lazy day

Well, today was just that!  I'm officially a bum today.  I woke up early to say goodbye to J- he and the guys from the team went to Amsterdam for the weekend- and then fell back asleep until just before noon!  Yikes.  I've been exhausted lately, so it did feel good.  My back has been sore last night/today, which has made things fairly unpleasant :(  Standing up, sitting down, walking, running... no matter what I do I feel like an old lady!  Good thing there was nothing on my calendar for today.

I was planning to head downtown and pick up a book that I've been looking for, but when I headed to dragged my butt to the gym, I made the executive decison that it was too cold and I knew that once I got back home there was no way I'd want to go back out.  The temperature is -12 Celsius (10F) but the wind is what is the killer!  Maybe tomorrow I'll get my book... :)

I've decided now that I'm starting (key word: starting) to get the hang of this blogging thing, I need to spice up my page a bit.  Keep an eye out for some changes in the next week or two :)  And if any of you bloggers have any tips for me- feel free to help a sister out! :)

Sorry for the short post today- I need to get back to nursing my poor back!

♥

One week until Christmas!

♥

enjoying some "me" time

Well, I'm in a more typical "hockey-wife" mode today because J is gone on a road trip for their game tomorrow.  I get very spoiled here- the guys are only gone overnight a handful of times during the season.  I know, boo-hoo, none of you North American hockey wives want to hear it.  Sorry!  There's more to come, too... the guys are gone 3 days the first week of December, and 4 the second week.  Then, it appears the team decided that they should take a trip (just for the "fun" of it) the 3rd weekend in December.  Really?  The weekend before Christmas?  Argg.  Guess Maddie and I will have lots of quality time together in the next month... I am so glad to have her here with me.  She is great company and keeps me sane.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate (yea, right!) enough for us to get out for some good walks. 

Going along with that, my only fellow American girlfriend left yesterday to go back home for a few weeks.  This was a huge blow- not only because she will be gone during the time the guys are gone so much, but she is also my gym and running buddy.  So many of the days we get to the gym and say to each other "I only came today because you were coming"  "Well I only came because I knew you'd be here".  We are each other's motivators to get up and go, neither of us wanting to cancel our gym date on the other one.  What the heck am I supposed to do now??  Hurry back, A!

Now, this is not to say that I'm all alone here... there are LOTS of other wives/girlfriends on the team (literally everyone is married or has a girlfriend)  but as opposed to teams in other countries where all of the girls are away from home, typically not working (or at least not full time) and don't have family near by, most all of the ladies here live right in the area year-round, have full time jobs/school, family near by, and all of their friends around.  I envy them- they get the best of ALL worlds! :)

So, today I'm goin' er alone.  After Spin & Body class, my first tanning session in over a month (which felt miraculous by the way...gotta get that vitamin D somewhere, the sun just refuses to shine here!)  and my usual post-workout Berry Smoothie wtih protein, I was feeling GOOD!  A nice shower, a 2 mile walk with Maddie, and I was on the couch in my PJ's.  I fully believe that everyone needs a Pajama Day now and then, a day to put on your coziest PJ's and cuddle on the couch with a good book and/or movie (snacks and a glass of tea or wine don't hurt either).  Who doesn't love doing that?  If you don't have a new year's resolution for next year yet, I suggest that you make one to have a "Pajama Day" once a month.  No excuses that you're too busy.  That's what weekends are for.  Or even perhaps just a "Pajama Evening".  Put on your jammies right when you get home from work, forget about everything else for a few hours, and cuddle up on the couch for the evening.  Whether you do it alone, with your significant other, child(ren), dog, cat, whomever... I promise you will not regret it :) 

side note:  There was a good movie on one of our movie channels tonight.  It's called "Incendiary".  I'd never heard of it, but it was really good!  The main character (Michelle Williams) is in the midst of having an affair when her life is turned upside down when her husband and young son are killed during a suicide bombing at a soccer game in London. Possibly a good rent for your next Pajama Day :)  (it's definitly not one for kids though)

It's late here in Finland, time for Maddie and I to turn in. I may have to let her sleep in the bed with me tonight (hopefully J doesn't read that part, I always tell him "no way" when he wants to let her sleep in the bed!).  Sorry babe! ;)