arthur_p_dent

I survived another week, but I'm not sure how I feel about how it went. It was another lousy week for goals, and once again I feel like this week has started off on the wrong foot. I'm going to have to make some big changes next week to kick off March, and I'm not going to beat myself up about how this month has gone.

My book and puzzle have taken a back seat lately, with most of my leisure time spent finishing the shawl I've been crocheting. No pics yet, as I still have to cut off and sew in the tail end. Look forward to a separate post on that soon. Other than that, I feel like much of my free time has been almost wasted. The one thing I'm still pleased with is my run training. Regardless of everything else that's been going on, I haven't fallen off of that. That's also a part of the reason why I want to make some changes in March - I really want to succeed in my April races.

I had a really busy weekend, and again I'm not sure how I feel about how it went. Curling was definitely a good start. I had had a few weeks where I wasn't enjoying the game so much, but this week was a lot of fun. Hopefully that trend continues.

On Saturday I was invited to go on a wine tasting tour with some friends. The day itself was really good, but one thing kind of irked me. It was a last-minute invite because someone had backed out, which was fine. But almost the first thing that the host said when I arrived was that if I couldn't go they didn't know who else to ask - giving me the impression that they had tried countless other people and I was the last person they could think of. Whether or not that was true I don't know. But I did my best to put those thoughts aside and enjoy the day.

Sunday morning I was getting ready for my grocery trip, and there was a message in one of my group chats that one of the group was heading to the pub to watch the big hockey game. I had forgotten about it! I got there a bit late but still managed to see most of the game. And despite the outcome (Canada really should have won that game), I had a great time. But again, something about it irked me. There had been no previous messages about going to watch the game as a group, and yet there were a dozen of us there. So, there were already plans made that I had no clue about. Maybe I'm reading too much into this one, but I almost feel like that message went into the wrong group chat.

So yeah, I don't really know what my mood is right now. I just finished a good run during my lunch break and need to head back to the office shortly. And tonight I need to try and catch up on the things I neglected by spending time enjoying my weekend (and trying not to beat myself up for putting myself before my chore list this one time). For now I'll wrap things up, wish everyone a great end to February,  and I'll see you to open a new month next week. =]

Weird thing literally just happened. I'll get to that in a sec.

Hey there. Yesterday was a holiday in these parts, and so I put off doing my post until today. I have a seat at a regular haunt for today, but it's less than ideal - I'd prefer to find someplace quieter. But I'll make this work for now. (And as I say that, a heated discussion about the Canadian curling controversy sparks up immediately behind me)

Anyway, the weird thing. I just got asked if I was losing weight. That in itself isn't weird, since I have been over the past couple years, and occasionally someone will comment on it. What is still weird to me is how I deal with compliments. I'm very quick to deflect, like I don't feel like I deserve to hear the nice thing. I've been aware of this for the past year or so, and I thought that at some point I would at least be able to reply with a simple 'thank you', but it seems like that day has yet to come.

Back to last week. Goals were terrible - lots of days where I don't know if I even tried. I squeezed in some reading and working on my puzzle on the last day, and exercise I've been good at keeping up with, but that was about it. Oh, and dishes (I knew there was one more). With the holiday yesterday, this week isn't off to the best start either, but we'll see how it goes.

The running plan is going well. I was starting to wonder when it was going to get more challenging, but now I see coming up there's a time trial, so I expect to be pushed harder soon enough. I also started training with nutrition gels - small packets of concentrated carb gels to help fuel you during extended races. The reason for training with them now is because they tend to be hard on the stomach, so I want to have plenty of time to get used to them before the first race rolls around. No serious issues after the first time, although it did sit a little heavy for a bit. And the texture isn't all that palatable either - that'll take some getting used to as well.

The weather turned springish for a bit, so I was able to get both vehicles washed over the weekend. Nice to get that crust of road salt off the paint - at least until the next snowfall. I haven't done anything outside, but it is still February so it's not really time for that stuff anyway.

My first full week back in the city office went ok. The biggest downside is the noise, but I'll get used to that. On the upside, I save a ton of time and gas with the shorter commute. And, making lunch plans with my good friend doesn't require taking a half day's vacation (I think that's the bigger bonus). On Friday there was a retirement gathering for my one work friend. It was a lot of fun, even though i had to leave early for curling. However, it was also bitter-sweet, since someone else from our office got let go that morning. He'll do ok, but it still sucks.

Well, I suppose I should finish this up - it's about time to head back to work. Have a great week, and I'll see you again soon. =]

Here I am for the first of this year's monthly goal reviews. This post is one thing (among many) that I wasn't successful at completing very much last year, but I'm looking to turn that around. Let's see how I fared in January.

