May Long Weekend

AKA the start of summer in Canada!

Saturday was a glorious day: sunshine, good friends, good yoga and vino! Started the day on my local S'bucks rooftop patio with E. & C. Then I went to yoga--lots of twisting culminating in:

Parsva Bakasana (side crane)



Source

After yoga, C. picked me up and we headed over to E.'s house for some champagne (Congrats on the 30 year one-night stand!), food and girl talk.

On Sunday I got up and went for a quick run, just my Stanley Park loop (4.1 km). It was really humid, but felt good. Then I met some WW online girls downtown at Cora's for breakfast! They make a pretty good hashbrown (which is how a breakfast place is judged, remember). Then home and off to work.

Today Nerm and I have had a very quiet, relaxing day. We're still in our jammies at 2130h and have done not much more than the occasional yoga pose, knitting and catching up on Coronation Street. There may also have been a cuddlefest/nap, but I can't be certain. I seem to have lost about an hour and a half though....

It's been raining all day so it was a perfect day to decompress. I'm also excited for the week of rainy weather for a number of reasons:

1. These boots:



2. The various shades of green that pop out at this time of year. There probably won't be lilacs (my favourite flower, in case anyone ever asks) for the Lilac Festival next weekend, but for sure by the first of June! I'm excited for the first weekend of June because guess who's coming to town? This man: Noah Maze. And since my Barbados trip in November has been cancelled, I think I might take Immersion I with Noah in February...I'll check the vacation schedule tomorrow when I go to work!

3. To put out the wildfires in Alberta.

4. Knitting! I've made good progress today. And I got word from my friends in Oz that IT'S A GIRL!! Congrats to S. & D.! Now I'll need to find a quick baby project to whip up and send.

5. More cuddle time with Nerm. 'Cause there's nothing else like it. =)

Whoo hoo!

I heart Fridays! Why, you ask? Let me count the ways!

1. Yoga with Judy, followed by coffee at Starbucks. Is there any better way to start a weekend?

2. Scale was down 3.8 from last week!

3. Coffee with my cousin that I haven't seen for over a year, but we catch up on Facebook every once in awhile. It's just good to reconnect in person, ya know?

4. Knitting! I'm almost done the scarf I started in October (I worked on it last night) and I'm almost ready to tackle the next project: a matching toque. I need to learn some new skills though, namely knitting in the round. I foresee a visit to my local yarn store!

5. I don't have to be back at work till 0700h next Thursday! There will be skiing. There will be yoga. There will be coffee. There will be knitting. There will be Farmer's Market. There will be other things that aren't quite as fun, but still need to be done (taxes, thank you cards, a funeral, Belated Happy Holiday cards, laundry, you know the drill).

Happy Friday!

Knitting Fool

So yesterday the only reason I got dressed was to head to my LYS (local yarn store), MakeOne. I had made a mistake on my Entrelac scarf and wasn't exactly sure what to do about it. I had a good idea that it would involve ripping it out and starting that block again and I wasn't brave enough to try it on my own.

I braved the great outdoors (snow and -20C wind chills) and made nice with Calgary Transit. Yeaaaaaaah...I remember now why I quit the job that required me to spend so much time on the bus. It was cold, slow and I missed my connection. "Oooh, lucky me," I think. I've got time to go get a reduced fat eggnog chai latte!

Which would have be FAN-FREAKING-TABULOUS had the girl not put COFFEE in it!!

*spats out vile coffee concoction*

And the amazing customer service that I received when I pointed out the error of her ways (my cup was marked correctly, after all) was enough to almost spoil my afternoon. But soon I was back on the bus (and oh, the people watching opportunities!) heading to Bridgeland.

I arrived and Alana soon had me sorted out. I had intended to go to the store anyway, since Tuesdays are their 'knit night'. I just liked leaving during daylight hours instead of in the dark. Oh, how I love the short November days!

Alas, five hours and a ball of beautiful Noro Silk Garden yarn later, I returned home. Today the only thing I'll be getting dressed for is dinner with Cath followed by an Anusara Inspired yoga class!

