Ouch

After work yesterday, I went to the gym with Jennifer (10th day in Dec). I was really looking forward to running! I hopped on a treadmill and started the Week One, Run Two session and had to stop about 10 minutes into the session because of the extreme pain/tightness in my shins and calves. Just when I thought I was making progress! I felt really discouraged last night stopping a third of the way in. Spending the rest of my time on the elliptical didn't feel very satisfying. Anyway, I think I might be dehydrated so my plan is to drink MUCH more water. I also plan to do some stretching before and after my runs and take more epsom salt baths. I hope that will help!

I'm just about ready to leave the office and I am feeling sooo drained! Thank goodness the work day is over!

I have a busy night ahead but I'll fill you in tomorrow.

LJ

P.S. I do have some exciting news - I weighed myself this morning and I've lost almost 10 pounds since I started going to the gym again! So happy!

P90X

A while ago I bought the P90X program. I was planning on starting it but, since I was doing personal training at the time, I checked with my trainer and she said that it would interfere with my program.

Now that I'm no longer doing personal training, I'm thinking that it would be a good time to start to program. It'll be a little hard to commit to it right before Christmas so it's going to be my New Year's resolution. My parents will also be going away for a few months at the beginning of the year so my goal is to shock them when they get back to town. I'm hoping to be well on my way to achieving my fitness goals.

I love that I've been back and the gym and that I'm feeling inspired! The next step is really getting healthy with my diet and stepping up the workouts!

For now, I'm heading to bed - it's over 2 hours past my bedtime...oops!

Night night and sweet dreams,

LJ

Last Saturday Before Christmas

Well, today was a busy day! I ended up going to bed fairly early last night which is good because I had to be up early today. I had an appointment at my salon in Orleans at 10:45 so I had to catch a bus at 9:00 to get there on time. I woke up a little bit later than planned which lead to me forgetting cards and a gift AGAIN.

Because the bus was running late, my mom picked me up at the bus stop at the mall in Orleans and gave me a ride to the salon. Afterwards, we went to Cora's for breakfast and then to do some shopping for my Dad. By the time all of that was finished it was almost supper time so I ended up going over there for dinner and to watch some hockey again.

I got home at a reasonable time and now I'm going to relax, play with the cats, watch some TV and head to sleep! I need to be well-rested for the Dolphins game tomorrow!

LJ

I made it!

Friday is here! Finally! On top of that, there is only a week left until Christmas. I'm just about ready but I have a couple more gifts to pick up but I'm going to wait until I get paid early next week.

I got my hair done last night. It wasn't faded enough to go the colour that I showed you on Wednesday but it did change from burgundy to copper so it is a little more vibrant and bright. I'll post a picture when one is taken.

I'm going for a later lunch with a friend I used to work with. We'll be going to Baton Rouge Restautant which is just around the corner from my office.

I don't have much on the go tonight. Jenn will be picking me up at my house around 5:30 so that we can go to the 6:00 Body Pump class. Afterwards I'd like to do some chores and finish my Christmas cards (finally).

Just got a message from my friend so I'm heading out to eat now!

LJ

Frazzled

After work yesterday evening, I managed to get to M&M before it closed to buy some dip for the party today - I also ran over to Sobey's to grab a whole wheat baguette to go with the Spinach/Cheese/Artichoke dip.

I had planned to do so many other things but, at about 6:30 pm, I was too tired to eat anything, let alone make supper. So, I headed to bed early! I ended up waking up at 9:00 or so because I was starving. I ate a couple of handfuls of Shreddies cereal and watch the 3rd period of the Senators game and then went back to sleep.

So, needless to say, I didn't really get anything done:

• I didn't cut up the baguette for the pot luck and I forgot to bring a knife with me to work so I was stuck using a plastic knife.
• I didn't finish my Christmas cards so I wasn't able to drop them off at the Central Post Office.
• I didn't even bring a blank one to write in for Joanna (my hairdresser) so I couldn't give it to her at my appointment. I also forgot to pick up a gift for her.

Since I didn't really have any time to myself last night I just felt frazzled and like I was always one step behind. I'm hoping that tonight I'll be a little more productive after my appointment so that I can feel more like myself tomorrow!