( Goal review... )

Overall I hit 70% for the month, which I think is a pretty good start. Hopefully things keep going well in the months to come. =]

This week has seen some good, some not so good, and the beginnings of some IDKWTF. Sounds fun, right?

On the good side, my goals went well, with only one item missed for the week and that was on purpose. A long-time colleague and friend is retiring, and we went out for a drink after work Friday. We spent a couple hours talking about the past couple decades, and what he has planned for the coming few months. There's only been a handful of people I've worked with over the years that I consider friends, and he's one of them and I wish him the best.

My training plan is working out well so far. Running is progressing decently, although doing longer distances on a treadmill is both boring and annoying. However, I heard that the local university has public access to their indoor track, so I'm going to look into that as an option. Curling was also good. We didn't win, but it was a spirited back and forth match, and lots of fun.

Not so good, well, my car died. Nothng too serious - I just need to replace the battery. But for the past few days it's been too cold and snowy to do anything about it, so it's been sitting in the driveway. At least it's at home though.

Unfortunately, I've still been somewhat mired in the same negative thoughts as I mentioned last week. The details seem to change from day to day, and that's not helping matters much. I just need a magic wand to make it go away - those exist, right?

Now for the uncertain. Rumour has it that the three remaining US plants from the company I originally worked for have been sold. That is very concerning to me if true, since 75% of my job is tied to those plants. Losing them could easily mean the elimination of my job too. As I said, it's only a rumour at this point, but we'll see what happens.

Well, my cappuccino is done and (for now) I have a job to go back to, so I'll sign off for this week. Stay warm, enjoy your week, and I'll see you in February. =]

Last week was fairly ok, as weeks go. Work started out being really busy, but slowed down mid week after month end was over (I did manage to meet my deadlines, but only after working until midnight on Monday). Now it's back to the status quo - finding things to keep myself occupied. As much as I dislike being bored at work, the flexibility I have to manage my own time is a decent offset.

I still haven't gotten back to doing any exercise, although I think I'm going to go to the gym tomorrow and see how things go. Being sedentary for this long isn't doing me any favours, and I feel like I've fallen way behind where I need to be in my training. It's only three months until my first race - hopefully I can get back on track soon. I also haven't been to curling the past couple weeks, since breathing in the cold air has been difficult and tends to set off coughing fits. Maybe this week, we'll see. 

A bright spot in the week was getting together with my good friend for lunch. We usually have a gap during the holidays, and me being sick didn't help matters. So after a few weeks we had lots to catch up on, and it was a really good time.

My 2026 goals officially kick off today. Obviously meeting my exercise goals will be tough for the first week or two, but other than that I think things will go ok. I'm already half done my first puzzle, which I'll probably finish tonight unless I decide to start on my next crochet project instead. We'll see what my mood is later on.

Well, I see by the clock on the wall that it's time for me to head back to the office. I hope your week has gotten off to a good start. Until next time. =]

Hi there, and welcome to 2026. Just a quick catch-up post today, since there isn't much to tell about the holiday break.

I spent most of the past couple weeks with the flu. Great timing. Started feeling it on Boxing day, and then was wiped out for about 4 days after that. Most of the things I had planned for my time off didn't happen, and the couple things I did do, like go out for NYE, I probably shouldn't have done. And the lingering heavy cough, well I'll get to keep that for another week or two. Fortunately most of my visiting with family and friends was done before I got sick, so I didn't spread it to anyone else. 

I received a great assortment of gifts this year, including two really nice bottles of whiskey, some gear for running, and a plethora of new puzzles (10 in total). On top of that, the meal I made for the family was the best I've done in a very long time. 

I had intended to get some work done prior to today - most of that didn't happen either. That has put me very much behind, and I'm not sure I can get everything done on time now. It'll be a busy start to the week for sure.

I have yet to figure out what my goals for the coming year are going to be, although I did pick up a new planner today. There are certainly lots of things to consider, and changes to be made from last year. One thing I did decide is that I'm doing Dry January. My weight loss stagnated last year, and I feel one of the bigger roadblocks was the empty calories of beer and the like. So we'll see how that goes.

And that'll be all for this week. I hope everyone's year has started well, and continues to be great. See you again soon. =]

I'm feeling somewhat less curmudgeon-y today than I was yesterday, so the bulk of this week's post should be on the lighter side. Plus, today's cappuccino is very well prepared and is hitting the spot nicely.

Not much out of the ordinary happened at work last week, other than we had our Holiday luncheon. Although it's nothing fancy - standard turkey etc catered in from a local restaurant - it was tasty and much appreciated. Especially since there was a corporate directive to all the plants to not have any parties this year (our Plant Manager basically flipped them the bird and did it anyway).

