Random Thoughts On Re-Entering The Real World

The first week of September I set off on my own personal boot camp.  The first six weeks in Florida were great and while I didn’t quite stick to my original plan in terms of intensity I did increase my cardio endurance and my overall strength and I got plenty of rest which I desperately needed.  My version of boot camp was nowhere near as intense as reality tv versions, nor was it even as intense as I originally planned, but it was a positive experience and I while I didn’t drop a tonne of weight, I felt a lot more fit and there were noticeable changes in my body shape. These are shots of me in Clearwater, Palm Beach, Homestead, and Key West.

  

• For the last two weeks of boot camp I returned home and planned out a schedule that included walking every day and going to the gym every day.  I will spare you the suspense, this didn’t quite go to plan, in fact the original title of this post was “A Few Bumps Upon Re-Entry”.  I did join the gym and I do my crunches and running in the pool, and I even went for a personal training session, but the walking thing just didn’t happen.  As the boyfriend pointed out when we were walking the length of Key West, a 5km day I’d just like to brag, “Walking sucks where you’re overweight”.  I knew this, but I had high hopes that with my new level of fitness it would become easier.  It didn’t and while I have a long term goal of walking to the Go bus each morning, I have to accept that it’s just not going to happen right now.

• Being back and work and in the thick of “real life” I have allowed it to interfere with my plans of being at the gym everyday, not to mention the snow and 100km winds the other day which make it difficult to convince oneself to jump in the pool when one’s natural urge is to retreat to the couch, but I continue to make positive changes.  I now have my gym clothes in the car at all times, I am pre-cooking lunches and dinners so I can grab and go with healthier choices, and I am taking more breaks at work to stretch and move about.

• The boyfriend and I didn’t survive boot camp.  Six weeks, 24/7 with anyone is tricky, but if you’re keeping score this is third time we’ve broken up since I started this blog.  On the upside I’ll have more time to sleep and hit the gym.

• I have fritzed my second waterproof mp3 player, well it works intermittently, so I have ordered a waterproof sleeve for my iPod.  I’ll see how that goes because the next step is to start getting into more serious money and most reviews note that the whole waterproof thing can be a bit dodgy.  I will keep trying to find a solution though since running without music is right up there with watching paint dry.

• I have decided that boot camp is not over, it’s just a little different.  I’m trying to eliminate as many obstacles as possible to get to the gym or do an exercise video.  First up is cleaning my house from top to bottom.  I don’t mean wiping a duster across the surfaces, I mean taking it right back to the walls.  I’ve been on a de-junking quest for a while now and each round I get more and more brutal about getting rid of stuff.  This time large pieces of furniture are going out, tools, appliances, you name it.  I’ve also emptied everything out of my guest room and I am considering turning it into a yoga and meditation room.  My budget may have something to say about that plan, but it would be nice.

– the Goddess

Random Thoughts As I Embark On An Adventure

When my father died I got a little money and thought that maybe a retreat or “fat farm” might be good for me, but when I started pricing them out the cost was unbelievable.  One such place was going to cost in the range of $40K US for approximately 12 weeks, not including airfare, incidentals and the like.  Given that one has access to personal trainers, life coaches, massage therapists and calorie controlled meals I suppose one could make the case that for what you get it’s a fair price, but it’s also a prohibitive price for most of us.  I put the idea of a weight loss vacation out of my mind for a few years and then spurred on by the experience of a fellow blogger, I started thinking that maybe I could have a similar experience if I created my own personal “fat camp”.  I considered the services that I would need like a massage therapist, a life coach, a personal trainer, a pool, a gym and I started to design a two week program that would mimic the programs I had read about. The problem with my plan was that I was going to be spending a lot of time running around to the gym, and back and forth to appointments, plus the more I thought about it I realized two things.  One, being at home meant that I would be tempted to maintain the status quo and two, that two weeks didn’t seem long enough to make sustainable changes.

