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My Current Situation – Part VI

Life as I knew it has certainly changed.  What has not changed is that I am still operating in a hybrid fashion at work (one day working from the office; the next day working from home) and I can’t say I’m mad about it (smile).

 

 

I’m also still going to I Love Kickboxing at the crack of dawn 5 days a week which not only keeps me in shape, but also keeps me sane (smile).

 

 

I’m 59 years old so I was in the second wave of folks eligible for the vaccine in Connecticut – and was truly happy to get it.  They shot my arm with Moderna which means in another 4 weeks I will be ready for shot number 2…and close to getting back to some sort of (mask wearing) normalcy…

 

 

I haven’t quite resumed my social life – again, I am waiting for that second vaccine shot and then waiting another 2 weeks after that just to be safe…

 

 

It’s hard to belive that its been 13 months since Covid 19 appeared and thankfully I have not caught it yet so I must be doing something right.

 

And I’m noticing something:  people seem to be enjoying the simple things in life – taking a long walk outside; hugging their grandchildren tight; face-timing with family and friends, going hiking, playing board games, etc.

 

 

For  myself, I’ve become more introspective which is not surprising considering the fact that I am spending less time with others and more by myself.  And I don’t mean this in a bad way.  I’m just looking to take this quality time we’ve all been given to work on becoming a better version of myself (smile).

 

Which includes attending virtual church at CTBC on a regular basis, working as a volunteer Writer for Shop Black CT and being of service to others where and when I am able.

 

 

I’m not gonna lie, If I could wave a magic wand and get everything back to “normal,” trust me I would.  But since that is not possible, I will settle for a nice long relaxing vacay in a sunny but secluded (mask optional) environment (double smile)…

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

My Current Situation Part V

To be writing about my current situation less than two weeks before the Happy New Year says a lot (smile).  It’s not like I haven’t had the time to write, just not finding too many different things to write about…

 

But I’m still that girl who likes to see the glass as half full so I am going to talk about the positive things that have happened to me during this ongoing Covid 19  “trial.”

 

 

 

1).   I am happy to say that I am still working Hybrid (Day 1 working from the office, Day 2 working  from home and so on and so forth).  Truly the best case scenario for me as it is undoubtedly the best of both worlds.

 

 

2)  Eating unhealthy foods and going to town on snacks is not an option for me this holiday season due to the social distancing rules in place surrounding people, places, open food, etc.

 

 

3)  Since I am spending more time at home now I find myself cooking and eating clean more.  What is clean eating?  Clean eating essentially means eating foods that are closest to their natural state, i.e., unprocessed and unaltered.  Also it means avoiding foods that are full of empty calories.

 

 

4)  Truly one of the most positive things that came out of this Covid 19 “trial” is that I stopped drinking wine.  Pre-Covid I would not be caught dead at a house party or a live play or a social function or a post-work event without a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir or Malbec in my hand.

 

 

 

But I can’t lie.  Due to my past history of multiple car accidents which have caused me much trauma and stress when driving on certain highways, my therapist diagnosed me with what is called “situational anxiety” and put me on a very low dose of Lexapro (20mg).  Then she pretty much ordered me not to drink any kind of alcohol because, as she described it, it would be like taking a big eraser to whatever positive results I might be experiencing from the Lexapro.  I took that as a posititve sign and swore off Alcohol about 6 months ago.

 

And I must say I feel much cleaner these days swapping out the red wines for  organic and sugar free Remedy Kombucha, lots and lots of icy cold water and/or hot Green tea or Black tea at night.

 

 

5)  I quit my old gym as it was starting to feel redundant and joined a new gym called I Love Kickboxing.   Now I don’t feel sluggish anymore even when I pop up at 430am weekday mornings to kick and punch things (smile).

 

nor do I feel as tired at night like I used to when I get off of work…

 

 

So my current situation, as of today, is enjoying my newfound healthy living…

 

 

and looking forward to the Happy New Year!

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

Ski Date

I am sooooooo proud of myself because two Winters ago I took the plunge and finally learned how to ski.  I was born in a blizzard in Newport Rhode Island on Valentines Day, 1962 so my initial thought was:  ‘it’s about time I learned’ (Lol).  Actually I’ve been wanting to ski for quite some time.  Here are some of the reasons why:

 

1) Being born in the Winter

 2) Being born in a Blizzard

3) Being born in New England

4) Looking for something to do on snowy days besides eat

 5) Having yet another thing to check off on my Bucket List

 

 

Growing up in Groton, Connecticut in the 70’s I especially loved Winter time because there was so much snow back then that inevitably school would get cancelled and me and my 6 brothers and sisters could go outside and play all day.  Yay!

 

I loved Winter sports as a young girl too.  I was ice skating, sledding and playing ice hockey with the neighborhood kids so skiing was in my future, I just didn’t know it…

 

My partner James has skied multiple times in his life so he was happy to hear that I was finally ready to go on a ski date with him.

 

Ski Date: We set out on a snowy Winter day in February of 2013, right after my 51st birthday.  I work out regularly at the Edge Fitness Club in Hamden so I wasn’t worried about my physical ability to ski.  I was just a tad bit concerned about learning how to maneuver my way down the slopes without falling and also with how to stop the skis correctly.

 

We chose Mount Southington in Plantsville, Connecticut  because they have 4 beginner slopes for novices like me and because it was such a short drive away for us.

 

I borrowed James’s mother’s ski jacket, his extra pair of insulated ski gloves and extra ski goggles and his sister’s ski pants.  I wore my own ski hat and scarf and dressed in lots of thermal layer undershirts.  Wise choice too as we headed out about 10am in the morning when it was still sunny and relatively warm and did not return until much later that afternoon when the weather had turned quite cool.

 

We checked in, filled out paperwork and paid for a 4 hour Flex Pass.  Then we picked up my rented ski boots (which I needed help strapping on) and my rented ski poles.  James had his own ski equipment.  I felt like a Chunky Monkey with all that gear on, could barely walk but was eager to get started (smile).

 

Going up the beginner’ slope on the chair lift for the first time was pretty awesome.   I also started to get a few butterflies in my stomach knowing that when we finally reached the top, I would be skiing my way back down.  At the top of the slope I saw a small group of 7-year-old children getting lessons so I felt comforted in the fact knowing that if they could do it, I certainly could!

 

Anyway, skiing down the first beginner slope (circles) was easier than I thought. I didn’t get fancy or anything, I simply glided down at a pretty good pace and therefore had no trouble stopping once I made it to the bottom of the hill.  We caught the chair lift again and skied down that first slope at least 4 or 5 more times before we moved on to the next level (squares).  By now I was starting to feel more confident and even getting a little cocky on the squares which caused me to wipe out a couple of times!   However, my adrenaline was flowing and I truly felt like I could conquer the world.  It was such an incredible feeling.  And highly addictive.  We went up and down a countless number of times and by now the air was starting to get real cold, the sky was darkening and my cheeks were beginning to feel numb.  It was time to make our way back to the lodge for some hot chocolate and refreshments.  Our ski date had ended but the memories, aaaahhh, those would last forever…

 

IMG_1312
Our Ski Date – Chunky Monkey and her partner in crime (smile)

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL