Updates and Random Thoughts and Stuff

-          It's September, and the beginning of my favourite time of year.  I loved the first days of school -getting to wear new clothes, and my shiny new school supplies, and seeing all my school friends.  I love the colours of the leaves.  I enjoy the cool mornings that slowly grow into warm evenings.  For me, autumn was the start of a new year.  It still brings up all those feelings of renewal. 

-          My dad retired from his practice as a GP on Friday.  He will still be covering nursing homes, but it is one step closer to the permanent move to Victoria (specifically it is Colwood, to the SW of Victoria).  He seems to be in a bit of denial right now, and not really all that excited.   I am sure he will be grumpy at first, but hopefully he will be able to get more sleep and relax a bit too.  He really cares about his patients, and worries about the care they will receive after he is gone. 

-          Speaking of Victoria – we are heading to Colwood for a week on Sept 7 (only 4 days away!).  I am super excited.  I have only been there once, and it was just for four days last Easter.  We will probably be sticking close to home, as the vehicle out there only holds 4 and 5 of us are going out. (Mom, Dad, Grandma, Youngest Brother, and myself)  One of these times I want to take the long ferry ride all the way to Seattle.  Maybe in the spring I could go out there with Kristine.  Also just throwing it out there, that if anyone want to fly or drive out there, we have an awesome place to stay for free.  My other brother, TJ, has brought his friends out there a couple of times. 

-          Right now I am wearing two hats at work.  The receptionist/executive assistant left at the end of July.  So for the past month I have been spending my mornings upstairs covering the desk and phones.  I can’t wait until we hire someone.  I miss spending my whole day with my office, desk, and officemates downstairs in Circulation.

-          In sad news, my uncle in Winnipeg is dying from Lung Cancer.  It’s spread and is filling his pleural cavity.  He most likely will be gone before Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately it’s going to be messy (financially and emotionally) for his wife and my cousins.  It’s complicated by the fact that no one really likes his second wife, that his son lives there with his girlfriend and three kids, and his daughter is about 1,400 km away in Cochrane.  My mom really wishes she could just go out there and take care of him, to make things easier.  It is just sad and complicated.

-          We had an awesome girl’s night the other week.  I got a little lost on my way from Sherwood Park to NW Edmonton, but figured it out.   Four of the Six women were scrapbooking – something I would have been interested in participating in a year or two ago.  I think a wedding or honeymoon scrapbook would have been awesome.   Would a divorce/”my ex is an ass” scrapbook be inappropriate?  One of the girls had made this inspirational book, and I think I want to make one to record my weight loss journey.  Either that or finally organize my pictures from Pi Phi, or High School, or just old pictures of me as a child.  Next time.

-          Still plugging along slowly with the weight loss.  I know that I need to exercise, but mentally I am just not motivated.  I am now down 30 pounds with WW (Part II) and 40 pounds from May of 2012.  Almost at my 10% goal of 31 pounds lost, just need to lose one more pound.  One of my goals for the fall is to go for walk every day.  I want to enjoy the outdoors before the snow starts to make it too cold and slippery.