Update: OK, I lied. I went out to 'get the stink blew off' as my dad used to say. Took out the garbage, compost and swept my deck and the back walk. Then I thought I'd go for a little walk...trudge is more like it, risking life and limb due to the inch thick ice layer hidden beneath the inches of snow. I made it 1.3K (in all) and had worked up a good sweat so called it a day. Ma Nature, I don't know what we did to deserve such a crappy summer and then to have winter thrust upon us this way! All I know is that I'm glad to be heading to Hawaii in 23 days (EEEEEK!) but I'm more than a little worried about my 32K I have to run this week! Enough already!

Sunday Long Runs Return!

Thank goodness! I had myself pretty freaked out this week. Honolulu is 1 month, 1 week and 4 days away and I haven't done a solid long run since Melissa's at the end of September. EGAD!!

I had a good little run yesterday (in my old shoes) and felt good heading out this morning. I purposely chose to run along my bus route (with a bus ticket in my pocket) in case I needed a ride home. I didn't!



2:04:22
16K
1245 cal

I've got ham in the oven and everything I need to make cheesy scalloped potatoes in wine. YUM. I heart Sunday dinners.

I finished the baby blanket!! I had do do a few rows when I got home from the workshop yesterday afternoon, but it's cast off. All that's left is to weave in the ends. The Entrelac workshop was good, just a little rushed. I think a 3 or 3 1/2 hour class would have been better. Christie and I came home and worked on our scarves for a few hours to make sure we knew what we were doing. Then we decided that we deserved a bevvie after making our brains work that hard!

Alas, I didn't make the best choices, but today is a new day. And I must remember to drink more water!

Physio Rehab

Photo from www.saucony.com

Well, I was right! It was the shoes! We have a new plan: ease into 'em gradually, and make more regular appointments for physio. Oh, and do the exercises!!

I had acupuncture on both legs and while I had jelly legs as I left, they're starting to feel better now. I also have an appointment on Monday afternoon. Have I mentioned how much I love my physio? My running is SO much better since I started seeing her. And my body likes physio too--happy body = good running.

Whipped up a pasta dinner with stuff in my fridge:

-zuke
-onion
-shallot
-garlic
-28 oz diced tomatoes

Saute veg in a bit of EVOO. Add tomatoes and simmer till liquid has reduced to barely anything. Add:

-red wine (I had some Shiraz laying about)
-fresh basil
-anchovy paste (don't worry, you can't taste it! It adds a whole new dimension to the sauce)

Simmer some more until desired thickness (another 20 minutes or so).
Served up over a cup of macaroni (original, I know) with a tablespoon of grated Parm (the real stuff, not the powder from the green can. Trust me, it's like the anchovies!)

Super yummy! And I also have leftovers!

I have the day off tomorrow and am looking forward to:
-a run
-some yoga
-noodles for lunch
-possibly a kirtan (chanting)
-drinks to say goodbye to a coworker
-dinner with Carol, who I haven't seen in what seems like ages!

Whew! And I'm almost done the blanket--10 rows left!

Kelowna!

Arrived yesterday and LOVE our digs. A 2 bedroom, 3 bath villa right on the lake. Who could ask for more?

I went for a great run this morning on the Mill Creek Greenway. It's a great path that runs alongside the creek (where the salmon are spawning). There are still leaves on the trees and they are gorgeous--all kinds of colour. I felt great considering I haven't ran since last Sunday and I'm still not 100%. My body felt good during and after, though. The 87% humidity and 5C wasn't quite the weather I'd anticipated, but I managed quite well. Less than 2 months till Hawaii! The pressure is on. And training is not optional. At this point, every single run matters.

Tomorrow we're off to find some WINE. Mission Hill, Cedar Creek, Grey Monk....mmmm....

Oh, and we found the most AMAZING bread E.V.E.R. at Choices: Fig & Anise. Add some good cheddar. And wine. Deeeeelightful!

Off to the local stitch and bitch! This baby blankie will get done!

Still Kickin!

Barely, though!

I didn't get much sleep on the weekend what with moving the old people. They are, however, settled in their new digs and ready to begin a new phase in their lives. They've *ahem* We've recreated their house on the farm in their new apartment. Every SINGLE wall has something hanging on it. And the one wall that didn't, well, my mom has instructions to bring a particular piece this weekend when she comes back!

