VRBs (week of 12/4)

[Kathy B]

TM for me the past two days plus some weights. I planned to do the TM today, too, but ended up deciding on a rest day. Yesterday was cold and windy, today was colder and windier! Two walks with the dogs in the frigid, blowing cold, and I just decided that was good enough!

Yes, Les, 'tis the season for craft fairs and bazaars! Hard to believe Christmas is only 3 weeks away. Is Lessons and Carols a sermon series? Good job on your spin!

Tkay, the Beatles sounds like it would be a real winner! Nice when your kids appreciate some of YOUR favorite music, isn't it? What kind of workout do you have in mind? I have a band, but I confess I have never really used it other than trying it out when I brought it home. :o

Natasha, spiced nuts wouldn't last long enough for random munching around here. They sound great! Hope your spin was the remedy you needed for a trying day. :)

Sounds like a nice evening run, Vicci. The moon has been beautiful the last few nights, I agree. Have you finished your decorating?

Not much else to report. Hoping to get some shopping finished up this weekend. No travel plans here, but DD and DH tell me it was decided by my sibs at Thanksgiving that I am hosting the family get-together after Christmas. I'll have to email my sister and ask her what day and time my party is happening, and am I supposed to bring anything? :p This is how my family usually operates, though, so I am used to it....we are all very bossy. :D

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kathy - Thanks for starting. Probably good to not TM for a third straight day. Not much going here other than a good service tonight - lessons and carols. Sorry about the lessons and carols reference without a reference - the 5 lessons are related to Advent (the 4 weeks before Christmas) and the carols are Advent carols (O come, O come, Emmanuel; Come thou long expected Jesus to name two). Lessons and Carols is a tradition in the Episcopal Church (and maybe the Lutheran and Catholic too), but often is closer to or even after Christmas so you can sing Christmas Carols as opposed to Advent carols.

Getting ready for the first snowfall of the year tomorrow. They're predicting 1-2 inches by the end, and there may even be some sleet. Maybe if I get enough sermon practicing in I can swing a run in the snow. :cool:

Happy trails all,
Les

[SusanMac]

Hi gang. I've been a bit scarce lately as I was traveling for work last week (the big mecca of Champaign, IL), and I leave Mon for a business trip to Orlando.

I did get in a run in Champaign, which was fun. I was staying at the edge of campus, and inadvertently mapped out a path that didn't have sidewalks, but it turned out OK.

Ran today w/a GF who had twins in Sept. This was only her 3rd time out, and nervous b/c she had issues on the first 2 attempts. But she did great. Definitely fun to catch up with her.

Les - I didn't know there were Advent-specific carols. I just bunch them all up together in my head. DH & I are headed to a Tudor Holiday Dinner tomorrow night, and I'm really excited to be overwhelmed w/Christmas carols & decorations! Hoping it becomes a new tradition for us.

[Natasha]

Susan, enjoy Orlando and some balmy runs! Your run in Champaign reminds me of the last run I did when in the chicago area (suburbia). My choices were a skinny little path just off a busy road, or a dark, almost deserted street leading to some woods :eek: I cut the run very short and did some yoga and core in my room instead.

Lessons and Carols sounds lovely, Les! I hadn't heard of it either. Did you get snow?

Kathy, that's funny about being "told" that you are hosting. I don't blame you for skipping the run. How many dogs do you have?

I had a good run yesterday - not long, as I kind of ran out of time, but strong. We went to a Christmas party and this morning person got to bed much later than usual. So now I'm sipping coffee and relaxing.

how's everyone else doing?

[Kathy B]

Got in a good TM run yesterday. We'll see what today brings. DD is needing a little extra TLC. Teenage girl drama can be really difficult sometimes....:(

Natasha, hope your coffee was the wakeup energizer you needed! Sometimes it is worth it to be a little exhausted in exchange for a good party! :) We now have two shitzus as we aquired my mom's this summer. The new one is 4 or 5 years old and very energetic. She was just too much for my mom to keep up with. We are working on a few behavior issues as she was never really trained, but she is cute so that is what saves her when she is naughy! ;) Things are coming along.

