Last Week of 2021!

The light snow continued overnight, but even having snowed all of Christmas Day, when we went out to clean off the cars on Sunday morning, it only amounted to 2"-3". Just enough to make things look pretty, and to make the roads a bit messy!

We had a relaxing morning, and I finally headed out for a run around 10:15, with Irene and Dana headed home shortly after. It was pleasant out, with no wind and temps in the low 30s. I headed over to Highland Green, and thankfully while there was definitely snow on the sidewalks and some ice/snow build-up in some spots, there was enough clear pavement to make for a fairly decent run. Hit the majority of the side streets and wandered around enough to get 10 miles. Only 40.3 to go by Friday to hit 2,200! (10.0 miles)

We had lunch and then decided it was too nice of an afternoon not to get outside, so we headed over to the Cathance. The snow was lovely but it sure was clumpy with our spikes on! On the Heath side, there hadn't been any traffic, but once we crossed the road, things were packed down nicely. The river was running high and it really was so pretty out in the woods with the snow-covered evergreens. Good to get out and always fun to spend time in the woods with the family 💗(2.25 miles walked)

She looks taller than me here, but I swear she was on a higher piece of ground 😂 

Although it won't be too long before this is the reality!!

Monday, I went into work and then took Sam up to the Y for swim practice, doing a walk on the track for half the practice. (2.2 miles walked)

Snowy and rainy and messy on Tuesday morning, so I started work early and left early enough to squeeze in a late afternoon run on the roads. Nice afternoon and the pavement was pretty much clear by the time I got out, but wow, things got slick out there once the sun started to go down! (8.0 miles)

While I was at work for the day, Ryan and Sam met up with Phil, Anne, Thistle and Cooper for a xc ski over on the Kate Furbish trails. Wish I had been able to join them, but sounded like they had a great time together! Of course, there was the requisite stop for gelato after the ski too 😋😀

Wednesday, I headed out a little after 7:00 onto the powerlines to the Gone Fishing trails and was treated to a lovely sunrise and pink clouds overhead in the first two miles. Really pretty. Conditions were a mixed bag of decent packed running in some spots and pretty bad in others. Still, it was nice to be out on the trails after a lot of the same old road miles recently and temps were moderate too. Hip flexors complained a bit about the uneven surfaces underfoot, but otherwise, happy to get in the longest run I've done since Hamsterwheel yet and feel fairly decent! (But don't worry, I'm going to have to run as long tomorrow and longer the next to hit my arbitrary goal this year... so we'll see how I am holding up after all that! ) (10.5 miles)

Then it was off to the grocery store and to bring the dump to the recycling before coming home to make onigiri with Sam! 🍙 We had gotten the idea after Sam ate the delicious onigiri I brought home form the bakery in Portland after our ladies' run at Evergreen Cemetery to see the otters last month. Ours were definitely not as neat, but it was a fun and yummy project for the day! 

Ryan was crazy busy with work, so I ended up taking Sam to swim in the evening. I had thought Monday would be my last indoor track walk of 2021, but I guess not! And since I was there, why not walk? (2.2 miles walked)

Woke up to it spitting some sort of freezing precipitation on Thursday, and just did not have the heart to get out in it. So instead I did some cleaning, took all the ornaments and lights off the tree and got all the Christmas stuff put away. Always sort of sad to take it all down. Then finally, around 10:00, after a fair amount of consternation, I finally got myself ready and out the door to run. I really want to reach my mileage goal, but it has been a bit much this week. I've definitely been feeling low energy after the holidays and the to do list and the messy weather have not helped either. I know no one really cares if I hit 2,200 miles or not, but I do, even if I'm also at the same time kicking myself for reaching for it! Gah. I'm a mess 😩😂

Did a bit of road wandering and then put on my spikes and headed down to the river. Felt much better once out in the woods, and the trails were nicely packed and oh so pretty with the snow and the roaring river. From there, I did a few laps on the nicely packed back dirt road, which was perfect with the spikes, and finished up on the powerlines. Only 10 to go! (11.7 miles)

I was pretty tired and we didn't get out for a xc ski as we had originally intended, but Sam did get all her Christmas stuff put away and her room cleaned up by the end of the afternoon (which I'm definitely calling a win!) and I managed to get the rest of the things on my list done. Then it was on to packing for Christmas #2 before we sat down for poke bowls and ramen from Watami for dinner and a game of Unstable Unicorns to wrap up the evening. Fun!

Only more more day left in 2021. Wow! 

Gigi was convinced we had left the rocking chair out just for her 😹

Merry Christmas! 🎄

I started off the day with a quiet run in the darkness, taking in the neighborhood Christmas lights and watching the orange glow on the horizon. Nice to get in a few miles while everyone else was still sleeping! (6.0 miles)

Sam, of course, could not sleep in, and everyone was beginning to stir by the time I got home at 7:20. So, after a quick shower I headed downstairs so we could start Christmas-ing!

Light up lightsaber chopsticks!! 

The Comfy was a hit! 😂

#stockingstuffertruths 😉

Rocking camp chairs!

We had a great day and enjoyed having Theresa, Dave, Tom and Sarah join us for Christmas dinner. Yes, things are not yet back to "normal," but it was nice to be able to return to some of our traditions. Always good to have the house full of family 💗

I was exhausted by the time everyone left, but I did manage to stay awake until 10:00 pm and through all of Home Alone. And then I promptly went right to bed 😴😂 Nothing like a good Christmas Day to tire me out! 