Food was completely off the wall. We didn't eat for hours at a time and then when we did, there was NOTHING healthy about it. I also realized that I don't eat in chain restaurants. My family does. Good thing for booze!

Taught my free yoga class at Lulu last night-31 people crammed into a space better suited for 20! It was good though, and I'm happy with how it went.

Tonight is my yoga class, thank God. I need some serious time on the mat. Even if it's just in child's pose!

I got out for a couple of runs in my cool new shoes, but not for as long as I would have liked. Oh well, a short run is better than no run, right?

This weekend is going to be all about me! Lounging in my jammies, knitting, running, it's all on the list. Sunterra is cooking our turkey dinner this year, too. =)

Gotta run, veggie pita pizza is done!

TGIF!

Why does short shifting always seem like a good idea, but when it actually happens, it isn't so much fun? Good thing is this time around, I short shift before rather than after. I had to work evenings on Wednesday then days on Thursday so that I can have next Friday off. While I'm enjoying a peaceful, quiet day in a sleepy mountain town (in a kick-ass condo) I shall remember that this was worth it!

Had a spur of the moment dinner with Michelle and came home to jammies and Nerm. I picked up my knitting and am happy to report that I am now officially over half done the baby afghan!! Which is good because I've found some other projects that I want to work on: meditation shawls for my yogi girls and the new pattern I'm learning at the end of October--I'm thinking a cape or toque or both!

My grandparents got word last week: they move the first weekend of October!

I'm off to drink one last cup of tea and knit a few more rows before bed. Oh, and guess who won free tickets to see Sarah Harmer on Sunday night?!

Glorious!

While the day started out rainy and icky, the rest of my day off was glorious!

- a nap on the couch with Nerm and the fireplace on

- catching up with my cousin on the phone

- knitting

- an amazing yoga class! Who knew that backbends could be so much fun? Ustrasana (camel), I heart you! (and now can't get the song, Alice the Camel, out of my head!)

Time for bed!

It's the Weekend!

Reasons to celebrate:

- Michelle's in town again this weekend!

- The AMAZING fish and chips with tartar sauce I made for dinner last night. The recipe in Crazy Plates was a guide, I added some Epicure Tyee fish rub (I think it's just called fish rub now, 'cause nobody knows what "tyee" means. FYI: "the big one") to the coating. I also fiddled with the tartar sauce: I added 1/2 TB asparagus relish from the farmer's market and a chopped sweet pickle for the sweet relish and then added capers just cause capers make everything better.

- The Peach & Raspberry Cobbler I made. I was inspired by Jaime's post the other day. I substituted raspberries for the blackberries (I'm not a big fan) and Oh My! A photo doesn't do this baby justice, so I won't include one.

- My WI. Another 0.4 gone. I like it.

- Starting the day with an awesome Yoga class filled with wonderful yogis and an inspiring teacher. Mind, body and spirit are all happy.

- Registering for a knitting workshop! A new skill: entrelac! It looks like this. I WILL have the baby blankie done by then, I swear!

- Registering for a weekend workshop with another wonderful yoga teacher!

- A bike ride, perhaps? We'll see what Mother Nature has in store for later this afternoon.

- An afternoon nap with Nerm. Need I say more?

Much Better Way to Run!

I did a destination long run this morning. Well, since I didn't really know where I would end up, maybe 'destination' isn't the right word. Either way, I just ran till the Garmin said 10.02km. Then I hopped on the bus and came home! It was pretty cool to see how far it actually was as we drove back along the route I'd just ran.



Today's run puts me in the town of Squilax, BC (I'm now running between Kamloops and Revelstoke) with a lovely view of Shuswap Lake to the north! By the end of the month, I'm hoping to be in Tappen. That's assuming I can get all my runs in this week! =)

Followed that with a yummy lunch:
1/2 Weight Watcher's pita
1 tempeh burger
pickles, lettuce, red onion and tomato
Cattle Boyz BBQ sauce

And now I think I'm going to put on a sweater, knit, have a nap and go to yoga! Happy Sunday!