Sunday, July 29, 2012

sugar detox and banishing batwings

Ok, I don't have batwings.  But since I haven't been able to do yoga and lots of planks, my arms are not nearly as buff as they were.  And that's not cool.  42 and fit is a whole lot better than 42 and doughy!

So my plan--sugar detox, which for those who are lucky enough to interact with me regularly means, yes, a little bitchy for a few days while my body adjusts.  And also means an end to my alarmingly frequent relationship with my friend Mike.  You know, of hard lemonade fame.  Disappointing, yet necessary.  So long Mike, it's been a slice.  In addition to kicking Mike and sugar to the curb, I'm eliminating my yummy wheat substitutes.  I don't NEED gluten-free toast with pb, I just like it.  Not carb free (hello, veggies and fruit are full of carbs!), but getting rid of the processed ones.  I will once again be the quinoa queen.  In fact, a batch is cooking right now for a fantastic salad.  It has corn, carrots, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries...omg, yummy!

Part 2 of the plan involves alot more walking and starting to run again.  Dr. Hotty-totty says I can run if I start off really slowly, I just haven't really trusted him.  Time to start, cause frankly this non-runner bit is getting old quickly.  And since my back is still not great, oh well.  I'm going to the chiro anyway.  (only don't tell him, he will give me a lecture)  It also involves figuring out what yoga exactly I can do.  Flexibility is declining and I am NOT going to be one of those old ladies.  So there.  Planks baby!  And lots of warror poses.  What else I'm not sure.  I'm still trying to figure out  how to do sun salutations without forward folds....I guess I could just skip that part.  I can do balance poses.  Hello tree pose.

So there you have it, no more sloth, no more sugar, no more Mike.  I have also decided to give up vacuuming, because it hurts my back, and frankly I'd rather do something more fun if it's going to make it hurt.  Vacuuming is highly overrated anyway.  I'll bribe a kid.  Or shave the dog and cats.  Whatever works.

Enjoy this sunny beautiful Sunday afternoon.  I'm headed out to read on the deck.  With my last Mike's from the fridge.  *ahhhh*

Monday, July 23, 2012

Sleepless

Last night was a frustrating, sleepless night.  I lay awake for hours contemplating life in general, my role in the great scheme of things, the upcoming school year (and the challenges it will bring), and listened to far off thunder--wishing, hoping it would come closer and we would get rain.  It rained for about 10 minutes yesterday afternoon, and about 1 minute during the night.  We so desperately need rain, it isn't even funny.  I found myself hoping and praying for my farmer friends that they all have crop insurance--one friend has already lost their corn crop.  Many more are going to if we don't get rain soon.  And not only corn, all of the crops are suffering.

Our grass is burned off and crisp, crunching underfoot.  So crunchy hurts to walk on in bare feet.  And it's been that way for weeks already.  I have a couple neighbours with gloriously green grass, but the hippy in me won't allow water to be wasted on something as superficial as green grass.  The water table is already low from a winter without much snow, water is too precious to waste.  And so I lay awake at night praying for rain.

See what keeps me up at night?  Between rainless night and distant thunder, reassuring the dog that she was in fact ok, no storm here, and pondering my place in the universe, it was a busy night!  The result is a tired woman who will likely descend into grumpiness before the day is over.  *sigh*

It also occurs to me that my feeling out of sorts may be because of the chelation therapy I'm doing.  One of the side effects is irritableness and changes in sleep patterns.  Something to keep an eye on.  Chelation just means I'm taking big doses of DMSA, which binds to heavy metals in my body (mercury and lead), which my body can then eliminate because they are bonded to the DMSA.  It's supposed to be helping my body heal from this stupid autoimmune disease.  If it works I will be overjoyed!  Of course it also can strip the body of other minerals and stuff, so on my off days I'm taking enough mineral supplements to replete an elephant.  DMSA smells horrible.  Good times, let me tell you.

Hubs is back to work this week, so I am left to my own devices.  Maybe I'll actually clean my house.  I started scrubbing down the kitchen the other day, but got sidetracked by the prospect of going for a walk instead.  All of these things distract me from getting any practical work done.  I'm going to have to clean soon, I think I'll lose my mind living in the mess if I don't.  **note** although it bothers me, it's not exactly like a case of Hoarders, if that's what you're thinking.  We haven't reached that state of affairs yet...emphasis on yet :)  All of our rodents are in their appropriate cages.

Speaking of walking....I think I'll take the dog for a walk.  Before it gets too hot.  And since the robin is singing of rain, the trees are blowing rain, and outside has that quiet before the rain feeling, I should do it soon.  I would hate to think my sleepness night was all for nought.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Beach baby....

I love the beach.  And I have spent the past couple of days at 2 different beautiful beaches.  Yesterday we went to Sauble Beach.  Beautiful, beautiful long expanse of sand and clean water.  Sheer bliss.  And the water was warm.  The day before we were at the beach in Meaford.  Some rocks, not as busy, all in all, my favourite local beach.  It's on Georgian Bay, and the bay is usually ridiculously cold.  However, with the extremely hot weather hot weather we've been having, it was amazingly warm.  Warm enough for a wimp like me to spend time playing in the water!

On the weekend we were at my parents trailer on Stokes Bay.  They put in a bunkhouse, an adorable little place to sleep.  I slept until 8 o'clock each morning.  The perfect antidote to a stressful couple of months.  On Sunday we went into Tobermory, which is absolutely one of my favourite places on earth.  We wandered, visited the shops, checked out the beautiful & very expensive boats (millions of $$$!) and kiddo got a gooey pb and Reese's beavertail.  A Canadian specialty decadence.  I satisfied my sweet tooth with a visit to the Sweet Shoppe (I normally abhor the cuteness of "shoppe", but given the amazing Fiery Cashew brittle, I will forgive them), and a taste of maple fudge.