My leg has still been healing up well, and I did some more running - until Friday. Remember that foot injury I had back in the summer that sidelined me for two months? Well guess what I woke up to? It's not nearly as bad as the summer, but still swolen and sore. At least I was smart enough to put a halt to any more running until this goes away. I have two half-marathons in April to train for, and I can't afford any more set-backs.

Curling was a bit of a mixed bag. As a team we didn't play as good as we could have, and we lost handily, but it was enjoyable to see the other team making some really great shots to capitalize on small openings and steal points away from us. Funny - I'm finding it much easier to appreciate the game for itself this year, and my tendencies to be unnecessarily competitive are far in the background. I'm having fun.

Almost forgot - I got new ink. It's the first of the ones I had created concepts for a few years back, and now that I have this one in place, I can visualize the rest of them. Now I have a plan in place for the next one, in about six weeks.

Well, the coffee is gone and I need to eat, so I guess it's time to wrap this up and head back to work. And I should probably put some thought into my holiday gift shopping too - at some point (it's still kinda early for me). Have a wonderful week - I'll ttyl. =]

Changing things up again. Funny thing - the coffee's just better on Mondays (different crew). Plus, I spent most of the morning migrating to my new work email address, and I felt I needed a relaxing break from that nonsense.

The bulk of last week wasn't much better than how it started, mood-wise. Avoiding triggers was only partially successful, and although I had some nights of better sleep, I think it was more likely from sheer exhaustion making me shut down. If I keep cycling like this it's going to be a long month.

On the plus side, my leg seems to be healing well. I took a solid week off, then tested it out at the gym on the treadmill on Friday. Since that went ok, I went for longer runs the next two days and had no issues. I'll give it another week and then think about trying the hills course again.

Friday was also a good curling day. Our team was playing very well and we came away with a strong win. Reflecting afterward on the season so far, I realized that the better playing conditions at this new location are translating into me being a better player. I hadn't expected that at all, but it's a very nice side effect.

I capped off Friday by spending some time hanging out with my good friend. We stayed up far too late talking, especially since I was getting up early to run the next day, but it was a worthwhile sacrifice. 

The weekend was mostly normal, and it was a busier food prep day on Sunday so that kept me going more than I really wanted. But I also found time for some leisure, and I actually picked up a book to read. I've had this series for so many years, and I dont think I've ever gotten more than two pages into the first book. I'm a few chapters in now and I'm slowly getting into the story. One interesting thing, it was written in 1993, and is about humans colonizing Mars - in 2026. I get a kick out of stories from past generations that were set in the future, but are actually present time as I read them. 

Well, I should head back to work, as much as I don't want to. I still need to play catch-up from this morning's debacle. Have a good week. See you again soon. =]

I think I'm going to make Tuesday my posting day, at least during the coming cold months. There's a coffee shop near my work, and I'm becoming a bit of a regular on Tuesdays, and there's something that just seems right about sipping a cappuccino and writing about my week.

Work has been much the same, which is to say, still quite boring. I'm somewhat of an isolated example though - many people I know are so overloaded due to department reductions that I can hear the exhaustion in their voices when I talk to them on the phone. Neither situation is good, and I feel there will be more and more people reaching a tipping point soon.

I've been mostly successful in getting better sleep lately. Getting up to go to the gym each day has been a good motivator for going to bed on time. I've had to remind myself to turn off the hockey game and get off the couch a few times, but I'm getting better about remembering. The gym has been good too, and I'm starting to notice that I'm gaining strength in previously weaker areas.

Running is also going well. I registered for the third of the four half marathons I'm planning for next year. I added an extra day at the gym just for running, to make up for losing one of the run clubs. And, in a moment of what I can only describe as complete masochism, I got myself signed up to do a hills challenge during the next two months. It's 10km of climbing up and down hills (23 individual climbs), and the objective is to do it as many times as I can between Dec 1 and Jan 31. I did a practice run with a group on Saturday, and even though it was a tough challenge, it was actually a lot of fun too.

I was just about to sign off but I didn't mention curling. I got my first win of the season last week. It was a close match, and true to form, I kept giving the other team points by missing some shots. But we pulled it out in the end, when I finally made one of those tough shots I needed to make.

And that's it. Time to head back to work and get through the afternoon. I hope everyone is having a good week so far, and for those in the US, have an enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend. Until next Tuesday. =]

It's been a couple months now since I first planned to write this post, but until yesterday the story was still incomplete...

Back in September our dog passed. It was a rough summer, watching her decline, knowing what was coming. And I still miss her.

She was my mom's dog, and she came to us several years back when my mom passed. That was a rough January, watching her decline, knowing what was coming. And I still miss her.

It's funny how many personality traits they shared. For all the years the dog was with us, it was like I still had a piece of mom around. And then it was gone.

But now there's a paw print tattooed on the back of my shoulder, just high enough that when I turn my head, I catch a glimpse in the corner of my eye. And I know they're still with me.