Today was grey. Snowy,blowy, a sneak peek of what's in store for us until Spring.
People were grumpy, as they tend to be when Fall begins its descent into winter.
Sent the Manchild off to a school workshop for the week (but not before I dropped the homework sheet off he forgot rushing out the door). Took #2 in for some knee x rays (just checking things out,nothing to worry about). #3 Had a good day, he's loving band (playing trombone just like his mama did), and littlest had a full day of being a Hot Lunch Helper, and did her crossing guard shift (all while wearing her favourite pink beanie.) Hubby is continuing to deal with things at his job ( he is the most patient man I know!).
Me???
I had a good day. I felt more relaxed today than I have in...well, months I guess.
I ran the kids around, got groceries, came home and whipped up a couple of new recipes (sweet potato & turkey chili, and Italian Sausage Soup). I even made a batch of my Grampa's baking powder biscuits.
No rushing, no picking what I could get done and what would have to wait.
I had a chance to talk to each kiddo about their day (with the exception of the absent manchild). I saw the smile on my hubby's face when he smelled the soup and spied the biscuits.
A perfectly ordinary day. It was fantastic.
It's what I miss the most when things get crazy.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
We Are Canadian
Today Cpl.Nathan Cirillo was killed. People will want answers, but there is likely nothing that will truly make sense to any of us.
People are angry, they feel violated. This sort of thing doesn't happen in CANADA!!!!
All sorts of bad things happen here. It's not like we live in some protected Utopia.
But this....this hits hard, and close to home.
Corporal Cirillo wasn't a soldier in a combat situation. He was standing guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He wasn't armed, he was doing his duty.
His family and friends were most likely very proud of him. They didn't expect him to be in any danger today.
Now he's gone. His smile,the sound of his laughter, a dear memory.
A loss is a loss, no matter how a loved one may pass. Yet, rather than being a private thing, Corporal Cirillo's death is now a Canadian Loss.
On Facebook, I've seen a lot of people saying things like "What now?" and "Where do we go from here?".
We go on. We are Canadian.
Our soldiers have fought for our freedom. We cannot let the coward who did this win by living in fear.
People are angry, they feel violated. This sort of thing doesn't happen in CANADA!!!!
All sorts of bad things happen here. It's not like we live in some protected Utopia.
But this....this hits hard, and close to home.
Corporal Cirillo wasn't a soldier in a combat situation. He was standing guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He wasn't armed, he was doing his duty.
His family and friends were most likely very proud of him. They didn't expect him to be in any danger today.
Now he's gone. His smile,the sound of his laughter, a dear memory.
A loss is a loss, no matter how a loved one may pass. Yet, rather than being a private thing, Corporal Cirillo's death is now a Canadian Loss.
On Facebook, I've seen a lot of people saying things like "What now?" and "Where do we go from here?".
We go on. We are Canadian.
Our soldiers have fought for our freedom. We cannot let the coward who did this win by living in fear.
Monday, October 20, 2014
All About the Skills
So, your sometimes blogger is back again.
My new position has been somewhat overwhelming. Definitely not a job I've been able to leave at the door when I come home. A position so far out of my comfort zone, it's been a struggle.
Am I learning a lot?
For sure! The skills I am acquiring will (hopefully) serve me well in my future endeavours.
Am I enjoying it?
Ummmm.....I wouldn't say that exactly.
There are many parts I do like. I have met some wonderful people, people I maybe never would have interacted with.
More often though, I find myself floundering around, playing catch-up. (Me and Dory "Just Keep Swimming....")
I just finished my first major event last week. So much work, and so thankful to those that lent a hand to help ( love you guys). Without my hubby, and some very special friends, I'd never have pulled it off.
It was a pretty good night, with a few bumps (of course).
There were some details that I goofed on and missed, one which led to a less than pleasant email waiting for me at the office this morning, on what is supposed to be my day off.
I am trying very hard to concentrate on all the good of the evening,and not let the mistakes I made cast a shadow that. It's a work in progress.
So, today I will cook for my family, which I have not been able to do on regular basis.
I will go to Zumba.
Tomorrow, I will start on the next project, and work on learning from my mistakes.
My new position has been somewhat overwhelming. Definitely not a job I've been able to leave at the door when I come home. A position so far out of my comfort zone, it's been a struggle.
Am I learning a lot?
For sure! The skills I am acquiring will (hopefully) serve me well in my future endeavours.
Am I enjoying it?
Ummmm.....I wouldn't say that exactly.
There are many parts I do like. I have met some wonderful people, people I maybe never would have interacted with.
More often though, I find myself floundering around, playing catch-up. (Me and Dory "Just Keep Swimming....")
