Where to Start!

It's good to be back!  It would be too long to blather on about all that the last two months was.  Yes, two months.  How did this happen?!

Well, just after my last post in November, my sister and husband and my niece came for ten days.  That was busy.  Naturally, I didn't work out much when they were here because I tried to spend most evenings with them.  And this little gem . . .

Can't believe she's already ONE here!  Now 14 months.  

I actually got to keep her overnight and for the whole following day on both weekends they were here.  She woke up super early one morning and would not go back to sleep like she normally does.  4:35 am.  She was still fun though.

Then later she had a nice long nap and the minute she was out, I was out too.

And my little first birthday collage of self-portraits for her.  

After they left, I decided that I desperately wanted to have less stuff and be a little more organized so that when I spent the week just running around, the whole place didn't look like a bomb hit it.  Basically, I just wanted to get into the habit of staying on top of things so it didn't get away from me.  I spent every free moment for about four days going through EVERYTHING.  I had three big boxes for the donation pick up and I've managed to stay on top of it all since.  So freeing.  I already loved my condo but I love it even more now.  An IKEA opened here at the end of November so I bought myself a birthday present of a new flowered duvet cover.  More of a summer thing but I'll put it on for a while now because I love it.  

Winter & Summer, yes I'm a geek.

So my last activity for 2012 was the Santa Shuffle 5 km race on December 1st.  My friend and I totally forgot to take pictures at the finish line because we just wanted to get inside where it was warm for coffee and a cinnamon bun.  Sooooo good.  I took a horrible self-portrait when I got home and I have my medal and race bib for proof :)

A week after this and I left for BC for three weeks for Christmas.  Although, I did not do any deliberate exercise, everything in Vancouver seems to be uphill.  I'm serious.  My sister's apartment is right on the seawall so I did walk to Granville Island which was 20 minutes there and back and everything from her place was uphill.  Spent LOTS of time with family and had a great Christmas, here's a few shots.  Very few.  My sister and I were talking about how crappy we did with pictures this year and vowed to be better next year.

Drinking mulled wine at the Christmas Market
with my sister.  Soooo good.

Walking in Steveston with my other sister.

Walking to Granville Island with my new umbrella.

I spent a day with my brother and we went in search of a park that he'd never been to before but had tried to find a few times.  It was great.  Lots of trails.  We hiked for a few hours in misty rain, I was both sweating and a little soaked from the misty rain and I broke in my new rain boots.

Funniest Christmas present.  My sisters and I read these like crazy so when I unwrapped it on Christmas morning, I squealed.  I've actually read the first book in here.  So funny.

And we ate really fantastic sushi.  Many times.

And I went to Starbucks more times than I've ever been in a three week period.  With every person I was with, it started with Starbucks.  How can I say no?  They didn't know the person I was with the day before started off the same way!  Starbucks had a promotion on with their holiday drinks.  Buy 5, get one free.  I filled two of those cards and had my free beverages.  And had two purchased for me.  That's 14 in 20 days.  I'm thinking the count was 12 reduced fat eggnog chai lattes and 2 reduced fat eggnog lattes.  

I spent New Year's Eve flying home.  Super cheap flight and it's never full!  I bought a pay per view movie.  I forget what it's called but it was action packed and kept my attention and made the flight go by so fast.  It was the one with Joseph Gordon Levitt where he's a bike messenger.  Do I even have his name right?  I should google it.  I was actually in the cab right at midnight and so happy to be home by 12:10am.  I then stayed up another few hours unpacking and watching shows that my PVR had dutifully kept track of while I was gone.  Then I slept in till almost noon on New Year's Day!  I got ready to celebrate a good friend's New Year's Day birthday with her and her sister (also a friend!).  We went out for Indian food and then enjoyed a lovely walk on the frozen river and the day after that it was back to work!

I'll leave it here for now.  I also turned 39 (big gulp) at the end of November so next post, I'll talk about what I plan for my 40th year and how many races I've already registered for (double big gulp).

Have a great week!!!