Maybe it is just the way things go with blogs, but I have simply just not felt compelled to write in the past few weeks (months, year, etc.). Not that my life is suddenly so full that I no longer have time or anything. If anything, I have MORE time now that my commute has shrunk and my house is sold.
We could sit here and try to figure out the why and wherefore of this situation or we could just move on. I know what I prefer and since I am the one in control, you must bend to my will.
My life as of late has been consumed by two things: taking my dog on more walks and buying new clothes. The reason for the first is based on many factors. First, the weather is finally warming up and walking on the ground is much less treacherous without ice. Second, my dog has been getting a little cranky as of late and I know that inactivity has something to do with it.
As this all fits in quite nicely with my goal of losing weight and being more active, it hasn't been too difficult. Unless you count my new "habit" of the past week. You see, my father has always been a morning person and as such he is not averse to rising at an ungodly hour of the morning to jog or walk. Now that he drives over an hour to work in the morning, the hour has become even more ungodly. Like the responsible pet owner that he is, he usually takes his dogs with him on this outing.
Up until this past week, Lena and I were content to sleep through this whole routine. But in some insane fit of ambitiousness that I can only attribute to eating too many banana Nutella crepes on Easter Sunday, I asked if I could join him this week. So, for the four days he was home, I did it. I set my alarm for 4:45 a.m. (!!!) and set forth in the pre-dawn cold for a quick jaunt around the silent and dark neighborhood with my dad and three dogs.
Truth be told, once I got used to it, it wasn't so bad. I had to increase the size of my morning coffee, but it didn't kill me. I may continue to do it in the future.
The second activity that has been consuming my time (and money) is shopping for new clothes. After what felt like years where I dreaded the activity both because I knew I weighed more than I wanted to weigh and didn't want to spend money, it has become a bit alarming to find that I can suddenly fit into smaller sizes than I have in years. I am still not quite to goal weight, but it is definitely within sight. Hopefully I won't end up having to replace all my new clothes with smaller sizes, but what a nice problem to have.
My brother is in town and staying at the house with me and my parents. And our dogs. Not his dog, but the three that are normally here. It is only temporary (5 more weeks or so left), but it has changed the household dynamics a bit, mostly in terms of basement/TV time. As he is working on finishing a project for his Master's program, he needs a place to work in peace, and this happens to be the basement. Where the big TV is located.
It really hasn't been too much of a problem, except for on weekends when we are all here. With one person in control of the basement, the other three are left to fight it out for control of the remaining rooms. You wouldn't think it would be so difficult, but until the outdoors or back porch become viable options for sitting and/or relaxing, it is.
The good news is that it is temporary. (Did I already say that?) Also, it is likely that he will head back to Madison on some weekends to see his fiancee and their animal brood. Obviously, this is not an ideal situation for them either, so I am sure they are eager for it to be done.
It has had the interesting side effect of pushing me to look more earnestly at my future housing options. Obviously, I don't think it is quite the right time to make that move, but I am trying to establish resources to consult so that when the time does come I can find and jump on something quickly. I am excited by the possibility of living in a "cool" part of town for the first time in my life, but having just put my family through a move out of my old house, I am not quite ready to ask for their help again.
So for now, Lena and I are in the suburbs. We are excited for summer and for more walks around the lakes. For wearing skirts and taking trips up north. Hanging out at the farm. Driving the new riding lawnmower. Putting on sandals again. Getting a pedicure so that I can safely wear sandals again in public. The list is endless. Such is life in Minnesota at the end of winter. It's a beautiful thing.
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