Boxing Day

Its Boxing Day and I am feeling that annual post feasting dismay. Not over Christmas dinner, that was amazing and I was "good" for the most part but over the two helpings of desert that I didn't need and then the 9pm pepperoni, cheese and honey mustard dip that I wasn't really feeling anyway but indulged in and then the third helping of desert that I wasn't even hungry for (t was still good)

Dismay over my loss of my old favourite routine of wakening early, coffee, some internet time and then walking the dog. I used to love it. Now I get up early, spend waaay too much time in cyber space and don't walk the dog. I am missing out on the joy of the early morning walk.
Half the issue is that we now have two dogs and I cant take them together, its not enjoyable.

I am feeling the pinch of regaining most of this weight, for not wanting to exersize, for eating badly too often. I want to take the control back and go back to my  fun routines that I used to live for.

So this years New Years resolution list will be going something like this: get in shape, take control back, begin the next decade of my life the way I want it to continue and stop spending.....

Anyway, in the spirit of Christmas, here are some photos,before I go out and walk the dog - its early and the light is amazing.

December 2014

Its almost Christmas, the trees are up in the house, the garlands are draped and lit around the door and up the staircase - pinterest style.  Presents are wrapped, eggnog in coffee has been discovered, Christmas work parties have been attended and enjoyed, food is in the fridge for the BIG DAY and weight is slowly being gained.

I am doing my usual recap of the year to see if we managed to attain all that was planned, I listed it all here:
New Years Resolutions 2014

• Commit to Combat Timetable - massive fail BUT I do know 50% of the program and its my happy go to in times of exercise planning
• Running - fail again,. I am so out of running. I need to get back into it, I think it helped me enormously in more ways than one.
• Enter races - nope
• Drive to Maine - well we did manage that kind of, we didn't do a long weekend in Maine but we sure did one in New York City which was awesome!
• call my Grandparents - check - I call them a lot, they are not in such good health so I know I only have so long with them to chat to.
• Buy another pair of reefs - nope
• Purchase a pool heater - a nice environmentally friendly solar powered one is in our possession, sadly its not yet connected to the pool
• Volunteer - I have failed here too, finding a new job and then learning that new job has exhausted me this year.
• Project Build a House or Buy a new one - not got much further on that one it seems except we know now that we are not planning on building right now, we may buy but it would have to tick every box as well as have "that feeling"
• Florida Pad - yep we are going back to recheck out Florida
• UK Visit - major check - I was back there in February for sad reasons but got to be there too, so that was a definite upside.

So I need to come up with some resolutions for next year. Next year is a BIG year for me. But I also realize that I need to spend some time reflecting and refinding whats important to me. What brings me to my knees so to speak, that I am actually passionate about.
Last night, whilst watching a remarkably good film called a Big Miracle about saving some Alaskan Whales, I came to realize that I am so very fortunate to be working in a history making project, in an amazing team, for renewable energy... and most days all I think about are the politics and finding my way.
Once upon a time I would have been acutely aware all the time of my part in something great, of my role, of THE PROJECT, and I would have been passionate, driven and excited on the end result and being part of time. I need that back for me. I need to be mindful of this again.

life in the travelling lane

I feel like I have become a pro at travelling to St Johns. I am starting to know the available flight times off by heart. I know that I like the wine on Porter and if I feel like an early 90's era evening flight experience then they are indeed the way to go with dark cozy ambience, never ending flow of free wine in real glasses etched with Porter, little snacks and old days British Airways uniform.  But beware seats 7 and 8 which are right next to the engines and this is a turbo prop plane with no entertainment which is probably just as well as you wouldnt be able to hear it - especially not in those seats!
So -good with a decent book.

Air Canada is still my favourite as its fast and comfortable, has entertainment but alas no free wine. But it has movies, not that you can watch a whole one as the flight is too short... but it has real engines and decent flight times so a good one to sleep on. But I dont want a seat with a higher number than 18 on it because it takes an age to get off the plane.

Westjet - love love love. Theres something just nice about being on a Westjet flight.

Last Friday I found myself up in the Maple Leaf lounge before travelling home on Air Canada, in one of those leather swivelling chairs with a glass of rather delicious crisp white wine in my hand. There were nachos and olives and salad and it was all rather agreeable, I watched the sunset over the runway through the panoramic glass.

I have learnt that I can get winter tires through Enterprise for a small fee (any fee is a disgrace frankly) and I do. That I like driving the Chevy Cruise although not sure if its enough to convince me to buy one and the Yaris uses so little gas that I dont need to refill the tank at all in my week there.

That I dont like a suite at the Marriot, I am happy with a plain old room, and that the Ramada there has great food.

I have learnt to never ever take an early morning flight again but rather to travel out the night before and leave to come home on the Air Canada 4.40pm flight so I am home through the door at 6pm in time for dinner... its all rather nice.

I am not quite a bona fide jetsetter yet but with these Marriot and aeroplan points racking up at speed - I may be there soon....