LJ

 

Random Day

Well - big surprise - another busy day. I'm feeling a little strange and emotionally drained but I'm pressing on as they say.

I picked up my gift for our branch gift exchange tomorrow ($10 or less so I bought a $10 gift card for Tim Horton's). After work I'll need to pick up some baguette and cheese/artichoke/spinach dip for the pot luck part of the event.

I also need to do a bit more Christmas shopping. I thought I was finished last week but I came up with a new list for myself the other day. I'm planning on doing some this week but most of it after pay day next week.

I ALSO need to finish my Christmas cards tonight! I have a hair appointment in the east end tomorrow evening. I'll be going to my parents' house for dinner first and then my Mom has offered a ride home. She also said we could stop at the central post office to speed up the delivery time. Phewf!

Speaking of hair appointment - I'm thinking of doing something a little bit different this time. I still want to stick with red hair but I'd like to make it a little more bright and vibrant. I'm thinking of something like the picture I've posted.

In the meantime, I have to run to another meeting.

I'll let you know how my hair turns out!

LJ

Running, Running to You

I have been thinking about starting my running program again (Couch to 5K from CoolRunning.com). I knew that I was going to the gym (9th day in December) with Jenn to do cardio tonight and, even though I have been sticking with the elliptical machine, I was considering trying the treadmill again.

I've tried to start running a few times since I broke my leg (don't worry - it's fully healed) but the pain in my knees and shin muscles was too strong for me to continue (even at my brisk walk pace).

So tonight, armed with my gym buddy on the elliptical behind me, I hopped on a treadmill and started track 1. I felt extra pressure to get through the entire 30 minute track but told myself that I would stop if I thought there was risk of injuring myself. Well, all of those lunges and squats I've been doing must have paid off! I did experience a little bit of pain in my shins (so I stretched them out quickly while I was in the walking intervals) but I managed to get through the entire session! After I was finished, I spent an extra 15 minutes on the elliptical at a slow pace.

Week 1 - Day 1 - Couch to 5K

Brisk five-minute warmup walk.
Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Finishe with five minutes of walking to cool down.

After the gym, Jenn was stopping at Subway so she asked if I wanted to pick something up. I went with her and bought a ham sandwich. It was nice that I didn't have to cook because I was REALLY hungry after that run!

I must say, I'm pretty proud of myself! I'm hoping that I'll be able to finish the program by the end of February (since Christmas and New Year's Eve/Day will affect my schedule).

Wish me luck!

LJ

P.S. for a little bonus - click on the title of this post to hear what's in my head right now :)

Where Did the Weekend Go?

I really can't believe how fast the weekends fly by! It was another busy day at the office and another night at the gym (7th day in December). Jennifer and I attended the 5:30 BodyPump class. It was interesting to see another instructor for a change. One thing I didn't enjoy about this class was that there was a camera set up to record the instructor but it was also recording us in the mirror. I just happened to be front and centre so someone will have a nice view of my workout later on. Awesome.

In other news, I think that a girl I went to either high school or elementary school lives near me in Barrhaven. I've seen her a few times on the express bus when I was going home and she got off just a few stops before mine. She was also in the class tonight - we sort of smiled at each other. We weren't in the same grade so I have no idea if she remembers me (especially without the blonde hair). Who knows!? It would be nice to know another person in Barrhaven though - especially someone who goes to my gym!

Well, time to hop in the shower and watch the Sens-Habs game.

Have a great night,

LJ

Temptation - 1, LJ - 0 (BUT - Miami - 14, Jacksonville - 10)

Alright - so we already know that I'm a fan of the Miami Dolphins. I don't really know how I became a fan I just know that I always have been. I also know that, as a Fins fan living in Ontario, it's not easy to get my team's games on regular TV. If they're playing New England or the Jets or if they're playing prime time for MNF or TNF then it's more likely that I'll be able to watch the game.

