another day, another year

It's been 10 days since I last posted, not quite what I meant to happen in this gratitude season. Although, as one lovely woman put it "I'm behind in posting my gratitudes, not feeling them."  Which is rather the whole point -- to take a minute, or several, and find the calming thanks in the day, in our lives.

So, there's a small slew of photos to come, representing some of the things that have made me grateful in the past two weeks.  Holiday lights, smooth travel, catching up with a friend I'm not sure I've seen in person in almost 15 years.  Free champagne.  Giggling with El Bandito.  The lakeshore on a morning run.  The lakeshore, from the other side, on a chilly afternoon with a dark snowstorm on the horizon.
They'll come, when I download them from devices or swipe them from El Bandito.  Or they won't, but I will have held those moments and their messages in my heart in gratitude. Either way.

And today?  Today I turned 40.

It was a good, and low-key birthday. Thoroughly spoiled by El Bandito and my sister, brother-in-law, and parents.  Given a perfect gift from the inlaws of donations to three charities I fully believe in.  Had a walk with El Bandito, lunch with my designated "best friend", dinner with the family.  A crazy workout sequence from my conditioning coach which let me hit my "40 for 40" goals (40 reps of each of a dozen exercises, in a flowing sequence repeated 10 times with recovery exercises inbetween).

It was a good day. It's been a good year, and I have no reason to believe 2013 will be any different. More adventures, together and apart.  More meals with friends and hikes and travel.

Somewhere I never imagined...

Titling this got Somewhere Over the Rainbow stuck in my head.

That's not entirely inappropriate.

I don't even have words for how grateful I am for trapeze and all that it has brought me.

El Bandito took this during the weekend's shows -- the lighting was bad (although there are some good photos and decent video).

If you'd asked me in college, I would have said there was no chance of my doing anything like this. Rock-climbing and kayaking were the limits of what I knew as extreme.

If you'd asked me in grad school, I was depressed and cranky. I would probably have snapped at you.

If you had asked me, even in the first few years after I discovered that ordinary people could try things at a circus school, if I'd ever perform, I probably would have laughed.

And then sometime in the last few years, I was willing to try it. Terrified, but anxious to move forward and do something, not just the physical challenge of it, but a mental/psychological one too.

Trapeze has given me a higher level of fitness than I ever expected, the chance to do extraordinary things on a random Sunday afternoon, and several of my closer friends.

And... I'm looking for more performance venues. (Don't worry, Bandito, I'm not quitting the day job...)

the big one

This post should have happened on Saturday, to coincide with El Bandito's birthday. So, reset your mental clocks -- it's Saturday! Whooo!

But my extreme gratitude for El Bandito doesn't really know about calendars. He deserves it each and every day.

This past year has been one where I've gotten to try new things, explore new worlds.
And through it all, he's been there, supporting, encouraging, beaming with pride.

Standing by the side of the course during my first half-marathon, slapping my hand in a high-five as I ran past, cheering me on as I crossed the finish.

When I said I wanted to go dance on walls at a local aerial dance studio weekend, he said "that sounds like something you'd really enjoy. go for it".

When I performed trapeze publicly for the first time (and then, months later, the 2nd, third and 4th times), he was watching from the audience. Proud of me for being there, for doing it. Taking photos and grinning at me.

When I decided this summer that I wanted to not go to a work-related conference but instead go to an aerial dance workshop  camping in the mountains that overlapped on the calendar, he approved.  He lent me his camera, and told me to come home with stories. That workshop might have been the longest we've gone without hearing each other's voice (or at least email) in the entirely of our 19 years together.  It was an incredible, amazing experience for me, made even sweeter by how happily he welcomed me home.

These are just some of the big things. This year's been so full, mostly in a wonderful way. Having El Bandito by my side, telling me to ahead and try? An amazing and awesome gift.

