Merry Christmas!

Hope you are all safe, happy, and warm with loved ones!

Running in a Winter Wonderland

I needed to go for a run yesterday (can't believe how quickly the Resolution Run is coming up!), and got it in late morning, by work. It was gorgeous out - like, breathtaking. Plus, this was my first run on snow, and it made me feel pretty badass. Seriously though, I feel like it has been forever since the sun shone that bright - at some points, I was running with a big grin on my face, I was just enjoying myself so much. Check it out!

This is what fresh snow is for, right?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

It is amazing how a little snow can really put you in the holiday spirit! This was the playground outside our place this morning:

My plan for tomorrow is to show you the amazing pics from my snowy run today! (Also, we're travelling, so not sure what posting is going to be like for the next little bit...)

Ice

In honour of the freezing rain we got yesterday, I picked a pic of what could have been... which is perhaps all the more lovely because it's not something that we have to deal with.

Present Under The Tree!

My Mom sent us an early Christmas gift, with express instructions to open it. Hubbub insisted that it take a turn under the tree first though...

I spy a sparkly present...

 It's a lovely First Married Christmas ornament!

It looks perfect next to our engagement ornament...

Like they belong together!

Thanks, Mom!

So dreamy

*Swoon*

Baby!

So, the visit this past weekend - it was great. Great to meet my nearly-nephew Ross, great to see my friend C and her hubby. C and I went to dinner on Saturday, and then both went to bed early (her because she expected Ross to be up to eat at midnight, me because "I haven't been getting enough sleep lately" - to her credit, the new mother just chuckled at me).

Sunday was a busy day. We went to church, and then brunch (mmm, Cora's), and then to the gym...

Baby workout. Looks like a LOT of fun to me!

After some tummy time, Ross was wiped, so I got to put him in his swing, and read him a story while he fell asleep.

Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb. Dr. Seuss is awesome.

This kid is hilarious. He's super alert for a 6-week old, but is clearly keeping an eye on everything, and I don't think he's sure what to think of this big bright world. Don't worry kid, we'll help you figure it out.

Let it snow...

PLEASE????
I'd love to go down to Parliament and see it looking like this:

Apparently right now it looks something like this:

Which, while still lovely, is just not the same.

By the way, no posts Friday or Saturday because we got together with friends on Friday evening, and then visited friends in Toronto this weekend. Photos to come, but let me just give you a head's up: my nearly nephew is a total ball of cute. If ever you wanted to self-induce some baby rabies, visiting a delightful infant is totally the way to do it.

SQUEEE!

It is pure cuteness covered in snow - this is supposed to be a holiday season thing, right? Right. He's a Japanese dwarf flying squirrel, and also adorable.

I just - can't - even...

For more along these lines, see Reddit's r/aww subreddit. Seriously.

More Hawai'i

So I could totally just cheat and show you honeymoon pictures for the rest of the month - coz Hawai'i is AMAZING. Our photos totally don't even do it justice. Today, I shall share my have beach on Big Island (and tied for first place with Blowhole Beach on Oahu). The swimming here was fantastic, and the beach was just amazing. Still hard to believe that a) places like this exist outside of photoshop and b) that I've been there!

Honu

Honu is the Hawaiian word for green sea turtles. They're awesome. We saw them on two different beaches on the Big Island, and they were definitely one of (if not the) highlights of the trip for me.

See? He's just chillin'

You can get pretty close to them, but you're not supposed to get too close - you're supposed to show them aloha, and let them nap.

Farther away than I look, but pretty darn close.

 And sometimes they do awesome things, like cuddling.

These ones may have been my faves.

This is not my first glass of wine this evening

But it sure is pretty

Gorgeous Sunday Run

Today's Sunday run was the longest on our training schedule for the resolution run - 7 miles, which is 11.2km. We ended up going 11.8km (and walking 1.5km back to the start coz we were winging it!), but had some lovely scenery on the way, including Hog's Back falls. Check out the icicles on the rock faces!

Photo courtesy of Running Buddy's phone.

Christmas is a Magical Time

Doubly so if you live in Japan. (Special thanks to hubbub for showing me this!)

Pure potential

 (Argh, I had this ready to go yesterday, and it failed to publish from my phone.)

...Is an empty stage

At the Bell Centre last night

Hubbub and I headed to Montreal to see Neko Case and the National. The show was great. Not the venue I would choose, but I'm so glad we went. Surprise guest appearances from Arcade Fire and a thousand-strong sing-along + The National = awesome good time.