This summer, I bought a new flatscreen 42" HDTV to be able to watch the Sens and Fins in full HD. I even caved and payed for all of the western channels in HD hoping to catch more Miami games. This wasn't the case. So, I resorted to the default - go to Boston Pizza for games that aren't televised. Last year I went with one of my friends pretty much every Sunday. He wasn't even a big football fan but, by the end of the season, he was cheering for my Dolphins. We always had a blast! This year, he has a girlfriend so we've only gone once. I have another friend who's a big football (Bills) fan but he's not exactly the most reliable. So, for some of the games I was stuck watching updates or following on NFL.com.

Today, the Fins play their biggest game yet - against another team trying to get a wildcard spot (Jacksonville). The game wasn't on regular TV, no one was able to go to the pub with me and I really didn't feel like watching text updates online. Sooo...I called Rogers and ordered the Super Sports Pack which includes NFL Sunday Ticket along with pretty much every other sports game you can thing of (football, hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball, etc).

I can't believe I gave in to temptation...but it was definitely worth it. The end result: Miami over Jax. Go Fins Go!

LJ

Family Day

I'm heading over to my parents' house this afternoon. We'll be having supper, relaxing and probably watching some hockey later on. They're leaving in less than three weeks so I'm looking forward to spending some time with them!

LJ

Pumped Up!

I had my 7th December gym day - not too shabby! This was our 2nd Friday night BodyPump class and it went much better now that my muscles were reminded of some of the moves. I shouldn't be as sore tomorrow - phewf!

Yesterday we had our branch Christmas luncheon. It started at 1:00 and the last few of us left the market's Hard Rock Café just after 4:00. I had planned to head home but I ended up staying at the Rideau Centre and getting my Christmas shopping finished. That's right - finished! I felt pretty good about it once I realized I was done - I even announced it to one of the sales guys even though he couldn't have been less interested in what I was saying. After I left Rideau, I caught an express bus on the MK bridge and was really happy to get a seat so that I could watch some more Lost on my iPod.

I'm going to go soak in some epson salts to help avoid being stiff all day tomorrow.
Have a great night!

LJ

Snowed In

Well, I wasn't really snowed in today but, Ottawa was hit with its first winter storm and it was quite a challenge to get to the office. There weren't a lot of people in, either. This week has been pretty busy but I've managed to stick with getting to the gym! I was supposed to take tonight off to get together with my parents and Aunt for supper but, because of the road conditions, that has been postponed. I'm disappointed but I was happy that I was able to make it to the gym after all. Here's what I've done the past few days:

Monday - December's 4th day at the gym (30 mins of elliptical - had to leave earlier for a dentist appointment)

Tuesday - December's 5th day at the gym (60 minute Newbody class - meh)

Wednesday (Today) - December's 6th day at the gym (45 mins of elliptical).

After the gym on Tuesday, I went out to get some groceries. I also went to a few stores with my Mom to help her pick out a present for my Dad.

There is another Newbody class at the gym tomorrow but Jenn has a work party in the evening so we'll be taking a night off. I can't say I'm disappointed to miss this class - it was a lot of choreography which I'm not all that great at and which means I'm not getting much out of the class.

Anyway, I'm home relaxing and should be on track to get to bed by 11:00 tonight.

Night night,

LJ

LJ is Lost

Wow - I've watched so much Lost recently that sometimes I feel like I'm on the island with everyone. If I'm started by a sound or sudden movement, my body overacts and goes into fight or flight mode. This show is so interesting and I love (almost) all of the characters and the way everything fits together. I highly recommend watching! I'm halfway through the 3rd season now so I really don't see any problems getting through the 4th and 5th season by the end of January. I have even been watching on my iPod at the gym while I do cardo and on the bus while I'm commuting to/from work.

I'm taking a 2nd day off from the gym today so I watched some Lost this morning and then went to my parent's house in the afternoon to watch Miami beat the Pats (woohoo!) and have some supper. Now I'm home and trying to stick with my plan of getting to bed by 11:00pm every night. I figure that I need to get more sleep than I normally get. I also want to have more routine in my life. Since I am going to the gym after work almost every day, I would like to be getting to bed at a regular time as well. I'm going to need lots of luck for this part! Anyway, it's almost 10:30 so I'm going to start getting ready for tomorrow and head to bed.

