Whirlwind of activities

Been an eventful few weeks around here, it has.

Soccer season ended for us with none of the kids going on to post season play...thank goodness, both from the perspective of having a few weeks off and from the perspective of having to deal with the EIYSA/EMSA/ASA/CSA politics of the last month!!!!

I decided to take a week off work, thinking that we might go away for a few days. I searched hard for a last minute deal to some beach, talked with D about going to visit relatives and finally decided to stay home and get some of the much needed work done in the yard and house. We had built two really great planters in the front yard earlier this summer, and have a miriad of projects thought of but not started. So, this would be our week to do them.

Meanwhile, an opportunity arose to have Colin travel to Germany and try out/train with some German programs. Details were sketchy and ultimately we made a leap of faith that the risk was worth giving him this opportunity. It all came together such that he left on Tuesday this week for an as yet to be determined amount of time. So, we spent Sunday preparing for his 'going away party', Monday running last minute errands for him, Tuesday sending him away and kind of getting used to the whole idea. He is near Dusseldorf, starts training Monday, is a bit homesick and struggling with the time change, but I am sure he is up to this challenge and will give it his very best shot. We are a bit torn on this, because of course we want him to do very well. However, that could result in him not coming home for a while. His brother and sister are lining up to claim his room - just what Alex needs - more space to make a mess in.

So we got the second planter filled with soil and plants Wednesday, all laundry out of Alex's room and the first dent into the storage room clean up yesterday. D and Rob built the 'path to no where' as well - the first installment in D's Grand Plan for a large patio with stone wall on the east side of the yard. Today, D put drywall and window trim up in the office; first step to finishing the office/buying a Mac for me. And I mostly finished a task I've been procrastinating on for at least a year - cleaning out the back basement storage room. This is part of my Grand Plan to finish the basement renovation by moving laundry and bath to the east side of the house, opening the center up and making it a large games room with wet bar. I have one more major clean out in the basement - the former bathroom needs to be emptied too. Oh, and then there is also Alex's room - we need to come up with an alternative to his system of piling his clean clothes onto his dresser, or on the floor.

And school starts up in another week, too!

Like I said, an eventful couple of weeks.

The 'Comfort' (aka granny) bike

I bought a new bike a couple of weekends ago. Riding my previous bike really bothered me - my hands, my shoulders and my seat all grumbled and complained and so I just didn't ride. So this one has a much more upright posture to it (higher handle bars allowing me to sit straighter) and a great big wide seat! Looks dorky, but I can ride it.

I got to a point recently where I just had to say no to bigger size clothes, had to drop some pounds and gain back some fitness.

So, thanks to an inspirational thread on dgrin, I've been paying really close attention to what I eat, and I've been riding a bit. Our first big ride was in midday sun on a splendid 29C day. We headed south through Windermere and made it all the way to 41 Avenue SW. It turns out that is an 8km ride, one way. It was great, and although my knees complained along the route, I was fine the next day.

This weekend, we rode through Terwillegar town to the top of Rabbit Hill - what a great view those homeowners will have. Then today we rode to 41 Avenue again. I was 'don' by the end of our ride today - but then again, we decided to finish it with a ride aroudn the crescent and the hill got me. And I worked for 6 hours doing hockey photos today too.

And, as far as following the vegan diet recommended by the thread on dgrin, I'm not strictly. I am just trying to really eat way more fruit and veggies and grains than meat, making sure meat is less than 10% of my overall diet, and the meat that is included is fish or extra lean, avoiding all processed food and fast food and overall trying to be cognisant of what I eat. And it seems to be working. Maybe I will have the same success that some fellow grinners are having.