Change In Temp

At the beach-- in September..

















The weather is changing everyday. The air is a touch cooler than the last. I do enjoy the change here. In Alberta it isn't a gradual thing. It just kind of smacks you in the face. One day it is nice the next it isn't. The air is a lot cooler and the very next day there is three feet of snow. Summer was just winding down yesterday and today you have a blizzard in your back yard. Not to mention a lot of shoveling to do.

Rob and I took a drive the other day to the beach. We were bored and wanted something to do. The beach is always a good idea even if we don't really do much once we get there. The waves were crashing against the the shore and the wind was certainly in the air. But, it wasn't too over powering. It was kind of a comforting feeling, knowing that that is pretty much as bad as it gets here. The call for snow isn't impossible but fairly unlikely.

But with a snow less winter, comes a lot of rain. Last year Rob and I weren't really prepared for it. I found it somewhat depressing. There was never anything to do. With winter, there is Christmas. The Christmas comercials start to come on, the sound of carols are on all of the infomercials and I usually begin to get the familiar tickle in my stomach that I always get around that time of year. Christmas is around the corner and I get in a festive mood. I want to build a snowman or go sledding, maybe snowmobiling (if I had access to one, of course.) But here on the island, it doesn't feel as much like Christmas without the snow. We discussed what we should do to keep ourselves busy this coming winter. We came up with a couple of ideas. But I can't rely on ideas because they don't always happen.

First of all, I want to acknowledge the fact that I am on my third week of running/power walking. I was really down and out about my weight, the way I felt in general after not doing anything physical. So I decided on October 7th to first quit smoking. So I did. But at the same time I decided that eating junk food was probably a big reason why I felt so badly all of the time and also why my jeans suddenly fit like spandex. I quit smoking and eating junk. That day I decided to take a short walk. The next day was a Saturday and again I decided another walk was due. On that Monday I started on my little power walk that gradually turns into a nice joggish run and right back into a power walk down to the beach and then right back up to our house. I have never felt better. I feel more useful and energized, ready and willing to do a lot more things not only around the house but overall. I am happier with myself and the weight I am at. Even if I haven't lost anything I can look in the mirror now and say; "well I'm working on it. " That alone is my greatest accomplishement.

I am planning on continueing this routine through the winter if the streets don't get too slippery. Again having no snow, that probably shouldn't be too difficult. I am also starting a writing workshop through the college come November. I signed up today and payed for the course ahead of time so there's no backing out. I will be doing everything online so I will be able to write confidentally in the safety of my little orange home. This will also be really good for my relationship with Rob. We both need our own things. We may live together, but that doesn't mean we have to be sitting near one another every moment that we are home. Although I do love being around him, doing my own thing helps me feel confident and self reliant. He also enjoys just getting to play away on his guitar without me sitting there turning the t.v up over the sound!

Robert and I also keep ourselves busy. The other night we had my mom over for a sleep over. Rob noticed that our apple tree dropped about thirty apples in the back yard. So he picked them all and decided to make his very first apple pie! He had mom and I peeling him the apples while he rolled his dough with a glass cup. (no rolling pin.) Then I realized mom and I never did stuff like that together. We never sat there chatting, peeling apples and just enjoying each other's company. It was really nice and fun too.

Last night Rob and I made our own sushi. Haha!!!! We went online watched a video on how to make the California Roll by a sushi guy and everything. All I have to say is -- Those fuckers make it look sooooo easy! Well, it isn't! The sticky rice is like a plague. It won't go away. I am still finding traces of it on the kitchen floor, bottom of my socks... dish clothes. It was fun, but we were not successful. We suck at making sushi. But one day we will try it again.



My point is; we have both been keeping ourselves busy, and happy along with taking care of important family stuff together. I believe that this winter will be one of our most memorable. It will be our First Christmas together in our first home ever.