Les, I heard an organist talking about Advent Carols vs Christmas Carols several years ago. Like, Susan, I had always just kind of bunched them all together in my mind. Did you get the predicted snow? We are supposed to have some by Tuesday.

Susan, the Tudor dinner sounds like fun. Have a safe trip to Florida (you lucky dog!). Whether you get a chance to play or not, it sounds great to be heading to a warmer climate for a few days.

Gearing up for another busy week. Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone! :)

[Leslie Ferguson]

It is funny that most people (even at our church) lump them all together. Once you know the key you never think of them the same way (Advent - expectation and the coming of Christ, carols about John the Baptist).
Kathy - I missed being volunteered for Christmas. Sounds like your family works kind of like ours does - the one whose out get the next hosting job. :cool: I hope your weekend isn't too hectic and that your DD's concerns pass without too much drama.
Nat - Good to get a run, even if it's short. Too bad you got to bed as late as you did - nice to be able to chill a little.
Susan - Enjoy FL and the Tudor dinner sounds fun to me too.

There was about 1-2" of snow in Alexandria and more in the western suburbs. Of course, folks were weirded out - even though none of the snow stuck to the roads. There was snow on the cars but the rain kept the snow from sticking on the road here. One of my classmates told us that there was a run on the grocery store yesterday morning - for <2" of snow. :rolleyes: I took a spin yesterday since it was so slushy. Today was a good day at church - two sermons went reasonably well. Now it's time to try and burn off the sugar and caffeine buzz so I can read a bunch of stuff for class tomorrow evening.

Happy trails all,
Les

[VictoriaL]

KathyB, perhaps you should take DD with you and allow her to rid herself of her troubles via exercise. Of course, I never thought of that way back in my youth-- I just stayed in my room and sulked... :)

Les, I really do not remember our (Catholic) church differentiating between Advent carols and Christmas carols, but as I enjoy seasonal music so much I am looking into what may be available around this area. I did find something very interesting:

Event Title: Lessons and Carols for Advent
Performed by: Calvary Episcopal Church Choirs joined by Chatham Baroque
Date & Time: Sunday 6 December, 5 p.m.
Venue: Calvary Episcopal Church
Chatham Baroque and a viol consort join the Calvary Choirs in the annual Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent, fusing word and song in anticipation of Christmas. Hymns for all to sing complement the choral and instrumental offerings.

Alas, it happened 4-1/2 hours ago! :( Story o' my life... Maybe next year? I'm making a note of it...

So Susan is off to sunny Orlando tomorrow-- what luck! hope that you enjoy a couple of nice, warm runs while you are there. :)

Nat I had to laugh when I read
this morning person got to bed much later than usual and noticed that you posted this at 7:59am!!! :D You really are a "morning person", are you not???

I am a slug. I haven't run since last Tuesday, so as soon as I finished with the tree this afternoon, I went out. Unfortunately it took over 5 hours to assemble and put the lights on the darn tree so, since I didn't get out until 4:15, it was a short run. But nice. Snowy and crisp (29 degrees!) and it felt good.

I just came into the living room, turned on the tree lights, and the middle third of the colored lights are out. Grrrr! To explain, I wind colored lights down each branch to the "trunk" of the tree (10' artificial), then place white lights on the outer parts of the branches. It takes forever, but it is so pretty-- until some of the lights *blow*!

So how are we all doing on holiday decorating? Or am I the only one who is feeling constantly behind schedule?!?!?

[TKay]

Run by. 45 minutes on the TM this morning. Nothing over the weekend. Migraine-induced down time. More later.

Hi runners!

[TKay]

Everyone must be out doing their holiday shopping. It's quiet around here.