Sweet dreams,

LJ

Back on Track

So, it's true what they say - the best motivation is having a buddy to go with you to the gym. Jennifer and I went the last 3 evenings in a row and I feel amazing! Well, actually I'm feeling extremely sore today - I feel like I can hardly move! On Thursday we did our 2nd day of elliptical (45 minutes) and on Friday we did the 6pm BodyPump class. It's a shame that I'm so far back on my training because the class should have been a breeze for me...but it's okay - one step at a time, right? The important thing is that I'm back on track for the gym. Next week we will be starting earlier - Jenn will be picking me at 5:00 at my house so that we can do the 5:30 classes.

Today I'm taking a well-deserved day off from the gym and will be watching Lost pretty much all day! I'm kind of addicted to this show - it's so good!

Anyway, I need to do some more stretching before I get too stiff.

Have a great day!

LJ

Feeling Good!

Today my friend Jennifer and I started going to the gym together. For the longest time I have wanted a gym buddy so I am super excited that Jenn has decided to get back into the gym. We'll be aiming for 5 days/week - right after work. We went at 5:30 today and did 45 minutes of cardio. I'm feeling good about myself and I really feel like my relationship with the gym has been re-kindled!

LJ

Branch Retreat

I'm in the office - but about to leave for my brach's first retreat. It's all day at the Crown Plaza Hotel which is just down the street from our office. I believe we'll be working on an action plan for the branch and doing some "togetherness" activities. Hopefully everyone will have a good time! I'm about to walk over with some colleagues - wish me luck!

LJ

Football Sunday

Today I'm meeting Bill at the Strandherd station at 1:00pm. We'll be walking over to Boston Pizza to watch the Fins-Bills game. He's a Buffalo fan and I'm a Miami fan so it should be a good time. I haven't been to BP for a while so I'm looking forward to having a Space Freeze drink!

I may also start watching Lost after the game. I hope it's good - I could use an interesting series to get into!

GO FINS GO!

LJ

Then again...maybe not

Well, I had a good time last night. I met the guy at Baseline, we took the bus downtown and walked over to the pub. His roomate's parents were there. I guess he's really close with them because I got questioned and stared at quite a bit haha - not a problem though. We had a nice time - did a lot of chatting. After the show was over we talked more at the bar and then decided to leave. He asked where else I wanted to go and I suggested we pop over to Heart and Crown (also in the market) to see Ty and Dana who were playing that night. Unfortunately all we were able to do was wave through the window because it was too late to go in. He suggested we do something else but, because he didn't have any ideas and he seems ultra tired, I thought it would be best if we took the bus home. We both got off at baseline and caught a cab which went to his place and then mine. He was super cute, very nice, paid for the drinks and cab, and was very thoughtful. But, I don't really think we will be going on a 2nd date. Maybe, if we did, chemistry would grow...who knows. Anyway, I'm glad I went and I suppose that, like my mother likes to say, it was another "practice date" or "practice guy".

I'm actually thinking about taking back the idea I got the other day. While I am motivated to meet someone new and while I'm in a good place and open to a relationship, I think that focussing on myself right now would be a great idea. I had told myself I really wanted to get back into the gym and I haven't given it the best effort. I think I might just be waiting for Jennifer to get her membership (starts December 1st). I think I might adopt the new "whatever happens happens" kind of attitide while I work on meeting my goals.

Today I also went to the dentist to get my nightguard and to get my free whitening. It turns out that it's a do-it-yourself kit. It's not what I was expecting but it's quite neat - custom trays and everything. I guess I just expected to do a one-time whitening session at the dentist. This might be better though because I can use the 14 days worth or less and, down the road, I can buy a refill from the dentist's office for a pretty good price.

I also talked to my best friend Tina on the phone today. She moved to St John's in April and I've missed her like crazy ever since. My annual two-week visit in Newfoundland in July was nice - but I want to go back sooner than 7 months from now. I might try to go a little earlier to catch the icebergs in April/May/June. If flights aren't too expensive I might make it a long weekend and then go again for a couple of weeks when it gets warmer in July/August.

