So far,the clean Feb idea is still in start-up mode. A day here, a day there. On the good side of the ledger: I have had hardly any baked goodies, (cookies, muffins, etc.) and I am bringing my lunch to work 3-4 days a week. On the still-working-on-it side of the ledger: still having wine with dinner almost every day, and the small increase in exercise is not enough to make much of a difference in how I am feeling.
However, today I went for a long walk. It is a very crisp bright winter day with about 3 feet of new snow everywhere. And I just made a big pot of veggie soup to contribute to the lunch menus this week.
A few years ago, friends of mine told me about their February resolution habit. They promised themselves one month of clean living and eating to recover from the holiday excess and make them feel better about winter. They chose Feb because it was less of a cliche, it kept them out of that new year resolutions failure loop, and it was the shortest month!
So for Feb they ate well, didn’t drink and got outside as much as possible. Every year since, I have thought about it but never actually followed through. This year I am following through, to shake off that grey feeling of winter lethargy and get ready for spring. I am not expecting to travel nor to have company for the next few weeks, so this is a good opportunity to relax into it. I will say upfront I am probably not going to give up coffee, I mean, there are limits.
I am absolutely refusing to buy new clothes, except for pantyhose. Honestly, $8 per pair, at average 3 pairs per week…I seem to be able to get a second wearing out of every second pair at the most. I started wearing tights more often because it takes longer to make holes in the toes.
Today I am working a 12 hour day so I ran home at lunchtime to walk the dog. It’s just not fair to leave him alone for 12 hours. It is a sunny day, although cold, so we both enjoyed the 15 minute romp around the neighbourhood. And finally (almost 3 months in) I found out where my mail is going. There’s a community mailbox - well, actually several of them - in the subdivision and I didn’t know where my little box was. Yesterday I just picked up the phone and called for the location and voila, I now have mail. I think I was probably worrying people by frequently randomly testing my key every time I walked by.
This is turning into a pretty good week, if I disregard the new pile of ironing. And I am.
I know this is just a January thaw and winter will be back with a damp thud very soon but darn it was nice to walk around the neighbourhood in a sweater. It’s dirty and wet out there but 10 degrees still feels great.
It has been a hectic few months and it is not going to get any easier, I think. I am still organizing my new house and my plans keep getting derailed. Mostly due to young people. Anyway, somewhere in the last few months some old bad habits have gotten hold again. The result - about half the clothes in my closet don’t fit. So I am moving them all into the garage. The big hole in my closet will remind me to stay away from the late night snacking that has gotten just a bit out of control. My plan is to have a big fashion show in April and everything that fits then gets back into the house.
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Well, somehow I didn’t expect to end up with a basket of ironing!
I am feeling like I am in a much better headspace this year than I have been in a while. Nothing in life ever settles down, and by now you’d think I would have learned to ride the flux. Not quite, but I keep reminding myself to try.
Years and years of posts and still things are the same….
Getting older, and still fat. well. You know what? That’s just me.
I am working on settling into my new life. Sailor boy and I will be working far apart for the next five years or so, trying to earn enough money to spend a few years sailing before we reach the stage where we need to rely on the Canadian health system. After my big health scare this year. and especially now that I am working in a cancer support organization, I have become more focused on healthy living. I will probably always be fat, and there is not much anyone can do to dodge illness bullets, but while I am healthy I can enjoy it as much as possible. For me that means activity, good food, and good wine. That’s what you will hear about from me from now on…struggles to find balance and the moments of joy when I succeed.
Well, I start my new Job at the end of the month, and I will be moving 600 km to a new city. The next 2 months are going to be crazy.
Summer is over - it is sunny but cool here today, and last night we had the fireplace on for a while.
I’ve started packing for this move, even though I haven’t officially made a decision it is inevitable and it is going to be tough. I think I will end up putting some stuff in storage for a while as I will probably be in an apt for a year. No need for a lawnmower or snow shovel there.
I have moved back into my attic office now that the summer heat is over. Even with an air conditioner up here it was 80 or higher by the afternoon. I do have to make myself get out of the house during the day - walk to the coffee shop or something because otherwise I start talking to the dog. If he ever talks back I know I am in real trouble.
Sitting in my sunny front porch - there are definite perks to working from home. I spent the first part of the week working from the sailboat. The marina has wifi and cell coverage and I didn’t have to tell anyone that instead of coffee breaks I was going for a swim. So, still have a job at this company that is struggling to stay afloat.
I have one job offer and am waiting to see if another is coming next week before I make a decision. The problem is that the first job, while a good one, requires me to move to a city I don’t want to live in. I don’t really want to move, period. The second job also requires a move but is a better job with a bigger paycheque. Still, I can’t give up a ‘bird in the hand’ so by Monday or Tuesday I will have to make a decision.
Then the long slog to get out of the debt I have accumulated in the last 18 months begins.
Another start at tracking calories and exercise begins today as well. The weather is gorgeous and I have no excuse.
This weekend is another hard labour weekend - washing the house, windows, and starting the fall yard work. That kind of thing always leaves me sore but satisfied. Nothing like climbing up and down ladders all day to work your glutes.