I just finished my first major event last week. So much work, and so thankful to those that lent a hand to help ( love you guys). Without my hubby, and some very special friends, I'd never have pulled it off.
It was a pretty good night, with a few bumps (of course).
There were some details that I goofed on and missed, one which led to a less than pleasant email waiting for me at the office this morning, on what is supposed to be my day off.
I am trying very hard to concentrate on all the good of the evening,and not let the mistakes I made cast a shadow that. It's a work in progress.
So, today I will cook for my family, which I have not been able to do on regular basis.
I will go to Zumba.
Tomorrow, I will start on the next project, and work on learning from my mistakes.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
That Time We Tried-A-Tri
This past June, the Fabulous Running Buddy and I completed our first Triathlon. I won't say it was "just" a Try-a-Tri (shorter than a Sprint Tri, just a taste to see if you like it).
250m swim, 10k bike, 2.5k run.
It was all new to us. Setting up our transition area, getting the body markings. It was nerve wracking and exciting all at the same time.
We were obvious newbies, watching everyone else and trying to do something similar.
The race itself was hard, for me at any rate. The swim wasn't bad, except for the big gulp of pool water I took in near the end. The bike ride wasn't awful. A couple of big (for me) hills on the out and back route. The run,short as it was, was the hardest part of the race for me. For the first kilometre at least, I had a horrible cramp in my right calf. It was a drag-your-leg-like-a-zombie type of cramp. I honestly thought that I might not be able to finish the race! Thankfully, the cramp finally let go, and I shuffled along until I crossed the finish line.
High Points of this Race:
*The people! The volunteers were fantastic. Encouraging, friendly, and so very positive. The volunteers really make the race I think. Without them none of it would be possible.
*The competitors! No matter the ability of the people racing, everyone was welcome. Cheering other competitors on, smiles and supportive words. A great energy throughout the race.
Low Point:
*The timing. This race was chip timed...or, at least, it was supposed to be.
"We experienced some technical trouble with the results of the 2014 race. A number of timing chips were issued to the wrong participants by mistake resulting in missing times in some cases and widely inaccurate times in others. We have done the best we can through review of the timing database and consultation with athletes to arrive at the most accurate finish times possible. Unfortunately we will not be able to supply split times for the race segments, and some participant times were not retrievable. We apologize for the inconvenience."
This was the explanation given by Human Powered Racing, the company that planned/ran/organized this race for the inaccurate times announced and posted for the race.
It was very disappointing. Neither of us had checked the time when we started and finished, so we don't know how long the race took, or what our splits were.
Lessons Learned:
1. Always time your own race,even if it is a chip timed event.
2. Bring a basin to keep your stuff in at the transition point.
3. Train more.
Overall,it was a really good experience....enough so that I am planning to do the Sprint Tri next year!
250m swim, 10k bike, 2.5k run.
It was all new to us. Setting up our transition area, getting the body markings. It was nerve wracking and exciting all at the same time.
We were obvious newbies, watching everyone else and trying to do something similar.
The race itself was hard, for me at any rate. The swim wasn't bad, except for the big gulp of pool water I took in near the end. The bike ride wasn't awful. A couple of big (for me) hills on the out and back route. The run,short as it was, was the hardest part of the race for me. For the first kilometre at least, I had a horrible cramp in my right calf. It was a drag-your-leg-like-a-zombie type of cramp. I honestly thought that I might not be able to finish the race! Thankfully, the cramp finally let go, and I shuffled along until I crossed the finish line.
High Points of this Race:
*The people! The volunteers were fantastic. Encouraging, friendly, and so very positive. The volunteers really make the race I think. Without them none of it would be possible.
*The competitors! No matter the ability of the people racing, everyone was welcome. Cheering other competitors on, smiles and supportive words. A great energy throughout the race.
Low Point:
*The timing. This race was chip timed...or, at least, it was supposed to be.
"We experienced some technical trouble with the results of the 2014 race. A number of timing chips were issued to the wrong participants by mistake resulting in missing times in some cases and widely inaccurate times in others. We have done the best we can through review of the timing database and consultation with athletes to arrive at the most accurate finish times possible. Unfortunately we will not be able to supply split times for the race segments, and some participant times were not retrievable. We apologize for the inconvenience."
This was the explanation given by Human Powered Racing, the company that planned/ran/organized this race for the inaccurate times announced and posted for the race.
It was very disappointing. Neither of us had checked the time when we started and finished, so we don't know how long the race took, or what our splits were.
Lessons Learned:
1. Always time your own race,even if it is a chip timed event.
2. Bring a basin to keep your stuff in at the transition point.
3. Train more.
Overall,it was a really good experience....enough so that I am planning to do the Sprint Tri next year!