A Different Kind of Beautiful

If you haven't seen this video, prepare for tears... it's the video of a woman who was born deaf hearing herself for the first time, courtesy of a fancy hearing implant. So cool. Very moving.

Flashback to Summer

It's a chilly day out, so I thought I'd share something from earlier this summer, when it was warm and lovely. I meant to share this at the time, but am pretty sure I didn't. The hubbub and I went to see the Sound and Light Show at Parliament Hill this summer with my friend Alice, and it was great. And free! I highly recommend, and look forward to going again next summer. Anyways, here's a pic of the Parliament (Centre Block), all dressed up - which reminds me that I'm going to need to go check out this year's Christmas decorations!

Looks like stained glass. Breathtaking.

Librarian Hey Girl

Okay, so I've really enjoyed the Ryan Gosling Hey Girl meme, but it just hit close to home - go check this out! There's a whole Tumblr of them!

Lovely Owl

Have you seen this yet? Because it is absolutely adorable. He's the kitten of the owl world - makes me want to get an owl just so I can pet him. (Not so keen on the owl pellets though - I suspect that those are less than attractive.)

(Via Pink India Inkblotter and Skepchick)

Tradition

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight marked the first (but certainly not the last) instance of my holiday baking! Yum, folks. I decided to try my hand at Peggy's Christmas Loaf. Peggy is my mom's awesome neighbor, and for years she's been bringing over a loaf of this delicious bread at Christmas. It has almonds and fruit in it, but bears no resemblance to fruit cake, in case you were worried. At my bridal shower, she passed on the recipe - perfect timing, too, coz we won't be in Windsor this season. I can't wait to try them (not tonight though)... they've got this amazing lemon-sugar glaze on them. Ooommnomnomnom.

Hello loaves, I am so happy to see you!

Days 2 and 3

For the record, I tried to post this yesterday from my phone, but the post failed. Ah well, such is life. Anyways, yesterday we were at the hubbub's work Christmas party, and they had a ginormous tree (which smelled lovely) - it was so pretty!

Today we put up our own tree - and it may not be as impressive (or smell as nice), but I think it is pretty all the same.

Yes, our Christmas tree wears a Mother Russia hat.

 Plus, a while ago we started bringing home ornaments from our trips, and they bring up lovely memories - like this Chinese dragon we got in San Fransisco!

Gorgeous December

No, I'm not talking about what I see when I look out the window - it's grey and drab out there.
BUT, a friend said she enjoyed the Thankful November series, and thought I should have a theme for December too - she suggested "things I find aesthetically pleasing" for the Season of Lights.
 I think that this is a great idea - hence, Gorgeous December!

We're going to start with an image that was shared on Reddit. An image of such heart-stopping cuteness that I made it my desktop... and then cleared off a whole bunch of icons so that I could actually see it. Without further delay, I present to you - spooning squirrels.

Still makes me squee every time I see them.

Last one!

So, I've been thinking about today, and what I'm thankful for - and I  could go the frivolous route (a body shop that gave us a great deal and did a great job on fixing our car roof from the major scratches we put in it this summer while transporting kayaks) or "deep" (the chance to really reflect on all of the things that are good in my life), but I'm just going to go with what has stood out for me today: friends.

A friend gave us a lift this morning so we could pick up the car. I had a lovely working lunch with a friend who is also a colleague, and colleagues who are becoming friends. Got an email from a friend who received an unexpected postcard from me, and liked it. Went out to a movie with a friend; went to visit my sister who is also my friend (this wasn't always the case. We like it better this way), and came home to my best friend.

I'm thankful for my friends. (In case you couldn't tell...)

Cold & Rainy

As I walked home from the gym in the pouring rain, and splashed my way through many large puddles, I was VERY glad that hubbub and I have a safe, warm, cozy home to live in.

Checking in early!

Coz today I got a fantastic email from my sister, who asked how I would feel about us siblings not exchanging gifts this year.

Let me recap for you: Hubbub's family doesn't exchange presents. My extended family usually draws names for a Kris Kringle (so everyone buys ONE present - we've got a big family), but we're all travelling to Minnesota this year for Christmas, so we decided not to exchange gifts. Hubbub and I decided not to get each other presents - those plane tickets were expensive! My friends and I agreed years ago not to exchange gifts.

Which means I need to buy for two people: My mother, and my Redditgifts Secret Santa person.