Tonight is Michelle's birthday night. I'm going to Heart & Crown on Preston for the dinner part but might take off after than to get home by bus and get some rest.

In the meantime, I think I'm going to take a little nap. I didn't get home until after 3am and I had to be at the dentist this morning so I'm feeling a little sleepy.

Talk to you soon,

LJ

Almost Time

So, I'm a little bit nervous. I've taken a bit of a break from the dating scene so the one I'm about to go on is my first in a couple of months. I'm just waiting until it's time to leave for the bus. I'll be meeting this guy at the Baseline station and then we'll head downtown together. I always like hearing live music (especially when it's new to me) so, even if the date doesn't go well, at least there'll be some interesting music to listen to :)

Wish me luck!

LJ

It's a Small World Afterall

Well, it's been another busy week. Tomorrow is Friday - thankfully! I've been talking to the newest guy quite a bit this week. Texting over BBM during the day and chatting on the phone almost every night for a couple of hours. I'm seeing him tomorrow to see his friend and roomate play a show at a bar in the market.

Funny story: it turns out I already know his roomate! His roomate is a friend of a friend and I've met him a few times at parties/pubs. It also turns out we have a bunch of other mutual friends. The world doesn't seem so big when you find out things like this!

I'm going to try to get some sleep now. I have a busy day at the office tomorrow and I'd like to at least look refreshed for my date tomorrow night.

Sweet dreams,

LJ

4 Ws in a R

Four wins in a row for the Senators which puts the team back on top of the Northeast division. Excellent news!

In other news, I've been talking to a new interesting guy. We had a long chat on the phone tonight and will be going out on Friday night. I'm looking forward to it!

Otherwise, I don't have many updates for you today. It'll be another busy week at work trying to get a French presentation ready for Friday (just to send out - I don't have to speak to it). I'm now waiting patiently but eagerly to hear about the new job possibility. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I had dinner at my parent's place last night and brought home some delicious left overs including chicken and some veggies and dip - awesome!

Well, now that I'm off the phone and feeling pretty giddy, I'm going to get to bed.

Night night,

LJ

Newly Motivated

I've been watching a cheesy quirky show on the Slice channel. It's by a "TV Presenter" from London. She's 37, single and looking for love. She decided to take 10 weeks out of her normal life to focus on dating and possible finding a man she'd like to marry. It's a pretty entertaining show and some of the experts are quite insightful.

I can't exactly take 10 weeks off work but Sally has inspired me to start dating again. I haven't been doing that much of it because I've been busy with work and focused on finding a new job. So, we'll see what this new motivation can do for me. Things are going quite well so I'm in a pretty good frame of mind and ready to meet some new guys.

Sam's groomer took the weekend off so I wasn't able to bring him in to get his nails clipped so the lucky guy will have another few days with long, sharp claws. I did some grocery shopping with my Mom instead and I'll be relaxing for the rest of the night. I could have gone to a party in the east end with a friend. But, I didn't really like the idea of going to a house full of strangers tonight and having a 90 minute bus ride and then either cabbing or walking the rest of the way home.

I wish that I had those Lost episodes so that I could start watching it from the beginning. Maybe I will start next week.

That's about it for today.

Cheers,

LJ

TGI Eff

Wow - that was quite the day! The conference was quite stressful but I survived! I'm quite exhausted so I don't really have that much to say. I plan to relax this weekend and get some rest. My mom and I were going to take Sam (my cat) to get his nails clipped tonight (he hates getting it done so I get a professional's assistance) but we decided yesterday that, because Friday would be such a crazy day, we'd go tomorrow.

Anyway, I don't think I'll be awake for too much longer tonight.

I hope you all survived the week!

LJ

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

It's been an incredibly busy week at the office! I'm preparing for a big conference that my department is hosting tomorrow. I'm pretty nervous about it because I will be making a presentation to try to sway a very difficult audience. Anyway, it was a another late night at work but afterwards I got a ride home from a colleague and we grabbed a quick dinner together.

The Sens are having a great week - a win against Toronto on Tuesday and another one against Pittsburgh tonight...impressive!