I got in my usual workout this morning. I'm doing bands for my upper body. It's a series of exercises my PT gave me for my neck/hand issues. I can't be certain it's working to alleviate what I thought was arthritis pain, but it's getting my shoulders in shape. I'm also doing lunges and squats to help strengthen/tone the lower body. This is all combined with a weight walk on my beloved TM.

Les - Advent versus Christmas carols. Interesting. Funny about everyone freaking out over the snow. It's that way here with rain. First rain and everyone's out of sorts.

Vicci - We got our tree up and most of the interior decorations done. Now for the outside lights. Dh bought a ladder tall enough to reach the second story. I'm so relieved. Last year he MacGyvered a single-story ladder on top of a work bench and did a Cirque du Soleil act to get the lights up and down. Scary. Did you get your light issues handled?

KathyB - Oh, how I remember being a teenage girl. The drama. The pain. The heartache. Hope your dd is doing better. Here's to getting through your busy week unscathed.

Natasha - Glad you enjoyed the holiday party. Sorry for the missed sleep though. I love my sleep.

Susan - How was/is Orlando? The only time I was there, it was summer and hot, hot, hot. I'm sure it's beautiful now. Enjoy.

Hello to everyone I missed.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Spin by... late class (make up for one the professor couldn't teach a couple weeks ago). Sleeting here. :( Spun before class for ~30 minutes - I can't wait for classes to be over in <2 weeks.

More studying for class in the morning and praying the sleet doesn't turn to freezing rain.

Happy trails,
Les

[VictoriaL]

Tkay, your TM is now a beloved?!?! ;) Good going on the strengthening exercises, too!

Less than 2 weeks of classes, then will it be your final semester, Les? Yuck about the sleet, it just started raining here but we should get a little snow by the end of the week.

Well, apparently I inadvertently strung 6 sets of lights together without an intermediate jog to the heavy duty main extension cord in the tree "trunk", so a fuse blew when I turned them on. Another hour to locate the bad plug, replace the fuse, and reconnect in a safer manner. And now I can't find any ornament hangers! I wonder if this is a "sign"...

Today was the last nice day for a while, so I did close to 4 miles. So therapeutic, and when I returned I "almost" finished the first floor decorations. :)

Run on, all!

[Kathy B]

Vicci, I hear you about the lights saga. I hunted everywhere for the outdoor extension cord that I just bought last year, and I finally ended up going back to the store for another one. I was SURE I had stored it in the box with the lights..... Glad you got in a nice run before the weather turned, good job on the 4 miler!

Les, we have a wet snow going on here, and DD is praying that it DOES freeze as she wants a "snow day" tomorrow. :p
She may get it, too, as the roads were very slushy and slick on the way home from tonight's band concert. Good job on the 30 min spin...I am sure it is tricky to find the time right now! Did you do anything fun for your birthday, or is the celebration postponed until after finals?

Tkay, I know I should do lunges and sqats at least occasionally, but I just can't make myself do them. :o Good for you for having some self-discipline! I may try the weight walking on the TM myself. Sounds like a good idea.

Today I did a run/walk on the TM; yesterday was weights and a good 45 min run on the TM at the CC, so today I was slacking a bit. I was kind of running the rest of the day, though. DD had a swim meet after school, and I had to make up 50 snack bags for the team. Delivered those, watched her swim, then I ran home to make dinner and we were over at the HS by 7PM for her band concert. Why am I still awake? :confused:

G'night all!

[TKay]

Vicci - LOL about my beloved TM. I guess I was making fun of myself. I must love it if I spend so much darn time with it, right? Yikes about the lights! Glad you got things squared away. And great going on that run.

KathyB - I'm exhausted just hearing about your day/night. I ask dh, "How am I not the skinniest person in the world? I never sit down." Of course, that's not really true since my work is sedentary. But when the kids are around, I am always on the go. Needless to say, I feel your pain--er, fatigue. Nice way to keep consistent in spite of all your commitments.

Gee, what's on the agenda today? Uh, perhaps some TM time? I'm a broken record. What can I say?