And then there are so many little things. The tasty dinners, the clean kitchen, the way he brings me coffee in the morning. The way he can make me laugh until I start wheezing. The inside jokes. The way we sometimes finish each other's sentences (although sometimes he also complains when I don't complete my sentence because I assume he can fill in the rest). The way he puts my shoes away, even when I've intentionally left them for easy access.

And for a lovely Saturday birthday brunch, followed by a stroll and tasty rice pudding on a chill gray December day.

Who knew we'd grow together so well?  From two young kids to now, it's been a turbulent ride.  Thank you, dearest husband. Happy Birthday. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: You rock my world. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it.

gratitude, a mess of days

Because the last few days have been oh-so-busy. In good ways, but oh-so-busy.

And the point of this "gratitude blogging" isn't to make it a chore, but to take a few moments every day to think about the things I'm grateful for.

I've actually done that a lot in the last few days.  I've been doing a trapeze show this weekend -- fairly informal, a bit like a student recital rather than the themed show that we did in the spring.  It takes up time, but there's also a lot of "hurry up and wait", and blog posts don't get written during hurry up and wait. Instead, thoughts get filed.

So: Gratitude, day 13?
the easy run in the park I jammed into my schedule. I didn't have time. But I needed that hour where I breathed in and moved in an entirely different way. The air was crisp and the light slanted and beautiful.

Gratitude, day 14.  Watching a five-year-old girl perform a hand-balancing act with her father. It was adorable, and life-affirming, and it was a day that needed that.
The show we're doing is very kid-oriented, and it was just delightful to see the smiles and the laughter after the news.

neck hang

Last week, for the first time ever, I did neck hang on a hoop. Which is pretty much what it sounds like -- you hang with the back of your neck against/over the hoop (or bar, or rope loop, depending on your apparatus), with your head on one side and your body arched.

I've been working on this trick on trapeze for what seems like *forever*.  Last week, trying it on the hoop, it suddenly clicked, the way that the weight needs to be proportioned, where the hoop needs to be placed on the back of the neck, how to get into it, how to hold it.

Then, the next day, I did it on trapeze. Not a fluke.

This week, I repeated it on hoop. My coach told me to tell my husband I should get champagne. Ahem, Bandito, I see bubbly in my future, oui?

There is something so fundamentally satisfying about finally getting a trick I've been working on for such a long time. It felt like a gift.

real mail

A postcard from Singapore.
A Christmas card and holiday note (with *adorable* photos of my current favorite toddler) and her dads.

Most days, the post just contains bills and ads.  Getting too pieces of personal mail in one day? Pretty awesome.

In college, and in the early years of graduate school, I had friends with whom I corresponded. Letters. Actual missives on paper, though we also took advantage of emails.  I have boxes of those old letters stored away, though every few years I cull some.  We decorated the envelopes. we drew pictures and told stories, and... yeah, I miss getting such lovely things in the mail. It's not like I kept it up either though.

Every once in a while, I get inspired to send a postcard or two to distant friends.  And I'm ever so pleased and grateful when such things find their way into my mailbox.

unexpected creme brule

There's a "Creme Brule" cart in my city (and now they've got a truck, and a walk-up shop window).  It was a brilliant idea, and they seem to get enough business to keep 'em going and expand the business.

I wasn't expecting them to be there on a Sunday afternoon. So it was a delightful surprise to come down the block and spot them across the street.  Delicious.  And I love when simple errand running turns into a spontaneous little date.

So many awesome little things in my life.

coyote snarl

I didn't really want to run today.

But I'm trying to get my miles in despite all of my time training trapeze right now -- it's up in the air as to whether I'm really doing a half marathon in early February, but if I am I need to get miles in the bank.

Which is all beside the point.

It was a beautiful day for a run. Perfect weather, late afternoon slanted sunlight. And I was still feeling cantankerous when I headed out the door.

Only a minute or two into my run, I stopped.
Because trotting across the open field in the park was a coyote.
I know that there are coyotes in the park. There are warning signs and I've seen photos.
And I've always hoped to see one. I like predators.

