Project 365 - Week 5 & 6

Where does the time go? I am working a lot. Both my job and helping J get the practice going and there seems to never be enough time for everything. My "To Do" list is endless. I honestly don't know how women with kids even get showered, I can barely get groceries and the laundry done. Here's to two more weeks completed and into February we go! 

Week 5
January 27
Our little kitty Hailey has been super sweet recently. Seems like in her advancing age (13!) she is just getting cuter and cuter. We were chasing the string here on a Monday evening while J was making dinner.

January 28
On the way to get my hair done I saw the fattest deer I've ever seen. Looks like she knows that this winter is going to be a long one. 

January 29
A perfectly clear day. The first completely sun filled day in Cleveland in 124 days. Wow.

January 30
This is the recliner gift I gave J back in June for completing his fellowship. Ever since Hailey has avoided it... until today. It was cold and we put this nice, warm, fleece blanket down. The next thing you know there is a sleep princess kitty right in the middle. I think she has a new spot. 

January 31
And we're off! Headed to Maryland to visit Steve and do some skiing. I am not 100% thrilled, I'd rather be going to the spa or laying in the sun someplace but J loves it, so I'll try my best. 

February 1
Group selfie on the slopes! It was the warmest day I've ever skied with a high of 48 degrees!

February 2
We were back home just in time for the Super Bowl, sporting our Broncos jerseys and rooting on my favorite player Peyton Manning. Just wish it had turned out different for him.

Week 6
February 3 
Another missed day. We went out to eat at Don Ramon's tonight and I had a telecon for the sorority I volunteer with... just missed a change to take a photo. 365-4. 

February 4
It is freezing again today. Perfect day to snuggle in for grilled cheese and chicken tortilla soup. 

February 5
I'm seeing a theme of food here... I made Giada's Brussels sprout recipe but with pancetta instead of prosciutto and it was fantastic! Even a nice little fire in the background. Shh! J didn't know I snapped this quick shot. Hehehe

February 6
Every once in a while I get some visitors right outside my office window. They were actually looking at me for a while before I moved to get the camera and just like that they ran off.

February 7
Ah, sunshine. I miss you. This was a really pretty sunset in Maryland on our second trip skiing this winter. 

February 8
Back in blue, slopes that is. I made it through all the blue slopes and am getting better and better skiing, much to the delight of my husband who has skiing fever. I blame the Olympics that and the record snowfall we are having this season.

February 9
After a long weekend skiing (nearly 7 hours!!) I think I deserve some amazing Italian food. We stopped at 3 Palms Pizzeria in Hudson and enjoyed their Sunday gravy, meatballs, pasta and of course a cannoli to top it off!

Winter Break - Part 1:Make It Count

We headed out of town for a little winter break last week. We started off with another ski day at Wisp. Again, I was cranky. I didn't want to go, felt like I had checked skiing off the list of things to do this winter and there we were, at the ski resort AGAIN. After our 4 hour drive of me being cranky, I finally put my big girl panties on and stopped complaining. Jared and Steve headed out for a few runs while I rented my skis and boots. This time I upgraded to an Intermediate skier and even got some longer skis. They had fresh powder from the night before so it would be a better day.

I text Jared to let him know I was waiting at the bottom of the run to meet up with them and got this reply...

The next thing I know there is an ambulance, ski patrol, and a few moments later a sled with someone performing CPR on a guy while they are being towed down the slope on a sled. They skied right by me... kids and adults all around were crying at what we were seeing. Directly after them came Jared and Steve. Apparently this man had fallen out of the ski lift just before they headed down the slope. While they were coming down they saw people shouting for help. The man's daughter, a doctor as well, was performing CPR. Someone took her aside and the two of them took over CPR until the ski patrol arrived. They knew he was gone as soon as they saw him.

It was awful. Surreal. It took me awhile to realize what happened... like midway through my second run I just started crying. I wasn't ok. J stopped and talked with me for a while. They see this all the time and I don't know how they deal with it. Part of me wanted to just quit for the day. The same part of me that had been grumpy all morning. But the other part of me felt different. Like I had to choose to enjoy this day. My grandparents haven't been doing well lately... two of them in home hospice care. And I am just feeling more and more the need to make it count, every day, everything you do. Because you really never know what will happen next.

I did awesome skiing each blue trail that day and didn’t quit on myself once. 

I had so much fun. We found out later that the man had died... he was only 68. He had had a heart attack on the lift before he fell. And although so very tragic, he was with his family doing something they loved. And because Jared loves skiing so much, I'm going to keep trying to do better. Making it count for us both, everyday.

 

 

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

Such an odd little saying. I heard this at work while I was attending a microgravity science presentation to astronaut Suni Williams last week (Pinch me!). There were about 30 of us in the room discussing experiments that had been performed with her help on station. One of the scientists was referring to the daunting challenge of combustion physics and how the challenges we are presented at NASA are like trying to eat an elephant. You just have to take it bite by bite.

Fast forward to Saturday where we are skiing at Wisp resort again with our friend Steve. For some reason I haven't been thrilled with the thought of skiing. I am worried more than normal lately. I have my second half marathon coming up in May, which I haven't begun training for, and I'm worried about getting hurt. Not to mention that I don't like being cold. I don't like falling in the snow. I don't like when I'm not good at something and don't have control. Enter skiing. I have been a few times now over the years but I have just been super cranky about this little trip.

Jared wants to ski so much more than I do, so I go. I complain and try my best. One bite at a time.

Shockingly enough we had a great time. Maybe I'll make it down all blue trails next time!

Ski Bunny

Yes, I have gone from snow bunny to ski bunny in a matter of weeks! We had an unexpected free Saturday afternoon and Sunday last weekend. Since Jared was post call, I drove us down to Maryland for another visit with Steve and some skiing. We got there just in time to support him at the Deep Creek Dunk. It was freezing out! We enjoyed some tasty beverages while hundreds of people jumped into Deep Creek Lake. Apparently this was the first year the lake wasn't frozen for the dunk.

On Sunday we were up early and out on the slopes. This time, I only fell once AND went on all the the intermediate slopes at the resort! Go me and my 5th time skiing!

I even caught the last run of the day for the boys down a black diamond.

It was a great quick little visit.  

Snow Bunny

We spent this last weekend in the snow. Catching up with some of J's friends from med school, the first time they had all been together since 2006. We stayed in this awesome cabin, right on the lake in Maryland near Wisp Resort. It looked just like below... only covered in 10 inches of new fallen snow!

Friday afternoon we got to see the progress on a house Steve is building before heading out to dinner. 

We were up late with lots of wine, pool playing, and of course a hot tub and snow angels.

On Saturday after a delicious breakfast feast we headed over to the mountain for some skiing.

It was super snowy and windy, with the low that day at 5 degrees! But with all our new cold winter gear we were good to go. I even got this little video clip of J skiing down a black diamond. It isn't the best, I had gloves on and we were really far away.

And the best part of it all was neither of us got hurt and I didn't fall once! Not bad for only my 4th time skiing and 5 years since J's last trip. Just wish it hadn't been so difficult for Jared to ski on the easier slopes with me. We had plans to either ski again, tube, or snow mobile on Sunday but after another late night we ended up just hanging out before having to leave town.

It was a great time and hopefully, a yearly event!