Sleighbell Shuffle

I'm not ecstatic about it, but knowingly and unknowingly I've gotten on a number of e-mail distribution lists. It's easy to delete the unwanted ones (98%), so I remain subscribed and appreciate the helpful 2% which do come along.

One of these e-mails was announcing the "Sleighbell Shuffle" a 5k run through the wintry streets of Grandville in subzero temperatures at night. Tell me, who WOULDN'T jump at this opportunity?!

I convinced an equally crazy colleague of mine to join, so we planned to

1. meet up at the start of the race
2. obtain our free jingle bells to tie on our laces
3. donate old winter coats for the local woman's shelter, thus obtaining raffle tickets
4. run 5k
5. feast on eggnog and cookies following the race
6. possibly win something at the raffle

We are quite a team. I accomplished numbers 2, 3 and 6. She accomplished 4 and 5. A very important step is number 1 and this you will be quick to notice both my running partner and I bypassed. Through a series of humourous (to me at least!) events, she ended up running the 5k and I was left behind inside the warm school.

Thirty minutes or so later as the runners came through the school doors, winded and cold, I was shocked to see her. She equally to see me. We shared our stories, which made sense as to how we missed each other when notes were compared and I thought was simply hilarious - my partner, not quite as much.

In the end we did jog about half a mile following her run to sing a Christmas carol to another colleague (and kin) who lives on the route and had kept an eye out for us amidst those who ran, but texted to say they didn't see us for some reason... hmm.

Oh yeah, number 6! This was my prize, which is perhaps a bit unfair since I was the only one present who didn't run...

It's a heart rate monitor - for serious athletes - those who actually do things to make their heart rates go above sedentary.

The Perfect Gift

Arriving home from work on Friday, I found a new phonebook waiting underneath the mailboxes for each of the residents. Not remembering the last time I actually looked at a phonebook, I brought the orange plastic bag and its contents home, released Si from his cage and offloaded my work related accoutrements.

Over the last few months, I've probably spent hours investigating and choosing quite deliberately which toys I thought would be the most engaging for my little greyhound. Usually with little success.

This week the ideal object of entertainment was discovered. Silas, my 'nothing gets me excited' greyhound went absolutely crazy over this postal service delivery. Ripping into the bag, tearing the phonebook(s) apart, and throwing the respective pieces all over the room.

This kept him occupied for quite some time and I regret not videoing his moments of exuberance. And in classic Silas mode when he felt all had been successfully torn, slobbered, chewed and scattered he collapsed contentedly in the middle of it all.

She was ahead of her time

A Black Tie Affair

Having lived in an international community for nearly ten years, I got used to the odd outfits and clashing colour combinations of others and also experimenting myself with various styles and clothing items.

I loved the opportunity and took advantage of it happily. One article which I adopted into my wardrobe was wearing a necktie. Not daily, certainly not, and not weekly, simply as my mood directed me.

This was a style, which I quite liked and recently felt the necktie mood settling in. I was expecting some strange reactions from colleagues when I wore a tie to work on Thursday and was not proven wrong. At the end of the day I had survived their comments and with the worst behind me felt I could freely don the necktie in the future without being the brunt of too many jokes.

Then came Friday.

I had been asked and happily agreed to be the liturgist for our Thanksgiving chapel service at the seminary. No, I didn't wear a tie.

It was a nice service with a good sermon. After it concluded, a number of my colleagues came to the front where I was sitting to, I had thought, thank me and the preacher for the service. Nope. Every single one of them - women and men - was wearing a tie. I hadn't even noticed whilst I was leading, but they had sat all together in the first row of people proudly displaying their attire. Somehow I had totally missed it.

It's probably a good thing I didn't notice - who knows how the Thanksgiving prayer would have ended!

When we cut down too many trees:

The House that Craig built

Out of the need for change, which I think is a common characteristic amongst our female population, yesterday evening I moved the furniture of my little apartment around.

However, I realised that prior to this point, I've not yet given my faithful readers the grand tour of my abode.

So below is a video of my home. Enjoy! (The furniture has now been relocated, but this is how it's been for the last 7 months)

Most of the furniture and wall decorations were purchased on Craigslist, for which I'm extremely thankful.

Hope it works and ... sorry, if you get a bit dizzy.
(and my phone started ringing, thus the quick ending)

Sauna uses #2

Entering the sauna today after another slowly progressing workout, I saw this:

I had assumed a previous sauna-sitter had inconsiderately left their rubbish, so I planned to throw it out when I left.

Mid-sauna session a lady opened the door, said 'hello' and proceeded to retrieve her coffee which she explained she had left in the sauna to keep it warm...