I've complained quite a bit this winter about the weather--the temps have been at record lows, and the snow has been at record highs. This has been the most "wintery" winter I've ever experienced. This morning, when it was time to walk the boys to the bus stop, it was so hard to get motivated to put on my coat and boots, and step outside, especially when I saw just how cold it was out there:
(It's actually kind of funny, though... -9 doesn't seem nearly as cold as it did two months ago. After seeing -30, the -9 doesn't look so bad!)
The boys and I walked to the bus stop, and I was completely amazed at what had happened to the trees overnight. They were absolutely beautiful! They all had little ice crystals all over them, making them appear white. I took a few pictures, but of course they were much prettier in person.
I took a few more a little while later, when it was lighter out. I actually stopped my car in the middle of the road to snap a quick photo:
My friend Melissa posted this close-up picture on Facebook, which shows it much better:
I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. It lasted all morning, but started melting when the sun peeked out for a little while. I'm glad I got to see it when I did though--it made me stop and actually appreciate the winter for a moment, instead of moan about it ;)
Today was a rest day, so instead of running after getting the boys off to school, I went to Monica's (my favorite bakery) to order Mark's cake. I tried to get Mark to be specific about what flavor cake he likes, but he just said, "Any old cake!" A quarter-sheet cake serves 20-25, and I'm guessing we'll have about 25-30 people, so I ended up deciding on a half-sheet. We're going to have a lot left over, so I figured we could bring it to the nursing home with Mark after the party, and he can share with the nursing staff and/or patients.
Thanks for all the great suggestions about what to have written on the cake! I ended up going with Jen's suggestion of "Enjoy Life", because that really does describe Mark very well. He has every reason to complain about the hand he was dealt in this lifetime, but I've never heard him complain about anything; and he enjoys every moment!
They asked how I'd like it decorated, and I flipped through some pictures to get an idea. I ended up going with a fishing theme, because Mark keeps saying that the first thing he wants to do when he goes home is go fishing with my dad. So it'll be a marble sheet cake with vanilla buttercream frosting, decorated with a fishing theme and "Enjoy Life" written on it. I'm sure Mark will love it.
When I was outside this morning, my face was so cold that I decided I'd start making a cowl today. I'm using a chunky gray yarn and this pattern. It'll probably take me a few days to finish it, but this winter doesn't seem to be going anywhere!
I leave for San Diego seven weeks from tomorrow. I was thinking today that I'd like to get in really good shape for the trip! I don't want to "diet" or go back to counting points, but I definitely want to eat better and maybe kick up the exercise. I think I'm going to attempt to do Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred for 30 days, on top of my regular running. Since I've cut back so much on my mileage recently, I feel like my body is getting a little softer.
As far as food, I want to cut back on the processed foods (not eliminate them altogether, but cut back) and eat a cleaner diet. Definitely more vegetables, because I'm always slacking on those. I'm going to cut out the wine for a little while, too. I don't think there is anything wrong with having a glass of wine at night, as I've done for a long time, but lately it's been making me feel snacky. And since I'm not counting points, it's easy to eat too much, even if it's not a binge.
Anyway, nothing drastic, just changes that I probably should make anyway! The San Diego trip just gives me an incentive to get a move on it ;)
