Well... it's day six... of a hundred... and today was a winter wonderland. The weather forecast had predicted crazy weather and I had gone shopping last night with anticipation of spending the whole day at home, watching holiday movies and doing some holiday treat making... I was very excited to sleep in this morning... a plan that was thwarted by a group text I have going with a couple of my friends who are also doing the 100 day challenge. This morning's text was from Sara... she had gotten up early to get to the gym, hoping to beat the worst of the storm... she lives about 15 minutes from her gym, maybe 20... and when she got there...she had forgotten her sneakers! She was a bit frustrated...headed home and ended up doing yoga with her daughter... I tried going back to sleep after getting her text, but...shockingly it was hard for me to turn off my brain...which often happens once it is awake.
So, how's the hundred day challenge going? Well, so far so good. I have hit the gym a few times using the elliptical machine and stationary bike... did some strength training and core work here at home one night using some new exercise equipment I had ordered a while ago but had not opened yet... and one night of pacing... I had to go to a hockey game for work and didn't have time between an after school meeting, a chiropractor appointment, and the game... so, I paced...back and forth for about 40 minutes... and I am counting it! So.. I am six for six... so far so good. It is tempting to not do it, as there are so many other things to do, including non active things like scrolling through social media! But... I think my body already feels better. I have a long way to go, but it's a start.
Today I thought I would likely end up doing some strength training at home again...but this morning as I was being lazy I chose to watch a movie I found on Amazon Prime called "I Miss You Already." I didn't read the description, just saw that one of the main characters was Drew Barrymore. I like her..on and off the screen. She seems to be one of the famous people who, after going through a bit of a wild stretch, 'gets it,' seems down to earth if you will. The movie started out with Drew's character in the hospital getting ready to give birth...with nobody in the room with her except a nurse... eventually she says that she wishes 'Millie' was there... and that's where the story really began. Flashbacks... of two little girls growing up together... a coming of age story... and the best friend, Millie, is diagnosed with cancer. Breast Cancer.
I should have shut it off at that point. I didn't. I watched it the whole way through... and, as cancer does in real life, it killed Millie... and Drew's character was there through it all, watching her friend die... it was heart wrenching... There were parts of it where I caught myself saying things like, how did they get her skin to look that color, that cancer color... or turn off the damn movie... I found myself sobbing through most of the ending... Not the most uplifting of things to watch on a day where I wanted to feel all Christmas-y.
So I looked at the roads... pretty well plowed...looked at my driveway...not plowed at all... and decided it was a good idea for me to go out. Yesterday at work I received a check, a very generous check, from a business who wanted to do something to help people in their community have a good Christmas. One of their employees is a parent of a kid at my school and she had heard about the food pantry/clothing closet I started and wanted the donation to go to that... (How great is that?!) As it works out we have some families who have reached out to us, families who are afraid they cannot provide a Christmas for their kids because of their financial situation... so, I decided that the donated money should go to providing gifts under the tree... I also decided that it would go towards things that were practical... mostly clothing... I also bought wrapping paper and bows because I want the parents to wrap the gifts for their kids... Maybe that's a bit too idealistic, but my hope is that if they wrap the presents they feel more a part of the process...
It was a bit more challenging than I had anticipated... I am not up to date on the newest fashion and what teenagers may want to wear, but I had some lists to go from, provided by parents... and decided to get the items, plus a few more given what I know about the kids... One specified item was a winter coat, a specific brand and color... and I didn't think I would find it, but I did! It was a bit pricey, but... it will be a nice surprise for this student... I don't think there will be expectations of actually getting it! Part of me can't wait to see this student come into school, wearing it... So... the shopping excursion worked! I felt very cheerful and happy to be able to spend money (someone else's money) knowing it will help people!
As I was driving around I was paying close attention to how my truck was handling the roads. This is the first winter I have had a truck with four wheel drive. I hadn't missed it... I hadn't had it since I lived with my parents.. and luckily did fine, but there is a huge difference. I know, without the 4wd, I would have had many moments of fishtailing... I definitely had more confidence driving in the snow today!
After shopping I headed home by way of the gym... part of me was hoping the gym had closed due to the weather...sometimes I look for excuses... but to my chagrin it was open, with PLENTY of parking... so I went in... I didn't do a crazy workout... but did enough to count in this challenge... just enough...
I have been less active (besides kayaking this spring/summer/fall) for the last year or so than I need to be... and I know if I push too hard at this point I will hate the 100 day challenge, which I don't want to do... I really want to be successful, want to get into good habits as spring approaches... and hping to lose some weight too... need to look sharp for the book signings!
