Ready for 2009
Seriously? Almost 3 weeks since I’ve blogged, and I was only gone for 5 days? That’s ridiculous! My blogging has gone the same way as my exercising. Here I am supposedly the great role model, but I have to tell you, burnout has finally hit me. I haven’t been to the gym since November 10th, although I have run a few times. The horrible weather here has really put a stop to any running outside for the last few days.
I’m just not feeling it. I keep hoping to be inspired and to get my motivation back. Not sure what it’s going to take. At least I haven’t gained very much weight. As long as my size 12’s still fit, I’m okay. There’s just been so much going on that I don’t feel like watching every bite of food.
I think it all started going downhill when I went to Ohio. The trip was great – my mom and sisters were very impressed with my weight loss. I was sad to see how much weight my youngest sister had gained though. She has had to put on about 30 – 40 lbs and it’s all in her upper body, exactly where I gained it a few years ago. I can only hope she gets motivated to start losing some weight soon.
My biggest problem while I was there was the hotel I stayed in only had soft pillows – no foam pillows, nothing firmer. Well, I tossed and turned for the 3 nights I was there, and let me tell you, I am no good with sleep deprivation. It took me the next week to recover and catch up on my sleep.
The next weekend (December 13th) a good friend of ours was getting married in Carmel. Well, I kept checking flight prices and we were really tempted to go, but in the end we decided not to, just because we really didn’t need to spend the money. I was still recovering from my trip to Ohio.
On the 14th I ran my last race of ’08 – the Jingle Bell 5K in Somerville. Turns out it was my slowest 5K of the year. It was bitterly cold, and I had a lot of trouble breathing. That motivation thing wasn’t really there either.
On the 16th we had our holiday party for my group. One of my coworkers helped me to arrange everything, and we had a great time. I even drank a few beers. This was the first holiday party I’ve been to in the last couple of years, and I’m glad I went.
On the 18th, I finally had my gyn appointment to talk about my whacked out menstrual cycle. Well, let me tell you. The experience I had there? I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
In order to make sure there’s nothing wrong (i.e. cancer) she did an endometrial biopsy. Holy. Shit. I have NEVER experienced the kind of pain I was subjected to – and let me tell you, I’ve had some fairly painful procedures done in my 43 years. Not to mention a 7 hour marathon. It was unlike anything I could have ever imagined. I felt like my uterus was being ripped out. Anyway – just waiting on the test results. After I get them back then we have a few options to consider that will hopefully make my periods less painful.
On Friday we had Big Snowstorm #1 for the season – about 9 inches of snow in our neighborhood, and yesterday we had another 5 inches or so. Today it is COLD – only about 16° right now. Brrrrrr!
Saturday night we went to the wedding of one of Jerel’s coworkers. It was at the Intercontinental Hotel, and it was really the best wedding we’ve ever been to (other than ours, of course). Great food, great party. We didn’t get home until around 1:00 am Sunday morning, so yesterday we slept in late and just hung around the house.
So, here we are in the last week and a half of 2008. Work sucks – I’m thinking that has a huge part to play in my burnout. I’m going to have to make some changes in 2009, that’s for sure.
I am doing something a little insane this weekend. After I got back from Ohio I found out I was only 3,084 miles away from becoming a Gold AAdvantage member on American Airlines. Well, after much searching of their online booking system, I finally found a trip that would give me enough miles and didn’t cost too much money. On Friday I am flying down to New Orleans, staying overnight and most of the next day, and will be back in Boston around 1:00 am Sunday morning. I will have earned enough miles to be Gold for 2009, meaning that I won’t have to pay that pesky $15 bag check fee (and neither will Jerel since we are usually ticketed on the same itinerary). There are other perks of course, including getting to board the plane early. I decided this trip would be worthwhile since we have at least 2 or 3 trips that we’ll be making on American next year.
I need to start figuring exactly what traveling I am going to do for races next year, other than the Disney Half in March. I was seriously considering the Mardi Gras Half, but I read that Bridget isn’t going because it’s Super Bowl weekend, and that’s a big travel weekend for some of my people as there is a big conference they all go to in Arizona, so I’m still on the fence about it. I want to do the Flying Pig in Cincinnati on May 3rd, either the half or the full, but the cost of flying there is simply ridiculous. It would be less expensive for me to fly to Columbus and then drive to Cincinnati, but it might be a lot more annoying.
I might go out to California to do the Napa to Sonoma Half that Shelley is doing, but I’m already planning on tackling Nike again in October.
The other trip I need to make a decision about is our big cruise vacation to Greece & the Baltics in August. I know we will definitely do the Greek Isles portion. I am on the fence about the Baltics portion. I’m just not sure I want to spend 2 weeks on this trip, and it is pretty pricey. Jerel’s not really that into the Baltics idea anyway. One of my coworkers suggested spending a few days in Croatia, but the Greek Isles cruise disembarks in Istanbul, and there aren’t any really good flights from Istanbul into most of the Croatian airports.
Well – that’s my update on the last few weeks. I probably won’t post again until after my quick trip to New Orleans, so I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