I'm also having a good week regardless of how stressed I am about the big conference tomorrow. I had a meeting on Wednesday with a Director from another department about the possibility of going to work for her. Our meeting went very well! It sounds like a really interesting place and a great fit for the new challenge that I am looking for. I believe that she also things I will be a great fit since she said she'd like to hire me. This is now pending my reference check, a sample of my writing, and her DG's approval. So fingers crossed! I was pretty nervous about asking my supervisor to be a reference but he agreed. Tomorrow I will be called a couple of former supervisors who I'm sure will have no problem helping me out.

I am very much looking forward to the weekend. I usually look forward to Fridays because the day is a little more relaxed, I can wear jeans, and the weekend is approaching. However, I will be wearing a dress and pearls tomorrow. This week really has been all about getting to the weekend. It's almost here! In the mean time, I'm going to check a few messages and then try to get some sleep!

Night night,

LJ

Quick check-in

I know I've been neglecting my blog lately. I'm just popping in to say that I haven't disappeared and that I should be able to post an update tomorrow. Just a little preview: weekend update, strange sunday nightmare, and upcoming events this week. Hehe

Night night...sweet dreams,

LJ
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

TGI Friday

Even though this week was broken up into two sections, I have found these last couple of days to be very long. I think my body's internal clock is a bit confused after being off on the 11th. Tuesday was like a Friday and Wednesday like a Sunday - that left me wondering if it was Tuesday or Friday today. Luckily the weekend is just a few hours away!

Yesterday was a relatively quiet day at the office. The flu is still being passed around the floor so many people were off sick. Because I wasn't constantly being interrupted, it was much easier to get through what I needed to do. I ended up leaving the office late (around 5:00pm) and I headed to the bus to get home. The bus was pretty empty and I had a lovely snooze. The rest of my evening was pretty low-key. I watch the Sens-Philly game which, unfortunately, did not go well at all for Ottawa. I also watched Survivor. I wasn't convinced that I'd enjoy this season but I actually found myself cheering at the TV when Russell found his second immunity idol (both were found without a single clue...and this latest one was found without having been told that another idol was in play). He is definitely my favourite Survivor this season and possibly the most entertaining Survivor yet!

Keeping up with my plan to be more committed to my objectives lately, I updated my CV today and sent it along with a cover letter to someone I will be meeting with next week. There may be a new opportunity for me with another department. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck!

So, plans for the weekend...I actually don't really have any. It's kind of a nice change. My friends Mark and Michelle are having a party at their place. But, their house is pretty far off the transitway and, since I'm with out a car, it might be a little difficult for me to get home. The buses stop pretty early so I end up having to either walk home from Fallowfield Station (takes about 75 minutes) or hope that I can catch a cab home from Fallowfield. I'm not a big fan of taking the bus home with all of the drunk children and I really hate paying for a cab when I've already paid for my express monthly bus pass. Anyway, instead of the 4 hours of busing, I might just take the night off and stay home. Biggie hasn't been feeling well so it might be a good idea to stick around for him just in case he needs to head to the vet.

If I do stay home, I might try to start watching Lost. A friend of mine has recently started to watch it from the beginning and she's really enjoying it. She's almost finished 3 of the 5 seasons. Also, one of the guys at work is insisting that I start to watch. In fact, he'd like me to have all 5 seasons finished by January 20th when the 6th season starts. If I can get really into it, I might just be able to. But, there seems to be so much TV these days that it's really hard to keep up with everything that's on...plus work...plus maintain at least a little bit of a social life.

I also believe that I'll be getting together with my Mom this weekend. Her and a friend bought some passes to see some special show homes. I think they're out right now looking at some of the properties but, since her friend has to work this weekend, I'll be taking over the 2nd pass and looking at some of the homes. It sounds pretty interesting. There's nothing like a showhome to inspire your own redecorating.

Anyway, it's after 4:30 and I'm usually out of here by 4 so I'm going to wrap this up for now.

TGIF!

LJ

Lest We Forget

Well, for the first time in quite a long time, we had nice weather for Remembrance day. I was thinking about heading downtown to see the ceremony at the War Memorial but getting downtown and back to the west end isn't all that easy on Nov 11th and the crowds were even bigger this year since Prince Charles and Camilla were in town for the ceremony. I ended up sleeping in and waking up on time to watch CBC's broadcast. It was a nice tribute to our veterans and current military forces.