When I was in Florida this May I was in the pool or the ocean daily, often several times a day, and I paid attention to my portion sizes.  I wasn’t dieting and I certainly wasn’t going without, but I wanted to avoid that overfull feeling that makes me sluggish and uncomfortable. At the end of the two weeks I felt good, my clothes felt a little looser and I realized that Florida was the best place for my personal boot camp.  I had access to the pool, several walking destinations with a trolley service that could bring me home if I got too tired, a few pieces of exercise equipment in the clubhouse and a clean slate in the kitchen since I don’t keep any food in the place when I’m not there.  I decided that a month in Florida would be great, two would be better and that I would design a calendar of activities including swimming, walking and exercise DVD’s, and maybe even finding a local yoga studio to keep me motivated and help me meet some like minded people in the area.  Then I had to figure out to make it happen.  I looked at my finances and figured that it would take me a year to save up two months salary in order to take a leave from work.  I was disappointed that it would take that long and worried that I would lose the momentum that had started in May and then in a flash of genius I remembered that I was in the process of renegotiating my mortgage and that without too much effort I could borrow a little money effectively from myself.  I am naturally risk adverse and my top priority is paying down my mortgage so that I can eventually be completely debt free, but I am investing in a long and healthy future and that is by far the most important investment I can ever make.

The next step was making a solid plan for the two months with small goals and larger goals and a daily check list of activities that increase in intensity or frequency with each week.  My therapist helped me with this and helped me keep my goals challenging, but also manageable.  Each day starts with swimming, followed by walking and then when the sun is highest I will retreat to do some writing.  Then more swimming, some yoga and early to bed. There is time for fun in the schedule, it’s not that rigid, but I do have tasks to accomplish each day.  I’ve also decided that I will actually only stay in Florida for six weeks and that that last two weeks of my leave will be back at home working to increase the activity in my 9-5 life.  This is perhaps the biggest adventure of my adult life, at least so far, and it starts on Tuesday.

– I am cleaning like a madwoman.  It’s always nice to come home to a clean house after a vacation, but I really don’t want to be distracted or stressed by clutter upon my return.  I’ve been working on decluttering for a while, but this last month I’ve really been putting on the push.  My guest room is now empty, save some boxes in the cupboard that I need to go through, I’ve completely rearranged my bedroom and got rid of some shelving that was just taking up room, and in the past month of so I have thrown out nearly 50 bags of garbage, plus recycling and sizable donations to the Goodwill.  I can think of a lot of things I’d rather do than clean my house, but I’m really enjoying and benefiting from the changes.

– I met with my blood pressure specialist a couple of weeks ago and after months of testing and poking and prodding it turns out that the biggest culprit in my high blood pressure is my weight.  It’s not like I didn’t know losing some weight would help, but knowing that it is the main culprit definitely ups the ante and underlines the need for something

– After all my planning the one thing that hadn’t occurred to me was that I might get lonely.  I will be checking out a social site meetup.com.  It sounds like a dating site to me, but I have been assured it’s a place to find like minded people who want to go out and do various activities like hiking, walking, eating out and the like.

– I’m also going to be checking out a site called myfitnesspal.com.  It was recommended by a friend and I thought I would see what it has to offer.  Hopefully it is more than just an elaborate calorie counter.

– I’m excited and a little nervous.  Just the way one should be when she starts an adventure!

– the Goddess

Random Thoughts While I Run Around Like My Hair Is On Fire

I suppose I could have said like a chicken with her head cut off, but that’s a frightful image.  I’m just kind of harried, pardon the pun.

Soon I will go on vacation.  I will sleep until noon, only change out of my bathing suit to go for dinner and I will eschew all alarms and quite possibly all time pieces.  I am dreaming about lying on the beach, floating in the pool and lazing on the couch.  I am counting down and a growing sense of groovy is coming over me, but before I can bliss out completely I have to wrap up things at work.