Nonchalant, she stopped, watched me. Circled cautiously, crossing the path about 10 feet from me. We were both just watching each other. Casual, but very aware.
She sauntered a little off the path, and I started moving again, but slowly, watching her agile form.
And as I watched, she lifted one edge of her upper lip into a snarl -- aimed not at me, but at the two large poodles coming down the path behind me.

It felt like a gift. a little moment.

The rest of my run didn't measure up to the beginning. But what does that matter?

the friday pilates gang

I started doing pilates as part of my rehab post shoulder surgery.
I kept doing it because it was a great complement to aerial -- working core strength and flexibility in a much gentler fashion.

Along the way, I stumbled into a small group (class size is capped at 5) of folks who show up every week.  Who make me smile and laugh, even while we're holding crazy poses and E. is telling us to breathe and to drop our shoulders.

The camaraderie is part of the fun. It's why I keep that weird Friday slot in my workout schedule.

post-workout hot shower

Today's gratitude? Nothing profound. Nothing verbose.  But 3.5 days after we lost our hot water, we have a new hot water heater.I came home tonight after a hard trapeze class with a few new tricks and running my act a few times. I must say, having a hot shower, in my own home rather than the gym?  Pretty darn awesome. It'll be a while before I take that entirely for granted again.

today's text messages

We're on day 3 of no hot water. Monday's gratitude for clean water hasn't entirely deteriorated, but the annoyances of dealing with less-than-reality-based landlords and lack of hot water in our homem shower have gotten old already.

Today was full of annoyance.  Mixed with a little fear and trepidation, thanks to a bit of  health-related news that wasn't entirely optimal. Nothing major, but still not the sorta thing you really want to hear or deal with.

But I got a handful of texts from a small group of folks who'd been waititng to hear the news.  Full of support and genuine caring.  Sometimes, this short-attention-span, digital-theater, crazy snippets of technology world?  Sometimes, it allows people simple and quick connection.

And after circus time and dinner and margaritas with a good friend, I'm no less appreciative of those messages of love and offers of assistance.

the old workhorse

There's pumpkin pie in the oven right now.  Over Thanksgiving, I made an excess of pie crust, trying out gluten-free crust for the first time, since El Bandito has been having some nasty reactions to wheat.

I'd frozen the extra crust, but then moved into the fridge on Sunday with grand plans. Today was sort of the last chance to use it.  I didn't actually make pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. I made pumpkin cheesecake and cranberry-meringue tart, but no pumpkin pie. Seemed like the thing to do with the remaining crust. So after my run, and eating some of the delicious soup El Bandito made, I pulled out the KitchenAid...

The KitchenAid just makes baking easier. Minimal dishes, minimal cleanup -- I love my kitchen scale, too, for the way it has simplified the measuring cup situation.

El Bandito's parents gave us this KitchenAid mixer for a wedding present -- they spoiled us with it and with a Cuisinart, which is probably El Bandito's favorite kitchen appliance. Well, that, the mandoline, or the immersion blender. The man likes his gadgets.

But this? This is my workhorse.  With an extra bowl and an extra paddle, for those days I end up making complicated pastries and am too impatient to wash and dry.

So, it's nothing drastic or profound, but today, I'm simply thankful for the things which make life easier, and for the smell of pumpkin pie starting to drift through the house.

hot water

The hot water heater quit this morning.

Pretty strange thing to put in a "gratitude" post, eh?

I admit, it made us pretty grumpy -- especially because our landlord isn't the easiest guy to deal with.

But we managed.  El Bandito has the flexibility to work at home today; I can work at home tomorrow if necessary to accommodate the plumbers.

And frankly? we're pretty lucky. We *have* hot water, the vast majority of the time. We have resources if something goes wrong. We have schedule flexibility. We can always shower at the gym if necessary.  We can heat water on the stove to wash dishes if necessary. Annoying, but not really that bad.