And while I like giving gifts, I am sooooo glad that I have zero holiday shopping stress, expenses, etc. Whee!

This is me! And I'm loving it.

Today

I'm thankful to have had the chance to support local businesses at the Landsdowne Christmas market. I have a thing for farmers' markets, and going made me quite happy. Plus, we picked up some kale, which I've been looking forward to trying for quite a while! (A whole bunch of  bloggers I read have been going on about kale chips... Onto the bandwagon I go!)

I'm late! I'm late!

I feel like the white rabbit! I was very thankful on Friday for hubbub, who stepped up and made dinner & otherwise took care of stuff when I was feeling wiped and kinda sick (good news: I've gotten a lot of sleep this weekend and am feeling much better).

And yesterday, I was thankful for having a great day - relaxed, but still accomplishful. And I got a whole bunch of those nagging don't-take-long-but-wasn't-getting-around-to-them tasks, which I'm very happy about.

November 24th

HOT. RUNNING. WATER.

Hands down, what I'm thankful for today. Possibly the best part of running when it is cold out is the hot shower afterwards.... man does it feel good on cold toes and such.

Also, fun anecdote! When running buddy and I were out for our run this evening, this ginormous flock of geese flew over (off to the side, so they presented no immediate danger of... debris) and they were super loud, and it was really cool! Nature is neat.

Two at once... Again

Yesterday, I was thankful for all my running gear. Had a great tempo run!

Today I'm so thankful for my awesome team running the IM days conference with me - they're fantastic!

Thankful for...

Productive Mondays! And little ones going home from the hospital, all better.

It's been a good day.

Two at once!

So, yesterday I was thankful for all of the delicious food to be found in Stowe. And then I was thankful for the fancy gym at the hotel.

Today I'm thankful for modern medicine, and sending positive vibes to a dear friend with a sick little one. Hoping it is nothing the antibiotics can't beat!

Oh man

I'm already totally confident that I am *very* thankful for romantic long weekends away.

Today

I am really glad that I'm a librarian. I love being in a helping profession
n, and when you can create one of those "I love librarians" moments - when you can just see it on your client's face - well, that is just awesome.

Thankful

For all the birthday love I received today. It was awesome! I feel very special.

Thankful for...

Surgical vision correction! Today was my three-month checkup, and my eyes are great. My right eye ROCKED the exam - breezed through the bonus line no problem. My left eye didn't do so well on the bonus line... slacker.

Straighten up, left eyeball, or forever be subject to the look of disapproval

Thankful

That tomorrow is a new day. I hit a WALL this afternoon, and I'm exhausted. Done with today! But it is worth remembering that tomorrow is a new, different day, when I'm feeling this way.

Also, thankful for my super comfy bed. VERY much looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight.

Thankful

for awesome friends. Went to a show last night with possibly my friend with the best musical taste ( Cuff the Duke; Hooded Fang opened. Great show! It didn't end until 1am, so that totally counts as a today thing), a five mile run this morning with a friend from library school/former coworker, then brunch with some new friends, and dinner & a board game (Puerto Rico!) with some friends from undergrad - it's been a great, if exhausting (6 hours of sleep last night!) day.

I'm lucky to have so many great people in my life.

Thankful for

The awesome financial decisions that hubbub and I have both made up to this point (like, the accumulated years of good decisions we made independently, not just since we've been together), which (as the mortgage specialist we met with told us) puts us in an awesome position vis à vis the whole house buying business.

Today

I'm thankful for the service of our veterans. The world isn't perfect, but I think it is immensely better than it would have been, thanks to their sacrifices, and I'm deeply grateful.

Thankful for...

Tylenol.

It was going to be my sister, but this headache really sucks. Hurray for pain relief! Sorry, Sho!

Today I'm grateful for

Massages.

The one I had tonight hurt a LOT - just the way I like 'em!

Advice From The Internet

We've all seen them - emails with all kinds of "amazing" tips that your grandmother/favourite pilgrim/culture on another continent/savvy yuppie uses, and if you do too, it will change your life! They're all over the Internet too. A while ago, I saw a list on Reddit, and thought it would be fun to try them all out, and report back.

I didn't do that. I didn't keep the list. BUT I have tried a couple of these Internet tips lately, and think I might continue to try them out (where they're not potentially dangerous or expensive, natch) when I come across stuff like that, and let you know how it goes.