I was supposed to be away tonight... visiting my friend Meg. But the storm canceled those plans... which... turned out okay. I decided to have my first fire of the season. It looks lovely and is kicking out some good heat! The cats are sleeping upstairs and despite me bringing them down to try to convince them they would love to be by the fire, they have decided my bed is more comfortable. So they are upstairs and I am not.
I have always been a cat person. Have always had cats. Growing up we had a huge male tiger cat, Sammy. He was one of a kind. My sister and I dressed him up in our doll clothes and he let us. He was a cat that loved attention and when he was especially affectionate would lick mine and my sister's ears. Weird? Yes... he would not do it to anyone else. It was so strange, but we welcomed it. As an adult I have had a few cats.. starting with Bear and Tess... Bear died early and I got Reuben... he also died young... Tess was a shy girl and I wanted her to have a friend... so I adopted Stella... and after a while because I was crazy added Lucy and Sheldon to the mix... so at one point I had four cats... (Which is too many to have at once...at least for me, but we made it work...) then Tess got sick and we lost her... putting me down to 3 cats... Stella ended up needing a special diet and the vet said all the cats could eat the same food... which they did... then Sheldon got sick and was so sick I thought I was going to have to put him down, but ended up taking him back to the shelter where I had adopted him. (At their request.) Turns out he has a form of irritable bowel disease that is hard to manage... so hard that he is not adoptable from the shelter... unless one of the shelter volunteers decide to take him home... he acts as their Walmart greeter...which is perfect for him... but I feel really guilty for giving him up. At the time I was renting and he was making messes that were ruining the carpets so I really didn't have a choice...
Since buying the house I have wanted a dog... I'm not sure why... I am allergic to dogs... though I have only ever had one reaction to them... (being in a vehicle in which a dog spent a lot of time, lots of hair and dander, without being cleaned out... it was winter so the windows were up and the air blowing the heat was not helping... so I had an asthma attack. ) Knowing I was 'allergic' to dogs, I have been reluctant to be too friendly with my friends' dogs... but the last couple years that my sister had her pug, I warmed up to him... Peepers was a good dog... and when he was older and not hyper I enjoyed him. But there is something about a house that says I should have a dog...
Growing up we had a poodle, that I barely remember... but my grandparents...they had a dog, Mandy, that I adored. This is us...
I have been looking online at dogs.. lots of dogs... shelters all over Maine and looking at the websites of many rescue organizations...and there have been some dogs that look so cute that I have been tempted to get one of them... but... should I have a dog? Can I offer the care dogs deserve? Am I willing to have an animal that is much higher maintenance than cats? An animal I can't leave home alone for a weekend? Maybe. Maybe not. But I keep looking at pictures... Plus... a friend of mine has beautiful labs... last year they had a huge litter of puppies, one of whom I fell in love with, Emma! Had she not been spoken for at the time of our meeting, that little lady may have been mine. And... my friend may breed her dogs again in the spring and told me I could have first choice on the female pups... tempting... why do I want a dog? Well.. I think that a dog would force me to walk more, to be more active... and there are times I think a dog would be good company, in a different way than the cats are. I think about going on a camping trip (need a camper!) where I could get away for a few days or a week, to find spots to kayak... or if I end up writing a second book, it would be great to plant myself somewhere for a while as I researched new places... but I think having a dog would make that more fun...
So I started thinking about having a dog on a trial basis... thought about asking some of my friends if they would let me borrow their dogs... but that felt weird... so I am looking into fostering dogs. The local shelter has a description on their website... says that they need foster placements for dogs, puppies through senior dogs... for various reasons and with various commitments... it sounds like there are some dogs in need of weekend placements because there are less staff members present in the shelter on the weekends and some dogs really need people... there are some dogs who have been surrendered by their family and have never lived in a shelter environment and don't do well in that setting... and need a quieter place to be. It is appealing to me, the idea of an older dog, who is calm, and cat friendly of course... and if I can have some say over when I can take a dog... it sounds like a perfect set up... the shelter pays for all food and medical needs... and I provide the TLC... and if I decide I am in need of a dog, I will move forward in that pursuit... if not, well... I won't. Chances are this will be something that gets the dog thing out of my system... but perhaps it is more than that...
I do my foster training tomorrow at the shelter... I am not sure what to expect, but... looking at my fire tonight... it would be kind of nice to see a dog warming its belly in front of it!
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