I like to imagine that I do noble work, that I help people, that my efforts make a difference, but more often than not my regular 9-5 involves s pretty consistent grind of attending meetings, writing letters and following up with clients.  Typically when I go on vacation I must race about finishing up outstanding files, creating enough work for others to deal with in my absence and then when I get back I’m swamped with the fall out.  This time, however, I decided to do things a little differently.  I decided to call forth the panic that usually sets in on my last day and use that force that enables me to work at a dizzying pace to actually get ahead and create some breathing room.  So far so good as I am caught up.  I have a few things that must be done at the last minute but now they are manageable and I believe for the first time since I started this job I will be able to leave for vacation without winding up at the office until the wee hours, intermittently breaking into frustrated tears because I have so much to do and so little time to do it.  I’m not ready to rest on my laurels, but I also know I will be able to leave on time for my vacation and I won’t be packing wet clothes in order to do so.

• I am going away for two weeks and it’s high time I wrapped up some more of my challenges.  The hula hoop is packed and my travelling companion has agreed not to mock my efforts.  Actually I’m not sure he agreed or more sort of smiled at the thought of me hula hooping.  Perhaps I will practice when he’s sleeping.

• I am finally going to get some time to write.  There is a novel in me.  I know it, I can feel it.  It might not be any good, in fact it could be absolute pap, but if I don’t put pen to paper we’ll never know.

• I’ve been switched from a CPAP to an APAP machine.  It’s not clear if insurance will cover the cost of a new machine, nor is it clear if this is the ultimate  solution to my sleep issues, but it’s clear that my pressure wasn’t correct for over a year which could explain a few things.

• I’ve let my YMCA membership go for a while because I wasn’t using it enough to justify the expense.  I’m away for a bit and all the pools are open so the Summer should be ok, but I think come Autumn I will reactivate my membership.  I didn’t realize how much I would miss it or at least the idea of it and doing aquafit with a pool full of  relative strangers  is still more fun than jogging in the water by myself.

– the Goddess

 

 

 

Random Thoughts On A Cold Spring Day

I know, I know, it’s pointless and obnoxious at this point to complain about the weather especially as the snow here is melting and friends in the East and in the West are still dealing with new snow, but it’s minus something today and the seasonal average is 7 degrees Celsius.  I have a wicked head cold, I need to clean my winter coat and my car is full of sand and not the kind that makes me happy.  On the upside “Spring has sprung” as one friend texted me this weekend and it can only get better.  I’m not sure when it’s going to get better, but I’m going to make “It Can Only Get Better” my House Motto and my sigil shall be a puppy sniffing a flower.  Yes I have been re-watching Game of Thrones. . .why do you ask?

• I think I am officially suffering from S.A.D or Seasonal Affective Disorder.  The winter blahs can get us all down, but this year I’ve just been dragging in all facets of my life and on the day after we turned the clocks forward I was suddenly bopping around my house, knocking things off my to do list left and right and generally I just felt giddy.  I resented losing my hour of sleep, but that hour of sunlight was definitely worth it.  Next year I will aim be more aware of this and either make a greater effort to get out of doors or I may buy one of those sunshine lamps for my desk.

• I need to take better care of my skin.  I’ve always had fairly soft, blemish free skin, but I’m getting older and the dry, harsh weather has taken its toll.  My dermatologist recommended Cera Ve for the very dry skin on my legs and it’s doing a good job, though it is a bit pricey compared to other over the counter creams and lotions. A couple of friends have recommended coconut oil, which if you buy it in the grocery store (as opposed to a health food store) is relatively inexpensive and it also leaves my skin pretty soft, but I have to apply it and then wrap myself in sweats or towels for fear of leaving greasy marks on furniture or bedding.  Because I wear a CPAP I can’t slather on face cream before bed as it discolours my mask and could hinder the air seal so I need to find something hydrating that is light enough to wear under make up.

• I have been seeing an Internist for some health issues I’m dealing with and overall things are looking up, but what I really appreciated is that when I asked if things would improve if I lost some weight he didn’t jump on that as the end and be all of my current health woes.  He didn’t even make that sort of condescending head nod as if to say “do you really need me to spell that out for you?”.  He just said it’s a factor, but that genetics and stress levels factor way more into my condition than my weight.  I’m still working on losing the weight because I want to have more energy and fit better in my clothes and such, but it was so nice to not feel like what’s going on is all my fault and that even if I was a stick bug I could be dealing with these issues.