While at the trailer, we also went out for a post-supper boat ride.  Beautiful!  The water was as warm as bath water, and I delighted in trailing my hand over the side.  Water as smooth as glass.  We went around some of the little islands, marvelled at how low the water is this year (drought in this part of Ontario), and enjoyed the evening breeze on my face.  I can't think of a nicer way to spend an evening!

Today a day at home, hanging out, maybe renting a movie or two.  Catching up on laundry and doing some minor tidying.  Nothing major.  I don't want to break my blissfulness with housework.  It will wait.
I hope everyone is enjoying summer as much as I am.  Canadian summer is fleeting and deserves to be treasured.  Before you know it, we will be shivering and complaining about the snow.



The sunset over Lake Huron, taken from the boat as we headed back into Stokes Bay.  Sorry it's a little pixelated, best I can do with my blackberry!



Saturday, July 14, 2012

DONE!

My 2 week whirlwind Principal's qualifications course ended yesterday!  Whew!  It truly was a whirlwind 2 weeks, class all day, homework all evening and again in the very early morning.  But I lived through it, met some fantastic people and am ready for an overdue vacation!

In that vein, instead of cleaning my disgusting house, I'm going to my parent's trailer for the weekend.  Lake Huron bliss.  And I'm not cleaning next week either--hubs has another week of holidays, and I'm spending it hanging out with him and the family.  He has held down the fort for the past 2 weeks  several months through thick and thin, it's time to give him something beyond the leftover bits of me.  The reality is that I couldn't be where I am professionally without his support.

I feel like I've been missing so much.  I read a few blogs this morning, cuddled with the dog, contemplated my piles of stuff sitting around my house and decided to completely ignore the mess and write a blog post instead.  I'm resetting my priorities :)  And with any luck my internal clock--4 a.m. is fine when you have homework to do, not so much when you are trying to relax and sleep in.  Baby steps....

Also so looking forward to time for exercise!  Still a little leery about running with my back, but I can walk and swim.  And do some careful yoga poses.  It's going to feel sooooooo good!  And time to prepare healthy meals--craving quinoa!

I'm also going to go to the Scandinave spa (a very generous gift from a student) and get totally relaxed, go get a pedicure and manicure and even maybe an eyebrow wax and haircut.  It's truly distressing to discover that you can't possibly pluck your own eyebrows anymore because blonde hairs + aging eyes = I can't see a damn thing in the mirror!  Until I'm driving in bright sunshine, and then I can see that some eyebrow grooming is long overdue--but that's another middle-aged story!

Did I mention no mores courses until next summer?  And then I've planning on doing the course in France!  Starting saving $$$ right away so I can afford that adventure.

Enjoy every last minute of this beautiful weekend.  :)  I'll see you at the beach!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

June whirlwind

My goodness, I can't believe the whirlwind that was June!  I have not read a blog or written in weeks.  And here's why:  I was promoted.  I am now an elementary vice-principal!  It`s so exciting, yet overwhelming.  I`m leaving teaching behind, and moving into the office.  The learning curve is huge, and exciting, and nerve-wracking and thrilling.  You can see the emotional rollercoaster I`ve been on.  Part of my promotion means moving to a different school.  So I have packed up my stuff, given alot away, and said goodbye to students and friends.  The past week has been very trying emotionally.  I have never had so much trouble saying goodbye to a school.  I have fabulous friends whom I won`t be seeing everyday anymore.  :(

It seems like as soon as I was told about my promotion, the emails for next year started.  I`ve been doing 2 jobs at once, which has significantly reduced my free time for blogging.  Not complaining, just an observation.  I also wrapped up my last Spec Ed course.  All time consuming.  Throw in report card writing and you`ve got the overwork trifecta!

And just for a change, Monday I`m starting my principal`s qualifications course.  It`s in Newmarket and Aurora, which is about an hour and fifteen minutes away.  So the next 2 weeks will be busy commuting, and doing homework.  It has to be done, but it will mean not much blogging or beach time!  It`s all good.....  If it gets to be too much, I may stay there for a night or two.  I'll see how it goes.

I`ve also found the perfect antidote to autoimmune weight gain--stress!  I`m not eating much, because my stomach hurts or I`m too busy, or I'm just not hungry.  I`m not running or doing yoga (back is getting better, just no time!), or watching what I eat, and I`m shrinking.  Which is ok, except not overly healthy.  It will all even out.  And next year, I won`t have any trouble, the school is 2 stories and between running up and downstairs and no time to eat, I won`t exactly be gaining.

I also will be doing chelation to reduce the heavy metal toxicity load in my body, which is the likely root cause for my friend, Hashi.  Oral chelation, so at least I`m not trying to fit visits to the lovely Tara into my crazy life.  Gluten is a piece of the puzzle, hopefully chelation will fill in the rest of the pieces and I will feel better.  But having said that, I`m also wondering if my immune system is starting to swing the other way, and cause other symptoms (like weight loss, hyperactivity).  From everything I`ve read, that`s pretty typical too.  We shall see.

I highly recommend my new chiro/sports therapist for anyone in my area who is in need.  He's awesome (and extremely easy on the eyes!).  My back and hip are sooooooo much better!  He's given me the go ahead to start doing 1 and 1 running intervals, which I will do as soon as the next 2 weeks are over.  Can't see it happening before then.  Adam is one smart cookie. 

There you have it in a nutshell.  I didn't fall off of the face of the earth, just caught up in the whirlwind.  Tornado, more like :) 

Happy Canada Day, by the way, to all of my Canadian friends.  Especially my friend Julie, who is in Virginia.  Miss you J! 

Hope you all enjoy the fireworks :)