed $20 worth. That was due to the severe power outages. My father and my in-laws were affected. They both live in Scarborough. They did regain their power Monday night, but had lost power for 36 hours. There are others who have gone 120+ hours without power. Over Christmas. Can you imagine? And here I was all disgruntled because the Walmart I was shopping at on Sunday night lost power and I had to abandon my shopping cart mid-shop. What a tool I am!
- On Monday I dressed as festive as I could muster up. I was having a Christmas breakfast with one client, and a Christmas lunch with another. I wore a black skirt and sweater with burgundy tights and black riding boots! That is completely risque for me and I questioned my outfit choice all day. And it was colder in Toronto than I anticipated. Maybe I should have just gone with an ugly holiday sweater...
- Christmas Eve was a different day for me for sure. It was very quiet and low-key at home. Just the three of us. If my mother was still alive, I would have been at her house having Polish Christmas. This is the second year in a row that I have not acknowledged Polish Christmas. I feel bad about that because it was my Christmas Eve tradition for 41 years. Something that always makes me sad is that Julien never got to experience Christmas Mee Mee (what her grandchildren called her) style.
- I am likely the only Ojibway from the Serpent River First Nation who can make kick ass perogies and cabbage rolls. Just say'in....
- Christmas was my mother's holiday. She went all out on Christmas and spoiled all of us with food and gifts. Although my in-laws give me a token gift every year, and my dad usually gives me chocolate (which I re-gift shhhh), I haven't really gotten any gifts since my mom passed away. Gifts are not that big a deal for me and I'm definitely a better giver than I am a receiver. But she always got me stuff that she knew I would love because she knew me so well. Christmas is always a hard time for me. I miss my mother, my birth mother (I saw her on Boxing Day 2 years ago, before she passed away the following Halloween) and of course, Finn this year. A very melancholy Christmas for me.
- I got an awesome Christmas day run in. I ran 5K and did my best post broken ankle pace to date. I ran a 6:35K on Wednesday morning. That is a HUGE improvement for me and almost takes me back to where I was before I broke my ankle. Most importantly? I felt great during that run and couldn't have given myself a better Christmas gift!
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| My letter to Santa!!!! |
- Christmas morning I woke up at 5am. I went to bed pretty late. It was 1am to be exact by the time I finished all my wrapping and Christmas day prep. But I still woke up at 5am. I made my way to my couch and hung out with Baby (my cat) until Julien got up at 7:30am!!!!! Can you believe he slept in so late on Christmas morning? Hubby was happy for sure. We watched Jules open his gifts and go through his stocking, then we had to rush through the rest of the morning because we had to head out for our runs (5k each for hubby and I...but not together), get showered, dressed and head out to Scarborough for Christmas lunch with my in-laws. We spent 5 hours there before heading to my girlfriend Nokomis's house for a late turkey dinner.
- Man it was a fun time at Nokomis's house. A house full of musicians and all the Christmas carols you can sing! Julien complained the whole way there because there was not going to "be even one toy or kid"! I could barely get him to leave before 10pm. He loved it! They let him play tambourine and he was so proud to be part of the "band". Miguel got some video. I'll ask if he will share:)
- My eating on Christmas day? It was a lot. I ate a lot. But I stuck to the Paleo template. At my in-laws I ate chicken, veal, rapini, salad and peas (now the peas are on the fence about being Paleo or not). As a rule I do not eat peas in my regular life, but threw caution to the wind, and ate them at my in-laws. I love the way those peas are done...with garlic, olive oil and mushrooms. Yum! At Nokomis's house I ate turkey, ham, salad, carrots and yams. All Paleo acceptable dishes...and I ate nuts. A lot of nuts:( That and the wine were definitely my indulgences for the day! I do not feel bad at all. I'm wearing my size 8 skinny jeans today, and they are still loose on me:)
- I had an awesome run this morning. A slower pace than yesterday, but we also got a few centimeters of newly fallen snow. So it was a slow run for about 2K, before I could move it on the road where I had much better traction. Then I picked up the pace and finished with an admirable 6:49/K. I'm feeling good right now if I can keep my pace below a 7min. kilometer. I'm hoping to kick it up a notch in about another week or so!
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| I am almost back to my old running self. That is VERY exciting for me!!! |
- I have run four days in a row, and I feel good! I didn't run Sunday on account of the ice storm, but did run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and today. My ankle is fine which makes me super happy. No pain, no discomfort. No nothing!!!!! Tomorrow is my rest day. And I'm definitely going to try and sleep in.
- Karen and Kelly were wondering what I do with all the cookies I bake at Christmas time. They do not stay in my house long. They are given as gifts. I have already given cookie gifts to my massage therapist, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and Nokomis. I have still to give to my physiotherapist, brother and some neighbours. I haven't done my rounds yet this year. But honestly? They have been in Tupperware containers on my fridge for a week now, and I swear on the baby Jesus that the nuts in my pantry are more of a temptation. That's what happens when you give up grains and refined sugar for two years...you don't crave them anymore!
- I had a weird dream last night about Paul McCartney. Now he is not my favorite Beatle. But apparently I wrote a couple of Christmas songs that he was really interested in and wanted to purchase off of me for a HUGE amount of money. Yes please!
- I have not yet seen my family for Christmas. That will happen on Saturday. I'm making pork roast, sweet potatoes, turnip and something else...with salad of course! I'll have Christmas cookies and coffee for dessert. You know,Christmas is really about spending time together. Julien knows that gift giving is over. I hope no one proves me wrong because I told him not to expect anything else this year...FYI if you're reading this:) He's good!!!!
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| Super Smash Brothers? 14A? Yeah, hubby did Xmas shopping this year. Womp, womp, womp:( |