Sent off a little extra to charity:water when I finally got to work. Because I may not have had a hot shower this morning, but I have clean water to drink. And the opportunity to help a little bit for those who don't.

eating ice cream in the rain

Much of my weekend is filled. (actually, most of my MONTH is filled). With fun things, but without lots of room to just say "hey, let's _____."  I'm starting to actually run my trapeze act getting ready for a show mid-month; I'm training for a half-marathon in February.  So yesterday's goals were: drag self to circus gym, run act at least twice.  later, go for a 5-6 mile run. Goals accomplished.

When I told El Bandito my plans in the morning, I stated them in short declarations.
And added "then date." He obliged.

It's pouring rain over here on the left coast. Nowhere near cold enough for an outdoor ice rink. Sloppy and sloshy. We didn't skate. (photo by El Bandito)

But we wandered around downtown with the bustle and the holiday shoppers and the rain.  Ooohed and aaahed at the cuteness of the adoptable kittens and puppies in a joint venture between the SPCA and a large department store.  Ate ice cream before dinner, with rain dripping on us, while we watched small children wobbling on their skates in the puddled ice.  It's not the first time we've eaten ice cream in the rain.

Stopped for dinner on the way home. Sat in the car for 10 minutes after parking at home to finish the rest of the short story being read on the radio.

I'm grateful that we can fit an hour or two of just hanging out time into a busy weekend. I was grinning watching the ice rink.

it's December, y'all

Said with the closest thing to a Texas accent that I can muster.

and I have so many stories to catch up on, so many thoughts I'd like to share here, not because I think there are that many people who want to read them, but because it's a bit of a way to keep track.

This isn't that post. And maybe those posts will never happen. 

Instead, I'm reposting something from just about a year ago, updated.

Three or four years ago, I found a lovely blog in December, which actually belonged to an old friend who is Texan through and through, in all the best ways, far as I can tell. She had started a project called "30 days to a grateful heart" -- to consciously find, for the busy holiday season, things that made her thankful.

Two years ago, she invited people to join her. Last year the circle grew.

The exercise made me more aware of the little things, and the big ones, that make up my days. And made me think about *why* I'm grateful for those things.

Most days, I do know how awesome my life is. But it's easy to get caught up in the details and the annoyances. Sometimes, I need to stop and think about all the things that make my life so awesome.

So, today, I'm starting another month of recognitions. 

And I'm starting it simply, just like I did last year.

Thankful for the reminders.  For this idea, and the community I've seen grow around it.

Happy December, y'all.  I'm glad my path crossed that of a fabulous Texas lady so many years ago.  

mountain time

Eighteen years ago, I drove across a corner of Wyoming on my way to graduate school.

I fell in love.
With the sky, with the vistas, with the canyons and the rock.
Oddly, I didn't go up to the northwestern corner, where the famous national parks are.
Fell in love, but fleetingly. I bought guidebooks and trailmaps and daydreamt about returning for long backpacking trips through the Wind River Range.

Graduate school intervened.
I went to the nearest mountains in brief snippets -- a weekend here, a day hike there.  Somehow, the 2+ hour drive to the western edge of the sierras, eventually changing to 4+, seemed prohibitive, so I didn't spend much time up there. El Bandito, native New Yorker, is still a city boy at heart, and that too probably constrained my travel more than it ought.

I finished graduate school, sloughing off the weight that years of situational depression had pressed into my shoulders. We started to take vacations! again. My daydreams returned to the mountains. Finally we planned a Canadian trip, exploring the Canadian Rockies and travelling across to Vancouver.

I fell in love again, scrambling up trails, eating my sandwich in the rain, standing in a glacial basin with a ridiculous grin on my face. El Bandito and I had stupid fights in Vancouver that trip, because I didn't want to be in a city. I didn't want to be heading home. I wanted the mountains.

We've been back to the Canadian Rockies, for short but intense bursts of mountain hiking most late summers since, except when injuries have gotten in the way.  We've been snowed on, rained on, hiked in beautiful clear skies.  I'm already dreaming of the next trip.

This year, however, we took advantage of an offer from friends, and went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Spent 5 days hiking in Grand Tetons, watching the smoke from wildfires near town and glad they were in the next range over -- a place I also wanted to hike, but not when the canyons are filled with smoke and flame.

The town was strange, although probably no more so than most somewhat isolated, very touristed mountain areas. Not a non-white face to be seen.

Leaving was easier this time. Not because the mountains were any less beautiful, not because the hiking was too hard (far from), not because I'm any less in love. But because I had two more mountain trips planned for the late late summer.  Because I knew that 10 days later, I'd again be sauntering down a trail, breathing in the vistas and the thin air at altitude.

And probably, because my life is so full. Oh, I dream about packing it up and moving to the mountains. Of saying "screw this job" and going freelance, which would give me so much more flexibility than currently. But my friends, El Bandito, El Bandito's job and preferences, this city, and did I mention circus? I'm not ready to give those up just yet.

So my love for the mountains continues to be a long-distance affair, with intense passionate bursts refilling my heart. Happiest on a mountain-top, or a trapeze.

Maybe I just don't like gravity.

you spin me right round...

This year has been the year of trying new things, if that wasn't obvious.  I don't know that it's actually more so than any other year, but I'm certainly highlighting them more by occasionally, even though infrequently, writing them down. (Or, in cases like this, starting a post and not returning to it for two months...)

A few years ago, I decided to branch out a little from trapeze, and spent an hour playing on the aerial hoop (aka lyra). I came bruised and grinning, with scrapes down my spine. I thought I should do more, but I never made it happen.

Until this summer. This summer, I had the opportunity to take the hoop a little more seriously, and I jumped at it.

Hoop's challenging for me in different ways than trapeze. The rigidity of the hoop lets me work at the edges of my flexibility, though it also requires me push my back arch more than I'm accustomed to.   But it's disorienting.

And you spin! It's rigged from a single point, so there's no front or back. You use your body to generate momentum for spins, you use the spin to generate momentum and flow for your tricks.

It's disorienting. Dizzying.  Perspective-shifting.

Apparently, I needed that in my life.  Each week, the lead-up to hoop class is equal parts excitement, anticipation and mild dread... and the end of class is a mixture of satisfaction, relief and joy. Can't complain.



(Next up, mountain time! assuming I ever start to catch up on posting...)

flying through the air ...

not necessarily with the greatest of ease.

I fell in love with aerial and circus arts without ever trying the circus apparatus that everyone knows: the flying trapeze.

About a year ago, I did my very first swing on the flying trapeze -- one of my pals was an instructor and just threw me up there one evening.  It was a little terrifying... no, more than a little terrifying. And yet, a great adrenaline rush.  But I never got back up there.

Over Memorial Day weekend, a friend came to visit from out of town. She, El Bandito, and I all went and took a beginner's drop-in flying class -- some super basic tricks, and after about the 4th time I stopped being incredibly terrified about the height.  The funny thing is that the fear went away as soon as I had a good grip on the bar; it was standing on the platform that made me shaky!

so far, it's been a great year of trying new things, even if I'm lax about documenting them here.
So much more to come!

upside-down? Sideways? what's vertical?

It's been a good year so far, despite having a mild case of pneumonia. It's been a year for gently pushing my own limits, though each step makes me want to jump further from my comfort zone.

adventure #1: the half-marathon. currently deciding what organized race is next, although enjoying my maintenance running. Two short runs on the horizon, one to accompany a friend on her first 5k race. Another just to have fun with the craziness of a Color Run. But another half, I think, in the future. Could i train for, and run, a marathon? sure. But running's my secondary love; I don't want to compromise circus time for marathon training.

adventure numero dos:  Vegas, baby, Vegas.  The tail end of a fun road trip exploring Death Valley with El Bandito, while both of us were a touch under the weather. Fancy duds, a good meal, a fun Cirque du Soleil show, an awesome room service breakfast. I'd never been to Vegas -- over the top. Very over the top. Not my usual kind of scene -- I'm more about "the less well-traveled path" but it was fun for a short trip. I could return for Cirque Week, as long as I got to balance it with more outdoor time.

adventure iii:  the circus showcase. I've been looking for an opportunity to perform for a while. But wasn't sure how I'd like it. Answer: LOVE IT.  Once my hands were on the bar, the apprehension disappeared. Sure, watching video, I can see spots I need to work on, facial expressions to relax, hand gestures to refine. But I had a blast. Bummed it was only a single show.  And it was so much fun to be part of creating something with a large group of people, of doing transitions from act to act that were entertainment themselves.