• I’m working on writing knitting patterns for plus sized knee socks, stockings and leg warmers.  I didn’t realize there was a market for such things until a friend and I got talking about it and she bought a lovely pair of rainbow thigh high socks which only made it to her knee and then started to cut off her circulation.  I’ve only knit one complete pair of socks in my life and they would have fit a Hobbit and I need to learn more about shaping to get the best fit, but I like a challenge and I have a house full of yarn.  Since the fit can be more forgiving I’ve started with a pair of leg warmers in black and rose which I’ve mixed together.  Worst case I may need to add some elastic to help with the shaping and to keep them up, but I’m pretty excited with what’s on my needless so far.

– the Goddess

Random Thoughts While I Nurse A Banged Up Knee

Ahh some days you just have to laugh.  Well, ok, first you might cry, but then hopefully you can laugh.  Yesterday I parked my car at work, got out of the car, took one step and fell down HARD on my left knee.  I was shaken, my knee was scraped and dirty, but I got myself up, took a deep breath and walked towards the parking lot exit.  Just as I headed up the ramp that leads from the lot to the street I fell again.  Same knee, just as hard, but more shaken since apparently the lot was out to get me.  Thankfully the final score remained Icy Parking Lot:2, The Goddess:0

• On Sunday I went to the Y.  I need my aquafit classes to stretch out my back and I’ve been such a recluse lately that I needed to see some friendly faces.  I had intended to make the 8:30 class, but settled for the 10:30 class after I decided that I couldn’t skip breakfast and I headed out the door in good time and got to the Y ahead of schedule.  Then it got weird.  I headed down the first aisle of the parking lot and realized too late that someone had parked illegally so my crossover couldn’t fit through the gap.  I tried backing up, but the gentleman behind me in his compact car could not seem to grasp the situation so I had to get out and explain to him that I was blocked in.  He grumped at me and finally moved back just enough so I could pull over and he could pass, and his little car just fit meaning that I would have certainly scraped Jeannie Rondo quite badly.  I managed a 15 point turn, got myself out of the lot and headed to the secondary lot.  Unfortunately a community parade started down the street and blocked the entrance to the driveway.  My mother lives in a condo not far from there, so I thought perhaps I could go swimming there, but alas when I got to her place it turned out she couldn’t find her key to the pool.  The aquafit gods laughed at me, but I think I get an A for effort.

• Robin Lawley wants the term “plus size” to be banned and thinks that all clothing designers should make clothes for larger sizes.  While I appreciate the sentiment I have to say this is just doesn’t make any sense to me.  To design for a plus size figure is a skill.  It is not just adding fabric to an existing cut, but rather it’s about understanding our curves and our proportions.  For years I wore denim jeans which never fit properly because those designing them just seemed to upsize the original pattern.  For years I had to walk around with cuffs on my jeans or look rumpled because for my waist measurement I was expected to be at least six inches taller.  Besides you can stop using a term, but someone is always going to come up with something possibly less inviting like the Husky section or better yet call it the thick section.  I like that certain stores and certain designers cater to my size and shape.  Unfortunately they may not always make what I want available which is why I am seriously considering creating my own plus size clothing empire.  I barely know how to sew and I know nothing about pattern making or fabrics, but I’m not about to let that stop me.

• I was referred to a site recently by a blogger who said that the site offered socks and stockings which fit generously.  What she meant was that she could wear what they sold as thigh high stockings as knee socks.   Needless to say my search for sexy plus size hosiery which fits and which won’t fall apart before I get it on continues.

• Because of my recent health issues I’ve decided that trampolining may not be in my best interest right now so I am looking for an alternative activity that pushes my comfort zone a bit.  I am open to suggestions though I’m thinking an archery lesson might be interesting.

