Thankful for a bubble bath

10,351 steps

I haven't posted much lately because I've been running around... somewhat literally.

Yea, yea.... I've notched up my paid work hours a bit, I'm managing (and living in) a home remodeling project, and do a fair amount of chasing an active 14 month old... but I'm also taking part in a 10,000 strides challenge.

Here's the deal... between now and January 4, the challenge is to take 10,000 strides (steps) a day. The official challenge has been cast by Stroller Strides. I've been teamed up with 2 other fit mamas (our team name is Love n' Strides) and our goal is to take more collective steps than all the other mama teams we're competing against to win some fun prizes.

Of course, the motivation to keep moving over the often-sedentary holidays was personally motivating. But so, too, was the curiosity about just how many steps I take each day. I was already surprised by yesterday's 10,351 total (a little under 5 miles). I didn't start counting until noon and I only went for a short jog (just under 2 miles). This means over 1/2 was from my standard errand running and walking around the house! I guess this is one reason to give thanks for the multilevels in the new place. I'm working today and driving to MN tomorrow, so the counts are sure to be lower. But isn't it awesome to be made more aware of your activity levels?

So here's to a holiday season filled with friends, family, yummy food, and 10,000+ strides.
Why don't you strap on a pedometer and join me?

Another random experience

So most of you know I spend a fair amount of time at my 'office' - otherwise known as Panera. It's generally a great place for me to get work done while also enjoying a comfy seat, warm or cold drink, and an appropriate amount of distractions.

So I'm sitting here right now during a fairly busy period. There are lots of people looking for tables. I've often seen people ask strangers to sit with them during similar times, but have never personally had the experience... until today. I saw the guy spot me and start making his way over. I tried to look down, but once you make eye contact, that's really just impossible. Of course I tell him to take a seat, even if inside I'm wondering, 'why me?!'. And down he sits...

And spreads his tray and bagel bag and coffee WAY past the 1/2 way point (when you were kids did any of your parents have to mark the 1/2 way point in the backseat to separate you & your siblings?). All of a sudden this square table seems really small. He seems so close to me. Wow. This is really awkward. I want to spread out my legs, but fearing a more awkward footsie moment keep them curled up under my chair. He's a middle aged man... kinda scraggly. And I can't lift my eyes up from my computer b/c I just feel he's staring at me. He's probably not, yea... but it feels that way when the table's so small and you can hear him chomping his food and see his mouth going up & down out of your peripheral vision. Ewww... he is a really loud chip chomper. I think they're called Krunchers brand chips, and now I know why. I wonder if people in the restaurant think we're here together... another awkward thought. Wow. I never thought just giving the poor guy a seat could be so strange.

Okay, and enough about me... I wonder how he feels. I wonder if he thinks I'm documenting his lunch today... live... just inches from his chomp, chomp, chomping.

I guess I could strike up a conversation. Maybe ask him if those Krunchers are good.

Professional Protocol

I've got a piece of advice for many of the males who have been in my home doing work over the past several weeks (no, not you, Rye & Dad) - please put down the toilet seat after you've used it! I love that you feel at home and all while working in my house... and I know there's some debate about if an up or down seat is more 'correct'.... but please just leave it as you found it. I guess I assumed incorrectly that this would be part of a standard plumber, tile, or other general laborer's house-call training.

On a related note... let me just say how awkward it is for a woman to, ahem, do her business, with a home filled with workers. Yesterday I just had to give in and ask one of them to vacate the 2nd bathroom for a minute. I couldn't hold it any longer!

Okay, how's that for a random vent after a long time of silence?

There's more to come shortly... including some pics of lots of house progress!

Breakfast, anyone?

Elynor found some good stuff on this morning's exploratory mission. Evidently she likes bittersweet baker's chocolate. Maybe because it's Ghirardelli.

Evidently she also knew it was raining this morning. She insisted on wearing her stuffed duck's jacket.

Where, Oh Where?

Is our camera battery charger?!

I'm confident the past week was the most undocumented of Elynor's life. You see, the night before Halloween, after seeing that blinking "charge battery pack" message on our camera, we realized we've got no clue where the stinkin' blue charger is! Of all the things to misplace in our crazy nomadic life... and of all times... Ahhhhh! After searching high & low and literally tearing the house apart (well, tearing it more apart than it already was) we think it's a casualty. And so is the documentation of the past week's events. And a big week it was - Halloween, Obama's election night rally, the install of our kitchen counters.

Good thing we had good friends to snap a few shots here & there. I'll share some of them soon. In the meantime, I think we'll have to look into purchasing a replacement charger. Surely we aren't the only ones to experience such a casualty.