I've had a couple smaller adventures in the last week.  I spent an hour playing on the aerial hoop (aka lyra) with an accomplished friend.  I spent both afternoons this weekend in an aerial dance workshop where I hung from ropes and danced on walls and had a fabulous time.  In my aerial work, I've been focused on either learning specific tricks and skills, or rehearsing and refining my routine. It was so fun to just play. That's something I want to bring more of into my life: time to play.  And this was definitely chalienging -- not just physically, but psychologically, especially since I leapt in to a group of "advanced" dancers (despite my lack of dance training).

I don't know what's next -- we're talking about our vacation plans and whether we're doing a big trip in the winter for my birthday... but I'm loving this year of adventure. I want MORE.  There will be backcountry hikes, and sea kayaking. and more play!

finally.

Saturday night was a circus show.

A scaled-down, one-night only showcase for the circus school I go to.  Previous showcases (before the school's implosion in early 2011) were full weekend events, with 4 shows, and tickets costing $20. This was a free show.

None of this diminishes my joy in *finally* having gotten to perform a trapeze act.

It was tremendous fun to be part of a show, with silly transition acts and group dance numbers (that was pretty ridiculous).

I want to do it all again. Now!

As exhausting (physically, mentally) and time-consuming as the training and rehearsals were, I still want to do it all again.

Damn addictive trapeze.

I've got drafts of posts written. About road-tripping with El Bandito, about watching sunrises over salt flats. About running, and about discovering I had mild pneumonia three weeks before the show.

But I was simply too busy in March, once I recovered from aforementioned pneumonia, to finish any of those thoughts. This was worth it.

Finally.
Again!

faster than anticipated.

I spent the day before the half-marathon coughing and cranky, although I did fit in a lovely 4-mile walk with a friend and an ice-cream date with El Bandito. We were smart enough to go park the car in the neighborhood of the finish line, and then wind our way home via a grocery store, public transit, and the fancy new ice-cream shop and soda fountain.

I've had this lingering chest congestion (which I still have) for a couple of weeks, and it was worse the day before the half-marathon than it had been. So I was a little worried.

There are advantages to a race in one's own backyard. I got to go back to bed after eating breakfast. El Bandito came and saw me off at the start -- the previous two years, I've done the 5K at this race, so he's gone straight to the finish rather than the start, to be sure of getting there in time. This year, he got to see the chaos of nearly 10000 people, and then head off to mile 6 to wait for me.


I was afraid I was going out too fast. But it felt good. and I did force myself to take my scheduled walk breaks.
I got to high-five El Bandito and keep on moving.

Two friends were standing on a corner at mile 7ish, and that was awesome.


I need to remember to do either gu, sharkies, or something a little sooner -- I swallowed half a stinger waffle around mile 8, but that was later than I should have.

El Bandito was waiting around mile 12 again, then at the finish.

I had fun. I crossed the finish line smiling, and didn't even think to check my time...

which was better than my stretch goal.

it was actually a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.

I'll do another.

the year is flying...

2012.

It's hard to believe it's already February.
And February, short month that it is, is already booked.

Sunday, I'm running a half-marathon.
Aside: how the hell is it I'm getting a cold now? (Apart from the fact that El Bandito's been sick intermittently for the last 3 weeks, and I've been fighting it off and fighting it off.  I'm going to be very cranky if I'm sick on Sunday. (See previous instances of bad timing).

Later this month, I'm auditioning a trapeze piece.

El Bandito and I are taking a long weekend trip to the desert (lowest, hottest, driest National Park). I am excited.

