My Leap Year Run
5 km
+5 Degrees Celcuis
Cloud, No Wind
Feb 29th and I Wore Shorts

Extra Day

Oh, just throw an extra day in there to get the drift back on track! That’s what today is, and they call it a "Leap Year"! A day chucked in to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. I still don’t know why they pick the word "leap" for the type of year to call it. When I think of "leap" I think of jumping over, like playing "leap" frog! Or skipping over or hopping over, but we’re not leaping over anything.

But, I’ll take this extra day! I’ll make it an extra special " me day"! Take a vacation day to make it an extra long weekend! Sleep in a little extra longer! Have an extra cup of coffee! Send an extra smile someone’s way! Throw in an extra run! Show some extra skin running, after-all it’s going to be plus 10! Pick up some extra groceries (chips, chocolate)! Have an extra glass of wine! Read a few extra pages! Write an extra blog! Have an extra desert! Go to bed extra late!

There’s lots to pack in to make the best of it because it’s another four years before we get another extra day thrown in!

Today's Run

12 km

Edworthy & Return

-8 Degrees Celcius

No Wind

Fresh & Exciting

It’s A Keeper!

I tried it out for the first time today! It had been stored away waiting for the perfect occasion and that turned out being today. I wasn’t expecting it to happen this soon, April sometime would have been more realistic.

It fits, it’s the right size. It felt good. I gave it a try of 75 minutes worth and found all parts are in working order. Those in the know say there will need to be adjustments. Today was the first time I tried out my new Trek bike since I got it at Christmas. It’s a keeper!

Now I have a reason to shop! I want some new little toys. I need a bottle holder, I want an odometer, I would like to have a new helmet, I should have cycling gloves. Tomorrow I will know if I am in need of proper bottoms.

Doctor! Doctor! Give me the news...

....I got a bad case of....! Well, I don’t have a health issue right now but I do have a bad case of trying to find a Doctor for when I do have a health issue! My Doctor retired in December, I went to her for 23 years. Now, it’s time to replace her and I am not having much luck. I did make a bit of headway this morning but I am not out of the woods yet.

I did the online search for those Doctors accepting new patients. I got my list (a very short one) and started making phone calls. It became a circus of laughs amongst my coworkers as they could not help but overhear my conversations, and then when I shared the reasons with them for being declined, the laughter became buckled over hysteria! This is not a laughing matter I say!!!

Can you believe these responses I got when I placed the calls?

1. "Call back in three weeks"
2. "Send a blank email saying new patient in title section then read our 6 page response"
3. "NOOOO!"
4. "Where do you live?" I say in "B..." She says "you're too far away." I say "I’m right next door." She says "NO!"
5. "Call 911 or health-link"
6. "We can set up a Meet the Doctor appointment for 10 minutes but it's no guarantee she will accept you."

So I have a "Meet the Doctor" appointment for mid March. That’s the headway I made! "Meet the Doctor", it makes me think of those meet and greet online dates you hear about or those speed dating events. I’m hoping the Doctor likes me and that I like her. I hope we make a connection. I hope we will have a second meeting and something will develop. I hope there will be a long lasting relationship like there was with my last Doctor.

Geesh! What has become of our medical system?

Resolutions Review

It’s more than half way through February and about time for a "Resolutions Review’ on those 50 that I made on December 31st.

Knowing my little book sits there with the 50 listed, big spaces in between each resolution for progress notes and check marks, is an incentive for me to make sure there are positives to promote. I want to be a successful winner!

All that being said, I have made great progresses. Got to make lots of check marks (they are backwards left handed ones but they are check marks). I even surpassed one resolution! And it’s only just a little more than half way through February. I will check back in a little more than half way through April for an update.

P.S. I have to get back at flossing more often. That resolution only lasted three weeks.

Coast to Coast

From the Pacific to the Atlantic! I’ve been there, to lighthouses on each coast, the Fisgard Lighthouse in British Columbia and Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse in Nova Scotia. And here they are, an acrylic painting of each by my artistically talented friend.

These paintings represent so much more than what you see before you here or what I see when I look at them hanging on my kitchen wall. A lighthouse, on its own, alone, means something to me, different than what they may stand for, for your average person. When I look at a lighthouse I get a sense of safety and security. I feel guided and protected. I get goose bumps when I see a live lighthouse and my hair stands on end when I have the opportunity to enter in. Strange! Maybe for you, not for me!

I received these two gifts at significant times in my life. I know too, they were projects, of my friend at poignant times in her life. For both of us, they represent therapy. At what more important times in one’s life do we look for guidance and a safe place!

Pass Perfect

A lady should never go anywhere without her lip gloss because you just never know! It should be put to use and not stored away, forgotten! That proved true today! Along the route, I stopped, looked back only to see my snowshoeing friend in an amorous embrace with a fellow on x-country skis. What the heck? It had to be the lip gloss! I only got to look on, you see, my gloss was zipped in a pocket, forgotten! This occurrence took place on today’s West Elk "Pass" snowshoe outing.

I’ve grown up where lots of snow is no big deal. I’ve seen and I’ve been to Winter Wonderlands but today’s snow was more beautiful and more spectacular then I have ever laid my eyes upon. Today consisted of four and a half hours of exercise, an abundance of fresh air, this beautiful snowy scenery, all along with great conversation. Is there anything better for the soul?

The Pass was Perfect! A little more so for my snowshoeing friend! :-)

Skreeek Skreeek Skreeek

Today's Run

10km

Crowchild Loop Plus Two

-23 Degrees Celcius

-37 Degrees Celcius Windchill

The sound of my footsteps!

Fullerton Friend Found

One never knows where one will meet another one!

Boy, this tall tale teller will have a tale to tell for tens of years to come. This Starbucks Thermos had a thirst to be quenched. There had been a demonstrated desire to find a friend. My promise was to do what I could, maybe even look on line.

When you least expect it! There! Right under the Thermos’ lid, sitting on the bench, appeared an unbelievable sight. A perfect match!

This tall tale teller Thermos found a friend at Fullerton in February. What better month to make a match!

Fullerton In February

February can be Frightfully Fierce but this February day at Fullerton was Fabulous! Don’t you just love all those "F" words?

So close to home but yet so far. Today felt like being worlds away. This outing was lacking in so many ways. It lacked traffic on the commute to and from. It was lacking in populous (we saw seven people). There was a lack of towers, buildings and structures. The day lacked cloud cover and cold.

Who ever thought the lack of so much could be such a good thing?

Wide open views of forever to see!