First up: Freeze enveloppes to make the adhesive unsticky so you can open them without ripping them. Why in the world would you need to do this, you ask? Um, maybe if you started writing & sealing wedding thank you notes, but failed to include the little card about photo sharing, and didn't want to waste the enveloppes. Just sayin'.

So anyways. I froze a bunch of sealed & addressed thank you notes. They did not unstick. Sigh...

Real life: 1, Internet: 0

Thankful for...

A slew of little reminders throughout the day that life is pretty damn awesome.

Nov 7th

Today I'm thankful for the Ottawa Public Library. I love the new site, like the app, and LOVE that we live so close (I can literally be there in 2 minutes. Granted, I ran, but still... it's a 5 min walk. Awesome.)

How did you think I got my paws on all of the books I've been reading lately? I swear, most of the time it's faster to go online, reserve stuff, and pick it up on the way home that it would be to go to Chapters and try to find the book to purchase it.

Rock on, OPL.

(Also, I'm super excited about the graphic novel I'm about to start. It's about Richard Feynman. Intrigued? Stay tuned...)

Nov 6th

Today, I am SUPER thankful for the gorgeous weather. Had a GREAT (and way warmer than expected) run this morning in the goooorgeous sunshine. Hurray! I don't think it'll last long, so I was thrilled be out enjoying the weather.

Thankful for...

the Internet! The afternoon I met up with some lovely fellow readers of A Practical Wedding for a book club meeting to discuss Caitlin Moran's How To Be A Woman. It was great! Making new friends as a grownup is ridiculously hard, so yeah - I'm way thankful to the Internet, today, for providing us another way to build new communities and meet new people.

Also, there was wine, which is also always nice.

November 4th Thankfulness

Today I'm thankful for all of our options for the future. 
 
So, after a discussion yesterday with a friend about our mutual frustrations about how much stuff costs, and how scary the thought of making big future commitments can be (signing a mortgage that will buy you a house in Ottawa, thinking about kids and the pressure to get that done sooner than later, etc), I'm thankful today for the fact that we HAVE the options. Even if they're scary - they're possible. Not just pipe dreams. Which is pretty awesome.

Thankful November

So, I'm a few days late jumping on this bandwagon, but a whole bunch of bloggers around the Internet have started  a thing where they post something they're thankful for each day in November. I thought about it, then forgot about it, but now I'm going to sprint, catch up to the bandwagon, and leap on. Here we go!

Oct 31 - Nov 2: I was thankful for a) my comfy bed b) my supportive hubbub and c) TV shows on DVD. Underlying all of this was a thankfulness for sick days at work, that I can take without fear of reprisal.

Like this. But less cute.

Nov 3: I'm really thankful to be married. I know it sounds cheesy, but I'm soooo glad to be done with being engaged. When I was little, I fantasized about being engaged (not the dress, the party, the ring... being a fiancée), and wanted a long engagement. I thought it was going to be this amazing time where everything was sweetness and light. Well, we had a long (14 months) engagement, but it was suckage and lameness. I mean, not all of it - but holy hell was I stressed. Now we're back to just being happy and relaxed with each other, and it is awesome. Love you, hubbub!

(It Was A) Happy Hallowe'en!

So, I didn't go to work today (this is day 3), but I did shower and put on pants. So I definitely think I'm a shoe-in for going to work tomorrow.

Anyways, Hallowe'en. It was fun! I borrowed an awesome Original Series Star Trek costume from my friend and coworker Meghan - she makes awesome costumes for conventions. (I'm taller than she is, so many jokes were made about skirt length being true to the show when I asked to borrow the costume. Oh, the 60s...) I tricked the hubbub into wearing his redshirt costume from his bachelor party... muahahaha.

I shellacked my hair into place...

And slapped on some green eyeshadow up to my eyebrows.

 He was an ensign, I was a lieutenant.

Woohoo! I think we make a good team.

We went to dinner before we headed to Great Pumpkin Charity Ball on Friday night, and it was lots of fun. The waiter got a real kick out of our costumes, and the party was a blast. It was the first Big Hallowe'en Party that either one of us had attended, and the costumes were awesome. It makes sense - we were all grownups who had paid admission to be there. People really liked our costumes - and we found another ST:OS away team member - sorry, hubbub...

Also, my friend C sent me an awesome pic of my itty-bitty nearly nephew in the Hallowe'en costume I knitted for him (green baby hat, orange baby cocoon... meant to be a pumpkin, Tim said he looks more like a chili pepper. Either way, he was WAY TOO CUTE for anyone's good).