• My knee is stiff, but between icing I’ve been applying Witch Hazel and it’s kept the swelling and bruising under control.  I was raised in a household where we used Witch Hazel much like the father in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” used Windex.  Perhaps the name is off putting, I don’t know, but seriously I think it is a miracle cure all and I always have it on hand.  If you’re looking for it in the drug store it’s usually next to the Rubbing Alcohol.

– the Goddess

Random Thoughts At The End Of A Seemingly Endless Week

My furnace went kerplunk last weekend and while I am a self actualized, strong, independent, free thinking woman the minute  an appliance starts acting fishy I panic and fret and hope that someone will take pity on a poor maiden and swoop in and save the day.  I’m not particularly proud of this reaction, but it’s there just the same.  I can paint a wall, hang a towel rack, even stop a running toilet with my bare hands, but there are some things around my house that I just don’t understand.  I know I can make a phone call and call in a repair person and had Miles A. Cat and I been on the verge of freezing solid I would certainly have done this, but that could have cost a fair bit of money which is not in my budget right now.  Miraculously whatever was upsetting my furnace righted itself and I was able to sign up for a maintenance contract and I will let the furnace limp along a little while longer until I can take a day off and have someone in,  but listening for the furnace to come on and checking the thermostat every chance I get has made for a stressful week.  It’s finally Friday and I had Monday off because of the furnace and Wednesday off for an appointment and yet this still seems like an incredibly long week

• I’ve been making my lunches.  Some days my choices are better than others, but for the most part this is helping me keep watch of my sodium and fats and the cost savings are well worth the annoyance of carrying plastic containers around in my purse

• I’m in the process of giving up caffeine and specifically diet pop. . .again.  I’ve been watching Nurse Jackie and honestly I can relate.  The first few days were pretty rough, but I’m starting to feel a bit better.

• Fat Girl Food Squad is having an Art Show.  If you’re in the Toronto area this weekend you might want to check it out.  According to the Facebook page “Fat In Public is an art show that dares to be just that. Art and it’s creators that have the audacity to be seen in their ample glory. Fat In Public intends to de-stigmatize the (fat) body and give an outlet for art featuring imperfect and sybaritical characters in equal measure. “

• I am continuing on my quest to stretch more.  I have decided that this means whenever I can wherever I am I am going to stretch.  I’m not dropping into downward dog in the middle of the office, but I am stretching my calves while standing waiting for the photocopier or printer and I’m taking a second to stretch my hamstrings while I lace up my boots and that kind of thing.  I might look ridiculous, but I’m at a point in my life where that matters less and less.

• It’s a balmy minus three today, but given the number of extreme cold warnings we’ve had in the Toronto area this winter it feels pretty good to not have to bundle up quite so tightly.  Wiarton Willie will be doing his thing on Sunday.  I’m hoping that rodent predicts a swift end to winter because honestly I’ve just about had it.  I don’t mind the cold, in fact I like walking in the cold and feeling the crisp air on my cheeks, but when it’s this bitter the air is cold and thin and skin freezes after a few minutes of exposure so even if you like winter sports it’s a no go most days.

– the Goddess

 

Random Thoughts On A Random Monday, When I’m Feeling, Well, Random

Today is one of those days when I just sort of bob along and deal with this and that, but I have no immediate dead line for anything and so far everything is moving along and it’s not a great day or an awful day, it’s just a day.  On high stress days these are the sort of days that I long for so I think I will try to cherish today and while it’s just sort of ho hum it’s a good ho hum.

• My Saturday of doing nothing turned into a weekend of doing nothing when plans were cancelled last minute for Sunday, but regardless of my desire to revel in the nothingness and my telling myself that it was ok to accomplish nothing I still felt that I “should” have been doing more.  It’s not a bad case of the “shouldas”, but it does bother me that I need to work on relaxing.