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
For Now
You know that thing....when the lights go out, you're stumbling around in the dark, and even though you feel like you should know where everything is, you still hit your shins on the ottoman.... I am doing a lot of that lately.
Learning how to do this job, oh! My poor metaphorical shins!
I get a handle on one thing, start feeling pretty smart,then....oh yeah, there's all that other, all very important stuff that needs to be taken care of as well.
While I am sure I will be successful in this new foray into the working world.....I hate not being good at what I'm doing. Drives me nuts! It's unfortunate, since so many things I do daily are a work in progress.
Learning how to do this job, oh! My poor metaphorical shins!
I get a handle on one thing, start feeling pretty smart,then....oh yeah, there's all that other, all very important stuff that needs to be taken care of as well.
While I am sure I will be successful in this new foray into the working world.....I hate not being good at what I'm doing. Drives me nuts! It's unfortunate, since so many things I do daily are a work in progress.
(I also think that one of these would make work way more fun!)
 |
| Image from the Costco website |
For now I will just be thankful for:
Our family...
Our health...
Our home....
That tomorrow is my Friday (TGIT!)...
....and that I made it through another outdoor workout!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Bullet Points & Good Intentions
I keep meaning to catch-up here, and I
keep having other
things get in the way.
So,bullet points it is, with
every intention of coming
back & fleshing it all
out later.
Loved Color Me Rad , we had so much fun!
Sadly, one of the gals had to head off for work mid-race,
but we got a great group shot before she left.
Sadly, one of the gals had to head off for work mid-race,
but we got a great group shot before she left.
- Spartan Sprint! So hard,so amazing.
Can't wait to do it
again next year!
Still need to fill everyone in on the
Try-A-Tri.....no
idea what happened
to our times for that one.
Try-A-Tri.....no
idea what happened
to our times for that one.
That's all for now.
Working on getting enough sleep to keep
my energy levels up....
like so many things in life,it's a
work in progress.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Making Memories...Hoping for no Permanent Scars
Boy, I have been busy!
New Job: Yikes! It's been a bit overwhelming. Almost 2 months in, and some days I still feel like I'll never get a handle on things. I planned and pulled off my first official event. There were some hiccups, but overall the feedback has been good. Thanks again to my parents,hubby and kids for helping me out. If not for them, I would have fallen flat on my face.
Since I last posted something here we've been training (not enough) and have run a couple of races. The Women's Run (10k) in Edmonton, and we completed our first "Try-a-Tri" on June 15th ( I have dubbed it the race with no time....more on that later). There's a story for each of these races, but that will have to wait.
This weekend is a biggie. Tomorrow my Running Folks and I will be heading into the city for Color Me Rad. This is the race we had planned to run last summer in Calgary, but unfortunately there was all that flooding,so.....it should be a lot of fun. I am curious to see if the colour washes off of me after!
Then, on Sunday, my Fabulous Running Buddy and I will be participating in the 5k Spartan Sprint race. *GULP* I am feeling pretty nervous,with a heaping scoop of fear on top. I am pretty sure I will be glad we did it at the finish line, but the anticipation is hurting my tummy a bit.
So, this weekend,while my former school mates are recalling the "Good Old Days"over some adult bevvies in BC, I'll be getting pelted with colour bombs and crawling through the mud. Pretty sure everyone will come away from the weekend with a bunch of new memories.
New Job: Yikes! It's been a bit overwhelming. Almost 2 months in, and some days I still feel like I'll never get a handle on things. I planned and pulled off my first official event. There were some hiccups, but overall the feedback has been good. Thanks again to my parents,hubby and kids for helping me out. If not for them, I would have fallen flat on my face.
Since I last posted something here we've been training (not enough) and have run a couple of races. The Women's Run (10k) in Edmonton, and we completed our first "Try-a-Tri" on June 15th ( I have dubbed it the race with no time....more on that later). There's a story for each of these races, but that will have to wait.
This weekend is a biggie. Tomorrow my Running Folks and I will be heading into the city for Color Me Rad. This is the race we had planned to run last summer in Calgary, but unfortunately there was all that flooding,so.....it should be a lot of fun. I am curious to see if the colour washes off of me after!
Then, on Sunday, my Fabulous Running Buddy and I will be participating in the 5k Spartan Sprint race. *GULP* I am feeling pretty nervous,with a heaping scoop of fear on top. I am pretty sure I will be glad we did it at the finish line, but the anticipation is hurting my tummy a bit.
So, this weekend,while my former school mates are recalling the "Good Old Days"over some adult bevvies in BC, I'll be getting pelted with colour bombs and crawling through the mud. Pretty sure everyone will come away from the weekend with a bunch of new memories.
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