[Kathy B]

Tkay, if it weren't for the TM, I would not be getting a lot of workouts in during the winter, so I guess I love mine a little bit. :D

We DID end up with a snow day today. I went out to shovel the snow out of the drive, and it is brutally cold with the wind blowing. Even the dogs don't want to go out! I got in a good strong TM run while I watched the DVR of last night's SYTYCD.

Cleaning and baking lined up for today. I have DD cleaning her room...gotta make use of these snow days, right? (Don't worry, she slept in until 10:30 and has been on FB for at least an hour already. I am not completely unreasonable!) :p

[Natasha]

I can relate to the treadmill adoration ;) I love mine too and did a 5 mile run on mine very early today, before work. It's been a long while since I was so motivated for an early morning run and enjoyed one so much!

Les, glad you survived the "big storm" ;)

Vicci, yes, I really am a morning person! Though I do occasionally have trouble initially rolling out of bed, once I've woken up a bit, I function best on the whole during the morning. You have six strings of lights on your tree?? We have two and until recently had just one.

Our decorating is done other than hanging the stockings. It was pretty easy though - our artificial tree was up in a snap, and our outdoor decorations are quite simple.

Kathy, thanks for the update on the dogs. Hope they get along! Your snow day sounds cozy.

TKay, that's great that you're getting in all that weight training. I've been trying to do more, with so-so success.

Susan, bet you're glad you're in Orlando and not shovelling snow!

Take care, all, and stay warm :)

[VictoriaL]

KathyB, take care while shoveling that heavy, icy snow! I wonder why you didn't count that as your workout for the day... ;) And your outdoor extension cord situation was for me, this year, my ornament hooks!

DD had a swim meet after school, and I had to make up 50 snack bags for the team. Delivered those, watched her swim, then I ran home to make dinner and we were over at the HS by 7PM for her band concert. Why am I still awake?
Good heavens.... :eek: Why were you typing coherently?!?!?

Tkay, more often than not, I let the weights slide by if I'm pressed for time. I know that I shouldn't...

Nat, we have 14 or 15 strings of 100-lights on the tree (watch our electric meter spin out of control!!!). :rolleyes: I love it, though, my favorite Christmas decoration. It has a mix of ornaments from mine and DH's childhoods, plus a lot from my Gram and great-Aunt, and some newer ones as well. I just wish I could get it totally done, to my satisfaction, in under 7 hours!

Today I did not let some weight-time get away from me. :) With temps forecast to be in the mid-20's for the next couple of days, I'll be on the EB, too. But not tomorrow-- it's our anniversary and we plan on a "together day", any type of work not included!

See you all on the next one!

[TKay]

Happy anniversary, Vicci! What number is this (if you don't mind sharing). Hope you two enjoy your non-work day together. :)

[Natasha]

Popping in to wish Vicci a happy anniversary!

Rest day here. It's freezing out (not the reason for the day off, but a fact!). Off to make herbal tea.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kathy - I laid low for my birthday - in fact I went to class that evening. What a great way to celebrate a birthday right? But that's the story of my life since my birthday shows up at the end of the semester of the school year.
Vicci - Happy Anniversary to you. I hope it was a good one.

I got a birthday wish from... Seathyme... I hope she's well - it looks like it.

Claiming a spin today. Not too long but still a good spin of 30 minutes. It's odd, there are only 3 more classes and 4 more projects and this semester is over. :eek: But there's still a push ahead (one of the projects is a 15 page paper).

I thought I'd share a video that one of my classmates shared with me for my birthday. It was Aliens sing Happy Birthday (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yolLqx6k1OM&feature=related). LW and I were ROTFL.

Happy trails and keep warm - it's supposed to top out at 34 tomorrow. :eek:

Les

[Kathy B]

Getting ready to head into work, but adding on the thread to say

Happy Anniversary Vicci!
(and your DH, too, of course)

Wishing you all a warm day! (I can WISH for it anyway...:))