• I still have one hat to finish.  It is almost done, and by that I mean the pattern is done, but I need to finish the shaping at the top.  Friday night I decided that it was ridiculous to still have this hat lying about unfinished and if I’m not careful the cat will get to it before it’s tied off.  So I did something I know better than to do. . .I knit while I was tired and pushed myself to stay awake.  I knit 4 rows before I realized I had dropped a stitch, another two before I realized that I couldn’t catch it and repair the damage without going back and then I spent nearly 45 minutes “TINKing”.  That’s knitting backwards, undoing all the work I had done.  The only good thing about the experience is that I didn’t have to FROG the whole hat (that’s when you rip it out and start all over again – rip it, rip it get it?).  Knitting humour aside I was so frustrated that I fear that the hat may sit for another week before I pick it up again.

• I booked a Thai massage today at FitZone Plus!  I am trying to finish up my challenges and this one was eluding me so I’m pretty excited.  There is also a Thai Massage Workshop on January 26, 2014 which looks very interesting and it’s a 90 minute workshop for I believe 40ish dollars which is a steal.  I really liked the atmosphere at FitZone Plus and I look forward to doing a similar workshop in the future. (I also noticed that today there is a groupon coupon for FitZonePlus, in case you want to try it out.  Hurry, because I’m not sure when that offer will expire.)

• I’m thinking that my 100 day challenge might be to stretch daily.  While it sounds ridiculous, when I am stiff it goes through my mind that “hey, I just stretched like a week ago, so why am I still so stiff?”  It would be funny if it wasn’t true.

• I finished the Vegan recipe challenge!!!  I haven’t posted all of the recipes yet as I think three posts in a row of recipes would be boring, but they will post this week.  Now I start on the exercise video reviews in earnest.  Why I thought that having challenges with 40 parts would be doable is a mystery to me, but I’m not a quitter so prepare to be dazzled with reviews very soon.

• Speaking of challenges, if someone can recommend a Pilates studio with reformers in the GTA please let me know.

– the Goddess

 

 

 

Random Thoughts On New Year’s Day, 2014

As 2013 comes to a close and we start 2014 I am reflecting on the highs and lows of this year.  For me there have been extreme highs and devastating lows, but even the worst of times remind us that we are alive and that we can muddle through until the pendulum swings the other way.  I chose not to go out tonight.  I have never been a big fan of New Year’s Eve, my father used to call it amateur night, and I’ve always felt that the entire evening revolves around the clock changing from 11:59 pm to 12:00 am and then nothing much happens.  The ball falls, people sing a song and then as if the air was let out of the balloon the evening is effectively over.  Sure the party can continue on, but unlike Christmas where all the anticipation is rewarded with presents, and dinner and time with family, New Year’s Eve is filled with anticipation and then nothing.  I always think there should be a party that starts at midnight or a performance piece or some event at and after midnight, but alas I’ve yet to see this happen.  Sure there are sometimes fireworks and when I was a kid we would run around and announce each new thing that we did for the first time in the new year like “this is the first pop I am drinking in the new year!” or “this is the first game or Monopoly I’ve played in the new year!”, but that hardly makes up for an evening of watching the clock.

• I reviewed my 2013 resolutions and other than the belly dancing I wasn’t that successful.  I wasn’t horrible, but I can hardly brag about my successes.

• I am not making a resolution for 2014.  I have my challenges to complete by or before March 12 and quite frankly I am starting to panic a bit about whether or not I will be able to finish all of them before my deadline.  It’s a self imposed deadline and it was pointed out to me today that the world will not end if I need an extension and that my challenges are an example of how I continually overestimate my ability to get things done in the time allotted, however I am not about to admit defeat when I have approximately ten weeks left

• A close friend is pushing me to write a book.  While I think he may overestimate my ability to write a best seller it is nice to have someone who believes in you.

• My date with “the friend zone” guy was rescheduled because of the recent ice storm, which was a disappointment, but it will definitely be a highlight of 2014.

• 2014 is shaping up to be a year of deeper introspection as I consider some of my major life goals and how I plan to accomplish them.  I’ll have more to say about this as the year progresses, but one of the things I am going to work on is making time for myself and sticking to that like any other appointment in my calendar.  All too often I sacrifice my health by cutting into exercise time or sleep time to accommodate the schedules of others and while I don’t wish to become completely inflexible, I am going to being saying no more often and I am going to attempt to do that without feeling guilty as I am making necessary time for my well being.

