I'd Blow the Trumpets But They're Probably Rusted

So, it's been a while since I posted. Like, a long while. I'd like to say I was unable to post because I was abducted by aliens who took me to their home planet where I was put forth as a political candidate but ultimately lost my chance to be come supreme ruler of the universe to a short, blue reptilian from the planet Quarnt but I'm sure you'd figure out that was a lie.

Plus, I've been posting over here so obviously I still had Internet access during the inter-universe space journey-travel-thingy.

I've been an avid reader of fitness/healthy living/food blogs during that time, I've just been lacking the motivation to keep my own up.

But that changes today.

I'm going to start a posting schedule so I have no excuse to say "I'll do it tomorrow" (I am nothing if not a fabulous procrastinator!) and I'm changing things up on the site in the hopes that it will re-energize me with my dedication. (Ahem, the current new look is not permanent, I just needed a change rightnow! and there were no cobweb themes which I thought would be hilarious given my lack of posting for other a month.)

Fitness-wise, I can tell you this: after a knee injury sidelined me early this year, I am finally back to running (and there was much rejoicing throughout the land).

Fun, let's get this blog rolling again wise, I can tell you this: I've been reading All the Weigh for well over a year now but I've never participated in the Friend Making Monday... until this week. The premise is simple: answer the questions, share the link on All the Weigh, and then drink a beer (apparently there's only two official steps).

This week, there are no questions, just an A, B, C list of your own making, so... (added note: It was hard to think of 26 separate and alphabetical ideas to talk about!)

Asparagus: I thought I hated asparagus until I moved to Germany. Turns out, my family never ate it growing up. I introduced my mom to it. We both love it. Funny the things you decided you don't like for no good reason when you're a child.

Brothers: I have a step-brother, a brother and a half-brother. I tell people I have three too many but I love them dearly and don't know what I'd do without them (especially my Baby Bro but don't tell him I said that).

Claire: I tell stories and refer to myself as Claire, forgetting that most people know me as Andrea. It's then really awkward to explain that I wasn't lying about my name.

Doctor Who: I love this series more than I can ever explain. It makes the eight year old inside me happy as well as the 31 year old.

Elephant: One almost killed me! Okay, it didn't almost kill me. But it did charge me and I was justifiably scared.

Family: I remember having to do a project for French class where we had to do a family tree and then present it to the class. Most people took less than five minutes. At eight minutes, my teacher cut me off and said that I had sufficiently demonstrated my ability to discuss my family in French. That's what happens when your mom is one out of six and your dad is one out of eleven.

Game of Thrones: I'm obsessed with this HBO series right now. I've just started book four in the series and I'm really happy with the adaptation HBO did. (Plus a fair number of the actors are easy on the eyes... even if some of them do make me feel like a cougar.)

Heatherdale Ale: Quite possibly my favourite beer at the moment.

Ireland: I'm going back to see my family for the first time in 10 years this fall. Prior to this 10 year break, I used to go back every three years like clockwork. I can't begin to tell you how excited just the thought of this trip makes me.

Job: I have met some of my best friends through my job. I've also met the scum of humanity through it as well. My office is an interesting mix-bag of people.

Kitties: I have two of them. They are the cuddliest beings on the planet but only for me or if you've sat in the same place on my couch for at least an hour.

Laugh: This is my most favourite thing to do in the whole world.

Monkeys: I hate them. They are the raccoons of warmer climates. Anyone who says otherwise has never had to live in a monkey zone.

Nineties Dance Moves: My dance moves of choice for weddings. I'll do the running man for you sometime.

Ocean: Growing up on an island, I need to regularily smell salt air or I go a little stir crazy.

Pillow: This is one of the words I say 'funny'. Growing up with both an Irish father and stepfather, there are a few words that always make people pause when I talk: pellow (pillow), Chooseday (Tuesday), batry (battery), Arlund (Ireland) are the most common.

Quadra Island: It was at Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island that I learned that ocean water was salty. I still cringe at the thought of the big handful of water I scooped into my mouth on purpose. Ech. Yuck.

Rowdy: We had a donkey growing up called Rowdy. My dad bought a trap; we'd hitch Rowdy to it at Christmas and go carolling to the neighbour's houses. I swear I grew up in Victoria.

Saxophone: I played alto sax in High School band. I was a band geek. Last year, my high school started an alumni band. I not only joined up to play again (after 12 years of not looking at my instrument) but I also volunteered to be on the committee for it. I am proud of my geek cred!

Tosio: My favourite hockey goalie in the world (even if I don't support SCB--Hopp HCD!). I loved him so much I named one of my cats after him yet very few people in North America have ever heard of him.