El Bandito is job-hunting -- not because he doesn't have a job, but because it's time to move on. I should be doing the same. I am, just much less actively. Because one thing my job does give me is time -- and giving that up will be hard.  Vacation time, for which I have more adventure ideas than I can afford -- or fit even into my generous vacation time. Flexibility, so I can run out the door to a trapeze class. or take an hour-long run at lunch.  Time to day-dream -- and I am full of adventurous day dreams right now.

One friend just returned from a (nearly) spontaneous week in Thailand. Three other friends returned from seeing an amazing circus festival in Paris.  Another friend is off to Hawaii.  Despite our 2011 being *stuffed* with travel, I want to go more places and do more things.

How the heck I'm going to fit it in? I don't know. Maybe I'll think about that on Sunday, since I'll have a couple of hours to think while running...

I just hit enter...

on the registration for my first ever half-marathon.

Despite the fact that my long run today didn't go well -- not enough sleep, not well-timed nutrition, too much sun, and legs much too tired from the week's workouts, even though I only ran one other time this week.

I may not finish it quickly. I certainly won't run every step.
But I'm fairly confident that barring injury, I'll do just fine. It won't be under 2 hours. It will probably be under 3.

And really, it's about the challenge to myself. I turn 40 late this year (how the heck? I swear I just hit 30.  Somehow, a half-marathon seems like a good way to kick off the year.

and hopefully, trapeze performance at the end of March, although I'm half-afraid I'll jinx it by even mentioning it.

and then, we'll see.
I came up with the crazy idea of hiking the Torre del Paine circuit in Patagonia for my 40th birthday, if I can get some friends who are equally as crazy to join me.

But first things first. Wish me luck.

how is it the second week of January?

2012 keeps flying.  The holidays already seem a long time past.

There's a lot going on already in 2012, most of which I won't talk about publicly. At least, I won't talk about it publicly unless and until things are more definite. So, I'm a little more on edge.

Which probably means that it's a very good thing that I am (somewhat haphazardly) training for a half marathon on Superbowl Sunday, though I haven't yet fully committed to it. We'll see how this weekend's long run goes -- it's weird training on 2-3 runs per week, but I can't fit any more in around circus training. That's more important to me, even though it has less tangible goals right now.

However, last Saturday's long run was beautiful. A lovely morning run with some good hills and beautiful vistas and a good pace for the 10 miles of running (11.5 with walks and warm-up/cool-down).

Normally I'd do my long run on Sundays, to give my body a day off after the week's crazy workouts. This past weekend, however, I was holding Sunday open for a hike with a pal. I wasn't sure if she could make it, but she surprised me slightly by jumping on the opportunity Saturday night. The weather continued to be gorgeous. The scenery was amazing, and the company awesome as always.

It's good to have these times, where my needs for exercise and company are met simultaneously.

the first evening of 2012

I am sitting on the sofa with one cat curled around hugging my left thigh.
The other cat is on my right shin, left foot, and El Bandito's arm.
El Bandito is dozing on the other end of the sofa.

I had ...

a lazy morning.

a completed NYT Sunday crossword.

a lovely long run in the park this afternoon.

A good dinner and delicious wine.

2012 is off to a delightful start.

Happy New Year!

I have half a dozen half-finished gratitude posts. They may find their way up yet. They may not. The last week or so of December, one of the things I've been most grateful for? free time, and lack of (too many) responsibilities, even self-imposed ones.

I love how Jote's project has spread, and how many people have found things in their lives to be thankful for.

2011 was a good year for me, for us.  Ups and downs, like any year, but full of travel and adventure and fun and friends and family.

Sometimes, I wish I could find that myself as angst-filled teenager and tell her -- your life won't be anything like you imagine. But it will be *awesome*.  Having that urge makes me realize just how lucky I am.

Life is an ongoing adventure.  May 2012 bring you and yours (and me and mine, for that matter) joy, peace, and a whole new set of fun and exciting challenges -- in the best possible ways.