Merry Christmas all!🎄💗

Headed into Christmas

A short work week but an intense one. This time of year is always nuts, not only with Christmas stuff and end of the year donations, but it seems like every funder out there wants reports and applications due by 12/30. Aie! 

Monday, I was glad to have swim practice as an excuse to get up from the computer and head out from work. Did an indoor track walk again. It's nothing fancy, but it's good to move. (2.2 miles walked)

I have 78.5 miles remaining to reach my running goal for the year, and I really thought that would get me out the door on Tuesday morning into the darkness, but alas it did not 😂 Sigh. Instead, I got a bit of work done before I took Sam to school and then I headed out at 8:00 before heading into the office for the rest of the day. It always seems safer to run in the light this time of year when even the pavement can present icy obstacles! Ran out and back on Highland Green Road. The roads were clear except for a 0.25 mile stretch in Patriot Commons that was a bit of a disaster, but the sidewalks are not quite there yet. Thankfully my route was a quiet one so I could run on the side of the road. (6.0 miles)

Tuesday evening was the annual homeless memorial service, always held on the longest night of the year, to remember and recognize members of the homeless community who passed away during the year. It is always a moving and sobering to attend and listen to the names of those lost. 

Wednesday morning, I was lying in bed listening to the freezing rain fall when the phone rang. No school today. And with that, school vacation begins a day early! Oh, to be a kid 😄 Unfortunately, I still had to go into work 😂 The weather was so terrible, I ended up scrapping my run. It seemed unsafe to run in the freezing rain in the dark in the morning and let's be honest, the afternoon was no better. Sigh. So much for getting in the miles, because this is what I came home to... so much ice!😬 

After lunch, Sam headed over to Mom and Dad's for some Christmas fun - gingerbread house construction, sugar cookie cutting and solstice lantern making. What fun! 

Thursday morning, I was off from work, so I headed to the grocery store right when they opened at 7:00 am, and then from there got myself organized to run. Based on the icy road conditions after yesterday's rain/freezing rain storm and the cold temps, I decided it might be better to hit the trails, so I put my spikes in the car and after a stop at the library and dropping all the recycling at the transfer station, I parked in the lot for the Gone Fishing mountain bike trails. They had plowed the dirt dump roads and they were a sheet of ice. Thankfully my spikes offered enough traction to keep me upright! I did a big loop on the powerlines trail, hit some of the Gone Fishing trails and followed some ATV tracks for another loop, trying to hit the trails that offered the best conditions. Things were a mixed bag with very styrofoamy snow that seemed to suck up all energy once my feet hit the ground, and a fair amount of ice, with some ATV tracks and some bike tracks, but nothing truly packed and nothing even. It was definitely a slow go out there, but it certainly was beautiful with all the ice shimmering in the sunlight on a cold and windy morning. Found a few advent squares too. (8.2 miles)

Charlie Brown Christmas tree

Over the river and through the woods

Burl

Snowy shelf

After lunch, Anne and Thistle came over to exchange presents with Sam and to have some fun decorating sugar cookies and making spritz cookies. My mom most wonderfully made the cookie dough which she and Sam cut out on Thursday and she also made up the spritz dough so the girls could try out the cookie press and make some sugar cookie trees. It was fun to watch the girls be creative with their cookies, and Mom and I had fun making a few too! A great afternoon project and so good to be able to have some fun with friends! I always love seeing these kiddos together 💗🎄

The laundry list of things to do today was long, so I headed out around 7:15 for my run so that I'd have the bulk of the day to get things done. It sure was chilly! 16 degrees - brrr! But bright and sunny with no wind at least. I decided to stick to the roads today, and set off to check out the connector path. Finding it looking relatively clear right off Main Street, I decided to try it out. Well, that didn't work out so well... ha! There was a lot of tiptoeing, let me tell you!

Once off the treacherous connector path, I headed across into Highland Green, where the roads were quiet and basically entirely clear. Phew! The ice on the treetops was shimmering in the sun - so pretty! Came back home through Patriot Commons, where I was once again reduced to tiptoeing on the short stretch of thoroughfare through the neighborhood that, I swear, appears it did not get plowed at all. Aie! (8.0 miles)

Then it was onto baking - blueberry pie and banana bread, oh my! - and tackling the laundry and cleaning. In the midst of it, Mom and Dad came over for something much more fun - gingerbread house decorating! Sam and Mom had a grand old time and did some lovely decorating too! 

Matching Santa earrings! 🎅

And once we got the stockings set and the presents under the tree, it sure is looking like Christmas around here! 

Irene and Dana were originally planning to come up Christmas morning, but the forecast was calling for freezing rain down their way and snow up here on Christmas Day, so they ended up getting themselves organized and heading north to join us for our very traditional Christmas Eve Indian food dinner, complete with gingerbread cake for dessert, at Mom and Dad's house. After everyone tested negative, of course! 

Sam and Neenie's solstice lantern was a beautiful centerpiece, and we all enjoyed a yummy Christmas Eve dinner together!

Then it was home to get some sleep, with visions of sugar plum fairies dancing through our dreams, or something like that!