Cool Runnings & my new Phone

Running: I ran outside once this week and spent most of the time slipping and trying not to slip. It was icy. It didn't help that when I was running into the breeze, the wind blew my warm breath back on my face, thus fogging up my glasses. It was 5 am. I could barely see anyway, since it was dark, but with fogged-up glasses I REALLY couldn't see. Why run with glasses? I'm too lazy to put in contacts in my sleepy eyes that early in the morning, and I need something to help my eyesight - so glasses. Fogged glasses, though, are worse than no glasses. So I tried taking them off. Of course, then I really couldn't tell if I was about to step on an icy patch or not. I put them back on and kept wiping them off with my gloved fingers. Until my gloved fingers got too damp and then the dampness froze (it was, after all, 20F, with a windchill around 14F). So blindly slipping on my run - which happened to be a "hills only" run - I found myself not working on a fast time or on good form (hard to do when my limbs are flailing to keep me upright), but simply trying to SURVIVE my morning "run." I had visions of crashing to the pavement up on the dry farms where the only traffic is the occasional potato truck - the very very BIG potato truck. The big potato truck that of course wouldn't see a blinded runner sprawled on the icy road. I ran in fear because my mind began going a little crazy, but the imagined disasters did give me a rush of adrenaline and the courage to pick up the pace...until I turned back into the wind and ran with fogged up eyesight again. And I slipped. A lot. But luckily I never fell.

Resolved: I'm not going to ruin a season by twisting my ankle on a piece of black ice or waste a run by having to walk because I can't see, or risk my life because of a potato truck (okay, I know the potato trucks don't run in the winter, but what if some farmer decided to drive the truck at 5 am on the lonely dark road, you know - just for fun?).

So back to the treadmill it is. I've been watching documentaries on my iPad (streaming via Netflix) during my morning runs. I know - it might seem boring to others. But I love that I'm exercising my body and educating my mind. I can hold on to the side so I don't slip. The iPad is close enough that I don't even need my glasses. And, as a bonus, I'm not about to be run over by a potato truck.

In winter, I love my treadmill.

Swimming: For two whole days our Endless Pool was functioning. I swam about seven times on those two days - three on my own and four with the kids. We had to turn it off and close it up though until we get the decking and skirting built, and until we get the cover mounted. The warmed-up pool was putting way too much humidity into the air, ruined two doors, and made our electrical bill sky-rocket. When the cover is on, it will control humidity and help keep the pool at a decent temperature with less cost. So this week our carpenter will start the woodwork. I only had it two days, but I miss it!!! Can't wait for it to be functioning again.

Reading: My sister-in-law introduced me to some really fun mystery/cooking books. I've read Lemon Tart, English Trifle, and am reading Devil's Food Cake. The last one is Key Lime Pie. Such fun books. A normal ol' lady who loves to cook, is very perceptive, and just happens to be around when disaster strikes. She uses her common sense, her powers of observation, her persistence, and her personality - and her good food - to glean information, piece it all together, and ultimately find out whodunit.

Cooking: I love the back and white soup on the earlier post. My kids love it, too. This week I hosted a crepe-making activity, which was tons of fun. And delicious. I also made fudge and spent a day making applesauce (and bottling it) with my mom. I know, kind of late in the canning-season, but the apples were fine waiting until I was ready. I can't remember everything I baked this week, except that I made baked potato soup on Wednesday, and a slow-cooked in the dutch oven beef roast on Thursday. Friday was a Christmas party dinner so I didn't cook, and today Jeff made fresh pasta for dinner (which was, as always, outstanding).

Oh, I used some of the fudge today to make into a French Chocolate (hot chocolate) drink. Very rich. Very very yummy.

I think I need to get back on the treadmill.

Other: I seem to have bad luck with phones. I already broke one phone this summer (it had been Jeff's phone at one time), which Jeff graciously replaced with his current old phone (and then the poor guy had to buy himself and upgraded phone). This week his old phone that was now my phone got sick. Sick to the point that it wasn't really working. So Jeff bought me a brand new one (no hand-me-downs this time). He also bought me a hard-sided shell and immediately put the phone in the shell before we even left the store. Huh. I can take a hint. :) Kind of fun to have a new phone, though. My calling & texting plan is pretty limited (apparently AT&T says I'm not a heavy phone user) so I won't be using it tons. Not for phoning, anyway. I'll be using it for other stuff - reading, playing games, checking the weather, logging my runs, browsing...you know, all the things you'd expect from a phone.