I bit the bullet...

I got a three month membership today to our good ol workout gym here in my small town. ONLY because running into a headwind of -29 REALLY REALLY SUCKS!!!!!
I found that my motivation was getting worse and worse...no matter HOW many layers and clothes I was wearing. So rather then slip back onto the world of excuses which I found my self doing...I decided to bite the bullet and get a membership for a few months till the harsh cold passes.
It KILLS me running in a ROOM....when I have been so used to running in the beautiful open spaces with wonderful scenery and fresh air. Even worse....when the person next to you is more worried about how their hair looks while on the elliptical...makes me want to reach over and push them off LOL.
HOWEVER....I have to say...running on a treadmill tonight felt like running on clouds compared to the hard pavement I have been on..and NOT having to wear a million layers...wearing a tank top and actually seeing the sweat drip off my body....yeah....it felt pretty darn awesome. And it's THAT feeling that makes me want to keep going and going and come back day after day.
Another thing I thought would never happen to is "evening running sessions"...I for some reason have it in my head that I can only run in the morning....well...since I am working graveyard shifts....I am now running before work, and I have to say, I rather like it....cause really, when you think about it...it kinda is my morning!
So for the next few months, this will be my gym....until the open road calls me back with warmer winds :-)

A cold afternoon at the farm.

Trees fell on neighbors fence, we had to tidy it all up

It was sooooo exhausting

The snow was so deep, at times right up to my butt

Wearing my "Love Tims" toque

Our old farm house..sitting empty and lonely and snow covered

One of our old cars completely covered in snow!!!

A little visitor at work

It's not every day one gets a visit from Roxy Foxy.....this is the name I have decided to give her, and I have also decided it's a girl too! I was working a graveyard shift last night when this little fox showed up outside the door of my work, she just sat down and was watching me through the window...so I got a hot dog for her and went outside and fed her.
 I have seen some VERY interesting things over the last year or so working in a convenience store in our small town..and now I have this to add to my list of things.

New year, new starts

And so it begins again....another year....I wonder what this year will bring me. Today is the first day of me going off all processed sugars and eating totally vegan...even though I have been pretty much fully vegan for a bit now....I just have to make sure I am fully aware of it all the time with eating out in restaurants, as that is where it can get tricky.
I have been told that days 3-7 are the hardest when eliminating sugar and processed foods...ohhhhh boy.
I find that as long as I pre plan my meals and make sure good snacks are always available it will be all good. I picked up some nice soft mats and I hope to learn some yoga this year as well.
This will also be the year to find a new home...not sure where, not sure when...but I do know it's going to be an adventure that's for sure.
This year my baby girl graduates!!!! Ohhhhhhh I can hardly wait for the dress shopping and all the things that go with the excitement of grad.
My sister turns 50, my Dad turns 80, my oldest brother turns 55, and my sister and her hubby will celebrate 25 yrs of marriage, I will celebrate year 5 of mine.
So much to look forward to, so much unknown....oh well...let it all begin..HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!!!

On the down low

These are pictures I have taken in the last little bit of from ground level....so really I dedicate this post to my sister who made fun of me and my "crazy" shots....I think they look "artsy" lol

Vancouver Sea wall Dec 26, 2012...nice and rainy!

Vancouver Sea Wall...center line of bike & pedestrian lane

Willowbrook Mall in Langley Dec 2012

Vancouver Sea Wall Dec 25, 2012

105 Mile House Dec 30, 2012

Stewart Road in Yarrow Dec 27,2012

Good times

Well the holidays are over.....well for us they are anyways....we had a week off and now in a day we are back to working reality.
We had a chance to go to the coast for the holidays with family and friends. I can't even put into words how much fun I had.
Here's a small run down of events....Christmas at my parents, Christmas night I spent the night at my one and only Uncle Nicks apartment ( something I have been waiting 41 yrs to do) he lives downtown Vancouver practically right on Robson Street and it was AWESOME, boxing day spent running the sea wall in Vancouver with him as he photographed me running,  followed with shopping at the Running Room and Whole Foods ( which was crazy since my eyes were fluttering to the back of my head with excitement and over stimulation from being in the "big city" ), spending the next day at my best friend Carla's house and getting my hair curled by her and having another great friend Daphne over, the day after that having dinner with ANOTHER best friend Judy and her husband at a AWESOME Greek restaurant, oh yeah, and in between all that....MORE SHOPPING lol...also seeing my second brother and his family...whom I have not seen in two yrs as well, along with having my one and only sister there with her husband too.
So you can imagine the amount of fun and craziness that took place this week. Here is ONE picture that can give you a small glimpse into the insanity of my family. This is my Mom and Dad....I bought this apron in my small town and brought it to my Mom for Christmas....well....all I can say is that they got "out of control" and they can NEVER blame me for they way I turned out when this is how THEY behaved LOL.

Yes....that is my Dad grabbing my Mom's boob....and yes....that is my Mom saying "wooh, that's going right through the apron".
There should never be another question to me wondering why I turned out to be who I am after one sees a small example like this LOL.

Change

I find the above statement to be very true for me. It's really is amazing what running has done for me. It's so great all the things that can get accomplished on a run for me....such as.....planing wedding speeches for friends, organizing and planning ideas, mind and spirit calming, sometimes just zoning out and feeling the earth beneath my feet....and the list goes on and on.....there is never a run that is the same as the one before, no matter if I do the same route over and over...my body is always reacting and feeling different, and for this I am grateful.
I love that it's just me and the road and my thoughts...some people write journals....I run....to me running is the same as putting a pen to paper, except I am "running" those thoughts into the ground and working them all out.
Running is not for everyone, but it has become something for me, and this I never would have thought would be so powerful.