– the Goddess

Random Thoughts While I’ve Battled The Flu And General Malaise

This year I got the flu shot.  It seemed like a good idea since I had a bad respiratory infection this summer from which I am still recovering and while the flu shot may not eliminate the risk of flu it is supposed to greatly reduce the severity of the illness.  This is true and my last couple of weeks have been more of an ordeal than a battle, but it makes for a snappier title.  Other than having to make a quick exit from a Go Bus last week I’ve managed and the “hit by a truck” feeling was much reduced than from previous bouts of the flu, but I wouldn’t say this last week or so has been that much fun.

• I finished 40 hats!  FINALLY! However, I must knit one more as my friend Sara is very attached to one in particular and Christmas is coming.  And I have to knit another one because my Go bus driver Kathleen took a great interest in the hats I was furiously knitting every day and I gave her one for Christmas.  So um 40 were made, but I have to replace two.  When I get them done, I will share photos and get them donated.
• I am looking forward to my staycation in December when I can cross off more of my challenges.  The goal is to be done by my birthday.  Technically I didn’t define all of my 40 challenges until into April, but they are doable before that, and I don’t want to play the “technically” game.
• Toronto has been in the news of late for the ever sad and surprising “antics” of Mayor Rob Ford. Typically when asked where I’m from I say Toronto since it’s more likely that someone will know of it.  Now I am grateful I am actually from Mississauga.  Mayor Ford has admitted to, among other things, illegal drug use and we’ve all see evidence of his  inappropriate behaviour, but regardless of what I think of him it saddens me greatly that people have chosen to focus on his weight.  He  was overweight when the citizens of Toronto elected him, but now suddenly in the midst of scandal people are focusing on it and terms like “fat slob” have been bandied about.  I can’t and won’t defend any of his actions, but I feel it is completely unfair to lump his weight issues in with them.
• The days are getting shorter and I am struggling with my desire to hide under a woobie until Spring, but I am making a concerted effort to get to the Y more often and to find some sunshine every day.  I’m also taking vitamin D again and I think it’s helping.
• I’m going through my clothes again this season and parting with clothes that no longer fit or that I don’t wear.  As a plus sized person I know how hard it can be to find things that fit, regardless of price, so I feel good when I can donate gently used clothing and I like to imagine that it finds a good home with someone who can feel good wearing something that is flattering.

– the Goddess

Random Thoughts After A Truly Crap Day

Yesterday I returned to work after my brief staycation and I had a truly crap day.  It wasn’t about work, in fact although I do gripe now and then I do enjoy many aspects of my job, but there was a bunch of stuff going on with me and around me and to me that made for a craptastic kind of Monday and by 9pm I’d decided to just throw in the towel and go to bed.  When a day kicks me in the bum like that I like to think of some of the positives that I have accomplished or have experienced or have just seen recently.

• I have decided to become a regular volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and I plan to volunteer at least four times a year.
• I am on hat 39 and almost done Challenge 13.  This will not exactly cut my craft supplies in half, but it’s used up a lot of my yarn and I will be taking a rest from knitting for a bit.  i’m also glad I will be able to donate them before it gets any colder as there is no point in donating knit hats in the summer.
• It turns out there are two indoor golf facilities near me so apparently I can learn to golf in the snow.
• I told a friend the plots for my screenplay and my novel and she enjoyed both.
• I am now writing a Real Estate blog for a friend and getting paid in yoga.
• During a phone call with my mom she suggested that I should get a TV.  I told her I would prefer to use  that kind of money for buying myself a pair of roller skates.  I’m pretty sure I could hear her eyes roll and I’m pretty sure that despite her protests she knew that I was serious.
• I got a lot of sleep on my staycation and I felt really good.  I knew that I would but it’s proof positive that my first priority in better health is more sleep.
• Autumn is my favourite season and I love the crisp air and the beautiful colours of the changing leaves.

– the Goddess