I find myself thinking about my Grampa on this day. He fought with the Canadian Forces Infantry in WWII on Juno Beach. He passed away 6 years ago just before his 100th birthday. I very proud of what he managed to accomplish and how he served all of us in Canada. Love you and miss you, Grampa!

I also spent some time with my Mom today. She came over to hang out with me and "the boys" (my two cats Sam and Biggie). We played some Rock Band and then went to do some grocery shopping. I forgot how good the samples are at Costco! hehehe

Now that I'm home and the groceries are way - it's time to relax and watch some TV. Wednesday is probably my favourite TV night. Thankfully I have a PVR (personal video recorder...aka digital video recorder) otherwise I don't think I would be able to watch all of the shows I like! I think I'm most excited about Glee and Modern Family. They're both quite funny (especially Modern Family) and I love all the singing and dancing in Glee. Yeah, I'm a geek at heart. haha

Anyway, I don't have much else to report. Tonight activities include having a bath, making my lunch for work tomorrow and maybe doing a bit of reading before I get to bed (hopefully early).

I hope everyone had a good Remembrance Day (or Veteran's Day for anyone south of the border) in whatever way you chose to commemorate.

Until tomorrow,

LJ

New Header

I figured that putting up a custom header might entice me to keep this blog up-to-date. This picture of me was taken in July 2009 in Newfoundland. I was there for 2 weeks to visit with some friends (mainly my best friend of 25 years) and this was how we chose to celebrate our first night together.

As of October 21st it's been a year since I made the switch from blonde to red and I'm still loving it.

night night...sweet dreams

LJ

Day One - Third Time's the Charm

Hello!

Well, here is my first post. I've tried to start a blog a couple of times before and I haven't managed to stick with either of them. They say that the third time's the charm so I figure that I'll be more consistent with this one. ;)

Anyway, today was a pretty good day - tomorrow is a holiday for Remembrance Day so I suppose tonight is technically like a Friday. The Senators and Oilers had a game in Ottawa tonight so I decided to stay in to watch it. The Sens won in a shootout! Awesome!

I also caught part of a show that's been on for a while that has always seems really silly to me. It's called "The Biggest Loser" and the whole point is to be the person to lose the most weight. The person who loses the lowest percentage goes home each week. I actually found the show pretty interesting today and also quite inspiring. I've been trying for a couple of years to kick the extra weight I've been carrying around. I joined Goodlife Gym about 2 years ago and more often than not, I've been going to the gym fairly often. I started off with an "introductory trainer" who helped me out with the weight machines for about a month. I was seeing Derek 3 mornings each week and I was also heading to the gym after work during the week for cardio classes. I was feeling amazing!

Once my sessions with Derek were over, I managed to keep going to the gym for classes. However, when I moved to out to the Southwest end of the city (from downtown), I let my workouts slide. About 6 months later I decided to hire a trainer, Lindsay, at the Goodlife near my house. This was a great idea! I saw her 3 times/week for strength training and ended up losing a fair amount of fat but more importantly I learned some very healthy habits. I was able to run 20 minutes without stopping (a big accomplishment for me) and I also managed to climb a mountain for a week! An injury on the climb once again my training slipped.

My sessions with Lindsay came to an end and I've been slacking off with my training. I often bring my gym clothes to work with me so that I can head directly to the gym after work. But, I find myself actually making it to the gym much less than I'd like to - sometimes even carrying my gym clothes back home and perfectly clean.

I've been feeling more inspired lately and even more so after watching The Biggest Loser show. A friend I met on a course for work lives close to me and will be joining my gym on December 1st. I am very excited to have a gym buddy! But, it's only November 10th so I can't wait another 20 days to start getting back on track. I have a skipping rope that I'm planning to use at home and I'm also planning on getting back on track with going to the gym. The funny thing is that I love the gym - I just find it difficult to get myself there. I'm hoping that, like with this blog, this new start will be more successful. So, wish me luck - third time's the charm, right?

LJ