Christmas Weekend Wrap Up

This has been weekend for the books.

Saturday morning we woke up for our customary Christmas breakfast of Cinnamon Rolls. For days the weather has been calling for snow and CB has been anticipating it like a elementary schooler wanting a snow day. While we were eating breakfast I asked if there were any changes in the forecast. She began to call the weather man a few names as she was talking about how he is never right, I looked out the window to see the flakes start falling. To say she was excited is an understatement. It snowed all day, I think it was around 6 inches when the day was over, and Sunday we woke up to about 8 inches. For those of you from locals that get regular snow and 8 inches is the amount of snow you get while out running, that is not the case here. Snow shuts most things down as we MAY get a few dusting a year and it doesn't happen consistently every year. In fact, this is the first time since 1946 that our area has had snow on Christmas.

Shortly after the discovery of the snow we did out present opening. I gave CB three shirts from the GAP, a Coach purse, Coach cashmere scarf, and Coach Bag.

CB gave me a few things, most of which I did not request for Christmas but did mention at one time or another. I am like kid on Christmas, I can't wait to open gifts but we draw it out since it only happens once a year. The first thing I opened was my RoadID. I am happy to finally have one. CB (and her friends) think I run in some very sketchy places on my long run days. The next thing I opened was a Flipfold. I saw this on tv a while back and really wanted one. CB remembered and ordered it for me. Probably not practical for most people but it speaks to my obsessive compulsive/anal retentive nature. If you are not familiar with the Flipfold I have half a dozen pictures below (mostly because I think it is cool),

It is a three/four panel piece of plastic that you unfold on a flat surface. It folds towels, long and short sleeve shirts, and pants. I started with my prized Mangum track club shirt. You first lay it over the Flipfold.

After folding any excess fabric at the bottom over, you flip the first panel in, you then flip the other panel in, and then the bottom half of the middle panel up.

This leaves you with a perfectly folded, uniform sized shirt. CB laughed at me as I refolded all of my t-shirts. Using this they fit perfectly three across in my drawer. I'm sure you aren't curious but as proof again of my retentiveness the shirts are sorted left to right into logo shirts (timberland, north face, and music groups), membership tees (SWAT, etc.) and place t-shirts (dive sights, college, fire departments).

In CB's attempt to support my hobbies she also gave me a funny tri shirt. I sent her a few I liked and a few I though were funny from Cafe Press and she picked this one because "all the cool kids where shirts like this". Then I opened the huge present and we went to her parents. This is my second year going to her parents house for their Christmas activities. As a newlywed did anyone else ever feel out of place at their spouses families holiday traditions. Her family is much different than mine and that is not what is weird, I feel more like a third wheel at the house on holidays.

By the way the giant present was a fire pit for my deck. Now I have to figure out how to rearrange to fit it. Or I could consider how to landscape its own spot into my backyard.

It was a good day overall, and when we got home CB let me have a few minuted of quiet time to decompress from the family activities. I should also add that I thought our stockings were worth a laugh. They speak to our life styles. She gave me two pairs of bike socks, Hammer Gel, HEED, and sportbeans. She got gummy bears and sour patch kids.



This morning we slept in until 10am. I hoped to get up and go for a run but it was still dark and snowing on and off. if you remember me not knowing what to wear for my HM since it was going to be 30 degrees, I definitely know what to wear for snow. I gave solid thought to how do I keep my feet dry? I decided I would hit the treadmill instead but eh gym still was not open. In order to kill time I spent 45 minutes shoveling a path on the deck and clearing the driveway. Luckily, I bought a snow shovel last year "just in case". Around 2pm the gym changed its message to say it wasn't opening. I decide to hide out in the bed and see if the temps would raise. At 3 the sun came out a bit and the temp went up to 31. I decided to man up and go run outside. I dressed with tights, long sleeve tech tee, wind breaker, hat, and ear warmer. My street was clear, this was the benefit of living 3 blocks from the county hospital. I ran up and back to the hospital three time totaling about 1.75 miles. Although short, it is tough because the last quarter mile toward the hospital is nearly vertical. This is the same hill I use for hill workouts. Although slightly cold, as my first experience running in the snow it was enjoyable. It was pretty if nothing else.

Did you have a lazy post holiday Sunday?