Usa River, Tanzania: Living here presented me with some of the most difficult moments of my life. It also gave me some of my happiest memories.

Vancouver Canucks: WE'RE IN THE STANLEY CUP FINALS, BABY!!!! I have waited for this for the last 17 years (that was the last time we made it). So happy about this.

Wood: My dad's house was heated by a fireplace in the living room and a wood stove in the master bedroom. I was about 10 before I learned that most kids don't spend their weekends chopping and stacking firewood.

Xeric: Growing up in a rainforest region, I don't do well in xeric climates (which is a word I learned specifically for Scrabble).

You: I think you're pretty freakin' fantastic. Just thought I'd let you know.

Zürich: I hate the place (like anyone who has ever had the pleasure of living in a part of Switzerland that isn't Zürich).

Soon Back on the Bandwagon

Today is the first time this week that I have come home from work and not had a nap. It is safe to say that I am on my way back to the lady of the healthy. Still, I'm feeling less than stellar so instead of meeting my mom at the gym tomorrow morning for a workout, I've planned out a leisurely-but-hilly hour long walk then I'll meet her afterwards for coffee. I'll get a workout in and see my mom. That's the combo I really care about!

The upside is that despite being under the weather, I still lost weight at this week's weigh-in for the OH&S at work. Here's to keeping that up this week!

I Had Been Doing So Well

I was down at my OH&S weigh-in last week. In fact, I was second for percentage of body weight lost.

I went to aerobics on Saturday morning and my knee felt pretty good afterwards (although I did keep my lateral movements teeny-tiny just to be on the safe side).

I ate out twice this weekend (a birthday dinner and a birthday breakfast) and although I didn't restrict myself, I was fairly smart about my food choices (perhaps not so much with my drink choices).

And then it hit me. The dreaded lurgy which had glanced out at my two weeks ago hit me full force by Sunday evening.

I'm angry because I haven't been sick in over six months. That was when a summer flu went through my office and pretty much hit everyone at least twice. I went all winter without actually getting sick. Now? The weather is finally starting to turn and I just want to crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head, and go to sleep.

I hate the lurgy.

Tru dat!

Sometimes you need a day off.

Tomorrow is my birthday.

It's also the day my parents come home from 2.5 months in Peru.

So I'm having a beer tonight because tomorrow I'll be too busy talking to my mom to actually drink any beer.

I also decided not to work out tonight because it got in the way of my beer drinking schedule.

Priorities. I've got them, they just might be a little skewed.

Fit In OHS!

Operation Hot & Sexy (OHS) had its first meeting on Thursday. We set up in the office of one of the members on our lunch break only to find out that the scale had gotten knocked around and was out by roughly 10 lbs. I know what you're thinking: maybe all of you just weighed more than you thought you did. Well, we were all consistently 10 lbs heavier than we thought and I know that if I was actually that weight, I wouldn't need a belt on my current pants. (Not that I use a belt, I just walk around pulling up my pants constantly.)

In trying to pick a gym with a pool for knee friendly exercising, I had completely forgotten that April was Fit in Fitness month. Access to 14 fitness centres for $25? Sign me up! Oh, that's right, I already did. Over all, my knee has been feeling much better with the stiffness and nagging moments of pain coming and further and further apart. Still, I like the idea of sticking to low impact workouts for the moment. Better safe than in pain!

My fitness activity for today is an hour long walk to The Blue Nile for dinner before catching the Salmon Kings' last game of the season. The only down side to tonight's plan is having to say no to a delicious Tusker beer.

Matoto's Ten Day Event

For those of you who don't follow both my blogs, I am on the (volunteer) Board of Directors for a Victoria-based non-profit called Matoto Multicultural Arts Society. On Monday, we started our Ten Day Event to try and raise $10,000. We are almost done building the school in Kubian, Guinea that we started last year and now we need to fill it with chalkboards, desks and teachers. I have linked to our Ten Day Event on the left hand side (that over sized button that you can't miss) and you can read a more indepth post about it here. I am on the Team Moondance if you want to donate directly to a team, but you can also donate just to the event in general.

From myself, the members of Matoto, and from the villagers of Kubian: i nu wali. Thank you.

And So It Begins!

The work Biggest Loser starts tomorrow. We decided we didn't really want to put "Biggest Loser" (or BL) on our work calendars so we had a coffee meeting on Tuesday to think of other possibilities. You are looking at a proud participant of the OHS Committee. Nope. That's not Occupational Health and Safety, although we do have one of those, it's Operation Hot and Sexy! Really looking forward to these upcoming OHS meetings!

Here's hoping eight weeks from now, I walk away a few pounds lighter and a few bills heavier!