Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

Dreams

I have always maintained that I don't like musicals. Something about the way that characters spontanously burst into song really irks me, like when I've got a hair stuck inside my shirt that is tickling me but I just CAN'T FIND IT. But last night I dreamed that I was driving our new car on the highway when I hit a patch of ice and started to spin tilt-a-whirl style down the roadway. And what was going through my head during those last few moments was not how much I would miss my dog or my regrets about missed opportunities or even a slideshow of my happiest memories, but instead the voice of Julie Andrews singing, "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down..." And then I thought, if Mary Poppins is the soundtrack of my death, perhaps I should reconsider my stance on musicals.

While Watching the Food Network

James: Who is this Julia Child person?

Me: Um, only the most famous chef ever.

James: Oh. Never heard of him.

Somebody's Birthday

It's somebody's birthday! And somebody's wife ordered a mini strawberries and cream cake from me. Somebody hasn't picked up the cake yet, but you get a special sneak preview. Aren't you special??

I made two of these mini cakes because it's actually easier than halving my normal cake recipe. In an auspicious twist of fate, my neighbor realized this morning that she had forgotten her mother's birthday today, but her mom will be none the wiser when presented with the extra cake! Don't you just love happy coincidences?

Snuggly Things

Last night was girls' craft night at our house, and what a fun project we picked! Using a coat hanger and some thrift store wool sweaters (which we felted in the washing machine, producing gargantuan fuzz balls, I might add), we made recycled sweater holiday wreaths. Though James initially volunteered to help us cut up the sweaters into neat little squares, it only took a couple of beers before he got bored and complained that his delicate hands were sore from all the hard work. So the girls muscled up and finished the job. Isn't that always the way??

The most impressive part of this project is that, though we were tempted, we entirely avoided the use of the hot glue gun and instead SEWED the holly leaves and hanger covers from sweater scraps and buttons. Sewed by hand. Threaded needles, even. We are awesome, it's true. Here is a picture of my wreath hanging on our red front door. Tres cute, no?

In other news, we're not sure if it's the suddenly cold weather or a natural winter nesting instinct, but Disco's snuggling habits have reached a new all-time high. What was once merely gratuitous nuzzling has now become downright shamless cuddle demanding. Like, for example, when James was lounging on the sofa and Disco decided that, if he wouldn't snuggle her, by god, she was going to snuggle him.

Who needs a toque when you've got a furry creature on your head?? Like I said, shameless.

Holding Strong

How long has it been since you last watched television? James and I are on day three of a self-imposed TV-Free Week, and though James admits to jonesing for an episode of Heroes, we are holding strong. Our reason for ditching the tube, if only temporarily? Well, it had become ubiquitous, ever-present, sometimes switched on only for white noise or as a light source, and often over-used as a tool for winding down after a hard day at work. I've gotta say that, if you're able to use it in moderation, the tube is certainly not the most insidious of vices. But for us it had become like hideous floral wallpaper that we couldn't even see anymore because our eyes had grown so weary from the constant visual assault. We had to turn it off. We had to take a break. And what we've realized is that, with the box unplugged, it's no longer possible to make it through an entire day saying ten or fewer words to one another. We interact. We talk. And what do you know -- we like it!

What Better Motivation then a Marathon?

Ironman has come and gone and the past 3 months have been filled with TV, potato chips and some world class weight gain (almost 30 pounds to be exact!). As big as a life accomplishment that Ironman was it left a really bitter taste in my mouth. As the day got closer I resented the training more and more. I hated the weekends I had to spend on the bike rather then the beach, I hated the constant pain that injury brought and I hated that I was beginning to hate exercise all together. Looking back in our blog we both seemed to be so sick of everything triathlon related we didn't even make a post about finishing Ironman. We both finished with a smile on our faces if you are wondering.

After Ironman I made some attempts to get back into the swing of things but I was just kidding myself. Every time that I thought about exercise I couldn't help but have a flood of negative thoughts come pouring into my mind. So I continued to sit there on the couch in front of the TV letting my waist line get bigger and bigger. I decided that what I need is to ditch the negative emotions that exercise stir up and bring back that amazing feeling of runners high into my life. I need to make working out fun again.

Running was always my favorite. There is something magical about the simplicity of it all. All you need is a pair of shoes and the will to get out the door. So I have decided that 2008 will be a year of running for me. I don't particularly like swimming so I'm just not going to do it for a while. I enjoy biking but every time I think about getting on the bike I'm reminded of the long terrible 8 hour rides of last summer. Next summer I'm going to focus on what I love to do and just leave out the bad stuff. I'll swim when it sounds like fun and not because I have a race looming and I'll get in a long ride when the sun is shining and I can take my time. I need this to be fun again because I don't like where this path on the couch is taking me.

So knowing that running is where I want to focus my time and needing a little extra push to get out the door I've decided to sign up for the Vancouver Marathon on May 4th. I'm actually quite excited. I'm ditching all the time goals for now and I'm just going to run and have a fun race. If all goes well I might get a little more serious and train for the Victoria Marathon in October, but really I have lots of time to figure that out. For now it's time to reverse the weight gain, get my shoes back on my feet and get my ass out the door!